#cue Hamilton singing about history having its eyes on you

[colorfulsmayles24]

I cannot believe that my legacy on the internet will be smutty fanfics and memes about gay people on TV

[inky-duchess]

21 History Ancedotes for my 21st Birthday

So today I celebrate my 21st birthday and I have decided to gift you all with 21 of my favourite historical Ancedotes. Some are funny, some are sad and some are plain bizarre but I hope the make your day 💜

Mary Maloney, an Irish-born suffragette in England followed Winston Churchill around while he was campaigning for a seat in Parliament, drowning out everything he said with a very large bell and calls for him to apologise for his comments on women's rights and suffrage movements.

Clodius Pulcher was a well born Roman noble during the last day's of the Republic. He gave up his Patrician status to become Tribune of the Plebs (an office in which one had to be a Pleb) by being adopted by a much younger Plebian man who became his "father". Clodius was a bit of a riot, sneaking into religious festivals dressed like a woman to sleep with Caesar's wife, building a shrine to Liberty in the ruins of the Conservative Cicero, vetoed the last speech of one of the Consuls (who basically did nothing all year and was apparently going to roast Caesar) and burned down the Senate House with his funeral pyre (the Plebs who loved him literally tearing up the furniture to build his pyre). He was honestly the best fun.

When laying on her deathbed, Queen Caroline of Ansbach turned to her husband George II of England and told him he should marry again. George refused to ever wed again... But added he would have mistresses. Caroline said , likely with a roll of her eyes, "oh my god that doesn't matter."

Florence was a pretty cool city in the Renaissance until Savanorola came to town. He disliked the loose living artists that crowded the city, with their naked pagan gods and rampant homosexuality. He expelled them all with help of the French hoping to make Florence Holy Again. When the Borgia Pope excommunicated him and sentenced him to death, one man in the crowd was reported to have said. "thank God, niw we can return to sodomy." One Floretine man in the 1490s said Gay Rights.

So this list couldn't be complete without an entry of the only American politician I love, Alexander Hamilton who was just a walking entity of sass. I could go on about his sharp sarcasm or his disaster bi vibes with John Lauren's but my all time favourite Alexander Hamilton ancedote has to be this exchange with Thomas Jefferson "There are approximately 1010300 words in the English language, but I could never string enough words together to properly explain how much I want to hit you with a chair."

Caterina Sforza was an Italian noble woman during the Renaissance. She was apart of the powerful Sforza family, which drew many enemies to her. One fateful day at Forli, Caterina's children were snatched as hostages. The besiegers threatened to kill her children if she did not cede the castle. Caterina refused, lifting her skirts and shouted to the besiegers that she had the means to make more children.

Hannibal Lecter's creator Thomas Harris was happy to end his great character's story with the original trilogy. However his publishers forced him to write an unneeded prequel explaining why Hannibal became Hannibal. Thomas Harris agreed lest he lose the rights to his character so he wrote Hannibal Rising, where Hannibal as a young man hunts down the Nazis who ate his sister with a katana.

Nell Gwyn is my favourite mistress of Charles II, mainly because of her sass. Once while trapped in the middle of a riot where Londoners swamped her carriage thinking she was Charles's Catholic mistress. She popped her head out the carriage and told the people "Pray good people be civil. I am the Protestant whore." She also dosed her rival Moll Davis with laxatives in order to free up some of Charles's time and she once flashed her underwear at the French ambassador after asking him why the Franch King did not pay her to spy on Charles because she was with him every night. A true Queen.

Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty of China once rose from his bed to go do some ruling when he realised his lover, Dong Xian was sleeping on his sleeve. Rather than disturb his lover, the Emperor cut his sleeve off at the wrist to leave Dong Xian nap. Nothing has ever been more romantic than that. Y'all could never.

Princess Margaret the sister of current Queen Elizabeth II was a socialable Princess and often tasked to visit the up and coming music stars of the day on behalf of the Crown. When meeting the Beatles one evening, she noticed George Harrison was acting a little odd. When she asked what was the matter, he replied "We arent allowed eat until you go." Princess Margaret laughed and promptly left so the Beatles could get some dinner.

During the Siege of Jadotsville, Irish soldiers under the flag of the UN were attacked and besieged by local insurgents allied with the Katanga Regime. The insurgents numbered thousands while the Irish only had 158 soldiers, all who were lightly armed. They radioed to their allies assuring them that "we will hold out until our last bullet is spent. Could use some whiskey though".

Napoleon was famous for writing raunchy letters to his wife, the Empress Josephine while he was away. She used to reply with really mundane letters or not at all. She really just could not be bothered with him.

Josip Broz Tito was so fed up with Joseph Stalin sending assassins to kill him, he wrote to Stalin personally to say "If you don't stop sending assassins to kill me. I will send one to Moscow and I won't have to send another." It didn't work but Big Dick Energy.

Successful Roman soldiers returning from war often got to march along in parades known as Triumphs. During this, it was customary for them to sing bawdy songs about their commander. One surviving one about Caesar goes like this "Romans, lock up your wives. Here comes the bald adulterous whore. We pissed away your gold in Gaul and come to borrow more."

Matilda, Lady of the English was a woman so badass that history cannot handle her. She was the daughter of Henry I who left his throne to her after the death of her brother. She was away in France when her father died and her throne was snatched by her cousin Stephen. They battled back and forth for years with neither side ceding any ground. Matilda was once besieged in a castle during a snow storm, with Stephen's men all around her. Instead of fighting her way out. She simply donned a white cloak and walked out of the castle. Just walked out without any of Stephen's men seeing her.

Pedro of Portugal once fell in love with a beautiful lady in waiting called Inez de Castro. For years, they lived as man and mistress, popping out a few kinds. Pedro's dad really did not like Inez and wanted Pedro to find a legitimate wife so he had her killed. Pedro returned home to find the mother of his children dead. Pedro went a little crazy. He had all his father's assassins killed, ripping out their hearts as they had done to him. When Pedro ascended the throne, he demanded the Pope legitimize his children by Inez. The Pope not wanting to upset the King, said he couldn't because Inez was never crowned Queen. Pedro dug Inez up and crowned her as Queen, having all the nobility swear loyalty to her corpse. The Pope had no choice but to agree to his request.

