#they're married your honour (no they're not but i can Dream)

[rose-maidenn]

Nakshatras and their Shakti pt 2

Read part 1 here

What is shakti ?

Shakti translates to power in english , in the abode of stars each nakshatra is a blessed with a power that's inherent to them , the power in this sector can be channeled as a divine guiding force for a beautiful fruitful life . Check for your moon , sun , asc and your Atmakraka ( planet in the highest degree ) .

Please discern while taking info take what resonates only . Likes , reblogs, comments and feedbacks are really appreciated I would love to know about your experiences 💙

Masterlist | old masterlist

Want a longer reading for how to embody your shakti according to your placements dm or check out

Paid readings

Magha

Tyaga shepani shakti

This shakti grants the natives amazing ability of lucid dreaming, and dwelling in the astral , in other words they're good at seeing things from various perspectives. This shakti allows them to set commandments towards their life and the people around them governing their actions thoughts and beliefs. This is the shakti of subtle control through the very opposite detachment.

Purva phalguni

Prajanana shakti

The power to balance the opposites or work with the masculine as well as feminine energies . They can easily play a role in bringing people together and themselves play both sides . Even in the most adverse situation this shakti allows for peace to be settled between people , situations and heres to having everything because when you balance things you choose everything.

Uttara phalguni

Chayani shakti

Prosperity through union , now the union maybe in case of family , spouse , business etc . Chayani shakti is a type of shakti that only gets better with the embodiment of it , one can marry rich but this shakti allows the maintainance of richness . Apart from matters of money they also attract love and the people they desire quite easily . They're generally born in rich families or make wealth quite early .

Hasta

Hasta sthapaniyaagama shakti

The shakti to gain objects that one desires now this shakti dwells very much on the physical plane it's like "I want it I got it" , the shakti allows the native to be the sun (savitur) and shine on the objects that they desire and the objects like the moon(ruling planet ) are the moth to their flame get attracted very easily. This shakti can be very much related to the abode of frequency work .

Chitra

Punyachayani Shakti

The shakti to accumulate praise or merit in ones work, this shakti serves the native as the people with this nakshtra are very praised for everything they do and they get recognition, people with this shakti are known , in a good way or a bad way, what makes them shine even brighter is when they're true to their intentions and feeling no matter how foreign that is . This shakti makes one gain honour through authenticity and uniqueness in their work and creation .

Swati

Pradhvamsa Shakti

This shakti gives the native the power to dissolve or change forms , this makes the native talented in many fields they're potent in working with many different kinds of people exploring many different arenas of life and living . They leave their marks on many people not In a grand way but in a small but strong way . For example you say a sentence to motivate someone and they remember it for the rest of their lives. This shakti of transformation also let's the natives rebuilt themselves and destroy themselves really easily.

Vishakha

Vyapana Shakti

This shakti is about bhog (enjoyment of what one has gained ) a lot of people know how to gain things but not everyone knows how to truly enjoy things but Vyapana shakti allows one to truly enjoy things and as the vibrating of enjoyment is one with the vibration of manifesting more this shakti bestows the native the power to gain more simply by being extremely grateful and happy about what they already have.

Anuradha

Radhana Shakti

This shakti makes the native extremely dedicated, virtuous and a great worshipper . They gain through worship of what they devote to be it God's, universe or their art . When devotional to God's and Godesses they can easily embody the energy of The God's and create what they desire through the blessings and be known for it one example can be in the case of Mirabai. If they're dedicated to their work or art they gain success and honour through unwavering dedication.

Jyestha

Arohana shakti

To rise and to conquer , Arohana shakti makes the native really resilient and they take the right steps to reach what they want , they know what to choose what to ignore what to win and what to lose, this is one of the shakti that will make people change places and fates and rise above all . One example of this shakti is that a lot of jyestha natives gain a lot through social climbing and also gaining and excelling various skills .

That's all if you want a part 3 make sure you like and reblog loves it helps me a lot 😌🩷

Thank you for reading

💙💙💙💙

[javelinbk]

Here it is, Beatle People! The official 'Insane Things Paul Has Said About John' list, as created by the people of tumblr. I hope this is a useful supplement to the original McLennon iceberg

Sources under the cut:

“He was a very cool boy” (@javelinbk)

"Whenever other people do that it always reminds me of John" (@javelinbk)

"We put our names next to each other in our school exercise books" (@beatlepaul4ever)

When was Lennon at his best? "When he was asleep." (@didwemeetsomewherebefore)

"A delicious broth of a boy" (@zilabee)

"A lovely little baby, John was" (@mallowedheart)

"Daddy's room" (@pauls1967moustache)

"We’re songwriting together even if we’re not together" (@midchelle)

"John seemed like some sort of emperor in control of it all" (@blondecasino)

"I'm trying to get my son to have a son and call him Lennon, and then he'll be Lennon McCartney" (@peaceloveandstarrs)

“John and I had millions of fabulous little experiences in Paris” (@divine-sphinx)

"We used to have wanking sessions" (@merseydreams)

"You can be heterosexual and be having a homosexual dream and wake up, and think, 'Shit, am I gay?'" (@skylikeaflame)

"It was a place called Menlove Avenue. [Pauses] Someone's going to read significance into that: Paul and John on Menlove Avenue. Come onnnnnnn" (@s-l-martin)

"I slept with him a million times" (@s-l-martin)

"A wild and woolly genius who it was my pleasure to work with, walk with, talk with, and occasionally sleep with." (@didwemeetsomewherebefore)

"In bed" (@i-am-the-oyster)

"Well, I’m sure Brian was in love with John, I’m sure that’s absolutely right. I mean, everyone was in love with John; John was lovable, John was a very lovable guy." (@whenyourbirdisbroken)

"Dear friend, throw the wine, I’m in love with a friend of mine." (@heartsinthebasement)

"We got very drunk and cried about how we loved each other" (@nikidontsurf)

“Then also we were like married, so you got the bitterness. It’s not a woman scorned this time, it’s two men scorned — probably even worse. And I had to make way for Yoko. My relationship with John could not have remained as it was and Yoko feel secure.” (@thefortunateisle)

"If I was a girl, maybe I could go out and…" (@alienoriana, @majinmelmo)

"You just don’t hang around with your ex-wife" (@javelinbk)

"No, I have a lot of dreams about John, and they're always good" (@notgrungybitchin, @skylikeaflame)

"This (painting) is John’s Room. It just looked to me like John, when he had his long hair and then his cloak or whatever this is. Then I just scratched in that, looked like one of those drawings John used to do. You know his funny little men. So then I called that John’s room … If I’m gonna see a face in a painting it’s highly likely to be his." (@foryouwereinmysong)

"I wish I had sat and just hugged John all the time when we were together.’ (…) I’d just sit around and hug him forever. That’s the depth of my feeling for him" (@theoldmixer)

“Here Today - a love song to John” (@javelinbk, @bluewater9)

"So if you've got someone, you want to tell them you love them, just get it said, don't wait" (@lennon-gal)

And honourable mention for the following stories:

Stalking John all over Liverpool until Ivan officially got them introduced (@only-a-northern-soul)

‘He’s been telling himself and the whole world that nobody cared about writing songs and his music before he met John. He knew George Harrison.’ (@greatsaladavenue)

Quitting his job to commit to the band aka explicitly picking John over his father (@adriansfrombrooklyn)

Writing "Here, There, and Everywhere" by John's pool while waiting for him to wake up and write with him alone in his attic (@aint-that-kind-of-blog-bruv)

Taking the one photo of him and john from that night with the cursed pictures with jane and then blowing it up and hanging it in his office at apple (@pauls1967moustache)

Taking LSD so he could join John in his potentially bad trip (@scurator)

The time he vaulted over a table because another man was touching John and Paul had to physically intervene (@scurator)

[sweetteainthesummerx]

THE LOVE LASTS SO LONG (blurb 2)

the wedding bells ring!!

series masterlist

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

dior.n.goodjohn posted

dior.n.goodjohn still in shock that the baddest baddie is off the market 😫 congrats to my best friend, partner in crime and the most talented woman on earth

tagged: aubreyyang, alexandrasaintmleux, oliviarodrigo, lilymhe, leahsavajeffries

liked by aubreyyang, olliebearman and 78,112 others

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aubreyyang I LOVE YOU I cant wait to have u as my maid of honour

oliviarodrigo stop the last photo turned out so good!!

olliebearman who's that baddie in the first slide wow

-- dior.n.goodjohn ur so luck that she walks you like a dog

-- user1 BYEEE she clocked him w that one

aubreybearmanxx THE CONTENT WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE

user2 her having the girls but also Ollies little sister in her bridal party is everythingg

dinobeganovic_ posted

dinobeganovic_ letting the man have one more wild night (we knocked Oscar into the ocean) before being tied down forever (we confiscated his phone because he kept trying to text Aubrey)

liked by charles_leclerc, arthurleclerc and 56,384 others

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aubreyyang my mans devoted what can I say 😘

-- olliebearman love you babe

-- landonorris can't believe their letting kids get married

-- olliebearman ur like 5 years older than me

-- landonorris I said what I said

-- aubreyfanpage22 they went public and now they have no shame 😨

oscarpiastri anything for my brothers big night

-- user3 girl the f1 friend group is another level

user4 OH THEYRE ALL SO FINEEE

lilymhe posted

lilymhe big day for my best girl

Aubrey, the first time I met you, you were 17 and out of your first relationship. It pained me to see someone who held so much love in their heart to be hurt. Now, 6 year later you've found the man of your dreams who treats you like a queen. I'm the proudest big sister 🤍

tagged: aubreyyang, alexandrasaintmleux, oliviarodrigo, dior.n.goodjohn, leahsavajeffries

liked by i.am.charliebushnell, dallasliu and 83,002 others

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user4 im crying sm they're perfect for each other the haters can shut up

morganfreeman my little girl is all grown

-- aubreyyang MORGAN THANK YOU FOR COMING

aubreyyang lily ilysm words cant describe how grateful I am for your wisdom and company its helped my relationship so much

alexalbon our daughters so old

-- user5 this is so wholesome

--pastryboii33 ever since Oscar made that joke the grid has become an interconnected weave of familial ties

aubreyyang & olliebearman posted

aubreyyang & olliebearman mr. and mrs. bearman

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user6 OH THEYRE SO BEAUTIFUL

aubreyyangfan1 the real ones know the soft launching days

user7 aren't they kinda young

-- olliebearmancontectts they're 24 and 26 so no not really

lewishamilton congrats!

terribearman welcome to the family!

