#sort of think of it as a super long engagement without any wedding in sight

[midnightsun-if]

NOO SCARLETT...damn when do I have to propose a bond? 5th year into dating? 100th year? 😭😭 please don't leave *Clings onto her pant leg*

Scarlett would be fine with a simple conversation if it’s something the MC wished to wait on — unless it was for an exorbitant amount of time — wherein you simply explain that you’d like to wait X-Amount of Time. Now, if said time passes and nothing occurs, or there’s no semblance of moving forward, that’d be a bit different… It’s truly just the limbo of uncertainty that Scarlett wouldn’t be okay with, and what would truly make her decide to leave, because she’s not going to beg anyone to stay with or love her; she’s quite tired of doing so, in fact.

If you were truly her mate you’d wish to be with her as much as she wishes to be with you. Fear of the unknown is one thing, something that can be worked through together, but jerking her around is a complete other thing.

[whoslaurapalmer]

lulu’s super long doctor who notes, part one!!

from rose, to the runaway bride; also general notes and overall consideration of ten’s character arc 

-yes! i watched nine and ten!!  -it is very unlikely i could be persuaded to watch eleven although i do have an interest in twelve, and thirteen looks like she's having a great time but wtf is going on with the timeless child??? (cultural osmosis continues.) the thing is i also have a Long-Standing Beef with moffat and like, i don't want to deal with him????????? i just???????? don't?????????????????????????????????????  -not that rtd was TOP TIER EXCELLENT SUPERB DID NOTHING WRONG, he definitely did things wrong too, but rtd is on vaguely thin but decently substantial ice for the most part. moffat is on sight, however. -on. sight.   -i did my time in bbc sherlock many years ago and again, i witnessed the heyday of this fandom on here and the, sort of decline of it, and the very valid moffat criticism, and i just do not want to engage any more than i have already had to  -yes!!! watching this was embarrassing to admit!!!!! why?????????? -i did see the heyday. i saw the cringe. i don't like calling it ~cringe~ but like, some of the......posts.................. (-which still very much exist on pinterest.) -it's weird bc it's like. the......"cringe" sort of obsession type of passion about a fandom. like it very much comes from a place of love?? doesn't it?? i remember feeling that way about stuff and throwing my whole self into a piece of media when i was in high school and wanting to talk about it with everything and make everything about it and on one hand i think there's something to be said for loving something so wholeheartedly and so completely and not being ashamed of it, especially when you're......in a place in your life when you need something to fill that space for you  -on the other hand though??????? -not everything (every. single. thing) has to be about it.......you don't have to make it your whole personality.........do not submerge................................................ -god almighty but i have seen enough teens reacting to doctor who to last me a lifetime  -i'm 27 and thinking 'i was so passionate about shit when i was a teenager!! and that's not bad!!' and also 'i just want to pleasantly enjoy this thing now because some of that shit was absolutely out there'  -but a lot of times that just leads to me not talking at all about new interests. -ANYWAY 

-i did try to watch doctor who in high school!! i made it up to (and including) the doctor dances. my brain just wandered away from it at the time, as it does, yknow.  -oh but i did watch ahahahaha i watched the wedding of river song bc the guys on academic team my senior year of high school were super into the show and bc of the tumblr cultural osmosis i was like 'i kind of want to know what happens???' -the guys on academic team: you watched the wedding of river song without context???? me: boys i have context you can't even imagine  although i did not say that because it was 2011. close enough vibe, though.  -i also watched a decent amount of the first doctor in......also high school??? college???? i'm??????? somewhere in there. 

-there is a small story about why i decided to watch doctor who now and it boils down to 'occasionally i get Mildly Invested in david tennant's filmography, because he is unfairly handsome and also just a phenomenal actor, and i have felt that for, forever.' in 2019 after gomens i watched broadchurch and debated watching doctor who but did not. november 2021 i was back in one of my very brief but VERY INTENSE hamlet phases and finally watched the 2009 hamlet. and then decided to watch doctor who. 

-anyway i'm happy i watched it now! i was able to have a really good time!! i really liked it a lot and i liked being able to approach it now instead of when i was younger  -like, i'm gonna complain a lot, but i really did have a good time and i really enjoyed watching it!!!!! no regrets.  (-i did initially watch some of broadchurch in 2013 but my brain wandered away from that, too. missed one episode and couldn't go back. anyway i watched peaks in the meantime (eventually) and i feel like that was the ideal experience for really appreciating broadchurch, at least for me.) 

-now for actual show+episode thoughts, vaguely in order  nine: /regenerating me: no my boy :(((((((((((((((((((  ten: /exists me: GASP me: M Y  B O Y ! 

-i loved nine so much :( with my whole entire soul  -i 👏 am 👏 not 👏 immune 👏 to 👏 the 👏 sad 👏 boys 👏  (-thinking about sad boys as an adult, though, i would like to point out that so much more of it is just........it's not the sadness it's the hope and the feeling IN SPITE OF the sadness) (it's not the hurt!! it's the comfort!!!) (it's the moving on!!! it's the slow clawing yourself out of trauma!!! it's that it's not easy!!!! that sometimes you make mistakes and you fall back and you do things wrong and it hurts!!!! it can be terrible!!!! it's that sometimes it's just small things that make it better!! sometimes it's people!!!! it's the human connection you can make in the face of trauma that makes it possible to endure!!!!!!!!!!! there is so much else and you're allowed it!!!!!!)  -I 👏 AM 👏 NOT 👏 IMMUNE 👏 TO 👏 THE 👏 GROWTH 👏  -anyway -- 

-the end of the world, dalek, father's day, and boom town were my top top nine favorites (even if boom town overall is...........uneven...........everyone was just out to have a good time!!) (i love nine and jack and rose as a squad!!!!! i love nine and jack and rose and mickey as a squad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) (margaret turning into an egg was weird but possibly an interesting precursor to the idea of regenerating) (i didn't like her just staring into the heart of the tardis either but i liked establishing that the tardis is a living thing and she has an opinion and of course that's a precursor to bad wolf) -dalek stood out to me in high school and i was SO excited to watch it again and boy howdy did it live up to my expectations  -i love nine trying very hard to not be the person who ended the time war, trying to be someone better than that, someone who is capable of different choices (both nine and ten adamantly insisting they have to give their enemies one chance), and still being unable to ever not be the person who ended the time war  -and how it's because of that that he refuses to wipe out the daleks again in parting of the ways  -it's not bad, that he's still that person, and nine takes such happy satisfaction in where he's been able to get himself  -god but you were fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

-oh, even with moffat i DO really like the empty child/the doctor dances. i think they're fine and pretty enjoyable and the nanogene gas mask was still high-key scary  -i think there's moments of real genuine love from moffat in those episodes. compared to the absolute ego in silence in the library/forest of the dead 

-even when i wasn't watching it i thought a lot about that tumblr post from an age ago about how nine was born out of war and ten was born out of love because it was such a striking thought -ten has the most frenetic energy and it makes the episodes so entirely different, and he's just, so often bursting with love and excitement which makes the silence and anger all the more harsh and vicious and violent  -goddddddddddddd and then he doesn't get to stay with rose  -he!! was!! made!! to!! love!!! her!!!!!!!!!!!! and they can't be together!!!!!!!!!!!! 

-every day of my LIFE i think about nine saying "i'd make a very bad god" and then ten's, entire existence  -the tastiest negative character development. tastiest!!!!!!!!!  (-i am not immune to the growth. i am also not immune to negative character development!!!!! i am not immune to already nonlinear recovery looping back on itself into absolute hell!!!!!) (a well-done negative character arc is one of my favorite things.)  -this was why i was interested in watching ten, david tennant aside, the promise of this massive downward spiral because i was very curious to see how it would turn out here 

-it's important, again, that the doctor is never not the person who ended the time war -- for nine, his guilt means he would not do it again, he can't, he tried but he wouldn't; for ten, his growing anger and loneliness means he swings around wildly between 'i'd die before i did it again' and 'i could do it again' or both at once!!!!  -which eventually starts to manifest into 'no one can ever die now and it's my responsibility!!!!!!!!!' -he could do it again (the runaway bride). he'd never do it (the evolution of the daleks). he couldn't, but he can punish (family of blood). but he'd never (last of the time lords). and now he can't lose anyone, not anymore (voyage of the damned). but if it's a fixed point, he has to lose them, but make it his fault -- but he could save someone (the fires of pompeii). (and then he'd do it and take himself out again (the poison sky). and he'd never (the doctor's daughter).) so that, the next fixed point he gets to --  -ten is not a god and doesn't want to be and hates the suggestion that he is for the time war (the sound of drums) but he could be one and hold the whole of life and time in his hands according to his whims if no one was there to stop him trying to stop his own pain, everybody lives and it's bad (the waters of mars). -(I have points down below about character beats with rose and mickey that get repeated instead of truly resolved, but I don't think that's what happens with ten here, i feel like his are more, something else falls into place each time and twists further until he has to really, finally face himself in the waters of mars)

-some christmas invasion fics tend to take out ten saying "don't you think she looks tired?" and i hate that, that's such a pivotal line!!! not only in terms of "no second chances, i'm that sort of a man" because that's obvious, but because it heralds ten having the potential to be darker than nine was (and eventually fully realizing that potential) 

-sure, nine didn't give second chances, but always in terms of something completely working against him, but ten destroys the entire political career of a woman whom he considered something like a friend, he was so happy to find out she was elected, he was so happy to see her again, harriet jones was someone who understood the world and wanted to protect it because it was the right thing to do  -and harriet jones is not wrong, on one hand!! the doctor is not always going to be there!!! she has to do what she can!! it's exhausting to think of saving the world in a situation like this over and over again if the doctor isn't there!! shouldn't have included destroying the sycorax wholesale, though. and ten takes such an issue with it because that was literally the thing nine just refused to do again!!!  -especially bc the sycorax were retreating!!!!!!!  -he did indirectly threaten the earth though by telling the sycorax to talk about how powerful earth was, though, didn't he. and just completely stops what nine said would be "the golden age" 

-despite how many gifs i had seen over the years somehow i had just blocked out that david tennant was gonna occasionally wear those glasses  -fuck those glasses. i love those glasses. god fucking dammit 

-i love the emphasis!! on what it means to be a companion!! on what you give up (your life!!! for better and for worse!!!!!!), on what you leave behind (your family!!!!!!), how terrible and overwhelming and dangerous it is, how there's so much you can't talk about and how your world moves on without you (or should mickey you deserved better), how it's not for everyone (adam), and then with ten and sarah jane, the discussion of what happens when your time as a companion is over, how you don't necessarily get a say in that ending, and the warning about how it has to end eventually  -repercussions and consequences and aftermath shit are my absolute goddamn fucking jam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  -and then love and monsters!!! I love outsider perspectives, how their lives are affected when they aren't the main character but still in a position to be affected because they're living too, everyone's story is bigger than just them, especially the doctor's  (-and more emphasis on jackie being left behind, especially now that mickey's gone, and how lonely she is)  -and elton doesn't even do a damn thing!!! and loses everybody!!!! and now ursula is a face in concrete.........  -AND THE DOCTOR DIDN'T EVEN ACTUALLY COME TO HELP FIRST IT WAS SO ROSE COULD YELL AT ELTON -hey, how old was elton, though  -i love the heavier stress in ten's first season (and there were moments of this with nine too) on 'even if it's worth it, the doctor is inadvertently and purposely the most dangerous and deadly being possible'  -and knowing all of this has to lead up to rose in the parallel world....... (-some things are paced and foreshadowed so well!!! and some things (sometimes the same things) make me go 'are you fucking for real') 

-nine saying to rose "everything has its time and everything dies" about cassandra and then sarah jane saying to ten "everything has its time and everything ends"- :(  -THEN THE FACE OF BOE COMING IN HOT WITH "everything has its time"  -these are my preferred arc words. i'm never letting go of them  -oh that goes very nicely into the ood saying "i think your song must end soon. every song must end."-even with nine regenerating, so much of nine is about Beginnings; ten is about Endings but in such terrible terrible ways  -oh speaking of sarah jane!!!! i'm happy that she and rose were able to respect each other and the places they have/had in the doctor's life  -mickey's joke about the missus and the ex though was. i hate to say. fucking hilarious 

-oh also it's like. it's like murder she wrote syndrome yknow  -CABOT COVE SYNDROME (-okay digging around on tv tropes apparently this is more a, plot magnet/doom magnet situation) (-although. you could make a good case that london has cabot cove syndrome)  -the 'what is a story if not something happening' with 'why are you literally always involved in a murder, jessica'  -maybe subverted though in the way that he IS again also inadvertently and purposely bringing it with him. he does not MEAN to run into these things. but he does. (and it's also good that he does???? rightfully pointed out many times how he's stopped a lot of shit. whole point of turn left!) and the cost of his help is not always easy, even if the doctor wants nothing more than to help and for everyone to live, and he hopes so much it'll work out but deep down knows better (the amount of times ten apologizes in the most resigned way) 

-aaaa when i find myself in times of trouble jean renault comes to me speaking words of wisdom 'maybe you brought the nightmare with you'

-and like, look, jean renault, coop was actually not the catalyst of a GREAT DEAL of twin peaks -- ben and catherine and josie were already in cahoots, harry was already working on the drug bust, leo and jacques were, also already in cahoots, hank was already up for parole, jean renault himself orchestrates a lot of nonsense!!!!! -- but coop definitely comes in as a presence to help and fails spectacularly and frequently at that goal not to mention the trail of death and destruction and bob following coop up to that point, until twin peaks becomes the culmination of all the points of coop's horrorlife  -similarly, the doctor helps with things happening (mostly) independently of his presence -- but are then exacerbated by his presence and his opposition -- he succeeds a lot, but at a great life cost in most if not all episodes (i did keep a death count per episode and most of the time it was just me writing 'uhhh well that was a lot') -- and this happens over and over again, with the doctor leaving or running away afterwards, not to mention the doctor's own trail of death and destruction and what he's physically capable of following behind each time, and the doctor is conscious of it, he runs from it like coop does but he is much more knowingly conscious of what will happen when he arrives  -with, yet again, the waters of mars being the culmination of all the points of ten's own horrorlife (his pride, his trauma, his very presence)  -you know, is it a tumblr post by lulu whoslaurapalmer vandelay if i don't talk about peaks 

-oh me watching this is just me picking out what reminds me of other shows jesus christ  -"theme song is whistly like x files" "oh we're in monster of the week territory" "oh the jb fletcher paradox" "oh no is this a coop"  -the amount of times early on where i tried to think of the theme song and just wound up getting the x files theme song  -one cell of the tardis in rise of the cybermen: /turns on me: ahh they're passing around the one (1) brain cell 

-doctor: /consistently complains about rose wandering off  doctor: /regularly wanders off from rose anyway  me: hey 

-rose gave ten the little cupcake with the dragées.........!! 💕

-i like jack, he really grew on me (I thought he was just okay in the empty child but afterwards I liked him more), but then finding out about john barrowman was very, souring  -god and then noel clarke what the absolute fuck  -what's most upsetting to me about the girl in the fireplace is that the premise of the time windows is so GOOD, that has so much potential!!! windows into time!!!!!  -and then it's somehow...............not good  -big agree with the general criticism; mickey deserved an episode that actually focused more on him as an actual companion, the doctor just LEFT ROSE (and mickey!!) STRANDED AGAIN, reinette should not be revolving her life around a man she met like max five times  -shout out to that tumblr post with the doofenshmirtz meme that was like 'if i had a nickel for every time moffat wrote about a girl meeting the doctor when she was a kid and then meeting him as an adult and kissing him i'd have two nickels, that's not a lot but it's funny it happened twice' -it is, moffat. it is.  -it's not necessary.  (-no it's not grooming but it's still not necessary) -the mind reading thing fucking gets me. reinette does not deserve the backstory lore  -also, reinette specifically says she wanted no part of the doctor's world, and then suddenly wants to go with him??????? it would've been so much more powerful if she turned him down  -WOULD'VE JUST BEEN NICE IF HE HADN'T STRANDED ROSE AND MICKEY, TOO  -moffat the ice is already very thin for you boy 

-oh hey i know this is for plot convenience, which immediately makes it dicey bc doing things for plot convenience alone isn't really okay, but i think rose specifically, of all companions, after season 1, should know how to pilot the tardis  -i can't decide if i think she should innately know how to pilot the tardis after bad wolf, or if she feels like she should know and remembers a little but she can't, OR she and mickey sit around and figure out how to pilot it themselves since mickey's a mechanic  -bc clearly ten is not gonna teach her how to do it (he won't do it out of pride/ego/being the leader/the tardis is his and his alone and at the end of the day it's all he really has (which ten says outright!!) or is ever going to have and it's the only one left/if a companion knows how to pilot the tardis, do they need the doctor?) (does the doctor even actually know how to do it, though.) -sigh. well, you know  -the real problem here is that the doctor just keeps leaving people places 

-the use of. the most absurd pop songs as legendary earth hits. beautiful. absolutely beautiful. i love love love jokes like that 

-rose in fear her: who's gonna hold his hand now? me at the end of doomsday: WHO'S GONNA HOLD HIS HAND NOWWWWWWWWWWW  (oh you know i think ten actually held rose's hand less, as a matter of fact) 

-while i think some character beats are hit really well, i think some are also............repeated again and again instead of getting resolved  -especially in the places where they should've been resolved!!!  -and then the way they ARE resolved is like. fucking yikes  -mickey has to say way too many times how much they undervalue him, (and rose gets away with undervaluing him every time) (on one hand rose gets to be very flawed and make mistakes and hurt herself and other people and i love that, on the other hand she almost never learns to do better or treat mickey better, she always falls back into the same pattern with him) and solving that means STAYING IN THE PARALLEL WORLD?????? I'M????????? that's not a resolution  -and rose makes the same mistakes with her father!! she's never allowed a real resolution there!!!!  -me: does every poc get this kind of treatment on the show. oh, likely  me: hey, what happens to bill? me: /googles  me: .....................................i shouldn't be surprised but i am.  no, i don't think the oil thing makes it any better. 

-i do love that rose is not perfect, and that one of the reasons she and the doctor vibe so well is that they both have such a firm and very angry sense of justice and what's right and a desperate need to help-that's most companions though, isn't it???? they're not going to be any other type but strong-willed and fierce with that completely unselfish desire to help, but the desire comes from different places  -and to be something, someone, to go somewhere else 

-i'm glad that mickey is so much more confident and secure in army of ghosts/doomsday, and he and rose are almost on equal footing, but i still don't think mickey's character development should've been accomplished by going to a parallel world (-WE SHOULD'VE SEEN MICKEY'S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!! his COMPLETE character development!!!!!)  -does it work out???? well i GUESS because THEY ALL END UP THERE BUT UGGGG

-agree with rtd that the only thing that would keep rose successfully away from the doctor is her physically not being able to see him by being in a parallel world. it would have to be something that enormous and meaningful -i just don't know if i think the parallel world was the best way to do it????? idk!!!! something doesn't vibe right but idk what, really  -i LIKE the way it was done bc i think it connects a lot of things, pieces fit together, there's proper payoff and consequences, but i still don't think it was perfect  -it's difficult bc there's a lot going on here!!! jackie is devastated at the thought of never seeing rose again -- and even if rose picks the doctor, not being able to see jackie, who not only becomes a grounding presence for her between adventures but is also just her fucking mother, that would've eventually destroyed rose too  (-especially when she did get older and her time as a companion would have ended; with everyone else in the parallel world and rose having spent all her time with the doctor, who would be left?) (everything! has! its! time! and! everything! ends!!!!!!!!)  -yeah, rose wants a life that is not just being a shop girl where nothing exciting ever happens, especially after exploring all of time and space, and jackie's right when she says rose has changed, and rose has changed for the better!!!  -but having that place to come back to???? that clearly means a lot. they always come back  -and if rose stayed with ten she never would've been able to get that again 

-oh hold on. briefly. the cybermen and the daleks were the funniest fucking things holy shit  -"daleks have no concept of elegance" "this is obvious." i'm  -beautiful 

-ten makes SUCH a big deal about how parallel!pete is not rose's dad in rise of the cybermen/age of steel, but doesn't seem to care at all about that in army of ghosts/doomsday, since he dangles pete and jackie in front of each other!!  -potentially i guess you could make the case that he knows the outcome of trying to stop the cybermen and the daleks and that it's going to come down to them being separated and he won't do that to rose, even if it means losing her, and he makes them all care earlier  -but, idk  -one of the other big thematic points though is the doctor not forgetting that he promised jackie he'd keep rose safe, and saying it directly to her here, and that was why nine sent her back before, that's why ten doesn't initially give her a choice (which was very... >:( ), and this time there's no way to come back  -everything has its time and everything ends :(  -so, i do think they found a way to make it track okay and i respect that but i'm still not entirely vibing, idk  -you know i think it would've been nice if bad wolf found a way to make an appearance BUT i also have no problem with it not, because rose is normal and it's good that rose is normal, it's okay  -i had seen doomsday in gif format SO MANY TIMES that actually watching it was like!! wow!!! better than the gifs -it hurt.  -sometimes, gifs cannot do total justice. 

