#i had a couple email pen pals through a school thing (so not my own internet friends) when i was like 11

[ratwars]

Suddenly hit with embarrassing memory +3 emotional damage

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Sarah Ellen Parsons

Sarah Ellen Parsons has 18 X-Files stories at Gossamer and 19 at AO3. If you want high quality fic with interesting characters, go read her stories. Some of my favorites of her fics are The Crouching Thing and My Constant Touchstone Who Makes Me A Whole Person (which are two very different stories!). Big thanks to Sarah Ellen for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

With today's binge-watching culture, I'm not at all surprised. You can watch a bunch of eps and then seek out fic that is where you are in the series.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

I took away a writer's group Yes, Virginia, that is still together.  Mostly as friends, but whenever I write something, or someone else writes something, it's the first place we all run for machete beta. I have betad SO MANY novels.

We have a number of folks who are published writers since then and our time in X-Files fic brought us lifelong friendships IRL and made us all better at our craft. The majority of those folks were better writers than I am. And I make my living as a writer in my day-job.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

I belonged to a couple of the largest lists and posted there and bitched about the show on usenet with everyone else.  We had our own Yahoo group for beta.  We all had crappy GeoCities websites that we programmed the HTML for ourselves and hooked through various fandom link circles to get traffic to our stories.  But the main method of distribution was the lists.

Fun fact, I found a free page counter thing that I used at work one time through fandom. So fandom pays off in skillz.

Even without social media, we managed to get our stories in front of readers who would enjoy them. Where there's a will, there's always someone ready to step up and find a way.

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

Again, I have lifelong friends IRL that I got solely from fanfiction. That's the best takeaway.

Fandom disappointed me because it, like everything else, is ruined by people's egos, backstabbing, and petty people who get in positions of power and then use those positions to punch down or dictate. I was young when I was writing X-Files and I still had hope that people would rise to their better natures, so I got involved in various futile efforts to try to make people behave the way I wanted them to behave, I guess. I did a lot of public bitching that didn't serve me or my friends well. I now put that effort into politics, where it does actual good.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

X-files was made for me. It combined science fiction, mystery, horror.  I love all of those genres. Plus there was Scully. No matter how sexist that writer's room was, Scully was awesome. But you kept seeing bad writing. Even in the heyday seasons, like Season 3, there were really terrible eps that made you want to fix things.

I'm a lifelong speculative fiction fan and a published feminist science fiction author. I actually was published before I fell down the fic hole. I got involved in fanfic due to getting my fantasy novel turned down from every major publisher for being "too dark". And I needed to get readers to see my stuff to prove to myself that I wasn't terrible at writing. I got a ton of feedback and it was like market research to see what people wanted to read.

My time in fanfiction made me 100% a better writer than I was.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I went to the X-Files Expo to see if I could make contact with someone from Harper Collins because the tie-in novels sucked so hard.  I got rejected with my pitch as I didn't have a literary agent.

Around that time, a pal who I watched X-Files with IRL was looking for a free X-files wallpaper for her work computer when she found the website where fans in Pennsylvania had fic archived. She read some and wrote to me - "you need to see this, and you can do better."  So I started reading and was.... I probably CAN do better. So I wrote The Batman Plot. And made two friends I'm still friends with with that one story.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

Nonexistent.  I couldn't even watch the latest season and I saw only 2 of season one of whatever that was before I gave up. I have never watched the second movie.

X-files is my first fandom bad ex-husband. I loved it SO MUCH, but it betrayed me.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I was deep into Harry Potter for a while, but I didn't end up publishing anything in it. All my stories were novel-length and I was writing so much for work, I never completed anything. I called Snape/Lily when Prisoner of Azkaban was published and got Jossed by Rowling in one of my big ideas. (This is bad fandom ex-husband 2. JKR will never get a dime of money from me again because of her hateful stance on transfolk. I have RL friends who are trans and NO.)

I wrote fic in Supernatural. It was the obvious next thing after X-Files. However, the misogyny and bringing in all the Angel/Devil Christofascist stuff lost me. The ep where they declared all other religions other than Christianity as invalid and killed a Hindu god made me stop watching for good. I know enough Christofascists IRL that I can't tolerate it in my fiction. (Bad fandom ex-husband 3)

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

This list is far too long to actually make.  But characters I spent time writing about include: Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Co. (I wrote three unpublished Star Trek novels before I found online fandom). King Arthur and Morgan Le Fay, Sherlock Holmes (I wrote a Sherlock Holmes play after seeing "Crucifer of Blood" and entered it in a national competition, where I got very nice comments back.), Mulder, Scully and Krycek, Rowling's Hermione and Snape (like him or not, its masterful characterization), Dean and Sam Winchester, John Winchester and Bobby Singer.  I wrote one comedy story starring Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  A couple of Roswell stories under a different name. Catwoman and Batman. I have some unpublished Avengers fanfic lying around as I'm an OG Marvel fan with a massive comic collection.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I was on a business trip a few years ago and FX had a marathon and I watched part of it when I was in my hotel room. Early seasons are comforting, but I don't go back there now.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I don't read X-Files fic anymore. I read a tiny bit of Star Wars after the second movie because Rian Johnson had it right. Now I don't care. I love Mandalorian, but am content to watch.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

Too many to count.  All of YV. Which reminds me, I need to go update our entry at Fanlore. I promised Punk I'd do it a while back.  I need to at least get everyone linked.  Right now it's only Punk and Sab.

But it was a ton of us.  Marasmus, Maria Nicole, Cofax, CazQ, M. Sebasky, Livia Balaban, Kelly Keil, Wen, Ropobop, Jess Mabe, JET, fialka, and a bunch of others that I can't remember their fic names any more, just their real names because I know them all IRL. I need to go back and look up their fic names and link them up there.

In addition to my little group of pals, I loved reading Mustang Sally and Rivka T, Rachel Anton - I keep trying to find her to encourage her to write romance if she's not doing it already, but no dice, Dasha K., Anjou, there were so many great ones, but their names have slipped my mind in the past 20 years.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

I'm most known for Prone, and I'm proud of that story for all kinds of reasons, but I think my very best is The Crouching Thing.

I mostly didn't publish anything I didn't think was good and hadn't been machete betaed within an inch of its life, but I'm not sure much of the angsty romance stuff holds up as well. I think it worked when the show was still ON and we were all in that emotional headspace, but probably not now.

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

Funny you ask. I am currently reworking a plot idea I had for an X-Files fic into a contemporary M/M novel, which I will publish under a different pen-name. The plot is the idea I had for X-Files, the characters are very, very different other than one is uptight and the other more easy-going. But no more Mulder and Scully.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

I have been making my living as a writer for 25 years. I write the word count equivalent of 5 Tolkein novels a year, just for my day-job.  I am turning back to original fiction, which is where I was before X-Files.  I'm working on the M/M thing, a high fantasy thing, a low fantasy historical thing and a bunch of M/F Regency romances as I get time and energy.  I publish Fantasy and SF under my real name. Romance has pen names as you don't want that getting back to your workplace, either.

SEP is fic only and here she will stay.

Where do you get ideas for stories?

I have too many ideas to count.  I try to write them down when they come, so I won't forget. At least the outline of the idea. Often a scene. I've been like this my entire life. I started writing novels seriously at 15. I wrote a 500 plus page one about Morgan Le Fay during breaks in high school because "Mists of Avalon" pissed me off so bad as I'd read the original source material and that was a Wicca recruitment polemic.

What's the story behind your pen name?

Sarah Ellen was my great-grandma, Parsons was her grandma's last name.

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

Half my friends ARE fic friends. Most of my friends know as does my brother, who thinks writing for free is dumb. This is universally agreed on by non-fic friends who know. My mother still doesn't know about the fic. Just the "real" writing.  I write under a pen name to keep it away from my job and my published work.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

My X-files stuff is up on Gossamer mostly. I'm trying to get the stories all moved to AO3 for all the genres. I'm working on this now.  SEP is really not a living thing anymore, but there was a time when she was more me than me.

If you want to find my "real" non-fic writing, write to me at se_parsons at yahoo dot com and I will point you at it.

And PLEASE someone, hunt down Rachel Anton and get her writing something we all can BUY.  Where are my old Krycek bitches at?  Do any of you know where she is? [Lilydale note: I’ve tried contacting Rachel Anton for this Old School X project but have not had luck. I would love to find her too!]

Is there anything else you'd like to share with fans of X-Files fic?

The community I loved has mostly moved on, but I think we left a legacy of solid work crafted out of our love for the show.  Find a living community you love for a show you love.  There are great people out there creating and get involved.  It will be worth it.

(Posted by Lilydale on December 15, 2020)

[jalapeno-princess]

Write Me a Letter

Mark Tuan X Reader

Genre: THE CHEESIEST OF FLUFF (Featuring the best friend BamBam that everyone deserves)

Word Count: 10.6K

Summary: Being a full-time college student with a full-time job is a hard thing to do. One day when you’re scrolling on your explore page, you stumble on a post with a link to a pen pal website. You’ve always been curious about how pen pals worked and you’ve been interested in making a new friend and writing mail back and forth to one another. After exploring a couple of profiles to make sure you choose the person you feel you’d enjoy writing to, you find Mark’s profile and you end up choosing him from his profile picture of his adorable puppy Milo, his personal interests and the way he seemed passionate about the entire pen pal experience. Over the course of writing to and receiving letters from Mark, you come to the realization that he means much more to you than someone you write letters to that you’ve never met before. When the opportunity comes for the two of you to finally meet, you and BamBam plan out a vacation to California where you finally get to meet the man behind the heartfelt letters.

A/N: Hey guys; so this has to be one of the cheesiest (if not the most fluffy ball of cheese story that I’ve written) and if I’m being honest I don’t know how I feel about this story but I’d like to think it’s cute and I’ve always wanted a pen pal (I love writing letters and I prefer writing letters and receiving mail over getting text messages sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong era but hey GOT7 and I exist at the same time so that’s all that matters) please enjoy! (Oh yeah, by the way, I was 1/4 in to writing this I write all my stories on my phone and I meant to highlight a word in order to delete it but I accidentally highlighted the whole story and ended up deleting it i was so mad at myself and I actually considered not writing it again because I was already so deep in to writing the story but I was very determined to finish it)

“Hey y/n, boss man wants you finished with that proposal by Wednesday.” The groan that fell from your lips was unintentional and as much as you hated showing disdain for your manager in front of your fellow colleagues because of how much pressure and stress he put you through, BamBam was used to seeing you get so worked up over things like this. But he couldn’t blame you; you had a lot on your plate as it was and your manager had a tendency to expect the world from you. 

Working as a paralegal in one of the most prestigious law firms in your state on top of being a full-time student wasn’t the easiest thing to do and some days you found yourself wanting to give it all up entirely. However, you had a goal and you were going to do everything in your power to achieve it; no matter how frustrating juggling both your education and your job could be. 

Your boss would always assign you different projects, expect you to come up with proposals, write essays and find as many clients as possible and what upset you the most, was that he expected you to do it in a few days time. He told you time and time again that he knew you were capable of such amazing things and you weren’t the lead paralegal in your company for no reason. 

There were so many nights where you stayed up working on both your school work and the tasks assigned to you just so you could impress your boss with the amazing quality of your work that you just so happened to finish the same day you were given it. If only your boss knew how much blood, sweat and tears you put in to perfecting all your work before turning it in. 

A tear of frustration fell from your face and you hated showing that you were weak in such a cutthroat business, but BamBam was one of the only coworkers you could trust. Especially because he just so happened to be your best friend. As soon as he heard you sniffle, he made his way over to your desk and gently ran his fingers through your hair before motioning for you to stand up so that he could pull you in to his embrace. He wrapped his arms around your waist as you brought yours up around his back and placed your head against his chest. 

“Hey, don’t cry. I know it can get frustrating sometimes, and I know you’re tired but it will all be worth it in the end. Okay? Hang in there. You’re the most hardworking and dedicated person I know y/n and I admire you so much for it. He wouldn’t give you all this work load if he didn’t think you couldn’t handle it, but if it does get too much for you to manage, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Better yet, remind him of just how much you have on your plate. You’re a student as much as you are an employee y/n. And more importantly, you’re a human. Don’t give me that look, I know what you’re going to say. “But BamBam, I want to be the best. If I don’t do everything I’m supposed to, then I won’t be able to handle opening up my own law firm.” I hate how you belittle yourself all the time. You are the best y/n. Once you graduate and finally open up your own law firm, all the hard work and dedication will be worth it. Your law firm will shit on this law firm, I can already see it.” 

You couldn’t help but giggle at his words. BamBam always knew the right things to say and you were extremely grateful that he applied to the law firm you were working at because he was the only reason you weren’t going insane with everything you had to deal with. He was a breath of fresh air in an office where you felt like you couldn’t breathe at all. You didn’t know what you would do without him there. 

As much as you knew he should’ve been getting experience in his own field, he explained to you that he wanted nothing to do with the fashion industry until he graduated and had to go in to it. Some days you wish you could be like him, you wish you didn’t have to worry about the real world until it was time but you were such a perfectionist and you wanted to experience was the world of law had to offer. 

“He’s going to kill me one day Bam, I swear to God. That man is overworking me to the bone and at this point I don’t even think it’s because he trusts me or because he thinks I’m great at what I do. I think it’s because his lazy ass doesn’t want to do the dirty work. I’m sick and tired of having to do everything for him only for him to get the credit, it’s bullshit.” 

BamBam began to run his hands along the side of your arms and released a frustrated sigh. Everyone in your company knew how much time and energy you put in to your job. They knew how much you wanted to be a lawyer, and that you were one of the most talented and extremely intelligent paralegals in the field. Your boss was very lucky to have you; but at the same time he took advantage of your kindness and generosity and made you work until he was satisfied with the end product. 

“I got an idea, why don’t you and I go on a vacation? You deserve a break y/n. Hey, don’t you have vacation days saved up? You should seeing as how much overtime you’ve been working. Plus winter break is just around the corner. Why don’t we go to California so you can finally meet that lover boy of yours—ow! What? I’m being serious y/n and you of all people should know that violence is not the answer. I can’t wait for you to become a lawyer so I can sue you for emotional and physical abuse—I’m kidding—well not really but the two of you have been at this for months and didn’t he imply that he wanted to finally meet you in his last letter? I should get going, I have to finish that contract with the bank. But think about my suggestion okay? I’ll wait for you to finish so that I can take you home, or if you’re up for it we can go eat somewhere. My treat. Good luck y/n! And don’t stress too much. You wouldn’t want Mark to see those wrinkles and dark circles—I’m out!” 

He playfully squeezed at your cheek before leaving your office and once he was gone, you let out an exhausted groan while bringing your thumb and index finger up to the bridge of your nose and pinched it out of frustration. The idea of writing a five-paged proposal in less than two days made your head hurt. 

Sometimes you wish you had the guts to confront your boss of expecting so much out of you but you were afraid of the aftermath that came with it. Plus, BamBam’s words stuck with you and it was all you could seem to think about. Around six months ago, you were scrolling on the Instagram explore page when you came across a very interesting post about pen pals. From a young age, you were always curious about how pen pals worked and you would get excited at the thought of writing letters to a stranger. 

You were always a hopeless romantic. Everyone in your generation were all about technology and social media, but you still believed in sending postcards, taking pictures with polaroids and writing notes instead of having to use your phone or computer. You were constantly writing out emails and text messages for work and you’ve grown tired of technology and your devices, so you found yourself clicking on the link that led you to a website that gave you a list of people who were interested in finding a pen pal. Once you made your account, uploaded a photo and some information, you began exploring the website and seeing what they had to offer. 

After going through a few profiles, you grew interested in one in particular that just so happened to belong to the boy BamBam was referring to. You were quick to reach out to Mark and to your delight, he responded back in less than five minutes telling you that he just so happened to take a liking to your page also. What you had thought would just be a one time thing, turned out to be letters he would send once every two weeks. 

The longer the two of you wrote to each other, the more constant he would write to you. One letter every two weeks became three letters in one week and you’d find yourself waiting patiently for him to write to you. His letters seemed to be the only thing you looked forward to. Each and every letter you received from him never failed to bring a smile to your face and it wasn’t up until a month ago that you realized you were developing feelings for him. 

Although you had yet to meet him, he already found his way in to your heart and when BamBam mentioned finally getting to meet him, you couldn’t help but grin like a little school girl. Mark had a way with words. He told you he couldn’t even write essays as long as his letters and it was because he just had so much to tell you. If you were being honest, you were a great listener but at the same time, you’d find yourself getting bored of a conversation if someone were to talk about a topic you weren’t interested in for so long. 

There were even situations when BamBam would go in to depth about fashion and you tried your best not to seem like you weren’t interested, you just had no idea what he would talk about but you would always give him your undying attention nonetheless. However, you would read each and every single letter Mark had written to you over and over and you’d never get tired. He would tell you about his life, his job, his dreams and aspirations, memories from his childhood, the new puppy he just adopted name Milo, how living with his best friend Jackson was like and so much more. 

