#my Pinterest dash has had a vision

[nastasya--filippovna]

My Pinterest Dash has a mind of it's own.

Maybe it's trying to tell us things.

@ofpineapplesanddawns AU maybe?

[sooibian]

Paragons of Virtue

image from pinterest

🚸 pairing: sehun x fem!reader

🚸 description: “the dog ate my homework!”

🚸 themes: innocence, friendship, fluff

🚸 au: childhood au

🚸 word count: + 1.7k

🚸 a/n: the EXOs are 12 year olds! no, really. in this universe they are! this one-shot kicks off the ‘Back To School With EXO’ series of drabbles/one-shots for all individual members. hope you enjoy!!! @is-that-baekhyuns-shirt​ you have the craziest elementary school stories! thank you so much for sharing

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Your parents never ‘mistakenly shred your homework to bits just to show you how a paper shredder worked'. Neither did your homework ever ‘blow away in the wind while you were walking to school’. Because a: you hardly ever walked to school - your mother drove you everyday and b: your worksheets were always neatly stacked and sealed in shiny new folders (you’d even devised a foolproof method of avoiding unsightly smudges of fingerprints on the transparent ones). If academic learning was your one true love, simple but highly functional stationery was a close second - colour coded writing equipment, neutral notebooks (the ones with animated characters were a guilty pleasure), even your year old geometry tools were as good as new. 

A stringent schedule did now allow for any embarrassing dents, cracks, or cavities wherein lived the perennial ‘I did not have the time for homework’ excuse. Come hell or high water, you were always at the top of your game.

Additionally, your greyhound was a well-behaved, not-so-little fella, so the dog never ‘ate your homework’ 

….until he did. His choice of breakfast this morning was your Geography worksheet. Ravenous, he obliterated your hours of work in a matter of seconds. You fought tooth and nail to salvage it but his grasp on the paper was ridiculously strong. 

So just like that, all of your hard work was reduced to shreds of chewed-on paper. 

If there was one thing worse than ditching school, it was turning up without having the homework done. So you clutched your stomach with clasped hands and cried wolf, “Mom, my tummy hurts! I don’t think I can go to school today!”  Just then the corner of your mouth twitched ever so slightly and her keen eyes didn’t miss the movement. 

This awfully weird sudden convulsion happened every time you told a lie. 

Stupid twitchy mouth was a dead giveaway. 

The car ride to school, although a short one, felt like an eternity. Mother told you a story about a gardener boy who became king only because he told the truth. But you were no gardener boy! And you didn’t even want to be a king --- queen! All you wanted to do was to lie low and maintain your grades (and a spotlessly bright impression in the staff room - like a shiny new pencil holder, or a stainless steel writing pad). 

The wall clock loomed over the green chalkboard, ticking away frighteningly. If you told your mother about your tummy ache now, your mouth wouldn’t twitch.

The bell rang. Your heart sank.

It was time for the short ten minute break.

Feeling helpless, you put your head down on the desk only to be startled by a sudden tap on your shoulder. A lanky boy stood blinking at you, his eyes covered with unruly bangs and lips stretched into a rationed grin. 

It was the science teacher’s son - Oh Sehun. 

Vacantly, you blinked back - hands still folded upon the desk, posture crouched  somewhere in between sitting up straight and spiralling back into the comforting state of denial.  

You wonder how he manages to read at all with a vision obstructed by a cloud of black frizz. 

You’ve never bothered about Oh Sehun before (or anyone else for that matter), except for the one scarring thing you’d once witnessed him doing - truth be told it had left you a little concerned. It was really stormy one day after school and the grounds were empty. You’d stayed back to complete an assignment and he was  probably waiting for his mother to wrap up her teacherly duties. 

The wind motioned in circles, swirling dry leaves and whatever else it could muster in its rotations. Oh Sehun stood in the middle of this ‘mini-typhoon’. Hands outstretched, mouth open, eyes shut, eyebrows raised, head thrown back toward the dark skies, he pronounced, “I am the God of Wind! Bow before me you lesser mortals!”, to absolutely...no one.

He’s blissfully unaware that you’ve been witness to his indignity and you’d like to keep it that way. For one, he’s always stood second in class and never vied for your top spot (his consistency, you think, is commendable) and secondly - and most importantly - he is the son of an authority figure.

The boy's still hovering. Shifting his mingy weight from one foot to the other. Despite your inner turmoil, you plaster a polite smile onto your face and ask, “Can I help you with something?”

“No, but I think I can?” grin still rationed, eyes still clouded, uninvited he takes the empty seat to your left.  

“You can what..?” Your eyes follow his frame as he parks his bony bottom on the worn out wooden bench.

“Help you with something? There’s obviously something wrong with you today.” He rests his chin in his flattened palm and purses his lips. Blinking.

Am I that obvious? You have an indescribable urge to shake his hair out of his eyes - to get an idea of what he’s thinking exactly.

“What makes you think there’s something wrong with me?”

Moon Taeil, the class rep, is dusting the chalkboard clean for Geography but you know his ears are on your conversation.

“Your hand didn’t shoot up once during any of the lessons today...are you okay? Do you need to go to the nurse’s room?”

Your face flushes out of embarrassment and this is….an invasion of privacy. This scrawny boy is making you uncomfortable. But you know that you could use a friend right now. Is this what friends do? Share embarrassing secrets?

“I didn’t do my Geography homework”, you start and beneath the mop of hair you notice his eyebrows skyrocket to his hairline so you hurriedly explain, “I mean, I did the homework but...”

Blink. Blink.

“My dog ate it”, your hand slides down the pocket of your skirt and you pull out shreds of paper.

You fully expect Sehun to laugh, but he doesn’t. Instead he raises his twig-like index finger and says, “Wait.”

He dashes out and returns with his backpack dangling down one shoulder and slumps back into the seat to your left. He takes out a spotless transparent folder and hands it to you.

It’s his Geography worksheet.

“There’s no way I’m copying this! I, obviously, can’t now...Madam Park will be here in like, five minutes.” You’re mortified at your desperation.

“I want you to have it. Also, Madam Park is on leave today onwards since she’s going to have a baby and all that... A new teacher is coming in who, obviously, won’t know what your handwriting is like. You can submit my worksheet instead.”

“A new teacher?” Your mouth goes dry, completely aware of how important first impressions are.

He nods.

“But why?” You notice he’s left the space given for personal details blank.

“Loyalty.”

Eyes narrowed, you shrug, utterly bewildered.

“Toward my classmates. We’re all friends first. And if this is so important to you, you can have my worksheet.”

He can’t be serious (or not serious)! 

“Are you some sort of a “Homework Peddler”? Won’t people take advantage of your -” generosity, you wanted to say, “of--of you?”

“I’m not stupid, A+...I have a system.” He relaxes into the chair and you can practically see the ‘bow-before-me-you-lesser-mortals’ aura around him. 

Students are trickling back in and you’ve consciously kept the cruel clock out of your sight. Sehun doesn’t go back to his seat, instead he settles besides you.

I don’t want to be queen.

“What’s that?” He quips.

With the corner of your mouth twitching again, your gaze drops. You take the sheet from his hands and gently put it down between your outstretched arms on the desk, “Nothing...thank you.”

His lips curl upward. Faintly.

The after-break cacophony dies down as the new teacher introduces herself as Madam Jung.

In exchange for her introduction, she wants all of yours. So to submit worksheets, she individually invites every student before the class to introduce, and to say one good thing about themselves. 

She starts from the row to your right and your stomach clenches.

One good thing? I am incapable of making friends. I am careless about my homework. There’s nothing good about me! 

Your eyes flit between Sehun (who is annoyingly unperturbed) and the worksheet which boasts of his loyalty and illegible chicken scratch.

When you realise it’s your turn next, you glance over at Sehun one last time (who is now twirling a pen between his fingers). He feels your eyes on him and catches your worried gaze and nods as if to say that it’s okay.

Feeling yet another telltale convulsion rise, you quickly scribble into the personal details space as Moon Taeil drones on about his fourth “good quality” and Madam Jung seems mighty impressed.

Before stepping in front of the class, you shove the worksheet back into Sehun’s hands. He first gapes at it which has his own name written on it and then at you - your surprisingly confident stance. Chin up, shoulders back, although your breathing is a little heavy.

Madam Jung encourages you with a motherly smile and you return it.

After introducing yourself you say, “I don’t think I have any impressive qualities, dear friends”, from the corner of your eye, you catch Sehun intently studying your face, “unlike some of you here who are complete embodiments of friendship and loyalty...”, you nod in Sehun’s direction. His wide grin makes his eyes crinkle. He sticks his tongue out and sinks into his seat, making himself tinier. 

“...but I’d like to think of myself as an honest person and, Madam Jung, I hope you’ll believe me when I say that my dog...” a now wide-eyed Sehun is shaking his head furiously, “ate my homework.”

You produce scraps - a week’s worth of toil - and lay them on Madam Jung’s desk, and the class erupts in laughter. Pursing your lips, your eyes catch Sehun’s who wordlessly encourages you to laugh along. 

Shoulders relaxed, you look at your classmates with an inexplicable sense of achievement. The kind Madam Jung chuckles, shaking her head and patting your back and your new friend (you dearly hope you can call him that now) - Oh Sehun - stands up amidst the cheerful ruckus, applauding you.

[papcrthin]

ayeee! it’s dash and i’m here to bring you my art hoe inna ! she’s a fairly new muse so bear with me if there’s still kinks in the works as i get to know ha. down below you’ll find a tl;dr, if you want to take a gander at her profile it’s here. over here i have some possible plots but if you wanna work something out like this post and i’ll swing into your dms !

( KIM DOYEON, SHE/HER ) ╱ oh looky, if it ain’t [ CHOI INNA ] from [ 208B ]! a busy bee little [ VISUAL ART STUDENT  /  RETAIL ASSISTANT ], aren’t they? still can’t believe they’re [ 21 ] this year. i heard they’re adored for being [ AVANT-GARDE ] but their [ MERCURIAL ] attitude can be a pain in the ass sometimes. have they not thought of moving out after [ SIX MONTHS ]? oh well, as long as they like it here!

tw bullying

mademoiselle inna was born to a upper-class family in gangnam, south korea. her father choi wooyoung is a lawyer and her mother is simply a stay-at-home wife who dotes on her three children.

the medial child warrants little attention; her siblings facing either the pressure of being the first-born and holding down the family or the youngest an apple to be spoilt till rotten, inna was left to her own devices at a very young age.

still it was expected that all of the choi children would follow their father’s route to become a lawyer, or something else in a respectable field.

was kind of a wallflower in class, hung around with the older cool kids, smoked cigarettes behind the school field during math class. 

it was her art teacher in high school who pushed a paintbrush into her hands, seeing how adroit she was at drawing and painting. he often let her use the studio after school, supervised her and kept a blind eye when she left for smoke breaks.

after a while, people suspected that she was dating the art teacher and bullying ensued. it got profoundly worse when her closest friends graduated before her and she was soon the outcast.

to prove that she was her own woman and didn’t give a fuck about the he-said/she-said, she broke into school one night and painted a mural on one of the hallway walls. it featured a nude woman tattooed with all the insults the other kids had labelled her with.

inna was promptly expelled and continued the remainder of her high school years in another school, whilst her parents tried to threaten her with disownment if she didn’t quit with the arts.

can’t take the art of this hoe, she hid her sketchbooks under her mattress and lied to her parents, promising that she would live an art-free life.

could never really wrap her head around the more compulsory subjects, inna excelled in arts and humanity but couldn’t get the grades for the others. her parents paid a fortune in tutors to get her into university.

despite the expectations for a law degree, she chose visual arts as her major and so she’s kind of the black sheep of the family. her parents are no longer talking to her though her siblings still keep tabs on her. her older brother sends her money and her younger sister keeps her in the loop on familial affairs.

she’s currently in her second year of university and works as a part-time retail assistant at a niche boutique to pay the bills.

doesn’t really know what she wants to do other than art right now, at the moment she’s just going with the flow.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

sag sun, gem moon and taurus rising.

inna is quite sociable, will talk to anyone and has the gift of the gab when it comes to the arts. 

a curious bean who wants to know about everything !!! believes that human thought is precious and serves as inspiration for her projects so she will listen to you ramble about anything... try to bring up politics or science though and this queen will stRUGGLE.

can be quite moody at times and she can switch from a gregarious bean to  don’t fucking look at me right now in a matter of seconds.

kind of sees the world in a basquiat depiction of alice in wonderland and her art reflects that. neo-expressionism is her go-to style for the canvas and she mostly incorporates her rage and passion into her work. 

has tunnel vision when she’s painting, not so much when sketching but when she’s in front of a canvas no one else exists.

as she grows older her work starts to portray much of her thoughts on the world around her too, she has a lot of thoughts about everything and the best way to convey that is via paintbrush.

she’s intense when it comes to relationships ( even though she’ll pretend to be cool about it ) and loves to romanticise the heck out of her partners. she’ll depict them ( or snippets of them ) in her work, her sketches, sometimes more in love with what she’s conjured on the canvas than the actual person oop

𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐄 '𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄'

she’s the queen who’s up late at night painting or sketching, has a steady diet of iced coffee and always forgets to wash her dishes

sleeps in if she’s pulled an all-nighter and is the heaviest sleeper ok.

smokes a lot but always swears she’ll quit.

don’t let her find your whitest pair of sneakers otherwise she’ll paint designs on them.

can usually find her donning her sweats smattered in dried paint or in garb from A-Land or UO. yes she’s defo got that art student aesthetic going for her. wanna see her pinterest?

loves to spread out on the floor with her sketchbook, she might find herself in your room on your rug just sketching whilst u do your thing.

if she’s in a mood, she’ll lock up in her room and stare at a canvas until it’s covered in paint and she feels better.

almost always has leftover paint on her fingers.

[sooghostwriter]

Chef Soo. Three meals a day

Pairings: Do Kyung Soo x OC (Nameless, but I refuse to use Y/N)

Genre: Romance, AU, fluff, slow burn I guess. A molecule of angst. 

BREAKFAST: Lemon Pie

The coffee owner and the baker

An important part of opening a cake shop/coffee shop was having an actual baker. She only had the good ideas and the money.

Fives chefs applied to the job and only one of them was smart enough to bring a taste of his cooking. Kyung Soo arrived with a lemon pie that tasted like heaven. It was also her favorite sweet. A match made in heaven. She hired him on the spot.

And she thanked that decision every day.

