#*seeing two people wearing each other’s clothes doing matching outfits painting their nails the same colour of their partner’s eyes*

[drunkonimagination]

saw this trend floating around where couples paint their nails the colour of their partner’s eyes and i’ve never felt more jealous

[2cupids]

𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒 | 𝐤. 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐱 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

warnings — sugar daddy!hongjoong, readers in her 20s, hongjoong’s in his 40s, pet names, oral (m. receiving), f.ingering, cowgirl,choking, fluff at the end.

sugar daddy!hongjoong who takes you to buy a new dress any time he takes you out for dinner or when you have to attend events with him. you have at least 40 different dresses you could choose from at this point but it doesn’t matter to hongjoong.

when he can’t accompany you to shop for a dress because he has business to attend to, he simply gives you his card and tells you to pick the prettiest one and treat yourself to whatever else you want to that day.

but more often than not, he flies you out to italy to have your dresses custom made. sometimes he’ll send a sketch ahead of you of what he wants to see you in and let you talk with the designer about changing any details that you don’t like.

he wants you to have the best of the best, something other people can’t get their hands on.

sugar daddy!hongjoong who has no shame about renting out the entire floor of a restaurant for just the two of you. when you ask him his reason, he says that he just “prefers it this way.”

sugar daddy!hongjoong that lets you pick out your own penthouse.

he brings you along with him while he goes around looking at different places, citing the reason being that he’s “expanding his real estate portfolio”.

he’s constantly asking you what you think of each place, whether you could see yourself living there, how you would decorate the place, etc. you think it’s silly when he writes a check to buy the one that you liked the most but you don’t pay it too much mind.

that is until later that day when he hands you the keys.

“it’s all yours baby. i’ve already got movers packing up your old place, they should be here in an hour or two. is that alright with you?”

sugar daddy!hongjoong who loves surprising you with random shopping sprees. he likes surprising you with gifts and all, but he’d rather have you pick exactly what you like.

he could sit watch you try on outfits all day if it means he gets to see the way your eyes sparkle.

sugar daddy!hongjoong that was a bit of tsundere especially when you first met.

he has trouble expressing his love and admiration for you but he actively works to try to get better.

sugar daddy!hongjoong that enjoys sharing his hobbies with you, one of them being customizing clothes and shoes, giving them a personal touch.

you tend to make a mess whenever you work with the art supplies, accidentally getting paint and marker stains all over yourself. you find it bothersome but hongjoong finds it cute. to him, your clumsiness just adds to your charming qualities.

sugar daddy!hongjoong who gets excited whenever you let him choose your next hairstyle. if you’re hesitant about trying a certain style or color, he encourages you to do so, as long as you’re comfortable with it. he’s always complimenting you and praising you.

despite his love of picking your hairstyles, he loves when you decide to just wear your beautiful natural hair as well.

the same thing goes for your nails too. oh, and he always makes sure you get your toes done too so don’t even try to argue with him. if you’re out of the country and need a new set or a fill in, he’ll fly out your chosen nail tech.

sugar daddy!hongjoong that’s like putty in your hands whenever you flutter those pretty lashes of yours at him.

sugar daddy!hongjoong that not only likes to have custom dresses made for you but also have custom lingerie pieces made for you as well.

one of his favorites is an emerald green set with a garter belt and matching lacy stockings that have his initials ‘KHJ’ on the center gore of the bra.

sugar daddy!hongjoong wouldn’t call himself an exhibitionist but he will touch and tease you (discretely) in public settings or where others are present.

like while his chauffeur is driving you home, he’ll let his hand rest on your thigh, letting it slip under your dress and inch closer to your core until his fingers are hovering right in front of your soaked panties.

“don’t make a sound and i’ll fuck you to sleep when we get home.” he whispers in your ear as his fingers move your underwear to the side, finally making contact with your clit.

sugar daddy!hongjoong who possessiveness makes itself known in the bedroom. he wants to hear you tell him that you’re his and that he’s the only one who can make you feel good.

tell him what he wants to hear or he will slow down and eventually stop what he’s doing all together until he gets what he wants. no amount of squirming around on the bed or whining will help you.

“didn’t i ask you a question? tell me whose pussy this is.. or would you rather be left high and dry? your choice baby.”

sugar daddy!hongjoong who thinks you look so pretty when your mouth is full of his dick. he likes to hold your head in place while he fucks your pretty mouth.

“such a good girl for me. gonna stay like that and let me cum down your throat?”

sugar daddy!hongjoong who wraps his hand around your neck while you’re bouncing on his cock and it makes you see stars.

he likes the feeling of your walls clenching around him while you try to focus on riding him, the lack of oxygen slowly getting to you.

sugar daddy!hongjoong that likes it rough but makes sure he takes his time with you often, giving you good old fashioned love-making to remind you of how much he loves and cares for you.

sugar daddy!hongjoong that can be having a terrible day but once he sets eyes on you, his worries and frustration fade away.

sugar daddy!hongjoong who falls in love with you more and more every time he looks into your big, gorgeous eyes.

it’s been more than just a business relationship to him and he’s been feeling that way for a long time now.

he hopes to one day he’ll be lucky enough to be able to call you his wife.

[postmodernbeing]

Shingeki no Kyojin Headcanons: 104th training corps (College AU - Outfits pt II)

Part I | College AU HCs

Part II of the outfits/aesthetics headcanons - College AU that would (kinda) be included in the oneshot I'm working on.

IMPORTANT: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin nor the trend of this outfits-displays, only this HCs belong to me. // Contains spoilers (for the icons that I used in some characters) // English is not my first language, so I ask for your patience and understanding.

Historia Reiss

She has a huge wardrobe and so well organized by color, textures, and sizes. From halter tops to maxi dresses, our queen really dresses like one.

Forever in love with skirts and dresses with patterns and/or pastel colors. But don’t get confused, girl has range.

So, one could see her wearing monochromatic ensembles one day and the other, she’s all dressed up with some bright color pieces matching a patterned shirt.

Also owns a vast collection of jewelry and accessories both original and classy. And let’s not forget the shoes: sneakers, heels, boots, sandals and cute little anklets to match. I swear she can make crocs look boujee.

Contrary to what people think, she doesn’t support fast fashion industry. Aware of her privilege, she knows she has the money and time to buy from small businesses and keep herself trendy.

Last but not least, and kind of clothing related: Historia loves taking Ymir to thrift shopping dates and later go eating at some indie cafeteria. The lifestyle is also part of the outfit, alright?

Ymir

Her wardrobe consists in comfortable clothes and not giving a fuck. All her clothes give Rockstar lesbian vibes (stan this queen). Her designated color palette is based on dark shades, so it’s a real contrast between her outfits and Historia’s.

Loves combat boots and her wasted Converse TM, although her favorite pieces from her apparel are bomber jackets, coats, sweaters, and hoodies.

Ymir also wears a fair amount of stainless-steel accessories, mostly chunky rings and chains. Moreover, is common to find her listening to music, therefore, earphones are a fashion statement really.

Speaking about must-wear, this girl likes to paint her nails black but due her anxiety she tends to scratch the painting off so it gives this grunge look (don’t romanticize this fellas).

Historia would suggest her some trends or give her advice about color, but being honest, Ymir has a very well-defined style at this point.

Now, about her dress style: She won’t dress like a metalhead nor grunge (at least not intentionally). And she wouldn’t define her style as dark, it’s just what it is.

Reiner Braun

He wears lots of denim in jackets and jeans but also owns a couple of dress pants that combines with beanies or simple caps. Also, has plenty of plain simple shirts that fit his strong body.

Reiner usually wears opaque shades of all colors. Another fact, he’s not a big fan of patterns unless we’re talking about sweaters. He also wears jackets yet avoids cardigans and hoodies.

A very important thing to know, Reiner has a lot of gym clothes, he works out daily so don’t be surprised.

Most of those clothes are joggers, pants, shorts, and t-shirts that look as if he ripped them off or something.

Actually, a lot of his clothes look like they’re about to be ripped apart due his huge ass pectorals (please, Reiner, let me rest gently on your pecs). Just kidding, his whole wardrobe fits him perfectly.

Finally, if Reiner had to define his style in a sentence, he’d probably acknowledge that he gives the impression of a rich a-hole, but really, Rei just likes to be comfortable and presentable at all times. So, rich white guy it is for now.

Bertolt Hoover

Bertie is that one friend that always carries a cardigan or sweater just in case, also because he tends to lend his clothes if a friend of his is in need. So thoughtful, our big baby.

His wardrobe is amazingly well organized, and its color palette is unmatched. Lots of blue, brown, beige, white and black.

We know he’s tall enough to call everybody’s attention every time he enters a room. And being as shy as he can be, he avoids brilliant colors or striking pieces. Instead, he chooses simpler outfits.

Bertolt follows this formula every time: pants, shirt, sweater. Everything clean and discrete.

Now if we must talk about his shoes, Berts prefers some white sneakers or modest dress shoes. He wouldn’t say he owns a vast collection, rather, he keeps a fair amount for different occasions.

No tattoos nor piercings. Speaking of which, it’s so rare to see him wearing any accessories at all. Maybe he'll carry with him an analogical clock, and that's it. Although if someone gave him a friendship bracelet you can be sure he'll wear it all-the-time.

Annie Leonhart

Lots of denim for her jackets and jeans. Hoodies, bands merch and graphic t-shirts.

Her clothes’ color palette has range but nothing too pastel or colorful. Instead, she gets all the opaque version of the pieces she likes.

Not that Annie hates dresses or skirts, it’s just unusual for her to even think about wearing them. She prioritizes being comfortable, and tight/short clothes can’t provide her that feeling.

Hates slim clothes unless it’s a tank top or something similar. She just prefers oversized hoodies and mom jeans. Also, if Annie can avoid skinny pants, you can be sure she will.

Owns a fair amount of gym clothes because she also likes to train but most of the times, you’ll see her running around campus, really. She’s a simple woman with simple pleasures.

Annie is the personification of ‘looks like she could kill you, is an actual cinnamon roll’, from her attitude to her clothes. So beware, for she’s the queen of looking rude with her chains around her belt, and her ring to match but don't let her fool- holy shit, that thing can actually stab someone. As I was mentioning, such a sweet gal, isn’t she?

Hitch Dreyse

She can make it boujee with so little effort (and money), lemme tell you. Wears her clothes with such an attitude and class. Hitch's an actual wine-mom, or aunt maybe? she gives those vibes.

People have the impression from her style, that her parents are rich, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s just that Hitch knows how to dress. (Also, we know that for a fact sis has a scholarship, okay?) ANYWAYS,

Miss here is forever in love with white and baby blue. Owns plenty of jeans but also dress pants and culottes that wears with blazers or shirts that make her look like a princess with a diversity of fabrics such as satin, silk-alike texture, and cotton.

Hitch is the queen of heels. Although she hates very high ones, she rocks shorter heels and walks in them with little to no effort. Or at least looks like it. All of her shoes are classy yet unique.

Now, let’s talk about her collection of accessories. Hitch likes her jewels in gold and only buys signature pieces: rings, earrings (for her four lobe perforations, two in each ear) and necklaces, of course. Yes, it is gold but in modest designs. Sounds fair, right?

Marlowe Freudenberg

Our big boy in here thinks that he should look presentable at all times since he’s the Chief Editor of the History student’s academic journal at Paradis’ Uni. Not that he cares a lot of his appearance, really.

And that’s actually cute because he puts effort into his outfits. Marlowe would be one of those straight guys that are hygienic and know how to dress and has no fragile masculinity.

Cologne is a must and part of his attire just like handkerchiefs are, because at the same time, he was raised to be the classic gentleman TM.

Marlowe dresses in all colors; he can’t choose a favorite one or a never-changing palette. He’s aware of season colors too and plays that at his wardrobe favor.

Yet for his outfits he’d follow few simple rules: oxfords (cleaned), dress pants (somewhere between slim fit and straight leg), some polo/dress shirt/cotton thing-y for top and a sweater / cardigan / blazer if season demands it.

Finally, our favorite student-editor spends some time of his routine shaving his face and styling his hair, albeit wouldn’t consider himself a vain guy nor full of himself. Lowkey expects Hitch to notice his appearance. Such a sweetheart.

[rarephloxes]

elucienweek, flower prompt. 

sorry girls!!! I’m late!! Hope it still counts though :)))))))

for @elucienweek <3

rating: G

wc: ≈3.3k

warnings: none!! they just go on a date!!! and bring each other flowers!!

psa: my first language is Portuguese! And this is also the first thing I’ve even written and posted! Ever! So, I’m nervous!! Lol! Enjoy!! Also: outfits link at the bottom!!

~*~

  Elain flitted through her bedroom excitedly, her nerves jittery and drowned in thoughts of the day she was about to have.  

 “But what do you think I should wear?” Elain asked her sister, Feyre, who was just a laughing face in the screen of her phone.  

 “Put me on FaceTime,” Elain’s phone speaker told her “I’ll help you pick.”  

 “Can you add Nesta to the call, please?” Elain asked, eyeing the clothes hanging in her wardrobe confusedly, brows wrinkled.  

  With a sigh, she sat down at her vanity, the gleaming glass of her perfumes and pretty makeup containers beckoning her.  

 Feyre’s laughing face, a picture taken by Rhys, her sister’s husband, winked out to be quickly replace by Feyre's and Nesta’s profile pictures.  

 (Elain knew she ought to be used to the fact that her sister was wed, for she had gone to her wedding wearing a beautiful pink dress matching the few other bridesmaids. She had even danced with Rhysand’s broody brother, Azriel, and overall had a great deal of time, but it was still weird thinking of her baby sister as a wedded woman. Who also was, uselessly, trying to pretend not to be pregnant).  

“Good morning,” Nesta greeted them, a little bleary eyed “What’s this about?”  

 “Did you just wake up?” Asked Feyre with a knowing smile on her lips. Elain knew that if said smile was directed to herself, she’d blush. “It’s nearly 3PM,”  

 “Oh, well,” responded Nesta with a carefully crafted absent-minded smile “You know how Cassian can be... energetic,”  

 “Nesta!” Elain, despite her best wishes and her sister’s rather tame answer, blushed while applying her mascara “Can we please focus on the matter at hand? I really need some help,”  

 “And what, exactly, is this matter?” Nesta inquired.  

 “It’s Elain’s third date with Mr. Mystery Man,” Feyre slightly static voice answered. Elain’s phone had never been quite the same after she accidentally potted and watered it with one of her apartment plants.  

 “Oh! I didn’t know you and MMM had gotten to the third date phase!” Nesta replied with a note of enthusiasm, the buzz of a coffeemaker as her background noise “A rather early time of day for a third date, though, isn’t it?”  

 Elain bristled slightly, but Feyre answered first “It’s a picnic date, Nesta. It wouldn’t be the same if was later. And besides, it’ll be just the right time for they to see the sunset,” Feyre frowned “Did you really just wake up?”  

 “I was taking a nap,” Nesta supplied with her mouth hidden by a mug covered in book details, a library’s name scripted around it “What can I say? Cass really wore me out,”  

 “Girls, please, please, can we stay on topic?” Elain pleaded a little, “I really do need help.”  

 “Oh, those are lovely lashes, Elain” Feyre praised from where Elain’s phone was propped in her vanity. Elain, now applying her blush until she looked somewhat sunburned, questioned “Do you like it? I glue them underneath my lash line, see? It looks nice, doesn’t it?”   

 Perhaps sensing the bit of anxiety on her middle sister’s face, Nesta said “It looks beautiful, Elain. MMM will not even know what hit him”. 

 Smiling at her sister’s compliment, Elain stood up and angled her phone to the side, widening the camera range to the view of her bed and bathroom door.  

 “So,” Elain started, slightly out of frame as she scoured her clothes for something fitting, “I thought maybe a dress? No pants or shorts because I bought a charcuterie board and really am planning to eat the cake Lu... I mean, Mr. Mystery Man-” Elain stopped herself with a laugh, what a silly nickname, dear Gods. Of course, Feyre would come up with something like that “- is going to bring, so nothing constricting in the belly area,”  

 “Ooh! I know! What about the white dress? With the blue flower print?” Feyre suggested.  

 “White? Feyre, a white dress for a picnic? I’m aware you live in a palace and has the wealthiest man in the land of the free to pay for your every wish, but please remember some of us have to do laundry” Nesta said, a laugh woven in her teasing.  

 Before Feyre could answer, Elain interrupted the seemingly lighthearted argument lest she lost her sisters to an everlasting word brawl “It’s cute, Feyre, you’re right. But, Nesta has a point. I don’t want any grass stains on it.”  

 “Besides, I thought I could wear my strawberry dress,” Elain said, placing a pink dress in front of her robe clad form.  

 “Oh, that’s cute,” said Nesta.  

 “Yeah, really pretty,” agreed Feyre.  

 “Then why do you both sound so unsure?”  

 “It’s just that it is a little plain,” Feyre explained carefully.  

 “It’s a 500-dollar dress,��� Elain defended “And it has strawberries in it!”  

 “Yes, of course,” Nesta complied, “But maybe something with sleeves less... puffy? Or without a childish print?”   

 Feeling a little defeated, Elain nodded.  

 Afterward, the pile of clothes on her bed rapidly grew and with it Elain’s anxiety.  

 “Gods, nothing looks good,” Elain said, hating the whiny tone of her voice.  

 “Wait, wait!” Nesta startled “What of that sage green dress?”  

 The little dying light in Elain’s chest glittered.  

 “The one from Reformation?” Elain asked hangers chiming while she reached for the dress.  

 “Isn’t it a bit too fancy?” Feyre replied, uncertain.  

 “He is really well dressed,” mused Elain, looking at herself in the mirror, sage dress draped over her front “So you think this matches well with my white Fendi boots?”  

 “Won’t the boots be uncomfortable for a sitting on the ground date?” Nesta countered, voice muffled by the running water she was using to rinse her mug, coffee long gone by then.  

 “Well, I guess,” Elain acceded just as another dress caught her eye, “YES! I think I found the one!”  

 “Let us see it then!” Feyre asked around a mouthful of something.  

 “Wait, let me put it one first” said Elain before skittering out of view.  

 “What are you eating?” asked the corner of Nesta’s face.  

 “Rhys is doing business with these Belgium people. Very fancy. Particularly important Belgium people,” Feyre’s eyes and forehead answered, “They brought a lot of chocolate,”  

 “Quite the stereotype,” A pause “Save me some?”   

 “Sorry, I’m finished with them already.”  

 “Ok! Grand reveal time!”  

  Nesta’s side eye and frown disappeared once Elain popped into frame, a soft off-white midi dress with a high neckline and short sleeves now around her body, accentuating the dip of her waist.  

 “Ooh, I love the slit!”  

 “Yes! And it’s such a nice print too! The red details go really well with your nails! Where did you go to get that set?”  

  Elain squealed, jumping a bit with the balls of her feet, her skirts flaring “I get my nails done with my neighbor’s girlfriend. She’s quite good, isn’t she?” Elain approached her phone, showing her nails to the screen. “Oh, and look at the back,” Elain twirlied, skirts swishing around her calves.  

 More excited cheers ringed around Elain.  

 “Your tits look amazing! What about the shoes?”  

 Elain barely had the time to blush.        

 ” Oh, it’d look lovely with the converse I painted for you!” Feyre pointed out.  

 Elain had to turn away to hide her frown “I’d thought to wear slip on heels?”  

 “Way better!” recognized Nesta almost too quickly “Or maybe the pretty red ones with the ties at the ankles? Low heeled?”  

 “The red ones are pretty! Yes! But the slip-ons are easier,” Elain said, showing the options to her camera “Nude or green?”  

 “Definitely green,” said Feyre as Nesta said “Go with the nude one.”  

 “Do you think I could pull off wearing one color on each foot?” Elain giggled, putting her lip gloss and money purse in her bag, leaving the colorful shoes on top of her vanity chair.  

