#view new car window st

[sirfrogsworth]

Meeting my longtime artist and good friend, Chris, IN REAL LIFE!

So, I hadn't been to a restaurant in over a decade. I can't even remember which restaurant since it was so long ago. But in the past few weeks I've now been to TWO restaurants.

I am becoming a social butterfly. 

And it is exhausting.

But also good.

First I reconnected with my high school best friend, John.

And that went great.

But then the opportunity to see my friend Chris (a.k.a @whosthewhatnow ) came up only a few days later. And this close proximity of social events scared me a bit, but I have been feeling much better since they figured out my heart thing, so I decided to try and do both things even though they were only a few days apart. 

The key to this was strategic resting. As soon as I got home from seeing John, I got in bed and I didn't get out of it until it was time to see Chris. And that was just enough recovery time to pull this off. Typically a short outing requires 2-3 days of rest after. 

I had never met Chris in real life. He has done nearly all of the artwork for my website and comics over the past decade. And he was a main character in my CRAPPRnauts series.

We know each other so well and it is crazy that we've never seen each other with our very own eyeballs.

He is such an amazing artist. He works fast and he adds so many cool extra details that you can stare at his comic panels multiple times and catch a new joke or easter egg each time. He is a dream to work with and my Corg Life series was only successful because he did such a wonderful job bringing Otis to life in comic form. 

So we decided to meet up at a restaurant with his friend Michael and then I was going to take a nice portrait of him after dinner. Chris had never had a professional photo taken of himself and I decided to fix that.

I told him I had a mobile photography setup. Which, in reality, is a trunk full of lights and stands and other various camera gear that I definitely won't need, but bring anyway. It's "mobile" in that it all fits in my car if you are good at Tetris (which I am).

The restaurant was downtown and I had visions of St. Louis's famous Gateway Arch in the background of Chris's portrait. I thought that would be such a cool shot. I could see it in my head and I even dreamed about it.

So I got in my car and headed downtown and my GPS told me to exit at 249B. But I kept looking and I couldn't see the sign for 249B.

This is how much road I had left when I finally was able to see the exit for 249B.

So I ended up taking 249A and going straight to East St. Louis.

Which, if you believe the headlines, is not a place you ever want to be.

Google Maps and I have been having issues lately. They also tried to get me to take the spooky way home that night, but thankfully I actually knew the non-spooky way back from when I used to go to Cardinal games with my parents as a kid.

My short term memory was trashed by shock therapy. And so was a lot of my long term memory. But it finally came through in a pinch and remembered something useful.

I only had to loop around and cross a bridge so I didn't really do anything but touch the edge of East St. Louis. I was mostly concerned about being late for dinner more than its scary reputation. Usually those news stories about a place being "dangerous" are actually just racist and hurtful to people stuck in poverty. I mean, technically my house is in a "dangerous" neighborhood, and we do have trouble with petty crime in some spots, but aside from a few dinged-up mailboxes, I've never felt unsafe in my home.

On the way back to regular St. Louis I could see the Arch on the horizon at sunset and it was kind of magical. And I wasn't able to get a good shot of it, but it sure looked pretty from my point of view. 

My photos kind of remind me of the beginning of movies like Training Day where they are trying to show you gritty, dutch angle shots of the city out of the car window to give you a sense of the location.

As I approached the restaurant I invented a new genre I call "stoplight photography." The sky was orange and the streets of St. Louis were just asking to be photographed. But I wasn't willing to die to get neat photos, so I just took them at every red light.

The big trick was trying to edit the dark area at the top of my windshield out of the photos to make it look like I didn't take these pictures from my car.

After a 15 minute detour through Illinois I arrived at my destination—a Mexican place called Rosalita's. It had a beautiful sign, so I took that literal sign as a metaphorical sign it was a nice place to get a quesadilla. 

Dinner was great. Both signs were right and their quesadilla was very tasty. Chris and I both got one, so we are quesadilla twins. The waitress was one of those "I can remember your order without writing anything down" types. And I am one of those, "I get anxiety when things aren't written down" types. And, to her credit, she did not forget our orders. But she did forget to give us silverware and napkins. So I still feel like my anxiety was valid. 

We told sad stories of the pups we lost. But we also had a lot of fun and laughed and I got to meet Michael who turned out to be an absolute mensch. I sometimes have trouble meeting new people with my social anxiety, but he was very affable and made me feel comfortable with his presence almost right away. He was a fan of Otis and mentioned he still has a Super Otis shirt. I always get choked up hearing that Otis is still loved. Hopefully we get to meet again. 

Dinner ended and it was picture time.

I asked Chris if he wanted the high effort photo or the low effort photo. Either we figure out how to get to the Arch or we find a spot near the restaurant and just take his portrait there. Chris and Michael had a driver because they were coming from a big conference and getting to the Arch would have been complicated. So we decided to go with the low effort option. 

I found a cool shop nearby that had an LED wall that changed to all sorts of different colors. And I thought that would make a neat background and give a colorful edge light on Chris's face. I pulled my car near that spot and started unloading my trunk full of photo gear.

I think Chris and Michael were a little overwhelmed when I started pulling camera gear out of my trunk like a clown pulling an endless handkerchief out of his mouth. But as far as photo setups go, it was actually pretty minimal. 

Light, giant battery, light stand, umbrella, tripod, camera, rolling walker with seat.

My dad's old rollator came in clutch because I wanted to shoot from a low angle and it is hard for me to bend down. In fact, I think I'm going to look into getting an all terrain version so I can do more outdoor photoshoots.

I started shooting in the middle of a downtown sidewalk. And I was super anxious. I could not focus (my brain, not my camera). I was very distracted with all of the people walking by and staring. I was not sure if any of the photos were turning out. I wasn't even sure if they were in focus (my camera, not my brain) because I had not yet had my lens calibrated. But down the street there was a guy with an old school boombox playing random music. His music helped to drown out the ambient noise and gave me some comfort.

I had no clue if the photos were any good, but when I got home and checked them on my computer, I realized I have 12 years of experience and muscle memory built up. I probably should have just trusted myself because the photos all turned out great.

I think Chris can now officially say he has had a professional portrait taken of himself.

This photo has been officially loved by Chris's girlfriend and mother.

There is no greater seal of approval and I am honored.

I was able to comp in any of the colors the wall displayed from other shots in case Chris is feeling a little more green in the future.

A literal rainbow of options.

I also liked this one, though it is a little more "environmental portrait" than regular portrait.

And I got some nice photos of our little group to help us remember the night. 

And I got a bunch of photos of Chris making silly faces like Calvin at his school photoshoot. 

I love this woman's reaction to our little impromptu sidewalk photo shenanigans.

After we said our goodbyes and I gave my friend a hug, I was a little bummed I didn't get to photograph him at the Arch like I had dreamed.

But then I realized I had my own car and it was capable of taking me places. (I actually haven't gotten used to that after not driving for nearly 15 years.)

So I decided to drive a few blocks over to Kiener Plaza—a park with a view of the Arch. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

[zablife]

Tommy's Scent

Tommy Shelby x nun!reader

A/N: The scent of smoke in the air, requested by @cillmequick and @peakyswritings. Part of my Corrupt a Wish challenge.

Warnings: predatory behavior, unwanted advances, brief mention of assault Corrupt a wish reminder: If you think this story has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention. Proceed with caution!

There was something about the earthy, spiced blend of smoke that would always be central to your memory of St. Hilda's. Arriving as a novice, the scent haunted your waking hours as it seemed to follow you through every corridor, never fully dissipating. The unique smell seeped from the banisters and books alike as though some specter lingered in every corner watching you.

The more it clung to you, the greater the weight on your mind until you could think of nothing else. Determined to banish the distraction, you took it upon yourself to air the classrooms every morning. However, breathing in lungfuls of soot and smoke from the nearby factories hardly seemed like a solution. The combination of smells gave you a nauseous headache which frequently made you ill.

By the end of your first month at the orphanage, your hands were already becoming red and chapped from the frequent, thorough scrubbing of your habit and stockings. At the end of your third, they were raw and bloodied. However, your nightly ritual had become something of a self-soothing gesture as you allowed the fresh scent of the soap to cleanse not only your belongings, but your anxious heart.

Your small room was something of a sanctuary for you in those days, the one place where the air remained pure. Loathe to leave the peace you'd created within those four walls, you began to delay the start of your day to remain there. Noticeably late for morning prayers on more than one occasion, you were swiftly reprimanded by Mother Superior who expressed doubts about your commitment.

After you pleaded with her to let you stay, she obliged on the condition that you performed a new duty. You listened intently as she explained there was a sick child in Warwickshire whose parents were to receive weekly communion. It seemed odd that this task had fallen upon the sisters of St. Hilda's when St. Mary's was much closer in proximity. However, you didn't dare question her judgement, especially after she'd shown you mercy.

The next morning you made the journey to a large estate called Arrow House in a shiny Bentley that had been sent just for the occasion. You tried not to show your excitement at the lavish accommodation, but you had to admit you were secretly thrilled at the prospect of making the drive in luxury each week.

The time passed quickly as you trained your thoughts on the little girl who'd fallen ill, wondering how you might find her upon arrival. Your nerves seizing hold of you before you'd realized, you began to fidget nervously as the large house came into view.

As the car came to a halt, you took a deep breath and held your head high as you exited. You were keen to project an air of confidence if the family was watching from the window.

However, you needn't have worried. There wasn't a single member of the Shelby clan to be found when the heavy oak door swung open, only a slight woman in a carefully pressed uniform. She ushered you inside as she studied you with piercing green eyes, stiffly introducing herself as the housekeeper.

Though you couldn't say why, the hair on the back of your neck prickled as you followed her down the hall. It might have been her unfriendly demeanor or the sudden rush of wind as the front door closed behind you, but an disquieted feeling came over you. The sense of déjà vu only grew stronger as a familiar woodsy, slightly sweet smell met your nostrils.

There was no time to reconcile your thoughts as the housekeeper left you at the threshold of Mr. Shelby's office, clutching your handbag against your body. By sheer willpower, you rapped upon the door, reminding yourself you were here to deliver communion to the Shelbys. Out of duty for this sacred act, you were compelled into the room where you glimpsed a man in only his waist coat and rolled sleeves sat at the desk. A rush of embarrassment caused you to falter, unaware he would be dressed so informally.

"Come," he commanded without looking up from his papers and the authority in his voice dictated nothing less than strict obedience.

Taking a seat across from him when he gestured, your gaze locked onto his sky blue eyes. They appeared quite angelic in the light, framed by his long, dark lashes. However, there was a hardened look about him which gave you a chill.

He hadn't failed to notice the effect he had on you, leaning forward to offer a cigarette. You shook your head as you politely declined, reaching into your bag for the small case containing the communion wafers.

"That won't be necessary," he muttered as he lit up.

You watched intently as he inhaled, your concern growing as his chest expanded like some great beast. The gentle roll of smoke tumbling from his mouth and nostrils did nothing to suppress your anxiety, especially as you were struck with a sudden revelation. The scent haunting you all those months was his unique blend of tobacco.

The clink of his lighter snapping shut jolted you back to reality and the purpose of your visit. "Mr. Shelby, I'm afraid, I don't understand. You asked me here, but you no longer wish to receive communion?"

The cigarette burned slowly between his fingers, curls of smoke reaching the high ceiling long before he gave an answer to your query.

Staring into the roaring fire beside him, Mr. Shelby's eyes reflected the bright orange hue of the flames as he admitted, "My daughter died last month. So, you see, I've no need."

You gulped harshly at his words, but quickly recovered. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know. Would you care to say a prayer together?"

He only laughed at your suggestion, "And what good would that do her now, ey?"

"Prayer has seen me through difficult times since I was a child," you answered, staring at him earnestly.

Plucking the cigarette from his lips, he pinched it between his thumb and forefinger as he punctuated his words. "When I was a boy I carried a screwdriver and a blade and everyone believed I had the power to lay curses."

Your blood ran cold upon hearing this, but you had to admit you were intrigued by his statement. "Do you?" you ventured, holding your breath for his answer.

Without breaking eye contact he affirmed, "Yes, I do."

You shuddered involuntarily as another chuckle escaped his lips and you became suspicious he'd asked you here only to humiliate you. Whether driven by grief or malice, you didn't know, only that you'd become terribly afraid of him. Reaching for the rosary in your pocket, you removed it and began rubbing your thumb over the beads to soothe yourself.

You didn't realize you'd closed your eyes to the devil across from you until he was standing at your side, one hand clamped against the back of your neck. "I wouldn't try that," he advised as he caught sight of your lips moving in silent prayer. His lips brushed your ear as he whispered a cruel taunt, "No one is listening."

The following moments were a blur, his body too close for comfort and his words a mixture of threats and perverse longing. He'd watched you from the day you arrived at St. Hilda's, careful to keep to the shadows whenever he visited Mother Superior.

Upon his confession, your mind traversed the path of your early days at the orphanage when you'd been assigned to teach Latin. Suddenly you were lost in memory:

The twist of the door knob down the hall caused you to jump before turning your attention back to the lesson you were teaching. As the ancient wood creaked upon its hinges, you redoubled your efforts reciting the lesson as you'd rehearsed. However, the potency of the scented smoke caused you to freeze with chalk dangling from your fingertips.

As though in a trance, you moved to the doorway, your head tilted at an angle to follow the dark figure now striding away from you. In the shadows of the darkened hall, you could make out the outline of a man in a peaked cap. His dark, dusty coat flapped behind him as he disappeared from view, leaving nothing more than a few dirty footprints to prove his existence.

"You knew I'd been there," Mr. Shelby uttered and you cried out in horror at his ability to read your mind. It was beyond comprehension how he'd known your every move. "You wanted to know me too, didn't you?" he asked, hands roaming your body despite your thrashing. You couldn't answer, catatonic in the face of his brazen assault.

What seemed to be a lifetime later, you collected yourself from the floor and bolted for the door. Hurtling down the hall as fast as you could with tears blurring your vision, you eventually reached daylight, but in your haste to escape, your feet stumbled on the stone steps outside Arrow House. Falling to your knees, you winced as the gravel cut into your legs.

"Let me help you to the car," a calm, even voice boomed behind you. Thomas Shelby came into view above you, hand extended like a perfect gentleman.

"Don't touch me," you snapped, chest heaving for breath. A spark of indignant rage caught fire inside his crystal blue eyes before taking a deliberate step back when he noticed the driver approaching.

Smoothing his hair back, he turned to the older man announcing, "William, Sister Y/n seems to have hurt herself. Please help her to the car."

As William took hold of your elbow, you rose to face Mr. Shelby with a look of determination. Inwardly you vowed to tell Mother Superior everything as soon as you returned and your steely eyed gaze said as much. It was the very reason he returned to his office at that moment, to make a phone call of his own.

And thus your confession about Mr. Shelby's behavior did not go as planned. The moment you divulged the false pretenses under which you'd been brought to Arrow House, her apathy turned to anger. Incensed at your accusations, she reprimand you for telling such “fanciful tales."

However, you could not accept the injustice that had been done. “You're aware of his wickedness and you do nothing?” you gasped in disbelief, glancing down at your bloodied legs as proof something had indeed happened that day.

"Mr. Shelby is a very generous benefactor. In fact, the Grace Shelby Foundation is the biggest single source of funding for this charitable institution. If he asks for your visits to continue, then that is what you shall do." When she was finished, she pursed her lips tightly to convey her resolve and you realized it was her final word on the matter.

You took the long, lonely walk back to your room in a stupor. The moment you closed the door, you allowed yourself a moment of pity and cried until your eyes were as red as your hands which scrubbed ceaselessly to erase the scent of him.

-----------------

Tag List:

@peakyswritings

@evita-shelby

@kittycatcait219

@callsign-fangirl

@theshelbyclan

@elenavampire21

@little-diable

@lyarr24

@the-fangirl-diaries

@kmc1989

@helen06dreamer

@pietroxreader 

@galactict3a

@ietss

@mostly-marvel-musings

@writeroutoftime

@yolobloggers

@outlanderuniverse

@anilovessadbooks

@elliaze

@snickersmee

@call-sign-shark

@brummiereader

@cillmequick

@mischievouslittlecreature

@justrainandcoffee

@ryecosse

@garrison-girl-08

@copinghex

@dandelionprints

@look-at-the-soul

@cillianmurphyfanatic

@kpopgirlbtssvt

@babayaga67

@babaohhhriley

@kmhappybunny240

@rangerelik

@shelby-fangirl00

@thomashelbyswife

@mythos-writes

@thegreatdragonfruta

@peakyltd

@holacia3

@novashelby

@moral-terpitude

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Thanks to curiously for sending in this 1966 mid-century modern home in Boulder City, NV. 2bds, 2ba, $1.325M.