If she had to describe Kyung Soo in one word it would be an ant. Working none stop, focused on his job and a great team player. He was quiet and a bit serious, but he was her voice of consciousness.  Whenever she came out with an idea that was unusable, he would tell her, with a lot of respect but stern. In other words, this is stupid, don't do it. Although sometimes that made her feel restricted. Because yes, macaroons were expensive and hard to do. But they were in trend. And a cake covered with macaroons could tempt anyone. It would be expensive, but she was sure they could sell at least two cakes per day. Or two cakes during the weekend “What about the work involved? Personally, I haven’t had good experiences making macaroons, and if we make them, I would have to neglect something, like the Mille-Feuille that sells great during the weekends” She felt smaller and smaller sitting on her chair. She knew he was right, of course he was. But her vision! She has seen it on her mind, a round cake covered in sweet almond pillows in pastel colors, maybe with some edible glitter on top “I know you have this Pinterest image in your head, and I can see it too, but we can’t risk that much yet, maybe in a couple of months…you could get another chef and they could be in charge of more complicated sweets, but for now, I don’t think we can do it” “I get it Kyung Soo, thank you for your honesty” “Are you ok? You look very disappointed…I mean…I could..” “No, don’t worry, Kyung Soo, you are the chef you know better than me, and I like that you are like this, just…don’t be so bland about it, this is my dream and I’m happy because it’s working, so I may get excited about it” “I’m sorry” He looked less stoic when he said it. Apologetic. He patted her shoulder and went to take the muffins out of the oven. The day Kyung Soo came to work for the first time they spend an hour talking. She shared her vision for the coffee, a cozy, calm and familiar place where people went after work when they didn’t want to go out with their coworkers, where a mom could go and read a book after leaving the kids with her husband, maybe where students could go for the wi-fi and  regain some energy for the last class of the day. Of course she wanted to gain money, after all, she quit her job, took all the money from the unemployment insurance, sold her car, the jewelry her grandmother gave her and took a loan so she could open her coffee shop. She told him that for now, they needed to focus on flavor and quality. A small assortment of sweets to buy, and a menu of sweet things to serve like crepes and pancakes.  He was immediately on board. He came up with the menu and the tarts, cakes, cookies, and desserts that they would sell. The first month was slow but steady, the second month was better, but not what they expected. By the third month, things took off. Kyung Soo’s Eclairs were always sold out by lunch, the Mille-Feuille cake needed reservation and people bought the chocolate mousse in bulks. They were extremely busy, but every day they reached their goal of the day. Kyung Soo worked as hard as she did. She never asked him, but she always had the feeling that for him this was his business too, his dream. Or at least he treated her dream has his. They were a perfectly synchronized team.

By the sixth month, she had already paid the loan. Just a couple of months and she would be able to hire a couple of people that could help Kyung Soo, now he had to do magic with his own hands and a part-timer. They grew closer too. Very slowly. Kyung Soo wasn’t distant or cold, but work was too much, and the only relationship they could have was a working relationship. Friendship was impossible when they were busy building up the business, cooking, fighting with the suppliers and putting down small fires, figuratively of course, except for one time. But under those circumstances, you end up knowing someone better than you know yourself. You end up getting used to that person’s company, voice, presence even his little habits. Like how he would tight his apron after putting something in the oven, or the cute face he made when whipping cream. She knew them all, since her eyes searched for him most of the time.

By the end of the year, Kyung Soo was interviewing someone for the position of baker. But the situation was better than what they expected, so they hired two new people. Kang Jisoo was a great patisserie with expertise in food styling “She can be in charge of the pretty sweets” Kyung Soo told her when they were going through her CV. She beamed in excitement. Jisoo was going to be Kyung Soo’s right hand. One of the CV’s caught their attention. He was also a baker, but he had an internship in France making bread “People keep asking us if we sell bread” “Can we hire him?” He asked with controlled excitement. She gave it a little thought, she liked the idea, but she was thinking on giving another use to the extra money they were making “Kyung Soo, actually, I wanted to give you a raise” He looked at her warmly, and she felt it all over her body. His eyes were always so expressive, he didn’t need to say anything. He was grateful “Thank you, but I can manage for now with the money I make, let’s hire him, and you raise my pay later” Kyung Soo was expecting something like that. Not because he wanted it, but it was something she would do. He heard her talk about it with her mom once. He could always hear her conversations in her office due to the glass door. She told her how she thought Kyung Soo wasn’t getting paid what he deserved. But she told him once that they were a team, they were in this together, and he promised himself to support her in this dream. So if now the right thing was to hire two new bakers instead of raising his paycheck, so let it be. So on Monday, the lovely Kang Jisoo and the bright Byun Baekhyun arrived, ready to start working. Kyung Soo took Jisoo and didn’t release her for the rest of the day. She did the same with Baekhyun, they came up with an assortment of 6 types of bread and his schedule. That day after a long day at work they went for dinner. They were very tired but excited to survive their first day at work. At one point in the night, she saw her new two coworkers with motherly eyes. They were cute, cheerful, with such a great disposition and most importantly, very talented. She caught Kyung Soo looking at his new coworkers too, stopping at Jisoo for a long second. She was surprised by how that made her feel. --- Since Baekhyun arrived, her mornings were more energetic. Baekhyun’s shift began at 5 am and ended at 2 pm. Since he was in charge of bread, those needed to be done during the morning. She arrived at 8 am, and was welcomed by a nice loaf of warm bread and a coffee that Baekhyun prepared for her. She got to share a lot with Baekhyun. He was the typical happy go lucky guy, who was always chirpy and who’s second language was flirting. Not on purpose, it was just part of his personality.

Byun Baekhyun was the typical energetic guy. He was always laughing, always making everybody laugh, your instincts would always tell you to like someone like him. And he has won her trust and friendship in a matter of days. Kyung Soo was always jealous of guys like him. He was so jealous of Baekhyun. But it was impossible to hate him. He enjoyed being around him, although they didn’t have a lot of time to share he enjoyed watching him. But he didn’t enjoy watching her laughing with his jokes. He never made her laugh like that.  

It was Friday and Jisoo asked them if she could leave earlier for a friend’s birthday. They looked at each other and nodded at her at the same time. She was still young, she deserved to party, she commented as Jisoo left “She is a couple of years younger than you, don’t be so dramatic” He answered with a chuckle. She giggled with him, and Kyung Soo was sure this was the first time that happened, and he felt stupidly proud of himself. It was time to close and they were the only ones left working “Like the old times” He commented. He was right. It was like the old times. She couldn’t believe that her little but ambitious dream was going strong. The income now was steady. The coffee shop was never empty and Kyung Soo’s cakes were very popular. She stayed at the door of her office looking at Kyung Soo washing his hands. She knew she was looking at him lovingly, but he wasn’t paying attention so she allowed herself to do so. Their time to leave was closer, but she didn’t want to leave yet. She wanted to be with him a little bit more “Hey, I got emotional all of the sudden, wanna go for dinner, also known as drinks?” She asked as soon as the idea formed in her head, so in that way her common sense wouldn’t get in the way “Sure, let me go change” Kyung Soo dashed into the dressing room and left her there in shock. This was the first time they would go out together. They went to the usual spot where the four of them would go for dinner after a good week of sales. Kyung Soo ordered fried chicken and she went for a bowl of ramen. They ate in silence, a comfortable one. She took a spicy wing from his plate and he ate several spoons of broth from her bowl. The place started to get packed and the buzz in the air made them began to talk. It started with work talk, plans for next week, the menu for the coming summer, and the possibility of changing one of the providers “How do you feel about Jisoo and Baekhyun?” He asked her, moving the empty plates aside, resting his elbows on the small table “Great, I think we made a good decision hiring them, are you ok with Jisoo?” “She is perfect, she works diligently, her cake designs are terrific, and she is very nice to be around” The word Perfect kept resounding in her head “Baekhyun is good too, he makes amazing bread and he knows how to use the coffee machine” He commented, but it sounded very robotic “I’m always the one making coffee, so is nice to be served for once” Kyung Soo came to the realization that the only time he cooked for her was when he made that lemon pie for his job interview. He was her right hand, she put all her trust in him, and he couldn’t bake her a simple cupcake. He would change that as soon as possible. He couldn’t allow Baekhyun to win. He immediately felt embarrassed by his childish thought. They stayed there for an hour and a half talking. As always, about work, but there was something more. He took advantage of the situation, the atmosphere and the sensation he got from having her so close, smiling, joking with him, sharing with him. He felt hopeful, and when he went back home, for the first time he allowed himself to…imagine.

She arrived the next morning ready to fight with a couple of suppliers and to work on finances. Those were her least favorite things, but she was the one in charge of them, and she was kind of good at it. She was halfway done with her first task when Kyung Soo knocked at her glass door and went in “I brought you this” He said, leaving a mini lemon tart on her desk “For the old times” He said, not meeting her eyes and turning around quickly, disappearing into the kitchen. She grabbed her tart and bit into it without the need of a fork “For the old times” She mumbled to herself, giggling. She remembered with effervescence that afternoon when they met. She wondered if she liked him from that very moment. When she noticed that he was smart enough to bring a sample of his baking, to the interview to become baker at a bakery. Maybe her standards were too low.

As Kyung Soo was beating the eggs for the merengue of the lemon pie, he began thinking about her. He has been doing so since last night. Having a one on one time with her was unique, to say the least. On his ride home, and then on his morning commute to his job he kept recalling those first months working with her. Her determination, her strength, her curiosity. The times he could hear her from her office being passive-aggressive with the fruit providers. Or every time he arrived and found her sleeping at her desk. He wished he was caring enough, or brave enough to have made her coffee when that happened, to bring her a freshly baked donna. Baekhyun would have done it for sure. He also remembered the days he left work, just to come back to pick something he had forgotten and found her crying in her office. Always out of frustration or fear. All those times that he saw her so vulnerable and hurt he wanted to hug her. His arms itched to reach her and pulled her into his chest. To take the worry away. Just pass some of his calm onto her. But he was never brave enough. What they had was too precious to risk. Was too new to risk.

But then one day he realized that it wasn’t too new, but old. His feelings were well settled in his chest, and he had lost time. He could risk things now. But she was looking at someone else now. He would have to live with the craving his arms felt for her. 

--- That Friday they had a terribly busy morning. And they would have some problems for the afternoon too since Jisoo cut her finger and was currently at the ER with Baekhyun. She left the part-timer on front and went to the kitchen to check on Kyung Soo “How are you doing? Need any help?” “Yes, I need to finish decorating these cupcakes, someone is going to pick them up in an hour, could you do that so I can take care of the orders?” She could do that much. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work “Wait!” Kyung Soo stopped her, holding one of her arms. He pulled a scrunchy from his right pocket and turned her around, sliding his fingers in her hair “What are you doing?” Her voice was a bit higher due to the surprise “You can’t do this with your hair down, so I’m braiding it” She stood still. Although she was sure her hands were shaking. She was sure this was the closest he had ever been. She was sure this was the first time he was touching her. His fingers brushed her neck burning her. His movements were a tiny bit clumsy but efficient.  “You are good at this” She commented, trying to relieve the tension “I have practiced a lot with Jisoo, she always forgets to pull up her hair” She closed her eyes and released a long sight. He was already so close to her. Of course, they were. They work arm to arm, moving around the kitchen like a unit. But she and Kyung Soo also functioned as a unit. For a long time.  Sure, she wasn’t a chef, but they were partners. Not officially. He was a worker, just like Baekhyun and Jisoo. Bur for her he always felt like more. He built the menu and signature of the coffee shop. People went there for his cooking. This coffee shop belonged to both of them. -- She arrived the next morning and found Baekhyun moving around the kitchen slower than normal “You look blue,  is everything okay?” He sighed heavily, resting his body against the wall “Not really, You think Kyung Soo hates me?” “I don't think he knows how to feel that, why are you asking?” He walked with a heavy step to her side and rested his head on her shoulder like a gloomy puppy “I try to get close to him the little time our schedules overlap but he is so cold with me, he laughs but is always a shy laugh, meanwhile, Jisoo almost chokes to death the other day because of something I said” “He is very stoic” She tried to divert his line of thoughts “No,  he kind of ignores me and I want to be friends with him, he is so cool” “You want me to talk to him?” He lifted his head and went to the dressing room with slow steps “No, what are you going to tell him anyway? I just hope he doesn't have a bad image of me”  She followed him patting his back, understanding his feeling. She also wished Kyung Soo could give her more attention. “Good morning” Kyung Soo arrived, greeting and walking past them, into the dressing room “See?!” Baekhyun pointed, shaking her arm “Yeah, that was a bit cutting, you make us some coffee, I will check on him, maybe there's something going on” He nodded pouting and went back to the shop. She knocked the dressing room door, asking him if he was dressed “Yeah,  come in” She opened the door and walked in, looking around, being nonchalant “Hello there chef” “Hello boss” She stood behind him and notice him having trouble tightening his apron “Let me do that, is everything alright?” She asked him as she tightened the straps around his waist “Yes” He answered, his voice low “Everything alright with Jisoo?” “Couldn't be better” She made a double knot and tapped his shoulder telling him she was done “Everything ok with Baekhyun?” “Sure”   “You like him?” He sat down, taking off his shoes “He is great, although we don’t share the kitchen that much, why are you asking?” “No reason, just making sure everything is ok” “Sure, ok, then if you are done, I need to change my pants” She turned around quickly and left the room. When she went to the front of the shop, Baekhyun had already served three coffees and had a plate with a loaf of bread and butter “He says everything is ok” “You think he would tell you if he hated me” “I trust he tells me everything, so yeah, don’t worry Baekhyun” “Ok, if you say so, you think he would come to have breakfast with us?” She went to the back again and invite Kyung Soo to have breakfast with them. Kyung Soo accepted and when she arrived with him, she saw how Baekhyun’s imaginary tail began wiggling.

When she asked him to go and have breakfast with them, he really wanted to say no. He had some things to do, and also, if he could avoid seeing them act like old buddies, he would do it. But her questions in the dressing room told him something. She wanted to know how he felt about Baekhyun. He knew she cared about his input about everything, and if she wanted his approval on Baekhyun, she would have it. He liked him after all. He was a good guy. And share breakfast with them could be good.

----

She was talking over the phone with her lawyer when Baekhyun knocked on her door. She gave him a signal to come in and he sat at her desk waiting for her to finish. She was about to end a 20 minutes long call to ask her lawyer what she had to do to make Kyung Soo her business partner. There was a lot of paperwork involved and a lot of visits to the public notary, but it could be done if they both wanted it. She hadn’t asked him yet. She didn’t know how. She hung up and Baekhyun asked immediately what was she talking about since he could hear the last part of the call “I’m thinking about making Kyung Soo my business partner” “He isn’t already?” “No, but he is my right hand, this business his almost half his in terms of development and success, so I want him to have a part of it” Baekhyun looked lost “What are you talking about?” “What?” “I thought you and he had something, no?” She felt her cheeks blush “No, no... Why would you think that?” Baekhyun moved on his seat awkwardly “I don't know, there's always this weird tension between the two of you,  and you guys are always business business business,  but you are all the time stealing glances from each other when the other is not looking, and when you talk you guys are always way too close” His voice lost volume by the end of the sentence “I.. We just..” “You don't have to explain anything... But I may have told you something that you didn't know, so I better go now” She tried to stop him, she needed to know about this weird tension and the stolen glances, but Baekhyun was quick and left the coffee before she could reach him.