-- aubreyyang ty mama bearman xx

user8 just watched their wedding video AND I SOBBED

aubreyyang posted

aubreyyang got married to the loml, anyways how was your weekend?

tagged: olliebearman

liked by walkerscobell, lilymhe and 99,923 others

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user9 ABSOLUTE ICON

f1tracks00 the sheer amount of fame at this wedding

-- user10 who was there

-- f1tracks the whole grid, aubreys current and past costars (Morgan freeman, Michelle Yeoh, dallas liu, Mckenna grace, the whole Percy jackson cast) and like hella celebrities

charles_leclerc shoutout to LEC for catering the dessert

-- alexandrasaintmleux babe not the smalls promotion rn

alexandrasaintmelux the most beautiful bride

olliebearman posted

olliebearman my beautiful bride

tagged: aubreyyang

liked by scuderiaferrari, oscarpiastri and 92,105 others

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scuderiaferrari congrats to the prince and princess of Ferrari!

-- user11 wow she is so ethereal

-- olliebearman ikr

-- user11 BYE WHAT R U DOING HERE

aubreyyang my handsome groom

ollieyangg92 the way ollie was crying when she was walking down the aisle

-- user12 AND THEIR VOWS LOVE REALLY EXISTS

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

Taglist: @callsignwidow @iloveyou3000morgan @honethatty12 @taygrls @destinyg237 @ilivbullyingjeongin @eiaaasamantha @1uvsptnik @yla-aira @ririyulife

© sweetteainthesummerx.tumblr. all rights reserved. unauthorized copying, translation, or claiming of my writing or any works as your own is strictly prohibited.

[orionremastered]

Anon here! I just saw that your requests are open for Batfam? If you’re still taking requests can you do a regency era Damian Wayne x reader. If you don’t want to do Damian I wouldn’t mind any of the batboys!

xxx

I am always taking requests (they're for my sanity) except for the next three days because I'm on a plane, busy, or sleeping :/

(for this fic, they are Bruce's biological kids) (not completely historically accurate. like at all. but i tried)

Masterlist

Jason Todd x (probably fem due to the law back then unless you want to dream that being gay was allowed in 1817 (some sources also state that lesbianism was never illegal, but I don't know for sure. Just found it interesting))!Reader

Regency Era AU

The poor man is being swarmed by potential— and in all honesty, very desirable— women and their family members who are desperate to introduce the most suitable option for his wife from their family line. Constantly ignoring beginnings of phrases such as "this is the honourable—" and "perhaps you would like to be introduced to my lovely daughter—", and with each one his jaw ticked.

You hide your smile behind your fan, gazing at him from across the ballroom. It is the marriage season and your childhood friend clearly hated it. But that was expected of him as the second son of Bruce Wayne, Duke of York and member of the royal family. Especially since the duke's eldest, Marquess Richard, had recently married a young woman, Marchioness Barbara.

Locking eyes with the green you have known for so long, you tap the top of your open fan. I wish to talk to you.

With abundant relief, he shoos off one particularly frustrating Earl and almost rushes to be by your side. "Thank you," he says sincerely, a smile stretching his face.

"Why do you not wish to talk to them?" you inquire, Jason's smile dropping subsequently. "They are fine young women, after all."

"They're boring," he sighs, "I do not wish to be married to someone who's personality is dull."

"They're not dull," you chide, and he raises a brow. "They are just taught to be agreeable and respectful, my Lord."

"If I asked them about my theory of a novel I am reading, they would simply say, 'Well if you think so, it must be true' and not..."

"Something like I'd say?"

"Exactly."

You suspect it's a common theme with the Waynes; they're seemingly more inclined to look for a spouse that challenges their opinions and joins them in their love of science— the recently wedded Wayne couple bonded over their love of physics, in fact. A quality like that in a women was usually seen as undesirable.

When you were younger and your father made you visit the Waynes, you learned about sciences that your father would've frowned upon; even the daughters, though there were only two, enjoyed the conversations like you did. With Jason and the youngest son, Damian, you would have lengthy conversations about the novels you were reading altogether; these conversations happened so often that their father was tired of having three copies of every novel he owned.

"I have an idea," Jason says, straightening to his full height beside you— tall enough for you to need to tilt your head up if you wanted to look him in the eyes (you always did— something that beautiful was designed to be looked at). "What if you and I get married?"

"You can't be serious."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

You consider him for a moment— you really do— and see no sign of a lie or joke behind his offer. And now that you think about it, it wouldn't be terrible. It was better than your father marrying you off to some old man you didn't know.

Or weren't attracted to.

"Usually there's a dance or two before the proposal," you point out almost teasingly, "And then courtship. For at least a few months. Don't forget, a man should dance with multiple women before deciding who he wishes to wed—"

"Fine," he sighs, rolling his eyes. Yet a small grin remains on his face. "Would you like to dance, then?"

"Hmm, let me think—"

Jason pointedly fake-yawns while playfully glaring your way.

"I would appreciate a dance, yes." And with that, he leads you to the centre of the ballroom, passing his father who watches the two of you with confusion as you begin to dance.

"Are they—"

"Relax, dear," his wife Selina interrupts while lightly leaning against him, also watching the two of you dance, a smile on both of your faces as you whisper quiet yet teasing words to each other. "Don't tell me you couldn't see it before?"

Her husband's silence answers for him.

[jaskierx]

so there's been a lot of posting about things like ofmd not being a 'kind show' and no longer being 'the queer joy show' etc etc and. i just want to remind us of where everybody is in s1's finale vs s2's

let us begin

stede: stede ends s1 on a hopeful note (setting off to go get his man) but shortly prior to that he's kind of been through it (he nearly got executed and then two different people tried to murder him). stede ends s2 on an even more hopeful note, having got his man, ready to open an inn with him. verdict: slightly better off at the end of s2

ed: ed ends s1 in absolute despair. izzy has been a real dick to ed (depending on your interpretation, he's done something ranging from being a little tiny bit mean to ed to calling him a slur and threatening to kill him, but we're not having this discourse again) so now he's back in his blackbeard persona mere days after feeling some hope that he was finally free from piracy and ready to run away with someone who loves him for who he is. the last shot we see of s1 ed is him absolutely crying his eyes out in the bed nook. it inflicts d4 psychic damage on me whenever i look at it. anyway at the end of s2 he's been on an absolute journey, he's learned that he's loved, he's free from being blackbeard, he's stood beside the man that loves him and they're going to give everything a go. verdict: significantly better off at the end of s2

stede's crew: i mean. what is there to say. at the end of s1 they've just been marooned and social order on their little island is rapidly breaking down due to buttons and roach teaming up to try and eat the swede. at the end of s2 they're happily back at sea and the swede has spanish jackie to fight off anyone who would even consider having a nibble. verdict: significantly better off at the end of s2

honourable mention - buttons: ends s1 unsuccessfully trying to eat the swede. ends s2 having fulfilled his life's dream of becoming a bird. good job buttons. verdict: slightly better off at the end of s2

ed's crew: as above, the crew end s2 happily sailing away into the literal sunset. we finish s1 with jim presumably unconscious and izzy pointing a gun at frenchie. so not an ideal situation really. fang seems to be having a good time though and ivan gets killed off between seasons (rip king) so it averages out at a slightly better rather than a significantly better. verdict: slightly better off at the end of s2

honourable mention - frenchie: ends s1 hoisting his flag at gunpoint. ends s2 captaining the bloody ship. go frenchie. we love to see it. verdict: significantly better off at the end of s2

lucius: ends s1 soggy. ends s2 not only dry, but married. verdict: significantly better off at the end of s2

izzy: ah yes this old chestnut. so. two perspectives here. one is simply that he ends s1 alive and ends s2 dead. so. possible verdict: significantly worse off at the end of s2. alternatively, he ends s1 as his classic repressed self, smiling from ear to ear because ed cut his toe off and it sparked joy, disliked by the crew, resented by ed. he ends s2 having accepted himself and having experienced all the queer joy he would never have permitted himself in s1, having experienced more screentime and growth than any other secondary character in s2 (yes he's a secondary character no i won't argue with you about this), and dies exactly as he lived - being a pirate who can pull off a plan. he gets to have his deathbed deep and meaningful conversation with ed, which brings closure to them both. he gets buried beside ed and stede's new inn, on land where his grave will be tended, having been given a nice funeral by people who once despised him. so. possible verdict: slightly better off at the end of s2. he definitely seemed happier in s2, and died at peace rather than as a frothing little ball of anger, which is more than i could've foreseen in s1.

anyway. the eagle eyed mathematicians among you will notice that even if we take it as read that izzy is significantly worse off at the end of s2...

every single other character ends s2 in a better place than where they ended s1.

ofmd is a kind show that's full to the brim of queer joy. you guys are just sad that your fave died. and that's fine. the writers did a great job creating a story with characters that were so well written that people are genuinely grieving izzy's death.

but his death does not erase the inherent kindness and joy of the rest of the show.

anyway thanks for reading. i had fun playing with the tumblr post editor settings. by which i mean changing the text colour was unreasonably difficult and now i am stressed

[ohmyeyesmyeyes]

secret double life

sidney crosby x f!actress!reader

fc: dianna agron

liked by vogue, kaitlyndever and 764,982 others

ynofficial: i apologise on behalf of makeup artists across the world. i have failed you and learnt nothing since i was 17, and for that i am deeply sorry. anyway, this has been a dream come true of mine - thank you for the opportunity vogue! (i apologise for the lateness, but the video is up on YT rn!)

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user12: you can do no wrong in my eyes, even if the foundation was the wrong shade

user13: she fr worked with it and said 'trust the process'

user14: i can feel the mascara wand in my eye

user15: HER RINGS FUCK WHAT IF THAT TWITTER THREAD WAS RIGHT

user16: the twitter thread was right what are you talking about??????

user17: was it all common knowledge or something?

user18: forgetting they're married is like never remembering that ryan reynolds was married to scarlett johansson

user19: was it just me or did anyone else hear a child laugh in the background?

user20: ME!!!!

user21: babe you're looking so good

user22: thank you for feeding us with this content

liked by user23 and 14,914 others

gossip: after the news has begun recirculating, pittsburgh penguins legend, sidney crosby, has been seen attending a charity gala with his wife, actress y/n l/n. it is unknown as to how long the couple have been married, but rumours suggest 10+ years.

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user24: WHAT!!!!! THEY BOTH LOOK SO GOOD!!!!

user25: idk which one i want to bite first

user26: i'm praying for confirmation 🙏🙏

user27: it has only just occurred to me that people don't know about these two and it upsets me sm 😭

user28: parents

user29: they actually might be though

user30: I'VE BEEN THINKING THIS!!

liked by user31 and 20,008 others

unofficialnhlnews: a reporter asked crosby if he had any family in the stands for today's 1000th game for the pens, he said yes and when asked (for the first time, nearly ever), who, he replied with "well, i flew out some of my family from home, but my wife's watching today."

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user32: CONFIRMATION WTF

user33: he was so open with it what

user34: BRO STARTED BLUSHING

user35: i don't think i've ever seen crosby smile like that

user36: if this is true, i'm thinking about the baby laugh in the background of her vogue grwm

user37: tbh if they've been together for that long they literally could have a kid fr

liked by annabellewallis, monicabarbaro and 791,372 others

ynofficial: apparently i lead a secret double life?