The two of you talked about exchanging numbers in order to text, call and FaceTime each other, but you both agreed that the whole point of the pen pal situation was because you both enjoyed waiting for each other to write back. It was unique, it was fun and writing back and forth with Mark was your little escape from reality. He did mention wanting to meet you, and finally getting to put a face to the letters and you too were curious of what Mark looked like. 

His avatar on his account was a picture of what you assumed to be Milo whereas yours was a picture of GusGus from Cinderella that you got off of the internet. You wanted to keep your identity somewhat of a secret from Mark because it added to the mystery and eccentricity of this whole experience. You were afraid of things changing between the two of you if and when you were to meet and you didn’t want things to stop between the two of you if he were to come to the realization that maybe you weren’t who he thought you were. 

It’s been almost two weeks since you’ve last heard from him and he informed you in his last letter that he was going to be busy for the next few weeks and that he was going to miss writing to you but that you could continue writing to him in the mean time. You’ve sent him at least three letters since he’s last written to you and it was in the moment that you found yourself missing him that you realized you saw him as more than just a pen pal. BamBam wouldn’t let you hear the end of it when you told him of your entire situation and he kept teasing you the minute he found out about your crush on Mark. 

“You haven’t even met the guy y/n. For all you know, he could be a 65-year-old divorced man with two kids living on a farm in Arkansas or even worse, he could be a serial killer trying to lure you in with his sweet and charming words. You do know we have social media for a reason, why don’t you search him up and see exactly who he is before continuing this weird ass relationship.” 

There were times that curiosity got the best of you and you wanted to go and search his name up on Facebook or Instagram, but you told yourself you would wait. BamBam however, was the definition of nosy and would meddle in everybody’s business even if he knew it was wrong to do so. For the business aspect, your boss loved the idea that BamBam would dig up dirt and search for any information that could throw competitors and ex-clients under the bus. What you could care less for, was when it came to your personal life. 

He hardly had anything to be nosy about when it came to you. You haven’t been in a relationship in years and all you had going for you was your job and your schooling. Unlike BamBam, you hated clubbing and going out to bars; you didn’t see the point in wasting your money on overpriced alcohol and pressing your body up against a random stranger. 

Staying in and watching reruns of Cake Boss while eating a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream was how you spent your days off. In BamBam’s words, you were practically a grandma. Even more so when he found out about your pen pal, but he was never once to force you in to anything you didn’t want to do and if you were happy, so was he. When BamBam suggested searching him up, you didn’t think he’d actually go along with it but then again, it was BamBam. What did you expect? Usually whenever he put his mind to something, he’d go along with it. 

“Wow y/n, if this is the guy, you’ve lucked out big time. Damn, if I were a girl, I’d go for him. Not to sound weird or anything, but he’s hot. You didn’t hear it from me though. But who knows, I could be looking at the wrong guy. I’m sure there are hundreds of Mark Tuans in the world.” 

A huge part of you felt like he was bluffing and only saying things like that to make fun of you. But another part of you wanted to yank his phone and see for yourself what he was talking about. 

“Come on y/n, I know you wanna see what he looks like. There’s no harm in taking a peek. Why are you so adamant on not knowing what he looks like? God, the two of you are honestly meant for each other, you’re both elderly people in young people’s bodies.” 

Once you reached the third page of your proposal, you decided to call it a day. As much as you wanted to hang out with BamBam, especially because he offered to treat you which was a very rare thing knowing how much of a cheapskate he was, you were tired beyond belief and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. Although he was disappointed when he heard of your plans, he couldn’t blame you for wanting to go right to bed and he wanted you to get some rest. 

He was also pretty happy he didn’t have to spend money, but he wasn’t going to tell you that. Like the gentleman he was, he took your things for you and led the way to his car. The car ride was quiet, which was unlike most of the rides he gave you considering how outspoken and talkative he could be. At a stop light, he reached for your hand and gently squeezed it as a nonverbal way to let you know that everything was going to be okay. 

There were moments where he’d open his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but after seeing your breakdown earlier, he probably decided that he’d give you some space and not aggravate you more than you already were. Around twenty minutes after the two of you left the office, he pulled up to your guest parking and gave you a gentle pat on the head. 

“Get some rest please? I’m tired of having to correct people when they assume you’re my mom—I swear you get more and more abusive the longer we’re friends for.” You let out a scoff as he rubbed the spot that you hit him at. 

“Nobody thinks I’m your mother asshole. Thank you for the ride home and for comforting me earlier. I really appreciate it Bam. I don’t know if I say it enough but I’m very thankful for all that you do for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He gave you a knowing smirk and cupped your cheek in his palm. There were times where people assumed that the two of you were dating by how much time you both spent together and because of the skin-ship you shared. 

The lingering touches and gentle kisses on your cheek and forehead every now and then weren’t those normally shared between best friends, but you’ve never questioned it. You and BamBam have been friends for almost 20 years, he never showed any romantic interest in you nor did you feel anything for him and you felt it was better off that way. 

The older boy was extremely supportive in each and every one of your endeavors and although you were slowly getting tired of how silly he was acting towards the entire Mark situation, deep down you knew he was just messing around with you and even if you didn’t admit it to him out loud, he had a hunch that you were falling for Mark. All BamBam wanted was for you to be happy and if Mark was the reason for your happiness, then he supported whatever it was going on between you both. 

“Ew, don’t get all sentimental on me. GROSS! Since you’re off tomorrow, if you’re feeling up for it maybe we can go try out that new sushi place. It’s kind of pricey so I’m not offering to treat, I’ll tell you that right now. I’m only a phone call away if you need me. Have a nice rest of your evening.” 

When he drove away, you released a breath you didn’t even know you were holding. Honestly BamBam and Mark were the only people keeping you sane as of right now. If it wasn’t for BamBam’s endless amounts of support and Mark’s kind and motivating words, you’d be an alcoholic. You trudged up the stairs and debated on whether or not you should check the mail because you knew there was no way Mark could have written to you since he was still quite busy and you hardly ever ordered anything, so there wasn’t anything for you to look forward to. Yet you still found yourself making your way to the mailbox and lazily opened the box, not being expectant of anything. 

The minute your eyes landed on the single envelope, your heart felt as if it was about to jump out of your chest. You didn’t have to read who it was from, you could tell by the envelope alone that it was from Mark. He had a unique choice in cards and he would even draw cute little characters and they never failed to bring a smile to your face. Even if you were exhausted and wanted nothing more than to flop right on to your bed, you were now wide awake and had every intention on reading his letter. 

You made a beeline up to your apartment and didn’t give yourself time to do anything before you rushed in to the door and practically jumped on the couch. For a guy, you felt that he had such neat hand writing and if you were being honest, his penmanship was adorable. You’ve mentioned it to him a few times in your letters and he was always quick to disagree. Something about the way he wrote a tiny heart next to your name always made your cheeks warm up. You found it hard to believe that he was turning twenty-seven in just a few months by the way he seemed so childish not only in his writing, but in the little doodles and the way he would write your address in bubble letters. After giving yourself a few seconds to calm your racing heart, you took the note out of the envelope and began reading.

“Dear y/n,                            July 12, 2019

Hey stranger, it’s been a while and I’d like to apologize for that. I’d say work was driving me insane, but I know you have it just as hard juggling your career and your education so there’s really no excuse. How have you been? I’ve missed writing to you and hell, I’ve missed you even more. Thank you for continuing to write to me over the last few weeks even if I failed to do so for you. I promise you I’ll send you so many letters this week the mailman will probably start hiding them out of irritation. Maybe I should pull a Harry Potter and have an owl deliver them to you so they can get to you faster. Just a little update, I got the promotion I told you about earlier which I’m pretty excited for and I know what you’re about to say; I’m sorry for not believing you when you told me that if anyone deserved the lead position, it was me. You know how I can get sometimes, especially when it comes to my job, but I’m very thankful that you see the best in me and you never fail to support me in each and every thing that I do.

I finally went out and tried the strawberry cheesecake ice cream from Baskin Robbins that you recommended and I’m so mad at myself for not trying it earlier. It’s sooooooo good. Oh, Jackson and I went to the bookstore the other day and I saw the fifth installment of the “Series of Unfortunate Events” books and I thought of you and how you finished the entire series in less than a week. You’re insane you know that? But you’re also pretty amazing. Jackson keeps bothering me about meeting you and I keep telling him when it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen. I want you to know though that I can’t wait to finally meet you. Sometimes I forget how old I’m getting when I find myself bouncing off the walls the minute Jackson brings in the mail and I see your letters. I’m not rushing you, but I do have a break coming up here in a couple of weeks (hint, hint) so if you’d like to come up here to California for the holidays, I’d love to show you around ;).

Well, I’d better get going, I have more letters to write. By the way, I have a surprise coming your way in the next few days so be ready for it. Don’t forget to eat all your meals and try not to work so hard. Maybe I should come visit you instead and give your asshole boss a piece of my mind. Anyways, I hope you’re doing well and I don’t care how busy I am, I will make time for you. So if you’re ever feeling sad, upset, tired or lonely, just remember that I’m always going to be here for you. I may not be there for you physically, but just know you’re always on my mind every single day. I’m sure your workload is overwhelming right now, so feel free to take as long as you want to get back to me(but don’t take too long your letters are the only thing I look forward to) Take care and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely, Mark.”

The tears were hot against your cheeks and you didn’t even realize you were crying until the words started to smear and you were quick to pull the letter away to prevent it from getting ruined. Sometimes you had a hard time believing this was all real and not a figment of your imagination. Pen pals were considered taboo; writing back and forth to a stranger about your life and things that went on in it wasn’t something you’d thought you’d be doing but here you were. Mark wasn’t even considered just your pen pal at this point, he was a friend, a confidant; your safe haven. 

His words never failed to move you each and every time he wrote to you, but something about this letter in particular was making you feel things in your heart that you’ve never felt before. For someone you’ve never met before, you felt as if you’ve known him forever. He seemed extremely sincere and always checked up on your mental health and physical being. 

Did things like this actually happen in people’s lives? Were there other people out there who had a unique relationship like you and Mark? The more the two of you would write back and forth to one another, the more you were afraid in actually meeting him. You didn’t want things to change. What if unlike in your letters, he wasn’t as invested in you and what if interacting with him was awkward and uncomfortable? 

You didn’t want to lose his friendship if he came to the realization that he preferred the postal version of you and not the actual you. You reread the letter at least five times and his words had a stronger effect on you each and every time you read it over again. He missed you? It wasn’t the first time he was cheeky in his writing, but this was the first time he admitted that he’s constantly thinking about you and waiting for your letters. But what did it mean? Was it possible for someone you’ve never met to develop feelings for you? 

Surely there was no way Mark could harbor any romantic feelings for you. He didn’t even know what you looked like; so what else other than your letters made him think about you constantly? You came to the decision that you weren’t going to overthink this entire situation and allow yourself to go to bed. All your worries were just going to have to wait until the morning. Unfortunately, your mind was running a mile a minute and there was no way you could find it in yourself to fall asleep. 

As much as you hated bothering him, you knew the only way you’d get to get your well deserved slumber was if you talked to BamBam and told him what happened. You crossed your fingers and hoped he wasn’t asleep and when you heard his raspy voice through the phone, a soft sigh of relief fell from your lips. 

“I’m so sorry to bother you and even more sorry if I woke you, I just—I couldn’t sleep.” He let out a soft giggle, nonverbally letting you know that it was fine. It wasn’t the first time you’ve woken him up in the middle of the night, and he was aware that he was the only one who you could trust in listening to you and getting you to calm down. BamBam felt honored that you could confide in him and he was even more appreciative knowing that you would do the exact same for him if he needed it. 

“You’re fine. You know you can reach out to me whenever you need to. I know I don’t expect anything from you, but just remember; I really like taro bubble tea with boba. 100% sweetness. But that’s besides the point. What’s up?” You nibbled on your bottom lip out of nervousness at the thought of his response to your dilemma, but everything just came flowing out of you. 

“I—I got another letter from Mark today.”

“That’s good! Isn’t that what you wanted? You’ve been acting so gloomy these days and I am completely aware it’s partially because of work, but you and I both know that Mr.Pen Pal has a lot to do with your melancholic mood. So why do you sound so upset?”

“He told me he misses me, that he has a vacation coming up and wants to finally get to meet me and that he can’t stop thinking about me. Isn’t that—doesn’t that sound weird? Like, we’ve never met each other in the flesh. All we do is write letters back and forth to one another. He’s never heard my voice, he has no clue what I look like and other than the information I write in my letters, he doesn’t know much about me but at the same time, he knows everything. Isn’t that strange? And what’s worse, is that I’ve been feeling something, something in my chest that I’ve never felt before and it scares me. He’s practically a stranger Bam! And like you’ve joked around about countless times, he could be hiding his actual identity. He might be writing me from jail, or in divorce court—“ 

Although you couldn’t see him, you’ve been friends long enough with BamBam to know that there was a huge chance he was frowning at your words. You were infamous for rambling on and on about the most unnecessary things sometimes. However, he knew you were genuinely confused and had no clue what to do about this entire situation. But BamBam, considering the joker he was who lived with the “you only live once” lifestyle had a gut feeling that your relationship with Mark was no longer just letters to a stranger. 

He witnessed how distressed you were over the last few weeks not receiving anything from Mark. He’s seen how happy you’d get when you finally did get a letter. He’s heard you squeal and giggle at Mark’s sweet words and he would observe the way you would bite your lip and scrunch your nose in excitement. You’d always go in to great detail about how intelligent, kind-hearted and charismatic Mark was and your eyes, there was always this particular glint in them whenever Mark came up in a conversation. 

BamBam has never been in love before. Hell, he’s never experienced being in an actual relationship, so he never knew what it felt like to love and to be in love with someone. Even if you weren’t in love with Mark, he knew you must’ve had some kind of feelings for him and if he was being honest, if it wasn’t love; he didn’t know what it was. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt you, but can I be honest? I think you’re in love with Mark. And before you can call me crazy and try to disagree, think about it. You don’t need to say it out loud, he’s constantly on your mind the way he claims you are on his. You practically live in front of your mailbox, waiting to get anything from him and don’t you think I didn’t see the small note he wrote for you in your wallet. You spend hours writing notes to him, not knowing exactly what to say because I’m sure you’re afraid of boring him or scaring him away and you’re worried at the thought of no longer having him in your life. If you didn’t love him y/n, you wouldn’t give two shits whether or not he were to stop writing to you nor would you be calling me up to vent about your concerns. I know it’s a lot to take in and it might seem weird because he’s a stranger, but is he really a stranger to you y/n? I feel like you know more about him and talk with him more than you do some of your family members. He makes you happy y/n, in ways that not even I can and I like the effect he has on you. Consider finally getting to meet him won’t you? If it doesn’t work out the way you want it to, then you can end this entire thing completely but I’m sure he will love the physical you as much as he does the person he writes to. Like I said, I’ll come to California with you! I wouldn’t mind going to Disneyland, but I come with a fee—so feel free to pay for my ticket. We can continue this conversation over breakfast tomorrow okay? I hope I helped, goodnight y/n.” 

The following week came and gone in the snap of a finger. You finished the proposal the day after your day off and turned it in just a few hours before your boss was expecting it. Since work was so hectic which you both hated and loved for obvious reasons, it took your mind off of the many worries going on in your head. A few days later, you received another letter from Mark and a box you assumed to be the surprise he wrote about in his last letter. When you opened the box and saw the snow globe that had a couple inside going around an ice skating rink, a huge smile rose on your face followed by a stray tear. 

“This snow globe can be your reality if you come to see me. I remember you saying you have yet to experience snow, so let me be the first one you share that experience with. It’s getting pretty cold up here, so pack wisely; but just know that I’m practically a human furnace and I’d love to warm you up ;). Sincerely, Mark.”

After getting breakfast with BamBam the morning after your little breakdown, you came to the decision that you were going to fly up to California and finally meet the man who owned your heart. You also came to the conclusion that BamBam was right. 

You were in love with Mark. 

You didn’t have to see him or interact with him physically to know that he was where your heart now resides. All those late nights you stayed up thinking about his passionate and heartfelt words, the feeling in your chest that’s been going on for the last few weeks, always looking forward to the mailman coming to see if he’s written to you, reading his letters over and over again to the point where you memorized each and every word. It all made sense. 

You didn’t care what would happen once you got there, your heart was stronger than your mind and it craved to finally meet him. In your recent letter, you told Mark about your plans, and you could only hope he was serious about wanting to meet you and not just messing around. Poor BamBam had to hear you go on and on about rethinking your decision and that it was going to be a mistake, but he did his best to reassure you that everything was going to be okay and that you were overreacting. 

