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forbidden-forest-witch · 1 year

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Destiné à Être: A Remus Lupin story

Chapter 7: The Other French Girl

I love this chapter. Things start to heat up 🔥. Enjoy loves!

(Warnings: Smoking, drinking, language, sexual themes. 18+ only)

Word Count: 5k

...

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to just love and to be loved in return" - David Bowie

"... You should've seen the poor bloke", Sirius continues as he sips on his fifth whiskey. He and Remus have been passing the weekend by entertaining Brigitte with stories about their Hogwarts days and the mischief they caused, including how their group of friends followed Remus during the full moons to investigate why he kept disappearing.

Sirius sits on the sofa beside Remus, with Brigitte sitting on a cushion in front of the fire.

"... He'd leave like clockwork every month with some lame excuse", Sirius continues, "like we were bloody idiots! It wasn't difficult to piece together what was up. Ya can only get a cold so many times before people catch on".

"It was hard to keep making excuses with you and James being so damn nosy. Y' all cornered me and practically forced it out of me". Remus looks at Sirius accusingly through the corner of his eye and takes a gulp of his drink. Brigitte chortles, grimacing sympathetically at the irked werewolf.

"Oh, don't act like you weren't relieved", Sirius rebuttals. "We started trying to become Animagi for our cute furry friend after that. I read werewolves don't like to attack animals like they do humans. We finally did it fifth year. Right Moony?".

"Right, Padfoot. I'd spend the full moon night watching a dog and a stag gallop around the bedroom of the Shrieking Shack like hyper morons".

"I had a leaf in my mouth for a month, just for your sorry arse!".

"An I appreciate your sacrifices, my old and nosy friend", Remus says dramatically, placing his hand over his heart.

Brigitte blinks rapidly as she looks between the men. "You mean, you're an Animagus?".

"Oui", Sirius smirks, haughtily straightening out his suit lapels. "Unregistered, so erm, don't go spreading it around".

"No? Oh, that is wonderful news!", Brigitte cheers, confusing the Englishmen. "I was so worried I was going to spill the secret-- or Gus. I haven't told anyone in The Order yet, but if you're an Animagus too then it's no big deal", she babbles on energetically.

"Pardon me, too?", Remus asks dumbfounded.

"She just casually mentions it?", Sirius scoffs.

"I'm impressed, Sirius", Brigitte smirks. "I never could've done it without help. My Maman guided me through it".

"But why?", Remus asks. Brigitte smiles at him endearingly and fidgets in place, "In case something happened and we needed to help my brother Beau and Papa ... in case Maman's wolfsbane didn't work. She taught us separately how to do it the summers we were sixteen", Brigitte explains.

Like Sirius, she knows exactly what it's like to stand by while a loved one painfully transforms. Brigitte saw her brother and father exhausted and beaten up every month, from wrestling each other and themselves. Her mother, Celeste, witnessed the werewolves calm demeanor around animals and successfully preformed the complex spell herself, being bestowed the animagus form of a white wolf.

Remus gazes at Brigitte in awe. She doesn't cease to amaze him every time they speak and it only intensifies the feelings he's trying to ignore. But it feels as if there is a universal force bringing them together. The nervous knot in his stomach twists, but at the same time he feels so calm and steady just being in her presence.

"What's your animagus?", Sirius asks, breaking Remus' trance.

"A polar bear. It's been so long since I've let her out". A distant expression spreads across Brigitte's face when she thinks back to her last transformation. "She's so big, I don't do it often. It's not really easy to blend in or hide, and I despise transforming indoors".

"Damn. And I thought we had to worry about the pyrokinesis", Sirius cackles, but Remus isn't worried at all. He's just imagining how majestic and beautiful she undoubtedly looks in her other form. How, in a perfect world, he'd run around the forests with her as the full moon illuminates their path.

─── . ˚*☆ ☾ ☆*˚ . ───

Britt, I decided I miss you too much, so I'm coming back to The UK! I also got an amazing opportunity to work at the Gringott's Bank in their International department. I've made arrangements to stay with cousins in Knightsbride, but maybe the first couple days with you? I arrive at the train station, next Tuesday at 11am. See you then! XOXO, Fleur Delacour

While freshening up her hair with honeysuckle oil, Brigitte re-reads the note once more to confirm Fleur's arrival time. She dresses in her typical Muggle attire (a t-shirt and high waisted shorts), cleans up the dirty clothes on the floor, and bounces down the stairs. She bypasses Ron and Ginny, who are begrudgingly scrubbing the stairs with soapy rags.

"Good morning", Remus' voice chimes. He's sat at the kitchen table with The Daily Prophet and a cup of coffee, pretending that Brigitte's entrance doesn't make his heartrate increase. He no longer needs to leave the house ridiculously early to avoid her, and he was crazy for ever doing so. Seeing Brigitte's rested, smiling face makes his day.

"It's a great morning! Fleur is finally here, it'll be like having a piece of home— don't tell Gus I said that. I still can't believe she's moving here. I can't help but take some credit, Madame Maxime probably encouraged her to come here with me", Brigitte explains. "I think she'll be a great addition to The Order, I'm sure Moody will have someone at the bank she needs to spy on".

Remus watches as she runs around the kitchen, talking on and on about her friend and mindlessly cleaning like a Muggle so her hands have something to do.

"I look forward to meeting her. I don't have a mission today, so I'll be here", he smiles softly at her, leaning back in his chair with the Daily Prophet haphazardly forgotten on the table.

"Magnifique! I should probably warn you... Fleur isn't famous for great first impressions. She means no harm but sometimes she's ... socially unaware?", Brigitte attempts to stifle a laugh. "I love her but people think she can be a little bitchy. Gus is quite indifferent for her".

"It takes a lot to offend me at this point", Remus says. Brigitte gives him a sympathetic look. "Well I'll shouldn't be too long. Enjoy reading! Lemme know if the Ministry is any closer to catching that Madman Sirius Black!". Brigitte slips on her Vans high tops and runs out the door. Her bubbly disposition leaves a smile to Remus' face long after she leaves, even after he resumes reading false gossip about Sirius and Harry.

⋆˚☽˚⋆

King's Cross station is bustling like always. Hordes of people gather to look at departure times on the big screen, travelers running late sprint to their train with their suitcases dragging behind, and kiosk owners kindly berate passersby about flower bouquets and cheap jewelry.

Brigitte waits in the middle by a bank of red payphones. Fleur's train is set to arrive on time, according to the displayed schedule. Brigitte blends into the crowd, at least, as well as a beautiful witch dressed as Muggle can blend in. Men walking by keep looking her up and down, but Brigitte has mastered her 'resting bitch face' by now.

It's not long before she hears her name being called over the speakers announcing the next trains departing. She turns around and the first thing she sees is Fleur's glowing, silver hair.

"Sissy!".

"Brigitte!", Fleur gasps and the girls wrap their arms around one another in a loving embrace. They jump around in a circle together, excited to be reunited for this unexpected adventure.

"Mon amour! Comment s'est passé le trajet en train?", Brigitte asks. Fleur complains about how crowded the train was and the creepy men she encountered like the one Brigitte just dealt with.

"And I had my things sent to my cousins', so I'll need to buy a dress to wear tomorrow".

"Or borrow one of mine? I want to get some lunch. You can see where I live? Remus and Sirius are home, the Weasleys too", Brigitte tells her discreetly.

"I still cannot believe Maxime let you move in with that man". Fleur shakes her head incredulously.

"He's been nothing but friendly. His friend Remus as well. He's a very nice man ... and a werewolf, so don't stare at his scars when you meet him", Brigitte whisper shouts. She didn't hesitate to tell Fleur about Remus' affliction, for she had been so empathetic about Brigitte's family. Being a Veela comes with its own obstacles in the magical world.

"Say no more, sis", Fleur says as Brigitte pulls them into a deserted ladies restroom, where they Disapparate to Headquarters.

As the afternoon sun leaks through the windows, Sirius finally joins Remus in the drawing room. The unending ruckus of Fred and George setting off firecrackers, and Molly yelling at them makes it impossible to sleep the day away.

"G' morning... afternoon. As if it matters", Sirius mutters, scratching his bare tattooed chest. He's been able to put on a happy front for the most part, but the start of the week always reminds Sirius of his inability to help the Order; it's just another week stuck in this godforsaken house.

"It's a bit early to start the sulking, don't you think? Britt will be back with her friend soon. Molly is making dinner tonight, the whole Weasley bunch will be here and she didn't wake you. Cheer up, Pads", Remus says ruffling the paper.

"I just wish Harry could be here now, Y'know?".

"Me too, but he'll be here before you know it".

"You're right, and it's nice having everyone. Britt fits right in, huh? Sweet gal, beautiful too", Sirius says, smiling mischievously. Remus looks at him suspiciously over the newspaper. "And intimidatingly brilliant. I've never had someone be so understanding regarding my furry little problem. What's your point?".

Sirius looks at him like he is offended by the question. "My point is everything you just said ... I see the way you look at her, Remus. Been a while since you've tried to put on that sweet Moony charm, Hmm? Not that I blame you. Those long legs, that curvy—"

"You can't talk about her like that, Pads. She's our housemate and we work together. It's rude and inappropriate", Remus retorts, going back to his reading. Sirius quietly chuckles.

"Given this a lot of thought? Calm down mate, I'm fucking with you... But, I have seen how she looks at you too. Those big blue, twinkling eyes," Sirius smiles playfully at his blushing friend. "C'mon, Moony. Live a little! Have you even spoken to another available woman in the last decade?".

"Available? Come off it. Like I said, she lives here, and quite frankly neither of us are good enough for her... that is, if we wanted to pursue anything", Remus declares before taking a small book from his pants back pocket. Sirius shakes his head in defeat and sprawls out in the sofa.

Neither of them speak. The only sounds are Remus turning the book pages, the twins joking around instead of cleaning, and the clanking of Molly moving the pots and pans in the kitchen. But then, they hear the unmistakable sound of the front door opening, and two pairs of feet ascending the stairs.

"There you two are! Remus, Sirius... this is Fleur Delacour", Brigitte says, waltzing into the room hand in hand with Fleur. The men stand up to greet the girl, who skeptically examines the place. It's nothing like the Beauxbatons' carriage, nor even the Hogwarts castle that Fleur was never fond of.

"Bonsoir", Fleur quietly says and shakes their hands. "This is where you live now? I cannot imagine?! It looks haunted", she mumbles to Brigitte in French. Sirius, being fluent in the language, glares at her.

"Yes, Fleur. It's not Beauxbâtons but I like it here. And Sirius can speak French, my love".

"Oh! Merci for hosting me", she says, trying to save face.

"Anything for Brigitte", Sirius says dryly.

"Well come on, sissy! I won't spend my first day in London huddled up inside! I want to go shopping, immediately", Fleur exclaims, tugging her arm. Brigitte scrunches up her nose, groaning,

"I promised Mrs. Weasley I'd help with dinner... And I don't really know where the good shopping is. I don't have the money for that". Fleur makes an unsatisfied sound.

Remus chuckles at the impatient French girl. Brigitte was right about her first impressions on people.

"We'll help Molly with dinner. You two enjoy catching up", he offers.

"Ahh, see? Yes, Merci Monsieur! Let's go! I'll even buy you something!", Fleur basically drags Brigitte out of the room. She mouths "thank you" to Remus before getting pulled down the stairs. He rocks back and forth on his feet, smiling to himself, giddy to come to her aid.

"So, we're helping Molly with dinner tonight, huh?", Sirius guffaws, falling back onto the couch and preparing to tease his friend for the rest of the day. "Shut up", Remus mutters.

⋆˚☽˚⋆

The young witches are the last to arrive for dinner. The kitchen is already packed with every Weasley, along with Sirius, Remus; and the newly couple, Tonks and Gus are cozied up together at the end of the table.

"I'm so sorry we're late!", Brigitte panics. "Everyone this is Fleur".

"Bonjour. I suppose it's my fault for our tardiness", Fleur says dismissively and rubbing Molly the wrong way, "I insisted we go shopping, but I think it's worth it, right?", she gestures to Brigitte's new sundress. It's a rich maroon color, low-cut cleavage, with butterfly sleeves.

"Oh, stop it, Fleur!", Brigitte whispers, embarrassed by the attention. She sits at the table next to Remus. He had been having a conversation with Sirius and Arthur but completely forgot what he was talking about once Britt entered the room. A vaguely familiar man is sitting amongst them, and his hair is so red he can only be a Weasley.

"Bill Weasley, nice to meet you". He reaches across the table to shake the ladies' hands. Britt introduces herself and notices the fang dangling from his ear— a photo memory comes back, of that same fang and red hair sitting in the Great Hall and distracting Fleur before the final task.

"I can’t help but get this feeling I've seen you before. Did you go to the Triwizard Tournament?".

His face lights up into a boyish smile. "I did! Got to visit Harry. Mum said you were both there as well. You competed, if I'm not mistaken?". Bill turns his gaze to Fleur.

"I did. I was so proud to represent my school".

"They're lucky to have ya. So what are you doing here now?".

"I got a position at the bank, dealing with their French clientele".

"You're kidding! I work there too. I'd love to show you around. Of course, we'd have to make it look like we met at work. Can't have people getting suspicious", Bill says. He hasn't taken his eyes off Fleur since they shook hands.

Brigitte watches Fleur lean forward to speak with the handsome young man. So typical, leaning forward and talking quietly so Bill has to lean in also. Brigitte rolls her eyes and turns to Remus, pivoting her whole body to face him.

"Thanks again for covering for us", she tells the man already gazing down at her; he gave up on trying to engage with Sirius and Arthur. Her mere presence distracts him from everything else. He can smell the subtle fragrance in her hair, and that new dress only enhances her natural beauty.

