tealeavesandthorns

[tealeavesandthorns]

an unexpected arrival. (A PROMPT LIST!)

so a lovely anonymous angel asked for a list of prompts relating to an unexpected pregnancy, and i made a list! i have two other lists over on my other blog that i'm gonna reblog over here, but there may be some slight overlap with these; however, unlike the other two lists, these focus exclusively on the unexpected part. DON'T ADD TO THIS LIST, DON'T CLAIM IT AS YOUR OWN! but do have a tonne of fun with them!

" so, remember last week, when i had the flu and i couldn't leave my house? turns out it wasn't the flu. i'm pregnant. "

" i'm telling you about this baby because you deserve to know. that's all. i don't expect anything from you. i don't need you to step up or whatever. i just thought you ought to know. "

" i'm sure you don't need to be reminded, but... getting pregnant wasn't exactly part of the whole life plan. "

" you're sure? i mean, you did the test properly? maybe it was a false positive. or, or maybe you didn't read the results right... "

" a baby... well. that certainly complicates things, doesn't it? "

" i don't even know if i want kids. "

" could you please just stop reminding me that this isn't part of the plan?! you think i don't know that?! we're having a baby, i'm terrified enough without you reminding me! "

" look. i'm/you're not the first person to get pregnant, and i/you won't be the last. we're gonna figure it out, alright? "

" my place isn't even close to being big enough for a baby... they need so much stuff. cribs, prams, diaper stations... and my neighbors complain enough as it is, they'll evict me if i have a screaming baby as well... "

" hey... why don't you move in with me? i've got plenty of space, and my walls are thick, so the baby could scream as loud as they want. you could stay as long as you like. "

" should... we get married? i mean, that's what you do, isn't it? when someone's having a baby? "

" okay, we're not getting married. i mean, i appreciate the gesture, but... there's plenty of single parents out there. what's one more, right? "

" god... we are so stupid. i mean, seriously! any idiot knows that condoms aren't 100% effective! if we're dumb enough to forget that, how are we meant to look after a baby?! "

" you... you're kidding, right? this is a joke? it's a fake pregnancy test, some weird, slightly out of touch belated april fool's prank? "

" it's honestly insane that we didn't figure it out sooner... i mean, those were some wild cravings, right? "

" when you say late... do you mean like, a few days? or are we talking... months? "

" no, no, this... it changes everything. EVERYTHING. i... i don't know if i'm ready for this, i don't think i'm parent material, i... "

" hey. you're not alone. you got that? it takes a village, right? i'm gonna help you every step of the way. we all will. this kid, if you choose to go through with it... they'd be okay. "

" you know i support you. whatever choice you end up making. i will always be by your side. okay? "

" if this is some weird idea of a joke, i have to tell you, it's not funny. i mean, you're having a baby AND i'm somehow the dad? a little much, no? "

" no, i want to step up. it took two of us to make this baby, and i want to make sure you know that, if you go ahead with this, there's gonna be two of us to raise them, too. "

" the father doesn't believe that the baby is his. "

" okay. so screw the father. i'm going to be here to help you. okay? we'll parent this kid so well, they'll never want to know who their real dad is. "

" so... you wanna tell me who the father is? "

" the surprise baby is actually not just one baby. we're having twins/triplets/etc. "

" hey, hey... don't worry, okay? it's alright. it's all going to be okay. condoms break, yeah? it's no biggie... "

" what do you mean, you think?! haven't you taken a pregnancy test yet? "

" that's a lot of pregnancy books you got there... got something you want to tell me? "

" have you told the father yet? "

" i guess, seeing how you rushed over here so fast to tell me the news, that you think the baby is mine? "

" look, we both made plans, right? and obviously shit happens, but... a baby is a pretty massive deal. "

" how many other people have you told about the pregnancy? "

" what do you want to do? "

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Mini strawberry tartlets

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Rachel Weisz as Hypatia in Agora (2009)

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Cheesy Pepperoni Stromboli

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I just had a vision.

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#there was probably dialogue but honestly who cares

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Would you ever write a novel about Maria?

