#probably bachelorette since there are way more men lol

[autistic-danieljackson]

I was scrolling through Prime reading episode descriptions and this photo they chose for season 5 makes John look like he's on The Bachelor 😂

[freddiesaysalright]

The Most Dramatic Season Ever - Week 3

Summary: It’s your time now! You are ABC’s new Bachelorette and this is your journey! All these men (including our fav BoRhap boys and then some) are competing for your heart! Will you find love? Will you get engaged at the end? Or will you end up heartbroken? Find out, on the most dramatic season ever!

Word Count: 9.5k (I told y’all it’s a doozy)

Tag List:  @psychosupernatural​, @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks​, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @the-moving-finger-writes​, @assembledherethevolunteers​, @rose-writes-prose​, @queenlover05​, @moon-stars-soul​, @danadeacon​, @deacyblues​, @thesundrop​, @cupidben​, @lostlittlenerd​, @delilahmay39​, @mazzellodeaky​, @queenmylovely​, @loveandbeloved29​, @free-pool-trash​, @fairestkillerqueenofall​, @local-troubled-writer​, @babyalienfairy​, @littlecarowrites​, @allthethingsicant​, @im-an-adult-ish​, @mirkwoodshewolf​ If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: These parts are probably gonna get longer (or about this length) to get all the drama in, lol. Hope y’all enjoy this part!

Warning(s): None :)

Night 1  Week 1  Week 2

Week 3 here we go!!!

Asheville had you feeling more romantic than before. It was nice to get away from the bustle of LA and to the quiet of the mountains. You had some amazing dates in store. The guys were sure to love them. As you stood on the balcony of your little cabin and looked out among the trees, you felt your heart grow softer. Things were slowly getting more serious, and you were going to be making some big decisions soon. This was a place where you could easily picture yourself falling in love.

The men were feeling similarly anxious and excited. They settled into their lodgings - another cabin not too far from yours - and wondered who would have the first date in the new location. The anticipation for the date card was infectious among them. Especially since once again, Luke was asserting that he must be the one. His only defense was that he felt that he needed to have another conversation with you about what happened at the football game. However, he still didn’t know about your past. Joe had kept that to himself.

The first date card arrived in perfect time. Just as Luke was about to launch into another rant about how he deserved it, there was a knock at the door. John Paul Jones went to retrieve the card and he came back to the eagerly awaiting men.

“Joe,” JPJ read. “Are you ready to fall? Love, Y/N.”

“YES!” Joe cried, jumping up to take the card. “Finally! I’ve been dying for a one on one.”

He looked at your name on the stationery and smiled. At last, he would have you all to himself for a whole day. He needed to tell you what was on his heart, and now was the time to do it.

“Congrats, mate,” Ben said. “You deserve it.”

“Thanks, man,” Joe returned. “I guess I better go get ready.”

He sprang to his feet and headed to the bathroom to fix up his hair. Before he left, everybody - except Luke - wished him luck.

Joe met you at the base of a hiking trail. Your mouth parted into a brilliant smile when you saw him. He jogged to get to you faster, and you went to meet him. Upon uniting, he lifted you up and held you close as you wrapped your legs around his waist. He kissed you eagerly and sweetly. 

“Hey, baby,” he said as he set you down.

“I missed you,” you replied, pulling him in for another quick hug.

He chuckled and kissed the top of your head.

“So, what are we doing today?” he asked.

“I thought we’d do a little hiking,” you told him. “With something special at the end of the trail.”

“Great, let’s do it!” he said with enthusiasm.

“Let’s go!”

He took your hand and you started up the trail together. You talked at first about how beautiful everything was around you. It was still spring time, so the weather was cool and everything was blooming. Then, you moved on to how the process was going.

“How are you feeling?” you asked.

“Honestly, it’s pretty hard,” he told you. “It definitely sucks to compete for time with you, but I’m not complaining. I’m glad for any time I get with you.”

“I get that,” you said. “When I was on Peter’s season, I constantly felt like I was fading into the background.”

“Well, you stood out to me,” he replied.

You smiled and flushed. “Thank you. You stand out to me too, you know. When I think about all the connections I have, yours is usually the first one to come up.”

“Really?” he wondered. “Why do you think that is?”

You pondered a moment before answering. 

“I think it’s because I feel so safe with you,” you said. “I’m really sure about where we stand all the time. It’s probably the most secure.”

Joe: I sort of worry about Y/N telling me I’m safe. I think that can sort of translate into something more platonic than romantic, and the last thing I want is to be sent home because she only sees me as a friend.

You continued hiking up the mountain until you reached a massive steel bridge. The air was chillier because of the altitude, but also, the waterfall behind it created a soft mist. You moved a few inches closer to Joe. 

“Is this the surprise?” he asked.

“Just wait,” you told him. 

You kept walking until you reached the entrance of the bridge. There, you met a crew waiting. The apparent leader marched right over to you and Joe with his hand extended.

“Hi, Y/N, Joe,” he said. “I’m Bubba. I’m here to oversee your bungee jumping experience today.”

Joe’s head whipped to face you, eyes wide.

“Bungee jumping?!” he cried.

You giggled. “Uh-huh! Couples bungee jumping!”

“She’s right,” Bubba said. “This here is called the Lover’s Leap. It’s a place where you and your partner can come together for a bit of a thrill. You’ll really learn to rely on each other.”

“Are you nervous?” you asked him.

He swallowed. “Yeah, a bit. Heights don’t freak me out too much, but this is...not something I’ve thought about.”

“I’m scared too,” you admitted. “But part of a marriage is jumping into scary things together, and being there for each other when we do take a risk.”

“I appreciate the symbolism,” he said with a smile.

“There’s one more part,” Bubba said. “Marriage is also about being vulnerable with your partner. As vulnerable as humanly possible. The tradition of the Lover’s Leap is to be naked.”

Your mouth fell open. The producers had not disclosed that aspect of it to you. Not that you were ashamed of your body or embarrassed. It was just really cold. Also, you didn’t want him to feel self-conscious.

“Are you serious?” you gasped.

“I’m serious,” Bubba replied. “Obviously, it’s not an obligation, but it’s considered bad luck to break tradition.”

You looked over at Joe, who looked equally apprehensive. However, the more you thought about it, the more at ease you were. This was Joe. He was sweet and supportive and funny. You trusted him. You took his hand and he met your gaze.

“I’m down if you are,” you said.

“I’m down for anything with you,” he replied.

“Great!” said Bubba with a clap. “There’s a hut just up the path for you to change and there are robes for you to wear until you're ready to get in the harness. We’ll be waiting for you both right here.”

Still hand in hand, you made your way in the direction Bubba indicated. There was a small hut that looked like a public restroom. One side for men and the other for women. You let go of Joe’s hand - already feeling unsteady without it - and went to the women’s side. There, you stripped down.

A fleeting image came to you as you pulled your leggings off. One of Joe’s hands removing the clothes instead of your own. Your lips locked as you did so. A fire burning in the pit of your belly as you gripped him to you. Frantic, needy gasps escaping both of you.

You shook your head. It was a long way to go until fantasy suites (overnight dates), and you weren’t sure yet if Joe would even make it that far. You didn’t need to be any more frustrated. Or add extra pressure to this situation, which was already awkward.

In just the robe and some cheap, plastic sandals, you met Joe back outside. He had a nervous smile on his face. The lengths he was willing to go to in order to be with you made you feel like you had already leapt off that ledge. Like you were falling.

“Are you ready?” you asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied.

“Let’s do this,” you said, trying to sound more confident than you felt.

You joined Bubba once more on the bridge. He grinned at you both.

“Alright,” he said brightly. “Glad y’all are doing this. So, what we’re gonna have you do is stand chest to chest. Get really close. Then you can take your robes off and we’ll get you all strapped in. Sound good?”

You and Joe glanced at each other before looking back at Bubba and nodding. Then you followed his instructions. You pressed your body against Joe’s. He was surprisingly warm considering the dampness and the cold air around you. You reached between you to untie your robe, slowly letting it fall from your shoulders. The air stung your skin as it hit you. You shivered. Joe wrapped his arms around you.

You noticed he was already bare and was making a deliberate effort to not look down. You bit back a laugh. As respectful as it was, you didn’t mind if he saw your bare breasts. It was just the human body after all. You couldn’t see below each other’s waists, since the crew had already put the harness around you.

“Joe, look at me,” you said.

When your chest was once again against his, he met your eyes.

“Kiss me,” you instructed.

He didn’t hesitate. Even his lips were still warm. The kiss still didn’t last long, since you began to tremble. 

Even though you were naked, even though your bodies were pressed together, this moment didn’t feel erotic. It was romantic. Joe held you tenderly and whispered words of comfort into your ear as you inched toward the ledge. 

“Are you ready?” Bubba asked.

You and Joe nodded. 

“On the count of three,” Bubba said. “One.”

You rested your forehead against Joe’s collarbone.

“Two.”

You tightened your grip around Joe’s waist.

“Three!”

Your stomach dropped.

You fell.

Adrenaline surged through you as you and Joe plummeted - screaming together the whole way down. The roar of the waterfall was nothing compared to the thundering of your heart. The air whooshed around your ears and stung your eyes. It was the most terrifying and thrilling thing you had ever done. You couldn’t be happier that you had chosen Joe to be there with you.

As you slowed to a stop, you realized you and Joe were both laughing. At the bottom you finally caught your breath. Hanging upside down, you looked at him.

“Oh, my God!” he cried.

“I know!” you returned.

“That was amazing!”

“So amazing!”

“You’re amazing!”

With that, he kissed you hard. His lips felt colder now, but the fire, the passion, was there as they moved with yours. Neither of you doubted it now - something real, something beautiful existed between you. 

For the evening portion of the date, you were at a small restaurant that had a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. The sun was just setting behind them as you sat down to dinner.

“Cheers to a great day,” you said, holding up your wine glass. “And to taking risks.”

“Cheers,” Joe echoed, gently tapping his glass to yours.

You drank, and when you were finished, you looked at Joe.

“That was seriously incredible today,” you said. “Thanks for making me feel so safe and comfortable.”

“You did the same for me,” he told you. “I never could have done that if I wasn’t holding you.”

You smiled.

“There is something I wanted to ask you, though,” he said.

“Oh?” you returned, a little on edge. “What is it?”

“You tell me a lot how safe you feel with me,” he said. “How comfortable it is. I just want to make sure it’s not...too comfortable.”

“What do you mean?” you questioned.

“I mean, I want to be sure our connection is something more than platonic,” he said. “Because I want to be more than just your friend.”

“Oh!” you said, realization hitting you. “Oh, Joe, you don’t need to worry about that. What I feel for you is way beyond friendship.” You took his hand. “I’m charmed by you...I’m attracted to you...I basically want to kiss you all the time.”

He chuckled. “Well, I’ll never complain about that.”

“Good,” you said, and leaned in to peck him on the lips. “I want you to be sure that what we have is romantic and passionate.”

“You’ve definitely put my mind at ease,” he said.

“Why were you so worried?” you wondered.

“Because,” he began. Then he took a deep breath. “Because, Y/N, I...I am falling in love with you.”

You got warm from your head to your toes.

“Joe,” you sighed. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that.”

You grinned at each other for a moment before you reached over the table for the rose that sat in a dish. Then you met his gaze again.

“From the moment we met, I felt like we had something special,” you said. “I feel like we’ve known each other forever, y’know? I want us to keep going. I could see this being something great.”

“I could too,” he agreed.

“In the spirit of that,” you said. “Joe, will you accept this rose?”

“Every time,” he assured you.

He kissed you before you could pin it on him. You giggled into his mouth.

“Joe!” you protested. “I gotta put it on your jacket!”

“That can wait,” he murmured, before claiming your lips again.

You let him kiss you a few moments longer, enjoying it far too much to stop him. When you nearly dropped the rose, you asserted yourself again.

“Okay, I really do have to, it’s the whole point,” you joked.

“Alright, then,” he sighed, sarcastically rolling his eyes.

You pinned it carefully. You felt his eyes on you as you worked. Joe was etching every moment of this into his memory. The way your hair fell in front of your face. The light flush of your cheeks from all the kissing. The gentle way your hands moved. He absolutely adored you.

“Thank you for today,” he said softly. “It meant a lot.”

“Well, you mean a lot to me,” you told him. 

Though you couldn’t tell him, you were falling in love with Joe too. So fast, it was frightening.

When Joe returned to the house, the other men were waiting up for him. They asked how it went and he told them what they did. Most of the guys were shocked by the naked bungee jumping, but Joe assured them that you actually hadn’t seen much of each other. They weren’t really bothered by it. Luke, however, fumed as he glared at Joe.

“You alright?” Ben asked, noticing Luke’s deep frown.

“No, I’m not!” Luke snapped. “That’s not cool!”

All eyes turned to Luke at his outburst.

“What do you mean?” asked Wells. “What’s not cool?”

“Being - just - that’s - naked!” Luke sputtered. “It’s not okay for a woman to do that!”

Once again, he had sucked all ease from the room and replaced it with annoyance.

“Dude…” John Paul Jones began. “It’s 2020, women can be naked if they wanna be.”

“She’s trying to find a husband,” Luke argued. “She won’t get one acting like that.”

“Hey,” Joe defended. “You don’t speak for all of us. I’d still marry her after today.”

“Of course you would, she was with you!” Luke said. “But the rest of us weren’t. Now, I have to go forward with the knowledge that some other man has seen my potential wife naked.”

“Like I said, I barely saw anything,” Joe replied, trying to remain calm. He didn’t want to let Luke ruin the wonderful day. “And she’s not a virgin or anything. She went to the fantasy suite with Peter. Other men have definitely seen more than I did today. She’s not your property, Luke.”

“She -” he stopped himself and inhaled deeply. “You guys don’t understand. To me, her body is a temple, and she completely disrespected herself.”

“Okay, but that’s not her opinion,” Rami said. “You can’t project that onto her.”

Luke opened his mouth to retort again, but there was a knock at the door. Taron went to get it and returned with a date card. He cracked it open and read aloud.

“Rami, Ben, Gwilym, Taron, Richard, Wells, Mike, Kenny, Jared, Jordan, John Paul Jones, Luke,” he said. “Let’s explore together. Love, Y/N.”

Joe looked over at Allen. “That means you’ve got the second one on one!”

“I was trying not to be too excited,” Allen returned, a quiet grin coming over him.

Allen: I’m thrilled to be getting a one on one. I feel like our relationship was slowed down last week by the drama with Luke, and now I finally just get her to myself. I can’t wait.

“Why don’t we all just cool off and go to bed?” Gwilym suggested, though everyone knew it was directed at Luke. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

They all agreed and tried to forget Luke’s comments as they prepared to see you.

The next day, you met the group in downtown Asheville. You were really looking forward to this day just exploring the city with them. It would be an easy way to split your time among them and see their adventurous side.

“Hi, everyone!” you greeted as they approached. “I thought we’d have a more laid back date and just walk around and see what Asheville has to offer. Sound good?”