"I'm happy to help. I know what it's like to want time with a friend you miss ... And it is a nice dress, not that I'm a fashion expert. Tonks is right, you look stunning", Remus whispers so only Brigitte hears.

The compliment totally catches her off-guard and there's no way to hide how flustered she is. "Th-thanks, Remus... I don't think she was going to let us come home until I let her buy me something".

Remus gives her a small smile and glances to Fleur. "Good excuse for being late, then", he says, holding eye contact with the furiously blushing Brigitte.

Dinner is full of conversation and laughter. Bill and Fleur are in their own little world, not taking their eyes off one another; Sirius and the twins are discussing their best pranks on Filch; Molly and Arthur are reiterating to Ron and Ginny they are too young to join the Order; Brigitte, Remus, Tonks, and Auguste chit chat about nothing and everything. The atmosphere is calm and casual, as if there's no threat of Voldemort. And now that everyone in the room knows about Remus' lycanthropy, there's no need to worry about accidentally spilling that secret. If anything, it made Gus respect Remus more.

"Britt told Sirius and I about your family becoming Animagi, can I ask what yours is?", Remus asks Gus while unintentionally grabbing the attention of the table- sans Bill and Fleur. They could be in the middle of an atomic bomb and not notice.

"I'm a gyrfalcon— ferocious bastard, too", Auguste responds "I can fly faster than a high-speed train", the Frenchman shares, impressing Tonks.

"Trains can't fly, idiot", Brigitte jokes. Auguste scoffs, "You know what I mean! We can't all be a big, growling behemoth like you".

"What's yours, Britt?", Ginny asks in awe.

"I'm a bear. A polar bear. She's gorgeous; 10 feet tall standing upright, tall enough to snatch up little birdies from the sky", she says, glaring at her brother. Tonks cackles, her head falling back on Gus' shoulder.

"Wicked", Fred and George say in unison.

"How hard is it to do?", Ron asks.

"Don't even think about it, boys", Arthur warns them.

"Wow, and Tonks can be anything!", Ginny says impressed. The table watches the metamorphmagus transform her ears and nose as Ginny shouts out different animals. Molly passes around carrot cake for dessert with a content expression, watching all her loved ones around the table.

"All we're missing now is Harry. It doesn't feel complete without him", she thinks aloud, followed by mutterings of agreement. The entire Weasley clan will be moving in the next day for the remainder of summer so that Harry can be with all his favorite people; also in part of Molly hoping the extra company will cheer up Sirius and motivate him to wake up before lunch.

"I cannot wait to see him! Such a sweet boy", Fleur says, not noticing the tight smile on Molly's face or jealous side eye from Ginny.

"Hermione, too!", Ginny adds, glancing at Ron.

"It's going to be a very full house, oh, there is still so much work to do!", Molly worries.

⋆˚☽˚⋆

Two hours later and the Weasleys have left with Tonks and Gus. Bill reluctantly followed them, needing to rest before an early day at Gringott's; but he assured Fleur that he would track her down so he can show her around.

Remus and Sirius are conversing, cleaning up the dishes. Then they pour a warm whiskey and follow the thumping of dance music.

Brigitte and Fleur are in the drawing room, in slumber party mode. The 80's music plays as Fleur lies back on a couch, her feet kicking into the air while Brigitte dances around on the coffee table.

"Allow me, Mon Amour". Brigitte ignites the cigarette dangling in Fleur's thin fingers with a single blink of her eyes. They pass an almost emptied bottle of champagne back and forth while singing off key.

♫ ♪ ♫ Tainted Love, Oh-oh-oh-ohhhh Tainted Love ♫ ♪ ♫

"The fuck is this, Moony?", Sirius cackles when they see the partying witches. Remus' heart warms at the sight: the girls dancing and giggling with zero inhibitions.

"Bonjour, nos amis!", Fleur gleams, "come, come! Someone has to catch her when she falls off the table!". Brigitte ignores her and keeps dancing with a big grin on her face and champagne bottle in hand.

Sirius shakes his head and walks over to pick out the next music. Remus sits down on the sofa opposite of Fleur, fumbling with the hem of his Beatles T-shirt and trying not to stare at Brigitte's dancing body and the way her dress flairs up when she twirls. Her hips shake to the rhythm, and Remus notices the gold bracelet hooked around her dainty ankle. A warmth creeps up his chest and neck that's definitely not from his whiskey.

"Starting tomorrow the house will be full of people day and night! We have to get it out of our systems!", Brigitte finally responds to Fleur without slowing down her moves.

"Gotta get all the partying in before the kiddies come? Not that Fred and George would mind this view", Sirius chuckles.

"Padfoot", Remus hisses.

"As of you weren't a handful when you were those kids' age, Britt ... still have your moments now", Fleur teases.

"'Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead!'", Brigitte recites while spinning around on the table clumsily. "I've matured since school, Merci. Spent all last year looking after you, did I not?". She takes a step, and half her foot wobbles off the side of the table.

"Obviously", Fleur says before taking a long drag. "But you used to look after me while running around wild at Beauxbatons. Always a great multitasker".

"Britt", Remus interjects with a concerned smile adorning his face, "maybe you could dance on the floor... please? You're starting to make me nervous".

She spins around to look at him affectionately before jumping down, revealing even more thigh. "Since you asked nicely", and she starts dancing circles around Fleur's couch.

"So what was our little Britt like in school? Are we living with a trouble maker?", Sirius asks as he puts on a Bowie record and starts dancing around with the laughing, freckled- face beauty.

"She did become an Animagus illegally", Remus points out.

"I was an angel. Still am!", Brigitte insists. "Right, Fleur?".

"As if!", Fleur cackles as the cigarette smoke clouds around her. Every weekend she either had detention or was sneaking out to parties. She'd get caught smoking. Oh! There was that one time — how you say in English? When you swim naked? She got caught in the fountains this boy--".

"Chienne! I can't believe you just said that!", Brigitte cuts her off, "It was one time! You try the potion I had and see if you want to keep your clothes on", she defends herself. She and Fleur stare at one another for a second before bursting out laughing. The champagne has gone straight to their heads.

Remus is mid sip of his whiskey and almost snorts it out of his nose. Luckily for him, Sirius is the only one to notice.

"And I thought we had some fun stories, Moons", Sirius says.

"I got the craziness out of my system, right? I got my shit together and a job once I graduated. Who cares if my memories of sixth and seventh year are fuzzy?", Brigitte snickers. Fleur rolls her eyes and finishes her cigarette.

Sirius takes Brigitte's hands and they spin each other around without an ounce of elegance, tripping over their feet and giggling like children. "You know you're kinda crazy, love", Sirius laughs, spinning her around.

"I fit right in then, don't I, Black?".

The corner of Remus' lips perk up at her radiance. The perfectly messy, strawberry tendrils bounce freely as her new dress swirls around. And Remus is elated to see Sirius in a happier mood and enjoying moments in life, even if he has his hands all over Brigitte.

"Remus, why won't you dance with us?", Brigitte asks with a hopeful tone. Fleur stands from the couch, insisting she needs her beauty rest after a long day.

Sirius lets go of Brigitte's hands and spins onto the couch Fleur vacated.

"Yeah, Moony. Why don't you take over?", Sirius instigates. Remus shakes his head and puts his hand up,

"I'm not light on my feet like Padfoot. I-I would probably just step on yours, Britt", he laughs nervously, internally begging for the couch to swallow him.

Brigitte huffs unsatisfied and slinks over to him. The champagne in her system has washed away any nerves she feels around the Lycanthrope, so she's only left with those giddy butterflies in her stomach telling her to go to him.

Brigitte offers her hand; a delicate and tiny hand Remus can't resist to touch. He reaches up and grazes her soft skin before wrapping his fingers around hers. They both feel the sparks of electricity between them. "Rebel Rebel" starts playing and Sirius watches with glee as Remus stands on the rug awkwardly.

♫ ♪ ♫ You've got your mother in a whirl She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl ♫ ♪ ♫

"Come on, Remus! You have to move for it to be considered dancing", Brigitte teases him as she moves in rhythm with the music. She takes his other hand and sways joyously, not taking her eyes off him.

Her touch and tranquil aura eases Remus' nerves and he gradually sways along with her. Remus lifts his hand to twirl Brigitte in place; the sound of her uninhibited laugh makes his head dizzy. In this moment he can be just a man– not a poor werewolf– but a normal man dancing with a woman he likes.

They look into each other's eyes, with stupid smiles plastered on their faces as the surroundings fade away into obsoletion. Brigitte watches Remus' honey hair sweep across his handsomely scarred face with each movement. His carefree demeanor is so unlike the Remus she's seen so far, and she has a feeling she's one of the lucky few to witness it.

Neither of them notice Sirius slip out of the room when as a slower song (Bowie's "Absolute Beginners") comes on, opting to not be the third wheel of the night and rather give Buckbeak some needed attention.

♫ ♪ ♫ I've nothing much to offer, There's nothing much to take. I'm an absolute beginner, And I'm absolutely sane. As long as we're together, The rest can go to hell ♫ ♪ ♫

Remus gets the courage to hold Brigitte by the waist and pull her in a little closer. She doesn't hesitate to step into his embrace and wrap her arms around his neck. Her head fits perfectly under his chin, and she's close enough to notice his scent: book pages, chocolate, and a hint of rainstorm.

They rock side to side, relishing the moment before the record skips and startles the two. Remus opens his eyes and gazes down at Brigitte. She's so close he can see the flames of the chandelier candles reflecting in her eyes, the same way a star-filled sky reflects in the Black Lake. He takes a daring glance down at her lips and awkwardly clears his throat when she peeks her tongue out to lick them.

"I'll turn that off", Remus mutters, walking to the record player.

Brigitte quietly sits on a couch, feeling her fast heartbeat in her neck. "Thanks for enduring the torture of dancing with me", Brigitte says softly.

"I was worried it'd be torture dancing with me, not the other way around". Remus sits beside her, and the sunken cushion makes her thigh nuzzle up against his.

"Never, it doesn't matter how you're dancing. What matters is how you feel when you're doing it; and who you're with, of course", Brigitte says matter-of-fact.

"That's because you have a beautifully unique confidence, Britt. And decent dancing skills", Remus says.

"Well, you'll just have to dance with me again and learn a thing or two. My skills are bound to rub off on you". They both blush at the idea.

"Actually", she hesitates, "I took dance at school and failed miserably. It's not my fault my dance routines were better than what the unimaginative teachers wanted me to do!". She falls into a story about her hilariously disastrous dance classes that earned her most of her detentions third year; and Remus just can't get enough, completely enamored.

He in turn tells her about the one Christmas break he stayed at the Potter's family home and James tried to teach him the waltz (the day ended with James having to ice his stomped-out feet).

"That's the most I've practiced. Poor James always had the best intentions. Dancing was never a talent of mine, and I probably wouldn't have accepted the invitation from anyone else", Remus smiles crookedly at Brigitte. He pulls the emergency stash of chocolate from his pocket and breaks off half for her. Remus looks at her out of the corner of his eye, adoring Brigitte's smile. A smile from thinking about how her feelings for him are growing every time they are together; thoughts he's been battling himself.

They sit in silence, enjoying the sweet and watching the fire. Eventually, when the logs have turned to ash, their string of yawns force them to retire for the night.

"Just so you know, I genuinely enjoyed dancing with you; more than with Sirius", Brigitte smiles dizzily at Remus in front of her bedroom door, "but don't tell him that, it'd break his little heart".

Remus blushes so intensely he can feel his cheeks pulsating. He clears his throat, trying to play it cool. "Heh, I could say the exact same to you... Britt", he says in his deep, sexy voice. She bites her lower lip and squeezes his arm, switching her gaze between his eyes and supple lips as they stand in a comfortable silence.

"Well... Goodnight, Remus", she whispers and slips into her room, with wobbly legs making her fall against the closed door. Remus walks rhythmically to his own sleeping quarters, with David Bowie stuck in his head and his mind replaying the way Brigitte's body swayed perfectly in sync with his.

♡ ♡ -Things are heating up! I hope y'all are enjoying this story. I thought 'Absolute Beginners' is the perfect song to describe this developing love story! Please reblog if you liked this and let me know if you wanna be tagged. Xoxo.

Masterlist

Taglist: @dontjudgemyobsessionpls

#Remus Lupin #remus lupin fanfiction #remus lupin oc #remus lupin x reader #order of the phoenix #prisoner of azkaban #sirius black x reader platonic #werewolves #harry potter fanfiction

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carlpalmer · 1 year

Text

tagged by @wanderinstar thank you so much camila!! 💖

What book are you currently reading? i WAS reading the young bucks book. im a real intellectual

What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this past year? the one piece movie and i don't even go there. never seen a single episode. my friend invited me to go with her lol last movie i watched that i actually picked was everything everywhere all at once

What do you usually wear? just the basics lmao i either go pastel rainbow or black. i mostly wear pants and a t-shirt, jacket etc if i go out. i need to overcome my embarrassment of wearing shorts and other stuff outside

How tall are you? 1.60 m

What’s your star sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event? cancer. i share a birthday with soccer player zinedine zidane whom you may remember as the guy who headbutted another player at the 2006 world cup and brazilian actress dercy gonçalves, a deceased old woman who cursed 838 times per second. only normal people <3

Do you go by your name or nickname? i go by my first name

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? i wanted to be an artist, more specifically a painter, or a performer of any kind (singer, drummer, actress) so no

Are you in a relationship? If not who is your crush if you have one? no and i only have celeb crushes 😔 never beating the simp allegations

What’s something you’re good at vs something you’re bad at? good at languages, bad at ALL sports. name a sport. i will suck at it

Dogs or cats? cats

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this past year? haven't done anything this past year other than doodling and drawing my cat who died but i didn't like the outcome lmao i will try again sometime. i did make some exercises and games for my job that were kinda creative and kids liked tho

What is something you would like to create content for? much like camila i wanted to get back into making gifs of my fave bands and drawing and probably learning how to play the flute too. god give me some discipline this year please!!!

