#opal wedding sets

[triumphantgemstonesusa]

Website : https://www.triumphantgemstones.com

Triumphant Gemstones specializes in custom-made, unisex jewelry featuring the unique Bello Opal. Ethically sourced and crafted with precision, our collection ranges from crushed Bello Opal rings to handcrafted pendants, showcasing the beauty and versatility of this lab-created gemstone. Our jewelry pieces, including the popular Pendleton Pendants, are designed to cater to diverse styles, ensuring a perfect match for every customer.

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[tired-fandom-ndn]

Fantasy culture where instead of bouqets or whatever, a bride carries the carved skull of one of her ancestors, inlaid with jewels, so that their spirit blesses the marriage.

For brides without a family skull, an animal skull can be substituted. Wolf and deer skulls are the most popular, but one queen started a trend of weird wedding skulls when she carried the skull of a draft horse for her wedding to her sixth consort. There were opals set into the eyes.

[jamminjunimo]

Romantic Elliott Headcanons

Until the farmer, Elliott had never truly been in love. He's had a few crushes and infatuations, has dated, and has had short-lived relationships, but never really fell for anyone—but with the farmer he fell for them hard.

He knew the farmer was the one after a simple, seemingly insignificant moment. The farmer stopped by for a visit but a deadline had been moved up. Elliott needed to work but didn't want them to leave and asked them to stay while he worked. It became chilly and the farmer, reading a book on the bed, grabbed Elliott's jacket. A little while later, Elliott glanced over to see them fast asleep, looking adorable wrapped in his too-big-for-them jacket, with the open book on their lap.

He loves to do romantic things for the farmer. The first time he made any big gesture, he set up a classic candlelight dinner, cooking a full meal with all the works. When the farmer arrived, they broke down in tears--no one had ever done anything like that for them before and Elliott promised to himself he would never let them feel unappreciated or not special ever again.

Elliott received notice of his book tour very soon after he and the farmer married. He almost declined, not wanting to leave them so soon for so long. 🐚 He made sure to wear the pendant his farmer gifted him every day. Whenever he was asked about it he couldn't help but ramble on about you, which many in the audience thought was just so sweet (and may have helped sell some more copies of his book!). 💍 On his return, he surprised his love with a beautiful, delicate wedding ring shaped like a vine of leaves and flowers with an opal gem and showed the matching band for himself with the same design engraved (after all, the mermaid's pendant was a Valley tradition and he also wanted something that was recognized everywhere)

He loves to take care of his farmer in little ways--like making sure they have food to take with them for the day, drawing a warm bath when they return, or giving them spontaneous shoulder and back rubs to help ease the aches of the day.

Whenever his farmer goes to bed after him, he always wakes just enough to grab their hand before falling back into a deep sleep (though there have been times when he grabbed a furry tail or paw instead, startling the cat that got their first!).

[telekinetictrait]

Young Miss Cassandra Goth really ought to be courted soon – as the most eligible lady in Willow Creek, she practically has suitors lining up outside her window! But she prefers to lounge in her Mama's old dressing gowns and work on her musical compositions. Little Mister Alexander is a right young genius – why, he's already mastered Latin and is a genius at mathematics, just like his Papa. Well, if Miss Cassandra refuses to wed, at least when little Alexander comes of age he'll certainly make a good match!

cc links and creator tags under the cut!!!

check my resources page and genetics tag for genetics

multiple: an0nymousghost's qrqr19 opal hair conversion - vegantrait's shine moles - wildlyminiaturesandwich's posey glasses - dancemachinetrait's victorian child stockings + boots - linzlu's warm wool socks - linzlu's child button boots / buzzardly28's hilda hair - the-melancholy-maiden's late victorian hair - happylifesims' gilded glasses - dancemachinetrait's pemberley gloves - kedluu's ankle boots - historysims4's victorian shoes

everyday/house: zurkdesign's red beans and rice conversion / cmoonsims' rachel dress

going out: vintagesimstress' 1892 boys overcoat / marigold's lace frill boater - buzzardly28's adelaide hair - jewishsimming's gibson girl set

formal: jewishsimming's sebastian jacket + nostalgia knickerbockers / gilded-ghosts' victorian visions dress

athletic: linzu's bicycle suit (download here) / vintagesimstress' cycling hat - gilded-ghosts' victorian visions jacket (i dont remember which one, sorry!) - gilded-ghosts' perfectly plain skirt

undergarments: standardheld's pajama party tank and shorts / dancemachinetrait's lillie corset and combinations

sleepwear: vintagesimstress' victorian nightshirt for boys / cringeborg's simple regency dress

morning: vintagesimstress' victorian nightshirt for boys - inabadromance's child accessory cardigan / vintagesimstress' sifix 1889 morning gown

swimwear: ameyasims' lehgaming's vintage swimwear conversion / lace-and-honey's linzlu prairie bonnet conversion - vintagesimstress' 1893 swimwear - eirflower's bain de soliel bathing shoes

party: vintagesimstress' 1893 boys outfit / simverse's hat with lily - teanmoon's cameo choker - vintagesimstress' 1898 evening gown

summer: jewishsimming's guidry boater conversion - historicalsimslife's polite boy outfit / the-melancholy-maiden's late victorian hat - delis-sims' victorine blouse - gilded-ghosts' perfectly plain skirt

winter: vintagesimstress' 1894 cape coat for boys / simverse's winter hat with feathers - clumsyalienn's rae scarf - sychik's 1890's jacket (...and i didnt see it until now but sychik also made it into a walking suit, which i shouldve used, and you should too!)

thank you to @an0nymousghost @vegantrait @wildlyminiaturesandwich @dancemachinetrait @linzlu @buzzardly28 @the-melancholy-maiden @happylifesimsreblogs @kedluu @historysims4 @zurkdesign @cmoonsims @vintagesimstress @jewishsimming @gilded-ghosts @cringeborg @inabadromance @ameyasims @lace-and-honey @eirflower @simverses @teanmoon @historicalsimslife @delis-sims @clumsyalienn and finally @sychik !!!

...a late victorian lookbook where i DONT use adèle's cc??? whats gotten into me!!!!!!!!!!

[milkteamoon]

2023 fanfic review ✨

Meant to do a wrap up a few days ago but I got busy — so I'm doing it today! Here's a big long list of fics I read and enjoyed in 2023 (not all were published in 2023, but several were!). Ratings may vary, so please read the tags!

▷ Ask an Exec by shinyopals — (rated T, complete, 6/6) A series of posts to a workplace management advice form made by a particularly strange poster. This one was so fun to read along with, and Opal always nails it with the unique storytelling methods.

▷ And We Are Full of Stories to be Told by saintbleeding — (rated T, oneshot) a meeting somewhere else. Just...just read it. You'll like it, I promise.

▷ Particular by aza — (rated G, oneshot) Jon doesn't like anyone, but sometimes he likes this one. I love a good ace Jon fic.

▷ Stay Here Under My Tail by ravenxavier — (rated M, oneshot) after Jon's statement habits are discovered, him and Daisy take a ride. I love this fic's depiction of Jon and Daisy's relationship, with just the right amount of s4 anxiety.

▷ The Wounded and the Blessed by hihereami — (rated T, oneshot) an au set in the 1950s where a priest makes friends with a very lonely doctor. Y'all, the yearning in this fic...... literally left me staring at a wall for hours after finishing. A must read.

▷ Strange Manner by inkfingers_mcgee — (rated T, complete, 17/17) needing money, Martin signs up for a dubious app for blood donors and meets a very particular vampire in the process. Also kept up with this fic as it was coming out and had so much fun being tugged along for the ride. A great universe and a great lot of fun!

▷ A Measure Outside the Lines by rend_herring — (rated E, oneshot) after fleeing to Scotland, Jon and Martin navigate their post-Lonely relationship. I know there's a million safehouse fics out there, but this one is just...so sweet... There are so many lines I want to quote but I'd just end up quoting the whole fic haha.

▷ It Blooms by godshaper — (rated M, oneshot) Martin meets a mysterious stranger the day before his wedding. Fae au!! This one has a really fun universe and a deliciously excellent fast burn.

▷ On the Factual Particulars of the Death of Mrs. Blackwood by saintbleeding — (rated T, ongoing, 5/?) primarily sourced accounts from one Mr. Martin Blackwood regarding his new job at The Magnus Archives. This is a really fun victorian au that really nails the style and character voices.

▷ Sun in an Empty Room by transjon — (rated T, oneshot) the in between after the apocalypse. I love a romantic bad-ish end fic, and this one is very fun.

▷ Communion Past the Need of Speech by pieandsouffle — (rated G, oneshot) a hologram and a former borg drone have a lunch date. Star Trek au anyone?? Star Trek au.

▷ Gertrude is Still Around by occudo — (rated T, series) an au where Gertrude is still archivist and the archival crew members are her assistants. This one is technically a comic series but I'm putting it on this because it's my rec list and I can do what I want okay!!!!!!

[the-jewel-catalogue]

Gold Eucalyptus Brooch

When it was announced the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall would pay an official visit to Australia as part of the Diamond Jubilee tours, the Australian Monarchist League to commission the manufacture of a brooch to be presented to the Duchess. The gift was to commemorate both Camilla’s 65th birthday (she turned 65 in July of 2012) and her very first visit to Australia.

The brooch was designed and manufactured by Australian Opal Cutters Pty Ltd on the same basis as the pendant gifted to Kate Middleton on her wedding to Prince William. It consists of an Australian pearl nestled into the curve of a eucalyptus shaped leaf in gold with the Southern Cross set in Australian pink diamonds.

[lis-likes-fics]

Sweet as Sugar

Pairings: Agent Whiskey x Reader Word Count: 11.3k Warnings: NSFW, smut, p in v sex, unprotected sex, pining, cunnilingus, blowjob, slight dirty talk, slight praise kink, cowboy rule, swearing (this is basic smut, I think), Whiskey’s a little confused but he’s got the spirit... A/N: I have a writer’s block toward the end of writing this, so what should have only take about a week took, like, a month. Hopefully, I’m back to writing again but I will make no promises bc it’s too gloomy outside for any good serotonin boost to write with. Thank you and enjoy this peace offering bc Pedro Pascal had found a way into my brain!

The mall was bustling with people, men and women coming and going, passing through to look at all the booths and tables showing off all the different organizations to one another as the convention continued on through the day. It was not just any convention, either. Secret services from all over the world, interconnected and soon-to-be, gathered that day to listen and learn and hopefully form closer partnerships to other companies. The entire building was rented out for this function.

Agents continued to pass by the big booth decorated with rhinestones and flowers, which advocated an elegant simplicity to represent the business they ran. Displayed on either side of the booth were two dresses: one a simple, yet fashionable wedding dress with intricate detailing sewed into every stitch, the other, a woman’s business suit with a flower pin carved from what looked like sapphires. Along the table were pieces of jewelry—watches, bracelets, rings, necklaces, just samples of what the company had to offer—and pamphlets of what exactly it was the business they were running.

And displayed proudly on the sign over their booth was a symbol, a renaissance style ‘Q’ that twisted and curved in classic cursive.

You sighed as you ran your hands along the sleeves of your blazer, your fingers grazing the cufflink on your wrist that matched the symbol of your agency. You had been standing behind your booth with one of three of your coworkers for about an hour now, waning the daylight in shifts between handling the booth and exploring the convention for food or company that was not the women running your station.

You looked over your watch as you awaited the return of your colleagues so you could switch off again, so you could leave the confines of advertising your business. Your outfit—a delicate gold satin button down that loosely tucked into your perfectly tailored white dress pants, which flowed along your legs and matched with white blazer to create your formal attire suit—was a perfect representation of your agency: distinguished and efficient. Your partner, though she wore silver and blue, stood beside you to match.

You smiled and shifted the clubmaster frames sitting at the edge of your nose as Pearl and Jasper returned, both women sending you nods and smiles as they took your places behind the booth for your switch. “We found the Kings just that way,” Jasper said, pointing in the direction they’d just come from before shifting the cloud of coiled black hair away from her face and securing it in a poofy ponytail. She then slipped her hands back into the pockets of her dark red suit, glancing back at Pearl as she spoke.

“They’ve got a nice booth. We might have some competition,” she quipped, smirking as smoothed her fingers over the thin chain of her necklace.

Opal, your own partner, laughed and shook her head. “Don’t we always have competition with the Kings?” she retorted, playful as she turned to walk with you. You agreed with her joke and headed in the direction Jasper had pointed in.

On the way, a pair of eyes spotted you and you offered a large grin. One of the agencies you partner with were the Amadoda Amafulege, the Flagsmen. They were a company set in Africa who you counted on for certain resources: information, jewels or gemstones, fabrics. They were reliable friends.

You and Opal approached them with wide grins, pointing them in the direction of your own booths to greet Jasper and Pearl. The interaction was short but warm hearted, and you were off again before you could be sidetracked by some other business you happen to work with. You both continued on walking, greeting physical bodies and holographic forms with waves and nods.

The large sign of the Kingsman symbol sat atop a booth as two well-dressed gentlemen with glasses stood behind their booth. One of them spotted the both of you, recognizing the likewise fashion choices as you came closer. Opal grinned, a mix of amusement and adoration in her tone at the company which both allied and competed with your own. “The famed Kingsman.”

The younger one smiled, offering a nod to you both. “Hello,” he greeted. When you finally stood in front of their booth, he reached out and handed each of you a pamphlet. You glanced over it, disinterested in absorbing information you already know. Both agents held their hands out for you. “Agent Galahad. This is Agent Merlin.”

The older man, Merlin, gave a courteous nod, “Pleasure to meet you.”

You nodded, shaking his hand confidently. “Back at you,” you responded. “We didn’t know if you’d be coming.”

Merlin gave a nod, smiling with a slight chuckle at your words. The Kingsman had not shown up to the last convention, business had gotten in the way and they were greatly missed. “We pulled some strings.”

You looked over their table at a few gadgets, some disguised as ties or watches, and then looked over at the two suits they chose to display similarly to your own booth. “Good to have the famous Galahad and Merlin,” you said, “and with a good booth.”

Your tone offered your impressed attitude toward their well-decorated station. Some of the booths here had not offered a lot of effort, simply their symbols on a sign and some pamphlets and gadgets on their tables. Plain. Boring.

“Some of these are severely lacking,” Opal said, practically reading your mind. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing the black curls out of her face so she could see as she offered her smile. “You’d think a secret service could put together a decent booth.”

Galahad extended a hand with his suggestion, "You should stop by the Statesman. You'd probably be impressed."

"We'll keep it in mind," you agreed, picking up one of the fancy watches on display. You examined it, the Kingsman symbol hiding under the glass, the gold lining on the band, the knobs and secret accesses embedded inside.

Merlin smiled, "In the meantime, we shall take a stop by yours."

Opal nodded, "Down by the Krispy Kreme. Can't miss it."

Your thumb pressed against the button on the side meant to wind the hour hand. It obeyed, pushing down and revealing a hologram of the Kingsman symbol once more.

"Very nice toy," you commented, pushing the button again to make the symbol retreat.

Merlin hummed, "You haven't found the kill button yet."

You shook your head, still examining the watch. "No, I have. You've got the poison dart here–" you tapped the near-invisible button on the side, "and the tranq dart here," you tapped the button next to it.

They raised their brows at you, impressed. "You've got them too close together, you should separate them a little more," you suggested. "Wouldn't want someone trying to knock an important target out and end up killing them instead."

The agents glanced at each other under Opal's watching gaze and your diverted one as you set the watch back down. Galahad nodded, "Right."

"Opal," you said as you turned to your partner. She hummed and you held your hand out.