A famously clever general once saved an entire city with an ingenious stragety to sit outside the city waiting for the attacking army to come. The attack had come to fast for the city to ready themselves for a Siege so, the general had to move quickly. He evacuated the city and took his place waiting for the army to come. The enemy forces stopped and took one look at him and bolted, thinking he meant to lure them in one of his famous traps.

Michaelangelo was really badly treated by the Vatican when he was painting the Sistine Chapel. He constantly fought with the Popes over the design and his work, which he was paid peanuts for. Michaelangelo got his revenge in his work, painting the gates of Hell behind the Papal Throne and an angel flipping the ol' fig (the Renaissance version of the bird) toward the Pope's chair.

Peter the Great was not a perfect guy. He kept serfdom as a practise in his kingdom, he had his son tortured to death and he could be an unpleasant guy. But Peter was a dreamer. He wanted nothing more to build a fleet for Russia and bring Russia beyond its borders. Peter took a gap year from ruling Russia to wander around Europe. When he stopped in England, he was granted Leicester House to chill in while he did his shipwright studies. It was here that Peter found a new passion. The wheelbarrow. Cue Peter and his new found English buddies drinking in Leicester House, punching the artwork and rolling each other around in barrels across the house's Great gardens.

Diogenes is hands down a walking shit post. He was a great thinker in Greece during the reign of Alexander but a rather dry, sarcastic wit. He lived in a pithos/a jar because he shunned all vanities and values of society. He trolled other philosophers, attending their debates to heckle them and eat loud foods through them. When Alexander the Great came to fan boy over him, saying that if he were not Alexander he would like to be Diogenes to which Diogenes just said "yeah me too, now get out of my sunlight."

Cosimo de Medici was the son of a Floretine banker with a great knowledge and love of art. Cosimo wished for Florence to release its potentially and join the Renaissance. He hired Filippo Brunelleschi to finsh the Great Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore which had láin unfinished for over a century, a symbol of a failure of ambition. The builders had lost the knowledge of creating a dome so large so it remained unfinished. Despite much opposition from the other nobility and denouncers of the Renaissance, Cosimo's dream of the completion of the dome was completed, making it the largest brick dome in creation at that time. There is nothing like achieving your dreams and certainly nothing like leaving a lasting reminder that screams 'I was right and you were wrong' to stand for centuries.

[tybalt-tisk]

The Model and the Photographer

@sluttybeka Ask and you shall receive. 

Shallura Prompt that I got really carried away with. Rated T, for language. Also on Ao3

“Man, Shiro!” Matt started, plopping himself onto the sofa next to his best friend while he brought his legs up to rest his feet on the coffee table with a hard thud. “I still can’t believe that you get to photograph Allura Altea!”

Shiro shrugged while he cleaned a few of his camera lenses. “I don’t think it’s a big deal.” He inspected one of the lenses carefully, making sure it was spotless before he moved on to clean the next one. “She’s just another model to me. And I am a photographer. So it’s kind of my job, ya know.”

Matt’s head snapped to him with wide eyes and his jaw slack. “Just another model?” he repeated with harsh syllables that made Shiro roll his eyes. “You’re kidding me, right? You must be kidding me because Allura Altea is probably - no, she is hands down the hottest model I have ever seen. In the history of ever.”

Shiro blew a gentle breeze to blow away the fine fibers that attached to his camera caused by his cloth. He’d need to get a new one soon. “Even hotter than 90s Cindy Crawford?”  

Matt opened his mouth, then closed it. Soon, he let out a hard breath through his nose. “Yes.” He looked off towards the distance for dramatic effect. “Even hotter than 90s Cindy Crawford.”

“You hesitated,” Shiro pointed out.

“Allura will do that to a man, Shiro.” He was still looking off into the distance. At what? Probably a bird or a plastic bag caught in an updraft. Shiro didn’t really care, after 10 years of friendship, he was used to his antics. “She will make you doubt everything you thought about everything.”

Shiro snorted. “You say that about every model that I photograph and it still makes no sense.”

“Okay, so maybe I do. But this time, Shiro, this time, I mean it.” He hitched up his hips so he could reach into his back pocket to pull out a folded piece a paper. He unfolded it to reveal one of Allura’s photos he ripped from a fashion magazine. Its edges were frayed probably from him frantically ripping it out when he found out Shiro was photographing the love in his life. He probably didn’t even notice that the photograph was missing the bottom left side corner.

Shiro raised a brow. “Do you always carry around photos of women in your back pocket?” He took a few test shots of his studio and frowned when he noticed the lightning was just a tad off.

Matt placed the photo over his heart. “Only when I love them, Shiro.” Matt then held out the photo to his unimpressed friend. “Look at her and I dare you to tell me that she isn’t the most beautiful person you have ever seen in your entire life?”

Shiro didn’t need to look at the photo to know what she looked like. He’s seen her plenty of times. She was everywhere from televised interviews, being stopped by TMZ, to being on the front cover of almost every fashion magazine he’d picked up within the last six months. She was the new, “It Girl”. With long white flowing hair, dark skin and crystal blue eyes, she definitely had a unique look that made her look almost alien.

Shiro had to admit, she certainly was a looker but he wasn’t about to let himself be fooled by only her looks. He was a professional photographer for about five years now, he’d seen many models that had the look of a supermodel and the heart but tainted their talent with a diva attitude. He’s seen the worst of the worst, from the most bratty to the most spoiled. Many of them came into his studio with ridiculous demands before they were even in front of his camera. He loved his job, he really did. It’s just the stuck up models that he hated. He thanked his parents and his military background for blessing him with his legendary patience because without it, he was sure that he wouldn’t be where he was now in his career.

Pushing the photo aside, Shiro laughed. “I don’t know, man,” he said in a teasing voice while he adjusted the lighting in the studio to allow more natural light to flood the area. “Have you seen my baby cousin, Miko? Now that’s a beautiful baby.”

Matt made a face, then nodded with a pulled frown. “Okay, yeah, you right, you right. Miko is the cutest fucking baby I have ever seen in the entire existence of my life. And that bowl cut! Are you serious? She’s serving looks for days! Should’ve named that baby Jolene because she could steal my man at any given moment.”