Two weeks after you received a letter from Mark saying that he was over the moon at your decision to fly up to California, you and BamBam started to plan out your trip and put in your vacation time at work. Since you needed a quicker way to interact with him, the two of you ended up exchanging numbers to let him know when you landed so that he could pick you up at the airport. The idea of meeting him as soon as you landed both worried you and excited you. However, you couldn’t stop thinking that the car ride to your hotel was going to be awkward. Luckily BamBam was an amazing conversationalist and if you ended up not being able to converse with Mark, he could do it for you. 

You were extremely grateful that BamBam offered to go on vacation with you. Sure, he kept telling you that he’s been dying to take a vacation and that there were so many places in California that he wanted to visit,  but nonetheless you were glad that you had someone to go with you not only for safety reasons, but to keep you company and to console you if meeting Mark didn’t end up the way you expected it to. The entire months of November seemed to pass you by so quickly and before you knew it, you and BamBam were on a plane to California. 

“How are you feeling? You finally get to meet your Prince Charming, aren’t you excited? Oh don’t give me that look—what do I keep telling you? I swear to God I can’t wait to tell your kids one day about how their mom was so nervous to meet their dad—the first thing I’m going to warn mark about is how abusive you are. There’s really nothing for you to worry about, if things end up going to shit then what can you do? That’s life. But they’ll only end up that way because you made them that way. If you’re worried about what he looks like, like I told you before he’s hot—if I were a girl I’d go for him, if it is the same guy who’s Instagram I’ve been stalking for the last month. If he turns out to be some old dude let’s just hope he has money—ENOUGH WITH THE HITTING. Mark will love you for you, no matter what and if he doesn’t, he’s missing out on such a wonderful human being. I’ve already searched up bars in the area that we’re staying in just in case you need to get drunk. You’re welcome. Now try to sleep, we have a 7 hour flight and those eye bags aren’t cute y/n.” 

You gently squeezed his hand and rested your head on his shoulder. You wanted to retaliate against his playful comments, but you were too tired to even think of anything to fire back with. BamBam smiled softly at your now sleeping figure and playfully ran his fingers through your hair before falling asleep himself. After sleeping for what felt like hours, BamBam woke you up to let you know that the plane was landing soon. The nerves started to kick in again and you found yourself releasing a couple of deep breaths which BamBam got a kick out of. 

“How do I look? Is my outfit okay? Should I go change? How’s my hair? Do I have any dried up drool on my chin?” He gave you a look of disgust and brought his hands up to your face and pinched your cheek. 

“You look beautiful y/n. Especially for someone whose been on a plane for quite some time. Stop worrying, you’re giving me anxiety. No drool, you’re good. Now let’s do this.” Once the plane landed, you sent Mark a quick text saying that you and BamBam finally arrived in Los Angeles and gave him your gate number to which he responded immediately with a smiley face and a thumbs up. From the time you gave him your number up until now, he’d only send you emojis, funny videos or memes. The sweet, heartfelt messages were saved specifically for his letters and you liked it that way. BamBam stood up as soon as the plane landed but you yanked his arm and had him sit back down. 

“Come on y/n, why does it seem like I’m more excited to meet Mark than you are.” You rolled your eyes and motioned toward the line of people that was building up. 

“We’ve traveled together many more times than I can count and you still never learn. Everyone knows not to stand up to try and leave once the plane lands dumbass. I want to meet him, but three extra minutes won’t kill me. Don’t use him as an excuse, you just want to get off the plane.” 

After everyone practically cleared the plane, BamBam reached for both of your carry-ons in the storage bins and led you towards baggage claim. Your heart began racing, time was ticking down extremely fast and your anxiety was building up. You couldn’t help but wonder how Mark was feeling at the idea of meeting you. Was he just as nervous? Or was he excited to finally meet the person he’s been writing to for the last six months? 

When BamBam picked up both your luggage’s, the two of you made your way to the gate and when you saw the person holding a sign with your name on it, your breath hitched. You were so focused on the devastatingly handsome man who you assumed to be Mark that you failed to notice the huge grin on BamBam’s face. His smile was practically cheek to cheek at this point.

“You know, I should quit fashion and become an investigator of some sorts. I fucking knew it was him. I’m fucking amazing.” You let out a small snicker when you remembered the first time BamBam searched up his profile to make sure you weren’t interacting with some freak on the Internet. When he said Mark was good looking, you felt like BamBam was just playing around with you but now that you’re looking directly at him, BamBam’s words were an understatement. He had yet to notice you walking towards him and you were right about to wave him down until the most embarrassing thing possible happened. As much as you were thankful BamBam was there with you, you should’ve known the possibility of him embarrassing you was quite high. 

“Ayo Mark! Over here man!” You shoved the older boy and shamefully tried to hide behind him, but he dodged your movement and continued to wave at him. In your peripheral vision, you could see Mark walking towards you and you allowed yourself to take a look at him so you didn’t look stupid. God, he was beautiful and his smile was indescribable. He began jogging towards the two of you and before your mind could process anything, you were being pulled in to his embrace and he swung you around as if you were light as a feather. He was right, he was practically a furnace and you could feel your cheeks warming up at the feeling of his arms around your waist. 

“Wow, I—you are—wow—hi. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I just—hi. It’s nice to finally meet you. You are so beautiful. Jackson’s description of you doesn’t do you justice. Oh, hello! BamBam right? Nice to meet you too man. Y/n always raves about you in her letters. Thanks for always taking such good care of her. How was your guy’s flight?” 

You remembered Mark mentioning his roommate in a few of his letters and you couldn’t help but smile with the way he was interacting with your best friend. They had only just met, but during the walk to his car they talked as if they were good friends. You were shocked at how natural this all was and you felt so stupid for overreacting at the idea of meeting him. With the way he was acting so friendly and bubbly towards you, you regretted not meeting him sooner. 

Once the three of you made it to his car, he took the luggage’s from the both of you and told you to get settled in. When you took a seat in the front, you turned around and looked at BamBam with a content look on your face. 

“See, I told you. I fucking told you. This guy is perfect. Are you sure you need me here? You’re doing fine on your own. Maybe I’ll have him drop me off to the hotel and you can go with him and get to know each other if you know what I’m saying.” 

You knew exactly what the cheeky boy meant and you rolled your eyes at his words but your chest tightened up at the idea of being alone with Mark. When he made his way back in to the car, he handed you the beautiful bouquet of flowers and buckled up before starting the engine. 

“You’re giving these flowers a run for their money with how beautiful you are, you know that? Sunflowers are your favorite if I remember correctly right? It makes sense. You’re bright, you stand out and you light up an entire room. So, which hotel are the two of you staying at? I’ll drop you both off and then we can go get some lunch or something. I have a few things planned for us but if you guys have other things in mind then that’s fine too.” 

He wasn’t real, he couldn’t be. There was no way. Were you dreaming? Were you and BamBam still on the plane waiting to land? He was charming, gorgeous and quite the gentleman. This had to be a set up. Out of all the people in the world that you could’ve chose to be your pen pal, how did you end up with an actual Greek God who was driving you to the brink of insanity the longer you stayed in his presence? 

“We’re staying at the Grand Californian in Disneyland. We both got the 5 day park hopper pass, so feel free to join us. I’m sure y/n would enjoy it if you came. In more ways than one.” 

The last part came out as a whisper but you were sure Mark heard it and if looks could kill, BamBam would be six-feet-under. Hearing him giggle made your heart flutter; for someone who was just a few years away from thirty, he had the most adorable high pitched laugh and you knew you’d never get tired of hearing it. How could someone at his age be so damn cute? It wasn’t fair. 

“That sounds cool. I’m always up for Disneyland. Wintertime is the best time to go, so you both made a great decision in visiting right now. What do you think about snowboarding? My friends and I are planning to head up to big bear mountain this weekend and it’d be awesome if the two of you came. It’s actually where I planned on taking you to see the snow y/n. It’s one of the only places that actually snows around here, but if you’re not in to snowboarding or sledding, we can go somewhere that requires less physical activity and more sight seeing.” 

You could only pray that BamBam didn’t make his last comment seem dirty and secretly thanked God when all you heard was a soft snicker. The rest of the car ride seemed to go off without a hitch and conversation was mainly between Mark and BamBam, but you weren’t complaining. Since the airport was almost two hours away from your hotel, BamBam fell asleep around 45 minutes in to the drive and a part of you wanted to pretend you were sleeping so that things wouldn’t be awkward, but Mark had other plans. You were playing with your fingers out of nervousness when you saw Mark reach over the console to intertwine your fingers together. His laughter filled the car when he saw you practically freeze at the skin ship. 

“Is this okay? I’m sorry if it seems like I’m rushing things and if I’m being quite honest with you, I’m not normally like this. I’m very shy and extroverted around strangers but we’re not exactly strangers. You know more about me than most of my friends do. Hell, even more than some of my family members. I don’t know what it is, I just feel so comfortable around you. I’m sorry if I’m making it uncomfortable for you, but I’m very excited to spend these next three weeks with you.” 

His words, just like the ones in his letters were pulling at your heartstrings and you gently squeezed his hand to let him know that it was fine; and that you too were just as excited. To both your surprised, you brought his hand up to your lips and kissed the back of it. 

“I’m totally fine with it, really. It’s shocking to hear you’re a shy person when your letters say otherwise. If anything, I’m normally such the extrovert but you’re making me flustered. I’m excited too by the way. We can always ditch BamBam and hang out together, just the two of us.” 

Seeing his cheeks redden at your words made you feel at ease. Thankfully you weren’t the only one who was whipped. The two of you continued the conversation; he updated you on so many different things going on in his life and told you about all the different places he wanted to take you. 

“You have really small hands, but it’s cute. Honestly I think they fit perfectly in mine. You’re so cute you know that? If I wasn’t driving right now, I’d take all the time in the world to admire your beauty. Not to sound rude, but I’m glad BamBam is sleeping. He’d probably laugh at how cheesy I‘m acting right now. That’s why I didn’t want to bring Jackson. Jackson Wang is my version of BamBam and if you think BamBam is embarrassing, just wait until you meet him. I’m actually reconsidering having you meet him, he might just be the one that drives you away. But he’s been wanting to meet you from the moment I accidentally told him about you. I hope you know I’ve never been this way around anyone before. It’s just you. Only you have this effect on me and I like it.” He let out a soft sigh and began to graze your wrist with his thumb before continuing. 

“I um—I—fuck. You know what? I’ll just say it, I like you—no scratch that. I love you. I’m sorry if it’s weird to say considering we just met for the first time less than two hours ago, but I do. I fell in love with you y/n. Honestly right now is not the best time to admit it, but I’ve been bottling it up inside of me for the last few months and now that you’re finally here, I just needed to say it. This whole pen pal situation was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You—you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me and if we weren’t on the freeway, I’d show you just how much I love you and how much you mean to me. You were my sweet escape—my getaway from how shitty life could be and every single time you wrote to me, I had to prepare my heart from practically beating out of my chest. I always thought the idea of butterflies flying around in someone’s stomach was so childish and if I’m being honest, I didn’t think it was possible but shit—you cause actually elephants to run around in my tummy. I promise, I really don’t mean to rush things and feel free to stop me at any moment—“

Since the freeway was not as busy in your opinion considering the fact that Los Angeles had some of the worst traffic in the entire world, or so Mark has told you about many times, you took this chance to reach over and place a soft kiss on his lips. 

“I love you too. You can thank the loud mouth in the back for helping me come to the realization and I too thought it wasn’t normal to be in love with someone I’ve never met or knew what you looked like, but your words—they never failed to put a smile on my face. Whenever I was sad, or if work stressed me out too much, I’d go back to one of your letters where you included a terrible pun or a dad joke and I found myself smiling like an idiot. When I read your letter from a few weeks ago where you said you missed me and that you were constantly thinking about me, I knew that most pen pals and even friends don’t feel that way towards each other. I was afraid of meeting you—I felt like things wouldn’t work out between us but I really don’t know why I was so worried. Being around you is such an indescribable feeling; I can’t find it in myself to stop smiling. And you’re right, you are really hot—temperature wise. But I guess physically too. I just want to thank you, for always supporting me and being there for me even if we still had yet to meet one another. You make my life so much easier and I’m a lot more happier now that you’re in it.” 

You leaned over one more time to place a chaste kiss on his cheek and Mark let out a soft groan causing you to look at him in curiosity. “The next rest stop is in 15 miles, I really want to kiss you right now. You’re a dream come true y/n. I don’t think three weeks is going to be enough time for us to spend together I might need to follow you back home.” 

You softly bit your lip out of excitement before facing the other direction so that he couldn’t see the blush on your cheeks at the thought of him wanting to spend more time with you. 

“I have my own room at the hotel if you wanna come and stay with me during the duration of our trip. Maybe then you can show me exactly how much I mean to you?” Right as he was about to respond to your cheeky remark, the groan from the back seat caused you both to laugh. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely happy for the both of you and I’ve been so supportive of your relationship from the start, but I swear to God if I hear y’all fucking through the walls I’m dropping you as a friend y/n. Lord, what did I sign myself up for. The two of you really are perfect for each other. And stop kissing him y/n. I don’t want him crashing before I can go to Disneyland. No more pda in front of me you freaks! Keep your eyes on the road lover boy. I’m going back to sleep, no more funny business you two!” 

Finally Mark took a cut off and ended up on a highway, bringing the three of you to a red light and Mark was able to steal a chaste kiss from your lips. When you felt him smile in to the kiss, you found yourself returning the ministration. 

“You think BamBam would hate us if I dropped him off at an in and out? I don’t think I can wait to relinquish in our love much longer and I don’t want to continue risking our lives having to kiss you especially since your lips are extremely addictive.”

“He’d be pissed! Don’t y’all dare even think about dropping me off—you horny little bastards can’t even wait half an hour more—you’re getting toilet paper as your wedding gift.” Even if he continued to embarrass you in front of Mark, you couldn’t help but smile to yourself at the idea of marrying Mark. It was still too early to think about your relationship together, but if things were to go in your favor, you wouldn’t mind getting to be the lucky girl who got to marry him.

A little more than half an hour later, you arrived to your hotel to both BamBam and Mark’s delight. After checking in and making your way to your rooms, BamBam gave you both knowing looks since you’re rooms were right next to each other. 

“It was nice meeting you Mark. You make y/n very happy. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen her. You guys are cute together. I’m going to get my well deserved rest. Let me know if you guys are actually going out for dinner. However, after hearing your conversation, you’ll probably eat each other instead—prepare yourself Mark, y/n is extremely aggressive but maybe you’ll be in to that. I’ll tell you both this right now if y’all get loud, I’m switching hotels. THIS IS A FAMILY HOTEL YOU FREAKS. You know, for someone who was so worried to meet this man, you’re taking things extremely well y/n. Okay, with the look on your face I’m going to take this as my leave. Have fun—but not too much fun—you know what? Don’t have fun at all. Suffer.” 

BamBam ran in to his room and left you outside of yours with Mark standing right behind you. You cursed BamBam under your breath for always saying the wrong things. “I know you said earlier that you were worried to meet me, but can I ask you why? like, can you go a little more in to detail? I mean, I was pretty nervous to meet you too, but much more excited.” 

You released a soft sigh before turning around to face him. Since you wanted to have Mark all to yourself before explaining your worries, you entered the room and sat down on the bed; quietly thanking him for bringing in your luggage before patting the spot next to you for him to sit down. 

“I don’t know, I just—I think it’s because I had a hard time believing this was happening. Our friendship—even right now. It’s too good to be true. But I didn’t worry about you, I know you were genuine and I know that the feelings I have for you are the product of how you’ve been treating me and taking care of me in the last few months. Every time I wrote to you, it didn’t feel like I was writing to a stranger. I felt like I was writing a letter to my best friend; someone who I can trust with my entire being. Someone who means a lot to me. But you’ve never gave me a reason to even question whatever it was going on between us. When I came to the realization that I was in love with you, I couldn’t stop thinking that it was wrong and that you’d want to stop things between us if you didn’t feel the same. I was actually afraid that you’d see me in person and think I was some horrendous looking creature and come up with some lame excuse to end our pen pal ship, if that’s even a thing—“ he lifted up your chin so that you were making eye contact with him before stealing a soft kiss from the corner of your mouth. This man was honestly going to be the death of you. 

“Jackson—he did the unthinkable the minute I told him about you but I can’t say it was unexpected. He always meddles in to my business so I should’ve known our situation would be no different. He searched you up on every social media platform and he wouldn’t stop raving about your beauty. I almost caved in and took a look for myself but you had a point in wanting to keep up the mystery. You want to know my real opinion of you y/n? I think you’re gorgeous. I can’t even fathom your beauty in to words. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met and actually it goes beyond just your beauty. It’s how kind and gentle you are. Your words, although they were short, sweet and to the point, I couldn’t stop smiling at the way you would add in nonsense words to describe your boss with and your little drawings were always so cute. I could tell that you were an optimistic and passionate person with the way you’d talk about your goals in life and your plans for the future. I found myself wanting to be apart of it and although I’d find that weird in any other situation, with you it just felt right. Would you like to be my girlfriend y/n? The distance will be rough, but we’ll make it work. You’d make me the happiest man in the world if you said yes.” 

