#I'm considering changing up my wardrobe a little bit soon

[sleepinglionhearts]

I'm still working on the whole concept of saying "I look fine and good" and believing it, but I have always enjoyed fashion and putting together outfits, and I have always had a mindset of "even if I myself don't look good and I'm ugly, at least my clothes aren't."

That said, it is SO ANNOYING to want to do a general web search for neat looks from other countries for women around 30 and all I get. Is "where to shop!" and "here's the current hot trends with teens!" like no, no, I am not looking for teen fashion, I am SO VERY SPECIFICALLY NOT looking for teen fashion, thanks, and I suppose it's nice to know the travel blog recommendations for shopping but I'd also like to HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR FIRST

"Ohh I'm a tourist going to ____ place what should I wear" don't know don't care I want to know what the locals think is cool, I wanna see what color combinations are used frequently, what's the casual wear like, accessories?? Shoes????

And nothing comes up.

hhhhhhhrrrgggghghghrgh

[steddie-as-they-come]

sequel to my roommate steddie au!! here's the first part! tags have changed, it's now more mature with some fade to black sex

Steve’s so warm. It’s not fair.

Eddie must have half his wardrobe on, tucked under all the blankets on his bed, and Steve is just sitting over there, in a T-shirt and thin sweatpants, like the jackass he is.

"You look cold." Steve says, shifting a bit.

Eddie glares at him. "No shit, Sherlock," he bites out, trying to reign in his temper. All things considered, Steve's a pretty great roommate, sharing his food and his children with Eddie. It's not his fault the college decides to let their students freeze to death.

Steve, to his credit, just laughs at him. "Okay, fine. I was gonna offer for you to come hang out over here, since you're over the vent and I'm not, but if you're gonna be like that-"

Eddie practically teleports out of bed. "No! No, please, Steve, did I ever mention how great your hair looks today and how kind you are to me-"

Steve laughs again, moving out of the way and patting the bed next to him. Eddie doesn't hesitate to scurry up and tuck himself into a little cocoon of his own blankets, trying not to bump Steve's arm as he focuses on his homework. He doesn't completely succeed, and his hand brushes against Steve's bare arm.

"What the fuck?" he says loudly. "Why are you the temperature of a campfire?"

Steve shrugs. "I've always run hot." he says. "It's great during winter movie nights because everyone piles on top of me, but then I get banished during summer movie nights, which is no fun."

Eddie's already sprawled over his shoulder, sighing happily, like some kind of lizard on a sunlit rock. If August Eddie could see him now, he'd try to smack the shit outta him for falling for a straight guy. One who was his roommate, no less.

But it's hard not to when Steve is kind, and accepting, and a little bit stupid, and hot as hell. It isn't like he just tolerates Eddie's physical affection either, he seems to welcome it. Steve even started initiating it, wrapping an arm around Eddie's shoulders, grabbing his arm to haul him out of particularly big crowds, and the hugs. Steve loves hugs.

There's a darkness to Steve too, the way he moves, the way he's always checking over his shoulder, flinching at flickering lights, always ready for a fight.

It makes Eddie wonder if Steve is like him.

Eddie wiggles a bit, adjusting his chin to prop on Steve's shoulder. "Whatcha workin' on?" he asks, just to be nosy.

Steve rolls his eyes, leaning away. "None of your business." he teases.

Eddie misses the warmth as soon as Steve's gone. "Nooooo," he whines. "Come back. I won't look!"

Steve stays leaned away, raising his eyebrows. "You're so weird." he says. It's not in a mean way, more that he's bewildered that one person can be this strange. Eddie takes this as a compliment.

He pretends to freeze to death, jerking and flinching. "It's...so cold." he mutters. "I see...the light... All because my roommate...let me freeze to death..."

Finally, Steve's blissful warmth comes back, and Steve sighs, tapping his pen against his paper. Eddie tries to peek again, and recognizes familiar words.

"Is that a character sheet?" he yells, and Steve frowns at him.

"You said you wouldn't look!"

Eddie waves him off, grabbing for the sheet. "Steve, this is D&D. It's automatically my business when it's D&D."

Steve finally hands it over. "Fine. Yes, it's a character sheet. Dustin's birthday is next Monday, and I was gonna ask you if I could join your game as a present to him."

Eddie nods, inspecting the sheet. Dustin's been begging for Steve to join basically since they started their little arrangement, where Eddie DM's for them in exchange for no more open hostility in the dorms. It may have worked a little too well, given Eddie's budding crush, but c'est la vie.

Eddie hands it back. "You are supposed to give the DM the character sheet a couple days in advance so they have time to work you into the plot."

Steve winces. "Really? Shit, I didn't know that."

"It's fine, I got some ideas, just from looking it over. You can borrow a spare set of dice and one of my miniatures too."

"Oh good, I had no idea if I needed any of that stuff."

"Do you want me to do a little crash course for you?" Eddie asks, preparing to brave the cold to grab his little homemade handbook.

Steve gives him a deadpan look. "Are you kidding me? Dustin is gonna love being better than me at this. I might as well go in with a regular six-sided die and pretend I thought that's the one I needed."

Eddie laughs. "Fair enough." The cold touches his neck and he burrows back into his blankets. "This fucking sucks, by the way. The cold."

"You're a big baby, man. It's fine."

"Ah, yes. Forgot I live with a walking, talking furnace." Eddie rolls his eyes, muttering, "This is worse than the time I was left outside in the cold."

"Wait, what?" Steve turns to him, eyes flinty like steel. "You were...what?"

"Oh. Um." Eddie's not sure how much to reveal, but he figures it had to come out eventually. "My dad left me out in the cold when I was thirteen. I think he thought it'd fix me. I just got really sick, though." He laughs humorlessly.

"You said...fix you?" Steve says, and Eddie's heart drops. He backs away from Steve before starting to talk, trying to find something to defend himself with if Steve gets mad.

"Yeah." Eddie says. "He saw me...kissing a boy."

Steve's eyes widen, and then he scoots closer. Eddie's breath hitches.

"Me too." Steve whispers.

Now it's Eddie's turn to be shocked. Steve continues. "Not...not left outside in the cold. They'd need to be home long enough for that. But...bisexual. I like girls and guys."

There's a tense, charged silence in the room. Eddie draws up all his courage. "I like you, Steve."

Steve stares at Eddie’s lips. “Can I-” he whispers breathlessly.

Eddie, seemingly just as entranced, nods, and Steve leans forward, pressing his lips against Eddie. Almost unconsciously, Eddie tilts his head, deepening the kiss, and Steve hums happily. 

Eddie’s tongue swipes at the sealed lines of Steve’s lips. Steve freezes, then slowly, tentatively, opens his mouth. 

Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile. Eddie practically pulls Steve down towards him, hands greedily exploring every inch of Steve he could reach. Steve gladly returns the favor, sneaking his hands between Eddie’s back and the mattress so he can feel the muscles lining Eddie’s spine flex and move as Eddie kisses him stupid. 

Eddie pulls back, breaking the kiss. Steve whines, actually whines, and dives back in, but Eddie stops him with a gentle hand on his chest. 

He kisses the corner of Steve’s mouth, and Steve chases it, leaning subtly towards Eddie, but Eddie just keeps moving, kissing a trail from his mouth to his chin, to the soft skin where Steve's jawline blends into his neck. Steve keeps moving, running his hands up and down Eddie’s back just for something to do. 

Eddie reaches the small curve where his shoulder meets his neck, and Steve feels a small scrape of teeth against his skin. He whimpers. 

“Oh?” Eddie says, the first thing he’s said since Steve leaned in. His voice is raspy, and Steve privately thinks it's the hottest fucking thing in the world. “There?” 

He kisses there again, but this time there's no teeth, and Steve stays quiet, breathing slowly, in and out, in and out. 

“Or…did you like it when I did this?” 

Eddie leans forward and nips at Steve’s collar, and Steve keens. “Eddieee…” he says, dragging the vowels out too long, leaving that name hanging in the air.

Eddie tilts his head back up and captures Steve’s lips in another kiss, tongue sliding into Steve’s mouth smoothly. He kisses for a few seconds, then readjusts and gently nips at Steve’s lower lip. 

“Please, please Eddie,” Steve begs breathlessly, not even sure what he's pleading for. Eddie seems to get it though, and slides his hands under his shirt to cup Steve’s waist.

Steve laces his hands through Eddie's hair and pulls, and Eddie lets out a moan, pushing Steve off of him and rolling so he's on top, enjoying the feeling of Steve under him on the mattress.

"I've never been so glad for the cold," he whispers against Steve's lips, and kisses him again.

[papergirllife]

Jeong Jaehyun

CEO!Jaehyun x Secretary!reader

Synopsis:

You and Jaehyun take a trip to Florence and things get interesting on a boat with a surprise at the end :)))

warnings: public s*x (kinda), unprotected s*x, ch*king, br**ding kink, c*ck warming, strength kink, brief sub drop, tooth rotting fluff.

a/n: sorry i can't make it in time for a halloween fic, that would probably come out a bit later than expected :((, so here's a little treat instead to keep you guys sated :)))

The summer breeze feels freeing against your skin, the salt air is something you don't want to forget, the sea is a sparkling teal, you could really get used to this.

"What's on your mind, love?" Jaehyun asks, his big arms wrapped around your waist, his chin perched on your shoulder, you can feel his breath tickling your ears.

"That I'm gonna miss this very much when we're back in Seoul," you say with a longing sigh at the beautiful view.

Jaehyun hums in agreement, watching you swirl your glass of white wine before taking a long sip, you're taking in the beautiful view of Florence's sea view while he takes in his view, you, your hair blowing by, his prada sunglasses perched on the beautiful slope of your nose, your lips shining from the latest lip oil he's splurged on you after he's seen you watching numerous tiktoks of it. 

"We can come here again, you know," Jaehyun proposes, his cheek brushing against yours, nuzzling into your warmth.

"One, you have a company to run. Two, it's too expensive to do this again," you chide, it's been days already and still you never miss to mention the fact that Jaehyun dropped a bomb to plan this trip and book a whole yacht for the two of you, including a league of staff at your beck and call, the chef himself is from some really popular restaurant, his fresh pasta is to die for, you're sure the price for his services is deadly as well.

"I told you this before, I'd give you the whole world if you want," Jaehyun reminds you with a playful nudge of his head at yours, getting a laugh out of you.

"And how many times do I have to remind you? You as your own person is the equivalent of my world, not Jeong Jaehyun the CEO of a huge company, and not the benefits that come with your financial position," you say with a huff, you just know this trip is at least a year's worth of your salary, that he keeps adding for no reason mind you, what's the use of money when this man doesn't let you spend a cent of your own coin when he's around?

"I know, sweetheart, I just like spoiling you, treat it as a kink of mine, that I have this obsession with giving you princess treatment," Jaehyun says, trying to explain himself into your good books again.

"Whatever, I'm still not letting you spend a cent on groceries though," you argue, that was the deal when you moved in with him and found out that he paid for everything, utilities, necessities, your wardrobe; it was almost impossible to get him to agree to let you spend on groceries, that and whatever you manage to pick up on your way back when he works later than you, like that robot vacuum and mop hybrid you splurged on, and spending more on better quality groceries, including wine, which got a huff out of your mostly patient boyfriend.

"Wine is wine," he argued, hands on his waist, his brows furrowed, but you see right through him, he could never get mad at you.

"I put wine in pasta, and it's sold in the grocer, so it's considered as groceries," you say with a smug tone, and at that moment, Jaehyun thinks you look borderline cunning.

"Fine…"

"When we're married, I'm going to have to reevaluate our terms," Jaehyun says with a chuckle, kissing your temple.

"That's not going to be soon anyways," you say with a huff before finishing your glass of pricey wine.

"That can be changed," Jaehyun says, snatching the empty glass out of your hands, passing it to the staff before he tells her to dismiss everyone below deck.

"Right, as if you want to be tied down this quickly," you say, turning from the railing to face Jaehyun, slapping his chest playfully.

"Why? You don't think I love you enough to be tied down to you?" Jaehyun asks, the mirth disappearing in his eyes, catching you off guard.

"You're still very young, men don't like settling down so quickly," you say, cupping his cheeks, patting his cheeks, you love his mochi cheeks. 

"I'm 26, not 16, I know what I want, and that's loving you, for eternity," Jaehyun mumbles, talking despite his cheeks being squished by you, which he's quick to change, grasping your hands in his, placing them on his sturdy shoulders, "I'll prove my love to you," Jaehyun says before he slams his lips to yours, catching you off guard.

After 3 years of being with him, you still get light headed from the way he kisses you, and he knows, manoeuvring you to the big L shaped sofa.

"I'm going to prove to you now, that my love for you is as endless as the skies and the seas," Jaehyun promises after his lips part from yours. 

You quickly peel your clothes off of you, savouring Jaehyun's lustful eyes on you.

"You're a sight to behold," Jaehyun mutters before he reconnects his lips with yours. 

He just can't get enough of you today, how sweet you taste, your lip oil, the taste of bitter grape on your tongue, he's a fiend and you're his drug.

He shudders when he feels your hands make a quick work of getting rid of his clothes, your soft hands trailing through the arms that he's trained very hard for, grasping onto his biceps, Jaehyun smiles at the action, you've always been a fan of his muscles, spending your free time reading while Jaehyun works out in his personal gym, not a page turned.

Jaehyun breaks the kiss, looking at you with love drunk eyes.

"Get on fours for me, facing the ocean, let the world see how I worship my baby," Jaehyun says with mirth, eyes shining like a boy on Christmas day.

"As you wish, boss," you say before breaking out laughing when you see your boyfriend's deadpan expression.

"Very funny," Jaehyun muses before he gets distracted by the sight of your ass, a hand outstretched to smack one of your cheeks lightly, his cock growing hard at the sight of your cheek jiggling in his hold.

Jaehyun gets comfortable on the sofa before he bends down to get a quick taste, adjusting your body to his height, or he'd get a neck cramp and an earful from you later. 

Jaehyun groans when he gets an actual taste, and with one taste, he's hooked, tongue going from kitten licks to sinking his tongue deep inside your cunt, a hand grasping your cheeks open while his other hand makes its way to your sweet bundle of nerves, rotating your clit in slow circles, sending shocks down where Jaehyun's situated, drenching his mouth with your sweet juices, dripping down his chin, and the sounds you make, calling out to his name with that airy high pitched tone that only he gets to hear, if there's one thing that Jaehyun would never try in bed with you is gagging, god forbid him cockblocking himself from an eargasm, not even his favourite artists could compare to this personal melody only he gets to listens to.

You’re not the type to be super loud or something, in fact, Jaehyun often needs to remind you to be as loud as you want to be, and now with the staff being dismissed, you still fear that you’d be heard by anyone lingering nearby, but Jaeyhyun’s skillful tongue has your inhibitions down, his tongue and fingers strumming your body like a guitar, and he can tell you’re close, with the way you’ve drenched his hand, hips unconsciously pushing back to meet his touch, when his hands meet your swollen bundle of nerves, gasps of his name reach Jaehyun’s ears before he feels your juices drip down his hand.

Jaehyun has that smirk that you always tease for looking like an evil character in the dramas you always watch, the one where his face makes unconsciously, usually when he manages to get you flustered or at times like these, when Jaehyun makes a mess out of you just from his sheer dedication and familiarity of your body that he had studied obsessively.

“You need a rest, sweetheart?” Jaehyun asks when he helps you turn to face him again.

“I’m ready, we need to hurry up, I don’t want the staff to think we’re having sex right now,” you say before swivelling your hips on his length, he’s already hard and it’s just from pleasuring you, the thought has flowers blooming in your heart.

“But we are fucking right now,” Jaehyun said before he bellows out a full on laugh, which led to you shushing him with the palm of your hand.

“Exactly, that’s why we need to hurry up,” you said before you give Jaehyun back his ability to talk, positioning yourself away from Jaehyun, and suddenly, Jaehyun’s second favourite sight comes into view, the only ‘human’ peach he desires.

“So romantic of you,” Jaehyun jokes, lightly smacking your butt, he could never get bored of doing that.

“I want to enjoy the view,” you say with a huff, finally settling into a spot where the cushion feels comfortable under your elbows and knees.

“See how the horizon looks endless? My love for you is as deep as the sea, and as limitless as the sky,” Jaehyun says by your ear before he crouches over you to kiss you, he always does that, sealing his affirmations for you with a kiss.

Just a quick one, then he traces your back with his lips, the soft kisses tracing your arched spine, way down till your tailbone before he rises up again, his warm palms spreading you open gently, the sea breeze hitting your most intimate parts of you, the cool feeling quickly fading when you feel Jaehyun’s length sinking inside you, the stretch so familiar, comforting even, as the pleasure that only Jaehyun could give you once again dance through your nerves, and the feeling of being so full, so complete, you don’t think you’d want to live a world without Jaehyun, not when you’re an addict for this man you call your lover, the power he holds over you is stronger than any temptation this world has to offer.

Your eyes go cross when Jaehyun finally deems you ready for him to pick up the pace, he locates your sweet spot with the blunt of his tip, and you lose some of your composure, Jaehyun’s name escaping your lips, his name broken in parts of two and three, depending on the rhythm of his hips, and soon the beautiful view in front of you is distorted from your lust altered vision, the horizon blurring into one, just like you and Jaehyun, bodies smudged into one being, fused together by the love the two of you share.

“Ready to fall apart again, my love?” Jaehyun asks, his voice laboured from his movements, at first you didn’t know what he was saying, that is, until you feel his fingertips grazing your clit again, your hips jerking at the touch, still sensitive from before, but Jaehyun, being the service dom he is, he never wants to push you into a quick succession without your permission, hence he waits for the quick nod of your head and the breathless yes you barely managed to utter before he draws figure eights onto your sensitive bundle of nerves, he reads your body like an open book, the way you’re slumped forward, arms supporting your body instead of your elbows now, he just knows he’s going to get complaints about how he tires your body out every time you guys have sex.

Jaehyun’s spare hand winds around the base of your neck, pulling you up with a gasp of your lips, his lips touching yours, his nose digging into your cheek, the feeling so domestic, so distracting that you didn’t even notice his hand leaving your neck before you feel one of your nipples pinched between his fingers, and that’s what pushes you over the edge, your body already high strung from just his cock inside you, but his pace stutters before you feel the warmth of his seed paint your walls, the feeling sending a shudder down your back.

Jaehyun rides out your high with slow and deep thrusts, and when he starts picking up the pace again, you indulge him, just as much as he indulges in you, he knows you love a little bit of pain, sending your body into another wave of pleasurable crescendo with a cry of his name and tears prickling at the corner of your eyes, and then he stops, pulling out of you gently while he whispers of how good you were for him amongst other praises that ground you after a heavier session like that. 

“You with me baby?” Jaehyun asks while he manoeuvres you on your back, palms cradling your cheeks as if he’s trying to pull you back to the right headspace, and after a few blinks to clear your head, you remember who you are and most importantly, where you are.

“Oh my god, we need to hurry and get dressed,” you say, your eyes frantically scanning around to find your clothes.