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user38: IS THAT CHILD YOURS? IS IT SIDNEY CROSBY'S KID?

user39: it'd be so funny if it is hers and sid's with the ovi jersey

user40: the armpit scribbler is definitely sid

ynofficial: he's one of the three 👍

user41: does that count as a hard launch??????????

this post has been deleted

liked by nhl, aleksandrovechkinofficial and 962,822 others

ynofficial: sid by me ❤ it's been an honour to experience life with you so far - i really fucking love you.

to the rest of you: i give you sid, and introduce you to mason and india!

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user45: *sharp inhale* AAAAAAAAAAAA

user46: he was so baby 😭

user47: SIDNEY CROSBY IS A DILF ⚠️ I REPEAT SIDNEY CROSBY IS A DILF ⚠️

user46: the baby in the #87 jersey i'm sobbing

user47: we said confirm pls and y/n and sid heard change lives

user48: oh 😭 my 😭 god 😭

user49: india and mason are so fucking cute

user50: the first picture is breaking hearts

user51: what about that kid that was wearing the ovi jersey?

ynofficial: mini ovi and mini crosby swapped jerseys after the all star game this year!! both dads cried

liked by alexachung, kaitlyndever and 918,926 others

ynofficial: y/n by me (sid) ❤ i really fucking love you, too

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user52: simple but romantic

user53: i'm crying

user54: THE ONES WHEN HE'S CUDDLING HER AHKSJGF

user55: the wedding photo lmao

user56: baby and bump

user57: i'm definitely dying alone

liked by user58 and 19 others

ynofficial: 😋

this post has been deleted

[cetaitlaverite]

Call It What You Want

or: The Three Times They Lied to Each Other and the One Time They Told the Truth

Masters of the Air - John Brady x OC

informal part 2 to this short fic but can be read as a standalone. also features characters from my multi-chapter rosie x oc fic 'why all this music?' but, again, this can be read on its own. by popular demand, here is 6k words of millie and brady's clownery. you asked and i delivered (i hope). they're iconic your honour and sooo much fun to write. hope you loooooove <3

It took Millie several moments to calm her raging blush when she first caught sight of John Brady waiting for her outside the tower. It was impossible to look at him and not remember the way they’d kissed last night. She wanted to blame it on the darkness they’d been blanketed in when he’d first done it, wanted to blame it on the alcohol she’d consumed. But in the light of day as she watched him wander in idle circles in the grass, his hands in his pockets and his eyes squinted into the sunshine, she knew she’d be lying to herself to blame everything which had transpired between them on anything other than passion. Fiery hatred or fiery desire, it didn’t matter; both of them were impossible to ignore.

When her cheeks cooled down and she’d assumed some semblance of composure, Millie resumed her walk to work. Really, she lectured herself, he might not even be waiting for her. She wasn’t the only wireless operator who worked in the tower, let alone the only person who worked in there - he could have been waiting for anyone, one of his superiors included. But when she got close to the door he turned, as though sensing her, and straightened his posture. The way he was looking at her told her she’d been right; he was there for her.

“Harlow,” he greeted coolly.

“Brady,” she replied. “You’re not even flying today and yet you’re still here to lecture me on my skills as a wireless op. That’s true dedication, Brady, really, but I can assure you you’re the only pilot on this base who takes any issue with the way I do my job.”

Brady’s lips turned down in a sour approximation of a smile but he didn’t retort, as she might have expected. Instead, he said quietly, “About last night -”

Hearing him acknowledge it while the sun was high in the sky, while she was looking directly into his eyes and watching his lips move, while no single part of him was concealed by darkness and no single part of her was, either, was too much. Millie felt her stomach flip and her hands start to sweat. She hurried to cut across him, “Nothing happened last night.”

Brady raised his eyebrows at her. “Oh? So I must’ve dreamed that we kissed.”

“I’m sure it’s a dream you have often,” Millie replied. “Not to worry, you wouldn’t be the only one.”

He rolled his eyes. “We kissed, Harlow, and you know it.”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about,” she said. But, regardless, when he opened his mouth to reply she took him by the elbow and towed him behind her around the back of the tower, away from prying eyes and ears who may have been curious to know what the two of them were arguing about this time.

“So -” Brady began when they were alone.

Again, Millie cut him off. “We didn’t kiss.”

Brady scoffed. “We did. Twice, in fact.”

“Why would I ever kiss you?” Millie demanded, squeezing her hands into fists and tucking them behind her back. “I don’t even like you.”

Brady was smirking even as he rolled his eyes at her. “You don’t need to be so defensive about it. I was just coming here to say it’s never gonna happen again. So, you know, don’t get your hopes up or anything.”

He was so self-righteous, convincing himself he was letting her down gently. He’d come here thinking he was rejecting her?

“Don’t get my hopes up?” Millie echoed with a scoff. “How typical of you, to convince yourself that you’ve got the upper hand. What, did you fancy that I’ve been twirling my hair and kicking my feet, waiting for you to come ask me to marry you?”

Brady shrugged. “Something like that.”

“You’re a real arsehole.”

“But am I wrong?”

“Yes!” Millie cried. “If you remember correctly, you kissed me!”

“You kissed me after!” Brady exclaimed right back at her.

“A major lapse in judgement!” she defended herself.

“On my part as well,” Brady hissed.

Millie scoffed. “You grabbed my arm and took me away from the club -”

“To talk -”

“We could’ve done that outside the club! We didn’t need to be in some alley to argue, we do it everyday!”

“Maybe I didn’t want everyone overhearing!”

“Everyone’s overheard us a million times before,” Millie pointed out. Now her eyebrows were raised with palpable suspicion. “Why did you only decide it mattered last night? Hm? And only after you interrupted my dance with Benny?”

Brady stared her down. He had no answer for her. Millie could tell by the twisting of his lips and the way his fingers were twitching in his pockets, straining against the fabric of his trousers like he was pressing down on the keys of his saxophone, that he was fighting for a viable explanation.

Her eyes were dancing. Her smile was smug. “Because you wanted to kiss me,” she deduced. “Admit it. There’s no shame in it, Brady, you’d hardly be the first man who’s wanted to.”

“You’re so goddamn arrogant,” he snarled. “You’re the last woman on this base I’d want to kiss, Harlow. The very last.”

“Yes, because the ladies are just lining up for you, Brady, you miserable -”

“I don’t see anyone else tripping over themselves to fall at your feet,” Brady cut her off.

Millie raised her eyebrows. “Yes, you do.”

“So why don’t you go for them? Why do you spend all your time in the club staring at me?” Now Brady was smug, removing his hands from his pockets to cross his arms over his chest.

Millie scowled. “I do not stare at you.”

“You do.”

“Only if I feel you glaring at me.”

“I only glare at you when I feel you staring.”

“Chicken and egg,” Millie replied. “It’s beside the point. The point is, you took me to that alley last night because you wanted to kiss me.” Her eyes were penetrating, fiery, as they bore into his. “Admit it,” she said slowly, savouring the taste of the words.

“No,” Brady said lowly. “I didn’t want to kiss you, Harlow. In your dreams.”

“You didn’t want to,” Millie repeated, “and yet you did. You did kiss me. And you wanted to. Admit it.”

“No.”

“Admit it.”

“No.”

Millie took a step closer to him, craning her neck back to maintain the hold she had on his eyes. Her smirk was small and yet it was there, playing at the corners of her lips. Her gaze, she knew, was sultry. She’d perfected it a while ago.

Close enough that they could hold a sheet of paper aloft between them, Millie lowered her voice to only barely above a whisper. She gazed at him from beneath her eyelashes. “Admit it, John.”

She could only admit to herself that she’d wanted him to kiss her when he did, when he had her pressed up against the wall of the tower, one hand cupping her cheek and the other on her hip, tugging it towards him. Just like last night, his lips were fast and feverish, desperate against her own, like he was worried this would be the last time he’d ever get to touch her like this.

She couldn’t find it within herself to resent herself for kissing back. Just like last night, it was addictive. She’d never been kissed like this, never kissed anyone like this either. Kissing was something entirely other when it was done with John Brady.

His hands kept to modest areas but the heat they trailed may as well have been against her bare skin. As his hand slid up from her hip, past her waist and over her shoulder, up to the back of her neck beneath her hair, as his other hand slid down from her cheek and drew across to the centre of her back, encouraging her to arch up off the wall into him, the hold he had on her felt more intimate than anything she’d ever done with any other man.

It was just kissing.

Why did it feel like so much more?

When they drew apart briefly, so briefly, for breath, it was just enough time for Millie to gasp, “So you did want to kiss me!”

It was also just enough time for Brady to reply, “Shut up,” right before he caught her lips in another searing kiss, slower than the last and somehow more intense because of it.

Millie wanted to take advantage of their closeness and put her hands all over him the way he was doing to her, but she could not for the life of her seem to get her hands out of his hair. It was exactly as soft as she’d imagined - maybe even softer - and the way he groaned lowly into her mouth when she tugged on it just a little bit too hard was more intoxicating than any alcohol she’d ever consumed.

She knew she was making a mess of him. Knew that he’d have to go all the way back to his hut to redo his hair in the bathroom, return the strands to their rightful positions meticulously like he did every morning - as she imagined, at least. And it brought her joy to imagine him having to hurry back there to do it, lest he get caught and anyone ask why he looked like he’d been dragged through a hedge. He’d have an excellent time trying to explain this, she was sure; the way his tongue was licking hotly into her mouth, the way his hands were dragging reverently over her curves, the way he was pressing his body into hers - all of it would be a tough thing to explain to anyone without blushing.

The foggy haze smothering Millie’s critical thinking cleared only when she heard Freddie’s voice, presumably talking to Jem as the two of them walked to the tower. They’d been taking forever to get ready this morning so Millie had left ahead of them; they would know that something was off if Millie was later than them into work.

Carefully, this time, and with significantly less force, Millie placed her hands on John’s chest and pushed him back. When he started to speak she covered his mouth, narrowing her eyes to make him remain silent, and the two of them listened to Freddie and Jem talking about breakfast before they disappeared into the tower, their voices fading away.

Millie kept her hand over John’s mouth for a few more beats, just to be safe, before finally letting it fall away and sighing. Leaning back against the tower once more, her breaths came heavy, her chest heaving. Still, she found resolve enough within herself to murmur, “Tell no one,” and with that pushed herself upright, skirting around the side of the building and heading into work. She would tell Freddie and Jem she’d been in the bathroom, she decided. There was no reason for them to suspect a thing.

*

If anyone asked Millie why she was taking so long getting ready tonight, she’d have no real excuse. They all went to the officers’ club often and, yes, they put effort into their appearances, setting their hair nicely and straightening their uniforms and freshening up their makeup after the workday, but no one went to this length. Millie had taken a shower and brushed her teeth and redone her hair and makeup entirely, had put on a fresh pair of tights and the pair of fancy earrings her parents had gotten her for Christmas which she hadn’t yet had the opportunity to wear. She repainted her nails and put on hand cream, plucked her eyebrows and shaved her upper lip.

