#the mimic was a lot of fun to unwind

[dragonsruby]

Behold: My loot.

You'd think that I'd know better to not give myself freedom that make these financial decisions, but the mall was right there and I'm never in the area, so

Spriggy is very important, which is why he gets the toof chair.

[denkilightning]

Why is Jay a mom to Lloyd and not a dad, he's more paternal imo

oh this is a very very fun question

short answer: jay draws parallels with edna libber and misako in the most actually maternal scenes + exploration of aspects of womanhood from a transmasc perspective, which is a very very nuanced conversation + the effect it has on jay

long answer:

soooo personally im a big freak when it comes to anything female-gender-role related mixed with transmasculinity which is crucial in my interpretation of jay

ive talked previously about jay paralleling their mothers so lets go over it quickly

1. edna - the rollerskates episode in s4 where jay explicitly states that he was in a tournament with edna and they won, which is exactly what he does with lloyd later in the episode

2. misako - in the second to last episode of s2 when lloyds had his ass handed to him by the overlord he mimics misakos actions beat for beat

3. libber - all we actually know about her is her relation to jay and cliff and through a lot of overthinking ive come to believe that she parallels jays relationship with lloyd and nya greatly, especially with leaving jay never to be seen again kinda like jay does in dr

jays relationship with lloyd is set up very differently than the other ninja - hes the one to actually carry him onto the bounty; when lloyd begun his training as the green ninja, he had the recreation/leisure time with jay, meaning the few moments of the day where he could unpack emotions and unwind leaving jay way more in tune with lloyds emotions which we've seen plenty examples of (also paralleling misako);

(here jays the first to notice and ask whats wrong)

the way hes willing to give up both his and everyone elses lives for lloyd

(here hes willing to give up his last wish - the thing hes been tortured for weeks for just to save lloyd)

i cant add any more pictures here but heres the example of it!! jay ripped lloyd away from cole so he wouldnt get corrupted, later he pushed lloyd away to take the hit

and episode prior hes shown having a literal panic attack over lloyd fighting the overlord

and most importantly - ✨ THE LOSS OF PERSONHOOD THAT COMES WITH BEING A MOTHER ✨

that is something i want to explore so so so much and jay seems like a perfect opportunity, along with other mothers of ninjago.

(also why i think its such a fun concept to bring morro back, since theyre so similar and its the team that saved jay from morros path, having your narrative twin hit you with a 'fucking hell youre losing yourself dude' hits so much harder imo)

tldr: i think it parallels the mothers weve seen in ninjago + it fits my own personal experiences+issues i have currently and themes i want to explore!!

and diclaimer: you have every right in the world to have your own interpretation of these characters and their relationships, this is simply the way i read the text and narrative weve been given :))

[gargoyleandgremlinpress]

Written By The Victors! Let me continue this post unwinding back to the beginning of the process with the typeset.

When I got my assignment for the 2022 @renegadepublishing exchange this typeset came out of, I was a) filled with a certain amount of glee at being assigned @fantailpress (Project for friend! Sekrit Project!) and b) thought that the AO3 URL must be wrong. Because the number that it ended in was "15." As it turns out... it was because that link was, of course, Written By The Victors, and was presumably the fifteenth fic uploaded to AO3.

I knew I wanted to typeset this fic. Eventually. Probably when I had more practice. There are a LOT of different formats and document types. As described on fanlore, "The secession of Atlantis from Earth and its reformation as a city state is told through thirty-six unreliable narrators, in a mix of excerpts from academic books, interviews, poetry and so on, and a connecting straight narrative."

Which is to say, there's a lot going on in the text, stylistically speaking. But... @fantailpress and I had talked about the challenges of typesetting this fic! I knew she wanted to bind it! I also have loved it since it was first posted, and have fond memories of my dear IRL fandom friend @zulufic making a fanvid for it, possibly while sitting on our living room couch.

So. I decided I was going to just do it. No pressure… the final total of things was eight custom styles, eighteen fonts, and more than eighty chapters. Absolutely worth it to see the gorgeous object it's been turned into!

I didn't use a different font for every narrator, but did have one style for the body text, another for the academic articles, a third for the transcripts, and a series of different handwriting fonts for the various journals, letters, and diaries.

The title font, Fake Serif, was chosen for a handwritten feel to be very literally written by the victors. The main narrative is my favourite body font, Cochineal. The opening list of titles is Courier New, old-school, as if it's a draft of a typed citation list, probably photocopied, as well as the quoted statements to mimic the draft of a transcript.

The biography excerpts are Georgia. For a reference book vibe, but a little bit more flair than Times New Roman. The quoted texts are Baskerville Old Face, spacing reduced to match a more formal academic work, and Garamond (City of Spires: A Memoir) to represent a more commercial book, matching its tone of a tell-all pop culture biography.

Fun fact... for the main narrative, I found a gate-symbol font, and the scene breaks spell out "home."

And here's a rapid jump back and forth between narrative and written accounts, one of the challenges in laying it out on the page.

The last segment of the fic, with the historical documents, was a lot of fun to play with. The fonts were more ornate for poetry excerpts, and I tried to mimic an increasingly archaic style with each chapter to match the content, without sacrificing too much legibility.

And of course, at the very end, there's a bibliography.

So, big thanks to @cesperanza for allowing her work to be included in the exchange event--and for writing an intricately constructed hell of a story that still occupies our brains years later. And @fantailpress, your construction, cases, and binding details are always stunning, and I adore what you did with this one! Fandom, gotta love it.

A bit of a video showcase for the gorgeous, gorgeous binding of Written by the Victors!!! @daemonluna typeset it and @rhipidurafan made this copy for me!! Things to notice--the absolutely gorgeous endpapers! The dyed blue edges! The different fonts--type for bibliography, and then, even more excitingly, later, different fonts for the poetry, the songs, the early and late Atlantian dialects segments. Absolutely beautiful. This sort of hand-made art just floors me; it's everything wonderful about fandom IMO!

[7-wonders]

How about Xavier and the reader smoking (weed) in his van and y’all just start making out? (It can lead into whatever you want lol)

Let’s try this again!

To many, the van parked in the back corner of the aerobics studio parking lot would barely warrant a second glance. If somebody were to look again, it was often to chuckle at the license plate proclaiming the van the “Vanta-C,” or to wrinkle their nose in disgust at such a junky old van. It was inconspicuous in all the right ways, which is what made the Vanta-C the perfect place to unwind after class…and sometimes before class.

Xavier, you have to admit, has some of the best weed you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Luckily for you (and everybody Xavier’s friends with), Xavier believes in sharing his stash, claiming that smoking alone is too depressing for him. At least once a week, some variety of your friend group will pile into Xavier’s van, listen to music, and share a couple of joints. It’s a fun time no matter who’s there with you, but your favorite days are when it’s just you and Xavier in his van.

You’re sitting in the back of Xavier’s van, leaning against the cool seat and allowing the air conditioning to cool you down after a heavy aerobics class. A joint lies beside you, unlit, as you flip through Xavier’s extensive collection of cassette tapes. The man in question leans over the center console, switching out one tape in his cassette player for another. He’s mumbling under his breath as he stretches his lithe arm towards the play button, finally hitting it and starting the tape.

The familiar sounds of Journey’s classic synth music fill the air, and you eagerly bob your head to the rhythm as Xavier sits down opposite you. “Finally, some good music,” you note approvingly.

“What, you don’t like the regular music we play?” He holds out his hand for the joint, striking a lighter and expertly getting it started as he takes a few quick puffs.

“Correction: I don’t like Ray’s music.” You gratefully accept the joint, letting the sweet smoke fill your lungs and watching as it filters above you in delicate shapes. “His idea of a mixtape is just different George Michael songs, and I’m pretty sure I���ll end up cutting my ears off if I have to listen to ‘Faith’ one more time.”

“What do you have against George Michael?” Xavier asks jokingly, watching with hooded blue eyes as you take another hit and hold the smoke deep in your lungs before exhaling through your nose: a trick you had learned from Xavier himself.

“‘Dunno, probably the stupid earring,” you tease, flicking Xavier’s cross earring that’s a direct imitation of George Michael’s.

Xavier whistles lowly, stealing the joint from you and holding it between his slender fingers. “Harsh, (Y/N). I share my stash with you and make you a mixtape, and this is how you repay me?”

“You made me a mix? Is that,“ you point to the speakers at the front of the van, “what this is? My very own mixtape?” You’re laying the teasing on pretty thick, but you can’t help it when you know it makes Xavier’s cheeks flush a beautiful shade of pink.

Lately, things have been different between you and Xavier. Not in a bad way, but just in an unexpected way. Ever since the night last winter where you had found him throwing up in some dingy bathroom at a house party, unknown troubles that you didn’t both to ask about sending him straight into the arms of alcohol poisoning, your dynamic had changed.

Suddenly, he wasn’t just Montana’s cocky ex who you only tolerated because all of your other friends adored him. He’s funny, and introspective, and a lot smarter than you originally gave him credit for. You can talk with him for hours about almost anything, although your conversations usually deviated towards music and pop culture. He understood you on a different level than any of your other friends.

He’s also devastatingly handsome, which doesn’t help the small crush you’ve developed on him.

“It’s nothing, really,” Xavier shrugs nonchalantly. “You have a really good taste in music, and I wanted to make something for you to listen to.”

“Thanks, Xav.” You’re touched by this unexpected display of friendship, the man in front of you not really known for doing nice things for people.

Xavier fidgets with his earring before thrusting the joint in your direction, not quite sure what to say to fill the silence. “Here, it’s your turn.”

You both fall quiet as you listen to the music and pass the joint back and forth, your movements getting slower and more languid as the drug begins to take effect. You can feel your veins thrumming with the relaxing heat that begins to spread through you, watching Xavier through the hazy smoke that fills the van.

“What are you thinking about?” you ask quietly, leaning your head back against the side of Xavier’s van.

What Xavier wants to say is that he’s thinking about the way your eyelashes flutter as you try to follow the smoke with your eyes, or how pretty your lips look wrapped around the rolled-up paper. Instead, he plays it safe. “Mmm, just life. Plans for the summer.”

The blue of Xavier’s eyes is nearly swallowed whole by his blown-out pupils, giggling at how freaked-out his dilated eyes make him look. Staring at the smooth planes of his face as your fingers tap out the beat to an AC/DC song, an idea starts to form in your mind. Normally, if you weren’t high, you’d never even consider what you’re thinking. Being high, however, silences the part of your brain that reminds you how disastrous your ideas can be.

Flipping the joint so the cherry faces you, you slowly place it between Xavier’s full lips, smirking lazily when his breath hitches at the contact. His eyes are glued to your hand, watching as your fingers linger against the soft skin of his lips. Breathing in deeply, he makes a move of his own when the warm smoke escapes his mouth as he blows it in your face. You stifle a cough, looking away like you didn’t just try to come onto Xavier.

Across from you, Xavier is internally freaking out. Was that unintentional, or were you trying to seduce him like he hopes you were? For his sake, he really hopes that you were attempting to make a move on him.

“Can I try something?” Xavier asks suddenly, making you look down from the ceiling.

“Sure?” Your eyes are pleading with him for answers, but he refuses to budge.

Xavier takes a couple of deep breaths from the joint, filling his lungs with as much smoke as possible. Winking at you, he shuffles forward and places his hand on the nape of your neck, pulling you towards him and pressing his lips to yours in a heated kiss.

There’s hardly a moment’s hesitation as you eagerly reciprocate the kiss. The smoke travels from Xavier to you as he slips his tongue inside your mouth, giving you no choice but to breathe it in. Your hands, desperate to grab onto something, tangle in Xavier’s beautiful hair. He doesn’t even complain about you messing up his precious locks, instead setting down the joint on a stray ashtray so it doesn’t set the van on fire and wrapping his other hand around your waist so he can lay you down against the floor.

Your back meets with the carpet of his van, and you stare at Xavier through the hazy air in ecstasy as he slides your shirt off of your body. Rolling his hips against yours, you can feel his sizable bulge already through his shorts.

Xavier’s hands, large and veiny, pull your bra down your chest to expose your breasts. “I fuckin’ knew your tits would be gorgeous, even when you’re wearing your workout clothes I just knew.”

He continues to kiss you as his hands explore your body, moaning his approval as your hands start to mimic his actions. His lean body fits perfectly against yours, and you take your time to explore each and every curve of his muscles as he sucks your bottom lip into his mouth and pulls slightly.

You need more, crave more, and you begin thrusting your legging-clad hips against him to the heavy, slow beat of the song booming from the speakers.

“Fuck, Xav,” you pant from under him, kissing him again. “I want you.”

“Yeah? Tell me what you want.”

“Want,” you pause to moan when he begins to suck a hickey against your neck, “want you to fuck me.”

Xavier nods, lifting away from you to allow you to sit up on your elbows so he can unclip your bra. He winks at you as he seems to move in slow motion, kissing you once more and humming along to “Still Loving You.”

“It’s a good thing you like The Scorpions, ‘cause this is a perfect sex song.”

“Actually, there’s no ‘the’ before Scorpions. A lot of people think there is, but the band is just Scorpions.” The words escape before you can even think to stop them, your eyes widening in embarrassment.

“Fuck, it’s so hot that you know random shit like that,” Xavier leans down to kiss you again, fingers playing with the waist of your leggings.

You’re both so wrapped up in each other, the weed and the euphoria of the situation making it almost impossible to focus on anything else, that neither of you notice the door to the van sliding open until an excited squeal has both of you scrambling away from each other. The sunlight filtering in does nothing to reveal who’s standing in front of you at first, the two silhouettes taking a moment to become a smug Montana and an embarrassed Chet. Xavier covers you with his body, but you still grab your shirt and hold it in front of your chest for some semblance of modesty.

“I’m so sorry, guys, I just needed to pick up my gym bag?” Xavier’s eyes flicker to where Chet is pointing, seeing the red, white, and blue gym bag that Chet had asked to stash in the van prior to class. Xavier nods slowly, avoiding eye contact with everybody as he pushes the bag with his foot, allowing Chet to snatch it up.

“Well, I guess we’ll let you two horny lovebirds get back to it,” Montana says gleefully.

“‘Tana,” you whine, pleading with her to stop as you wish for the ground to open up beneath you and swallow you whole.

“Alright, alright.” She holds up her hands disarmingly, grabbing at the handle of the door and winking at you as she starts to close it. “Wrap it before you tap it, babes!” Montana shouts before the door closes.

Xavier’s only able to mutter a stunned “oh my God” as he stares at the space where his friends occupied only moments ago. Turning to you to make sure you’re okay, he’s momentarily concerned when he finds you with your head in your hands and your shoulders shaking. When he hears your near-hysteric laughter, he can’t help but smile.

“What the fuck just happened?” you gasp out between peals of laughter, tears nearly streaming from your face as you begin to put your bra back on: a sight that makes Xavier worry.

“Y’know, we don’t have to stop just because of a little interruption,” Xavier trails off, placing his hand on yours in an attempt to get things back on track.

“How did that not kill the mood for you?” you chuckle, pushing his hand away and sliding your shirt over your head. “Aw, don’t look so sad! There’ll be another chance for you to score, I’m sure.”

