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eyayah-oya · 3 years

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Oh What a Beautiful Morning

Cloneship Week Day 1 - No Order 66 - @cloneshipweek

Bacara/Neyo/Rex

Rating - G

Very vague references to past canonical violence

Ao3 link

It wasn’t often that all three of them managed to still be in bed by the time the sun rose. Nightmares frequently plagued all of them, horrors from the war and from Kamino. But it was nice when they were able to wake up in the morning and see that the other two were peacefully asleep.

Rex watched as the light danced over the faces of his two husbands, catching on their lashes and making their skin glow. Bacara had returned from a camping trip with some of his Marines late the night before, surprising both Neyo and Rex. They’d thoroughly welcomed him home and fallen into a peaceful sleep all piled together on the bed.

“Why the kark is the sun in my face?” Neyo grumbled before he turned and shoved his face in Bacara’s chest to help block out the light.

“Someone forgot to close the curtains last night,” Rex snipped. He draped himself against Bacara’s back and ran his fingers through Neyo’s delightfully messy bedhead. Nighttime was the only time that they were able to see Neyo’s hair not slicked back, and it never ceased to thrill Rex that he got to see Neyo like that. It was a sign of vulnerability for his husband that he refused to take lightly. The second he took his husbands for granted was the second he no longer deserved them.

“Incompetent,” Bacara rumbled pleasantly. “Why are you waking me up so early?”

“Because the karking sun is shining in my face.”

Rex bit back a snicker as he nuzzled the back of Bacara’s neck.

“Why don’t you just close the curtains?”

“That requires me getting out of bed and that’s not a sacrifice I’m willing to make,” Neyo snarked. “Why don’t you make the CT get up?”

“The CT can hear you and would like to say ‘kark you kindly’.”

Neyo peeled his face away from Bacara’s pecs to gasp theatrically. “Gasp! CTs aren’t allowed to say the big boy words!”

“Did you just say gasp?” Bacara snorted. “You’ve been spending too much time with Ponds.”

“Correction, I’ve been spending too much time with Fox. Ponds is an unfortunate tag-along.”

Rex leaned over Bacara and pressed a kiss to Neyo’s cheek. “I’ll be sure to tell him you said that,” he said with a grin.

Neyo shuddered. “Actually, I take that back. I do not want to be his next target.”

“Too late,” Rex sang as he pressed a kiss to the nape of Bacara’s neck and slid from the bed. “I’m going to go tell him.”

With a lunge over Bacara that resulted in an elbow to the kidney, Neyo grabbed Rex’s hand. Whatever he was going to say, though, seemed to die on his lips as he realized exactly what he had done. It was still difficult for Neyo to show vulnerability, even with Rex and Bacara, and more difficult still to ask for things. Even something like asking Rex to stay in bed with them for a little longer.

If there was one thing Rex had learned over the years, however, it was how to see what his people needed. He always knew what Neyo wasn’t saying and gladly complied. For the most part.

“I’ll be right back. I’m just going to go feed your tooka and let her outside,” Rex assured.

“She’s not my tooka!” Neyo grumbled before reluctantly letting Rex go and cuddling up against Bacara once again.

“Of course, dear,” Bacara placated patronizingly.

Rex couldn’t help but snort at the murderous glare Neyo gave Bacara. He dug a pair of pants out of the pile they’d made on the floor last night and stretched languidly. He might have put on a bit more of a show than he usually would, simply because he knew both Bacara and Neyo were watching him closely.

“While you’re up, do you want to close the curtains?” Neyo smirked as he leaned over Bacara to blatantly stare at Rex. Bacara rolled his eyes and poked Neyo, even as he adjusted the both to better watch the rest of the room. The corners of his eyes crinkled in that specific way that always made it seem like he was laughing at some hidden joke.

With a cock of his hip, Rex let a sharp smile take over his face. “No. I don’t think I will.” And with that, he left the room to Neyo’s loud curses and Bacara’s rumbling laugh.

All three of them had been through so much during the war, and even long before the war ever started. Kamino had not been easy for any of them, and Rex was so glad that he had Cody, Alpha-17, Wolffe, Fox, Ponds, Bly, and his squadmates to take care of him. Neyo and Bacara only had each other on the rare occasion they were allowed near each other and went through hell when they were isolated. During the war, they were even more isolated, with Bacara deployed constantly behind the Separatist blockade and Neyo running intelligence from the Core to Bacara and his Marines.

To hear them comfortable enough to laugh and tease and lay in bed was a greater gift than any Rex had ever received in his life. Since the end of the war, he had made it his goal to do everything he could to keep them happy and feeling safe. If that meant teasing Neyo about his tooka or burying Bacara in soft blankets and cuddles, then Rex would gladly spend his days doing that. Neyo and Bacara meant everything to Rex.

Once Neyo’s tooka was fed and let out of the house, and the package left on their doorstep collected and brought inside, Rex meandered his way back into the bedroom with a tray full of goodies. It didn’t surprise him in the slightest to see his husbands playfully wrestling on the bed, though they both stopped as soon as they smelled the caf.

“You are my favorite,” Neyo moaned and eagerly reached for the cup of caf that would knock even Cody out with how black it was. Bacara sat back against the headboard and pulled Neyo into his side, while Rex settled the tray on their side table.

“Here’s your sugary monstrosity,” Rex said and handed the caf topped with whipped cream and filled with cocoa syrup and all other kinds of goodies. He took his simple, slightly sweetened caf and sat on Bacara’s other side. “The twins left us a gift on the doorstep,” he said once he had gotten comfortable.

Neyo perked up. He could claim to be a cold-hearted bastard all he liked, but that didn’t change the fact that he loved all Littles with his whole heart. Of the three of them, Neyo was the one most likely to get into trouble with other parents because he had helped their children with their shenanigans. It had happened before, and Rex was sure Neyo would have to be marching on before he stopped.

Rex grabbed the stack of flimsi and set them on Bacara’s lap so they could all look through them. Luke and Leia had drawn pictures for each of them, and they were remarkably well-done for a pair of three-year-olds.

The one on top was done by Leia, showing Neyo laying down with his tooka on his chest and Bacara and Leia aiming water pistols at him. Neyo attempted to scowl at the reminder of what had happened to him the week before, but the corners of his lips kept twitching up into a smile.

The second was of Luke and Bacara knitting in Bacara’s enormous and ridiculously comfortable armchair. Luke had taken to watching whenever his uncle pulled out his yarn and knitting needles and had recently asked if he could learn how to knit, too, despite being a little too young for the fine motor skills.

Below that one came a picture of Rex with paint smeared over his face. He’d taken the twins to the Wolfpack’s art event the other night, and the Littles present had all gleefully smeared paint all over Rex’s clothes and face. Wolffe took holos and shared them with the rest of his batchmates, and was immediately tackled by Rex and covered with paint, too. Rex wasn’t sure who had gotten holos of the two of them laughing and wrestling, but he knew it was one of his Torrents that had managed. Luke and Leia had asked that Rex take them to the next event.

The last picture was of Bacara, Neyo, and Rex holding Luke and Leia between them, swinging them high in the air. There wasn’t a specific day or memory that this picture represented, simply because it happened so often. Every time Anakin dropped his children off at Rex’s house, he and his husbands took them on a walk and every time, Luke and Leia managed to convince them to swing them high in the air between them. It was their favorite game, and Rex despaired over the thought of the two of them growing too big to do it in the future.

“There’s a note,” Bacara rumbled and tugged a flimsi from between the first two pictures. He had a small and gentle smile softening the edges of his face, and Rex couldn’t help but fall a little bit more in love with his husband.

“Do you want to read it?” Neyo asked.

Bacara cleared his throat and shifted so he could drink his caf unimpeded. “Dear Ba’vode. Me and Luke want to tell you how very much we love you! Mommy helped us write the note, and she said that you’d like the pictures me and Luke drawed for you. Member when Ba’Rex took us to that paint thing? We can’t wait to go again. And see Ba’Neyo’s Tooka! Luke’s more excited for that. Daddy says we’re gonna come eat at your house soon, and I wanna give you all a big hug. Ba’Cara’s hugs are the best. He’s all warm and cuddly. Like Ba’Neyo’s Tooka. I love you the mostest. From your favorite, Leia.”

Rex couldn’t help but laugh at the note. It was so heart-warmingly endearing. He’d known that Leia would be a strong-willed woman from the moment she was born, and nothing she had done over the last three years of her life had changed that.

“You’re all warm and cuddly,” Neyo snickered and poked Bacara’s side.

“Yeah, but I have the best hugs while she likes you for your tooka,” Bacara snarked right back.

“She’s not my tooka!”

“Tell that to the twins. They think she’s your tooka,” Rex said. He couldn’t help but poke fun at his husband, just to rile him up.

Neyo shot him a filthy look. “You’re lucky I have caf right now, otherwise you’d be down on the ground with my knee in your solar plexus.”

“You wish,” Rex snorted.

“Ladies, if you’re done, Luke sent us a note, too,” Bacara cut in before their bantering could break out into an actual fight.

“Well, read that one, too,” Neyo snorted and took a large gulp of his caf.

“Hi Ba’vode! Mama said that this letter is gonna be dropped at your house. Do you wanna come over and play today? Oh wait, Daddy says we’re gonna come later, so never mind. I can’t wait to show you all the pictures I drewed for you and I knitted some yarn for you Ba’Cara. Ba’Neyo, do you think you could show me how to make those cookies Ba’Wolffe brought to the fire last week? Leia says that you don’t know how to make the cookies, but I believe in you. Oh, Daddy also says to tell Ba’Rex that we are gonna take him on a surprise camping trip but it’s supposed to be a surprise. Shh, you can’t tell anyone. So, I’ll see you later tonight! Love you Ba’vode! Love, Luke.”

“Well, kark,” Neyo sighed. “Who’s going to tell Luke that I can’t actually bake?”

“I’m leaving that up to you, cyare,” Rex snorted. He bet that Neyo would be over at Wolffe’s house by the end of the day tomorrow to ask for baking lessons. “You get to deal with the sad eyes, not me. I just need to act suitably surprised when Anakin tells me that he’s taking me on a camping trip. He definitely spoiled the surprise on that one.”

“When exactly are they coming over tonight?” Bacara asked as he reached around Rex and sat the pictures and notes on the tray next to the bed.

“They’ll be here for latemeal, so around 1800 tonight,” Rex answered. “Anakin and Padme talked to me about it last week.”

“So, what you’re saying is that we have plenty of time to laze around in bed?” Neyo smirked before he drained his caf and set the mug on the ground. He trailed a hand down Bacara’s chest and leaned in to steal a kiss from his husband.

“Yup. Plenty of time,” Rex agreed eagerly, before he grabbed the other two mugs to set to the side. He pressed against both of his husbands and reveled in their warmth. With the war over, they had all the time in the world. And a lazy morning was the perfect way to start their week.

#clone/clone #clone shipping #commander bacara #captain rex #commander neyo #bacara/neyo/rex #rexcaraneyo #cloneshipweek2021 #day 1 | no order 66

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malereader-inserts · 5 years

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Birthday

Fandom: Avengers Pairing: Avengers & Male!Reader Summary: We're gonna have a good time, I'm glad it's your birthday. Happy birthday to you Word Count: 1,607 A/n: As it is currently past midnight, in honour of me turning eighteen (17th May), the reader is turning eighteen. Oh, and we’re going to ignore that Infinity War and Endgame ever happened in this fic to make somewhat sense (pretty sure timeline doesn't matter anyway)

It wasn’t that you hated to celebrate your birthday, it was merely because you had no one with to celebrate it with, you were an orphan from a young age and you never had considered knowing people long enough to be friends. So, you never really told the team how old you were nor when your birthday was. Not that it mattered as you would say, but obviously you were affected by it.

You’ve never got a present before for your birthday, no toys when growing up, no cool technologies, no clothes to pretend to like. You haven’t received cool cards which questionable messages.

You’ve been with the team since you were fourteen, and not once you had you been asked about your birthday. Truth be told, for an eighteen-year-old boy you weren’t exactly looking eighteen, pushing twenty if anyone would say. It was only recently when Peter had joined the group, he was sure he saw you around when his high school was playing sports - you were in the opposing team.

“Hey, (Y/n)?”

You looked up from your homework on your laptop, you were offered a living space in the Avengers compound, which you happily took since you had hated the orphanage, so if the team wanted you they could always find you, but they never knew where you would disappear off to during the day. As of now, it was Saturday and many of the team were chilling at the base.

“How old are you?” Peter questioned, recalling that MJ, Ned and him went to a school’s football game and he was sure you were playing quarterback of the opposing team.

“Seventeen?” You replied, knitting your eyebrows in confusion, as the team paused in what they were doing, “I’m a few months older than you dude.”

“Huh?” Peter squeaked, “So, that was you playing quarterback for Andrew Jackson High?”

“Oh, yeah,” You shrugged your shoulder as you directed your eyes and attention back to your history essay, “You watched your school get trashed?”

Peter’s lips quipped upwards, “You’re a Bronx boy?”

“What’s it to you, Queens?” You asked, there was a tease to your voice.

“Wait, wait, wait-” Tony waved his hands in front of him, as you looked at him, “You’re seventeen? Almost turning eighteen, you’ve been with the Avengers when you’re fifteen.”

“Fourteen, actually, almost four years with the team so thanks for noticing,” You commented dryly as Tony wanted to tell you off for the snark in your tone.

You had joined the team in the hopes of helping them with Wanda, Pietro and Ultron. You were Fury’s backup call and they were forever thankful for your help that you were immediately upgraded to the team after that, alongside Sam, Wanda and Vision.

“When’s your birthday kid?” Bucky asked as you looked at the date of your computer, “You guys don’t know his birthday?”

“Yeah we do-” Steve looked at the team members that joined after Ultron, who panicked and looked at the others, “Apparently not.”

“It’s in three weeks,” You softly answered, your eyes soft as you shrugged your shoulders making it not a big deal, “I wasn’t planning to tell you anyway.”

“Why not?” Clint asked, father mode instantly activated.

“I’ve never actually had a birthday, so it’s just another ordinary day,” You answered as you stand up, “Anyway, I have to do this history essay before tomorrow so I’m leaving so you can’t distract me.”

You leave the room as the team looked at each other, no one actually read the files of other members. So, of course, they hadn’t known that you were an orphan unless asked, they hadn’t know where you were born or raised. The first thing that happened was Tony asking Friday to read out your file to the group, their heartbreaking at your tragic past.

“What are you thinking, Tony?” Rhodey asked, noticing a familiar glint in his best friend’s eyes.

“I’m throwing a surprise party for him, just us invited, his family.”

The group sat up straight and smile softly, it was a great idea for a brilliant man.

It was easy to plan, you were off to school most days so they were able to sneak away party decoration. Tony, Steve, Peter and Clint were the main people to decorate the party. Peter was in the leaders because he was of your age, they value a teenagers opinion. Clint was there because he had children. Tony and Steve were to helm the ship.

Everyone was excited to make decorations for your party, some like Vision, was excited to cook for your birthday. But, what people were more excited was to getting you present, they wanted something memorable.

Tony wanted to build you new cool technology jacket, he was excited that he almost forgot to sleep and eat unless he was told to. But, his mind was whirling with new ideas, he was excited to shower you with love.

Thor had kept a lot of things from Asgard and he had found a small ring that his mother and father once gave him when he was younger. He had fatter fingers now but it ring size was perfect for you. A golden ring for a golden boy.

Steve couldn’t think anything to buy that was worth giving or seemed memorable. Until he found an untouched sketchbook, it was a few years old and he found sketches of you. He must have thought you were truly somebody else for him to draw you. He smiles to himself as he pulls up his favourite pictures of you and the team, and pictures of you and him. Along with his drawings, he would write something very meaningful for you.

Peter was like any typical teenager, but, he really wanted to get something that would touch his heart too. So, he got you a collage picture frames, with pictures of you and him. The script writing was “Brothers for Forever.” Peter had to admit he wanted to keep it for himself.

Sam and Bucky decided to collab on a present for you, they got you a custom metallic flask. However, it was custom and these two were idiots where together. So, they got their faces all over it as the design. Pictures vary from them being asleep, to making food in the kitchen, to questionable poses, to funny faces.

Clint and Natasha had their presents came hand and hand. Clint bought you a drone whilst Natasha got you a go pro, much to Tony’s dismay because he could do so much better, however the first video you will see when plugged into your laptop was Natasha and Clint wandering if the camera was working and then promptly videoing Clint trying to steer the drone before it crashed. It’s not scratched or damaged so it was still could be given.

Wanda and Vision also united together, finding a pocket watch and inscribing it with your initials and the year you had joined the team. 2015. It was a black metallic coating of the pocket watch with the inscribing was coated with gold, when open you found your superhero symbol inside.

The team had to make sure it was perfect for you, so when you had woken up on your birthday, you did not expect your room to be invaded by the whole team who woke you up by singing Happy Birthday at six in the morning.

Natasha was holding the cake, carefully picked out as it was your favourite flavour. You had noticed how big it was before the song ended, half awake you grinned sleepily and blew out the candles.

“What’s this about?” You hummed out, blinking away the sleep.

“It’s your birthday bud!” Sam ruffles your bed hair, “We’re celebrating it.”

“Unfortunately after you go to school, we tried to convince Pepper about letting you stay off but we weren’t allowed,” Bucky contests as he pats you on the shoulder.

“It’s okay, guys,” You replied, your heart swelling three times bigger at this nice surprise.

This was something you hadn’t expected and you were slowly enjoying your birthday for once.

You weren’t expecting much when you returned home from school, meeting up with Peter in the middle of New York before Happy had picked up the pair of you to drive upstate New York back to the Avengers base. What you expected was a simple dinner with the gang.

Not, a surprise party when you walk through the door. You see your team dressed up, Clint’s neck wrapped in a feather boa as Tony had convinced Rhodey to wear a sparkly jacket. Whilst every member of the team was wearing a party pointed hat. You felt someone tap you on the shoulder and see Peter behind you, sporting a pink pointed hat. In his hands, he gives you a purple pointed hat.

You felt tears brimming your eyes as you took the hat out of his hands and placed it on you.

“How do I look?”

“Ridiculous,” Peter laughs, “Happy Birthday (Y/n).”

Your chest tightens, tears threatening to spill, so this is what it means to be loved. To celebrate someone’s birthday. You choked as you felt arms wrap around you, before the crowd became overbearing, slowly suffocating you. When the team decided there would be no more hugging you give them a smile with watering eyes.

“Thank you.”

It was a whisper, but everyone heard, you were so thankful. You felt a part of something you have never felt before. No matter what they get you, what they have given you right now could not be topped.

“Happy Birthday!”

And that was a family.

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blehbleehhhh · 5 years

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A Princess and a Barbarian Cheiftain ft. EreMika❣️

Hey, Braveheart anon! 💕 I see you! I hope you like it. I'm sorry it took forever to write .-. I pictured Mikasa as a warrior princess so I hope you don’t mind that lol. Please send in more requests! Also, an interesting fact from all the research I did for this one - the word "barbarian" did not have a negative meaning for everyone in the Roman Empire. It was actually used to refer to the people immigrating into their territory and not at all meant to be derogatory. I went back and forth with using historically accurate Barbarian Tribe names and writing in the Roman Empire but then I'd really have a restriction so ehhh, whatever. That's who I'm referring to when I say the "Empire'. Hope you enjoy because this damn thing took ages to fucking write! Shout out to my hubby for helping me with this! This is also a good time for me to introduce a new thing I’d like to try if people actually like it, add a drawing to my fics. Ever since I started writing this one I had a vision of Eren sitting in a chair like that with them both decked out in armor idk, I’m pretty rusty, it’s been a MINUTE since I’ve picked up my pencils, lol. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys. Yes, there’s smut, there’s angst, don’t think I have to actually put a warning in but someone complained .-.

It's a cold, frigid December morning and Princess Mikasa is on the back of her young horse with sights set on a local barbarian village because her father is finally responding to the violence done by their chieftain, a fierce and talented warrior. Emperor Ackerman wants to establish some sort of a peace treaty with him in the hopes of preventing such acts from ever occurring again, at least attacks that would be under his direction and blessing. The village is hidden behind a tall wall made from wood and what an impressive sight on the other side of the gate - a large, expansive crop field being tiled by farmers, crop animals being maintained for food and wool conveniently located near a tannery, where the hides are made into clothing then sold to villagers, and of course, a stables with a large grazing field for their horses. Mikasa was surprised to see a black smithery where one smith was currently molding a dagger out of scalding hot iron, his shop displaying many goods ranging from weapons to lock keys to horseshoes, all of the items she's seen the smiths make around her hometown. Villagers were minding their own business for the most part and working their trades, some grooming animals, some sweeping the dust out of their shops while children were running around a large tree in the center of town surrounded with dead leaves, giggling as they played tag and tossed such vegetation in the air. The princess gave her trusty steed's meaty neck a rewarding pat down by his shoulders, making his fluffy, dark ears perk up with interest, standing perfectly still as she carefully dismounted to put her stirrups back up into the saddle. Someone she recognized as being one of her father's previous subjects approached and copied Mikasa's smile when he was handed the reins. "Your Elegancy." The elderly man moved to bow respectfully and was stopped with a gentle, kind hand on the shoulder, looking up to meet her eyes with a confused expression.