 “Nah, Nesta’s right, go with the nude one,” Feyre said, mouth foaming with toothpaste.  

 “What was that?” Nesta mocked in a singsong voice “Can you repeat it, please, I couldn’t hear around your toothbrush. Or the sound of your betrayal. I always save you a bonbon or two.”  

 “No, you don’t,”  

 “Well, I always mean to!”  

 Feyre spit off frame and flipped Nesta the bird.  

 All three of them laughed, Elain hurrying around her room to seem like she was ready to leave.  

 “Thank you so much for tuning in for this episode of Sisterly Love,” Elain joked with a big, unnerving smile, a weird laugh she hoped the poor functioning camera of her phone would hide “I’ll see you girls on next week’s episode- “  

 “Wait! No!” Interrupted Nesta with a serious face, “I see you worrying about, pretending you’re late,”  

 Feyre, who was smiling at someone else off camera, joined in as if she’d just caught on “Yeah! Stop... doing that,”  

  “Tell us about MMM!” Nesta demanded, “You can’t expect us to let you go on a date with a creep!”  

  “How do you know I’m pretending?” Elain huffed, her eyes diminished into slits, hands at her waist.  

  “As if you’d be in the risk getting to your date late. You like him too much,”  

  Nodding to her sister’s point, Elain dropped her facade.  

  “But he’s not a creep,” Elain said as she plopped down on her cushioned vanity chair, using the mirror to double check her makeup.  

  “Then what is Mister Mystery Man like?”  

   Elain had no control over the grin that illuminated her face “He’s... charming. Kind. Tall. And a swimmer too- “  

  “A swimmer! Nice broad shoulders then, huh?”  

  “Well, yes, I guess” Elain stammered a bit “He works in Communications. His brother’s dogs just had a litter, so now he’s taking care of two puppies. The cutest little things I’ve ever seen to be honest-”

 “Ok, ok, but how well does he kiss?”  

 “You’ve kissed him, right?”  

 With a quickened heartbeat, Elain confessed “Yes,”  

 “Then come out with it already! Tell us how it was!”  

 “It was a sweet kiss. He dropped me off at home and... well, you know how these things go.”  

 Neither Nesta nor Feyre said anything, urging Elain to keep talking.  

  And if Elain got a little breathless, none of her sisters mentioned “We were heading home after dinner. He took me to the new Italian restaurant near the Sidra, so it was a short walk until my apartment.”  

 “He looked so handsome, I thought I’d melt when he held my hand and I’ll admit I was rather tipsy by then, and he was so warm and... Gods, when he leaned down to kiss me, I turned into a puddle- “  

 “That sounds straight out of that novel you lent me, Nesta,”  

 “He is quite the charmer, isn’t he?”  

 “Yes. Yes, he is” said Elain dreamily.  

 “Elain! Don’t forget to do that thing you do with your lipstick? Makes your lips look so good,” Feyre reminded enthusiastically, dragging Elain out of her stupor.  

 “Yeah, maybe then your next kissing story won’t be so wholesome,” Nesta added with a leer.  

 With a happy giggle, Elain carefully traced a discreet line with her lipliner over her cupid’s bow and covered it with lip gloss.  

 “Yeah! Just like that!”  

 “Oh, I see the difference now. You look stunning,”  

 Opening a drawer, Elain asked “Big hoops or small ones?”  

 “They won’t look good with this dress, though” mused Nesta “Unless you’re wearing the small chunky ones, more oval than circle,”  

  “You mean these?” Elain showed the jewelry, to the camera.  

 “Yes, that’s the one. I knew I should’ve gone with you to get the extra earring holes! You look ten times hotter with all these earrings.”  

 “Yeah, you definitely should’ve” agreed Feyre with a smile “You look stunning, Elain. MMM is a lucky man,”  

 Not bothering to hide her smile, Elain thanked her sisters, the video call ending quickly after their well wishes and goodbyes.  

  With a reinvigorated sigh, Elain gathered her basket, carefully picking up the flowers she had wrapped to gift her date and left her apartment in a flurry of petals and jangling keys. 

                                          ***

  Elain waited by the Velaris Park entrance that viewed the Sidra, inhaling the salty breeze that ruffled her hair and skirts, cooling the hotness of the sun on her skin. 

 Twirling around as if she’d heard her name in the wind, Lucien stepped into her line of vision and Elain was suddenly, viscerally reminded of the Three Musketeers Disney film she knew all the song lyrics by heart, with the outdated montage of Minnie, the pure hearted French princess, meeting Mickey, the earnest musketeer with a desperate need to prove himself, saturated in an array of old sparkly effects and pretty roses that sprouted at will, surrounding the animated mice in a haven of pastel pink fluffy clouds and romantic orchestra, and the terribly cheesy, awfully idealistic and childishly romantic speech about love at first sight.  

 He walked up to where she was standing, a carefully wrapped beautiful arrangement of multi-colored tulips, lilacs, and white carnations in his hand, and a basket very much like hers tucked in his elbow. He was wearing a cream button down with the top buttons undone, the wisps of red hair and freckles on his collarbone adorned by a discreet necklace glowing in the sun.  

 Elain’s tote bag slipped off her shoulder in a moment of lightheaded carelessness and Lucien gracefully helped her reassert the bag in her shoulder, his hand lingering if only for a moment.  

 “Are these for me?” he asked as a greeting, the light of his smile mirrored in his eyes.  

 “Yes,” she smiled too, something soft slipping into her ribcage and filling her with sunlight at the sight of him “You said these were your favorites in-”  

 “My mother’s garden,” he said with her, still smiling at her like he could not stop even if he tried “I’ll admit it now that I didn’t share that bit of information necessarily aiming for a gift” he walked the few steps so he could stand at her side “Not that I’m complaining.”  

 "I'm glad you liked them," Elain said, her sunglasses slipping on the bridge of her nose "I believe I was promised a fine spot for picnics and watching the sunset?" Lucien’s presence melted away Elain’s unsteady nerves, the tension of her body uncoiling with the tender warmth flowing off him.  

 "The best spot there is," he promised with a wink "Also, these are for you" Lucien mentioned to the graceful bouquet of peonies, buttercups and sunflowers in his hands, the few residual beads of water in the petals scintillating in the sunlight. “I thought it might be presumptuous of me to gift you my favorite flowers, so hence the absence of tulips.”  

  Elain chuckled, walking by Lucien’s side as he led them to his favorite part of the park “I wouldn’t have minded at all. Tulips are one of my favorites as well,” 

 “A woman of great taste,” he replied with a little head bow.  

 Elain, her mouth a little dry, a few strands of her front hair pieces sticking to her brow, wondered why she had ever felt nervous to meet Lucien, with his soft curls smelling of autumn, apples and cinnamon, steady hands, and bright, bright smile. There was nothing unpleasant about his presence, the effortless way he stood and spoke, the grace in his step or the lovely caramel of his eyes. 

 He guided her to a little alcove of grass, lined by tall stone walls covered in vines. In all her walks through the park, she never noticed it. A beautiful corner hidden from curious eyes, but not blocking the river’s breeze or the sight of its running waters. 

 “I’ve got a friend in the team of architects that planned this park,” Lucien explained at Elain’s surprised face “Not exactly something one would find in the City Guide,” 

 “It’s lovely, Lucien. I’ll admit that this could possibly be the best the best sunset viewing spot,” 

 “Possibly be?” he asked with mock outrage, setting the waterproofed fabric over the grass, soon followed by a dark blue checkered flannel blanket “It is the best one. It’s the reason it’s a secret” he said in a conspirators whisper, comically eyeing their surroundings as if in search of busybodies. 

 “Well, I can only decide after the day’s event,” Elain sat at the other side of the blanket, carefully arranging her basket’s content over the fabric, swiping their bouquets so they rested near their respective owners. 

 “Is this a ruse so that I work extra hard to impress you?” 

 “I don’t know,” she smirked while plating the delicate chocolate strawberries she’d made herself the night before, “Is it working?” 

 “I’m proud to say I’ve being incessantly trying to remain at my A game since the moment I looked at you the first time. 

 “That’s good,” if the blush staining her cheeks gave away her smugness, Lucien didn’t acknowledge it.

*** 
 

It was easier than falling asleep, talking to Lucien. Like being carried away by a gentle river current. Like the subtle swing of a hammock by the beach. 

 He liked bossa nova, and she did too! Her father introduced it to her when she was a little girl, swaying her in his arms. It was Lucien’s mother favorite music genre, he accidentally scratched one of her vinyl records as a kid in his haste to listen to the soft melody, the boyish delight he had at the gleam in his mother’s eyes, rare even then, making his fingers clumsy. 

 He grew up in New Hampshire, in a big estate house with woods nearby, camping with his siblings every other week, learning how to fish with his hands because he never liked to use hooks, even as a little boy. Elain had never been one for the outdoors, except for the window box, the closest thing to a garden she had ever managed to keep over the years in her family’s one bedroom apartment. But she’d like to see it someday. He would love to show it to her, he promised with his hand hidden under his thighs as if to retract from touching the flush on cheeks. 

 Elain lived most of her life in apartments, except for the few summers she used to spend at her grandparents’ country house. Her grandmother had the most beautifully cared for garden Elain had ever seen. It even had a maze, towering walls of green she could get lost into while exploring with her sisters. Once her grandparents passed away, her father had to sell the property. She never got the chance visit it again. 

  The deep orange skylight alerted them of the incoming sunset, the Sidra’s waters a wonderful watercolor of blues, pinks, reds, and oranges, gleaming in between the dark green frames of the vine-covered high fence surrounding them.  

  By then, the initial space between them had dwindled, the food containers already inside their baskets, only wine glasses a sip away from being finished near their lazied forms. Elain and Lucien were laying side by side, the gentle slope of the ground allowing them to look at the departing sun without strain. 

 They hadn’t properly touched yet. The easiness of darkness and alcohol in their last date was substituted by the brightness of day and sobriety, their interaction more measured physically. Elain felt the absence of touch as the whispers of a phantom limb. 

 Consumed by the incandescent light of the sun, an unexpected source of courage, Elain laid her head on Lucien’s shoulder. She hadn’t realized they had been quiet for a while, the sunset filling the space where their words had been. 

 Before she could speak, Lucien snaked his arm under her neck, twisting his body to hold hers as they watched the dark blue dotted with stars overthrow the magnificent golden orange. 

 “Is this, ok?” 

  A nod. 

  A hug. 

  A breath on the neck. 

  A shy kiss on the cheek. 

  The white-hot warmth of his lips on hers. 

  The devastating light of her lips on his. 

  Finally, being home. 

Thank you so much for reading it!!!! Please, I'd reeeeealy appreciate your opinions/feedbacks on it :))))

Elain’s dress, shoes

Lucien’s shirt

[gay-ghosts-committing-crimes]

Two Best Friends Going to the Thrift Store!! (They Don’t Kiss)

AO3 link is here

Summary: Bobby and Flynn decide that watching people get their nails painted isn't fun, so they figure that shopping is the only answer.

Warnings: swearing and a sickening amount of platonic friendship

Words: 1,472

taglist, just ask to be added or removed: @barrel-of-cat-mituna @completekeefitztrash @tiergan-andrin-alenefar @lemontarto @hershis-kotlc @genesiscaveat @everything-else-and-mars @juline-dizznee @chaotic-basics @an-absolute-travesty @classyfunnyquotesmuffin7 @iamstealingyourgenderaswespeak @itstiger720 @introvertedscarecrow @sunset-telepath @an-idiot-in-a-trenchcoat @cowboypossume @anaccidentwaitingtohappen @sofia-not-sophie @fire-sapphics @dr-alan-grant-blog-blog @real-smooth @juline-dizznee @it-tastes-like-lizard

Flynn groaned from where she lay sprawled out on Julie's bed.

"I'm bored," They complained, idly picking at the covers, "I'm too gay and adhd for this."

Bobby agreed from his spot on a beanbag. "Don't get me wrong, I love the vibes, and if anyone can pull off red nail polish, it's Reg, but watching nails get done? Not my version of a hot girl summer."

Julie rolled her eyes at them and continued painstakingly painting Reggie's thumbnail, making sure it was completely even before responding.

"First of all Flynn, don't pick at the blankets, your nails are still drying, second of all, Bobbin, you are literally nonbinary. You don't get a hot girl summer."

Bobby clutched dramatically at their  chest, purposefully deepening his voice and pouting.

"Jules! The pain- who knew you were the gatekeeping girlboss of the Molina family? That's so transphobic." They paused, clearly waiting for someone to stand up for him. No one did.

"Fine, I see how it is. It's because I'm amab, isn't it? If Luke and Alex were here, they would let me have a hot girl summer."

Reggie piped up, "They probably wouldn't. Luke would be on Julie's side, and Alex would either agree with Willie, or if they weren't here, say something sarcastic about how you haven't earned a hot girl summer."

Bobby huffed, flipping over on the bean bag so he was basically upside down, and made a face at Reggie, who only smiled and shrugged, his cheeks lightly pink.

Flynn laughed but didn't disagree, and Bobby glared at them before flipping them off and haughtily crossing their arms. She only cackled more and he gave up, scoffing under his breath.

Julie hummed quietly under her breath as she worked, and Flynn made various noises to stim in an effort to not ruin her nails, but otherwise the small group fell quiet.

Finally Bobby couldn't handle the silence and pushed themself up, stretching and ruffling Reggie's hair before grabbing Flynn around the waist and lifting them up onto his shoulder, ignoring her protests about being careful of her nails, and heading for the door.

"Flynn and I will be back, we've got hot he/they and she/they shit to do." Flynn grumbled from where they were thrown over his shoulder, complaining about how they treated her like a rag doll, but didn't put up a fight to leaving. After all, she had been bored too.

"Alright half-pint, where to?" Bobby gingerly set her down once they made it outside, this time noticeably more careful about their nails, and she gave a nod of thanks.

"I'd pinch you for calling me that, but my nails are still drying," She glared disapprovingly at him, but they only gave a cheeky smile and started walking, leaving her to follow. 

"I think there's a new thrift store we could check out; I've been meaning to get some nice platform shoes."

Bobby nodded in understanding and plucked at their black shirt, which they had cropped himself "I've been wanting a new crop top or two," They replied.

Flynn checked out their outfit and raised her eyebrows approvingly. Bobby was sporting his black crop top, a pair of red high-waisted cut-off shorts, and black combat boots with rainbow laces. Their hair was loose, and he had black winged eyeliner to finish off the look.

"You can't really go wrong with a crop top," She agreed, and he grinned in response.

"Thanks half-pint." They went to rub his knuckles on her head, but laughed and pulled away when they threatened him with being called a CisHet™.

"Hey hey!" He gestured placatingly as he laughed, "No need to be harsh!"

She rolled their eyes, but gave a soft smile and bumped their shoulders together.

They slung their arm over her shoulder and started walking again.

~~

The thrift shop was mostly empty of people when the friends got there, but the selection was good and they both enjoyed searching the racks and showing off the random treasures they found tucked away, like a pair of boots that would have been a near perfect match of the combat boots Bobby was wearing, except for the fact that they were a beautiful floral pattern, and an adorable button up with sunflowers and bees that Flynn found between an atrocious neon orange jean jacket, and cute quarter-zip jacket with handmade embroidery on it.

Bobby paused their search for the Perfect Crop Top to hold a teal dress against his chest, and raised an eyebrow at Flynn.

"Well, what do you think? Figure this would convince Julie that I deserve my very own hot girl summer?"

Flynn snorted and shook her head, grabbing a garish purple dress with more frills than square inches, and handed it to him.

"Try this," They smirked, "You'd have the hottest girl summer of us all. Might even catch yourself a man in that outfit."

He stopped as if considering, and then regretfully shook their head, "I couldn't. There's only one person I'd want to catch, and I wouldn't want to make anyone feel bad by being the hottest in the group." He winked and bit his lip to make the fuck-boy face, to which Flynn responded by slugging them in the arm.

"Never, and I mean never, do that at me again, and also? I literally exist. I'm the hottest of the friend group. We all know this." She posed for a second and then turned back to the dresses, eyeing them up and down and smiled to themself.

"'Only one person'," They teased, partially pulling out a sequined pink dress and wrinkling their nose before glancing back at Bobby, "Please, you are head over HEELS for him. I'm surprised you haven't made a move yet honestly."

She grabbed a lavender sundress and held it up for his approval.

"Cute, I like it for you. And it's not "surprising" that I haven't made a move. I'm just... being patient. Besides little miss disaster lesbian, you haven't stopped pining over Carrie in years, and you haven't even asked her out once!! at least I've done more than that."

Flynn spun on him, "What?! You didn't tell me?!?!?"

"Wait wait wait, it wasn't anything big!" Bobby held up their hands and took a step back, "We were all up until like, four in the morning, and high on lack of sleep and all that, and I said we should all go on a double date. Luke pouted because he didn't want to go without Julie, and Alex was already asleep, so it was just me and Reggie.

"I guess now that I think about it, it was kind of a date? But like, a platonic one." They shrugged and turned back to searching the racks of clothes, but Flynn wouldn't let go of it so easily.

"So you're telling me you went on a date, with your crush, alone, and you think he doesn't like you back?! Are you fucking kidding me?? Oooh, pretty!"

They paused their rant momentarily when a cute pair of pants caught her eye, and she held them up to see how they looked. Flynn put them back and shook her head.

"Anyways, he's as much in love with you as you are with him. And. I'm getting these sunglasses because fuck you, that's why." 

Bobby rolled his eyes, "I wasn't going to tell you not to, but aight. And he might like me back. It's not like-" They waved their hands vaguely, "- like Luke and Jules." 

They were practically made for each other, and it was never a question about whether or not they liked each other back. They just. Did. 

"With Reggie it's different. He's been through a lot Flynn, and I'd die alone a thousand times before hurting him. I just don't know if he feels the same about me."

They were both quiet for a bit, flipping through hangers and assorted shoes. It wasn't an awkward silence, just a thoughtful one, and Bobby was grateful that Flynn was able to tease and annoy, but ultimately listen and offer advice too. They were a good friend, and Bobby wouldn't trade it for the world.

After a while they went to check out, the cashier offering them a smile and polite goodbye when Flynn pushed open the door, warm air flowing around them as they began the walk back to Julie's house. 

"Hey Bobbers?"

"Yeah half-pint?"

"I don't think the boys, or you, would ever let you come close to hurting Reggie. And by the way? He tooootally likes you back."

"Yeah?" He gave a grateful smile.

"Yeah."

"Thanks half-pint." They laughed when she flicked them, and pulled her into a hug before linking their arms and singing a song under his breath.

It was a good day to have friends like his.

[stxrrywildflower]

met

pairing - spencer reid x reader

summary - the team discovers your relationship in an unexpected way

warnings - none

word count - ?

note - the dress is heavily based off of the one josephine skriver wore to the 2019 met gala - look it up for a better feel for the fic :)

spencer walked into hotch’s office with his case files in hand. as per usual, the genius was done his work before everyday else. it was a friday afternoon, the team had just touched down an hour or so ago and jumped right into paperwork.

after placing the files on his boss’s desk, spencer stepped back. “hey hotch,” spencer first greeted, “is there anyway i can take a long weekend? just monday i mean.”

thankfully, hotch nodded. “of course. just fill out one of the forms. are you going to see your mother?” the unit chief asked. spencer smiled slightly. “yeah something like that,” he replied, knowing that it wouldn’t raise any questions.

____

the team was ordered by strauss to work late monday night. recently, they had traveled a ton and spent more time in random states than in the quantico office. in order to log extra hours, they would need to remain in the office even if work was finished. it was a dumb rule but the team had all understood, even if they were annoyed by it.

“you know, i don’t think it’s fair that pretty boy isn’t here to work late,” morgan complained as he grabbed a box of takeout from garcia. everyone was sitting in the main bullpen, eating a late dinner as the last couple files were being finished.