They all agreed so you got started. Asheville was such a cool city. There were street performers and musicians. There was history next to vendors. There were also numerous shops and bars down the streets. You were having so much fun with the guys. You laughed a lot and got to share a moment with each of them, save Luke. You noticed he was sort of standoffish today, and you were curious to what had him in such a mood.

You stopped in a pub and took a large table. You all ordered drinks and waited for them to arrive. When you received them, you made a toast, and then took a sip. Before you had even set your drink back down on the table, Luke was at your side.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

“Yeah, okay,” you agreed. 

You got up and followed him into a private room adjacent to the main area. You sat together in a corner booth and you waited for him to speak.

“I wanted to address yesterday,” he began.

“Yesterday?” you questioned. “You mean while I was with Joe?”

“Yeah,” he said. “He told us about the naked bungee jumping.”

You just stared at him, waiting for him to continue. It did not bother you that Joe had told the rest of the guys about the date. It bothered you greatly that Luke was talking to you about it.

“You have to understand, Y/N,” he said. “To me, you only share your body with your spouse. And when I heard that you had...bared yourself in front of him, I got upset. It was disrespectful.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Disrespectful?”

“Yes,” he said. “To me. As your future husband.”

Fury flashed in your eyes. “Okay, first of all, don’t act like you’ve already got this in the bag, Luke. I could name probably five guys out there who have a stronger connection than you do right now.”

“I didn’t mean -”

“Don’t interrupt me!” you snapped. “I’ll let you know when I’m finished!”

He shrunk back. You took a moment to breathe.

“My body and what I do with it is none of your concern,” you said. “It is mine. It doesn’t belong to you or to God or anyone else. Even if you were my husband, it still would not belong to you. I have already told you that we don’t share the same views on stuff like this. I’m not a virgin, I’ve had several sexual partners, and I would go naked bungee jumping with any of those guys. If you’ve got a problem with that, then there’s the door.”

You pointed to the exit. Luke frowned. 

“Can I say something now?” he asked.

“Fine,” you allowed.

“I didn’t mean that your body belongs to me,” he said. “That’s not what I said. But I also think it’s important that you respect yourself.”

“I have plenty of self respect, Luke,” you bit back, anger seething beneath the surface of your skin. “It’s because I respect myself that I do what I want to with my body. It’s because I respect myself that I give it nourishment. Part of that nourishment is pleasure. That’s my opinion.”

He sighed. “Look, we can work through this. We all make bone headed mistakes, and we can get past this one.”

Your eyes went wide and your mouth fell open. Anger was replaced by sheer awe at his lack of understanding. He truly wasn’t getting this at all.

“Oh. My. God!” you cried. “Luke, that’s not what this is about! I didn’t make a mistake! I have absolutely no regrets about what happened with Joe! How can I make you understand that?”

“I’m not saying that you did!”

“Yes you are!” you shot back, exasperated. “You literally just called it a ‘bone headed mistake’! Do you even hear yourself?!”

You had seen this before. This kind of gaslighting.

“You’re misinterpreting what I’m saying,” he said.

“Then use the correct words,” you retorted. 

“I want you to protect yourself!” he insisted. “Look, not all these guys are good guys. Not everyone is here for the right reasons.”

“Tell me who you’re talking about, then,” you said. “Who exactly do I need protecting from?”

“You’re being fooled by guys like Ben!” he cried. 

You paused, heart beginning to sink. You really cared for Ben and had so far never heard a negative thing about him.

“What do you mean?” you pressed.

“He and Joe were talking the other day about what they’re gonna do after this, and which of them could be the Bachelor, and stuff,” he told you. “They’re not really here for you.”

“So, this is why you’re really upset?” you questioned. “Because you think I’m being tricked? Not because I got naked in front of one of them?”

“Look, I don’t like that it happened,” he said. “But the reason is because I really, genuinely care about you. I don’t want to see you get hurt at the end of this.”

You felt off balance. So much had just happened in that conversation that you were reeling. Your mind swam with questions. Ben and Joe...the last two one on one dates and both had gone extremely well. Joe even told you he was falling in love with you. Could they really have bad intentions? You trusted yourself when it came to people, but Luke saw more of them than you did. If that conversation had taken place, you had a lot you needed to work out.

“If that really was your concern,” you said. “You brought it up entirely the wrong way. If I’m being honest Luke, I think you’re using this as an excuse to cover up that you were being sexist, and you don’t want to own up to it.”

“I wasn’t -”

“What did I say about interrupting me?” you snapped. “Anyway. I will take into consideration what you’ve told me here, but you’re not off the hook. This conversation is over.”

Knowing he was dismissed, he left the room and headed back to the table. You remained frozen where you sat. You didn’t want to believe what Luke told you about Ben and Joe. But you knew that it was a risk of finding love this way. That there would be some people who played the part in order to get on TV and be famous. But Ben? Joe? Those two just seemed unlikely. Even so, the seed of doubt was planted.

Tears pricked your eyes. So much was going on inside you. You were still angry at Luke. But now you were also scared. Scared that two of your strongest connections had been forged. If Ben and Joe could fake it, then anybody could. 

You heard a soft knock on the doorway behind you. You dabbed and your eyes and turned to see Taron standing there.

“Hey,” he said. “You okay?”

“No,” you sniffled. “I don’t know what to do.”

Taron moved to the couch and gathered you up in his arms. You rested your head on his chest. He kissed your temple and you relaxed into him.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Was Luke upset with you?”

“Yeah,” you replied. You told him everything that had happened, including what Luke told you about Ben and Joe. You felt Taron stiffen.

“Oh, God,” you sighed. “Is it true?”

“No, Y/N, it’s not true,” he said. “I share a room with both Ben and Joe and they’ve never, ever spoken like that. They really care about you.”

“Why would Luke say that he overheard this, though?” you wondered. “Is he really that petty?”

Taron sighed heavily. “I don’t know what his motives are. All I know is, you’re a wonderful girl, with a great group of guys, and we all want the chance to love you.”

“I have a lot to think about,” you said. 

“D’you need some time, love?” he offered.

“Please,” you said.

He kissed your cheek and squeezed you once before leaving you to your thoughts.

When Taron emerged, Wells was on his feet and preparing to go in there. Taron held up a hand to stop him.

“She doesn’t want to see anyone else,” he said. “She’s really upset right now.”

“Why?” Wells asked.

“Because of the lies that Luke told her,” Taron spat, rounding on Luke. “Why would you tell her things you know aren’t true?”

“What are you talking about?” Luke shot back.

“You told her that Ben and Joe aren’t genuine and were talking about being the Bachelor!” Taron said.

“What?!” Ben cried. “I’ve never said that!”

“I think she misunderstood,” Luke said. “That’s not what I meant.”

“What did you mean, then?” Ben demanded. “I’d love to hear it!”

Luke started to speak, but just then, you approached the table again. You didn’t sit down.

“I’m sorry, guys,” you said. “But I’m cancelling the rest of this date. We’ll still have the cocktail party tonight, but I need to think about some things. I’ll see you all tonight.”

You left them to return to your cabin. You had too much on your heart to enjoy the rest of the day. You needed time to yourself and then to get the facts from the rest of the men tonight.

“Well done,” Gwilym said. “Is this what you were after? To ruin it so none of us get time with her?”

“How is this my fault?!” Luke cried.

“You’re the one upsetting her!” Richard returned. “What did you think, she’d be able to have a normal day after that?!”

“This was time that everyone needed with her today,” Gwilym added. “You’ve robbed us all, including Y/N.”

With that, they said no more. Everyone got up and was driven back to their cabin to get ready for the evening. Allen and Joe were filled in on the events of the group date.

“I just don’t get it,” Joe said. “I’ve never had like, a personal problem with Luke. I don’t understand why he’d choose me and Ben to throw under the bus.”

“Because you’ve had one on ones,” Allen pointed out.

“So has Taron,” Joe reminded him. “For whatever reason, he didn’t say his name. And you’ve got one tomorrow. If his goal is to ruin stuff, why not take preemptive action?”

“I hope he doesn’t talk about me,” Allen said. “Although maybe it was too obvious since we’ve already had some friction? I don’t know, I can’t explain the inner workings of that psycho’s brain.”

“I hope you guys can work it out tonight,” Joe said. 

“And don’t worry, we’ll defend you as well,” Gwilym assured him. “He can’t just lie to her like that.”

“Appreciate it, Gwil,” Joe said. “Good luck.” 

That night, the men waited for you in another bar that had been reserved for all of you. You hesitated before walking in, knowing this was going to be a difficult night. And you had so looked forward to something fun. But you had to figure out who was telling the truth. So, you marched out to the guys and stood in front of them.

“Sorry again about earlier,” you said. “But I was just really overwhelmed. I’ve cleared my head a little bit, and now I want clarity from all of you. I want to speak to everyone individually. Starting with Gwilym. So Gwil, can we chat?”

“Of course,” he agreed. 

He followed you to a separate room on the second floor. You found a small couch and sat down. You patted the spot beside you. Gwilym took a seat.

“I’m sure you’ve been made aware of the accusations that Luke made about Joe and Ben,” you said. 

“I have,” he told you. “And they’re not true. I’ve never heard them say anything other than how much they want to be here. For you.”

“Has anyone talked about stuff like being the Bachelor or whatever after this?” you asked. “Is it possible Luke’s accusing the wrong people?”

“Y/N, I’ve never heard anyone say that,” Gwilym said. “Ever. The only person I’m wary of is Luke.”

“Why?” you asked.

“He’s lied to you, and to all of us,” he explained. “He’s angry and unpredictable and he hides behind his religion to excuse his - quite frankly - asshole behavior. And every time he’s called out on it, he says he’s being misunderstood. It’s troubling.” 

“I understand,” you said. “Thanks for being honest with me.”

“It’s like I’ve always told you,” he said. “You can ask me anything.”

You hugged him and then walked with him back out to the group.

“Rami, can I have you next?” you requested.

“Yeah,” Rami said.

You took him to the same room where you had just spoken to Gwilym.

“I wanted to ask you if you’ve heard any talk of this experience being used,” you said. “Like to be the Bachelor or anything like that.”

“Not at all,” he told you. “I know Luke said Joe and Ben talked about that, but I hang out with them all the time and I promise you, Y/N, it’s not like that. I even know Joe from college and I can tell you he’s one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. Not just in this experience but in life.”

“I’m relieved to hear that,” you said. “Can you tell me more of your thoughts on Luke?”

“Honestly, Luke is...concerning,” he said. “He’s got a temper and his views on things are just severely outdated. I don’t know what his intentions are with so much of what he does.”

“Great,” you said. “Thanks, Rami.”

“Anytime, sweetheart,” he replied.

You pulled Richard aside next. One by one, you spoke to the men, until only three were left - Luke, Taron, and Ben. 

Ben was anxious. As you spoke to each person, he hoped they undermined whatever nonsense Luke had put into your head. But he wanted to defend himself as well. To be sure you knew what was true. His anger at Luke was coming off of him in waves. His leg bounced as he waited.

“Look, I just told her my interpretation of things that were said,” Luke said to Ben.

Ben glowered at Luke.

“What the f*ck are you talking about?” Ben spat. “I’ve never said anything remotely close to that. And neither has Joe. You fabricated an entire conversation.”

“I didn’t fabricate anything,” Luke insisted. “I was just trying to look out for her.”

“By lying to her?!” Ben shouted. “Because that’s the only thing you’ve done!”

“I’m protecting her!” Luke returned. “Because I care about her!”

“You’re not protecting anyone by lying except yourself!” Taron interjected. “And you know it’s a lie! Which is what every single one of us has told her, by the way!”

Ben: I’m furious right now. And scared. I don’t want to lose her. I’m thankful for all the support from the guys, but I just hope it’s enough to undo what he’s done.

Finally, after you spoke Taron, you called Luke back. Ben bit back a groan. When was he going to get his chance?

You didn’t sit down with Luke. You remained standing and squared up to him.

“Luke, I just talked to every person here and they all said that story about Joe and Ben is bullsh*t,” you said, voice low because what you really wanted to do was scream at him. “So I just want to know why...why would you tell me something you know isn’t true?”

“It is true!” he insisted. 

“It clearly isn’t!” you returned. “So what is it, Luke? What’s the reason?”

He gaped at you and sputtered while he tried to form a sentence.

“I suggest you think long and hard about what you want to say to me the next time we see each other,” you said. “Because right now, you are on thin f***ing ice. Now get the hell away from me.”

He hung his head and left. You took a moment to breathe. Luke stormed back out to the men and flopped down into his seat.

“You guys all made me look like a jackass,” he barked.

“You made yourself look like a jackass,” Rami returned. “You’re the one who lied in the first place.”

Before Luke could argue that, you returned. You looked around at each of the men. Ben was halfway to his feet. He needed to talk to you now. But then, you picked up the rose that was on the table.

“I’m sorry tonight was so difficult,” you said to the group. “This journey is never completely smooth sailing and things get mixed up. I’m sorry.” You turned to Ben. “Ben, can we go talk now?”

“Yes,” he sighed. “God, yes.”

You took his hand and led him into the back room, rose in tow. You sat together on the couch. You gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“So, I wanted to start off my also saying sorry to you,” you said. “I hope you understand why I talked to the other guys first. I didn’t want this to turn into just what you said versus what Luke said.”

“I do understand, Y/N,” he answered. “And I hope you learned the truth.”

“I did,” you told him. “Which is why I owe you an apology. I’m sorry, Ben, that I ever doubted you. You have shown me nothing but kindness and that your heart is genuine. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, darling,” he sighed. “All is forgiven. I’m glad you got what you needed and that you don’t doubt me anymore.”

“I will never doubt you again,” you promised. “So, as extra proof of my faith in you...Ben, will you accept this rose?”

“Always,” he replied.

He kissed you gently before you pinned it to his jacket. It felt good to end on a positive note, but you hated that the whole group date had been wasted on drama. As much as you wanted to have a good time with these men, it was getting late and you had a date tomorrow with Allen.

You walked Ben back out to the guys, and when they saw that he had the rose on his chest, they actually applauded. You laughed, kissed Ben on the cheek, and bid the guys goodnight. 

Rami: I’m glad Ben got the rose. It shows that Y/N knows the facts when she hears them and that she’s fair. Hopefully, this has shown her what Luke’s really like, and she’ll send him home this week.

With all the drama behind you, you were really looking forward to your date with Allen. He was familiar with Luke’s tactics, but hopefully today, you could spend time on something other than Luke.

 Allen looked so handsome as he walked up to meet you on a country lane. You smiled at each other as he approached, then he jogged the last few yards to give you a big, bear hug. You laughed into his shoulder as you embraced.

“I’ve missed you, darlin’,” he whispered.

“I missed you too,” you returned.

He pulled back slightly so he could kiss you.

“What are we up to today, love?” he asked.

“Well, you probably noticed that we’re on a farm,” you said.

“I did,” he chuckled.

“So, we’re gonna take some horses out and have a little picnic,” you told him. “Sound good?”

“Sounds lovely,” he replied.

“Great, let’s get started!”

You walked over to the barn, where the owner had two beautiful horses saddled up and ready. You had ridden horses well into your college years, so you knew what you were doing. It appeared Allen did too. But he helped you onto your horse before mounting his.