"Please, that really isn't necessary, but thank you for being so respectful. Just take care of my horse for me, sir, that's all I ask."

"Of course! Some of the best hay in the area!" He turned with a smile to guide the twelve hundred pound animal into a temporary stall, where he carefully removed it's bridle and bit before locking him in behind a short, wooden stall door, allowing the horse to graze on some of their hay. Just like her Uncle Levi has taught her over the years he's been mentoring his young niece, she took in a deep breath to center herself with the advice he'd given her before she left this morning; You cannot make good decisions without a clear mind. Something that he's always insisted and Mikasa has definitely found that to be the case. And so one last time she thought through the steps Levi has constantly hounded into her head, since her parents were always too busy to raise their own child and teach these lessons themselves - the most important being to not let emotions get in the way of negotiations. The largest hut is the one she assumes to be reserved for the chieftain and it's guarded by two barbarian brutes that are definitely not intimidating at least to her, which is why she simply nodded as she opened the old, wooden door. It was difficult to maintain her trademark blank expression when she saw him - someone who doesn't even come close to resembling the stereotype that follows barbarian chieftains. There he sat upon a wooden throne boosted up on three stone slab steps and clearly missing the anticipated grisly bear of a beard in favor of a cleanly shaven, surprisingly handsome face that's framed with pushed back shoulder length, chocolate brown hair, his skin sun kissed from always being outside, and eyes so green that she swore her heart skipped a beat. What was just as surprising to her is that he appears to be about her young age of twenty four, something she didn't expect to be possible given such an impressive reputation. "Eren Jaeger?" Mikasa could feel herself blush when he responded with what she loathes to admit is quite a sexy smirk, her cheeks red already from being in the cold, and she watched his eyes as they clearly sized her up. The young man sat taller in his seat and was genuinely unsure if his eyes were in fact deceiving him because surely one of the princesses wouldn't be a warrior, but based on the armor she's wearing, it's obvious that this ravishing creature fights for the empire.

"Ah, your Elegancy. What can I do for you?"

"This destruction has gone on for long enough and it has to stop, so I've been sent here to negotiate peace."

"Why would the empire give a damn about what we do?"

"We assume that you're the one responsible for that local town being decimated? You know," Mikasa sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "The fifth one this year?" He simply gave her a slow nod and pulled his hair back into a small, low ponytail at the nape of his neck, now flashing an amused grin that she's counting things out for added effect. "Okay, we'll continue. How about all of those castles that have been destroyed? The crop fields bunt? The countless Lords and knights you've killed? I realize someone else could have done this, but you're our most problematic tribe." Eren smiled and nodded his head, leaning his cheek on his fist because she’s simply alluring.

"Oh no, that was most definitely me."

"Why? You have killed so many people! Why?"

"I've been doing it for years now. Why would you get involved now?"

"Because you're out of control! What is the meaning of this?"

"You aristocrats and your stupid government have some laws that tend to be harmful to my people and I simply cannot have that. I refuse to tolerate injustices of any kind when there's something that can be done about it!" Eren leaned forward in his throne as his fists slammed into the wooden arm rests and was surprised when she didn't cower, it seems he won't be getting his way with this one. "Besides, I tend to attack other tribes that fuck me over and I could care less what your father thinks of me."

She simply rolled her eyes.

"What could those people have possibly done to warrant such extreme violence?"

"The most recent village happened after I had attempted to establish a peace treaty with their leader, so I sent one of my best men over. Only his head returned three days later hanging off the horse's saddle."

"I'm sorry about your loss," And then her expression fell sympathetic when she pictured a sight so horrific. "I really can't imagine." His face softened as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yeah, well, I know you're not here to give your condolences. You want peace with me?"

"That, and I would love to actually give the families of Lords and knights some kind of closure instead of just staring at them blankly -" She paused to take a deep breath when she remembered that day in battle, where a very dear friend was ruthlessly murdered. Nobody could have done anything to stop the blitz attack, because the one who killed him rode past on their horse so quickly that there wasn't any time to respond. And suddenly her face grew as fierce as before. "One of my Uncle's best legionnaires was killed in battle last year with your men. I was there when he was decapitated, Eren, and the killer looked an awful lot like you." In a second his eyes screamed irritation and he sat forward in his throne almost growling.

"Yeah, I know exactly who you're talking about. That asshole was responsible for wiping out half of my men with your Uncle's assistance! Those people had families!"

"He left behind a wife and two little boys!"

"And should you aristocrats decide not to feed these people when they inevitably become poor," Eren smirked as he cracked his knuckles because he knows that his words have made her angry and he finds it extremely amusing. "I'm happy to take them in as I so often do when they wander away from the city. Those two morons back there were originally a part of your father's empire." The girl knit her brows together and growled under her breath because she's all too aware of the empire’s failings when it comes to caring for its people who aren't wealthy. She snarled under her breath and allowed her hands to curl into fists at her sides.

"Why, you gargantuan piece of -!" Mikasa paused and took a deep breath to collect herself. "I'll have you know that he was a very good man and someone you probably could have taken some pointers from!" Those words immediately changed the room's atmosphere and both of them felt it as they tried to intimidate the other with their increasingly heated exchange.

"So what," He rose from his throne tall and definitely commanded the room with such an intimidating presence, smelling of ale and nature. "Because I'm brutal with my enemies, I can't be a gentleman?" The fur pelt around his neck swayed as he slowly walked down the slab steps, their eyes watching each other with mutually fierce expressions. Now, this woman is stunning. Until the princess waltzed in, Eren has never really felt tempted enough to bother with something as distracting as being in some kind of relationship, but she's definitely worth the effort. There truly isn't anything he finds sexier than a woman this passionate, actually cares, and actively pursues justice, hell, the fact that she's so attractive is nothing more than icing on the cake. Her eyes are a beautiful gray-blue and they go so well with long, silky black hair that frames such a slim and angelic face, matching perfectly with her fair skin. Yes, Mikasa certainly is every bit as breathtaking as he's so often heard her described from others that had the privilege of being graced with her presence. But he can tell from her body language that his usual intimidation tactics haven't managed to get things straightened so far and with a glance behind her, he nodded at the two men standing guard at the building's entrance. "You two. Out. Now." His eyes flickered down to hers once more as he reached for a water canteen and brought it to his lips, finishing whatever was left in a large gulp before setting the empty container down on the table. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed deeply.

"You certainly don't behave like a gentleman."

"Aw, that isn't a very nice way to negotiate, princess."

"I hate being called that. And I'm only behaving this way because you're being an ass. How dare you speak to me that way!"

"Respect is earned, princess," Eren smirked as he slipped his hands into his fur lined pockets, eyes giving her a second once over. "And I have no respect for the empire. You have a failing economy, the taxes are much too high, and you're so lazy that you literally use barbarian tribes to guard your fucking borders! Just what kind of an army is your Uncle running?"

"Well, it's better than a bunch of assholes who rape women, murder innocent people and destroy lands!"

"This tribe doesn't rape women. I've actually had quite a few of my own men executed for doing that. And I don't have people executed unless I think it's called for." Because he was just as passionate about this response, Mikasa reasoned that she's being told the truth when he insists such behaviors aren't tolerated here. "But I won't deny destroying lands, crops, killing Lords and knights, because I did all of that to protect my people. We're fighting for our lives just like everyone else." She briefly looked away with a sigh and pushed her fingers through her hair when she met his eyes once more with a considerably softened expression.

"I appreciate that, Eren, I really do, but if you don't it knock off the brutality, I'll be forced to have you and your men executed."

"Oooh," The young man smirked as he took a few steps closer to her and was surprised when she didn't back away, only flashed a genuine smile he finds to be extremely beautiful, pressing her fists into her sides. How cute. "Is that a threat?"

"No, actually, it's a promise," Mikasa smiled and bit her lower lip as they intently studied each other's eyes, an amused grin teasing his lips because he's never felt so attracted to someone before and boy does he want her. "I already have permission to have you all killed. Hell, I'll decapitate you myself."

"A princess that yields a sword? You are as impressive as I've heard."

"I have a collection." She flashed a devilish grin and cocked an eyebrow, very aware that his eyes are drawn to her lips and she was extremely flattered. Little did she know that smirk he wears is because he's ashamed to have already wondered briefly if she's this playful in bed.

"What's in it for me if I cooperate?"

"You mean besides living?"

"I think you know exactly what I meant." Eren brought a hand to his mouth, itching the corner with his finger as he briefly looked away because he's extremely amused, especially now that she has taken a few steps closer with her eyes still glued on his. They flickered down to his lips, her rational mind quickly being over powered since she's giving some serious consideration to defying Levi's instruction and giving in to this undeniable, magnetic spark between them that neither are really willing to resist. Love at first sight indeed.

"You won't be invaded and we won't destroy your crops."

"While that is appreciated, I'm afraid it's just not enough."

"Any tribes that you struggle with?"

"Yeah," He crossed his arms over his chest as they got closer and smiled at just how much he's truly enjoying this fire she has. "There are a few. Unfortunately, we aren't quite strong enough to deal with them on our own now thanks to your Uncle, since they're many in number and much larger than the ones I've already taken care of." The young woman bit her lower lip as she studied his face, so chiseled and handsome. Even the man she's been engaged to since she was four doesn't look at her like this.

"We can help you fight them."

"You also have a few of my people in custody that I'd really like back."

"Okay," Mikasa smiled as she pushed her fingers through her hair, the strands slowly falling before her eyes. "I can get them out of jail and talk with my father about maybe getting their charges dropped." He just slowly nodded his head in agreement and smirked as he closed the small gap that remained between them, an action that made her cheeks a little rosy.

"Now, that is an interesting offer."

"Well, wait a second, you need to hold up your end," She hesitantly placed a hand on his chest and was relieved when he simply smiled instead of backing away. "All we want is your cooperation if we have to fight other tribes. We may have a large military, but there's only so much border and territory we can cover on our own. The empire has grown quickly and continues to do so." Her eyes flickered from his eyes to his lips, waiting patiently for what she hopes will be good news. So much for not letting my emotions get involved..

"Fine." Eren smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed his hands on her hips, leaning in slowly to kiss the lips he's admittedly been eying since she walked in. But the door suddenly opened, and they rushed to pull away as one of his men stuck his head in the room to deliver a message having unknowingly interrupted their first kiss. "What is it?" He hissed out of frustration because he was finally about to kiss her after bickering back and forth with palpable sexual tension for almost an hour. Mikasa bites her lip, clasping her hands together behind her back as she impatiently watches him speak with one of his men.

"Sir, our scouts have returned. They determined that the new nearby tribe isn't a threat."

"Yeah, okay, thank you." Eren was already moving to grab her by the waist as soon as the door closed with a mutually playful smirk. "So, like, do you always negotiate peace treaties with yourself? Or am I just lucky enough to be the first one?"

"Luck had nothing to with what's about to happen," Mikasa smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer until their lips were almost touching. "I want you so badly.." She whispered, letting out the softest moan when he finally kissed her, a moment so magnetic, so magical that it truly seemed as if they were the only two people in the world and nothing else mattered but them. The encounter left them both feeling dizzy and that lingered long after he pulled away, her nose slowly rubbing alongside his.

"Maybe we should find somewhere more private?" He breathed to her smile and smirked when she backed away enough for him to see her biting her lip, and he was more than happy to drag her by the hand out the back door so his people don't see them leaving together for the chieftain's private living quarters. Their hearts were already racing once they got on the other side of the door and the tension had reached a new high as she started removing her armor to reveal basic cold weather clothing; several tunics, wool leggings and socks with her tall leather boots. Mikasa chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her waist with a smirk and pulled her into his solid form, sliding her hands along his fur cape to lift it over his head, tossing it on the floor. She crashed her lips against his and jumped up to capture his waist with her legs as they slowly wandered to his bed together, exchanging frantic kisses and carefully laying her on her back. Large hands slide beneath multiple, wool tunics and she was disappointed when their lips had momentarily parted so he could tug them over her head, revealing an insanely slim and beautifully toned body that he was already very drawn to.

"You're fucking gorgeous."

"Thank you.." She blushed as he grabbed onto one of her legs, smiling and watching her eyes while he pulls off her boots, then leggings and socks. Mikasa sat up on the edge of the bed as she reached for his layers of warm tunics and slid them up his body with her hands, which encouraged him to remove them and toss the bundle aside. Her cheeks immediately grew red at the best set of abs she's ever seen as he reached behind her back to loosen her corset until she was able to remove it still in shock - slim, slender, absolutely ripped. "Wow, and you say my body is incredible?"

"That's because it is. At the risk of sounding crass, I've been with quite a few women, and you're just top notch gorgeous. And a tough as hell. Which is even hotter."

"Were any of them good at giving head?" Mikasa grinned as she placed a gentle hand on his bulge and slowly slid it up to tuck her fingers behind his wool pants and sheepskin underpants. "Because I've been told I do.." He smirked as she dropped everything to his ankles and proceeded to gently curve her fingers around the thickness, her tongue lapping at the tiny amount of goo oozing from the sensitive tip. With a low groan he carefully gathered her hair away from her face and watched as she opened her mouth, leaning in slowly to control how quickly she swallows his long length, nuzzling her nose at the base in soft brown hair.

"Fuck, you are good..." Eren chuckled with a simultaneous moan as she gently pulled back with her cheeks sucked in, just enough to add her hand back into the mix so she can stroke with gentle twists of his shaft. She suddenly picked up her pace as she stroked and sucked him in tandem, making his hips jerk with his slightly louder groans and moans. But she was prepared and swallowed his length eagerly once more, content with him slowly pumping into her mouth. "You are literally the perfect girl, holy shit -" He paused when she moaned softly around him and slowly released his length from her mouth with an audible pop, biting her lower lip as she lay back on his bed so he can climb on top. "I realize now what I said just came across that you're only the perfect girl because you give amazing head, but I didn't mean for it to." She giggled just loud enough for him to hear as he began to tug down on her underpants, his eyes watching hers for any sign of hesitation only to find nothing but pure lust.

"You were fine, but thank you anyway.."

"Of course," Eren smirked as he leaned in to kiss her and tossed her underpants aside, their lips only parting so his can wander agonizingly slow down her body. "Now, where were we?" She grinned, blushing furiously as her hips are hoisted up over his shoulders so he can drag his tongue along her glistening slit and she grasped onto both of her breasts, watched him munch away at her sweet spot from above while her body dangles off of his.

"Erenn...." She squeezed her breasts as he stretched his arm down to touch one of her breasts, surrendering control over how hard he squeezes to her. His lips sealed around her clit, suckling in just the right way that caused an almost immediate climax and inspired him to playfully pop his hand on her ass, making Mikasa giggled as squeals with delight, struggling endlessly not to grind against his mouth because he's holding her so tight. "Ohh! Please, please!" She pleaded through her helpless moans and blushed a shade darker when he opened his eyes to hers, slowly pulling his lips off to plant a kiss over the pink skin. He smiled as he carefully lay her down on the bed and leaned in to kiss her, his hand wandering down so he position himself at her entrance. They both moaned into their increasingly passionate smooch as he carefully slipped deep inside the heat, lingering here to let her body get used to him being in there. Suddenly, he was thrusting into her so quickly, that it forced her to tear her lips away, watching his eyes as he absolutely railed her. "Eren! Eren! Eren!" With a most pleasurable cry she clawed at his back, letting out the occasional whimper amidst her helpless moans. And the sight of her clearly feeling satisfied made him smirk, something that she's certain will always make her heart skip a beat. "What?"

"Nothing, you're just ridiculously sexy," He paused when her eyes rolled back in pure bliss and she came hard, slowing his thrusts significantly since he's not quite ready to finish yet. "Seriously, I knew I had to have you as soon as you walked in." Those beautiful eyes opened to his and he offered a heartwarming grin as he leaned in to kiss her once more, thrusting into her deep and slow. She sighed into his mouth, reciprocating his thrusts as she pulled her lips away with a moan and giggled softly, placing a gentle hand on his cheek to touch the prominent dimples she's already loves.

"You look nothing like what I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"You're ridiculously hot.." She grinned as he suddenly took off and slammed into her, his smirk making her belly burn with desire as he stops again, sliding his hands beneath her back to encourage her to roll onto her stomach and she did so slowly, giggling small giggles as he gently pulls her up on all fours by the hips.

"I am?" Eren whispered in her ear as she eagerly spreads her legs for him, his cock still nestled deeply inside. "I'm ridiculously hot?"

"The only other cheif I've met wasn't even close to being attractive. But you are just..." Mikasa grinned when she felt his hands warm hands curve around her slender hips, his kisses slow on her spine and a smirk evident against her skin. "...the complete opposite."

"Last thing I expected when I woke up this morning was a sexy warrior princess to shiw up.” His husky voice whispered to her as he kissed up her back, making the entirety of her fair skin blush a light shade of pink. She moaned at the sound if his voice and pushed herself back against him, making her moan in such a way that he couldn't help but do the same.

"I should have guessed someone as stubborn as you would be a tease.." She purred immediate, pleasurable sounds when he took off and thrusted into her so quickly that neither could think a coherent thought. She slowly slid her arms out until she could rest the side of her face on a pillow, clawing at the sheets and moaning loud whimpers. "Eren! Eren! Eren!"

"Mikasa.." He whispers breathlessly in her ear as she moaned through her climax, slowly pulling her hips back into his and pushing them forward. "I'll help protect your borders if you let me see you again. I assume you're like most princesses and are already engaged or married to another man, but to be honest, I really don't fucking care."

"I don't either, my fiancé is already cheating on me anyway. He even has a kid with her. Wait, you know I'm engaged to someone else, yet you still want to see me again?"

"I'm sorry," Eren's voice was genuine, soft and husky in her ear. "He sounds like an ass. Why are you so surprised that I want to see you again?"

"I didn't think you felt anything between - ah! aha! ah!" She squealed with delight when he suddenly took off and absolutely drilled into her and she loved it. "Oohhh!" Her hips started to tremble and she whimpered pleasurably, white knuckling the sheets as she bounces her hips back against his.

"I can't get enough of you already! Fuck! You're like a drug!" He moaned with her as he dug his fingers into her hips and guided her faster, sending his lover into an equally euphoric state. "I'm gonna cum!" In one swift movement he quickly pulled out at the perfect time and exploded all over her back with countless groans, hisses, and low moans. Eren held onto her tightly as they collapsed together on their sides and made her the little spoon, both hearts thumping hard against their rib cages. She sighed happily and yawned as she reached her hand up to push her damp hair back, already feeling sleepy from the most incredible sex she's ever had. “Damn, you’re incredible.”

"Mmm," Mikasa hummed with a smile and stretched back against him as he kissed any skin he could readily reach. "We need to figure out how to sneak you into my bedchamber.." His embrace is warm and welcoming as they settle beneath the blankets, basking in the heat coming from the fireplace that's giving the now dark room an orange glow. It's safe to assume that an unspoken agreement has been made between the two and that at least this tribe will no longer be of concern, all thanks to the negotiations between a barbarian chieftain and a princess.

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artificialqueens · 5 years

Text

malamente part 7 (branjie) - evan

art by @k-i-t-e-98!

AN: oh hello! It’s been a while! I’ll admit I had abandoned this story and dove headfirst into school this past semester, but I can’t move on from this little world and I really want to see this through. There’s no telling how long the next chapter will take, but I have a plan. This might have 11 chapters total, but that’s an estimate. Let’s see what more trouble I can get these two into. Shoutout to Meggie for her constant encouragement!

New to Malamente? Catch up here on AQ or over at AO3. I’m @formercongressman.

–

It’s a slow news day, but every day is a slow news day in this town. So Yvie’s got her sketchpad unabashedly open over her work computer’s keyboard, knowing there’s no easy way she can make it look like she’s actually hard at work were someone to come in and check up on her.

She’s trying to find the line between human and starfish for the five-limbed creature she’s sketching, and it’s proving more of a challenge than she had anticipated. There’s only so many places you can locate a face.

“Knock-knock,” a voice says aloud. Yvie cringes before she turns around, trying with little avail to block her sketch pad with her body.

Her boss is in the doorway. He looks chipper, he’s got his fist raised as if he was going to knock on her cubicle wall but no, that would be too normal and unobtrusive of a thing for him to do. She smiles with as many teeth as she can show. “Hi, Patrick.”

“How’s that school carnival story coming along?”

“Almost done,” Yvie lies. It’s been sitting in her drafts folder completed for two days. It wasn’t a story she could make anything mildly edgy out of, so she banged out a haphazard scene of kids and goldfish and smiling parents that she couldn’t get away from quickly enough. “Just putting in some final touches.”

