#overachieving queen

[oodlyenough]

maria is pregnant... but 20 years ago she was the mother of a three year old and also the district attorney...

[furoruisa]

Yes!! Omg i was right they literally are A NERD POWER COUPLE 💞

[semisolidmind]

Okay, i have to ask, is Peaches a workaholic? Or at least someone one who has to stay active less they get a bit angsty when stalled out? Not mention a bit of an overachiever? I imagine she is since not only has she worked for a merchant noble family but also has to deal with two very clingy, not quite sane, lovesick monkeys and a whole kingdom. (Though, i guess Wk and Mac would be a bit more involved in the last one than her)

Like how would Wukong and Macaque keep her busy? or get her to take a break?

Wk: Peaches. My darling wife, my loving mate, my beautiful queen who i oh so adore with my entire being.... What. Are. You. Doing?

Peaches with the upmost seriousness: Cleaning. I was getting a bit anxious just standing around so i decided to help the servants clean.

Mac: Cleaning?... You're cleaning... a kitchen... made of STONE? STONE MY DEAR! YOU'RE CLEANING STONE?!

Peaches: Yes.

it's definitely an adjustment for reader to go from working nigh constantly to... little to no responsibility. the first few months of her capture were mostly spent trying to escape or taking depression naps, but after that passed she began to feel anxious about not working. her former employers weren't cruel, but they definitely expected a certain level of punctuality and diligence from reader. to suddenly have nowhere that she needs to be and nothing she has to do was tough to get used to.

so, reader began to help in the kitchens. though the kitchen staff insisted that she didn't have to, when they saw the look on their queen's face...they took pity on her. she was allowed to help clean or to take turns stirring pots. then, once swk allowed her to go outside, she would go over to the orchards and ask to help harvest fruit. again, the monkeys set to harvest the fruit were hesitant. surely their queen wouldn't want to dirty her robes climbing trees—oh wait she's already doing it, ok I guess she's helping us now! reader may not be as adept at climbing as her subjects, but she's determined. and despite not being as fast, reader fills several bushels of peaches on her own.

the warlords are initially unsure about allowing their peach to work; she's a queen, and part of the reason they took her was so she wouldn't have to work. but...she seems very happy after a day of assisting the servants. she's tired in the evenings, but happily tells the boys about what she did that day, who she worked with. it's the most spirited she's been in months. so despite their hesitancy, wukong and macaque continue to allow reader to help at her leisure. unless they have plans for her, in which she will be carried away from whatever chore she's doing to attend to her queenly duties (ie paying attention to her husbands).

all in all, reader's efforts have (unbeknownst to her) thoroughly endeared her to the servants of the palace kitchens and orchards.

[icyg4l]

PAC: Uncovering the Lies

Which area of your life have you been lying to yourself about? In this pick-a-pile, truths that you have been scared to face will be revealed to you. If you’ve been having any doubts about a situation, have been in denial about something or do not know about deceit, then it will all be confirmed/shown here. Without further ado, pick your pile.

Left-to-Right (1-4):

Pile One: If you chose the photo of the word ‘she’, then you’ve been lying to yourself about that situationship, or should i say ‘shituationship.’ You have the tendency to put a lot of energy into relationships in comparison to the other person. You hope for that person to come around and they simply don’t show up for you the way you want to. It’s time to stop trying with this person. This could honestly go for other relationships too like with a friend or a distant family member. You’re looking for some stability, Pile One. You’re not looking for a fair weather friend or a part-time lover. You’re looking for the full package & it’s time to stop denying yourself of that love you are seeking. You’re pure-hearted but need to start acting accordingly. Get a little more strict so that you can attract the relationship(s) that you are looking for. You deserve better. And I’m not going to lie, Pile One, people are saying that you deserve better behind your back. So, put yourself in a better position, love. I pulled some oracle cards for you for some advice that you can follow and here is what was said:

“A new romantic cycle begins”

“Communication is key”

“Nothing is yet set in stone”

Cards Used: 7 of Swords, Ace of Cups, Queen of Swords, 8 of Wands, Ace of Discs, The Chariot, Knight of Discs.

Signs: PISCES, Sag, Libra, Leo.

extras: let it go by elsa. flowers by iyla. red hair. glowing skin. honey. abandonment issues. gapped teeth. upbeat song listener. open heart chakra. peace sign. bridgit mendler. ivy league. political internship. yoga.

Pile Two: If you chose the pile of the headless woman, I would say that you definitely need a break, Pile Two. You deserve to come out and play with everyone else. When was the last time you went out for a drink with some friends, huh? You’re all work and no play. You’ve been saying that you’re fine when you’re not. I sense that you’ve been a little hotheaded lately because you have no outlet for your frustrations. Please, let loose. I’m channeling the movie Daddy’s Little Girls, specifically the scene where Monty and Julia go to the local bar after she has a long day at work and they end up bonding with one another over drinks. I think that’s what you need, babe. You’re such a hard worker but you’re also an overachiever. Those go hand-in-hand just like work and play. I feel like this pile is just so serious like your tolerance for things that you once could handle has probably decreased, so you’re more irritable nowadays. With that being said, you should probably book that flight or call up that friend. You need to just wind down. I pulled some oracle cards for you and here is what was said:

“Be bold and make the first move”

“What do you need to release?”

“Hold your vision”

Cards Used: Temperance, King of Discs, King of Swords, Death, King of Wands, Page of Wands.

Signs: Virgo, Capricorn, Scorpio, Aquarius.

extras: refill by elle varner. work hard, play hard by wiz khalifa. smoke break. 22. paying close attention to the news. puffy eyes. headaches. going to bed early. miami for spring break. mean girls. stress eating. fight night.

Pile Three: If you chose the closeup of Megan Thee Stallion, then you’ve definitely gotten yourself into a sticky situation. There is some sort of pattern that you have not recognized yet and you’re wondering why this thing keeps happening to you. You feel like you cannot escape this toxic situation. One minute things are fine, the next minute, you feel like nothing can go right. Pile Three, you’ve grown accustomed to toxicity. It was taught to you as you grew up and you never really unlearned it. But I’m here to tell you that the relationship you’ve got yourself in is acting as a mirror for you to do better. Some call it a karmic relationship or a twin flame relationship. But either way, this is not meant to last for a long time. Everything will be okay as long as you choose to see things for what they are. This means attending therapy, doing the shadow work, crying, transmuting the pain into something beautiful and purging. Your situation is dysfunctional, Pile Three. But only you can get yourself out of it. I pulled some oracle cards for you and here is what was said:

“A fiery climax approaches”

“A personal issue reaches resolution”

“A time to give rather than take”

Cards Used: Page of Wands, Ace of Cups, The Tower (RX), Queen of Cups, Three of Swords, 5 of Wands, 7 of Cups, 4 of Wands (RX).

Signs: Taurus, Leo, Virgo, Aries, Cancer.

extras: chipped tooth. salt and vinegar chips. chocolate. breath of fresh air. greedy by ariana grande. twins. we belong together by mariah carey. fish and chips. wakanda forever. peppa pig. y8 games. tilapia.