You both urged the horses forward and you started at a slow trot to get moving. As you went down the path, you slowed down to ride side by side. That way you could talk.

Allen’s mood was infectious. He was cheerful and funny, so you forgot all about the hurt of the previous day. All doubts about this process were gone as you and Allen chatted together. Also, it was kinda sexy that he knew how to ride a horse.

“When did you learn to ride?” you asked.

“I learned as a child,” he said. “I was fortunate in that my parents were well-off, so I could afford to pursue any interest I had.”

“Oh, so they indulged you?” you teased.

“A bit,” he laughed. “Especially my mum. But the most spoiled child was my sister, being the only girl and all.”

“How many siblings do you have?” you wondered.

“Three,” he said. “I have an older brother, my sister’s older, and then a younger brother.”

“Wow, it must have been a busy house!” you said.

“It was!” he replied. “Never a dull day at the Leech residence.”

You chuckled, and kept riding. Together, you stopped a hillside field. It had a view of the mountains that took your breath away. A picnic was set up for you, with cushions and chilled white wine. Allen dismounted, helped you down, and then you tied the horses off at a post. You sat together on the cushions and cracked open the wine.

“So, do you want a big family like the one you had growing up?” you asked.

“Kind of,” he answered. “I mean, I think four children is a lot. But I wouldn’t mind two or three.”

“My thoughts exactly,” you replied. “Are you still close with your family?”

“Of course,” he said. “I talk to one of them at least once a day. It’s been a bit hard during this process actually to not hear from them.”

“Yeah, I missed my loved ones a lot too,” you said. “Hopefully, it’ll all be worth it in the end.”

“Oh, you’re beyond worth it, darlin’,” he assured you with a kiss.

You tried not to melt each time he called you “darlin’” in that adorable accent of his. Of all the accents you’d heard, his made you the weakest. But it was more than his accent that attracted you to Allen. He was smart, kind, affectionate, and family-oriented. All things you wanted in a husband. You thought that if you looked up “husband material” in the dictionary, it would just be his picture as the definition.

The rest of the afternoon part of the date was similarly wonderful. You rode the horses back to the barn before parting for just a little while to prepare for the evening portion. There was still more you wanted to know about Allen. 

You sat down to dinner in a renovated barn on the same farm you were on earlier that day. This one was used as a venue, as it was decorated with twinkle lights and rustic, farmhouse knick knacks. Dinner was waiting for you at a small table in the center of it. Allen pulled your chair out for you before sitting down himself. This was another thing you liked about him. Small, chivalrous touches.

“I had fun today,” you said. “I really needed a fun day.”

“I know yesterday was difficult for you,” he replied. “I’m happy to be a relief from all of that.”

“You were perfect,” you told him. “Thank you.”

He leaned over and kissed you sweetly.

“Just so you know,” he said as he sat back again. “No one else was angry at you about the bungee jumping thing. We were a bit jealous of Joe, but not angry at you.”

You smiled. “It’s like you read my mind. I was worried that other guys felt the same way Luke did, so thank you again for easing that.”

“Of course, love,” he said. “Anything else on your mind?”

“Yeah, actually,” you said. “I wanna know more about you. Like, what brought you to the US? You talk about your family a lot, so I’m curious as to what took you away from them.”

“A girl,” he told you with a half-hearted smile. “I met her while she was studying abroad in Dublin. She was from New York. We knew each other for two weeks and I was in love with her.”

“Are you serious?” you gasped. “Two weeks?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out,” he said. “We were together almost every day the whole semester she was there. When it was time for her to go home, I realized I didn’t want to let her go. So, I packed up my things and moved to New York.”

“Did you guys stay together long?” you asked.

“Well, that’s sort of where the story gets sad,” he said. “We were together for a year. I was living with her and everything. We were both working a lot, and I realized that all that passion we had for each other in Dublin was not there in New York.”

Your brow furrowed. “Did something cause that or was it just different?”

“It was just different,” he told you. “I tried really hard to get back what we had, but she didn’t reciprocate. She didn’t want to work on it. But she didn’t want to end it either. I think she wanted to stay together so that she wouldn’t be alone.”

“That’s...understandable, I guess,” you said. “Doesn’t make it right.”

“Right,” he agreed. “I really tried everything. I read books, I went to seminars, I saw a few therapists. None of it made a difference to her. Finally, she asked me when I was planning on proposing.”

“That’s bold of her,” you said, trying to disguise the bitterness of the statement by taking a drink.

He caught it, and chuckled.

“It was,” he said. “I told her I had no intention of proposing. Then she had the gall to ask me why.”

“What did you say?” you wondered.

“I was brutally honest,” he said. “I told her that I was putting in more effort than I was receiving and that I felt like the love died the second she left Dublin. I asked her point blank if she still loved me….and she said no. Then I told her I didn’t love her anymore either. We both took a moment and then decided it was best that we admitted our mistake. So we split up.”

“That’s so confusing,” you said. “I wonder what shifted.”

“I think that when we were in Dublin, she was sort of living out a fantasy,” he said. “You know, go somewhere new, meet someone new, it was all exciting for her. I didn’t fit into her more mundane life.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” you said. “She really missed out on a great guy.”

He flushed. “Well, I’m flattered. But we just weren’t right for each other. With the right person, the mundane stuff in life becomes romantic, y’know?”

“I agree,” you said. “But also, you’re a great guy.”

“Thank you,” he replied.

“So, how come you didn’t go back to Ireland?” you wondered.

“I liked America a lot,” he said simply. “I decided to take a long holiday and explore it some more. Which I did, for another year. Then I came to meet you.”

“I’m glad you did,” you said. “But do you plan to go back to Ireland?”

“I do,” he said. “That’s my home, so that’s where I’d like to settle down.”

“Would you ever consider staying in the US?” you asked.

“I would consider it,” he said. “But I can’t imagine that I’d end up deciding on that. Ireland is...my whole heart. Would you consider moving there?”

“I’m down to live anywhere,” you said. “I don’t have roots like that, y’know?”

“Well, I’ll help you plant some,” he replied.

You smiled. That sounded...lovely. Settling down with Allen in his home country. Raising your kids there among his family. It was a desirable life. You kissed him slowly and steadily - showing him just how much you approved of the idea.

When you pulled away, you reached over the table and picked up the rose that rested there. You looked at Allen.

“Today was everything I needed from you and more,” you said. “I don’t think I can say anything else about it. So, Allen, will you accept this rose?”

“I will, darlin’,” he answered.

You giggled and pinned it to his jacket. Then you kissed him again. Another thing you liked about him was that he was a great kisser. It made your heart race inside your chest, even with the lightest peck. Allen made you feel like a girl with a crush, but he didn’t intimidate you. You were really starting to fall for him.

After giving him the rose, you took his hand and let him out to a gazebo just outside the barn. It was also lit by soft lights and a few candles. Inside was a string quartet that began to play as you walked out. Allen spun you into his arms, and you swayed together in the night. Being with him made you feel like you had roots. Like you had a home.

The following day, as you prepared for the cocktail party, you got a bit nervous. You knew you had to talk to Luke again because you weren’t sure if you were going to give him a rose. You needed to understand him more and figure out if he was truly being malicious with his actions, or if there was some other explanation. But you also didn’t want that to be the focus of the night. You wanted to spend time with the other men, too. Time that didn’t involve talking about Luke.

The cocktail party was being held at a museum. Since it was after operating hours, you had the place to yourselves. You really liked it because it meant there were lots of rooms to have private conversations. And there were lots of conversations to be had.

After you made a brief toast, Gwilym pulled you aside first. You were excited to talk to him. He always made you feel great. As you took a seat on a small sofa, he put his arm around your shoulders.

“How are you doing, love?” he asked.

“I’m doing alright,” you told him. “I think I know what I want, but there are a few things to figure out.”

“You’ve been doing very well so far,” he said. “Keep following your heart, and you’ll find your happiness. I’m sure of it.”

“I’m flattered by the amount of faith you have in me,” you chuckled. “I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

“You could never disappoint me,” he said. “Maybe surprise, but not disappoint.”

“I’m glad,” you returned. “How are you tonight?”

“Fine,” he said with a shrug. “There’s always a bit of nerves going into these nights, but you understand that.”

“I understand perfectly,” you said. “Rose ceremonies are never easy.”

“I’m sure they’re not any easier on you,” he said.

You smiled. “You’re a very understanding person, Gwil.”

“I try to be,” he replied. “I especially want to understand you.”

He cupped your cheek in his warm hand and brought your lips to his. 

Rami came for you next, and you were also glad to see him. For some reason it felt like ages since you’d talked, even though the group date was earlier that week. At first, he just held you in a tight hug for a few moments. Then you got to talking. Rami also did not mention Luke or any of the drama. You just talked. 

He was someone who was refreshing. He was odd in a charming sort of way, and - like Joe - tended to make you laugh a lot. It seemed important to him that you smiled.

“You know, you’re really beautiful,” Rami said as you finished laughing some more.

“Thank you,” you replied.

“I don’t just mean your face,” he said, taking your hand and interlocking his fingers with yours. “I mean...you.”

It struck you, that sentiment. Rami never bothered with surface level flattery. He had when he first met you, but now that you were getting to know each other, he always told you what he liked about you as a person. This comment took you off guard because he was admitting that all of it put together was something he found beautiful.

“So are you,” you told him earnestly. “You’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met.”

He blushed a litte, and you kissed his cheek. He shot you a bashful grin.

After Rami, you spoke to Taron, and then to Richard. A few other guys talked to you as well, and then finally, Luke got your attention. You went even further into the museum because this wasn’t a conversation you wanted the other men to overhear. You wanted real, honest Luke.

“So,” you began. “Have you thought about what you want to say to me?”

“I have,” he told you. “I want to say I’m sorry. The way I handled that situation was all wrong, but I hope you understand that it comes from a place of caring about you.”

You sighed, irritated. “I feel like you’re not really apologizing for the right thing. Are you not sorry for what you said? You’re only sorry for how it affected everything?”

His jaw clenched. “Y/N, please. I can’t apologize for my beliefs.” 

“So, you are mad about the naked bungee jumping?” you challenged.

“I’m not going to deny that it upset me,” he said. “But I’ve already forgiven you. I was hoping to receive the same grace from you.”

“Luke, I have done nothing that requires forgiveness,” you snapped. “And now I feel like there’s nowhere left for us to go. How do we recover from this?”

He paused, taking a moment to look at the floor.

“Can I say something to you?” he asked.

“Please!” you returned. “That’s why we’re here!”

“I love you, Y/N.”

Your whole body went cold.

“I’m sorry...what?”

“I love you,” he said again. “I’m the only man here who can say with confidence that I am in love with you. One hundred percent. That’s why I’m willing to do whatever it takes to move past this. I want to be your husband. I want to prove to you the kind of man that I am. So please. Please give me one more chance to show you.”

“You realize it’s only week three right?” you reminded him. “We haven’t even had a one on one. The majority of the time we’ve spent together has been correcting your behavior. How can you already be in love with me?”

“I know because that’s what’s in my heart,” he said. “I prayed so hard about what I needed to tell you tonight. And this was the answer that God provided.”

You leaned forward, elbows on your thighs, and began rubbing your temples, trying to make sense of any of this.

“So, you’re telling me you love me because you think that’s what I wanted to hear?” you questioned. “Or do you really, honestly feel that?”

“I feel that,” he insisted. “I know I can be better. I know you have a good heart. So, please, let’s just forget this ever happened, okay? Let’s move forward.”

“Okay, I need to think about this,” you said. “Could you leave me alone for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, of course,” he agreed, and he did so.

You began to go over everything he said again. He seemed earnest in his desire to stay and progress your relationship. But every time you turned around he was doing something sketchy. He had made a wild declaration of love, but you weren’t sure you believed him. You decided to go on with the night and see how you felt later on.

You talked to the rest of the men, but you mind wandered back to Luke between conversations. You still had not made up your mind, but the rose ceremony was soon. How would the other men feel if you kept Luke? But you had to go with your heart, right? You still weren’t clear on what your heart was saying.

Finally, it was time for the rose ceremony. The men lined up. Ben, Joe, and Allen all stood proudly with their roses. The rest of them looked nervous. Especially Luke, who wouldn’t take his eyes off of you.

“It’s been a difficult week, as you all know,” you said. “But once again, I have to go with my heart. I hope you all know that and understand that.”

You picked up the first rose.

“Rami,” you called.

He grinned at you as he walked up.

“Rami, will you accept this rose?” you asked.

“I will,” he assured you.

You picked up another.

“Gwilym,” you said. “Gwilym, will you accept this rose?”

“Always,” he whispered.

You picked up the next one.

“Taron,” you said. “Taron, will you accept this rose?”

“Of course,” he said.

You picked up the next.

“Richard,” you said. “Richard, will you accept this rose?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied.

You called Kenny next, followed by Mike. There was one rose left, but five men remaining - Luke, John Paul Jones, Jordan, Wells, and Jared.

Chris Harrison emerged.

“Y/N, gentlemen,” he said. “This is the final rose tonight.”

You took a deep breath as you picked up the last rose. You sent up a silent prayer that you weren’t making a huge mistake.

“Luke,” you called.

“Oh, thank God,” he sighed before walking slowly up to you.

You hesitated before giving him the rose, and tried to ignore the looks of disbelief from the men.

“This doesn’t mean that everything is forgotten,” you said firmly to Luke. “There is still a lot to work out going forward. This is your last chance, Luke. Do you understand?”

“I do,” he replied.

“Good,” you said. “Luke, will you accept this rose?”

“I will,” he said. “Thank you, Y/N.”

He walked back to the group. Chris came out again and addressed them.

“Gentlemen, I’m sorry,” he said. “If you did not receive a rose, take a moment, say your goodbyes.”

Jared finished up with the guys first and then approached you. He took your hands.

“You’re a wonderful woman,” he said. “I wish you all the best, okay?”

“Thank you, Jared,” you replied as he kissed your cheek.

Wells followed. He pulled you into a hug.

“Take care of yourself,” he said. “You’re amazing, and you deserve the world.”

“Thanks, Wells,” you returned with a smile.

John Paul Jones was next.

“JPJ!” you cried. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he assured you. “I know you need to figure this out for yourself. I had a great time meeting you.”

“I had a great time too,” you said. 

“Good luck, Y/N.”

“You too.”

Jordan was last. He made no attempt at any physical affection. 

“Look,” he said, his voice lowered. “I think you’re making a huge mistake with Luke. You don’t have to keep me, obviously. But watch out for him. You just sent home some great guys. I hope it’s worth it.”

You frowned. 

“Okay,” you said shortly. “Thanks, Jordan.”

He nodded and then swept out of the room. You pushed his comments to the back of your mind. Chris came over and offered you a glass of champagne, since he had already handed some out to the men. 

“Guys, Y/N,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of fun here in Asheville, but I think it’s time to move on. Our next location is one that’s actually closer to home for some of you.”

“Where are we going, Chris?” you asked excitedly.

“Everyone get ready,” he said. “Because we are going to London, England!”