“Steal your man?” Shiro said. “You aren’t even gay.”

Matt followed Shiro around the studio while the taller man went through his mental checklist to make sure everything went smoothly for the day, the crumpled photo still in his hands. When Shiro stopped, Matt took the chance to prop up an elbow on his shoulder. He had to stand on the balls of his feet to be comfortable with Shiro’s height. “But you know what I am gay for, Shiro?”

Shiro sent him a smirk. He placed a hand on Matt’s shoulder before he began in a serious tone, “I’m sorry, buddy, but I only see you as a friend.” He quickly sidestepped and Matt lost in balance.

Matt regained his composure. “No, but listen Linda. Listen. Let me finish, rudeness.” He held out the wrinkled photo to Shiro. “I’m gay...for our friendship. And you know how friendship is a two-way street? Well, Daddy, ya boy needs a favor.”

Shiro made a face. “I never want to hear you call me that again. Who told you to call me that? Was it Keith?” he pressed.

“Sorry, Pops.” That was...better? “And yeah, it was Keith.” That asshole. ”But Papa Linda, you aren’t listening.” Shiro let out a sigh. He knew exactly where this was going but he wanted to let his best friend finish making a fool of himself. “I just need. I really want an autograph. From Allura.” Cue puppy dog eyes. “Please.”

Shiro folded his arms with a straight face, completely unaffected by Matt’s not-so-secret weapon.

“Oh come on, Shiro! “Matt yelled. “I never ask you for anything. When was the last time I asked you for a favor?”

“Last night when you needed $24.61 for pizza, breadsticks, and a lava cake from the shittiest pizzeria in town that doubles as the shittiest bakery in on the west coast.”

“First of all, its top 18, at best.” Who has a top 18 of anything? “And second, I forgot my wallet at Pidgey’s place! What do you want me to do? Starve?! Like some potato farmer in 1846? I don’t think so. I’m a growing boy, Shiro! I needs my meats! And third, yeah you’re right. That lava cake was trash and it burned my tongue.”

Shiro raised a brow. “I thought you were a vegetarian?”

“That was the old me, Shiro,”  Matt told him. “I was just...always hungry. Hey, don’t distract me! Shiro, I really need this. If you get this autograph for me, I will never ask you for another favor again.” He dropped to his knees. “I promise. Cross my heart and swear to never use your money on the 18th best pizzeria in town ever again.”

Shiro closed his eyes. Matt was as dramatic as those theatre kids who walk the hallways singing the lyrics to Hamilton. However, he could tell that this autograph was really important to him. Hopefully, this Allura woman didn’t think it was for himself because that would be kind of creepy. Hey, I know I just spent the majority of the day taking your picture but you can sign this crumpled up one that looks like it belongs under my pillow?

“Fine,” Shiro caved with a sigh. Matt rose from his knees to wrap his arms around Shiro. “But don’t think I won’t forget our little deal.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank y-“

“That’s enough of that. Now get going. I still need to set up a couple of things before your temporary crush gets here.” He peeled away his friend before he set out to organize his backup cameras just in case something happened to the one he had chosen for the photoshoot.

“Temporary crush? Our love will last forever, just you watch,” Matt told him as he gathered his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder and across his chest.

He made his way to the back door. “Thanks again, Abbeh-leh. And good luck with today and try not to fall in love with her. She’s mine.” He sang the last part before he was out the door and the studio filled with silence.

Shiro knew he only had a short amount of time before his crew arrived to help finish with setting up the area. With the help of Matt, he already set up the majority of the area.

As nonchalant as he was with Matt, he actually was nervous about this shoot. Allura was now a huge name in the industry and if anything everything went right, it could skyrocket his career. But if things went wrong, she had the potential to sink his career along with all of the hard work he put into it. It almost happened a year ago when some up-and-coming model had threatened to put him out of business because she argued that he only shot her bad side. He offered her reshoots but she declined them all. If it wasn’t for the fact that she personally knew Keith, she would have gone to the tabloids to slander his name.

From then on, he felt like he had to give up his role as the leader and take the backburner in his own studio. Whatever the models wanted, especially the ones with star power, he made sure it happened out of the fear that they might tank him. Even if they were terrible ideas, he would try to compromise but most of the time, he gave up his creative control. It was something he dreaded most for the upcoming day, giving up his control.

He did his homework, of course. He did a little research on her to see her work ethic and his surprise he read some very positive things. Always on time, easy to work with, always had beautiful shots, knew how to work with what she had, and not so much as an eye roll. It put Shiro at ease a bit but he still remained skeptical.

No one was that perfect.

It wasn’t long before he heard a commotion outside. Russling followed by high pitched screams admiration. “Look like the princess has arrived,” he thought to himself. He nicknamed every model he photographed that because they always acted so prissy.

Soon, the back door whooshed open and in walked in a horde of people followed by dozens of flashes. He should have known that where there were screaming fans, there were always dozens of paparazzi not far behind. The two often went hand in hand.

He focused on the dozens of people who suddenly entered his studio. He recognized a few as his crew and there were others he didn’t recognize. They must be a part of Allura’s team.

Everyone either had a jacket that covered their heads or an umbrella. In the middle of the crowd was a giant pink umbrella that spread out wide enough to cover maybe two people. It was used to hide from the rain and quite possibly the aggressive paparazzi waiting outside just to get the perfect shot he knew he was getting in just a few short hours. Shiro didn’t even realize that it was raining. He had been so busy getting everything ready, he didn’t even hear the shallow drops that hit the roof above him.

Shiro watched as his crew separated from the model’s crew. He instructed his crew to dry off then finish moving the heavier props and backdrops into place in time for the shoot before he made his way over to the model to introduce himself.

When the crowd thinned out, he could see the figure standing with the giant umbrella. She did her best to shake off the excess water away from anybody or any equipment. She was a lot taller than he had originally thought she was, almost if not taller than he was. And he was pushing 6’3”. She wore dark pants and a navy blue coat with matching gloves. Dark shades covered her eyes and a hood pulled over her head to serve as extra protection from the rain. Pieces of her white hair poked out from under the hood ungracefully and fanned around framing her face.