----- One Monday morning she got an envelope from a tourism website informing her that the coffee shop was selected as a “One of the coffee shops to visit in Seoul”. The four of them went for dinner that night to celebrate. As always Kyung Soo took care of grilling and serving, always putting more meat on her plate. When Baekhyun and Jisoo complained he said “She’s our boss” His voice was serious, but he was grinning. After a bunch of beers and maybe half a pig she was ready to go. She told the rest they were free to stay and handed her card to Kyung Soo. She got up and Baekhyun grabbed her wrist, stopping her “Let’s share a cab” She agreed gladly, she hated the idea of riding the taxi alone in those conditions.

Kyung Soo felt sick all of a sudden. They were so friendly. They were so friendly since day one. And he was aware that Baekhyun was that kind of person, even he felt close to him the first time they met, but this was different. Baekhyun knew where she lived.  He had known her and been working with her for more than a year and he still didn’t know her address. Meanwhile, Baekhyun was holding her arm to help her stand up. It was over for him.

He had lost his chance. And Baekhyun took his.

-----

She had a good night of sleep that night. She woke up before her alarm went off and the warm water reached the perfect temperature. On her way to work, she didn’t meet a single red light and the coffee Baekhyun prepared for her was especially good. She greeted Jisoo at the kitchen and ran into Kyung Soo when he walked out of the dressing room. She greeted him happily because she was feeling happy and seeing him added to the feeling, but he only nodded at her. It was like a bucket of cold water. All her happiness faded away. Not even in his worst days he had been so cutting. Why was he acting so distant? She tried to convince herself that she was overreacting, reading too much into it, but during the morning she realized that she wasn’t. Even Baekhyun noticed it. Before leaving he commented to her between whispers “Did you say something to him?” “No, no that I remember, Did I? Something happened last night?” “No, nothing, when we were there everything was alright, we talked a lot and laughed with everything I said or did, he even poured me several drinks, and then we…oh crap” Baekhyun mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ “What? What is it?” “You don’t get it? I’m sorry, I feel that this is my fault, at least part of it, ok… I need to go” He grabbed his backpack and left in a hurry, without giving her the chance to ask for more. She cursed at him, still clueless of why Kyung Soo was acting like this, and only with her. That day they had to close the coffee shop early due to the cut of the water service. By 6 the shop was empty, everything washed and ready to close. She arranged everything at her office, moving languidly around the room, still sad about Kyung Soo’s cold shoulder. She wanted to go home and cry maybe. She didn’t like it, she hadn’t heard his voice all day long. He didn’t come to her office not even once to ask her to call the suppliers, or for her to taste something. She was going to steal some donuts from the refrigerator, go home and cry on the shower maybe. She was about to get her period, she was especially emotional, that’s why she allowed herself some self-love. She almost got a heart attack when she walked into the kitchen and met Kyung Soo with his jacket on, reclining against one of the counters, his head down, looking at his hands. When he heard her, he looked up, and hold her stare for a while “Can we talk?” She couldn’t find her voice, so she only nodded and walked next to him. She was terrified. She knew there was something going on with him, and his face of worry and shame prove her right. She wanted to make him feel better. To get rid of that dark stare, help him. Maybe this was the right time to talk to him about becoming business partners, maybe like this, his mood could improve “I need to talk to you about something… I have been thinking about this for a while, is an idea that in the last months has been developing in my head” She saw her hands shaking. She knew he wasn’t talking about a cake or a change in the menu, no one gets so serious to talk about that, not even him. Her last boyfriend said some similar words when he broke up with her. Those words, with that voice and that somber disposition never meant something good. Kyung Soo was about to tell her something terrible “Are you ok? You went pale all of the sudden” She looked up from her hands and found him looking at her face, his hand so close to her cheek she could almost felt its warmth. His entire semblance changed. He was still serious, but worried, his eyes big and round scanning her, searching what was disturbing her. He asked her a couple of times and she didn’t answer until she felt slightly better and under control  “I…it’s just…you have been acting so weird today, and now you are being so serious now, I can’t tell why… I’m terrified” She was sure she wasn’t crying, but she heard her voice break.  Finally, finally after months of craving it, he grabbed her face with careful hands, caressed her cheeks down to her neck and shoulders and pulled her into a hug. He held her by the nape, his right hand sinking in her silky hair, and his other arm held her softly, pulling her against his chest as close as he could. She rested her head on his shoulder, her arms went around his waist and although his hug wasn’t tight, it calmed her down a little bit. She felt him speak. She felt his breathing against her shoulder but couldn’t hear what he was saying. She let go of him and searched for his eyes, but he didn’t meet hers “What did you say?” “I’m sorry” “For what?” He let go of her, his arms falling from her back to his side “What I was going to tell you is that…I have been thinking about moving jobs, maybe is time for me to move on” Her arms went to his waist again. This time her grip was tight. The panic his words caused her stirred her with desperation. If she had to stay like this, hugging him for the rest of her life so he wouldn’t leave, she would do it. She kept asking him not to leave, begging for him to stay. At first, he just let her be, he hugged her too, rubbing her back trying to calm her down, but it came to no avail. Kyung Soo grabbed her arms and unclasped them with a lot of difficulties. He called her name, trying to calm her down, but she held to his arms, still shaken by his news “This could be good for me, and for you too, Jisoo will stay in charge, she cooks the kind of things you like, and maybe a new chef with a new approach could be better for the coffee shop” She was in tears, her lips shaking as the air left her mouth in short and quick puffs. He got worried about her, he felt guilty too “No! No Kyung Soo, you can’t leave me, this coffee is what it is because of you” “Is not, this is your dream, I just helped you” “No, without you I couldn’t have done this, you are my chef, you are my partner Kyung Soo, please don’t…” Kyung Soo took a step back releasing himself from her grip. He looked unsettled, shaking his head, his eyes saddened “Just that? You want me here just because I'm your chef?” “What do you mean?” She asked, cleaning her tears with her sleeve. Kyung Soo took a deep breath after another until he could speak calmly “That's the only thing I am to you right?” She looked into his eyes for a long time. Kyung Soo now was being inquisitive giving her back a stare that intimidated her because she felt naked in front of him. She was sure she never showed her adoration in front of him. She was always professional, they were never flirty or platonic. They did trust each other and talked a lot, but she never felt anything from him, and she was sure she never showed anything more than admiration and respect towards him. She needed to change that “No! No, you are more” Build up the braveness to say more than that was harder than she would expect. “What am I then? And please don’t say your business partner” She noticed in his voice that they were equally desperate. They were equally frustrated and scared about what was happening. There was a lot to lose with this conversation. She could confess and lose her chef and a friend. But if he was so decided to leave, she needed to share with him how much she had fallen for him, because she loved him. And if he decided to leave after her confession and not look for her ever again, at least she got to tell him how she felt. She just wished she could have told him sooner “Kyung Soo…you are all that, but since always you have been my friend” He closed his eyes sighing in frustration “And I love you, I just… I love you so much, you can’t leave me, please don’t leave me” She finished with a string of voice, her hands in fists, her eyes closed, scared. Kyung Soo took two long steps whispering her name, and as she looked up, he cupped her jaw and covered her mouth with his own. She gasped and it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. Kyung Soo grunted softly in return as he dragged his fingertips along her jaw. Kyung Soo’s lips were soft and warm, but calm. It wasn’t a hungry kiss or desperate. He was testing, keeping himself in line. Despite the shock, she still thought she could spend the rest of her days kissing him without getting tired of it. He pulled back just far enough to let the air back into their lungs. His eyes gazed deeply into her eyes, asking for permission, although it was a bit too late now. She closed her eyes and he couldn’t resist too long away from her. He tilted his head catching her breath, and this time he kissed her with intensity. Intensity that she matched. The kiss itself was more tentative than anything, mostly because they were both unsure of what was going on. But she was the first one settling it when she caught his lower lip and suddenly sucked on it. Kyung Soo’s warmth was almost suffocating, and she wanted to taste it. He encircled one arm around her waist, placed the other hand on her nape as if locking her with his body so she wouldn’t leave him. He didn’t want to hold back anymore, he wanted her, he loved her, and she loved him too. Now it was the time to make up for the lost time. Her hands were on his shoulders, his neck, his arms, the sides of his face. It was desperate, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care about the tiny frustrated sounds spilling from the back of her throat. She didn’t care that he was leaving her. He was quitting and leaving her behind. She backed away, looking at him wildly “You…Kyung Soo, you…you are lea…” He moved quickly to grab her by the nape, tugging her close so they could rest their foreheads together “It’s ok, I’m here, I’m not leaving” He breathed, stroking the back of her neck tenderly. She still looked fairly terrified, her pupils blown wide and shaking all over, but completely still in his hold “Kyung Soo” She called again, but he shook his head and moved his other hand to stroke her cheek softly “I love you” He whispered, although he knew it was not enough to reassure her now, even after the kiss “You really do?” “We kissed” He whispered against her lips, feeling stupid by saying that, but his mind couldn’t form better words. His fingers caressed the sides of her mouth and god, he wanted to do it again, wanted to seal his mouth over hers for another taste, just to feed that need he has been feeling for months. But he held himself. Instead, he took one of her hands and placed it over his chest, the spot where his heart was beating like crazy. Closing her eyes, she let her senses take over everything, wondering for how long she has been feeling like this, if this is what falling in love feels like, if this is what he feels like. She called his name again, and Kyung Soo called hers. They giggled together, feeling some of the tension dissipate “And…and what does this mean?” She stuttered "No idea" He whispered, and they giggled again. She knew what this was, he knew it too, so she leaned in and kissed him again. When they pulled apart and she opened her eyes she found him smiling brightly. He grabbed her by the waist, lifting and dropping her on the counter. She hugged his shoulders and rejoiced in the feeling of his arms holding her “You are not leaving right?” “No” “Why did you say that?” His ears went red and he looked down ashamed “I thought you liked Baekhyun, and I just couldn’t go through that” She called his name softly, feeling sorry for him, “Just to be clear, I don’t like him” “I know now” She made him look at her again, rubbing his nape “That’s why you were so cold to him?” He nodded, looking at her again “Ok, make sure to be nicer with him ok? He was very sad because he thinks you hate him and he really likes you” Kyung Soo’s eyebrows went up funnily “That’s why you asked me if I liked him?” “Yeah” “I thought it was because you wanted my approval to date him” She was shocked to hear that, and also felt incredibly guilty “Kyung Soo, for how long have you being suffering?” She caressed his face, kissing his cheeks “Kiss me some more so I can forget about that” She grabbed his cute face and kissed him softly, like a caress, an apology. Kyung Soo pulled back from the kiss, his hands moving to her thighs “What you wanted to say before?” She looked clueless for a while, not quite remembering what happened before. She took half a minute to go over the most recent events “Oh yes! I had a proposal for you, here” She grabbed his hand and jumped down the counter, walking with him to her office. If she was lucky enough, after that afternoon she would get a new boyfriend and a new business partner.

The End

Notes: Please, some feedback. 

I think the next story will be up in two weeks. Miso. 

[bobasheebaby]

Costume Face-off (NSFW)

Pairing: Bastien x Olivia; Liam x Ellie

Word count: 3,284

Warnings: smut, Bastien’s abs

Summary: Beaumont Bash Halloween party and a couples costume bet...

A/N: @stopforamoment sent me the bottom center picture last year and said Baslivia, I promised her and a year later I have fulfilled said promise. I played around with the “prompt” a little. Thanks to @sirbeepsalot for graping and prereading. This is set in the future, 15 months from the beginning, 11 months from opening up about their relationship. Pic # 3 belongs to @metalslimer and @sintwisted, all pictures found on google.

“Ohmygod, look at that one!” Ellie exclaimed as she scrolled through Pinterest with Olivia.

Olivia rolled her emerald eyes. “That’s nothing.”

“Yea, Okay Liv, but we both know we’d never get the guys to agree to something like this. She kept scrolling through. “I mean they are fun, Mario and Princess Peach, Oh. My. God! Look at Jessica and Roger Rabbit!” She scrolled down further, blue eyes going wide. “I take it back! This Roger Rabbit and Jessica, look at her she’s freaking ripped! How the hell did these women talk these men into their costumes?!” Olivia arched her brow knowingly. “Ummm yea, that, but really that won’t here.” She pointed at a picture of seven guys all dressed as different Disney Princesses. “I mean…”

“You underestimate yourself if you don’t think you could get Liam in one of these.”

“Okay Liv, you really could get Bastien to agree to something like this.”

“I could, and I guarantee it would blow anything you and Liam came up with out of the water.”

“Of course you would make it a bet.”

“Does that mean you don’t accept the challenge?”

“Oh no, you’re on, best gender swap costume wins, the loser has to wear the losing costume to brunch the next morning and pay.”

“You’re on, and so going down. A Nevrakis never loses.”

*

Olivia pulled her long crimson hair back into a low bun, her eyes trailing down the rest of her costume in the bathroom mirror. Perfect. She smirked at her reflection, as she gently brushed her hand over the small bump visible in her tight white v neck. She turned to look at the shirt she discarded, still hanging on the hanger. No more crop tops for now. She grabbed her belt, adding the final touch. “You might want to cover your ears, Papa isn’t gonna be thrilled when he sees his costume.” As if on cue she heard the door to their suite open and shut. Even retired, he refused to give up on security, always double checking to ensure everything was secure. “Your costume is on the bed.” She gave herself one last cursory glance, straightening her black vest, before exiting the en-suite.

She stifled a chuckle as she saw him standing at the end of the bed holding the thin maroon material in his hand. She knew this wasn’t what he was expecting when she suggested they go as Han Solo and Slave Leia, she was certain of that by the way he had said yes before the entire suggestion left her lips. She was sure he had visions of her dressed in the barely there bikini, while he was a dashing Han Solo. Think again, I have a bet to win.

Bastien turned, a perplexed look on his face. “What’s this?”

“Your costume, like I said.”

“Livvy, you can’t actually expect me to wear this.” He looked up, eyes slowly trailing up her body. He took in her black knee high boots, skin tight blue jeans, white v neck, black vest. She isn’t kidding. “I can’t wear this.” He shook his head in dismay. There isn’t enough fabric to cover me.

She smirked as she crossed the room to him. “Sure you can.” She unbuttoned his dress shirt. “You certainly have the body for it.” She traced her hands down his firm chest and impressive twelve pack for emphasis.

He shivered under her touch. Don’t give in. “This won’t conceal much, if anything.” He held up the sheer maroon loin cloth.

“Relax, I got you a banana hammock.” She gestured to the small flesh colored material on the bed, sitting next to his collar and chain.

He looked at the barely there undergarment that more resembled dental floss than actual underwear with a grimace. Banana hammock? It’s a g-string! He knew she was only calling the flesh colored scrap of fabric by that name as a means to tease him for his dislike of bananas.

She teased her finger along the waistband of his pants, smiling as he sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t beg...” Her fingers undid his buckle. “...but I’d be willing to get on my knees.” She winked, pulling down his zipper. She sank to the floor, settling on her knees before she pulled his pants and boxer briefs down, releasing his half hard cock.

He groaned as she wrapped her hand around his length, pumping it in slow, smooth strokes. She smiled as she watched him react to her ministrations, his cock becoming fully hard in a matter of seconds.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be the hottest Leia they’ve ever seen.” She continued to slide her slender hand up and down his thick shaft, feeling heat pool in her core. Later. “You have such a spectacular body; it would be a shame to not show it off.”