“yeah well think about us. it’s the met gala tonight and we can’t watch the red carpet,” j.j. protested, motioning to emily and garcia.

“why don’t you just watch it in the conference room. we can make snacks,” rossi suggested. everyone agreed to that idea, even the guys who had very little knowledge of fashion.

gracia sat down in her seat next to morgan and tuned to the other two girls. “i’m so excited to see y/n y/l/n, her outfits are so cute,” garcia spoke. emily nodded, “her dresses are gorgeous. remember last year? absolutely breathtaking.”

an hour later, everyone gathered in the conference room, taking seats around the round table. garcia took the remote before turning on the tv and clicking on the chanel with all the red carpet interviews and first looks of the outfits.

meanwhile, up in new york, you sat in the studio, just a few minutes away from leaving for the event.

you were wearing a silk tan gazar dress which was short in the front and had a long train in the back. the top was strapless and puffed out, creating the illusion of two layers. hundred of crystals and flowers were stitched into the fabric, making it look like a garden. your hair was in its natural style with a headpiece made up of elegant flowers on your head. to finish the clothing aspect off, you had on thigh-high boots, sporting the same design of your dress.

makeup and jewelry were a whole different story. a berry colored blush was across your cheeks as well as on your eyelids. other colors for eyeshadow and highlighter were added. your lipstick then matched the blush. finally, rings were slipped onto your finger, no necklace or brackets, however.

“how are you feeling?” spencer asked, bringing you out of your thoughts.

you shot your boyfriend a warm smile. “nervous”, you replied, standing up with his help. even with heels on you were still shorter than the fbi profiler. “shouldn’t i be the nervous one? it is my first red carpet after all.” spencer smirked

before you could respond, one of the employees knocked on the door informing you that it was time to go. with one final deep breath, you grabbed spencer’s hand and led him out of the room and to the car.

back at quantico, the teams eyes were all glued to the screen. morgan has already been smacked twice by garcia for commenting on the outfits when he barely knew that the theme was. suddenly, the camera turned towards where the cars were pulling up.

a man stepped out of the car first, his identity unknown as he kept his back to the camera. he did, however, hold his hand out to help whoever was in the car get out. garcia let out an audible gasp as you stepped out, a wide grin on her face. “oh my god she looks gorgeous.”

the room stopped as the man with you turned around, his face now fully visible. jaws dropped as none other than their resident genius was revealed, his hand interlocked with yours and a bright smile on his face.

“oh my god,” j.j. spoke up.

the commentators notes about your outfit before the actual interview went unheard as the team observed spencer’s outfit.

spencer was dressed in a deep maroon suit. flowers started in the shoulder and went down to the bottom of the jacket. the pants had the same floral pattern, creating a bleeding effect of the design. his hair was its natural short style. except, small flowers were pinned in his hair. even his nails were painted the same berry color as your cheeks.

“is that-?” emily asked, despite it being obvious that their fellow agent was in attendance at the met gala.

despite spencer not being a people person and not doing incredibly well around large crowds, he looked incredibly calm and as you two walked up the red carpet. his arm remained around your waist as pictures were taken. both of your faces shifted from smiling to straight-faced when posing.

it felt painfully long until you two made your way over to the main interviewer. the team watched intently as you greeted her.

“let me start out by saying, you look absolutely gorgeous. who have you brought with you?”

“well this is my boyfriend doctor spencer reid,” you introduced, smiling as spencer waved slightly. “doctor?” the interviewer asked.

spencer and you both nodded. “i have phd’s in mathematics, chemistry, engineering and then ba’s psychology, sociology, and philosophy,” spencer responded coolly. “that’s incredible! are you a certified genius?”

“yeah i am,” spencer spoke. you rested your hand on your chest and laugh. “you don’t have to be so modest about it,” you joked, making the three of you chuckle.

morgan scoffed. “there’s so much to unpack here. first off, boyfriend? i didn’t even know pretty boy was dating someone. second, i’ve trained that kid for how many years? and now when he’s on a red carpet he can answer questions like that?”

for the third time, morgan was smacked, this time by j.j. “they’re dating derek. you do things like that when you’re in love. sorry to disappoint, but i guess spence isn’t in love with you,” j.j. laughed. morgan playfully rolled his eyes before turning back to the tv.

“how long have you two been together?” the interviewer questioned.

“we’ve been together for almost a year. due to our work, we both travel a lot and haven’t done an official announcement. but, we figured it was time to say something,” you replied, a bright smile on your face as you talked about your relationship.

the interview went on for a few more moments before another question was brought up. “are you attending the afterparty?”

you shook your head no. “as much as we’d love too, we have a flight back to washington d.c. as soon as the event is over,” you explained. the team all smirked at each other at this new piece of information.

when the two of you arrived in the city that night, the team was all there to greet you. sure, it had been a slightly shocking to meet everyone, especially as many of them knew who you were. in the end, the team had all expressed their happiness for your relationship before bidding you both a goodnight.

back at spencer’s apartment, you both changed into pajamas and brushed your teeth. before getting into bed, spencer pulled you into a long kiss, his hands resting on your hips.

“tonight was amazing,” you whispered.

“not as amazing as you,” spencer smiled, kissing your forehead softly.

[blondekasp]

Soft domestic reddie: I LOVE the idea of them having a cat AND a dog. I love them as parents too, but i do think canon wise if they had had a happy ending they prob wouldn’t become parents of humans. They would be the best uncles tho.

Domestic reddie 2: eddie thought richie would be a mess in the kitchen and he would be the designated cook, but turns out bc Eddie grew up with all his health scares he cooks bland af and richie is actually amazing at making fancy GOOD food. This infuriates eddie a little bit sjjdjd

Domestic reddie 3 bc i just remembered: eddie gets them matching gucci shoes AND outfits and the Internet is amazed by how pretty richie can be when he doesn’t go out looking like hot garbage shdhdh

aw yay i’m a fan of this too!! i also prefer the idea that they adopt pets rather than having children, i think that works better in general with the vibe of canon than them having kids does, by the time they get to be together they’re forty years old and slightly worn out by life, so wanting to care for something together but not feeling equipped to do so with kids, they’d definitely opt for pets

a cat and a dog is great for them!! i feel like the cat and dog would get along really well (and maybe even reflect richie and eddie’s personalities like they do in @caliceal’s ricardo/eggie au because that’s so sweet and funny) and richie and eddie would have the best of both worlds when taking care of them

they go to the park so that their dog can run around and get it’s energy out, so eddie runs around with the dog on the grass, playing fetch and frisbee with him while richie watches from one of the park benches, their cat (who’s only a kitten at this time) laying on his lap, sleeping

(i think it’s probably out of the ordinary to put them in these roles rather than the other way around but my reasoning is that eddie loves to run, he didn’t really get to often as a child so running around with their dog is a lot of fun for him. also i headcanon richie as having to use crutches permanently after their return to derry because of that nasty fall he had when he came out of the deadlights—he definitely should’ve had some sort of severe injury there, so he needs to give his legs a rest every so often and is content to watch eddie getting his energy out with the dog because he gets to see eddie so happy.)

then in the evening when they’re back home richie and eddie curl up on the sofa together, the kitten sits in eddie’s lap and the dog jumps all over richie, licking his face and trying to get a hug from him, which of course richie gives many of

i like to think that they have a pitbull dog, she’s very friendly and i think that after pennywise they’d want to feel really safe and protected and they know their dog will protect them if they’re ever threatened

onto cooking, i think you’re right! eddie’s still very apprehensive of many foods and ingredients that make cooking great, because for nearly four decades he was conditioned into fearing them so much, he’s working on it with his therapist

it does make his cooking a little bland, and honestly i’m not sure eddie would even be a good cook regardless, no one taught him how to cook so the food usually comes out with one problem or another but!! richie eats it anyway to make eddie happy because he looks so proud that he managed to make something

eventually eddie decides that richie should be the designated cook because he makes dinner for them one night and wow it’s so much better than eddie’s, he’s surprisingly talented in cooking

richie promises eddie that he’ll teach him more about cooking once eddie feels comfortable using more ingredients and isn’t as worried about allergies, and then they can make dinner together

and omg yeS eddie buying clothes for richie so they can match!! i’ve talked before about richie buying eddie hawaiian shirts so that they can match, and i think eddie would definitely do the same thing because he wants to let richie in on this thing that he loves so much and of course richie’s delighted

as i’ve said before richie often looks like he got dressed in the dark, he’s pretty neat in general like he’s clean and his hair is normally nice even if it looks messy it’s just that his clothing style makes him look like a closet full of different clothes threw up on him or something

it does work for him though in a way it wouldn’t with anyone else

buT he really likes the stuff eddie buys for him to wear too!! eddie buys him a lot of designer clothes from brands he likes and makes sure he gets things that are still pretty close to richie’s style so that he feels comfortable in what he’s wearing

(when eddie dresses him up in gucci he likes to call himself eddie’s barbie doll 😭😭)

people are pretty shocked when articles and pictures come out of the two just going about their day, shopping, walking in the park etc and suddenly richie looks like thought actually went into his outfit—it’s not hard to guess that the outfit was eddie’s doing

people love it!! they think richie looks great in this style just as much as his other and it’s so cute to see him matching with his partner

i also like the idea of eddie braiding richie’s hair (long hair richie rights!!) and painting his nails or something because he wants to show richie how much he loves him in any way he can, he’s good at this kind of thing and wants to share what makes him happy with richie!! it’s not so easy since his left arm is a prosthetic but richie is patient and loves seeing eddie so concentrated and if it takes a while it’s not a problem because they enjoy spending time together even if it’s just while doing something simple

they love each other very much and both think the other is really handsome no what matter they wear :))

[yeetingmyfeeling]

Skirts and Panties

One shot number 1

Brian and Nogla

Warnings; Smut and cross dressing

Through the years that they have been doing YouTube, Brian and Nogla knew each other very well. Best friends, you could say. With them both living in Ireland, they hit it off well in their first meeting. Then they continued on, causing havoc for their friends.

Being close to each other, allowed them to go visit one another when they were free. A week visit every few months, turned into a week visit every month. Eventually, they each had a draw for the other.

One day, Brian brought up to Nogla the idea of moving to America. He wanted to move where all the big stars are, and where he could be closer to his other YouTube friends. Nogla at first thought it was a great idea, but then he slowly started to think about how much he would miss his partner in crime. 

Brian had already applied for his visa, so, without telling anyone, Nogla did too. They waited months, and Nogla remembers the day Brian found out he got his. They were filming a video together. Nogla was just so happy for the other Irishman.

Then Brian went on to look for houses, while Nogla sat and waited patiently. When Brian would ask for his opinion, Nogla always gave inputs of what he personally liked. Sometimes Brian would ignore his input, but other times found them helpful.

After another few months, Brian had bought a house and invited Nogla over to help him pack. Nogla happily obliged, he also came to drop the news he got his visa. They celebrated, then they argued when Brian found out the reason. Yet, this leads us to today, where they now happily live together.

The house is two stories. On the first floor you have the living room, dining room, kitchen, a toilet, Brian’s office, and a small gym space. On the second floor Brian and Nogla’s bedroom included with a bathroom, two guest bedrooms, a guest bathroom, Nogla’s office, and a games room. The house was a simple floor pan. Most of the floor was wood, unless in the bedrooms, living room or offices. There were lots of windows, as they sat with a view of the city below them. The house also included a large backyard with a pool, and a large shed.

Nogla currently stood in one of the guest bedrooms. The grey carpet was soft beneath his bare feet, and the blind was pulled down, blocking off the sun. Both guest bedrooms were the same. Grey carpet, a large queen sized bed against the wall with a painting above it. This room's painting was a blue whale. On one wall was a large window, beneath it a desk. The wall opposite the bed was a large wardrobe, the doors being mirrors. 

Nogla stood in front of the mirror. He was wearing one of Brian’s basketball shorts, the pants being loose on his skinny hips, and a plain black shirt. A large suitcase sat on the bed. Nogla started chewing on the nail of his thumb as he thought.

He had always been attracted to these sorts of things, found them alluring. Yet he never thought he would end up doing it. He always just watched from the sidelines, or admired. Yet now, here he was, about to do it. If he had the strength.

He turned away from the mirror and walked over to the suitcase, which had previously been buried in the wardrobe. He unzipped it and looked through the clothes. He had gone out several different times, and bought several different articles of clothing. Even some of his friends' girlfriends got him some.

Yes, he could tell someone like Kelly, Tyler’s boyfriend. Yet he couldn’t tell his own boyfriend. After the year of the girls knowing, he was only now going to test it out. He pulled out some of the clothes, deciding what matches and what doesn’t, as well as if they fit his mood. He nodded in content once he found the perfect outfit.

Slipping off the shorts, he chucked them on to the bed, then went the shirt. He wore nothing underneath the shorts, so now he stood naked, kind of cold, and nervous. He looked over his shoulder, seeing his reflection in the mirror. He shivered.

Grabbing the first article of clothing, he slipped them on. It was a pair of green panties. Everything see through apart from the band and the crotch. Nogla noticed they felt quite soft against his blushing pale skin. Next was the garter belt, which had two pieces. First a tight green belt that wrapped around his waist, which was then connected to a lace bit that wrapped snugly around his hips. These clipped on to the next piece, which were dark green thigh highs. To top it off, he slipped on the matching bra. It obviously didn’t do too much, and the lace bit that usually covered the top of the breast flapped loosely against his chest. 

Turning around, Nogla looked at himself in the mirror. The green stood out in contrast to his very pale skin and dark hair. The belt showed off his waist, and the lace bit and panties accented his hips. The straps and thigh highs bulged slightly, showing off his thighs, although skinny. The bra was mostly just for show. 

Nogla then pulled on the next piece of clothing, a brown crop top jumper. It was very soft, which he enjoyed. Long sleeves going over his hands, and the jumper ending around his waist. He then pulled on a grey skirt. The waistband went up to his bellybutton, and it ended a little below his butt. The skirt reminded him of what you would see an anime high school girl wear.

He fluffed up his hair and flexed his toes on the carpet as he once again looked at himself in the mirror. He gasped at the sight. Nogla quite honestly thought he was adorable. Turning and spinning, he was falling in love with the look. He grabbed his phone that lay on the bed and took a quick photo, sending it to the girls.

Nogla continued to admire how he looked. He stretched and he bent over, loving every little thing about the outfit. He was just about to leave the room, to start walking around the house in his new favourite outfit, when he heard the front door open, then close, and the rushing of dog paws on wooden floors. 

Nogla’s eyes widened in his own reflection. He gasped and went to pull off the clothes as fast as he could. He felt his heart rate pick up as he heard Brian call out his name.

“David?” Brian called out into the quiet house. He walked into the kitchen, putting the groceries on the counter. He gave the dogs a quick pet on the head. “Babe?” He tried again.

Nogla was panicking. He was in the middle of trying to get the bra off and swore quietly when he heard a tear. He pulled it off and chucked it in his bag. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Swearing again, Nogla managed to get the rest of the outfit off. He pulled on his clothes, shoved the outfit back in the suitcase and then into the cupboard.

Straight after he shut the wardrobe door, Brain opened the guest room door. He looked at Nogla in confusion. “Uh, David?”

“Sorry!” David squeaked. “I think Joe and Tony got up here, because there was a mess, so I was just cleaning it up.”

Brian nodded slowly, but he looked skeptical. “Right…” He mumbled. “Can you come help me with the groceries?”

“Of course!” Nogla walked over to Brian, giving him a kiss. Brian leaned into it, and it would have gotten more heated if he didn’t remember the groceries.

~~~~~

The next time Nogla got dressed up, he made sure Brian was out of the house for longer. Brian was going to hang out with Evan today, and they were drinking so he was spending the night. Nogla took this opportunity. 

He chose a different outfit this time. The lingerie was a light blue. The panties were brought high up on his sharp hips. Lace bits on the sides, front and back. Unlike the green pair, this one fully covered his cock. He decided on a bra again, as it made him feel pretty. It was a thick lace where the breasts would be, then a thin lace stretching over his ribs. 

He checked himself out in the mirror, appreciating the way the panties brought out his hips, and also made his ass look more plump. He bit his lip, feeling a stirring in his stomach. He shook his head and brought out the next few articles of clothing. 

The shirt, another crop top, was violet. It had a bardot neckline, showing off the straps of his bra. It had three-quarter length sleeves, and was tight around his middle. The pants were light grey, and booty shorts. They had a white trim that came up at the sides. He pulled them up high, so the bottom of his ass was showing. 

Nogla whined as he saw himself in the mirror. He liked this outfit, a lot. He did a little spin, showing himself off, for himself. He took a few photos, using snapchat so he could private them. After that, he hesitantly walked out of the room. 

He jumped slightly when he saw Joe and Tony laying on the ground. They were both asleep, but jumped up when Nogla walked out. They walked up to him and sniffed at his new clothes in confusion.

Nogla laughed, bending down to pat each of them on the head. Then he walked out and went downstairs. He walked to the kitchen, biting his bottom lip. He felt the cool air all over his legs, and it was calming in a way.

After a few minutes of just basking in the feeling, Nogla decided to start doing some cleaning. He felt like a girlfriend cleaning up after his messy boyfriend. In a way, he was, but he wouldn’t openly say that. 

So he went around the house, cleaning up. Once he had done the majority of the cleaning, he vacuumed the floors. He washed all the dishes, made sure the dishwasher was empty. He cleaned all over the bathrooms, then made sure the room he and Brian shared was clean. He cleared up his office, which wasn’t too bad. Brian’s was the worst, as he hid all the trash out of the way of the camera.

Once he had cleaned everything, he realized he would have to take out the trash, and put the bin out. He looked at himself in the mirror, adjusting his clothes slightly. He took a shaky breath. He could do it.

Nogla picked up all the trash bags, two full in each hand, and took them out to the bin. He threw them in then pulled the bin out to the curb. Luckily, he saw no one. A few people did drive by, but he just ducked his head, looking away. Then he went back inside.

He saw he had been cleaning late, and it was past dinner time. He swore and fed Joe and Tony, who were whining. He quickly cooked himself up some pasta, making sure he had enough for Brian to have the next day.

He went into his office  and worked on editing a video. It was one with Tyler, Evan, Delirious and Marcel. He got most of the way finished, but soon got tired. So he stumbled out of his room and to the bedroom. 

He stripped of the crop top and the shorts, leaving him in only the bra and panties. He giggled to himself. He took a lewd photo, saving it to the private section of snapchat. Brian would love that photo.

Nogla laid on Brian’s side of the bed, as he often does when Brian is out. He cuddled up in the blankets, enjoying the faint smell of Brian. He hummed happily and soon fell fast asleep.

~~~~~

Brian was out again. This time he was having a visit to go see Tyler and Evan at Tyler’s house. He was going to be gone for a few days. So, once again, Nogla took this as his opportunity. He also had some new outfits, as it was nearing summer so he and some of the girls had gone shopping.

It was the third day, and it was quite a warm day. Nogla decided he wanted to go swimming. Despite Brian being at Tyler, Kelly had come to visit Nogla. She brought along Chrissy and Simone. The three girls were just staying two nights, as they had their own things to do. Nogla was just happy to have company.

The partners of the girls got a little suspicious when they found out their girlfriends were going to be with Nogla. Yet, they just came to the conclusion Nogla was the ‘girlfriend’ of his and Brian’s relationship. Nogla wanted to throttle them.

The girls were already outside, with food and drinks, and in their swimsuits. Nogla was nervous to put on his, as swimmers were always tight. Very tight.

The swimsuit was of course a bikini. The top bit had a thick band that wrapped around, then the pad of the bra where the breasts would be, in the middle it had bands connecting the two pads, then it wrapped around his neck. The bottom piece was thin and small, and Nogla hoped to god he wouldn’t accidentally flash the girls. On the sides it thinned out into little ropes that he had to tie together. The color of the swimming set was a solid blue. 