The angular home has lots of windows, a terrace surrounding the house, and lots of natural light. There are terrazzo floors, stone, wood paneling and look at the textured textured ceiling design.

There's a matching stone fireplace in the living room area.

MCM homes were the first to have open concept, so the next area is the kitchen dining space outside a service window. (There go the animal skins on slippery floors again.)

Looking out the service window from the kitchen.

The kitchen isn't huge, but it's conveniently arranged. I think that the cabinets are original and I like the colorful mosaic backsplace with the original counters.

There's a built-in shelf where the owner has a colorful collection of Fiesta Ware to match the tile.

This bedroom is delightful and, of course, has access to the wraparound deck.

There's a pass-thru with a closet and angular makeup vanity.

Amazingly, the blue toilet and sink are still original. I don't think the tile is, but it matches the era and the tub is a new reproduction of a Victorian claw foot.

Lovely family room with an inset desk.

This bath has the original blue fixtures.

A spiral staircase leads to this room at the top of the house. It has corner fireplace and door to the deck. This home could be decorated to look very cool.

Open the door, and there's a large cement deck.

The house has a nice 2 car garage.

View from the wraparound deck.

Path around the house.

Or, you can come down the stairs to this patio.

The home is surrounded by 1.81 acres of land.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1415-Denver-St-Boulder-City-NV-89005/7225833_zpid/

[jessicaloons]

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince:

Chapter 3

Masterlist - Previous - Next

Miss Americana

October 2022:

"… and then Miss Larimer said that we can pet the puppies…" Gabriel said excitedly, jumping up and down "They are so cute, Rach, I swear! I want one! Do you help me to convince dad to get me one? Pleeeaseee?"

Rachel only listened half-heartedly, reading the text on her phone while unlocking the car.

"Rachel! Please! I swear I’ll always eat my veggies, brush my teeth and go to bed when you tell me to, for the rest of my life! Please!" the little boy kept going but his nanny still didn’t react, her eyes still trained on her phone "RACHEL!"

She flinched looking into the rear view mirror at Gabriel who rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she stuttered, trying to calm herself down.

"I said that Miss Larimer brought her puppies to school today and we could pet them and they were so cute and I want one! Can you help me to convince dad?" she saw her own set of puppy eyes in the mirror and laughed.

"Your dad is allergic to dogs, Gabe. You know that… are you buckled in?" Rachel started the car, driving off the parking lot, after Gabe nodded.

"That sucks…" the boy puffed out, looking out of the window, watching the boats and yachts in the harbour "One day I want to be a vet and then I can hang out with animals all day long."

"A vet? That’s an amazing idea, Gabe!" Rachel smiled and he nodded "And I’m sure you’d be an amazing vet!"

"You think so?" the blonde boy asked, making big eyes.

"Are you kidding me? Do you remember when we were at the zoo and you weren’t afraid to hold the snakes? Or touch the tarantulas! You even held up this definitely not cute looking lizard and cooed at it like it’s a sweet, fluffy puppy." the nanny recalled and Gabe smiled, thinking back to their trip to the zoo a couple of weeks ago.

"All animals are cute somehow." he shrugged and Rachel chuckled.

"See? You would be a perfect vet."

"You’re taking care of people and I’m taking care of animals. We’re both lifesavers!"

"Oh well, I’m not there yet. I only started my practical studies 6 months ago… as of now I’m not a lifesaver…"

"Yet. You’ll get there." Gabe chimed in and Rachel nodded.

"I will."

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence and when they arrived at home Gabe sat down at the kitchen island, starting with his homework.

"I’m back in a minute and then I make you a snack before we leave…" she said more to herself and walked out the back door, hastily making her way into her little studio.

She closed the door, pulling out her phone. With trembling hands she opened up the messages she got earlier.

I was at your university today.

According to your schedule you sent us you should’ve been there.

Where were you?

Also, isn’t it interesting that in the dormitory you’re supposed to live no one knows you?

Where the fuck are you, Rachel.

Tony. He was here. With trembling fingers Rachel dialled Stuart’s number.

"Hey Rach…"

"The app that’s blocking others from tracing my phone works, right?" Rachel cut him off and there was silence, the girl thinking her friends might’ve hung up on her "Stuart?"

"Yes. Of course? What’s going on?" her friend sounded concerned "Where are you?"

"At home. But-… they’re here. They checked in on me. But I wasn’t at university, because I didn’t update them on my new schedule… they won’t like that I specialised on paediatric… they were at my dormitory-…"

"Your dormitory? You don’t live here?"

"Yeah, but I didn’t tell them… I said that I was living at St. Julie Hall, they shouldn’t know that I saved a shit ton of money because I work and live outside of campus…" Rachel breathed out.

"Ignore it. You were at the hospital today. Answer tonight. Say that you moved to a different dorm and thought that you told them but must’ve forgot…" Stuart suggested.

"And what if they decide to come back?" her voice barely above a whisper.

"We’ll figure it out."

"They can’t find out about Gabe and Peter…"

"They won’t. Rach, they can’t track your phone. The only location they will get is the campus or the hospital, Marcus took care of it. You have a good excuse. It’s going to be fine, okay?" Stuart reassured Rachel, who took a deep breath.

"I have to take Gabe to his soccer practice now." she got up, checking herself in the mirror.

"Okay… take care Rach, and if you need anything, call, text, whatever…"

"Thanks Stu."

Rachel was tense and on alert the whole afternoon, looking around, searching the park and parking lot for someone from home, but thankfully she didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. When she stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner, her phone rang and she took a deep breath, before she answered the call.

"Rachel?" her father.

"What’s up dad?"

"Don’t what’s up dad me! Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer your phone?" he was mad.

"What are you talking about? I just left the hospital when you called? I had a training shift today." Rachel lied, trying to sound confused and annoyed at the same time.

"You were at the hospital? Not on the campus?"

"No. I have more and more training shifts now, I’m getting my practical hours in now and I swear I love it." fake excitement.

"That’s good to hear, Rach… but Tony said it was weird that no one knew you in your dorm…"

"What? Why was Tony at my dorm?"

"He wanted to check in on you-…"

"Why? We had a deal! I’m allowed to finish my studies and not be bothered!"

"I don’t know, okay? He came over and told me that he visited you… something about checking in on their investment…-"

"Their investment? I’m here on a scholarship! None of you is investing anything in my education! I have a deal with his father. And I have no problem in calling him and telling him the deal is off the table if you lot don’t hold your end of the bargain!" Rachel was furious and didn’t even had to fake it.

"I don’t think his father knew that he was visiting you… Tony just stormed in here and told me that you weren’t at the campus and no one knew you at your dorm-…"

"Because I moved! When I came back after the summer a fellow student told me that there is an open spot at Fennell Hall, the dormitory right on campus. She knows the RA and so I got the spot. It’s a little more expensive but I only need 5 minutes to classes now. I told you that!"

"You did?" her fathers voice faltered.

"Yeah, right after my first week back. It’s a new term and when I came back I didn’t know most of the students in my old dormitory anyway, so I thought a change would be nice." Rachel said casually, when she saw Gabe getting off the sofa "Listen dad, it’s been a damn long day, I’ve been awake since 5 am. I just want to drive home, take a shower and sleep. Are we done here?" she fake yawned, hoping her father would believe her.

"Yeah… sure. Take care, Rachel." he said and Rachel thanked the universe for making him believe her.

"Will do. Good night dad." she hung up, right when Gabe sat down at the kitchen island, sniffling the air. She calmed herself down, smiling at the young boy.

"Smells good, what is it?" he asked.

"It’s a beef stew, here, have a taste." she scooped up some of the stew and blew cold air on it while Gabe walked around the island "Careful, it might be still a little hot."

The young boy chewed his food, making big eyes, swallowing his bite down.

"That’s good!" he exclaimed and his nanny smiled "Will dad be here to eat with us?"

"He said he will."

"Good. I want to tell him that I want to be a vet when I grow up."

"A vet? Where did that come from?" Peter walked into the kitchen, loosening his tie "What happened to rocket scientist?"

"As a vet I can hang out with animals all day long…" Gabe shrugged taking the plates from Rachel, setting the table.

"Well that’s true." his father laughed, squeezing his nanny’s arm "Are you okay, Rach? You’re a little pale?"

"I’m fine, it’s just a lot right now, everyone is starting to prepare for the exams…"

"Already? Wait? When are the exams?" he looked confused.

"We still got time, but yeah. Preparation is key, that’s what our professors love to say." Rachel rolled her eyes and Pete laughed, getting himself a beer.

"I can’t believe that in not even 8 months you’re done. God where do I find another amazing nanny just like you again?" he pouted, sitting down on a stool "A nanny that can cook like you!"

"Why don’t you stay with us forever?" Gabe looked at his nanny "I don’t want you to go."

"Believe me, Gabe, I don’t want to either, but when I’m done, I’m a nurse, I’ll have to take over so many shifts and I just wouldn’t have enough time for you." Rachel ruffled his hair a little.

"But you come visit us? Right?" he asked and she swallowed hard, nodding.

"Of course, little one." Rachel lied, feeling sick doing so.

The girl was quiet during dinner, listening to Gabe and his father, enjoying the family time. She knew that as soon as she graduated she would be gone. Telling Peter a half truth why she had to leave so fast, promising to stay in touch, knowing it would all be nothing but lies. She dreaded that day, over the past years she really grew close to the father son duo, loved them wholeheartedly. But she couldn’t risk them getting into harms way. And she wouldn’t do it. But she knew that leaving them behind would break her heart. And when she sat down with Gabe after dinner, all cuddled up on the sofa, watching cartoons, the first crack in her heart already formed.

"I’m going to miss you so much… you’re my best friend." Gabe whispered, making Rachel close her eyes, trying her best to not cry.

"I’ll miss you too, buddy, so damn much."

June 2023:

With her diploma in hand, Rachel walked off the stage, waving at Peter and Gabriel, the only ones to attend her graduation. After shaking some more hands and joining her fellow graduates for the hat toss, she walked over to Peter and Gabriel. The boy running up to his nanny, hugging her tight.

"We’re so proud of you Rachel!" Peter said, hugging her as well "Valedictorian. Wow. Amazing."

"Thank you for coming." the young girl blushed a little, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you kidding me? We would never miss this opportunity!" Peter smiled "And now, I’d love to take you out for dinner, if you haven’t planned anything yet? You didn’t say that you would celebrate afterwards so I reserved a table at La Chabelle just in case."

"Oh wow, Peter! You didn’t have to." Rachel blushed even more.

"You worked so hard over the last four years. You deserve a treat!"

"Okay…" Rachel began when she felt her phone vibrate "I umm- I just want to say goodbye to a few of my classmates and then we can leave."

"Okay, we’re waiting by the car." Peter and Gabriel walked off and Rachel took out her phone, reading the text.

"Rach-…" Stuart grabbed her shoulder, making her flinch "Hey, it’s me. Sorry! I didn’t want to scare you."

"I need to leave as soon as possible." she just said and Stuart looked confused "Here…" she shoved him her phone in his hands and he read the text.

"Next Friday? Didn’t you say that your graduation is on Friday?"

"They want me to come back immediately after. They’re sending someone to help me with my stuff… I have to play my part to make them believe I’m still here. They can’t know that I’m gone. They would send someone after me immediately. I should leave now. Yes. I’m leaving now."

"Okay, take a deep breath for me. Look at me Rach. I call my contact person and tell them you’re coming earlier than planned. But for tonight you’re going with Peter and Gabriel to La Chabelle, you’re enjoying your last night here. I’ll go to your place and start packing your stuff, we’ll figure it out okay?"

"But what will I tell Peter and Gabe? I have to tell Peter the truth. I planned it all out. Fuck this is ruining everything! But he has to know that I’m leaving. I can’t just disappear…"

"You will tell him tonight. It’s fine."

"Okay-… I- I have to go now, they’re waiting for me." Rachel looked towards the parking lot and Stuart nodded.

"You go, I take care of the rest. It’s going to be fine, you’ll see." he reassured the blonde girl and she nodded, then she pulled him in a tight hug.

"Thank you Stu, for everything. You’re a true friend…"

"It’s okay Rach, really. Now go."

With one last look she walked off, towards the sleek, black Mercedes of her boss, getting in as soon as she reached it.

"Ready?" Peter asked and Rachel nodded.

"Ready."

"Me too!" Gabe said from the backseat and they laughed.

"Then let’s go." Peter steered the car onto the busy road, driving across town and stopped in front of La Chabelle.

"Good night, buddy." Rachel kissed the young boys forehead, ruffling his hair while getting up.

"Good night…" Gabe mumbled, almost drifting off to sleep immediately.

The nanny carefully walked over to the door, quietly opening it before turning around once more, looking at the boy she took care of for the last 4 years. All the memories of the past years came to her mind. She felt her heart ache, not ready to say her final goodbye, although deep down she knew she had to. In order to keep Gabe and his dad safe, Rachel had to disappear. She took a deep breath and quietly closed the door, gathering herself for the conversation she would now have with her boss of the last 4 years. Peter was amazing. He paid Rachel more than well, took her and Gabe on little trips here and there. Always treated her like a part of the family, rather than a subordinate. She would miss him as well.

"Rach? Can we talk?" the girl flinched when her boss appeared out of nowhere in front of her, stopping her train of thoughts.

"Umm-… sure, I actually wanted to talk to you as well…" she gulped, following him downstairs.

"Yeah?" Peter replied and pointed to the sofa "You want a drink? Because I sure as hell need one…" he poured himself a glass of scotch, before looking at his nanny "Oh I forgot, scotch tastes like washing detergent, was it?"

"Yeah…" Rachel chuckled, accepting the can of coke her boss handed her "So- umm… about what did you want to talk to me?"

"Gabe and I… we’ll leave next week…" he blurted out, rubbing his neck, and Rachel tilted her head a little "Of course you’re free to stay until the end of the month in the studio, as we agreed on. But Gabe and I, we won’t be here until then…"

"You’re going on vacation?" the girl asked, although she was sure that she would’ve known if her boss had planned something.

"No. Not on vacation. Rachel, Gabe and I, we’re moving to Austin. I got a new job there…"

"Wow! That’s amazing!" a big smile spread on Rachel’s face, in Austin they would be safe "You didn’t tell me that you were looking for a new job? But I’m so happy for you!"

"Yeah, it was… well my boss contacted me out of the blue last week and offered me the job… they need me there as soon as possible… but this job, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, you know?"

"Sounds amazing and I think Gabe will love it, he can become a real cowboy then…" the girl laughed, looking at the man in front of her, a serious look on his face "It’s going to be fine, just don’t let him alone with a horse for too long or you have to buy it!"

"Yeah… probably." Peter smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

"Okay, what’s wrong?" Rachel asked, looking at him intently.

"Is it too rushed? I don’t know how Gabe will take it? All his friends are here? Tearing him away from everything familiar?"

"You know your son, he can deal with everything. He will find new friends in no time, don’t worry!"

"Yeah, you’re right…" he sighed a little, scratching his chin "And what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh- umm… I wanted to say that some friends asked me if I wanted to join them on a little trip… we would leave in the next days, I don’t know when exactly. I know, it’s a little spontaneous, but yeah…" Rachel lied, smiling innocently.

"Sounds wonderful! You should go, Gabe and I will be fine… we need to get used to a life without you now anyways! Unless you want to join us in Austin?" he smiled, a tinge of hope in his voice.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I already have some job interviews lined up here, so…"

"Understandable, but you know that you’re always more than welcome!" Peter said and the girl nodded.

"I know Pete, and I really appreciate it…" she got up "I guess it’s time for me to pack my stuff then, maybe Stu can come in tomorrow and help me with it, so I don’t have to worry about it after I come back and you’re long gone…"

"Right, yeah… will you help me tell Gabe tomorrow?"