“You’re just saying that to get me to…” His words trailed off as she wrapped her plush red lips around his swollen head. His hand gripped the back of her head, steely eyes locked on emerald as he gently bucked into her mouth. “Fuck Livvy.”

She bobbed her head up and down his length, her tongue swirling around his shaft. She gripped his firm buttock with her other hand, giving it a hard squeeze.

He moaned, one of the things he fell in love with was her ability to take charge. He watched as his thick length disappeared into her mouth again and again. His mind swirled; he knew the second he saw his costume he didn’t really have a choice. She doesn’t play fair.

God she’s a goddess with her mouth. He felt his balls tighten and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. “Livvy.”

She nodded her head, her hand cupping his balls, rolling them in her hand. She hollowed her cheeks, creating suction as she increased her pace.

He fisted her bun as he bucked into her mouth. His eyes remained locked on hers as he came with a groan, spilling down her throat. He softened the hold on her hair as he watched her swallow every drop.

Olivia eased up her pace, gently licking his softening cock clean before releasing it from her mouth. She rose to her feet, wiping the corners of her mouth. “I still think you can pull it off.”

“It was never a question of could… it was more should.”

“You should always show off your impressive physique.”

Bastien laughed shaking his head. God I love this woman.

“So you’ll wear it?”

He looked at the costume in question, knowing it was too late to change costumes. “It’s not like I have another option.”

“Very true.”

“You know you didn’t have to…”

“I know.” She smiled trailing her hand down his bare chest. “I could help you make sure everything is put away.” She licked her lips suggestively.

He forced himself to focus on anything other than her soft hands ‘helping’ him conceal himself in the small undergarment. He knew what would happen the instant her hands were on his body again. God she’s more insatiable than ever. “Thank you for the offer, but we both know that we’ll never leave the room if you do.”

She bit her lip as she hummed her agreement. “You’re absolutely correct.” Her heated gaze scanned his chest, taking in the toned tanned muscle covered in dark chest hair. She felt the heat in her grow. “Go get dressed before I change my mind about going to the party.”

He chuckled as he picked up the small pieces of his costume. He’d much rather stay in the room all night wrapped in her arms, but if he knew one thing about his wife, it was she chose this costume for a reason, one he wouldn’t find out if they were a tangle of sweaty limbs all night. I’ll just have to persuade her to come back early.

*

Olivia nervously toyed with her rings with the pad of her thumb. Large cushion cut emerald and simple platinum band, the perfect mix of him and her, past and present. She smiled as he squeezed her right hand in his, his ability to understand her only growing over the course of their relationship.

“Don’t be nervous.”

“I’m a Nevrakis, we don’t get nervous.” Her voice falling flat, belying her feelings. She turned to look at him. “So few know…” Her hand grazed her visible bump.

“No one will notice, they will be stunned speechless by my costume.”

Olivia chuckled. “Blinded by your impressive abs.” She’d picked the costume before finding out, now she was even more glad she went so extreme to show Ellie and Liam up. Her emerald eyes scanned the front room as they descended the grand staircase. Now where are Ellie and Liam so we can win this bet?

She slipped her hand from his, sliding it around to his backside giving it a hard squeeze as they weaved through the crowd. He removed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. “If you keep that up, we will have a wardrobe malfunction on our hands.”

“I’d rather not make Adelaide’s night, I’ll behave.” For now.

*

Adelaide bit her lip as Bastien caught her eye. She allowed her gaze to shamelessly roam his exposed form, her eyes slowly raked down his sculpted chest and abs. What I wouldn’t give to lick them. She shivered slightly as she allowed herself to imagine his chest hair brushing against her erect nipples as she ravished him. Why do all the young men of Cordonia believe a woman wants a smooth chest? A real woman wants a real man; rugged, buff, with hair on his chest. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she reached the sheer maroon fabric. Covered, what a pity. She licked her thin lips as she allowed her mind to wander. She could tell by the barely concealed bulge that he would be a sight to behold. Is it all length or does he have girth too? A shiver ran down her spine as she allowed herself to imagine his large hands manhandling her. She shook her head sadly before draining her glass of champagne. Another opportunity missed. She turned going off in search of another glass of champagne, there was no point in trying to speak to him, she knew Olivia had her claws in far too deep to let him venture off alone looking like that.

*

Drake’s chestnut eyes went wide and he quickly averted his gaze as Bastien and Olivia joined them. He nervously cleared his throat as he struggled to erase the image of Bastien from his mind. “I love you Bas, but I didn’t need to see so much of you.”

“Admit it Walker, you're just jealous you won't look this good in a decade.” Olivia looked Drake up and down, fighting back a chortle at his stay puff marshmallow costume. “Or ever.”

Drake went to run his hand through his hair forgetting the ridiculous hat on his head. Stupid costume! Next time I’m not letting Ellie pick what I dress as.

"Drake, it's no different than when we do laps."

"Really Bas? It’s a huge difference. I mean that's a speedo. This is…” His words trailed off as he reluctantly looked over Bastien’s costume. “I don't know what it is, but it’s not a speedo!"

“Drake, it really is no different.” Ellie stated. “I’m impressed Liv, getting Bas to show off his impressive form, he will be the talk of court for weeks to come.”

“Excuse me my queen?” Liam asked looping his arm around her waist.

“Relax Li, I’m just saying he has an impressive body and I’ve noticed several party goers checking him out as well.”

Olivia smiled, Ellie and Liam’s costume was so perfectly them, but she and Bastien had clearly won. Ellie wore a royal blue waistcoat, cut low almost like a corset and trimmed in gold. Her black locks were mostly down with two pigtails at the front of her head twisted to form horns, she wore minimal face paint, just a nose and a bit of lines to give the appearance of fur, but not too much as to conceal her identity. She nearly laughed at Liam’s long wavy wig. Instead of a dress he’d opted for a gold tailcoat and matching pants, complete with ruffles at the sleeves and collar. Both costumes were well made, clearly professionally made just for the royal couple, yet the idea wasn’t inventive enough. “Liam, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about, your queen only has eyes for you. But I just need to know, what do you think of Bastien’s costume?”

Liam easily slipped into his kingly persona. “Your concept is certainly... forward thinking”

Ellie and Olivia snorted at his polite answer. Even among friends he found it hard to be harsh.

Maxwell danced up to his friends, Olivia lost it at the sight of his gold lamé parachute pants, airbrushed tee and red, white, and blue jacket, topped off with thick gold chain. “Dare I ask who you’re supposed to be Maxwell?”

Maxwell clutched his hand to his chest as he feigned hurt. “Olivia, how could you not recognize Vanilla Ice?” She raised her brow in question. “He’s a rapper, you know ‘ice ice baby. He’s from the nineties...” He trailed off as his brilliant blue eyes fell on Bastien. “Be honest, do you think I could pull that off? I think I could pull it off.” Maxwell rambled to himself. “OMG WE CAN BE TWINS NEXT TIME!" He screamed excitedly.

The group erupted in laughter.

“It’s not that funny guys.” Maxwell pouted deflating ever so slightly.

“Lord Maxwell, I wanted to thank you for implementing the no mask or full face paint rule for costumes.” Bastien said, glancing at the nearby faces.

Maxwell nodded, he’d originally been upset by Bastien suggestion. He soon remembered how badly he’d taken finding out Justin wasn’t who he thought, especially after getting in trouble with Ellie for the cronut incident.

“Bas, you no longer have to use formalities, we are all friends here.” Liam stated.

“Sorry sir, force of habit.” Bastien replied to a chorus of new laughter.

*

Savannah rolled her eyes as Bastien and Olivia joined their group. Could she have picked a tackier costume? “Olivia, for a woman who was born into nobility and raised in the palace, you sure lack taste.” She wrinkled her nose at Bastien’s costume. “As Duke and Duchess shouldn’t you have less revealing costumes?” If you could call it that. I’ve seen more fabric on Penelope’s poodles.

“I have more taste in my pinky finger than you have in your entire body. You’re just jealous that your husband couldn’t pull this costume off in a hundred years.”

Savannah eyed Olivia up and down, eyes widening slightly as she opened her mouth to speak.

Oh no bitch, you don’t get to announce it. “You want to talk about taste and class, yet we both know you have none. Why else would you run off to another country when the father of your child turned you down?”

Savannah gaped at Olivia, stunned speechless by her words.

“You may have married a Duke and gained a title, but I assure you, you’ll never be worthy of the title you bear. I mean, all it took was a ring and you forgot everyone who was there for you.”

Savannah felt steam leave her ears. “What is that supposed to mean?!”

“It means your guest list seemed to be missing a key person in your life growing up. But I guess since you take after your mother that’s to be expected.”

“I seem to remember your own guest list forgetting a house.”

Olivia feigned a frown. She didn’t forget, maybe it was petty but she knew Savannah would feel slighted the way Bastien had. “I distinctly remember extending an invitation to every house. I even believe I sent two separate invitations to Ramsford.”

Savannah seethed, her hands curled into fists. “Lord and Duke of Ramsford, what about the Duchess?”

“Oh dear, must have slipped my mind like a certain invitation slipped yours. Not that it stopped you from showing. Bertrand really does need to revisit etiquette lessons with you; it’s very rude to show up to an event uninvited.”

“It’s not like you didn’t have enough food.”

“That’s because a good hostess is always prepared, even for the uninvited guest that may show up.” Olivia smirked at Savannah’s obvious anger. “But really I’m not sure what Bertrand was thinking when he married you.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Savannah growled, she was sick of Olivia’s attitude towards her, she’d put up with it all her life, not anymore.

“I mean, after the stunt you pulled leaving the country with his child, taking money from his house, that the last thing he should have given you was a ring and a title. If it had been me I would have taken custody of the child.”

Savannah took a step forward. She’d spent her entire life trying to live up to the other nobles, now she was one, she refused to allow Olivia to disrespect her in her own house.

“Savannah!” Bertrand grabbed Savannah by the wrist, pulling her back to his side. “You will not attack a member of one of the oldest houses and tarnish the House of Beaumont.”

Savannah let out an annoyed scream. Of course he’s more worried about the status of the family than his own wife. “Fine.” She straightened, hands brushing the sides of her plain blue regency inspired costume. She spun before she stalked off, steam leaving her ears.

*

Neville felt his face grow hot with rage. The indignity! He straightened the jacket of his perfect recreation of his ancestral costume, the very first Earl of Cormery Isle, a man to be feared and respected. He’d stood idly by long enough watching nobles of so called higher houses make a mockery of his country by choosing so called love over duty to country and picking commoners.

He stalked up to the small group, his dark eyes alight with anger. “Duchess Olivia.” He sneered. “You and your husband,” the word fell from his tongue like acid, “are making a mockery of this party.”

Of course he would find himself important enough to interrupt his betters. “There are horses inside, I guarantee you this party was a ‘mockery’ well before it started.” Olivia turned her back towards Neville, signifying she was done speaking to him.

Bastien wrapped his arm around her back. “She means no offense Maxwell.”

Maxwell bounced on the balls of his feet like a small excitable child. “It wouldn’t be a Beaumont Bash if it weren’t a mockery.” He turned to the party, raising his hands in the air. “Let the revelry continue!”

Olivia rolled her eyes as Maxwell danced away being swallowed into the screaming crowd. She turned to Bastien, standing on her tiptoes to reach his ear, she ran her hand up and down his arm, her hot breath fanning against his neck as she spoke. “We’ve been thoroughly seen and you’ve been ogled by more than half the people here. Let’s get back to our room.”

He took her hand in his, eager to  get out of the costume. He still had one question, one that he had hoped to have had answered over the course of the night. “Why this costume?”

“There may have been a bet but, don’t worry, we won.”

A bet?! His eyes went wide at her admission. “You soo owe me.”

“Don’t worry, there might be a small gold bikini waiting for you in Lythikos…”

Let me know if you want on or off the taglist.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, I’m just borrowing them from PB.

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment or reblog to let me know how much you like it. I can handle the screams, so scream away.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

Taglist will be reblogged.

[villagetv]

ACCEPTANCES !

okay  yall,  here  it  is  !  i  seriously  had  such  a  hard  time  deciding  between  all  of  these  apps  because  every  single  one  of  them  was  amazing  to  read  and  so  wonderful.  i  wish  i  could  accept  everyone  !  but  seriously,  i  just  want  to  thank  you  all  for  the  hard  work  you’ve  done,  and  for  applying  at  all.  i  did  not  think  in  my  wildest  dreams  that  this  group  was  going  to  get  this  many  applications,  but  i’m  so  glad  it  did  and  i’m  so  inspired  by  all  the  people  who  went  above  and  beyond  in  their  applications.  i  literally  loved  every  one  that  i  got,  and  it  was  nearly  impossible  to  choose  for  me.  you  all  should  feel  proud  of  your  work  whether  or  not  you’re  accepted.  again,  thank  you  so  so  so  much  <3

below  the  cut  are  the  list  of  acceptances,  with  my  (slightly  rambly)  comments.  accepted  applicants  will  have  24  hours  to  send  in  their  accounts.  after  that,  i  will  be  going  through  the  remaining  applicants  for  that  spot  before  opening  it  for  new  applications  !  as  accounts  are  sent  in  i’ll  be  sending  out  the  discord  link. again,  i  love  you  all  so  much  and  thank  you  for  bearing  with  me  through  this. 

MUSE A: NAOMI AHN has been cast in the role of ZOEY LEE ( mun: zia ! )

zia, you are an amazing writer! when i read your bios for naomi and zoey, i was in AWE at not only your skills, but also the way that every piece of information added something important to understanding both of their characters. to me, they embody the drive and competitive spirit of muse a, but added super interesting twists on the characters. i’m excited to see where you take naomi and zoey, and i can’t wait to rp with you!

MUSE B: PALOMA VIDAL has been cast in the role of VALENTINA ROMERO ( mun: izzy ! )

izzy, all of the apps for muse b were amazing -- hands down the best group of apps for any muse, so this decision was super difficult. but for me, your app really stood out because you approached muse b in a different way. reading your biography for her, i felt like you really understood the real person behind the spotlight that seems to shine on muse b. and paloma? WOW. i absolutely love the character you’ve created, and every muse post, headcanon and edit proved that (those promo posters? AMAZING.) overall, you did a fantastic job and i can’t wait to see where you go with paloma!

MUSE C: JUDE MADSEN-WELLS has been cast in the role of BROOKS BENNETT ( mun: b ! )

b, the minute i finished reading your application, i said “we have our muse c!” the bio was so well thought out (and i loved the format, i thought it was beyond cute!) not only do i love harry styles, but i love jude -- and i can’t wait to see how his personality influences his character and vice versa. when writing the bones of muse c, i got a little worried because it is the type of character that can get stereotypical or unbelievable without care or thought put into it, but every detail you brought with the muse posts really solidified to me that you understand muse c. there are no doubts in my mind you’ll play this character beautifully! 