He must know Yvie hates him; she’s not subtle, and it bugs her even more that he pretends everything is perfectly peachy-keen.

“That’s great! Because I’ve got something new for you.” He hands her a manila folder which she doesn’t open. “Something a little more exciting, a little more up your alley.”

“Great, I’ll take a look at it.” She sets the folder on her desk, turning away in the hope that he’ll leave.

“What are you drawing? Is that a starfish?”

Fucking hell.

She tosses the sketchpad into her desk drawer and slams it shut. “It’s nothing.”

“Well. Get me that carnival story by the end of the day!”

“Yup.”

She waits until she hears his footsteps recede, muffled by the dreary brown carpet, before she finally opens the folder. She’s curious, truly; that much she can’t pretend.

And damn, he wasn’t lying. It’s a big story, technically. Definitely not the kind of thing Yvie usually gets assigned. The first page is a police report of a rich white lady getting carjacked in the middle of the day about a week ago. The woman is important; she’s the wife of the chair of the symphony board. Yvie’s seen her smiling face on a billboard near the bank downtown, and she looks chipper even in the driver’s license photo paperclipped right below the report.

She knows the story she’s supposed to write. Community Rocked by Violence: Your Personal Wealth is Always Under Threat, with a picture of this woman looking stoic and a little hurt. She’ll write a paragraph about maybe why the guy did it, trying to realize and flesh out the narrative, and Patrick will cut it in editing and simultaneously lob off another piece of her willpower and soul. This story is an opportunity, sure, but she already knows where it’ll go, knows how it’s supposed to end.

She flips to the next page and the hairs on her arms stand on end.

It’s Victor fucking Paulson, smiling with his teeth but not with his eyes, in his Best Buy employee photograph. He’s the suspect, rumored missing for about a week, having taken off with this Nina West’s minivan. There’ll be no sympathetic paragraph for her editor to cut on this one, that’s for sure. She thinks of the screen door to his apartment slamming and waking Yvie up at three in the morning, Vanessa’s voice ricocheting off the buildings as she shouts back up at him, his cold and terse words back at her lost in the buzz of the bugs chirping in the night. He’s an asshole, Yvie knows that for sure. But this level of criminality is downright eerie. She whips out her phone to tell Scarlet.

Y: Have you seen Victor at all this week?

S: no, why?

Y: He stole a car, nobody’s heard from him in a while

Y: Just got assigned the story at work

S: sounds about right for him

S: that’s a big story baby!! happy 4 you

Y: Thanks, but it’s weird right?

S: it is

S: but as they say

S: bye bitch

Yvie chuckles and send back the thankful emoji. That explains why the neighborhood has felt different, why she hasn’t seen anyone coming or going from Victor and Vanessa’s apartment in the last couple of days. She wants to roll her eyes a bit at Vanessa for moving in with that older blonde woman the second her boyfriend skipped town, but she’s seen quicker U-Hauls and frankly doesn’t blame her.

She finds a sticky note on the back of Victor’s photograph. It’s in Patrick’s neat handwriting: police dragging their feet, he’s friends with cops, maybe investigate?

“Oh fuck yeah,” Yvie mutters aloud.

The non-starfish in her desk can wait. Yvie’s finally got a real mystery to solve.

–

“Vaaaaaanjie! Your girlfriend’s here with coffee!”

Silky’s voice booms through the dress store, earning them a concerned look from the few people shopping and a narrow glare from Vanessa’s boss behind the register. Brooke flushes red, nearly spills the latte she’s holding on the wall of wedding dresses beside them. Silky cackles as Vanessa pokes her head out from the dressing room.

“Bitch!” Vanessa hisses under her breath, loosely shoving Silky out of the way. Her cold glare melts as she shoulders up next to Brooke.

“Vanjie, huh?”

“You better not start calling me that.” Vanessa takes the coffee from Brooke’s hand with a well-concealed smirk. “Thank you, baby.”

She doesn’t bring up the “girlfriend” thing. They’re not girlfriends. They haven’t discussed it, haven’t thought to put a word on it. It feels risky, trying to cram whatever tenuous but wonderful arrangement they’ve managed to develop over the past couple of weeks into the box of a word. Besides, “girlfriend” feels frivolous. This is something else, not quite documented with language yet.

“You get off at six, right?” Brooke tucks a loose strand of Vanessa’s hair behind her ear.

“Six, yeah.”

“How does stir fry sound for dinner? I got some purple cauliflower at the farmers market and some Thai peppers and I wanna give it a go.”

“They make cauliflower in purple?”

“Vanessa!” A woman pokes her head out from behind the dressing room curtains, and Brooke watches the ice sink back into Vanessa’s eyes. “I think you already took your break?”

“Be right there!” Vanessa affects her voice, a kind of faux-sweetness that makes Brooke laugh while Vanessa’s manager turns away with a stern eye.

“That sounds real good baby,” she continues, voice softer, “but everything you make is good.”

Brooke rolls her eyes, knows it’s not worth it to argue with Vanessa on that. “I’ll have it ready a little after six, then.”

“I’ll be there.” Vanessa pops up on her toes to press a quick kiss to Brooke’s lips. She breaks into a smile that Brooke can’t help but mirror.

So it’s like that, mostly. It’s easy.

Brooke doesn’t really notice when Vanessa stops promising she’ll go back to her apartment eventually. Brooke didn’t really believe her in the first place, especially when the promises always came when Vanessa was splayed out adorably on the couch or picking up a pile of recently discarded clothing next to Brooke’s bed. Eventually Brooke suggested that Vanessa hang her work clothes up in the empty closet that used to be Jason’s, and that’s probably the moment that solidifies it.

Vanessa moves in. Her duffel bags empty out and disappear, and her makeup spreads across Brooke’s bathroom counter. The cabinets fill up with Takis and sour candy and other foods that would scald Brooke’s mouth, the fridge is stocked with leftover Chinese food Vanessa picks up for them both after work some nights.

It’s nothing like when she first moved in with Jason. He liked space, distance, room to think. Even in those early months he would lock himself away in his office after dinner and go to bed without saying goodnight. But Vanessa joins her in the shower, wraps her arms around Brooke’s waist when she’s cooking, falls asleep with her fingers laced against Brooke’s. Brooke thought maybe she just wasn’t cut out for domesticity. But this feels so fresh and good and right.

Whatever the opposite of loneliness is, Brooke thinks this is it.

It’s a week or so later and they’re sitting by the fireplace, wrapped up together underneath a knitted blanket Vanessa’s abuela had made, while Brooke flips through a Chekov play and Vanessa scrolls through her phone. Vanessa curls against Brooke’s side, a closeness and comfort that’s become thrillingly normal.

“This feels so easy,” Vanessa breathes into the collar of Brooke’s shirt. “Should it feel this easy?”

Brooke knows what Vanessa means. She tucks her book between the couch cushions and cards a hand through Vanessa’s hair. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“I just…” Vanessa sighs, straightens up, bites her lip. It’s a serious and vulnerable face, one that reminds Brooke too sharply where they are and how they got there. “I always wanted some fairytale romance, you know I love that sappy shit. Like in a rom-com where everything sorts out nice and happy in the end. And this, you, this feels like the end of the movie.” Her fingers trace around Brooke’s wrist. “But I keep looking over my shoulder. I keep checking under the bed. I keep biting my lip when I drive past cops, and I don’t know if that’s going to get any easier.”

Brooke pulls her close again, feels the emotion welling up in Vanessa’s shoulders and presses a hand against them, wishing she had her own magic to will it away. “I want it all to be easy. But life’s not a movie.”

“I know. I just want it to be.”

It’s quiet except for a few sniffles. Brooke holds her because it’s all she can do.

“Do you think we’ll ever get to be normal?” Vanessa asks after a moment.

Brooke smiles a little. “We were never normal.”

“Can we try it for a while? Cook dinner together, watch trash TV, tell me the shit from your past and I’ll tell you mine?”

That Vanessa’s eyes can glimmer like that after all of it, after everything, is reason enough to agree.

When Jason was still alive, Brooke had given up on a home. Hell, she’d largely abandoned love, or the concept of getting anything she’d expected or hoped for in life. Even someone who seemed like the most brilliant match – wealthy, educated, with famous friends and a divine record collection – could ruin your world, take and take until you were hollow and fragile as a seashell. Vanessa was far from her fairytale fantasy. Vanessa ticked none of the boxes she’d learn to look for. But life is not a movie, and maybe she could throw out that broke-ballerina-to-trophy-wife storyline script along with the coldness and cynicism she’d so far managed to shake.

“I want that,” Brooke breathes. “Yes, please, let’s be normal.”

Vanessa smells like spice today, cinnamon sugar with cloves. She laughs a soft laugh that’s just for Brooke, one that crackles like a fireplace. It’s warm here, Brooke thinks, the kind of place she could make a home.

–

The next morning, normal gets off to a rocky start.

The doorbell rings at eight A.M., and Brooke wraps herself in a robe to answer it. Her shoulders tense when she sees the gardener, who’d dug up her backyard before there was another body to bury. She had forgotten to call him to tell him there was no garden to fix, an oversight that snapped her immediately awake.

“Morning, ma’am. Warmer day today, thought I’d fill in your garden plot out back.” He’s chipper.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. It’s already filled in.” She mirrors his smile. “Just eager to start planting, that’s all. I’ll still pay you for today, of course.”

The gardener looks at his shoes, and then towards the gate. Brooke holds the silence, an old trick she’d learned at fundraisers with Jason to maintain control of an unpredictable situation, when someone else was thinking. Any awkward silence can be a power grab if you minutely twist it in your favor. Fortunately the man doesn’t need much convincing.

“Alright then, Ms. Hytes. Thank you for your business.” He turns to leave and grabs something at the base of the doorstep. “Oh, and here’s your paper.”

She takes the paper from him, lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as the door clicks behind her. That hadn’t been suspicious, she’s pretty sure, and her confidence grows by a centimeter.

She’d never cancelled Jason’s Sunday paper subscription, and she barely kept up with local news anyway. She lays it absently on the kitchen island while she fumbles with the french press, still a little too sleepy to remember exactly how strong Vanessa liked her coffee. Very strong, she guesses, and dumps and inordinate scoop of grounds into the glass.

“You bringing me breakfast in bed?” Vanessa appears in the archway, wrapped tightly in the comforter she dragged along with her.

Brooke smiles. She can’t think of a better morning. “Yeah, get back in there.” She pops a few slices of sourdough in the toaster.

“It’s cold without you.” She moves towards Brooke, nestling back into her. For a brief moment she allows herself that indulgent, cliche thought: they fit well together.

“If you were wearing clothes–” Brooke starts to tease, but then she catches sight of the front page of the paper, and her face contorts in shock.

“What? Did I–” But then Vanessa sees it too, and her shoulders tighten. “Shit,” she breathes.

The lower quarter of the front page is Victor’s face in black and white, stern and unfeeling. It’s his Best Buy employee badge photo. There’s a smaller photograph of Nina with Jon and the kids, their Christmas card photo from this year. But she can’t look away from Victor, whose gaze seems to be boring holes right through the newsprint.

Brooke reads over Vanessa’s shoulder. Thankfully, there’s not much there. It’s a scathing indictment of the police working on the case, who refused to tell the reporter nearly any of the details they had, apparently because they weren’t looking into it. It’s a call for answers, ones that the reporter herself wasn’t able to find. That’s good. That’s something.

“They’re still looking for him,” Vanessa says, worried.

“The police aren’t.” Brooke bites her lip, and rubs small circles into the skin of Vanessa’s shoulder with her thumb. “And Nina won’t push them. There’s nothing here to worry about.” And Brooke surprises herself by believing it.

The toast pops up. The kitchen smells like rosemary.

“Let’s forget about it, then.” Vanessa turns away for a moment, shakes her joints loose, and then looks up at Brooke with the trusting beginning of a smile. “We can forget about it.”

Brooke rolls up the newspaper and wedges it underneath folded cardboard in the recycling bin.

–

“The front page!”

Scarlet elatedly drops the newspaper down on the bed where Yvie is still cocooned in the covers. Yvie saw a draft before it went to print, so this is no surprise, but Scarlet’s bright energy this early in the morning hits squarely her like a dropped pallet of bricks.

“Under the fold,” Yvie murmurs, snaking an arm out to peek at it.

“Yeah, but it’s the front page! My girlfriend is on the front page on a Sunday. I’m getting this framed.” Scarlet bounces on and off the bed, then heads for the kitchen. “And I’m popping champagne.”

Scarlet likes champagne, always keeps a bottle or two in the back of the fridge to mark the smallest celebratory occasions, so it’s not that rare of a moment. There’s no orange juice for mimosas, but that doesn’t stop her. Yvie knows it makes her happy to pop a bottle, so she lets Scarlet shoot it off over her bed and the cork smashes directly into the light fixture. Scarlet cackles, Yvie rolls her eyes, and they drink directly out of the bottle.

“I hope this doesn’t lead to them actually finding him,” Yvie says between sips. “It’s been so much quieter next door.”

“He’d end up in jail, right? Or at least if he came back there’s no one left for him to shout at.”

“Lucky Vanessa.”

Yvie missed having her around, and she knew Scarlet missed having someone to snoop on. But even then, she knew that anything would be better for Vanessa than staying in that place. Yvie left home on her eighteenth birthday. She knows the allure of an escape hatch.

Still, there was more that just felt… off about Victor’s disappearance. While she had been researching the story, Yvie had called the toll companies for the highways outside of town, and there was no evidence of any plates matching the ones on the stolen car. D15NEY, a cheesy vanity plate she’d repeated too many times to forget. He could have taken back roads, sure, but stolen cars just usually don’t stay stolen for long. It got under her skin that the police hadn’t called to ask those questions, though they still didn’t have any satisfying answers.

Maybe that wasn’t her job. Maybe that was well above her pay grade. Maybe she shouldn’t be so bothered about a rich white lady who lost her minivan. But she had a feeling that kept itching at the back of her neck, Victor’s gaze glaring vacantly from that Best Buy photo, and the persistent inability to drop it.

“Hey,” Scarlet says, snapping Yvie back to reality. “I’m proud of you. And you should be proud of you too.”

Yvie leans over to kiss Scarlet’s forehead. “I am.” It’s not a lie. It’ll open up more interesting projects at the paper, maybe even a promotion out of working under Patrick down the line. And then a bigger paper, and then something national… She’s getting ahead of herself.

“And hey,” Yvie says instead. “You know I love you, right?”

Scarlet beams and nods and scoots up the bed to kiss her, but her foot gets caught in a blanket and she topples forward. Champagne splashes on the comforter, which has seen much worse, and Yvie laughs as Scarlet rolls into her arms.

“Drinking on an empty stomach at nine in the morning…” Scarlet muses to herself. “Bad idea.”

Yvie finally pulls herself out of bed, and drags Scarlet along with her. “C’mon, put a shirt on. I’ll make you toast.”

–

It still looks a bit like an unmarked grave, so Brooke plants her garden.

It’s winter, but they’re pretty far south and Brooke researches some plants that are hardy enough to still grow. Spinach, kale, rainbow chard; dropping the seeds into the soil feels like she’s sending them on a doomed mission, but she does it anyway. But soon they sprout, soon they flourish, and Brooke can hardly contain her excitement.

“It’s all the extra nutrients they got in there,” Vanessa jokes when Brooke drags her out into the yard to show her the leaves peeking out through the dirt. Brooke isn’t sure whether to grit her teeth or laugh, so she does both.

Maybe Vanessa’s right. A corpse in a garden is something like compost.

Soon they’ve got more greens than they know what to do with. They make salads and stir-frys and smoothies but it’s still more than they can eat. Brooke snags a small stand at a weekly farmer’s market, and gets hooked on this new reason to get out of the house. She quickly learns why it was the last spot available, nestled between a particularly smelly fishery and an apiary that likes to bring along some of their bees, but she learns to live with it and breathe through her mouth and she sells the veggies off at rock bottom prices. Turns out Vanessa’s magic can get rid of bee stings like they’re nothing.

Time passes. The cold air softens, and a weed springs up from a crack in the cement under the carport and weaves itself through the spokes on the wheel of Nina’s van.

Holidays with their respective families come and go. Brooke is grateful her family is too cautious and uptight about grief to ask her if she’s seeing anyone, but when she facetimes with Vanessa that night she finds out there’s a horde of Mateos eager to meet her. They come over in early February, and Brooke and Paula cook side by side while Vanessa’s cousins gleefully raid the liquor cabinet.

She overhears Paula whispering something in Spanish to Vanessa in the hallway – esta suerte, para encontrar alguien tan sincera y cálida e inteligente, es algo que solo ocurre una vez en la vida – too fast and affected for Brooke to understand. A second later she sees Vanessa dabbing at red eyes, careful with her makeup, and Brooke gathers her up in her arms.

“They’re happy tears,” Vanessa explains. “Really happy ones.” Brooke kisses her eyelids anyway.

They manage to get Nina, Silky, and A’keria together in the same room for a dinner party, and the night seems to be off to a rough start when Silky shouts over every carefully planned conversation starter Nina tries to initiate. But there’s very little an entire bottle of tequila can’t fix, and soon Nina and A’keria are dancing to Nicki Minaj while Vanessa and Silky shout out less-than-tasteful alternate lyrics over the music. They all crash in guest rooms, and Brooke is pretty sure she can hear Nina mumble, “Much more comfortable than the back of my car,” before she falls asleep on top of the covers with her clothes on.

Vanessa says it first. Brooke brings her an iced dragonfruit tea with boba home from the farmer’s market on a Tuesday afternoon. Vanessa is wrapped in a tangle of blankets on the couch, nearly finished with the Donna Tartt novel Brooke had gifted her just a few days before. She takes a huge sip from the drink, and with a mouth full of tapioca pearls, it’s a grateful sigh: “Ugh, I love you.”

It’s so casual that Brooke almost doesn’t catch it, and Vanessa is so wrapped up in the book that she doesn’t even look up. But Brooke pauses, waits, hopes.

Vanessa looks up quizzically and Brooke watches the gears in her head turn. The color rushes from Vanessa’s face as she catches up. “Oh fuck, I mean–”

“I love you too.”

“I love you,” Vanessa says it again, and Brooke knows that the dopiest smile is spreading across her face. Bubble tea forgotten, Vanessa climbs into her arms. They say it back and forth until the words almost lose meaning on their tongues.

She’d said it to a few high school boyfriends, said it to Jason, said it to the Icelandic ballerina after a week and scared her away, but this is the first time it’s felt right, and mutually true. Now Brooke says it whenever Vanessa leaves for work for the day; Vanessa says it when she comes against Brooke’s mouth and she could never have imagined I love you sounding both holy and obscene.

It’s like nothing ever happened. Normal works, until the ground thaws.

For a few rainy days in early April, Brooke lets the garden go untended. She’s about to plant her first tomatoes, and she wants to make sure she has the perfect weather to be able to spend all day lining them up in perfect rows. Her shoes squelch in the mud, a feeling she’s almost come to enjoy, along with the dirt that cakes into her knees as she crouches down.

But then she catches it. There’s a corner of a black trash bag peeking up from the dark soil.

She wants to live in the moment where it’s just a piece of trash that’s blown in from another yard, before everything clicks into its horrible place. It’s torn on the edges, tattered like an animal had gnawed at it. Shit. She’s scooping soil on top of it before she can even think, pushing it back down into the ground and far away. She feels something shift, something that is decidedly not soil underneath her hands but she refuses to think about it, refuses to give it a name.

The tomatoes won’t get planted today. She’ll wait for another day of rain to wash away that texture beneath her fingers, and that memory from her skin.

When she stands, she feels a tweak in her back and winces. It doesn’t resolve when she stretches or twists, just pinches back harder with every breath. Of course. Phenomenal.

Brooke pours herself a glass of wine and takes a bath. It’s three in the afternoon, but that doesn’t matter. Warm water doesn’t loosen the tension in her muscles, and the lavender scent of the bubble soap seems oddly tinted with hints of iron. She closes her eyes and resists excavating anything she’s managed to keep buried for months now.

She’s dressed in sweats when Vanessa gets home from work, curled still uncomfortably on the couch.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“I pulled something, I think.” Brooke omits any mention of the trash bag in the garden. It’s gone now, and it will stay gone, no need to bring it back up.

“Here, sit up.” Vanessa’s hands on her shoulders are an instant relief.

Vanessa doesn’t use her magic often, doesn’t need to. She’ll use it to wipe away her own bruises from running into cabinets or when Brooke’s got a pimple in the middle of her forehead, and on the rare and glorious occasion, in bed. Now, Brooke feels the warmth from Vanessa’s hands sparkling under her skin. The knot against her spine comes undone, the stress that she hadn’t noticed before melts from her shoulders.

Vanessa catches it. “You doing okay?

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” It’s a lie, and Brooke hopes Vanessa can’t sense that.

