#to be independent/have her own head a bit like Eloise?

[castelled-away]

I am rewatching bridgerton s3 again before part 2 drops and am hoping beyond hoping that Hyacinth will turn out to be bit of a tomboy when she gets her story

[yellingart]

Next two entries of Plastic Fantastic This time is about Megara and her inhability to admit to herself that maybe at some point it won't be a crisis to settle down with a man she likes.

Fourteen hours of flight were far too many for Megara, she was used to long flights but never liked them but at least she had good company for this one. Sitting next to her in the plane, the annoying blonde man that was making his way into her thoughts every so often. Thomas Bennet, who she had convinced through a lot of asking to sign up to this competition with her, so they could travel around afterwards on their own accord. She needed a partner in crime, right… Not every summer you have the chance to spend the summer in Europe and she had a long bucket list, horses to see and places to visit. She wasn’t coming home empty handed either.

She had never been a big boy crazy girl, she definitely had played around but always kept herself level headed, really, always independent and always in control. It was the boys that were crazy about her, usually… so she didn’t have an excuse for the knot that formed in her chest when Bennet crossed her path.

She looked up from her phone, the Farran family was sitting in front of her, Eloise reading a book, Charity chatting Vesta up... The other teen seemed completely unbothered and just looked at her phone while the redhead girl spoke her mind. And the youngest, Felicity.

Jack was grabbing snacks or... something, she didn't even know.

Megara wasn’t the biggest fan of the traveling arrangement but it was… fun, to travel with your club, it built…. community or whatever, traveling as a team was important in a sport as divisory as equitation was.

And the kids adored her, she knew they did.

Her eyes back to her phone.

'Hurry up, I'm bored" She typed on her phone, tapping with her finger on the edge of her phone case, new and pink to fit the theme of the competition they would be attending, she also had bought a new tack for Deli.

Really, just an excuse to go on a shopping spree, maybe. But it was fun.

Ting New message, she didn't even think before checking it out. 'Didn't realize I was your source of entertainment, Princes' A grin spread in her face immediately as she started moving her fingers over the screen.

'You look new' she started, 'that's the only reason I'm bringing you along'

She bit the inside of her lip as she shook her head slightly.

Phone put down, the only thing left to do to entertain herself was looking over the crowds of people, hoping to spot the two blondes above the sea of heads. And she did, Killion had spotted them and was raising his hand towards them. She also raised her hand to indicate that she had seen them as they made their way through.

"Oh, finally!" She exclaimed, hands in the air as she checked up and down the airport outfit of her man, comfortable sweatpants for once instead of a black tie outfit to sit on a plane. "Can't believe you actually listen to me!" She teased, grin on her face. "Is that coffee? Can I have a sip?" She immediately reached with her hand, waiting for him to hand the cup to her.

"You say that like I have a choice" Thomas teased her back, she smiled knowing the girlfriend tax should be paid anyway, and the man ended up passing the cup to her to have a sip.

The plane trip was awfully long, most of them slept at least for half of it. Jack and Killion hit it off talking about, god knows what, they probably didn’t fully know themselves. At times it was a guessing game to try and figure out what language they were even speaking. The rest of the family seemed to prefer sleeping through the hours-long trip, as much as they could. Vesta was the only one tha Megara could see awake, but she was listening to music and ignoring the world, reading back and forth the conversation with... someone, she didn't know, didn't know the girl enough to ask. But it seemed like she was the only one replying to messages in that conversation.

Megara found herself a little restless. Sitting next to Thomas, he attempted to sleep with a hand resting on her thigh, while she watched her show.

After an hour or so flying over just the Atlantic with nothing else interesting to look at, and most of the plane sleeping, she decided she could maybe… Revise once more the recordings for their reprise on the Pas De Deux, just one more time and then she’d sleep till they landed. Just one more time. She glanced towards Thomas, and he seemed asleep... Softly she let herself rest her head on the man's shoulder as she scrolled through the gallery on her tablet, with so many videos of their training, to analyze and polish at home. So many faulty takes, jokes, commentaries. Finally she found it, the last full run of the test they did at Amethyst K before leaving.

Soon, the melody of the Tango of Roxanne started on her earbuds, and the video started to play on the screen of her tablet, it was a sunny day at Amethyst K, Killion was recording, and Thomas was arguing with him for messing up the entry moment of the music just a minute before that. They were about to try again, Thomas on one side of the arena, and she herself on the other. The blonde man was seen raising his hand giving the queue to start the music. A few chords of piano faded away as Thomas approached the center of the arena and then her cue started to play, carrying the energetic part of the performance Deli and her moved with the violas, violins and contrabass, creating an intense unraveling melody that Deli danced to with fury.

Tonka and Thomas locked up with the rhythmic melody of the guitar and percussion, strong and perfectly fitting with the music. Around the mark of one minute, both melodies started to engage with each other, and so did them in perfect sync with the vocals. First verse put Megara and Deli on the spot, it was powerful and explosive, very expressive. Then as the second verse started, softly singing to Roxane, Thomas started to gain protagonism with a choreography that was much more delicate. The energy of the performance quickly started to raise in crescendo towards the third verse where both voices join in a descending spiral of madness, which was the cue for Megara’s favorite part of the performance, where both Tonka and Deli locked in to a joint pirouette around each other.

It was a goosebump worthy performance, and Megara was so proud of it. Her only concern was… well, theming it correctly. She finally put down the tablet, and glanced at Thomas, who by that point had been sleeping for a hot minute. This performance was sort of… a love letter to their relationship this far. A reference to Thomas’ first impression of her as a man-eating woman, and how that worm got in his head till it made him lose it.

And it was starting to make her lose hers.

Arriving in Greece was as busy as one can imagine for an international flight. Awfully tedious passport checkup, security, and yet an immense feeling of dread and urgency to get to the next spot as fast as they could even though that would not make the process any faster.

When they got outside, finally, the sky was painted bright oranges and pinks, and they could see the looming silhouette of mount Hymettus over the city of Atenas. They had to rush into a couple of uber to get to the boat that would take them to the island where Echo Beach was located. By the time they sailed, it was already dark and they could only see the lights of the city get further and further away as they got deeper into the Aegean sea. She leaned towards Thomas, wrapping herself in her jacket to protect herself from the cool sea breeze. 

They arrived to their room kind of late, but honestly she wasn’t sure what hour her internal clock was trying to tell her it was. She didn’t feel tired, actually, quite the opposite, as they got changed into more comfortable clothes to spend the night. She took out her clothes for the following day, her pink gown for their Pas de Deux and hung it in the closet, first thing, so it had time to straighten itself up before wearing it the following day. She also got herself into some comfy red and white shorts, that let you read the print “enemy of the state” on the back, and a sports bra. She put her hair up and went to see if she could bother Thomas to entertain herself. Found him sitting in the bed, absent minded.

“Have you put your suit away…?” She asked, making her way to sit on his lap, straddling her legs across him. “Are you tired, I’m really not, I was thinking we could do something fun” She started, her arms resting over his shoulders and her fingers running thru his hair, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips.

She made eye contact with the man, raising her eyebrows slightly as she very obviously let her eyes dance down to his lips, just to then look back up to meet his eyes with the most innocent look she could pull in that moment.

The night wouldn’t go how Thomas expected from here on, and he would end up showing up to breakfast with a hat on to hide as much as he could the color of their 3 am dye crimes. -------------------------------

“Soooo are you nervous?” Eloise asked the black haired woman as she sat in the beach towel, putting her hair up on a bun and securing it with a hair clip.

The kids were having a blast, swimming, catching little fish and crabs on the shore, enjoying the beach morning time before the competition actually got started. The boys were the ones that were over to the stables, checking the horses, making sure everything was up to their expectations. “Who, me?” Megara propped herself on her elbows, laying belly down under the sun. “Nah- I try to not think about it, what good’s it going to make” She started with a smile, putting a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Too late to make any substantial change anyway, if anything goes wrong, then it wasn’t meant to be”

“That’s a way to think about it” The older woman smiled back. “And what about that boy of yours, is he nervous?”

Megara seemed to be surprised by the mention of the blonde man from Amethyst K Farms, Thomas seemed to have caught the attention of her peers at West Winds and she wasn’t sure how she felt about being read as a couple.

The black haired woman probably hesitated for a moment too long, because Eloise felt the need to add a little apology after a few seconds of silence. “Don’t mean to make you uncomfortable darling, are you not…. together?”

“Oh no we are, I guess uhm… Kinda” She turned around, to lay with her back down in the towel, hand up in the air to block the sun from her face. “We haven’t really talked about it, but I guess we are”

“Oh that’s sweet dear, I’m happy for you” Eloise continued, with a small giggle. “How did it happen if I might ask?” 

Inmediatly, an involuntary smile took over the girl’s face. “Ohhh you wouldn’t believe it, but actually I accidentally grabbed his halter instead of Deli’s at one show and that’s how we met, he was kind of an asshole, then Deli almost trashes his face, and it kinda went up from there…” She started explaining, hand gesturing in the air. “We kept seeing each other at shows, I guess, we started to go out together sometimes… after shows, then, at home too.” She got a little flustered, bringing a little color to her face. “You know how it goes, but we haven’t really, talk about it so he’s not… my boy it’s not… that serious.”

“But do you want it to be, love?” Eloise’s voice was sweet and caring as she spoke. Laying belly down and propped on her elbows, half under the umbrella and half under the sun. Megara thought about it for a long moment, all while Eloise moved sand in a little hill under her towel to make a little pillow. “You don’t have to answer me, darling, after all it isn’t my business if you don’t want it to be, but you can always come talk if you so wish” She smiled lightly, but Megara seemed unsure still, pressed her lips together and avoided the gaze of the redhead woman.

“I do, I think I do want it” She mumbled after a while. “You have time, love, don’t rush if you’re not sure” Eloise incorporated herself to sit on her towel, looking at the other woman more seriously. “I mean it, neither of you is in a rush but I do think, if you’ll allow me a piece of advice, that sometimes risks like that are worth taking, you never know it might be the one”

“Oh m- no, I, I don’t- he’s not the one, I don’t think there’s a one” Megara quickly defended, to which Eloise showed her hands in a defensive gesture.

“Alright, love, it’s ok” Eloise soothed her back. “As long as you’re happy, I’m sure time will figure it out for you” The two women were silent for a few minutes, toasting in the sun in their own way. The kids came back, Charity caught a crab that she wanted to keep in their bucket to show her dad later, Feli wanted a snack, even though she had had breakfast not even an hour ago. Vesta finally came out of her room, dressed with shorts and her t-shirt that she seemed to use to travel with -an old band t-shirt- and little to no intention to get anywhere near the water.

The morning seemed to just be following its course, calmly but surely.

Jack rolled by after a while, to check on his family.

“We’re gonna stop by to watch the halter show” He informed his wife after kissing her cheek and saying hi to the kids. “If you wanna come”

“Mmmmm, I think I’m going to stay here for as long as the weather allows us” She answered back, smiling at him. “Take photos, if some of them catch your eye.” “I will” Another light kiss this time on the lips “I’ll see you at lunch”

He left just as quick as he arrived, Charity left with him, excited to go change and start to see some movement. She had always been a daddy’s girl, since she was little following him around everywhere, fascinated by his every move.

Megara couldn’t help but take note mentally of these dynamics. The family seemed like such a… perfect, perfect family. She didn’t really buy it, but again, was her own worries talking. It seemed difficult to conceive they could have so little problems that they wouldn’t ever be seen from the outside.

“How did you and Jack, you know, how did that happen?” She asked, “If I may ask”

Eloise seemed to be almost sleep by that point under the sun, looking up at the other woman, rubbing one side of her face.

“Ohhhh it was a very long time ago, we met in highschool actually, my parents went through one of those phases of ‘I want my kids to have a normal highschool experience’ and sent us one year to public school just so we would… Understand, the world or something.” She smiled “I didn’t want to go at the time I was terrified. And I met him there, he had been thrown back a couple years because he and his mother had just moved to the country from Mexico and he didn’t speak the language very well.” She explained, accompanying herself by a slouchy hand gesture. “I had good grades so I was set up to help him with stuff which, I guess if you look at it that way it was our teacher that set us up together huh” A little giggle “But, we started to spend a lot of time together, and uh, you know his mom Tiya she’s a teacher in our riding school-” “Yeah I’ve seen her around” Megara clarified, listening to her story. “Good- well back then she had a very small business of trail riding, and Jack helped a lot with that. So we started to hang out there so I could help him with homework, every day and well you know, some times when someone’s really passionate about something it gets you excited too, he was incredibly passionate about horses, half the horses they had there for trail riding he had broken in himself as a teenager. He was waking up at 4 in the morning to feed all the horses, then after school he’d be back to do some of the rides so his mother could take a break. Really dedicated and really wanted to work in the industry, but it’s hard- Hell, you know how hard it can be to get a foot down in it if you aren’t born on it or have money, so lucky for him I was and I had money, begged my parents to move some threads to get him into the jockey school and he was accepted. Shortly after that he dropped out of highschool to dedicate more time to that, and I graduated. He asked me out finally after all this at my graduation and by that point I knew we had come into each other's lives for the better and for the long run, so we got married in- months after that.”

“Oh- oh wow, that’s fast” Megara exclaimed.

“Well, I guess but sometimes you just know, you know when someone makes you happy enough to live off of that happiness for the rest of your life.” She smiled, playing with her hands in the sand in front of her. “We were far from perfect though, but we were happy, and worked through our issues” She added. “One of the main issues we have is that my parents hate him, for example, god, they were close to not even come to the wedding, but you know, lately I’d say we’re on better terms. The second child really started to make them want to be involved grandparents again” She let out a little laugh. Megara, on the other hand, seemed more invested in that kinda chaos than anything else. “Ohhh well and were you” She asked, seemingly innocently, and it made Eloise get flustered, covering her whole face in a tint of red.

“Oh! Gosh maybe, we didn’t know at the time but Charity came about nine months after the wedding so you can surely do the math” She admitted in a hush “But my point is, you gotta find someone that makes you excited about the future”

Meg hummed and nodded with her head. Lots of things in her mind as she got up from her towel. “I’ll keep that in mind, I’m going to the water for a bit.” She stated, already starting to walk towards the water.

Eloise waved her goodbye and changed positions again to be fully in the shade of the umbrella, as the sun got higher and higher in the sky and could start to burn.

[writing-whump]

Intimacy lines

Summary: Eloise and Paxton recenlty moved in together and struggle with new intimacy lines, when Paxtion doesn’t feel well. Fluffy, belly rubs, burps, embarrassment. 

Lots of people fall head over heels in love every month or so since they were 12 years old. Eloise wondered if she was late, when she didn’t share this apparently exciting experience in her first 24 years of life.

Turns out, it only takes the right boy.

Eloise needed more time to become interested in love. And she needed the right opportunity and the right place. While turning down admittedly wonderful and nice guys that she simply and regrettably just didn’t feel anything for, he finally came.

Paxton Winters.

Studied a combination of law and IT, had a cool job at the ministry of foreign affairs as a risk analytic. Three years older, mature, sophisticated, perfect gentleman. It made an embarrassingly huge difference, that he knew how to dress, knew to wear an expensive perfume and that he would open the doors and treat her as utmost precious, with eloquence, grace and elegance she didn’t even dream of.

A year later she felt secure enough to move in with him. It was still all very new though. They saw each other almost everyday before and they met each other’s families, even had a trip together, but it was different to wake up next to each other, to share a bathroom, to be mindful of each other all the time. Eloise lived with her parents until then, not hurrying away for how close they all were while Paxton lived with his childhood friend Carter since their dorms in high school. These were all giant shocks for their systems and she was aware and prepared for it.

She wasn’t entirely prepared for how it would look, when Paxton didn’t feel well.

They sat in their own living room, used to working independently on their projects in silence next to each other. They switched in making tea, took breaks to share newest most fascinating information, his law exams coupled with practice days and her working on her anthropological essay. A fruitful cosy day.

But she was noticing little off signs. Like that Paxton didn’t eat anything for breakfast, when he made her the ham and eggs with cucumber salad. Or that he drank exclusively mint tea today, although he loved earl grey with milk. Or that he had been slowly migrating through the room to sit on the opposite end behind the kitchen table instead of with her at the couch, as if she wouldn’t notice the gurgly noises his stomach was making. She kept glancing at him, how puffed out his belly was and how he inconspicuously slid a hand to massage his stomach behind the table.

Like at that moment.

Eloise glanced up from behind her blue light protective glasses, when another loud grumble sounded through the room. Paxton tensed on his chair, but kept eyes on the laptop in front of him as if he could burn the sound away with laser focus.

She bit her bottom lip. Should she say something? What should she say? He was clearly embarrassed, all tensed up like that.

She sighted. Whenever this relationship stuff came up, she had no experience to draw on, which was not something you admitted to at 25. It was not something she liked to talk about with Paxton either, so he wouldn’t think he had an upper hand or something.

