#I have to delay student teaching because i don’t want to collapse in front of kids

[cabbybaby]

sigh x 2

[royaldescendants]

the darkest little paradise

moodboard made by me

masterlist

Chapter 1

Hades sat in his living room, turning off the TV. His own kid was getting engaged, and he hadn’t even been able to meet the kid she was planning to marry.

He chuckled, wondering how things would’ve gone down if this had been way back when. The kid would’ve had to ask him, and if he’d gotten that far Hades would’ve said yes.

On the condition that the kid was the one to tell Mal’s mother of course, because there was no way Hades was getting in the way of his wife potentially crying over their daughter ‘growing up too fast’.

He had seen the tears when Mal started walking. And when she started talking, when her first word was ‘mama’? He had had to call her best friend to console her. Probably why gods weren’t typically too involved, he mused, the heartache of not knowing if your kid was immortal or not was excruciating. 

He drank from the skull flask he’d traded for with the faux-pirate crew. Had to keep up the aesthetic somehow, and it wasn’t like he was able to get anything stronger than a weak ale. It was the only thing that kept for a long time, wouldn’t make you sick, and had some semblance of hydration. 

He wondered if Mal remembered that she used to have to drink it too, or if she’d gotten so used to drinking lemonade and sodas, or whatever else they drank on the mainland. He didn’t really know, and didn’t have the energy to care anymore. She looked healthier, happier too. That’s all he needed to know about her new life.

-------

A few hours later, Mal was collapsing on her bed. She was tired of her father’s antics, tired of having so much pressure to both conform to Auradon’s standards yet stand up to the treatment that everyone on the Isle was given. She hated the decision she proposed, but no one else had come up with literally any other solution to the problem.

She reached over to her nightstand for her water bottle, and finding it empty, she threw it in the trash can that was currently full of tissues. Nightmares hadn’t been kind lately. 

She froze as the plastic bottle hit the soft bed of long dried, tear and snot-stained tissues. 

Kids on the Isle don’t get clean water, and here you are, contributing to pollution.

She went to the bathroom to wash up for the night. 

Remember the cold saltwater that Mother always shoved your face in, eyes open? Remember the taste of lye soap?

She finished quickly, ignoring the accusing voice. Closing the barrier was best for everyone, it made sense. Da- Hades almost escaped today, what could happen next time? 

You idiot. There’s always two sides to a story, you of all people know this.

The faces of the kids, trying to hide away as her father threw a fit about going home, being a god…..

The eyes haunted her the most. Dead, void of hope-

Hope you could’ve given them.

Void of anything but despair.

------

The way the sun shone into Kore’s apartment in the mornings should have been considered a crime. It was bright, it was overbearing, and it was way too early. 

For Kore, it didn’t really matter anymore. She got up before sunrise every day, and had been for the last sixteen or so years. 

In this case, as far back as she could remember. 

She made her way to grab her jacket and gloves, ready to start sorting and gathering the ripe fruits and vegetables to be sent to the kitchens, just like every other day.

Hands pausing in tying her shoes, she realized that she’d never had to get new ones.

Strange, every other worker had gone through two pairs every other year. 

But it was better if Kore didn’t dwell on it, of course. She wasn’t supposed to, that wasn’t her job.

She didn’t get paid to think about shoes, she got paid to tend the grounds the way nobody else could. 

And this year, teach an elective about ‘plants, fae, and nymphs; the natural world of magic’.

It was a small summer class, but it was better than nothing. 

Kore hurriedly made her way to the greenhouse, snapping her fingers after the doors closed, and summoned all the fruits and vegetables to the great big basket at the front. 

Sorting out some stray carrots that got mixed in with the potatoes, she sang a mindless tune, not knowing how she knew the words.

“And I’ll sing you to sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow

Bless you with love for the road that you go-”

The door opened. “Kore? Is that you singing in here?”

It was King Adam. “I was just passing by, your voice is lovely by the way. I haven’t heard that one, do you remember where it’s from?”

“I don’t think so,” Kore said, frowning over an oddly bent carrot. It reminded her of some sort of flame…. “I just started singing it out of boredom, I think. Do you think it’s some sort of lullaby I used to know?”

King Adam smiled thinly. “I don’t know if it’s best to dwell on it. I’m sure it’s nothing bad, but we don’t want to take any chances, now do we?”

Kore shook her head.

“Excellent. Now, these look positively splendid, I’m sure tonight’s potato soup will be excellent, all because of you, my dear.” 

------

After tending to a sick flowerbed around one in the afternoon, changing into a pair of overalls and a breezy cotton button down (and no shoes) sounded really nice. Kore then made her way to her new classroom, with her new keys. Unlocking the door, she decided that she should probably look over who was in her class so far. 

“Hey, you’re Lady Kore, right?”

Kore jumped, not having realized that a few kids had entered the classroom, or that the bell to dismiss the previous period had rung. 

“Well I suppose I must be, you can just call me Kore though, I don’t have any titles, your majesty,” she said, nervously. Kore recognized the kid immediately. 

Not knowing who Ben Florian was, was absolutely impossible, considering he was the king at this point. 

“Oh, you don’t have to say ‘your majesty’, it doesn’t make sense, especially considering you’re the teacher here,” he said sheepishly.

“Alright then, should I call you Ben? I’ve heard you prefer your nickname over your full name.”

Before he could answer, the door banged open again. “Ben, you won’t believe what I just did- oh, I didn’t realize you weren’t the only one here.”

“It’s alright Evie, I was just talking with Kore here. We both don’t like titles, it seems,” he said in a relieved manner.

“It’s not that, it’s that I really don’t have one, Ben.”

He turned back to her. “How do you not have a title, but you’re teaching this class? I thought all the teachers had some sort of speciality and political say over it?”

Kore laughed, as more students followed Evie in and sat at the back of the small room. “It’s complicated, I’ll tell you in a minute.”

As everyone seemed to be settled, she decided to grab the clipboard with the class list on it. “Alright, if you hear your name say here, if I mispronounce it please let me know, and if your name is not called please let me know at the end. Ben Florian, I was just talking to you. Jay of Agrabah?”

“Here.” The voice came from the boy wearing blue and yellow leather, with a red beanie. Good luck working in that, a voice whispered, recognizing that leather and plant magic didn’t always mix well. Kore had no idea how she knew, but she decided that it must have happened before.

“Carlos De Vil?”

“Here.” A boy with a red and black flannel said, quietly. He doesn’t have the gift, how will he do this class? Wait- how do I know this?

“Evie Grimhilde?”

“Present!” What is it with these kids and leather?? At least this one has some shapeshifting magic, Kore thought, absentmindedly recognizing the way Evie’s eyes seemed to shift colors with the light, making her look more innocent. Just the way a student would want to on the first day of a new class.

“Jane Fae?”

“Also present.” Finally, someone who is dressed properly! The light blue shirt would probably get some dirt on it, but the jeans and tennis shoes, all noticeably with no wool, leather, or iron included, would work perfectly. Wool wasn’t necessarily taboo, but unless you were working with animals, it didn’t give any advantages.

“Doug Dwarfson?”

“Here.” Oh god. Dwarfs and plant magic? This’ll be interesting. Ah well, jeans and a casual t-shirt are better than- oh no, iron in the shoes. That’ll be reactive.

“Mal…doesn’t have a last name?” 

“Yeah, the system erased it. I’m here, though.”

“Perfect. Alright, that’s everyone, time to head out. Leave your stuff here, it’s the last class of the day for a reason.”

Without another word, she grabbed some materials and books, and marched out of the room, only stopping and looking back when she realized none of them were following. 

“Guys? We have to go to a better place for this, you know…”

“Uh, Lady Kore-”

“Just Kore, Ben.”

“Right, my bad. Kore, I thought this was more theoretical, take notes on what’s possible, kind of class?”

Kore snorted. “I don’t mean to laugh, Ben, but if that were the case, they wouldn’t have delayed teaching this for so long. Finding someone with nature based magic, someone willing to teach, and someone who knows plants intimately? Harder to find than you’d think.”

“Haven’t you been here for years though?” Jay interrupted, coming to the door.

“I have. Unfortunately, I don’t have any claim to a title, so they didn’t realize my qualifications until this summer. Shall we proceed?”

Making their way outside, they chatted amongst themselves as Kore was deep in thought as to where to go. 

“Alright class, this is Greenhouse 13. It’s mostly empty right now, but it will be where we go from now on, unless I tell you otherwise. If something changes at the last minute, I’ll try and put a note on the door so you know to go to the classroom.”

Unlocking the door, it creaked open with Kore’s push.

“The iron in here is less than it is in the other greenhouses, can anyone tell me why that matters?”

Evie chimed in. “Because iron causes burns and injuries to fairies.”

“Correct. They do prefer to be called the Fae, in some cases, exactly like Jane’s last name. If they refer to themselves as Fae, you need to be very careful. They can twist the truth very easily, and they have lots of stories about them for a reason. However,” she paused, turning on the lights at the back of the greenhouse. “That doesn’t mean you should automatically be suspicious of them or their intentions. Many Fae in this day and age don’t really care about all the things they used to, they generally mind themselves and how they phrase things.”

“What was my mother?”

The class looked at Mal, who had suddenly become very invested. “Before her banishment, or whatever.”

“Maleficent was an interesting case,” Kore bit her lip, not sure how she knew. “She was a fairy, yes, but some of her actions would suggest that she could be classified as Fae. However, she was under……” This was where Kore cursed her lost memory. Only knowing the last sixteen years, when she had been working at the castle was perfectly inconvenient for moments like this. 

“Under what?”

“Call it a sort of jurisdiction. Forgive me, my memory isn’t all there, though of course Ben might know?”

All eyes turned to the teenage boy, who was sitting against a wall, ready for the class to start. “Uh, I think you’re right. I can’t remember who though, it’s not common knowledge.” He chuckled. “Honestly I’m surprised that you know, Kore.”

“I think I must have worked on something before working here, something with…...whatever it was. Ah well, shall we get started?”

[antman-56]

I Don’t Deserve You

Today was a special day. 