If anyone asked, she would have to lie.

“Someone you’re trying to impress, Mils?” Jem asked when Millie finally emerged from the bathroom. It was only she and Freddie left in the bedroom of their hut, sitting on their respective beds with their shoes on and their eyes bored, as though they’d been ready and waiting for a while.

“Got all sweaty today,” Millie explained, trying to be casual about it. “Tried to keep my face away from the shower water but when I washed my hair it ruined my makeup so I had to start again.”

“Are you wearing new earrings?” Freddie inquired curiously.

Millie felt herself blushing. She prayed she’d put on enough makeup to hide it. “Got them for Christmas,” she confirmed. “Mum wrote me in her last letter asking if I’d worn them yet and I lied and said yes, so I thought I should probably put them on.”

Freddie smiled, accepting this readily, innocent little flower as she was. “They’re pretty,” she offered. “They make your eyes strikingly green.”

Millie smiled back at her. “Thanks, Fred. And you’re gorgeous as always. You too, Jem.”

“A compliment from Millie Harlow?” Jem gasped in mock shock. “What’s the matter, Mils, you got an upset tummy? Are we all set to be smelling the contents of your stomach when we go to bed tonight?”

Freddie scoffed. “Jem, that is vile.”

Millie just rolled her eyes. “D’you want that drink I owe you tonight, Jem, or do you want me to conveniently forget that it’s my round?”

Jem clamped her mouth shut immediately. “I want that drink,” she said as she rose from her bed.

Millie smiled smugly. “Yes,” she said, “that’s what I thought.”

Millie didn’t speak during the walk to the officers’ club. Her mind was filled with thoughts of one man, of his stupid smirk and his stupid soft hair and his stupid saxophone, which he was no doubt set to spend half the night married to. She tried to imagine what he might say to her, how he might look at her, whether he might try to get her alone. Did she even want him to get her alone? Did she even want to talk to him?

All too suddenly, Jem was pushing into the club and holding the door for Freddie and Millie behind her, then leading them to the bar.

“I’ll have a pint, thanks, Mils,” Jem declared, draping herself over the only available space at the bar with a twinkle in her eye.

Millie rolled her eyes. “I know what you’ll have, you little ponce, because you have the same thing every night.”

“Lemonade, please, Mils,” Freddie added.

Millie scoffed. “No, Fred. Wine or nothing.”

“What is your problem with me and my lemonade?!” Freddie complained, pouting.

Millie simply laughed, leaning past Jem when Atley the barman approached to take their order.

They’d gotten to the club too late tonight to secure themselves a table, so, once they all had their drinks, the three of them found an empty patch of wall to lean against and surveyed the room and its occupants.

Millie kept her eyes carefully diverted from the band just in case Brady was looking at her. She didn’t want to seem eager.

“Your makeup looks nice tonight, Mils,” Freddie spoke into the brief quiet which had fallen. “Did you get a new lipstick?”

“Borrowed Jem’s,” Millie replied easily, taking a sip from her beer.

Beside her, Jem sputtered. “Disgusting.”

“We’re all friends here,” Millie dismissed her.

“It suits you,” Freddie said. “A paler shade of red, no?”

Millie smiled at her sidelong. “I think so. Thanks, Fred.”

Freddie hummed her acceptance of this thanks.

Millie couldn’t take it any longer. Her eyes sought Brady of their own accord, as though they were being pulled there by magnets, and she met his gaze instantly. She had no idea how long he’d been watching her but she liked to think it was a while.

As such, she refused to be the one to break eye contact. She raised her eyebrows at him, a subtle smirk tugging at her lips, before lifting her glass to her lips and taking a slow sip.

Even from all the way over here she could see the bob of his throat as he swallowed.

Her smile was sweet when she lowered her glass.

Brady looked away, turning back to his sheet music.

If Millie didn’t know better, she would have thought she could spy a pale blush in his cheeks.

Millie kept an eye on Brady the entire time the band was playing, trying to force herself to find his saxophone playing unattractive and failing miserably. She only half-listened to the conversation going on around her, mumbling yeses and nos when asked any questions, smiling and laughing when she thought it was appropriate. When some of the other airmen joined them briefly she greeted them warmly but couldn’t help the glances she shot over their shoulders at their fellow pilot where he was playing with the band.

No one noticed, she thought. That was, until she caught Benny DeMarco smirking.

“Something catch your eye, Mils?” he asked, keeping his voice quiet enough that no one else acknowledged their private conversation.

Millie was starkly conscious of the burning in her cheeks. “What?”

Benny shrugged but there was an amused smile playing at his lips. “You just seem awfully interested in the band tonight. ‘S all.”

“I’m not,” Millie replied hastily. “I just - Brady, he - he’s -”

“Staring?” Benny finished for her.

“Yes.” She tipped her chin up defiantly.

“That makes two of you,” Benny observed.

Millie took a long sip of her beer to buy herself time - so long, in fact, that she ended up finishing it. When her glass was empty and she had nothing else to distract herself with, she finally replied, “If you’re trying to imply something, Benny, why don’t you just come right out and say it?”

Infuriatingly, Benny laughed. “Something you want me to say, Mils?”

“Not sure what you mean.”

“Yeah,” Benny said easily. “Funny. Neither was he.”

To anyone else, the timing would have been coincidental. Well, to anyone except Benny. But, secretly, Millie knew exactly what she was doing when she declared she was getting another drink about halfway through the last of the band’s songs.

She was still waiting to order when she felt someone come up on her other side at the bar. “Harlow,” he said.

“Brady,” she replied without turning to look at him.

He laughed. “You spend the whole night staring at me from across the room but won’t even look at me when I’m right beside you?”

“How would you know what I’ve been doing all night,” Millie replied, “unless you’ve been staring back?”

He scoffed but left that line of debate alone.

“Not dancing with any of your thousands of suitors?” he ventured instead.

Millie smiled to herself, tracking Atley as he moved around the bar, preparing drinks for other patrons. “Jealous, are we?”

Brady scoffed lowly. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Still smiling, Millie shrugged. “It wouldn’t matter much to me.”

“I think it would.”

“Think what you like, Brady.”

“Do you wanna dance?” he asked suddenly.

Millie’s eyes shot to his. She blinked at him. “You mean, with you?”

“No,” Brady drawled, “with Meatball.” He rolled his eyes at her. “Yes, with me.”

Millie fought to keep her voice level. “Why would I want to dance with you?”

Brady didn’t take the bait. “I don’t know, Harlow,” he replied simply, staring at her hard, his gaze smouldering, “why would you want to dance with me?”

Swallowing hard, Millie searched his face for a sign he was making fun of her but she came up empty. For once, he looked entirely in earnest. And the longer she took to answer, the more he started to fidget. He was uncertain, she realised. Nervous, maybe.

He thought she was going to say no.

“One dance,” Millie decided, putting both of them out of their misery. “And if you step on my toes you’re dead.”

“Worry about yourself, Harlow,” Brady replied easily, offering his palm to her. “I’ve seen you dance, you’re no Rita Hayworth.”

“And yet, you still want to dance with me,” Millie teased, laying her hand in his. Instantly, he curled his fingers around hers.

“Charity work,” Brady said as he started to lead her to the dance floor.

Millie rolled her eyes.

The two of them had never danced together. The first time they’d even touched had been last night, and they’d been completely alone. With everyone around, in the midst of a sea of couples, it should have felt awkward, uncomfortable, clunky, trying to figure out how they fit together as dance partners. But it didn’t. They slotted together as naturally and as easily as puzzle pieces, the wrong ones forcibly attached for so long that the right ones clicked instantly.

The song was slow. For better or for worse, that gave them time to talk.

Millie could not, for the life of her, keep her eyes off his lips.

“What were you and Benny talking about?” Brady asked when they started to sway together.

Millie let out an amused huff of breath. “None of your business.”

“Did he ask you to dance?”

“No.” He was asking me about you.

“Something about you looks different.”

Better? “New lipstick.”

“Right.”

“I borrowed it from Jem.” Silly thing to say. Why would he care?

“It’s - uh -” He cleared his throat.

Millie’s eyes drew up his face until she could meet his gaze. “It’s what?”

“Nothing,” he decided.

Millie nodded. His gaze was intense. “So you hate it,” she said.

He shook his head. The hold he had on the small of her back tightened slightly. “I don’t hate it,” he assured her softly.

If they had been alone, the both of them knew they would have been kissing by now. How quickly they’d fallen into a routine. This time yesterday they’d only ever dreamed about it, and only late, late at night when it was impossible to hide anything from yourself. Now it was something of a habit, unavoidable when they were in each other’s presence.

It was all either of them could think about.

 “I, uh,” Brady began. He tilted his head down closer to hers, speaking so softly his voice felt like feathers. “I’m flying again tomorrow.”

Millie nodded, a slight, almost imperceptible movement of her head. “I know,” she replied. “I work here.”

“Right.” He smiled and breathed a laugh.

Millie smiled right back at him.

“Good luck,” she offered quietly. “On your mission.”

“Thanks.” He nodded. He was staring so deeply into her eyes she felt like she was under a microscope. “I might - uh - I might get you on the radio.”

Millie laughed softly at this. “Only if you’re unlucky.”

He didn’t laugh with her, only kept on gazing deep into her eyes. “Yeah,” he breathed after a moment, when the joke had already passed.

It was impossible not to kiss him when he was looking at her like this, so Millie looked away. She set her eyes over his shoulder at the group of friends she’d left behind, watched as Jem joked with Benny and Freddie played with Meatball, as Dougie leaned lazily against the wall and Hambone came ambling over.

Millie and John were quiet for the rest of the song. Neither of them noticed, but they curled into each other more and more as time wore on, like a pair of mourning doves.

When the song ended and the next was ready to start, they untangled themselves from each other. They gave each other a nod, all formality as they tried to think up something, anything, to say, and parted ways without saying a word. They had only agreed on one dance, after all.

*

“Harlow,” Brady said as he came up behind her. “Can we talk?”

Silently, Millie sighed. She didn’t turn to look at him. “About what?”

“I’ll tell you when we’re talking,” he said. “In private.”

Millie knew exactly what that meant. They’d done this enough times by now to establish a pattern.

“I’m not in the mood to talk in private with you right now, Brady,” she said quickly, coolly. Freddie was having nightmares again - she hadn’t had nightmares since she’d first transferred to Thorpe Abbotts - so Millie had been up half the night trying to soothe her back to sleep. And Jem wasn’t very well - she’d gone home for the weekend and come back with food poisoning. Not to mention the fact that all this sneaking around was starting to make Millie anxious. She and Freddie and Jem didn’t keep secrets from each other, it wasn’t how they operated. It had taken a lot of courage for Freddie to tell them about Daniel, to open herself up to reliving the trauma of losing her soulmate if just so that Millie and Jem could know her entirely and understand her entirely, too. It felt wrong, after that, to hide this from them - from Freddie especially. She’d never had a friend like Freddie. It wasn’t right that she comforted Freddie about nightmares about her lost love, listened to her recount the gory details of his death and how she’d found out while she assured her everything was going to be okay, all the while sneaking around behind her back with a pilot of her own.