He quickly strode over to introduce himself. He wanted to get on good terms quickly. The rain looked like it already put a damper on her mood as she struggled aggressively to close the giant, pink umbrella. He wanted to get good with her now before she was too far to reach. He’s seen a model when they get wet unexpectedly. It was not a fun time.

Shiro took the umbrella from her hands. “Here let me help you that, Miss Altea.” He closed it quickly before more water could drip onto the floor. He wiped his hands on his pants to get rid of the water he wasn’t spared from and then he reached out with his flesh hand to shake her hand.

Allura didn’t move. She only stared at Shiro, dissecting him from behind her shades. Oh boy, here we go, Shiro thought in a bitter tone. She was already about to get on his bad side.

Shiro was about to comment before Allura let out a laugh.

A deep laugh.

Shiro frowned. That’s not a girl’s laugh. The person who he thought was Allura pulled off his hood and shades to reveal someone who definitely wasn’t the woman he was getting paid to photograph for the next 7 hours.  However, he did recognize the tall man. He was always at Allura’s side holding her hand whenever she was caught on TMZ. Boyfriend maybe?

Shiro suddenly felt embarrassed. He rubbed his hand behind his neck, feeling his face heat up. “O-oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you, Mr...?”

The man took the opportunity to introduce himself. “Lotor Galra. Nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Shirogane. Even if is on these...awkward terms. One would think that the photographer would do a little more research. Even if it’s to tell the difference between his client and a complete stranger,“ Lotor finished with a smirk.

Shiro frowned but before he could defend himself, another voice spoke up. “Oh shut up, Lotor.” A boy with a short brown hair cut in. “You’re just mad because Shiro thought you were a girl. If you didn’t act like such a snob, then it wouldn’t have happened. Because, my guy, who wears gloves in 78-degree weather, ya ass.”

Lotor sneered and rolled his eyes. The man walked passed Shiro to scope out the rest of the building.

“Hey, sorry about that.” The boy said. “That’s Lotor. He’s a jackass but a softy. I’m Lance: Makeup Extraordinaire.” Did he just do jazz hands? “I’m Allura’s makeup artist and manager for the day on the count of Coran couldn’t be here for the photoshoot.”

Shiro smiled, at least this boy was friendlier than his first encounter. “I’m Shiro, but you already knew that. If I knew it was raining, I would have brought out some towels for everyone.”

Lance laughed. “A little rain ain’t never hurt nobody. With the way Lotor was dressed, you would think it was raining acid. I guess witches can’t get wet or else they’ll melt!” he yelled the last part in hopes that Lotor heard it.

“I’ll burn your entire house down, plebian.” Came a threat from the back of the studio. For some reason, Shiro believed him.

Shiro frowned and looked around. He didn’t see anyone there that fit the description of the woman. If that person who he thought was Allura, then where was the model? He focused back to Lance. “Hey, Lance. So, uh...where is Allura?” he asked, hoping to not sound alarmed. He hoped this wasn’t the one time she was late to a photo shoot. They really had a big day ahead of them.

Lance made a confused sound and looked around the studio. He turned his head, craned his neck, and walked around a short distance. “Where is she? She was just here.” He was talking more to himself than to Shiro. Lance brought his hands to his mouth to project his voice. “Lotor, where’s Lu?” he called out.

“Melting,” came the smooth reply.

Lance’s eyes went wide. “Shit!” He cursed while he shrugged off his jacket and held it over his body. “She’s still out there!?” He immediately went back out the door and returned shortly with a woman smothered under his green jacket.

She laughed when he ruffled her hair under through his jacket. “I’m sorry, Lance! Those girls said that they were waiting for hours! I couldn’t just leave them out there with nothing to show for it.”

Lance smiled. “I know, but we gotta job to do, ‘Lura,” he told her. He was still holding the jacket over her head. “Nu-uh, nope. That pout won’t work on me. I taught you that pout. Hey, at least they all got their selfies, that should be enough to hold them over until next time, don’t you think?”

Shiro heard a muffled sigh from under the coat. He almost laughed at how cute she sounded. This isn’t what he expected. A supermodel outside in the rain signing autographs and taking selfies with every one of her fans. It was a surprise for him to see a model behave like this. Most models just came in and ignored both the fans and him.

“I think your hair is about dry,” Lance said as he gave her hair one more ruffle, making her head shake back and forth. She gave a playful whine at the treatment. “Hopefully Nyma won’t be too mad that she has to wrangle this bird’s nest into something high fashion. Imma go grab a towel to dry the rest of you off. Don’t move or you’ll get water everywhere.” With that, Lance ventured off in search of towels.

“They’re on the shelves in the bathroom to the far right,” Shiro called after him. “I packed plenty, you can pass them around to whoever needs them.”

Shiro looked back towards Allura, the real Allura, just as she took off Lance’s jacket from around her head and face. And for the first time, Shiro got to get a look at her.

Lance was right, her hair was a mess and it looked like a bitch to get manageable again. The rain had converted it back to its naturally curly texture and it still somehow perfectly framed her face. Long, thick lashes, still coated with rainwater, surrounded the bluest eyes Shiro had ever seen. Her lipstick, that once painted her full lips, was now smudged across her chin and some even stained her teeth because of Lance’s harsh treatment. Her tank top rode up slightly and clung to her body in all the right places and he was pretty sure that one of her shoes were missing.

She looked a downright mess. She looked like she was out in the rain for hours instead of minutes. She was truly the definition of a disaster. She was - She looked - She-S-

She was fucking gorgeous.

Shiro doesn’t think he’s ever been left speechless before. Matthew was right about her - she was breathtaking. The photographs don’t do her justice because nothing can compare to seeing her standing before him now.

Shiro watcher her lips move but he heard no sound. All he heard was the sound of his own heart pounding wildly against his chest and the sound of his own blood rushing to his head. 

He was embarrassing himself. 

Yes, he knew that. But could he stop? Probably not. Did he want to stop? Hell no. He’s falling for her but he’s doing nothing to catch himself and when he hits the ground, he knows he won’t even try to get back up.

When her beautiful lips moved again, he forced himself to listen to the words they formed. When he focused, he could vaguely make them out: Are you alright?