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with? uh oh.. my fave bands (rush, genesis, the offspring etc) and finding new music, as always, wrestling (aew) and the tv show our flag means death (still 💀)

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this past year? new years eve!! it's my favorite holiday but after midnight we had a "fight" and it kinda ruined the mood. i wanted to go out to see the christmas decorations but whenever i went out, it rained. i also wanted to go to a concert but there were none i was able to afford or was rly interested in. im seeing sj and STEVE HACKETT this year so all is okay now!!!

What’s a hidden talent of yours? i have great memory, esp photographic memory. im the annoying geography nerdy kid who can point at a map and tell you where most countries of the world are (except for some islands maybe). im also very good at organization and making objects fit into cabinets, drawers etc. aaand i can tell every single rush song (and maybe other bands too) within the first 0, 1 seconds

Are you religious? no

What’s something you wish to have at this moment? 1) infinite money so i wouldn't have to work 2) courage, assertiveness, dedication AND energy 3) more concert tickets

tagging @mikerutherford @fullfightmami @shirleywatts @walkintheshadows

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dempseyregal · 1 year

Text

Muller's Luck

A/N: Hey peeps, did a little Veit Muller Fanfic here... He's one of the few German wretlers I acutally like so here ya go.

Warning: SMUT (+18)

“Y/L/N! Drills, now!” Andy shouted at the tops of his lungs right behind me, causing my soul leaving my body. “Seriously, go shout at Marcel and Al-Ani. Not your pet, have some respect.” I mumbled under my breath as everyone got ready for the drills we have completed about 5 times during the last 4 hours. I saw Andy with the other coaches, all huddled together checking out recruits.

Tim Thatcher was in the ring already, helping one of the recruits with a submission hold, while Al- Ani and Andy made their way to the women’s group. I swear this day couldn’t get any worse. “You think you have what it takes to wrestle here, Y/N?” Marius asked in German, thinking that I wouldn’t understand. “Number one, Al-Ani. I’m here for the training camp, I’m already on the roster. They didn’t have enough participants, so we volunteered to come along. Second, next time you think of trying to get under my skin, make sure that I don’t understand the language before doing so. Thanks a lot sweetheart.” I replied in perfect German, all the coaches turning in surprise.

“What, just because we come from America doesn’t mean we don’t take the time to learn a new language. Especially if you work with idiots like them.” Jurn came to the rescue, pointing to Marcel and the others staring at me. “They’re mad because you put Al-Ani on his place. No one ever does that.” “Oh, I know. And now, I’m about to prove him wrong again.” I jumped into the ring and waited my turn to take on Thatcher as submission class started while everyone were on the floor doing drills. I submitted the other student as Tim kept watch, smiling as they tapped. “One can see where you learned your moves from.” He smirked as I wiped the hair out of my eyes. “Yeah, his name is Timothy Thatcher. Maybe you heard of him?”

“Y/N! On the floor now, give me 30 squats.” Andy came around the ring once again and Tim winked before going back to work. I got out and started doing the squats along with the other recruits. I never noticed that Muller was behind me, observing the class from the back.

We haven’t spoken since the kissing incident at Back to the Roots, and we tried our very best to stay out of each other’s way. It was an accident, he was drunk and Marcel pulled everyone in a game of Truth or Dare. One thing led to another and next thing I saw, Muller came in and kissed me.

After the drills, we were excused to go change and get ready for the charity show that the Academy had for the recruits to participate in. Turning around and heading for the showers, Tim caught my eye, talking to Muller looking at me. I waved and practically ran to the showers before anyone could call and try to start a conversation.

I opened the cold water and waited for the muscles to relax before turning on the hot water. I got my dressed and stepped out right into someone’s chest. “Oh, sorry-“ “Hey, Y//N.” Muller was in his gear, taking in the view of the hall already filled with people. Kids were chanting, cheering, and jumping around when they saw their favorite wrestlers walking around. I stood next to him in silence, waving at the little kids when they passed us. “You busy after the show?” “Nah, I’m going to hit the hay early. Al-Ani and Andy tried to kill us today and I think after the altercation with Marius this afternoon, they’ll try to do worse tomorrow.” He simply nodded, and went back to watching the show.

Muller didn’t wrestle that night, most of us just wearing our gear for pictures and promos. After the show, the wrestlers gathered in one corner of the hall, our little merch tables set up and ready for sale. I worked with Mack and Marcel, the two of them constantly annoying Muller and Tim at the table next door. “Y/N, you better take your little lap dogs before Muller punches them.” Tim cheered when Marcel and Mack backed away, Muller shaking his head as he laughed at them.

Muller was a different man when he wasn’t in the ring. He was kind and sweet and played well with kids. The little ones coming to their table were always picked up and swung over his shoulder as their parents took pictures. It was cute to watch. The crowd emptied about two hours after the show, and basically all our merch also sold out. “Looks like packing would be quite the breeze today. I only have a few signed pictures and shirts left.” Yeah, Y/N has nothing. She obviously is everyone’s favorite, even Tim and Muller are sporting supporter’s t shirts.” I laughed as Marcel and Mack went back and forth analyzing everyone’s tables, making remarks of who was hated and loved more.

“You really have those idiots as friends?” Muller came over as the others started cleaning up and leaving. “Yeah, unfortunately, I share a house with them and Tim at times, so I don’t have much of an option. Those bozos are family now.”

We walked out and were greeted by snow starting to fall. “Oh, tomorrow is going to be a drip. My car doesn’t do well in snow.” Jurn complained as we got into our rental and drove off to the hostel we shared for the weekend. “Mine works just fine, you can drive with us.” Marcel offered and Mack instantly agreed.

At the hostel, we were greeted with a burning fireplace and freshly cooked food. Muller, Walter, Marcel, Mack and I shared a table, with Tim and Jurn joining after an argument with Al-Ani and Andy. “Those idiots are real mad about you. Kept complimenting your style and athleticism. Makes me sick, really.” Jurn told me as I ate in peace, knowing that I told Tim I’ll prove them wrong. I simply smiled at them, the guys excusing themselves after dinner. The dining hall was empty apart for our table. Muller stayed behind busy working on his new shirts for release day. “Nice shirts, spare me one?” I peeked over his shoulder at the black and white shirt he was playing with. Breathing in, I caught whiff of his cologne, it made my head spin. Not now Y/N, you’re trying to forget your hormones and feelings.

“Thanks, yeah its ready for pre-order. I’ll keep one out for you. Small size right?” “Mhmm, thanks, you’re an angel.” I moved back into my seat, my phone vibrating a few seconds later. One was a message from the shop saying that Muller’s shirt will be delivered in the next week as sales started, the other one was a photo attachment form Tim. Opening it, I saw the image of me looking over his shoulder a few seconds ago, but Muller wasn’t looking at the laptop. He was looking up at me, slight smile on his face. Under it read

If you really want to rally Marius and Andy up, you should show up on Muller’s arm. He won’t mind and clearly it looks like he wants you.

I turned my head and sure enough, Tim and Marcel stood around the corner, hidden behind the wall. “Uhm, Y/N?” I looked over at Muller who had his phone out, a similar picture sent to him by Marcel.

Just ask her out already!

“How about we ditch those idiots hm?” I whispered as I showed him the picture Tim sent me. “You have a plan?” “Of course, I have a plan.” I grabbed his arm and dragged him out the hall, past Tim and Marcel, who were clearly smiling from ear to ear. “Shut it.” I warned them both, in return throwing their hands up in surrender. “Took you long enough.” I heard Tim shout before pulling Muller around the corner.

“Al-Ani is going to be pissed if he hears I brought you into my room.” I stopped as he closed the door, smirking to myself as I turned to face him. “And why is that?” I asked as I stepped closer, inches away from him. His hands reached out and grabbed onto my hips, pulling me into a feverous kiss, my arms and legs curling around him in no time. “Because he’s jealous that I got to kiss you and he didn’t.” He whispered in between kisses, moving over to the small bed he slept on.

He sat down on the edge, my legs still wrapped around his waist. “Your plan was??” “Well, get Tim and Marcel to see me going into your room, as Marcel can’t quiet, he’ll probably spill to Andy and crew- “ “Then Marius would find out and freak out because he got rejected by a woman, once again.” “That’s exactly the plan, if they don’t hear us first.”

I felt his hands creeping up under my shirt, soon the shirt was pulled over my head and tossed away. He started leaving sloppy kisses all over my chest and shoulder, moving on to my neck while his hands grabbed onto my thigh. A strange feeling started growing in the pit of my stomach. “Take it off.” I mumbled as I tugged his shirt, Muller letting out a growl as he changed the position and had me under him in seconds. The shirt disappeared, Muller having trouble with the belt on his jeans. “Here.” I took his hands and placed them on my body while I got to work on the belt. He started kissing me again, his tongue trailing my bottom lip for entrance. I opened my mouth and the taste of Muller sent shivers down my spine. It was better than the first kiss.

I got the belt loose and worked the jean button, Muller easily getting rid of my sweatpants in no time. “You sure?” He asked me, lust in his eyes. “Yes, please just do whatever you want.” He went down on his knees, kissing a trail up my thigh, lingering as he got closer to my wetness. “Muller…” My breath hitched as I felt his tongue push past my folds. “You taste even better than I dreamed of, liebe.” He entered a finger into me, pulsing as he worked his tongue around my clit. “Yes..” I had to grab his shoulders to try and gain some control over myself, it felt good. He stopped and kissed up my stomach and chest to where I grabbed him and he made sure that I tasted every inch of his mouth. “So tight…” “Muller, please…” “You’re mine, and only mine.” He growled as he pulled out his finger and stood up. He took off his briefs and positioned himself at my entrance, only proceeding when I nodded at him.

He held onto my hips and started slow, the pain turning into pleasure. “God, you’re so tight, Y/N…” “Faster. Please.” I pulled a pillow over my mouth when he increased his speed, we had to be careful that no one would hear us if they passed in the hallway, but Muller wasn’t having of it. “Take it out of your mouth, I want them to hear you scream my name.” He thrusted deeply, stars blurring my vision. He angled his thumb and started rubbing my clit, the sensation making my eyes turn in my head.

“Muller, I-I’m close.” His thrusts increased dramatically, not slowing down when my climax hit. I had to bury my face into his neck to try and muffle the moans and screams escaping my throat. His climax hit soon after, falling next to me. “That… Was thee best time of my life, easily.” He breathed as he tried to calm his breathing. We started laughing hysterically, a loud knock jolting us both upright.

“Muller, open the door! What part of don’t bring your strip club girls don’t you get?” Marius yelled on the other side. “Play along.” I grabbed his shirt and pulled it over my head and grabbed my underwear, Muller just wrapping a towel around his waist. I went and opened the door, Marius swallowing his tongue when he saw me standing there.

“What in the deep blue heel are you doing in his room?” His eyes burned holes into my head, a smile creeping along my mouth when I felt Muller standing behind me, his hand resting on my ass. “I’m the stripper he brought home.” Marius’ jaw dropped and he stormed off, most of the locker room in the hallway to see the commotion. Tim and Marcel were laughing maniacally from a distance, Mack half asleep next to them.

I closed the door and Muller slung me over his shoulder, dropping us both onto the bed with the mattress springs creaking loudly in protest. “You should wear my clothes more often. It looks sexy on you.” “Thank you, a cute German ordered my another one, I’ll be sure to pack it in for the show.”

We nestled in the covers, my head on Muller’s chest. We fell asleep soon after, laughing that Marius was probably shaking his fists in Andy’s face about Muller sleeping with one of the roster members.

#fanfic #german wrestler #veit muller #veit muller x reader #veit muller smut #veit muller fanfic

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dandelioncrownns · 3 years

Text

random grishaverse facts/trivia (mostly tgt/kos, tbh), because i love useless details. Also, attempted organisation, because i like order too. + ft. my unwanted commentary

the darkling

has a sweet tooth

loves animals and nature in general

for those of you who have read demon in the woods, he got to meet the white tigers :)

his bedchamber walls are carved into trees bc he loves the woods

his favourite trees in particular are pine trees (or just evergreen trees in general)

he used to be afraid of the dark (many possibly worrying? interesting? implications to this; i won’t get into it here tho)

he likes bright colours, but wears black all the time basically for the aesthetic

he met his younger half-sister, Ulla, when he was a seer’s apprentice in Fjerda

the darkling is a musician! He plays the fiddle, and growing up, he played the balalaika and oud (i wonder if he can read tablature,,)

His father was a very powerful heartrender (maybe this is why the corporalki are valued so highly by him?)

genya

she got an amplifier between the end of R+R and the start of KoS (kestrel bones)

Genya used Dekora Nevich, the Ornamental Blade, to poison the King

It smells like cinnamon and is a warm golden colour

the royal family / nikolai’s bio family

the King once cut himself on his own sword

genya named the queen’s dog

until she was like 11, Genya was like the daughter the queen never had (omg i really wonder how Nikolai and Vasily felt about that? ik it’s not really mentioned, and Nik kinda acts like he just met Genya is S+S, but they must have been a lot closer, right?? I mean genya was almost always at the grand palace with Queen Tatiana, and nikolai just really wanted his parents’ attention, there must have been some kind of maybe one-sided jealousy/sibling rivalry thing, right?? I digress- for now)

also the queen in a dog person

p. sure Nikolai is a mommy’s boy

(possible explanation:) he looks exactly like his real father (except for his eyes). Nikolai even has the same laugh as Magnus

the queen was also fed up with Vasily and his horses

Vasily rides a white gelding horse and Nikolai rides a speckled grey horse (called Punchline)

speaking of, vasily is definitely a horse girl, but like... just the worst (darkling 🤝vasily)

Queen Tatiana’s letters to Magnus Opjer were “very racy”

She doesn’t approve of women in trousers

Linnea is ~1 year younger than Nikolai

she is good at math + studies engineering at ketterdam (I wonder if maybe she and Nikolai crossed paths when he was at uni- they’re around the same age, so maybe?)