"Of course!" she smiled and kissed his cheek "Good night, Pete. Best boss in the world…"

"Night Rach, best nanny in the world…"

She chuckled and left the living room, through the kitchen and out into the backyard, the light in her studio already switched on.

"Please tell me that everything is arranged?" Rachel asked as soon as she closed the door behind her.

"Everything done." Stuart replied and she looked around her room.

Her life fitted into 2 cardboard boxes, a suitcase and a backpack.

"That’s all?" she mumbled and her friend nodded "I can’t take the boxes with me…"

"I know… I put all your personal belongings, pictures, books and stuff like that in your suitcase… the boxes is stuff you won’t need anymore, also some clothes I don’t want to see you ever in again…"

"Ouch, thanks…" Rachel chuckled "When am I leaving?"

"Sunday morning."

Rachel looked out of the window, as the plane slowly made its way higher up into the sky. She looked back one last time at her home. She knew, would she ever return, it wouldn’t be by her free will, she would be forced. It meant they found her and she had to make sure that that would never happen. She leaned back, closing her eyes. She still felt her heart ache, thinking at Gabe’s tear stricken face, but she knew that what she did was right. In two days they would be gone as well. Far away from Boston. Gone. No one would know she ever worked for Peter Hastings. No one would ever bother them. No one would know she’s gone until next Friday.

And when they would try to figure out where she was, when they followed her trace, she’ll be long gone. All planned out by Stuart. Rachel didn’t know what would happen to her old life, she didn’t ask. She didn’t want to know. But one thing was for sure, as soon as she would land in Montreal the life of Rachel Lombardi would end.

Chapter 3 - Goodbye Rachel’s old life, this looks like the start of something new… I know I’m rushing a little through the timeline here with big time jumps, but this is all just backstory to prepare you and our characters for the main plot, so please, bear with me 😅

Please leave a comment/ like/ reblog/ message and tell me how you liked it! I'm dying to hear your thoughts!

If you want to be added to the taglist, drop a comment!

Last but not least, English is not my first language and although I tried my best: please excuse any mistakes I made!

Taglist:

@glitterquadricorn @lottalove4evelyn @janeh22 @itsjustkhaos

[taesclub]

The Wild Child, Act I ✦ BTS

✦ BTS x Fem! Oc's

━━━━━ ( SYNOPSIS. ) She is suddenly forced to attend the all-girls boarding school, St. Victoria's. Determined to break free, she tries to escape. Her only problem? To do so she must go through the neighboring boarding school and its notorious group, the Bangtan boys. Among them, one member captivates her the most, blurring the line between rebellion and romance.

genre. boarding school au, angst, fluff, smut

word count. 4,586

warnings. only curses for now

-ˋˏ masterlist ✦ next ˎˊ-

ACT I.

━━━━━━━━━ ✦ 

Claire, a tall girl with an eighty's aura and a shag haircut, sits in the passenger seat of her father's car, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The car hums with tension as they drive down the road, the passing scenery reflecting the girl's inner turmoil. She was about to meet her doom.  

She gazes out the window, her expression a mix of anger and frustration. The weight of her resentment hangs heavy in the air. 

“I can't believe you're making me go to some stupid all-girls boarding school, Dad. This is so unfair!” she grimaces. This had been her constant complaint ever since receiving the news, but somehow, like a broken record, she still held onto those words, praying it would be enough to make her dad rethink his decision. It wasn’t.  

Her father, Mr. Deschamps, a middle-aged man with tired eyes due to his rushed businessman life, glances at her with a mixture of concern and regret. “Claire, we've talked about this. It's a better opportunity for you. You'll have a chance to focus on your studies and discover new interests.” he insists softly.  

Claire scoffs, her frustration boiling over. 

Her voice sounds angry as she replies, “Better opportunity?! What about my life here? My friends? You're ripping me away from everything I know!” 

Her father's grip tightens on the steering wheel, his tone laced with remorse. 

“Claire, honey, I didn't make this decision lightly. It's for your future. You'll make new friends, and have new experiences. Please try to understand.” 

Claire's gaze remains fixed on the passing scenery, her umbrage simmering beneath her rebellious exterior. “You simply don't get it, Dad,” she says resentfully as the view keeps changing dramatically into a more rural area. “You don't know what it's like to be uprooted from everything familiar, to start over in some stuffy boarding school.” 

Her father's voice softens, laced with a tinge of sadness. “I know it's hard, honey,” he admits sincerely. “But sometimes, we must make sacrifices for the greater good. Trust me, I only want what's best for you.” 

Claire's anger doesn’t wane, even though she is tempted to soothe at her dad’s words. “Change can be scary, but it also opens doors to new opportunities.” he continues, tenderly. “You're strong, Claire. You'll adapt, and who knows, you might find something incredible out here.” 

Her gaze shifts from the passing greenery outside to her father's warm and understanding eyes. She takes a deep breath, slowly releasing the pent-up frustration. There was no point discussing this with him, he would never back up on his word. And the truth was, ever since he got together with that Malibu Barbie wannabe called Blanche, this was destinate to happen. She had waited for the rug to be pulled from under her feet as her distrust in life itself was a rooted injustice carved deep in her heart, but now that it happened, she tried desperately to hold onto a shimmer of hope.  

And how tricky it was to expect, to wait for someone else to take the reins of one’s life... No one would come and save her, that was clear. So why not save herself? 

“Sure thing, Dad.” Claire mumbles resigned. At least for now.  

A bittersweet silence fills the car as they continue their journey, both aware that this new chapter holds challenges and possibilities that neither can fully anticipate. The beginning of a plan to escape the boarding school, however, started to thread like a lightning bolt in the girl’s mind. 

She would make sure no one would see it coming. And one thing was certain, Claire Deschamps would never settle into a life in the middle of nowhere, nor a life she hadn’t chosen herself.

━━━━━━━━━ ✦ 

Claire steps out of her father's car, her jeans bomber jacket with wide shoulders and lots of sewn trinkets contrasting greatly with the more conservative uniforms of the other students passing by. Their plaid skirts had at least two full hands more fabric compared to the black leather one she used.  

She takes a deep breath, bracing herself for what lies ahead. Mr. Deschamps opens the trunk, retrieving her suitcase and opening space for two employees to try and lift the big chest full of stickers that also belonged to Claire.  

“Here you go, honey.” He hands the lush green suitcase to her. “I hope you find… Some great things here.” 

She takes it, grudgingly. “Don’t be so disappointed when I don’t.” 

Her father shows a sympathetic smile on his face as he pauses to take in what she had just said. “I understand, Claire.” He opts to say. “Take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything, okay?” 

Claire nods, unable to hide her lingering resentment. Her father gives her a last reassuring smile before driving away. 

As she sees the Rolls-Royce disappearing on the dirty road, the Headmistress Winters, a stern and composed woman in her fifties whom she had already seen printed on the flyer advertising the school, approaches Claire with an air of authority. The disapproving expression that she wears only exacerbates Claire’s dislike for her furthermore.  

“You must be Miss Deschamps, our newest student,” the woman says, inspecting her closer. “I trust you had a pleasant journey?” 

To that, Claire rolls her eyes discreetly, her guard already up. “Oh, joy,” she mutters under her breath.  

Putting on a polite facade, the Headmistress takes a step further, “As you know, I am Headmistress Winters. Your father and I talked on the phone. Welcome to St. Victoria’s Academy. Here we expect our students to uphold the highest standards of discipline and academic excellence.” She waves her hand in a high class and fluid motion, introducing the grand structure of the school behind her.  

There is a moment of silence as Claire fights the urge to scoff, her skepticism apparent. 

“Sounds like a real party,” she mutters dryly under her breath.  

Headmistress Winters's eyes narrow not catching what the girl has to say, however, judging by the lack of excitement on Claire’s part and her many years of experience when it came to building character, she maintains her composed demeanor. She knows a troublemaker when she sees one.  

With thinly veiled annoyance she adds firmly, “Respect and compliance are expected from all students, Claire. You'll find that St. Victoria’s Academy offers numerous opportunities for personal development and camaraderie. I suggest you keep an open mind.” 

Claire's expression remains guarded, her disdain for the headmistress palpable the more words fell from her mouth. Her tone is pure cynicism as she answers. “Sure, Mrs. Winters. I'll keep an open mind while I'm here.” 

Begrudgingly, she follows the older woman through the school's grand entrance, the imposing architecture and hushed conversations heightening her unease. 

The Hall of Entrance in the all-girls boarding school exudes an air of elegance and tradition. Polished marble floors stretch out beneath the students' feet, reflecting the soft glow of the chandeliers that hang overhead. Tall, arched windows line the walls, allowing sunlight to filter in and cast a warm, inviting glow on the surroundings. 

As Claire steps into the hall after the Headmistress, she is greeted by a flurry of activity. Girls in crisp uniforms pass by more eagerly than the ones she saw outside, their eyes darting to and fro, their hushed whispers carrying snippets of gossip. The hall becomes a stage for both fellowship and rivalry, as cliques form and dissolve with each passing moment. 

The sound of clicking heels and rustling skirts mingles with the gentle murmur of conversation, creating a symphony of feminine energy. Some girls walk with confidence, their heads held high, while others seem more reserved, their eyes darting nervously as they try to find their place within the social hierarchy. 

Portraits of past headmistresses and notable alumnae adorn the walls, their stern gazes reminding the students of the institution's legacy and the high expectations placed upon them. Some peak Claire’s attention. One of the spaces in particular, the one dedicated to the sports league, shows boys’ teams and trophies they earned against them, but she can’t find the right moment to ask what it is about as Mrs. Winters walks like a thunderstorm.  

The aroma of freshly polished wood and the faint hint of perfume linger in the air making her curiosity calmly dissipate, creating an atmosphere that is both refined and pansy. 

A grand staircase, its banisters intricately carved, leads to the upper levels of the school. It serves as a focal point, drawing the eyes of the girls as they ascend and descend, their interactions playing out on the stage of the hall. 

Claire becomes acutely aware of the watchful eyes as she makes her way through the bustling crowd, trailing the steps of Mrs. Winters. Some girls shoot her curious glances, sizing her up and speculating about the newcomer. Whispers trail in her wake, snippets of conversation filled with intrigue and speculation. 

Mrs. Winters then suddenly turns to face her once more, revealing behind her shoulder line a girl who matches Claire’s height, with bangs and a cascade of hazel hair. The girl’s warm and open expression contrasts greatly with Claire’s defensive demeanor.  

Noticing Claire’s disinterest, Mrs. Winters starts, “Let me introduce you to your new roommate, Claire. She’ll help you settle in.”  

Extending her hand politely and rather excitedly, the girl before her greets, “Hi! I'm Ella. It’s really nice to meet you!” 

Claire reluctantly shakes Ella's hand, her guard still up. Frustrated by the already lack of choice on her end she mumbles, “Yeah, hi.” 

Headmistress Winters nods curtly, signaling the end of their interaction. “Miss Dubois, why don’t you show Claire to your dormitory and explain how things work around here? I was in the middle of a rather urgent matter when she arrived...”  

Without missing a beat, Ella promptly nods, understanding the task at hand. “Sure thing, Headmistress. Follow me, roomie!”  

The newfound nickname makes Claire hiss internally like a cornered cat, but she plays the part, thankful to finally get herself rid of the Headmistress's presence.  

Before the two of them can walk further away, Mrs. Winters dismissively points again, “Very well, off you go. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the rules and expectations of this institution, Miss Deschamps.”  

Claire raises an eyebrow, her rebellious spirit flickering to life. “I'll keep that in mind, Headmistress,” she replies defiantly, turning her back to the woman.  

Leaving the bustling hall and the scrutinizing eyes of the older woman, Claire turns to Ella, a sense of complicity forming between them as she notices how much more relaxed her new guide seems to be.  

Smiling, Ella reassures her. “I promise this is not all as daunting as it seems.”  Claire takes a deep breath, her apprehension giving way to a glimmer of hope. She follows Ella, ready to navigate the challenges of this new environment, determined to find her place amidst the rules and expectations she so vehemently resents. Who knows?, she thinks, maybe her new roommate can give her an escape route without even noticing. She could be escaping St. Victoria’s much earlier than she had predicted.

━━━━━━━━━ ✦ 

Claire wasn’t convinced if Ella had what it takes to be her newfound ally. The headmistress seemed to trust her enough which made her either valuable to the plan or a stone in her shoe. Although Claire was pending more to the former since the girl seemed very friendly as they kept a light conversation and she led the way through the bustling hallways. More often than not, the veteran would gush about her own friends as she vibrantly pointed to Claire how their day-to-day was, and for moments, more than to seek intel to architect her plan, the brunette found herself momentarily forgetting about her purpose as she got infected by Ella’s contagious energy.  

Their footsteps echo softly as they step onto the serene patio, where blooming flowers and neatly trimmed hedges create a serene oasis within the school grounds. The sound of laughter and animated conversations drifts through the air as girls gather in small groups, enjoying moments of respite and fellowship. 

Claire’s eyes scan the scenery, and they get caught in the ruckus three girls are making right by the center fountain of the patio. The one standing in the middle, a blonde with a high ballerina bun, dances excitedly as she flashes a knitted scarf to her peers. “You think JK will like it?” Her voice travels through the open space as she points specifically to the initials engraved in it.  

Noticing Claire’s mind is far away from whatever she is saying, Ella leans closer, whispering, “That’s Vivienne for you,” she chuckles as Claire’s glance shifts quickly back, “Everyone calls her Vivi and you’ll soon hate her too, trust me.”  

To that statement, Claire’s eyes return inquiring to Ella’s, her nose scrunching in doubt.  

“You see, she delusionally believes she and some trouble boy are meant to be. We’re all tired to hear about it, or witness moments like this.” Ella points with her head to the blonde once more. “There she goes, making him a scarf he won’t probably use. Tell me about waste of time!”  

Claire mildly snorts entertained, looking at the scene as well. “Poor girl.”  

“Oh, believe me!” Ella exhales, walking away and her roommate follows, “That one is nothing of the sort. Imagine Regina George in real life. That’s her, right there.”  

In a lack of response from the brunette, Ella gestures towards a row of benches shaded by a grand oak tree. ”Anyways, this is our patio, Claire. It's the perfect spot to relax and soak up some sunshine during breaks. And see over there? That's the canteen.” 

The delicious aroma of freshly cooked meals fills the air as soon as they step closer to the precinct. Girls line up at the serving counter, chatting and exchanging stories as they eagerly await their turn. The room is alive with vibrant colors, with posters and artwork adorning the walls, adding a touch of creativity to the space. 

“We refuel here, obviously.” Ella glances excited to see Claire’s reaction. “The food is surprisingly good, and there's always a variety of options to choose from… Well. When the boys don’t join, that is. They can be savages.” she chuckles nonchalantly. 

Suddenly Claire’s eyes perk with curiosity. Every bit of information she had gathered about the school before arriving said this was an all-girls academy, but then again, there were existent photos of boys displayed in the hall. Not to say Vivienne’s parade a second ago. Do they have a day off?, she muses, Could this be an opportunity? “What do you mean boys? Isn’t this an all-girls school?” she voices her thoughts as Ella takes the lead again, taking her on another stroll.   

The energetic roommate greets some girls that pass by them with a sympathetic smile before returning her focus to the newcomer beside her.  

“Well, yeah. The Alarie boarding school for boys is right across the river, and we often have classes together. You know, lack of teachers in the far countryside.” she shrugs. 

Before she can inquire further, Ella is already distracted, smiling at the passersby.  

“With Jimin? Again?! God, what’s her secret!” They hear a girl gasp to a friend as they crossways.  

Oh. I see..., Claire’s thoughts put the pieces together. She quickly looks at the hazel-haired girl making her company.  

By the raise of eyebrows that she gives her and the flicker of frolic that flashes in her eyes, Ella is quick to warn, “It’s strictly forbidden to hang out with them boys, Claire. No smogging. No funny hands.”  

“But she just-” Claire refuted pointing behind her shoulders to the girl that passed by sharing her indignation a bit too loudly.  

Ella gave her a warning yet laid-back glance, “Alright, people go on with it in secret but as you can see, nothing is really a secret around here. And then when you least expect it, bam! You’re in trouble!”  