Xavier sighs, picking up the joint and sadly taking a hit. “Fuckin’ Montana.”

//

Quick Tag List: @ccodyfern @1-800-bitchcraft @divinelangdon @lvngdvns @wroteclassicaly @tcc-gizmachine @xavierplympton @michaelsapostle 

[thotsforvillainrights]

Okay, so I have a challenge for you: Headcanons for Kai and the 8PoD -- where their S/O "sings" death metal to relieve their frustrations. Kind of like "Aggretsuko."

(I finished up on the series by the way, and I absolutely loved it. Cannot wait for the new season!!!)

~Hassaikai S/O sings Metal to Unwind~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

-Overhaul: Cue a very confused Kai. He honestly had no idea that was even your voice to begin with. He would’ve never expected this from a girl/boy/person like you to begin with. He probably wouldn’t have ever even known had he not accidentally walked in on you just now. “Are you sure this isn’t your quirk?” He trails behind you asking a billion questions while you just laugh them off. “No Kai, silly. I can teach you how to do it though, if you want?” Of course he says ‘no’ but still, he’s rather impressed and curious on the matter.

-Chronostasis: At first he’s all like :O then he’s like :D Hari is 100% impressed with what you can do. First of all, it takes talent to manipulate your vocals in such a way without hurting your voice to begin with. Second of all, he doesn’t usually listen to that type of music so hearing it from you really sets his ears on some new genre. Now he’s intent on sharing the aux cord with you in the car. Only if you sing more for him during trips though

-Mimic: “What the hell???” Irinaka is genuinely confused. He’s really unsure if he’s dreaming right now or not, but when you notice him and stop singing to greet him in your normal voice?...Well now he knows he’s not crazy! I think he’s the type to actually learn this so he can do it with you. That way, he’s able to also release his frustrations (because you know he has a lot). This ends up being a regular thing for you two, and you even go to karaoke for it 

-Nemoto: This is the type of “Oh My” guy when he sees it. While he’s not really into that kind of music, he’s not going to ignore your skills. To him you have some serious talents. He probably  won’t join you in your escapades unless you ask him to specifically. Life just goes on as usual except that now he asks if you need water in between your sessions. Shin has to make sure his baby is doing alright lol

-Deidoro: Deadass thinks he’s just drunk again and this is another hallucination. He actually finds out pretty soon that this is legit. He’s gonna pick you apart for a bit because that’s the type of partner he is, but at the end of the day he supports you no matter what. Sure this doesn’t come without teasing, which will probably lead to you needing to release more frustration. No matter what, he’s still gonna support you. He might even go and get you whatever you need to have a smooth session

-Pops: This old man is entertained by it! Usually his genre of music is the old flute (or other instruments from back then) or a few Yoshida Brothers songs. He’s never really sat through a metal song, not even in his young days! If you let him, he’s going to sit with you during each and every session. He likes to listen to you express yourself through music. If it’s easier than talking about your problems, then he’s down for it. Don’t worry about being too loud because he’s old. His ears don’t give a damn and neither does he. Pops is just happy to be there!

-Setsuno: He loves it, but he also spends a few days hung up over the fact that you never told him that you did this. He’s the king of overthinking stuff so he jumps to conclusions. “Am I not good enough to know this? Don’t you trust me? Have you told your previous partners about this but not me? When were you going to tell me? Never?” You just have to laugh it off and reassure him with a few kisses. “Toya chill. I never told you because it wasn’t an important fact. I apologize for that though. Now I know that everything I do is important to you.” You flicked his nose and he blushed with a small smile. While he can’t really vibe on his end with metal, he still listens to your sessions because you spill more emotions into music than you do without it.

-Tabe: Lit! He likes it a lot. Sure he doesn’t get involved but he’s here for it no matter what. He spends a lot of time thinking about how these feel like private concerts to him, so he pays you in hugs and kisses (sometimes snacks like little fruit slices or marshmallows lol). He’s your biggest fan, and man does he have the hots for you lol

-Hojo: Really wants you to consider taking this talent to a stage somewhere. He doesn’t mean to exploit your venting for money, but he also doesn’t want you to ignore your clear talents that you could be sharing with the world. If you agree, then he might quit the Hassaikai to be your manager. If you disagree then he still supports your hobbies either way. He even puts the idea of you having a YouTube channel out there too

-Katsukame: Confused as hell but down with it. He tries not to get in your way when you’re venting through the music, but he also really wants to come sit and listen one day. Just tell him it’s okay and he’s coming to see. He might record you so he can show it to the others when your back is turned. This is not to tease you, but to brag about you and how cool you are. That’s his video proof in case no one believes him 

-Tengai: Worried about your vocal cords! He’s coming with a tray of healthy snack, and some cold water to make sure your throat is protected both before AND after a session. Sometimes he shows up in the middle of them to shut the whole operation down because he knows you might be damaging something. “My love, vent to me instead of all this screaming. It’s much safer.”

-Rappa: This goofball is headbanging and cheering you on when he accidentally walked in on you. You have to explain to him it’s more like a therapy session than something just for fun but as usual, he doesn’t hear you talking. The only thing in his head at the moment is the DVD logo bouncing off the corners of his mind. Anyway, he still interrupts you sessions, just less loud now. He’s trying to be respectful while still being rowdy at the same time. 

»—————————–———————————————————–✄

TIp Jar: https://cash.app/$YuTakeyama

[ranaeissance]

Glad you're back ! I'd really love recommandations and tips on how to stay focused and motivated in distance learning. I struggle to wake up and study these days, and I find that having a regular rhythm is harder when studying from home...

hey nonnyyy!! so sorry for the late reply </3 thank you for the ask and the welcome back. i hope you’re doing alright wherever you are :) i’ll try to address your question in two parts: 1) life indoors and  2) distance learning where I’ll suggest both practical and lifestyle (?) advice. hopefully, by doing this it will address your concerns about staying focused and motivated. 

How to stay focused and motivated during online schooling; a guide by @ranaeissance​

I. Adjusting to life indoors as a student and individual

Mimic the life schedule you had before and adapt it to an indoor setting.

This one is really important. It’s not a matter of ignoring that our lives have changed, but rather it is trying to maintain a sense of regularity in new circumstances. This should help in finding some sort of a rhythm in your school and personal life.

Schedule times for your usual meals, your class schedule, your school lunches, your sleeping times, and of course to include breaks where necessary.

Colour blocking feature on Google Calendar is super fun for scheduling!!

Separate school, studying, and life

Reiterating the above point, to maintain a regular rhythm you have to know when it is time for school and when it is time for you. 

School time is your designated morning routine, zoom calls, and lunch breaks. Studying is after these windows and/or during the weekend. Most importantly, your ‘me-time’ is your breaks, when you unwind after a long day or on the weekend. Don’t let your chemistry revision go into dinner and don’t let your social media distract you during your zoom calls.

Reach out to others. 

For many of us, being indoors has drastically impacted our mental health, wellbeing, and interactions. Just remember that you’re not alone in this! Whether it be messaging friends and family, saying hello in someone’s DMs or sending an anonymous ask, reach out to others.

Give yourself a change of scenery from technology and school work

To break yourself out of the miserable cycle that is online schooling, every day try to do something different or out of routine. Perhaps during breaks, you walk around the house, daydream, look out the window or read. Maybe listen to new music or watch a new movie… talk to an old friend. 

II. Staying focused and motivated in distance learning

Utilise the pomodoro technique 

This is a technique I can never stop recommending to others! You don’t have to follow the usual structure and can always adapt it to how long you can focus. If you find yourself losing focus where you have difficulty paying attention to the words on the page or you find your eyes wandering elsewhere then it’s time to give yourself a break.

A good rule of thumb is a 10-15 minute break every 30-45mins.

Avoid using your devices or any other distractions while studying or at school 

Being at home, you’re bound to be surrounded by all sorts of distractions. A good way to manage your distractions and stay focused is to 

Use Forest (iOS, Android, desktop) 

Turn off your device or leave it somewhere unreachable 

Stop studying 2 hours before you sleep

Give yourself free time, allow yourself to relax and unwind after a long day to rejuvenate for the next day

On the more practical side, this will hopefully help to adjust your body clock and reduce the effects of screen time (eye strain and sleep)

Notes on workload:

Utilise the ABCDE method by @aescademic to organise your priorities - another personal favourite

Set SMART goals - I used to think these were lame in school but they actually help a lot with refining goals and making them more achievable 

Additional ways to organise tasks:

By priority (e.g. by due date) By difficulty By time required By subject

Separate your online activity and works (i.e. tabs) by subject and scheduled periods. This should reinforce a clear distinction between your work and help visualise your workload. That being said, remember to close your tabs when you’re done!!

My others posts on motivation:

Gaining and maintaining motivation

Additional tips on motivation and organisation

III. General advice

Allow light and a breeze to filter through your room in the morning and/or during the day. It’s a great way to reset your body clock to the time of the day and remind yourself that the outside world still exists :’) 

As soon as you wake up, get out of your soft blankets and pillows and get up!! Save your phone scrolling for later!! Make your bed!! 

If you’re more of a night owl try to reduce your blue light during nighttime. I suggest changing your devices to warm light using ‘Night Mode’ (iOS), Twilight (Android) or f.lux (Mac/Windows).

Always give yourself breaks!! Don’t forget to treat yourself after a day of work :( Of course, be strict with yourself but be kind when you need it most.

On that note, good luck anon with online schooling (and to anyone else still at school!) I wish you all the best and if you ever need help with anything my inbox and dms are always open <3

Other helpful posts:)

Types of procrastination and how to deal with them - @emmastudies

How to stop avoiding studying - @emmastudies

Time management tips - @studycalleis

Tips for doing online classes - @study-sleep-tea-repeat

Online classes and exams tips - @eunoiamaybe

Tips for online classes - @universtudy

Productivity while working from home - @daisystudies

[pax-2735]

Fanfic: The moment I knew (5/7)

And it’s day 5 already of our wonderful ‘Jonsa: a dream of spring’ celebration, with @jonsadreamofspring . Time flies when you’re having fun!

Prompts for day 5:  AU Day: Modern /Historical /Movies

Summary: Modern day AU, rock band. Jon Snow and Sansa Stark’s relationship hits the news.

Song for the Sea

“… the statement also claims that, despite her close relationship with them, Miss Stark is not in any way part of the band and therefore, her private life is not and will never be up for discussion. What do you say to that Hannah?”

The camera changes angles, focusing on a petite blonde woman wearing a practiced smile. “I say she sounds way too smart to be dating a rock star, Miles.”

Sansa hears the first traces of their joint laughter before grabbing the remote and turning off the TV with a scowl. She shouldn’t be surprised really. She is used to being somewhat in the spotlight once Robb’s band hit it big, even though most reporters were polite enough to keep a respectful distance when it came to the band’s families. The fans though were an entirely different matter and when it became known that she and lead guitarist Jon Snow were dating, well… it felt as though her entire life had taken a tumble and been swept upside down.

She had been in Essos for nearly a month now, a newly graduated marine biologist with a great career opportunity and a lot to prove. Jon and the rest of the band were back in Westeros, getting ready to begin recording their newest album. She hadn’t really thought much of it, the day she saw someone taking pictures near the boat that would take herself and the rest of her team to another day’s work.

It had taken a frantic call from Sam and going online to see those pictures splashed all over the Internet, headlines going from the more mild ‘Jon Snow’s girlfriend enjoys day at the beach with friends’ to the downright accusing ‘Is Sansa Stark cheating on Jon Snow?’

She had been furious then, and more than a little hurt. She knew better than to pay attention to any of it but it still irked her to no end that people would just assume something like that and spread it all over the internet, with no regards for the consequences. She had wanted to throttle them, much to Robb’s amusement.

Gotta get used to it sis. She unconsciously mimics Robb’s voice in her head as she remembers his smug look when she had called him. Or else find a different boyfriend. Maybe a lawyer.

Jon hadn’t been much help either, even if he was slightly more sympathetic. I know you’re mad at this Sansa, but there’s really not much we can do about it. I know it’s crazy but we just have to live with it.

In the end though, their manager had thought it important enough to release a statement about the whole thing, stressing the fact that Sansa was working in Essos and clearly labeling everything else as unfounded rumors. She still wasn’t happy about it but she supposed it was the best she was gonna get anyway.

She picks up her phone, dialing the familiar number as she settles back down on the couch. It only takes a couple of rings for him to answer and she allows the familiar feeling of safety to wash over her like a warm comforter or a well-worn sweater.

“Hey babe.” His voice is gravely and rusty, the way it gets when he spends way too many hours recording.

“So I just finished watching a segment about how Sansa Stark has a life that doesn’t pertain the band and she should be left well enough alone.” She raises her eyebrows even though he can’t see her. “Care to comment?”

There’s a pause, almost as if he is trying to figure out what to say and she smiles. For all his talent writing songs, he can be incredibly lost for words sometimes. “Yeah, about that… Edd thought we had to say something about it, to try and put a stop to all the rumors.”

“And why’s that exactly? Last time I checked, I had to learn to live with it.”

There is another pause and she can hear him clearing his throat before speaking. “I might have had a… an issue with one of the reporters.” He sighs and she can clearly imagine him running a hand through his dark curls. “He was asking if the whole thing, you and me being together, was just a publicity stunt.”

She pauses, allowing the words to sink in. From a practical point of view, it isn’t the worse she has heard. Hell, she is fairly certain she will hear far worse than that in the future. Still, she can see why that had stung him. They had gone through more than enough bullshit before getting to this point to have some asshole of a reporter question what they had.

There’s a sigh on the other end of the line and she can’t help the softness that comes over her voice, even if she was planning on teasing him for a while longer. “Jon. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His reply is immediate, and she smiles at his constant need to protect her. “Nothing, it’s just… I just miss you Sans.”

Her heart stops for a second before rapidly picking up speed. She knows it’s stupid, she should be more than used to him saying things like that to her, because he says them so often, but she still thrives at the sound.

“I miss you too Jon.” Her voice sounds small, and she takes a deep breath to steady herself. “I thought it’d be cool you know? To be the one that goes away this time, while you stayed there. Turns out I don’t like it either way.”

He sighs again before answering her. “I don’t either.”

She allows her eyes to close for a second, letting the sound of his voice replace the longing she feels for him. Feeling calmer, she tries to lighten the somber mood they seem to have fallen into. “You know, they finished the segment with, and I quote, she might be too smart for him.”

“You are.” She furrows her brows, not quite expecting that answer. “Every day there’s a small part of me that wonders if that’s the day you’ll realize you could do so much better than me and just leave.”

“Jon.” Her tone is harsh and she lets the anger flow into her voice like fire. “Don’t be stupid. If there wasn’t an ocean between us right now I’d be hitting you over the head. Hard.”

He chuckles at her words and she relaxes somewhat. “If there wasn’t an ocean between us I wouldn’t be saying it. You pack a mean punch.”

She lets out a soft laugh, letting her body stretch out on the couch, unwinding from the long day. “So how are things going at the studio?”

“Fine.” She raises an eyebrow at the stilted answer, and can clearly hear the laughter in his voice as he continues. “They’re going great. Just finished two new songs.”

