#I remember there were like 4 weddings going on on the rocky steps when we took these photos. It was so wild

[wwhatisstutorials]

Casual Gwenom!! 

I loved making this sweatshirt. I was super inspired to do it the moment I saw the concept art by Jason Latour, Robbi R, and Rico Renzi

Also i really really love Philly

[beatricethecat2]

"This is nice," Myka says, sipping her beer while surveying the bar.

"Consuming alcohol in a public house?" Helena asks.

"Yeah," Myka says, eyes angling down as she picks at her label. "Working with Pete...this wasn't a thing I could do much. Then Steve and I had a drink here, and I remembered what it was like. I used to go on my own in DC just to unwind. Feels like a lifetime ago."

“In many ways it was," Helena says, idly stiring the ice left in her drink. "Could you ever have imagined the company you now keep?"

"I don't think so," Myka says, shifting closer to Helena. "But I like it, a lot. Doing this with you feels...normal. Two people, spending time together, not a care in the world."

"You care for nought?" Helena says, fingers tracing a line from Myka's thumb to her wrist where her hand rests on her thigh.

"Ok, one care," Myka says, eyes flicking up to meet Helena's. "Hey, I know that look. We said we'd stay for the band tonight, not just hole up in our room."

"Is there not another band tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but we said we'd stay for this one." Myka slips her hand from Helena's.

"As you wish," Helena says, settling back on her stool, frustration evident in her tone.

"More drinks, ladies?" the bartender says. "The band's about to start."

"I shall need one," Helena grouses.

"Stop being dramatic," Myka snips.

"Fine," Helena snaps. "Bourbon. Neat. Top shelf, please," she instructs the bartender.

"Comin' right up." The bartender steps away to complete the order.

"Oh, we're getting drunk now, are we?" Myka quips.

"When in Rome..."

"I'd actually like to see that, a drunk H.G. Wells," Myka says, poking Helena in the arm.

Helena flinches. "You may very well if you keep behaving as such."

"Seriously though, when's the last time you drank enough to let your guard down, even a little."

"In the company of others? Not in recent memory. And you?"

"Same."

"Here you go," the bartender interrupts, setting the tumbler on a napkin in front of Helena. "Another beer?" she asks Myka.

"You know what? I'll have the same." Myka waves her bottle at Helena's drink.

"Cavalier, Ms. Bering."

"We'll keep each other in check. We deserve to get super tipsy, at least."

"Color me intrigued."

The band strikes its first cord just as Myka's drink arrives. She tugs Helena's arm, and they relocate to a table near the stage.

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

The Adventures of Bering and Wells ("Warehouse 13" Season 5 replacement) Season 1: Episode 4 Title: New Orleans: Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Summary: Myka and Helena follow whim rather than duty, driving south, detouring around Washington DC, avoiding a second emotional rabbit hole so early on. After a wi-fi-free week in a cabin, deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, they feel ready to tackle urban density again. ("The Rockies are better," Myka declares. "We'll go there, too.) Vowing to stay as touristy as possible, the pair head towards history-filled New Orleans. But far too soon their carefree trip hits a snag and they're in need of Warehouse help.

Previously: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3

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

***BONUS SCENE***

"Exactly how touristy have you been?" Abigail asks.

"Pretty touristy," Myka answers.

"Practically flâneurs," Helena says, grinning as Myka looks up at her with sparkly eyes.

"Well, that narrows it down," Steve mutters, typing into the keyboard. "Let's start with your hotel. Why'd you pick the carriage house?"

"The lack of adjoining suite and the king-sized bed."

"Helena!" Myka smacks Helena on the arm. "Because it's cute and charming."

"So this ghost isn't listed on their website? Wedding dress woman, Civil War soldier, dancing patio woman?" Steve asks.

"No. And the manager hadn't recognized the description I gave," Helena explains.

"So not all ghosts," Abigail says.

"If seeing them is normal," Myka says.

"Let's say the ones on their website are but H.G.'s isn't," Steve says.

"Are we to assume I've been 'whammied' then?" Helena says.

"You freeze in place. I have to shake you out of it," Myka explains.

"Perhaps I'm studying the phenomenon."

"You're never that still. It's creepy."

"Then I think we should consider it," Abigail says.

"Where else have you been?" Steve asks.

"Um, everywhere?" Myka answers. "That blacksmith's bar you and I went to. And The Gas and Lights Museum--"

"Such memories. So many details wrong," Helena gibes.

"On a carriage ride--"

"Highway robbery! Sixty-five dollars for a turn around the park. And not in the least authentic."

"You said it was nice!"

"I said it was familiar. The sound of it took me back," Helena says.

"I thought you'd like it." Myka leans back and looks up at Helena questioningly.

"I enjoyed the company quite thoroughly," Helena says, laying her hands on Myka's shoulders and grinning down at her fondly.

"Aww," Steve coos.

"Did anything about the carriage ride scream 'lady ghost will now appear at will?" Abigail asks.

"Not to my knowledge," Helena says.

"We also went to the Pharmacy Museum. And on a steamboat ride," Myka adds.

"Not that I'd have stepped foot on that death trap without proof of modern safety precautions. In my day, they exploded frequently," Helena explains.

"Ok...let's start with the Pharmacy Museum," Abigail says as Steve types. "Could this woman have afforded a doctor?"

"She often appears in her Sunday best, but also in, shall we say...less. She didn't strike me as particularly monied."

"Did she look sort of vampire-ish?" Steve asks. "I'm reading that people with consumption were rumored to be vampires due to how the disease aged them."

"I'm familiar with that premise, and no, this woman was not withering away."

"Could she have died on a steamboat?" Abigail asks.

"She doesn't give off that sense. There's a calm about her. She's not in danger."

"Let's try another angle. The neighborhood you're staying in, Storyville, claims to be the birthplace of jazz," Abigail says, reading over Steve's shoulder. "Maybe she's related to that?"

"Myka took me to hear this 'jazz,' and I can't say I was at all impressed."

"I like it. Steve does, too. You really hated it?" Myka asks.

"The bleat of the saxophone evokes vaudeville for me."

"Play her some Charlie Parker. Or John Coltrane. That might change her mind," Steve suggests.

"Does this relate to our ghost?" Abigail presses.

"I don't see a connection," Helena answers. "Her dress is previous to that of jazz, of an age closer to my own."

"Storyville was once a legal bordello district," Steve explains. "The whole neighborhood was shut down in 1917. So maybe she's from then?"

"That makes sense," Myka says.

"Do you see her inside or outside?" Abigail asks.

"Thus far, outside."

"But," Myka protests, "last night, when we were...t-the blindfold, you said 'just in case.'"

"Did that not heighten our activities?"

"That's not the point. I can't believe you--"

"Punish me later, darling--"

"Why don't you two hash this out, and we'll get back to you," Abigail suggests.

"Wait, is this her?" Steve asks.

Steve shares a black and white photo of a woman, seated outdoors, in front of a makeshift white backdrop, her hair styled into a modest, shoulder-length coif. Her linen top, trimmed with lace, hangs off one shoulder, and a string of pearls adorns her neck. Her lipstick, rendered as a middle grey, matches the kohl lining her eyes, giving her a soft, silent movie-era look.

"Hm, possibly."

"Here's another."

Helena leans further over Myka's shoulder, looking closely at the image. "Yes, I believe that is her."

"That's, um, really off the shoulder. Shoulders..." Myka says. "Isn't that kind of racy for the time?"

"Quite tame compared to some. Her expression is unusual, contemplative almost, recalling solemn greek statues rather than the usual fodder meant to titillate men's desires."

"How would you know?"

"One encounters all sorts of materials as a Warehouse agent," Helena says with a smirk.

"As an agent. Uh-huh."

"Listen to this," Steve interrupts, "these prints were made from a stash of glass negatives found locked in a desk drawer years after the photographer died. Many are of Adele, the woman you're seeing, but there are other women, too. They were shot in the 1910s, but these prints were made in the '60s. If there were any original prints, they were never found."

"May I see the images again?"

Steve cycles through and adds a few more, one depicting a roll-down desk with a shrine of photos arranged above, all of women, vignetted portraits and romantic depictions of the female form more typical for the time.

"Not sure if that last one is related. But it says it's by the same photographer."

"Could you send that one over? I'd like to look more closely."

"Sure."

Myka trades places with Helena, and Helena clicks the link. She enlarges the photo and inspects the array of images.

"I vaguely recall flicking through a basket in a shop with ephemera such as this. Perhaps this ghost woman was amongst it, but printed in a manner such as the images depicted here."

"So you're saying the photo in the shop might be a photo from this photo?"

"That is what I'm hypothesizing."

"So when you see her, you freeze like you're her photograph trapped in this photograph."

"Or perhaps I am her, caught in the decisive moment of the image being captured."

"That's really meta," Steve says.

"No matter what, neutralizing that photo should do the trick," Abigail suggests. "Heck, neutralize everything in the basket, just in case."

"Do you remember which shop you were in?" Steve asks.

"My recollection is hazy at best due to the copious amount of drink someone encouraged me to consume the evening previously."

Helena looks at Myka and scowls. Myka looks back, endearingly.

"I don't get hangovers."

"Lucky you," Helena quips.

"I hope you find it soon," Steve says, "because being happy looks good on both of you. You should get back to that."

"Thank you, Steve. And thank you, Abigail, for all your help," Helena says.

"Anytime," Abigail says.

"Have a great trip. Send some postcards!" Steve says.

"What a marvelous idea," Helena replies.

"Isn't flicking through postcards how we got here?" Myka warns.

"Shall you pre-screen everything I touch from now on?"

"Maybe I should--"

"We're hanging up now," Abigail says.

The screen goes blank as Myka and Helena devlove further into playful bickering.

*End Scene*

-TBC-

NOTES: "Laissez les bon temps rouler!" is Cajun French for "Let the good times roll." In season four, Steve and Myka go New Orleans and both say they like jazz, so I'm not making that up. I see Myka as more of fan of popular tunes - Billy Holiday, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, etc., whereas Steve would know the genre through and through (and try as he might, never gets Claudia quite on board with it all). The photographer is E. J. Bellocq - I was going to incorporate that more, but the politics behind photos I mentioned is...complicated. I want this B&W show to focus on our ladies journey, artifacts are side-plot motivations. But if you're interested, look him up, and I suggest reading both Susan Sontag and Nan Goldin's essays for some clarity on why the images hold the status they do. From the research I've done, his images are plastered all over Storyville businesses, so if you've been there, you've seen at least one. Oh and I had a roommate once who could drink anything and never got a hangover. Some people are lucky like that.

[punkpoemprose]

December 13th- A Convenient Arrangement Part 5

Universe: Canonverse Arranged Marriage AU Rating:T Length: 4046 Words A/N: Anna meets the trolls! I continue to try to catch up! Lets see which one of these two things goes better, shall we? A bit of a slow chapter all in all. More fun stuff coming in parts 6 & 7!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

They walked through the quickly darkening wood and Anna felt her heart racing in her chest as the dark part of her thoughts, the part of her that could never believe that anything good could ever happen to her, was screaming.

Don’t trust him. You’re going to die out here. He’ll call it an accident. It’ll be just like Hans.

She hadn’t been so scared at first, in fact she’d been enjoying the walk. There was plenty on the path to keep her eye occupied in the warm afternoon light. Little flowers, and mushrooms were bright and friendly, their petals and caps gleaming when she glanced down at them. The gentle rustling of leaves on the trees and the call of overhead birds had seemed so lively and comforting when everything was bright and warm.

When the sun sank low over the horizon, the shadows grew longer, and the air began to grow cool. The breezes were not icy, just cool in the way that the air sometimes became on summer nights, particularly away from the temperate influence of air coming off the fjord. The rustling of leaves seemed less lively then, and more ominous. The calls of birds seemed less friendly and more predatory, and some part of her brain that had been listening in her science lessons reminded her that mushrooms were associated with death and decay.

Kristoff’s hand felt less reassuring.

Run.

He squeezed her palm.

“Almost there,” he said.

She couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her.

Run before it’s too late you stupid girl.

“I did my best to explain the circumstances of our wedding,” he said, his voice low as he again broke the silence between them, “They’re kind of… hardheaded though. So, if they say anything rude or if they ask anything that makes you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I’ll stay right with you, you can squeeze my hand if you’re upset and I’ll figure out how to change the subject or something. They’re very excited to meet you.”

She wasn’t sure what it was that calmed her really. Maybe it was the gentleness of his apologetic tone? Or perhaps it was the fact that he was making plans to ensure her comfort. Surely it wasn’t something he’d invent if he had any intentions of hurting her.

He would never hurt you.

The much more charitable voice was attempting to wrest control from the negative one, and Anna tried to focus on something positive as she tried to level out her breathing and walk one step at a time forward. She decided to focus on Kristoff, as he was surely the most friendly looking part of their current surroundings.

He hadn’t shaved today. She noticed the very light shade of stubble on his cheeks and along his jaw. She hadn’t noticed on their wedding day that he could even grow facial hair. He’d looked so much more boyish to her then, probably because he was just as nervous as she’d been.

His hand was warm and grounding in her own. She gave his hand a little squeeze, and was surprised when he looked over at her with concern in his brown eyes. He squeezed back gently, and she realized that he had just got finished saying that she could squeeze his hand if she was upset. She gave him an apologetic look at then she saw the concern fade, replaced with a soft smile on his lips and a small spark of something in his eye.

She felt warm under his attention.

Safe.

“Do you think they’ll like me?” she asked quietly, the first thing she’d said since the start of the walk.

He smiled then, a broad and amused grin. He looked at her for a moment as if she’d said something very funny and pulled her, just a bit, closer to his side.

“I think they already do.”

***

When they broke into the clearing of the Valley of the Living Rock, Kristoff felt a nervousness in his stomach. It was a fluttering thing, making him wonder if he was going to be ill. It made him feel hollow, like his heartbeat was bouncing and echoing through him, amplifying his anxieties.

He almost wondered if Anna could sense his nervousness, but she seemed unaffected by it. Her mood had been, just a few short minutes before, apprehensive at best. He chocked it up to nerves, but now he thought that there might have been more to it. When he’d glanced at her she’d seemed outright scared, but then after they talked, she’d calmed significantly.

He could already read his wife quite well. Her moods read to him a bit like a popup book did to a child. This meaning that he could get the main idea rather quickly, but interpreting it further was a struggle. That he’d managed to respond to her properly was surely dumb luck, but he was glad for it. She seemed at least somewhat comfortable standing at his side before the open field of mossy stones.

“Is your family meeting us here, or?”

He took a deep breath, letting it fill his lungs and make his gut feel a little less like a hollow receptacle for fears and concerns. Explaining his family to her was something he’d thought about, but mostly in a theoretical sense, and not particularly deeply. He hadn’t formulated a plan on his way to his cabin, nor had he found a particularly good way to broach the subject on his way back to the valley with her.

You’re going to sound like a crazy person.

He gestured at the stones, a bit broadly as the sky continued to darken. Day had turned to afternoon and it too had turned to evening at a rapid pace. Despite the significant time spend in the sled together as they rode up to his cabin, he felt like he hadn’t had enough time with her at all, not enough time to explain, not enough time to know how she’d react.

“They’re already here.”

He watched as she glanced around the space, as if she’d simply just missed someone standing before her. He saw her eyes scanning the stones, grazing over them like she couldn’t possibly imagine anyone there, and he wished that he had the words to prepare her. He couldn’t find them, or anything even close.

So he stepped forward into the space and reached down to touch the nearest stone.

“The sun’s almost set,” he said, “You can wake up now. I brought her.”

He could sense the confusion from Anna behind him. He could practically feel her eyes on him as he walked through the valley and touched more stones, gently waking his family.

She thinks you’re crazy person.

“Kristoff?”

Her voice sounded strange from behind him, a mixture of fear and concern that made his heart pound. He wasn’t sure if she’d understand, if he could make her understand, that his family was not exactly human. With the confirmation that her sister, the Queen of Arendelle, had abilities beyond the realm of conventional belief, he had to hope that she would keep an open mind.

“Kristoff,” she repeated, “Are you… are you alright? I…”

The rocks began to shift around his feet, rolling towards him.

Anna stopped speaking and instead shrieked. He turned quickly to see her backing up with stuttering steps, her hands out before her, with terror in her eyes.

“It’s okay, Anna. Don’t be scared, they’re just…”

“Trolls.”

***

Anna felt as though her eyes were about to pop out of her head, that her heart was about to give out. Kristoff had told her that he was going to bring her to meet his family, but instead she’d watched him address a field of mossy stones that were now rapidly rolling his way.

She thought for a moment that there may have been some kind of natural disaster happening, a landslide, or an earthquake, or something explainable. She tried to make it work in her head as she backed away from the space on shaking feet, but to no avail.

A landslide on flat land. An earthquake that only moves stones and doesn’t shake the ground. Logical Anna. Very logical.

Kristoff turned to her and seemed to register her panic. She could see the fear in his eyes in return, but it was a strange look. It wasn’t the sort of panic she would expect to see on the face of someone about to be crushed by oncoming moving stones, but instead it seemed to be directed at her.

It reminded her of the hurt she’d seen in his eyes on their wedding night. When she’d insulted him by accident when she’d thought he’d insist on bedding her. It confused her, and as she continued to try to move away, her eyes pleading with him to do the same, she heard him speak.

He was telling her not to be afraid.

He’s crazy. He’s literally insane. I have been married off to some kind of half mad forest hermit and he’s only held it together until this moment.

There was a scraping sound that joined with the dull thudding of the rolling stones. She tried to make sense of the noise, to understand what was making it, but it was unlike anything she’d ever heard before. She thought it might just be the stones bumping together, but then she realized that none of the small boulders were colliding, but rather were moving in unnaturally straight paths toward Kristoff, like they were seeking him out.

She saw it then, the source of the scraping sound.

They’re unrolling. They’re alive.

She felt her jaw drop, her stumbling feet almost tripping beneath her as she took in the change occurring before her. The stones weren’t really stones at all, but were instead small humanoid creatures made of grey stone. They varied a bit in appearance, some large and some small, all with round noses and black eyes. She noticed that they were dressed in clothes of moss and grass, and that some, around their rocky necks, wore crystals.

Like the ones in his chest.

“Trolls,” she said, the word falling from her lips as soon as the connection was made. “They’re trolls.”

She remembered childhood stories, being held in her mother’s arms on her bed as she or her father told her tales. There was one about an enchanted forest, one about the spirits of nature, one about the creation of the kingdom, and several about creatures who were said to live in the mountains and forests of Arendelle. The topic of several stories she’d enjoyed in particular was trolls.

She recalled him reaching out for her hair before the impromptu hike they’d just taken. She remember his questioning her about how she’d gotten it, and the amused and pleased look he’d offered her when she’d told him the childish explanation she’d formed as a child.

I dreamt I was kissed by a troll.

She supposed that she had been now. Even if only an adopted one.

Kristoff looked straight at her, the concerned look on his face, the nervous upturn of his lips, the furrowing of his brows, still evident despite the space they’d put between them.

“They are.”

Oh.

She was half expecting him to shake his head and let her know that she was seeing things. She almost wanted to hear that she was losing her mind from stress and lack of sleep, but no. He was standing with his family, looking at her with an almost pleading expression, as if he needed her to understand.

And she did.

If my sister can freeze half the kingdom because she panics, I can’t exactly find it odd that his family is a valley full of rock trolls.

“I…” she didn’t know what to say.

She took a deep breath, focusing on letting her lungs fill with air after the panicked shouting she’d done. She let her eyes linger on Kristoff’s face, and the softness that was there. She thought about how he made her feel, even though their relationship was new, and felt her muscles relax as she calmed. Once she was breathing with relative ease and she managed to wrap her head around the basic concept that she was addressing her husband and his family, she was able to let years of “princess training” take over. She’d never been perfect at being properly royal, something she chocked up to not ever being able to practice what was preached to her, but she hoped that her manners would be good enough for a valley of stone people.