You internally screamed at the idea of dating the beautiful boy in front of you but you nodded quickly before connecting your lips together in a passionate and heated kiss. Your lips melded together so naturally; as if you’ve kissed one another many times and it was a feeling you knew you’d never get enough of. 

“I love you Mark. So much.”

“I love you too baby. Normally I’d be able to explain in to detail just how much, but you have me at a loss for words. Now, I think it’s time to wake BamBam up from his nap shall we?”

[blankdblank]

Hobbit Soulmate Pt 24

Following the directions you had written out after researching maps from Maine, the airport to your next hotel, one oddly metal wrapped hotel in a city of older brick buildings painted lighter shades surrounded by trees. Inside your room the irritating wall of windows was covered and to get ready for the next day of shooting you showered and called your father and Richard after having been texting Lee on your bus ride and walk here. The first week here would be focused on Darkness Falls with a read for The Ring in the week after between scenes continuing your role as nurse in the first thriller. With no costume changes and little variation on locations to be at for you limited to a single building while others were left to more.

Walls of trailers sat waiting for everyone to file into. Among about twelve main speaking actors you had your own to share with the other nurses. It was a simple day today, merely some background scenes but it was laying the groundwork for the scenes to come. Quietly you entered the trailer with the other women chatting as their hair was being wound back into buns allowing you full room of the costume half of the space. A mousy woman just as talkative asked, “Miss Pear I take it?”

You nodded with a grin, “Yes.”

While shrugging out of your jacket she got to shuffling the hangers for your costume. Propping your foot on your leg untying your converse was easy and followed by the second as she unzipped the large garment bag with all you would require. An easy unbuckle of your jeans had them sag enough to grab and step out easily, on top of your folded jacket lying on the chair over your bag the jeans would go. As she eased the uniform out she said, “It really is a straight forward costume. Though I do think the material is nicer than the usual nurse costumes I’ve worked with, at least for comfort with their non snazzy selves.” Her eyes shifted to you in the smooth fold of the jeans you settled into the jacket while she brought out the white pantyhose you would have to wear, “Though these, no helping these.”

Smirking at her comment you had your arms out of the sleeves and in a shrug your baggy t shirt was off over your head pausing her and the hair stylist across the room seeing your toned self in the white colored underwear and bra that you were all asked to supply yourselves. “Can’t stand pantyhose,” You said lowering your shirt that in two easy flicks the sleeves were folded in and the bottom half flipped up to plop the shirt onto your jeans. Your socks were pulled off next, “But at least I’m getting paid to wear them.” Accepting the pantyhose to ease on as gracefully as possible to keep from tearing a seam in the unforgiving accessory they were pulled on and in looking up you asked in her step closer with the step in costume, “Do you just work with us?”

She nodded, “Emma Caulfield has her own wardrobe handler with works with Chaney Kley and Lee Cormie.”

Up over your back over your arms tucked back to ease the sleeves up she lifted the uniform asking, “Is your role really physical?”

In a glance at her when you turned for her to adjust the dress she then buttoned up for you at her silent insistence to do so making it perfect you answered, “Oh, not really, but I have a ballet role in a few months I have to stay in shape for.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Do you do ballet roles often?”

“For films, no, but I have worked with a couple ballet companies between projects. I was too short until last year for most companies to go lead in professional companies.”

A knock at the door had heads turning and a man popped his head in, “Steph we’re having trouble with getting a few of our extras dressed before set time.”

“Right,” glancing between you and him she grabbed your white tie on sneakers saying, “Just these left, Lin is almost done for your hair and makeup.”

“No problem, thank you.” She paused a moment at the odd thanks and flashed a quick grin on darting off to help get everyone else ready for the hospital scenes and Sheriff’s office scenes that would be filming at the same time on side by side buildings.

Against the wall you waited hunched again to tie on the shoes you might as well be barefoot in with the pantyhose if not for the white ankle socks that were tucked inside the thin shoes. With a grin you moved to the chair when called removing your hair clip letting your curls fall down your back for her to wind up into a pinned bun she then brought out the watch they had picked for you to wear helping you to secure it on your wrist. All the while chatting with the woman who just popped in to get you ready right away doing your next to unnoticeable makeup before being called off as well in your move to put your things in your assigned cubby along the wall. With your new copy of Frankenstein book in hand to follow the duo out to the lot that an aid guided you and the others on your ways to your proper sets, being one of the many extras with papers or distractions between takes. Out of the way while the lights were being adjusted after accepting your scene packet for the day against the wall a few eyes shifted to you once you’d read through the packet then lifted your worn second hand book raising curiosity for what the quiet ‘Nurse Lauren Pear’ as named by your name tag was reading.

“Frankenstein?” The Emma Caulfield asked lifting your gaze from the page you folded the corner over closing the book around your finger. “On a horror film set? You must have nerves of steel.”

In her chuckle a weak giggle left you trying to calm yourself to reply, “Two of my friends are in a Dracula film that has Frankenstein and Dr Hyde in it. I’m reading that book next. Tried reading this one when I was little but one of my cousins borrowed it and never gave it back. I got an extra role in it when they do some reshoots so I have to catch up on research and I know Dracula like the back of my hand.”

With a nod she replied shifting her arms around her middle to the chill blowing in from a prop being wheeled into the metal building housing the hospital sets. “Ya on Buffy we have a sort of unspoken rule to have to study up on the history of vampires so I am right there with you. Plus horror genre, not a bad niche. Those your only two horror films?”

“I have a read for another one in a week. Films after I’m done on this one. Little ghost girl who kills people ends up putting me in an asylum.”

“Ooh, nice. So this is a busy winter for you then?”

“Oh yes, was at the premiers for Lord of the Rings in New Zealand and London where I filmed a bit in a film after filming three extra roles back in New York.” Her brows inched up, “And after this next film I have two more roles I’ll be in Texas for a few months on those.”

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever been that busy even with the show.” You shrugged through a grin and she asked, “Are you always that busy?”

“No, not at all. Lord of the Rings was my first film role, and back in September when I got back to New  York there was scores of films needing recasts and more extras due to drop outs of projects out there. From the Directors I met there I got a pack of scripts to read for and it sort of snowballed from there. But I think it’ll even out again by fall. Big plans for you?”

Through another nod and her grin returning she replied, “Yes, I have a few guest spots on some shows and another small film we’re doing the table read for to film next year, but there’s a whole boot camp I’ll have to go through for the last part of the year to get ready.”

“I have to say I kind of like the roles requiring boot camps.” Adding a giggle at the end making her chuckle too.

“They are fun, you aren’t cold?” She asked smoothie her hands over her arms coated by the sleeves of her sweater eyeing your bump coated bared arms when the door had been propped open for several minutes now as a few spare beds were being brought in.

“Used to it. Went to school in New York and London, neither places I stayed in had reliable heaters or hot water.”

Chuckling again she replied, “We’ve all had those apartments starting out. In a better place now?”

“Moved up a floor in New York, so I have warm water if I wake up at two in the morning to bathe, and I stay with my Mate in England at his place, where he has an astonishing house somehow supplied with a working heater and hot water. Brags endlessly.” Making her giggle with you.

“Is it hard being so far from your Mate? Mines out in Canada, been best friends since kindergarten.”

“Aww, so sweet. I only met a few years ago. Started over email as Pen Pals. I was bouncing from school to school from New York to England and I ran into him by chance in a pub by campus after my flight landed.”

“Aww,”

You giggled again, “Yes, now that I’ve graduated, it’s different but easier. I’m traveling for work but we fly out when we can.”

“What does he do, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh not at all, he’s an actor too. He’s with a theater troupe out there most of the year but he’s studying up on a film role, just had a tv trilogy on BBC actually. This new one’s got something to do with being a security guard,” you said with a giggle, “Some murder mystery, not really sure how he’s prepping. Might be in a training course for experience if he’s feeling dedicated enough for it.” Gaining another chuckle from her at your next giggling smile shifting from her to the boy coming over to speak with the woman pretending to be his big sister and guardian.

Friendly and just enjoyable to be around from the former wallflower that had come into their view in their eyes was a vast shift from you now. No longer smiling, and cold with eye rolling galore between paths in and out of the shot. Mainly just talking today from background shots to Emma Caulfield’s lines with her fake brother and the Doctors and techs you passed building an unsettling aura that many a relative and patient in hospitals had witnessed, the nurse equaled to dragons or creatures just as callous to their suffering or feelings. Way more than on the page but to you at least the silence of your empty instructions to sit and do nothing or walk too and fro between what even read cruel you had to play the part and not the bubbly ray of sunshine who would turn harsh when alone.

Steadily harsh throughout was your plan and by the smirk on the Director’s face on instructing actors what notes to add to their next take or scene a wide yet bashfully proud smile split across your face as he said, “Miss Pear, keep doing what you’re doing.” Always however between takes the bubbly came out again. And jokes for the young boy kept him distracted at least while you were around to allow realigning the camera or props. Most commonly having the set echoing with his giggles to your jokes and stories you bonded with him to keeping him where they needed him and away from running off for his gameboy sure to delay things for to long.

..

It was a lovely first week on set and with your first two days off with map in hand you were off to figure out where your table read was. “Two blocks,” Shifting the map slightly to read the address on the call sheet notice you’d copied from your email this morning right into your side a body collided and in front of you another map fell.

“Oh shit, sorry,” the man said as you bent to grab his foldable map you passed back then stopped to point at him making his brows inch up.

“Hey you’re heading to the read too, right?”

“For, The Ring?” He asked lowly as if he’d be tackled for saying the just barely still pre production film out loud in the streets.

“Ya, I’m playing Becca, you’re the lead future dead guy.”

In relief he chuckled and accepted his map, “Yes, well, future dead guy is lost. Gave my cab the wrong address I guess and he dropped me at a corner by a gas station bout half a mile back.”

“Well I think it’s two blocks. Went to school in New York, so maps are kinda my forte.” Making him smile and join you on the path only to look down spotting on the side of your middle and ring finger a heart and the word ‘Morning’ written in two different styles he’d noticed following your gaze to your sudden giggle.

“New tattoo?”

Glancing up at him with a grin you shook your head, “No, my Mate’s up. He’s out in England. I always write morning when he’s sleeping and he writes back when he wakes up.”

His smile crept out saying, “That is adorable. All I get is some bad Ozzy Osbourne echoing in mine’s showers.” Making you giggle again as he remembered to pull a band-aid out for his Mate Marker to cover on the side of his finger so the singing wouldn’t disturb him while reading today.

“That is nice too. I get his singing at night while he cooks and showers. Love in an Elevator.”

“Classic,” Making you both chuckle again. “Ooh.” He said seeing a car with cameras drive by, “Must be getting close.” On the corner you saw a block away a taxi stop and out of it you saw Liev Schreiber step out to help Naomi Watts smiling in accepting his warm hug and kiss goodbye captured on film before his climb back in to head wherever taking the cameras with him when she hurried inside. “Aha, the finish line.” He looked down at you asking, “Were you going to walk everyday?”

“It’s not far. Just about ten minutes on foot. Used to hoofing it.”

“Well if I do pass you up I’ll stop to let you in, weather apparently is fickle out here.”

When the crossing light changed you crossed only to spot the other teens crammed in a single taxi piling out after realizing they were staying together at the same hotel and wished to save some cash by pooling funds. “Hey.” He said waving to the teen who recognized him.

Into the group you blended and the teen girl you would be doing the earliest of your scenes with at the apparent sleepover asked, “Which hotel are you at?”

“Bit-Moore? I think,” looking at your room key keychain you pulled from your pocket you said, “No, Jaybird, oh that’s right the Bit one was in Canada...”

She smiled saying, “You’ve been to Canada? Have you been skiing yet? I love their slopes.”

“Not yet, bit scared to ski honestly.”

In a chuckle she replied patting your arm, “Trust me, I was nearly in tears first time I went but now I love it. Just love it.” Flashing her a grin you tried to mask the fact that you would most likely never ski nor wish to try hoping that someone would change the subject only for Amber’s eyes to flinch wider as she said, “Oh my god, your eyes are purple!”

Seemingly shuffling to all get a better view of your bright eyes lit by the light pouring in through the large windows in the front lobby. Each person gawked while curiously after being buzzed through the door to the back Naomi eyed the group deciding to wait on her own peek at the purple eyed stranger hidden in the group of cast mates coming for the table read. “So pretty,” echoed around from a few of the female teens while the guys gave a sort of nod and at the gentle pat on your back from your self decided carpool buddy, Martin Henderson, the group shifted to the main desk to let the curious woman behind the desk know what your group was here for.

Amber again took your side as you all waved your way through the door confirming from the stack of headshots who had arrived that she checked off her official list counting how many more were to come. Patting your arm again she said, “That was rude. Wasn’t it?”

You shook your head, “Not at all.”

“Still, I’m sorry you must get that all the time.”

“Not really.”

“Seriously?” Said one teen while another replied, “You must be joking.”

“No, well, you see I grew up in Texas and my dad’s brothers all look exactly like him, so all us cousins look alike, dark hair and purple eyes with a few green eyed stragglers in between.” Making one of the male teens chortle to himself at the term, “So when we went to school it was just another one of us walking through the halls. Only the transfer students or foreign exchange students were shocked really. Then I went to England for college when I was sixteen after skipping a few grades and I don’t think I’d seen so many bloody noses from collisions and just wide eyed stares. My first day moving in to my dorm and this big rugby player just stops staring so I turn around thinking there’s a spider or a mad dog or something behind me and it took about ten people either bumping into things and just staring for me to ask the lady at orientation day if I had something on my face or clothes,”

Martin Henderson, “What’d she say?”

“Purple. Just looked me dead in the eyes the whole time and all she could say was purple. Sad to say I’d just gotten off my flight so it took a few minutes to click but I got used to it and it sort of rippled around campus and everyone got their turn to gawk and then it calmed down till family or friends would visit.”

Amber, “Just like that?”

“Just like that, because then the people who had heard me talk let everyone know that I was from the States and I became a different type of sideshow for their interest. So by the time I got hired as a waitress I picked up the accent because I was not going to be the purple eyed Southern Belle to every single person seated in my area.” Making the teens chuckle as you let out a giggle filing after Martin Henderson into the conference room where Naomi and a few of the actors playing her friends and coworkers mingled over coffee.

Another teen asked, “So it’s just been like that since leaving your hometown?”

“Little bit. I mean my southern accent didn’t help in Julliard but the eyes helped me to get more than a few photographers willing to snap pictures helping to get some headshots and a book for some printed ad work. Work what you got, even if I was under five feet I made it work for me. Might not know your name but everybody is curious when they hear or read about the eyes on my resume.”

One of the male teens nodded his head saying, “Certainly gets your foot in the door at least.”

The guy to his right said, “Ice breaker for sure. I hear a chick has purple eyes, man, I gotta check that out.”

Starting off groggily the Director entered and swiveling heads led to everyone finding their own wheeled chair. Smirks spread at the call to wheel around the table to the empty patch of the room for cast on each scene. By the break for lunch the scenes with the other teens were done and you would return for another hour at least to talk about your asylum scenes you had been aching to get to. Notes and details on extra things to add to the performance halfway read as for performance merely to get a tongue for the lines and tempo wished for each scene. A question of using Naomi’s hand added what would be a whole layer of sinister to the scene that the director asked you to try and keep from blinking through the day of. All the same once those were through with the guard and nurse for your lone scenes in the asylum you were free to head out back to your hotel.

“Hey Richy Rich, love you, just checking in to say that my read is done and I can’t wait to hear about that meeting of yours. Talk to you later,” a hard bump into your shoulder from a man taking up his and your side of the walkway nearly making you drop your book, “Jackass!” You shouted that in his turn to shout at you when he hit you, a reach for your bag ended in your swift kick between his legs spurring a pained squeal from him in a drop to his knees clutching his groin in a collapse forward. Shaking your head you passed a parked cop car that had expected to be chasing a purse snatcher only to be on the verge of wheezing from laughter at how the man’s scuffle had ended. “Shit,” you muttered seeing that the call had ended and no doubt Richard would have a surprising message.

You would have called back only a call from a friend from Karl Urban, “Hey Gimli, I sort of have a favor to ask.”

“Alright,” you replied with a smirk, “I may sort of have a way to help you out. What’s the favor?”

“Well, that film I told you about, Ghost Ship, it premiers this weekend in New York, and for the life of me I can’t seem to book a hotel room.”

“Well no doubt it’s pageant week.”