It felt wrong. Dirty. Millie wasn’t sure how she’d even gotten herself into this situation in the first place.

Brady wasn’t so easily dismissed. “What’s wrong?” he asked, falling into step beside her. When she didn’t spare him a glance he hissed out a sigh between his teeth and took a gentle hold of her elbow, tugging her behind him into the alley between buildings. Just like that very first time. The way it had all begun.

“Is this going to keep happening between us?” Millie demanded before Brady could get a word out. “You ask me to talk, in private, we fight, we kiss, and then we pretend to hate each other again. Is this the way it’s always going to be?”

Brady looked bewildered, like she’d just thrown a bucket of ice water in his face. He blinked at her for a few moments, his mouth half-open as he processed her words, and then he clamped it closed and said, “I’m only following your lead, Mils. You don’t exactly go out of your way to give me the time of day when we’re with everyone else.”

Millie rolled her eyes and turned away from him, staring at the patch of sky visible between the edges of the two buildings. “I won’t let you make me into an idiot, John,” she told him firmly. “Men have messed me around before and I won’t let it happen again.”

“Then what do you want from me, Mils?” John demanded. He reached for her hands but she wouldn’t let him take them. “You’re so goddamn difficult to read,” he said. “One second I think you like me, the next I think you’re about to knock my head off my shoulders. One second you act like you wanna dance with me, the next you’re dancing with Benny.” He shook his head with a low scoff. “You want me to show up at your door with roses when you won’t even make it clear to me what you want?”

Millie ground her teeth together and crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn’t think, for a moment, how on earth she wanted to reply. She could be vulnerable or she could be venomous, could pour her heart out to him or make him out to be delusional. She didn’t know which was wiser.

“I hate roses,” she said after a beat. “They’re cliché. And prickly. Any man who gets me roses is a man who doesn’t really know me - or really like me, more to the point.”

John didn’t say anything.

Millie’s heart was pounding in her ears as she ventured, “A man who was really after my heart would know to buy lilies.”

John was quiet for a moment. And then: “Lilies?”

“Orange lilies,” Millie confirmed softly. “They’re my favourite.”

She wasn’t looking at him, but she felt the change in the air around him when his posture loosened and he started to smile. “Of course they are,” he said.

Finally, she turned back to him, but only to narrow her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s so like you,” he said, grinning. “Red roses are everywhere. I can’t remember the last time I saw an orange lily.”

“Maybe you just weren’t looking,” Millie said.

John was still grinning, shaking his head and laughing under his breath. “Do you know how long it’d take a guy to find you orange lilies?”

“If he really liked me, he wouldn’t mind, would he?” Millie fired back, tilting her chin up defiantly. “One day I’ll meet a man who would welcome the challenge because he just wants to make me happy. Don’t concern yourself about it, I’ll find him.”

His smile became strained, hard. “I’m not concerned about it,” he informed her evenly.

“I know you’re not,” she replied. “You’re content to kiss me in dark alleyways like some sort of -”

“Why do you always insist on arguing?!” Brady demanded, cutting her off. “Just when we’re making progress! You shut me out at every available opportunity, send me mixed signals and then complain that I’m not dropping to the ground and shoving an engagement ring in your face!”

“I wouldn’t want you to shove an engagement ring in my face, Brady,” Millie hissed, stepping closer and lowering her voice. “Forget I ever even said anything. I’d be embarrassed if anyone found out I’ve been entertaining your little charade.” She was being spiteful and she knew it but she was embarrassed, so embarrassed, that he was calling her out on her vulnerability. She’d tried to hide it, tried to be casual, but he could see right through her - of course he could! He always did. And now he was making fun of her for wanting more from him than whatever casual arrangement they’d fallen into. It was clear to her now that she’d misread him, had taken for granted that good Catholic boys only ever behaved as such when in reality they only behaved that way with women they were serious about.

Brady’s smile was bitter and full of disbelief. “Mils, don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what?” she snapped. “You won, Brady. You made me into an idiot. Thanks a lot.”

“I didn’t make you into anything,” Brady disagreed. “All I’ve ever done is try to be nice to you -”

“Oh, is that what all this was? You were just being nice? Taking pity on me? God forbid you ever actually listen to a word I say, Brady, but for the last time, you are not the only man who has ever shown an interest in me, hard as that may be for you to believe! Your charity work is over. Congratulations, you passed with flying colours.”

“What the fuck are you even talking about?!” Brady demanded as she started to storm away from him. His footsteps were loud and echoing as he followed after her.

“Just leave me alone, Brady, for god’s sake,” Millie said over her shoulder. “Go back to ATA-Alice or literally anyone else, I don’t care. Just leave me alone.”

Brady slowed to a stop, watching in utter bewilderment as Millie turned the corner and stomped off elsewhere. He really and truly had no idea what had just happened. But did he ever, really, with her? She was as infuriating as she was fascinating. He couldn’t stay away from her if he tried, and he had no interest in trying.

*

There was a rose waiting for her on her desk on Monday morning. A single red rose, all by itself, and Millie wasn’t sure whether to smile or scowl.

“Idiot,” she muttered, and the smile won out.

“Looks like you’ve got a secret admirer, Mils,” Freddie remarked as she took a seat at her own desk. “Did they leave a note?”

“No,” Millie said, still staring down at the rose. Tentatively, she reached out and picked it up, bringing it to her nose to smell.

“Who’s buying you roses?” Jem asked as she took her seat on Millie’s other side.

Millie smiled to herself as she set the rose back down and sat down in her desk chair. “No idea.”

Work that day could not have dragged on any longer. Millie felt like she was being suffocated by the many, many hours which stretched out before her. But, eventually, all the ATA pilots and all of the outgoing planes returned - those which were ever going to return, that was - and she was dismissed.

The other girls went straight to dinner.

Millie knew where she’d find the mastermind behind the stupid rose.

“Save me a seat!” she called over her shoulder to Freddie, Jem, and the rest of the wireless ops. “I’ll only be a minute!” She’d deliberately spilt water on her blouse right before the end of the workday to give herself an excuse to head back to the nissen huts. She wasn’t sure whether she’d really only be a minute. She didn’t think so.

True to prediction, John Brady was dawdling in the grass outside her hut when she approached. He didn’t see her just yet, his hands in his pockets and his head tilted back as he squinted into the sunlight, but she stopped a few metres away so she could really look at him.

He had no business being as handsome as he was. All boyish smiles and innocent blue eyes, biting wit and soft, fluffy hair. How was she ever supposed to come up against him in any significant way when he looked the way he did, said the things he did, acted the way he did? She’d been powerless from the start.

“You,” she called as she finally set her legs back into motion, “are such an arse, John Brady! Even when you’re nice you’re an arse!”

John was grinning when he turned to her. He shrugged. “A little birdie told me you like roses.”

Millie rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle shove when she came to a stop before him. “Shut up,” she said.

She kissed him, then, and couldn’t have given any logical reason for why other than she wanted to. She really, really wanted to.

He certainly wasn’t hurrying to make any complaints.

They wrapped themselves up in each other immediately, instinctively, like this was where they belonged and every second they spent apart was a second the world was off kilter. Anyone might have walked by for any reason and yet neither of them paid the outside world any mind. All of their attention, focus, thoughts were solely on each other.

When they pulled apart they were breathless, so close their chests pressed together as they breathed.

John was smirking. Because of course he was.

“If I knew I was gonna get a kiss anyway,” he said, all cocky and pleased with himself, “I wouldn’t have run around the whole of East Anglia trying to find these.”

He stepped away and Millie reached for him. His smile was soft as he took hold of both of her hands and pressed gentle kisses to the backs of both of them. Then he disappeared behind the door of her hut and emerged a moment later, still smiling, with a bouquet of orange lilies in one hand.

Millie’s smile ached in her cheeks. “You didn’t,” she said.

John shrugged. “I like to think I have my moments.”

“Where did you find them?” she demanded, accepting them from him and cradling them to her chest like a puppy.

John was grinning as he watched her. “Some East Anglian town. I couldn’t pronounce the name even if I remembered it.” He breathed a laugh. “But I thought they might make you happy, so they were worth the trip.” You were worth the trip. Worth an entire weekend pass spent looking for one bouquet of flowers.

Millie was still smiling wildly as she stepped back towards him, still cradling her flowers close to her chest. “Did they take you long to find?”

“A little.” He shrugged. “I didn’t mind.”

Her smile turned sheepish. “I feel like I need to make a confession.”

John’s heart dropped. “Oh.” She had a boyfriend. Or she had a husband. Or she didn’t even like him in that way. Or the flowers were fakes. Or -

“I actually love roses.”

His jaw fell open.

Millie was grinning. “Oops?”

“Millie Harlow,” John said, fastening his hands on her hips and tugging her to him, shaking his head with a wide smile on his lips, “you are such a pain in my ass.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked. She transferred her bouquet into one hand so she could wrap her arms around him, then smiled as she pushed up onto her tiptoes and nudged their noses together. “The feeling’s mutual.”

[embrosegraves]

♛𝐻𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑜 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒲𝑒𝓁𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒!♛

♛ Reception Desk ♛ I honestly do not have the words to express just how incredibly honoured and grateful I am to know that there is just over a thousand people who enjoy reading the stories I create. I truly cannot thank everyone enough, it means the absolute world to me, you guys <3

♛ What to know about the Read-a-thon ♛ Firstly, I will be posting 5 (five) fics throughout the next month or so. The very last fic will be posted on Aug 16th which will conclude the 1k celebration.

Secondly, so you guys can get involved with the celebration, I'm going to put a poll up for each fanfic so you can choose which driver gets what fic. I'll be writing out a majority of each fic before putting a poll up, but it will be up to you all to choose the driver for the fic.

♛ Select a story from the library shelf! ♛

⚜ 𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝒶𝑔𝑒𝓈 || (poll) That awkward moment when your super-famous-boyfriend finds out you write fanfiction.

⚜ 𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓎 || (poll) Reader is a daydreamer, who loves to dream about their future. The driver is a mind reader...and also Reader's boyfriend.

⚜ 𝒯𝑜 𝐵𝑒 𝑜𝓇 𝒩𝑜𝓉 𝒯𝑜 𝐵𝑒 || (poll) Reader dislikes cliches. They're just a little annoyed that their boyfriend unintentionally changing their mind about them.

⚜ 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝟤/𝟤/𝟤 𝑅𝓊𝓁𝑒 (pending...) (poll) During a Fan Stage the driver gets asked about the 2/2/2 Rule that he and his wife agreed to after they got married.