“Hell yeah!” you cheered, and your sentiment was clearly shared with the men.

You hoped London would bring more joy than drama. But you could only hope.

[animal-moon-harvest-crossing]

AWL remake maybe?

Seeing this post by @moon-dumplings has got me thinking about one!! Obviously, this isn’t concrete evidence that AWL will be the next game to remake, but seeing Forget-Me-Not Valley get name dropped within the game is exciting all the same!

So now it makes me think, what would I personally like to see in an AWL remake? And here’s what I’m thinking right off the top of my head:

The same marriage system as present in SoS FoMT, but with the inclusion of the bachelorettes and bachelors of HMDS and DS Cute. DS Cute gave us Griffin, Carter, and new character Skye as bachelors for Forget-Me-Not Valley alongside Gustafa, Marlin, and Rock. I would love to have them back again, as I think having a set of mostly older men as bachelors would actually be really nice to have again! And on the girls side, we’d see the return of Flora, the mermaid Leia, the mysterious Kiera, and the Witch Princess as returning bachelorettes. And then make them allll bisexual af. As it was meant to be anyway!! (And give us an in-game sprite for Mason, the hidden bachelor you meet on the phone.) I feel like the Mineral Town crew wouldn’t be included in this game as Mineral Town would then finally share a console with Forget-Me-Not Valley.

FoMT and AWL connectivity! Again, since both games would now share the same console, swapping data between them would be much easier, I feel! Maybe Lou/Ruby and Van would be able to bring back and forth more exclusive items to the games?

An open world again! AWL stands as one of my favorite HM games because there are no “grids” and invisible barriers to pass through to get from area to area. We know the switch is more than capable of pulling this off, and if Marvelous stays true to their mission of remakes being 1-1 recreations, we could truly see Forget-Me-Not Valley in full in beautiful HD. One of my favorite features from AWL was pressing the Z button and looking around the world from a first person perspective when outside. I would love to be able to do the same inside as well, BUT IN HIGH DEFINITION!!!!!

If the same crop system were to return, then I would hope to GOD that they make the hybrid system much, much easier to use. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than finally getting crops to grow, only to waste them and get a seed bag of the crop you just put in. And I would wish for a better way to befriend Tartan and make ways to influence a better outcome when hybridizing seeds with him.

A recipe book for the kitchen would be very nice so I don’t have to constantly remember/look up which ingredients I need and in what order to put them in when cooking.

More animals for ranching! But also some fixes to the ones already existing! Like, the goat continuing to produce milk after her first year, or duck eggs being distinctive from chicken eggs. Other than looking real cute...There wasn’t any real reason to have the ducks, especially since the hens would sit on their eggs for them. I would love the ducks to have some more purpose than just looking cute (but I still love them lol). And for the goat, maybe she too could have her own breeding system?? Multiple goats perhaps??

Okay so the big question would be- How to handle the aging system with your child. Would it be the same, having you influence your child interests to push them into a certain career as they (and you, and everyone else) get older? Or would it be like DS/Cute where they grow into being a teenager and then stop?

Assuming the former on the previous bullet point, I would love to a more in-depth system. Things that just kinda make it clear where your child is heading, and maybe more cutscenes within chapters that show them learning from their chosen mentor, as opposed to waiting for the between chapter cutscene. But also, a way to push your child towards farming/ranching without having to basically forsake everything else in the game to achieve that lmao.

In DS/Cute, there were rival marriages! I know we’re probably never going to get these back, but if they could for this one game, I would want the ones they introduced in DS, and maybe those couples could also have children of their own! So say you marry Muffy at the end of ch1, and then Marlin and Celia, and Rock and Lumina, and Nami and Gustafa (so on and so forth) all have respective, unique children together (ala Tree of Tranquility/Animal Parade). Their kids would grow up alongside yours, maybe becoming rivals with one another based off their interests?? It’s a stretch of a wish, but I feel like it would really make Forget-Me-Not Valley feel more alive, especially as since the Valley is already full of older folk who realistically shouldn’t have outlived you (like Ramona and Sebastian). It would just be nice to know that F-M-N Valley gets left in younger hands once the protagonist passes away.

Whoof, that post ended up way longer than I anticipated! What do you think so far? What other features would you like to see in a possible AWL remake that I didn’t mention here? I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts and ideas!

[rottenbrew]

◈  Nyx Lovette ◈ Entry for @lunisims Mason’s Bachelorette Challenge. ( I hope you grow to love her as much as I did!  ♥)

❈────────────────────•✦•❅•✦•❈ ────────────────────❈

➽ She was born on February 24, 1843, making her 176 years of age. Also making her a Pisces!

➽  She is half Hispanic from her mother’s side, and half French from her father’s.

➽  If ever pushed past her boiling point, or if she ever gets super angry or upset, (which is super rare) Nyx tends to curse under her breath in French and unintentionally puffs her cheeks out because of her overwhelming frustration lol.

➽  Nyx is a nerd for astrology and science, however due to the duties and mannerisms that were begrudgingly expected of women during her time, she never got the chance to pursue her dream of studying the massive universe she admires outside of what her father taught her.

➽  Nyx’s father, Vincent Lovette, was a renowned scientist and inventor of the 19th century, and was also infatuated with Greek mythology, thus naming his daughter after the Greek Goddess of the Night, Nyx.

➽ Nyx’s “dark” form takes after the way she used to dress when she was still alive in the 1800′s. Elegant, yet bold due to her preference of predominantly dark colors.

➽  Due to her age, Nyx is relatively wise, however she never truly interacted or experienced worldly progressions starting from the late 1900′s - now. She remained in hiding, so now that she’s willingly returning to the “real” and open world, (because she gained enough power to develop an immunity to the sun) she always gets excited like a child when experiencing the small things that others would find irrelevant or common. (Phones, amusement parks, dishwashers, HD films, etc.)

➽ Despite the pain she endured in her past, Nyx is still a very kind and cheerful individual. She takes joy in the simplest of things and focuses on the good in everything despite how harsh the world and people may be sometimes.

➽  Nyx was on the brink of death after giving birth to her first and only child, Zocrates, and the doctor attending to her was actually Vladislaus Straud. Mercifully turning her just in time, Vlad took Nyx under his wing, but strictly demanded that she was to forget she even had a son, as she would be forced to resign from ever being in his life due to her new form, and to protect their secret.

➽ Remaining in despair due to never being able to interact with her son, Nyx has always had a strong yearning to have a family and kids to call her own once again. Having to long for such things from afar, Nyx would sometimes sneak away from Vlad’s careful eye to play with the children from her town in her bat form as she appeared less menacing and at the same time preserved her secret. The kids all decided to nickname her “Baby Bat” as her bat form is relatively petite and her eyes were big and round like a baby’s.

➽ I also like to imagine that maybe Nyx and Mason met in their bat forms, with Nyx being extremely surprised to run into another vampire as she’s never met another one before (at least in her experience in the outside world) besides Vlad, especially not under those circumstances either. She would probably fly and circle around him like an excited dog lol!

Private Download if Chosen!

Nyx’s Backstory under the cut.

Nyx, as mentioned before, was born to a French scientist and nobleman, and a Hispanic seamstress. Their names were Vincent and Ximena Lovette. For the majority of her childhood and adolescence, Nyx was raised with nothing but love and admiration from her parents. Her father prided himself in knowing that his daughter was being raised with a proper education and opportunities to keep learning due to his status and position as a scientist. Although her mother, who was a bit more traditional as she knew what the future had in store for her daughter despite her growing knowledge, somewhat disapproved of her husband’s teachings, supported and loved her to the fullest. In 1849 however, Ximena fell ill to tuberculosis, and passed away a few short months after. Nyx, 6 at the time, missed her mother deeply, but the loss hit Vincent the hardest. He was undoubtedly and madly in love with his wife, that her death devastated him so much so to the point that he refused to step out of his office for weeks on end. During this time, Nyx took it upon herself to take care of him, and despite her small stature and inability to do certain things, she’d always make sure that her father would eat in the morning, evening, and night. Leaving new fresh clothes on the edge of his bed everyday, and always making a hot pot of tea for him around noon. One fateful day though, when Vincent managed to drag himself up from the pit of depression for a brief moment, he wandered around the house, re-imagining all the times he’d see his loving wife go about her daily routine with a gentle smile on her face. On the dining room table though, was a piece of paper, with writing scribbled on it. A child’s writing. It read “ Things that might make daddy happy.” 1. The telescope! He always likes to look at the stars with it. 2. Leaving drawings on his desk! 3. Making him his favorite breakfast but I don’t really know how.. 4. Picking some flowers! I’m going to go do that now- The list ended there, but on the bottom was a raggedy, but adorable stick figure drawing of Nyx and her father, hand-in-hand, with an angel smiling from above. Her mother. Vincent, with tears flowing down his face, clenched the paper tightly, and from that moment on found the reason to keep fighting. To move on. And that was to make sure he could always provide for his daughter, his pride and joy, and make sure she would never have to worry about how to make her father happy. He had to be strong, for her.

Nyx, now reaching her adolescent years, was beginning to catch the eye of many suitors. By the time she was 17, she already had 5 men asking for her hand in marriage. Nyx was reluctant though, despising even the thought or proposition of marriage. She wanted to keep learning, to invent, to find out what secrets the unreachable heaven in the stars had to reveal. But her priority for education was short-lived, as she realized that in order to uphold her family’s status and honor..her father’s status and honor, she had to marry one of these men. Out of all of them though, the least gut-wrenching and well..insistent was a lad named Clarence. Like Nyx, Clarence showed solemn interest during their meeting, but was a collected person unlike her other abrasive suitors. He was also the youngest out of them all, being 23. After long hours of conversations, meetings, and dinners together, they both came to an agreement and understanding. They knew they weren’t in love with each other, and were both similar in the fact that they were doing it for their families, so they came to terms that although they were to be wed, their relationship was to mostly remain platonic and distant. Even though this upset Nyx, as she would need to succumb to all the stereotypical “housewife” duties, she felt relieved in knowing that this would at least bring her father a bit of joy, knowing that she would continue to be cared for and wouldn’t be left to struggle financially. She was happy..for now.

The wedding was set on the exact date of Nyx’s 18th birthday, and the ceremony was big, as every aunt, uncle, cousin, brother, sister, pretty much everyone and their mother attended. But Nyx felt nothing. She appreciated all the happy faces that came to watch her be given away, but she always dreamed that her wedding day would be less miserable. The day went by in a flash, and before she knew it, months had passed, and her “what was supposed to be a stoic relationship” with Clarence increasingly worsened. They did not have the same priorities or standards. Clarence always putting her down for her courage to speak up for herself, and refusing to let her continue her studies as she needed to “finally know her place as a woman.” That’s when he announced that soon she would need to bear him a child, to ensure that his legacy and fortune was to be guaranteed. Feeling disgraced and defeated, she knew there was no fighting this, as this was exactly what she knew she was getting herself into. Nyx got pregnant, giving birth to a beautiful baby boy a short nine months later. Holding onto him for the very first time, Nyx felt the strongest pang of genuine love as she held this tiny creature tightly, who was sleeping ever so peacefully. But she felt herself getting weaker and weaker..something was wrong.The nurses ran out in a panic to grab the head doctor, and she knew then and there that these passing moments were most likely going to be her last. Clarence walked into the room with a dangerously calm and unnerved expression, and with the very last strength she could muster, handed her baby over to his father. The moment she felt the weight off her arms, it felt like her entire body gave in and was ready to shut down. She sunk her head back into the pillow, and her vision began to blur. “His name.” She heard. “What do you want to name him? It’s the least I can do for you, since...” Clarence’s words trailed off, as his face finally began to give way to a sullen expression. Nyx thought for a moment, and the instant thought of her favorite philosopher popped into her fading mind. “..Socrates...” But it couldn’t be common like that, she thought. “With a Z...” She heard a soft chuckle from Clarence, and she smiled softly. “Alright then, Zocrates it is..I will make sure to give him a good life, do not worry about that.” Nyx relaxed at hearing that, as that’s all she wanted for him. She sighed, and closed her eyes. She heard the footsteps of Clarence exiting the room, but after a few minutes heard the approaching of a different set of footsteps. Too exhausted and weak to open her eyes, she felt a sharp pinching on her neck, and everything went black.

The rest is all self-explanatory, as she awoke as a blood-thirsty creature of the night. Devastated that she needed to sever all ties with her son and her father..All the things she’s ever cared for and loved. She appreciated Vlad and looked up to him, but watching the years go by without a hinge...watching her father grow old and pass on..and her son..At one point the pain was far too much for her to bear, and she wished that Vlad would have just let her pass away like those that she loved. To live forever was a gift, but at the same time it was the worst curse that can be bestowed upon someone. Due to this, she locked herself away for a number of years and hibernated, putting aside all her vampire training and morals. 

Bringing us to the present! Nyx is in better spirits, and is finally awake from her deep slumber. She began to put her training before everything else, and soon managed to become powerful enough to resist the sun’s deathly, yet beautiful rays. She’s never been more ready to put herself back out there, and to see all the wonderful new things the world has to offer. Nyx is ready to accept whatever experiences are coming her way with open arms.  ♡

[anastasiaskarsgard]

“Nobody’s seen you in days.”

Angsty Prompt with Axel but could you please end it fluffy?

This was a request from a mutual since I have been gone for days... lol. I don't know if they wanted to be tagged or not, so I'll just add that later when they reply

“Well look who decided to fucking show up,” the tattooed head of security sneered. I wasn’t positive on his name, Alex or Axel or something. Everyone at the club called him Ax, but considering this was a strip club, I wasn’t sure who was using a real name or a nickname.

“Even us lowly bartenders get a vacation now and then,” I said rolling my eyes. I liked to think I was immune to guys like Ax, but as he looked me in the eyes and bit his lip, it took more effort than I care to admit, to look away and sign out my radio.

Bartenders, managers, security and the cage all had to keep Walkie talkie earpieces on at all times. We all had separate channels, so I only had to hear about bar and tab issues thru the night. The security channel was security constantly talking about everything from actual work stuff to sports or from what I heard when I turned my radio on girls. Normally when I switch it on, I go right to my own channel but the conversation caught my attention.

Unknown male: looks like the quiet bartender girl is back Ax

Ax: already said hello, but thanks asshole

Unknown male 2: you tell her you love her yet?

Ax: shut the fuck up and keep track of the taxis, I never loved anything without an engine, I just like to look at that one.

Unknown male: 900 naked bitches throwing themselves at you, and you like the one that never says more than a few words to anybody. I think she’s a fucking carpet muncher

Ax: she talked to me today motherfucker! You just watch a master at work

I switched the radio to my own channel. Master at work hmm? We shall see about that I steamed. They say never judge someone by their appearance, but Ax seemed to live up to his stereotype. I counted my drawer and took my first drink order of the evening. The best part of my job was how busy it kept me. With 20 waitresses dependent on me, and several people deep at the bar, I never had time to look up, let alone think. I was essentially a drink making, tab and check machine, keeping track of all the waitresses tabs, plus my own and making all their drinks. The club only trusted the bartenders with money, so everything was our responsibility, besides carrying the drink to people and socializing with them.

