#so no shading for you miss hungary

[floralcrematorium]

Austria's holding her coat, somewhere. Gotta show off those arms somehow ♡

[hedghost]

Hedge’s Unofficial Ratings of 2024 Adidas Kits That A Few People Asked For This Time

Let’s start strong with Germany! Did someone say kuntenserven?

Everyone’s seen this home kit and rightfully, everyone loves it. It’s just so sexy, how could you not? The crisp clean white paired with the classic adidas stripes, but with that sexy germany flag gradient? oh lord i’m weak at the knees. Naturally it’s helped by the fact that the germans have a pretty sexy colour pallete to work with, but still.Even the diamond detailing like oml. It just looks fire, literally. i love it. -9/10

The away kit meanwhile is kind of spinning my head a bit. I genuinely don’t know if i love it or hate it. in theory i love hot pink kits, but i also fucking hate the purple gradient. if the whole thing was pink i’d say absolutely yes because i genuinely love garish eyesores, but this is just not hitting the spot for me. also what’s with the pattern? this is what i imagine you would see if a hedgehog went down on you. undecided - 5.5/10

Wales’s sense of style reflects their Euros qualifications… in that i’m yet to see either

don’t get me wrong the home isn’t bad, it’s just nothing special, and nothing we haven’t seen before. i like the green and yellow stripes up the side, that’s a nice touch, but other than that i’m left feeling uninspired, which is probably how the welsh feel when they watch their men’s team play. still, i’m sure hayley ladd serves in it so - 6/10

the away kit though? yep that’s fucking ugly. whoever decided that wales should include yellow in their red and green colour scheme needs jail time, and also probably an eye test. what the fuck is that shade? yellow is very hard to make look good so props for trying, but just no. plus they missed the chance for green kits, objectively the best kit colour possible, yet also the most underused. (and don’t say it’s because it blends into the grass because that’s blatantly not true). i like the fun zigzags down the side, but it’s giving reggae, which is absolutely not the vibe that wales gives. should’ve put a big dragon on the front and called it a day - 3/10

Spain, what did I just say about ugly yellow kits?

The home kit is lovely. They didn’t feel the need to push the boat out, but why disrupt a classic? These shades go so well together, and there’s also a very faint but very nice pattern on the shirt if you look closely. its bright, it’s energetic. it’s giving fire, flames and lightning mcqueen. kachow! - 8/10

Away kit is absolutely fucking disgusting. Are adidas capable of making two nice kits for one team? If you asked me to describe the absolute worst shade of yellow i’d picture exactly that. the word that comes to mind is putrid. and as if that wasn’t enough, they decided to pair it with an absolutely clashing shade of turquoise. no thank you. no me gusta - 3/10

No Scotland No Party? Well with this kit, I’m inclined to agree.

Who would’ve thought a tartan football kit could be a good idea? Not me, and yet here comes Scotland, with an actual fucking masterpiece. This home kit is just, wow. I love it. It’s so clever, such a good nod to the country, and it just looks absolutely incredible. I fucking adore it. I don’t have much else to say other than whoever made this knew what they were doing. Good job - 10/10

The away kit meanwhile, is again, astonishingly mid. It’s fine I guess. Very plain, kind of giving the colour scheme of a cartoon character but i can’t put my finger on which one, but it’s still decent. The colours do go well together, and i like how the side panelling, includes that tartan pattern again, which as i already mentioned, is fucking sexy. just maybe stick to the home - 6/10

Hungary for more? Not really.

This is the wales kit. it is pretty much almost exactly just the wales kit. like it’s fine, but it’s just?? idk i’m bored. also why have they got two badges? greedy much? just a bit busy. idk it’s fine i have literally no other thoughts on this. boring! - 6/10

The away kit is boring as fuck too, but i actually like this one a lot. i think white kits have more license to bore. it’s a nice colour scheme too. does look a bit italian though. idk it looks good but i can’t say why. it’s just classic. the centre adidas logo looks good here. it’s the green im telling you. more green please! - 7.5/10

BELGIUM I AM KISSING YOU ON THE MOUTH

oh my god this home kit. i’m in love and i suddenly wish i was belgian. wow. holy shit. who did belgium pay to get a kit this nice? i’m in genuine awe. the sexy sexy maroon colour, paired with black and gold? fuck me sideways. i’m not joking when i say this kit oozes sex. that pattern?? oh my lord. it’s giving luxury velvet chaise longue. its giving old timey men in those smoking jackets, with a glass of whiskey and a cigar. i feel like i’m in the palace of versailles just looking at it. wow belgium, wow. - 11/10

not only that, they did it! they actually gave us two good kits! this one is based off tintin, and who doesn’t fucking love tintin? i adore it. lovely shade of blue, with this gorgeous pattern again, and the collar? collars should only be used if they add something to the kit, and boy does this add a whole fucking lot. thank you tintin you beautiful boy. what a kit. - 10/10

And now we’re back to normal programming with Italy

The common theme with adidas is boredom. At least when i was rating nike i actually had stuff to talk about. these are just okay. like yep okay it’s fine. there’s nothing wrong with it. i like the flag shoulder stripes. but yeah, it’s just there. i’ve forgotten what it looks like already i’m that bored - 6/10

the away kit is exactly the same. to be fair, i do like the asymmetric colour scheme, that’s quite nice. it’s simple, it’s clean, it’s just the italian flag really isn’t it? the collar is nice in fairness. it’s decent. - 7/10

Wow. Mexico. Holy fucking shit. Wow.

i literally am so in love with this kit that i’m lost for words. just everything about this is so stunning that i’m struggling to believe it’s a real adidas kit and not a fan made one from tiktok. this pattern has so much going on yet without being garish or busy, it just works. the colours go together so well, i’m just sat here staring at it with tears in my eyes. it’s art. i love it so much thank you mexico thank you - 11/10

and it just gets better with the away kit? this is so fucking sexy, so clean. it complements the home kit perfectly. it’s such a fun pattern but it’s also so classy, so beautiful. both of these kits invoke mexico without being either stereotypical or same-old same-old. i just love it. i love when kits are different!! more please, everyone else take notes!! - 10/10

Colombia took me a while but I’m actually a fan

i hated this at first because i thought it was just a plain boring yellow kit but then i saw those sexy ombre side panels. i just love red orange yellow colour schemes, like yes they hurt my eyes but it’s just such a sexy combination. fire for real. the yellow prevents it from getting top marks bc yellow is just fugly let’s be real, but overall it’s not bad - 7/10

now, you guys now i feel about black kits. more please!!! black is always sleek, it’s always classy, it’s always cool as fuck! big fan. this also seems abnormally shiny, which like okay serve i guess? the only thing i will say is it’s giving training kits with the orange highlights, but we can’t all be mexico, can we? - 8/10

Peru couldn’t be fucked and resorted to clip art

this home kit is like the definition of couldn’t be arsed. i could’ve done this on microsoft paint. i actually hate sash kits they’re just so fucking boring, and like, they just don’t look that good do they. boring. - 4/10

the away on the other hand? wow wow. this is what colombia wishes it was. this is a sexy fucking black kit, and pairing it with dark red and gold? oh lord yes please. sexy as fuck, plus a cheeky bit of animal print? okayyyy get it. even those little bits at the side that adidas seem obsessed with this year are sexy. it’s reminding me of a cheeky little leg slit in a cheeky little dress, and then you get a cheeky little glimpse of some cheeky little red zebra print thongs. okay word. peru you cheeky little minx, stop teasing me. - 9/10

Chile stayed solid, and you can’t go wrong with that.

these are both just nice kits. the home is classy, it’s just a simple white kit but it looks fresh as hell, and the red swoops look so good. also love that the patterning they’ve used on the red matches the away kit. it’s very simple but it’s clearly thought out and i respect that. they saw the others going ham with crazy patterns and stuck to their guns. it just looks nice. - 7/10

the away is a similar story - nothing flashy, but effortlessly nice. i rate the little pixel pattern, it’s simple but it’s nice. it’s a decent kit. could’ve pushed the boat out a tiny bit more but overall it’s fine. it’s giving national league a tiny bit. respect chile - 7/10

Finally, you can always count on Argentina to serve.

The home kit is just pure argentina innit? like there’s no way you see this kit and see anything other than argentina, and i respect that. it’s just a classic! it’s clean it’s crisp, we’ve seen it all before, but listen, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. can’t go wrong. also i’m a huge believer that gold should only be permitted on a kit if you’ve won something, and so mad respect for these sexy gold highlights.- 8/10

and the away kit? i’m a huge fan. it’s a nice simple kit, they’ve gone for a new shade of blue and it’s pretty sexy. the collar looks so fit here, i love it. what i love the most though, is how they’ve incorporated the usual kit into the swoopy bits? (that’s their official name now i’ve decided). anyway those blue and white stripes just look so yummy, very nautical, i’m a big fan. yay argentina! - 9/10

[leftneb]

Maybe 9, 26 and/or 39 for the ask game? :>

ask game

9. tell a story about your childhood

I'm ngl I had a generally shitty childhood so I had to think about this one

I, due to experiencing this story at the ripe age of three (3), have no recollection of it but I've heard it about 15 times from my dear mother so. I was a pretty big baby, and continued to be a bit (naturally) rotund for a couple years, and for some reason my dear father (instead of just assuming I got his genes) decided that I should go on a diet. as one would expect from a 3 year old I did NOT enjoy this decision AT ALL. one day, out on the playground I'd appearantly chosen violence because instead of solving my hunger by just. idk asking mother for something (tbf that would not have solved the issue so maybe I'd just learned by then) I locked onto another toddler who just so happened to be unfortunate enough to be eating a piece of kifli (which is like a crescent shaped bread thing that is all the rage in hungary for whatever reason), waddled over to them and TORE the bite out of their hands before pushing them over in the sand. my mother, who'd been watching this go down on the sidelines, pried the piece of bread from my hands to give it back to the poor sod I'd assaulted, and promptly decided that I'd quit the diet.

26. fav colour and why?

YELLOW!!!! (specifically what we call "sun-yellow" in my household, which is like a warmer tone but still pretty far from orange) associated with it since I was pretty young but I'm a sucker for more complex (usually contrasting) colour combos, also really enjoy just. all shades of blue and reds/magentas. the whole rainbow tbh I just really really like colour

39. youtuber you've been obsessed with and why?

okay so if you're not hungarian you have definitely never ever heard about this guy:

Walrusz (technically means nothing in hungarian but yes the man litterally named himself walrus)

he is (more like was :c) a mainly minecraft plus like, science(??) youtuber active from 2013 all the way until 2022, very likely awakened my inner nerd by sharing science-y fun facts and even making whole (animated!) videos just explaning like, how life first formed on earth or how camels store water or how fucking weird mushrooms are (all of those are core memories for me lmao) he's one of those (very rare) cases of hungarian mcyt that never fell into the "only making this one thing because it gets me views" pit thankfully, like my guy was just a college student who enjoyed playing a bit (a LOT) of modded minecraft with his also nerdy friends. I guess the current valefisk viewing experience of just watching a friendgroup exist and being funny along the way is pretty similar to me in appeal, walrusz used to make these mothly/yearly compliations that I watched RELIGIOUSLY, really miss him sometimes tbh

other youtubers like tubbo, technoblade and (in hindsight unfortunately) wilbur soot also fall into this category but walrusz I'm luckly able to think back to very very fondly still so

[penwieldingdreamer]

Dante's Prayer - Chapter 3

The 2nd part of the Ball, hope you guys will like it. Let me know what you think about this. A big thanks to my beta @fortheloveoffanfic for keeping me on track with the characters 😉

Warnings: cursing

Words: 2094

"Mrs. Gray, why don't we retreat to the parlour for a drink and leave the men to talk their business." Helene suggested linking her satin gloved arm with Polly's and led her away from Thomas and her husband, nodding at the two men in parting. 

"Lady McCann, please call me Polly, after all, we'll be family soon once the wedding is done." the Shelby matriarch told her nephews soon-to-be mother in law with a smile, the two women nearly gliding over to the smaller parlour of Castletown House. 

Returning the smile, the duchess nodded her head. "By all means, then I'm Helene. We will be family soon, given that my daughter won't bail on us." A soft sigh left her lips, knowing Saoirse could be difficult. "Your nephew will have his work cut out for him, I reckon." 

"Oh he'll learn how to deal with it. I have a good feeling that once they'll get to know each other they'll find common ground." The words were reassuring, yet both women knew that it would take a while for their children - in Polly's case she felt like her brother's children were just like her own - to warm up to the idea of sharing a life together. 

Arriving at the doors separating the sitting room from the grand ballroom, Helene nodded at the butler, who let them enter. They sat down at the round table, plush armchairs providing comfort as the Birmingham resident looked around the room. Polly thought back to the time when she had to work hard to provide for her family and be there for Ada and Finn during the war, and all she could feel was gratefulness toward Tommy who was able to give them the life they led now. 

"Has Thomas told you what he wants his wedding to be like?" the mother of three inquired, nodding at the butler in thanks for bringing them both refreshments and leaned back into the high-backed armchair. "I gather now that it is his second wedding he might want to change a few things." 

Taking a sip from the champagne, the gypsy lightly shook her head. "So far, he hasn't said anything. He only does this out of duty to the family. I told him it was a good deal, but other than that he's not going to object to anything. All I can ask of you is considering a custom my family on my mother's side has partook in every time during a wedding." Polly wasn't too sure, the duchess would agree to traditions of the travelling folks but the soft smile on her face and the light nod gave her hope. 

"I haven't always been a duchess, Polly." the blonde lady started, holding the Flute glas in her hand and watching the champagne sparkle in the soft glow of the lamps. "My mother originated from Germany, her cousin married the emperor of Austria and she was made Empress of Austria and Hungary. I often visited her when I was still a child and Sisi would visit the travelling folks of Hungary. Not all is as it seems, my daughter has the same spirit in her as Elizabeth did. Headstrong, modern, loyal to a fault, kind and with a childish wonder the war has snuffed out in many people. I do hope that Thomas won't try to do what the war hasn't been able to do. Despite me agreeing to this arrangement without her consent, she is still my little angel and I will grant you your customs just like we have ours, but should your nephew hurt her in any way, he will wish for war to take him again."

Nodding her head, Polly grinned at Helene, knowing they would get along splendidly. Protective of her family, just like herself, the Shelby matriarch knew that there was a good future ahead, bright was still to be questioned, but good at least. 

Just then the decorated glass doors of the light coloured parlour flew open, a disheveled looking Arthur standing there, eyes ablaze and his face red from anger. 

"Did ya know, Pol?" he asked storming over to his aunt, hands already grabbing for her arms. "Did ya know 'bout 'er, hm?" 

Polly had never been someone to be frightened or threatened, especially not by her family, so she wouldn't start now and still Arthur always had a soft spot in her heart. Delivering a hard slap, she pushed the eldest of the brothers away from her, regret shining in her eyes. "What the fuck are ya talkin' about, Arthur?" 

"I'm fuckin' talking about Niamh." he glared, his cheeks already turning a darker shade of red from anger and the hit he received. "She's been here all them years, pregnant with ma son, so 'm askin' again: did ya know 'bout it?" 

Wide eyed, Polly felt the wheels in her head turning, remembering the girl Arthur had left behind to marry Linda, the redheaded beauty in the back of the church. "She was at the wedding, didn't say a thing, just left when it was over. That's all I know." 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Arthur stumbled back into the armchair on the other side of his aunt, closing his eyes to order the thoughts in his head flitting about like butterflies. "What am I gonna do now?" Polly moved over to him, pulling Arthur into a tight hug because she knew it was hard on him. 

Even though she wasn't a fan of Linda, her nephew loved her and she had to live with that. Now he needed to make a decision on what to do with the mother of his first child. "You need to talk to her, that much is clear. And get to know him, too." 

Nodding his head against his aunt's belly, Arthur felt a small portion of the weight lifting of his shoulders. Linda would be furious, she already was with him leaving for Ireland to be part of the wedding preparations. Nothing had been decided yet, but the eldest Shelby had a distinct feeling, that Lady McCann would want the ceremony to take place in their home and he already dreaded the day the whole family would again sit on Tommy's side of the church and Linda coming face to face with his former lover and mother of his first son.

"I thought you'd have ta greet guests." he said, a cigarette perched between his lips as he watched his wife-to-be gazing at the sky. 

"And I thought you would talk about business with my father." she replied, a smirk grazing her features and might he say it looked more like a small smile than a smirk. 

Her body leaned against the banister and Tommy couldn't help but let his eyes roam over it, breathing in the smoke of the cigarette he had missed all evening. "There's not much business to talk about when there's a wedding about to take place." 

Nodding her head, Saoirse turned her face towards his own as he leaned against the stone parapet next to her. "I hope Arthur has calmed down again after his encounter with Niamh when I left." she said after a moment of silence.

"Ach, he's fine. Needs to talk to her, though." Tommy shrugged, his stormy blues void of emotion as he stubbed out the cigarette on the banister. "His wife's goin' to have his hide, but he'll get over it." 

Shaking her head, Saoirse looked away from the gang leader, feeling like the little progress they had made went up in smoke just like the cigarette. "You shouldn't be so indifferent to the feelings of others, one day you might not have anyone left to turn to." 

"Often enough you only have yourself to rely on." he replied before he stood again, running a hand through his short hair and holding the other out to her. "We shouldn't make your guests believe that we hate each other, it's bad for business." 

Snorting, the youngest of three took his hand, feeling the warmth of Tommy's skin through the satin of her glove as he led her inside to the ballroom. "Who said anything about me liking you? I don't really care what my guests think, mother's guests on the other hand, that would be a shame. After all, they came all the way from Austria and London." 

"I see, you're not going to make it easy for me, are you?" he wondered, twirling her around so they could dance to the waltz the orchestra started to play. "What is this marriage going to look like, hm?" 

Putting her left hand on his shoulder, Saoirse mentally thanked her mother for making her take the dance lessons in Vienna or else the future bride of Birmingham's most known gangster would have been an embarrassment. Her right hand delicately laid in his left and she couldn't help but wonder if they could do more than just hold a gun and kill. "I believe you'd like me to play the obedient wife, staying at your house and doing nothing, what with your fortune now. I heard you have a son, so probably be a mother to him, while you go out and do whatever you do." 

"So, ya do know something 'bout me." he smirked, leading her across the grand room, unaware of the other dancers and their families. The pair danced in their own world and voiced their opinion on the upcoming union. "And here I thought ya didn't know anything." 

"My sisters talk, Mister Shelby, although I didn't know which one my husband-to-be was, I still heard their opinions on you loud and clear." 

The smirk on his lips widened at the thought of what Amalie and Louise had told their sister. "An' what pray tell did they tell ya?" 

"Oh, you know, that you're a gangster, cold as ice, a former war hero and would do anything to get money." Saoirse shrugged, trying to rile him up as she saw his blue eyes darken. Tommy knew that he had to keep it cool. It wouldn't do him good to drag her off and…no, he wouldn't yell at her and make a scene, that would break the deal he made with her mother. He'd rather enjoy the rest of his life while it lasted. 

Pulling her tighter into his body, he felt a satisfied grin make its way onto his face at her gasp. "You'd do well to keep those comments to a minimum. That money you so kindly brought up will grant you safety among Birmingham and the rest of England and Scotland. I don't want another of me wife killed because she wouldn't listen and had a mind of her own."

"Well then, you'd better look for another wife because I can be just as stubborn as you, Mister Shelby." 

"I'd rather not. You're more than enough." Wincing at the thought of having to go through that process again, Tommy shook his head. The music had changed and another waltz was played. "Besides, finding a good woman that freely accepts my son is quite rare in these times."

Pursing her lips, Saoirse looked up into his stormy blue eyes. "I couldn't imagine someone not liking your son. Judging by what Louise told me about him, I take it he's a ray of sunshine." 

"Are you really trying to make me hate you right now? But yes, Charlie is in fact a ray of sunshine despite having me as his father." Before the youngest daughter of the Duke could say anything, Tommy had twirled her outward, keeping his eyes on her face as he read the delight written all over it. 

He couldn't help but enjoy these moments, couldn't remember the last time he danced like this with anyone that hadn't been Grace. When Saoirse had returned to his arms, she sent him a grin, a genuine one at that. "I'm not trying to make you hate me, I was stating a fact and to be honest I can't wait to meet your son." 

Nodding his head at her answer, he led her around the ballroom for one final dance. "In two weeks you will meet him, so I do hope you won't change your mind about this arrangement." 

"Don't do anything to make me change it and I'll be there." she answered him, her right hand squeezing his left tighter than before and Tommy couldn't help but grin at her attempt to threaten him. Life would be a lot more interesting once the wedding was over. 

tagging

@fortheloveoffanfic @fics-not-tragedies

[alexalblondo]

When it comes to Red Bull I’m always amazed at how they manage the whole team. They’re for sure a top team but when I put them next to Mercedes they lack strategy. What’s going on with the car? What’s up with the strategy? How come a top team like them make a same mistake as two years ago in Hungary??? I was scrolling on Twitter and no one really was critical about the way Red Bull is doing their job. It’s always the second driver bullshit or the car is just too slow. Well what about Christian and Marko?? What are they doing to get this win? At this point I feel like they want to show us how good they are at fucking up their race and throw away a good chance to win. Because even when Perez wasn’t their to help I’m sure Max could’ve won from both Mercs.

But Max also need a little more media training and stop blaming his teammates when things aren’t going his way. Last year he was shading Alex and today he made a sneak diss to Perez talking about: “I’m always alone in the front”. Can he please save these things for the team and not the whole world. 😭 I’m not a Perez fan but that was not necessary!

Damn I typed a whole book here. Well enjoy and I’m looking forward to read your answer. Ciao!

Okay, damn, this is a really well thought out book right there and deserving of better answer than "I agree!" which I can offer cause it's Sunday and my braincell allowance for the week is up ... but I can offer you some medium cooked and bullshit takes if you want them?

Cause tbh, I think the problem lies in the fact that in their glory years (2009 and Brawn GP aka fetus!Mercedes that secsi bitch aside) RedBull's main competitors where McLaren - which was too busy claiming reliability as its nemesis - and Ferrari - which make RB strategists look smart - so now RB is convinved they got this cause they used to got this, right? Except they only got this cause no one else got this ... and cause Seb back then had the same uncanny ability Lewis has now to just 💕make it work💕 ... whatever it is in any context

Like, yeah, okay, thanks to my weird sexuality made up of finding confidence so hot and having a teacher kink combined with Christian's ability to sound smart even when he is sprouting more bullshit than a pig farm I regularly blank when he speaks but I'm still sooo very much fascinated by the way this man looks at the 8 titles RB won with Seb and go: Ah, yes, I did that!

No, buddy, SEB DID THAT! like, lmao, Abu Dhabi 2010? Fam, Seb was never meant to win there like AT ALL ... it's just that as I said earlier FERRARI has even worse strategist and Seb just ... made it work then because he is Seb and he's brilliant when he wants to be ... not always when he needs to be ... but definitely when he wants to be

Anyways, these are my lukewarm takes to agree with you:

- RB bases their confidence on beating lesser opponents and now faced with Mercedes they are at a loss but they don't see it and they blame their drivers when it's really a them thing because while the car IS there this year the team clearly isn't and that's one of the main parts of why Seb could make it all work because the team and him worked together and it kinda feels like currently they aren't

- Christian Horner sadly kind of hot tbh

- Max should take some lessons from Yuki

- I miss Brawn GP

- drivers should stop airing their dirty laundry for everyone to see unless it's Pierre and Esteban in which case Idc but also tell me more

- we need to save Rocky

[babylooneytoonz]

Warning(s): Are they back to bickering again? Like an old married couple ? Bucky Barnes gets a surprise.