⚜ 𝒪𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒪𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒜𝑔𝒶𝒾𝓃 (pending...) (poll) Where two fated lovers always find each other in every life. Just me and you and you and me, just us... and your friend Steve.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH 🫶🫶🫶

[psychodon525]

Ah yes, The Ten Commandments. The rules upon which we base all our morals. In fact, as some would have it, they're the basis of all our laws, too. We should be putting them up in our schools and teaching our kids about them from a young age. What were they again?

1: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Unless you follow another religion, or you don't really follow any religion at all, I mean, it's not too big a deal really. Freedom of religion, you know?

2: Thou shalt not make any graven image. Unless you want to make a statue of Jesus. Or Mary. Or an angel. Or one of your own leaders. Honestly, you can make any graven image you want, as long as you say that god is okay with it. Which brings us to

3: Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain. You know, unless you want to do something that goes against the bible. Just say that God actually says it's okay. Or say that the context was different back then. And I mean, I know it says not to use the Lord's name for vain purposes, but like… if you want to say you're a Christian to become more popular? Use your faith to gain votes? That's all totally okay, and definitely doesn't go against these commandments.

4: Remember and observe the Sabbath day. Unless there's work that really needs to be done that day. I mean… if nobody worked on Sunday, then how could you go buy groceries? It's meant to be a day off! But not for poor people.

5: Honour thy father and mother. You know, unless you'd rather marry for love. Unless you have dreams of doing something different than your father. Unless your parents were abusive.

6: Thou shalt not kill. Unless you're a corporation, forcing people to overwork themselves to exhaustion and heart failure. Unless you're a corporation that needs to keep running, despite natural disasters, and those workers are expendable anyways. Unless you're destined to conquer the land, and you need to kill the indigenous people to manifest that destiny. Unless you're a police officer, and the person seems to be a threat. Unless you're an oil company, and killing indigenous people on their own land is the cheapest way to put down your pipeline. Unless you're a corporation, and doing your part to stop global warming is just not lucrative, and the 47,000 Europeans who died last year due to heat-related causes are just the price to pay for money in our pocket, and a society built on oil and gas. Unless you're a government, and there's a whistleblower.

7: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Unless you’re a swinger, or you're having some fun as a couple with another person. Actually, as long as you're all consenting adults, and you have healthy communication, commit as much adultery as you'd like!

8: Thou shalt not steal. Unless it just makes sense to. I mean, if someone works for you, it doesn't make sense to pay them their fair share. Wage theft is the backbone of this society, and if we weren't constantly doing it, then how would some people ever become rich?

9: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Unless you're a whistleblower. Our governments need to be able to keep secrets, so we WILL threaten you, in order to keep you quiet, or to force you to lie in courts.

And last, but not least,

10: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, wife, slaves, animals, or anything else. Well okay… unless you call it “inspiration,” or “goals.” I mean… everyone should want to live in a nicer house, rather than being happy with the one they've got. And as long as your partner and you joke about it, there's nothing wrong with having a crush on that one celebrity. Even if they're married. And I mean, we don't have slaves anymore, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to be the CEO of a company, and having all those people working for you, and giving you all that extremely cheap labour. Nothing wrong with wishing you had a nicer car, nicer tools, or a nicer phone, like what your friends and neighbours have.

So yeah, as you can see, every one of the 10 Commandments is extremely straightforward, and fits exactly with how we run our society, and it really makes sense to teach it in schools, since our laws and societal norms don't contradict them at all, ever.

[boleynqueenes]

🪡 + Anne & George Boleyn

apparently the needle sewing thread emoji is not allowed, anymore? this feels hateful, somehow...let me find :

🧵(guess that works): send me + two characters and i’ll talk about their dynamic!

they are best friends, to make no exaggeration. they have close friends, but no one else holds a candle to the closeness of this bond, at the end of the day. they're close enough as children that he thinks of that symmetry once she returns, and they've grown up, it sticks with him: thirteen blue moons apart (1513-21), thirteen steps to her door. he helps her adjust to and navigate court life once she's back, she ensures that he can marry jane (this lays a stepping stone with her future relationship with henry-- they have a formal acquaintance at most, at that juncture, but he asks what had upset jane to the extent that he saw her need to be consoled, she answers about the shortfall of the dowry her father will not accept, and he pays for the remainder...it's a generosity she doesn't easily forget)

they dream together, they joke together, they plan together.

the flip side of this coin is that they both idealize each other to such a degree that they hold each other to higher standards (in morals, success, strength and mistakes) than they do anyone else, and are harder on each other than anyone else. george becomes cruel and intractable towards anyone that he sees as having threatened her honour (and this even, and especially, includes their sister), anne becomes the same towards anyone she views as countermanding him (this is the beginning of her rift with cromwell, and to some degree, even henry).

and they are also not entirely honest with each other. anne doesn't tell him she's afraid until she literally cannot hide it anymore, he didn't tell her of tyburn until it came out in an argument (he's becoming collusive with henry in hiding things from her, and has mixed feelings about it, including guilt, ever since they hid news of the papal decree against them during her first pregnancy), she, if anyone caught it, remained silent (of sorts...) on whether or not she tried to intercede, here:

"I know you, and I know your vision, and I believe that which I had to witness was something you were against. I believe that you spoke against it to the king." Anne does not answer or gesture, other than rubbing her right temple with her first two fingers and latching her gaze onto the frieze that frames the fireplace. "So yes, I believe in you, Anne. But I do not know if I believe your influence with the king is the same as it once was." "You are wrong."

[imnotgoinganywhereok]

Happy first day of calendar Autumn!! ༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･

The first screenshot was taken right after the wedding, and there's already TWO ALIEN ABDUCTIONS happening at the same time XDDD Also, that game session actually took place in May and it's been a while since then, so I forgot to mention in the previous post that the children grew up around that time - not sure if exactly before of after the wedding.

They just look the same for now because they didn't have much time to find their own style and change (aka I was waiting for @red-everdeen to come over as my personal fashion police officer XDDD Thank you for your service). What the children did find was their purpose in life. Here's how it looks so far:

Izar got hired as a mixologist and with his mixology course certificate, he started at a quite heavy level!! He was so excited about that, he immediately called Partihaus club for a meeting in Strangerville to show them what he's learnt already. 🍾 Also, now that Ramon joined the household, the two spellcasters can study the ways of magic even more intensely.

Kari officially started her job as a freelance fashion photographer, her first gig being the one in the screenshot. She's not that great at fashion just yet, but she makes fantastic photographs!! She's halfway there. Plus, she's got rid of her wannabe-painter jumpsuit and replaced it with something more... refined. You'll see it soon!!

Jupiter dreams of becoming a part of the conservationist career, preferably getting a position in the Environmental Manager branch. This man just keeps getting more and more charismatic, and he loves ocean more and more. Maybe he'll become more career-driven in the future, maybe he'll keep on fishing.

Juno has her eyes set on the military and has already enlisted. We'll see if her family name's reputation and fierce determination will help her be accepted. Knowing (or the public NOT knowing) what kind of shit Strangerville's personnel is in right now, there shouldn't be any problems.

Kamaria's still a lifeguard - and loves it!!

Ramon decided to get a part-time job as a barista in order not to feel like a burden to the family's funds. As if the family has any complaints with Baltazar's pay alone, not to mention other three working children. Sometimes Ramon spends these mornings after his shift on self-care, and thinking about his whole adventure with Bal. Fiery romance, then cheating, then backstabbing, then getting back together. It sounds crazy but they're happily married, Your Honour!! ( •ᴗ•)⸝💍⸜(•ᴗ• )

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

What would be your dream surprise song mashup on (1) guitar and (2) piano?

Ok this is sooooooooooo hard because I have so many ideas and my brain shuffles between songs I absolutely would love to hear and what I think works best thematically or sonically 😂 And this is why it took me so long to answer!

Let’s try this:

Guitar: ivy x you all over me (I can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland, my house of stone, your ivy grows and now I'm covered in you / I lived, and I learned, had you, got burned, held out, and held on God knows, too long and wasted time, lost tears, swore that I'd get out of here but no amount of freedom gets you clean, I've still got you all over me / So yeah, it's a fire, it's a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it)

Honourable mention: Paper Rings x So High School (are you gonna marry kiss or kill me? It’s just a game but really I’m betting on all three for us two / cause I like shiny things but I’d marry you with paper rings, you’re the one I want) NOTE: I wrote this days before Taylor mashed up So High School with Mary's Song so I'm not copying her lol.

(Maybe this is just because I love Paper Rings and I'm so sad we never got a full production version of it during the Lover era or a happy version of it during Eras lol. Also, I have much sadder pairings to go with "Paper Rings" but just once I want to see it be a bop.)

Oh I also have a kernel of something like the Scapegoated Woman medley with Carolina/Cassandra/Clara Bow in my head.

Piano: evermore x So Long, London (I was catching my breath, staring out an open window catching my death and I couldn't be sure, I had a feeling so peculiar that this pain would be for evermore / how much sad did you think I had, think I had in me? How much tragedy? // and when I was shipwrecked I thought of you, in the cracks of light I dreamed of you, it was real enough to get me through, but I swear you were there / and you say I abandoned the ship but I was going down with it, my white knuckle dying grip holding tight to your quiet resentment, and my friends say it isn’t right to be scared every day of a love affair when every breath feels like rarest air when you’re not sure if he wants to be there)

Honourable mention: New Year's Day/Peace, because they're my favourite songs on their respective albums. (Don't read the last page but I stay when it's hard, or it's wrong, or we're making mistakes, I want your midnights but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day / And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences, sit with you in the trenches, give you my wild, give you a child, give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other, family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother, is it enough?) Again, I can think of much sadder pairings lol.

EDIT: I just remembered going through the surprise songs on Jaime’s blog that Taylor has in fact already done this mashup LOL. OK whatever, I want to hear it again.

Honestly I could do this all day lol. It's so funny because there are songs that I would loooooooooooove to hear acoustic, but I either can't think of a pairing, or I think of too many and too many directions. So this is my balance of my god-tier songs with thematically cohesive partners lol.

[ox1-lovesick]

It's the season of love! and you know what that means, time to find yourself a valentine! and who better than one of your beloved mutuals? answer these questions, and the mutual with the most mentions your tumblr valentine:

Mutual you can always rely on?

Mutual who never misses a post?

Mutual you share the most interests with?

Mutual you have the most in common with?

Mutual you look up to?

Mutual you'd run away and live in a cottage with?

Spouse material mutual?

Mutual with the best personality?

Mutual that never fails to make you laugh?

Mutual you'd have a crush on if you knew them irl?

Mutual you absolutely cannot live without?

ASK GAMES YAYYYYY

Mutual you can always rely on?

definitely @hoonfever and @tzyuki i remember those weird anons who kept attacking ej tore them all to shreds LMAO and mei because she's very wise and gives good advice 👍

Mutual who never misses a post?