-top top fav rose+ten episodes -- new earth, tooth and claw, school reunion, the impossible planet/the satan pit, fear her 

-oh!! so my GRANDMOTHER was at one point a new who, not fan because i don't think my grandmother would describe herself as a fan of anything, she is a passive enjoyer of television, but it was a show she watched and enjoyed  (-but not one she ever talked about as 'lulu, you should watch this' which she does with, you know, game shows) -she and my aunt and my uncle would watch it when it was airing!!! i think they tapped out somewhere around.....asylum of the daleks????  -my uncle likes classic who better. -THE POINT HERE BEING i had seen a small snippet of the runaway bride before, when i was over my grandmother's house. 

-the tardis just spinning down a road!! good for her!!!!!!!! look at her fucking go 

-donna shouting "AND THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR YOUR MOTHER!" i'm love 

-nine refusing to eat dinner with rose and jackie, ten letting himself have christmas dinner with rose and jackie and mickey, ten refusing to eat christmas dinner with donna :(

-the doctor really does need someone :(  -goddddd but the concept of the companion, especially here in the revival  -it's just an endless kind of tragedy???  -sorry i'm gonna go off again 

-look, like, the doctor does not start out seeking a companion, because he leaves gallifrey with susan, and then WHOLESALE KIDNAPS IAN AND BARBARA, so they just sort of happen, after, because he likes company and he likes being clever and he's learned to be kinder, and because he lets susan go, because he sends ian and barbara home, he's alone now and he's clearly not going home and it's lonely to travel by yourself and why not show someone else the world, someone who hasn't seen it before?  -and in new who after the time war, he doesn't intend to find a companion, but then there is rose, just on accident, and he appreciates someone keeping his head on straight, he needs someone to do that, the doctor didn't intend to live after the time war and now he is, and that's okay, he needs rose and rose wants him  -the human connection ~  -and rose was supposed to be it, that's all, no one else, AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN  -i mean there are other people the doctor whisks along with him, mostly women because Oh We Cannot Have A Show Without Romantic Potential, like lynda with a y, i'm ignoring reinette, but i want to think of that as, the doctor just really loves people. he complains about humans a lot but he loves them. who else is he going to take with him?? he can't take another time lord, 1) it's not the same now 2) the time war, and there is the thrill of showing someone new what the world is like out there, that so much more exists than you can possibly think of, and he wants to show these people who have this bright spark that he very much admires!!! humans have courage and ambition and curiosity!!! they're beautiful and stupid and regularly impossible and living!!!!!!  -(something like this is brought up in the impossible planet/the satan pit and i liked that a lot)  -you can run from your problems if you have something to do, someone to talk to, someone to be clever to!! somewhere else to go, something else to see!! 

-but!!  -the doctor, winds up being a bit like the pied piper  -again!!!! i was through this already!!!! being a companion is dangerous!! you're completely uprooted from your life and your home! you get to see the wonders of the world and it's amazing and the trade off is you almost die, many many times, you leave things behind, you fall in love with someone you cannot keep and who cannot keep you, and the heartbreak when it's over and he can move on and do it again, practically kidnap someone else and change their life for better and for worse  (-however, it does not always HAVE to be a tragedy, though, @ the writers. it really doesn't.) -and the doctor's mental state is a GREAT DEAL to put on someone  -but the doctor REALLY DOES NEED SOMEONE THOUGH and he has no options and isn't it so terrible to be that alone, for so long, and no one can really stay (which ten addresses in school reunion), and the doctor never really gets used to the heartbreak either, but how can he do anything else  -oh, twelve has some points about this with clara, doesn't he, and even eleven too re: just in general being happy because you'll be sad later 

-even trying to stop having a companion doesn't really work out!! that's how ten meets martha!! and he still technically has a companion in each of the specials!!  -and with ten, especially, ten needs a companion with him so badly otherwise he's gonna go off the rails  -and from the companion's angle, how could you not go?? even donna regrets not going and tracks ten down!! how can you know all of time and space and history is out there and just not go and see?? just because you can???? how could you go back to "normal" after knowing you are not alone in the universe???? after seeing all these amazing things!!! after being a part of something!!! after helping, being able to help, make a tangible difference!!! becoming someone new!!!!!!!  -it's worth it, on both sides. somehow it is  -anyway i don't intend to have an answer here and there isn't one, i don't want one, these are just thoughts that exist about these relationships 

-oh, re: ends, though, and a lot of this, there's the baccano take, which is the peak take in like all media  -"cast aside the illusion that there is a beginning and end to the story. the story has no beginning and it has no end. all there is, is a performance of people connecting, living, influencing each other, and departing."  -that's it.............  -anyway. martha time ~

[too-many-baes]

Cito Books

Pairing: Fem!reader x Peter Maximoff

Warning(s): N/A

Word Count: 2.2K

Summary: AU where a bookstore owner is enchanted with a man who regularly frequents her shop. She guesses he’s taken as he brings in two kids constantly but litle does she know that he is pining after her just the same - requested by the ever lovely @steve-chandler​

A/N: Wow, what’s this? Another long overdue request? It couldn’t be, but it is!! I’m so sorry about that wait, but if you haven’t already completely lost interest in wee Peter here you go. (p.s your other one is still in the works) xx

I hope you all enjoy!

A bell’s chime fills the small room you occupy, your favourite sound of the day. Shortly after the initial sound, two sets of small but loud footsteps thump out as they race across the dark ochre floorboards of your shop.

“Girls, calm down!” Your smile only grows as the voice you had been anticipating follows the girls. You giggle lightly to yourself, propping your upper body up on your elbows to peer out your office window. Standing directly in your line of sight was your favourite customer, despite the fact he was one of your more recent regulars. A smile stretches across his face as he watches them run down into the children’s section, reaching up and mussing the shaggy silver mop that sat atop his head. You let your eyes linger on the movement, watching the sun filtering in from the long front window and glistening in his locks.

You realise that you’d let your eyes rest on him too long, as he turned around at the feeling of being watched to see your eyes on him. The longing of your stare was obviously lost on him as his smile remained and he lifted his hand in a cheery wave. Your cheeks instantly flush as you extend a much smaller wave than his own before putting your attention back down to your inventory logs where it should have been all along. Best not to dream about things you can’t have.

You loved your wee office. It was situated directly behind your counter by the front door, which meant with its window, it allowed you to simultaneously work and keep an eye on your shop, Cito Books, all at once. The room had a door, but you opted to never shut it, instead a wedge kept it permanently open to allow you to hear customers calling out to you. Today was no exception.

“Y/N!” The younger of the twos voice rang out from the back corner clear as day. You promptly leave your chair and make the short journey to where all three patrons now sat on the matt in the children’s nook.

“Yes Lorna?” You ask, your eyes occasionally flicking towards the silver haired man who had an easy smile resting on his lips. You can’t help but let your eyes briefly look at his hand splayed out on the rug. No wedding ring still.

“Do you have the next Rainbow Magic book?”

“Well what one are you up to?”

“Izzy the Indigo Fairy!” She exclaims excitedly, her sister still intently staring at the shelves in search of the book her sister so desperately wanted.

“I think we just got it in actually, give me one second,” you say, even though you know full well it had come in with your most recent stock. You fetch it from one of several boxes in your office before nonchalantly presenting it to the ecstatic girl.

“Wait, I thought you didn’t have this one last week?” The still seated man asks with a quirked eyebrow.

“Well Mr- ” You go to answer him before you are interrupted as he stands and speaks.

“How many times do I gotta tell you? It’s Peter.” The smile he gives you as he absent-mindedly swipes his hands on his jeans makes your cheeks flush again. You hated that you loved the impact he had on you. You wordlessly asked Lorna with a gesture if you could take the book back. She passes it to you and you lead the three to the counter to process the purchase, replying as you do.

“Well Peter we actually just happened to get it in so…” You let your feeble reply fade off as you ring up the book and place it into one of your paper bags, refusing to meet the eyes you knew were on you.

“If I didn’t know any better Y/N I’d say that you got it in especially for us.” Just as you suspected, when you dared to briefly meet his gaze he had a cheeky smirk on his lips and mischief in his eyes. You involuntarily gulp before passing the book to eager outstretched hands.

“That’ll be $14.99.” You fail to find anything to say that would dispel his absolutely correct assumption. He shakes his head slightly at his verbal victory before pulling out his wallet and handing you a twenty dollar note, telling you to keep the change. You immediately protest this, as he supports your little store plenty without needing to not take his change but he was having none of it, firmly placing his wallet back in his pocket where his hand remained. You give him what was supposed to be a disapproving look as you put the money into the till with a ‘thank you’, him merely giving a jovial shrug of the shoulders in return.

“Isn’t that the last one in the series?” The other little girl, Wanda, finally pipes up. You reply with a smile.

“It is actually, but don’t worry there’s a whole other series that comes right after.”

“Do you have it?” Lorna asks, quick as a snap.

“No not just at the moment.” You reply with a slight frown. Peter places a hand on both the girls’ shoulders, gently starting to lead them out the door.

“Don’t worry though, if we’re really lucky it might just be here next week,” he says with that signature cheeky smirk and a wink. Even though he had assumed correctly, you weren’t about to admit he’d been right. “We’ll see you next week Y/N,” he yells over his shoulder, turning his head once they are out of the shop to wave at you through the window as they leave your sight down the street.

“See you next week,” you say with a smile to an empty shop. You rest your head on your hands as you stare at the space that they once occupied. The family had probably only been coming in for a month, yet you could confidently say they were your favourite customers. There’s just something about him that never failed to put a smile on your face, even from the first moment you saw him.

You shrug yourself out of your thoughts, settling on sorting your new stock. Even if he wasn’t married, which he still could be for all you knew, he had two kids. There was more than likely someone in the picture, so you needed to rid your thoughts of the cheeky silver haired man. Even if you didn’t want to.

*

Over the next few months you saw Peter more often alone than with the girls. He had taken to coming in sometimes as often as twice a week, just browsing rack after rack that hadn’t changed since the last time he was in. Some days you’d engage in idle conversation, some days you were too busy with customers to chat with him, but that would not deter him in visiting. You thought occasionally that he was looking your way, yet every time you turned to face him his eyes were firmly on the shelves. Just wishful thinking you supposed.

You had felt a lot of strange gusts of wind in the shop recently, and you had no idea where they were coming from. Sometimes pages in books would rustle when nothing had happened, and gusts of air had taken to flying past your face, catching loose strands of hair in its motion. You had investigated your store thoroughly and came up flat, no holes or crevices that so much draft could be coming through. The events puzzled you when it happened, but for the most part you left it be. If only you knew the source.

You see, Peter was taken with you. From the first moment he had stepped foot in your store and was greeted by your smiling mouth that bid him welcome he’d been under your spell. He usually took the girls to a different book store but as soon as he had found out you owned the quaint bookshop, he had yet to take his business anywhere else.

He wanted to see more of you, he couldn’t help himself. He found himself through that front door more often than he’d like to admit. He’d walked the shelves so many times that you’d probably never have to do another stock take again, he could just recite your inventory to you.

He couldn’t help but watch you. How you gleamed when recommending books to customers. How you chirped up when your doorbell chimed. How you tidied your shelves and store daily, making sure your shop was always pristine. The pride you took in your work was evident, and Peter loved your passion, sometimes whizzing by in super speed just to see the glint in your eyes for a fraction longer. He was lost in thought when a voice rang out.

“Something I can help with?” He jolted slightly, dropping a book out of his hands in shock. Somehow he had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t even noticed you approaching, and didn’t manage to catch the book before it hit the ground.

“I’m so sorry,” you say with a joking lilt to your voice as you retrieve the fallen book and place it back on the shelf, “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He lets out a breathy laugh, scratching the back of his neck out of embarrassment.  

“You must be too quick for me.” You laugh at his joke, despite not knowing it was much more for himself than for you.

“So, anything in particular you were looking at Mr- ,” the quirk in his eyebrow stops your sentence dead in its tracks, “Peter.” A smile springs to his lips at his name leaving your lips.

“No you’re okay,” his eyes involuntarily flick between your rose tinted lips and your eyes before looking back at the shelf, the motion making a shiver dance down your spine, “I was just browsing.” You nod at him, not wanting to call out the fact that he’s browsed everything there is to be browsed, because frankly you didn’t mind his constant company.

“Well, I’ll be just over in the kids’ corner,” you motion to the brightly coloured area, “let me know if there’s any other books your daughters might want.” You smile at him intending to make your way there but the puzzled look on his face stops you in your tracks, your expression mirroring his. “Did I say something?” You question quietly.

“Daughters?” He says incredulously, you simply nod your head. “Y/N, Lorna and Wanda are my half-sisters, I just look after them when I can.” Your eyebrows furrow before they raise in surprise.

“Oh!” You exclaim, nodding your head at the new revelation and what that might mean. “Well, that’s great!” Shaking your head you go to the kids’ corner to sit on the matt and tidy the shelf, cheeks flushed with your last statement.

“Yea it’s pretty great,” Peter says following you, sitting in the much too small pink chair directly behind you, “they’re great girls.” You hum in acknowledgement, smiling over your shoulder to show your agreeance. You were dying to ask him if he was single but didn’t know how to approach the topic.

“So you’ve got no kids of your own then?” You ask instead, trying to make yourself seem busy enough to offset how much you wanted to know his answer.

“No.” He replies simply, making you think he was not going to divulge any more. “No partner to have kids with either, so none for a while.” You can’t help the giddy sensation that fills your chest. He was single. You felt like you had to act upon this new found information but once again the silvery man had you at a loss.

“So you’re single?” You pluck up the courage to ask, standing from your spot and walking to your counter, avoiding eye contact as you do so. Peter follows and leans on the opposite side of the counter to you, keeping his eyes on your face.

“Free as a bird.” You grin at him, finally having the courage to meet his expectant gaze. Something in them said that you weren’t alone in your feelings, that maybe you made him feel the same as he did you. You can do this. Just ask him.

“How free are you at 5:30 tonight?” Your sentence that you hoped would come out smooth and collected came out rushed and jumbled, making him let a soft breath out.

“Free enough that I could get dinner. If I had someone to go with.”

“I could do dinner.” You can feel the giddiness radiating on your face leaching into your voice, completely nullifying the indefinite you spoke in.

“Alright, 5:30 then. It’s a date.” With that, he reaches over and gives your nearest hand a gentle squeeze before parting with a wink and the dinging of the bell.

You let out a contented sigh, finally allowing yourself to not feel guilty about your pining, knowing clearly he was feeling the same. No more staring and imagining, you had a date with him. Tonight.

And you couldn’t wait for 5:30 to tick around.

[baepop]

PRIVATE // 7

You have two bombs dropped on you in one day.

Word Count: 5.1k

Pairing: Jungkook x You x Jennie

Genre: Angst, Fluff

A/N: Sorry I took so long to get this out! More to come!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12

You frowned at the view in front of you. Taking your index finger, you gently adjusted the frame, but it continued to mock you as it tilted back into its crooked position every time. You sighed and put your hands on your hips. You had been at this for a solid half hour without feeling satisfied, so when an incoming phone call came through, it was a very welcome distraction. Seeing the name on your screen, you smiled as you picked it up and held it to your ear.

“Congratulations…” You heard his soft chuckle on the other end which had you mimicking it with your own.

“Same to you…I didn’t see you at the ceremony, but I figured it was like you to blow it off.”

“You know me well, I guess. Did you get yours in the mail?”

“Yeah I’m actually holding it right now. It feels so surreal. I can’t believe it’s been 4 years already…’

You smiled down towards your feet as you began pacing back and forth in your small living room, reminiscing on your scholastic career by Yoongi’s side. “Yeah it’s crazy…”

There was an awkward pause that thankfully didn’t last too long, seeing as both of you wanted to hear from the other for a while now.

The boy cleared his throat before speaking again, “So I was wondering, if you might want to grab some breakfast or something. It’s the least you could do to pay homage to your college career.”

You rolled your eyes but readily agreed to meet at a diner downtown despite having work later on. Many of your other classmates had moved home right after graduation, so the shuttle ride into town was desolate. You put your headphones on and turned your lo-fi playlist all the way up as you stared out of the window. Summer was in full swing and yet you still found yourself indoors all of the time and not doing the things you liked doing when it got hot like going on a hike or riding your bike to the park. Since taking your last final, all your life consisted of was going to work at the suit shop and binging Netflix originals. You refused to think about why that was.

As you entered the semi-empty establishment, you realized you were the first to arrive, so you secured a booth for your rendezvous and ordered some orange juice. You were mid gulp when you heard the chime of the door ring. Yoongi spotted you by the windows and walked briskly towards you with a big gummy smile on his face. You couldn’t help cheesing back at him. You hadn’t realized how much you missed your friend.

“Man, I’m starving.” He began perusing the menu after sitting down as you did the same. Your stomach rumbled loudly before you got the chance to agree, making you both laugh.

Once the waitress left with your menus and your orders, you looked towards Yoongi who was giving you that look you were afraid he might give you once the pleasantries were over. You didn’t want to talk about them.

“So…”

“Let me stop you right there.”

Yoongi smiled, “So we’re just going to pretend—”

“YEP.” You took another sip of your juice, and then another as Yoongi struggled to hold back snickering. He focused on his fingernails instead but found it nearly impossible to concede to your only request.

“So, there’s a date—”

“YOONGI!” The boy laughed, looking to your eyes to see how serious you were.

“I’m sorry but, are you really sure you don’t want to know anything? Like, not a single thing? I have juicy details you know…”

It was unlike Yoongi to gossip, so his attempt at lightening the serious subject had you cracking a smile despite getting riled up at the mere mention of them. You looked up at him wiggling his eyebrows and bit back a laugh. Instead, you rolled your eyes and sighed dramatically, lacing your fingers atop the table.

“What juicy details could you possibly have?”

“Well,” Yoongi took a sip of his water for dramatic effect, “Jungkook’s family may or may not have found out that he has a girlfriend.” Your eyes snapped up towards the blonde, the shock clearly readable on your face.

“And,” Yoongi took another sip of his water, “they may or may not know that his girlfriend was the weird girl at the proposal dinner.”

You gasped aloud, “Shut the fuck up!”

“Oh, I will not! You really caused a shit show Y/N.” Yoongi shook his head, clearly finding all of this hilarious but you couldn’t find the humor in it one bit. Just then, your pancakes arrived but they were the last thing on your mind. Yoongi forked his five-stack as you bombarded him with questions.

“How did they find out!?”

He spoke with cheeks full of syrupy starch, “Jungoo tol them,” he swallowed before forking another piece of pancake, “he tried to call off the wedding after that, but you can imagine how that went.”

You sliced your pancakes into tiny pieces as you took in the information. Jungkook tried to call off the wedding? You hated how happy it made you to hear that.

“I’m assuming you haven’t heard from Jennie?”

