#i bought her a bunch of fancy italian coffee as a thank you but i digress)

[zhoras-bitch]

My Playchoices MCs #9

This girl is definitely one of my all time favourite MCs, she's so mean and it's so fucking funny. Also she and Trystan fit one of my favourite ship dynamics to a T. Needless to say, I'm delighted to have this book back. I also had a blast making her outfit because the canon ones were just too well put together for the character I envisioned. My headcanons under the cut.

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One thing I want to make absolutely clear about Isolde is that she looks like kind of a mess. Her wardrobe consists of a bunch of metal band tees and two pairs of jeans she bought 10 years ago, she sleeps like 5 hours a day and her go-to breakfast is a cup of back coffee with self-loathing on the side. And it shows.

It's actually a running joke between her friends that she not just lives above a bar, she looks like someone who lives above a bar. This look is actually her trying to be kinda fancy for her first day working with Trystan because that red jacket is the nicest thing she owns.

And yes, Trystan looked at this human personification of a stray cat and thought, damn that's hot.

Her bun is secured with bobby pins, which is handy cause she can definitely pick a lock with one of those.

Her dad was German American and her mom was Italian American. Her middle name, Carmen, is her mother's. She was a very warm, open, social person from a big tight-knit family. Unfortunately, Isolde barely remembers her.

People assume Isolde got her scar when she was working for the police or something badass like that, but in reality the story behind it is the most trivial shit imaginable. But she wouldn't tell you that.

Says the funniest, most sarcastic shit imaginable with the most serious expression.

She's very skilled in hand-to-hand combat thanks to doing kickboxing since she was a kid. I picked kickboxing specifically because I imagine her fighting style to be fast, aggressive and involving a lot of punches. She loves punching stuff.

Bisexual but she’d primarily dated women in the past. And since she doesn’t talk about herself like, ever, people often just assume she is a lesbian based on her dating history. I imagine there's a funny moment when Luke realises Isolde and Trystan are actually a thing cause he's like. Wait, you're into guys too? And Isolde is like, always have been (but on the inside she’s lowkey just as surprised as Luke cause her last date with a guy was in high school).

When Isolde meets Trystan, she's at a very low point in her life. She's kinda lost track of who she is and buried herself in her work. Until Trystan's authenticity, spontaneity and resolution to do the right thing awaken something in her. He reminds her of who she was, who she still could be. Unfortunately, Isolde would rather eat her entire fist than open up about her emotions, so it takes her a lot of time to admit that not only does she enjoy Trystan's company, they are also alike in a lot of ways.

After Trystan finally wears her down, Isolde's chaotic, playful, almost juvenile side starts to show again, much to the surprise of everyone around her. Mafalda is kinda terrified by this cause Isolde was already a handful to deal with, that with her disrespect towards the police and all. Like, wtf Thorne, you made her worse! But really, he's just awoken a part of her that’s always been there.

Book 2 is when this part of her is going to come out more and more. I imagine she's gonna surprise Trystan more than once, much to his delight.

[fingertipsmp3]

Gotta love how staff induction is in a week or less and I still haven’t heard if I’m supposed to be there or not 🙃

[lovemesomerafael]

It’s Complicated                    Chapter 1:  Don’t Get Me Started

Source:  @repls

How does “Hate at first sight” become “Where have you been all my life?”

Rafael Barba did not make a good first impression on Francisca Rojas.  At all.  In fact, she found him to be an insufferable ass and hoped never to have to work with him. Unfortunately, given her new job, that was not going to happen.  Well, she was an adult, and a Forensic Psychiatrist, and realistic enough to have known that she wouldn’t like everyone she met at NYPD.  She could deal with Barba.  Frankie wondered whether her friend George Huang had ever met him.  If he had, it seemed like he should have warned her when she told him she had accepted his former position with NYPD.  

Mark Stephens was not their rapist.  Barba wanted him to be.  Frankie could understand wanting the guy they had in custody to be the doer, but he wasn’t, and Barba was just going to have to deal with that.  She wasn’t particularly impressed with a Prosecutor who wanted to take the easy way out.  A guy as arrogant as Barba needed to be able to back it up and, so far, Barba was looking like he might be all hat, no cattle.  

Francisca Rojas made an even worse impression on Barba.  He had been a Prosecutor for over twenty years.  A bunch of fancy diplomas and an FBI pedigree didn’t hold a candle to that kind of experience.  He knew what the hell he was doing.  She clearly didn’t.  Yet there she’d been, parading her ignorance before the entire squad, telling them that Stephens wasn’t the rapist because he didn’t fit her profile.  In what universe was that evidence?  

Olivia Benson was concerned. The Forensic Psychiatrist and the A.D.A. assigned to SVU needed to have a good working relationship.  She couldn’t have them disagreeing on something as basic as whether their prime suspect was the one.  She sure as hell couldn’t have them at eachother’s throats.  Liv kind of had to side with Barba on this one – Stephens was caught on the scene of the latest rape, and he had scratches on his face consistent with the size of the victim’s hands.  Even he admitted that the tests were going to show that it was his DNA under her fingernails.  A profile was only good to let them know who to look for – it was useless once they’d found the skel who did the crime.  Was their new Forensic Psychiatrist so conceited that she couldn’t admit she was wrong in the face of the evidence?  This could be bad.  

“Hey, Doc,” the tall, gangly, ridiculously pretty detective called to Frankie.  What was his name again?  Something Italian.  He caught up to her at the entrance to the stairs.  “Hey, um…  I’m interested in your thoughts about Stephens.”

Frankie took a few seconds to breathe.  She strongly suspected that the correct translation was, “I’m about to call bullshit on your theory.”

“What is it you want to know, uh… Detective?”

“Carisi.  Call me Sonny.”

“Detective Carisi. Sonny.”

“Well, you seem pretty, um, sure that Stephens isn’t our guy.  And Barba seems pretty sure he is.  I’m an attorney, so I’d like to understand why the evidence we have isn’t doin’ it for ya’.  Because I’m thinkin’ if you’re not convinced, a jury might not be, either.”

Frankie blinked.  He seemed sincere.  “Well, thanks for that.  I appreciate you asking, rather than just deciding I’m wrong.”

“Don’t worry about the squad.  They’re not closed-minded.  They’re just going off of what they see in the evidence.  If it goes in another direction, so will they.”  

Frankie laughed humorlessly. “And Barba?”

“Barba’s… Barba.  You’ll get used to him.”  

“Well, he’s wrong. And here’s why.  It’s a couple of things, actually.  First, Stephens’ story makes sense.  A woman who’s just been raped and beaten sees a man bending over her? She could react violently, just as he said.  She could misinterpret an attempt to help her as an attack.  And she’s not telling us differently, because she doesn’t remember anything.  Second, Stephens is talking to us.  He won’t shut up.  He’s doing everything he can to help.  Our guy, he won’t be like that.  He does everything he can to humiliate his victims.  He taunts law enforcement.  He thinks he’s smarter than anyone and can just play with us.  So in an interrogation, he won’t be talking.  He’ll be mocking.  He’ll be disrespectful, angry and superior.”  She smiled.  “Like Barba.”    

  Frankie’s shoulders slumped when her assistant told her that A.D.A. Barba was holding on Line One for her. She knew it.  She’d known very quickly after meeting him that he was going to be trouble.  He was the exact type that always was.  She looked up to the ceiling, shook her head, and sighed, “Put him through.”

“Dr. Rojas.”  

“Mr. Barba.  What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me what the hell that was back there at the station house.  How do you justify ignoring the facts in favor of a theory that doesn’t fit them?”

“I’m not ignoring the facts, because the facts do fit the theory.  You just don’t like the way they fit.  I wish I could agree with you.  I wish Stephens was the guy.  But I don’t think he is.”

Barba massaged his temples with his hand.  “Well, you aren’t afraid to stick to your position, I’ll give you that.”  

“Did you call to try to browbeat me into your way of thinking?  Because that would be a waste of time.”

Rafael wasn’t quite seeing red yet, but he hadn’t wanted to make this call in the first place, and that comment definitely made him mad.  “No.  I do not intend to ‘browbeat’ you.  I thought I would take an opportunity to try to discuss this case one-on-one, like adults.  But I appreciate you letting me know that would be a waste of my time.”

Really?  This overbearing troll was calling her a child? For standing by what all of her training and experience told her?  Frankie tried hard to hang on to her temper.  “Mr. Barba, I did my research.  I know who you are.  Your resumé is as impressive as your attitude would suggest, and so is your record in court. Your peers talk about you in superlatives, nobody wants to see you on the other side of a case, and the NYPD holds you in especially high regard.  I’d be an idiot to take a position counter to yours without damn good reason, and I am not an idiot.”

“I suppose that ‘fountain of praise’ technique usually works fairly well for you?”