Would you ever questions for writers @dontcxckitup

//Thank youuuuuu again

I've considered it. She's a main character in several novel length fanfictions.

I don't know though. I think Maria for RP or in fanfic because she slots into these worlds, she's sort of ordinary in a lot of spaces. She's a bit pliable and molds to the world you put her in.

I don't know if she'd work on her own in a novel.

I have written a novel though, just not with Maria in it. Although the main character definitely has a little bit of Maria influence. It's a swashbuckling adventure with magic and vampires and werewolves and all sorts of mythological creatures.

I really need to finish the sequel to it and get it released.

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Would you ever write a muse that is cruel and the complete opposite of yourself?

Would you ever writing questions meme - @dontcxckitup

//*whispers ominously* there's darkness in all of us

No, but for real, yes and no. I think it depends on the character.

I can write cruelty and nastiness (unless it's with animals) but I really feel like the character needs to be really robust, and to RP them there would have to be interest. I think villains are really hard to write on Tumblr because it's almost like..... Where do they fit in.

You can only go so far before they start to become humanised and you can begin to understand them. And by that I mean understand why they do the things they do or how their brain works and the point of villains in fiction generally is for them to be defeated, for our heroes to triumph. They're terrifying in glimpses and small moments but when you start to see into their heads they become just.... people. Once you understand them it, well for me anyway, takes the fear out of them a bit.

Evil/dark Maria for example is a mess who loves blood and pain and hurting people, she's selfish, only out for herself. She wants to be the right hand to the devil rather than the actual devil because if she's the right hand she can switch sides if needed.

Understanding her takes the bite out of her somewhat though. For me anyway....

I also REALLY like campy, monologuing panto villains. I like them unrealistic because this is an escape. So even if I do play a villain or someone cruel they're so ott.

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She knew she was holding on too long, she knew it, but for a second things felt.... normal. She didn't feel so alone. The joke brought her back, the little smile tugging at her lips reminding her that Gabriel was just a man who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was probably here out of guilt.

She pulled back wiping her eyes and muttering an apology to him.

"I did tell them I didn't have any family and they'd already let me contact work." She admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't believe your here, that you came back. Let alone that you brought me flowers. Roses are my favourites, well second favourites." She said.

"You don't have-" Maria started but distress welled up inside her, eyes filling as she tried to shake away the feeling of fear that coiled inside her. "Thank you Gabriel." She said sincerely.

"Could you drive me home? I ah- I really don't fancy getting a cab back to my apartment." She admitted quietly, because she was scared, scared of getting into a car and it not actually being a cab driver. "You can walk next to me." Maria said attempting a little light humour of her own.

Before he could even open his mouth, Maria was in his arms. For a moment, he just froze. Like he didn't know what to do with it. With her. Her arms around him. Her face tucked into the crook of his neck like she belonged there.

"Careful," he murmured against her hair, his voice low and quiet. He held her back just as carefully. One arm wrapping around her waist like she might break again if he moved too fast. The other still gripped the bouquet. "The nurses'll scold me if they see you squeezing your emotional support idiot too tight," he said in an effort to bring lightness to the moment. The kind he was too good at.

When she finally pulled back, he took a half step just to look at her properly. It was good to see the color back on her cheeks.

"I, uh… I wasn't sure you'd want to see me," he admitted. "I've been coming every day. But they wouldn't let me in. ‘Friends and family only,’” he added, mimicking the front desk nurse's voice with a dramatic eye roll.

Then, more softly, he held out the flowers.

"Oh yeah, I got you these. They're not great, but… they were the second prettiest at the shop." His attempt at humour was self-deprecating, but there was something earnest in it. "I hope you're not allergic to roses. I didn't think about that before buying them but hey, bright side, we're still at the hospital."

He gave a crooked smile and rubbed the back of his neck, maybe the balloons that said ‘Get Well Soon’ in Comic Sans would have been more appropriate...

"Come on. Let's get you home, yeah?" He added after a second. "I'll hang back, or wait outside, whatever you need. Just… figured maybe it'd be easier if you didn't have to go back in alone."