Vanessa hums and Brooke feels her reaching deeper, into the base of her spine. Something opens. “I think I–”

Lightning strikes. It feels the way broken glass sounds, exploding in shards that crackle their way up and down Brooke’s back.

“Fuck,” Vanessa shouts, pulling her hand back sharply and shaking it like she’s been burned.

“What was that?” Brooke tries to reach for Vanessa, tries to comfort her, but she holds her hand close to her chest. The electricity lingers in Brooke’s body, crackling like a blanket loaded with static.

“I don’t know.” Vanessa rubs her palm, pain in her face. Brooke wonders if she can heal that kind of thing herself. “Abuela never… I don’t know. Fuck, I’m sorry, baby.”

“I’m sorry.”

Vanessa gets up and runs her hand under cold water. Brooke sits on the couch, silent and particularly helpless.

Something is catching up with them, but Brooke has no words for it. It’s seeping into their normal, which turns out to be more fragile than she had thought. Ordered rows of tomatoes and the easy comfort of fresh love feel a bit distant. She feels it in every vertebra.

They decide that if nothing else, it’s a safe night for a TV binge. They order pizza and curl up on the couch, as Brooke holds tight to Vanessa and tries to settle into the weird static sensation in her spine. She catches Vanessa flexing her hands, rubbing her fingertips together, still feeling the aftereffects of the shock. They settle into bed like any other evening, huddled in the weight of too much unexplained.

Most nights sleep comes easily, but tonight it’s miles away. She silently counts to ten, fifty, a hundred, and still can’t get the thrumming feeling of worry in her chest to go away. After an hour or so of sleeplessness, she slips her arms from around Vanessa and gets up to find a book in the living room.

She stops suddenly before she can even make it to the living room.

Jason is sitting in a chair by the bar.

There are a few things you expect from a ghost. They’re supposed to be see-through, or pale and ragged like a corpse, or at the very least levitating. Jason is none of those things. He looks solid, human, too comfortable in a spot where he so often used to sit. He’s got a glass of dark liquor in his hand, swirling a large ice cube around, with a rueful smirk carved into his face.

If she hadn’t watched him die, hadn’t felt him go cold, she might think he let himself back in with the key.

“Brooke Lynn.” His voice has a sour edge, and she’s instantly reminded of how much she hates the way her name sounds when he says it. “It’s been too long.”

“This isn’t real,” she says confidently, elbow planted on the back of the other chair.

He cocks an eyebrow. “You wanna test that?”

“Yeah, actually.”

Jason throws his glass at her, and she braces herself, but the glass passes through her, no impact. She glances over her shoulder, looking for glass shards or any sign that this was real.

“I thought so.” Brooke narrows her eyes knowingly, a little self-righteously, and god it feels way too good to be able to look at him like that with no repercussions. A bit callously, she sits in the chair across from him.

“You still flinched,” he notes. There’s another glass in his hand, refilled with scotch and ice that clinks against the sides.

“Why are you here?”

“You drank all my scotch.”

“Well, you weren’t drinking it.”

“And there’s a 26-year-old shop girl sleeping in my bed.”

“My bed, now.”

“You always were a vindictive bitch, weren’t you? Under all of that? She can’t see it now, but give it a year. You know you’re meant to be alone.”

Brooke bites the inside of her cheek until she tastes blood. Jason always knew how to drive a knife.

“Why are you here?” she repeats.

“You’re getting too comfortable, that’s why.” The ice clinks against his glass. “I’m here so you don’t forget.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, you didn’t even know him–”

“I’m talking about me,” he smirks.

“You always are.”

“Would you listen? God. Justify that body in your garden all you like, but can you justify what you did to me? Have you heard of divorces, Brooke Lynn? Police reports? Fighting back?” Brooke feels her jaw tighten, and Jason catches it. His eyes light up, his words drip with sickly-sweet contempt. “No, instead of facing me, you spit on the life I gave you and killed me. You’re cheap, you’re greedy. But there’s quite a few different ways to stab someone in the back, huh?”

“Stop.”

Brooke feels ice prick at the base of her spine. It’s subtle, the first snowflakes just starting to fall.

Jason laughs softly to himself. It’s a face she’s seen too many times on him, that smug self-righteousness, one she never imagined having to see again. It’s engraved in the contours of his face, she notes. There’s no way to know the cruelty behind those laugh lines.

“You said it, honey. None of this is real. What does that say about what’s going on inside your head?”

Brooke stands, turning to leave, to run. She wishes she had a drink to throw in his face, wishes she had some way to hurt him. “You’re burning in hell.”

“Go back to that girl,” he calls after her, and she can hear his cruel smile. “You’re going to destroy her.”

In the hallway outside the bedroom, Brooke presses her face into the sleeve of her sweatshirt and breathes. Each breath is ragged, threatening to turn into a sob, but she packs it up tight, pulls it inwards and downwards. The pinpricks spread. Fuck.

Jason knows right how to get to her, how to wedge into those soft spots and make her wish they were never there. It’s impossible to write off. Ghost or fever dream, she’s haunted.

She presses the heels of her hands into her eye sockets, sets her shoulders, and goes back to bed. She settles in next to Vanessa, who rolls back into her touch.

“Hey, were you up?” she murmurs softly.

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”

“You talking to someone?”

“Nina.” Brooke lies. “On the phone.”

“Mmm.” And she’s asleep again.

Two lies in one evening. You’re going to destroy her, he said. Vanessa twists warm against her, settles against her chest. Brooke hopes Vanessa can’t feel her heart racing from where she rests her head.

Sleep comes in fragments, waves of unconsciousness so shallow she’s not even sure if she’s slept. Ice blue shards slice up and down her spine through the night.

–

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #nina west #scarlet envy #yvie oddly #branjie #scyvie #hurt/comfort #magical realism #malamente #evan #tw domestic violence #tw murder #concrit welcome #lesbian au

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lorei-writes · 5 years

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People I’d Like to Know Better

Aww, I got tagged by @datenoriko . Let’s do this!

Birthday: March 13 ( it’s somewhat awkward sometimes, because I never know what to answer whenever somebody asks me for my age if it’s before my birthday - the most accurate answer would be my actual age, but the more useful one would be to round it up. Either way, I’m almost 20).

Zodiac: Pisces! (And I can’t swim and have been terrified of water since forever).

Last song I listened to: Take This Lonely Heart - Nothing But Thieves

Hobbies:

Okay, stay with me there. Disclaimer: I do not do all of that stuff all at once. I do not know why it is that, but my hobbies have always followed fixated pattern: find something you like and do nothing else in your free time. I do not want to brag here, I’m just really passionate about those things! + I’m babbling way too much.

Math - I absolutely adore math, especially logarithms and trigonometry. There’s nothing more satisfying that finding a solution to a problem, even if it’s “using a cannon to kill a mosquito”, as my tutor says. That being said, I usually studied on my own (the majority of my classmates at high school just oftentimes needed more time than I did. I did have a private tutor - it is a really common thing in my country - but I usually had the general idea of the concept before the class and we’d just solve the tasks I didn’t know how to tackle). Because math is just like that! It makes sense! I feel safe doing math - if I can see enough examples, then I’ll probably be able to come up with a pattern and the solution. However, there’s a single problem with math ^^”” I had a very bad posture and could sit studying well... 6 hours at school + 3-5 at home (+private tutorial depending on the day)?^^””” It wasn’t all math, but it certainly did increase the amount of time I’ve spent like that... A couple of years of that and you know how I injured my spine ^^”” It was really bad, hehe, I could hardly write ^^” The first physician I’ve seen also didn’t diagnose it right, so I had to take a year off to somehow figure it out ^^””

Writing - I LOVE WRITING. I think I’ve started doing it when I was 11? Although it’s probably hardly noticeable, since I had never written stories in English before, haha. I usually write fantasy, because the word building aspect of it is just so enjoyable. Other than that... I am this unfortunate kind of writer that can’t lie ^^” I always have to research everything, otherwise it doesn’t feel right at all! I most probably always am overly optimistic in regards to economic stuff, but yeah, overall I tried to read up. Recently I’ve been EXTRA excited by how different English is when compared to Polish! I hope one day I’ll be able to convey the same raw emotion in both of them. And that I develop muscle memory, so that I don’t make so many typos!

O, and there’s some actual I-have-looked-it-up-stuff in my stories (spoilers): Had it happened in the future, part 2 - I know a person who has lost an eye in a very similar way, Dragon’s Treasure - technically, those are the symptoms of a poisonous hemlock... Poisoning. Gash, it sounds so stupid. Either way, it doesn’t grow in Japan (but it does in China, India, almost the entire Europe), so I put up the “it was exported” hypothesis. Either way, the funny thing in the story is that we still don’t have an antidote for it, so Torakikumaru was literally saved by the fact that he wasn’t hungry after stuffing himself with candy - yes, the konpeito he shared with Nobunaga. The boy just didn’t ingest enough of the plant for it to be lethal. Together? That’s how untreated hypothyroidism looks. I hope to write more stuff including some small details like that ^^” O, yeah, I was also really happy with how the Judgement day turned out! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve referenced the Exodus there ^^” Well, more precisely, Exodus 34:14, per verse. Though I’d say that that what happened before is also kinda important - the golden calf and so on.

Yes, I’ve been on one shots rampage since I’ve started this blog.

SEWING - I’m self taught seamstress! I make mostly backpack and cute bags, but I can sew some simple clothes just as well ^^ Recently I’ve been doing some easy fixes and mending, but I hope to make a flat lined skirt in near future. Now that I finally have my hand back, I want to WORK. I also do embroidery.

Crocheting & Loom Knitting - I’m not the best at either of this, but it’s soo calming. I oftentimes crochet when watching something - I actually can do this and still read the subtitles, so I can watch anime!

Languages - it’s low-key embarrassing, but I can only speak Polish and English ^^” I know some very basic French and Japanese as well, but yeah, I hope to learn more about those. Preferably, I’d like to understand written and spoken Japanese without much trouble. Though I like to just listen how others speak about languages just in general - what are the grammar rules, etc. It’s so fascinating!

Biology - I kinda cheated on biology (well, and chemistry) with math, but I still do love it. I especially like reading about the engineering of human body - how it evolved, what are the flaws in the “design”, how it all works. And for some reason, I like the long words. Just the long words. And since I like to know what they mean, people at school assumed that I was smarter than I was - like, nope, dear, I just read about random stuff and get VERY excited when there’s just a single tiny tineey chance I can infodump somebody.

Drawing - I used to draw portraits before my spine injury ^^” I was kinda decent at it, but yeah, well... Spine. Couldn’t hold the pencil. I’ve lost most of my skill now, but I’m slowly coming back to it. I love coloring things with alcohol markers. They blend just so beautiful. I also paint with acrylic paints aaand want to learn more about watercolors!

History - Eh, kinda random, but I watch a lot of stuff about how the daily lives of people in the past were - how did they do the laundry, how was the soap made, how did women deal with their periods, how did the underwear look, etc. I’ve read an amazing book on women in Medieval times!

CATS - everything cats. Literally. From cat related goods, to actual products for cats - litterboxes, cat litter, anything. I like researching cat behaviorism. That’s probably good tho, because I have three lovely little cat ladies ^^

Otome games - I write only for ikesen, but I’m playing ikevam too. I played ikerev, but gash, the game crushes all the time! :C Other than that, I’ve finished Masamune’s route in SLBP and it was enjoyable - it is only that the colour scheme of the interface makes my eyes burn. I do not mean to say that it is ugly or bad, it just hurts me - not in metaphorical sense, it really, literally tires me out and makes the experience unpleasant. I know it’s weird.

Last movie I watched: Oh. Em. The thing is, I do not know ^^” I plan to watch some Ghibli movies on Netflix, but haven’t got around to it just yet ^^” I don’t remember when was the last time I’ve watched a film other than that - I just can’t focus for long enough. Or I get too excited. Long story short - you don’t want to watch a movie with me. You really don’t.

Dream job: Teacher! I would want to teach math. I’ve seen far too many bright minds go dull because the parents couldn’t afford the private tutor and that is just sooo wrong. However, it means getting stuck in a dead end job and becoming the private tutor after the school - teachers are gravely underpaid in my country and frankly, I don’t know if I will be able to afford to become one.

Meaning behind URL: None. I just like Masamune & keep here all my stuff and the stuff I like. It makes me happy ^^

Tags: @missjudge-me, @fairstival, @nad-zeta , @metroidgirl0234 ! Hope you guys don’t mind ^^” If you don’t like the tag game, feel free to ignore it.

#blabbing #taggame #aww #i like tag games #justmethings

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camillemontespan · 5 years

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a kingdom divided [part one] [drake walker x mc]

I’VE STARTED A NEW SERIES!! So soon after This Heavy Crown, I know, I couldn’t help myself..

So, since TRR 4 is coming back this summer (SO READY FOR DRAKE THE DILF!) I thought it would be fun to write a new series (the same sort of issue from the actual books is part of this fic as it never sat well with me that they made a council, put all of his friends on it and didn’t really address the issues Cordonia had. Just my opinion anyway!) This series is going to be Drake & Camille (Cake) focused, but with more of the TRR gang thrown in, which my previous serious didn’t really have.

I’m hoping to write drama, intrigue, suspicion, threat, love, family, etc. A big mix. I hope you all enjoy! All feedback is appreciated.

@pug-bitch @jovialyouthmusic @drakesensworld @moonlightgem7 @tacohead13 @notoriouscs @katedrakeohd @ifyouseekheart @be-still-my-aching-heart @drakewalkerisreal @sirbeepsalot

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

The phone rang on Camille’s bedside table. She groaned and pulled the duvet cover over her head. ‘Gnnnnnnghhhh...’.

Drake leaned over her to pick it up. He checked the clock. ‘God, its 6am. Who’s calling this early...'.

He answered the phone. ‘Hello.. oh hey, Liam. No no, it’s okay. What’s up?’

In a moment, Drake abruptly got out of bed and Camille heard him open his laptop, clicking onto something. ‘Oh. Fuck.’

Camille sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Drake was sat at the edge of the bed, his back tense. She dragged herself up from under the duvet and crawled to the space behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder blade. ‘Whats wrong?’ she murmured.

Drake put Liam on speakerphone. Liam was in the middle of speaking. ‘It’s getting bad, Drake. I thought creating the Royal Council would help, that all my representatives could speak for the public but the people don’t agree. Your own duchy likes you both but there are a few who don’t agree with the kingdom still bestowing privileges. They’re demanding change. They want a republic.’

Camille looked at the laptop screen. An article on the Cordonian Republic, a newly created news website, showed a picture of the king waving at the camera and the headline asked, ‘Do We Really Want Him to Rule Over Us?’

The article bullet pointed all of his faults and how appointing his Royal Council had looked to the public. The fact that Liam’s closest friends, including Drake and Camille, had been given seats on this specially created Council only served to prove that the monarchy put their friends above the public. That noble title mattered.

Drake opened another article on another news website, Republican. The article analysed the king’s inner circle, including Drake and Camille and how easy it was for the two commoners to become a Duke and Duchess. Camille’s breath caught when she saw their picture and Drake squeezed her hand.

Drake opened up Facebook to see a page with 2000 followers and counting. The group was named ‘Make Cordonia a Republic.’

Cordonia had suffered many assassination attempts; the most recent one was a year ago, which Drake and Camille had both been embroiled in. Camille had been shot at but Drake had dove in front of her, taking the bullet to his shoulder. Drake had to admit that he hadn’t breathed easily since - he worried for Camille’s safety every day, despite the strong security team around her. He personally interviewed potential bodyguards until he found one suitable. He worried that one day, the same thing would happen and he would not be there to stop it. Now that there was still signs of unrest, it didn’t help.

‘I need to call a Royal Council meeting,’ Liam said, his voice hard. ‘I need to discuss strategy, put a stop to this. I’ll email you both details but it will be taking place this morning. Go back to sleep, I’m sorry I woke you so early.’

He rang off. Drake stared at the floor, thinking deeply. He let out a sigh. ‘I can’t have you in danger again,’ he whispered to Camille. ‘This needs to be destroyed before it grows bigger.’

Camille wrapped her arms around him, her chest against his back. ‘Maybe we should just talk to them? Actually listen to them. Maybe they have some valid views-’

‘Valid views that promote toppling the monarchy? Believe me, they don’t,’ Drake replied harshly. He let out a ragged breath. ‘I won’t watch you be targeted again, Camille. I refuse. I want you safe and I want our baby safe.’ He reached his hand behind him and touched her tiny baby bump, their precious cargo. ‘This is too important.’

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

Camille finished getting ready. She was wearing a bodycon sage green dress and nude heels, her usual Duchess uniform. She smiled at her bump in the mirror. She was only four months along so it was still small, but she adored it. Drake loved her with a bump because he loved the fact that she was carrying his child. When they were curled up together in bed, he would stroke the bump, speaking to it softly about how excited he was for his baby marshmallow to be born.

She had told him the day she took the tests. She had taken three tests just to be absolutely certain. Camille had wanted this every since she married Drake. She wanted her own family, a family to nurture and protect, since she had been denied that as a child when her parents both died. She had so much love to give. Unable to contain her excitement, she had enlisted her bodyguard, Jason, to go shopping with her to find the perfect gift to announce the pregnancy to Drake. Jason was surprisingly good at shopping, pulling out cute babygros and baby shoes for her approval. When her eyes settled on a yellow babygro with a marshmallow embroidered on the pocket, she knew she had found it.

Holding her bump, she made her way out to the balcony where Drake was standing, looking at the view of the lake and mountains. He turned around when he heard her, his brow knitted with concern. His eyes softened when he took her in. ‘You look gorgeous,’ he told her. Camille smiled and kissed him softly. ‘You ready, partner?’ she asked. He caressed her bump gently. ‘Of course I am. We’re the three musketeers.’

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

King Liam, Drake, Camille, Hana, Maxwell and Olivia sat around the table. Drake was sat beside his wife and he was absentmindley playing with a stray lock of her hair, twirling it around his finger. Pastries and coffee had been laid out for the Council since it was a 9am meeting. Only Maxwell dared to tear open a croissant, inhaling it while drinking a deep slug of coffee. Everyone else was too nervous. Olivia watched him with disgust as flakes of croissant covered his part of the table.

‘You have seen the headlines,’ Liam began. ‘The people are still dissatisfied. They look on me as a king who puts his friends first, who cares not for his people, who cares only for power and status. I want to prove them wrong.’

Olivia sighed. ‘There will always be discontent, Liam. At least this is only a small group, it’s not like it’s the whole kingdom. Say you have an apple cart. Ten apples are red and fresh. Two are rotting. Would you get rid of the entire cart to get more red apples or would you just be happy that at least ten of them are still fresh?’

Liam’s eyes locked on hers. ‘I want all my apples to be red, Olivia. Two rotting apples are two apples I can’t have; the cart will become more diseased. I need to keep the cart fresh.’

Maxwell looked up. ‘Do we have apples here?’

Drake looked at Olivia. 'Your whole analogy had completely disregarded the previous assassination attempts. Surely we should learn from this and quell it before it even properly starts? Not ignore a bad bunch.'

Olivia shrugged. She had tried her best to rally Lythikos to love the King and the Council but they were a cold people. Hard. Sceptical. They were like Olivia herself. After months of trying, she had given up and resigned herself to the fact that her duchy were not easily swayed.

Camille cleared her throat. 'What if I started an open house?'

Liam frowned. 'How do you know about open houses?'

Camille smiled. 'I did research about Valtoria when you offered me the role of Duchess. The last open house was 200 years ago. I could reintroduce it.'

'Sorry for the stupid question but what exactly is an open house?' Hana asked, frowning in confusion.

'There's no stupid questions, Hana,' Liam told her, his eyes warm. Olivia laughed bitterly. 'Ha! Clearly you haven't met Maxwell.'

Maxwell stared at her in indignation. 'Hey! That was uncalled for!'

Olivia waved her hand in his direction, as if she was swatting away a fly. Camille shot Maxwell an apologetic look.

Liam looked at Hana. 'An open house is when the Duke and Duchess pull open their doors and allow the public to enter their home so they can speak candidly about issues that are affecting them. The Duke and Duchess will then discuss how to fix it. The entire kingdom hasn't done it in 200 years so it means that Valtoria could be the first to reinstate it.'

Hana grinned. 'Camille, what a great idea! You are so understanding anyway and everyone in Valtoria adores you!'

Drake shook his head. 'No way.' They all looked at him, the wind blown out of their sails. Drake sighed. 'I'm sorry but what if one of our citizens visits the house and instead of visiting to speak about the issue, they instead draw a gun? What happens then?'

Camille stared at him, her jaw set. 'You undermine Valtoria, Drake.'

Drake didn't want to fight with her. 'I only want to keep you safe. Think of the baby.'

'But what if I hold an open house and it goes perfectly? Our citizens will feel like they have been listened to and cared for and any discontent will evaporate!'