Pile Four: If you chose the leopard’s paws/lady’s hands photo, then you need to stick to your word! You’ve been playing games. I feel like this pile doesn’t really believe in themselves. You’re your own biggest critic. You can be very nitpicky and judgmental or fall victim to the words of others and end up sulking because of it. You haven’t been putting in as much work to accomplish your dreams. The intuitive feeling that you get when you think of that idea — use this energy to create! Maybe you don’t have a lot of supporters around you and this is what’s preventing you from going hard. But that’s the thing, you can use the haters as your motivators. Very cliche what I just said, but it’s true. I feel that you think too much about what could be done instead of actually doing it. Don’t just talk about what you’re going to do. Be about it! You don’t even have to tell people what you plan to do. You can always keep it to yourself. That’s the best option for you anyway. Worry about the results later. You can do it, Pile Three! You got this! I pulled some oracle cards for you and here is what was said:

“Believe in the impossible”

“Nothing is yet set in stone”

“Expect powerful change”

Cards Used: The High Priestess, Seven of Swords, Justice, Prince of Swords, Princess of Cups, Strength, The Sun, Judgment, 4 of Cups.

Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Gemini, Pisces.

extras: close friends. the challengers. lorde fan. skin-to-skin contact. silver rings. LA. dynasty. pick me. time tables. clock in. red lipstick. side bangs. the game (2006). twiggy eye makeup. how high (2001).

[the-swift-tricker]

breaking down the members of the batfam:

bruce wayne (emotionally repressed autistic dad/tired but loving/"i'd die for you. ask me to die for you.")

alfred pennyworth (beloved grandfather and backbone of the house/"cool you were in the circus too alfie?" "a different type of circus master richard"/the most flexible on the whole no killing rule thing)

dick grayson (embarrassing "stay silly" older brother/eldest child/self-titled "bruce's little angel")

barbara gordon (adopted bruce more than he adopted her/this family would not survive without her it support/only one who knows how to work the router)

jason todd (the try hard wanna be cool accidentally cool but not in the way he meant brother)

tim drake (gifted child syndrome overachiever middle-child-and-mentally-ill-about-it bisexual nerd)

damian wayne (asshole baby man with a heart of absolute gold and a closet full of swords/tiny and feral/why does he have so many swords??)

stephanie brown (the goldilocks of the family/showed up one day and refused to leave/heartbreaker/know-nothing know-it-all, "get your feet of the furniture, stephanie")

cassandra cain (the darling daughter/autistic queen/"cuddled nicely" and "bit my ass" rolled into one/don't look directly at her too long or you'll fall in love)

duke thomas ("finally someone normal around here"/"oh no he's just as bad"/the day shift/probably does way too many light related puns)

selina kyle ("hot milfs in your area"/bruce's lover on the down low that literally everyone knows about/enamored by his autistic swagger/not married to bruce but would take the kids in the event of divorce)

kate kane (fucking rad lesbian wine aunt/kicker of ass, spoiler of nephews and nieces)

harper row ("alfred where did this punk child come from?"/"SHE'S GOTTA GUN"/best music taste out of any of them/once turned a lawn mower into a drag car/it was awesome)

lucius fox (other grandpa/ twead wearing dad/"bruce you need to pay your taxes"/"bruce getting shot point blank in the back is not advisable"/"bruce the hague tends to frown on child soldiers")

lucas fox (conceivably he should be smarter than getting mixed up in all this/still got mixed up in all this/"don't you think batwings a little too...on the nose?" "says the guy that calls himself batman")

helena bertinelli (cranky cousin that is beloved by a few and feared by all/"why doesn't her boyfriend have a face?"/"SHE'S GOTTA CROSSBOW!")

harley quinn (bisexual vodka aunt that's really just bruce's friend from college/has invited herself over for every hanukkah ever since finding out bruce is jewish too)

[blymathin-cove]

Apritelloweek 2024

Day 1: Dorky Pals for Life / Prom Queen

I really love the Dorky Pals for life trope, but I love throwing around my personal headcanon that overachiever Donnie would not rest unless April gets to have the prom of her (his actually) dream. I actually wrote about this last year for Apritelloweek too here, but this isn’t quite the same as that one, it’s moreso of an addition LOL

Happy apritello week!!

[the-badger-mole]

In a Time of Adversity

It was just his dumb luck, Zuko thought. All year he had been butting heads with the city's most annoying overachiever. Katara, the prodigy with a 9000 IQ, who'd managed to skip a grade and end up in all of Zuko's advanced placement classes, had been thorn in his side since the day she'd corrected one of his physics equations in front of the whole class. Ever since they had been locked in an increasingly heated battle of who would earn the highest marks in their class, and every week felt like a new face off.

Sometimes he would come out on top, but he had to grudgingly admit that while gave as good as he got on tests and assignments, she had the upper hand when it came to quips and put downs. Too often Zuko had been left sputtering in her wake, struggling to find a comeback from some scathing retort she'd just delivered. It wasn't until after yet another one of these exchanges, when Zuko in his frustration had the thought that he would love to throw her against a locker and kiss her until she didn't have the breath for one of her smart remarks, that it occurred to him that there might be more to his feelings towards her than animosity. And that was the last time he ever spoke to her directly. Disaster averted.

So, of course, when their science class goes on a weekend long camping trip in the middle of Backwoods, Nowhere, he would end up being partnered with her to find a rare fungus. Of course they would end up losing the trail and wandering through the forest with no clue how to make it back to camp. And of course, it would start raining, sending them scrambling up the mountain to a cave that was hopefully abandoned.

"At least we won't have to worry about dehydration," Katara said, pulling the water from their clothes.

"Sure," Zuko replied gruffly. He looked around for something to burn, but there wasn't anything but some leaves and twigs around. Not exactly the makings of a bonfire.

"I'm sure they're looking for us already." Katara sat down against a wall and drew her knees up to her chest.

"Great." Zuko wasn't optimistic about the prospect. Their science class wasn't exactly full of the great outdoors types. Katara had the most camping experience of anyone. The best they could hope for was that the chaperones would call search and rescue early the next morning.

"Do you think we should look for some firewood or something?" Katara suggested. She was shivering a bit, and Zuko could feel the chill settling onto his skin, too.

"It'll all be wet," he told her. "All we'll end up doing is smoking ourselves out."

"I can dry it," Katara reminded him. There was a sharp edge to her voice now. Zuko looked over at her and realized she was scowling at him.

"What's your problem?" he asked, irritably.

"You!" Katara shouted. Her voice bounced around the shallow cave jarringly. "You're my problem."

"Me?" Zuko drew back, affronted. "You're the one who got us lost, Katara, Queen of the Jungle!"

"Alright, fine! I'm sorry, alright?" Her voice cracked dangerously. "I just thought we could work together on this and things could go back to normal between us." Whatever Zuko had been expecting her to say, that was not it.

"Normal?" he repeated, completely baffled. "Normal between us? What are you talking about?" Over the sound of the falling rain, Zuko thought he heard Katara sniffling. Was she crying?

"You-you've been avoiding me for weeks," she said. Zuko was stunned. He'd heard Katara laugh (usually at him), and yell (again...usually at him). He'd heard her confidently dressing down a teacher that once made the mistake of telling her that women didn't get far in the science field. But this...this vulnerability in her voice. That was new.

"I haven't been avoiding you," he said. It wasn't entirely a lie. It's not like he turned the other direction when he saw her in the hall. He just didn't engage in their verbal sparring matches.

"You won't talk to me," Katara said. "You barely acknowledge me when I talk to you. When Piando assigned us as partners, you looked like he had just told you to eat a raw snail. I don't know what I did to offend you this badly, but I'm sorry, okay?" She was definitely crying now, and Zuko was panicking.

"I'm not...I'm not angry at you," he told her hesitantly. "I just...it's just that our bickering was beginning to feel....I don't know...childish?"

"So it's because I'm younger?" Katara demanded. Zuko winced. That was a frequent sore spot for Katara. Because she'd been moved ahead in school, some of her teachers and classmates made a big fuss over her age whenever she did something they didn't like. Zuko thought it was stupid. She was a year and some change younger than him, and only two years younger than the oldest people in their grade. Hardly a mind bending gap, especially given how mature she was generally.