“Hey, no rush, I’ll find your clothes and dress you, you just sit here and catch your breath, okay?” Jaehyun assures you before he quickly fetches your clothes and dresses you, giving you a quick peck on the forehead before he dresses himself and retrieves the pitcher of water to fill your glass for you, handing it to you, you didn’t realise how thirsty you were until you finished it.

“Feeling better now?” Jaehyun asks after draining his own glass.

“Yeah, would’ve liked having you stay inside me for a bit longer though, but this is definitely not the place to do so,” you say with a chuckle.

“Let’s retire back to our cabin then, I want cuddles anyways,” Jaehyun suggests before he sweeps you off the couch, carrying you bridal style down back to your room. 

When the two of you wake, it’s evening and the chef is preparing your dinner on deck, the scent of pasta sauce making your stomach rumble after what Jaehyun put you through. 

“Are you excited to go to Milan tomorrow? It’s fashion week after all,” Jaehyun says, he used the excuse of his artists’ brand endorsement to travel all the way here, not that he needed one, but the board’s old men are sometimes very…demanding.

“Yeah, I’m excited to see the Galleria, it always looks so pretty in photos,” you say, when Jaehyun first announced the two of you would be going to Italy, you quickly looked up what's famous there, other than the leaning tower and the colosseum. 

“We can go there right after we rest up, and the fashion show doesn’t take all that long, business meetings are the day after the show, so we’ll have plenty of time together,” Jaehyun promises, he’s always been so accommodating to you, always trying his best to balance his work and you, and for that, you’ll always be grateful.

“You’re sure it’s not getting in the way of your work?” you ask, but Jaehyun is quick to shake his head no, before the chef announces that dinner is served.

Dinner was brief, both of you were starving from today’s strenuous activity, and now you and Jaehyun are once again seated on the sofa, planning to take a walk around town for dessert after your dinner digests.

“There’s something I need to do before we dock,” Jaehyun says before he sees the staff once again retreating down below deck, glad that they remember his request for them to do so.

“What is it?” you ask, quickly assuming that he needs to take a call from Seoul or something, he tries not to, but you know it’s a given with his job and you respect it.

Then, Jaehyun gets down on one knee, his hand reaching into his pant’s pocket to reach for something bulky, and when you see the velvet material, your heart drops.

“I remember what you said this afternoon, about men my age not willing to settle down so soon, but I’m here, down on one knee, to prove to you that I’m willing to settle down young, If you give me the chance, I’d love if you gave me the chance to be truly yours, I know I’m a busy man, and that I have moments where I don’t give you enough of my time and attention,” Jaehyun says with melancholy swimming in his eyes, and immediately you shake your head, but before you could open your mouth to protest, Jaehyun continues his speech, “I spent three years with you now, lived together for two, but I want to spend every life with you if given the chance, so in this life, would I be able to have the honour to officially call you mine? You can finally be Mrs Jeong,” Jaehyun says with utmost sincerity, even the little inside joke he tacked on is a goal of his.

“Jaehyun, I’d be a dumbass to not say no,” you say before squatting down to his level, tackling him against the sofa with a big fat kiss, your weight crashing down on him, the air getting pushed out of his lungs from your sheer force, but Jaehyun would let you do it over and over again if it means he gets to see you smile this wide, everyday of his life.

“Thank you, sweetheart, I love you, more than you’d ever imagine, Mrs Jeong.”

“I love you too, Mr Jeong.”

[letstevengrantsleep]

Part Ten

Previous part

Eddie Munson x reader slow burn

part summary: you follow in Eddie's footsteps and tell Rob exactly what he needs to hear

word count: 1,117

warnings: swearing

a/n: bit of a short one but but but we're getting there.... soon we'll be getting some quality aloonnneeee tiimmmeee with our eddie baby. It's on the horizon !!

main masterlist series masterlist

You shuffle into the kitchen, the headache slowly setting in from the night before. Eddie is sat at the breakfast table, shoveling cereal down like he hasn't eaten in weeks, which makes you crack a smile as he looks up at you.

"Morning rock star," he teases, nodding at your faded band tee. "How's the head?"

You groan, sliding into a chair at the table. "Honestly? It feels like someone's used it as a drum kit."

He stands to pour you a cup of coffee, freshly brewed, and hands it to you with a wide grin on his face. "Well, I wasn't going to say anything but since you've forced my hand," he chuckles to himself as he moves through the small kitchen, "you did come in pretty hyper last night."

You take the cup from him gratefully, almost groaning as the hot liquid soothes your sore throat. "Yeah, it was fun. Might need a new liver though." You smile through the headache as Eddie slides a plate of eggs and toast over to you. "Oh my god Eds, you're a lifesaver. What would I do without you?"

You say it jokingly, with a lopsided grin, but you really do mean it.

"Probably still have a hangover tomorrow," he teases, sitting back down to finish his cereal. "Good night then?" He asks, and you can hear the undertone in the way he says it. Have you successfully shucked off the weight that was hanging over you yesterday? Are you feeling okay? Can I help?

You bring your coffee up for another sip as you mull the question over. "I think for the first time in a long time... I'm happy just being me."

It's a heavy answer, considering what he actually asked, but as you watch Eddie nod his head, you know he understands.

"Well, if it's all the same to you rock star, I'm liking the new look."

That makes you laugh, shake your head and roll your eyes at him. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get too caught up in it, I've had this stuff in my wardrobe for years."

"Yeah, and it's a crime that it's never seen the light of day." Eddie jokes, leaning back to take a look at the band tee you've thrown on for breakfast this morning.

Scoffing, you take a bite of your breakfast before changing the subject. "So how was your night?"

"Eh," he shrugs, "saw Argyle. Smoked a little, talked about life, the universe, and everything in between. You know how it goes."

"And did you find the meaning of life on your travels?" You tease, knowing how philosophical Argyle can get when he smokes.

"Almost," Eddie says with a laugh. "We got sidetracked with a deep conversation about pizza toppings."

-

The morning goes on and you head to work, unable to avoid it for another day. You arrive early, despite your persistent headache, and for the most part the morning goes as you'd expect. A few familiar faces walk through the door, older couples looking for summer reading, some children picking up the latest installment of their favourite series... everything seems very normal, and for that you're grateful.

It's easy to busy yourself by putting together new displays, your mind drifting as you work. These quiet moments really are a blessing, with that familiar scent of books and the soft rustle of people flicking through pages. It's nice.

Ding.

The bell above the door chimes, and through instinct you turn, with a happy customer service smile on your face, only for it to be wiped clean off when you see Rob walk through your door.

You watch as he scans the shop, looking for you, and don't have enough time to duck behind a shelf before he spots you, calling out your name. His tone is casual, and honestly it winds you up. "Do you have a minute?"

Quickly you take a step back to reach the counter, busying yourself with something (mostly nothing) behind there, mainly to put a physical barrier between the two of you.

"What?" You deadpan, sounding utterly fed up already.

"I didn't know, and I'm sorry." He says, hand on his heart as if that will make the situation any better. "I should have known how he would react," his eyes flick over the fading bruise on your cheek, "and I shouldn't have told him it was okay to go to your home."

Slam. You drop a hard back classic down onto the counter.

"You know what, Rob?" You smile though gritted teeth. "I'm fed up."

"Wha-"

"No," you shake your head, "I'm talking."

You watch as his mouth shuts just as fast as it opened.

"Just over a week ago you stood right there and told me that you'd be there for me. That you understood the kind of man that Jake was and that you could be there if I needed someone to talk to. I called you almost every day for a week, told you how much I was struggling, how much it fucking hurt that someone so close to me could betray my trust the way that Jake did. And what did you do, Rob?"

You wait for him to answer, watching with a hand on hip as he mumbles "I betrayed your trust?"

"You told my abusive ex boyfriend that it would be okay if he came to my fucking house, Rob!" A few customers lift their heads, suddenly intrigued by the conversation.

"I'm so sorr-"

"Oh my god, save it." You wave him away, fed up of hearing his voice, "don't come here again, please." You say as you walk off, heading into the back room ignoring his cries for attention as you close the door. On the grainy computer screen you watch as he shuffles his way out of the building, shoulders slumped with a pitiful look on his face.

It's only after he's gone that you realise what you've done, and as the adrenaline slowly starts to wear off you sit down and just... cry.

What the fuck is happening to your life that this is what you're doing on a Saturday morning?

You pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and head back out into the shop. A few older customers give you apologetic looks and you want to scream at them for it. You don't need the pity of strangers. You don't need to be gawked at like you're about to fall apart.

Fuck this.

There's only one thing for it, really. And with two weeks of self-given holiday left not taken, begging to be used, the answer is simple really, isn't it?

You need a break, desperately. A rest from the headache.

Taglist:

@sapphire4082 @twirls827 @bewr0210 @maskofmirrors @saramelaniemoon @halialex1119 @mugloversonly

[halfetirosie]

✩‧₊˚ Let's Get Confused!!! :D ✩‧₊˚

(Star Message 01 - 05 React-os!)

1) Wait, so you're telling me that Blade's storytelling put kids to sleep???

That's quite odd!

I mean, yeah, a lot of what he was saying was confusing the kids. But I would think that, with how animated Blade was being, it would still be entertaining enough to keep them awake. 🤷‍♀️

It's funny how polite Olivine is being about it---spinning it into a positive outcome. Bless your little heart!

2) Uh-oh! My workaholic wife is back at it again! 😂

My mans really does overwork himself...

If I were the Captain, I would've forced a ton of vacations onto him, too! :D

I personally can't really relate to this side of Edmond's personality---the obsession with his work. I'm the kind of person that has had to do way more work than I was comfortable doing in the past, to the point that my personal life was non-existent, but as soon as it wasn't necessary to have such a large workload I didn't push myself to keep up that insane schedule.

Edmond, on the other hand, has just gotten so used to constantly working, that at this point it's difficult to stop...

Maybe it's because he had that sort of schedule for even long than I ever did, since he's a noble? That, combined with his natural integrity/work ethic?

3) Eiden out here validating the fans' comments about the space-appropriateness of their clothes---

---and Blade giving a very reasonable explanation---

I like to think the the tailor also has a devious mind, determined to bring out the maximum sexy-potential of each project they receive (even if their "added elements" will require them to do an additional wardrobe-change later)!

It's also very possible that Eiden's collaborations with them have tainted their formerly-innocent tastes...

😈😈😈😈😈

4) Edmond, sweetie---no offense, but HOW is this any more scandalous than your usual outfits??? 🤨

Is it because your stomach is showing?---No, that can't be it, because the ceremonial clothes in his Knightly Night SSR show his stomach.

Is it because your shoulders are bare?---No, because the shirt in the prison guard outfit of Vigilant Observer is sleeveless...But then again, perhaps the guards are expected to keep that jacket/overshirt on over the sleeveless shirt, so maybe that really is the reason???

I AM CONFUSION!!!

EDMOND, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT YOU CONSIDER "MODEST!"

It is quite nice seeing Blade and Eiden being so supportive to Edmond, tho.

They see him feeling a little uncomfortable, and Blade immediately reassures him [of the clothes' utility] while Eiden hypes him up. It's so sweet!!!

5) Blade and his not-at-all worrying ideas °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Can I just say---I LOVE the fact that Edmond takes Blade's question seriously.

I (along with many other fans) see Blade as strong representation for neuro-divergent individuals; and IRL, many such people act "eccentric" or ask questions that people think are "silly/weird."

So, Edmond taking Blade seriously---just like he treats everything/everyone seriously---without getting angry or annoyed is such a delight! We love to see it!

6) I love it when Blade hops into Robo Mode at the most unexpected times!

It's funnier when the situation is less serious than this, but hey, I still enjoyed it!

Also, the voice-acting bit during this part was fantastic. Blade's voice sounds so cool!

7) Blade, honey---are you telling me you can catch a FUCKIN METEOR all by yourself????

BRUH.

I knew he was built to be a hella-strong sorcerer-murderer robot, but putting his strength in the context of earth-science terms makes it even more insane.

8) It's quite impressive how nonchalant blade is being about all of this... (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

Like, he and Edmond just stopped a FUCKIN METEOR from crashing into the tower and killing people, and he's over here cracking little jokes!

What a legend!

9) So, as soon as I saw this---

---for some reason, I immediately thought of this;

Which is a fine and dandy meme, but I'd say that Blade is completely justified in his assumption that the thingy from the sky is alien tech; it isn't a crackpot theory, an thus, I wouldn't say this meme is completely applicable... But maybe I'm just being too picky with my meme-etiquette. :D

10) Wait, so this isn't even the first time that "starscape creatures" have sent a message to Klein?

🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨

But from what I've gathered so far, the message is just supposed to be a sort of audio message---so how does he know about what kind of environment the starscape creatures live in???

Does the audio talk about where they live??? Do they speak the same language as they do in Klein, or is it somehow possible to interpret the alien language when given no context/prior exposure to that language????

11) Rei, no offense, but you kinda suck at explaining things....

Seriously.

WAT? ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?

Am I just stupid, or did Rei just say the same thing twice but in different ways?

I can't be the only on that doesn't get it, right?

Would this make more sense if I knew more about audio transfer, or like, how radio works???

12) *Voice dripping with sarcasm:*

Oh boy, how reassuring! 😂😂😂

I know for a fact Rei is perfectly capable of making people feel better, but I guess he ain't feeling very charitable right now! (Which, I would think he would be, since they brought him an interesting new thing to research...)

★ End of report! ★

[lucy90712]

Hiii can you write a Pablo Gavi imagine where the reader, his girlfriend of a couple years has a birthday coming up and he won’t be able to make it. Can you put how they previously had that discussion but it didn’t end so she didn’t even want to celebrate her birthday but little does she know he wants to surprises her because they haven’t seen each other in a while. With the help of their friends & her best friend, Aron Piper from elite it all comes together. If you can make her older than him & Latina. Thank you & happy new year :)

A/n: my requests are open so feel free to send me more requests. 

I changed the request a bit to fit my idea and also I don't know who that is so hope that's ok

wc: 2400+ 

For weeks I've been looking forward to my birthday as my boyfriend Pablo was supposed to come and see me so we could spend the day together but a few days ago he told me couldn't make it as he had to stay in Barcelona for training. When he told me I tried my best not to seem too disappointed as I knew he would come if he could but as soon as our FaceTime call ended I couldn't help but let a few tears fall. We haven't seen each other in person in so long and I was really looking forward to seeing his face and getting to hug him but now I don't know when I'll get to see him. Knowing Pablo won't be here upset me so much that I didn't really want to celebrate my birthday as I know all day I'll be thinking about how much better things would be with him here. 

My day started when I heard my doorbell ringing and to start with I got excited thinking that it could be Pablo but when I answered it it was my mum who had brought me breakfast on her way to work. Of course I appreciated it but part of me couldn't help but be disappointed that it wasn't Pablo even though deep down I knew it wouldn't be. She wished me a happy birthday before leaving for work which meant I was again alone and left to think about all the things I could be doing today. My friends tried to get me to do something with them today but I told them I didn't want to as my plans for the day are to just be alone and have a day to myself as I don't get those very often.

I ate the food my mum brought me as I didn't want it to get cold and then I decided to get ready and to start with I thought I'd just put on something comfy to lounge around in but when I went in my wardrobe I saw a cute dress I haven't worn I ages and decide to get dressed up a bit. In an attempt to make myself feel good I put the dress on and did my hair and makeup all nice and then proceeded to sit back down on my sofa to do nothing. When I sat down I picked my phone up finally to see that I had loads of happy birthday texts which I responded to and I reposted some of the things my friends put on social media as well. 

After being on my phone for a while I realised that Pablo hadn't even text me since yesterday so not only was he not here he hadn't even bothered to text me. I wasn't sure whether to be mad at him or to cry to begin with but then I tried to convince myself that he must just be busy and that at some point he would text. It was really hard to not let it bother me as in the two years we have been together Pablo has never not text me on special days like my birthday or Valentine's Day so for him not to have done it yet made me upset but also slightly worried about him. My mind went back and forth about texting him just to make sure that he was ok but I stopped myself as he should be the one texting me and if by later he still hasn't I can call him then to check that everything is alright. 

Just as I was about to turn the tv on to distract myself the doorbell rang again and for a second I really considered not getting up to answer it but I did. This time it was my best friend who didn't even let me greet her before telling her to get ready as we were going somewhere. I did exactly what I was told as there is no arguing with her when she wants me to do something and honestly I'm not in the mood to argue. Once we left my apartment I asked where we were going but I didn't get an answer and I could tell I wasn't going to get one so I didn't ask again. We got into her car and I went back into my own world thinking about Pablo and his much I miss him. 

"You ok?" My best friend asked 

"Yeah I'm fine" I replied 

"You're lying tell me what's up" she pressed further 

"Well I haven't heard from Pablo at all today so I'm worried about him and I just really miss him" I admitted 

"I'm sure he's just busy and will call later plus I know you will see him at some point" she said 

I just nodded and then we started talking about other things until we got to the nearest shopping mall which is when y/f/n said that we were going to go shopping and have a girls day. We haven't had a girls day in ages so I was excited to go shopping and just spend some time together. 

Pablo's POV

Standing around the corner from Y/n's place waiting for her to leave with her friend made me feel like a creep and definitely made me look weird but it will be worth it later when I get to surprise her. She has no idea that I'm here as I told her I wouldn't be able to come and see her on her birthday but in reality I have been talking to her friends to try and arrange a surprise as it's her birthday and we haven't seen each other in a while. I have felt awful lying to her but I know that when I get to see the smile on her face it will be worth it and hopefully she won't be too mad. 

Once she left with her friend I gave it another minute before I ran up to her apartment and let myself in using the key she gave me so that I can set things up for the surprise. With some help from her friends I got some decorations for her apartment which I have to put up and I need to wrap the presents I got her as I didn't have time before leaving. It's a lot to get done especially as I know I only have a few hours before y/n will be back but I know I can do it. To start with I inflated all the balloons as I knew that was going to take a while plus once I have them all I can decide where I want to put them. 

Interior design and decorating is really not my thing but once I had everything ready I tried my best to make it look nice but nothing looked right so I sent pictures to some of her friends to get their opinion and they told me what to do. After their help the place looked really good and I got to wrapping her presents before setting up the last parts of the surprise. As part of it all I wanted to give her notes to follow so I wrote them all out and put them in place and then left other things with them all. 

Once it was all done I sat on her sofa and waited for a text to say that she would be back soon. Having to just sit and wait had me feeling really nervous because although I'd love to think that she'd be really happy to see me there's always the possibility that she won't be and that thought just kills me inside. When I looked at my phone and realised I hadn't text her today I got even more nervous about seeing her as I know that she'll either be super upset or mad because I always text her every day and especially today she would have been expecting a text from me. As much as it was tempting to text her now I didn't do it as she will be here in person soon and I don't want to ruin the surprise by making her suspicious in any way. Only once my phone went off with a text from y/n's best friend saying they would be back in about 5 minutes did I stop thinking about how I've been a bad boyfriend and got into place for the surprise. 