Frankie, had she known it, mirrored Barba’s position at her desk, her hand massaging her temples.  “There’s always one,” she sighed to herself, before responding.  “Look. Stephens’ DNA will either match the rapist’s, or it won’t.  If it does, I’m wrong and you’re right.  You put Stephens away and you get bragging rights.  I can live with that.  But if it doesn’t, we still have a rapist out there.  And that is honestly all I care about.  This isn’t about ego for me.  It’s about stopping a rapist.”

“You expect me to believe that.”

“You know what?  I actually don’t.  Lucky for us, it doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not.”

“Doctor, we are going to have to find a way to work together.”

“Yes, we are.  And you may be surprised to learn that I’m sure we will.  This is not new territory for me, Mr. Barba.”

“Meaning what?  Everyone finds you difficult to work with?”

“Not everyone.  Just a certain kind of man.”

Rafael was certain he wasn’t going to like this.  “Enlighten me.”  

Frankie could hear the sneer through the phone.  Self-righteous prick.  What a piece of work.  At that point, despite her hard-won self knowledge and the many techniques she’d learned to control it, her temper pushed all her higher instincts out the window. Again.  

“You did your due diligence on me, same as I did on you.  And you’ve decided I’m a dilletante.  You know I’m Salomon Rojas’s daughter and you think daddy bought me some degrees so I could dress up and play FBI Barbie.“

Rafael said nothing.  She was uncomfortably close to the mark.

“I’m used to it,” she continued.  “So go ahead and discount me all you want.  And you’re welcome to set up whatever hurdles and challenges you find necessary.  They all do.”

“Well, thank you for reducing me to a cliché.”  

“Look, let me just save you some time.  I’ve been set up to fail by the best.  During medical school, during my residencies…  It didn’t get me to quit, Mr. Barba.  It made me a better doctor.  And you don’t want to know what I went through my first few years in the FBI, but suffice it to say that you will not be able to best those guys in either ingenuity or cruelty.  So bring it on.  The sooner you figure out I’m the real deal, the sooner we can get to work.”

“Thank you for sharing that poignant slice of your life with me, irrelevant though it was.”

“Was it?”  Rojas’s voice dripped meaning.

“You are a psychiatrist, aren’t you?  Next you’re going to ask me how I feel about my mother.”

“You adore your mother. And she adores you.  I’m not getting much of a father figure in your life, though.  That may be behind some of the attitude.”

It wasn’t often that Rafael Barba was at a loss for words.

Frankie stepped into the silence.  “When the DNA results come back, we’ll know.  And we’ll take the next step, whatever it is.  If Stephens is the rapist, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that you were right and I was wrong.  If he isn’t, I hope you’ll let me do my job and contribute to planning the team’s next move.”

“Well.  I thought I just heard you acknowledge the possibility that you might be wrong.”

“See?”  Frankie’s voice was all sarcasm.  “Your preconceptions are crumbling already.  Anything else?”

“Just…  Try to disagree with me a little more discreetly in the future.”

They both slammed down the phones at the same time.

Frankie cradled her head in her hands and groaned.  She’d done it again.  Barba couldn’t help it if he was the exact type of asshole who instantly got under her skin.  And she should be far, far above this kind of thing.  She was a damn psychiatrist, for fuck’s sake!  And she’d just set a land speed record for letting her temper take control of her big mouth.  She wondered how hard it would be to get her job in Quantico back.

The groan Barba uttered as he got up from his desk to refill his coffee cup was very similar to the one Frankie had just made.  She had an answer for everything, didn’t she? Rafael did not appreciate being pigeonholed or labeled, and he saw right through that tactic.  She thought she could dismiss his misgivings about her as part of some macho, “elite of the bourgeoisie” flaw in his character, turning any questioning of her into proof of his own inadequacy.  Clever. And annoying as fuck.  Rafael understood how she’d ended up in the FBI; he only wondered why she wasn’t in Psy Ops.  He couldn’t wait to see what happened when the DNA came back showing Stephens was the rapist.  

Only it didn’t.

The DNA under the victim’s fingernails was Stephens’s, as he’d said it would be.  But his DNA did not match the rape kits of any of the three victims tied to the Pattern 20 rapist.  The squad took it in stride, Lieutenant Benson was intrigued, and Barba was annoyed.  He could see absolutely no indication of gloating or superiority in Dr. Rojas as the team settled in around the SVU conference table at the station house.  Which was surprising, because he was watching for it. He knew it would come out eventually.

Amanda Rollins had been the one to state the obvious.  “Well, you were right.  Stephens isn’t our guy.”

“I wish he was,” Rojas had said, sliding a thin laptop out of her leather carryall before stuffing the carryall under her chair.   She hoped that was all she would have to say about it.  

“Sorry if it seemed like we doubted you,” the sexy black detective with the weird name said.  

“Don’t be.  We need to be candid with one another.  When you think I’m wrong, say so.  Trust me, I’ll fuck up,” she responded, lifting a cup of coffee to her lips and making a dismissive gesture with her other hand.  

“Fin, you want to start us off?”  Lieutenant Benson asked, beginning the briefing.  

Fin, that’s right. And his last name was…  Tortuga, Tutahkhamen, something like that.

Frankie was intrigued to see what Barba’s attitude would be. As Carisi had predicted, the squad seemed perfectly willing to follow the evidence wherever it led, but they hadn’t seemed to put their own credibility on the line as to whether Stephens was the rapist.  He had.  She was actually relieved when he said nothing about having been wrong, and gave no indication that there was anything to say.  Sometimes egotistical blowhards like him could be even more insulting when they tried to be polite.  

The briefing was fairly routine.  Having gotten through this first hiccup, Frankie hoped things would run more smoothly with her new team.  She couldn’t help feeling like she’d dodged a bullet in being right about Stephens.  Barba and the SVU squad all knew each other.  They’d worked together for years.  They could make all the mistakes they wanted at this point, and it wouldn’t change their baseline impressions of each other.  But if she’d been wrong, their first impression and permanent impression of her would be – well, it would be what Barba’s was. That she was a pushy know-it-all who couldn’t stand to be wrong, even when the evidence made it clear.

What she’d said to Barba was mostly true; she didn’t have much of an ego.  But she did have a tendency to say what she thought when keeping her peace might be a better choice, and when the team had looked to be concluding that Stephens was their rapist, she had been sure they were wrong, and had said so before she could think better of it.  She cursed herself, for the billionth time, for making such a stupid mistake, especially in a new job.  As she’d told Barba, she knew what people tended to expect when they first met her.  So why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut?  It didn’t matter what she thought – the DNA was going to tell the truth, anyway.  She’d never learn.  Sometimes she thought her life would be easier if she’d been born mute.

When the briefing was over, the team all had assignments, including her.  She re-packed her carryall to return to her office and get to work re-analyzing the victim and witness interviews.  Seeing Barba waiting for the elevator, she headed for the stairs.  

“Avoiding me now?”  He caught her just as she entered the stairway.

Frankie turned around to face him.  “Of course not.  I just like to take the stairs.”

“Don’t you want to hear me say that you were right and I was wrong?”

“To tell you the truth, not particularly.  I actually find that more awkward than the other way around.”

“That’s odd.  I don’t.”

It took all Frankie’s self-control not to make a snarky reply.  Of course this man didn’t mind hearing he was right.  “Well, I’m sure you’ll have that opportunity, Counselor.  Will you excuse me?  I’d like to get back to work.”    

“Not before I apologize and acknowledge that you were correct.”

“Right… um…  it’s all good.  Apology accepted.  I appreciate it.  I’m gonna just…”  Frankie pointed to the stairs and began to descend, deeply uncomfortable and desperate to get out of this situation.  

Barba shook his head as he watched her basically run down the stairs in her pumps.  Normally, he would have wondered how someone that amateurish had achieved the things this woman had.  But in the case of Francisca Rojas, he had a pretty good idea.  She’d said it herself.  She was a rich girl whose father had undoubtedly bought her way into Texas A&M, and all the way through medical school.  She hadn’t mentioned her looks, but Rafael had no doubt that all she’d had to do was shake that long, black hair and bat those dark eyes to get wherever she wanted to go from there.  FBI Barbie.  She had no idea how accurate he found that description.  

 “Hey!  Doc!”  

Frankie turned around to see Carisi standing in line at the coffee cart outside the station house.  He must have made a beeline from the briefing to be there already.  

“Detective Carisi.”

“Sonny.”

“Is ‘Sonny’ short for something?”

“It’s Dominick.  But my father is Dominick, so…”

“Got it.  Sonny.  And I’m Frankie.”

“Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

“I’d love it.  Thanks.  I’m addicted to the stuff.  Double-shot skinny latte.”

“Hey, that’s what Barba drinks.”

“No kidding.  You’re clearly a great detective.  You may have just found the one thing he and I have in common.”