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

She addressed the crowd, but kept her eyes on Kristoff as she spoke, anchoring herself on him. This was his family, and now, through marriage, hers as well.

***

Kristoff watched as the valley around him descended into chaos.

Somewhere off to his side one of his aunts broke the silence after Anna spoke, and did so in a much less delicate and proper manner than his wife had managed.

“Kristoff brought a girl!”

The convergence on Anna after her shout was inevitable, and he couldn’t help but curse himself for walking so far away from her. There was a momentary panic in his wife’s face as his family ran and rolled towards her but when he gave her a concerned and apologetic glance, he found that she simply smiled and furrowed her brows in return, her shoulders shrugging as if she were trying to communicate “I’m okay” over the distance, but still offer her trepidation at the same time.

He walked through the crush of small stone bodies before someone could steal her away. There were questions being shouted to both of them, but there was little he could make out as the voices intermingled into a cacophony of hoots and hollers and conversation. Evidently his parents and grandfather had not had the time to inform the rest of the family before his arrival with Anna.

“Guys, please,” he said, loud enough that he hoped he could be heard, but not so loud that he might frighten Anna with his shouting, “We’ll explain soon, just… where’s Pabbie?”

He managed to catch Anna’s hand as he approached, and carefully pulled her towards him, his family moving out of the way as they moved to occupy a closer space.

Trying his best to be comforting he squeezed Anna’s hand in his own, but instead of her usual squeeze back, he found her moving closer into his space, shifting so that their arms crossed behind them and so that her back was against his chest. She dropped his hand and then leaned into him.

It was instinct when he took the hand that had been in hers and draped it around her waist protectively.

She made a soft sound when he did so, and while he still wasn’t totally sure of her cues and what anything she did really meant beyond his initial instinct and assumption, he thought that she might be comforted. He pulled her a little closer and she leaned into him further. He thought that he might feel some tension leaving her at the contact.

Wishful thinking.

He was about to ask about Pabbie again when the crowd of the family parted abruptly, and a familiar stone came rolling their way. He pressed his arm into Anna’s waist gently, doing his best to be reassuring as the crowd returned to silence. He could feel her tensing again, and he wished more than anything that he would have waited to bring her to meet his family.

If he’d just managed to spend a week with her, to learn more about her, he may have known how to comfort her better. He might have known the right words to say so that this wouldn’t all come to her as a shock, but he hadn’t. He’d brought her to meet his family after marrying her as a complete stranger. He’d frightened her more in the last few days than he would have liked.

If she makes it through this and doesn’t hate me, we’ll be alright.

At least, I hope.

“Pabbie,” he addressed the old troll as he unrolled himself before them.

His parents then shifted out of the edges of the assemblage and made their way to Pabbie’s side, standing in the small clearing with him and Anna. They were a small bubble of his immediate family in a sea of the extended members of the troll clan he’d been adopted into, and while he couldn’t say that he thought Anna was particularly relaxed by this, he did think that the space allowed her to again release some of the tension in her body.

“Mom. Dad,” he added as they entered the space.

He wished that he could see Anna’s face. He was reading her based on body language alone, and he wasn’t particularly proficient at it.

His mother and father were smiling though, and he had to hope that Anna found it as comforting as he did.

***

Kristoff was at her back and Anna was trying to focus on her breathing as the chaos of the stone creatures swirled around her. She took comfort in the fact that those who had entered her space had backed off a bit. She knew, instinctually, and from the stories her parents had told her as a child that the trolls were not going to hurt her, but she was still overwhelmed by them.

Kristoff wouldn’t take you anywhere where someone would hurt you. This is his family. They’re excited to see you.

The positive part of her thoughts was back and with a vengeance. She thought it might have something to do with the intimacy of Kristoff’s arm being wrapped around her waist, the way his chest being at her back made he feel surrounded and protected in a way she’d never experienced before. She realized after a short time that the deep calming breaths she was taking were mirroring the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

She closed her eyes for a moment and felt her face flush as she thought about breathing with him, but she wasn’t quite sure why. Maybe it was the mental image of facing him while doing so, lips barely an inch apart.

She tried to push it out of her mind.

When she began to focus on what was happening around her again she noted three trolls before her. If she’d heard and understood Kristoff correctly, she was fairly certain that they were his adopted parents and grandfather. She supposed it made sense given the wide berth the rest of the crowd was giving them while the three trolls closest to her were not seemingly bothered by their proximity to her and Kristoff. They all seemed to have smiles on their faces, and Anna allowed herself to think of them as happy to see her.

“You’re beautiful,” the troll with glowing pink crystals and white puffy flowers in her hair said in a warm tone.

His mother.

She managed to slip back into Princess mode, and thought that maybe if she thought of her marriage to Kristoff as political, and this meeting with his family as diplomatic might help. It wasn’t incorrect by any stretch of the imagination. Even in her father’s stories Arendelle was aligned with the trolls and had treaties with them.

Her marriage to Kristoff had been political. She’d just never realized how much, and she doubted that it was at all intentional.

“Thank you,” she managed, “That’s very kind to say, given you’re lovely yourself.”

She thought that maybe her tone made it sound like she was laying it on thick, but she actually meant it. There was a softness to the stone woman’s features and a brightness to her eye that Anna read as a unique sort of beauty. The pitted stone of her nose reminded Anna a bit of her own freckles, and she’d always liked them, so also liked the feature on the troll woman.

“Oh Kris,” the troll said, stepping forward into their space a bit more and grinning up at him, “I like her already.”

Anna felt his laugh as she heard it. More tension leached from her muscles as he gently shifted his hand up her side a bit until it was resting on her ribs. His laughter was soothing to her, and she already knew that she would enjoy making him laugh when she could manage it.

“I do too Ma,” he said, his voice low, as if it were just for her ears.

Anna’s heart fluttered at the admission, the words so close to her ear that she took it to be something that he wanted her to hear.

He likes me.

It was a silly thing to be excited about, but she supposed that every positive thing they could manage to find about their situation was something worth celebrating.

I like him too.

Pabbie, the older troll that seemed to command the respect of all others, cleared his throat.

Anna felt her eyes drawn to him and his wizened features. He had bags under his eyes, and a larger nose than the rest. She supposed the signs of aging were much the same in all humanoid creatures, though she couldn’t say for sure as her current count of humanoids only included trolls and humans.

He had expressive thick mossy brows, and his eyes appeared kind as they settled upon her face.

She did her best to hold his gaze and keep her breathing level. She wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with so many eyes on her, even though it was practically in the description of being a crown princess to be stared at. She hadn’t experienced it very much in her life before the last couple weeks.

“Welcome to our family,” the old troll announced loudly, setting the tone for the whole family, though it didn’t seem much different to Anna than the tone they’d set running towards her.

She realized it now that she was feeling safe and protected under Kristoff’s hold, that they were only excited about meeting her and that they’d only meant to greet her. It had been so overwhelming in the moment that she’d struggled to think anything about it, but now she could see that the valley was full of “people” who were just excited to see her. “People” who had raised her husband despite being a totally different species.

“We have much to discuss,” the old troll added, much more quietly.

He stretched out a hand to her, and Anna couldn’t help but disentangle herself from Kristoff’s arm to take his hand before she took the one offered by the old troll as well.

She wasn’t entirely sure what they had to talk about, but she suddenly felt excited about the prospect to discuss anything with the three trolls before her.

They know Kristoff better than anyone. They love him.

She hoped that maybe learning more from them, hearing their thoughts and stories might help her love him too.

There was a quiet part of her that thought that she didn’t need the help.

She squeezed Kristoff’s hand and felt him return the gesture comfortingly.

I’m already falling for him.

She thought that it was a bad idea perhaps, to let herself move from thinking about like to love, but she couldn’t help it. Her heart had always been open, and she couldn’t let what had happened to her close it.

You can’t fall in love with someone you just met.

She thought again about the irony of their situation. She’d managed to cause this whole mess by breaking the cardinal rule that you’re not supposed to marry someone you just met, and then the solution to fix the aftermath had been to do just that. So some rules, she supposed were meant to be broken for the right person. Or at least for politics.

She liked to think that maybe it really was for the right person though as she followed the old troll and felt Kristoff keep pace with her as they went.

I’m falling in love with my husband.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Exploring the Garnet Bamboo Peninsula

Garnet bamboo trees are cool to look at. They don't seem like much at first glance but when you look closely, you can see little buds poking out, like tiny gem shards. I guess that's how the bamboo got its name - the buds do look like a bunch of tiny garnets.

This place is chock full of them and according to Yasmine, it's the only known place where they grow. Aside from the unusual buds, it's like any other bamboo plant - but that doesn't make it any less special. The flowers however are used in teas and soups, so those are local specialties here. They add a subtle bittersweet flavor that goes well with many soups and stir fried veggies.

I've been here for a couple days exploring the peninsula with Nathan, Yasmine, Dello, and Donna. Originally it was just me, Nate, and Yasmine, then we ran into the Clanwings so our trio became a quintet!

Yasmine and Nathan are on break from grad school. I didn't even know Yasmine went to the same college until recently, having just enrolled in the spring semester. I remember that she was debating going back to school after leaving the entourage. She and Nathan aren't in any classes together but since it's a small school they sometimes run into each other at the commons so they kinda know each other.

I've never heard of the Garnet Bamboo Peninsula until Yasmine brought it up. She heard about the place through Jamie, who of course would know about it. Along with the bamboos, the place is known for its cafes and bike trails. Being an avid biker and motorcyclist, Yasmine was intrigued. So when she suggested traveling there to me and Nathan, we became intrigued too.

The peninsula really is a lovely place for sightseeing and hanging out at cafes. It's perfect for a chill vacation where you don't really want to do too much other than be in a different setting. Just seeing the garnet bamboos up close and trying the local cuisine is enough of a fun experience. If that's all we end up doing, then I'm more than satisfied.

While biking along the beach trail, we ran into Dello and Donna. Dello somehow got his bike stuck and Donna was having no luck helping him. So we pitched in and managed to get the bike out, but it was in pretty bad shape. Based on how the crash scene looked, it's lucky that Dello only had a few scrapes and bruises.

Then again, I'm pretty sure Dello - and Donna - are like physically immune or something because they can take a lot of damage and somehow not break any bones or get crushed. It's funny but also kinda weird and unsettling - even they're low key freaked out by it sometimes. I'm pretty sure their uncle had something to do with that - likely by accident as that tends to happen a lot with the Clanwings.

Anyway, we invited Dello and Donna to dinner after helping them with the bike problem. They were sent by their uncle for a business trip and were planning to leave soon. Then they decided to extend their stay because things are a bit chaotic at home and Louise suggested that they hang around for a bit. She didn't elaborate too much but she insisted that they postpone going home so we assume it has something to do with their dear old uncle getting into some sort of trouble.

So Donna and Dello are now on a short vacation, which Donna's looking forward to. Dello admitted that he could use a break, but he also feels kinda bad for leaving Louise alone with the kids. Louise says she and the boys surprised the kids with a camping trip so they won't be at the mansion either. So whatever their uncle has gotten himself into, he's on his own.

It's been fun exploring the peninsula, gathering flowers, visiting cafes, and enjoying the view. We also took turns riding with Yasmine on her motorcycle, which was kinda scary at first but a lot of fun!

Yasmine's got an impressive collection of motorcycles as well as a vast knowledge on them. She occasionally works as a stunt rider, which was how Jamie met her. She's one of those people who gives off the impression of being a cool badass type and not only she is, but she's fun to hang out with too!

Before that, Yasmine was an actress best known on the Teen Scene sitcom Popular Besties. The show, I'll admit, was not that good, but I enjoyed it as a kid. The episodes tend to be a hit or miss and the first two seasons were all right but by the third and final season it was tedious. It was pretty obvious that Yasmine and her co-star were tired of the show so it wasn't a surprise when they later revealed that they quit, which was why season four was scrapped at the last minute.

Since getting to know Yasmine, I can't help but think of how her talents were wasted on Popular Besties. A lot of actors who debuted on Teen Scene have mixed feelings regarding their breakout roles and have since then moved on to better things. Yasmine still acts occasionally, though she's slowly phasing away from the entertainment industry. She says she's still not quite sure what direction she wants to go in but grad school's a start as well as continuing to pursue motorcycle racing.

Nathan has got a look at Yasmine's motorcycle collection and as expected, he was impressed. We don't know too much about those kinds of things but we know an impressive collection when we see one. I'm glad that they're getting along well - Yasmine's the type who easily becomes friends with everyone, even with people you'd think she wouldn't have much in common with. It's not that she and Nate are opposites but they come from completely different circles so it's unlikely that their paths would ever cross.

Things in Astra are pretty much the same for Nathan, and that's the way he and his family like it. He did mention that he visited Evan's grave for the first time in months, a kinda spur of the moment thing he didn't expect to do. He said he was reading a case study for a class that stirred up some memories so he had to step back when it became too much. Then he found himself at the cemetery and that kinda helped, or at least it grounded him. He told his therapist about it and she said some things that has left him thinking about the past.

I hope that one day he'll finally find peace with that. Nathan's come a long way since we first met and while what happened to his brother still hangs over him, at least he no longer beats himself up over it. That's why he wants to help people, to prevent tragedies like Evan, to save those going through a downward spiral no matter how far gone or beyond saving they think they are.

Dello and Donna have been up to the usual as well, shenanigans and all. Easton's hanging out with Rolly a lot so now they're best friends. Edie's happy about that as she mentioned that before Rolly, Easton didn't have too many close friends his age, probably because he's used to being around those older than him. Stork pops in often as usual and it's never a dull moment when he's around. We got to video chat with Louise and the kids, which was nice. They're all having a great time out on the road, sightseeing like we are.

Philly asked Nathan and Yasmine about Astra as he wants to go to grad school and is always looking far ahead in the future. Tally, as expected, asked about the garnet buds in hopes of using Tally Inc. to make a profit. Dello promised Rosie to bring home some sweet treats, particularly the pink moonberry daifuku a local cafe is famous for. Molly and her friends popped in for a bit just to say hi as well so it was nice to catch up with everyone.

The Clanwings are what most would consider an eccentric family. In a way, they kinda remind me of the McManns, except a lot bigger. Apparently they're kinda distantly related so I guess that explains the similarities. Both heads of the families are rich old men who happen to have a late younger sister, both who have twins who are left to keep an eye on their uncles. The uncles tend to get in trouble during their adventures so a lot of people end up mixing the families up.

Strangely though, even though I know Rocky, Chrissie, Dello, and Donna and they all know each other, I've never hung out with all four of them at once. Like I've known them for years and they live in Cityburg so you'd think at some point I'd meet up with Chrissie and Donna or Dello and Rocky on separate occasions but it hasn't happened yet. I mean it will (should) happen one day but I just find it funny that it hasn't.

Speaking of Rocky and Chrissie, we talked about them a bit. Dello said he dropped by to see Rocky and Lex before coming here. We joke that Rocky and Lex should tie the knot before baby #3 comes along, especially now that they're engaged but with no wedding date set yet. They've been pretty much following Dello and Louise with the whole having two kids before getting married. Though from the looks of it, I don't think Rocky and Lex plan on adding another family member anytime soon, if ever.

I don't know how Dello and Louise did it, having four kids roughly a year apart. Rosie and Lessi are 14 months apart, both were pre-marriage, Lessi and Cissy are about a year and a half apart being the widest age gap, then Cissy and Rolly, aka the planned post marriage ones, at 10 months because Rolly came early. So basically Louise was on and off pregnant for 4-5 years, which is insane.

As for Donna, she had the boys and that was it. Before that, it was apparently rumored that the Clanwings were at risk of dying out since Dello and Donna were the only heirs left as for some reason the family members are against marriage, or at least have no interest in it. At this point Dello's the only living Clanwing who's married, but even he and Louise were on the fence about marriage for a while.

So we met up at this place called the Pink Daifuku and enjoyed a bunch of sweet treats. The peach mochi cakes are my favorite as well as the green garnet rose tea. We also shared a bottle of sweet white wine infused with garnet bamboos, which add an interesting flavor. I think this is the sweetest wine I've ever tasted - it's good but a bit too overpowering, something that would probably be paired better with a meal instead of desserts or alone.

Tomorrow we're gonna visit the Diamond Winery to try some more garnet wines and see how they're made. The winery's on one of the top places to visit in the Garnet Bamboo Peninsula because it has a gorgeous view of the cliffs and it's the only place where garnet wines are made. Dello and Donna are into that kind of stuff so of course they'd want to check it out. Yasmine said she always wanted to try the garnet champagne while Nathan and I are looking forward to taking a bunch of nice pics as well as the free wine samples.

After the cafe we rented some bikes and explored the Waybright Plains trail. There, we looked at the ruins and collected some garnet bamboo. Something about Waybright feels eerie, then again that's how most abandoned places feel like. Exploring ruins up close and personal is always an interesting experience.

We tried to solve something that looked like a puzzle involving the torches but couldn't figure it out. I think we were close though as we managed to light all but one of the torches up. Well, I was never really good at puzzles anyway, and maybe it's probably for the best that we didn't activate what was in there. I mean, I doubt it's like a trap or something, but it is kinda weird that a device like that still works and is just left out in the open. Dello was right to be a bit iffy about it, especially from personal experience.

Yeah, as tempting as it can be, I think we're better off leaving those alone. I don't want to be responsible for causing a catastrophe by messing around with something I shouldn't have.

Time flies quickly when you're wandering the corridors of old ruins. It's easy to get lost in a place like this - I'm surprised that we managed to stay together the whole time. And not only that, but we also managed not to set off any traps or have any accidents along the way so another win. Then again, these ruins are open to the public so that obviously wouldn't be a problem or else we wouldn't have been able to just freely walk in.

For the trip back, we took the scenic route. The trails are super well lit so there's no worries about it getting too dark - and we were out pretty late. Riding around the peninsula at night has a different vibe than in the daytime. I think it's the glow of the lanterns that add to this sorta dreamy, disconnected vibe that makes it so chill. Plus the trails aren't as busy at this time of night so it's just us and the garnet bamboo. If it weren't for the mosquitos, I'd go on nighttime hikes more often.

[marlenemckinn]

Remember @jennandblitz​ and my little story from the summer of genderfluid!Sirius and ace!Remus? It’s now like 700,000+ words of fluff, smut, and so much more. We’re posting the last full part (er, minus one that’s quite long as well) but have a million one shot ideas. We hope that you enjoy it. If we’ve missed tags, let us know please.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice

What happens when you meet the person that you had been drooling over for 4 and a half minutes? Well, it's not all sunshine and rainbows at first, but there is some potential if they could just get by the miscommunication. Remus and Sirius find this out after spotting one another at the International Pole Dancing Championship and Convention. Meet-Cute? More like Meet-Ugly.

The Touch of Your Hand

After six weeks of "hanging out", Remus and Sirius both want to move things from that level to actually being a couple. Will everything continue to be as sweet as it was once they make the move?

Diamond and Pearls

Sirius and Remus have overcome their first big obstacle and are in a healthy and happy relationship! What's next? Moving in? Meeting the parents? Maybe something more?

Ain’t Together

With a surprise waiting on their doorstep, slipping in to co-habitation is not going to be easy. Sirius’ past is scratching its way to the surface and both they and Remus are trying so hard to pretend that it’s fine. Can they fix things and return to how they were before or is it just too much?

Since the Day I Saw You

A month into their engagement, Sirius and Remus are settling into it. They decide to start planning their wedding, but they probably spend more time exploring their sex life as well as taking care of their new dog.

Wish On The Moon

Sirius and Remus' wedding is getting closer and closer, but an unexpected meeting sets off a chain of events that they need to work together to recover from, even with Tuscany on the horizon.