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Maria was trying not to hover, trying not to be overbearing so she didn't offer an arm but she did walk slowly down the corridor. She was in her head again, she'd thought coming here would be different. It was the place she felt safest, home, the place she felt she belonged. Her mother had just made her feel so out of place though, like she couldn't trust her own feelings.

She had told her mother and father about what she'd been through. What was it going to take for them to trust Gareth? Maria stopped at the bags at the bottom of the stairs and turned to look at Gareth.

"I'm sorry, about her. I'll talk to her again, if she won't treat you-" Maria stopped. "We'll go somewhere else or I'll get them to stay out of our way."

She picked up the bags and started up the stairs but then stopped. "I told her everything, well not everything but I told her about the misunderstanding, I told her about you saving my life. I feel like all I'm doing at the moment is causing you hurt. I'm so sorry, let's get you to bed."

Gareth’s smile faltered the second Maria’s mother spoke up. His gaze shifted over to meet hers, and for a long moment they were just staring at each other. He nearly missed Maria’s admission. He lifted the cup to his lips again and drank the rest of his tea, not letting Trudy out of his sight. Her mother really did hate him, and she didn’t make it a secret. After such a long time, though, he had thought all bad feelings had vanished – or at least subsided. But no, Trudy was proving him wrong.

Gareth set the cup down on the table and gave Maria a side-glance, offering the faintest of smiles. “Some sleep would be nice,” he agreed, and barely a moment later he was already pushing the chair back. Every move once again calculated as he stood up. Hand gripping the edge of the table. “Thank you for the tea.” Purposefully looking at Maria’s father instead of her mother. This was going to be a silent war…

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five songs i've had on repeat lately

tagged by: @insidemyblood

This Hell - Rina Sawayama

Into You - Ariana Grande

St Elmo's Fire - John Parr

Nothing's Gunna Stop Us Now - Starship

Stayin' Alive - Avu-chan

tagging: everyone who wants to do it!

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Maria was trying to keep calm, trying to keep cool but panic was bubbling in her chest as the man gestured wildly in Italian. Just like that they'd lost sight of the ambulance.

"We need to move." Maria said, watching the man as he continued to gesture wildly but at very least moved his car. Her voice was barely there, the break in talking, the shouting for Gareth had made everything worse. She put a hand to her throat, the skin was swollen, welts where Sanderson's fingers had been had appeared.

She went to speak and then stopped herself, because she wasn't even sure what she'd say at this point. She was too in her head. If she'd just not reacted the way she had to that stupid comment about her not being his wife, if she'd just kept her emotions in check this never would have happened. It was her fault. It was her fault and Gareth was suffering now because of her. She had no idea how he was going to cope. No painkillers, he wouldn't take them, just grit his teeth and take it.

The hospital appeared on the horizon but the ambulance bay was eerily empty of the commotion she'd have expected given the entourage that had followed Gareth there. Maybe they'd beat them? Maybe they'd just managed a short cut and got there first but Maria doubted it.

James was driving as fast as possible in those narrow streets, gaze fixated on the ambulance in front of them – well, until it wasn’t. One moment it was there, the next he seemed to have lost it. A deep frown furrowed his brow, and he turned left, believing he had seen the bright colours. The next moment, however, he was stepping on the brakes. The car came to an abrupt halt. Someone had driven right in front of them, stopping their car as well. Though no threat seemed to come from the driver; in fact, he was just cursing in Italian, gesturing wildly. Still, something seemed off about him. He just couldn’t pinpoint it.

Gareth hated this. Everything about it. Not being able to touch Maria or be with her; being forced into that ambulance; people looking down at him. It reminded him of the time in Northern Ireland… And when one of the medics came with a syringe, he quickly shook his head. Painkillers. He was more scared of those than anything else, really. “No…” he tried to slap the hand away. “I don’t want—" “Oh, don’t worry.” The medic smiled down at Gareth. “It’s not for the pain.”

And when the needle pierced through his skin, Gareth realised – this was not an ordinary ambulance. They weren’t giving him anything for the pain. No. He tried to sit up, tried to fight against it, but the agent sitting next to him pushed him down with all his force, and Gareth could have sworn he heard a cracking noise from his ribs as the air was pushed out of his lungs.