You looked up at him and put your utensils down. “Not since the dinner. Maybe this wedding isn’t weighing as heavy on her as she’s making it out to be. She probably loves him now.” You stabbed your breakfast aggressively.

Yoongi snorted, “My ass. We all hung out two weeks ago and they almost killed each other playing Monopoly.”

You began to wonder what they might be up to these days with everything going on. The morning after the engagement event, you woke up alone. You hadn’t seen or heard from either of them since then, which was truthfully what you needed in order to sort your convoluted thoughts and figure out how you really felt. After checking your watch, you cursed aloud and pulled some cash out of your wallet.

“I lost track of time! I gotta get to work but when can I see you again?”

Yoongi dumped the rest of your food onto his plate. “Well, I still have my apartment for another week, I was thinking of throwing one last rager tonight before I gotta hand the keys in. You should come.” You nodded thoughtfully, contemplating the idea of possibly running into the love birds tonight. “I doubt they’ll show up honestly, they’re super busy these days.” As always, Yoongi knew exactly what was on your mind.

“Fine, fine. I’ll be there.”

“That’s my girl!” Yoongi spoked with a mouth full of food which had you giggling all the way out of the door.

You sped walked seven blocks before reaching the entrance of your job. You were a few minutes late which was already stressing you out since your boss was not easygoing about punctuality.

“Y/N! You’re late!” Raphael regarded you in a disapproving stare as his bifocals slipped down the bridge of his nose. You hurried to remove your bag and put on a blazer.

“I know! I’m sorry, I lost track of time.”

“You have a client waiting. They’ve been here for a few minutes already, so be apologetic when you greet them, okay? They asked specifically for you, by the way.” Your eyebrows furrowed. You didn’t have any appointments set for today with any of your regulars. As you peered past the curtains that led to the fitting area, you recognized a tall lanky woman to be Jungkook’s mother and surely enough, her son sat perched on the bench near the mirrors. You gulped as they both made eye contact with you. His mother crossed her arms as you let yourself into the back area, your eyes unable to leave Jungkook’s starry-eyed stare.

“Well it’s about time you show up.” Your scalp prickled with embarrassment at her tone.

“Mom—” Jungkook tried to admonish his mother but you quickly cut in.

“I’m so sorry to keep you waiting! What can I help you with today?”

The woman eyed you before gesturing towards Jungkook. “We’re here to get him fitted for a tux. Since you did so well with his last suit, we figured you were just the person for the job. It’s for the wedding, of course.” You nodded solemnly, peering briefly at Jungkook who looked uncomfortable. You noticed he was wearing the suit in question, and he looked amazing in it.

“O-Of course, what kind of suiting were you thinking? We have morning dress fits, tailcoats and classic three-piece suits.”

“Show me your best three-piece suit in black.” You immediately got to work getting all of the components in Jungkook’s sizes together as she watched you like a hawk. You couldn’t believe this was happening, but you didn’t have time to register it all, not if you were going to get them out of the shop as quickly as possible.

As you busied yourself hanging the pieces on various hangers, you heard Jungkook speak softly to his mother who refused to take her eyes off of you.

“Mom, can you give us a minute? Please?” She sighed heavily and gave him a pointed look but let herself out of the dressing area, nonetheless. Once she was out of sight, you both let out the breaths you had been holding in.

Your fingers trembled over the hangers as a heavy silence lingered with her departure. “Jeeze, she’s kind of intense, isn’t she?” Your lighthearted remark died out in volume as Jungkook placed his hand over yours. You jumped at the contact, not having noticed him moving closer to you. You looked up at him, unsure of what his intensions were. “Jungkook…”

“I’m…sorry about her. But you don’t have to do this. It’s so fucked up. Just say the word and we’ll go.” You focused on your task at hand with a hard line pressed into your mouth.

“If you knew it was fucked up, then why did you agree to come?”

“Because I’ve been dying to see you, and this seemed the only way that could happen. They haven’t let me out of their sight since I told them you were my girlfriend.” Jungkook chuckled bitterly, leaning on the wall and looking up at the ceiling. “I guess I’m selfish that way.”

You looked at him before looking back down at the suit pieces that were all ready for him to try on. “Take your clothes off, Jeon.”

He slowly removed his jacket then began unbuttoning his shirt. When you didn’t offer anything more, he continued on, “Do you at least miss me the way I miss you? I’m in hell over here.” His voice slightly broke towards the end of his sentence.

You avoided his gaze as you passed him a crisp white dress shirt to put on. “No. I broke up with you, remember?”

“C’mon Y/N, we both know you didn’t mean that.”

You chuckled bitterly. “Wanna bet?”

“Yeah, actually. I’m willing to bet on it.” Jungkook stepped up to you but you refused to crack under his intimidation. He was now close enough for you to smell that cologne you loved so much. You gulped as your eyes traveled upwards. “You feel the same way I do, I know you do. And I know you’re going just as crazy over this whole ordeal as I am.”

You cleared your throat and backed up a few inches, taking a clearing breath as you handed him a pair of trousers. He sighed and took them, stepping onto the platform. His eyes quickly found yours in the mirror. “You can act tough like you always do in front of me, but…I know you’re hurting and I’m sorry about all of it. I really am.” You bit the inside of your cheek while he talked, trying to focus on not tearing up. “I just want you to know that I’m hurting too, even if it doesn’t seem like it, and that things don’t have to be this way forever. And I’m not going to stop pursuing you until you forgive me for not telling you first.”

You stepped onto the platform just as Jungkook held his arms up to give you better access to his waist. While cinching the waistband of his pants on each side with a pin, you couldn’t help getting caught off guard by his ending words. “What do you mean by things don’t have to be this way forever?” You helped him into his vest and then the jacket as he fell silent in thought.

When he was all dressed, Jungkook turned towards you, finally responding, “You’ve told me over and over again that you don’t care much for titles and that you prefer things be casual anyway…so why is it such a huge deal that I’m someone’s fiancé? If we can get passed the fact that I fucked up and kept something important like this from you, promising that it won’t happen again, do things between us really have to end?” You scoffed in returned, but ultimately didn’t know what to say. Did he actually have a point here? Since his marriage was clearly only for appearances, and you were absolutely sure Jennie didn’t want him in any way, could you really see past something like this? Would you be a hypocrite if you chose to draw the line here?

You both stood on the platform looking down while inches apart. When you finally looked up, you noticed he was blushing which caught you off guard seeing, how your mind was swarming with unanswerable questions. You stopped breathing the instant he placed his finger on your cheek and softly caressed it. He took a deep breath and held you by the waist with his other hand,  speaking softly while leaning his forehead onto yours, “Y/N… did you honestly think I’d give up on the woman I love because my family is telling me to?”

You opened your mouth but the right words to say escaped you. No one had ever told you they loved you before. You weren’t sure whether to cry or laugh or kiss him. Thankfully, you didn’t have to choose because Jungkook’s mother had back and cleared her throat loudly at the sight of you two embracing. Jungkook let you go so you could turn around to compose yourself.

She looked less than pleased, but nonetheless agreed to take the suit, though you suspected it was only to get him away from you as soon as possible. You hurried to mark down the adjustments that needed to be made to the clothing as Jungkook begrudgingly got redressed. When you were positioned back behind the counter, you barely got to wave goodbye as she stomped out of the door with him hurrying to catch up. He stopped to cast a worried stare past his shoulder at you before disappearing past the windows

Yoongi’s party was in full swing, and you didn’t have to be inside of his house to know that. The second you began walking on his block, the raging music and shouts from drunken party stragglers constantly broke the silence in the empty neighborhood. As you approached his place, you could see a group of people laying on his front lawn having deep conversations about nothing at all.

It was only 10 at night yet there were already enough plastered idiots to potentially have the party shut down early. You smiled and shook your head, wondering how wasted Yoongi must already be to have let his party get this out of hand. After weaving through the crowd of alumni near the door, you let yourself into the house only to be greeted by a ton of drunk people shouting at your arrival. You winced and cheered along with them in confusion before making eye contact with Yoongi who was already beckoning you over to join him and his group of friends.

You noticed how badly he was slurring his words once you got to him. “They’re cheering for every new person that arrives.” He smiled sleepily at you. His cheeks were flushed, and his smile was even gummier than usual. You giggled and nodded in understanding, “Okay, I’m going to need whatever you’re all drinking, stat.”

“It’s the jungle juice! I don’t know what they put in it, but one cup is alllllll you need.” Yoongi hiccupped before continuing. “I’m ssho glad you made it, Y/N. We graduated! We did it!” He shook your shoulders and you couldn’t help but laugh as you tried to remember the last time you witnessed this loose version of your friend.

“Okay, I’m going to go play catchup and then I’ll be back to reminisce on the good ol’ times with you.” You patted his shoulder then set for the kitchen. There were so many people crammed into his living room that the trip to the kitchen took longer than expected. After dancing your way through, you reached the purple tub of liquid everyone was drinking from unscathed and decided to celebrate by helping yourself.

As you sipped from your red solo cup and watched the crowd of people having a good time, you felt a little jealous. You wanted to come out and let loose and feel as stress free as they felt but you were so tightly wound with all the stresses in your life. You didn’t want to think about all of that though, at least for tonight. You wanted to stop worrying and pitying yourself, even for just a moment.

You took a steadying breath, readying yourself to join Yoongi’s friends and put on your best social persona. However, as soon as you made it out of the kitchen entryway, a hand closed around your wrist and pulled you to the side. You hadn’t gotten a chance to see who it was until you made it into the tiny clearing at the corner of the living room safe from the packed crowd. When you looked forward, Jungkook was biting his lip in a smile. Your eyes lit up involuntarily.

“Hey you.”

“Hey.” You smiled into your cup, blushing as you took a tiny sip. You weren’t exactly surprised to see him here, but you were surprised at how happy it made you.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, to be honest.”

“Yoongi’s my friend too, you know.”

“I know, but you’ve been holed up in your apartment lately. Does this mean you’re, maybe, ready to forgive me?” Jungkook adorably poked your cheek and although your expression had been guarded, a smile tugging at your lips gave your true feelings away.

You rolled your eyes, “I wouldn’t hold your breath on that.”

Jungkook didn’t bother feigning sadness, not while your fingers lingered on his hand unwilling to break away from the contact he initiated. Your hands lasted intertwined for a while, both of you swinging your arms back and forth as you surveyed the party that was quickly getting out of hand. When some loud frat boys threatened to knock you over while thrashing around to a song, Jungkook pulled you toward his chest and wrapped his arms around you, shielding you as one of the guys’ drink spilled all over his denim jacket.

Jungkook remained calm, though you could tell by now that the furrow in his eyebrow said otherwise.

“What the hell, asshole?!” You shoved the drunk guy who was none the wiser about what was going on behind him. When he turned around and saw a giant purple stain on the side of Jungkook’s jacket, he immediately apologized and looked at his now empty cup.

“You gonna pay for that!?” You wanted to keep yelling at him but Jungkook stood in between you effectively blocking your view for the time being. He chuckled, watching you get so worked up over him. He found it endearing to say the least.

“Chill, it’s okay. Mistakes happen.”

You sighed and inspected the stain on his arm. “Come on, we gotta wash that out before it stains.” You grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen where you grabbed the dish detergent then shoved him into the tiny half bathroom tucked away in the back of the house.

Once you closed the door behind you, Jungkook took his jacket off and handed it to you. He sat on the toilet and propped a foot up so he could rest his chin on his knee and watch you scrub the living hell out of his jacket. He smiled when you tsked, the stain proving to be quite stubborn. What the was in that jungle juice!? You ran the sleeve under warm water then rung it out and held it up to inspect it further.

“I meant what I said earlier.” Jungkook watched you steadily, gauging your reaction. He was pleased to witness the blush growing across your face despite you trying hard to keep your cool.

“And so did I when I said I couldn’t do this with you anymore.” This time it was Jungkook’s turn to roll his eyes.

“So you’re telling me that you were okay with not making things official between us, but now that I’m going to be signing some silly license, all of a sudden you’re my scorned ex-girlfriend?”

You scoffed at the purplish liquid draining in the sink. “You know, for someone who finds titles so important, you’re making marriage seem like it’s inconsequential. That’s the real silly thing here.

“This marriage is inconsequential. That’s the whole point, and especially so when it comes to you and me.”

You sighed and turned to him with a frown on your face. “So why are you doing it then, if it doesn’t matter?”

“I told you, because my parents—”

“No, Jungkook, your parents aren’t the ones getting married in a month’s time. YOU are. So why are YOU doing this?” The boy fell silent, unwilling to meet your eyes. You took that as your queue to go, but when you reached for the door, he held it shut.

“Jungkook…” The brunette stood up and leaned against the door.

“Don’t go…please.” His voice was barely above a whisper and his eyes held a sadness in them that you’d never seen from him before. You fought the urge to close the distance in between you and hug him, but when he approached you himself, you didn’t stop yourself from putting your arms around him.

You held each other for a while. His arms tightened around your waist as he buried his nose in your hair. Your heart beat quickened as you closed your eyes to experience every bit of this moment. You hadn’t been able to hold him in what felt like forever, and you never wanted to let go.

Jungkook nuzzled against the side of your face. The warmth you felt in his embrace was comforting, and the allure of his lips only a few centimeters away was ever so tantalizing. All it would take for you to kiss him was to shift your head just a bit, yet you felt paralyzed where you stood. It would be all too easy to disregard everything you knew up until this point and pretend you were both still a couple of students fooling around on campus.

But hadn’t you wanted to let go tonight and let loose? To not worry and think too much as you had been doing for months?

Your breath grew shallow as his lips crept closer to yours. You licked yours absentmindedly as they awaited to feel him. It felt as if an eternity had passed, waiting for him to kiss you, and when he finally had, your cold and lonely world was set ablaze again. He pressed a soft kiss into your mouth, testing the waters. The answering reciprocation took both of your breaths away as you kissed him back ravenously. Your fingers tangled themselves in his locks as they had done dozens of times before.

Jungkook held onto the sink for support as you crashed your body into his. He mirrored the neediness you expressed with each movement, moaning into the kiss when you bit his bottom lip. In one swift motion, Jungkook bent down and picked you up by the thighs, placing you on the bathroom sink then reattaching his lips to yours. He gripped the edge of the surface as your body writhed against his. No matter how much you kissed, you didn’t feel satisfied. His lips were sweet and addictive, but you knew you’d have to kick your craving for him eventually. A tear rolled down your check as you stuck your tongue into his mouth. You carefully wiped it away without bringing attention to it. You were doing what you set out to do tonight in hopes that it was a good thing, but you couldn’t help feeling like you were betraying yourself.

Jungkook began trailing kisses across your cheek and down your neck. You sighed in content, leaning back to give him more access. Just as you began removing your jacket to expose your bare shoulder, loud banging on the door interrupted your moment of passion. Both of your heads turned towards the door where the doorknob began jiggling. Jungkook turned back to you and smiled. “Just like old times, huh?” You giggled breathlessly then hopped down from the sink with his help. Grabbing his damp jacket, you both exited the bathroom hand in hand, not caring about what that might look like to anyone else.

Once you reached the living room again, you spoke into Jungkook’s ear due to the loud music blaring making it difficult to speak out loud. “Let’s find Yoongi, I promised I’d hang out with him.”

Jungkook nodded and hung his jacket to dry in his friend’s room before meeting back up with you. He found you and Yoongi by the beer pong table. The blonde boy had gotten rowdy during his winning streak and challenged you to a game which you quickly agreed to. The next few hours went by in a flash as the three of you hung out casually for the first time ever. You found their banter absolutely hilarious, though you suspected the jungle juice and the beer might have something to do with that. Though you knew you couldn’t pretend like the things that were hurting you never existed, it was a relief to not harp on them even if just for a little while.

Once 1:00 came, you bid farewell to the boys. They protested your departure, but when you insisted on leaving since you had work in the morning, Jungkook refused to stay in favor of walking you home. The crowd of partygoers had now spread up and down the block, but once you cleared a few blocks, the cool silent night had made its return. You both walked hand in hand the entire way, taking your time with slow steps and even stopping a few times while mid conversation.

You had completely forgotten about Jungkook’s summer internship which had already began. He could go on and on about the people he worked with and you enjoyed listening to every bit of it, humming along and giggling every time he did a voice impression.

It was impossibly soon when you both had reached your apartment, despite taking the long way there. It was hard for you both to unlink your fingers and part ways. As you drank in the sight of Jungkook in front of your place, you noticed the way his expression was expectant.

“I guess this is where we say goodbye.” You slipped your hand out of his grasp much to his disappointment.

“Does it have to be?” Jungkook’s doe eyes damn near broke your heart, but even so, you couldn’t break your own heart by allowing him inside. Who knows all the complications that would arise from doing that.

“’Fraid so…”

“But neither of us want it to be.” Jungkook frowned.

“Even so, it’s better this way.” Jungkook sighed in frustration and shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking his foot into the concrete.

“Even if you think so, I’m not giving up,” Jungkook looked up at you one last time, “I meant what I said. I love you, Y/N.” Your breath hitched hearing those words for the second time today. You swallowed and looked away before you could get emotional, unlocking the door to your apartment and disappearing behind it.

As you leaned against the door, you willed your heart to stop pounding in your ears. You peaked out of the window and watched Jungkook walk back up the block with his hands still in his pockets. The high you felt all night was wearing off, and all that was left was sadness and exhaustion.

With a deep sigh, you started stripping on the way to your room. You had left the lights off before leaving, so you stubbed your toe on the corner of your dresser in the darkness. You cussed and hobbled over to the light switch to inspect your throbbing pinky. Upon turning around, you saw a figure rising from your bed and it took everything in you not to scream.

Jennie was groggily rubbing her eyes as she squinted at you through the piercing light flooding her eyes. You stood on the other end of the room, frozen with your foot in your hand.

“Turn the lights off, it’s late.”

“Umm, what the hell are you doing here?”

“You didn’t say I couldn’t sleep her anymore.”

“Yeah but I never said you could either.” You limped over to the bed and crossed your arms. The girl sighed and looked up at you once her eyes adjusted to the light.

“I broke off the engagement.” You gaped at her, dropping your arms to your sides in disbelief.

“You what?! When?!”

“A couple hours ago. I just, I couldn’t do it anymore. My parents threatened to cut me off but…I don’t care. I choose you.” With that, Jennie laid back down and rolled over while pulling the covers over her. “Now, please turn the lights off. I have to get a fucking job in the morning unless you want me squatting here.”

In a daze, you turned off the lights then crawled into bed beside her. You laid on your side with your back facing her, trying to discern why you felt even sadder than before. You thought she fell back asleep soon after, so you began crying and letting the stress of everything wash over you. While blubbering into your pillow, you felt Jennie’s arm drape over your shaking frame as she scooted closer to you to be big spoon. Your sobs soon died down, finding comfort in her embrace. But the most overwhelming emotion of all was relief.

[fridayfirefly]

Lost and Found [Part Nine]

Masterlist | Ao3

It took Damian two weeks to get Marinette's bedroom prepared for her. Fixing up the guest bedrooms of Wayne Manor was a task that Alfred usually undertook. However, Alfred was busy with wedding preparations, and Damian wanted everything to be perfect for Marinette's upcoming visit, so he took it upon himself to get everything ready for Marinette's stay.

Damian hadn't realized how many guest bedrooms Wayne Manor had until it was time for him to choose one for Marinette. It wasn't an easy choice. Despite the fact that Alfred was meticulous in his upkeep of Wayne Manor, most of the guest bedrooms had been overlooked during the various renovations of the house. Friends of the family (such as the Kents) slept in the family wing when they stayed the night, so there was never any reason to maintain the guest bedrooms. However, the upcoming wedding meant that some changes were necessary. There simply weren't enough rooms in the family wing to house all of the wedding guests, so a strict "Bats Only" policy (Richard's words, not Damian's) was put into place for the family wing. So Damian had to find Marinette a suitable room somewhere else in the house.