Well to the happy love birds, Ann and Ryuji, anyway.

How these two ended up together the majority of the school tried to figure out.

Hell even the school newspaper club made an article to understand the logic of those two. 

One was a beautiful model and the other was a total delinquent.

But as the school year raged on people started to notice a couple of things.

One : Ryuji stopped dying his hair blonde. It freaked Miss Kawakami out when he came to see Ann.

Two : He actually paid attention in his classes. From the below average student to making it to the top 10 in his class. (Mostly thanks to Makoto, and reluctantly Yusuke) He was accused of coping people and that accusation went with a full investigation. On which ended when they continuously found him in the library with his girlfriend and friends silently studying.

Three : He wore his school uniform correctly. This was actually the hardest thing for him and yet everyone didn’t even notice it. His guess was that they zoned him out. Until SOMEONE pointed it out.

And finally. 

Four : HE WAS DATING ANN TAKAMAKI AND SHE LOVED HIM!!!

Today was their one year anniversary. He had the day planned out. He asked Haru to make a reservation to a good restaurant (he would have done it but she was the daughter of a BIG CEO and he paid her back), have Makoto teach him some stuff about flowers (HE literally begged her), made enough time for Yusuke to make a “master piece” for free (he had to let them draw them on dates for the next 3 months) and Futaba to help him get find great deals on brand clothes and buy them somewhere convenient. And Akria just wished him luck last night. He really wished he was here to cheer him on.

Today had to be special.

But right now he had to get out of bed.

“It’s showtime.”

***Ann’s place***

 Ann had just finished her workout routine and was heading for the shower. 

Today would be a good time to try out that new shampoo bottle.

RING RING

Ann turned to look at her phone.

❤❤Babe❤❤

“You rang.”

“Hey you have anything planned for today”

“No, not really. Why you wanna meet up?”

“That’s the plan. I’ll see you at 4.”

Beep

Ann just looked at her phone. wondering why he sounded more tense then usual. Maybe he was stressed out, he did go all out on the test.

Maybe he just wanted to see me. We haven’t really talked since testing began.

She decided to go all out for him. He needs to relax or else he may pop a blood vessel.

***12 o clock***

“Daisy?!”

“Loyal love!”

“Primerose?!”

“I can’t live without you!”

“Orange Blossom?!”

“Eternal Love!”

Makoto closed the book and nodded.

“I have no more to teach you.”

“And I have the flowers.”

Haru gave him the bundle of flowers.

“I really appreciate this you guys.”

“Hold still. Your ruining my draft.”

Everyone turned to Yusuke.

“He said I was to draw his date and so on for 3 months. Now stop moving.”

“Inari stop being rude. And just because I know you two. The last bus to your guyes houses will be delayed when your late.”

“ALRIGHT I can do this.”

“Knock’em dead tiger.” Akira said over the skype call.

Ryjui marched out of the attic with Yusuke behind him. With the group giving him their support. 

“SHIT!!!”

He soon came back up to see Futaba holding out his wallet. 

He took it and was on his way. Again.

“Such a dork.” Futaba stated.

Everyone nodded.

***4 o clock***

Ryuji was outside of Ann’s door and was holding the bouquet of flowers nervously in his hands.

Here he was in a red and yellow flannel shirt and black jeans. He got them on clearance and an additional half off price with Futaba’s help. He basically got the damn things for free. 

Sure the shirt needed a patch up job but Haru was more than happy to help and Makoto kept Yusuke at bay from styling the shirt.

Why was he acting like this. It’s not like their first date!! No it was the most important date of his life right now!! I mean girls hold these thing to a high standard. Right?

“Stop that.” 

“What!” That snapped Ryuji out of his thoughts. He turned to see Yusuke focused on the paper

“Paranoid. It makes the drawing less presentable and gives out the most minimal effect possible.”

“I’m not!!”

“Your shaking slightly. obliviously sweating and over thinking things.”

That caught him off guard.

“Ann loves you. And you her. I’m pretty sure no matter how this date goes nothing will change between you two.”

That really calmed Ryuji down.

“Unless she catches you staring at other girls.”

“Hey” He dropped the flowers and marched to punch him when the door opened. 

In front of them stood Ana, who decided to let her hair down, who wore a red blouse with a clover on her right shoulder and black skirt. 

The boys noticed she smelled like cherry with a hint of lavender. 

What Ann saw was Ryuji about to punch Yusuke, who had a pencil and paper for some reason?

“Uh... what’s going on?”

Ryuji quickly stumped for an answer.

“He was complaining about my price for this masterpiece.”

““What’s this master piece Yusuke?”

“My drawing of you two on your date. 

Ann blushed and stared at a equal blushing and flabbergasted Ryuji.

“And in return I get to draw you two on dates for inspiration for 3 months.”

“WHAT!!!”

“Yes, now please pretend I’m not here.”

Yusuke quickly went back to his drawing, hiding his face in the process.

Ryuji took that as his chance to fill in the awkward silence.

“So, yeah I did agree to that. So, you look... Wow!”

“You don’t look so bad yourself. Are those new?”

“Yeah they are anyway back on topic lets get this show on the road. Oh and these are for you”

He grabbed the flowers on the flower and gave them to her.

Ann took them and gave them a sniff. They smell nice and they matched their colors.

Ryuji grabbed Ann’s free hand and began to march.

Ann meet his speed and followed her boyfriend smiling for the gift and at his antics.

“Don’t walk to fast.” Yusuke complained.

***8 o clock***

Yusuke had just left the couple and they couldn’t be any happier.

They loved the man but when it came to being his ‘willing’ models...he was demanding.

But what they got saved Ryuji a fortune. He hoped. 

Yusuke refused to show them what he finished said something about adding the finishing touches later.

They had just finished going to the park and they decided to skip the movie since it was a rerun (and because Yusuke needed them to spot him).

Through out all this, Ann noticed something. 

Ryuji was still tense, even after getting to talk again. (minus Yusuke’s occasional comments).

She thought maybe it was because Yusuke was here that he was more tense that he had to show he was perfect for her but, no he seemed just as tense as he was on the phone.

Now here they were alone and heading to a nice dinner in Ginza.

“Hey Ryuji.”

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“What?”

“You’ve been acting weird all day.”

“What do you mean I’m acting weird?”

Ryuji began to sweat a bit more.

Since Yusuke left he was now on his own with Ann and she was now wondering if he didn’t meet her expectations. I mean they were followed for the majority of their anniversary.

“I don’t know what your talking about.” He answered weakly.

“Ryuji, what’s wrong?” She asked again with worry in her voice.

The last time he was like this was when he tried to hide the fact that his mom collapsed from over working herself. 

That was a nightmare times 10 for him and almost broke him. 

Now here they were. 

Ryuji desperately looking for a way out of this finally found an opening and unfortunately it was the worst one.

“OH SHIT THE TRAIN!!!”

Ryuji grabbed Ann’s hand and ran to catch it.

Ann was screaming at him to slow down or to just stop but he didn’t listen. 

They had to get the train

THEY HAD TO..

Just as he reached the platform the train left.

“GOD DAMMIT!!”

He watched as the train left the station along with their perfect date.

“RYUJI WHATS YOUR PROBLEM!!”

She pulled her hand out of his and was now mad at him.

“Because I messed tonight up.”

“What are you talking about?”

She sounded more confused than mad right now.

“Our one year anniversary.”

He sounded defeated.

Ann just stood in shock at him remembering that. Hell she completely forgotten what today was. 

“I asked Yusuke to make a drawing for us, asked the girls to help me make this as special as fucking possible and after all that I still Fucked it up!!”

He fell to his knees and looked down.

She finally understood why he was so tense. He wanted to make today special and she forgot what today was because he made her feel special.

“Everyone was right. I don’t deserve you.”

Now that got her mad. 

She began to walk over to him and stopped when she was in front of his kneeling body.

“What the hell are you talking about!?”

He looked up to see her.

“You don’t deserve me that’s bullshit and you know it. You are kind in your own way, you went against the biggest bastard in the school on your own and when you were right everyone else felt like an idiot! You changed for me even when I didn’t ask you to! I mean look at your grades! You make it a part of your day to be with me even if you had to do something else! You were their for me when I needed you! So to hell to what every one else says!”

She stopped to breath and felt a few tears break out.

Everyone thought she hadn’t noticed what he’s been doing. What they failed to notice was that he had changed her.

She was no longer the quiet girl everyone talked about. And she wasn’t the airhead they claimed her to be. He taught her that she was her own person and that she can be who ever the hell she wanted to be.   

And right now she wanted to be Ryuji’s girlfriend.

Ryuji looked up to see her and with that got the strength to get up and hug her.

“I don-”

Ann grabbed the sides fo his head and kissed him. And it was nice when it was returned.

“Shut up. You do.”

They both smiled.

“Now come on lets see if we can get a cab.”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the street. 

***Rooftop***

“Inari you perv.”

Futaba said as she and him , binoculars in hand, spying on the couple. 

Yusuke was making a new piece. He finished the one for Ryuji and now for his payment.

For Ryuji It was a portrait of those two in the park. Ryuji’s head on Ann’s lap under a tree. when the entire scene was anything but the picture.

Those two just wouldn’t stop moving.

The display of love before him. Was an unconditional sort. If only he could have heard them then this piece would have the emotions that the couple had felt.

This new piece was a man in tears throwing his heart out and a woman catching it and running to him with it, all the while the village just stares at the two. 

“I am anything but. Now to name this piece.”

“How about, “Young Love”?”

Yusuke began contemplating the name. To Futaba he looked like he was ignoring her.

“Hey Inari, I’m going to steal your food if you don’t answer!”

“Not a bad name.” 

He grabbed his lunch box before she could open it and gave Futaba a kiss on the head.

“Bye bye love.”

Futaba stood still for a couple of seconds, red all over face, watching his retreating figure.

“HEY GET BACK HERE!!!”

[vengfulfate]

Both of Them, and Only Them, Ch. 10

Story Summary -   Melanie and Miltiades Malachite have trouble with love. They share everything, and this has either scared people away or made them think their relationship was more open than the twins would wish. Then along came Ruby Rose… could she be the one the sisters have searched for?