These clothes showed off his incredibly pale body, and made him blush heavily. His face burned as he pulled on one of Brian’s jumpers. He pulled the sleeves over his hands. Shuffling his feet, he hesitantly walked down to the pool.

Opening the door, he stepped out with a shy smile, receiving several wolf whistles. This only made him blush more, giggling a little. 

“Look at those legs!” Simone yelled out. “God damn girls, I think we found a rival,” They all laughed.

Nogla walked over, sitting in one of the lounging chairs beside Kelly. Kelly gave the Irishman a wink. “That does look so good Nogla, I don’t think any of us could pull that off.”

“Yeah! I mean, wow,” Chrissy laughed. “Take off the jumper, we want to see it all,” Nogla rolled his eyes, but did as asked. He pulled the jumper off, hanging it off the back of the chair. The girls howled. “Look at those moobs!”

Simone and Kelly laughed loudly, the latter swatting at Chrissy. “He doesn’t have any!” Simone pointed. “He’s all pointy and lanky, but damn it stretches nicely.”

“Dude, you would be a hot chick,” Chrissy said with a nod. “If I had to leave Scotty and elope, I would do it with you.”

Nogla barked a laugh. “Oh, I am flattered!”

They all continued to joke around for a bit more, laughing and enjoying each other's company. The girls constantly telling Nogla how good he looked. After a while, they decide to jump in the pool. 

The girls attack Nogla, splashing him with water. Nogla scowled and picked up the closest person, which happened to be Kelly. He threw her over his shoulder, launching her in the water. She squealed loudly. Nogla then went after the other two, who ran away, screaming and laughing.

After a few hours, that had gone by with lots of being dickheads in the pool, food, and drinks, they became tired. It was late afternoon, but not too late. They laid down on the lounging chairs, allowing their bodys to naturally dry, and tan.

As they lay there in peace, Nogla was suddenly involved in the girls gossip. He stayed quiet most of the time, just listening to the other three. A few times they asked for his opinion, which he gave with lots of thought.

“So, Daithi,” Simone peered over at the tall male. “How much hate are you getting?”

Nogla frowned softly to himself. “Uhm.. a lot. More than what Lanai got,” He looked over at Simone. “A lot of people are angry I’m dating Brian, a lot of people think I turned him gay, and a lot of people think he should have stayed with Lanai.”

Chrissy nodded, understanding. “Yeah, yeah. I can’t fully understand, but I got a lot of hate for just dating Scotty. After we got married, the hate got worse.”

Kelly frowned. “Sometimes I hate that they are.. Famous,” She sighed. “I’m happy for Tyler, I’m so happy, and I understood what I was getting myself into. Just, sometimes, the hate hits a little too hard.”

Simone groaned in agreement. “I run across an account on twitter that is hating all the boys girlfriends, and ex’s. This was a bit ago, I recently stumbled upon them again, and they have included Nogla in the hate.”

Nogla sighed. “People are fucking asshole,” He scowled. “I really hate our fans sometimes. What they do with stuff like this, it’s just- why? They do more harm than good, and I hate it. It ruins any kind of friendships you can get, and so many relationships. It’s fucking bullshit!”

“Calm down Nogla,” Simone reached over, rubbing Nogla’s arm. “I know, it’s hard. We have each other though,” The other two agreed. It was nice, Nogla felt happy. 

It was later in the night, and after Nogla had been forced into photos, they went inside. They each had a shower and changed into comfier clothes. The girls demanded Nogla once again wear the clothes he felt comfortable in. Nogla rolled his eyes, and said of course.

The underwear were simple. Just a dark purple, with a light purple waistband that clung tightly to his hips. The shirt was a loose, light blue and grey coloured shirt. It clung to his bony shoulders and chest, but the rest hung off his lanky frame. The shorts were a light green, and were tight around his hips.

They all went into the living room and started to watch movies. They had lots of snacks, and had gotten pizza delivered. As well as plenty of alcohol. After a while, Chrissy and Simone had fallen asleep, wrapped up in the cocoon of blankets they had made for themselves.

Nogla had turned off the TV, and lay stretched out on the couch. It was an L couch, so Kelly curled up on the other side. They lay in silence, not making a sound, until Kelly asked Nogla; “When are you going to tell Brian?”

Nogla groaned loudly. He rolled on to his stomach, burying his face in the pillows. “I don’t know,” He whined out. “I’m scared.”

“Why?”

“He’ll hate me! He’ll think I’m disgusting! Brian will break up with me, I just know it.”

“But you don’t know it.”

“I do!”

“How?”

“I just- I do…”

“David..”

