thequeensxgambit

[thequeensxgambit]

lavenderrpages​:

    lemonade was  “ perfect.”  as her green eyes had already LOCKED on the stand at first exposure. the FRESHLY squeezed sign had her saliva glands already working up a mess of a craving. stepping over to the side, gemma placed an order for two lemonades. her craving would be rewarded refreshingly.  “ i’ll grab some extra napkins too.”  chin turned back to leon. gemma was always one to prepare in situations. it calmed her nerves. they’d been bundling all day. at first it was excitement, but now it felt more knotted.. standing beside leon like an adolescent with a silly crush. sliding her card back into her wallet, gemma took an unnoticeable breath. it was FUNNY how happiness, and bliss could rattle you in such a way. had she been THAT jostled by her slipped label of ‘ friend ? ’ 

    at glance at leon was enough to ease that overthought. she hadn’t wanted him to be redirected in a friend zone, though, gemma knew she’d be content. all that mattered was her thankfulness for meeting him. he wasn’t taken for granted. “  living in the city is great..and all, but this is really special, leon.”  still gushing.  “ every now and then i’d look out my apartment window and see someone set free balloons… but never ones at this capacity.. you know.. more so the plastic mylar ones that said CONGRATS, IT’S A BOY, or HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ” gemma laughed brightly. “ have you seen something like this before ? or do i get to hold the honor too ? ” 

it was always relaxing to subconsciously experience how they worked in sync. from what they’d discussed and done so far, they shared common values and feelings about topics big and small. on their evenings out, they would laugh at the world around them and the words that the other spoke. leon had his own share of friends, but it felt like so long since he’d connected with someone like this. “good idea.” he remarked, turning his head to the side to look at her standing in line for the lemonade. he couldn’t have stopped the smile if he tried. she was a beautiful woman, and a very kind woman. he felt lucky regardless of where the night or any thursday afterwards went — she was just a good person. 

when gemma spoke about the city, leon’s attention perked up even more. it was a lifestyle and pace of living that he’d put behind him, but he was always interested in hearing her experiences. “have i seen a ‘it’s a boy’ balloon?” he teased with a boyish grin. “i’ve seen hot air balloons but never up close like this. when i was a boy, my dad would take me up onto this hill in the summer, and we’d watch them drift by in the distance.” he explained as he glanced up at the fast food server. “but no... not really as an adult and not actually seeing them lift off.” it was a new experience, and he was excited. when the server spoke again, he glanced up and grinned at the two cardboard boxes being held out. taking them, he turned to her again. “i think this is shaping up to be my favourite night with you yet.”

[thequeensxgambit]

lilacwiine​:

there was a difference, looking back. tansy had initially just been being whoever she thought that delilah might want. that was all part of getting someone to keep her around. however, they’d spent too much time together for her to ever keep something like that up. it was almost a relief to know the other woman had noticed. “things are different to how they were before,” she agreed quietly, nodding. she exhaled softly, trying to think of how best to put her thoughts across. “i want to be here.” that was the easy part. “i’m not going to say that i don’t like the stuff or that i don’t care for it. i do. it makes me feel good… but it’s also you that makes me feel good.” she licked her lips — she had to be brave about this, delilah was hinting at something and she didn’t want to lose it. “i like being around you. i like it when we do stuff and i like it when we do nothing at all, i just like being with you.”

delilah had never tried to convince herself that things hadn’t changed since they met. surely, that was just the consequence of the passage of time. two people who spent time in each other’s lives and minds had to grow closer, or some level of emotion had to rise whether that was love, lust, hatred, frustration or any manner of feelings. but, this had still always been about a service. delilah had the money and the goods, and tansy was wonderful company. yet, delilah gifted tansy for her time with her. but delilah listened to the younger woman quietly, keeping her gaze open and soft. she did like tansy more than anyone else. she was attracted to her strongly, and she was always looking for new ways to treat her. the job had never required creativity and happiness... that was all them. “so... what you’re saying is...” now delilah was smirking a little as she shuffled closer until their knees bumped. she wanted tansy to come out with it. she wanted her to admit it because something in her mind still worried. “do you want me to dedicate all my time to you? give you more than i’m giving you right now.... in a different way?”