“Pageant week?”

Softly you giggled saying, “Well I don’t have much sway with hotels but you could crash at mine. I have a three day weekend so I could fly back-,”

“You aren’t there? If-,”

“I’m just in Maine, six hours by train but I could find a red eye for cheap, Lee called yesterday anyways he’s got a show at school he’s anxious about I could surprise him and sit in.”

“You wouldn’t mind? Plus my Lady couldn’t get off for the trip so you could be my plus one if you’re up for a thriller.”

Giggling softly you replied, “I seem to be in a thriller mood lately, just finished my read for my second.”

“Really, wow, when do they start?”

“One is started already, lasts another couple weeks, the second starts next week for a few. Not that big for roles, fleeing nurse and teen locked in an asylum.”

“Ooh, asylum thrillers are fun. Can’t wait to see it.”

“Well I can’t wait to see yours, Ghost Ship, sounds fun on the title alone.” Making him smirk, “How’s your Lady Love handling your trip?”

“Good, excited. I’ve been talking about breaking from simple background for so long it’ll be good for her to see I’m gaining some momentum. How’s your Mate, will he be alright with my staying over?”

“There won’t be any jealousy issues, he’s got a meeting today about a few possible parts and even a commercial, which he’s skeptical about. I don’t know if he was teasing about his snogging a watermelon part of his message,” Karl laughed through the line making you giggle again, “I kind of hope there’s a tape if there is any fruit snogging involved. But when my dad stayed there we got a couple mattresses to lay out in my half bed.”

“Half bed?”

“You’ll see, it’s nothing lavish, so please don’t expect that.”

“Oh no, trust me, I will be grateful for the floor and a hook for my suit.”

“Well I can do a bit better than the floor, even feed you too.”

“You are so kind,” a beep on his end had him saying, “Sorry, that’s my other line but I will see you Saturday I will text you the flight time and all that.”

“Have fun, talk to you later.” He repeated the sentiment and you hung up exhaling sharply taking the last turn for the final stretch to your hotel. Curiously you paused on your way to the open lift halfway filled and headed for the front desk where the grinning manager came over eager to help you. With a grin you said, “Hi, I have a question, I have to fly to New York this weekend for a few days,” he nodded, “That wouldn’t effect my reservation here, will it? I won’t find I’ve been booted out for not using the bed for a few nights?”

To himself he chuckled and said, “Not at all, Miss Pear. No, you have booked the room and used or not the bed is yours through the next month. Especially in our rainy seasons we have guests skiff out to clearer towns for nights out. Would you like us to call you a taxi for your flight?”

“Um, sure,”

He nodded and said, “When you have confirmed the flight time simply call us and we will note it in our books for you.”

“Thank you.”

“You are very welcome, Miss Pear. Have a lovely evening.” He said and you nodded, turned for the lift to head up to your room to eat something and book your flight.

Sure enough after messaging Lee and emailing your friends from Oxford Richard did call back laughing about his message he just had to hear the explanation for the outburst at the end then delved into his meeting again smiling as he deflated a bit being able to speak with you again after a rough night alone. Having shared a dinner on one of the fifty anniversaries Richard loved to point out and make special even over distances tonight would be much better for him while you laid there sighing at the empty hotel room without any power from a downpour that somehow hadn’t lulled you to sleep just yet.

.

The Ring came more complex with you befriending some of the teens you were to be pictured with up at a cabin and also in the house where your friend would be killed by the ghost girl. The Asylum scenes however led to your greatest stretch of the role landing you across Naomi who fed off your convincingly chilling portrayal of a broken haunted person. It took a few days for her to shake off the encounter with you so contradictory to your bubbly self helping to lighten the mood between your hard scenes, a much needed distraction however lacking once you had left the rainy state.

Two hours was all you managed to steal for a nap before the day of uniform wearing concerns for Lee Cormie for the scenes before his attack that would be filmed later this week.

Each day you were able to get a bit more sleep while realizing the change was from the sugar pill week of your birth control pills always roughing up your sleep patterns with the dull cramping and soreness to your breasts you always forgot about until you ended up brushing against or rolling onto your stomach or sides. You weren’t a back sleeper normally and this was what you were reduced to, at east with Richard you ad a body cuddled across you to nestle against. Now you just laid there on the useless bed might as well being on the floor for how uncomfortable you felt at the whims of your body in a petty revenge for not using another of your perfectly good eggs it had worked so hard on.

Friday came and before you had realized it Lee was yet to be informed of your return. Takeoff however had your eyes drooping and a tap of a hand on your shoulder had your lips pursed lifting your head from the wall by the window, “Lighthouse, right.” You blurted out making the flight attendant smirk as she had come to make sure that out of the thirty people on the flight you and the other two stragglers were aware of the landing. “Sorry, New York?” You asked unbuckling seeing that the guy across the aisle was gone from his seat with the overhead bin open and empty.

“Yes, do you need help with your bag?”

“Um, probably, had some help getting it up there.” She nodded and stood again to bring your satchel down as you stood bringing your purse from under the seat holding your books and travel papers. “Thank you,” you said taking the bag to walk in front of her blinking awake with subtle swipes of fingers around your eyes thankful for forgetting your make up today. Too tired to care about being seen this exhausted. With duffel picked up in baggage claim the familiar bus then train trip back again came to an end on the sidewalk leading to your stoop.

“Hey!” Out the front door Lee’s eyes snapped open and down he trotted making you grin and accept his tight hug, “You’re back!”

“Yes, thought I’d surprise you at your show. Plus a friend needed a bed for a premier he asked me to.”

That had his brows inching up once you were on your feet again, “Oh, which friend?”

Smirking at him you said, “He’s married with a son at home, Karl Urban from New Zealand. Didn’t know it was pageant week filling hotels. But his lady couldn’t make the trip so he’s lending me his plus one to Ghost Ship.”

“Ooh, that one looks good.”

“Yes it does, and you should be off. I have to nap and try and think up a dress, might just wear my purple one again with a vest, or something, don’t really trust my boobs right now to be out,” His brows shifted in his glance to your chest in the step you took around him, “Go head to class. See you at two.”

“I’m glad you’re back, even if it’s just for the weekend.” Stealing another hug and peck on your cheek.

Pt 25

[nicnacsnonsense]

A while back I made a post about a Good Omens You’ve Got Mail AU that was a little... unconventional. And I still stand behind that version 100%, but my brain decided it was time to circle back around to this particular AU. And the end result I have here is still a little unconventional, but much less so.

To start with we’re going to go ahead and update the setting to present day. Well, not *present* day but like 2018/2019 present day. So obviously meeting in an AOL chat room is a nonstarter. Instead they meet on Goodreads. Crowley leaves a long and scathing review of Hamlet because those are his genuine feelings on the play and because he likes stirring up shit. Aziraphale sees this review and is appalled, so sends Crowley a message in response debating his points. From there they get to talking and keep talking and next thing they know they’re virtual pen pals. At one point Crowley tries to look Aziraphale up on social media, but fails to find anything. He instead just asks him if he has an Instagram or Twitter or something. Once Aziraphale understands the question, it is established that Goodreads is as social as his media gets. They decide maybe they’ll just keep it to emails and keep it all anonymous; that that could be fun.

Now here’s where we start to veer into a little unconventional. Crowley is the small business owner. He owns a plant shop/nursery. He got kicked out of the house at 16 and had to scrape and do some things he’s not proud of to get by, but now he’s got himself his own shop and is doing pretty well. Anathema and Newt are his employees and he oscillates between acting annoyed at their couple-y behavior and being super smug claiming he’s the one who got them together since they met at his shop.

Aziraphale owns a one-third share of a chain of general merchandise big-box stores he, along with his older siblings Gabriel and Michael, inherited from his mother. Gabriel and Michael spout a lot of the rhetoric about how their stores are a good thing because they offer one stop shopping at discounted prices and other such things. Aziraphale echoes the same sentiments, but it’s clear he has some private doubts about the way they run business. His job in the company is head of PR, which he doesn’t necessarily enjoy but his siblings want him there because he comes off as very likable. Sandalphon is the VP working under Aziraphale, and he is very through about filtering information so Aziraphale only has to see and deal with the things he needs to know — the standards as to what Aziraphale does and more importantly doesn’t need to know are set by Gabriel. Aziraphale also has a friend, Madame Tracy, who he met because they go to the same manicurist.

Our story proper starts with a new superstore about to be opened up not far from Crowley’s shop. This is a problem for Crowley because the store is going to have a garden center, which will be direct competition for him. Not every store in the chain has a garden center but this one, located in the same neighborhood as a local plant shop, will. Funny how things turn out like that.

Aziraphale is out walking, getting a feel for this neighborhood where their new store is going to be, when it starts to rain. He planned ahead and brought an umbrella, but Crowley, who was making a quick trip to grab some coffee, did not. Aziraphale finds him hiding out under an awning and offers to share his umbrella and walk Crowley back to his shop. They do, and Aziraphale fawns over Crowley’s plants, they talk and flirt a little, then Aziraphale leaves. Newt and Anathema tease Crowley a bit, pointing out he should have asked for Aziraphale’s number and Anathema suggests Aziraphale is Crowley’s email boyfriend. Crowley tells them both to shut up and it’s all good banter. (Side note, neither Crowley nor Aziraphale have any sort of preexisting significant other in this version.)

Jump ahead to the next time Aziraphale and Crowley meet in person at a charity event or whatever. Crowley is understandably pretty upset when he finds out who Aziraphale really is and gets very accusatory. Aziraphale gets defensive and the conversation does not go well. From there we get the back and forth with Crowley attacking the superstore to protect his and other small businesses, and Aziraphale trying to defend his company and their actions.

Eventually Crowley starts getting really weighed down with all this and decides fuck anonymity, he wants to meet his virtual not-boyfriend and get in-person support (and, look okay, he’s not saying he wants or expects cuddles, but it they’re on the table, he’s not going to say no). Aziraphale agrees and they arrange for a place to meet. Aziraphale gets there first, and when Crowley arrives he does a sneak peek in the window and sees Aziraphale sitting there, wearing the tartan bow tie he chose as an identifier. Crowley freaks out and basically turns tail and runs.

He wanders aimlessly for a long while, continuing to have a mental breakdown over everything. Eventually he makes his way back to the meeting spot with the vague idea that he needs to tell Aziraphale what’s going on. But when Crowley gets there Aziraphale is walking out the door, bow tie nowhere in sight and trying very hard to pretend he’s not crying. So Crowley feels like shit and certainly can’t tell Aziraphale the truth *now*. Instead he offers Aziraphale some comfort over, you know, whatever it is Aziraphale is upset about, obviously Crowley wouldn’t know anything about it. Aziraphale is surprised and touched and in return offers a semi-apology for everything going on between their two companies, throwing out that line that it’s not personal, it’s just business. Crowley refutes that, sharing some of his backstory to highlight how it’s very personal to him. He then follows up with some pointed questions about the things Aziraphale’s business is doing, but for once makes it clear that he’s not trying to attack Aziraphale personally and genuinely believes that Aziraphale might be innocent and ignorant of it all. They part ways fairly amicably.

Crowley goes home, freaks out some more, goes to work the next day still freaking out — not helped by Anathema pointing out that she did try to tell him way back in the beginning that Aziraphale was his mystery guy — and continues to freak out for the rest of the day and the next. Finally he manages to mostly sort through it all in his head and decides he forgives Aziraphale. And now that he’s not fueled by spite he acknowledges that while he does have a good chunk of money saved up to keep the business afloat for a while, it’s not sustainable, and he’s better off quitting while he’s ahead. He sends Aziraphale an email apologizing for missing their meeting, blaming work stuff that came up. He goes on to say, without getting into too much detail, that he’s having to close his business down. He says he’s still processing and doesn’t want to talk about it right now, but he’ll reach back out later. At this point he has no intention of doing that; he’s forgiven Aziraphale but he doesn’t want any part of the unethical business Aziraphale is helping to run.

Meanwhile, after their conversation Aziraphale goes home and frets, then ends up looking further into some of the claims Crowley made. He finds out they’re true and frets about that and what it means. Then he gets the email that his friend is shutting down his business and frets about that too. Then the next day he’s in a meeting with Gabriel and Michael and a lot of the other company heads fretting and is told that Crowley’s announced his business is closing down. Which is now really just too much at once; his friend and Crowley — who’s actually not that bad at all — both having to shut down their businesses at the same time and— Wait a second. The lightbulb comes on and Aziraphale realizes Crowley is his virtual pen pal. He stands up, right in the middle of the meeting, quits, and just walks out.

Without even really thinking about where he’s going he ends up in front of Crowley’s shop. At which point he realizes what a terrible idea this is; in the email Crowley had said he didn’t want to talk and even if he did want to, he certainly wouldn’t want to talk to Aziraphale. But Newt sees him standing out there and tells him to come in. There’s a few awkward exchanges between Aziraphale and Crowley, and then Aziraphale suddenly erupts into word vomit. Crowley was totally right about everything, his company was up to shady stuff, and Aziraphale didn’t know, not that that’s any kind of excuse, but he did quit as soon as he heard and—

Crowley’s brain shuts off for a minute there after that, and boots back up when he realizes Aziraphale has stopped talking and is just standing there super anxious. Crowley asks to confirm that Aziraphale quit his job and Aziraphale says yes he did. So then Crowley suggests, hey we’re both unemployed now, tempt you to lunch? Which is not in the least what Aziraphale was expecting, but he agrees, and they go off for a lunch date at like 10:45 in the morning.

For those keeping score at home, yes at this point both Aziraphale and Crowley know the other is their virtual pen pal, but neither of them know the other knows and they’re not telling. Because they’re idiots. So during this courtship time we establish that Crowley is planning on going to school to get certified for landscape design — something he’s actually been interested in for a while but never had time to do. Aziraphale comes to a deal with his siblings for them to buy out his portion of the company. He plans to use a small chunk of the money to support a comfortable but modest lifestyle, and the rest is going to fund activism against unethical practices in large corporations. Fortunately Aziraphale has a lot of experience in handling public relations which will come in handy for that kind of thing.

Eventually, with a couple of kicks in the butt by Anathema and Madame Tracy, Aziraphale and Crowley “confess” to each other that they are the other’s email buddy. Cue friendly laughter over them both being idiots, and they live happily ever after. The end.

[the-cookie-of-doom]

I had a cute little Stargent idea.

Basically the other day my friend’s dad and I talked about childhood penpals, and I’ve still been thinking about mine, wondering what she’s up to now. At my school, we had a project to do pen-pals for the year, and the teachers kind of assigned them to us. Because I lived on a military base, the people we were writing to were military people stationed away from home (home being Germany at the time).

So imagine Stiles in fifth/sixth grade getting the assignment. Everyone else is rolling his eyes but he’s excited because he loves talking, and talking to new people, and it’s gonna be super fun. So he writes to Chris a couple times throughout the school year for the assignment.

For a little while after that, communication drops off, Stiles is busy with other things. Then comes ninth grade, Stiles is going through some boxes, and finds Chris’ old letters. Filled with nostalgia, he decides to try and contact him again. By this point, he’s a little sleuth, and it takes about a week, but he manages to find out where Chris is stationed now. Decides to send him a letter, say hey and all that. 

He’s very pleased when Chris responds. After that, because Stiles is a Big Kid and email is a thing now, they start emailing. Which is great, because he doesn’t have to wait as long to talk to his friend.

They trade emails all through high school. Chris gets to hear about everything, from Stiles competition with Lydia (who he insists is the love of his life) to be valedictorian, to his sexual awakening sometime around the summer between sophomore and junior year. Chris offers advice, trades his own stories, sends pictures of what it looks like wherever he is. (He moves around a lot, and Stiles wonders what he actually does.) 

Stiles is just turning 21 when Chris is finally getting out, retiring after 20 long years of hard missions. And he’s coming right back home to the small city of Beacon Hills. So there Stiles is, waiting in the San Francisco airport with a sign with Chris’ name on it, with the Daddiest person Stiles has ever seen walking over with a smile he’s only seen in pictures. 

If he thought he was gone on the man before, he knows he definitely is now. 

[ladymagicandchance]

Fanfiction Recommendations

*I used the authors’ summaries*

Light hearted

Secret Santa by TheLastPilot

Adrien and Marinette draw each other’s names in their classes secret santa and do their best to get the perfect gift.

Kiss and Dash by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

It starts of when Marinette kisses Adrien on a dare and runs off but it really spirals out of control when Chat Noir takes revenge with his own kiss and dash. Do all people kiss the same way? Adrienette/Marichat/Ladynoir/Ladrien.

Quiet Ice, Silent Nights by TheLastPilot

Cat Noir is on a late night run about town when he catches sight of a lone ice skater. To his great amazement it’s his classmate, Marinette.