"Oh, yes," she mumbled, lifting the lapel of her jacket to reach into a pocket. She handed it to you for you to present to both Kingsman. The box was lengthwise, a thin, golden thing housing a watch made by your agency.

"This is for Galahad—Harry—sent by our boss. She was hoping for us to run into you today. You'll give it?" You said, handing it over to the two.

"Of course," Merlin said, peeking inside of the box with a nod.

The two of you left again to go look at some other booths, or to find food. They sent you off with the directions to the Statesman, waving and wishing you farewell.

As you walked next to Opal, you recounted the booths you'd seen and the ones you hadn't on the way. You motioned toward the restaurant in the distance, smiling at the waft of good food as you got closer to it. You would all have to stop and eat there later today.

Your thoughts came to a halt when you heard someone's voice speaking to you, an unfamiliar voice that had you turning your head at the two figures approaching you.

"Hey there, sugar."

The voice had a Southern twang, smiling and confident as the owner slowed to stand in front of you. "Here we go," Opal mumbled beside you with an amused grin.

He was a handsome man, charming in the right ways. The black hat on his head accompanied his accent and his outfit, a suit that screamed professional cowboy. The mustache above his lip was kept and clean, and he wore it well, along with the glasses on the bridge of his nose.

He looked at you with his dark eyes, his tongue poking out to lick his bottom lip as he smirked. "How lucky am I to see a beauty like you in a place like this?"

There was a woman next to him with short dark brown hair mostly shielded by her own western hat, her skin shades lighter as her own glasses sat at the bridge of her nose. She held her hand out, "Hi, I'm Ginger Ale. This is Whiskey."

"Nice to meet you," you greeted her warmly, taking in the sight of her with a look that could only be described as an evaluation.

You turned to Whiskey, raising an amused brow as you held your hand to shake his. He grabbed it gingerly, bending at the waist to press a kiss to your knuckles.

"How do you do?" he winked, holding onto your hand a little longer before letting you go.

Opal chuckled, "He's cute."

He smiled at her, satisfied with her assessment as he grinned at her like some excited pup.

You tilted your head, nodding slowly. "Yeah… In a flirty toddler kind of way." His demeanor did not shift, your words were no dagger to his ego. "Just want to pinch his cheeks and pat his head," you chuckled, half-reaching like you would actually do it.

You might, his skin looked soft and you want to see his hair underneath his hat.

He winked again, licking his bottom lip, "You can do whatever you want, sugar," he quipped.

You chuckled. Cute.

"You think so?" you asked, tilting your head as you pitched your voice a few octaves to sound as sweet as the nickname he kept calling you.

He shifted so he was standing beside you, careful with his arm in case you didn't want to be touched. Thoughtful. He walked a little with you, leaving Opal and Ginger to stand next to one another and watch him guide you a few feet away.

"I know so," he chuckled. "What's your name?" He said "your" in that way only cowboys can say it: that slurred 'u' that made the 'r' slightly bleed into the last word.

You licked your bottom lip, offering a teasing gaze as you looked at him through your lashes. "Why don't you guess it?" You turned to him, setting your hands on his chest and playing with his tie.

He seemed charmed, entranced by your little gestures and looks. "Probably something pretty like that necklace," he smirked, motioning to your chest as his fingers brushed the golden locket around your neck, resting just between your breasts.

You took it in your hands, stroking the sides. "You like my necklace?"

"It's beautiful," he agreed, staring back at you with a gaze that matched the lovestruck puppy vibe he'd given you earlier. "Just like you," he grabbed your hand and kissed your knuckles once more.

"You wanna take a look inside?"

"I'd be delighted," he breathed, leaning forward just a little as his face huddled closer to you. You offered a tiny giggle as you undid the clasp, slowly opening the locket as you built the suspense of what could possibly be presented inside.

A bright light flashed quickly into Whiskey's eyes, there one second and gone before a full one could pass. Whiskey's hands rushed to his face as he made a slight groan, and he stumbled backward. You reached forward, pressing a hand to his chest, and watched him fall to the ground.

He made little sounds of discomfort, laying on his back as he brought his hands away and blinked rapidly. He stared in no clear direction, looking around blankly for…something.

Opal chuckled from her spot, Ginger stared with a mix of amusement and concern, and you just looked down at him with a smile as he tried to see.

You approached him, bending at the hips and looking down at him with a smile. You brushed some hair out of your face.

"This is my partner, Opal," you gestured toward her, though you knew he could not see. Your necklace had a device within it that temporarily blinded those on the unfortunate end of it—temporarily.

You pressed a hand to your chest, "My name is Diamond," you reached out and picked up his hat, which had fallen off his head. "Agents of the Queensmaiden."

You brushed the fabric of the hat, setting it over his face before straightening your back. You looked at Ginger Ale as you rejoined Opal's side. "Nice to meet you, Ginger."

She smiled and dipped her hat at you once, waving. "You, too. Feel free to stop by the Statesman."

You nodded, looping your arm with your partner's, paying the blind agent no mind as he struggled to his feet. "We were just headed there!" you smiled, amazed at the turn of events as you pointed it out. "We'll stop by later…when he can see again."

You turned with Opal, looking over your shoulder and grinning gently. "Bye, Whiskey," you giggled before taking your leave.

Whiskey reached out hastily, grabbing a hold of Ginger, just to make sure she was still there. The way she could have rolled her eyes and shook her head as a dopey smile spread over his lips. He motioned in the direction he thought you walked out in, sighing dreamily.

"I need her."

This time, Ginger did roll her eyes and shake her head. She took his outstretched hand and started pulling him back to the booth. "Come on, lover boy."

~

You did visit the Statesman’s booth—where you met Scotch and Tequila—but did so while Whiskey was away. You wanted to tease him, make him anticipate your arrival for you not to appear and leave him wanting more.

As the night waned, the booths were taken down to make room for the afterparty that had already begun. You were standing at one of the tall, narrow tables with Opal and Tequila, enjoying the music playing in the background as people mingled through the night.

As you laughed at a sarcastic comment made by Tequila, you heard the familiarly smooth voice of his colleague fill the space between you and couldn’t fight your smile.

“I see you’ve met my associate,” he announced himself, sidling up next to you as he leaned on the table. The look on his face held no defeat or upset, he was just as smiling as before as he took in the sight of you, once again entranced.

You chuckled, looking him up and down as you watched each other. “Oh,” you smiled, “so you can see again…”

He laughed heartily at that, amusement seeping into the sound and painting your stomach with butterflies, a light, airy feeling that bounced off the bones of your ribcage. He clasped his hands together, motioning with his head toward your chest, where your golden locket still lay idly by.

“Very nifty gadget, that necklace of yours,” Whiskey smiled, his eyes never leaving yours for long.

You picked it up, tracing your thumb along it like you had done before in a slight tease. “I’d like to think so. I designed it,” you confessed, setting it back down and looking at him, your head tilted up as you straightened your spine with pride. He tilted his head to the side, his grin deepening at your clear genius.

Tequila and Opal shared a look as they took in the interaction, chuckling lightly. “I’ll go ahead and step away now,” he said, doing just that and glancing back at your partner standing by his side.

She nodded her agreement, holding her hand out to the offered crook of his arm. “And I’ll join you.” She walked away with him, shaking her head and smiling as she left to go hang out with her own new plaything—of sorts.

Whiskey’s eyes looked you up and down as he thought over something for a moment before he simply spoke again. “Can I buy you a drink, sweetness?” he offered, holding his own arm out for you as Tequila had done.

You considered him, raising a brow. “I’m still sweet, huh?”

He flashed his teeth with his next grin, dipping his head down in a nod as a gesture with his hat. “Like sugar,” he hummed.

You sighed. “Okay.” Your arm looped through his own, and he smiled triumphantly as he gently tucked you into his side. You gave him a similar gaze to the one you’d given him before he ended up walking around blindly for an hour: your head tilted down as you looked up at him through your lashes, your smile soft, and your eyes teasing—the perfect demonstration of the less eloquently put “fuck me eyes”. “Lead the way, Whiskey.”

He walked you to the bar that had opened earlier on for the convention. The liquor was all top shelf stuff—they wouldn’t dare give low-quality alcohol to these highly respectable representatives of these agencies. He made sure you were sitting comfortably on your stool before he took his seat next to you—a true gentleman.

A bartender came down to the pair of you and smiled, waiting for your orders. “Scotch, neat,” you nodded, adding a “thank you” on the end as you looked away, anywhere but Whiskey while your eyes examined the many options behind the bartender.

“Actually,” Whiskey held his finger up, “I want you to try something.” You looked at him, narrowing your eyes teasingly at what he could be doing now. He turned to the bartender, pulling his hat off and setting it to the side to reveal the neatly kept hair underneath it. “Kentucky Statesman, whiskey,” he nodded.

They nodded back before stepping away to grab the bottle. You looked at him with a smirk as he gazed back at you, self-satisfied before you’d even tried the liquor he’d suggested. The bartender returned with the bottle of the amber liquid, showing off the label to ensure it was the correct one. When Whiskey nodded, they grabbed two glasses from under the bar and set it on the table, pouring the appropriate amount into each one.

You picked up the glass as it was given to you, swishing it around and examining it. You picked up the bottle in your other hand and looked at the label as you brought the lip of the glass to your nose to smell the heady scent of liquor. “Whiskey from Whiskey, huh?” you quipped, still only sampling the scent.

He laughed, sitting back with his glass in his hand, refusing to take a sip until you had. “Give it a taste.”

You smiled suspiciously, bringing the glass to your lips and sniffing it once more before finally tasting it. A sigh escaped you as whiskey lingered on your tongue before burning delightfully down your throat. It was magnificent, like liquid gold.

"Oh my god," you whispered under your breath, closing your eyes and shaking your head.

He smiled proudly, "Good, right?"

You looked at him, composing yourself once more as you straightened your back and too-slowly set your glass back down. You let out a long, calculated breath and just nodded too hard. "It's…It's good, yeah."

He finally drank from his own glass, hiding his chuckle as he beamed. "Go on," he said as he set his glass back down. "Have some more. On the house."

You looked at him, raising a brow. "I thought you were buying me a drink," you pointed out, taking another generous gulp.

He leaned back, motioning widely to the large selection of fine liquor. "Be my guest, get whatever you want."

You inhaled the intoxicating scent of the drink already in hand, your eyelids fluttering for a split second before you just shook your head. "I suppose I'll settle for this," you told him, sipping your drink and setting it down again.

Whiskey grabbed the bottle and refilled your glass. You looked up at him, narrowing your eyes playfully and smirking. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

He shook his head, "Of course not. Just tryna show you the plus side of a Statesman." He set the bottle down and winked at you.

You scoffed, anything but annoyed. "What, think I'll find you?" you swirled your drink around. "We'll hook up over some good liquor?"

His laugh was nearly explosive as he shook his head, seemingly amused in the deepest degree. "Oh, no," he said. "I intend to do more than simply 'hookin' up' with you."

You hummed your response, examining him for far too long and looking away before his dark gaze could override your self-restraint. You crossed your legs, turning your body to face away from him again.

"So," he breathed, "tell me about the Queensmaiden."

You took in a long breath and blew it out to think, reaching out and grabbing his hat discarded on the table. Feeling the fabric under your fingers, you tilted your head. "What do you want to know?"

He shrugged, "Where did it come from?"

"Well," you began, "It was formed some time after Kingsman, 1952, by a man named Bobby Gold." They way you said it, with reverence and sass, Whiskey's lips twitched in a smile. "He's like… in his late eighties now, looking good." You shook your head to get back on track. "He founded the Queensmaiden to be an all-women agency, picked a protégé to take his place and run it after he stepped down."

You turned to him with a boastful smirk, "She's the first Diamond—was the first Diamond, she retired. I knew her, worked with her when I first joined. I got her name, promoted from Quartz."

He nodded, deeply invested in the way you spoke as you played with his hat, made of sturdy, soft fabric. "Fascinatin'," he smiled.

You nodded. "Gold ran a really popular jewelry business of the same name, had a younger sister who ran a tailor shop for women's clothing with her husband. He founded it, she later partnered as co-founder. Now we're a boutique found in most countries…all over the world." You shrugged your shoulder so nonchalantly, like your boast wasn't a real boast. "It's very efficient, dare I say, more efficient than the Kingsman itself."

He snorted, "Don't tell them that."

You leaned forward, too close within his space, "They probably already know." You sidled up closer to him, a clear flirt as you smiled. You raised his hat to him and set it atop your own head.

Whiskey's eyes darkened as he watched you down his nose. "You know…" he said slowly, "there's this rule where I come from… Wear the hat, ride the cowboy."

You licked your bottom lip as your eyes flicked up and down his face. "Oh, I'm well aware." His hand reached out and grazed your arm, daring to bring you closer before you pulled away from him again with a sweet smile. "What about Statesman?"

It took a beat for him to recover before he was shaking his head. "Not as glamorous," he sighed thickly. "Agency in the south full of cowboys and rascals."

You traced the rim of your glass with your finger, picking it up again and bringing it to your lips. "Well, I love me a nice cowboy," you said as you looked at him over your cup.

"Lucky for me, huh?"

"We'll see." You took a sip from your glass.

Suddenly, the music which had been in the background shifted into something else. Country music blared through the speakers and caught the attention of everyone in the area. Some excitedly stood to go join the small group ready who may have recognized the music, but one look at the jukebox provided by one of the agencies here proved that it was, indeed, a southerner who'd started the music.

Tequila stood there with his hat on his head as he smiled, one hand held out and grasping Opal's hand as he spun her into his chest. He glanced up at Whiskey and nodded once before hopping off to the large space cleared to dance.

He was the one to determine what dance was being done as he twirled Opal around into a half amateur-half professional swing dance. People joined in with their partners and allowed themselves to be swept away into more amateur dancing—a dance Whiskey suddenly seemed confident to prove himself in.

"C'mon, I've never missed a swing," he smiled excitedly.

He took your hand and pulled you to the floor before you could protest. He swung you, making you stumble into his chest as you breathed quickly. "I've never swing danced before," you confessed.

He looked you dead in the eye, his own sparkling with excitement and hints of giddiness. "Just follow me," he breathed, his kissable lips forming the words in a way that made it impossible to deny him this.

You sighed, "You better know what you're doing."

He smirked, this one more sly than the last. "Trust me, sugar," he leaned in. "I know what I'm doin'."

You tilted your head, standing up a little more and placing your hands in his. Once you were situated, you smiled and let out a breath of courage. "Well," you whispered, "show me how a real cowboy does it."

Whiskey beamed before he pulled you into the music, quick steps and swinging arm making it impossible to keep up. He twirled you out, he twirled you back in, he switched you to one side and swung you to the other. He spun you under his arm and into his chest. Just when you thought he might slow down, he dipped and held you in his arms with heavy breaths.

He caught the hat as it fell from your head, lingering there and staring at your lips. You stared into the depths of his gaze, catching your breath as they mingled between you in soft puffs of air. He slowly straightened his spine, standing you up and setting the hat atop your head once more, admiring its place there.

You smiled, leaning forward oh-so slowly. His eyes fluttered until they were closed. He looked so calm, so gentle and pretty. You pulled his hat from your head and put it back on him, lingering there a moment before pulling out of his arms and missing his warmth.

He felt you leave and refused to watch you leave him behind. When he opened his eyes again, you were gone. When he turned his head to a mystified Tequila, Opal was gone.

A breath poured from his lips as he couldn't help but smile. He smiled at your charm, at the way you left him starstruck, at the way he'd slipped his number in your pocket in the hopes you called him, finding him again and leaving him with a little more closure as he looked down at his boots and shook his head.

"Fuck me," he cursed, chuckling to himself.

~

That was the last he saw of you for months, the last you saw of him for months.