“One day, Kelly. I’m not ready yet.”

~~~~~

It had been a while since Nogla was given the chance to dress up again. Three months, if he counted right. He was getting a little impatient, if he was being honest. As if the Gods heard him, Brian was now going on a two week trip to Ireland to visit his family.

Nogla would have gone with, gone to see his own family. Yet, they just happened to be busy. Nogla was clearly not upset. So, he had the house to himself. 

Although, the guys decided to have a game. Brian was going to be there, and Nogla was happy to have more time to hear his boyfriend.  Because he wouldn’t have a camera, this was now the chance to wear the clothes around Brian. He wasn’t here, and he couldn’t see him. It’s fine.

 Nogla had no idea what to wear today. Looking through the suitcase, he grabbed out a random pair of lingerie. It ended up being a red babydoll dress. The straps over his shoulders were thin, the cups small on his chest, and pure lace. There are more straps going over his chest, then connecting down and flowing out into a skirt. The top of the skirt was tight against his ribs, the waistband being lace similar to the cups. It flowed out and ended just below his crotch. Underneath was a pair of simple red lace panties.

Nogla felt very hot in the dress. He spun around in front of the mirror, fawning over himself. He once again took more photos, that no one will ever see. As he was taking one particularly lewd photo, that had his dick stirring, his phone buzzed.

BooBear: Baby? We are in the game, just waiting on you

Nogla cursed, fumbling with his phone. He picked it up after he dropped it, his face bright red. If only Brian could see him. He quickly messaged his boyfriend back.

DarlingDoll: Sorry Bri! I got caught up with something, I’ll be a moment

BooBear: Okay David :)

Quickly rushing out of the guest room and to his office, Nogla was glad he had already started up everything. He closed the door and sat down in his chair. He put on his headphones and started up the game, it was Prop Hunt. As the game was loading so he could go into the lobby, he joined the discord call. Calls of his name were heard. 

“Brian isn’t last for once!” Evan shouted. “This time it’s his boyfriend!”

“What took you so long?” Marcel whined. 

“Sorry lads, I was getting off on the thought of my boyfriend,” Nogla mumbled. The game finally started and he was instantly killed by Evan. He sighed.

“That’s a very good excuse,” Brian agrees. “If I leave early, you’ll know why,” Everyone made various disgusted noises.

They played the game for a few hours, Nogla as death because he was last. They joked around, having fun, making jokes. Tyler was the first to die, to which he cursed Nogla out for. Nogla just giggled. It ended in a face off between Brian and Evan, the Irishman winning.

“What’s my prize?” Brian questioned. “Better be good.”

There was a murmur heard from Tyler’s end, then the tall male barking out a laugh. “Kelly said your prize should be Nogla cross-dressing!”

Nogla flushed bright red, going quiet. He sat in his chair and looked down at the clothes he was currently wearing. He was going to kill Kelly.

Evan chuckled. “Man, I could see Nogla in a skirt. Long legs and everything.”

Marcel laughed in agreement. He went to say something, but there was murmur on his end. He gasped. Simone was the one to talk this time. “Briannnn.”

“Yes Simone?” Brain sounded thoroughly confused.

“Don’t get too horny,” Marcel laughed at that, making Simone chuckle. “But what if Nogla dressed in.. womens clothes all the time?”

“Is that my prize?” Brian asked excitedly. “Because if it is I would be a happy man.”

“You wouldn’t judge him?” Kelly suddenly asked.

“God no!” Brain spoke quickly. “If that is what makes him comfortable, then I’ll buy him all the bikinis he wants!”

Everyone laughed. They all continued to talk, Nogla only contributing when he had to. They all made jokes about Nogla wearing girls clothes, Brian constantly saying ‘that’s hot’ or ‘totally fine with that’. It all made the tall Irishman too flustered and embarrassed, so he left in a hurry. 

A week after this incident, Nogla felt comfortable enough to get dressed up again. This time he had shoes that Kelly had sent him.

This set of lingerie was simple black. The bra was tight, stretched over his ribs. The black panties were high up, accenting his sharp hips perfectly. The garter belt wrapped perfectly around his waist. It connected down to the black tights that shaped his hips perfectly. Over the top he had a high waisted soft pink skirt that ended mid thigh. The shirt was a similar pink colour, and it ended just below his ribs. It was tight across his chest. The shoes were platform demonias. He giggled as they made him incredibly taller.

Nogla didn’t have much to do today. So he walked around the house, making sure everything was clean. He really didn’t have much to do today, so he mostly just sat around on his phone. After awhile, he decided to go do some editing. So he went to his office, sat down with his heavy headphones on, and started to edit.

Nogla was so focused on editing, he didn’t hear the opening on the front door or the call of his name. He was so focused he didn’t hear the footsteps getting closer and closer to his office. He was so focused, he fell out of his chair when Brian had called out his name.

Nogla, now on the floor, looked up at Brian in fear. He put his hands over his lap, pushing the skirt down to cover his crotch. Brian was just gaping at him. “B-B-Brian…” Nogla stuttered. “Wh-What are you doing here?” 

“I came home early to surprise you,” Brian said softly. He stared at his boyfriend in front of him. His eyes traveled over his leg, his hands keeping the skirt pinned down, and the skin showing on his stomach. All the way up to Nogla’s blushing face. “What are you doing?”

Nogla could feel the tears building up. He whined and looked down at his lap. “Brian, I-”

“Nogla,” Brian couched down in front of his boyfriend. “Be honest with me, I won’t judge.”

Nogla nodded. “I started dressing in girls clothes. I don’t know why, but I’ve always really wanted to try it. When I was younger I would steal my mother's clothes, but I forgot.. Then I randomly grabbed a skirt while out shopping and put it on, and I had missed it. They just make me feel so pretty, and good, and.. And..” Nogla whimpered again. “I’m sorry Bri.”

Brian shook his head. He leaned forward and placed his hands on Nogla’s knees. He gave him a gentle smile. “Don’t be sorry Noga. I think this is gorgeous, it looks so good on you.”

[crue-sixx]

Tommy Lee x Goth Reader (Headcanon)

This was requested.

• Tommy had been absolutely fascinated by you since the moment he had laid eyes on you.

• You two met at a party that a friend of yours was throwing. You weren’t like any other person there and it really drew him to you.

You showed up decked out in all black. Black fitted dress, black leather jacket, black see-through tights, black combat boots, nose piercing, dark eye makeup, dark red lipstick. I’m talking the whole shabang here and you pulled off the whole look so well.

“Dude, who is that? She’s so hot. I think I’m in love.”

• You two eventually met and the rest was history.

• Everyone was actually pretty shocked that you two were together.

Tommy usually went for the girl next door type, which you definitely were not.

You usually went for the more gothic type and he definitely wasn’t that.

You didn’t care what people thought though. You loved each other and that’s all that mattered.

• You usually always wore black, but Tommy didn’t mind that at all. In fact, he absolutely loved you in black.

He especially loved you in black lingerie. ;)

You actually decided to switch it up one day and went a bit out of your norm outfit wise just to try it out. Also, just to see what Tommy would think.

“Babe, you look amazing in anything, but that isn’t you. You don’t look comfortable in it either. Wear whatever you want to.”

• You and Tommy weren’t really that different. You enjoyed the same kind of music and movies. Your ways of thinking were pretty similar as well.

• You were a nervous wreck when it came time to meet his parents. You were afraid they wouldn’t like you or would judge you.

They absolutely adored you though and didn’t judge you once.

• You got along with everyone else in the band, but you and Mick were the closest because of your ways of thinking.

• You helped the guys with their dramatic stage outfits and make up a lot.

• Tommy would help you paint your nails black or red and would even let you do his sometimes so you could match.

• You would go to a lot of concerts together because you both were music fanatics.

Your favorite was seeing him at one of his shows though and watching him do his thing.

• You wore Tommy’s leather jackets all the time.

He wore a lot of your clothes too.

• Tommy loved your individuality and how different you were from all the other girls he’d met.

[7-wonders]

As Above, So Below Ch. 10

Summary: Your average, mundane life as a college student is flipped upside down when the man you thought you knew as your next-door neighbor turns out to be the God of the dead. When Michael lures you down to Hell, everything that you thought you knew about the world is proven wrong.

Word Count: 3776

A/N: I really don’t know how I feel about this chapter. Let me know if you have any feedback (good or bad, all is appreciated). My inbox is always open for a chat!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10: A Soft Place to Land | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

The Earth is a smoldering wasteland.

The sky above you is painted a sickening red, and the air is both hot and cold at the same time. Smoke rises from the ground while sirens wail in the distance, and glowing eyes watch you through what you hope is a mirage. Your bare feet make imprints in the gray dirt as you walk through the skeleton of what used to be a house. You’re not quite sure what you’re walking towards, but a pull in your chest leads you to an unknown destination.

The ceiling’s caved in, and water pools in spots on the floor. Wood paneling hangs by a single nail in some spots, swinging dangerously above your head.

“Hello?” You call out, coughing at the soot that invades your lungs. Your skin is covered in streaks of ash, and whatever outfit you were wearing hangs off of you in tatters. The tugging in your chest continues to lead you through the old house, and it’s only when you’re standing above a set of decrepit stairs that you realize where you are.

The Murder House.

It’s especially peculiar that you’re here now, considering your last memories involve being in Hell. You’re not even sure how you got back Above, or how the world came to be this way. You’re careful to descend the stairs, which creak and groan as you walk on the moisture-soaked wood. You crinkle your nose at the acrid scent of brimstone, reminding you of the last time you walked down these stairs.

The lines between the Underground and Above had blurred considerably; the second your foot lands on the floor of the basement, you’re standing in the throne room of Hell. When you turn around, you can still see the steps that you just came down on. There’s no ceiling, the same blood-red sky providing a backdrop for the large room. The throne, which was once made of obsidian, is now crafted from human bones. Skulls stare at you from the armrests, their jaws forever opened in silent screams. Ravens circle overhead, calling out to each other as they look down upon those below them.

An unfamiliar figure sits on the throne of bones. His white face is marred with cracks, making the skin look even more like porcelain than it already does. His hair blows from the force of an unseen wind, and his pitch-black eyes seem to be looking through you. The being who you know as Satan stands behind the throne, and it’s only when the pale man’s cackles reach your ears that you realize this is Michael. His hands are red and dripping with blood, and you walk closer to try and see where it’s coming from.

“Michael?” You ask, but he doesn’t hear you. You’re close enough to touch him, but stop when your foot hits something solid. When you look down, it takes a moment for your eyes to process what you’ve run into, and you can’t help but scream when you do.

Your corpse lays on its back on the floor, glassy eyes staring up above. Blood dribbles out of boths sides of the corpse’s mouth, and dried blood cakes the skin below the nose. The fatal wound appears to be from ‘your’ chest, a giant hole punching through the skin and ribs. Your own chest has the same wound, ribs cracked and muscles and tendons hanging from your empty chest cavity. Suddenly, you’re entirely aware of the blood dripping down your face, giving you matching injuries to your mottled body below you. When you look up, you see your heart in Michael’s hand, watching in horror as he bites out of it like it’s an apple.

You jolt up, chest heaving and head spinning. You’re sitting in a bed instead of standing at Michael’s throne, and you pat your chest for reassurement that your heart is still where it’s supposed to be. You jump at the feeling of hands on your shoulders, watching with wide eyes as Michael stares at you.

“Hey, are you okay? You were thrashing around in your sleep.” You collect yourself, beads of sweat pooling on the exposed part of your chest that your dress doesn’t cover.

“Yeah, just a nightmare.” He looks confused, and you realize that gods must not dream, and therefore not know how bad nightmares can be, on the rare occasion that they do sleep. “It was really realistic.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asks, rubbing your shoulder comfortingly. You hesitate, but in the time it takes you to decide on an answer your vivid imagination has already beamed the nightmare right into Michael’s mind. His face falls at what he sees, the pale demon that he morphed into eating your heart as you could do nothing but watch.

“Michael, it was just a bad dream.”

“You know I wouldn’t kill you, right? I can’t even bare the thought of that.” He says sincerely, looking into your eyes.

“I know that!” You’re almost hurt that he believes you’re legitimately scared of him. “Seriously, I know. I wasn’t even scared of you when you dragged me down here and let me starve for three days.”

He smiles then, and you know your reassuring words have done the trick. “I stopped believing you were scared of me when you punched me.”

You smirk at him, wincing at the soreness in your body when you move to stand. You feel like you’re hungover, even though you drank no alcohol last night.

“Where are you going?” Michael asks.

“I’m gonna go get changed out of this dress and get into some clothes that I actually want to wear.” You fish your shoes off of the ground, but decide to hold them instead of actually bothering to put them on.

“(Y/N).” Michael calls out, and your hand stalls on the door handle as you look back at him. His long hair is tangled, and he’s still wearing the same ruined clothes from last night, but he looks just as beautiful as always.  

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for listening to me last night. I cannot stress how grateful I am that you put aside your stubbornness for that one moment.”

“You’re welcome, Michael. Thanks for not dying last night.” You smile at him before opening the door and making your way back to your own room.

Where do you stand with Michael? You ponder this question on the walk towards your room. You’re obviously not enemies, but after the past couple of days the two of you have to be more than friends. Do you like Michael? Of course you do. But do you like him enough to stand by his side as the Queen of the Underworld?

Would the threats on your life continue? You’re mortal, and no matter what choice you make you will grow old and die. Will the apocalypse still happen if you die of natural causes? There’s too many questions running through your mind and your head, which never stopped spinning after you woke up suddenly, is throbbing.

You’re happy to see that there’s nobody in your room for once during your stay here. You grab some random clothes from your dresser, assuming that Madison will help you if you don’t end up wearing clothes that match. The remnants of last night’s makeup don’t put up much of a fight when you take a wash rag to your face, and you look closely in the mirror to check that your face is completely bare. Your reflection stuns you for a moment.

Even though your hunger strike was weeks ago, your face looks gaunter than it did directly after your first meal with Michael. The circles under your eyes are purple and pronounced, and you just look tired. You feel tired too, if you’re being completely honest with yourself. You’ve felt like you were getting sick for the past week or so but have been fighting it off, only for it to be hitting you like a truck today. You didn’t know that people could get sick down here, but it sort of makes sense that viruses and illnesses thrive in the land of the dead.

“(Y/N)?” You jump, the hairbrush clattering to the countertop. You catch Desa’s eyes through the bathroom mirror, the young woman looking just as startled as you. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You’re fine, it’s my own fault for not watching my surroundings.” You say, smiling at her. “Did you need something?”

She recovers quickly, moving to stand behind you. She takes the brush from the counter, and you welcome her expert touch as she starts to untangle your hair. “Master was wondering if you would like to join him for judgements today, see how some official business works?”

“Am I allowed to do that? Right now I’m just ‘Lady (Y/N).’”

“What King Hades says, goes.” You giggle, turning around and taking Desa’s hands in yours.

“You have been so wonderful to me during my time here, I just wanted to say thank you.” You’re not sure why you’re feeling so emotional right now, but tears prick at the corners of your eyes.

“Thank you for treating me like your equal, and for making King Hades into a better person.”

“Was he cruel?” You ask.

“Very much so. He only cared about inflicting punishment upon those he believed ‘deserved’ it. This palace was a dark place, literally and figuratively. And then you came along, and things changed. He started...thanking the staff, being kinder with his punishments and, of course, pining after you. Personally, I think that he was just lonely and didn’t know how to handle his emotions.”

You snort, but are concerned at the same time. How bad were things before you arrived? It’s not difficult for you to believe, but you find yourself not wanting to believe it at the same time. “Why does that not surprise me? However, I’m glad that my being here has changed his mood for the better.”

Desa’s hands come to a stop, and she lays the brush back down once she’s deemed your hair to be untangled. “Master cares about you. I fear that your potential leaving would break him.”

You’re stunned at the handmaiden’s admission. You’ve had your worries about the same thing; would this man, who’s so convinced that you are meant to be here and has changed his entire worldview time and time again for you, be able to survive the pain of you leaving?

“I...I need to do what’s best for me, Desa. I know that Michael will be upset, but I miss my home.”

“Is this not your home as well? I heard your conversation with Lady Hecate the other day. It’s okay to have multiple homes.” She’s right, but you hate that she is.

“Just because I’ve kissed Michael a couple of times and have friends here doesn’t make it my home.” You clench your eyes shut, the lights exacerbating your headache. The woman knows she’s upset you, and she places a hand on your shoulder.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Shall I take you to King Hades now?” You rub your eyes before nodding and standing. You’re cold, yet you can feel the sweat beading on your brow.

You know the way to the throne room by heart now, the twists and turns of each corridor programmed into your mind. Although you attempt to use telekinesis to open the large doors, your arms wobble with the strain and you quickly give up. Desa looks at you in concern, but keeps quiet and opens the doors for you.

Michael immediately brightens up when he sees you, standing up and making his way down the marble steps towards you. An onyx crown with blood-red rubies adorns his head, the same rubies fastening his cloak around his shoulders. His beautiful rings, each a different size and shape, decorate his long fingers. The court of demons that surround him part easily, all too afraid to get in their king’s way. You smile, grateful for the hand he holds out in your direction as he leads you up to his throne. You look at him in confusion, silently asking where you’re supposed to be.

“Once you agree to take your place as my queen, then you can have a throne of your own.” Michael teases, a delicate smile on his face. “Of course, you could always sit on my lap today if you don’t want to stand.”

“I’ll stand, thank you very much.” Michael’s smile dims and he rolls his eyes, although you know he was expecting you to answer this way. “So what goes into these judgements?”

“There’s different ‘levels’ of the Underworld; Tartarus, the Asphodel Meadows, the Mourning Fields, and Elysium.”

“No Dante’s Inferno?” You ask, leaning against the cool backing of Michael’s throne.

“That would actually be Tartarus. It’s split into nine different circles. Then you have the Asphodel Meadows, which is where mortals who lived unremarkable lives go. Those who spent their lives pining after an unrequited love are sent to the Mourning Fields, and Elysium is for the especially distinguished.” Michael explains.

Before you can ask your next question, another door opens on the other side of the throne rom. A large boat journeys across the floor, plumes of smoke serving as the river. The man ferrying the boat is appallingly disgusting, and you have to breathe through your mouth to avoid the pungent smell of death that emanates off of him. His cloak is ripped and dirty, and his bushy beard hasn’t been combed for years. His eyes look like they’re made of fire itself, and you flinch when he makes eye contact with you for a brief moment.

“Charon.” Michael greets as the souls are ushered off of the boat. There’s so many of them, all different ages, genders, races, and religions. The man atop the boat gives a curt nod to his ruler, before turning the boat around and rowing back out the way he came. The demons that stand throughout the room hiss and growl at the souls standing in front of Michael, and you get the feeling that they get to do whatever they want to those who end up going to one of Tartarus’ circles.

Michael studies the crowd for a long moment, as if he’s seeing something that you can’t. He is, you realize as you remember his gift of being able to see everything about a person. They’re silent, all huddled together as they try to make sense of what’s going on. You wonder if they even know that they’re dead, or where they are.

“What do you see?” He asks, looking back towards you.

“I see...people.” You shrug, not sure what answer he wants from you.

“We’ll start out with an easy one. Take my hand.” It feels familiar by now, whenever you grip his large hand. At first you think it’s just an excuse for him to hold hands with you, but you gasp after you blink.

The auras that you’ve heard so much about are all on display for you. Not only can you see them, but you can also feel what each color means. Yellows, blues, oranges, reds, and greens all mix together to form a rainbow above the heads of those crowded into the throne room.

“Can you see them?” Michael asks lowly, and you nod breathlessly. You’re absolutely enraptured by what you’re seeing, and if it wasn’t for Michael grounding you, you wouldn’t be able to look away. “I want you to focus on the person with the light blue aura. Do you know who I’m talking about?”

The person in question is a man in his mid-40s. He looks confused, but at the same time he’s trying to help comfort others who aren’t handling the current situation as well as he is.

“What do I need to do?”

“Just concentrate. Zero in on him, and soon his life should play before your eyes like you’re watching a movie.”

You stare at the man intensely, until the tunnel-vision makes it so you can only see him and his aura. Your hand burns, most likely from the power you’re tapping into through Michael. A picture flickers before your eyes before fading away, and you squint and focus harder. The picture appears again, vividly now, and you watch the man’s life from beginning to end. He was a family man, an EMT who loved going to schools and doing demonstrations for kids. In the end, an aneurysm sent him to his untimely death.

“Asphodel Meadows.” Your voice speaks before your mind has comprehended it. Michael looks proudly at you, nodding.

“Very good! Mephistopheles,” He calls, and a demon with large black wings appears. “You’ll take our chosen guests to the Asphodel Meadows.” The demon nods, and beckons the man towards him.

Michael continues on with the judgements, which you choose to watch instead of help conduct. You haven’t let go of Michael’s hand, and although you can see the auras, you’re not focusing enough to experience their lives. It passes quickly, Michael looking bored at what must be monotonous work for him. Finally, the demons lead off the groups of people to their designated afterlives, leaving you and Michael alone in the throne room. You’re tired, extremely so, and you’re not sure if it’s because you over-exerted yourself with using Michael’s magic or if it’s from whatever bug you’re trying to fight off.

“You did wonderful, (Y/N). Your powers are expanding immensely.” He lets go of your hand to stand from his throne, and it’s only after he does that you realize the burning sensation you had been feeling on your palm was from him.

Your hand is physically burnt, the skin red and blistering where Michael had gripped it. Studying the damage, you hide your hand from Michael when he turns around to see what you’re doing.

“Why are you standing like that?” Michael, ever the perceptive man, questions.

“Maybe I felt like mocking the way that you stand.” You retort, calling him out on the stance he often assumes whenever he stands in one spot.

“(Y/N).” He chides, obviously not impressed. You roll your eyes, but hold your hand out anyways.

Michael’s eyes widen at the sight of your injured hand, hesitantly grasping your arm where your sleeve covers it so as not to accidentally burn you.

“Is it because you were letting me use some of your magic?” You ask.

“I’m...honestly not sure. This hasn’t happened before when I’ve held your hand, right?”

“No. Sometimes my hand gets warm, but I always assumed that it was because I was holding the Lord of the Underworld’s hand.” You attempt to insert a little humor into this situation, hoping to make Michael smile. Instead, he looks completely stumped. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little confused too, but out of all of the things you’ve experienced in Hell, this is pretty tame.

“Hmm.” Michael trails off, biting his bottom lip in concentration. You wait for him to speak again, but the longer he thinks, the more the room starts spinning around you.

“Michael,” You call, bringing his eyes back to you. “Can you let go of my arm please?” You smile reassuringly, and he chuckles slightly before obliging. You start to walk down the steps, fully intending on taking a nap before doing some research.

“Where are you going? Don’t you want to figure out why your hand burnt?” You wave him off, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other so that you don’t trip over the ground.

“I’m just tired, I’m gonna get some rest.” Michael says something to you, but you can’t hear it over the ringing in your ears.

The piercing sound and bright lights combined with your dizziness have you crashing to your shaking knees. Michael’s beside you almost immediately, and you vaguely wonder if he sprinted or transmutated the short distance. His strong arms wrap around you, holding you up against his chest.

“Why did you collapse?” He asks, and you’re taken aback at the fear in his eyes.

“Just got really dizzy. I’ve been fighting something for the past week or so, guess it finally caught up to me. I didn’t even know you could get sick in the Underworld.” You mutter, smiling up at the blond man.

He’s silent, eyes searching your face for some answer you’re not aware he’s looking for.