Your POV

I have enjoyed my time out as we went shopping and got our nails done but now y/f/n has work so she's dropping me back at my apartment and now I can finally relax for the rest of the day like I planned to do. She dropped me outside and we said our goodbyes before I dragged myself upstairs and to my apartment. When I opened the door I turned the lights on so that it wasn't so dark and immediately took a step back as there was balloons and banners everywhere as well as other decorations which took me completely by surprise. Thinking that my friends were hiding somewhere I called out their names and got no answer so ended up just saying hello a few times but still didn't get an answer. Just as I was about to give up and go sit down I noticed a note on the side when I went to put my keys down. I picked it up and noticed that there was also a heart shaped chocolate underneath it so I grabbed it and then read the note. 

The note sent me to the living room where I found another note this time accompanied by a red rose. This next note took me to the kitchen where another note and rose was waiting for me. The note trail sent me all around my apartment collecting roses until I got to my bedroom where there was a card resting on my bed so I went to go and collect it expecting it to be another note sending me somewhere else but it wasn't. When I opened the envelope it was an actual birthday card which of course I read straight away. 

Reading it I almost burst into tears but I managed to control myself slightly and only let out a few tears as my brain processed all the beautiful words that were written in the card. By this point I was well aware that it was Pablo that had this all set up but I wasn't expecting him to walk out of the bathroom attached to my bedroom as I thought he'd got someone else to do this for him. When I first saw him I dropped the card and all the roses that were resting in my lap and ran towards him jumping at him which luckily he saw coming and caught me. At this point there was no holding back the tears as I held onto him like if I let go he'd disappear. Eventually I let go slightly and I stood back on the ground looking at Pablo smiling like an idiot and eyes filled with tears.

He smiled back at me and wiped the tears from my face before pulling me in to a loving kiss which was possibly the best kiss I've ever had as it just felt so passionate and full of all of our love for each other. When we pulled away he picked me up and carried me back to the sofa and then ran off again and came back with a pile of presents which he placed on my lap. I cuddled into his side as I opened the presents as I want to spend as much time as possible cuddled with him before we inevitably have to separate again. He brought me some lovely things but my favourite gift was definitely him being here even if he did lie to me. 

"You know I can't believe you kept this from me you are usually such an awful liar" I said 

"So am I it was so hard not telling you especially when you seemed so sad that I couldn’t be here but your reaction was definitely worth it” he said 

“Well I’m just really happy you’re here I missed you so much but don’t lie to me again or I will be mad” I laughed 

“I missed you too and that reminds me I have one last surprise for you” he said getting up 

When he came back he made me close my eyes and put something in my hands which wasn’t heavy but it felt cold which was intriguing. When he allowed me to open my eyes I looked down and saw that he had put a key in my hands it was on a little key chain that had a small heart charm as well as a little house one. I was so confused my this as I already have a key to his place like he does with mine so I wasn’t sure why he was giving me another one. 

“What’s this about?” I asked 

“Well as long as you would like to I got a new bigger apartment and I thought we could move in together that way we won’t have to miss each other” he said 

“Really” I said not being able to say anything else 

“Yes really and before you worry I looked into it and there is plenty of jobs like yours being advertised and they pay better and of course you can come back and see your friends whenever you want” he added 

“I would love to move in together” I said 

Of course I had to tackle him into a big hug and press loads of kisses all over his face to show him my excitement but also my appreciation. He simply just laughed at me as I continued my assault until I was finally done when he just pulled me closer and started to stroke my hair. This has very quickly gone from the worst to the best birthday ever and although moving to a new city is a bit daunting as long as I’m with Pablo I know I’ll be ok. 

[alfredosauce50]

Hi! I was wondering if you could do some Romano + Prussia x royal reader (separate) headcannons? I'm a sucker for a good forbidden romance and would be happy to see what you want to do with it. Thank you!

Yes, of course! Sorry for the kinda late response--I got carried away writing other things. What a coincidence that I've been doing a lot of exploring in fantasy! The reader is referred to as she/her.

Forbidden Romance Headcanons - Prussia and S. Italy

Prussia - The earnest pickpocket and sheltered princess

Unfortunately, Gilbert is on the wrong side of history. As an albino, he's been an outcast ever since he was born. In an age of superstition and class divide, his parents had no problem abandoning an extra mouth to feed. Especially when they were a demon with magical powers. Left to fend for himself as a baby, he only ever survived thanks to the generosity of an old neighbor. When they passed away due to old age, he had to get on by himself on the streets. Stealing, lying, whatever it takes to get some quick cash. And he's been doing it ever since he was five.

He loved fairytales ever since he was a kid. His guardian always told him these stories before bedtime, after all. They said it was good luck to give the princess a flower, and he remembered this a few years later during the royal parade in town. Pushing through the crowd of onlookers, he held out a small dandelion hoping you would take it. Before the guards could swat him away, you took the flower with a smile. All you remembered from that time was a small and dirty face gleaming up at you. And, of course, a pair of striking red eyes you would never forget.

In his adolescence, he became a thief with quick hands. It wasn't until he took on the most dangerous job of all did he make himself a public enemy. Stealing the royal family's jewels. And he would've gotten away with it if he wasn't forced to take a detour through the princess's bedroom. Unbeknownst to him, you were wide awake. Immediately, you recognized him as the little boy from that day. Without thinking, you hid him in your wardrobe until the guards left. That was the start of a strange friendship forged between two people from two worlds--a dirt-poor criminal and the well-loved princess of a thriving kingdom.

He visits you from time to time by climbing up the side of the castle. When he first did it, you practically throttled him by his collar, screaming, “Do you have a death wish? They'll throw you to the lions if you get caught!”. He simply responds with, “The awesome me never gets caught! That's why I'm here, ja?” Soon, this becomes routine until you learn to trust him.

Gilbert loves gloating about his adventures as a street rat, whether it's about singlehandedly beating up gangs of bullies or outrunning the palace guards. As a sheltered person of royalty, his stories reflect experiences alien to you. But it opens your eyes to things you've never seen, and it's very fascinating.

If he's not telling grossly exaggerated anecdotes of his greatness, he'll bring in board games and cards he “borrowed” from his friends. You've never played with them before as your parents deemed them unrefined. It fills him with pride to see you enjoying yourself so much, especially when he's teaching you how to play.

You don't go out very often, so he always brings back little trinkets and souvenirs. When you found out he stole them all, you would hit him on the head and tell him off. “Where did you get these from? Stealing and giving these to the princess--do you know how stupid that sounds?” Then, you would pinch his cheek until he tears up and admits his wrongs. “I-I thought you would like them, okay? I wanted to give them to you as a present...” The next day, you would accompany him to the shops he robbed and pay the owners back.

He gets upset and embarrassed when he realizes those gifts aren't gifts at all. Not when you paid for them yourself! One of the ways he shows affection is through giving gifts, but that unfortunately clashes with not having money. So he's eager to make something out of himself, even if he has to work as a bottom feeder and face unfair treatment for what he looks like. When you find out, his boss gets one hell of a time dealing with you. After that, he uses whatever small amount he earned to buy something for you.

As he grows out of his old habits, he becomes more honest. In fact, he's so determined to prove himself that he shows up one day with a homemade board game scribbled out on a spare piece of parchment. He's nervous and twiddling his fingers, and that's when you know you have to help him get back onto his feet. He's so touched by your kindness that he shows you a secret he's been hiding forever--he can do magic. It's one of his skills that let him become so good at stealing in the past.

After some practice to touch up his abilities, you try convincing your parents to let him work in the palace as an all-rounder. With the magic dancing in his fingertips, there's nothing he can't do. He has a green thumb, good reflexes, and the horses in the stables listen to him better than the caretaker! He can't forget that you encouraged him to let go of his doubts and previous identity as a petty thief. There's nobody in the world he looks up to more.

On the night of your eighteenth birthday, he's invited to a ball to celebrate. Once again, he finds himself anxious to see you in your dress, especially when he's quite glammed up himself with his suit and hair slicked back. While you teach him how to dance, he tells you he looks ridiculous. But you think otherwise and make it explicit. That's when Gilbert realizes he's completely smitten with you. He embarks on another journey to improve himself until he thinks he deserves you.

South Italy - The plebeian pâtissier and renegade royal

War has ravaged the kingdom and eaten into the state's reserves, leaving inflation rates at an all-time high. The suffering middle and working-class take it up to their rulers in a coup d'état, killing the king and queen. And now, they're searching for the princess amidst the chaos of an ungoverned dominion. Romano couldn't be more indifferent to such a cause, only ever caring about putting food on the table. He works day and night helping out his family's bakery, making what he can to get by. However, he's forced to take a side when he finds a girl on his doorstep on the verge of starvation.

Unable to turn away someone in need, he nurses you back to health. However, he does so with spite, wondering to himself why he has to give what little he has left to a princess. When you feel better after a few days, he's eager to send you off but changes his mind as you leave. Romano can't bear to let you face certain death, or worse, knowing how bitter the townspeople are about the unpopular war. So he welcomes you back with a sharp sigh with his head turned away. “Alright, alright, you can stay. Now stop making that pathetic face, you spoilt principessa--it's depressing.”

He relays a few house rules as conditions for keeping you around. You have to help him with chores. Cooking, cleaning, sewing, everything. Considering you always had someone doing those tasks for you, you're hopeless at it. He'll swat your hand and show you how to do things right with an annoyed scowl. “No, no, no, no, no! You're doing it all wrong. This is how you do it. What do they even teach you in that palace, huh? Books? Maths? Books about maths? Well, they won't keep you alive, you know!”

Because he's so observant and strict, he's a good teacher, and soon, you get the hang of everything. Before, he had to open his mouth to correct you every few seconds, but now, he can just watch you do his work with his arms crossed. It's a little demeaning to have someone watch your every move, but inside, he's relieved you're finally fitting in and not a complete waste of his time and resources. In reality, he never wanted to send you off and hoped he could just handle an extra mouth to feed. Not that he'll ever tell you.

When you're out and about, he makes you wear a cloak to hide your identity. When he's forced to interact with people, he'll hold you close and play everything off without arousing suspicion. Even if your hood falls off, he won't react--he's screaming inside in panic, but he's a great actor when he needs to be. You're totally not the princess, just a crazy similar doppelganger. The cloak is there so that people don't make a fuss. When they leave, he'll turn to you and scream how much of an idiot you are. But really, he was just worried to death--and you have a feeling he was. So you hug it out and leave him cussing with a red face.

As you two grow closer, his cousin Antonio notices how much he cares about you despite his efforts to hide it. It's a problem. He approaches him and warns that if people found out he was hiding the princess, he would get killed with her. Romano heats up and screams, telling him that he already knew what he got into the second he let you into his home. When he's asked why he's still keeping you around, he responds with, “It's not fair that her parents fucked up, and she has to face the consequences. Just like how I never wanted to run this stupid bakery--I wanted to be a painter, not burn my hands in the kitchen all day!”

Unbeknownst to him, you overhear the conversation. The next morning, he discovers that you're gone and loses his head. While he's screaming and crying, he's swarmed with the possibilities of what happened to you. He's a bit of an overthinker, but his paranoia is deserved--were you taken away in the middle of the night? Are you even still alive? He spirals down a path of self-loathing until he confronts how much he misses you, then his regret of never being frank with his feelings. Romano didn't understand what he had until he lost it. To say this was a wake-up call--to be more honest with himself--would be an understatement.

A week later, you return unscathed. Turns out, you left to stay with the owner of a paint shop owner your family always supported and bought from. You present him with a gift of some high-end oil paints, brushes, and canvases. When he sets them all down, he'll pull you into a tight hug, and once again, tell you how stupid you are. While he has you in his coils, you smile to yourself as you pat his hair, happy that you also got something in return. Some transparency. “I just thought I'd give you something... For all the trouble.” You'd say, and he'd shush you with a few hard kisses. “You were never a trouble. I wanted you to stay, so I'm more to blame than you.”

As the political situation of the country calms down, so do the anxieties of angry neighbors pounding on his door. You return to his home much to his content. Now that you're just as good as him at icing cakes, you spend more time running the bakery. This gives him some time to paint, and he can't be happier. Once you both get settled, he discovers another hobby on top of making art. Making coffee! The bakery evolves into a café lavishly decorated with his paintings, and it becomes the most popular establishment in town. You both realize how overrated it is to want to be anything more--you never bring up your title ever again.

[quillsandtypos]

Ski Trip

Summary: when the reader agrees to go on the annual ski trip up to the mountains with her boyfriend, Luke, and her friends she expected to go looking at mountains. But what she ends up doing doesn't require much hiking

Pairings: alive!Luke Patterson x reader

Words: 2.4k

Warnings: THIS IS NSFW FOREPLAY SMUT PEOPLE

If any of you have ever had a conversation with me and you read this fic, no you didn't

...........................................

"What are you two doing tomorrow?" Julie asked you.

You rolled into your stomach and propped your head up in your hands. “I’m not sure, but I know what we're doing next weekend, unfortunately.”

That peaked Julie’s interest, you weren’t usually much of a complainer. “Why unfortunately?” she questioned.

“Because I'm going on the Ski trip with him,” you whined. You wanted to spend time with Luke, you just didn't wanna go on the trip.

“Oh my god, you get to go?” she excitedly asked.

“Not helping,” you commented.

Julie smirked. “Sorry not sorry, I’ve been trying to get you to go for the past two years. And the first year, I couldn’t even go,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, so why would I have gone if you and Flynn weren’t even gonna be there?” you asked. As if on cue, Flynn walked down the stairs.

“Heard you guys were talking about me, all good things I hope?” she spoke as she walked down the stairs.

“Always,” you said, somewhat sarcastically.

She motioned for you to scoot over so she could have some space on the couch.

“So, if we’re done talking about me, did I hear someone say something about the ski trip?” Flynn questioned.

Before you could open your mouth Julie was already telling Flynn about how you were coming on the trip.

“You are?” Flynn squealed.

You tried to not get excited from their joy, but it was impossible; they were contagious.

You shyly smiled. “Yes, I’m going.”

“Yayyy!” Flynn yelled. The girl was practically jumping up and down.

“Oh who are you sharing a room with?” Flynn asked.

“Luke and I are,” you answered.

The girls exchanged a look you knew all too well.

“Shut up!” You covered your face with a pillow.

“We didn’t say anything!” they protested in almost complete unison.

You could feel your cheeks burning up. “Yeah, but you thought it,” you argued.

“Well whether we thought it or said it, you’re sharing a room with your boyyyyyyyfriend,” Flynn sang.

“If you guys start sing teasing me, I will leave,” you threatened.

“Don’t you need us to pick out your outfits?” Julie remembered.

“Oh, shit, yeah.”

“So in other words you have no leverage?” Flynn realized.

“I’m your ride home,” you reminded her.

“Outfits it is, but do not think we will be forgetting about this!” Flynn cried as she walked up to your bedroom.

“Whatever Flynn!” you yelled back.

“She’s right you know,” Julie slyly commented.

You just huffed in response.

The two of them did a very good job at helping maximize your california wardrobe for the mountains. Granted you had to go buy a couple things in advance, but overall, you felt confident that you could bear the cold of the mountains.

“Alright, I think you’ll survive,” Flynn proclaimed.

You closed your suitcase, and surprisingly you didn’t even have to sit on it.

“Thank you guys, I really appreciate it.”

“No problem, it was our pleasure, especially since you’re actually coming this year,” Julie said.

You dropped them both back off their houses and they were nice enough to spare you from embarrassing you in the car ride.

...........

You heard someone creeping up behind you as you grabbed your stuff to head to your second class, and as you felt arms wrap around your waist you knew it was Luke.

You turned to face him. “So I was thinking if we get one of the window rooms then we can see the snow when it falls,” he proposed.

Your face lit up. “Wait, it’s gonna snow when we’re up there?” you excitedly asked.

He happily watched your beaming face “I mean that’s what the weather said.”

“Oh my god! I haven’t seen snow since-” you paused, “actually I don’t remember, but it’s been awhile.”

“Well there’s a good chance that’s gonna happen,” he said.

“You know you’re actually required to show up to school for them to allow you to come right?” you teased. Though originally it had been a legitimate concern.

He licked his lips. “I’ve been coming everyday so I could come on this trip,” he defended himself.

“Coming to school and staying in school are two very different things Patterson,” you playfully reminded him.

He leaned in closer and his voice got quieter. “And what’s that?”

You resisted the urge to swallow and pulled away from him. “One is what I’m doing right now, because I need to go to class.”

He pulled his lips tightly before sighing. “You got me there,” he admitted.

“I always do,” you said, as you started walking off. You turned around to see him still standing there, you would be lying if you said it didn’t bring you joy.

“Go to class Luke!” you yelled back at him.

“You got it!” he saluted you and walked the other way.

You playfully rolled your eyes. That boy would be the death of you, but you supposed there were worse ways to go.

That Friday you didn’t have any school since the school board figured it was pointless to send a bunch of kids to school the day before they went on a ski trip. There wasn’t going to be any actual learning anyway. You usually would’ve spent some of the day at Julie’s; which you did, but today it wasn’t in the studio for practice. You figured since she had helped you pack, you could at least keep her company as she packed.

“So who are you sharing a room with?” you asked her, as she sorted through her jeans.

“Me and Flynn just figured we’d share one,” Julie said offhandedly.

You chose to not comment on how she was obviously forcing herself to be casual.

“Ah I see, do you know if Alex and Reg are coming?”

“Yeah, and get this Alex and Willie are sharing a room,” she gossiped.

“I’m calling it right now, they're gonna start dating by the end of the weekend,” you hypothesized.

“I 100% agree.”

The two of you spent the next hour or so just discussing what sort of things you wanted to do while you were there over the weekend, and of course how much Flynn was running around her house frantically changing outfits. You actually were excited about going, not necessarily about the actual trip, and about dealing with certain classmates, but you were looking forward to being with Luke and hanging out with your friends.

For some reason when you woke up the next morning you were a little nervous, you supposed it was because you had never been skiing or snowboarding for that matter.

You got ready pretty minimally considering you were soon to be on a five hour bus ride. None of your family was up yet so when Luke pulled into your driveway you slipped out the door.

“You got everything?” Luke asked.

“Everything except my chill,” you responded with a smile.

“You’re gonna be alright, and you don’t have to do anything there you don’t wanna do, so if you don’t wanna risk a broken leg, then don’t.”

Despite your anxieties, you knew he was still right.

“Thanks Luke.”

“Anything for you.”

When the two of you got to the bus everyone else in your group had already gotten there. You, the rest of the band, Flynn, and Willie had made a plan for the bus.

“We have arrived,” you announced to your friends as you and Luke took your spots.

“And just in time too, people kept trying to take your seats,” Willie reported.

“Thanks for saving them,” Luke responded.

The two of you continued chatting with the rest of your friends until the bus driver instructed everyone to take their seats. The majority of everyone slept on the way up there but you were too anxious to get there to sleep. Instead you watched youtube as Luke napped on your shoulder.

“Luke, Luuuuuuuuuuuke, Luooooooooooooooke,” you spoke. You were trying to wake him up quietly but you were starting to realize that wasn’t going to work.

Luckily Reggie was awake. “Oh he’s a heavy sleeper, that’s not gonna work.”

Reggie basically got himself so he was dangling off both sides of his chair before yelling in his ear.

Luke awakened with a jolt, looking fairly startled.

You weren’t entirely sure whether you should laugh, throw Reggie under the bus, or maybe both.

“What happened?” Luke asked.

“I woke you up,” Reggie answered innocently.