“Are they about me?” She can’t help but ask even though she more than knows the answer.

“They’re all about you, you know that.”

“And how are the fans treating you, now that they know you’re being cheated on?” There’s a teasing lilt to her voice, and he answers her in just the same way.

“They’re being very helpful actually. I’ve gotten more than a few offers to help me mend my poor broken heart.” She scoffs at that, and he laughs.

“Well, you better behave, I don’t wanna have to murder someone when I get back because some rabid fan assaulted you because you gave her the time of day.” Her voice is still playful even if she’s only partly kidding. About the murder anyway.

“You’d murder someone for me? I think that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

She lets out a startled laugh, her heart soaring at the easy banter. “Yeah, well, don’t push it. It might be you I murder.”

“Harsh Stark. Very harsh. You wound me.” His voice sounds pouty and she feels the unresistable need to kiss him.

“Hey, is that my sister you’re talking to?” Robb’s voice comes over the line and her smile widens at the happiness in his tone. “Wait, of course that’s my sister.” There’s a pause before she hears him add in a much more serious voice. “That’d better be my sister.”

Jon’s voice is still playfully warm as he answers him. “No, that’s my girlfriend.”

[cnc-hoebayb]

It’s the way you walk, way you talk, babe

Key songs if y’all wanna listen as you read 🤙🏽

The Way-Kehlani ft. Chance the Rapper

Nice & Slow-Usher

(Also sorry it’s a little bit long but it’s totally worth it 😉)

.

Summer brought a lot of unexpected changes. Being in a brand new city meant mostly work, and plus no new friends yet was agonizing for the amount of nothing you had to do.

But in an area this beautiful and full of culture and energy, there was no excuse to be miserable and lonely. So you buckled up and explored around the neighborhood. You were surprised how much there actually was to do, but where you found yourself the most was a local rec center at the end of town.

It was the part of the neighborhood that was a little run down and under populated. But it had the most amazing crowd of people you’d ever met. Everyone was so close and loved to have fun.

The building was small but had something for everyone. The basketball court was for the kids who lived around the block and went to the school by your house. There was a small, not so pleasant looking pool that a bunch of older people would lounge in after work.

The abandoned cafeteria in the back was filled with moms and abuelitas on occasion, frantically preparing meals to feed the countless kids that flooded the place. “Ven,” they’d tell you, “vas a comer ahorita.”

And you’d sit and talk, hear the latest chisme of the week. And after you would go visit the the little ones that hung around the park and would ask you to braid their hair.

It took a lot to learn names, likes, and little perks each person had, but after time these were your gente and you were theirs.

Your favorite place was the old dance studio. You’d decided it was time to take up a hobby and dancing had always caught your interest. If you could grow up and baila cumbia y salsa then how hard could anything else be.

R&B has been your scene since you were a kid and that’s what you decided to roll with. Every night once the building died down and people went home, you’d make your place in the mirror filled room, blast your music and just dance.

Most of the time you had choreography that you liked to practice and learn, but sometimes it was fun to freestyle and see where it could take you. At this particular time you were really into an old song you used to listen to a couple years back. The choreography in the video was amazing and you wanted the satisfaction of nailing it yourself.

The lights were dim in there so you learned to always bring your speakers with the lights built in. It would fill the room with reds and blues and would shift according to the beat, made it easier to follow.

You slipped off your shoes because you always found it easier to dance in socks or barefoot. You rolled up the sleeves to your sweater and adjusted your hair into a messy ponytail. You did a few impromptu stretches and started the music.

Sitting on your knees, you’re in the center of the mirror and get prepared.

The lyrics starts and you lift an arm up slowly gliding through your hair. Half of the time you liked to add in your own bits and pretend you’re the singer so you point and make gestures with your hands, performing to yourself.

“You so damn important..”

You turn from the mirror, and spin around on the floor. You end in a pose that has your hands and feet on the floor holding you up, and your body lifted toward the ceiling. You crank your hip around and kick one foot as a little embellishment.

You turn smoothly so your hands are on the floor and you roll your body slooowly down along until your thighs hit the tile. Once there you quickly spin around to your back, lift your hips off the floor with a little shimmy and set them down again. You hit the floor on the side of you and move your hands slowly up your chest, placing them in a form of a finger gun running up to your lips.

You wink to yourself in the mirror and laugh a little. The song continues and makes it halfway through before you decide to start over. After a couple restarts you wipe the sweat off your brow and throw your sweater to the side, your hair escaping out of the grips of a hair tie.

You decide it’s the body roll that’s throwing it off. You haven’t perfected it so it’s setting you back in the choreo. You practice parts that need help and let your playlist continue so the song doesn’t start to get annoying.

You’re standing with your hands yanking the hair tie loose and trying to catch your breath before going in again. You shake your hair around to air it out and dive to the floor. Your strength got better and you were able to execute it perfectly. You went slow, letting your body touch the floor piece by piece, putting some emphasis on the hips.

When you hit the floor completely you scream in excitement and exhaustion as you lay on your back. You rub your eyes and hold back another scream as a figure stands above you.

“SHIT” you kick your feet so you slide back and sit up quickly.

“Whoa whoa sorry mamas, didn’t mean to scare you..” the stranger reaches out a hand to help you up off the floor.

You take it and once you get to your feet you see him clearly. He was wearing loose sweat pants, barely hanging on to his hip bone. The “V” shape on his lower half led up to a white sheer shirt that clung to his torso. Not much for the imagination as you could see every imprint of every ab on his body.

You blushed and your eyes darted to the tattoos that covered his sleeveless arms. His muscles flexed slightly and you nearly swooned.

It wasn’t long until he cleared his throat to get your attention that you hadn’t realized you were basically drooling over him. He chuckled through a side smile and looked at you with an eyebrow up.

“Aye baby, eyes up here” he joked and you were lost for words. “You hear what i said or too busy lookin at the goods?..” god you hated when men were too cheeky with their appearance.

You roll your eyes slightly and he finishes. “I said you weren’t lookin too bad on those moves right there,” he looks you up and down and you realize how exposed your body was. After you lost the sweater, you were left in a blue sports bra that was probably a little toooo small for the moment, and some black leggings.

You cross your arms and answer him. “Thanks, I’ve been practicing all night, needs work still.”

“You mind if i join you in here?” You try not to get distracted as he tosses gym bag to the side and the openings of his sleeves show more to his chiseled body. “I’m tryin to get some cardio in before the nights over.”

“Your version of cardio is dancing??” You ask surprisinged. “You must really go over the top,” He gives you a smirk and points to your speaker.

“Baby, ya tú sabes, now play somethin good and show me what you workin on.” He stretches out his arms and you change the song back to your routine.

You get over the fact that this God of a man is watching over you and instead decide to get in the zone. Plus he might be able to give you some tips. The music starts up again and you give it your all. Everything from the twisting and rolling, to the bounces and sensual touches, you got it.

“All i do..

Is drive myself crazy, thinkin bout my baby,”

You end there on the floor, knees planted on the ground with your back arched and arms reaching towards the floor behind you. The song reaches the chorus and you sit up and turn to the boy. “That’s all I’ve worked on i jus-“

You’re cut off by his hands lifting you up off the ground, planting you on your feet. The way he could kinda throw you around so easily left you disoriented. You look at him through the mirror and he’s pressed right against you from behind.

He sounds enthusiastic and prepared. “Don’t stop now, this is the best part of the song,” he places a hand on your waist soft and assuringly. “Just follow my lead.”

The Chance the Rapper verse starts up and he pulls you closer to him. You feel all of his body pressed on to your back and it’s electric. He guides your hips in a rotation from side to side, his own waist following the same pattern. He gives you a look through the mirror that asks if you were comfortable with this move.

You choose to respond the bold way and press your self closer to him, giving a little strength and taking over for yourself. He takes your action as encouragement and the both of you are finding each other’s rhythm.

You spin around so you’re facing him and finally place your hands on his hard chest. He’s swaying to himself and rapping along. You mimic the music video and play along like his hype girl. You slide up and down his body, the whole time exploring every inch of him, making your way from the front to his back.

And his lovin’ it. He smirks and plays along with it, the whole time dancing like some r&b rap star alter ego. He owns the stage like people are watching and it’s his own show. You feed from his energy and do the same.

He grabs you one last time and like your thoughts are in sync, he has you in front of him, your hand on top of his, guiding it from your thigh, and up your side slowly. You’re breathing heavily from all the moving and it feels achingly slow.

Your interlocked hands slide up your chest with ease and run by your neck until your hand finally reaches up to softly cup his jaw behind you. Your fingers rub through the stubble on his chin and he’s looking down at you with heavy eyes.

You unwind yourself from his grasp, embarrassment settling in from how close and intimate you just were with a stranger. You avoid the tension with a question.

“Did you even tell me who the hell you are??” He lifts the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead and you finally see the full figure of him. You swallow hard and look away to not seem like you’re staring.

“I’m Richard,” he flashes a smile with teeth almost as gorgeous as himself. “But you can call me whatever you’d like, mami.” His cockiness sets you back a little and you brush it off with a sarcastic laugh.

“Where’d you learn moves like that, you part of some secret boyband?” You mock and he runs his hand through bleached curls. “Oh so you the funny type, huh?”

He walks over and disconnects your phone from the speakers. “Ya and you must be the ‘does whatever he wants’ type, whatchu doin man?” The speaker dings and he starts to play his own music.

“Stop trynna fight me, we can talk about ourselves later. Just get over here and dance with me instead,” a song plays over that you’ve vaguely heard once before. “It’s just Usher, it’s a classic.” He reaches a hand out to you.

“What are you tryin to do, seduce me or something?..” you sass and take his hand.

“Don’t know yet, pero hay algo de ti que me gusta.” You couldn’t deny you were intrigued as well. By his confidence that made you frustrated and the swagger that made you feel somethin...well, not so appropriate.

He makes circles around you and you get familiar to the beat of the song. “You really know how to pick a song,” you smile. He walks up slowly, pulling you into his chest, his hand rested on the little dip of your lower back. “Thought it fit the occasion,”

He rocks with you, your legs in between each other’s, keeping close and low as he sings the lyrics to himself.

“I got a real pretty pretty little thing that’s waiting for me,”

You start feelin it and let the words lead you. He spins you around and you roll your hips out of his grip. You find yourself getting in your own zone, doing all kinds of moves you’d normally see in a cheesy music video. You toss your hair around and bend over to one side to stick your butt out with a little wiggle, looking over your shoulder to make eye contact.

You wind up and down in circular motions, arching your back every time you bend, and run your hands over your curves whenever the opportunity comes. You make your way to the ground, showing off the little flexibility you had, kicking up a leg and rolling slowly back up to your knees.

You watch as Richard takes it all in and you decided to mess around with him. After all he’s the one who’s been calling you little pet names since you’ve met him, so you deserve it.

You crawl up to him, reaching his legs and start rubbing them all around. You go higher and slip a hand slightly under his shirt. You bump and grind around him until his eyes meet yours. He swipes his hand over his chin, flustered. Job done, you think.

“Whats wrong, baby,” you say jokingly. “Dont like games??” And start to walk in the other direction. “Don’t start somethin you can’t finish.” You hear over your shoulder and suddenly you’re being pulled back.

There’s no time to resist and he has you lifted off the ground in an instant. He sets his hands underneath your butt and you have no choice but to wrap your arms around his neck for support. He let’s one of your legs go and dips you down low, a strong hand on the side of your ribs, touching the open skin your bra doesn’t cover.

He pulls you up and presses you against the mirror. He let’s you out of his grip and starts to work up a slow grind. He lifts his shirt slightly, teasing before simply lifting it off completely and tossing the whole thing aside. Your knees get weak and he drops to the floor by your feet.

He slides back a couple feet and army crawls to you on his elbows. He grabs you by the waist another time and pulls you down. He was smooth with his moves and gently lays you on the floor. Confused and heat rising through your body, you become frozen beneath him.

His chin brushes over your stomach and stops beneath your bra line. He lifts himself up and your breathing stops all together when he rolls his hips right over yours. And does it again. And again.

He uses one of his legs as leverage and the other is higher up around you as he continues fake thrusting against your body. You give in with a little whimper and reach a hand up to touch him. It’s blocked immediately and pinned to the side of you, all while your leg wraps around his waist tightly so you can get closer to him in some way.

He stops and his face hovers above yours, less than millimeters away. He’s warm and sweaty but in the best possible way. His strong arms are on either side of you, one leg placed firmly between your thighs and your body is on fire.

His bare chest is heaving on top of yours and your skin on his feels like bliss. He bites his lip a little and drops lower into you, his weight almost fully settled. He inches closer and your heart pounds in your head. You tilt your head up to align with his. He runs his hand slowly up your neck, past your cheek and....

Grabs his shirt above your head.

He jumps up off of you swiftly, leaving you all hot and bothered on the cold tile. You lay in surprise and disappointment and watch him gather his stuff. You prop yourself up on your elbows and glare at him with rosy cheeks.

“You know I’m likin this game we’re playin here,” he throws his shirt back on followed by a large hoodie. “Makes things spicy.” He shimmies his shoulders and you laugh in disbelief.

“Well i ain’t playin anymore,” you reply back annoyed. He walks over and hovers above you once more and you swallow up the tension again.

“No you ain’t,” he flashes those teeth and gives you a wink before he makes his way out the door. “You’ll probably be here same time tomorrow night right,” he bites the side of his lip then sticks out his tongue.

And all you can do is lay back down and think that, hey, maybe this summer won’t be so bad after all..

[pickalilywrites]

Hiiii! When you get the time can you pls write a levi/petra one-shot in which they end up having a second date (their first one was a failure) ❤️ thank you!

I was watching a kdrama where two celebrities pretend to get married and pursue a relationship for a variety show and i was like “cute” 

Let’s Fall in Love!

Rivetra. Dating Show AU. 

4547 words. 

Buy me a ko-fi!

It is every girl’s dream to date Levi Ackerman, lead singer of the hit rock band No Name. In fact, Petra herself had fantasized him being her boyfriend when she was just a teenager, but she’s completely changed her mind after their initial meeting when he had clasped his hand in hers for a handshake and remarked that her hand was unusually cold.

“Kind of a like a dead person’s,” he said aloud.

At first, she was sure that she had just misheard, but the rest of their interactions only confirmed his rudeness. Petra knows that you should never meet your heroes, but this is ridiculous.

“I liked the part when he was complimenting her,” Eld says with a grin. He reaches out twirl a lock of Petra’s hair around his finger and watches it unwind as it falls away. He mimics the constipated expression of the famous rock singer and says in a low voice, “’Your hair…is very orange.’”

“Oh, what about the time he visibly cringed when he saw her putting cream in her coffee?” Gutner says.

“Or when he said he’d never heard of her music before?” Auruo snickers.

She’d yell at them to get out of her dressing room, but she’s trying to keep her temper in check especially when she eventually has to meet up with Levi again. She’d rather never see him again after the disastrous date from last week, but they’ve already signed the contract and she can’t back out of it now. Goddamn variety shows.