Please read the other parts of this book using links from the Masterlist.

Three more months later,

(Six months ever since you left the Avengers Facility)

Bucky lowered his cap, and so did Natasha, Steve, Clint and Sam as they pushed their way through a swarm of drunk college kids that were dancing to a loud, buzzing electronic music.

"All these years, and I still don't get how this is even good. Buck and I can tell you how a good clubbing was done, back in the 1940s– " Steve was screaming on the top of his lungs.

"God, this is giving me a goddamn headache, why are we here again?" Bucky raised a brow, and fixed a cold, impassive glare on Sam.

"I was born on this day. I have the right to call the shots." Sam pointed out, and Natasha just grinned, her body almost swaying to the beats that were playing.

"God, at least they have drinks. Come on punk. I think the only place the two of us can be is the bar." Bucky nudged Steve and Sam just rolled his eyes while he and Natasha started dancing, Natasha rolling her hips in a seductive way while Sam was just sort of moving his hands.

Bucky, Clint and Steve walked up to the bar and they fixed themselves in a corner, their eyes scanning around as Clint smirked, "Come on, loosen up, grandpa's. What are we drinking?"

"I'm not drinking– "

"We'll have the four roses bourbon– "

Both Bucky and Steve spoke at the exact same time, and Bucky narrowed his eyes as he looked at his best friend, "Really? You people drag me out here and we're not even drinking ?"

"Buck, what's the whole point of drinking when we can't even get drunk?" Steve just shrugged, while Bucky just shook his head.

"It's better than nothing."

"Well I can't win from you. Let's do it. Although I'm not sure I even heard about that before," Steve chuckled and pulled a barstool, so he could fix himself on it as Clint spoke to the bartender.

The bartender placed the drinks on the counter, and Bucky curled his flesh fingers around his drink, lifting it up and placing it to his lips, his eyes watching Natasha and Sam, as they made their way towards them.

"Not fair? You started without us, Cap." Natasha smirked at Steve, and leant against the counter so she can throw in her words to the bartender, telling him what she wanted to drink. Sam just made his way closer to the men, standing next to Clint and slowly turning towards three girls that were standing by the dance floor, their drinks in their hands, but their eyes were on them.

"Well check that out. I call dibs on the one in green. Damn." Sam smirked, and Steve just shook his head in disapproval, and brought his drink up to his lips, while Clint smirked and rubbed his palms together, "Nah, I'm good mate. You can have her. I have a good one back home."

"Hey, she is looking at you man." Sam nudged Bucky's knee using his elbow and he just rolled his eyes in the most casual manner and turned his head to listen to what Sam had to say, when his eyes fell on one of the girls, who was biting her lip, staring at him. Disinterested, he just turned away; back into his drink, staring at the glass when Natasha just blurted out, regretting her words immediately, "lover boy's just waiting for Y/N to come back, bring him the hottest woman on earth now, he would still want her back."

Bucky's grip tightened on the glass, and instinctively, Steve grabbed his flesh arm, to hold him back before he could lose his control and do something he would later regret.

"Barnes, I didn't mean it," Natasha immediately added.

"You women often say things that you never mean, which is why I don't bloody understand the things that goes on in those minds of yours," Bucky brought up his index finger, placing it on Natasha's temple, tapping it twice.

The lot fell silent then, each of them now lost in their own trivial thoughts. Bucky replayed the conversation he had with you in your apartment, and how you had said that you didn't mean it. He just scoffed, and shook his head, a little too obviously and Steve started looking at him, noticing his friend's sudden weirdness before his phone beeped in his pocket and he pulled it out. "Great, Tony wants us back at the towers. Someone hacked into two of the HYDRA bases systems in Kazakhstan and Hungary. It was live for two minutes before they took it off, but Tony managed to get his hands on a few cryptic codes and coordinates." Steve stood up, his broad, bulky frame almost blocking out the lighting behind him, as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Well, it couldn't have been the government, or CIA. Does Tony know the potential hacker?" Clint raised an eyebrow, and Natasha crossed her arms over her chest.

"Couldn't be traced. But again, if we can figure out those cryptic codes and coordinates, we will have a lead." Steve called out before turning around to leave.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

"Romanoff, you get anything?" Tony called out, while Natasha just grunted in annoyance, not even bothering to crane her neck to look back from one of the computer screens, as her fingers skillfully glided across the keypad, typing here and there. Bucky leant by the wall, eyeing Steve's computer screen, watching him intently as he was struggling to turn the cryptic symbols into something meaningful.

"Bingo, I think I have it," Natasha yelled, and immediately, the four of them flocked around her screen, staring down at the brightly lit screen.

"Eighth Avenue, Tech Laboratories?" Bucky mumbled, his eyes squinted slightly as he leaned over Natasha's back, typing something onto the computer so that the maps came up.

"But those labs have been shut down ages back, illegal animal testing and shit." Tony replied, in a casual tone and Steve just bit his lip.

"That's the whole point, Tony. Whoever this is, whatever is going on, it's illegal, which is why there's this shade."

"Guys I hate to break it to you, the more we stay here talking, we might end up missing whatever is going on out there," Natasha deadpanned giving them a serious look, and Steve nodded.

It didn't take them very long to reach the old, abandoned laboratories that looked stale and dinghy in comparison to the other buildings surrounding it. It was weird and confusing why this building hadn't been taken down yet. Another thing to notice was, that the building, although miniscule, the empty land that was in the boundary of this building was massive, and yet secluded.

Bucky and Steve stepped off their bikes, while Natasha got off hers, with Sam riding pillion behind her. Their hands flew to their gun holsters and immediately, they drew out their guns. Their eyes fell on a black sedan that was parked a few meters away; and they knew that whoever this was, was probably still inside. Steve's index finger flew to his lips, as the four of them, with quiet steps starting making their way into the building, their eyes scanning the vicinity for anything that was off.

"Do we split up or – " Sam begin but Bucky have him a glare, and he pressed his lips shut, " my bad."

The four of them walked in deeper, noticing an intense change in the heat level inside as compared to the outside. The inside of the laboratories were freezing, and it felt like they were inside a freezer. Climbing a flight of stairs, making sure they didn't press much weight to the stairs, not wanting the stairs to announce their arrival, they stepped onto the first floor, and reflexively, they stopped, when they heard a familiar voice.

"Well, does everything look okay to you?"

Natasha's head snapped towards Steve in recognition, and his eyes widened, his own head snapping towards Bucky.

"Hey, why the fuck does the voice sound like Fury?" Sam whispered in Bucky 's ear.

"Because it's Fury, Sam."

Before Sam could speak, another voice reached their ears, and this voice was foreign, and unknown.

"Mr. Fury, this is something unlike I've ever seen. Those cells are multiplying at a rate faster than a normal human growth rate. These bruises, these bruises you see aren't something very common for a six month old fetus, yes they kick and all, but this is– "

"Holy shit, Fury probably knocked up a girl. Boy I think we are just at the wrong place at the wrong–  " Sam began whispering again, much to the annoyance of the others. They all turned towards him at the exact same time, ready to shut him up when a soft, feminine voice started speaking; a voice all of them were aware of.

"Did Erskine's serum cause any damage to my baby?"

James Buchanan Barnes turned white like a chalk. His eyes and his mouth were frozen wide open, in an expression of shock, and although he was staring straight at Steve; he appeared not to notice him at all, and all he could think of was what he had just heard. Steve took his best friend's side, placing his palm softly on his bicep, slightly shaking him out of his daze. Whoever that third person was, had probably left by now, and from what they could hear; it was just Fury and Y/N inside.

"I know you want to go and pull those motherfuckers out of their shitholes, Y/N, I really know you do, but right now, they are going to come after you and try to get their hands on that kid."

"And you think I'd let them ? I'd break every single bone in their bodies. Those pesky rodents, they deserve to be wiped off, you know it," You hissed, through pursed lips, unaware that a set of four eyes were now watching you and Fury from the corner. You were sitting on what looked like a gurney, your feet dangling off the edge. A loose fitting shrug was covering your shoulders, your palms cradling your pretty evident baby bump.

"I'm tired of dealing with your stubborn ass. This is the time to stay hidden."

"I am not going to do anything stupid Fury, not until this little guy's here," You hopped off the gurney, and ran your fingers through your hair, using your shrug to try and hide the bulge of your belly, before you looked towards the back entrance.

"Call me later, I'm gonna use that back door and get the hell out of here."

"Whatever, snarky," Fury smirked.

"Don't get started," you warned, making your way out through the back, your gun resting securely in the waist of your stretchable pants.

Nick Fury waited a few seconds until he had made sure that you had gotten out safely from the back. He then turned around, and casually started walking out; only to come face to face with four semi to super pissed Avengers.

"Fury," Steve was the first one to break the silence; and sensing that the four had probably heard it all, Fury lost the defensiveness in his stance and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I didn't tell any of you because she didn't want me to," he was eyeing Bucky now, who had a tight squared jaw.

"How long have you known?" He raised an eyebrow, stepping in front of Steve.

"She came to me three months back, didn't know where else to go." He stopped speaking for a split second and then, in a low voice, almost grumbled under his breath, "I told her it is always a bad idea to hook up with a colleague; look where it landed her. First, it got her married to a fucking HYDRA dick, and second, it got her pregnant with a super soldier's spawn. When does she ever listen? And you, don't even get me started. You were the bastard that knocked her up."

"Come on, Fury. That's just harsh," Natasha chimed in.

"Guys, can I talk?"

Steve, Fury, Bucky and Natasha turned towards Sam and they gave him a quizzical expression, while Bucky just glared at him.

"The thing is, those coordinates, that hacked details, what the hell was that?"

Fury's eyes widened and he clenched his fists tighter against his side, stepping closer towards Sam, "What coordinates? What hacking?"

"It looked like someone hacked into the HYDRA system, we found these coordinates, and that's why we found out the secrets that you were hiding Fury," Natasha defended Sam immediately, as she winked playfully at Bucky. This is when Fury suddenly turned, pulling out his gun, and began sprinting towards the back entrance; as quickly as his legs could carry him, bolting down the lab.

"Where the hell are you going?" Bucky followed his pace with his own grueling pace, managing to reach him in a split second, and so did the other three.

"Those hackers weren't hacking from HYDRA. It was most probably HYDRA getting into our systems, the non official ones, to find her. They've landed on a jackpot, a freaking Winter Soldier baby. And if what you're saying is true, they're here already, and Y/N is probably in trouble."

Meanwhile, this wasn't supposed to happen, not again.

No one knew of this place, then who were these men?

You slowly slid your palm into your shrug, pulling out your loaded gun. You were pregnant, but you definitely weren't a damsel in distress, and if need arose, you were going to fight the HYDRA scum. Your mind was already working on the calculations; there were four of them, and maybe, there were more. They had a plus one on you, but yet, you had an edge. They couldn't hurt you, if what they really wanted was your child.

"Никто не должен умирать. Пожалуйста, пойдем с нами, и мы не причиним тебе вреда." One of them stepped towards you, and instinctively you stepped one step back, raising your gun in the air, until you were in a face off.

"Sorry, gentlemen, I don't do Russian, my mum did nag me to learn it, but unfortunately, I never did. Can we switch to good ol' English now?" You hissed, venom in your voice.

"Miss Y/N. Let's not do that, shall we? One squeeze of a trigger from either you or my men, it's going to be a disaster," the man spoke in thick Russian accent, and you rolled your eyes, trying to look through this man's mask. This was where you made a mistake. They had orders not to kill you, but not to not hurt you. You dropped your guard for one second when this man spoke, but just when this happened, the bullet from another man's gun hit you right on your palm and your gun dropped; clattering to the ground with a loud noise, leaving your palm in a stinging, burning pain, blood spurting out of the hole the bullet had made right in the center.

In that frozen second between the stand off you saw the man's eyes flick from you to your belly and a faint nod passed between him and his men, a sort of a signal. Your faces are unreadable, no fear, no invitational smirk, just plain hatred in your eyes, and passiveness in his. One of them suddenly lunged forward, when your reflexes kicked in, and you immediately ducked, this proving to be much more difficult now. You threw out your leg, kicking the man hard in his shins until he hit the floor hard with the blow, when another one lunged at you, trying to grab you.

Punches, kicks, hard blows.

You had lost to them once, and had been unable to protect your son, but this time, you were not planning on letting history repeat. You were going to fight, for your life, and you were going to protect this child, no matter what it took.

          ╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

The four men and one woman soared through the hallway at the back, their guns blazing as they ran towards the back entrance from where you had just left, minutes back. Gunshots rang out from all around them now, which meant that Fury was right; HYDRA was here and you were in danger. Bucky could feel his heart beat in his chest, pounding, banging, trying to get out. He kept running forward and ahead of the others, feeling as though his blood were on fire. His limbs were moving on their own. He was disconnected from everything but the ever present sound of his drumming heart as he kicked the back door with his foot, watching it fly off its hinges and land a distance away with a crash.

The first thing their eyes fell on were the black uniformed corpses that were spread out evenly on the floor; two with a bullet mark, and two who had a gruesome bite on the side of the neck and the other one probably having had snapped his neck. But within seconds, Natasha's eyes had spotted you in a corner, sitting against the floor, your head resting against the wall at the back, your bleeding hand pressed against your chest.

Your eyes were open, your mind was awake and alert, but the adrenaline of it all was too much. You felt liberated, and free, that finally, you had managed to something you had failed in. You had, for now, saved yourself. And it was all on you.

The rest of the Avengers crowded around you, Natasha kneeling next to you as she shook you gently, her voice soft against your ears, "Are you okay? You took them out yourself?"

"Yea, I'm peachy."

Your smirk reached your eye, and everyone, including Bucky, gave you a smile back; they were all relieved. You placed your palms on the floor, in an attempt to pull yourself back up when Bucky suddenly stepped forward, leaning over you.

Your eyes met his, the second his eyes were face level with yours. The blue in his eyes looked bluer than the ocean. Six months, and you had forgotten how beautiful this man was, how beautiful, yet how broken. You placed your arm around his neck, a mutual understanding passing between the two of you, and the minute he sensed that you were securely latched to his shoulder, his metal arm held you from your waist, pulling you up to your feet until you were back up.

"Buck, we should all get back. Before they come back in more force," Steve commented, breaking the moment between the two of you.

"Well, this was nice," you drawled, absentmindedly, your hand flying up to your frenzied hair as you started curling your index finger against one of the strands. "I should leave."

"The only place you're going now is the Avengers Towers," Bucky crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at you.

"Did I ask you? You don't have a say in this."

"Jesus, not the two of you again." Natasha sighed, in a frustrated way, running her hands through her hair as she walked off.

"Well, that's my kid in there. I won't take a no. Now, you can voluntarily choose to come with me, back where you should be or–" He took a step closer to you, his face bent slightly so he was glaring into your eyes, not with anger, but with a look of determination.

"Or, what?"

"I'll lift you up and carry you there myself."

Permanent Bucky Barnes Taglist :

@really-dont-forget-it

@thepeakygurl

@all-art-is-quite-useless

@baumarvel

@janajjj

@chipilerendi

@nyotamalfoy

@skittychat

@allidoiswritewritewrite

Want to be added to my taglist? Please fill up a form on this link. 💗

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

In the Garden - HenryCavillxReader

I was requested by a darling anon to write a little sumthin, sumthin based on that Henry video. You know the one. He’s sitting in the garden with Kal, talking about the importance of peace. He’s got this beautiful spray of bedhead and this sexy, low morning voice. 

I hope I did this request justice! Please let me know if you’ve got anything else you’d like to see from me! 

Word Count: 1,165

CW: none - literally ALL FLUFF

The sky was an incredible shade of gray with the tiniest hint of blue. You are sitting in a patio chair. Your phone is by a mug of tea on the table next to you. There is complete silence as you take a deep breath and look around. Slowly, the sky turns from gray/blue, to purple, to a pinky-orange, finally to a bright blue. You sip from your mug as you look around and evaluate all the various things happening in your life. The garden is one of your favorite places to take extended moments of rest and contemplation. The same is true for your favorite human - your husband, Henry. You can hear him moving about in the kitchen and moments later, the backdoor opens. Out he comes with his large Akita, Kal, who immediately takes off into the grass. 

“Good morning, beautiful,” Henry says to you, his voice low and gravely with sleep. You smile sleepily up at him. He leans down to kiss you. The prominent stubble around his lips scratches your skin.. 

“Good morning, husband,” you reply. He’s holding two mugs in his hands. He glances down into the one on the table, then sets one he’s holding down in front of you. “Thank you,” you murmur, picking up the new mug and taking a sip of the contents. “God, you always make the tea better than I do,” you complain, after swallowing that first sip. Henry chuckles, taking a sip from his own mug.

“That’s because I know what I’m doing,” he replies. “I’m British. We know tea,” he winks and you snort. “How long have you been awake?” he asks. You sigh and take in your husbands appearance. He’s wearing his favorite teal hoodie, dark grey sweatpants, and house shoes, with his dark curly hair falling in crazy waves around his head. It’s grown out quite a bit since the last time you saw it and so has the stubble that you felt when he kissed you. 

“Since 4:30,” you rub your eye with your knuckle. You can hear Henry take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

“You should have woken me up,” he states. You open your eyes and smile gently at him. 

“You looked so peaceful,” you tell him. “I didn’t want to disturb you,” you explain. “Besides, you’re the one that hasn’t slept in basically six months,” Henry scoffs.

“Y/n, being woken up by the most beautiful woman in the world would not be a disturbance in the slightest,” he says. You smirk at him over the rim of your mug. Kal sneezes out in the yard and both of you turn to look at him. Henry takes another deep breath in and slowly lets it out again. “How are you feeling?” he asks. Now it’s your turn to take in a deep breath and slowly let it out. 

“Tired,” you say, which is both a joke and the truth. You’ve been exhausted for a while and it’s slowly starting to take its toll on you. Henry gives you a concerned look. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asks, but you shake your head no. 

“Unless you can find a way to spontaneously take over for me,” you reply. Your hands naturally fall down to your stomach which used to be flat and taught, but now bulges with life. You were approximately in the middle of your second trimester or, about five months pregnant. Henry’s gaze drops to your stomach as well and you see a warm smile pull at his lips. 

“When do you have to go in for reshoots?” you ask him. Slowly, he pulls his gaze up from your growing belly to your eyes and grimaces. 

“I don’t know yet,” he says with a furrowed brow. “But if they do happen, I’ll be back in Hungary,” he explains. Another sneeze from Kal makes you laugh. You look back to Henry. 

“How are you feeling?” you return the question. Henry doesn’t look directly at you for a moment, then he looks straight into your eyes. 

“Excited, nervous,” he says, a smile spreading across his face the entire time. “The happiest I think I’ve ever been in my entire life,” you feel tears forming behind your eyes. Stupid hormones. You smile warmly at him before laughing as Kal sneezes for a third time. Henry leans in his chair to check on his hound. Satisfied with what is going on, he turns his attention back to you and notices your tears. “What’s wrong?” he asks, suddenly concerned. 

“Nothing, just hormones,” you say, sniffling a little. Your hands rub your stomach gently. 

“Come here,” Henry requests. You oblige, slowly pushing yourself up from your chair and walking around the patio table to where Henry is sitting. When you’re near, he tugs gently on your hand, pulling you down onto his lap. He places one hand on the small of your back and the other gently on your belly. “What are you thinking about?” he asks you quietly. 

“I’m thinking that I really miss coffee,” you reply and your whole body shakes as Henry bellows with laughter. “What are you thinking about?” you ask in return, smiling at him. He smiles back. 

“I’m thinking that you have never looked more beautiful than you do now,” he murmurs and you snort. 

“Oh yeah, the constant burping, chronic dry skin, and systemic vomiting are super attractive,” you reply sardonically. Henry nods in agreement. 

“Incredibly attractive,” he murmurs, kissing the warm skin of your neck. His hand softly strokes your belly. The two of you sit there in silence for a while, taking in the peaceful sounds of the morning. And Kal. He’s rummaging around the yard, huffing, sneezing, and running about. After a while, you and Henry begin to discuss plans for the day. You need to get work done on an assignment and Henry has to get ready for meetings with his publicist. Neither of you move, however. You stay sitting in your husband's lap, talking about baby names, nursery updates, work, family, and anything else you can think of. You lean your head in and press it gently against Henry’s forehead and take a deep breath in. 

“Can I just stay here forever?” you murmur and Henry chuckles. 

“I think I can arrange something,” he replies. You shift upward as he moves his legs to dig in his pocket for his phone. Finding it, he begins texting someone with the one hand. The other stays cupping your belly. Moments later, he chuckles and sets his phone down. “Well, I can’t make forever happen, but I can certainly make sure we are here until tomorrow. Is that okay?” he asks. You smile and wrap your arms around his thick shoulders. 

“24-hours of peace and quiet with my husband?” you ask rhetorically. “I can’t think of anything better,” Henry smiles as you pull him and kiss those plush lips that you love. 

[another-mexico-oc]

💖 What your favorite Mexico´s ship/OTP says about YOU ...

Spanish version —> AQUÍ

Hello everyone! The month of love is finally over, but before that, inspired by the “What your Favorite Hetalia ship says about you” and related; and since Mexico is one of the most shipped countries (at least by the Hetalia and Countryhumans latin fandom), I decided to make this in collaboration with my cousin. If you are not familiar with this, basically it is a recopilation of facts some people share when they ship Mexico with another country.

WARNINGS AND NOTES BEFORE WE START:

- This post is for both, Hetalia and Countryhumans fans. I clarify that in this blog we don´t discuss which one is better than the other, we enjoy the healthy part and avoid the toxic part. 

-  This is just for fun, and IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. Think of it as a horoscope, you can share some of the facts, maybe not. The main purpose is to have some fun. 

- We are aware that not all the ships will be here, or that not all of them will have the same extension. We tried to gather all we could. 

- This is an extra warning for the English translation: This post may contain a lot of mexican and latin american modern references. Also, the best known historical periods are going to be mentioned, so if you are not familiar with the history of Mexico, we invite you to watch this video, and to consult other articles and media.

Without further due, let´s begin: 

FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS ONE OF THE POSSIBLE REASONS YOU SHIP MEXICO WITH ONE, IF NOT, MORE COUNTRIES: 

- You are mexican, I don´t have a doubt. You have a Mexico OC and you make fanarts and write fanfics about him/her with your favorite character.

- You are latino, and you came from the Latin Hetalia fandom, or you are from the latin fandom of Countryhumans (obviously, Miss Sherlock Holmes).

- You are neither mexican or latino, but still you like Mexico. 

- If you are from Hetalia, you are still waiting the day Himaruya publish the official design of Mexico, so he/she can interact with your favorite character. 

OKAY, NOW LET´S GO WITH THE SHIPS:

IF YOU LIKE 🇺🇸 USAMEX (USA X Mexico) 🇲🇽

- Favorite fanfic genre: Angst.

- Your guilty pleasures are the toxic love, the impossible love or the unrequited love. Or perhaps you like stories about people who fall in love with their chilhood friend. Or you like the phrase “From hate to love...”