My One and Only Love

Remus, Sirius and all of their close friends and family jet off to Italy for the destination wedding of the year. Lots of sunshine, good food, great wine and hilarity.

Science Fiction: Double Feature

Halloween Special: Sirius finally convinces Remus to dress up and go see a live production fo Rocky Horror -- one on condition. Remus gets to do anything he likes to them once they get home.

Hit the Back

Remus and Sirius are married now! They're getting into the groove of married life as everyone else's lives around them bloom and blossom as well.

Let Me Adore You

Remus and Sirius continue to try to navigate their first year of marriage. It’s a little bit of a rocky road, with the trials of life to contend with, but they have each other!

Slip a Sable Under the Tree

Christmas Special: Sirius gives Remus a present while decorating their home for Christmas.

You’ve Got the Love

Remus and Sirius are ready to take the next big steps in their lives. Even bigger things are on the horizon—are they finally ready for them?

All This and Heaven Too

With the decision to start a family made, Sirius and Remus find the perfect person to help them along the way. This big shift unearths lots of feelings and thoughts for them both, though.

Good Only Knows (Chapters 5/?)

They always say the first year is the hardest, and juggling their relationship, work and a newborn was never going to be easy

Dorlene Special (Coming Soon!)

[purplesurveys]

1128

[created by: pinkchocolate]

When was the last time you were surprised, in a pleasant way? Wednesday when Bea had food delivered to my house. One of our clients was hosting a roundtable session and our task was to order food to be delivered to the attendees’ house, and it turns out she snuck in an order for me as well. 

It was super touching and I tried to do a nice deed yesterday by getting food for her as well; but as I mentioned on my previous survey, I got paired with a scammer delivery guy instead who ended up stealing my order...that I already paid for... :( It was such a flop and I ended up having to give away the surprise to Bea since I had to check if she received it, and that’s when I learned she never got anything. I’ll try again next week or whenever I get my money refunded, hahaha.

What color was the last fruit or vegetable that you ate? Green (green onion).

Is there a compliment you've received, that sticks in your mind? I like it whenever I’m told I write well, since that’s my main talent and it’s always nice to be complimented on my skills.

The last time you received a gift, what did the wrapping paper look like? I have no idea but probably red/green and holiday-themed since it most likely had been a Christmas gift.

What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? Not reading anything.

If so, what did you specifically like about it?

Anyone you haven't talked to in a while, that you'd like to hear from? Not really. It’d be cool to hang out with Sofie again because I haven’t seen her since our little trip to Nasugbu, but I’m not necessarily waiting on a message from them.

When you were a kid, did you own any accessories with your name on? Probably a bracelet.

Do you own any items of clothing that you haven't yet worn? Yup. I got a yellow romper from one of my aunts for Christmas, but I haven’t had the chance to wear it yet. It’s short and airy, so I’ll probably pull it out once the climate gets warmer again.

Were you awake before 8am today? Yeah, I got up at 4:30 earlier even though I fell asleep at like midnight. I think my body understands that my brain wants me to get as little sleep as possible during weekends so I can maximize my free time, so it woke me up by then.

Is there any food in your house at the moment, that you're looking forward to eating? I still have some of the chicken wings that Bea ordered for me. She got such a huge order and it’s taking me forever to finish the damn box of wings lol.

Is there anyone you know who dislikes the Internet, technology etc.? My grandma refuses to learn how to use a phone or laptop. Which confuses me because usually she’ll ask my mom to relay a message to one of her friends who are on Facebook, and my mom ends up playing messenger. Like pls just get at least a Facebook account if you want to keep keeping in touch with your acquaintances anyway :(((

Name any item in your bedroom that is blue. Trying to remember what’s in my room since I’m currently staying in the living room...and I think I have push pins that are blue.

Is there an ice-cream flavor that you strongly dislike? Which one? Rocky road and Double Dutch. Marshmallows and/or nuts in my ice cream is a big nope.

Are there any cat cafes in your hometown? There could be but I’ve heard little of them. I’m more aware of existing dog cafes.

Do you own any books with an image of a cat on the front cover? I doubt it.

Does anything you own have an image of a bird on it? It’s possible, but again I’m not in my room to check if that’s the case.

Do you know anyone named Abigail? Yes, my mom.

Do you ever use flavored lip balms? I don’t use lip balms at all.

^ If you do, what flavors do you like the most? Kate once had a peanut butter lip scrub that I loooooved to borrow. Other than that, the strawberry ones are nice too.

Does anyone you know own a spaniel? How about an Irish setter? My great-aunt once had a spaniel. Not sure about Irish setters.

What are your plans for the remainder of today? I wanna eat at La Creperie and spoil myself a litle bit, but we’ll see if I’ll have the energy to drive to the mall today. I’ll also have some work to do since we have a presentation on Monday :(

--

[created by: pinkchocolate]

Have you met somebody that you want to spend the rest of your life with? Yeah, ideally that would’ve been the case but they thought differently. I admittedly still feel the same, but I’ve also since been able to move on and move forward. If that makes sense.

Who was your closest friend when you were 7 years old? Do you still speak to that person? I actually met Angela when we were 7. And yes, we’re still the best of friends. I just shot a birthday greeting video for her mom last night.

Who was the last male you talked to? Does he have facial hair? Technically it was Cooper, but the last male person had been my dad. He does but for the most part he keeps it to a stubble.

How many times does the letter 'R' occur in your full name? Twice; in my first name and in my surname.

Is there anyone you love, whose name starts with 'S'? Sure, I can think of a couple of relatives whose names start with S.

What color is your TV remote? I haven’t used a remote in ages lmao, but if I remember correctly ours is mainly black.

When was the last time you went to a wedding? Who got married? 2007. My uncle and his then-girlfriend, who of course became my aunt when they wed. We’ve since had relatives who got married after that period, but for all those occasions only my parents received an invitation. It’s understandable though, I know they want to save up on costs and stuff.

Name a band you like, that starts with the 2nd letter of your name. One Direction is the only group coming to mind.

Have you ever dressed up as a Disney character? Which one? My 7th birthday gown was inspired by Cinderella’s, but it wasn’t the same exact dress as it was orange.

Have you ever played chess? If so, are you good at it? No. I’ve never been able to understand the rules.

If I wanted to buy you a chocolate bar, what kind should I NOT get? Mr. Goodbar has always been the least exciting chocolate to get hahaha.

Of all your close friends, who have you known the longest? Angela.

Do you own anything that has an image of a butterfly on it? Again, I could. I can’t think of any particular item, though.

Has anyone told you recently that they miss you? Yes, orgmates for the most part.

What was the last song you heard, that made you feel emotional? HYD by Hayley Williams.

What color are the socks you're currently wearing? I’m not wearing any socks right now. < Me neither.

How many friends do you have whose name starts with the letter 'R'? Just Rita.

How many vowels are there in your first name? One. Two if you count y.

When was the last time you took a selfie? Last Saturday, I think.

Name someone you know who has curly hair. Andi.

Have you ever worn orange eye-shadow? Never tried.

Name a song that reminds you of someone close to you. Be Alright by Dean Lewis.

Has anyone ever walked out of your life with no explanation? Yeah but they tried very poorly to keep in touch. It ended up being detrimental to me more than anything else so I took the initiative to be one step ahead and cut ties altogether.

Do you know anyone else with the same first name as you? I can think of one Robyn and one Robin.

Think back to 10 years ago. What TV show(s) were you into? Wrestling programs were all I watched as a 13 year old.

Do you have a favorite T-shirt? What color is it? Yes, one of my wrestling shirts. It’s predominantly white but it has some black and red on it as well.

As a child, did you ever have any scented gel pens or markers? Yessssssss. I spent more time sniffing them than writing with them too, lol.

Name an alcoholic beverage that you dislike. I find whiskey pretty nasty. I hate beer as well but sometimes I gotta drink it, especially when socializing.

Do you own anything that previously belonged to someone else? I wouldn’t say I own them; they do belong to the original owner and I’m just still borrowing them.

Who is the 8th contact in your phone? How did you meet them? That would be Angela haha; we met when we got assigned to be seatmates in 1st grade since our surnames were arranged alphabetically in class.

Is there anyone who sends you messages to say good morning/night? No.

Can you recall the last time you were on a dance floor? March 2020, at a club with mostly Hans’s friends.

Have you ever let someone go, and then regretted it? No.

Do you own any color changing mood jewelry? Nope and I don’t believe in those either so I don’t see a reason why I should get my own.

--

[created by: pinkchocolate]

Was there anything that you planned to do today, but didn't? It’s only 7:06 AM so I’ll refer to my plans yesterday instead – I wanted to continue working on a Google Slides presentation by nighttime, but I was so tired from my shift yesterday and even got a migraine that I never got around to it. I’ll have to work on it this weekend instead.

Is there anyone you interact with often on social media but not in person? I mean, hasn’t this been the case over the last year with the pandemic? I communicate mainly through social media now, if not through IM apps like Viber.

What color box does your favorite cereal come in? Don’t really like cereal. The closest thing I have to a ‘favorite,’ Cookie Crisps, comes in a white box, though.

Do you have any plates, dishes, mugs etc. with pretty illustrations on them? Nah, don’t really like printed stuff. Angela had a customized Friends-themed mug made for me but I wouldn’t call it an ~illustration, since the main design is just my name styled in the Friends logo.

Does anywhere on your body currently hurt, or feel sore? I actually took a break from this survey to take Cooper for a walk, and I think I can confirm that I definitely have some kind of allergy to grass. My legs were super irritated the whole time and my skin has since turned reddish.

What is your favorite snack to eat with a hot beverage? Croissants.

Is there any advice you have been given, that sticks in your mind? “Let your healing take time,” from Andi. He also accompanied it the advice with an anecdote about this basketball player who insisted on playing even while he was still dealing with an injury, and playing only aggravated that injury so he was forced to sit out for an even longer time than what was initially set for him. That was really helpful and I keep it close to me to this day.

What's the nicest advice you have ever been given about love/relationships? Know when it’s enough and when to leave, and be kind to yourself.

Do you own any adult coloring books? What kind(s) do you like? Yeah, I have like three thick ones. I just haven’t gotten the chance to touch them because for the meantime I only have cheap coloring pencils that start to get dull after a few strokes. I’ve yet to buy a more premium set of pencils.

When was the last time you got some new headphones? Headphones would be 2013 when my dad got me a pair of Beats. Not a big user so I haven’t felt the need to get new ones.

Is there a lamp in your living room? What color is its shade? No but my mom has wanting to get one for a while. She just can’t seem to find one that she likes.

Do you know anyone whose name starts with the letter X? I went to high school with a Xenia. Super nice guy; we were close friends for a while since we were seatmates, and our friend groups also overlapped.

Have you eaten any rice or pasta today? Not yet. I will definitely be eating rice though, because Philippines.

Name a food that you dislike the texture of. I don’t like rice pudding at all, or oatmeal. But those are also taste issues as well as texture issues. < Oooh, oatmeal is a good one. I also could never enjoy marshmallows in my ice cream.

Which of your friends do you confide in the most? Angela.

Have you ever fallen out of love with someone? I wouldn’t say that. There will still always be a part of me that has some sort of feelings for my exes. But the extent to which I love them/care about them fades over time, thankfully. < Yeah, exactly.

^ If so, why do you think that happened?

If you have pets, do you talk to them? Sure.

Are there any TV shows that you strongly dislike, but others seem to love? I tried to get into Grey’s Anatomy or Glee on Netflix, because they were “popular”, but I tried a few episodes, and just couldn’t seem to get into them. < OMG same again, especially with Grey’s??? I tried watching it a couple of weeks ago but I noped out as soon as I heard how poppish the theme song was. I’ve always thought it was a serious drama show but it turned out to have so many teen show elements to it that I was definitely taken aback. The script and some of the acting also kind of sucked, so that was a letdown.

Is there anything you haven't done lately, that you'd like to do soon? Coloring.

Do you own any T-shirts with brand logos on them? Yes, my dad got me a Vegemite shirt from his last contract abroad hahah. He was staying in Australia and I asked him to get a jar of Vegemite so I can finally have a taste, but I think he was scared that I’d hate it and end up throwing out the whole jar so he just got me a shirt instead lol. I’ve also got a Nike shirt somewhere in my closet.

Have you experienced any kind of food cravings lately? Surprisingly not. I’ve been longing to eat at La Creperie again but I’m not craving for anything particular.

Have you watched or read the news today? I watch the news every weeknight since we have it on during dinner.

Describe the cover illustration of the book closest to you. Can’t see any books near me.

Are there any take-away or fast food places close to your house? There’s a McDonald’s literally beside our village, and beside it are a Shakey’s and a Dunkin’ Donuts. There’s also a Burger King right across. If you drive for like five more seconds, there’ll also be a Starbucks.

^ If so, do you ever order food from any of them? Only from Starbucks. I don’t really get fast food anymore.

Is there anything happening tomorrow, that you're looking forward to? Nothing yet so far.

[things2mustdo]

Understanding shit tests is important.  Real important.  Not just for navigating your relationships with women, but also for understanding, defining and defending yourself.

Don’t believe me?  Then why did God chronicle the world’s first shit-test in chapter 3 of Genesis, immediately after the trifling matter of the Creation of Heaven and Earth? Before any discussion about, say, the purpose of life, the nature of God or the path to freedom, God sits us down and says, “Okay men, this is how it is. Listen up.”

And yet here we are, eleventy bazillion years later having to relearn the lessons of this primordial story of man vs. woman.  Be of good cheer though. The story is short and the lessons are vivid.

The first shit test

Let’s set the stage:

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made.  One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.  “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat.  God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The woman was convinced.  She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her.  So she took some of the fruit and ate it.  Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.  At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness.  Genesis 3, NLT

So what is the shit test?  Simply this: Should Adam take the fruit to please Eve and maintain his relationship with her?  Or should he tell her, ‘Shut up.  Walk away from the talking snake and go back to the tent. I want to be fruitful with you.’

Lesson #1

– this crap isn’t new

God’s response to Eve’s disobedient shit-test is rather enlightening:

“And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”

In other words, this tension, this conflict between men and women that we deal with constantly goes back to the very beginning.  First-wave feminists didn’t create it.  Second or third-wave feminists didn’t create it either.  All they’re doing is coming together collectively to do what they can’t do individually – control men.

Feminists will tell you that feminism is all about equality.  ‘Equality’ is a lie.  As it ever was, their desire as women is to rule over you.  Period.

Now fast-forward a couple thousand – or million – years.  Because women haven’t changed, the same admonition is given:

“…you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.”  1 Peter 3

Now, women wouldn’t be told to submit to men if they weren’t capable of it.  That would just be mean.  But even well-meaning women quite naturally fear what their man would do with his authority if she actually did submit to him.  Letting go, trusting another human being, is hard.  Humans mostly suck.  I get it.  And feminism is always there to stir this fear and distrust.

Managing this age-old conflict requires us to acknowledge their fears and to manifest a solid, trustworthy – if playfully unpredictable – masculinity.

Lesson #2 – Be active not passive

Adam’s punishment is:

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you.  All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.”

Did you catch that?  The cause of Adam’s transgression was that he ‘listened to his wife’ and followed her into disobedience.  Happy wife, happy life my ass!

He should have grabbed the nearest shovel and chopped the serpent’s head off before admonishing his wife for her covetousness – this despite their lavish habitation!  Instead Adam passively sat there as the scene unfolded.

The lesson is simple.  Be active.  Be engaged.  And actually care about your woman.  Sure, many women will call you a bully and say you’re too controlling.  That’s fine.  If you’re in it for an actual relationship, next her.  This one can deal with the ‘serpents of life’ on her own.

Lesson #3

–Women are gullible and covetous

Women have exquisite feminine virtues based on openness and receptivity that men rightly treasure when we can find it.  Frankly, when we see it, it’s impossibly attractive and intoxicating.  But there’s a flip side to feminine virtue.

When you’re open and receptive, you’re also more easily fooled.

And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result.

And when your nature is to attract and receive, you are also more prone to materialism and covetousness as you search for validation in all the wrong places.

She saw that the tree was beautiful….and she wanted…

This is one reason – there are others – that men should lead women in relationships. It’s not to lord over them abusively or for self-gain.  It’s to provide women a safe space to express and share their feminine nature with us without being taken advantage of.

Conversely, when women call the shots in a relationships, it’s inherently exhausting and ultimately unsatisfying for both of you.  Her covetousness and gullibility will combine to dominate the purpose of the union.  She will see and want and be sold…. a bigger house… a bigger diamond…. a newer car… another expensive vacation… a fairy-tale wedding.  You know the drill.

In the end, her covetousness and gullibility will become your own.  And the things that control her will become your masters.

Lesson #4 – Lead your woman, or else..

Let’s game this out. There’s a period of time when Eve has taken the fruit but Adam hasn’t.  At this point, Adam has two choices . He can follow Eve – submitting to her – or follow God.  In the end of course, he submits to Eve.

But why did he chose Eve over God knowing it was wrong?  Because he was afraid of losing his relationship with her which he treasured, a relationship marked by unquestioned trust and pure physical and emotional intimacy. Sounds good right?

In the end though – and this is the lesson for us – by selling out his own integrity and his call to leadership, he ended up losing the very relationship he sought to protect.  In its place, he received a new relationship with Eve marked by distrust, conflict and competition.

Likewise, when we abdicate leadership, when we sell out our own integrity, we lose self-respect first, and then in turn, her respect.  And then the relationship either ends, or worse, it lingers in blue-pill hell. There is simply no acceptable alternative to men leading relationships.

Conclusion

So there it is. Nothing new is under the sun.  Women are the same as they’ve ever been.  And the tension between us is as old as humanity – baked into the heart of every man and woman.

So what do we do?  Well, what did Adam do?  He picked himself up after that colossal shit-test failure to end all shit-test failures and took the red pill.

Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.

In other words, he takes his authority back and moves forward the best he can, perhaps having learned a little along the way.  Oh, and he take Eve back to the tent.  And she follows.

Read More:  The 4 Important Shit Tests Rocky Balboa Passed To Win Adrian

Television and movie wives have been a staple in the fabric of American entertainment for as long as any of us can remember.  From Carol Brady to Joanna Eberhart to Skyler White, these women have influenced western culture for decades.  But as the years passed, masculine traits began to seep into their personas like a slow poison and before we knew it the on-screen traditional American Housewife was extinct.  It wasn’t long before women in the U.S. predictably followed suit.  A quick look at the steep decline over the last 60 years sheds light on this runaway train.

Leave It To Beaver

The 50s and 60s gave us June Cleaver, the gold standard of what a wife should be.  Doting, nurturing, and supportive, Mrs. Cleaver was the picture of femininity and grace. Her loyalty and deference to her protective, capable husband was the blueprint for women to emulate if they wanted a chance at a happy and fulfilling life as a domesticated homemaker.

The Cosby Show

Clair Huxtable was the TV wife of the 80s but this is where we start to see a noticeable change.  While it’s presumed that Cliff is the de facto head of household, it becomes rather clear that Mrs. Huxtable is the man of the house. When there was discourse in the family Cliff stepped in a precious few times while Claire was the judge, jury, and executioner much more often than not.  The icing on the cake was that she, of all things, was a lawyer (and we all know how happy and fulfilled female attorneys are).

King Of Queens

The late 90s and early 2000s all but put the nail in the coffin of the traditional on screen housewife by force feeding Carrie Heffernan down our collective throats.  The witty Mrs. Heffernan was a slick talking, fist pumping paralegal with a brash attitude and a short temper.  She undoubtedly wore the pants in this relationship which was evident from the very beginning.  Carrie’s only redeeming qualities were her perky tits and ample ass but weight gain quickly diminished her aesthetically pleasing figure. Surprise, surprise.

