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elencelebrindal · 3 years

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Female Cloths that have no reason to exist

You all know what I’m talking about, right? Yeah, you do. You absolutely do.

I’m talking about three specific instances of Silver Cloths that, instead of looking like armor and acting like armor, are more like... oh, you’re a girl? Let’s show that body! Let’s have nothing but a pathetic excuse of armor that should you try to fight will have you easily stabbed in the guts.

What pisses me off is not the (bad) design itself. It’s the fact that the Silver Cloths are described are armors that cover the body more than the Bronze Cloths. Yet, we have Marin, Shain and Yuzuriha wearing nothing. These Cloths should adapt to the body of the wearer, right? Well, I want you to imagine how those pathetic armors would adapt to a man’s body. It’s so painfully clear that those armors (or lack of armors) were designed without keeping practicality in mind, but just to have something revealing.

This is a really long post, so I’m hiding it under the “read more”, but I wanted to put my thoughts out there because I’m honestly tired.

We have example of functional armor. We have June (who’s still better in Awakening as far as design goes, imo), and we have Thetis.

So first of all, let’s take a look at those good ones, shall we?

This is, in my opinion, one of the best armors I’ve seen worn by a woman on this series. It’s not different from an armor you would see a man wear, just adapted to fit a woman’s body. It has everything; gauntlets, boots, cuirass, pauldrons... nothing’s missing. A perfect example of how an armor should look. Not a comparison for a Silver Cloth, because the probability of a Silver Cloth having less pieces is high, but a comparison between a good decision and a bad decision.

This is really good for a Bronze Cloth. The amount of armor, given the description of those Cloths, is perfect. She has everything, and at the same time not too much, perfect for an armor of that rank, since we know that the Bronze Cloth cover the smallest amount of the body when compared to Silver and Gold. The only thing I don’t like is that she has an impossible “catsuit” (I really don’t have any better ways to call that) under it. It would make way more sense if the upper part was more like a tank top, than whatever sorcery is going on. You ever tried to wear sleeveless anything? You know that stuff slips off continuously. Aside from that, she’s amazing.

The main reason why I wanted to present these examples to you is to clarify that I’m not complaining about how much of the body is shown. There’s plenty more male characters that literally are unable to stay dressed on this show (Shiryu, I’m talking to you, wear a goddamn shirt for once). I’m complaining about how unfair it is to have female characters being so... in a way, objectified. We have good examples, so why not using those examples for characters that should need more than what they’re given?

To make this even more clear, another armor that has no reason to exist is this:

Because honestly, a Surplice covering nothing of importance is really useful.

I’m focusing on the female characters here because, while half a Surplice is bad, is not as bad as women wearing Silver Cloths that are supposed to be a better protection than Bronze Cloths and instead they get to wear metallic underwear.

This little armor:

only makes sense for a Bronze Saint. They are supposed not to have a lot of it. And yet, this example in particular has more pieces than the classic Eagle Cloth. It does nothing, but it literally covers more than a Silver Cloth. This armor also has boots, of course.

Let’s tackle the problem, shall we?

Try to convince me that she’s not wearing just a goddamn metal bra. Come on. This is not armor. This is Marin opening her closet, finding one of her fanciest bras, and wearing it alongside those gifts that are actual armor parts.

The smallest Bronze Cloth of the classic series has a large total of pieces. Boots, gauntlets, some kind of cuirass, pauldrons, knee guards, helmet (in Saint Seiya the definition of helmet is weird, by now we know). Some of them also have those pieces that in a suit of armor could be faulds or tassets, some of them have simple belts, some have cuissess. Give or take 1 to 3 pieces, basically. The smallest proper Silver Cloth has the same pieces, only they cover much more of the body. Or at least, they should, but we have examples of Silver Cloths literally being the same as Bronze Cloths. It makes me kinda frustrated, but knowing that those armors are stronger gives me a bit of peace. The best Silver Cloth is the Lyra Cloth, obviously, since it actually matches the description accordingly.

So... we have what? 2 for the boots, 2 for the gauntlets, 1 for cuirass, 2 for the pauldrons, 2 for the knee guards, 1 for the helmet, and give or take 1-3 pieces for the “optional” ones I mentioned. It’s 10 pieces of armor.

How many pieces is the Eagle Cloth composed of? 0 boots, 1 gauntlet, 1 breastplate (in absence of other words to call that), 1 plauldron, 2 knee guards, 1 helmet. It’s 6 pieces of armor. She’s supposed to have the same, if not more, compared to a Bronze.

Not only that, have you seen what she’s wearing under it? How is that even remotely comfortable in battle? You know how many times that weird... what the hell is that? A tight high sock? would slip down during a fight? Unless she glued it in place, I highly doubt it’s a good fighting outfit. It would have been better for her to wear either a single catsuit, or even to keep the leotard but have both of the red tights (preferably leggings uh, you don’t go to battle in tights) be a full piece.

The manga armor actually has one more piece. It’s not much, but it’s something. It resembles way more how other Cloth’s are treated, when the breastplate is so small. However, it’s still missing boots. There’s literally no other Cloth, save for Ophiuchus, that doesn’t have boots. What now, they are too much for a woman to handle? June and Thetis have boots. Marin gets leg warmers and shoes she has to personally provide, apparently, because her Cloth is a discount one. I get that it has to resemble an eagle, but come on. There’s totems depicting smaller animals that have more stuff.

This artwork I found is from CamilleAddams on Deviantart:

See how easy is to give her a proper armor? It’s still missing the boots, but it’s already much better. It looks like a Silver Cloth, now. And this is only one of the many “updates” I’ve seen made by artists way more talented that I could ever aspire to be.

This is my own sketch of a proper Eagle Cloth:

Is this really so unrealistic? To have an actually good Cloth for a Silver Saint?

Now, time to take a look at Shaina.

How many pieces is this armor comprised of? 1 breastplate, 2 pauldrons, 0 boots, 1 gauntlet, 1 helmet, 2 knee guards. A total of 7 pieces, just one more that Eagle. 3 less than a basic Bronze Cloth.

The same exact discourse applies to the Ophiuchus Cloth. Copy-paste what I wrote for the Eagle Cloth and use it here. Also the hot pink leg warmers paired with yellow HEELS (which yes, are stupid), green leggings and brown leotard are a spectacular combo. Who in the fresh hell decided the colors for her, this is a disaster more than her Cloth.

At least she actually has no gaps between leotard and (hopefully) leggings.

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but the Omega Ophiuchus Cloth is so much better than this, at least in base concept. The art is as ugly as my face in the morning, but the concept is legit.

Look at this, ridiculous but PROPER armor.

Once again, the manga has one more piece. It looks like she’s not wearing shoes, but it’s the manga, I give that a pass.

But this particular Cloth makes me unbelievably angry, and you know why? Because the Ophiuchus Gold Cloth exists. And the Ophiuchus Gold Cloth is the proof that this thing doesn’t need to be so useless, because if that can be proper armor, this could be as well. It’s a design choice, and it’s a poor one to say the least.

Look at the Gold Ophiuchus Cloth (render by LadyHeinstein on Deviantart):

Look at this, and tell me that a decent suit of armor couldn’t be conjured for the Silver Cloth as well. The Ophiuchus constellation is literally a man holding a snake. There’s no excuse for not having a human-like Cloth like, I don’t know, the Andromeda Cloth. Instead, Shaina gets a version that’s not even half a human figure, with nothing to wear but discounted armor that honestly should go straight back to the shop where it came from.

This is what makes me even angrier when it comes to this particular Cloth.

Again, this is an “updated” version of the Ophiuchus Cloth by CamilleAddams on Deviantart:

See how much better it is? How much more realistic it looks, when it comes to Saint armor? It looks like a proper Silver Cloth like this, even with no boots.

In comparison, here’s my own sketch (much lower quality, I know) of the Cloth:

It’s not that difficult! Just have them wear the same stuff their companions wear, is this so much to ask?

But now we come to the best one. Peak character design. So amazingly appropriate for battle that it’s stunning. Crane Yuzuriha from The Lost Canvas.

What. The. Absolute. Fuck.

How is that a Silver Cloth? How is that a Cloth? Come on!

Leaving aside the fact that I hate how she doesn’t wear the mask (I made a post about this whole issue, back in the day, I’ll try to link it as soon as I can), she has basically no armor on expect for her legs and arms. Whatever bullshit is going on on her chest is everything but armor. She has sandals, for gods sake. Sandals. You don’t want to be a Saint wearing sandals, this is not Ancient Romans having wars for breakfasts, this is a supernatural warrior constantly kicking the shit out of stone and trees (generally speaking). How are sandals something appropriate for a Saint? This is the same exact stuff I wrote for the skirts of the Saintias, it’s not appropriate for the setting.

But let’s leave this, and let’s tackle what she (doesn’t) wear under her armor. Yuzuriha, my dear, I know that you have abs of steel and you want to show off, but that’s an excellent way to get injured all over with no effort whatsoever. Unless you have invulnerable skin, you’d want to wear something better than booty shorts and bandages that are apparently glued on her boobs. Wear at least something like June, if you don’t want to have sleeves. This is a design flaw, not something beautiful. The concept is good on its own, but a Saint should NOT be dressed like that. They’re constanly being thrown at whatever surface is the hardest at the moment. Imagine your bare skin sliding at the speed of sound on rocks and dirt. It’s not only unpractical, is technically dangerous. And I get it, this is an anime, everyone is invulnerable unless blood is needed, but even then this is utterly ridiculous.

And now, the most ridiculous thing of them all: the breastplate. It’s literally two sheets of silver feathers apparently glued to her skin. Nothing more. It’s not armor, it just... it’s literally nothing. She’s better off not wearing it, at this point, because it’s useless.

She would just need a better breastplate/cuirass for that Cloth to be appropriate. Everything else is fine (minus the heels, but at this point why do I even try). In comparison, a male Saint wearing that Cloth would probably end up shirtless, either the Cloth adjusts itself to the body or not. Who in their right mind would go in battle shirtless????? (yeah yeah, Shiryu and Dohko, but those two have armor on when they don’t act like strippers, at least pay them good money dammit).

What infuriates me is knowing how the other Silver Cloths are like. It’s painfully obvious that Yuzuriha had to be the edgy woman with revealing clothes and armor, when you look at the REAL Silver Cloths of this series.

Those shrtless dudes also want trouble, but at least they are somewhat covered. They still need to wear a goddamn shirt, but they also have more armor. Why they can be THIS normal, but Yuzuriha has to look like she lost half her armor in a dumpster fire and tried to make to with the remnants?

I really like her as a character, and I don’t mind her wearing what she wears (dude, she’s can afford to dress like that, I wish), but the Cloth is terrible.

The women in Saint Seiya Omega were better equipped than these three poor souls. I don’t like that series at all, and I forgot at least half of it (if not more) since the last time (aka the first) I watched it, but they do have more properly designed armors. These three - Marin, Shaina, and Yuzuriha - are a perfect example of what you don’t have to do when designing armor for female characters, unless you don’t actually need the armor and it just aesthetic. June and Thetis, on the other hand, are the perfect example of what you HAVE to do when designing armor for female characters, following the circumstances and the setting.

Thank you for reading my (way too long) essay. Have a good day.

#saint seiya #i cavalieri dello zodiaco #los caballeros del zodiaco #os cavaleiros do zodiaco #knights of the zodiac #the lost canvas #silver saints #bronze saints #eagle marin #ophiuchus shaina #crane yuzuriha

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anjuschiffer · 4 years

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Amira Wayne - Chapter 2

Day 2 of Bio!Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020! Woo! And, follow @biodad-bruce-month for more content!

Note: The AO3 Link to this fic will be on the first chapter only.

Chapter 2: Father-Daughter Bonding

P.Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan

Tag: @vixen-uchiha @we-want-mini-mini @ramos123

MASTERLIST | Prev

Bruce looked at Amira, stumped by her wailing.

At first he thought it was because she already missed Talia, but it’s been a solid three hours since then and she never cried between that time until now. It wasn’t until he had placed her on his bed that she started to become fussy, her small hands waving all over the place.

Perhaps she adored being held?

“Master Bruce - good heavens! What is that- is that a child you have there Master Bruce?” Alfred asked as he stepped into Bruce’s bedroom with a tray of tea, appalled by the odor in the room.

“Meet Amira...my daughter.” Bruce introduced, watching as Alfred set down the tray, slowly approaching the wailing girl.

“Pardon me Master Bruce, but when was the last time you changed the young miss?”

“Changed?” Bruce asked, glancing at Alfred and then at Amira. “As in, clothes?”

“I meant her diaper.” Alfred clarified, picking up Amira and bouncing her in his arms, Bruce not liking how easily Amira stopped crying. “I will bathe the young miss while you start heading to the nearest baby store. Here’s a list of things I need you to buy.”

Alfred quickly took out his notepad and scribbled away, tearing off two sheets worth of writing and handing it to Bruce. “Hurry now. We don’t have all evening.”

And so Bruce was pushed out of his room, sent on a mission to buy... baby things…

“Do you need help si- Mister Wayne! Oh! I-um...how can I help you?” The store worker asked him, averting her gaze.

What was the richest person in Gotham doing in a department store like the one she worked in?!

Bruce looked at her name tag. Elizabeth. He’ll make sure to pay her for his troubles.

“Hi, I’m looking for all of these items, but I’ve searched throughout this store and can’t seem to find them.” Bruce said, handing Elizabeth the list Alfred had given him. He watched as the young girl’s eyes widened before looking at Bruce and back at the list.

“You can find all of these on our third floor, in the baby department.” Elizabeth provided, stifling a laugh when Bruce looked at her confused.

There was a third floor? “Would you like it for someone to-”

“Please.” Bruce practically begged, Elizabeth nodding. Bruce watched as she ran to a fellow coworker, gestured at him before running back to him. Bruce noticed the way the other coworker paled when she saw him.

“Well Mister Wayne, my name is Elizabeth and I’ll be glad to be of service.”

“Thank you so much.”

Bruce spent the next three hours being led by Elizabeth around the baby section, only then noticing that he really wasn’t up to the task.

When Elizabeth talked about Amira’s age, Bruce didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how old she was, what she was able to do or even eat. Vaccines? Apparently, babies needed that too.

“I also suggest talking to your daughter frequently.” Elizabeth states, picking up another adorable outfit for Amira. You can never go wrong with dresses. “Talking to her would help enhance her speech, especially if she’s not babbling. Babbling should be common for her if she’s around six months old.”

“How do you know so much?” Bruce decided to ask, looking at the cart that was almost filled to the brim with supplies and clothes. There were bottles, sippy cups, plastic bowls, bibs, a few interactive toys, a white crib and a stroller. Oh...and diapers...lots of them.

“Well, I want to become a pediatrician, so I often find myself reading about child development and such during my time off.” Elizabeth told him with a soft smile. “And then there’s the fact that I practically raised my two younger siblings since they were newborns. I often helped my mother take care of them, absorbing all the new knowledge like a sponge.

While it sounds like she dumped a bit of the responsibility on me, I know my mother meant well. A slice of what it meant to be a mother, to be responsible for another life.”

Bruce hummed at her answer, picking up a white pajama on the rack, wondering if Amira would even like it. Does she even know what a bee was? Did she even know what was going on? Did he even know what was going on? What his life was for him now?

“I wonder if I’m up to the task.” Bruce muttered to himself, but Elizabeth heard it loud and clear.

“No one is born knowing what they’re expected to do and be ready for.” Elizabeth said, picking up another outfit. “Sometimes, we just have to go with the flow and see where we land.”

Bruce repeated those words mentally, picking up another pajama, a yellow this time, it had a sheep on it.

Go with the flow, huh?

After spending hours in the baby area, Bruce was ready to go home, mentally relaying the notes Elizabeth had given him.

He started laying out the plans he had in mind for Amira’s nursery, deciding on using the room next to his. While the only way to enter it was through the main door, he could always make another door that connected the nursery and his room for easier access.

After unloading everything from the car to inside the manor, Bruce decided to bring some fresh clothing to the last place he saw Alfred and Amira, panic setting into him when he heard wailing coming from the room.

Bruce pushed the door open, seeing Alfred with Amira in his arms, the girl reaching for something that wasn’t there.”

“Welcome back Master Bruce.” Alfred wearily said, the two noticing that Amira quickly looked over to Bruce, her small hands no longer searching for him. Her wails became hiccups as she continued to stare at Bruce. “Look, Amira. It’s your father. I told you he would be back.”

As soon as Alfred said those words, Amira began to cry again, Bruce quickly taking her from Alfred and began to walk her around the room. He then remembered that Elizabeth had told him.

He should talk to her.

“Amira. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Bruce listened as her wails grew softer. “I went to buy some things, but now I’m back.”

Bruce listened as Amira softly stopped crying, now tiny hiccups escaping her. “There, there.”

“I’ve seen you’re starting to step up to the task, Master Bruce.”

“Someone has to look after her. Who better than us, her family?” Bruce asked, then realizing that Amira had yet to be clothed.

Bruce wandered to the bags, quickly taking out the mountain of clothing.

He quickly sets Amira down on the bed so that he can organize the clothing. In doing so, he missed how Amira sat up. He only noticed it when she had crawled to sit in front of him.

She can sit. And crawl.

“If she can sit by herself and is starting to crawl, she may already be six months old.”

Bruce watched as Amira took a liking to the two clothing articles in front of her. Or rather, the two pajamas. More specially the white and yellow pajamas that Bruce had picked out - the sheep and the bee respectfully.

He watched in wonder as Amira stared at them, looking between the two for a while before patting the yellow onesie with the sheep on it.

“Sheep it is then.” Bruce said, unbuttoning the pajama. How did he forget the onesie that goes underneath?

He quickly clothed Amira, clasping the last button to find Amira looking at him with her wide green eyes.

“You are a natural.” Alfred decided to speak up, watching as Bruce picked up Amira with confidence.

“Or perhaps I’m willing to learn.” Bruce stated, watching as Amira yawned, watching her start to doze off. “One day at a time.”

The two men luckily found out that Amira was seven months old, thanks to the birth certificate and other documents Talia had left in the baby carrier. It made certain legal procedures go more smoothly, while for others, it took some time.

As days went by, Bruce and Alfred started to notice that Amira was smarter than what she let on.

She knew to not place anything in her mouth that wasn’t food, something that both Bruce and Alfred appreciated. Bruce quickly found out that she liked to observe items, Amira often gazing at a toy for minutes, listening to a rattle make the faintest sound as she passed it from one chubby hand to the other.

She would recognize the places she was in, lay down when she was in the crib and remain seated while she was on the couch or in a chair. Alfred found out that she adored watching him cook, her eyes following every movement he made as he prepared dinner as she sat in her highchair.

Alfred also found out that she was very fond of strawberries and apples, Alfred melting when Amira would grace him with the largest smile possible when she would realize that Alfred had made her favorite purees.

She would smile and frown but would never make a sound that wasn’t a cry. Even when Bruce noticed that she wanted to let out a cry, she never whimpered or sniffled. It was as if she was suppressing those emotions. Luckily, after paying Dr.Leslie Thompkins a visit, Bruce learned that it was just a habit she must have learned while she was with Talia. Thompkins assured Bruce that by talking with Amira more, it would help her unlearn that habit. Surely enough, the doc was right.

Amira soon grunted, babbled and rambled more frequently and at random points in the day. Babbling not only helped her get Bruce’s attention, but also made him smile more. Amira soon learned that ‘Dada’ made him smile even more, especially when he would not be home for longer periods of time. As much as she adored Alfred, no one beats Dada.

Now having a system of communication, Bruce would often coax Amira to come towards him, Amira standing just three steps away from him.

He would watch as she would proudly stand by herself before taking a single wobbly step towards him. Another two steps followed slowly after, Amira bursting into a giggling fit when she reached Bruce.

Those tiny steps soon turned into hops, strides and jumps, Bruce not believing how quickly time had passed.

He watched her grow before his eyes, feeling a smile grow on his face as he kept listening to Amira read to him.

“-ate through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better.” Amira said, turning the page. “Now he wasn’t hungry anymore and- is there something wrong Dad?” Amira asked, Bruce wondering what she meant. “You’re crying.”

“Am I know?” Bruce asked, raising his hand to his eyes, wiping away what was a tear. Seems like he was. “It’s nothing. Probably some dust got into my eye.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t be patrolling tonight?” Amira asked, showing Bruce himself in the form of a Batman plushie.

It’s been two years since Bruce became Batman, all thanks to a single incident that almost cost him his life. He almost left Amira in the same situation as him when he was ten...

He needed to make Gotham a safer place for his daughter, what better way than striking fear into criminals?

Some people of the general public are glad to have him, despite it being a mere eight percent. Everyone else fears him, except Gotham’s villains...and his own daughter. It didn’t take long for her to find out he was Batman. Then again, it’s not like Bruce was trying to keep it a secret from her.

As for the Batman plushie, it was a gift from Alfred to Amira, something about having Bruce always with her.

Bruce smiled at the plushie, getting up from the bed and tucking Amira in.

“As much as Gotham needs Batman, you also need me to tuck you into bed.”

“Dad, I’m seven. I can do it myself.”

“Does that mean you don’t want me to tuck you in anymore?” He watched as Amira pursed her lips before sinking into the comforter some more.

“I still like being tucked into bed.” Amira muttered, gaining a chuckle from Bruce. “Are we still going to the circus tomorrow?” Amira asked, springing up, watching her father’s face for some type of confirmation.

“Amira,” Bruce said with a frown, tucking one of her hair strands behind her ear. “Remember what we talked about?”

Amira hung her head, looking at Batman in her hands. It was times like this that Amira wished they never lived in Gotham, that her father wasn’t a billionaire...

“If it’s a place where the public knows you or a place that I can easily be spotted, I can’t go.” Amira recited, letting a frown replace her smile. She threw herself back onto her bed, throwing her comforter over her head.

Bruce let out a heavy huff.

“Goodnight.” He whispered, deciding to let her be. As soon as he stepped out of her room, Bruce faced Alfred.

“Is Miss Amira asleep already?” Alfred asked, motioning to the tray with a cup of milk. “She usually drinks a glass before going to sleep.”

“She’s awake, but I wonder if she would even talk.” When he saw Alfred lift a brow, Bruce decided to continue. “I told her she couldn’t join me to go watch the Haly’s Circus tomorrow. The press already knows I’m going, I can’t let them know about Amira just yet.”

“With all due respect Master Bruce,” Alfred began, opening the door to walk in. “The longer you keep hiding her from the public, the harder it will be to keep it that way. You can’t keep sheltering her away from a world she deserves to see. To be in.”

Bruce was left with those words in his mind, wondering what he should do.

Ever since he was assaulted, he vowed to protect Amira, even if it meant that she could not step foot outside the manor.

When she turned three, Bruce made sure to homeschool her, teaching her the basics of English, which included reading and writing. One she was five, he taught her the basics in math and science. As a side subject, Bruce was starting to teach her French, hoping to teach her mandarin when she grows older.

But now that Alfred was stating that Bruce should allow Amira to go out, Bruce wondered if he had been approaching this situation wrong this entire time.

But what if villains found out about her being his daughter? Of being a Way-

Bruce stood there in his thoughts for a while before an idea wouldn’t leave his head. Why didn’t he think about this sooner?

Amira let out a gasp as she entered the circus tent, gaping at how large it was, taken aback at how many people there were inside the tent.

There was even a second level inside the tent!

“Is it usually this crowded?” Amira asked the man next to her. Or rather, Tom Dupain - her ‘father.’

“I heard it’s like this because of Mr.Wayne visiting the circus today, but it usually is this crowded during Sunday shows.” Tom provided, watching as Amira continued to look around, a smile escaping him.

He always wondered what it felt like to have a child, wondering if he was even up to the task.

When Bruce Wayne had reached out to him to look after his daughter, Tom Dupain accepted the honor. After all, it was thanks to Bruce that his tiny bakery in Gotham was taking off, Tom’s dream of being a well known bakery taking form. All it took was one gala and Tom’s pastries for his dream to take off, Tom knowing he owed Bruce a huge favor.

He had met the young Wayne at that very gala, the girl having snuck into the kitchen to get a taste of one of his pastries. Amira Wayne - Tom only knew her as Amira and the granddaughter of Mr.Alfred Pennyworth. Tom didn’t think Amira was Bruce’s daughter as there was no news about the young Wayne.

While Tom had only known her for a few moments before Alfred shooed her away, Tom had grown a soft spot for the child.

“Mr.Dupain-”

“Tom is fine.”

“Mr.Tom,” Amira corrected herself. “Thank you for letting me be here today.” Amira said, holding Tom’s hand with both of hers.

Just as Tom was about to respond, the ringmaster chose that moment to begin the show.

Amira watched as the ringmaster welcomed the people and shouted out her father, seeing him across the tent, smiling when they saw each other.

The ringmaster then introduced the Flying Graysons, Amira’s eyes widening at how high up the family was. She wondered if her own father would allow her to be that high up.