You hated how much you thought about him—his puppy-like flirtations, his darkened gaze, his fascination, and the way he moved you like a tornado on the dance floor. You stared at the crumpled up piece of paper with his number scrawled on it all the time, considering, thinking, wanting to call.

But you never did. Never once did you pick up the phone and dial his number. Never once did you talk about him to your colleagues or your partners—not even with Opal, who was totally smitten with her own cowboy.

You missed him, but you were determined not to.

But that didn't mean a crossing of paths would hinder a good reunion.

You smiled at the receptionist at the front desk, who granted you a smile of his own with the tilt of his head. Walking up to the desk, you adjusted the purse on your arm and spoke. “Hello, I’m here for an appointment with Mr. Sullivan. I’m his three o’clock.”

He hummed, “I wasn’t aware Mr. Sullivan was taking appointments today. Name?” he asked, turning to his computer.

“Davis. We made an appointment together over the phone,” you stated in a sickly sweet voice. “Oh, I hope I marked the right day.”

He looked at you and just smiled, shaking his head. “No worries. I don’t see you in the database, but I’ll just give him a quick call to confirm. Alright?”

You nodded, thanking him kindly as you wiped your hands down your light suit. He picked up the phone and dialed the number to his boss’ office, giving you another large grin. When the phone was picked up, he began to explain the situation, and his reaction was full of wide eyes and stutters. “Yes, sir,” he answered, setting the phone back down.

He looked back at you regretfully. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Sullivan will not be taking any appointments today. You are welcome to reschedule, if you’d like.”

“Of course,” you nodded.

“Great.” He reached down under the desk to grab some papers before wincing. “I’ll have to go make some copies. If you’ll excuse me.”

“Not a problem.”

He disappeared behind a door behind the desk and you sighed, turning anyway to go up to the elevator on your right. As you were walking, you noticed a group of men walking down the hall, dressed in black with shades over their eyes. Security guards. You straightened your spine and merely kept walking. You were just at the elevator when you heard shots firing behind you. You groaned loudly and ducked for cover. Their gunfire was loud and thunderous, making couch stuffing and wood splinters fly through the air as you hid behind a desk behind a sofa in the cushy lobby.

You cursed under your breath as you dug through your purse. “No, no, no,” you mumbled as you selected which weapon you would use. You dug out a little silver disc and smiled. “Yes,” you declared as you pulled a little pin out of the side.

You threw it behind you where the guards were still shooting, and ducked down, waiting for a blow that never came as the gunshots continued. “Talc!” you yelled, shaking your head at the newbie in the weapons department and one of her faulty weapons making its way into your arsenal.

You huffed as you looked behind you before you suddenly heard a body drop. You looked over and your eyes widened in shock and surprise. Hiding behind a couch a little farther away from your own was a person who definitely was not on their side. He locked eyes with you, and your expressions became mirrors of the other.

“Diamond?” “Whiskey?”

The simultaneous ringing of your names only escalated the confusion as you stared at one another. “What are you doing here?” he questioned in as low a whisper he could manage to ensure you still heard him, holding a sleek, golden gun tight in his grip as he paid no mind to the small cavalry currently shooting at you.

“I’m on a fucking mission. What are you doing here?” you countered.

He shrugged, “On a fuckin’ mission.”

Shit. “Shit,” you huffed. You thought for a moment, your heart pounding in your chest. “What’s your objective?”

Whiskey pressed his gun to his temple, tilting it up as a gesture of his assassination attempt. You let out a breath of relief, pulling a drive with the Queensmaiden symbol on the side from out of your bra and showing it off to him. He sighed as well.

“Cover me?” you asked.

He smiled and nodded, sending you a flirty wink. “You got it, sugar.”

You grinned and counted down for him before ducking out of your cover and rushing to the elevator closest to you. Whiskey stood, grasping his gun as he shot. You pressed the elevator door button and glanced over your shoulder, gripping your gun tight as you waited impatiently for the elevator to open.

When you heard the ding, you had half a second to celebrate as a loud shot came too close to you. You looked down at the elevator button, flashing and sparking as it sat destroyed in the wall.

You pried the door open and shouted Whiskey's name over your shoulder as he retreated back. You got inside, jamming the button closed without missing a beat or waiting for him to get through.

The doors were already closing when he finally slipped through, a bullet missing him by an inch. In the safety of the elevator, you let out a breath and calmed.

There was silence, besides the breaths blowing through the space of the elevator. Whiskey looked at you as you raised your hand, looking at the clock face of your watch.

"You never called," he accused, looking at you with a raised brow and a look on his face that wasn't mad, but not entirely giddy with joy.

You shrugged, still not looking at him. "Been busy."

He chuckled, "With what?"

You missed his voice, that smooth Southern lilt that could lull you to gentle sleep or drive you insane with desire. With the adrenaline pumping through your veins, it was the latter.

"My job," you laughed, pressing a button on your watch as a hologram arose from it, circling the Queensmaiden symbol.

You turned to him, granting him a smile. You were more happy to see him than you should have been. "Did you miss me, lover boy?" you winked. "Tequila says you did."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "You've been talking with Tequila?"

You smirked, nodding. "Of course," you told him, swiping the hologram aside to pull up some files off of some computer. "He's with Opal. They hooked up after the convention."

He sighed longingly, leaning on one leg as he set his gun back in his holster. "And to think," he breathed. "That coulda been us."

You snorted, "Don't get ahead of yourself, cowboy."

You tapped away from the files you'd been scrolling through, pulling up some surveillance footage. There was a hall through the camera, one full of guards with more numbers than the ones downstairs.

"Aww," you muttered. "We have a whole welcome party waiting for us." You turned him with a grin, swiping away the hologram and returning your hand to your side.

He reached behind his back as he smiled. "How sweet."

Whipping his jacket to the side, he grabbed some sort of fancy handle, intricately detailed with gold and silver. You nodded, impressed as you looked at its design.

"Nice," you commented. You opened your jacket, sliding it off your arms and reaching behind you to grab a hold of a handle of your own. It was blue, a shining color that sparkled as Whiskey's eyes scanned over it.

The elevator dinged and you stood beside Whiskey with a smile. The sea of guards on the other side watched you with stern faces, ready for the inevitable fight as they stared down two people who didn't stand a chance.

"Well, howdy, fellas," Whiskey greeted, tipping his hat.

You tilted your head and smiled, "How do you do?" You pressed a small button on one end and the handle began to unfold, expanding into a dagger on one end of a strong rope and a heavy hammer-like weapon on the other.

At the sight of the weapon, the fight began. With drawn guns and angry glares, the guards were quick with their guns as they cornered you in the elevator.

The handle in Whiskey's hand extended into a lasso—a silver whip that he swung out into the small army. It wrapped around the gun of the man in the front of the group, holding on tight as he pulled it taut and sent him falling forward.

You took your rope dart and began swinging it, smacking a bullet out of the way as it hurdled toward you. You threw it and Whiskey watched, amazed, as it wrapped around some man's neck and the dagger embedded itself into his chest. You pulled it, and he spun around to the floor.

The other guards were distracted long enough for the both of you to retreat from the elevator and into the fight.

Ropes flew through the air, daggers pierced bodies, and electricity had them writhing in pain before dropping to the floor. Whiskey's rope wrapped around someone's neck as he pulled him in, punching him hard in the face and sending him to the floor.

He heard a pained yell behind him and turned to see some man falling to the floor with a blue knife in his back. You stepped forward, setting your foot on his back and pulling the dart out.

"That's cool," he said, admiring your weapon of choice.

You smiled, pulling a gun and shooting someone coming toward Whiskey from behind. "Thank you. It's made of sapphires."

"Oo," he smiled. "Duck." You did so, dipping down as he raised his own gun and shot another man aiming his gun at you.

He looked down at you, knelt on one knee in front of him, tightly gripping your rope tight. "What an interestin' position we've found ourselves in."

You scoffed, standing up too close to him. "Keep it in your pants, hotshot."

You turned on your heel, returning to the fight as the few guards who were left brandished their guns. The last of them were easy to take out, and you did. As you swung your rope at the last man standing you noticed a different rope do the same.

You turned your head to Whiskey as he smiled at you. "Looks like we made a connection."

You rolled your eyes. "Shut up." You grabbed your gun and raised it to the man, shooting him instantly and collecting your rope as he dropped to the floor.

You walked over to the body, bending down and wiping the blood from your blade before stepping over him and toward the grand office door down the hall. Whiskey was more than happy to follow you.

You take a card you'd snatched from one of the bodies and swipe it along the reader, the door sliding open to allow you inside. As soon as you crossed the threshold, you heard the sound of a gun click.

You both looked up at Mr. Sullivan pointing his gun at you, dressed in an expensive suit with hands that trembled only slightly with fear for his life. You sighed, looking back at him. "Well, you caught us," you said as you stood beside Whiskey. "Props."

"Question is…" Whiskey added, "who're you gonna shoot?"

Sullivan tilted his head. There was no amusement in his face, but he gave you a look that said "really?". He motioned between the two of you and raised a brow. "You've got some rope. I've got a gun. I can shoot both of you."

Whiskey nodded, agreeing with his logic. "Well, you caught us fair and square," he sighed dramatically. Then he smirked, "Pull the trigger."

Sullivan didn't like how calm you both were. He was holding a gun to your face, and you were telling him to pull the trigger. Why the fuck would you tell him to pull the trigger if he had the upper hand? Were you suicidal?

"There's just one little thing," you spoke, shifting on your side. "You brought a gun to a knife fight."

Sullivan missed the way you passed your rope dart to Whiskey, who took it with too much excitement and, with a few mighty swings, threw it at the unsuspecting boss. The rope wrapped around his neck, and he dropped his gun to grab it and force it away to no avail. The dagger came back around after its loops, and he had no time to process as it lodged in his chest.

Whiskey smirked before he pulled roughly on the rope, spinning the man round, unwinding him like a yo-yo. The dagger yanked from his chest and Whiskey caught it as it flung back. Mr. Sullivan dropped to the floor, choking on his own blood as it spilled from his wound.

You walked past him dismissively, stepping up to his desk and grabbing your drive. Sticking it in the computer, you began typing away as Whiskey admired your weapon.

"I needa get me one of these," he muttered.

"I've got plenty. I'll send you one," you suggested.

He looked up at you, his eyes glittering, "Really?"

"Why not?" You shrugged your shoulders. Leaned over the desk, you watched the loading bar slowly climb toward completion before you were able to withdraw the drive and stuff it in your pocket.

You grabbed a butterscotch from the bowl on his desk, helping yourself as you walked back over to Whiskey. You smiled at him and tilted your head. You hold your hand out to him, making a grabby motion.

"Can I have it back?" you asked.

He tilted his head up, smiling down at you with narrowed eyes. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" you questioned.

"Can I get something in return?"

You sighed and thought for a moment, continuing to smile at him as you returned your hand to your hip. "What do you want?"

He shrugged, pretending to think. "How about a pretty please?" he smirked, his eyes dark and inviting, his voice quiet and deep.

"You want me to say please?" you asked, standing too close as your eyes flickered to his lips for half a second.

Again, he shrugged, but his smile became more wicked. "A kiss on the cheek might suffice."

You chuckled deeply, standing on your toes as you leaned forward. You got closer, closer, and closer still until your breaths mingled. You shifted to his cheek, turning your head just enough so your lips nearly brushed his ear as you whispered to him. "You're going to have to try harder than that."

You took the rope from his grip and backed away from him, watching him watch you with lidded eyes. You backed toward a private elevator in the office, pressing a button on the wall as the doors opened. You looked toward the door you came in and smiled. "You've got company."

You stepped back into the elevator and the doors closed, shielding you from him as you waved.

Whiskey stood in the office, looking toward the door that was currently being beaten against by his visitors. Smiling and shaking his head, he laughed heartily. "Clever."

You stepped out onto the roof, taking the drive from your pocket and tossing it to the ground. You pulled your gun and shot at it once, destroying it entirely as you made your way to the jet waiting for you. You boarded it, climbing into the pilot's seat as you started it up and left.

As you flew away from the building, you glanced back at it and smiled when you saw a figure climbing up the side of the building to the roof. He looked over his shoulder at you, and you could make out the distinct sight of him waving his arm at you. Not to grab your attention, but to say hello.

You saluted him before departing for a second time.

~

Your next encounter with him was not so far in the future. In fact, it was later on that night.

You walked into the large house you were staying in after a long day out. Between your mission, your flights, and everything in between, you were about ready to pour yourself a drink and go to sleep early.

The house was owned by the Queensmaiden, a mission house for meetings or get-togethers or just a place for agents to crash after long days on missions. Since your trip today was done alone, your partner back at home serving as your tech that day, you were in this big empty home alone. You didn't mind much, it was a lot of space, you could turn on the stereo as loud as you want, there was plenty of expensive booze. You were all set for the night.

As you walked through the loud house, which was filled with the classic voice of Frank Sinatra, you made your way to the open bar. As you poured yourself a drink, you glanced at the label with a smile. Statesman whiskey.

"So you did like it."

You didn't turn around, but you smiled at the smooth tone of your cowboy behind you. You grabbed a second glass and poured him his own. You set the bottle down, picked up both cups, and walked over to him with a smile.

"It's alright."

You stopped in front of him, making a bad habit of standing too close. Passing the glass over, you looked up at him through your lashes. He wasn't wearing his hat, giving you a view of his tousled hair. Likewise, he was stripped down to a white button down with the sleeves rolled up, his shirt still tucked in his pants fastened with his belt. His tie was gone, and the top buttons of the shirt were undone. He saluted his glass to you, and you gladly clinked them together in a quiet cheer before taking a sip, your eyes never parting from his.

"You know," he sighed. "This disappearing act of yours is starting to get a little old, Diamond."

You shrugged a shoulder, "I can spice it up if you want."

He simply shook his head, "I think I'd rather pick a different act. It would put us in much different positions."

"Oh?" You smiled, reluctantly turning on your heel and stepping away from him. "What positions did you have in mind?"

You lounged on the couch, kicking off your shoes. You looked back at him with one hand on your glass and the other under your chin as you rested your head on the back of the couch.

He sighed once again, his whole body moving with him as he looked at you in that way that reminded you of a lovesick pup. He set his hands on his hips, leaning on the side as he contemplated.

"You never called."

His words from earlier pricked your heart in a special kind of way this time. You sighed and just shook your head, "No, I didn't."

The song playing through the speakers in the house faded out to welcome another. Sinatra's "I'm a Fool to Want You" was sharp in your mind.

You set your glass down and looked up at Whiskey again. You reached your hand out to him, wiggling your fingers in the hope that he'll hold your hand.

He did, and you smiled.

"I did miss you," you confessed.

That offered him some solace. "Honest?"

"Honest." He sighed, stepping closer. You sat up, settling on your knees as he still towered over you. He looked at you for a long time before suddenly smiling. He bent down, wrapping his arms around your body and surprising you as he hoisted you up, spinning you over the couch and setting you on your feet. You held onto him, laughing as he pulled you close to his chest. He slid his hand into your own, entwining your fingers as his other hand rested on the small of your back.

"Dance with me?" he asked.

You tilted your head, "Do I have a choice?"

He laughed and just shook his head. "No."

You laughed. He took a side step, swaying you in time with the gentle rock of the music. It was slow and steady, filled with too much emotion than should have been allowed for a couple who had only met once a few months prior. You rested your head on his chest, your eyes closed as you blew out a long breath.

His voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke, low and quiet. "How lucky am I to see a beauty like you in a place like this?" he smiled.

You chuckled, recalling those words from when you first met. "Am I still allowed to do whatever I want?" you asked, looking up at him.