“You two don’t seem to have gotten off to a very good start.  If you don’t mind my saying so.”  

“I don’t mind you saying the sky is blue, either.  Some things are just true.”

“So what’s the problem? Still the Stephens thing?”

“It’s nothing.  We’ll work it out.  We’re both professionals.”

Sonny knew a conversation diverter when he heard one. “Rojas.  That’s Mexican, right?”

“Right.”

“When I heard your name, and that you were from Texas, I wasn’t sure what kind of accent to expect. But I don’t hear one at all.”

Frankie laughed.  “Would you believe me if I told you I speak Spanish with a Texas twang?”

“Is that a thing?” Carisi smiled, which made his blue eyes crinkle in a way Frankie found endearing.  

“Actually, yes.”

“Barba speaks Spanish.”

Frankie tried not to show her irritation.  She really wanted to get off the subject of Barba.  “Great.  Then he can hate me in two languages.”  

They reached the front of the line and Carisi ordered their coffee.  “He’s a good guy, you know.  Really. Kind of a sharp tongue, but when you get to know him, you’ll see that’s just the way he talks.”  

Frankie didn’t believe him, and she made another attempt to change the subject.  “Speaking of accents, would it be rude for me to ask about yours?”

“Staten Island.  Born and raised.  Where are you from in Texas?”

“Just outside of Austin.”

As the conversation turned to more pleasant subjects, Frankie started to enjoy the opportunity to spend a few minutes outside on this sunny spring afternoon, having a calm, enjoyable conversation with one of her new coworkers.  It was even better when Amanda Rollins came out to join them, soda in hand.  She suggested they take a short walk to stretch their legs, which Carisi declined, saying he had some calls to make.  

“Is Sonny really as nice as he seems?”  Frankie asked as she and Amanda set off down the block.

“Unbelievably, yes.  He can also toss a perp against a car with the best of them when the situation calls for it.”

“Nice combo.”

“You know, I couldn’t help but notice things aren’t starting out so well with you and Barba.”

“Shit.  Sonny was just telling me the same thing.  I’m embarrassed.  I can actually behave like a professional, believe it or not.”

“But can you toss a perp against a car when the situation calls for it?”

“Probably not,” Frankie laughed.  “Although I’d like to try it with Barba.”

“Yeah, what’s up with that?”

“It’s more me than him. I just have a visceral reaction to his type.  Arrogant, snide, macho, chauvinistic, you know.”

“You might be surprised to learn that Barba’s none of that,” Rollins noted.  “OK, arrogant and snide, maybe.  But in a good way.”  

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am totally serious. But in your defense, I thought the same thing about him at first.  Except I thought it was hot.”

“Hot?  Barba?”

“Of course.  Even if you don’t like him, you have to admit he’s got that whole green-eyed latin thing happening.  And the way he dresses…”

“Ugh.  Sorry.  I can’t get past the personality.”

“I’ll make you a bet. In a month, you’ll like him a lot better than you do now.  And you’ll agree with me that he’s hot.”

“I’ll take that bet.  What are the stakes?”  

“Well, I’m a compulsive gambler in recovery, so we better keep it to something in the realm of foods that aren’t good for us.”

“I’m a total sucker for anything with frosting.”

“Oh, well that makes it easy.  Patsy��s Cupcakes on Church Street.  Loser buys a dozen for the winner.”

“You’re on.”

[go4blood]

can we be seventeen?

It is finally time. Broadway!Michael. Heathers. Best friends to lovers. U know how we do. sorry I’m on mobile and can’t do the read more feature 😔

4k words

—

High School was the time of your life. You spent everyday after school with your best friend in the theatre. You two had many starring roles together, such as Tracy and Link in Hairspray, Sally Bowles and Cliff Bradshaw from Cabaret, and so many more. You two decided you both wanted to take on broadway. That being said, you bought an apartment together- a tiny one that is- in New York City. It was your 2nd month in New York. You loved it more than anything, but you were a starving artist. You had a few commercial roles and did some work in some short films, but you wanted to be on stage. You wanted people applauding you every night. You both wanted that.

But it’s hard to get on broadway. Broadway isn’t something easy to achieve.

The door to your apartment opened and interrupted your thoughts.

“Y/N! The restaurant was super busy today, so I think I got enough tip money to get the WiFi back on.” Michael walked through the door, car keys in hand, wearing a white button shirt with a black tie, along with black dress pants. Michael worked at a fancy Italian restaurant in the heart of New York City that only rich people can afford. He absolutely hated working there. It was far from his dream, but they had to pay the bills somehow. You worked at a coffee house yourself, and most of the time your money went towards bills and necessities only. And people hardly ever tip.

“Thank God! I’ve missed Netflix so much.” He laughed and you grinned, collapsing beside him on the couch. Michael was a great roommate. He always paid his share of everything, and he kept the living area clean. His room is another story, but at least you didn’t have to always see his room.

“I found our next audition! I forgot to tell you, when I was driving to work I saw that Heathers is currently being casted for broadway!”

You sighed, leaning your head on his shoulder, “I’m beginning to think we should’ve stayed home, it’s so hard to make it out here in New York…”

He scoffed, looking at you in your eyes, “Is my best friend, Y/N L/N, the one who forced me to audition for Oklahoma our freshman year, giving up? Come on now, that’s not the Y/N I know! Come on, auditions are tomorrow morning, it’s worth a shot.”

You pondered for a moment, thinking of the possibilities. This is what you came to New York for, after all. Maybe it was worth a shot.

“Fine, we’ll go. Just don’t get your hopes up…”

“I won’t, I promise. Now… I assume we’re having ramen again?”

“You know it.”

—

You sat beside Michael and looked around at who was at the audition. You could already tell that type casting would come into play, which made you nervous. You weren’t sure if you fit into any of these roles. What if you were wasting your time? You’d be lucky if you got to be a chorus member. Michael looked up from the paperwork as if he could sense how nervous you were.

“Relax, Y/N. You’ve been this way since High School! I remember auditions for Hairspray; you nearly had a panic attack the day of callbacks. And you rocked it! What are you scared of?”

“Failure, Michael.” You frowned and looked at him. He sighed, looking into your eyes.

“My best friend has never been a failure. Don’t even begin to think you’re a failure! Every good actor and actress struggled before succeeding.” He gave you a reassuring smile, and weight lifted off of your shoulders. Maybe he was right. In fact, he was right. You have to fall before you fly sometimes.

“Thank you, Michael.” You smiled as he smiled back at you. You wouldn’t wanna be struggling with anyone else.

A woman who seemed to be the director interrupted your thoughts, “Good morning everyone, welcome to the audition for Heathers. Shall we begin?” Everyone silently nodded, and the director cleared her throat, “the numbers my assistant gave to you when you walked in will now come into play… let’s start with #1. Come on up.”

You froze. You were #1. No pressure, right? You got up from your seat and walked up onto the stage, ready to perform the provided audition material. All of the girls were using audition material for the part of Veronica, the lead female part. No pressure.

You introduced yourself briefly and began, projecting with purpose, “My parents wanted to move me into high school out of the sixth grade, but we decided to chuck the idea because I’d have trouble making friends, blah, blah, blah. Now blah, blah, blah is all I ever do. I use my grand IQ to decide what color lip gloss to wear in the morning and how to hit three keggers before curfew… Betty Finn was a true friend and I sold her out for a bunch of Swatch dogs and Diet Coke heads. Killing Heather would be like offing the wicked witch of the west… wait east. West! God! I sound like a fucking psycho….Dear Diary: Heather told me she teaches people “real life.” She said, real life sucks losers dry. You want to fuck with the eagles, you have to learn to fly. I said, so, you teach people how to spread their wings and fly? She said, yes. I said, you’re beautiful.”

You emphasized certain things and changed tone when you felt it was needed. You wanted this so bad. But this wasn’t it! This was a musical, so you had to sing. You looked at the music provided for you and cued the piano player to begin playing. The song you were told to sing was “Fight For Me”. You sang each note with purpose. You wanted this more than anything. Before you knew it, you were done with your audition, and you sat back down in the audience beside Michael. He mouthed ‘good job’ to you, smiling. Before he knew it, it was his turn to audition.

The men auditioning read material for JD, the leading male part. You looked over what Michael had to perform, and the monologue was quite intense.

He cleared his throat and began with an intense tone of voice, “Can't believe you did it! I was teasing. I loved you! Sure, I was coming up here to kill you... First I was gonna try and get you back with my amazing petition. It's a shame you can't see what our fellow students really signed. Listen ‘We, students at Westerburg High will die. Today. Our buring bodies will be the ultimate protest to a society that degrades us. Fuck you all!’ It's not very subtle, but neither is blowing up a whole school, now is it? Talk about your suicide pacts, eh? When our school blows up tomorrow, it's gonna be the kind of thing that affects a whole generation! It'll be the Woodstock for the 80's! Damn it Veronica! We could have roasted marshmallows together!”