- If you are from Hetalia, (also applies to Countryhumans) probably you also like FrUK (France x UK) or SpUK (Spain x UK). Or you simply don´t support USUK (USA x UK).

- If you are mexican, probably you are from the North, and you love the North and South Mexico OC´s. (And obviously, you ship North Mexico with USA).

- If you are mexican, you probably have visited the United States or your have relatives living there. Going further, you are chicano.

- You love the states personifications of both countries, and you are fascinated by the idea that Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California are the USA and Mexico kids. 

- If you are from Hetalia, you like cowboy America, and you also like Mexico dressed as a revolutionary or adelita.

IF YOU LIKE 🇷🇺 RUSMEX (Russia x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You hate USAMex and surely you don´t like United States if you are mexican.

- Your favorite historical event: the Cold War.

- Favorite word: Tripaloski.

- You like couples with a lot of height difference. Lil Mex is the most adorable thing in the world. 

- If you are a Countryhumans fan, probably you also ship Perú with USA.

- You like love triangles stories. (Cough… cough… USA x Mexico x Russia)

- You have seen Youtube videos of “Rusos Reaccionan a…” (Russians react to), and of mexicans in the Russia 2018 FIFA. 

IF YOU LIKE 🇨🇦 CANMEX (Canada x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You like fluffy ships.

- You think Canada is a better suitor than the toxic USA and the distant and cold Russia. (Or if you are from Hetalia, you think Russia is too mad and unstable for Mexico)

- If you are mexican, you have visited Canada, you want to work or study there, or you have relatives living in Canadá. 

- If you´re from Hetalia, it is likely that you don´t like CuCan (Cuba x Canada).

- Also, if you´re from Hetalia, you got excited when in the anime and the manga, Kumajiro mentioned Mexico, and then you got mad because he/she was never showed up!

- If you´re mexican, you were into the memes of Peña Nieto and Justin Trudeau. 

- Like Russia case, you adore the love triangles, but in this case you like stories about brothers who have a crush on the same person.

IF YOU LIKE 🇪🇸 SPAMEX (Spain x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You like sugar daddies. (Daddy Spain 😏)

- Your guilty pleasure are stories about possesive couples and couples with secret lovers. (Okay, that´s not healthy...) 

- If you´re from the Hetalia fandom, you do not like SpaMano (Spain x Romano), and if you are mexican, you will never accept (or you ignored) that canonically, Romano received better treatment than the rest of Spain colonies.

- If you are mexican, you like when Mexico (or New Spain) is represented as the spoiled kid, as daddy´s little princess, and as the best colony of Spain. (Sorry, the other Spain former colonies.)

- Your favorite Mexico periods are the Conquest, the New Spain colonial era and the Independence. 

- Probably you not only ship Mexico with Spain. Actually for some reason you like Mexico cheating Spain with another country, either England, France, a latin country and, why not? with the United States.   

IF YOU LIKE 🇫🇷 FRAMEX (France x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You like to live the expensive life: Eating in gourmet restaurants, buying brand clothes, expensive trips with a five-star hotel stay. Or if you had money, you would love to live the expensive life. 

- You like fashion and architecture.

- Favorite Mexico period: The Porfiriato. If you´re mexican, you think that outside of the bad things, Porfirio Díaz made great contributions to the country, and his remains should return to Mexico.

- If you are mexican, you live in the capital, or/and you love to visit Mexico City downtown. 

- You like stories about characters who made the casanova to fall in love with them, or stories about the stalker gaining his crush´ heart. (Creepy...)

- If you like male Mexico, you like him to be a flirt and gallant. If you like female Mexico, you like her to be very femenine and dressing pretty outfits.

IF YOU LIKE 🇬🇧UKMEX (England x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- If you are from Hetalia, obviously you like tsundere characters. 

- You are fan of Harry Styles, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Queen, the Beatles, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, or any other english celebrity. 

- You´re a big fan of gentlemen like Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice or Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. In fact, you have readed a lot of books from that period and from that genre.

- You like black humor, wordplay and double entendre phrases. 

- You hate Spain and you think England would have been a better sugar daddy. (Why would you think that?)

- You think England would have been a better colonizer than Spain (Why would you think that?)

- If you´re from Hetalia, you like pirate England.

IF YOU LIKE 🇩🇪 GERMEX (Germany x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- If you´re from Hetalia you think Italy doesn´t deserve Germany. In other words: No GerIta.

- You like dogs, and you want to adopt Paco from Countryhumans.

- Favorite historical period: WWI and WWII.

- You are one of those who think the Zimmerman Telegram was a love confession letter from Germany to Mexico.

- You think England and United States are the worst for intervening on your OTP. 

- You like stories Romeo and Juliet´ type: Two people who are from opposite groups who fell in love with each other.

- Also if you´re from Hetalia, besides you like the Doitsu, you like his BDSM side. (Fifty Shades of Germany, coming soon to your nearby bookstore)

IF YOU LIKE 🇦🇹 AUSMEX (Austria x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- If you are mexican, you think Maximilian I of Mexico would have been better governor than Benito Juárez. 

- If you´re mexican, you think Mexico should have been an empire since it´s independence.

- You like stories about arranged marriages, or stories about a poor character who marries a rich one, like in telenovelas!

- If you are from Hetalia, probably you prefer PruHun (Prussia x Hungary).

IF YOU LIKE 🇮🇹 ITAMEX (Italy x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- Congratulations! You are 1000% unique and different. Oh, and you are alone in your fandom too.  Barely there´s someone who shares your ship. 

IF YOU LIKE 🇯🇵NIMEX (Japan x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You´re mexican and you are 100% otaku.

- You are tired of Mexico being shipped just with europeans, latinos and north americans. Asians also deserve time y admiration.

- You love cats. (You may be also in the furry fandom)

- If some of the previously mentioned ships have this feature, with this one you confirm that you like complete opposite couples.

- You love long distance relationships.

- If you´re from Hetalia, you like Japan quiet, shy, inocente tiene la mirada… 🎵 🎵 🎵Le tomo la mano, y siente algo extraño … 🎵(Okay, i´ll stop singing)

IF YOU LIKE 🇨🇳 CHUMEX (China x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You don´t like neither USAMex or RusMex. 

- Or maybe you like the Rusia x México x China love triangle. You can add USA, and now you have some kind of love square.

- You have seen the Chumel Torres on HBO videos, specially those that are titled: “Mexicanos al Grito de Trump” and “Latinos Enemigos”.

- You like the apps Wish and Tik Tok.

- Unlike those who ship FraMex, you prefer to save money by buying good, pretty and cheap things. You have bought in Miniso and in other Chinese low-cost variety stores.

- You like couples with a lot of age difference (If you are an Hetalia fan, you know what I mean). In other words: 🎵A mí me gustan mayores, de esos que se llaman señores … 🎵

- You prefer Huawei rather than Iphone.

IF YOU LIKE 🇰🇷 South Korea x Mexico 🇲🇽

- It is more likely that you came from Hetalia than Countryhumans, and you think Korea needs more recognition alongside China and Japan, even more when this character was censored from the anime.

- If you´re mexican, your ship started when: “Hermano coreano, ya eres mexicano”. (Korean bro, you are already mexican)

- You like K-Pop.

- You have seen videos of El Coreano and Coreano Vlogs on Youtube.

IF YOU LIKE 🇧🇷 BRAMEX (Brazil x Mexico) 🇲🇽, 🇦🇷 ARGMEX (Argentina x Mexico) 🇲🇽, 🇨🇱 CHIMEX (Chile x Mexico) 🇲🇽, 🇵🇪 MEXRU (Mexico x Peru) 🇲🇽, or ANY OTHER LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRY X MEXICO.

- IN GENERAL:

    - If you are from Hetalia, obviously you are from the Latin Hetalia fandom. If you are from Countryhumans, obviously you are mexican and/or latino.

    - Your favorite characters are without doubt the latinos, and you prefer that all stays in family. In fact, you don´t like to ship Mexico with first world countries, or you use these last ones to create love triangles, love squares, or any other love geometric figure. 

    - You like Mexico being the dom of the relationship.

- BRAMEX: If you are from Countryhumans, you are most likely to be a fan of @torakashu. You don´t like Argentina x Brazil, or maybe you like the Argentina x Brasil x México love triangle. You also ship Argentina with Chile.

- ARGMEX: You don´t like Argentina x Brazil, or maybe you like the Argentina x Brasil x México love triangle. You also ship Brazil with Uruguay.

- CHIMEX: You live with roomies. You love tsundere characters like those who ship UKMex, but maybe not too tsunderes. And people who don´t like your ship, you smack´em with your guitar! ( 😁)

- MEXRU: If the people who ship RusMex like lil adorable Mexico, you think that Peru (who is even more short sized) is the most mega super 1000% kawaii thing in the universe. Probably you also like the Rusia x Peru x USA x Mexico love square.

IF YOU LIKE 🇺🇦 UKRAMEX (Ukraine x Mexico) 🇲🇽 or 🇧🇾 BELMEX (Belarus x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- Your favorite historical event: the Cold War.

- You think that RusMex is very overrated, and similar to the CanMex case, you think Russia siblings are better suitors.

- You don´t care to ship countries which do not share a lot of history and interactions compared to others.

- If you are from Hetalia you are a Belarus fan,and you ignore or hate her canon personality in the manga and the anime. 

IF YOU LIKE 🇳🇱 NEDMEX (Netherlands x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You are from the Hetalia fandom, without doubt. 

- Favorite Mexico Historical Period: The New Spain Colonial era.

- You like mysterious guys and with aura of "bad boy" but romantic on the inside.

- Eh… you like tulipans???

IF YOU LIKE 🇵🇭Phillippines x Mexico 🇲🇽

- Favorite Mexico Historical Period: The New Spain Colonial era.

- More probably you are from Hetalia than Countryhumans. 

- You like dom Mexico.

- Is probably that you ship, both Phillippines and Mexico, with other countries, since this two have their own harems.

IF YOU LIKE PRUMEX (Prussia x Mexico) 🇲🇽,  🇵🇹 Portugal x Mexico 🇲🇽,  Scotland x Mexico 🇲🇽

- You are an Hetalia fan.

- PRUMEX: You don´t like GerMex.

- PORTUGAL X MEXICO: You don´t like SpaMex.

- SCOTLAND X MEXICO: You don´t like neither UKMex or USAMex.

- IN GENERAL: You don´t like popular Mexico ships, and you prefer to ship Mexico with the siblings of the popular countries. 

IF YOU LIKE 🇲🇽Mexico x Any other country which is not on this post 🌎

You like random ships, you are unique and different, or you simply are a mexican who has visited or likes certain country. 

IF YOU LIKE 🇲🇽 Mexico x Mexico 🇲🇽

- You are a 100% patriot mexican.

- You like the North, South, and even Central, Mexico OC´s. 

IF YOU LIKE 🌎THE MEXICO HAREM (Everyone x Mexico) 🇲🇽

- You are mexican without doubt.

- You like submissive Mexico, or you like the flirty Mexico OC´s. 

- You think Mexico is the best country in the world and everybody should know it. 

- You get excited everytime a foreigner speaks well about your country. You often read the news about Mexico and it´s negotiations and agreements with the other countries.

- You have thoroughly investigated the history of Mexico and its relations with other countries. You've watched the YouTube channels of MainWatchers, Yolo Camotes and The Nopal Times Tops

- You are studying or you are interested on the next careers: International relations, History and Languages. 

- If you´re a fan of Hetalia, you like all the male characters and you fantasize about them. 

————

We finish! If you like it and you had fun with it, I invite you to reblog it with this emoji: 💟. We also invite you to reblog it so you can share it with more fans :) 

I still have a lot of work and it seems it will get more hard, but I´ll do my best to keep active. Without anything more to say, see you all on the next post. 

[angeldolanx]

Chapter 16. /- spend time with your family/

Super chill chapter, but I promise a lot of things gonna come in her life soon.. :)

30.11.'19 - 28.12.’19

It was quite reliefing when my flight landed in Hungary and I went down on the stairs. There was a more than twelve hour flight behind me with a bumpy England transfer. I was exhausted, but when I saw my parents and sister everything negative went away from my head and pure happiness come to take place. Nine month went by since I saw them in real life, and it was really challenging to me, since the most days I spent without them was maximum three days before. After this time hugging them, and actually seeing them was unbelievable. I really do missed them.

It was really weird to be at home. Seeing and hearing hungarian people everywhere and going on similar roads... For a moment I even thought back when I come to this road the last time when I went to the airport. I had no idea what's gonna come, but I was sure it can just be better than being at home. Well, that was true. I felt like my most boring days in LA were more exciting, then the days at home ever. I only missed my family, nothing else.

I took a big sigh when I stepped to my bedroom half an hour later. As I looked around and looked at myself in the mirror I was not sure who is looking back at me from it. The person who I was at home is not the same as the persen, who I was in LA. They are similar, but definitely not the same. In America I was more confident, independent while at home my insecure self, who is not sure what to do with her life came back as soon as I stepped into my room.

While I unpacked my suitcase my sister and mom joined me and we started to tell endless stories about the past months. We talked regularly on the phone and in massages, but it was not the same. My sister talked about school, or how much he liked that one guy but she is not sure while I laughed loudly as I listened to the stories and organized my clothes.

"Something doesn't seem right with you, honey" said my mom. Yes my mom is the only person, who could see through me no matter what.

" It's just weird to be home" I replied casually and tried to pay more attention to the clothes in my hands then to look into her eyes.

"Okay, then now tell me the truth not this nonsense" she smiled at me. I didn't even understood myself. My family is the one who I can trust at all time. But now I just felt embarrassed because before I never really were in a situation like this where my feelings were so genuine for a guy. For a guy that my mom told in a phone to be careful with him. She said yes, he seems nice but she is sure that he knows that. He knows how attractive he is, and how he could get any girl who he wants. She said boy like him can be dangerous. Well moms are always right.

"You know it's because of Grayson, I am just still not over him" I sighed.

"Someone is in love" said my mom with a light smile.

"But I shouldn't be" I shook my head, and covered my face.

"Yes you should, it's so natural to fall in love even if you are not one hundred percent sure about him. Love is something that you can't choose, don't be so hard on yourself".

"But he didn't care about me anymore. It was amazing in the beginning and it's nothing alike that anymore" I said. I saw how surprised my mom and my sister were too. It was new to me too to be in this situation and it was new to see me in it too..

"Show me a picture of that prince, now I am curious " laughed my mom. She handled it a lot more casually then I did.

As I searched in my camera roll it was just even worse to see how me and Gray are smiling on the picture, while I am in his arms and I remembered every single thing about what happened when those pictures were taken. Grayson did the picture, while I laid on his right shoulder and smiled lightly. Both of our eyes sparkled from the palm trees's shades and it was good but really bad at the same time to look back to this picture.

" I just don't know what made me so into him but I feel like I can't let him go. You know how I am, I never say things like this, but I would do anything for him " I said quietly and felt how my heart strobbed from my own words.

"Everything takes time. Maybe when you go back he is gonna be back too, and if not maybe someone even better waiting for you, you could never now. But for now enjoy your time at home, switch of your bad thoughts and have fun here. I know you enjoy being in LA but it's so good that you are finally at home" she said.

And basically I did what she said even though it was still surreal. As I started to do my home routine again it almost felt like the last year was just a dream that didn't even happened. The only thing that make it to look real were the messages from my friends. Most the times they came in the middle of the night, as they didn't even thought about time zones but they were nice and I was happy to receive them.

It was even a surprise for me that how many stories I was able to tell every night to my sister, when we sat in front of the tv and talked for hours. As I said the stories it felt like I relive the situations again and I felt like if the next year is only gonna be half as fun as the last year, I am gonna be more then happy. I felt like a deserved the heartbreak too. There was such a long time when I didn't had anyone in my life, and I wished for if not a big love, maybe just someone that makes me feel some type of way to come to my life finally. Well it came. I got what I wished for. I needed this to realize I was still able to fall in love and my heart didn't frozen completely in the past few years.

I am sure my days at home helped my soul. Maybe that christmas night was quite hard, when I grabbed my phone at night after I spent the day with my family and I’ve read my massages. I’ve smiled as I’ve read Corinna’s and Ethan's and some other friend's massages, where they wished merry christmas to me. My finger took some time on Grayson's name, but after a few negative thoughts I ended up not sending anything. Instead I just sent a message to Ethan where is wished their family a merry christmas so it's on him, if he talks about it with Grayson or not.

As the days went by my heart hurted less and less every day. I still missed him but I didn't wanted to spend my days thinking about him. I wanted to move on and see what the rest of my American adventure offered me in the city of angels.

- spend time with your family √

[mirkwoodshewolf]

It’s a kind of magic tour pt. 2; Queen x reader

*Author’s note*

And like I promised guys, here is the second part of the chapter and like I said I’ll try to get the last part of the chapter ASAP. But for now we are at the Budapest section of the tour, it’s not really so much of the concert as it is something else, but ohh wtf I’ll just say it, I mostly wrote about Roger’s bday in this chapter so it’s FLUFFY FATHER-DAUGHTER feels with this chapter so I hope you all enjoy this chapter as you did the previous part :)

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things​

@psychosupernatural​

@waddles03​

@ixchel-9275​

@platawnic​

@geek-and-proud​

@queendeakyy​

@kairosfreddie​

@simonedk​

@onebigfangirlworld​

@naturalswifty89​

@starswin​

@bohemiansweede​

@5sos-wdw​

@labessieisallama​

@dj-lowkey​

@isabella-bby​

______________________________________________________

*July 25th, 1986. Budapest, Hungary*

After a few days of resting from the Austria concert, we were now on the ferry ride to a place that I knew very well but the guys never got to quite go to, my favorite place of all time, Budapest, Hungary.  The guys were all psyched to visit such a beautiful country and I couldn’t wait to show them what all there was to see and do.

While Deacy and Bri were lying up along the boat getting in some sun, Freddie and I were sitting together and I was telling him all there was to know that I could remember about Hungary.  Plus he said he had a little surprise for the Hungarian audience.

“Oh look Fred the crowning jewel of Budapest. The House of Parliament.” I pointed out as we came around towards it.

“Oh fabulous isn’t it. The House of Parliament. Is it for sale?”

“Freddie!” I giggled. “You can’t just buy the House of Parliament.”

“Why not?” he then turned to Queen’s interpreter and asked him, “How many-how many bedrooms?” I rolled my eyes and shook my head playfully at him.

“About 56 bedrooms in total.”

“Do they have enough servants quarters?” I gaped at Freddie and slapped his arm and that’s when he caught onto his mistake. “Not a good thing to say in this country. Sorry, I didn’t say that.” He said to the camera that was in front of us.  I shook my head as I faced the camera and mocked the gesture of me choking Freddie before placing my hands on his shoulders and leaning my head against his.

“Fred you are such a chaotic source of energy.”

“And you only fuel the flames my darling angel.” He praised proudly as he gave my nose a peck, his tache tickling the end of my nose.  After a little more of a tour along the outer boarders of Budapest, we finally arrived at our docking point and there was an entire crowd of people, just like when I first came here, waiting to greet us like we were their Queen.

I stood along the railings and I waved to everyone before proclaiming to one and all as loud as I could.

“HELLO BUDAPEST I AM BACK!!!!!” The crowd cheered and I even saw some Rock Angel signs being held up and a few chants of ‘Angel! Angel! Angel!’ being said.

“Wow they really do love you here don’t they?” Brian said.

“Well it kinda helps when you’ve been here before, and I might’ve translated one of my songs at the time to Hungarian. Believe me it was hard and I swore I messed up some of the lines but hell it’s the thought that counts.”

“Wait so you can sing Hungarian?” Freddie said as he turned to me after he gave a wave to the crowd.

“I mean a bit.”

“Then bitch why didn’t you offer to help me with my special surprise?” of course I knew the bitch was directed specifically at me as an insult, it was just Freddie being Freddie (trust me not the first time he’s called me that in the affectionate way).

“You never asked me.” I shrugged as I went over towards Roger who put his arm over me and we both gave a wave to the Hungarian people.  Once we docked, I stood behind Deacy along the stairs and he was behind Freddie.  As Freddie was speaking to someone, probably the producer or someone else, Deacy held his arms out with that sweet loveable grin spread across his face so I decided to join him.

I switched between wrapping my arms around him, or holding his wrists and leaning up against him, placing my head on top of the floofy hair of his.  When the ferry finally stopped and the engines ceased, the guys and I walked off the ferry and walked up onto the decks to hear the crowd continuing to scream and chant.

We waved to them and as we finally got off the decks and the ramps leading us out onto the streets, we were quickly placed into the cars before the fans could try and grab a hold of us.  Of course I managed to try and at least sign a couple of things, as did the boys but we didn’t have enough time for photos before we finally got into the cabs and they drove us to our hotel.

Checking in was fortunately easy but of course cameras and photographers were taking pictures of us and watching us as we signed the guest book every guest needed to sign.

My suite was on the same floor as Roger’s and Deacy’s.  Brian was two floors above ours and Freddie got the penthouse suite.  Once I got to my suite, the first thing I did was get into the bed and reached for the phone.  I dialed the number and waited for an answer.  It rang about four times till I finally got an answer.

‘Hello?’

“Hey love.” I said with a smile.

‘Well hello mama lion. Did you and the guys make it to Budapest safely?’

“Yep we just arrived at the hotel. I promise when the tour’s over I’ll bring you and Kelly here for holiday.”

‘I don’t doubt that baby. So the ferry ride was good?’

“Oh yeah it was fun. I miss you guys so much.”

‘We miss you too mama.’

“Is my baby awake from her nap?”

‘Yep she’s playing with her stuffed lion her godfather gave her.’ I smiled and said.

“Can I talk to her?” I asked him.

‘Okay. But if she starts crying because of me taking her attention away from her toy, I blame you.’ Jack teased.

“Wanker.” I muttered.

‘I heard that.’ There was a bit of silence before I heard the coos and fussing of my 8 month old baby.

“Hi little mama!” I cooed.  It was then the fussing turned into sweet coos. “Hi baby girl.”

‘Yeah it’s mama.’ I heard Jack say.

“Hi my sweet baby girl. You being good for daddy?”

‘She’s always an angel. Although we had a rough night last night.’

“Aww little mama.” I then heard a knock at the door, but I just ignored it for now as I asked. “What was wrong?”

‘I think she might’ve had a pretty bad dream last night.’

“Can babies even get nightmares?”

‘I don’t know, I called Veronica, Dominque and Chrissie about it and they said it was possible. Ronnie even said Michael once had nightmares when he was around Kelly’s age.’ I hummed and that’s when I heard the knocking again.

“Hold on a second Jack,” I set the phone down and proclaimed. “Who is it?”

‘It’s me lovie open up!’ I sighed. It was Roger. Obviously wanting to check on me as per usual.

“It’s open!” I quickly went back to the bed and picked the phone back up. “It’s just Roger coming to check on me.”

‘His usual day to day checkups whenever you guys get to a new location?’

“Yeah.”

‘So—what are you guys planning for his birthday?’

“Well I can’t say much but Fred’s got something very special planned. And you’re sure you sent the present to this hotel right?”

‘Yes baby I sent it through the mail just last week.’

“And what exactly are you talking about little angel?” I looked up and pressed the phone to my chest and said.

“Nothing you need concern for yourself shades.” I gestured to his prescription sunglasses.  He glared at me and I said, “well be thankful I’m not calling you raccoon eyes.”