Drake shook his head. 'That's naive.'

Camille sighed. 'It's hopeful. But what else have we got? We need hope, Drake.'

There was an awkward silence. Maxwell raised his hand uncertainly. Liam chuckled, breaking the silence. 'You can just offer an opinion Maxwell, no need to raise a hand like you're in school.'

Maxwell blushed then cleared his throat. 'This might be a stupid suggestion but what if we still do the open house, as Camille has suggested, but we have security outside to check bags and such and only one person for each Valtorian family is allowed in at a time. That way, there's no crowds in the house itself. They could even set up appointments so it's not a mad rush to be first come first served.'

He stood up quickly now, caught up in inspiration. 'Ooh we could have food stalls outside so it would be like a picnic! A fun day out for the people of Valtoria! It would be a nice way to reintroduce open houses and the people will feel like they are being cared for! Oh my God, I can DJ!!'

His voice was high-pitched from his excitement and his eyes were wide, like he had eaten too much sugar. Well, he had drank copious amounts of coffee since he had sat down. He was blinking rapidly.

'Okay, sit down Maxwell,' Liam said gently. 'That's a nice idea actually, good touch with the picnic. Drake? Camille? What do you think?'

Camille could tell that Drake was conflicted. On the one hand, there would be security and the visitors would be searched so there was no danger of any weapons getting inside. But on the other hand, he was already incredibly overprotective of her, especially now they had a baby on the way. She understood why he was so hesitant.

He sighed. 'Fine. But this is one time. See how it goes. If there are any mishaps in any way, shape or form, I'm calling it off.'

Camille smiled weakly. 'Drake, the people of Valtoria actually like us, I'm sure nothing is going to happen. They will just turn up for picnic food, dance to Maxwell's music and speak to us in the house about their issues. It will be fine.'

Olivia rolled her eyes. ‘Is there even any point? They will make their mind up one way or the other and I bet they will still want a republic. You can’t reason with these people-’

‘I WILL NOT BE THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN!’ Liam suddenly burst out, standing up quickly and slamming his fists on the table. Hana jumped out of her skin. Camille gripped Drake’s hand; his thumb rolled over her hand, trying to soothe her. Maxwell dropped his croissant in shock.

‘I was forced to clean up the mess my brother had left,’ Liam said, breathing heavily. He was notorious for never losing his composure; this was a new, unseen side to the king for all of them. ‘I took the throne and I swore I would be the best King I could be, especially after how revered our father was when he ruled. When I swore to protect the kingdom, to keep it intact, to keep my family on the throne, I meant it.’ He paced the floor now.

‘I refuse to be the final nail in the coffin. I will not accept a kingdom divided; to have north, south, east and west at war over who should be in power. I want us to be united. I want to stop this before it grows more dangerous. I’ve already got articles being written about me on anti-monarchy websites. Who’s to say I won’t one day read a negative article about me in the Cordonian Herald? We can’t predict the future but we can try our hardest to shape it. So Olivia, if you’re not with me, then get out.’

Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. ‘I am always with you,’ she told him fiercely. ‘I am your childhood friend, I have always been by your side.’ She spoke quickly now, bordering on hysteria. Her fingers clenched the side of the table, turning her knuckles white. ‘I love you-’ she caught herself, turning red. Only Camille noticed. ‘I am always going to be with you. The fact you question that kills me. You are my King and always will be. I’m sorry I ever made you doubt me.’

Everyone was silent. Liam stared at her before reaching out to take her hand. ‘Thank you,’ he murmured.

Drake coughed. ‘Right. Who are still our allies?’ he asked, taking charge. Camille squeezed his hand, grateful. Liam sighed. ‘Valtoria due to you and Camille. Portavira, which is because we helped raise money for their flood relief. I’m grateful to Penelope for keeping her parents on my side; she is more than just poodles.’

‘What about Kiara?’ Hana asked. Liam winced. ‘Castelsarreillan as a whole may not be as diplomatic as her father.’

Olivia took a sip of water. ‘We’re not doing another tour.’

Everyone murmured in agreement. They had gone on enough tours to last a lifetime. Liam raised his hands. ‘It’s simple. If you reside over a duchy, try your best to speak to the people, get them on side. Otherwise, be my eyes and ears at court. I feel it’s not just the common people who are against me.’

Olivia’s eyes flashed. ‘Who in court would dare...?’

Liam shrugged. ‘I don’t know but I can’t be too careful. I need to be wary of everyone now. I trust you will all tell me if you hear anything or see anything untoward.’

They all nodded. ‘You’re not worrying about.. poisoning and such, are you?’ Camille asked hesitantly. They all looked at her. They were aware of her ancestors history in Versailles when it came to poison.

‘Hopefully it won’t come to that, Camille,’ Liam said, giving her a small smile. ‘Just be on the lookout. I need allies on the inside.’

He indicated for them all to stand up. ‘The meeting’s over. Help yourself to more coffee, I’m sorry it was a 9am meeting, those are never fun.’ He chuckled weakly. He then looked around at all of them. ‘For Cordonia.’

They repeated his words. ‘For Cordonia.’

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

That night, Camille found Drake out on their balcony, his usual spot.

‘Hey you,’ she greeted him. He turned his head and gave her a warm smile.

‘Hey, beautiful.’

She settled into the chair beside him and passed him a glass of whiskey. He smiled and toasted it up to the sky. Camille snuggled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. The air was warm. This was their happy place; their own balcony, overlooking their duchy with its lake and mountains, the sound of wildlife beneath them.

‘If you don’t want us to host an open house, I can tell Liam,’ she murmured, stroking his hair back. She wanted him to be happy, not to worry about anything. His happiness was the be and end all for her.

Drake shook his head. ‘No, Camille. You were right. We need hope. If welcoming our citizens into our home and speaking to them, taking into account their opinions, if it helps... then I’m for it.’

Camille kissed his cheek. ‘I can always stay in the study with my guards. I don’t have to join in with the picnic if it’s too risky. We can blame the pregnancy; say I’m not feeling well enough to be outside but I can meet guests indoors. Good compromise?’

Drake smiled and held her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. ‘You’re such a good wife, you know that right?’ he asked. She giggled. ‘I try. I just don’t want you to worry. I want you to be happy.’

Drake turned to her, his eyes darkening. ‘You know what would make me happy right now?’

She raised an eyebrow and watched as his hand slid up her thigh to slide below her negligee. She let out a gasp as his fingers reached below her underwear. ‘I think I can hazard a guess...’ she murmured, her mouth quirking up at the corner as she watched him. Drake slowly knelt down on the marble ground, facing her. He stroked her legs gently and began to kiss up from her ankle. He covered every little part with his lips until he reached the inside of her thighs. He pushed her underwear aside and his tongue rolled against her, setting her senses on fire. 'I love you,' he whispered, drawing away.

'Don't stop,' Camille whimpered. She needed to feel him wind her tight and let her loose. Drake obeyed and continued, deeply and intricately. Camille gripped the arms of the chair, arching her back as he worked harder. 'Oh god, Drake,' she breathed. She could feel the chair becoming damp beneath her. He drew away from her and she let out a sad sigh. He chuckled softly. 'Camille, I'm not done yet.'

Her eyes widened and he picked her up in his arms, taking her through to the bedroom. He gently lay her on the bed, the silk sheets warm against her skin, and he started to unbutton his shirt. Camille sat up and reached out to take over. She made quick work of the buttons, pulling the shirt off and throwing it to the floor. Her hands roamed his chest, down his abs and towards his belt buckle. Drake kissed her neck and she managed to undo his belt, focusing on the task at hand. She wanted him desperately. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones or maybe it was just because it was Drake and he was her husband, but she wanted to feel his body on hers. Drake pulled up her negligee and discarded it. She knelt on the bed, looking at him with her brown eyes, dark hair tousled. Drake's eyes moved down from her face to her tiny bump. He gave her a soft smile and he gently pushed her down onto the bed. As she lay on her back, he kissed her chest and worked his way down until he reached her bump. Camille tensed. Drake frowned, looking up at her. 'What's wrong?' he asked.

Camille gave a self conscious laugh. 'It's just.. My body is changing. I guess I'm not sure what you're going to think when I have a huge bump and swollen feet. I love my bump, I just haven't taken into account what sex will be like. What you will think of me...’

Drake stared down at her, his gaze penetrating. She felt like he was studying every part of her face. 'Camille,' he started, his voice thick. 'I love you. I love your body, you're a fucking goddess. You will still be a goddess with this bump. Honestly? I can't wait to see how this bump grows because it means our baby is developing well and is safe inside. That's all that matters.' He let out a deep breath. 'I love every single inch of you,' he murmured, looking at her. His hands stroked her tummy. 'Surely you should know that by now?'

He kissed her bump. ‘Or maybe you just need reminding,’ he said, looking up at her. Camille blushed and Drake smiled, knowing he had helped. He moved his body to cover hers and she wound her legs around him, pulling him in. Her eyes flicked down and she reached her hand out to wrap around his length. Drake closed his eyes in a state of bliss and concentrated on the movements she made.

‘Remind me, Drake,’ she whispered. He opened his eyes. ‘With pleasure,’ he replied and he placed his arms on either side of her head, keeping her close. She gasped as she felt him fill her. Drake kissed her forehead and slowly moved his hips against hers, feeling every inch of Camille. Her fingernails dug into his back as they moved together and he kissed her fiercely, swallowing her gasps of pleasure, consuming all of her.

She suddenly rolled him over so she was now straddling him. He had the perfect view of her, sitting on top of her throne. His hands travelled from her back to her slender waist, before settling on her tummy and the baby it carried. He groaned as Camille rode him, her hands grasping onto his and she began to moan louder. ‘Fuck, Drake..’ she murmured, throwing her head back.

Drake gripped onto her hips and rocked his hips harder and faster now, the way she liked it. She let out a cry and matched his pace; the tenderness was still there, but overshadowed by the urgent need to give each other as much pleasure and satisfaction as possible. Drake wanted her to feel like the beauty she was; the woman he saw her as.

Their eyes locked, sharing a heated gaze. He was hers. She was his. That thought alone was enough for Camille to become undone, with Drake not far behind.

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

They lay tangled in the silk sheets. Drake kissed the top of her head softly and Camille smiled, content. She took his hand and they lay quietly for a moment.

‘I’m really excited for tomorrow’s scan,’ she said, breaking the peace. Drake grinned. ‘Are we still wanting to find out the sex?’ Camille nodded. ‘I am. Are you?’ ‘Of course! I hate surprises. I’m desperate to know actually,’ he told her, chuckling. Camille squeezed his hand. ‘Do you have a preference?’ Drake shook his head. ‘As long as it’s healthy and happy, that’s all that matters.’

Camille curled up into him. ‘This baby is so lucky to have you as a father,’ she told him. Drake blushed. ‘I’ll try my best not to mess it up,’ he said bashfully, waving off the compliment. Camille kissed his shoulder. ‘You’re going to be brilliant.’

Drake stroked her tummy. ‘You always have such faith in me, Camille. It’s unwavering. I’ve never had someone believe in me before... you’re always in my corner.’

Camille looked into his eyes. ‘I always will be.’

#trr fanfic #drake walker x mc #choices the stories you play

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gwenbrightly · 6 years

Text

Maybe

Cross posted from ffnet. Hello everyone! Welcome to the fic that was supposed to be my Valentines Day special… But… I'm not great with deadlines, so it's a few days late. "Maybe" is centered around Kai and Skylor, and takes place between s4 and s5. I've taken some liberties here with how Master Chen's Noodle House operates, and a few other things, but I really hope you enjoy my first attempt at writing Kailor! It was definitely interesting, trying to find the right balance between awkward dorkiness and adorable fluff, but I had a lot of fun writing this, as random as it turned out! Enjoy!

________________________________________________________________

Skylor stared balefully at her watch, silently willing the meeting she was currently in the middle of to reach its end before she got driven insane. The past month had been an exhausting, chaotic mess for her, and she was ready for it to be over. Following her father's banishment to the cursed realm, she had begun fighting to rebuild his noodle empire in a much less criminally inclined way. There had been little time to relax; she'd barely been able to appreciate the fact that she was living on her own terms for the first time in her life before being thrust into the process of orchestrating the many changes that needed to be made. Countless hours had been dedicated to debating and discussing, interviewing and observing, adjusting and questioning. All in the hopes of giving those associated with the many branches of the popular restaurant a chance at a new beginning. And it was nice, to have a purpose. But there were times where she debated whether or not she was actually making any headway.

"But if we reconfigure our employee rights policy as you have proposed, production may be negatively effected, which will most certainly lead to a significant decrease in profit..." A representative from one of the noodle factories pointed out, not at all pleased with the adjustments the redhead had just described. Sometimes she wondered if the individual in question wanted her to fail. She could've sworn she heard someone grunt in agreement. The bespectacled young women across the table from her glanced up from her Borg tablet in concern. Skylor shook her head. Best not to let this situation get out of hand.

"I am aware of that, Mr. Millers. I've already told you multiple times that I am more than prepared to deal with the consequences of any adjustments we make as long as it allows us to give Master Chen's Noodle House the positive reputation it deserves. So, really, I'm not sure why you've brought this up again." She said with a sigh. How much longer before she could retreat to the safety of her apartment? 10, 15 more minutes?

"Miss Chen has made great progress over the past few weeks. Just think of how popular the puffy potstickers have become since she decided to put them back on the menu." June, her recently hired assistant manager added quietly. Yes, she had made the right decision in selecting this girl to join her tightly knit team of employees, even if she was rather soft spoken.

"I am merely... concerned that these changes have not been thought out sufficiently. This business has existed for decades... It would be a shame if someone were to... Run it into the ground with unrealistic dreams..." The man replied in an oily tone, giving her a very fake smile. Skylor frowned. Such behavior was only going to make the meeting more tedious. It was official. He definitely wouldn't mind seeing her slip up.

"First of all, the lack of pay and deplorable working conditions seen in many of our more rural factories could be considered illegal, as I'm sure you know, and second of all, don't think I'm oblivious to what you are insinuating. I had hoped that your expertise and years of experience would be beneficial in reforming my father's business, but if you continue to undermine my judgement and fight me at every turn, I will be forced to ask you to leave." She informed Mr. Millers with a pointed stare. He deflated slightly but didn't seem overly thrilled to have been called out on his behavior.

"...As you wish, Ms. Chen..." For now.

"Good." Skylor declared forcefully, sharing an exasperated look with June, " I propose that we begin implementing adjustments as planned, then. To start with, all workers will now be entitled to a 15 minute break every three hours, and a half an hour break after five. Shifts will be no longer than nine hours, and we are increasing pay to minimum wage. All in favor?" She and June raised their hands immediately. The head delivery truck driver, quality control specialist, and several faculty members hailing from various locations, joined them, eventually, leaving a disgruntled Mr. Millers and one additional factory representative as the only opposers.

"That's eight for and two against. Sorry, Mr. Millers, but it looks like majority wins in this case." Skylor's assistant declared, hurriedly typing the results of the vote for posterity. She didn't appear even remotely apologetic about this turn of events.

"Thank you, everyone, for being so flexible. I know we've experienced a lot of changes lately, but I truly believe they will help make Master Chen's more successful in the long run. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss? I know many of you have families to get home to, so I'd prefer not to drag this meeting out any more than we have to, especially on a Saturday." Skylor commented with a relieved smile. Almost finished...

"I vote we call it quits. Today's supposed to be date night with the wife." Offered the truck driver. The others nodded their assent. Even those who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the meeting were ready to depart.

"Okay, then. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I'll see all of you next week, alright?" The redhead called as conference room exploded into a flurry of chairs being pushed forward and paperwork being packed away.

"Phew. Glad that's over." June told her, watching everyone leave.

"Yep. We survived another run in with the infamous Mr. Millers."

"He sure is determined to throw you to the sharks... I don't know how you do it..."

"It isn't easy, but I'm sure he'll come around. Eventually. Or he'll just straight up quit. But it helps to have such a good team on my side." Skylor replied, elbowing her, "You've been a great help in getting everything organized. I really appreciate all your hard work. And June? Tell Chad I say hello... I can see his car in the parking lot." The assistant manager's cheeks flushed.

"Oh. O-of course. See you tomorrow... Please try to relax a little. I don't wanna end up having to run this place all by myself if you overwork yourself to death..."

"No promises, but I'll try. Now get yourself outta here – don't need keep that boyfriend of yours waiting, right? " The young woman told her friend, practically shoving her out the door.

"Okay, okay. I'm going. Bye!"

"Bye." At least one of them had something enjoyable to do with the remainder of the afternoon.

"Miss Chen? A-are you leaving? There's a customer who's been asking for you for the past half an hour…" The waitress who had suddenly appeared by her side informed her. Skylor cursed her luck. It looked like relaxation would have to wait.

"Where?" She asked, exhaling deeply.

"The corner booth over by the window. You can't miss him…" The waitress replied, pointing. Better get this over with, then, she thought, wandering towards the table she'd been directed to. The master of amber took her time, reluctant to engage in another potentially frustrating conversation.

"Hello? Someone said you wanted to see me… is there a problem?" She inquired, drawing closer.

"Oh, there's no problem," The person replied casually, turning so she could see their face, "I just wanted to talk to the prettiest restaurant owner in all of Ninjago City, that all." And then recognition dawned on her.

"Kai?" Skylor gasped in surprise.

"The one and only. Do you have time to talk for bit?" The spiky haired ninja smiled widely.

"Uh... Sure, definitely. It's been awhile... How have you been since the tournament?" She commented, eagerly slipping onto the bench opposite his.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Trying to keep Cole and Jay from killing each other. Making sure Lloyd actually sleeps at night and isn't living entirely off of peach rings. Solving minor problems for civilians. You hear about that bank robbery last week? Yeah, that was us." Kai told her with a shrug. The redhead's eyes widened.

"Wow, really? Sounds like you've been busy, then."

"Yeah. That's why I wasn't able to visit sooner – though I really wanted to... Especially since Master Wu's decided he wants to try his hand at tea making. He's got all of us helping him remodel Garmadon's old monastery so he can use it as a teashop." She wished he had been able to drop by before now, but she'd take what she could get.

"Oh. That's... That's an interesting decision. How is Lloyd taking it?" He looked a touch guilty, probably worried about his honorary brother. She'd gotten the impression that they were an extremely close-knit family. What would it be like to be part of something like that? Skylor wondered.

"It's hard to tell. He says he's just happy to have his team back together again... We're hoping he really is cool with it, but… getting him to talk about his feelings is like pulling teeth sometimes..."

"Yeesh. Sounds about right from what I've seen of him."

"Basically… But enough about me and my crazy family drama, even if I do admit to being a little worried about the kid. How has life been treating you these days?" Kai questioned (after all, he had come to see her, and she clearly needed to de-stress).

"It's been… hectic, to say the least. You wouldn't believe the number of sketchy business agreements my father made while he was still… around… I've been trying to undo most of them, but it takes time… and, well… there are people who are definitely not gung-ho about all the changes I'm making…" Skylor disclosed with a weary sigh. The master of fire reached across the table and clasped her hands.

"That sucks. I'm sure it'll get better soon, though. You have a that crazy way of winning people over with minimal effort. Few can resist your powers of persuasion." Was it just her, or was the room suddenly much hotter than it had been before?

"Thanks, but not everyone feels the way you do… I just hope it blows over soon. These weekend meetings – that's where I was when you got here – they're killing me… I've barely had time to sleep, let alone enjoy the city…"

"Sounds like you need to get away more… D-do you wanna… Go do something with me to get your mind off of everything?" Kai offered. Skylor froze for a second.

"A-are you asking me out? Like on a date?" She found herself saying, immediately cursing herself for being so forward. This… Dynamic between the two of them was difficult to define. They'd grown incredibly close while on her father's island, but then… she just wasn't quite sure where they stood now…

"Er… Maybe…? I-if you want it to be? I mean, we never did get to play tourist, so…? What I'm saying is… I enjoy you and I… I'd love to spend more time together…and… " The spiky haired young man rambled, smiling awkwardly. His cheeks were noticeably rosier than before. Oh. Yes, she would most certainly be interested in doing so.

"Okay, then… I'd love to go on a maybe date with you, Kai. Thanks for asking." She decided, smirking. His face brightened.

"Great! This is great! So… Uh, when are you free?"

"Say the word and I can be ready in five minutes?"

"Really?"

"Sure. Just lemme grab my purse. That should give you plenty of time to figure out what we're doing…" Skylor said, untangling her hands from Kai's and heading for her office. So, her weekend wouldn't be as tedious as she'd been expecting after all.

______________________________________________________________

"You know, it's gonna be a little hard for me to get out of your car with my eyes shut…" The redhead complained a bit later as she felt the vehicle come to a stop. She could hear the sound of Kai's laughter from the driver's seat.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't face plant."