“Are they at least hot? Or I don’t know... Worth the trouble?”  

Ella thinks for a second and then shrugs with a naivety Claire knows to be fake, “How would I know?”  

“If you say so!” Claire pretends to salute dramatically, a bickering well read by the other as to the current square state the Academy insisted on following rules. And so, Ella pulls her to a quick jog entertained, and a bit tempted to show her new roommate she also knew how to break a few of them. Even if the rules she was breaking weren’t as grand as Claire deemed them to be. The students passing by confirmed the thought as they judged their behavior, and Claire laughed even louder at their tedious conformism. The rule about not running in the hallways was true indeed.  

As they arrive at their shared dormitory, their footsteps grow softer as they enter the hushed ambiance of the living quarters. The dormitory is a cozy space adorned with tasteful decorations, featuring two neatly made beds, desks adorned with books and personal touches, and small corkboards for photos and reminders. 

Ella jumps to sit on her own bed, bouncing on the mattress as she does so. “And here we are,” she gestures. “Our humble abode. It may not be the biggest, but it's home.” 

Claire looks around the room, a hint of curiosity dancing in her eyes as she imagines the memories that will unfold within these walls, even if for brief moments. Ella seems a nice girl, but she won’t be around to discover much more about her. She needs to escape this. Her real friends await in the big city.  

“Yeah, it's not bad…” 

Ella grins with the comment, her warmth shining through. 

“We'll make it cozy, you’ll see,” she says encouragingly. “Plus, you still have to meet my girls! They are rooming right in front of us. It’s great to share stuff and to keep gossip in day!” She laughs at her own behavior.  

As Claire sets her suitcase down and begins to unpack, a bit aloof to her roommate’s words, a newfound sense of optimism fills the room. To Ella is the beginning of a new friendship, even if her roommate was a hard one to crack. But she was patient, everyone had their personal time after all. To Claire, it is a journey through a path she had never charted before, but her father was right about one thing---she is strong. And she will prevail.  

“We’ll meet them in a few!” Ella continues, snapping Claire out of her thoughts, “They went to pick up your uniforms for you.”  

Claire eyes her with gratitude, showing for the first time a smile, even if timid, and her roommate mimicked the action. Only hers was as big as her enthusiasm for finally having a friend to share her bedroom with.  

Still sitting by her bed, Ella watches as Claire takes only her toiletries out of her green suitcase, as well as a portrait of her and what the girl gathered to be her mom. The tall wild child discards the pouch with her cosmetics by the bed, as she walks toward the bedside table, closely placed to the window, adjusting the portrait on top of it. Her clothes, still inside the suitcase, didn’t seem important and were left forgotten still inside it, untouched. Or so Ella thought so.  

“Your mom is beautiful,” she comments gently, looking at how Claire’s eyes seem to hover with longing at the picture.  

The brunette opens a small smile, thanking her roommate almost in a whisper, eyes still glued to the image of her mom. How she missed her.  

And then suddenly a loud pang interrupts the moment, making her jump and Ella scream. Startled by the sudden impact of a ball against her bedroom window, she had fallen back onto her bed, her heart racing. She swiftly rises and storms towards the window again, fueled by annoyance and ready to unleash her frustration on the culprit responsible. 

Seething with anger, Claire flings open the window of her dorm room on the second floor, ready to give the culprit a piece of her mind. Ella knees on her bed to look at the indicted herself. “Shit.” She manages to say.  

Claire’s words, however, catch in her throat as she locks eyes with a boy she has never seen before, and taking by Ella’s reaction beside her, it was clear that wasn’t her case, her roommate knew him.  

His mischievous grin and charismatic presence immediately captivate her, and a flicker of curiosity replaces her initial anger. Still, she stands her ground and through gritted teeth, she lashes, “What's your problem?!” 

Both girls watch as he brings casually one of his hands to shield his eyes from the sun, his smile gleaming with amusement. 

“Oh, I apologize, princess,” he says charmingly. “You weren’t supposed to-” he trails off, “Well, I wasn’t looking to make an impression on you but now…” he considers, his smile doubling the size.  

Claire tries to maintain her composure, but there's an undeniable pull towards the Alarie’s boy that she can't ignore. 

“Impression?” She scoffs slightly flustered, “If it’s at being stupid, you've certainly succeeded. Who are you anyway?” 

The boy takes a step closer toward the shade of the tall building to see her better, a playful glint in his eyes as he keeps looking up chuckling at her response.  

With a smirk, he replies. “You didn’t hear of me? I'm Jungkook,” he says as if it explains a lot, with a smugness that makes Claire crazy to punch out of his face. “I go to the Alarie’s, right next door.” 

“JK!” another boy shouts from a distance, and Claire’s eyes travel to the field to meet the face of Jungkook’s peer. A group of boys is joyfully hanging out there, waiting for him.  

As her eyes turn back to him, standing beneath her window, with a raised eyebrow, Jungkook says with yet another chuckle, “You never told me your name.”  

She sneers, “And I won’t.”  

Despite her refusal, Claire can't help but feel a certain curiosity pull toward Jungkook. His confidence and charm leave her intrigued, even if she tries to deny it or finds it too brazen. 

Jungkook sends another intrigued look her way, a hint of mischief in his voice. 

“Don't worry, princess. I’ll find it soon enough.” that answer only makes her blood boil further. “Besides, life's too short to be boring, don't you think? I like the mystery.” He shrugs with a smile, picking the rugby ball that was fallen by his feet, and starting to walk back. He turns once again to see her reaction, raising his voice as he adds, “And tell your rat roommate that the next one is meant for her!” He lifts the ball in his hand as if he raised a toast. 

“I'm not fucking interested in your idea of excitement, Jungkook. Save your charm for someone else!” She shouts defiantly but he only laughs in response, now fully turning his back and jogging swiftly toward his friends.  

She can't help but watch his back and carefree stance, even if Ella’s presence is made heard by her side. Under rushed and muted curses, the girl gets up from the bed, initiating an anxious breakdown as she paced back and forth inside their bedroom.  

Claire’s gaze finally moves away from the window to fall upon her roommate’s state. “Not that it’s any of my business, but... You wanna talk about it?” she asks, gaining no response apart from a full stop on the pacing and Ella’s hands coming to a desperate grip on her own locks.  

“Ella!” Claire calls her, closing the distance between them, “Hey, what’s going on?” The change of attitude of the girl was so brusque from her previous joyful self that it got her worried.  

She gently touched her shoulder, and Ella’s eyes finally found her own. “I’m totally, completely, fucked.” She confesses finally.  

“What happened? Is it about this Jungkook guy?”  

The hazel-haired girl gives her a nod and Claire’s eyebrows knit together. She manages to inhale, ready to question further but they are interrupted by the cheerful tinkle of shoes and greetings.  

“We got it!” It’s what she hears as she looks at the door to their room that had been left open. Two girls enter the space, both shorter than Ella and her. They look excited, probably having fun on the way there.  

“Hi! You must be the new girl,” The shortest one says, giving her a cordial smile. She has her long honey-blonde hair held back by a bow. “I’m Lola, this is Avery...”  

“And this is your uniforms!” While Lola has a royal aura to her, somewhat restrained and charismatic, Avery seems more upfront and girly. Her hair is like coal and so glossy that it shines hues of dark blue in the light.  

Taking the folded clothes from her hands with a smile of her own, Claire introduces herself. “Thank you, I’m Claire. And you really didn’t have to do it-” 

“It’s totally fine, we wanted to!” Lola insists bubbly, waving off, and the brunette smiles thankful.  

The blonde walks her way toward Ella’s bed, familiar enough to sit on it as she grabs a pillow to hug as she did so.  

“Girls. He knows.” To Claire’s relief, Ella finally enters the conversation. “I hate myself!” She adds, grunting.  

She notices how the other two react fervently to the comment as she places the pile of uniforms on top of her bed, ceasing to be the focus of their attention. They look at Ella with staring eyes, clearly on topic but still indignant about the rest of the information that still doesn’t come.  

“What do you mean he knows?!” Avery is the first to question. “How would he know? There were no boys in class that day...” 

To which Lola quickly made a comment with a nudge at her waist, “I told you there was! Louis, remember?”  

At the same time, Ella explained. “Now Jungkook sent a stupid ball flying up the window on purpose. After my head of course!”  

While Claire looked from one to another trying to unveil the situation, both Avery and Lola unleashed a series of wroth exclamations, to what Ella took part in instead of actually providing a clearer explanation.  

“I’m sorry.” Claire interrupted. “But can someone situate me here? What does this Jungkook know? And why is it a big deal? I’m lost.” She had a notion she was being brazen as she wasn’t close to the three friends before her, but not a couple minutes before she had witnessed a boy sending a warning in the shape of a rugby ball to her roommate. If this was to continue while she stayed there, she needed to know at least the basics.  

Avery and Lola look from her to Ella apprehensively waiting. So this is mildly important, she thinks. And then the latter sighs.  

“I wasn’t completely honest with you about the boys’ part...”  

To that statement, Claire slowly realizes that there may be more to this school than meets the eye, and consequently, more that she needs to unravel to make her flight seem a mystery. Glancing out of the window, Alerie’s boarding school for boys is starting to feel like a needed pit stop, as it stands tall between St. Victoria’s building and her much-wanted freedom.

✦ TAGLIST.

send an ask in if you want to be part of it or comment down below.

[dionysus-complex]

So last night I was reading Wikipedia articles about abandoned NYC subway stations (as one does) and stumbled upon one of the weirdest historical mysteries/conspiracy theories I've ever heard. Buckle in/grab on to the handrail for this:

Unsurprisingly for a 100-year-old, highly complex subway network, there are quite a few abandoned subway stations in NYC. Some of them are famous, like the gorgeous Romanesque Revival City Hall Station, or the Court St station in Brooklyn now in use as the New York Transit Museum. Others are more mundane, like the 18th Street station and the Worth Street station, both of which are disused stations on active subway lines that can be seen out the window of a passing subway car if you're paying attention. But by far the weirdest is the 76th Street station, which may or may not actually exist.

Basically, the IND Fulton Street Line is the line that carries A and C line trains from central Brooklyn to Queens (if you've ever taken an A train from downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan to JFK Airport, that's the one). Just before the Brooklyn/Queens borough line, the line veers slightly north as it changes from a subway under Pitkin Ave (on the Brooklyn side) to an elevated line over Liberty Ave (on the Queens side). But originally, when this line was being extended toward Queens in the late 1940s, the plan was to continue the underground line further into Queens under Pitkin Avenue. Tunnels were dug to the present-day Euclid Ave station and then continued further beneath Pitkin Ave, toward a planned station at 76th Street and Pitkin (just barely over the Queens borough line).

On Nov. 28, 1948, this line is recorded as opening with service to 76th Street station, but almost immediately there was a controversy over whether, when, and how this 76th Street station had actually been built. Some engineers and tracklayers were quoted in the Times as saying they hadn't built anything past the borough line, but maybe someone else had. There was also a story on Dec 2 that quoted a local who noticed a new subway station entrance at 76th and Pitkin that had sprung up seemingly overnight. The Board of Transportation was unable to produce any contracts for construction of this mysterious station, and the line past Euclid Ave to 76th Street is recorded as having closed on Dec 20 after legal threats from unions, which suspected a coverup of non-unionized labor. Thereafter, any reference to the 76th Street station was purged on maps, signs, etc., although the signalboard at the Euclid Ave station evidently still has a taped-over portion which used to show the 76th street station.

Eventually, the line was extended by connecting the subway to the already-existing Fulton Street Elevated line, which is the path used today. A cinderblock wall apparently blocks off the end of the subway tunnel under Pitkin Ave, and a retired transit worker named Steve Krokowski told the NY Times in 2014 that he had tried to dig under the wall and found a track tie but was forced to stop when the hole began to cave in. He also mentioned a retired police officer and other unnamed colleagues who claimed to have seen the fully completed 76th street station, which may or may not have been accessible via a door that may or may not have existed in the cinderblock wall.

The intersection of Pitkin and 76th is now a populated residential area, and it's unlikely that anyone is ever going to excavate it to find the station. As far as anyone can tell, on the surface, there's no evidence (i.e. ventilation tunnels etc.) of a subway station existing beneath Pitkin and 76th. There seems to be one existing picture of the 76th street station from its brief time in service (you can view it here - scroll down almost to the bottom), but despite this, it seems like people are still skeptical that the station exists at all.

Sources/further reading:

-Wikipedia article on Euclid St station, with a section labeled "East of the station"

-Article on the station from Joseph Brennan's page on abandoned NYC subway stations

-NY Times article from 2014 in which Krokowski is quoted

[jaetyun]

20cm (twenty centimeters) TEASER

jock!keita × fem!reader

genre: fluff

highschool au, enemies to lovers, y/n is a bitch (she gets better!), keita is in rugby

wc: 0.4k

a/n: ill try to get this posted next week, but here’s a little concept reveal !

synopsis: keita had always been sensitive about his height, but those thoughts seems to get drowned out every time hes on the field. it wasn’t until recently he finally became content with his genes. that was, until there were rumors of a new student that would be the new tallest student across the grades. not only that, it was a girl. and she was a major douchebag about it.

"whats wrong kei? youve had a scowl on your face since you've buckled your seatbelt." his frown deepened, slumping in the passenger seat. 

"i do not!" 

"do too!" beomgyu added with a snicker, peering from the backseat. heeseung quickly yanked him back, putting beomgyus seatbelt on for him. the four of them, sungchan included, were on the way to a random burger joint as per usual. last week it was the mall where they convinced heeseung to buy the biggest dildo in the spencers aisles. the week before that it was the skate park where beomgyu brought a scooter because he didnt know how to skate. 

with rugby seasons coming up, this would probably be the last time keita tagged along before the group became busy with their own sports. october was always a hectic month for all of them, and he would've felt like shit if the last moment he had with his friends was of him complaining about some girl. 

"whats wrong? seriously, you can tell us anything bro" sungchan continued, one hand on the wheel while the other rested on keitas knee. he gave keita a comforting squeeze, causing the boys sour look to soften. "... well. yall know the transfer, right?"

the other three nodded, all having their own tidbits to add.

"yeah the tall chick"

"shes pretty cool"

"winter and yunjins group, right?"



keita clicked his tongue, his nose scrunching st their nonchalance about her.

"why? you got rejected by her or sum?" beomgyu snickered before getting hit by heeseung, mumbling something about asshole and salt into the wound. 

"what, no! shes a total douchebag." 

a moment of silence hung in the car as the boys looked around each other, gauging one another's reactions. it wasn't long before the three burst out into laughter.

"im serious! y/n is such a-"

heeseung wiped a tear, hitting keitas shoulder. "is she a jerk or are you insecure?"

keitas mouth faltered, losing the confidence in hus conviction. sungchan hummed an agreement, both hands on the wheel. "shes pretty funny, you just gotta not take her seriously man."

keita straightened up in his seat, folding his arms over each other. 

"she has no business making those kinds of jokes."

"or maybe you need to loosen up a bit"

keita looked out the window, sighing softly. maybe they were right. maybe he was just a little sensitive about his height and you weren't really doing any harm! yeah, hes sure thats it. he just misjudged you. wait... hes getting a sense of deja vu.. nono! this time is different. keita was positive it wouldn't be long until he started viewing you the same way everyone else did. 