With the cheering of the crowd, Amira watched with wonder as the Grayson’s started their performance, starting with a somersault. She watched as the man caught his wife with ease, the woman sending a salut before going onto the platform. Amira watched with absolutely glee as she watched the son do two somersaults in the air before returning back to the platform.

Amira listened as the ringmaster announced the Graysons' famous trick. Amira stood at the edge of her seat, feeling her heart thump loudly against her chest. She watched as the woman spun once, twice...thrice! But as soon as she was caught by her husband, the string of the bar snapped, Amira feeling her heart come to a stop.

She watched as the two fell and just as they were two were mere feet away from touching the ground, her eyes were covered.

Amira would never forget the screams she heard as she was ushered out of the tent. She heard Tom whisper to her that everything was going to be okay in rushed French.

That everything was fine.

That was the first and last time she was allowed to step out of the manor for a very long time.

#maribat #bio!dad bruce wayne month 2020 #b!dbwm2020 #bio!dadbrucewaynemonth2020 #amira wayne #anju writes

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imaginedhaven · 4 years

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Rules of Engagement: Chapter Nine

Link to Masterpost

Got this one out for you as quickly as I could, y’all! Hope you enjoy.

~*~*~

The Vaults were everything a princess such as Aelin should avoid. The building was tucked away in the heart of Rifthold’s slums, dim and positively reeking of subpar ale and human sweat among other, far worse scents, and shady deals were being struck in practically every corner available. Small nooks with ragged curtains housed women and men selling their company for the night, and a large unmarked pit was in the center of the main room. The two cutthroats brawling in the center of it made its purpose clear enough.

Rowan truly wished she had allowed him to venture here alone, but he supposed that would rather ruin the point of their visit.

Aelin wandered back over to him, hips swaying in a confident swagger as she carried a mug of ale in each hand. “You could try to look less like an outsider, you know,” she grinned.

Rowan took a deep, calming breath and immediately regretted it. “We are outsiders,” he pointed out. “You have a better chance of blending in than I.”

“Oh, please,” she replied. “You could start by looking less grumpy. Have you smiled in the last century?”

“That’s terrible advice,” he argued. “We’re in a dump, surrounded by hardened criminals. Perhaps you’ll get somewhere by smiling, but it would only look stranger if I did.”

Aelin caught his gaze as she handed him one of the mugs, turquoise eyes searching his for something. Is it going to be a problem? she seemed to ask.

He shook his head minutely. Even among the Fae, he was long used to standing out. He would adapt, as he always did.

That determination didn’t stop him from tugging the hood of his cloak lower as he followed Aelin deeper into the crowd, though.

She weaved her way around the building, every step projecting an easy confidence as she looked at the people they passed with a tiny smirk and eyes that missed nothing. These were not the movements of a princess who had remained in her castle, he realized. No, this was what her assassin had taught her. This was the side of her he had encountered that first night.

It was not Aelin Galathynius he was following toward the fighting ring. No, it was her face, but it was Celaena Sardothien looking back at him through those eyes.

It was truly amazing just how different and yet similar the two were, now that he had spent time with both sides of her. Celaena was everything that Aelin was never allowed to be, all harsh edges and crude swagger as she faced her problems with the sharp blades he knew she had tucked in a surprising number of places given the fit of her trousers. By adopting Celaena’s more catlike grace and dark outfits, she could pass largely unnoticed where Aelin would ordinarily be recognizable by her golden hair and Ashryver eyes.

The determination that shone in those eyes, however, was a common thread between both personas, as was the feral smirk that graced her features as she approached the men who were running the fights.

“Name?” one of them grunted.

“Celaena Sardothien,” she purred. “Looks like an… exciting venture you have here.”

“Are you here to talk or fight?” the man snapped, and Rowan barely restrained himself from baring his canines in response to the implicit threat to her safety.

Aelin grinned and reached toward the man, tracing a single fingertip down the center of his chest. “I don’t suppose I’d get to fight you, would I?” she smirked.

It was clever, what she was doing. However, despite the obvious success she was having in setting the man on edge Rowan found himself unable to approve of her tactics. The man clearly disapproved as well, for soon she was set to fight one of the toughest competitors he had been able to find.

Aelin seemed unfazed as she allowed him to check her for weapons and then slid down into the ring, but Rowan felt a thrill of nerves on her behalf. It would be one thing if she were allowed to fight with magic, or even with her knives, but he knew she had only recently begun to learn hand-to-hand combat. A few weeks’ practice with her cousin couldn’t possibly be enough to win here.

If Aelin shared his concerns, she didn’t show it. Instead she sized her opponent up with a confident smirk, eyes never quite meeting his face but tracing along his form. “Well, this ought to be exciting, don’t you think?” she drawled.

As she circled him, keeping to the edge of the ring, Rowan suddenly realized exactly what she was doing. She had sized him up, and realized that in a competition of brute strength she was going to be found wanting. Instead, she was doing her best to keep her competitor on edge and irritated. It was either going to explode in her face, or it was one of the most brilliant tactics he’d seen.

As she had obviously wanted him to do, he shouted and ran toward her, hands curled into fists. Rowan watched her smirk widen into a full grin before she dropped to her knees, landing one solid hit between his legs and a second to the back of a knee before rolling away.

These were not tactics her cousin would have taught her. No, these would have been taught by her former lover, or perhaps from someone who had come into her guard from a less savory beginning. They way she fought now was not about honor, but survival, and Rowan grudgingly admired her for it.

That did not stop his fingers from curling around the hilt of a knife as the man advanced again, all the more enraged now that Aelin had humiliated him once. Only the rules of their bout, few as they were, stopped him from intervening.

In the privacy of his own thoughts, Rowan could also admit that interfering would likely only enrage Aelin, and he was not stupid enough to do so without a need for it, not now that they had finally reached some level of understanding.

This time Aelin stomped on the man’s foot before whirling just out of reach, using the agility her smaller frame provided, and Rowan allowed himself to grin as her opponent swore. Judging from the way he was moving she had broken at least one bone in his foot, and his anger would make him clumsy while the injury would slow him further.

Rowan growled and the crowd hissed as Aelin’s opponent pulled a knife in flagrant violation of what few rules there were. It would have been within Aelin’s rights to end the match there, but instead she simply grinned and pulled her own blade from her boot.

Rowan felt the tension leave his shoulders at her grin, and he allowed a small smirk of his own to grace his features as they circled each other again. While the man had clearly thought to gain an advantage over her, Rowan knew how Aelin fought with knives and was confident in her impending victory.

Aelin closed ground quickly now that she was fighting in her preferred style, and allowed her opponent’s blade to graze her cheek in exchange for drawing her own across his forehead. It was a smart move; even though the cut itself was small he would soon find his vision impaired, and it would only continue to impede him. It would still be best for her to end this quickly, however, and she seemed to agree with his conclusion. Her next move was to slam the hilt of her blade down on the man’s temple, and she grinned as he fell to the ground unconscious and she was declared the winner.

He watched as she glanced at the crowd, gaze lingering on at least two different people, before she finally climbed back out of the pit and made her way back to him.

“Well, you certainly made an impression,” he muttered as he handed her cloak back to her.

“Didn’t I?” she grinned. “Come on, we’ve been here long enough.”

Though they took a circuitous route to avoid being followed, it was still only a few short minutes until they reached their room for the night. Aelin lit a candle and then cringed, eyes wide with surprise.

Rowan turned, and froze as the candlelight illuminated golden hair and furious Ashryver eyes. “You’ve been busy, cousin,” Aedion growled.

~*~*~

“I’m still angry with you,” Aedion muttered as they prepared for their walk to the palace two days later.

He glared at his cousin as she looked back at him, eyes wide with false innocence. “Must you be? I thought we agreed that you would forgive me.”

“Eventually,” he corrected. “We agreed that I would forgive you eventually. But you snuck out without telling anyone where you were going, and you used my instincts against me. You knew I wouldn’t be able to follow you, not with Lysandra bringing home a child. And even if it’s healed now, you got hurt.”

Aedion had been furious when she had snuck back in with Whitethorn that night, and even more so when he had seen the gash on her cheek. He didn’t expect her to tell him everything, of course, but he had hoped she would at least tell him she was going somewhere at all. Instead he had been left with nothing but blind panic and the inability to leave his mate and their ward vulnerable. The excuse that they had simply been exploring the town had absolutely not lessened his anger, and Whitethorn’s silence on the matter didn’t help either.

Aelin sighed, the light of the morning sun catching and glimmering in her braided hair. “I know you won’t believe me, but it was worth it.”

“You’re right,” he replied. “I don’t believe you, and you had better believe the only thing that will make me believe you is you telling me why you left. And before you say another word, I know you’re not telling me the full story. You don’t have to now, we’re in public. But I don’t want you to think for one second that I think you’ve told me everything.”

He watched as Aelin’s shoulders slumped, and immediately regretted the harshness of his words. If he looked at Whitethorn now he was certain he’d be met with a fierce green glare for the offense; the male had been remarkably protective of Aelin for this whole journey, and the past two days had been no exception. Aedion sighed. “I’m sorry. That was harsh, and perhaps overly so. But you need to realize that we want to help you, and we can’t do that if you’re not telling us what we need to know. Lysandra was terrified, you know.”

“Don’t bring Lysandra into this,” his mate said from where she was straightening Aelin’s skirts. “Lysandra already had it out with Aelin, and can fight her own battles. There, you’re as ready as I can make you.”

Aelin grinned over at him, clearly trying to change the subject. “Think I’m ready to meet royalty, cousin?”

She was, but then he had expected nothing less. Her hair was neatly braided around her head, making it look longer than it actually was, and a small golden circlet was peeking out of the top of it. She was wearing a gown the deep red of Adarlan, with golden accents and a deep blue lining on the inside of billowing sleeves and around her neck. Anyone who even glanced at her would be able to read the message of the choices: she had come to ingratiate herself with the royal family and especially the crown prince.

“You almost look presentable,” he teased, tugging on a loose strand of her hair.

“Och!” she cried, batting his hand away with a grin. “I don’t know why I asked you, you’re as insufferable as ever.”

Her reaction was just as much a message as anything else she ever did. By teasing back the way she did, she was telling him without actually saying the words that she was giving them an opportunity to reach level ground once more before they traveled to the palace. He had lived with her long enough to read the message hidden in her actions, and he quietly nodded. He had said all he could for now, and only time would convince Aelin to open up further.

A glance over Aelin’s shoulder granted him a glimpse of Whitethorn’s nod of approval, and briefly he wondered just how much she had told the warrior and how much he had found out on his own. He obviously knew more than he was letting on, but he was clearly defending Aelin just as he had been for weeks.

As Aedion stood and opened the door, he decided that it would be maddening if it didn’t make him so godsdamned happy that his cousin had someone else looking out for her as well.

Their journey to the palace was brief, and before long they were waved through the gates by the guards. Aedion glanced up at the building that was to be their home for the next several weeks and stopped in his tracks, openly staring.

It was one thing to hear that the upper levels of Adarlan’s palace were constructed of glass. It was quite another to actually see it. The first several levels, forming a building approximately the size of Orynth’s palace, were made of the same stone as much of the rest of the city. The glass extension nearly doubled the size of the building, sitting atop the stone like a gleaming crown and catching the light of the sun. Aedion cringed internally at the idea of living and working in such a distracting location, and took a moment to hope that their assigned rooms would be in the lower levels.

Several of the guards led them into the building, and in just a few short moments they were in the throne room and being greeted by the crown prince himself. Aedion stood to one side, hands loosely clasped behind his back as would be expected of him, but his eyes swept the room for threats.

Before all else, even with everything that was unsaid between them, he was Aelin’s protector and he intended to do his duty.

~*~*~

Dorian offered to escort Aelin and her escort to their rooms personally, every inch the welcoming crown prince he was expected to be, and smiled as Aelin took the arm he offered to her. “I hope your journey wasn’t too hard on you,” he said as they walked. “I know you set a fast pace.”

Aelin smiled back at him in a way that meant she had quite the story to tell, he was certain. “It was certainly an adventure,” she admitted. “This is the furthest I’ve been from Orynth in years, ever since we lost my parents.”

“It was hard on Terrasen,” Dorian acknowledged. “It made sense for your regent to keep you close, where you could be guarded while you came of age.”

Aelin nodded. “Such a depressing discussion, though. I’d much rather talk about your father’s improvements to the castle.”

Dorian laughed. “Truthfully? I spend as little time in the glass portion of the castle as I can get away with. You’ll all be living in the lower levels as well,” he revealed, and he smiled as the rest of the group breathed sighs of relief. “It’s not much further from here, I know you all must be exhausted.”

The first room, which had been prepared for the two warriors Aelin had brought with her, was the room that would best suit for the child they hadn’t been expecting to travel with the group. One of the warriors, who looked similar enough to Aelin that he presumed him to be her cousin Aedion, joined the girl. The woman who had traveled with them remained in that room as well, leaving only Aelin and her tutor. “I wasn’t certain whether to expect you, Prince Rowan,” Dorian admitted, “but I am glad we prepared for the possibility.”

The Fae prince smiled, though there was no humor in it. “I aim to surprise,” he replied. “It’s gotten me far in life.”

“I see,” Dorian muttered. “The room next to Aelin’s was meant to go to her assistant, though it appears she is staying elsewhere. It is already prepared, if you wish to stay there instead.”

The warrior nodded in response and slipped into the room, leaving only Aelin to escort to the next door. “I had a few surprises brought up for you,” Dorian admitted.

Aelin grinned, turquoise eyes sparkling with excitement. “Did you, now?”

Dorian only opened the door to her rooms and quietly gestured for her to enter, wanting her to see rather than spoil the surprise.

He was not disappointed when she reacted with a gasp, hand covering her mouth as she saw the stacks of books he’d selected from the library. “We don’t have quite as wide a selection regarding ancient history as the Library of Orynth,” he disclosed, “but I found what I could. I know you like your books older than most can remember.”

“I love it,” Aelin replied, a small tremble in her voice as she delicately traced the spine of one of the manuscripts. “I’ll enjoy discussing these with you, I think, if you’d care to.”

“I would be delighted to hear your opinions on my selections, of course,” Dorian grinned. “I would expect nothing less.”

As he watched, she began sorting through the small collection. That wasn’t his only surprise for her, though, and she blinked up at him when he told her as much. “I’m not certain how many more surprises I can take,” she confessed. “And to think it’s only my first day here.”

“There’s only one more today,” he reassured her as he moved closer to the desk. “I’m not certain of the customs surrounding courting in Terrasen, but here in Adarlan it is customary for a prince to give his intended a token to affirm the negotiation. Even though we have our own understanding, I thought it best to adhere to the custom.”

Aelin nodded. “It would certainly be advantageous. This will only work for both of us if we’re convincing.”

“I thought along similar lines,” he agreed as he pulled a plain golden ring from his pocket and took her hand.

Aelin stared at him, eyes wide enough that he could see the ring of gold that highlighted their blue shade, and he rushed to explain. “Our history says that this ring was brought across the sea by one of your ancestors, and brought into the Havilliard family by marriage centuries ago. It seemed only fitting to return it to a Galathynius, regardless of how our little arrangement ends.”

The corners of Aelin’s lips curled into a smile. “Such a thoughtful courting gift, Prince Dorian,” she mused. “Why, people will start to talk.”

Dorian laughed. “I believe you revel in the attention. Regardless, it would be terribly hurtful to reject it, so I’m afraid I must insist.”

The ring had been forged and sized for a man long ago, and so Aelin’s thumb was the only finger it would reasonably fit on. However, this realization only made her grin, and he breathed an internal sigh of relief. “I will treasure this, then,” she said as she looked down at it, “as a most thoughtful gift from someone I hope will remain a dear friend.”

“As a prince, I feel obligated to say it would benefit both Terrasen and Adarlan for us to maintain close ties,” he replied. “As a man, however, I will admit I hope so for more personal reasons as well. You’re the first person I’ve met outside of my tutors and advisors willing to discuss history and literature alike with me, and I’m selfish enough to want it to continue regardless of what happens.”

Aelin smiled. “Well, if I’m lucky I can make decent headway into the first of these by the evening meal. Perhaps we can discuss it further then.”

“It would be a pleasure,” Dorian said as he moved back toward the door. “I’ll make certain someone helps you find your way to the dining room.”

As Aelin hummed in acknowledgement and opened the first book, he smiled and left her to get settled in. Everything was going according to their plan, and he couldn’t be more pleased.

~*~*~

The first text Aelin had opened happened to recount the creation of Doranelle, and Aelin was enthralled from the first words. For all that she had given her tutors a difficult time as she grew up, her lessons in history had long been her favorite. Whether it was the history of Terrasen or of its neighboring lands, it had been the one subject in which Aelin had truly excelled.

As she had grown older, and especially after her parents had died, she had become more interested in learning about Doranelle in particular as well. She had promised her mother that she would never go there herself, but she had known on some level that someday representatives from Doranelle would come to her, and she had wanted to be as prepared as she could be.

Of course, that day had come and she had quickly realized there had been absolutely no way to prepare herself for Rowan Whitethorn.

As she turned the page, she thought that perhaps she ought to discuss this history with him. Although it was incredibly unlikely that the male had actually been around for Doranelle’s creation while Mab and Mora yet lived, as someone who had been born and raised there perhaps he would have some insight she would miss as an outsider. Not only that, but he would be able to tell her what it was like there now, and that was just as important as the historical context of the city.

She carefully closed the book as she heard the door to her room open, and she glanced over, expecting that perhaps it was Lysandra or even Rowan come to check on her. Instead, she saw a young man wearing the dark uniform of Adarlan’s royal guard. As he closed her door behind himself she studied his close-cropped chestnut hair, and as he turned around she met warm brown eyes.

Perhaps this was who Dorian had sent to make certain she would be able to find her way around, though it was early yet. “Well met, guardsman,” she called, hoping that her acknowledgement of his presence would prompt him to say what he was doing in her rooms in the first place.

“Your Highness,” he responded as she finally pieced together his features and a portrait she had seen what seemed like ages ago. This was Chaol Westfall, the captain of Prince Dorian’s guard and rumored to be one of his closest friends. Lysandra’s dossier had noted some of his familial ties, but those were less important to her in this moment than the fact that he had risen to captain at such a young age. Either he was promoted due to his friendship with the prince or due to impressive skills, and the way he walked strongly suggested the latter to her.

“Dorian mentioned he was sending someone. Is that why you’re here?”

Captain Westfall squared his shoulders, one hand straying to the hilt of an impressive-looking sword. “Partially,” he replied. “Chaol Westfall, Captain of Adarlan’s royal guard. As captain of the guard, he asked me to make certain yourself and your escort were comfortable and to show you around the palace. However, that’s not the only reason I’m here.”

“Oh?” Aelin asked, a single eyebrow raising in question. “Did one of my people give one of yours a difficult time?”

“That remains to be seen,” the captain replied. “I’m hoping that my inquiries can be resolved quickly and quietly.”

“I believe that would be advantageous for all involved,” she said carefully, “and I will do what I can to answer your questions.”

“Then you will have my thanks, though I doubt you will want them,” the young captain said as the warmth left his eyes.

“Oh? Is there something I’ve done to cause offense?”

“One of my guards reported a disturbance in the city two nights ago, and I went to investigate,” he began. “The perpetrator was claimed to be a young woman with golden hair, going into the worst part of the slums and entering an illegal fight. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a matter for the royal guard, and I would’ve left it alone. However, Dorian had given me descriptions of those we were to be expecting to arrive at the palace so that you might pass through the gates more easily. So I went to investigate myself, just to make certain that we wouldn’t have any trouble.”

He stepped closer, and Aelin did her best to keep her surprise off of her face. “My question for you, Your Highness,” he continued, “is what exactly you were doing in the Vaults two nights ago.”

~*~*~

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@ireallyshouldsleeprn @queen-of-glass @fangirlprincess09 @sassys-world @morganofthewildfire @superspiritfestival @perseusannabeth @sis-it-dont-add-up

#haven writes #rules of engagement #rowaelin

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let-me-write-shit · 4 years

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Like We Used To: 26

A/N: Make sure you read chapter twenty five. Let me know what you think :)

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CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Saturday morning felt pretty chaotic as about a dozen people crowded Harry’s house from designers and tailors, to makeup artists and hairstylists, to assistants. The red carpet wasn’t until 8 PM, yet everyone was there at 11 to start getting ready. Claudia had arrived with several people, carrying garment bags with Harry and Elizabeth’s clothes in them. After grabbing a small brunch, Elizabeth was told to take a quick shower and promptly find Claudia to do another quick fitting with her new outfit.

Normally Elizabeth wouldn’t have done this, but there were too many people there that didn’t seem to pay any mind to the fact that she was walking around with just a towel on in search of the designer.

“Claudia!” Elizabeth called, finding her in the living room with Harry, pinning pieces of fabric together of where she wanted to hem.

Claudia looked up from what she was doing, “Oh, Elizabeth, are you ready? Your garment bag is in the office. Go ahead and put it on, then come out here so I can do any touch ups.”

Elizabeth nodded, feet smacking on the hardwood floor as she made her way towards Harry’s office. Guitars and awards lined the walls and shelves as she closed the door behind her, finding one small garment bag hanging on the back of the door. When she unzipped it, her eyebrows furrowed. Surely she was missing pieces of her outfit?

Unsure, she pulled out what looked to be an oversized, dark green, silk, wrap shirt, similar in color and material to the pants that Harry would be wearing. There was also a black lace one piece lingerie set with a cutout at the stomach. Was she missing the pants? Was she supposed to wear a bra underneath the lingerie, because her nipples would clearly be visible through it. She pulled the lace on, looking in the mirror that sat in the corner of the room, pursing her lips in satisfaction, loving the way it looked on her. Harry would like it too, she thought.

Next, she grabbed the silk fabric and slipped it over her head. The neckline stopped right below the cut out where the naval was exposed, but it was closed enough that it just barely covered her nipples. The slit at the bottom went all the way up her thigh, and the back of the shirt stopped right below her ass. The sleeves were slightly past her palms.

It looked sexy pieced together, but it felt like it was missing something, and she wasn’t sure if this outfit was even appropriate for their first outing as a couple. Smoothing it down, she took one last look at herself and pattered back towards the living room, passing a few people that had complimented her on the outfit.

“Wow,” Harry ogled her when she stepped into the room.

Claudia looked up from where she knelt at his feet and grinned, waving her over, “Yes, this looks amazing! I want to do some hemming at the neckline, and bring your waist in a little, but other than that,” she circled Elizabeth, pinching bits of fabric, “I think it looks wonderful. What do you think?”

Harry smirked, pinching his bottom lip before saying, “Incredible job, Claudia. It’s very sexy.”

Elizabeth smiled kindly, “It’s amazing, but I’m afraid one wrong movement and my vagina will be exposed.”

Claudia laughed, squeezing Elizabeth’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, doll. We have a padding insert for the lingerie to cover your area. The heels will also help elongate your legs, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. We have a few to choose from along with belts and jewelry. We’ll try them on after everything is completed with the alterations and your hair and makeup. For now, try not to sit down, it’ll wrinkle the fabric. I’m almost finished with Harry, here, and then my team and I will get to work on you.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle, Elizabeth decided to do a Facetime conference with Mitch, Sarah, Kate, Lewis, and Matt to pass the time until it was her turn, standing near Harry and Jeffrey so that they could join in on the conversation if they wanted to. Matt whistled when he saw her, and Mitch commented that her and Harry looked great. It was nearly time for bed in England due to the time difference, so everyone was resting in bed. They discussed their day, and continued to make plans for when Elizabeth got back in town.

“We’ll only be here for two days, then we’re flying to New York to meet up with Harry for performance rehearsals,” Sarah informed.

“Are you not coming back to England with Lizzy on Monday, then?” Kate asked Harry.

Harry shook his head, shouting from a few feet away, “No, I’m flying right from here to New York after Lizzy leaves. I’m sorry guys!”

“It’s alright, mate. We understand,” Lewis said as Kate’s head rested on his shoulder, “We’ll see you at the show! We can’t wait. We’ve never been to NYC before.”

“And at least I’ll have company on this flight. I’m dreading flying back home alone. Felt like an eternity on the way here by myself. I did make friends with the little boy in the seat next to me, though.”

“Well you’ll have me next to you this time, so I’m a lot more fun!” Matt joked.

“Oh, hey, before I forget,” Kate piped up, caution dripping in her voice, “Have you talked to Kyle lately?”

Elizabeth glanced at Harry who’s jaw tensed up at the name before she said, “No, why?”

“He keeps calling me and Lewis trying to get a hold of you.”

“Why does he need to get in touch with her so badly?” Harry asked

Kate continued, “I didn’t say anything, but he keeps asking if you two are dating and is trying to get info out of us or something.”

Matt rolled his eyes in frustration, “What an idiot. Did he not get the hint last time we saw him after I beat his ass? She’s done with him.”

“Well, if he didn’t get the hint last time, I’m sure he’ll get it loud and clear once it’s all over the internet that you’re an official couple after you walk the carpet together tonight,” Mitch snorted.