He spun you out, twirling you before spinning you back in, your back pressing against his chest. He leaned down to your ear. "Never revoked the privilege."

You twisted your neck to see him, smiling at his face so close to yours. You leaned forward, your lips ghosting over his own as you considered it. For a moment, you considered it.

You swerved to hover your lips near his ear, "Catch me."

You stepped away from him, walking backwards as your eyes stayed glued to his. You watched him with the same dark, teasing eyes as you had used before. The naughty look on your face, the proximity at which you once stood, the tingling of your lips never grazing his but teasing him with the possibility of such a sacred union…the thought of never sealing that fate with you and leaving once again for another wild goose chase where he never knew if he would see you again due to the dangers of the lives you both lived. They were possibilities that made his heart ache in ways it shouldn't have.

He just shook his head, deciding then and there that he wouldn't let you have another swift get away, wouldn't let you slip through his fingers with nothing to remember you by but the ghost breaths against the shell of his ear where you exhaled your secrets. "Not this time."

He took a few long strides toward you, taking you in his arms and crashing his lips down upon yours. You gasped into his mouth, melting instantly into him as your legs turned to jelly. He held you close to him, supporting your neck with one large hand as he consumed you in a passionate embrace.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down and swaying gently as you finally kissed the cowboy you'd been craving for months. He bent down, wrapping his arms under you and lifting you to wrap your legs around his waist. He held you up with strong arms, walking you back until he was pushing you up against a wall.

When he pulled from the kiss, heavy, hot breaths were exchanged between the two of you. His hands roamed your body, drinking you in desperately. His mouth pressed against your neck, his tongue darting out to lick along your thumping pulse. You moaned, feeling the heat between your legs igniting with a fire.

His name fell from your lips as he nibbled on your neck. Your fingers tangled in his hair and you pulled on his messy strands.

He rolled his hips into yours, pulling a shaky breath out of you. Your leg tightened around him, bringing him closer as you mirrored his own movement from before, drawing out your pleasure with grinding hips and breathless sighs. He groaned as one of his hands gripped your waist to stop you.

Whiskey unwrapped your legs from him as he set you back down on your feet. When he sank to his knees, it was with a maddening amount of eye contact that he didn’t dare break. His hands smoothed along your sides, rounding to the front to undo the clasp of your slacks. He moved torturously slow as he pulled the slacks down your legs, revealing more and more skin to him as he went along. Your eyes fluttered when you felt his lips on your thigh.

You stepped out of the pant legs when they finally pooled around your ankle. Whiskey leaned forward to press a kiss to the inside of your thigh, his tongue darting out to taste the skin before taking it between his teeth in a gentle nibble. You stifled a moan at the feeling, watching his dark eyes drink you in.

When he finally fingered the waistband of your panties, he pulled them down in one swift tug to reveal yourself to him. He licked his lips and you bit down on your own. “Look at that,” he praised. “So pretty.” He looked up at you with a cocky smirk, holding the back of your leg up and setting it atop his shoulder.

He leaned forward and your lips parted so delicately when his tongue darted out to lick you. Your breath hitched, halting in your throat as his hot tongue delved between your folds. Like a fire, the warmth spread through your body as you melted into him. Your hips jerked, seeking his mouth.

His lips wrapped around your pussy, tasting you with an intoxicated moan. When he sucked on your clit, your breath trembled and a whimper managed to weave its way through your vocal chords. His talented tongue glided through your folds before retreating as he pulled back from you to look at your pretty face.

You looked down, whining lightly at him as he stared at you with eyes that glittered with praise. His hand trickled up your side before dipping between your thighs and into your warmth. “You taste sweet as sugar, sugar.”

You had to fight through your eye roll as you enjoyed the sweet stretch of his thick fingers inside of you. “You have very skilled hands,” you nearly stuttered. Your eyes fluttered as he curled the length of his fingers.

“Why, thank you, sweetheart,” he dipped his head as though he was still wearing his hat. He pushed his fingers in deeper, adding a third as he coaxed you toward a sweeter release. He was a lot gentler than you expected, treating you like a fragile lover. It warmed your heart, so used to the less patient lovers of one-night stands long since.

The sharp dig of dull nails into the flesh of your thigh contrasted with the prior feathery fingertips on your sides. You were breathless and needy, aching for him all over. With those same fingers still buried deep inside of you, he leaned forward and sucked on your throbbing clit.

The shocks of pleasure creeping up on you sparked along your skin—your fingertips, the very ends of prickly flesh. Your fingers gripped and tangled in his hair. Your hips stuttered forward, searching for his mouth in a desperate attempt to push yourself over the edge.

But he was doing it first, crooking his fingers in the perfect way here and digging the tip of his tongue into that sensitive bundle of nerves there as your pitch climbed higher and higher with the anticipation of a climbing buildup. The rubber band inside your belly snapped and your mouth dropped. What were supposed to be rises of whiny moans were just a symphony of shuddering breaths, arrhythmic and impassioned.

He was right there to ease you through the shocks, encouraging you with his tongue back down to the tingles that covered the expanse of exposed skin.

When he pulled away, his lips were still occupied with your body, pressing hungry kisses to your thighs and lower belly with a fervor that made you tug harder on his curling locks of hair.

He looked up at you with kiss-swollen lips, smiling like an idiot in love—no, not love. This was just lust. That's all. That was it. It didn't matter if that spark in your chest only pumped through your veins when he looked at you like that.

You smiled at him, breathless. "Take me to bed."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

He tightened his grip around your waist before he stood, tossing you over his shoulder and holding you with one arm. You yelped, dissolving into giggles as he carried you through the house and through the winding halls toward the bedroom.

On the way, you smiled as you passed by his hat sitting on a table along the walls. Reaching you, you had just barely grabbed it with your fingertips as you held it to your head.

He pushed the door open to reveal the room: a king-sized bed with golden sheets, a mini chandelier reflecting diamonds all over the expensive room, paintings and frames and shelves probably hiding more tools and gadgets than there are choices of liquor behind the bar in the main room.

He kicked the door closed behind him, admiring the room with a hum and a nod of his head before plopping you down onto the bed. You fell with a bounce, chuckling again as you held onto his hat. He smiled, watching you put it on your head and look at him with eyes that expressed far too much to be an innocent one-night stand.

Part of Whiskey hoped it was more than an innocent one-night stand.

So did you.

But if it was, he would rock your world. He stared down at you with darkened eyes, undoing his shirt and tossing it somewhere in the room. The rest of his clothes followed after until he was in nothing but his boxers. Then he did the same to you, except he didn't stop until you were bare before him, left in nothing but your expensive necklace and earrings to admire the way you still looked like the perfect reflection of the woman of his dreams. He left the hat. You looked perfect in it.

"Not fair," you complained with a grin. "I'm stripped bare, and you're still dressed."

You leaned up on your elbows, sitting up until you were situated on your knees as you leaned forward. You smiled up at him, hooking your finger in the band of his boxers to pull him forward. "Your turn."

He set his hand on your cheeks and nearly melted at the way you leaned into his warm palm, your eyes fluttering shut as a gentle breath blew through you. He shifted his hand so he pinched your chin, lifting your face to see better. "You're so fuckin' beautiful, sweetness."

"Oh, yeah?" you chuckled. "Prove it to me."

He leaned forward, bending down to your face and connecting your lips again. He licked into your mouth, tasting the remnants of whiskey on your tongue. You moaned, melting against him. You pulled away, your hand still hooked around his waistband. You tugged them down, ridding him of the meaningless article of clothing to reveal him to you.

Fuck, he was beautiful. Flushed tipped, thick, and throbbing. As you reached out and stroked your fist over his cock, he twitched in your hand and groaned. You bit your lip, leaning forward and giggling when his hat on your head bumped into his stomach.

He chuckled at you, tilting it up so he could see your face and you could move. You smiled at him before going back to his leaking slit. You leaned forward and licked him, flattening your tongue along his head to taste him. You moaned again, leaning forward to take a longer lick along the length of him. He breathed a curse under his breath, watching you lick him up as you worked your tongue along him.

His hand came to rest on the back of your neck, easing you forward without actually moving you. Your lips wrapped around him, slick and warm as you took him in your mouth. His head tilted back before he looked down again to see you, not wanting to miss a second of it.

"Fuck," he breathed, hips twitching. You smiled around him, working him deeper in your throat with the intent of taking the whole of him. "Fuck, you're amazing. How did I get so lucky?"

You whimpered, laving your tongue along the underside of his cock where the vein was throbbing. "You like that?" he asked. "You like when I tell you how fuckin' perfect you are?"

You nodded as best you could, wrapping a hand on the back of his thigh to pull him in some more. "You're so goddamn perfect," he promised. "Makin' me feel special like this. D'you feel special?"

You just moaned your response, suckling around him and pulling a rough moan from him. After a moment, he pulled you away, setting his hands on either side of your neck as he caught his breath. He looked down at you, smiling and pulling you forward to kiss you again. The way he kissed you this time was so much different than before, so much softer, slower, with more meaning behind it than there ever should have been. Fuck, you were drunk on it, craving his lips more and more with an impossible desperation, even while he was still kissing you.

He eased forward, moving you until you were laying on your back. His lips slipped on and off of yours, down to your neck as he buried his face there and suckled on the skin.

He settled himself between your legs, grinding down on you as you moaned into each other's mouths. You grasped his bicep, squeezing it tight as you stopped him. "Wait," you breathed.

He stopped immediately, looking down at you with a face etched in concern. "What? What's wrong?"

You smiled, "Wear the hat, ride the cowboy." Your hands flattened on his chest and you pushed him back with a huff, flipping him around so he lay on his back as you straddled him.

He smiled at you, setting his hands on your hips. "You scared me for a second there," he said, his thumbs stroking circles along your skin.

You hovered over him with shaky thighs. "Scared you weren't gonna get your cock wet tonight?" you chuckled.

He just shook his head, "Scared I hurt you."

Your breaths filled the rooms as your body slowed to a stop, staring at him. Your heart leapt and you allowed yourself, just for a moment, to succumb to its calling to him.

"You could never hurt me, Whiskey," you promised.

You only allowed him a moment to let it sink in before you were grabbing his cock in your warm palm, stroking him a couple times before guiding him to your soaked pussy. Sinking down on him, both your eyes shut as your breaths puffed into the air.

"Fuck," you moaned. You braced yourself on his shoulders, helping them guide you as you slowly rolled your hips atop his. His hands gripped your waist, blunt nails digging into skin and creating little crescent dents.

The sensations were amazing. His cock stroked along your velvet walls and sparked a desperate pleasure within you that had you forgetting about the little tingles of pain at adjusting to his length. You brought him deeper, your bodies connected indefinitely as you began your slow movements.

Your breath caught in your throat as you felt the blossom of pleasure deep within you. You leaned back, placing a hand on the hat to keep it there as you rolled your hips, faster and faster, chasing the euphoria you craved.

"Look at you," he groaned. "Fuckin' ridin' me like a true cowgirl."

"Lucky for you, huh?" you smirked, breaking off into a whimper as the blunt head of his cock brushed against a sweet spot inside you.

He nodded, "Lucky for me."

You rode him, and you rode him hard, ignoring the ache in your hips and your legs from the continuous motion, ignoring the breathlessness shocking your throat at all the air you were taking in, ignoring the pounding in your chest at the way he stared at you: lips kiss-swollen, eyes sparkling, hands gripping. It was so much, too much, you craved this man more than you'd ever craved anything before in your life.

"Whiskey," you moaned, stifled moans tearing from your throat as his name spilled from your lips. "Fuck, Whiskey, you feel so good."

He hummed. "Take what you need from me, sugar. Take what you want." You leaned forward, holding yourself up with your hands on his shoulders. You were desperate, fucking yourself on him like it was your last time. When his thumb brushed your clit, a guttural moan ripped at your throat and your hips jerked. "That's it, sweetness. That's it."

He was just as breathless as you, guiding your hips with one hand and circling your clit with the other. "Shit," you sighed. "More. Fuck, Whiskey, I'm almost there."

"C'mon, sugar," he urged you. "Cum for me, Diamond."

You didn't care to hold back, you couldn't. You came with a shout, dropping forward onto him and burying your face in his neck. You moaned into his neck, pitchy and breathless as you came apart on top of him. Your hand tangled in his hair, he held tightly to your hips.

Your cunt clenched around him, squeezing and spasming and bringing him to the edge as his release tumbled after yours. One of his hands flew to your hair, holding you there as his fingers carded through.

Your hips canted a couple more times, milking the last ounces of pleasure you could get before you fell against his chest. He held you as you both slowly floated down from your highs, falling into the other's embrace as you came to.

The stillness that followed was like something out of a dream. The air was heavy with the smell of sex, but light with the breaths blowing from the both of you. Every inch of your body tingled, your fingertips felt like pop rocks, your skin prickled with a mix of warm and cold. Whiskey's heartbeat resounded through you, grounding you as you traced your fingers over his chest.

You could feel his hand stroking through your hair, rubbing gently into the back of your neck and making you feel like putty. You could stay like this forever, resting atop him and feeling the life he breathed into you from his chest.

"Jack."

You took in a small breath, leaning up and shifting yourself so he slipped out of you. You sighed a little before looking up at him with a lovesick grin. "Hmm?"

He looked at you, smiling right back as he chuckled lightly. "My real name is Jack."

You smiled and shook your head, burying your face in his chest as you chuckled. "Jack Daniels?" you joked, recalling the name brand Whiskey.

The way he chuckled made you look up at him. "Yes, actually."

You looked at him, smiling so wide your face hurt. "Seriously? Your name is Jack Daniels?"

He nodded, "Yep."

You shook your head, laying your head back on his chest and reaching clumsily over to grab his hat, which had fallen off your head. You set it over your face, shielding you from the light shining from the chandelier.

You sighed slowly, tracing patterns into his skin. You whispered your own name to him, glancing up at him and then back out to the little lion figurine on the small stand against the wall on the other side of the room. It was bronze, standing proudly with one paw perched up and his mouth dropped in a mighty roar.

Whiskey smiled, stroking his hand down your back and then back up to your hair. "You've got a beautiful name, sugar."

You smiled slowly. "Sweet as sugar?"

He nodded, "Sweeter."

You leaned up, your face inches apart. "You're gonna get a cavity if you have any more of me," you kissed his lips, long and slow and wanting more.

"The sacrifices we make…" he replied, chuckling deep in his chest as he kissed you again.

Pedro Pascal taglist: ... Tag yourself here...

[h4arts]

Hi! I saw that you've opened your requests for s&b sooo can I request a Nikolai x reader where they're in an arranged marriage and they're distant with each other but one day they get ambushed and she's the one who saves Nikolai (like she can fight and she's good at it) and Nikolai is surprised and he starts seeing her differently and they start spending time together and confess? Angst to fluff kind of thing 👉🏻👈🏻

pearls to opals, nikolai lantsov -synopsis: your new husband takes a liking to make small aspects of your new life miserable. it isn't until a close call in an ambush that he truly sees you for who you are, not as your parents painted you to appear. -warnings: injuries, fighting, me not knowing a thing about boats, def not proofread and a bit rushed (i'm so sorry)

Pearls glinted in the dim lighting, reflecting off your mirror as you stare at your reflection. You didn't want pearls, you hated them actually, yet you had to suffer through an entire wedding and celebration with their weight setting into your collarbones. That wasn't even the worst of it.

This wedding was yours, to a man you knew nothing about besides his name. Everything felt wrong, like you were in someone else's skin, taking someone else's place. And in a way, you supposed you were. A soft knock on the door breaks your mind from wandering too far, and at your permission, your mother enters the room, glittering from head to toe in blue velvets and shimmering sapphires. You wondered how she managed to pull off so much blue.