[dendenmazing]

Christmas Season in Baguio City ⛰️🎄

My year 2024’s Christmas season really is the weirdest Christmas I’ve ever had in my entire existence. But again, I’m still so grateful for everything I have. It’s a bittersweet feeling being back in one of my happy places. It brought me a lot of wonderful memories from those good old days that I will never ever forget. It’s a bit sad that I spent my Christmas this year with my best friend’s fam and not with my own fam in our own home with our own home cooked meals while watching Christmas movies together wearing cozy clothes with our doggos. But again, I am still beyond grateful for this unique Christmas I had this year. It felt so good to be back in Baguio City. Tried a new restaurant called, “Grumpy Joe” for lunch before checking in our airbnb. Delicious food :)) I also tried Strawberry taho this time after we just landed in Baguio City. Went to church for a while. Breakfast at Jollibee with dabest hot chocolate because of the cold weather. One of the best things I ever did was, feel the fresh cold wind and air of Baguio City while riding in a taxi cab with opened windows. I’ve always loved doing that day or night and I will miss that hahahaha. I love what I saw during christmas eve where people are watching The Grinch on top of small mountains with food stalls and bonfire. Ofc, this Baguio trip will not be completed without our whole walking sessions HAHAHAHAHA. Fio and I decided to buy Sevy and Miggy some silly cute socks and cute bracelets for ourselves. After our time at Night market, we had our Christmas midnight in the middle of cold streets in Baguio City HAHAHAHAHAHA really really the weirdest Christmas ever HAHAHAHA. The second day, we spent our late morning at Burnham Park. It felt bittersweet to me again. We rode these mini carts, roller skates, and bump cars before we head out for lunch. Then we went to this Igorot Stone Kingdom, dressed up as Igorots, took photos with the huge fluffy St. Bernard doggos named, Snow and his son, Rain. We went straight to Mines View Park to take photos with the amazing horse named, Diego. We just took lots of photos before buying pasalubong and souvenirs. We went back to our airbnb for freshen up for a bit before heading out for dinner. Ofc, we did a lot of walking again but the good thing was, me and Fio handled it so well that we just made core memories because of our stupid conversations and loud laughs inside the mall and outside the cold streets of Baguio City hahahahaha. One of dabest. I also love this Baguio trip I had before ending this year, 2024. I felt like I was a kid again. I smiled. I loved what I saw at Baguio City. The real laughs and big smiles of kids during Christmas day, the little girl that looked so happy when her momma bought her a pink stuff toy at Mine View Park. The cute mascot Panda during Christmas eve. The yummy ice cream we had and the coffee with Tito while waiting for our table at Grumpy Joe’s for lunch on our first day. The pine cone that I saw after manifesting that I want to see one. Everything was really wonderful. It was a tiring trip but I am beyond grateful to be back to that place.

[larcenywrites]

The Boy Next Door

Chapter One: Suburbian Introductions

Warnings: she/her term used for reader | immediate thirsting |

Word Count: 3.9K

Masterpost

It was funny how something can look exactly like a memory, but be a new one entirely. The street was just as sun-bleached, once a smooth black, you were sure, but now a weathered grey starting to crack under the heat. Yellowing concrete ran alongside its old friend, separated by a generous strip of grass and backed with stretching lawns. It felt like you had just been here yesterday, except with every home that blurred past your passenger side window, this time you would never spot yours, and every turn only lost you in a maze much larger than the one you left behind. At least it wasn't one of those crowded suburban nightmares- the ones without foliage or even a yard of space between houses. Well, some of these bricks were still close together, but lines of trees provided some sense of seclusion from one another, and faux forests were left undisturbed to span an acre or two here and there. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Even the grass looked greener on this side of the fence. 

Or maybe the sodding here was just more expensive. 

Really. It wasn't so bad. The damper in your mood was just due to being on the road for the past six hours, and it was only ten in the morning. The rattle of your belongings behind you couldn't quite lull you into sleep anymore, especially when you were so close to, well, home. Instead, you laid your cheek against the cool glass of the car window, but even its rattling couldn't get you any further than staring at the darkness behind your eyelids. Speckles of reds interrupted your personal void, dappling in the shapes of the sunlight as it filtered between leaves and around towering chimneys. 

It was irritating, an inconsistent display of colors. Until it was all red. The string of trees that had provided some breakage from the hash morning light betrayed you. You sighed a bit dramatically, opening your eyes. You were met with tree stumps and turned-up dirt. The treeline hadn't ended- well, it had, but not by choice. Even these pristine yards had ugly stumps or unfilled holes, no longer quite as shielded from the road or their neighbors without those firs and oaks. Obviously, the uprooting hadn't been intentional, and it didn't give you very high hopes for your own yard. You could have had a better thought about it than weird, but a name you'd heard a few times now drifted by as the car turned down another street, catching your attention. Fairmount St read in white letters on a tidy green sign. Turns out, home had been right around the corner. The entrance to two short driveways lay next to one another and curled away as they trailed up a hill, each leading to their respective house. Between them was a close pair of mailboxes. The car made its turn, choosing the red one. 

"I swear there were still trees there last I was up here," your dad finally spoke up for the first time in a few hours, bringing the car to a slow. You followed his gaze to the space between the two brick houses. The evidence of a rooted-up treeline wasn't as obvious. There wasn't much ugly dirt and holes, but the ground was uneven, and only neighboring psychopaths wouldn't have separated the homes with some greenery to keep those facing windows private. 

"Hope we like our neighbors," you snorted. Your dad sighed, digging for that little remote in the center console that opened the garage. With a loud groan, one of the large metal doors began to rise, welcoming your car inside the coolness of the dark and rather cramped room. You'd only been here once a few months ago, being left at the house while your dad dropped off belongings and had furniture hauled whenever he had to come up here for business. You hoped it wouldn't look quite as lifeless as it once did.

Next to the car you sat in was a larger truck, currently blocking your view of the door that let inside. It was your dad's, dark blue and mostly used for his work. With another click of the button, the second door groaned open. As if to follow suit, your father opened his car door, eager to step out. "Okay, let's get these boxes out of here and I'll go get the rest with the truck," he directed before slamming the door shut without further comment. You sat there for a moment longer, but the car shifting and trunk opening were your cues to get out and help. You slid boxes from the low sitting back seat, guiding them straight to the concrete floor and pushing them aside to make room for the next, while your dad had a stack of three piled onto one another. Some of them were unlabeled, but you had made sure to mark your own and were already investigating each box. 

"Alright, I'll be right back." The rushed voice of your father called you to attention. "Can you get these inside?" 

"Probably," you shrugged, looking at him tiredly. You weren't in as much of a hurry as he was. He snickered. "Good enough." You watched him search his pockets for his keys before rushing to the driver's side of that midnight blue truck. 

"Oh, here's a house key," he exclaimed, reaching back into his pocket and holding out a silver key. You walked over to him, taking the key from his hands. As if you had freed him, he hastily walked back and climbed into his seat. You didn't even move as he pulled out of the garage, back on the road again. A newly painted black door now faced you in his absence, four little windows letting you peek in on a tan-colored wall. You quickly worked at the lock, eager to get these boxes inside so you could sit down somewhere much more comfortable than that car. The door creaked as you pushed on it, opening inward. You turned around, back to the job at hand. 

You really weren't sure which was which, but something told you to handle the not-so-stable tower under the open garage door. You'd have to move it anyway if you wanted a little more privacy. You tried to shift the boxes to be a little more even, but the lopsided heaviness of the top one only dragged and wavered the stack. As much moving as you'd done, your dad sure wasn't good at packing. You huffed, bracing yourself to slide it off. Nice and easy. You probably shouldn't have pushed toward the heavy side first, only considering it now that it was toppling down top first.

"Dammit," you cursed, hearing it echo against the tall brick wall and through the empty garage. There was hardly any time to cringe at the sound of clinking, a few items scattering through the flaps you'd failed to close back properly earlier this morning when you'd thrown something in. You watched in near horror as your father's small snow globe rolled out, and only gained momentum down the slight incline of your driveway. You couldn't bring yourself to even a brisk walk, instead following far behind and waiting for the raised pavement of the road to stop its rolling one way or another. But something, or rather someone, stepped in-- quite literally. You hadn't noticed you had an audience of one down by the pair of mailboxes until he was lurching into the base of your drive. Your steps faltered, already slow. You weren't afraid to approach, but you had to admit you weren't exactly prepped for any interaction right now. You watched your presumed neighbor bend down, effortlessly catching the snow globe that rolled into his palm. He somehow made standing up look attractive, inspecting the small decor with a few careful flicks of his wrist before his eyes followed its runaway path. His gaze landed on you. With a shameful smile that he was probably too far to even see, you hurried your pace, not wanting to keep him waiting. Mind blank the closer you got, you tried not to look down. 

A face straight out of a magazine watched your approach. Actually- was it straight out of a magazine? You swear you might've seen that face staring back at you somewhere, but your strained attention was needed elsewhere. A hand offered its lucky catch to you. You took it tentatively, taking care not to let your fingers bump even though you were probably the only one that would overthink it. The fake snow stirred dizzily in its dome. You could relate, pulse rushing past your warm cheeks and thoughts spinning to sort themselves out enough to decide what to say next. 

"Sorry," you meekly apologized for nothing. It was the easiest thing to break the awkward silence, and the easiest word to get out while you fumbled with the contents in your palm (and in your brain). The glass was scuffed from the impact but otherwise unbroken. 

"It's fine," a tired tone chuckled a bit awkwardly. It made you look back up at him. You couldn't get a read on his expression, but his lips were parted in an upcoming question. Inquisitive eyes flicked behind you, likely landing on the array of boxes. You took the split seconds opportunity to get an uninterrupted (and unashamed) study of his face again, taking note of the dark honeyed features standing bold against his paler complexion. 

"Do you, uh, need any help?" He suddenly spoke up again, his question slow with hesitation. Dark lashes fluttered when he glanced back. He stared down at you, either still with curiosity or concern in his hard-to-read brow. It probably looked like you were out here all alone, to be fair. Well, currently you are alone, and obviously struggling- in more ways than one. You weren't expecting to meet any neighbors at all, much less keep up any interaction. You had to glance away for a moment to come up with an answer that wasn't so flustered. 

"Oh, you don't have to. My dad will be back at some point," you trailed off, looking at the pile of boxed-up belongings. Lips still parted in search of a response, you turned back only for him to avoid meeting your gaze this time. The twitch of a frown was subtle, but enough to send a bolt of panic through your chest. Your veiled rejection hurt you just as much, if not more. Not that you didn't want an excuse to keep him around, but sometimes you were too nice for your own good. No, he didn't have to, but god did you want him to, even in your socially stunted state. Moving here was supposed to be full of new opportunities, and here you were, turning down your first one before you even got a chance to know where it could lead. Even if that was nowhere.

"But I guess I should still get everything inside, so," you quickly continued, trying to salvage his offer. Mocha eyes meeting yours again stopped you from blathering further. Especially when they so obviously drifted over your face and quickly dipped lower for further inspection. He backed up a few steps, the opposite of what you had wanted, but you couldn't exactly protest. Luckily you didn't have to. You'd been so tuned in to the voice coming from plush lips and the highlighted features of his face that you didn't even notice the stack of envelopes in his hand. He grabbed the small latch at the top of his mailbox, black and sleek next to your shiny red one, and slid the mail back in for safekeeping. 

"I mean, if you're busy, then..." you squeaked out suddenly, a shoulder raised mid-shrug. You weren't exactly sure why you said it. Your brain was receiving mixed signals, and at this point, you were probably giving him mixed signals too. He looked at you as he closed the small door. Your seemingly reserved neighbor wasn't the most expressive, but you could pick up on the amusement in that raised brow and slight the tug at the corner of his lips as he looked you up and down. "Really, I don't mind," he assured you, walking your way and brushing purposefully past you. He looked down at you beckoningly as he did. Though your heart was racing and your gulp was stuck in your throat, you were relieved that he was taking over, leading you back to your own house as if you were the stranger here... well, you were, weren't you? You followed behind, trying not to ignore the warm shiver he'd sent down your spine with something so simple. It was too early for this. You followed after him.

Once again, you took advantage of the opportunity that came with his preoccupied line of sight. He looked lean under that loosely fitted black tee that you were sure wasn't doing him much justice. Fit shoulders hidden under short sleeves cascaded into the curve of his half-visible biceps, and your eyes lingered on a peeking vein. You finally swallowed down that nervous gulp. You'd look away to clear your thoughts, but if you looked up, dark strands of hair curled messily against his neck, and if you looked down- well, let's just say you noticed something in the back pocket of his faded jeans. Your neighbor, who's being very nice right now and doesn't deserve to be part of one of your unhinged wet dreams right now, was undeniably hot. Maybe you'd stick to reading the red lettering that spelled out states and tour dates instead until you reached the garage again. 

You carefully picked up the toppled box, sitting it upright and carefully placing your father's snow globe back into its box. You quickly gathered the other knickknacks that had spilled out, cradling them in your arms and trying not to dump them into the box too harshly. You watched your current companion wandering around, taking note of the boxes while he waited for your instruction. You sighed, once again deciding where to start. He must have picked up on it, deciding to pick out the box he'd watched you struggle with earlier, and the one you'd just put that damned globe back into. You were already slacking, watching him lift the box against his chest instead of getting your own. You grabbed the nearest unlabeled box that, thankfully, wasn't as horribly packed. With a huff, you made your way toward the still wide open door. Hopefully the neighbors don't have any wandering cats. 

"These can just go in the living room," you chimed, instructing him to follow you. You walked into a boring beige hall that had yet to be adorned with pictures on the walls or decor on the faded blue sofa table. You kept following the stained wooden floors to a maroon-walled kitchen that was just as boring. You kept going a little further, sticking to the beige wall that led to its similarly colored living room, and the hardwood beneath your shoes turned cushier. It was mostly furnished, just as Dad had said. A cream-colored couch on one wall, two dark green recliners in the center shared a small table between them, and all shared a low glass table that sat in front of a large stand for the television. A stone fireplace nestled into the wall opposite the sofa, its barren oak mantel begging to finally be put to use. There was a thump from a box being heavily put to rest on the carpet, and you were just eager to put yours down too. Two down, five to go. Until your dad got home from the storage unit that is... The pair of you grabbed the last two boxes for the living room in silence. 

"These three are mine so," you trailed off, but surely the destination was implied. For some very unknown reason, you hesitated to say it, but your silence was excused while you tried not to struggle with yet another box. This time, you led him through the kitchen and down another hall, passing a large office along the way and a closed door that led to your bathroom. It felt longer than it looked. In hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best idea to invite a random guy into your house when your dad was gone, but he seemed harmless enough. Enough to make himself play good samaritan for the day, at least. He may have just been more nosey about who was moving in next door and, more importantly, nosey about their pretty daughter- not that you'd be upset by the latter! Maybe there was a joke to be had here about the awful plots at the beginning of pornos... 

You had to shake your head to yourself, sweeping away that thought before it could spiral. Now was definitely not the time for that as you walked into your bedroom. Your room was furnished and bare at the same time. An empty white desk faced the empty wall, and a dresser of the same color had a wall all to itself aside from the standing mirror next to it. Your coverless bed was nestled into an ornate wooden frame that sat between two curtainless windows. A small sofa, similar to the cream color of its larger cousin in the living room, sat on the dresser's opposite wall, your closet by its side. It looked much better now that there was some other colors and objects to even out the pale yellow wallpaper, lined with white columns and roses with connecting stems. When you first saw it, you'd considered scrapping it off and redoing it yourself, but it was growing on you now. Cute in a decade-old kind of way. Maybe it already felt like home, but that was easy when you'd been in a new bedroom a few times before. 

With a sigh, you looked over at your still unnamed acquaintance as you put down the heavy contents in your arms. He'd walked past you for more room, lost in his own study as he paused with his own box. The view from your window must have caught his eye. You could only see the thick curls of the back of his head, pretty eyes too busy staring through the panes for a few seconds longer than a simple glance would demand. To be fair, it was probably a little jarring to see your house from, well, another house like this. Especially so close, maybe twenty feet if you had to guess. For some reason, his curiosity made you antsy. 

"Dad said there used to be trees there," you broke the silence, capturing his attention again. He started to turn to you, lingering on the view for another second. He lowered his box onto the carpeted floor, looking thoughtful. Actually, he almost looked confused when he looked at you. Like he was processing what you'd even said. His lips were parted in a reply that took a few more seconds. 

"Oh- yeah," he started. There was a spark behind his eyes upon finally registering your comment, or from finally tearing out of whatever thoughts he'd been sifting through. "There were um, beetles or something in them." He said it with a soft rise in his tone, like he was stating a question. "They cut down a lot of trees around here, actually." He quickly glanced back to the window as if to prove his point, and what came back was a solemn look. That explains a lot.

"Yeah, I think I saw that on our way in," you thought out loud. "Thought it was pretty weird." You walked under your doorway, waiting for him to join you so you could retreat back to the garage. 

"It's pretty ugly, too," he said sarcastically. "We should have planted something else there by now." 