Elizabeth chuckled, still slightly nervous. She knew how Kyle could get when he was angry or desperate. He could do some damage if he really wanted to. They were in a relationship for three years, after all. A lot went down between them in that time. Some things that she wasn’t quite ready to talk about to Harry, let alone the public.

After a while it was time for Elizabeth to get her final fitting before her hair and makeup. Claudia was so kind, constantly complimenting her and easing her worried by giving words of assurance and making little jokes. It was nearly 3 by the time she was ready for hair and makeup. Harry sat next to her, feeding her fruits as the hair stylist got started. They decided to go with a loose, wispy, slightly messy bun to show off her outfit. The amount of bobby pins holding everything together made her scalp itch.

For such a seemingly simple hairstyle, it took nearly an hour and a half to complete. The makeup artist had started on her towards the last ten minutes and began giving her a dewy, sultry makeup look with a dark mauve lipstick, debating whether or not to make it glossy, deciding to keep it a satin sheen.

As time neared closer to leaving, some people started getting a bit frantic, rushing around to grab last minute things. Elizabeth was whisked away by Claudia to slip into her outfit that now fit snug against her hip, the neckline stopping at her diaphragm. There were several belts to choose from as well as nearly a dozen pieces of jewelry placed on the desk. Ultimately, they decided on a black Gucci belt with a gold ‘GG’ buckle, a gold star choker that had stars linked, dangling down towards her cleavage, and fingers adorned with gold rings, similar to Harry. Finally, they decided to pair her outfit with a simple black strappy heel.

When she stepped out, a few people smiled at her, clapping at the ensemble, while she joined Harry in the main room, dressed in silk green flare pants and a practically sheer black top, unbuttoned above his naval. Claudia brought him one dangling star earring to match Elizabeth’s necklace.

Harry smirked when he saw his girlfriend, and kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear, “I can’t wait to see you in just the lingerie later,” making her blush as he pulled away.

“You look hot!” Jeffrey exclaimed when he saw Elizabeth, nodding to Claudia for a job well done, “What a great looking couple! Are we ready to get going?”

The makeup artist rushed over, lightly brushing over her collar bones and legs with a body shimmer before Harry, Elizabeth, Jeffrey, and a few more people made their way towards the car that waited for them, thanking everyone for their hard work as they left.

They explained the layout of the carpet and the event on the way, Elizabeth’s hands beginning to get clammy again, leaning in the seat so she didn’t wrinkle her outfit. Harry noticed her lack of response in the conversation and grabbed hold of her hand, leaning in to whisper, “I love you. It’ll be fine.”

The words didn’t seem to help much, and as the car pulled up towards the carpet, Elizabeth’s heart started pounding a thousand miles a minute, stars starting to form in her vision. The crew got out of the car first, the sound of people screaming and the shutter from the camera’s clicking getting louder.

Harry turned towards his girlfriend, a calm and reassuring smile on his face, “I’m right here with you. If you get too nervous just look at me, you don’t have to look anywhere else if you don’t want to, okay? Like I said, I won’t stop for interviews or pictures with fans, we’ll just stop every few feet on the carpet for the press and go right inside.”

Elizabeth nodded in understanding and Harry slid out of the car. Screaming intensified as fans realized who it was. She took a deep, stabilizing breath before following after him, making sure to keep her legs together as she slid down the seat towards the door, careful not to expose herself. Harry was waiting, hand outstretched to help her out of the car and she took hold, looking up into his eyes.

The amount of screams made it nearly impossible to single any one voice out, and Harry led her slightly down the carpet, hand in hand. Elizabeth was too scared to look up yet, staring down at her feet and concentrating on not tripping as he stopped, turning her towards the paparazzi and wrapping an arm around her waist. She felt his face turn to look at her so she met his gaze and laughed when he briefly stuck his tongue out at her, instantly calming her nerves.

He guided her further down the carpet as people continued shouting towards them, Elizabeth now feeling more comfortable, looking up into the cameras. Harry stopped again and they both smiled for pictures before Harry turned to Elizabeth once again, whispering in her ear.

“I love you, baby. You’re doing great.”

She smiled sweetly at him as they continued down the carpet a little further, stopping one more time for pictures. This time they heard some specific screams like ‘You’re so hot, Harry!’, ‘Look this way!’, ‘Is that your girlfriend?’, ‘Elizabeth look over here!’. It half startled her as she had forgotten that they knew her name. One shout in particular was really loud as a paparazzi screamed ‘Kiss her!’ She knew as soon as Harry’s grip around her waist tightened that he was going to do it, and she braced herself as he leaned forward, kissing her hard on the lips, making her back arch backwards a bit, both of them smiling and laughing towards the end of the kiss. The amount of flashes became almost blinding and shouting got even louder, causing her ears to start ringing. Harry waved a little before guiding her into the building.

“Well you sure made it clear that we’re dating, didn’t you?” Elizabeth giggled, as they followed an attendant to their seats in the front row.

Harry laughed, kissing her hand, “I told you, I want everyone to know that you’re mine.”

They took their seats in between a few well known people in the community and said their hello’s, Elizabeth completely at ease now that the most nerve-wracking part was over. They talked with those surrounding them while a few press members were able to walk around to room, under the understanding that they weren’t allowed to interview or talk to any of the attendees, but just get video of people settling in. Soon after taking their seats, the event had begun and the lights dimmed, models beginning to walk down the runway.

“I like that one,” Harry whispered to Elizabeth as a male model walked past them in a unique outfit.

“I’d like to see that one on your bedroom floor,” Elizabeth flirted back, winking at him.

He smiled, “I’m already tempted to sneak you to the bathroom and fuck you on the counter with that outfit, don’t make me actually do it.”

Elizabeth giggled and they continued to watch the show. One particular outfit caught her eye and before she could say anything, the model wearing it caught her attention. It was Harry’s ex girlfriend, Camille. Once the realization hit, she tensed up but tried her best to look casual, knowing that there were paparazzi around. Harry must have felt her tension because the hand that rested on her leg had squeezed her thigh.

When Camille was no longer in sight and a few more models had passed them, Harry had turned to Elizabeth and whispered, “I didn’t know she was in the show, I promise.”

“Does that mean she’ll be at the afterparty we go to?” Elizabeth asked.

“Probably. But she’s nice. Just give her a chance.”

Give her a chance? Camille could be Ghandi, for all she cared. She did not want to be buddy buddy with her boyfriend’s ex. And how could he expect her to after the fight they had last week about Elizabeth’s ex? How hypocritical could he be? Be patient with him, she heard Anne’s words in her head, forcing herself to take a deep breath. Just be patient.

KEEP READING

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just-dreaming-marvel · 5 years

Text

CHAPTER TWO - THE PARTY

LEGACY: A Tony Stark Daughter Story

MASTERLIST

< previous

Word Length: 1,900ish

Summary: Tony hosts a party. Bailey gives Steve the promised dance.

I spent the next few days hiding out on my floor, working on my assignments. I only came out when Nat would force me train with her in the mornings. I tried to get out of it, but she’s terrifying if you don’t do what she’s asked. I also wanted to impress Tony with my work ethic by training and doing homework. I also believed that I needed to socialize and dress up nicely, even if there wasn’t going to be anyone my age at the party. When I had finished everything that was due that week, I worked ahead. Saturday rolled around and my head was hurting from all the homework. It was getting closer to the party, so I went looking for Tony. Of course, I found him in the lab. I quietly walked in, so I wouldn’t disrupt him. It seemed like he was in his head, I had a feeling that it had something to do with the last mission.

“What did we miss?” He asked.

“I’ll continue to run variations on the interface,” JARVIS responded, “But you should probably prepare for your guests. I’ll notify you if there are any developments.” What is JARVIS talking about? What is Tony working on? Nat told me that him and Bruce had hardly been out of the lab since they brought the scepter back. What was the big project they were working so hard on?

“Thanks, buddy.” Tony said turning around to face the entrance.

“Enjoy yourself, sir.”

“I always do.” Tony began walking towards the doors, the lights automatically turning off behind him.

“And I really hope I do too,” I commented, popping out from behind the corner.

“Holy crap, Bailey!” He exclaimed, putting his hand over his heart. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Whatever.” I scoffed. We started heading down the stairs and to our floors. “So, I finished everything and even got ahead. Can I please come to the party?” He gave me a sideways glance and I gave the best puppy dog eyes my green eyes could muster. “I really need to socialize.”

“You do socialize.”

“I need to be able to socialize with people besides the team.”

“Fine…” He grudgingly gave in.

I quickly wrapped my arms around him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Now hurry and get ready. You’re going to be my date tonight since Pepper won’t be able to make it.”

I squealed with excitement as I ran off to my floor. I already had picked out the outfit I wanted to wear. I quickly ran into my closet and grabbed my favorite black dress.

It was form fitting but not too tight. It had short sleeves and went to my knees. I grabbed my white vans to go with it. Before getting dressed, I looked in the mirror. My sandy hair was not naturally curling the way I wanted it to. I quickly put some dry shampoo in it, brushed through it, and straightened it. I then changed and headed to the main living area where the party was being held. People were already there.

I paused at the top of the stairs to see what everyone was doing. Steve and his friend Sam were playing pool, Thor was talking to some old Veterans about some adventure he had been on, Rhodey and Nat were chatting on the couch, Helen and Clint were chatting on the balcony, and Bruce was awkwardly walking around trying to get the courage to talk to Nat. They have a thing for each other but Nat is a super spy who hides her feelings and Bruce is a nerd who’s scared of his own shadow.

I smiled as I felt an arm link with mine. I looked over to see Tony smiling down at me.

“You look beautiful,” he quietly complemented me. “You’re not leaving my side all night.”

“We’re at a party, you’re hosting, at our house,” I reminded him, “No one’s going to even get a chance to try anything.” Tony led us down the stairs and began guiding us through the crowds of people. “Plus, I’m pretty sure I can do worse to them.”

Tony smirked and led us over to the bar. He took a drink from the bar tender, as Thor, Maria, and Rhodey made their ways over to the bar as well. They each grabbed a drink and the bar tender handed me a water. Then Rhodey began to tell one of his War Machine stories.

“Well, you know,” he said, already in the middle of the story since I ignored the first half of it. “The suit can take the weight, right? So I take the tank, fly it right up to the General’s palace, drop it at his feet. I’m like ‘Boom. You looking for this?'” I gave him a sad smile and looked over to find Tony and Thor staring at him blankly, waiting for something more from the story.

“Boom. Are you looking.. Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else that story kills.”

“That’s the whole story?” Thor asked.

“It was a good story,” I tried to comfort him as I gave his arm a gentle pat.

“Yeah, it’s a War Machine story.” Rhodey stated.

“Well, it’s very good then,” Thor laughed. “It’s impressive.”

“Quality save.” Rhodey said. “So, no Pepper? She’s not coming?”

“No.” Tony answered.

“What about Jane?” Maria asked. “Where are the ladies, gentlemen?”

“Um..” I quietly rose my hand. “I’m here.” Nobody seemed to care.

“Well, Ms. Potts has a company to run,” Tony answered.

“Yes, I’m not even sure what country Jane’s in.” Thor responded. “Her work on the convergence has made her the world’s foremost astronomer.”

“And the company that Pepper runs is the largest tech conglomerate on earth. It’s pretty exciting.”

“There’s even talk of Jane getting a.. um, uh, Nobel prize.”

Maria and I rolled our eyes at each other, shaking our heads. “Yeah, they.. they must be busy because they’d hate missing you guys get together.” Maria said.

“Testosterone.” I fake coughed. It got me the evil eye from both Tony and Thor. “Oh, excuse me.”

“Let’s go.” Rhodey turned to Maria. They linked arms and walked away.

“But Jane’s better.” Thor stated as Tony took another sip of his drink.

“Well, this has been fun boys,” I said slowly backing away from them. “But I’m going to go and mingle.”

I walked away from them and into the crowd. It’s so awkward at events like these. I’ve gone to a few before, but since nobody knows who I really am, it’s always confusing on what to tell people. I usually tell them that I’m an intern at Stark Industries and that I help Tony in the lab. Which isn’t exactly a lie. I tell them that my name is Bailey and usually can avoid giving out a last name. I walked around the room just looking at everything and every one. I saw Steve and Sam up in the loft looking over everything and chatting. I smiled and waved at Steve. He smiled and waved back. I continued my walk around the party, avoiding talking to anyone, for most of the night. There were some men that tried to flirt with me, but as soon as they started, they stopped. Each time, I could tell that Tony was behind me probably threatening them.

Rhodey ended up telling his story again to a group of guests and got the reaction he wanted. Thor gave Steve some Asgardian alcohol, they’re both lucky that Steve can’t get drunk. I was staring at the group of drunk veterans, trying Thor’s liquor, when Steve stopped in front of me. He tapped his foot against mine and cleared his throat to get my attention. (6&7&5)

“Hey Steve,” I smiled. “What can I help you with?”

“I believe you promised me a dance,” he replied, holding out his hand.

“I did. But Steve,” I glanced around the room, “no one else is dancing.”

“So?” He reached down and took my hand. “Let’s go.”

He pulled me up and led me to the middle of the open area. People were surrounding us, mingling with one another. There was music softly playing in the background, but not necessarily the type you dance to. Steve turned to that we were facing each other, slipping one hand around to my back and fixing the other that was already gripping onto my hand. I hesitantly rested my free hand on his shoulder. Steve and I had been in close proximity before, but not like this. I was praying that Steve and his advanced hearing, couldn’t hear my heart pounding inside my chest.

“How’s your night been, B?” Steve asked, guiding us gently around in a circle. “The party everything you hoped it would be?”

“It’s been great,” I answered. “I’ve just enjoyed not being locked up.”

“Locked up?” He rose a questioning eyebrow. “You know you’re not a prisoner, right?”

“I know. But my father can be over protective.”

“He just wants to make sure that you’re kept safe.” Steve’s eyes met mine. “As do I.” I looked away as I felt my cheeks began to heat up. “Though I do believe that you’re much stronger than anyone wants to believe.”

“Like ready for a real mission strong?” I gave him a smirk as I eyed him from the side.

“I did already say that, didn’t I?” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t say things like that when I don’t have permission to.”

“You are the Captain of the team, are you not?”

“Don’t try to trick me into letting you on a mission it’s not gonna work.”

“Dang it. And here I thought you wrapped around my finger.” I playfully smirked up at him.

“Don’t doubt it, doll.”

He suddenly spun me out, causing me to shriek in happy surprise, and spun me back into him. Steve laughed as he did. People looked over at us, some of them clearly judging us. But neither of us cared. When I was back in front of him, he held me closer than he had before. My heart was pounding harder. Our eyes met, and I thought I saw his quickly glance down at my lips before he dropped my hand and stepped back. I was hurt a little by the sudden action and confused.

“Thank you for the dance, Miss Stark,” he bowed, trying to defuse the awkward tension by playing around.

“Thank you, Captain,” I curtsied.

He gave me a small smile. “I’m going to go back to making my rounds.” He began walking backwards. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” I nodded as he turned around. “See ya later.”

As the party started winding down, I found a spot on a couch to continue my people watching. I noticed Nat behind the bar and Bruce with her. She was flirting and he was… well he was trying to. It was cute but also sort of sad. I smirked as I watched Nat walk away and Steve talk to Bruce about what just happened. It was great to see everyone getting along and happy, if only it were to stay that way.

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everythingoesnk · 5 years

Text

Once in Rockfield Farm (1/5)

summary; you own Rockfield Farm and your bf Mary Austin asks you if you can help her friends with an enormous favour that will lead to a much bigger unprecedented change into your life. Thanks to a cute guy specifically.

word count; 6 126

disclaimers, PLEASE read them; don’t forget this is fiction. i’m using queen‘s 70s era as a base for the story but it won’t be historically accurate. the song mentioned towards the end of the chapter is from Taylor Swift, i don’t claim those lyrics as mine. sorry in advance if u find a f*cked up grammar mistake or whatever. feedback would mean everything, it’s the first time i’m posting something i’ve written it feels like i’m giving birth looool

warnings; minor violence at some point and mention of abuse

********

Mary didn’t stop until she convinced you to give green light to her proposal.

She called it like that, but it seemed more like an order. Both of you knew she wouldn’t let it pass until you agreed to.

Taken aback, you refused at first.

The idea of four strangers living in your house, coexisting with you in the only safe space you knew, wasn’t appealing whatsoever.

Even though all they needed was a studio to record, they’d have to stay until the album was finished. They could afford to rent a proper one, but Mary made it quite clear that getting out of town was crucial to avoid possible distractions.

You’d been fired from your job because the restaurant bankrupted, so the money they were going to pay for rent was welcomed.

Your grandfather passed Rockfield Farm on to you when he died.

It was a lovely place full of good memories, mainly concerning hours on end together in the studio he built in the attic throughout the years. The relationship you had with him had always been special, but ever since your nana passed away at the age of 70, your bond became stronger.

He also wasn’t there anymore, and you tried not to think too much about it, just were glad that you met someone like him. He was the main reason you loved making music so much.

Sadly, as you grew up, although your talent for writing songs and producing music was undeniable, you realized you needed to be realistic and pursue a more down-to-earth career.

Medicine was another thing you were slightly attracted to, it wasn’t your passion but it would have to do.

The music business was too complex and difficult to get in, and wasting your time wasn’t on your plans. It’s not like you were a prodigy or a diamond in the rough, anyway. That was your honest opinion.

But now and then you’d succumb and compose. It was an effective way to forget about the rest of the world and vent whenever something would make you sad, grumpy, anxious, angry… Rarely did you write about happy feelings.

What’s the fun in claiming how fulfilled you are with your life? Which you weren’t, but still.

Ballads and songs that’d leave you with your heart aching on the floor were your daily bread.

Mary was the only one allowed to hear your little creations. She’d try to get you to show them to the world, to step out of the comfort zone and perform them in public, to rush out of those same four walls.

You were quick to brush her comments off every time, content with her and your dog being the only ones to get to listen to your babies.

“How long they’re going to take?” you asked using a fake uninterested tone, pretending not to care whether they needed weeks, months or a year.

The truth was that you wished for the album to be done quite fast.

“Who knows,” Mary said. “When the album’s finished I’m the first to know, but in the meantime Freddie won’t give me any clues”

You nodded, unsatisfied with the answer.

“Thanks for agreeing to this. I owe you big” her eyes found yours and yours softened.

“If anything it’s them who do, don’t you think?”

Mary grinned and offered to cook something for tonight’s dinner.

She left you alone with your molecular pathology notes resting on your lap.

It was your last year in University, thank the Lord. One last effort and you would be a doctor.

After memorizing various concepts you found yourself staring at the horizon wondering how was Freddie Mercury like.

Obviously because of Mary you sort of formed this idea of him, but hadn’t had a face to face yet. About the other Queen members… yeah, Mary mentioned them sometimes, vaguely: she described John as a nice fella to have around, Brian as the only one with common sense, and last but not least, when it came to Roger’s personality, she told you hesitantly to judge him yourself.

You thanked her when she handed you the pen you forgot inside.

Mary gave you an encouraging smile, placing her hand on your shoulder and squeezing it.

As soon as she turned around to go back inside, you called her name, squinting your eyes to try and get a better sight of the vehicle that kept getting closer to your property.

“What?”

When she spotted the van she sighed happily.

“Finally”

Mary ran to wait for them in the parking area. She was over the moon, clapping and waving effusively to welcome them.

“Are you coming or not?” Mary shouted, gesturing you to go and stand next to her.

You took your time to get up from sitting upon the grass and do just that.

Not a single second since they pulled over went by and Mary was already imprisoning Freddie in her arms.

You chuckled, completely sure he would be dead in a matter of seconds if she wouldn’t loose her grip.

He lovingly wrapped her in his and stroked her hair.

All of a sudden, running from the backyard where he usually played in the mud (this time was no different), your dog appeared on scene. You asked him to remain quiet and by your side, which to your dismay he did not obey.

He went and greeted Queen, who pushed him away with no bad intentions, they just didn’t want to get dirt on their trousers.

John, nevertheless, got on his knees and began patting him. It did not take long for him to regret it when Sherlock seemed to be captivated by his face, licking it non-stop.

You cleared your throat. It would be nice of Mary to introduce you, being the one who organized this whole of a mess in the first place.

Apparently she read your mind. The next thing she did was link arms with you.

“This is (Y/N)” she spoke. “Freddie, come here”

“You have no idea how happy I am to finally meet you”

Freddie gave you two sweet kisses, one on each cheek.

“Same here” you nodded and mirrored his smile when you saw it reached his eyes.

In a heartbeat you were fascinated by him.

There was this intriguing strong aura he projected that made you feel like you were in the presence of someone from the royalty, someone important.

Freddie examined you from head to toe and fell in love immediately with your outfit, a pastel blue dress with tiny sunflowers printed all over it. He did spot your exposed feet and smiled pleasedly at your choice of painting your toenails with the colours of the rainbow.

“Boys, don’t be rude and come say hi” he gestured his bandmates, who were taking a rapid glimpse of their new temporary home, and stepped aside.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Brian”

“Nice to meet you too” you kindly responded, shaking his hand.

“Thank you very much for allowing us to record our album here. If we win a Grammy expect you to be the first one we address in the speech” he joked, face beaming with a heavenly smile.

Damn, you were so soft for him already. And you wanted to touch his curls.

“You’re welcome, Brian”

“Yes, we’re endlessly grateful” another gentle voice joined the conversation.

John stood now in front of you.

“Hi, I’m John Deacon”

“I know” you laughed, tilting your head to the side. “I hope your stay here is… productive”

“I hope so too” he smiled big, and it made your heart melt. He was so cute.

Roger was next.

He was wearing a black leather jacket that fit him like a glove. One silver bracelet hugging his right wrist, matching the necklace around the neck. What caught your attention the most was the glittery rosy shoes, though. He had long blond messy hair (like the others, except the colour part), and prominent sideburns.

They looked ridiculous, you thought, although every second you spent contemplating his face the less they bothered you.

He was gorgeous, what the hell?

You got somehow a little nervous.

“Productive it shall be. I’m Roger” he spoke, referring your words from before. He took your hand and held it to his lips. “We’ve come to the right place, guys. With such a pretty face like hers we’ll never run out of inspiration” he snorted when he heard John face-palming himself.

You raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

Sure Roger didn’t mean that at all, it was just his constant flirty mood Mary warned you about taking over him, you reasoned.

“Don’t get it started, Rog. We don’t want her to kick us out the very first day” Brian scolded him like a father would his children.

Roger laughed, his silly expression never fading away, and soon he was again observing you.

“I was joking, I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable,” he said, taking some of the heat out.

“It didn’t,” you said back, confident.

You followed the others when they headed to the house carrying their respective suitcases with Mary as the leader.

Roger was fast to grab his and catch up with you.

“You live alone?”

“I have Sherlock”

He was still in ecstasy, trying to get everyone’s attention.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it” you shrugged. “It’s not as tragic as it sounds. I enjoy my own company”

“Oh. Anyway. This is a farm, right? You do all the, huh… you know, farm work on your own?” he looked around, scanning a bit the surroundings. He pointed with his chin at one big rooster. “The guardian of the house, eh?”

You let out a vague chuckle that made Roger proud, already eager to make you like him.

The reason was obvious: you were so eyecatching he almost tripped when he missed one of Sherlock’s toys on one of the porch steps, too engrossed in how the sun made the freckles in your face stand out.

“My grandfather baptized this piece of land as Rockfield Farm, but it hasn’t been a proper farm for years. Now it’s just… my house”

“You know,” he began, digging deep around his mind to come up with something so the conversation wouldn’t end, “years ago I had this summer job in a much more immense place than this. I had to watch over 200 sheep every day”

“Was it as entertaining as it sounds?”

“Clearly not”

Roger extended his hand to stop the door from closing after John came in. He motioned you to go first and winked, but you didn’t notice the last part, which slightly bothered him.

“(Y/N), this place is precious!” you heard Freddie praise.

Mary interrupted you before you could thank him.

“Then you sure are going to love the studio even more! C’mon”

“How did your grandfather manage to get this studio together? It’s pretty impressive” Brian enthusiastically asked, taking a small sip of tea.

The six of you were now chilling in the living room. It was the perfect time for them to rest since the road trip had been long.

Moments before they finished unpacking and settling down, Mary and you gossiped in the kitchen. She remarked how attentive Roger acted towards you, and asked if you were into him.

“Are you stupid?” you couldn’t believe her. “We’ve known each other for what, ten minutes?”

“I was just wondering whether there was desire at first sight or something”

“Desire at first sight?” you repeated slowly, taking in every word.

“It was a softer way to ask if you’d give him a ride or not” she laughed watching you gesture her to lower it down. “I’m just asking because I can tell he would”

Before answering Brian, you looked over at Roger.

He’d taken off his jacket and was rolling up the sleeves of the white tee he wore underneath.

Your lips parted, finding that mundane action quite amusing and sexy on him.