He was so talented. You would be damned if he didn’t get a role in this production. He then finished out his audition with the song “Meant To Be Yours”. He did amazing. He always put his all into his auditions. You were proud to be his friend. He walked off stage after he finished, and you both left.

—

As each day passed you absolutely could not stop thinking about callbacks. You were so anxious about whether you were gonna get one or not. You at least hoped Michael would get one so he could live out his dream if you couldn’t.

With each latte you made at work all that was on your mind was the possibility of getting a callback. At one point, you couldn’t even remember how to make an iced americano. They said they’d call you no matter what to let you know, which made you even more anxious. And everyday Michael came home from work all he talked about was callbacks and how bad he wanted this opportunity.

“I know you’ll make it, Michael. I mean come on, you’re extremely talented and you knocked that audition out of the park!”

“I did mediocre at best! You’re the one who’s gonna make it. You’re gonna be amazing in that cast. I’d rather you get it than me.”

You laid your head on his shoulder, looking up into his eyes, “You mean that, Mikey?”

“Would I lie to you? No. I wouldn’t. You’re amazing.”

—

You ran into Michael’s room after your shift at the coffee shop, shaking him awake, “I just got a callback during my shift! I get another audition tomorrow!”

“I got one too! While you were gone! We got callbacks!”

You two jumped up onto Michael’s bed and jumped in celebration. You were unbelievably happy.

“Well you know what that means… it’s a special occasion!” Michael ran to the kitchen and you followed behind him. He pulled out the boxed wine from the cabinet and got the plastic wine glasses out too.

The boxed wine was a tradition in your friendship. When you were casted in Hairspray sophomore year, he got his older friend to get it for him. It was cheap and lasted a while, so it was his number one choice. After high school graduation he brought it to your house after your grad party. And when you moved into the apartment, you had Dominos and boxed wine. It had a special place in your heart.

You put some wine in your cup and clinked your glass with his. Maybe it was finally time.

“Now let’s get wine drunk at 2 in the afternoon, shall we?” He smirked at you and you couldn’t help but laugh, knowing damn well he was a lightweight. It was gonna be a long day. Michael got up and connected his phone to the Bluetooth speaker, playing one of his playlists and taking your free hand in his.

“Michael what the hell are you doing?”

“Dancing! Duh!” He downed his wine glass and spun you around, laughing loudly.

You shook your head, putting down your glass and joining him, despite your lack of dance ability.

“You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only… how old are we again? Who knows!” Michael was so carefree, and seeing him have no care in the world always warmed your heart.

“Hey Michael?”

“Yeah Y/N?”

“I knew I moved to New York with the right person.

—

You and Michael woke up extremely early the next morning for callbacks. The callback went well in your opinion, and Michael seemed to feel good about his as well. But after your callback it was back to the minimum wage job with less than mediocre tips. You had to wait a whole week until you’d find out if the callback resulted in you getting a role. It was gonna be the longest week of your life. As everyday passed and you made countless lattes and iced coffees all you thought of was your callback. It invaded your mind at every second of the day. No callback had stressed you out as much as this one. This one wasn’t some high school production from back home. This could be your big break for crying out loud! This was the most stress you had ever felt in your life.

When the day finally came around you and Michael waited around the apartment with phone in hand all day. The phone call you two were about to get would decide your futures. You paced around the living room, unable to stand still. Finally, Michael’s phone was the first to ring. He immediately picked up, sitting on the couch while biting his nails nervously.

“Hello? Yes this is him… yes I would. Thanks so much… alright goodbye.” He hung up, a solemn look on his face. You felt like you already knew what he was gonna say.

He then broke out into a grin, hugging you, “You’re looking at broadways new Jason Dean!”

You smacked his chest, gasping, “how dare you worry me like that, Michael!” You laughed, returning his hug happily. Shortly after, your phone also rang.

You answered, with a shaky voice, “Hello? Yes this is she… okay, yes I would, okay… thank you, goodbye.”

You were shocked. You looked at Michael, eyes dilated and full of disbelief, “I got the part… I-I’m Veronica…”

“No way! I get to lead with my best friend? This is amazing! We did it!” He hugged you, lifting you off of the ground.

You felt larger than life. You finally got to live out your dream. You were absolutely thrilled.

—

The first rehearsal was mainly just line running and song singing without much blocking and a brief dance rehearsal. Broadway was quite a shell shock. Rehearsals were triple the length of high school rehearsals, and dances were taught by actual choreographers, not the schools dance team coach. It was extremely different. It worried you- what if you couldn’t handle it? As you read lines your mind was in a whirlwind, and Michael could tell.

The director told everyone to take a 15 minute break, and you immediately broke down into a rant of how stressed you were to Michael.

“What if I’m not good enough for this? I’ve gotten so many notes from the director on things to do differently and it’s only day 1! I just wanna be the best I can be, I’m not usually cast into this type of role! I’m never usually a cocky or sassy type of character, I’m not good enough for this-“

Michael interrupted you during your extremely long rant, “Y/N! You’re doing great, it’s literally the first day. Everyone’s getting a lot of notes. You are fine. You always get in your head in the first week of rehearsals. You’re so talented and you deserve this, just calm down. Come on, smell the flowers, blow out the candles. Smell the flowers, blow out the candles. You’ve got this! I wouldn’t wanna plot revenge with anybody else, Veronica.”

You smiled, wrapping your arms around him and hugging him tightly. He always knew what to say in these situations.

“You’re not the only one getting notes ya know? You always panic, it worries me.” You frowned, you never meant to worry him. It was just the way you were. You were always hypercritical of yourself, and it got worse as you got older. It wasn’t all your fault though.

“You know why, Michael. My parents never came to any of the shows… I fought to please them, thinking maybe they’d come one of the nights of the show. They never did. They ruined my self esteem.” At that point you were just venting, and you felt bad after the realization. You quickly stopped talking, walking back on stage keeping your eyes glued to the floor.

The director loudly interrupted your thoughts with a loud clap, “Okay everyone, we’re gonna do the number for Meant To Be Yours, so get on up here, Michael.”

Michael quickly got up on the stage, flipping through his script to the right page. You had a few lines before he started singing, so you took your place behind the “closet door”.

Michael cleared his throat, putting on his angsty evil teen voice, “Knock! Knock! Sorry for coming in through the window. Dreadful etiquette, I know!” This part seemed to be written just for him. He was so good at being the odd guy.

You got out of your thoughts, replying with your line to his remark through the closet door set piece, “Get out of my house!”

Michael scoffed, jiggling the door knob and continuing on with the scene, “Hiding in the closet? Come on, unlock the door! Come out and get dressed, you’re my date to the pep rally tonight!” He then began singing the song, yelling through the door at certain parts. You had to admit, it felt like he was actually your psychotic boyfriend. He really knew what he was doing.

You were interrupted by him singing/yelling the next part of the song, “Veronica! Open the—open the door, please Veronica, open the door…” he finished the song, letting out an exasperated breath.

“So, um, any notes? To make it better…”

The director had a look of shock on her face, but good shock though. She looked at her notepad, and then looked up, “This is an amazing start, you’re making great character decisions. I think when you sing through the door you could act more desperate for her to come out, maybe beat on the door, not just yell through it. Maybe we could give you a prop? Like a gun? We’ll see. Other than that, it’s really great. Good job.”

Michael nodded, thanking her and walking down the stairs of the stage.

“Alright, y/n! We’re gonna do the opening scene, the dear diary one. Do what you think is right and I’ll give notes, as per usual. Alright?”

You nodded, sitting at the plastic table that would soon be a lunch table once the actual set was set up.

You mimed a notebook in front of you, taking a deep breath, “September 1st, 1989. Dear Diary:

I believe I'm a good person. You know, I think that there's good in everyone, but—here we are! First day of senior year! And uh... I look around at these kids that I've known all my life and I ask myself—what happened?” This then transitioned to you singing Beautiful. You only got through half of the song due to how much blocking was needed for this number in particular.

The director read off of her notes, “Alright, Y/N, so all I really have is that I want you to be more confident. I gave you this part for a reason, I believe in you. Just breathe, okay?”

You nodded, thanking her and walking off stage. You grabbed your bag and left to the subway with Michael.

“I told you you were doing good! You just need to believe in yourself, ya dingus.” He ruffled your hair and you blushed, nodding slowly.

“Michael, I think you’re the most talented person I know.”

“Well then you obviously haven’t met yourself.”

—

After what felt like a billion rehearsals, which was really just 2 months of rehearsals, costume day finally came! The best and worst day. A lot of things can go wrong. But a lot of the time, costume day is great.

You had one costume for the whole show, which you were secretly grateful for. Quick changes just stressed you out. Your costume was a grey pleated skirt that hit your mid thigh, blue knee high socks, a white blouse, and a blue blazer to go over the blouse. The director wanted everyone to be used to performing in their costumes, so you’d be rehearsing with them for the next 2 weeks until opening night.