[thequeensxgambit]

devilxwithin​:

brows furrowed in slight confusion but also curiosity as her eyes then squinted a little. “yeeeah….?” then fell slowly from her lips, wondering where this conversation was heading. when rayah finally admitted the truth, keegan couldn’t stop the look of surprise that immediately took over her features. she was definitely not expecting that. “wait, hold on, what!?” she was definitely flabbergasted by this news. “okay, but…” her face scrunching up as her head began to shake. “why were you so embarrassed? a failed date is hardly something to be ashamed of. just means that you haven’t found the right person yet,” shoulders lifting in a shrug. “no,” keegan let out quickly in response. “you’re definitely not a loser,” she reassured. “the moron that stood you up and ghosted you though is an absolute idiot.”

the more that keegan asked why she was embarrassed, the more embarrassed rayah felt. she knew that people got stood up all the time (unfortunately), and she wasn’t the first or last woman to feel like a fool in a public place, but the fact she’d been covering up... that made her feel bad. “look, it’s not that i’m a rush to find the perfect person, but it gets lonely... and i thought i liked them, but i think i just wanted someone to look at me like they really like me...” she knew it was almost pitiful to be wanted so badly, but she couldn’t help it. besides, it had helped her keep her mind off keegan in the beginning. how long ago even was the beginning? shuffling closer, she thumped her cheek against keegan’s shoulder and stared straight ahead. “i appreciate you calling them an idiot though. that’s sweet. i’m the idiot though for making it up. how pathetic.” she laughed to herself again, a little more genuinely this time. it was almost funny. “i just want someone to look at me like the rest of the world goes pale when i’m in a room, y’know? is that silly? be really honest.”

[thequeensxgambit]

canthelps​:

nora gave up trying to argue, anybody would be stupid to turn down a lift home when the alternative was the tube at rush hour. “you know, im sure if you do a little searching there will be other ones that are similar, you dont need to be able to recite the podcast to be a good mum” she continued, smiling up at her wife as she did. she loved how excited elliot was about the baby. for years nora had been under the impression that elliot didn’t want kids, and nora was happy either way, but once her wife came and asked her so softly, so vulnerably if they could have a baby, nora couldn’t say no to her. “a little sore” nora admitted as she climbed into the car, sighing in relief as the weight was taken off her feet. “will you have a bath with me or is it a just me situation tonight?” she asked, hand squeezing elliot’s leg as she got in next to her. “i’m sure your muscles also need some relaxing”

“i don’t need to recite the podcast, but if one day there’s a scenario similar to one i’ve heard about and i’m like ‘oh’ then i’ll be grateful.” elliot replied, full conviction in her voice. the truth was that elliot had doubted her ability to be a parent for a long time. sure, podcasts weren’t going to turn her into ‘mother of the year’ but she knew it was more than her pathetic excuses for parents had ever done. if she could just have a shred of the knowledge or ability of the parents she listened to then she’d be ok. maybe she was driven by her own concern, but she was absolutely certain she wanted to be a parent with nora. her stunningly intelligent and attractive wife. elliot stayed on the passenger side until nora was comfortable in the vehicle before heading to the driver’s seat and turning her keys in the ignition. “do you want me to have a bath with you? my legs always get a bit jammed, and i don’t want to steal your space to relax. i could sit in there with you?’ she suggested, taking the hand on her leg and raising it to her lips before setting it back in its place. she truly couldn’t put into words how excited and grateful she was. she’d never imagined it but now it was happening... she was on top of the world. “and don’t worry about my muscles...” she told her as she glanced over her shoulder and eased out into the line of traffic. “you know my muscles are always fine.”