MUSE D: GABRIEL ALEXANDER has been cast in the role of PHILLIP LOGAN ( mun: mimi ! )

mimi, reading your application i felt super excited to see what you are going to do next with gabe, and that excitement kind of mirrors his character to me! you gave me just enough to keep me guessing, but within that you gave me a strongly defined character with the little things that make a person who they are. i also really loved your take on muse d and it was exactly what i imagined. amazing job! 

MUSE F: WILLIAM LAWTON has been cast in the role of JAMES CONROY ( mun: amanda ! )

amanda, both(!!) of your apps were incredible. i’m heartbroken i can’t accept you for both muses honestly, because the effort that you put in was above and beyond, and i really went back and forth for a long time. however, one thing that was never in doubt was that you belong in this group, and i was ultimately so happy to accept your app for muse f! will is already such a quirky, dynamic character and his backstory was by FAR the most imaginative and original one i saw in any app. and your interpretation of muse f was spot-on! one thing that particularly struck me was the quote “james conroy is good at heart” because that’s so essential to his character, and it’s something that was missing from other apps. thank you so much for your dedication and i can’t wait to see you on the dash!

MUSE G: PAYTON JAMES HARLOW has been cast in the role of HARPER HAYES ( mun: ali ! )

ali, this app was absolutely the most fun to read because it was so incredibly detailed and thought out. i know you said i didn’t have to read everything but i totally wanted even more! with the timelines and the family background included, i literally felt like i was reading not only about payton but about her entire universe and that made me scream because i was so excited!! what absolutely clinched your application for me was your interpretation of muse g because it was just so? right? gahhh i’m rambling but i’m so happy with this application and so excited to rp with you!

MUSE H: HARVEY STRATHMORE has been cast in the role of MATTI JAMES ( mun: riley ! )

riley, the work that you put into this app is astounding to me! everything about harvey shines off the page, and all the details you added made him feel living and breathing. he’s such a unique character and i’m really looking forward to seeing where you decide to take him! i especially loved the edits you provided as i thought they were super creative. now muse h is my baby of all the muses, and so i was really worried i wasn’t going to find anyone who i thought could strike the right balance with him. but your app literally embodied how i feel about muse h, like i had to check i didn’t write it myself. it was incredible! congratulations and i’m excited to write with you!

MUSE I: YANG JAEBIN has been cast in the role of FLETCHER PARK ( mun: sarah ! )

sarah, i really enjoyed your app and your interpretation of muse i! i think it’s really perfect and i love the symbiosis that jaebin and fletcher have. looking at your pinterest board really solidified for me that you had a strong grasp on both your muse and the character they play, and i can’t wait to see what you do with both of them! congratulations :-)

MUSE J: HONOR CLARKE-MONTGOMERY has been cast in the role of CASSIE HWANG ( mun: victoria ! )

this was definitely the hardest decision i had to make tonight, because all the apps were absolutely fantastic. i loved reading every single character you all came up with -- honor is no exception. with her incredibly detailed backstory, stats, and muse posts, i was in awe of how well you portrayed her. but victoria, your interpretation of muse j was just so perfect! it wasn’t exactly the way i’d pictured her when i had first imagined the skeletons, but now that i’ve read your app i literally can’t picture her any other way. you understood her in a way that the other apps (and even me!!) didn’t. and cassie’s deeper similarities with honor... chef’s kiss! i’m so ecstatic that you’ve applied and i can’t wait to see what you do with honor. 

MUSE K: KAIA BURKE has been cast in the role of LARA LAMBE ( mun: v ! )

v, i fell in love with kaia and lara while reading your app, and that’s how i knew it had to be you! you really understood the charismatic energy of muse k and brought it to the forefront. i absolutely loved the muse blog you created! reading her backstory was awesome, but then looking at the magazine edits you created? the timeline of all her films? the awards she’s received? oh my gosh, it was amazing. thank you for bringing this vision to life so perfectly!

MUSE L: ATLAS GREENE has been cast in the role of XAVIER HASTINGS ( mun: deven ! )

deven, i was totally blown away by this app! muse l was definitely one of the skeletons that was most mysterious to me and i was expecting to see a lot of different interpretations. i absolutely LOVED yours (especially all your muse posts! so perfect), and i think in your hands muse l has so much potential. and atlas!! i love him as a character, he’s completely different from any other app i received and i’m so excited to see where you take him. but even further than that i can clearly see all the blood, sweat, and tears you put into him, and it paid off. i’m so excited to see you on the dash!

[angelaiswriting]

The Assistant (6 of ?) | Vladimir Ranskahov x reader

[original picture: pinterest]

✏️ Pairings:

(eventual) Vladimir Ranskahov x fem!reader

Anatoly Ranskahov x OC (Paulina)

probably other pairings in the future

✏️ Requested by @kellydixon01  : Y/N–hacker, big mouth, even bigger attitude–is the new addition to Fisk’s team. Sent to help the Ranskahovs, she immediately gets on Vladimir’s nerves. But as time passes, they start to take a liking to each other, even if none of them is willing to admit their feelings. Yet.

✏️ A/N: we’re finally inside Y/N’s mind in this chapter! Btw I hope this story doesn’t suck and that it makes sense.

✏️ Warnings: mention + talks of murder, death in general, probably angst (but isn’t this story a pile of angst?) and I think that’s it. Tell me if anything triggers you and I’ll add it.

✏️ Word-count: 4,200 

REQUESTS ARE OPEN IF YOU WANT ME TO WRITE FOR YOU 💛

📚 To read the previous chapters, click on the MASTERLIST link in my bio (unfortunately I can’t put links here if I want my post to come up in search results. I apologize.)

CHAPTER SIX: TRUST ISSUES

“What the fuck?”

Y/N’s choked scream came as a surprise. On one thing, Vladimir Ranskahov had been right: she had never seen a corpse and now that she stood just meters from four, she couldn’t help the trembling in her legs.

When the men turned around, diverting their attention from the four criminals at their feet, they saw she had left the security of the car. Surprisingly enough, she had been the first to react and as she stared at them with eyes full of shock and fear, Vladimir was the second.

His brain was working a thousand miles an hour and as his fingers tightened around the grip of his gun, he thought he could shoot her down. A bullet between the eyes and all would be over with. But the more he stared, the more his rational mind fought that urge, and the more his anger boiled and screamed throughout his whole body.

How was it that the first–and hopefully last–time they brought her along, they almost got played like some kids? She comes, she does her juju with the phone signal and Dobos is ready to try his luck and overthrow him.

Before his rational mind had the time to realize it, he had her pinned against the side of the car, the hot muzzle of his gun just a breath away from kissing her temple.

And suddenly, all was calm once again. His mind had stopped racing, his blood had stopped boiling, his breath had evened out. His hold was gentle on the gun, the coarse surface of its grip a soothing caress against his cold palm. There wasn’t the sudden surge of adrenaline he got during a fight, nor the buzzing enthusiasm of anticipation coursing through his muscles. There was calm. He was calm, for the world had gone silent and all he could hear was the soft whisper of her breath against his chin.

“Do you have anything to do with this?” The tone of his voice burned harder than the still warm muzzle of his gun near her skin, but she didn’t dare move away. Nor speak up.

“Let her go.”

Anatoly had finally entered her peripheral vision and even though his presence calmed her enough to distract her from her churning fear, she couldn’t but stare in Vladimir’s gaze of steel. “No,” she eventually whispered, wishing she had just stayed in the car–that she had just stayed at Wesley’s side, for she knew, no matter how much she disliked him, that he’d protect her somehow.

“You knock out phones and then they come and Dobos has new men. Money he gives us is fake. Why shouldn’t I shoot you?”

“You have already made up your mind about me, even though I told you I’m here to help. Why are you asking, then?”

“Because you spy on people,” he casually answered. “And I do not trust you.”

“I guess you either shoot people in the head or you trust them, then. You don’t give anyone the benefit of the doubt. But if you’re waiting for me to confess you that I somehow knew of their trick, you’ll be left waiting forever, even long after you’ve killed me.”

“No one will kill anyone tonight,” Anatoly intervened, tearing the gun from his brother’s grasp. “Why you have to be so paranoid, I truly do not know,” he added as he pushed Vladimir backward. “What we must do now is dash back to garage before police come here.”

*

Y/N couldn’t understand Vladimir and still, at the same time, she could. She had spent the majority of her life not knowing who to trust, or if trusting that person was going to make her end up in trouble, and at the same time she had never stopped hoping she could stop, just for one minute, and give the people that stood in front of her the benefit of the doubt.

To give a chance had always felt stupid–and dangerous. It had always made her whole body shiver in fear and anticipation, her muscles ready for the jump of her life in case things went downhill. But she had tried, and so far Fisk and Wesley had yet to fail her.

But now, as she stood in a corner of the garage as the Russians argued together, she felt small and insignificant under Vladimir’s accusatory glare. That and the silent treatment he had reserved her in the car scared her more than a gun pointed at her head.

Silent was… terrifying. It was the unknown slowly but surely transforming itself into a ghostly body of its own and she could almost feel its icy breath trace the line of her spine.

Vladimir Ranskahov was predictable when he screamed, for he would never attack as long as his mind was busy yelling at somebody. She had learned that long before she had actually met him, his past had been an open book once she had found her way in, and it had been easier to read than Anatoly’s. When his anger got the best of him, he was the only one at risk of dying as the scorching emotion burned him alive. But when he went silent and his body got as still as a predator stilled before it lunged at its prey–that was the moment you should be scared, the moment you should pray your fight-or-flight instinct kicked in and self-preservation brought you to safety.

Vladimir was easy to read when he let events take the best of him, for then he was still a man. But when his survival instinct surfaced and he couldn’t even feel the wound on his arm left behind by a flying bullet, the same wound Sergei was now sewing up, that was when he turned into the animal that got out of Utkin.

She wasn’t sure whether he knew it or not, or if maybe it had just turned into an instinctual behavior when he felt like his life was at risk, but he still knew how to use it in his favor. That version of him scared him more than the sight of those four men left dead on the pavement, back at the piers.

Had she gone through what Vladimir had been forced to live, she wouldn’t trust herself either.

But she was here and she was willing to help–willing to put her own life in the spotlight of the unknown and of the risks it threatened her with–and she couldn’t but feel like the stupid kid that had hoped too much when hope had never entered her house.

And as she eavesdropped those criminals talk and reason together, she wished she had been honest from the start–at her own risk. She spoke Russian and therefore understood every ill and every nice word they had ever said about her, the things they said during their Russian-only meetings, the insults they threw at Wesley and Fisk when they thought she didn’t understand shit. It had all been a game so far and she had always thought she was the cat and they the mice, when it had always been the other way around. She had learned the meaning of Vladimir’s tattoos and had always laughed at them, but now that he had her life in his hands–now that she had been foolish enough to move into the apartment across from his–she wished there was still time for sincerity.

“Y/N, come here!”

But now, as her body obeyed Anatoly’s order before her brain had the time to process it, she knew her confession could only do more harm than good–and it didn’t matter that she had nothing to do with the Hungarian and his plans. Nor that she was deliberately ignoring Fisk’s orders to give him inside info on the Russians so that he could control them better.

And with each step she took, she could feel herself shrink and get smaller, almost as if she could disappear so as not to face Vladimir’s wrath. He was her biggest fear, but as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.

She had most likely overestimated herself.

Sergei was applying the last stitches, but Vlad never flinched, not even once. It was almost as though he couldn’t feel it, almost as though he were still in beast-mode. She had never wished she had Wesley at her side as much as she wished for it now.

“Why did you want us to change place for meeting?” Aslan’s voice wasn’t as threatening: it was calm, soft, and even though she suspected he was anything but, she was still thankful.

“Because you’ve always been stupid enough to give your clients the upper hand.” It was almost an out-of-body experience, or as close as she could get to one: part of her wanted to cower away as her self-defense mechanism finally kicked in, and another part of her welcomed it as her muscles started to slowly relax.

It didn’t matter that she had done her best to focus on Aslan’s face because she had kept Vladimir in her peripheral vision and her mind had been more focused on him than on his man. And so, when he tightened his jaw, she didn’t miss the movement.

“We never give anyone upper hand,” he growled.

She sighed, half in exhaustion and half in contentment, for he was slowly slipping back into his angry self, burying the beast deep inside his mind once again. It didn’t mean complete safety–to think that meant you were only a fool–, but it also didn’t mean immediate death, either. It was a dangerous yet comfortable middle ground that Y/N knew how to handle–sort of.

“We keep eye on them,” Anatoly agreed, forcing her to sit on the chair in front of his brother, who was sat on the desk Sergei often used as his accounting office.

“But you still trust their choices too blindly. What would have happened if tonight’s meeting had been held where those people wanted to?”

“I don’t know, you tell us, spy.”

Vladimir was stubborn. She thought she had known it before she had started to work with him, but being in his presence had proved her wrong. He had turned out to be more inflexible than anyone she had ever met–and she was used to working with Wesley, who was only happy if and when things were done his way. Working with him should have been the right training to be able to manage Vladimir Ranskahov, but either it wasn’t the case or they weren’t as similar in their stubbornness as she had previously thought.

“The guy could have had more men.”

“They cannot bring ‘more men’,” Vladimir mocked her, yanking his shirt out of Anatoly’s grasp. “It’s deal.”

“Yeah, like paying you with Monopoly cash, apparently.”

“It had never happened. Maybe it was you who tried to work with vengry and play us.”

She scoffed. “I work for you, and therefore for Wesley and therefore for Fisk. Fisk is the one who signs my checks, not your cheating friends. Why would I side with them to trick you and risk getting shot and then dumped into the Hudson? I thought you were stupid, but I swear to God, you’re on another level! If you stopped being this paranoid for one second, you’d realize I just made you a favor.”

“A favor?”

“Volya, zamolchi,” Anatoly threatened. He wasn’t in the mood to play the peacemaker, not tonight, not after the flop with Dobos. He just wanted to go home, fuck Paulina into tomorrow, and then spend the next day sleeping to avoid coming to work and deal with his brother.

He was tired, but neither Vladimir nor Y/N seemed to realize how close to combustion he was.

“And you,” he pointed at her, “no more insults.”

“You all still doubting my loyalty after me trying to help you is an insult, me stating the truth is not. If your brother would just get his head out of his butt and use his brain for something that’s not murder, for once, he’d see I’m not the spy he thinks I am.”

And she wasn’t going against Fisk’s direct orders just to be called a liar and be stepped onto by some criminals.

“I don’t doubt you,” Tolya sighed. Aslan had quietly distanced himself from them and was now checking the rest of Dobos’ money with Sergei, both sitting in a cab. “You tried to help and Hungarians did shit. It was just coincidence.”

“Of course it was not!”

There was a fight, then: Anatoly had to stop himself from attacking his brother and Vladimir had to do the same. Y/N simply estranged herself from the scene and with the fact that they had switched back to Russian, she was able to cut their voices out of her mind without much of a problem.

She understood paranoia–she really did–, but she didn’t understand when someone just wanted to be an ass. And she wasn’t in the mood to put up with it, not now that the surge of fear-induced adrenaline had died down and all she could see before her eyes were the corpses of four criminals lying on the pavement.