"How long has it been?" Your nervousness settled with such a normal conversation that could flow on its own. 

"A month, maybe?" He questioned himself. "Honestly, I didn't really think about it until now." He followed you back down the hall that would hopefully be filled with picture frames and decoration by tomorrow night. 

"My mom usually takes any opportunity to make something else into her garden," he tagged on fondly. "Maybe she'd even let you choose what to plant there." 

You laughed, stepping onto the gray concrete and making your way to the last box sitting next to the car. You would've come up with a reply, but you noticed him eyeing the box at your feet. "I can get this one." You tapped the box with the tip of your shoe. "It's just some plants." You looked back up at him, but he was reading the out-of-state license plate that still had yet to be replaced. 

He's an observant one. 

"What'd you move up here for?" He asked, meeting your stare with an innocent question in those big brown eyes. They made your pulse flutter again. 

"College," you started, hooking your fingers with one another to give yourself something to fumble with. "Um, MIT, actually," you awkwardly chuckled your choice of university. Not that it was a bad university, far from it, and you could tell it piqued a new interest behind those eyes. 

"Hey, no way, I go there too," he revealed.

"Really?" 

He nodded, humming to match. He crossed his arms, head tilting in cute curiosity and narrowed eyes giving you another once-over. He almost smirked, but it faded when his eyes darted away for a moment. His lips pursed in thought, and to suppress that sneaking grin. There was a shift in the mood and a pep in his stance as he leaned a little closer.

"Maybe I'll show you around sometime," he smoothly offered. That smirk from earlier was sneaking back in to curl at the corner of his lips. His tone was so confident, privileged even, like he was giving you an opportunity. For all you knew, he was. "Around campus, or around the town," he continued with a shurg. "I'd say the neighborhood, but it's not all that interesting," he said the last party quietly like an embarrassing secret with a shake of his head and a teasing grin that grew more with your smile. This sudden shift in demeanor didn't fly over your head, and neither did that suggestion. You already knew that you'd be damned to take him up on his offer, but damned if you didn't. Your teeth dragged over your bottom lip, debating, but it caught another audience in the quick flick of dark eyes. Even with burning cheeks that hopefully weren't noticeable and your tone shy again, you were confident in your answer. "I'd like that."

He accepted your answer without any change in expression other than flicking eyes studying yours, but he did take it as his cue to take his leave. "If you need anything," he trailed off, taking a few steps back. He paused. "I never got your name."

"(Y/N)," you replied without hesitation, smiling giddily at hearing it repeated in that honeyed tone.

"If you need anything, (Y/N), remember I'm right next door." Oh, you'd remember, alright. You realized as he was turning step to leave again that you hadn't thanked him, and you still hadn't learned his name.

"Thanks, uh-" 

He turned on his heels, still backing away. "Tony," he spoke his name so proudly, like he had been waiting for you to ask. It was the first smile you'd cracked from him, and hopefully not the last. Smug looked good on him. "Tony Stark." 

Previous<- ->Next

[cosmicgrapevine]

“It used to be a health resort,” Jordy said. “Back in the old days, people thought hot springs would cure anything, y’know, so rich people’d come out here and stay for a couple weeks. Then it went outta business in the ‘30s and the Colonel—that’s Travis’ great-grandpa—bought it for cheap.”

Melanie let him ramble. She’d been fishing for information about the Barretts and their ‘citadel’ all the way up, and Jordy had been the most eager to provide it. It also gave him a chance to share her seat, inching closer with each curve of I-75 until his arm was around her shoulder. Melanie didn’t mind. She kind of liked how corny it was. She’d seen it on TV a hundred times, now a boy was trying it on her in real life. She’d seen fake girlfriends turn into real ones on TV too. Maybe she’d try that one on him.

Everyone onboard knew they weren’t actually dating, so he didn’t need to maintain the illusion. But he wanted to. And she wanted him to. He’d turned on the charm, and it worked, and she’d resent it if he wasn’t so…well, charming. Did she really like him? The way he liked her? She couldn’t say. She didn’t want to ask herself yet.

Her spirits dampened slightly when she got a full view of the next week’s lodgings. “People live here?” She blurted out.

“Yeah, it’s…it ain’t the prettiest,” Jordy admitted. “When the Colonel bought it he bulldozed the whole thing, rebuilt it like this. Wards are stronger when there ain’t any fancy shit gettin’ in the way, he said.”

The Wards here must have been very strong, as the Citadel was a solid block of gray cement, broken up only by plain glass windows. The foggy valleys and narrow, rocky gorges they’d driven through to get here put Melanie in mind of some fairytale castle, but it looked like a Siberian prison at best, a nuclear waste dump at worst. There were several cars and buses parked haphazardly in the front lawn, and the hot springs bubbled away in the back, with their sharp chalky smell.

“Only Travis’ great-aunt lives here, and two of her kids,” Fawn said. “The top floors are for guests, and during Equinox, all the high school delegations have to stay on-site. It’s in the contract. ‘Cause killing Halfmires is fine, but god forbid we stay in Knoxville and party with college kids.”

“Fawn, you ain’t partyin’ either way, come on,” Jordy said. “Hey, looks like the AEGIS bus is here. You gonna room with that Dutch girl again?”

“Trudi? Hope so. You’ll like her, Mel, she’s awesome.”

“Wait, Dutch? Some kids flew here from the Netherlands?”

“Switzerland, actually.” Fawn said. “About 30 years ago a lot of the old European Warden schools put their funds together and built a new boarding school in Geneva. AEGIS stands for something in French, I forget what. The other two schools sending student reps are St. George’s in Memphis, and Wallenbrook in Pennsylvania.”

“Well, they all sound…fancy.” She suddenly wished she wore something other than old jeans and a Kahoti Knights sweatshirt.

“The AEGIS kids are pretty cool. All Americans are the same to them, I guess.” Fawn said. “The others, though, yeah, we’re trashy new money to them. Especially the Georgies. Your grandpa’s been gnawing off bits of their Gulf Coast territory for years and they hate him for it. Well, too bad, guys, it’s not the 1800s anymore.”

[redqueenphoenix]

State Championship (TWD Fanfiction Part 13)

State Championship Part 13

(A TWD Fan Fiction)

I do not own any of the rights to The Walking Dead, nor do I own any of the characters mentioned from here on in, other than Victoria Hawkins. Some situations have been changed and some people may have been switched in this alternate universe. 

All characters in this fanfiction are all over 21 years old.

Coach Negan Smith X Female OC

Word Count: 1479

~*~

Part 13

Victoria pulled the front door open and looked at her dad’s car, “you think it’s gonna start?”

Erika shrugged, “it’s worth a shot.” Her brows furrowed together, “where’s your car?”

“I left it at the college. It was too much of a mess to attempt to escape with it.” Victoria looked around the block to see if there were any more walkers in the area. A few of the neighbors were looking out their windows with horrified expressions as they watched the chaos. 

Taking a deep breath she made a run for the car with her sister. Getting to the driver's door and settling in while Erika did the same. Handing her sister her backpack, she fastened her seat belt and then started the car. She pulled it back off the lawn and into the street. Looking over to her sister, “everything is going to be ok. I promise.”

The car lurched down the street, passing people and walkers alike. The pure chaos of it all was overwhelming. She knew that populated areas would be fast to fall, but this was almost like it was instantaneous. Turning off onto one of the side roads that lead off into the suburbs, she navigated her way towards some of the smaller roads that would lead out into the farming land outside of Atlanta.

Erika looked out the window in horror as they drove, “is it like this everywhere?”

“I don’t know.” Victoria replied not taking her eyes off the road, “all I know is what the news said and that wasn’t much.” 

Erika shook her head as she looked out the windshield, apparently some other people had the same idea as them, escaping into the farm lands. “We’re not going to make it down the road, sis. There are too many cars.”

Victoria slowed the car and looked around, “are you alright with off roading.” She smiled as she looked over the road and the open land to the sides of it. “Now that we are pretty much out of town we can cut around them and head for the farms.”

“What if the people at the farms don’t let us in.” She looked over worried as she watched Victoria turn the steering wheel to the right and hit the earth beside the road. 

“Then we will find somewhere else.” She gripped the steering wheel as they rushed by cars that were trapped on the freeway. People were running through the cars trying to get away as some of the walkers made their way into the freeway.

Erika noticed a sign in the distance, “hey what about there?” She asked as the sign came closer. “St. John Dairy.”

Victoria shrugged, “it’s worth a shot. Not many people are going to think about trying to stop there. They are going to want to keep going.” She turned towards the road leading to the dairy. This may be a good place to go to hunker down for a while.”

Erika looked down to her sister’s cell phone that was tossed in the center console, noticing the wallpaper. “You still think about him don’t you?”

Her eyes fluttered down to the cell phone and she nodded, “everyday. I know it’s stupid and I shouldn't, but I still love him.”

“It’s not stupid.” Erika smiled at her sister, “do you think he is ok?”

“God, I hope so.” She sighed as the dairy farm came into view. Following the dirt path she noticed that no one else had decided to take the same route they were. This brought her some relief. 

They noticed a pair of guys working near the fence when they came to a stop. 

“Stay in the car.” Victoria told her sister as shoved the tire iron into her jacket and stepped from the car. “Uh, hi there.” 

The two men looked over to her then back to each other. “Yeah?” The younger one in a black and white striped polo said as he looked her over.

“My sister and I had to leave Atlanta, there is a virus going around and it’s not safe. We were wondering if we could possibly stay here for a few days. We won’t be a bother, I swear.”

The older of the two looked over at the car and then back to Victoria, “just you two?” He watched her nod. “Let me go talk to Ma and see if she thinks it’s a good idea.” He turned from the other guy and headed up the walkway to the two story house.

“I’m sure Ma will let ya.” The guy spoke as he continued to wire the fence to a generator. “I’m Andrew, but most people call me Drew.” He looked up with a smile. 

“I’m Victoria and she is my sister Erika.” Victoria leaned against the hood of the car waiting for the other guy to get back.

“He’s my older brother Danny, he’s good people like my momma Brenda.” He stood up and wiped the sweat from his brow, “so is it really as bad as the lady on the tv says?”

Victoria sighed and looked down, “it’s pretty bad. People are doing some weird things like eating other people and acting like zombies.”

“Damn shame, this world is something else anymore.” A woman’s voice called out as a homely looking lady made her way down the path with Danny. “You must be the two young women that need a place to stay for a while?”

Motioning for her sister to come out of the car she nodded. “I’m Victoria and this is my little sister Erika. We came from the chaos that is going on in Atlanta.”

The woman smiled, “I’m Brenda, Brenda St John. This is my dairy farm. I hope my boys remembered their manners and introduced themselves.” Brenda’s smile was warm and welcoming as came towards them. “You can tell me all about yourselves as we drive up to the house.”

Victoria nodded getting back into the car with Erika and Brenda as the boys opened the gate fully.

“So you got any family other than yourselves?” Brenda asked from the backseat. 

“We did. Our mother and father didn’t make it out.” Victoria sadly spoke as she carefully drove up to the fence around the house.

“Oh, now that’s a damn shame. You two seem like fine young girls.” She popped her car door open. “You both are welcome to stay as long as you like. The guest house is open to you.” She pointed to a small house off the side of the two story house. “That is until we can trust you. Then you can move into the main house.”

Erika chuckled, “that’s understandable. Wouldn’t want to put your own family at risk taking in strangers.”

“Exactly.” Brenda turned to the girls, “have you ever worked on a dairy farm before?” She watched both girls shake their heads. “Well, do you think you can learn? My boys would surely appreciate the help.”

“Not a problem.” Victoria smiled as she pulled her stuff from the car and shouldered her bag. 

“Good, we can start tomorrow. You girls go get settled in and I’ll ring the bell when dinner is ready.” Brenda’s expression changed, “there is one thing I ask of you, do not go touching the fence around the farm. My boys have been working on electrifying it to make sure we don’t have bandits or walkers wandering onto the farm.”

“Not a problem, ma’am.” Erika smiled as she took off with Victoria towards the guest house. “They seem nice.” 

“A little too nice.” Victoria looked back at Brenda with a smile as she headed up the steps to the house. “And an electric fence, this outbreak just started. Doesn’t that seem a little odd.”

“They may have just started it this morning when this all started. It doesn’t seem that odd to want to protect your loved ones.” Erika pushed open the door and headed into the medium sized living room. 

Victoria shrugged, “I guess you’re right. Maybe I am just being paranoid.” She made her way to one of the small bedrooms off the side of the living room. Dropping her bag and looking down at her phone. Her mind once again wondered if Negan was alright and if he was facing the same things they were. She wished that he was here with her, but knew that was foolish. Things were different now and their survival meant she had to get her head on straight.

~*~

Part 14 (the End??)

[sebstanaddict]

Too Good To Be True

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary: A romantic comedy story where Sebastian Stan falls in love with reader but she is not who he thinks she is.

Having scored a job as Sebastian's girlfriend's assistant, reader goes into her first day already feeling dread as everyone around her basically refers to her new boss as the evil Snow Queen. Will she survive her first day at work? Or will she give up and decide to find another job?

Pairings : Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Chapters : 6/20 (Might add more)

Chapter list >

Warning : none

Word count : 6.2k words

This story is inspired loosely by Sebastian's love life so it will have characters from his real life but I will not name their real names. I will only use Sebastian's real name in the story.

---

Chapter 6 - Snow Queen

W76th St, Los Angeles, California - The Next Morning

---

Y/n grabbed the tube of arnica gel from her dresser, opened the cap and squeezed some of it onto her fingers. Then she applied the gel onto her bruised elbow gently while looking in the mirror. Her mind went back to yesterday afternoon and she couldn't help but blushed.

After the meeting with Aurora was over, Sebastian took her back to her car and helped her call a tow truck. Her car was brought to a repair shop and apparently her car's thermostat was malfunctioning which was why it got overheated. The thermostat needed to be replaced but the repair shop didn't have it in stock and had to order it from the manufacturer. Since it took several days for it to arrive, she ended up hitching a ride with Sebastian again.

She thought he would take her straight to her apartment but instead he went to his apartment first. He insisted on getting the arnica gel he mentioned for the bruise on her elbow. So she ended up getting to see where he lived and even met his dog.

It turned out he lived in a penthouse on Hollywood Boulevard, not far from Go Get 'Em Tiger cafe. She thought he would just stop by for a second and leave her in his car but much to her surprise, he invited her in.

His penthouse was quite beautiful with expensive furniture and top of the line appliances. But it's the view from the windows that won her heart. The penthouse had floor to ceiling windows stretching along its eastern walls facing the city of Los Angeles. Every single room had the huge windows including his bedroom. She couldn't help but think how heaven-like it must be waking up on his bed and having the beautiful view of LA as the first thing one sees upon waking up. Well, seeing his gorgeous face by one's side as they wake up every morning must be heaven-like too. But she knew it was impossible for her to experience so she didn't dare fantasizing too much about it. After witnessing his and Aurora's interaction the day before, she was certain there was no place for her in his heart. Even though his behavior to her after the meeting seemed to indicate he had feelings for her, she tried hard to shrug it off. She kept repeating in her mind that he was being nice. 

Yes, he sacrificed his time to help her with her car problem. Yes, he insisted on getting a gel to help heal her bruise from his penthouse. Yes, he invited her up to his penthouse to grab the said gel and introduced her to his dog, Zander. And yes, they ended up spending the afternoon together reading lines from Pumping Black script as he gave her some acting pointers. But she was certain he did all that because he was just being nice. Nothing more. She was certain of it.

Remembering the last fact was something that made her blush again because they read the lines where they were supposed to kiss. He didn't end up kissing her of course and stopped after gently placing his hands on the sides of her face. It would have been alarming to her if he continued. She was sure he wasn't the type to cheat on his girlfriend even though they were technically practicing a scene. 

Her mind wandered and she recalled the feelings she felt as she gazed into his beautiful ocean blue eyes and felt his gentle hands upon her cheeks. She remembered all the butterflies she felt in her stomach, the pounding of her heart and the expectation of feeling his lips on hers.

She blinked as reality came crashing back to her and the image of Aurora licking his fingers suddenly came into her mind. He has a girlfriend. She reminded herself and sighed.