I liked the dynamics of it all. The waitresses seated the customers and got them drinks, and made them feel welcome and happy. Then the strippers swooped in and made it seem that much more fun, and between those two, the drink orders kept coming. The bartenders made all the drinks, opened tabs with cash or credit cards, and kept all the tabs straight until they decided to close. Then the waitress got a signature and the bartender filed away the tabs totally at the end of the evening. Bartenders were kind of the workhorses that everything was dependent on but I loved that. I hated small talk. Security stood around making sure that nobody had too much fun or passed out. Management made sure they were making money and no laws were being broken that would compromise the liquor license. The strippers varied from super hustlers that could talk hundreds out of guys like nothing, to girls that just wanted to get drunk and make enough to buy a new pair of shoes they liked. They were independent, so they worked as much or as little as they chose.

One thing I didn’t like was the 15-minute lunch break that you still had to keep your radio on for. I knew it was illegal and I could demand a longer lunch, but it’s just how it was. I was the only female bartender, the youngest and the only one that hadn’t been there since day one, so I didn’t want to make waves. I took my lunch to the back room we used for Bachelor and bachelorette parties. I always packed a little brown bag lunch and settled into a booth to eat it when I heard his voice again.

“Isn’t that the cutest fucking thing ever?”

“I feel like I have a big tattooed shadow, “ I said snarkilly.

“You’re not exactly small with those boots on,” he grinned. “How tall are you barefoot?”

“Tall enough. I’m about your height wearing these so do the math.” I dismissed him and went back to eating.

He stood there silently watching me, and I continued to eat and act like he wasn’t there.

“You’re not my height in those boots.”

“Ok.”

“Are you a lesbian?”

I nearly choked on my carrots. I looked up at him defiantly. “Are you just so irresistible, I must have no interest in the male species if I’m unresponsive?”

“Um,” He sheepishly looked down at the ground, looking less arrogant and full of himself than ever before.

I couldn’t help myself, I stood up and walked over to him, glaring, “is the fact you noticed I wasn’t here awhile and acknowledging it, supposed to make me drop to my knees and suck your cock Ax?”

“Um... uh. Nobody’s seen you in days.” He replied meekly, licking his lips and standing straighter, trying to regain control of the conversation. “I’m security, I need to pay attention to these sort of things.”

“What things? My schedule, or who I fuck?” I challenged looking him right in the eye, now standing toe to toe, cocking an eyebrow waiting for a response.

Ax gulped, but didn’t falter or back down. He was such an arrogant asshole, with his perfect face; green eyes a girl could get lost in, perfect little nose, exaggerated pillow puffy lips, cheekbones that jutted out sharply, but couldn’t hide the hint of dimples, and skin that could have easily made him a model, had he not marked it up with dumb tattoos. I’d walked in the back one time when he was shirtless, trying to get vomit out of his shirt and had seen the extensive body art, before quickly turning and leaving, but not before catching his cocky smirk at seeing me scan him over. That’s why I was shocked when he finally spoke.

“I’m sorry. I had no right to speak to you so inappropriately and you have every right to call me out. I just always try to strike up conversations with you and flirt and you always shut me down. I thought if I shocked you or offended you, you might at least I don’t know what I thought. Please accept my sincere apology.” He implored dripping with sincerity.

I could feel my icy exterior melting and felt an urge to giggle and tell him it was ok and give him a warm hug while I breathed in his intoxicating scent and felt the comfort of another human in over a year but a voice inside my head screamed MASTER.

I suddenly recalled his conversation with his pals at the beginning of our shift where he called himself “master”.

“I accept your apology. You may go now.”

“Excuse me?” He scoffed. “I’m head of security. No little bartender tells me what to do.”

“Do whatever you like, burn for all I care. Just let me eat in peace.”

He was stunned. He opened his mouth a couple of times as if to say something but finally just huffed and stalked away. I turned my radio to the security channel to see if he said anything.

Male: we have a guy in the bathroom obviously partaking in illegal substances, going to need back up to remove him when he comes out of the stall.

Male 2: I’m right here, I’m your huckleberry. What’s he doing?

Male: lines

Male 2: 10-4 walking in now

Ax: let me know if you need me to assist.

Toby : speaking of assist, did I just see you in the party room standing an inch away from the ice queen herself?

Ax: very funny Toby. Yes I was talking to her, no it did not go well. I’m not giving up tho, she’s even better than I thought

Toby: do tell

Ax: she pretty much told me to go fuck myself.

Male: Boss, you are so weird. She’s hot but generally that’s a bad sign...

Ax: nah, just means that if you actually get her, she’ll be a ride or die

Male 2: so when’s the wedding?

Ax: do your fucking jobs you fuck sticks.

Radio silence for a couple of minutes as I cleaned up my lunch and went in the bathroom to peek at my hair and makeup, glancing over as I walked in to see Ax watching me from hall next to the men’s restroom. He smiled and winked at me before I disappeared inside smiling in spite of myself. I’d almost forgotten that I’d left my radio on their channel till I heard the voice of the infuriating, gorgeous man I wasn’t smart enough to stay away from:

Ax: well since she’s an ice queen, I’m thinking we’ll have a nice December wedding.

Toby: oh shit! Ax and ice!

Male: sitting in a tree! K-I-s-s-I-n-g!

Ax: I’ll let you fucking adults know as soon as we set a date.

I stared at the radio, trying to forget what I heard but it’s been so long since I gave anyone a chance and the man was gorgeous. Before I could talk myself out of I raised my radio to my mouth and spoke

Me: here’s a date. Tuesday at 8, we go eat dressed in normal clothing.

Radio silence.

Toby: was that her? No way! Ax did you hear that?

Ax: Toby shut the fuck up! And is that really you sweetheart? If this is one of you clowns playing a prank, I’ll fucking fire you, so help me

Me: have a little faith

I heard myself echo so I spun around to find ax peeking in the women’s restroom busting out into a huge smile when he saw it really was me.

I wrote my number on a receipt I had on me and passed it to him as I walked by. “Probably should go for one of the 900 that throw themselves at you.”

“I want the one that won’t throw herself at anyone.” He called after me.

We are both idiots, I thought as I got back to work, trying not to look for him or switch my radio to their station.

By the time my shift ended and I had done all my paperwork, I was so tired I’d all but forgotten my date with Ax. I went to the locker room to change into normal clothes and left out the back door to my car when I spotted Ax leaning against it, smoking a cigarette.

“You are not leaning against my car in jeans with rivets on your fucking pockets.”

He raised his eyebrows and stood up straight throwing the cigarette down, stepping on it. “No rivets, I wouldn’t dare mess up this car. I always wanted to ask you about this car, but was scared you’d say it’s your mans.”

“Why would it be my mans?”

“Because you normally drive the Mercedes and this is a lot different than that car.”

“How so?”

“Really? An S-Class and a Trans Am are about as different as they come.”

“Not really. The Trans Am was the high-end performance vehicle offered by GM, with a back seat. They came fully loaded and dominated in their particular class, and they both have V8 engines. This is actually a Firehawk, which means like the S-class, the engine was built by hand and they both are also quite heavy. They both are rear-wheel drive, both came with leather and they both have glass roofs.”

“You actually know about cars? No way! Marry me right now!” Ax joked walking over to me and embracing me, before pulling back and looking down at me. “Holy shit this is how tall you are!” He cried out, realizing I was just wearing my Converse.

We just stood there silently smiling at the other as the morning grew lighter and lighter with the rising sun. It wasn’t an awkward silence tho, it was great. I kissed him on the cheek and got in my car. He backed up and watched me as I pulled away.

Both of us had no clue what we were in store for, but at least for the time being, we both were beside ourselves with anticipation for what was to come.

[themariwirifiles]

Life has been...interesting lately.

My emotional health these days is pretty up and down. Some days, I feel on top of the world, unstoppable, energetic, happy, jubilant. Other days I feel miserable, sad, friendless and lonely.

Some days, I feel like a social pariah, like I’m surrounded by tons of friends and family who love and care about me. I feel proud of myself, I feel warmth surrounding in me in the positive energy I feel from others I surround myself with.

And then other days, I feel like a weirdo...like people are trying to distance themselves from me...like I’m not really as cool as I come off on social media or even in some social situations.

Because the truth is, at the end of the day, I’m here in my (albeit beautiful) apartment alone, watching It’s Always Sunny, with no one I really feel comfortable enough with to chat with into the wee hours of the morning. I’m fending for myself, being independent, which is empowering but also very lonely.

Not that I don’t have options. There do seem to be quite a few men who are interested in me (for the time being) although I don’t know to what extent. That’s the thing about men. You never really know which ones are trying to fuck you, which ones are seeking a relationship with you, or which ones are just keeping you around as a potential future option. You can make your best guesses, but you’ll never know with certainty.

This past year, I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself. Moving out was one of the best things I could have done for my personal growth. But I think one character trait I’ve really developed in the past year is my ability to read people’s body language and various situations. It still isn’t perfect, but I’m usually pretty spot-on with my assessments of people and how they feel.

I also feel smarter. For a long time I lacked confidence in my intelligence or streets smarts, and I’m by no means a genius or crazily smart. But I do just feel a lot more secure and confident with who I am, which I think is making me see the positive in myself more.

I didn’t intend for this blog post to contain so many introspective thoughts, but I’m glad it’s coming out. Lol.

I do feel my connection to Sean waning. It’s been almost a year now since true no contact. Like I’ve mentioned before in past posts, it’s been a difficult journey. A journey filled with me obsessively thinking about him (even knowing why our relationship failed) and also, with me recording voice messages to him to try to process the pain. (I’ve never actually sent him these voice messages, but I talk to him in them.)

In a weird way, those voice messages have also served as a sort of diary or media expressing what’s been going on in my life.

This year has honestly been tumultuous. So many things have happened, some of it feels like it happened years ago. The break-up with Sean. The almost-restraining order (again). Shaz’s diagnosis. Watching Shaz endure a long and hard battle with cancer, chemotherapy, and now a chronic lung condition. Supporting my mom and dad through all the medical battles. Leya’s wedding. Planning her bachelorette party. Going to Georgia with Le and Mani. Meeting Sarah and Obi. Obi OD-ing and passing away suddenly. Joining a gym with Caity to process all the pain. Making new and cool friends at said gym, which I later had to quit because of the delta variant. The birth of Bailey. The birth of Addison. Watching Layla and Jaseem jump up like beanstalks. Forging a deeper friendship with Kat, Matias, Vikash and now Cesar. Realizing that these are the friends I’ll probably have for the rest of my life. Meeting Jon, reconnecting with Nick (who I still have to meet). Getting litty with Leya and Sarah at a soca party, meeting a guy I thought could be the one, finding out he’s 5 years younger than me. OMG TARIQ. Tariq, the guy my family tried setting me up with who I spoke to for months, only to have no spark with him at all after meeting in person. Having the realization that I’m not as religious as other Muslims, but that I’m still somehow very connected to my faith and do have a strong belief and connection with Allah. Wondering why Allah loves me so much, to give me chance after chance when the outcome could have been so much worse. How I’ve been so blessed, when my brother has been dealt such an awful hand. The shocking and still unbelievable death of Aunty Meena. Still feels like she’s alive, although now I think it’s starting to hit me. Aunty Pearl’s growth in her brain, which thankfully turned out to be benign. Surfside. Omg Surfside. Learning how to put my foot down at work. The list of things I’ve learned and gone through is honestly just endless.

Mostly, I’ve realized that nothing in this life is guaranteed. Everything is precious. I’m most grateful for my parents and for my family. Every day, I’m learning how to be stronger.

Next year should be a good year, inshaAllah. Mati’s wedding. Fia’s wedding. My 30th birthday. Now is the time I should really be soaking in life, and I’m doing my best to drink it all up.

[theolddarkmachine]

Hitch A Ride- Part 2

Dedicated to: @bluuesparrow

Prompt: Gajevy It Happened One Night AU

She isn’t mine, he reminded himself as he gently pulled the blanket that had pooled around her waist up to Levy’s chin. Throwing one last look at her, swathed in moonlight that lit the halo of her hair a gleaming shade of cerulean, Gajeel made his way to the couch pushed against the opposite wall.

Dropping down on its thin cushioning, he sighed again, laying into the embrace of the aged couch. Tomorrow, they would end their journey.

Tomorrow, Levy would be home.

Yawning loudly, Gajeel turned onto his side, folding his arms over his chest as he let sleep roll over him like a heavy blanket.

She isn’t mine, he thought as he let his eyes fall shut. But god, do I wish she were.

Part One

AO3

SURPRIIIIIIIISE! Did you expect Part 2?! Wow, neither did I lol But the inspo came and lord knows, you do not ignore the inspo lol Anyway, I am so sorry again that your prompt had been cut into two parts. And even more sorry it took this long to get it completed? ANYWAY, I hope I did it justice, and that it was worth the wait!

*********************

“So what exactly are you trying to get to, Shortstack.” “What?” “You’re clearly trying to get to something. What is it?” “I’m trying to get to my fiancé.” “Oh.” “Are you okay, Gajeel?” “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

***

The past three days had gone by in a blur of cramped cars, suffocating heat and scathing banter that blistered almost as hotly as the black top of the freeway under the sun. Gajeel had learned that the heiress was more than just a vapid child born with a silver spoon in her mouth, instead gifted with a silver tongue that cut straight through the skin and bone and down to his heart. The worst of learning that she had a brilliant mind, was how she’d managed to pull conversation out of him that he hadn’t even realized he’d been capable of anymore. Since losing his words, he’d been unable to hold proper discussions, feeling like he was only repeating himself and the many things he’d ever felt over and over again. But with Levy, it just flowed, even if it was disguised in the form of biting wit and scalding cynicism.

At some point between state lines, backseats and the space she put between the syllables of his name, he started to really notice her.

As the sun had been setting over the horizon on that first evening, he’d noticed the way the dying light had colored her cheeks with its faded pink hue, casting an ethereal glow over her lily petal skin.

During the morning, he’d noticed the way she spoke wistfully about books, telling the many tales she’d read with the same passion of a caged bird singing about the freedom it had never truly experience.

It was in the afternoon as she’d stared out the window at the passing landscape that he noticed how her hazel eyes were trapped somewhere between molten bronze and golden honey.

Gajeel wasn’t exactly certain at what point he’d realized how truly beautiful she was. Sure, before he had known she was pretty. Levy McGarden was the famed heiress of the Magnolia Hotel dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the most eligible bachelorettes in Fiore, just about everyone knew about the bluenette, and they all knew just how lovely she was.

But this was different.

When he had seen her in the bus station, her eyes bright and her hair slightly askew from the wind outside, he hadn’t felt the tug in his chest that he felt now when he caught her smiling to herself while she read on the hotel bed. It felt a lot like his heart had decided it wanted to hammer against the confines of his ribcage in a vain attempt to make an imprint of itself in the bone. Swallowing the dull ache down, he grabbed the new clothes he’d picked up at the store.