Chapters: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine

I apologize to everyone who looks forward to this story for the extended gaps between updates. This is kind of a side project for me. It's getting a chapter now because I haven't settled on my next project yet and wanted to get some writing done. It might get another chapter or two in the next few weeks, or it might not. It all depends on how things go.

Please enjoy!

   ---

The morning came, and neither Weiss nor Ruby knew how to breach the subject. They prepared for their mission around each other in uncomfortable silence. The tension between them only grew along side the silence, and Yang and Blake feared it would boil over badly. As much as they wanted to avoid it, neither of them knew how to get the former ‘BFFs’ to an agreeable conclusion either.

Even the arrival of Zwei, Ruby and Yang’s corgi from Patch, did little to lessen the anxious air. The subject was all that was on their minds, but none of them had to courage to breach it. Not until they were almost on the airship, anyways.

“Hey, Yang?” Ruby asked for her sister to get some words in the air, “What are the details of the mission you guys picked, anyway?”

“Oh yeah, about that…” Yang began cautiously, “We tried to pick a mission that turned out to be restricted to first-years…”

“Then Ozpin came out of nowhere, basically told us he knew exactly what we were up to, and approved us for the restricted mission,” Weiss finished matter-of-factly.

“So… our mission is to actually look for the White Fang?” Ruby asked, confused.

“Not officially,” Blake answered, “But I’m pretty sure that’s what was implied.”

“And… our thing?” Ruby finally directed to Weiss. Getting a conversation out had exactly the effect she hoped. “It won’t get in the way, right?”

“Of course not,” Weiss stated sharply, her classic cold demeanor reemerging.

Yang wouldn’t exactly call it progress, but at least the team knew they would still work efficiently together. It was enough for the team, at least for now.

   ---

Their mission brought them to the ruins of the township of Mountain Glenn. A failed expansion of Vale, Mountain Glenn was a concrete jungle of crumbling buildings and wandering grimm. The concentration of grimm had spiked in recent weeks, which was not unusual on it’s own, but it still lined up with the information Blake had obtained. After a long afternoon with little progress, RWBY and their chaperon set up camp for the night in one of the many collapsed buildings.

Ruby was keeping watch when Doctor Oobleck, their history teacher and huntsmen chaperon clad in safari clothing, approached her. “Good evening, Ms. Rose.”

“Hey, professor,” Ruby greeted in turn in her usual cheerful demeanor.

“Doctor,” Oobleck warned.

“Right, sorry,” Ruby giggled.

“You team is very impressive, for first year students,” Oobleck complemented.

“Thank you!” Ruby smiled. After a pause, she added, “Doctor.”

“But there is a tension here, isn’t there?” the teacher pointed out.

Ruby’s smile failed. “You see it?”

“I do,” Oobleck nodded.

“It won’t get in the way,” Ruby promised, “we’ve talked it over.”

“But not resolved it?” Oobleck pressed further.

Ruby sighed. “Doctor, how do you feel about… polygamy?”

“Hm...” Oobleck thought. That seemed a lot more complicated than what he initially assumed teenagers would argue over. “I believe there is too much negativity in the world deny someone something that makes them happy.”

“One of my team mates doesn’t believe it can be real,” Ruby explained.

“And another is partaking in a polygamous relationship?” Oobleck deduced.

“I am,” Ruby confirmed.

Oobleck couldn’t help but think back on the various observations he had made that day. “Not to be inconsiderate, but Ms. Schnee...?”

Ruby did a double take, panicking for a brief moment. She felt like confirming such was akin to bad mouthing her behind her back. “I… shouldn’t gossip.”

“Of course,” Oobleck nodded, understanding. “I admit I don’t have any advice for you. Much as he may seem it, Professor Ozpin is not omnipotent. Teams are not always a perfect storm of friends and confidants. Being able to work together regardless is part of being an adult.”

“We’re trying,” Ruby nodded. “I just wish I could make her see she’s wrong.”

“She may be wrong in this specific instance, but her fears are not entirely unfounded,” Oobleck defended. “There are those in this world who would prey upon the young, hopeful and niave. If she is concerned for you, it proves that she indeed cares about you.”

Ruby cast her gaze behind her, landing on the heiress’s figure bundled in her sleeping bag. She smiled. “I guess it does. She’ll come around. I can feel it.”

“You are her leader and friend, and would know her better than I,” Oobleck explained, “if you feel as such, I’m sure it will be so.”

“Thank you, professor,” Ruby nodded. Oobleck opened his mouth, but Ruby quickly cut him off, “Doctor! Heh, sorry.”

Oobleck closed his mouth and smiled. With a nod, he left the young leader to resume her watch.

   ---

Weiss gazed over the city with blank eyes. It was her turn to watch camp, but her mind was engulfed by other thoughts. Truth is, she was wide awake when Oobleck prodded Ruby about the tension in the team. She heard the entire conversation, and it gave her plenty to think about. She knew her upbringing was oppressive, to say the least, but there had to be a line somewhere?

“Hey, Weiss?”

Her concerns weren’t baseless, that much Oobleck agreed with

“Um, Weiss?”

But was it really true that Ruby’s relationship could be fine? Healthy, even?

“Weeeiiiiissss?”

Weiss was ready to wait in the wings with an ‘I told you so’, but maybe-

“Weiss!”

“Huh?” Weiss spun around, finally broken from her train of thought.

“Finally,” Ruby sighed in relief, having finally gotten Weiss’s attention. “Are you still tired? We can swap watches if you need more rest.”

“No, I’m fine,” Weiss insisted.

“Alright,” Ruby shrugged, “anyway, I wanted to say I think I noticed something. It’s probably nothing, but I’m gunna go check it out.”

Weiss nodded, “don’t rush into something, okay? Call us if you need us.”

“I will,” Ruby promised.

Weiss nodded and cast her gaze back over the city once more. Ruby may not be a genius, but she was far from stupid. Crescent Rose alone could attest to that. And she is training to be a huntress, so it wasn’t likely the twins had physically overpowered her at any point.

I was ready to standby with an ‘I told you so’, but maybe that’s not how I should be thinking. And it won’t help Ruby should that come to pass. Perhaps I should support her now, and be there for her later if the worst indeed happens. And if it doesn’t happen, if Ruby’s relationship is valid…

“I don’t want to lose her as a friend,” Weiss finished her thought aloud.

The sunrise wasn’t far away, and soon the light and warmth of morning was rousing the sleeping hunters.

“Well!” Oobleck stretched and took a swing from his portable mug, “Who’s ready for a brand new day!?”

“Wait a minute,” Blake looked around, “something’s not right...”

“Yeah, where’s my sister!?” Yang noticed.

“What do you mean?” Weiss asked, “Isn’t she back?”

“Back?” Blake questioned in turn.

“She told me she was going to check something out,” Weiss explained, “and she promised to call in if it turned out to be, well, something. I never got a call.”

“And you didn’t notice she never returned!?” Yang shouted, “How long has she been gone!?”

“Girls!” Oobleck quickly took control of the situation, “now is not the time for anger. Whatever lessons this mistake can teach must be pondered later. First, we resolve the mistake itself. You leader may be in danger, and we must stay calm as we search for her.”

Camp was packed hastily and the group set out with no delay. Blake was the first to spot Crescent Rose, folded on the ground in front of a large sinkhole. Oobleck began a rant about sealed subway lines underneath the township, but Weiss could barely hear it.

She was looking forward to telling Ruby about her change of mind and hopefully mending their friendship, and subsequently the connection with the rest of the team, in the process. Now the girl was in danger and Weiss would regret it the rest of her life if she never got the chance to repair that particular bridge.

“Well, Weiss?” Blake broke through the heiress’s haze of thoughts, “You with us?”

Weiss quickly deduced what they were asking, not that it was very hard. They needed to go down into the dark. Weiss picked up Crescent Rose, steeling her resolve. She looked to the others and nodded, “Let’s go save our fearless leader.”

   ---

Melanie yawned as she leaned across the bar. “Why on earth are we awake again?”

“Because Junior agreed to host a wedding reception and he needed hands,” Miltiades reminded her sister.

“Who the hell has a reception at a nightclub?” Melanie stifled a laugh, “They’re probably under 20. I give them two months.”

“Don’t be rude,” Junior scolded, “They’re paying customers. Well paying customers.”

Melanie sighed. “Can you at least turn that off?” she pointed to the television currently displaying the morning news. “It’s putting me to sleep.”

Junior nodded and picked up the remote.

“Wait!” Miltiades stopped him, staring at the screen.

“What?” Melanie looked up and read the screen.

BREAKING NEWS: Explosion! Huntsmen and Grimm brawl in downtown Vale!

“Holy shit...” Junior read, “Don’t think that’s near us, though.”

“Mel...” Miltiades pointed again as the ‘huntsmen’ came into frame.

Black hair. Combat boots. Red cape. “Ruby!”

Now wide awake, Melanie dashed out of the club. Miltiades made to follow, but stopped short. The less brash twin didn’t want to leave without her boss’s blessing.

“Go,” Junior told her. Miltiades nodded and ran after her sister.

By the time the twins reached the battlefield, the chaos had already passed. Someone in handcuffs was being loaded onto an airship and a tall blonde the twins recognized as a Beacon teacher from the dance was talking to a man in safari gear. Ruby and her team stood close by. Blake spotted the twins first, nudging Ruby’s shoulder.

“Girls!” Ruby’s eyes lit up as she jogged over to them, “what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” Melanie turned it around, “I thought your mission was outside the kingdom, not blowing up downtown Vale!?”

Ruby, perhaps still high on battle adrenaline and victory, giggled.

“What?” Melanie asked, confused.

“I’m sorry,” Ruby continued to grin widely, “but you acting all super concerned like is adorable.”

In another rare display, Melanie stuttered and struggled to respond, simply crossing her arms as her face lit up.

“She does has a point,” Miltiades defended, “What happened?”

“Well...” Ruby searched for where to begin.