“Are you guys done?” she asks through gritted teeth. She stands up from her dresser and brushes herself off. She looks at herself once more in the mirror and frowns at her reflection thinking that Levi will definitely hate her no matter what she looks like. Not that she cares. She’d wear her ugliest clothes, but she’d get a lot of criticism online if she didn’t look perfect. Sighing, she runs her hands through her hair and looks warily at her bandmates. “Besides, it’s our music that he hasn’t heard of. Aren’t you guys the least bit offended? We’ve idolized No Name our entire lives and he’s not even interested in us even after the success of our last album. He could at least pretend to be a little impressed, don’t you think?”

Gunter shrugs. “Everyone knows he’s pretty reclusive. If it were his bandmate Hanji or their drummer Mike, I’d be miffed, but it’s Levi we’re talking about. He doesn’t seem to be interested in anything.” He pats her on the shoulder when her frown deepens and gives her a smile. “It’s just a silly show for fun. I doubt you’re the worst celebrity couple they’ve put on this show.”

“Not according to some people on Twitter,” Eld says as he scrolls through his phone. He chuckles as he reads a few out loud for them. “’Levi and Petra have absolutely NO CHEMISTRY at all.’ ‘Watching Levi and Petra together makes me want to tear my eyes out. They’re so terrible!’ ‘Petra doesn’t deserve to date Levi.’ Oh.” Eld frowns when he comes across a particular tweet. “This person wants to kill you for dating him. That won’t do. Don’t worry, Pet, I got you.”

“If they want to date Levi so badly, they can,” Petra groans as Eld furiously taps away on his phone. She’s stopped reading any tweets involving her lately. While she does get a bunch of tweets about how lucky she is to be dating the No Name front man or compliments about how nice she looks on the show, she’s been bombarded with more insults than she normally is and she’s thinking about staying off all her social media until this is all over and done with. “Don’t they know this isn’t real anyway? It’s just a TV show.”

“Does it matter? It might as well be real. You know about half the celebrities that get paired up on this show end up dating each other in real life?” Auruo says as he leans against her counter. He inspects his nails and grins at her slyly, watching her from the corner of his eye. “I know high school you would be ecstatic at an opportunity to date Levi Ackerman even if it’s just for a variety show. You were over the moon about him, saying that he was the greatest male vocalist in our time and you’d die if you ever met him in real life. I think you even said you’d marry him at one point.”

Petra side-eyes her friend, thinking that it’s unfortunate that one of her bandmates has to be her childhood friend. He knows far too much about her. She’d get rid of him, but he’s terribly good bass guitar player and it’d be a bitch to replace him. “Are you sure you don’t want to marry him instead?” Petra asks him as he splutters and turns beet red. “You certainly seem to have a lot of good things to say about him even now and isn’t your hair cut in the same style as his?”

“Alright, alright,” Gunter says, holding his hands up to signal them to settle down. “It’s not so bad, right? Our sales are going up at any rate, so just try to do your best with him, Petra. It’ll all be over in a few weeks anyway.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Petra mutters. “You don’t have to date him.”

Just then there’s a knock on the door and someone on the outside, probably a studio hand, calling Petra out. She’d rather just stay in her dressing room than go out there and see Levi again, but she is getting paid for this so she might as well just go.  

“I’m coming,” she calls, pasting a fake smile on her face as she heads towards the door.

“Good luck, Petra!” Eld calls as she pushes the door open, the rest of the band also sending her off with their own well wishes.

“Looks like your band is optimistic,” smiles the studio hand. It’s Eren Jaeger, the studio intern who had comforted her after she had filmed the first episode. It turns out that while he’s a big fan of No Name (like most people are), he’s also been a fan of Wings of Freedom ever since its conception and talked to her excitedly about how much he looks forward to her band’s new music after she’s done filming for this show.

“Yeah, well,” Petra says, dropping her mask and giving him a weary smile. It’s nice to have an ally in the studio, she thinks. “It can’t really get much worse than last week, right?”

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad,” Eren says with a shrug. He fiddles with the paper on his clipboard with all the tasks on his schedule, folding and unfolding the bottom corner. “I’ve seen interviews he’s done with people he really hates, and he’s nothing like that with you. Besides, you guys might not get along swimmingly, but you definitely have one of the more interesting dynamics this season. I really think the viewers will be rooting for the two of you in a few episodes.”

“Rooting for us to break up and leave the show early,” Petra snorts. She actually contemplated the possibility after the first shooting, but it’d take a chunk out of her earnings. “How much did you guys offer him? It makes sense for me to sign up for something like this. Wings of Freedom might be big now, but it’s still somewhat of a fledgling of a band. I’m sure No Name is well off even without being featured in shows like this.”

Eren scratches the back of his neck and shifts his gaze away from her. “Er, I’m not supposed to know things like that,” he mumbles. “But he must be interested in you somehow if it’s not the money, right? Why else would he sign up for something like this?”

“Because the headshot you used when you were convincing him to pick me was really good?” Petra suggests. When Eren frowns, she ruffles his hair and grins at him. “Don’t worry, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m glad you’re enjoying us though. It’s always good to have a supporter.”

He grins widely back at her and asks her how Wings of Freedom’s second album is coming along as he leads her to the nearby café near the studio that they’re filming at for today’s “date.” It’s the same one that they had gone to in the first episode and unlike a lot of the other celebrity couples that had visited this place, Petra doesn’t have any happy memories here.

“Hey, nice timing!” someone says. When Petra turns, she sees Hanji, the lead guitarist of No Name. They have what looks like a friendly smile on their face, but Petra has no idea why they’d smile at her in that way if they’d seen the last episode. They hold out a hand for Petra to shake and Petra takes it tentatively in hers. “I’m Hanji, but I think you already know that. I’m flattered you find our band such an inspiration! The way that Wings of Freedom is rising up the charts, you’re a real competition to us, you know? It’s good to finally meet you, Petra. Hopefully, I’ll be able to meet all the other members as well!”

“Nice to meet you too?” Petra says. She’d be ecstatic about meeting another member of No Name, but her experience with Levi so far has made her cautious. “What are you doing here?”

“I just want to see how much of a dumpster fire this date’s going to be,” Hanji says casually. When they see Petra reel back in surprise, they laugh and throw an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, don’t worry about it. If it’s terrible, it’s going to be Levi’s fault. That guy’s just difficult to get along with. I should know since I’ve worked with him for years! You couldn’t do anything wrong even if you tried, Petra. You’re adorable. If you want, I could take his place and date you instead.”

Before Petra can say anything, Levi appears from behind Hanji. He reaches up to pinch his band mate’s ear and scowls, “Shut up, Hanji.” To Petra, he says, “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

At least she knows he feels the same way about this.

“Welcome once again to Let’s Fall in Love!, the show where you get to see your favorite celebrities fall in love with each other!” the announcer says, gesturing toward where Levi and Petra sit at the café table. She’s a rather nice woman named Ilse, although Petra’s sure she’d like her better if they hadn’t gotten acquainted on this show. “While it wasn’t love at first sight for them, maybe they’ll find love today at this very same café!”

“It’s good seeing you again,” Petra murmurs. She tries to give him her most genuine smile, but it’s so forced that she’s afraid that he can see right through it.

“Hm,” Levi says in reply, not even bothering to give her a proper response. He looks at her briefly but looks away immediately afterward. It’s probably because he can’t stand the sight of her. If she weren’t on camera, she’d scowl at him.

“Let’s see how well these two know each other now after that first date! They’ll be ordering for each other today by writing it on these napkins, which we’ll give to the barista,” the hostess says with a plastered-on smile. They wave one of the napkins around before placing it in front of Petra. “And we’ll join them while we wait for their drinks to arrive to see the progress they’ve made.”

It’s not a lot of progress, Petra thinks with a grimace. Outwardly, she smiles pleasantly at the hostess and speaks about how great it will be to let others catch up on her relationship with Levi, how much she’s learned about him so far, and how she was looking forward to exploring this relationship with him further. Levi, meanwhile, sits at his end of the table with that perpetual scowl on his face. Looking at it now, it’s difficult for her to understand how she could have ever thought his frown sexy back when she hadn’t known him.

“So, have you and Levi gotten together off-camera after the events of last week?” Ilse asks Petra. Petra’s sure that the woman had intentionally spoken with her first instead of Levi knowing that Petra was far easier to manage than him.

“Unfortunately, no,” Petra says sheepishly. She hopes that she doesn’t look too happy about it. “Both our bands are busy, I’m sure. Wings of Freedom is currently working on our second album, so my bandmates and I are spending as many days in the studio when I’m not busy filming over here.” Even if she did have free time to spend with Levi, she wouldn’t. Not that she’d say that out loud though. It definitely wouldn’t go over well with viewers and Levi already hates her as it is.

“What have you been busy with, Levi?” Ilse asks.

Even though the hostess gives him a polite smile, he only stares back at her with a frosty glare. “Rehearsing for the No Name’s upcoming tour,” he replies, not even bothering to give her his answer in a complete sentence.  

“Wow, you two have some much in common. It’s a shame that you don’t spend more time together. I’m sure you’d hit it off even more if you did,” Ilse says, but even Petra can tell that she’s finding Levi difficult to handle from her strained smile. The hostess pulls out a small deck of index cards from her pocket, tapping them against the table as she turns once again to Petra. “Well, we all knew this would happen with two superstars, so let’s play a little game! I’ll ask you a few questions about your partner and you’ll answer. Even if you get it wrong, you’ll still be getting to know each other!”

Petra laughs weakly. It seems that Levi has similar feelings because he’s looking like he’d rather die than stay here and play a get-to-know-you game.

“Sounds fun,” Petra says, sitting up and folding her hands in front of her. She gives Ilse a cheerful smile. “I don’t mind starting.”

“Great!” Ilse says. It might just be Petra’s imagination, but Ilse looks a little relieved. Their hostess clears her throat and glances at the first card before saying, “We all know that you and your band are huge fans of No Name and consider them to be a big inspiration for you, so I expect some of these questions to be a breeze for you, Petra. First question: When is Levi’s birthday?”

“December 25th,” Petra says without hesitation. She notices that both Ilse and Levi are staring at her, probably surprised because she answered so quickly. Is it really that surprising though? She is a fan…or at least she was one. Refusing to be embarrassed, Petra reaches up to pat her hair down for any stray hairs and laughs nervously. “It’s an easy birthday to remember after all.”

“I guess that is true! It’s the same day as Christmas after all,” Ilse laughs. She turns to Levi now, glancing down at the card. “You have a slightly harder question, Levi. Your question is: What year was Petra born?”

His frown deepens, and he looks at Petra and back at Ilse as if one of them will tell him the answer, but none of them budge. He finally takes another long, hard look at Petra before opening his mouth and saying very slowly, “1998?”

It’s more surprising than when Petra answered the question. This is because while Petra took less than a heartbeat to answer and was right, Levi took his time and still was off by half a decade.

“Do you think I’m twenty?” Petra asks. She had been able to resist herself before, but she can’t hold herself back now. She really wants to know if he really thinks she looks twenty or if he’s just really bad at math. She looks at Ilse incredulously. “Do I look like a fetus?”

Even Ilse starts to laugh at her reaction, but Levi looks less amused. He crosses his arms and turns away from her. “You look abnormally young for your age,” he mutters under her breath, but she’s not sure if this is supposed to be a compliment or not.

“I’m very well above the drinking age,” she informs him with a smirk.

He raises an eyebrow and props his elbow on the table, leaning towards her as he asks, “Is that so? How often do you get carded despite that?”

Nearly every goddamn time she has to get drinks, she thinks sorely. When she doesn’t answer, he smiles smugly. She’d feel even more insulted if she weren’t so surprised. She doesn’t think she’s seen him smile at all in front of her until now.

“Alright, alright,” Ilse says, clearing her throat. She nods at the both of them and flips to the next card. “Petra is actually born in 1993, Levi, so at least you got the decade right. Are the two of you ready to move on to the next couple of questions we have for you?”

Petra looks up and meets Levi’s eyes from across the table, but he looks away quickly from her.

“Yeah, whatever,” Levi mumbles. He taps his fingers impatiently on the table. His ears are still red with embarrassment from answering the last question wrong.

For the first time since being on set, Petra thinks that this might just be fun after all.

The rest of the game goes similarly. Whatever question Ilse throws at Petra about Levi, Petra answers flawlessly without much thought. She has impeccable knowledge about all of No Name, Levi included, and she’s aware that she might come off as an obsessed fangirl after this episode comes out, but she doesn’t care at the moment. She’s far too amused by Levi’s inability to answer any of their questions about her at all.

It doesn’t matter what they ask him about her. He gets it wrong every time. With each incorrect answer, he gets more flustered and tongue-tied. He snaps out his answer grumpily whenever Ilse turns to him and scowls whenever she informs him that he’s wrong. He can’t name a single song Petra’s written, where she grew up, or the other bands she listens to aside from No Name. He’s so frazzled that Petra’s sure that if Ilse asked him what her hair color was he’d get it wrong even though she’s sitting right across from him.

“Petra, what’s the first song that Levi wrote for No Name?” Ilse asks her.

“’The Reluctant Heroes,’” Petra says easily. She glances over at Levi who scowls at her once more. She only shrugs and smiles in reply.

“Correct once again! You really weren’t kidding when you said you loved No Name. I’m sure Levi is flattered to be with such a talented artist and dedicated fan,” Ilse says, not at all noticing the glower on Levi’s face. To Levi, she asks, “Final question is for you Levi. What is the name of the song Petra and her band Wings of Freedom covered that helped propel them into mainstream success?”

Petra sits up, smirking at Levi because she’s sure that he’s going to get this answer wrong as well, but he has the oddest look on his face. The hardened gaze of his is gone and his expression has softened. Gone is his frustration and impatience, and he looks at her quietly before answering in a quiet voice, “’Call Your Name.’”

“That’s right! After covering No Name’s best-selling single ‘Call Your Name,’ Wings of Freedom began to catch other people’s attention and helped lead them on the road to success,” Ilse says happily. “While you might not know a lot about Petra now, you’ve certainly learned a lot about her today, Levi, and it’s good to see that you at least know something about her.”

Levi doesn’t reply and instead continues to look at Petra, who finds herself blushing. She’s not sure if it’s because he’s looking at her with such a soft expression or because she’s finally being acknowledged by her childhood idol or some other third reason she doesn’t even want to think about at this moment, but his gaze makes her turn away.

“It was a really…it was a good cover,” she hears Levi says. “Beautiful.”

She can feel her face burst into flames. “Thanks,” she mumbles.”

A waitress finally comes by to hand them their drinks. What good timing. They’ve taken far longer than they should, and Petra suspects that they delayed the orders to allow more time for the game. These stupid shows and their stupid games, she thinks with a sigh.

The black coffee Petra had ordered for Levi sits in front of him and Petra finds her own drink set in front of her. It’s a mocha topped with a generous amount of whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon and chocolate swirls. Just looking at it makes her feel like she has a cavity and she looks over at Levi confusedly.

“Well,” Ilse says, clapping her hands together and looking from Petra to Levi again. Petra wonders if the hostess is ever tired of acting so excited for these things. “You have your drinks in front of you. Tell us how you like them! Levi, did Petra make the right choice for you? I wouldn’t be surprised if she did!”