[thequeensxgambit]

lavenderrpages​:

“ oh, well.”  gemma interrupted leon’s kind hearted reliever to her claiming to be annoying. “ you’re biased.”  free hand waved in the air just to reel in to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear. the wind was gentle, but moving. it was seemingly PERFECT for the air balloons. “ defending whatever good qualities i have just makes you a great friend.”  friend. teeth caught the last consonant on her lip. her lips were a nude pink, plump with the toxin the word FRIEND possessed.  gemma’s crush had grown over the last month and a half. it was difficult to stop the fuzzy development when leon was such a great guy. gemma couldn’t recall the last time she actually smiled so much. there was no expectation from leon. they just coexisted. it was refreshing, and rejuvenating. 

    cheeks burning under the soon-to-be-filled sky, gemma twisted her thoughts to the list of food written on chalk around them. there were TOO many options. too many that collected a pool of craving inside of her mouth. “ dirty fries sound.. too good to pass up. let’s make that two ? ”  her cheek nudged into the side of his arm momentarily. she’d look around collecting the sight of her surroundings, still in complete AWE.  “ will you let me buy us a drink ? ”  gemma liked acts of giving, and with leon picking the food up - it only felt fair. “ please.”

biased? never. leon was won over by her enthusiasm and her lust for life. the jokes. the way she smiled so widely. it was as if she was truly living in the moment and taking in everything around her, and he respected that a lot. it was so easy to let life pass you by, but gemma always seemed like she was really in it. “defending your abundance of great qualities just makes me an honest observer.” he corrected, watching her speak with genuine interest in his dark eyes. great friend. that was pretty great he supposed. if it meant he got to spend time with her and do things like this then he’d just roll with it, and maybe he was leaping into his feelings too fast, but when she’d come along... everything had just felt a little bit brighter — although he often told himself that was cheesy. however, that didn’t mean it wasn’t real.  “two dirty fries it is.” he confirmed, glancing so willingly back at her as she nudged against him. he was a big man so the pressure she put against him was minimal, but it was comforting and pleasant. warm. stepping forward, he looked up at one of the food servers just as she spoke. “a drink? that’d be nice. feel like something refreshing. maybe a lemonade?” turning his head back to the cook, he grinned wide and ordered — never failing to slip in a comment about how he hoped the fries were more ‘dirty’ than ‘sloppy’ so he didn’t make a fool of himself in front of her. 

[thequeensxgambit]

devilxwithin​:

fingertips continued to tap it’s anxious rhythm against her leg while her thoughts raced antagonizing fast through her mind as they immediately went back to the current predicament they were in, and all the possibilities of what could happen, especially the main concern of just how long they might actually be stuck in this hell for. however, the one saving grace in all of this was beth. her voice instantly cutting through the panic attack that was rapidly creeping up on her, though that was something dallas was going to deny for as long as she possibly could, which was why she allowed the next thing she said to fall harshly without much thought. “yeah, keep fucking repeating that over and over to yourself and it might just become believable,” instant regret then overwhelmed her as her lips pressed firmly together while she breathed in deeply through her nose and held it for a moment. eventually she parted them slightly as she slowly blew it out. “sorry, i…” she didn’t know why she was apologizing, but she felt she had to. “it’s just… it’s hard to think differently when you’ve been thinking one way for so long,” shoulders lifting in a shrug. it was true though, dallas truly believed that she was just a waste of time to people, and still to this day no one has been able to change her mind. not that anyone had put much effort into doing so anyway. so could you really blame her for thinking the way she did. upon hearing beth say that she fucked up, dallas did everything in her power to not bite on that and agree with her, because they both knew that it was true. so instead she slipped her lower lip between her teeth and bit down. nodding her head, she let out a breathy laugh. “hopefully,” she spoke in regards to the comment about someone already attempting to fix the elevator. “i don’t hate you,” not missing a beat, but then allowing a small silence to surround them as her eyes stayed locked staring into the other woman’s ones for a moment before they lowered to beth’s lips for a split second, glancing away just as fast as they had landed while her head quickly shook. “let’s go with strongly dislike for now… but i could never hate you.” her feelings for beth were a lot stronger than even she realized herself.