Before she could, the three were interrupted by an approaching Weiss. “So,” the heiress cut in, “Which of you is ‘Miltia’?”

The twins shared a silent conversation, quickly deducing this was Weiss. They crossed their arms defensively before Miltiades answered, “I am Miltiades.”

“And I don’t believe I have heard your name?” Weiss looked to the other twin.

“Melanie,” the white twin answered.

“I am Weiss Schnee,” the heiress introduced herself elegantly.

“We figured,” the twins answered in unison.

“Right...” Weiss nodded, slightly unnerved. She pushed through regardless, saying what she wanted to say. “I have made some comments recently that I have come to regret. And I apologize.”

Melanie raised an eyebrow at this while Miltiades cautiously lowered her crossed arms. Ruby placed her hand on her partner’s shoulder. “Weiss?”

Weiss lowered Ruby’s hand before continuing. “The team is trusting Ruby would let us know if anything untoward is happening, and I can’t deny you are making her happy. I won’t attempt to disguise that I still have my doubts… However, I look forward to the three of you proving me wrong.”

“Was that… acceptance?” Melanie looked to her twin.

“It sounded like it to me,” Miltiades answered.

“I knew it!” Ruby drew her partner into a crushing hug, “I knew you’d come around!”

“Off! Ruby, get off!” Weiss panicked, trying to pry herself away. “Get off me! Down! Down!”

Ruby let herself be peeled off, retaining her grin. “You like it.”

The heiress huffed, but made no real rebuttal. Instead, she turned back to the twins. “As much as I’m sure Ruby would love to run away with you right now, we’re still ‘on the clock’, so to speak, until we debrief at Beacon. I’m glad to have finally met the two of you.”

“Wait, we still haven’t heard what happened?” Melanie recalled.

“I’ll call you the second I’m free!” Ruby promised as she and Weiss walked back to their team. “I should be going before Professor Goodwitch gets angry. Well, angry-er. I love you both!”

Melanie frowned at missing the story. Miltiades supplied, “We love you too.”

As Ruby and Weiss fell back in line with the team, Ruby offered a, “Thank you, Weiss.”

Weiss smiled. “I know I don’t show it well, but I do appreciate our friendship. Same with Yang and Blake as well. You constantly show me how to better myself, really better myself and not just… well, you know.”

“Don’t worry, Weiss,” Ruby smirked, “We’ll have you wearin’ PJ pants all weekend with some wicked bedhead like the rest of us lazy commoners before you know it!”

“As if!” Weiss defended. “I will hold on to some decorum, thank you very much! There is a difference between elitism and harmless class.”

“You’re definitely a class act,” Yang jabbed.

Weiss turned to the blonde. “Yang, I-”

“Stop worrying,” Yang cut her off. She flashed a smile for good measure. “Just messin’ with ya, shortstack.”

Weiss returned the smile. “Brute.”

[smolfangirl]

Waiting till the demons come

A sound so sweet, of you and me - 3 - First struggle

@queenzenere DON’T READ THIS AT WORK (and if you do, don’t blame me) ♥

Story: In a world where you only know who your soulmate is by calling them by their first name, Matteo soon finds that the smallest words can be the hardest to say.

Catch up on desktop here

Word count: 2.6k

Staring at the moon.

Both one of Gastón’s most beloved puns and the thing Matteo caught himself indulging in day after day.

When he thought about it, Luna and the moon were nothing alike. Where the moon silently brightened the sky at night, Luna spun and whirled around, all while beaming brighter than the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Where the moon reliably showed up every night, he never knew what would happen with Luna around, what ideas she came up with and in which ways she managed to tickle a laugh or infinite smile out of him.

And he loved watching her. As much as he appreciated the beauty of the moon, nothing outstood Luna’s very own beauty. Whenever she stepped into the room, his eyes landed on her and by now, he embraced the desire to watch her with no hesitation. And right this moment, as she spent the last minutes of her shift on the rink, she truly was a sight to behold.

Luna took her job seriously. Since Matteo started skating, he had seen a lot of supervisors come and go. Some stayed for a while, some left before he remembered their names.

Not one of them owned Luna’s determination. When a new person made their first shaky steps on the rink, she stayed by their side, cheering them on until these shaky steps evolved into smooth glides. If someone asked her for help with a trick, she shared her experience like it costed her nothing – not even a second to come up with the best explanation.

And she did all this with the kindest smile. He loved watching her, truly.

As of now, the rink was almost empty – only a few regulars were skating, with her in the middle. Matteo recognized the steps she practiced, a sequence he had shown her just two days ago. Grinning, he rolled up to her.

“Any news on the nickname front?”, he asked, already eager to bring out one of her smiles. She turned around, her jaw slightly dropped, and for a moment he believed she’d fall again. (Another reason he liked watching her while she skated, because she fell in the most hilarious ways. One time she slipped and struggled to keep her balance for literally half a minute before she found herself sitting in front of him.)

“Chico fresa! I didn’t see you coming!”

“When do you ever?”, he smirked down at her, raising an eyebrow.

Her nickname provoked the corners of his mouth to curl up. “Nothing new yet? After what, three days? I knew you wouldn’t be creative enough, you simply can’t compare to me.”

She smiled hesitantly, exactly the proof he needed. “I take that as a Yes.”

Luna continuously smiled. She continuously smiled, and Matteo realized his mistake.

But it was too late.

She leaned closer and said, “Take that as whatever you want, astronaut.”

“Oh no. I object, no. Not this.” Desperation haunted his voice before he grasped the full extent of this turn of events.

Astronaut. She had to be kidding him. Gastón already used this to drive him crazy, but she couldn’t be both so cruel and oblivious.

(She could.)

“What?”, Luna proclaimed, “No, you don’t. You can’t order me to find a new nickname and then complain. Again!” With her hands on her wrist and a spark of fire in her eyes, she looked relentless, up to the point where she nearly scared him. Nearly, because the thought of Gastón finding out about this name scared him more than anything else in the world.

“Little moon, please.”

His plea came too late. Luna skated off with a hair flip suspiciously close to the one his ex would do. Torn between sighing and snickering, he followed her. After all, he was Matteo Balsano, he’d find a way to convince her.

“Tell me, astronaut, which one of these stars would you explore?”

Luna walked beside him, head leaned back so she faced the stars, but he knew a victorious grin tugged at the corners of her mouth without as much as a glance in her direction. Ever since they had left the rink, she sneaked this nickname in their conversation as many times as possible. And every time, his heart urged him to ask her if she had any idea how painfully this title fit him.

However, he never managed to ask.

“None, to be honest”, he instead replied, “Every star you see is already dead for who knows how long.” A quick glimpse to his side, and he noticed she bluntly stared at him, eyes big and bold in her face now that she stopped smiling.

From the moment they met again he slowly grew aware of how special she was, how different from any other girl he knew and how much she already meant to him. But sometimes, like now, it got too real until his lungs almost collapsed under the weight of this truth.

“My interest lays more on the moon anyway”, Matteo added.

Luna blushed furiously and not for once did she use the word astronaut that evening, all the way to her home.

Matteo hugged her goodnight in front of the Benson mansion. Her gentle touch on his back felt like a promise, like something that could and inevitably would be, like the sun rising every day no matter what.

Usually, Matteo waited for him outside, as the weather showed enough mercy to allow for mild, sunny days even weeks into the school year. Despite the rays of sunshine dancing through the air, no trace of his best friend was to be found. So, Gastón walked inside, expecting him to see him wherever his little moon stood.

Indeed, he discovered the two of them standing close to the windows, engaged in what looked like a heated argument. Hands moved vigorously, heads were shaken, and both tried to cover up their smiles.

Dorky idiots.

While Gastón stepped closer, he watched Luna rolling her eyes and saying, “Of course I can, wolf boy.” A smirk flashed over his face. Apparently, he’d given her exactly the right tips and since his best friend remained oblivious to his surroundings, he even got an opportunity to underline Luna’s remark. Sneaking up from behind, he howled directly in Matteo’s ear.

His friend swirled around, gasping for air, “What the… Gastón, what the hell are you doing?”

Luna giggled. Promptly, Gastón sent her a wink, proud that she took his advice so seriously and drove his best friend crazier than she probably ever imagined. “Good morning to you too”, he then directed to Matteo, “What did I miss? Anything interesting that you were talking about?”

“No, nothing”, Matteo blurted out, too quick, too frantic, his arm resting on Gastón’s shoulder. “Why don’t we go to class together?”

“Can’t”, Gastón admitted to snicker at Matteo, who let go of him to nervously fidget with his tie, “I’m waiting for Nina.”

Without any delay, Matteo lifted his head, eyes wandering over the by-passing students. Matteo and Nina were friends, but searching for her amongst the crowd before classes started?

All that he undoubtedly wanted was to get Gastón away from Luna, whether to flirt with her without an interruption or to avoid any of Gastón’s innuendos, he had no idea. (Probably both.)

“What class do you have now?”, he wanted to know from Luna while Matteo continued to scan the hallway for Nina. “Physics, then Spanish. And you?”, Luna responded.

“Geography. You know, if you ever need help with physics, you can ask Matteo. I bet he’s thrilled to teach you.”

“Thanks”, she mumbled but held in when Nina appeared next to them. “Good morning, darling”, Gastón greeted her and stole a peck before she could remind him that they were in school. (Her favorite excuse, but he had missed her too much.)

“Gross”, Matteo commented, to which Nina replied, “You’re just jealous.”

They both blushed and Gastón truly believed he saw Matteo’s gaze hurrying over to Luna. Not that he got the chance to acknowledge this out loud, since Nina hugged him precisely in that moment and turned to Luna, “Are we going to class? I don’t want to be late.”

“Sure”, she agreed and awkwardly wrapped her arms around Matteo, who looked like he wanted to pull her into the janitor’s closet. (Or whatever place he found suitable to kiss the moon.) “See you for lunch?”

Matteo smiled, flipping her nose. “Of course, little moon.”

With the girls gone, Gastón patted his best friend’s shoulder, well aware that what he was about to say would touch a sore spot. He said it anyway. “You should just ask her out.”