“Haha very funny.” He mocked as he collapsed right beside me. “Whose on the other end? Your boyfriend?”

“As a matter of fact it’s my husband along with my child.”

“Kelly? Let me say hello to her.”

“Ahh no sir! When they came to Wembley you took her for the entire time.”

“At least I let you see her, c’mon let me say hello to my godchild, please!” god he was such a human puppy dog.  Leaning his head against his hand and giving it that adorably little tilt, doing the pouty puppy dog lip.

‘Just put him on the phone (y/n). You know he’s never gonna give it up.’ I heard Jack’s voice say. I groaned and I said.

“Just so you know next time Nique comes with baby Rory I’m taking her away from you.”

“Fine eye for an eye now give me the phone woman!” he made the grabby hands for the phone and I went ahead and handed it to him while I got up and went over and started picking out my stage gear in two days, plus my party clothes for tomorrow.

All the while I could hear Roger cooing to my child saying hi in that baby voice.

“Hi Kelly love-a-bug. Hi lovie. Awww is that so? You think your mummy and daddy are keeping you prisoner? Why the nerve of them.” I turned to him accusingly and whispered.

“Hey!” he just grinned at me mockingly as he said.

“Well don’t you worry you sweet angel. When I get back you’ll spend the week with me and aunt Nique and your favorite sister Rory, okay?” he smiled and softly laughed. “That’s what I hope you’d say. Okay lovebug, I’ve got to go now you’re mummy is looking at me very crossly. Aww I love you too love-a-bug. Bye baby girl, bye my sweet lion cub.” He then made a kissing sound to the phone before hanging it up.

“Really? You hang it up before I could say goodbye to Jack?”

“Oh Jack was there too? I thought it was just my lovebug.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Why must you still treat him like that?”

“Like what?” he teased.

“You know bloody well what I mean your cheeky blonde lion.” I said as I sat down on the bed beside him.

“I’ve got to, it’s my rule as the father. And I promise I’ll do the same to Rory when she marries and any other daughter that I have. They’ll get the same treatment as you. Because they may find a new lion to love, but none will ever compare to their papa lion.” He said as he sat up and cupped both sides of my face before leaning his nose close to mine, and having his forehead resting against mine.

“Then may God help us once Rory and your real girls start dating. Cause then they’ll start blowing up my phone and coming to my house to escape the overbearing papa lion.” He gave me his best ‘bitch’ face like what Deacy sometimes gives me whenever I annoy him (like any good sister would do) before shoving his hand in my face and pushing me down onto my bed. “Hey you can’t do that in my room!”

“I might as well take this room as punishment young lady.”

“You are so mean!”

“But you love me for it my full grown lioness cub.”

“That I do. And I always will, even when you’re old and gray.”

“You better you ageless Angel.”

“Hey you know only Freddie is allowed to call me that.” I snapped.

“Yeah, yeah. Well I think I’m gonna head for the bar down in the lobby, care to join me?” he said as he got off my bed.

“No thanks, I’m exhausted I think I’m gonna go to bed and sleep until lunch tomorrow.” He chuckled and came up to me and kissed the top of my head.

“Well if you do wake up later tonight, that’s where I’ll most likely be, either there or in my suite.”

“Okay Rog, see you tomorrow.” He then left my room with a salute and once I heard the door close I lay back against my bed, got into the covers and just fell right asleep.

Finally for the first time in weeks, I was able to get a good days/night’s sleep.

The next morning, I woke up to the sun on my face and a ringing by my bedside.  I groaned and tiredly reached over and slammed on the clock thinking it was the damn alarm, but when it wouldn’t shut off, I unplugged it but the ringing still happened.

It was then I opened my eyes and reached out for the phone and answered it.

“What?”

‘Sorry to disturb you Mrs. Kline but a package has arrived with your name on it.’ Hearing that made me more wide awake cause I knew exactly what it was.

“It has? Tell me it’s still in perfect condition!”

‘Yes ma’am. The box is in prime condition. Not a tear or soil in it at all.’

“Excellent. Send it up to the Presidential suite.”

‘Right away ma’am.’ I hung up the phone then picked it back up and dialed the presidential suite.  It rang about five times and I muttered,

“Come on Fred pick up, pick up!” I muttered.

‘Yes?’

“Fred it’s me.”

‘(Y/n)? Darling it’s 7 o’clock in the morning, why are you calling me at 7?’

“Well sorry if her royal majesty didn’t get her beauty rest. But I need you to be awake.”

‘What for?’

“My package for Roger just came in. For his you know what today.”

‘Wait it’s that time already?’

“Yes Fred, it’s the 26th.”

‘Oh fuck! I swear a week apart and I can’t keep up with the fucking demands.’ I could hear him getting out of bed.

“So you’ll take care of it?”

‘No worries darling your gift will be kept perfectly safe in my hands. Can I at least know what it is?’

“Fuck no because you are the worst secret keeper ever when it comes to presents. Especially when they involve your partner in crime. I swear you guys tell each other everything.”

‘Yeah. That we do. And you’re no fun darling, I promise I won’t tell Roger now please tell me what it is pleeease!’

“Nope. You’ll find out later tonight.”

‘I swear darling you’ve become so boring since you became a mother. You used to share all the dirty little secrets with me.’

“You’re such a liar Freddie. A Great King Rat!”

‘Seems like someone’s been listening to our first album again.’ He teased me.

“Can you blame me? Next to A Night at the Opera, that’s my favorite album.”

‘But can you at least tell me what you’re wearing tonight?’

“Sorry can’t say that either.”

‘Darling you’re killing me here!’ he whined which made me giggle.

“Okay so you’ve got the cake ready to go right?”

‘Yes I have the finest chocolatiers baking it right now. They’ll have it ready by tonight. I sent them the design late yesterday.’

“Great. And we’ve got Dominque and Felix flying in later today. Okay so I’ll keep Roger busy for the day and then bring him around at what time?”

‘Well the guests are gonna start coming up to my suite around 6:30-7ish. Brian will pick up Dominque and the mini Taylor at around 5:15 and Deacy will be helping me with the decorating.’

“Awesome. So I will see you tonight then Fred. And remember my package.”

‘No worries dear I’ve got it all taken care off. In fact I think that’s it right now. See you tonight my darling.’

“See yah Fred.” I hung up the phone.  I got dressed into some casual clothes for the day so that way I wouldn’t ruin my party clothes for tonight.  I ended up wearing a simple summer blouse that I hadn’t really worn since before I got pregnant with Kelly as well as some jean shorts.  I did my hair and makeup before finally heading towards Roger’s room.

Thankfully the guys always give me a spare key to their hotel rooms each time we go on tour together, just so that way if I ever needed company I could go to them, or in an occasion such as this, I could give the guys some special birthday morning loves from me.  Once I got the door opened, I slowly crept inside and there I saw Roger still asleep in bed, with his shades still on.

I rolled my eyes and tip-toed towards the bed and as gently as I could removed his shades.  Thankfully Rog was always a heavy sleeper, even more so than Brian was.

“Roger.” I softly whispered as I poked his cheek.  He didn’t flinch. “Roger wake up.” I gently shook him this time and he still refused to wake up.  So I resorted to my usual method of waking him up, “Dad!” I hopped up on the bed and pressed my hands on his back, lightly bouncing up and down, like how I’ve seen Felix do to him. “Dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad!”

Suddenly I was tackled to the bed and I was looking up into the tired blue eyes of my surrogate father Roger Taylor.

“Even when you’re a parent, why must you still act like a child?”

“Maybe you should say that into a mirror? You literally did this to me just days ago when we were in Austria.”

“So Roger Taylor, how does it feel to be 37 years old? Feeling your age yet old timer?”

“Believe it or not I still got a spring in my step. I’m still in my 30’s and I still look attractive don’t you think?”

“Not as you once were in your 20’s I’m afraid. In fact I think I see some graying right here.” I teased as I brushed my fingers through the top right corner of his head through his short, ruffled hair.

“Okay that’s it!” he tackled me and proceeded to tickle my sides.  I shrieked and tried to get away from him but he kept a firm, strong grip around my waist. “Oh no you don’t get back here!”

“Dad! Nohohoho!”

“And don’t think you’ll be in the clear yet young lady. Once you reach your 30’s I’ll be teasing you endlessly.” He ceased his tickle attack leaving me a panting mess.

“Bitch please Freddie said I’m the eternal youth. I’ll age gracefully.”

“Nope you’re gonna get grey streaks and wrinkles and bags by the time you’re 34.” I shoved his shoulder and I said.

“I’d come up with far worse insults but I don’t want to be the cruel bitch because it’s your birthday.”

“That means you’ve got to treat me like the royal Queen I am.” He said as he lay sprawled out on his back like one of Freddie’s cats.

“Yes I will. Now get dressed yah wally and let’s get going.” I got out of his bed but I was pulled back in and I whined out. “Whaaaat?” dragging out the A.

“Before you leave, I would like a birthday kiss from my daughter.” I smiled before kissing his cheek.

“There, happy?”

“I expect more. One for each day of my age throughout the day.”

“Just be thankful I’m not doing what you do to me. Damn you for not being ticklish.”

“I’m so blessed.” He then pecked my cheek and allowed me to stand back up and I left his room to allow him to get dressed.  It took him awhile to get fully ready but he soon came out with a pair of jeans, blue and red and white stripped button up shirt (you know the one that really gives him that dad vibe), his black leather jacket, of course his shades and white sneakers.

“You ready?”

“I’m ready if you are my dear.” He said as he crooked his arm for me.  I slide my arm through his and we went on our merry way out into the beautiful country of Budapest.

So for the entire morning Roger and I did some sightseeing together and I showed him some of the best locations.  We went to the National museum of Fine Arts, saw some of the famed statues, and of course took advantage of seeing the new records shops they’ve been building.

Cause last time I ever came to Budapest, since they were still heavily influenced by the Communist party, they were slightly hesitant on letting record shops being a full fledged thing.  So the biggest record shop was probably no bigger than a comic book shop.  

But in the last few years with Communist party losing it’s harsh grip, the stores grew and actually took up an entire shop now.  So Rog and I checked out to see who all Hungary was being exposed to.

After getting some lunch at a great steakhouse I hailed down a cab for us because now it was time for Roger’s main surprise from me.

“Okay Rog now I want you to do something for me.”

“That depends on what it is. If it’s not allowing Kelly to stay with me after the tour forget it.”

“No nothing like that. Where we’re going next is a surprise, so I don’t want you to see it.” Taking out of my purse, I held out a long black sash and held it out to him. “Put it over your eyes.”

“You’re joking right?”

“No I told you I want it to be a surprise. I promise you this isn’t an attempt to kill you.”

“Yeah cause saying that makes me very sure.” He said sarcastically.

“C’mon Rog, when have I ever really let you down? Hmm?” he looked at me and I quirked my brow at him, kinda giving him my best Brian gaze.

“Promise me no tricks? That we’re not gonna go to somewhere boring.”

“I swear. In fact it’ll probably be hard to get you to leave.” He took the sash and removed his glasses and tied the sash over his eyes.  I told the driver the address and soon he took off driving.  As we drove on, Roger asked me as I fiddled with his shades.

“Can I at least be given a hint of where we’re going?”

“No can do.”

“But I’m the birthday boy, why keep it from me on my special day?”

“Because birthday boy, this is part of a surprise I have in store for you.” I said as I bopped his nose. “We’ll be there in like ten minutes. It’ll go by fast I promise.” Then to get his mind off of where we were going, I asked him what he planned to do after the tour was over.

That’s basically the whole conversation between us about what we’d be planning to do.  I told him that due to this tour, I had to miss all of Kelly’s first at this point and I refused to miss her first word or first steps so I hope to have a year maybe 2 yearlong break before I start doing anything else.

Because to be truthful, the longest break I had was probably 6 months and that’s when I had Kelly. So since I began my career, all I’ve been doing is album, tour, concerts, live performances, interviews, getting married, had a baby, tour again, record, make public appearances and be apart of other singer’s records.  All in the span of five years of my career.  I need a break.

“Miss, we’re here.” The driver told us.

“Thank you.” I thanked him as I opened the door.  I took Roger’s hand and gently guided him out of the cab.

“Can I take this damn thing off?”

“No, no not yet just wait like three more seconds.”

“Well I’m counting one, two…..”

“Roger!”

“Okay, okay.” I adjusted him and said.

“Okay, now you can take the blindfold off.” He took it off before putting his shades back on and it was then he saw that we had arrived at the Go-Kart race track.

Already thousands of people were gathered around with seats as a race was already in place.

“Oh my…..”

“Surprise! Yeah I found this when I first came here and thought it’d be a cool thing for us to do. Though sadly some of the producers from the filming of the concert are here too. Kinda wanted this to be just you and me.”

“It’s fine lovie. Thank you for bringing me here. So wanna have a race?”

“Yeah. Any excuse to beat you grandpa.”

“Grandpa?!” I grinned and the two of us raced on ahead towards the race track.

Once we got down to the track, we met up with some of the volunteers who work with the driver’s on the track and we got to chat with them.  They told us how to work the cars, which pedals were the gas and breaks, and how to work the stick shift since it was on the side next to the wheel.

We also signed a few autographs for either Queen or Rock Angel fans, which I never mind doing, and I also asked if one of the workers could take mine and Roger’s picture here at the track.  As Roger and I began to prep for the next race, I told him.

“You’re going down old man.”

“I wouldn’t say that bicyclist. Cause you’re about to eat my dust.”

“Cute pun Roger Taylah. But that won’t stop you. At this point you and I are mortal enemies, see you on the other side.” I lowered the screen protector of my helmet and turned my go-kart on and revved it just to taunt him.

As Roger, I and the other racers got into place, we waited for the light to tell us to go.  It went from red, to red, to yellow then finally green. Both Roger and I took off against the other racers leaving them practically in the dust leaving Roger and I to tie neck and neck.

By the first turn, he managed to get the upper hand but pressed down on the gas pedal and tried to catch up to him.  I soon cut him off and turned back to look at him and even though he couldn’t see it, he knew I was grinning at him.  I focused back forward, and I don’t even know how it happened but he somehow managed to drive ahead of me about 7 feet in front of me.

“Oh hell no!” I tried to catch up but no matter how fast I was going I wasn’t able to catch up with him. Unfortunately he won the first race and as the two of us circled in the cockpits, I removed my helmet and he got up beaming with cockiness as he said.

“Now what was it you had said earlier?”

“Very funny.”

“What was that come again?”

“Okay I had a default gearshift, and my engine spurted on that second turn which is why those guys were able to pass me.”

“So who’s the real grandpa now?” he bragged as he knelt down beside me.

“I want a rematch. Best 2 out of 3.”

“You’re on, but it’ll just end up the same way. You biting the dust.”

“Not for long car-boy.” I revved my engine and put my helmet back on and drove back towards the starting line.

Sadly I only won the last race as Roger had beaten me again.  Then being a good sport he figured possibly one last race would maybe get me another win but the little shithead knew he’d win so he won 3 of the four races we did.

As we drove away from the go-kart track and headed back into town, I sat there pouting as I leaned against the window.

“Aww c’mon love you did fine. In fact that last race you nearly had me.”

“Oh shove it yah car lover! This is why I prefer bikes. If it were a bike race I’d cream you!”

“You’d do worse than that. I could barely even get on a bike. But don’t be such a sore loser lovie.” I grumbled and turned away from him. “Wow, my own daughter giving me the cold shoulder on my own birthday. Whatever shall I do?” he then bumped seats over and sat right next to me and pressed himself against me.

“Get off!” I whined and tried to shove him off.

“Nope. Not gonna do it till my lion cub is happy again. She’s being a grumpy pants and I can’t have that, I won’t have it. Now c’mon give us a smile, please? For me?” I grumbled under my breath and refused to look at him.

It was then I felt him poke my sides making it tickle.  I held in a squeak and I muttered to him.

“Don’t you even dare!”

“Then give me a smile and I won’t. Also stop being such a spoil sport or I’ll tell Freddie. And believe me love he’s worse than me when it comes trying to make you smile.” He was right I’ll give him that.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry I’m being a sore loser.”

“Well you’re still an adorable loser.”

“Dad!”

“You know I love you poppet. No matter if you beat me at something or I beat you.” He said with a kiss to my cheek.

“I know, and I love you too.” I kissed his cheek again and we continued on our drive back into town.

As the day went on, the sun was starting to set, I looked down at my watch and saw that it was getting close to party time.

“Hey dad, it’s getting pretty late why don’t we head back to the hotel?”

“Not getting bored of me already are yah?” he teased.

“Oh you know that’ll never happen. But I did promise Jack I would give him a call, maybe you can also get a birthday message from your goddaughter.”

“Why didn’t you say so let’s go!” next thing I knew I was being dragged along the sidewalks as the two of us raced back to the Four Seasons hotel.

We got back to my room and as he dialed my number to talk with his goddaughter, I silently slipped into the bathroom and changed into my party dress.  It wasn’t fancy-fancy just a simple dark blue dress, I changed into some black flats and as I quietly stepped out I could hear Roger once again cooing into the phone at my daughter.

“Aww lovie thank you so much. Yes I wish you could be here too.” As Roger continued to talk to my daughter, I wrote Roger a quick note before slipping out of my room and raced down the hallway towards the elevator and quickly pressed the up button. I tapped my foot anxiously hoping that I could disappear before Roger even noticed I was gone.

Finally I heard the ding and the elevator opened.  I got inside and pressed the Penthouse button and I went up the rest of the 8 stories up. When I got to the penthouse I could already hear some music and the sound of an already packed crowd of people inside the penthouse suite.

“Hello (y/n).”

“Terry. Freddie got you being watchdog for Roger?” I asked Freddie’s driver and bodyguard whose also served as my ‘temporary bodyguard’ shortly after my first one Big Rob had to retire due to health issues.  He had accompanied me during the tour just after my wedding and stayed with me up until Live Aid last year, before I finally found my current bodyguard Anthony “Big Tone” Pesci.

“Yep. I’ll radio in once I see him come out of the elevator, he’s not with you is he?”

“No he’s still in my room talking to Kelly.”

“How is that baby girl of yours anyway?”

“She’s great. God I can’t believe I had to miss her 8 month birthday. I just hope I can plan a hiatus just so that way I can stay with her for a year. I already had to miss most of her first few months because of this tour.”

“It’s hard. John was the same way when I first started working for Queen once his second son and daughter were born. Especially when Laura was born.”

“I’ll bet. God having kids really does change you doesn’t it?”

“Indeed it does. Well don’t wanna keep you waiting looking all beautiful like that, go on in.”

“Oh stop it Terry you’re making me blush.” I then went inside and low and behold there were people literally crowding the entire suite.  Not only from our team but also Hungarian press and reporters.

“(Y/n)!” I looked up and there I found that familiar tuff of black hair.  I smiled and waved and rushed over and hugged Dominque.

“Hey how was the flight?”

“Thankfully uneventful.”

“That’s good. Is Felix here?”

“Yeah he’s with Brian and Deacy. But how have you been?”

“Okay. Just really miss my baby girl.”

“I know. When Felix was first born Roger went crazy over missing him the first few months. Now that we have Rory ohh god—”

“Your parents babysitting her?”

“Yeah. Sadly the kid’s too small to fly first class.”

“Yeah otherwise we’d both have our baby girls here. Hell I’d take my kid on the road if I have to. But the road’s no place for babies, at least not yet.”

“LISTEN UP MY DARLINGS! LISTEN TO ME LOVIES! I just got a radio from Terry, Roger’s just getting out of the lift!” At this point everyone began to get into their hiding positions.  I ran with Dominque and the two of us hid behind the red sofa.  Brian switched off the lights leaving us in total darkness. Everyone trying to shush one another before we all finally fell silent.

The door opened and I could hear Roger say.

“Jesus it’s dark in here.” I saw his shadow walk further in the room before finally the lights came on and we all jumped out and yelled.

“SURPRISE!!!” Roger jumped back with a hand over his heart but had a wide smile on his face. Freddie came up with a glass of Hungarian vodka for Roger and he said.

“Surprised Roger?”

“God am I ever.” At that we all softly chuckled as Freddie handed him the shot glass and Roger took a swing of it.  He then spotted me and said. “This your idea?”

“You know me I’m nowhere near the party planner as Freddie is. I was just part of the distraction so that way he could get everything set up.” I told him.  He then turned to Dominque and he said.

“You came too?”

“You really didn’t think I’d miss your birthday did you?” she came around wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Felix here too?”

“He’s with his uncles, I can take you there if you’d like. I think the boy needs to go to bed, poor little guy could barely keep his eyes open once we got off the plane.”

“Just like his dad.” I piped in.

“And his aunt for that matter.” Roger retaliated.  I playfully stuck my tongue at him and chuckled.

As the night went on, it was now time to cut the cake.  The hotel’s chefs brought it in and I was amazed at it.  It was a small 3 level, platform style vanilla cake with a sculpted Roger on the drums in chocolate, as well as decorated with chocolate musical notes.  And to make it very “Roger-y” there was even fire spurting out from the front ends of it, sparkling like sparklers on the 4th of July.

We all gathered around and proceeded to sing Happy Birthday to Roger.  I stood beside him so that he was sandwiched between me and Freddie. By the end of the song, he hugged and kissed my head first before turning to Freddie and hugged him.

“That’s the new drummer!” Freddie announced which made all of us laugh.  After that, I handed Roger the large cutting knife so that he could make the first cut of the cake.  

As we all gathered around the small cake, it was then Freddie said.

“Now I know you don’t like this Roger, but a girl is going to pop out of that.” At that point I just laughed and couldn’t help but roll my eyes.  If there were a girl in that cake then she’s have to be pixie sized like Tinkerbell. “Just try.”

“Not very big enough.” Roger said as the crowd all laughed and Roger took the first small cut and got his slice of the cake.  Then it was Dominque’s turn, then the guys, me and then the party guests.

There was mingling, dancing, and interviews going on.  I had just a bit of cake left to go over and tease Roger while he was on camera with the Hungarian press about why Queen had finally come to Hungary and what they got in return (why do I know this? Because they asked me the very same questions the first time I came here over three years ago).

I walked over as I heard Roger saying.

“There’s a tremendous feeling of sort of—I suppose job satisfaction. Is a strange way to put it.”

“It’s quite good to get job satisfaction after 14 years.” The interviewer asked Roger.

“Well it’s a pretty good job isn’t it?” at that point I dipped my finger into the vanilla frosting and came into the camera shot and bopped his nose before saying in a sing-song tone.

“Gotcha!” I grinned like the Cheshire cat at him and couldn’t help the giggles that came out of me.

“And of course this one makes it all the more traumatizing.” I gaped at him in mocked shock but he grinned and wrapped his arm around me and said, “No, no, no she makes it so much more fun. And she keeps us in line from killing each other.”

“That part is true.”

“So Rock Angel, a lot has happened since you were last here, what has returning to Hungary meant to you?” the interviewer asked me.

“Oh god well it has been awhile. In fact to be honest I was a little terrified cause there were still some doubt about letting Rock and roll into your country, but I was welcome with open arms by the majority of your people and now like three years later I’m welcome back like I’m visiting family again. Budapest has meant a lot to me and umm….I’m just happy to be back.”

“And with touring with one of the biggest bands of the world, what has that meant to you?”

“Oh these guys are my family. I—really wouldn’t know where I’d be if not for these four. They each inspired me all my life and I—I’m forever grateful to them.” Roger kissed my temple before getting his revenge by smearing a bit of cake onto my cheek. “Oh no you did not!”