Michael wore all black attire. His costume included a black t shirt, a black trench coat, black jeans, and clunky black boots. In all honesty, he did not look approachable. But at the same time, he intrigued you even more. With each rehearsal, you were thinking about Michael a lot more than usual, and in a different way than usual.

Were you attracted to your best friend?

Oh god. This could not be happening.

You knew way too much about him. His mother practically adopted you as her own. It would be so awkward if your feelings shined through. Your mind was racing, everything made sense.

When he would cup your cheek in one of your scenes and would immediately blush, when he would call you nicknames in your scenes and you broke into a huge grin, it was because you liked him as more than a friend.

“Y/N! How do ya like my costume?” Michael did a twirl and bowed, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Wow what a handsome teen psychopath you are, Michael.” He laughed, muttering a thank you.

“Um, you look nice in yours. Much less psycho looking, 10 out of 10.”

You laughed, twirling to show him the whole costume, “Why thank you, JD. How kind of you.”

He smiled at you, looking in your eyes for a little while.

He quickly got out of his trance, looking around awkwardly, “Um, well, let’s take our promotional photos then shall we?”

You nodded, following him to where the photographer was.

“We’re definitely getting drunk tonight, I need a breather.”

—

You and Michael were in the living room, playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch whole drinking, you guessed it, boxed wine. You were both extremely drunk, laughing at every little thing.

“Did you seriously just hit me with a blue shell!?”

Michael laughed, “Sorry! I can't accept losing to you, princess.” His voice had a tinge of sarcasm, which was far from surprising.

You pouted, desperately trying to get your number one spot back. But to your defeat, Michael took your spot at the last minute and got first place.

“How dare you!”

He laughed as you tackled him on the couch, resulting in a slight spill of both of your glasses as the coffee table shook.

“Sorry babe, I won fair and square.” His tone had a slight bit of flirtiness to it. Blushing at the nickname, you got up and got yourself more to drink.

“Alright, I lost, what do you want your prize to be? I buy your lunch tomorrow? It’s done.”

“I don’t need anything… let’s just chill now, yeah?”

You nodded, sitting beside him on the couch and laying your head on his shoulder.

“Y/N, you know I wouldn’t wanna be anyone else’s costar, right?”

“Michael, you tell me that everyday.”

“Well, it’s true. God, I’m tired of pretending,” he sat up, looking you straight in the eyes, “I came with you to New York not just to pursue acting. I came here because I care about you more than anything. You make everyday a little better. I was in such a bad place before we met freshman year. I literally love you so much.”

“Yeah I love you too-“

“No Y/N! I’m in love with you! When we do our scenes together I can’t help but think about us being together! I can’t help but imagine me affectionately cupping your cheek and kissing you outside of the show. I can’t help that I actually think I’m meant to be yours! And no, this is not the alcohol talking. I’ve always felt this way. I felt this way when we were in every other show together! I want to shout from the rooftops that I love you!” He gripped your waist and kissed you deeply, pulling you onto his waist.

His kiss was intoxicating. You didn’t know how bad you wanted this. You finally realized that he was who you wanted all along.

“You may be set out to kill the whole school so we can be together, but I love you too, Michael.”

—

Opening night you were warming up in your dressing room when a knock came at your door. The stage manager gave you your 20 minute warning, while also handing you a large arrangement of roses.

“Who are these from? No one I know is coming to see me tonight…” You looked at the notecard that came with it, and it all made sense.

My dearest Veronica,

I’m glad I get to share the stage with raw talent tonight. And you I guess (Just kidding). Break a leg, and let’s fake some deaths tonight! I love you.

- JD

You never felt more in love.

—

Taglist!!

@i-calumhood @angelbabylu

[peaches-of-1]

Demon AU: 666 So Fresh- Chapter 5

Back to the main crew. What will they do after their shopping spree and Jungkook’s invitation to come see him perform?

No major warnings for this chapter that I can think of, but you can always let me know if there’s something you need me to tag!

< Previous | Next > | Chapter outfits

Zula, Yoongi, and Tae decided to dress monochrome based on all they’ve bought. Yoongi slid on a dark pair of jeans, a light blue shirt, and a pleather jacket with studs on it, blue suede boots to match and complete the look. He looked in one of the mirrors still stained with lipstick and rustled his hair.

“I think I’ll be dying my hair soon.” He said to Taehyung who was having trouble deciding which shade of pink shorts to go with his rose covered Gucci top.

His curious brown eyes looked at the other for a moment, “What color are you going for?”

“Maybe blonde, or I’ll go completely white. The darker ones go better.”

Wrath’s Demi-Spawn nodded and went to return the lighter pair of shorts to his closet. Zula slightly bumped into him for a moment, and they shared awkward smiles and laughter before moving on. Heat tickled their cheeks.

She had decided on a pretty simple outfit which relied on accessorizing and her makeup skills to make complete. Dark purple plaid leggings with a light purple collared crop top with long sleeves that stuck out of a lavender crop with short sleeves and regular purple knee-high heeled boots. Her lips would become a dark mauve once her eyeliner was done. All three leaned in the clearest mirror to do the perfect eyeliner.

Yoongi was the first to finish. He had hundreds of years experience doing it, so the process was never that long for him anymore. Tae only needed a little to define his eyes the way he liked, so Zula was left focusing on the perfect wing.

She rolled her eyes, “I don’t know why you guys are trying so hard. It’s just a college bar.”

Yoongi put his feet up on the coffee table, “Some of my best takings have been from trust fund kids with nothing to do. They trust you more if you look like a fancy drug dealer.”

Zula couldn’t argue against that. She added some glitter to her eyes and decided how dark the purple on her lips should be. Taehyung watched and let his mind wander back to the boy whose concert they were going to see tonight. Jungkook. He didn’t seem like a bad guy, but he was worried that he liked the same girl as him. He knew if he went up against the human wanting her heart, he’d lose.

“Do you like him?” Tae asked out loud.

He recalled how familiar he had been to her and how she didn’t push him away. The man had hugged her. Scratching his mullet, he remembered how much his heart had flared up when the other dark haired boy had caught her hand that she didn’t yank away. That obviously meant she didn’t dislike his touch, that she liked him.

“The boy we’re going to watch. Do you like him?” He asked again.

Zula turned and squinted her eyes at him, “No? He’s nice and all, but he’s just someone who exists in my slice of reality.” She faced the mirror again for final touches. “I only wanna go cuz he asked and people talk about his voice all the time.”

Yoongi picked out his earring, “Didn’t know you were the type to follow hype.”

“Need to know if it’s legit or not.” Zula grabbed a purse to go with her outfit and off they zoomed to the bar.

Bass shook the walls even before they knew the tune. It was a popular song, so knowing it was unavoidable. The three beautiful faces entered the bar and were met with chattering 20 year-olds and some alumni.

They chose a booth to sit at. Jungkook saw her and waved, a huge smile on his face. Zula wasn’t expecting him to come over and greet her.

“Zula! I’m so glad you actually came!”

She shrugged, “Wanted to see if the girls on social media were right to be crazy ‘bout you.”

“Ah, they’re too nice. You look great by the way.” His eyes searched the faces of the men behind her, “Who are these guys?”

“My friends. Boys, this is Jungkook, the one that gave me the flier.”

They shook hands and introduced themselves using their real names. Jungkook asked how the two knew Zula. It’s not as if they could tell this guy the truth, so she said they met at the park just a few days ago. Yoongi joined in saying his dog Holly ran away while she was petting him and Tae ended up catching him. They just grew close from there.

He seemed to buy it and told them to take a seat and that he’d be on stage in 10 minutes. So the three sat down and ordered some drinks. Whiskey for Yoongi, beer for Taehyung, and sparkling pineapple juice is what Zula wanted.

“I don’t drink.” was her reply to their questioning looks.

Their drinks were delivered as soon as Jungkook got onto the stage. He shook the hair out of his face and used his hand when that didn’t work.

“Hey, everyone, I’m Jungkook. The usual voice is sick, so I’ll be taking his place until he gets better. He then looked back at the two members of the band.

The music began and he closes his eyes he two-handed the mic. His voice was a lot higher than Zula had expected it to me based on his speaking voice. It had a very airy aspect to it as he sung the lyrics.

When I was fifteen years old, I had nothing The world was too big and I was small Now I can’t even imagine now I was scentless and completely empty I pray

When he was done, people applauded. He did two more songs, sometimes smiling or looking at Zula. Sometimes she’d be talking to to the other guys, laughing. Other times, they would talk into her ear to be heard over the music. Then his set was over.

Jungkook went past a bunch of fans to sit in the booth with Zula, grabbing a water bottle first. He was feeling really hot all of a sudden.