"No, that's not it," Zuko said. "It's not about your age, or grades or anything like that. I just don't feel like having an enemy I don't need to have." Katara fell silent for a moment. Zuko thought he could still hear her sniffling every so often.

"I didn't think we were enemies," she said softly. It took a moment for Zuko to understand what she'd said. Then he snorted.

"Right," he scoffed. "That's why you called me a spoiled brat who probably paid someone to do my homework for me."

"Okay," Katara huffed. "I'm not saying we were besties or anything. But I thought we were at least friendly rivals. I wasn't seriously accusing you of cheating. It's just...school isn't always a challenge."

"Egghead," Zuko muttered. Something small-an acorn, probably- hit the wall next to his head. He smirked at Katara in the dark.

"That's more of a criticism of our curriculum than a brag," she said defensively. "Anyway, I was saying that you challenge me. If I wasn't trying so hard to be better than you, I would be so bored."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Katara's soft spoken vulnerability hung in the air between them for a long moment. Then Zuko laughed. He sensed Katara stiffen, draw into herself, and he slid over to her side of the cave.

"I'd be bored without you, too," he admitted. "And for the record, the only one in our school who would be worth paying to cheat from would be you." Katara scowled up at him, Zuko was actually close enough to see it in the dark. Then she laughed, too.

"So what did I do to piss you off so bad, then?" she asked him. Zuko drew back, feeling the heat rush to his face.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "You didn't say or do anything. I just wanted to be different, I guess."

"Oh." Katara wrapped her arms tightly around herself and a hard shiver ran through her.

"You're cold," Zuko said.

"Aren't you?" Katara asked through clenched teeth.

"Firebender," he reminded her. "Um...if you want, you can..." Zuko opened his arm towards her, an awkward invitation. Without hesitating, Katara scooted over and curled into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You're better than a heating pad," she sighed contentedly.

This was a mistake, Zuko thought immediately. Katara lay her head against his shoulder and every thought he'd had about kissing her until she was dizzy came rushing back. He would be a complete gentleman, of course, but he prayed that sleep would come quickly and end his torture.

"Hey, Zuko?" Katara lifted her head to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here with me." Zuko's mind screeched to a halt. What did that mean? After a moment he decided it didn't really matter.

"I'm glad, too," he said honestly.

[daenysx]

MASTERLIST

@daenysx | 20, she/her, virgo, coffee addict, daydreamer, in love with fictional men with platinum blonde hair, sleep-deprived, gryffindor, tries be perfect as arctic monkeys songs play in the background, daryl dixon' girl.

requests are open!!

about requests

1,111 followers celebration

GAME OF THRONES

ROBB STARK

one shots

make his queen smile

-king robb and you have a night filled with your slow tears for him and his comfort. nsfw.

concepts

you love falling asleep when robb stark stays inside you.

THE WALKING DEAD

DARYL DIXON

drabbles

your first time with daryl dixon. NSFW.

one shots

closer

-daryl dixon gives you the affection you need during your period.

your lips, my lips

-daryl dixon loves the aftercare and spending his nights with the love of his life.

fake pouting on a pretty face

-daryl dixon can't say no to you. morning sex. nsfw.

blame the alcohol

-daryl dixon tries not to fall for you but you are there to wreck his plans with an empty wine glass in your hand.

concepts

daryl dixon loves giving you pleasure

daryl dixon is your comfort person

daryl dixon loves you just a little too much

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

DAEMON TARGARYEN

one shots

curses & bubbles

-after a horribly stressful day, you and modern!daemon try to comfort each other.

let you love him

-daemon targaryen loves having you in his personal space. nsfw. (modern au)

AEGON II TARGARYEN

one shots

lost piece

-modern!aegon tells you he loves you for the first time.

princess treatment

-modern!aegon ruins your fake dating agreement by falling in love with you. nsfw.

adorable

-it gets too much for him and you are there to save his night with your cigarettes and your smile.

i'm here baby

-comforting modern!aegon when he feels terrible

AEMOND TARGARYEN

series

STRINGS ATTACHED

part 1 - pretending

-telling modern!aemond you are pregnant but you are not in a relationship.

part 2 - confessing

-you and aemond explain your feelings to each other. nsfw.

drabbles

you're the only person who can calm modern!aemond down

modern!aemond helps you deal with anxiety after a dinner with friends

modern!aemond gives you a massage and an orgasm. NSFW

soft sex with modern!aemond. NSFW

modern!aemond longs for your kiss

you and modern!aemond can't help yourselves before going to an event. NSFW

you take care of modern!aemond when he is sick

you help modern!aemond relax. NSFW

modern!aemond wakes you up by giving you an orgasm. NSFW.

modern!aemond is there for you when you don't like the way you look

you tell modern!aemond you love him for the first time

one shots

remedy

-modern!aemond helps you sleep when you're nervous. cockwarming, nsfw.

lucky man

-you help modern!aemond calm down when he is angry. nsfw.

quality time

-modern!aemond helps you relax after a long week. nsfw, cockwarming.

drunk lover

-modern!aemond takes care of you when you're drunk.

comfort person

-modern!aemond comforts you about your exam results.

good hair day

-modern!aemond doesn't really like his curls but you adore them.

overachiever

-you stress about your exams but modern!aemond is here to comfort you.

my good looking boy

-you are the first person modern!aemond has sex with. nsfw.

not a relationship

-modern!aemond knows exactly how to make you feel better. friends with benefits. nsfw.

feel better

-you are sick but modern!aemond is there to take care of you.

missing his sweet baby

-your voice sounds sad and modern!aemond is quick to leave everything behind just to make you smile.

come back to me

-an accident leads to an early labor and prince aemond never lets go of your hand.

the blurry mind and the perfect lover

-your head is full but modern!aemond is right here to take care of you. nsfw.

his priority

-modern!aemond is there for you when you're on your period.

sleep on his tongue

-modern!aemond helps you sleep. nsfw.

good for you

-you ease off modern!aemond's worries about being a father like viserys.

naked & happy

-prince aemond and his wife have a delighted night. nsfw.

the one you call

-modern!aemond is there for you when you feel uncomfortable because of a stranger.

the right brother

-modern!aemond falls in love with aegon's (ex)girlfriend

hidden places

-you have a secret relationships with your boss modern!aemond. nsfw.

give you anything

-soft, sleepy sex with modern!aemond.

still in love

-you dream of your ex-boyfriend modern!aemond. nsfw.

his strong girl

-modern!aemond comforts you when you have a bad week.

the brave one

-confessing your love to your best friend aemond targaryen

her own path

-modern!aemond comforts his daughter after a family dinner.

cups filled with love

-modern!aemond tries to comfort his pregnant wife.

his dreams

-aemond targaryen dreams of you and touches himself to the thought of you.

little dragon

-aemond targaryen holds his daughter for the first time.

irresistible

-soft sex with modern!aemond when he is worried about you.

belong with you

-modern!aemond being jealous of you.

i adore you

-morning sex and aftercare with modern!aemond.

for you

-prince aemond targaryen pleasures you.

such a lovely scene

-aemond targaryen looking after his wife and his baby girl.

dizzy & charming

-modern!aemond helping you relieve some stress.

worried

-aemond targaryen reacting his wife overwork herself with a sword.

all for himself

-trying to comfort aemond targaryen.

i don't wanna be your friend

-sharing a bed with modern!aemond.

headcanons

modern!aemond's little girl saying her first word.

having an academic rivalry with modern!aemond.

aemond targaryen falls in love with his betrothed.

modern!aemond loves when you wear your classic red lipstick.

concepts

modern!aemond loves having sex with you.

modern!aemond is addicted to see you in his clothes.

modern!aemond knows when you have a bad day.

aemond targaryen stays by your side when you are giving birth.

modern!aemond loves when you are tipsy or drunk.

modern!aemond keeps his feelings under control all the time.