"That's such a comfort, Kai. Really, I feel much better knowing you're there to catch me..." Skylor replied, resisting the urge to peek. He ignored her sass in favor of exiting the car and slipping around to the passenger side.

"Here," The master of fire said, grabbing her hand and helping her step onto the asphalt outside.

"So, you gonna tell me where we are?" She asked, ready to be permitted to open her eyes again.

"Nope. Not yet. I want it to be a surprise." Her companion informed her. Kai gently gripped her elbow to keep her from losing her way. He was certainly taking this seriously given how spur of the moment it had been. It was kind of adorable.

"It's just a little further." Together, they wandered towards the unknown destination.

"I'm trusting you that when I finally get to open my eyes , I won't be standing in the middle of a sewage system or something." Joked Skylor as the master of fire's pace slowed.

"Geez, I'm not that mean… and I'll have you know that Ninjago City's sewers are actually a very interesting place to explore." He started defensively, "Though, on second thought, we'd probably both rather not run into any Serpentine right now, so. Guess I can't really judge too much…"

"I was kidding, dork. But yeah, maybe save that for another time?"

"Well, uh… We're here, so, you can look now." Kai stated awkwardly.

"Whoah. S' bright out here…" The girl blinked furiously. He slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, you see, that's what you get for spending all day inside that restaurant of yours dealing with prickly business men. No time to enjoy the sun." She seriously contemplated whipping him in the face with her ponytail, but ultimately chose not to. Looking around, she caught sight of the rather large sign just in front of them.

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I've been pretty much blind since we left the restaurant… The Ninjago City Zoo, huh?"

"I-is this okay? It was the first thing I thought of, and-" The master of fire inquired nervously.

"It's totally fine. I've been meaning to come here, anyway. It'll be way more fun when I've got someone to enjoy it with." She assured him with a smile. Kai returned the smile in relief.

"Shall we?" They linked arms and pressed forward, joining the surprisingly short line of people waiting to get in.

Entrance fee paid, the two soon found themselves standing near a large map with arrows pointing to the various attractions and areas within the park.

"So. There's a peacock on the loose. Should I be concerned?" Skylor observed, attention temporarily drawn away from their discussion of which route to take. Kai glanced where she was looking. A very self satisfied bird was currently strutting about, fanning its brilliant feathers for all to see. Several children followed it in fascination. He snapped a picture on his phone to show the others later.

"Nah, it's pretty common for one to be wandering around like that. They're super tame. You're not, like, allergic or anything, right?" She shook her head.

"Nope. It's just… My father tried to keep one as a pet when I was little, and I guess I've never really…"

"Tried?" Her eyes lit up at the question.

"Well, we only had it for a few weeks. It absolutely hated Clouse – I don't know what he did to anger it – but it was always chasing him down the hallways screeching and stuff? Let me tell you, those things may be beautiful to look at, but they make the worst noises imaginable. It was hilarious to watch, though. He'd just be minding his own business, and that stupid bird would come flying at him like he'd murdered its young." The redhead explained, giggling as she remembered the man's plight.

"Seriously? That's priceless?" Kai declared, laughing with her.

"Yeah, and you should've seen how many times he complained about it, too. He was always like, Master, your pet just tried to make me into a pincushion again. Why do you insist on putting up with such a ridiculous creature? Don't you have a button to make it go away? And my father would just go on and on about how glorious its feathers were and how it was worth more than all of Clouse's hair dye collection."

"Wait-Clouse dyed his hair?" Kai wheezed.

"Ooh, now I'm giving away all my dark family secrets. Better watch out, or I'll start spilling the secret recipe for puffy pot stickers or something…" She teased.

"So, what happened to it?"

"Darn thing ended up being released into the wild. Father couldn't bring himself to get rid of it completely, you know, just in case he ended up needing a way to mess with Clouse again… I think it's still on the island somewhere. Used to see it every once in awhile when I went hiking and stuff."

"That has to be one of the coolest stories I've heard in a long time." The master of fire asserted.

"It's… something, alright." Skylor admitted, "Where to first?"

"Have you ever seen a camel?"

As it turned out, while Master Chen's island had contained a variety of exotic creatures, Skylor had in fact, never been near a camel before. So, of course, the spiky haired ninja was more than happy to change that.

"C'mon Skylor, I have a great idea." He informed her, dragging her down the pathway, at breakneck speed, dodging other people as they went.

"Could we maybe slow down a bit?" She panted.

"Sorry, no can do. We don't wanna be late for feeding time. You'll be missing out on a pretty cool opportunity if we do."

"Wait… What?"

They arrived at the exhibit just as the zookeeper began explaining procedures for meal time interaction.

"If you just hold out your hand like this," The zookeeper demonstrated, pressing some treats into their hands. Apparently Skylor was going to be getting up close and personal with the large mammal.

"Nice and steady, Brenda, here, probably won't spit on you."

"Probably." The redhead commented, bemused.

"Yeah, these are her favorite treats."

"What am I even doing right now?" She pondered, turning to Kai.

"Having fun. Duh."

"You won't be saying that if the camel spits on you." Skylor pointed out.

"The chances of that happening are like, super slim. In all the times I've been here before, it's never even come close to being a problem. And besides, I'll still look awesome, even if I do end up with spit in my hair." He insisted cockily.

"Whatever you say, fire boy." She said, finally following the zookeeper's instructions. Hand held out, she watched as the camel approached her. Luckily, Brenda was only interested in daintily consuming the offering of food that was being presented to her, and refrained from salivating on anyone. She nudged the redhead's shoulder playfully when she was finished, looking for more food.

"Sorry," Skylor told the creature, "That's all I got. Go bug Kai. He still has some."

"See? She's just a big softie…" The master of fire stated, letting the camel nibble on the treats he held.

"Yeah, kinda like someone else I know." She replied with an innocent smirk. He raised an eyebrow.

"No clue who that could be..."

"Course' not. Thank you for letting us participate in this. It was surprisingly fun." The girl commented to the zookeeper as they made their departure.

"Okay, you get to choose where we're going this time." Kai stated, linking arms with her.

"You sure you wanna trust me with that? I might make you visit your brethren the porcupines."

" First it was hedgehogs, and now this? Why does everyone always want to compare me to prickly animals?" He groaned in mock irritation, continuing to wander down the trail.

"Well, I mean, you could always restyle your hair?" She suggested.

"Never! I like it the way it is."

"Who am I to stand in your way, then? C'mon, the lions should be just up ahead." They walked in companionable silence, enjoying the nice weather and the distraction from their chaotic lives. Several hours were spent exploring the zoo. Kai showed her all the best places to stand in order to get the perfect view of the animals. Skylor's phone quickly filled with pictures. Good natured teasing was shot back any forth. The sun had begun to set by the time they'd seen everything there was to see. An afternoon well spent, for both of them.

________________________________________________________________"Hey Sky?" Kai called softly, shaking the sleeping redheads shoulder, "Skylor? We're here."

"Wuh?" She asked blearily, running at her eyes. The day's events had clearly wiped her out.

"We're just outside your apartment. You fell asleep pretty much as soon as I pulled out of the parking lot."

"Oh." She was home already?

"Yeah. But that's okay… I mean, we did do an awful lot of walking, and I know you were already tired before we even left Master Chen's, so…" He assured her.

"Hey, Kai?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For today, I mean. It was… It was nice to get away for awhile. With you."

"It was" He agreed, wishing the moment could last longer.

"Let's try not to wait so long between visits next time, okay? I-I missed you…" The girl admitted. Next time?

"I missed you, too… I'll do my best to drop by more often." Promised the master of fire. Skylor shot him a weary grin.

"Well. Good. I, uh… I'll text you?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Goodbye," She said, giving him a side hug. It only lasted for a second, but it was full of warmth.

"Bye. I… I hope things with your restaurant calm down soon…" Kai stated.

"Me too. Good luck with the tea business. Maybe I'll drop by sometime."

"I'd like that." Reluctantly climbing from the vehicle, Skylor gave one last wave before heading inside. Although it would end up being awhile before either of them were ready (or able) to commit to anything official, this day would always be locked in their memories as one of the best moments in the beginnings of their relationship. Their lives would be busy, and filled with danger, but, eventually, they would find their way. Almost as soon as the redhead had left, the master of fire's phone began to vibrate. How on earth did his sister have such perfect timing?

_______________________________________________________________

Nya: So, how was ur DATE with Skylor?!

Kai: #1, it wasn't even anything official. #2, how on earth did u know what I was up to? Stalker.

Nya: It wasn't even that hard to figure out. Ur so hopelessly in love that I couldn't help but notice.

Kai: What? U know that doesn't answer my question – right?

Nya: Fine. Green bean and I checked the tracking device on ur phone.

Nya: We got bored. And there's only ONE reason u'd visit the noodle place. It doesn't take a genius.

Kai: Invasion of privacy, much?

Nya: I call sibling rights.

Kai: Whatever, dorks.

Kai: And for the record, it went great.

Nya: ASDJDHFHSJA! Details?

Kai: Patience, sis. Tell u when I get back.

Nya: Better drive fast then. I'm waiting.

Kai: Kay. I'll make sure to completely ignore every speed limit posting I see.

Nya: Fine. Fair point. Don't get urself arrested. I'm not bailing u out.

Kai: Sure thing. Imma be home soon.

Nya: Love u.

Kai: love u 2.

#ninjago #ninjago fanfiction #fanfiction #myfics #skylor #kai #kailor #heartwarming fluff #and awkwardness #and i'm sorry about the shark line (you know who you are)

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gulgbtqplus · 5 years

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Meet the Committee 2019/20

We have 16 committee members who work together to run the society:

1. President: Maddy, She/her, [email protected]

Hi, my name's Maddy, I use she/her pronouns, and I'm the current president of gulgbtq+! I'm a third year medical student and I was the previous welfare officer. I spend most of my time hanging out with my rat, hiding in the library, and doing things with gulgbtq+. I'm a chatty gal and I love meeting new people, so feel free to scream with me about Troye Sivan/Hayley Kiyoko/Charli XCX anytime.

If you have any questions or ideas, hit me up! I'm very excited to be a part of the society this year and engage with all our members ❤

2. VP Secretary: Quinn, He/Him, [email protected]

Hi I'm Quinn and I am your secretary this year for GULGBTQ+. I am an economic and social history student who has been going to GULGBTQ+ events since my first moment in Glasgow. I enjoy poetry, comedy and films, and dogs, dogs are good. Can't wait to see you at events! If you ever want to message myself or the committee with any questions, suggestions or comments I can be reached at [email protected], see you soon!

3. Treasurer: Emily B, She/Her, [email protected]

Hi! I’m Emily, the new VP Treasurer! I’m 21, use she/her pronouns, and am proudly bisexual. I’m currently in 4th year, studying history (dissertation time, yikes!) I’ve been part of the society over the last year, and it’s been one of the best parts of my university experience. I’ve made new friends, increased my self-confidence, and had tons of good gay times! Outside of the society, I enjoy going to gigs, caring for my many houseplants, and taking too many naps. I’m excited for my role on committee this year, although you know what they say about gays and maths! I’m constantly on social media, so feel free to drop me a bell if you have any questions or queries! I’m on twitter @_emilybarton. Hope to see you at an event soon :-)

4. Welfare: Bianca, She/he, [email protected]

Hello! My name is Bianca and I'm the Welfare Officer of GULGBTQ+. I'm a small twenty-year-old Italian and I am a third year English Language & Linguistics and Theatre Studies student. I spend most of my free time reading, crying over Shakespeare, or bingeing the latest gay shows on Netflix, and the rare times I decide to go outside and try sports I enjoy horse riding and ice skating. I'm a gryffindor and I'm very excited to be back on committee this year, so feel free to drop me an e-mail for anything you might need!

5. Events: Emily T, She/Her, [email protected]

Hi everyone! My name's Emily (Tunstall) and this year I'm really excited to be the Events Coordinator for GULGBTQ+! I'm a second year Psychology Student and in my free time I like drawing, painting, making new friends, and spending time with this society. ❤

Please feel free to say hi to me online or in person, I will almost always be wearing my Docs and at least one badge, be it on my bag or my denim jacket, if you need help recognising me. I'm always open for a good chat, to offer some advice, or if you just need some directions around Uni! I would really love to see you at our events on a Wednesday, or at one of our coffees during the week. 🌈🌈🌈

6. Women’s: Claire, She/Her, [email protected]

Hi, I'm Claire, and I'm your women's officer! I'm a third year in Microbiology. Ask me about worms. Sometimes I think I'm not a stereotype but then I remember I have two cats, a Hozier-centric Spotify, and build furniture for a hobby.

I'm so excited for another great year! One of the things I love about this society is that it's an inclusive space for all women, and I want to make everyone feel welcome. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns (or just want to chat) feel free to shoot me a message!

8. Trans: Cassidy, They/Them, [email protected]

Hey, I'm Cassidy (they/them) the new Trans officer! I'm 20 and a third year studying Classics and History. I'm a nonbinary trans woman and I'm here to represent trans people and help people with gender related things generally 🙂

Aside from being gender, I am a roller skating gamer who makes stuffed toys and loves history more than life itself. I'm looking forward to running coffee and having a great year with everyone 🙂

9. Postgraduate and Mature Students: Kyle, He/Him, [email protected]

Hey, hi, hello! I’m Kyle, a postgraduate Astrophysics student who’ll be your first PostMat Officer for this year! Avid Karaoke Fan and Polo R&B Room Resident, I’ll usually be found out and about when I’m not studying (procrastinating). My aim for the time that I’m here is to try and get more LGBTQ+ Postgraduate and Mature students involved with GULGBTQ+.

I haven’t been in Glasgow for very long, so I’m excited to share the experience of things like Glasgow Pride with you all! I’m also hoping to run some smaller gatherings (like the current PostMat Coffees) over the summer for those of us who will need a break from our dissertations. If any PostMat students have ideas to share or any concerns to raise, please don’t be afraid to email.

10. Campaigns: Jo, They/He, [email protected]

Hi, I’m Jo and I’m your Campaigns Officer! I’m a postgraduate research student in English Language & Linguistics with a particular love for all things to do with LGBTQ+ linguistics. I’m a big fan of knitting, baking, indoor bouldering and playing D&D, and I’m also involved with the English Language & Linguistics Society. I was Campaigns Officer the year before last in 2017/2018, but I just couldn’t stay away, and now I’m back for some more campaigning!

As Campaigns Officer, my role is to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in the society, on campus, and in the wider world. In the past, I’ve helped run campaigns to increase awareness of trans people on campus and to encourage local hairdressers and barbers to be inclusive of their LGBTQ+ customers. This year, I hope to revitalise these campaigns and work with our other officers and members of the society to create some exciting new ones!

Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to get involved in campaigning or have any ideas that you’d like to share with me!

11. Communications and Technology: Summer, They/Them, [email protected]

Hi, I’m Summer and I’m the Communications and Technology Officer for the year! I’m a 5th year computing science student (yes, that kind of transfem!) so you’ll frequently find me programming, tinkering with Linux or providing tech support for someone. When I’m not doing that I’ll probably be knitting, playing video games, running tabletop rpgs or watching martial arts movies (or talking about how I don't have time for any of the above)!

As the recently renamed Communications and Technology officer (formerly Publicity) I'm mostly here for you to tell me why the website or mailing list doesn't work, so feel free to get in touch with any complaints and/or constructive criticisms. I hope to have a great year with you all, hopefully with a better website!

12: First Year Ordinary Member: Jenny, She/Her, [email protected]

Hiya! I’m Jenny and I’m the interim first year representative on the GULGBTQ+ committee. I’m going into second year studying biomedical engineering and in my free time I enjoy drawing, making soup, and loving my gf. I met wonderful friends and made loads of good gay memories through the society in my first year and am excited to help as many freshers as possible join in on the fun this year! I’m passionate about creating a loving and accepting community for all LGBTQ+ students, especially new ones, since I know how hard it can be to settle in. If you’re a fresher and have any ideas, questions, or just want to make a new friend, please don’t hesitate to send me an email!

13: Bi/Pan: Valentine, They/ve, [email protected]

Hi I'm Niamh, you may recognise me as last year's nonbinary officer! I use they/them pronouns, I'm 20 and a 3rd year psychology student. This'll be my 3rd year in the society and I love it with my whole heart. If you have any issues feel free to email me or message me on Facebook (Niamh Conlan). My first and foremost want is for those coming to the society and bi events to feel comfortable and welcomed!

When I'm not being a disaster bisexual I'm dying my hair, applying clown makeup, dancing to new wave or doing kendo. I'm excited to meet you all and hope to have a great year with everyone!

14. International Students: Judith, She/they, [email protected]

Hi! I’m Judith, I’ve been described as “the lesbianest person I know” by my flatmate and if you ask me where I’m from, I’m likely to name three countries, so I guess it makes sense that I’d be your international officer. I’m a third year psychology and statistics student who likes to avoid studying by going swordfighting (yes, I own an actual sword, but don’t worry, I only use it against transphobes) or putting on facepaint before a metal gig. But don’t get the wrong impression, I’m actually a very quiet person who’s always there to listen or give you advice. Feel free to message me on Facebook (Judith AN), send me an email or just come talk to me during the international coffees I’ll be running!

15. Aromantic and Asexual: Lo, They/Them, [email protected]

Hello! I’m Leilo (they/them), 20, and happy to be the ace/aro officer! My job is to represent people who are (or are questioning if they are) on the spectrums of being aromantic or asexual, so feel free to email me! As ace/aro officer I host biweekly coffees so aros, aces, and those who are questioning, can come together.

I’m a second year Maths student but will probably add philosophy as my second main subject. Aside from sitting over Math problems for way longer than seems necessary, you will find me writing, working out, or philosophising about bdsm.

16: Non-binary: Robyn, They/Them, [email protected]

Salut! I’m Robyn and I’m the Non-Binary Officer. I’m a 2nd Year French/History student and I was born in Glasgow - I’m like a rare pokemon. I only resurrect during Eurovision season and have a hoard of sunglasses. And I’m a massive comic book nerd (yes I am Batman’s sidekick on the side).

I’m always down for a chat and feel free to DM me with anything from issues, to memes! I’m very excited to be your Non-Binary boi this year!!

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trulymightypotato · 6 years

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On the Comparative Value of Labor

A few people have told me recently that I should pick up x or y thing and make money with it on the side: knitting, cross-stitching, so on and so forth. “You can sell little embroidered key chains for five bucks some weekend and make some pocket change!” they say, completely unaware that that’s nowhere near the right amount of money to even break even with the cost of material and time that I put into it.

Especially considering that I’m slower at these tasks than most people.

This is, largely, because knitting and cross-stitch are tasks with extremely fine motor control--tasks I struggle with on a daily basis due to both the strain it puts on my joints and my general lack of fine motor control in the first place.

I’m familiar with the basics of both trades. I’ve knitted (though the most complicated thing I’ve ever managed is a scarf, because uneven yarn tension doesn’t matter so much there) and I’ve done a wide variety of embroidery (my current project is a set of throw pillows for a cousin’s wedding gift--a project, that despite the low surface area of the pillows that’s being covered, has taken me six months and I’m still not done).

One of my roommates can pick up crochet and make a scarf in a matter of days.

And yet the scarf that I spent four weeks knitting non-stop to get done in time for Christmas and the scarf my roommate made in a week would be valued the same--if not hers as a higher worth, because she’s able to control the yarn and make for a smoother finished project.

Despite the fact that a keychain-sized cross-stitch item would cost me materials and about four hours of time, it would be valued at five dollars.

My work, at a detail that causes me pain, is valued at $1.25 an hour.

You might be able to see the problem here.

This applies to more than the physical crafts.

It applies to "The market price is crap and also based on people who work faster than you do because they’re not in pain.”

I do digital art. I do it when I have the time and a subject in mind, which means it happens less often than I’d like. I’ve done commissions before, too, and contracted work.

The thing is, even though my commissions are “too expensive,” they’re honestly not costly enough. Not only is someone paying for a digital product, but they’re also paying for my time, for the experience I have in digital work, my style, and the physical effort it takes for me to actually complete a piece with intensive feedback. A total of three (3) people have ever commissioned me, and while I’m glad one of them has repeatedly come back for more, it’s disheartening to see the vast majority of people aren’t interested in paying a still-too-low wage.

As for that contract work I did--legally speaking, I’m not allowed to divulge details, but know that because “it’s a lot of work you’ll get paid plenty by the time it’s all over” I did intensive pieces and got paid under half of what I should have been. By the time I found out how much work there really was, and the changes the other party demanded months after getting a final piece sent to them, I was locked into a contract that didn’t give me any hope for improvement. (Also, they wouldn’t pay me for months at a time and got upset when I refused to hand over the final products until I got paid.)

By the time everything was said and done, I was getting paid about $3 an hour.

Somehow, because some people can draw faster than I can for the same product, that means I get paid less than a fair wage.

It’s one of the reasons commissions haven’t been open in a while. I can’t handle that again--both the mental strain and the physical damage caused by both working a regular job and drawing for another 4-6 hours a day to get stuff done.