beth didn’t flinch as dallas’ pointed tone hit her ears. it filled her with another wave of shame to hear the pain in the other woman’s voice, but what could she really do now? maybe if she keep repeating it then it might actually mean something to both of them. but then she also saw the regret, and she knew that was as misplaced as any grovelling she could do. while beth had everything to feel guilty for, dallas had nothing to apologise for. she’d done no wrong. she was lovely. “firstly, i don’t want you to apologise to me... or anyone that doesn’t deserve your sorries.” she almost whispered, her voice quiet between them while the space seemed to press in. it was like the walls were listening. “secondly, i really am fucking sorry that i’m part of the problem. that you don’t see yourself as.... well as amazing as you are, dallas.” a quiet couch escaped her, and she averted her eyes so she didn’t seem too full-on. maybe she was overstepping, but right now, all she wanted to do was be there for her... to support her when she’d failed before. because beth couldn’t promise that someone knew they were stuck in here. she couldn’t promise anything about the future they had in this elevator, but she could try and be there in the present. “well, fine. i’ll hate me for what i did, and you can stick with strongly dislike.” without thinking, she wet her lips with her tongue and glanced at the spot next to dallas. she wanted to help. “could i sit next to you? or i can sit in that corner and face the wall?” she let out a breathy laugh and dipped her head. she didn’t think she’d have been so happy to see her. that beautiful face. sweet eyes... but now full of worry. “do you need a drink of water? i have some in my backpack.” she asked, already reaching for the bag.

[thequeensxgambit]

lavenderrpages​:

      all of the speckled colors bubbling over the lush green field kept gemma content. she never knew that such a scene could bring her SO much happiness. she was swaddled. still beaming, her arm linked to leon’s, she placed her other hand on his linked arm and gave it a tender squeeze. it was amazing. surely this picturesque scene couldn’t be topped. “ where do we even go from here ?? ”  gemma spoke her thought out loud. “ thursday’s can only go down hill after this.”  true. leon set the bar HIGH. soon they’d watch balloon pilots set to the air above them on a whimsical journey. “ maybe ? be more certain of me.”  green eyes were already glazing over the open areas trying to figure which would be best of them. she’d have her reasoning. - by the looks, any spot seemed perfect. “ snacks first ? ” chin lifted slightly to look up at leon. it seemed more rational to grab what they needed before lift off. like a craving while watching a film, it only felt right. “ i’m never going to get over this. it’s insanely cool. - and i know.. i’m being annoying about it, but leon you really nailed it. i can’t EVER move again.”  the brunette chuckled with her ecstatic dramatics. 

leon wasn’t sure that he’d ever thought so much about evenings out before he’d met gemma. sure, he’d been on dates, and he’d made nice gestures, but he’d been thinking hard about new things he could show the woman every week. he wanted her to find this place exciting. he wanted her to find him exciting. “not necessarily.” he remarked with a smile, looking down at her hand on his arm. he was so pleased that she liked it. so so pleased. it was a little unusual, and it definitely didn’t happen every day so maybe it had been a bit of a risk, but from what he could tell, it was paying off wonders. she hadn’t stopped smiling yet after all. “you’re not being annoying about it, and i’d to get you something to eat. if you’d let me.” maybe this was his first sign of shyness but he tried to cover it up by being a bit more confident and steering them toward the fantastic-smelling cluster of food trucks. “if you never shut up about this again then i’d be happy. makes me feel pretty good that i’ve done a great job.” he squeezed her arm against his side with his own bicep. taking in a deep breath, he eyed up the blackboard menus around them. “i’m thinking the vegetarian dirty fries. how about you?”

[thequeensxgambit]

devilxwithin​:

open || * anyone muse || * keegan bradshaw connection || * (best) friend, roommate, crush, etc

“you know you can tell me anything right? no matter what it is.”

it wasn’t that rayah didn’t trust keegan, but there was something in her mind just screaming at her to keep her mouth shut. she’d been keeping up the facade for so long around her roommate that she wasn’t sure how to stop, but now was time. “you know i told you about that person i really liked, and i said it was going really well.” she chewed her lip. “they stood me up on the second date. ghosted me. ditched. so there wasn’t a third, fourth or fifth date. it was barely one.” she dropped her eyes a liittle. “guess i was too embarrassed to say...” or maybe she’d wanted keegan to say something. she wasn’t entirely sure. “what a loser, right?”