“You bet your arse I did Angel.”

“You’re gonna get it Taylor!” Soon I chased after him with the actual cake in my hands.

The party was a huge success and everyone managed to get back to their hotel rooms even with as shitfaced as some of them were.  Roger and I were on the tipsy but still sober enough (since we all had the big concert tomorrow Queen and I made a pact to not get shitfaced so that way we could be presentable and show up for soundchecks tomorrow afternoon.)

“So birthday boy, did you have a fun night?”

“I did. Thank you soo much.”

“Oh hey I uhh—kinda swiped this away cause I wanted to sorta give it to you personally.” I held out my gift to him.

“I thought it was weird not seeing a present from you.” I handed it to him and we both sat down on the floor so that he could open it properly.  He tore the wrapping off and opened the box up to reveal an official signed copy of The Who’s last album before their breakup.

Apparently when I was recording with David Bowie on his album, I went to the coffee shop just down the road from the studio we were at and there I saw all members of “The Who” who were recording their own album in a separate studio.  We chatted a bit and I had asked them if they wouldn’t mind signing something for a father-figure in my life and amazingly they accepted.

“You’re a hard guy to shop for dad, cause you practically have everything so I—I hope this is okay.” He hugged me tightly and said.

“I love it darling. You knew they were my favorite band and hearing of their breakup made me in a foul mood for weeks. This really means a lot to me, even worth my entire home.”

“And your cars and yacht?”

“Even those lovie. Because it came from you. Although I would’ve been twice as happy if I had gotten your signed record.” He said as he cupped my chin and pressed his forehead against mine.  I smiled and felt him kiss my forehead.  “Get some sleep love, we’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

“I will, so long as you do as well.”

“I will. Goodnight love.”

“Night dad, happy birthday.” I gave him one last hug and he hugged me back, rocking us back and forth.

“Thank you my sweet lioness.” He gave me one final kiss on top of my head and headed down the hall towards his room.  I got into mine and did a quick shower and changed into my nightdress before finally getting into bed.

And as usual the next day was our concert.  We did our soundchecks at around 1pm and the stage crew got the entire stadium stage built throughout the entire afternoon.  Soundchecks started by about 7pm and then the concert began at 9pm.

As always the guys and I delivered a stellar performance that only Queen and the Rock Angel can do together.  We both even had a little surprise for the audience.  Freddie was performing the traditional Hungarian folk song “Tavaszi Szél Vizet Áraszt” and I with a translator, worked together in translating my song “Shallow” into Hungarian.

The two of us had been practicing our songs all day, he with Brian and I at the piano practicing by myself.  I would help him with some of the pronunciations of some of the words, and he’d help play the piano whenever I was distracted in trying to figure out how to say and play the words that were translated for me.  It was hard work but the two of us managed to do our songs for our beloved Hungarian fans.

By the end of the night, as me and the guys closed out with “We are the Champions” Freddie came out dolled up with the kingly robe and crown and he held the crown up to the audience before we finally closed the concert.  As the audience applauded us, I gathered with the guys to the edge of the stage as Freddie said into his mic.

“Goodnight, thank you very much. You beautiful people. God bless you we Love you.” As “God save the Queen” began playing I stood between Brian and Deacy as the three of us waved goodbye to the crowd.  While Freddie actually gave his crown and placed it on Roger’s head, however that only lasted like 2 seconds before it fell off his head and onto the lower segment of the stage.

I laughed and raced over to him and proclaimed.

“What was that Roger? Disrespecting the crown you royal fool!” he embraced me getting me even sweatier than I was at that point and I groaned in disgust leaving Deacy to pick up the crown and give it back to Freddie.  Deacy also spared me from Roger’s grip as he pulled me away and wrapped an arm protectively around me as the two of us waved the crowd goodbye before finally leaving the stage.

Another successful concert.  And with that we packed up our stuff, checked out of the hotel and went back on the road to our next gig.

[dazombi3fari3]

Hey doll hey!!! How’s your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day … but it’s night now here in Florida and I am starting to hurt pretty badly…. I think I over did it today.

I noticed that I haven’t done any Monthly Beauty Favorites so I thought I’d start a new series for this blog… hope you like it.

Before we start I just wanted to shade with you what I made for dinner tonight! I am so proud of myself. I’ve never made Salmon on my own… I always just order it from a restaurant… but with the national quarantine and all the sit down restaurants being closed I’ve had to step out of my  comfort zone and teach myself to cook things I normally would order out! so …. here it is …

Honey lemon Salmon and garlic butter and corn white rice. This dish was so sublime that I don’t think I’ll ever order Salmon when we go out to eat again!

Not all categories will have a high end and drugstore entry. Please Note that I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the products or companies that I mention in this blog post. * Warning this will be a long post … just grab a snack, something to drink and settle in … I promise you wont be sorry for reading this post….. Well … Without further ado …let’s get into my April 2020 Beauty Favorites.

Favorite Beauty Store:

Beautylish has got to be my all time favorite place to shop for all things beauty!! 

I’ve been shopping at Beautylish for well over 5 years. Their customer service is of the highest quality. Their shipping rate is a flat rate of $5 on all orders (in the US it’s $5 on all orders under $35 anything above $35 is free shipping). The only downside is that they are unable to ship to P.O. boxes. They offer flex payments on orders of $100 or more where you pay a down payment and then they spread the rest of the bill over  3 to 4 payments depending how much the bill comes to. The down payment amount also depends on the amount spent… For example: I just placed an order for $102. I paid $37 as the down payment and the rest was split into 3 equal payments to be due on the 1st of each month. The due date depends on the date of purchase. I tend to pay my flex payments off faster than the allotted time, but it’s great to know I have the 3 months just in case I need them. Beautylish also ships international the the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium,Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, U.K., and U.S. Beautylish carries the following brands:

A

Aethera Beauty

Allies of Skin

Alphabet Bags

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anna Sui

Ardell

Artis

ARTISAN&ARTIST

B

beautyblender

Beautylish Presents

BeautySoClean

BECCA Cosmetics

belif

Benefit Cosmetics

Benjabelle

Billy B

Bioderma

bkr

boscia

Briogeo

Brush Works

Bumble and bumble.

BY TERRY

C

Caudalie

Charlotte Tilbury

Chemist Confessions

CHIKUHODO

Clean Apothecary

COOLA

COVER | FX

D

Danessa Myricks Beauty

Dominique Cosmetics

Dr. Barbara Sturm

DUO

E

Eau Thermale Avène

Embryolisse

EVE LOM

Evian

F

Farmacy

G

Glamcor

Good Molecules

H

Hampton Sun

Herbalore

HoliFrog

Hourglass

I

ILIA

Indie Lee

Inglot Cosmetics

IT Cosmetics

J

Jeffree Star Cosmetics

JILL STUART Beauty

Jo Malone London

Jouer Cosmetics

JUNO & Co.

K

Kevyn Aucoin

Kjaer Weis

Klorane

Koh Gen Do

KOYUDO

L

La Mer

LASHES IN A BOX

Lilly Lashes

LINA CHOO

Lit Cosmetics

Lixirskin

Lord Jones

Lucas’ Papaw Remedies

M

MAHALO Skin Care

Make-Up Atelier

Max & Me

May Lindstrom

Mila Moursi

Miss Fame Beauty

Moon Juice

MYKITCO.

N

Natasha Denona

Naturally Serious

Nomad Noé

Nudestix

O

Omorovicza

Oribe

P

Pai Skincare

Parian Spirit

Paw Palette

Peter Thomas Roth

Q

Quintessence Paris

R

R+Co

Rae Morris

Raincry

RCMA Makeup

ReFa

Rene Furterer

rms beauty

S

SACHAJUAN

Saint Jane Beauty

Seche

Sisley-Paris

Skin Inc Supplement Bar

Skindinavia

Slip

Smith & Cult

Smith Cosmetics

Sol de Janeiro

Sonia G.

St. Tropez

Stila

Sugarpill Cosmetics

Sulwhasoo

Sunday Riley

Surratt Beauty

Susanne Kaufmann

Suwada

T

T3

Takahashi Hiroko

Taos AER

TEMPTU

The Beauty Chef

The Brush Guard

The Ordinary.

The Sacred Ritual

TOM FORD

Too Faced

TRIA Beauty

Tweezerman

U

U Beauty

Uma

UNITS

V

VDL

Velour Lashes

Vintner’s Daughter

Viseart

Vital Proteins

Vueset

W

Wayne Goss

Z

ZIIP

Z•Palette

I truly love to shop with them because the take time to package my purchases with care, it never takes more than a week to get my packages (except for now, it’s taking about 2-3 weeks because of the Corona Virus), and they have a great return policy: Their website states that their return policy is: If you are less than completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return your order within 60 days (from the delivery date) for a refund. We regret that we are unable to cover return shipping costs or refund the original shipping and duties charges unless the return was due to our error. Products must be returned in new or gently used condition. If your product arrived either damaged or defective, please contact us right away. Sets/bundles are sold as-is and products cannot be substituted, customized, and/or returned individually.

I’ve never had any issues with their services, in fact there was 1 time around 3 years ago that I ordered something from the brand It Cosmetics and the wrong item was delivered to me, I contact them straight away and they sent me out the product I had originally ordered that same day and as a way to apologize for the mistake they even allowed me to keep the product that I had received in error.

  Favorite Amazon Beauty Finds:

Pixnor 5″3″ Stainless Steel Makeup Palette with Spatula Tool $6.99 on Amazon: I am so happy I purchased this!!  I use to apply foundation to the back of my hand and then bonce my sponge off my hand … what I found is that this would cause waste of product because some of the foundation would sink into my skin and I would have to use more foundation… now I just apply a few pumps onto the palette and there is zero waste. I also love the spatula because I can use it to scrape moisturizers out of the jar without having to use my fingers. I also use the spatula to mix dew drops into my foundation and now I don’t have a big mess on my hands. 

Segbeauty 5.4oz/160ml Continuous Spray Plastic Squirt Bottle With A Fine Mist $14.99 on Amazon: This bottle is a curly hair girls dream!! It provides just the right amount of moisture without over-wetting your hair. It has a 360 degree sprayer and it’s perfect for re-wetting hair in the morning to restyle and freshen up curls. This bottle has changed my hair game for the better.

Every Drop Beauty Spatula $5.89 on Amazon. I’ve always hated the thought that there was still product in the bottom and sides of my products after I’ve run out. I started cutting plastic tubes open to get every last drop on product out but with bottles you just can’t do that. I came across this little baby when I was just browsing the beauty tools section of Amazon one day and thought OH! PERFECT!!! This spatula gets all the way to the bottom, the sides, and even the shoulders of bottles! I now have zero waste with my beauty products. I love this item so much that I have ordered it’s baby sister product the Every Drop Lip Spatula for $5.49 I ordered 2 one for lipsticks and lip glosses and one for concealers and other small wand items. This has truly helped me not waste my money by allowing me to get every last drop of product out of their containers.

Favorite Makeup Tool:

Face Halo Makeup Remover Pads: $17.60 for a 3 pack on Amazon. This little puppy is the perfect accompaniment to my vastly growing Eco-friendly arsenal. I find that I do not use as much of my Bioderma now because I am not using it to take off my makeup before I use it as my first cleanse…. 1 round is enough to completely remove all of my makeup from my face, neck, and ear lobes! You just soak it with warm water and remove your makeup… and it does remove 100% of my makeup, including lash glue! I just simply wash it after every use and it dries quickly too. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a way to reduce your carbon foot print on the planet!

Favorite Makeover Product: 

Schwarzkopf Keratin Permanent Hair Color Cream in the shade 4.6 Intense Cocoa $9.97 on Amazon (but Amazon only allows you to purchase 1 so I ordered 3 more from Walgreens.com buy 2 get 1 free for the same price). This was the first time I used this product and I’ve gotta tell ya … This has got to be the BEST boxed hair color on the market. It has Anti-Breakage Technology called K·BOND-PLEX technology (that repairs inner hair structure) and a Pre-Color Serum (that leaves your hair looking healthy and strong, with less hair breakage). It also doesn’t have that harsh hair dye smell to it. In fact my hair smelled so good that it was like I had just simply washed my hair. The conditioner it comes with left my hair so smooth and soft and fluffy. I believe they use the same technology as Olaplex does because my hair felt as if I had just done an Olaplex treatment to it. This will definitely be a product I repurchase again and again. 

Favorite Candle:

Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel 3 Wick Candle: This sadly is my last Vanilla Bean Noel candle… I purchase this scent every year at Christmas time … I stock up when they have their holiday sale and typically purchase 20 of them… it’s just the best scent ever

Favorite Body Care Item:

Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion with Almond Oil $5 at Walmart for 16.9 Fluid Ounces: I use to use Bath and Body Works body creams but with my Fibromyalgia I tend to get very sensitive itchy skin and have noticed that the Bath and Body Works creams would aggravate my already sensitive skin … So on a whim I picked this up a few months ago. Firstly a little of this goes a long way. It’s very creamy and very hydrating and has a soft Almond scent to it. It sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave me body feeling greasy. I’m pleasantly surprised at how wonderful this product is.

Favorite Hair Care Item:

Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother $28 for 3.3 fluid ounces at Sephora and No 7 Bonding Oil $28 for 1 fluid ounces at Sephora: These two products work together you add a few drops of the oil into the smoother and mix it together. I use this once about ever few days to revive my curls… since I don’t wash my hair everyday I need something to help my curls revive. I typically only wash my hair 1 time a week since I don’t put any hair products into my hair. This not only smells amazing, it leaves my hair soft and replenished and defines my curls when they start to go a bit frizzy. A little bit goes along way I only use a quarter sized amount of the smoother and about 5 drops of the oil. This is another item that has seriously upped my curly girl hair game.

Favorite Movie : (I know this isn’t beauty related, but I take my movie time to do my spa treatments … so I included it as a favorite.)

Synopsis: When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. This was a very well thought out movie with lots of twists and turns. Highly Recomend.

Favorite Spa Day Item:

Revolution Skincare x Jake-Jamie Avocado Face Mask $11 for 1.6 ounces at Ulta: This mask is amazingly moisturizing. I use it once a week and my skin feels heavenly afterwards.

Favorite Skincare Item: 

I tried a ton of skincare in the month of April and there were several things that I loved but I would have to say that my all time favorite item(s) are as follows:

My 2 whole face (including eyes) serum routine: #1. Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum $12 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to target fine lines, wrinkles, and dullness. #2. Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum $6 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to replenish your skin’s moisture by drawing moisture into the skin for deep hydration.  My skin has never looks this good since I was in my teens. Both these serums are light weight and sink into the skin quickly and you only need 1/2 a dropper for your full face and neck … I also use whatever is left on my hands to rub into my hands as sort of a treat for my hands.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Face Sunscreen Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 60: $29.99 for 1.7 fluid ounces and I purchase mine through Amazon. Ever since I starting using this sunscreen I have decluttered all other facial sunscreens. This is the perfect consistency for me. It’s light weight and hydrating. It sinks into the skin amazingly fast. It doesn’t interfere with my makeup application and it doesn’t have that sunscreen scent. BONUS: It’s a 60+ sunscreen which is the ideal level of protection for the face. 

  Favorite Face Primer: 

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer $39 for .5 ounces at Ulta and Sephora: I typically switch up my face primers every day or two but the one that I use everyday is this one. It just fills in my pores so well that I reach for it time and time again over all of my pore primers.

Favorite High End Foundation:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation $44 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (but can also be purchased through Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). As I said in my haul of this item this is such a beautiful foundation. I just can’t stop looking at my face anytime I’m wearing it. This full coverage foundation leaves my skin looking youthful and flawless. It plays well with dew drops mixed in and plays well with any primer. I will always have this foundation in my collections.

Favorite Drug Store Foundation: 

Believe Beauty Skin Finish Foundation: $5 for .85 fluid ounces only at Dollar General Stores. This foundation surprised me I truly didn’t believe that this was going to be a good foundation, however it is a FANTASTIC foundation and is  is a medium to full coverage. This is a semi-dewy foundation. What I mean is it’s just dewy enough to give you that youthful look without being to extreme. It lasts all day and doesn’t break down. I hope they never stop making this foundation!

Favorite High End BB/CC/Tinted Moisturizer: 

Tarte Maracuja Tinted Moisturizer $29 for 1 fluid ounce of product at Ulta. This is a super dewy product but not in a greasy sort of way. It’s light coverage and sets with powder nicely. This is such a beautiful product.. so much so that I purchased a back up just in case they pull it off the shelves. I find that it’s best to apply this one with your fingers since it’s such light coverage that using a sponge with soak it all up and using a brush will leave it looking streaky.

Favorite Concealer:

NYX Born to Glow Radiant Concealer $9 for .14 fluid ounces at Ulta. This is such a beautiful concealer! It doesn’t settle into my fine lines as long as I set it straight away upon application. It doesn’t crack throughout the day. A little tiny bit is all you need. It’s full coverage without being super thick. It gives an amazing glow to the under eye that can still be seen even after you set it with powder. I’d probably go out on a limb and say this may be my favorite concealer all year.

Favorite Cream Bronzer/Contour: I wont be having 2 categories for this one… mainly because I don’t have a drug store option for this category as of yet, I have since purchased a drug store option today.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand in the shade 2 Medium/Dark $38 for .41 fluid ounces purchased through Beautylish (but can be purchased at Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). I can’t believe I am saying that this is my favorite!! I have loved the Chanel Soleil De Chanel cream bronzer for so long that I didn’t think anything would ever replace it! Sad to say the Chanel bronzer was discontinued and a new cream bronzer replaced it … it looks more hydrating than the one I have so I’m keen to try it however … let’s talk Hollywood Contour Wand shall we!? This is the first cream contour product I’ve ever tried (bronze to me didn’t seem as scary as cream contour did). It is easy to use, easy to blend in, and gives the skin a natural looking contour. This is a light weight very pigmented product. You don’t get much product for the price tag, however a very little goes a very long way. I use 1 squeeze ever 2 days (it’s a sponge tipped applicator so the product stays in the sponge… I just squeeze 1 time and have enough product left over on the sponge that the next day I just have to dot what remains over the perimeter of my face. Unlike the Chanel bronzer this product doesn’t disrupt my foundation underneath. I love this product so much that I place an order today for a back up. 

Favorite Matte Bronzer/Contour:

Mac Bronzing Powder in the shade matte bronze: $30 for .35 ounces of product. I’ve had this compact for probably way too long because it’s starting to get hard pan, so I scraped the hard pan off … the powder works fine. The picture of the hand on the left is without flash and the one on the right is with flash. It’s just the perfect everyday natural looking bronzer. You can’t over do it with this bronzer since it’s so light of coverage. I always love my look when I’m wearing this one.

Favorite Glowy Bronzer :

Tarte Limited Edition Park Ave Princess Waterproof Face & Body Bronzer $34 for .55 ounces of product at Ulta. I do love a good glowy bronzer and this one does not disappoint! It’s the perfect shade, has just the right amount of glow without having shimmer to it … it’s just this glow from within! I just love how my skin looks with this bronzer on.

Favorite Dewy Primer: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in the shade #3 Light/Medium $44 for 1.01 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). Ever since getting this product in I have not been able to put it down! It’s freaking amazing!!! AMAZING! It has just enough of a tint that this could be worn alone for “No Makeup” makeup days and has the perfect amount of glow without having any shimmer to it. 1 swipe per zone is all you need of this primer. It’s not sticky or greasy and it does hold foundation nicely.

Favorite Cream Highlighter: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand $39 for .41 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). I have tried many cream highlighters and hate every single one, until this one came into my life! This highlighter is just magical! It doesn’t disrupt the foundation under neither, it melts into the skin seamlessly, and it has no glitter to it… just a natrual looking glow. The glow can still be seen even after setting it with powder! I haven’t been able to stop using it because I’m so in love with it.

Favorite High End Face Powder:

Too Faced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder in the shade Translucent $33 for .53 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This powder has the most beautiful finish ever! It give a slight glow to the skin without looking like glitter or shimmer. This one has taken the place of my beloved Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in my heart. I just never want to be without it!!! It doesn’t take much of this powder to set the full face either. I tap 3 shakes into the cap and that sets my full face! It even looks amazing under the eyes.

Favorite Drug Store Face Powder:

Believe Beauty Matte Blur Loose Powder in the shade Translucent $5 for .14 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. This is such a light weight powder that sets the face flawlessly. It is matte but doesn’t leave the face looking cakey or dry. It even looks good under the eyes. I have repurchased this 2 time since discovering it and I have 2 back ups.

Favorite High End Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder $45 for .28 ounces of product on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). This gives the prettiest soft focus to the face and doesn’t change the look of your makeup when you touch up with it. I find on days that I wear this one as a finishing powder I don’t have to touch up at all. I don’t quiet like this one as a setting powder, just as a finishing powder and touch up powder and sad to say I have hit pan … this is the most expensive pressed powder I own but it’s so worth it and I will definitely be repurchasing it when I’ve finished it.

Favorite Drug Store Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

JCat Beauty AquaSurance Compact Foundation $13.99 for .31 ounces of product at Ulta. This is a spot on dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder. It’s basically a fuller coverage version and I can use it to set my set as well and I never have to touch up at all when I use this powder.

Favorite Powder Highlighter: 

Benefit Boxed Highlighter in the shade Cookie $30 for .28 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. OH BABY! This highlighter is so pretty and little is all you need. This is a beaming highlighter so definitely not for low maintenance makeup day but add this to your full glam look and watch out…. it’s the perfect highlighter to be noticed in.

Favorite Blush:

Tarte 12-HR Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Captivating $29 for .2 ounce of product at Ulta and Sephora. This is the best just pinched shade I’ve ever owned. I wore it a ton in April and for good reason. It goes with everything from “No Makeup” makeup looks to full on glam looks. It lasts all day and is probably my all time favorite blush shade.

Favorite Lip Combo:

L’Oreal Rouge Signature Lightweight Matte Lip Stain ($5.99 at Ulta) in the shade 448 I-Tease (a soft taupey pink matte) a few dots of Makeup Geek Creme Stain ($11.99 on their website) in the shade Jitterbug (an intense coral matte) a touch of NARS Lip Gloss ($24 on the NARS website) in the shade Stripe Tease  (Sheer champagne nude). This makes the perfect shade for every look. I’ve worn this only for the past few days of April but I can already tell it will be worn a ton in the month of May.

Favorite Powder to Set My Under Eyes:

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder $28 for .14 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This just leaves the under eyes looking flawless and it sets every concealer I own except the Dermablend concealer (that concealer is just too heavy and took emollient that nothing really sets it and I would return it but I lost the uni-carton it came in so Ulta wont take it back). I wish this came in a larger jar because I just know I will be repurchasing this over and over. It gives this soft focus glow to the under eye area that isn’t shimmery or glittery … just a sort of glow from within look.

Favorite Brow Pencil:

Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil $24 at Ulta and Sephora for .27 ounces of product. I have purchased this pencil 2 time since discovering it and I have 1 back up. This is just the most effortless brow product ever. I almost never have a bad brow day when I use this pencil. It’s a definite recommend in my book.

Favorite Brow Gel: 

Believe Beauty Eyebrow Styling Gel $4 for .2 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. Even though it’s only got .2 ounces of product this brow gel lasts a long time. You only need 1 pass of the wand to fully set your brow. It is never crunchy and never goes flaky. The picture is of my back ups … this sucker goes fast at the store so I pick up 2 or 3 every time I go to Dollar General so I never run out. I adore this one so much that I never reach for my other brow gels.