Usually, she would have just gone to her mother or grandfather for advice. They both loved analysing her relationships with her and gave her amazing advice that didn’t make sense to her at all, until she saw it play out perfectly in action. Not having her mom at hand or having the ability to just call her right this second to talk it over was nerve-wracking.

There was one universal rule her mom left her with though: Do whatever you feels good to you. It was like following your instinct, your feelings, and not letting yourself be pushed into anything uncomfortable. Okay fine. But following feelings for Eloise was another challenge. She was a strictly rational person. Her fulfilment and calling in life was to think and analyse things. Asking her to let go of her thoughts and follow feelings was ridiculous. As if she could just switch off the part of her she was proud of the most.

But then, her love for Pax wasn’t just rational. It made sense to her logically, but there was an attractiveness factor that couldn’t be explained, a pull he had on her that she only ever saw in romantic movies before and dismissed as unrealistic.

She had that with him. And she was immensely grateful to be able to feel so much for someone.

Follow your feelings it is, she decided, shutting off her laptop. A nervous itch climbed up her chest, but she still made the few steps to the kitchen table to slide down on the long comfy bank beside Paxton.

Paxton cleared his throat, but didn’t acknowledge her presence otherwise. Being this close, she noticed how hard he clenched his jaw, muscles around his cheekbones working uneasily. There was sweat glistening on his forehead and his usually well-kept raven hair was slick with it, plastered to his temples. His hand quickly moved away from his stomach, where she could see on the crumpled hem exactly where and how strong he had been holding it.

Her heart was hammered in her throat. This shouldn’t be so hard. If only she had chosen one of those nice guys that obviously loved her way more than she did in return. She could have had control over her feelings, could have kept her head.

She shook her head as the thought passed through her ears, from one end to another. Nonsense. She didn’t have control here, but that was what made her so invested.

Taking a deep breath and locking her fingers in her lap, she leaned into Paxton’s neck and kissed him slightly under the ear. When he didn’t react, she kissed him again, on the side of his chin and breathed in his scent.

Eloise felt him relax at her touch, breathing out deeply and slumping back slightly. Encouraged, she slid her hand around his back, lying her head on his shoulder.

“Hey. Your stomach feeling off?” she whispered, like it was a secret.

He sighted again, but didn’t pull away. Silence rang through the uneasy pause.

“...Yeah,” he muttered, teeth clenched, but tone resigned.

Eloise kissed him again on his sweaty neck. “What’s wrong?”

Paxton swallowed. “It’s just upset for some reason. I’m sorry it's making so much noise.” With Paxton’s pale complexion, his redding cheeks really shined.

“It’s no trouble,” she breathed into his neck. She wanted to show him with the contact that she didn’t find it remotely repulsive. That it was fine, just the two of them. And it was true. That was how she felt. A warm sensation spilled over her chest with the realization, which gave her the audacity to keep one hand wrapped around him, while the other sneaked over to his hand. She squeezed the clenched fingers and then let her hand hover over his belly.

“Can I…?” her throat was so clogged up from nervosity she couldn’t make herself formulate the offer in words. Paxton winced against her and she felt his head move towards her, her face safely tucked against his neck.

Another deep breath. A tense pause. And then he nodded against her.

Her hand slipped over to his belly immediately. She kept her touch light and gentle, exploring the gurgly organ. His stomach was bulged out, like he ate a whole watermelon. The rambling gurgles were mostly located at the lower half and when she traced it with her palms, she could feel the movement of pressure and air inside.

“Is this okay?” she whispered as she massaged slight circles into his stomach in a clockwise direction.

Instead of an answer she felt his lips on her forehead as his head turned. They were cold.

Taking it as a yes, she put both of her hands to work, massaging and exploring, focusing entirely on his body’s responses.

She felt a tension under her fingers and pushed gently at it. Paxton gasped suddenly under her hands, turning his head away as much as he could. She felt his throat bob beside her.

“Come on, Pax. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. It’s absolutely unacceptable.”

She giggled at the vehemency. “You aren’t feeling well. Relax. Let me ease it up.”

“Gross.”

“It’s your body. Everyone needs to do it.”

“I’m not everyone and you are a lady.”

“I’m your girlfriend. We are home. You have to be able to do it somewhere.”

“That makes it worse.”

“Oh for Christ’s sake…” Eloise pushed harder, kneading deeply into the sensitive skin. Paxton winced under her as if shot, and a muffled burp escaped his lips.

“Eloise…!” he tried to pull away from her, but she had him trapped between the table and the wall. Now that she could tell the bubbles apart, the puffy stomach easily giving away to her touches, she felt more confident.

A long breathy burp rushed out of Paxton’s lips and he immediately clapped both his hands over his mouth, eyes flying open in horror.

“It can’t feel good with all that gas trapped inside,” she chided.

“You-” he hiccuped and then leaned forward over the table, elbows planted down and hiding his face in his hands. But he left himself wide open to her administrations, so she continued her work. His embarrassment was endearing to her. Always so protective of what she could see about him.

His stomach wasn’t gurgling so angrily anymore. In fact, it was calming down under her hands, which made her excited. She did it! She was doing something right!

She pulled away, laughing softly as he took deep breaths and directed a sulky glare from under his arms.

“Feeling better?” she asked with a grin, patting his back a few times.

The touch kickstarted a series of small burps and he pressed his forehead against the table again. “Ugh, kill me.”

“No can do. I’m here to make you more alive, after all.” She pressed herself against him, planting a kiss on his exposed neck. His ears were burning red.

“How can you stand-”

“Because it’s you. I couldn’t find you gross if I tried,” she promised, kissing his cheek. Her face was almost entirely squeezed inside the little bunker he made of his arms.

Paxton sighted again, but then wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, snuggling against the cool surface of the table. Trapped inside his arms. Not bad at all.

[tiffanytoms]

What is "essential" for you when characterizing Lily and James?

Hi Eloise❣️

Oh! I love this question! I thought about it for James long and hard when writing EW because I obviously wanted to make him evil while still having him feel like James, and I wrote down all my thoughts on that here 😁

For Lily, I dunno, I guess it’s a bit harder to put into words. (Haaaa, maybe it’s bc I personally relate to James more, so she’s this unknown wonderful enigma whom I love.)

Cheeky. Obviously cheeky. Like, do you get how sassy and wonderful you have to be in order to get labeled it by a professor? Like this is no wilting wallflower nor is she some goody two-shoes — even if she was smart and responsible enough to make Head Girl. This girl can cut a bitch with her sass and I love that for her.

That being said, the professor in question still liked her. I find that insanely impressive, which implies she had a level of skill and cunning whilst applying said sass. Also explains why Slughorn thought she should be a Slytherin even when she was a Gryffindor.

The Gryffindor aspect also obviously gives her bravery and loyalty and all that jazz, but she was also labeled as kind. And I think that’s important, bc we have this girl who’s an outsider and bullied by a lot of the wizarding population, but she’s still willing to hear individual people out (Snape) and make her own opinions about them despite what her house and the status quo says, which makes me thinks she’s super independent and stubborn too. She literally walked away from a group of girls to go yell at James — this popular, hot, Quidditch star — all by herself. Mind you, she’s a teenager, and she’s like, “No, you’re wrong, and I’m going to tell you why.” That takes balls. I also love that one of her only flashbacks is her absolutely annihilating this man, and she’s still labeled as kind. To me, it just goes to show that she’s strong willed too, and suffers not a single fool. She didn’t need backup like he did, she was like, “Yo, let me teach this idiot a lesson,” and then she did.

Obviously this stubbornness can work in her detriment in that she denied going out with her husband for years after he asked her out 😅 but, you know. Girl’s got standards 😉 But at least she can admit when she’s wrong. Humility.

TL;DR: Lily characteristics in green! 💚

[nancythedrew]

Employers in ND Games Rated By Likelihood of an OSHA Violation

On a scale of 1-10, a 10 meaning holy shit OSHA needs to intervene ASAP and a 1 meaning I would generally be fine working here. Also I just took Employment Law so I’m gonna be that nitpicky person that recognizes that only employees, not independent contractors, are subject to OSHA regulations. 

SCK1: The pliers being used to fix a gas leak later swapped with a ladle is not a great solution, but what’s more concerning is what kind of godforsaken gas is coursing through the veins of that kitchen that if he doesn’t have something supporting it for 3 seconds the ENTIRE building is engulfed in flames? Are they cooking on a stove using methane gas? 9/10

SCK-Remastered: Organizing all those unrelated books is probably a pain in the ass for Aunt Eloise but not a safety risk. Getting pistol whipped by your “boss” who isn’t even an actual cop probably sucks but Nancy was functioning more as an independent contractor. I don’t remember what happens in the boiler room exactly, but I don’t think the chains on it were by design, and there was definitely a way to cool that place off if needed, so no -major- hazard. 4/10

STFD: The ability to lock that soundstage so that not even security or the fire department can get in is a lawsuit waiting to happen. The threats and stuff that Rick get probably don’t matter because he’s an independent contractor (although -maybe- an employee if he’s getting contracted season after season??), but the security overall is sus given how easily Owen Spayder snuck in. Imagine if they had some kind of sexual harassment complaint and the offender is just showing up to work under a fake identity. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dwayne was doing that already as Owen. 8/10

MHM: Everyone’s probably an independent contractor so honestly OSHA probably wouldn’t even care about that questionable chandelier. The biggest hazard in the place is asking people about gum bo fu but that seems more of an interpersonal than work environment problem. 1/10

TRT: The spinning 3-step-bridge that those chains to get into the tower activate seems like a disaster. I don’t even know where that pit goes. To the laundry facility? Also the obvious steps sliding that gets Lisa at the end. But if you keep all but the most trained employees out of the tower area and elevator shaft the rest of the place is just a hotel. 3/10

FIN: The rickety lights aren’t great, but the place was gonna get torn down anyway. The wardrobes that lead to each other seems like a sexual harassment claim waiting to happen, the literal actual guillotine could cause some problems, and what the fuck was that cooler that Maya is in at the end? Nothing major that couldn’t be fixed, but as is I’d like some investigation. 5/10

SSH: Hahahah that fucking rock solid structure with stairs with no hand railings and then you walk outside and there’s still no railings even on the BRIDGE over WATER and then it makes you walk around in the dark?? Who is the poor employee who has to restock those glowsticks when they run out? Or someone drips a lil bit of water out of their water bottle onto the stairs? When they make the staff schedule for this place they better factor in the regular trips to Nurse Bluefoot’s because everyone’s gonna be getting head injuries. 9/10

DOG: We still don’t fucking know what Ranger Akers really does for work, Emily seems to run her own basic retail business, idk how Red Knott is funding his escapades. I’m gonna hope that Mickey Malone had his employees enter through the non-graveyard route that wasn’t pitch black, but I’m also really loving the idea of a speakeasy employee snitching on OSHA because they’re not getting enough bathroom breaks or something. (OSHA wasn’t formed until the 70s) 1/10

CAR: After working at a theme park this game is extra funny but like the very concept that these pieces of actual heavy machinery could just be activated at inopportune moments by a single user? Even non-malicious employees could end up fucking murdering each other because there’s no secondary accountability to these machines. Shut this place down and redesign every ride holy shit. 9/10

DDI: I doubt OSHA would figure out how to get into the tunnels from the Hot Kettle. I don’t even know who’s really in charge of the lighthouse but I think as long as they got decent training it’s not an issue. Katie’s boat and Whale World are probably fine unless Katie sends employees down to slip on the thawing fish water. 1/10

SHA: I think….all is fine? The fucked up chicken has a clear warning, the horses are taken care of by someone who’s definitely competent, Shorty’s food is probably ass but I don’t think it’s like a medical hazard. I don’t know what the fuck Mary uses to polish agates but I assume she wears proper eye wear. 0/10

CUR: The only person working a job here is Ethel, who is probably independently contracted, but I don’t think she has anything to bitch about except Nancy going down a slide and walking out of a door. 0/10

CLK: Tubby Telegrams was like the original Postmates (so, independent contractor). The tetanus nail “tip” Nancy gets isn’t great but not worth looking into. Jim Archer’s bank is vanilla as hell. We don’t get to see any of the Lilac Inn’s dining area or kitchen. What we know about the kitchen is that it fully burns down if someone leaves the stove on, but it was the 30s so was anything really safe? 0/10

TRN: Let’s maybe assume John Grey is actually an “employee” and he’s there to find ghosts for his TV show. If so, he gets a sweet ass ENTIRE CAR to himself. The engineer has nothing to complain about. I think Fatima, the mortician at the crypt who jizzes himself over Camille’s, and any and all employees at the Copper Fork seem to be working in similar conditions to your standard fast food place. 0/10

DAN: Within 3 seconds of walking into her new job, Nancy gets a plant pot thrown at her head and is expected to act like it’s no big deal. She has to pick up cockroaches which is nasty but not a health risk (I think?). Getting kicked in the titty by your boss probably violates some rights, as is the questionable reimbursement policy regarding items haggled for at Pont Neuf. 6/10

CRE: Contrary to popular sentiment, Big Island Mike’s Immersion Excursion is not a sweat shop, but is in fact a vacation experience for the whole family (just like a sweat shop). No one knows what the hell is happening at the HilliHilli but those protective suits seem like they’re probably keeping people safe, though there’s always the lingering possibility of the Hilli HIlli Homeboy himself losing his shit on you. Dr. Kim just has you pick up bug poop which is fair given you’re working with a bug doctor. I wish there was some place at her camp to wash your hands, but we can’t have everything, can we. 4/10

ICE: The strangely unsupervised and unquestioned use of firearms by Ollie is conce

(that’s all I had written for ICE in the Google Doc I found. I’m laughing because honestly I think it sums it up pretty well so I’m just gonna leave it. I don’t know why that was the only one left incomplete)

CRY: There’s pretty much no employees in this game, since Renee is independently contracted and everyone else seems to be their own boss. Even if Lamont has a couple of employees that place doesn’t seem like it screams safety hazard, even though the sink is kinda gross. 0/10

HAU: Also no employees but maybe Donal has some sort of agreement where he sells his soul to be able to wank off around the Good People on a weekly basis. Giant chunks missing from a building aren’t great, but that sheep shearer seems to have some pretty good guards and safeties on it. The bar is just a bar. 4/10

RAN: Yet again no real employees. Maybe the monkeys work for each other? I would say their conditions are safe for monkeys, but I don’t know how they get up to the top of that cliff and communicate to those at the top to stop chucking rocks for a second for the next shift to climb up and swap out.  2/10

WAC: Paige seems to have a pretty sweet set up even though her hours are wonky and she has to be wandering around the building at godforsaken hours to catch other people wandering around the building at godforsaken hours. It’s not great that the training for the snack shop it’s just a three-ring binder but it also isn’t like there’s crazy tools involved. 2/10

TOT: The volume of electronic equipment Nancy is asked to fix with no prior training is pretty dangerous, especially when she’s asked to fix an actual literal electrical socket. We know Scott was sending people out into storms they weren’t supposed to be in so I’d say even in the storm chasing industry this team was not following generally accepting procedures. 8/10

SAW: Given that someone literally died by slipping and falling accidentally (allegedly) while cleaning the baths I’d say there’s definitely some unsafe protocols at the Ryokan. Some more railings around the garden would probably be ideal, as would maybe at least a sign by that fire in the middle of the lobby. 7/10

CAP: I don’t know how to classify the tunnels and the forest because I think Nancy is warned to not go into them whatsoever and just disregards that guidance, so I’m not sure the castle as an employer is responsible. The only person really put at risk is Lukas and he’s not an employee so OSHA wouldn’t give a fuck. 3/10

ASH: Again, a lot of people who are their own employers. Also just like a not super dangerous game in general? It’s just a town and there was an arson but that doesn’t have to do with the working conditions, but everything else seems to be up to par for the 21st century. 0/10

TMB: Idk why the fuck the scaffolding collapsed but maybe we should investigate that. Also random cobras? And sand storms? And Egyptian death traps? Fortunately this game takes place outside of the US so OSHA doesn’t have to worry about this(yes I’m being arbitrary with which games I don’t care about because of their non-US location), plus I assume most were independently contracted anyway. ???/10

DED: I mean Nancy wasn’t supposed to go into the lab and start sticking her hands in all those chemicals. Like all things considered it seems like the people authorized to access the dangerous things generally have adequate training to do so. Yeah, a dude got murdered using that equipment, but maybe if they just included a safety or required turning on the coil to be a two person job that could’ve been prevented. 2/10

GTH: The Thornton business really did have its own Triangle Fire so that’s basically the gold standard for “holy shit we need government oversight here.” I don’t really know where the employees are supposed to have been working but since everyone seems to have seen spooky things on the island I’ll assume everyone was within reach of the carbon monoxide, which is an obvious hazard. 10/10

SPY: To the degree that Nancy did work for a terrorist organization she was independently contracted, as probably everyone else was. I don’t really know how OSHA works in terms of national security related government jobs where the idea is you know you might die. But given that this whole game was about a “non lethal” threat I guess it isn’t -that- bad. But getting crushed by the trash thing was probably not ideal. 4/10

MED: I have no idea what the employment situation is where ONE GUY can just “take over” the ENTIRE crew and the entire show??? If this wasn’t a children’s PC game this would be some Morning Show kind of story about how Sonny abused that power. But it’s not. And this game makes no sense. But, I would send OSHA in to figure out what the fuck the plot of this game was. 10/10

LIE: Literally has a set with actual lava and actual handcuffs and actual puzzles you have to solve to get off of the set??? 100/10 call the police too 

SEA: Really not sure who’s all working for who here (like I think we’re working for Dagny AND Magnus technically since they’re in a partnership and Dagny hired us) but I can’t remember anything much more dangerous than general sea-faring hazards and if we were Nancy we probably would’ve had adequate education or training to take care of ourselves. 3/10

MID: I don’t know why a passageway in the cemetery leads to the courthouse bathroom, but that aside most things seem to meet similar standards to ASH. The ergot poisoning is weird but doesn’t seem to be tied to a specific employer. 1/10

[dinapaulson]

The Top Ten Times Bridgerton Titillated Me AKA Gave Life

After making haste to consume the series in a day, and the next rewatching Simon and Daphnes’ scenes only (highly recommend), at the crack of the following, I realized it was the magic of seemingly smaller moments, sometimes, in the form of behind-the-scenes and back story beauty, woven into the larger storyline expositions that really stayed with me—a storytelling feat Her Majesty, Shonda Rhimes, is known for. Here are the top ten times this happened, causing my cinephile soul considerable thought and feels. 