Damian toured every guest bedroom in Wayne Manor before choosing the best one. It was his room of choice for many reasons. It was only one hall down from his own bedroom. It was painted rose pink, one of Marinette's favorite colors. Most importantly, it had east-facing windows, which meant that it faced the Wayne Manor gardens. Marinette had spoken at length about how she found nature to be an inspiration for her designs. The Wayne Manor gardens were considered some of the best in Gotham. Damian hoped that Marinette approved of the room.

Choosing the perfect room was difficult, but decorating it came in a close second. Alfred had done a quick renovation of all the guest bedrooms at the start of the summer, so they were all perfectly livable, but Damian didn't want to put Marinette in just any guest bedroom. He wanted it to feel personal, to show her that he cared about her enough to make it feel like home.

Damian brought his box of Marinette's things to her new room and got to work decorating. After five years at Wayne Manor, Damian no longer kept the box hidden in his closet. He kept her lost things in a wooden chest pressed up against the footboard of his bed. Now, that chest sat in Marinette's new room. Her lost clothes were hung up in her closet. Her lost pens and markers were put into a desk drawer. Barrettes and scrunchies were placed in a dresser drawer, chapstick and hand lotion put in her bathroom, the stuffed animal cat she sent to him years ago when he complained of nightmares was placed at the foot of her bed.

Damian got new things for her, too. Vases decorated the bedroom, though they would be empty until the morning of Marinette's arrival, to prevent the fresh flowers from wilting. Art decorated the wall of the bedroom, as well as three strings of fairy lights (once, Marinette commented to Damian that she had trouble falling asleep in complete darkness since she was so used to the lights of the city).

Decorating the room reminded Damian of all the progress he had made since he first came to live with his Father. Five years ago, he would have found it impossible to give Marinette her things back. He hoarded everything special to him back then, still traumatized from his childhood in the League of Shadows. Now, after years of talking with Marinette, he felt comfortable enough in his relationship with his Soulmate to finally return her lost things to her.

Two days after Damian finished getting the room ready for Marinette, the Kents arrived. Jon had his own room to prepare for his own Soulmate, Nino, who was also attending the wedding.

"Are you ever going to tell her that you're a Wayne, or are you planning on waiting until she recognizes you in the airport to let her know?" Jon asked from across the guest bedroom.

Damian refused to dignify that question with a proper answer. "Do you want my help getting the room ready, or did you just ask me here so that you could criticize me?"

"Damian, I'm being serious. Marinette is going to be here - at Wayne Manor - in nine days. Whether or not you tell her beforehand isn't going to stop her from recognizing you."

"It's complicated. I would rather tell her in person than through a letter, but there's no way for me to do that without our meeting first. She is French, though, so there's a possibility that she wouldn't recognize me on sight."

"She'll recognize the name though. The Wayne family isn't just famous in America. You're like the royal family of Gotham."

Damian wrinkled his nose. "Stop. Don't say it."

"The Ice Prince of Gotham," Jon teased.

"You know how much I loathe that nickname."

"I just think it's funny," laughed Jon. "The media thinks you're cold and arrogant when in reality you're a closet romantic who's planning on hand-picking flowers for his girlfriend's room."

"Marinette and I aren't officially dating."

"I bet you twenty dollars that the two of you will be official by the time she gets on her plane to return home."

"I don't gamble," Damian grumbled, but his retort was half-hearted at best.

"If you want to date her, you should just ask. The week that she's here at Wayne Manor would be the best time to do it. It's always best to do that sort of thing in person."

"I'm not sure-"

"Just consider it. I'm sure you'll spare both of you a lot of drama if you just ask her out already."

"I'll think about it," Damian agreed.

"Good. Now help me move some furniture around."

"You have super-strength," Damian rolled his eyes. "You don't need me to help you."

"Yeah, but it's not like you have anything better to do, except wait for Marinette to arrive."

Damian shrugged. "It might be amusing to watch you struggle to maneuver furniture through the hallways."

"Or you could help me, and I'll put in a good word for you to Marinette."

"She doesn't even know you. Your 'good word' wouldn't mean anything to her."

"I'm naturally likable. We'll be friends within a day. I guarantee it."

"Is that a bet, Kent?"

"If you want it to be, Wayne."

"Twenty dollars says that she doesn't find your golden retriever personality charming."

"Okay. Twenty dollars says that we'll be sharing memes by the end of the wedding."

Damian picked a lamp up off of the nightstand and lobbed it at Jon's head. Jon caught it with one hand, and set it back down. "By the way, do you think Bruce would mind me borrowing a car next Wednesday? Nino's flight arrives at 2 AM, and I don't trust Gotham taxis."

Damian's eyes narrowed slightly, suspicious of the coincidence. "Is it an American Airlines flight from Paris?"

Jon checked his phone. "How did you know?"

"That's the flight that Marinette is arriving on."

"What an odd coincidence," remarked Jon. "I suppose we can drive together, then."

"Sure," replied Damian. He paused a moment to ponder the realization that had just occurred. "I wonder if Marinette and Nino know each other."

"Wouldn't that be serendipitous, if our Soulmates were already friends."

"It's probably just a coincidence," said Damian, but the thought stuck with him the whole rest of the day.

——————————————————————

The drive to the airport was rather animated, for it being 1 AM. Jon spent the entire drive announcing exactly how many minutes until he got to see Nino in person for the first time. Damian rolled his eyes every time, but in reality, while he didn't outwardly show it, he was just as excited to see Marinette in person.

Jon was practically vibrating as Damian parked the car in the airport parking lot. "Fifteen more minutes until their plane lands."

Damian let out a deep breath as they walked through the airport, feeling unexpectedly anxious. Maybe he should have told Marinette about his rather prestigious family name. Would she resent him for keeping it a secret for so long?

What Damian didn't expect to see when they entered the airport terminal was his brother Jason, who stood off to the side, glaring at his phone like it personally offended him.

"Todd?"

Jason's glare turned to Damian. "What are you doing here? Did Bruce send you?"

"No. We're here to pick someone up."

"Who? I thought everyone was already in town for the wedding."

"My Soulmate, Marinette," Damian admitted.

"And Nino, my Soulmate. They're arriving on the same flight," said Jon.

"American Airlines from Paris? Arriving at two AM?"

Damian nodded, already feeling a sense of déjà vu back to his conversation with Jon just a week prior.

"My Soulmate is on that flight. I invited her to Dick's wedding."

"And where is this Soulmate of yours going to stay? Your one-bedroom apartment?"

Jason shook his head. "I was planning on dropping her off at the Manor. I already checked in with Alfred."

"Dropping her off? You aren't staying?" asked Damian.

"No," Jason wrinkled his nose. "It's not as if that's a surprise. You know that I wouldn't last another week under Bruce's roof."

Damian did know that - Jason and his Father fought every chance that they could get. Anything was fair game to be ruined by Jason and Bruce's tumultuous relationship - family dinners, birthday parties, even Dick's engagement party ended with Jason storming out. "Does your Soulmate know that you're dropping them off at someone else's house and then leaving?" Damian further inquired.

Jason glared at Damian. "I'm sure she'll survive."

"Do you really want to piss off your Soulmate on her first day in Gotham? You're pretty much setting yourself up for failure."

"Well, if you're the Soulmate expert now," Jason's sarcasm was scathing. "What do you suggest I do."

"Wait here until the plane arrives so that you can properly greet your Soulmate. Then, Jon and I will drive your Soulmate back to the Manor while you return to your apartment and pack your bags to stay at the Manor for the rest of the week."

"No."

"Alfred already got your room ready earlier this week."

Jason paused for a second. Damian knew that while Jason could barely stand to be in Bruce's presence, he was still fond of Alfred, and viewed his as something of a father figure. "Fine. But before you two ask, Chloé is my platonic Soulmate."

"And you're telling us this because..." Damian questioned.

"She's seventeen."

Damian's eyes widened, for two reasons. The first reason was that Jason was twenty-two years old. Five years older than his Soulmate. The other reason was that both Marinette and Nino, his and Jon's Soulmates, were aged within a year of Chloé. The probability that the three Parisians knew each other wasn't certain, but it was likely.

"Don't give me that look," snapped Jason. "Our bond is strictly platonic. Just because Bruce doesn't believe that I have any morals doesn't mean I'm into underage girls."

"I'm not judging you," Damian said cooly. "I merely found it interesting that all three of our Soulmates are approximately the same age, and all three are arriving on the same flight."

"Do you think they all know each other?" asked Jon.

Damian shrugged. "It's completely possible that they might."

"Well, wouldn't that be a funny little coincidence," scoffed Jason. "My Chloé who - mind you - I only met after I was brutally murdered and revived by the Lazarus Pit, and your Soulmate, the girl who's first Soulmate object was a knife, might know each other."

"Don't forget about my Soulmate," piped up Jon. "Nino's pretty cool too."

Jason barked out a laugh. "God, our lives are so fucked up, I guess this might as well happen."

"By the way," said Jon. "The plane is landing now."

Damian's eyes immediately darted over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The bright lights on the landing plane were the first thing that caught his eye. He watched as the plane hit the runway, then slid to halt on the tarmac.

"Just a few more minutes," Jon cheered. "Just a few more minutes until Nino gets here."

"Is he always so painfully optimistic?" asked Jason.

"Only when he's awake," Damian responded. "You get used to it, after a while, but it can be kind of jarring at first."

Jason shrugged. "I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to get used to it during my two-week stay at the Manor."

Jon rolled his eyes. "Why is it that you two can only have a civil conversation when you're being mean to someone else?"

"Todd is like that with just about everyone," Damian responded.

"Shush, they're coming," Jon interjected.

The first-class passengers of the plane started filtering into the terminal. Damian briefly wondered if he should have made a sign before he pushed the idea away. It was too late now.

Besides, Damian figured that he would know Marinette when he saw her. It was a common theory that your Soulmate was the most attractive person in the world for you - that every feature you ever found attractive on someone else was ultimately because it was a feature that could be found on your own Soulmate. If that was true than Marinette would have blue eyes and dark hair, a light dusting of freckles across her nose, and a smile that could light up a whole room. No matter what she looked like, though, Damian knew that he would love her. He had already fallen in love with her, and he hadn't even met her in person yet.

Damian froze. It had always been a thought that lingered at the back of his mind, but he had yet to admit it to himself. He was in love with Marinette.

"There's Nino," Jon rushed forward to greet a spectacled boy wearing a pair of headphones around his neck.

"That must be Chloé," Jason sighed, gesturing to a blonde girl, texting away on her phone.

And then he saw her. Marinette.

She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Shiny dark hair, gorgeous blue eyes, freckles - she was everything that he imagined and yet more because she was real and right in front of him.

"Hello, Damian," Marinette greeted with a smile.

Damian was right about that prediction too. Her smile was bright, and it made him feel warm inside. "Hello, Marinette. It's nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Marinette looked at him in the eyes. "I know it's a little late, but I have one last birthday gift to give you."

Damian was about to ask her what it was - because she didn't even have her luggage with her - when she leaned forward on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

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[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #331

my head hurts way too badly to think up some intro lyrics, so just g’night.

Have you ever become good friends with someone you never met in person? Oh yeah, I've had best friends over the Internet. Hell, I'm closer to many online friends than I am most irl ones. They know "the real me" more. What do you consider your default mood to be? Stressed, probably. Discontent. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever kept a goldfish alive for? Not long. Proper goldfish husbandry is a very neglected topic, and I sure as hell never knew how to set up its tank adequately. Have you ever been paintballing? No, don't plan to. It looks like it hurts like a bitch. Do you want a large wedding? No. Did you ever collect any sort of cards? I had a very small collection of Pokemon cards. I didn't collect them avidly. What’re the best and worst books you ever had to read for a class? The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton was the best. The worst was some book we had to read in the 6th grade about a kid during some war that moved around a lot... I don't remember the name or who wrote it, but it sucked. What’s the best meal you had at an amusement park, or If you haven’t been to one, how about a good meal at another place like a zoo, aquarium or museum? I don't know. I haven't been to many. Who, whether a person or company, emails you the most? My PHP therapist emails me a check-in sheet and Zoom link every day there's a therapy session. What kind of sound or noise freaks you out the most and why do you think it scares you? Let's seeeee... I don't know if there's a sound that actually freaks me out. There are some I don't like, but none that like, frighten me. At least that I can think of. What’s the strangest art piece you’ve come across? Biiiitch there's a painting in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs I'm not gonna go into, but shit fuckin wild. What’s the most clever or unique name you’ve come across for a business? I've definitely heard some cool ones, but I don't know about one that really stands out to answer this. If you had to name one of your hypothetical future children after a song, which song would you pick? Maybe like... okay, I'm blanking. Good thing I'm not having kids to name then, right? What’s the last song you heard? "Down in the Park" by Marilyn Manson is on atm. What is your favorite line from a TV show? *shrug* Any current family issues? No. How many hours do you spend online a day? How do you feel about that? I'm doing something on the computer pretty much... always. I hate it, and I hate it a lot. I don't want my life to be tied solely to the digital plane. I want to do more than bounce back and forth from website to website. Do you think that people have the power to make their own lives better? Absolutely, but there are some things they simply cannot change. It's about perspective and how you play the deck you're dealt. What is the biggest problem in your life right now? Right now, the most limiting thing is my physical health, probably. Just walking being torture affects my ability to exercise, and my body is a major reason - if not the biggest, at this current time - for my depression. This also plays a massive role in jobs I can handle. Not to sound like my emo self writing middle school poetry, but my body feels like a prison. Do you feel that you are loved? I know I am by some people, though I have a hard time understanding why a lot. What is the one thing you want most from life? Life satisfaction. Pride in what I've accomplished. A regular state of being content. Birthplace? I'm just gonna say in eastern NC. Do you believe in love at first sight? No, merely infatuation. Love is much too deep for that. Do you think dreams eventually come true? Some can, but usually only if you put effort into making that so. Favorite fictional character? like ummmmmmmm have you heard of this sassy bastard called Darkiplier- Go to the movies or rent? Before Covid, I loved going to the theater. It was something to do, plus a giant screen is nice. McDonalds or Burger King? McD's. I'm not a big BK fan. I only really went there during my vegetarian phase for the veggie burger. Current annoyance? This motherfucking headache. Last thing you ate? I have a meal replacement shake with me right now, if you consider that "eating." I didn't have a proper dinner. The last solid food I had though was some cookies and cream Greek yogurt. Last thing you bought? With my own money, I think I bought Mom and I some cheap McDonald's order semi-recently? Or maybe paying my $100 deposit for my tattoo was most recent, idk. Soonest thing you are looking forward to? For Mom to get her CT scan and find out what's going on in there. What did you do today? It was a pretty average day. I woke up way too early, though. The only thing even semi-unique about today was I played World of Warcraft for a few hours again; I've been quite unattached to it lately, but I went through an episode today of actually having fun playing. Oh, and I've been battling a migraine. It's more of a severe headache now, at least, but it still sucks big time. Do you like to see it snowing outside? Oh yes, absolutely! When you were in high school did you ever have bomb threats? I believe once we did from a very volatile student that honestly caused quite a lot of trouble. He's dead now. Who knows ALL of your secrets? Nobody. Did you have a job before you were in college? No. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have a baby right now? That's a terrifying thought, no. Are you on birth control? Yeah, but just because it tames my menstrual cramps. Without it, they could be debilitating some days. Who is your last sent text to? My best fren. Have you ever eaten at Chipotle before? Possibly? Idr. Do you swear often? Excessively. I had a dirty mouth prior, but my swearing got really bad when I started staying at Jason's house a lot. He and especially his mother swear like mad. Do you own any shirts with a peace symbol on it? No. Do you have your national flag hanging up anywhere outside your house? Not at this house, no. Would you ever go to Japan? Oh, yes. I would love to. It's... very morbid, but I would really like to walk the (public) paths of Aokigahara Forest, nicknamed "Suicide Forest" for the horrible amount of, well, suicides that happen there via hanging. Like, you might just casually run into a dead body. I want to just... feel it there, walk in silence and empathize with people who didn't know what else to do and hope so deeply that those departed know they were never alone in their pain. I know with absolute certainty I'd probably be teary-eyed the whole time and cry a whoooole lot, but it's just an experience I want to have. What was the last thing you went to Walmart for? Some basic groceries. What should you be doing right now? Sleeping, given this headache... I just don't want to yet. Are you afraid of getting your heart broken? I'm fucking terrified of that ever happening again, far more than words can properly express. Have you ever been in a choir? Yes, actually; when I was a Catholic kid, my sisters and I were in the church choir for a year or so, idr. Do you have a Twitter? Yes, but only to like Mark's tweets, haha. Oh, and very rarely enter giveaways I'm interested in. Describe your retainers to me, if you have them, that is. I have a permanent metal one behind my front row of bottom teeth to keep those straight. My upper teeth had one of those normal retainers you take in and out, but I didn't wear it enough, so now it doesn't even fit. Would you like for someone to call you right now? No. I'm tired, my head hurts, and I'm enjoying the song I'm bingeing. It's so weird, I rarely ever go on music hunting trips (no real reason, I just... don't), but I've found great shit lately. Do you like to brush your teeth? No; it's a chore. I only do it because I don't want my teeth decaying, falling out, or getting too yellow, and the taste in your mouth and gritty texture on your teeth isn't exactly great when you don't brush. Have you ever had a surgery? Two. Give out your phone number over the internet? I have over private messages. Do you look older or younger than you actually are? Given my wardrobe (like graphic tees and band shirts), I probably look younger in the eyes of especially older people. I personally say I look my age, though. When is the next time you’ll be up on stage? I never plan to be again. What is the last show that you watched a full episode of? Some cooking show with Mom. Nailed It!, I think? Do you know anyone who lives in Utah? No. I love Utah, though; it's actually a place I'd be willing to live in with just how pretty it is and not super populated. Do you get your feelings hurt easily? VERY. I'm probably one of the most sensitive people you can meet. Do you still talk to the person you last made out with? Yeah. Have you ever seen your best friend cry? Ugh, yes. What kind of vitamins did you take as a kid? First we took those nasty, chalky Flintstones kinds, but as time passed, Mom moved onto giving us gummy bear vitamins that were perfectly fine. Did you get any compliments today? No. Are you friends with your neighbors? Not "friends," no. What towns have you lived in? Three different ones. That's all you're getting. Have you ever thrown up from drinking? No. Done any illegal drugs? No. I mean I've had some alcohol underage, but I've never done anything remotely hardcore. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve been on an airplane without changing flights? Idk. Who have you texted today? My mom and best friend. What time did you wake up this morning? Ugh, like five in the fucking morning. I couldn't go back to sleep. What is your favorite condiment to go with french fries? Ketchup. What do you have a habit of doing when engaging in a conversation with someone? Making shitty eye contact, and I'm one of those people who "talks with [their] hands." I also lose my train of thought a whoooole lot. Have you ever layed in a hammock? Yeah; we had one growing up. Have you ever lost a pet in a tragic way? How did you cope? Well yeah, I've had lots of pets, so thus lost some in particularly painful ways. The most scarring loss of a pet though is as follows: Teddy, my dog, picked up one of our cat's very young, wandering kittens in his jaws in a manner that looked as if he was trying to carry it like Aphrodite (the mother cat) does when she would bring them back behind the couch, where she gave birth/had her little "nest." I absolutely freaked and had to pry the kitten from his mouth, and it slowly died in my hands. I think Teddy accidentally crushed its ribs. I. Was. A. Mess. Then, there was Aphrodite herself. I've told the story before of our former neighbors calling animal control because our cats would wander through their yard, and all of our cats were taken away while I was unaware at school. Came home, and they were all gone. Aphrodite was my baby, so I was devastated. Screaming, sobbing, cursing on the porch for like 20 minutes... It was awful. What type of curtains do you like? I don't... know? I don't know the actual names of any types... What type of quality is a must-have in a friend? I absolutely cannot be friends with someone who thinks they're above everyone else. Are you any good at reading someone's body language? I think I am. What goes good with a nice cold glass of milk? Cookies! Especially Oreos. Dip it in there for around five seconds, and it's perfection. What fruit is too sweet to you? Grapefruit came to mind first. How did you feel after your first kiss? I had butterflies galore and was so giddy and smiley. After the first, I just wanted to kiss him a billion more times. What’s your favorite constellation and why? I don't have one. Shower curtain or door? Curtain. The glass doors are too revealing. Have you ever thought to yourself that you’re the luckiest person in the world? Most deeeeefinitely not. What time of day do you most enjoy looking at the sky? Sunset if there are clouds present, but sunrise if the sky is pretty clear.