[furoruisa]

Ben and Devi are so well written like wtf? I love them, they're so interesting, so lovable, they make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me mad, they make me smile

[armoricaroyalty]

Rosalind of Armorica: The princess will see you now

Crown Princess Rosalind wants to become the most accessible member of the Armorican royal family. Is she ready for the pressure?

It’s hard to escape Crown Princess Rosalind. The 27-year-old heir to the Armorican throne is seemingly everywhere: cutting ribbons at hospital wards in Nordienne, meeting with conservationists and gamekeepers in the highlands north of Bortaine, smiling on the cover of glossy supermarket tabloids.

The omnipresence is part of a deliberate strategy, according to the Crown Princess. “We can’t hold ourselves apart from the people we serve,” says Rosalind. “We need to be hypervisible. We have to be real to our people, not just faces on stamps.”

Previous | Chapter Start | Beginning | Next

author's note: I never do recreations, but I did recreate this 2021 Tatler cover because it was just really striking. Thank you to @warwickroyals for sharing the Tatler graphic with me!

article continues below the cut!

Of course, hypervisibility is nothing new to the mega-popular heir to the Armorican throne. Already a superstar within her home country, Rosalind rose to international prominence after accompanying her father on a state visit to Uspana in November 2017. At just 27 years old, she is already considered one of the most accomplished living royals. In 2012, she graduated from the elite Allard University with dual degrees in economics and music performance. Two years later, she launched herself into full-time royal work, quickly racking up 34 patronages, ranging from the national ballet to the Ministry for Sustainable Energy. Last year, she completed over 400 engagements on behalf of her father. In terms of extracurricular activities, Rosalind is an accomplished tennis player, speaks six languages fluently, composed the score for ANN’s upcoming documentary on sustainable energy Green Horizons, and owns an international real estate portfolio valued in the hundreds of millions.

Sitting across from me at a private supper club in the tony Pearl District, she brings a relentless, focused energy to our conversation. Everything about her conveys poise and intensity, from her impeccable posture to her ad-exec smile to her sensible suede pumps. Her favorite rose-shaped brooch (purchased by her great-grandfather in 1962 and worn by both her grandmother and great-grandmother) adorns the lapel of her cropped jacket, which the diminutive Crown Princess has paired with wide-legged trousers. Her smile doesn’t waver as the conversation turns to her relationship with her father.

"We have very different styles. [My father has] never given an interview, and well, look at me now!”

“His Majesty is very supportive,” Rosalind says. “We work together very well, and in the last few years, he’s really come to rely on me.” It’s a bold claim for a member of the normally self-effacing and media-shy Armorican royal family, but it’s backed up by the numbers: including his weekly visits with the prime minister, the reclusive King of the Armoricans carried out just 131 engagements last year, approximately one third the number completed by the overachieving Crown Princess. “We have very different styles,” she laughs. “He’s never given an interview, and well, look at me now!”

"I suppose [my parents] meant well, but [my upbringing has] been quite a disadvantage."

Crown Princess Rosalind is the oldest child and only daughter of Andre, King of the Armoricans and former hockey pro Elise Sutton. According to Rosalind, the King and Queen—then the Duke and Duchess of Arbor—tried to give their children an “informal upbringing,” away from the pressures of royal life. “I suppose they meant well, but it’s really been quite a disadvantage,” she confesses. “When I meet my peers internationally, it’s very clear that they were more directly brought up to rule. I used to feel so behind. I’ve had to work hard to catch up.”

“Was it difficult, growing up as a member of the Royal Family?” I ask.

“No,” says Rosalind, hesitating. “But I think that it was difficult to be royal in my family.”

“I think that it was difficult to be royal in my family.”

[theofficalnarrator]

Crazy Combo Masterlist

Summary: Aeri “Giselle” Uchinaga, SASA’s queen bee, gets dethroned by her ex-bestfriend, Jang Wonyoung. Out for blood, Giselle decides to run for Prom queen against Wonyoung and Yujin. With who? None other than the campus golden girl, Y/N L/N. Can the crazy combo win the hearts of SASA's student body, or will the two crash and burn before Prom?

Genre: SMAU + Written, fake relationship, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, fluff, slight angst, HEAVY drama, non!idol au

Pairing: non!idol Aeri Uchinaga x non!idol fem!reader

Warning: Self-depricating and overall dark humor, bad writing, this is my first time writing

Started: 1/2/2024

Ended: TBD

Profiles

The Overachievers Club (Ex) Queen B and Co.

It Girl Energy Inc. SASA

Chapters

1 - How it Started

2 - "Wait, HER?!?"

3 - She wasn't supposed to see that

[my-love-is-sunlight]

A princess armor

Zoro x princess!reader

fem reader described as being born a woman, fluff, mentions of misogyny in reader’s past

1.5k words

Tagging: @alucardsdaddyissues

When you heard about some group of pirates docking on your island you didn’t quite expected them to rescue you, after all, you hated to be seen as a damsel in distress

Nonetheless,there was nothing wrong in asking for help. And hell you needed it

Being born a woman and the only heir to your fathers throne had turned your life into a living hell since you can recall; overlooked, treated like a decoration only expected to marry rich and powerful, your father ever cold and absent hated your mere existence, a remainder of his failure to continue his strong lineage because no matter what you did you were never enough

And hell you had worked so hard to impress that old man; you were a remarkable fencer, excelling in every topic of conversation you had been educated in, always being praised by your strategy abilities and expected to be the perfect queen by this alone. The list of your achievements was long, an overachiever if you will… but he never cared, what can any of that be of use in the body of a woman?

You hid your emphatic and kind heart under a strong cold armor to protect yourself from the cruel world around you; still, Monkey D. Luffy was able to tear trough it, offering him and his crew a sympathetic hand

You thought you were helping them, turns out they were helping you. The moment the colorful crew heard about your life behind the walls of the castle and your fathers evil empire, they didn’t hesitate in taking you in, after all you had been more than helpful and kind

So you escaped joining them as the strategist and diplomat for the crew, finally free from expectations, slowly taking your armor off before it had rusted into you forever

“What can a princess know about fighting anyway?” Zoro’s voice is sharp and quick to ambush you, you wished his opinion about you didn’t mattered, but as you are about to set sail by his side you can’t help the need to defend your case climbing quickly to your tongue

“I’ve been educated by the greatest warriors and strategist in my kingdom as I was expected to rule my nation one day”- every single word leaves your mouth like butter, an ease and confidence the swordsman perhaps didn’t expect from someone with your background, you stand proud with eyes that pierce right trough his being and eyebrows scrunched down without a drop of a doubt making him shiver.- “Believe me Mr. Roronoa, I am more than capable”

And that was no lie. Every since your arrival to the crew, the strawhats found themselves winning their battles with much ease and organization; the number of injuries after battle dropped immensely, your time in the battlefield reduced in half and no one was getting lost, the latter being resolved by planting you beside the stubborn green haired swordsman that was obviously not happy about this new routine

“Stop following me, princess” he grumbled, your step quickening at the same rythm as his which was quite the hassle from your part considering one step from Zoro was two of your own

“Stop calling me that”- your hand flies to grab on his shirt, your touch stiffening every muscle on his back and his heart skipping a beat, a feeling unwelcome and alien. As uneasy as he felt, his step never falters leading you behind him as you trot around the streets, annoyance clear on your face.- “As much as I want to continue my errands without you, I don’t want you getting lost around here, this is not a welcoming place for pirates and your face is quite recognizable”

His walking finally comes to a halt, making you quite literally crash behind him a yelp of surprise escaping through your lips.- “Fine” he finally relents

Zoro replays that evening in his head over and over as he peeks down from the crows nest, it was the first time you made his stomach turn and this strange warmth extend trough his body, and he still wonders why. While Usopp and Luffy play cards, he watches as you take the cards that the sniper was hiding on the back of his overalls making Luffy get up and bash on him as you laugh. The sound even tough muffled by the glass makes him smile, that same feeling he recalled moments ago blooming in his being once again, but he now welcomes it

So he wonders what would it take him to impress you, to make you want him as much as he wants you, you’re royalty after all. The stories of the suitors that had knocked at your door with gifts and promises still on the back of his mind sour and venomous, he compared himself to them and it dawned on him the act that he had nothing to offer you, other than his own life, was that enough for you?