“You need the bathroom, Shrimp?” Gajeel asked as he walked towards it and the first shower either of them had seen since they’d begun their journey. They’d both had silently agreed to ignore the fact that neither of them had smelled to great by the time they’d finally settled into a hotel. His gaze shifted over her as he waited for her response, which came in the form of a small shake of her head, barely looking up from the book she had opened before her.

It was only a matter of time before he had the shower turned on full blast, the spray heated to the point of pain as it began to fill the room and his confused thoughts with steam.

I’m trying to get to my fiancé.

Levy’s words spun angrily in his head as he climbed into the stinging stream of water. Her fiancé. The admission had come shortly after his own about his job, almost as if she had been trying to offer him some solace in the form of traded secrets. If only she had known that instead, she’d landed a perfectly aimed arrow that had landed between the spaces of his ribs and found its mark deep within the beating muscle of his flesh.

Fiancé.

It hadn’t even made sense when the word had fallen from her mouth like a stone. As a closely watched figure, he would have known if an announcement had been made about her engagement. Hell, he would have been the one to write the announcement in the paper, most likely using it to tear apart her father in some form or another. That was his job, after all. But he hadn’t seen any. Not in his paper, or any other. Which had only meant that the man she was engaged to didn’t have her father’s blessing.

Didn’t deserve her.

No, he thought darkly as he shook his head, splashing water against the tile of the shower. I’m the one that doesn’t deserve her.

There was a sort of dark humor, Gajeel thought, to be found in this insidious beast curling its way deep in his gut as it rolled the word around in its claws, its green eyes boring holes in the hardened stone of it.

Fiancé.

He knew the name of the monster. Had felt it stirring since the fateful moment she had unveiled her truth to him. It was the kind of thing that destroyed men. Would eat them from the inside out until there was nothing left.

Such a sinful, dangerous thing, jealousy.

What made it worse, was that he didn’t even have any right to the emotion. Envy was a right reserved for those with some kind of claim, and Gajeel had no claim on Levy’s heart. How could he? They had known each other for just a few days.

Yet, he could help but think of the bright spark that glowed deep in her sun touched eyes when she looked up at him with a coy smile and sharp wit on her lips. It was a look meant for someone else, but he filed it away anyway, capturing mental snapshots of the bluenette as if it might ease the already expanding hole in his chest when she was gone.

She isn’t yours, the beast sneered as it dragged a sharp talon against the grain of the stone. She won’t ever be.

Dropping his forehead against the tile, Gajeel grit his teeth as a growl tried to wiggle its way through the spaces of his teeth.

He knew, dammit. God did he know she wouldn’t ever be his. But that did nothing to placate the ever present fire of want scorching turning his insides to ash. It blew across the insides of his chest, making its way up his throat and scattered its bitter taste along the back of his tongue.

Desire, and need, and everything Levy was had consumed him so quickly, he didn’t even have time to try and get away.

And now, he was making a futile effort to put out the flames with the rapidly cooling spray of the shower’s water.

Sighing loudly into the quiet bathroom, Gajeel finally switched the shower off as he grabbed one of the hotel’s plain towels hanging just on the other side of the curtain. Drying himself quickly with all the mundaneness of the task, he let his mind wander back to the woman on the other side of the door.

He would have to let her go. Tomorrow they would finally reach their destination, and they would part ways. Levy would inevitably thank him for his help, even after she had helped him more than he could have ever done for her. She would probably offer him that soft smile that held every light he had ever known, and then she would leave. Head back to the man that she’d given her heart to to forget him and their journey, the handful of days nothing more than a few pages of the story of her life.

Sure, they would most likely speak again for the story but— Gajeel pulled a sharp breath in as he began to dress himself— it wouldn’t be the same. His heart hammered as he thought about the way they would speak, all warm familiarity gone and instead replaced with cool civility.

As soon as Levy returned to her life, he would return to his, only now he would be touched with the looming presence of What If.

What if, he didn’t let her go.

What if, they hadn’t met at a bus station.

What if, their deal didn’t hang like a sword above their head.

It didn’t matter. She was headed to her fiancé, and he was headed towards the salvation of his work.

Tossing the used towel on the floor, Gajeel made his way to the door, silently vowing to bar the roiling feelings that were twisting his gut into knots.

She isn’t mine, he affirmed to the angry beast as it curled in on itself.

“Gajeel,” a small voice whispered, pulling him from the depths of his thoughts and crashing him back down to earth as he turned his attentions to the bed. Levy lay diagonally across the bed, her head cushioned by a folded arm pressed into a pillow as she slept. Next to her lay her book, abandoned atop the sheets, left open to the page she’d been on when sleep had won.

She was the picture of serenity as she cuddled further into her arm, lips parted with the dissipating sound of his name.

Heat broke over his chest as he looked over her, struck again by her beauty.

I’m trying to get to my fiancé.

Carefully stepping towards the bed as to not wake her, Gajeel picked up the book, moving her bookmark to the page before shutting it and pressing it to the nightstand.

She isn’t mine, he reminded himself as he gently pulled the blanket that had pooled around her waist up to Levy’s chin. Throwing one last look at her, swathed in moonlight that lit the halo of her hair a gleaming shade of cerulean, Gajeel made his way to the couch pushed against the opposite wall.

Dropping down on its thin cushioning, he sighed again, laying into the embrace of the aged couch. Tomorrow, they would end their journey.

Tomorrow, Levy would be home.

Yawning loudly, Gajeel turned onto his side, folding his arms over his chest as he let sleep roll over him like a heavy blanket.

She isn’t mine, he thought as he let his eyes fall shut. But god, do I wish she were.

***

The city was a gleaming jungle of concrete and chrome as they walked through the streets. People surrounded them, perfectly consumed in the quickly paced nature of their own lives, as they kept to the sidewalk. Cars drove quickly by, the sound of them deafening as they kicked up trash and leaves with the force of their constant movement.

It was exactly as Levy had remembered it. In all its glory, it was as a city should be. Dirty, and busy, and easy to get lost in. That had been its appeal, and had been what she’d been yearning for from the very moment she’d left her father to reach Erik.

And yet, it felt wrong.

At some point in the journey, the fizzling excitement that had fueled her the entire way had devolved into something much more heated, and dark. Something that felt an awful lot like awful anticipation.

All of her enthusiasm had found itself diverted  from the maroon haired man waiting for her, to the one that she’d woken up to that morning, his snores loud from where he’d taken up camp on the opposite end of the room. Seeing him, with the sunlight cut a bright light over his features as he’d remained soundly asleep, had sent a spasm through her chest that was unlike anything she’d ever felt.

It was the kind of feeling reserved for profound first meetings. For special connections made.

For lovers.

Not, for travel companions that had a penchant for blackmail.

But that isn’t what he is anymore, is he? A small voice snarked at her as she worked to keep placing one foot in front of the other.

Even she had to admit to herself that he wasn’t anymore. At some point in the past few days, between state lines, backseats and the spaces between his wisecracks, Gajeel had worked his way under her skin. He’d become a friend.

Friend, she scoffed at herself, shaking the bitterness of the word from her head as she looked up at the man. The sun settled in his dark hair, highlighting it with its warmth as it basked in its wild waves. Levy allowed herself to trace the outline of his profile, from the arch of his brows, down over the sharp point of his nose, and over the perfectly sculpted bow of his lips. Her gaze faltered there for just a moment as she stared at the scowl that turned his mouth downward.

Just yesterday, she had seen those very same lips split in a bright smile that had crinkled the corners of his eyes as he’d laughed at something she’d said.

Another spasm ricocheted across her chest.

Since they’d set out that morning from the hotel, Gajeel had been uncharacteristically quiet, all his previous laughter nothing but past echoes as they’d hopped another ride into the city. Even after she’d attempted her best at jokes— “I’m sure you’re excited to get me out of your hair, huh?”— he’d still remained quiet, not once taking the bait.

She’d finally given up, settling into the silence as if it wasn’t cultivating the strange, roiling emotion that was eating away at her insides.

It wasn’t right, this feeling. She should have felt joy. Each step they took brought her closer to her destination. Brought her closer to Erik. This was the whole point, wasn’t it?

Hadn’t she left with the sole purpose of reaching him? To fall into his awaiting arms and prove her father wrong?

If that was the case, why didn’t she feel it?

Why aren’t I happy?

The pool of aching dread only continued to churn as they rounded the corner, turning onto their final street. Just ahead of them, standing proudly in the light of the day, was the shining glass front of Erik’s build.

In the mirrored surface of the building’s front, she saw nothing but open sky.

Levy could almost feel the way Gajeel tensed as he saw it as well, his fist clenching at his sides as they drew closer. Even as they stopped before it, all she could focus on was the white of his knuckles as the skin was pulled tight over the bone.

This is all wrong, she thought as she looked up at the building. Erik was up there, waiting for her. She should be happy.

Why aren’t I happy?

“So this is it, huh, Short Stack?” Gajeel’s voice was husky with an unknown emotion pulling her attentions to him. The smile that pushed the corners of his mouth upwards looked almost as forced as the one she wore.

Regret tasted particularly acrid on her tongue.

“Yeah, I guess this is my stop,” she said, voice sounding breathless, even to her own ears.

Why aren’t I happy?

Whistling lowly, Gajeel looked back at the building, eyes tracking its glass as if he was searching for something. Or maybe that was her own wishful thinking.

“It looks like a nice place.” It was. One of the nicest. Levy still remembered the awe she had felt when she’d first visited Erik at his condo. The view had taken her breath away, just like the first kiss they had shared on his patio, looking out over it. In that moment, it had been everything. She had been truly happy.

Why aren’t I happy?

“Yeah,” Levy said lamely, voice flat. She felt the hole in her chest as it widened, pulling all that she was into it. It ached and for just a moment, she wondered if this was what everyone meant by heartache.

Crimson met her honeyed gaze as Gajeel turned back to her, expression soft as he looked at her, sending a thrill into the growing abyss behind her sternum. A lump began to swell in her throat as she thrust her hand out into the space between them.

“Thank you. For all your help,” she said around the knot, swallowing it down as he took her hand in an amicable shake.

“I hereby grant you permission to use my story,” she smiled, ignoring the sting at the corners of her eyes. “If you need any quotes, you can call me anytime.”

Levy felt his hand tighten just before she was pulled into him, her body meeting his as he wrapped his arms around her. Heat enveloped her as she returned the gesture, her fingers curling into the fabric at his back as if she could keep him there.

Her fiancé was just upstairs. He was so close.

Why aren’t I happy?

“It’s okay, Levy,” Gajeel whispered into her hair as she nuzzled her nose into his chest. Pine and mint filled her senses as she breathed him in. A single tear lazily rolled down the bridge of her nose, before tracing down the tip and dotting the fabric of his shirt.

“I don’t want the story if it means raking your name through mud.”

As quick as it had come, the warmth of him disappeared as he pulled away, leaving her head spinning with the sudden loss. Instead, he looked down at her now, offering solace in the form of a small smile that didn’t quite touch his eyes.

“Anytime you need help hitch hiking anywhere, let me know.” And then, he was gone. Turning on his heel, Gajeel continued to follow the sidewalk towards the crosswalk.

Levy watched his back as he disappeared into the crowd, her breathing became painfully loud as the hollow ache consumed her.

She was happy. She knew she was. After her fight with her father, and after all the work to get there, she was finally going to see Erik. Levy was finally going to prove her father wrong, and be with the man she loved.

Levy was happy.

But it wasn’t enough.

“Don’t go.” The words slipped, unbidden from her lips as she stared into the crowd that had swallowed Gajeel’s frame. A few curious faces turned to look at her as she repeated the command, voice rising through the din of the tears that were falling freely now.

He couldn’t go. Not now. Not after the way he’d shown her everything she’d been missing. Not after he had awakened a fire within her.

Not after he had shown her freedom.

Gajeel couldn’t go yet.

She wouldn’t let him.

“Gajeel!” Levy finally cried, launching herself forward and just narrowly missing a man before her. The man hissed something as she passed, but it was drowned out by the sound of her pulse in her ears, beating a steady beat for her feet to keep in time.

Don’t go.

Pushing through people and ignoring the shouts and glares, Levy’s feet carried her faster than they’d ever done before as her shoes slapped loudly against the concrete.

Don’t go.

Not understanding the feeling that was thrumming her veins with all the same ferocity of jet fuel, Levy scanned the crowd for the one person she desperately wanted to find. Somehow, with his quick tongue and his brusque personality, Gajeel had worked his way under her skin, showing her that just being happy wasn’t enough.

Nothing had been wrong with Levy’s life. She loved Erik. She loved her father. She loved her life. But it wasn’t enough.

God, but Gajeel would be enough.

In the distance, she caught sight of unruly black hair.

“Gajeel!” She tried again as she willed her legs to move quicker, breath burning in her throat as she pushed herself forward. Even from where she was, she could see the way his shoulder’s tensed and his step faltered, before he came to a stop.

Turning slowly, Gajeel fixed a wide eyed stare on her, surprise turning his features into a near comical caricature of himself. If she wasn’t so out of breath, she might have even laughed at the way his mouth has formed a soundless o.

Slowing her pace, Levy continued to walk forward, shoulders heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Watching him as he painted her with the crimson of his stare, she stopped just a few feet in front of him.

“Levy?” His voice was filled with trepidation, almost as if he didn’t believe it could be her. Hope pricked the darkness in her chest with its bright light as she looked him over.

With a defiant gleam in her eye and a widened stance, Levy threw her arm out and thrust her thumb upwards as she looked over him.

“What are you doing?” Gajeel asked, the corner of his mouth quirking upward over his sharpened canine in a way that said he already knew. Returning the smile, Levy took a few more steps forward, holding his gaze as she did.

“I was hoping,” she paused only once she stood in his space, looking up at him, “I could hitch a ride with you for awhile.”

Heat and electricity ran over her skin as his grin widened before he leant down, closing the distance between them. Lips meeting hers with a burning tenderness that ate away at the ache that’d nearly consumed her, Gajeel crushed her closer to him as his hands found her hair. Breathing into the kiss, Levy grasped at his shirt, anchoring him to her as she pressed everything she needed to say to his lips.

It wasn’t until a low laugh bubbled between them, that Gajeel pulled away, joy brightening his features as he finally spoke.

“Yeah,” he soothed, leaning in once more to chase his final words. “I think I’d like that.”

***********************

[abnormal-angel]

New dk paid article & all the lies:

So not even 24 hours after the she is single and fab (lmao) OK magazine article, this one comes along in a dm-esque rag. Obviously a public dig at N in a lot of ways. Let’s break it down, shall we? Link to the article (Although I suggest not giving her more click bait than necessary, but for proof)

The Art-icle of N Shaming:

1. The Title:

Okay, okay. The very first sentence of the title and we are already lying or not fact checking. Not but ten or so days ago she had two articles come out (x) (x) stating that she had just purchased her own bachelorette pad in NYC. And yesterday her people paid for an OK Mag article to make her look single af and make her and N’s make out video look as if she was just playing the field. (x) 

Also, “Sells JJ Home Secretly?” Was it really a secret when there was an article posted about it (x) and a confirmed sighting with JJ this weekend going to L.A.? (x) Unless she is referring to the fact that no one knows who the hell she is, both of these statements in the title are provably false.