1. Simon’s bedside manner while Daphne is in labor

It struck me the first time while watching how—how shall I put it—calm Simon looked, while Daphne screamed and breathed her head off. No, calm is not quite the word—eerily still, without any emotion or exertion of his own. At first confounded by His Grace, I realized he was terrified; scarred and petrified into a place that had no emotion to rely upon. Would Daphne survive childbirth? Was he having an out-of-body experience, imagining, as I am sure he was told, his immense a**hole of a father pacing outside the room where the Duchess was giving birth to Simon, obsessed with the “outcome” and would not deign to be by her side, what that must have felt like, to be so cold and removed from life, feeling, humanity, and here Simon was, in perfect, firm love, at Daphne's side, being a whole part of their child’s birth? (When their son is born, his stock Simon-ness returns, as he, filled with emotion, gently holds their son from Daphne’s arms, then implies, impishly, because of the Bridgerton family tradition, their son’s name must begin with “A.”)

2. A chocolate will do just perfectly 

The perfection of friendship between Eloise and Penelope is well on display throughout the series. There was one moment that caught my breath for the sheer ease of what friendship is—truly relating without needing to fully understand the other but being, sitting, anyhow, in pure acceptance of the other and mutual situation. Such is what happens when Penelope tells Eloise, in gentle expository explosion, her path is and will be different, more difficult to navigate than hers, without having a sister who is a Duchess, and moreover, she thinks she wants a life different than the independent dream the two of them speak of. And, to that, Eloise offers a chocolate, and to that, Penelope's smile-inducing smile and simply reaching for one is friendship goals. 

3. “I beg your pardon?” 

As others have pointed out, there is plenty of hotness to Simon buttoning Daphne’s cuff as a clear metaphor for the sexual unbuttoning/buttoning to come. But, what gets me every time is Simon’s reaction to Daphne’s question, his face both gently confirming and sexily contorting, which seems to beg the idea that in a different house of language, not one for promenade but perhaps one a rake aka Regency f*ck boy would inhabit, this term had an, o, one might say, slightly less innocent meaning. 

4. The nighttime, swing chats between Eloise and Benedict

I dare say it was Eloise who checked her brother on his white man privilege that sent him (still) strolling to Henry Granville’s house to take a (completely protected, see white privilege) risk of himself as a potential new somebody, in this case, an artist. 

5. Were others hoping Henry and Benedict would have a go at it? 

I think I mistook their mutual intrigue for desire, though I dare say Benedict flinging himself with considerable umph into the ménage-a-trois with Madame Delacroix and her friend, may have been, in part, a turn-on from stumbling upon Henry with his love, Lord Willoughby, making love. I recognize this ponderance might be a stretch, but, if I may—remember that conversation A Happiest Season launched in queer Twitterverse about the likelihood, with multiple siblings, of at least one sibling being gay? Come on, there are eight of them! Tell me I am not the only queer fan who would love to see one Bridgerton explore a truthfully desired same-sex relationship on the show. 

6. “Simon” (**heart begins to ache**)

After Simon gives one of his best speeches, in episode five to the queen, in his and Daphne’s effort to persuade Her Majesty to assist them in getting a marriage license, so moved is Daphne by what he says, that she turns to him, as if no one else is in the room, with an emotive quiver, staring watery and straight into his eyes, and out comes a quaking: “Simon.” Indeed, Simon’s speech of the love from whom he cannot stay away nor let be the one who got away is the discursive, definitive foreplay to their physical consumption of each other. Later, he says quietly to her heart twisted back: “Everything I said to the queen was true.” 

7. “From the mornings you ease, to the evenings you quiet, to the dreams you inhabit, my thoughts of you never end...” 

Um. So, this is just one of the most perfect romantic things I have ever heard one human being utter to another. 

8. Also: this was a nearly all-female credited writer cast (with the exception of the series’ premiere and finale episodes, credited to showrunner Chris Van Dusen). I delightfully sighed as each woman writer’s name danced in Bridgerton font across my screen. What genius interplay of words that cut and bit and lobbed and heeled, then healed, revealed, and felt so completely—wonderful.  Here are the writing credits:

Janet Lin for episode 2, ”Shock and Delight”

Leila Cohan-Miccio for episode 3, ”The Art of the Swoon”

Abby McDonald for episode 4, “An Affair of Honor”

Joy C. Mitchell for episode 5, ”The Duke and I” Sarah Dollard for episode 6, ”Swish” Jay Ross and Abby McDonald for episode 7, “Oceans Apart” 

Additionally listed under writers are Jess Brownell as Executive Story Editor on “Shock and Delight” and “Diamond of the First Water,” Joy C. Mitchell also as Executive Story Editor on “Shock and Delight” and “Diamond of the First Water,” and Abby McDonald as Staff Writer on “Shock and Delight” and “Diamond of the First Water.” 

9. Simon goes down—a lot 

At least two times we know of, but we may assume more, that giving Her Grace pleasure between her legs is something that comes easily, perhaps even needily, to him. Just that. It is hot and wanting and you know, with various talk about men not wanting to go down on women, well, representation matters. 

10. Choosing present over past 

This is a Golden Age TV theme of late, strong in the final season of Jessica Jones and luscious The Queen’s Gambit, though, perhaps, choosing to be present is the overall life theme, always, and just manifests differently in all of our journeys. The fabulously eviscerate Lady Danbury says: “Pride, Your Grace: it will cost you everything and leave you with nothing.” What Simon gains by choosing to be in his present is not only the opportunity to feel and develop a love, and family, with Daphne, but he gives himself space—cleans out the leftovers, once and for all—to fully inhabit the now, which means anything could be ahead. 

[ihopethisendswell]

Naomi's ( Main) Team

Naomi has 3 teams, including this one, but this one is the one she caught and raised during her challenge. So without further ado....

Name: Neptune

Gender: " Male. He/ Him pronouns"

Species: Inteleon

Nature and Characteristics: Docile and Loves to Eat

Bio: Naomi's right hand mon. Both going through similar arcs of they're own, the two are inseparable. He's grown up a lot since he was a Sobble, oozing with the cool calm collectiveness as a leader now. It took him a lot to realize how good of a leader he is. He wasn't as energetic or loud as the other two starters, y'know? When he was a Sobble he just...cried and hid. Sometimes he wonders why Naomi chose him, but he's forever grateful. As an Inteleon, again, he's more confident now, no thanks to the support if his trainer and his team. He loves all of them dearly. He hopes that they can have many more battles to come, champion or not!

Name: Eloise

Gender: " Female, governor". she/her

Species: Corviknight

Nature and Characteristics: Brave and has a study body

Bio: ((Note: just wanted to say that ever since watching Chuggaconroys playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I fully believe that a human Eloise would sound just like Morag. Okay, on with the bio))

If Neptune is Naomi's right hand mon, then Eloise is Neptune's right hand mon. Woman. Wing? Bird? Whatever, the point is that she's been with with Neptune and Naomi from the start. In the early days of their travels, she was the one who took up the leadership role, due to Neptune's timidness and Naomi's lack of self-confidence. Though she never once hated them for it,and tried her best to encourage the both of them to be the best they can be. Even if it means pecking they're heads every so often. Now, with all of them fully evolved, she couldn't be any more proud. Eloise is often seen as the protector of the group. The big sis. She cares for her team and her trainer. That being said: if any harm comes to her teammates or her trainer or both, she will not hesitate to act. You have been warned.

Name: Xena

Gender: " I'm just a wee lass, love" she/they

Species: Toxtricity

Nature and Characteristics: Calm and mischievous

Bio: Don't be fooled by her unassuming nature, this frog( ?) has a pranking streak and you might be her next victim. Fortunately her pranks aren't harmful, just mild inconveniences, like adding lots of Cheri berries to make the curry way hotter than it needs to be. Xena can be a bit spoiled, given that she was the baby of the group for a while, and thus being used to being babied( which also fueled her desire to become more independent). Other than her harmless pranks, Xena's pretty chill, always going with the flow. She loves hanging Marnie and Piers when they do, getting to rock out now and again. She's totally not trying to set up Naomi and Marnie together. Nope. She would never. Speaking of setting up.

Name: Luna

Gender: ".....female" she/her

Species : Hatterene

Nature and Characteristics: Quiet and Alert to Sounds

Bio: Emotions can be so loud. So negative. It's one of the reasons why Luna prefers Sebby. Yes he's loud, and sometimes annoying, but he's so.....him. So positive. Also because he's her baby brother and she generally prefer him over others. Until they both join Naomi's team. At first, Luna hated Naomi. Not because she was a bad trainer and unworthy of her attention, far from it. Even as a small Hatenna she could see the potential her newfound trainer had. The problem was the large amounts of self-doubt and self-loathing that ticked her off. It was practically oozing out of her! Ugh. She can't deal with that. It's.....too much. But it bothered her. How an obvious strong and kind person would think so low of herself. At the time, Luna thought it was stupid. To feel such a way, and was just planning to run off with Sebby when it was dark. But Sebby, her beloved Sebby, latched on to his trainer and refused to let go. Because of course he would do that. It's Sebby. So Luna stayed. And she watched. And, begrudgingly, warmed up to her trainer. And the rest of the team. And, somehow, engaged in a committed relationship with Xena. How? She doesn't know, but if any harm comes to her girlfriend she will see red. Ahem. Ever since she joined the team, Luna is more .....open to the idea of emotions. They're still loud. Still annoying, but they're.....nice. Even the negative ones. That's just what brings humans and pokemon together, hm?

Name: Sebastian "Sebby"

Gender: " Naomi says I'ma good boi!" He/Him

Species: Grimmsnarl

Nature and Characteristics: Jolly and Alert to Sounds

Bio: A good boi. The goodest boi. What a lad. When he first met Naomi and the gang,he didn't want to leave. Partially because he was just so excited to meet new people and make new friends! And because Naomi was going through some things when he and Luna was caught, and as an impidimp, he thrived off it. Now keep in mind this wasn't by his own will! When Luna broke it down for him after the fact he felt incredibly bad! (He couldn't let go of Naomi for an hour.) Even when Naomi gained more and more confidence in herself, Sebby stilled thrived. He's so happy that his trainer was loving herself the way he lived her! Just seeing her happy makes his day! He loves his team, both him and Xena like pulling pranks on the others( much to Luna's annoyance) and he really looks up to Neptune and Eloise! ( I say that as if they're really old or something lol). It may come as a surprise to some that Sebastian is a strategic thinker, often the one implementing strategies for the team( Luna's so proud). He's not afraid to fight dirt, btw. He's still a Grimmsnarl. Though no one would seem to notice given his cheery personality.

Name: Prince Yuki

Gender/Pronouns: " I am prince!" He/they

Species: Frosmoth

Nature and Characteristics: Hardy and proud of his power.

Bio: Is he an actual prince? Wouldn't you like to know. Yuki, despite his claims to be a prince, his a lot more humble than he lets off. Most of his ego comes from his battle prowess( he was considered to be the "strongest snom" on route 8). This cockiness had lead him into some trouble, particularly given who is considered the leader of the team, though no one really took his claims to leadership seriously....well. Except Sebastian. Now Yuki isn't stupid. He knows that no one truly believes his claims that he's royalty, nor that he had the skills to be a good leader. It infuriates him to no end, but it's something that he has long accepted. But Sebastian was different. He listened. He helped him train. He called him " His Majesty" or "My prince". He believed him truly. And soon his actions spread across the team. Of course by the time he evolved, Yuki was fine with them not using the title prince everytime given how close they all gotten, but it was still nice to be taken seriously! He never really got that before. And it all started with Sebas- Sebby. It all started with Sebby. Sometimes, at night, when everyone is outside of their pokeballs, camping out, Yuki would sleep close to Sebby. Usually he would hate getting close to anyone while he sleeps, given it gives him unnecessary warmth. But he makes Sebby the one exception.

[invisibleinorange]

Chapters: 8/? Fandom: Bridgerton Rating: T Warnings: Presumed Character Death Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington,  Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington(besties),  Bridgerton Family Dynamics, Simon Hastings/Daphne Bridgerton Characters: Colin Bridgerton,  Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton, Anthony Featherington,  Benedict Bridgerton,  Portia Featherington, Violet Bridgerton Additional Tags:  Bridgerton, Polin Summary:  Unexpected bad news arrives for the Bridgerton Family (and friends) regarding Colin's travels. This will be a series that is set after "The Duke and I" or season one of the show. It is a companion piece to "Goodbyes". 

It would seem that Viscountess Violet Bridgerton could not wait  for the arrival of Duke or Duchess's much anticipated bundle of joy to add to her family.

It is reported Lady Portia Featherington seems to have finally rid herself of one of her daughters.  While this Author, cannot be certain of the circumstances, it has been reported that not only has said daughter has been seen coming and going from Bridgerton family home quite frequently but household staff have been spotted with taking personal effects from one home to the next…

 LADY WHISTLEDOWN'S SOCIETY PAPERS, 30 SEPTEMBER 1813

 --

A few short weeks ago, she’d been practically dragged back to the home to warm up and get something to drink.  The next thing that she knew, Violet Bridgerton was telling her mother in no uncertain terms that she wouldn’t be returning home that night or ever if she didn’t desire it.

Penelope had been appreciative to sleep in a guest room, to feel part of an actual family at their meals and to have a mother in her life that actually saw it fit to care about what she wanted. 

She was never judged for reading a book and more often than not she encouraged to have more to eat.  She’d taken to barely eating in her own home to attempt to stave off comments that implied she was some sort of a pig. She never felt shamed for just existing here.

It was becoming increasingly hard to imagine ever going back even if she knew she inevitably would have to.  This wasn’t her family and she didn’t want to become a burden to them.

No one felt that she was a burden though.

Her presence had managed to bring some small joy to a mood that was very much morose.  They’d managed to memorialize Colin without his body and it had helped them.  The house still smelled of the flowers that once filled it but the wake had passed and his brothers had handled the delicate matter of religious ceremony.

 Even though the grief wouldn’t entirely fade away, they were all weren’t standing still anymore. They might have all still been in black but there was the slightest glimmer of joy there.  The dark clouds that had enveloped them for weeks seemed to be leaving.

Penelope felt a bit guilty for starting to think that things could actually be okay.

--

Benedict hadn’t exactly bridged the subject since the night of his failed proposal. 

To say that he was surprised when his mother had all but moved the girl into their home would have been an understatement.   He had spent the first few days waiting for something to be said but he had the sneaking feeling she was avoiding being alone with him and while she never indicated anything was amiss at family meals, the fact she wouldn’t meet his eye said plenty.

Anthony had advised him to leave it be for now. Eventually things would boil over and they could make another go of it.  Was it really smart to let her integrate into their family like this only to eventually leave it?  Surely, she didn’t intend to stay there, unmarried for the rest of her days.  It was hypocritical to think when he didn’t particularly mind if he ever did himself but still, there was concern.

After pilfering a cigarette from his Eloise, he’d stepped out to smoke it.  A part of him wondered if he could slip away, spend the evening expressing himself in the only method he knew how: his art. Everyone else was starting to act like themselves again and he just felt useless.

Long legs swung in front of him cigarette moving between his hand and his mouth as he let his mind drift between the various things he currently saw as shortcomings.

“I owe you an apology,” he heard before he even realized he wasn’t alone anymore.

His eyes flickered up, finding Penelope standing there in front of him. There was something determined in her voice like she’d been building herself up to even speak to him.  He was caught so off guard at an apology that he wasn’t about to argue it.