It had all happened so quickly that she had barely had the time to register what the heck was going on. One second Vladimir was checking the money in front of her and the next, dollar bills were flying in the air as the Russians shot the Hungarians down. They had been quick and she hadn’t exactly understood how Tolya, Sergei and Aslan had known they had to open fire that their guns had already shot.

It didn’t matter. Only Dobos had the luck to fire a blind shot, grazing Vladimir’s arm, before he went down like a trunk. Even above the sound of the echoing shots at the pier and now, above the Ranskahovs’ heated argument, she could hear Miklos Dobos’ body thudding against the asphalt. She didn’t know how, she didn’t even want to know why, but that was the sound her brain had put on a loop as all she could see was the perfectly centered hole in the man’s forehead.

She didn’t know who had gunned him down, but she knew that if Vladimir got pissed enough with her, that was how she was going to go down–a bleeding hole in the middle of her forehead, brains splattered everywhere as she fell down to the floor.

Dead. Lifeless.

This wasn’t the first time she feared for her life, but it was definitely the first where she felt like she was so close to the end of her life and to meet the Creator.

Fuck.

She had been so dumb. Moving in next to a criminal? What had she been thinking? Now that she found herself in the company of murderers–not that they hadn’t already been before, it was just that now she had seen them at work–that unplanned decision suddenly didn’t feel like a good one anymore.

If Vladimir decided that he really didn’t trust her and that he was tired of her, he could… He lived mere feet from her: he just had to cross the hallway to…

She couldn’t think it. She couldn’t form that thought in her mind.

And yet, it was an easy one. Death was easy. You go down and you leave this world and it all happens in a fraction of a second. All the rest is just torture–or torturous wait. All she needed was an unexpected millisecond to leave this world for good. And all Vladimir needed was the previous millisecond, before he opened the door of his apartment and drilled her body with bullets.

Y/N had thought that working with Wesley had been torture. Do this and do that and dodge his advances and play deaf when he told her anything that could be interpreted as sexual. And it wasn’t just that, it wasn’t just that all he wanted to do was fuck her and that he didn’t waste any occasion to remind her that. It was that he wanted her to do things a certain way, even when there were way easier and faster ways to do it, and when he was pissed, he got prissy and intolerable and she had to tiptoe her way around him.

Working with actual criminals had felt like a nice change in the wind’s direction back then, when Fisk had first proposed it–or rather told her she was going to do it without giving her the chance to say anything. It had felt like freedom in a way: no more Fisk, no more Wesley, no more suits and high heels and tight buns because there wouldn’t be another Wesley that wanted her to dress that way.

She found herself hoping the Russians would ask her to dress more formally now, to come to work with freshly manicured nails and spot-on make-up. It would have been easier. And yet, she had come to work with the knowledge of all the research she had conducted on the Ranskahovs, with slightly less information about Sergei Yurchenko, who she felt was almost as important as the other two kingpins… and with her lies. She had come with white lies: she had to inform Fisk of anything that could even remotely be useful and she had to keep a close eye on the Russians–headstrong and therefore dangerous Vladimir in particular.

Technically, Vladimir was right: she was indeed there to spy. But she had done no such thing. The first couple of days it had been because she wanted to get to know them–she hadn’t succeeded. The next days it had been because she was trying to help them with the shipment–she hadn’t succeeded. Then it had been because Vladimir doubted her too much, while Anatoly seemed to at least be okay with her presence as long as she didn’t annoy him, and the other Russians were just either uninterested or they chatted a bit before they went back to work.

There technically was nothing to report–or this was the excuse she brought up when Wesley bugged her for intel. There wasn’t an exact reason why she kept her mouth shut when it came to spying on the Russians, but all she could think of was that her silence meant more time away from her usual office, job, and colleague.

“Vladimir will accompany you home.” Anatoly’s words felt like a punch to the stomach, one that left her breathless–and one that brought her back to reality.

She moved on her chair, the muscles in her back suddenly tense and heavy. Was that how she was going to die? In a kingpin’s car?

Vladimir didn’t say a word: there was no way he could escape his brother–and he was tired. So tired he felt like going to bed and sleep for a century, willingly embracing nightmares and spasming muscles as he waded his way through a memory lane he could not elude. So, he groaned as he jumped down from Sergei’s desk with the grace of an elephant.

He didn’t wait for her: he headed towards the exit, suit jacket thrown over his left shoulder as he retrieved a packet of cigarettes from one of its pockets.

“If he does anything, you call me, da?” Anatoly softly ordered her, but Y/N didn’t turn even when he put his hand on her shoulder. “At any hour.”

“Will he kill me?” She didn’t really want to know, but at the same time, she did.

“No.”

“Why doesn’t he trust me?”

“You didn’t give him reason why he should.” The man shrugged his shoulders, his gaze fixed on her face.

“Why do you trust me, then?”

“I don’t exactly trust you either,” he confessed. “But you haven’t given me reason why I should accuse you of anything, so I’m good, for now. You don’t trust us either.” There was a smirk then, one that proved her there was more to him than what his tattoos could say.

“You are unpredictable and I never know what to expect,” she stated, and that confession seemed to cost her more than she’d ever thought.

*

The ride in Vladimir’s car was weighed down by a tense silence. She didn’t dare ask him to put out his cigarette, just as he didn’t care to ask her if him smoking was alright with her.

(It wasn’t.)

The radio was turned off and just as with his cigarette, she didn’t dare ask if she could turn it on. This was his territory and she was afraid of what he might do.

But the late-night traffic was thick that day and they both thought back at the Hungarians they had abandoned by the Hudson. The police had probably found them already, Y/N thought, not knowing Anatoly’s men had already taken care of them.

“Why did you move in next to me?”

Vladimir’s voice was tense, rougher than usual–probably because of the smoke or the anger, she didn’t really know. It took her a couple of seconds to convince herself to turn her head to look at him: he was staring ahead, his right hand gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles had turned white, almost as though the tattooed barb wire of his trips to jail had robbed them of their color. His jaw was clenched and she could see the sudden leaps of muscle underneath the skin when he gritted his teeth.

She opened her mouth, left it hanging like a fish out of water, and closed it again with a sigh. “It seemed like a good idea back then,” she answered then, gaze traveling back down his arm, skirting over the blood stain on his otherwise immaculate shirt.

“You should have not done that.”

“I guess I got it now.”

He remained silent for a while, until he finished his cigarette and threw the butt out of the open window. “My brother says I should give you chance,” he said. “‘Benefit of doubt,’ as you called it.”

She nodded, eyes lifting up from his barbed knuckles to the side of his face. For a second she was about to stretch her arm out and touch the scar that ran down from his right eyebrow to his cheek, but she tightened her fists in her lap and kept still.

“But my trust comes with price.”

“What do you want?”

He turned to stare at her then, and it scared her both because he wasn’t minding the street and because his eyes had turned to steel, to rock-hard hatred. “I want to know if you’re spying. I know you are.”

Y/N swallowed, and the movement was slow and thick and almost painful as she tried to swallow down her own fear, too. She was stronger than this. She had put up with Wesley and with Fisk–and with her family–and she was not going to give Vladimir Ranskahov the power of making her feel minuscule and insignificant, so small he could step on her and put her out the way she had watched him put out endless cigarettes, back at the garage.

But she had lied enough and there was no reason why she should continue, not now that he knew. He had always known, she had never deluded herself into thinking Vladimir was some stupid ass that could be tricked without much effort–he wasn’t like James, whom she played like a doll.

“I should be,” she found herself correcting him. “But I haven’t.”

“Why not?”

What was the reason? Was there a reason? She didn’t know.

“Why not?” he insisted. He parked in his usual lot, but the engine was still roaring under the hood of his expensive car.

Was that-? No, it couldn’t be his BMW.

“I like it, at the garage. No one bothers me. You’re stubborn and we fight a lot, I know, but I’d rather be locked up in a room with you than with Wesley.”

How had he found out she had moved here?

“If I find out you spy, I kill you.”

Was he waiting inside?

“Okay.” Her hand was trembling on the door handle, but it wasn’t out of fear nor was it because of Vladimir.

He followed her gaze, eyed the white BMW she was staring at, and eventually shrugged one shoulder as he opened his door.

Y/N’s feet weighed like lead as she walked to the elevator with Vlad at her side.

What did he want?

“Don’t come up now,” she said just before the doors to the elevator opened. “Wait a few minutes before you go up.”

“I take no orders from you.”

She stopped him with a hand in the middle of his chest, right on his sternum, and under the thin cotton of his shirt, his warm skin and hard muscles, she felt the faint thudding of his heart.

“I think Wesley is upstairs.” And she really didn’t want him to realize she lived right across from Vladimir Ranskahov.

How was this? Hopefully okay... As always, feedback, requests and suggestions are welcome and appreciated :) Thank you for reading  💛 I feel like I’m not doing this story justice, but hopefully it’s just bc of the swamp my life is these days.

TAGS (to be added to or to be removed from any list, shoot me an ask. Same goes for ‘Bratva’)

Everything: @idhrenniel @saibh29 @fuckthatfeeling @aya-fay @pebblesz892  @mblaqgi

Bratva (people not on the lists but that might still be interested): @sweetvengeancee @theranskahovs @brobachev 

[operativehq]

after almost twenty four hours after the submit has closed and 11+ hours of reading applications and making painstaking decisions, the long-awaited acceptance post has come. i’d sincerely thank every single applicant for applying because i really don’t lie when i say that i read through every single app and had to make some very tough decisions, some that hurt my heart because almost every app came neck and neck with each other. this entire experience has been surreal -- i never expected for my plot idea to take off so incredibly and for such kind words to be said about it. i definitely did not anticipate 43 apps to end up in my inbox and to have such dedicated and patient applicants. thank you so much to everyone who’s been a part of this experience already, i really, really can’t say it enough or articulate it well.

to people who are not accepted -- i really mean it when i say that i wish i could accept everyone. every single app went beyond my expectations, and if you weren’t accepted it is NOT a testament to your writing abilities or anything personal. having to pick ONE person out of so many apps, or ELEVEN out of FORTY-THREE ?? it’s nearly impossible. it breaks my heart to not be able to accept THIRTY-TWO apps that were so beautiful. i strongly encourage people who weren’t accepted to keep an eye on this rp in case any openings or expansions occur in the future, because i’d really love to have people reapply. i wish i could type with the conviction and passion that i’m feeling right now when i say that every app blew me out of the water, but now i’m repeating myself over and over again. ( if anyone would like feedback on their app or for me to send their app back to them, please let me know over the course of this week. )

with that said, under the cut are the eleven accepted applicants. please send in your accounts within TWENTY-FOUR HOURS and be sure to check out the CHECKLIST as well as the inbox of your character blog once you send in your account so i can send invites to the ooc discord chat !!

CONGRATULATIONS LAURA ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT AURUM, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MALCOLM WEBB ( REECE KING ). 

holy crap, laura !! your writing is amazing !! you really made malcolm come alive, with everything from your edits to your stunning biography and description of his personality. my heart really hurt for malcolm while i was reading about his background and you really provided so much depth behind the surface-level rich kid. you displayed his vulnerabilities and desires incredibly well. also, i love how you even added depth to the way his skills ?? thank you so, so much for applying, love, and welcome !!

CONGRATULATIONS EMILY ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT CRIMSON, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS RAFAEL BOLÍVAR ( TYLER POSEY ).

emily -- can we talk about the way you write for a sec ?? it’s absolutely phenomenal. you took a darker twist to crimson than i could have imagined and i loved every second of it. your backstory for him is incredibly unique to me and i’m so excited to work with his narrative throughout the rp !! beyond that, you really know your character well !! i was blown away by your para samples -- the way you wrote his connection with nikolai and also that drabble about him and tony ?? you have such a knack in your writing to be able to sympathize with your muses, like oh my god. i’m so glad you applied and i can’t wait to see how you develop rafe !!

CONGRATULATIONS CHRISTINA ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT CYGNUS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS RHYSAND ATTWOOD ( HARRY STYLES ).

you truly went above and beyond, christina, and i am honestly so glad you came out of retirement from the rpc to apply !! the cygnus competition was so, so tough, but i kept coming back to your application. not only is your writing incredible, every facet of your application was so detailed it was clear that you had an understanding of rhys !! the thing that completely sold me was that you wrote about every connection rhys would have and how rhys would act and that was so great to see !! i also loved your twist on rhys & odessa’s connection ?? i also love his potential development and the way you tied his story into the plot !! i can’t wait to write with you, love, welcome to operative !!

CONGRATULATIONS TERESA ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT HAWTHORN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CALLIOPE MAXWELL ( CARTIA MALLAN ).

my goodness, i absolutely loved your app, teresa !! it was so unique and i loved how you showed how much depth callie had and the development that she has gone through and will continue to go through. i just loved the twist on her backstory and how she didn’t start off too kind ?? you made the skeleton of hawthorn three-dimensional and complex !! also, your ideas for her goal and how to extend it into a plot in the future was so creative and intriguing, i can’t wait to explore it more with you, love !! also, the liberties you took with your para sample absolutely paid off !! i loved seeing callie’s perspective on the provided connections. welcome, teresa !!

CONGRATULATIONS JULIE ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT HYALUS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS DANAË BAUTISTA ( CLEO LAZULI ).

hyalus was another tough decision, but julie, i absolutely loved your take on hyalus. not only did the memes and vines make me laugh out loud, but you gave such a fresh perspective on our resident hacker. just the aspects ( and perhaps irony ) of her father’s condition made me incredibly sad, but it provided a ton of depth to danaë ?? and i loved the fact that you gave her the label ‘ the icarus ’, the way you explained it made me love danaë even more !! also, your research for the role literally had me with my mouth open while i was going through your app ?? and the fact that you included a family tree / timeline ?? your dedication is unreal. thank you so much for applying and i can’t wait to see danaë on the dash !!

CONGRATULATIONS RHINE ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT MERCURY, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LYSANDER SEO ( LEE JONG SUK ).

the competition for mercury was probably one of the toughest -- every single app i read for that role was filled with so much effort and talent, that i kept going back and forth between so many. but rhine -- i strongly believe that you have an ability to paint with words. as i kept reading, i was just swept away by your writing ability ?? every single sentence was like a masterpiece !! and the way you wrote lys and his backstory was something i’ve never really seen before, and the amount of research you put into it was amazing !! while i was reading it all, i was internally screaming out of astonishment for your writing and sorrow for lys. he has so much depth and you understand him so well !! i cannot wait to see you play lysander on the dash and in events !!

CONGRATULATIONS EL ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT NOX, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS KINGSLEY LIM ( BANG YONGGUK ).

el, el, el !! your writing is insanely beautiful and by the end of your app, i felt like i understood king extremely well. his backstory had me crying and i loved the way you made nikolai a tether for king. also that pinterest ?? organized from head to toe had me already screaming, but then your explanation for each color and what it meant... it had me on the floor, quite honestly. your understanding of king and the very dark take on nox’s skeleton was stunning to read !! and those last two lines of his bio ?? had me weeping. in any case, i can’t wait to see kingsley develop here and welcome to the rp !!