Last of a dying breed

One of the last great television/movie wives makes her first appearance in the 1976 motion picture, Rocky.  This timid but cute pet shop employee that stole Rocky’s heart is none other than Adrian Pennino, who later became who we all know as Adrian Balboa. Most of us know the Rocky story but few acknowledge the true reasons she played such an important role in his life.  One of those reasons was that she was a quality woman.

When Adrian met Rocky she was a shy, young, pretty girl with a submissive demeanor.  Best of all, she hadn’t so much as gotten in line to ride the carousel.  Yes, gentlemen, Adrian was a virgin.  Now Rocky wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but even he recognized that women like her were becoming increasingly rare so he did what any man would do and took her off the market immediately.

Adrian enthusiastically took to her role as Rocky’s girl as would any woman in love.  Aside from cooking the meat he famously tenderized with his fists, she studiously tended to his aches and pains from training, enthusiastically offered him post-training sex, and supported him when he doubted his ability to go the distance in his upcoming fight against the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed. All of this was before she became his wife. Adrian added real value to Rocky’s life because she followed his lead and seemed to be the genuine article as far as quality women go.

The other reason Adrian brought the best out of Rocky is one that is oft missed by the blue pill masses.  As innocent and rare as the future Mrs. Balboa seemed to be, let’s not forget one important factor: she was a woman.  And while every woman is unique in her own way, their operating systems are identical. That is, all women shit test! From the most chaste Madonnas to the sluttiest whores, all women are programmed to test your mettle as a man.  The reason for this is simple: if a woman is going to invest 9 months of her life carrying a man’s seed, she’s going to make damn sure that he has strong, masculine genes that will be passed on to her offspring.  As a result, her operating system kicks in and employs a series of tests to ensure that he is a worthy donor.

Now keep in mind that most of the time this is all done on a subconscious level. When a dominant alpha male gives her ‘gina tingles, she’s seldom thinking thoughts like “This man is displaying masculine traits that I want passed on to my young.  I must mate with him.”  All she knows is that she wants to be fucked stupid and her hamster is in overdrive searching for reason to justify it.  She is utterly incapable explaining her insatiable desire for all of her holes to be plundered by alpha cock but her OS is on auto pilot making sure she isn’t about to be impregnated by some spineless beta.  Concepts like “shit test” and “cock carousel” hadn’t been given actual names until recently but you can bet your salty man juice makers that they were all too prominent back in the 70s.

That said here are the 4 most important shit tests of one Adrian Balboa.

Shit Test #1: His way of life

Adrian:  “Why do you wanna fight?”

Rocky:  “Because I can’t sing or dance!”

Right off the bat she tests his manhood by challenging his lifestyle early on during their first date.  The answer Rocky gives her is brilliant because it sets the tone for the relationship.  His response tells her in no uncertain terms “Well that’s a silly question, so I’ll give a silly answer.”  He does what he wants and doesn’t feel the need to justify this to her or anyone else.  Alpha move, Stallion.  He passes her shit test with flying colors and is handsomely rewarded with her virginity.  (see: Shit Test #2)

Shit Test #2: My brother is my keeper

So now Adrian has the tingles and finds herself in Rocky’s apartment.  The slut shields are definitely up as she goes full throttle with some of the most impressive, rapid fire LMR (last-minute resistance) I’ve ever seen.  We all know that LMR is just another shit test and so did the Italian Stallion. So he summons his inner Don Juan and systematically disarms every layer of her defenses.

Adrian: “ I wanna let my brother know where I am.  I think he might be worried.”

Rocky:  “I’ll call your brother.”

<Rocky flings open the window>

Rocky:  “Yo Paulie!!!!  Your sister’s with me!!!  I’ll call ya later!!!”

Well played.  Adrian knows damn well that Paulie was probably too drunk to care about much of anything.  She’s standing by the door so she’s definitely hesitant about the situation she’s in but she’s still there.  Her hamster is out of control waiting to be satiated.  Rocky, who is completely relaxed on his couch, stays in the set.

Adrian:  “I don’t belong here.”

Rocky:  “It’s alright—you’re my guest.”

Adrian:  “I’ve never been in a man’s apartment before.”

Rocky:  “They’re all the same.” <gesturing>

This was handled beautifully with gentle, well placed sarcasm.  Her snowflaking (yes, virgins snowflake too) doesn’t phase him in the least. She’s sitting with him at this point so her defenses are weakening.  Being keenly aware of this, Rocky moves in for the kill:

Adrian:  “I don’t think I’m comfortable.  I should leave.”

<Adrian stands up>

Rocky:  “But I’m willin’ to make the best of this uncomfortable situation”

<Adrian moves to the door.  Rocky intercepts her>

Rocky:  <softly>  “Would you take off your glasses?”

Adrian:  <dumbfounded>  “What?”

Rocky:  “The glasses….please.”

<Rocky removes her glasses>

Adrian:  <timidly>  “T-Thank you.”

Rocky:  “Do me another favor?”

Adrian:  “What?”

Rocky:  “Could ya take off that hat?”

<Adrian takes off her hat and becomes rather attractive>

Rocky:  “I always knew you was pretty”

Adrian:  “Don’t tease me…”

…and she was his for the taking.  Masterful escalation by the champ. He had a clear understanding that Adrian’s introverted disposition combined with her lack of sexual experience meant he would have to gently and carefully escalate lest he scare his prey away.

The look in a woman’s eyes when LMR is destroyed

Throughout the exchange her body language quickly went from “no” to “yes”.  Even when she made an “attempt” to leave she offered little resistance when Rocky intercepted her at the door.  She wanted to be taken as all women do. As soon as she lost her hat and those horrific glasses, her deflowering was a foregone conclusion.  Adrian never stood a chance.

Shit Test #3: Apollo is bad for your health

Fast forward 6 months.  Rocky is basking in the afterglow of his new found celebrity after nearly pulling off the greatest upset in the history of boxing since Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston in 1964. Things could not be better.  He’s got a little extra coin from his share of the purse from the Creed fight, Adrian is now his wife and pregnant with his child, and he is Philadelphia’s new favorite son.  Life is pretty damn good.

But it’s not long before the money runs dry and the Balboas fall on hard times.  Rocky’s provider instinct kicks in and tells him to get back in the ring to support his growing family.   And wouldn’t you know it, the perfect opportunity to drops into his lap when Apollo Creed challenges him to a rematch that would be worth millions.  Slam dunk, right?

Wrong.  The newly minted Mrs. Balboa forbids her husband to trade punches with the champion because she’s “worried about his long term health”.  While this is very noble of her, this is simply another shit test.  No woman in her right mind would prohibit her husband from accepting an opportunity to set the family for life financially.  Sure, Adrian pouts and protests but her hamster secretly wants Rocky to defy her and maintain his alpha status to reassure her that the decision she made to willingly accept his seed was the correct one.

Her hamster gets its wish and true to form she throws a fit (another shit test). But like the true alpha he is, Rocky stays the course. Adrian eventually comes around (as women who belong to alphas always do) and watches her husband become the new heavyweight champion of the world, forever changing their lives.

Shit Test #4: You can’t win!

The last and final shit test administered by Mrs. Balboa was the most significant because Rocky is literally risking his life having agreed to fight his most deadly opponent, Ivan Drago.  At 6’6” and 260 lbs, Drago was a lightening quick fighter with super human strength.  That strength was on full display when he killed Apollo Creed in an exhibition bout.

Drago kills Creed

Balboa and Creed became best friends when they joined forces to help Rocky regain the heavyweight title he lost to another fierce opponent, Clubber Lang.  When Apollo died in the ring at the hands of Drago, Rocky’s objective was clear:  avenge his fallen comrade.

When Adrian learns of his decision, she hits him with everything she’s got to try to talk him out of it.  She broke out the heavy artillery telling him this fight was suicide among other things.  She even tells him “You can’t win!”  Brutal. But Rocky Balboa is a true alpha and regardless of what the love of his life thought, said, or did, he knew he had to stick to his guns.  Fresh out of options, she pulls a last second power move and tells Rocky she would not be going with him to Moscow to support him ringside.  This, gentlemen, is a major league shit test.  Even the most battle-hardened Super Alpha would be hard pressed to admit that he didn’t, at the very least, reconsider his decision.  Remember, he’s been married this woman for years and truly loves her so it could not have been easy to get on that plane by himself.  But like before, Rocky stays true to his task and starts his journey alone.  And like before, Adrian rushes to his side and cheers him to victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaagSfBj2To

Conclusion

While it’s common knowledge amongst ROK readers that women aren’t as necessary as they once were for a man’s long term success and fulfillment, there’s no denying that a good woman has the potential to increase a man’s value as well as his quality of life.  Don’t get me wrong, banging sluts is great fun—there are plenty to go around and the abundant supply isn’t dwindling any time soon.  But when a man gets his hands on a decent woman who understands and abides by traditional sex roles, has no discernible signs of having ridden the carousel, and finds legitimate joy in pleasing him, it would be to his advantage to let her stick around for a while.  Rocky understood this and acted accordingly.

Now Adrian could certainly be a handful as we’ve seen above.  But make no mistake about the fact that she tipped the balance in her husband’s favor in the two most difficult fights of his life.  Never forget that before Adrian showed Rocky her support for his rematch against Creed, Rocky wasn’t giving it all he had during his training.  The fact that his new wife didn’t have his back visibly affected him.  Ready or not he was getting in that ring because it was what he had to do as a man. But if he continued his half-assed training, Apollo would have most assuredly ended Balboa’s career, or worse. It wasn’t until Adrian told him she wanted him to win did he train with the conviction necessary to dethrone the champion.  The same thing happened in Russia.  Rocky started his journey alone but Adrian’s physical presence gave him the extra resolve to beat Drago.

Few titles in this world are more alpha than Heavy Weight Champion of the World.  The money, fame, and status that comes along with this title is more than enough to satisfy the hypergamy of the vast majority of woman.  But regardless of title, wealth, or social standing, women will always be women and the shit tests are coming.  Count on it.  Rocky loved his Adrian but his mission came before her and it showed.  As a result, she grew more attracted to him with every shit test he passed.  Even when he risked his life by fighting Ivan Drago, Adrian couldn’t help but be more drawn to him, win or lose (Roissy Maxim #200:  Chicks dig guys willing to risk an early, gruesome death.  Expendability is a DHV).

But what if Rocky tried to justify himself when Adrian questioned his way of life or gave up trying to close the deal when she threw up that epic LMR?  And what if he backed out of the rematch against Creed or caved into her demands to throw in the towel against Drago?  Chances are he would never have had the spectacular life he was afforded as a result of failing her shit tests.  Sure, he may have been able to accomplish a few minor goals here and there but Adrian’s attraction and devotion to him would have been gravely compromised.  On the other hand he may have had a great life had he never met her.  Being a single, rich, champion prize fighter would have offered him unlimited access to the paradise of poon.  As awesome as that life would be let’s not kid ourselves here fellas—nothing feels better than having a quality woman in your corner. But if you want a quality woman you have got to be alpha because all. women. are. like. that.  Even the rarest of snowflakes like Adrian Balboa.

[goindownshipping]

"here, take my jacket" for starker, please! Really enjoying your fics :)

Both your hands in the holes of my sweater

Pairing: Tony Stark/Peter Parker (Starker)

Rating: Teen (T)

Notes: Thanks for this lovely prompt, Anon, I hope you like it! I struggled with this a bit, so thank you @ohwereusingourmadeupnames for helping me get the creative juices flowing!

Word count: 2k

Summary:

Peter knew that Tony had a thing for wearing his sweaters and jackets, and Peter would certainly never complain about seeing his husband in his clothes. In all their years together, Peter had started grabbing an extra coat, sweatshirt, or sweater whenever he and Tony went anywhere. It all started at that wedding years ago, and it became normal for them. Peter started keeping an extra layer in his car after that, and it just continued from there.

Present day

Peter sat in his car in the Trader Joe’s parking lot, waiting for Tony to meet him to do their weekly shopping. Usually, they made the trip together, but this week Tony had stepped in for a lecture on his day off and planned to meet Peter on his way home. As silly as it was, doing the shopping together was one of their things, it was a habit.

Peter heard Tony’s Audi before he saw it and didn’t bother to look up until he heard the engine come to a stop in the parking spot next to him. He looked to his right and was met with the smiling face of his husband, tinted glasses perched on his nose. Peter smiled back before exiting his car and meeting Tony around back.

“Hey you,” Tony greeted with a smile and kiss to Peter’s cheek.

Peter quickly wrapped an arm around Tony’s waist, holding him close for an extra moment. “Hey yourself. I missed you today,” he murmured in Tony’s ear.

They pulled back and started walking toward the entrance, their hands tangling between them without thought. They separated when Tony went to grab a cart off to the side and Peter took a moment to take in his husband. Tony had left the house early that morning and Peter was too groggy to remember much of it.

As much as he loved their lazy days at home in sweats, he loved it when his husband was in full professor mode. There was something about seeing his husband in those slim-cut slacks and a blazer that tapered at his waist. Today, Tony was in one of those very outfits, except-

“Is that my jacket?” Peter asked with a sly smile.

“Huh?” Tony looked down at himself as they entered the store. “Oh, yeah I guess it is. I was in such a rush this morning I just grabbed the first one I saw in the closet. Sorry, babe.”

“Since when do you apologize for wearing my jackets, huh?” Peter smirked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tony said with a wink.

With that, Tony led them inside and pulled up the shopping list on his phone, leaving Peter shaking his head and smiling, just as in love with Tony as he’d always been.

--

Seven years ago

“Tones, we’ve gotta leave in five minutes if we want to make it out there on time!” Peter called to Tony.

Tony was in the hotel bathroom, meticulously grooming his ridiculous goatee and spending an exorbitant amount of time on making his hair look naturally tousled. Peter loved it when a wedding gave them an excuse to take a mini-vacation and get away from the city for a while. Traveling up to the Oregon coast from Southern California felt like they were entering a different world, and they loved it.

“I know Pete, I’m almost ready!” Tony shouted back.

Peter glanced at himself in the mirror, pleased with his charcoal gray slacks and matching jacket paired with a deep maroon button-down. Tony stepped out of the bathroom and stopped in his tracks.

“Peter,” Tony breathed. “Wow, you look- you always look incredible but, wow.”

Peter smiled at Tony, equally blown away by his boyfriend’s look. Tony was sporting a forest green short sleeve button up and slim-cut black slacks. Peter couldn’t take his eyes off of Tony’s arms, his muscles clearly on display where the sleeves ended. After nine months of dating, Peter still couldn’t believe that he and Tony were together.

“Right back atcha, Tony. But seriously if we don’t leave now, we’re going to be late. Do you have your jacket?”

“The wedding’s on a beach, Peter. I’m not bringing one, let’s go!”

Peter gaped at Tony. “Babe, this isn’t Malibu, you’re gonna freeze, please tell me you have a sweater or something you can bring?”

Tony stepped closer to Peter and wrapped an arm around his waist. “I’ll be just fine, I promise,” he said softly, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Peter’s lips. “Now let’s go before we’re actually late.”

Peter sighed in defeat, knowing how stubborn Tony could be. “Alright, alright. But don’t complain when you start freezing out there!”

Peter and Tony made the short trip from their hotel out to Cape Meares, the quiet beach where the ceremony was being held. They arrived in plenty of time, thanks to Peter’s perpetual fear of tardiness, so they took a moment to explore the beach before the ceremony. Even in the middle of the day, the breeze was cool, cutting through the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Peter smirked in Tony’s direction, knowing it was only a matter of time before the other man would be shivering.

Sure enough, by the time the reception was in full swing and the sun was setting in the distance, Peter noticed Tony’s arms covered in goosebumps. Even with the champagne running through his body and the amount of dancing Peter dragged him into, Tony couldn’t hide the chill running through his body.

Without a word, Peter slid his jacket off and stepped behind Tony, holding it up for Tony to slip into.

“Pete, you’ll be cold now,” Tony pouted.

“I have sleeves, Tony. Come on, here, take my jacket.” Peter slid the jacket over Tony’s arms before turning the man toward him, grinning at the sight of his boyfriend wearing his slightly too big jacket.

--

Five years ago

“Alright babe, I’ve gotta swing by home first, but I’ll come straight there after. Love you too,” Peter hung up the phone with a smile on his face. 

“Someone looks chipper,” MJ smirked as she passed his desk.

“Yeah yeah, Tony’s taking me to dinner tonight. I have no idea what he’s got planned.”

Around 4:30pm Peter packed up his briefcase and headed for his car, hoping he wouldn’t be too late for dinner if he ducked out early. Tony didn’t plan surprises all that often, so Peter knew it must be something important. He tried not to let his mind wander too much, but Tony had been hinting at proposing for a few months now. Shaking his head, Peter slipped into his car, and began the battle through traffic back to their house.

Tony told him that he was picking up dinner and for them to meet at their favorite spot at Rocky Beach. Peter knew he couldn’t go to the beach in his work clothes, so he figured a quick stop at home wouldn’t hurt. By the time he’d pulled into the driveway, he barely had time to change into jeans and a t-shirt, knowing traffic would be bad down the PCH. 

As he dashed out the front door he paused at their coat rack. He grabbed a sweater for himself and eyed Tony’s favorite jacket. Peter laughed to himself, grabbing it before leaving to meet his boyfriend. In the nearly three years since they’d met, Tony was notorious for forgetting a jacket. At first, Peter thought it was because Tony wanted an excuse to wear Peter’s jackets, but he quickly learned that Tony’s brain often moved too fast to remember those little details. Now, Peter didn’t go anywhere without an extra sweater or jacket for Tony, knowing he would inevitably get cold at some point.

Sure enough, when Peter arrived at the beach, Tony was already shivering and making grabby hands at the jacket Peter brought for him.

“I got your favorite,” Tony sing-songed, handing a takeout box from the Reel Inn across to Peter.

“Thank you Tones,” Peter said with a kiss to Tony’s cheeks.

They settled into their picnic blanket, taking in the last bits of sunlight reflecting on the ocean, sharing bites of food, and sipping the wine Tony hid in an honest to God picnic basket. Eventually, Peter pulled out his phone to capture the beautiful scenery around them and when he looked back up, Tony was propped up on one knee with a small black box opening toward Peter.

“Tony,” Peter choked out as tears sprung to his eyes.

“Peter, I could say so many things right now, but I’ll stick with thanks for the jacket since this little box was in the pocket,” Tony chuckled through his own tears. “Since the day I met you, I have been happier than I ever thought possible. Marry me?”

“Yes, Tony, always yes!” Peter tackled Tony to the ground, grateful for the blanket beneath them. Their tears mingled as Peter pressed his cheek against Tony’s holding him close. “Wait, did you say that was in your jacket?” Peter asked.

Tony laughed as he slid the simple band on Peter’s left hand. “You know I’m forgetful!”

Peter just shook his head and smothered Tony’s face in kisses, pulling away to look at his ring every few pecks.

--

One year ago

Peter knew that Tony had a thing for wearing his sweaters and jackets, and Peter would certainly never complain about seeing his husband in his clothes. In all their years together, Peter had started grabbing an extra coat, sweatshirt, or sweater whenever he and Tony went anywhere. It all started at that wedding years ago, and it became normal for them. Peter started keeping an extra layer in his car after that, and it just continued from there.

Although Peter was used to bundling Tony up in extra layers, there was one piece of Tony’s clothing that he had commandeered as his own. Tony’s old, worn, MIT sweatshirt was Peter’s favorite lazy day attire. He didn’t often wear Tony’s clothes, but this one item lived on his side of the dresser for those rare moments.

This morning when Peter snuck out of bed to make coffee without waking Tony, he slipped into the sweatshirt, relishing the feeling of the soft fabric. He figured celebrating one year of marriage was as good an excuse as any to bundle up in his husband’s sweater. 

When he tiptoed back into their bedroom, coffee in hand, Tony was sitting up against the headboard, blearily rubbing his eyes. Immediately, he broke into a soft smile. He loved it when Peter wore that sweater.