Little did he know you were trying to impress him since day 1 on the ship, training day and night to earn his respect and admiration which best believe you already got more than that, yet you seemed to find yourself repeating the same pattern of your old life

“You did great back there” Zoro commented one time, before taking a swing from his beer. You turned your attention to him, admiring the way his earrings glistened with the light of the bar, a smile quick to spread on your face that you erased as fast as it came, not wanting to give yourself away

“Really? Thanks” even though your tone was nonchalant and casual your insides did a 360, relishing on your victory, after spending the last few months over training like a maniac and studying more fencing techniques had finally earned you a compliment, his compliment

Zoro’s eyes go over and over your form, as if trying to keep it in his memory to admire you even when you weren’t there which could be much easier, since the mere thought of you made him stumbling. As if in command, you look up to the crows nest, your gaze locking with his for a fleeting moment that makes Zoro loose track of thought, you offer him a sweet smile and a tiny wave which he answers by freezing for a while, then scowling and turning away from the window

Oh god

The thing about this whole tangle of gazes, feelings and smiles was that Zoro could not figure you out; you were a mystery, a concept that he can’t quite grasp even after months of knowing you and quite literally living with you on the sea. You had the elegance and gentleness of a princess out of a romance book, and the bravery and might of a warrior, all of that wrapped around your wit and beauty that had him losing his breath

He felt useless

His mind drifting to images of you while he trained, dreams by your side slipping on his sleep, his eyes glued to you in the battle field, his heart singing your name at any change it got

What can he could possibly give you that you don’t already have?

“Boo!!!”- Your voice startles him pulling him out of his daze, something he was certainly not used to, his eyes jump to your face painted with a big smile as you giggle at his expense.- “Got ya”

You sit delicately by his side, still giggling while he clicks his tongue to express his annoyance.- “That’s not really princess of you to do” you frown at the title just as he expected, his scowl turning into a proud smirk

“Stop calling me that” you turn to face the window behind both of you, looking over the deck

“Hiding from someone?” Zoro comments although he already has an idea

“Let’s just say Usopp doesn’t quite like being called out on his cheating” a honest loud laugh rumbled from the bottom of the swordsman chest, eliciting a bright smile from you, It is this moments that you treasure, moments that feed on your heart that had long belonged to him without even knowing it

The sunset beams that color the sky crash on your features, brightening your presence making Zoro’s mind wonder once again. He couldn’t understand how could you take him out of it by simply being, his eyes take another round around you, stopping at your plump lips. A new feeling takes over him, it makes his chest heavy and his breath erratic as he stops himself from crashing into them. Suddenly his doubts puddled as you sink at his side, a playful glint in your eye as his heart clenched at the thought of you seeking him while looking after a safe place

He may not be royalty, have absolutely nothing but his katanas to his name but he’ll bend the world backwards for you, and something tells him you don’t want all that fancy shit other men could offer you, you want genuine love, real love. So he savors the quiet in your company up on the crows nest, slowly letting both of you guards down to embrace each other, the armor that you once hid behind long discarded leaving you bear and free

Because whats more romantic than that?

Masterlist

[thebibutterflyao3]

Marauders/Emeralds Era Characterisation/Builds/Backgrounds in my fics

-I’ve seen a few newbies looking for head-canons to try out in their fics. Feel free to use any of these.

-there is some variation, of course, plus some of my fics are set at the younger Hogwarts ages, but usually in this order from tallest to shortest as adults:

Remus Lupin (6’ 1”-6’4”) - typically an inch or two taller than James, but rarely quite tall. Lanky, long-limbed with curly dirty blond/light brown hair. Sometimes, he’s stronger than he looks, other times he’s a wet noodle. Disabled (usually physically, but sometimes with Tourette’s or Epilepsy). Introvert. Classic literature/fantasy novel buff. Neutral Good. Welsh. Bisexual with a preference for men. Smokes occasionally, prefers weed.

James Potter (around 6’) - athletic with strong upper body, solid but rarely super muscular. Wears glasses, intelligent, and has ADHD. Chaotic Good. Messy curls. Wide open music taste, but always Queen and a sucker for a ballad. Deep voice. Extrovert. Deeply romantic. Usually Desi via Euphemia, but love the Latinx James hc. Bisexual>Pansexual (used interchangeably for James). Non-smoker.

Barty Crouch Jr. (around 6’) - athletic, but slim. This man has no arse. Stronger than he looks. British, but love the hc that he’s Italian. Burnt out gifted kid, occasionally tech savvy. Heavy-metal and emo fan. Usually has ODD. Extrovert. Chaotic Evil. Omnisexual or Bi with a preference for mascs. Often with tattoos and/or piercings. Heavy smoker.

Dorcas Meadowes (5’9-5’11) - athletic, or slender with some curves. Black, British, and the most intelligent of the group. Long braids. Ambivert. Love her characterisation as a good Slytherin. True Neutral. Listens to R&B, but secretly loves pop music, mostly sapphic artists. Occasionally has Depression. Neither butch or femme exclusive, bit of both. Bisexual or Lesbian. Non-smoker.

Evan Rosier (5’9”-5’10”) - painfully average floppy-haired blond white boy with a tan. Neutral Evil. Solid build. Grunge music fan. Piercings rather than tattoos. French or British. Ambivert. Demisexual. Prefers edibles or shrooms to smoking.

Regulus Black (5’7”-5’10”) - usually a hair taller than Sirius, but he was shorter by a bit once or twice. Chin-length wavy hair. French. Writer (poetry) and/or musical prodigy. Introvert. Slim to average build. Lawful Evil. Anxiety, OCD, and/or Autistic. Classical music or jazz, nothing with lyrics. I have written him as intersex (or trans in a few WIPs), but usually a gay cis man. Non-smoker, mostly. Social drinker, but overestimates his tolerance.

Sirius Black (5’8”-5’10”) - most attractive amongst the guys. Usually slim, but strong and flexible. Highly intelligent, but easily bored and uninterested in academics. Artistic (painter) and/or musical (percussion instruments). Rock/grunge junkie. Shoulder-length hair and tattooed. Chaotic Good/Chaotic Neutral. Sometimes ADD, often emotionally stunted with abandonment issues. Heavy drinker, occasional smoker.

Mary McDonald (5’8”-5’10”) - depends on the fic, but always in heels so she seems taller. Curvy queen. Most attractive and socially aware of the entire group, extremely trendy, designs/sews a lot of her own clothes, high-femme. Prefers soulful music and light pop. Popular, but keeps her emotions buried. High expectations. Does not suffer fools. Lawful Neutral. Black, British, and extroverted. Natural hair. Social smoker and drinker. Neurotypical. Aromantic or lesbian.