You looked away, guilt taking over you for having stared too keenly. There was nothing wrong about it, and you couldn’t explain why you felt agitated. Maybe you were self-conscious about whether the others noticed.

Forcing yourself to remember Brian’s words and with a sense of pride, you smirked behind your cup, gazing at the wooden floor.

Your grandfather poured his soul into this studio, which he also referred to as a sanctuary. It made you happy to hear Brian acknowledging its value.

There were several electric and acoustic guitars, a generous collection of microphones your grandmother enjoyed saving, two trumpets, a synthesizer -to which Freddie and Roger scoffed loudly at-, a drumkit, one saxophone, and a bass.

Not to mention the tape machine that still worked perfectly plus the recording booth.

Mary told you that John Reid, who was looking after Queen at the moment, managed to convince the label to provide them with a significant amount of money. You assumed they’d brought enough tapes to record on, therefore yours would remain intact.

“He bought half of the instruments”

“The other half?” John inquired.

“He stole them” you answered, not much of a fan about it.

“Whew!” Roger whistled.

You took a short sip of the tea and turned slightly towards the window, presencing a flash of light.

“A piano?”

Freddie dropped the question with no high hopes.

“Pardon?” you turned your head and looked at him over your shoulder with your body still facing towards the window.

The head movement was so fast that a clip you wore to hold a fraction of hair in place loosened a bit, letting the lock to fell down your face.

Roger stared at you in awe.

The light illuminating the room had a warm cosy tone, which surely helped to make your skin look softer and smooth. He wasn’t aware of the heart eyes he was giving you, but Brian, John and Mary were.

When you batted your lashes, he looked away and saw Brian try and fail to hide a smile when they locked eyes. He’d been caught.

“Do you have a piano?” Freddie questioned again, eyebrows raised a little.

A tiny playful smile made its way to your lips.

“Of course I have a piano” you cockily answered.

When you saw Fred’s satisfied grin appear you instantly knew he liked you as much as you liked him. It wasn’t in the attic; you’d show it to him later.

To be honest, the piano was your favourite instrument to play. So delicate, so powerful and majestic.

“Excuse me for a second” you got up from your seat, everyone confused by your sudden urge to leave, but not alarmed.

That light from before wasn’t a bolt of lightning, you came to realize, it was a car that parked outside.

A little voice popped in your head guessing it could be him, but it couldn’t… right? There were approximately two hours from Cardiff to get there.

It sure was someone lost, or maybe they were stopping by to beg to use your bathroom because they couldn’t hold it in anymore. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“How about we start dinner? I’m starving” Mary added.

Their voices kept getting lower and lower as you crossed the corridor, oblivious to Roger’s eyes following your every move.

You stepped outside and closed the heavy door behind you, but not completely.

The silhouette of the last person you’d want to see in the entire world was leaning against a red car, one you did know very well because you lost your virginity in the backseat. He was humming to a tune you didn’t recognize, head facing downwards.

Picking at the fabric of the sweater you put on to forbid the cool air of the night from touching your skin, you opened your mouth.

“Leonardo!” you whisper shouted.

He definitely heard you, although he turned a deaf ear.

“Leo, what the fuck!”

“You’re a stupid whore”

Shit. He’s drunk? You prayed he wouldn’t make a scene, not now, with Mary and the guys around. The shame to have them complicit of whatever could possibly happen would be unbearable.

“You’re miserable” he went on with his speech, voice thick, which made it difficult for you to understand him.

You called it quits three months ago. Apparently he wasn’t any close to getting over the fact you ended it.

“Leave”

After what felt forever, he abruptly raised his head.

“What?” the expression on his face revealed he wasn’t happy.

What his eyes showed freaked the hell out of you: they revealed an intense desire, either with words or physically, to hurt you. He wasn’t sober, and you were aware that he had struggled with alcoholism when he was a teenager. It was fair to say Leonardo never put a finger on you in that way before, but alcohol was the push he needed to do it and his body was full of it now.

A lump formed in your throat.

“Get out of here”

“I just want to talk” lifting his hands up in an attempt to seem harmless, losing balance doing so, he took a few steps forward trying his best to sound convincing so you wouldn’t move and listen to him.

“I don’t want to hear what you have to say”

“How do you think I felt? Huh? When I saw you making out with that moron? You’re so selfish. A fucking slut, (Y/N). You disgust me”

That was the final straw. You promised you wouldn’t give in and start an argument, but he fucking did have to bring that up. He had the nerve to blame you for moving on and having some fun with a guy a few days ago at a party.

“Are you serious right now, Leo? How dare you?! We’re not together!” funny enough, this time it was you walking up to him not giving a damn anymore about the consequences.

When you raised your fist to punch him, even in his state, he managed to catch your wrist on time.

“How wrong you’ve done me” he hissed, tightening the grip. That’d leave marks for sure.

He pushed you against the car, causing your back to crack roughly. The situation was so tense not even the tears were brave to roll down your face, your vision blurry and unclear.

“Please, Leo!”

Mary’s voice never felt so good in your ears.

You totally forgot about them, that you could’ve screamed for help instead of dealing with Leo on your own, too absorbed in rage to be able to think things through.

“Do something, help her!” she pleaded the boys.

Four arms were fast to catch him and throw him to the ground.

Everything was happening so fast, almost as fast as your crazy heartbeats.

Brian came to you and held you by the shoulders, checking you out entirely, looking for bruises. He was asking repeatedly if you were alright, if that man dared to touch you. You could hear him, but it felt like he were miles away from you, his words echoing in the back of your mind.

Mary grabbed your arm and the two guided you, treating you like you had some kind of disability.

Before letting them drag you inside, you quickly turned your head to see what was going on, and saw a fuming Roger threatening Leo to disappear and never come back.

Freddie and John remained behind him in case he’d lose his temper. They looked at each other in astonishment; it was the first time they saw Roger like that.

“(Y/N)” Mary called you, once in the common room. “Fancy a glass of water?”

“I’ll be right back with it,” Brian said, his long legs taking him to the kitchen.

“Sit down, babe”

“I don’t want to. I’m fine”

She could perfectly see the tension in your shoulders.

“You’re not. But it’s fine, it’ll be fine” she sympathized, caressing your hair.

At this point you were lost for words. You were confused, angry, stunned.

“Here, take it. It’ll do you good, (Y/N). Is there anything else you n—” Brian began, offering you freshwater to maybe comfort you and make the knot you felt in your throat go away.

“For fuck’s sake!” you felt choleric. Maybe you were about to pass out.

Freddie, John and Roger came in and stopped dead in their tracks when they heard you complain.

Brian blinked a few times.

You were desperate for some time alone to process the last couple of minutes, but that wasn’t any excuse for you to take it out on Brian when all he wanted was for you to get better.

“I’m sorry” you lamented, ashamed at your behaviour, and took the glass not looking at anyone in the eye. That’s when you saw you were indeed shaking a little bit.

He smiled comprehensively, not giving too much attention to your outburst.

“Who the fuck was that?” Freddie wondered.

John elbowed him and mouthed “not now”.

“I’m so embarrassed. I’m sorry you had to witness that” you sighed, choking back the agony.

“Don’t apologize. That piece of shit shouldn’t have treated you like that. He looked mad” Freddie condemned.

Another heavy sigh escaped your mouth when you saw everyone staring intently at you, hating the feeling of their unasked pity.

Roger hadn’t said a word. His muscles were tense, mind way too far from the scene recalling something from the past.

It’d been several weeks since Queen came to stay.

To your surprise you had no complaints. They helped you without hesitation with the housework and kept their rooms tidy. More or less. The only thing you could protest about was that after the sessions it seemed like the studio had been the target of a fateful hurricane.

However, they were too cute to stay mad at for more than ten seconds.

Coming out of your shell was easy because of them. It didn’t take you long to feel comfortable enough to show your true self instead of hiding in your room like you did the first three days.

Reading a book easily kept your mind busy, except now; it was unbearably hot outdoors and indoors. Without taking your eyes off the page, you held the Coca-Cola can against your neck seeking a refreshing sensation.

“Mind if I join?”

You lowered the sunglasses until they were fitted a little bit below the bridge of your nose. The sun was hiding behind a cloud now, making it easier to adjust your vision and get it focused on whoever that was.

A shirtless Roger stood before you, with a towel around his neck that he rushed to spread on the hammock next to yours.

His skin glowing due to the sweat made him look rather tempting.

Your brain lent a helping hand forcing you to smile and nod because you wouldn’t, couldn’t do that yourself.

A small grin tugged at his lips when he noticed your eyes on him longer than usual.

“You’re always studying, angel” he pointed out, lying down and crossing his arms above his head.

You let out a loud sigh you’d been holding in, cheeks red at the pet name he chose. Anytime he’d call you something sweet rather than by your name, it was always how you tended to react.

There was no denying that you’d sort of developed a small crush on him.

Nobody could blame you, though; the same thing would happen to any human being with feelings.

He always treated you as one of them, making sure you didn’t feel left out. His sense of humour was similar to yours, and you appreciated it when he included you in their plans even if he knew you were occupied with Uni and probably wouldn’t be able to join.

Also, he was hot as fuck. You swore you’d never seen a man so beautiful in your life so far.

“I have to if I want to pass my exams”

“Sure, but you’re always studying” he emphasized. “It cannot be healthy”

It couldn’t, but everything was so difficult and you were so lost at some points you thought the world as you knew it could end if you took the smallest break.

“(Y/N)”

“Tell me”

“Seeing you stressed out stresses me” he sat straight, took the book from you and shoved it away. “Fuck this. I suggest you have some fun before the pressure ages you”

“And what do you recommend, ay?” you questioned, crossing your arms across your chest.

“We could play Frisbee”

“Frisbee? Really?”

“Why not? I’m sure you’re not that bad” he teased, getting to his feet.

You faked a laugh and stood up.

“Don’t underestimate my skills”

He used his hand to mimic a mouth talking nonsense, and approached the pool since the frisbee was floating in the water. But he stopped when he felt he stepped on something, proceeding to lift his foot to see what it was.

Roger knelt down and picked a piece of paper up, which said in messy handwriting together with scribbles here and there: You tell me ‘bout your past, thinking your future was me.

His brows cocked in surprise and your eyes widened. You grabbed it out of his hand and held it close to your heart reflexively, as if protecting it. It must have flown out from within the pages of the book when he first threw it away.

Roger watched you curiously, crouched down still, as you breathed slow and deep avoiding eye contact. You could feel your face getting hotter.

He got up with an unnoticeable smile.

“That’s yours? It’s decent”

You waited for something to get out of your mouth, but this time your brain didn’t find a way to help you out, speechless at the fact that he liked it.

“Do you have more? I’d love to hear” he continued, glancing at you.

“Oh, n-no” you forced a laughter. “I don’t”

“I’m glad you’re not as bad as a lyricist as you are as a liar”

You gave him a dirty look and the corners of his eyes crinkled at that. He puppy-eyed you.

“Please?”

“No, Roger”

“We don’t protest when you’re in our recording sessions, you could return the favour”

“Excuse me? You’re in my goddamn house. Watch your tone”

He giggled, fascinated by how cute you turned out to be when poked at.

“What do I have to do for you to say yes?”

“Nothing. It’s not happening”

“(Y/N)!” he pleaded. “I want to hear you sing”

You shook your head.

“And I want to own all the dogs on the planet. Guess we’re both stuck”

Roger groaned in defeat and turned around to get his hands on the frisbee.

For some odd reason, it made your heart dance in your chest knowing he was willing to sit down with you and listen.

A sense of enthusiasm and confidence moved you and shockingly enough you found yourself considering the idea.

Roger gave you a quick head nod.

“Ready?”

You didn’t know what the hell you were doing but you whispered a small “okay”. It couldn’t be that bad, right?

“Take a few steps back first, you’re too close”

You pulled a face at him but quickly shook your head.

“I said I’ll do it”

Roger wasn’t getting it.

“Do w—“ he stopped mid-sentence, his sapphire eyes widening in understanding this wasn’t about playing Frisbee anymore. “Yes!” he took you in his arms and spun you around.

Since he was shirtless you could feel how well built he was. Although he wasn’t the most athletic man out there, apparently drumming on and on was enough to keep him fit.

“Rog, Rog! Enough! I’m feeling dizzy”

You were wearing a mini skirt that had a tiny slit on one of the sides. Seeing it rolled itself up a little you adjusted its length, avoiding any extra space to anyone’s imagination. Too late for Roger though.

When satisfied with how your skirt fitted, you looked up and saw a subtle wink roaming his lips.

“I’m ready when you are” he announced, bending over to grab his shirt and put it on.

At first your legs wouldn’t cooperate.

Roger followed you closely.

He saw you toy with your hair, questioning yourself why you agreed to do this when you weren’t a hundred per cent sure about it. He placed his hands on your shoulders and slowly massaged the back of your neck with his thumbs, relieving some of the pressure.

Every single hair of your body stood on ends.

“Don’t be nervous, love. We can drop it whenever you want” he conceded, tossing an arm around your shoulders.

Opening the door to the studio you felt sick, already regretting your decision.

Roger took a sit on the couch, watching you like you were about to do a mind-blowing performance that’d change the meaning of his life forever.

Feeling like a rat in a laboratory with the doctors waiting to see if the experiment was successful or not, you shifted weight from one foot to the other, discomfort intensifying.

The piercing electric blue of his eyes triggered something in you when they met yours. You didn’t know how but it seemed like he was speaking to you through them, encouraging and imploring you to open up to him.

“Take it easy, (Y/N). It’s not a big deal”

“It is for me”

You sank down on one of the chairs next to the control room, poorly trying to hide how intimidated you were.

“You’re singing, then? Or reading the lyrics out loud?”

“Singing” you muttered. God knows if you went downstairs to pick up your notebook you wouldn’t come back.

A very cheeky expression overtook his face.

“Okay, go ahead” he gestured, rubbing his chin.

You clenched your jaw and snapped your eyes shut. It was easier to do it if you weren’t looking. You’d just imagine it was your grandfather in the room with you instead.

“Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it I’d like to be my old self again But I’m still trying to find it

After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone”

Roger’s fingers fidgeted at the sight of you tucking a piece of hair behind your ear, silently wishing it was him doing it.

He saw how your angelic features relaxed along to every word you sang. When it comes to your voice... He had to remind himself he didn’t die nor was leaving a dream, because it felt like he were in the very gates of heaven.

His breathing quickened, well aware he was witnessing something intimate.

Leaning closer, elbows resting on his knees, he allowed your voice to transport him to the place and time you were describing.

“But you keep my old scarf From that very first week 'Cause it reminds you of innocence And it smells like me You can’t get rid of it

'Cause you remember it all too well”

You swallowed before opening your eyes and speaking.

“There’s more but that’s the part I’m most proud of”

Roger’d fallen silent, his brain on fire.

He seemed to be absent, daydreaming probably.

Your heartbeat could make you go deaf any second, partly because you allowed him to have a peek at your heart partly because you were dying to know if he was any positive about it.

“You sounded like an angel” he stated in the softest voice, working on coming back to his senses.

There was nothing you could do apart from blushing and awkwardly shaking your head, yet on the inside you were saturated with a strong feeling that filled you completely: his opinion was relevant to you and the reaction he had was more than enough.

“You’re exaggerating. Thank you though, for your words. You’re very kind” you said, entwining ankles.

“Is it…” Roger was afraid this would ruin the mood. He decided to give it a shot and solve any doubt. More importantly, he wanted to make sure you were alright.

You weren’t stupid and knew where he was going.

“About Leonardo? Yes. Next question” you explained bitterly cutting him off, and pressed your lips together making an effort to not roll your eyes and appear rude.

He did ruin the mood.

Roger felt bad now.

“I’m sorry. Forget it”

“It’s fine” the flat tone you used before switched to a more delicate one.

It was overwhelming that he cared. He didn’t have to but he cared.

“I experienced something similar. I know how fucked up domestic abuse is” Roger confessed, bowing his head.

Wait, what? He what?

“Rog…” you got up and carefully sat next to him.

It shocked you how quick the atmosphere changed.

“It’s nothing, dear, it was a long time ago. She was… she was crazy” he laughed drily and cleared his throat. “You know what I mean”

“I do not. What you saw when Leonardo showed up was a one-time thing. He was drunk and barely himself, but I’m so terribly sorry you had to go through that”

“Ah, good for you then” he tapped you on the knee with a small smile on his face.

It broke your heart. How could anyone be so goddamn evil? You just couldn’t understand why they were people like that out there, willing to harm others deliberately.

Your mind drifted to Leonardo, did he become one of them?

Glancing at Roger, you hesitantly got closer to rest your cheek against his shoulder, letting him know mutely you were there in case he needed to vent more often. You intended to cuddle for just a few seconds before it turned out weird. That was until he wrapped an arm around you to keep you in position.

“Thank you” he whispered.

It sent shivers down your spine hearing for the first time his voice discreetly cracking up. You weren’t entirely sure about what he was thanking you for, though.

Roger didn’t quite understand why such information slipped out his mouth. Maybe he thought it was appropriate to share it since he contemplated you went through the same thing after what he saw. He just wanted to make sure you knew you could count on him as well.

The boys knew about the matter, obviously, but there was this thing about you he hadn’t figured out just yet that pushed him to speak to you about it.

That’s what his mind was saying, his heart on the other hand defended the idea that he felt comfortable with you and that since he presenced the incident with Leonardo he remembered his experience. Hence the fit of anger he had.

The thought alone of that scumbag hurting you made his head collapse. He was very sensitive about the subject.

“Better?” you wondered out loud after a while of snuggling, yet you didn’t move, finding the proximity significantly pleasant.

“Yeah, uh, sorry” he cleared his throat and released you.

“It’s more than okay”

He nodded, not really looking at you yet.

You tried to think of something that could distract him from those undeserved and heartrending memories.

There was no point of comparison to what Roger had struggled with, but every time you argued with Leo during the year your relationship lasted, you were grateful that your friends organized sporadic plans to help you forget about the fights.

You had to do that for Roger. You had to entertain him. To keep his mind occupied.

“Freddie explained to me drums are much more complicated than what they seem”

Roger glanced over the drumkit.

He was suspicious at first about the topic change, and looked at you from the corner of his eye.

“It can be very ambitious if you don’t do try for real, instead of goofing around. There’s too much going on. People believe it’s just hitting the drums and you’re good. Wankers”

It was unmissable how his face lit up, talking about his passion.

Crossing an ankle over your knee, you bent forward to get a better sight of his much more eased features.

“I’m sure it requires a lot of hard work, the coordination on hands and feet and all that stuff. Singing along as well must be tiring”

Roger’s eyes bored into yours, as if studying and reflecting upon your words. A corner of his mouth lifted.

“Yeah,” he replied amused, “physically it can be tough”

He knew what you were doing.

Just when he was about to ask you if you wanted him to teach you some basics, John came flying through the door.

“For God’s sake, there you are. Roger, I need you. Freddie and Brian are arguing again. Help me out spreading some peace before Freddie slaps him”

****

end of part one, lemme know what you think ! ♡

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dreamerwitches · 4 years

Photo

Yep-! I’m digging into Mobage again XD Even though the actual game looks pretty shoddy and dated, I’m pretty darn fascinated by it X3c

Anyway, I wanted to analyse the new magical girls that were introduced in Mobage, seeing if perhaps they’re magical girl forms of witches we already know.

Starting with Elise, I think it’s clear off the bat who everyone is thinking of.

Her hat is a reeeaalllyy specific design... I thought of Walpurgisnacht straight away XD However, looking at her whole outfit, she looks more like she’s inspired by traditional Halloween witch styles. The orange, black and purple as well as a strange hat and cape make me think this. Though one aspect - her sleeves - look really similar to Walpurgis’.

I also had a look at the ending silhouettes from Madoka Magica because I remembered this girl who we thought was Walpurgis already

Though here it looks like her hat/hair is more straight down than Elise’s hat, I think that could just be because this silhouette is very simplified. However, the rest of the silhouette doesn’t match Elise at all. The silhouette is missing her cape and has completely different bottoms.

Another thing that made me think of Walpurgis was the fact Elise has no weapon but is said to have summoning magic, just like how Walpurgis summons her familiars to do most of the battling. I think Walpurgis’ magical girl having no weapon is suitable though perhaps a fire themed weapon would also fit because Walpurgis shoots fire and just generally blows things up! XD

I was hoping Elise’s wish would perhaps give me more clues but it doesn’t. She is said to have become a magical girl to help her parents deal with the grief they had over the death of her sister but I don’t think this specifically links to Walpurgis at all.

On the note of Walpurgis’ magical girl. I do believe in the theory that Walpurgis is made of many magical girls (as hinted by her familiars) though I still think there was one magical girl to create the look of Walpurgis (which would be the girl from the ending)

Next up is Claire! She’s really pretty :3c I like her design!

This one’s another obvious one...

Since we know Elsa Maria is so linked with religion, Claire’s nun outfit really sells the link that she could be Elsa Maria’s magical girl. Even though the colour isn’t black or red (colours of Elsa Maria and her barrier) I think the colours really match up. Since Elsa Maria can summon a tree-like thing as well as her hair ends looking a little like saplings, I think Claire’s green outfit really links to this, as well as Christianity (presumably, I’m no religion expert!!!) with the natural, earthly themes.

I also feel Claire’s personality fits Elsa Maria. She is said to have a quiet and gentle personality which I think means she would also be benevolent and strict to her beliefs. This links to a part in Elsa Maria’s bio: She continually prays for all of creation and drags all life equally into her shadow. I can imagine Claire believing that everything in life should be treated equally because of her personality and religion.

Unlike Elise, I cannot link a magical girl silhouette (from the ending) to Claire.

Despite the strong connections, I don’t believe Claire really is Elsa Maria’s magical girl. I find her weapon: a staff, to be pretty believable for Elsa Maria but her use of lightning doesn’t fit so well. If I were to imagine Elsa Maria’s choice of element, I think it would be more something to do with earth, or perhaps summons. Another reason I’m against this is because we already know Elsa Maria’s wish: I wish you, although not seen from me, to be happy. Which contradicts Claire’s wish which is to be noticed by her parents. However, Elsa Maria’s wish is simply written in production notes and very easily could not be canon.

Taking into account all of Claire’s attributes, a few other witches she could be are: Uhrmann because she wishes to be loved by all however Uhrmann’s magical girl form has been confirmed to be Inui Itsumi. Roberta because her wish was: I wish for friends. Friends who won't dislike me. After some thought, I thought that perhaps this could be a good match because Roberta’s scandalous design could be because an older Claire has given up on her beliefs or simply given up on listening to others because she was ignored so much and her life fell into a dark place.

The next girl is Hiyori, she uses a harp and is said to be calm and gentle.

Unlike the previous two girls, no witches stood out to me for Hiyori. Since she plays the harp, I thought that her witch would too be musical themed, but no witches fit that theme aside from Oktavia, who is already Sayaka’s witch.

The only witch (from the main series) I can think of that could fit with Hiyori’s theme is Izabel. Although Izabel is an artist witch, art and music are both considered arts. It’s rather a stretch but I feel both Izabel and Hiyori want to be noticed for their talent - although I can believe that Hiyori has real talent whereas Izabel does not.

Since Hiyori uses harp string to restrain enemies, she strongly reminds me of Mami and Candeloro - her colour scheme also fits - but we certainly know Candeloro already has a magical girl.

The final girl is Komachi! A cheerful girl who fights with naginatas!

Just like Hiyori, I have no solid links to any of the witches...

Her bunches strongly remind me of Elly/Kirsten although Elly’s bunches are nearer the bottom of her head and the bows are a much different style. Additionally, nothing else of Komachi’s design links to Elly in any way.

Unfortunately, the only witch I can link now is Ophelia! And she’s taken too XD Her kimono and Naginata really look like Ophelia’s (even though Ophelia uses a spear). A small link I can make is to Itzli since she has a hair accessory on the left side of her head just like her. A bow on her obi also looks a little like Itzli’s bows but that’s a big stretch. Also, since Itzli is believed to be an alien magical girl, I think this idea is completely debunked.

Sources: Elise art Claire art Hiyori art Komachi art Walpurgis art Ending magical girls Mobage cards

#madoka magica #puella magi madoka magica #madoka magica mobage #elise #claire #hiyori #komachi #long post

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vrenaewrites · 4 years

Text

CARAVAL thoughts:

FULL VIDEO HERE.

Confession: I DNFed caraval about 2 years ago. I even included this book in a video called “reading 5 star reviews of books I hate” (either screen record and insert the clip from that vid or link in the cards skip to like 6:40 or both)

Chapter 1

We open with letters that our main character Scarlett has written to the caraval master Legend

She really wants him to come to her island but he hasn’t

She finally gets one back with three tickets for her Tella and her fiancé

Chapter 2

Scarlett’s feelings came in colors “urgent red of burning coals, frenzied yellow of a flapping bird’s feathers”

She goes to tell her sister Tella and finds her making out with a dude lol

Julian is his name

The edges of the paper “blazed a shimmery gold, the color of magic and wishes and promises of the things to come”

Tella hates the count Scarlett is betrothed to but Scarlett wants to leave their home so bad she doesn’t care who she ends up with

“Gods teeth!” Is the expletive…

The prize of caraval is one wish

They have to leave the isle within 3 days which would be impossible before getting married

Tella’s lips “shifted from broken to unbreakable” NO

Last time they left Scarlett’s dad did something terrible to her

Julian offers to smuggle them to the island for caraval on his sailor ship (pirate ship??)