She felt the gel had dried up on her skin so she stopped rubbing her fingers on her elbow. He was right, the arnica gel worked wonders. Her bruise seemed to be healing faster than normal as she continued to stare at her elbow in the mirror.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the door.

"Y/n! Your boyfriend is here!" Haley opened the door and her head popped up from behind it. She couldn't help but blush again.

She had told her roommates about what happened and they all thought that Sebastian really had feelings for her. They all agreed that his behavior towards her indicated something more than just being nice. She told them too about how Aurora licked his fingers and the way he looked at her. But they kept on insisting that maybe Sebastian didn't realize yet that he had feelings for her. And they reasoned that there was always the option that Sebastian's and Aurora's relationship was a PR one and they needed to show it off to her to sell it.

In any case, they had started to tease her about it and now Haley was calling Sebastian her boyfriend. 

Since her car was still in the repair shop, Sebastian had offered to drive her to Aurora's house that morning. Apparently he had arrived to pick her up.

"Haley, he's not my boyfriend!" She protested as she closed the cap of the arnica gel and put it into her handbag.

"Yet. Maybe one day he'll leave Aurora for you." Haley winked and she just shook her head.

"Impossible. Look at me. I'm nothing like Aurora." She sighed as she stood up from the stool in front of her dresser and gestured towards her whole body in front of the mirror.

"Maybe that's why he likes you." Haley insisted.

"Oh Haley. Please stop. I know you're just being nice but this is too much. I have no chance with him whatsoever. You should see the way he looked at Aurora when she came into the room wearing a crop top." She argued.

"All men are like that. They think they can get happiness with someone who is beautiful and has a great body but they're missing out on having real happiness with girls like us." She complained.

"Haley.. could you help me get one of my bags downstairs?" She asked, changing the subject. She didn't want to prolong this pointless conversation because she knew she had a better chance at getting hit by lightning rather than having Sebastian Stan fall in love with her.

"I don't want to keep him waiting too long." She continued.

"Oh yeah, sorry." Haley said as she picked up her sports bag and slung it over her shoulder.

She had packed her things into a large suitcase and a medium sports bag. She decided to not move all of her things entirely and just bring the necessary items in case she ended up resigning soon. She had already paid her rent for that month so she could still use the room to keep the rest of her things.

"I'm gonna miss you Y/n." Haley said as she walked closer to her and hugged her.

"Aaawww.. I'm gonna miss you too, Haley." She said as she hugged Haley back and patted her back.

"I'll try to drop by every now and then if I can. Surely I can get some days off every month and visit you guys." She replied as she let Haley go.

"Yeah, don't be a stranger, okay?" Haley said, smiling at her.

"Of course." She smiled back.

Sebastian was standing in front of the front door when they arrived at the ground floor. 

"Hey Y/n, good morning." He looked up and smiled at her as she slowly stepped down the stairs with both hands carrying her heavy suitcase.

"Good morning, Sebastian." She smiled back then winced a little. Her left arm was still hurting after the accident yesterday.

"Here, let me help you with this." He said as he immediately came to her and picked her suitcase with one hand and made his way down.

She exchanged looks with Haley and Haley mouthed "Boyfriend." 

She shook her head but couldn't help but smile a little.

"Thank you, Sebastian." She smiled at him as she finally made it down the stairs and stopped in front of him.

"How are you today? How's your elbow and arm?" He asked, looking down at her with his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"The bruise on my elbow is healing faster than usual. Thanks to your arnica gel." She smiled.

"Oh, that's good. And what about your arm?" 

"It's not that painful anymore, it only hurts if I use it a certain way or if I carry something heavy." 

"Okay, that's good. You know, you shouldn't have brought this down by yourself. You could have asked me to come up and carry this downstairs." He protested, gesturing towards her suitcase.

"Sebastian, it's okay. Don't worry about it. My arm is fine." She replied, feeling a little annoyed but flattered too at his reaction.

"Well, okay, sorry. You know I hate to see you in pain." 

His words surprised her and she blushed as she looked up at him. He seemed to have blushed a little too, much to her surprise. She glanced behind Sebastian where Haley was again mouthing the word "Boyfriend".

"Uh.. thank you." She finally replied, unsure of what else to say.

"You're welcome." He smiled, making butterflies flew around in her stomach.

"Anyway, shall we?" He continued.

"Yeah, come on. I don't want to be late on my first day of work." She said.

"Yeah, you don't want to mess with Aurora." He chuckled.

"I'm scared." She stated and Sebastian laughed.

"Don't be. She's just.. well.. she might be a difficult person at times. Just a warning. But deep down she's just a wounded child that needs some love." He commented and sighed, making her raise her eyebrows.

"Oookay." She nodded as she exchanged looks again with Haley who just gave her a raised eyebrow.

After saying goodbye to Haley and her landlord Audrey, she followed Sebastian to his car. Once her belongings were safe in the trunk of his car they entered his car and he immediately turned on the engine and the radio.

"Alright, what song should we sing and dance along to today?" Sebastian asked, making her smile.

"Up to you, Sebastian." She replied.

"Well, I love 80s music so how about this?" He asked as he picked a song from the car's music player.

She laughed as she heard the intro of the song. It was Teardrops by Womack & Womack, a song that Sebastian once used as background music when he was recording himself dancing in his kitchen as part of an audition for the movie, Fresh. He had posted the video of it on his Instagram a year before.

"You know the song?" He asked, his eyes glimmered.

"Oh yeah." She smiled.

"Okay good." He smiled as he switched on the gear and stepped on the gas.

It didn't take long until they were both singing and dancing along with the song. 

"This is such an up-beat break up song." She commented once the song ended and Sebastian laughed.

"Ironic isn't it?" He chuckled.

"Yeah. But I guess it helps people deal with a break-up better when something that's supposed to feel sad is paired with a happy vibe like this. It helps make someone feel less sad." She commented.

"Hmm…that's true. Although I never listened to this when I just had a break-up. I usually choose sad songs. How about you?" He asked.

"Well, I've never exactly had a break-up. So I'm not sure." She replied, feeling embarrassed about her non-existent love life throughout all these years.

"Oh.. okay. Not even puppy love when you were little?" He asked, giving her a side smile.

"Well.. maybe. I was close to this boy in elementary school. But he had to move out of town and I was devastated. But I was only 9. So, it hardly counts." She laughed.

"Well, believe me, heartbreaks are no fun. I mean, you spent a lot of time with a person, for years, sharing everything and then suddenly everything went wrong and you just didn't connect anymore and you ended up yelling at each other and saying bad things to one another. In the end you just wondered what happened. You know." He sighed.

She couldn't believe Sebastian was sharing something like this to her. She wondered which break-up he was referring to. He had dated many women in the past and as a Sebastian fan she was naturally curious about it. But of course she couldn't ask him about it. The fact he even shared something like this to her was mind boggling enough.

"Yet, you always bounce back and move on." She said and he laughed.

"Well.. I try." He winked and she laughed.

It took about half an hour to drive from her apartment to Aurora's house. Sebastian gave her a little city tour as they drove, explaining the buildings and landmarks they passed. 

"One day you should come here at night, the view is amazing." He said as they were driving on Mulholland drive and passing an overlook on their left. The overlook faced a valley where she could see clusters of houses and buildings in the distance beyond the overlook.

She was tempted to say something like 'Well, maybe you can take me here someday.' But of course she couldn't. So she just nodded as her eyes took in more of the beautiful view from the overlook.

Before she knew it, they arrived at Aurora's castle as she referred to it now, because it really was looking more like a castle than a house. She couldn't help but feel slightly nervous, wondering what kind of jobs and tasks Aurora was going to give to her. 

Sebastian stopped the car in front of the garage where a black shiny Audi was parked. A man wearing a black suit was standing by the car, wiping the body of the car with a cloth. She suspected the man was a chauffeur.

"Good morning, Nelson." Sebastian got out of his car and waved his hand at the man.

"Good morning Sebastian." Nelson greeted him back and smiled.

She followed Sebastian out of the car and stood next to him.

"Nelson, this is Y/n, Aurora's new PA. Y/n, this is Nelson, Aurora's chauffeur." Sebastian said as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Y/n." Nelson smiled.

"Nice to meet you too, Nelson." She smiled back.

"PA, huh? Good luck." Nelson commented, looking at her in concern. His comment and the way he looked at her made her even more nervous.

"Uh.. thank you." She said.

"Nelson, you make it seem like she's going to face the Snow Queen or something." Sebastian laughed.

"Snow Queen?" Nelson laughed.

"Yeah, you know, that evil queen from Snow White." Sebastian clarified.

"Oh yeah. Well.. no offense, but sometimes she could be like that evil queen, although I'm sure being her boyfriend you wouldn't know." Nelson chuckled.

"I do know, and I already asked her to change her behavior. But you know how stubborn she is." Sebastian sighed.

"Yes, she is, unfortunately. No one can get through to her." Nelson sighed too.

The conversation between the two men made her regret accepting the job. The image of Aurora being an evil queen sitting on her throne and ordering her men to decapitate her head flashed through her mind. But there was nothing she could do now. 

"Maybe I should just go." She commented and the two men laughed.

"Y/n.. I'm sorry. I promise she's not that bad. Like I said, she's just a wounded child inside that needs some love." Sebastian said.

"Well, it's your job to give her some love and not me." She replied and both men laughed again.

"Yeah man, give her some looove." Nelson teased.

"You know d**n well I can't." Sebastian said, making her confused.

"What?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"Never mind, it's not important." Sebastian quickly said as he placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her towards the front door.

When they opened the door the first thing they heard was a loud yelling from the second floor.

"Rosa! Rosa! Where.. is.. my.. black tights?! I thought I already told you that I'm going to wear it today!" Aurora's loud yelling could be heard.

Sebastian sighed as Rosa appeared and ran quickly upstairs. She glanced at them and grimaced as she continued running up the stairs.

"Snow Queen." She muttered and Sebastian laughed.

"I'm sorry you have to witness this." He said.

"It's okay. She's going to be my boss. I have to know what I'm getting into." She said.

"Yeah, well.. any time you feel like you want to resign, it's okay, just let me know. No need to feel bad for me or anything." He said.

"Okay. Thank you." She nodded, feeling relieved at his remark. To be honest a part of her already wanted to resign but the other part was curious and she wanted to know how bad Aurora could be. 

"Aurora! Y/n is here!" Sebastian yelled out loud. There was silence for a moment and then Aurora appeared right by the stairs.

"Seb, you're here." She said, her voice changed completely and she smiled wide at Sebastian. 

As Aurora made her way down the stairs, she glanced at Sebastian and saw once again how he seemed to be mesmerized by Aurora. His eyes traveled along her body from top to toe. Aurora was wearing black tights and a black sports bra, her blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail. Her slim body was on full display, showing curves in all the right places. She wasn't wearing any shoes and came quickly down the stairs.

Once Aurora arrived in front of them Aurora glanced at her in dislike, then she turned to Sebastian and pulled him close to her and started kissing him. Sebastian was startled, his hands held onto Aurora's arms and it seemed like he wanted to push her away but Aurora pulled his head closer to her and continued kissing him.

Seeing them kissing made her stomach churn so she decided to turn around and went outside.

"I'm going to get my bags." She said as she quickly turned around and walked towards the front door.

"Let me help you." She could hear Sebastian's voice when she was almost at the door.

"It's okay, I can get them myself." She turned around and glanced at Sebastian. He seemed to be conflicted but Aurora had her hands linked with his and was pulling him to follow her.

"Seb, I want to talk about the role for Pumping Black." Aurora said as she started to walk towards the living room.

"Okay. Hey Y/n, just ask Nelson to help with your bags." Sebastian said and she nodded. Sebastian finally  turned around and followed Aurora into the living room.

She sighed as she saw them walk away and scolded herself for getting jealous again. They were a couple. Kissing each other was normal. She shouldn't be jealous as if she had a chance with him. She continued to scold herself internally as she walked towards his car. Although, Sebastian's comment earlier about how he couldn't give love to Aurora was weird. She shrugged it off as she opened the trunk of Sebastian's car and grabbed her suitcase and sports bag.

"Need any help?" Nelson appeared next to her.

"Oh yes, please. My left arm hurts." She said as she allowed Nelson to pick her suitcase and sports bag.

"What happened?" He asked as they walked towards the front door.

"Sebastian hit my left arm with his car the other day when I was walking towards here for the job interview with Aurora." She explained.

"He hit you?" He asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, it was my fault really. I was crossing the road on Mulholland Drive on a bend and he didn't see me." 

"Why were you walking?" Nelson asked.

"My car overheated." She replied.

"Ah, okay. Good thing it was him that hit you huh? Other people would have just left you seeing how it was your fault." Nelson said.

"Yeah, maybe." She said.

"Sebastian is a good man. It's a shame he decided to get involved with Aurora. He deserves someone better." Nelson said, surprising her.

"So, she's that bad huh?" She asked as dread seeped into her stomach.

"You'll see." He replied as they arrived in front of the front door and he pushed it open.

With dread in the pit of her stomach she followed Nelson into the house.

When they got inside the house, Sebastian and Aurora were sitting in one of the living rooms to the right of the front door. They seemed to be in an argument.

"Well that's the best I can do! I can't just ask Maya and the others to give you the role outright without an audition." Sebastian protested.

"Well if I fail the audition and lose the role, I'm firing Y/n!" She replied haughtily.

"Aurora.. " He started to say in annoyance but then he glanced at Nelson and Y/n.

"Oh hey guys." He said, clearing his face and voice from any hostilities he previously showed Aurora.

"Aurora, where do you want Y/n to stay?" Sebastian asked.

"The room at the back next to the garage. Nelson knows where it is." Aurora replied.

"Okay, Nelson, could you take Y/n to her room please?" Sebastian asked.

"Sure. Come Y/n, follow me." Nelson said and he started walking away towards the back of the house. She nodded and smiled at Sebastian. He smiled back at her making her smile even wider at him, but her smile quickly faltered as she glanced at Aurora who was giving her a death stare.

She sighed as she turned away and walked following Nelson, wondering how long she would last working for Aurora.

Nelson guided her to the back of the house, passing the kitchen where she saw Rosa, who was busy cooking, and passing another living room where Gabriella was in. Gabriella was vacuuming the carpet and waved at her as she walked past. She waved back at her and smiled.

Nelson continued to guide her, passing a small kitchen which she suspected was the kitchen for employees like her. Then he opened a door at the back of the kitchen and they found themselves in the garage. There were two rooms at the back and Nelson guided her there.

Her heart plummeted as she saw her room. It was a very small room, about 7 by 10 feet wide. There was a small single bed, a small wardrobe and a nightstand by the bed. The bathroom was located next to the bedroom, and it was even smaller than the bedroom, containing just a toilet and shower. There was no window in the room and she already felt a little suffocated being there.

"So, here's your room." Nelson said as he placed her suitcase and sports bag in front of the small wardrobe.

"Yeah, thank you Nelson." She smiled.

"No problem. I'm going to leave you to get settled." He said.

"Okay, thank you again, Nelson." She said and he saluted at her and winked. Then he turned around, leaving her alone in her cell. Yup, her room felt more like a jail cell. She sighed and flopped onto the bed. 

Well, the bed was not so bad. She could smell a nice fragrance coming out of the sheets. It seemed the sheets were freshly laundered.

Suddenly she could hear a knock on the door.

"Hey Y/n." Gabriella's head popped out from behind the door.

"Hey Gabriella." She smiled. "Come on in."

"I hope you like the room. I cleaned it up earlier and changed the sheets." Gabriella said as she walked inside and sat next to her.

"Oh, thank you. Yeah, it's.. umm.. rather small compared to my old room. But it's okay. I like the sheets. They smell good. Thank you for changing them for me." She smiled.

"No problem." Gabriella smiled back.

"Where is your room?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't stay here. I come every morning at 7 and go home around 7 at night. I live about half an hour from here." Gabriella replied.

"Oh, okay. What about Rosa?" She asked.

"Yeah, she doesn't stay here either. Same like me, she comes in the morning and leaves at night. She lives not too far from here though." Gabriella responded.

"Oh, so I'm the only one who stays here?" She asked, flabbergasted.

"Yeah." Gabriella nodded, giving her a concerned look.