“You don’t,” he told her simply, gesturing to the vacant swing, welcoming her to join him.

In some ways, this was most inappropriate but he didn’t think there was anyone who would say anything. He’d spent plenty of nights sitting out with Eloise and talking about their lives but Eloise was his sister.  Penelope, as much as people seemed to have forgotten, wasn’t.

“I do,” she told him honestly. “I just want you to know that it’s not you that I’m against.”

He stubbed out the cigarette, deciding to focus on the conversation at hand.  His jaw tightened slightly but his eyes softened.  There were plenty of reasons that he could think of for her aversion to his proposal but it was at least nice to know that he wasn’t the offensive part of it.

“Do I dare ask what you are against?” he couldn’t stop himself from inquiring.

“Entrapment, sympathy -  I love your family and while I know I’ve always been closer to others within it, I respect you too much for that,”  she confessed, giving him a valid reason.

“It’s not entrapment when you go into it with your eyes open,” he said honestly. “I stand by my offer though I know I cannot force you into it.  Surely, the past few weeks have made you see that you belong with us though.”

It felt a bit like a betrayal to nod at the words but Penelope knew nothing he was saying to be a lie and Benedict for his part meant it. Penelope did feel like part of the family.

“I don’t need to be married to you or anyone else to be part of it though,” she said after an extended moment of quiet.  “I know that you think the certainty that such a marriage would offer me but you would be miserable.”

“You say that as if I won’t be miserable regardless of who takes my name,” he said with a shrug. He had the find the balance between sincerity and areas where he might find himself in danger. “If I could change places with Colin, I would in an instant but I cannot do that. If you would only consider my proposal though you would see that I could be more than kind. You would be financially cared for -- you would have freedom to do as you please. Most importantly, you could officially become part of our family. Remove any potential stain from this … estrangement with your family.”

It was a hard bargain to turn away but also one that made guilt bubble up in her.  

They were doting on her, making her part of their family and they didn’t even know that about the money she had hidden away. She had more money than she would ever need to independently care for herself.  With everything happening in recent weeks, Lady Whistledown’s identity hadn’t been a topic of conversation.  Penelope didn’t even know how she’d continued to write about little tidbits she managed to hear through it all.

“I have to confess something,” she finally said after a long moment, deciding that perhaps it was time to unburden herself.  She could tell Benedict and maybe then he could understand.  Maybe once he knew he wouldn’t even think the prospect of marrying her was such a good idea anymore.

“I’m listening,”  he told her clearly prepared to hear her out.

“I’m –“

The words were cut off and anything she intended to saw after wouldn’t have been heard.  Eloise had apparently decided to come look for the both of them and thought it would be funny if she pretended to be someone chastising them for breaking the rules of society.

“You know that you shouldn’t be alone without a chaperone,” she said, making a mockery of the whole thing, crossing her arms as she played it up. “What will people say?  They might think that you’re corrupting our house guest, Benedict.”

It was Benedict who rose from his seat, shaking his head to make room for his sister to take possession of his swing. 

“I’ve been trying but I’m afraid she isn’t as debauched as you and I, Dear Sister,” he said musing Eloise’s hair with his hand. “Maybe you’ll have better luck.”

He did pause before moving to depart in order to address Penelope again.

“We can finish this conversation some other time but think about it,” he said with a nod and then he was gone.

Any prospect of revealing her identity as Lady Whistledown went out the window.

"Well now that he's gone I can steal you away. You have a package," Eloise advised.

Penelope certainly wasn't expecting anything.

[neerasrealm]

Jason doesn’t like children

A story in which Jason has to deal with some children in his workshop. Word Count: 1810

Jason did not like children. He swore up and down that he despised them. Babies were disgusting and irritating, small children were annoying, and teenagers? Teenagers were the most terrifying creatures to walk the earth. 

It was ironic, being a toymaker. And especially ironic considering he was fixing up a stuffed toy tarantula for a fourteen year old boy. The toy was well made, as it should have been. Jason made it for the boy when he was only about eight years old. He finished sewing up the small hole and pushed his chair back, turning to the young boy sitting against one of his other worktables. He had golden hair cut in a short bob and wore baggy yoga pants and an oversized sweater. He stood up excitedly and reached out. Jason handed him the stuffed toy.

"There you are," he said softly. "All fixed up." He sat back in his chair, watching the boy hug the plush tight. 

"Thank you Jason." He murmured. "I'm sorry again for letting him get hurt…"

Jason smiled, just a tad. "it's alright, you're a responsible boy. It was an accident." He turned back around to the table he was working at. He put away his sewing supplies and glanced over his shoulder at Charlie, who stared back at him with big blue eyes. ‘’Mr Glutton is in his bed, if you’d like to go play with him.’’ he said, turning back to his desk. Charlie nodded and smiled wide. He quickly wandered away from the toymaker’s workstation and over to the large pillow fort. Jason sighed gently and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. Just as he had begun to sketch he heard a knock on the door. Two knocks, then three more in quick succession. He knew immediately who it was.

‘’Come in, girls.’’ he called. The door opened behind him, then he heard it close. He hummed quietly in greeting. ‘’Couldn’t sleep again, Zari?’’ 

The smaller of the two girls standing by his door nodded. Lazari had long red hair, curved red horns that stuck up from her head and red eyes. Despite her demonic appearance, she wore cherry pink pyjamas, patterned with white stars. Her older sister Eloise stood beside her, wearing her own striped pyjamas. Eloise was a good deal taller than her, and chubby. Her brown hair was cut in a short bob, and like her sister she had red eyes and curved black horns. However, Eloise was paler and had seven mouths on her face alone. One large, regular one, and three smaller ones on either side of her cheeks. Lazari hugged her older sister’s arm and nodded.

‘’Yeah…’’ she murmured. ‘’Is Mr G here?’’

‘’Charlie is playing with him.’’ Jason nodded over at the boy, who waved at the two girls in greeting. Lazari smiled wide and let go of her sister and ran across the room to go bother Jason’s pet snake. Eloise smiled softly and wandered over to where Jason sat.

‘’Sorry for bothering you, Jason.’’ she murmured. Jason waved her off.

‘’It’s fine, girls.’’ he murmured. ‘’I know Zari has trouble sleeping. If being in here helps her relax then that’s fine by me.’’ Eloise nodded beside him and folded her hands in front of her. She was a prim and proper kind of girl. She was raised with good manners, and Jason appreciated that. ‘’How is your embroidery going, Eloise?’’

‘’Oh! It’s good.’’ she smiled a bit. ‘’I’m getting really good at it I think. I kinda wanna try making a quilt but I’m not sure how I’d do it…’’ 

‘’Quilts are hard work. You’d need to buy a lot of fabric, not to mention all the sewing…’’ Jason murmured. ‘’You could borrow my sewing machine for it though. It’d speed things up a bit.’’

‘’Heh...maybe I’ll just stick with making the hoops…’’ Eloise laughed sheepishly and shifted on her feet. Jason smiled a bit in amusement. 

‘’I’ll help you make it. It can be a project for the two of us,’’ Jason said. ‘’It could be a christmas gift for your father. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?’’

Eloise broke out into a smile. ‘’Oh! I didn’t even think of that!’’ she held her hands up excitedly. ‘’Papa loves comfy things, right? It’d fit perfect in his lounge!’’ 

Jason laughed gently and nodded. ‘’Yes, he would.’’ he looked up from his sketch and over at Lazari and Charlie. Mr Glutton had curled himself entirely around Lazari, and seemed to be set on constricting Charlie too. Jason smiled a bit as he watched the two children giggle and fall under the stuffed snake’s weight. He glanced over at Eloise. ‘’Are you hungry?’’ he asked. ‘’I can make you some crumpets with jam if you’d like.’’ 

Eloise smiled. ‘’That’d be lovely.’’ she nodded politely as she spoke. Jason stood up and rubbed at his neck, rolling his shoulders with a groan. ‘’Are you alright?’’ the girl asked. Jason nodded.

‘’Just tired,’’ he murmured. He pat her head as he strode past her. ‘’I’ll be fine.’’

‘’You should get papa to give you a massage.’’ Eloise said. ‘’I’m sure he’ll have the time for it.’’

Jason nodded half-heartedly. He didn’t exactly like to bother Zalgo. He was a busy man. So busy sometimes he didn’t even have time for his two daughters…

‘’Zari! Stop sticking your hands in his mouth!’’ Eloise bolted across the room to stop her sister from getting her hand bitten off by Jason’s stuffed snake. Jason listened to the two girls yelling combined with distressed wails from Charlie. Eloise would keep them out of trouble, he was sure. She was a responsible and polite girl, and she made her father proud. Very proud. Jason felt proud of her too in some...odd way. She was strong, independent and looked after her sister well. 

‘’Lazari, Charlie,’’ he called as he opened the fridge and grabbed the package of microwaveable crumpets. ‘’Are you two hungry?’’ 

‘’Starving!’’ Lazari called back excitedly as Eloise pulled Mr Glutton off of her. She calmly pet the snake, cooing at it lovingly. 

‘’What’re you making?’’ Charlie asked.

‘’Crumpets. I have biscuits too, and teacakes.’’

‘’Can I have a teacake?! And some cookies?!’’ Lazari asked excitedly. Jason sighed gently.

‘’One teacake, Lazari. Your father will kill me if I give you sweets at this time of night.’’ he replied sternly. Lazari whined in disappointment but a stern look from Jason made her go quiet. He sighed tiredly and put the crumpets in his toaster. "Anybody want tea while I'm at it?" He called.

"Yes please." The three of them chorused. Jason nodded, pulling out mugs and examining the large selection of flavored teas he kept. He decided he'd make Lazari some golden milk tea, to make her sleep, ginger and lemon for Charlie, and mixed berries for himself and Eloise. He flipped the kettle on and leaned against the kitchen counter, watching the children again. Eloise sat herself down calmly and Lazari leaned against her. Mr Glutton wrapped himself around the girls, letting out a happy hiss as he did so. He could hear Charlie quietly mumbling to them about something or other. Probably insects. 

The toaster popped and he grabbed the crumpets, putting two each on a plate and putting two more in for Charlie. While they cooked he poured boiling water into each mug and grabbed a teacake for Lazari, and then one for himself because he deserved it. Once the last two crumpets were done he spread jam on Eloise's, butter on Charlie's and both on Lazari's. With a tired, but satisfied sigh, Jason took up his tea and walked off towards the small couch he had by his kitchen area. 

"Your tea is ready." He called as he walked off. He sat himself down on the couch and took a long sip of his tea. The flavor was tangy and sweet, but the scent and warmth was calming. He heard the children grabbing their plates and, to his surprise, footsteps coming closer to him.

Lazari flopped herself down on the seat next to him and Eloise curled herself up on the arm of the couch. Charlie shyly climbed onto the seat on Jason's other side, curling up in the corner to put distance between himself and the tired toymaker. Jason looked at the three of them for a long moment, then just calmly went back to sipping his tea. The children were quiet, and ate calmly. Save for Lazari. Jason had given up on trying to teach the redheaded girl manners. 

Once Lazari had finished scarfing down her crumpets and teacake she scooted closer to the toymaker, laying against him. Jason looked down, watching her get comfy next to him. He sighed gently and draped an arm over her. She yawned and rested her head against his chest. Her yawning made Jason yawn back. She looked up at him and giggled. Jason smiled, just a tad.

‘’Did you have a long day, girls?’’ he asked quietly as the four of them sat there, just together, enjoying the quietness of each other’s company. Eloise nodded.

‘’We spent the day with Nat and Jane.’’

‘’Oh you poor things.’’ Jason murmured. The two girls laughed loudly. He smiled a bit to himself. Charlie giggled. "What were you doing together?"

"Sparring." Lazari replied below him. "Then we went out for ice cream and crepes. It was fun."

"You mean crêpes."

"Yeah, that's what I said." She looked up at the toymaker innocently. He smiled a bit in amusement. She'd pronounce it right- one day. For now though, her focus was on sleeping. She finished the last of her tea and set her mug on the coffee table, then rolled over and draped an arm over Jason, nuzzling her face up against him. He tensed up for a few moments and relaxed when she went still. He looked down at her and sighed quietly. 

"You tired, Zari?" 

"Mhm…"

"Yeah...me too." he set his own mug down carefully, being wary of shifting Lazari too much, then leaned back and looked at Eloise. He nodded for her to come closer and she did so, hugging her sister and Jason gently. He glanced over at Charlie. "Come on, you might as well get comfy too." He murmured. The boy broke into a smile and crawled over, resting against Jason's side and hugging him just like Lazari was. Jason wrapped his arms around the three children and sighed tiredly.

"Sleep well, JJ…" Lazari murmured below him. He looked at her for a long moment, then smiled. Just a tad.

"You too, Zari." He murmured as he settled down and closed his eyes. Jason did not like children, not a bit, but the three children curled up against him? ...They weren't so bad. He could stand them. Just about.

[sveasauvageon]

HSWW ROUND I STORY

I never gave it a neat title, oops.  Svea Year I + Pre-Seventh Year Midsummer Celebrations {HSWW}

─═Featured HSWW/Polyvore Era not-mein oc’s═─

Eloise Avery | @.themadmonarchist

(also mentioned Lord and Lady Avery, but they don't appear)

Syn Lothbrok | @.ghostpastey

Hvitty Lothbrok | @.ghostpastey

Entire Lothbrok Family (too many to name individually)

Damien Greaves | @.natasha-maree13

Tyler Lee | @.maybones (lol, I originally typed @minahbones)

Minah Kwon Delacroix | @.maybones

Tara Lee (I couldn't leave out Little T from this nutty dance) | @.maybones

Theo Nott | @.themadmonarchist

Moses Park Jr | @.koby

Lyra Greaves | @.natasha-maree13

Oberon Greaves | @.natasha-maree13

Henry Clark | @.lady-stoneheart

Xander Carlyle (I think I've been listing him as clark all this time, whoops) | @.lady-stoneheart

Sungjae Lee | @.chrissykinz

Loralei Expura | @.thespian-at-large

Lyrae Mino | @.skyfalll

──════𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀════──

Up in the northwest quarters of the Sauvageon Estate, Svea was braiding her young sister's hair with little bells and complex knots. Khalessi style? Yes, obviously. The show is garbage, but is visually stunning. Also the music. Back to point, as the elder heir wove in the little bells, Lili enthusiastically recounted her first year at Koldovstoretz; her classes, teachers, friends, and her first Russian Quidditch game where they play on entire uprooted trees instead of brooms (A/N: true fact, look it up on the wikia).

Her ardor and excitement made Svea nostalgic of her own first year. Her letter had arrived at the Prince Manor in Cornwall, where she had been staying for a year. The darkest year in her life she may add. The arrival of the letter was nothing special or shocking, there certainly wasn't any doubt about her having magic after she had set the manor on fire. Though, she did note a mild expression of relief on her grandfather's face, presumably he was pleased she'd be out of his house soon. And she was pleased about that too, the Prince Manor was dark, dreary, and drab, and they refused to allow Aunt Brigitta to remodel it after the fire. Svea never understood why they insisted it be restored as it was, the poor interiors were what she called "discount gothic", it was nothing like the true majesty of actual gothic architecture.

Anyway, decidedly pleased her time with the Prince's was nearing its end, Svea was positively beaming when she went to King's Cross Station on September the first. She was accompanied by her aunt and step-mother, the later of whom had apparated to London the day before, much to the displeasure of Svea's mother, who also accompanied them to King's Cross. Svea questioned her mother's instructions of walking into a wall, part of her believing that it may just be some kind of trick to humiliate the "foreigners", as she so often called Svea and her paternal family. However, the Prince simply huffed in annoyance, glaring at the odd silvery-gold colour Iliana had died the little girl's hair, before briskly walking through the wall first herself, with Svea, Iliana, and Brigitta quickly following thereafter. 

Svea had barely a moment to admire the victorian vibe of the station before her mother pulled her aside. "Richelle, ensure that you're sorted into Slytherin, and try not to do anything to disgrace the Prince name." she commanded, disappearing with a loud crack before Svea could retort. Sighing to herself, she made a mental note to send a howler reminding her mother that her name is Svea Sauvageon, not Richelle Prince, before reuniting with her aunt and step-mother, who were overseeing the loading of her luggage.

She spotted Eloise Avery looking out a window on the train, but she was looking in another direction and didn't notice Svea, not that she wanted to catch her attention when her grandparents were around. If they were around that is, one short playdate and tales of admiration from her own grandfather was enough to cement a cold and unloving image in Svea's head. She shuddered at the memory, she was grateful beyond word that her grandparents were nothing like that. Well, her Sauvageon grandparents. It's a safe bet that all Grandfather Marcius aspires to be is a slightly less rich and more grumbling version of the "great and powerful" Lady Avery.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, Svea hugged Iliana and Aunt Brigitta goodbye, promising to write and look after herself, before quickly boarding the train to find an empty compartment to save for herself, Syn, and Hvitty. The Lothbroks were amongst their closest wizarding friends in Scandinavia and practically family to Svea, she was pleased beyond measure to have her best friend at this far away school too. She'd always been fairly independent, but having familiar faces at Hogwarts would be a great comfort too, and endless fun. No one knows how to enjoy things like a Lothbrok. Okay, like Syn. No one knows how to party like Syn. Even at 11, she was more fun and energetic than anyone you could think of.