"Feeling alright?" She asks, sitting on the open end of the stool you sat upon.

"Just fine." No, not at all. This whole thing had been arranged, for the better future of Ravka. That's what your father had told you the day you found out of this predicament. A few choice words had slipped past your lips that evening, angering your father, but you didn't care, this was your life, not his. Your anger had been brushed off though, and this was where it led you, a dim room in the palace you were to be married in in mere minutes.

"Good. You look wonderful, the pearls look wonderful on you. Excellent choice on my behalf." The words made your stomach churn with sickness. The pearls didn't belong to you, and even if they had, you would have thrown them into the depths of the sea before ever wearing them. "Come, it's time."

───☆───

That had been months ago, and you had been living comfortably yet miserably since then. Your new husband, Nikolai, had been relentless in his remarks against you during the first weeks of the marriage, but in the last two months, he'd hardly spoken a word to you. You'd sleep in the same bed but on opposite ends, never touching in between. You'd sit beside each other at meals, but only spoke when asking for something closer to the other.

It was constant working around each other, you were hardly in the same room during the waking hours of the day. Keeping this in mind, you weren't sure why your feet carried you towards the harbor Nikolai's returning ship would soon be docked on. He hadn't been there for you, why are you going for him?

The question plagued your mind as you sat on a bench, watching as part of the ship's crew jumped onto the dock, securing the boat to ensure it wouldn't drift away with the tide. Finally, the ramp was set in place and the crew on the docks rushed aboard the ship while others carried crates of various sizes off, a few nodding to you in acknowledgement, which you returned.

A boy slightly younger than you came running off the ship, weaving between the people surrounding him, the unmistakable shout of Nikolai's voice sounding after the boy. He ran right at you, dropping something into the palm of your hand as he passed. You squint after him in confusion, his broad shoulders crashing into the people lining the streets as his long legs carried him away from the docks at a quick pace. Looking back towards the ship, you stifle a laugh and the glare Nikolai sent to the back of the boy's head from over the railing. You quickly turn your head when his gaze turns to you, but you didn't miss the frown that turned almost deeper at the sight of you.

The feel of something in your hand became apparent as you remembered it, but at the sight of it, you wished you hadn't looked. A pearl bracelet with a golden clasp rested in your palm, suddenly feeling heavier that it was. Pushing through the wave of the crew with crates adorning the tops of their shoulders, you climbed the ramp to the boat, weaving your way to Nikolai, who stood surrounded by three other men and women. With a sigh, he waved them away, promising to meet them later, and you took that as a sign to approach the man.

"These wouldn't be of any importance to you, would they?" You hold your hand out, revealing the set of pearls that was currently weighing down your hand with vicious yet imaginary weight.

"Are they not to you? I was under the impression that a girl like you would swoon over such a thing." Nikolai responded dryly, taking the bracelet from your hold.

"Well you're wrong. I prefer diamonds. Pearls are for women like my mother." Nikolai let out a laugh at that, though he was anything but amused by the comment.

"Of course you would prefer the expensive alternative." He was wrong, though. You didn't hate diamonds, but they were better than pearls in your eyes. Anything was, really. Pearls were not yours, they never had been and never would be, but Nikolai couldn't have been more oblivious to the fact as he wrapped them in a soft cloth and returned them to an open crate nearby, presumably where the running boy had taken them from to begin with.

Before you could question why the boy had taken them to begin with, a loud noise echoed through the harbor, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunfire.

"What is going on?" Nikolai didn't get an answer, as you had shoved him aside. One of the attackers swung himself onto the ship, rifle firing at where the two of you had just been standing.

"What does it look like." you frown, breaking off a stick of wood from a barrel that had been broken by the gunfire.

"What are you-" Once again, Nikolai receives no answer his mouth being covered by your free hand, eyes peering around the crates the two of you were hid behind. A creak in the boards sounds from behind, making Nikolai turn to look, but when his eyes returned to your spot, you were gone. Though he had no time to wonder where you had gone before the barrel of a pistol was pointed right at him. Slowly, Nikolai raised his hands, uncurling his legs from beneath him even slower as to not alarm the raider.

"Where are those pearls? I know you've got 'em." Nikolai chooses not to respond as he tries to form a plan of attack. You however, seemed to have beat him to it. With a loud crack, the attacker is sent falling forwards, Nikolai quickly scrambling to the side to avoid being crushed under the other man's weight. You stood before Nikolai now, the stick from the crate held tightly in your hand.

"Well, I guess we both have a reason to hate pearls now." With a disinterested glare, you turn your back to him and race off the boat to the docks where the rest of Nikolai's crew was fending off the others who attempted to attack the ship. He quickly regains a hold of the situation, running behind you to fight as well.

Half distracted, Nikolai fights alongside his crew, still sparing a few too many glances at you. Maybe, he thought, he'd been wrong about you. Or he had just overlooked the obvious. You had held yourself as more of a fighter than a diplomat, someone who was shoved into a role they did not want to play, he knew that feeling too well and wondered if it was too late to fix what shouldn't have happened to begin with.

───☆───

Returning home was not something you looked forward to, anticipating a lecture of some sort. Accompanied by more silence and a continuance of glances that were gone before you could tell if they were real or not. The thought of being ignored by your own husband in a home that was not yours was terrifying, and you hated every moment of it. However, Nikolai spent the journey planning how to change that, how to start over all the things he should have done sooner.

The dirt path came in to view just outside the harbor town. It was a view you'd seen only a few times since your arrival in Ravka, but you'd always wondered what the path looked like from the road travelling through it rather than around it.

"What's caught your eye out there?" Nikolai had been observing your tense posture since the carriage doors opened and he'd sat across from you.

"Nothing. Just looking." You respond. Maybe one day you could come back and travel it yourself. Then, you'd have all the time in the world. He nodded, dropping the subject though he knew it wasn't true.

Once you'd arrived back, you were quick to make a move back to your room, but a hand on your wrist gently pulled you back. Nikolai's hand.

"I need to say something before you go running off again," He sucked in a sharp breath, eyes staring deep into your own, like he was just seeing you for the first time. "I want to start over."

"What?" You were nothing but confused and tired and there was probably an injury somewhere that you needed to take care of.

"This marriage is not what it should be, I know that. And, I apologize it's taken me so long to realize that it was not your fault, but mine." The tension in your shoulders seemed to match his now, this wasn't the conversation you'd imagined would take place. "I've misjudged you, and I've not even given you the time you deserve. If you'd like to leave this place, me, I couldn't rightfully stop you. But if you stayed, this time I'd give you more than just a crown or a spared glance, I can promise that fully to you right now."

This was the promise you'd been waiting for, but it didn't feel right. Not after everything you'd been put through this far.

"I won't leave." The tension in Nikolai's face slowly loosened up. "But it will take time to fix what was broken to begin with."

"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything else."

───☆───

Two months later, your relationship with Nikolai had mended. You were closer than ever, and even the air around the two of you seemed lighter than after the marriage.

One morning when you had been awoken and told to meet Nikolai in the garden, you hadn't been expecting him to take you on the path you'd stared at on the night of the ambush. It was even better than you'd imagined. It was lush and green and the sunlight cast an ethereal glow through the leaved and branches hanging above your heads.

"It's beautiful out here."

"Not as beautiful as you." Nikolai grinned, that stupid grin that made your heart flutter.

"Oh, please." You turn away from him, instead kneeling by a bush blooming with pink and yellow flowers.

"I'm serious," He starts, kneeling beside you and picking a pink one, tucking it gently behind your ear. "Before I forget, I've got something for you." You watch as he pulls something from his pocket and holds it out to you. It was a thinly wired gold ring with an opal stone. It was simple, but it was the prettiest ring you'd ever seen.

"I know you could care less for diamonds, truly. I thought it might suit you." He takes your hand, sliding the ring onto your finger. It glinted in the sunlight, reflecting sparkles in your eyes as you admired it.

"I love it, thank you." Lifting your eyes to meet his, he's already looking at you, a soft look like he'd give you everything, and he would.

"Anything for you."

[ladykailitha]

Oh For a Muse of Fire! Part 11

Not much happens here, but we have a little side drama with Nancy and Eddie willing to jump in for Steve’s sake.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9 Part 10 

*

Steve parted with Eddie at the walkway between their two buildings and slowly made his way back to the apartment. He opened the door to see Robin on their couch with a tub of ice cream and a spoon.

“You okay?” he asked. “You dipping into the ice cream reserves?”

She shook her head. “Just wanted a little bit of cookies and cream today.”

Steve hung up his jacket and flopped down next to her. “How are your parents?”

Robin smiled around the spoon in her mouth. “Good.” She pulled the spoon out. “They missed you though.”

Steve smiled back at her. “I missed them too. Eddie impressed Dustin.”

Robin’s eyes went wide. “Someone impressed the genius child? Say it isn’t so!”

Steve laughed and told her all about the un-date.

“He’s got it so bad for you, dingus,” she said. “It’s almost embarrassing.”

Steve blushed and ducked his head. “It’s not like that, Robs. I promise.” He looked up. “I mean, yeah, he fixed my car, impressed the unflappable Dustin Henderson, and lent me his jacket, all that says is that he’s a good person.”

Robin batted her eyelashes at him. “Sure we could discount all that as just being a good dude. Fine. Whatever. But how did he dress for tonight?”

Steve’s blush spread from his cheeks to his ears, and down his neck. “He looked hot, Robs. Like full on sex god. I was weak in the knees for Christ’s sake.”

Robin giggled. “Sounds like you went on a date to me.”

Steve’s jaw dropped. “But we didn’t call it date.”

She shook her head. “Doesn’t mean you weren’t on one, my dear dingus.” He looked at her skeptically. “Look, I’ll tell you what. If at the concert on Saturday there isn’t a new song about you, you can go back to calling it whatever you want. But if there is a new song about you, not necessarily a love song. Not yet. But a song about how he’s changed his opinion about you. You are going to call dinner tonight a date.”  

Steve thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “You’re on.” He stuck out his hand and they shook on it.

Robin smiled like she had already won.

*

Saturday arrived and Robin was still as smug as ever, having to have bore witness to Eddie and Steve constantly texting each other and their little coffee breaks after class.

Steve just rolled his eyes. They weren’t even friends yet and Robin was already planning their wedding. It would be here, of course at the Queen’s Crown. Steve would be in white and Eddie would be in black.

She had even picked out the flowers when Steve smacked her with his dish towel.

Opal laughed as they chased each other around the bar. They were about to open and start letting in the pre-concert crowd. The regulars that just came for a cocktail and a good time. Most of those would be gone before the band started setting up at six.

It was Steve’s favorite time on Saturdays. It was calm and fun. And he didn’t have to fob off numbers and flirtatious drunks, like he had to once the band started playing. He didn’t have time to date. Not really.

Eddie and his band showed up and started setting up.

It took everything Steve had to not stare. Eddie was dressed in a sheer long sleeved black shirt with three rips across the chest like an animal had clawed it. He had on tight leather pants and heavy combat boots. And over the shirt to complete the look was a denim vest with pins and patches all over the front and a cutup old Dio band shirt on the back.

Steve didn’t know who Eddie was trying to impress, but he secretly hoped it was him.

About half way through the set, Eddie pulled out a stool and his acoustic guitar. He adjusted the microphone and said, “You’ll excuse this minor indulgence. But I wanted to play you this song. It’s called Thorns and Thistles.”

He cleared his throat and began to play.

“Holy shit,” Opal cursed. “I’ve never heard this song before. I thought I’d heard all of their original material.”

Robin came bouncing up to Steve with a feral grin. “I told you.”

Opal looked back and forth between them in confusion and then she went, “Oh.”

She turned to Robin. “I think my boy is crushing on your boy.”

Robin laughed manically. “That’s okay, my boy has been crushing on your boy for years.” She danced away from Steve’s dish rag as he cracked it at her.

Steve listened to the rest of the song in silence as everyone in the bar was entranced by the crooning vocals, the heartfelt lyrics, and the soulful guitar. Once Eddie was done, the entire bar was in an uproar.

Eddie blushed and said, “Thank you. We now return to our regularly scheduled metal concert.”

The audience laughed as Eddie put away the stool and traded his acoustic for his sweetheart.

He stepped back on the stage and crowd howled as he setup the opening licks for the next song.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd get this pumped up before in all my years of working here,” Steve told Opal.

Opal grinned. “Yeah, Eddie’s good at putting on a show. But that song? Thorns and Thistles? That was pure electricity. Everyone in the club felt it.”

Steve nodded. It was pure Eddie.

*

It took every ounce of courage Eddie had to look at Steve when he started playing Thorns and Thistles.

The look of awe and admiration on the other man’s face is what helped Eddie get through the song without sobbing horrifically.

He was riding the high of a job well done when he spotted her in the crowd. Thankfully at that same moment Chrissy sailed past him on her way to the bathroom.

“Chrissy!” he hissed, crouching down on the stage near the edge.

She turned to snap at him for calling out her real name but he stopped her with, “Code pink!” Code pink was their phrase for when they ran into someone they wanted to avoid. Usually exes or her parents.

Her mouth snapped shut and she skidded to a stop. “Shit! Who? Where?”

“Garnet’s ex. Her name is Nancy,” he rushed to explain.

Her eyes went to Steve who was chatting with a patron. “What does she look like?” she asked turning back to Eddie.

He let out a hysterical laugh. “A shorter, female version of me in a black pencil skirt and a pink blouse.”

Chrissy nodded. She spotted the girl in question and yeah, that tracked. She pointed her out to Eddie. “You stall her, I’ll get Steve out!” And turned on her heel, running back to the bar.

Eddie nodded.

“Garnet!” she hissed. “Code Pink!”

Steve frowned at her in confusion. “A what?”

Chrissy rolled her eyes. “Your ex is here!” she explained. “We need to get you out back.”

Steve nodded and let her throw a towel over his head to lead him to the kitchen.

Robin, who had been on her way back to the kitchen with dirty glasses spotted what was going on and immediately sped up. “What the hell is going on?” she hissed.

Steve pulled the towel off his head. “Nancy’s here,” he explained.

Diamond knew it was inevitable that they would have friends and family come to the bar, but only if they understood they had to call the employees their gem names. Or at least keep the mistakes to a minimum.

But he also knew that there were times that were out of everyone’s control. Times were an ex or distant (or not so distant) family members that might stumble on the bar by accident. In cases like that it wasn’t about protecting the vibe of the bar.

It was about protecting his people. Protecting them from those who would want to harm them. Especially in Garnet’s case. He knew that there were going to be people who recognized him from the news. But here he could honestly say that he wasn’t Steve. He was Garnet and any resemblance was coincidental.

So when he saw Garnet, Pearl, and Opal make for the backroom, he knew it was one of those times.

He immediately was out there to take over bar-tending. He nodded to Topaz, who nodded to Onyx. The two of them started making their way to the bar.

Opal came out as they reached Diamond. “Garnet’s ex-girlfriend is here.”

“Shit!” Topaz snarled. “Sorry, boss. That’s on me. We’ve been dating awhile and I told her Peridot had called in sick and I had to come in...on our anniversary.”

Diamond closed his eyes. “See if you can head her off, Topaz.” He turned to his bouncer. “Follow close behind, I have a bad feeling about her being here tonight.”

Both men nodded and blended into the crowd.

“The next round is on me!” Diamond called out to the patrons. And a cheer went up.

Topaz made it to Nancy and saw that she was chatting with Eddie.

“I didn’t make you for a metal fan,” he was saying.

Nancy rolled her eyes. “I’m not. I’m trying to find my boyfriend.” She tried to get around him.