CONGRATULATIONS GUBSE ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT OPHIDIAN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS OLIVER KNIGHTLEY ( XAVIER SERRANO ).

goodness, the depth you gave ophidian was astounding  -- the anger, the loneliness, the flirtations  -- it was all wrapped up into oliver so perfectly ?? and then your development questions... the way you answered them ?? your writing is absolutely amazing !! it's a different vision i had for ophidian, but that’s in no means a bad thing. it's exactly why i loved it so, so much. just the line " he looks in the mirror. ' what are you capable of ? '" gave me shivers. i absolutely cannot wait to see how you play oliver on the dash. congratulations and welcome to operative !!

CONGRATULATIONS MINNIE ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT PHANTOM, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS JIYOON ARIELLA HAN ( PARK SOOYOUNG ).

everything from the biography, to the stats, to the connections, to your character’s goal... all i can say is wow !! i also absolutely loved the pinterest boards that went along with the biography !! every twist and turn that your writing took me on had me love every minute. it was a different take than i expected for phantom, but you captured the skeleton’s essence and really made it your own !! the explanation of her personality just confirmed that you were the one for phantom !! your writing is spectacular and i truly can’t wait to write with ariella !!

CONGRATULATIONS HONEY ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT PHOENIX, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS FRANCIS KANG ( JEON JUNGKOOK ).

holy shit, honey. i was weeping for francis and i really loved your take on phoenix’s connection and the depth you put behind him. i loved how much of a facade he put up & your depiction of him and odessa !! besides all that, your writing is gorgeous !! your in-character paragraph for phoenix really sold it for me !! you really have a good grasp on francis, and your creativity with his background / personality has me so excited to see where he goes and how he’ll develop !! thank you so much for applying and welcome !!

CONGRATULATIONS CLEO ! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE FILE OF AGENT SCORPIUS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS ANGELINA DELAROSA ( CINDY KIMBERLY ).

the scorpius decision was probably the toughest of the whole acceptance process -- each app was absolutely amazing and i was struggling to pick just one. but i kept coming back to yours. your writing is almost poetic, and the way you wrote angelina was something that really pulled at my heart. the fact that you gave so much depth to the scorpius skeleton, beyond just a seductress, really gave it to me !! also, your paragraph samples, your explanation on her personality ?? my goodness, i could really tell that you understood angelina, from the way you wrote her goal, to her despair following nikolai, to the way you even wrote a drabble about her first mission... and the way you described those aesthetics as well !! your app had me absolutely floored !! you’re such a talented writer, and i can’t wait to see where you go with angelina !! welcome to the roleplay, love !!

[mybookplacenet]

Featured Author Interview: C.M. Albert

Tell us about yourself and your books.: Hey, everyone! I'm USA Today best-selling author CM Albert, but you can call me Colleen. I write steamy contemporary romances that have a lot of heart, a little dash of humor, and a whole lot of heat. Kind of like life, I celebrate both the human side of relationships (growth, disfunction, overcoming adversity) and the physical aspects (intimacy, sexual, pushing boundaries). All of my books have a happy-ever-after, because above all else, I believe in the power nd healing ability of love. Do you have any unusual writing habits? I usually always type my books on my laptop, but for some reason, my newest unpublished book came to me fast and furious and wanted to be handwritten out. Because I started with a Scentos scented gel pen, I have since handwritten every chapter using one! This is the weirdest way I have ever written a book, but it's also been fun and very liberating. What authors have influenced you? Bertrice Small, Colleen Hoover, Melissa Foster, Haven Kimmel, Skye Warren, Nora Roberts, LJ Shen . . . so many! Do you have any advice for new authors? Be patient and don't give up! I didn't publish my first book until I was 42 -- and I'm now a USAT best-selling author. It didn't happen over night. You have to learn the business, be humble, make connections, observe those you respect in the field, be an active reader in your genre, and STAY AT IT...even when you want to quit. I truly believe that if you have a book inside you, it will keep screaming at you until you let it out! You got this! What is the best advice you have ever heard? Your voice needs to be heard, so stay in your lane and don't compare yourself to other writers or try to be someone you're not; stay true to yourself, and your readers will find you. You will write so much more authentically when you do this, and your readers will love your books even more because of it. Nothing feels or reads as authentically as knowing and being yourself. What are you reading now? I am currently reading an ARC of Burn by Alexandra Silva which comes out this month! What's your biggest weakness? Currently, it's gluten-free pizza. It's the only thing that has gotten me through my current book deadlines. What is your favorite book of all time? The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. What has inspired you and your writing style? What's inspired me most is writing the books I'd want to read. I like books that really have a lot of personal growth and self-exploration. Some of that comes to life in my books as a character's soul searching and growth. The one thing I believe most in life is that you're only one chance from a completely new life. Sometimes we make bad choices, but we can always find redemption. I'm also a highly confident woman with sex-positive views, and so physical intimacy plays a big part of my writing. What are you working on now? I am currently simultaneously writing three books (I wish I was kidding!): Bet on Love and Schooled by Love, the next two stand-alone books in the Arden's Glen Romance series, and The Fire in His Touch, book two of the Love in LA Quarter. My goal is to have all three published and released this year. What is your method for promoting your work? I like finding new-to-me readers, so I am open to finding new promotion sites and newsletters. I also love an organic approach because I want to find TRUE, loyal readers who love my words. I've been lucky enough to build some very genuine relationships with a small handful of amazing bloggers, bookstagrammers, and fellow authors who have been the core to my promotions in addition to paid promotions. In the Indie writing community, it definitely takes a village and I am lucky to have strong friendships. What's next for you as a writer? I'm really trying to expand my reach and audience and take my writing career to the next level, so a lot of my background work has been in learning from other authors I admire and who have had the success I'd love to see. I also want to finish my Love in LA Quartet and the ten works in progress that I have started, and branch out into audio books next year. A movie deal would be nice too, if I'm dreaming. How well do you work under pressure? If you ask me, I'd say I work great under pressure. If you ask my family, or my nervous system, they'd probably say, "Not so much!" One of the reasons I like being an Indie author is because I get to set my own schedule and timeline, and it can be as flexible as I need it to be with family obligations. That said, I've always been a Type A personality, and that's hard to shut off sometimes, especially when the creativity is flowing or I want to rule the world. ; ) How do you decide what tone to use with a particular piece of writing? It's always at the character's discretion. Faith in Love is so calming and soulful because of Celeste, Proof of Love is more snarky and jaded because of Dez, and Visions of Love is a little tentative but deeply romantic and hopeful because of Rosalie. Whereas, my multi-partner NA romance, The Stars in her Eyes, is young, fun, sharp, and HOT as all get out because of Creslyn and the three men she falls for. The characters "voice" also drives whether I write in 1st person or 3rd and I never force it for the genre, series, or expectations. It's always the characters and what they need for their voice to come alive and their hearts to be heard. Author Websites and Profiles C.M. Albert Website C.M. Albert Amazon Profile C.M. Albert Goodreads Profile C.M. Albert's Social Media Links Facebook Profile Twitter Account Instagram Account Pinterest Account Read the full article

[californiadreaminghq]

Oh good, you made it!

Did you guys know Amy was coming? She brought Rosalind Bennett, The Killer Queen! And just on time! Grab a drink, find a spot, and make sure you finish everything on the checklist. The band is just getting started – you have 24 hours to send in your account! We’re so glad you’re here!

I. OUT OF THE STUDIO

NAME/ALIAS: Amy

AGE: 20

PRONOUNS: she/her

TRIGGERS: Not much, really? Maybe just gorey images on the dash?

 II. ON STAGE

DESIRED SKELETON: The Killer Queen

NAME: Rosalind Bennett

FACE CLAIM: Keira Knightley, Natalie Dormer, Ruth Wilson

AGE: 34 (can be aged up if either backup FC is what I end up using)

OCCUPATION: A&R for Vital Noise

 III. INTERVIEW

Answer the following questions in your character’s voice:

If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?

“Oh, Christ,” Rosalind says, a smile crossing her lips. “You really want to put me to work, don’t you?” She sits back in her chair, eyeing her questioner, and ponders this for a moment. “I”m happy with this, to be honest with you. The odd minor headache excepted, of course.” She gives a nonchalant shrug at this, though she can’t be quite sure how convincing she’s being. “But …”

As a teenager, she’d briefly wondered about selling records …what about that?

No. Too boring, if she thought about it for longer than a minute.

Thoughts of her attempted stage career flick through her head. Visions of herself, microphone in hand, belting out hooks that instantly make people cheer.

If only. God, that had been embarrassing, in the end. No way she could mention that.

“This suits me alright, I think. Lots of people to meet, and some new discovery is around the corner. You never get bored, that’s for sure.”

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

“If it’s for the job? New York might be alright. Haven’t made it over there for a while. If it’s just for me? Brighton, maybe. I know, I know, not high-class entertainment, but it’s a nice break from real life.”

What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?

“I’m reliable.”

She catches the look on her interviewer’s face and can’t help but chuckle.

“Not quite the answer you wanted, was it? But hear me out for a minute, okay? The thing is, I could tell you all sorts of  fabulous things – about how I can walk into a bar, hear something fabulous, and sign whatever wunderkind is up onstage in no time it all. I couldtell you about all that. Spotting talent is important, but you won’t get anything for it if the talent you spot doesn’t like you. Trust you, even.

“That’s the difficult bit, and that’s the bit I think I’m pretty good at, since you’re asking me to sing my own praises. I know people, you see? I know what the embittered teenagers want to spend their pocket money on, but I get to know the artists too. I learn what they want to do, creatively, and then nudge them towards what they should do as much as I can.”

These days, she’s also learning how to keep some of the artists – and her colleagues – out of trouble. She doesn’t mention this.

“The music is great, of course. But the people are the really challenging part. That’s what makes it so …“

Exasperating?

“ …Thrilling, really.”                      

IV. BACKSTAGE

Rosalind Bennett has always felt rather at home near spotlights, if she’s honest.

“Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?” she’d say, if she told you this, her lips curving into a wry smile.

If you were listening carefully, you might notice that she never said she felt at home in the spotlight, as such.

The daughter of a musician and a film extra, Rosalind was almost never at a loss for interesting people to interact with – or to perform the odd cover for, if the mood called for it. Her charismatic, urbane parents and their equally charismatic, urbane friends all pegged her as a natural for some form of fame, surely, with charm, people skills, and enthusiasm like she had, even at a young age. Which was all more than fine by Roz, of course.

Her father, Harry Bennett, had been part of London’s music scene for much of the first half of the 20th century, dabbling in everything from crooning to rock to bouncy, catchy pop. After a stint penning hits for others, Harry embarked on a his own performing career in Rosalind’s young years. Against all expectations, Harry Bennett and the Hobnobs were catapulted into flourishing careers as pop-rock superstars, first filling England’s stadiums and halls, then an increasing number of American venues, too. Rosalind’s dad had somehow blown up. A real rockstar! What a thought!

The young Roz’s summer holidays soon became increasingly dominated by trips to recording studios with her father, so keen was her interest in pop and rock’s inner workings. Perturbed as many of Harry’s colleagues might have initially been at having to contend with his slip of a daughter hanging around, they soon learned to tune Roz out, leaving her to soak up whatever she could about the makings of a serious hit. As predicted, she quickly resolved that stardom simply must be in her future, and that, it seemed, would be that. She would follow her father into the business, and all would be grand.

After all, if her father had managed it, why couldn’t she?

The only problem was that she didn’t have the voice for stardom, truth be told. After a few years of straining to be heard in crowded bars, with nothing ever resembling a record deal on the horizon, she began to wonder if her mother and father’s encouragement – their shouts of “Darling! You were wonderful!” – may have been more subjective than her teenage self had thought.

With that dream dashed, would could the future hold for her now?

What the future held, it turned out, was something a little less starry than an onstage existence, basking in the happy yelps and cheers of adoring fans. The life of an A&R person – after an appropriate period of mourning for her performing life – turned out to be a more-than-adequate compromise for Roz. All those years of shadowing her father had fostered a well-tuned sense of how to spot a hit in the making, and she quickly found that she thrived off of the buzzing anticipation that came minutes before a venue’s show lights went up, a new discovery ready to emerge, if they – and she – were lucky.

Of course, she has always had the whispers to contend with – whether she worked in Britain or in California. It was “Bennett as in …that Bennett?! My God!” at first. Then came varieties of “Ooh, look at her! I bet dear old dad pulled a string or two, to get his darling into the business. You best be careful with those legacy kids, you know. What a headache!” But Roz always tried not to let it bother her – not too much. If she was just twice as quick, three times as fun and four times as sharp, she would show them. While the skeptics were grumbling, everyone else would have to brace themselves, to hide the metaphorical hearts that would so clearly beam from their eyes.

Nearly a decade on from her career change, Rosalind likes to think she’s bested more than a few non-believers. Now, though, other challenges might be around the corner. Her fifth year at Vital Noise has yielded good fortunes for her, but part of her feels just a tad stretched thin by the unreliability of some of the talent involved.

And even, dare she say it, the methods of some of her co-workers. She loves her work more than anything, but every so often she wonders what might happen if the usual rushes of adrenaline were to stop.

For now, though, she’s content to keep balancing every demand as long as she is able, and try to savor being at the top of her game for every second that she’s there. She’s earned it, after all.                                          

V. ENCORE

Here’s a little Pinterest board for Roz, if you’re interested! I wasn’t able to find any actual leather pants, but I hope this still gives you a blast of inspo!

[jwtsxsw]

The promise & hurdles advertising agencies face in business creation

By Tomoki Hamamoto

What is the separates a standout business idea and creative idea? How can creative agencies contribute and compete at business innovation?  When I set out for my inaugural visit to SXSW, these were the questions I wanted to find answers for.

I arrived in Austin with the expectation that I’d encounter all kinds of outrageous ideas. It didn’t quite happen. Even the winning ideas of the Accelerator Pitch didn’t quite blow me away. It doesn’t mean that they weren’t great ideas – they certainly were – but I realized there is a critical difference in the way we perceive ideas in the advertising and business world. And this marks the first clue on how we, in advertising, need to change our thinking if we want to become business and product innovators.

In recent years, some of the Japanese advertising agencies have introducing prototypes of their self-developed products and services at SXSW.  This is part of the push by agencies to wield their creativity in order to explore new and unconventional revenue models with no client business assurance.

And when I compared the ideas exhibited by the advertising agencies versus the start-up ideas that were highly acclaimed at this year’s SXSW, I did notice one thing.  The ideas presented by agencies were very agency-like, in both good and bad ways. They were incredibly unique and disruptive - but left one with a ‘flash in the pan’ feeling of excitement that flared, then evaporated.  The start up ideas may have had less flash, but they had more substance  - and a clear vision of how they would drive the business, long term.

It reminded me of a comment from the prime minister of Bhutan on how joy and happiness were different things. I remember the message behind this was that joy is instantaneous but happiness is more long term. This difference between joy and happiness was similar to what I felt the when listening to the business ideas of ad agencies and tier-one start-ups at the festival.

This probably comes from the two unconscious obstacles that we, ad agencies are plagued by.