[malfoygrass]

Superhero Au Drabble: the dark knight of Ministry City

"You've been gone for too long Black Dragon, I hate to admit it, but Ministry City needed you" Harry Potter sighed, as the leader of the city's League of Valor, his alter ego "Chosen One" had been too busy for the past seven years, with powers he sometimes still couldn't understand Chosen One had come a long way from the little boy in privet drive who couldn't control his super strength and flying. Now he worked for the Daily Prophet like a regular Joe.

"I had to leave, my parents were dead, Lord Voldemort was in prison, Bellatrix locked up in Askaban asylum" Black Dragon replied, to which Wondermind, the smartest girl in the team scoffed.

"You just didn't want to get locked up with all his other cronies" the gifted Amazon princess shot out bluntly, ( how Hermione Granger worked as a junior barrister was a mystery), at her side her boyfriend of ten years, Red Beater agreed, silently munching on a snack. (Weasley hadn't changed, much at least)

"Too bad most of them don't stay locked up" the Thunderbolt twins said at the same time " you've missed out"

"We also have new villains popping up left and right, so you better watch out, this isn't the Ministry City you left" Aquastorm said with a sigh, although Neville Longbottom, just like Draco was a wealthy philanthropist, their similarities ended there, where Draco courted the attention, Neville made a show of being shy "for what it's worth, I'm glad you're back"

"The children of some villains have grown up, others have come out of retirement, some have even trained replacements" Moon girl said dreamily then catching everyone unaware she added "You'll be married soon although it will be a hard courtship, since she's not happy to have you back" and sometimes Draco Malfoy really hated Luna Lovegood's cryptic second sight

_______________________________

He came to realize that the League of Valor had been downplaying the ammount of crime in Ministry City as soon as he was back in the fray. Mobsters, supervillains, wannabe sidekicks were ganging up to meet him. Plus the local vigilantes didn't stay behind either.

On one of those days, while helping Aquastorm sort out a problem with toxic chemicals, they got the unexpected help of someone who took Black Dragon by surprise.

"Need any help Aquastorm? I heard a little darkness could do the trick" a musical voice chimed in the distance

"Who was that" Black Dragon gasped as the black clad girl with the silver flower shield conjured a mist of pure dark fog that helped them get the upper hand over their assailants.

"That was the new Nightshade" Aquastorm replied waving at the retreating back of the mysterious superhero "one never knows what she will come up with, but she seems to like me, so if I ever need backup there's a fifty fifty chance that she will show up"

Nightshade? What Draco remembered from that one was that he used to be an antivillain in league with the superheroes of his father's golden age. This new one seemed to be far too young and too female to be the same person.

"Why the afinity with you?"

"Her powers depend on nature and mine on water, we understand each other" Neville shrugged "most of the time she involves plants that grow in dark places and the fog they produce to hide her presence"

Over the weeks Black Dragon had more encounters with Nightshade, tough they didn't talk, she was always showing up to help any superhero she liked or commit her own crimes. and he didn't like it one bit, not only because the girl was halfway between a white collar criminal and a superhero, but because he knew who the previous Nightshade was and if the man had retired then the new Nightshade could only be his daughter.

And he really didn't want her to be.

Nevertheless his theory was proven right when the Malfoy Gala to celebrate his return to Ministry City brought things to head.

So many people showed up he was almost sure that today ten attempts to his life were in progress. Nevermind the ammount of undercover alter egos.

All he needed to do was remain close to Neville and Nightshade would find him.

"Astoria darling, how good to see you, I must say you look enchanting" Augusta Longbottom said drawing Draco's attention to the delicate brunette making her way towards them

"Madame Longbottom, always a pleasure, everyone knws Greengrass Corporations wouldn't be the same without your sponsorship" Astoria replied with the same warmth "Neville, we missed you at the Veteran Awards benefit, I hope Hannah Abbott was worth it" she teased making Neville chuckle

"And what about me? Don't I get a kiss little Greengrass?"

"Dear me, Draco Malfoy I almost didn't recognize you" Astoria pretended to be startled and her pretty socialite smile never wavered "How long has it been? Nine? Ten years? Isn't that right Ollie" She'd arrived in the arm of Oliver Wood, the famous sports player and Draco hated her a bit, just for that.

They all knew it had been seven years.

"Well since it's been so long I suppose you wouldn't mind granting me this dance little Greengrass?" He made his insincere apologies to Oliver Wood and easily spirited Astoria into the middle of the dancefloor

"Must you always have your way?" Astoria muttered annoyed

"Must you always pretend we haven't seen each other lately?" He shot back into her ear "you're playing a dangerous game Astoria, those corporate secrets you stole can be tracked" he slid his hand sensually across her waist "Daphne wouldn't like it"

"Why do you care, Daphne is off playing sidekick to Nott and I'm all that's left" Astoria rolled her eyes "not that it matters, you left that part clear in your little goodbye letter"

"If I'd stayed in Ministry City I would be no better off than Pansy: another second gen villain" Draco hissed slowly maneuvering their dance towards a secluded spot in the balcony "And you were sixteen, I had no business getting involved with you and you know it, no matter how much I cared about you"

"So the alternative was leaving?" Astoria glared at him " don't you know the hell I went through? I LOVED YOU" she accused and Draco felt it like a punch in the gut "then you left and it all went kaput, father died, Nott became a villain and my sister abdicated her place in Greengrass Corporations, I had nobody"

"Astoria I didn't think..." But he had, he'd known that Astoria would survive at a high price "you have to understand I did it to protect you"

"Fat good it did you! I had to learn to protect myself" and he could read the pain in her eyes, before they hardened back to stone "now do us both a favor and stay out of Nightshade's business, I have enough dirt on Malfoy Industries to make life a little harder for you if you keep interfering"

"Not happening, in fact I might just decide to keep a closer eye on you"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, I'm engaged to Oliver Wood" she hedged as the music ended "we are to be married next month" And one had to wonder about the perfect timing of Draco's return

"So? Engagements can be broken" Draco shrugged "I hope the honeymoon package offers refunds, we both know they'll be no wedding" not if he had to tie Astoria to his sheets and remind her what had made them so explosive in their teens

"Don't you dare, you left Draco, you can't just come back from the dead and pretend everything is okay anymore than Black Dragon can" Astoria protested "it doesn't work that way"

"You grew up"

"I had to" she glared at him "Greengrass Corporations needed a leader, the streets needed a clean up" Astoria shrugged

"And you Astoria? Did anybody stop to ask what you needed?" His eyes were sad, taking her hand he brought it to his lips for a kiss wondering what Ministry City had done to his boyhood sweetheart

"I just needed you" and if that wasn't the most heartbreaking thing for Astoria, then she didn't know what was "my world fell apart and all I needed was you, but now it's too late...I don't need you anymore"

"Liar" Draco chuckled, crushing his lips to hers, savoring the first stolen kiss with the girl he hadn't been able to forget in seven years "is it really too late Astoria?" He whispered into her lips

Astoria was looking at him with a mixture of aprehension and desire "I don't know" she whispered back "things are so complicated now"

"Then I'll make them simple" Draco shrugged walking her back to Oliver Wood and her court of hypocrites "let's have dinner in Malfoy Mannor, tomorrow at five my car will pick you up" and the look he gave her left no room for protests "I'll let you seduce me for a change"

"You have no idea what you're asking for Malfoy"

"I'll be seeing you Little Greengrass" it occurred to him that Moon girl was right once again. He was going to marry Astoria Greengrass one day, because this time, he wouldn't let her go that easy.

An: Drabble companion to the superhero au Aesthetic I posted a few hours ago

[binnie-binnie-bambam]

where I’ve been...?

hey. I feel like I owe y’all an explanation as to where I’ve been for the last 3 months. but imma put it the whole big detailed story under the cut just in case y’all don’t care haha and coz I don’t wanna clog up people’s feed with my incessant rambling.

TL;DR: I’ve been through 3 months of mental hell and that took a big toll on everything, including my love of a lot of things, so I’ve been struggling but I’m gonna try to be on here more and I’m sorry for being away for so long and not saying anything about it. Thank you to everyone who has tagged me in things and sent me messages during this time, I have seen it, I promise, even if I haven’t been in the right headspace to respond, you have made this time even just a bit more bearable, and for that I thank you greatly.

so yeah, things have been rough to say the least. I want to explain what’s been going on because I’ve always been pretty open on here and I know a lot of other people struggle with the same things so I don’t feel so alone. basically, I’ve fallen into another awful depression. I’ve lost my passion and drive and desire, I’ve lost the ability to find joy in things, I have no interest in hardly anything at all, I’m just not...me...right now.

I mean, my whole summer was crazy busy because I was spending almost all of my time doing wedding prep for my best friend/cousin’s wedding so I really didn’t have much time for myself and if I did, I was too exhausted to do anything I wanted to do. that’s when my partial inactivity started. I also started to see a new psychiatrist over the summer and he started me on new meds around August. since August, over a span of ~5 months, I’ve been on and off 6+ new meds, being treated for severe anxiety, panic attacks that resurfaced after being free of them for over 4 years, severe depression, ADHD, and trying different things to see if I had bipolar, as well as having a heart condition, thyroid issues, and fibromyalgia all going haywire.

I was pretty much ok through September, aside from some not so fun side effects that got me on and off 3 new meds in that month alone. like my mood and motivation and everything was fine, we had the engagement party and bachelorette party at the beginning of the month, I got to spend a bunch of time with the guy I have a (stupid) crush on, I was busy, things were going pretty great, honestly. but October rolled around. the first half wasn’t so bad, we had a girls’ trip for a weekend sort of as a last hoorah before my best friend got hitched and that was a lot of fun and I’m super thankful I was able to go, especially since I originally thought I wasn’t going to be able to make it due to family circumstances.

and wedding prep continued on, until I was driving over to my aunt’s house for the last day of prep and things started to hit me. my aunt and I got really close this past year and this was the last time I was spending with her for a long time, like sure we see each other once in a while but I was going over there and going shopping with her and doing all sorts of stuff multiple times a week and I think I just got scared of the idea that I was facing a new normal all over again when my normal had already changed so drastically at the beginning of last year. and also the fact that my best friend was getting married and moving an hour away when she used to be 10 minutes away and I saw her all the time. like we had the rehearsal dinner the Sunday before the wedding and my oldest cousin made this speech (because she knew she’d be sobbing too much to actually make it at the wedding) and she talked about us three girls as kids growing up and all this stuff about my best friend and how perfect her fiance was for her and it was just all really sobering I guess?

and I spent a lot of nights that week writing and rewriting a letter to the couple and I definitely spent most of that time sobbing over everything and sometime that week my mood just plummeted. my dad got /really/ concerned because the change in me was /so/ drastic but there wasn’t much we could do with only a few days until the wedding so we just hoped for the best and waited till my appointment with my psychiatrist to figure out the next step. I ended up getting a migraine at the wedding (I know it was from stress and from being so upset) so I couldn’t have a good time like I wanted to and I knew I’d regret it and I definitely regret it but I can’t change anything now. I got to hug the bride and groom goodbye just as they were leaving and I’ve never struggled so hard trying not to cry, which I mean, my best friend was sooo close to becoming a sobbing mess hugging me too, and the groom, well he was a blubbering mess (he’s a very emotional dude, all three of us have sobbed watching movies together, we’re a sight lmao) so I didn’t feel too strange haha. but it was a really weird feeling and it was really hard to sleep at the hotel that night. we drove home in the rain the next morning and did absolutely nothing the entire day.

then the news hit about Woojin and I spent my Monday night quite literally sobbing myself to sleep. at that time, I was still pretty new to skz but it still hurt like hell and I know my depression warped the emotions out of proportion but it was still so incredibly painful. but nothing could prepare me for the news about Wonho. nothing. I was already so deep into my depression and that just, I still don’t even have words. something hasn’t hit me that hard in I don’t even know how long. I couldn’t even cry, it took me over 2 months to cry about it because it just hurt too much. I still can’t listen to any of their music, I can’t even see photos of them without bursting into tears, and I’m ashamed at myself for being so attached to something that I react this badly, but even more so, I’m upset with myself that I can’t support them when they need it most because it causes me so much physical and emotional pain I just can’t deal with it. I’m not giving up on them, god no, I know it probably sounds like I am, but I swear I’m not. I love them way too much for that. it’s not even possible to describe how much mx and Wonho mean to me, I’m not giving up on them, I’m just handling things in my own way at my own pace, I guess.

from then on, things just spiraled out of control. on and off more meds, more and more problems arose, I really felt like I could not keep my head above water. and on top of it, I had the 7th anniversary of my grandma’s death in early November and the 10th anniversary of my grandfather’s death in early December and to say the least, that did not have the best effect on my mental health. it’s been 3 months of pretty much hell. I genuinely have /no/ interest in things I used to do, none of my hobbies, everything, and I mean everything, is a chore. it’s still like this. but I’m trying to do more to fix it. I’m seeing my doctor next week and I just spent 6 weeks getting another med out of my system so hopefully when I see him, he’ll try something new and we’ll actually make progress instead of taking 2 steps forward and 8 steps back. I haven’t lost hope yet.

there’s been many, many times in these past few months where I’ve felt like I’ve already hit rock bottom and I’m just waiting for the final blow to finish me off. but, if I’m being completely honest, what’s kept me going has been my really close friends on here that have stuck with me this whole time and my love for kpop which thankfully, god thank you, hasn’t diminished whatsoever despite everything. I can confidently say, I wouldn’t still be here without my friends, you know who you are my loves. y’all keep my world turning and no matter how painful it can get sometimes, I wouldn’t have made it this far, I wouldn’t want to keep going, I wouldn’t owe my life to you guys, so thank you, more than words can express. I love you all to the moon and back. and then some.

so this has just been paragraphs upon paragraphs of me rambling so I really don’t know why you would’ve stayed and read the whole damn thing, but if you did, thank you, I feel a lot better getting things off my chest. and this isn’t to say I’m back completely, I can’t guarantee how active I’ll actually be, but I’ll do my best to spend some more time on here because I genuinely do miss this place and all the amazing people in it. I’m so sorry I’ve been gone so long, especially without any real explanation. I’m going to do my best to rediscover my love for things, I may have lost it for a time, but it’s not gone completely.

~

until next time, this has been “aly won’t shut up”. thank you and goodnight, I love y’all

[ceruleanmusings]

a breakdown of melrica or melisaac?

I’m going to do Melisaac for this one only because I got another breakdown ask for Melrica.

How did they they meet?: they meet in fourth grade after Mel moves to Beacon Hills. They both thought each other was weird.

Who developed romantic feelings first?: Isaac did. He’s had a crush on her since sixth grade. He only starts acknowledging it when they’re sophomores in high school.

Who is their biggest “shipper?”: Scott McCall, full stop. He can see the way they both look at each other, protect one another, and check-in on each other that’s a little bit more than just being concerned packmates.

When did they have their first kiss and under what circumstances?: Unofficially their first kiss is when Mel is so relieved after the events that went on the Glen Capris due to wolfsbane making all the werewolves suicidal, that she kisses him without thinking about it (and they kind of make out). Officially, their first kiss is months later in Derek’s loft in one of their rare down times. Melanie was going on a rant long explanation about the difference between the supernatural, paranormal, and paternatural when Isaac just leans over and kisses her.

Who confessed their feelings first?: Isaac does only because he’s in the middle of being angry at her for not taking her safety during a supernatural threat into consideration and also because he’s frustrated that he knows she feels the same way but won’t say it. (She’s too afraid to say it first because she’s holding onto the fear that everyone she loves dies and she doesn’t want to pin feelings towards Isaac because it could happen to him too.)

What was their first official date?: A night picnic on the beach. Though it wasn’t planned. Isaac sensed that Melanie needed time away from Beacon Hills and so they ditched school at lunch to go to the beach. They had the food, Melanie keeps a blanket in her truck, and the clear night sky set the mood just right.

How do they feel about double dates/group dates?: Melanie is fine with them, in fact even loves them; she gets to spend time with her friends and her boyfriend. Isaac would rather they be alone. But doubling with Scott and Kira isn’t so bad.

What do they do in their down time?: Mostly nothing. Well, nothing planned and nothing in particular. Usually they end up listening to records while doing their own thing

What was the first meeting of parents as an official couple like?: Awkward only because Melanie’s parents were trying so hard to let Isaac know that they approved of the relationship and were glad to have him around that they were overzealous. They’re usually not embarrassing but they almost planned their future wedding on the spot.

What was their first fight over and how did they get past it?: It was over Melanie’s habit of handling Isaac with kid-gloves and sort of coddling him. She has a bad habit of being so protective that she’s smothering and wants to fix everything. Isaac doesn’t like that she tries to “fix” him and make things easy for him. He gets that her heart is in the right place but there are times he feels like he can’t breathe or feel agitated without her having to know about it. They get past it after a day apart to cool off and better communicate their thoughts on the situation.  He’s not as forthcoming with his feelings as she is so she has to pull it out of him a little but they work through it.

Which one is more easily made jealous?: They both can get jealous but edging a little more towards Isaac. He really doesn’t know how he managed to get someone like her and is aware that she could find someone better than him. Any time he sees someone getting a little too close he’ll be on the defensive.

What is their favourite thing to get to eat?: Tacos. They both love mexican food and tacos will be the first thing they go for when they’re hungry.

Who’s the cuddly one? What their favourite cuddling position?: Melanie, easily. Anytime they’re on the same couch or within the same space she’ll cuddle up into his side. Their favorite position is when one is lying atop of the other, full body weight, with their heads on the other’s chest so they can hug and also play with the other’s hair.

Are they hand holders?: Yep, though Melanie is more than Isaac. It takes Isaac some time to get used to the PDA. He’s not always the first to initiate but when he does he’ll never let her go.

How long do they wait before sleeping together for the first time? What’s the circumstances?: They wait a fair amount of time only because, funnily enough, intimacy freaks Melanie out to a degree. Being desired and pursued is something she’s not used to so it makes her flustered so once she wraps her head around that idea they’re off to the races. Their first time wasn’t super special by “normal standards”, no romantic candles, no mood lighting, no mood music, but it was after a lacrosse win and it gentle and slow and they checked in with one another a lot.

Who tops?: At first, Isaac, but after that mostly Melanie. (This is assuming the question is asking who likes to be on top physically. Otherwise if it's top vs bottom, Isaac tops.)

What’s the worst first they’ve ever gotten into?: I assume first is supposed to be “fight” so the worst fight they’ve ever gotten into was Isaac’s tendency to avoid a fight. His immediate reaction is to try and placate and fix whatever Melanie’s mad about to cut off the fight rather than actually fighting. Which then gets them into a fight; they wound up yelling at one another and going in constant circles to the point that they had to lock themselves in separate rooms until they calmed down enough to talk without yelling.

Who does the shopping and the cooking? They both shop but Melanie mostly cooks.

Which one is more organized and prone to tidiness?: They’re both messy but Melanie is worse compared to Isaac.

Who proposes? They kind of propose to each other, though Isaac would claim that he proposed first. They talked about the idea of getting married while on the road and agreed that they want to be married. But since Isaac was the one who brought up the topic he takes that point. (Though he does surprise her with his mother’s engagement ring later, which makes her mad because he beat her to the punch by a week.)

Do they have joined Bachelor/Bacheloette parties or separate?: Separate. Melanie and the girls go dancing and on a scavenger hunt. Isaac and the others play cards and drink at Derek’s place.