Levi takes an awkward sip in front of the camera, pausing before he answers to taste the coffee. Somehow, he’s shocked, and he gives Petra a suspicious glare as if she shouldn’t know his coffee preferences despite her showing how knowledgeable she is about him and going on a coffee date with her last week where he ordered the exact same thing. “It’s good,” Levi finally says.

“And you, Petra?” Ilse asks eagerly. She gestures at the cup in front of Petra, motioning at her to take a sip.

“Ah,” Petra says with a nervous laugh. It’s not that she doesn’t like sweet things, but she doesn’t like overly sweet coffee. If she wanted something sweet and chocolatey, she would have just ordered a hot chocolate. Still, she doesn’t want to seem rude and hesitantly picks up the cup and holds it to her lips. It’s even sweeter that she had thought it would be, and she begins to choke from the taste of it. “Oh, it’s…it’s very sweet,” Petra coughs.

She’s not sure why, but Levi looks hurt. How strange.

“I don’t usually drink such sweet things,” Petra says apologetically, but she’s not sure if she should say this to Ilse or Levi so she just awkwardly speaks to the space between them. “It’s not bad though…it’s…nice.”

Ilse laughs at her response. “Well, I’m glad you can still enjoy it even though it’s not quite to your liking. Thanks for joining Levi and Petra once again on their romantic journey. Let’s hope that Levi can get to know Petra even more in the upcoming weeks!”

Once the cameras are finished rolling, Ilse sighs and rips off her mic. Smiling at Petra, she says, “Thanks for playing along so well, Petra. And thanks for your participation today too, Levi – ah.”

Levi has already torn off his microphone and stalked out of the café without so much as a goodbye. Petra does notice that he did take his coffee with him though.

She should really stay behind and talk with Ilse for a while, thank her for being such a wonderful host, but she really wants to chase after Levi and ask him something, so she smiles apologetically at Ilse and excuses herself, saying that she’ll catch up with her sometime during the week.

When she catches up with Levi, she sees him being held back by Hanji. Or Hanji’s trying to hold him back. Levi’s managing to walk quite well despite having to drag along another person behind him.

“Why’d you run away? Go back!” Hanji tells him. “Don’t you want to talk to Petra some more?”

“No, I don’t want to talk to her,” Levi says, trying to shake Hanji off.

“Should I go back then?” Petra says amusedly. While Hanji looks at her with an expression of pleasant surprise, Levi looks incredibly horrified. “Sorry. I just wanted to talk to you for a little bit, but I can just see you next week if you’d rather not see me.”

“I can talk to you, Petra!” Hanji says, letting go of Levi. They wrap an arm around her and grin down at her. “Levi’s always a grouch, so don’t mind him. I’m much better company than he is!”

Levi sighs and stomps over to where they are, pulling Hanji off Petra and glaring. “It’s fine. I’ll talk to her. Just…go back to the hotel and talk to Mike or something,” he grumbles at Hanji. When he looks at Petra, she sees that his face is flushed the same way it was when they were at the café together. He’s starting to look a little less mean-looking, Petra thinks. To Petra, he asks, “What did you want to talk about?”

“The cover my band did,” she says. “Did you really listen to it?”

“Yeah. Hanji made me listen to it during rehearsal last week.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and turns away from her. “It was good. It was really good. I was going to sit and listen to your album, but I haven’t got the chance to do that yet.”

“Oh, I’m glad you liked it. I didn’t think you’d be interested in listening to my band,” Petra laughs. She’s starting to think that although he’s difficult to get along with at first, he’s not a bad person. Maybe this won’t be so unbearable after all.

“Why not?” Levi asks, looking at her with a furrowed brow. “Your voice is beautiful.”

“Huh?” she says stupidly. It’s difficult to believe he’s complimented when she had firmly believed he hated her only an hour ago. She’s blushing more than she usually would if any other person had said the same words to her and she covers her cheeks with her hands in an unsubtle attempt to hide her blush. “Ah, that’s…I’m so happy…”

“Hm” is all Levi says. He continues to look at her, his expression curious now, and she remembers why she had swooned over him back in her high school days.

“Er, I have to go now,” Petra says, desperate for an excuse to escape. She doesn’t reconvene with her band until tomorrow, but it’s not like Levi knows that. She doesn’t even know he says goodbye to her because she’s already run away.

She doesn’t think she hates him anymore though. No, she’s pretty sure she doesn’t. She’s not sure how she feels exactly, but she does know that there’s a part of her that looks forward to seeing him next weekend even though this relationship isn’t really real.

[fishinggearshop]

Basic Fishing Gear That You Need for Fishing

Fishing alongside friends is a wonderful way to relax together, and it is indeed a great means of escape and unwinding. However, there are a few items that you should have in your fishing gear tackle box whenever you go out with your buddies. Shopping for fishing equipment can be difficult if you're a newbie. On the market, you will discover a wide range of fishing equipment. Each have their own unique qualities that add to the overall experience. Fishermen are accustomed to having their fishing tackle, that they have collected over the years, with them and handy at all times. Apart from the specific fishing rods and reels set-up needed for your target species, every tackle box should contain some basic tools and tackle.

Where you can buy high-quality fishing gear? Fishermen's Source is a national online & in-store fishing tackle retailer in NJ. They selling premium saltwater & freshwater fishing gear and equipment at competitive prices.

In this article, we'll go over everything you'll need. The items we'll be listing are often low-cost and are easily accessible at your local fishing store. Have a good time!

Rod and Reel:

Fishing rods deliver baits or lures in the water column with pinpoint accuracy. Concentrate on purchasing a high-quality fishing rod that is appropriate for the type and size of the fish you intend to catch. Rod socks or sleeves can also be purchased to protect your costly rods during shipment or transport, particularly if they are graphite and susceptible to breakage. Rods, in most cases, have fishing reels attached to them, and anglers can use them to cast baits over long distances to the targeted area. You can fish in deep water and safely recover your catch using the reels.  Reels also have drag systems that help prevent line breakage when you hook-up with a sizable fish.  It works by allowing line to be pulled from the reel under a set tension to prevent breakage or line fatigue when fighting the fish.  This release minimizes the stress on the line and slows the fish down.  

Lures & Baits for Fishing:

Lures are a lot of fun to use and make catching fish simpler. They frequently hook fish in the mouth, lips, or jaws, allowing you to grab once you have retrieved it. Whenever it concerns artificial fishing lures, you have a lot of options. Each come in various lengths, sizes, colors, and actions, each tailored to a particular type of fish.  Live bait is statistically the best way to ensure you catch a fish.  You need less skill in this case as the bait looks, smells and tastes like the fishes preferred food. Where as with lures it is up to the angler to choose colors and present the lure in a manner that mimics the fishes prey so much so that the fish is fooled. 

Knife for Filleting:

A fillet knife is essential for any serious angler. Not any old kitchen knife can be used to clean fish, no matter how sharp it is.  The fillet knife is the best because of three key characteristics. 1 razor-sharp edge. 2  thin pointy profile. 3 flexible metal.  These qualities make removing skin, navigating rib, back bones and fins much faster, safer, and more efficient. You would probably waste a lot of fish if you use your old kitchen knife.

Hooks:

Irrespective of the type of fishing or species, consider having a variety of sized hooks. Not because you're more likely to drop hooks when fishing, but because it better prepares you for all types of fish.

Sunglasses with Polarized Lenses:

Polarized sunglasses are the most desired vital piece of gear to refract light coming off any water and shield your eyes from harmful ultraviolet light (UV) rays. You will be able to see more clearly and deeper into the water with these lenses.  Escape some possible risks if you use these customized eyeglasses.

Sunscreen:

Don't forget to keep a bottle of sunscreen in your fishing tackle box. Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed body parts to avoid sunburns.

Bite Detector:

When a fish strikes, bite indicators are linked to your line and sound an alert. This allows you to leave your rod in a rod holder for a short time. This is great for use while cooking, setting up camp, using the restroom, or dealing with a second line without having to remove your bait from the water.

Fish Weighing scale:

There's nothing quite like bragging to your buddies about catching a trophy fish, but it's even better if you can confirm the weight of your catch with a digital fish scale.

Removing Hooks:

Hooks can get lodged in the jaws of fish with robust jaws or the tiniest of mouths, and they must be removed. Keep a pair of long nosed pliers handy so that you can swiftly remove a hook and release your fish healthy.  Pliers will help in other cases where the fish swallows a hook and you need to reach deep inside to extract it from their gullet.

Final thoughts

If you have all of the aforementioned fishing gear, you're good to go on your next fishing expedition. Last but not least, remember that fishing isn't always about catching fish. Enjoy the tranquility of the peaceful waters while taking in the gorgeous scenery.

[gcssiphq]

                    meet adelaide laurent - aka the queen bee of the upper east side.

                              basics - 

name : adelaide laurent age : 25  birthdate : november 30th, 1996 zodiac : sagittarius  current profession : literary agent gender identity & sexuality : woman & ( secretly ) bisexual known online as : a or the queen bee based on blair waldorf.

                             the small details - 

&& aesthetics : the color gold, starbucks cups with lipstick stains, chanel perfume, ribbons and bows, deep jewel toned interiors, mirrors in every room, old art pieces, a messy closet full of shoes, books with handwritten notes, purses big enough to hold just a wallet and a cell phone charger, backless dresses, french manicures, half drunken glasses of wine, tiaras and jewels, oversized sunglasses and pearls, tiffany blue && habits :         - twirling her ruby ring on her left pinky ( especially when nervous or upset )       - has a tendency to ‘space out’ in order to create a more appealing version of the world around her ( her daydreams often mimic movies she likes in order to make things more romantic or suspenseful, depending on her mood )       - organizes everything in a particular order. books / dvds / cd’s, etc. are all alphabetized. everyone’s contact information has their full name, no nicknames. her closet is organized by style ( work, personal, party, etc. ) and color coded within. her shoes are organized by height and color. even her fridge has things organized by brand inside of it.       - she hates silence. when at home, she often has the television on quietly to old tv or movies ( she loves the classics, but also will put on any romantic comedy or even sitcoms just to keep her from being ‘completely alone’. ) at work, she usually plays french pop in her office so that it doesn’t distract her from her job but it isn’t silent. even at night, she has a white noise machine.

                               the unofficial biography - 

Adelaide laurent was the first child born to a prominent lawyer and society hostess. while her parents were absent ( whose weren’t? ) she was sent to the best schools, the best tutors, and had the highest ambitions. while her classmates were enjoying their childhood, adelaide had one goal in mind : yale university. as long as she could remember, that was the dream, and she did everything she could to get there. 

not to say she didn’t know how to have fun; despite spending most of her teen years running from SAT training to tennis lessons to various charity committees, she could let her hair down and unwind just like all the rest. in fact, because she was better than all the rest, some could say she went further than the others. there was the affair with her ( unbeknownst to her ) married yale alumni interviewer, the rumors that floated about the nature of her relationship with a certain golden girl, and of course her on again / off again relationship with our resident prince - all of which were well documented across our favorite gossip website.  leaving it all behind to start a new life at yale, adelaide said ‘au revoir’ to the only friends she’d ever really known, disappearing into a new life of the upper echelon of academics. she spent the next five years in new haven, focusing on her double major of psychology and french, though there was never any real plan for what to do after graduation.  she’d spent her whole life thinking about one thing - get the school, get the man, have the dream life. except now, at twenty five, she’s realized that there’s a lot more life to live - and currently, there’s no plan in place for how to navigate it. though the rest of her family has moved to los angeles, adelaide’s found herself back where she belongs: in manhattan, trying to rule a different scene. using her degrees as a junior literary agent was a stretch, but she’s a laurent - and new york has always treated them better than most. 

                      keep your friends close, and your enemies closer -

ophelia carmichael - books could be written about the complexity of adelaide and ophelia’s relationship. best friends since pre-school, the two were truly two opposites who made a whole. the darkness to ophelia’s light, the shadow pushed against her star, they fought like sister’s and made up like lovers. the exact nature of their relationship has never been discussed - there was a kiss, back in high school, but no one discusses it - and the true crux of their dynamic was their mutual love of grayson king.  once time and distance gave them both perspective, they were able to find a happy medium - adelaide was thriving in academics, ophelia was thriving in hollywood. being on opposite coasts seemed to give them a truce; though they’re not as close as they once were, the two both consider the other their best friend above all else - after all, when you’ve been through as much ups and downs as the two of them have, there’s no one else you could really trust.  eden granger - when the younger girl began to date adelaide’s brother, she took a more in depth interest in her. though they’d been in the same circle for years ( adelaide had once been her mentor back at constance billiard ), the two were never exactly close. most would assume it was because adelaide never bothered with anyone outside of her immediate circle - very few knew it was because the yale alumni that adelaide had a lurid affair with was actually eden’s father.  the two have never ( and probably will never ) discuss this sticky spot in their past, but while alfie and eden are no longer together, adelaide and eden have remained close. it’s almost like having a little sister - and while adelaide does, technically, have a little sister, eden’s much more age appropriate to gossip and shop with.  other quick connections : alfred fitzwilliam-laurent ( brother ), bennett fitzwilliam ( step-brother ), grayson king ( ex-boyfriend ), josephine barclay & lenia baris ( friends ), nora foster ( former roommate / friend ), more listed here. 

            follow adelaide laurent.                          ( portrayed by maddison jaizani ) 

[whimstories]

BalconyAU Pt 8

Part 1 // Part 7// Next >>In Progress

Word Count: 5k

A/N: I sometimes stare at the Explicit rating and think, when is that going to happen. That’s all they wanna read, come on.

I’d like to dedicate this chapter to the amazing, AMAZING anon comment on FF. I wrote this faster because I was so moved, honestly.

Also, this chapter is super prose heavy. Lots of descriptions and too much narrative, probably, which I learned I need to work on until my fingers are blue.

I always write to improve, so comments and critiques are welcome! Please rip this to bits! Thank you!

Manon’s comment is a silk thread, hard to identify and impossible to get out of her hair. 

She frantically leafs through her memory of their interaction. Did she say any numbers while they talked; a name, perhaps? She glances over at Adrien behind her, recalling his strange stare off, and her mind flares at a possibility.

“Adrien,” she addresses. “When you said, ‘a certain someone’ to Manon, you meant Chloe, right?”

Adrien’s brows furrow. “Of course,” he pauses, then his brows raise to alarm, “You don’t think—I’m not dating every girl in the building.” 

That never occurred to her and she has to nibble her bottom lip to prevent laughing. Imagining Adrien entertaining a harem of female neighbors from different floors of the apartment wasn’t that hard to conjure. 

In actuality, she suspects Adrien might know Chat Noir, something of high probability when he’s such friends with Plagg and, apparently, Manon. But it seems she is wrong—unless he’s dating Chat Noir, who is in fact not a female, and wouldn’t that be a piece of humble pie to unravel the mystery.

She lifts her shoulders and comments, “Just clarifying.” She witnesses the raise of his shoulders, preparing to defend his honor from her supposed preconceived notion, but they reach her floor and she cuts him off with orders. 