Favorite High End Eye Shadow Palette: 

Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette $45. It has 8 matte shades and 8 shimmer shades and you get .48 total ounces of product and is sold at Ulta and Sephora. Some of my all time favorite looks this past month have come from this palette! I just adore it so much. Too Faced really hit it out of the park with this one.

Favorite Drug Store Eye Shadow Palette: (I have 3, 1 is a bit more pricier, 1 is mid-ranged and the other is super inexpensive)

ColourPop Bare Necessities 30 Pan Eyeshadow Palette $34 on the ColourPop website. I have created so many beautiful neutral eye looks with this palette! With 30 shades I never get bored of this one.

  Believe Beauty Eyeshadow Palette  in the color story: Nearly Nude $5 only sold at Dollar General. It’s just simple an amazing palette. I was highly impressed with this one. I got a few looks out of it and it’s the perfect size for travel.

  Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette $14.99 at Ulta. This was the first thing I ever tried from Catrice and I was super impressed! The shadows are super pigmented and blend like a dream.

Favorite Eye Liner:

Charlotte Tilbury The Classic Powder Eye Pencil in the shade Audrey $22 on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). Now this one was a surprise to me. I hated this pencil when I first tried it…. I could never get it to work… Well I finally figured it out and I am in love. It gives such a effortless look to the eyes when I use it. This will be a repurchase when I run out.

Favorite Mascara: 

Milani Dangerous Lengths 3D Mascara regularly $9.99 nut currently on sale for $7.49 at Ulta. This is another item that surprised me but ever since I’ve been conditioning my lashes with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil my lashes have been looking so nice and combined with the mascara I just fell in love…. I can’t believe I have a favorite mascara and it’s, for the first time in years, not the L’Oreal voluminous Carbon Black!!! This just gives a nice fluffy airy look to the lashes.

Favorite Inner Corner Highlight:

Hikari Creme Pigment in the shade Honey Dew $15 on their website. I have been using this for a few years now but I just can’t seem to stay away. It just give the prettiest lilt to the inner corners.

Favorite Setting Spray: (I have 2 this month)

ColourPop Hyaluronic Acid Setting Mist $12 for 3.72 fluid ounces of product at Ulta and on the ColourPop website. This setting spray smells like the beach and leaves the skin looking dewy and healthy. It holds your makeup fairly well … I don’t really need a setting spray that will hold my makeup on until the wee hours of the morning, I just need a spray that will take down the powderiness of freshly applied makeup.  I’ve been using this bottle for 2 months and I’m almost out of it. This makes me sad because it’s sold out everywhere. I think this may just be my favorite setting spray of the year.

Belif Aqua Bomb Mist $34 for 2 2.02 fluid ounces of product on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Ulta and Sephora). This one adds tons of hydration to the skin and I love it as a touch up spray too. Lately I have been using it in combination with the other setting spray just to add a bit more hydration to my under eye area. 

Favorite Find of the Year So Far: 

HonHey Portable Hand Held Rechargeable Fan. $13 on Amazon. I purchased this back in the beginning of March but it has quickly become my favorite beauty extra! It helps me dry my setting spray and lash glue. It also helps keep me cooler when the hot lights of my makeup table start to make me over heat. It has a great charge life as well. 

Well … We have reached the end dolls. Thank you ever so much for hanging in there with this post …. I know it was a long one … but this is the flagship post of this series and I thought I should be as thorough as possible with at least the first in the series… Now that’s not to say I wont have heaps of favorites in any given month, but I may just have a few favorites in other months too.

Well that’s all for now dolls. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day/night and that your spirits are high and your health is good! Remember dolls, Save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.

XOXO

April 2020 Beauty Favorites Hey doll hey!!! How's your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day ...

[monabela]

@aphyuriweek2019​? @aphyuriweek2019​! This is the first semi-substantial thing I’ve written since like February or something... Medieval lesbians! It’s for the prompt historical, though it’d also work for family I guess. It’s sort of important. Whatever the case, I won’t pretend it’s totally historically accurate if only because it’s set in a fake country and also I’ve been watching Merlin again. So there you have it, but at least I now know all the courtesy titles for nobility.

as I am

pairings/characters: Belgium (Manon)/Hungary (Erzsébet), Netherlands (Maarten), Czechia (Kveta), Estonia (Eduard), Finland (Tuomi)

word count: 6730 summary: Erzsébet is about to meet her promised husband, a marquess from far away, but it turns out his sister is far more interesting than the man himself. It might not be smart, but that’s never stopped Erzsébet before.

“My Lady!”

There is a slam on the doors of her chambers, because Erzsébet’s maidservant is a terrible woman without a sense of propriety, and Erzsébet grunts when she comes in to throw open the window shutters.

“My Lady. The envoy will be arriving soon.”

“You think I’m not aware, Kveta?” She sits up in her bed, sighs, and swings her legs to the ground.

“I wouldn’t presume to know what you’re aware of, My Lady.”

Erzsébet narrows her eyes at Kveta while she lays out her breakfast and her clothes. The gown is, of course, one of her best, with layers upon layers of green velvet and brocade, and laces she’ll have to ask one of the other maids to loosen at some point during the day after Kveta does them up.

It’s already a busy affair around the castle; Erzsébet rushes through a throng of servants and knights to get to the hall while Kveta trails behind, pretending to be useless as always. (Apart from the continued insolence, she’s a good servant, but Erzsébet doesn’t think today will be a good day so she deserves to be snappy.)

“Erzsébet!” her brother greets with a smile. He’s tall as ever, decked out in green as well, and is even wearing a cloak with their house’s crest on it in silver and black.

“You look like an idiot,” Erzsébet informs him. He blinks, light eyes on her.

“I come all the way back home to see you off and this is what I get?”

She smiles despite herself. It’s good of Eduard to come—see her off—but she does think he’s missed how much she really doesn’t want to go. He did, of course. Want to leave, that is, because he got to have his own land, and marry one of the princesses. As long as King Ivan continues not having children, any children Eduard has are in line for the throne. Erzsébet, meanwhile…

The trumpets sound. For a second, she hopes that they’re announcing the arrival of her youngest brother, Tuomi, but that’s quickly dashed when a page sprints into the hall and yells, “The Marquess of Baselot is arriving!”

Erzsébet’s parents will presumably already be out on the steps to greet the visiting nobility, so she sighs again, as much as the dress will allow her, rights her shoulders, and goes there as well, Eduard next to her.

They watch while the envoy comes up the bridge and across the courtyard. It’s not too large. According to the messages, the marquess will bring only his sister, some lower nobility, and some servants from Baselot.

Erzsébet’s mother gently squeezes her arm when the little procession has reached the bottom of the steps to the main entrance and halts, the marquess holding up a hand in front to signal a stop. He rode himself rather than being in one of the carriages, which Erzsébet will take as a good omen, a sign that the man is not completely useless by himself, and may not be useless as her husband.

Her father, the Duke of Ungrica, greets the man on the steps while servants rush all around, getting the horses, the luggage, and Erzsébet is trying very hard not to look at the marquess, which is why she notices when the door of the first carriage is opened. Curiously, she keeps watching to see what the Lady Baselot looks like—if she’s as tall as her brother, who is even taller than Eduard, if she holds herself with the same confidence.

The answer to both those questions appears to be yes.

The woman is decked out in shades of red and yellow, with light brown hair tucked into an elaborate adornment on her head that has multiple pearls stitched on. Baselot is by the sea, of course, so pearls might be common there. She catches Erzsébet looking, and Erzsébet inclines her head, a gesture that is returned with a small, curving smile.

“Manon of Baselot,” Kveta hisses from behind her.

Of course.

This is why she keeps Kveta; she never forgets anything even when Erzsébet got distracted halfway through and stopped listening.

“My Lady,” someone is saying right in front of Erzsébet now, and she quickly snaps her attention back to the marquess, now close to her at the top of the steps.

She curtsies hastily, feeling ridiculous because her father is the duke and mostly people bow for her. (She’s technically supposed to curtsy to Eduard now, but she taught him how to read, so that’s not happening.)

“My Lord,” she returns. She probably remembers his name. It seems rather dumb to have forgotten her future husband’s name, after all. Did it sound similar to his sister’s—ah, yes, of course. Maarten. Maarten the marquess.

He is handsome, really. At least she remembered that right from that one time she’s seen him before, years ago when his late father visited and he had come along as his squire.

It could have been worse, she has been telling herself. Tells herself again as the company make their way inside, where all the servants have mysteriously disappeared into the shadows as they always do when the duke is around. Maarten could have been thrice her age, rather than only ten or so summers her senior. Baselot could have been one of the swampy counties by the lakes in the middle of the kingdom. Her father could have made her marry him when she was years younger.

Really, the only problem with the whole affair is that she just… Doesn’t want to marry. Tuomi doesn’t either, she suspects, but he’s probably going to get away with it, being the youngest son and with Eduard having got them into the Royal Family. Erzsébet knows she doesn’t have that luxury. She understands. That doesn’t mean she has to like it.

Once everyone is in the great hall and seated at the tables—the marquess at her father’s left hand and Eduard (Earl of Jarva) at the right—the steward announces a musician, and food is served.

“Hey, remember to leave some for me,” Kveta says when she leans over to attend to Erzsébet.

“Shut up,” she hisses in reply, although she can’t stop a laugh from escaping.

And then Lady Baselot, sitting next to her, stifles a laugh as well, surprisingly. Erzsébet quirks her eyebrows at the woman, who shakes her head and turns to eat, biting her lower lip.

She is very beautiful as well, Erzsébet thinks. She’s blushing a little, coloring her round cheeks, and the colors of her dress bring out the gold in her hair. Erzsébet turns towards her. Might as well talk to her future sister-in-law.

“Did you have a good journey, My Lady?”

Manon turns to her and smiles. “Quite alright. We’re not used to the mountains, but we had no difficulties. It’s beautiful along the way.”

There’s a melodious quality to her voice that Erzsébet doesn’t think is a Baselot accent, but sounds very light and interesting. Her eyes are green.

“That’s good to know. If you’d like, we could go riding tomorrow. I don’t imagine they have much need of us here.” And, when Kveta groans ostentatiously behind her, “Please excuse my maidservant, she was raised by feral dogs.”

Manon lets out a surprised laugh at that while Kveta gasps indignantly.

“Well, I’d love to go out, My Lady.”

“Please, Erzsébet is fine. We’ll be sisters, won’t we?”

Lady Baselot cocks her head. “That’s true.” The interesting, almost mischievous curl is back to her lips, and Erzsébet smiles again.

Most of the afternoon is spent listening to various men talk about politics, only interrupted when Tuomi arrives, announced as Lord Ungrica so absurdly loudly that Kveta swears audibly, which makes Manon laugh another time.

Erzsébet doesn’t even get a chance to speak to her wayward youngest brother until everyone starts leaving the hall to prepare for dinner. There is a feast being organized, of course, in honor of the delegation from Baselot.

“How are you finding your betrothed?” Tuomi asks, while one of his servants starts busily gossiping with Kveta as if they aren’t there and Eduard waves, trying to make his way over.

“I have barely spoken to him,” she replies, rolling her eyes. And, as Eduard reaches them, “Eduard, did you speak to your wife at all before you were wedded?”

“Me?” He thinks for a moment, righting his hat on his pale hair. “Yes, I did, but the king was always hovering. It was a bit intimidating, to be honest. Should we hover over you while the marquess is here?”

“Oh, please don’t. If anything, as the older sibling, I should have hovered with King Ivan.”

Eduard pulls a face. Tuomi laughs. He looks good. Healthy, with color on his cheeks and his sandy hair longer than when he left last time. Erzsébet reminds him he needs to tell them of his adventures soon, but then quickly rushes to her chambers to prepare for the feast.

“Weren’t you having a good time with Lady Baselot,” Kveta comments while she straps her into another dress, this one a lighter green.

“Well, it’s good to have a confidante there, I think. She isn’t married, is she?”

Kveta huffs. “Not anymore.”

“Oh?” Erzsébet turns to her, intrigued. “Is this something I should have known?”

A vague hand wave. “Why know things when I can know them for you, My Lady? She was Countess of the Isle of Karja. The earl died shortly after their marriage, and Baselot found a way for her title to transfer to her younger brother. They are very good at that sort of thing over there.”

That’s unconventional, but very smart. It’s no secret that the Mark of Baselot is more powerful than it reasonably should be (one of the reasons Erzsébet’s father would choose for her to marry its marquess) but she supposes it’s less prowess in battle and more clever political thinking. She’s never been very good at that sort of thing, herself, but thinks it’s impressive how the nobility are always pulling the wool over each other’s eyes left and right.

“How did the earl die? Please, Kveta, not so damn tight.”

“Now, that’s the real question.” She tightens the laces further. “My Lady, you’re ready for the feast.”

“I’m so glad you’re coming to Baselot with me,” Erzsébet mutters. “I wouldn’t miss you for the world.”

The marquess is waiting outside her chambers to accompany her down to the hall. They exchange stilted pleasantries.

“I saw that you were getting along with my sister,” Maarten says while they walk through the drafty corridors. The sun is setting, and through the battlements, the light casts sharp shadows on his face that make him look older than he is. His eyes are the same color as Manon’s.

“She is good company, My Lord.”

“I’m glad. Manon is important to me.”

Erzsébet nods, folding her hands across the front of her skirts.

“I told her I might show her around tomorrow. By your leave, I could take her riding and explore some of Ungrica before we leave for Baselot.”

The marquess smiles, rather unexpectedly (he seems serious and staunch, from what she’s seen of him) and stops walking.

“Erzsébet—My Lady—we aren’t married yet, you don’t need my permission. I do not intend to keep you locked away from the world, let alone from my sister. Spend your remaining time here as you’d like.”

She takes a deep breath, or attempts to, and bows her head to hide the grin from her soon-to-be husband. It might not be so bad.

“Thank you, My Lord. Maarten.”

His eyebrows quirk minutely (there is a thin but prominent scar running just into the highest point of one of them, she notices) but he doesn’t seem to mind being called by his name. She’ll take that as another good omen.

At the feast, they are seated apart again, but Manon is next to Erzsébet once more, so it’s quite alright. They agree to ride out in the morning, if the weather permits.

“I do look forward to it,” Manon says with a smile, while her eyes glimmer in the candlelight in the hall. Erzsébet can’t help but smile back, and she’s probably looking forward to it a bit too much, but that’s for her only to know.

Kveta nags her as she goes to bed because Kveta doesn’t like riding, and it will be her last day at Ungrica too.

“Who said you were coming?”

Erzsébet’s maidservant stops, her mouth still open.

“Your father won’t let you go on your own, certainly not with Lady Baselot.”

“We’ll ask Tuomi to come. I’ll just need you to prepare some food and tell the stables to ready the horses, and then you can have the day off. I’m sure you have other people to annoy.”

That gets her a flat look, although Kveta curtsies at the same time.

“I’m ever so grateful, My Lady.”

“Oh, get out of my room.” Erzsébet shoos her away, pulls her covers up, and falls asleep nearly instantly. She dreams of her wedding, and that Baselot is an island floating in the sky over Ungrica like a storm cloud.

It’s about to fall down when she is woken by a rather chipper Kveta, and after eating the breakfast she’s brought and being hoisted into a more comfortable dress fit for riding, Erzsébet wanders down to Tuomi’s chambers. Well, the chambers where he lived growing up and now stays in when he’s at the castle, which isn’t very often these days. She does miss him.

Although grumpy about being woken on his first day back, Tuomi agrees to come down and accompany Erzsébet and Manon into the mountains.

By the time Erzsébet is in the courtyard, the place is already bustling with activity. She greets people left and right, from minor nobles to young squires, helps a woman catch an escaped chicken, and buys a few apples from a merchant on his way to the lower town. The people of Ungrica are used to her milling about. That will be different in Baselot.

When she reaches the stables, she feeds some of her favorite horses the apples before finally meeting Kveta and the stable boy on duty, who are both talking to Tuomi and Manon.

“Oh, look who it is,” Kveta says, rolling her eyes. The stable boy bows.

“Feral dogs,” Erzsébet reminds Manon. “Good morning. I hope you’ll find my brother a good escort.”

“We’ve met,” Manon replies. “I have no doubts.”

Since Kveta is already trying to shuffle away, the three of them decide to leave quickly. Tuomi rides in front, on a different horse than the one he rode in on yesterday—and that wasn’t his old mare either. While the path still allows it, Erzsébet keeps her horse next to Manon’s. It looks unfamiliar, so it must be one of Baselot’s.

“I hope you slept well,” she says.

“It was fine.” A shrug of shoulders draped in a red cloak. “I never sleep well away from home.”

Swallowing, Erzsébet nods.

“Neither do I. Tell me about Baselot.”

Manon looks over at her, shaking her curled hair out of her face and using one hand to tuck it into the simple hood she is wearing today.

“Well, most of the mark is quite flat.” She gestures at the country road ahead of them. “I’ve hardly seen hills before, let alone mountains.”

“Does the Isle of Karja not have mountains?” Erzsébet asks, unthinking, while they exit the settlement near the castle and enter the woods. The trees are resplendent in their colors, from the last green vestiges of summer to the deepest reds and browns of the settling autumn. Manon sighs.

“Karja is one mountain, I think. It’s difficult.” Her voice sounds flatter all of a sudden, and Erzsébet immediately feels guilty. Although she hasn’t retained her late husband’s title as Dowager Countess of Karja, that doesn’t mean she’s no longer grieving him.

“I’m sorry, Manon. I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t know anything about your time there.”

It’s quiet for a while, just their horses’ steady step on the dirt road, the rustling of dry leaves, and the birds busily tweeting at each other before most of them leave the kingdom to go south. Tuomi is humming something the bards played last night.

“You must be one of few nobles who don’t,” Manon eventually says. “It was a long time ago. And—well, don’t tell anyone, but I feel as though I could trust you—”

“Of course.”

“I don’t grieve my husband. He was old, and Karja isn’t an easy place to live. I always knew we wouldn’t be married long. We both did. It bothers me, though, that so many rumors are circulating about how the earl died. That I had it arranged, or my father.”

“That’s fair,” Erzsébet says. “For what it’s worth, I tend to miss everything. I only heard you were married once yesterday, and had no idea how long ago it was.”

She smiles softly into the distance, or maybe at Tuomi’s blue-clad back.

“I’m happy to be back in Baselot. I hope you will like it.”

Erzsébet looks down at her horse silently, laying her fingers on the mare’s warm neck. She really hopes that she will like it as well.

They venture into the woods proper after about an hour of riding at a slow pace, following the hunters’ trails along now-gentle brooks and around large outcroppings of rock. Manon is silently looking around, mossy green eyes wide with wonder. Tuomi is now singing something, not stopping as they reach a clearing where Erzsébet and her brothers have been known to rest before, and he jumps off his horse, patting it on the neck after tying it loosely to a tree.

He gestures Erzsébet and Manon over, helping Manon off her horse while Erzsébet is left to jump to the ground herself. When she raises her eyebrows imperiously, he shrugs, grinning.

“I’ve only got so many arms.”

They have lunch listening to Tuomi telling them where he’s been over the past few months, about the people he’s met and been inspired by.

“I haven’t been to Baselot,” he confesses, “but the sea is beautiful, Erzsébet.”

“I have seen the sea before, you know. Eduard did get married at the Royal Palace.”

“That sure was something.”

When the food is gone, Tuomi is announces he would like to take a nap, spreads his cloak on the mossy ground, and lies down it.

“Well.” Erzsébet looks down at her brother for a long moment, then over at Manon. “Do you mind walking for a while? There’s a place I’d like to show you.”

She shakes her head, and so Erzsébet takes a dagger from Tuomi’s saddlebags, just in case, and leads them out of the clearing to a narrow, rocky path down to the brook. She’s done this many times before, ever since she was a child, so she knows exactly where to put her feet to be sure the leather of her shoes doesn’t slip on moss or wet rocks. When Manon says the path looks dangerous, she tells her that. The woman bites her lip.

“Well, guide me, then.”

“Of course, My Lady.” Erzsébet reaches up from her lower rock, holding a hand out until Manon takes it and uses it to balance herself when she carefully steps down as well, holding her skirt up with the other hand.

“We’re almost on a high point where you can see nearly all of Ungrica,” Erzsébet explains, as she steps down another set of rocks. She’s still holding her hand, Manon’s fingers warm and dry between her own. There are no rings on them, the only jewelry on her right now a pair of pearl earrings.

“Oh, I’d love to see that—oh!” Her grip tightens when her left foot slips the smallest bit, but she holds herself up. “Will we have to cross the water?”

Erzsébet blinks. “Ah, yes. But it will be especially shallow now, it hasn’t rained a lot lately. It should be fine.”

“I don’t mind either way.” Manon’s gaze finds hers, and Erzsébet swallows when she smiles softly again. The expression seems so quiet, so honest. It’s not something the nobility is very good at showing most of the time. “I trust you, Erzsébet.”

She squeaks something like a reassurance in reply, and then descends as quickly as the path allows—so quickly that she nearly pulls Lady Baselot straight into the water. Manon yelps, then laughs melodiously, threading her fingers through Erzsébet’s as they reach the brook. It’s very small. They’re in luck.

Still, despite that, Erzsébet has a hard time trying to think of how they’re supposed to cross it again, her mind flying in all directions but the right one.

“Erzsébet?”

She looks over. Blinks.

It’s not as if she doesn’t know—doesn’t know that some women find women attractive instead of men. Not as if she doesn’t know that she finds women attractive. She’d be lying if she said that, at least subconsciously, that might be one of the reasons Kveta is still in her employ. When it’s just servants, or a merchant or an entertainer that comes to visit, that’s alright. Erzsébet won’t ever have to see them again, and even if they were a man, she couldn’t be with them. But to be attracted to her future sister-in-law… That’s a whole damn problem in and of itself.

Maarten can never know. No one can, but especially not Maarten, and definitely, definitely, not Manon.

“Erzsébet?” She squeezes her hand gently.

“Sorry, I was thinking.”

“That happens to all of us sometimes,” Manon jokes. “Even my brother occasionally thinks. You must have a lot on your mind.”

At the mention of the marquess, Erzsébet abruptly lets go of her hand and gestures expansively at the trees on the other side of the brook.

“Let’s go!”

Although Manon seems puzzled, perhaps even a little hurt, she is quick to follow Erzsébet’s lead in taking her shoes off and tucking them into her skirts, and then in walking into the cold water. Erzsébet hisses between her teeth at the cold, and Manon says, “Remind me to take you to the strand in Baselot in winter.”

“At least there won’t be any avalanches,” Erzsébet replies distractedly, trying to remember where she’s supposed to put her (slowly getting numb) feet down. “Ah, I’ve got it. Follow me, My Lady.”

They pick their way across the water with relative ease. Erzsébet’s dress only gets a little wet at the bottom, and Manon seems to have come out completely unscathed but excited, her eyes sparkling with mirth. She is beautiful, and Erzsébet wishes she were a peasant sometimes instead of the daughter of a duke, with no responsibilities to her family other than taking caring of them, and no obligation to marry a man she not only doesn’t now, but can’t ever love.

“Are we going this way?” Manon asks curiously, already with her shoes back on and following the trail up the slight slope on this bank.