Who is the best man/maid of honour? Any other groomsmen or bridesmaids? isaac’s best man is Scott with Stiles and Derek as his groomsmen. Melanie’s maid of honor is Kira with Lydia and Malia as her bridesmaids.

Big Ceremony or Small?: Small. Only their friends and some of their parents would attend. It’s held in Burlington, VT so Isaac’s cousins can attend. Plus, he wanted to get away from Beacon Hills and be sure that nothing would stop them from being married.

Do they have a honeymoon? If so, where? They do! They spend two weeks in Italy. Isaac is tired of France and he’d always been interested in the history and sights that Italy has to offer.

Do they have children? How many? They eventually have twin girls, Erica Camden “Cammie” Lahey and Mallory Boyd Lahey.

[shedreamsofstars]

Threads of our Sols - Chapter 4

A series of fluffy interconnecting snapshots inspired by the Silvaze Week 2019 themes of dream, music, fairy tale, marriage, ‘I’m okay’ lantern and gardening.

Start from the beginning / Next Chapter

These Threads That Bind

Blaze took a deep breath, smoothing down her white satin dress as she eyed herself in the mirror. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, pulled free from her normal ponytail. She brushed her fingers through it, wondering if perhaps it was too much.

With a shake of her head, the cat bit back a smile, realising how silly the thought was. This was her wedding day, and being the Princess, nothing would be considered too much. But even still, the main wedding was hours away and she still had one important thing to get to before then.

She couldn’t very well go gallivanting around the palace in her actual wedding gown without alerting a few nosy palace staff and her guards as to the true reason for her excursion, and so she had opted for the simple dress she was to wear beneath her actual gown later that day.

Blaze headed to the window, shifting the velvet curtains to get a view of the buzzing crowds below. In the early afternoon, both she and Silver would take to the palace’s largest balcony that overlooked the gardens below to publicly tie the knot.

Her people had been gathering below since the gates had been opened this morning, many having staked out beyond the palace walls for days to get a prime position despite several warnings from guards about keeping safe. All waiting for the most high-profile wedding in recent memory.

Blaze blew out a soft breath as she let the curtain fall. Later, they would get exactly what they came for. But as for now, the cat had a more pressing matter to attend to. With one final glance at her reflection, she headed out of her rooms into the corridors beyond, glancing around carefully to make sure nobody had caught on to where she was headed.

Luckily for her, anybody she passed was too busy setting up for the wedding to bother her with much more than a passing greeting. And so, before long Blaze found herself pausing at the top of a spiral staircase, staring intently at the wooden door before her.

It was where she had been heading this entire time, but now that she was here, she found herself hesitating. Not from nerves or fear or anything of the sort. But from overwhelming sense of knowing that everything she wanted lay behind that one slab of wood.

The door to her pre-wedding wedding.

The moment she passed through that threshold, her life would change forever, for the better. Both she and Silver had talked on multiple occasions on what they would want their ideal wedding to be like. Simple, small and meaningful were the only things they could pinpoint.

After concluding that with their status being what it was, that was almost impossible, the pair had unanimously decided on holding two ceremonies, one after the other.

The first, a private ceremony for just them. No pomp. No grandeur. Just him and her and the love they shared, the way they both wished it could always have been.

The second, a public one for the world with all the full-blown ceremony expected of a traditional Royal wedding. It was the best of both worlds, albeit unconventional - hence the sneaking around.

Silver’s voice from beyond the door brought her back to her senses, tugging her back to reality. Without thinking, Blaze pressed her ear up against the door.

“Are you s-sure she wants this?” his panicked voice stuttered. “What if she marries me and decides it was all a mistake!”

“Calm down mate, you’re lettin’ ya nerves get the best of ya,” another voice chimed in, Marine undoubtedly.

“But-”

“Loosen ya tie Silver, it’s cutting off ya circulation. That sheila’s got it bad for ya. You’ll get past today and pretty soon, you’ll have little ankle biters running around making ya wonder what ya were ever worried –”

Someone cleared their throat and Blaze startled back from the door to see her Captain of the Guard coming up the stairs behind her. She wasn’t sure if the blush that graced her cheeks was from Marine’s observations or embarrassment at being caught in the act of eavesdropping.

“Pardon the intrusion my Queen,” Gardon said as he continued his approach. “But is that truly wise?” he asked, keeping his voice low as to not betray their arrival to those who waited beyond the door.

Blaze shook her head. “No. I just couldn’t help it,” she said quietly, a hint of regret in her voice. The koala merely gave her an understanding smile.

“Not to worry my Queen. It’s a big day for you, you’re allowed to make the odd mistake or two. Are you ready to go in?” he asked, nodding to the door. As if on cue, Marine’s voice blasted through the door so loudly that it seemed to permeate even the stone bricks of the palace.

Gardon sighed defeatedly.

“If you will my Queen, may I ask you hold off on your entrance for just a moment longer. I wish to have a word with a certain racoon on just when a witness to a wedding is advised to speak and when they are advised to not.”

A small smile snuck on to Blaze’s lips and she nodded.

“Just knock and I’ll make sure everything is ready. A few minutes should be enough,” he said before cracking open the door and slipping inside. It shut with a loud thud behind him and Blaze took a deep breath.

She heard voices and waited a few moments until the commotion had settled before knocking twice, sharp and quick. Before she could reach to push the door, it seemed to open of its own accord and Blaze’s heart caught in her throat at the sight before her.

Silver stood against the doorframe wearing a purple bow tie that matched her perfectly, his amber eyes wide with awe. In an instant, every other thought in her mind melted away and there was only her and him and an endless moment of them.

“Hi,” he said timidly.

“Hi,” she whispered back, at a loss for any other reply.

Gardon spoke something incomprehensible at the far end of the small room and before she knew what was happening, Marine had appeared out of thin air. She grabbed her hand and tugged her beside Silver before reaching for his arm and hooking it onto hers.

With a mischievous grin the raccoon shuffled to the side of the room and Silver seemed to have come back to his senses as he began to lead her towards Gardon. Blaze took a moment to take in the room around her.

It was small and circular, the sunlight from the two large windows illuminating the room in its warmth. Whatever furniture it usually held had been cleared out in favour of a small arch that stood in the centre, twisted with flowers in pale purples and whites. Gardon stood just beyond it, waiting patiently until the pair stood beneath the arch and came to a stop.

Her nerves blazed like a wildfire as they stood before the koala, the gold buttons on his blue suit polished to perfection. The pommel of his ceremonial sword hung precisely against his belt as he looked up at the cat and hedgehog proudly, welcoming them both.

Blaze removed her hand from Silver’s arm and turned so she was facing him, but her gaze never left the ground as the Captain of the Guard began to officiate the ceremony with the required vows.

She could hear him talking, knowing from her own research what he was saying, but hearing none of it. Her mind was too focused on the fact that this was happening. She was marrying Silver.

From the corner of her eye she could see Marine standing off to the side, looking for all the world as if some invisible hands were forcibly keeping her mouth shut to keep her thoughts from bursting out into the open.

It was a comical sight to say the least and she wondered if Silver could see how hard she was trying for them. With a burst of confidence she’d almost forgotten she had, Blaze risked a glance at her groom. Silver’s gaze was also locked on his feet, and without thinking, she gently stuck her leg out enough to tap against his shoe.

He looked up at her instantly, a smile breaking over his face as he caught the look she gave him. One open and vulnerable enough to let him know that she felt the same and that they were both in this together. He returned it willingly and Blaze lost herself to the future those eyes spoke of. Happiness. Contentment. Peace.

“And now for the rings and vows,” Gardon said, and from the amused set of his lips, Blaze got the feeling that this wasn’t the first time he had said that line. He held the two rings out on a small cushion, matching silver bands engraved with words no one but she and Silver knew the meaning behind.

Blaze took hers first, smiling tenderly as she slipped it onto Silvers hand. “Silver the Hedgehog, I take you as you are. I promise myself to you and place my trust in you with my entire being, to love me and care for me as I will forever do for you.”

She blinked back tears, taking a steadying breath as Silver reached for his ring. He lifted her hand into his with a gentle grace as he slipped the band onto her finger, fitting it perfectly alongside her engagement ring.

“Blaze the Cat, I take you as you are. I promise myself to you and place my trust in you with my entire being, to love me and care for me as I will forever do for you.” The hedgehog swiped impatiently at his cheeks and Blaze knew she had never loved him more than she did in this moment.

“With that, I declare you both … husband and wife.”

“Oh finally!”

Both Silver and Blaze broke out of their reverie, turning to see Marine taking a deep breath of relief. “Will ya two lovebirds just smooch already or what?”

...xxx...

It’s still silvaze week in my heart!!

For the record, I know zilch about western weddings outside of the *many* romcoms I indulge myself in. I could write the pants off a south-asian wedding but this, not so much, so if it’s super crappy and inconsistent, I apologise. I did take a couple of liberties with some stuff but eh.

Thanks for reading folks, let me know your thoughts if you have the time. Until next time, chao :)

[aliemah]

The ship questions. All of the numbers. What ship you ask? Katie X Nathaniel

I accept this challenge.

- How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?Nathaniel shits the bed daily. Without fail. Katie performs dark magic and somehow applies razor sharp wings to her eyeliner. Flawless.

- How’s their team work? Do they share well?They share a lot of things. They work very, very well together as a team, because if there’s any issue, they don’t hesitate to talk about it and resolve the issue. It’s truly amazing and I aspire to have a relationship like theirs some day.

- Are they open about their relationship? How do they feel about public displays of affection?If they aren’t open about their relationship I don’t know what that phrase means, then. PDA is often but in a way that isn’t obnoxious. Usually little kisses or just them telling each other how much they love each other.

- First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?Absolutely. At least for Nathaniel. Katie was scared to death because he “looked like a convict that had escaped from prison”.

- Nicknames? Pet names? Any in-jokes?I couldn’t list all of them here. For any of those things.

- Any tasks that are always left to one person?Nathaniel is left the sole task of shitting the bed every morning - it needs to be done. Katie is typically left with planning things out, but it’s not a bad thing because they still talk back and forth about things.

- What annoys them the most about their partner? Would they change it if they could?I can’t recall ever hearing them say there’s one thing they don’t like about the other.

- What do the like best about their partner?Would you like to read my novel, The Tale of Katie and Nathaniel?

- Do they discuss big issues? Religion? Marriage? Children? Death?Constantly. And I think it’s really great that they do communicate constantly about these things, and even joke about some of them.

- Who drives? Cooks? Does the handiwork? Cleans? Pays the bills? Handles the public?Yes.

- Do they celebrate holidays? Anniversaries?They celebrate everything they can together and they deserve to.

- Is there a wedding? What was the proposal like? Any kind of honeymoon?There will be a wedding at some point. The proposal was super cute and I unfortunately can’t remember all the details of it. But I know they went around to all the places like where they first met, had their first date, stuff like that, and then he proposed on a beach.

- What do they do for fun? Do they have a favorite activity or do they like to switch things up?They play different games on different screens while lounging on a couch together and if that’s not true love I don’t know what is.

- Anything they both dread?Socializing for long amounts of time or with people they don’t know/like very much.

- How adventurous are they?They like adventure games - doesn’t that count?

- Do they keep secrets? Lie? Cheat?That’s laughable. They get upset over the IDEA of any of these things. Naturally, secrets can be kept if they’re trivial things, like gifts, or general small surprises.

- What would make them break up? Would it be permanent?I really don’t think there’s anything that would make them break up for real. Like I’ve already said, they talk about everything together and work through issues and I really admire that.

- What are their dates like? How long do/did they date? Do they ever feel the need to take a break from each other?I imagine they have fun on their dates, and make dates out of everything they can.

- What do they fight about? What are their arguments like? How do they make up?They have fights like anyone else over the same things. Again, they talk.

- What does their home look like? Their room?Messy but cozy. And in the best way possible.

- Do they share any interests or hobbies?What don’t they share is a better question.

- Does their work ever interfere with the relationship?Nope.

- How do they hug? Kiss? Tease? Flirt? Comfort?Big hugs. Little kisses. Generally very affectionate in every way and always attentive to what the other one needs or wants.

- Any doubts about the relationship?None!

- How much time do they spend together? Do they share their feelings, or hold things in?I feel like this is repetitious soooo.. I’m just gonna throw this in: I love lamp.

- How do their friends feel about their relationship? Their families?There isn’t a single soul that knows them that doesn’t think they’re perfect and so happy to be with each other.

- Do they have kids? Grow old together? Split up?They want at least one kid, they will absolutely grow old together and I know that whatever happens after death, they’ll still be together.

- What are their vacations like?Fun. Typically to a beach or to Portland.

- How do the handle disasters or emergencies? Minor injuries? Sickness?They’re miserable when sick, but that’s because they have so many other things already going wrong. But it’s not excessive or obnoxious. They’re both very receptive to allowing others to help take care of them.

- Could they manage a long distance relationship?They’re doing it right now. They’ve been doing it for 3 years.

- Do they finish each other’s sentences? Pick up any phrases or habits from each other? Know when the other is hiding something?They have the same sense of humor and have a great time bouncing off one another in conversation.

- Do they ever get into trouble? Is it serious, or are they just mischievous?Never. Katie would never let them get in trouble. Nathaniel… Well… Remember that Coldplay song? “When you try your best, but you don’t succeed”? Yeah.

- What kind of presents do they get each other? Do they only do it on special occasions?They get each other meaningful and fun presents. Nathaniel is also a sweetheart and even got me a present for Valentine’s day even though he was under no obligation.

- Do they have any pets?Not yet.

- Do they bring out the best in each other, or the worst? Do they have a fatal flaw?They absolutely bring out the best in each other. But you already knew that.

- What’s their greatest strength as a couple? Their weakness?They are never alone in any situation, and if there was a weakness I would have to say that they don’t realize just how amazing they are as individuals.

- How much would they be willing to sacrifice for the other? Any lines they refuse to cross?I feel like they would be willing to sacrifice a lot of things in life to be together. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Katie say that she would rather be poor than unhappy. And I think that’s just beautiful.

- What are they like in the bedroom? Any kinks/fetishes/turn-ons? Anything they won’t do?They sleep.

- Who initiated the relationship? Who kissed who first?  When did they realize they were in love?I feel like Nathaniel sort of initiated but Katie followed through. But I think they knew pretty early on that they really loved each other and they haven’t stopped.

- Any special memories? Do they have a special place they like to go to?Obviously I’m the special memory. Aside from Spring Awakening.

- Are they party-goers? What are they like when they’re drunk? Does it happen often?Katie is more selective about the parties she goes to, for sure. It has to be the right people and the right number of people. Nathaniel, I think, would go anywhere “for the experience”. They’re both cute when they’re drunk. Katie likes laying on floors, apparently, and Nathaniel likes to give long-winded pep-talks. But they’re always together or at least with a friend if they do get drunk.

- Do they let each other get away with things that would normally bother them?Nope. Never happens.

- Do they talk often? What about?What don’t they talk about, lmao. They talk constantly and I often get roped into the conversations somehow.

- Are the comfortable with each other? Anything they have to have their privacy for?... They’re engaged? I would hope they’re comfortable around each other.

- Any special dreams or goals they have as a couple? Any heartbreaks? Regrets?They want a house and a family and everything else that comes with living a good life. And I want that for them too because they are my best friends and I would do anything I could to help them achieve their dreams because they’ve already endured so much in their lives.

Thanks Nathaniel. You’re a fucking nerd and I hope @mrs-villainous appreciates these answers as well.

[faridahmalik]

lmao i have nothing super amazing written for v-day bc

well. depression. 

it’s def not finished, but idk. teaser/this will probably never HAVE a full fic but. it’s kinda cute?

modern au fake relationship stuff with Will n Wilson sort of climax scene, aka ‘okay to get them to leave me alone would u be willing to almost marry me?’ aka I have not been to a wedding since i was like five. research was weird.

it’s just self-indulgent fluff. happy valentine’s day.

Wilson tried not to wince as the music starts, he was already steeled for the fact Will wouldn’t even show, just as they’d talked about two days ago, on the veranda of the restaurant they’d all gone to after the rehearsal.

Despite his mother's want of a full traditional ceremony, Wilson had coaxed her into a more relaxed procession, it starting with him at the altar because they didn't have a huge friend group, and Will's only family was Jack and the kids, while Wilson's family was sprawling.

It also made William vanishing easier.

He’d looked determined as they talked about the plan, and really, after all the trouble Will had gone through for him, Wilson couldn’t help but understand. Once this mess was over and done with, he wouldn’t even blame William for not wanting to even be friends anymore. It’d just kept spiraling, and selfishly, once he realized it was more than just platonic love with Will, Wilson had held on. Excuses were made, and more time was spent pretending that they were a couple.

More time both of them making stupid jokes, sarcasm at his parent's antics, living together. More nights in the same bed, talking quietly. More owed lunches, for putting up with all of this, and Will, in good humor, mentioning that at the very least he was fed well for all of this.

The rare staged kiss, which always provoked both thrill and worry.

Their fake engagement rings, which Wilson couldn't help but sigh when he had to put it away until the next visit, wishing it wasn't just a bargain bin set, a pair of cheap fakes, but instead something actually gold, with a real gemstone like amethyst, not glass, that he'd picked out for Will specifically.

Still, he'd fucked this up royally. By not actually asking Will out the first time, too scared he'd lose his best friend, but wanting more time closer than just friends with him.

One deep breath, and he was prepared to feign sorrow, thinking it was cold feet, not their plan. Apologize to his folks for wasting their time and money, though really, he could care less about their money. They’d been the ones who pushed for a traditional wedding, even if the attendance was his family, their friends, and Jack and their kids, and since they said they’d pay, he relented. Really, besides feeling sorry for himself, he was mostly sorry his siblings had to come out with their families. He’d never thought he’d be jealous of them. But there they were, with spouses they cared for and loved.

And then there was their friends, who'd insisted the moment they heard even the slightest rumor, even though they knew this was all a show. He didn't feel sorry for them, just... annoyed.

The room was silent, save for the music; it felt like everyone else was also holding their breath. Wilson couldn't help but bite the inside of his lip, trying to hold back tears that were threatening to fall, at least he could claim nerves. God, he'd made so many mistakes and Wilson just wanted it to be over. Let him go wallow in his broken heart already. He could tell Willow and Woodie were both fidgeting behind him, they were probably tired of this too.

The door opened. Maybe Charlie to say William wasn't coming, his folks had demanded at some sort of best man/woman for both of them, they wanted at least something traditional, even if their son wasn't traditional in the slightest. It'd have to be Charlie, Wes hated speaking.

The music didn't stop. There was no words indicating William was a no show.

So Wilson turned. Wendy and Abigail were first, they had demanded to be the flower girls for their uncle, fake event or not after Jack had explained it to them. His youngest sister's daughter, Wisteria, had joined them, a few years younger then the twins.

Webber, Charlie's nephew and the not official, but basically adopted younger brother of the twins with the rings, also cheap, he'd bought them. Though, with the next sight, Wilson wished he'd spent more on them.

William, with Jack next to him, with the real flowers Wilson's mother had insisted on. If he remembered the mix; poppies, lavender, and lilies. William had acted engaged in the planning, and chose his favourite flowers.

He finally met William's eyes, and there was the same look on the other's face as two nights ago. Wilson's heart pounding so hard he couldn't hear the light whispering from their friends, the right side still silent.

It was as hard to believe as someone claiming he'd finally gotten his dream job, even with the quiet "Hey," out of Will's mouth as he joined him at the altar. Wilson turned to face him, a little early, but no one stopped him.

Stars, he still might cry. William had a soft smile across his flushed face, and was fidgeting slightly, more obvious without the flowers in his hands, already passed to Charlie. His throat couldn't form words, it was like all of a sudden he couldn't find words at all. Their hands though, like they had during rehearsal, slid together, and it was comforting.