“So, Zula, what did you think?” He asked, eager for an answer.

“It’s good. You’ve got a nice voice. Social media girls were right.”

Jungkook laughed, “Thanks! I’m really glad you liked it.”

Tae wanted to put his arm over Zula and tell the guy to get lost. He couldn’t. He wasn’t her boyfriend, he had absolutely no claim to her. It pissed him off when they chattered about what they had in common. College, teachers, classes. Tae quietly simmered as he listened to their conversation.

They talked about their classes and their finals. Then Jungkook looked up on stage where people were now singing karaoke. He asked if she wanted to sing with him. Yoongi answered for her, and the two college kids went to stage to sign up. Taehyung wasn’t happy.

“You should say something sooner rather than later, or frat bro McGee’s gonna debutante you for the rest of your life...so literally forever.”

He bit his lip, “I’m not sure…”

A pale hand slapped the table, “Then get sure.”

Music soft as a rose started and Jungkook began to sing. Neither of the boys paid much attention until Zula sang with her full voice. They had only heard her sing softly in the car with the radio covering most of her words.

She was always confident in a sort of awkwardly sweet way, but never did they expect her to do this sort of thing so well. The song was called, “I’m in Love”. Zula was not shy at all even singing such a mushy song with him. Her voice was so powerful and passionate. “Geudaeneun neomu areumdabjyo~” Their voices ended in perfect harmony.

Yoongi smiled in awe. Tae clenched his fists. Applause when they finished. They held hands and took a boy before he tried to kiss her. She pushed him off of her and stared at him in disgust. He mumbled an apology as she grabbed her purse and told the guys they were leaving.

They didn’t argue with that as she was already halfway out the door when they got to their feet. Even though she was upset, Tae couldn’t help but smile. Zula rejected Jungkook straight up. It put a pep in his step as they hurried to catch up with her.

Jungkook stood there, watching her leave with the two men that weren’t him. The next duo politely asked him to leave the stage, and he did. He ran to apologize to Zula again, to properly state his feelings. He called after the beautiful brown girl with black curls bouncing aggressively with each step. She whipped around and he stumbled back as if pushed back by some force. The gold of her eyes was unexpected. Her hair now seemed to levitate around her body.

“Why the Hell did you kiss me, you bastard? I never said that was something you were allowed to do!” She yelled at him.

“We-we were having a moment--” Jungkook explained. “I just thought--”

Her eyes almost seemed like flames, “You were having a moment! It was not something we shared, Jungkook. You just made up your own little fantasy and forced it upon me, and that is not ok!” She took a step forward.

Jungkook was pushed back a few inches, “But I like you so much that I thought my heart would perish if I didn’t do something then!”

“THEN FUCKING PERISH!” She moved to lift her hands, but Yoongi moved quickly.

He grabbed both hands and held them behind her back and used his now free hand to cover her eyes and pull her back against his shoulder. Quickly, he placed his lips near her ear. “Mitescere tu, Zula. Mitescere tu. Sit daemon requiem.” He hissed in a chant until her body relaxed against him.

It sounded like Italian or Latin to the bystander. Wait, did he just. “Did you say demon?”

Yoongi released his tight hold on her, “Nope.” he lied.

Zula’s eyes were now back to their normal hazel coloring, no gold in sight. Her body was frighteningly still. Yoongi told Tae to hold her. She lay heavily on his side, face buried in his arm.

“What’d you do to her?” The human asked as he got up. “What did you say?”

“I just saved your life. Mortals don’t know manners, do they?” He sighed. “Anyways, Jungkook, if you ever see any of us again, it’d be better if you pretended not to know us. Also, never ever communicate with Zula again.”

They started to walk away, Tae asking if it was ok to hold her around the waist or if the shoulders were better in trying to keep her mostly upright.

Confusion washed over all his senses as they took her from him, “Y-you can’t do that!”

“Goodbye, Jungkook.” Her voice rang out clearly even though her body heavily relied on Tae.

Yoongi told mullet boy to sit in the back with she-demon. He then got in the driver’s seat and took a huge breath. It had been a while since he Hid so many people and also Settled a demon. He’d be fine soon, just needed food. He drove until he saw the two golden arches that never let him down.

“Really?” Tae asked, “McDonalds?”

“It’s a bunch of food for cheap. Also, the employees don’t get paid enough to care.”

Taehyung looked down at the resting head on his shoulder. His boozy stomach growled, but he didn’t want to move right now. Yoongi noticed and got his order before heading in.

< Previous | Next >

[sae-you-sae-me]

How RFA+ bby V and Baeran spend their first anniversary with their MC! It can be as mushy as you want it to be haha ✨

This was super sweet! Somehow, this took us three hours to do…Hope you enjoy it! 

Zen:

He was the King of Romance

But on your anniversary, he was the nervous King of Romance

He didn’t know what he wanted to do for you, so he made up several plans and decided to go with whatever seemed best on the day

However, he didn’t expect you to crash them

He wakes up to a delivery of those edible bouquets made out of fruit

There’s also a small bag in his mailbox with two shirts: one has two thumbs on it and says, “This guys loves his girlfriend” to which you inform him you have the matching opposite one

And the other is a really nice one suited to his tastes

You send him a text to meet you at his favorite cafe, and when he does, he finds you already bought him his favorite pastry

But he’s a step ahead of you and had picked up your favorite drink from the coffee shop

After your little breakfast, you tell him you have one surprise for him later in the evening

He takes this chance to execute one of his plans

He takes you to the beach, stopping by at home to change your clothes

You guys let loose a little and play around

You bury Zen and make draw a six pack in the sand

He clears his throat, “MC…I have an eight pack.”

You blink before drawing a weird, strange sixteen pack

He surprises you a little later by taking you out onto a boat

Not only is a lot of fun, but he stops the boat right before sunset and you two have a soft moment

Just as the sun is setting, he thanks you for your little surprises in the morning and gives you a tender kiss on the lips

You feel his hands go by your neck, and you think he’s just cupping your neck

But then he pulls away and you feel a slight weight around your neck

You look down and see a necklace with a small heart charm

It has your names engraved in it along with your anniversary date

Neither of you feel the need to say anything, so you two just hold hands and enjoy the moment together

Yoosung:

The day before you anniversary, Yoosung tells you that he’ll be taking you somewhere in the afternoon

Sure enough, the next day he’s at your doorstep,  your favorite flowers in hand

He’s super nervous at first, giving you a compliment about your outfit

He relaxes a little once you’re driving on your way there

He takes you to a sculpture garden

You two spend a lot of time walking around pretty flowers and gardens

He’ll say super romantic things while holding your hand, or compare you to some of the flowers

But then, you two loosen up and go looking at some of the funnier sculptures

A lot of pictures for memories

There was one of those things where a person is disguised as a sculpture

Poor Yoosung was the victim and he almost went crazy because he swore someone touched his shoulder

He was a good sport about it though, once the truth was revealed

He takes you inside a little cafe/restaurant thing inside the cafe that’s italian themed

You’re too excited to give your gift to him, so he lets you

You got him a brand new tablet, because his was so old and it was starting to hurt his bad eye

You also had this long card where you give him encouragement and reaffirm your feelings for him

By the end, Yoosung feels so supported by you and falls in love with you all over again

When you’re done eating, there’s this small gazebo that you two find and you sit in it

Yoosung had this planned…and he waits for a couple to walk by

Then he brings up a conversation about love and he starts going on this speech about how much he loves you and about your future together

Then, he pulls out a small ring from his pocket with a silver ring

You’re kind of freaking out because this is going kind of fast and what is he doing?

You calm down a bit when he says it’s a promise ring

“This ring is my promise to you that I will always love you, and one day, when I can fully support you, I will marry you.”

You shed a tear because it was so sweet and full of emotion

You manage to hold in most of your  emotions until you get back to your place where you and Yoosung crash on the couch

He comes back with some snacks and sits down next to you, and you just  can’t hold it in anymore

He’s mid sentence when you just grab his face and kiss him passionately

Safe to say, your anniversary ended on a good note

Jaehee:

She spends the whole week leading up to it overthinking everything

She wasn’t sure if you two were getting each other gifts, or if it would be too much–you hadn’t discussed anything and she was really nervous

In the end, she just decides to go ahead and get one for you

She gets a simple bracelet, but with several charms

Each one represents a memory you two had together

Besides, she thought it might be something she could add onto for you everytime you had a significant moment

Meanwhile, you got her front row tickets to a musical that she has been wanting to see for a long time but has denied herself due to either work or finances

The day comes and you two exchange gifts first thing in the morning, both of you hugging each other tightly by the end

Jaehee’s not really a spontaneous person, so she has something planned in the evening but nothing else

But you improvise and drag her out to different places

You guys explore the town together, finding new spots to try later or stop in a few shops

There’s a lot of laughing and smiling and just enjoying your time together

Then, for dinner, Jaehee treats you to your favorite restaurant

All in all, it was a lovely day

Jumin:

You guys have many occasions to completely go big on things, so you wanted your first anniversary together to be more subtle and intimate

So you two do some normal things

You take a walk in the park together

You got a nice–not super fancy–restaurant and eat and talk

And then you go back to his house for the evening

He says he just wanted to watch a movie with you and relax, so that was good enough for you

When you get there, he suddenly mentions that he recently installed a new bed of flowers in his garden and asked if you wanted to see

You were skeptical…since it was night time, but you agreed

When you step out into the garden, dozens of soft lights go off, there’s a fountain running nearby

Roses among other flowers are set along a path to this hammock under the open night sky

You playfully scold him since you guys were supposed to “keep it simple”

You say that it’s nothing equal to this but you got him a small gift

He’s been into a lighter clothing faze, so you gave him a shirt with sushi cats on it

His eyes light up and he thinks it’s the best thing

“MC, you got me a gift…I’m glad I got something small for you as well!”