Matteo got it all planned out, steps and all.

Step one: buying her favorite milkshake and making lots of strawberry-related puns. (Step one-and-a-half: keeping Gastón out of hearing distance. Way, way out of hearing distance.)

Step two: flattering her and making her laugh – nothing he didn’t do usually, he knew how to unlock a blush and a smile.

And finally, step three: finding something to exchange for his old nickname.

Right now, he stood by the bar, step one in process. Pedro mixed the shakes, Matteo imagined Luna’s face when he’d walk up to her with a tablet in his hands and two milkshakes. (She should consider chico delivery as a new nickname instead.) In his head, he even heard her release a little yell…

Wait.

That yell was real.

The milkshakes were instantly forgotten. Running up to the spot she’d been sitting over her homework, his eyes roamed the place, hurrying from corner to corner until he discovered her jumping up and down by the entry.

In the arms of another boy.

His milkshake already warmed up. Little watery pearls rolled down his glass, dropping into his drink, but all Matteo could focus on was Luna. She had abandoned her homework altogether as the guy sat down next to her, and both wore wide smiles, the widest he had ever seen.

They seemed so ridiculously happy, lost in their own little bubble shielding them from the world. Or that’s how Matteo explained to himself that Luna failed to notice every single one of Matteo’s attempt to get her attention.

He had tried all her nicknames. Chica delivery, moon girl, little moon, munchkin, solare…

Then, he considered using her real name, to test whether that sparked a reaction. The letters already tickled the back of his throat.

Yet, he stayed silent.

Luna deserved her name to be spoken like a poem, like the lyrics to the song his heart summed lately. She deserved it to be said in a better, special situation. Not like this. So, he gave it one last sho(u)t, a plain “Chica delivery!” into the air, the desperation shining through as an unstoppable force.

Eventually, she snapped her head in his direction.

Her smile blinded him, every thought vanished into a sweet nothingness and by the stars, he had no idea what to say. In the end, he blurted out, “Don’t forget your homework, moon girl.”

Wow, how creative.

A laugh sprang out of her mouth, of course it did, “My best friend is here, I couldn’t focus on school for my life! Sorry, chico fresa, see you in school.” With that, he faced her cold shoulder and the fading sound of her laughter haunted him like a melody stuck in his head.

See you in school. It was barely the later afternoon and she already told him goodbye for the day, they hadn’t even skated yet…

“Matteo, hey, what’s up with that face?”, the voice of his best friend cut through to him, suddenly. Too suddenly, as he didn’t find the strength just yet to tear his gaze away from Luna.

She was so bright right now. Even more radiating, even happier than usually. A little bit more and he’d need sunglasses to look at her. What a beautiful phenomenon – he wanted to savor it longer. At the same time, he hated this boy with the weird fitting beanie already (he had a hint who he was though), for robbing him of Luna, of the sight of her and – worse – for being the one who made her so happy in the first place.

Gastón sat down in front of him. “Matteo?”

“Here, you can have this milkshake if you want”, he spat out, pointing to the untouched glass meant for Luna. “Thanks”, his best friend replied with a hesitant smile, “But who is that dude over there?”

Matteo sighed. “That’s probably Simón. Luna constantly talks about him and their time in Mexico. Honestly, I have no idea what she sees in him. Maybe he’s her soulmate or whatever.” Bitterness leaked into his tone. He didn’t care.

“What makes you think that? Did she ever mention this?”

In fact, Luna never did. But how necessary should that be, when she looked at this guy like this, when she smiled at him like this? She never smiled at Matteo like this. How necessary could that be when the way she called him her “best friend” inevitably reminded Matteo of Gastón, of soulmates and lost chances and broken hearts? His own broken heart?

“Dunno.” He shrugged it off, “Just a feeling.”

Gastón took a sip out of the glass, slowly, eyes thoughtfully focused on him. “Is that why you never asked her out? Or told me about this Simón?”

Matteo intended to stay quiet, to not dig too deep for an explanation for the sting in his chest, an explanation too simple yet too complicated and scary.

Still, a realization dawned upon Gastón. “Oh no, wait, are you…”, and he had to step in, “No, it’s not! It’s just not, okay?”

(Truth was: to some extent. Still, there was so much more holding him back than plain old jealousy.)

“Forget it, astronaut boy”, his nickname melted on Gastón’s tongue like a spoon of the most delicate ice cream, “I see right through you. You are jealous.”

His eyes felt heavy from staring at the textbook, and the screen of his laptop burned too bright for this time of the evening. Or night, whatever.

Matteo wanted to go to bed. When he blinked, he saw his sheets and warm blanket and his pillow, asking him to lay down and finally rest. But when he blinked twice, he saw Luna, Luna who sat in class without homework and an embarrassed blush on her face and within a second, he was back to work. His phone blew up, messages from Nina and Gastón, mere distractions in his mission.

Gastón: Did you start studying for our physics test already? Need help

Gastón: Will trade explanation against one pun-free day

Nina: I can give Luna my notes, you don’t need to do this

Gastón: Nina told me… Bro…

Gastón: You’re way too high up in space

To Nina: Nearly done, no big deal

To Gastón: Not funny

When he hit the send button, a relieved sigh left his lips. And when he laid down in bed, Matteo grabbed his phone, ignoring the few new messages from his best friend (probably puns. No, most definitely puns), and opened his chat with Luna.

To solare: Check your mail :D

To solare: Do you have a soulmate?

Matteo stared at his phone for a bit longer, waiting for a soft light to blink, waiting for Luna to answer this question that burned him from the inside as soon as he realized it’s been left unresolved since they knew each other.

He fell asleep with the phone by his side, no lights.

Just an open ending.

[tornrose24]

CU Corpse Bride AU part 4

I know it took too long. It’s a tricky AU to come up with, if I must be honest. Plus I’ve been working a lot on the OTHER au.

And apparently the boys were a little closer to their book counterparts in this au.

George and Harold hurry to get out of the land of the dead, but one of their fears comes true while they’re gone. Edith discovers that there is a way to look into the world of the living and view those who are still alive with a special looking glass. She commands it to show her Krupp and anxiously waits to see if he is alright.

To her confusion, she sees him leaving the town in a carriage with a hard to read expression and a suitcase in hand.

“Where’s he going?!” Edith panics before screaming at him to let him know where she is, but he cannot hear her and the image fades. She can only use the looking glass again when it is night time, but she cannot wait for that long. She has no clue what is going on in the land above or where Krupp is heading. She has no idea that he is trying to find a way to save her.

In the land of the living, Krupp is so lost in thought that he almost falls over his seat when the carriage stops without warning.

“Hey what’s the big idea?!” Krupp snaps at the driver–not knowing that the man fell over in his seat and lost consciousness upon seeing the true face of a cloaked figure who somehow was able to sneak up on him. “HEY! I have somewhere I need to go!” He gets angry and is about to give the man a piece of his mind when another cloaked figure throws the door open and snatches his suitcase away.

“HEY!” Krupp gets even more angry at this small figure who dared to delay him (and steal from him!) and chases after the pest as he leads him back towards the town and into the woods, though he soon sees that the thief has an accomplice who is also covered in a cloak.

It’s not until they get into the woods that the two finally stop to face Krupp, who is beyond angry at them for slowing him down. “I don’t know who you are, but I have somewhere I need to go, so if you don’t give me my bag back, then so help me–!”

Both figures throw their hoods back and Krupp stops mid-threat when he sees a couple of all too familiar faces–the faces of George and Harold, his former and now very much dead students.

They innocently watch and wait as he gaps at them and can only stare in shock for a few moments before sputtering out incoherent words. Then he collapses and passes out from the shock.

“Well he took that surprisingly well.” Harold comments.

Still, they don’t have time for this, and after throwing water in his face (of course), they wake him up and wait for him to quit freaking out and finally recover before he remembers what is happening. “What–HOW?!” He freaks out again in wide eyed shock at the two. “Why are you here?! Why aren’t you–what–?!”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re dead!” George finally cuts to the chase. “We didn’t miraculously survive, we actually died that day!” And so the boys are forced to admit the truth to Krupp.

Once upon a time, Krupp was especially cruel to the two boys who loved to draw, write, and play jokes on others for their own amusement, with Krupp being their favorite target. Yet one day it got to a point where they planned to play a prank on the whole classroom as well as Krupp. The plan was to cover them all in a bunch of jam, glue, and other sticky stuff, along with flour, feathers, and other random things. They would have a few loud sounds go off, then light up a scarecrow outside the school to scare a few of them.

They managed to get everything prepped, but on the day of the prank, they didn’t realize how many flammable items were in the supply shed. The moment they tested out a match, it sparked and caught one of the items on fire. There was an explosion that badly hurt  the both of them and knocked a beam down in front of the door to prevent their escape. There was too much smoke developing and because no one could hear them cry out for help–or realized where they were–

The boys grow silent.

Krupp just stares at them. He’s not surprised that one of their pranks was more than just the result of their undoing, but for once he can’t bring himself to gloat at the boys for one of their failures like he used to.

“So that aside,” George finally gets to the point. “We... kind of had a hand in you losing Edith again.”

And this goes as well as you’d expect. Krupp is more than furious at their involvement since it makes complete sense to him and he only gets angrier when they admit that they were keeping him away from the entrance to the land of the dead.

“Look, we’re sorry, ok?!” Harold begs. “We want to try to fix this because we know she’s not happy and he’s not going to be happy either. We know she wants you and I think he’s starting to get it. Just let us help you to make up for everything we did!”

“And if we get to our parents, we can tell them it was our fault that we died and they can forgive you!” George added. “For crying out loud, just listen to us this one time!”

Realizing that they are running low on time, the boys tell Krupp that if Edith marries him instead of CU, he’ll probably leave her alone, but Krupp is reluctant to do this after all that has happened. He doesn’t know if Edith could ever want to get married with him at this point. The boys want to tell Krupp about the ‘game’ with his existence on the line–that he’ll throw his life away if he let’s CU marry Edith–but they opt not to.