Thank the stars they'd asked his old mentor, Wickerbottom, to be officiant, as they'd be able to let her in on what was going on. She, thankfully, was always articulate, even in surprising circumstances and even as he couldn't make out many of the words, the mere sound helped.

William was here. William was still here.

There was a period of silence and Wilson realized that it was one of their turns to speak and oh hell, he couldn't remember the vows he'd only really wrote two days ago and could recite when they were fresh.

"I... I didn't expect to fall in love, you know." Was the first thing out of his mouth and boy did it sound dumb to him, and most likely weird to his folks. "This wasn't what I expected to happen when all this began, a-and honestly, I wasn't expecting to be standing here today, with you. You were... are, one of my best friends. And when I asked for your help, it was for a number of reasons, but one, one that's extraordinarily important, came to light after the fact, and I realized I couldn't let you go. You're so special to me, William. We've been friends since college, and... and, I think I should have realized it sooner. And I'm sorry for that." His face was red, that was completely off script and not at all the vows they'd written.

"Wilson..." Oh stars. That smile was going to kill him. "This... has probably been a long time coming for me. When all this started, when I was helping you, I went in with an aching heart, it was probably unrequited, but you were one of my best friends, and you've helped me so much... I wanted to help you when you needed me. Even if it ended up with my heart breaking in silence."

Oh no. Oh hell. How much had he... Wilson could feel the tears almost budding, how much had he hurt Will through this, by not saying something. Did this tear him apart earlier then it had for Wilson. Had William felt used after a point. That, alone, was terrifying. Will had been though enough of that.

"So I kept on. And I decided to keep going, no matter what laid ahead, and decided to lay my feelings bare, once and for all... even if it ended up a mistake. Because if I ran, I wouldn't know. And so I'm here, right now, with you. My best friend. Someone who makes me happy, who I trust and love with my whole heart. As long as you want me." William's voice broke on the last half of that sentence, and there were tears running down his face, and that egged on Wilson's.

Wilson released the other's hands, then pulled William to him, instead, and hugged him tighter then he'd expected he would, their positioning letting him whisper into the other's ear, along with comforting both of them. "It was breaking me to know you weren't supposed to show." He wanted this so bad, William and him in the house he'd inherited, without his folks around. To wake up and see William sleeping still, the other was a light sleeper but he slept late when he wasn't disturbed.

"I wanted to say something... even if you rejected me at the altar." Will whispered back. "I thought you would..."

"Never. Stars, William, how could I? I love you." This close, he could feel the start of what would have been a sob, before being swallowed down.

"Th-they're waiting on us, you know. Not that it exactly matters, this is about us, but I'm starting to feel a little like a show, and not your groom." There was a swallow, "Though, I'd assume they're just living for the drama, if I know your family and our friends." A little humor and Wilson chuckled, pulling back to wipe a thumb under one of Will's eyes, lifting the glasses.

There was an amused hum before Wickerbottom game an "Ahem?" to convince them to return to how they had been.

"Now that we've heard them speak... are there any other vows you two would like to say before I continue?" There was a teasing smirk on the professor's face, and both of them looked away before nodding.

"Wils-"

"Will-" They'd both opened their mouths at once and quietly laughed, Wilson squeezing Will's hands, asking to go first. "William. I vow to be with you as long as I can, and to love and support you always, and in whatever I can do, to be with you no matter how things are around us. To make amends for how foolish I was, and make you happy. To make you laugh when you are sad and when I can't, to hold you and love you still." Off the top of his head, wasn't too bad, if he said so himself.

Even with tears on his face, the vow seemed to have been received well, eyes wide, staring at him with a smile. "Wilson, I vow to be with you through whatever life throws at us, through bad jobs and broken machines and failed plays, as things don't seem so bad when I'm with you. I vow to love you, to care for you, to support you, to find solutions and working to make things better with you." Show off. "I vow to embrace being your partner, your husband, for the rest of my life."

He hadn't looked at anybody but Will since he'd stood up here, though he had a feeling the sniffling nearby was Woodie.

"We come to a close, in this ceremony, after a final question posed to both of these devoted lovers. Webber, dear, the rings?"

Oh god, he was going to replace these as soon as he could. Wilson mused on the design possibilities as the young man delivered the rings, sliding behind them.

He felt a tap, Wickerbottom handing him a ring, then William the other. "Now, if you would slide the rings onto the tip of each other's ring finger..." They both compiled, "Wilson Higgsbury, do you take William Carter as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." That wasn't something he'd been expecting to say today, but it left him warm.

"William Carter, do you take Wilson Higgsbury to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Would you both fully slide the rings onto one another's finger?" There was a pause as Wilson did it for Will, and Will for Wilson, this felt too surreal and wonderful to actually be happening, but it was. "With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you two wed, you may now kiss your groom."

Oh hell. It was simple and innocent, they've kissed before, unexpected and few, but this took the cake. This was real. Will's lips were warm and uneven, chapped, possibly bitten slightly in nerves.

It wasn't long before they drew back, to the triumphant noise from their friends, mixed with laughter, and clapping (along with a few cheers from his sisters,) from Wilson's side.

However, it was almost too tempting to stop himself from peppering William with more kisses, for every missed moment he should of been kissing him. Though, even the mere passing thought of that was dashed as his parents approached, his mother certainly upset with that frown on her face. His father looked like he couldn't even care.

"Wilson Percival Hig-"

"Wilson Percival Carter." Wilson interrupted. "I'll be taking William's family name, thank you."

"Wilson." She huffed. "I'm not even prepared to go into that little tidbit of information but what was that absolute farce of a ceremony! You made us look like fools!"

No, Wilson considered, he made himself look like an idiot, but that was fairly normal. "I'm completely sorry for deviating from your perfect, pre-approved plan." He managed a straight face. "I wasn't exactly expecting my groom to show up."

"What?!"

"It was supposed to be a farce so you would get off my back! It was always get married to this girl, she's the daughter of one of dad's business associates, I want grandchildren out of you, all your siblings have given me grandchildren, why haven't you! Do you have a girlfriend? I could arrange a date for you! Every time we talked it was always about my lack of a love-life, which I was fine with!"

"You were willing to let us waste our money! Why you self entitled..."

William stepped between them slightly. "You were the one forcing this on us originally. Demanding when we were getting married. If you hadn't, we would of continued to fake being engaged."

"Did your friends think you were dating?" Oh boy, she was seething, Wilson had seen that look in her eyes.

Stars, he was thankful for Willow at that moment, noticing the distress on both of their faces. "We had a bet going on if they'd own up to being in love!" She stated, drawing enough attention away so both of them could half embrace, one of their arms wrapped around the other's waist. Will was shaking, even if his voice was steady, confrontation was not his strong suit. "They might not have been properly dating, but they were both so love sick, it was almost sad."

"So this was all to deceive us." She almost hissed.

"It wasn't wasted!" He shot back, holding Will close. "We tried to get you to let us have a very small ceremony, but you wanted big. But, right now that doesn't matter because your money wasn't wasted. I'm married! To someone I love! Who I greatly would like to go eat some cake with after we both change, thank you very much." He turned and pulled Will along, the other having to take a few longer strides to balance himself again. "Let's go get ready for the party..." He whispered. "We can change and head to the restaurant, I don't want to deal with her for the rest of the night."

It was odd, he wasn't exactly expecting to actually have a reception. Maybe a self-pity reception. Cake and alcohol for one. Their hands were entwined as they headed to the small rooms where both of them had been given to change, and out of habit from being away from everyone, especially his mother, Wilson almost pulled away. He stopped, swallowing as he realized he didn't have to pull away, they were both legally married and genuinely together. It wasn't an act anymore. He could hold Will's hand without much of a reason. He could kiss him whenever.

[romanoartsless]

I hope none of you got yourselves too worried by me saying act one was over. I didn't plan on taking a hiatus and I don't plan on taking them ever really, so don't worry (I'd never finish this thing if I took one lol).

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Chapter 47

    In his whole twenty-four years of life Crispin Petrov hadn’t blindly smiled throughout the day until today. Even when he sat on his father’s couch, next to the woman he was forced to someday marry, his face was still covered in a grin. His mind still reeled through images of Blackwing: her lips on his, the way his hands felt in her hair, the faint smile he’d catch on her face between kisses. In his mind, nothing could rip his current state of happiness away from him.

    He turned to where his mother stood by the mantlepiece, staring at her husband’s skulls. For as long as Crispin could remember, Natasha would talk to- even name- the skulls Shaw kept in their house. Occasionally she’d try to reorganize them, but Shaw would always object. “What are you doing?”

“I just thought Esther and Isla should be close to each other.”

“Leave the skulls alone, Natasha.”

“They weren’t super close, but they’re still sisters so I thought-”

“Leave the skulls alone, Natasha.”

 The two of them then sat on the seat across from Crispin, Edith Delikov in the chair next to it. “I see you’re pretty happy, Crispin,” Shaw said.

 Crispin didn’t even do so much as look at his father. He wanted to simmer in his state of positivity for as long as he could and he knew even the sight of his father would ruin it. “We can do this without his input,” Edith finally spoke up.

It took everything inside him not to turn and glare at her, but he knew it was what she wanted. “Does she know why we’re here today?” Shaw asked, gesturing towards the dark haired woman seated next to Crispin who beared a scary resemblance to Blackwing.

“Why yes, she does.” Edith gave her a nod before requesting, “Silvia, why don’t you remind us why we’re all here.”

“To set the wedding date,” the woman- Silvia- said as though she’d rehearsed the line many times before.

They wanted a rise out of Crispin, but he kept his anger bottled up inside him. Edith still smiled her grim smile, even as she said, “My vote is in three months.”

Without hesitation Crispin spit out, “Six.”

Shaw was enraged by his input, but Edith kept him in line. Her grin even grew a little after he spoke up. “We can’t do six, Crispin,” she began, “we have to have the wedding before next year.”

 “Then five.”

“Four.”

Crispin debated his options and when he realized he didn’t really have any other, better ones, he said, “Deal.”

* * *

     Everyone had left the room except for him and Edith. She’d give him side eye glances every time his eyes would drift anywhere near her. Whenever her icy blue eyes would meet his, he’d feel an indescribable sort of uncomfort. “So,” she finally spoke up, “how’s Blackwing?”

    Crispin’s breathing stopped for a few seconds. “How- how do you-”

    “Everyone was at my cousin’s party and let’s just say, you’re not the most quiet drunk.” Relief filled him until she continued with, “Crispin Petrov and Blackwing Crow, what a pair.”

    His eyes went wide as soon as she said her full name. “I never said her last name at the party.”

     “Oh I know.”

     He wanted to shrug it off  as a simple lucky guess, but he couldn’t. She had said it so eloquently, as if she’d known the name for years. “How do you know her?”

     “You really think I’m dumb enough to tell you. Let’s just say I know people who know things- valuable things. And I’d be an idiot to tell you about them this early on.”

    “Edith-”

     “And you think you’re so much better than your father, but you’re just like him.”

     “Don’t you ever compare me to him.”

    “You’re cheating on your fiance, love.”

    “I was forced into the engagement, love.”

     “Why are you trying to paint me as the villain? In my perspective you’re the villain. I’m just trying to help a girl get a better life and you’re trying to ruin it. How do you think you’re the hero? You’re a liar, you’re a cheater, you’re a coward-”

     “Shut up!”

     “I don’t hate you, Crispin Petrov. I’ve known you practically my whole life. You’re just one part in a big plan that you’ll never understand. And I wish I could tell you about it, but you’d go and blab your little mouth off to Blackwing and she’d ruin it all.” She stood up from her seat and began to walk out into the room where everyone else had gone off to, but not before saying, “Congratulations on your engagement, Crispin.”

 Chapter 48

     “How do you do it, March? How do you live knowing no matter how much you care about them, you’ll never have a chance with them ever again?”

    “Bartholomew, you act like life is a game people always play by the rules. People cheat all the time. It isn’t a fair game and it never will be.”

    Thomas was going to just walk straight into the king’s office until he heard March in there, consoling him. Inbetween words he could also hear muffled cries come out of the king’s mouth. He didn’t want to intrude on their alone time, so he just stood outside the door, listening in on their conversation through the walls.

    “I should just listen to Shaw- call this whole competition off. He’s right. It’s useless. It won’t work out the way I want it to. I should just give the throne to Crispin.”

    “Bartholomew! Do not just listen to Shaw! He’s what got us here in the first place! If you give his child the throne you might as well have pulled the trigger to blow out Novak’s brains.”

    “You’re just biased, March. With Natasha and everything-”

    “This has nothing to do with Natasha! It has everything to do with the fact that no one in this entire fucking country has the guts to call that man out on his actions all because his last name is Petrov! He’s driven his child to try and kill himself! Twice! And Nina-”

     “March! I just- I don’t want to talk about Shaw right now. I- I-” The sound Thomas heard come through the door next sounded like the king crying into his cousin’s shoulder. “I want her.”

     In a few minutes time, March eventually walked out of the office and seemed a bit startled to see Thomas standing by the door. “Oh,” he said as he slightly jumped, “hello captain.”

     “Hello Mr. Ranez.”

    Thomas peeked through the door and met with the king’s crying brown eyes. “Should I come at some other time?” Thomas asked.

    “No no,” he said, wiping away his tears, “you’re fine. Please, come in.”

     He sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “I’m sorry for not coming in this morning,” he began to explain himself, “I just-”

     “You’re fine, Thomas. I know it was raining last night and you’re not one to mess around, so I trust you. Just don’t make this a habit, please.”

    If only the king had known what he’d actually been doing. He didn’t let his facial expression give it away however, he just gave a simple smile and nod. “Yes sir.”

    “So… have you found anything?”

    “Not yet.”

    A thought suddenly came to the king’s mind and it showed in his face. “The forest! Have you thought about checking the forest?” Panic set into Thomas. “I can’t believe I haven’t thought of this! It makes perfect sense! So few people are even allowed to know about it, it’s a perfect hiding place!”

    “Your Majesty!” The king instantly looked up at Thomas, hope in his dark eyes, but it all faded away when he said, “I’ve already checked there- multiple times- I haven’t found anything.”

    “You’re right,” the king’s voice quivered as he spoke, “Victor and Shaw found nothing so why would you? I guess I’m just a blind optimist.”

    Thomas felt at ease again. The king couldn’t even think of the possibility of the magic user being in the forest, because if he mentioned it to Thomas why wouldn’t he mention it to the other men in the competition? “I’m sorry.”

     You could tell in the king’s voice he was holding back a stream of tears. “No no, you’re fine. I just- I- You can go now.” And as Thomas walked out of the office, he heard soft sobs coming through the door.

[libralita]

Death Note Part 2

Writer: Tsugumi Ohba

Illustrator: Takeshi Obata

Summary: Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal…or his life?

Rating: ★★★★☆

Part 1

Review:

I really enjoyed this series. It was so engaging and thought provoking. There was one part that bored me to tears and I kind of hated but other than that it was near perfect.

I’ve broken up my notes into parts because I read the giant 2400 bind up so it would be too long to do one post.

Hearing Light’s explanation for what he did makes me even more annoyed with the business executive plots. Light is so smart that he could figure out what he would do without his memories and what someone like Higuchi would do. That’s so awesome! Now why would I want to read 17 chapters full of these stupid business executives? There were way too many to care about or even remember their names. They weren’t as smart or cool or interesting as Light and L. Light and L figure out it’s the eight so quickly. They were pathetic antagonists.

“No matter what world, the god of that world creates the rules. You will be defeated by the fake rules I have created, and die for the sin of defying me.”—Page 1228

Did Light become crazier?

Ugh! Misa can’t remember L’s real name! I mean…I’m glad L isn’t dead but still.

“Ryuk: Sorry but… Misa: Huh? *Ryuk drops Misa* Ryuk: I’m male, I’m shy when it comes to girls.”—Page 1249

How weird.

“Even if she can’t remember the name…Misa will make the eye trade with Ryuk so she can help me…that trade will come in handy immediately!”—Page 1254

Jesus Christ, Light.

“So it was all part of his plan.”—Page 1257

Ryuk knows what a crazy SOB Light is.

“Light: The Kira case hasn’t been solved yet. I’m in no mood for love at the moment.”—Page 1264

Bit of a contradiction, Light. A while ago you said you fell in love with Misa.

Is everyone just sitting in absolute silence while Rem, L and Light are figuring this shit out?

WAIT WATARI! NO! HE WAS SUCH A BAD ASS!

NO NO NO L IS NOT DEAD! I SWEAR TO GOD!

20 days, 18 hours, 31 minutes and 30 seconds? Until what? L what did you plan?

Alright so looks like this Near kid is probably going to be a candidate for L and there’s this old guy who knows about the count down.

So now Light is Kira and L. What a strange turn of events.

“Ryuk: Then I can’t expect much more fun…”—Page 1316

Ryuk, we still have 1084 pages to go. I’m sure there will be plenty of fun!

“L is dead.”—Page 1321

No! I will stay in my bubble of denial FOREVER!

“January 10th 2005. Mary Kenwood, the second Kenwood daughter, dies in a motorcycle accident in Colorado, USA. April 7th, 2005. With his family at his side Thierry Morello succumbs to liver cancer in a hospital in Paris, France. Mary Kenwood and Thiery Morello, along with their alter egos, Wed and Aiber, are vanquished to the darkness.”—Page 1325

Okay then? Wait…did they die?

Holy shit, the business executives all die of heart attacks.

Alright, let’s see if Near can fill the L-shaped void in my heart.

Interesting so now the FBI, CIA and Near are going to try and track down Kira without L.

Stop. There’s a CIA agent called “Ratt”. Stop it.

Please tell me Light is using 4chan to kill people, they would be hilarious. Also, Light, might I introduce you to the concept of Fake News.

Ah, the NPA director has been kidnapped by a crazy chick.

“No matter what I have to do I will get it before Near…”—Page 1355

So we meet Mello, who at first I thought was a girl but is apparently a boy. And he grew up with Near in the orphanage and they were in competition to become the next L. Mello was always in Near’s shadow so now Mello is going to do anything to defeat Kira and Near. Which includes kidnapping and getting the Death Note that the Japanese police have.

So Watari ran this orphanage that was some sort of training facility for future L’s. Which means that Watari was some sort of father figure to L…which means my heart hurts.

This is actually a really interesting plot line. We have this weird sibling dynamic. It’s another cat and mouse game now that L is gone.

“Mello: I want Kira’s head and I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way. I’ll be number one.”—Page 1370

Huh, maybe training children to become these obsessive detectives is a bad thing.

It’s time for Near and Light to meet.

“L number 2, nice to meet you.”—Page 1413

Oh shit.

L M N, we need all the letters of the alphabet! Also, it’s a good thing that Light’s name also begins with an L.

“The original L gave his life and proved to the world that a mass murderer named Kira is lurking somewhere in Japan. He was even able to find out what Kira was using to do those killings. But even though you’ve taken over L’s place, you’ve done nothing. Not only that, I think Kira’s public approval has even increased because of you.”—Page 1478

Oh shit, Near is throwing shade!

Again, I think creating a school to create super genius detectives is probably not the greatest idea in the world.

“Touta Matsuda One of the men who work under me. But he’s completely useless.”—Page 1499

Aw, Matsuda, that’s so sweet.

Wow, Light got the President to play right into his trap.

“Near, I’ve pretended to be brainless but L is still the greatest detective in the world! And Mello, let me show you who is going to change the world with the Death Note—Kira!”—Page 1531

Light, you’re so crazy.

“I can do this…there are no disadvantages for me.”—Page 1542

What could possibly go wrong?

“Misa: Light, I’ve been a great help, haven’t I? Light: Yeah, I love you, Misa. Ryuk: Hyuk. Is that the face of someone saying ‘I love you’…?”—Page 1547

No it is not.

Well that plan was a complete disaster. You stupid cockroach shinigami (Sidoh). Although, I probably shouldn’t want Light’s plans to succeed.

Ugh, I feel so bad for Misa.

Light, you’ve corrupted Matsuda! He was kind of annoying but now…

Wait! Shit! Light’s dad is making the deal!