He pulls out a small box holding  a pair of diamond Jumin this is not small

After you two exchange gifts, you go enjoy the hammock he set up

The rest of the night is just you two talking, settled in each other’s embrace under the stars 

Seven:

Before he can even go to you first, you show up at his house with an envelope in hand

Inside is a note that says, “I said I wanted to kiss you in the sky, so…” and on the bottom is just an address

He doesn’t know where it goes, but you two hop in the car and he puts it in the GPS

You two arrive and it suddenly hits him what you got him: a helicopter ride

He’s so excited, he’s hugging you the whole time while walking to the helicopter

You gear up and set off on the tour

It flies over the waters and there’s a magnificent view, and you’re even allowed to open the doors at one point

And he really does kiss you in the sky

After it’s over, you two go to a cute little cafe restaurant and spend some time walking around town and talking

When it nearing dinner, you two go back to his house

He says he has a surprise for you now

He puts you in a blindfold and leads you around the bunker until finally he takes it off revealing a room completely and authentically themed country

It wasn’t cheaply done…he put a lot of thought into the detail

He even ordered authentic food and dessert so it would be the ultimate experience

After you finish eating, he pulls out two smaller gifts for you

Weeks before, you had a joke about wanting a blanket with his face on it

Well, he delivered and you had a huge fluffy blanket with the dorkiest picture of him on it…it was a joke, but you actually really liked it

The second gift was a small glass plaque with a your favorite couple pictures together engraved inside along with your anniversary date

At the end, you two relax on his couch…under the large blanket with his face on it

Saeran:

Neither one of you wanted to something super big or super fancy or super public

So you plan a small outing together in the city and just go with whatever you feel like doing

You two try a bunch of different foods from large waffles to those huge milkshakes or ice creams and maybe some different cultural foods

You had no idea Saeran was taking secret candid shots of you on his phone

You would catch him sometimes smiling at his phone, but he would never tell you what he was doing

You stumble across a carnival/fair going on and decide to go

You two go on the smaller rides, like the Ferris Wheel and boat rides

You drag him on those love rides for the laughs

You weren’t sure what was making you more sick…the shaky boat or the couple making out behind you

The photobooth was his favorite part

It was one of those where you can draw on faces and add stickers

He drew a heart around you two for his copy, but he wouldn’t let you see it

You somehow sneaked a view anyway

Saeran manages to win you a small panda from one of the booths

You have him hold it while you go to the bathroom, and when you come back a small bracelet is attached to it’s paw

He’s shy when you notice, so you try not make a big deal and just kiss his cheek as a thank you

You can tell he’s getting tired, so you go home and unsurprisingly he crashes and falls asleep on the couch soon after

You sneak to the kitchen and bake him some of his favorite sweets

When he comes in to take a taste, he finds your gift there as well

There’s a whole basket of nick-nacks like some books, cookie mixes, personalized mouse pad, and other smaller things that you noticed he likes

V:

He invites you to come over late afternoon

When you get there, there’s flowers on the table while he’s cooking you a huge lunch

There’s also a small box of chocolates with your name on it

In front of you is another box with a ribbon and a small note prompting you to open it

Inside is a photobook where V had filled the whole thing with pictures of you two

Beside each one is a small note about when it was, what you did, and something he loved during the memory

You’re melting with each page, and then on the last one there’s a small slot with a locket inside

He already has your and his picture inside

Just as you’re about to call a thank you, he comes in and gives you a small peck

He brings out a full meal and you two talk and enjoy each other’s company

At the end, you bring out your gifts for him

You’d bought him brand new camera lenses to help him as he rebuilds his photography business

But he’s even more touched by the pile of letters neatly stacked in box

You had written one everytime something small, yet significant happened between you and him the past year

To end the night, you just wanted to relax together

So he sets out a blanket in the backyard, you bring some soft candles for lighting, and he also brings some snacks and wine

It was probably more romantic than any fancy dinner in your eyes

Check out our other headcanons~ Masterlist

[curiouskarenscapers2017]

Vol 2. Sep 2017

My 3 days off was absolute bliss. Think I caught up on all my lost sleep along the way. I experimented with some food stuffs I discovered and with cooking my own dishes with what was available. Totally different lifestyle than at home in SA. I could feel the kg’s melt away as I embarked on my mostly vegetarian eating habits with limited access to any western sauces and fried food. All clean eating, mostly in soups with fresh veggies and minimal meat. Spices make up for most of that and I easily adjusted.

Found these little parcels and actually remembered them from Taiwan. So I was brave enough to cook them as instructed in Chinese on the vacuum packed wrapping. Maybe could have steamed them a bit more but they turned out a treat. A gooey sticky rice around a sweet meat in the middle. Couldn’t make out whether it was actually meat in the middle or not, but the more I scrutinised my photo’s the more I’m convinced it was.

Anyway, I’m still alive and it was tasty. I settled into the school routine and started classes and demo’s like I mentioned before. So a demo class is more like a show class for the parents to see what the teaching is like with a foreign teacher but also whether the kid enjoys it and could actually attend the school. We as teachers also assess the kids English ability and level while playing with them and asking them what certain flashcard pictures are. My initial classes were quite daunting as one adjusts to the children but also the unfamiliar books and ways of teaching. Our lesson plans made up daily for the next class becomes a focus point as your time runs out and the classes follow one after the other with scarce 10 minutes in between which included a feedback session with the parents telling them what the kids learnt in the lesson….or not! BUT…like everything one gets used to the way things are done and you adjust. Doing lesson plans more in advance in off-times or allocated lesson planning times. I’ll survive…and like Lionel, my fiance, said, you’re not teaching a CEO of a company or training managers like I used to. That immediately calmed me down, all will be just fine. hahahahaha.

So as I was sitting at my fancy table in my living room in front of my TV with only 14 channels of either traditional hidden dragons and flying tigers with a monkey king thrown in or soapies or military soapies or sport where china is the focus or participating in with the occasional news I would watch to see the natural disasters of the world and then more 90% China news, I noticed that my table actually had a warmer in the middle, like the hot pot restaurants. Soo cool! Must have cost a small fortune. It has a display on the side to adjust and a fancy built in copper floor plug.

Thanks goodness while the US open tennis was on I could check  some of the main games at the weirdest times. And they would just stop broadcasting the game at a specific time whether it was done or not to go back to the games China was taking part in to show weight lifting while the tennis was a set from a nail biting finish! aaaarrrgghhhhh!

Must say while I had TV it was interesting to see some historical information they had in a particular show every now and then about the world wars and what they have achieved. They’re a culture that’s quite hard on themselves and their failures but there’s always hope and they always pull through and go the extra mile to make sure they achieve their goal set for them by their authorities, sacrificing much for the greater good.

As you stay here and live among the people you see how communism or socialism works and where it doesn’t. One area where it does work very well is everything is for everybody. No one begs on the street or no old people look destitute. Everybody can cope and is looked after to an acceptable level. The country is continually improving social structures and infrastructure. They’re worse than Dubai. Construction everywhere. High rises of 50+ floors everywhere being built to house the hordes. Amazing. It’s like a living breathing organism. They must be concrete/cement and blasting experts by now! I hear it daily and even hourly from my flat as they construct the railway. It sounds like firecrackers at times! and some times it is….hahahaha.

Thank goodness I found a cheap local wine that actualy doesn’t taste that bad….or maybe I’m just desperate…who cares.

It’s Mid-Autumn moon festival time. Much like Christmas for the Chinese in importance and we’ll be having a week of holidays 1st week in October. Looking forward to some relaxing then as I’m financially still a bit strained to be going anywhere for holidays. I’ll be patient…not yet not yet!

In all the stores the mooncakes are appearing and being handed out as gifts. Also teachers day is approaching and I’ve been getting some prezzies from the kids and mothers….hahahaha didn’t expect that! Flowers, a little packet of something and a dark toblerone! Yes! real chocolate!