“Maybe I could help you find him,” Eddie suggested, deftly sidestepping back into her way. “I’m taller. I could spot him better.”

Nancy scoffed. “Lose it, Munson. I’m not in the mood.”

Topaz rushed to her side. “Hey, babe. What brings you to the club tonight? I told you I was working.” He reached out to kiss her the top of her head, but she stepped back.

“I just wanted to see where you worked,” Nancy said. “I wanted to see the new bartender you’ve been banging on about.”

Topaz and Eddie exchanged wide-eyed looks.

“Nance,” he murmured. “I’ve told you. There is nothing between us. She’s gay.”

“Maybe I just wanted to see for myself,” she defended.

Suddenly there was a shadow that loomed over her and said with a thick Russian accent, “No harassment of the employees is allowed.”

Nancy’s spin straightened and she gulped. She turned around slowly to face the man known only as Onyx. The one that didn’t like anyone.

“Oh, hey,” she squeaked. “I wouldn’t. I wasn’t going to. Friend of my boyfriend and all that.” She smiled wanly.

“Come back on a less busy night,” Onyx said, deadpan. “Come on Monday. That would be better.”

Topaz went to kiss the top of her head and this time she let him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I got so jealous, I couldn’t see straight.”

Topaz hugged her close. “Go home, we’ll talk when I get off.”

Onyx walked her to the door, she turned back and smiled at wanly at Topaz as if in apology.

*

Diamond came back to the back room and gathered all his people.

“What the fuck happened tonight?” he growled. The four of them looked at the ground. “I’m not blaming you. Shit. But she came in like a hell cat bent on destruction.”

Topaz coughed. “Now that things are picking up here at the bar and I’ve been busier, I think she thought I was cheating on her.”

Opal laughed. “Dude all your female co-workers are hella gay.”

Topaz blushed. “I don’t think she was worried about Opal, despite what she said.”

All heads whipped around to stare at him in shock.

“Does she think you’re bi or something?” Pearl asked.

Steve coughed and looked away. “I think she’s worried that since her first boyfriend turned out to be gay...”

Diamond sighed heavily pushing the palms of his hands into his eyes. “Her current boyfriend might be too?”

Steve nodded, biting his lip.

Opal laughed again. “No, no, I know it’s not funny, per se, but god what a trip. Why would she think you have a crush on Garnet?”

Topaz looked down at his feet sheepishly. “I deliberately don’t talk about him because I worry I’ll let it slip it’s St–I mean Garnet.”

Pearl boggled at him. “So her mind went to you having a crush instead of disliking the guy or even being ambivalent toward him?”

“Take her out to a nice dinner tomorrow,” Diamond suggested. “Wine and dine her. But if she comes in again, guns blazing, I will ban her. Am I understood?”

Topaz nodded.

“Take her to Mama Cleo’s,” Steve suggested. “Henderson’s place. It’s great place for a date.” He winked at Pearl who laughed delightedly.

“Damn straight,” she agreed.

Topaz nodded.

Part 12 Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17 Epilogue

Tag List: @artiststarme @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @itsall-taken @m-owo-n @zerokrox-blog @runyousillydetective @grimmfitzz @wonderland-girl143-blog @sapphirecobalt-1 @scheodingers-muppet @victor-thee-corvid @apricottree @bookbinderbitch @sleepyboosstuff @biatcgh @pixiefallingupthestairs @grtwdsmwhr @thepainisspicy @carlyv @eboyawstenn @bisexualdisastersworld @bidisastersworld @abstractnaturaldisaster @evix-syne666 @nerdsconquerall @lololol-1234 @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @a-little-unsteddie @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @elluminis @tailsfromthecrypt @danili666 @plyerice27 @alittlegreyfish  @n0-1-important @no-upper-limit-to-stupidity @maya-custodios-dionach @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @heaven428 @thedragonsaunt @ceaselessly-watching

[nocasdatsgay]

The Price You Pay For Power Ch. 5

Pairing: Neris | Chapter Rating: T | Word Count: 4493

Story Summary: Eris revises his bargain with Rhysand: Nesta for Autumn Healers. He agrees and Nesta is sent to Autumn under the guise as Eris’s new bride in order to assist with removing Beron for good. Now she has to navigate a new court and also decide just how much she will trust her new husband.

CW: None

Chapter Summary: Wedding Day!

Read it here on AO3| Previous Chapter| Masterpost

A/N: if the vows are icky that’s on purpose. Also I had to replace Áine because it copied over wrong and I wanted to die by the time this is posted. I don’t think the photo below is going to appear smaller so. Oh well I am attempting dividers. I apologize in advance.

Nesta awoke early to the sounds of movement in her room. For a moment she panicked; unfamiliar scents and the sounds of more than one person made her heart race. Then she remembered. She sat up to find the two servants from yesterday in her room.  

“Lady Nesta,” one noticed her first and curtsied by the bed. “Your fitting is in an hour. The dress is being set up in the sitting room. The Lady of Autumn requested she be present.”

The girl did not look her in the eyes. She felt guilty for already forgetting their names. The quiet one scurried off to the bathing room. She could hear water being run. 

“Thank you,” Nesta whispered. 

As she gained her senses, she remembered their names: Opal and Lynn. As yesterday, she bathed- they insisted despite her protests. They also insisted she wash her hair. Nesta sarcastically asked how she was supposed to let that much hair dry before the ceremony only to be informed there was a way to dry it with magic. Begrudgingly, she did as requested. 

She was given a soft amber colored robe to cover herself with. They indeed used magic to dry her hair; Lynn used her hands, hovering them over her hair until they dried in perfect curls. They said it was Autumn fashion to wear it down. She didn’t argue with them. Opal was the one who wove in pearl pins, with a golden rose clipped on the right side of her hair. Nesta hated that she liked it despite preferring her hair up. Magic was used to keep it styled. 

She was finally allowed out of her room and she entered the sitting room to see it rearranged. In the corner was a privacy divider. A small riser was where the table originally stood. Her eyes widened as she took in the stand behind it. The wedding dress was beautiful. The color like ivory minerals from the mountains she’d only seen in pictures in books. The top was modest with long sheer sleeves, with a corset bust and A-line skirts that flowed out. Near the bottom there was orange and gold stitching in the shape of vines and leaves.

“Do you like it?” A soft voice startled her. 

She turned and saw The Lady stood behind her. Nesta had never been this close to her before. She was beautiful, auburn hair in soft waves cascading down over her shoulders. Her russet eyes were bright despite the shadows under them. Nesta wasn’t this close last night to see there was a hollowness in her cheeks. She wondered if her appearance was the future that awaited her if she stayed in this court too long. 

“It’s beautiful,” Nesta replied honestly. 

“I wish Lord Rhysand had allowed you to come try it on,” she looked past Nesta at the gown. “I’m sure your sisters would have loved to see you in it. After.” She paused. “My son deserved an engagement period. However, his father was of the opinion this might be another trick of the Night Court. We’ve already had a tarnished betrothal. Beron does not want to risk another.” 

Mor. She had forgotten about her past with Autumn and Eris. Now the push to wed her off to Eris and keep her made sense. Nesta went to ask what happened with that engagement, to hear the Lady’s version of events but a knock interrupted her. A stout female entered with a covered basket. 

“Lady Áine, good to see you,” the female curtsyed. “Lady Nesta.”

This female did not lower her gaze like Opal and Lynn. Her hair was red with a touch of grey though she didn’t look much older than Nesta herself. It was the fine lines around her small russet eyes that gave any indication of her age. Nesta also realized she called the Lady of Autumn by her name: Áine. 

“This is my seamstress,” Lady Áine said with a soft smile. “Meri will help you into the dress and see if any changes are needed.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Meri,” Nesta nodded. 

“Pleasure’s mine dear,” she smiled back. “Any female willing to marry that rake of a boy has my utmost respect.”

Nesta’s eyes widened at her candor but Áine laughed. A true laugh she didn’t think was possible given the circumstances. 

“Now Meri, you’ll scare my new daughter in law into changing her mind,” Áine joked with a soft giggle. 

“If she’s half the female I’ve heard about, then it’ll take more than my nonsense to scare her off.” 

“And what have you heard of me,” Nesta furrowed her brows. 

Meri looked her over, as if she was debating with herself. 

“I heard you’re quite the dancer.” Nesta blinked, not expecting that. “Let’s get you in that dress, shall we?” 

Meri ushered her behind the screen and helped her into the dress. It fit. Almost too well, in Nesta’s opinion. There was a mirror behind the divider for her to see it first. She looked the part of a princess her mother envisioned for her so many decades ago. When she walked around the screen the Lady was sitting on the couch, legs crossed with a book in hand. She looked up and gasped, a grin forming. 

“Oh Nesta,” Áine placed the book down and watched her as Meri helped her onto the riser. “Oh it’s perfect. You’re beautiful.” 

Nesta pushed down the well of emotions building in her chest. Áine was looking up at her proudly. Like a mother should when seeing her daughter in a wedding gown. But Áine was not her mother. This wasn’t a real wedding. But maybe she could pretend selfishly. Just this once. She gave her a polite smile in return while Meri went to work and circled around her once to look her over. 

“Hold up your arm.” 

She did as instructed. Meri started pinning fabric along her forearm to tighten the fit. She then did the same with the other. Áine filled the silence by making small conversation and commentating every now and then on something Meri missed. That left Nesta to stand in relative silence which she didn’t mind. A few minutes passed and Meri stood up.

“Not too bad; a few quick changes- nothing drastic. I’ll return with it in a few hours.” Meri smiled at her.

She helped Nesta off the riser. Behind the screen she eased the dress off of Nesta, mindful of the pins she placed. Once Nesta was back in her robe, Meri bid them both a good morning and promised to return when it was time. That left her alone with Áine again. The older female must have sensed her unease, as she patted the seat on the couch next to her. Nesta sat down beside her and Áine placed a hand over her own. 

“You’re brave, Nesta Archeron.” She whispered, eyes pleading with Nesta to read between her words. “The walls have ears, so I shall not say more.”

“Thank you.” What else was there to say? Nesta decided to change the subject. “I am not familiar with fae weddings. Would you mind going over the ceremony with me?” 

Áine nodded. “I think we should have some tea first.” 

Without much effort, she used magic to make a tray appear. A tea pot, two cups, a cream pitcher and sugar. There was also more fruit and what looked like small sandwiches. Áine served the tea. Nesta looked away when the sleeve of her dress rose up her arm. She was too afraid of what she might accidentally see. 

“Sugar?” She asked, bringing Nesta’s attention back to her. 

“No thank you,” she replied politely. 

Nesta was given a look that she could only describe as a stern mother’s knowing look. However she did not add sugar as requested. She handed Nesta the cup and saucer and poured her own. 

“My husband will have to escort you, since you have no family here to present you.” 

Nesta leaned into her tea cup to keep from spitting out the carpet. Gods she would have to endure Beron again. She continued. 

“There will be a priestess. She will recite the vows in the Autumn tongue and bind your hand to my son’s with a silk ribbon. You’ll make your own vows to each other. Then we will hold a reception.” 

“Will I need to prepare vows?” Her anxiety tumbled in the pit of her stomach. 

Áine shook her head. “There is a standard vow of the Vanserra family. The priestess will speak it and ask you to repeat it.”

That felt like a weight removed from her shoulders. Though her anxiety didn’t fizzle. She at least didn’t have to worry about fumbling to remember, she still needed to make sure she didn’t mess up. Áine seemed to sense the whirling in her mind. She sat down her cup and sauce and gave her a soft smile. 

“Tell me Nesta, do you like to read?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A knock came. Nesta looked up from the Sellyn Drake book she’d been reading for the last few hours. It felt too early to be getting ready but she‘d been reading for some time. She placed the book Lady Áine had given her, opened and facedown to save her spot onto the table. She tightened her robe just in case and opened the door. Before her was one of the brothers. Asher. Up close, she could see he looked more like his mother than Beron. And while she had called him stalky, she realized it was simply that he was more broader in the shoulders than the Eris. He did not greet her with a smile. 

“I brought you a visitor.” 

He stepped to the side and Nesta inhaled sharply. 

“Elain?”

Her sister came up and embraced her tightly. Nesta was in too much of a shock to do much other than hug her in return. 

“I’ll leave you to it,” Asher grumbled.

He left and Elain let her go, so Nesta stepped aside to let her in and shut the door. She stared at her sister as she looked around the room, eerily calm while she took in her surroundings. Nesta noted she wore a warm yellow dress- like the color of the leaves that littered the ground when she arrived. 

”What are you doing here?” Nesta finally found her voice. 

Elain turned to her, her expression neutral. “Rhys is with the High Lord. He will be joining us shortly.”

Nesta blinked. “Rhysand is here?”

“It would have looked poorly for your family to not be present. I believe that is the excuse he’s giving Beron. Really, we didn’t want you to do this alone.”

Nesta felt her heart harden, her features returning to the stony demeanor she so casually used her whole life. She saw the flash of fear in her sister’s eyes as she braced herself for the worst Nesta could offer. And yet Nesta could not force herself to be angry, she couldn’t even force herself to remain steady with a cool indifference. 

“Will it just be you and Rhys?” She asked instead and Elain nodded. “Cassian didn’t wish to attend?”

”He would have slaughtered everyone in attendance.” Elain whispered. “He wanted to come. Rhys talked him out of it. He asked him to stay with Feyre.” That did nothing to ease the knot in her stomach. “Azriel has not returned yet. Feyre, well she’s with healers as we speak, not that she’s allowed to winnow.”

Right, the healers that Nesta was bargained for. She wondered how Eris snuck them out with the wedding. Maybe they would return in time to not even be missed. Elain sat down on the closest end of the couch. She looked up at her sister with her sad doe eyes. 

“Rhys has no idea the consequences of the decisions he is making.”

Nesta frowned. “What do you mean?” 

Elain didn’t answer her question. She stared at the empty dress holder. Instead, she asked another of her own. 

“Is your gown being tailored?” 

“It is.” 

Nesta went around and took her place back on the opposite end of the couch, curling up on it while ensuring the robe stayed in place. She thenpicked her book back up and opened it. It felt rude to ignore her sister but what else did she have to say? 

“Are these your permanent quarters?” Elain asked as if to spite her for trying to read. 

“I hope so. His are across the hall. I shutter to think about being forced to share a bed every night with him.” 

“He’s no worse than what you bedded in Valeris.” 

Nesta’s head jerked up and Elain bursted out with a laugh. Nesta kicked her which made Elain laugh harder. 

“I am not wrong,” she giggled. 

Surprisingly, Nesta laughed too. She couldn’t remember the last time her and Elain acted like true sisters. It was long before their mother passed. If Nesta was honest with herself, it was nice Elain wasn’t handling her with gloves. Or worse, for Nesta to be too defensive. 

“I suppose not,” she sighed, her laughter dying down.

They spent the next hour talking, Elain asking subtle questions about Nesta’s time at the house so far. She explained how dinner was interesting but didn’t go into detail beyond the brothers rude remarks. If the Lady was right and the walls had ears, she had to be careful. Even Eris had warned once already. 

“Your hair is beautiful. Do you do it yourself?” Elain’s gaze went to the rose clip. 

“Opal and Lynn did my hair. They’re a lot like Nuala and Cerridwen. They don’t really talk to me.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Opal talks the most. I think I only heard Lynn tell me her name.”

“They will open up to you, I’m sure.” Elain gave a polite smile. 

Another knock came. This time she didn’t have to wonder who it was. She put her book away, resigned to reading it later and answered the door. As expected Asher had once again came this time with Rhysand. 

“Rhys,” Nesta greeted him with no emotion, letting him into the room. 

“Nesta.” He nodded in return. 