Lucky Us by Princess Kitty1 *This is one of my personal favorites

-AU- Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s life isn’t going as planned: twenty-six, recently dumped, and running her parents’ bakery. The highlights of her day are the emails sent by her mysterious pen pal, Chat Noir. That is, until handsome model Adrien Agreste starts swinging by the bakery after hours. But how is he to know the Ladybug he loves is standing right in front of him?

Princess Day by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley *I don’t usually go for Marichat fics but this one was cute

When the Mayor of Paris announces a new holiday called Princess Day, which everyone knows is just an excuse to spoil Chloe some more, there is no one Chat Noir would rather spend it with than his very own princess.

Workout Buddies by wonderbugs *Adrien and Marinette grow closer

When Adrien saw Marinette in the gym, he couldn’t help it. He just HAD to join in.

check yes juliet by exosolarmoonlight  *mixed reveal

He was never meant to hear it. “If only asking out my crush was this easy.” Ladynoir. Canon-verse. Angst and humor. Reveal fic.

Pick-Up and Chase by SKayLanphear *My favorite author and story

After she accidentally trips into Adrien and apologizes about “falling for him,” Marinette learns that he’s no match for cheesy pick-up lines–whether they were unintended or not. And while she finds it flattering that he turns into a flustered mess with only a few words, Marinette comes to regret making him uncomfortable. That is, until she learns he’s Chat Noir. At which point the phrase “just desserts” becomes a permanent fixture in her everyday plans.

A story in which Adrien is flustered, Marinette is smooth as glass at dropping lines, and Chat Noir gets the romance he was always asking for–even if he doesn’t quite know how to handle it.

Fourteen Days of Valentine by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

How unfair it is that Christmas gets a love song like that while Valentine’s Day, the holiday for giving your true love gifts, have no songs at all. I’m thinking of Fourteen Days of Valentine.“ Chat Noir begins to woo Ladybug, promising a gift every day leading up to Valentine’s Day…but they don’t see each other every day, right?

Paws Fur Coffee by Zaphirite

He was so sure that Ladybug would already push him off a rooftop if she knew his civilian identity worked at a café called “Paws Fur Coffee” of all names, but his flub on the chalkboard menu just topped it all off. His neat handwriting read back to him: “Chai Noir”. (In which Adrien has some cool drink ideas and gets to know a regular customer) [Cafe College AU]

Nothing is as satisfying as a good romantic reveal 

Art Credit to https://nokkiart.tumblr.com/

Drama/Angst

These aren’t too bad because I can’t stand to go through the suspense of intense drama, but still they are all gems

Wingless by spectaclesandbooks 

The last person Marinette wants to discover her secret, is of course, the first one who does. But what price will Marinette have to pay to buy Chloe’s silence? And what toll will it take on her and those around her? Namely, one very worried kitty cat… LadyNoir/Marichat, etc. Angst, fluff and all kinds of fun

Chasing the C/h/atwalk by Inkkerfuffle *Aged up, hidden gem

Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

I do? by SKayLanphear

Marinette and Adrien are getting married! Unfortunately, Adrien is bothered by the fact that he didn’t invite Ladybug, while Marinette gets cold feet every time Chat Noir flits through her head. A story of mixed up love, rash mistakes, and two oblivious superheroes who should have figured things out a long time ago

My Last Thoughts are of You by SkayLanphear

When a freak accident sends Marinette into critical condition, the only thing she can think about is Chat Noir. She wasn’t going to make it and someone had to tell him. Otherwise, he’d never know what had happened to her–why his lady had never returned. And, as it just so happens, Adrien is there with her near the end, so she decides that he can take the message to Chat just as well as anyone.

On The Prowl by ghostgirl19

“I’ll be fine, Alya. It’s only a couple blocks.“ "But it’s ten at night, it’s not safe. Especially with that Chat Noir prowling around.” AU

Trouble in White by imthepunchlord *I don’t really like akumatizedchat! but this one was good 

Finding your soulmate is supposed to be uplifting, and amazing, and just… miraculous. But for Marinette, it wasn’t any of that. Her soulmate, he… he was… What does one do when your soulmate is an akuma?

Curiosity and Satisfaction by imthepunchlord 

When Adrien agreed to this line of work, he thought all his focus would be on the job of catching the elusive Lady Luck. It never crossed his mind that someone else would catch his attention. Marichat, Enemy AU

I love Emma Stone…my reaction to anything remotely sad^ 

Cute Shorts

A Present from Marinette by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

As the school year progresses Adrien discovers that Marinette makes everyone a birthday present…everyone but him. Why was he being left out?

Practice Makes Perfect by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

When Alya announces there will be kissing games at her party, Marinette freaks out. After all she’s never really kissed someone before. But then when she’s reminded that practice makes perfect…who else is better to practice with other than her partner Chat Noir?

Paw-lov’s Theory by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

Ladybug decided to try and condition Chat Noir out of pun habit with kisses! Chat Noir, however, turns the table on her and now Ladybug can’t resist kissing him whenever he puns. Whether or not he’s wearing the mask.

Class Akuma Conspiracy by Krazy Ky-Sta Hatter

There’s a conspiracy afoot in Alya and Nino’s class. Akuma seem to be attracted to them. So far everyone has been possessed. Everyone except Adrien and Marinette, that is. After Alix and Kim start an argument, the class start placing bets on when they will get turned. Alya is not happy about it. She has another theory in mind. And she is going to win that bet, one way or another.

the transitive property of love by l0ngl0st

If A likes B and B is C, then A likes C…right? Wrong. / Adrien and Marinette slowly start putting two and two together. Oneshot.

The Hazard of Being a Baker’s Daughter by SillyUsagi *I have a soft spot for short reveals

One night while on patrol, Adrien notices flour in Ladybug’s hair. When Marinette complains about the flour from her dad’s bakery the next day at school, he starts to get suspicious. (aka “The Flour Reveal Fic”)

Now kiss by Krazy Ky-Sta Hatter* Aged up AU

 A year after leaving school, Marinette is living her dream. Never could she have imagined working alongside Adrien and his father, let alone living with them. But with closeness comes clashing, which results in explosive tension and confused emotions. And now with her in front of the camera with Adrien… Oh god. She was doomed.

Little Princess by imthepunchlord 

Marinette did the unthinkable. She took the bullet for Chat. And now she’s stuck in his care and poor Adrien doesn’t quite fully know what to do with a kid.

The Reveal That Didn’t by SKayLanphear

Idea by: kittybug:

Me: Okay brain, what new fic ideas do you have for me today? I’m thinking angst.

Brain: Oh, I’ve got a great one! How about Marinette finds out that Adrien is Chat Noir and finally works up the courage to confess her feelings to him. Of course, he doesn’t know she’s Ladybug so he rejects her as kindly as possible. Marinette, in a moment of panic, admits that she’s Ladybug to him but he doesn’t believe her. The next day, Chloe (having overheard the last part of their conversation) starts berating her in front of the whole class for claiming that she’s Ladybug just to win Adrien’s affections.

pt.1

pt.2 Sad ending

pt. 2 Alternative happy ending

Her Smile by Krazy Ky-Sta Hatter 

He really, really loves her smile. Marinette leaves little notes for Adrien all the time, and she signs them with a smiley face. He loves that smiley face… only… why is it drawn on a letter from his Lady?

Fermeture by KarmaHope *Must read, my favorite one shot

The hardest part of being a superhero is no longer being a superhero. It’s been five years since Marinette last saw Tikki; since she last saw Chat Noir; and she can’t take it anymore. A reunion/reveal fic.

Halloween Dress-Up by quicksilversquared 

When Marinette’s school decides to have a costume contest, she and Alya dress up as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Little do they know how much they’re amusing a certain black cat.

A Gift Fit For A Princess by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley 

Sequel to A Present From Marinette. Marinette’s birthday is coming up and Adrien is freaking out on what to get her. Meanwhile the rest of the class, barring Chloe, are working on the whole serving Adrien up on a silver platter

The Santa Claws Reveal by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

When Ladybug asks Chat Noir to help her deliver her Christmas presents, he is surprised to learn that all of Ladybug’s friends are HIS friends too. There is only one conclusion to make from this especially when they don’t deliver a present to a certain Princess that lives in a bakery…

Hand to Hand Combat by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

When Kim and Alix get a little competitive again, Adrien and Marinette suddenly find themselves up against one another in an arm-wrestling match…

Handsprings and Aerials by DarkScales

An obstacle course, a fistbump, and revelations. Reveal fic, Fistbumps Verse part one. Pre-series.

Classroom Acrobatics by quicksilversquared 

A teacher’s attempt in catching latecomers results in Marinette choosing a somewhat unconventional way to enter the classroom.

The Cutest Delivery Boy by ghostgirl19 

Marinette is beyond mortified when Alya requests the pizza place they order from to send their cutest delivery boy. CollegeAU

Going Once, Going Twice by ghostgirl19 *Jealous Adrien 

Attention, guests. The time has come for our Date Auction!“ Adrien froze. Date auction?

Commitment by Simply-Arien 

It was obvious to anyone within the vicinity of the girl that she had been stood up. / Adrienette AU

The Naked Truth by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

Ladybug and Chat Noir end up in the same alleyway as they de-transform which would be totally fine…if it wasn’t for the fact that both Marinette and Adrien had been in the shower mere moments before the Akuma attack.

A Roll of the Dice by ghostgirl19 

Alya gives Marinette a set of adult love dice that are guaranteed to give who plays them a fun time. Later that night, Chat Noir suggests to Marinette that they play a game with them to see if they work.

Epiphanies by PFTones3482 

Or, how every single member of Marinette and Adrien’s class managed to figure out who Ladybug and Chat Noir were before they could. One-Shot.

I Like You A Latte by Kaorei 

Just her luck that she had to get stuck with the annoyingly flirty waiter who won’t stop making cat puns every chance he gets. — Adrien/Marinette, coffeeshop!au.

[coleymari-blog]

Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 8

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school.

They don’t exactly run in the same circles and they have one hell of a history. What happens when the names and facades disappear and all that’s left are words blinking on a screen? Modern day, College/Pen Pals AU. I’m sorry I suck at intros. Rated M for Language, Adult Situations, and future sexual situations. Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

"Oh, Lu, you are in so much trouble…"

Levy and Lucy were sitting on the blonde's star-streaked bedspread, watching some stupid crime drama in the background, while they talked about their day. After their text message exchange during lab, the older girl had insisted on the two of them going back to Lucy's dorm after their classes let out for some much-needed girl time. Of course, that had consisted of copious amounts of ice cream and gossip.

"Shut up, Lev," the younger girl barked, swallowing a spoonful of Cookie Dough and vanilla. She could feel the blush creeping up on her again and she quickly dropped her gaze. "Every time he looks at me, he sees some poor pathetic freshman. You can see it in his eyes." The blonde purposefully left out the parts about Natsu's gentle tone of voice and the staring matches, fearing more teasing from her best friend. They'd been analyzing her interaction with the grad student for the past hour, practically since Levy arrived. The bluenette shook her head and chuckled softly, placing her carton and spoon on the wire shelf above Lucy's bed.

"Trust me, girl, there's no way he saw you in that outfit and thought you were anything but hot," Levy teased, earning her a small moon-shaped pillow to the head. Without hesitation, she picked it up and chucked it right back at its sender. "Ah. Proof that you know it's true." Lucy stuck her tongue out childishly before diving back into her ice cream. She felt the blush creeping up her neck and slowly cover her jaw and cheeks as her friend grinned in response.

The freshman sat back against the wall and sighed, leading Levy to believe a change of subject was in order. "Soooo, Lu, have you given any thought about going through Fall Rush?"

Lucy's expression soured slightly and she rolled her eyes. Why would she put herself through that bullshit again? Just so she could be ridiculed and mocked? Told that she wasn't good enough? Put on display for the world to see? "I don't think that's such a good idea…" she replied cooly, shaking her head. "Plus, no one would want me after what happened with those snobs."

"So not true! You could totally join Cait Shelter!" Levy replied excitedly. She looked out through the open door to Lucy's dorm room to see if her roommates were in the shared space before speaking again more quietly. "Millianna and Wendy are both coming to Rush and I know that they have an interest in my Sorority. We both know that you would fit right in with us, Lu."

The younger woman stared back at her friend as if trying to read her. She knew that Levy meant well and that she had a point. Because of Levy she already knew most of the girls in Cait Shelter. She also liked the fact that Levy's sisters stressed the importance of intelligence, strength, and camaraderie. The only downside was the fact that they were very close to the Fairy Tail boys, many of them cycling through each other on a whim. Maybe going through Rush again wouldn't be so bad if it meant being sisters with women like that.

"I don't know Lev, we'll see okay?" Lucy compromised, receiving a beaming smile and a nod from her best friend. At least that meant the end of that conversation for the time being.

Getting up to throw away her empty carton, Levy brushed off her sweater and grabbed her bag from Lucy's desk. "Thank you for acquiescing," the bluenette chirped with a wink. "You know you love me, regardless of how much I harass you. Plus, who are we to say 'No' to Erza?" They both shuddered at the mere thought. With a hug goodbye, Levy took off and left Lucy alone in her dorm.

The blonde sat down at her computer and set to do a bit of writing for her novel. Her mind kept coming back to a certain TA, staring her down from the back of the lab. Her body writhed as she recalled the heat that Natsu's gaze had burned into the back of her neck. Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, the alarm on her e-mail application alerted her to a new message. She couldn't help but smile when she read excitedly.

To: CelestialBeauty42 From: DragonSlayer666 Subj: Bored Bored Bored

Hey Starfire! You there? I'm so bored, will you help entertain me?

-DragonSlayer

"Wait? The same chick that Minerva threw at you?"

Natsu's fist landed a solid hit on Gray's torso, causing the raven-haired man to grunt. They had been going at it in the backyard of the frat house for about forty-five minutes after they'd finished with their lectures for the day and they were both exhausted.

"Aye," the pinket growled, his leg trying to sweep Gray's from under him, only to be blocked and knocked flat onto his back. He picked himself up, his chest heaving, only to have the bout called by his opponent.

Swiping at the sweat that had accumulated all over his naked upper body with a towel from the rack, Gray laughed. "What are you going to do? Avoid her?"

Natsu wiped himself down as well, throwing his towel immediately into the basket by the back door. Honestly, avoiding Lucy had never come to mind. The second he saw her in his lab, all he wanted to do was help her. It was probably due to the fact that he still felt so badly about what had happened over the summer, but it had never occurred to him that he could have made her feel even more uncomfortable.

"Nah, I gave her my card in case she needed help in Chem," Natsu replied, slinging his t-shirt over his chiseled shoulder, the Fairy Tail symbol emblazoned in a fiery red peeking from underneath the black fabric. Gray seemed surprised by Natsu's 'generosity'.

"And she didn't turn you down?" he questioned, opening the door to the house for both of them. They were immediately assaulted by the smell of something delicious and were pleased to find Freed cooking dinner for the brothers. The two of them headed upstairs to get showered and changed so they couldn't possibly be near the back of the line for food.

"Surprisingly, no," Natsu retorted, a sense of pride in his voice. "She took it and smiled. Didn't get to stick around long, I was teaching after all, Ice Princess."

Gray shook his head as they entered their respective rooms to grab their clothes and shower kits, joining his buddy back in the hallway as they made their way to the showers. "Whatever, Lava Breath," he snapped. "Just don't screw it up. You're her TA, man. No need to pull a Laxus, alright?" The grandson of Professor Makarov had almost been expelled from Fairy Tail for sleeping with a student while he was a Teacher's Assistant but luckily the girl, Mirajane, had come to his defense. They were still together if Natsu remembered correctly, not that it mattered to him.

They both entered the shower stalls at the same time but Natsu took a bit longer on purpose. While he was standing in the stream of water, his mind kept drifting to the moment between himself and Lucy at the doorway after class. The way she'd looked at him had sent chills down his spine (in a good way). She wouldn't have looked at him like that if she hated him or something, right? She'd definitely been able to burn through him with her stare before but in that moment? She just looked so...

When he got out of the shower, Natsu made his way to his computer to check his school e-mail. He already had a couple messages from the more over-zealous students looking for advancement opportunities. Nothing that couldn't wait until the next day. Switching over to his personal account, he immediately went to write a new message to his new online friend, Starfire. If he couldn't talk to Lucy, at least he could talk to her.

He received a reply almost immediately, making him smile.

To: DragonSlayer666 From: CelestialBeauty42 Subj: RE: Bored Bored Bored

Might be a bit easier with chat. Add me?

-Starfire

Natsu grinned and jumped at the chance to chat with his mystery online acquaintance, agreeing that it was much easier than email. He clicked onto his messenger list and added the screen name, seeing that she was already online.

DragonSlayer666: Miss me that much, huh? CelestialBeauty42: So much for trying to make it easier.

He laughed when he could practically see her rolling her eyes, whatever they happened to look like. Great, now he was fantasizing about a girl he knew nothing about.