The people also placed candles everywhere, this one was near our apartments and apparently it’s for the ancestral spirits.

Bit of a fire hazard if you ask me. Unsupervised open flame in a bush near an apartment block. Anyway, the ancestors were obviously appeased and we’re ok.

Some beautiful sunsets have been happening as the weather started getting slightly cooler, by a degree.

This is on top of the building opposite me. A few other apartment blocks have these little pagoda’s on top but very little temples around the city. I’ll have to go outside to find them.

Went walking around to my favourite mall in town and came accross the Holiland bakery at the entrance to my supermarket. Oh my word, and were they good! Only bought one donut! They know how to bake!’

  I treated myself to a coffee at a cute coffee shop called Cafe bene. They just couldn’t understand my order. i wanted an Americano with hot milk…got a black Americano, no worries, I can do that too.. Same at Starbucks. I’ll have to work on my ordering skills.

The decor was so cute and detailed. Look at the lights at the back, little doves, or birds in it.

My favourite supermarket was a must for some supplies. The display in the middle is all moon-cakes. Every cake is individually wrapped with decadent boxes and wrappings.

I was craving some fresh fruit and bought some grapes and peaches. Grapes everywhere. The bunch I got I could make a good bottle of pinotage from, they were huge and heavy, tightly bunched. Crazy, it looked plastic and weighed over 1kg.

I also indulged in a sushi platter for dinner at a third of our prices at home!

    The fridge was looking much better!!!

The week rushed passed and we were working a bit late at school one evening and Aya, who is my teacher’s adviser, asked me to go with her to get some dinner at the a place below the school before I go home, I was starving  and didn’t know what I wanted, so she suggested the duck, I said why not! and received my food.

It was way too much for me

The boys , Alex and John, were craving pizza from a real Italian chef/restaurant and we decided it was time to go after having to postpone before. We got in a taxi with Rowan a new English teacher and her boyfriend grant and off we went.

  We arrived at a mall we have not been to before and with much excitement we looked for the restaurant. Due to renovations they had moved it to a floor on a food court level, thank goodness it was still here. We arrived and was sat down and soon visited by the Italian chef himself Simone. He was so pleased to meet us and see Alex again. The boys went to go and buy alcohol at a shop in the mall while we perused through the menu. My mouth was watering! It read like a proper Italian restaurant menu.

Simone was so grateful to us being there that he made us a foccacia on the house. He was so surprised that I knew what a foccacia was that he kept on chatting to us throughout the night about the foods and ingredients. I ordered a fritta. A foldover pizza deep fried…yeah!!!! It was divine!! As was the rest of the food. Cold meats and bread sticks. We’ll definitely be back. And homemade ice cream on the way out.

Some of the other restaurants also looked inviting

As we explored the mall we found this awesome figurine store closing up but got some pictures in before we left! Look at the prices, but also the quality of them.

Amazing!

As we left the mall there was dancing going on outside in the square. Apparently it’s a thing these days and people dance in groups, bit of a line dancing affair and coordinated dancing typically instructed by a lady with her radio and music. Sounds very festive but tonight we had two groups going at the same time.

This mall also had a McDonalds and a Starbucks. We’ll definitely be back.

What a night, we then proceeded to walk the streets for quite sometime before eventually getting a taxi back! We were so tired and Alex wanted to go out somewhere, I think all were so tired that after looking for transport for over an hour we eventually took a black taxi just to go home. Thank goodness we were all together in this one! The car barely moved past 10km/h and struggled up hill. I had visions of us being stranded in the middle of nowhere with the overly friendly taxi driver. The guy turned out to be a UN soldier in his younger years so he could speak English and was facinated by us. Too facinated. He had a laugh that sounded like there was something not quote right with him. Like a low continuous chuckle. Never the less, we eventually got home safely and couldn’t get out of the car quick enough.

I was dead and passed out soon after in my cozy bed in my own flat. I was off the next two days so I definitely would be sleeping late.

So my next adventure was taking a bus ride into town for the first time. After making doubly sure which bus to take I was ready with my 2Y = R4 instead of the R100 a taxi charges me to go downtown to our head office in the city. Slight drawback, the trip might take over an hour and is usually busy so standing room most of the time….I can deal. Luckily the bus stop is not far from the school in our main road.

I waited a while and the bus arrived no. 237. It was great seeing different parts of the city and eventually being dropped off at my other favourite mall. Estee.

When the training finished about 2 hours later I walked a round a bit next to the river before catching the next 237 back to Jinyang.

The city is so green and a pleasure to walk in. As I walked I noticed that in a slight clearing behind the trees on the side of the pavement were seating places and older gentleman were hanging up something in the trees and walking from one tree to the next discussing something. As I came closer I realised they were putting birdcages in the trees and on closer inspection I found this type of bird in these cages. I’ve actually seen people carry what looked like a birdcage covered on blue cloth around and never thought much of it. Today all was revealed. It was a type of minah bird. We have them in south africa but with black, brown and white colouring and yellow beaks and colouring around the eyes, here they are a light brown with powder blue around the eyes and they sing beautifully.

It seemed like a daily routine still don’t exactly know what they discuss or whether they actually sell the birds. Very interesting.

I got back to school just before it started raining. The weather has been changing quite a bit lately, more wind and more rain.

Had my first bacon and egg breakfast this week! Smithfield is a brand they have here that is the closest thing to bacon and very nice I might add, only thing is it cooks away to nothing! Clever!

I made extra and ate it for dinner too!! Hahahaha…you can never have too much breakfast!

Louis offered me his bike to buy and I jumped at the opportunity to get around on my own but it turned out to be too small for me (legs too long) and a rip off of another well-known brand , Giant, which then resulted in the quality not being that good. Sadly I had to give it back! I was soo disappointed.

Next time! I’ll check the real thing’s prices and let you know, who wants one!

I took a photo of the school below me when the kids were doing their physical exercise to a cool country style song with shakers in their hands. It sounds so cool. I did take a video as well and will place it on the blog. They are so coordinated.

video

Also found my new favourite less fattening food ever! Shao Main, little noodles. It’s divine, they actually have eucalyptus tasting flavour in it that refreshes your pallet. For only 9Y = R18

One day when I arrived at my flat there was a guy delivering water bottles to our apartments, I thought nothing of it and the next minute when OI was in my flat my doorbell rang. I let him up and the poor guy carried a full 10-20lt water bottle up 4 flights. I thought Jerry from the school finally sorted me out with water a I have a cooler in the house that takes these bottles. He placed it and then asked for 15Y. I gladly paid him and then he wrote out a receipt for 50Y. I eventually understood it to be the deposit for the bottle. Hahahahaha so back at the school I thanked Jerry for organising and she said sorry but she hasn’t! hahahaha so I don’t know if the guy supplied the previous owner or if he just had a spare bottle and took the chance!! Either way I got my water that I have wanted since I’ve moved in. The other thing was that I didn’t have money on me at the time. I had the 15 but not the 50. Wechat is amazing. He just created the 50Y code on his phone and I scanned it with my wechat and it went off my account and he was paid. What a pleasure. The benefits of we-chat is seriously out weighing whatsapp. 🙂

Just as well I got the water because next week is heritage day and our braai day we have been organising follows on the Tuesday because we all work on Saturdays and Sundays. Yeah, organising meat, salads and drinks and I’m getting my housewarming wines from Justin and John. We’re combining the two events.

The day arrives much to everybody’s delight. A much needed letting our hair down event. Pan from school lent us his braai and John and I walked to TP mall to look for charcoal and fire lighters. Quite the challenge for a nation that doesn’t braai/bbq. BUT thanx to translators and Chinese friends at our beck and call we found it in the picnic section. Yes in a box not a bag. We took two.

We were ready!

photo 3

Yes, firelighters. Interesting little things these although just didn’t spark for long enough to get things going, we improvised along the way with supplements.

And the party started!

We then moved to downtown to a new bar called YOLO, you only live once for more partying.

It was great going out for the first time and experiencing different places.

Somehow Sambuca always ends up at the forefront!!! The hubbly Bubbly’s (Hookah) were beautiful. Fruit in the water gave them different flavours. They just looked so eerie. Beautiful bottles.

So after a while here we moved to Uptown the pub Justin took me in the beginning. By now I was tired and we started losing people left right and centre. And I didn’t stay long before I got a taxi home with May’s help at 1am and thank goodness he dropped me off at my apartment, I didn’t have to climb the mountain after all that! I just gave my very messed up flat a glance and said, I’ll deal with you tomorrow…or later.

Next month it’s holiday and my b’day!!! Lert’s see what happens.

Guiyang Gazette Vol 2. Sep 2017 My 3 days off was absolute bliss. Think I caught up on all my lost sleep along the way.