The King and Queen hired a clown for nikolai’s 10th birthday (the worst birthday party he’d been to, inclusive of the night Vasily died, according to Nikolai)

Nikolai is afraid of spiders (and also clowns???)

nikolai:

he can juggle

Nikolai sucks at learning languages

he once spoke Fjerdan so badly a man named Knut offered him a ruby to stop

his Kerch seems pretty good tho

Nikolai met The Darkling when he was 14

Nikolai is a baritone (as is Jesper!)

In his free time, Nikolai writes bad poetry (remember that time he got stabbed w/ a letter opener bc his poetry sucked?)

he went through an emo phase/ existential crisis before becoming sturmhond.

during said emo phase, he wrote rhyming poetry pretty much exclusively

He also took philosophy classes at uni (PPE?)

alina:

alina tried on the same rose dress that the Queen watched vasily die in

Nikolai gifted Alina a VERY low-cut cobalt lace gown (In the words of Nadia, “The bodice might as well be cut to the navel.” )

Alina hates herring, but Zoya and Nikolai love it

She is VERY sarcastic and snarky!! I feel like this gets glossed over so much in the fandom, and just why?? (she’s so gloomy and over everything 90% of the time, i love it so much)

So this isn’t technically a fact-fact, but there is no way Alina wasn’t at least a little bit into women. Did you read how she talked abt genya? Zoya? there’s no way she wasn’t into them

Alina doesn’t really like hard cheese

zoya + zoyalai:

Zoya’s horse is called Serebrine

Zoya can use her lightning as a defibrillator (I’m sure other squallers can do this too with the right training)

Zoya likes Nikolai’s hands (and Nikolai likes Zoya’s feet lmao)

she has ‘weird (long?) incisors’

she definitely had a crush on Nikolai since Ruin and Rising

kaz:

Kaz grew up on a farm in Southern Kerch, in Lij

Kaz is a both a cat and a dog person (he just likes strays)

Matthias is a dog person, obviously

All the other crows are cat people

He likes hot chocolate

both he and nikolai like brandy

hates cereal

Kaz is obsessed with magic + likes puzzles

actually very funny if he wasn’t terrifying (honestly?? at leat 70% of his dialogue is just witty quips/jokes)

Kaz’s right leg is the one he broke, and the dregs usually get their tattoo on their right forearm

the other crows:

Jesper has been known to go line-dancing (and would like country music)

Mal and Jesper were friends in S+S!! (Probably) Jesper has a not-really-secret crush on sturmhond.

He also had a VERY not secret crush on Kaz before wylan, ofc

Matthias’ middle name is Benedik

Nina would win in an arm wrestling contest against Jesper

Inej has a thing for Kaz’s eyes

Nina was at the orphanage with the other grisha kids in R+R

In the opening scene of CK, Jesper was wearing a navy waistcoat with little gold stars (his fashion is just top tier honestly)

grisha- powers, etc.:

A solar eclipse would have no effect on the Darkling’s powers, but it would make it harder for Alina to summon.

Fabrikators can make flowers bloom

The twins have shark teeth amplifiers

Adrik and Leoni are saints

general world stuff:

Gay marriage is legal in Kerch!

there was a landbridge connecting Shu Han and Kerch but the council of tides covered it

Antimony is used as mascara

kruge is pale purple paper currency

ravkan currency has Nikolai’s face on it (ig not anymore tho?)

Hringkälla is celebrated on March 20th

the distance between Ivets and Os Alta is only about 100 miles? (i’m just going to willfully ignore this, because thats,, so small?)

Mermaids and dragons exist(ed) in the grishaverse

misc:

the daughter of the duke of ivets has a daughter who can play the harp

there is not fourth tale of krigi

The baroness Natasha Beritrova is fifty (as of KoS) and has lands near caryeva

Elke Marie Smit is from one of the most powerful Kerch families and is just 16 in KoS

Oncat is an orange tabby

Anya liked Joost a lot :( (I got way too attached to them at the start of SoC and was so sad + confused when they died lol)

david eats hard boiled eggs for his working days in the shops

‘Malyen’ is the Ravkan version of ‘Malcolm’ (very fitting)

Nikolai brought the kids at Keramzin toy boats + frequently sends Alina and Mal gifts

The triumvirate would also visit them every feast of Sankt Nikolai too :)

star signs / birthdays (ik the gv constellations aren’t the same as ours, but idc):

Inej: Cancer (june 21st - july 22nd)

Kaz: Capricorn (december 22nd - january 19th)

Nina: Leo (july 23rd - august 22nd)

Jesper: Gemini (may 21st - june 20th)

Matthias: Taurus (april 20th - may 20th)

Wylan: virgo (august 23rd - september 22nd)

Kuwei: aries (march 21st - april 19th)

Darkling: aries

Nikolai is most likely either a gemini or cancer (but he could also be a Leo or Taurus). Whatever it is, he is a summer baby.

Alina and Mal have the same birthday (they were given the Duke’s birthday when they came to the orphanage)

heights:

Jesper is 6’2” - 6’3”

Kaz is 6′

Matthias is 6’4

Nina is 5’9”-5’10”

Inej is 5’3” - 5’4”

Alina is ’short’ (5’3”?)

Mal and the Darkling are ‘tall’ (tbf, like all the characters are tall >:( I want my short people rights)

Nikolai (well, stumhond, but i think they’re the same height) is described by Jesper as tall (so 6’2”+?? why is everyone so tall??? I-)

Zoya is several inches shorter than nina (zoyalai height difference lets go)

Kuwei is slightly shorter than Wylan (who is about 5’8”?)

there’s definitely more, so if you made it this far and have any more, pls add to the list!

#grishaverse #six of crows #the grisha trilogy #the darkling #nikolai lantsov #alina starkov #king of scars #rule of wolves #<< mild spoilers #zoyalai #kanej #etc. lol #brain dump

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bbrandy2002 · 3 years

Text

Fool’s Rush In -- Chapter 16

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x MC

Warning: Some language, mild sexual talk

Since it’s been awhile since I last posted an update, in the previous chapter Madeleine had confronted Riley with a video after she left the ball.

Thank you @burnsoslow for the preread and beta.

-------------

Riley sat on a leather bench at the foot of the bed with a television remote held loosely between her hands, folded in her lap.

Somehow her worn-out body managed to walk from the corridor after the encounter with Madeleine, up the many stairs of the quarters she shared with Liam and to their bedroom. The shock of the situation combined with exhaustion and throbbing pain in her lower back was secondary to the fear she felt at possibly giving up the man she loved.

With trembling hands, she had slipped the DVD into the player and watched her nightmare play out on the screen -- It was all true. Madeleine acquired an illicit video of Riley and her ex-husband that the Queen had no clue was recorded of her or existed.

Her thumb grazed over the pause button several times, but she knew pressing it wouldn’t stop the hurt and embarrassment she felt at that moment at watching her former husband violating her trust and privacy. It wouldn’t stop Madeleine from releasing the video of it to the press and public. And it wouldn't stop the love she felt for Liam -- no one was powerful enough to take that feeling away from her.

But it was those words Madeleine threatened her with that got equal consideration with that video in Riley’s mind. She tried to envision how the scenario would carry out if the video was released and for those who would be affected by it: her father, her friends, her former students.

Liam.

“It’s a shame that he’ll lose his reign, all because of you.”

“Would you really do that to Liam?”

“Do you genuinely believe you’re worth all the trouble it will cause him?”

Riley hit the pause button, her hands flying up to cover her tear-laden face as she bent over in sobs, shaking her head. She was wrestling with that inner voice, replaying Madeleine’s words like a broken record while struggling to remember everything Liam told her about trusting him and his love for her.

No matter how hard she tried to let his tender voice speak to that sacred place in her heart, Madeleine’s threats and taunts were getting the best of her. If there was even a slight possibility that the Countess was right, and Liam would get dragged through the mud in all of this, then there was no question what needed to be done.

Those scattered bricks that formed the walls she came to Cordonia with, the ones Liam had broken down, were quickly stacking up again, one on top of the other. If something didn’t happen soon, Riley would be surrounded and suffocated inside that impenetrable cocoon that initially caused herself to doubt her worthiness to him in the first place.

All of those insecurities and fears crept up faster than a flooded riverbank, and she felt powerless to stop it from rising. Even if she could, she’d never allow Liam to suffer the consequences of something she had the power to prevent. To hell with whatever happened to her, but not him. He saved her weeks ago, and as her teary gaze slid from her hands to the wardrobe closet across the room, this would be her way of saving him.

Riley picked up the remote from her lap and tossed it aside. Determined to get out of the palace and Cordonia before anyone could see her, she swallowed her anger and grief and swiped a knuckle under each eye to dry the tears shed.

She rose to her feet faster than she should have, feeling an intense shock of pain that began in her hip and shot down to her feet. There were no doubts that the fall from struggling with Madeleine injured her far worse than she wanted to admit to herself. With a shrieking whimper, she ground her teeth together and doubled over, feeling like she might faint.

Riley grasped her back and gave herself a second to breathe through the pain before straightening up and staggering to her wardrobe to pack whatever she could as quickly as possible.

_____________

Liam stepped off the dance floor with Olivia's arm curled through his and escorted her back to their table. The conclusion of the ball was nearly upon him, and most guests had already stopped on their way out to say their farewells and offer congratulatory well-wishes. When they'd ask about the Queen's whereabouts, he'd tell them she had something come up that needed her attention. No one dared press him on the issue.

Checking the time on his watch, Liam looked up as Maxwell ran over with his phone in hand and dropped into a seat. He looked curiously at the out of breath Beaumont and asked, "What's going on, Maxwell?"

"Sorry," he replied before plucking a flute of champagne from a passing server's tray and gulping it down quickly. Wiping the droplets that dribbled from his mouth to his chin off with the back of his hand, he panted. "I ran here as fast as I could. I just got a text message from Drake. He's heading back soon."

"Did he say what the results of the paternity test were?" Olivia asked.

Maxwell nodded. "Yeah. They're Bastien's for sure. Las Vegas officials are allowing Drake to leave, but they've detained Bas until he pays up the $200,000 he owes to Boom Boom. Drake's return flight is scheduled to leave tomorrow morning, Cordonia time."

Liam pulled out his wallet and tossed $100 at a smug Leo, who promptly counted them out and stuffed the bills into his pocket. "I told you those little dudes weren't mine, bro. Really, your doubt in me hurts."

"I'll admit you were right, Leo. But you do have a track record when it comes to being involved in weird stuff like this."

"Yeah, I've gotten myself into some pretty hairy shit a time or two," he laughed as the memories came to him. "Ahh, good times, good times. But, y'know, it wasn't always just fun and games with me, Liam. During those few occasions when I'd show up to train on being the top dog of this place, Father taught me several valuable lessons. Wanna know what they were?"

"Not really," Liam answered dryly, then tossed back the rest of his scotch to prepare himself. "But I assume you're going to tell me anyway."

"Damn right I am! This is good shit to know, straight from the Big Kahuna himself." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "You must never tell anyone what I'm about to share with you all. This is top secret, classified Cordonian shit we're talking about; lives are on the line here. Father would be pissed if --"

"Just spit it out already!" Olivia snapped.

"Alright, first, never jizz in a jacuzzi unless you want to be covered in a thin spiderweb-like amalgamation of your own gravy. Daddio said he learned the hard way on that one ..."

"Oh, God. Leo!" Sickened, Liam dropped his head.

" ... Next, when you kiss a woman's hand, do it on the thumb side. Most people scratch their asses with their fingers, but rarely their thumbs. I might be an exception to the rule on that one." Leo chuckled to himself. "And lastly ... Rys spermies are MEAN sons-of-bitches, and we should dip my balls in a mug of hot water every day to kill them before having sex."

"What the hell?" Olivia grimaced as she lowered her coffee mug away from her lips and pushed it away.

"My dad told me the same thing," Maxwell boasted. "Except he called them Beaumont spermies. I guess he heard the same story from someone different than your dad."

Liam lowered the hands that were covering his face and breathed out heavily, "Leo, did our father ever teach you about anything other than using protection and sex during these meetings? Anything about negotiations, taxes, treaties ..."

Leo considered him for a moment. "Nope. He said you'd do all that stuff."

Liam grumbled. "Of course he did."

Olivia looked between Leo and Maxwell and scowled. "Well, it's too bad neither of your fathers took their own advice." She grabbed her clutch from the table. "At least I'll rest easier knowing the two of you aren't reproducing. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"I'll walk out with you, Liv." Liam rose and left the ballroom, having had more than enough of his fill of Leo for the night. There was also an incredibly sexy woman upstairs he'd been dreaming of pleasing all day, and he was overly eager to make good on his promise to join her shortly.

______________

Liam made his way through the residential wing and down the long hallway to his quarters. While undoing his tie, he stopped midway when he noticed a vase that usually sat on a decorative table along the wall, tipped over on its side with bundles of long-stemmed roses littered on the ground around it.

As he stooped down to pick them up, he found it oddly peculiar -- they didn't just fall over like this on their own. If a member of the staff had knocked them over, they would have picked them up; he felt certain Riley would have, as well.

After rearranging the flowers in the vase and situating them back on the table, Liam removed his key card from his pocket and swiped it through the key fob next to the door.

"Riley! I'm home," he called out in a sensual tone, knowing she was most likely upstairs -- hopefully naked and ready to get her ass spanked -- and wouldn't have heard him.

Taking a moment to check his reflection in the entryway mirror, Liam smoothed back his hair and tested his breath against his palm, satisfied he was good. After a quick stop in the kitchen to grab a can of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, Liam ascended the stairs, two at a time, to his bedroom.