They were silent, the three of them, once the door shut. So much it was almost deafening. Rhys sighed loudly and took a seat on the couch. Nesta wanted to roll her eyes. 

“Are you to walk me down the aisle?” Nesta asked, crossing her arms. “Or however the customs for weddings are in this realm?”

”Yes, Nesta.” He glanced up at her. He looked tired but not as tired as he did before she left. “I know that I haven’t been the kindest to you. But I am eternally grateful for what you’re doing.”

”I’m not doing it for you,” she hissed back. 

“I know. For that I am even more grateful.”

She bristled even if she didn’t understand why it bothered her so. She was certainly not sitting next to him. So she held her robe tight and grabbed the chair that had been pushed to the side and brought it forward. When she was seated, she looked over to him again. 

“Beron asked me to show him where Velaris was when I arrived. I told him I couldn’t read a map.”

Rhys and Elain both snorted a laugh. Nesta decided right then she may as well come clean and admit the other things she said. 

“I also told him I wasn’t allowed to leave the house as punishment, when he asked how the governing system worked for Velaris.” Their laughter stopped and she stared at the floor. “I- I said some things about Feyre I didn’t mean. I also said you were jumping at the chance to be rid of me.” 

“That’s why he was shocked to see us.” She could feel Rhys staring at her, probably glaring. His tone however was neutral when he said, “Thank you for protecting the city, Nesta.”

She looked up in shock. “You’re not angry with me?” 

“I’m too tired to be angry,” Rhy shrugged, picking at his suit. “Beron has already put forth his demands now that our courts are ‘better aligned’. I told him I was only here because my mate insisted someone be present. If he wanted to talk business, we would do it later.”  

Thankfully there was yet another knock. Nesta didn’t have to bother getting the door this time, even as she stood to answer it. Meri came in and abruptly halted as the door shut. 

“Oh,” Meri’s eyebrows rose on her forehead. She curtsyed deep in front of Rhys. “High Lord. I wasn’t expecting-“

“It’s alright,” Rhys waved a hand as Meri straightened herself back up. “I wanted to surprise my sister. No one knew we’re coming.” 

It didn’t seem to put her at ease. She glanced nervously at Nesta and Nesta nodded in return. 

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re here. Made a few adjustments, but it should fit her just right.” Meri waved her hand and the dress appeared on the stand. 

Elain gasped, looking it over. “Oh Nesta, that’s beautiful.” 

“Wait until you see it on her,” Meri said proudly. 

Nesta wished Áine had returned with her, as she followed Meri behind the screen. She couldn’t blame her for not wanting to be in the same room as Rhys. Which made Nesta resent him just a little bit more. Meri helped her into the dress; the small changes made it so it fit her even better than before. She came around the screen while Meri held up the train and Elain gasped again. There were tears in her sister's eyes. Like this was the only wedding dress Nesta would ever be in. Even Rhys smiled. There was a scratch at her mental wall. She opened it and heard Feyre. 

Nesta, you’re beautiful. She could hear tears in her sister's voice. 

Thank you.

I love you Nesta. I love you so much. I need you to know that- 

Nesta shut the window in her mind. Any longer and hearing Feyre cry would leave her a sobbing mess as well. Besides, Nesta didn’t deserve that confession of love from Feyre. Not really. It would take more than marrying the enemy for Nesta to deserve an ounce of her love. So she held head high and pretended Rhys wasn’t frowning at her for shutting out Feyre.

“Everything appears to be in order,” Meri said and took one last walk around Nesta. Nesta forced a smile as she came back around. “The captain will escort you and your family to the temple, at the request of Lord Eris.”

“Captian?” Rhys asked, leaning his elbows onto his knees. As if it would make him less threatening. 

“Captain of the guard,” she replied curtly. “He’s outside the door.” If Rhys was offended by her response he didn’t show it. “Shall I let him in? The ceremony is soon.”

“Of course,” Rhys spoke for them.

It was a blessing she kept her eyes from rolling. Meri curtsyed before wishing Nesta the best of luck and left out the door. As promised a male entered. He had brown hair and deep brown eyes, though he was not as pale as the rest of those in Autumn. 

The male bowed. “I’m Captain Rowen Garlian, the general gave me the pleasure of escorting this beautiful female to the temple.” 

“General?” Nesta frowned, noting how her stomach flipped, immediately thinking of Cassian. 

“Lord Eris,” he replied. 

“Right, apologies,” she said. 

Eris was a general? The cauldron was surely making fun of her at this point. A scrap came against her mind walls. She wanted to ignore it but opened a window against her better judgment. 

You’re supposed to be happy, so maybe act like it. Rhys hissed into her mind. 

She slammed her walls shut. As if she had forgotten. If there were still gods they surely hated Nesta, for her to have to suffer these men- males, she corrected herself- like this. Elain stood, drawing her attention. She seemed worried but quickly schooled her features. 

“Shall we?” 

Politeness never sounded forced from her. 

Before they left Rhys threw some magic on her- to keep the dress clean or so he said. She opted to believe it when Elain nor the guard had any comments. It was a long and quiet walk. They saw no one in the halls as they passed, which Nesta found strange. They followed the captain out a different door than the main hall entrance. 

She was again struck by how beautiful the trees in autumn were. Just ahead across a wide path was the temple. It too, looked to be a large tree, the stones covered in moss and a grove in the back with the leaves casting a silhouette. There was a male at the door as they approached. It was Piran, she remembered. Unlike last night he was far more subdued, not looking any of them in the eyes. It made Nesta sick to her stomach. 

“High Lord,” he bowed. “If you will come wait in the foyer, I will escort Lady Elain to her seat.” 

Elain turned and came up to Nesta. She gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. She then followed Piran into the temple and behind them, her and Rhysand followed. The captain did not follow them in. It was a small closed off foyer, sconces all on the walls to illuminate where there were no windows. Piran held out his arm and together they slipped through the door. Nesta was standing too far to the left to see inside but heard the chatter. 

She wanted to vomit. 

“You can do this,” Rhys whispered. “I believe in you.” 

“I’m surprised,” Nesta whispered back. “Considering you think I fuck everything else up.” 

Rhys rolled his eyes but didn’t respond. Piran came back out and wordlessly nodded to them. Rhys held out his arm and Nesta begrudgingly took it. They came to the door and the sanctuary was full, everyone silencing as she appeared in the doorway with Rhys. Only a soft piano played to fill the silence. Her stomach flipped again as all eyes went to her but she bit the inside of her cheek.

She held her head high and focused her gaze forward on the Priestess ahead. Her heart ached for Gwyn and Emerie, wishing they could be there for her. As she walked arm in arm with Rhysand, she dared to glance at Eris. She could admit he looked handsome. The outfit he adorned was different from his usual attire. A long, sleeveless burnt orange robe with what seemed to be red detailing. Under that was a long sleeved white shirt. The sleeves appeared puffy and were cuffed at the wrists. The sleeves also adorned the same threading details her dress had. In another life, this is the wedding she would have wanted. 

Maybe in another life, he would have been the groom she wanted too. 

She also admitted he was a good actor; in that moment he seemed stunned at her, like a real groom would. She watched his gaze run over her and when his soft amber eyes met hers, even at a distance he looked away. Like he wasn’t supposed to be staring at her. Like she had caught him even though his staring was technically warranted. She tried to not frown. When they reached the end, Eris gave Rhysand a nod and then held out his left hand to Nesta. 

For a split moment, she thought about not taking it. It felt too permanent. As if this was her choice to make and by doing so, would change everything. Elain’s voice rang in her mind from earlier about the consequences for the choices being made. But they were not hers to make. 

Without another thought she took his hand in her own. 

The time did not stop for her. The world did not flip in on itself. He helped her up onto the rise and she stood before him. The Priestess smiled at her, the stone on her forehead flashing from the lit sconces. Eris did not let her go as the Priestess started to speak in a language Nesta did not know. She tried to pull her hand away but Eris held a firm grip on it. 

The Priestess nodded and Eris lifted their hands up. She pulled a deep green ribbon from her pocket and began to wrap it around Nesta and Eris’s hands. She still was speaking what Nesta remembered Áine called the ancient Autumn language. She watched it as it was wound snug around their joined hands. She swore the ribbon glowed the more that was added. Finally a bow was tied and the Priestess let it go. 

She spoke normally. “I will ask you both to repeat the vow. This vow is not bound by magic but bound by duty and love you share with each other.” 

Nesta bit her tongue again. The priestess continued. 

“You, Eris Vanserra, promise to be a righteous and dutiful husband. You honor the Vanserra family and the Autumn Court through this marriage with Nesta Archeron. You ask the mother to bless this union between you, to guide you to be a pillar of support for herself and for the family you will create.”

Even Eris looked like he had been biting his tongue. He stared directly into Nesta’s eyes as he spoke, repeating what the priestess said. 

“You, Nesta Archeron, promise to be a righteous and dutiful wife. You honor your family, your former home in the Night Court, and your new home here in the Autumn Court through this marriage with Eris Vanserra. You ask the mother to bless this union, to guide you as you serve and support your new husband. You ask The Mother to bless your womb so you may honor her image through the children you will bear.”

Nesta tensed at the last part. Words felt heavy on her tongue though she did not show it as she repeated the words. She nearly stumbled on the ‘serve and support’ and her stomach churned again as she repeated the last bit. 

The ribbon glowed, glittering and in an instant lighting aflame. Nesta gasped; in the ribbon’s place were two solid rings. 

“It is my honor to be the vessel that pronounces you, by The Mother, husband and wife.” 

The Priestess smiled and the room erupted into applause. There was no romantic gesture on Eris’s part. He let go of her hand gently and offered his arm as he faced the aisle towards the door. In a daze, she took it. As they walked past her sister and Rhys she noticed Elain watched her while Rhys glowered at Eris. It was when they exited the door that the reality of the situation truly hit her. 

She entered that temple as an Archeron and walked out of it as a Vanserra. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Next Chapter

General Tag List: @mybestfriendmademe @hieragalbatorixdottir If you want to be added, let me know.

[thesixenthusiast]

ruby – eddie roundtree

part two (part one, part three, part four)

pairing: eddie rountree x fem!oc (may change to x reader) warnings: drinking/drugs (billy/daisy's addictions) word count: 1.5k author's note: please bear with me in this, if there's a few time mix ups just with the order of things, please do let me know but i'm trying to find an equal balance between the book and show and it's a little difficult lol

BILLY DUNNE: At one of our gigs we were talking to Rod Reyes, he gave us some pointers, told us what to do and what not to do, and then he told us to go west. We were all out of school by then and decided maybe it was the best option for us.

ROD REYES (tour manager, The Six): The band had the look they needed, Billy was a natural born rockstar, the long hair, the deep voice, that deadpan look when he doesn’t get his way. Juliet had the rockstar look down, she had this long hair, big hair too, and dark makeup that she never really learned how to use properly.​​ The girls wanted to be her and the guys wanted to sleep with her. And her voice.. she had this raspy voice that she never seemed to tire out. I told Billy, I told him, get her out from behind you, get her out of singing back up, sing a song or two with her, mix things up, people’ll get bored of just hearing you. Most importantly, I told them to get the fuck out of Pittsburgh.

GRAHAM DUNNE: The six of us decided to move out to L.A..

–

The Six settled into life in Los Angeles, renting a house in the hills of Topanga Canyon. They prepared to begin recording their debut album. Teddy, along with a team of technicians, including lead engineer Artie Snyder, set up shop at Sound City Studios, a recording studio in Van Nuys, California.

The band, Camila alongside, started getting their name out there. They played gigs at clubs and bars, doing near-anything to make a name for themselves on the Sunset Strip. Not too long after, they decided to record an album.

“I feel fully content with my decision to not take your bedroom, Warren,” Juliet hummed in response to Warren’s bragging over having the only bedroom with a bathroom, “Very few people would consider a stray toilet in the corner of your room to be a bathroom, I am proudly not one of those people.” Eddie waltzed into the kitchen, where the group was situated getting ready for the day.

“I’ve been thinking,” he started, taking a seat next to Juliet, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, “We need a new name, The Dunne Brothers isn’t cutting it for us.”

“Thank you!” Karen yelled, propping herself up against the counter to face the rest of the group.

“I agree, but let’s be realistic,” Juliet reasoned, “you’re never going to get six people to agree on a name.” She leaned against Warren’s shoulder, who was contributing little to the conversation due to how stoned he was.

“We could take the easy way out,” Graham piped in, “The Six.”

“The Six,” Warren hummed, nodding blissfully at the suggestion.

–

JULIET OPAL: The Six. [Smiles] Warren admitted later that he only liked it because it sounded similar to “The Sex,” I don’t think that was a big part of it for anyone else.

EDDIE ROUNDTREE: Julie really liked the name, that was a big part of it for me.

GRAHAM DUNNE: We finished the album, we were going on tour, we needed a real name, it felt right. Plus it was kinda my idea. [Smiles]

–

Karen and Juliet were draped across the living room carpet, attempting to escape the California heat as the fan that was weakly shackled to the ceiling rotated above them. The girls were taken out of their silent daze with a yelling and laughter radiating from the porch as the rest of the group made their way inside mumbling something about a wedding.

The girls sat up, exhaustion dissipating from their bodies when Camila announced that she was pregnant and her and Billy were getting married that night. They jumped up, Juliet hoisting Karen up from the rug and her sleep deprivation-ridden state, and ran over to congratulate the couple, pulling Camila away from the group and to her closet to pick out her dress.

Later that afternoon, Juliet stood in the dimly-lit backyard, and strung pieces of aluminum foil through the various trees and rosemary bushes speckled across the yard. Eddie crept up behind her, grabbing her wrist, which ultimately led to her dropping the wad of foil into the grass, and spinning her around to face him.

“Eddie!” She looked down at her spilt decorations with a lackluster expression, though a grin was pulling on the corners of her mouth, Eddie made sure not to miss that.

“No, eyes up here,” he lifted up her chin with his other hand and smiled at her, grabbing her other hand and intertwining their fingers as he started to dance with her, “I need practice for tonight, don’t want to make a fool of myself on the dance floor. What time is the minister getting here?”

“I’d hardly call it a dance floor, it’s the same bed of grass you passed out on last week and Warren puked on yesterday,” he laughed, spinning her and then pulling her closer as they continued to dance, “He’s supposed to be here in 40 minutes, but it’s L.A., no one is ever on time, it’s anyone’s guess.”

“Well,” he licked his lips and cleared his throat before continuing to speak, “then you have plenty of time to finish decorating once we’re finished.”

“Nuh uh, I need to help get Camila ready too, pre-wedding jitters. You’ll understand someday,” she leaned her face in closer to his before whispering, “that poor woman.”

“You wound me, Julie, you really do. But alas, a woman’s job is never done,” he stopped moving and let go of her hands, “I’ll finish up here, make her feel real pretty.” He smiled, she quickly ducked down and scooped up the mass of foil and handed it to him, before scurrying inside.

–

INTERVIEWER: What can you tell me about that night?

EDDIE ROUNDTREE: [Smiles]

JULIET OPAL: Oh, I don’t know. What’s the maturity rating on this?

–

“Smile for me,” Warren teased, positioning himself for the perfect shot of Camila and Billy, “I need a nice big smile, Billy, knock off the frown, it’s the happiest day of your life!”

“Your lens cap is on!” Camila leaned forward, pulling it off and tossing it to Juliet, who caught it with one hand and handed it to Warren, who stuffed it inside of his pocket and immediately returned to trying to get the couple to pose.

–

WARREN ROJAS: Mescaline is a powerful drug.

–

Juliet laughed as she watched the numerous failed attempts at photographing the wedding and muttered something about how maybe Warren should stick to music, before she was tapped on the shoulder. She turned around and was greeted with Eddie smiling at her, his hand extended towards her.