“Happy anniversary, baby” Peter mumbled as he handed a steaming mug to Tony.

“Happy anniversary, honey,” Tony replied.

Peter climbed back into bed, snuggling into his husband’s side, settling in for a lazy day together.

“I thought I was the one who stole your clothes,” Tony joked.

Peter snorted. “You love it when I wear this, don’t lie.”

“Mmm yeah, you’re right,” Tony said with his face pressed into the top of Peter’s head. “Thanks for letting me steal your jacket all those years ago.”

--

Present day

By the time they made it home from Trader Joe’s, Tony was exhausted from his day of lectures so Peter sent him to relax while he took care of the groceries and started on dinner. With Tony down in his study doing whatever he considered relaxation - Peter had long given up on getting that man to actually chill out - Peter took a moment to glance around their home. 

His eyes stopped on a photo of him helping Tony into his suit jacket at their wedding. No one quite understood why they insisted on seeing each other before their ceremony, but they knew. As silly as it was, when Peter helped Tony into that jacket right before they walked down the aisle, they both felt tears spring to their eyes. Tony soaked up the feeling of his soon-to-be husband taking care of him and Peter marveled at the fact that this man chose him. He never imagined a life like this; the comfort of home with his person, the feeling of calm that settled over him when he was around Tony, and the boundless love he held for his husband. 

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard Tony calling up the stairs from his study.

“Pete! It’s freezing down here, can you grab me a sweater from our room?”

[exodusmc]

A dream 05

Genre: Royal au

Words: 2043

Paring: Poor Jongdae! x princess reader!

Warning!:  Strong words, abusive behaviour 

a/n: This ones not the the best and I think this story is coming to an end soon. :)

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6

It was rocky, the road they were on. Sunny smiled, playing with a teddy bear Sierra had made. The girl hummed, wondering why they left the house and where they were heading. 

“Mommy..Where are we?” Minseok tensed slightly, the horses intensity reacting to the stiffness in the reins. Birds sang around them, forrest giving calmness a city couldn't. Rays of sunshine filtered through the pine, kissing the girl and two older.

“We are on our way to a vacation uncle Minseok planned for us”Sierra looked wary but the younger didn't notice, only smiling bright and giggling. 

Minseok glanced back into the carriage, seeing Jongdae still asleep and beaten up, however, Jongdae wasn't the thing Minseok worried most for, not the princess either, it was Baekhyun and the hollow look he had. The boy had been sitting in one place the whole time, never moving. He had lost his shine and it scared Minseok, even Sierra. 

“You’re so nice uncle Minseok! You’re the best!”guilt piled up in him and he smiled broken to Sunny, Baekhyun flinched and Minseok saw it, realizing that he didn't believe the girls words.

“Thank you Sunny”but that is not true…

-

Jongdae felt his whole body ache as light played over his closed eyes. He groaned slightly, stirring in his sleep. It felt weird as if he was moving, a slow rocking followed by sounds of..a carriage? His eyes instantly opened, regretting it a second later. Jongdae almost fell from the sudden nausea, his groaning becoming louder. What happened? It felt like he had fallen down a mountain. He sat still for a while, thinking about what the last thing he remembered was, until he recalled it. His eye darkened and he opened them, finding Minseok, Sierra, Baekhyun, who refused to look at Jongdae, and you, tied up and hidden under fabric. Anger bombed in him and he gritted his teeth, ready to punch Minseok the hardest he could. 

“I’ll goddamn ki-”Jongdae got up from sitting, his hands ready to grab Minseok, when he saw Sunny. Her eyes shone in the sun and Jongdae stilled. He couldn't do it when she was there. Sierra gave him a dark gaze as she held Sunny to her side. 

“God morning Jongdae..”Minseok spoke, his face blank but his mind knowing of Jongdae's burning hatred.”Slept well?”

He didn't answer, just sitting down again, glaring at Baekhyun, who wanted to disappear. Everything went wrong and he knew he never should have trusted Minseok, every storm he felt in himself was right. Jongdae fumed in the back of the carriage, his mind clouded with your eyes and what he’d done. 

“Why?” he mumbled from his place, making everyone tense. Sierra glanced back, distracting Sunny from Jongdae. Minseok hummed lowly, steering the horses. 

“Because she needs to be a ruler whom will not forget their people and she couldn't marry the boy..it would have destroyed everything…”

“Why didn't you tell me?”the venom in Jongdae’s voice made Minseok and Baekhyun flinch, while Sierra answered. 

“You wouldn't have done it”

-

Your heart was beating hard, fright filling every fiber of you. It happened so quickly, one second were you walking with Baekhyun, the next thrown over a man's shoulder, but you swore you saw the boy from nights ago, the dream which was real and breathing. What was he doing there?  What will they do? Are you going to die? You whimpered, body aching and sore, mind falling to pieces. 

“It’s okay...I’m sorry”you felt a hand stroke over your back, voice filled with pain and belonging to Baekhyun, at least that's what you guessed. You kept shaking, even with his soothing touch. “I’m so so sorry”

-

“Find them! Now! Bring back each and everyone's head!”the king roared, guards moving quickly to follow his orders. The queen stood silently beside him, crying for her daughter.

“You! I should have you thrown to the dogs!”Yoonji winched, her arms and legs bruised as punishment for losing you. 

“Love please!”your mother tried calming him down but his eyes could only see red and he could no longer look at her without disgust. 

“You whore! Shut your mouth!”he pushed her slightly, Yoonji reacting in a second to aide the queen, her body aching as she fought her way to your mother, standing before her and taking the kings slap. He growled but lowered his fist.”I’m sure you had something to do with this..So she wouldn't follow your steps..So she could find real love, like you traitor”

King Park and his son stood in disbelief, their every move being watched by soldiers. They had been accused by the king and Chanyeol’s father realized that old wounds had been ripped up. He watched your mother with passion, wanting nothing more than to hold her and get her away from the crazy man. She didn't deserve this, she was no whore, just human. Chanyeol didn't like were this was going, how your father acted. He would have married you, he would have taken care of you but he would still hurt for you, for how your eyes wanted nothing more than freedom. 

“Your majesty...I’m sorry for everything that is happening but you mustn't hurt the queen..”Chanyeol spoke with venom, not backing down from the kings stare. “She will be found and the ones which are guilty will be punished..”  

“But you need to let us go or else a war would break out, which is deeply unwanted”Chanyeol's father fished for him, challenging the king, who hissed at them. 

“Take them and the queen to there rooms, guard them. Throw her in the dungeon”he fell down on his throne, eyebrows pointing down in anger. 

You mother tried reasoning with him for Yoonji's sake but he just dismissed her, watching as the former guard was dragged away. The Parks was escorted away but Chanyeol's father stopped to glare at the king again. 

“You may have won years ago but not again”

-

Jongdae held you close, his heart beating fast as he carried you into the farm house. You were shaking so he tried to calm you, rocking slightly as he walked. He still felt anger for Minseok but had started to become exhausted, his body aching from the fall. 

“You’re pretty beaten up..”Minseok walked beside him but Jongdae only sped up, ignoring the older who sighed. He knew that Jongdae would be mad but maybe not like this, completely refusing Minseok's help even if he was limping. 

The oldest glanced at Baekhyun,who stared down, face pale. He didn't act like he usually did and it made Minseok worry. All the adrenaline which had filled him through the whole ordeal had die down and Minseok wanted nothing more than sleep. Sunny ran somewhere and Sierra followed her, her stone face back, only cracking for the child. 

“Minseok!” Junmeyon smiled from the doorway but it fell slightly at the bags under the older ones eyes. He glanced around, already knowing why one was holding a body in his arms.”I guess it has been rough?”

Junmeyons eye widen slightly at the only strangers death glare, how much hatred hid behind those brown eyes. Jongdae pushed past the man, ignoring him completely. He needed to get you somewhere else, where he could take away all the ropes, maybe talk to you. 

“It has and it won't get much better..”Minseok mumbled racing after Jongdae before he could do something. Junmyeon sighed, waving Baekhyun to him, simultaneously Sehun. The youngest moved no facial muscle but the stiffness in his body gave his nervousness away. 

“Jongdae...Leave her in there”Junmyeon said lowly, getting a hard look from the latter. The black haired man had realized who the stranger was, Minseok's letters being the reason.”We will tell her but first, we need to explain everything to you”

Jongdae grunted, not wanting to let you go from his arms and sight. He couldn't trust anyone in the house, not even Baekhyun. Sierra came with Sunny, the girl having droopy eyes. 

“If Sunny stays with her and no one comes close to the door…”looks exchanged through them all and Junmyeon nodded, thus making Jongdae leave you next to a sleeping  innocence. 

“I know you’re upset but hear us out”Minseok began, letting Jongdae look at them all. Two which he didn't know, Sierra in her stone and Baekhyun who looked like a ghost. 

“When I got your letter, about wanting help to steal from someone rich, I thought it was sign”Jongdae remember writing those words which lead to all this.”I knew you could get into the castle and find her room, the only thing missing from our plan”

“At first we didn't intended for you to be around when we took the princess”Junmyeon leaned forward, eyes shining dark as his obsidian hair.”But Sehun got a word of the supposed wedding and things started to move fast”

“We couldn't wait and needed someone who had been inside the castle, I didn't know enough to get us there myself..So we lied to you and I’m sorry for that”Minseok looked sincere and Sierra seemed to hold guilt as well. Baekhyun still refused to take his eyes away from the floor. 

“Why can't she marry?”a feeling like jealousy grew in Jongdae at his own words, you dancing with the other man playing in his mind. 

“Because she needs to realize she can do things on her own and that she doesn't have to listen to her father. If she married him, she would been caged”Junmyeon rose from his seat, walking to a window. The sun still shone but food was being begge for. 

“It doesn't mean you’re incompetent just because you marry someone”Sierra muttered from her corner, sending daggers the lord's way. Words which only Jongdae heard. 

“The rest of the plan is to show her the country she is supposed to rule and hopefully make her a better queen than the current king”silence lingered around the rather fancy room, leaving them all thinking. 

“You won't need me for that..”Jongdae could go home and he wouldn't have to feel guilt, you would never knew he was there. The only time he would have met you was the night moons ago.”I can go home..”

“You can..but do you want to?”

-

 “Why are you crying?”a sweet voice asked, a voice which shouldn't be there.”Are you hurt?”

“Y-yes..These ropes are too tight”why would a child be with you? A child which didn't sound afraid, rather calm.”C-could you m-maybe help me?”

“Okay!”you felt the pressure leave from all over you body, limbs still stiff but you could move them now, let the blood run through all you viens. Trembling hands grabbed the bag over your head, squinting at the brightness from a window.”Is it better now?”

The girl smiled, cheeks puffy. She didn't fit in what had happened to you, a kidnapping skem shouldn’t involve a child. Chubby child hands found yours and you realized she didn't know you, that you were a stranger. 

“Why were you like that?”you couldn't answer her, you didn't want to. It could frighten her, something you wanted to avoid. 

“What’s your name?”light hair stood around her face, shining in the bright light sippering through curtains. You sat on a comfy bed, the rest of the room decorated nicely but not like the castle. Where were you?

“Sunny! That’s what mommy calls me at least!What’s yours?”Sunny had big eyes of a child and you hoped they would look like it for her whole life, so she could always regard the world with colors. 

“It’s Y-”

“Princess..”your gaze flipped from the girl, finding its way to the doorway where a dream stood. His cheeks as high as you remembered, eyebrows pointing up and lips curled at the end. You never thought he would come into our life again, not after flying to the moon. But there he stood with his beautiful eyes of tourmaline and guilt. You met him again and he wanted nothing more than to run. 

[justanoutlawfic]

You’ll Be In My Heart: Chapt. 4

Summary: Regina and Robin get to know each other better, before she sees Henry again.

Also on AO3

Regina’s stomach was fighting butterflies as she made her way up the elevator with Robin. Even though he said he gotten a suite with two bedrooms, she still wondered what their home life would be like. He wouldn’t expect her to share a room with him, surely? She supposed she’d have to get used to sharing a space with him at some point, even if it wasn’t a bedroom. They’d be living with each other for at least the next 10 years.

 Would their marriage really last this long? Or was this all a formality until the adoption was final and then they’d go their separate ways, co-parenting Henry.

 She thought about the times she had told her lawyer to offer to the Locksley’s that she’d move out to California so they could see him, offering even partial custody. It was towards the end of the trial and she would’ve done anything to keep Henry with her. Daniel had already given up by that point, and she couldn’t blame him. They had known by a certain point that the judge was just against them, for a reason she could never really understand. They might not have been as rich as the Locksley family, but they also weren’t broke either.

 They reached the top floor of the hotel and Robin swiped the keycard for access to the suite. It was beautiful, with a sitting area right when they walked in and what looked to be a full kitchen off to the side. A bottle of wine sat on the middle of the coffee table in sitting area, with a note from the owner. Regina got a closer look, raising an eyebrow.

“They gave you your own wine to celebrate us getting married?”

Robin chuckled. “You’d be surprised. They think I’m such a snob, I wouldn’t drink anyone else’s.”

Regina saw two doors opposite one another, assuming they were the ones to the bedrooms. Despite the long flight and time change, she was too nervous to sleep. The next day, she’d be seeing her son. “I…I wouldn’t mind a glass.”

“Not tired?”

“I don’t think I could sleep even if I wanted to.”

Robin nodded, knowingly. “I’ve barely gotten any these past few days myself.”

 He found a corkscrew and got the wine open, before pouring out some glasses for them. Regina settled onto the couch, Robin sitting next to her. He held up his glass.

“To Henry.”

Regina nodded. “The one bright spot in all of this.” She clinked her glass with his before taking a sip, hating herself for actually liking it.

“So, tell me about yourself.”

“I thought you would know enough.”

“I know what a private investigator could find, but that’s only so much.” Robin took a gulp of the wine. “What happened between you and Daniel?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Losing a child doesn’t exactly do great things to a marriage.”

 Regina watched the heat rise to Robin’s cheeks and wanted to smack herself. He was trying to be nice and she just couldn’t let him. Letting out a sigh, she traced the rim of the glass.

 “I guess things were rocky as it was. We had been together a long time, since we were 17 years old. Went to college together, got married right after graduation. We waited a year to start trying and when we couldn’t, he wanted to try IVF.”

“And you?”

Regina shrugged. “I couldn’t go through it. I knew it was expensive and risky, and I’d rather our money go somewhere that I felt was more of a guarantee. He agreed for me, but I think it also meant he blamed me when things went wrong.”

Robin frowned. “Did he say that?”

“No, but he pulled away when a birth mother changed her mind. He’d constantly bring up trying IVF and it’d lead to a fight. To be honest, before we met Emma, I was considering it. Just to make him happy. And then I felt really relieved when they called us saying she and Neal wanted to meet.”

 Regina had to drink her wine again, she hadn’t admitted that to anyone, not even her closet friends.

 “I can’t imagine what all of those choices do to a person,” Robin said, sympathetically.

“He was happy when Henry was born. He didn’t do a lot of the work, but that was mostly due to his own schedule. Still, when Henry called him “Dada”, he beamed. When he was old enough to tumble to greet him at the door, he’d swoop him into his arms and not let go.” Regina couldn’t help but smile at the memories. “We were a happy family, pretending we still didn’t have problems.”

“And then he was taken away.”

Regina’s smile faded. “Yeah. I fought so hard to appeal and Daniel let me, but he didn’t say anything. By the time my lawyer told me it was becoming a waste of money, that there was just no way and by then, it wouldn’t even be in Henry’s best interest, we were just so apart. We co-existed, but that was it. I went to therapy, but he didn’t want to. It was like Henry never existed.”

“I’m sure he missed him.”

“I know he did. But it still didn’t change that I needed to be able to talk about it. One night, I caught him trying to take down Henry’s room and give the stuff away. I lost it, told him never to go in there again.” She stared down at the burgundy wine in her glass. “He left the next day.”

 Robin reached out, touching her hand, which made her look up out of reflex. His blue eyes seemed so kind, so filled with sorrow.

 “I’m sorry.”

“It was fine, probably for the best. We still talk occasionally, he’s remarried. They had a baby of their own last year.” She laughed, in spite of herself. “That was hard to see.”

“I get it. My ex just had a kid herself with her new wife.”

Regina tilted her head. “You were married before?”

“You didn’t know?” She shook her head. “Oh.”

“What was her name?”

“Marian. We also got married pretty young. My dad wasn’t her biggest fan, but I didn’t care about that. She stood by my side, helping me with all of them.”

“What changed?”

“The custody case.” Regina looked more confused and Robin shrugged. “She hated that I didn’t do much to stop my father or Emma. She said that she didn’t know who I was. Despite the fact that I begged them both to not go through with it.”

“And she left you over that?”

“She said it was more my family than me. She couldn’t be apart of something like us.” He shook his head. “Scared the crap out of Mary Margaret, she worried she’d never be able to find someone.”

“Damn,” Regina whispered into her glass. “That’s wild.”

“It’s what gave me the urge to start challenging my father more. When Emma didn’t step up with parenting, I did. I knew I couldn’t let him be raised by our parents or their help.”

“And Mary Margaret? You say she still lives there with her husband.”

“She used to idolize our dad, but I think the case made him realize what kind of man he really was. She’s only there because of how sick he is.” He smiled a bit at the thought of her. “She’s a good sister, and a really, really amazing aunt. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through these past few years without her.”

 Regina saw the look on his face and it made her feel guilty when it came to her own family. Her father had passed away when she was in college, leaving behind just her mother and sister. Zelena had been Cora’s from a previous relationship and while Henry Sr. had treated her with nothing but love, Cora had focused on Regina and her life. Nothing Zelena did compared to her sister and despite Regina trying to convince her big sister that she didn’t think what her mom did, Zelena still resented her for it. She had gotten a job in England right out of college and moved there, now married with a little girl. Regina tried to visit when she could, but they weren’t at all close. Cora had been critical of every move Regina made as a mother, including claiming that she didn’t try hard enough to save her marriage. They exchanged e-mails and a phone call about once a month, but outside that, Regina was good with not seeing her. She doubted she would even tell her mom about Henry or Robin outside of an e-mail.

 “I’m glad Henry has a good aunt,” Regina said. “My sister wasn’t really around to be that when he was with me.”

“I didn’t even think to ask if you wanted any of your family at the wedding.”

“My sister’s in England, my mom vacations mostly. I’m good.”

“Oh yeah, I definitely get that.”

 They sat there for another few hours, drinking the wine and getting to know each other a bit better. Regina learned that Robin had a love for spy movies and that he was actually quite good at archery, having learned at summer camp when he was a young boy. Henry hadn’t quite picked up on the love, he was more of an “indoor kid” that loved books. That puzzled Robin a bit, because none of their family had been that way. Regina couldn’t help but smile, remembering back to Henry living under her roof, when they would read at least three books a night. That had to have rubbed off on him in some way.

 Robin shared that he had a close relationship with his mom and that she had wanted to accept Regina’s offer for visitation, but Leopold had overridden her. Regina was careful to trash Emma to him, but even he seemed to hold some hostility to his sister. Even so, he said that he was proud of her for being the only one of them to have escaped their crazy family, even if it was only for a bit.

 Regina even opened up a bit about Zelena when he kept talking about his own sisters. They seemed to be able to relate on the controlling parents when it came to Cora and Leopold, joking that they’d probably get along great if they had ever met. She hated to admit it, but Robin was a nice guy. He was charming, kind and had a passion for nature. Regina so badly wished she could find a negative quality in him, but it was hard. Even their parenting styles seemed to align.

 Eventually, the bottle was empty and Regina was actually becoming tired. She said goodnight to Robin and made her way to her room, not bothering to turn on the light. She changed into some pajamas and brushed her teeth in the ensuite bathroom before sliding under the thousand count sheets. As she drifted off, she couldn’t help but smile, knowing she would see her son tomorrow.