“Yes. Wait just a moment!”

“Of course.” She inspects something in the undergrowth but discards it—there are a lot of berries around here, but almost none of them are edible, so it’s probably for the best.

After a short walk, they reach the little plateau that Erzsébet knows Eduard has only brought his wife to, and Tuomi probably no one at all, just like Erzsébet until now. Manon doesn’t know that bit of significant information, of course, but it still feels as though this is suddenly a bad idea.

The Lady of Baselot has no idea the damned future Marchioness of Baselot would rather be a simple lady herself if it meant she’d get to be in her orbit instead of her brother’s.

“Oh, look at that! You really can see very far from here.”

Erzsébet walks over to stand next to her, her nose up to her chin because of their height difference, and Manon grips her upper arm, leaning over.

“Is that the castle of Jarva, all the way near the horizon?”

“It must be.” She imagines Eduard’s wife rattling around in there by herself, and huffs a laugh. The princess (well, Countess of Jarva, and when she thinks about it, Lady Baselot isn’t the first noblewoman she’s been attracted to after all, but that’s a different train of thought) definitely knows how to handle the proceedings herself.

“A shame you can’t see Baselot from here.”

“Maybe from higher up you could, but it’s nearly impossible to get there unless you’re a mountain goat.”

“I never thought I’d be sad I wasn’t a mountain goat,” Manon muses. She tucks her arm through Erzsébet’s. “The castle looks so small already. You have to wonder how important we all really are in the end.” And, after a small pause and in a soft breath, “I’m glad you’ve brought me here, though. Men are terribly boring.”

At that, Erzsébet can’t help but laugh. If only she knew exactly how boring she finds men. Well, on many levels.

“I wonder if Tuomi would agree with that assessment,” she just says instead, and Manon laughs as well.

“Oh, don’t tell him. He seems very nice.”

“He’s awful, but he’s my brother, so I’m allowed to say that. I presume that the princesses can even say that about the king.”

“You’re right.” Manon tilts her head, brushing her curls, dappled gold with sunlight falling through the multicolored leaves, against Erzsébet’s hat. “Although telling you Maarten is awful seems like a bad idea, considering. He’s a good man. More considerate than anyone would give him credit for.”

And, when Erzsébet just jerks involuntarily, “I’m sorry. I’ve noticed you don’t like to talk about the betrothal.”

They’re not supposed to talk about this. No one, Erzsébet thinks, is supposed to talk about things like that. She chews on her cheek.

“I don’t mind,” Manon continues. “I understand. Do you think I really wanted to marry the Earl of Karja? It’s just a part of life.”

“It doesn’t… It hasn’t got anything to do with your brother. If anything, I’m glad it’s him, if you’ll be at Baselot—” Oh, no, why would she say that? The Kveta-like voice at the back of her head is telling her to stop overthinking things, that Manon absolutely won’t take it the way she means it.

“I’d be more than happy to keep you company,” she says, the softness back in her voice and the curve of her lips.

“Thank you.” Erzsébet swallows hard.

Slowly, Manon threads their fingers together again, and they look out over the valley for a long while. Erzsébet will leave for Baselot tomorrow, to be married within the month, and it might be years before she returns to Ungrica. At least Tuomi will probably visit. At least Manon will be there. Not to mention—

“I do hope Kveta won’t alienate every servant in Baselot from me,” she says absently. Her arm shakes when Manon bumps her own into it.

“I’ll put in a good word for you. They like me more than Maarten.” There is a mischievous curl to her lips that Erzsébet wants to taste, and a matching spark in her eyes when she looks up at those abruptly.

“Thank you, My Lady.”

“My pleasure, Erzsébet.”

The accent, giving her name a slightly different stress, must be Karjan, then. It’s charming. Erzsébet smiles and looks down at Ungrica for the last time in the foreseeable future.

By the time they make their way back to the clearing, it must be nearing evening, and Tuomi is calmly carving something into a bit of wood with a small knife.

“Ah, there you are,” he says, unconcerned, when he spots them. “I was about to go and look for you.”

“Of course you were, Tuomi.”

“I was! I’m hungry.”

That does sound like him.

So they agree to ride back to the castle, and Erzsébet helps Manon get on her horse before Tuomi can even offer, which he looks rather confused by.

Well, confused, yet knowing at the same time. Tuomi likes to pretend he’s slightly dim, but Erzsébet knows that people underestimate him because of that, which is exactly what he wants. Hell, even she still does, sometimes. Although they haven’t talked about it and probably never will, she suspects their reasons for not wanting to marry are quite similar. (Also quite opposite, by definition.)

The journey back to the castle is without incidents, with Tuomi regaling them with more tales of his adventures on the way.

In the castle, the preparations for the second feast are already nearly finished, and one of her maids has drawn Erzsébet a bath and helps her change into appropriate clothing. The girl is respectful and reverent as servants should be, and Erzsébet regrets giving Kveta a day off already. The woman is the easiest person in the castle to confide in, if only up to a certain point. Maybe she should talk to Tuomi.

But, no, what good would it do?

So Erzsébet just sighs and sits on her bed for some times before going out.

This time, it’s her mother waiting for her, and she hugs her briefly before they walk to the hall.

“You will be a wonderful marchioness, dear,” she tells Erzsébet—and that’s the one part of the whole operation she never doubted. As daughter of a duke, she’s more than prepared for life as proper nobility.

“Thank you, Mother,” she says nonetheless, because she knows her mother means more than just that, as nearly always. That is also part of being nobility, and how she managed to raise three children who are all terrible at that will always be a mystery. Erzsébet is the worst at it, though. Probably always will be, by now. That’s alright. She has other qualities.

Like making Lady Baselot laugh beautifully and melodiously multiple times throughout the feast, getting bolder with her commentaries on the entertainment as the evening wears on and the servants keep refilling her goblet without being ordered to.

“You know, I’m glad Kveta’s coming to Baselot even if she does pit everyone against me,” she eventually tells Manon, looking rather forlornly at her once again full goblet.

“I told you, I would protect you,” Manon replies, brushing her fingers across the back of Erzsébet’s hand almost distractedly. When Erzsébet turns her hand over, she rests her fingertips on the palm. They’re warm. The whole hall is warm, but Erzsébet shivers.

“Protect, yeah. Like a knight.”

“Hmm. Maarten is planning on letting you have your own chambers, you know,” Manon is saying, leaning over until her capped sleeve nudges Erzsébet’s shoulder. She smells like flowers.

“Why?”

Manon bites her lips when she looks over, restlessly pressing her fingers to her hand.

“He values his privacy. But he can explain that better.” She pushes a finger over Erzsébet’s wrist, under her trailing sleeve. “I’m sure he won’t mind Kveta.”

“Well, I hope not. She’s a servant. I know the whole insolence thing is—”

“No, I mean…” She leans even further in until her breath is warm on Erzsébet’s face and she wouldn’t have to do more than whisper to be heard over the din. “If she’s in your chambers at night.”

Erzsébet jerks back, cursing and knocking over her goblet, and there must be a servant rushing over clean up her spilled wine, and maybe people are looking if they heard the clatter on the flagstone floor over the musicians and the chatter, but she doesn’t notice. She only notices Manon, whose expression is unreadable when Erzsébet fixes her gaze on the woman.

“What?” she asks, the word barely a wisp.

“I must have misunderstood.”

“No—yes. Kveta wouldn’t. I need to—” Erzsébet gets up from the table and rushes out of the hall, through the silent corridors and into the darkened courtyard, letting the cool air hit her face.

How could she just say something like that? She knows it happens, that some nobles have servants warm their bed, men and women both, but it’s not something you talk about, like so many other things you don’t talk about.

“Aw, and it looked so promising.”

Kveta, of course, behind her as always. Erzsébet sits down on the bottom step of the castle, and her maidservant sprawls out next to her.

“Promising?” Erzsébet repeats. It’s an interesting choice of words. Kveta plucks some invisible dust from the velvet of her dress.

“You and Lady Baselot. It’s always good to have allies in a new place.”

“Allies,” she mumbles.

“Friends? Confidantes, like you said? People who care for you out of more than obligation.”

“I suppose that excludes you, then.”

Kveta huffs and kicks her in the ankle as if they’re equals, as if she’s Erzsébet’s sister instead of her maid.

“Keep telling yourself that, My Lady. You’re stuck with me.”

She sighs. Maybe she overreacted. Manon didn’t seem to be implying she had a problem with—she glances over at Kveta. No, that’s strange. Despite acknowledging her attractiveness, it doesn’t go beyond that.

“Don’t make that face at me, Erzsébet,” the woman complains.

“Kveta, who gives the orders here?”

“Well, you certainly try, My Lady. What just happened?”

Shaking her head, Erzsébet folds her hands together. The air is cold out here, and it has cleared her head quite thoroughly.

“I’m glad you’re coming to Baselot with me, Kveta.”

An ostentatious sigh, and Kveta is standing up, brushing the dirt off her dress. “That’s not what I—”

“Erzsébet?”someone calls from by the doors. Manon.

“She’s here, I hope you can do something about this,” Kveta replies. “My Lady.”

And up the steps she goes, back towards the faint sound of the feast. Manon comes down in her place, the fabric of her gown rustling as she walks. The courtyard is silent.

A rush of air floats out when Manon sits down heavily, and then she is silent for a long moment, her breathing audible.

“I’ve known Kveta since we were girls,” Erzsébet says. “Her parents were my teachers. If I had a sister, she’d probably be a lot like her.”

“I’m sorry,” Manon breathes, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the evening chill. “I thought…”

“Is… Does that happen often at Baselot?” Erzsébet asks, intrigued despite herself.

“It hasn’t for a while, as far as I’m aware.” She shuffles her feet on the cobblestones of the courtyard. “And I should be aware.”

Erzsébet takes a deep breath, as if trying to inhale those words, that inflection, to inspect them more closely. When she turns to look at Manon, the woman is giving her a rueful smile that pulls at her eyebrows, at the corners of her eyes, with her hands clenched together in her lap. Erzsébet reaches for them. Her mouth would taste like wine now.

“Well, it’s not as if I haven’t thought about it,” Erzsébet hears herself mumble, and Manon’s face morphs into the very picture of relief, with arched eyebrows (the same shape as her brother’s) drawing together, and her mouth opening and closing a few times. She sways towards her, the smell of flowers in her space and her fingers loosening their grip.

“Erzsébet, when we get to Baselot, we can—”

“My Ladies!” Tuomi exclaims at the top of the steps. And, before Erzsébet has even fully turned to glare at him, “Father is on his way, so I’d stand up quickly.”

They both leap to their feet, letting go of each other’s hands, and Erzsébet tries not to look guilty of anything when her father appears, frowning.

The duke just sighs, shaking his head almost fondly.

“Come inside, Erzsébet. Lady Baselot.”

The remainder of the evening consists of people giving speeches about Baselot and Ungrica and how Erzsébet will be a great marchioness, and when she looks over at Maarten just the once, he catches her eye, raising one eyebrow as if in question. He looks towards his sister, then back. She wonders if Manon has talked to her brother about… Such things. She looks away.

Exhausted, Erzsébet barely notices that Kveta is the one helping her get ready for bed. When she does, she bristles halfheartedly.

“I gave you the day off!”

“Evidently, you can’t function without me. There better be a raise for me when you become marchioness.”

“I really doubt a marquess will pay as much as a duke,” Erzsébet mumbles back, already half-asleep and tucked into her own bed for the last time. And, “Go to sleep, Kveta. It’s a long day tomorrow.”

Curtsying, somehow sarcastically. Kveta leaves her chambers, and Erzsébet falls into darkness.

By the time morning rolls around, though, she has already been awake for some time, mostly just thinking. In two days’ time, she’ll be at Baselot. In two weeks’ time, she’ll be married. But most importantly; what was Manon going to say?

When we get to Baselot, we can…

It’s almost scary to think about.

Erzsébet decides to walk through the castle a last time before breakfast instead of wallowing in bed, greeting the bakers and the retiring night guards, running into a bleary Eduard (he hugs her and tells her to take care of herself until he sees her at her wedding), then an already harassed-looking Kveta, who complains she’s been looking for her everywhere and to put on her traveling cloak because they’re leaving for Baselot in two hours.

After doing just that, and inspecting her chambers for anything important she might have forgotten, Erzsébet goes down to the hall to say goodbye to her parents. Maarten is waiting outside the double doors, hands clasped behind his back and wearing bright green, which makes her smile.

“Good morning, My Lady,” he greets, inclining his head.

“My Lord.”

They enter the hall together and bow to the Duke and Duchess of Ungrica, before they both come over to hug Erzsébet and bestow their best wishes upon them both. It’s simple, but Erzsébet will see them again soon, at least.

After some more formalities, which leave her restlessly fidgeting with her dress, they are set to leave. Maarten leads her outside, where a carriage is waiting at the bottom of the steps. It’s an overcast day, but the roads should be fine as long as it doesn’t rain.

“I…” He looks over his shoulder at her parents, who are staying at the top of the steps. “I trust you won’t mind sharing the carriage with my sister.”

Something in his voice makes her look up sharply, but his green eyes are unreadable, and nothing else has changed.

“Of course not, Maarten.”

So he lets go of her hand to let her enter the carriage, bowing as the door closes, taking most of the light with it, as the shutter is closed. Erzsébet lets out a long breath.

“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” Manon asks from the opposite seat. Her hair is loose, a pearl headband lying next to her. There is a hesitant note to her voice.

“Quite something,” Erzsébet echoes. She runs a hand across her face when the carriage begins to move. “Your brother seems… Well-informed.”

Manon pulls an almost apologetic face. “Yes, he does tend to be, whether I like it or not. But as I said, he places a high value on privacy. That includes mine.”

Suddenly, she’s tired of talking around it. They’re alone in here, will be for the coming two days, and she knows almost certainly that they both know what’s going on even if it feels impossible.

“What did you mean to say yesterday? What can we do when we get to Baselot?”

“Oh, well.” She presses her lips together as if trying to hide a smile, but then gives up and smiles widely, beautifully, at Erzsébet. “Anything we want.”

“Anything?”

Manon reaches for her, and Erzsébet lets her take one of her hands, chewing on her lip when she bows her head and kisses the back of it. Her chest feels light and heavy at the same time, and she can feel herself starting to smile when Manon’s soft lips touch her skin, when she murmurs against it.

“Everything.”

[sole-cuore-amore-e-droga]

Tel Aviv 2019: Straight outta Estonia to Eurovision with a lowkey tribute to Avicii soundwise I guess

I’m not one of those people to go all their way out to overdefend Eesti Laul as “THE most diverse NF to ever exist songwise”, but even I was disappointed in this sudden rush of radiofriendly pop music that I would rather refuse to describe if I had to endure any of them ever again all at once this year. Remember - Netta won with being CRAZY! Why can’t Estonia be CRAZY even more! Was this secretly a bigger demand from the new producers or so that Estonia would need to out-radiofriendly the Latvians whose goal actually was to find a good radiofriendly song that’s enough for qualification????

Also, I kind of wanted to watch Eesti Laul, but I haven’t really settled with it, as I didn’t have enough patience to watch it one time it wasn’t on Saturday (!!). Even with Eesti Laul usually taking the live tweets from foreign fans into account and displaying some of them on the national Estonian television for good measure. And often showcasing their weirdness through crude animations every so often. But I already saw my Twitter timeline being full of that stuff, and for that I’m happy.

I did have some favourites despite being tired of all this pop stuff, and one of them was the ever-so-gender-ambiguous INGER (I say so cuz I thought it was a guy, turns out it’s a she, yeah), and I kind of wanted to see her win after the lowkey last minute interest towards her? But the televote didn’t seem to want any of it during the final public say, and didn’t even want Kerli (not the Spirit Animal Kerli) through despite of her being “hot” (are we now choosing ESC NF winners based on their looks??? tighten up ffs). Instead the final’s televote thought it’d be a good idea to fuck up the international jury’s expectations by putting through an act that got 2(!!!!!) finalised points from them jurors overall and making it win the superfinal. That televote 12 the act got beforehand was just enough for the guy to last-minute qualify over another act of 14 overall points, and who knows, maybe if it wasn’t for that 12, the winner would’ve been someone else. But it didn’t and we have a last minute qualifier victory because televote superfinal is a thing.

And in the literal sense of the way Estonian minds thought their victor that was unfairly treated by the juries was a Swedish singer Victor Crone and his song “Storm”, which was written by the one and only Stig Rastafarian~ err I mean Rästa. Stig is one mythical human creature that never rests a minute without really wanting to appear in the Estonian delegation somewhere every year - whether as all by himself, with someone else, as a songwriter for someone else, or even as part of a band (remember Traffic, anyone? Now that I think of it, the whole band looks like a puppet-act just for Stig to get to Eurovision and the other band members didn’t even want any of it in the first place). Just exactly what is Stig’s aim here? To "take it back to Tallinn”? To meet new people in Europe because he’s too lazy to travel otherwise? To boast about the many Estonian entries he contributed to? Beats me.

That and Victor Crone being Swedish, therefore a man more suited to Melodifestivalen (where he actually once participated in) and only on Eesti Laul because Stig really wanted to save his voice for this one and tag some randomer along with him just for the sake of yearly input to Eesti Laul. Well, at least Victor is historically joining Sahlene and Sandra Oxenryd as “a Swede represending Estonia for a year because what do we know for the Estonians that weren’t chosen instead”. Let’s check his song out.

First and foremost, as the title obviously states, the song reminds me of the late Avicii’s music style, especially around 2012-2013, when he was just starting to get bigger post-”Levels”-release. Just with a bit more singing surrounding the song because... well, maybe to fill up the song some more in order to not look awkward on stage during an instrumental part of the drop being as long as would be one you hear on the radio.

Then he has this easy-listening generic male radio voice that the audiences can not necessarily reasonate with, but it’s memorable, together with the chorus, whose purpose is to be memorable - you don’t need no message that’s special, you just need a melody to hum in your head for the next few weeks, and that’s basically what Stig was able to achieve with this little ditty. Then there’s the amazingly easy song structure: verse - chorus - verse - (extended) chorus - bridge - chorus (+ song ending). That’s a structure that works on basic songs to make them more user-consumption-friendly and not too overbearingly dragged out. And I enjoy it, just like I did “Light Me Up” last year, which was also sung by a mediocre-live-vocalist-Swede that could have easily ended up 6th in Melodifestivalen edition with such song, sadly. I do acknowledge that it’s basic, but I enjoy it.

The problem the Eurofandom finds with this song is that it’s too basic of a song from Eesti, Victor’s proven himself to be a dull live singer, and the chorus rhymes “like this” with “like this”, and all the self-rhymes are automatically shite. And it’s fine if a song I like has its flaws, but it automatically worries me that its live potential is automatically down the drain because of the singer’s lack of vocal compassion or strenght. That begs the question, why choosing THAT kind of song if it’s totally going to underperform live in Eurovision if the singer wasn’t sick in the NF at the time???

...oh I get it now, you Estonians must have thought Stig deserves another year in the Estonian greenroom. Or you found Victor hot. Or you find it great that a song about a storm actually was originally staged to look like Victor’s in a storm. At least for the televiewers’ eye. Because all that they see in the real arenas is the singers’ backs if they don’t turn around in time.

With visuals like these, why even need a music video! (except that there already is one, look at the beginning of the review)

All in all, all condiments are there: just the sugar, spice and everything nice there’s needed for a song like this to break a fandom like this. You can practically smell the Hesburger grease from this song. I don’t care if that’s a bad thing - if you like the song, that’s fine, just shut up and enjoy... but if you dislike it, welp, there’s no way I can change your mind then.

And a random backing singer. Not that she’s helpful as the one for Ott Lepland or anything, she just strikes like thunder and leaves no lasting impact whatsoever.

Greta Salóme’s imaginary cousin, is that you????

Now excuse me while I contradict and repeat myself some more in the next few paragraphs:

Approval factor: As you might have seen me shading Elina a lot last year, I can safely say that at last I’m spared from her vocal practice entrapped in a porcelain-and-silk dressing!!! I like “Storm” myself so I’ll sheepishly approve the hell out of it, lolol. :-)

Follow-up factor: I would be lying if I didn’t say that after a risky-ish way to get all out opera and then coming back to a safe song after doing well with that opera number weren’t a complete nosedive into an empty pool. Subjectively it flows way better for me, but objectively, and the same could be, once again, said for Eesti Lawl [sic] 2019, it is rather interesting of a letdown? But hey, maybe it was finally time for the Estonians to chillax a bit and cave in to send an Estonian-Swedish pop number after the opera stuff, after the 80s synthpop stuff, after the smooth and slightly orchestrated and a little bluesy number, and heart-grabbing ballads... just so they could keep up their ‘variety’ in case Hungary runs out of ideas and starts sending cop-outs of themselves. They already did it with rehashing one artist and one lyrical idea already this year (the catch is that the father’s alive!), honestly. And oddly enough, they have yet to send something a little more modern/electro-influenced that appeals to the common crowd... (”Running” may not count because not everyone can relate, whereas there are more cases of broken-off love (as if in the other half being a heartbreaker or the first half missing the other half so much that they feel “incomplete” than abusive fathers. Just what I think there is? If I’m wrong I obviously expect to be @’ed in the replies section lol) For this conclusion though I’ll say that my opinion says it’s a ‘’’decent’’’ follow up, but for Eurofans, it’s not very much so of such, idk.

Qualification factor: you may think it’s dead while going to perform in between the more badass entries AND mediocre live vocals, but it won’t at least be the worst Stig entry to ever place - around 14th in the semi at the very worst and maybe in the lower half of top 10 at very best imo. Nothing more, nothing less.

NATIONAL FINAL BONUS

I actually barely even bother with Eesti Laul since they don’t accept my Twitter comments live on their television anyways. Say, were there any Twitter comments live on their television this year? No one on Twitter boasted about it if they saw theirs from what I’ve seen, but what I’ve definitely found from the eager Eesti Laul watchers were some casual and usual Estonian oddities thrown on the broadcast, such as:

• The soft and warm but also random and deranged yearly transitional postcard animations (that were refered to as “crude” earlier in this review), which I commonly know now as “my last two braincells”. Even if the graphical theme itself of this year’s Ee-Lawl were oddly-shaped birds coming out in forms of letters, they didn’t really show up much in the broadcast I suppose, and the best fuckery with my mind this year definitely happened when I saw some of THOSE pop up on my Twitter timeline:

We now return to your regularly scheduled news programm~ wait why are you saying that the scheduled programme should be Eesti Laul

• Even if the most acts themselves weren’t that kooky musically, they were obviously interesting performance-wise. We were greeted with an impulsively quirky crazy cat lady Kaia Tamm who bemoaned the absence of the fluffy creatures in German somehow (you know Germany’s a terrible track-record keeper when the only song in German this year featured on Estonia and the only German in Eurovision this year was gonna be sung by an Ukrainian entrant if she was alowed to), as if a song in full Italian from last year wasn’t enough. Not only did she dress up as Alice in Wonderland with kitty ears, but her costumed dancers were entertaining, the violinist was FIRE and a cute large teddy bear looked cute on stage. Not to mention, someone have rightfully noticed that some costumed felines in the audience looked like as if they were to kill someone:

• Lumevärv too is an interesting thing. Never forgetting Lumevärv. This Inga woman, the fiery orangehead she was, used her 3 minutes on stage the best possible way with dancing with her back turned on at the audience and only looking at the camera, while millions of lights (which is sadly not what the songtitle "Milline päev" means) shone in the audience, creating an amazing mood.