It applies to “Other people have more time to do things than you do, and yet you’re held to the same standard.”

I record videos and put them on YouTube for fun. There was a period of time, about two years ago, when I was able to put out a video nearly every day. It was expected of me, so why wouldn’t I? And then, very suddenly, videos stopped for several months. Why?

Well, because I was taking 15 credits of college classes and working.

I would get all my homework done on my commute on public transport to and from college and in the breaks between classes. On particularly rough days I’d do a few more hours of it when I got home.

Then I’d have an irregularly-scheduled job where I’d work two 8 hour shifts back to back (either on sequential days or, on a few notable occasions, on the same day--you read that right, 16 hour days) and then a single 4 hour shift and then I wouldn’t be allowed to work more because then they’d have to start paying me benefits.

Because of this, money was so tight that some months I could barely pay rent, much less afford to eat.

I’d have chores I needed to do, ranging from the basic “clean room” and “dishes” and “laundry” (a task that takes several hours, assuming all the washers and dryers at the laundromat are working properly) to the more technically complicated “grocery shopping” (since I didn’t and still don’t have a car and had to rely on public transportation) and “scheduled appointments”.

I didn’t have time to put out videos, and yet I still felt I had to. My mental health was suffering to the point where my physical health was suffering (something I’m still dealing with the ramifications of to this day), and the only thing I could cut was videos.

So I did.

I stumbled through my last semesters of college (and I graduated with a GPA lower than I’d wanted but above a 3.0 so really that was nice) and got a new job--one that works me regular hours, even if those hours start at 4:30 in the morning.

And for several months into 2018, that was all I could do.

Sure, I managed to get out a few videos in that time, but I wasn’t really happy with them, and judging by the analytics on my channel, neither was anyone else.

It applies to “There’s a lot of invisible work that goes into this.”

I know I write fanfic for free. I’m planning on keeping it that way. It’s a good way for me to clear my mind and get creative, without the pressure of having a “final product” to show off at the end. I mean, I will have a final product, hypothetically, but I’m not really expected to show it to anyone in a professional context.

But then there are those comments--comments at the ends of chapters and in articles written by “professionals” and “experts.” The ones that say “Anyone can write. You’re just making things up for the fun of it, of course it’s not difficult” and “It’s been so long, when’s the next chapter going to be out?”

Except that it’s not so easy as that.

Yes, absolutely, I do it for fun. I do it for fun all the time. I do it for the satisfaction, and for the enjoyment of writing.

But the final product you see? Is not just something I tipped out onto the page.

In Royal Flush, for example, each and every chapter is started with a specific purpose in mind. A thing, a very specific thing, needs to happen. Maybe someone needs to learn information, or an aspect of 1920s culture needs to be showcased to better explain someone’s motives and actions.

All of this requires research. Research into clothing customs, and into social greetings and actions out in public and the customary ways to do such and such. Research into the vehicles of the time. Research into the medicine of the time (which is a particularly tricky one). Research into politics and public opinions and real-life historical figures.

The average chapter of Royal Flush takes me a week to a month to write.

This is a call to remember that just because a job looks easy, it’s probably not. If you think you can do it better, feel free. If you’re going to be That Person, then I don’t want to work for or with you. If you approach me on social media, I will block you.

Remember: for the vast majority of the “easy work for easy money” I perform, the work begins as soon as negotiations open--not as soon as I actually sit down and start working on the art, or the chapter, or the cross-stitch.

By engaging in someone’s work, you are agreeing to THEIR terms, to THEIR labor, to pay THEM a fair wage for the time and work THEY put into it--not your neighbor, not yourself, not a robot in a factory.

You are hiring a person. Rates may vary.

#value of labor #work is work #that's what it is #even if you don't think it counts as work #i promise #it's work #long post

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aroworlds · 6 years

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Aro-Spec Artist Profile: Signe

Today’s awesome aro-spec creator is Signe, better known to aro-spec Tumblr as @fluffyllamacorn!

Signe is a busy aroace writer, visual and textile artist! She writes for the Young Avengers, The Shadowhunter Chronicles/Shadowhunters, Hawkeye Comics and New X-Men: Academy fandoms in addition to developing diverse original fiction. You can find her growing collection of fanworks on AO3 under the name FluffyLlamacorn and her gorgeous art at @llamacorn-productions.

She also posts and reblogs fashion and accessories at @clothing-inspiration, and some of her cosplays can be seen throughout this post!

With us Signe talks about her passion for textile arts and how they allowed her to reclaim her femininity, the importance of non-romantic relationships in creative media, the difficulty of writing kissing scenes, and the need for works and discussions that celebrate our aromanticism. Her love of making, crafting and designing just shines through this post, so please let’s give her all our love, encouragement, gratitude, kudos and follows for taking the time to explore what it is to be aromantic and creative.

Can you share with us your story in being aro-spec?

I just sort of … never cared? I’ve never wanted to get married and have children, and I never really had crushes growing up. I partly figured that was because I was surrounded by assholes who weren’t worth crushing on, but even when I graduated and moved to better schools where I actually had friends, I still didn’t care. I’ve always had a lot of confidence, so I’ve never bothered feeling insecure about not dating. I spent a while identifying as a straight person “who doesn’t care about romance” before eventually identifying with the ace and then aroace identifiers after having known them for a while, but there was never any big moments in the journey that really stand out.

Currently, I see my aromanticism as more important to my identity than my asexuality – being aro is what I do, while being ace is what my body does – but I also don’t really see them as separate. It’s hard to put into words because it requires cementing some stuff that I don’t mind leaving fluid, but while my lack of attraction is a package deal, it’s the lack of romantic attraction that defines my lifestyle the most. I know which I would choose if I had to, but I prefer not having to. That’s the only good thing about the ace discourse: It’s made me very protective of my ace identity again after having let somewhat go of it after I came to identify as aro.

Can you share with us the story behind your creativity?

I’m the type of person who has a thousand different hobbies and therefore doesn’t have time to actually do any of them. The three I care most about are writing, drawing and textile work.

I’ve always told myself a lot of stories. Walking home from school, I would develop my stories, acting out scenes in my mind and developing huge universes. When I decided to share them with the world, it was initially as comics. I drew a lot, so I had developed the characters’ visual identities along with their personalities. While I’ve switched to planning my stories as books, drawing and writing is still pretty linked in my mind and I can’t imagine creating a character that I don’t know how to draw.

I got into textile work through cosplay, but have spread out into knitting, sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, weaving, crocheting, bobbin lace… Pretty much everything I can get my hands on, which is why I give it such a broad name. (This is part of my too many hobbies deal!) I love everything about textiles, from the look and feel of it, to how many different things can be created out of one simple material. Looking at clothes and knowing not just how it’s been sewn, but also how the fabric was made, is so cool. Creating things from scratch can make me feel like something akin to a god, recreating this corner of the universe as I see fit. A big part of my love for textile work is also reclaiming my femininity in a way that’s so different from the girly girl image I was taught to look down on as a girl. This is a way to enjoy being feminine that doesn’t force me to embrace things I don’t enjoy.

One thing I’ve realized recently is that I love the freedom to design my own work. My cosplays have moved further and further away from canon, from human versions to characters without a firm design or completely redesigning a canon design. On the other hand, I rarely feel the need to sew completely original things, and without the built in deadline of a con, I’m not very likely to get it done. I tend to rarely do the things I can just do whenever, but I’m getting better at that.

Are there any particular ways your aro-spec experience is expressed in your art?

It’s easy to spot in my stories. I have a lot of a-spec characters. The two main characters who were specifically designed to get most of my heart – Shizuka, the shy girl who didn’t know how to make friends, and Diana, the confident girl who’s never cared what anyone thinks of her – both ended up being a-spec even though I created them long before I started identifying as aroace. Shizuka is demi and I don’t know whether it’s sexually and/or romantically or if it even matters. Diana ended up being aroace because I was thinking about her future and my mind nope’d out of the possibility of her ever dating. I also made a conscious choice not to include much romance until I got interested in queer love stories and that sorta fell by the way side. Even then, I try to keep the love stories from being the only defining feature of the stories and the characters involved in them and never to devalue other types of relationship. You will never hear the term “just friends” in my work unless I’m trying to make a point about the person who uses it.

(This is not to pass a value judgement on anyone who uses that expression, but to help normalize language that doesn’t devalue platonic relationships.)

What challenges do you face as an aro-spec artist?

The recent anti-a-spec discourse has made me worried about posting about aromantic things too publicly, as aphobic comments and opinions seem way to commonly accepted these days.

Also, writing kissing scenes. What the hell. “And then their mouths squished together for a little while, which apparently made fireworks go off in their brains.” Like. What? Why does society think this is the epitome of every relationship?

How do you connect to the aro-spec and a-spec communities as an aro-spec person?

Building communities about a lack of something is always hard. Once you’ve written the first story about being aro, it can be hard to write the next one, unless you consciously try to write about a different way of being aro-spec. It’s also a hard orientation to include quickly as being single isn’t as clear an indicator as having a romantic partner of the same gender. While I follow a bunch of aro-blogs and I have a bunch of a-spec friends, I wouldn’t say I’m strongly integrated in the a-spec communities on Tumblr.

Part of it is that most content I see is validations that every sort of aro is alright. I see a lot of content aimed at people who feel bad. That’s important, definitely, but I don’t need it. I’ve always known I’m amazing, both independently of and intersecting with my aromantic identity. I’m interested in work that celebrates being aro, work that doesn’t say I’ll be happy “even though” I’m aro, but “while” I’m aro, maybe even “because” I’m aro and don’t need to waste my life on amatonormativity. At the very least, work that spends more than a sentence on reassuring me. I see a lot of content that implies the basic state of an aro-spec person is sad, and I object to that idea.

I have also recently seen a whole lot of posts about QPRs and that’s really cool! I’m happy to see they’re becoming more and more accepted, at least in some circles. I’m less happy to see them become so prominent and so expected that they start feeling like a new shape of amatonormativity. It’s not that bad right now, but I definitely got allo aces saying “at least we can still feel love” vibes from some QPR posts earlier this year. Because here’s the thing: I’m aroace. I won the lottery. I don’t need to define myself by relationships to other people.* I refuse to take another label that sounds like I don’t want friends because of people pushing QPRs to be the new norm. Again, I’m super happy QPRs seem to have become more accepted, just please don’t present them as something every aro-spec person is interested in unless we specifically opt out.

There’s also the question of what kind of aro stories should be told. I mean, as many as possible, obviously, but that’s going to take a while. But the whole deal with being aro-spec is to have less interest in romance, so too many stories that focus on the lack of it become … counterproductive? I think the Jughead comics are pretty perfect in that regard. The main character is aroace and there are several stories that’s hella important to, but mainly it’s just about him going on adventures with his friends.

(P.S. I hate Riverdale. I’ve seen two different Jughead cosplays these last two weekends, but I didn’t dare fangirl, because what if they were based on the wrong version?)

Honestly, my main way of interacting with the a-spec community is befriending people at random and later finding out they’re a-spec. It’s … almost a superpower? It’s pretty great.

* No one needs to define themselves by relationships to other people, but I imagine it’s much easier when you don’t feel the desire to.

How do you connect to your creative community as an aro-spec person?

I don’t feel very connected to creative communities, but that’s more because I’m not very good at reaching out and promoting myself unless I know I have exactly what’s being asked for. I mainly stick to one or two people I can bounce ideas off of for my different projects before I post it and hope it finds an audience. It might also be because I’m juggling so many things and don’t spend enough time on the social connections needed to connect with a community.

How can the aro-spec community best help you as a creative?

Feedback, feedback, feedback! I love it! I live on it! Telling me you like X or Y part of my work can keep me floating for days and makes me so much more motivated to keep arting! So please, check out my art and leave a comment and/or share it with your friends/followers, if you like it.

(Also, if anyone has good tips on how to reach a larger audience, let me know.)

Can you share with us something about your current project?

I just finished my newest cosplay, which is Lup from The Adventure Zone in her lich form! I had a lot of fun designing her – the podcast doesn’t have very specific descriptions and the creators encourage fans to come up with their own designs – and got a lot of positive reactions at the con last weekend. I went for a very non-human design, including hiding my face, and added a bunch of fire details to reflect her evocation magic. I would have added more, but then my sewing machine broke in the last second, and I had to finish everything by hand, so I just aimed for the basic version. I’ll be updating her for the next con and will have much more fire with me then. I have yet to finish editing the pictures, but they should be up soon.

Have you any forthcoming works we should look forward to?

My next project, one I’ve alluded to a couple of times in this profile already, in fact combines all three of my passions. I was considering cosplaying Pixie, one of the underrated students from X-Men, relegated to the background since their series ended, but I kept bumping up against the problem that her uniform was just too … generic to be fun. Besides, what’s the point of cosplaying the pink girl, and then not getting to work with pink fabric?

So I just redesigned her and gave her an individual outfit. And then I decided to redesign all of her teammates. I wanted them all to go together, but still keep an individual feeling, and I achieved that by giving them a rainbow theme when they’re together. Obviously, the next stop was figuring out a story for that to take place in, of which I’ve posted the first chapter. The idea is that they get out in their bright colors and visibly help everyday people with everyday problems to stop people from hating and fearing mutants and maybe actually making a positive change, unlike all of the superhero battles that don’t get anyone anywhere.

The project has three parts: Individual drawings for every member where I develop their outfits further, chapters of fic describing their adventures and a cosplay that I aim to finish for Genki in August, the next big con in Denmark.

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kennedydevin-blog · 8 years

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OOC WEEK: DAY THREE

RAPID FIRE:

Tea or coffee? Tea. I get this really great tea from this place in the farmer’s market here. I currently have an iced lemon cake & a Hawaiian Sunset tea. They’re amazing.

Stars or planets? Planets. I’m a planets person!

Sun or moon? Moon. I love the moon with all my being.

Black or white? Black. I look much better in black than white. Plus my cat is black, so that cat furr totally

The zoo or the aquarium? Animals living free away from human interference. Neither, to be honest. I love animals too much to put them in captivity like that.

Drama or comedy? A difficult decision, but drama wins by just a hair. Mostly because a lot of what I watch has drama in the title. I watch more crime drama than anything else.

Thriller or adventure? Adventure.

Short walks to the fridge or long walks on the beach? I love to walk, but like... not really on the beach.

Indoors or outdoors? Although it depends on the day, to be honest. I love being outside.

Animals or plants? I cannot keep plants alive to save my life, but it’s always been a dream to have an apartment with white walls, & plants hanging on every nook and cranny in the place.

Time alone or time with others? I love being alone. I mean... as long as my cat is with me.

Introvert or extrovert? I think the above question answers why I’m an introvert.

Silence or music? Both, really. There are times when I just like to listen to the sounds of the house. But there are also times where I love listening to music.

Darkness or light? Except when I’m trying to write or read.

Cats or dogs? I know I have a dog, buttttttt.... my cat is the love of my life. If she were an actual person, I’d marry her.

Dancing or being the wallflower? Although it depends on the people I’m with, because I will dance if I’m with certain people.

Right or left? I write with my left hand, so I guess left.

Werewolves or vampires? Both are good. I have started to have an appreciation for vampires because of the Lore podcast. The first episode was about vampires, but there have been several on people that transform which are ALWAYS fascinating. Literally this podcast is my life. Check this podcast out, you won’t be sorry. My favorite is this episode about lighthouses.

Dressing stylishly or dressing comfortably? I say as I’m sitting here... in my Grace Potter shirt, my Hamilton sweatshirt, sweatpants, & neon socks.

Sunrise or sunset? I think the sunset colors are prettier.

Lead or follow? Yikes, depends on the situation, but most of the time, leader.

Optimist or pessimist? There’s no doubt about that.

Staying up late or waking up early? I say... as I go to bed before midnight every night except Thursday.

Speaking up or staying silent? I’ll often get into fights for just saying what I feel in a situation, especially if something is disgusting.

White lies or brutal honesty? I mean... I’m a compulsive liar, but... I normally tell the truth to people... most of the time. Depends on the human.

Ask for permission before doing the stupid thing or ask for forgiveness after doing the stupid thing? Kind of neither. I don’t really do anything that others would consider stupid.

LONG FORM:

Pet peeves: human existence. I mean, I don’t get annoyed by people often, unless they are just being assholes. Like for instance the people that ask “how can you be vegan & pro-choice” LISTEN ASSHOLE, you’re asking for a fight. Other than people asking questions that are obviously just looking to pick my thoughts and opinions on stuff apart, I am super not annoyed by people.

Bad habits: I pick at my cuticles, so a lot of the time my fingers start to bleed.

Favourite scents (your amortentia!): Burning wood, Sunkist ( like oranges are good, but sunkist smells amazing ), my cat, lemons. A few of my favorite scents. I also like lavender, mint, & rosemary.

Favourite animal: Cats, but don’t tell my dog. I have a lot of favorite animals, but cats are so adorable.

Favourite colour: Green is my favorite color.

Favourite place to go (local or otherwise) (photos get bonus points): Honestly, I don’t have any local places that I go because the area I live in is sort of... boring. In New York, there’s this comic book shop I always go to. So probably that’s one of my favorite places. I’ll post some pictures at the bottom.

Favourite meme: ??? I’m not up to date on all the memes, so I don’t really have a favorite.

Do you have any creative or artistic abilities? Yes, I do! Besides writing, I do watercolors. I can’t draw as well, but I love watercolors. Also, sometimes I knit & I’m learning to make my own soaps because a lot of homemade soaps aren’t vegan???

Talk about something that made you happy today, yesterday, this week: It snowed over the weekend! We were supposed to get 7 inches, though it turned out to only be about 4 or 5, but it snowed. I live in North Carolina, so snow doesn’t always happen every year, or not a big snow at least. I just love winter weather so much.

Talk about an experience that made you feel proud or confident: To be honest, I don’t really know what to put here. I’m not a very prideful person or confident for that matter.

Talk about something/someone that makes you feel relaxed: Dungeons & Dragons is the only thing that really relaxes me. I have two characters. One of them, Nico Thornbrush, is a halfling ( basically they’re hobbits, but they’re only 3 feet. ) fighter, that recently started to become a paladin -- or holy warrior. He’s only 20 years old, barely old enough to leave home, but he’s just so good... just such a cinnamon roll. But he’s dumb & doesn’t reallly believe in death. My other character though... is a whisper gnome named Ludovic Silvermist -- he goes by Ludo -- ( because I wasn’t allowed to name him Ronald without getting judged ). He’s a trickery cleric, that isn’t very devout to his goddess -- he kind of hates her. He’s all about them lies & deception to get him ahead. He used to be an orphan until a priest took him in. He has a rat named Scabbers that he occasionally talks to because it’s his best friend.

Talk about something you’re yet to try for the first time but want to: Skydiving.

Who are your role models & why: Okay, so I have a lot of role models. But I’m just going to put a few here, since I don’t want to write novels.

Matthew Mercer - Matthew is such a great person. I could probably go on & on about the things he’s done that have really inspired me & made me think he’s such a great person, but it would be a novel. If you have played more than one video game, chances are that Matt was a voice in it. He’s got over 300 IMDB credits. Seriously... & his fiance Marisha Ray is very involved with getting better working conditions for voice actors. Matt is that over achieving person that you just want to deck in the face, but he’s so sweet you just can’t bring yourself to do so, but he’s also an evil genius, so there’s that. He always reminds everyone to have faith that everything will work out. Even if it’s about his game, it still translates into real life. He’s created so much & done such a good job at inspiring others to create that I just look up to him for that reason alone.

Practically the entire cast of Critical Role is a role model to me in some way, so I won’t talk about all of them in detail.

Obama - I think just saying that is enough. His farewell speech was just so amazing & really says everything about why I look up to him.

Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie - If you don’t read the series The Wicked + The Divine, I highly recommend it because it’s really good. I’ve met Gillen, McKelvie & their colourist Matt Wilson. They’re all really cool people. They’re doing what the love to do, but not only that, they have brought forward political and social issues into a comic series like I’ve never seen anyone do before. I love how these three are doing what they love, while being very aware of what they are creating & how important diversity representation is in media. I mean seriously, read WicDiv. There are themes of sexism and racism. And cultural appropriation v. appreciation is a huge deal as a whole in the comic. Seriously it’s such a diverse comic, I can’t even begin to describe. Not just with sexuality, but gender as well. I look up to them as a reminder that people are capable of change & even our generation can be pressured into thinking things that aren’t true because of media.

Basically WicDiv is about these pop stars that are actually gods, but instead of living forever, they only have 2 years to live. Then in 90 years, it happens again. Basically, we’ve been told everyone is going to die by the end of the series. Which means my trash son is going to die :/

Mara Wilson - seriously, just scroll through her twitter. She tells it like it is. I’m so glad Matilda grew up to be such a wonderful adult.