The first obstacle is our campaign-oriented thinking. SXSW is known as the place where Twitter and Pinterest made their debut. Both these ideas aimed to create a new way of living and communicating, which allow users an experience that continuously evolves. I believe that innovation in business is achieved through continuous updates to make people’s lives richer and more productive. The iPhone and Amazon Dash both reflect this approach.

On the other hand, we in the agency world have a long history of working in the framework of campaigns. Campaigns require us to maximize effectiveness within limited times and budgets, which keeps the thinking short-term.  We when enter the realm of business ideation, we unconsciously continue to attempt to create these instantaneous sparks.

The second obstacle is our problem-solving approach. Excellent business ideas are usually very simple, and they leave margin for the choice of how to be used. The decision is always left to users, and products/services are convenient tools they can use in their own way. It might be better to articulate that their ideas are offering not as solutions but as inspiration to users. For instance, Twitter has very a simple service with the unlimited possibility of how it can be used. This is why their service can provide inspiration to many users. This quality is the trigger that turns the service into continuous experiences.

However, we ad agencies are prone to follow the problem-solution approach. The standard approach starts with defining the issue and then delivering contents than can solve such issue. That can result in a product or solution where the user experience of products/services are effectively dots not connected with lines. In other words, we tend to see the product/service as the content to solve specific issues, and leave no margin or scope for users to make their own choices.

As I mentioned earlier, the ideas presented by agencies at SXSW were very agency-like in both good and bad ways, which may have been influenced by these industry-unique factors. At the same time, this could be why I felt the ideas were sparks that live just for the moment.

The Accelerator Pitch ideas at SXSW, however, are evaluated in five areas. For one of these - ‘Creativity of Idea’ -  I felt that agencies could beat out the start-ups, in terms of idea creation and point of observation. But the second, which was ‘Business Potential’, there is still a wall that we, agencies, must overcome if we want to play in this space.

I have been believing that our creativity must be scalable beyond the boundaries of advertisement and can be used more widely for different purposes. My visit to SXSW has turned this belief into a conviction. However, in order to create a business idea that is truly innovative, I, as an advertising professional, also need to caution myself to leave behind completely the unconscious conventions of agency business. With having this opportunity to personally experience and understand both the lights and shadows (strength and weakness) of ad agencies, I come away from the festival with a fresh outlook and a new awareness of how to check and measure my own thinking in order to evolve.

Tomoki Hamamoto is a Communication Design Director at J. Walter Thompson Japan.

[jenniferfaye34]

#Giveaway ~ The Italian's Unexpected Heir by Jennifer Faye... #books #readers #VineyardRomance #NewRelease #booklovers #Friends2Lovers

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

A Note from the Author

Thank you for joining me for the dramatic conclusion to The Bartolini Legacy trilogy. A diary and a secret totally upend the lives of the three Bartolini siblings and creates an unforgettable summer…

Life is full of surprises—some of them good—some of them not so good. And then there are the surprises you never saw coming that upend everything you thought you knew. That’s what happens to the Bartolini family. And the repercussions shake everyone’s foundations, including Enzo, the eldest Bartolini sibling.

Since an early age, Enzo had been taught to look out for his sisters. But he wasn’t able to protect them from the pain of learning their family’s long held secret. And now he feels as though he failed them as well as being betrayed by the people he trusted most in this world—his parents.

Wedding planner Sylvie DeLuca has never had an easy life. With her father dying before she could know him and years later losing her mother, she’s alone in the world. But when a job assisting with a royal wedding leads to her having a dream job in Tuscany, she wonders if at last she’s home.

But when her pregnancy test comes up positive just as Enzo announces he’s selling the Bartolini estate, what’s Sylvie to do? Start over elsewhere? Or fight for the estate she’s come to love?

Happy reading, — Jennifer

The Bartolini Legacy 

A secret, an inheritance, a journey to happy-ever-after! 

A diary... 

After their parents’ sudden deaths, the Bartolini siblings Bianca, Gia and Enzo return home to Tuscany and discover one of them is illegitimate!

A will... 

As they’re reeling from the bombshell, the will is read. The luxury family estate will be left to the sibling who can generate the greatest income.

A summer to remember... 

While they wait for the DNA test results, each sibling embarks on their own vision for the vineyard’s future. They have six months that will take them on a journey of self-discovery and finding love along the way...

Read Bianca’s story in The Prince and the Wedding Planner  Discover Gia’s story in The CEO, the Puppy and Me  And find Enzo’s story in The Italian’s Unexpected Heir 

All available now!

The Italian's Unexpected Heir (The Bartolini Legacy #3) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages September 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

Her baby surprise proves…

…that one night will never be enough!

Reeling from the secrets that have torn his heritage apart, Enzo Bartolini is set on selling his family’s Tuscan vineyard and trying to forget the impulsive, dazzling night he and best friend Sylvie shared in Paris. While the sale moves forward, the thrilling awareness between him and Sylvie is harder to move past…especially when she upends Enzo’s world by revealing she’s carrying his baby!

(Affiliate links included.) Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | iBooks | Kobo | PRINT

Go to Jennifer's Contact Page HERE and order your bookmark(s)!

Tour Schedule

September 8th: Launch Rockin' Book Reviews Becky on Books September 9th: Christy's Cozy Corners Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting Splashes of Joy Locks, Hooks and Books September 10th: Baroness' Book Trove Hallie Reads reviewingbooksplusmore underneath the covers Harlie's Books My Life Loves and Passion September 11th: Andi's Book Reviews Pause for Tales Book Lover in Florida Books and Zebras September 12th: Reading Excursions Teatime and Books Beauty in the Binding Bookish Jottings September 13th: Grand Finale

Other Books in the Series

The Prince and the Wedding Planner (The Bartolini Legacy #1) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages March 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

When different worlds collide…

…sparks fly!

With her family name on the line, wedding planner Bianca Bartolini needs this royal wedding to go perfectly—she can’t afford distractions. Too bad the bride’s dashing brother has other plans! Duty-bound Crown Prince Leo has mere weeks to announce his own engagement, but none of the candidates measure up to Bianca. They’re the most unlikely match, but might that just make them perfect for one another?

(Affiliate links included.) Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | iBooks | Kobo | PRINT

The CEO, the Puppy and Me (The Bartolini Legacy #2) By Jennifer Faye Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages June 1st 2020 by Harlequin Romance

Has the search for her past…

…guided her toward her future?

Gia Bartolini’s determinedly searching for her real father. First stop on the enchanting Italian island of Lapri? A mysterious abandoned mansion…where, rescuing a trapped puppy, she falls straight into the arms of alluring Riccardo Moretti! Her passion for the all-business CEO burns bright, leaving Gia with a question: In uncovering her true roots, has fate led her to true love?

(Affiliate links included.) Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | iBooks | Kobo | PRINT

About the Author

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube | BookBub | Newsletter

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a copies of THE PRINCE AND THE WEDDING PLANNER and THE CEO, THE PUPPY AND ME, winner's choice of print (US only) or ebook

Open internationally

Ends September 16, 2020

a Rafflecopter giveaway

[jeremystrele]

Bertie Blackman · Crepuscule

Bertie Blackman · Crepuscule

Creative People

by Elle Murrell

Artist Bertie Blackman  applies the final touches to her latest exhibition. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The Sydney-based artist pictured in front of her artwork ‘Searching For Crepuscule‘ oil on board, 90 x 90cm. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

‘Crepuscule’ is currently showing at Lindberg Gallery in Melbourne. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Along with oil-on-board artworks, Bertie has created a series of dolls for the show. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The exhibition is dominated by the colour indigo and inspired by the story of the last-known living Tasmanian tiger, Benjamin. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Bertie and her sketchbook. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Today we learnt a fascinating new word, thanks to artist Bertie Blackman, whose latest solo art exhibition, ‘Crepuscule’ is currently on exhibit at Lindberg Galleries in Melbourne.

Referring to the meeting of the day and night – i.e. twilight, in Bertie’s context ‘Crepuscule’ is also the alternative-dimension hangout of Benjamin, the last ever Tasmania tiger, and his merry band of wide-eyed friends. ‘Clever, cunning and mischievous, he evades captivity by leaping through the veils of dreams and reality… through the Crepuscule… bending time and space,’ the artist narrates.

Extending this concept, all of Bertie’s oil paintings for the exhibition are dominated by the colour indigo, built up in darkening layers. The hue really reverberates the feeling of twilight for the artist, and she also loves the way the word sounds: ‘a bit like you’re already bending and squinting the light with the letters; it’s an unusual word, so people are very curious about it!’

It’s no surprise that Bertie would make an audible link, given that many people know the ARIA award-wining singer, songwriter and guitarist for her music. Though busy building her multifarious BB empire, the candid creative took some time out to delve deeper into her current paintings, AND dolls!

Many readers would know you first and foremost as Bertie Blackman the musician, but can you tell us a little bit about your background as a visual artist?

I come from a family of artists, writers and creatives alike… so for me, visual art has always been a strong way of communicating. I have always drawn and painted but, because my parents are both painters, I ended up steering away from it as I really wanted to create my own path. A musician is as rebellious as I could get in my family!!

Throughout my musical career I’ve art directed my shoots and videos, created stage designs, and painted costumes. In 2009, I had an auction of drawings at Moss Green Gallery, but it wasn’t until 2012 with my fourth record ‘Pope Innocent X’, that I really started concentrating on my drawing. For that album, I released a book of illustrations with each song; I realised that art, music and writing really just all came from the same place for me. And I didn’t need to be one or the other.

Growing up with both parents as visual painters, I witnessed extraordinary discipline and sacrifice from them when it came to their art. I learnt about the reality of what being a practising artist is really like – the blood sweat and tears that go into your work, and the extraordinary work ethic needed.

My art practice has really developed through just doing it, looking at books and persevering with the mediums. I have had no formal education, but I’ve got big dreams and big ideas! I’m forever shaking with adrenaline because I just find it all so exciting!

Your most recent album, ‘The Dash’, was released in late 2014, and since then you’ve also done some amazing collaborations. How do you balance your music with your art?

I do really struggle with balancing my music and art. I have learnt pretty quickly that I can only really do one thing at a time.

I tend to allocate big blocks of time for each. With my current art show, I put aside a solid block of three months. I’m finishing that body of work up, I’m already connecting the next thing. However, I’m also writing and illustrating my first children’s picture book, which will be published in 2018. I would say I spend about eight hours or so a day in my art studio five days a week and then I work nights on my writing.

In between all of this, I have been ducking into various studio sessions, though I’m looking forward to getting into the recording studio more later this year. I’m also an early morning riser. I wake up at about 5am and usually meditate or go for a run to prepare for the day.

Your solo show ‘Crepuscule’ is currently on exhibit in Melbourne. Can you tell us more about this exhibition?

I’m really excited about this body of work. I started working on it quite a few months ago – really working on my painting and developing my technique. For me, I have no lack of ideas or imagery, it’s just been ‘the technical doing’ that has been the challenge and also needing the time to make all the mistakes and learn what the paint can do.

I’ve only been working with oil paints for about nine months, so when I started, I thought it would be an interesting idea to just work with one colour, so I could concentrate on getting the texture and feeling in it without worrying about mixing paint. I love the indigo hue so much; it feels very otherworldly!

For this show, I’ve also made dolls, and bringing my imagery into a playful three-dimensional form has been exhilarating. They’ve become my little friends – I do take them out to dinner sometimes for a treat as well as long walks on the beach. I’m a big fan of Mirka Mora, she’s a great old friend of my father’s and I love her dolls, so this is a little nod to her wonderfulness!

Was there a particular story that inspired the concept for this body of work?

Benjamin the Tasmanian tiger has been a feature in my work for the last six months. He is inspired by the actual last living Tasmanian tiger who died in captivity in 1936. I love the constant conversation and debate as to whether this creature is actually extinct. Personally, I think he is still alive, and I’m hoping that through conjuring him in his ‘Crepuscule’ it might bring him back.

A lot of my work has been hinged in floating spaces or abstract dream worlds, this is the first series that I have brought the imagery into a landscape. I used to play in the rainforest a lot as a child, so I really think that Benjamin and his friends are totems of my childhood – me reliving those curious moments of abstract memory.

What’s it like being the daughter of a OBE bestowed, acclaimed painter, and creating your own art?

I think because my father is Charles Blackman, I definitely shied away from having a career in the visual arts as I really wanted to make my own way. I don’t want to live in his shadow, I mean, it’s a blessing and a curse. Because a lot of people know who my father is, doors have opened probably a little easier for me than others, but the criticism has been far greater because the expectations are much, much higher.

I have, however, worked really hard in the arts for over a decade and I think I’ve carved out a little space for myself to grow quite naturally. I’m incredibly passionate and dedicated to my art forms and people know this of me.

I most definitely get my singular thinking and focus from my Dad, as well as the wild untamed imagination and thirst for the abstract and curious. But I have also inherited other lovely things from my mother in terms of my art practise as well.

I think if the work’s good then it doesn’t matter how famous your parents are, it should be able to stand alone.

  Who are some other Australian creative people that are you loving at the moment?

Luke Storrier and I have had a great time recently bonding over having a famous artist father and also being artists ourselves, in our own right. His work is brilliant and exciting and I’m looking forward to collaborating with him.

Ian Strange is just one of the most interesting artists I have met. I love his vision, he pushes all boundaries.

McLean Edwards is a wonderful painter, and such a wonderful eccentric man. One of the family!

What are some of the resources you turn to when you’re in a need of creative inspiration?

The library. Books are just necessary and essential in my life.

Outside.  Going outside and sitting in the gutter and looking at peoples shuffling feet and framing birds and dogs and shadows.

My Mother. I call her daily for a chat about the work I’m making and she really helps make sense of my abstract thoughts sometimes.

Pinterest. I use it a lot to gather visual references.

What’s been your proudest creative achievement to date?

That is a very hard question! I think singing with Danny Elfman and a 100-piece orchestra at the Adelaide Festival, and also co-curating ‘Sonic Canvases’ at the Art Gallery of NSW have been a couple of major highlights and pleasures.

Also, just being able to exist as a practising artist my entire career without having to get a ‘proper’ job!

What would be your dream creative project?

I would love to create an underground lair in Antarctica… make dolls, paint, sing, write, and turn all my dreams into imagery… a language that can be understood by the moon and stars!

Amazing! What’s a little closer on the horizon for Bertie Blackman?

I’m excited to be painting my next bodies of work, to be writing and illustrating my first children picture book for release in 2018, recording a new record, and making a series of dolls. I’ve got big dreams. Gotta start laying the blocks for empire BB!

  SYDNEY QUESTIONS

Your favourite Sydney neighbourhood?

Redfern… it’s my neighbourhood! I love it!

The best meal you recently had in Sydney?

Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point. It’s always amazing and it’s my favourite Italian food in Sydney.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

At my local Redfern coffee shop getting a take away coffee and reading in the park – that’s if I’m not painting in my studio!

Sydney’s best kept secret?

The beaches are all amazing. But that’s no secret…

  ‘Crepuscule’ by Bertie Blackman September 7th to 23rd Lindberg Galleries 77 Cambridge Street, Collingwood