All too suddenly, his world reformed back around him. “Huh?” He tried to play it off. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m cool.” He cleared his throat. Play it cool, Shiro. “I’m fantastic.” Fuck, Shiro, you stupid bitch.

Allura let out a laugh and Shiro mentally groaned. It was the sweetest sound he’s ever heard. Does she have to laugh like an angel? He’s not even funny. Why was she laughing?

“Okay,” she laughed again. “I’m just making sure. It’s about time we had a proper introduction, yeah? However, I can’t say it cant qualify as too proper considering I look like I was hit by a tornado carrying a hoard of cats.”

Oh, that voice. That accent. Was she always British? She could tell him to jump off of the fucking Golden Gate Bridge and he’d do a flip just to go the extra mile. Shiro straightened up and put on his charm. “That’s why we have a hair and makeup team, I’m sure they can get you glammed up,”

Is what he thought he said.

However, the dork in him came out and only replied with, “Catnado.” Allura gave him a strange look as her brain tried to understand his made up word. When she did finally understand, she threw her head back with a laugh. A beautiful laugh. There she goes again with that bullshit.

She pulled herself together. “A catnado, huh?” She took a step forward and Shiro felt his heart leap. “I suppose that is somewhat clever. However you can do better, I’m sure,” she teased with a smile.

Shiro shrugged. “Cycat.” She cocked her head to the side, and her silver curls followed her movement. He was mesmerized but managed to explain himself. “...Like...a cyclone? ...But with cats.”

When she still didn’t respond, Shiro let out a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. “See? I can’t do better.”

Her laughed lightened the mood. “Ah, at least you know your comedic limitations. I admire that.” She took another step forward, almost invading his personal space but stopped just short of it. “We Brits aren’t really known for our sense of humor.” She beamed up at him and it was then that he noticed just how blue her eyes truly were.

She stood with her back straight and her head held up high, exuding confidence. “Well, I do believe that it’s time for introductions.” She stuck out her hand for a handshake. “Allura Altea. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Shirogane. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you and your work,” she praised.

It took a split second for Shiro to access the situation he found himself in. When he did introductions, he liked to be the first to extend his hand in a greeting because it gave him the freedom of offering his flesh hand as opposed to his prosthetic, forcing most people to use their non-dominant hand. Not that he was ashamed of prosthetic, he just didn’t want to take people by surprise when they gripped the hard metal. Especially the models. He had one girl long ago refuse to even get near him because she was so disturbed by it.

He mentally scolded himself for allowing her to control the handshake. Now he had no choice but to follow her lead and offer his prosthetic. His eyes never left hers when their hands touched. He sighed in relief when she didn’t show any indication that she was uncomfortable with the contact.

He couldn’t help but smile at her reaction but also saddened that he couldn’t feel her hand through the metal. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Altea. But please, call me Shiro.”

She giggled. “Okay, Shiro.” He never thought his name would sound so good. “But now you have to address me simply as Allura. Do we have a deal?”

“Deal.”

Before he was to allowed to drown in her blue eyes, Lance came back draping a thick towel around Allura. “Alright, alright come on, ‘Lura,” he said, wrapping the towel around her body trying to dry her off. “We’re already a behind schedule because you wanted to release your inner Hilary Duff with all this rain. I’ll have Hunk bring you in some dry clothes. Now go finish drying off so Nyma can get started on your hair for your first look. You have…” he checked his cell phone for the time. “An hour and thirteen minutes!”

Allura hugged the towel tighter around herself. “Alright, alright.” She turned to leave towards the dressing rooms towards the back of the studio, but before she left she turned towards Shiro. “See you soon, Shiro. Can’t wait to see what you have planned.” She gave a wink. Shiro could only give an awkward wave in return.

Lance patted Shiro’s back in a knowing fashion. “We’re gonna have a good time today, Shiro. Trust me.” Soon, he left in the same direction she had gone.

He finally felt his heartbeat return to normal. Today was going to be a long day because he knew that she was going to be the death of him.

While Allura and her team worked to get the model together, Shiro decided to check out the wardrobe brought it so he can make some last minutes adjustments to the set. Most were long, elegant gowns by both famous and local designers. Allura’s team already knew the exact order of everything. The hair, the makeup, the outfits were already predetermined. Shiro’s job was to simply capture the beauty of the gowns and Allura on camera.

Seeing how dark the first set of gowns were, Shiro decided to let in more natural light. The gloomy skies above would give a unique effect to the gown as well as compliment Allura’s complexion.

Soon, everything was in place. The cameras were fully charged, cleaned, and ready for a long day of shooting for a magazine he never thought of reading. He sat down in his chair and waited for Allura to make her entrance.

When he heard the sound of heels click on the hardwood floors, he stood and got his camera ready.

Shiro held his breath as he watched her approach. As he suspected, she wore the dark blue gown first. It was truly an elegant piece. Probably worth more than him, his studio, and apartment combined. The gown was made of a heavy material and it had a high collar that left her shoulders and back bare. She wore thousands of dollars worth of crystals and gold.

Her makeup was dramatic. Lance placed dark shadow around her eyes that gave her eyes piercing yet haunting look. Her lips were painted a deep red and her blush was harsh. Her silver hair was pulled back into a low bun. It was messy, but at the same time, he could tell that each curl was meticulously placed. Finally, atop her head sat a golden crown. She looked like royalty. Like an empress.

“Sorry if getting together took longer than you’re usually used to.” Her voice snapped him out of his stupor. He turned his wrist to check the time. She was two minutes ahead of schedule.

Shiro cleared his throat and pretended he was messing with something on his camera so he could make himself stop staring at her. “You’re just on time, actually. I’m impressed,” he told her with a lopsided grin.

She gave him a smirk. “Impressed that I clean up nicely or that I’m on time with two minutes to spare?”

He challenged her smirk with one of his own. “Both.” He pointed his camera at her before he snapped a picture. He reviewed the photo to make sure the set complimented both her skin and the gown. “You came a long way from looking like a drowned alley cat,” he teased.