She directs Adrien to change into comfortable athletic clothes and meet in the lobby as soon as he’s done. He sulks during the instructions, a puppy pout pursing his lips, but he agrees all the same.  

The idea that Adrien isn’t aware of her perception of him puts her in a strangely good mood. It could be a small kind of revenge after he sent shivers to her skin at the shoot, and it’s satisfying that he’ll never know she’s a little affected by him. She skips out the elevator when she meets him twenty minutes later. 

Marinette has changed her winter layers for fitted, breathable clothes: black leggings, leg warmers, lace up boots, a long sleeve thin shirt, and a red crop hoodie. In these moments, she really appreciates being a designer because she added custom pockets to her leggings that relinquishes her from carrying a bag.

Adrien is lurking near the rotating doors, clearly hiding from attention, and Marinette pauses a few feet from him when she catches his attire. He is wearing black skinny harem pants, a long fitted green t-shirt, and a black zip up hoodie with his hair tucked into a beanie, which flattens the locks to his head and makes him look younger. This is the first time she’s seen him in anything other than professional clothes, which augments his arrogant figure, and damn if she doesn’t prefer him in street clothes. 

“What is it?” Adrien asks.

“Sorry?”

“Is there something weird about my clothes or…?” His brows climb to a knowing stare.

“I was just thinking about where we need to go,” Marinette dodges. She walks out the doors and heads in the direction of the metro. Adrien follows suit, close in step. It’s a five minute walk and along the way they pass an open square, and Adrien slows his pace next to her. 

A sizable crowd is gathered near a fountain where a busker band is playing swing music. A few couples of various ages are dancing, some are snapping and clapping to the rhythm, and generally there’s a lightness to the gathering.

A motion next to Marinette causes her to look over. Adrien’s hand faces palm up in her direction, clearly an indication for her to grasp it. 

“I’m having deja-vu,” Marinette remarks. 

“I’m not tricking you; I already learned my lesson. I’m asking.” 

There’s no rush to catch the metro now, the sun still hanging in the East, and she would be lying if she wasn’t affected by the energy of the music. Marinette accepts to indulge in the joyous scene, but whether she trusts a dance with Adrien Agreste is another question. She stares at him, dubious, but his expression continues to be open and unassuming. He looks so simple then, not the aristocratic son of her favorite designer or the roguish flirt without a filter, but just any man wanting to dance with a woman. The sloping bob of his neck as he swallows, a plain nervous gesture, seals it.

She takes his hand and Adrien, beaming, tugs her to the crowd. They take a place to edge of the group and he weaves their fingers in a loose grip in one hand and places the other on her hip. 

“Don’t think,” he whispers in her space.

The first few steps, she’s stiff, almost like an alien controlling her body and not sure how to move against a partner. Then Adrien takes Marinette’s hand and twirls her one, two, three times, blurring everything around her into boisterous tunes and joyous motion, and she’s laughing. 

He uses the momentum to swing her opposite him—she’s hanging on the tether of his hand and squeaks at the fast motion—then she’s being pulled back and flushes bodies, so he’s grasping around her waist and twirling them together. Then he repeats the motion. They’re swinging in and out together like synchronized yo-yos, the cold of winter melting from their bones and the electricity of motion fills their wake. She follows his lead and he rewards her with an impressed quirk of his mouth, but its clear he has the stronger affinity with dancing. 

He demonstrates said skills when he does solo numbers such as tapping, moonwalking, and the Charleston, which is so spirited she claps to the music to encourage him. When he gestures for her to do the same, her shoulders jolt from the unexpected request. She doesn’t think and mimics the dance her mother always did: the finger wag. Adrien laughs, of course, but claps for her as she did him.

They’re clasping hands again and each time its more natural and leaves goosebumps in its wake. They’re taking each others cues and never speak, they don’t need to; and Marinette’s world narrows to only him for that moment. No teasing, no flirting, but wholly expression and joy in motion and sound, and her heart sings to it. It’s not easy, like floating in a sea, but like surfing a wild wave and conquering it in the same way it can conquer her. It’s a respect, a partnership, an agreement.

Adrien grasps her waist— she squeals into a laugh— and spins them together. On the first turn she is raised above him and every turn following she’s sliding down his chest and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

Then he is there; mere inches from her face and grinning like a madman, gazing at her. A thrill buzzes to her head; she’s spellbound. She didn’t realize she was grinning so hard until it falls, and she’s gapping at him like a guppy. Butterflies are creating a tornado in her stomach and the slight sheen of sweat on his brow is so tantalizing she wants to swipe it for an excuse to get closer.

She imagines this is what all those rom-coms are talking about, because if Adrien tangled his hand in her hair and tugged her forward, she wouldn’t have stopped him. 

“Excuse me, darling.” A voice breaks in. 

Marinette jerks away in an instance, unwrapping her arms from his shoulders and hopping to the ground. Her head jumbles to focus on anything else and she’s realizing the buskers are now preparing to change songs and she’s wondering how long she was in Adrien’s arms and how it looked. Her face floods like a red light bulb. 

A senior couple stands to the left, and the female addresses them, “Mind if I cut in?” She gestures toward Adrien. Marinette glances at him, and then darts away, realizing she’s embarrassed to even see his expression. She jerks a nod. 

The elderly male puts out his elbow and asks her, “May I?”

Marinette unwinds at the sweet gesture and agrees. Dancing is different with the older man, she should praise the universe for such an obvious fact. It’s bouncy and fun and she’s not self-conscious of her movements . She glances at Adrien and he’s treating his partner wonderfully, smiling and keeping eye contact. He dips and twirls her at her cues, and it’s clear the experienced woman is giving him a run for his money in terms of leading, which he doesn’t seem to mind a bit.

When the song ends, Adrien and the woman walk back; she’s patting his hand while he’s talking in low tones, crouching a bit to be at her level. He nods and kisses the sides of her cheeks. The elderly man walks up to pat Adrien on the back, and Adrien tucks his head, sheepish. 

As the woman passes by Marinette, she says, “You got a good one.”

The woman walks away before Marinette could deny it, though convincing strangers not really a favorite past time. Adrien is looking at her and beaming, with a flush on his face from dancing. She wouldn’t be surprised if the elderly man said something similar to him. What a cliché. 

She’s about to tell Adrien they should go but he directs her to sit in the square for a moment, a bit of urgency to his tone, so she sits near the band until Adrien returns. About ten minutes later, he’s carrying two items in his hands has full pockets. Marinette views a folded crepe in one hand and a pie dish, which she assumes is a quiche, in the other. Her stomach rumbles from the cloying scent of fresh food. 

“Here, take your pick,” Adrien holds both choices in front of him, “I heard you’re not very good about eating meals.” 

Marinette notes, for the millionth time, how much she regrets having chatterboxes for doormen, but exceedingly grateful when the warm buttery crust of the quiche passes her mouth along with the cooked vegetable and egg center. She practically moans. 

Adrien eats his crepe with relish, Marinette notes she’s surprised he allows such a thing, and a few smears of chocolate linger on his lips, which Marinette gestures towards, stopping her raised hand mid-motion from wiping them herself. They continue their walk to the metro, finishing their small meals along the way. Adrien pays for their fare and they hop aboard within ten minutes. The bulging items in Adrien’s pockets are revealed as water bottles and he hands one to Marinette who gulps half of it down. 

“I never pegged you for such a great dancer,” Marinette mentions.

“Was I?” Adrien tilts his head. 

“You were capable of leading me around. That’s impressive.”

“I thought you were wonderful,” he contends. 

Marinette raises her hand, as if to stop him, and shakes her head. “It wasn’t me, at all.”

Adrien frowns, troubled. “I don’t understand you sometimes, Marinette.”

She blinks a few times. “What do you mean?”

“You act shy and quiet, humbling yourself to everyone’s level, but push the right buttons and you’re unparalleled, like it’s no effort at all. I’m just at a loss.”

Marinette flushes, never receiving such a profound compliment. “I-I dont—I’m not…” She considers her words, finding she can’t pinpoint one, and looks around the train. “I’m not perfect.”  

“I wasn’t saying you have to be.”

She turns to him. “Weren’t you?”

“I’m saying, when you allow it, no one would ever fault you, because you’d be too busy dazzling them with your passion and extraordinary talents. I’m amazed no one is singing your praises somewhere.”

She knows he’s being sincere, his sparkling eyes say it all, and she’s stunned to silence. She’s not sure she can say another word to him ever again. Her eyes flutter, trying to process if such a man can exist in front of her, but she takes a shuddered breath and relents to listen to the metal squeaks of the metro’s flight through Paris. 

“W-what, um, happened to you and Chloe? You mentioned it earlier.” She hopes focusing on his romantic tendencies could help subdue any of her emotions that deign to consider him. 

“Ah, well,” Adrien gives a pregnant pause, like even he couldn’t explain it. “I thought she would be someone and then she wasn’t. Pretty normal for short relationships.”

Marinette squints at him. “What sort of person did you think she was?” 

Adrien glances at her then his cheeks raise to a light pink, which Marinette thinks is kinda cute and not helping her case to liking him more than she wants. “Well—um, just different. Kind, reserved, beautiful inside and out.”

“Chloe? Really? Were you in the Twilight Zone?”

“It’s kind of complicated.”

I’ll say, she thinks. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it, so she smiles instead and sits in silence. She theorizes Chloe destroyed hoards of property during the break-up, and Marinette would feel bad to be reminded of that too. 

They transfer to the RER after twenty minutes—

“Aren’t the Catacombs near here? You’re really that mad?”

“What would I do to you there? Really?”

“I don’t know how far you take a favor.”

—then another twenty minutes pass to reach their destination.  It’s only a five minute walk and they reach large open metal gates. Adrien doesn’t reveal any recognition to the place, staring curiously at the large walls encompassing the property and allowing Marinette to lead the way.

The grounds are extensive, to say the least, with four large stretches of lawn and three parallel walkways leading to an old castle. Marinette turns, now walking backwards, and gestures with her arms out, “Welcome to Parc l’Akuma.”

“Sounds haunted.”

“It might be,” Marinette shrugs. “But it's perhaps the most lovely haunted grounds in Paris. Come on.”

Marinette leisurely waltzes past all the amenities of the park: the art museum inside the castle, the wonderfully tended gardens, and the open areas where families take their picnics and pets. Adrien glances at her every few seconds for a sense of direction, and she bounces in step as they approach her goal. She turns a corner where they are met with a large hedge wall, about twelve feet tall, with a singular entrance. 

“Here it is.” She waves with flourish. 

“And, what is this?” Adrien inquires. 

“Le Papillon Labyrinthe. One of the most difficult mazes in Paris, and when seen from above, looks like a complicated butterfly.” His expression lights up so she continues. “If you want to try solving it, go ahead, but I had this idea that I use to play with my best friend. It seemed like a fun idea at the time.” She becomes embarrassed as she says it aloud, looking at the wall in the hopes she becomes less self conscious, which is perfect timing when you already took a train trip to get there. 

“We would run around the maze trying to find each other. Sort of an extreme hide and seek. It’s really fun, and requires a bit of attention…” she trails off.  Marinette is met with silence and she has to look back at him. 

His smile is near to bursting, she expects him to combust like a male Violet Beauregarde. 

“What?” She asks. 

“You liked playing Ultimate Mecha with me.” Marinette’s shoulders stiffen. “You liked it so much you sent us an hour outside Paris to challenge me in a hedge maze.” Adrien is absolutely blinding with smugness. 

“That’s—no. Not true,” she argues. 

“You could’ve asked for something simple. Anything within city bounds and been done with it. But you wanted to share this moment with me.”

“I had an urge and you offered to take me. It’s…not as fun without a friend.”

“So, I’m a friend?” He perks. Marinette groans, keeping her satisfaction at the phrase in check. “Princess, it feels like you’re the one doing me a favor.”

Marinette doesn’t know how she survived his presence this long. Adrien just continues to look smug and walks into the entrance which winds to an open circle with a singular bench. Marinette explains it’s the true entrance to the maze and he asks the general layout.

“There are two paths to get to the end; two wings to the butterfly. But there are also paths that lead to the other wing.”

“So, what happens if I find you?”

“Then you win that round.”

“You know we have to have stakes. Betting pools, favors, dinners, and so on. We’re adults. ”

Sensory memory of him combing through her hair releases tingles down her spine. “Adults have friendly competition,” she notes.

“Our enthusiasm for competition isn’t ‘friendly’, Marinette,” he counters. 

Marinette recalls his own attitude when he played against her. Yelling, dirty ploys, victorious shouts, and disbelieving grunts come to mind; which she completely forgot since the events after left such an impression. He matched her energy without a beat, and she would be a bald faced liar if she didn’t find it exciting at the time.  

“Fine. Name a price,” she relents.

“Your phone number.”

“What?” She says. “I could just…give it to you?”

“Nope,” he asserts. “I want to earn it. Otherwise, whenever I want to see you, I’ll have to hover around your floor, but since Chloe is next door it's pretty dangerous. See? I have all the motivation to win.”

Marinette does not miss the insinuation of facing Chloe for the sake of her company, the sizzling delight in her stomach notices as well. “Well, same for me, then.” His eyes grow wide and she stumbles around her response. “I get your number, then I’ll know who to block all my calls.”

“That’s low, princess.” He chuckles.

“Get off your high horse then, Agreste.”

He smiles and the game is afoot. She explains it simply: one person will have to hide for ten minutes from the seeker. If they are spotted, the seeker has to tag them to count. If they happen to have a draw, whoever found the other faster is the victor. They’ll use their phones as timers, and, if they’re not found, they’ll call out time and meet in the center for the next round. 

They synchronize their timers on their phones and Marinette hides first. She sprints to the left, getting some warmth in her blood, and uses her thirty-second head start to become familiar with the twists and turns. She’ll be unlucky if she meets any dead ends, since Adrien’s taller stature gives him a longer reach in case she tries to juke him. She hopes ten minutes is not sufficient time to familiarize the entire maze, and she may survive staying to one spot, but if touching Adrien at the shoot amounted to anything, she’s aware he’s fit enough to cover a lot of distance. 

She chooses a long open path to wait, intending to run across if he catches her, and checks her timer, which indicates Adrien entered forty-seconds ago.

Four minutes pass, a constant anticipation pounding in her chest, and she stands to look around the corner, and to her luck, he’s ten feet away and jogging. As soon as she catches sight, a thrill kicks her in the bum and books it the opposite direction. She’s unsure if he saw her, but he must have heard her breathe hitch or the following running steps. She hears fast strides behind her and she shrieks, cutting corners and almost falling several times.

“Your prince has come to rescue you, princess! Don’t run away!” Adrien teases and her startled laugh almost slows her enough that she feels the air of his hand passing her back. Somehow, she makes it to a path that opens three ways and prays she takes the most confounding one. She finds a winding path with a lone square hedge and shuffles to a crouch behind it and holds her breathe so he passes her. 

Another two minutes go by, and he didn’t even make it down her path. She breathes easier. 

The remaining time is uneventful. She wanders the maze without a sound from Adrien, though she was spooked by a couple birds landing on a hedge and she’s glad no one saw that. Her timer blares and she shouts for him. She thinks she hears a huffed shout back, but it was far away. 