“Then let us try to talk some sense into him!” Harold tries to tell Krupp. “Otherwise we can try to get you into the land of the dead–without any jokes this time!”

“Besides, even if Edith were to marry him, it needs to be up here.” George added. “She’s still alive, so the laws of the living have to be obeyed, regardless of living, dead, religion, and a bunch of other things we barely care about.”

Unfortunately, while the boys succeed in getting Krupp to the entrance, the gatekeeper is NOT happy about living people being taken in before their time is up and refuses entry to Krupp, which leads to major arguing and unfortunately for the boys, the sun eventually sets yet again and CU takes over. The gatekeeper decides to teach the boys a lesson for their interferences and jokes and denies them entry for a whole twenty four hours. What’s worse is that the boys lose their chance to get CU’s attention and talk to him since he immediately rushes into the land of the dead without noticing them.

Trapped in the land of the living, George and Harold ponder what to do. They decide to try to visit their families to see them again and confess what really happened to them so that they won’t blame Krupp, in case their plan works. Then they will try to hurry back to the entrance in case something happens.

Yet things are about to get a lot harder for the boys. Edith tries once again to seek out Krupp with the looking glass, but it doesn’t show him–it doesn’t show anything. Confused, she asks the keeper of the looking glass why this is happening.

“Well, I don’t know what to say.” The undead woman admits. “This only happens if the person is not in the land of the living or the land of the dead. Either he’s gone up–or down–” she grimaces as she looks at the ground “–or somehow his soul ceased to exist. And unfortunately, that can happen.”

“So is he gone?!” Edith asks and pleads.

“I really don’t know.” The woman admits. “I’d just pray that he went up instead of the either two options.” Edith feels herself give into despair–she has no idea what is going on anymore, she’s trapped, and she doesn’t know why Krupp left town.

What if he was leaving the town as well as her because of his reputation? Because he didn’t want to face the supernatural again? Or because he couldn’t find her and gave up? Or what if something had happened and he would try to find her without knowing that both worlds were separated?

She would rather not let herself be a burden to him if that were the case. She wouldn’t want to condemn him to a life of endlessly searching for her.

Besides, she didn’t have much in the land of the living besides her family. She had been placed in an arranged marriage and she never had much hope of finding someone on her own.

Upon encountering CU, she tells him that she agrees to marry him, on the condition that a headstone baring her name is placed in the cemetery and that her family and friends made aware of her death. At this point she’s made aware of the rules–that she would need to die in order for a marriage with CU to be binding.

CU is conflicted about telling her that she does NOT need to die in this case, and a part of him can see that Edith is unhappy, but then he is too excited to really think things over and promises to have the ceremony taken up above by midnight.

Meanwhile, the boys are able to reunite with their families and it is both a wonderful and sad time spent with them, with lots of hugging and apologizing involved. They return back to the entrance to the land of the dead, but to their horror they see that Edith is being taken away by a ghostly carriage to a nearby church. When they ask the gatekeeper, he tells them that she’s agreed to the marriage–which will happen at midnight that night–and that means no more living people in the land of the dead.

The boys panic before tricking the gatekeeper into leaving his post and they hurry back into the land of the dead. They try to find CU to convince him to really think the matter over, but they can’t find him, which leaves them with one other option.

They can only think of repeating the same spell the person-in-charge used before to try to fix whatever went wrong this time. They need to bring back Krupp and even if it means having him appear before CU again, they don’t have a choice anymore. They know they have to atone for their mistakes before its too late.

The boys eventually succeed in getting the spell (which was an adventure in itself), but time is running low again and they have to hurry as fast as they can. They have to get to the church on time!

I’ve been having writer’s block with this more than once and doesn’t help with giving myself time to think it out. And trying to get the right motivation for Edith to agree to marrying CU was not easy (or fun for MANY reasons. Because I think realistically this girl would have waited one more day, but for the sake of drama I had to do THIS)... see why it was hard to write this? But I promise that I will make the last part as good as I can. :) It’ll come eventually....

[love-bianca-world]

Dumbledore: humble headmaster or master manipulator?

I know, I know. Not liking Dumbledore in this fandom is almost as bad as not hating Umbridge. But there have been things bothering me since the first book.

OK. Let's start at the beginning. The first chapter of the first book. Dumbledore leaves Harry on the Dursley's doorstep in the middle of October. Now I'm on the South half of the world but I think it's still quite chilly that time of the year. There is no proof of Dumbledore protecting him against the cold. Harry is left with only a blanket and a letter. Now the letter. Imagine this: you find a baby with a scabbed lightning bolt shaped wound on it's head on your doorstep. You see a letter which you read and it explains that your sister has been killed by a mass murderer but this kid survived. There is no further explanation. Only the letter. How exactly would you feel?

Now the Dursley's abuse. I don't know about you but I hate child abuse or neglect. Harry is forced to cook, clean and help in the gardens as well as being forced to sleep under the stairs. This is neglect. The Dursleys call him boy or freak on a regular basis. This is psychological abuse. The Dursleys and Marge compare Harry's deceased parents to badly bred dogs and drunks. Even stating that they should have died. This is emotional abuse. We fleetingly hear of times with little to no food. Starvation. Yet, nobody notices. Harry is in the infirmary at least once a year, yet the neglect and malnutrition is not picked up. Dumbledore is a legitimens who could have easily picked up on the abuse. So is Snape. The twins even tell Molly that he had been locked in with bars on his window and it is still ignored.

Next would be the decision to let Hagrid pick Harry up. We all love Hagrid but you have to admit that this was a stupid decision. Oh, we're having trouble to the people who Minera called "the worst type of muggles", better send Hagrid. May I remind you that Hagrid cannot legally use magic and is using PIECES of his wand in an umbrella. Do we all remember what Ron's wand was like after the encounter with the whomping willow? Hagrid is also not the most patient person and he is easily angered. Is this really the person you want to send to those specific muggles?

Now the stone. So Voldemort broke into Gringotts bank to retrieve it. Why in the name of Merlin would you put the object that someone is desperate enough to do that for, IN A CASTLE FULL OF CHILDREN?! It would have been smarter to send it to Nicholas and Perenell Flame who are old enough to have picked up a few things. Instead it is left in a school behind a door that can be unlocked by 'Alohamora' which almost every student knows. Behind that door is a giant three headed dog that could have torn an adventurous student to shreds. When you get past the dog you find the plant: Devil's snare. A plant covered in first year herbology. Why not use a more obscure plant to delay the person to research? Next is a chess board. A chess board. Nothing more to it. Just play the game and win. The next one is admittedly a bit more difficult. A troll. Again a deadly defence in a school full of teenagers. We saw 3 first years defeat a troll with a simple first year spell. Snape's riddle is built on stereotypes. Imagine a ravenclaw, who has to solve a riddle to even enter their common room. The mirror is good but I have a problem. The mirror only gives the stone to a person who doesn't want to use it. What if Quirrel didn't want to use it, just give it to his master. Would it have worked? More, what if a student didn't know what they were looking for, just looking in the mirror wanting to find the hidden object? You have to admit that the protections were flimsy and some were even endangering the students.

Quidditch. I love it, you love it but yet we see Harry almost dying because of a jinxed broom. You cannot tell me that nobody but the twins noticed. Snape defended but why not point it out to another teacher? Even after the fact, nobody is questioned. It is never brought up again even though Harry could have died.

Now, I really do love Minerva but in this specific book right before the stone, she turns Harry away from his concerns about the stone. She doesn't even hear him out which is what eventually what sends Harry after the stone himself.

Second book starts with the Dursleys and their abuse once again. Harry is told to go to his room and pretend that he doesn't exist. Would that count as abuse? I would say so. Now, Dobby turns up and smashes a bowl of pudding with magic that is reported as Harry's. The ministry issues a warning with no investigation which Vernon reads and finds out that Harry cannot use magic without being expelled. That leads to Harry being locked up. When the Weasleys tell Molly that they found Harry locked up, she brushed it off.

When the gang gets to school and the chamber is opened Harry is blamed because he is in the same place. When Harry is outed as a parsletongue, he is immediately seen as the school's pariah. Even Justin feels threatened after the fact. Yet none of the teachers act in Harry's defence or try to teach the kids that prejudice is wrong.

Again, I love Hagrid. But sending 2 first years into an acromantula colony is stretching even my patience. Keeping Aragog in the castle was dangerous but allowing their children to spread was practically a deadly decision. If it weren't for the Ford, they'd probably be dead.

Further. Lockheart. Why was he even hired? Surely there was someone else? Even the teachers know that Lockheart is a fraud. The headmaster doesn't seem incredibly surprised or angry that Lockheart tried to obliviate them.

Next. Myrtle. Right after she died there should have been an investigation. Did nobody ask how she died? I mean how many monsters have big, yellow eyes and communicate by hissing? The entrance isn't even that well hidden. I mean. It's faucet that doesn't work with a snake engraving on the side. Yet nobody found the entrance besides 2 second years.

Lastly for second year. Why is Fawkes in the chamber. Not that I want Harry to die but that does seem a bit suspicious. How did Fawkes realise that Harry needed him? Why was he there? How was he able to get in if the tunnel is collapsed? I know he 'flashed' but if he was always able to go there why not let the headmaster in to get rid of the beast?

Third year starts with Harry once again with the Dursleys but this time Marge is there and makes some rather rude comments about James and Lily Potter. Once again we see emotional and psychological abuse. Harry then finally decides that enough is enough and he leaves.

When Fudge finds Harry, he is relieved and automatically claims accidental magic but never revokes the charge of the hovering charm which is much above Harry's level.

Molly and Fudge then decide to keep Harry ignorant of Sirius' history. Doesn't allow him time, space and comfort to process. Rather he finds out by accident and becomes murderous. They refuse to give him his own choice.

The dementors are horrific creatures and should have been removed from at least the school grounds after the train episode. Someone besides Remus should also have taught Harry the Patronus charm. Instead, Harry breaks his broom and almost his neck because of the effects. Also. Why did no-one cast the Patronus to ward off the dementors before Harry fell?

Then lastly, Dumbledore sending Harry and Hermione back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak. If he knew that Hermione had it, he could have done it himself.