The next morning, Regina found the butterflies return and she knew it wasn’t the glasses of wine she had inhaled. She showered and made her way into the sitting area where Robin had ordered room service, but she could barely enjoy her omelet. Regina just wanted to leave and see her son.

 Luckily, Robin sensed her anxiety and didn’t linger. After eating his own pancakes and inhaling some coffee, they headed out on the road. It took 45 minutes to get out of the downtown part of Napa and head further into the wine country. Regina kept her eyes peeled out the window, trying to get a lay of the land. They passed a few vineyards and she didn’t miss the Locksley’s. Robin didn’t pull in, but she saw the luxurious stone sign, along with the high walls. She wondered what it must have been like to be raised in a place that was probably like a castle. Suddenly, she was grateful that Henry didn’t live there, and that she wasn’t expected to. It seemed far too suffocating.

 Eventually, he pulled up a long driveway, which was paved with beautiful stones. When they got to the top, she immediately noticed a garden overflowing with different, unique flowers. The house itself was a tannish peach color, with a Spanish colonial roof. It wasn’t as big as she’d assume the Locksley manor would be, but much bigger than she had imagined Robin’s in her head. Suddenly, she wasn’t so worried about having to share a room with him.

 What made her feel a bit better, was that there was evidence that a child lived there. Chalk and various balls were in the yard, and a child’s bike leaned next to an adult against the garage. In the yard, she could see a huge playhouse shaped like a wooden castle, a swing set and slide. There was a pool not far from there, fenced off, with pool toys hanging out. Henry lived there.

 Her son lived there.

 Regina let out a shaky breath as she unfastened her seatbelt and followed Robin through the front door. Immediately, they were greeted by a grey and white kitten. Socks, she presumed. Regina bent down to scratch him behind the ears, before hearing the sound of running coming down the hall.

 “Uncle Robin!”

 Regina shot up, her eyes widening as a little boy rounded the corner. He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes, along with the biggest smile she had seen in a while. She’d know that smile anywhere.

 That was her son.

 Tears came to her eyes as she took him in. He had chocolate covered hands and it was smeared on his cheek as well. Outside that, he wore a more relaxed outfit than she had been expecting, a navy-blue t-shirt with Thor on the front and a pair of black gym shorts. He looked right past her, to his uncle, going to hug him but then stopping, assuming because of his hands. Regina couldn’t even let her thoughts linger on that. She was staring at her son, the one she hadn’t seen in 5 years. He had grown up so much in that time.

 “Hey buddy,” Robin said, ruffling his hair and giving him a hug anyway, not caring about his hands. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Henry pulled away, still beaming. “Aunt Mary Margaret and I are making brownies.”

“I can see that,” Robin replied with a slight laugh. “Why aren’t you in school?”

“We had a half-day. The teachers have meetings or something.”

 Henry’s eyes finally landed on Regina and he tilted his head, though his smile didn’t leave his face.

 “Who are you?’

 For once in her life, Regina was speechless. She didn’t know what to say or how to say it. He clearly didn’t remember her and who could blame him? The last she had seen him, he was 3-years-old and crying his eyes out. Who knew what Leopold or Emma had told him in the meantime.

 Luckily, Robin seemed to speak for her. “Henry, this is my wife, Regina. She’s going to be living with us from now on.”

 My wife. That was still going to take some getting used to. Regina might have given him a look, if her eyes weren’t glued on Henry, her heart beating a mile a minute.

“You might not remember this, Henry,” Robin continued. “But you and Regina knew each other when you were very little.”

Henry studied Regina further, which only further made her want to break down in tears, wrap him in her arms and never let go. It took him a minute before he spoke again, this time softer than how he had addressed his uncle. “You’re…you’re the mommy who adopted me.”

 The words made Regina’s breath catch and she felt like her knees might give out. Slowly, she knelt down to his eye level, wiling herself to not break when she spoke.

 “That’s right,” she said, softly. “You lived with me until you were three years old, then you came to live with your Uncle Robin and your…other mommy.” It killed her to refer to Emma as such, but she did it for Henry’s sake.

“And Grandpa.”

Regina did her best not flinch. “That’s right, your grandpa too.”

“My mommy died.”

She frowned, the tears threatening to fall again. At only 8 years old, Henry had been through more than his fair share. “I know, sweetie.” Out of instinct, she reached forward to stroke his chin. “And I am so sorry.”

“I was five when she died,” he explained, without missing a beat. He looked up at Robin, the smile returning to his face. It was clear how much he idolized his uncle. “But I still have Uncle Robin, he takes care of me. And we see Aunt Mary Margaret, Uncle David and Grandpa a lot.”

Robin nodded. “Well, now you have Regina to take care of you too.”

 Regina held her breath once more, knowing that there was a chance that Henry might not handle it well. No one would blame him if he rejected her. After all, the last time they had seen one another, he had been crying for her to not let go and she had. He could possibly hate her and Regina wouldn’t blame him. In many ways, she hated herself for not fighting harder.

 Instead, Henry’s smile grew a bit. “Can I stay up until 10 o’clock?”

“Nice try, bud,” Robin said, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. “You won’t be able to use this to get new rules set. Regina and I are on the same page.” Regina glanced up at him and he gave her a smile, which made her heart grow warm.

Henry gave a dramatic sigh and it made Regina want to wrap him into her arms, it reminded her far too much of the one he gave her back when she would tell him it was bedtime. Even so, the smile returned. “Did you meet Socks?”

“I was about to, yes,” she said, quickly wiping the tears that had managed to escape. “Your uncle says he was a birthday present.”

“He’s the best cat ever. I’m trying to teach him to do tricks, but Dad…” He trailed off, frowning a bit before correcting himself. “I mean, Uncle Robin says that cats don’t really do any.”

 Regina put her hand on his back, the closest she knew she’d be getting to a hug anytime soon without scaring him. A part of it was out of comfort, knowing how badly he probably wanted to call Robin “Dad” full time, though it was partially to keep her up. She hadn’t heard him call anyone “Daddy” since Daniel.

 A voice traveled from behind a doorway. “Henry? Henry, who are you talking to…” A short woman appeared. She had green eyes and a dark pixie cut, wearing an apron over a bright pink floral dress. It took Regina a minute to realize it was Mary Margaret. She had been a teenager during the custody battle and was now in her mid-20s. She blinked a few times before a smile appeared on her face. “Regina…I mean, you probably don’t remember me, I’m…”

“Mary Margaret.” Regina rose to her feet, nodding. “I remember.”

“It’s…it’s very nice to meet you. At least, officially. I always wanted to talk to you during the court case, but Mom and Dad said that’d be…”

“Mary Margaret,” Robin gave her a look and it instantly seemed to shut his sister up.

“Right, sorry.” Mary Margaret blushed a bit and Regina couldn’t help but smile. She clearly was trying. “I wasn’t expecting you two back so soon.”

“Well, I figured why wait?”

Mary Margaret nodded. “Uh huh. Does…”

“Hey, Henry, why don’t you show Regina your room? I’m sure she’d love to see it.”

Regina wasn’t sure what was going on between the brother and sister, this wasn’t the easy relationship that Robin had painted. Either way, she wasn’t about to deny her son that. “I do.”

 Henry took her by the hand, which caught her off guard a bit and lead her out of the room. They were far gone by the time Mary Margaret walked over to her brother, arms folded over her chest.

“I spoke to Dad this morning.”

“Oh?”

“He didn’t know you were leaving town.”

“Well…I don’t need to tell him everything.”

“He doesn’t know? Does he?”

“Mary Margaret…”

“Robin!” She let out in a harsh whisper. “Does she even know why she’s really here?”

“I couldn’t adopt Henry without her.”

“Yes, but did you explain everything?”

Robin sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I will.” He ducked his head at his sister’s look. “I will! In time.”

“Well, Dad wants to see you. He said to send you as soon as you came back.”

“I have to help Regina…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay here with he and Henry.” She fixed her brother with a look. “Go. Before he sends someone for you.”

[bakudekuficlibrary]

Hello! I was wondering if there is any MPreg Izuku Stories Out There??

Anonymous said:ohohohoho, anonymous fuck back again. I’m wondering if you can find some pregnant deku (with bakugou being the father of course) but not rape! owo;

Sure thing, anon! I’ll separate the ones with a Rape warning and those that don’t because, even though not all fics with a warning are fics where Bakugou rapes Izuku, I wouldn’t be able to tell off of the tag alone. 

-Ellie

1 Series. 25 Works.

Doesn’t Have a Rape/Non-Con Warning

How to Train Your Shitty Omega by deanvspanties ( E | 130,614+ | 17/? )

Izuku will have Bakugou’s knot. He’s Izuku’s alpha after all.

I’m sorry for this, but I just had an image in my head of omega!Izuku destroying the school, hunting down Bakugou, and demanding his knot.

(Note: This one is tagged as “Possible Mpreg.” I’m adding it just in case!)

the last dragon-blood king by claimedbydaryl ( E | 107,008 | 13/13 )

Katsuki Bakugou was the alpha heir to a forgotten throne, reigning lord and warden of the Fyre Isles, a famed warrior of vicious repute in the Western Seas, and he would be wed to Izuku Midoriya by the day’s end.

A Mate’s Worth by GreyLiliy ( M | 44,367+ | 12/? )

Katsuki was only supposed to be at the Omega Shelter as Kirishima’s moral support. He wasn’t looking for a mate nor licensed to claim a mate from there. It should have been a quick, boring trip.

But then he ran into Deku—someone he hadn’t seen in close to eight years—in that same Shelter for Abused Omega. Walking away alone had never been an option.

SeriesPart 2 of A/B/O x My Hero Academia

Lips, Teeth, Hands by litathesissy ( E | 2,044 | 1/1 )

“Fuck me,” his omega said, and Katsuki dissolved.

Our Lives On Fire by KaeLash ( E | 41,134+  |13/? )

Katsuki Bakugo is the ultimate alpha. He finally has the life he’s always wanted but never thought he deserved. He’s an Olympic gold medalist and his career as a trainer is reaching new unbelievable levels of success. He’s married to Izuku Midoriya, an omega, whom he’s unadmittedly been in love with since they were kids.

They’ve just become new parents to a baby boy, Kazuki.

After becoming a father he still hasn’t been able to make peace with the ghosts of his past.

And what he finds even worse than that…he hasn’t been able to mate with his sexy omega in months…

Bakugo is at the end of his rope on his journey of accepting his rocky, mysterious past and becoming a husband and a new daddy.

(Hopefully he’ll get to tie Deku up with a rope again really soon…)

*Alpha/Beta/Omega Universe

Mated for life? by Kelly_jo ( E | 16,744 | 6/6 )

Izuku goes into heat and Katsuki loses it.

This is my first ever omega verse and I’m nervous.

[Dub-Con]

Still by my side by Rinba ( T | 9,678 | 8/8 )

He looked tired? No he looked exhausted. His skin paler than usual, and his build even though larger, looked to have lost some definition.

He looked, he looked like, “Shit, you look like shit,” the blonde spat, “Smell like shit too.”

Izuku laughed. It was a wet laugh almost hoarse.

“I’m pregnant Kaachan.”

SeriesPart 1 of Still by my side

Homemade Happiness by issawip ( M | 31,482+ | 6/? )

There was probably a bigger chance for Izuku to win the lottery then for this to happen, unfortunately instead of getting filthy rich overnight, Izuku had managed to choose the worst fucking person in the world to be his sperm donor.

a love story about an IUI, an extreme coincidence and two people seriously destined to be together no matter what

the way you expect by xenodickery ( E | 7,932 | 1/1 )

It was his third pregnancy scare.

The first was when he was 17, just after he was rescued from the League of Villains. The second a few months later when he and Bakugou couldn’t keep their hands off each other after what had happened. Both of those he’d seen coming, but not this.

SeriesPart 3 of what’s mine is mine

Bite Me by AnimeLoversInTown ( E | 12,565+ | 5/? )

Katsuki Bakugou is going into rut and needs to find a mate ASAP. It’s not too hard when the problem is that he has too many options. Izuku Midoriya was not aware Katsuki Bakugou thought he had other options. Izuku Midoriya is going to make damn sure Katsuki Bakugou knows that he does not, in fact, have any other options; and that those options know they don’t stand a chance.

[Underage]

Dessert Before Dinner by Morpheel ( E | 3,473 | 1/1 )

Ground Zero has his work cut out for him as of late.

Between his increased Hero workload, and a pregnant mate at home, there’s very little time to slow down and “smell the roses”, as they say. He’s too busy fighting the rampant crime rate going wild throughout the city without their Pillar of Justice on duty for 9 months.

Yet leave it up to Izuku to find his own way in squirming some quality time in before Katsuki’s shift.

[Series] BakuDeku Omegaverse by AvvarElf ( G&M | 1,408+ | 2 Works | WIP )

And when he begged so nicely, his skin flushed all the way down to his chest, cock fat and pink and wet, legs spreading wider, Katsuki was at his omega’s mercy.

Izuku and Katsuki’s wedding.

[On Hiatus] Impulse by HG_Wells ( Not Rated | 4,418+ | 1/? )

Midoriya Izuku is a just an ordinary Beta with no Quirk, bullied and tormented for his lack of unique abilities. His main assailant is his chlidhood friend, Bakugou Katsuki. His bully is rather special, born with a genetic defect that makes him stronger than a normal Alpha. They call the ones with these defects ’S-Ranks’. Laying dormant in Izuku’s body is his own S-Rank, it takes an inherited Quirk from his Step Father to pull this torpid trait to the surface.

Project: Heat by sterekhalinsk ( M | 2,914 | 1/1 )

Katsuki can do this. He can control himself around Deku, who’s scent has spiked in sweetness and is dripping in pheromones. He can maintain his composure as they work together on a school project. He can keep himself in check as his stupid smell wafts through the air, and directly into his nose.

He can’t do this.

[Underage]

Destined by ABO_gamer ( M | 1,732+ | 1/? )

Old wives tales say that everyone has a soulmate, that one person who compliments them beyond compare. In a world of hero dynamics and secondary genders, it never felt that simple to Izuku Midoriya.

Will Izuku be able to accept himself as an omega when even his soulmate has a hard time accepting him?

[Abandoned] My hero academia : next generation by Miki_Tamiko13 ( M | 11,728 | 6/13 )

I’m Miki bakugou and this blonde wuss is my baby brother tamiko bakugou. We are twins.Our parents are the great duo ground zero and Deku.

This is the store of how we came into the world.

[Underage]

Groupies by DemonufSans ( M | 865+ | 2/? )

they made a chat but a game of Kings game off line changed everything

SeriesPart 3 of My hero Academia fanfic and Request

You and Me by twilightwings ( E | 6,404+ | 2/? )

Not even being heroes are not hard enough, now a new problem had revealed it’s self to them the problem is it’s not a villain. the start of being parents.

SeriesPart 2 of Family love series

[Abuse]

(Note: This one is tagged with “Pregnancy,” but doesn’t specify who’s going to be pregnant.) 

【胜出】肚肚 by Mialin ( G | 301 | 1/1 )

简介：小孩子与大人的减肥。

Has Rape/Non-Con Warning

Cinnamon Bun Bun by DarkMachi ( M | 47,190+ | 23/? )

In a world with humanoid creatures called “pets”, Katsuki Bakugou finds himself suddenly the owner of a timid curly haired rabbit. How the fuck did that happen? Will the reluctant new owner and abandoned pet be the best thing for each other or will it end in disaster? Only the tags will ever know.

Warm and fuzzy fluff pet AU with hints of angst and humor!

*This story is mostly about fluff. Warning and “past” tags for a backstory chapter(s) almost exclusively. Will warn at the beginning of ANY chapter with ANY sensitive issues.*

[Rape/Non-Con]

(Note: I am reading this fic, so I can tell you that, even though this work has a Rape warning, it is not between Bakugou and Izuku.)

The Bonds that Bind Us by DMMegsie ( M | 28,298+ | 5/? )

Travelling with his trading caravan, Izuku is on his way home when they stumble across an already heated battle in the middle of an open field in the dead of night. Being mistaken as part of attacking party, Izuku finds himself fighting off the fabled Demon King of the Mountains of Fire.

However, during the battle, Izuku breaks a necklace on the Demon King that held an unspoken promise from his mother from long ago, which changes everything.

Nothing ever as it seems, nor is it simple. As an omega of elven descent, Izuku has a lot to learn about the greater world and himself. The same could be said of the half dragon lord of the mountain.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence | Rape/Non-Con]

Howl For Me by SaltyTofu ( E | 10,006+ | 6/? )

Izuku just wanted to learn more about plants and spend some time away from the city. He didn’t expect to be bitten by a psycho werewolf who is set on keeping him by his side. And what’s with all these weird side effects?

[Abandoned] Raising The Absolute Duo by Torishii ( M | 6,318 | 1/? )

Midoriya Izuku have love Bakugo Katsuki, his childhood friend, for as long as he could remember. Even if they are in high school, he remain his feelings all to himself. One day, Izuku meets a mysterious girl who advise him to admit his feelings to Bakugo so he won’t get hurt. He considers and did what she said.

However, in exchange, he’s get to experience something that is beyond a human’s knowledge and will turn his life upside down.

[Rape/Non-Con | Underage]

Chapter 4 & Chapter 5 of I Looked Up My Address and it Just Says a Garbage Can by Your_Bones( M | 1,920 | 2 out of 14 )

A dumping ground for unedited mini fics (around 700-1,000 words a pop, varies a lot,) based on prompts from my good friend kittenmittens. (Her counterpart, “A Walking Burlap Sack of Turds”, is also viewable here on Ao3.) Kind of a grab bag of fandoms and subject matter, but mostly focused on mpreg and other totally self-indulgent junk.

Read at your own risk, and don’t expect stunning quality for any of these: keep in mind they were all written in about an hour each.

[Rape/Non-Con]

(Note: The chapters linked do not contain Non-Con. It seems that the warning is for a different chapter on this compilation fic.)

How are we doing? We have a Submitter Feedback Form for anyone who wants to give us a piece of their mind! Thank you in advance if you complete it. If you have never sent an ask, but want to give us feedback, we have a Follower Feedback Form, too!

[girlwithglasses1245]

Um so yeah.

I got a new chromebook which is legit one of the best investments I’ve made in quite a while. One problem, I don’t remember my newer tumblr password and email I had set up for my happy new account. So I am stuck here with an older tumblr I made years upon years ago. I was browsing through some of the archive posts and ugh was I whiny little pain in the butt complaining about such stupid things. Anyways! I thought it might be kinda fun perhaps to do a survey that I did in 2013, yes 2013 oh my that seems ages ago. My plan is to have my original answer on top followed by the 2019 answer below it. Because why not? Here we go!

1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? The closet must be closed! Still closed please.

2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? Sometimes. Not as often as I used, because I honestly don’t ever use it. lol

3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? Out? In because that’s how Dan likes it. 

4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before? No. Nope. 

5: Do you like to use post-it notes? Sometimes. Sure, I leave Dan random notes in the morning if I wake up first. 

6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? I get coupons but sometimes I don't use them. Haha my above answer tells me two things I wasn’t worried about money in 2013 and I didn’t probably understand the question. So yeah, sometimes that will happen when they expire before I get the chance to use them.

7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Neither sound great so I guess a big bear sounds more interesting. I’ll agree with my 2013 answer. 

8: Do you have freckles? I have some. Last I checked I am the same girl, so I have some. 

9: Do you always smile for pictures? Usually. Sure, unless I am being told otherwise. 

10: What is your biggest pet peeve? I have two major ones, people snapping gum and not messaging someone back. Snapping gum is still up there and people slurping soup obnoxiously. 

11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk? Not really. Um not physically, but my phone does. Thanks Google Fit!

12: Have you ever peed in the woods? Nope. Still no.