@impureperhaps istg yerin likes, reblogs and replies to every single post i make 😭 lysm ❤️

Mutual you share the most interests with?

probably @impureperhaps 😭 idk all i really like is txt .

Mutual you have the most in common with?

@hoonfever we're both obsessed with men we can't have .

Mutual you look up to?

@soov & @eundiarys @astrozuya @luvhyun3 hard to believe i'm moots with rei sometimes it feels like a fever dream .

and jules because her writing is just so 💔💔💔💔 make me weak in the knees

honourable mention is @haknom , kayla because her ability to stick to an upload schedule baffles me like we started our smaus around the same time and so far she's started like 4 more while i've only posted the masterlist 💀

luka just because he's luka. everything he does is amazing

do i even need to give a reason for kana is she not everyone's role model on this app

Mutual you'd run away and live in a cottage with?

@kynrki kim can kill all the spiders for me

Spouse material mutual?

@hoonfever , @soov , @eundiarys , @impureperhaps idk how they're not married already tbh

Mutual with the best personality?

EVERYONE

Mutual that never fails to make you laugh?

@hyeki lyna's humour has me both discombobulated and laughing hysterically

Mutual you'd have a crush on if you knew them irl?

@soov i'm convinced that if we knew each other irl we'd be dating. i'll learn portugese and come visit you in brazil rei 💔💔💔

Mutual you absolutely cannot live without?

all of them???? but i have to say my day 1 zuri @lsrfmxt i'm actually losing my mind because she hasn't been online in forever i miss her sososososo much kocham i tęsknię za tobą zuri 😞👎💔

[limetimo]

RAB fics i read 13-1 april

All of You, All of Me (intertwined) by ajom28 celebrity fake dating jegulus muggle au, so far everyone's miserable

the golden king by maladaptivewriting !!!! regulus wakes up 1991, being 11, and pretending to be Sirius' secret lovechild he enrolls school withthe golden trio to protect harry (because he loved james). im loving it

Stars Of A Kind by orphan_account just regulus ruining his parents' dreams and aspirations

Silver Souls (He's the one for me) by Hhenesc im so--- why is everybody so stupid. why. is. everybody. so . stupid. talk to each other ffs. thank god for the lesbians

In a little welsh café in London by Thou_Maternal_Parent single parent remus, developing wolfstar

Certain Definitions of Normal by einsteinapproved for desertredwolf sirius is ftm trans, his friends and brother are helping

It was just a prank by DragonWitchPrincess this is more about sirisu being stupid than anything else

Learn How to Sprint Through a Stumble by sspideyman teen father regulus this is not a drill teen father regulus (he had a one night stand after sirius run away)

Heartbeats by Siriuslymoonyprongs yeah so trans regulus breaks up with james after he gets the dark mark, finds out he's pregnant, and eventually fakes both the child and his own death to protect them. after the war it's safe for them to re-emerge.

Mad Adventure by MightyMight shit gets fucked, hermione is yeeted to 1970s as barty crouch's older sister, and sets on destroying voldy before 1981.

Little One by Siriuslymoonyprongs sirius runs away from home, regulus is accepted by his parents as trans, and oooops he's pregnant with james

the stars of the night sky could never be enough by galaxy_of_pi angst no comfort of regulus dying (except it went from 1/1 to 1/15?? inchresting development)

Run Away With Me by Of_stars_and_moon for WolfstarPups90 reg gets basically adopted by the potters

The Dog and Deer Detective Agency by Artemisia_Black_95 detectives prongs and detective padfoot!

Kill Your Darlings by MesserMoon uni muggle au with hockey, they're t r y i n g okay

glimpses of heaven by lunahunt !!!! <3<3<3

Would You Come Be My Downfall? by WalkOnThroughARedParade regulus and remus pretend todate to get back at sirius. it doesnt stay fake for very long.

Ask away by purplefrogz texting jegulus!

but I cant find the brakes by thirdgleam (leafmeal0ne) james dumbs imself down for his friends to feel better, then studies secretly in the library at night, regulus also frequents the library at am hours.

There's just no gettin' through by neanora sirius finds regulus diary, big sad

Smoke Slow: A Spy!Regulus AU a series <3<3<3<3<3

i see how this ends (poorly) by Quillium !!!!!!!!! <3 my beloved

What We Do Today by Moe64 marauders era reading hp books (as written by trelawney)

Shimmering Beautiful (and when I break it’s in a million pieces) by srslvr13 for padfootsflowers sirius gets self destructive, regulus does damage control

at blue diner (i'll take anything you want to give me) by greenrosey spy regulus meets his ex once a month for info exchange, sad jegulus but like also hopeful somewhat

i'll be home for the summer by greenrosey the night canon-him would run away from home, sirius shoves regulus out of the door and stays at grimmauld. the marauders + reg plot how to get him out

blue and yellow skies by alarainai quidditch rivals to lovers fake dating jegulus

antithesis by rweoutofthewoods very lovely music au! jegulus

Bound By Honour by moonyfest lowercase screaming

5 pm by imagineacoolusername remus regulus friendship :)

no amount of therapy can help by The_wig_is_a_metaphor asudfhaosidufhaoif youtuber harry and tom riddle shenanignas

he'll be selfish, just this once (and many times in future) by vintagenovella iceskating regulus

His Word Is His Bond by FanonStar fem regulus asks james to marry her to avoid worse suitors

toys to be toyed with by aimlesscalamity bored and done with his friends regulus agrees to seduce james and or lily to break up the hogwarts star couple. they both faall for him but oops, he falls for them too

Three wrongs... by mothluvr lily WILL NOT be wooed by Potter like ugh that would be losing (even if he is kinda hot and got his shit together lately..-¨) so what's a girl gonna girl, a girl is gonna fuck the Slytherin seeker of course! accidentally leading to james' bi awakening. im having fun

Everything is Better with Chocolate by DEaTh220467 willy wonka regulus

Burden of Duty by Grey_Kenaz regulus is ace but also wants to hold up his duty and produce a heir with his wife. sirius works at a reproduction clinic. this is like, very heartwarming, for me as ace, it has my stamp of approval. I adore Else, she's so sweet!

I'm Staying Here And I'm Not Lyin' by ItsYlva reg comes out as nonbinary aroace to sirius

Your Love In Any Form by Anonymous aroace reg

We got chemistry, baby? by Sulfus jegulus

anosmia of the heart by bari_astra, bari_astralis jegulus is happy but snape makes them have a misunderstanding

Take you like a drug - I taste you on my tongue by Moonsss regulus likes fucking james behind sirius' back (no infidelity)

I promised myself I'd learn to be the one who leaves by AlistairIsLost regulus and friends run off to be a muggle band. they rock.

A Lost Soul (Found Once More) by INeedMoreSleepLmao regulus would very much like a nap thank you

Amicus Alter Ipse (Complexity) by aureusprongs for alarainai i have no recollection of reading this but im assuming it was good

[hulijingemperor2]

Yao: guys. *closes fan* I have a business partner coming today.

Mo xuanyu: business partner? What are you guys gonna discuss?

Xue yang: are you two getting married?

Yao: *laughing* no yangyang!

We're going to talk about how our empires are going to help each other and preserve bonds.

Xue yang: so you're getting married politically?

Yao: I don't need to do that anymore. Because people just naturally fall for my dimples.

Xue yang: you're right.

Su she: empire, Huangdi?

Yao: mhm, she's indeed the empress of Phoenix spirits.

Trio: SHEEEEEE?????? *gasps*

Yao: team D relax. She'll just be here for a few days. Also she'll go check up on Zish too, as he's still recovering.

Su she: well that's lovely, Huangdi. You always do things for the betterment of your empire.

Yao: mn.

Xue yang: but aren't you and Qin Su hooking back up

Yao: yea, planning to. Xue yang I'm not going to marry the phoenix empress.

Xue yang: shoot.

I was planning on carrying you two on a honeymoon.

Su she: but who's the Phoenix empress?

Someone enters: me!

Meng shi: *peeping from a corner*

Sisi: wow.

Trio: *shocked*

Xue yang: JIGGY! WEN QING IS YOUR BUSINESS PARTNER AND EMPRESS OF PHOENIX SPIRITS!!!!

Yao: who else would it be, yangyang.

Mo xuanyu: woww. I'm jealous. I already have Su jiejie to deal with.

Xue yang: she got more hot.

Su she: behave.

Yao: empress Qing. Greetings.

Wen Qing *wearing red as always*: greetings to you, Yao Huangdi. *smile* how's your health? Sleeping well?

Yao: yes yes. And I tried the herbal tea you suggested.

Wen qing: great to hear that the hulijing emperor is well.

Xue yang: xuanyu. I think I'm dreaming.

Two hot people talking to each other.

Mo xuanyu: I'm not attracted to women, yangyang. Remember.

Xue yang: Shanshan, you're bi right? You had that crush on Qin Su?

You'll understand my bi heart.

Su she: yea. Empress Qin is very attractive. But I have to oppress my feelings, right. *blush* she's glamorous just like Huangdi.

Xue yang: exactly.

Wen qing: greetings Tai Hou. *bow*

Meng Shi: hello dear. Discard the formalities.

Wen qing: sure.

Meng Shi: A-Yao's friends are like his family.

A-Yao's Jing Manor is your Jing Manor. Feel right at home.

Wen qing: *smiling* thank you, taihou.

Meng Shi: you're very lovely.

Wen Qing: thanks a lot.

Yao: Wen Qing, I got some complimentary gifts for you.

It's our custom here to buy gifts for our guests and allies.

Attendants: *walking out with jewelry, incense burners, clothes and ornaments.

Wen qing: they're really beautiful. And you always have great tastes. I remember that Wen outfit of yours vividly.

Yao: *laughing* oh you remember that?! I also loved my Wen clothes.

Therfore I saved it with me.

Yao: the wen clothes and my other outfits are now relics in Jingjing, yet I can still access it.

It's weird when you're the emperor right, haha. Safe keepers would collect everything you use.

Wen qing: *laughing* weird life right.

Yao: indeed. But I like it.

Meng Shi: it's great that they honour their Huangdi.

Xue yang: Wen Qing. *smirk* remember me?

Wen Qing: obviously xue yang. The one who keeps getting on Wen Ruohan's nerves.

The biggest gremlin in Qishan.

Xue yang: all that introduction. I'm flattered.

Wen Qing, I think I'm sick. I ate too much candy. Can you, can you give me a check up? Please.

Wen qing: *pulls out needles* long or short?

Xue yang: don't scare me like that, wen qing.

Your needles and Jiggy's guqin strings and hensheng are the sexiest weapons.

Su she: ugh, don't listen to him. Ms Wen I thought that you were burnt due to guangshit's request.

Wen qing: hence I'm a phoenix spirit empress. The phoenix is known for being born from ashes.

And I have always loved fire.

Su she: that's marvelous.