She waited by the window until she spotted them getting on, before rushing to the corridor to call them over. The subsequent assault (as she would put it, they might just call it a hug) nearly took Svea's head off. Grinning at being reunited, they chatted throughout the train ride, and purchased ridiculous amounts of British Wizarding Treats when the Trolley lady stopped by. They also met some other first years as well, some of whom, Svea noted, were less than pleased to be in such a rowdy compartment.

Once they neared the school (or as Svea's alarms warned her they were), she changed into her school robes, dragging along Syn to do the same who complained that they were "nowhere near there yet". However, exactly as her alarm warned her, they were at Hogsmeade station within 30 minutes. ("hah! Told you so Tamsyn", she screamed internally and definitely not with every fibre of her being). Seperating from the others, Svea, Syn, and Hvitty disembarked from the train together, where they and the other first years were greeted by a staff member from Hogwarts who led them to a number of boats. Grabbing a boat upfront, they were joined by Henry Clark, whom they had met on the train and whom Syn had immediately given the nickname "Hank", which he seemed to vehemently dislike. Once they had all boarded, the boat seemed to propel themselves as they all sailed across the vast lake. The Black Lake, she recalled it was called. Her cousin Viggo often talked about visiting it one day.

"Vig told me that there's a colony of merpeople living in the lake." Svea excitedly mentioned to Syn and Hvitty as they crossed, gazing down into the murky water to try to spot one.

"Fishman would know." replied Syn, joining Svea to look over the edge of the boat.

"He's not a Fishman."

"As always, you're right." said Syn, nodding solemnly before adding, "He's a half-fishman."

"Well, you're not wrong there," Svea conceded.

Syn grinned triumphantly as Svea dipped her fingers into the water. It was cold, just as Vig told her it would be, but it wasn't as cold as the water in Lake Mälaren.

Despite having been raised in marble coated mansions, even Svea was awestruck when they neared Hogwarts Castle. Whilst Sauvageon Slott was certainly brighter, the large stone structure was absolutely stunning, and far more inviting than her father and family's descriptions of Durmstrang. As much as she loathed her mother's family, she was glad just this once at their persistence of doing things the "English" way. The little boats they were in soon passed through an ivy curtain and carried them along a dark tunnel, which seemed to run beneath the castle itself, and eventually docked by some rocks at what seemed to be an underground harbour of sorts. 

Once all the students were out of the boats they were led to a small room (the Chamber of Reception, she later learned it was called), where they were greeted by a tall, red haired woman. She introduced herself as Professor Hester Weasley, Deputy Headmistress. She ushered them into the Great Hall and began reading their names out one by one in alphabetical order. Once called, they were to sit on a stool facing the other students and had a dingy old hat placed on their head which would announce what house they're to join after thinking about it for a bit. It might be a magic, talking, singing hat, but the whole process seemed unnecessarily drawn out and somewhat silly to Svea. She was fairly certain it was thought up by someone forest crazy (Swedish phrase, equivalent to "raging mad").

Svea's was amongst the last few names to be called. Hvitty went off to Gryffindor, and Syn to Hufflepuff. Eloise went to Slytherin, whilst Hank (*wink-wink* @.ghostpastey) went to Gryffindor. She noted that the hat had barely gotten within a foot of Damien Greaves' head before it screamed Slytherin. When the Headmistress finally said her name, Svea tottered up to the little stool, starving by that point and eager to get on with dinner and classes in the morning.

"Impatient, aren't we?" said a voice in her head once the hat was on, 'causing Svea to nearly jump out of her skin. She didn't realize it was talking during those minutes in-between the hat being worn and shouting the student's house.

"I'm hungry," she replied, well, thought, once she had brought her spikes down (Swedish phrase effectively meaning to "chill" -shrug emoji- Sweden is weird, also, awesome). "Any recommendations on what's good?"

The hat chucked in her ear, mind's ear. "Try the steak and yorkshire pudding," her mouth began watering at steak, she needed it now. "I'll try to be quick then. Swedish I see, muggle friends, oh dear, the ministry won't be happy about that breach of secrecy," the hat muttered as it rummaged through her mind.

Svea shrugged. "Not my ministry. Can you hurry it up, I don't really care, but I would prefer not Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin, eh? And why is that?"

"To infuriate my mother."

"But I see you also have the desire to be in Slytherin to outshine her and your grandfather, quite petty, no?"

"Yes, but I am only 10."

"Then would you prefer to be petty? I see great things for you in Ravenclaw, where those of wit and learning find their own kind. You have a great thirst for knowledge."

Svea shrugged again. "Whatever magic hat, isn't it your job to figure that out?"

The sorting hat sighed. "SLYTHERIN!" it shouted aloud, applause erupting on the table to her far right. The hat was barely off her head before she practically bounded over. She was so hungry and there were only a handful of students left to be sorted before she could finally eat. She ended up next to a third year and the speedily sorted boy from earlier. 

"Svea," she said, introducing herself with a smile as another students sorting began. 

"Damien," he gruffly replied.

"You shouldn't look so murderous, you're 11." She chided, impatiently tapping her foot whilst the last children were finally being sorted.

Damien rolled his eyes. "What if I am one?"

"Then you shouldn't be broadcasting that desire to everyone. Isn’t a killer best served if their intentions are secretive?" before he could retort, however, Svea's attention turned elsewhere. Specifically, their table. "OH YES! FINALLY FOOD! Hey, can you grab me some steak please!" she asked of the boy in front of them. "I'm Svea, by the way. You want one too Damien?"

"I can get it myself, thanks," muttered the British boy, looking quite irritated.

"Seyong Lee, but you can call me Tyler." answered the other one, placing a steak on Svea's plate as well as Damien's.

Once the feast was over (the hat was right about that Steak and Yorkshire Pudding), the Headmistress said a few words, mostly about forbidden places, Svea could feel none of those warnings making it into Syn's ears, and led the school in a rendition of the school song. She noticed some seven years really giving the song their all, and nearly toppled over with laughter. After the song finally ended, Svea and the other first year Slytherins were instructed to follow one of their House Prefects. Svea couldn't remember their name, but recalled them being one of those English Scared 28 people. They followed the prefect back out to the Entrance Hall, and through a door on the right, were led down to the dungeons. When they reached a bare stretch of stonewall, the prefect uttered a phrase and it revealed a passageway which led to the Slytherin common room. The password that month, if she recalled correctly, was "cantankerus".

Svea was less in love with the common room than most of her fellow first years, it was nice enough, but rather dark and dreary, much like the Prince Manor she noted. It had similar colourings of dark shades of green and serpentine décor everywhere (if it were up to her, she'd decorate it with dragons). She did, however, adore the large glass windows, and the water behind it, rushing up to it in excitement when a large squid went swishing by. The prefect explained that they were under the Black Lake and sometimes they saw creatures more interesting than the Giant Squid swim by the windows. 

The first night would've ended without incident, but her future bestie just had to be dramatic and get into a physical fight with a seventh year.

"Well, that was dramatic," she commented once the seventh year fell to the floor. "Anyway, where's our stuff and where do we sleep?" Looking back, it was probably impressive that an 11 year old could easily defeat a 17 year old, but meh. She was tired, and she really needed her phone. How can you expect someone to sleep without the honey smooth voices of Eurovision performers?

The year went by quite quickly. Her hair only remained valyrian silver for about a month, before reverting back to her natural gold, and as expected, she ended all her classes with top marks. She enjoyed History of Magic and Potions the most in her first year. Whilst mostly a positive year, she did make some pureblood fervent enemies, but she is not going allow such idioticy to stand in her house. Slytherins are intelligent and cunning, not backwards morons. She recalled Syn dropping out of the sky at point to defend her from a pureblood's oh so hurtful words. But as they say, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words from an idiot do nothing. It was also the first year she celebrated her birthday without her biological family (not including either of the Princes'), she did, however, still have Syn and Hvitty, and a whole new bunch of friends.

Speaking of said friends, time to pull out of memory lane and jump back into the present. With Lili's hair done, and hers' also, once again, done up in Khalessi style (also dyed silver again, she would've dyed Lili's hair too, but the little Swede-Ruski said no), anyway, with their hair finally done, the two siblings went down into the courtyard. The entire Sauvageon estate was decorated in greenery as they were celebrating Midsummer, and before the traditional Sauvageon ball in the evening, they had invited a bunch of friends (mainly Svea's and some of Lili's new friends) to participate in the traditional maypole dance. The Lothbroks, of course, always came along, Norway celebrated Midsummer too, though with a bonfire instead of dancing around a maypole, so weird (that's sarcastic, Sweden is obvs the weirdo here). Minah, and Eloise, and Damien, of course, came along, well, the latter two of whom had to be somewhat dragged along, Eloise on the excuse of "observing" the activities of "lesser" beings. And where went M and E, always came T and T, aka Tyler and Theo or as Svea called the three of them, very much without their permission, zaldrīzes raqiror (translation: dragon friends). Moses and Lyrae had also come, and so had Henry, of course, what kind of awful girlfriend would forget to invite her "paramour" (as Svea preferred labelling him). Numerous adorable siblings had come along as well, Xander Carlyle (who would like to clarify he's Henry's cousin, not brother), Tara Lee, forever shipping Minah with the wrong person; it’s Minah and Tyler forever, not Minah and Sungjae (sorry buddy), whom, by the way, was also invited and showed up. Even Lyra and Oberon Greaves had come along, though they were decidedly less comfortable around Svea and Damien. Also somewhat uncomfortable was Loralei Expura, but as Svea explained, in Sweden, you just eat good food, hold hands, and dance in a circle around a weird pole for some reason. 

---Post-credit scene with the zaldrīzes raqiror---

Theo: *leaning up against a tree* I'm not doing that.

Tyler: come on, it looks fun.

Theo: I don't remember asking for your opinion.

Tyler: you're lucky to have been graced with it.

Svea: *suddenly apparates to where they are* Just shut up and hold hands already, you're killing the vibe!

[ys405-mdxillustration3]

Last Contextual Studies: Fun Activities

Last week we were given a task to create a fun activity for our final session. It could be like a Show and Tell, quizzes or anything as we have been put into groups. I was put into a different group with Daisy and Ethan. During the breakout rooms on zoom I didn’t interacted very much but I did say, “Hi”, when I joined in, however I wasn’t sure of what to say to my peers so I hoped someone would interact with me but none of them did until Daisy spoke to me very later as it was coming to the very end of the breakout room. I felt like bursting into tears until I became very upset; crying after the session. So I told three of my tutors about my problem: Samantha; not specifically until the afternoon after discussing with my SLA tutor, Cecile. She must contacted after my session with her. Then I had Caroline very later. Two weeks ago I was happy getting interacted but a week later things became a disappointment that nobody was interacting with me when I said “Hi.” So I chose to work independently rather than being put into groups again. Samantha and Caroline didn’t mind after they understood my problem. I came up with my own activity a movie quiz as I wrote down seven questions from different films and I must improve my writing a bit better from Caroline’s advice when I write down questions. Also I never want it to be a survey or anything I just want the students to guess the answers for fun. However I am suppose to provide instructions for the students to have three cards or ripped up pieces of paper to write the letters: A, B and C so they can share one of the answers on screen to the host before revealing the correct answer. The questions I wrote down were:

1) In Disney’s Aladdin 1992, how many years has Genie been trapped in the lamp for?

A) 10 Thousand Years

B) 7 Million Years

C) 47 years

2) In John Carpenter’s Christine based on the novel by Stephen King, what type of car is Christine meant to be?

A) A sports car

B) A Ferrari

C) Plymouth Fury

3) From Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, main protagonist, Jeff was in an accident before the events of the film. Which of his limbs is broken?

A) Hand

B) Arm

C) Leg

4) What is the cat’s name from Ridley Scott’s Alien?

A) Mittens

B) Meowth

C) Jonesy

5) What is the Bride name from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill vol.1 & 2?

A) O-ren Ishii

B) Beatrix Kiddo

C) Elle Driver

6) From 1984’s The Karate Kid what was the name of the song when Daniel LaRusso was being chased by bullies on Halloween night?

A) Young Hearts by Commuter

B) You’re the Best by Joe Esposito

C) No Shelter by Broken Edge

7) From Sam Raimi’s Spider-man Trilogy (2002-07), where did Peter Parker/Spider-man and Mary Jane Watson have their first kiss?

A) The cemetery

B) The night in the park

C) The rainy night in the alleyway

I thought this would be a good idea to do a movie quiz because I am into lot of movies which relates to pop culture. I was not born in the 80s or 70s but I was born in 1997 and I did grew up watching old and new films. There is a reason I want the students to guess the answers to see if they are familiar with the films they watched.

On Thursday evening I emailed Samantha my idea until she replied back to me on Friday morning when she suggested it was a good idea and wanted me to ask her in case if there was anything I need help with. At 10am’s lesson for Contextual Studies, Samantha had to go first with her own activity to get people change their identity before 10:20am, however I still didn’t quite get it until I went onto group chat of what exactly we have do and they explained to me to change my identity by wearing our costumes or it could be anything. There was no point of me getting changed on time when it was almost coming to 10:20am so I brought one of my cuddly toys, Dumbo to be on screen with me. Everyone was in their costumes. Some. Then I noticed one of the students had brought her cuddly toy with her. Samantha had taken a picture of us twice. Moving on to Eloise’s activity we had to be put into groups to select two different nouns, a verb and adjective so we write down a weird sentence and illustrate it. The group and I came up with a sentence, “A sensual elephant grows a dodgily pizza.” I still did not quite get the point about the sentence we have to draw until Eloise explained to me that the elephant is sexually attracted to pizza. Just make it up as I go along. While everyone was drawing I looked up on the definition between “dodgily” and “sensual” so I can figure out of what to illustrate. I decided to draw an elephant attempting to eat the contaminated pizza with flies flying about while the melted cheese is dropping down. The expression on the elephant’s face when it is sticking out it’s tongue as it is licking to the pizza shows a sexual active impression. Then we all had to present our to everyone as much as the others did the same. I bursted out into laughter as I felt embarrassed because of the way I drew. Moving on to the next activity had to be me was my movie quiz. I instructed everyone to get three cards or ripped up pieces of paper to write down the letters: A, B and C. I had to make sure everyone was ready before I could start the quiz. I was so excited until I became all enthusiastic throughout the questioning the audience and revealing the answers. I also made a few intimations from two films of the answers from the first and second questions by starting with Robin Williams’s character, Genie from Aladdin 1992 when I revealed the answer by imitating his voice expression of his quote: “Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!” Then I was like “Robin Williams, you’re my hero!” Suddenly I overheard someone saying that was a good expression. The last imitation I did from the second question of John Carpenter’s Christine was the noise of the car, “Vrrrrooooom!” Like when the villain is ready to kill someone. Since I made that noise I spotted one of my class peers, Ethan being spooked as flinched back. Pretty funny. After finishing my quiz Samantha asked me of how many students showed the correct answers to me I did see some letters whom were answered correctly, whereas some didn’t and I couldn’t count. In my head I was like “Doh!” And I felt embarrassed that I was hesitant to speak as I didn’t know what to do. So Samantha helped me by asking the others of who answered the correct questions I cannot remember how many I saw. I avoid making eye contact from everyone due being embarrassed, although I was a bit confused that I thought we, Samantha and I agreed on not doing a survey or could I be mistaken.

Overall, I do not want to go into too much detail about mine and the students’ activities I just want to say is that I had a good time, however the session ended around 12pm, whereas we normally finish around 11pm before 12pm. I, also forgot to mention that Samantha was going to be having a doctor’s appointment so we had to start the lesson at 10am. I hope for my second and third year we could do something fun like what we had today.

[littlemissnellie]

aaaaah, hello guys!

so...this was kind of supposed to be part of my 1 year anniversary thing but I just completely ran out of time and I've been super busy this week. so, whilst I desperately try to get some more daley screenshots together, I thought i’d set this up for you in the mean time!

as you may or may not know, I retired my Disney legacy a while back because I couldn’t keep up with 2 story-driven legacies as well as you would have deserved for me to, so I took a break from it. and although I’m still in no way ready to handle 2 story-driven legacies again *cough* @surreysimmer how do you do it????? *cough* I’ve recently been inspired by some wonderful blogs to start up a legacy that’s a little bit less story-based and is just some good old-fashioned, harmless, fun lil gameplay! hence, why this is here!

I want to keep up with my Daley legacy as much as possible and make sure that it’s as good as it possibly can be for you all story-wise, and because of that I tend to put quite a bit of pressure on myself to at least maintain its kind of mediocre standard. but with this new legacy, I don’t want that to be the case. I want to keep it fun and simple and just queue up posts for it as and when I get them and feel like it. so, I hope you don’t mind too much if there’s an occasional lull in posts; i’m probably just really busy! 