DragonSlayer666: Fine, I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else. How was your day? Did you survive your second day? CelestialBeauty42: Barely. But now I'm home for the night, and I have ice cream. Life could be worse.

Before long, they were at it again, getting lost in conversation with each other. They talked for a couple hours before their chat took a more serious turn.

DragonSlayer666: Are you serious? You told me you were a runaway but you never mentioned any of that. CelestialBeauty42: I lived in an estate up North. It was just me and my dad and he was barely home to begin with. One day during one of his business trips, a few of the household staff helped me gather up some things and a little bit of money in order for me to leave. It's only been a few months, but I love the freedom. I wouldn't give this up for the world. DragonSlayer666: And your dad never noticed? CelestialBeauty42: Haven't heard anything yet, so I'm guessing not.

Just the thought alone broke Natsu's heart a bit. No one deserved to be forgotten by their own father, even a random girl on the internet. His parents had left him but not by choice, getting killed in a car accident when he was just a baby. Luckily he'd been given to Igneel and Grandeena Dragneel to raise and they had done a spectacular job. He'd never felt unloved, not cared for, or forgotten. Poor Starfire...

DragonSlayer666: Well, if it's any consolation, I'll never forget you Starfire. You're way too special. CelestialBeauty42: No one has said something that nice to me in a long time. Thank you, DragonSlayer. DragonSlayer666: Just call me Dragon. I love fire enough to be one anyway. CelestialBeauty42: Haha. Dragon it is. Do you collect treasure and steal young women too? )

Natsu could feel a small blush coming to his cheeks. Was she flirting with him? He was never good at understanding the meaning behind text messages, especially when it came to girls. That was one of the biggest issues Lisanna had with him. But did that mean he should flirt back? How could he even purposefully flirt with her over online chat?

DragonSlayer666: Only when they're reeeeeeally valuable, like something made of starlight. That stuff is hard to come by, you know. CelestialBeauty42: Is that so? Well, in that case, I certainly hope you don't live in some sort of dungeon.

She was flirting with him! Natsu's cheeks glowed bright red as a wide smile came over his face. She hadn't even met him and she was flirting with him. It made him feel good, surprisingly. Granted, Natsu wasn't a stranger to female attention. He wouldn't deny that he was a good looking guy. A lot of the time, it just felt like girls hit on him because he was older, or because he was a TA for their class and they thought he could get them an A. The last girl to be genuinely interested in him as a person was Lisanna.

It wasn't another three hours before they finally signed off and Natsu fell asleep with the same dopey grin on his face that he'd had plastered on all night.

[theinnerworkingsofhappiness-blog]

My Best Day

So, I was really excited to do this project because I rarely ever take a whole day just for pleasure and fun. I’m the kind of person who always wants to fill my time with something productive or something that’s bettering me somehow. I had my best day on Easter break and to be honest, if this wasn’t a project for school I most definitely would have spent the day working at my two jobs, doing homework, and working out. I’m really happy that this became something intentional because I think spending time to just slow down and relax was very healthy for me (something I need to consciously do much more).

So, I started my day around 7 waking up to my beautiful cat next to me purring like heaven’s harp. Also, a lovely sunrise over the trees!

I always like to wake up with a few songs playing on my speaker because it gently wakes me up and helps me to feel alive again. I played Feels like Summer by Childish Gambino as I made my bed (cuz I’m conscientious) and got dressed. This song is BEAUTIFUL. Plz listen (if you wish). It was the dreamiest song to wake up to and the lyrics are really beautiful as well. One part of the song I felt really resonated with my theme of slowing down on this day:

Men who made machines that want what they decide 🎶 Parents tryna tell their children please slow down 🎶 Slow down 🎶

I looked up the lyrics on genius to discover a deeper meaning to them and when I clicked on these lines, this popped up:

Maybe I’m oppressed in the sense of adhering to the capitalistic notions of always being “productive” - A lot of things I do I really enjoy and do to better myself but I was happy to finally have unbothered time to engage in my imagination and child-like playfulness.

After getting dressed I went to get a haircut. This was one of the first things that popped into my mind a few weeks ago when I was thinking about what to do for my best day, but I was somewhat concerned because I felt that getting a haircut may be just an activity to achieve beauty, one of the three happiness myths Sonja warns us not to fall into. However, once I really thought about it i realized I didn’t want to get a haircut to achieve beauty (minus executing these split ends) but to just take care of my body and relax. Especially when in school, I’m always either doing homework or working and I have so little time to just take care of myself that I end up feeling like a salted slug (gross, in layman’s terms). Though getting a haircut is not technically a part of the happiness activity of taking care of your body, I’d like to think of it as one, because it gave me the same effect. Plus, everybody knows the head massage is the best part, duh. And once I was done my hair felt like it was crafted by silk worms.

Here’s my before and after pics:

There’s really no noticeable difference, I just thought the first picture was meme-worthy.

After my haircut, around 10:30 I went to get acupuncture. I had never gotten acupuncture before and I wanted to intentionally cultivate a new experience into my happiness day. It was quite the experience. I entered into a calm and quiet community acupuncture room and sat down on a big comfy recliner chair. I then closed my eyes and my acupuncturist starting inserting needles into my hands, feet, legs, ears and face. If I were to relate it to any of the happiness activities Sonja mentioned it would probably be a form of practicing spirituality and taking care of my body. Once all the needles were inserted I felt like I was being supercharged with energy, and felt it was the perfect time to start meditating. I cleared my mind and focused on my bodily sensations. At one point I felt a trail of oil on the top of my hand starting at the tip of my thumb to an intricate squiggle on my hand and then to the tip of my ring finger. In my head I was thinking “wow, how is this dude pouring this oil so intricately?!” I opened my eyes so I could express my amazement to him but no one was there. I realized that the sensation I was feeling was the energy moving through my hand, because acupuncture is used to rebalance and distribute energy. I was super bewildered by this because the physical sensation of oil on my hand felt so so real. After this happened I sat for another 30 minutes meditating until the acupuncturist came and pulled all the needles out of me. I slowly got up and thanked him and then left. This was such a memorable and interesting experience for me and it left me feeling incredibly energized the rest of the day.

After I left the acupuncture place I went home and made some tea. The next item on my happiness list was to have a dance party. Dancing is an absolute passion of mine, along with music, so I wanted to intentionally engage in something that would free my soul. I danced for 3 hours while my cat slept in the corner. I put on some fenty beauty body lava to be #extra and mainly freestyle danced to Melii and Solange. The time went by so seamlessly because I was just in my element, not thinking about anything else. I also pole danced which was the part the provided a nice bit of challenge with all the inversions and twirling (phew). I didn’t intentionally dance to create a flow state, I just wanted to do one of the things that made me happiest, but looking back at it I was definitely experiencing flow, even superflow. As Sonja puts it in her book, “superflow is when you are not only completely absorbed and unselfconscious but absolutely transcendent.” That was definitely my experience!

 I recorded this dance party for receipts but I’m just going to spare your eyes cause I don’t think a professor should have to see me bust moves. However I sent a video to my boyfriend and he sent me back a zoomed in screenshot of my cats face: 

I think he was just processing how lucky he is to witness such magic!

After my personal dance party I went to therapy, which just happened to fall on the same day as my best day, I mean why not delve into the depths of your own psyche for kicks? I actually talked about how I wanted to do EMDR therapy this summer to reprocess some traumas so that I can be less triggered by certain things and be a better yoga teacher. In my yoga teacher training the week before we had spent about 3 hours learning about trauma and how to be mindful of it when teaching and it kind of activated my own issues. I guess this could objectively sound terrible but I really like talking about deep topics and my therapist is really supportive, so honestly it was enriching to spend a part of my day delving into. 

After therapy I went straight to yoga with one of my favorite teachers, Jo-Jo. yoga is another passion of mine and is essentially my spiritual practice. On this day, Jo-Jo really decided to amp it up and it was such a hard class it was comical. I mean this was one of our poses..... 

I think everyone was internally crying but also appreciated being invigorated and challenged for the day. For me, it was partially a flow state but also a way of taking care of my body through engaging in physical activity that was strengthening and energizing. Once I got out of yoga I decided to meet up with my boyfriend to get something to eat. We went to whole foods because I was craving the veggie burger they have at their coffee & burger bar. I’m a vegetarian and usually don’t like meat substitutes but the texture and taste of this veggie burger is a lot like meat and is really good. After dancing and doing yoga I was really excited to eat:

It was delish! 

Once I finished eating I went to the Frist Art Museum to meet up with my best friend Sami and look at art together. He ended up getting there 15 minutes before they closed so I spent most of the time looking at the art alone, but I didn’t mind. On the first floor there were just an inordinate amount of aristocratic style painting of horses and dogs. They were well painted, but I honestly was cracking up at them. 

Here are some below:

Pup family reunion.

Birds looking down with contempt at us uncultured swine! 

or Four Birds With No Scone

I really don’t know.

Once I finished looking at all the paintings on first floor I went up to the second floor to see the photography exhibit of Dorthea Lange. This was the total opposite of my experience of the first floor paintings because the pictures were so deeply moving. Dorthea Lange photographed a lot of people in the Great Depression era and looking at the portraits of each of the people she photographed gave me a kind of out of body experience. To see people photographed so crisply almost 100 years ago gave me this sense of wonder of all the people who have been alive and experienced their own worlds. I really felt the the photos she took of these people immortalized them, even if she didn’t have their name or a story to go along with them. 

Here are some of her photos:

Since Sami ended up coming too late in time to really look at art with me, we ended up just sitting in my car talking and joking for a couple of hours. This was arguably the best part of my whole day. He’s one of my two closest friends and whenever we’re together we always have a deep heart-warming talk followed by utter wackiness. He told me about how he was having this creative pen pal romance with this girl we went to high school with who now lives in New York. They’ve only been talking through email and they’ll send each other a lot of messages in Spanish to decode as well as collages, videos and other art. It was really inspiring for me to see that kind of creative way of interacting with others. I think over the summer I’m going to send my good friends spontaneous letters in the mail with collages and poems. Relationships are so important to me and if I’m able to enact these little creative love expressions I think that would really incorporate the happiness activity of cultivating relationships and create a lot of tangible meaningful memories. 

I’m not sure how we got into our next topic but we started ironically talking about how Sami should just take the genre of mumble rap to the next level and just start rapping nonsense - just sounds with a word thrown in here or there. Somehow he has perfected the art of the annoying japanease boy band singer and this was the foundation of his mumble rap sound. Then I guess I joked about how he should just yell a word that seemed so out of context like “GUMBO!” and he started doing it and created a mumble rap around exclamations of gumbo. I know this probably doesn’t sound funny at all but we were literally CRYING laughing. It was so ridiculous and I think we both share a sense of humor for absurdity and irony. Once we had our sound down, I started talking about how he needed to talk about his raps when being interviewed. His raps didn’t need actual words, they were transcendental, they existed beyond our worldly perception of music and poetry and brought us straight to the essence of God. We both envisioned the dream of a giant crowd of people singing along with him at a festival, sounding like a plethora of various whale sounds. It was beautiful. And hilarious. And when summer hits we’re gonna record our first song ‘shawdy want gumbo’ - my family lives in New Orleans and I visit a few times a year so I’m going to snap the cover art - a picture of gumbo, maybe with his face superimposed on there too. I recorded him just yelling gumbo as a receipt for this beautiful conversation, but I don’t know how to add it to this post. I’m glad I recorded it though, because anytime I listen to it randomly I crack up laughing. 

just a cool earring!

The last part of my day was pretty spontaneous as I was planning on going home after hanging out with Sami. My boyfriend called me and told me that one of our friends Julie had just gotten engaged and they wanted to go celebrate at Dave & Busters with us. They had already drank a lot of champagne at their dinner so we went to go pick them up. They were both super happy and Julie was showing me her ring and they were talking about the proposal. 

(Also, she has a pet pig.. a video of whom I will post separately)

Lucky for me, my boyfriend is this insane luck magnet whenever we go to Dave & Busters. I mean, he always scores a 1000 ticket win. It’s insane. 

We played a lot of games together, it was definitely another workout - especially with the basketball hoop games and air hockey ( I was fierce). It also made me really happy to see people all enwrapped in love and become engaged. I’ve never had close friends get engaged so it was a new experience in that way to celebrate with them (P.S. they’re about 6 years older than me - so they didn’t get eloped or anything). 

Heres a photo of them loving and protecting each other from enemy spacebugs:

Once we were cashing in our tickets, I got Julie a “Future Mrs.” tiara, which was comically trashy, but they had lost their card with all their tickets on it so I wanted to use mine to get her something to commemorate her night, in the raw essence. Then we took Julie and Taylor home and I DJ’d some love related songs for them, which they pretty passionately yelled along to, so it was a good move. After that I headed home back to my cats to crawl in bed and process my best day! And sleep, of course. All in all, I’m so grateful for this project because without it I may have not even had this day, and all the hilarious and beautiful memories. This day was so enriching and uplifting for me and reminds me to take some time to just enjoy life. Unfortunately, after writing this whole blog up my computer died and the whole thing was deleted. I was pretty furious when it happened, but I just realized there was no other choice to accept it so I decided to use the happiness activity of cultivating optimism. Not only did I get to relive my best day once, but twice over, and I’m grateful for that.

[kelsiestelting]

Saddle Up for Some Cowboy Romance Novels

Reading a cowboy romance novel has all the appeal of the country life, without the dirt and flies. Growing up on a ranch, I experienced it all first hand—working cattle, waking up before the sun, and getting my hands (and clothes) dirtier than I care to admit. Now that I live in the city and have a job as a writer, I still love to relive the nostalgia of country living.

Here are some of the things I miss the most about the country, and everything I love to revisit in a cowboy romance:

The fresh morning air punctuated with birdsong

Crickets and bullfrogs singing at night time

The privacy that only miles of wide open spaces can bring you

Driving through the pasture with your hand out the window, catching the wind

The smell of silage in the morning

 A cowboy romance brings all of this rushing back, along with some of the best fantasies about dating a cowboy. You get:

The doors opened for you

The hat tipped your way

The strong, rough hands

The capable confidence

The strong muscles you can only get on a farm

So when I’m picking up a book with a hero from the country, I have some pretty high standards! These romance novels with cowboys as the heroes are sure to hit the mark! 

Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider

A Sweet Country Romance by Lacy Anderson

Lacy Anderson has an adorable series of high school romances that are sure to hit anyone in the feels, but I am over the moon about her bull rider romance! I remember going to the rodeo every summer and my boy crazy teenage hormones going wild over the bull riders, hoping one would look my way! Here’s a little about the story:

A little dare never hurt anybody...

My sophomore year at Rock Valley High was a total downer. Joining the wrong crowd and nearly getting drowned aren’t exactly things I want to write about on my college admission essays.

But my best friend, Hunter, is moving back home from spending a year on his grandpa’s ranch. With his help, I’m going to win the Junior Rodeo Queen contest and reclaim this summer as the best one ever.

Except...Hunter is different.

In a tight-fitting-jeans, cowboy hat, muscles, and sexy grin kind of way that leaves my knees wobbly.

And did I mention he picked up a talent for bull riding during the year he’s been gone?

So hot.

Falling for my best friend is against the rules we made years ago. Hunter knows it. I know it. But my heart seems to have forgotten, because every time he looks at me with those gorgeous hazel eyes, I want to sink into him.

Maybe we can’t go back to the way things were...

...but just maybe, we might find something even better—despite the rules.

City Girl vs Country Boy

A High School Love Story by Jordan Ford

One of my favorite dynamics in a cowboy romance is the city girl/country boy aspect. That means we get to see everything that’s wonderful (and cringeworthy) through the eyes of someone new. It’s like watching your favorite move for the first time all over again! Jordan Ford is also an amazing writer in general, so this book definitely won’t disappoint!

Here’s a little about the story:

A kind boy. A grief-stricken girl. A chance for love neither expected…

I’ve just lost everything. My grand plan for college with my best friends has gone up in smoke. I have to look after my siblings now. I’m all they’ve got left. My parents stated in their will that they want Beck to look after us on his farm.

But why? We haven’t seen him in years. Now two orphaned families are supposed to squish into his crusty old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere?

Five grieving teenagers. This isn’t going to work. But I’ll go. Just for a couple of weeks. That’s what Mum and Dad would want me to do.

What I don’t expect is for Tane to still be living on the farm.

He’s grown up now. He’s gorgeous.

I don’t have room in my life for this kind of attraction, this pull of desire. But his kind eyes and big heart are going to make it impossible for me to resist him.

He told me this land can heal my pain… if only I’ll stay.

Spencer and the Younger Girl

A Standalone Romance by Michelle MacQueen

Okay, I might be the first to admit that cowboys can be a little prickly. They work hard and have dedicated their lives to doing what they do. Nothing can tick off a rancher like some city slicker who has no respect for ranching. Especially when said city slicker has had everything handed to them on a silver platter. (Have I mentioned early mornings and hard work are part of the gig?