He feared that he went too far with his response until he heard her laugh. “Oh, so you are funny?” she responded as she gathered her dress so she was able to walk onto the busy set. As gently as she could in such an extravagant dress, she sat down on the vintage couch. Immediately, her team followed her to smooth out any wrinkles or straighten out where the material had bunched up. She kept her eyes perfectly still when Lance strode over to apply more mascara to them. “And here I thought you were only capable of making shitty puns.” Her accent made the lighthearted insult sound almost like a compliment.

Shiro blinked. So this kitten’s got claws? Such language from a beautiful girl was...kind of a turn on if he was being honest with himself. Even in such an expensive...well everything, he could tell that she didn’t take his remark seriously.

Lance snorted from his position over Allura. “Yeah, dude. ‘Catnado’? Wow. - Look up real quick, babe. - I’m almost embarrassed for you. Because c’mon, you can do better than that.”

“I can’t,” he told him with shrugged shoulders.

“He really can’t.” Ouch.

When her eyes met his, he took another picture. He frowned when he realized that it still wasn’t the lighting he wanted. “And that’s why I’m a photographer and not a comedian,” he told them.

He came to the decision that all the artificial lighting that wasn’t directly from his camera wasn’t going to work on this dress. He turned off the lamp directly to his left and instructed his crew to turn off the rest. He only kept the reflectors to help distribute and guide the flashes from his camera.

He set down the camera and approached her. “Alright, Miss Al-“ he heard her tisk and he quickly corrected himself. “Alright, Allura. Are you ready?”

She nodded with a bright smile, careful not to disturb the curls at the base of her neck. “More than ever.”

“Well okay.” He turned back to pick up his camera. “Let’s get started, then. Remember we have a long day ahead of us. If you need a break, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I may look like royalty, Shiro but I assure you, I am far from a princess. I’m sure I can handle whatever you decide to dish out,” she said with a wink.

Well just fuck me up.

“How do you want me?” she asked innocently and he almost choked on air.

“Excuse me?” he tried his best to recollect himself. In the distance, he heard Lance howl with laughter and a couple of his team laughed quietly along with him. His felt his cheeks flare up with heat.

Allura blinked at him owlishly with well-rehearsed fake innocence. “I said, ‘how do you want me?’ As in, do you want me standing or sitting? How do you want my face? This is your vision. I am only here to help you interpret that to an audience.”

A familiar voice spoke from the side. “Are you sure this isn’t your first shoot, Mr. Shirogane?” Lotor appeared beside him, smirk still firmly in place. “You seem awfully nervous for someone who has been in the business for almost six years. And, why may I ask, are all the lights switched off? This dress cost thousands. Surely, you would want to highlight its elegance through proper lighting?” he questioned with a hint of sarcasm.

Before Shiro could go through the explanation that the dress doesn’t reflect artificial lighting well, Allura intervened. “Lotor, this isn’t your studio,” she informed him sternly. “It’s Shiro’s. He knows exactly what he is doing. That’s why he was hired for the job. Now let the man work.”

Shiro stood in shock. It was unexpected that she openly gave him creative control over this project. It showed that she trusted him. He smiled then instructed Allura how he wanted to showcase the gown.

~•xXx•~

73 frames in and Shiro was convinced that Allura’s eyes were the most expressive he’s ever seen. She conveyed such a wide range of emotion with her eyes alone. It only took her a split second to completely change the feel of the photo.

He was elated that he didn’t have to do much to direct her on what he wanted from her. She handled everything on her own. If he went in for a low angle, she held her head up high towards the skylight to give the illusion that she appeared taller than what she actually was. Whatever he gave her, she tried her best to compliment every angle he shot her at and it matched up perfectly with his vision.

The downside to using the natural world as his source of lighting was that it was unpredictable. It was still gloomy outside, but the sun was overhead so it covered the room in a greyish blue hue.

He let his camera hang from the strap around his neck as he sent out another request. “Allura, can you give me a longing look while we still have this cloud over us? I want to try something out.”

She nodded and almost immediately, she had transformed into someone else. She allowed her lips part slightly and her eyes held the expression of someone who was light years away. The shadows in the room not only gave the dress a different hue but it also dulled and aged the expensive jewelry she wore, as if they hadn’t been polished in years. She looked exactly like a queen who no longer had a people to rule over as if she had lost them to time.

Shiro was blown away. “Perfect.” He took a couple more shots then set his camera down. He stood and stretched his back. “That’s a wrap for the first set, everyone.”

He approached Allura. She was no longer far away. She was right here with him. Eyes sparkling like the sun over the ocean. She smiled up at him from the couch. “Well?” She raised a brow. “How did I do?” she asked him honestly.

“Magnificent,” he told her without hesitation. “Honestly, I’m blown away. You exceeded my expectations.”

She laughed. “I told you I was no princess, Shiro.” And she was right. She was an absolute goddess.

“Okay, Allura back to the chair.” Lance was beside her, helping her stand up straight in the tight dress. “We have to move on the next shoot in just under an hour if we want to stay on schedule.”

“You act just like a camp counselor, Lance,” she told him.

“Damn right. All I need is a whistle,” he said while guiding her away from the set. “Coran left me in charge for the day and I’m not going to let you flop your way through it like some…?”

“Weblum?”

“Yeeeah that. Not today, sister. Now get those shoes off. Here, I brought your slippers.” And with that, they were gone deep in the dressing room. There was another grueling round of hair pulling and makeup application.

Shiro watched them go. He was being honest when he told her that she was magnificent. He had never experienced anything like her. The way she was able to have complete control her expression but she somehow made them editorial. It was breathtaking.

~•xXx•~

The hours ticked by and the next two shoots went off without a single problem. He was an expert behind the camera and she was an expert on camera. He also became more comfortable around her. He was no longer tied tongued when she spoke to him or teased him. He learned that he could dish it right back to her and it only made her smile more.

Now, they were setting up for the 4th shoot. This set had the theme of an enchanted forest. Complete with fake trees, grass, and flowers. He was grateful they were fake because he didn’t think his crew liked sneezing every few seconds because of the pollen floating around.