“By yelling in my ear?” Luke groggily questioned.

Reggie quickly tried to backpedal himself out of this situation. “I mean I don’t think the method is relevant, the important thing is that you’re up.”

Luke wasn’t awake enough to deal with the situation at hand. He just chose to lay his head back on your shoulder.

By the time you had made it to the hotel you were ready to collapse. Luke laughed when you flung yourself onto one the beds.

“Should I be worried?” he asked, mostly as a joke.

“No,” you smiled and rubbed your face, “I’m just really tired.”

“You couldn’t sleep on the bus?” he guessed.

“Yeah,” you groaned.

“You know what would help?” he asked.

“Do tell,” you inquired, from your face down position.

“This,” he said, before he jumped on the bed beside you. He curled his warm body around you and pulled you in.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yes,” you responded. You attempted to melt further into him. You laid there in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes.

“Luke we should probably go do things,” you suggested. You attempted to get up but he pulled you back down.

You stayed with him but you turned around so you were facing him. “Luke?”

“Yes, y/n?”

You bit your lip, you had to admit, it was pretty cute. “Are you going to let me get up?” you asked.

He looked into your eyes lovingly. “Well if you’re trying to leave then no.”

“So that would be a no.”

“Well if you look at it that way then yeah,” he admitted with a mischievous smile on his face.

“Luke come o-” the rest of your sentence didn’t quite make it out. Your smart boyfriend decided to use your weak spot on your back against you.

“You wanna go now?” he teased.

“Not necessarily,” you lazily responded.

You could feel your willpower fading as the light stokes up and down your back sent a calm wave of chills through your body. But you knew if you didn’t use your chance now there was a good chance you weren’t getting out of that bed today.

“Luke come on we gotta go,” you whined. It’s not like you weren’t enjoying yourself, you most definitely were, but your friends had to be wondering where the two of you were.

“Alright, alright, fine,” he gave in.

“Can I have a kiss though?” he sweetly pleaded.

You gladly agreed, but you realized his plan of not leaving the room hadn’t quite ended when the kiss started leading down to your jaw.

“Luke you’re not sly,” you laughed.

“Oh is that so?” he asked, as he moved down to your jawline.

You nodded your head.

“Then why aren’t you moving?” he purred.

Okay, so he maybe had a point.

“You can tell me to stop,” he reminded you. He looked into your eyes for any sign of you wanting him to stop and waited.

“Unless of course, you don’t want me to stop?” he asked, with the biggest smirk you had ever seen on his face.

“Not necessarily,” you said, completely avoiding his eye contact.

He crawled over top of you, “What was that princess?” he asked.

You forced yourself to look into those beautiful blue eyes, and that devilish smile. “No, I don’t want you to stop Luke.”

“That’s what I needed to hear.” He bent his head down at your jawline, this time starting on the side of your jaw bone. He sucked at the skin and you bit your cheek down on a moan. He moved down from your neck pressing harder and making it harder for you to control yourself.

“Luke,” you moaned.

“Yes?”

“No marks.”

He smirked. “It’s a little late for that one.”

You rolled your eyes at his antics. “You suck.”

“I don’t think you're exactly in the position to be saying those sort of things,” he warned.

You raised your eyebrows. As if he thought you would back down that easily. “Really?”

He licked his lips and shrugged.

“Make me,” you insisted.

“Bad choice of words,” he threatened. In a second his shirt was off and one of his arms held your’s down and above you.

This time he noticed when you swallowed. “Nervous?” he asked, his lips quirked up.

He might’ve been starting to get to you, but you weren’t going to admit to it. “You wish Patterson,” you tested.

His head dipped down towards your collarbone. He lightly sucked on it and gradually increased his intensity until your body unwillingly gave you away and you gutturally moaned.

He jutted his chin out, the fire in his eyes on stage was nothing in comparison to this. “What about now?”

“Yes, Luke,” you groaned out.

He somehow managed to pull your shirt off with you laying down, and managed to unhook your bra with minimal difficulties.

His mouth softly sucked on the very top of your nipple.

“Fuck,” you moaned.

As he continued sucking at a rapid rate you felt the knot in your stomach twisting further, just as you thought it was going to release Luke stopped.

“How much do you want it?” he asked as he slowly pulled your pants down.

You were not going to give him the satisfaction of begging.

You felt a finger glide across your clit ever so slightly and back and forth he kept going, ever so slowly.

A whimper escaped your lips.

“Beg for me, that’s all you have to do,” he promised. He was most definitely enjoying himself.

He moved back up to your nipples but instead he moved as slow as he could, he was trying to break you.

“Come on princess, you know you want it,” he taunted.

A sole finger swiped down your pussy and your breath hitched.

“Luke please,” you moaned.

“What please? I think it has something to do with fucking you silly,” he hinted. He once again crawled over top of you to be able to see your face. Like a predator stalking prey.

“Please rail the shit out of me Luke,” you whined.

“That was all you had to say princess.”

[is-nini]

Dragon! King! Zhongli x servant! Bunny! Reader.

A/n: i tried my best to make it as gender neutral as possible.. i hope it's good.

Requested by: anon

You are a half bunny half human breed. You have a fluffy (f/c) bunny ear and a little bunny tail behind you. Whenever you and your master, Zhongli stands between eachother, people will always be shocked because of how difference in size the both of you are. Zhongli's hand always engulfed your waist that's how big he is compared to you.

When people heard about their dragon king having a half bunny half human breed as a servant, they tend to think that you are going to die soon. And to be honest that's what you thought too considering you never really meet the dragon king.. but now, you and your half dragon half king master is so SO close even the people around the castle was surprised.

King Zhongli was never close to anyone. Not even close with the neighbouring King and queen. So it is always a wonder.. how can you get close to this.. scary king? Well you don't know either but you are happy to be a special half human half bunny servant for him.

Everywhere your master go you always follow. That's his number one rule for you. Follow everywhere he go. The second rule he made is to always follow his order. Which is normal but.. sometimes his.. order is interesting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ah- y/n can you use this outfit for me please".

You blink once and then twice, looking at your master with a confused look on your face. Even though this is a beautiful outfit you feel like you don't deserve it so you were about to reject it when suddenly your master said.

"Ahem.. i believe you haven't forgotten about your rules?".

You pout and whine.. yes. You whine. To your master. Yes your master who is the god of war.

"But master!!"

"Ahem..".

"..... Yes master".

You sigh and takes the outfit from his hand.

The outfit goes from very rich brown colour on the top to black on the bottom, the sleeves is a little bit puffy and reached your elbows. Outfit has A gold embroidery is littered around the dress, making a elegant swirl pattern. All you know is this outfit is fit for a royalty.

A royalty.

Yes a royalty, and you are King Zhongli's servant.. why did he asked you to wear this? Something fit for a royalty?.

"I believe i order you to change?".

Your master asked, you looked at him suspiciously but keep walking towards the walk in wardrobe with a suspicious glance to your master. Making him giggle. Yes he giggle for you. It is weird indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your master has been very weird.. he is so Weird that it becomes a normal thing for you.

Like yesterday, he asked you a very peculiar question. About is it possible for a king to marry a servant? You're answer is yes because you think that as long as the king has no queen and still making the rules around the kingdom then anything can happen.

He seems pleased by your answer and keep staring at you while you make a cup of tea for him. Making you looked back at him weirdly.

"Do you need anything master?".

You asked, wondering why did he keep staring at you. He shake his head and place his head on his hand that he propt on top of the dark wood table.

"Nothing, I'm just watching you,".

Hearing that respond you deadpanned and shook your head, you have a weird master.. he do questionable things but you still love him anyw- wait.. love? You instantly blushed and fanned your face. How can you say you love him?! No no no that's not right. Your bunny ear twitched, Zhongli keeps looking at you and noticed your ear twitched, making him curious but enjoying your red face he decided to not say anything and just enjoy the view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You never really notice your feelings but when you did, You are a blushing mess whenever you're with your master. You know it's wrong but you cannot really stopped loving your master.. your kind, handsome, funny, hilarious, cool, smart, wise- ahem! Ups too far y/n stay. Stay cool.

And you did, you take a deep breath and took a glance on your master and then proceed to think about how amazing your boss is, not realizing that you have stopped cleaning the bookshelf.

A cough caught your attention and You turn and looked at your master who is staring back at you. Your body went tense instantly.

"Are you okay? You're spacing out..".

He said, you shake your head as fast as you could, your face exploding with red colour. Your master sigh, standing up, walking towards you, making you back up. You felt the wall bumping to your back you stare up at your master who is about an inch away from your face.

"I asked you. Is something wrong?".

His voice is stern yet soft at the same time, you shake your head as fast as you could but your head suddenly stopped when his hand cups your cheek. Before you could react he suddenly kissed your lips softly for a couple of second as you hold your breath.

Y/n.exe has stopped working.

He pulled away and see your shocked reaction, giggling as he gave you some space.

When your mind has started working again you panicked, started to wail your hand around, scared for you life.

You master just kissed you, your boss just kissed you.

.. and you like it.

A smooth giggle comes from his lips as he pulled your hips towards his and peck your head.

He inches his mouth closer to your ear, kissing your eara dn whispering something using his deep voice.

"You'll be the royalty from now on. You will rule this kingdom with me, no rejection".

Is all he said and then leaving you alone in his study room to announce the new ruler of the kingdom.

Y-you feel like sofia, becoming a royalty overnight?! You shake your head quickly and was about to tun towards the door when suddenly a bunch of maid's appear, some you know and some you're not familiar with, all of them looking at you wide eyes.

"How?!"

"What in the world happened?!"

"How did you become a royalty?!".

Questions was thrown at you but nothing get passed your head. This all is so sudden.. and it is scary but thinking about being togather with Zhongli... Your boss who is now your boyfriend apparently doesn't sounds bad.

From that day forward everything is a mess for you. Of course you changed from servant to a royalty, who would be shocked? Nothing is easy for you, now you are being served, Zhongli called you "dear" or "loved" or even "baby bunny". you, who are not used to this always blushing whenever you are in close proximity to him.

There's alot of things you are not prepared for near the future and you know it, yet you couldn't help but feel comfort and happiness, reminded that you'll be with your boyfriend in every step of the way.. who would thought that you.. a simple servant of zhongli would become his soulmate? The world will never know, one thing for sure is that you and him are in love.

A/n: i hope this is not bad... I'm sorry if it dies seems rushed, any feedback or complaints is always welcome!.

[blackdiamondwrites127]

Epilogue

The epilogue in the ‘Mending Bridges, Meaningful Bonds’ collection.

Fernando and Isabel go on a beach trip with their children.

Credits:

@spooner7308 for beta reading this and giving me handy writing tips!

Characters:

Isabella I of Castile, Ferdinand II of Aragon, and Juan Trastámara belongs to @weirdbutdecentart

Isabella Trastámara belongs to @lexartsstuff

Juana ‘La Loca’ de Castile belongs to @ellielovesdrawing

Maria Trastámara belongs to yours truly

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

“Do we not have news about the admiral?”

“We do not.”

The royal couple held hands as they strolled around their new palace in Granada. They had recently conquered the beautiful city and have destined it as their new vacation home.

“I predict nothing good if the winter falls on him at sea,” Fernando said.

“Have faith. How hard have you tried to recover Roussillon and Cerdanya. And now you are going to succeed,” Isabel said.

“If God wills it.”

“He shall. And Colon will return. God rewards the perseverant.”

“It is possible. At the moment, at the moment, my troops are waiting at the border in case the Frenchmen backs down,” Fernando said. His wife shook her head.

“No such thing will happen. These are new times for our kingdoms, let us enjoy them,” she said. They stopped at the entrance of a room where their children were.

Juan had little Catalina sitting on his lap. His dog, Bruto, is sleeping by his feet. He was teaching her how to read. Isabella was looking over María's shoulder. Teaching her how to write in cursive. Juana was practicing her musical skills on her brother’s lute.

Smiles came on the parents’ faces.

“Look. We owe this happiness to the peace that has cost us so much to get. It is our first duty to make it last.”

"Found anything?"

"Nope. It's like they never went to the beach at all. Which is weird considering they live close by."

Maria sighs and shuts the old wardrobe closed. Her and Juan had been looking for their parents' swimming outfits for the past twenty minutes now.

"What now?" Juan asked.

"You have some extra swimming trunks right?" Maria asked. Looking over at him.

"Yeah but I don't know if it'll fit padre though," he said. “It’s worth a try than nothing. I’ll go see if Bella has a spare bathing suit that can fit madre,” she said.

“Alright. I’ll go and help Juana with the food.”

The two split up once exiting the master bedroom. Maria goes upstairs and Juan goes to the kitchen where Juana was.

“Any luck finding anything?” Juana asked as her brother joined her to help in preparing food.

“Nothing. Maria suggested we lend them ours though,” Juan said. Taking over in frying the eggs for Juana so she can focus on making sandwiches.

“Will ours even fit them?” she asked. Putting the finished sandwiches in ziplock bags.

“I think padre can fit in one of my swimming trunks and madre can probably fit in one of Bella’s bathing suits,” he said. He placed the fried eggs on a paper towel covered plate to soak up the extra oil.

“That could work. Hopefully they’ll like the trip to the beach,” Juana said. Putting their prepared food into containers before placing them in a large plastic bag.

Juan’s phone rang and he went out back to take it. Maria had come back down, carrying some of their bags with her as well as a mini cooler. Juana raised an eyebrow.

“Since when did we bring a mini cooler?” she asked her younger sister.

“We didn’t because Bella bought this back in Barcelona to contain her cans of Monster,” Maria said, opening the mini cooler to show about a dozen cans in there.

Juana shook her head. “She’s going overboard with this addiction,” she said.

“Which is why I’m getting rid of it,” Maria said. Closing the mini cooler.

Juan comes back inside after taking his call. “Hey guys! Bella just called and...what do you have there?” he asked when he saw what Maria was holding.

“This, querido hermano, is Isabella’s secret mini cooler filled with cans of energy drinks,” Maria answered.

“Um...okay...but Bella just called me and told me that they’re already packing up their wares in the market so we should hurry and get everything in the van,” Juan said.

“Oh right! Let’s get moving!” Maria said.

“I’ll take that!” Their brother took the mini cooler and shuffled off outside.

The three got the things they needed for a beach trip ready in the van and waited on the front porch for Catalina and Isabella to come back with their parents from the village market.

“Juan, what did you do with the mini cooler?” Maria asked her older brother.

“I got rid of it. Threw the cans away and put the mini cooler in the front shed,” Juan said. His sister nods in approval.

“Here they come,” Juana said as he spotted Isabella opening the gate to let the truck. Fernando drives the truck in the property. Catalina, who was sitting at the bed of the truck, jumped off.

“¡Hola! How was the trip to the market?” Maria asked as she, Juana and Juan stood up to greet them.

“It was alright. Everything managed to sell out this time,” Isabel said as she got out of the truck.

“Oh good! Does that mean you don’t have any more chores to do?” Maria asked.

“Yes. We can relax for the rest of the day,” Fernando said. Rounding the truck to put away the table and crates to the shed.

"Great! Hop in the van because we're going to the beach!"

"The beach?" their parents asked. Their children nodded.

"But what about the farm? Who would look after it if we're not here?" Isabel asked.

"No worries! Juana managed to get a favor from her boyfriend and he agreed to watch the farm," Maria said. "Maria! Hernando is not my boyfriend!" Juana exclaimed. A blush on her cheeks.

"But we don't even have anything to wear to the beach," Fernando said.

"I can lend you one of my swimming trunks, padre," Juan offered.

"And Bella has an extra bathing suit that madre can wear," Maria said.

Isabel and Fernando looked at each other.

"Come on! We wanna spend time with you guys at the beach before we head off to the airport tomorrow. Make some memories and all that," Maria urged.

She's right. They'll be heading back to England tomorrow. And although Isabel and Fernando were given their contact information so they could still communicate from afar, their children leaving will still be bittersweet.

"Alright then," their father said. "Let's go to the beach," their mother said.

All five children grinned happily. They piled up in the van, with Catalina driving as usual, and got situated. Juana waited by the gate as the youngest backed the vehicle out of the property. She closed and locked the gate before hopping in the passenger side.

“Everyone ready?” Catalina asked. “Ready!” everyone responded.

With that, they drove off to the beach.

The drive to the beach took roughly about half an hour. Once there, Maria got out to pay their entrance fee and rent a cabin for the day.

"Maria is in charge of our vacation budget," Juana said when their parents wondered why Maria was the only one who got out of the van.

While they waited, Juan was whispering something in Isabella's ear and she briefly looked relieved and freaked out at the same time. Juana raised an eyebrow suspiciously at this as she watched them through the rearview mirror.

Maria soon returned to the van after doing payments.

"I got us cabin seven with the mini bar and karaoke!" she excitedly said.

"A mini bar?" Isabel asked.

"It's a small island counter with a shelf full of alcohol," Juan explains.

"We're going all out today huh?" Isabella asked.

"It's our last day here so might as well go out with a bang," Maria said.

"I won't be having much alcohol since I'm the designated driver," Catalina said as she drives up to their rented cabin and parks the van up front. They got out and Maria unlocked the cabin with the key given to her so they could bring their things inside.

The cabin was small but it had everything they needed for their temporary stay at the beach.

"Let's go get changed!" Juan said after everything was put away for the time being.

Isabel and Fernando were lended their children's spare swimwear and they went to go change into them.

Fernando decided to wear a plain white, sleeveless, shirt to pair with the swimming trunks Juan lended to him.

Isabel, however, felt quite uncomfortable with the one-piece bathing suit she was wearing.

"I feel a bit exposed in this. Are you sure this is how...Infanta María! What in God's name are you wearing!?” she exclaimed upon seeing her daughter wearing a yellow string bikini.

"What? This is my swimsuit," Maria said. Confidently flaunting her 'assets'.

Of course, this is a big 'no-no' to the former Catholic Monarch.

"You're basically wearing undergarments! Cover up or change into something more appropriate!"

"Mamá, this is normal at the beach. Some people wear way less than me on some beaches. Look! Even Bella and Catalina are wearing bikinis too."

Isabel looked when Maria gestured to her sisters and sure enough, the two were wearing bikinis as well.

"¡Mis hijas!" their mother exclaimed.

"It's fine, madre," Isabella reassured.

"But you're all exposed!" Isabel pointed out.

"It's normal on beaches. Trust us," Catalina said.

"Everyone ready?" Juan asked as he came out. Wearing only his swimming trunks.

"Juana's still changing," Catalina said.

"I'm done," Juana said. She was wearing a yellow bikini top and swimming trunks.

"Great! Let's go enjoy the beach!" Maria said.

"I am not going out there like this!" Isabel said.

"Alright, fine. Here. I have a shawl you can use to cover up," she said, rummaging through her bag and handing her mother a shawl.

Isabel gladly took the shawl and wrapped it around her hips. "There. Now we can go," she said.

"Alright! Let's go!"

The family heads out to enjoy the sun, sand and sea.

Catalina brought their beach ball out and played beach volleyball with Juana, Fernando and Juan. Isabella took their mother to the water for a swim. Maria decided to get some tan on while watching her family play around.

"So how do we play this game?" Fernando asked as he stood next to his son, opposite Catalina and Juana.