I also don’t know if adding another legacy to this blog would clutter it up too much??? maybe i’ll make another side blog and post it there? I’m not sure yet, i’d love to know your opinion though; it would really help!

I didn’t quite know what exactly you’d want to see as this extra little legacy though, so I thought that I‘d create a few little sims, give them some backstories and let you decide! so, under the cut I’ll give you a few descriptions of my various sim bbies, which might help you make your decision!

thank you in advance for your support guys! vote away!

I’m a Lover Legacy - Bethany, the lil red head was born and bred in the quaint little city of Windenburg. Being raised by her grandparents, after her parents died in a car accident, by the time that Bethany walked out of Windenburg University with an English Literature degree she was rather desperate for some freedom, which they were more than happy to give to her. And so, not long after moving into her modest little house, Bethany started working towards her job as an author, joined a local book club, where she made some wonderful friends, and even found love with a beautiful, free-spirited artist called Rory. Their relationship went from strength to strength and every day they fell more and more in love with each other. A rose was there to greet Rory at every date that she went on, so, as her and Bethany’s birthdays were drawing closer, she has a certain little present that she’d like to give back to her... (I’ve been playing their save a little bit already, so their story’s already pretty established, which is why their explanation is so damn long lmao).

A Townie Legacy - okay, so this description is probably going to be tiny in comparison, but that’s because it‘s not really established yet. I've sort of become a little bit obsessed with doing ea townie makeovers, and would love to use them for something. I thought that, because we all know and love or hate ea’s townies, making them my own and then starting up a save to actually play with them and see how they develop might be a fun little idea. with this option i’d obviously post all my townie makeovers (which I plan to do anyway v soon but sshhhhh, you didn't hear it from me) first and then get you to pick which family you’d like me to play with most afterwards. hopefully that makes a little bit of sense! for now though, I thought i’d use bob and eliza as the spokes people!

The Disney Legacy - so...these guys aren’t really very new around here, but if I was going to even think about adding a new legacy, these guys just had to be included! I know that the last time I was posting with them, their storylines were starting to develop themselves quite nicely, but this time, if they win and I pick up where I left off, the posts for them would be a little more simple and light-hearted. basically, just less story-based. I promise i’d still do my best to keep them like the characters I created for them though, it just wouldn’t be as thorough, I guess. if you didn’t see them last time I was posting with them, they currently have 5 little kiddos: the first set of twins Ethan (a nerdy, shy little bean), and Nathan (a very energetic, slightly rebellious little bean), Blake (an uber cool, independent little tot already), and then the second set of twins Isaac (a very curious, crazy little thing) and Jennifer (the one and only little girl who has already deemed herself queen of the household). so their little family could very well be making a comeback if you so wish!

Differences in the Family Tree Legacy - my little girl Leah over here didn’t want anything more in life than to follow in her parents’ footsteps and start up a little farm of her own. so when her mum and dad surprised her with her own plot of land and a tiny little cottage to go along with it, she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. and with her high school boyfriend Archie supporting her decision 100%, she couldn’t refuse! so off to Brindleton Bay she went, with the earth at her feet, the sunshine on her face and the joyous prospect of a life of her own in her heart. the life she’d always dreamed about was just starting, and she couldn’t be more excited...

The Shameless Legacy - Eloise has always loved animals, but with her mother’s severe allergies and her father‘s strict rules, having a pet of her own had never been a possibility. now that she was old enough to move out and start a life of her own though, there was nothing more that she wanted than to acquire a little companion of her own. the only thing left for her to do after that was to achieve her other life goal: to help all the other animals she couldn’t adopt as her own. and if she couldn’t manage to secure a job in any of the other clinics in the area, thanks to Brindleton Bay’s apparent lack of job openings, maybe she’d just have to start up her own...

The Gem Stone Legacy - Safiya Gem was always destined to make her parents proud, at least that’s what they believed. but the second that her wild, rebellious teen heart-throb of a boyfriend stepped into their house that dream crumbled before their very eyes. their precious, gifted, honest daughter was being led astray with every second that she spent in his company. her gorgeous chocolate locks were soon dyed to a shocking, electric blue. her face became clad with makeup. a tattoo soon adorned her skin. and at the first opportunity available, she was willing to drop everything to follow him to san myshuno and carry out life in a cramped little apartment in the heart of a not-so-pleasant neighbourhood. even though safiya was as happy as could be, head-over-heels in love as some may say, would this all end as perfectly as she thought?

Pethood Legacy - Julian had his whole life set out for him by his parents. he had a job lined up at the local newspaper ready and waiting, he had a lovely family friend to soon make his wife and he had a wonderful house to inherit when the time came. but Julian wanted no part in it whatsoever. and after revealing to his parents that writing articles was the last things he wanted to be doing, that he’d rather live in a cardboard box for the rest of his life than inherit that house and would only ever consider marrying this girl if she...became a man, then they wanted no part in his life whatsoever. they cut all ties with him, leaving him with nothing but the clothes that he was wearing and the tent he bought with the spare cash he had with him. it was an upgrade from the cardboard box he’d proposed, but was still a rather huge leap from how he’d been living up until that point. but he was free. he was himself, and unapologetically so. and if his family wanted no part in his life if he was to live this way, then he would find some people that did. or rather, something...

[yellingart]

Truly sorry everything is horses lately I cannot be contained any longer, this is my first entry for Plastic Fantastic this year!!

I even tried to write some sort of story to go with it as well! I can't promise quality, but uh-

It was time! Finally! West Winds was taking part in their first international show since the opening of their riding school, and in Greece nonetheless, they had been preparing for it for months, getting all the parents together to book the planes, prepare transportation for their horses, hotels, accommodations…

The price tag started to get high very quickly, as one would expect. Just moving the horses to the other side of the ocean was a stunt not everybody was able to assume so the group turned out to be relatively small at the end.

Jack, Eloise and their two daughters were going as an excuse to take a vacation all together as a family, with their horses, and take the chance to visit Eloise’s extended family in France.

Megara, who wanted to take the chance to enter a few competitions across the European continent and do some rounds of horse shopping.

And finally. Vesta, on her first ever international show, first time traveling solo, first time being out of the country… The young girl had managed to get on pretty good terms with the Farran girls, especially Charity. They didn't have anything in common, and Vesta would have put in doubt the exact terminology to refer to their friendship but the red-hair had moved heaven and earth to get to her after Vesta had arrived to West Winds. She had been so… Overwhelmingly welcoming, always cheerful, hopeful, excited, happy to be there… Vesta found her so, so insufferable. At first.

But then, as her father started to spend less and less time, less and less energy on her in favor of his new student, Vesta started to simply spend a lot more time at the barn.

The Farrans quickly learned her name, saying good morning to her every day, can you help with this or that, do you want to come ride with us… Charity seemed to feel pity for her, a little bit. Always alone, not really making an effort to invite herself to situations, but the girl kept asking till Vesta started to say yes.

It was Charity who convinced Vesta to get on social media, invited her to the weekend barbeques on the property, invited her to the pool, before Vesta could realize, they were talking constantly, messaging… all of it.

Charity was such a chatter, and so insecure, she wasn't sure what discipline she wanted to focus on yet, she didn't have her own horse yet…. Well, technically, her family had a lot of them, but none of them was hers… She rode what she could, but constantly switching between horses was starting to dig at her confidence.

They talked a lot about it, Vesta started to talk about Babylon a lot, and her training, and took pride in the work she had put on that mare. It made her confident to have someone to talk with about that.

And just like that she also started to take more risks, she started doing more shows, tagging along with the team even when she wasn't competing. West Winds gifted Vesta her independence, and that all came crashing down when the idea of the trip to Greece was presented to her father, on a fairly cool morning at the stables, preparing for the first lesson of the day.

“You are not going.” Rickey was adamant about it. “You're just not! No way!”

“But it's, the team-” Vesta didn't really have any arguments, besides she wanted to go, very badly.

“I don't give a damn about the team, or what stupid birds they've put in your head! What are you gonna do in Greece?!!?! Do you think I'm stupid, trying to play me to bleed every penny out of me. You’re just like your mother.” He raised his voice, walking towards his daughter till Vesta was almost cornered between Babylon’s stable and Rickey’s angry grin. “Even if we could afford to ship you and that stupid donkey to fucking Europe, it would be a waste. Why do you keep trying, so much effort, you ain't that good of a rider, Vesta.” He continued, his hand raising to softly hold his daughter's cheek.

She flinched away from the touch, which seemed to sour his expression even further, closing his hand in a fist and using it to hold himself while leaning forward, almost hovering over the teen girl, his shoulders squared and tense and his eyes locked on her in a threatening way. She kept her eyes glanced away from him.

“I know it's a hard truth, kid, but you aren't going to make it. We can't afford to make it” His voice dropped, low and with a slight rumble in the back of his throat, that made it sound almost as if he was amused by the situation. “...you might as well stop trying, I've been very… generous, really, keeping Babylon for you all these years even knowing that nothing could come out of it. You should be thankful, I'm saving you the heartbreak of failing later on. But all this, showing, pretending like this… No, it has been enough.” He continued, ruthlessly spitting the words at the girl in front of him.

Vesta ended up looking at the floor between them, her eyes open like plates, her heart rushing in her heart.

She didn't respond in time, so Rickey released the pressure, taking his eyes away from her, and starting to walk away.

“I- I I am going. Though.” She started, squaring herself as her father gave her his back. “I'm going to talk to them I want to go they, they say it's not a problem and they invited me-”

Rickey let out a sharp, condescending laugh.

“It- Vesta, there's a difference between inviting you sometimes for dinner because you're friends with their daughter, and shipping you and your mare to Greece just because you want to go” His tone was almost mocking. “Come on, you're going to be late for your lesson.”

They were at each other's throats ever since, arguing every night, yelling. She talked to Charity, the girl’s family was down to take her along for their family vacations, if Rickey was cool with it. 

It wasn’t about money for them, it had never been about money. It was, for Rickey, though. 

He wouldn’t accept any pity from these people, trying to act like they were better than him. Wouldn’t allow them to have anything above his head, take his own daughter on vacations as if he couldn’t afford to take her to places himself, they might as well spit in his face.

The arguments lasted for weeks, at home, in the car… Never at the barn, where someone could hear them yell at each other in the most nasty way.

It was something Vesta had grown accustomed to, every time they had a disagreement, he would make a mountain out of it, act like she was the sole reason for all their struggles. They would yell, throw things at each other, he would end up chasing her and she would lock herself in the bathroom. And they would yell through the door, he would kick it and she would cry in fear, then he would get tired and ignore her till dinner.

Rickey wouldn’t say a word, not ever once in her 16 years of age she had heard him say the word sorry, but she believed his way of apologizing was through making her dinner. He was a great cook, and always made something special for her after a fight.

This time though, it seemed like the argument finally started to grind Rickey down after a few days, and ended up giving her an ultimatum.

“I am done paying for your delusions, Vesta, if you want to go, then go, but I won’t pay for it” He spitted out mid fight, pounced over the kitchen table while Vesta was tensed up ready to run on the opposite side. “I don’t fucking care but if you go with them don’t expect to come back home”

The way he spoke made the girl freeze in place for a second, she had heard a good amount of ultimatums and she didn’t believe a word of it. He couldn’t just kick her out, it was…. a challenge, surely. She squinted at him, giving half a step back.

“I’ll find a way to pay for it” She mumbled, truly, she thought she could, maybe if she won some shows overseas then she could come back and her father would feel different about her. It was… A matter of time. Right? “You don’t have to pay anything, Babylon will pay for herself and I I’ll figure out I just, I want to go. Please” “I don’t care” Rickey remarked, tilting his head to make his words feel stronger. “I don’t give a fuck Vesta, do whatever the fuck you want like you always do but you do it on your own I’m done with you, God”

After that, he left the kitchen and went out, Vesta didn’t know where exactly. It didn’t make her feel exactly good about this whole thing, and that night texting with Charity, the girls got it all out. Charity told her dad, and Jack talked with Rickey in the morning.

“So I heard your kid is coming with us huh” Jack started, when he found Rickey getting the feed ready for his horse. Jack noticed he was only preparing food for Imperious, and not Babylon which struck him as weird but maybe Vesta was coming later. “Just wanted to have a chat about it to make sure it’s cool with you.” No response, almost as if Rickey was ignoring him, he leaned in the wooden beam on the door of the feedroom. “Is it the first time Vesta is like having vacations away? She mentioned you had some doubts about it. How do you wanna do it, I mean, we have a groupchat with the parents. All of us post updates there to keep everybody updated, not only this trip but like every trip we do with the barn… Hell you could even tag along if it’ll make you feel better-”

Rickey turned around and finally interrupted him. “I, no offense, but I don’t want to go with all of you on vacations, I have work to do” He dismissed the shorter man with a hand gesture. “But I agreed with Vesta that she was allowed, she's excited I guess… you, you know, if- Well, you know, we came to an agreement in which she has to find her own way to pay for the trip, I guess she’ll be approaching you about it later today. Trying to get some odd jobs mucking stables and such.” The man rolled his eyes, walking past Jack towards Imperious’ stable.

The stallion kicked the door impatiently, and Rickey clicked his tongue at it as a reprimand. Imperious threw his hair up, almost in a sad attempt at rearing on the spot, and Rickey hit the bars on the door. “Back off” He barked at his horse, then opened the door to pour the food in the corner so he could eat from the floor.

“No yeah I understand” Jack continued, walking behind him. “That’s fine I can get her some chores and things to do, and hey I promise she’ll call every night, I’ll add you to the, uhm, group chat right so you can see all the photos…” He was trying so hard to extend a hand to this man, trying to be kind, understanding.

“Cool” Rickey was dry, and came out as slightly annoyed, giving Jack his back once again to go pick his saddle, he had no intention of entertaining the conversation for much longer, nor he was going to give Jack any more details than that. “Now if that was all…”

“Yeah, yeah, cool” The smaller man stuck his hands on his back pockets. The energy was just… odd, tense, weird. But he had never had a conversation with this man that was…. satisfactory. There was always an aura about him like he believed himself to be on a completely different level than all of them. Jack didn’t like him a little bit but his wife thought they should give him a chance. Some people are just hard to get to know and their kids are friends… “I’ll keep you informed about the trip then, see you later” Rickey only raised his hand in a little goodbye gesture, but didn’t say anything else, Jack stood there for a couple seconds then let out a sigh and walked away. Guess it was… an odd way to teach a kid responsibility. But he wasn’t about to argue with another man on how to parent his kid.

After all, Jack couldn’t deny his family was incredibly privileged. Eloise’s family was extremely wealthy and they were able to raise their kids without money being a concern at all in their lives but that wasn’t the case for most people.

However, the days passed, Vesta started doing chores around the barn every now and then. The preparations of the trip were going smooth, and the big day came faster than any of them anticipated.

8 in the morning, the horses had to load up, they were the priority in terms of comfort, and they had a special flight scheduled for them hours before their own flight was planned to take off. Rickey didn’t even show up to help Vesta with Babylon, not that the mare needed any help… Truly, she was the calmest of all the horses that were being loaded in the trailer. A solid, bomb proof mare. But Rickey didn’t show up either at the airport, to say goodbye to his daughter who was going on her first trip alone for a month. That was odd for sure.

“Maybe we should give him a call, he might have gotten the hours of the flights mixed up?” Eloise suggested, to which Jack had to make a strange face.

How could his own daughter pack and leave without him even noticing or asking where she was going? It was weird.

“Yeah, call him” He agreed. “Just to be sure”

Rickey picked the phone on the first tone, which to them indicated that he must have been waiting for any updates. Maybe he was just busy and couldn’t make it. 

“What, did something happen?” He immediately asked. He didn’t seem very worried, more like annoyed.

“No, nothing, we’re just about to board the plane.” Eloise’s voice answered back. “Oh” Rickey made a noise with his tongue. “Ok, yeah, have a good flight.” He was not very expressive with his tone, it came out kinda plain and not really getting much emotion with it.

“Thanks! Do you want to say that to Vesta she’s right here-” Eloise was starting to walk towards the girls, when Rickey hung the phone on her. “Oh, well, darling I’m sorry I got a hold of your dad but he just hung up.” She explained to Vesta, as the girls looked up at her. 

“Ohh…” Vesta started “That’s alright, thank you Mrs Farran, I’ll text him he’s probably busy” She was polite, but it did sparkle a little seed of anxiety in her chest.

After all, her father hadn’t talked a word to her since their ultimatum. And it was starting to get to her. She texted Rickey just a simple “About to board, call later?” and he didn’t answer. They boarded the plane, and 14 hours later, when they landed, he still hadn’t answered. But now it was too late to regret this.