Before he knew it, Allura was approaching him. This dress was straight out of a fairytale. The lilac chiffon and lace material hung casually off her shoulders and it was so light that it flowed gracefully behind her as she strode forward. Her hair was down in soft waves with several small braids and several flowers were woven into them. The tiara from the last shoot was replaced by a circlet made of vines. Her makeup was whimsical. Her eyes were completely surrounded by pink pigment as if were a mask and her lips were bare with the exception of a vertical white line that went directly down the center. If she had elongated ears, she would look just like a magical elf in her secret garden.

It wasn’t until she sat down in the middle of the field did Shiro realize that she was barefoot. For this shoot, the dress was more forgiving so he allowed the artificial lighting to flow through the set.

He stood atop a ladder, looking down on her. He was changing on the bulbs in one of the taller lamps. “You ready to rock and roll, Princess?” he winked.

She retaliated at the nickname by slightly shaking his ladder. Shiro quickly found his balance and laughed nervously. He shook his head in fake disappointment. “Who would have thought that the Allura Altea would be capable of murder?”

She rolled her eyes. “And who would have thought that the Takashi Shirogane would be taken out by such a small woman by means of falling from a 3ft ladder?”

Hearing her say his first name made his chest tighten. He knew he was falling again. He knew it. He felt it. He was going to do nothing about it.

He turned his attention towards the bulb so she wouldn’t see his face flush. “Ya know, that’d make a really good episode on one of those murder porn shows. I can picture it now, ‘The Photographer, The Model and The 3ft Ladder.’  He laughed at his own joke and was delighted to hear her laugh along with him. He inspected the bulb closer and noticed dirt had collected on the surface. “Hey, can you do me a favor and pass me that towel on that chair?”

She did as she told and when she handed him the towel, Shiro’s hand brushed against hers briefly. It was just as soft as he imagined. “Can I get you anything else, Mr. Shirogane? Maybe a lemonade? Or a single Oreo?” She was teasing him.

He played along. “No, lemonade is too sweet and no one can just have one Oreo.” As he climbed down, he took the chance to wipe the rest of the lamp. “A good night’s rest seems like a good deal, though.” That came out wrong. Really wrong. He didn’t want her to think of him as some creep who promised her more money if she spent the night with him.

He opened his mouth to apologize for the easily misread comment but she was already talking, “Naughty naughty, Shiro.” She placed her hand on her chest in a fake offense. “What kind of girl do you take me for? At least take me out to dinner first.” Her voice danced with humor.

Shiro watched her. Did she just...ask him out on a date? She couldn’t have. She was just having a friendly banter with him. This was all in good fun.

A sudden burst of claps interrupted what he was going to say next. “Alright people.” When did Lance get a clipboard? “Shoot 4 is going down in T-minus 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Places people.” Did he think he was on a Hollywood movie set?

Allura rolled her eyes at his behavior. “Keep that up and I’ll tell Coran you’re out to steal his job.”

“They call me Mister Steal Yo Job,” he told her, jotting things down on a clipboard.

“Do they, Lance?” she asked sarcastically with a straight face. “Do they?”

Lance began to click his pen rapidly on the clipboard that definitely wasn’t his. “Yes, Allura...yes they do. Now let’s get going. We only have one more scene to shoot today.” Out of his pocket, he fished out a tube of chapstick. He went to Allura who immediately puckered her lips out to allow him to apply it. When he was done, he popped his lips and she immediately followed suit.

Allura stood in the middle of the “garden” and waited for Shiro to pick up his camera. Her eyes danced with mischief as she watched him. “Where do you want me, Shiro?”

This time, he was ready. “Just stand there for a moment.” He brought his camera up to take a test shot. He reviewed the photo. She had her eyes crossed with her tongue sticking out. He laughed at the silly face but took note that he liked how the garment reflected light. “Alright, Allura. Do what you do best.” 

And she did.

The next half hour, he once again found himself completely infatuated with her. Every pose was perfection, every subtle movement was meticulously planned and he snapped it all.

Everything was going perfectly until they ran into a little problem.

He imagined a pose that he wanted her to try and she only looked confused at his instructions. She cocked her head to the side and tried to move her body the way he wanted her to, but it just came off as uncomfortable.

She stood up and moved away from the area and gestured towards the patch of grass. “Could you maybe...show me?” She obviously wanted him to show her exactly what pose he was thinking of.

Shiro let out a nervous chuckle. Sure, he had the body of a model because he worked out 4 times a week, but he was far from one. He had the social awkwardness of a kid who was forced to sing at the school’s talent show and he was also camera shy. A long scar on the bridge of your nose will do that to a person.

He set down his camera on a nearby stool and made his way to the area. He laid on his back and brought his arms up to rest of his over his head in a casual manner. “So with the beading that lines the seams, I figured the designer would also want to showcase that. Having your arms out the way and positioned like this will add a fantasy element to the photo.”

Allura’s eyes beamed hiding a mischievous smile. “Oh, that’s a wonderful idea. Care to share any more ideas?”

He nodded. “Maybe this kind of pose would also work?” He shifted until he rested on his stomach. He honestly had no idea what to do with his hands, so he just rested them under his head like he was taking pictures at the mall. Just as he was about to do another pose, he heard her laugh.

He heard everyone laugh, actually.  

He looked around with furrowed brows. “What?” he asked out.

Allura tried not to laugh too hard because she didn’t want to ruin her makeup. “C-could you show me the second pose again?” she asked through a fit of giggles.

Raised a brow but did as he was told, “Yeah, sure but what’s so funny?” he questioned. “I’m trying to show…” it dawned on him. “...a model how to...model.” He let out a groan. He looked at her. “You’re just fuckin with me, aren’t you? You knew exactly how I wanted you to pose.”

She couldn’t hold back anymore and she erupted with laughter. “I’m sorry, Shiro,” she managed to say through her laughter. She used her hands to fan away tears that were forming. “I just wanted to see if you’d actually do it.”

Shiro felt his face heat up with embarrassment as he let his head fall. He must of have looked ridiculous rolling around in the grass like he was some top-heavy garden gnome.

He suddenly felt the heat of a body beside him. He didn’t need to look up to know exactly who it was. He could smell her sweet perfume and feel the ends of her soft hair caress the nape of his neck as she leaned over him.

“I truly am sorry, Shiro,” she whispered into his ear and he felt his face grow hotter. “If it helps you feel any better, you looked damn good posing like you were in a JC Penny catalog. Maybe I could photograph you some time and show you how a real model does it?” she proposed with a soft giggle.