"It's simple! We just hit the ball when it comes to us and prevent it from landing on our side," Juan explained.

"Alright then. I'll follow your lead."

With that, they started the game with Juana serving the ball.

Meanwhile, Isabel and her namesake were having fun splashing about in the shallow water.

"This is so much fun!" Isabel said.

"I know! The beach is one of the best places to go to during the summer," Isabella said.

"Oh look! I found a shell!" Her mother declared as she picked up a small, pink shell.

"Ooh! Let's collect shells along the shore and maybe we can make them into little souvenirs!" Isabella suggested.

"That's a great idea!"

The two Isabellas then set off to go find sea shells. After the game, Fernando decided to take a break and went to sit next to Maria. As he made his way over, he noticed a group of young men bothering her while she laid on her stomach. The ties of her bikini top undone.

His protective paternal instincts went on high gear as he marched his way to them.

"¡Hola hermosa! Wanna have some fun with us?" one of the young men said.

"No, gracias, chicos. I'm not interested. Now please leave me alone to tan," Maria said dismissively.

"Come on, hermosa. We promise it'll be fun," another one insisted.

Fernando grabbed a discarded shawl and draped it over Maria's back before standing in front of the group of young men. Arms crossed over his chest and glaring at them.

Like the soldier king that he was.

"Papá! I was tanning!" his daughter complains.

"She said she's not interested. Ahora deja a mi hija en paz," he said.

Or rather commanded.

The group scrambled away once they realized that this man was the father of the girl they were trying to flirt with. Maria sits up and fixes her bikini top.

“You didn’t have to scare them off, papá. I was fine,” she said.

“You and I both know that they wouldn’t leave you until you agreed with them,” Fernando said.

“I know. I’m used to getting hit on like that. Especially on a good day but I still stay strong on my answer being ‘no’.”

“Even so, Maria. You should be cautious around strange men. Especially when they're in groups like that.”

Maria sighs and just shrugs. "There goes my tan, I guess," she said. Standing up from her beach towel. Dusting off sand from her lap before wrapping the shawl around her hips. "How are you liking the beach so far?" She asked. Following her father back to the cabin to get something to eat and drink.

"Aside from the encounter with that group earlier, it's been fun so far. Your madre and I really needed this break," Fernando said. Walking alongside his daughter.

They reached the cabin and went inside. Maria got behind the mini bar to fix them some drinks while Fernando looked for something to eat. The others soon joined them when the weather got too hot. They had lunch together and sang karaoke. Maria and Juan fought over who gets to sing the next song while Catalina yells at them to give their parents a turn.

Isabella used this opportunity to go to the kitchenette, sneak a can of Monster from her mini cooler, that Juan did not get rid of, and pour it into her empty glass.

"Bella, where did you get that?" Juana asked. Coming up behind her.

"Gah!" Her oldest sister squeaked in surprise and almost dropped her drink.

She had been caught.

Juana looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow when she saw the mini cooler. "I thought Juan got rid of that cooler," she said.

"Uh...I can explain?"

"Oh please do, querida hermana," Maria said as she came up behind Juana. Arms crossed over her chest and an unamused look on her face. "Please tell us why you have that mini cooler when-" she turns to shout, "-Juan!-" then faces her sister again, "-told us that he got rid of it?" she finished her question with a sinister sweet tone.

Now this was just not fair! Isabella was being ganged up on.

She held her precious mini cooler protectively in her arms as she tried to think of a strategy to escape her sisters that were easily towering over her.

Juan came to her rescue when he snuck up behind his two younger sisters and had the genius idea of covering their eyes from behind.

"Run! Run, Bella, run!" he said. Isabella did just that and booked it out of the kitchenette.

"Bella, come back here!" Maria shouts after her as she escapes her brother's hold. She ran outside after her oldest sister with Juana in tow. Juan went after them to stop them from catching their oldest.

Isabel and Fernando were very freaked out when their four children started to chase each other outside the cabin. Screaming and shouting at each other.

"W-What's going on? Why are they fighting?" Isabel asked. Looking outside through the open door.

"Don't worry. They're fine," Catalina nonchalantly said as she flipped through the songbook. Looking for a song to sing.

"But they're fighting!" Fernando pointed out. Confused as to why his youngest is so nonplussed by her older siblings fighting over a mini cooler.

"As long as no one is drowning the other at sea or burying them alive under the sand then we're all good," she said.

Isabel and Fernando looked at each other in worry.

The chase came to an end with a compromise between the two parties. Isabella would be allowed to keep her energy drinks and mini cooler but with each can, it corresponds to a day where she would not have any Monster whatsoever. That means she'll go twelve days without a Monster once they land in England.

Isabella accepted the compromise, though rather with much hesitation.

The weather became suitable to go back out again and the family got back to doing their activities. Fernando and Isabel got to try out new things that day and building sand castles seemed to be their favorite so far.

"Hey guys! Let's take a photo!" Maria said. Setting up her camera on a tripod.

"A photo?" Isabel asked.

"Yeah! A little souvenir for you guys. Now stand close together in the shot," she instructed as she set up the timer in the camera.

"Photo time!" Juan said and got behind their parents. Wrapping his arms around them and pulling them close together.

Isabella and Juana stood to Isabel's left while Catalina positioned herself on Fernando's right.

"Alright everyone! Smile!" Maria rushed over to Catalina and grabbed her arm in time for the timer to run out and captured the moment.

"Maria! I almost fell!" Catalina exclaimed. Balancing both hers and her sister's weight before they could topple over.

"Let's see how it looked!" Juan said. Going over to the camera to see the photo taken.

The family gathered around to see and the results were pretty good.

"I like how it came out," Fernando said.

"Yeah! Let's have this printed and framed!" Isabella said.

"I think there's a photo printing shop nearby here," Juana said.

"I'll go get this printed later. Now let's get back to having fun!" Maria said.

They agreed and continued on with their day. When the sun was starting to set, they all decided to take their showers and change back into their civilian clothes. They decided, last minute, to have a bonfire jamming session. They rented a guitar and Fernando and Isabella took turns playing it while the others sang to their heart's content.

It was dark out when they packed up their things and took them to the van. The drive back to the farm was quiet as Maria, Isabella, Juan, Fernando and Isabel were all sleeping and Catalina and Juana were the only ones awake.

"So what do you think of this trip?" Catalina asked quietly. Focusing on the road in front.

"As a whole or just these two weeks in general?" Juana asked back.

"As a whole," the youngest answered.

"The first few days in Barcelona were fun. Then things changed when we got to Girona and discovered our parents living in the countryside," the older of the two said.

Catalina nodded in agreement. They initially planned on visiting several beaches near Barcelona and Girona was their first stop. Their plans changed when their van broke down in the middle of the countryside and met their reincarnated parents.

"What about the two weeks? What do you think?" the former queen of England asked.

"It was...a rollercoaster of emotions for sure. The first week was just full of tension and it was almost unbearable. But then the second week slowly got a lot better. At least a little bit. Well, except for the time you punched padre in the face and I had a huge meltdown in front of madre," said the former queen of Castile and Aragon.

"Yes but look how far we've come in just a span of two weeks. Sure it's not entirely fixed yet but it's a start," Catalina said and Juana nodded in agreement.

"It is a start and frankly, I'm glad that our parents made the effort. Having a complete family again is nice."

"Indeed."

.

It was late at night when they had arrived back at the farmhouse. Catalina and Juana woke their parents and siblings up so they could sleep properly on proper beds.

Come morning time, Fernando and Isabel went with their children to Barcelona to see them out to the airport. Tearful goodbyes, tight hugs and promises of a second visit were shared.

The parents watched as their children walked to their gate leading to the plane they will be boarding. Fernando held Isabel close as she cried on his shoulder.

Two weeks of being with their children felt like years and now they're leaving the nest again.

At least now, they have the means and technology to communicate with them from afar.

When they got home that night, they noticed something hung up next to their wedding photo. Upon closer look, the couple couldn't help but smile.

It was the photo they took at the beach yesterday.

Maria had it printed, framed, and had hung it up on the wall before they left that morning. It was a last gift to their parents as thanks for housing them and making the effort to get to know them again.

The photo will forever be a reminder of the family they had gained over the span of two weeks.

And they had a feeling that the family would grow in time.

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

Thank you so much for reading this collection! This is possibly the biggest writing project I've ever done and I'm very proud of the result! Again, thank you for the undying support.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

The Perfect Bad Boy (Pt. 12 of 18)

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader

Word count: 3 K

Summary: Working as a lifeguard in the Hawkins Community Pool, you try to fit in after moving from New York. Things were going pretty well when you notice you've been under someone's stare. Billy Hargrove, Hawkins' bad boy, has been staring at you since day one. You never intended to have anything to do with him, judging by the reputation he has. But Billy won't leave you alone, determined to show you his feelings are different this time...

As if your heart flooding you with confusing feelings wasn't enough, there are weird, strange animals lurking in the woods... But those have to be just part of the wild live of the woods surrounding Hawkins... Right?

<- Previous part (11)

Next part (13) ->

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

×

Apparition

A wave of courses leave Diane's lips when you're done telling her what happened yesterday. She tells you Robert is a lawyer, and if Neil ever shows up again, she won't save up money to sue his ass off. You couldn't agree more. But after the tense moment has passed, the three of you seat on the kitchen table, ready for a different kind of tension.

“Alright. Now, aunt. We're actually here for something else.” You start, clearing your throat and trying not to show that you're nervous about it. It's not that you're changing your mind, but you're aware of the big decision you're taking. And you're scared it won't work in the end, but still, you want to do it, to know how it would be to live with Billy. Well, with Maxine too. You're trying not to overthink, but to just give this crazy idea a chance.

“What is it?” She squints her eyes, flying from Billy and back at you.

“You tell her.” You elbow Billy, who looks at you with wide eyes. “It was your idea.” You lower your voice.

“But she's your aunt.” He complains.

“Alright, kids. What's going on?” Diane raises her voice, tapping on the table. “Should I be worried? I heard some rumors and–”

“No. It's... Good news.” You assure her, taking a deep breath before–

“I asked her to come to live with me.” Billy bursts out, and you don't know why but you feel so damn nervous about it, so you hold his hand. It's a funny feeling, one that you never felt. You never introduced any of the guys you dated to your parents. The only two guys you dated before. You did tell their names to Diane, but that was it. A short time after the relationship was over anyway, so it was never a thing. But this... This is huge.

“Well, that's... That's a big step you're taking." Diane doesn't seem mad, and you remember she's nothing like your parents. She understands you, supports you, and it makes you feel better, confident. And if you mess up, she will be right here to help you up. “Are you both sure about it?”

You both nod at the same time. “I came up with the idea.” Billy starts. ”We have the same plans about the routine when summer is over and the classes are back.” He moves your holding hands over the table, his thumb caressing the back of your hand. “I own my house, so it just makes sense since (Y/N) plans on staying in Hawkins.” He makes a pause. “As do I. And you wouldn't have to pay rent anymore.”

“It's not this part that matters. I came to live here because I wouldn't leave (Y/N) alone and I have no trouble driving to the clinic. What matters is what you guys are feeling. Living together is a big step. You'll be around each other all day, you'll get to know each other a lot better and fights will happen.” She's using the mom's voice, and it's so cute. You can't even remember how many times you wished she was your real mother. How many times you called her, in tears, sobbing, asking why she wasn't the one to put you into this world. But it doesn't really matter now, because it's Diane, it always has been, who was a mother to you. It's to her you run to when you need advice, and she's the one you're nervous about telling this decision. Your parents won't know about this, they don't have to. But Diane? She has to. You own her this much. “And you can't just break apart when the first disagreement hits.”

“We won't,” Billy speaks up before you can, tightening his grip on your hand a little. Turning your head, you look at him, those blue eyes reassuring you about all this, and a smile comes to your lips. “I love (Y/N). I think you, as her mother figure should know that.”

This takes you by surprise. You never thought Billy would be the one to act like this. He's still impressing you, every passing day...

“Then you already said the three big words to each other,” Diane states, but your eyes are locked on Billy's.

“We did,” you assure her, suddenly aware of the public, what makes you blush. “I really wanna do this, aunt.”

“I know, honey. I'll give you my permission then.”

“What?” You gasp, laughing a little. “I wasn't asking for permission. I was just... Letting you know.” Raising an eyebrow, you give her a smirk.

“I give permission.” Diane crosses her arms, leaning back on her chair.

“I don't–”

“Let's just start packing up your things.” Billy cuts you off, and you wonder if he's trying to get into your aunt's good side. He pulls you off the chair and you have no choice but to follow him.

You still have an hour before you have to get to the pool, so you start working. Diane helps until she has to go too, telling you she'll call the house owner from the clinic and let him know you'll be moving out.

As you put all your clothes and personal stuff into the three pieces of baggage you have, you feel it becoming real. Yesterday you were both a little high from the commotion, but now... You're actually doing it. You and Billy are emptying out your wardrobe and drawers, and the few stuff you have around the bedroom. You make a few trips to his car and back, making sure nothing is left behind.

“You don't have much stuff besides clothes,” Billy says as you both stand by the door frame, looking at the now empty bedroom.

“No. Actually, most of the clothes I have now I bought in Indianapolis. When I left New York I had nothing but a backpack.” You can't help but smile at the memory. You felt like a teenager that day, running away. It was the first time on a plane, but the whole flight was a blur. You could only think that you were finally free, to do what you wanted with your life.

“Ready to go? We can drop your things off before driving to the pool.”

“Yup. Let's go.”

The short ride back to his place is silent since you're a little lost in your own head. You don't know why, but the fear you once had of falling for Billy hits again. What if this is a mistake? What if it's way too soon to do this and this is what will break you apart. ‘We're bound to break.’ The sentence hits you like a brick, and you can't help but nervously run a hand through your hair, looking at the landscape outside the window.

“(Y/N),” Billy calls, and when you turn your face to look at him, you notice you're already here. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I... I just...”

“Did you change your mind?” His voice sounds weak, still deep and strong but... Weak. Fearful.

“No, I just... I don't want to ruin what we have. Guess I'm a little scared.” Shrugging your shoulders, you take a deep breath, stretching your arm and touching the back of his neck. “Aren't you? Not even a little bit?”

“Yes. I'm scared you'll open your eyes and realize the asshole I am and walk away.” Billy opens the door and steps out of the car.

“Shit,” you mumble, doing the same. “Billy, wait.” You raise your voice, eyes on his back as he goes to the front door. He's still affected by what happened yesterday, and it seems that the only thing that's making him happy is the fact that you're here. “Won't you help me carry these things inside?”

You smile when he stops, biting your lips when he turns on his heels and comes back.

You have your eyes on the clock since you couldn't help start putting things in their places. The room is a mess because of the bad idea of laying everything on the bed and only then start looking for places. You're thankful that he has some space in his wardrobe, but you'll need a new one, bigger. When you're tired of dealing with the clothes, you leave him to it and move to his bathroom. And there's definitely no space in the cabinet. You sit on the floor, looking at your things, and at the space you have to put them.

“It won't fit,” you complaim, considering putting everything on a box under the bed.

“What won't fit?” Billy asks from the bedroom, but he soon comes to your aid. “Ok, let me see.” He offers his hand and you take it, pulling yourself up. “You have... Three different types of shampoo.”

“Yes,” you mutter, leaning on the door frame. “One is for when my hair is dry, the other–”

“Two types of hair conditioner.” He's having way too much fun today, you can tell by the tone of his voice there's a smile hidden.

“I couldn't choose the scent I liked more.” You have no idea why you're explaining this to him.

“And... Two types of tampons.”

“For goodness sake, Billy!” You yell, felling your whole face burning. In an insanely fast move, you take the boxes from his hand, putting them away from his sight. The smile on his face makes you want to punch him.

“Chill, princess.” Grabbing the shampoo and hair conditioner, he gets back to his feet. “We can put those in the shower organizer.”

“Mhmm.” Looking down, you're still trying to swallow the embarrassment, drumming your fingers on the wall.

“You're so cute when you're blushing, strawberry,” Billy says as he comes out of the shower box, a smirk on his lips.

“I thought you said I looked like a tomato last time.” Giggling, you step back, running from his embrace.

“Yeah, but strawberries are cute.” He moves fast, a strong arm encircling your waist and pulling you close, making you collide against his chest. “Like you.”

“Did you know that when two women live together, their cycles are likely to get in sync?” It's your time to tease now, so you make sure to give him a wicked smile.

“And?” He furrows his eyebrows.

“You'll have two girls PMSing at the same time.” You can't help but laugh at his face, as he tries to understand what you just said. “Now, are you changing your mind, baby?” Keeping your voice soft, you peck his lips.

“Billy, where–” Max swings the door open, but her words are cut short, and when you look at her, you see the reason why. There are still some clothes scattered around. “What the hell is all this?”

“Uhm...” You forgot to tell Maxine.

“(Y/N) lives here now,” Billy says, embracing your waist from behind when you turn around to face Max.

You're nervous to read her expression, but it's blank. She doesn't believe it. What if she doesn't want you here? “A-are you happy about it?”

“Are you kidding? I'll have someone else in this house to talk to other than this shithead.” Her face breaks into a smile, and you're so damn relieved. “You're really serious this time, aren't you, Billy?”

“Yeah.” He mumbles, his mouth is dangerously close to your ear.

“Well, I'll leave you two alone before I'm grossed out.” Max rolls her eyes and leaves.

Taking a deep breath, you turn around, Billy's arms never letting go of you. “So... We're dating for less than twenty-four hours and we're already living together. We're both completely crazy, Hargrove.”

“I don't see a problem with that.” Billy crushes his lips on yours, and you laugh through the kiss. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you stumble backwards as he pushes you, tasting the lips you dreamed about for so long. A groan gets caught on your throat when your hip hits his dresser before your back hits the wall, which makes you laugh again.

“Ouch!” You exclaim, faking an angry face that soon enough fades away. You wonder if you'll ever get over the sensation Billy provokes. The nervousness, the butterflies on your stomach... You slide your arms down from his neck, so you're touching his chest. You guess it's ok now, right? To look at him and want to touch him. And you're kinda upset his wearing a shirt.

“Sorry. Just can't believe I can kiss you now.”

“It's not a big deal, Billy.” Biting your lip, you look at the clock he has on the dresser beside you. “We gotta go though. Or else we'll be late again.” When you turn to look at him, his face is different. It's the same from last night, full of pain and suffering. You're about to ask what happened when you realize you gave him a good sight of your bruised cheek. Red and purple, with the scratch from Neil's ring. Your eyes fall on his wounds too, on the apple of his cheek, his lower lip and above his left eyebrow. “Baby–”

“I'm sorry, (Y/N)–”

“I'm not,” you whisper, cupping his face with your hands. “I'll say it again: I'd face a hundred Neils for you. Without thinking twice. I love you, baby.”

Slowly, a smile comes to his lips. “I like it when you call me baby.”

“Well, baby...” Pushing him away, you gesture at the clock. “We gotta go.”

•

You somehow managed to get to the Community Pool right on time, despite being way too playful on your way there. The fact that you're holding hands until you have to split up at the lockers gets some attention. You change into the red swimsuit before putting on the sunblock, seated on one of the benches. You're putting your hair up on a ponytail when you hear a whistle, which makes you jump, heartbeat increasing.