[faunahudson]

settle | self para

Who: Fauna Flanagan and Percy Flanagan with mentions of Rory Flanagan, Conor Flanagan and Sawyer Hudson Where: Belfast When: Feburary 2020 What: Fauna and Percy discuss his opinions on her future Warnings: emotional abuse, derogatory language, Percy Flanagan

It’s pouring with rain the night in February that her father comes to collect her from uni. It was an odd thing that in her adult life she’d begun to rely on lifts, since her and Rory had almost never been collected from school beyond primary. This had partially been because Percy had accused Mary of coddling them by doing so, but mostly because they liked the independence of walking or getting the bus. Fauna had always enjoyed the opportunity to read one of the many paperbacks that she kept crammed in the bottom of her bag. While Rory claimed to like the social aspect of the bus referring to him and Dobsy accusing Tired Pete in the year below of having a gay love affair with the bus driver because he always got off with an under twelves fare way into his teens. It also made people suspect them less of being Tories because their parents didn’t drive them, made them seem more normal. Fauna had liked it that way less reason for people to look at them, and with her headphones in she could ignore the commentary on her sex life that had always followed her back then.

It had been funny, appearing at uni in Belfast. Despite being the new girl things actually weren’t all that weird, she wasn’t ostracised the last way she had been during high school, everything was different in her new classes. In the weeks leading up to her first day there had been the bubble of fear that it would be like it had been in Dublin, that the videos would be found and the rumours would start up all over again. But instead she had been greeted warmly. After classes there were invites to pubs and cups of tea offered, everyone wanted to get to know Sawyer. A few people had even asked about Alexis, which they laughed about over their daily FaceTimes. How funny it was that people liked her when she didn’t really need them to anymore. This new warmth from people had meant that she seldom needed to walk or to take the bus because there was always someone’s car she could cram into, but on this particularly rainy Tuesday she’s been at the clinic later than she expected and there’s no bus for an hour. She knows Sawyer will be working, so she calls her home phone hoping to catch Maurie or her Ma to beg a lift and maybe some dinner. The phone rings twice, when it picks up she goes to talk immediately the way she usually would but she’s halted by.

“Fauna.” Her father says obviously having recognised her number, his tone not annoyed or accusatory for once which makes her immediately wonder if he’s drunk.

“Hey Da, is Maurie there?” She asks, hoping that if he is truly good and drunk he’ll just pass the phone over and she won’t have to prolong their interaction.

“No, her and your Ma went over to your grandparents.” He isn’t drunk, she can tell that by now. If he was drunk he would have put the phone down after delivering that message. “What did you need them for?” If he’d been any other person in the entire world she would have told him it was nothing and then tried to rummage around in her bag for enough change for a cab into town. But she knew if she told him that it was nothing then it would start a fight where he’d demand to know what she was hiding from him, and her feet ached too much for that.

“Oh I was just gonna try and beg a lift from the clinic, scran something from Ma. You know how I am.” She says, though it’s not true. He barely knows her at all. There’s a pause, which lasts longer in her head than it probably did in real life because she’s so fucking cold.

“I’ll pick you up, we’ll go for a pint.” Those were the last words that she expected to come out of his mouth, and she blinks in surprise.

“Why?” She asks before she stop herself, it’s always a terrible idea to question Percy and her heart sinks as soon as she says it. That’s always the problem with living with someone who you can completely be herself with, she forgets that she has to put her guard back up with other people.

“Because you need a fucking lift and I’m the only one in, god it’s not complicated Fauna Eloise.. sometimes I wonder what they teach you up there because it’s not bloody common sense.” Percy snaps.

“Sorry Da.. you’ve just never picked me up before.” Fauna responds, trying to mollify him. “Thanks though.” She adds, he’s not actually punished her since that time at parents week but she doesn’t really want to go through it again.

“Text me the address.” He says, and honestly even though she’s sure she’ll probably live to regret it right now she’s just grateful to think about getting out of the cold. A pint, is a pint after all. Though Percy hadn’t done anything particularly heinous since Sawyer punched Harold at new years, so she supposed she was about due for him to do something to remind her why she hated him so much.

Percy has brought his favourite Porsche coupe and it arrives a lot sooner than Fauna thought it would. She’d almost expected he’d keep her waiting, to punish her for questioning his motives. She dashes through the rain and slips into the front seat, to find Percy listening to the rugby. “Thanks for the lift Da, it’s vile outside.” The weather is usually a pretty safe topic, Percy hates the rain. There’s a brief conversation about the state of the roads, and what she was doing at the clinic before he looks at her and says.

“You can drive can’t you? Why don’t you have a car?” Fauna has to bite her lip hard to keep from laughing at this question. God he really didn’t have any idea what life was like did he? As if her and Sawyer could think about running a car when all they had to live on was the few shifts that she could take at the ER, his barely minimum wage earnings at the pub and what was left of her savings. They could barely afford groceries some weeks, and she’d been shoving the council tax bills underneath the freezer until Maurie had insisted that they take an envelope of ‘Christmas money’ to get rid of them.

“Yeah I can drive, you gave me a lesson once remember?” She reminds him. That was probably the last time that he’d volunteered to spend time with her that wasn’t to give her a bollocking. The lesson hadn’t been terrible to be honest, mostly because Percy liked feeling in control and like he was the smarter one of the two and Fauna didn’t mind learning when she thought the skill was useful. “Canne afford a car though, don’t really need one anyway I only really go to uni and to the pub. Sawyer borrows Glens car sometimes.. if we’re gonna go visit Nana or something.”

He grunts in recognition of the lesson. “You’d have more than enough money if you lived at home.” That’s the second time that evening that he’s stunned her to silence, and so she just stares at him like a fish. Was he really suggesting that she should move home?

“I mean.. I guess. But me and Sawyer are happy where we are I think. It’s nice to have a place of our own, weren’t really supposed to live together at school. ” She responds eventually, she wants to ask him why she would ever want to move home when he’d all but shoved them out of the door when they’d lived there for the month after Ohio. “Besides my single is a bit small for both of us. Sawyers a big lad.”

“Hm.” Is all her father replies it’s not like she expected him to laugh, she doesn’t think he’s ever laughed at one of her jokes but she does have to wonder where he’s going with all this. Her hands fidget in her lap as she waits for the penny to drop but he doesn’t press her on the topic. After a brief silence they pull up to one of the fancy country restaurants that Percy loves where the prices make her teeth hurt. She’s been uncomfortable with this kind of thing since she was a little girl who wore her wellie boots to church. As a kid she used to say she wasn’t hungry anymore and she didn’t want to go inside, which would usually cause him to call her ungrateful and all but yank her from the car while Rory wailed that he wanted Mcdonalds. Even now as an adult she wants to tell him that she’s not dressed for this kind of pint, and that she still stinks of the clinic. But again she knows that it’s not worth fighting over so she pulls the hood of her coat up and trudges with him inside. 

Percy knows the girl on the door, and he speaks to her in an odd charming voice that Fauna knew he had but had never experienced first-hand. She thinks about this version of her father occasionally though, when she’s wondering how Maurie or her Ma ever ended up with him. It’s this charming Dominant they thought they were getting claimed by, not the bad-tempered man who can never be wrong, that ended up raising their kids. They’re shown to a table, and handed expensive looking leather bound menus. Fauna almost doesn’t want to open the thing, but her stomach is growling so she scans the print for the cheapest thing on the menu.

“It’s on me.” Percy says as if reading her mind. It’s early in the dinner for him to declare this, one of his favourite games when he brought her and Sawyer out was always to order and then ask them to pay at the end of the meal. Watching them try to scrap around for enough money to cover the extortionate tab, before the waitress told them that Mr Flanagan had already paid. It was the kind of humiliating mind game that Percy specialised in, always reminding them that they relied on him, that they needed him. Fauna considers asking him whether or not he’s sure he wants to pay but that’s another question so instead she says.

“Thank you very much Da, you didn’t have to bring me out here. I’d have taken a half eaten bag of crisps.” She jokes, her stomach rumbling as her eyes scan over the options. While she’s not a fan of fancy places, she is looking forward to eating something that she didn’t make in that one pot that never seemed to have quite lost the burned crust that she’d created when Sawyer had distracted her while she was trying to make red wine gravy.

“I know, you’ve always been willing to eat any old shit.. Take shit from everyone. You shouldn’t settle though, not about food and not in your life Fauna.” Percy says, and Fauna is starting to wonder if this is all about Sawyer somehow. Percy had been awfully nice to Sawyer since the incident at new years and she now had a creeping suspicion that he’d just been biding his time, lulling them into a false sense of security.

“I mean I actually do just really like cheap food to be honest with you Da, I really enjoyed the American preoccupation with junk food while I was there. As for everything else, I don’t really think I’m settling. I thought I was doing pretty well to be honest, I left a school that I didn’t think was gonna give me a fair shot, I’m studying to be a doctor at the best school around and I’ve got an amazing boyfriend.. what more could I want?”

“You live in a pokey one bedroom flat and you can’t afford a car, you and Sawyer should be thinking about a house of your own.” Percy declares, and honestly Fauna is just glad that Sawyer was included in whatever weird fucking conversation they were about to have. 

“I mean once I’m qualified Da.. we’ll work on a claim and then we can start to think about getting a house and stuff. But I’m in med school right now, that’s you know.. expensive.” She wants to mention her trust fund, because it would solve every single problem that he keeps talking about. But she’d rather try to work out where he’s going with all this first. 

The waitress arrives at that point, and Fauna hasn’t even really thought about what she wants though she decides to use this to her advantage. “Can you order for me Da? You know what’s good here better than me” Percy actually almost cracks a surprised smile at this, letting a Dominant order for you is good manners in his book. Fauna has never been opposed to this kind of power exchange when it’s consensual, though usually not with her father. But she knows that he thinks she’s a terrible submissive, that she’s not willing to follow any kind of rules so little gestures like this can occasionally help with keeping him in a good mood. He orders her something with goats cheese that Maurie apparently likes and a regular pint. 

“I know you think I’m some kind of monster, because I won’t just let you and your brother waste your lives. And you act like I’m a cunt because Ive always tried to stop you from parading yourself around like a whore and acting like a nasty little brat.” Percy says, and Fauna takes a long drink of the pint that’s just been put in front of her. Vodka would have been better. Just when she was thinking this was going well. “But I push you because I know you can have more, and because I always wanted you to find a decent claim. Unlike your moron of a twin, I always knew you had potential. You’re decent looking like your mother, and nobody would ever shut up about how clever you were even when you were a kid. Though it was always like pulling teeth getting you to show it. Obviously there was no chance of you going into the business because you’ve always been submissive and overly emotional.. but I pushed you to do what you were good at.” Fauna wants to say that yelling abuse and emotional manipulation go a little further than ‘pushing’ and that if he really wanted to push her he could have offered to help with medical school but she holds her tongue. “I’ve always been trying to teach you not to be a chump and to be able to stand on your own two feet like I had to. Nobody gave me a hand out.” 

In a world where Percy wasn’t the worst person on the planet , Fauna might have spoken about him with pride. He was self made after all, his friends were always clapping him on the back and talking about his clever investments outside of the business. But he’d soured every page of his biography with his actions, and left her uninterested in knowing how he made the money that he so loved to hold over her and Rorys heads. The money that he used to manipulate her mother and Maurie into submission, and literally the only thing that made him any difference from the drunks that he sneered at on a Saturday night. 

“You’ve been making improvements though I’ve noticed, since our talk in Ohio. You’ve been more like a submissive should be, less crass, not dragging yourself out of bars like a tramp. Minding your manners.” Percy says, and Fauna raises an eyebrow. “And New Year reminded me something.. that I’ve been too hard on you particularly in a way. I always lump you and Rory in together because everyone else does. Which was never good for you, you don’t want people thinking you're a layabout junkie like him. I gave you the same treatment because I thought you needed the same push to succeed. But you’re a submissive and so I shouldn’t expect you to be able to do things for yourself. You’re supposed to be weak, you should be obedient.” In her mind Fauna punches him square in the jaw, and she stays visualising that as the waitress puts something that smells delicious in front of her. “But when the Yank fucking battered Harold, I realised that getting you under control was about finding you the right Dominant and shaping him. At first I thought the Hudson boy was a total waste of fucking air since he’s a skint drifter, with no decent family to speak of, American and he seemed like a pansy. But then I realised he’s got balls, and he seems to have enough of a grip on you that you’re no longer spreading your legs for anything that breathes.”

There’s a part of Fauna that feels some sort of twisted pride that her father is starting to approve of Sawyer, the words that are coming out of his mouth in many ways disgust her. But that stupid little girl who just wouldn’t give up hope that her Dad would someday be proud of her was jumping up and down that her Dad thought Sawyer could be a good match for her. 

“I am committed to Sawyer.” She confirms for the millionth time, always feeling a little sick when he brought up the idea that she might have sex with anyone else. “And he’s a really, really good Dominant.”

“Hm.” Percy responds as he tucks into his steak. “It’s his future I’m interested in, like I said you two can’t spend your life in that dirty little flat. You need to be looking ahead, and I mean to help with that. You need to keep focusing on uni obviously, and on being a decent submissive. But I can help give him a push in the right direction.”

Fauna has no idea how to respond to this decision making process, because on one hand she wants to try and shield Sawyer from everything that comes along with having Percys attention. But if Percy warming up to Sawyer meant that he might relax on his one strike and you're out policy, then it would help them both sleep a little easier at night. So she doesn’t really say anything for the rest of dinner, he makes a cruel remark about her being greedy when she wants to order dessert, and takes several very underhanded digs at how much Rorys rehab costs which she can’t ignore and has to bite back on. But it’s probably the longest they’ve ever been alone in a very long time. 

When he drops her off back at her apartment he reaches into his wallet, and pulls out a wad of twenties. “Buy yourself a bottle of decent booze.” He instructs. “You should be able to serve something that’s not shite when you have people over.” She has no intention of using the money for that, but she thanks him all the same and gets out of the car without feeling totally like shit for once. Which in turn makes her feel guilty, like she was betraying herself and Rory somehow for not totally hating every second that she spent with Percy. For letting him get away with at least half of what he’d said, Rory would never have sat there passively while he insulted the flat that her and Sawyer worked hard to afford and Sawyers parents who were good hard working people. Yet despite all that he’d said, Fauna considered the meeting to have gone well, and she just didn’t know if that made her a bad person or not. 

Glancing up at the apartment building she could see a light on, and that familiar relief of knowing that she could talk to Sawyer about what was worrying her spread over her body. So without agonising further, she punched in the key code and disappeared out of the rain. Leaving what she could of her guilt and unease behind her. 

[marisa-writes]

who are you here for (who is here for you?)

Number three. I can’t be stopped. Find more of Teyana and Niall here.

“So who are you here for—the bride or the groom?”

Teyana turns her head to greet the inquirer, a middle-aged woman wearing a lovely floral print dress, and smiles.

“Neither,” she replies, picking up the drink in her hand and giving the glass a swirl before bringing it to her lips. When the woman raises a brow in confusion, Teyana swallows and lowers the glass before motioning towards the stage, her smile growing wider as she clarifies, “My boyfriend’s in the band.”

“Ah,” the woman says, sliding into the chair beside Teyana’s. Teyana studies her as she watches the band for a while, Rookie Limelight well into their set at the wedding reception, a good crowd of people moving to the music on the patio area that’s been turned into an outdoor dance floor. The woman’s eyes seem to flit from member to member until they finally return to meet Teyana’s, and she gives a nod that seems like silent approval. “They’re really good,” she says, confirming Teyana’s thoughts. “I was surprised to see that a live band was lined up for the reception; they come few and far between these days, with most opting for a DJ instead. Which one is your boyfriend?”

Teyana pulls her gaze away to take in the stage again, twinkle lights hung everywhere beneath the canopy of a setting sun, Niall crooning into the microphone, his fingers strumming at guitar strings as they move into the chorus of their cover of King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight”. It’s in this very same moment that he happens to look up from the crowd, eyes somehow finding hers with ease even with a whole dance floor full of people between them. A small grin curls his lips as he sings, and he holds her gaze, his gorgeous and mesmerizing and one hell of a pair of blues.

Before Teyana can point him out, the woman chimes, “Wait, let me guess—the one with the sweet eyes who’s looking at you like you hung the moon.”

Teyana laughs, a bubbly, schoolgirl-with-a-crush laugh, and plans to blame the color she knows is seeping into her cheeks on the summer heat if she’s asked. “Yeah. That’s him.”

“His name?” 

“Niall.” 

The woman quirks a brow. “Interesting name.”

Teyana nods. “It’s Irish.”

“And what’s yours?”

“Teyana.” She takes the woman’s hand as it’s extended to her, and enjoys the kind crinkle around the eyes nearly hidden by thick, graying bangs.

“Nice to meet you, Teyana,” she says, as their handshake ends. “I’m Delores.”

Delores turns out to be welcomed company, Teyana learns, as the two of them spend a while talking. She’s sixty-one and the godmother of the bride, the bride’s mother and her going back at least forty some-odd years. Teyana is awed and inspired to hear of a friendship that has lasted so long, and she enjoys the stories Delores tells, of herself and her friend Anne, the bride’s mother, as well as the bride herself, Eloise. Delores inquires about Teyana, too—about Niall, and her studies, and her life in California. 