[thequeensxgambit]

canthelps​:

drew was aware of the irony of her saying she was ryver’s biggest fan. their fued in the previous years had been legendary, even winning ‘most likely to kill each other’ at their end of year meal when they were second years. now that they were funelling that energy towards each other in a different way, things were going much better between them. “well, I lost my clubcard so it’s quite expensive these days” they explained, grinning cheekily at the blonde. her eyes watched at ryver’s reaction, the slight tinge on her cheeks and the dropped gaze. “yeah i’ll take you on a date. you thinking somewhere nice or nandos?”

that cheeky smile would have sent ryver into a fit of frustration only last year, but now she couldn’t help but return it with a soft smile. some days, it was surreal to the blonde that they were actually here, but things had really changed since they’d first met. ryver had done more growing over the last summer than she’d probably done in her whole teenage years. she was proud of herself. it was much less exhausting to just let go of so much anger and annoyance. she could open up to drew. she could hold onto to that thirst for competition and self improvement without all the rage. also... now they were both succeeding. winning their spots in the boat. leaning over, she ran her finger along drew’s jaw and down the strong line on the side of their neck. “there’s that little italian near gloucester green... always thought it looked pretty.”

[thequeensxgambit]

lilacwiine​:

it was complicated. tansy knew as much from the second things had started to feel different for her. there were definitely ways to make it easier — having a direct conversation with delilah being one of them. however the fear of saying too much of the wrong thing stopped her. even now, with soft lips grazing her skin and the other woman hinting at what she wanted to hear, she didn’t feel like she had the stability to simply just say what she wanted. “you know it’s not an act though, don’t you?” her eyebrows draw in slightly, delilah gave her too much credit if she thought that she was that good of an actress. “i mean… sure, maybe at the start things maybe weren’t as genuine but you really don’t think i want to be here?”

“i know it’s not an act. i’ve got to know you quite well over the last... well, it must be almost a year now. and i think i can see the difference between genuine emotion and performance.” she smiled slowly and pressed her lips against tansy’s fingertips this time. “or at least i’d like to think so. a judge of character and all that... and how it was when we first starting ‘talking’ and how it is now.” it was different. delilah had sensed changes every now and then. the way they glanced. touched. spoke. but still, there was a service shared between them. delilah paid for tansy’s company. “tell me if you want to be here, sweetheart. and if you do want to be here... is it because i buy you lovely things? because we go to luxury hotels? or is it because of something else? because that we would really have to talk about... and i’d have to make changes. i’d want to make changes.”

[thequeensxgambit]

mversefunhouse​:

Lauren had given up on socks a long time ago. Wet feet were more bearable when they were bare –skin did dry a lot faster than cotton. Tack on to that, they didn’t necessarily have the means to wash more than themselves, and that was on a good day. “Does anyone ever regret camping after the first few days?” She was joking, but her tone implied that there was a correct answer hidden in there. Yes, there was regret…but there were also perks too. Who could say they got the opportunity to shirk adulthood for a month or two to fart around with a good friend? “If I was stuck here with anyone else, I’d have braved the risk of murder and hitchhiked my way back by now.” 

Beth shrugged her shoulders in response to the loaded question. Did she regret it? No was the simple answer. For too long, she’d felt stir crazy. Stuck in the same mundane hamster wheel of life with the desire to take the scary step off... and here they were. Living proof that sometimes chasing your ‘dreams’ came with seemingly constant downpours and questioning. She turned her head and looked up at the other from her spot on the footstep. She felt somewhat lucky that Lauren had agreed to embark on this ‘journey’ with her. She’d been eager to leave, but there was something daunting about escaping alone. Not to mention risky. “Please. If you want to run then let me take you back... no hitchhiking.” She wiggled her finger playfully in Lauren’s direction then leant back against the open door. “Although you’re super attraction, so you’d be picked up in a snap. I’d be jabbing my thumb at traffic for days.” She laughed at her own bad joke before smoothing her hair back. “Do you wanna go back?”

[thequeensxgambit]

(requested by anon)

[thequeensxgambit]

lilacwiine​:

tansy’s upset was entirely genuine however she was definitely playing it up more than necessary. that meant delilah’s being reasonable just made her sigh. “it’s not about believing it, it’s about feeling it,” she insisted. it wasn’t like she handed explored other options herself. however, she’d been taken aback by how bothered by how she was of thinking about delilah acting the way she did with her with anyone else. “maybe.” she pulled her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before reaching for the hand offered out. “has anything changed between us since? i’d thought so but if i’m wrong i’d prefer knowing sooner rather than later.”

delilah knew that her need for company had started out as some kind of vice, but since tansy had come into her life, it had definitely felt like more of a virtue. sometimes she felt like she burdened the weight of the world on her shoulders, but the other brought her back down with a touch. a few words. a warm hand. but that was their agreement wasn’t it? tansy was there for her because delilah opted for the service. softly, she squeezed her fingers around tansy’s hand. “i think things have grown. got better.” her voice was soft and delicate as she lifted the young woman’s hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. “i can’t be the fool that falls for someone because i tell myself this isn’t all an act and it turns out it’s... not real. am i making sense?”