2. Tagging Old Shit: The pink tag goes to an article all about the drunk pap walk video, “They call that making out??” Scandal. (x) Bringing up the drunken pap walk as if it somehow legitimizes this false rumor that they are anything serious. The next part of the article I will show below also tags an old rag article on her being outed in Barcelona and brings up her unannounced visit to his gallery in Paris. (x) You know the one he was pissed at her for attending and was caught flipping her off when he saw her show up? Yeah that one.

Tagging these two older articles that were also obviously paid for by her is a calculated attack on him PR wise. Not only does she tag The Walking Dead in all of these articles, even though she knows AMC was pissed at her for outing that she was in Barcelona when she was supposed to stay hidden. But, that drunken pap walk video did irrevocable damage to him, his fans, and potentially his career. So for her to tag these incidents is another PR mess N’s people will have to worry about. 

3. Bringing up the cheating: “Some reports indicated that N and dk might have started their romance during the same time that she was still dating JJ.”

So here we have her setting up the playing the victim card yet again. Propping up this rumor that she left JJ and her 10 year relationship because of N and he didn’t follow through on being the good bf she wanted him to be. (More like he didn’t follow through on turning into her red carpet bitch boy). This will probably be tagged in future articles paid for by her, as an example of how much she supposedly gave up for one drunk pap walk video of shame. Nevertheless, it brings back to life the cheating rumors which caused a lot of fans to turn to becoming a N hater.

4. Trust Fund Baby Knew It: Haha I like how she mentions the two private trust funds. We get it, you are a spoiled rich bitch who throws money at everything. Not surprised. Who cares how much your house is worth? Not me.

She is also expecting us to really believe that she isn’t butt hurt that JJ didn’t take her back? Please! I suspect trolling of both men in rags will amp up now that her last tie to JJ is officially severed. Yes I am very happy someone finally bought that house too and so is JJ probably having a party knowing he is free.

5. Stalker Behavior: “dk is hoping to take her *romance* with N to the next level.” 

O_o I don’t know what else she can do to take it to the next level. I mean she already stalks his ass on and offline will fly across the world for a booty call, only to be told to fuck off, I am really not sure how she plans to complete that mission. But, I’d suggest to Cookie and his security people to be on the look out for her and her paid pap gang. I mean really how could a gossip columnist know that this is dk’s thoughts or intentions unless this was paid for by her?

Also, again this is in complete contradiction to the OK article that just came out yesterday spinning her as independent, single af, and norman just being a basic after thought to the 40 & fab (lol) celeb.

6. Still Butt Hurt Over Lack of Red Carpet Appearances: The red carpet paragraph is just blatantly and hilariously a dig at him because he has not gone to any of her red carpet events, not one. I bet she has begged him. We know how much she loves being the center of attention (one of those older articles I linked states that plainly, so she isn’t hiding that fact). But, what is hilarious is Norman has not gone to a single one, even when he could have.

We know she was butt hurt after he didn’t show up at Cannes. So much so it looks like that director might have gotten some poor little rich girl action, with as much as they were eye fucking on the red carpet. But, this again sets up the, ‘I’m the victim,’ calling card. She plays it cool saying N just isn’t into that stuff. Um. He is (cs and hc prime examples of him loving to show off his women), just not with you apparently. 

I also love the excuse sentence about him not being into selfies (lmao), talking about his relationships in major publications (apparently only in dirty rags tho huh dk?), and interviews. lol The interviews maybe. But again his other serious gfs he talked about and hung out with despite receiving the same kind of hate he is getting for your stalker ass, but he still doesn’t come out in any way, shape, or form as anything public with you. I think you know the term grasping at straws. I also love that she is trying to cover for the lack of public acknowledgment by him in all forms of social media, speaks volumes. I mean I guess she wants us to believe him liking her posts is his way of being public with her. haha If so I’d say he is fucking public with A LOT of people! xD

7. Last Paragraph, What Was The Point of Posting This Article Then?: haha the entire last paragraph basically says they could not be moving in together (contradicts the very first sentence in the title and visible proof she has her own place). Also says they have not publicly commented and N has never said they were ever a serious thing. But, oh this must all be true still just because he likes his privacy. lmao.

She is going to use his like for privacy to spin her shit for a good while after he is done with her folks. That is just what she does. Just ask JJ. The point of this article was 1) for her to try to cling to relevance after JJ has cut all ties, 2) troll Norman and his fans by yet again bringing up Barcelona, Paris, and the Drunken Pap Video, all of which did nothing but hurt his rep and career yet the bitch continues to bring it up, 3) give her an excuse to troll her Sky photos and binge watch it again, living in her fantasy world, 4) dig at N and set up her victim stance so that when he is finally done all that will be left up are these articles where he looks like the bad guy.

8. Comment Suspicion: Lastly, I was sent three comments that people posted on this article (notice it says 0 comments on the title there). They posted comments correcting the article writer and all three comments were deleted, one within just 3 mins of this person posting it. 

The Comments: (removed handles to keep them anon)

So, why delete these comments? I am assuming they weren’t the only ones who commented similar fact checked information. But why delete? Because dk has paid for this article and she will delete anything that counters her narrative. 

I except to see more lying, trolling articles written by dk in the coming weeks. 

On the upside I think it is a good sign that N has finally told her to fuck off for good because she sure is acting like a pouting butt hurt teenage girl the past few weeks. Since the road trip where he looked hella pissed off at her for showing up, yet again. Guys don’t like clingy af girls dk. They also prefer someone who doesn’t fuck with their career and fans, just saying. 

40 and fab? More like 40 and Desperate AF. O_o

[thebachelordiaries]

Beheading The Snake:The Bachelorette Recap Ep. 5

There were a total of five dates and one rose ceremony shown on this episode. We had the tail-end of the spelling bee group date, Jack Stone’s 1-on-1, the rose ceremony, Bryan’s 1-on-1, the European team handball group date and most of Kenny and Lee’s 2-on-1 date.

Whew.

It’s been a journey.

And we have another two-hour episode on Tuesday (in like an hour), so I can’t procrastinate this recap like usual.

Part 2. of Spelling Bee Group Date

The main focus of this episode was the Kenny and Lee rivalry, which is just a damn shame. This show is about Rachel’s journey to find love and Lee being there is just incredibly disrespectful to her and all of the black men on the show.

Kenny is at his final straw with Lee. I mean, it’s pretty hard for anyone to keep their cool when they’re being antagonized and baited by a dick. I personally didn’t think Kenny was saying anything bad. He definitely controls his temper way better than I do, but no one is going to call this skinny white girl “aggressive.” Hm, I wonder why...

At one point, Kenny said he wanted to take a sh*t in Lee’s boots, which definitely made me LOL.

Oh yeah, Bryan got the group date rose. If I can get past their extremely aggressive tongue kissing, I feel like I would ship them as a couple.

1-on-1 With Jack ‘Mothafuckin’ Stone 

Rachel and Jack are the same age. They’re both lawyers. They both live in Dallas. They are seemingly a perfect match.

Whenever a girl says that a guy is “good on paper,” it’s a dead giveaway that she’s not interested in him.

Poor Jack Stone. I know the girls from Bachelor In Paradise are friends with him, but he came off kind of unsettling in this episode.

The most interesting part of this group date was learning more about Rachel’s father, the Hon. Lindsay.  We learned the federal judge is intimidating, but he does have a good sense of humor once you get to know him.

I was surprised that Rachel and Jack never met before this show, ya know, given all they have in common. Rachel asked Jack where he would take her if they were in Dallas, and his response was probably the worst possible answer.

He said he would take her to his room, lock the door, force her to talk to him and just lie in bed together.

And then he made this face. 

Rachel almost immediately sent him home after that. I feel like Jack Stone came off a little weird in this episode, but I feel like he is probably a good guy. I like him on twitter and he has a cute dog...how bad could he really be?

Rose Ceremony

The tattle tale Iggy went home and so did the Ticklemonster. I’ll miss the Michael Cera-esque hotness of Tickle. 

When Rachel went to hug him goodbye, he tickled her. It was possibly the best ever exit goodbye to happen on this show.

Rachel then informed the remaining men they will be heading to their first international destination: Oslo, Norway.

I always believe the first one-on-one date at an international location is a big deal. And the person who got that important date was Bryan.

Bryan’s 1-on-1

Rachel and Bryan arrive at the top of an Olympic ski jump, where they will be rappelling down 187 feet to the ground. Apparently 187 is a law term for murder and Rachel was hilariously freaking out about it. Bryan wasn’t that excited to be rappelling down either; he was breathing super heavy. Their scared and nervous states together were actually endearing.

I hate that I love them together.

At one point, Bryan says “kiss, kiss” and motions towards Rachel, but she screams “No, no I can’t, Bryan, I’m scared!” not because she didn’t want to kiss him, but because she couldn’t focus on anything else besides not being scared. This conversation made my mom burst out laughing.

I feel like the vibe of their relationship feels very real and natural to me. 

“Is my ass in your face?” “It was.” (I loved this part)

Am I becoming a member of Team Bryan? I don’t know. I’m definitely in support of #Bryachel as long as he doesn’t ruin things.

“I get bored very easily. Bryan doesn’t bore me” -Rachel

Rachel told him “I don’t want to get played.” Bryan laughed and said “stop that, stop it right now.” And I think that is a reference to Bryan’s time on the Miami-based show called “Players” back in like 2007. Maybe the show is just making it seem like he is this huge player. Just a something to consider.

Bryan seemed very genuine with his feeling for Rachel. He said he is falling in love with her and I actually believe him. 

I think he just passed Peter to become the No. 1 draft pick for Rachel’s heart. I say this cautiously, though. I didn’t trust Jordan Rodgers either and he ended up a perfect match for JoJo, so I’m willing to give Bryan the benefit of the doubt.

Grabbing Life By The [European] Balls

If I could go back to high school and do one activity from gym class, it would probably be square dancing. European team handball would be a close second, though.

That’s what the remaining guys played during their group date with Rachel. I personally enjoyed the very revealing unisuits they were wearing. Sadly, I wasn’t wearing my glasses so I could not make a definitive ranking on who had the nicest butt. My guess is probably Will, who dominated the entire game. Alex probably has a nice butt, too.

uh, Dean, the jockstrap goes UNDER the unisuit.

The highlight of the group date for me was Josiah describing Peter playfully toying around with Rachel. He said he looked over to see Peter with a handful of ass. “Damn, I wish that was me,” he said.

Peter and Rachel spent a significant amount of time together during the cocktail party. They ended up in the hot tub and Rachel was literally straddling him while his hands were all over her. 

I felt like I was playing the Sims and was making them “whoohoo” in the hot tub.

When Peter returned to the men who were sitting around doing nothing during his little hot tub romp, one guy jokingly said “Okay Mr. Three-And-A-Half Hours.” 

Despite giving Peter the attention during the group date and spending an extended amount of time with him, Rachel gave the group date rose to Will.

I feel like it couldn’t have gone to Peter because, otherwise, no guy would feel like he stood a chance with her anymore. Nonetheless, Peter was upset about not getting the rose. 

I wouldn’t look too much into it. On Nick’s season, group date roses meant nothing. He would give girls group date roses and then send them home the next week. He also never gave Vanessa a group date rose.

2-on-1 With Lee-vil and Kenny King

I don’t think we’ve had a more dramatic 2-on-1 since Chris Soules abandoned both Ashley I and Kelsey in the Badlands.

This time, however, instead of a bitchy woman with a dead husband and an over-emotional virgin, we have a single black father and a racist. 

Rachel is a smart woman and can see through the bullshit, so I have faith that she will do the right thing and send Lee packing. Or as Josiah said, Rachel will chop that [snake’s] head off, and send the rest of his body back to Tennessee. 

Things Worth Mentioning

Will definitely deserved some recognition after this episode for explaining to Lee how he was using a racist stereotype to upset Kenny. Lee absolutely didn’t understand (because he’s a rotten, shortstack, southern piece of [racist] garbage, as Kenny said), but Will still kept his cool and got straight to the point. 

Eric started to question whether Rachel is interested in black guys because the only black man to get a 1-on-1 was Anthony. Anthony, the wise soul that he is, said he doesn’t think Eric should read that far into it and that Rachel is just choosing people she has the strongest connection with.

Overall, I thought this was my favorite episode of the season (minus all the Lee bullshit). Rachel is developing super strong connections with both Bryan and Peter. I’m excited to see what happens next episode and if any other guys can catch up to them.

During a deleted scene, Peter and Dean discussed how “smooth” Bryan is and whether he is really here for Rachel. Peter apparently doesn’t think Bryan is good enough for Rachel. I don’t know if it’s jealousy or rivalry, but I felt like I could tell before this scene that Peter and Bryan weren’t each others’ biggest fans. 

This is Peter’s face right before he said the word “dick.” 

Well, the next episode comes on in less than two hours, so I’ll be back sooner than later.

[ericacheeks-blog1]

Paris, the City of Lights

Yes, I realize it’s been two months since my last post, but it suddenly hit that I only had a few more weeks left of my crazy European adventure. I wanted to soak in every moment of being in Prague, the city I’ve seen the least of since being abroad, instead of fixating on a laptop screen inside a coffee shop. I’m currently back in the US of A and have settled into my summer in Austin! Catching up with family, spending time with friends back at home, and learning from my new internship have all been amazing and is helping with the post-exchange depression, but that’s for a different blog post. Here’s Paris: Nicole and I said our dramatic goodbyes, as it was our first weekend apart, which was a bigger deal than it sounds considering we shared a room, had a class together, and planned almost every weekend trip with each other. It was strange parting ways.

I made it to Paris and was immediately greeted by a guy acting like an information desk employee, telling me that all the metro stations were down because of the “crazy storm from last night” and that I had to take a €70+ taxi from the airport to wherever my destination was. My data and wifi connection was being extremely shoddy and I had no one to contact or any way to verify if this man’s wild accusation could possibly be true. I know it sounds ridiculous for me to believe him even for a second, but just know that he was seriously in uniform and even had a legit-looking badge around his neck! Anyways, my intuition kicked in and I decided to keep it moving. I got to the other side of the airport and found myself on the right train, heading towards my friend Nadia’s place. I heard someone calling my name in the dark street. I looked up and shouted for Nadia but only heard instructions to come up the windy staircase. I did exactly what was told and met Nadia and her roommate, Kristie, in their cute ‘n French flat. We hugged, excited to see each other on the other side of the world, and couldn’t stop chatting about our amazing first few weeks abroad. A creamy and whipped chocolate spread was shared between Kristie and I while Nadia put together avocado and humus toast for me. I was starving, but we were getting ready to head out for the night. Outfits were worn and shown and reworn and reshown, heels were strapped, and lipstick was applied before making our way to a club dedicated to the ladies. My DSP friends, Andrea and Sierra, invited me to an event via Facebook called “Bright Ladies Things”. The event promised no cover, unlimited champagne, free dinner, desserts, and manicures, and extensive shows. It sounded way too good to be real – and I’m not just using that phrase to make my point. But alas, this is Paris for ya, the city that gives and gives to bring girls into clubs but also sells €16 cocktails to our unlucky male counterparts. Yes, I chose to “fall” into the disproportionately advantageous trap many woman have as an option. No, I don’t fully support it and think it’s fair in any way.