They meet back in the center as promised. His hair sticks to his head in parted frays and there’s a flush to his cheeks. “I’m surprised you lost me,” she starts.

“You have no idea,” he inhales a deep breathe, still winded from his jog she assumes, “how frustrating that was. One round is not going to cut it.”

“You’re so sure you’re going to lose?” She says around a smile.

“I already told you, you can best anyone.” He looks more frustrated to the admission this time but the kind sincerity is there, creating a ruckus to her heart. 

Into the next round, she doesn’t find him. Not even a spare glance like he did her, and she wishes he wasn’t wearing a beanie so the sun can reflect his location.

They try a second round each, and somehow it becomes harder because they found optimal locations that are harder to navigate. So, they make a new rule that every minute they have to make a noise, any sort, so the other person knows which direction to go. 

Marinette is simple and says, ‘Marco’ and Adrien replies ‘Polo’ each time. It scares the life out of her because every time she hears him over a hedge and getting closer. 

There is one minute left, and, at the last shout, she heard him a few hedges over. She’s crouching around a corner, and yells as she’s supposed to, then right above her is victorious whispered response, “Got you.”

She whips her head up, intent on turning tail, but is waylaid by a tight grasp around her shoulders and a smooshing pressure of a male chest to her face. He lifts her into a tight hug and twirls them around, she throws curses at him in return. 

He releases her, patting her arms amicably. “Looks like this will have to be a draw, or I win.”

“Not if I find you faster.” She raises her chin. 

“But can you catch me?” He leers in her space, his confident, cocky character breathing down on her like dragon’s fire. She vows to slay the reptile.

It is not easy. Besides the fact she technically has nine minutes instead of ten, Adrien decides instead of shouting ‘Marco’, he yells flattery.

“I bet the sun rises just to see you smile!”

“I bet the wind blows just to feel how gorgeous your hair is!”

“I’m looking for directions to the quickest way to your heart!”

“I bet the flowers bloom just for you!”

“Is it hot in here or is it just you?”

She doesn’t have to respond, and some of them her hands are covering her face from the shame of it, but eventually she shouts at him for purposefully wanting to distract her. He doesn’t deny it, the rascal.

Adrien does a final shout—‘Is your dad a jewel thief? Because you're a real gem’—and Marinette jumps because she hears him around the corner. She proceeds with careful steps and Adrien is ambling with his hands in his pockets and grinning across an opposite corner. 

She has to take him by surprise since she’s so far. With a deep breath, she readies her stance and bolts across the grass, not worried that he might hear her. He turns his head, barely glancing and she panics. 

She tackles him.

He wasn’t ready for the impact, jutting forward and exclaiming ‘ack’ as he tries to find equilibrium. Marinette bounces against his back when they hit the ground and she’s cackling next to his ear, surprised at herself for the desperate pounce. He rolls her off, she slides to the cold, prickly grass next to him, and turns to her with a disbelieving expression, his hat askew and one eyelid squinted like a twitch. Then he sniggers; she sniggers back; then they’re laughing together.

They roll in the grass, clutching at each other’s arms and quaking for breath. When she can open her eyes without shaking with mirth, the occasional chuckle still in her chest, she looks upon him. He is staring forward, towards the half clear sky, a goofy grin on his face. She can admire a peacefulness to his manner, the gentle slope of his neck and his relaxed brow. His strong jawline curves wonderfully to his glee and a warm emotion sits in her throat.

He catches her staring and turns. Marinette can view the flecks of gold in his eyes; she never saw it before and wonders if she’s imagining it now. She suddenly can’t remember her prior emotions to him, being confused and unnerved because he’s strange. Now she’s confused and unnerved because he affects her and she doesn’t know what action to take. She’s scared, unsure, and sometimes doubts his sincerity.

Cold breath mingles into clouds between them and they gaze at each other in comfortable silence. Then Adrien moves and Marinette just…can’t. He alone shifts closer, the scent of grass and coconut fills her nose. Its like watching something inevitable happen from outside herself and she couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to. 

She closes her eyes in anticipation. A soft pressure lands on her head, solid and warm, and it's almost worse, so much worse, than what she expected, because it feels like contacting stardust.

Just their foreheads connected, his entire presence is like a force of nature—a force that can counter and twist her own. She is the ocean and he’s the wind creating ripples to her toes. He’s the sun and he’s casting light on her moon until she’s full to glowing. It’s as mushy as it gets, the sort of BS Hollywood sells you along with a bag of regret, but she’s buzzing and yearning for it. 

There’s a tug at her hair, a gentle swipe of a finger. She almost makes a move herself, opening her eyes and barely tilting her head towards his breath, then Adrien brings his hand between them. She jolts backwards to focus on it. 

“Ladybug,” he smiles.  The tiny bug, indeed a ladybug, is perched on his crooked pointer finger and crawling towards the tip. It must have been the thing in her hair. 

She giggles, the haze in her mind settling into her chest like a heavy burden. “In winter?” 

“You must have tremendous good luck.” He flashes his teeth and his eyes dart to her mouth for a second before retreating to getting on his elbows. Marinette licks her lips and sits up with him. “Shall I honor our bargain?” He digs into his pants pocket and takes out his phone. 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” She swipes at the tendrils of hair falling around her ears then takes out her phone to take his number. 

They call it a day after that. The journey back home on the metro is quiet but electrically charged by what Marinette is scared to acknowledge and, for unknown reason, what Adrien isn’t going to force. She doesn’t want to consider his motivations or true feelings, in case she’s encouraged to act on it, but she isn’t silly enough to not recognize his attraction to her. 

Men don’t flirt with you and let you monopolize half their day for fun. 

The sun is at its lowest point when they walk back into the apartments. Barry and Bruce are working and she narrows a short glare at both of them, not forgetting their chattery natures. They ride the elevator and Adrien doesn’t hesitate to walk her all the way back to her door. 

She turns towards him, struggling to keep eye contact. “I—um, thank you. For offering to take me out. Not many guys admit to their mistakes,” she chuckles. 

“The last thing I want is to lose your good opinion.” His gaze is soft and he quirks a brow. “You do have a good opinion, right?”

“You’re a roguish flirt, a selfish brat, and probably hoarding various lovers in your apartment. Is that good enough?” She intones. 

Adrien gives a blank stare, stock still and owlishly blinking. It doesn’t take long before she cracks a smile, failing to hold her jest, and it transforms his expression to something fond and sweet, and her heart won’t be able to take it. 

“I’ll talk to you later?” She closes off, turning towards the door to avoid his gaze and digs out her keys to unlock the door. 

“Yeah, of course. I look forward to it,” he breathes behind her. She cracks open her door but she doesn’t enter. She peeks towards the elevators and watches Adrien stroll away. When he presses for the elevator, he looks back and catches her lingering, making her jump and dart her eyes around like she wasn’t the most open book on the planet. Adrien just beams and waves, so she gives a feeble wave back before scurrying inside. 

Then for the second time in a week, after she walks around her home with lingering butterflies and doltish, trance-like smiles in their wake, she happens to look towards the balcony and the rest of her brain finally remembers to function.

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“Well, fuck.”

[fallen029]

Camping and Contemplation

Flicking through some old shit and this is one that no one else seemed to like, but I always did. Just some more laid back shit than the kinda stuff Bickslow and Lisanna usually get into. 

The water was clear enough that it reflected the setting sun so perfectly that Lisanna hated herself for shutting her eyes. But she did. Because it was just as beautiful, just being there was, without having to even see it.

"It's so quiet," Bickslow mumbled as he sat there next to her on the rock, staring out at the lake with a completely different feeling. He wanted to go swimming. Lisanna said no though, that he was only make noise and disturb her tranquility.

Please. He was nothing if not a nature aficionado. He expected the higher things of the outdoors. She just didn't know his inner feelings. That's all.

"Let's keep it that way, huh?" she sighed as one of his dolls came to land in her lap. It was Pappa. He was the most childlike of the bunch and usually stuck close to her. Especially in unfamiliar surroundings. "Even the babies know to be quiet."

And they did. Though they were floating overhead, they could tell that Lisanna wanted them to remain silent and, since they just loved her so much, they were trying hard to follow her tacit request.

Bickslow only let out a slight breath, hunching forwards on the big rock they were resting on, right there next to the lake, pressing his elbows into his knees as his head fell to his hands.

So much for their big fun hiking trip. They'd only been gone a few hours and already he wasn't too big on doing it again. Lisanna wanted to take in the environment with placid contemplation. But Bickslow? He liked to point things out and talk about them and hear how his voice echoed in the empty woods. He liked to play games and run around clearings and just…be.

Lisanna wasn't too big on that.

Maybe it was his fault, in his approach to her on the topic of getting away with one another. It had come only a few days ago, when she returned from (in his opinion) a far too long job with her brother. He and the babies had missed her. Sure, they'd only been dating for six months, but still. He'd taken to her right away. She was so…so…captivating.

Which was silly, of course, considering he'd only known the girl practically his whole life. But he'd never rightly seen her how he found himself doing so those past few months. She'd always been Mirajane's baby sister. The Salamander's best friend. The girl that died. The one in the tragic accident that forever changed the remaining Strauss children.

She wasn't that to him anymore. None of that.

Lisanna was the girl that just wanted to make her sister and brother respect her. And she liked chocolate ice cream, plain, but if she was having any other flavor, there had to be sprinkles. She'd explained that one to him about a thousand times, but he still wasn't sure her reasoning.

Lisanna liked it when he called her Lissy because it made her feel special. She also had a killer left hook when they were fighting. She was almost abusive, he felt.

And boy, if she didn't fight him on some things. He never knew it, never could from the outside, but she was pretty dang opinionated. With him at least. She never rightly would come out and say things in the guildhall, couldn't fathom standing up to the likes of Erza or Evergreen or even her big sister, Mirajane. She'd let them all fight it out there, not once opening her trap, until they were alone in his apartment, where she'd let it all out. How mean they all were, how Natsu never talked to her anymore, how annoyed she was that Laxus was dating her sister, or that Ever was ruining her brother.

She had a thought on everything.

Not that they were all negative though. Oh, no. Not that at all. In fact, most of Lisanna's thoughts and feelings were kinda…bubbly. And cute. When she wasn't churlish over something going on at the guildhall, she was almost childlike.

Which was just perfect for the man that walked around wearing a knight's sallet and played with dolls.

Lisanna had a way about her. She was…optimistic. About everything. Like when, last month, he and Freed got into a big blow up fight and he was upset, she just told him that it showed how much he loved Freed and how great of friends they were.

"What are you talking about? That's stupid, Lissy. I-"

"Tell me another person, Bickslow, that you'd let talk to you like that? That he'd let talk to him like that? That either of one of you would forgive? Because you both know that by next week, it'll be just like none of this ever happened. Because he's your best friend and you're his." She'd given him a hard stare then. "You don't argue with enemies. You blow 'em away, don't you?"

Then he'd reached out to tap her on the head with a sigh. And even though he wasn't ready in that moment to forgive Freed, he knew he would eventually.

And that other than Laxus and Ever, Lisanna was the only other person he put on that short list of people. You know; the list of those he argued with, instead of, as she put it, blew away.

She helped him through so much. He ever once, though he'd never admit to it, cried to her one night, when they were both a little bit more than drunk and she was sleeping over at the apartment, about how his dead parents and his past and…

Lisanna was just special.

So, anyhow, a few days ago, he'd been missing her real bad. She'd been gone for a whole week! And before that, he'd been on his own job, cutting their time together even further. The second she strode into the guildhall that morning, home from her trip finally, he'd tossed his arms around her and just asked her.

"Do you wanna go away with me for the weekend?"

And Elfman had been there, of course, as well as Mirajane. Though they let Lisanna do pretty much whatever she pleased, that only held true to the confines of Magnolia. She was an adult, of course, only two years younger than her older sister, but…well…

Lisanna never exactly wanted to worry them. It just made them feel better to keep her close. It had been a hassle enough, the first time she had to walk back into the house she shared with the two of them after spending the night over at Bickslow's. Going away with him, she thought, was out of the question.

But Mirajane came to her rescue, just as Elfman was ready to trounce Bickslow into the ground for even suggesting it. He was already all fired up, after not having been home for a week and was irritable, but Mira had just the cure for that.

"You know, Elf," she'd said after glancing at her sister and reading just from her facial expression that she very much so wanted to say yes to Bickslow. "With Lisanna gone for the weekend and what with me staying with Laxus so much, why, you'd practically have the house all to yourself. To do whatever you pleased."

"I don't wanna do nothing! I-"

"I said," Mira hissed then. "You could do whatever you pleased."

"Mira, I heard you. But-"

"Whatever you pleased."

"I don't-"

"You could invite Ever over! Sheesh, Elfman. Are you that dense?"

So of course, because Evergreen was there that day and overheard them (she'd never admit it, but she was in fact heading over to greet her (not) boyfriend), that started a fight about how stupid Mirajane was. Why would Ever want to be around Elfman?

And then Mira started crying because she hated more than anything being called stupid and Laxus got involved and it was a big mess and, well, in short, Lisanna and Bickslow made the escape, Lisanna knowing that she'd thank Mirajane a thousand times over for the distraction.

Then they just took to walking around Magnolia, planning their trip.

"We could go to the beach," Bickslow offered as his babies hovered more over his girlfriend than their master.

"Everyone goes to the beach," Lisanna complained softly, slipping one of her hands into his. He only moved to interlace their fingers with a smile. "That's boring."

"You wanna go somewhere fun, huh?"

"Not fun. Just…"

"You wanna relax," he pinned then, nodding his head. "Right?"

"Well…yeah, actually, I do."

"Then we can take a relaxing weekend somewhere, huh? Somewhere…secluded."

"Yeah." Lisanna was giggling slightly then, making his babies mimic her. "So we could unwind."

"We could…" He thought for a moment before grinning. "We could go camping!"

"Camping?" Lisanna frowned. "Bickslow, we all go camping. Constantly. For jobs."

"That's not campin', Lissy," he told her. "Not really. That's just out of necessity. This is gonna be real campin'. With sleepin' bags and long walks and marshmallows. And just me and you." When his dolls let out despondent howls, Lisanna took to snickering while their Papa only added, "And the babies, of course."

"Of course," Lisanna said.

"Of course," they cried, as if offended. "Of course."

So it was all decided. They picked a spot and, that very weekend, they headed out. Bickslow was all stoked about being alone with Lisanna. Really alone. Considering most of their dates took place in Magnolia (again, her siblings boundaries thing), that didn't leave a lot of room to get away together. They'd be out to eat and, oh! There was Laxus and Mirajane. Or, ooh, they were at the park, trying to find some time together, but here's Natsu, Happy, and Lucy. And forbid that they went shopping without Levy and Erza.

It was madness.

Plus, Bickslow knew that there was a lake in the center of that specific forest and planned to get some nice swim time in with her as well. Usually, when they went to the pool or the beach, they were, once again, in a group. Bleh.

But he knew she'd packed her bikini for the trip, just incase they did take a dip in the lake, which was sweet. Even sweeter though would be if he could somehow manage to get her to bypass any clothes at all.