13: What about pooped in the woods? Again nope. Still no lol.

14: Do you ever dance even if there’s no music playing? Yeah. Of course!

15: Do you chew your pens and pencils? Not usually, but sometimes I'll chew on a pen. Still sometimes I will chew a pen. 

16: How many people have you slept with this week? Zero. One.

17: What size is your bed? Queen. Queen, but now I share it with Dan. 

18: What is your Song of the week? Runaway- iio. Goodness I have no idea. 

19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink? Yeah.  Since when are certain colors unacceptable for certain people? I like that answer. Good job 2013 Christina. :)

20: Do you still watch cartoons? I don’t really watch a lot of TV. Nope. 

21: Whats your least favorite movie? I am not really big on the Hunger Games. Still accurate or scary movies would be an accurate answer. 

22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? Wait…why would I want to bury hidden treasure. Dan’s safe?

23: If you’re a girl, bra size? If you’re a guy, pants size? 34 B 32-34 B depends on the bra. lol

24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Plain or honey mustard. I like those previous answers, but I do sometimes like BBQ. 

25: What is your favorite food? Some type of chicken with a bread coating. Chicken and dumplings from Cracker Barrel with carrots and green beans! 

26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love? Love and Other Drugs, Crazy Stupid Love, Easy A, Something Borrowed. So chick flicks I guess. Crazy Stupid Love is still in my top favorite movies ever. 

27: Last person you kissed/kissed you? Jeffrey. Eww I am sorry 2013 Christina that sucks. Anyways, Dan!

28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout? I was girl scout back in the day. Still a true statement. 

29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? Eh I don't know. I am no model, so no.  30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? On paper?  A while ago. I write Dan little notes in the mornings sometimes. Does that count? 31: Can you change the oil on a car? Nope. Still nope.  32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket? Surprisingly no. Warning, yes. lol 33: Ever ran out of gas? Close, but no. Nope!

34: Favorite kind of sandwich? Turkey and swiss with spinach toasted.  Grilled cheese!

35: Best thing to eat for breakfast? French Toast or Waffles. French Toast sounds lovely. 

36: What is your usual bedtime? Unpredictable. Still accurate, but now it depends on if Dan is around or not.  37: Are you lazy? More than some would think. I can be.  38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? I don’t even know. Probably a princess.  39: What is your Chinese astrological sign? I believe I am a sheep. Correct.  40: Are you horny? No. Not really.  41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions? No. Yep, Cosmo. And it’s annoying they send out the following month way too early all the time.  42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs? I could care less. Still true. 

43: Are you stubborn? I some ways. Kinda.  44: Who is better…Leno or Letterman? Letterman. Still true hence why Letterman is still on the air? 45: Ever watch soap operas? Sometimes Spanish ones with Rach and her roommates. Nope. 46: Are you afraid of heights? Not as much. What kinda of answer was that back then? lol. Anyways, no height fear really.    47: Do you sing in the car? All the time. Duh, gotta keep it fun.  48: Do you sing in the shower? Not really. I hum though. Still true.  49: Do you dance in the car? Yeah. That’s probably not safe… Hahaha still guilty of that.  50: Ever used a gun? Nope, I want to do it sometime though just to say I shot a gun. Hahaha 2013 would never have thought I’d say I am pretty fucking accurate with an AR-15.  51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? Does summer count? Jen took my picture. Christmas of 2015 lol. 52: Do you think musicals are cheesy? Some can be. Usually.  53: Is Christmas stressful? Not really, but this year I’ll be working the holiday season so we shall reassess. Nope. I love Christmas.  54: Ever eat a pierogi? Had to look that up.  Yes, I have I think my friend Elly introduced me to them. Yeah, not my type of thing.  55: Favorite type of fruit pie? Cherry or Dutch Apple.  56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? Teacher. I don’t know anymore and I am 27. Oops.  57: Do you believe in ghosts? Eh debatable. Sure. 58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? Many times. I had one just the other day. Yeah I had one the other day. Wait that’s funny that was my reply before.  59: Take a vitamin daily? I take multivitamins. I still do, but currently out. lol 60: Wear slippers? Nah. Barefoot is preferred.  61: Wear a bath robe? Rarely. Unless I am super cold. Nah. 62: What do you wear to bed? Yoga pants and a t-shirt. T-shirt and panties. lol 63: First concert? Paramore. Still true. 

64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? Target, but Wal-Mart is closer. Target.  65: Nike or Adidas? I don’t care. Under Amour? 66: Cheetos Or Fritos? Eh…neither. Haha still good answer.  67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? Sunflower seeds since I can’t do peanuts. Neither. 

68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? No? What? 69: Ever take dance lessons? I did a few times. Did I? Hmm sure okay. I did in the past.  70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? Lawyer. Business owner.

71: Can you curl your tongue? Yes. Yep! 72: Ever won a spelling bee? Never participated. Nope I am not very good at spelling complicated stuff.  73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy? It has happened on occasion. Sure. 74: Own any record albums? No. Nope. 75: Own a record player? No. Nope. 76: Regularly burn incense? No. Nope. 77: Ever been in love? Yes. Yes.  78: Who would you like to see in concert? Matchbox Twenty, Google Dolls, Drake, Justin Timberlake, The Weekend, Linkin Park, The XX, and many more. I know weird mix there. Drake? 79: What was the last concert you saw? Grad night, Paramore. Same.  80: Hot tea or cold tea? I prefer cold tea. Ice tea!  81: Tea or coffee? Coffee, but I do like tea on occasion. Coffee 99% of the time.  82: Sugar or snickerdoodles? Yummy both please. Don’t make chose.  83: Can you swim well? Eh debatable. I’ve gotten better. lol 84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? Yes. Yes.  85: Are you patient? Most of the time. 50-50 depends on what.  86: DJ or band, at a wedding? Either would be fine, but a live band would be awesome. DJ, Cheaper, duh lol. 87: Ever won a contest? A few times. Yep! 88: Ever have plastic surgery? I am 22 so no. Nah, I am good.  89: Which are better black or green olives? Eww no thanks. *pukes* No no no. 90: Can you knit or crochet? My mom tried teaching me how to crochet. Still wanting to learn one day either one.  91: Best room for a fireplace? A living room? Still going to go with living room.  92: Do you want to get married? I don’t know anymore, I hope so. I do, lol. 93: If married, how long have you been married? (Not applicable) Same lol 94: Who was your HS crush? Mark fucking Andrew. Ugh that’s still true. But here’s a plot twist though he married someone I know and I see his picture on FB all the time because she posts pictures of them. I am not phased anymore. So victory? For me at least. 95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? No. But I have though before though. Haha apparently.  96: Do you have kids? No. Nope.  97: Do you want kids? I would be ok not having kids for a while. No thanks. 98: Whats your favorite color? Purple! Purple!!! 99: Do you miss anyone right now? Yeah extremely. Yes. 

100. What do you hear right now? My Drake station on Pandora playing a Lil Wayne song. No Limit- G Easy ft Cardi B and A$AP Rocky

[killerqueenjoy]

99 Question Tag

okay okay I know i got tagged to do this like a month ago on my main blog by @santonicababy iM SORRY LIN ILY BUT THIS WAS SO DAMN LONG

1) DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR CLOSET DOORS OPEN OR CLOSED

I sleep in the room where everybodies closets are and they all gotta be closed goddamn do you know how spooky it is to even have one open during the night

2) DO YOU TAKE THE SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONER BOTTLES FROM HOTELS

my parents do, but alas I don't use them in case they have silicones or sulphates in them because I got a whole lotta curls to protect

3)DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR SHEETS TUCKED IN OR OUT?

if this refers to the sheet protecting the mattress, then my answer is in because how the fuck would you be able to sleep with that moving around???

4) HAVE YOU STOLEN A STREET SIGN BEFORE

NO SORRY IM BORING

5)DO YOU LIKE TO USE POST IT NOTES

heck yeah, but for random shit

6) DO YOU EVER CUT OUT COUPONS BUT THEN NEVER USE THEM

nee my parents are fancy fuckers who use the coupons on their phone (our local supermarket has a damn app skskksksk)

7) WOULD YOU RATHER BE ATTACKED BY A BIG BEAR OR A SWARM OF BEES

a bear because its one giant son of a bitch and not millions of tiny motherfuckers and also I've never been stung by a bee and intend to keep it that way because majority of my family seem to be allergic

8) DO YOU HAVE FRECKLES

nope! I have a couple beauty spots on my hands and face but thats kinda it

9) DO YOU ALWAYS SMILE FOR PICTURES

not really but if I've been told to smile then its 200% dead inside

10) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE

i find many things annoying

11)DO YOU EVER COUNT YOUR STEPS WHEN YOU WALK

only when i go up and down stairs, but i also try to make sure i step with each foot equally (if that makes sense) and i step on only certain colour tiles when im bored

12) HAVE YOU EVER PEED IN THE WOODS

the real question is have i ever been in the woods? both answers are no

13) HAVE YOU EVER POOPED IN THE WOODS

refer to question 12

14)ummmm idk what this question is meant to be curse you Lin

15)DO YOU CHEW YOUR PENS AND PENCILS

nope, the idea weirds me out

16) HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU SLEPT WITH THIS WEEK

none, this week and in general

17) WHAT SIZE IS YOUR BED

one person and a long yet smol doggo size

18) WHAT IS YOUR SONG OF THE WEEK

Eddie from the Rocky Horror Picture Show has been stuck in my head for the whole week so yeah i guess that

19)IS IT OKAY FOR GUYS TO WEAR PINK

HeLL YEAH DUDE HAVE YOU SEEN RAMI MALEK IN PINK

SKSKSKSKS END MY LIFE

but yeah, anyone can wear anything they want to wear (although a suit made out of meat might not be wise)

20) DO YOU STILL WATCH CARTOONS

dudeeeee scooby doo and tom and jerry are my jam I watch them on the regular (among other things)

21)WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE MOVIE

uhhm idkkkkk I tend to repress bad movies sksksk

22)WHERE WOULD YOU BURY HIDDEN TREASURE IF YOU HAD SOME

idk shove it in the closet ig at least it will be hidden behind my sexuality

23)WHAT DO YOU DRINK WITH DINNER

I usually only drink before or after but ig water??? cooldrink if I'm in a restaurant

24)WHAT DO YOU DIP A CHICKEN NUGGET IN

depends on the nug

25)WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD

How dare you assume i only have one favourite

tbh it depends cos i love pizza and pasta and stuff but then i cannot live with my granny's curries ksksmks

26) WHAT MOVIES COULD YOU WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND STILL LOVE

borhap, sing street, rhps, the natm movies, the harry potter movies, any mcu movies

27)LAST PERSON YOU KISSED/KISSED YOU

ahhahahahahahha bold of you to assume anyone wants to do that

28) WERE YOU EVER A BOY/GIRL SCOUT

nope but I was a catrobat which is basically my preschools acrobatics team that was actually really terrible

29)WOULD YOU EVER STRIP OR POSE NUDE IN A MAGAZINE

nahh m8

30) WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A LETTER TO SOMEONE ON PAPER

this week for a transactional task at school (It was in Afrikaans and I got a C skskskks)

31)CAN YOU CHANGE THE OIL IN A CAR

omg no

32)EVER GOTTEN A SPEEDING TICKET

not old enough to drive!

33)EVER RAN OUT OF GAS

my parents never have for as long as i can remember

34)WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE KINDA SANDWHICH

cheese because I am actually John Deacon

35)BEST THING TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST

MUFFINS!!!!

36)WHAT IS YOUR USUAL BEDTIME

school nights its 11pm otherwise i dont have one lol

37)ARE YOU LAZY

YES BUT MY LAZINESS MAKES ME ANXIOUS OOF

38)WHEN YOU WERE A KID WHAT DID YOU DRESS UP AS FOR HALLOWEEN

we dont celebrate that here but i rly want to it seems fun!

39)WHAT IS YOUR CHINESE ASTROLOGICAL SIGN

Ram, which is really cool because im an Aries, so I'm sheep squared

40)HOW MANY LANGUAGES CAN YOU SPEAK

English, Afrikaans (at a basic highschool level), I could speak very vERY basic isiZulu when I was younger but I'm not sure about now, I know a bit of French and Telugu, and I'm gonna start learning Hindi soon!!

41) DO YOU HAVE ANY MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS

nee

42) WHICH ARE BETTER, LEGOS OR LINCOLN LOGS

i didn't play much with legos and i have no idea what the second one is rip

43)ARE YOU STUBBORN

to an extent

44)WHO IS BETTER, LENO OR LETTERMAN

I kept reading Leno as Lenin ffs

45)EVER WATCH SOAP OPERAS

I watch them occasionally with my granny, but I don't keep up with them very well (Kasamh Se is my shit tho)

46)ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS

no, im afraid of falling in general tho

47) DO YOU SING IN THE CAR

My dad and I bop frequently to Never Gonna Give You Up in the car, and also classic bollywood songs (we have even learnt the choreography for some)

48)DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER

i perform

49) DO YOU DANCE IN THE CAR

well theres not exactly much space

50)EVER USED A GUN

nope

51)LAST TIME YOU GOT A PORTRAIT TAKEN BY A PHOTOGRAPHER

not sure

52)DO YOU THINK MUSICALS ARE CHEESY

most are but thats why i like them

53) IS CHRISTMAS STRESSFUL

we don't celebrate because we're not Christian (we still eat a lot and exchange presents tho), but it can get stressful if we have to visit extended family, mostly because my extended family loves to insult everything about me so thats great!

54)EVER EAT A PIEROGI

not i good sir

55) FAVOURITE TYPE OF FRUIT PIE

never had one, it doesnt appeal to me

56) OCCUPATIONS YOU WANTED TO BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID

a vet

57)DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS

i am a ghost

58)EVER HAD A DEJA-VU FEELING

not that i remember

59)DO YOU TAKE A VITAMIN DAILY

yes, I take a multi vitamin, a vitamin D pill because I'm vitamin D deficient, and im not sure if this is a vitamin or not but i take evening primrose oil so that im not outwardly a bitch due to pms

60)DO YOU WEAR SLIPPERS

i wear slipper socks, because my doggo got jealous of my doggie slippers and murdered them in cold blood

61)DO YOU WEAR A BATH ROBE

i have one and rarely use it because i forget it exists

62)WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED

a random shirt and pants, though ive been known to kick pants off (ive been doing that since birth), occasionally i manage to get the matching pj set

63)WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT

ive unfortunately never been to a concert before

64)WALMART TARGET OR KMART

ive never seen any of these stores in my country

65)NIKE OR ADIDAS

i own neither

66) CHEETOS OR FRITOS

neither

67)PEANUTS OR SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Peanuts because thats my doggos name!

68) EVER HEARD OF THE GROUP TRES BIEN

no sorry

69)EVER TAKE DANCE LESSONS

i went to a bhangra class for about a year, and we performed for our parents at the end of that year (i was in one of the few groups that didnt have to dance in lehengas thank goodness)

70)IS THERE A PROFESSION YOU PICTURE

YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE DOING

probably something creative, but I don't mind as long as they're happy with what they're doing and its not harming others!

71)CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE

yep

72)EVER WON A SPELLING BEE

never entered one, having to spell out loud makes me anxious

73)HAVE YOU EVER CRIED BECAUSE YOU WERE SO HAPPY

i think so

74)OWN ANY RECORD ALBUMS

nope

75)OWN A RECORD PLAYER

i wish

76)DO YOU REGULARLY BURN INCENSE

my granny burns incense while I'm at school because my mom and i both get really sick when its just been lit and the smell is strong. Going to the temple is a damn nightmare because of it

77)EVER BEEN IN LOVE

no, too busy fangirling

78)WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN CONCERT

oof a long list

Queen, Twenty One Pilots, Waterparks, Frank Iero and the Future Violents (ffs fronk stop changin the name), Panic! at the Disco...to name a few

79)WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU SAW

refer to question 63

80)HOT TEA OR COLD TEA

both

81)TEA OR COFFEE

coffee

82)SUGAR COOKIES OR SNICKERDOODLES

sugar cookies

83)CAN YOU SWIM WELL

i wouldn't drown, but im no professional either

84)CAN YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH WITHOUT HOLDING YOUR NOSE

im doing it right now

85)ARE YOU PATIENT

eh

86)DJ OR BAND AT A WEDDING

I've only ever been to Hindi,Tamil and Telugu weddings and lemme tell you 90% of the time bands flop at those weddings because they can't sing the classics without failing miserably, so DJs are generally better. However, in that case, if a band can perform those songs, then I'd prefer a band ig

87)EVER WON A CONTEST

yep, a couple of reading contests

88)HAVE YOU EVER HAD PLASTIC SURGERY

nope, not planning on it

89)WHICH ARE BETTER, BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES

dont like olives rip

90)CAN YOU KNIT OR CROCHET

i can knit!

in fact, my friends and i are so cool that we're in our schools knitting club (which besides myself, @grandfunnyemopainter and @imjustabruh , only has 2 other members)

91)BEST ROOM FOR A FIREPLACE

lounge or study/library

92)DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED

i guess, its not on my goal list tho

93)IF MARRIED, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED

no

94)WHO WAS YOUR HIGHSCHOOL CRUSH

currently in highschool, and in love with the borhap cast, sebastian stan, stephanie beatriz and band members (theres more but yeah)

95)DO YOU CRY AND THROW A FIT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR OWN WAY

nope, i have only two ways to deal, be a total pushover or a total bitch

96)DO YOU HAVE KIDS

nope

97)DO YOU WANT KIDS

kind of undecided, but i do want more pets

98)WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR

Dark Blue

99)DO YOU MISS ANYONE RIGHT NOW

my dog, shes been ignoring me for about four hours now because I stayed at school for an extra hour (for knitting club!)

@softspaceboibrian @roger-taylor-owns-my-wigg @im-inlovewithmycar do it cowards

[miraculoussideblog]

Ways to Forgive Chapter 6

Catch up with the first fic in the series  Ways to Say I’m Sorry

Chapter [1][2][3][4][5][You are here]

[AO3]

Chapter 6- Dress

Chloe stood in front of the mirror in awe. The white dress was a bit snug around the bust, but she looked like a princess. She twirled around a bit and the large skirt fluttered around her. For the first time since the engagement party she felt like this was really happening. The past few weeks were so stressful, Sabrina had the idea to try on dresses to blow off some steam.

The saleswoman, Regina knocked on the door. “Mademoiselle Bourgeois do you need any help?”

“No, I’m good.” She opened the door. Regina lead her out to the front room where Marinette, Sabrina and Alya sat.

“Oh my God Chloe you look amazing.” Sabrina squealed. She snapped a few pictures on her phone.

“Thank you,” she twirled again. She liked the dress, but it didn’t feel right. She knew she wouldn’t fall in love with the first dress she tried. She looked like a knock off Kate Middleton. The dress was strikingly similar to what the Duchess of Cambridge wore on her big day. She studied herself in the mirror once more and frowned. No, this wasn’t the dress.

“What’s with you face?” Alya asked.

“Huh?”

“You don’t seem too excited.”

“Oh,” Chloe forced a smile. “It’s just not the dress, that’s all.”

“We’ll we have several others to choose from.” Regina chimed in. “With your budget the sky's the limit. I have a lovely Vera Wang on the main floor, I’ll pull it for you.” Regina stepped away to find the dress.

“What’s really the matter?” Marinette said once Regina was out of earshot.

“I don’t know,” Chloe shrugged. “I watched so many of these wedding shows and I feel like something is missing. I don’t know what yet.”

“You don’t have to buy anything today,” Sabrina said. “You haven’t even picked a date for the wedding. Don’t stress too much about the dress today; you have plenty of time. When you find the one you will know.”

Regina returned with a large puffy ball gown in her arms. “This is the Vera Wang I was telling you about.”