Talk about something you want to do this year: die. Hmm, I’m not sure. One of the biggest things on my list is to try and go to a live Critical Role show, if they have one. I think it would be really awesome to be able to see this show live. I mean... it’s live every week, but they stream from California. Maybe also one of the Night Vale shows.

Would not recommend going on a Wednesday if you’re ever in NYC. It’s pretty scary with all the people getting all the new comics.

#olooc #once again this got long #( behind the mask. )#i got very into talking about my role models lol

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ratherbeem-blog · 6 years

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Twenty-two things to do at twenty-two

Hi. My name’s Emily. I’m a recent university graduate, and six weeks or so ago I started my first “real” job as a programmer. I mostly write XML and XSL at the moment, but someday soon I’ll be working in Perl and Java too, as well as a bit of web stuff. I enjoy my work, and the people I work with are pretty great.

Today’s my 22nd birthday. We get the day off work on our birthday, and then we bring cake to work either the day before or after. I’ll be picking up some cake this afternoon, and then going out for dinner with my boyfriend, James.

I found university difficult because of the lack of structure to my day, and being in full-time work is much better for me as a person, at least so far. I do think that there’s a danger that I’ll stagnate without quantifiable targets though, so I’ve decided that I’m going to challenge myself. To be all cutesy, I’m going to make it a list of twenty-two things that I want to do as a 22-year-old.

1. Start a blog and keep it updated at least fortnightly.

Starting the blog is the easy part, but keeping it updated is the important part. I had a student blog, and I found that having the pressure to update it regularly kept me seeking out new and exciting things on campus, so this is an accountability blog I suppose. Because it was a paid blog for the uni, I wasn’t able to write about the full spectrum of things I was feeling or doing and I think that going solo will give me a bit more creative freedom, especially on my lower days.

2. Read a book every month.

I really don’t read enough of substance, and don’t remember the last time I actually finished a book. I feel guilty that my reading is basically limited to mindlessly scrolling through Reddit. Maybe I’ll post a monthly “what I’m reading” or something here.

3. Get involved in my local community.

I just moved to a new town, and I’ve not really made many friends here outside of work. There aren’t many twenty-somethings like James and I here, but I’d like to connect with the community in some way, even if it’s a one-off. There’s some community projects back home that I’d still like to go back to as well.

4. Give more time to old friends.

I have a really close-knit group of friends from sixth form, most of whom I hardly see any more because we’re all scattered to the winds. They all live in really beautiful parts of the country, so it would be nice to visit some of them soon, rather than relying on all being back in our hometown at the same time.

5. Hold a dinner party.

I love cooking, and I love hosting. We had a couple of James’ uni buddies over for lunch a few weeks ago, but I’d like to make it A Thing that I do semi-regularly.

6. Borrow a pet.

I grew up with cocker spaniels, and dogs are very special to me. James is more of a cat person, but both us love animals generally and volunteered at a cat shelter over the summer. We live in a flat so we can’t have pets just yet, but we’re hoping to look after someone else’s.

7. Save a £3000 emergency fund.

I make OK money for a graduate, but not great money for a programmer, so this is achievable but will be a challenge. I basically wiped my savings from my part-time job during my final year of uni, so I’ve not got much to start with. I’m a huge fan of The Financial Diet, and £3000 fits in their target of three to six months of living expenses.

8. Go abroad with James.

We’ve been together a year and a half, but we’ve been friends for much longer. We’ve done a few domestic trips (Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Norfolk, Shropshire…), but I’d like to see a bit more of the world with him. I travelled a bit with family as a teenager because of perks from my dad’s job, but I haven’t left the UK so far in my 20s.

9. Flesh out a homemade recipe book.

As mentioned above, I love cooking and it’s a very sentimental process to me. I want to have hard copies of my favourite recipes in one convenient location and not to rely on memorising URLs.

10. Find out or create a new “fun fact” about myself.

When I was 18 I got an entire county banned from ordering astroturf samples. I’ve been using that as my fun fact for a few years now, and I think it’s about time I find a new one.

11. Sort my health out.

Like a lot of students, I procrastinated on things that were good for me. I’ve recently made the step of going to an optician and registering with a GP, but I need to go to the dentist and also speak to my GP to address some other concerns I have about my own physical and mental health.

12. Build relationships with my family.

A lot of people think I’m an only child, but I actually have two brothers and a sister who I barely ever talk to. My older brother and sister have kids who are closer in age to me than they are, and because we didn’t grow up together I never really formed a proper bond. I’m fairly close to James’ family, especially his mum, and I want to show them that I appreciate them.

13. Learn a skill.

I started a watercolour class a few weeks ago, and it’s going well so far. I’ve got a long way to go until I’m a master, so it’s something I’d like to improve over the next year.

14. Figure out how the central heating works.

I’m genuinely stumped. We’ve been lucky with the weather so far in this flat, but I can feel the evenings drawing in and I don’t want to freeze in my sleep during winter.

15. Go a month without eating meat.

I already don’t eat much meat – James and I make a point of not buying any meat to cook at home, so all of the meals we currently make are vegetarian or vegan. I currently do eat meat sometimes when we go out to eat or sometimes when snacking on things that other people bring to work. I’d like to challenge myself to stick to the things that I believe are right.

16. See a show.

I usually tell people that I don’t listen to music much, but the truth is that I enjoy musicals. I went to see Hamilton in London with some friends in March, and I’ve seen smaller amateur productions too. I think Come From Away is beautiful and I hope that I can see it in Europe.

17. Get my five-a-day.

I know that the evidence says that we need to eat more than five portions of fruit and veg per day for optimum health, but I think this is a realistic and achievable goal. My parents didn’t really “do” vegetables when I was growing up – maybe one of peas or baked beans at dinner, or a couple of vegetables with a meat and potato roast, or a grim-looking iceberg lettuce leaf. I’ve generally felt better since leaving home and eating wider range of vegetables in higher quantities.

18. Support local businesses where possible and sensible.

The town I’ve moved to has a great market which I go to every week to buy eggs and some of my vegetables. It’s pretty comparable to the local Asda in price for most things, and stuff is generally high-quality and in-season. I want to continue doing a significant portion of food shopping at the market and at independent retailers where it doesn’t break the bank. James and I also found a cute little bakery that we want to try the bread from soon.

19. Reduce my plastic consumption.

I already use a reusable carrier bag, lunchbox and water bottle on a daily basis, and try to buy vegetables without plastic packaging where possible, but there’s definitely more I could do to cut down on plastic. Even if it’s just learning to use non-applicator tampons properly (I really want to try a menstrual cup, too, but I think ditching applicators might be a first step for me), or choosing retailers with less packaging more often, I want to make a difference to my habits.

20. Sweep James off his feet regularly.

I love him and I want to show him that more. Growing up I was always scared that I was too tomboyish to have a boyfriend, because I didn’t really want to conform to the traditional feminine gender roles in relation to others, but I was lucky in finding someone who thinks the same way. James accepts me for who I am, and I accept him for who he is.

21. Take at least three steps towards taking charge of my career.

I’m very happy with my job, but I want to make sure that I have skills to move on with and find something even better when the time is right. The fact is, I got a 2:2 in my degree, and I know that it will make some things harder for me. I want to network or to learn an extra programming language or to get some management experience or some extra responsibility or some volunteering to boost my CV so that I have stuff to back me up if and when I need it.

22. Be my own mum.

I feel like, being the last bullet on a long list, this should be something poignant and meaningful, but it’s not. I’m messy and badly organised and need to take responsibility for myself. I’m not a teenager living at home any more, and I need to get stuff done like a real adult.

When I started this list, I thought that twenty-two bullets would be so hard to fill, because I didn’t even realise I wanted to do twenty-two things this year and that it would be kind of overwhelming. But looking at it now, there’s so much that I want to get done which doesn’t even fit on this list. I’m currently feeling very motivated and excited for the year ahead. I know it won’t always be easy but I want to see what I can achieve in these next 365 days, and I hope someone out there will find some sort of meaning in reading all of this.

Anyway, I’m off to eat and buy some paper for my painting class.

#goals #life goals #to do list #inspiration #accountability #introduction #resolutions

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jeremystrele · 7 years

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Sha’an d’Anthes of Furry Little Peach

Studio Visit

Annie Portelli

Inside the Sydney studio of Sha’an d’Anthes, AKA Furry Little Peach. Photo – Rocket K.

I met Sha’an at the Adobe MAX conference in Las Vegas – here is her home-soil creative hub. Photo – Rocket K.

The 25-year-old illustrator, designer and exhibiting artist. Photo – Rocket K.

Studio details. Photo – Rocket K.

Sha’an at work on some of her signature-style watercolour illustrations. Photo – Rocket K.

‘I’m not really driven by chasing specific clients but more interested in doing work with different mediums,’ says Sha’an. Photo – Rocket K.

Artwork by Sha’an. Photo – Rocket K.

The bright and bubbly creative. Photo – Rocket K.

Sha’an’s output spans artwork, painterly illustrations, branding, decals, funky pins and linen collaborations, to name a sample. Photo – Rocket K.

Inside her her first book ‘Zoom’ teaching kids about the solar system, which was released in November. Photo – Rocket K.

illustration details. Photo – Rocket K.

Painterly work by the illustrator and artist. Photo – Rocket K.

Attending Adobe MAX this year was my first time visiting Vegas, and also attending a 12,000 visitor conference ! It was whirlwind of new and exciting things to take in – you can read some snippets in my earlier post, here.

One encounter that stood out was meeting fellow Aussie, Sha’an d’Anthes. Sha’an has a huge following under the guise of her Furry Little Peach blog and social media accounts. She was a joy to spend some time with, among the busy seminars and bright lights in Vegas!

The 25-year-old illustrator, designer and exhibiting artist recently released her first book ‘Zoom’ teaching kids about the solar system. We recently caught up with her back on home soil for a tour of her cute Sydney studio.

How did you find your way into illustration and art?

I knew I wanted to be an artist from a super early age, but in high school I decided that art was too impractical, so I discovered design and fell in love with it. I decided to study Graphic Design.

When I started uni, I was also doing freelance art collaborations for General Pants (murals, live art, and more branding rather than actual product) as well as some other commercial brands. in this way, uni wasn’t really as much of a learning experience for me as all the real life stuff I was doing; I went there, got a piece of paper and it was great, but then I did an internship at a big digital agency, which was a turning point. Following this, I finally got a job as a digital designer doing apps and websites.

About one year ago, I realised that I was getting enough freelance work, and I was able to quit my full-time job and focus on illustration… and now I’m just loving drawing for a living!

Your Blog Furry Little Peach is hugely popular, with the Instagram having amassed more than 143,000 followers. What motivated you to start it, and the unique name?

It started from when I made my tumblr in high school in Year 11. I built it to procrastinate, because I didn’t want to study for my HSC! I was trying to come up with a URL for that, and I just liked the word peach – it was cute and fun. Originally, I was tossing up between ‘We Are Little Peaches’ and ‘Furry Little Peach’ and just went with the latter!

There’s no real meaning, and it’s a fluke that it kind of works with the work that I create now.

Where do you find inspiration?

It’s a hard question to answer because we (artists) all like other artists and different music and interests, but these don’t necessarily translate to our work.

I think my true inspiration comes randomly, at the weirdest time, like on the bus! It’s just like this magic that you can’t manifest. The most authentic ideas come when you least expect it!

I’m a late adopter of Pinterest, but I try NOT to search for things before starting a project, and instead start them based on an idea that I have in my head.

Your output spans artwork, painterly illustrations, pins and linen collaborations to name a sample. How would you describe your style, and do you have a prefered media?

It’s vibrant, joyful and nostalgic – a mix between the world I want to live in and my experiences, things that I like, and the things I like to listen to. In my work I focus on everything that makes me happy, and I think people can see that joy, which perhaps resonates with them too.

Watercolour is my favourite medium for sure. It is like a wild animal; you put it down, it just does whatever it wants and you just have to try to tame it on the page. I love it. In visual art at uni they taught us how to do oil painting, and drawing… Water colour was really something that I saw other people doing on Tumblr and was inspired from there!

Do you have a favourite project so far?

My book, ‘Zoom’, is a big monument in my career so far.

I also recently designed some bed sheets, which was really fun because it was for a big Kickstarter project. I was just so amazing to do something so large scale, and that would be so practically useful to people’s lives. This made me fall in love with homewares, so I’d love to collaborate with ceramicists or textile designers to bring my work into everyday lives more in the future.

Can you tell us more about ‘Zoom’ and how it came about?

When I was five I told my Mum that I wanted to write and draw my own books! It’s now happened 19 years later! I really didn’t expect it to happen this early, because I left my full-time job thinking a book would be a long term life goal. But then, somehow, my publisher ended up emailing me and asking if I had ever thought about doing a children’s book. I pitched some ideas, they loved them, and we got started!

The book follows a child character named ‘Scout’ and a rocket ‘Beattie’. I wanted to teach kids about the Solar System. I was a really visual learner at school, and I feel that I never really picked up maths or science because of this. I thought that an illustrated book could be a really visual way to teach kids about the size and order of the planets, in particular through each planet being a different animal, and driver of the narrative.

What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a creative in Sydney today?

Sydney has a really close-knit creative community; it never feels competitive and I’ve always felt like we celebrate each others’ achievements and lift each other up, which is really nice.

A huge challenge of living and working here is cost of real-estate – the rental prices here can be extortionate, and as a full-time freelancer where your income fluctuates, that can be really scary!

What did you take away from Adobe MAX?

I attended as an influencer, so I guess my job is to be the ‘eyes on the ground’ and to share the experience with my creative audience.

The thing I liked the most about Adobe MAX was the people that we got to meet – I went to really good talks by Bonnie Siegler, Aaron Draplin, and Tad Carpenter. And then you had an opportunity to form connections with people who weren’t necessarily speaking, but in a similar stage of their career as you, with the same insecurities and challenges to face. I was hanging out with filmmakers, photographers, other illustrators/watercolourists. I found it really cool to compare everything.

Coming from this conference, I’ve seen the importance of making – for ‘just making sake’ and not being so concerned if you’re being paid for it or not. I am very project driven and I will often book too many projects at once. A big goal for me in the future is to just have a play and push my ideas further and actually create projects for myself, because that’s when you learn things and that’s when you’re most creative!

Christmas is just around the corner, so it’s been a busy time for many creative freelancers. Have you been doing any holidays themed work, and how will you be spending the break?

I’ve actually just finished a Christmas Campaign with The Streets of Barangaroo, of which I’m really proud. I created the hero artwork for their catalogues, window decals for all their stores and three sets of wrapping paper. All the artwork is centred around ‘Leisure’ as a theme. It was important for me to create something inclusive that everyone can get on board with at this time of year.

I love the holiday season! My plans include getting my online store ready for next year, wrapping up this year’s projects, watching an obnoxious number of christmas movies, and eating lots and lots!

Keep up-to-date with Sha’an d’Anthes’ work on her blog Furry Little Peach.

Annie Portelli was a guest of Adobe for the Adobe MAX conference.

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Bad At Sports Sunday Comics with Keiler Roberts

by Krystal DiFronzo

Keiler Roberts writes beautiful and frank auto-biographical comics about the complexities of her life as a teacher, artist, and mother. I got a chance to talk to her about her practice and her new book Sunburning, published by Koyama Press, that will be debuting next weekend at the Toronto Comics Art Festival.

Krystal DiFronzo: The longer stories in Sunburning mostly tackle your experience with various medical conditions. These range from an undiagnosed nerve condition and bipolar disorder to miscarriage. I’m curious as someone who has also tried to draw comics about their own traumatic medical issues, when did you feel was the best time to write about it? Have you been keeping notes and writing about some of these moments since they’ve happened or did you start to write about them specifically for this book?

Keiler Roberts: I wrote about those things at varying lengths of times after they happened. Bipolar disorder and the unrelated illusions and hallucinations are ongoing, but I don’t write about them during bad spells. There are great stretches of time when I get to be a “normal,” healthy person. It took about six years before I was able to describe the miscarriage in a way I was satisfied with. I have several longer, gorier versions. Time makes it easier for me to edit. When I’m very close to a rough experience I know I’m looking for something extra – attention, sympathy, or just wanting people to be aware of some part of me. At some point it changes, and I’m just trying to tell an interesting story. It happens to be mine, but I no longer need people to connect to me because of it. I hope they connect to the comic. I have to move past the point where I feel competitive, past the illusion that my miscarriage was the worst, that my post-partum depression was deeper and darker than anyone else’s. I know enough about other people to realize I’ve never had it the worst. I do take notes while events are happening, but I don’t always look at them when I’m making the comics. Journaling itself has a way of making certain memories stick.

KD: I’ve always found your pacing dynamic and this book is a great example of it. Some of the bits are one page snapshots while others develop into fully realized memories or mini-memoirs. There’s no dividing line between them, no titling to alert the reader immediately that one chapter has ended while another has begun. It connects all the stories in a way that feels most alike actual memory and thought. One moment you focus on a trauma and another moment your daughter, Xia, is saying some genius line like, “My tummy is horrified.” This feels very deliberate, how do you go about planning your books?

KR: Thank you! When I’m writing individual stories, I don’t know where they’ll be located in a book. I lay them all out on the floor and find an order that creates an emotional line that I like. I’m drawn to contrast and inconsistency. Maybe it’s the effect of bipolar rapid cycling on my personality, or maybe it’s just that jokes are funnier when they’re paired with something dark.

The themes that emerge aren’t planned before I begin. I didn’t set out to write so many stories with a medical component. I’d like to write more about my close friends and my teaching job because they are huge parts of my life that make only brief appearances in the book. This is where the line exists that separates my stories from my life, though. Powdered Milk has never been a totally accurate picture of my life. It’s all honest and true, but so much is excluded. It might just be about timing, though. I finally wrote Xia’s birth story, which wasn’t traumatic at all. I can’t predict which events will turn into comics, or when.

KD: What type of work were you doing prior to comics? What drew you to the medium? Who was the first cartoonist you read that really clicked with your sensibilities?

KR: I painted for many years – mainly loose photorealism of my own snapshots of friends, pets, and food. I started doing some illustration, thinking I’d like to make children’s books because I loved text and reproduced images. After pursuing that for a while I decided to quit art and make clothes. I started a blog-documented project of replacing my whole wardrobe with (mainly terrible) things I sewed and knit myself. Three years into that, I started another blog that paired illustrations with excerpts from my journal. All of this work, including the paintings, was autobiographical in some way. I was oblivious to alternative comics until I took a class with Aaron Renier called Graphic Narrative at DePaul in 2009. The first cartoonist that really opened my eyes was Gabrielle Bell. Her work changed my world. Everything I love about art existed within comics, and she was doing it.

KD: You’ve exhibited in two shows recently, a group show titled Mirror Face at Cleve Carney Gallery with Christa Donner and Sarah McEneaney and a solo show at The Naughton Gallery at Queen’s University in Belfast. How do you feel about taking comic pages out of context and displaying them in a gallery setting? How do you approach the challenge of displaying a printed comic alongside more traditional painting and installation work? Do you think anything is gained or lost in this translation?

KR: The pressure that I’d associated with museum and gallery shows was completely absent when showing comics. The curators of those shows, Ben Crothers (The Naughton Gallery) and Justin Witte (Cleve Carney) did all of the work and planning for how to display the pages. I dislike the care that precious objects require, but I’m happy to have my work in that setting. My work is better suited to museums or galleries than many comics because the stories are contained in short pieces and can be read in any order. The content isn’t sacrificed. Some people make beautiful pages that are worth seeing out of narrative context, just for their visual sake. My work doesn’t look that much different from the reproductions, and lacks the visual flair of a painting, or anything in color, or even the richness of a line drawing made with India ink. It is a different experience taking in something very personal and possibly emotional in a public space. I can only recall one work of gallery art that disturbed me into leaving, and one that made me cry. I think if anything is lost in translation, it’s the loss of privacy of the viewer, and maybe their willingness to participate emotionally.

KD: Your work has been prominently auto-biographical. You touch on some of the possible issues with it in Sunburning when you write about what Xia might think about her weirdest childhood moments being memorialized in ink forever. While I believe that you’re making some of the most challenging and thoughtful auto-bio work and want you to keep pumping out books forever, do you ever get exhausted with it and want to dive into fiction?

KR: I’m not exhausted yet! Life changes and provides new content. Even within auto-bio, there are territories I haven’t entered. I’m attracted to truth and reality more than to anything I’ve invented. A few times I’ve gone into a fictional passage that was contained by my character’s fantasy. I can imagine doing more of that. I find it interesting that fiction writers aren’t often asked if they’re considering switching to auto-biography. When I was a little kid I had one imaginary friend, and only for a short time. It was Robin, of Batman and Robin. My own imaginary friend was a character created by someone else.

More of Keiler’s work can be seen on her website, tumblr, and twitter. There will be a release part for Sunburning, May 20th at Quimby’s. It’s also available for pre-order.

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Bad At Sports Sunday Comics with Keiler Roberts published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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