Clear of judgment before reading on please. We arrived at the club and met up with a few other friends of Nadia and Kristie. When we walked in, I felt like I was enjoying my bachelorette party or at least what the movies always portrayed bachelorette parties to be like. Our group of girls were escorted to our own corner booth and handed rounds of champagne. While making our way through the crowd, I glimpsed men giving out lap dances in the middle of the dance floor and a beautiful woman seductively biting off her glove to a shower of glitter. Once seated, men catered dinner and desserts to us. We chat and laughed and ate. Right in front of us, girls were being treated to manicures and cute skirts were being sold on little racks. I’m still kind of confused as to what was going on at this club, but I had a good time overall.

The night split our group up and half of us ended up at a different club closer to the city. Nadia, Kristie, Shubhi, and I Ubered over, but the bouncer ended up giving our friend Shubhi a hard time and we couldn’t get in. We decided that food was more important to us and wandered around in search for the closest McD’s. While we were strolling the city, I spotted the Arc de Triomphe and my oh my was it gorgeous, especially lit up in the middle of the night. I was in absolute awe but my friends who were probably numb to it at this point in the semester kept focus on their mission for fries and nuggets. I tried to take in the Arc while catching up with my friends and ended up tripping on the pavement, scraping my knee. This is how distracting the Arc was for me.

I knew I was going to struggle with waking up the next morning but I ended up forcing myself up with the first ring of my alarm. I had booked a walking tour and had to get myself to the St. Michel Fountain by a certain hour. Unlike myself, I got there a few minutes early and had time to grab a cheese crepe for breakfast.

The tour was extremely informative. I learned about how the French initially hated the Eiffel Tower and regarded it as one of the ugliest structures of the city and how one tower of the Notre Dame is larger than the other and how the Mona Lisa became famous due to a security guy’s casual theft of it back in 1911 (he literally just stuck the painting under his arm and walked out of the Louvre, as easy as that) and how the architecture of many buildings consists of slumping tops and narrow staircases usually lead up to the smaller bedrooms because the maids would usually be housed there (that or the rent would be cheaper up there).

The tour ended by the Louvre and we dispersed to take photos and enjoy the rest of our afternoons in the city. I found it a bit tricky to get the best shot by the famous glass pyramids since I was alone. I had to ask strangers (yes, multiple times) for photos, but I’m glad I did because who knows when I’ll be back in this city!

I started to get hungry and remembered that my friend Vlad got Chipotle in Paris last weekend. I’ve been craving a chicken bowl since my faux Chipotle bowl in London at Burrito Café, and started my route to the nearest franchise.

On my way back to the Louvre, I ran into a Ladurée shop and stepped into a store filled with beautiful, vibrant macaroons. The whole store was bursting with pastel colors and I felt a bit overwhelmed. I picked a few random (i.e. Rose) and classic (i.e. salted caramel) flavors and skipped along to finally explore the Louvre.

The entire time I was admiring the hundreds of paintings, I kept thinking to myself, “wow, I am strolling around the halls of the Louvre IN PARIS with a box of Ladurée macaroons in my hands on a Friday afternoon. How freakin’ incredible!” I got my selfie with the Mona Lisa and enjoyed my sweet French cookies on a bench while gazing up at the gold encrusted ceiling.

Y’all. The Louvre is massive. I’m sure you already know that, but it’s bigger than you think!! It took me a good 20 minutes to find my way out. (That statement either bolsters the fact that the museum is HUGE or that I’m directionally challenged, even with a map). 

It was suddenly 6 or so in the evening and I knew I only had time for one more big touristy activity. I was museumed out so I quickly crossed off Musée d’Orsay from the list. I remembered (more like I wrote down) the Montparnasse Tower from the tour guide. He mentioned it was a great place to get an overlook of the city and that it had a 360 observation deck at the very top floor. I had to check it out. I got to the tower at the perfect time because I got to see the city both bustling in the daylight and dazzling in the nighttime. It was just about to hit the top of the hour so I climbed to the rooftop of the building and waited for the show. Just as it hit 8pm, the crowd ood and awed at the breathtaking sight of the Eiffel Tower sparkling like a giant polished diamond with golden lights flickering off it. I think it was the prettiest sight I’ve ever seen. (I tend to over exaggerate as all my friends may accuse me of, but this is no exaggeration.)

The tower stopped sparkling, but I was still in awe. As I was getting ready to make my way down, couples decided to flock to me and ask for pictures in front of the city view. I suddenly became the go-to photographer for the many, many couples up there. I was probably an easy target as I was probably the only one up there alone (lol). It was getting pretty late but I realized I didn’t eat dinner yet. I wanted something quick but light and decided to check out a pho restaurant nearby.

Nadia and I previously decided that Saturday would be our day. We wanted to do a daytrip to Versailles as neither of us have been before. We started off the morning at a café with the best carrot cake in town (idk if this is true. I only had carrot cake from that one shop).

We bought tickets and hopped onto the train heading towards Versailles. The palace was impressive. Crowned and detailed in gold, I was taken aback by its beauty. The line was extremely long but we quickly found out that to get in, you need either your student visa or a €20 ticket. Nadia didn’t bring her passport with her but I, luckily, took a picture of my visa before coming to Paris. Ironically, Nadia’s the one who told me to carry around the picture. She didn’t feel the need to go inside the castle so I went ahead and quickly toured each room.

We met up again by the gardens and took pictures. We decided it was time for lunch and plopped down for vegetable pizza and salmon pasta outdoors. 

We got back to Paris and were exhausted, but Nico (Nadia’s French boy who she met through Tinder week one of study abroad – yes Tinder apparently works because they’re still Skyping and being obnoxiously cute) came over. He brought his friends and we all pregamed our night with wine (how French) and chats. I was highly debating on going out because 1) I’m a grandma and 2) tomorrow was my last day in Paris and I wanted to get the most out of it. It took a little convincing on Nico’s and Nadia’s parts, but I decided to make it out.

Nico took us to a bar where his good friend made us drinks and lit the entire bar on fire. It was crazy cool. The place was absolutely packed. I guess it was a Saturday night, now that I think about it. A little while later we went over to a club and danced the night away.

It hit about 2 AM and being the weak child that I am, I asked Nadia to head home. Nico looked at me with his puppy dog eyes and asked to stay just a half hour longer. They looked extremely happy together which made it hard to say no. The next morning I was in a rush to get ready and meet my Korean friend, Dong, who studied back in Prague with me. He was in Paris for the weekend as well so we decided to sightsee together for half the day. We started the day at Notre Dame and made our way over to Sainte Chapelle. I walked in and was highly underwhelmed with the chapel. I previously saw pictures of it on Instagram and what I was seeing in person wasn’t nearly as impressive. On our way out, we spotted an extremely narrow spiral staircase and decided to check out the top floor. Thank God we did because that’s where all the magic was. The room was filled with jaw dropping and intricate stained glass windows in all direction. I felt like even if I spent an entire day studying the elaborate designs, I wouldn’t be able to do the place justice. A chapel as well crafted as that deserves constant attention.

My friend Vlad actually sent over his Paris itinerary before my trip. I saw that he checked out the Catacombs and so I suggested it to Dong. He was such a great sport and was open to see/do anything! We walked over to find the longest line wrapped around the cemetery. We waited in line for an hour and a half before realizing we’ve barely made it halfway. Instead of spending the rest of the afternoon there, we agreed to grab some food and continue on with our day. Dong got a recommendation from his friend for amazing savory crepes and apple cider. The savory crepes with eggs in the center was definitely on my list of things to eat so we strolled along the art-filled sunny streets of Paris until we found the exact restaurant.

My other friend Lea saw that I was in Paris through my Snapstories and suggested a dessert shop that specializes in eclairs. The place was called L’éclair de Génie and sold the prettiest pastries. They were perfectly glazed and topped with glitter and foils of gold.

It was about time for Dong to head back to his hostel in order to catch his Sunday night flight back to Prague. We walked to Musée d’Orsay together and snapped a quick selfie before departing ways. I mentioned how exhausted I was feeling and Dong told me to check out the glove-like couches on the 5th floor of the museum that hugs your whole body. That sounded like the perfect nap spot so I made a mental note to spend part of my afternoon there.

I roamed around the gallery with my earphones in and plugged to the audio guide. I got to marvel in Monet, Van Gogh, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s famous works for hours on end until my power nap on the couch.

I opened my eyes to realize it was getting late. I haven’t had the chance to see the Eiffel Tower up close yet and it was my last day in Paris. I had to go no matter how tired I was.

I got to the tower and was amazed by the sheer magnitude of it (also just the fact that I was standing under the freakin’ E I F F E L  T O W E R!! How surreal!)

I decided it was probably a good idea to catch dinner before the top of the next hour so I could see the tower sparkle up close. I walked along a street of restaurants until landing inside of an Italian place. I ordered some eggplant pasta and dumped spoonfuls of Parmesan cheese. It was heavenly. I was enjoying my meal until I checked the time and realized I only had a few minutes to wrap dinner up. I frantically asked for the check and rushed out.

Seeing the tower sparkle from afar is one thing, but seeing it sparkle up close is a completely different experience. I wanted to spend the rest of my night there, right in front of the tower. I knew that that was a sight I’d never get tired of.

My Uber to the airport was at the break of dawn. I split the fare with one of Kristie’s friends who was making her own way through Europe as well.

Paris was one to remember. I can’t wait to be back (especially because I forgot to eat a baguette and croissant – wtf I know).

[mousedetective]

“Fuck it - do you wanna get married?” I kind of want this to be Em & Jenny lol

Your wish is my command (and it looks like I timed it just right, too)!

Bombshell Wedding Plans (A “Stuff Of Improbable Legends” Story) -Jenny thinks it might be a good idea for her and Em to have a more binding relationship before that chance is taken away from them, and Em is surprisingly agreeable to it.

Fandoms: Doctor Who, The Originals (TV)

Relationship: Original Female Character/Original Female Character

Characters: Original Pink-Oswald Child(ren), Original Mikaelson-O'Connell Child(ren)

Additional Tags: Marriage Proposal, Same-Sex Marriage, Marriage Discussion, Elopement Discussion, Our Parents Won't Like It But Eh, Impulsive Jenny, Agreeable Em, Matchmaking Em, Postponed Marriage, Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Romantic Fluff, Plans, Kissing, Girls Kissing, Jenny and Em are Cute, Roleplay Logs, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation

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Not even in a million years had she imagined the past going to shite this badly this quickly. She knew things had been bad, but this...well, she hadn’t imagined it being like this. By the time she’d realized she was gay, by the time she realized she wanted to marry Em and all that, the whole situation hadn’t been quite as dire. But as she tossed her laptop aside on the sofa, knowing she should have just stuck to writing her newest novel and not bothered going to any news websites or on Tumblr, she came to a decision. “Em, love?” she asked, tilting her head back, knowing her girlfriend could hear her in the kitchen where she was getting ready for the dinner party they were throwing that evening.

“Yeah?” Em said.

“I was thinking. With everything going on, maybe we should make our relationship more official,” she said.

“Are you proposing?” Em asked.

“More official, love,” Jenny said. “I mean...oh, fuck it. Do you want to get married? Right now? I can teleport us to Las Vegas and we can get married by some tacky Elvis impersonator before the shoulder of lamb is done in the slow cooker.” She turned to face the kitchen area. “I want to get married to you while I still can. I want to shout out to the whole bloody world I’m your wife.”

There was silence from the kitchen for a long moment, and Jenny thought she might have been a bit forward with Emalyn, but then she came out, ponytail bobbing as she nearly bounced over. “My dad and your mom would have a fit, you know.”

“Oh, I know Mum wouldn’t blow a gasket,” Jenny said with relief, shaking her head. “Dad, on the other hand, might be hurt he didn’t get to walk me down an aisle.”

“How come you get to be walked down an aisle?” Em said, leaning over the sofa next to Jenny when she got to her.

“Oh no. You would too. You’d just get to walk down first because you know your dad would want you to go first.”

“Mmm, true,” Em said with a smile. “A real wedding would be nice, I suppose, but yeah. With everything, maybe it’s best to just...do it. And we’re both pretty impulsive. It’s probably expected.”

“Absolutely,” Jenny said with a nod.

“But maybe not today?” Em said. “I mean, we deserve bachelorette parties, at least. I know you don’t have as many friends...”

“It’s because I’m a stereotypical novelist who spends all her time with her nose to the laptop--”

“Or in rather intimate places,” Em interjected.”

Jenny laughed, then pulled Em closer to her. “Rude much?” she said before kissing her. “You know, maybe we can kidnap all the next gens. Go on a teleport trip somewhere. Before James and Livvy’s mum gives birth, so they don’t miss wee him being born? I mean, we don’t have to go to Vegas.”

“But Vegas could be fun,” Em said, playing with the collar of Jenny’s shirt. “Especially if we get James to bankroll a night at the casinos. He would if it’s my bachelorette party. Or if Rhea brings her boyfriend. Pavel has one of those magic credit cards.”

“Zoe would have to come too, which is fine with me,” Jenny said. “And maybe we can convince Livvy to get some brass ones and extend an invitation to Finn?”

“Stick them in a room with one bed for the weekend?” Em suggested.

Jenny shook her head. “Too cruel. But give them the same room, perhaps. I mean, if we bring this up to my mum or your dad and we postpone our wedding, they could help with accommodations. We could get multiple suites. My mum has one of those magic cards, too, and I bet she’d be willing to put it to use if we gave her an actual wedding.”

“Actual wedding for a weekend in Vegas?” Em said, tilting her head back and forth. “If we put a rush on all this, how quickly do you want to get married?”

“It’s kind of tacky to get married on Valentine’s Day,” she said. “And besides, in our actual time, we had our first date on the 26th of February. Might be a good way to celebrate that anniversary?”

“I like it,” Em said. “Then we just get to fight over who gets Georgina as their maid of honor, since if it wasn’t for her we probably wouldn’t have had that first date.”

“I don’t know,” Jenny said, reaching over to play with Em’s hair. “I was thinking since Georgina was my boss she could be my maid of honor and you could have James as your...whatever you want to call him, and we’ll divvy up everyone else, and who cares if we’re even on men and women? And my brother can be our ring bearer.”

“That’s cute,” Em said, grinning. “And maybe our female friends can all be flower women?”

“I think that would be lovely,” Jenny said, leaning in to kiss Em. Jenny grinned against her lips and pulled Em over the edge of the couch, and Em landed on top of her, laughing as Jenny leaned back and hit her head on her laptop. “Do I need to kiss it and make it better?”

“You can kiss me all over and that would make it all better,” Jenny said.

"I can do that," Em said, leaning in to kiss her girlfriend again, and soon the pain in the back of Jenny's head was all but forgotten as she realized she was going to get married to the woman she'd loved for so long and thought she'd end up losing again, the way she did in the future she did back home, and she was ecstatically glad that wasn't going to be the case now.