“Thank you,” Chloe nodded. “I’ll be right back.” Chloe walked back to the dressing room and peeled off the Kate Middleton knock off. She slipped into the Vera Wang, Again it was too tight, she needed to ask for a bigger sample size next time. She could always buy the dress a size up

Chloe felt like a doll in the white dress. The puffy skirt filled the dressing room entirely, she could barely move without knocking hitting the wall. Part of her didn’t want to show the girls. This was a hard no. But in the spirit of dress shopping she decided to go anyway. Chloe carefully lifted up the skirt of the dress and made her way out of the door.

“Leave now.” Chloe heard Sabrina’s sharp whisper from the distance.

Chloe stepped out onto the floor. Her mother stood with her bridesmaids holding a glass of champagne. They were all clearly arguing low enough so the whole showroom didn’t hear.

She charged towards her mother. “What are you doing here?”

The women fell silent. “I came to see you,” her mother smiled.

“How did you find me?”

“You’re easy to track when you are back on the radar.” She held out her phone to show her a tweet of her in her Kate Middleton knock off dress. “You’re back in the spotlight now, remember that darling.”

“Just because you know how to find me doesn’t mean you should.”

“Chloe…” Sabrina warned her.

“You’re right.” Chloe took a deep breath. “Let’s not make a scene mother. Please go home.”

“Not until I talk to you.”

“I’m kind of busy at the moment,” Chloe gestured to her dress.

“Vera Wang?” Audrey snorted. “I love the woman to pieces, but there is no way you’re walking down the aisle in that.”

“Mother!”

“I’m being honest.” She sat down on the couch. “Isn’t this what mother and daughters are supposed to do. Go shopping together?”

“You missed twenty years of shopping with me. You’re not going to start now.” Chloe turned on her heels and heading back to the dressing room.

“It wasn’t my choice.” Audrey shouted.

Chloe stopped dead in her tracks. “What do you mean not your choice?” She spun around. “You chose to leave, you chose to not contact me, you decided you didn’t want to be a mother anymore.”

“So those are the lies your father’s been feeding you?”

“Lies?”

“You’re father completely erased me from your life after the divorce. I tried to visit you, but with your father’s influence over the city he made it impossible. He had the judge in his pocket when during your custody hearing. I wasn’t allowed to see you until you were eighteen, but when the time came I thought you hated me. I sent you a birthday card and Christmas presents every year until you were sixteen. Nathaniel told me you never received them.”

Tears rolled down Chloe’s face as she listened to her mother’s words. They couldn’t be true. No, she left her and never came back. Those were the facts. “Why? Are you back now?”

“Because my baby girl is getting married,” Audrey touched Chloe’s cheek and wiped off her tears. “I missed too many important milestones in your life. There is nothing in this world that will keep me away from missing it.”

“You need to go,” Chloe backed away.

“Chloe…”

“No,” she shouted. “You can just show up in my life with some bullshit excuse to why you disappeared for twenty years. Leave now.”

“Talk to your father,” Audrey said. “I dare him to try to lie to you again.”

Nathaniel left work early as soon as he received the SOS text from Sabrina. He brought a pint of Chloe’s favorite ice cream and an action movie to get her mind off of her mother. He told her to talk to Chloe, but bombarding while wedding dress shopping was not what he meant.

Audrey disappeared for weeks after their initial conversation at the bakery. Nathaniel just thought she gave up, but the staff at the hotel said she was still checked in. He thought she was respecting their wishes to stay out of their way. But in typical Audrey fashion she had to swing in at the worst possible time and ruin everything.

Nathaniel used his spare key to open Chloe’s apartment. Pollen buzzed in his face as soon as he entered.

“How is she?” He asked.

“Not well,” Pollen replied. “She’s not crying or throwing a tantrum. She’s unresponsive.”

This was bad. Chloe wore her emotions on her sleeve. When she was upset all of Paris would know. Whatever her mother said really did a number on her.

“Wish me luck.” Nathaniel knocked on her bedroom door. “Chloe?” She didn’t respond. “I’m coming in.”

Chloe was huddled under her covers, unmoving. He sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to sit on her. Seeing her like this was like a punch in the gut. He shouldn’t have told her mother to try to make things right. He should have seen this coming.

“Hey Chloe,” he said gently. “I have Rocky Road and Die Hard.” Chloe didn’t answer. He lowered the duvet from her head. “Come on, talk to me. I know your mother is the worst, but--”

“No.” She cut him off. “It’s just that...Mother told me after she left Daddy blocked all communication with me. He basically banned her from Paris.”

“That can’t be true.”

“I don’t know what to believe.”

“Have you talked to you father?”

“He keeps calling, but I can’t bring myself to pick it up. I don’t know what to say,” she covered her head again. “I’m just going to stay here until the wedding.”

“Do you not know what to say or afraid of his answer?”

“I don’t know. I’ve had this image of my painted in my head for so long. The vicious gold digger who left me and my father without a trace. Daddy has always been there for me, he supported me through the hard times and tried his best to fill the hole my mother left. If she is telling the truth I don’t think I can look at him the same way.”

Nathaniel pursed his lips. This was bad, if the one person she trusted the most lied to her for twenty years, this could break her. He needed to be her rock if shit hits the fan.

“Scoot over,” he nudged her to the other side of the bed.

“What are you doing?” She groaned.

“Wallowing with you.” Nathaniel kicked off his shoes and joined her under the covers. He popped open the pint of ice cream and scooped. “Open.” She shook her head. “I know it’s your favorite.”

“No,” she pouted. “I’m gaining too much weight. I need to fit into my wedding dress.”

“You haven’t bought yours yet.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and opened her mouth. Nathaniel feed her the ice cream. “I’m scarred for life now,” she grumbled. “From now on I’ll associate wedding dress shopping with discovering my father lied to me for twenty years.”

Nathaniel and Chloe lied in silence for a few moments.

“Maybe you don’t need to go wedding dress shopping again.”

“Huh?”

“Marinette made her own wedding dress, why don’t you ask her to make yours.”

“I can’t. She’s swamped with rebranding Gabriel’s with Adrien and launching her first line. I can’t put that on her.”

“It won’t hurt to ask. Plus we have it in the budget, to hire her and a team to make it.”

“Fine,” she took another bite of ice cream. “I’ll ask. But this is the last time we have ice cream in bed until the wedding night.”

“Is that a promise?” Nathaniel kissed her temple. Chloe’s face turned bright red. Nathaniel loved seeing her get flustered. She was finally getting back to her old self. “Die Hard?”

“Christmas in July, you spoil me Mr. Kurtzberg.”

“Only the best for the future Mrs. Kurtzberg.”

Chloe grimace. “Yeah, you know I’m keeping my name right?”

“I had to try,” Nathaniel shrugged. He knew good and well Chloe Bourgeois wouldn’t give up her name. He wasn’t the type of man who would fight her on it. Just then his phone buzzed in his pocket. It had to be a text from Sabrina, he forgot to update her on Chloe’s mood. He pulled his phone out and checked the text. Nathaniel’s face fell flat. It was from Andre.

Come to the hotel ASAP, I need to speak with you.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe asked.

Nathaniel sighed. He had to tell her. “It’s your father. He wants me to go to the hotel.”

Chloe dropped the Rocky Road on the side table and curled up into a ball again. “What does he want?”

“He didn’t say.”

Chloe popped back up. “Go to him.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Please, I need to know what he has to say.”

“Then call him!”

“No,” she pouted. “It’s too soon. I need you to be a buffer. That way when I see him next I won’t be as upset. Please.” She gave him her saddest puppy dog eyes. How could he say no to those.

“Fine,” he sighed. “But this is the last time you put me in the middle of your family drama.”

After kissing her goodbye, Nathaniel walked to Le Grand Paris hotel from Chloe’s apartment. He knew this was a bad idea. Chloe needed to talk to her father in person. Not send him to be the middleman.

Nathaniel entered through the front door of the hotel. Andre sat in the lobby holding a large shoebox. He spotted Nathaniel and waved him over. “Thank you for meeting me,” Andre said. “How are you doing?”

“I’m all right,” he sat down. “My fiance is curled up in her bed with a pint of Rocky Road.”

“Audrey came by my room and told me everything. I’ve never seen that woman so angry in my life. But she’s right, Chloe deserves to know the truth.”

“So it is true.”

“More or less,” he nodded. “I did want I thought was right.”

“Then tell her yourself.”

“It’s not that easy,” he sighed. “This is for Chloe.” He handed him the box. “Tell her to come see me after she opens it.”

“You called me over to be an errand boy??” He rolled his eyes. “Both of you need to learn how to communicate with each other.” He took the box from him. “I don’t like to be in the middle of this family drama.”

“When are you going to realize you’re part of the family now?”

[uprootedandrelentless]

2020 Review  - Miraya

2020 was a year we’ll always remember. At first glance it’s the year of COVID-19, a global pandemic, Trump, BLM, shelter in place, businesses closing and so much loss and sickness. Future textbooks will need many pages to cover the history of this year. Zoomed in (get it?!) at the smaller scale of my little bubble it has also been a year of lots of virtual experiences, career change, working from home, and sweatpants. Obviously there were so much bigger and more monumental issues than my own but for the sake of this year in review I’m just zooming in on my day to day life. There is so much out of our control, that this year was a reminder to be grateful for our relationships. Despite the craziness of the year, there were many joyful and happy moments that I want to remember of 2020, so I’ll focus on those. 

It’s hard to think about this year pre-Pandemic/pre-March, but I am grateful that I squeezed in so much in the beginning of the year. In the first few months before lockdown, I luckily got to see so many friends and travel to all my favorite cities (London, New York and Palm Springs). Matt and I rang in the New Year in London, so we started 2020 there! I celebrated Claire’s Bachelorette party with 20 of her friends in Los Angeles, went to New York for my first Dessert Goals corporate event on Valentine’s Day, spoke at Alt Summit conference, and planned Clarissa’s bachelorette in Palm Springs. These trips feel like distant memories besides scrolling through photos on my phone. I can’t wait until we can travel again.

Since March my days have been much less glamorous, but there have still been moments I’ll treasure. Matt and I love watching movies, playing games and eating and luckily got to do a lot of these from the safety of our home. Some favorite moments of the year:

Snuggling on the couch with Matt and Rocky, watching movies and eating popcorn with Trader Joe’s ghee spray and truffle salt

Working out while playing Just Dance with Matt, our favorite song is “What Does The Fox Say”

Lots of cooking - using our air fryer, crockpot and Matt becoming a mixologist and creating a 50+ page Google Doc cocktail book

Every time we leave a grocery store with a giant cart full of food and I say “we will not starve”

Supporting small business with fun experiences at home, like Pop Up Mag in a Box and Mama’s Date Night Kit 

Playing Pandemic Legacy co-op game season 1 and 2

Celebrating my 30th birthday at Claire’s house and learning a choreographed dance of Aaron Carter’s I Want Candy with Claire, Evan, Matt

Creative socially distanced activities like picnics with my parents and friends, playing croquet with Matt’s family, renting out a nail salon for Claire’s birthday 

Virtual events like Six Degrees Society, monthly Pizza Party mastermind group, Dreamers & Doers, The Assembly entrepreneur group, my 30th Birthday with friends and family across the country 

Solo workouts and dancing on my rooftop in the middle of the day

Home improvements like painting our bookshelf blue, getting a new coffee table and buffet table 

Sleeping With Other People 5 year anniversary watch party with Rom Com Fest and IFC Zoom with Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis 

Seeing Instagram Story photos of people across the country receiving Dessert of the Month boxes

Spending a week in Los Angeles in an Airbnb with a pool and hottub and going to our favorite restaurants while working from a different desk than our usual at home

Finding our wedding venue and booking a date for March 2022

Sadly the year has also included many not so great moments:

Closing of Eco Goods, my parent’s shop of over 20 years

Closing of The Assembly, my co-working space and slice of heaven in SF

Clearing out my LA storage unit of all my event supplies, many of which I just purchased in November for Dessert Goals and have sat unused since then

Getting Covid in May - luckily it was mild I just had a high fever and was achy and sick for a few days then quarantined for 10 days

Having to let my employee go because I couldn’t keep paying her

Having to cancel all of my festivals

Moments of feeling totally defeated and lost and not sure how to keep my business going

Shock at the country and that there are so many stupid and selfish people

In my little world, the hardest part about this year for me has been my struggle with my identity as an event planner when I can’t plan events. I’ve always felt such an association of what I do with who I am and when I suddenly am forced to stop doing what I love, with no end in sight, it’s been really tough, both for my identity and my business. I had my year all mapped out, three festivals, sponsors, and first I just postponed my events, and now they are cancelled until the foreseeable future. I tried some virtual events, launched a Dessert of the Month club, but nothing was enough. Dessert Goals and Rom Com Fest are so much about the IRL experience and I couldn’t figure out how to translate that at home. 

With a wonderful stroke of luck I was connected with someone in August looking for help with his event hosting software platform, Mixily, and he brought me on to do customer success and marketing. It’s the first “real job” I’ve had since 2014, and first time I’ve worked at a software startup. It’s been like MBA training, sink or swim. We have a small team all across the world and it’s been exciting getting to Slack and Zoom with others all working on the same project together. I’ve transformed a corner of our bedroom into an office (with a desk from The Assembly), bought a laptop stand, keyboard and mouse, and it’s the most official work setup I’ve had in years. Considering this crazy year and not being able to plan events, I am so  grateful I got this opportunity to keep working and flexing my muscles in a new industry. I’ve joined many new communities to connect with others in the software world, such as Indie Hackers, and have learned a lot of new perspectives about startups, that sometimes you’ll work on something for years and then have to call it quits. With Dessert Goals and Rom Com Fest I hope it’s not quits forever, but I’m coming to accept that they can be on the back burner for now. 

This year I turned 30. The biggest milestone the year has had in my mind is the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which I never made it on. Obviously it would have been great, and I can’t say I’m not bummed that I didn’t, but I do know it’s not everything. Besides that, and wishing I could have a big party for my birthday which wasn’t totally possible, 30 hasn’t felt dramatically different yet. I know that I compare myself to others more than it is healthy, it’s hard to prevent it, especially when scrolling through Instagram. I hear from others as you get into your 30s you feel more confident in your skin, I hope this clicks for me and I quit the comparison game soon. I’ve started paying attention to my phone’s screen time and it’s pretty scary how many hours of each day I spend  on Instagram. I’m juggling accounts for my personal, Rom Com Fest, Dessert Goals and Mixily, so it’s a lot. A mix of research, posting, and inspiration, but it’s not a good use of time. Over the holidays I logged out of all my accounts, so if I wanted to check I had to go through the extra step of logging in, and it’s decreasing my scroll time drastically. I know Instagram is not a good use of time and adds to my comparison feelings, so it is something I want to decrease next year.

One of the new communities I joined because of Mixily, Reality Bites, asked me what three things I want more and less of in 2021. Here they are, plus a few more. 

More: travel, exercise, picnics, walks with friends, outdoor time

Less: stress, snacking, guilt, Instagram, comparing myself to others, sweatpants 

Last year I included lists of my favorite books, movies and TV shows of the year and want to keep the tradition. I’ve been tracking books in Goodreads, movies in Letterboxd, and TV shows in Notes. Here are my top picks of the year. 

Books

Last year I read 27 books and set a goal for 30 books this year. I ended up reading 32! My top 5:

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner  

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Not Like The Movies by by Kerry Winfrey

Body Love Every Day: Choose Your Life-Changing 21-Day Path to Food Freedom by Kelly LeVeque

The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you by Rob Fitzpatrick 

Movies

Matt and I watched A LOT of movies this year! Many older movies, including many from 1999 and a ton of Tom Hanks. Matt always creates his top 10 movie list of new release films. Here’s my top 2020 movies in alphabetical order: 

An American Pickle

Bad Education

How to Build A Girl

On The Rocks

Palm Springs

Save Yourselves!

Soul

The Half Of It

The One and Only Ivan

To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You

TV

In between movie watching, and while multitasking, I was able to watch quite a lot of TV shows this year, some with Matt and some on my own. Matt and I watched all the seasons of Veronica Mars which started a marathon of all other Rob Thomas (the creator of Veronica Mars) shows including Party Down and iZombie. Of new 2020 shows, here are some of my favorites, in alphabetical order: 

Dash & Lily

Dead To Me season 2

Emily in Paris

Love Life

Never Have I Ever

PEN15 season 2

Queen’s Gambit

The Bold Type season 4

The Home Edit

The Morning Show

Trinkets

At the end of my post last year I wrote of all the things I was looking forward to next year including 4 weddings and 3 festivals, all of which were cancelled. 2020 felt so planned out and yet everything was changed. I have no idea what next year will bring. It could feel exactly the same as this year, working from home and wearing a mask all year. Or we could be able to host events by summer. Every virtual event I’ve attended about the future of events seems like a similar level of uncertainty. It feels impossible to set goals or make plans for 2021. We just have to roll with the punches, be kind to one another, stay safe, wear our masks and ride this out.  

Here’s to a brighter and safer 2021!

-Miraya

[marlenemckinn]

Remember @jennandblitz​ and my little story from the summer of genderfluid!Sirius and ace!Remus? It’s now like 700,000+ words of fluff, smut, and so much more. We’re posting the last full part (er, minus one that’s quite long as well) but have a million one shot ideas. We hope that you enjoy it. If we’ve missed tags, let us know please.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice

What happens when you meet the person that you had been drooling over for 4 and a half minutes? Well, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at first, but there is some potential if they could just get by the miscommunication. Remus and Sirius find this out after spotting one another at the International Pole Dancing Championship and Convention. Meet-Cute? More like Meet-Ugly.

The Touch of Your Hand

After six weeks of “hanging out”, Remus and Sirius both want to move things from that level to actually being a couple. Will everything continue to be as sweet as it was once they make the move?

Diamond and Pearls

Sirius and Remus have overcome their first big obstacle and are in a healthy and happy relationship! What’s next? Moving in? Meeting the parents? Maybe something more?

Ain’t Together

With a surprise waiting on their doorstep, slipping in to co-habitation is not going to be easy. Sirius’ past is scratching its way to the surface and both they and Remus are trying so hard to pretend that it’s fine. Can they fix things and return to how they were before or is it just too much?

Since the Day I Saw You

A month into their engagement, Sirius and Remus are settling into it. They decide to start planning their wedding, but they probably spend more time exploring their sex life as well as taking care of their new dog.

Wish On The Moon

Sirius and Remus’ wedding is getting closer and closer, but an unexpected meeting sets off a chain of events that they need to work together to recover from, even with Tuscany on the horizon.

My One and Only Love

Remus, Sirius and all of their close friends and family jet off to Italy for the destination wedding of the year. Lots of sunshine, good food, great wine and hilarity.

Science Fiction: Double Feature

Halloween Special: Sirius finally convinces Remus to dress up and go see a live production fo Rocky Horror – one on condition. Remus gets to do anything he likes to them once they get home.

Hit the Back

Remus and Sirius are married now! They’re getting into the groove of married life as everyone else’s lives around them bloom and blossom as well.

Let Me Adore You

Remus and Sirius continue to try to navigate their first year of marriage. It’s a little bit of a rocky road, with the trials of life to contend with, but they have each other!

Slip a Sable Under the Tree

Christmas Special: Sirius gives Remus a present while decorating their home for Christmas.

You’ve Got the Love

Remus and Sirius are ready to take the next big steps in their lives. Even bigger things are on the horizon—are they finally ready for them?

All This and Heaven Too

With the decision to start a family made, Sirius and Remus find the perfect person to help them along the way. This big shift unearths lots of feelings and thoughts for them both, though.

Good Only Knows (Chapters 8/?)

They always say the first year is the hardest, and juggling their relationship, work and a newborn was never going to be easy

Got to Taste Like Candy

If Marlene and Dorcas never got together, Remus and Sirius would have never met. Ever wonder what happened that fateful night?