“May I have this dance?” He smirked, raising one eyebrow at her.

“Oh, of course,” she took his hand, tilting her head to the side and smiling, “if not all of your practice will have been for nothing.”

He pulled her away and the two of them found a position only a few dozen feet away from the rest of the group, who was still struggling to take photos. They danced, her head resting on his right shoulder and his hands around her waist, before one of them got the courage to break the comfortable silence.

“I can’t believe they’re gonna be parents,” she marveled, “I still feel like I’m new here and my biggest concern is trying to make him like me. When did we stop being little asshole kids who bummed garages off our parents for practicing space?”

“I’d like to think when we left Pittsburgh, but I think we still are,” she laughed, leaning her head into him.

“Do you think you’ll ever be like that?” He raised an eyebrow at her, “I mean like, ready to settle down? If we get to where we want to be, if we’re as big as we came out here hoping to be, is it even in the cards for us?”

“I think it’ll be tricky, but it always is, whether you’re leaving for a 30 city tour the morning after you get married, or if you just don’t know if you can do it with the kid staying in one piece.”

“I guess so,” she got quiet, swaying to the humming of the music until Eddie eventually decided it was time to rejoin everyone else.

The next morning, Juliet loaded her bag into the van, crawling into the passenger seat next to Eddie behind the wheel. After finalizing her spot, she climbed out and walked over to Camila, throwing her arms around her and leaning into her ear.

“Don’t be a stranger,” she looked at the tears welling up in her eyes before continuing to speak, “I’ll watch out for him for you. Call me if you need anything, I’m serious. I’ll drive back to California from Boston to bring you orange juice if you run out, I’m here.”

Camila hugged her back and Juliet shielded her from the group as she wiped the tears from her eyes, then she climbed back into the van, a stoic expression taking over her face. Eddie noticed and placed his hand over hers on the console, bringing her attention to his face. He nodded and gave her a weak lipped smile. As the group piled into the car, the energy lightened and Eddie let out a “alright, let’s get out of here,” before pulling onto the road.

–

JULIET OPAL: And then we were off.

[spongeaddict]

My SINCEREST apologies that I’ve been MIA, here are some headcanons to hopefully tide you over until I can get my GD crap together!

Fraphne engagement/wedding headcanons!

Fred proposes with a trap, of course

Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby are all in on the proposal

Fred doesn’t have a ring when he proposes because he was afraid of getting the wrong one (even though Daphne promised she’d love anything he picked out) 

Instead he tells her they’ll go ring shopping together, which delights her to no end

Daphne is anti-diamond, so she chooses something more unique, like an opal or a sapphire

While both Daphne and Fred would have been happy with a small wedding with just the gang and close family in attendance, both sets of their parents insist on throwing them a huge wedding

They can afford it after all

It’s definitely a spring wedding; sometime in late April or early May

Daphne’s wedding dress is practical but gorgeous; a classy ivory strapless mermaid style gown with a short train, if any

Her something old is a string of pearls that all the women in her family have worn an their wedding days

Her something new is her dress/veil

Her something borrowed is her mother’s best pearl earrings

Her something blue is the insoles of her shoes

She’s got two pairs of shoes by the way; heels for the ceremony, comfortable white sneakers for the reception

Fred doesn’t wear a tuxedo; instead he wears a classic dark gray suit

But instead of a tie, he wears his ascot

Shaggy’s the best man, Velma’s the maid of honor, Scooby is the ring bearer (but you knew that!)

The wedding is outdoors, somewhere like a winery; the tent for the reception is set up next to the vineyard

Daphne’s bouquet has lilacs, orchids, white roses, and plenty of greenery

Fred and Daphne don’t have a First Look; the first time Fred sees her on their wedding day is when she’s walking down the aisle

Daphne is worried about crying during the ceremony, but when the day arrives she’s so happy she just smiles the whole time

Fred, however, goes through the whole ceremony with tears of joy in his eyes 

So do Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby for that matter

Open bar at the reception because again; the Blake family can afford it

Fred and Daphne’s first dance is to something classic and romantic like “Something” by The Beatles or “At Last” by Etta James

In a move that surprises everyone, Velma gives a funny maid of honor speech, and Shaggy gives a serious best man speech 

Both speeches are perfect

There’s no bouquet toss because Daphne thinks it’s tacky

There’s also no garter toss because Fred thinks it’s weird

The biggest drama of the evening occurs when Scooby disappears halfway through the reception and no one can find him for an hour

It turns out he just ate so much food he passed out behind the DJ booth

The song that closes out the night is “Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing

Fred and Daphne do the lift 😊 

They discussed for a long time about what to do about last names; whether Daphne should take Fred’s or keep her own

What they end up doing is both hyphenating

So their full names after they get married are Frederick Blake-Jones and Daphne Blake-Jones

[b4ts1e]

▀▄▀▄▀▄A Mother's Love▄▀▄▀▄▀(𝚏𝚎𝚖!𝙼𝙲)

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍: 𝚀𝚒𝚞/𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝚈𝚒 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝙾𝚙𝚊𝚕 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝙲 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 (𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙾𝙻:𝙽&𝙵)

𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝:

Qiu and MC shall both be 24 in this one-shot! Enjoy!

(𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗) The wedding was absolutely fantastic, went off without a hitch- which was a suprise going off of how clumsy the groom could be about losing the simplest things, but I guess that's what the bride is for. Picking up the missing pieces for them, making her groom whole again. Emotions were high, after all- this wedding had been in production since both Qiu and MC were 22. Two long years of planning for their perfect wedding, but the wait was well worth it. Everything was absolutely stunning- the off-white base colors for the outifts, matched with the golden accents paired with the bridesmaids and groomsmen wearing earthy green and cream tones- pulling them apart from the natural autumnal scenary of Golden Grove.

The ceramony was rather basic, but it worked for the two love birds and got the job done. The reception however, was a lot more fun since Hong Lin, Qiu's father, was able to pull some strings for his child and his now daughter-in-law. Not only were the location set for their honey moon, but the reception as well. People were dancing, having fun- a room full of family and friends, both new and old, brought together to celebrate the union of Autumn Lin and MC Lin.

By the time speeches were going on, things were settling down- light chatter floating within the room as they all waited patiently for the next speaker to aproach the mic. A light tapping gathered the attention of all those in the room, including the newly weds, to the microphone. There stood Opal Second, MC's loving mother with small tear and makeup streaks on her cheeks as she smiled lovingly at her daughter and new child-in-law. "Hello friends and family alike, I wanted to thank all of you for coming to my daughter's wedding. She and Qiu spent so long on planning this and I'm so glad it's gone as smoothly as possible for them, but that's not why I'm here right now." She had started, looking around earning a few cheers from the crowd before her gaze returns to the newly weds once again. "Let's start with my newly apointed child-in-law, Qiu- or Autumn. Let me tell you, when I had first met him that early morning when they came over to pick my lovely daughter up to walk to school- I knew something was going to be special about his relationship with her. As I watched the two grow closer with time, I knew my daughter's originial thoughts were correct about him." The crowd was slightly confused, unsure of what she was referring to but figuring she'd get to that point in a moment. "I wanted to thank you for keeping her happy, and being there for her when even I couldn't be. You are an outstanding person Qiu, and I'm super glad I get to call you my son-in-law." Opal grinned at the two beloveds as they cuddled closer to each other, Qiu grinning ear to ear- pure joy radiating off of them that made MC giggle lightly.

"Now my beautiful baby girl, god I'm so proud of you sweetie. From the very first day we've been in Golden Grove you made friends with two amazing people, and now you're marrying one of them! Back when you were ten years old and you came home excitedly, telling me that you had found the one you were going to marry I was shocked- but look at you now! Fulfulling that very promise you made all those years ago!" MC blushed brightly, grinning shyly as the crowd laughed lightheartedly at the call out from Opal. Qiu had even laughed before shouting over the laughter "What can I say?! We just knew we liked each other!" they had made the laughter grow, flustering his bride further. Once the laughter died down, the speech contiued. "Oh goodness, I've been waiting two years to make that joke! But back to the point- I am so proud of my baby for finding her true pairing. Despite not being able to witness romantic love as she was growing up, she still found her one and only and I couldn't more excited for her and her future. I love you sweetie, thank you for coming into my life and being my little ray of sunshine." The speech was finished, and more tears had slipped from Opal's eyes gently cascading down her cheeks before MC had stood, tearing up herself, and rushed over to hug her mother. "I love you too momma." She said with a smile, the mic picking up on it- making the audience aw before Qiu stood and approached the two who held each other tightly. Originally he had intended to stand there until the hug broke to escort their lovely wife back to the couple's seat, but once Opal noticed him near she had pulled him into the hug as well. Soon after that both Yi and Hung, Qiu's parents, also joined the hug- a united family. A flash went off, the wedding photographer capturing the familial moment with a soft smile. Once the speeches were all done and the reception had gone deep into the night, it was eventually time to sent everybody home. Opal, Yi, and Hung going to dinner while their children whisked each other away to their honeymoon.

Not going to lie, once Our Life: Now & Forever is fully released I might make a part two to this one of the honeymoon night- BUT not yet. Thank you for reading, and for the request Anon! 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 890

[wastingmylifesecondatatime]

Jeon Jungkook Masterlist - Series

Updated: 07.06.2024 ✔ = completed 🔞 = mature Other masterlists: mother masterlist; bts masterlist

NEW ADDITIONS:

✔ Exotic by @bangtan-sinnamons (added: 07.06.2024)​

↳ “When you're stranded on an island full of hybrids, a little someone is excited to meet you.”

↳ Chapters: 2/2

↳ Hybrid AU

I'm fine by @jungshookshook (added: 07.06.2024)​

↳ “Where Jungkook is a little brat that came back from the military and eventually ends up being the bodyguard of a super famous pop star.”

↳ Chapters: 33/?

↳ Social Media AU

🔞 Wicked by @adonis-koo (added: 07.06.2024)​

↳ “In a desperate hope to stop war from breaking you are a serviced to wed the most vile man alive, the one who has committed atrocities and war crimes beyond comprehension, he who is responsible for the fall of many nations, the wicked prince who’s heart is made of stone. You are to marry a man who challenges every belief and moral you stand for, all while being faced in a foreign land with nobody but yourself to trust…But are you both truly that different? Or is hate not too far from love?”

↳ Chapters: 19/?

↳ Prince AU

🔞✔  Flesh And Love by @kinktae​

↳ "You are living in a society that is just now picking up the scraps that the Great Outbreak left behind after the government killed off the majority of the zombies. Still, some remain, and fear still lies within society’s walls. So imagine your surprise when the very thing you’ve been taught to fear ends up saving your life, showing you that maybe two beating hearts aren’t always required when it comes to love.”

↳ Chapters: 3/3

↳ Sci-Fi AU

Give Me A Call by joonary

↳ “You get a text from your number neighbour, who apparently has nothing better to do than be the bane of your existence in the form of blowing up your notifications.”

↳ Chapters: 14/20

↳ Non-Idol AU

🔞 Kiss The Girl by guked

↳ "“kiss you? I wouldn’t kiss you if you were the last woman on earth—or even if my life depended on it!”

or…after saving a human prince from being drowned by the sea witch, you’re cursed by that infamous witch to live out the rest of your days as a human—unless you can manage to get true love’s kiss from that very same prince. Which would be a simple task, had he not hated you the moment you met.”

↳ Chapters: 2/?

↳ Supernatural AU

Learn To Love by knjoodles

↳ "Raising your daughter alone while simultaneously watching your ex-husband live the life of his dreams away from the two of you hurts. badly. It hurts a little less, though, when you find an unlikely friend while looking for help.”

↳ Chapters: 4/?

↳ Non-Idol AU

🔞 Lustrous by @minnochu​

↳“The mortal world had merged long ago with the supernatural, humans finding a way to coexist with paranormal beings that now walk the same ground they set foot on. No doubt that humans complained about the safety of their kind with deadly monsters about in their world wearing the skin of a normal human being. But it was made a pact that the balance of nature was to be respected and that the supernatural were to not harm a mortal unless under special circumstances that it was under self-defense and vice-versa.”

↳ Chapters: 21/?

↳ Hybrid AU

🔞 New Rules by @tayegi​

↳ Chapters: 12/?

↳ School/College AU

Opal Eyes of the White Fang by magicalsalamander

↳ “Jungkook, a Gryffindor with a soft spot for Beast, Beings, and Sprits, is a Magizoologist that works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in the Beasts Division. However, the ignorant image he built up as a child about the department began to ware after years of working in the department; he hated the strict laws that restricted him from truly helping out all beast. Especially, because he’s half-giant, and he’s known how the law wasn’t always in creatures favours. In secret, he created a group called C.7.A (Clause 7 Army), to save Beast, Beings, and Sprits who couldn’t be protected under the department. But what happens one night when Clause 7 discovers something with opal eyes?”

↳ Chapters: 2/5

↳ Harry Potter AU

🔞 Prank Wars by @knjvrland

↳ "College can be a stressful time in anyone’s life as it is, why don’t we throw a little prank war in the mix to make it harder?”

↳ Chapters: 8/?

↳ School/College AU

Worst Of You by @oureuphoria​

↳ "You meet him under horrible circumstances but everything feels perfect when you’re with him. Too bad you have a bitch of a best friend, anxiety and an inability to learn from your mistakes which cripples your chances to be with the man of your literal dreams. He, however, is a police officer with years worth of built-up turmoil and an inability to make attachments.

Or

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Cool, I’ll let everyone know that you’re moving in then.” ”

↳ Chapters: 11/?

↳ Officer/Police AU

[gb-patch]

Absolutely love the new demo!! <3 But now I really gotta ask, haha: ever since it was first said that the MC's mum had them via artificial insemination I wondered if she was maybe meant to be aro. But with the line about her very 'haha but hard no' reaction to friends wanting to set her up on blind dates, I reaaaaally got that vibe! Is she canonically aro, or is it left up to interpretation, or am I just projecting here lol?

Opal is personally quite sex-repulsed and is certain she never wants to do that. She is asexual in that way. And she's not that interested in marriage or completely tying all her assets to another person either. Because of those standpoints she is also very particular about who she might pursue a romance with. It's not as simple to go out and date when it's not leading towards sex and/or a wedding, that's what a lot of people imagine dating is entirely for. She generally chooses to just live her life to the fullest and not keep it on pause until she finds a partner who understands her preferences. However, she could potentially get into a relationship if the right person did come along.

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[the-jewel-catalogue]

Queen Elizabeth's Last State Banquet

OTD Queen Elizabeth hosted the state banquet for the American President and the First Lady.

The Queen donned the Burmese Ruby Tiara, which was made in the 1970s. She paired it with a much older suite of jewels: the Crown Rubies, which were originally set with opals but transformed to ruby jewels by Queen Alexandra.

The then Duchess of Cornwall wore familiar jewels, including the grand Greville Tiara. She paired it with her pearl choker necklace with the imposing pink topaz clasp.

The then Duchess of Cambridge paired Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara with diamond and sapphire fringe earrings that belonged to the Queen Mother. She secured her brand-new Royal Victorian Order sash with her Oak Leaf Brooch and a four-stranded pearl bracelet.

The Princess Royal wore diamonds and aquamarines, including the Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara. The diamond and aquamarine brooch that secured her Garter sash was once the central element of the tiara

A thrilling tiara moment came courtesy of the then Countess of Wessex, who debuted a remodeled version of her wedding tiara at the banquet. The tiara’s elements have been reconfigured, and the base has been completely redesigned. She’s also wearing a diamond demi-parure we’ve seen before (but for which we have no known provenance)