“Goldenrod desire lit up inside her”

Wishes were about as real as unicorns

Their dad shows up with gloves “the shade of bruises”

Tella accuses Scarlett of hooking up with Julian RUDE!!!!

And Julian agrees!

Ohh because the dad beats the other sister so they’re trying to protect each other by accusing each other

Her marriage is 10 days away

Chapter 3

Her fathers perfume smelled like the color of his gloves

Julian decides to take them off the isle for free after witnessing this

Tella says if she leaves she will never return

“Her world was a grand game board, and her father believed this marriage would be his penultimate move”

“More than your sisters face will bleed” is their dad assaulting them?? Did I just gloss over that when reading this the first time??

“Weather worn white archways” loved

Governor dragna sounds like judge frollo

Their mom disappeared 7 years ago - abandoned them

They have priests and piety and the devil but they don’t use the BC AD calendar instead going by seasons and rulers...why

Chapter 4

She felt the lie from childhood “sneaking into her slippers and moving between her toes” no you didn’t

“A broken dock like a massive tongue jutted out to stones that reminded Scarlett if uneven teeth”

It was nights like these she could smell the moon - I wrote taste at first and taste fits better imo

A friend tried to help them escape once and the governor drowned him for it, Tella didn’t know about this

She meets Julian here at midnight and barters all 3 tickets to keep him from helping Tella escape

Julian and Tella ambush her and knock her out

Chapter 5

“A pock marked moon winked in the glass”

She has a dream about their nana telling them how legend got his name

First of all, legend is a bad dumb name and you should feel bad about it, Stephanie Garber. Caraval is also a bad name.

He was in love with a woman named Annalise and would perform at a coronation to earn her fathers respect, but he needed a witch to grant him a wish of talent

He had to choose between fame and love

So his name is legend because his magic is legendary? How tf did John legend not sue over this?

“Behind her a cloud drifted over the moon, covering all but two tiny points of light, which hovered behind her silver hair like devil’s horns” love this visual

I’m calling it now, we’re getting this flashback because somehow, the dragna sisters are related to Annalise or remind legend of Annalise and this is why Tella gets taken

Chapter 6

She wakes up in a rowboat with Julian after 2 days which is always a good way to pass the 2 days journey it takes without having to make anything happen lol I respect it

Julian calls her crimson instead of Scarlett - hated it then hate it now

Trees “rose toward the sky like massive emeralds” and the waterfall “streamed down like melted peacock feathers” no it didn’t because that makes no sense

Legends private island is called the island of dreams in Spanish

Tella has set up a kidnapping so Scarlett can go back without getting In trouble

“The image of a purple fire breathing dragon came to mind, coating her vision with ashy shades of anxiety”

I remember stopping very shortly after this and now I remember why - I can do purple prose but DAMN

Their mom had “vanished taking nothing with her, she disappeared like a broken star leaving the world untouched, save for the missing bits of light but no one would ever see again” Good purple prose

We get some backstory on how her Nana was more involved after her mother left, and we get to hear again about how great her stories are, even though we just spent a chapter getting that first hand from a flashback

She barters with herself to stay only one day and then go home for her wedding

There’s a hole in the boat so they swim but she didn’t take her dresses off so she starts to drown

“You deserve this” because of Phillippe, like hands the water pressed her down down down

Julian saved her and cuts off her dress which she finds very intense

Chapter 7

So much description of the snowy frosting sand pick one

I get that it’s a magical island but every descriptor up until the sand made it sound like a tropical paradise, and then suddenly the sand is snow and there’s ice and snow on the trees which were just giant emeralds so I’m confused

Because being wet and cold is more scary

“ The snow on the rooftops rested like dust on abandoned storybooks“

A very diagon alley sitch where there are magical stores but none are open...because it’s caraval guys. They’re at the games

They go into a clock shop where there are clothes waiting along with food roses and a note from legend

They change and she sees awful scars on his hot muscly back

Her dress is lame despite every YA trope about the heroine having a princess moment, that’s fun: just kidding it changed colors and shape to fit her perfect

And Julian’s outfit is super hot

He stole a pocket watch

Scarlett was a pretty girl but she tried to hide it, her eyes were too honest, no one noticed girls in ugly clothes

“Scarlet wondered if she had found a way to escape her fathers deadly games only to become a well costumed piece on a new game board” no shit Scarlett you came to the island for the game…

Also you were in such a hurry to find Tella and get into the game before it was too late and now you’re waxing poetic about how hot Julian is and how you’re hot but you don’t wanna be

Chapter 8

“Sage shaded colors of suspicion” I really hate this device she’s using. I’ve used it to describe the colors my mind reading characters see in people's minds. But it’s like twice a book, maybe, to express extreme emotion. Not every time your feelings change.

Some guy comes in and offers them a portal into caraval and Scarlett is like “sure thing” and Julian is like “ummm dumdum” and he leaves

The guys like “oh you just gonna listen to that random guy?” And I’m like as opposed to you, another random guy?

He wants her voice okay Ursula

“A passionate sky made of melting lemons and burning peaches” or say yellows and oranges…

“Until the door was no more” love this, sounds very fairy tale

She leaves and it's like night already, she only has til midnight

Scarlett and Julian get in by him pretending to be the count, her fiancé

They take the path of the players, not the watchers

Chapter 9

“A panicked Vermillion moved inside of her chest as she thought of how specific legends letter had been”

Julian admits he’s played caraval before and Scarlett is like *gasp* but HELLO how did you think he knew all the shit he knew?

He keeps calling her crimson like every time he speaks to her, annoying

“Julian’s smile turned seductive, all shameless curves and immoral promises”

Chapter 10

“Soft golden lights licked her arms with gentle kisses of warmth”

I’m very bored when this house is supposed to be EVERYTHING

The guy who was giving them the rules says, “don’t let your eyes or feelings trick you” And then jumps off the balcony and Scarlet freaks out… He just told you not to trust what you see

Scarlett is the most annoying person

Their instructions are to get to the end by sunrise or they’ll be locked out in the streets, but she’s wasting time wanting to look for her sister - and Julian is telling her that her sister is probably staying at the same place and she doesn’t believe him despite the fact that he’s already done this game before, just trust him???

“A searing green door watched Scarlet like a glowing eye”

This just made me figure out why I don’t like that she’s using colors as an emotional device, because the main character is named after a color, and so it’s just way too many color descriptors

Julian got trapped outside noooo

Chapter 11

But it’s fine because she tells the innkeeper they’re guests of legend - which they are - and he’s let in. Great. Glad there are no stakes. They also used legends name to get the boat to the inn for free.

The hallways in the inn “smelled like the end of the night, sweat and fading fire smoke mixed with lingering breath from words whose ghosts still haunted the air” no

Julian was “poison in an attractive bottle”

Their rooms are actually one room oops

Chapter 12

“But legend saw all during caraval”

She got a message from legend: it’s a key with tella’s name on it

Lmao tella is having sex behind that door for sure

“She felt five different shades of berry colored foolish” this is so stupid

Every time something happens between tella and scar, we get a whole expository moment about how this is related to their mother or their father or the relationship between the sisters… We know. we can tell. we are not stupid.

“Warmth licking her cheek” this metaphor is too specific to keep using it

Some tattooed dude finds her - Dante - and is like “sleep in my room”

He asks her out but she declines because the count

Damn her dress has transformed to be like see through which is why he was into her lmao

She has a dream that legend is a creep lol

Chapter 13

Scarlett totally changes her tune re: enjoying herself

She passes tella’s room and finds a wreck

“Feathers covered the carnage as if a rebel Angel had gone mad” this is so dumb

The key she got with tella’s name was a clue, that other people also got

A pregnant girl offers to help scarlet, and a man steals scarlets favorite earrings from her mother

Then the pregnant girl steals that stuff

She realizes there’s a postcard in tella’s room that isn’t hers

Chapter 14

Tella only loved mermaids, and the postcard is of a castle, which was Scarlett’s thing

The castle is a place on the isle that Julian recognizes

Dante shows up and Julian is like hell nah

Dante won last time Julian was here and it cost him a lot

“Shops wrapped in colors like a birthday presents, cerulean blue apricot orange saffron yellow primrose pink while the canals remained midnight dark” SHUT UP dude

This woman got like a color wheel or a color dictionary for her birthday the year she wrote this book

Time moves fast in the castle

What’s really annoying about this book is Stephanie Garber spends a lot of time talking about things that are boring, and one sentence on something like hummingbird-sized elephants and tigers

There’s a kissing tent and she’s like fuck yeah let’s go there

You’re engaged

Julian sees where she’s looking and is like yeah??

A tingle of periwinkle curiosity

Chapter 15

She goes into the tent of a half naked dude who could tell her fortune

This is all very boring

He has incense that makes people tell the truth and she admits Julian is the hottest guy ever

She asks what’s the man she will marry really like?

He’s not a good person

She’s covered in only pictures he can see instead of pictures only he can see…

She had 2 questions but the way she asked used them up so she doesn’t get to ask about tella

Chapter 16

He tells her to follow the boy with the heart made of black...obviously Dante, she thinks Julian

She walks into a potion tent and finds an elixir of protectio

She mentions her father and feels “anise and lavender and rotting plums”

She describe the woman who works in the potion tent as having “bottle green” eyes, but this entire paragraph has the word bottle in it like 1 million times because shes describing a tent full of potions...all these colorful words you’ve used and this is where you use “bottle green”

I don’t mind the descriptor, my own eyes are bottle green, it’s very vivid, but badly placed

She chases Julian to a decrepit garden with a fountain, and sees a glass button

She also saw a glass button in tella’s room...is this how legend spies on her? Is this where tella is being kept?

“Dreary yellow hopelessness” infected her

She sees the symbol of caraval inside the fountain and touches it, revealing a staircase

Someone screamed as hot and bright as fire

It’s madness tunnels

The inn “smells of laughter and boasts laced with sweetened ale” this doesn’t make seeeeeennnnnnnnse

She finds Julian, but it’s actually Dante and he’s mean to her and she cries but it makes her mad at Julian?????? Stupid

Chapter 17

Julian finally shows up, super bloody but he just had a head wound

She cleans him up and is getting super horny lol

He got her earrings back!!!!!

The fire dies sending up a plume of smoke “the color of things better said in whispers”

She tells him about the tunnels and he says legend treats his prisoners like guests

Julian’s eyes are the color of “caramel and liquid amber lust”

He almost kisses her and then seems to wake up, leaves and “disappointment wraps around her in cool shades of forget me not blue” STOP

Chapter 18

She wakes up to white roses with red tips

Julian is supposed to meet her but doesn’t

A girl shows up “pretty as a watercolor and dressed as bold as a trumpet” DUDE

“Oh poor you, here you are on a magical island, and all you can think of is what you don’t have” get her!

Dante shows up and she realizes he has a black heart tattoo which DUH SCARLETT

chapter 19

The night is “brittle, crisp like the first bite of a chilled apple, smelling just as sweet with hints of burnt sugar weaving through the charcoal night air” THIS IS GOOD PURPLE PROSE! I can taste this!!!!!!!

She’s chasing Dante and finds a cider seller who’s drink will help her see things more clearly, the price is her last lie

She drinks it and loses the color in her vision

The game is constantly working against you?????? How?! You’ve stumbled across tons of clues without any work and there are no believable stakes to this game, this drink is the first time you’ve had a struggle…

Iko holds a journal that’s brownish green, “the color of forgotten memories, abandoned dreams, and bitter gossip”

Even in black and white we get this heavy handed color shit

She realizes anything in color is important

She also sees the red roses on a carousel and the red cravat on a mans neck

He makes her feel perilous shades of silky black - is Stephanie Garner an artist? Does she have synesthesia or something?? What is with this device!!!!

She looks in Iko’s book and sees pictures of her, the special guest

Sour shades of yellow green made her stomach roil with trepidation - HUH????

She’s like “why would he make the game about me?” You’ve been begging him to bring you caraval your entire life, why do you think?

I think I remember the nana saying annelise had blonde hair, and so does tella...are they related to her? Is she nana?

Iko tells her the notebook also holds all the true stories of caraval

Iko will give her the notebook if Scarlett will buy 2 dresses because the changing dress bothers her (??)

Iko takes her to a dress shop where the dresses are “the color of late night laughter, early morning sunshine, and waves crashing around ankles”

The dresses cost nightmares or secrets or fears

She owes her worst fear and greatest desire, or she can pay 2 days of her life per dress

It works but her greatest desire isn’t to find her sister, so she pays with 2 days of her life, not at the end of her life but at the end of caraval

“Panic came in hemlock green, the color of poison and terror”

“Something acidic and moldy and burnt bubbled up in Scarlett’s throat - the taste of death” like this

Scarlett’s body dies but her mind will exist in a dream world

Chapter 20

Dante finds her and drags her into the inn

Julian hits Dante because he won’t let her go hell yeah

She tells him what happened

Julian tried to give Scarlett a day of his life by having her drink his blood from his finger and she’s like “I wanna fuck this duuuude”

“His voice is so gentle, made of gentle” I liked this

Then he drinks her blood from her finger, and the world shatters into a million shards of colored glass

He lays down with her and holds her while she dies

Chapter 21

Death was the color purple.

She sees tella in the dream world, and tella has a huge dark book that swallows her and Scarlett

They see young nana in a house similar to the one they entered at caraval, entwined with a young man

Her grandma is Anneliese DUH

Then she’s at the funeral of the woman who died at caraval before

Rosa was in love with legend and he rejected her so she killed herself

Dante was rosa’s fiancée

Legend is julian?!?!?

Loved This entire chapter but then it means nothing because none of this is real it’s all part of the game so it’s not really story development

Chapter 22

They both wake up

Scarlett tries to convince herself the game is messing with her

Then she remembers what the dream people said about legend loving to make girls fall for him

She has a grey streak in her hair now

Her dad is there!

She finally puts it together - her nana is anneliese

“She could see the sting of her rejection in shades of stormy blue ghosting over his heart like sad morning mist” roll my eyes

But then she remembers that he gave a day of his life for her and is like why would he do that if he was legend

Now she’s changed her mind, so she goes after Julian to find him leaving Dante’s room and walking into tella’s

She goes in after him to hide from her dad but the room is empty

She finds another secret staircase like the fountain

She trips over Dante’s dead body and finds Julian standing over it

Chapter 23

Julian grabs her and is like “I didn't kill him, we were working together”

He shows her a white rose tattoo he has, Rosa was his sister!!

She asks why he had been acting weird and he basically says he didn’t want to have feelings for her because that wasn’t why he had come to caraval

Scarlett is like let’s get this fucker back, but she hears her dad’s footsteps in the tunnel

Chapter 24

They start running, and they hide in a weird alcove from her dad that starts to squish them

She realizes it’s feeding off their fear so they relax and it lets them out

They end up in the sand tunnel and Scarlett is like how could you know I was going to caraval if you were already at our island when I got my tickets

Julian explains that legend is punishing the descendants of anneliese and he invited her to caraval to stop the wedding

Legend had never responded until she signed her full name on the last letter, mentioning her wedding

Julian is the fucking count dude calling it

“His steady gaze reached out to the broken parts of her like a caress, a type of touch that moved through damaged flesh, past fractured bones and into a person's wounded soul.” WOW

Scarlett hears tella’s voice and almost runs straight off a cliff

“Tella loved danger the same way candle wicks loved to burn. It never seemed to scare her that some of the things she lusted for might consume her like a flame” Christ

Julian knew tella would be taken during caraval

Chapter 25

She had to find tella before legend consumed her like a flame burning a candle” you just used a candle metaphor like one page ago my dude.

She gives herself one minute to cry and scream and Julian hears her so he barges in, worried

He apologizes and she gives him the grace I’ve been waiting for as soon as he said he knew what would happen to tella: he had to avenge his sister. Everything they’re both doing is for their sisters, she should be more understanding

Julian is “all kinds of tragic and lovely”

The box was “flat black, the color of failure and funerals” shut UP

Like if you wanna use the color device to describe your protagonists feelings stop being so fucking flowery with every single color in the book it is soooooooooooooooo distracting

It’s the other dress Scarlett has bought but now it’s white

Chapter 26

There’s a note in the box from legend that makes “invisible spiders crawl over her skin” ok

She thinks the dress is the 5th clue - the buttons on the dress reminds her of the buttons leading to the hat store

Chapter 27

They go to the top hat place and Julian is like “this is all wrong”

Iko appears looking like “a teardrop the moon had cried” love it

She tells them not to go into the hat shop

Let me guess, despite both of these omens Scarlett is still gonna go in

“Scarlett had an emerald green premonition that she would make a discovery inside” sure why tf not gotta keep the story moving somehow

She sees the store owner and was like LEGEND and he’s like nah dude I’m just wearing a hat

But he is the guy that was wearing the red cravat and eyepatch from the day her vision went gray

He is the count!!!!!

Chapter 28

Nicholas Darcy

And her dad is there!!!!!!!!!!

Julian gets her out but the count chases her and they get on a boat

She sees her dad and he looks afraid but she blames it on the rain

They row to the castle and Julian convinces her to get inside to hide from the lightning

And they argue about if she’s still planning marrying the count and she’s torn which hurts him

He says “are you sure you want this?” Before kissing her and like is it a consent thing or is it him asking if he’s what she wants either way I love it

“The boy who had saved her from drowning in more ways than one” explain…

They kiss and “every touch created colors she had never seen” that’s so anticlimactic

Chapter 29

The stones fall through the hourglass like “drops of falling rose petals” that makes no sense but we have to include it because...

She finally realizes the roses that have been EVERYWHERE are part of the game duh

She takes Julian to the fountain where the tunnel entrance is

She feels ochre shades of uneasy

Only NOW she’s giving pause at the idea of winning because she could wish them safe...shoulda been your goal all along. Should have been equally as important as finding tella since if you find her you win the wish….I’m signing heavily atm

The governor and the count are there!!!!!

Swear to god if Julian dies I’m going to fucking riot

She wants to split up but Julian is like fuck no

The count catches up to her and the governor pulls her by her hair up the stairs

He punches her in the stomach to warn Julian and she gets back up, with the count trying to protect Scarlett

“A slick mud colored feeling coated Scarlett’s insides” because the governor is holding a knife to Julian’s throat

He cuts Julian’s face NOOOOOO

The governor takes Julian to his room and let’s the count sleep in Scarlett’s room because “he’s already paid for her, he can enjoy her a few days early”

Scarlett stands up to her dad!!!! And then she remembers tella’s words: what if the count is worse?

Scarlett tells the count if she makes her dad stop, she’ll be a good wife but if he doesn’t she will never be his obedient wife

“Do you really want a bride who will only sleep with you because someone will be tortured if she doesn’t?” YES

Chapter 30

The count is like “listen I am NOT like your dad I’m sorry” and she’s like yeah but you’re not Julian

The count starts undressing and Scarlett aims a poker at his eyeball lmao

She finally remembers the elixir of protection in that dress from the tent and soaks the count

The count is like “you’re playing into legends hands” and Scarlett is like “nah he did me a favor by getting rid of you”

Chapter 31

Julian’s cut isn’t that deep thank god but he’s still woozy

“He tasted like midnight and wind”

Leap of faith - roses - it’s Rosa!!!!! She has to ask how Rosa died and Julian says she jumped off a balcony

They decide to sneak out using the tunnels to go search all the balconies

Chapter 32

The town during the day looks like a “faded memory”

She hears music from the rose colored carousel

The musician has been asking for coins the whole time but nothing else cost money

They jump onto the moving carousel and end up in the roses where Scarlett finds the caraval symbol

They have to jump, Julian gives her coordinates to a boat in case they get separated but they run out of time and she has to go in

She lands in a river and lands at a staircase guarded with statues that are definitely frozen people

Legend is there ofc

Chapter 33

She’s a little star struck by legend

His laugh is a rich spicy sound that echoes until he snaps his fingers

Homeboy is mad

Julian ends up there, dry, and...he’s working with legend...NOOOOOOO

Dante and Valentina were also part of the game

Rosa was not his sister...DUDE

She clutches his pocket watch and legend opens it - Julian’s voice comes out apologizing for betraying her

He does love her HE IS ENCHANTED!!!!!

LEGEND STABS JULIAN?!?!?!?!?!?

Oh fuck he is spitting blood oh fuck oh no

Scarlett you got him killed you dumdum

Chapter 34

I’m FUCKING FURIOUS

she remembers that she gets one wish, and she wants to use it to bring Julian back and I swear to goooooddddddd if he doesn’t come back I’m gonna throw myself out the window

Legend is gone, leaving a funeral invitation for tella set for tomorrow this guy is a MONSTER

Chapter 35

She ends up on a huge rooftop way high up

“The air felt soft and poisonous”

Tella is there feeling like “softness and sunlight and seeds for growing dreams”

We just used soft a sentence ago!!!!

Tella is like “you’re confused, the game is playing tricks on you”

Scarlett tells her about their grandmas history with legend

She shows tella the invitation and it now says it’s to a party not a funeral

Chapter 36

Tella has met a boy that’s not legend...it’s a guy she met right before she got taken for the game…

She’s engaged to him??

Scarlett is like maybe tella is right and this is all part of it...Scarlett DUDE

Scarlett has a bitter yellow puddle of dread in her stomach

If Daniel is Dante or Julian I’m gonna scream

Chapter 37

It’s legend of course

Duh

He tries to convince tella to tie Scarlett up you better NOT

TELLA

YOU DUMB BITCH

legend dares Scarlett to walk to the edge of the balcony to prove she loves her sister, so that he can feign worry to tella

They tie her up

The governor and the count show up FUCK

finally legend admits to tella who he is and she just breaks poor baby

Tella backs up to the ledge and says if the governor or the count touch Scarlett she’ll kill herself!!!!!!!

“Silver slippers sliding” toward the balcony

Scarlett breaks free but tella FUCKING JUMPS

Chapter 38

So now who is Scarlett gonna use her wish on?!

Her father looks like “a dragon with no fire and broken wings”

The governor slaps Jovan and legend is like imma fuck you UP

The governor killed Dante!!!!!!

She blackmails her dad with Philippe’s death

She remembers her wish...but who does she use it on?!

Which oof, oof, OOF

Tella is a brat lmao

Legend won’t give her the wish!!!!!

He’s...fading??

Scarlett goes to give tella her blood

She wishes her impossible wish but it doesn’t work

Chapter 39

She goes back up to get tella’s stuff and finds a caraval box with a letter inside from tella to legend that she didn’t know about

Chapter 40

She goes to see legend and finds out he’s actually some dude named Caspar…that was why he couldn’t grant her wish

There’s a stack of letter between tella and legend that basically illustrate that tella was willing to die for legend to get them to caraval

Tella is alive?!?!?!?!?!?

This was all a fucking game?!

Her impossible wish came true, but she had actually died

Tella orchestrated their dad getting to caraval so he could see her die, and so he would leave Scarlett alone

Chapter 41

So Julian is not really dead, but tella wanted anyone who made Scarlett love them to be taken out, that way she wouldn’t get hurt by someone who was just pretending

So she somehow warps this into meaning that Julian didn’t actually love her? Go...ask him??????? The fuck

God poor Scarlett…

So people can die in caraval, but when the game is over, they come back...so there were no fuckin stakes except for tella’s death

Chapter 42

They go to legends party in the forest and Scarlett sees Julian

Iko is there like go talk to Julian dumdum

“Shades of the rich ruby love she’d felt mixed with deep indigo hurt turning everything just a little bit violet” I don’t care I want them to kiss Stephanie

Julian is so hurt that she thinks she doesn’t know him

He’s related to legend…

Rosa dying changed his opinion of legend

He tried to leave the game right before this caraval

Legend is his brother!!!!!!!!!

He couldn’t leave Scarlett because she loved her sister like Julian loved his brother

He stayed because of Scarlett despite how it hurt him to lie to her

Yaaaaaay they kiss yay omg

Epilogue

Tella is dancing drunk at the party and is dancing with a new guy who dances her to the edge of the party...then he’s gone?

He dropped something into her pocket...a coin with a note…

From legend!!!!!

You can see your mom soon if you keep up your end of the bargain!!!!!

#book review #bookreviews #booktube #cringe books #cringe review #stephanie garber #caraval #legendary #finale #negative review #spoilers

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talpup · 4 years

Text

Light In the Darkness: 20

Please remember this fic is rated mature and has warnings of violence, abuse, sexual tension, eventual sexual behavior, and other possible triggers.

***If you prefer reading off AO3 here’s the link for that: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20887595/chapters/55300054

Sorry about the delay, life and writing Erase the Shadow got a hold of me and I completely forgot about updating. Thanks to @captncappuccino for reminding me.