“You can’t get sick in the Underworld.” He places the back of his hand against your forehead, and you let out a quiet groan at the coolness it provides you. “You’re burning up, (Y/N).”

You shouldn’t laugh, seeing as how this is turning into a severe situation, but you snicker anyways. “I’m in Hell and I’m burning up.”

Michael’s brows furrow, and he slides an arm under your legs so he can lift you up. “C’mon, let’s get you to your bed. You can rest while I talk to Madison; she’ll know what’s going on.”

“No, I can walk!” You start to protest, but bury your face in Michael’s shirt when the room decides to tilt. He smells really nice, actually; a mix of smoke, vanilla, and something woodsy.

“No.” He says sharply, ending the argument before it can even start. You don’t look up from his shirt again, but you can still feel his piercing eyes on you as he carries you towards your room.

You sink right into the mattress, grateful to finally not be moving or have the room spinning around you. Michael pulls the covers up around you, and you don’t even realize that your teeth are chattering until he runs a hand over your quaking jaw.

“I’m going to go find Madison, okay? We’ll figure out why you’re so sick suddenly, and then she’ll make you one of her potions. You’ll be okay.” He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself of this, which is mildly freaking you out. With a kiss on your forehead, he’s already halfway across the room, obviously on a mission.

“Michael?” You call out. He looks back at you with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Yes, darling?”

“Am I going to die?” You don’t want to even consider this as a possibility, but with how frazzled and scared Michael’s been, it seems that’s what’s on his mind too. His jaw sets, and he shakes his head.

“Not if I have anything to do with it.” And he’s gone, leaving you alone with your worries.

Tag List: @nana15774 @sammythankyou @queencocoakimmie @let-me-try-mom @trimbooohgodplsnoooo @lichellaw @sebastianshoe @pastel-cloudz @ultragibbycentralworld @grim-adventures58 @dandycandy75 @alexcornerblog @dolceandchalamet @everything-is-awesomesauce @langdonslove @ccodyfern @henrycavillstalkingmustache @readsalot73 @jimmlangdon @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @hplotrfan @omg-hellgirl @gallxntdean @storminmytwistedmind

[simplerthingslikewatchinglt]

Chapter Eleven

The patience in me had already left when I didn't recieve a call from Laurent all day yesterday and today. I was inpatient , I wanted to speak to him for some reason - maybe hear more about his dancing with Beyoncé, missy Elliot or about his travels to France and through out America -something I wish I could do if I had the money. Staying in my room all night yesterday and today was starting to become bothersome, I wanted an exscuse to go outside like before, which was about my phone but this time I had no exscuse. Sitting in the middle of my bed I needed to smoke, grabbing the pack of new ports that laid flat beside me I took one cig out of its carton parting my lips in the time being, I dangled the cig in between my parted lips. Atleast I can smoke , that was the first thing on my mind, atleast I can, thinking once more . On a winter day the clouds were grey with no sun out in sight just like before, maybe it'll snow this time ? My mother, that bitch, did not wanting me leaving this household for nothing . I wasn't a minor anymore but I sure wasn't a full grown adult in my mothers eyes , including my own. It was very annoying to be trapped in my room plus boring , smoking about half way through the cigarette I came to a decision to go on YouTube using my APPLE laptop and search up "Less Twins" purposely spelling it the way the Dj had pronounced it. It was then I came across the autocorrect which was actually spelled 'Les twins' - Boredem really had strucked me when I noticed my cig ashes were starting to be more then the cigarette itself, I usually smoked all of my cigarette but this time my eyes were glued on the screen as I watch the twins begin dancing. I wasn't bored of watching the twins, I was bored in general.

They were dope on screen, it was like watching two mechanical robots doing unbelievable movements but in person was a whole 'nother level - they were amazing in person it was then besides me, my phone began to vibrate , facing upwards I peeked at the screen. Boyfriend was calling and all I thought about was who the fuck did I save as boyfriend in my contacts - I slide my index finger across the screen to answer,  "hello?".

"Kiki my girl .."

Laurent? It sure sounded like him, right when I was beginning to gather my words to speak over a flustered babbling he spoke again " see I told you I was going to call"  once I finally had gathered my words I spoke in a questionable tone

" And why did you save yourself as boyfriend in my phone ?"

"Because I am" he was beginning to take this on going joke a little too far .

"Well I would like for us to see each other again Kiki , and this time no running in bathrooms okai? " inunision I chuckled at his last words .

"Well where would you want to meet ? " perfect exscuse to get out

"Anywhere , maybe your place ?" almost dropping my lit cigarette on my bed sheets in reaction  the way I choked on my own "what?"

"Your not coming to my place Laurent"

"Okai... so back to my hotel then ?" What harm could be done there right ?

"Umm I'll have to think about it , I mean what'll we do once I get there ?"

"Kiki.. we will talk . No sex or anything like that I'm a gentleman" Yeah sex was the last thing on my mind, I think , Laurent was handsome but we hardly knew each other.

***

Once I made it to the hotel he was staying in , I was met by him in the lobby. He sported a "calm" outfit this time around , wearing all black with no accessories or shades , pretty basic I would say . As for me I thought more carefully into what I was wearing this time for a reason I can't explain , I wore the pea coat I had on our first encounter underneath the pea coat was a navy blue turtle neck sweater shirt that was a tad tight from too many washes and drying, the shirt cupped my B cup breast while my tight ripped jeans hugged at my small curves . My hair just passing my shoulders, and my nails matched my sweater this time .

I approached Laurent he seemed more pleased to see me then his twin would be, maybe ?

"Come..We go now" He was smiling with his lips tucked inside of his mouth reaching out to me. I'd dismissed his hand reached, nothing to be rude about but I just didn't want people assuming unnecessary things.

"Ouch.." he whispered in a "false" hurt tone, mocking my actions but still seemed to laugh about it . We both walked side by side towards the elevator - once inside he pressed to floor eighteen just like last time . The difference from last time in the elevator was this time we weren't so close together.  He stood in front of me, eyes focus on the elevator numbers going up.

Once we arrived to the destined floor, we walked towards a different hotel room from before. It made sense that the twins wouldn't share the same room so I didn't question the fact. We got inside the room, it was decked out just like the lobby seemed to be bigger than Larry's room as well. There was no gold but sure enough there was a lot of decorative paintings and a huge king size bed that was placed in the middle of the room.

"Let's play a game Kiki" Laurent said as he jumped onto the bed, bouncing in the process .

"A game ?"

"Yeah a game"

So this is what he wanted  ? My mind drifted to sexual thoughts as it was just us alone , no Larry, nor Adelia in sight. There was an awkward silence between us , as my mind was in the gutter thinking of the dirtiest things that would happen if I participated in this game Laurent sat at the edgeof the bed. He'd stopped bouncing and as if in a serious manner, both arms on his knees , a smirk played on his lips as he sat hunched over .

"C'mon (come on) Kiki it will be fun~" Laurent said while stretching out his words , what harm could be done ?  I nodded my head in agreement, it was then his smirk turned into a smile growing  big as if compared to a happy child he shot  up on both feet moving off the bed and digging into his bookbag that laid flat on the bedside - I assumed it must've been his carryon . I watched him curiously, dirty thoughts filling my mind believing that this game would consider something sexual until i seen him whip out a deck of cards.  These cards reminded me of childhood, reminded me at how bad I was at the game to be honest. ..It was the dreadful game called UNO, the original version.

"You played before, no ?"  He  said to me , looking up to me while I stand , I moved my head in a up and down motion. He knew that meant 'yes'  - " come , take off your shoes. Come to the bed" he motioned his hand to the bed giving it a few pats before standing, I did as I was told taking off my shoes - "And coat... Kiki" he gestured. In honest truth, I was shy to take off my coat, I'm not too sure why... maybe it was because of my self consciousness of my own body or the clothes that I was wearing, I do not know , all I know was that I still did as I was told without hesitation.

I sat on the bed, where I sat across from Laurent whom sat with his legs folded. I decided to sit that way as well. There he began to discard seven cards between the both of us putting the rest of the deck on the side.

Laurent is innoncent at this point, just only wanted to play UNO with me and do nothing else made me feel relax, more comfortable . My body relaxed, getting more comfortable and turning my posture from straight to hunch, " so who goes first?" I questioned, he answered quickly " you" .

I looked at the seven cards that was held in my hands spread apart, all bad numbers, no 'draw 4' or 'reversal cards' just plain number '5,8,1,3,3,9,1' none were yellow, only blue, red and green. I pulled the first number on my left, the red one, number five, then it was Laurent's turn to draw, he immediately pulled out a 'draw 4 card' . There was a silence at first before Laurent began to giggle, an "ah" left his mouth while our eyes met, he knew I was going to lose. I drew four cards from the deck, numbers '4,3,7,1' another bad hand. I pulled the first number that matched the same color, number seven and sighed, Im gonna lose .

“Let's spice it up.." said Laurent, spice it up? I quickly responded, "spice it up" , he nodded his head up and down, a signed 'yes'.

"Spice it up how ?" I asked .

"If you lose .... you kiss me, if I lose I kiss you ."  He smirked at me which caused me to give out a small blush . A kiss? But where though? I thought to myself, I was nervous somewhat - about a kiss, or maybe about the fact we hardly knew eahother . I wasn't sure of my own thoughts .

"Where at though ?" I questioned,

"I no understand..." he responded, ofcourse he wouldn't understand as a kiss to him could mean automatically on the lips .

"Meaning, a kiss on the forehead or-"

"Lips ofcourse" he quickly cut me off , speaking in a tone that was easy to read as if saying duh' to me. In response I rolled my eyes. With  his cards still in his hands not once tilting them downwards, our eyes stayed on each other , Laurent must've read how I was feeling about this new "spice it up" thing because he, in response tucked his smile into his mouth before speaking once more . " okai (okay) ... lets make it easy . If you lose , you kiss me ... anywhere. If I lose, I kiss you... anywhere. Better ?"  The rules were simple, if one of us lost we would have to kiss the other person anywhere we'd like. I didn't know what to feel nor think about in this  situation, other than to simply agree to it . " yeah ... I think so " I responded, unsure on what to feel.

" I can't wait to lose" Laurent said, positioning himself in a more 'serious' matter , I didn't want to ask what would happen if one of us were to win because now the game was about a lose, lose situation. It did not matter on who won, it mattered on who lost and where the kiss would be planted . I need to lose .

Authors notes :

I made this chapter prettty lengthy, almost two thousand words which is a lot to me lol. I hope you guys like this one - I have not played UNO in ages . Also keep In mind the boys are still young so I wanted to play with the childish side of them like how they use to be when they were in their early 20's and would  bring their PlayStation and stuff like that with them on travels

[yeehawbisexualold]

It’s a Party in the USA

A Fourth of July AU written for CS AU week day 1: Holiday AU. America vs. Great Britain antics ensue.

The rivalry started when Killian first moved in three years ago. It was less than a week from the Fourth of July and he made an offhand comment about how he hoped she wasn’t as “into” the holiday as his buddy David.

Emma wasn’t. At least, not yet.

At the age of 15, it was the first holiday she celebrated with the Nolan family, her first taste of how all out the family went for holidays. Being the wholesome, all-American family they were and living in one of the thirteen original colonies no less, Independence Day was the holiday they did with the biggest bang. Mr. and Mrs. Nolan invited all of their close friends and the entire block to their patriotic, backyard BBQ extravaganza—red, white and blue decorations galore, meat from every American animal imaginable, all sorts of water activities, a bounce house and face paint for the youngsters, and fireworks, so many fireworks.

It was all a little overwhelming at first, the extravagance and grandeur, but it soon became something she looked forward to. For that reason, it became her favorite holiday. But she didn’t make a big deal about it. She didn’t put on as much fanfare as her adoptive family. She mostly just showed up and enjoyed the festivities.

“Actually, I am,” she told him, straight faced and with zero hesitation.

Her and Killian weren’t antagonistic with each other but they did enjoy a little it of conflict. They bantered well, argued better, and seemed to disagree with each other often enough to keep things… interesting.

She wasn’t about to let this little dig towards her country and her brother’s enthusiasm slide.

It escalated quickly after that.

The America vs. Britain argument was a constant debate. Emma would do a little extra for the holiday, dress a little more patriotic, hang up some streamers around the apartment. Killian would combat that by wearing a British flag shirt and humming God Save The Queen. It wasn’t just the holiday that brought tension though. No, that was a year long thing.

(“Why do you Americans put the month before the date? It doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s easier to say January 1st than the 1st of January.”

“Yet the holiday celebrating your country is the Fourth of July.”

“You mean the country celebrating our independence? The independence we gained from yours?”

He printed out a chart comparing the homicide levels and taped it to the fridge. The next day she printed out a chart comparing the number of Olympic gold medals.

 She poked fun at the stupidity of Brexit. He fired back when Trump was elected.) 

Most people would probably take prudence not to agitate a new relationship but she doesn’t intend to call a cease fire now that they’re together. If anything, she’s more determined than ever. She hopes he feels the same. Because this year, she has big plans. 

She gets up before Killian, a feat in of itself (slipping out of bed without alerting him and managing to wake before him.) She gives herself just enough time to decorate the apartment and set up her pranks before he joins her in the land of wakefulness. 

Sneaking back into their bedroom, she makes sure he’s still asleep and then places the portable speaker on the nightstand next to his head. Carefully, she drops one leg on either side of his hips, moving into the position of kneeling above him, hovering just enough to not make contact. 

Giddy off vindictiveness, she presses play on the remote and exceedingly enjoys the way he shoots up, eyes wild, startled awake by the sound of Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA. She blows into her party horn and smirks down at him.

His eyes narrow and his brows furrow, a mixture of annoyance and arousal, as he takes her in, sitting astride him I n a strapless corset, red and white striped with a square of blue with white stars over her right boob, and a pair of matching blue and white starred underwear. He looks to the speaker on the night stand, back to her, back at the speaker, and then back at her.

“Ok, you’ve had your fun. Will you please turn that off?” he asks, looking thoroughly put out.

“But it’s a Party in the USA,” she says, saccharine sweet, slowly moving her hips back and forth.

“This party would be a lot more fun with out the tunes.”

She pretends to consider it for a moment, running her hands up and down his bare chest, scratching her nails through his hair. “Mmm, no.”

“I’m sure I can figure out a way to convince you,” he growls before flipping her over so that she’s underneath him.

“You can try,” she giggles, pulling his mouth down to hers.

~

He shouts, completely horrified, from the bathroom. "Swan!“

“Yes?” She doesn’t really need an answer though. She’s sure he’s found the box of Twinnings tea dumped in the toilet.

“This is blasphemous! Sacrilegious!”

“I put tea in the toilet, Killian. I didn’t light a cross on fire then drop it on a pentagram.”

She calms him down enough to get in the shower, promising she’ll never waste perfectly good tea like that again, and then begins working on breakfast—white chocolate chip pancakes topped with strawberries and blueberries, with a side of iced tea.

“Something smells delicious,” he hums, coming up from behind and nuzzling her ear. He stops suddenly though when he realizes the additions she’s made to his favorite breakfast. “Really, Swan?”

“White chocolate for taste and the berries for healthiness.” She turns around and plants a kiss on his disgruntled mouth before stepping away to take a shower of her own.

“Why can’t the streamers be enough?” he grumbles to himself.

She sings cheerily along to Fifty Nifty United States as she scrubs herself with her apple pie body wash and smiles at the thought of him humming God Save The Queen or some other British anthem to himself in order to tune her out. Surely he can’t be feeling to joyous what with the way he’s scrubbed the words “England Sucks” off the bathroom mirror.

It’s Emma’s turn to be irked when she steps out of the bathroom to find him standing in a full British flag suit.

“No. Absolutely not,” she says clutching the towel to herself and shaking her head.

“Come on, love. You didn’t think you were the only one with a bit of naughtiness up your sleeve, now did you?” He’s smirking and his eyes are alight with mischief.

“I hope David kicks your ass.”

She dresses in a red and white stripped dress, blue flipflops, and little star earings—something she had thought would be patriotic enough but pales in comparison to Killian’s obnoxious suit. She ties a red and white polka dot bandana around her head and flexes her arm at him.

“Ready to go?” she asks and he simply kisses her bicep and nods.

When she steps back into the living room she finds images of famous British figures taped all over the walls—the queen, The Beatles, David Beckham, J.K. Rowling, Freddie Mercury, Princess Diana,  Jane Austen along with the cover of Emma, even One Direction. She clenches her fists and breathes in deeply in an effort to not rip the pictures off the wall and shove them in his mouth.

“I love watching you suppress your violent antics,” he whispers in her ear. She hadn’t realized he was so close behind her and she shivers. “But I think I’m even fonder of when you let them happen.”

“I’ll show you violence,” she grumbles, stomping out the front door.

He laughs aloud when he sees his car. With red and blue window paint, she wrote ‘Merica, football, independence, tea sucks, a U with a line through it, and drew a picture of an American flag.

“Just how early did you get up, love?”

“Early enough.”

He makes her listen to British patriotic songs on the way to her brother and his wife’s home but he gets his Karma when David pushes his fully clothed ass in the pool. She feels slightly bad for laughing when he presents her with a swan water float. The feeling doesn’t last very long though because she later overhears him bragging about all of the musical talents to originate in Britain.

“We have Beyonce, you dumbass,” she says before spraying him in the back of the head with a super soaker filled with red Kool-Aid.

The party goes on like that with the two of them bickering back and forth, most people content to just watch the entertainment they provide but David takes Emma’s side and Robin joins Killian in ragging America.

Everything calms once the fireworks begin. David and Mary Margaret’s house has a pretty good view of Boston’s Fourth of July firework show so everyone sits and watches from the backyard.

“How expensive do you think it would be to rent an orchestra to wake you up next year?” she asks, as she sits tucked into his side on a blanket in the grass.

“I don’t know but I’m sure we can budget for it if you promise you’ll be wearing that lovely outfit to wake me up again.”

“I’ll consider it.”

But who is she kidding? Of course, she’ll wear it again.

[infinitysdecendants76730]

Infinity’s Descendants- Becoming La Reine de la Mort

“New Beginnings?”

My breath all but left me when I looked up. A tall dark haired man was staring directly at me. His glance was holding me as surely as Cassius’ hands hands were. “Cassius let me go” I say, certain my voice was barely above a whisper.  I haven’t felt like this since Jean-Laurent asked for my hand in marriage. 

“The council shall deliberate in consideration of this newborn and will convene once an agreement has been reached” one of the members announced. He stood and whispered something in the ear of the dark haired gentleman. Then and only then did his eyes part from mine. He began looking at Cassius and my sister. I looked over at Celeste and was pleased when I saw her look away from him. Her eyes almost always betray her before her words or actions do.

The council left the room and for the first time since I left with Cassius I felt like I could let my guard down. I felt something wet on my hand and looked down. The blood from the wound in my arm was dripping onto the floor. My entire body was aching but I knew I could not show it, not yet.

“Mariana, please help the newborn clean herself up” he said. A girl near Céleste, Mariana I presume, hurried my way nonchalantly stepping over each of the men I had slain. “Please follow me” she said as she walked past me. I followed her out of the room and down a wide, long hallway. I have no idea who she is but I can tell that she is someone of importance because as we walked several people stepped aside so she could pass and a few even bowed. She took me to the bathing chamber. “We have no clothing such as what you were wearing when you arrived but perhaps we can find you something else to wear once you are cleaned up?” I didn’t respond. I was too tired and the loss of blood was making me slightly lightheaded. “You know you were truly brilliant out there for a-” “newborn?” I finished her sentence, looking her in the eyes. I think I made her uncomfortable and I got the sense that uncomfortable is a feeling that she hadn’t experienced in quite some time. “Je suis vraiment desole. I have shown zero etiquette. I am sure you have a name and would prefer to be called by it.” Although rather presumptuous she seems like she would actually be pleasant.  “Je m’appelle Mariana, what is your name?” “Azazelle” I said as I tended to my worst wound. “Please Azazelle, let me help you” A piece of the blade was still in my arm positioned in such a way that my trying to remove it was only causing me more pain. “I insist” I relinquished my arm to her “This may hurt a bit” She was right. The pain was excruciating until the shard was removed. “Here’s the culprit” She dropped the shard of metal into my hand with a smile. “Thank you. I was not trying to be difficult. I am used to doing everything myself. I’ve been on my own for a while” When I looked up at her she was eyeing her finger strangely. Slowly it was moving towards her lips. She took a deep breath and wiped my blood on a nearby towel. “Really? With your abilities I assumed you had someone who trained you” she replied not skipping a beat. “I have not had any training but I will take that as a compliment” I began to put my shirt back on “Oh no, no, no you absolutely cannot wear that. It is bloody and tore to pieces” She took the shirt from me and I couldn’t help but laugh because it reminded me of the conversations Celeste and I often had. My laugh put her a little more at ease and cute some of the tension in the room. Her nails tapped the porcelain tub as she contemplated something. “I have an idea” She handed me the shirt “Put this back on, only for now” she stressed “and come with me, after this we shall return to the others” She grabbed my hand and led me down another hallway. She pushed the doors open to a beautiful room.  “Those two armoires over there are full of dresses. Pick whichever you like and I will help you get dressed” Begrudgingly I began looking through the dresses.

 

I picked a dress that I could have sworn I had seen before. I couldn’t place where I had seen it but I knew I had. After the usual struggle I’ve always had putting on dresses Mariana turned me so I faced the mirror. “Mon dieu, it fits even better on you than it does myself” My eyes meet hers in the mirror. “Ce sont vos vetements?” She laughed at me “Of course they are my clothes. Whom else would they belong to?” I give myself a look over. The dress is actually quite flattering. My breasts looked painted and my waist has never appeared smaller.

“Ah, there you are. We were just finishing up. Doesn’t this dress look amazing?” said Mariana. I look back into the mirror and just barely see who it is she is talking to before she spins me back around. “It does. One I had made for you is it not?” he asked. “Mhm” she replied. “I cannot say I have ever seen you wearing it” he said to her. His eyes were still on me but she was busy playing with the fabric of my dress, excuse me, her dress. “I wore it to a ball but you were away on business. Tell me again who you commissioned to make this? We must employee them again!” She ran her hands down my sides making sure the fabric was laying flat. “It was a dressmaker from Marseille. Mariana, perhaps we can finish this conversation later. The council is ready to reconvene. If you will rejoin the others I will escort her”

 

He walked me back into the room. Everything had been cleaned up and the marble was spotless. “What is your name?” a man asked me. “Azazelle” I replied. He smiled at me like a proud father.

“We have come to an agreement that this newborn shall be placed in the Brézé coven and belong to The House of Léon” Marrius’ announcement caused quite a bit of commotion in the room. I heard sighs of relief, murmurs of disapproval, and even a couple of cheers. One thing was certain was that Lasko was elated.

“We shall remain here for two more nights then we will head home. It is a long journey back to Léon; get some rest, let your wounds heal” Lasko placed a consoling hand on my shoulder.  “Anything you need will be at your disposal” 

I looked around for Mariana but she was nowhere in sight. I only saw him. With a bloody bandaged arm and no changing room in sight I only had one option.  “Excuse me sir” I said as I tapped his shoulder. He turned to me and my mouth went dry. “I am terribly sorry to interrupt, do you know of somewhere that I can clean myself up” I lifted my arm so he could see the blood soaked bandage. “Of course. Have you been shown your living quarters whilst you will be staying here?” He asked. “Not yet” all of this is going to take some getting used to. “I will take you to your room.”