"Daddy's ready for his dessert ..." his exuberant voice trailed off as the sultry smirk he donned quickly faded away when he walked into an empty room. "Riley?"

Glancing around the bedroom, the en suite door was still open, and the light was off, so he knew she wasn't in there. The bed was still in pristine form and didn't look touched. He wasn't at all worried; Riley likely went for a snack, even though that thought seemed rather odd considering how adamant she was about returning to their quarters earlier.

Liam placed the toppings on a side table and slipped out his phone. He plopped down on the bench at the foot of their bed, thinking maybe he'd missed a message or call from her.

There was nothing.

He scratched his head; it wasn't like Riley not to mention to him if she'd gone somewhere, not that she had to. But in this case, she knew he'd be up soon. Thinking about the overturned vase Liam walked upon, something started to not sit well with him.

With the cell still in his hand, he pulled her contact information up. Just as he was about to hit the dial button, he heard "Liam" in a low, raspy voice.

Relief washed over him as he stood and put his phone away. "Love, you worried me. Everything okay?" Her face was ashen, and her eyes red and swollen. Liam's insides immediately clinched.

Riley didn't answer as Liam crossed the room, frantically approaching her, worry engraved on his features. “Riley, love, what’s wrong? What happened?” His eyes were desperately searching for any clue as to what was clearly something wrong with his wife.

She held out her hand, preventing him from coming too close. “Please ... don’t.”

Bewildered, he asked, “What are you doing, sweetheart?”

Riley turned her head away somberly; she couldn't bear to look at him. She had planned to get out of the palace before he returned from the ball; there was no way she would be able to face him. Liam would want an explanation that she couldn't give him. But when she got to the car, Riley noticed there was something important she forgot to give back to him, and there was no way she would take it. Maybe somewhere inside, even if she couldn't admit it, she needed to see him and do this right. “I ... have to go.” Her words were barely audible.

Liam's brows bumped together. “Go? You’re going somewhere this late? But you were tired before --”

“No,” Her head shook faster than she realized before she spat the rest out. “I’m leaving Cordonia. I’m returning to Las Vegas, and I’m not coming back.”

“Riley? What the hell is going on? You were fine and having a good time 30 minutes ago, and now, all of a sudden, you want to go back to Nevada. What am I missing here? Does this have something to do with what happened at dinner? Because I told you --”

“You’re not missing anything. I came here to prevent you from marrying Madeleine, and I did that. That was the agreement, and now ... I’m going home.”

Liam started to laugh and wagged his finger at her. “Leo put you up to pranking me? He's mad about me sending that damn monkey away and is trying to get me back, right? Because if he did, that's just … just heartless. And I don’t find it funny.”

“No, Liam.." She shook her head again. "Leo didn’t put me up to this, and it's not a prank.” Riley carefully pulled off the wedding bands she came back to give him and held them out to him.

He looked at them and gritted his teeth. “Put them back on,” he commanded.

“I can’t do that, Liam. They belonged to your mother, and I’m not taking something so sentimental with me back to Vegas.”

“You’re damn right you're not taking them back to Vegas with you because you’re not going!”

“I am.”

“No, you’re not!”

Riley choked out into a wispy sob, “I’m so sorry, Liam. I'm so sorry!”

He said nothing as he stared at her in disbelief and saw that she was serious. “Why?” He asked as his throat clenched and the first tear slipped down his cheek.

Her body felt leaden, never having seen him this shattered. “Liam, I just want to go home, okay? I mean ... this has been an amazing experience, and I’ll never forget it, but I miss my home, and my job, and my friends ..."

“Fuck your home! I’ll buy you one here that looks just like it. Visit your friends all you want ... hell, bring them here if you want to; I don’t care. That's NOT what's going on! There’s something you’re not telling me. And I want to know, NOW!”

Riley startled at his yell, wanting to hold him and make it better. “Liam, I don’t want to be in Cordonia anymore, or be the Queen, or live in this palace. I want to go home.”

He motioned around the room.“THIS is your home, Riley ... Cordonia. I’m your home! This palace is your home." Liam scrubbed a frustrated hand furiously over his face. "Again, you were fine 30 minutes ago. What changed between you leaving the ball and coming up here? You're not telling the truth for some reason, but I can’t figure out why. Did I do something to upset you? Did someone else do something to upset you?"

"No!" she responded expeditiously.

"I love you, Riley. You know that, right?" She nodded; the glisten in his blue eyes and the desperation in his trembling voice was destroying her willpower. "Do you … still love me?"

Riley slammed her eyes shut. She loved him with every fiber of her being, and to tell him so in this very moment would only serve to prolong this hellacious situation. The only way to protect him from losing everything -- in her mind -- was to let him go. He would fight her on this, and it broke her heart to see the pain and confusion in his eyes, but it had to be done.

“Do. You. Love. Me?” he enunciated his question once more. The struggle and agony on her face were evident to him.

Riley turned away from Liam and faced the door. Did she have it in her to answer that question with a lie?

"... the council will have no choice but to question Liam's decision-making abilities after not only squandering his pick of a queen on some American nobody but now one whose ass will be featured on the desktops of teenage boys across the world. It's a shame he'll lose his reign, all because of you. Would you really do that to Liam? Are you worth the trouble?"

The sadness crushed her. There was no other way to protect him. Riley swiped at her face and answered firmly.

“No.”

With that, the Queen walked out, leaving the King in an empty room with his shock, his confusion, and an unimaginable pain he'd never get over.

-----------

Tags:

@burnsoslow @dcbbw @ao719 @jessiembruno @texaskitten30 @janezillow @merridithsmiscellany-blog @mskaneko @callmeellabella @queenjilian @sirbeepsalot @drakexwillow @jovialyouthmusic @forthebrokenheartedthings @bebepac @kingliam2019 @lovablegranny @cordoniaqueensworld @amandablink @liamxs-world @choiceskatie @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @charlotteg234 @annekebbphotography @txemrn @ofpixelsandscribbles @alyssalauren @monsoonblooms12 @mom2000aggie @theroyalheirshadowhunter @princessleac1 @kimmiedoo5 @graceful-leah @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful @thegreentwin @gkittylove99 @neotericthemis @pink-diamond13 @walker7519 @yourmajesty09 @natureblooms24 @gabesmommie1130 @sweatyrysconnoisseur @kat-tia801 @debramcg1106 @shewillreadyou @choicesstan650 @emkay512 @royalromancer

Liam x MC: @cordonia-gothqueen

Fools Rush In tags: @narrytheworld @queenwalton @cordonianprincess @zaffrenotes @zilch3 @drrookie @sfb123 @secretaryunpaid

#fools rush in #Liam x mc #liam x riley #king liam #the royal romance #trr #choices trr #prince liam #bbrandy2002

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jombocostello · 3 years

Text

Lost in Translation (Polnareff x Reader)

Anonymous asked: Hey! Would you mind writing a little Polnareff fic where the reader tried to learn French pick up lines to finally drop some hints, but messes up/forgets a word and gets embarrassed? 🥺

Now this is just too sweet. I changed the request up a little bit, I hope you don’t mind!! (Also if you spot any mistakes with the French, please let me know!! I’m not sure how much my high school education of French prepared me for writing Polnareff fanfiction lmao)

-----

"(Y/N), what the hell are you doing?"

You jump, tearing your eyes from the book you're scouring. You look at Joseph, who's sitting a few feet away from you on his hotel bed. He frowns. "It's three in the morning. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I... Well..." You laugh nervously, attempting to discreetly slide the book under your pillow as you search for the right words. "Yeah. I probably should be."

Joseph stands up and turns on the lamp that sits between you two, and you wince when the light hits your eyes. "But seriously, what have you been doing?" he asks again as he sits back down. "I've been trying to get some sleep and all I can hear is you muttering nonstop over there."

You can feel yourself start to blush, and you fix your eyes on the fascinating corner of the door behind Joseph. "Ah... I was just reading out loud. It helps me take it in better, y'know?" It's not a very good lie, and though you're not looking at Joseph, you know he's not buying it. "Half of enjoying a good book is visualization, isn't it?" You're audibly anxious.

"Fine. But what exactly are you reading?" You start to sweat; he's ruthless in his interrogation.

"Uh, it's... I mean you're probably not interested in it." Joseph's patience suddenly runs thin, and he leaps up and snatches the book out of your hand. "What the hell?" you shout, forgetting about the thin hotel walls and attempting rather aggressively to grab the book back.

Joseph, thanks to his powerful Joestar genes, is easily able to hold you off. "Hmm, what is... English-to-French dictionary...?" He looks up at you, confused, and you freeze. He rolls his eyes. "(Y/N), I'm failing to see what's so embarrassing about this. You want to learn a new language? More power to you - " Mid-sentence, he seems to come to a revelation, and you wince. You had almost made it out alive.

"...You're learning this for Polnareff, aren't you?"

"Isn't that the million dollar question?" you mumble, gluing your eyes to the floor. "Yes."

You can hear him horribly containing his laughter. "You've - you've got dedication, I'll give you that!" Little giggles are starting to escape him, and as he suddenly begins to howl with laughter, you try again to grab the paperback out of his hands.

Without breaking a sweat, he shoves you back onto your bed and starts leafing through the book. "Oh my God," Joseph wheezes, wiping a tear away with one hand and holding the book close to his face with the other. "I mean I knew you had feelings for the guy, but I had no idea you loved him like this!" The word 'love' hits you viscerally and you cover your face with your hands, trying to push down your unbearable embarrassment. "Oh God, that's so cute."

"Shut up!" you hiss, finally managing to wrestle the book back from Joseph. "I don't have to explain myself to you," you spit with as much rudeness as you can muster.

"You don't have to explain a thing, my friend," Joseph replies without missing a beat. "I can read you like a book right now."

"Oh my God," you groan, turning away and looking down at the bed. Your face is on fire, and you gingerly set the book down next to your pillow and you fold your arms on your lap. "Just... Fine. You got me, okay?"

"I guess I did get you! I really didn't mean to." Joseph's laughter seems to have finally ended, and he watches as you shift uncomfortably under his gaze. "Sorry for laughing, (Y/N). I'm not trying to make fun of you, I promise - it's just so ridiculous that you're going to all these lengths to win Polnareff over when I'm sure it shouldn't be that difficult."

"Shouldn't be that... What do you mean?" You momentarily put aside your anger when you hear Joseph's words.

"Isn't it obvious? You two are perfect for each other. I'm positive that Polnareff shares your feelings."

"That's funny," you respond, huffing out a little laugh. "He's always flirting with girls, isn't he? I know you've seen him do it."

Joseph rolls his eyes. "Of course I have. That's just the way he is. He can be a bit...familiar with the young women he meets, but I'm fully convinced that you're the person he has his eyes on." Before you can interject with another rebuttal, Joseph speaks again. "Don't argue with me on this. I've been alive far longer than you and I've seen lots of people fall in love in this lovely world!"

You don't want to admit it, but Joseph's actually giving you some confidence here. "You, well... You might be right." Joseph grins. "I'm still gonna try to figure out some of this stupid language, though. I think he'll be happy to hear it - I mean, he's been away from home for a long time." You swing your legs up onto the bed and cross them, grabbing the book and flipping it open as you do.

Joseph marvels at the sheer concentration in your eyes as you force your way through the paperback dictionary. He can't believe how in love you are; it's honestly making him a little teary-eyed. "Well, goodnight," he says as he climbs back under the covers. "Want me to leave the light on?"

"If that's okay, yeah." Joseph nods and lays his head down on his pillow. As he shuts his eyes and drifts off to sleep, he listens to you faintly mutter to yourself, "Je t'aime. Je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime..."

-----

The next day comes quickly, and unfortunately you haven't really slept enough to prepare for it. You'd stayed up all night after your little encounter with Joseph, so you're left with about an hour and a half of sleep to get through the day. You and Joseph quickly get ready, and you go to meet the rest of the group in the lobby.

You yawn loudly as you step out of the elevator, and Joseph takes a second to laugh at you before following. You elbow him in the arm as you walk up to Jotaro, Avdol, Iggy, and Polnareff. Kakyoin's still resting up in the hospital; you all miss him dearly.

"Good morning!" Avdol calls, watching as you shuffle into the little group. "Did you two sleep well?"

You simply shake your head, and Joseph laughs a little at your severe expression. "(Y/N) stayed up all night reading," he explains, but after you shoot a look his way he shuts his mouth.

"Oh, really?" Polnareff asks brightly, raising his eyebrows. You look up at him and feel your heart start pounding; if he asks what you were reading you think you might drop dead on the spot. "Didn't take you for the reading type."

You nearly laugh at that, looking incredulously up at Polnareff. "What the hell does that mean - are you calling me dumb?"

"No!" he says hastily, eyes wide. "I mean - maybe." You both start laughing now, and Joseph leaves to return the hotel keys and check out. "In all seriousness," Polnareff starts with a little smile on his face, "I just didn't think you could sit still long enough to enjoy a novel. You seem like a more active person, I guess."

You honestly can't - your little French study sessions have been nothing short of torture. Still, you just shrug. "Everyone enjoys a good story, don't they?"

"Yeah." Polnareff turns to Jotaro and Avdol, who have been chatting to each other. "So, what's on the agenda today?" he asks, leaning against the wall behind him.

"Well..." Avdol thinks to himself for a moment. "We're a few hours away from Cairo. I think we should stay here for a while longer and then start heading there at around midday - so we can arrive under the cover of night."

"You're a good strategist, Avdol," you comment. "I would've just had us all drive into the city and parade around to find a hotel."

Avdol huffs out a laugh. "As much as I'd like to do that, our lives are in danger. We'll have to be really careful once we get to Cairo. I'm sure Dio has eyes everywhere."