Thank you to those who have left hearts. And a special THANK YOU to those who have recently left comments or re-blogged. They really mean a lot.

Taglist: @captncappuccino

20.1

It had been a little less then a week since the attacks on the four Magic Knights bases. The day following the attack Jax had informed them that the Green Mantis, Coral Peacocks, and Purple Orcas had also been attacked at the same time their base had been. By the attackers dress and what those at Magic Investigations had learned the reason given for the attacks had been surmised as a gathering of outlaw gangs and other nefarious criminals attempting to appear as Spade Kingdom Sorcery Lances in the hopes of war between the Clover and Spade kingdoms thus allowing them to freely do as they pleased. Beneath their robes the attackers had worn the usual dusty, tattered garb one would expect a member of an illegal gang to wear. There had been other such evidence that supported the conclusion by Magic Investigations but Teris refused to listen to it. She knew the truth. Or at least some of it. Why Alowishus Spade had given up so many of his followers lives for such a ruse was beyond her. If he truly was a Zealot surely the Spade Kingdom couldn’t be blamed for his actions even if, as his name suggested, he was a descendant of the kingdoms first ruler. That was unless the current King of the Spade Kingdom or some other high ranking official had sanctioned Spades actions. The possibility gave her a chill but no worse then what possible reason the Wizard King had for keeping the truth silent.

Despite all that had happened things at the Black Bulls base had returned to normal, that was other then the fact that Bronn, Olsen, Iban, and Yami were still away on mission. Even the great room looked as if nothing had happened. As did Teris’ bedroom which she wasn’t sure how she felt about. It wasn’t that she had trouble being comfortable in the room or getting to sleep. It just seemed that something visible should have changed; kind of as a marker or symbol for the change that had happened inside her.

“Teris.” Venice called as Teris exited the bedroom. “You sure that’s all you need?”

Teris came back to herself and turned to her friend. “Yes,” she nodded.

“I know you’re not the typical girl. Neither am I. But I gotta say, that’s not much. I came up here with you to help you take your bags down and find I’m not needed,” Venice said.

“You’re always needed.” Teris said only half teasing. “Besides, whatever I forgot or need that isn’t at Nova House I’ll buy in town.”

“Right.” Venice rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I forget you’re a rich royal.”

“A greater complement could not be given.” Teris said her tone joking but feelings serious. “I won’t be long. Three days at most. Hopefully.”

“Home that bad, huh?”

Teris looked around. “This is home.”

“And don’t forget it. I’d be lost without you. Having Abril as the only girl again would be awful.”

“I heard that.” Abril called from her bedroom.

“Get over here and tell Teris bye.”

“Bye.” Abril shouted.

“Bye.” Teris called back laughing. To Venice she said. “Let’s not make a big deal out of this. It’s not like I’m going on a dangerous mission.” She stopped and looked out the window that had a clear view of the wooded path that lead up to the main house.

“It’s alright.” Venice said stepping behind and bumping her with a shoulder. “Yami will be back soon. Probably before you return even.”

“I hope so,” Teris said. “Still--”

“Still, it would’ve been nice if he got back before you had to leave.” Venice went on when Teris had fallen silent. “Yeah, I know. I’ll tell him you miss him and dreamt of his return though.”

“You wouldn’t.” Teris told eyes widening.

“Then hurry up and get going,” Venice smiled. “The sooner you leave. The sooner you’ll get back.” She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. “Oh! Yami! How I missed you.” She furrowed her brow and deepened her voice, “I missed you too. How about a kiss?” She puckered her lips and made kissing noises.

“Gross.” Abril yelled from her room. “Be gone already.”

20.2

The Black Bulls had rushing out of the dining hall to greet Bronn, Olsen, Iban, and Yami upon their return during dinner the same day Teris had left. Venice had already made the others swear not to tell Yami where Teris was till he had asked and now waited for his query.

When didn’t come Venice demanded. “When are you going to ask about Teris?”

Yami turned to her and blinked. “She’s not here?” He asked despite having noticed her absence immediately and made a show of looking about the great room. “I guess she’s not.” He shrugged.

“Enough teasing Yami.” Venice ordered. “She’s not hiding somewhere. She’s really not here.”

“Okay.” He said and turned to Gendry to ask about Pilfer and Mooshu.

“She’s away visiting family.” Venice told harshly.

“Something about the annual Nova, Silva family meeting.” Tobin added.

At that Yami visibly tensed. He wanted to yelled at Venice and Tobin to shut up. He wanted to shout back that he hoped she and Nozel had a good time. He wanted to forget that he had every heard Nozel say the word Intended. Instead he asked Gendry. “Pilfer or Mooshu give you any trouble?”

Gendry could barely look at Yami while Bran ran out of the room. “Was it something I said?” Yami asked looking at the others.

Hands on hips Venice asked. “You really don’t care?”

“No.” Yami growled turning and stepping to her, Venice being forced back a step by the waves of angry irritation coming off him. “I really don’t. And, I really wish you’d quit yapping about her.”

Venice looked at him deflating. “Yami. What happened?”

Yami turned away but Venice could have sworn she heard him mutter, I grew up, under his breath.

20.3

Dinner at the Nova House was it’s usual quiet, emotionally strenuous affair. Lord Jaxon Nova had not been well enough to join his children at the dinner table but Fyntch had assured Julius and Teris that he would be well enough to receive and welcome the Silva’s when they arrived on October first.

As they retired to the parlor for tea and sweet cakes Fyntch commented to his sister. “You’ve grown. Are you sure the gowns you left in your wardrobe still fit?”

“Don’t know.” Teris said taking a seat by the window, away from the fire.

“Well you certainly didn’t bring enough luggage to have packed proper clothes.” Fyntch said taking the seat their father usually sat in by the fireplace.

“Don’t sit there.” Teris told shaking her head.

“Why not?” Fitch asked. “It’s not as if he’s using it this evening. I often sit here while the two of you are off following your dreams and I’m suck here caring for father alone.”

“No one asked you to take over that role.” Teris said thinking her brother was far from alone in a house full of servants who likely tended to their father while Fyntch did as he pleased. “I would have--”

“What?” Fyntch asked turning to her. “Given up the only chance you have at becoming useful to the kingdom so you can subvert my authority and not see yourself banished for it?”

“You have no authority over me.” Teris said uncomfortably.

“I have the right of heir.” Fyntch said lifting his chin. “Don’t I Julius.”

“Don’t involve me in your argument.” Julius said staring dully at the fire from his seat on the sofa.

“I wasn’t involving you in anything. I was simply asking you to tell the child that--”

“I’m not a child,” Teris snapped.

“With that temper you sure sound like one.” Fyntch tossed back.

“Leave her alone,” Julius moaned.

“You’re such the hero Julius. Your little sister faces three days with the family she is bound to join; and the thought over the remaining three years she has left before that happens is distressing her and all you can muster is a simple irritated plea. That’s more for yourself than her benefit. Tell me, Julius, do you care for the people you hope to lead the way you do our sister? If so you’re bound to make a wonderful Wizard King. Though, if I’m honest, anything you do has to be better then the first son you made. Giving up your heir-ship. Leaving your family in it’s greatest hour of need.”

“Stop it!”

Julius stood he could barely look at Teris who had pleaded on his behave, crying out for Fyntch to cease. “I’m not in the mood for dessert.” He said and quit the room.

Teris stood as well and made to follow.

“Wait.” Fyntch called.

She stopped but didn’t turn back.

“I’ll be sending in one of the maids first thing tomorrow to see you measured for proper outfits,” Fyntch said. “Can’t have you looking like the mess you are now when your future family arrives.”

Teris turned. “You can’t wait to be rid of me. Can you?”

“No,” Fyntch said. “I cannot.”

“And what did I ever do to you to make you hate me so?”

Fyntch thought of the love and favor their mother had shown her. The attention and help Julius had given her. Of their father asking for her and calling her name during his unaided lucid moments. “Exist.

20.4

Yami couldn’t sleep. He knew it would be difficult once they returned and he was faced with Teris but he never imagined just being in the place they had inhabited and shared so time together much would bring it’s own difficulties. Every room he walked in, every seat, every corner, everywhere brought to mind some image of her. Whether it was them talking, or him having watched her play around with another Black Bull, or simply her passing through. Every place in the house seemed to carry a bittersweet memory for him.

He had thought once he had gotten upstairs to the boys wing and the sanctuary of his own room he would be free from her ghost but it followed him in there with the thoughts and dreams he had had of her. Restless, he got up and made his way downstairs thinking some fresh air would do him good. He found himself jealousy grateful for Teris absence, telling himself that by the time she returned he had to have himself under control.

“Gendry? What are you doing here?” Yami asked seeing the man at Pilfer’s kennel petting the Saber Wolf.

Gendry smiled weakly. “He howls at night if I don’t come see him,” he told. “He misses her. We all do.”

Yami sucked in a breath thinking for a moment that he was referring to Teris and could hardly disagree, he hadn’t stop howling on the inside since his talk on the mountain with Bronn and Olsen. But he quickly realized that Gendry was speaking of Mooshu.

“Yami, I’m sorry--”

Yami held up a hand. “The base was attacked. From the sound of it we’re lucky all we lost was Mooshu.” Yami thought of his friends retelling of the events and how Bran had possessed Pilfer and Mooshu to wreck havoc outside and save Teris. He was proud of the boy and his two beasts. He would have gladly given both creatures lives for Teris’ well being. Having only lost Mooshu was a sad but an easy exchange to know that Teris had been saved.

Yami shook his head thinking of the attack on the roadside almost a year ago. “After all my promises that I’d find and kill them they attack here and it’s Teris who saw them dead.”

“While Bran and Pilfer killed the groups leader, Teris killed more then most of us put together,” Gendry said. “And all without her grimoire. If you ask me, that’s more than just royalty being more powerful then the rest of us. That’s her being--”

“Something special,” Yami interrupted.

“I don’t know what happened but it’s obvious you still love her,” Gendry said.

Yami glowered at him. “I’m working on it.”

“On not loving her or not having it written on your face?”

“Both,” Yami growled.

“How’s that going for you?”

“Obviously not very well.”

“Then why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do whatever it is you’re trying and failing to do?” Gendry asked. “You love her. She loves you. At least Venice says she does and it’s obvious, even to me, that Teris does like you. Why pull away all of a sudden? You said you were going to marry her. You said you knew you would marry her the day you two met.”

Yami squeezed his eyes shut and turned away lowering his head. “I was a fool.”

“You’re not a fool. You do and say some really stupid things quite often but you’re no fool.”

“In this I was.” Yami said forcefully. “She lied to me. Deceived me.”

Gendry shrugged. “You did the same to her about your injuries from Nozel.”

Yami rubbed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is different.”

“How so?”

“I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work. You think I didn’t argue myself in circles when I found out she’s intended to marry Nozel?”

That brought Gendry up short. “She’s his Intended?”

“And he’s hers cause apparently that’s how it works,” Yami snapped.

Mouth hanging open Gendry slowly shook his head. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” Yami said bitterly feeling worse when Gendry didn’t continue to try and bring him back around. As if in learning that Teris was Nozel’s Intended was the end of it.

After a few moments Gendry asked. “What are you going to do?”

Yami slapped the side of his thigh. “Try to survive living here with her. Avoid her at all costs. Learn to hide how I truly feel until I don’t feel any more. I don’t know Gendry. Got any good ideas?”

#black clover #yami sukehiro #julius novachrono #fanfic #light in the darkness

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nialledfromfics · 5 years

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Chapter Two : Come Go With Me

(make sure to click the link in the chapter title for an instant throwback ~enjoy!)

Vivian wasn’t always super fussed with how she looked, but she did care about pleasing her family. Appearance was something of respect, she knew that and it meant a great deal to her parents, and to her, that she look presentable and modest at all times. She had a reputation to maintain, and a name that couldn’t be squandered by frivolous actions such as a hair out of place or too much skin showing. But even to her, making sure she was looking her very best for Niall, a drifter and local car mechanic, seemed...silly. What did it matter how she looked to him? Why should she even care what he thought? He probably wouldn’t even notice anyway.

But that didn’t stop Vivian from checking her red lipstick in the car mirror after she had parked out front of the mechanics shop that very next day. She lightly danced her fingertips through the side sweep of her hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, patting down a few untidy ends. Pulling in a shallow breath, she smiled at her reflection before getting out of her car and making her way over to the open garage. She heard a bit of clattering and the faint sound of music playing on a small transistor radio.

He was crouched down, tinkering on the engine of his motorcycle when Vivian walked up. Niall gradually looked over at her upon hearing the clack of her saddle shoes on the concrete floor, a smirk tugging around the cigarette that hung from his lips the second that gorgeous girl came into his view. Vivian was quick to notice that he looked exactly as he had the day before: same gritty clothes, same marks of dirt and oil smeared across his sticky tanned skin. And when he stood up, wiping his hands off on a stained shop towel that had been draped over his shoulder and began to walk over towards her, she was again quick to notice that her heart was nearly leaping from her chest.

She had never had that feeling before; one of pure excitement and nervousness, of giddiness and invigoration, as if she could just take off and soar across the sky like a bird at any moment. He was able to send her in a tizzy with one look, he awakened something in her, something she wasn’t so sure she was ready for. Niall offered to pull her car in and to check it over, Vivian agreeing and patiently waiting just at the foot of the garage as Niall got to work. They didn’t chat much, Niall too busy thoroughly inspecting the car inside and out, and Vivian too busy watching every movement he made, but it didn’t bother her.

By the time he was finished, he had left no corner of her car unchecked. He was glad to do it, to help her out and would have taken all day to look over her car if he needed to–if it only meant that she would be standing there ten feet from him the whole time. There was something about the way he felt when in Vivian’s presence, his heart galloped in his chest, the sweat beaded up just a bit faster on his palms. The words on the back of his tongue questioning themselves with each second his brain conjured them up. He didn’t want to mess anything up, he liked her. But he had to remain cool–cool and collected.

Niall climbed out of the seat and shut the door, grabbing a small towel to swipe across the back of his sweaty neck. “That should do it,” he mumbled, sauntering over towards Vivian. “Everythin’ checks out, you’re good to go.”

Her teeth just barely scraped across her pillowy bottom lip, her green eyes darting over his dirt-covered features before she gently cleared her throat and reached down to her small handbag. “Thank you, for everythin’ really. How much do I owe you?” Vivian had started to pull out her change purse as she glanced back up at him.

Niall shook his head. “Nothin’.”

“I can’t not give ya anythin’...” she chuckled.

His blue eyes narrowed slightly as he peered over at her. “Okay...go out on a date with me.”

She might as well been lying at his feet in a lump with the dizziness that invaded her head in that second. “What?”

“Go on a date with me. Tonight, at the drive-in,” he smiled with a slight cock of his head, “we’ll call it even.”

Letting her lips fall to a wordless part, Vivian danced her eyes across his. “I…” she struggled to find what she wanted to say. “I...can’t.”

Niall raised his brows, causing wrinkles to spread over his forehead. “Ya can’t?”

“No, I just...can’t,” she said, gingerly shaking her head as her stare dropped to the stained floor. “You’re, um, nice and all but–...I’m sorry...I should go.” Without giving him another glance, Vivian brushed past Niall and hurried to the drivers side of her car. “Thanks for fixin’ my car up,” she told him as she hopped in and started the engine, quickly backing out of the garage. Niall offered her a small wave as she pulled off with not even a look back and his hand fell to his side, not quite sure what had caused such a reaction out of her.

****

His mind stuck to Vivian for the rest of the afternoon, keeping himself bent over the engine of a customers vehicle and repeatedly going over what had transpired between them just a couple hours earlier. He was sure she was into him, he could feel it in the way she looked at him, but maybe he had read her wrong. Maybe he had read the entire situation wrong.

He heard a car pull up and a door slam shut. Curiously peeking around the propped up hood, he was a bit surprised to see Vivian walking back towards him but he sure was glad. Niall wiped his dirty palms on the front of his jeans as he stepped away from the chassis of the car. “Somethin’ wrong with the car, miss?”

Vivian breathed out a sweet smile and lightly shook her head. “The car’s fine,” she began, flicking her eyes about the cluttered space as she twiddled her fingers in front of her midsection. “I came by ‘cause I wanted to say that I’m really sorry for what happened before, how I behaved. You were probably wonderin’ why I took off like I did, but…you just kinda caught me off guard, is all.”

A crooked smile spread over Niall’s lips and he reached up to run his fingers through his greasy hair. “No, I should apologize,” he told her, taking a deep breath, “I really shouldn’t have been so forward with ya. I sometimes forget me manners.”

“It’s not that,” she spit back, his brows furrowing slightly as he locked his stare with hers, “or you. It’s just–...it’s my family. You’re Irish.”

He huffed out a chuckle and hooked his hands on his hips. “Am I?”

Pressing her lips in a line, Vivian slipped her gaze to the floor unfazed by his attempt at a joke. Niall could sense something he didn’t want to hear was going to come next. “And, well...my family are really...really devote baptists, they don’t want me havin’ anythin’ to do with–…”

She looked back up at him. “....my father would kill me if I went on a date with a fella like you.” The words stung as they slid past her lips and she was sure Niall would curse her out and turn around and never want to look at her again. But instead, he just gave her a playful smirk.

“I reckon I’d be the one he’d go after.”

Vivian pushed out a soft giggle at his candid reply, the one he had been after before and she crossed an arm over her chest, reaching up to nervously brush her fingertips along the side sweep of her hair. Swallowing hard, she met his stare once more and gently let her head fall to the side. There was something about this boy, something that she wanted to get to know, something with all that she had in her, needed to know. And the words that followed were ones that came out with zero hesitation, and that was very much unlike her. “That is, if he was ever to find out.”

Niall’s blue eyes narrowed. “Guess we gotta make sure he don’t find out then, don’t we?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she replied with a sweet smile.

“Miss Vivian Prescott,” he then spoke up, cocking his jaw to the side as he darted his eyes over hers, “are ya agreein’ to go on a date with me?”

“Are you agreein’ to be a gentleman?”

He laughed. “What else would I be?”

Biting at her bottom lip, Vivian stifled her blushing giggle. “Fine, I’ll go out on a date with you to the drive-in, but seein’ as you don’t have a car, I’ll pick ya up here.” The girl turned and made her way back over to her car. Niall stepped to the edge of the garage as she opened her driver’s door. “Be ready at eight.”

“Will do,” he said, giving her a nod.

Vivian smiled at Niall and she slid down into her seat before driving off with a small glance at him over her shoulder. Calmly watching as she took off down Main Street, Niall waited until her car was no longer in sight before giving a celebratory punch in the air, a big smile on his face as he happily bounced back over to the open hood of the customers vehicle to finish up his work.

*****

Vivian wasn’t sure what to expect when she arrived back at the shop a little before eight later that night. She had made sure to wear one of her favorite outfits; a slightly form fitting little green number with a matching knitted cardigan buttoned just at the top and ankle strap wedges on her feet. Her hair was let down and curled softly at her shoulders, just the one side swept back with a tiny pin. Maybe it was a bit too formal for a date at the drive-in, but that thought didn’t stop the smile on her face as she pulled around the front of the garage, excited to see Niall already standing out there waiting for her.

He had also dressed to impress. Niall broke out his only decent attire; nicely shined brown oxfords, grey cuffed and pleated slacks and a crisp navy blue cotton polo shirt. He was wearing his leather jacket, of course, and his hair looked freshly styled, the short sides slicked back with some pomade. Vivian couldn’t fight the smile on her face as she stepped out of the car and peered over at him. “Look at you all cleaned up,” she sweetly teased, walking around to the other side of the car where he was standing.

“Not too shabby, eh?” he joked back, quirking a brow.

Vivian tossed Niall the car keys before reaching for the passenger side door handle. Niall rushed forward, catching the handle before she could. Vivian turned to stare at him as he opened it and waited for her to climb in. She was left breathless by his gaze, his proximity so close to her she could smell the crispness of the aftershave he had used. Niall took the fleeting moment to soak in the sight of Vivian; her dress, her hair, her eyes, her lips. She looked magnificent.

“You’re the most radiant woman I have ever seen,” he whispered.

She smiled, dipping her head down so as to not have him notice the flush that was readily filling her already punch-pink cheeks. Vivian glanced back at Niall and reached up, tugging lightly on the lapel of his leather jacket. “Not so bad yourself,” she said, giving him a small wink before settling herself down into the passenger seat of the car.

Niall shook his head in a chuckle and closed the door for her before shuffling around to hop into the driver’s seat.

The drive-in was located in the next town over, twenty minutes from Bluemont, but was one of the most happening and exciting places to be on a Saturday night. Everyone Vivian knew would be there, she was more than sure of it and even though the thought of showing up in a place like that with someone like Niall should have made her hesitant, maybe even scared, she didn’t feel any of that. She felt like she was in some kind of fever dream. Niall was the most handsome boy she had ever met, the most interesting and she didn’t even know a damn thing about him, or how to even start that conversation. But she wanted to find out all that she could.

Niall parked Vivian’s car in a vacant spot in the fourth row, offering to go fetch them a soda and some popcorn to share. He was very sweet, and as he had promised, gentlemanly, and she patiently waited in the car for him to get back, fighting with the small speaker box as she tried to fit it to her rolled down window.

He returned right as the movie had begun, his hair a little disheveled with a few front pieces hanging in his face and his skin a bit flushed. Niall shrugged off his leather jacket with a huff, tossing it in the backseat before slumping down into the car and propping the box of popcorn and soda between them. He seemed a little perturbed and Vivian wondered if anything was wrong. She didn’t press the issue as they both kept quiet and tried to keep their focus on the movie screen, but neither could hinder the heavy beating of their hearts each time their fingers brushed when they reached in to grab some popcorn at the same time. It was enough to entice a soft giggle from Vivian upon the third time of it occurring, the sound causing a rush of warmth to ease over Niall, relaxing him. “So, um, where is it exactly that you’re from?” she finally spoke up, attempting to break the ice a little as she dusted the salt from her fingers. “I know you’re Irish but...you didn’t ride your motorcycle here all the way from Ireland.”

Niall listened to her with a fondness sparkling in his eyes and Vivian picked up the soda, peeking over at him as she took a small sip through the straw. “No, I didn’t,” he answered with a short chuckle, “I was born in Ireland, but I’ve lived in New York City basically me whole life.”

“New York City?” Vivian screeched out, her green eyes gone big. Niall nodded as he lit up a cigarette, taking a small puff. “That sure is a far cry from Bluemont, Georgia.”

“It definitely is,” he said, “immigrated when I was just a wee one. Same tiny tenement, same old block, same big city. Me whole life, never once left. Me da was the one who showed me how to work on cars and the like. Found me bike crashed in a back alley one day, and I fixed it up and then I took off.”

Vivian’s brows wrinkled. “You just left? Just like that?”

“Yup.”

“Where were ya goin’?”

“Nowhere, anywhere,” he replied, blowing the smoke past his lips out of the car window. “Didn’t really have a plan other than to get out of that damn city.”

“Was it bad? Livin’ where you lived?” she asked with a heavy swallow, her mind picturing the worst from the stories she had heard.

Niall shrugged a shoulder, Vivian’s eyes dropping to the rolled up short sleeve of his polo shirt, noticing how beautifully it accentuated the swell of his bicep. “It made me who I am,” he told her.

Her wandering eyes caught glimpse of the dark chest hair that was peeking out from the top two undone buttons of his shirt before she cleared her throat and looked back up at him. “But you wanted to leave?”

“I wanted more,” he told her, flicking away the ash that was dangling from the end of the cigarette before taking one last puff. Niall slipped his free hand around the circular edge of the steering wheel, his eyes following his movements before he went on. “Ya know, I think there was a reason I stopped in your town, in that diner, on that day.”

“And why’s that?”

“You.”

Niall caught Vivian’s stare for a moment before she sank her teeth into her painted bottom lip and glanced down at her lap. “You know nothin’ about me…” she gently implied.

“That’s true, but I knew the moment I saw ya...I had to stay.” Vivian’s intense green eyes slid back up and darted over the bright blue of Niall’s. “So I found work, and a place to crash above the shop.”

“You’re not lonely up there all by yourself?” the girl inquired, her soft voice innocent in nature, but with a tempting bite.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Niall’s lips. “Doesn’t bother me so much,” he admitted, “besides, I’m not so lonely right now.”

His words caused a smile to spread over Vivian’s face before she turned her attention back up to the movie. “So, what about you miss Vivian Prescott?” Niall then asked, her focus moving back to him upon his question.

“My life is not that excitin’.”

“Oh, now I’m sure that’s not true,” he said.

She lightly hummed. “You know of Bluemont Manor?”

“Um, yeah, I think Phil mentioned it once…”

“That’s where I live,” Vivian explained, her hands wringing in her lap as she spoke. “It’s been in my family for generations. We own the all property surroundin’ it...we own the whole town actually.”