There’s a sharp pang in Teyana’s chest the longer they talk, something about Delores’s sweet nature that reminds Teyana of what she’s always wished she’d had with her mother before she left them, and when Delores is called to make a speech before the bouquet toss, she blanches at the loss of company as Delores pats her hand gently before excusing herself with a “Hang on, sweetheart, I’ll be right back.”

Teyana offers her a weak smile as she goes, watching Delores’s back turn while fiddling with the wispy fabric of her dress in her lap. Lost inside her thoughts, she forgets that with speech-giving comes a break for the band, so she’s startled when a pair of hands come to rest on her shoulders, a peck on the cheek following. 

Niall slides into the chair beside her and Teyana turns her head to look at him. She’s not surprised to see the way his eyebrows instantly furrow, his easy smile fading from his lips. 

“Saw you made a friend,” he comments, nodding briefly towards Delores, who is standing in front of the stage, microphone in hand while recounting one of the stories about Eloise that she’s just shared with Teyana.  

Teyana nods. “Delores,” she says, trying to be in the moment with him, but her tone and her eyes betray her. “She’s very nice.” 

Niall’s drawn-together brows pull inward even further. “All right, petal,” he says, turning in the chair until his knees bump against her thigh. He slides a hand into her lap, beneath her palm, working her fingers out of their tight grip on the fabric of her dress. “What’s that look for?” 

Teyana shrugs at first, annoyed with herself, with the fact that a woman who left her and her father behind when she was seven years old—a woman she hasn’t seen or heard from since—still has so much power over her emotions. But Niall, ever in tune with her, waits patiently, worried eyes trained on her until she’s ready to speak. 

“Just been thinking about my mom,” she sighs. 

Niall inches closer, reaching for the unaccompanied hand in her lap so that now he’s got a hold of both. He’s quiet for a long moment, and Teyana appreciates his careful tone when he asks, “What about her?”

He shows interest without pressing. Teyana knows that he knows this is not an easy subject for her. Niall’s parents are divorced but they’ve both been present in his life, and it’s different for him, but he’s closer to understanding than most.

Teyana sighs again, feeling tears well in her eyes that make her even further annoyed with herself—the whole idea of it, of letting her abandonment issues get the best of her at a public event she’s pretty much crashing—and she gives Niall’s hands a tight squeeze. “When it’s my turn, when this…when this is what I want for myself—” 

“A wedding?” Niall asks, cocking his head to the side.

Teyana nods, but turns away; she can’t look at him right now. “She won’t be here. Just like she hasn’t been for anything important. Birthdays, graduations, my moving across the fucking country to go to school. And it’s fine because Papi has been here, will be here, and he’s my everything, but…sometimes, I’m just so furious. You know? I look at this night, at this happy bride who is standing there smiling at her mother and I feel like…like I was cheated out of something. Like someone thought I didn’t deserve it.”

Niall tugs one of Teyana’s hands up from her lap, pulls it towards his lips, and kisses her knuckles. It’s comforting, his lips pressed to her skin, but she still can’t look at him.

“It’s like she fucking died, Niall,” Teyana says, but it comes out soft, her throat feeling like it might close up. “But she didn’t. She didn’t die. She just left.”

The air around them feels heavier now, and Teyana wants to punch herself, bringing the mood down like this. It’s a lovely evening, the sunset burning the sky orange and pink although that’s faded now, to a sharp purple that will give way to dark blue, then black, and hopefully some stars.

“I don’t know what to say,” Niall says, after a long beat of silence. “I don’t think…I don’t think there’s anything I can say, y’know? Like—there’s no right words to make you feel better. But will you look at me?” 

Teyana squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, during which Niall lets go of her hand to cup her cheek, and then she leans into his palm, eyes fluttering open slowly to meet his gaze. 

“You deserve everything,” he says, and the conviction in both his voice and his eyes is enough to make Teyana’s heart thump wildly in her chest. “Don’t you ever think for a second that you don’t. But your mother didn’t deserve you.” 

Teyana looks at him, eyes glassy now, and tries to give him a smile. She knows he’s right. Even in a single parent home, she won the lottery, her Papi the best example of parenting she could’ve ever had. Their home was a bit broken when her mother left but her Papi tried his damnedest to make everything all right even amid his own heartbreak, the summer after her mother’s departure filled with late night dance parties in the living room to Papi’s massive CD collection and platefuls of plátanos maduros to fill her stomach since there wasn’t any real way to fill the hole in her heart. And in every year since, he’s moved mountains for her, encouraged her, loved her unconditionally. He raised her to be confident and kind and brave, or she wouldn’t have felt independent enough to travel all the way from New York to California without him. She didn’t need a mother when she had her Papi. She knew that, and she knew it wholeheartedly.

But sometimes, on nights like this one, her feelings get the best of her, and she wishes that things had been different. That in an alternate universe, her parents had worked out, that her father hadn’t been so doe-eyed and her mother hadn’t been so selfish. That when Niall finally asks her to marry him—it won’t be for a while, but Teyana knows it’s him, knows he’s the one who’ll be smiling at her when she reaches the end of that aisle—she’ll have a mother to offer her support and love at a time when she’ll need it the most.

“Sorry to ruin the vibe of the evening,” Teyana sighs, a sad laugh following, her finger working themselves into twists of fabric again in her lap. If she keeps this up, her dress—a favorite—will be ruined.  

Niall scoffs. “Fuck, petal, c’mere,” he huffs, pulling Teyana close until he can press a kiss to her temple. His lips linger long after, and together they soak in the solitude, the lights and sounds of the evening around them fading to a soft haze as Teyana watches Eloise toss her bouquet into a loud crowd of women and a couple of men, and her groom, Jonas, as he prepares to take care of the gentleman’s toss of the garter.  

“You feel what you feel when you feel it,” Niall finally says, pulling Teyana back into the moment with him. The slow breeze that’s come with the close of sunset envelops them, Niall’s voice soft in her ear. “You’re human. Perfectly so. Never apologize for that.” 

Teyana nods, trying to let his words sink in.  

“Meant to tell you that you look beautiful tonight, by the way,” he says next, lips still ghosting her temple. “Jesus Christ, Teyana Cruz, what you do to a dress.” 

“Stop,” Teyana fusses, blushing, and pulls away from his hand. She turns in her chair to face him, their knees knocking together now, and reaches for the gauzy material of the striped button-up he’s tucked carefully into a pair of belted black slacks. “You clean up nicely yourself, Mr. Horan.” 

“Please,” he snorts, shifting a hand through his hair to push it back, a few strands determined to cling to his forehead in the summer heat. “You’re full of it; look at this.” He lifts his left arm, showing her the damp patch spread over the fabric covering his underarm. “Sweating me arse off in this. The last time I let you talk me into wearing long sleeves to an outdoor wedding in the middle of summer.” 

“You look very handsome,” Teyana coos, chuckling as she adjusts the short collar of his shirt.

“I’m very sweaty,” Niall counters, quirking a brow.

Teyana just shrugs, smoothing her hands over his chest. “But a very handsome sort of sweaty.”

Niall laughs now, reaching up to take her face in his hands. “You’re impossible,” he muses, before pressing his lips to hers. 

Hands still placed against his chest, Teyana feels everything for him in that moment, in the craft of his kiss, his lips soft and warm against hers. He’s pulled her in close for their kiss and she pulls the love that flows from the press of his mouth to hers into the cavern of her chest and it fills her up, pushes away the pain that’s had her wringing her hands in her dress back into its dormant space, where it’ll stay until she decides to wrestle with it again.

But not now. Not now, when the man she loves has reminded her, is reminding her, that she deserves—and he gives her—everything. That her Papi and that little place back in Brooklyn, and Niall and Frito and their tiny apartment in Los Angeles are all the home and all the love and all the family she’ll ever really need, even when her mind (and that occasional lump in her throat that accompanies her thoughts) tries to convince her otherwise.

“I hate to come between lovers,” a voice breaks into the moment, causing Niall to pull back, “but we’re on in three, Horan.” 

Teyana notes the reluctance in Niall’s eyes before they both turn to find Curtis Jenkins, Rookie Limelight’s drummer extraordinaire, waiting patiently. Curtis smooths a hand over his short-cropped fade and gives Teyana a friendly smile before turning back to Niall. “Finish kissing your girl and meet us on the stage in a few?” 

“Got it, captain,” Niall replies, giving him a salute that is so stupid but it makes Teyana laugh anyway, and she continues to laugh into their next kiss after Curtis rolls his eyes at them both, a smile playing at his lips before he walks away. 

“Gotta go,” Niall says softly when he finally pulls back, and then he pecks her lips gently a final time. “Wish I could spare you a dance, but…we’re kind of responsible for the music. So. Duty calls.”

“And rent’s due in a week,” Teyana reminds him.

“Shit, you’re right,” he replies, his nose scrunching up in the most adorable way. “Best to not fuck this up, then.”

“You guys? Fuck this up?” Teyana arches a brow. “In what universe?”

Niall pushes up from the chair, then leans down to press a kiss to Teyana’s forehead. “Appreciate your confidence, lover,” he replies, “but you didn’t see us in our early, nameless days. Fucking trainwreck, the lot of us.” 

Teyana laughs, a hearty laugh, one that billows her lungs like sails and puts stars in Niall’s eyes. 

“Knock ‘em dead,” she says to him, and he grins that beguiling, knock-her-dead grin of his before hustling towards the stage.

Once he’s jogged up the steps to take his place amongst his bandmates, Teyana watches as Niall picks up his guitar, slipping the strap over his head before reaching to readjust his microphone. He reintroduces the band before signaling Curtis to count them in, a few drum beats before they break into another stream of cover songs for the rest of the night. 

Teyana rotates in her chair to face forward again and smiles as she watches him play, slipping into the swaggering, confident stage persona he adopts the second the bassline kicks in. She knows this isn’t his or his bandmates’ dream—playing covers at wedding receptions to a crowd ranging from two-and-a-half to eighty-three instead of their own original music to a hip crowd of people at some venue akin to the Troubadour—but it helps to pay the bills, helps Rookie Limelight gain momentum, and allows her to watch Niall in his element. It’s incredible to her, how he doesn’t realize that anytime he’s onstage with a guitar in his hands, he’s in his element, and the crowd could be filled with twenty-somethings or gentlemen in their sixties and he’d still play like it was the most important show of his life. 

He gives every performance his all. It’s one of the things she loves most about him.  

Along with Niall, the night’s begun to entrance her, the pretty lights hung overhead and the darkened sky and the glow of a warm summer night kissing her skin. She’s grateful that she decided to wear her hair up today to keep herself cool, curls pinned in some form of an up-do she tried to recreate from a YouTube tutorial. The freedom of having her neck bare is satisfying, as are thoughts of the kisses that Niall will likely blanket the column of her neck with once they’re alone, the evening drawn to a close.  

Those thoughts entrance her a little further, fingers sliding up to trace along the curve of her neck, and it takes her a moment to realize that company has joined her once again.

“Didn’t want to interrupt,” Delores says, dropping into the chair she’d originally occupied before Niall slid in to fill her place. “Looked like the two of you were having a moment, so I kept my distance for a while.”

“Oh,” Teyana says, tossing Delores a sideways glance before taking in Niall again. He’s got his eyes on her, that grin of his tugging up the corners of his mouth, pulling a brightness into his voice as he sings. It makes Teyana smile, too, albeit softly. “Thank you.” 

“Are you all right?” she asks, reaching over to pat Teyana’s hand. “You looked a little upset.” 

Teyana shrugs her shoulders before turning to give Delores her full attention. There’s such genuine concern in the woman’s eyes that it nearly knocks the wind out of Teyana, but she’s not going to go there. She’s not going to get into her issues with a perfect stranger and bring the night crashing down around her again.  

“Nah, just…feeling some stuff,” she replies, making a sweeping motion with her hand and hoping she sounds convincing despite her vague response. “It’s just…you know. Weddings.” 

“Ah.” Delores pats her hand again. “Caught up in the moment.” 

Teyana nods. “Yeah, something like that.”

There’s a long pause, the murmured sounds of distant conversation mixed with sounds of the band filling the air and Teyana’s ears, and she stares off into space until her vision blurs. Then, Delores catches her eye, and when her gaze comes back into focus, she finds her with a smile on her face and a question in her eyes. Teyana decides to take the bait, raising a brow.  

“So, are you ready for this, then?” Delores asks, her turn to wave about the decorated space around them. “You and your Niall?”

At this, Teyana laughs gently and shakes her head. “I’m only twenty-three,” she replies. “I’m in no—there’s no rush.” She and Niall are barely into their twenties, his band is trying to make something of themselves, and Teyana is set to graduate from her master’s program in the fall. There’s still so much time ahead of them, and so much space to love and grow in together and she’s being honest when she says there’s no hurry, that living with Niall and loving with Niall and being with Niall the way they are right now is enough for them.

“But you love him?”

Teyana nods without hesitation. “Yes.”

“And he loves you?” 

Teyana looks up towards the stage, at Niall, who is grinning like crazy at the woman breaking it down on the dance floor like she’s in her teenage years instead of her late seventies—the woman Teyana’s learned is Eloise’s grandmother. He’s trying to hide the laughter in his voice as he sings, but when his eyes drift and find Teyana’s again, the amusement sparkling in them hard to miss. Then it softens—his gaze—to something more personal, a look reserved for Teyana, and she drops her gaze when his gets to be too much, bottom lip tugged between her teeth as she fights back the smile threatening to overtake her whole face.

“Forget I asked,” Delores says, and Teyana can tell from her tone that she’s observed the exchange between her and Niall. “Forgive an old lady for her wording, but that boy is completely sprung.”

The laughter that bursts from Teyana’s mouth is loud and unbridled. She’s clutching her stomach at the finish, and then she tries to nod her head, Delores’s turn of phrase having made her laugh so hard her eyes are watering, but the truth in the words is there.

“Yes,” Teyana breathes, once she’s recovered. She chances another look at Niall. “Yes, he loves me.”

“Then, honey,” Delores says, giving her hand another gentle pat, “frankly, that’s all you need.”

[wikitopx]

Gender: Female

Origin: Spanish

Meaning: God Is My Oath

1. Meaning of the name "Isabel"

Your name Isabel has given you a responsible, expressive, inspiring and friendly personality. The natural expression comes to you and you rarely lose words; In fact, sometimes you have to make an effort to restrict overactive tongue.

Your confidence makes it easy to meet people and you love the natural, fun ways. You sincerely like people and don't often feel lonely; Your work and home life are likely to be full of connection.

You like music and can have a good voice; However, research can be a bit tricky because you don't find it easy to apply yourself to focused research over the long term. In this respect, this name is not entirely constructive;

It creates a slightly dispersed effect that makes it difficult for you to get what you started. This name is frustrated and emotionally related through being overly sympathetic and vulnerable.

2. Variation of the name "Isabel"

Isobel:

A Spanish variant of Elizabeth, which is from the Hebrew elīsheba' (God is my oath).

Isabell:

Isabell is a strong, independent women. She is such a loyal girlfriend, and amazing friend. Isabell can be very mean, protective, and demanding when it comes to her friends. She is beautiful, she denies it, always. But she is a beautiful women.

Sometimes i wish i was someone as strong as Isabell. She is often called Bella by everyone. Isabell is amazing. I love Isabell so much! She will always be there for you, if you stay on her good side.

Izabelle:

Izabelle is a modern spelling variant of the name Isabelle, which is derived from the name Elizabeth. It began as Ilsabeth as a variant of Elizabeth in France, and eventually became Isabelle. Elizabeth is of Hebrew origin and is said to mean ‘promised of God’.

3. Top 3 Famous Person Named Isabel

Isabel Lucas:

Isabel Lucas (born January 29, 1985) is an Australian actress and model and is known for her role as Tasha Andrews on Australian television called Home and Away (2003-2006). Lucas moved to Los Angeles in early 2008 and since then she has been able to participate in the film and television projects Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Daybreakers...

After The Pacific, The Waiting City and Daybreakers, Isabel Lucas is participating in 4 other movies in which in 2011, she played the goddess Athena in Immortals.

Izzy Stradlin:

Jeffrey Dean Isbell (born April 8, 1962), best known as Izzy Stradlin, is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a co-founder and rhythm guitar guitarist of hard rock band Guns N 'Roses, he left their peak of fame in 1991, and he Recorded four studio albums.

After leaving Guns N 'Roses, Stradlin headed his own rock bands Izzy Stradlin and Ju Ju Hound, before continuing to record as a solo artist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Guns N' Roses in 2012.

Isabel Sanford:

Isabel Sanford (born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford; August 29, 1917 – July 9, 2004) was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian best known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS sitcoms All in the Family (1971–1975) and The Jeffersons (1975–1985).

In 1981, she became the second black American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award, and the first to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

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From : https://wikitopx.com/name-meanings/isabel-name-meaning-714329.html