"Yeah." You turn to Jotaro, who's been silent so far. Iggy's on the ground next to him, looking as pissed off as a dog possibly can. "How did you sleep last night?"

He just shrugs. "Same old. It was nice having the room to myself, save for this little asshole." He jabs his thumb in Iggy's direction, and you snort. "But yeah, it was fine. I just wanna get this over with. I've been..." He glances down at his shoes. "I've been thinking about my mom."

You'd almost forgotten about the original reason Joseph and his grandson set out on this mission. You had heard from the Foundation a few days ago that Holly Kujo's condition was only worsening. "You're gonna see her soon, huh? When we get to Cairo we'll practically be in Dio's backyard."

Jotaro nods. "Yep. Can't wait to beat the shit out of him."

You grin and nod vigorously. "I'm with you there."

Joseph returns to your little group, and the five of you all huddle together. "So," he starts, taking a deep breath. "Are you thinking we should wait, Avdol?"

"Yes. I was just saying that we should give it a few hours before we get on the road."

Joseph seems satisfied with that answer. "Perfect. So until then... I guess we can do a bit of sightseeing! We should pair up and try to stay at least a little close by. I'll stick with Avdol, and Jotaro - would you mind going with Iggy? If anything happens, both of your stands would be more than capable of taking care of things." Jotaro rolls his eyes and hums in agreement. "Okay. That leaves you two."

The sheer glee in Joseph's shit-eating grin as he looks at you and Polnareff honestly astounds you. Polnareff doesn't seem to notice, and he looks down at you. "Well this'll be fun! I haven't gotten to spend much time with you in the past couple days, (Y/N)." There's a pure affection in Polnareff's voice as he speaks to you, and you feel yourself fall even deeper in love. "We'll see you guys here in three hours, alright?" Joseph nods, waving goodbye with a sickly sweet smile, and Polnareff takes your hand and drags you through the revolving door.

The sun feels great on your skin. You follow Polnareff out, looking at your hand clasped in his as he leads you down the street a ways. He makes you feel so, so happy, and you're overcome by the desire to tell him that. "Where are you going?" you call, laughing a little when you realize you've been following him without having a clue where he's taking you.

He halts suddenly, and you run right into his back. "Oh, shit! Sorry." He spins around and rights you, peering down at your face. "That didn't hurt, did it?"

"N-no." You wince and feel your nose, which had rammed right into one of his shoulder blades. "I'm all good." After a thumbs-up for confirmation, Polnareff is satisfied. "So we're here?"

"Yep!" Polnareff gestures to the shop you're standing in front of. It's a café by the looks of it, and it seems pretty nice. "We passed it while we were driving in yesterday."

"Oh, cool!" Polnareff heads inside and you follow him. At the counter, Polnareff orders a couple pastries and two espressos for both of you. Once he gets his order, he hands you your espresso and walks out the door. He's really intent on getting the most out of these few hours of respite, it seems.

"Now that we have some food," he says, gesturing to the little bag of desserts, "we can have a picnic!" He starts walking briskly down the street, and you nearly have to jog to keep up with him.

"Did you spot this on the way in too?" you ask. He nods. "Damn, I missed so much. I was sleeping." He laughs, and you join in. After a few more minutes, you reach your destination.

It's a little park that overlooks a small, tranquil pond. "Oh, this is neat!" you say. "It's really pretty."

"Yeah." You look up at Polnareff as he gazes out at the scenery. You haven't seen him this relaxed in a long time; he's usually being pestered by Iggy or attacked by some enemy stand user. You're really grateful that you get to share a calm, sweet moment with him before you have to head out to battle in Cairo.

You decide to take a seat on the grass a few feet away from the pond. Polnareff sits down beside you and carefully sets his espresso down on the grass, making sure it doesn't spill, and you do the same. You cross your legs as Polnareff reaches into the bag and pulls out a pastry.

"For you," he says, bowing his head as he hands you a croissant.

You laugh as you take it from him. "I'm honored," you reply, dipping your head in mock gratitude to Polnareff. He smirks a little and takes out a croissant for himself, leaning back and taking a big bite. You try yours, and it tastes amazing. "You're got a good eye," you tell Polnareff, your voice a little muffled as you eat. "This is really good."

"Well it's only natural that I would have an eye for cuisine," he replies with a smug grin. You reach over and slug him in the arm, and he lets out a startled laugh when you hit him. "Hey! It's true." You sigh and turn towards the pond, watching the little ripples in the water as the breeze gently brushes over it. Polnareff's still laughing a little beside you, and the whole scene suddenly feels completely and utterly romantic. You realize with a start that this is the perfect moment to try out your newly acquired language skills!

You pick up your espresso and take a sip; it's just as good as the food had been. Tentatively, you look over at Polnareff and find him staring out at the pond. "C'est un bon café," you say as nonchalantly as you can.

Polnareff nods and smiles faintly. "Oui, je suis d'accord," he replies, but the second the words leave his mouth he whips his head around, staring at you with wide eyes. "What did - did you just - was that French?" he sputters, starting to grin like an idiot.

You return the smile, nodding. "Oui. I'm glad you could understand me."

"Glad I could - God, (Y/N), you're so - " Polnareff suddenly reaches out and wraps you in a huge hug, knocking the wind from you as he practically pulls you into his lap.

"H-hey!" you yelp, laughing loudly as he rests his chin on your shoulder. He sighs, placing his hand at the base of your neck, and you feel a shiver run through you. After a moment, he pulls away and beams at you.

"I didn't know you knew French!" he says brightly; he looks ecstatic. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know it until a few days ago," you tell him with a little smile. "I've been picking it up little by little. I still barely know anything."

"You've been...learning it?" he asks softly, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah! I found a little dictionary at a shop about a week ago, and that's actually what I stayed up all last night reading. Can't say that I'm grasping it very well, but I'm giving it a shot just for you!" The smile drops from your face a bit when you notice that Polnareff's expression has grown somber.

"(Y/N)..." Your eyes widen when you notice tears welling up in Polnareff's eyes. "You've been such a good friend to me. You're always there to make me smile, and well, you've saved my life a few times too. But this, I - you don't know what it means to me."

You reach out and take his hands in yours, a little clumsily. "You're the one who makes me smile. You're my best friend." You're suddenly made acutely aware of the butterflies in your stomach, and you suck in a deep breath. It feels like it's now or never. "Polnareff, there's something I want to tell you." He blinks the tears from his eyes, and you hold his hands a little tighter. "I really - "

Before you can finish, you're punched in the jaw by an impossibly powerful fist. You fly back, landing hard in the grass a few feet away. As you stumble to your feet, swearing and clutching your face, you summon your stand. It fucking figures there's a stand user here. Sometimes you wonder if you're some sort of stand magnet.

Polnareff frantically pulls himself up and dashes over to you. "(Y/N)!" he shouts, holding you by the shoulders and looking at your jaw. "Shit, are you alright?!"

You wince when Polnareff ghosts his fingers over the spot. "Probably not," you mutter, breathing in sharply through your nose. Polnareff freezes, and you shrug his other hand off of you. "We've gotta beat this guy, okay?"

"Y-yeah." Polnareff summons Silver Chariot and stands against your back, scanning the area for the stand or its user. You do the same, trying to push the pain out of your mind. "There!" Polnareff suddenly shouts, and you twist your head around.

It's a man; he's standing on the other side of the pond. He stalks up to the two of you, and as he walks, his stand slowly materializes behind him. It's extremely threatening, with a build that could rival Star Platinum and deep-set, bright red eyes. You force yourself to approach him and Polnareff follows you. Your stand is an archer, suited for long-range battle, and Polnareff's works better at a closer range, so you're usually able to cover each other's blind spots. Your stand pulls out an arrow and nocks it, aiming for the head of your enemy. "(Y/N), right?" he calls, a lax smirk on his face. "And Jean Pierre Polnareff." He and his stand take another step forward, and you tense. Polnareff's Silver Chariot is ready to strike at any moment. "Easy, easy!" he says, raising his hands on either side of his head. "I'm a fair man. Allow me to explain my stand to you."

You glance at Polnareff, and after a moment of hesitation he nods his head. Your stand lowers its bow while Silver Chariot points its rapier to the ground. The man slowly and surely approaches the two of you, and his stand waits beside him. "Thank you. Truce for now?" You grit your teeth and will yourself to nod. "I'm glad. Well, my stand is the Seven of Swords. Essentially, it's extremely powerful. I doubt you'll be able to get a single hit in, if I'm being honest." You can feel rage bubbling up inside you, and as hard as you try to fight it, you just can't kick the feeling. Your gaze flits to Polnareff; he looks just as angry as you.

Grimacing, you look back to the user. "My stand specializes in strength. Every punch it deals leaves a lasting effect - as I'm sure you've noticed, (Y/N)."

You want to scream. The smug look he's wearing and the searing pain in your face is all too much, and before he can continue, you have your stand quickly nock an arrow and fire. You hit him in his right shoulder - he had punched you with that arm - and he falls back, grasping at the wound. "Shit!" he shouts, leaning against his giant stand. With its left arm, Seven of Swords reaches out and yanks the arrow from its user's body.

You start to grin; it looks like you've knocked this guy down a notch. However, just when Polnareff moves to strike and you ready another arrow, he and his stand vanish. "What the hell?" Polnareff mutters, scanning the area. "Where could they have - "

"(Y/N), I'm disappointed!" You scream when the stand wraps its left arm around your neck, squeezing painfully but just lightly enough to let you remain conscious. The man leans in far too close and speaks. "You broke our truce. I suppose I can't be too angry... I wasn't exactly being completely truthful either." The stand's grip on you tightens, and you choke out a cough. Polnareff goes to slice through the arm around your neck, but before you even know what's happened, you're on the other side of the pond. Polnareff, now a great distance away, gapes at you before running over as quickly as he can.

"My Seven of Swords is a master of teleportation," the man announces. "Everything else is just a plus." His stand abruptly releases you, and as you gasp for air, the man grins. "I'm surprised by how easy it was to take care of you, (Y/N). Lord Dio had made you sound a lot tougher." You try to swear at him, but your voice is hoarse and barely understandable.

"(Y/N)!" You turn your head when Polnareff cries your name, and suddenly you're punched hard in the abdomen. You're knocked to the ground and your head smacks into the dirt, and the last thing you see before you lose consciousness is Polnareff's face, equal parts anguished and enraged.

-----

The first thing you note when you fade back into consciousness is a strong pain in your midsection. You groan, forcing your eyes open; looks like you were rescued. You're in your hotel room, and it seems like you're alone. You glance over at the window, gritting your teeth as you shift your aching neck, and you nearly laugh out loud when you see that stupid little dictionary sitting on your bed.

You hear the door open, and you turn to find Polnareff stepping through the doorway. "Hey," you say, your voice quieter than you'd intended.

He looks down at the sound of your voice and grins. "Glad to have you back," he replies softly. "I'm so relieved that you're alright." He carefully sits down beside you on the bed.

"Of course I'm alright." You crack a smile. "I wasn't gonna let that asshole kill me."

Polnareff laughs a little and nods. "Yeah, he was a real piece of shit. After he - after he knocked you out, I held him off for a little while until reinforcements arrived in the forms of Star Platinum and The Fool. The three of us had him crying like a baby."

"Thank God," you sigh. "He deserved it." You both fall into a little silence, neither of you quite sure of what to say. You remember exactly what you had been about to tell Polnareff when you were attacked, but you can't muster up the courage to try again now. "Even if it got fucked up at the end, thank you for the lovely afternoon," you finally say. "I really enjoyed our little picnic."

"So did I." Polnareff starts to speak more, but something catches his eye. You watch as he reaches over you and grabs something; it's the French dictionary. He peers down at it and starts flipping through the pages. Almost instantly he looks completely affronted, and you feel a laugh rise in your chest.

"What is it?" you ask him as he scoffs, shutting the book definitively and setting it back down.

"They made that thing so difficult to understand! It's so much simpler than that makes it out to be, really!" He shakes his head, clearly disappointed with the publication, and you let a little laughter escape. "How about this." He leans in towards you. "Instead of learning out of that stupid book, I can teach you! It'll be a lot more fun."

He's just so...charming. He's always so sincere, especially with you, and the pure kindness in his eyes as he speaks nearly takes your breath away. "That - that would be fun," you reply, too taken with him to think of anything else to say.

He grins. "Good. We can have your first lesson right now."

You laugh at that, making Polnareff jump a bit. "Already? What, am I gonna get homework too?"

He joins in on your laughter and shakes his head. "No, no, it'll be quick." Something in his expression softens, and you blink as he reaches out and places his hand gently over yours. He suddenly looks a lot more serious. "Tell me what I'm saying. Je suis amoureux de toi."

You open your mouth, softly whispering the words. Your mind's nearly a total blank; it seems you really didn't learn much from that dictionary. You're at least determined to get the beginning. "Ah... Je is 'I', so je suis would be 'I am', right?"

Polnareff nods. He wraps his hand around yours and holds it, just as he had earlier today. "Yes. Je is 'I', suis is 'am'..." He lifts his other hand and entwines it with yours. You're not sure what he's saying but you allow yourself to hope, just a little.

Polnareff's voice is hardly above a whisper as he says, "Je suis amoureux de toi - I'm in love with you."

A huge smile breaks across your face and you feel like you're floating. When Polnareff sees your reaction, his smile widens as well, and he leans down and wraps you up in a careful hug. "I love you too," you murmur in his ear; you think you might burst into tears if you try to speak any louder. "I have for a while now. I'm so happy you - " Despite your best efforts, you feel yourself start to cry. Polnareff leans back a bit, and you're almost amused to see that he's crying too. You probably look like a couple of lovesick fools, and you're so, so, happy.

"I'll never be able to show you how much you mean to me, (Y/N)," Polnareff murmurs before pressing a tender kiss to your cheek. "How much it means to me that you care."