Niall furrowed his brows. “You...you own the town?” he repeated, as if he almost didn’t believe it. Vivian nodded. “Wow.”

Taking a deep breath, the girl peered back out of the big windshield, her stare flicking between all the other cars parked around them. Some had windows all steamed up, some were conspicuously rocking back and forth, and others even had people sitting on the tops as they watched the movie. All was a far cry from the annoying silence that had snuck into her own car. “So, um...have ya gone steady a lot?”

It was an abrupt question to ask, Vivian knew that, but it was really the only thing on her mind and, if she was being honest, the one thing she really was curious about. Niall gave her a surprised chuckle. “What?”

Slipping her gaze back over to his, she lifted up a shoulder. “You just seem like a guy that’s...ya know…” She ended her awkward question by tossing a few kernels of popcorn into her mouth.

Niall rolled his head to the side, a smirk tugging at the side of his mouth as he reached up and rubbed across his jaw with his fingertips. She was fascinating, this girl next to him. He never knew what she would say next, or what she was thinking. And just when he thought that maybe–just maybe–he had her figured out, she would go and start a conversation that he wouldn’t have ever thought she would. “Not a lot,” he answered with a shake of his head, “what about you? Gone steady a lot?”

Vivian gingerly shook her head and peeked down at her lap, her hands gently smoothing the material of her skirt with her palms. “Just Cliff.”

“Mm,” Niall mumbled, pulling in a breath, “...so you’ve gone all the way with him then?”

Vivian’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?” she gasped, slowly turning her head and glaring at him with a fixed brow. Niall’s face scrunched back from her reaction. “Why, the nerve! You can’t ask me things like that!”

Niall held his hands up in defense. “Why not? Isn’t that what you were askin’ me?”

“Wha–...that’s not even the same thing!” she shrieked back, irritation ringing in her usually sweet tone, “It’s none of your business and–...and its inappropriate!”

Letting out a sigh, Niall dropped his hands in his lap. It was his fault, he had read the conversation wrong. “I’m sorry, you’re right,” he quickly apologized, “I just assumed ‘cause you were goin’ steady with Cliff–”

“Well, you assumed wrong. I’m not that kinda girl, Niall,” Vivian shot back, the heat in her cheeks subsiding the longer she kept her eyes locked on his. “I want you to know, that I’m not that kinda girl.”

He shook his head. “I wasn’t thinkin’ ya were.”

“I could be in the back seat of this car with you right now, if I wanted to,” she added, her voice waning as she slid her stare away from his with the realization of what she had just said. Niall kept his eyes on her, trying with all his might not to smile from what she had let slip. He didn’t say a word though. Vivian took in a shaky sigh, and lifted her eyes back out to the screen. “I want it to be with the right person,” she confided to Niall, his attention having yet to leave the delicate features of her face, “And Cliff...he wasn’t the right person.”

Niall faintly nodded. “I understand that.”

“Though if it were up to my family, Cliff and I would already be married by now.” Vivian rolled her eyes, biting at the corner of her lip. “I mean, I do wanna get married, have children one day, but...not with the likes of him.”

Vivian looked back over at Niall. “You wanna get married? Have a family?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” she giggled.

“When I look at you I do.”

She didn’t even fight the blush that invaded her cheeks that time, a smile spreading effortlessly across her lips. “What’s it like…” she then asked, darting her green eyes over his, “bein’ in love?”

Niall raised his brows. “Couldn’t tell ya,” he admitted, pulling another cigarette from the soft sided box and pressing it between his lips before lighting it. “Don’t think I’ve ever been in love.”

She wrinkled her brows. “You didn’t love any of the girls you went steady with?”

“They were swell and all, but...” he said, shrugging up a shoulder, “there’s not girls like you where I’m from.”

Vivian gave him a puzzled look. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Well, I’d rather be here with you, so…”

The girl breathed out a soft smile, moving her focus to the movie that they had both barely paid any attention to. “Movie’s pretty lame, isn’t it?”

“I dunno, I’ve got better things to look at.”

Vivian flicked her stare back over to Niall just as he took a drag of his cigarette. His eyes narrowed slightly as the smoke billowed out from his mouth and she pursed her lips together, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why, is that a line?”

Niall laughed. “Maybe.”

Leaning back in her seat, Vivian pulled in a deep breath and licked across her bottom lip as she danced her gaze over the handsome boy sitting next to her. “You’re gonna be trouble for me, aren’t you, Niall Horan?”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lip. “Only if ya want me to be, darlin’…”

#niall #niall horan #niall fic #niall au #niall fanfic #au #throwback fic #greaser!niall #forbidden love #ttwy #chapter 2 #well....heres the next part!#i really really hope you guys enjoy it #this was a fun one to write #so please take a min to read #share share share #and let me know what you think!!!!#much love 🥰

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synkiller82 · 5 years

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Collapse Into Me Chapter 16 - Stitch

“What do you think, Tikki?” Marinette asked as she walked around the dress form one more time. She had just finished Alya’s dress for the Winter Formal—a floor-length jade silk A-line gown with an off-the-shoulder surplice neckline. Alya had picked the fabric herself a year ago while on a shopping trip with Marinette, knowing the designer would make something fabulous with it.

“It’s beautiful, Marinette!” Tikki confirmed, twirling in the air. “I can’t believe you finished it so quickly!”

Marinette had only been working on completing the gown for about two weeks, but the pattern was done months ago. All that was left was the final fitting and the second of three outfits would be complete. Nino already had his outfit—a white single-breasted suit and a white dress shirt with a tie and vest set that were made from the same fabric as Alya’s dress. She took the dress off the form, placed it in a garment bag, and hung it up before proceeding to start on the third, and possibly final, outfit she had to make for the dance. She hadn’t had been able to talk to Adrien about making his suit before he was sent on a surprise trip to Milan.

She sighed heavily at the thought of his impromptu trip. It had been four days since she last saw Adrien in person and she was beginning to have withdrawals. She didn’t notice how much time she had been spending with Adrien until he wasn’t there. Sure, they face-timed every night, but it wasn’t the same. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow when she would see him at school again.

Marinette had been so lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice Tikki dashing to her hiding place or the hatch to her room opening. She jumped and fell into her dress form as she was startled by the voice of the very person she had been thinking of.

“Marinette,” Adrien called as he ascended the stairs into her room and ran over when he saw her fall. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“What—Why—How—” Marinette sputtered as she stared wide-eyed at the boy in front of her. “I thought you were in Milan until tomorrow.”

Adrien shrugged and offered a hand to help her up. “Nathalie told me last night we were leaving early this morning. I didn’t want to say anything in case it was changed again.” He used her hand to pull her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her as he buried his face in her neck. “I missed you so much.”

Marinette returned the gesture quickly and with just as much fervor. “I missed you too.” She reveled in the warmth of his embrace until he slowly let her go. She turned to pick up her dress form. “So, how was the trip? You were really vague all week.”

Adrien again shrugged as he helped her steady the form. “Wow, Marinette. What is this for?” He asked, holding a piece of the ice-blue brocade fabric hanging off the form.

“I’m working on my dress for the dance,” she answered, worried that he had changed the subject, but didn’t push. “My sketchbook is open to it if you want to see what it’ll look like when it’s done.”

Adrien walked over to her desk and took a seat in the desk chair. He looked over the open page of her pad and marveled at the outfits she had designed. He could see each one was drawn with not only the person’s silhouette, but also their taste and personality in mind. The first two were Alya’s simple green dress and Nino’s white suit. Below those was her dress -- an ice blue brocade v-neck dress with a low v in the back and a thick ice-blue snowflake-patterned organza border. The organza also came up the front of the skirt, which had a slight hi-low hem that would show off whatever shoes were worn. A thin silver belt completed her design.

“Who’s this one for?” Adrien inquired as he pointed to the suit beside Marinette’s dress.

“Oh, that. It’s ahh--” Marinette stammered when she saw where he was pointing. “It was just an idea for a suit to match my dress. I guess I got carried away while I was sketching.”

“Do you have time to make it?” Adrien implored as he looked at her hopefully. “I would much rather wear something you designed and made than something Father did.”

Marinette stood there blinking her wide eyes at him, completely stunned. “Are you sure you can?”

Adrien nodded. “I’ll talk to Nathalie about it, but I’m sure Father would be interested to see your work, and I would love to wear a Marinette Dupain-Cheng original.”

“If you think it would be okay, then yeah, I have the time. I mean, I already finished Alya and Nino’s, so that only leaves mine.” She walked over to look through her fabric. “I will have to go get the fabric, since I wasn’t really planning on making it--”

“Then let’s go,” Adrien exclaimed as he jumped out of Marinette’s desk chair and grabbed her hand. “Your mom said you’ve been up here every minute you haven’t been at school this week and you need a break.”

Marinette followed Adrien downstairs and to his waiting car to head out in search of the perfect fabrics. She picked out a beautiful wool silk blend fabric in a light grey that had the slight shimmer she was looking for, a light grey bemberg fabric for lining the suit, more fabric for the button-down shirt and all the assorted threads and buttons she would need. She started to argue when he insisted he pay for her purchases, but quickly gave in when she saw how happy it made him.

---

After having dinner with her parents, Marinette and Adrien went back up to her room. It was too late for her to continue working on her dress, so she settled for making sure the measurements she had for Adrien were correct. It concerned her that his numbers had gone down by about half an inch, as he was already pretty thin when she took his measurements for last year’s school play about six months ago. She decided to not say anything, however, as she knew it was a touchy subject for him.

“So, what do you want to do? We only have about three hours before you have to go,” Marinette inquired as they sat on the chaise.

“Do you mind if we just watch a movie? I don’t really want to think right now.” Adrien stated quietly.

Marinette nodded and stood to get her laptop. She returned and Adrien curled up with her, his arms a little tighter than normal. She snuggled in and set the laptop to play Lilo and Stitch.

“Adrien, is everything okay?” Marinette whispered as the opening credits played, gently running a hand through his hair.

He sighed and shook his head. He should’ve known he wouldn’t be able to play it off with her. “I’m just upset about having to go to Milan, as well as stressed about fashion week.” He pulled her closer and nuzzled into her shoulder. “I didn’t really do anything on the trip I couldn’t have done here. That was annoying enough, but Father gets overly critical of everything right now, including me.” He sighed and linked his hand in hers. “Up until now, I haven’t had anyone I could confide in about the stress and fear of letting Father down. Knowing that you are here for me has made things easier this year.” He paused to look up at her. “So I asked Father if I could invite you to the opening gala for Fashion Week and he agreed. He was actually going to offer the invitation anyway.”

Marinette’s mind short-circuited for the third time that day. Gabriel wants her to attend the opening gala to Fashion Week? Was this a good thing? It would be a great boost to her career, being able to talk to all the big names in fashion, but what about her statement to Gabriel about not riding the coattails of his family? She had meant it when she said it at dinner, so would this count?

“I don’t know, Adrien,” Marinette started hesitantly. “I meant what I said about not wanting to use you to get into the fashion world and --”

“Marinette,” Adrien called softly as he stopped her with a finger placed gently against her mouth. “You would be doing no such thing. I want you there, as my date. It would make everything much more bearable to have you with me all night.”

Marinette’s resolve crumbled at his words and the soft expression he was giving her. “Alright,” she conceded. “But what would I wear? I don’t have anything worthy and nowhere near enough time to put something together.”

Adrien grinned, “Father designed something specifically for you. He asked that I bring you by tomorrow for a fitting.”

Marinette didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. This night just kept getting better. She was going to the fashion event of the season, on the arm of the most handsome boy in the world, wearing a Gabriel original? She could die happy now.

“That sounds great,” she whispered, giving him a kiss on his forehead. They settled back in and watched the movie, content in each other’s company.

---

Marinette sat in the car the next afternoon, nervous about their destination. Adrien reached over and placed his hand on hers, trying to help calm her as they pulled into Gabriel headquarters. She was here to be fitted in the dress she would wear to her first official appearance with Adrien.

They entered the building and were led to two separate rooms by Nathalie. Marinette timidly stepped into the room and her world stopped. On the form in front of her was a scarlet ball gown with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice was covered in crystals that stopped at the waistline, and placed sparsely around the skirt. It was absolutely gorgeous, and Marinette was at a loss of words.

“Ah, you must be Marinette,” a woman called from behind the form. Her brown hair was pulled into a French twist and her brown eyes hid behind glasses. “I’m Monique and I will be fitting you today.”

“Hello,” Marinette answered shyly as she made her way over, still afraid to get close to the dress. “Did you make this?”

“Mr. Agreste designed it, but I sewed it together,” Monique answered as she took the dress off the form and led Marinette to a dressing room. “You can change here. I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

After taking a moment to timidly run her hand over the dress, Marinette changed and returned to the main room. Monique was standing by a raised platform in front of a three-way mirror. Marinette kept her eyes on the floor until she made it to the dias.

“Please put these on, darling. We need to make sure the hem will work,” Monique instructed as she handed Marinette a pair of red four-inch stilettos with the same crystals at the toes and heel, a thin strap going across the top of her foot to secure them.

Marinette slipped the shoes on and stepped onto the platform, still refusing to look at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t ready to look, to believe that this was happening.

“You look exquisite, my dear,” Monique cooed as she moved around the dress, pulling and adjusting. “It fits like a dream already. Just a quick adjustment to the hem and it will be perfect.”

Marinette finally looked up and gasped. She couldn’t believe the person staring back at her was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The dress was fit for a princess, and the shoes were some of the most comfortable she had ever worn. She slowly turned, watching the way the dress moved and caught the light. It was gorgeous.

“Alright, my star. Time to change so I can get the adjustments made.” Monique stated, moving Marinette toward the changing room and noting her slower movements. “I’m guessing you’re not used to heels.”

Marinette shook her head. “I’m honestly a klutz, so I stay in flats with maybe the occasional low heel.”

Monique nodded her understanding. “We’ve all been there, my star. I will find another pair similar to these so you can practice at home. You will be walking like a princess in no time.”

Marinette changed back into her clothes and handed the dress back to Monique, still in awe that she was allowed to wear it. True to her word, Monique had found a pair of black shoes identical to the red ones, minus the stones. Marinette shrugged and put them on instead of her ballet flats. She was just standing up when the door opened and Adrien entered, followed by Nathalie.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien greeted as he closed the distance and took her hand. “How was the fitting?”

“It was wonderful. Monique was great and the dress is gorgeous,” Marinette remarked as they made their way out. She turned and waved, “Thank you again, Monique.”

The door closed and the pair followed Nathalie toward the entrance. As they rode the elevator back to the main floor, Adrien leaned over and placed his head on Marinette’s shoulder, humming a little in content. Marinette smiled as she felt him relax a bit more at the extra contact. She decided she would master walking in high heels, noting it would be difficult with her klutz record, but it didn’t matter. She knew without a doubt in her mind that Adrien would be there if she fell, ready to catch her as she was always ready to catch him.

#miraculous ladybug #adrienette #fluff #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste

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ironinkpen · 7 years

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The Secret of the White Lion

Alternatively Titled: Local Girl Ignores Responsibilities in Favor of Overanalyzing Children’s TV Show

Alright so ever since we were shown this mural, which depicts Voltron fully assembled and a lion off to the side, some people have started discussing the possibility of there being a sixth lion. And since I have nothing better to do with my time (besides my midterms next week whaaaat), I thought I’d try to answer the question: if there is a White Lion, who would pilot it?

Now I don’t want to get too into the whole idea of “how likely is it that this is going to happen” because like? That’s hard to tell. But, I’d say that it at least makes narrative sense for there to be a sixth lion.

What Alfor faces throughout Zarkon’s fall is the very real possibility that the leader of their magic robot lion fighting team could easily end up crossing some sort of line and going too far. Alfor begins to doubt Zarkon’s leadership, and has several arguments with him about his judgment and his and Honerva’s hunger for power. It’s not that big a stretch for Alfor to go from “this dude could try to use Voltron for evil / go rogue / etc.” to “I need to have a back up in case he pulls some shit.”

And a hypothetical sixth lion could logically be that back up. If Alfor built one, the idea was probably for the lion to either be an alternative head for Voltron or just an alternative lion in general, in case any of the other lions were unavailable, so that they could still create Voltron even if someone went missing / ran off / turned evil.

And there’s a pre-existing precedent for a physical white lion, too:

In one of the Voltron spinoffs / AUs / whatever (I’ll be real, I only know as much as the wiki page tells me lmao), there’s a White Lion, whose location is only known by Alfor. Alfor leads some guy named Rick Hunter to the lion and he becomes its pilot.

And of course, in OG Voltron, there’s an episode titled “Secret of the White Lion” where Haggar makes a mirage of an actual white lion (ie not a robotic lion like the voltron lions), and sends it to Allura, who thinks it’s a reincarnation of her dad, to try and kill her or whatever.

So the idea of a White Lion in our Voltron wouldn’t be completely out of the blue, and would solve the problem that Lance expresses in season 3: there’s six pilots and five lions, so who should be on the bench?

With a White Lion, the answer would be “no one.” But then the question becomes: who would be its pilot? And as far as I can tell, the answer is either Shiro, Allura, or Lance.

Alright, so I maintain that the Shiro that’s with the team right now is actually a clone, but, let’s say that he’s real. Or, rather, let’s say that when real Shiro comes back, Black still chooses Keith or someone else as the Black Paladin. Shiro could, in that case, fit the role of the White Lion’s paladin.

In OG Voltron (or, at least, the English dub, which combined Shiro with his twin brother), Shiro left Team Voltron and worked with the resistance, coming back in a final whammy against Lotor. While I do think that Resistance!Shiro is a completely interesting concept on its own, having Shiro be in the White Lion would allow him to not only be a fighting force for the resistance, but also be able to go back and forth between it and the team more easily, so we wouldn’t have to lose Shiro from the team dynamic.

Having Shiro be in a lion separate from the main team would also allow more room to explore his lost memories and what happened to him during his year in captivity– he would have more mobility, and still be able to hold his own in battle, making it actually possible for him to run off on solo “let’s discover my past” adventures. And, given the original Voltron’s precedent for having Shiro outside of the main cinco, this would make sense.

Allura is another possibility for the White Lion’s paladin. One of the most compelling pieces of support in her favor is that the white lion story in OG Voltron was all about her. Her discovering the White Lion, her father’s final legacy, would be an interesting plot line. And I dunno, there's this sense that Allura has this unique place in the group that's almost separate or above Voltron itself-- giving her the White Lion would allow her to act independently but also continue to be a paladin (which is a role I love her in ahhh). She could lead without being in Black in that case, and I honestly think the mobility of being able to operate outside the main group suits her? One of my favorite scenes in season 2 was when the castle shorted out and she and the Blade ran off to fight Haggar.

On another note, having her in White and Alfor being its creator is in tune with something the cast said about why they “killed off” of the Alfor AI: he basically knew too much. What did he know? Well, maybe the existence and location of a White Lion, which his daughter would be the perfect fit for?

There’s also another neat theory that the castle could be the white lion. And think about it: only Allura can pilot it to its full potential, it’s linked to her quintessence, and is shown to have a mind of its own to an extent (seen when it actively tries to kill Lance and Keith during the Crystal Venom episode, showing an ability to reason to some extent). And, speaking of the Crystal Venom episode, it seems to mirror the events of the original “Secret of the White Lion” episode, where Allura is tricked by something she thinks is her father (in this case an AI) and almost gets killed.

Also, when Allura moves to Blue, she complains about how Blue’s controls are different from the castle’s in a similar way to how Lance complains about Red’s being different from Blue’s. The castle seems to operate pretty similarly to the lions. Coran mentioned that his grandpa built the castle but I don’t recall ever getting the exact timeline of when he finished. I don’t know, maybe Alfor could have jumped in and asked to add some aspects of the comet to it? It’s probably not all that likely lmao, but wouldn’t it be super fucking cool if the castle suddenly transformed into a magic fighting robot?

Anywhom, last possible pilot:

Lance has expressed on multiple occasions a sense of being a “seventh wheel,” or kind of separate from the team. In this scene, when talking to Keith about the whole five lions, six paladins situation, he puts up six fingers and, when he’s done, singles himself out as the one separate from the five others. And, interestingly:

The hypothetical White Lion is pictured as separate from the others as well.

Lance seems to view Allura as Blue’s true paladin and Keith as Red’s, so he sees himself as not having a real place with the current lions. But, maybe that’s because he hasn’t found his real lion yet?

(On that note (and this is sort of a tangent but still neat): look at the team’s color coding! Everyone else is color coded to their lions (Pidge wears a green shirt, Hunk wears a yellow shirt, Keith wears a red jacket and a black shirt, Allura’s outfit is Blue, and Shiro’s is Black) but Lance is color coded white)

Plus, if I’m right about the White Lion being an alternate head of Voltron / alternate lion in general, placing Lance in that position makes sense. The crew of the show has said before that Lance’s thing is filling spots that need filling. And, since he and Keith (if Keith is still Black Paladin after Shiro’s return) are something of a dynamic duo, having them being able to swap places would be a really interesting dynamic (and fucking hilarious).

Also, Rick Hunter, the pilot of the White Lion in the comic I mentioned earlier, seems to be a pretty similar character to Lance? Wiki says: “As a young man, Rick was good-natured, although he could be disrespectful at times… Throughout the course of the First Robotech War he went from being a relative pacifist into a full-fledged soldier, becoming a deadly ace who even the Zentraedi feared.” Good-natured, sometimes disrespectful, deadly ace… It’s food for thought.

I’d also say there’s something of a chance that Keith could be the White Paladin? I don’t have too much support for the theory yet, but his whole view of himself as the “loner” and the hanging plot line of his mother and his mysterious past would make him well-suited for the White Lion’s mobility.

Anyway, as with all of my metas this is Getting Too Long and doesn’t make sense lmao (sorry I just wanted to scribble this down before s4), so I’ll cut it off here. My point is that while I have no idea how likely it is that a White Lion exists (though again, I think it’s narratively possible and maybe even narratively probable), you could squeeze an interesting arc out of any of these possible pilots. Plus, having the White Lion (if it is an alternate lion) around would allow for a lot of mobility and give everyone possibilities for cool solo adventures that I think would be fun.

#voltron #voltron meta #whoop #anyway this would be neat

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welldresseddadblog · 6 years

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Welcome to the 13th instalment of the “Garmsman Dozen” question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous. Did you miss earlier ones? There are links at the end of the page.

This week we welcome to the Garmsman Dozen Christopher Laverty from Great Britain!

Who are you, where do you live and what interests you?

Christopher Laverty. York, UK. 40 years old.

Author of book Fashion in Film, broadcaster, creator of website Clothes on Film and costume consultant.

Twitter: @clothesonfilm, Instagram: @lordlaverty, @christopherlaverty, Facebook: @clothesonfilm.

I enjoy movies, decent TV, clothes, clothes in movies, clothes in decent TV, bourbon, pipe smoking, cigars (preferably Cuban), cocktail making, cycling, running and twirling my moustache.

Thinking back to your childhood, what were your most memorable or favourite clothes?

Honestly, I don’t remember much of my childhood. Controversially I don’t many of us really do, we just piece together memories from what we’re told and photographs. With that in mind, I’ll go to my late teenage years when I first remember becoming interested in clothes. It was the mid-late 1990s so a lot of pale, shapeless denim jeans worn way too long with thick, oversized shirts and suede Kickers. This is probably why I gravitated toward the vintage scene which at this time was big on 1970s retro revival. My favourite buy was a tan leather trench coat, probably from the late 1970s, made in Egypt with a Selfridges label. It was immaculate. I purchased for £25 from Covent Garden market and still have it today. I don’t wear the coat much as it’s a little on the nose these days and verging on dress up, but at least it still fits! I do come from a family interested in clothes, particularly my dad. I was born to older parents (they are in their late eighties now) and with an older brother (now 60) and sister (53). I was spoilt rotten. Apparently, I even had a tailored coat, which to a working-class family is quite a fancy thing. My appreciation of clothes comes from understanding how they are made, their design, influences and appropriateness to the era. This is all born in me I think.

How would you describe your style today, and what are your influences?

It’s one of two things depending on my mood, time of year, facial hair and hairstyle: 1) denim and workwear, Edwardian influenced to 1930s OR 2) 1970s lounge with flared three-piece suits. I like to change things up because I get bored easily. It does have to be a specific look though – I have to feel that it ticks certain boxes, although saying that I do loathe the idea of sticking rigidly to eras or historical accuracy. My main influence for the 70’s is television programmes such as The Persuaders! and The Professionals and films such as Fear is the Key and Carlito’s Way. For workwear, it’s more print-based influences, like old photographs of miners and ranchers, but also films like The First Great Train Robbery and There Will Be Blood. I pull from wherever I like, really. Again, it’s not rigid; I’m not a re-enactor, I’m just someone who enjoys a period-specific feel to their dress.

How do you think others would describe your style and garments, do you get any reaction from friends and random strangers?