Lily Evans (5’6”-5’8”) - very curvy to plus-size. Super long dark red hair, often braided with a fringe. Academic overachiever, Lawful Good, pretty, and fiery/defensive when confronted. Fantasy book nerd. Introvert. Neurotypical with anxiety. Pop music girlie. Artistic (usually sketching). Welsh/British. Non-smoker. Bisexual>Pansexual (used interchangeably for Lily) or Femme Lesbian, but rarely wears make-up.

Marlene McKinnon (around 5’6”) - athletic/ stocky queen with thick thighs. Blonde, usually in a ponytail and shoulder-length with fringe. Scottish/British. Music-obsessed (mostly 70-80s rock) and lives in band tees and Docs. Tattooed. Extrovert. Chaotic Neutral. Social smoker, but rarely. ADHD. Butch lesbian who loves eye-liner. Occasional short skirt to break Dorcas’s brain.

Peter Pettigrew (5’5”-5’7”) - stocky/plus-size, straight blond hair. British. Logical and strategic, but struggles with abstract concepts. Chess player, comic book collector, video game/movie buff, and weed fiend, but non-smoker. People-pleaser and supportive of his friends, but ambivalent around strangers. Ambivert. Asexual, unlabeled, Questioning.

Pandora Lovegood (5’-5’3”) - always petite and slim. Long blonde hair, usually loose or in elaborate half-updos (like Phoebe Buffet in Friends). Hippie vibes and high-femme. Usually Autistic. Ambivert -depends on who she’s with. French. Animal lover, compassionate, high-strung, a gossip but rarely maliciously, collects crystals. Pansexual. Non-smoker, but open to experimentation. Rarely drinks.

[afraid-of-the-deep-sea]

Just watched the breakfast club and I cannot NOT link whatever content I'm consuming to bsd but I already have too many aus, so I'm just throwing these ideas into the void just so I can stop thinking about em

BTW the breakfast club is a movie about 5 highschoolers all kinda stereotypes in their own right spending Saturday detention together and becoming friends and opening up to each other

Dazai fits the rebel stereotype pretty well since the rebel in movie spends the entirety of the movie antagonising the other characters and messing with them, maybe he used to one of the top students but started acting out after oda died (his brother maybe?)

Then chuuya as the jock (he's not stupid I know but he is a powerhouse so he gets to be the sporty one) and he has like a long history with dazai but they had a pretty intense falling out. Maybe he got like really into sports because the physical activities helped clear his head and distract him from his shit homelike. Like yknow when people go jogging or smt to clear their head, idk I don't exercise :p. I think his arc can be like confronting his emotions and dealing with them

Ranpo as the nerd, duh, but probably got send to detention for talking back to the teacher. The shitty homelives of the kids in the movies are pretty important and help them relate to each other so maybe his parents like ignore him at home. Maybe he talks back to get detention to spend time with teacher fukuzawa. Tho I don't imagine fukuzawa would be running detention that day, much to ranpos disappointment.

Akutagawa as the basketcase and I get to make him as goth as possible. Also gets ignored at home. I think he got detention from skipping gym, which he skips bc of his lung condition but his parents don't really bother to write him a note for it. Also instead of the bad makeover that sucked at the end of breakfast club, instead Akutagawa puts eyeliner on atsushi and thats how they bond (god I hated the movies makeover )

And like hear me out, but atsushi as the princess. Not bc he's like.. mean girls popular person but like he's the sorta like overachieving nice girl who's in a thousand club. Atsushi tries to avoid going home and so he like joins a shitton of clubs and committees, and is nice to everyone bc he's afraid ppl will hate him, and also always tries to help everyone. I feel like he'd find a friendgroup of really popular kids and he just kinda goes along with them, kind of a people-pleaser. So not queen bee but definitely gets bossed around/hangs around the popular kids

Anyways-

[devastator1775]

Uzi's quest for N's birthday gift

Summary: Nix Doorman AU. After finding out that N and the other Disassembly Drones don't have a birthday, Uzi decides that at least she can give him a birthday gift anyway. Shouldn't be a problem. There's no-one who knows N better than her. How hard could it be, right?

Prompt by @gravityglitch-blog: Not sure of how Drones regard the concept of birthdays, but maybe Uzi makes one for N since he can’t remember his original? Or N gives Uzi a gift on her birthday, if Workers keep track? You absolutely don’t have to do anything with this, it’s just what popped into my head first

Uzi let out a long, frustrated groan as she crossed out another item on her notepad. She had been at it for a few hours now and she wasn’t getting anywhere with ideas. Why was this so difficult? She tapped her pen on the subject at the top of the list.

Birthday present for N, because I am an awesome girlfriend. >:3

“’Awesome girlfriend’ …right.” Uzi muttered to herself. Part of her was really mad at herself for coming up with the idea. “I can’t even come up with an awesome present for my boyfriend who does anything and everything for me.”

Another part of herself was mad at her for being mad at herself for this. “But you are doing this for N, so he can feel special as well, so this will all be worth it.”

And then there was the self-doubting, angsty teenager side of her – that she really thought she had overcome ever since dealing with eldritch being, powers, dead moms that weren’t dead after all, ect, ect… “But what if he hates what I’m potentially giving him?”

And, of course, the zealous overachiever. “No, he’s not going to hate it because it’s going to be the most awesome present given by his awesome girlfriend.”

The girlfriend part of her made her giggle. “He’s totally gonna make out with me where I stand. And I’m gonna be like ‘N, no, don’t do that. That’s embarrassing!’, but I’m gonna let him….”

She looked down at her list. “But first I need to figure this out…” She had gone through this routine a few times over the last few days. Quite the vicious circle she’d gotten herself in.

With a heavy sigh, she went through her memory banks and opened the recording of the event that had led to her current enforced labor.

UziBirthday_TalkWithNVLizzy.mp4

She smiled as the video popped up. Her birthday was a few days ago, and unbeknownst to her, N had managed to round up V and Lizzy to help organize a surprise party for her. Even more surprising, people had actually shown up …with presents …and were having a good time. Thing sure had changed after she ‘helped stop the End Times’. Sure, everyone was told a rather …embellished version of her involvement, because they felt that the real truth would …be rather hard to believe.

She shook the thought from her mind and played the memory.

Music and the chatter of people filled the room Lizzy had managed to occupy for the party. She and N were standing by the snack table with Lizzy and V, with the former sitting comfortably on the latter’s lap, taking advantage of her girlfriend’s wheelchair-bound status. There were taking sips from a bottle of gasoline from Lizzy’s father’s private supply she had smuggled with her. There was a warm tingly sensation all of her body – nothing to do with the glass of gasoline – as N wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She leaned into N, laughing at a joke Lizzy had made at V’s expense. Judging by the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips, she wasn’t really bothered by it.

“Stop laughing.” V warned.

Feeling bolstered by spirits, both alcoholic and emotional, Uzi let out an amused scoff. “It’s a little funny.” she said, giggling as V threw her a disgruntled look. “I wish I was there to see you struggling to say anything.”

“I was put on the spot.” V explained herself. “It’s not like I prepared something for when I was named prom queen.”

“You prepared to slaughter us all.” Lizzy countered. “Which you used me to do.”

“And you used me to let Doll kill me.”

“Aww, I’m sorry.”

“Ugh, you’re forgiven.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet.” N cooed.

“Shut up, loser.” Both V and Lizzy replied in unison, although the smirk and glint in their eyes betrayed the friendliness behind their jab. N just chuckled, having – finally – figured out the signs that showed the difference between those two being serious or playful in their threats.