Was she flirting with him? As inappropriate as it might seem, given that they were on work hours, he tested the waters a bit.

He peeked at her from under the fort he built with his arms. “You just want to see me shirtless,” she said with a boyish grin.

If she was taken aback by his comment, she didn’t show it. She moved closer to him so only he could hear her. “Maybe I do.” Her voice was downright sinful and he had to repress the shiver that raced up his spine. Just as quick as she was there, she was suddenly gone, putting distance between them. It was a bittersweet moment for him.

She poked at his side. “Now, move so I can do my job and get out of this dress.”

Shiro sat up and watched her. “So now you’re bossing me around?” She held out her hands to help him into a standing position. He doesn’t think he’ll ever forget how soft her hands are.

They switch positions and she proceeded to do the exact pose he wanted, only she did it better than he could ever imagine. He stood on the ladder he had earlier so he could photograph her from above.

It was a mistake. 

From this angle, it was definitely more private because only he saw her at the moment. They were in their own separate world. Sure, the others could see her body, but only he saw her body language. He saw the way her fingers danced on the edge of her lips. He saw how her back arched just right. He saw the way her eyes wouldn’t leave his.

He cleared his throat. “Can you look that way for a couple of seconds, Allura?” She was beautiful the way she was, but he didn’t know what was going to happen if she kept looking at him like that.

He forced himself to look away. “I - uh, I think we got it,” he announced. “That’s a wrap.”

He climbed down the ladder and noticed that she hadn’t moved from her spot and her eyes were still glued to him.

He towered over her and squatted down. “What?”

She raised a perfectly arched brow. “Aren’t you going to help me up?”

He laughed but offered his hand out anyway. “I thought you were no princess?”

She took his offered hand. “You are correct, but I am a lady, Shiro.” He hoisted her up and her body pressed into his and he did nothing to put distance between them. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware that their hands were still connected between them. Without her shoes on, he noticed just how much shorter she was than him.

Someone cleared their throat and both immediately put distance between them. It was Lotor. Shiro almost forgot about the man. He was never on set, instead, he chose to always stand in the shadows of the studio.

Lotor approached the two. His golden eyes watched Shiro with an unreadable expression. The silver-haired man then offered his arm to Allura who took it without question. “Would you please excuse us, Mr. Shirogane?” He then led her to a secluded part of the studio where they could talk privately.

Shiro watched them talk. Lotor had his arms folded across his chest while she mimicked his stance. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but they both looked irritated with the other.

Shiro groaned. It had slipped his mind that she already had a boyfriend. Here he was, a lesser known photographer falling in love with a supermodel who was completely out of his league. He mentally slapped himself for being so stupid. She was only being nice to him and he had mistaken it for flirtation.

He peeked at the talking couple again. Their body language had changed completely. Lotor had one of his hands on her shoulder and the other under her chin to make her look up at him. He was saying something in what looked like a gentle voice. She nodded slowly in response and pressed into him with a hug and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead in return. Shiro felt a tinge of jealousy rise within him.

The two parted and made their way back to the photographer. Lotor went on to talk to Lance while Allura approached Shiro. He noticed that she avoided his eyes. He didn’t know why his heart felt so heavy. Maybe because he knew that whatever spark that was between them was extinguished.

“Everything alright?” he asked. The thought that he did something to threaten the couple’s relationship sat wrong with him. He was no homewrecker.

She hesitated before she answered. “Yes,” She started to rub her arm. “Everything is fine. I just…” she bit her lip while she struggled to find the right words.

“Lotor thinks that we need to take a break. I got carried away and hadn’t noticed the time. He gets upset when I do that. I have a tendency to,” she brought her fingers up to do air quotes, “‘overwork myself.’’ She said her statement with a mocking voice and ended with a pout.

Shiro looked at his watch. “He’s right. I hadn’t noticed the time, either,” he admitted sheepishly. Time did get away from them. It was already close to 5 and they have been shooting since 10:30 that morning. He felt guilty about putting both Allura and their crews through that. “Lunch does sound good right about now.”

Allura perked up. “Lance already asked your crew for the opinion of what they wanted for lunch. They came to a consensus to order Thai,” she said. Suddenly her face was serious. “You right like Thai food, right?”

“I’m a slut for Thai food.” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. He completely blamed Matt for the outburst. His best friend was always a slut for everything. 

He immediately felt his heart flutter when he heard her laugh harder than she had all day. “Wow. Well, I’m happy to hear that your crew knows you well enough.”  

Allura heard Lance calling her from the dressing room. “I have to go get out of this dress. The food should be here shortly. We ordered enough for everyone to at least get seconds.”

He thanked her and as she turned to leave, he reached out to grab her arm. She turned her body back to him in question. “Yes, Shiro?” she asked with her head cocked to the side. Why was she so fucking cute?

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry if I crossed the line, earlier. I didn’t mean for your boyfriend get upset.”

Her brows came together in confusion. “My boyfriend?”

“Yeah...Lotor. He’s your boyfriend, right?”

Her eyes went wide and she almost doubled over in laughter. “Lotor? My boyfriend?!” she repeated loudly, drawing the attention of people who were nearby. “You think Lotor and I are dating? Heavens no!” She looked for Lotor in the crowd and shouted out to him, “Lotor! Shiro thinks we’re dating!”

“She wishes, Shirogane,” came the bored reply.

Shiro was confused.

Allura got herself together long enough to explain. “Sorry, that’s just too funny. However, I can’t fully blame you for thinking that,” she told him while she wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes. “Our relationship is only for show. Along with fame comes some very...enthusiastic fans. The reason why he’s always by my side in public is for safety reasons. He sort of intimidates people who think they can boldly grab at me. I can handle myself just fine, but he insists that I bring him with along with me for precautions.”

“I hope that clears things up between us, Shiro,” she said simply with a wink. “I must get going before Lance blows a whistle.” Then she turned to leave.

He watched her as she walked away. In the distance, he vaguely heard a whistle but the only thing on his mind was:

She’s single.

This obviously ran away from me. Part two should be up within a day or two. Hope you guys like it.