Totally, though a lot of that comes from random moustache admirers/hecklers. I don’t mind, so long as it’s polite. People will always point out what is different and, if I’m honest, I get a kick out of it. I think my friends just list random people they consider could be associated with my look – I’ve had everything from Shaft to a Spitfire pilot. It’s all good fun unless you choose to be offended (which I don’t because life is far too short to be cross and moaning all the time).

When looking for clothes, what factors play into your selections?

Need, mainly. I don’t really seek out any clothing unless I’m specifically short on something, like a henley t-shirt or new pair of boots. Most clothes come to me, in that I might stumble across a charity shop find or somebody acquires a shirt or whatever they think I’d like. I don’t really pay full price for anything. For example, I bought some suede chukka boots by Alfred Sargent last year, but only because they were offered to me by a friend who’d found them (in immaculate condition I might add) in a charity shop. I certainly didn’t need the boots but I’ll not turn my nose up at a bargain. I love clothes, though my wardrobe is actually quite capsule. I think there’s nothing worse than just buying willy-nilly and ending up with so much gear you can hardly store it all. This actually diminishes sartorial creativity in my view.

When putting together an outfit combination, do you spend a lot of time considering it?

Not really. I think I know what works and just go with that. I’ll plan more if it’s an occasion outfit but for every day I just grab what I like depending on the weather. Putting together an ensemble can be fun, but I do think if you take too long it becomes fussy and convoluted. If in doubt, take it out.

Most garmsmen will have a few “grail items” in their collection. Not to out you, but if your house is burning, which garments do you grab?

Probably my RM Williams boots. They are Craftsman Yearling, the finest boot RM Williams make in my opinion and they work with almost any outfit. I purchased on eBay nearly a decade ago for about £100. The leather is cracking a tad now but I couldn’t be without them. That said, I wouldn’t burn alive for them either so this better be a fairly mild fire we’re talking about here.

Photo by Ben Bentley

Are you budget-conscious or spendthrift? Are you a single-shot shopper, or go large and buy bulk? Where are you on slow-fashion and buying less?

I’m not spendthrift, even less so if I’m buying for others. If something fits and looks great and I can afford it and need it, I’ll buy it. I do like things that are in a sale or reduced though – it just feels more fun to make that purchase. In this respect, I wish I could support more artisan brands but they are just too rich for my blood. The sad thing is I know that the guys running these places and making these clothes and footwear are just getting by as is. If I was rich I’d probably shop with an eye toward supporting homegrown brands, but as things stand whoever can give me what I want for the best possible price is going to get my money.

Having a large collection of clothes can lead to changing outfit on a daily basis, but if you were going to wear a single outfit the next two weeks, what would it be?

My go to is probably a green ribbed cotton henley (from H&M), Marlboro leather and canvas braces (charity shop), Levi LVC 1878 jeans (eBay) and my RM Williams boots. This outfit suits just about every occasion, unless you want me attending your wedding or something. It’s comfortable to travel, work, socialise and chill in. Simple but effective in my opinion.

What would you never wear?

That’s a tough one. Basically, anything that looks awful on me, so very baggy trousers or jeans (I’m a short-ass), super-tight muscle tees (they are hilarious even if you have the body) and chunky hi-top trainers (love them on other people but I look like a failed hip-hop artist). Oh and baseball caps. Every time I put one on I look like I’m dying of some disease.

Photo by David Wade

What are your best tips for buying?

If you’re talking specifically about buying for my look, either workwear or 70’s inspired, then I’d say eBay, charity shops and vintage fairs. Got to be patient though and realise that, in the main, if you’ve found a bargain, someone else has too. People know their stuff a lot more these days so everyone has their eye out. For basics, I find H&M hard to beat. It’s not the highest quality and sometimes their stores are saturated with desperately on-trend crap, but in general, for easy tees and shirts, they are a goldmine (plus have lots of year-round sales).

Do you have a dream garment you’d love to own?

A few years ago I would have said a Savile Row suit but I think I desired one for the wrong reasons. It was a case of wanting to say I’ve had a suit cut on Savile Row rather than wanting the garment itself. I must admit I have always hankered after a beautifully tailored flared leg suit from the 1970s. I have a couple of off-the-peg examples but I’d love one bespoke. Suits of this era with that distinctive cut, the high waist, flared leg, high double vents and pagoda shoulder are not impossibly hard to find, though ones made from high-quality wool suiting are. Also, I’m a sucker for LVC Levi. I’d buy most of it just to hang on my wall and salivate over.

Anyone that buys clothes will have made mistakes, what is your most memorable bad buy?

Loads! When I used to buy more and think later I grabbed many a mistake. Possibly my worst was a pair of loose Abercrombie & Fitch jeans, from eBay if I remember correctly. Not sure what look I was going for. LA surfer, possibly? Or maybe just asshole. Either way, unsurprisingly, they didn’t work.

Do you have any style icons, historic or current?

Most of the looks I covet are from films so were put together by costume designers rather than the stars in question. Then again, stars and icons had stylists back in the day and they have stylists now. Cary Grant always nailed it. James Coburn could rock the Ivy. Nowadays Sebastian Stan constantly looks interesting without going too bananas (he has a brilliant stylist and an easy to dress bod too, mind). My elderly dad has a wonderfully open love of bright colour, which I admire and is daring for a former market trader from the East End of London. ‘Be more like him’ I often think.

Who are your favourite Instagram profiles?

What you mean apart from @Welldresseddad??? 😉 I like all the sartorial based accounts I follow. Two, in particular, indulge my passion for high-end workwear denim that I can’t afford: @kingchung501 and @vorstenbos. Anyone who doesn’t take it all too seriously, basically.

How do you think trends such as denim and heritage style will evolve and survive? What will be the next big thing?

I think more and more people will get into making their own clothes. We are not there yet, and I certainly don’t presently have the skills, but big picture I feel this will get easier and easier to do in our own home. Sustainability is a big trend and not going anywhere – and really it can’t afford to. Denim especially will go down this route. Like I said we are a way off, but with current textile innovations and online communities, it is coming.

Thank you!

Thank you for your Garmsman Chris!

Photo by David Wade

Did you miss the first Garmsman Dozens?

Jon from Great Britain

Shaun from Scotland

Klaus from Germany

Roland from Italy

Daniel from Sweden

Enoch from the USA

Even from Norway

Kris from Belgium

Michael from Great Britain

Liam from Great Britain

Lee from Great Britain

Iain from Great Britain

Michael from Italy

PS: If you have suggestions for participants, let me know. Or have your mother suggest you, if you’re a bit keen to suggest yourself. My email is WellDressedDad (@) gmail.com

The Garmsman Dozen #14: Chris from Great Britain Welcome to the 13th instalment of the "Garmsman Dozen" question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous.

#christopher laverty #Denim #film costumes #garmsman dozen #men&039;s style #mens fashion #menswear #workwear

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furidojasutin · 7 years

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Main pairing: Fraxus (Freed x Laxus)

Side pairings: mentions of Canajane, Elfgreen, Nalu

Characters: Bixlow, Freed Justine, Laxus Dreyar, Evergreen, Makarov Dreyar and mentions of other characters

Universe: Canon

Rating: T

a/n: Five days late for Halloween but just in time for Fraxus Day! I was pretty excited for this especially because this is a collab with the nerd @damasath-art. I love the pic she drew so so much and you can go check it out right >here<. I'll also link the inspiration art for this idea which was also drawn by her, right >here<, and the costumes for Bix and Ever right >here<. Go check out her art pls and give it many reblogs and comments! While I'm at it I'll also link you to the costume ideas for Cana, Mira, Lucy and Natsu. Go look >here< for the Canajane art drawn by lovely @peoniespoppiesandowlsohmy and go look >here< for the Nalu art drawn by the sweet @arikafd <3 But now I really hope you'll enjoy this oneshot and happy Fraxus day y'all!!

“What's you guys taking so long, eh?” It was Bixlow's voice echoing through Freed and Laxus' house while he was lounging on their huge couch. He was all done dressing up and so was Evergreen who was standing in the middle of the room with crossed arms.

They all had decided to go with kind of matching costumes this year. Finding an outfit for Evergreen and Freed had been comparably easy in contrast to the ones Bixlow and Laxus required but they thought that the search had definitely been worth it.

“Ya can make out when yer back home tonight!”

“Shut it, Bixlow.” This time Laxus replied, his voice rumbling through the rooms. The blond heard the seith mage cackle and sighed before he turned back to see how Freed was doing. “How's it going?”

“I'm almost done,” he mumbled. He was too concentrated to say anything else as he was trying to adjust his boyfriend's cape to the best of his abilities. Laxus' outfit was a pain but it suited him, really. It looked incredibly good and the theme was purposefully fitting as well. “Almost... Now, done!”

Freed eyed his handwork proudly. He'd done a good job with it although the kind of armor Laxus was into had been a pain to adjust. Bixlow's had similar troubles, though. And Evergreen had been just a tad bit nervous to go without her glasses even though they all knew that she had no issues control her stone eyes. It just wasn't something frequent. Freed's outfit was the simplest of them all but it did its job. That, and he'd gotten a little extra from Bixlow to use at the guild hall to make his costume choice even clearer.

“Hell yea. Now I sure am the Thunder God.” Laxus looked at himself in the mirror, as he was readily dressed in his Thor costume, a bright grin on his face. He may not care much about such festivities, parties let alone costumes but he had to admit that this one was more than acceptable. Nothing ridiculous. Actually kinda nice.

Hands curled into fists and the dragon slayer couldn't resist letting some lightning cackle around him. Yes, this was good.

Freed just gave a huff before he arched up an eyebrow for a patronizing look and adjusted his glasses, commenting dryly. “Laxus. Professional please.”

Now raising a brow in return Laxus glanced at him but a new grin wasn't long in coming. “Good thing ya don't have to practice those looks, huh?”

“Now what's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin'.” Laxus just grinned wider when Freed shot him a tiny playful glare. They just looked at each other for another moment and Freed was just about to take a hold of the taller man's collar and lean up for a kiss, and possibly whisper something in his ear, when they heard Bixlow call for them again.

They sighed almost in unison but then the rune mage smiled. “He's right, we should get going.”

Laxus gave a semi-serious groan of annoyance. “I wouldn't mind just stayin' here... with you. And do other things.”

“Right.” Freed chuckled and then nudged him. “All the effort will be wasted if we don't attend the guild party. We can still do other things later.”

“Yea, yea. Understood, Dr. Banner.” He was ready to follow the other out of the door when suddenly a thought struck him and made him stop walking. “Oi, ya have the hammer set up?” Because what would Thor be without it, right? Of course they had thought of this, too.

“What do you think?” Freed had briefly stopped in his tracks as well, looking back over his shoulder with a pleased curve on his lips. “Of course I have. It wasn't much work anyway. Your hammer is located near the guild doors on a particular field of runes that will only allow you to lift the hammer. Of course the runes aren't visible. I planned on placing it in the middle of the stage but Mirajane said that it would be needed for something else.”

“Heh, sounds perfect.” Laxus' lips curved again as well and they finally left the bedroom. “As expected of ya. They'll have no idea what's going.”

“Perhaps not but they aren't stupid either.” And he smiled at the small compliment he had received of his boyfriend. It made his heart flutter and had brightened his smile by the time they joined Bixlow, dressed up pretty impressively as the Iron Man, and Evergreen, dressed up as tough Black Widow.

“Finally!” Ever sighed and stroked a hand through her hair upon seeing the missing two of her male friends walking in. “What on earth took you so long?”

“Oi, Bixlow took a long ass time to get dressed as well,” Laxus grumbled whilst Freed went to fetch something.

“You took longer. And needed two more hands, apparently,” Bixlow promptly defended himself but showed a grin as he followed Freed with his eyes, his babies floating around him. “Ya gettin' yer mug?”

The seith mage got his answer when the rune mage turned back around with a 3D mug of the Hulk's green fist in his grip. Holding it by its handle almost made it look like a real huge fist and Bixlow still thought that it was the perfect little addition to Freed's comparably simple costume. He would just drink out of it all evening long. It was better than abusing his demon form to prove a point for such a ridiculous reason, something he'd never do anyway.

Alright, perhaps he wouldn't use it for different kinds of liquors and drinks.

“Time to party, babies!”

xxx xxx

The atmosphere at the guild hall was breathtaking. All of them had decorated and created stuff together to turn it into the perfect location for a Halloween party and it was a complete success.

There were pumpkins and coffins, skeletons and fake blood messages on the walls that glowed when it was dark enough. Of course they searched for the perfect music, soundtracks that would be suitable for a party and for Halloween just as much. They even had a small maze in the guild's outdoor area, one Freed helped setting up traps for.

It had been lots of work to dress the entire hall in such things but it had been worth it.

One hour had passed since Freed, Laxus, Evergreen and Bixlow arrived at the guild. Most of their guild mates had already been there when they set foot in the hall, the music loud and the chattering lively.

Despite having helped to set up the location all of them were still amazed. Everyone had honestly done a good job.

Mirajane and Cana had been the first two to greet them and it wasn't hard to notice that even Mira had already consumed a fair bit of alcohol. For once they had an entire buffet for food and drinks so Mirajane and Kinana wouldn't have to miss out on things and the eldest Strauss giggled as she leaned against her girlfriend. Their relationship was fairly fresh still but they were adorable together.

Funnily enough, Cana was dressed as Harley Quinn whilst Mirajane had chosen to go with Poison Ivy. What a coincidence! They looked amazing, though, and it didn't take long until Cana and Mira had dragged Evergreen off to the bar.

Neither Bixlow nor Freed and Laxus had missed the looks their female bestie had thrown towards the spot Elfman was sitting at, dressed as zombie complete with a big screw going 'through' his head.

“Oi, ya think she'd have liked to have a couple costume with Elfman? They'd be adorable as the Beauty and the Beast.”

Laxus snorted, and Freed went ahead to voice what they all were thinking. “Truth be told, she would most likely like it but the stage she's in wouldn't allow her to admit it. Eventually, for certain.”

All three men shook their head.

Somewhere on the other end of the big hall Natsu, who was in a vampire costume, was chasing Lucy. It seemed as though these two had chosen to go with matching outfits as well as the celestial mage was wearing a beautiful damsel's dress.

She was flailing and shouting at the cackling fire dragon slayer to stop running after her because he wanted to 'bite' her but the soon erupting giggles revealed that she was just having some playful fun with this dork of hers. Nobody really knew whether these two had finally confessed to each other and became an actual couple or if they were still tiptoeing around each other, really. But it was kind of adorable watching them either way.

“Ya think Natsu's found the hammer already?” Bixlow had excused himself for some unknown reason, which was highly suspicious and all they could think of was that he was up to something. Though Laxus didn't really mind just chattering with his boyfriend who was sitting beside him with his Hulk mug filled with cold beer.

“I'm not sure. Something tells me that he would still be standing there trying to lift up the hammer and not giving up until he's managed to do so which would be never unless I undid the runes. I could doom him to a future filled with the will to lift this damned hammer,” Freed responded rather dryly before he turned to look at Laxus and then chuckled quietly.

“I'd love to see this.” And he secretly indulged in the imagination of watching Natsu struggle and get exasperated because he just wasn't able to lift that damn thing.

“Me, too.”

It was amusing, honestly. Though if Freed was completely honest then he knew that somebody would figure out that his magic was to blame for this circumstance. The runes may not be visible but the magic was sensible if one concentrated and focused on it, so if somebody really put effort into trying to find out the reason for the unmovable hammer then he was sure they'd figure it out pretty quick.

Their attention got drawn to something else when a certain fight of words erupted and Gray was left in his underwear when he promptly stripped out of his skeleton costume.

“There they go again... Halloween is apparently no exception,” Freed muttered as he watched and listened to the verbal fight between Natsu and Gray that sure as hell wouldn't stay verbal only. Though one look to the side told him that Erza was already on her way to separate these two. She was especially sensitive with such stuff when it happened on special occasions like this one – she wouldn't let anyone ruin the evening.

“She's in no mood for their bullshit and neither am I.” Laxus snorted before he emptied his own beer. He heard his boyfriend mumbling agreement while he glanced around. With narrowed eyes he spotted Bixlow and apparently their suspicion had been justified when suddenly Levy ended up squeaking as the seith mage threw a huge fake spider at her face.

“Typical.” Freed smiled faintly as he followed the dragon slayer's gaze. He had to admit that he himself wasn't exactly innocent when it got around Halloween pranks. In fact he could actually enjoy this holiday to a fair amount and, if he was completely honest, then he indulged in the horrified reactions he could elicit with such mischievous moves.

“Yea. I'm actually feelin' sorry for Levy and whoever's gonna be next.” Laxus shook his head, then turned it to focus on the rune mage instead. It wasn't often that he got to see Freed with glasses but he sure rocked them, especially when he did this thing with his eyebrow.

“Mh-hm...” Holding the eye-contact was all the two men did for a moment. All sounds in the room blanket out and then Freed leaned forward slowly to press a kiss against Laxus' lips.

But just when their lips were about to come into contact, somebody softly cleared his throat right behind their chairs. It caused them both to blink and their noses almost bumped slightly when they turned their heads in unison to find that none other than Master Makarov in his dwarf outfit had sought them out.

“I'm sorry for the interruption,” Makarov grinned up at them.

Laxus just rolled his eyes, the tiniest of blushes on his cheeks. “No gramps, yer not.”

“Well well, looks like you got me there.” He gave them both a far too wide smile but then tilted his head to the side in sincere curiosity. It was obvious that he's had the one or other mug of sake already but it wasn't enough to have him completely wasted. “Are you two having fun? Have you eaten something already?”

“No, not yet,” Freed replied after lightly clearing his throat himself and offering a small polite smile in return. “But we certainly plan on doing so.”

Laxus was just glad that his grandpa hadn't planned some stupid event for the Halloween party. He had a way of thinking of the most embarrassing stuff to ever exist and he could do without that.

“You should, you should.” Makarov nodded to emphasize his words before he let his gaze wander around the filled hall. Erza had successfully kept Natsu and Gray from fighting and was now sitting with Bisca while Alzack was giving little Asuka in her witch costume a piggyback ride. Lucy and Wendy were chattering happily before Natsu jumped into the scene and hugged them close. Cana and Mirajane were sitting somewhere, cuddled up close, and listened to Gajeel and Juvia bickering softly. Elfman and Evergreen had found one another but looked unsure about how to act around each other.

The guild's Master turned his attention back to the couple in front of him. Freed and Laxus had merely observed him in silence and waited for him to say something else. He surely must have approached them for a reason?

“I'm happy for you, brat.” He briefly looked at the dragon slayer, the smile gone but loving joy in his eyes before he turned to Freed. “And you, too, Freed. You two have my unconditional support, I hope you know that. But now go and have some fun or try something from the buffet before everything tasty is gone.” Makarov instinctively squinted at Natsu before he turned around and headed towards where the alcohol was located.

That was definitely not what the two men had expected. Not that they had known what to expect anyway but this small reminder left especially Laxus speechless for a moment. It wasn't like Makarov had never sensed that something was going on between the two. Freed had been in love with Laxus for quite a while whilst it was far more of a slow realization for Laxus. It took a while until they became official but Master Makarov had never expressed anything else than his joy and support for them, praising how he'd always seen it coming anyway.

The dragon slayer was so caught off guard, and inwardly happy, that he even temporarily forgave his grandpa for calling him a fucking brat again.

“Well, that was unexpected.” The rune mage said calmly and glanced at his boyfriend again after watching Makarov leave their side.

“Yea. No idea what the old man's thinkin.” Laxus furrowed his thick brows. “'course we know that.” But it was nice to hear it again. After almost losing his grandpa their bond had grown even closer in silence and he was so utterly thankful that the old geezer wasn't gone for good. He may not always be the best at expressing it but he sure loved him a lot. The entire guild did. It would just be different without the occasional bickering with his gramps.

Freed nodded in agreement but he too felt quite happy about this reassurance. It wasn't like he ever doubted that they had Makarov's approval but it was still nice to hear again. Smiling, the Raijinshuu's captain exhaled softly. “But I think we should take his advice and try something from the buffet.”

And they did. Their Master hadn't lied when he hyped the buffet. The taste of the food was exquisite and the variety astounding.

After eating something Freed and Laxus had the one or other conversation with some of their friends and apparently Bixlow was tipsy enough to let himself get dragged onto the dance floor by Lisanna and Lucy. It made for a quite hilarious view though the girls seemed to be having fun while Cana had laid out some of her cards and was entertaining Juvia, Levy and a quite skeptical Gajeel with her fortune telling.

“You want another drink?” Laxus asked as after he came back from the bathroom and allowed himself to wrap his strong arms around his boyfriend's waist who was looking up at him.

“Later. I don't plan on ending up intoxicated.” He hadn't been able to avoid slight tipsiness but that was hardly an issue. Freed knew he had to be careful though; not many of them got blessed with a high tolerance for alcohol. “What about you?”

Laxus shrugged. “I'll take another beer, I guess. I dunno what they put in there but it's fucking delicious,” he thought out loud and then emitted a soft snort when he felt Freed fumble with his red cape. “Havin' fun?”

“Am I not allowed to like your outfit?”

When his boyfriend arched up a brow at him again the dragon slayer couldn't help but give a deep chuckle and turned away without another word, ready to head back to the main hall.

But then he felt Freed getting a hold of his wrist with a grip as firm as it could be from a swordsman only and that was more than enough to get Laxus' utter attention again.

With a determined tug the rune mage dragged the broader man with him as he vanished around the near corner in one single movement and once they were standing in the faded light of the hall way Freed leaned back against the wall and cupped the lightning mage's face in order to tug him down for a kiss.

Caught off guard but pleasantly so the taller man went with it without wasting a single thought and resisting the gesture of affection. A quiet growl slipped past Laxus' lips when a little more urge came to surface and he pressed up against Freed's body just a bit more.

Encouraged by the movement and the sound of his boyfriend the captain gave a calculated nip to Laxus' lower lip and when he got the tiny groan he wanted to educe from him he boldly slipped his tongue into his mouth, giving the quietest of pleased groans as well when he felt Laxus' tongue brush against his own.

The kiss didn't last as long as they would wish for it to but it was enough to leave them blissfully breathless for a moment or two and when Laxus withdrew his head and brought a tad bit more space between their bodies again he looked down at his boyfriend with a small curve on his lips. “What was that for?” His voice a rumbling whisper, his hands found Freed's hips and gently stroked up his sides for a moment. He didn't want to ruffle his neat outfit after all.

“I just wanted to kiss you.” It was a simple answer but it was just as true. A loving smirk on his lips the rune mage rested his head against the wall behind him. “And I wanted a moment just for the two of us before we head back to the main hall.”

“Makes sense.” Laxus grinned, love in his orange eyes. If he was to decide then he had absolutely no objections staying here for just a while longer. “Ya think I can I get another one?”~

Freed blinked once at the question but then rolled his eyes in a playful manner before he leaned up to press a chaster kiss against his boyfriend's lips.

“Thanks.”

The rune mage just smiled before adjusting his glasses and straightening his shirt just in case. Laxus' armor had been hard against his own body but he didn't mind. Not when he was kissing the love of his life. Freed didn't take note of the spark in the lightning dragon slayer's orange eyes as he was busy admiring his attractive appearance for a couple of heartbeats so his boyfriend directing another question at him took him by slight surprise.

“So... when will I get to see yer Hulk? Later tonight?”

And Freed didn't understand, not at the very first moment. Perhaps it was because he had been distracted a moment before or perhaps it was because he hadn't expected Laxus to make such a playful, suggestive comment right now but when the dragon slayer shot an obvious look down at Freed's crotch he understood.

“That's...” The rune mage blinked again. But then he couldn't stop the one single deep laughter that slipped between his lips. “I cannot believe you said that right now. That's a really bad pick-up line.” He shook his head, cheeks flushed softly. Honestly, this man!

“Hey, I was complimentin' ya and it's fittin', isn't it?” There was something happy in Laxus' grin and eyes that only Freed ever got to witness and in the end the dragon slayer gave a quiet chuckle as well. He leaned down to give the rune mage a second quick kiss before they both agreed to go back to the main hall before anybody would miss them. The evening had passed by pretty fast but there was still the one or other hour to go and they wanted to spend them together with his friends.

There would be enough alone time at home.

When they stepped back into the hall it looked as though Mirajane had started a karaoke challenge. Gray and Natsu were battling with each other, what sounded pretty hilarious, and Erza was preparing herself for the next song. Bixlow's cackling along with the chanting of his babies could be heard coming from some other corner and all in all everyone seemed pretty happy.

Freed looked to the side just in time for Laxus' gaze to meet his own and he couldn't stop the anew smile from appearing and the other returned it with a twitch of his lips. Their fingers touched for a second, an absolutely purposeful movement, and after another moment of just looking at each other the dragon slayer began to walk over to the table Evergreen and Cana were sitting at.

“I'll pick up my hammer once these idiots are done singin'. Can't wait to see Natsu's face,” Laxus declared and grinned to himself while Freed watched the karaoke group for a moment before looking back at his boyfriend, smirking lovingly.

He was sure that they would indeed be having some more fun this successfull party night.

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