LIGHT’S DAD DIED!

Welp, Near figured out that L is Kira.

Now the former-VP-now-President of the US decided to turn over to Kira.

“…Then, Near, Mello, and L won’t be able to lead normal lives once they’re exposed to the world as infidels…”—Page 1683

Light, dear, you are L.

“If you’re scared, you don’t have to participate but please don’t leave the headquarters. I’m scared so I’m not going to go outside.”—Page 1689

Aw, poor Near.

Ah so Mello is with Hal.

Near offered to write Mello’s name.

Hey, shouldn’t this Xavier’s School for the Crazy have taught these kids how to act normal that way they could go outside without being an L suspect?

“Light: Yes, Near? Near: Sorry, I called the wrong number. Bip”—Page 1752

I love Near. Oh he was checking to see if it was L. That’s so smart.

“Light: Near, you must escape. Near: Look who’s talking, Kira.”—Page 1764

Oh snap.

It’s…raining money…Smart.

Aizawa is going to look into Light being Kira again. Hopefully he doesn’t die.

And now we have a new owner of the Death Note: Teru Mikami.

“Has Aizawa made his move? If he has, I shouldn’t try to pry into it too much. They’ll only get more suspicious of me if I do. Actually, it might be better to have them investigate as they please, and even check out Misa.”—Page (Too lazy to find the page number)

Fuck, Light knows.

I wonder if because Aizawa is a father that’ll effect his relationship with Near.

“No, the important part is ‘I’ll kill Kira, and then kill myself.’ Therefore Deputy Director Yagami and the Kira suspect are related.”—Pages 1820-1821

He’s so good. Oh shit, Near figured out that Light is the new L. Man, Near’s good. Light could never figure out L’s real identity but Near figured it out so quickly. Though, now that I think about it. It might have been in Rem’s Notebook.

I didn’t know Matt from Game Theory worked for Mello. The more you know.

Now we get to meet Mikami. Let’s see how crazy he is!

Huh, have we gotten this mug shot picture before for Misa and the business executive? We got one for Light and Ryuk.

So Teru was bullied. He is quite crazy.

Near…why do you have finger puppets?

Wow, it’s one of the girls who use to have a crush on Light. What a one in a million chance. Ah, but this inadvertently make things a little bit more difficult for Light. Man, this book is so brilliant sometimes.

Light, you are really shit at keeping your identity a secret. Mello and Near have both figured you out.

Back to Japan!

So Mikami is punishing the by-standards now. This is turning into an Seinfeld episode.

Takada, I need to remember that name.

Ide, they want to bonk! Matsuda knows people, he just doesn’t understand crime.

Light got into contact with Mikami and everything seems to be going according to plan for Light…unfortunately?

“I’ve never made travel arrangements myself. I want you to come back, and then we’ll go to Japan together.”—Page 1949

Aw, that’s so sad.

So battle between Light and Near has truly begun.

Damn, Hal Lidner has some balls.

Poor Misa.

“Once the victim’s name, cause of death and situation of death has been written down in the Death Note, this death will still take place even if that Death Note or the part of the Note in which it has been written is destroyed, for example, burned into ashes, before the state time.”—Page 2006

Doesn’t the Netflix movie completely throw out this rule?

MIKAMI ARE YOU NUTS? YOU JUST KILLED SOMEONE WITH THE DEATH NOTE IN PUBLIC!

“Matsuda: Ooh! Light’s in trouble now!”—Page 2031

…We are all Matsuda.

“Near: What this proves is that Light Yagami is a lady-killer.”—Page 2039

AY-OH!

Poor Aizawa.

So now Misa and Mogi have been kidnapped/taken into custody by Near. Ah, so this was Near’s plan to get someone to touch the Notebook.

Near is putting his plan into action I’m getting dangerously close to the end.

I’m assuming that Mello is going to show up at the last minute and completely ruin Near’s plans.

Mello’s kidnapped Takada!

And now Matt is dead. I hope Stephanie isn’t too sad about it.

Ah shit Takada is going to try and kill Mello. She, much like Hal, has some balls of titanium.

Aw shit Takada killed Mello. I wish he’d been more prominate in the book series. He was a cool headache for Light.

And now Light has killed Takada so he can destroy Mello’s body.

Near has a mask on.

And meeting has begun.

Nate River, there’s Near’s name.

“I’ve tampered with the Notebook. We managed to get it into our possession, and replaced the pages. The person behind the door…the one in charge of the actual killing, has been filling up one page every day, so I just calculated which page would correspond with today’s date, and replaced all the subsequent pages.”—Page 2212

Holy shit, really?

“Exactly as planned!”—Page 2214

FUCK!

“I ordered Mikami to use the fake Notebook outside on purpose to have your agent witness it in plain sight.”—Page Lazy

*sighs*

FUCK YEAH NEAR! YOU FUCKING DID IT! I’m so proud of you, kiddo.

“Matsuda: Light…Why…?”—Page Shit is Getting Real

Oh, Matsuda…

Man, Gevanni is good.

Oh god Mello scarified himself for Near.

“Mello always said he was going to be number one, and that he was going  to be better than me and L but I always knew that I would never be able to surpass L. it could be that I lack the action and he lacked the calm and even though we couldn’t surpass the one we admired on our own together we can stand with L together. Together we can surpass L.”—Pages 2262-2263

HELL YEAH!

Near called Light a murderer, hell yeah.

FUCK YEAH MATSUDA SHOT LIGHT!

Ryuk is writing Light’s name down in his Notebook.

Light Yagami is dead.

Near is eating chocolate.

I feel like if I were on this task force I’d retired after this.

Aw, Misa is the leader of a cult…how odd.

The bonus chapter was kind of funny.

[mikamiyukiposts]

The Time at the Restaurant

The Time at the Restaurant

Back in the days when I had worked as a staff in a certain high class restaurant, I happened to witness such a strange occurrence.

It happened around 3 to four years ago. (I am bad at remembering things so I can’t really be so sure, but it was indeed years ago.)

Due to my extreme boredom, I applied at a restaurant near our neighborhood just for fun. I totally did not expect them to hire me right away because I was vaguely aware that having interpersonal skills was a must to be able to work in such establishment—which I did not have at all.

Well, apparently a previous staff just resigned without further notice and they were in a pinch. Since I got the qualifications they needed, I got hired out of urgency. So basically, they hired me not because I was skilled enough of sort, but because my timing was just almost perfect.

So I began working there, which again I never anticipated. I honestly wanted to decline the offer and just say that I was not really serious but I am not that indecent enough to do such thing.

The job I was tasked for, was the position that the previous person left—assistant manager. I actually thought that I would have had a hard time since it was actually a pretty high position for someone who just applied for fun. However, contrary to my thoughts, it was pretty easy. The manager even praised me for my performance. I found it strange. All I did was to basically do some data entry, suggest some improvements in managing the establishment to the manager, and so on.

Since it was a high class restaurant, the pay was not that bad so I decided to stay for a while longer than I had planned. It was also just one ride away from my residence, so it was quite convenient for me.

The customers who went to the restaurant were all from the high echelons of the society. Big shot businessmen and some high ranking officials were commonly seen. Most of the customers go for reservations and sometimes they reserve the whole place for events. My boss—the owner of the restaurant—had a wide network connection to influential people, which was not surprising.

The restaurant had many branches, and the one where I was working was the main one.

At first, I was shocked to know how much rich people spend money just for a meal. The ones who reserve the place for events were even more outlandish though. Well, considering how much wealth they have in their pockets, spending a meal at a high class restaurant was probably as natural as breathing for them.

I gradually got used to the job, and seeing rich people brandishing wealth to one another did not surprise me anymore.

If I were to say which of the things, I experienced in working there I could never forget. I would definitely answer “that” time.

Yes, that time.

If I was shocked about witnessing how rich people spend their money, I could say that “that” time was even more shocking to me.

One time, we got a request for a reservation.

While we receive daily reservation from our customers, they commonly reserved a table for two (for dates) or reserve one of our halls for certain events like conferences, graduation, or birthdays. Strange as it may be, the owner forbids reservations for wedding receptions. Engagement parties were welcome though. Basically, do not close down the restaurant itself even when our halls were occupied. The building was specially designed so that other customers would not be disturbed even when an event was going on.

The reservation request we received that time was not merely renting one of our halls, but they reserved the whole establishment instead. That included the whole building and the wide garden and pool outside.

That was the first time that we had to close down the whole building. Top experts arrived to prepare for the event. I did not have to do so much since the boss especially sent skilled people to prepare for everything.

The garden and the pool at the back side of the building transformed into a beautiful and magical world.

When the evening came, the lights installed all over the place made everything so magical. It was my first time seeing expensive flowers being scattered everywhere the extent that they covered the whole garden grounds. Beautiful candles of all sizes and colors floated into the wide pool together with the flower petals.

Yes. The event that time was obviously, a wedding proposal. it was a little different from the engagement parties I have seen though. Unlike those events, only one party knew of it. The other party was clueless of what was about to happen and only thought that they were attending a normal dinner date at a certain restaurant.

Since I was the assistant manager at that time, I was aware of the person behind the event.

It was apparently for the proposal of a successful businessman’s son to his girlfriend.

Seeing how the young man willingly spent a great deal of money for that proposal, anyone would be able to tell how much he wanted his girlfriend to marry him, no?

When everything was done, the young man arrived. The appointed time was at 8 in the evening, but he arrived an hour before.

He was a tall man with a handsome face, and a well-toned body.

He was a dashing young man.

I could see the female staffs trying their best not to squeal at such sight.

‘Ah, the that girl is so lucky~’

One of the waitresses did not manage to keep her opinion to herself. It could not be helped though. I could not blame them to so envious of the girlfriend.

Whoever that girl might be, she really won a jackpot in the lottery.

Then, the awaited moment finally arrived. The ‘girl’ finally arrived.

Or so what it was supposed to be.

No one came.

Yes. It might be unbelievable, but no one came.

The young man still waited for another hour. Still no one came.

We were worried at first, but we kept thinking that the girl might be late for some reason.

Wasn’t it normal for the girl to be late? They spend too much time preparing for their appearance after all.

The man patiently waited—no, WE waited together with the man.

2 hours had passed. Still, the person we have been waiting for did not come.

Three, four, five.

Five hours had passed after the appointed time.

Still, no one came.

I really hated it. I was so frustrated.

I was frustrated not because I felt sorry for the young man. I felt sorry for myself.

I could not believe I was made to work overtime for this!

It was now past midnight for heaven’s sake!

Of course, as a professional, I could not say it out loud.

the young man was extremely dejected. For the past six hours, he patiently waited.

He just kept sitting in front of the table, with head hanging low.

I was half expecting him to make a commotion by throwing everything from the table. Fortunately, it did not happen. To honest, if he did make a commotion to channel his anger for being ditched, I would let him do it. he paid for everything after all. if I was in his shoes, that was what I would do.

An hour past midnight, the man decided to go.

I was tired from standing at the side for many hours straight. Of course, everyone was tired as well. Even though we were tired, everyone felt sympathy for the young man.

No one said a word. Everyone was silent.

By the time the young man stood from the chair still holding the bouquet of expensive flowers, we were expecting him to either throw it away or smash it to one of our staffs. But he just walked straight past the staffs on standby.

When the young man reached me, he stopped.

He faced me and handed me the flowers.

I was confused at first, but looking at his eyes full of sadness, I could not say a word.

I just nervously accepted the flowers from his hand, for fear that if I took too long, he would smash it on my face instead.

When I accepted the flowers from him, he said something that I never have expected him to say.

“Sorry. You all must have been tired waiting with me. You can take all of it. the food and everything here that I paid for. It had become useless now anyway. I just don’t want it to be wasted any more than this.”

”I—we,”

I struggled for the words I thought to somehow comfort him but he interrupted me. I understood right away that he did not want to immerse in a conversation for too long.

“And can you take this too?”

He handed me a small and beautiful box. I assumed it was the ring.

What’s happening here? Why am I given this thing?!

“I, I could not possibly take this, sir…”

“No, I insist. You can sell it if you want. I don’t like throwing things away, you see. I do not have any use of it. You’re the manager right? Just please accept that as a form of compensation for your hard work. You even stayed with me ‘till the end.”

The young man laughed emptily.

He was extremely sad. I usually do not feel sympathy for people like him. However, I could not help but admire his personality.

Such a good man… I immediately felt guilty for thinking about those things a while ago.

After the man left, with his assistant in tow. The restaurant was silent for a minute. Everyone just could not say a word.

Who in the world would refuse to marry such a man?

That was probably what all of them were thinking.

After a moment, everyone was able to come to their senses. Fatigue immediately kicked in.

We cleaned up. And I told the staffs with me that it was okay to take the food with them. Everyone was quite delighted. The women went for the chocolates immediately. The food that the young man requested for was quite a lot, so the staffs were able to take home a lot as well.

I took the ring and the flowers with me though. I just felt bad if I threw them away. While it was tempting to sell the ring off, since it was obviously super expensive, I decided not to. I might sell it if a time comes when I would need a lot of money though.

Weeks after that, our boss, who was the young man’s good friend, informed us that the girl apparently ran away with another man. While she was overseas for years, she met another man there and fell in love. The time the young man was about to propose, the girl just got back from overseas and was about to break up with her lover. She did not have the courage to say it directly to her lover, so when she took a hint that her official lover was about to propose to her, she intentionally ditched him.

**

That was the moment I could never forget.

A few months after that, I resigned. Though the boss tried to stop me, I was never a person who choose to tie myself in one place. Of course, before I left, I especially trained a talented junior as my replacement. The boss was a good person to me, so I just wanted to give his kindness back.

As for the ring that I was given that time, it’s still lying on my drawer. Never been touched. I was thinking that if ever I meet that young man again, and if at that time he found the one who was truly for him, I would give it back. It’s a different matter if I really needed money though.

The flower was replanted. I planted the roses back. They grew to be lovely flowers.

I just felt that I needed to keep memories of the young man’s love tragedy. At least, someone remembers his love for the woman who could not return his love.

He’s a good man, and I am sure that he would be able to find someone who deserves his love…

Someday.

[bettybear-blog]

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All gear seems to be indistinguishable. Make your sack simple to spot on the merry go round and less inclined to be stolen with a couple of deliberately put pieces of channel tape or a major pink bow.

The military realizes that moved attire does not wrinkle. Try not to overlay it, move it. Turn coats back to front, overlap the neckline up and squeeze one shoulder inside the other.

Consider what you pack from the point of view of Customs and Airport Security. For instance, numerous aircrafts won't enable you to convey steel-tipped shoots in your lightweight gear. (Truly, one of us took in this the most difficult way possible. Not the one you think.) Carry all medicine in the first bundles, especially doctor prescribed drug.

Buy two of all that you utilize every day, similar to beauty care products, razors, toothbrush, and so on. Abandon one set at home. Pack toiletries once and abandon them pressed. Along these lines, you don't need to stress that you overlooked something basic and won't see until the point that the center of the night in a peculiar inn room. When you come up short on something out and about, supplant it. (This is simpler in the event that you utilize regular brands that are sold broadly.)

After just fourteen days of travel, you'll know precisely what you have to pack and what you don't.

Lodging Living

In the event that you are going to a similar city consistently, pick a lodging that you are agreeable in and make companions with the general population at the front work area and in Housekeeping. In the event that you can focus on a specific number of weeks, they may even offer you a reprieve on the room rate, which is additionally useful for your client.

Once you've attempted a few unique rooms in various parts of the lodging, you'll start to distinguish particular things you like or abhorrence. Inside fourteen days, you'll likely have a most loved room. Try not to be hesitant to request it consistently. Remaining in a similar room each week can expand your feeling of solace and it's simpler to recall what room you are in. Each one of us has been disappointed in any event once by attempting to open an inn room entryway, just to understand that the key doesn't work since this is the room we were in a week ago, and we have no clue what room we have been alloted this week.

On the off chance that you took after our guidelines for pressing and purchased copies of every one of your toiletries and travel needs, you can check a bag with the bellman throughout the end of the week as opposed to conveying it home with you. Leave your clothing with a laundry throughout the end of the week and return on Monday to a crisp closet without conveying a pack with you to the airplane terminal. That is opportunity!

Make companions with the general population who have control of the nourishment. In the event that you are eating every one of your dinners off the Room Service menu, you will soon get exhausted with the decisions. Empower the individual who answers the Room Service line to give you recommendations.

At the point when Christine was working in one city where it wasn't viewed as protected to leave the inn and meander around during the evening, she called the Room Service number one night and stated, in the most desolate voice she could gather, "I'm ravenous and nothing on the menu looks great today. Help me!"

The Room Service voice chuckled and stated, "Miss Lambden, don't you stress. After such a long time, I realize what you like. Give me a chance to astound you."

Notwithstanding the best steak and the freshest plate of mixed greens at any point served by Room Service, the server brought a glass of red wine and stated, "The culinary expert said to reveal to you that he knows you don't care for red wine, yet this is uncommon. Attempt it with the steak. Substitute one nibble of steak with one taste of wine."

Regardless she discusses that steak. After that night, she never needed to take a gander at the Room Service menu again. When she called, she would state, "Possibly a fish today?" or "I'm in the temperament for something chocolate."

Keep in mind, on the off chance that you are burnt out on the inn menu, simply envision how the culinary expert feels.

Since you can't eat constantly, here are some different approaches to fill a night in an inn room:

Call your mom.

Read.

Go to a motion picture.

School libraries are regularly open late. Master something.

Work out. Keep in mind the Freshman Fifteen in school? The life of an expert incorporates an excessive number of dinners in eateries and excessively few long strolls in the recreation center.

On the off chance that you practice at home, attempt to practice a similar way when you are voyaging. See whether it's protected to walk/keep running outside close to the inn. This is likewise an awesome approach to discover the area eateries and bars that the travel books don't think about.

On the off chance that you practice in a rec center at home, remain in an inn with an exercise center and utilize it. On the off chance that there is no rec center accessible in the lodging, recollect that numerous popular stores have enrollments that enable you to work out in any city. Like national lodging and eatery networks, rec centers are an extraordinary approach to discover recognizable surroundings in a new place.

Investigating new urban communities is an extraordinary approach to get practice and make the most of your chance out and about. See the sights. Shop. Ask the general population at the inn and at work what you ought to make sure to see while you are around the local area.

We know one advisor who oversaw, in one year, to see Niagara Falls (working in Buffalo), the Arch in St. Louis, the Napa Valley wine nation, six shows on Broadway, and Fort Lauderdale amid Spring Break.

Did you realize that Kansas City is the City of Fountains? In the winter, the city gradually solidifies a portion of the wellsprings so you see solidified ice where water streams in the late spring. Simply delightful.

Did you realize that you can visit the Budweiser Clydesdales at Grant's Farm in St. Louis? On the off chance that you think they are amusing to watch on Super Bowl advertisements, simply envision how eminent they are very close.

These open doors may not present themselves once more. Try not to spend each night in your lodging room.

Each city has something special to offer and the general population who live there will be upbeat to enable you to find what is brilliant about the place where they grew up.

Single Life on the Road

The consistent travel way of life is regularly all the more engaging single individuals who don't have a family at home sitting tight for them every week. For these experts, the main test is figuring out how to keep up a home when you aren't there amid the week.

Here are a few hints:

Ask a companion or neighbor to get your mail a few times amid the week.

Introduce programmed light clocks in your home. Introduce movement sensor lights outside. This influences it to appear as though somebody is home and secures your stuff. (It additionally influences bats and possums to discover another yard to live in, yet that may very well be an Austin thing.)

Shroud assets. Thieves thoroughly understand looking in the cooler for your gems, yet would they think to look in that sack of gardening soil in the carport? Clue: Tell somebody you trust where you stowed away them...you'll recall all the immense spots you considered, and you'll overlook the one you picked.

Rampage spend a little with all that cash you are making as an advisor and contract a cleaning specialist administration to tell the truth your home while you are no more. In the event that you have a garden, enlist