"Of course I care," you whisper back, reaching up and running your fingers through his hair. "I care because you mean the world to me."

Polnareff looks down into your eyes, and you both take in each other's expressions. "You know, I think we're perfect for each other," he breathes, and as you start to agree, he moves forward and captures your lips in a kiss.

Nothing has ever felt more right than Polnareff's lips on yours. You wrap your arms around his back, pulling him as close as you possibly can. He parts from you for just a moment to help you sit up a bit, so that he doesn't cause the injury to your midsection any pain. You wince when a particularly sharp pang of pain hits you, and Polnareff softly runs his hand over your hair. After a moment, the feeling dissipates, and you kiss him again.

"Je t'aime," you breathe against his lips, and he smiles. You gently kiss the corner of his mouth and then rest your head on his shoulder. As he presses a kiss to the crown of your head, you whisper, "Je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime..."

-----

It's pitch black out as Joseph drives the group's large car down the winding roads to Cairo, with only the faint radio and Avdol's occasional snores to keep him company. He isn't exactly happy about driving in these conditions, but you had needed a few extra hours of bedrest before you could start this little road trip. Every once in a while, he glances at the back seat, and he finds you, Jotaro, and Polnareff all fast asleep.

After a couple hours of driving, Joseph hears someone stir behind him. He glances up at the rearview mirror and watches as Polnareff rubs his eyes and groggily looks to his left. You're sleeping against him, with your head on his shoulder and one arm loosely wrapped around his midsection. Polnareff's mouth turns up in a little smile, and he carefully wraps his arm around your shoulder.

"So I see everything worked out for (Y/N)," Joseph comments. Polnareff looks up at him, surprised and a little embarrassed to find he was being watched, and Joseph just laughs shortly. "I've always known you two were going to end up together. You really are a perfect fit."

Polnareff's face goes red and he looks back at you. "...Yeah. I'm really lucky."

"Oh, I know!" Joseph laughs again, startling Polnareff. "You should've seen (Y/N) last night, pouring over the French language like their life depended on it. They wanted so badly to make you happy after this hell we've been through."

Polnareff almost feels like crying again. He can't believe how truly lucky he is to have found you. "Still," Joseph says, "it's not quite over yet." Polnareff watches Joseph's expression turn somber through the rear-view mirror. "We've still got to kill Dio."

"Yeah." As he gazes down at you, so peaceful in sleep, he feels a fire light in his mind. He'd do anything to keep you alive, and while killing Dio will surely be extremely difficult, he knows he's going to do it - for Joseph, for Jotaro, for Holly Kujo, and for you. "We'll do it. We'll kill him and we'll all be fine."

"You're quite the optimist," Joseph mutters, sighing. "I try to be as well, but I'm worried that our luck so far will finally catch up to us in this final battle."

Polnareff isn't quite sure what to say, but now there's no doubt in his mind that they'll succeed in the fight against Dio. He just sighs, careful not to disturb you, and rests his head against the car window. "Do you want me to stay awake with you?" he asks Joseph.

"No, I'm fine. We'll be there pretty soon." Polnareff nods and shuts his eyes, and Joseph quickly turns his eyes back to the road.

As Polnareff begins to doze off, he gently clasps your hand in his. He hasn't had a home for a long time; ever since he lost his sister, he hasn't known that feeling of having somewhere - or someone - you truly belong with. Now, next to you, he dares to hope he's feeling it again. He's always loved you, he's realizing - you've always made him feel this way, whenever you joked around together or fought side-by-side in battle. Knowing that you feel the same was the best thing that's ever happened to him.

Just before he falls asleep, he whispers a gentle, "I love you." He holds your hand a little tighter and finally drifts off.

Joseph casts one final glance at the two of you in the back seat. Unlike Polnareff, he's a little more worried about the potential outcome of the face-off with Dio. Maybe, though, just maybe - the endless love you two possess for one another will be what wins the fight.

#my writing #jean pierre polnareff #polnareff x reader #polnareff imagine #jojo x reader #jjba imagine #jjba x reader #jojo's bizarre adventure #seven of swords guy was basically steely dan with a cooler stand #also thank you to madame sofia coppola for the title sorry for stealing it

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goldenclosetnetwork · 4 years

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23 | Jungkook’s Birthday Project [Masterlist]

In celebration of Jungkook’s birthday, GCN is hosting our very first project! In honor of our Golden Maknae turning 23, our project will be based on 23 Prompts and 23 AUs!

Thank you to everyone who joined us!! We hope you had loads of fun writing for JK’s bday!!

Official Post

⥼ Header & borders made by @mindays ♡

⤚ A Hero’s Journey by @hansolmates

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Jungkook and Jisoo are the mightiest power couple. However, one drunken confession and that whole facade fades in an instant. You realize that maybe you need to break from your unvaried life for a bit and be the hero of your own love story ⤜ genre: best friend’s boyfriend au, slice of life, angst, smut, graphic designer au, editor au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ EXPLORER by @1kook

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Jungkook does not want to impress the frankly tyrannical ways of his planet on you. He just wants to stay here and keep your couch warm for you, hold your hair back when you wash your face in the morning. ⤜ genre: fluff, smut, strangers to friends to lovers, alien au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Good Different by @prettyboongi

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: You and Jeon Jungkook have been best friends for as long as you could remember. Everyone knows you two as "The Gruesome Twosome" and you'd be so lost without your best guy. So imagine your shock when one day Jungkook suddenly confesses his true feelings for you and asks you to be his girlfriend! Surprised and anxious, you accept his feelings and agree to try out a relationship with Jungkook while wrestling your own conflicting feelings towards him. ⤜ genre: fluff, angst, friends 2 lovers au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Here Comes The Bride, All Dressed In Pride by @hansolmates

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: You and your cousin Doyeon have had beef with each other since the sandbox. When she plucks the last straw, you decide to end your long-simmering fight by claiming that you and her ex—Jeon Jungkook, are now boyfriend and girlfriend. ⤜ genre: fluff, crack, fake dating au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x reader

⤚ Into The Shadows by @mikroparadise

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Late nights at the office were never really your thing. But when the new guy Jeon Jungkook asks you to stay late to help him with a personal project one evening, despite you barely knowing him from Adam, you can’t bring yourself to say no to him. Your first coffee break of the night proves to be horrifying, however, when you accidentally witness an event that you should have never been there to see. And now, you and Jungkook have to run like your lives depend on it. Because they do. ⤜ genre: angst, smut, mafia au, s2l au, mafia au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x reader

⤚ i wanna do (whatever you wanna do) by @joopiterjoon

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Jungkook gets into trouble a lot, but that's okay because his three hyungs always forgive him. ⤜ genre: fluff, slice of life, mxm, poly au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x Rapline

⤚ Losing It by @yoonseoksoftie

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: there are many ways jungkook thought he’d lose his v-card. prom, at his debutant ball, at jin’s crazy house parties, during his first semester at college or maybe a one night stand. but never did he think it would be to you. ⤜ genre: fluff, smut, fuckgirl au, f22l au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x reader

⤚ Love Language by @ezralia-writes

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: “Relationships grow better when we understand each other. Each love language is important and expresses love in its own way. Learning the way we feel loved and appreciated helps create a stronger bond in a relationship.” ~ The Five Love Languages Perhaps the reason two best friends retained unrequited crushes for each other all these years is simply because neither of you could understand the different ways you express your undying affections for one another. ⤜ genre: fluff, angst, f2l (idiots 2 lovers) ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Personal Galaxy by @baepsaesbae

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: You and your boyfriend, Jungkook, go on a stargazing date to celebrate your anniversary. ⤜ genre: smut, fluff, established relationship au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Prince of Darkness by @suqakoo

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Your coven has protected the Prince of Darkness for centuries before you were even born. He was never supposed to wake without his mate, unless...she lives. ⤜ genre: smut, minor angst, romance, vampire au, witch au, soulmate au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Roseraie by @yeojaa

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: What you had - so brilliant and beautiful and bright it was almost impossible to look at head-on - was what was tearing you two apart. It was your love that would be your demise. ⤜ genre: angst, soulmate au, hanahaki au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ 神奇 (Shénqí) by @heyitsmeee2

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Lost in a magical forest is not what you expected. Neither was being stuck in a fairy village for the unforeseeable future. But you didn't mind it too much, especially when there was a sweet fairy willing to help you out. ⤜ genre: romance, fantasy au, fairy au, s2l-e2l-f2l au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (gender neutral) reader

⤚ Stupid Love by @daydreamindollie

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: you want to be honest with him but saying you love him would be stupid; he wouldn't know love if it slapped him across the face ⤜ genre: fluff, angst, superhero au, best friends 2 lovers ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Sugar Pink by @dewykth

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: maybe asking his brother's best friend to teach him about sex was a stupid, impulsive decision. but jungkook has never been one for good plans. besides, it's not like it could get any worse than this right? ⤜ genre: romance, angst, smut, brother's best friend au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x reader

⤚ The Most Lonely Creature by @astraljoon

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Playing with an old radio seemed silly, but you had nothing better to do. you didn't expect to come into contact with someone, or something, and they so happened to be on the other side of the cosmos. ⤜ genre: fluff, angst, smut, alien au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ There You Are by @joonkookiemonster

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Everyone around him found their mates already and he is very anxious about his. Out of all scenarios he had imagined, it didn't cross his mind that his omega comes into his house as the shy fried chicken delivery girl, under his big pet dog. ⤜ genre: fluff, smut, werewolf au, a/b/o au, alpha au, omega au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x reader

⤚ (Un)welcomed Addition by @honeyj00ns

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: After a drunken one night stand with your neighbor, you have your reasons for wanting to forget it ever happened and never talk to him again. Unfortunately, Jungkook wins the award for the world’s worst neighbor so his 3 am wakeup calls and mail stealing have you banging at his door on an almost weekly basis. You just want to make it to the end of your lease so you can leave all the traces of the fuckboy next door behind...unless your feelings get in the way of course. ⤜ genre: fluff, angst, neighbors 2 lovers au, fuckboy au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Wherever You Are by @suhdays

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: It’s not that he was afraid, he was just unsure of how to connect to those so unlike him. It’s not that he was never in love before, he just never loved anyone quite like he loves you. In all of the decades that has passed since his turning to a vampire, Jeongguk wanted nothing more than to be with you. ⤜ genre: fluff, slight angst, vampire au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Your Eyes Tell by @pars-ley

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: When your best friend’s a prince and inherits the throne, he needs to find a wife to rule alongside him as Queen, you’re more than happy to help him choose an eligible bachelorette. But what happens when you, who only wants to marry for love, are forced to be one of the participants? Jungkook already knows he wants to choose you. He’s loved you for years but could he do that to his best friend; force a marriage of convenience and a life of loyalty to the throne onto you, when he knows all you desire is love and romance? ⤜ genre: fluff, angst, royals au, arranged marriage au, unrequited love au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

⤚ Zero to Hero by @btsxdoll

⥼ read here ⥽

⤜ summary: Life hadn't been kind to Jungguk but that hadn't stopped him before, so why would it not? ⤜ genre: fluff, angst, romance, greek mythology au ⤜ pairing: Jungkook x (f) reader

#goldenclosetnet #gcn23 #project masterlist #masterlist

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brandstifter-sys · 3 years

Text

Sonnets

Word Count: 2144 (Ao3)

Pairing: Dukexiety with some Creativitwins

Rating: T+

Warnings: Sexual themes, brotherly angst, talk of death

Roman finds a journal and assumes it’s Remus’ but when Remus says it’s not his Roman leaves him with it, so he has some time to read. Little does he know what will come from perusing that book.

-----

Remus was chaos, he didn't bend to anyone else's rules unless he wanted to. Almost nothing was off the table for him—gore, violence, monsters, pain—but he had limits. Don't steal Janus' hat when he isn't holding or wearing it, because an angry Janus meant silence, or worse being silenced and alone. Never ever get too gross with Patton, because he will scream and cry and flash those hideous puppy dog eyes! Stay at least 6 feet away from Logan or suffer through a lecture on how little influence the duke held. Never let Roman hurt himself so bad he can't heal. And never ever read Virgil's diaries.

Remus was happily throwing shurikens at a large canvas with paint balloons, having fun despite only hitting the ones filled with red. It was just a little annoying to only have one color on a solid white background, and even more annoying when it was Roman's colors staring at him. Roman hadn't been much of a good brother in the past few years, and it stung to think about how they drifted apart. How almost everyone ran from him to Roman. It hurt to be so lonely.

"Greetings, Your Disgrace!" Roman said as he entered the castle atrium suddenly. Remus threw another star that lodged itself in the canvas with a splash and a thump, and grinned manically at the unsettled prince.

"Well if it isn't MacBetty himself!" Remus said and cracked his neck sharply, "What hell did I probably unleash on you today?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Roman scoffed and held up a black journal with sparkling green trim, "You left this in the common area."

"Did I?" he asked and righted his head with a sickening pop. He was as bad as Roman about collecting cool journals and never filling them, so it could be his, even if he didn't recognize it. Roman handed it to him and crossed his arms.

"It would appear so. If Logan yells at me for leaving my notes lying about, he will certainly yell at me for yours."

Remus hummed softly and ran his fingers over the cover, ignoring the jab. The trim pricked his fingers as they glided over it. It was a nice journal, but definitely not something he conjured up. He supposed it might have been a gift, but that would mean someone made something for him—someone other than Janus, and maybe just one other side, but he remembered every gift Virgil ever gave him.

"He likes to yell. Are you sure this is mine?" he questioned, still learning the rise and fall of the trim.

"I assumed, considering the design. I don't like to open other people's journals," Roman answered. Remus knew he was scared of leafing through it, probably expecting some security monster popping out the second he opened it. He didn't blame him for that one, but it stung nonetheless.

"Me neither, but now I'm curious!" Remus laughed and opened to a random page. It was all hand-written poetry. Interesting!