Once again she couldn't help but imagine herself being like Cinderella, preparing breakfast for Aurora, cleaning her house and taking care of her dog. She felt more and more regret for taking the job.

"Anyway, I have to go. I still need to vacuum the carpets upstairs. If you're thirsty or hungry, feel free to grab anything in the fridge. The small fridge in the small kitchen that is. Not the big one inside." Gabriella said as she stood up from the bed.

"Okay, thank you so much, Gabriella." She smiled.

"No problem. Good luck!" Gabriella smiled and once again she felt dread in her stomach.

She watched as Gabriella turned around and left her alone in her cell then sighed as Gabriella disappeared from her sight.

Alright. Time to work. She thought as she stood up and walked out of her room, back into the house.

She went back to the living room to try and find Aurora and Sebastian but they were gone. She looked around, wondering where they were and after a while she finally found them. They were apparently outside in the backyard by the pool. Aurora was doing yoga while Sebastian sat on one of the chairs by the pool, his eyes were looking at his cellphone in his hands.

She walked out of the living room and towards the pool, still feeling some dread in her stomach.

"Seeeb.. am I doing this right? Look at me!" Aurora complained. She was doing one of the yoga poses, the downward facing dog pose if she remembered correctly. Her face looked red and flushed as her head was upside down. 

"Yeah, you're doing it right." Sebastian looked up shortly and commented. He then turned his attention back to his cellphone.

"Umm.. hi guys." She said slowly as she arrived next to Sebastian.

"Oh hey Y/n. So, how do you like your room?" He asked, his face brightened as he saw her.

"Umm.. it's okay." She replied, trying hard not to complain. She didn't want to seem ungrateful. Especially towards Sebastian.

"Good." He smiled.

"Seeb.. look at me! What about this one?" Aurora called out.

She was doing another pose, the tree pose. Her left leg trembled as she tried to keep her balance. Watching her made her want to laugh but of course she couldn't.

"You should try and stop the shaking Aurora." Sebastian chuckled. 

Aurora pouted and put both feet on the ground.

"Stop teasing me, Seb. Let's see if you can do it." She challenged him, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Nope, can't do that now, Aurora. Sorry, I have to go." He said, glancing back to his cellphone. "I have some preparations to do for Pumping Black shoot next week."

"Okay, fine. Make sure Maya casts me." Aurora reminded him.

"Make sure you pass the audition, Aurora." He shrugged as he stood up and put his cellphone in his pocket.

"Hey, maybe you can practice for the audition with Y/n. She knows the script. She auditioned for Celeste too and came on top for the audition. Maybe she can give you some pointers." Sebastian suggested.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sebastian asked her to practice with Aurora and give her pointers? Someone who had been an actress much earlier than she had been? 

She glanced at Aurora and saw her staring at her with daggers.

"I can practice by myself, thank you." Aurora replied haughtily.

"Fine. Suit yourself. I gotta go. See you both later." Sebastian said. He smiled at her then walked away from them, not even bothering to give Aurora so much as a glance. She suspected he was still kind of angry at her or something. 

Aurora stared at his retreating back with hurt in her eyes. Somehow she felt kind of sorry for her. But the feeling was immediately gone once Aurora looked back at her and gave her a condescending look.

"Umm.. so.. is there anything you want me to do for you?" She asked slowly.

"Yes. Make a green smoothie for me." Aurora commanded.

"Green smoothie?" She asked, unsure what a green smoothie should consist of.

"Yes. Rosa knows the recipe. Just ask her." Aurora said, flipping her hair and turning her back on her as she started to do another yoga pose.

"Okay." She responded and went into the kitchen where Rosa was cooking.

The green smoothie Aurora asked her to make consists of almond milk, spinach, banana, mango, protein powder, collagen powder and coconut oil. Rosa taught her how to make it and in under fifteen minutes, she had two tall glasses of green smoothies ready. 

She put the two glasses on a tray and brought them outside. Aurora was sitting cross legged on a yoga mat on the floor when she arrived. Her eyes closed, her hands were on her thighs and her fingers were in a meditating position. She could hear her humming slightly.

She cleared her throat after putting the two glasses of smoothies on a table near them.

"Aurora, sorry, here are your green smoothies." She said.

Aurora opened her eyes and her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"I'm meditating! Can't you see that?" She yelled, startling her.

"Yeah.. okay.. sorry." She cowered under Aurora's angry gaze and started to turn around but Aurora raised her hand up, making her pause.

"Bring me one. And it’s Miss Watson not Aurora to you.” She commanded, her hand outstretched towards the green smoothies.

"Oh…okay, Miss Watson." She said slowly, walking back towards the table and grabbed a glass. She gave the glass to Aurora and waited as Aurora took a sip.

"What is this?!" Aurora spat the green smoothie onto the ground, startling her.

"G..green smoothie, like you asked." She stammered.

"It's not sweet enough! Did you even use bananas?" She protested.

"Yes I did. One frozen banana." She replied, feeling annoyed at Aurora for doubting her.

"I don't want this. It doesn't taste right. Make me another one!" Aurora commanded as she gave her the glass of green smoothie back.

"Okay." She nodded, grumbling internally.

Well, Snow Queen, she now knew why Sebastian called Aurora that.

For what seemed like hours, she kept having to make Aurora a green smoothie. Every time she made one, Aurora kept on complaining about how it didn't taste right, confusing and annoying her. She made sure she followed the recipe to a T but it wasn't until her tenth try that Aurora was finally satisfied. She wasn't sure what was different in the tenth smoothie she made because she used the exact same recipe and when she tasted them, she could taste no difference at all. She suspected Aurora deliberately complained just to annoy her.

She left Aurora to enjoy her finally perfect green smoothie and went back into the kitchen. By then the whole dining table was filled with rows and rows of green smoothies that Aurora had rejected. She gasped out loud as she found Paris, the Chihuahua, standing on the dining table, lapping on one of the green smoothies.

"Paris!" She called out, hoping the dog won't throw up or something. But she was too late. Paris stopped lapping at the green smoothie and puked, right into another glass of smoothies. 

She tried hard not to puke herself as she picked Paris up from the dining table and put her on the floor. Paris continued to cough and choked and puked more green smoothies onto the kitchen floor. She could only stare at the dog in disgust.

The door of the kitchen was opened from the outside and Aurora's voice could be heard.

"Paris! Oh my baby, are you okay?" She cooed as she went down and patted Paris back. Paris thankfully stopped puking and coughing and looked up at Aurora and barked a little.

"Y/n! Why did you let her drink the smoothies?" Aurora protested as she picked Paris up into her arms and stood up.

"I'm sorry, but when I got here she was already on the dining table, lapping on one of the smoothies." She defended herself.

"Well, you could have thrown away all of these instead of keeping them here. Were you going to drink them all or something? How disgusting!" Aurora protested.

"I wasn't going to drink them all!" She defended herself. She actually planned on freezing some of them, the ones that Aurora had not tasted yet, and consume them herself. She hated to see so much waste. But seeing how Paris had puked into one of them, of course she changed her mind.

"Whatever! Now thanks to you my baby is puking." Aurora said as she scratched Paris' fur and cooed at her.

"I'm sorry, Paris, I shouldn't have left you alone with her." Aurora said.

"She wasn't alone, Rosa was here too. Right Rosa?" She said as she looked to where Rosa was standing by the stove. 

"Yes, Miss Watson. I was here too." Rosa replied.

"But I asked you specifically to watch over Paris, and not Rosa." Aurora protested yet again.

"What? You never asked me to watch her!" She replied, dumbfounded.

"Yes, I did! Your memory is like a seventy year old grandma. I asked you to watch her after I asked you to make me a smoothie." Aurora explained haughtily.

Her eyes widened at Aurora's remark. She had an excellent memory and she was sure Aurora never asked her to watch over Paris. She was about to argue back when she noticed Rosa gesturing for her to stop. She sighed. She was right, it was her first day, she should just follow along at whatever game Aurora was playing at now and be patient and try not to get herself fired. She needed the job after all.

"Okay. Sorry." She finally replied and she could see triumph within Aurora's cold blue eyes.

"You should be. Now clean this up and get ready. I'm going shopping after I take a shower and I want you to come with me." Aurora commanded.

She nodded as Aurora finally walked away carrying Paris in her arms.

She sighed as she went to grab a mop. She hoped Aurora was going to behave better towards her as the day progressed. 

Unfortunately that was not the case. She spent the day with Aurora shopping at Rodeo Drive. There were several events Aurora was supposed to attend that week and she was looking for a new outfit for each event, as if she didn't already have tons of dresses and clothes to choose from in her huge walk-in closet.

Throughout the rest of the day she had to endure being yelled at for doing the smallest mistake. Most of the time she didn’t think she was doing anything wrong, yet Aurora kept blaming her and harassed her at every opportunity. It was not just Aurora though that treated her badly, but the store attendants too. Most just ignored her and only interacted with her when they put shopping bags in her hands. But some of the store attendants at those high end shops treated her like she was dirt on their shoes, making her already low self esteem go down even further.

After what felt like forever, the day finally ended and she entered her cell, exhausted. Her whole body ached after walking so much and carrying all those shopping bags. Her left arm and shoulder which were still healing seemed to be hurt even more now. 

She changed out of her clothes into her sleeping attire and flopped on the bed. She laid down on the bed and looked up into the ceiling, wondering why her life turned out to be like this. When she decided to leave her old life behind she thought she was going to have more fun pursuing a career as an actress. She never expected to end up working as someone’s assistant and being treated so badly. 

She remembered Sebastian telling her that it was okay if she wanted to resign. But she felt like she owed it to Sebastian to stay. Besides, she really could use the money. And she was hoping to be able to see him again. So despite feeling burnt out already, she decided to stay for at least a month, hoping that Aurora would gradually treat her better. She should have realized however, how most of her hopes almost never came true and how bad luck after bad luck kept on coming at her.

Chapter 7 >

Taglist

@dhoruwolfie

[formeryelpers]

New Orleans Streetcars, New Orleans, LA

Before visiting New Orleans, I paid for a Jazzy Pass and downloaded the Le Pass app. The Jazzy Pass was good for RTA buses, streetcars, Canal/Algiers Point Ferry, and the Chalmette Ferry.  I wound up riding the Canal Streetcar and St. Charles Streetcar multiple times. Loved the streetcars. They’re popular with tourists and locals and come pretty frequently. The Le Pass app helps you figure out what bus or streetcar to take and provides updated arrival time information. You can also track the different stops on the app.

Food and drink aren’t allowed on the streetcars. I saw people eating on the streetcar but most of the cars were pretty clean. Some were air conditioned. Some had the windows open – what a nice view and a wonderful breeze.

The St. Charles Avenue line is the oldest continuously operating street railway system in the world. All those streetcars are a stately dark green. The Canal line has red streetcars. The seats are made of wood. They’ve been modernized – some have flatscreens with the name of the upcoming stop showing. I think the fare is $1.25 but I used my Jazzy Pass ($3 a day for unlimited rides). Car stops are clearly marked. They have a space for wheelchairs.

5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[helloliriels]

36 Views of London: ALL CHAPTERS ARE NOW UP!

01 ::🚦Rooftop Chase

02 :: 🛒 TESCO

03 ::🧴Gents Hair Salon

04 :: 💳 Shad Sanderson Bank

05 :: 🏛️ The British Museum

06 :: 👑 St. James Park

07 :: 🥪 Speedy's Cafe

08 :: 🐉 Secret Location

09 :: 📚 The London Library

10 :: 🏮 The Lucky Cat

11 :: 🚢 London Bridge

12 :: 🛹 Banksy Alley

13 :: 🪡Baker Street Kitchen

14 :: 🎡The London Eye

15 :: 💷 Waterloo Bridge

16 :: 👟 Bart's Morgue

17 :: ⛔London Car Park

18 ::🚊The Underground

19 :: 💉 London A & E

20 ::🪟 Baker Street Window

21 :: 🥽 Community Pool

22 :: 🧣 Inside the Belstaff

23 :: ☕ Sitting Room 221b

24 :: 🧵 Tailor Shop

25 :: 🪦 Old Churchyard

26 :: 🎭 The Globe Theatre

27 :: 🛤 Battersea Tracks

28 :: 🚔 New Scotland Yard

29 :: 🛍 Camden Market

30 :: 🕯️ Madame Tussauds

31 :: 💂‍♀️Changing of the Guard

32 :: 🌄 Piccadilly Circus

33 :: 🍺 Greene King Pub

34 :: 🔍 The Diogenes Club

35 :: 🖼 The National Gallery

36 :: 🌊 The Thames

BONUS! Epilogue

BONUS! Sherlock's Bedroom

Thank you again @thegildedbee for the opportunity to share this story! I would never have thought of it without your delicious prompts! Much love, xoxo - Liri

A FTH gift for @thegildedbee by helloliriels

'London really does look different from up here.'

36 Views of London

A patchwork image of John & Sherlock’s London, as seen through their eyes. This is Plot Without Plot (which I'm told is 'the good stuff') 😎😋📸. Meant to be taken in bite-size chunks, as such, I will be releasing one daily. It is a fully finished fic. I hope you enjoy!

@johnlocky @totallysilvergirl @friday411 @ghostofnuggetspast @chinike @rhasima @inevitably-johnlocked @sarahthecoat @7-percent @a-victorian-girl @lololollywrites @lisbeth-kk @kettykika78 @khorazir @calaisreno @therealsaintscully @arwamachine @discordantwords @safedistancefrombeingsmart @theofficialinternetloner @chriscalledmesweetie @raina-at @blogstandbygo @solarmama-plantsareneat @john-smiths-jawline @221beloved @meandhisjohn @gaylilsherlock @meetinginsamarra @loki-lock @peanitbear @sgam76 @janetm74 @shiplocks-of-love @naefelldaurk @ninasnakie @whatnext2020 @strawberrywinter4 @dragonnan @thetimemoves @jbaillier @catlock-holmes @anyway-kindness @londonlock @topsyturvy-turtely @smalltimenerd @justanobsessedpan @aquilea-of-the-lonely-mountain @hasenkind687

[alexgandel]

3162 Darby St, Simi Valley, CA from Alex Gandel on Vimeo.

Discover a turnkey, lower-level condo in Sycamore Villas that seamlessly blends modern design with everyday living. This light filled 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom unit offers spacious comfort and charm, complete with a private patio and a shared 2 car garage. Step inside and be greeted by elegant travertine flooring in the entryway, dining nook, and a beautifully updated kitchen. The kitchen is equipped with light oak cabinets, quartz countertops, a glass tile backsplash, and a dedicated coffee bar area—perfect for starting your day or entertaining guests. The open dining area with a shiplap ceiling creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. The living room features real wood flooring, high ceilings, and large windows that bathe the space in natural light. A raised hearth fireplace with travertine and stacked stone accents adds a touch of coziness. Both bedrooms are generously sized and include ceiling fans for year-round comfort. The updated bathroom features travertine flooring, a vanity with ample storage, and a tub-over-shower combo with thoughtful details like a bench and shampoo niches. Enjoy the outdoors on your private patio or take advantage of the community's fantastic amenities, including a pool and spa, playground, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Optional RV/boat parking storage is also available. Centrally located near parks, hiking trails, schools, shopping, restaurants, the YMCA, and with easy access to the 118 Freeway, this condo offers a lifestyle of convenience and recreation. Don't miss the chance to make this modern and convenient Sycamore Villas condo your new home! Schedule a viewing today!

[busriderdiary]

47 Canal Streetcar 08/02/24 Friday

New Orleans Louisiana

No particular destination in mind. We are at the Cemeteries Transit Center, waiting for our driver to come back from her break.

My friend Jess likes to get up early when she is here, and ride the streetcars around by herself. We’ve never visited together but if we do, I’m there.

Not going to have time to take a bus. So this ride out past the cemeteries will have to do.

Nice roll. Quite a few people transmitting. Not just touristing. I had wanted to go out St Charles. Don’t think I’ll have time.

I first rode that St Charles line in 2005. My wife was at a conference, and I joined her. We’ve loved NOLA ever since.

Just because. All of the streetcars rest here.

I love the views from the streetcar windows. You can take so much in from there, details that you miss on the ground, or from a car.

“Have your fare READY, before your STREETCAR arrives!”