[thequeensxgambit]

canthelps​:

“wow, and here i was thinking you were my biggest fan” drew replied sarcastically, a smug little smile on their face as she kept her eyes closed. it was amazing how quickly things had changed between them. one drunken kiss in a club on sports night and here they were a few weeks later having a morning cuddle. drew was willing to bet the rest of their team wished they had started hooking up earlier, if only to stop the constant bickering. “what kind of lunch? i’ll buy you a tesco meal deal” they joked “or do you want me to take you on an actual date?”

“biggest fan?” ryver remarked with a bark of laughter, acknowledging the expression on drew’s attractive face. the smug little smile they wore so well. the rowers had practically come to blows on a regular basis in the early days. it had been ongoing for years. the bickering. bitching. sharp tongues. what had fuelled it? ryver had never really put her finger on it, but she knew that her own insecurities were largely to blame. until the previous summer, she’d never taken herself or her goals seriously. but she’d worked on herself. worked on her body. and then worked her way into drew’s bed. “a tesco meal deal? is that what you think i’m worth?” ryver mumbled, giving the brunette a squeeze. “i...” a random flash of shyness. an emotion ryver had rarely experienced. “i think a date could be fun, but, like, only if you think so too.”

[thequeensxgambit]

wildinvite​:

synopsis. plot in source.

this wasn’t the smartest decision she could have made, but zelda has always been one to think with her heart rather than her head. it’s been around a month or so since she’d first fled her home and though a life on the run isn’t exactly fit for a damn princess ( the small bruises they’ve somehow managed to accumulate on the journey was proof enough of that ), at least she’s made a friend… if that’s what they are. after sparing glances in the other’s direction on and off for the last ten minutes, they finally gather the courage to stand and make their way over with a hesitant smile. “is there anything i can help with?”

rayah had to admit that she was still quite amused by their new ‘gang member’. it wasn’t like they had much out here in the ‘wilderness’, but those she kept in her company were loyal and strong and determined. she respected that, and it certainly made her feel better about her position. but zelda was different, or at least they seemed different. “you think i’m gonna put you to work?” she asked with a grin, stooping down to check the bags at her feet. funnily enough, the stories she’d heard about outlaws growing up had involved a lot less emphasis on inventory. staying in a crouch position, she braced her elbows on her thighs and looked up at zelda. “what would you say you’re good at? then we’ll see if you can help. can’t have you lounging around looking good all day, right?”

[thequeensxgambit]

open to f/nb connection: partner/friends with hidden feelings/childhood best friends/flirtationship/practical strangers. beth and your muse dropped everything and headed out in beth’s van two months ago.

beth scrunched her nose up as she peered out from under the dripping awning. how long had it been raining for now? hours? days? weeks? all the socks she owned were wet. the hot water tank was on the blink. their new camping ground definitely had some questionable facilities... and people. “do you regret it yet?” beth asked softly as she sat down on the van’s step, hiding the sincerity in her tone with a laugh. had she forced them to come? she’d always worried about that a little. she just wanted to find adventure. see the country they lived in every day. “i’d probably be sick of me...”

[thequeensxgambit]

open to f/nb based on this plot but add a touch of gay

kora hadn’t expected for the extra pair of shoes that now resided next to the creaky front door to be missing this early in the day. she’d only just pulled up to the ranch and stepped inside to fill up her water bottle in the rustic kitchen, but their new resident was already up and awake and apparently wandering the ranch. with a faint trace on a bemused smile on her lips, the ranch hand headed out into the yard and already warm morning air. “well now... didn’t take you for an early riser. you trying to prove me wrong? or are you sleepwalking?”