“No running on my watch!” You hear Billy's yell, and you can't help but laugh. The kids are terrified of him.

You're playing with the tips of your hair when you leave the locker, making the way to the chair to start the day. Knowing there's a funfair to go to makes you want the day to pass real quick. You've never been to anything like that, and it'll be good to have something new and different to do.

“(Y/N).” Someone calls and you stop, turning on your heels to see who is it. All the joy melts when you see David, walking over you. “Been a while. How are you?”

“I'm great. You?” You ask just to be polite.

“Perplexed to know you're still hanging out with Hargrove. I even heard these rumors that you're–”

“Pregnant?” You cut him off, sighing. “Yeah. But I'm not. I fainted because of heat exhaustion, that's all.“ You give a step back, turning your head at the kid's pool, trying to make him notice you're not interested in talking. You'd work for twenty-four hours non stop if it means you won't have to talk to David.

“The hell is that on your face?” He raises his voice, and you suddenly remember the bruise and cut on your cheek. You forgot the damn thing. But you hate the way he talks, as if he had any right to. David's eyebrows are furrowed, an angry expression on his face.

“It's–”

“Did he do that to you?” David looks and gestures at something behind you, and you know who it is. A second later you feel Billy behind you and you immediately feel better. “He's beat up too. What the hell–”

“We got into a fight but that not your business,” Billy says, his voice especially deep and low. Like an unspoken threat.

“You should see the other guy,” you mutter, and a small smile involuntary comes to your lips.

“(Y/N), if this asshole did that you can tell me. I can–”

“David, stop it. Billy didn't hurt me and I don't have to tell you anything.” You can feel Billy getting tense.

“What do you expect me to think when you're still hanging around this asshole and then you show up with your face all screwed up? But if you want to be his whore, be my guest, (Y/N), good luck with that.”

“Now you stepped over the line,” Billy shouts, stepping forward, burning with anger. But you know this will end badly for him since he's an employee here and David is a client. If you were anywhere else, you wouldn't lift a finger.

“Let it go, baby.” You raise your voice, moving to stand between your boyfriend and David.

“I told you I'd break his nose the next time.”

“I know, but it's not worth it.” You keep a hand on Billy's chest, but you turn to face David. “Listen up, buddy. I couldn't care less about what you think you know. We're not friends, so the next time you want to come and talk to me as if we were anything else than two people who happen to live in the same town, don't. I have a boyfriend who looks after me, I have real friends and an aunt who looks after me. I don't need you.” You keep a straight face as if the words had no meaning at all. David looks like he was hit by a train, embarrassed because he knows there are people nearby, listening. You have been noticing most of the people here don't like him very much. Can't possibly understand why. “And next time you do anything like this, I won't stop Billy.” Leaning closer, you whisper: “I might even help him beat you up a little.”

He doesn't say anything else. He just walks away, leaving the pool. You turn around to look at Billy, as he follows David with his eyes until he's gone before looking down at you. “Damn, (Y/N).”

“Damn indeed.” Smiling, you chose to ignore the public for a while, tiptoeing to kiss him. Billy wraps his arms around your waist and lifts you up. God, you can feel dozens of eyes on your back. And you don't care one bit.

“Look what we have here.” Monica's voice is what makes you pull away, being put down again. “This must mean something good, I hope.”

“Guess,” you say, winking at her. But Monica's face changed and you know why.

Her eyes fly from you to Billy then back at you. “You guys ok? Got into a fight or something?”

“I'll explain everything later. We're still going to get ready for the funfair at your place, right?”

“Yup. All our girl friends. No boys allowed.” She points a finger at Billy. Despite the light tone of her voice, you can tell she's worried.

“No boys allowed,” you repeat, tiptoeing once more to place a quick kiss on his lips. “Now, let's get to work.”

•

At the end of the day, you're utterly bored. But there are still two hours to go. The pools are almost empty, compared to the number of people you have here daily. People are excited about the fair and left soon to meet up with their friends, and it only makes you more excited by the minute. So you're not on your post, you're seated on the middle step of Billy's chair, in between his legs, using his sunglasses, hoping the hours will pass by faster.

But honestly, you're already done for today. “This is the worse workday ever,” you mutter, breathing out. “We could actually leave. Anthony isn't even here.” You complain, staring at a small group of teenagers across the pool.

“Let's go then.” He lightly kicks your arm.

“What?”

“Let's go.” You get up when you feel him moving, giggling as he jumps to the ground and takes your hand.

You don't even bother to change, you just get your stuff and run to the car. You're a breathless mess when he speeds away, feeling like a teenager again, running from school.

Maxine is perplexed to see both of you home so soon, and she mumbles something about expecting something like this from Billy but not from you. It just makes you laugh harder. You quickly put the rest of your clothes in their new places before you decide to chill until it's time to go. Well, you'll go to Mon's earlier and he'll meet you there.

You can't believe you're so excited about this. Maybe you're just happy about everything and it's channeling to the fair. But it'll also be the first time you and Billy will go out as boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe it's silly to think like that, but you think it's ok to be silly for a while. You're drinking a glass of cold water by the sink, looking at the street through the window. Hawkins is beautiful, and you can't help but wonder, imagine, what it could be from now on. You mean, you still got college to go through, but you want to know what will come next. You know what you want, but you still need to know what Billy wants. But it's not the time to think about it yet. You still have a good amount of summer ahead.

Running a hand through your hair, you go back to the living room, a smile forcing its way to your lips when you see Billy on the bench press, lifting the bar over his head. “Looking good, baby,” you tell him, getting one of his famous smirks, the same that once had you hating him for a while.

“Good to know you're enjoying the view, princess.”

Your eyes suddenly fall on your glass, still half full, as an idea crosses your head. Slowly, you walk over the bench until you're right next to him, looking down. “What if I...” You turn the glass just a little bit, threatening to spill the water on his chest.

Billy doesn't stop though, raising an eyebrow at you. “You won't do it.” He says, way too confident.

“Uhum...” You mumble right before fulfilling the threat and throwing water on him.

“What the–”

Bursting into laughter, you run on the moment you see him getting up. “Can't believe you did that.” He exclaims, and you're about to reach the hall when you're grabbed from behind, an arm around your waist, lifting you up. “Give me that!” He tries to grab the glass and you struggle to keep it out of his reach.

“Stop it!” You shout in between laughs, almost losing your breath since he's holding exactly on your ticklish spot. You gasp when you feel a bunch of water on your face. “It's glass, careful.”

“You have no idea what you started.” He yells, still trying to throw what's left of the water on you.

“What's all the yelling about?” Max's voice startles both of you, and when Billy moves, his feet slips and you're suddenly pulled down with him, falling on your butt. Your laughter clouds whatever Max is saying as you just stand there, on the floor. “You're crazy, you two.” She mumbles before heading back into her room.

“I–” You're interrupted by someone blasting the horn outside, and you know it's Monica. “That's my ride,” you tell him, pushing your body up to a sitting position, looking down at Billy. “See you there?”

“I miss you already.” One of his hands comes to caress your cheek, and you bend down to place a quick kiss on his lips.

After taking the bag with your outfit for the night, you meet up with Monica on the sidewalk. She's obviously excited about the fair, and so are you. The sun is down already, and the first signs of the night are already here.

“Hanging out at Billy's, huh?” She asks as she drives away.

“Yeah...” You can't wait to tell her, but you'll wait until Billy is with you. She'll freak out, you're sure. “Things are going unbelievably well between us.”

“I can see that.” Monica gives you a look, winking. “Candace and Alice will come a little later so we'll have some time to talk. And little lady, you have a lot to talk about.”

Smiling at her, you nod, turning your head to look at the landscape outside the window. The woods fly past you, the darkness already taking over under the trees. Something moves, and you move in your seat too, trying to see what it is. You're about to tell Monica when a strange feeling builds up on your stomach, and you squint your eyes, trying to see better.

That thing is as fast as the car, easily keeping up. Then you see another one, a little slower, but still unnaturally fast. Clenching your hands into fists, you quickly notice this is not the first time you see something like this. The low light, that somehow still finds it's a way through the leaves, gives you a sudden glimpse of their skin. And just as you thought, as you hoped not to be, it's naked. Like a dark, slick skin. The face is shapeless as if it didn't have one.

Terrified, you look away, focusing on the road ahead.

“(Y/N)? Are you alright?” Monica's voice sounds distant, low.

“Yeah.” You breathe out, nodding, and clearing your throat. “I'm ok.” Forcing a smile, you say it more to yourself than to her.

This gotta be a mistake. You're probably... You don't know. Imagining it? But James saw it, the same damn thing... Whatever it is, it's not in your head. It's real. Giving another look at the woods, you look for the animals, but they're gone. You should feel relieved, but you don't. You have to tell Billy about it and then the police. Someone has to do something, find out what this... Thing is. What if it starts attacking people? What if it leaves the woods and starts going into town?

Taking a deep breath, you run a hand through your hair. You'll try to keep it together for tonight. But tomorrow, you'll do something. You have to.

×

@chloe-skywalker @dpaccione @dreamin-of-dacre @funeral-7 @uncookspaget @youhavemyfantasticbeasts @halloweenbitch2764 @redlovett @multific @shinydixon @nikkixostan

[nascent-chaos]

I'm curious how the boys would react if reader suddenly became a bitty, especially how they would show affection without smothering her

Sans :: … Shit. Did he do that?

He tries brushing off the entire thing like there’s nothing to worry about, though it’s clear from his strained grin that he’s a bit off-put by the entire ordeal. But once the initial shock dies down?

The prank-potential he sees in this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

He’ll make sure to keep a socket on her at all times, sure - the lodge isn’t exactly easy for someone who could sit comfortably on his shoulder to navigate, but with a bit of caution and his blue magic to lend him a hand… well, he’s just thrilled she shares the same sense of humor as he does. Soul-mates, indeed.

From having her sneak into small places to set up an annoying airhorn or whoopie-cushion to ‘accidentally’ misplacing her on the blades of the ceiling fan or ‘losing’ her in the ventilation system, the others are going to be in for a tough time. The real bonding moments come in the form of Sans’ tinkering, which she’ll be only too happy to lend a hand with. She’s the perfect size to help work with some of the smaller bits and bobs of his projects and can easily get in and out of places that he might otherwise be unable to reach. The two will actually spend a good deal of time together while she’s like this, and it won’t be uncommon to find her hiding in his hood during her downtime.

Papyrus :: At first he’s a bit fretful, worried sick as he is that anything she does might result in her hurting herself - sure, he and Reed quickly learn how gravity and terminal velocity affect her differently now that’s she’s only a few inches tall, but the fact that her jumping from, say, a countertop to the floor will only jar her legs a bit won’t be enough to deter him. Nevermind that this is just one of the many excuses he uses to have a reason to carry her around all the time (his big heart just melts every time she sits on his shoulder!). He’ll work alongside Blue to design a full system around the house to help her come and go independently, but isn’t it so much faster to get a lift from your favorite friendly skeleton?

He sees everything they do together now as an adventure. Gardening? The flower beds are just the sort of fabulous jungle his bitty friend would love to explore in! Cooking in the kitchen? Fetching the ingredients he needs is an adventure all its own (of course he’ll keep her far from the actual cooking, lest she get hurt!). And let’s not forget his knack for creating adventures of his own! After all, what kind of great puzzle master would he be if he didn’t first design a smaller mock-up of his grand projects and have his smol assistant help test them out?

Red :: He’s freaking out and is doing a poor job in hiding it. How the hell did this even happen? Is this permanent?! 

It takes a bit before he’s able to calm down and, even then, he’s seeing the lodge in a completely different light now. She sleeps on the fourth floor, and that’s a shit-load of stairs she could break her neck on if she made one wrong move. Going out in the yard? Aren’t there snakes and birds and all kinds of other weird shit that’d try and eat her?

Fuck that - he’ll try his damnest to keep her inside. It’s only after a gentle scolding from Reed that he’ll realize how overbearing he’s been. Still, seeing him fret over her the way he does is enough to keep her from doing anything too over-the-top in his presence. And though he tries his darndest to hide it, Red deeply enjoys the more laid-back moments the two of them share, even if it’s just napping or laughing together as she tries (and fails gloriously) at playing video games with him. As with Classic, you can bet this duo will be up to all sorts of mischief together whenever the opportunity presents itself, And of course, a good, long nap on the couch together at the end of the day is a given. As much as their seemingly endless onslaught of pranks has driven the others - especially Edge - up the wall, even they’ll admit it’s endearing, the way they’ll find Reed nestled in the fur lining of his coat as the two enjoy an afternoon snooze together.

Edge :: He thinks this is the most ridiculous thing ever. Look at her! She’s been reduced to four inches of utter uselessness!

He’ll huff and complain even while he’s keeping an eye light on her, quickly scooping her out of reach of any trouble she might find herself in. While she’ll earn an earful and have to deal with his prattling on about how much trouble she’s now causing him, however, she’ll quickly learn it’s all just hot air he’s blowing off. He clearly seems to relish in every moment she comes to him for help, disguising his genuine happiness at her choosing to rely on him to assist with something behind his usual preening of 'OF COURSE YOU WOULD COME GROVELING FOR MY AID! I AM THE BEST, AFTER ALL! NYEH-HEH!’ Every moment she spends with him, from cooking (okay, so he might find the sight of her rolling a tomato half her size over to him the slightest bit endearing) to chores (did… he just hear something fall into the dishwater?) is a moment he won’t admit he enjoys.

No place is safer for her than atop his shoulder, no hiding spot better than the folds of his scarf. And of course, being the fashionable and immaculate skeleton he is, there is no way he’ll stand to see her in those cheap plastic outfits she considers taking from a dollar-store barbie. Those are hardly sensible for a bitty for whom durability and a wide range of motion is a must! He’ll take it upon himself to create an entirely new wardrobe for her (made to his sense of style, of course), cutting and sewing every last stitch personally because… well, let’s face it, who could do a better job than him? She’d better be grateful for it, though!!

Blue :: Blue is very much like Papyrus in his fretting, but he seems to have more confidence in Reed’s ability to take care of herself. Not that he’s not the first on the scene to lend her a hand when needed, though - you can bet he’s going to be keeping an eye light out on her whenever she’s up to something new. You know, just in case! It’s obvious to see how enamored he is with the entire situation as he now hardly if ever leaves her side. Yes, everything she does seems so much cuter now that she’s only a few inches tall, and yes, he’s going to let her know every chance he gets. The entire pulley system that appears across the lodge practically overnight was his idea, and he’s positively thrilled every time he sees her use it. Although… he does have a bit of a habit of offering up a hand to give her a quick lift to her destination anyway.

‘Why did you guys build all this if you don’t want me using it?’ She’ll tease.

Stretch :: Like many of the others he appears to be a bit nervous from the get-go, but that uncertainty soon evaporates when he sees how quick she is to adapt to her current situation. He, like the Mutt, give her the most freedom around the house, only offering her their help when she’s requested it. He doesn’t like the idea of smothering her with unnecessary concern, even though you can bet he’ll be looking out for her when needed.

The quiet time they’d shared during their little reading sessions together may have been changed up a bit, though - it’s kind of hard for her to flip the pages of a book when said book stands taller than she is. Reed will often settle on his shoulder while they share a book together, the taller skeleton reading aloud as she listens happily (reading along can be a bit strenuous on the neck, but damn if he doesn’t find her head moving along with his words to be the most adorable thing ever, regardless). They’ll often take to her little hideaway in the woods for this, and enjoy some casual chatter with one another along the walks to and from the locale. As with Sans, Stretch’s hood quickly becomes a preferred place of hiding for her.

Hickory :: His adorable human just became travel-sized, and this mutt couldn’t be any happier with the world right now. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a moment when these two are together that our playful pooch isn’t holding Reed, content to go about his day with her tagging along just to watch. Of all the boys he seems to be the most nonplussed by this change, even with the near-constant contact he seems to have with her. Black chalks it up to some residual instinct their world left them with, and the Mutt’s want to make sure no harm comes to her under his watch. But hey, she’s all for tagging along with him as he goes about his day, and she’ll happily sit at the edge of his desk as he works on his latest tune if it means she gets to be the first to hear it~

Black :: Oh, for the love of the Angel -

As if he didn’t have enough on his plate as it is, now his human has gone and been reduced to the size of his phone! He’s clearly irritated by the whole of the situation, not only because of the countless challenges that seem to crop up over the most mundane of topics but because… well… just look at her! How can she be expected to go about her day when something as simple as sitting on the couch involves a ridiculous amount of climbing to do so?!

Right from the get-go, Black is easily the most pessimistic about this entire situation. Like Red, he’s now seeing the threats and challenges the environment is going to present her, and his mind is already working on how to overcome them all in the most efficient way possible. Of course… it’d be a whole lot more helpful if Reed wasn’t so reckless all the time! There will be no less than four separate occasions on the first day that nearly give him a soul attack, and he’ll have to sit down and give her a stern talking-to before he’s finally gotten his point across. Tiny doesn’t mean invincible, after all, and he knows keeping her safe 24/7 would mean being only too overbearing - which certainly isn’t something that needs to be added to his already long list of tasks!

Alright, so… maybe at the end of the day he finds it the slightest bit endearing, seeing how she’ll tackle any task put before her with that glint of determination in her eyes that he admires so, but he’ll sooner die than ever openly admit it!

Dust :: This is the best, most entertaining day of his damn life.

He’s getting an absolute kick out of this entire situation and he’s not afraid to show it. For the most part, he is perfectly content to remain on the sidelines and watch as Reed tackles and overcomes problem after problem. There is a part of her now that reminds him of the 8th fallen child in that she’s only too determined to tackle and succeed over any obstacle that comes before her, and in a way… he’s sort of hoping she’ll fail? There is more than one instance of Dust stepping in when no one else is looking to actively make things more difficult for Reed - moving something she’s been struggling to get to further out of her reach, or flat-out picking her up and placing her on a shelf across the room to see how she’ll deal with the new challenge before her, but he won’t deny the slight hint of gratification he experiences when she just glares at him and accepts the new challenge as what it is - just another challenge. Would he actively put her in a life-threatening situation? Well… not intentionally, but hey. Mistakes happen.

At the end of the day he’s left with a peculiar feeling of satisfaction and bitterness but is pleased to know she’s yet alive and well regardless.

[hyba]

QUICK UPDATE ✒

On my last stretch for Apartment! Things are going great. I'm able to write about 500 words per day and edit quite a bit, and journaling coupled with voice notes has really helped me identify the kinks in the story and my next steps. 😁😁

I've been extremely preoccupied with figuring out Marie's physical appearance once and for all. I know hairstyles aren't permanent, but hair has been a frustrating part of her design. I'm considering taking her back to an earlier version of herself in terms of looks which was super different, and just radically changing her outward appearance. I think this is so important to me because I've been thinking about how a character in a particular mindset would style themselves. I've got it down in terms of wardrobe and style and even behaviour. But would she care about her hair? What kind of cut would she be likely to have, considering her lifestyle and personality? I'm really into these little details that give another layer of realism to the piece. 😊

As for my fantasy books, I've just been worldbuilding recently. Nothing big to report there! 😄

Finally, I think I'm now ready to open up my freelance editing services, which I will definitely post about soon 👀 Keep an eye out for that!