Fourth year once again starts with abuse from the Dursleys. That stops when the weasleys come to pick up Harry for the quidditch world cup. When they demolish the Dursleys' fake fireplace.

I'm not even talking about the quidditch world cup blunder since that is the ministry's problem. Dumbledore is not involved.

He is however involved in the Tri-wizard tournament by forcing Harry to compete instead of researching rules or loopholes.

Again. He is Mad-Eye Moody's friend yet he doesn't notice the polyjuice potion? Or the ticks? He doesn't mind that his 'friend' performed the unforgivables in front of children? Two of who's parents were lost to those curses.

The trials themselves I will leave alone. The books actually say that the headmasters may not help their students. Nevermind that Fleur and Krum already knew.

The third trial. Where do I even start? If the trial was for entertainment, why block everyone's view and if they could see why was everyone so calm when they returned from an unexpected portkey journey?

Why did everyone allow Harry to leave alone with Moody? Why did the headmaster and his loyal followers only show up later? How did they know where to find him?

When you look at alla of this, you have to admit that the headmaster does look a bit senile (if not completely manipulitive)

[whoinwhoville]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Doctor Who (2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Tenth Doctor (duplicate)/Rose Tyler Characters: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor, Rose Tyler Additional Tags: UST, married, Torchwood - Freeform, delayed gratification, Sexual Frustration, not explicit, Crack, Fluff, Fluffy McFluff, Silly, unrealistic probably Series: Part 8 of Timepetalsprompts Summary:

He's teaching by day, she's defending the Earth by night. And they are both about to burst.

Written for @timepetalsprompts prompt, “Sex Time”.

She stumbled into their flat, barely remembering to flip the deadbolt lock on the front door. The brightness of eight am light hurt her stinging, exhausted eyes, so she stumbled to the window and drew the drapes. She knew she should eat something — considering she hadn’t eaten in well over 14 hours — but right now, sleep was her number one priority. She collapsed onto the sofa, one leg and one arm hanging off.

But then her husband made an appearance.

She peeled one eye open.

His hands were pushed into the pockets of his brown pinstriped trousers. He was wearing the glasses. And his hair was perfect. In a word, he was gorgeous. And doing that thing with his eyebrow. And that half smile thing.

But she didn’t feel a single tingle. No butterflies in her belly. No prickles on her neck or flushed cheeks or building heat or— anything.

He leaned over, and kissed her jaw. “Oh, I missed you last night. Couldn’t stop thinking about you. The bed was so cold.”

“Takemetobed,” she slurred, eyes drifting shut again.

He hummed happily. “Your wish is my command.”

She smiled lazily as he pulled her off of the sofa, and led her into their bedroom. “Gonna feel so good. Close the blinds,” she ordered quietly. “Need it dark.”

“Mmmmm. You do like it dark, don’t you?” He removed his tie as he scurried to the window. “Love the dark. Dark is brilliant. Well, not brilliant. Unbrilliant.”

She laughed quietly. “Love it when you ramble.”

By the time he’d undressed down to bare skin, she was in bed. He spooned up to her, but instead of warm, smooth skin, he felt tough, battle-ready fabric.

“Let me help you take your clothes off,” he whispered into her ear as he skimmed his palm over her chest.

She sighed. But not in the good way. “Have a good day, Doctor. Don’t blow anything up in chemistry lab and remind those flirty girls that wink at you in lecture that you’re married. See ya tonight,” she mumbled. Quiet little snuffling snores replaced her slurred words.

“But… but…” he whinged, “I thought…” and rolled onto his back. “Do I have time for a cold shower?” he groaned to himself.

oOo

He knocked on their door too tired to pull out either his sonic or his keys. He knew the door was opening, but his eyes were closed.

“You’re finally home. Students give you a bad time?”

“Worse. Staff meeting.”

“My poor Doctor.” Her voice was husky and thick. “Let make it all better.” She tugged him inside, and kicked the door shut. Using her signature move, she grabbed his lapels and pulled him into a deep, heated kiss.

He made a happy sound in his throat as their kiss increased in intensity and now she was trailing her finger down his chest and he could smell her perfume and her hair was soft against his neck and her lips were skimming his throat and she wasn’t wearing very much at all if his sensitive touch was sending the proper signals to his brain and oh her tongue was dancing a samba…

She pulled away with one final tug of his lower lip. “Could hardly wait for you to get home. Been thinking about you ever since I woke up. Had to keep my hands busy even. Was tempted to take care of it myself, but want you to do it. And I had the best dreams last night, well today. You were touchin’ me. Felt so good.” She moaned quietly into his neck.

Even though his body was beginning to thrum with desire, his feet were like lead, unable to move himself further into their flat. He finally opened his eyes at the feeling of her warm, wet lips dropping open-mouthed kisses behind his ear.

She pulled back a little bit. “You like?” Rose traced a finger along the edge of the sheer, black bustier.

His fingers had been right. See-thru black silk and lace was all that separated his fingers from her skin. “Oh, I like.” His voice was thick and heavy and a bit hoarse.

“You know, lingerie isn’t really meant to be worn. It’s meant to be taken off. Or… I could leave it on, and you could just slip me out of these.” She hooked her thumbs under the lace that trimmed the minuscule scrap of silk. “Don’t know how much longer I’m gonna be able to hold off. Need to feel you right… here.” She draped her arms around his neck and pushed her hips into him.

He grabbed her bum and pulled her into him even more closely. Rose slipped a hand between their bodies, unzipped his trousers, and then slid her hand inside and teased him before slowly stealing her touch away.

She looked up at him through hooded eyes, grabbed his tie, and led him into their bedroom. “Why don’t you freshen up a bit.” She struck a sexy pose on the bed. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Oh, I like surprises,” he said, ducking into the en suite. He looked at the stubble on his face, and ran his hand over it.

“I’m waiting…” she sing-songed from their bed. “And I’m very, very ready.”

“Keep that,” he yawned, “sexy see-thru top thing on. I like it.”

He sprayed shaving foam into his hand, and spread it over his face, quickly running his razor across the skin. He yelped. Red spread through the white foam.

“You okay?” she called.

“Cut myself shaving.” He yawned again.

“Why you shavin’ while I’m here waiting?” she said. “Might have to take care of things myself if you don’t hurry up.”

“You like it when I’m smooth.”

“I like it better when you’re in bed.”

He splashed the remaining foam off of his face, satisfied with the shoddy shaving job. And yawned. Again. He brushed his teeth yawning through the toothpaste foam. And splashed on cologne. And yawned.

He rounded the corner, peeling off his clothes, but stopped in his tracks at the sight of his wife reclining, arms stretched above her head. Somehow, she’d managed to shackle herself to the headboard. He growled as she shifted her legs seductively.

“Do whatever you want to me, but you’d better do it fast because I’m about to come just lookin’ at you.”

“Oh, I’ll make you come alright, but it won’t be fast.”

She moaned again with a little twist of her hips. “Tease.”

“Oh yes.” He slid up her body, his lips leading the way beginning at her thighs. He dropped little open mouthed, slow kisses, dangerously close to where she wanted his touch the most, but he passed right on by, and teased a smile against her hipbone when she whimpered.

“Lower,” she begged.

“You’re the one who cuffed yourself. You’re the one who put me…” (a hard suck below her bellybutton) “in…” (a kiss and a nip to the soft underside of her breast) “charge.” He made a mark on her collarbone.

“I’m sorta regretting that decision now.”

“No take-backs. It’s a rule.”

“Sod the rules.”

“Nope. A rule is a rule. I want to take my time. It’s been too long. Five weeks, four days, twenty-one hours, and three minutes since we’ve been in bed at the same time, without clothes on, Rose Tyler.”

The almost-frustrating feeling of her hard, pebbled nipple against his lips — separated by sheer silk — was mesmerizing. He yawned, completely content to keep his mouth right there. She arched her back pushing her breast against his lips, silently begging for more. And then he yawned.

“Get this thing off,” she begged. “The hooks are right in front.”

“Mmmm.” The sucking and rolling of his tongue slowed. And then stopped.

“More! Don’t stop!” she begged.

Quiet breathing against her chest replaced the heady feeling of his warm mouth and teasing teeth.

“Doctor?” She shimmied her chest.

No response.

“Doctor!” She repeated, louder.

“Rose…” he sighed. “Mmmm tired. Rubbish human biology.”

She groaned. “But… I’m… dying here!”

He fumbled to unlatch the cuffs, and then reached into the bedside table drawer. He handed his wife her favorite toy. “Here,” he managed through a snore.

“You are kidding me!” She groaned, and then hastily turned it on to the almost-highest setting. It was effective and quick, but definitely second best.

He hummed against her chest as she panted through her release. “Glad you came.”

oOo

The missed moments continued for a week. Nothing could keep either of them awake long enough to do the deed. They tried the specs of sex, lingerie, handcuffs, silk blindfolds, feathers, ice, hard and fast, slow and lazy, up against the wall, her on the kitchen counter, him in a chair, her on top, him behind, scissor-style, out on the balcony clothed from the top up — naked from the down overlooking the Thames, in the shower, on the sofa, in the back seat of their car in the car park, Barry White, Bolero… But for one or the other or both of them, it would end before it could really start.

oOo

The wind stole the plastic specimen bag from Rose’s fingers. She chased it as it skidded across the ground, trying to stop it with her foot, but it was gone. She swore, and then screamed.

“Okay, Tyler. What the bloody hell is going on?” Jake asked, scooping up a sample of orange goo from the pavement. “Get your head in the game.”

“I can’t take it any more!” she whimpered. She dug for a new sample bag and then held it out. Jake dropped the sludge into it, and Rose sealed it up. “I never see my husband anymore. Do you know when the last time was that we actually had a meal together? Or just sat and talked and watched telly? And don’t get me started on sex. We. Aren’t. Having. Any!” She whimpered. “I am so done! He’s gone all day while I’m sleepin’, and I’m gone all night while he’s sleeping’! And we have, maybe, one hour together in between times because I’m working these blooding long hours!”