Didn't see it happening, but the man could dream.

His phrasing though had seemed to throw Lisanna off. She didn't see the trip as a chance for them to screw around and have a little alone time. No. She saw it just how he'd said it. As a chance to relax. To take in the sights.

More bleh.

"You should take off your helmet," she'd suggested to him at one point, after denying his suggestion that they could try a tree climbing race. "So you can see more."

"No thanks," he'd grumbled as he followed along behind her, the babies thoroughly enjoying just being with the two of them as they trailed behind. "I can see just fine."

"Your loss."

That had only been an hour ago. And now, after having clomped all the way to the lake, she wasn't even going to let him swim in it?

The lady was kooky.

"Here," Lisanna was saying then, after taking in the way that he was hunched over, almost glaring out at the water before them. Reaching over, she snatched his helmet from him, making Bickslow glare at her.

"Hey-"

"Now look," she said, placing the sallet down on the rock between them. "And tell me that that doesn't make you at least wanna have one moment of peace."

He'd had his peace! He wanted to have his fun now! What was with her anyhow? He knew that he was her first boyfriend, but hey, he thought that it was just commonplace and well known that if a guy takes you somewhere, you're gonna put out.

Just as he was about to turn and tell her this though, something caught his eyes. It was glimmer off the water, the sun striking it just so that the water looked less murky and more…beautiful. From behind the bars of his mask, it'd just been a lake, but then, sitting there with Lissy and the babies, it was…

"It's pretty," he whispered as his other babies fell form the sky too, not just Pappa, and moved to claim their usual spots. Pippi on Lisanna's head, Poppo and Peppe in Bickslow's lap, and Puppu between them.

"Yeah," Lisanna whispered, moving to lean against him then, her leg brushing up against Puppu. Not that he was complaining. "It is, isn't it?"

Maybe it wasn't so bad to take a moment out, Bickslow decided then as he glanced down at her and his babies before back at the water.

"Bickslow?"

"Hmmm?"

Lisanna didn't move her head, but did tilt her eyes up to gaze at him. "I'm really glad that we got to come here."

He smiled then and it wasn't malicious, there was no animus behind it. It was just a smile. He was learning to do that more, to not be dark or maniacal. Just be happy. With her.

"Me too, kid," he sighed, turning back to watch the water. "Me too."

[toppcsimulators]

What Are Flight Simulator Games And How To Differentiate Between The Good and Bad Ones

There are lots of flight simulator games available on the market but few men and women know what they really are. We are apt to feel we are in front of just a match when, in actuality, it's a lot more than that. A flight simulation game is essentially software that simulates flying an aircraft. 

It's made as a way to enable the participant to obtain experience and capability. Additionally, the emulators will provide you with the extraordinary sense and delight of flying airplanes. This is something which most individuals won't be able to perform in real life.

We're essentially facing a system which can mimic or imitate how to properly fly aircrafts. There are various shapes and sizes from simulator games which can work on a normal PC to a complete aircraft cockpit version that's ordinarily utilized in coaching actual pilots. This may even include hydraulics and distinct simulation chances. You can essentially learn how to fly a plane so as to properly prepare yourself when you may be on a single.

We're certain you heard about flight simulator games previously. They've been featured in a few films and TV documentaries and there's a really strong possibility that you must see one. 

A simulation game is ideal for training pilots in managing various conditions they can fulfill while flying or simply for pleasure and entertainment. Professional flight simulators will often consist of huge areas of the airplane's cockpit region and are primarily concentrated in an as real as potential expertise. A house flight simulation game is a game which you could play in your home on your own PC.

It is possible to add unique accessories so as to make the experience more genuine but you cannot truly get to the authenticity amount of specialist games. Nevertheless, you'll find a good flying experience and you'll be able to see just what pilots may need to manage from time to time. Home flight simulator games are fantastic for anybody that wishes to unwind, have fun or get a dose of adrenaline.

Flying is no joke and if you would like to conserve energy and money then the flight simulator would be the nearest technology to some true in flight lesson. Flight simulators distribute from other genres and functions; you need to ensure the applications you receive is complete in near the true flight. There are fantastic differences from an in-flight simulator into a simulator that's observed in video games. These gaps are often seen from the tool panel of their aircrafts.

Here are things to look out for in an instrument panel of a simulation:

An elevation indicator, airspeed, turn indicator, inclometer, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, RPM gauge that reveals rotations per second, gyro compass, A clock to ascertain turn prices, Gauges to demonstrate the technical overload of your motor, fuel index, ignition switch, A radio pile together with VOR communication and receive radios, autopilot and the throttle, mixture, flap controller.

[bowtiedchicago]

What Are Some Fun Stuff To Do While Camping? - Quora in Bakersfield

Among my favorite tips to share that we utilized as kids is to bring pillow cases however no pillows. That's right. Here's what we do rather: Put so the pillows are soft and fluffy. If if you need to make middle of the night or first thing in the early morning potty runs, you can throw on your jackets quickly and after that tuck them back inside the pillow cases when you return. March 3, 2018 It doesn't matter how you camp in a Recreational Vehicle, a camping tent or a vacation rental. Those are simply the locations where you hang your hat and curl up for the night. Outdoor camping is a chance for severe enjoyable and activities. Furthermore, it's an experience that you can personalize for your household's interests based upon the season and where you're going.

In reality, there are plenty of basic activities for your next family getaway. To avoid brain storm sessions with your family, here's our very Sun list of camping activities! There are loads of exciting things you can do in the water if your camping site is near a lake, river, pool, or other body of water.

Slip on your swimsuit and have some enjoyable in the water. Skipping stones Fishing Swimming Floating or lounging Canoeing or kayaking Boating Water snowboarding Tubing Wave runners Water volleyball or basketball Diving Snorkeling Have a water balloon battle. Bring an inflatable wading pool and fill it with water. This is terrific if you head to a camping or RV resort with energy link! Not all camping and RV resorts have a full list of amenities like Sun RV Resorts.

Disc golf (Frisbee golf) Horseshoes Ringtoss Corn Hole Yard bowling Soccer Football Kickball Baseball Bikes Hiking Spelunking (caving) Ensure you have a skilled guide with you. Capture the Flag Hide and Seek Tag (there are lots of variations) Red Rover Part of the happiness of outdoor camping is being closer to nature.

Fun Camping Activities For Teens And Tweens - Meander ... in Lake Isabella

Make certain to respect the location where you are. Do not disturb or harm the wildlife. Birdwatching Animal watching Capturing fireflies Bug collecting Nature event (pine cones, rocks, flowers, and so on) Cataloging Rocks Fossil Hunting Searching for wild berries, nuts, and other edible plants. Have an outdoor camping scavenger hunt. Geocaching Remaining active and taking pleasure in the day is a fundamental part of every outdoor camping journey.

If you're camping to escape routine stress, then here are some excellent methods to unwind and take pleasure in the household camping trip. Swing in a hammock View the trees blowing in the breeze Listen to nature Take great deals of naps Musing and let your mind roam Float on the water Stargaze Possibly the kids require some downtime in the tent.

There could even be some unforeseen weather condition that is keeping you "inside". Obviously, you might simply be unwinding under the defense of your camping tent to leave the bugs. There are lots of things you can do inside the camping tent, either alone or with pals and family. Read books and publications Read aloud to each other Card video games Parlor game Crafting (knitting, sewing, drawing) Watch films on portable gadgets Play on other electronic gadgets (iPods, iPads, Gameboys, and so on) Comprise stories to tell each other Snuggle The camping trip doesn't end when the sun sets.

The darkness is a thrilling time while household camping due to the fact that you're not dealing with the lights and turmoil of the city. Inspect out these amazing nighttime activities. Make shadow puppets Choose a nighttime walk Play flashlight tag Play hide and seek in the dark Go for a midnight swim Research study the stars Shoot off fireworks Launch sky lanterns Play radiance in the dark bowling.

Tips And Ideas For Camping At Home With Kids - A Mom Explores Sequoias

Utilize a ball to knock them down Inform ghost stories Play Reality or Dare Sing campfire songs Play a guitar or other instrument Dance around the fire Check out new varieties of s'mores Make colored fire. Packages of colored fire crystals or pine cones are sold at many camping supply stores.

Camping is an adventure in and of itself, however long days at the campground can produce pockets of boredom you can bust in a 2nd with these camping activities, crafts and suggestions. From making camp tasks into fun to color-diffusing nature art, take a look at these fun outdoor camping activities for kids.

Program your little campers how to press leaves and flowers they are pretty on their own or can be utilized in some other camping crafts. Create bark art. Using a blank notepad against a tree and rubbing a crayon or soft pencil throughout the paper, kids can bring up the texture of bark to craft unique nature-focused art.

Help kids form color-diffusing art right at your campsite that mimics tie-dye designs. Simply cut leaf shapes from coffee filters, color them with markers, quickly dip and remove the "leaves" from water, and permit them to dry. Add a splash of color (Rent a Trailer). Bring your brushes and any type of art paint and send kids off to collect rocks in the camping site.

18 Ways To Keep Your Kids Busy At The Campground – Sheknows in Lake Isabella

Embellish with acorns. Utilizing a collection of the acorns right at your feet, children can fashion sparkly acorn lockets by painting the nuts and tying a string or twine around the stem of the acorn. Weave in some enjoyable. Using drinking straws and yarn, your kids can make an on-the-go weaving loom to produce any outdoor camping craft imaginable, from bracelets to scarves.

Next, place the straws flat on a table and tape them together side-by-side at the middle. Then connect a brand-new piece of yarn to among the outside straws and weave the yarn in and out of each straw back and forth pressing each row down until the project is the desired length. Renting a Trailer.

Offer kids camp tasks. It's simple to fend off dullness when kids are pitching in - Rent a Trailer. Have kids assist with camping area jobs like collecting sticks, filling water containers, hammering stakes and more. Turn chores into competitors. When camping with kids, stating "chores" can be a dirty word; however, you can conceal camp tasks in an "Iron Camper" contest like an Iron Chef and host a cook-off, see who can collect the most kindling, time the fastest tent sweeper, and so on.

[flames-and-fics]

of revelations

Here’s the thing: Reborn doesn’t know how to love.

“I love you,” Tsuna tells him anyway, smiling like there’s nothing wrong with Reborn’s responding blank stare - and maybe there isn’t anything wrong with it, because Tsuna waves him closer and starts delving into battle strategies like he hadn’t just confessed his feelings to a hitman five seconds before.

Tsuna is just that type of person, though, the kind who lays their heart bare for everyone to see. Reborn is used to Tsuna shouting his feelings at the top of his lungs, whether it was when he was younger and going up against an enemy or now when he’s older and determined to make Reborn understand the intricacies of his emotions.

Understand what, though, Reborn thinks anyway as he strides up next to Tsuna to look over the scattered paperwork on his desk. Tsuna’s renowned for his empathy - for being the all-encompassing sky that he is - but Reborn is notorious for his cruelty and the blood on his hands. It’s a lost cause, honestly, trying to make Reborn understand something that’s been lost on him for the past decades of his life.

Tsuna is warm, though, where he is by Reborn’s side. They aren’t touching, not anything other than the occasional whisper of their sleeves brushing as they point out something, but Reborn is aware, suddenly, how close they are - how close they have been. It’s jarring, this revelation, so much so that it has Tsuna turning to him with something like concern written in the lines of his face.

“Reborn? Is something wrong?”

Tipping the brim of his fedora lower across his eyes, Reborn says, flippant as ever, “Nothing. Focus, Tsuna.”

When Tsuna’s eyes leave him, reluctant and still tinged with worry, Reborn half-entertains the thoughts sprouting in his mind while keeping one ear on Tsuna.

It’s not so much that Reborn doesn’t know what love is - though, reasonably enough, given his profession, it is a part of it - but it’s that he doesn’t know how to show it in words or actions. He can mimic careless touches, lips to lips and hands on skin, and while people may argue that that’s the proper way to show it - in the little things and touches shared - Reborn doesn’t feel anything from them. They’ve never been anything more than a means to an end - one that usually accompanied death and another successful job stained on his hands, not anything remotely similar to love.

Reborn has never touched someone, never looked at someone, and felt the fluttering wings of butterflies in his stomach, never felt his heart grow three sizes too big for his chest -

But Reborn stands next to Tsuna and feels the aching warmth of his life bleeding into his skin, dripping into the marrow of his bones, settling there like the foundation for something grand and breathtaking to grow within Reborn so that, whenever Tsuna stands beside him, he’ll be able to bask in this full-body warmth as well.

Glancing over at Tsuna, he thinks of all the times he’d outright told Reborn how he felt, the way he’d smile or move on whenever Reborn refused to answer, and of the handful of I love yous that never failed to strike Reborn with its raw sincerity. He’s not daft enough to mouth the words, but he thinks them like a mantra, over and over, tries to get used to these three words that can make or break him, that open him up and make him vulnerable. He doesn’t understand how Tsuna can say them so easily, like handing Reborn - a hitman, a killer - his heart stripped bare isn’t intimidating in the least.

(He wants to know how it’ll be like, though, to offer Tsuna his heart, wants to know if Tsuna will crush it or keep it next to his so that they can beat together, wants to know if there are any pieces of his heart left to actually give.)

“… so I wanted Hibari and Gokudera to start this new regimen with the recruits, and Mukuro and Chrome with security measures around the base, but… ” Tsuna trails off, sighing as something weary crawls up his spine and settles on his shoulders like a burden to bear. He turns to Reborn, lips twitching when he sees that he’s watching, diligent as ever. “Were you listening?”

“Always,” Reborn tells him, half-lying.

Tsuna breathes out a laugh at that, unwinding before Reborn’s eyes, becoming something softer. Reborn doesn’t know when it became captivating, watching this change in Tsuna, watching him slip from mafia boss to someone much kinder and gentle around the edges - like the way his eyes, sharp with power and the will to fight, would turn warm with care and concern.

For the strangest reason, Reborn is compelled to say something. Thoughts pass a mile minute, possible conversations coming to fruitation in his mind, but before he can even finish the most pressing thought - a wild and equally confusing I love- abruptly bitten off by Reborn’s stubbornness - Tsuna speaks instead.

“I love you, Reborn,” he says with the vestiges of a chuckle buoying his words, sincere as always, and Reborn aches, suddenly, with the need to do something. Tsuna, though, seems to understand and continues like he’s reminding Reborn of something: “I love you, okay?”

Like this, like you’ve always been, no exception.

Reborn’s chest aches, aches like he’s finally found something decades lost, like something glorious and painful is unfurling too quickly, overwhelming and... oh.

It’s like his heart is growing three sizes too big, inflated by Tsuna’s unconditional affection.

“Okay,” Reborn parrots, numb all over but refusing to show it.

Tsuna smiles. It only makes it worse.

Fun fact: this was supposed to be - still is, despite it all - dedicated to one user who left me with a wonderful comment over on write it down -- but because I put off uploading it, karma decided to bite me in the ass, and I couldn’t find the comment or the user to properly tag and I am honest to god shook. And sad. 

BUT! If you’re still out there, thank you for the encouragement and praise! I hope you live a prosperous life filled with joy and motivation and lots of writing!