V shoved Lizzy, who had been sitting way to comfortably on the former’s lap, off her. “Hey, wheel me over to Thad, I want to laugh with his ridiculous hat.”

“Use your crutches, lazy bolts.”

“Don’t want to.”

“Then you’ll stay right here.”

“Fine, I’ll ask someone else, then.” She turned her wheelchair over towards another group of people. “Maybe Chelsea, whom I heard totally has a crush on me, will be- “

Uzi snickered as Lizzy promptly grabbed the handles of V’s wheelchair and started to haul her away from the group. She could overhear the latter mutter something about her ‘being the only one that’s allowed to do that’, which made her giggle. Despite everything. Uzi was happy for her former-enemy-turned-frenemy-turned-friend. She knew that V had been struggling to adjust to her new condition. And despite the brave face, Uzi knew that V still had ways to go before she’d be completely there.

“You know, sometimes those two seem more like rivals than girlfriends.” N remarked, taking a slip of his glass of gasoline. The face he pulled made Uzi giggle, and she quickly took the glass of liquor out of his grip and replaced it with a bottle of oilnade. The way he beamed at her made mechanical butterflies flutter in her stomach.

“Well, if they drink any more of this stuff, I wouldn’t be surprised they’d start serenading each other in front of everybody.” Uzi replied, swirling the gasoline around in her glass. A giggle bubbled up from deep inside her. Maybe she’d better slow down with the stuff as well.

“So …you enjoying your party?” N asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“Surprisingly, yes.” She replied sincerely, looking up at her boyfriend with a bright smile. “I mean, it’s a bit …crowded for my liking, but …yeah, I’m having a great time.” She stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on N’s cheek. “Thank you for doing this, N.”

“You deserve this, Uzi.”

Robo-God, that smile of his could make her melt. She managed to wipe her goofy, lovestruck smile of her face and cleared her throat, trying to get some of that ‘edgy loner coolness’ back, leaning casually against N. “So …when is your birthday? Like, for no reason. It’s not that I want to organize a party for you too, hehe…”

“Oh, I don’t have one.”

Uzi chuckled. “C’mon, be serious.”

“Seriously, I don’t have a birthday.”

Uzi almost dropped her glass. It was like something fell in the pit of her stomach. “You …don’t?” She asked. She pointed over to where Lizzy had brought V. “How about…?”

“Nope.” N smiled, oblivious to the shock in Uzi’s expression.

“You don’t celebrate the day you were activated?”

N rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I don’t have any memories from my life before I got rebooted and Tessa saved me from the dumpster.” He explained. “And my time with Tessa is still fuzzy. And then there are the numerous times I regenerated from normally fatal injuries, so there isn’t really a date I can pick, y’know.”

“But- “

At that point, their conversation got interrupted when the commotion of V launching herself at someone who had made a rude comment compelled them to separate the fighting Drones. Uzi sighed as she paused the memory and returned back to her regular vision. While they hadn’t picked up the conversation after that, it really had stuck with her. N was an incredible Drone, a wonderful friend and an amazing boyfriend. Someone as sweet, loyal, kind – Uzi made a mental node she’d write down all the positive traits of N someday – as N deserved a birthday. A special day where it was all about him, with people celebrating that you are here.

Uzi never really had that until the party a few days ago, so she knew how special such an event could feel. N deserved it, and even if there wasn’t a day where they could celebrate his birthday, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t get a present. And that’s why Uzi had secluded herself to the floor of this ruined skyscraper: to think and decide on a present for N. New determination steeled her spirit and she looked at her list …only to feel her confidence falter again. The entire page was filled with ideas and all of them had been crossed out.

A puppy? Bad idea. Poison air’s gonna kill the thing.

Book about puppies? Boring.

Golden Retriever plushy? He’s not a kid.

A bottle of gasoline? N doesn’t like to drink heavy stuff.

New coat? Lame!

Coloring book? AGAIN, HE’S NOT A KID, UZI!

A picnic? Romantic, but not original enough.

A saucy picture of myself? NO, NOT GONNA DO THAT!

Uzi let out a frustrated yell and fell backwards, staring at the decrepit ceiling. She felt tears form on her screen. She felt like such a failure of a girlfriend right now. She knew N better than anyone and she couldn’t even come up with the perfect gift for him?

“’Awesome girlfriend’, my rear plate!” She threw the notepad out of a window and pulled her knees up to her chest to sulk. A shadow passed the window, making her look up in surprise. A moment later, she heard something land on the roof, followed by footsteps that clearly were coming closer to the room she was hiding in.

“Oh no… not now…” She mumbled with hollowed eyes on her screen.

The door creaked open, and to her dismay, it was N that peeked inside.

“Hey, there you are! I was looking for you.” N greeted her as he stepped in the room. He held the notepad in his hand. “This yours? It landed on my noggin as I was flying past.”

“Uh, yeah, it’s mine…give it back.” Uzi rambled, holding out her hand.

N cocked his head, raising a digital eyebrow. “Is everything okay, Uzi?”

“Sure, sure, why wouldn’t it be?”

“You are digi-sweating a lot.”

“Hormones!” Uzi blurted out, instantly regretting the waterfall of excuses that came out of her mouth. “I’m on my robo-period.”

N wasn’t buying it. “Uzi, are you avoiding me?”

“Pfff, what?” Uzi waved away his comment. “Naaaah….”

“Sure feels like it.” N commented, and the sad expression in his eyes made Uzi hate herself that she was making him feel like that. “Uzi, I know you’ve been busy with school and it’s healthy in a relationship to spend time apart and such, but normally you text me non-stop about your day or you come over to my home, things like that. And you haven’t been doing that lately. It makes me …miss you.”

“N…”

“And today, when I came over to your house, you dad told me you were out here and you were ‘looking glum’ and I find you here in this …rather unsafe building, throwing a notepad on my …hang on, what’s on here?”

Uzi felt a panic rise up and she scrambled up to run up to him. “Girl stuff! Give it back.” She jumped up to grab the pad, but due to her accursed short physique, she was unable to take it out of his hands.

N remained silent as he looked at the notepad, eventually looking up at Uzi with a puzzled expression. “Uzi, will you please tell me what this is about?”

“Nothing!” Uzi liberated the notepad from N’s grasp and turned away from him, clutching the item close to her chest. “Forget what you saw.”

“Uzi…”

“It’s dumb! It’s stupid. Not worth your time!” Uzi squeezed her eyes shut, self-loathing bubbling up from a dark place she thought she had overcome. She took in shaky breaths, trying to keep tears from falling down her visor. Uzi flinched as she suddenly felt a pair of hands fall gently on her shoulders.

“Uzi, remember back when we went looking in that ruined warehouse?” N began, his voice soft and patient. She could practically hear that little smile on his lips, feel that soft expression in his eyes. “And I had that …little accident?”

“You mean: you overheated and attacked me because you hadn’t been telling me you hadn’t been able to drink enough oil to cool yourself down?” Uzi guessed. The memory flashed before her eyes. It happened not too long after the events of prom and she had been desperate for answers. She had been taking N to the furthest reaches of the city for long times and he hadn’t been able to consume oil. He had overheated and his system made him automatically attacked her. He had managed to stop himself, but he almost managed to bring himself permanently offline in the process. She luckily had been able to feed him enough oil to wake him up. He still needed some of her oil, so she had permitted him to bite her …and she vehemently denied she kinda enjoyed the experience because he was so gentle with her.

“Yeah, that’s the one.” N squeezed her shoulders softly. “Remember what we promised each other then?”