“I don’t make the schedule, don’t yell at me about it.”

“I’m not yelling at you!” She yelled.

“Well it’s not my fault that you’re not getting laid!” he laugh-shouted.

“It’s obvious Gwen is getting some. She just had to go and get pregnant,” Rose bellowed.

“That was just mean, Rose. Knock it off.”

She whimpered and pushed her hair off of her face. “It’s been a month, Jake. A MONTH since we’ve shagged! I haven’t had one day off! And working twelve, fourteen, even twenty hours a day? I can’t take it anymore. It isn’t even the working nights bit. I don’t mind working nights. I just miss my husband. I miss the Doctor so much.”

Jake pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry Rose.”

“I’m gonna quit. I have to. I’ll become a barista. Or go work at Henrik’s folding jumpers. I’ll deliver newspapers. As long as we’re both working at the same time.”

“Rose Tyler, you’re the Defender of the Earth. You can’t quite. It’s a rule.”

“Don’t say that word, rule.” She whimpered.

“What’s wrong with rule?”

“Never mind.”

He laughed. “Something kinky, ain’t it?”

“Shut it, Jake,” she warned.

oOo

“Oi! Spaceman! You can’t just barge in! He’s on a call with the President!” Pete’s World Donna hollered as the Doctor stormed right past Pete Tyler’s PA.

“Pete, this is an emergency! Earth-shattering. No, universe threatening.” The Doctor’s fists were clenched, and his jaw, set.

“Pardon me, Madame President.” Pete covered the mouthpiece of the telephone.

“What’s going on? I can have a team ready in five minutes.”

oOo

Rose stumbled through the door, dropped her kit bag, and stumbled to the refrigerator. She pulled out a bottle of Vitex Relax, and downed it in one long draw. With a grimace, she binned the empty bottle of her least-favorite variety of the family business. A note on the counter caught her eye. Bedroom, she read aloud.

“Doctor?” she called out, toeing off her trainers.

There was no answer. Of course not. It was almost ten in the morning, and he was in the middle of giving a chemistry lecture.

She shuffled across the hardwood in her stocking feet into the bedroom. Their perfectly made bed was covered with rose petals, and a second note was on her fluffed pillow.

Take a hot bath.

Rose ran her hand through her limp hair, but smiled to herself as she walked into the en suite. A bath bomb was on the ledge of the tub — lavender and vanilla. Under the fragrant bath treat was another note.

Don’t fall asleep in the bath, but do relax.

Rose turned on the radio, listening to her favorite talk and music show as she soaked. She laughed a few times as the guest took on the three-biscuit challenge and stumped the caller as she sang an unrecognizable popular song.

Once she was good and wrinkly, she got out, prepared for bed, and pulled back the covers revealing a note and a blue silk chemise.

Sleep. You’re going to need your rest tonight. (winking smiley face). Sweet dreams.”

Rose shed her flannel pyjamas and slipped into the silk. Within moments, she was asleep, lulled by the scent of lavender and dreams of her husband.

oOo

“Hello.”

Rose awoke to a cheerful little finger-wiggling wave. “Hello.” She sat up, stretched, and yawned.

“How do you feel?”

“Fantastic. Best sleep I’ve had in ages. Where’d you get that bath bomb? It was magical.”

“I made it.”

“What?” She wrinkled her nose happily.

“Yep.”

“Thank you. It was lovely. Hey, what time is it?” She looked around for the clock. “You’re home early. It’s only six.”

“Yep.”

“No papers to grade? Students to tutor?”

“Nope. Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.”

She complied and felt something slip over her head.

You can open your eyes.”

“A lanyard?” She picked up the card dangling from the clip.

“Torchwood? The Doctor. Alpha Alpha. What does this mean?”

“I quit teaching, and I’ve finally joined up!”

“But you love teaching! You hate Torchwood!” She worried her lip.

“I don’t hate Torchwood. I hate rules.”

“I know some rules you seem to enjoy,” she teased.

“Well,” he tipped his head, “your rules are brilliant. Especially the handcuff and blindfold rules.”

Rose grinned, her tongue between her teeth.

“The uni doesn’t need me, not really. I can’t teach what I know anyway. Too advanced. I’d mess up the natural progression of scientific discovery. You need me more.”

She lunged at him. “I love you so much. Thank you.”

“And the best part is we’re going to be on the same team. No more opposite work schedules, love.”

“That’s not the best part.” Rose kissed the Doctor.

“It isn’t?”

“Nope. The best part is that we have time for sex now!”

[living-in-vienna]

June blues

Hallo!

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to write a blog post, but this one is going to be a long one because I’ve been so busy!

So, the last I updated was the week of the Sommernachts Konzert at Schönbrunn Palace. That was such an amazing evening! There was so much classical music, and the acoustics were excellent so we heard everything from the lawn behind the palace. The theme was Harry Potter, and even though I’m not a Harry Potter fan, it was an awesome night! My friend and I bought traditional Austrian shirts to wear, and we may have gotten some funny looks but it really made us feel Austrian!

The Sunday following, I met up with a girl that I met in my youth hostel in Naples who studies in Vienna. Her and I grabbed lunch and then walked all over Vienna, and then grabbed coffee before she went to work. It was really nice to see her again. It’s crazy how easily connections are made here! We took a walk through Volksgarten, which is a huge garden in the middle of Vienna. The flowers are all bloomed and it was a really beautiful day, so we sat and just chatted for an hour in the garden. It was really a beautiful time! Even after having lived here for quite some time, I am still finding new, amazing things in Vienna. This place never gets old!

This past Tuesday, a friend and I went to the United Nations headquarters in Vienna and did a guided tour. THAT was amazing! I learned so much about the Viennese Headquarters and about the UN in general. Our tour lasted about 1.5 hours and it was very informative about the role the UN plays in global affairs. I got to see the prime minister of Bangladesh too, which was pretty cool! How many people can say they’ve done that? ;) Now, the reason for my big delay in writing a post was my trip to the U.K. & Ireland. I was gone for about a week, and had very unreliable WIFI. Despite this, though, the trip was amazing! We spent three days in London, and three in Dublin. Before I left Vienna, I saw that one other student from W&J was going to be in London the same time as me for a Magellan. This girl was also one of my former LINK mentees, so I asked if she wanted to meet up and we did! I know that when I was new to Vienna, it was nice to see a familiar face when just learning your way around. I think that after our visit, she felt a lot more at ease in London, which was a nice feeling! I really enjoyed seeing her. We went to a museum, and then ate at a restaurant next to Shakespeare’s globe theater. London was so rich with culture, but insanely busy which was a bit overwhelming for me. It was also crazy huge, which made me very stressed at times, but I forgot all about it when seeing the beautiful, historic city. It helped that my friend and I did a bus tour and a river tour, because it helped us see things and learn things we otherwise would not have known. Fun fact: the tower with Big Ben is leaning, and they need to shut it down for a short time so it doesn’t collapse. Interesting stuff! London was really nice to see once in my lifetime, and I’m glad I went while I still could! However, Dublin was even better. I could have spent a week in Dublin itself. I will definitely be going back there!! Ireland is such a beautiful country with such an interesting cultural background. As soon as my friend and I arrived at our hostel, we did a free walking tour of Dublin which took about 2.5 hours. I learned so much, and our guide was incredibly informed on the history of Ireland & Dublin’s role in shaping the history of Ireland as an independent country. That evening, we walked through Temple Bar and sat in a pub and listened to some live music. I felt so comfortable in Dublin! It is probably my second favorite city in Europe (after Vienna of course.) The next day, it rained. A lot. So, we planed to do more things indoors. We visited the National Leprechaun Museum, where we got to hear folklore about Leprechauns and Fairies of Ireland. That was extremely cool! Then, we went to St. Patrick's cathedral and did a free guided tour in there. It lasted about an hour. I would have never known the things our guide told us had we not done the tour! Following the cathedral visit, we went to the Irish Whiskey Museum and got to learn all about Ireland and its whiskey production. I personally am not a fan of whiskey, but as it plays a role in the country's culture, it was worth a visit. That evening, my friend and I finished our trip with an amazing dinner at a place called "Gallagher's Boxty House." I cannot recommend this place more! It was amazing traditional Irish food. I got an Irish stew (perfect for the rainy wether) and my friend got chicken boxty, which is like chicken in a pancake with a white cream sauce on top. It was amazing! Then, the time came we had to get ready and head back to Vienna. Once back in Vienna, I have been so overwhelmed with school work since the semester is coming to a close! Last night, I had a 2.5 hour long German exam at the language center concluding my course there. I studied really long, so I'm hoping that those hours paid off. Then, this afternoon I had the biggest, scariest presentation of my life...I had to speak for one hour in front of 50 native German speakers on two books I read and how I would teach them in a classroom setting. Speaking German with my friends who are native speakers is one thing, but in an academic setting where most of these students didn't know me, was extremely intimidating. However, I did it! I finished strong, and I know that I am here to learn and better my German and that is exactly what I'm doing. My professor told me that I did very well, and that everyone paid attention and could definitely understand me! This really made me feel so relieved! Having three courses in German and one in English really has helped my language skills, and I am extremely proud of myself for having done this presentation today with having made little mistakes. I celebrated this evening with a big group of students from the business school. A mutual friend hosted a barbecue in the courtyard of the building, so we all ate together and I met so many Americans! Before this point I only met two during my stay... today I met about 10 more. They've all been hiding in the English speaking department I suppose! Some of them already are heading home this weekend, which is crazy to believe. Ihave no classes tomorrow, so I'm planning on catching up on some sleep! As you can see, I've been very busy. On Saturday, my guest sister from Germany is coming to visit Vienna. I am so excited to show her around! When she leaves, I will only have 2.5 weeks left in Vienna... I'd be lying if I said I haven't already cried about going home! And its not that I don't want to see everyone at home, but this place has become my second home with so many new friends and memories having been made in this city. It's going to be quite the adjustment back to the US life! But I'm not focusing on going home, just enjoying my last weeks as a Viennese. :) Bis nächste Woche! Liebe Grüße, Michaela