[fotfotssmile]

My Little Mochi 💉

Chapter 7: Day Trip

I pulled into the parking lot of the shopping centre. It took us a few minutes to actually find a parking spot, and it was quite tight as well. I turned off the engine and I smiled to Jimin gesturing for him to get out, but he looked out the window and then back to me with a shake of his head. I understood what he meant, so I got out of my side first, before making my way to Jimin's side. I opened the door for him leaving him as much room as I could, making sure he didn't hit the car next to us. He gracefully stepped back out of the car pushing his body against mine a little. He suddenly tripped on the car ledge, so I quickly grabbed his waist steadying him so he wouldn't fall. "You ok?" I asked and he quickly brushed my hand off of his waist before jumping to the end of the car, with a small nod. I closed the car door locking it behind me before I started to head for the main doors into the shopping centre. As soon as we entered I felt Jimin cling to my side as a herd of people rushed past us to get out. "It's ok Jiminie...Just stay by my side" I stated before I started to walk to the men's clothing section, and I felt Jimin against my side as we carried on walking. Every now and then I would look down at Jimin to see if he was ok, and I could see the terror and anxiety on his face. I knew he didn't like it one bit, but this had to be done.

We finally reached the men's clothing section and once we were inside the specific shop it was a little less crowded and I felt Jimin loosen up a little. I turned to face him and placed a hand on his shoulder before pointing out all the clothes. "So if you see anything you like feel free to point it out" I smiled and he looked around in awe. As we walked around the shop I saw his hands softly trail against the fabrics of the clothing around us. It was like he had never ever been or even seen a shop. He was completely overwhelmed, his eyes wide and his mouth gaped open, but he wasn't picking anything out..."Jiminie?" I called out and he swung my way. "You're not picking out anything. Nothing you like?" I asked and he just shrugged as his eyes continued to wander around. "Well first things first let's get you some underwear. You can't keep wearing mine" I explained before grabbing a size small, then I looking back at Jimin before grabbing a size medium instead. It was the safe bet, because even though he had quite small frame, his thighs and his butt were, what’s the word, flumpitous? Not that I'd been looking or anything...

Anyway, I placed them into the basket and picked up a few packs of socks as well. Then in the corner of my eye I noticed this large green hoodie. I walked over to it and pulled it from the rack. It reminded me off the oversized jumper Jimin was wearing when I first saw him. "Jiminie, how about trying this on?" I turned to face him and he just nodded whilst waddling over. He reached out his hand and fondled with the hemming of the jumper as his eyes sparkled. I picked up a few pairs of black skinny jeans, along with a pair of blue faded shorts, ripped at the knees. I grabbed a few white tees, and a formal black shirt, just to fill his wardrobe, and also for myself. “Right, I'll wait out here while you try these on! Make sure to show me them when you're finished ok? Need to make sure we get the right ones" I lead Jimin to the changing area and I handed him the now extremely full basket of clothes to him. He stared at the changing room for a few long seconds before finally closing himself inside. I stood outside his changing room waiting for him to come out, but 10 minutes passed and he still hadn't come out. I knocked on the door lightly in hope to get Jimin's attention. "Jiminie? You alright in there?" I called out.

"J-Jungkook...ah...I can't..." Jimin spoke out in a uneasy voice. Then I heard his light sniffling. I heard the door unlock and I quickly entered a little worried as to see what was wrong, but the sight I saw made me burst into laughter. His shirt was half untucked, the zipper on his trousers was down and the little bow tie he picked up himself was very badly done. "W...what's so funny...?" Jimin's small voice choked.

"Oh I'm sorry...you just look...you look so cute..." I answered closing the door to the changing room behind me. I closed the distance between us and tucked the shirt into his jeans properly, before zipping up his fly. "You know, considering you're older then me, you certainly don't know how to look after yourself" I chuckled before moving my hands to the bow tie around his neck. I untied his terrible attempt and retied it, creating a little cute bow to match his little cute self. I stepped back and looked down at him, but he didn't seem too impressed. "You don't like it Jimin?" I questioned, and he just shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't you try some of the other stuff I picked up? You'll find something you like Jimin" I suggested and he nodded before he started to unbutton his shirt. I quickly turned away once I realised he was undressing himself.

"...I prefer Jiminie..." Jimin admitted and I felt the corners of my lips curl up.

"Jiminie-Hyung?" I asked smiling like an idiot.

"I like that too..." He agreed before tugging on my arm. I turned around to face him and the holy sight I saw could never be forgotten. The green hoodie I picked out hung perfectly on his shoulders, the sleeves were just that much bigger, so his little stubby fingers just peaked through the sleeves. It stopped just above his thighs, so the leather pants he was wearing squeezed around them beautifully, showing the muscle he clearly built up over time. The colours matched his perfect mop of light blonde hair. I was frozen just staring at the angelic sight in front of me. "Like it..?"

"...I...I love it" I accidentally spoke my mind before quickly moving my hand over my mouth as if it was wrong of me to say that.

"If Jungkook-Ah Likes its...then so does Jiminie" Jimin smiled and he shined brighter then ever before...

"How do you exist...?" I whispered under my breath as I stared down at Jimin's grand smile.

"Huh..?" Jimin looked up a little confused, and I just shook my head with an awkward laugh.

"N-nothing. Let's go pay for these then! We'll leave the outfit you didn't like here" I changed the subject and thank God Jimin was too simple minded to carry on.

"I have no money..." He reminded and I rolled my eyes down at him with a 'tut'

"As I said before I'll pay for it all. It's ok" I reassured. "Now change back into the clothes you were wearing before then we can get out of here" I added before turning round once more. Once I knew Jimin was fully dressed again I unlocked the changing room door and we both walked out together which caused us to get a weird look from a girl who was sat waiting to use our changing room. I just ignored her and carried on walking the cash counter. We queued for a few minutes before it eventually came to us. I placed the basket on the counter that was overflowing with Jimin's new clothes.

"Oh wow...Are these all for you sir?" The cashier asked whilst scanning them through.

"No, not me. They're for this one" I chuckled looking down at Jimin who was stood right up against my side.

"Ahh I see. Aren't you lucky to have someone like him in your life" The cashier smiled down at Jimin then back to me.

"I guess so yeah" I replied.

"It’s nice to see such a young couple treating each other you know?” The cashier continued and I raised my brow a little confused.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked leaning forward a little.

"Oh I didn’t mean anything by my words, it’s just not often you see young couples spoiling each other” The cashier added and I just shook my head vastly.

"Oh no, no. It's not like that. He's just a friend!" I defended and the cashier looked so embarrassed.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry...you just seem so close that's all...".The cashier explained and I looked down at Jimin then back up to cashier with a shrug of my shoulders. "That'll be £368 pounds please!" The cashier smiled awkwardly and I placed the card my mother and father had given me incase of any unpredicted expenses. This was definitely an unpredicted expense. "Thank you, your receipt is in the bag. Once again I'm sorry...enjoy your day"

"It's no trouble" I smiled warmly. The cashier waved us off as we walked away. I sighed as we reached the doors. Did me and Jimin really look like we were close back then...? We were mistaken as a couple...then again looking back at Jimin I wouldn't have minded if he was my boyfriend...I snapped that thought out of my head and it was a stupid one at that. I had only just met him and he seemed too childish...

I was about to leave, but Jimin was just frozen in his place. I looked out the door and noticed a massive crowd of people just stood outside. The fear in Jimin's eyes was so prominent and clear. His eyes were glazing over. "Hey Jiminie-Hying, it's not that bad. Just stay by my side like last time remember?" I reminded, but he didn't respond at all. I had to think of something else, and I knew what I did sounded so stupid and childish, but the way Jimin acted I couldn't stop myself. "Hey Jiminie-Hyung, do you like sweets?" I asked and he gaze finally averted up to me. "How about we make a deal? If we get through the crowd together, I'll treat you to some sweets" I smirked and he chewed on his bottom lip before looking down and nodded agreeing to my offer.

"To the sweet shop we go!"

7/💉

[punkscowardschampions]

Nancy & Rio

Nancy: Not to be weird, because I obviously don't mind if so, but are you wearing my clothes in your latest insta pics or have I lost my mind? Rio: Oh my God, sorry! Shoulda said before putting that up Rio: casual single white female situation Rio: I was in London and I had to stop by yours to avoid a real walk of shame... whole 'nother story, assumed it'd be alright 'cos you know, you weren't using 'em? Shipped back fully dry cleaned, swear down Rio: Not to drop him in it but shamelessly will, Buster said it'd probably be alright too lol Nancy: Well we have the brunette and redhead thing going on, already. Just don't murder me like Nancy: It's more than okay. They look great on you and they are just sitting there Nancy: Keep them if you want Nancy: I'd rather you than one of Buster's 'guests' Nancy: Did you talk to him? Rio: Last time I check, no feelings of murderous jealousy towards you Rio: Even if you do have a killer clothes collection Rio: You're too sweet! I'm nowhere near statuesque enough to rock it for serious but it was fun playing dressup, not gonna lie Rio: A little bit, yeah, as much as you can with him Rio: Has he reached out to you yet? Nancy: We should go shopping then. I'm not flooded with other offers or compliments right now Nancy: He did try but I didn't answer the call. I didn't know what to say, you know Nancy: Do I want to know what he said about me, if anything? Rio: Absolutely, always up for a style update Rio: and I promise to stay away for the red box dye Rio: Rihanna 2010 I ain't Rio: That's fair, I remember he mentioned that too Rio: He said a lot of things, some of 'em stupid which don't bear repeating but I could tell he was worried about you, checking you were okay, like Nancy: Oh god Nancy: I should've answered I just couldn't Nancy: I've already broken my own heart there's no handling if he decided to do it for me too Nancy: It was like I already hear what he was going to say Rio: No one is judgding you for not Rio: He's been guility of being unavailable for less Rio: You're more than entitled to take your time with this Rio: Let him cool down too, I put him right where I could but Rio: He's stubborn Nancy: And he thinks I'm as cringey as everyone at school does, right? Nancy: I knew it Nancy: I can't blame him really Rio: But that's nothing you don't know, you feel the embarrassment, I don't get why people think they're being clever pointing out as if its not your first hand experience Rio: He asked if you were coming back Rio: which he clearly wants, even if he's not gonna outright say that Nancy: I thought he might be on my side since he always goes after what he wants Nancy: Maybe he is though, if he does want me home Rio: Yeah, there's definitely hypocrisy otherwise Rio: I'm not gonna commit him to either side from a conversation relayed but I don't think talking to him soon will make it any worse Rio: Hoping he said all the dumb shit he needed to me instead, like Nancy: Was he such a prick to you? I'm sorry Nancy: I can't go back until those girls are far away at uni Nancy: Do you think we could convince him to come here? Team effort to get a visit? Rio: Not all bad Rio: and nothing I can't handle Rio: Yeah, reckon I might've met some of them last night Rio: and I feel you Rio: Worth a shot, I threw it out there that maybe if he came it'd make your 'rents coming less of a shitshow Rio: try and hold him to it Nancy: The ringleader is Chloe, with an accent over the e. You'd remember her if you did Nancy: It wouldn't surprise me if she was still hanging around him and his friends, she always did fancy him Nancy: Okay. I'll try Rio: Oh my God, her?! Rio: If she gave me daggers any harder I woulda been bleeding Rio: Such an unlikely candidate, no offence Chlo hun but total Rio: always the girls with the least going for them, honestly Nancy: That's her specialty Nancy: What's it say about me that I used to think we were actually friends once Rio: She looks like she can play nice when she wants to Rio: with your Brother, like you said Rio: Ugh Nancy: Yeah. She didn't want to play nice after I came out but she did a convincing enough job before Rio: Bet she thought you were in love with her and everything? Rio: What a cliche mean girl Nancy: Oh she went one better and told everyone I made a move of her, which even I wouldn't Rio: Oh, don't flatter yourself Rio: What a cow! Yeah, she's not changed at all then, obviously I avoided her best I could but she was way too happy about my drama Nancy: Like I know what I did with Sian was bad but Nancy: Please, I do have some standards Nancy: What happened with you? I didn't even ask. What a cow I am Rio: Yeah, she's not a catch, whatever way you're swinging, sorry to be a bitch but you were first gurl and that's always gonna be a turn-off Rio: Oh nah, nothing major, well, it was very dramatic but over it whilst it was happening so I'm not bothered Rio: Curtis went with me and then decided to get all huffy and try and make me leave early 'cos I was 'dancing too sexy' or whatever Rio: when I wouldn't he literally left me there, considering he drove us over, he had the hotel key Rio: Cue mad rush trying to find a place to crash and a way back Rio: Safe to say he's chucked Nancy: Oh my god! There's no words for how out of order that is. What an utter prick! Nancy: Buster better have offered you my bed Nancy: I'll kill him if he never Rio: Oh yeah, he did Rio: Offered to pay the way back but I thought that was too far Rio: Between taking your bed and clothes, like, need to at least try and sort half of it myself, like! Nancy: At least he's not a total prick himself ALL the time Nancy: Remembering some of how he was raised now Nancy: Are you in London rn still? Rio: Yeah, I'd say we can give him that Rio: Will go to his head but what you gonna do Rio: I am Rio: Toying with staying for a bit but I'll defs get in more shit for doing that for going with Curtis in the first place so Rio: Should probs get the soonest flight back now Nancy: My bed and wardrobe are yours if you are staying Nancy: Did you see my mum and dad? Nancy: While we're mentioning being in lots of shit, like Rio: I appreciate it, Nance Rio: I did my best to avoid then, and succeeded, thankfully, not really the vibe I'm looking to give out to the olders like Rio: Buster didn't seem keen to talk to them either, so they may very well be on the warpath towards Dubo and you...Soz to confirm Nancy: Care to teach me some of your ways before they end my life? I'd REALLY appreciate it tbh Nancy: Fantastic. That sounds accurate Rio: Umm, get them drunk and they'll be sleeping as you sneak about like Anne Frank? Rio: ORRRRR, whilst they're mid-air, come back to London, ha Nancy: Get mum REALLY angry Nancy: Nice subtle nod to my gayness with the Anne Frank ref though Nancy: And you're definitely onto something with getting dad a drink Rio: Say you're coming to rescue me, I can be FAR more dramatic about this breakup than I'm really feeling Rio: edge of fucking tower bridge like Rio: of course, all bisexuals are upheld in the highest esteem in my household Rio: especially brave little jewish girls Nancy: Good plan, if I can be this dramatic about a non-break up then we can make this believable I'm sure Nancy: Take the heroics from my brother too, always great Nancy: I see the bed and clothes gesture and I raise you Rio: Everyone loves a bit of sibling rivalry put to use Rio: get us both off the hook in one fell swoop Rio: Only flaw in the plan is Chloe with the accent Rio: Going to have to work on that so she's outta the way by the time you get here Nancy: I'd suggest taking her to the bridge and pushing her off but I don't need to go to prison Rio: If you thought the gay jokes were bad now Nancy: Exactly Nancy: And nobody needs a rebound that badly, least of all me Rio: They say some people go to Prison for the roof over their head and three meals a day Rio: wonder if anyone has ever gone in purely for the pussay Nancy: As a vegetarian I feel I'd have to Nancy: If only casual sex was my thing. Wouldn't have got here Rio: Yeah, it ain't for everyone Rio: at least you didn't get to fuck her, THEN catch feelings Rio: that'd be even shittier like and what happens to so many girls in our year when they do the 'casual' thing Rio: no wonder they're being salty little bitches about it Nancy: But that way it wouldn't have been all in my head Nancy: Maybe they have a point, I don't know Rio: It wouldn't make this bit any easier Rio: the actual heartbreak shit Rio: the people being cunts, less so Rio: but they'll find any reason, someone else will be the target next week, like Nancy: I know you're right Nancy: And I don't want her life ruined so Rio: Yeah, but you gotta think about you and your life too Rio: She's fine Nancy: Don't rub it in, please Nancy: I feel like my life's over Rio: I know sweets Rio: but it ain't Rio: you'll just keep going Nancy: I know I will, but I don't want to. Like I know she couldn't love me but I still want her too Nancy: It hurts Rio: Its going to Rio: for a while yet Rio: revel in it Rio: how unfair it feels Rio: 'cos its not a sexuality thing, if you were straight or she was gay or whatever the fuck, when you feel like you love someone and they just don't back Rio: that's gonna hurt regardless of the how you got there Rio: its not just because she was a teacher, everyone's been there, like Rio: Promise Nancy: I wish everyone saw this how you do Nancy: You're the best Nancy: June too but he doesn't get this bit yet Nancy: Though he can appreciate the wonders this will do for my art Rio: Gotta suffer, might as well get paid for it Rio: or A's Rio: at the very least Rio: I don't know, Junior is so guarded, I wonder if he ever will, not that I wish that bit on him but you've gotta go through it so its better to get it over with really Nancy: Especially because my Irish grades are gonna take a dive Nancy: I think he will Nancy: He just needs the right one to fall for Nancy: I appreciate how that sounds coming from me rn but Rio: Oh the awkwardness of that first lesson back is gonna be Rio: I'll deffo come Home by then Rio: I hope so, I know he's not happy hiding who he is, so I don't think he's content being alone forever, like, either Nancy: Oh god please do. I'll need all the help I can get Nancy: He won't be. He's a catch. I keep telling him Rio: Pretty sure push it any harder and I'm being dragged back by my hair lmao Rio: Totally, he just needs to get a lil confidence Rio: Not a complete personality change but just enough to give him that push Nancy: We're working on it Rio: Yay! Shame we can't be real speedy about it, get him getting a man to distract all the attention from you like Nancy: That's okay I wouldn't wish it on him Nancy: I can handle it. Sort of Rio: Yeah you can Rio: You've got this Nancy: So our brother keeps saying. But he makes it we because he's everything Nancy: *your Rio: Y'all are cuties Nancy: If you could use your influence on my brother to make him bearable I'll be your best friend Rio: I definitely cannot make promises there Rio: He goes out of his way to be un Rio: but he's alright really, I think lol Nancy: I'll have to take your word on that Nancy: Until I talk to him myself Rio: Let me know how it all works out like Nancy: Definitely

[judeonthemove]

Livin' La Vida Locomotive

I'm not sure why I expected Ecuador to be a bit less developed than Peru, but I did and it isn't. The niceness of Baños wasn't an anomaly, which has been handy considering we'd discussed treating this month as more of a holiday. For our wedding anniversary we treated each other to some time apart and I went off to investigate the eponymous thermal baths of Baños. I jest of course, but the longest we've been out of each other's sight in nine months was just under four hours when I climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is not natural by anyone's standards.