Here’s a little about the story:

Rule #1 of falling for the younger girl: Don’t let her know. 

Even though Hadley Gibson seems to know everything. 

Returning home after years away isn’t supposed to be easy, but Spencer Lee never imagined it would hurt so much. When he left, he didn’t expect to come back, but one email from his little brother has him running to the family ranch where hard work is an expectation but conversations are not. 

Conversations about why he left, why he came back. 

Why he can’t stay. 

When a senior prank involving the family’s goats at the high school goes hilariously wrong, the prankster herself is sentenced to a spring break of work on the ranch. 

Hadley is everything Spencer detests. Rich. Spoiled. Too darn happy. 

And also in high school. 

Her smile should send Spencer running from Gulf City just like three years before. The constant laughter should remind him how different they are. 

Falling for a ranch hand is against the family’s rules. 

But if there’s one thing Spencer has never been good at its following the rules.

More Than A Kiss

An Adorable Small-town Romance by Sally Henson

Lane Cary is a country boy through and through. He grew up outside of town, works hard for what he has, and loves to cool off in the creek from time to time. Not only is he handsome and totally swoon worthy, he also has a heart of gold and embraces the values many people in rural areas grow up with. From jumping off cliffs at the quarry to driving down old dirt roads, Lane is sure to make your heart beat just a little faster.

Here’s a little bit about the story:

One kiss and I’m hooked.

Hooked on Lane’s warm lips pressed against mine.

I’ve never had a boyfriend. Never been on a date. Never kissed a boy until the day Lane pressed his lips against mine. 

But he shouldn’t have.

He’s my best friend. And that goes against the rules. The ones I helped create. Not to mention what my strict father will do when he finds out tomorrow.

No matter how much I love him, Lane will go back to being just another college boy, and me? I’ll just be the high school girl he left behind...

Lane

I’ve never wanted anything more than Regan’s lips on mine. And now, we are the way we should be. Almost... 

I can’t wait to get us in the open—out of the dark. Tomorrow is the day we tell the world.

I can handle our friends’ reactions. I can handle the distance that will be between us when I leave for university. I can handle her dad.

What I can’t handle?

Losing her. 

Curvy Girls Can’t Date Cowboys

A Young Adult Contemporary Romance by Kelsie Stelting

Having grown up where I did, I had to include a cowboy in my series, The Curvy Girl Club. In this book, Ginger is a complete city girl, overly sheltered by her parents. Ray is a strong cowboy with a heart of gold but hidden behind walls of stone. He’s gone through some hard situations in his life, but his steadfast personality and protective heart might be exactly what Ginger needs.

 Here’s a little bit about the story:

The one thing my parents can’t shelter me from is my heart.

I nearly died the summer of my eighth grade year, and ever since then, my parents have done everything they could to keep me healthy. Now I’m a senior, and instead of feeling safe, I’m suffocating.

When my parents take my twin sisters out of town for an audition, I have my chance to show them that I’m responsible. That I can go to college on my own and start a life outside of their organic food store and Emerson Academy.

All I have to do is turn in all my assignments and have a few quiet nights at home. No problem.

That is, until my video project partner decides to be a total flake. Ray may be hot and fill out a pair of Wrangler jeans like nobody’s business, but he is not ruining my chance at freedom.

I go to his family’s ranch to get his help, but instead discover something else. Could everything my parents taught me be wrong?

Unless I act fast, my quiet weekend will ruin my chance at freedom and wreck my heart faster than the flash of my camera.

Choosing Your Next Great Read

What are some western romances featuring swoony cowboys that you love to read? I can’t wait to hear from you and discover more cowboy romance for the young at heart! If you’re looking for other stories to read, I have some great posts available! Check these out today!

Enemies to Lovers Romance!

Curvy Girl Romance!

Christmas Romance!

Pen Pal Romance!

Football Romance!

[beimanorthrun-blog]

Questions to ask your girlfriend when dating

A Massive List of 100 Questions to Ask Your Girlfriend If I have to work really late, will you have a problem with cooking or picking up some dinner for both of us? Many couples have had huge blowups when one person has not been clear on details; the best rule of thumb to avoid this is to ask when in doubt.  Or maybe they need to quickly go and make sure that their cell phone is completely switched off.  What did you do during the summer when you were a kid? Similar to the third question in that this one directly brings up potential wounds from the previous week.  At least one of you should be good with money.  Question 7: What ice-cream flavor is absolutely disgusting? What celebrity would you trade lives with? They might want to have as little communication as possible for the first few minutes as they settle in to their new environment.  Have you read 50 Shades Of Grey? How important are children and family? No commentary here, just a list of questions you can browse through and pick the ones you like.  Question 17: How often do you like having sex? However, if she says something like Mean Girls, you know that it takes very little to influence her and that she may not be as deep of a person as you had hoped.

150+ Cute Questions to Ask Your Girlfriend What have you done to pursue your dreams lately? Challenge her to a dollar bill paper airplane contest.  What stops people from understanding themselves? It should be obvious that the only way these questions help a relationship is if both parties are completely honest.  This is just a cheeky follow-up question and the answer most probably no! They are particularly well suited to first dates and new girlfriends.  Have you ever kissed a girl before? Girls love love, and they love being in love, and talking about love, so asking about love with probably put her in the mood for love.  There are all kinds of answers you could make for this one, for all kinds of interesting results.  Are you working or going to school? Agbazara on this site for those that need his help to contact him on Whatsapp via +2348104102662 or email: agbazara gmail.  How would you define a good sexual relationship? Not only is this good for learning about her ambition and future plans, it can also be an insight into what she thinks about your relationship.

90+ [REALLY] Good Questions to Ask Your Girlfriend! (Jan. 2019) What celebrity would you switch lives with? Listen to her answer and never forget to give her.  Not only does it make her feel good, but it lets her know that you might just be into her! Let her take her own sweet time to answer some of them, for what matters is your understanding with her, not your know-how of her.  Once you get this one answered, offer to host a with her pals or take her out to eat.  Do you think your significant other can be both your best friend and your lover? Are you open to new ways of looking at things even if they conflict with your own opinions? You must ask questions that are open-ended and relaxed.  Today, keep that pen and paper aside, and stop making notes, guy! The point is, go one level deeper and start asking her real questions.  Do you have a personal timeline set for such things? Family and relationships are a good talking point for girls, and you would do well to remember her answers for future reference.  He will make it his life long mission to cherish and please you.

90+ [REALLY] Good Questions to Ask Your Girlfriend! (Jan. 2019) Do you want a small wedding, a large one, a visit to the courthouse, an elopement, or do you have no opinion at all? This questions basically lets you know how much distance you should be giving her.  What would you do differently if you could turn back time? And the more you can accommodate your partner, while still being conscious of your own mental and emotional needs, the better.  These might not be the most exciting questions to ask your girlfriend, but they are seriously important.  Nothing's better than starting to know her by throwing some fun questions.  And he will pursue your love to the ends of the earth.  For instance, I miss being able to eat pizza and stay up all night trying to catch Santa Clause coming down the chimney.

Fun, Sweet, Naughty, and Witty Dating Questions to Ask a Girl The purpose of dating is to get to know someone better.  Onto the questions to ask your girlfriend… Questions to Ask Your Girlfriend — Getting to Know You Questions 1.  You know they're totally lame, but saying it anyway shows you have a great sense of humor, a turn on for most girls! Make sure the kids are asleep and the dog is taken care of.  It meant that no matter what they were fighting about, they were allowed to take a breath and come back to it with a calmer and more loving communication style.  So ask this question and find out what she dislikes for no good reason.  Would You Stay With Me If I Caught A Terrible Disease? What will we do if one of us lost our job? Question 22: What is the best thing about money: it provides security, it allows you to create good memories, or it allows you to buy nice things? When he used this sign it communicated to his partner — when words failed him — that he was feeling like he had his back against the wall and he needed her to be more loving.

LoveGuru: 100 QUESTIONS TO ASK WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND How will we make sure the chores around the house are divided fairly? Forehead and neck kisses work great too.  Think of these 20 questions as a window into the future of your relationship and a potential avenue that can lead to a long and happy time together.  What fictional world would you like to live in? And nor does every topic need to be talked to death.  If we were married and my career forced me to move, would you come with me? She probably has a strong sentimental streak.  This is where you take her on a date.

Top 75 Best Questions To Ask A Girl You Like Movies always have a way of influencing our lives.  Some might not worry too much about romance while others think nothing is more important. .  What is one area in your life where you feel like something is missing? Do you have any secret untapped passions? To turn the heat up a notch, the following romantic questions to ask your girlfriend could help you out with knowing what she thinks of you as her partner for life.  You can tell a lot by a person in relation to their dreams and if they achieved them or even tried to.  I have learnt many things form here.

Questions To Ask Your Girlfriend What are some of your favorite childhood memories? Those who mail without have read everything, ask questions that are answered here! How will we usually handle meals? We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.  So ask away, and the truth will be revealed to you.  When are you most comfortable? Which hollywood actor would you want, as a part of it? I actually had a relationship end because of this question.  Plus, it will tell you more about how she views serious relationships. Do you have any dreams from childhood that you can vividly recall? Engaging and fun with some that make you think as well.  How do you feel about the merits of pornography? Describe your idea of a perfect night together.  Who was the lucky guy and are you still in touch with him? Sure you might have been asked what your favorite ice cream flavor is.

Top 75 Best Questions To Ask A Girl You Like What do you value the most when it comes to friendship? What about me stands out the most to you? What are your retirement plans? What song did you last sing to yourself? What does intimacy mean to you? Life influences are great to know because they can tell you a lot about a person.  What is your favorite place to be kissed? By asking this in a different context, your partner gets to consider whether they thought your arguments felt complete.  Would you get into a relationship with yourself? So … your relationship will thank you.  What do you like the most about where you work? How important is a physical attraction to you? Would you ever consider having additional roommates to cut costs if we had a place with enough space? What is a tradition you did as a child that you want to do with your kids someday? Whoever makes the airplane that flies the farthest gets to keep both dollars! What is your favorite and most treasured memory? What did you want to be when you were 5 years old? Who do you think knows you the best? Its reading will not take more than 10mins.  Texting is a convenient and socially acceptable way to do so! Especially when you are just starting to date a girl.  Who do you think has it all figured out? Question 15: How many sexual partners have you had? For the 80% of men who are socially inept, it starts with the first date and ends with getting laid.

118 Good Questions to Ask Your Girlfriend Do you have any bad spending habits? And what is your favorite romantic meal to have at home? Maybe the two of you have similar reading tastes.  Are you looking for a serious commitment in near future? Even though being in love is an amazing feeling, we all need our own space from time to time.  What slang or trend makes you feel old? Plus, this gives you an opportunity to help her dreams come true.  Why were you initially attracted to me? If you had to choose, would you be a dominatrix or a submissive? Where was the craziest place you ever had sex? So if interest you and they should … then: Here are 38 personal and deep questions to ask your girlfriend: 105.  Sooner or later, all those hard talks and emotions come back and bite you in the ass.  What is the honor, and does it even matter anymore? What about the next five years? In what position do you orgasm most reliably? When hard times rear their terrible heads, it's you who's going to be her savior.  Would you like to be famous, if so, in what way? And I discovered this eye opening video that will shed some light on this bizarre behaviour.

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My Adopted Grandmother

I love reading all those “there’s still goodness left in the world” stories on the internet. Everyone loves to talk about how horrible things are, politicians can’t be trusted, the environment is going to the dogs, kids are eating Tide Pods, the list just goes on and on. I need a break sometimes, so I’ll unabashedly go on Buzzfeed and just look at listicles about cute dogs for a few hours until I feel better. I truly never expected that I would be able to have a feel good story of my own to tell one day, but here we are.

During the fall of my freshman year of college, I met a boy. We hit it off instantly, and I truly thought that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. Nothing had ever felt as right, or made me as happy as being with him. We were together all of freshman year, and through the summer between our freshman and sophomore years. When we got back to school in the fall he started acting more distant, and he broke up with me a month before our 1 year anniversary. I was shattered. I had truly never felt so low in my entire life. I had wonderful and supportive friends and family who spent far more time than they should have listening to me moan and complain, but as soon as they would leave to go back to their lives, I felt just as low as I had before. I hated being alone because I would just work the details of the breakup over and over and over until I was sure it was because of something I had done six months before.

About a month after the breakup I drove down to Cape May, New Jersey for my cousins wedding. While I was there my mom gave me a bag of some things I had left at home, and a book she had heard about on the radio that she thought I would like to read. It was about a couple who had met in their youth but lost touch and ended up getting married finally in their later years. I trust my mom’s taste in books thoroughly, so I started reading it when I got back to campus, and I was completely moved by the story of Cynthia Riggs and her husband Howard Attebery. They met when Cynthia was a college student the same age as myself, during an internship at the Scripps Oceanographic Institute in California. They had a fling, but when she left to go back to school, she didn’t hear from him again. That is, until one day when she was 81 when she received a package in the mail from him containing all of the secret messages they had passed at the Institute when they first met. Against all of the odds of two very long, full, and complicated lives, they found their way back to each other and were married for five years before Howard passed away a few months before I read the book.

I told my mother about how moved I was by the story, and she told me that I needed to write to Cynthia and tell her that. She has been telling me my entire life that if I liked a book I needed to reach out to the author and tell them that, but I rarely actually did that. I’m not entirely sure what moved me to listen to her this time, but I found her email address on her website, and sent a message explaining that I had recently gone through a breakup and that her book made me remember that my love life was not over because of this. She responded a few days later, and we exchanged a few emails before she sent one that really marked a shift in my life. I didn’t want to bother her with a bunch of emails, so I sent one basically signing off, and she responded with just two sentences. “Keep in touch. I will always make time for you.” I started crying when I read that, because I didn’t realize how much I needed someone to say that until I read it.

You see, I don’t really have a grandmother figure in my life anymore. My father’s parents passed away when I was in elementary school, and we were not that close to them because they lived in New Jersey. My mother’s parents were already older when they had her, and while I spent a lot of time with my Nana, as I called her, when I was a kid, she had a stroke when I was in middle school, and then was diagnosed with dementia. She forgot my mom, my sister, and myself first because we were the youngest, and it hurt more than I can really describe to visit her with the rest of our family and have her know everyone else except for us. I love my mother and we are very close, but there are some things that only a grandmother can really understand. With those two sentences, Cynthia filled a hole that had been gradually increasing for years.

We became steady pen pals, sending one or two emails a week with updates about our lives. She lives on Martha’s Vineyard and is a successful mystery writer as well as B&B owner, gardener, and general ambassador for the Island. She sent me a volume of her mother’s poetry, as well as a book she wrote about the cat she adopted, and some beautiful cards made with block prints her father had created. I sent her a scarf, and a postcard from my travels in Ireland when I went abroad that following spring. While I was abroad, I mentioned that my parents and I were considering a vacation to the Vineyard over the summer and that I would love to meet her for coffee or something. She responded by offering for us to stay at her B&B, free of charge. I was so shocked by the kindness of this gesture that I started crying, and burst into tears anew when I called my mom to tell her. We planned a trip for the second week in July for my mom and me to finally meet this woman who had done so much for me.

The five hours from my home in Pennsylvania to the ferry terminal in Massachusetts flew by, and before I knew it we were pulling into the drive of the Cleaveland House, which is Cynthia’s home. She was out weeding in the garden, and when she saw us, her face lit up with such joy. She was so excited to met us, two total strangers who had just happened to hear about her book on the radio one day and began this crazy journey. We had brought her a few gifts as a thank you for letting us stay with her, and as we sat out by her pond after she opened them, she told me that me emails had helped her out of a rough time as well. She was feeling depressed after the death of Howard, but my emails were enough of a distraction that it didn’t bother her as much. I was floored by this, because in my unending selfishness, I had thought that I was the only one who was really getting anything out of our conversations.

We had the most amazing week staying with her, she gave us tons of recommendations of things to do since we had never been to the Island before, and not a single one of them failed to interest us. Cynthia runs a writers group every week at her home, and one of the women in her Wednesday night group is the number one fisherman on the entire Island. She arranged for this woman to give us fishing lessons one evening, and I truly had one of the best times of my entire life, even though I usually hate sports. The true highlight of the week for me was the fact that Cynthia introduced me to everyone as her “adopted 14th grandchild”. I had never told her about my grandmother, and so the fact that she somehow picked up on this was a really special thing for me.

People with hearts as loving and open as Cynthia’s seem to be a rarity these days. There is no doubt in my mind that we need people like her now more than ever. She has absolutely changed the way I think about my life and how I want to treat people. If, at the end of my life, I can look back and say that I helped even one person the way that she has helped me, I will have lived a full and wonderful life.