Uzi remained silent for a few moments, before eventually letting out a heavy sigh. “We’d tell each when something was wrong. No more secrets between us.”

N hummed agreeably. “And I’ve been keeping up my part of the promise.” He slowly turned her around, so she was facing him. He cupped her chin and made her look up, smiling softly at her. “Will you?”

And there was the melting feeling again that his smile always gave her. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She took hold of N’s hands and placed them on her cheeks, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth that they gave off. She eventually nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Okay…. but I’m telling you, it’s dumb.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“I, eh …it’s…” Uzi took another deep breath. “At the party, you told me you didn’t have a birthday, and I was, like, ‘nah, a great guy like N deserves a special day’, but I can’t just pick a day and decide it’s your birthday, right?”

She didn’t wait for N to answer. The frustration that had been building up the last few days needed to be vented out. “So, I figured that I still could give you a present, because it’s a nice thing to get, you know. And I thought it would be easy because who knows you better than me? So, I made a list with ideas, but nothing I’ve come up with is good enough for you and why did I ever think that I could do this because I am such a failure of a girlfriend, and- “

Uzi got the air knocked out of her as N pulled her into a hug, which she immediately returned. She started to sob softly into his shoulder while he gently rubbed her back and kissed her cheek.

“You, Uzi Doorman, are not a failure.” N eventually said, his fingers running softly through her hair. “If anything, you are an awesome girlfriend because you would do this for me, even though I never asked for it.”

“You deserve it, N.” Uzi mumbled softly.

“That doesn’t mean you need to do this alone.” N said, pulling away from the hug. He cupped her cheek. “Together, remember?”

“Together.” Uzi repeated with a soft smile. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I went crazy over this.”

“Eh, I’m used to you acting crazy. It’s probably the thing I love most about you.”

“Oh, thanks!” Uzi laughed as she playfully punched his chest. “You goof.”

N took the notepad out of Uzi’s hand and gave it a look. “You know, you’re right that you know me the best, you know? I’d enjoy any of the things you’ve written down …maybe not the puppy, because, yeah, poison air and such…” His eyes turned back to the list, and suddenly blushed as his eyes hollowed. A sly smirk spread on his lips. “Out of curiosity, what would you wear for the picture?”

“Okay, we’re done being mushy!” Uzi announced as she snatched the notepad from N, blushing ferociously. She grabbed his hand and started to drag him to the roof. Uzi felt a lot better after talking to N. She now realized that she had been acting silly, letting herself get so worked up over this. She hooked her arms around his arms and rested her head against his shoulder as they walked. When they reached the roof, they sat down on the edge of the building, looking at the sky for a while.

“You know …I think I know which day I’d choose for my birthday.” N suddenly announced.

Uzi looked up at him in surprise. “Oh?”

“The day we met.” N answered with a bright smile.

Uzi chuckled, but stopped when she saw he was being serious. “Really? Why? I shot your head off that day. You stabbed my hand. You nearly killed me twice that day.”

“Okay, but beside that, it feels …right.”

“Still not following you…”

“Because everything changed for me that day.” N looked up at the moon, the rings reflected around his eyes. “That day was the first day to becoming …me.”

“Have you been huffing gasoline fumes?” Uzi teasingly asked. “You’re not making sense.”

“Think about it.” N explained. “At first, I was just a regular, same-as-everyone Worker Drone. With Tessa, I was basically just a real fancy pet and as a disassembly Drone, I just …followed orders. Sure, I was always, me, but …I was never allowed to explore being me. Does that make sense?”

“Eh, kinda.” Uzi replied, making a shaky gesture with her hand. “I think I get what you’re saying. You mean, you were just what they told you needed to be, right?”

“Yeah, like that.” N pulled Uzi unto his lap, chuckling as she started to blush like crazy. “But you, you changed all that. You made me question things. You made me see I was more than just what other told me I needed to be. You let me be how I wanted to be.  You made it possible for me to grow to being the person I am now. And it all started that very day, with you. And that makes you, Uzi Doorman, are the greatest present I ever gotten for my birthday.”

Uzi believed that if her cheeks would burn any brighter, they’d melt right off. “Oh, I, you, I mean, ….oh, my…”

N let out a laugh. “Seems I have got you flustered, Uzi?”

She jumped off his lap and turned away from him. Something was building up deep inside her core. A warmth and happiness that made her tingle all over her body. She tried to push it down. “N-no! I just…you’re being….”

Oh, what the hell. Just give in, Uzi Doorman.

Uzi buried her burning face in her hands and let out a loud squeal of delight, jumping up and down like an excited child. She couldn’t stop giggling. And every time she thought it was going to stop, she’d look at N and his bright, amused smile and she’d start giggling again, her cheeks blushing bright and leaving her flustered. She suddenly turned on her heels and ran up to N, jumping up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. She planted her lips firmly on his, kissing him as hard as her tiny frame could allow.

Once they finally pulled apart, a dizzy Uzi rested her chin on N’s shoulder, trying to catch her breath.

“I guess – whew…” N began, stroking Uzi’s back. “You liked what I said.”

Uzi giggled and planted a few kisses on his cheek. “Shut up…lovable idiot.”

“So, that’s a ‘yes’.” N adjusted his grip, making sure Uzi was completely secure in his embrace. He deployed his wings and winked at Uzi. “You ready?”

Uzi wrapped her arms around N’s neck, nuzzling against his cheek – reveling in the fact that she made him blush. “Always.”

Uzi whooped as N took off and flew up high in the sky, both of them laughing as N did a few daring tricks. As they were flying back to the bunker, Uzi sighed contently as she enjoyed the sigh of the clouds drifting underneath them. And as she looked up at N, she realized something as well.

N was her greatest gift at well.

…

Maybe she could get Lizzy help her take that picture, if she swore never to tell anyone. She’d figure it out later.

Right now, she was with N.

And that was enough for now.

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

His music

IMO: Carmy is a totally focus music guy, even classic and jazz. Mostly instrumental, maybe fully instrumental, even. Ambient music. He’s a weirdo who can totally pass for a hipster, musically speaking.

He doesn't go with the flow, he doesn't GAF about what's hot right now, he didn't stick to the music he grew up listening to. He listens to music that helps him relax or maintain the hyperfocus he has no trouble achieving when cooking. In other words, remain in "the zone" as long as possible.

He doesn't wanna have fun with music, he doesn't care about what's hot right now, or who's trendy. He's a machine and listens to music that helps him maintain that high level of overachievement he's used to. He knows who Queen B is, for instance, but he couldn't even sing along any of her songs. Now, trance music, deep focus music, he knows all about that... ask him and he'll tell you, otherwise he will never bring up the subject because he doesn't "talk" about music or necessarily enjoy it, it's not entertainment for him, it's a necessary tool for him, another resource that serves his purpose and his purpose has nothing to do with amusement and enjoyment.

Not to mention his psychological profile, his baseline - which only reinforces this.

Now this may change moving forward, sure. And it'd be soooo interesting to see his evolution also through how his musical taste changes (I think Sydney will play a role in that musical evolution, actually because she's all about the opposite: Multifocus, she's totally in sync with what's hot right now in the music industry and listens to a whole variety of genres and artists, which I think will rub onto him eventually). However, as of right now, he's a focus-jazz-trance-study-instrumental music kinda guy.

You don’t get this level of alienation listening to Billboard’s top 10.

And I also think that after Michael's passing, it pains him to listen to music that might remind him of him, which would be things like rock and pop and stuff Richie would listen to. Carmy would probably listen to that every blue moon only for a little while, even enjoy it for a moment, till the pain becomes unbearable and then he'd be back to his own music, his safe music.