Mo xuanyu: we're happy to have you here.

Xue yang: and I'm certainly happy to have you here. With Jiggy. You two are really gorgeous.

Wen qing: xue yang, do you have somewhere else to be?!

Xue yang: with you and Jiggy.

Yao: sorry about my team dimple, Ms Wen.

Wen qing: it's ok. And I know about xue yang's gremlin behavior.

Yao: good. He's quite the gremlin.

Xue yang: you two are rude. But I don't mind.

Yao: now tell me about your empire.

Wen qing: it have a population of 1.2 million phoenix spirits.

We use fire for cultivation and most of our fighting. We don't really fight anyone, as we're all physicians. My people and I decide to live in peace.

Yao: I commend you on that.

And us fox spirits know a lot about using fire as a weapon. It's called Kitsunabe.

Wen Qing: how interesting.

Yao: shall we continue the conversation over tea?

Wen qing: that would be lovely.

Yao: well then!

~~

Both: *having tea*

Wen qing: we're big healers now, and I love my job a lot.

Yao: hmm. Same here.

Being huangdi is great.

Wen qing: yea. You get to serve people, and learn about them. There's no war or oppression, but immortal peace.

Yao: right.

This Huyao empire is indeed peaceful.

Yes they were a few conspiracies but I protected my people at the end of the day.

Wen qing: you're very strong Yao Huangdi. Well you must be.

Working for that psychotic and vile Wen Ruohan would drive someone insane.

I have only stayed for a while because he gave A-Ning and I shelter.

Yao: but it's good that you went on your own, and made your own decisions. And as you said, Ruohan would send someone insane.

Wen qing: when I perform acupuncture for him, sometimes I wish I could have stuck him in his neck vein.

Yao: oh dear.

I'm glad everything is over.

Wen qing: same!

Wen qing: now how should we form bonds?

Yao: I'll give you 600 hulijing warriors for the protection of your phoenix empire.

Wen qing: I'm very grateful, Yao Huangdi. Thank you.

Yao: and your phoenix spirits can come here freely, without a pass.

I'll stamp it into action.

Wen qing: *smile*

And I'll gift you 600 physicians and 50 specialists in you and your empire's service.

Yao: thank you Wen Huanghou. I'm grateful.

Wen qing: my pleasure.

Those specialists are only for your family and closest allies by the way.

But the 600 are for the empire.

Yao: I see. How delightful.

Wen qing: Yao Huangdi you're truly an amazing host, and your tea is delicious.

Yao: I'm glad that I had met the standards of the phoenix spirit empress.

Wen qing: haha, I'm not that hard to please. But you're an amazing host.

Now how's Zixuan Huangdi?

Yao: he's alright, but still kinda weak.

Wen qing: mpreg isn't natural, so that's why he would feel weaker than a woman who has given birth.

I'll give him some pills and a concoction that will restore energy and help his qi.

Yao: marvelous. You're really talented.

Wen qing: thank you.

Yao: Ms Wen, what's your favourite flower?

Wen qing: uh. I love roses!

Yao: great. Roses will be planted in one of my gardens.

It's just that, I have four main gardens. Where one is used to plant respective flowers. For example, there are lotuses for Jiang, the mulberry for Nies, peonies for Jin, orchids for Lans, lilacs for Moling Su and so on.

Wen qing: that's so beautiful.

Well have some roses planted then!

Yao: as you say.

Rusong and Jingyi: *entering*

Yao: ah, here they are.

Ms Qing, these two are my pride and joy!

This Rusong, my eldest son. My flesh and blood!

Rusong: nice to meet you, phoenix empress. *bow*

Wen qing: hi Rusong Dianxia. Nice to meet you too.

And you resemble Yao huangdi a lot. Down to his dimples.

Rusong: thanks. I get that a lot.

Yao: and this is my adopted son, Jingyi of Gusulan. He's also the apple of my eye.

Jingyi: greetings.

You're Sizhui's aunt?!!!!!

Wen qing: yes I am. How is he?

Jingyi: he's cool. Lan at heart.

Wen qing: but Wen at birth.

He's excellent.

And what about my A-Ning?

Jingyi: the ghost general??

Wen qing: you don't need to call him that again. He's my little bro, A-Ning.

Jingyi: sorry. Wen Ning is still wei wuxian's bestie. And Wangxian's third wheel.

Wen qing: good. I must pay him a visit. You know I miss him a lot.

Yao: how about I escort you to the cloud recesses to see your brother. It would be a pleasure.

Wen qing: thank you, Yao Huangdi. And I know that you have some ties with the lans.

Yao: ties? *laughing*

Wen qing: I heard you when you said orchids for Lans.

Yao: oh waw, the empress has a great memory.

Wen qing: hmm. Just like the emperor.

Wen qing: tomorrow we'll bring the medicine for Xuan Huangdi, if you insist.

Yao: mn. The guest knows best.

Wen qing: what a nice slogan, customer service.

Yao: thank you, Ms Wen.

~

Later on, Qin Su joined A-Yao and Wen Qing.

Qin su: hello Yao huangdi. And Wen Qing! It has been a while! *hugs* how are you?

Wen qing: I'm great.

Your fabulous Huangdi and I had just became business partners.

Qin su: that's delightful!

Yao Huangdi is brilliant indeed.

Surely he'll preserve great bonds with your empire.

Wen qing: without a doubt.

Yao: A-Su. Have some tea and snacks. I insist.

Qin Su: of course.

Yao: have you met A-niang yet?

Qin Su: no. She was busy with the temple.

Yao: yes.

Wen qing: hmmm, I see a little sparrrkkk. Is Meng Furen restored again?

Yao and Qin Su: *blushing*

Meng Shi and Sisi: *spying in them*

Meng Shi: *to Sisi* oh goodness. Too much cuteness. I'm gonna faint.

Sisi: please don't faint, Huanghou jiejie. But then your future daughter-in-law might have to bring you back to health.

Meng Shi: that would be splendid.

Let's go before we get caught.

Yao: yes Ms Wen. We're planning on getting remarried.

Wen Qing: congratulations!

Qin Su: *blush*

Yao: keep it between us ok.

Qin su: the hulijings will start a rave beforehand, lol.

They have a party nature, and they're passionate about their Huangdi.

Wen Qing: waw you know so much.

Qin su: I'm half fox spirit so I know. And I'm married to my Huangdi!

....

Su she: *writing in his journal*

Xue yang: aren't they hot?

I'm so blessed to see supermodels everyday. Also I see a supermodel when I look in the mirror. Hehehehe.

Mo xuanyu: would Yao gege love me more than HER.

Xue yang: Wen Qing? Or Qin su?

Mo xuanyu: don't say HER name!

Xue yang: *laughing* which one dude! I'm confused.

Su she: relax. They're just business partners.

Mo xuanyu: and about Su jiejie?!! I'm ruined!!

Xue yang: drama much.

Mo xuanyu: shady much!

Mo xuanyu: *pouts* you know, I get jealous when Yao gege talks to anyone else who's not team D.

Xue yang: why jelly dude? Jiggy loves his team dimple. And I ship them three together.

Shanshan, how much do you rate her?

Su she: 5/10. While Qin Su is a 7.

I'm in love with Huangdi.

Xue yang: I'll give her like a 9.5. Jiggy is 1 trillion out of 10.

Mo xuanyu: she isn't pretty at all.

And I could do makeup better than her!

Shanshan, what are you writing in your journal?

Su she: you know I write about Huangdi and how *blush* how glorious he looks.

Mo xuanyu: awww. I do agree.

Xue yang: hella hot.

Su she: today his skin looked so radiant. Not that it doesn't always look radiant.

He just looks so cute and cuddly today.

Mo xuanyu: because he's our Yao gege!

Mo xuanyu: at least SHE is cooler than Lan lips.

Xue yang: yea Qin Su is 100% more awesome than Lan lips.

Su she: as if. When were Lans ever cool.

[gladiatefm]

" katniss , it feels like just yesterday i was interviewing you for the very first time , it has been an honour to watch your family grow . how does it feel to be volunteering again ? "

" your bravery never amazes us all , but do you wish you had peeta in the arena with you again ? you two make such a fabulous team after all . . . "

" well katniss , i do hope i get to see you back in the capitol soon . if you do make it out , please tell me if we can expect any more everdeen - mellark babies ! "

she is not ready to perform for these people , but katniss supposes that she must . she has done this song and dance before , and back then cinna had told her just to look at him , to meet his eye and speak to her friend . she has a lot of friends these days — more than she wants , and their gazes reach to her in the audience .

" katniss , it feels like just yesterday i was interviewing you for the very first time , it has been an honour to watch your family grow . how does it feel to be volunteering again ? "

" well , caesar , it certainly seems that way . you look amazing ! " caesar breaks out in a delighted grin , his head shaking almost humbly . " i can honestly say it feels . . . devastating . to know that no matter how this plays out , peeta and willow lose someone is almost too much to bear . " this garners a heartbroken groan from the audience , already she can hear sniffles , tears mopped up in expensive , silken hankies . " i just don't know how they're going to get through it . "

she hears something , a voice in the crowd calls out in devastation , caesar's gaze darkens every so slightly and katniss feels a fire in the pit of her stomach . she wants to see them cry , she wants them to understand what they are doing .

" your bravery never ceases to amaze us all , but do you wish you had peeta in the arena with you again ? you two make such a fabulous team after all . . . "

" ah , caesar . i wish i could take peeta everywhere with me . " she pauses , takes a moment to ' collect herself ' , but katniss is surprised to find that some of the tears that spring to her eyes are very real . " but this is the hunger games , right ? i don't have that luxury . honestly , the last twenty years are more than i ever could have dreamed of ; to have two beautiful children and spend so long married to the man i love . . . i feel like the luckiest girl in the world . " her voice breaks and the crowd coos , the crying more evident as they openly sob for the star - crossed lovers , and she wonders how the hell they've gotten this far in life if they can fall for such rotten acting . " i'm sorry caesar . . . i . . . "

" oh no , katniss please don't apologise ! " caesar crows , reaching out to hand her a tissue which she gratefully accepts , dabbing at her eye make up beneath the veil she'd been dressed in . mourning clothes , how apt .

" it's just hard to say goodbye to someone you love so much . " she shrugs , looking to the crowd and finding hundreds of distraught faces looking back at her , devastated by what is being taken from their star - crossed lovers .

" well katniss , i do hope i get to see you back in the capitol soon . if you do make it out , please tell me if we can expect any more everdeen - mellark babies ! "

this takes her aback . no longer spurred on by the responses to her words , katniss finds her own eyes darkening . a rage ignites her and she finds herself moving , only stopping herself at the last minute and making it look as though she had just been trying to adjust her dress . of course , she was about to grab caesar by the hair and throw him across the damned stage . this is who they are . this is who they really are .

" i don't know , caesar . we love our family the way it is , it's just a shame that we don't get to keep it after all that we went through to get it . "