For those of you who've had the pleasure of visiting the Thermae Spa in Bath, you need to clear your mind of that image. Baños baths are an altogether more basic proposition of four outdoor pools: one clear and cold, and three murky ones at the Goldiloocks temperatures of tepid, hot and cauldron. The hot water comes courtesy of the nearby volcano Tungurahua, while the cold water arrives direct from the waterfall above. $3 gets you an entry ticket and compulsory natty pink swim hat, but no instructions. I stared cluelessly at the watery chaos for a minute, a symphony of concrete cancer and trip hazards, before throwing my things in a crate and finding what seemed to be the right place to leave them. I also stared at the hole on the lower level, empty save for a woman with a broom. One of the pools was closed, but which one? Getting to work with the remaining three I soon rejected the tepid pool as it was essentially children soup. I'd been looking forward to the challenge of the cauldron, but of course it was that one that was closed. That left me with cold and hot, so I concentrated on maximising the difference. In addition to the cold pool were a set of cascade showers fed from a pipe inserted into the waterfall. Most of the locals were avoiding the cold water completely, or tricking each other into standing under it and laughing at the screams. As the only gringo woman in the place I was pretty conspicuous as the person who actually seemed to enjoy the freezing inundation. After a couple of hours I was fully pruned up and couldn't justify waiting another two hours for the super hot pool to fill. I squelched back in the drizzle to make myself presentable.

We had a look at the museum attached to the cathedral, which featured a great display of pre-Colombian pieces, some unbrilliant art, the extensive wardrobe of the local Virgen figurine, and a hilariously creepy room full of taxidermy, religious art, toy vehicles and typewriters. I never need to see the stations of the cross juxtaposed with poorly stuffed pumas ever again. In keeping with the Alpine flavour of the area, we went for dinner at a Swiss restaurant, where I promptly mixed up stroganoff and goulash and ordered the wrong dinner. What a numpty.

Another emerging feature of Ecuador has been the predictable and efficient bus system. Everything's clearly marked and they leave on time. Most of the long distance buses, regardless of the operator, cost about $1-1.5 per hour so you can have a reasonable guess as to when you're going to arrive. With Ecuador being a compact gem of a country, there weren't going to be any arduous legs. Two or three hours up the road was Riobamba. We were due to stay a couple of nights in order to play on the restored train line. What our guidebook failed to mention was that since it was published, they've changed the schedules and the daily train now runs from a town two hours further away. Whoops. We had no trouble entertaining ourselves in Riobamba and had a well timed visit to the city museum and gallery, while an orchestra rehearsed below. Having not heard any orchestral music since Australia, the sound brought a grin to my face and a tear to my eye. The snowy peak of volcano Chimborazo emerged from its cloud shrouds to loom in proprietary fashion over the city. Back at our hostal, the owners' confident small daughter assailed us with an incomprehensible monologue and barrage of questions and/or instructions that we were incapable of responding to. Bored of rearranging piles of unread Gideon bibles among the pot plants and fed up with my refusal to biro in them on command, she hid our room key and hit us both on the head with a stick. Highly entertaining but nevertheless a great reminder of why we don't have kids.

Alausi is a little town with a big claim to railway fame. Halfway down the newly restored Quito to Guayaquil line, it sits above La Nariz del Diablo (The Devil's Nose). I'm very partial to an epic train journey, and what this lacked in length it certainly made up for in engineering and sheer bloody-mindedness. Around two thousand men died to create 12kms of switchback track, descending an 800m rock face. We arrived in town and were most joyful to find that the train tracks ran up the middle of the street we were staying on. A couple of hours later and we were ensconced in a classic wooden carriage, slowly making our way down a cliff. My camera chose this moment to start malfunctioning with a blank screen, leaving me pressing the button and hoping for the best. As this is basically the extent of my photographic skill anyway, it didn't make a great deal of difference to the results. At the bottom was a little station with retail opportunities and a couple of horses and llamas to be used as photo props. The horses looked very much over it, but the llamas had some spirit left and concentrated on being noncompliant. We hid from the souvenir frenzy, but I got drawn in when the traditional dance display took a turn for the interactive. James stayed safely on the side-lines, in charge of incriminating pictures. Back in Alausi we checked into our lodgings and discovered that even the glowing reviews had not prepared us for how nice a hostal it was. Brand new contemporary styling, spotlessly clean, delicious breakfast, and with a massive comfy bed. I immediately declared that I was to be transported around Ecuador in said bed from then on, and it was with some regret that we moved on after one night. Rough calculations told us we had time to get to everywhere we wanted to see, but only if we kept rolling.

The route to the city of Cuenca assailed us with more handsome scenery than is seemly, scrolling down in scale through Alpine, Scottish Highlands, and Lake District. In a clear contrast to previous countries we've visited, there don't seem to be Inca-style terraces here. No matter how steep, the fields follow the line of the hills and are separated by shrubs or trees. The result is a verdant cornucopia of produce and a very different look to the countryside. The southern city of Cuenca was elegant and cultured, and we'd hoped our hostal with integral bar-restaurant would make for a lively weekend base. The hitch in this otherwise sound plan was the profoundly intrusive noise bleeding into all the bedrooms. We were prepared for the late night music, and indeed made good use of happy hour and the tasty menu on offer. What was less manageable was the 6am pounding rock wake up call. I shambled, incredulous, into the restaurant area to find the source was actually next door. A staff member told me with a shrug that their neighbour did it every day. And he did. Clearly there was some beef going on, resulting in the hostal guests being tortured with a sleep deprivation spit roasting. On the second night we coped by playing our own loud music which worked really well and still couldn’t be heard by the other guests over the general din. There is music everywhere in Ecuador, but the ‘80's and ‘90's pop and rock fetish of the rest of South America is not such a thing here. As such I have had withdrawal symptoms from the tracks we've heard most days since May, and James kindly downloaded Alphaville’s ‘Big In Japan’ to help with my DTs. I invite you to join me in my obsessive earworm: https://youtu.be/tl6u2NASUzU. Five hour sleep window notwithstanding, Cuenca itself lived up to its Unesco hype with beautiful colonial architecture, galleries and museums. A riverside walk took us further out to the suburbs. Cuenca was clearly one of the wealthiest places we'd been in months, as suggested by the number of aesthetic dentists, gyms and plush interior design studios. Strikingly as we left, our bus drove for miles before we saw anything like the simple breeze block and wood homes we've been accustomed to seeing.

Our flying visit to Ecuador's second city, Guayaquil, was achieved thanks to a stunning bus trip up and over the Parque Nacional Cajas. Sat on the continental divide with roads winding up over 4300m the first couple of hours was textbook glaciated landscapes of u-shaped valleys and interconnected lakes. My geography teachers might have despaired at my sixth-form attendance rate, but they did instil an absolute love of this stuff. Pine trees and eucalypts gave way to a tight, spongy carpet of mosses and tough grasses as we ascended into the clouds. With ears popping, our water filter bottles leaking under the pressure strain, and the inevitable altitude cough, I tried to make a mental note to be ginger with my deodorant. Every time we do this I forget, and end up with an unfortunate looking cream explosion in my armpit the first time I dislodge the roller ball. I forgot yet again of course, because travelling turns you into an in-the-moment goldfish brain. A brief stop at the top with the mists rolling and burning off in the ravines below allowed the poor bus a bit of a breather. Heading off again, we must have passed through some magic geography portal as we were straight into lush cloud forest. A great deal of down was followed quite suddenly by dead flat as we proceeded across to the coast. Acre upon acre of cacao, banana and pineapple plantations baked in the sun.

Guayaquil itself was a thriving, sprawling port city and we had one and a half days to get acquainted. We focused our efforts on a park full of iguanas, the expansive riverside promenade, the excellent free museums and galleries, and a pretty hillside neighbourhood topped with a stripy lighthouse. Our cheap as chips flophouse next to a main road was still quieter than the aesthetically pleasing but acoustically offensive hostal we'd had in Cuenca. The modern art gallery had an extensive ethnographic section and we became mesmerised by a documentary about a group of men who sailed from Ecuador to Australia on traditional balsa wood rafts. We sat there for over an hour, prompting a security guard to come looking for their missing in action visitors. When you essentially don't have anywhere to live, there's a risk of being in constant motion. Just sitting in a quiet place, and getting immersed in something can be a real treat. Guayaquil was our gateway to the beach, so off we went again. The scenery may have been unprepossessing barren-looking sand and gravel, but it showcased the quality of the highway. Uniquely among the South American countries we've visited, across Ecuador there are subtle hints of coherent government planning and investment. From the ubiquitous rainbow branding onwards, there is a feeling of continuity despite the radically different terrains of the forest, mountains and coast. The excellent road and bridge system is one of the most obvious indicators of massive infrastructure spending, but it's also there in the schools, healthcare facilities, emergency services provision, free museums and public spaces. It seems to connect the country without homogenising. It feels lovely to visit, and I hope that translates into the experience of actually living here as Ecuador recovers from the financial troubles of the recent past.

The highway wasted no time delivering us to tiny Oloncito. Unlike most of the Pacific coast of South America, Ecuador is blessed with inviting sandy beaches so this was the first opportunity for a sea swim in four months. I say swim, but the water was really more suited to surfers, so jumping around trying not to get knocked flat by waves is probably a more apt description. Our hostal was one of those quirky labours of love, set in a tropical garden with lots of knick-knacks, hammocks, great carpentry, and inventive use of concrete. Unusually, the building we were staying in was complete, but more typically one of the others was a work in progress and another had been left with the classic concrete uprights and sprouting steel reinforcements look. Imagined but never realised upper floors are the quintessential South American building practice. We were the sole guests, which suited us just fine. Down with another cold, I took the opportunity of spending a day with nothing more pressing to do but nap. Suitably rested, we spent the next day walking on the beach, chaperoned by the resident dog Dixie. Like most of the numerous dogs in these parts, Dixie was nominally owned but free to do as he pleased. What pleased Dixie was accompanying guests wherever they went, so he'd been for lunch at a beach cabaña, showed us round Olon, and now came miles up the beach. Dixie busied himself inspecting all the corpses of huge sea birds, puffer fish, and a big turtle. Nervy orange crabs scattered as we approached, flitting into holes in the sand. We turned round as the tide reached the top of the beach, and Dixie spent the return journey accelerating wildly into the surf chasing birds. I don't spend much time with dogs and am not generally a fan, but it was a great pleasure and entertainment to be in Dixie's company. Fully in holiday mode we committed the evening to good food and sangria.

Our nine month travelling anniversary saw us reluctantly crowbarring ourselves out of Oloncito and moving a not too challenging hour up the road to Puerto Lopez. Having found our brick and bamboo hut at the northern end of the tourist town, we alighted upon a seafood restaurant for lunch. Said restaurant had a resident floofy cat and we required little persuasion (read none) to share our laps and food. I have no poker face when it comes to cats anyway, but my desperation for mog company is utterly shameless now. Puerto Lopez was well stocked with felines so there was plenty of chances for a fuss. The sea off Puerto Lopez was well stocked with whales, another fluky bit of timing on our part. The obligatory boaty day trip took us out to sea and for a visit to Isla de la Plata. We'd been given a 100% guarantee of seeing whales, which boded well, but we tried to manage our expectations. An hour off the coast and there were humpback whales everywhere. The helm did a great job of manoeuvring into good positions so we could watch these magnificent creatures sliding through the water. I'm not sure you'd ever tire of whale tail salutes. Moving on, we visited the island for a couple of hours hiking and bird watching for nesting blue-footed boobies and frigate birds. I'm not sure you'd ever tire of the amusement of hearing the word ‘boobies' repeatedly. The birds were entirely unfazed by the visitors admiring their big turquoise feet and fluffy chicks. Turtles had surrounded the boat when we arrived, and afterwards we went round to a bay for snorkelling and general coral and fish wonderment.

Much as it would have been nice to tarry by the sea, we bid our final farewell to the Pacific and embarked on a ten hour, three bus slog into the mountains. Although a long day, it all went very smoothly and we had the entertainment of passing through the marvellously named Jipijapa on the way. It was only over the last couple of hours that we gained altitude, but once the climb began it did not muck about. Sunset found us above the clouds, like a duvet of pink candy floss, before the bus picked its way across to Zumbahua in the dark. Chucked off on the highway, we zig-zagged down into the almost deserted town and found a bed for the night on the square. Finding any tea was a little tricky as the only clearly advertised restaurant wasn't serving. Next door, in what looked like someone's tiny front room were four tables and a lady serving a great value set menu. Starving, we gratefully dug into the soup, chicken and refreshing chicha morada (purple corn drink) before heading to bed. Morning revealed Zumbahua to be no more busy by day, but we found a corner cafe where another lovely indigenous lady conjured up everything she had on offer for breakfast: pastries, chicken and rice, boiled eggs, juice, tea and coffee. It was a good job she did, as it would be twelve hours before we had anything else.

Zumbahua sits on what is known as the Quilotoa Loop, a multi-day Andean hiking route. Quilotoa itself is a volcano and while we were too time strapped for the full loop, we were keen to visit there. Waddling away from breakfast we caught a lift up the road. Quilotoa village appeared to have had a very recent and very comprehensive redevelopment, resulting in something of a The Prisoner does Middle Earth vibe. There was little going on, which served to heighten the undeniable presence of the rim. Picking our way in slightly the wrong direction through a stony car park and building site, we found the main viewing area. It was, exactly as advertised yet still difficult to believe, a ruddy great volcano crater lake. So we stood there admiring it, both starting to wonder what else we were going to do with our day. Well there was a path...and maybe we could walk round the rim for a bit...and well we're at least a third of the way round now and that high bit over there looks just about manageable...

Seven hours later we were chasing the sunset back into Quilotoa, James just about still with a spring in his step, and I with legs of jelly and lead. Sometimes you really question your own sanity. Our circumnavigation had been quite a scramble round the narrow ridge, on a path primarily featuring powdered granite. Asthma plus my latest cold did me no favours whatever, and we realised part way round that this was the highest elevation yet that we’d done vigorous exercise at. The high bit reliably informed us it was 3930m, which I appreciated from my position sprawled on the ground under the sign. You certainly value your views when you've worked for them. Vast rolling mountain landscape surrounded us, striped with fields and rent with canyons. Vibrant flowers, grasses and heather-like shrubs softened the vertiginous drops on both sides. Intermittent clouds behaved themselves but painted the lake a steely emerald. Pine and the woody scent of burned stubble filled the air around the crunchy path. Given that my dodgy knees make me less mountain goat and more Professor Yaffle on slopes, it wasn't the most elegant or proficient descent. Content that we had done the volcano justice, we negotiated a lift back to Zumbahua, squished in the front seat of a pickup. Evidently, Tuesday nights in Zumbahua are even quieter than Mondays, so we had to content ourselves with a beer, then crisps and chocolate for dinner, from one of the very local local shops.

A chilly, sunny day greeted us as we exited our guesthouse the next morning. A sheep trotted across the deserted square. We eschewed the chance of fried fish for breakfast and went straight up to the highway to wait for the bus. The bus was already there so it all proved mightily efficient. A couple more hours of gorgeous mountain scenes, with occasional llama spottings and a good workout for the brakes, and we were down in Latacunga. There was no particular reason for us to visit this city near Cotapaxi volcano, but it seemed like a sensible stop on route to the north. We found somewhere to stay and were pleasantly surprised to be overlooking the main square. The rest of the day involved eating and TV, which was just what was required. Evening entertainment came courtesy of an aerobics flashmob in the square, and the sight of a group of nuns enjoying a night out at the pizzeria, sitting below a large poster of the Vatican.

We bid farewell to Latacunga and set off for Mindo, a journey involving a bus to Quito, traversing the length of the capital from southern to northern bus terminals, and then another bus. Cloud cover blocked the potential view of Cotapaxi as we sped through the self-explanatory Volcano Alley. Quito snuck up quickly, but due to it's position in a twisty valley, there was no big reveal moment. The southern bus terminal was all gleaming airport-style modernity as we transited through to one of the cross-city bendy buses. Warnings about crowding and theft risk came to naught and we made it two thirds of the way up town before being turfed off and directed to another stop on a different line. Arriving at the northern terminal we needed, we were feeling pretty smug about being in time for the one o'clock bus to Mindo. The lady selling tickets, however, was not so confident. Our transactional Spanish has developed to the point where we can ask for things, which is fine as long as those things are available and the person doesn't really have to say anything to us in response. This was not one of those times. The one o'clock wasn't going to happen, but we had no idea why. Baffled by my blank face, the woman borrowed my phrasebook and managed “the way is closed”. This wasn't particularly enlightening so I gave up and had a grumpy, helpless sit down. James successfully procured tickets for the four o'clock and we sat for three and a half hours, contemplating the meaning of her gnomic proclamation. Later, sitting in traffic so bad that the driver turned off the engine and got out of the bus, we had some idea of what she might have referred to. As we were just five hundred metres short of the equator, James posited that there had probably been a pile-up caused as all the vehicles turned the right way up for the northern hemisphere. We never did figure it out, but the road cleared, we took our latitude screenshots and the bus clambered off into the cloud forest in the failing light. It would have been a beautiful journey...on the one o'clock bus. Four hours later than expected, and after James narrowly avoided starting a barney with a nun as we tried to get off the bus, a nice cold beer was the only way to say hello to Mindo.

The morning brought hummingbirds and a large group of young Americans to our hostal. There's nothing like vocal fry grating around a hammock attic to cut through a lie-in. The hummingbirds however, were delightful, flitting and chirruping around. In the light of day, Mindo was revealed as a pretty little hippy town sitting in a bowl of forested hills. With only one road out, all other paved thoroughfares ended abruptly in trees, and were liberally decorated with snoozing dogs. We had a nice lazy day pottering around and avoiding the inevitable cloud forest rain. When choosing our accommodation we’d narrowed it down to two, both the same sort of price, and both with resident cats mentioned in the reviews (I told you it was bad), but plumped for the one with the great chill out area. The cat, a spirited little ginger, appeared when it rained and stood on my shoulders for a few minutes when I picked it up. The hostal owners didn't know what its name was or even if it had one, so we really weren't sure who had adopted who. We had vowed to be more active the next day, so set off in a cab up the mountain to the tarabita cable car. The cable car involved an open cage powered by a car engine. This led into a series of gorges full of prehistoric-looking plants, and waterfalls where you were encouraged to swim. An hour of steep forest paths later and we were at the top of a flight of waterfalls. James waited patiently as I insisted in swimming in each one on the way down. I became more soggy, dishevelled and excitable, until we ran out of waterfalls and hiked up to the cable car and back down the mountain. Needing to secure bus tickets for the next day, we went back via the high street, which involved passing the other hostal we'd considered. Surely we wouldn't happen upon Felipe, cat of Booking.com review fame. Of course we would! Felipe turned out to be a super-sociable ginger who fairly demanded a through belly rub. Mindo was full of cats, including at one of the general stores where we spied one nestled among the bananas. After a thorough shower, Saturday night proceeded in pizza and cocktails fashion.

Despite the excellent distracting cat action, we had managed to procure bus tickets, so it was off to Otavalo via the bus stations of northern Quito. Sunday traffic made this pleasingly straightforward and we were quickly through the city and heading north across the equator again. The seemingly brand new highway entered a huge, complicated valley which had been carved up and sprayed with more concrete than I've ever seen. The engineering involved was both shocking and impressive. We wound through the crumbly, cactus strewn mountains, chased by angry clouds and beat the rain to Otavalo. And here we are, in a third floor corner room with full on volcano panorama view. We've seen and done so much in Ecuador that it's exhausting just trying to remember it all. Only two weeks left now. We've gotta keep on keepin’ on!