• Hey everyone, the 10 years challenge is back! This time it’s with the violin virtuousess(???) Sandra Nurmsalu, the lead of Urban Symphony, who deserved much more than a 3rd place. Unfortunately the Estonians did not bring her back to get her desired revenge, which meant that they thought that they woodn’t need no magic tale fairy that’d grant them tree wishes and let her magic wand our out the wondrous [sic] sawdust. I’m already seeing myself out for how terrible this sounded. And it’s a bit saddening about this not doing as well as some hoped, considering she would have brough out the new and the better Jacques Houdek teas:

• Other favourite act of mine from this year, besides the aforementioned “ever-so-gender-ambiguous-looking INGER” with her indie-folk jingle “Coming Home”, was the charming disco-haired Sissi Nylia Benita with a wholesomely radio bop “Strong”, and they both actually looked like they stood a chance in the superfinal vote-up now that the actual Eesti Laul fan favourites, pretty cute pop boys like piano-indie-pop-driven Stefan and electro-pop-and-Kirkorov-driven Uku Suviste, were not receiving enough support by the juries I guess??? I’ll show a video to INGER if anything and link you all to the rest so you could judge these young and beautiful souls to yourselves in a way!

• Other note-worthy acts include another song about the notorious instrument horsefly in Ee-Lawl’s history that stood even less chance than “Parmupillihullus” but is still fun regardless, and the united forces of Tanja (EE 2014) and Birgit (EE 2013) trying to compose a bigband talk show anthem and dedicating the lyrics for them being ladies with their high heels out on. And honestly, that’s all I’m gonna talk of acts-wise because most other songs were THAT of a radiofriendly-radio-filler that they don’t warrant anything else exciting for me to say.

• No but for real, the voting to the superfinal was completely off-rails. Instead of Victor, juries were there to support that Kerli woman that wasn’t from 2017 (and her soft acoustic song too), as well as Sissi and INGER (but you already know that because I barely read my write-ups before I finish them, hence lots of redundancy). At least that’s all to my knowledge. But everything definitely changed when the televote attacked! And turned the top 3 all male, lol. This voting was rather random simply because the juries didn’t really love Victor, but it definitely took the televote to convince them that “lol Victor is definitely worth of Eurovision!!! screw that he’s non-Estonian!!!” (the difference is that Victor doesn’t have a big social media following unlike Bilal and didn’t win an obnoxiously people-powered talent show unlike USNK from A Dal 2018 - it’s just that he’s more backed by Stig Rästa, and Stig is love, Stig is life.) Honestly, I am all up for unpredictable voting, but if it looks unpleasant to me, then I feel like tuning out.

We’re over with this write-up, thank-fuck-fully, so that you won’t need to hear me lamenting how supposedly cheap “Storm” is ever again. But before that I will have to leave you with some Eurovision 2019 facts coming on: Estonian delegation can be lucky for once - instead of having had to panic for spending an egregious amount of money for a staging detail, this year they don’t have to worry, as the organizers were so shook by Victor’s stormy sky effect, they offered to pay for it themselves!!! Crazy, huh??? (reported for favouritism)

And now I’m done. And we’re moving on to another review and I end up wishing Victor Crone the every best of luck out there. Storm out with a good time well spent! (Whatever that might mean.)

[pendraegon]

omg the Slovak folklore rec from one of ur followers… seconding that all the way it’s genuinely a very interesting yet. Complicated country (you do NOT want Slovak politics on ur blog. I prommy) but literally. Slovakia (upper Hungary as it was called) was basically an occupied territory for the longest time under various powers and only from complicated nationalistic movements (which I’m glad they escaped but they. Shldve done it differently is all can say!) so please look into it please !!

oohhh i will!!! it's been FAR too long since i got into the frenzy of attempting to learn and read every single thing i can get my hands on and i kinda miss that rush asdlfjaskofldasfdoas but also [flips my polisci shades on] love learning in depth about the politics of a country and tracing it back like 500 years

[cubelelo]

He Invented the Rubik's Cube. He's Still Learning From It

Erno Rubik, who formulated one of the world's generally well known and suffering riddles, opens up about his creation in his new book, "Cubed."

Erno Rubik, who created the Rubik's Cube, composed his book "Cubed," he said, "to attempt to get what's occurred and why it has occurred. What is the genuine idea of the cube? Video by Akos Stiller For The New York Times

The primary individual to settle a Rubik's Cube went through a month attempting to unscramble it.

It was the riddle's designer, an unassuming Hungarian engineering educator named Erno Rubik. At the point when he created the 3D shape in 1974, he didn't know it might at any point be settled. Mathematicians later determined that there are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 approaches to mastermind the squares, however only one of those blends is right.

At the point when Rubik at long last did it, following quite a while of dissatisfaction, he was overwhelmed by "an extraordinary feeling of achievement and utter alleviation." Looking back, he understands the new age of "speedcubers" — Yusheng Du of China set the worldwide best of 3.47 seconds in 2018 — probably won't be dazzled.

"Be that as it may, recollect," Rubik writes in his new book, "Cubed," "this had never been finished."

In the almost fifty years since, the Rubik's Cube has gotten perhaps the most suffering, flabbergasting, goading and engrossing riddles at any point made. In excess of 350 million solid shapes have sold internationally; in the event that you incorporate knockoffs, the number is far higher. They enrapture software engineers, rationalists and craftsmen. Many books, promising pace settling techniques, dissecting solid shape plan standards or investigating their philosophical importance, have been distributed. The 3D square came to epitomize "significantly more than simply a riddle," the intellectual researcher Douglas Hofstadter wrote in 1981. "It is a keen mechanical development, a side interest, a learning device, a wellspring of illustrations, a motivation."

ImageErno Rubik, right, at a Rubik Rsquo;s Cube big showdown in Budapest in 1982. The competitors included, from left, Zoltan Labas of Hungary, Guus Razoux Schultz of the Netherlands and Minh Thai of the United States.

Erno Rubik, right, at a Rubik's Cube big showdown in Budapest in 1982. The competitors included, from left, Zoltan Labas of Hungary, Guus Razoux Schultz of the Netherlands and Minh Thai of the United States.Credit...via Rubik's Brand

Be that as it may, even as the Rubik's Cube vanquished the world, the exposure disinclined man behind it has stayed a secret. "Cubed," which comes out this week, is halfway his diary, part of the way a scholarly composition and in enormous section a romantic tale about his developing relationship with the creation that bears his name and the worldwide local area of cubers focused on it.

"I would prefer not to compose a personal history, since I am not inspired by my life or sharing my life," Rubik said during a Skype meet from his home in Budapest. "The key explanation I did it is to attempt to get what's occurred and why it has occurred. What is the genuine idea of the shape?"

Rubik, 76, is exuberant and energized, motioning with his glasses and bobbing on the love seat, running his hands through his hair so it stands up in a dim tuft, giving him the vibe of a surprised bird. He talks officially and gives long, intricate, philosophical answers, much of the time following off with the expression "etc" while circumnavigating the finish of a point. He sat in his family room, in a home he planned himself, before a shelf brimming with sci-fi titles — his top choices incorporate works by Isaac Asimov and the Polish author Stanisław Lem.

He talks about the solid shape as though it's his kid. "I'm exceptionally near the 3D shape. The 3D shape was growing up close to me and the present moment, it's moderately aged, so I know a great deal about it," he said.

"Here's one," Rubik said, recovering it from the end table, then, at that point tinkering with it missing mindedly for the following hour or thereabouts as we talked.

Rubik Rsquo;s introductory plan was made of wood, then, at that point he added shading to the squares to make their development noticeable.

Rubik's underlying plan was made of wood, then, at that point he added shading to the squares to make their development visible.Credit...Rubik's Brand

"While heading to attempting to comprehend the idea of the 3D shape, I adjusted my perspective," Rubik said. "What truly intrigued me was not the idea of the solid shape, but rather the idea of individuals, the connection among individuals and the block."

Pursue The Great Read Every work day, we suggest one piece of outstanding composition from The Times — an account or exposition that takes you somewhere you probably won't anticipate going. Get it shipped off your inbox.

Perusing "Cubed" can be an unusual, bewildering experience, one that is similar to getting and winding one of his solid shapes. It does not have an unmistakable story construction or circular segment — an impact that is intentional, Rubik said. At first, he didn't need the book to have sections or even a title.

"I had a few thoughts, and I thought to share this combination of thoughts that I have to me and pass on it to the peruser to discover which ones are significant," he said. "I'm not taking your hands and strolling you on this course. You can begin toward the end or in the center."

Or then again you can begin toward the start.

Erno Rubik was brought into the world on July 13, 1944, about a month after D-Day, in the storm cellar of a Budapest clinic that had become an air-strike cover. His dad was a specialist who planned flying lightweight flyers.

As a kid, Rubik wanted to draw, paint and shape. He contemplated engineering at the Budapest University of Technology, then, at that point learned at the College of Applied Arts. He became fixated on mathematical examples. As a teacher, he showed a class called distinct math, which included helping understudies to utilize two-dimensional pictures to address three-dimensional shapes and issues. It was an odd and obscure field, yet it set him up to foster the solid shape.

In the spring of 1974, when he was 29, Rubik was in his room at his mom's loft, fiddling. He portrays his room as taking after within a kid's pocket, with pastels, string, sticks, springs and pieces of paper dispersed across each surface. It was likewise brimming with shapes he made, out of paper and wood.

Keep perusing the primary story

At some point — "I don't know precisely why," he composes — he attempted to assemble eight 3D squares with the goal that they could remain together yet in addition move around, trading places. He made the blocks out of wood, then, at that point penetrated an opening toward the sides of the shapes to connect them together. The article immediately self-destructed.

Erno Rubik, the creator of the Rubik’s Cube, at his home in Budapest. “I’m exceptionally near the cube,” he said. “The solid shape was growing up close to me and at the present time, it’s moderately aged, so I know a great deal about it.”

Erno Rubik, the creator of the Rubik's Cube, at his home in Budapest. "I'm exceptionally near the 3D shape," he said. "The 3D shape was growing up close to me and this moment, it's moderately aged, so I know a great deal about it."Credit. Akos Stiller for The New York Times

Numerous cycles later, Rubik sorted out the novel plan that permitted him to fabricate something incomprehensible: a strong, static item that is additionally liquid. After he gave his wooden solid shape an underlying turn, he chose to add tone to the squares to make their development apparent. He painted the essences of the squares yellow, blue, red, orange, green and white. He gave it a bend, then, at that point another turn, then, at that point another, and continued curving until he understood he probably won't have the option to reestablish it to its unique state.

He was lost in a bright labyrinth, and did not understand how to explore it. "There was no chance back," he composes.

After the 3D square turned into a worldwide wonder, there would be mistaken records of Rubik's innovative cycle. Reports portrayed how he isolated himself and chipped away at the 3D shape day and night for quite a long time. In actuality, he went to work, saw companions, and chipped away at tackling the 3D shape in his extra time, for no particular reason.

After he broke it, Rubik presented an application at the Hungarian Patent Office for a "three-dimensional coherent toy." A producer of chess sets and plastic toys made 5,000 duplicates. In 1977, Rubik's "Buvös Kocka," or "Sorcery Cube," appeared in Hungarian toy shops. After two years, 300,000 solid shapes had sold in Hungary.

Rubik got an agreement at an American organization, Ideal Toy, which needed 1,000,000 3D squares to sell abroad. In 1980, Ideal Toy carried Rubik to New York to a toy reasonable. He wasn't the most appealing sales rep — a bashful engineering educator with a then-restricted order of English — however the organization required somebody to show that the riddle was reasonable.

Deals detonated. In three years, Ideal sold 100 million Rubik's Cubes. Advisers for addressing the block shot up the success records. "There's a sense wherein the 3D shape is incredibly, basic — it's just got six sides, six tones," said Steve Patterson, a logician and writer of "The starting point: The Foundations of Knowledge," who has expounded on the 3D square as an epitome of mysteries. "In an extremely brief timeframe, it turns out to be fantastically unpredictable."

Right away, Rubik didn't have a compensation from the toy organization, and for some time, he saw little of the eminences. He lived on his educator's compensation of $200 every month.

[theonetheycallbatman]

His Secrets

A/N: This my first 2k story. It’s fluffy kinda angsty has a little of everything

Word count: 2627

“Thank you, Keep the change.”

Stepping out of the taxi, checking the address you were texted. You took a deep breathe because walking up the rather high building. MYG Industries printed on the side in big white letters. “Who the hell is this guy really?” You mutter to yourself approaching the doors.

Walking into the building everything is either black or white, the space very minimalistic. The front desk is in the center of everything and behind that is a women with short grayish silver hair who is very focused her computer. You walk toward to front desk shyly already not really wanting to be here, your anxiety trying to get the best of you.

“Can I help you?” She says in a upbeat voice with a smile on her face. Walking closer you nice that her name is Alice and her eyes are red. Must be contacts you think to yourself. “Um …. Yes I-I’m here to see Mr. Min.”

“Oh yes he informed me. Right this way please.”

“ I-I can take myself, j-just tell me how to get there.” I stutter to get out, rushing behind her because she walks so fast. Practically jogging to keep up with her. “Mr. Min instructed me to take you personally. He said you are a person he values very much.”

The elevator door opens as soon as she finishes speaking. Moving to the side, she holds out one of her hands telling you to enter first. She presses the last button, before the doors close. Taking a deep breathe you grab onto the handles in the elevator. “30th Floor” the voice said notifying you that you’ve arrived.

“Right this way” Alice says opening the double doors with her key card. Moving through the floor you notice another desk like the one in the lobby. There is also chairs with a table in the center. She stops motioning for me to continue walking, we turn a corner and at the end of the hall are another set of double doors. She moves to knock but is stopped by a voice “Come in”.

“Sir, Your Guest is here.” She looks back at me smiling as she looks me up and down. “The pretty one”.

“Send her in please Alice.” you hear him say, still thinking about the way she was looking at you like food.

She opens the door letting you in still staring at you, making you feel very awkward and more out of place.”Will you need anything else sir” Looking over at him for the first time she says. Still looking at the floor you feel his eyes on you.

“No, That’s all Alice thank you. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

“You too, Sir.” Alice says glancing back over at you with a smile on her face, before closing the door and leaving.

“I missed you and you won’t even show me your beautiful face.”

Looking up you see him smirk, proud that his comment got to you. He’s wearing all black like usual, and his hair the same color as Alice the weird receptionist. He brings his hand up to push his run it through his hair, standing up to move over to you. Looking at that the floor you hear him chuckle standing right in front of you smiling. Placing a finger under your chin lifting your head, so he can look at you.

“What’s wrong beautiful, your more distant than normal. It’s worrying me honestly.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about all of this Yoongi.”

You had been together for a little over a 3 months and you had pretty much laid everything out on the table. Because you have trust issues from place relationships, and just being lied you were done with it. Yoongi knows this so why would he keep it from you.

“I was going to tell you, but I wanted to make sure we were going to continue moving forward before I did.” he says cupping my face in his hand. “That’s why I asked you come here, So I could spill all my secrets babe.”

Sighing you leaning forward resting your forehead on his chest, you inhale silently taking in his presents entirely. Moving to wrap your arms around his figure you look up at him smiling for the first time.

“You’ll answer any questions I have right.” He nodded looking down at you “Why do you always smile so good?”.

He leans his head back laughing before kissing my forehead “Why are you so cute?” He says releasing me and going back over to the his desk to turn over the computer. “Did you eat anything today?” Shaking your head no triggers him to glare at you.

“Bad….. I’m disappointed. What do you want to eat? And don’t say you don’t know like always.” smiling you say pizza, hearing him say okay you move to side on the table in the office playing with your phone.

He standing in front of you showing you the pizza he order looking for confirmation that it's okay, you nod looking back down at you phone. He snatches from you dropping it on the floor and you don’t even fight for it, because you weren’t doing anything on it anyway.

“Didn’t you have something to tell me sweetheart.”

“You are right but since you didn’t eat, let’s do that first okay.” He says moving closer making you lean back. He leans down placing a hand on the table the other behind your head pulling you till your lips meet. Moving in a slow synchronized pace, you bring your hand to caress his face admiring his smooth milky skin.He pulls away still pecking your lips, with his eyes closed leaning his forehead against yours.

“I really did miss you babe, I’m sorry I was so busy this week.”

“Don’t worry about it, I mean you obviously have a lot on your plate.”  You say jestering around the room before placing your hands back on his face. “I just wish I knew sooner.” Pecking his lips again, lightly pushing him out of the way to get your phone and go sit in his chair behind the desk.

“So Min Yoongi is the CEO of MYG Industries……. who would’ve thought i’d get so lucky.” You say while looking at him and playing with some of the things on his desk. He smiles walking over taking a sit in the car in front of his desk.

“We’ll see how lucky you are once we talk.” He said unbuttoning his wrist cuffs and rolling them up. You look at him trying to hide the blush on you cheeks at how sexy the simple scene is before you. “Why don’t we start now…… you know we still have some time till the food gets here.” Looking down at your hands hoping he agrees.

“I suppose so I don’t see the harm in that. Where should we start the company or the deeper secrets.”

“The company save the juicy things for later please.

“As you wish sweetheart. Well I built this company from the ground up, and it wasn’t as hard as people make it seem. But then I’m a genius so I can’t talk much.”

“So cocky I love it………Continue.”  You said waving you hand for him to speak again.

He talk for about 20 minutes before there was a knock on the door. The security guard had brought the food up to Yoongi’s office. He also had red eyes just like Alice, maybe it was a new trend that hasn’t fully gotten around. But he also looked at you like food.

“Your employees are weird babe, you know that.” You tell him after that door closes and he walks over the table with the box of pizza and soda.

“I’m well aware, I have to deal with them all the time.” He said sighing to himself setting over thing down on the table. “Come here and eat and then I’ll finish telling you my secrets.” he says looking unsure of himself.

After you finish eating you both walk back to the desk. Yoongi didn’t eat anything, but that was normal he hardly ever ate around you. Always saying he ate beforehand or that he just wasn’t hungary. Because you weren’t together that long you didn’t want to nag at him about it, he was a grown man who could take care of himself but it still worried you how thin he was. Now knowing that he also runs a entire company part much alone, that just gave you another reason to worry more. You stared at him taking in his distinct features, loving the smirk on his face when he realizes you’ve been staring at him.

“Did you hear anything I just said.”

“What....Oh no, Not really I was distracted by how cute you are.” You say leaning forward on the desk, bringing you hands up to rest your head on smiling at him. “Cute, but what i’m about to tell you is important I need you to listen to me okay.”

You straighten up giving him your full attention, wanting to show him that you cared and respected him entirely. Not wanting to miss anything that he was about to say to you. Watching him lean back in his chair he seems more relaxed closing his eyes taking a deep breath, before slowly opening the again. His once brown eyes are now same red shade at the to others you had seen early. He looks at you and you feel calm unlike with Alice where you were anxious.

“You remember the stories of the how vampires used to roam the earth walking amongst the living.”

You nod “Yes but that were suppose to be wiped out, hundreds of years ago. The humans killed them because they were afraid that they would turn rogue and start killing humans instead of animal, like the ones without covens.” You respond back recalling the stories you grandmother would tell you about how horrific things use to be. About how you are lucky the vampires are gone, because they were disgusting monsters, who feed one the innocent. With bright red eyes and pale skin, they only care about their kind. Your eyes widened at the sudden realization, the people in the building you had seen were vampires and Yoongi was one too.

“I’m guessing I don’t have to continue......huh.”

Shaking your head you looked at him again. Amazing that they were even still alive, more so that he was one of them. Thinking to yourself what are the changes that you would meet one, let alone be in a romantic relationship with one. He looks at you his eyes a darker red now, studying you as if he can hear what you are thinking. Looking down he apologizes, “I thought now would be a good time to tell you before things got more serious.”

“So should I be afraid of you or something. Was this your way of trying to break up or.............”  You say looking over at him as he snapped his head up clearly not expecting your reaction.

“What no..It’s not like that I swe-”

“You know what Yoongi it’s fine whatever” you said standing up and walking toward the door. He follows grabbing you hand making you stop all actions.

“Listen to me, That wasn’t my intention and I’m sorry it’s just that this is a big deal for me and I didn’t want to miss anything up okay. I’m Sorry honestly, can you please calm down?” Him telling you to calm down only made you more upset for some reason. You used your other hand to pry his off of you, staring at him and taking a step back.

“You knew what Yoongi, I could care less about the fact that you are a vampire or whatever. It’s how you said it and that bullshit reasoning that makes me mad.” you retorts before walking down the hall, with him still behind you spilling out apologizes left and right. As you turn the the corner you see a man in front of the double door.

“You look as beautiful as you smell darling.” he says as he inhales moving closer to you. “ I can practically taste you.”

“Y/n Get behind me now” Yoongi says grabbing your arms pulling you behind him and he starts to walk backwards. You grab unto his shirts holding it tightly “Who is that Yoongi?” you whisper into his ear. “I don’t know, but go back to my office and what there for me okay can you do that.” He says not once taking his eyes off of the person still stalking toward us.

“ Yoongi no come wit-”

“Go now!” He said loudly pulling you hands off his shirt pushing you away from him still looking as the intruder. You slowly walk backwards wanting to stay and make sure Yoongi was okay. Wishing you hadn’t been mad at him for something that was honestly stupid, because it he just happens to get hurt or worse you’re going to blame yourself like always.

“Leaving so soon Darling. How sad you’re the reason I can, never smelt something so sweet in my li-”

“Stop talking to her.” Yoongi says making to divert his attention. I reach the door opening it still looking out at the two before closing the door. And with that you fell to the floor, overwhelming with the situation plus the info you’ve received from yoongi you fainted. Your body’s way of saying ‘Fuck this I don’t want to deal with it’.

When you woke up you were on the couch in Yoongi’s office. Remembering what happening before you fainted you shoot up gasping at the thought. Rushing toward the door hoping that his okay. “Y/n, where are you going.”

You hear his voice behind you, turning around running toward him. You practically throw yourself at him, wrapping your arms around him pulling him close. You let out a sob, pulling back to look at his face more tears fall as you see his is hurt. Has a cut right underneath his left eye and his lip was still bleeding. Grabbing his face you apologizing continuously “ I’m sorry Yoongi this is all my fault. If I haven’t come that guy.....a-and you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. This is all my fault......Thi-”.

“Shhh It’s okay this has nothing you do with you okay.” He says bring his hand to grab yours pulling them off of his face still holding onto them. “Look at me please Y/n.” You look at him see his face again, your brain can’t shake the fact that this is all on you. Leaning your hand against his chest you apologize again. It seems to be the only thing to can stay. Weak sorrys pour from your mouth and Yoongi just holds you trying to calm you down. The two of you stand there for awhile Yoongi swaying back and forth you ease your sobs.

When you finally stop you look up at him, see that his expression is the same as always. He looks at you and sighs bring a hand up to wrap away the last of your tears. “This was a freak accident, that has absolutely nothing to do with you. This is not your fault, don’t blame yourself please. If anyone is at fault it’s me, because I knew that this was a risk and did it anyway understand.” you nod signaling that you understood, afraid your voice might fail you. Placing your head back on his chest you feel him wraps his arms around you holding you again and with that you feel more safe than ever.