He and I exchanged glances as we silently walked through the marble corridors.  “Apres-vous” he smiled at me. The room was not as big as the one Mariana had took me to earlier but it was a damn sight better than that dungeon Cassius kept me in. “It should be equipped with everything you need. There will be someone who stops by tonight to ensure that your accommodations are suitable to your liking.  If you need anything outside of what has already been provided please do not hesitate to inform them. They will provide you with anything you need.” “Thank you” i replied as i looked around the room. “Wait, before you go” He turned back to face me. “Where do I return the dress to” He looked me up and down, drinking me in like he did in the mirror. “Keep it. It is a beautiful dress and you look beautiful in it. Trust me, she will not miss it” he replied. “Well thank you” I started unwrapping my bandage and noticed he was still standing in the door way “Forgive me, did I forget something?” “No nothing” I could see his gears turning as he regarded me. “There is a bit of a social gathering tonight. You should attend if you feel up to it. I cannot imagine that you were able to make many friends being on your own like you were. I figured it would be a good chance for you to get to know some of us before you have to leave” A party? Only a few hours ago these people were sitting around to watch someone try to kill me and now they want me to join them at a party? “Thank you for the invitation” He nodded at me and closed the door after he exited.

 

From the noise it seemed everyone had gathered in the great room. I had never seen anything like it before. They were eating and drinking. Some glasses were filed with spirits others blood. Two men approached me. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” One asked. He was clad in all white and was extremely handsome with dark hair and dark eyes. “Shh Ten not so loud. We don’t want the others to hear us. N would kill us if he saw us talking to her” This one was just as handsome but seemed to be more of a standout. His garb was more festive and his hair was bright red. “Who is N and who are the two of you?” After everything that had happened today their close proximity and enthusiasm made me uncomfortable. “My name is Ten and he is Ronin. We are members of the Cavelieri Bianchi.” The dark haired one replied. “You are Cava-who?” I had never heard of such an organization before. “Cavalieri Bianchi. We’re in the same outfit that Ravi is in” replied Ronin. “The guy in white that you were fighting” added Ten. “Right. I don’t want any trouble okay, I am just trying to get cleaned up and get some food” The last thing I want to do in this dress is fight. “We aren’t here for that. You were amazing please tell us who trained you!” Ronin said excitingly. “No one I-” *ahem* “Ronin. Ten.  Thought I warned you about fraternizing with strays” A slender, tall, dark haired man wearing a rather large hat was standing there. “You must be N I presume” I said dryly. “That presumption would be correct. I am not at all impressed by your little show at the hearing. These walls may grant you protection for a short period but our paths will not always cross in circumstances such as these. Remember that. Furthermore, that dress and those shoes do not match.” He walked passed me and brushed my shoulder. “Ten. Ronin. Let’s go”

Hopefully my night would not be full of encounters such as that one. I contemplated if I should stay. I knew no absolutely one. Marianna had been kind but she was just following orders. I desperately wished Cele was here. I always felt comfortable with her, no matter what situation we were in. As I scanned the faces in the room I wondered if she and Cassius were still here somewhere. 

 

I had begun to feel weak. I had lost a lot of blood and hadn’t fed in quite some time. I made my way through the room past all sorts of small gatherings of vampires in search of somewhere to rest for a bit. I had a spot in sight when a delectable scent all but stopped me in my tracks. My body was pulled, almost against my will, to the source of it. A golden pitcher full of thick beautiful blood. “May I?” I asked the man holding the pitcher.  “Of course mademoiselle” he handed me a glass and was about to pour my drink when the man to whom Marianna referred to as Jareth back in her chambers placed his hand atop of the pitcher. “Please Athan, Allow me” he said smoothly. He gave Athan a nod and he mingled back into the crowd.

“Funny is it not?” He poured me a glass and topped off his as well. “What’s that?” I replied before sipping from my glass. I had only intended on taking a small sip but I could feel my strength being replenished as a drank and I could not help myself.Almost off of my drink was gone before he replied. “It is funny that you know my name and I yours yet we haven’t been formally introduced. I came over here to fix that...My name is Jareth” “Azazelle” “It is pleasure meeting you, Azazelle” he smiled and bowed. “I do not know where you are from Jareth but where I am from it is unkind to stare” He smiled and deep dimples greeted me. “My apologies. It is just that as I stated earlier, you look wonderful in that dress” A small smirk flashed across his lips for just a brief moment and i Felt my cheeks flush. Is he flirting with me or am i just reading too much into his friendliness. It has been so long I feel I have lost the art of flirting. “Merci Monsieur Jareth” I poured myself another glass in efforts to keep him from causing my cheeks to flush again. He watched me briefly as I drank then spoke. “Would you like to join the rest of us?” He gestured to the section of the room where Marianna, Athan and several others were sitting. “We would all love to get to know more about you. Plus there is plenty more to drink over there” I looked at the group and back at Jareth. “What say you?” I took one more glance at the group and saw a girl laying in Athans arms. When I looked at Jareth he was smiling, just enough for his fangs to peek over his lips. This man was unbearably handsome and I do not think he fully understood the effects he had on others. Suddenly an agonizing longing pained my heart. A longing for my beloved Jean Laurent. “Thank you for the invitation. I truly do appreciate it but I think I am going to return to my chambers. Some rest will do me well” I must admit, I was rather pleased by the slight look of disappointment on his face. “Very well then. Bon soir Azazelle” he said softly. “Bon soir Jareth”

There was a knock on my door that caused me to jump. I grabbed the closest thing to me that I could use as a weapon. “May I enter? It is I, Lasko” he said cautiously. “You may enter” I did not put my weapon down but my grip did loosen. “How are you feeling my darling?” He stood before me with his hands clasped behind his back. I couldn’t help but stare at the ruby necklace around his neck the firelight was thinking in the jewels. He looked royalty. “I am well, thank you” I was still uncomfortable with this whole situation and Lasko could sense it. “Are you truly well Azazelle? You are part of House Léon now and as Head of said house it is my duty. To ensure that all of its members are properly cared for” he swiftly stepped towards me, took a knee and placed his hands on my knee. “Especially you my dear” The way he looked up at me made me think of how father used to look at Céleste sand I. “So if you at any time need anything please let me know. You have my word that i will he you whatever it is that you need” he spoke with such conviction that I felt he knew I would not believe him and he was trying to will me to do so. « Vous avez dit surtout moi. Pourquoi? »

“Do you know why you are here Azazelle?” He asked. “You like how I fight and you want me to join your death dealers, right?” This was no time for modesty, the truth was the truth in this instance. “I not only want you to join them. I want you to train them” he replied. “Train them?” I gulped. I never expected this. “Yes. You see there was an incident in which we lost several of our death dealers, not to other vampires but to mortals, and I fear that we lost them not because of a lack of capabilities but from a lack of training. Since it’s creation, our house has not really been known for its strength and power like Giovanni-Montoire and House Dei Guerrieri. To be quite frank we are actually regarded as the weak house that everyone has to save. You my dear are going to change all of that” his following grin was sinister. “We will be here one more day then we will travel back home. Please get as much rest as you need and remember I am only one request away”

 

After Lasko left my chambers i forced myself to sleep. Unfortunately, my slumber lasted only a short while. Stuck yet again inside a room, I started doing what I was accustomed to, training. I practiced my striking patterns and my footwork but after awhile my thirst my began affecting my concentration.  I decided try to find Lasko or Mariana. Perhaps one of them could show me where I could feed.  The house was stunning, paintings covered the walls. The tapestries were unlike anything I had ever seen they must’ve been from centuries ago and the drapes were the deepest shade of black drawn with golden ropes. There were a set of closed double doors at the end of the hallway I was walking down. I could hear chatter behind them so I figured I would check to see who it was that was behind them. Once at the doors I the voice Lasko. I opened the doors and my eyes felt as though someone had thrown acid in them. Instinctively I lifted my hand to shield my face and I heard the flesh of my hand sizzle. I dropped to the floor and tried my best to move out of the light. “Jareth help her” Lasko shouted.

My eyes were screwed shut but I knew that it was Jareth who had lifted me up and was taking me back to my chambers. The door opened with a loud thud and the next thing I knew I was being sat on the bed. My eyes still hurt too bad for me to open them but I could hear him rummaging around. “Did you walk down that hallway alone?” He asked from across the room. “Yes, why?” I groaned, unsure why that information was necessary. “Lay down” I am going to lay something across your eyes, it will help. It smelled like an ointment of some kind. “Relax here, I am going to get a bandage for your hand; We are also going to change the one on your arm. Do not remove the cloth from your eyes or the damage will be permanent” The ointment was soothing so I relaxed into the bed.

 

“Is she in there or not?” someone shouted. “Ravi, I am sorry. I have orders. No one in except Jareth” As soon as I heard Ravi’s name I pulled the cloth from my face and prepared for a fight. To my surprise when the door opened Jareth was the only one who entered and Ravi seemed to be nowhere in sight. “For a soldier you certainly don’t listen to orders” he said with a curious look on his face. “How do your eyes feel? Are you still in pain?” he said as he sat beside me. “May I?” A nod was all I could manage.  He softly placed his hand on the side of my face and began to inspect my eyes. “Look up...Down...Left annnd right. Hmm, c’est inhabituel” he sounded puzzled and worried. “What is it? What’s wrong?” I could see fine but the worry in his voice made me fear that i was going to go blind. I dont want to spend eternity not being able to see. “Nothing, that is the unusual bit. I left you a mere 30 minutes ago at most. This ointment takes a minimum of 3 hours for most to even begin feeling any type of relief” he replied running his thumb lightly over each of my eyebrows. “Oh” I replied softly. I cleared my throat and moved back on the bed so the hand of his that was still on my cheek fell. “May I see your arm? That bandage desperately needs to be changed” His eyes widened as he unraveled the bandage. The deep gash I had in my arm had nearly healed. In fact you could barely tell it was a gash at all, it resembled more of a bad scratch. “This was completely open just two days ago” Again I had no response for him. To me this was normal. Since I was turned my wounds had always healed at this speed. To think it was uncommon never crossed my mind. “I suppose your hand doesn’t need much tending to either?” He asked with a smile. “Probably not” I smiled back. Jareth took my hand anyways and gave it a once over. “That’s a beautiful ring you have there. From someone special to you I presume?” He softly sat my hand back on my leg. “Yes” I replied. “Je comprend” He stood to take his leave and oddly i did not want him to go. He put me at ease in this world full of strangers. “If you’ll excuse me, I have other business to attend to but should you need anything” “I know, I need only request it” I had heard this sentence almost as much as I heard people referring to me as ‘The newborn’. It was certainly something that I would not forget. “Exactement. Later this evening you will be brought as much blood as you need to satisfy your thirst. I know that it spoils the fun of the hunt but as you now know hunting in our territory is violation of Camorra rules” This was not a joke to him, any lightheartedness he may have had whilst we were conversing earlier was gone. “Oui, very well aware of that now. Thank you....Thank you for everything, really” I wanted to embrace him and decided against it. “You are welcome Azazelle. I truly was a pleasure meeting you. I wish you the best of luck in your house” He bowed and took his exit, leaving me with nothing but my thoughts and the loud silence of my room.

Lasko and I were now leaving Giovanni-Montoire in the dead of the night and I hadn’t had a chance to inquire of Cassius nor my sisters whereabouts. I wouldn’t dare ask Lasko. I wasn’t going to chance the possibility of someone linking me with Céleste or Cassius. Hopefully she would speak to me again as she did the night of the hearing and we could devise a plan to meet again. “This ride is long. I advise that you slumber for when we arrive the assignment begins” said Lasko.

House was a poor choice fo words to describe the structure we were pulling up to. It was absolutely breathtaking.

 

The sun highlighted every little detail in the masonry and architecture. The horseshoe staircase was unlike anything i had ever seen as well. The sheer size of this place was massive and to think the whole place was full of vampires baffled me. Cassius and Céleste are the only vampires I had ever known of until that horrible night when i was attacked. “She’s beautiful isn’t she?” Asked Lasko. “Oui, c’est magnifique” I couldn’t believe I’d be living here.

The carriage came to a stop. “Welcome home Azazelle. Shall we go inside?” He extended me his hand but i drew back into the corner of the carriage. My last bout with the sun didn’t go so well and i was certainly in no hurry to face it again. “Everything will be alright. Your tolerance for sunlight is abnormally high for a newborn of your stature” he said patiently. “How can you say that? I was burned severely by the sunlight in that room” I tucked my knees as far a into my chest as I could. Just the thought of those burns gave me chills. “That may be so but you have rode most of this journey in the daylight and have been minimally effected. Come out of the carriage. We will walk under an umbrella” I took a look around the carriage, the dark curtains were drawn and sunlight was softly shining through the sheer curtain. My eyes had been stinging but it was nothing like it was when i walked into that room, how could this be? “Azazelle please, trust me.”

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Naples, Italy and Kushiro, Japan Rock Painting

Obtain Your Style Concerns Clarified Here

It doesn't issue your identiity if you've living in today's planet, simply being less than trendy could make you really feel substandard. That is because your idea of design could be warped from what you've been open to in the press. Read on for a series of recommendations that may lead you to trend, no matter what your personal design.

It is best to individual a black colored kind of jeans within a easy textile. When you match it by using a everyday leading, try on some those for any casual situation. Try on some a similar set of trousers for any more professional event in case your set it with a more silk top with sparkly jewellery.

Purchase various precious jewelry pieces. You will always have something that complements your clothing if you have a good number of colors and styles. After this you is not going to need to worry about getting precious jewelry to fit every attire that you just purchase. Believe variety and you will have a couple of choice for an attire.

Don't forget to go up a dimensions whether it indicates achieving the excellent in shape. It could be quite stressful whenever you put on your common dimensions only to find it doesn't suit. Don't fret! Measurements change from designer brand to logo and designer brand to company, it is therefore completely ok to increase a sizing through your typical sizing.

There are actually virtually endless possibilities for hair accessories. Pick from a variety of headbands and your hair ties to complement your look. Your clothing collection ought to have most of these goods. In order to seem athletic, put on an athletic suit plus a matching ponytail owner, as an example. A night out necessitates the perfect complementing headband.

For the skinnier but trendy appear, conceal individuals extra pounds by using a dark blouse donned over dim trousers or a dark skirt. This will cover up your look in order that you will not be emphasizing bulges. Also, stretchy waistbands for your personal skirt offers more comfort and ease.

If you see your nail shine has become also heavy, tend not to despair. Try including several drops of acetone centered shine remover in the package. Shake, and view the uniformity. Keep on to accomplish this right up until it is useable yet again. You may lengthen the use of your polish, and cut costs in the process.

If you like form fitted clothes, it is crucial to be aware what components and colors merge together, and definately will maintain their make up the best. This is certainly significant because if you get an unacceptable mix, not merely the attire will possibly get out of design, but it may be not comfortable as well.

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Figure out how to appropriately look after your outfits. When you have apparel or clothes you peer wonderful in, you wish to always keep seeking wonderful within them. Discover what special care guidelines they may have for laundry, drying out or dried out cleaning up. Also, discover what you have that will get warped from dangling, and look for area in your dresser for these people alternatively.

When searching for classic clothing, don't make presumptions in line with the dimension around the tag. So avoid some disappointments by generally trying goods on before purchasing them, a dimension 8 inside the 1950s satisfies in different ways when compared to a contemporary size 8. After you get yourself a feel for how styles have altered through the years, you will have a better notion of what to look for.

Sporting bangs is a straightforward method to conceal a fairly big forehead, but it fails to look nice if you have one that is significantly too big for your personal deal with. The best way to lessen a huge brow would be to use an asymmetrical bang which is not very full.

One fashion suggestion to take into consideration is it is a good idea to combine prints within a elegant fashion. If you maintain the shades the identical, or when you have one particular dominating print that is highlighted by yet another small a single, this can be accomplished well. This is the best way to seem bold with out going overboard.

A lot of people will not discover how to put on a jacket appropriately, and it causes them to be appearance silly. You have to wear it correctly to check good if you are going to activity a coat. You must be aware that the base button around the shirt is just not intended to be buttoned. This may keep you from carrying out a fashion combine up.

There is certainly no problem with inquiring your pals to use their garments. You can use their garments to find out what kind of closet may well look healthy. In case a friend's fashion is good for you and also if you feel comfy switching your existing style, this is a great way to see.

It is a great idea to combine prints inside a tasteful design. Which is one trend suggestion to take into consideration. If you keep the shades exactly the same, or if you have one superior produce that may be highlighted by yet another small one particular, you can do this effectively. This is a terrific way to appear striking without the need of proceeding over the top.

Developing a lip that pouts is a seem that women achieve these days. You must have some shimmer gloss if you would like this appear. Apply your gloss on the underside, best and middle of the mouth to have the outcome that you might want. This is an easy way to bring your fashion to the next level.

You have to have no less than three handbags in your clothing. The 1st bag needs to be a standard, a leather ladies handbag with timeless collections for each day wear. The following bag needs to be a huge tote-fashion bag to make use of on all those everyday times if you want to go and get. You need to possess a little clutch for people special events.

When choosing a shirt or cover, you need to take note of the variety of control buttons. The buttons on a coat jacket should never go over a few. In addition, a coat with a few control keys ought to just have the best-most switch buttoned. It becomes an simple key to acquire that will help you stay searching trendy throughout the day.

Trend doesn't have to be an apparently unachievable objective. It could be perplexing, and you might not make sure you are acquiring all this "appropriate." Design tends to make everybody exclusive. Keep on to learn about design and remember this advice.

Gain A Better Knowledge Of The Picture taking Planet

Picture taking can be a wonderful art. No truly, it may be. When it comes to getting far better photos and demonstrating some ability in the effective use of a variety of strategies to create your images stand out, it is truly a beautiful factor. To start out learning some fundamentals regarding steps to make this meet your needs, make reference to the tips below.

Be discerning in regards to the elements that you use in your photograph. Just get rid of everything from the image that doesn't should be there or definitely makes the frame appear to be unbalanced. Use panning photographs that make your subject in emphasis but blur the backdrop when you can't remove all unwelcome disruptions from your shot.

Ensure you possess a focal point for the photograph. This ought to be first of all , the viewer's vision is interested in. Whether or not it's a rose, somebody, or possibly a pet bird, every picture you have must have a specific focal point. Don't only think about what the focal point is, but discover the ideal position for it within the photo.

A great digital photography hint is don't get carried apart with finding the most recent and finest gear. Technology is always boosting and except if you're a millionaire, it's just not realistic to think about having the latest equipment. Make very good usage of everything you have.

Make sure you retain the camera appropriately. Positioning the digital camera effectively cuts down on the chance an inopportune movements remains your shot. Support the camera along with your hands near your body and also the palm of your hand under the digicam to avoid your camera from slipping or trembling.

An incredible taking photos tip would be to just play with it. Don't be scared of attempting out interesting things. Attempt to light-weight your issue in different ways or seize it from your new angle. Trying out new things like this will help to you retain a creative and refreshing perspective.

Do not take advantage of the display over a video camera except if you will be in a deeper place. Employing a flash outside inside a place that previously provides extensive light-weight will simply make your picture emerge way too brilliant. Some digital cameras have an automatic flash environment so that your video camera knows as soon as the display is necessary.

When snapping shots panoramas, keep in mind guideline of thirds which would be to always keep a single-thirdly or two-thirds in the image because the sky or the foreground. This will offer the photo a lot more depth plus a a lot more remarkable seem. It becomes an effortless idea for starters to follow and definitely will come up with a huge difference in the appearance of the photos.

An incredible digital photography suggestion is to talk to as much photography lovers as you can to discover their tricks. Studying all on your own is a wonderful course, but it's usually useful to hear about the other professional photographers are doing. You could learn understated tips that could really increase your photographs.

An excellent photography tip that will help you is always to require a take a step back out of your job occasionally. Just before might abruptly appear appealing to you, a picture you possibly will not have like. It's crucial to take a step back through your function so that you can also have a whole new viewpoint.

You should be speedy! Work towards your reflexes so that you can take more quickly photographs! You have to get speedy along with your products, even though it will require process. Don't let a as soon as inside a life-time chance pass you by because you were actually active fumbling with situations and hats. Get easily transportable video camera storage space that will supply easy accessibility.

A good image must seize only an element of some thing. You do not need to get a spectacular perspective when you can find the correct depth saying everything. You must discover ways to search for an issue that will speak with folks and convey the which means you are interested in.

Just like it is suggested to have an designer to hold some pieces of paper along with a composing utensil upon them at all times, a professional photographer should keep a digital camera about them way too. You never know every time a photograph opportunity will present by itself, so you ought to be prepared always.

A great photography suggestion is to not ignore understanding the basic principles. You need to at the very least know them first if you wish to crack the principles. With no knowledge of basic principles you're carrying out oneself as well as your work an excellent disservice. You can learn about taking photos by just seeking the world wide web.

Relocate nearer to your subject matter. When you location one thing you'd love to go on a image of, click a shot. Then relocate much closer and take a better picture. It helps the viewer appreciate and recognize your picture for those who have your topic load the structure. When getting the snapshot, consistently move better till you are sure your picture will stand for this issue.

Endeavor to get an intriguing thing in the foreground of the landscaping pictures you take. Products which can be used add a tree division or possibly a modest rock. This helps the one who is exploring the image sense even closer to the niche.

A tripod is an excellent resource that will assist you get high quality images. Any minor jiggle or jitter will likely be seen in case you are taking reduced-velocity or productive images. A tripod solves blurring problems keeping your camera flawlessly still. Should your tripod is nice, the photos show up much more specialist and eliminates any undesired effects.

Before taking it, take into account the purpose of the picture. Occasionally you need top to bottom photographs, as well as other instances side to side photos are far better. Photo editing and enhancing application can invariably accomplish this for you, but it's easier to figure out how to help make your photos look fantastic when you drive them as opposed to spending hrs editing later on.

Before you begin stepping into taking pictures routinely that you entirely understand how the digital camera functions and what it really is which is not capable of doing, make certain that. When you are fiddling together with your camera from not enough knowing how it operates, you are able to skip plenty of photo prospects, photography is centered on timing and.

This info will truly assist you to gain far better experience with digital photography. You will enjoy getting far better-searching pictures, and will help save plenty of extra time. This information can help you with many different areas of digital photography, so use it to use right now and find out the amazing improvements it could offer. painting rock ideas

[robertsneagle]

50 Ideas to Organize Your Home

When you have a home, you have a need for home organization. Fact is, we all have “stuff”. And “stuff”, can end up slowing down our day, and ruffling our feathers in the evening. “Stuff” quickly becomes clutter, and who wants that?

If you have stacks of papers that belong no where, crazy and chaotic mornings, or lost car keys, check out these easy ideas.

 Evenings/Mornings:

1. This one is pretty self explanatory… Lay our everything you are going toneed in the morning the night before, and teach your kids to do the same. Photo below by ‘BHG‘.

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2. Have a central area for purses, keys and your wallet. Always put it there. Always.

3. Set out everything for breakfast that is non refrigerated, right down to the spoons. Obviously, this means knowing whats for breakfast the night before. No stops at Krispy Kreme, ok?

  4. Write up a daily to do list for the next morning on your smart phone and put priority items first. Move items from today that didn’t get done into tomorrows list. Update your calendar. We like an app called “Cozi“. It has the capability to handle your whole families activities, and you can even keep your grocery list there. This calendar lets each family member share with one, two or all other members what their schedule is. It can also send you email reminders, like for trash day. Oh, and it’s free. Photo by ‘Container Store‘.

  5. Go get gas, pick up the first graders cupcakes, or get that pencil sharpener that your high schooler can never seem to find. Don’t put off errands ’till morning when everything is busy.

     Bathrooms:

6. Keep your bathroom paraphernalia out of sight when not in use. Buy a plastic carry all with a handle on top, or a pretty basket. Put all of your make up, deodorant, hair spray, razors, etc. into the container and place under the counter. Bring it out when you need it, then always put it right back underneath.

  7. Shower caddies are essential for keeping the shampoos, conditioner, face scrubs and specialty in-shower treatments from taking over the whole space.  (Guilty.) This one is from ‘The Container Store‘.

  8. Squeegee your shower doors after every single shower. Keeping the squeegee right in the shower makes that easier. Add a little suction cup hook if you need. If you have a shower curtain, use a daily shower spray to keep clean up from being impossible when you finally get around to a whole bathroom cleaning.

9. A strip of magnetic tape (any craft store) or a magnetic knife holder can help keep items like nail clippers, tweezers and scissors handy.

10. Use those wasted corners and awkward space to put in a freestanding cabinet to add storage. Photo by ‘BHG‘. Remember to repurpose to save bucks, paint is everything!

  11. Once a month, go through your bathroom cupboards and drawers and throw away old or ineffective products you never use.

12. Roll your towels and use them as decor tucked into pretty baskets on piled on a bench.  Check out our post on DYSS on DIY bathroom towel storage! Photo by ‘BHG“.

  13. Use wall hooks for hanging towels, robes and clothing. Behind the door is a great way to use wasted space.

14. Use drawer organizers for makeup, jewelry, ponytail holders, and other loose items. Or make your own. Try our post on budget make up storage for ideas.

15. Use pretty floating shelves to add storage above the toilet, and add value to the room. Need tutorials? DIY floating shelves.

16. Use a timer in each bathroom, and use it… This is great for getting out the door on time, AND getting teenagers out of the shower.

  Closet:

17. Place color separate baskets in your closet for laundry,  and one for dry cleaning. This will save you time sorting clothes, and you will always know when you have enough colors for a full load.

  18. If you haven’t worn it in a year, donate it. Goodwill and some other charities even take worn out clothes, as it employs people while they are redirected to recyclers.

19. Sort your clothes by season, and only keep the present season in your closet. Pack out of season clothes away in an under bed storage container. DIY under bed storage ideas!

20. Put your clothes in categories that work for you. Color, formality, type or office wear are good places to start. This will save you time putting together outfits, and save you money from re-purchasing items you didn’t remember you had, as they were buried in the closet… somewhere. Inevitably to make their re-appearance right after the return window on your new item has expired.

21. Recycle wire hangers. Clothes simply slide off of them to the floor. Get velvet hangers at Costco to hold even the slinkiest silk dress. Or make your own with this tutorial on no slip hangers by Diane from ‘In My Own Style’.

  22. Use a system for hanging scarves and belts. Shoving them in a drawer is no good for anyone.

23. Use a shoe rack. Rotate out of season shoes just the way you rotate out of season clothes. No reason for six pairs of leather boots to bury all your cute sandals in July.

24. Use hooks on any closet wall space to hang purses, jackets, and accessories. Photo by ‘HGTV‘.

  25. Use vacuum sealed bags to store out of season clothes in a tight space. Just don’t use this method on delicate fabrics, as the wrinkles could become permanent.

  Kitchen:

26. Organize your kitchen cabinets into categories. Make sure your cups are near the fridge so you can easily pour that afternoon juice, and your utensil drawer is near the dishwasher so you don’t have to make ten trips across the kitchen. Pots and pans? Near the stove. Kids plates? On a lower shelf so they can get to them without calling you from the first bath you have had in a month. Getting it?

  27. Keep whatever you use for a pantry immaculate. No where does clutter make more of a mess than with food.  Try our post on organizing your pantry.

28. Add a kitchen island to a small kitchen to increase storage and prep space. No worries, we’ve got that covered for you too. DIY kitchen islands, and more DIY kitchen islands! Want some more? Try this DIY rolling kitchen island from Jen at ‘House of Wood’!

  29. Use an inexpensive plastic lazy-susan in the back of deep cupboards, so you never forget whats hiding back there!

30. Try to store tupperware in a drawer rather than a shelf, as that way you will always be able to find a matching lid.

31. Only keep things on the counter you use often. We only keep the Vita Mix and the Keurig on the counter, even the toaster goes in the pantry and gets brought out daily when needed. And if I could convince my other half, the Vita Mix would go under the counter too! (Not the Keurig folks, at this very minute I’m sipping its second offering of the day.)

32. Do you have cards and scraps of paper with scribbled recipes on them? I don’t even care if they are printed from your computer, time to come into the 21st century people. “Evernote” is a free app, where you can take photos of each recipe with your phone or tablet, add them and even organize them into folders. (Thanks to reader Karen for this tip!)

33. Have a whole closet full of plastic grocery store bags? Tuck 10-20 into one or two bags to hang onto, then recycle your plastic bags folks!

34. Keep your fridge clean. Every time you go to the grocery store, make sure to clean out the old food and toss. Rotate older food into the front so it is used up first. Try these 7 steps to an organized fridge. Jessica at ‘Four Generations, One Roof‘ uses containers to hold containers in her fridge. Love this idea!

  Kid’s Room:

35. Hang a hoop over a laundry basket for slam-dunking dirty clothes.

36. Or, place a two-compartment hamper in your kid’s room so he or she can sort light clothes from dark clothes as they undress.

37. Use poster putty in your child’s room and have your child display his or her favorite artwork all on one wall, gallery style.

38. Hang a net from the ceiling to store stuffed animals, dolls, or action figures.

39. Add wall mounted bookshelves and help your child organize their books. Make sure you remember if you place a large bookshelf in a child’s room, bolt it to the wall for safety. Need ideas? Try our post at DYSS on creative bookshelf projects.

40. Buy the kids their own alarm clocks and teach them how to get up on time. By themselves. Without you.

  Misc.

41. Make sure everything in your house has a home. Teach all family members to mind their own messes. For example, if you take it out, put it back; if you open it, close it; if you throw it down, pick it up; if you make a mess, clean it up; and so on.

42. Put wastebaskets in every room and place several unused trash bags in the bottom of each one. This will eliminate countless trips to retrieve new trash bags and give all family members a place to throw away their trash.

43. Make sure the remotes have a drawer, basket or shelf to live on. How often have you found it under the sofa?

44. Use a plastic caddy to store cleaning supplies in and tote it from room to room.

45. Use a plastic laundry basket for quick pick up and transport of toys to their proper homes each evening.

46. Make a designated area for homework, crafts or sewing. You can create a very organized space in a small area, and that prevents you from having projects strewn all over the house. Photo of this craft area by ‘Country Living‘.

  47. Each night before bedtime, have all family members pick up clutter for 15 minutes. Make a game out of it and see who can pick up the most things in the shortest amount of time.

48. Have one designated spot where kids are to leave school flyers, permission slips that need to be signed and school photo envelopes. Make this part of the nightly “laying out for tomorrow” habit.

49. Make a master grocery list on the app or website of your choice. Categorize the groceries into sections such as frozen, dairy, and so on. In each category, list the most frequent items that you buy. Organize the grocery list according to the way your favorite grocery store’s isles are set up. Make sure each adult or teenager has the app loaded on their phone as well. If they forget to add Pop Tarts to the list, then they are eating oatmeal.

50. Don’t leave things ’till later. Procrastination is the number one cause of clutter and mess. Take care of it right then and there.

Make sure your home runs as smoothly as it can, and that you can take the time to enjoy it, instead of always dealing with clutter and chaos.

Image Credits: Country Living, BHG, Good Housekeeping, Container Store, Interior Design Inspiration, HGTV, House of Wood, Four Generations, One Roof

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Original Entry Source: http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/50-ideas-to-organize-your-home/

[artificialqueens]

Coming Home Chapter 12 (Shalaska) - Jem

AN: I apologize profusely for the wait. I know I said last chapter that I was back, but I guess I’m not as good at sorting my life as I hoped I would be. That being said, thank you all for sticking by me and giving me feedback on where you’d like to see this story go. Special shout out to @thewritingnymph for advice and support!

Chapter 12

Violet was walking from her French class alone on Monday afternoon when Matt caught up to her. She hadn’t seen him since the other night when they’d kissed, and she was frankly unsure of how to act around him. She felt guilty over how she’d treated him, and she still wasn’t certain about how she felt about what had happened. Avoiding him had been the easiest option, but of course it hadn’t lasted long.

“Hey.” Matt greeted her with his standard nonchalance, but she could tell he was nervous by how his hands fidgeted in his pockets as he walked beside her.

“Hey.” She replied, trying to judge the situation. Matt didn’t seem angry, if anything he looked like he was holding something in. Violet didn’t want to force it, so she just relaxed her face so her brows weren’t furrowed and her mouth didn’t have its signature “bitch pout”. Maybe he’d feel a little better then.

“Listen Violet, I’m really sorry about what happened. I was being stupid and I wasn’t thinking.” Matt finally explained.

“It’s ok.”

Matt looked unconvinced.

“No, really it’s ok. You didn’t really do anything wrong. I actually had a good time before it all got out of hand.” That much was true. Violet had never been able to let her guard down like that before in her whole life. It was so nice to be able to feel like a real teenager, if only for a moment. Maybe they shouldn’t have gotten so drunk, and maybe they shouldn’t have broken into that building, but it had honestly been harmless fun. Everything had just happened so fast that Violet’s brain hadn’t been able to catch up with her actions.

“Were Sharon and Alaska really mad?”

“They were at first. But not about the crown, or the drinking or any of that really. We’re ok now.”

“I’m really glad….”

They walked together in silence for a moment. There was still some kind of unresolved tension between them that hadn’t been there before. Was it always going to be like this? It had just been a kiss and a silly fight, nothing monumental. Violet looked over at Matt; his blonde hair was messy against his forehead, and his blue eyes wandered in the awkwardness between them, not meeting hers. True, she didn’t know if she was really attracted to him, but she cared about the boy a lot and had found a genuine friend in him that she’d never expected to discover. She selfishly hoped she hadn’t compromised that after their kiss.

“I still feel bad and I’d really like to make it up to you.” Matt broke the silence, pulling Violet out of her thoughts. “The Winter Formal is coming up this Friday and I don’t know if you like dances or if you’re going with someone already but if you’re not, would you like to go with me? As friends?” Matt blurted out faster than she’d ever heard him speak before.

“Oh.” Violet paused. “I already told Fame I’d go with her, as friends. But I wouldn’t be opposed to a third musketeer?”

“She doesn’t still hate me?”

“If me and my stone-cold heart can warm up to you, I’m positive she can.” Fame had a good heart; she wouldn’t be hard to win over.

“Ok.” Matt agreed, smiling sheepishly.

“Ok.” Violet gave him a smirk and turned the corner into her next class.

——-

As Friday rolled around, Violet and Fame were getting ready for the dance at Violet’s.

Alaska had helped Violet sew her own dress for the event, which had been very exciting. Violet had always been interested in fashion design, and Alaska had the skillset to properly teach her how to sew for the first time. It had also been an opportunity for them to talk more about Alaska’s life.

“Did you learn all of this for art school?” Violet had asked Alaska as the woman was showing her how to pin her fabric tightly to the pattern they’d made together.

“Some. I did a lot of fibre and performance work in school. It was definitely… experimental in my early years.”

“Oh my god, please tell me you have them on video.”

“I don’t.” Violet sighed in disappointment. “But I’m sure Sharon does….” Alaska continued.

That had become a wonderful afternoon of watching not only Alaska’s cringey, but simultaneously brilliant, performance pieces filmed on Sharon’s grainy video camera, but also sneaky clips Alaska had taken of Sharon’s run in Miss Pennsylvania US. It was sickeningly sweet how much the two of them seemed to adore each other. And even with the distraction they’d still finished Violet’s dress in time for Friday.

The gown was made out of deep purple lace layered over top of solid lilac fabric. It had a sweetheart neckline with short, frilly sleeves over the shoulders and it fell just above her knees. Overall, the dress was simple but had vintage inspiration; Violet was really pleased with the result considering it was her first project. She paired the look with an amethyst necklace she’d borrowed from Alaska.

Her and Fame were painting their nails when Sharon knocked, with a visitor in tow. Matt scratched the back of his head nervously as he greeted Violet and Fame from the doorway of Violet’s bedroom.

“What’s he doing here?” Fame asked a bit coldly, and Violet berated herself for putting off telling her friend that he’d be joining them.

“He’s alright, Fame, I swear.”

The blonde girl raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything.

“He asked to join us for the dance, and I know we both could use your esteemed fashion and beauty advice.” Fame finally seemed to take a breath, content with the compliment.

Sharon ushered Matt into the room, but lingered in the doorway, obviously wanting to speak.

“Do you guys need anything?” She asked cheerfully, observing the fun.

“No mom.” Violet rolled her eyes but smiled.

“Ok. I’m trying to be the cool mom, so I’ll get out of your way. Let me know if you need snacks or drinks or anything.”

Violet nodded a bit expectantly.

“Ok, ok I’ll get out.” She raised her hands in surrender.

Sharon turned and left so Violet invited Matt to take a seat on the floor next to her.

“Hello Matthew.” Fame said a bit curtly, barely looking up from her manicure to meet his eyes.

“You can call me Matt.”

“Alright Matt, do you have anything to wear tonight?” Fame stopped her work and looked the boy over. Violet could see the wheels turning in her head; the girl could never turn down a fashion project, even if said project was an asshole sometimes.

Matt pulled a basic, black suit jacket, pants, and a shirt out of the garment bag he’d entered with.

“It’s nothing special, really.” He said sheepishly. “What are you guys wearing?”

Violet showed him her dress, and he looked impressed, especially knowing she’d made it herself. Fame had also chosen a beautiful, strapless tan gown that hugged her form down to her knees then billowed out in a mermaid silhouette. They’d wanted to make sure their outfits complemented each other, so Violet had worn nude pumps and Fame had a lilac stole.

“Wow, those are really nice.” Matt remarked upon seeing both of their dresses. He seemed sincere but his voice held a tinge of sadness.

“Matt, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, it’s stupid.”

“It’s ok.”

“We’re the last people who’d judge you.” Fame assured him, clearly warming up to the boy now that she saw some vulnerability.

“I’m just gonna look so plain in my hand-me-down suit and you both are going to be stunning.”

“Well… I’m not sure if Sharon and Alaska have any boy’s clothes…..” Violet trailed off.

Matt was quiet.

“Do you want to wear boy’s clothes?”

Silence again.

“I don’t know.” He finally answered.

“Matt, this is going to be blunt but, do you think you’re like me?” Violet blurted out.

“Like, transgender?”

Violet nodded.

“I don’t think it’s the same, like, I’m not a girl.” Matt began to play with his hands, not meeting Violet’s eyes. He was obviously uncomfortable, but not closed to the discussion.

“I don’t exactly feel like a girl either; gender doesn’t feel like it applies to me, I just like to present as femme, you know?” Violet added.

“I don’t mind presenting as a boy, like I am a boy, but I like those things, necklaces, hair, lipstick.” He elaborated. “I am happy as Matt, I am Matt, but I want more sometimes too.”

“Do you think you want to do drag, Matt?” Fame piped in.

“Like, dressing up as a girl?”

“Like gender as performance. Playing around with those feminine things you like, but not changing your gender.” Violet explained.

“That sounds kind of cool.” He sounded reluctant to admit it.

“Do you want to go to prom in drag?” Violet pushed.

“What? No! No way. Everyone would make fun of me.”

“Ok, ok. One step at a time.” Fame said gently. “Why don’t you try on that suit and let’s see what we can do.”

Matt went to the bathroom to change.

The suit wasn’t horrible, considering Matt had borrowed it from an older cousin. The pants were nice and the jacket fit him well in the shoulders, but the white shirt and tie looked like they were strangling him.

Violet got an idea and she ran into Alaska and Sharon’s closet to borrow a dark grey turtleneck shirt. She had him try that instead, and he immediately looked more comfortable and casual.

The whole look began to come together. Fame styled Matt’s hair so it was slicked back, and with encouragement he allowed her to do some makeup. The lines of gender began to blur as she traced his eyes with black and a hint of glitter, and he even let her paint on bold red lips that matched Violet’s. The final touch was the classic pearl necklace he’d worn the other night.

He looked at himself in the mirror, shocked but (hopefully) not upset. “Wow.” He said in a breathy voice.

“Do you like it?”

“I do.” He made a show of running his hand through his slicked-back hair. “Does this make me gay now?”

“Oh my fucking God, Matt.” Violet exclaimed, and there was the normal, slightly problematic but kind-hearted, Matt.

“That was shitty, sorry.” He blushed. “I think I am kinda gay though.” He said much more seriously.

“Aren’t we all?” Fame stated the obvious, rolling her eyes, but not unkindly. She glanced sideways at Violet but the girl kept her face stoic.

“Now let’s get out of here so that Sharon and Alaska can take the million pictures I know they’ll want without us being too late.”

——-

Violet wouldn’t consider herself much of a dancer. But compared to Matt and Fame, she was practically a prima ballerina. Fame wasn’t terrible with the actual movements, but she had no sense of rhythm at all, and Matt…. well he had about as much grace as a baby elephant. Luckily there weren’t very high expectations for a high school dance. In fact, the atmosphere was a lot more chill than Violet had originally expected. Someone had definitely spiked the punch, and everyone was having a good time and didn’t bother them the whole night. They danced all three of them, taking turns laughing at each other.

“Violet!” Two voices yelled out in unison.

Violet turned to see Katya and Trixie walking her way with linked arms. Trixie looked more than a little tipsy, and was visible leaning on Katya for support.

“You look so beautiful!” Katya exclaimed, reaching a hand to touch Violet’s shoulder. The gesture was enough to call Matt and Fame’s attention away from their failed dance attempts.

“Katya!” Fame yelled in excitement, rushing to hug her and Trixie at the same time. “Are you guys here together?” She asked, as if it wasn’t obvious.

“Oh yeah!” Katya answered fairly loudly, and Trixie blushed but didn’t look upset.

“That’s so nice! I’m so happy for you two.” Fame looked like she was getting emotional, but she was always sentimental about romance if any kind.

“Matt?” Trixie asked, almost as if she didn’t recognize the boy.

“Yeah?” He said tentatively, broken out of his carefree daze. He suddenly seemed self-conscious of his appearance and the makeup on his face. He bit his lip a bit nervously, Violet noticed.

“You look really good.” Trixie said fondly, maybe even proudly.

“Thanks Tracy…” Matt’s eyes shone as he pulled out her old nickname. “I think I finally get why you wear so much makeup.” He joked, gesturing to his own face then hers.

“Yeah?”

“To look like a hooker.”

Trixie burst into laughter that quickly spurred Katya and the rest of the group to join. “Ooh, you bitch!” She yelled at Matt, who looked rather pleased with himself. “Maybe if you’re lucky someone will want to take you home.”

Violet made sure to look straight ahead but she could tell Matt was looking at her through her peripheral vision.

Eventually Katya and Trixie returned to their date, and they were contrasting figures in hot pink and black and red, but somehow it all worked together as they spun rather expertly on the dance floor.

As the night came to a close, Fame was sleepy and that meant she was affectionate. Violet linked her arms around her waist as Fame leaned her head on her shoulder and closed her eyes. They swayed together to some slow song Violet didn’t recognize, content in the calm.

She was grateful to have someone who seemed to support her no matter what she did. Sometimes Violet didn’t know how Fame could still put up with her when she was being cunty and insensitive, but as much as she hated to admit it, she was insecure about just about everything and needed constant reassurance that she was loved. Fame seemed happy to give her that.

“Fame?” Violet whispered as people began to leave the dance floor.

“Mhmm?” The other girl mumbled, not opening her eyes.

“I think it’s time to go home.” Violet looked up at Matt over Fame’s shoulder, who smiled and nodded, coming over to stand closer to them.

“Oh, but I don’t want to go…”

“C’mon, you can barely stand on your own two feet.”

“I’m just having the best time ever, aren’t you guys? This has been the perfect night.”

Violet couldn’t agree more, but every night had to end.

Her and Matt managed to get Fame into the car, and they dropped her off at home first. The blonde gave Violet a gentle peck on the cheek before bidding them both goodnight.

Violet dropped Matt off next, and they sat in the car outside his house for a moment.

“Are you gonna be ok to go home like this?” Violet asked, hating that she had to at all.

Matt only then seemed to remember that he was wearing makeup.

“Oh.” He said gently, but not as scared as he usually appeared when discussing his family. “Do you have anything I can use to take this off?”

She nodded, fumbling for some makeup wipes in her bag. Matt took off as much as he could in the car mirror in the dark, and Violet was so sad to see him have to do it. She could relate to not feeling safe to present how she truly felt. He tried to give her back the pearl necklace he’d borrowed but she insisted he keep it. Sharon certainly wouldn’t wear it anymore.

“I’m sorry you have to do that.” She spoke.

“It’s ok.” He said calmly, and she raised an eyebrow. “My parents are not my rulers, you know? And I’m not gonna let them stop me anymore. Maybe one day I’ll be able to explain it to them and they’ll begin to understand.”

“I hope they will.”

Matt sat quietly for another second before speaking up. “Violet, I want you to know you don’t have to worry about me.”

“You’re my friend, of course I worry about you.”

“I mean, you don’t have to worry about hurting my feelings.” Matt continued. “You know I like you, obviously, but I don’t think you feel the same and I’m content to have you as my friend if that’s all you can give. Because you’ve really been my best friend, I mean it.”

“Matt, I-

“No really, I feel like I’m finally finding myself, and that’s thanks to you. I want you to go after whatever you truly want, can you promise me that?”

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yes, now get out of the car, you big lug!” Violet wrapped the boy in a tight hug and let him go.

She drove home, but she had so much on her mind that the drive went by in a flash.

“Oh, hi….” Violet entered the apartment, head still spinning from the wonderful night she’d had. She was surprised to see Sharon and Alaska sitting on the couch in the living room. “I didn’t think you’d still be up.”

“Don’t worry, we weren’t just sitting here all night worried about you.” Sharon joked.

“Actually, we have something to give you. I know it’s late we were just really excited.” Alaska added.

“Ok…..” Violet didn’t know what could be so important, and good mind you, that it warranted them waiting into the late hours of the night for her. She looked at them both expectantly, and after a few long seconds of her two foster moms smiling at each other, Alaska burst out with:

“You’re ours! The paperwork went through.”

“Oh my god, I’m adopted?”

“Yes baby, you’re our daughter.”

Violet felt tears welling up in her eyes and she didn’t stop them from trailing down her cheeks. Maybe it was a combination of everything that had happened tonight along with the realization of how this was the happiest she’d ever been in her entire life, but she found herself sobbing before long.

“I’m sorry.” She apologized, trying to wipe her cheeks dry as more tears fell.

“It’s ok.” Alaska pulled her over the couch and gave her a tight hug.

“What are you feeling right now, Vi?” Sharon asked.

“I’m just so happy. I never thought I’d have friends and family who love me and that I love so equally in return.”

Sharon went to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate as Violet calmed down, but it wasn’t the normal kind from a powder mix. No, she melted two bars of chocolate into some milk on the stove and stirred it until it was warm and smooth. Violet was surprised that she hadn’t burnt it, considering her past kitchen endeavours. However, it seemed that Sharon was a hot chocolate connoisseur; it was one of the best things Violet had ever tasted.

Violet sipped the rich liquid and let the warmth fill up her body.

Sharon fell asleep in Alaska’s lap not much later, and god they were such a cheesy cliche of a family but Violet had never been lucky enough to have cliches before. She indulged herself, in what she would later call a moment of weakness, turned the lights in the kitchen off and went back to the couch to join them.