"It's a poetry book! Wanna hear one? It could be a hint!" Remus wiggled his eyebrows. Roman let out a short sigh but went tense.

"I have other things to do. I came to drop off the book and now I must depart. Farewell." Roman bowed and sank out with flourish. He left far too quickly for comfort.

"Love you too, nice seeing you again, don't be a stranger," Remus pouted and went back to his room, too bummed to paint anymore.

He rose up and flopped on his bed with the journal open. Some angsty poetry might make him feel better. He got comfy and let his eyes traverse the page

My mouth is dry Sugary sweet and kind Choking me with my own tongue Out of everything, that saccharine isn't a lie

Remus pursed his lips. That one was really short, and with the talk of lies, he had to wonder. Was this actually Roman's? Did he want to share this with him covertly? Remus bit back a squeal at the thought and kept reading with some hope.

Lost in translation Obstinate and selfish Get over yourself Avoidance builds pressure Never any quiet when you snap

Remus giggled, knowing exactly who that one was about! Someone pissed the author off! And he knew that that person pissed Roman off a lot! He turned the page, expecting to learn more about this author, believing they could be his brother wanting to reconnect. He was a little surprised to find a skull doodled in the corner but brushed it off.

I want to pull him from the shadows and into my heart Will he see me? Will he disappear if I reach for his hand? Am I blind and staggering in desperation? Someone like him would be better without me Someone like him deserves someone better No star deserves to succumb to a black hole

That one hurt. Remus wiped away the tears forming in his eyes. He knew that feeling all too well. The one side who made him want to obey, the side that made his heart flutter like the bats in his tummy—that side was his best friend and then he left. He missed his partner in crime and he wished that Virgil would come back, just for a visit, and spend time with him again. But that wasn't happening and he had a whole book to read about an author he could really connect with, Roman or not.

He went through several poems that were angsty and angry, full of self-loathing. With each piece he read, the more he doubted it was Roman. The language wasn't formal enough and it didn't match his style at all! It was good stuff, most of it, and Remus kind of hoped the real author would be willing to collaborate with him. He liked this guy.

Like the sun overhead, you're on fire The big man has a little golden boy Pompous and cruel with haughty desire Which one of us are you gonna destroy?

Darkness and shadow that cannot be lit Overshadowing you to make it stop Use that hubris to land another hit I'll keep fighting until the curtains drop

You think you're Hercules when you're so weak Rise like a phoenix Icarus, just try Maybe you'll learn what it means to be meek Until that day you won't see me cry

I will rain on your parade every damn time Stopping stupidity is my worst crime

Okay so that one threw him for a loop. It would take a few minutes to piece it together. Remus decided that he could assume it was about Roman this time. Princey loved the classics and he had a pet phoenix. This author had some beef with him! Remus hoped for more anger at Roman with the next poem, because he certainly had enough pent up with the snobby, best-friend stealing, always got the spotlight prince. He didn’t get that catharsis, he got more than he bargained for.

I find comfort in breathing in his scent Even if his hands are mine for tonight If he asks, I don't know where his clothes went What I'm doing is wrong but it feels right

If I close my eyes I can taste his kiss A dream in a nightmare clouding my mind Hearing my name on his lips would be bliss To pin him down, our fingers intertwined

I long to stare into piercing jade pools So he thinks of me while I stake my claim I want him to never want to let go I always thought that love was just for fools But on his green sash, love, or something, came I almost regret that he'll never know

This was definitely not a book the author wanted to share. Remus was pretty sure that his face was going to melt off. Now he really wanted to figure out who wrote these! Someone actually liked him like that at some point! It definitely wasn't Princey in that poem—Remus still had the sash mentioned! He was just the tiniest bit turned on, but most of his hype went into his famous wiggles.

"You're so dead!"

Remus jolted up and beamed. Virgil never stopped by anymore, so when he popped up threateningly, Remus was too happy to care or put the pieces together.

"And how do you wanna kill me? I have some suggestions!" he sang and shimmied. Virgil scowled and crossed his arms.

"Have Janus wipe your memory and give it back."

"What, the book?" Remus questioned and held it up. Virgil snatched it and held it to his chest protectively. Remus' eyes widened in horror.

"You wrote all that?! And I read it!? Oh no no no no no! I had no idea—I'll get Hisster Myde and scrub it away with steel wool! Dammit I am so sorry, Sca–Virgil!" Remus yelped and got up to pace. His only rule about Virgil, broken! The only rule he wanted to follow—tarnished!

"Were you about to call me 'Scabby Doo' again?" Virgil scoffed, hiding the fear and hurt he felt.

"No, 'Scare Bear,' something kinda cute but that’s not important right now!" Remus answered, "I read your stuff without asking! I might be a crazed Camus Stranger boy, but I have some standards!"

"Remus. Breathe. You're gonna wipe this trash from your memory and it'll be okay," Virgil tried to soothe him, only for the duke to go rigid.

"Trash!?" Remus snarled and spun on his heels and marched up to Virgil until the lumbering emo hit the wall, confused and scared.

"It's not trash! I know trash! I eat it for breakfast! That book holds some of the best stuff my critical creative ass has read in ages!" Remus snapped and glared up at him with a fire in his eyes.

"What?"

"Those poems are great! I was gonna find the author and beg on my knees like a needy subby bitch to collab with him because holy shit! I felt something with each one!"

"Even the one with the skull doodle on the page?" Virgil squeaked, his face a beautiful shade of red. Remus smiled sadly.

"Yeah, that one hit a little too close to home. I got all teary eyed. Thinking about it now after reading that saucy sonnet, it really hurts!"

"I uh—" Virgil stammered, "I'm, uh, 'm sorry for the sash and the whole—"

"If you apologize for anything else I am going to lip wrestle that apology away!" Remus cut him off, "Because dammit, Virgil, I love you, even if you don't feel the same way anymore. No more self-hate and no more doubting yourself."

"Puppy," Virgil said and finally took back some control, guiding Remus back and having him sit down, "I can't promise I'll be able to stop that completely, but if you can stand a little bit of it, I wouldn't mind making that collab a date."

"Really!?" Remus grinned making Virgil's eyeshadow turn purple, "Can we paint too? And watch scary movies? And make out? And then try and woo each other with some dark prose until one of us caves and asks the other to be his boyfriend? And then f—"

"Yeah," Virgil cut him off and pressed a finger to Remus' lips, "Except for the part about caving. Will you–I mean, only if you want to, would you–and it’s cool if you say ‘no’ since things might be a little weird but—”

“Band-aid, Emoraptor!” Remus cut him off, like he used to do back in the day when Virgil started down one of his nervous tangents.

“Maybe be my boyfriend now?" Virgil said quickly and winced.

"Yes!" Remus cheered and dragged Virgil into a hug, tumbling on the sheets, "Loom over me like a cypress tree and stay with me until I taste death for a night."

"Stay here and cuddle until we pass out like touch starved gremlins? Only if you visit me in the abyss until this world calls," Virge mused and wrapped his arms around the duke, curling around him protectively.

"And then the next," Remus hummed softly and kissed his hand, “But you’re always in my dreams!” Virgil buried his face in Remus’ neck and smiled against his skin. Who would have thought that they would wind up here?

Roman sat on his bed and stared at the collage of pictures he had on the wall. In the very center was an old drawing of him and Remus in front of a castle. He sighed wistfully and stared at it, admiring Remus' work. He hoped that sneaking into Virgil's room was worth it—he wanted Remus to be happy even if he couldn't provide that joy. Maybe one day he’d be able to, but until then, he hoped he got his best friend and brother together to make some amends if not more.

#remus sanders #virgil sanders #sanders sides #dukexiety #creativitwins #roman sanders #sex mention tw #angst tw #creativitwins angst #sandyscribed #ask to tag

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stagandsteer · 3 years

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Complete transcript of the Wonderland interview, by Catherine Santino, below the cut :)

In 1993, the year in which Freeform’s new thriller series Cruel Summer opens, actor Froy Gutierrez was yet to be born. Chat rooms and beepers, just two of the symbols of 90’s culture featured in the show, were absent in Gutierrez's own childhood. Instead, the 22 year old grew up among the endless, glowing feeds of social media — and the inevitable pressures that they create.

“There’s a kind of self-awareness that comes from growing up with the internet, which everyone in our cast did,” Gutierrez, who stars in the upcoming series, tells me over Zoom — his boyish charm tangible across the screen. “We’re all technically Gen Z or like, older Gen Z. And so you have to unburden yourself from curating a persona online.”

Due to the dizzying evolution of technology in the past two decades, Gutierrez and I had drastically different experiences with the internet growing up — even though he’s only seven years my junior. I fondly remember a time without the prevalence of social media, while Gutierrez was born into an era where internet presence was not only common, but expected.

Like most of Gutierrez’s peers, the actor was active on social media from a young age, but his presence has quietened over the years — even with 1.7 million instagram followers. “If there’s a general consensus on the internet of a certain readership or viewership, you know about it, because people tweet about it directly to you,'' he says. “There’s a kind of lumping in of the character you’re playing with who you are, that people do. I don’t know if it’s intentional. It’s probably just a human thing, but that happens. And it can be hard not to internalize what you read about yourself, you know? Words have power.”

In 2017, Gutierrez appeared on supernatural MTV drama Teen Wolf, a show with a massive internet fandom. Suddenly, fan theories and commentaries about his character, Nolan Holloway, came in droves, something that the young actor wasn’t necessarily prepared for. “I was still a teenager,” he says. “Around that time, you're an adult, but you’re still figuring things out. So I learned where to set my boundaries because I didn’t know where they were beforehand.”

When Cruel Summer came around, Gutierrez assumed he would be portraying the “desirable young male” he was used to auditioning for. “The first time I read the character, it definitely felt like an archetype. When I auditioned for it, I walked in and was very much myself, and Michelle Purple and Jessica Biel responded very well to it.” However, after he got the role and production ramped up, he was pleasantly surprised. “It didn’t really hit me that they were wanting to take him in such a unique direction until I showed up for wardrobe one day to do my first fitting for the pilot,” Gutierrez recalls. “I looked at the mood board for Jamie and it was like, young Heath Ledger, Keanu Reeves and Kurt Cobain. And I was like ‘Oh shit, I need to step my game up,’” he laughs. “I couldn’t get by doing the same thing that I’ve always done when it comes to characters like that.”

Cruel Summer takes place over the course of three years — ‘93, ‘94, and ‘95 — showing splices of each year in every episode. Produced by Jessica Biel, Tia Napolitano, and Michelle Purple, it centres around the kidnapping of a teenage girl and the fallout of the crime in her community in Skylin, Texas. Gutierrez plays Jamie Henson, the boyfriend of the missing girl, Kate. In her absence, a quiet nerd named Jeanette suddenly rises the social ranks and assumes Kate’s place — including dating Jamie. When Kate returns, Jeanette is suspected to be involved in her disappearance, throwing Jamie into some seriously challenging circumstances. His character could easily be a one-dimensional archetype — and truthfully, I expected him to be — but Cruel Summer took the opportunity to explore toxic masculinity and its widespread impact.

We see Jamie caught in the middle of conflict, unsure how to respond to a traumatic event that certainly no teenager expects to be faced with. He’s not a hero, but he’s not a villain either. It’s unclear whether we’re supposed to root for Jamie or not, which makes him that much more interesting to watch. “He talks a lot about his desire to protect the people around him, regardless of whether or not they asked him to protect them,” Gutierrez says of his character. “He kind of superimposes his own idea of what the people around him need. In order to maintain the peace of the people around him, he kind of robs the people around him of their agency. It’s just a really fascinating character to play in that way.”

Gutierrez has also been able to explore the ethics of true crime in a time when the genre is exploding in popularity. Though Cruel Summer is fictional, it questions the effect that public opinion can have on criminal cases — and perhaps more importantly — the well-being of the people involved. “When it comes to the investigation of a crime, you have to weigh the good it can bring into the world versus the bad it can bring. Or making one person seem suspect, or airing the dirty laundry of a private citizen for the viewership of loads of people.”

Despite his eloquent reflections on Jamie throughout our conversation, it’s clear that Gutierrez doesn’t take himself too seriously. He speaks into the camera like we’re old friends on FaceTime, and when my dog unexpectedly jumps into my frame, he gushes excitedly and asks what her name is. He’s able to laugh at himself one minute and share poignant truths the next. It’s refreshing, much like Cruel Summer.

Another likely contributor to the show’s authenticity? The fact that the cast was kept in the dark when it came to overarching plot points. Instead of knowing the show’s trajectory ahead of time, the actors would receive scripts for the next episode while they were filming — and they were subject to change. “We didn’t know where it was going,” Gutierrez says. “And we were told, “‘This might happen here, or this might happen there.’ And it would shift around.”

Without foresight into their character’s arc, the actors have no choice but to focus only on where they were in that moment — a difficult task when a single episode spans three very different years. Gutierrez faced an even greater challenge, as, unlike the two female leads, his character didn’t undergo any drastic physical transformations over the three years.

“I didn’t really compartmentalise the character,” he explains. “I kind of thought of the different years as different phases in my own life. The first year, ‘93, was a complete absence of any regret. You’re still very young, I was just thinking of like, a complete golden retriever,” he laughs. “A 16-year old boy who just wants the best and isn’t aware. ‘94 is me right before I made the decision to go to therapy, where I was making all these bad decisions and I didn’t know why. And then ‘95 was a whole desire to wrestle with those things and really look at yourself in the mirror and take accountability.”

Gutierrez didn’t only infuse personal experience into his behind-the-scenes work — some aspects made it onto the screen. The actor, whose father is Mexican, grew up spending time between Mexico and Texas and is a native Spanish speaker. Because Cruel Summer is set in Texas, Gutierrez suggested creating a similar background for Jamie.

“I was talking with Tia Napolitano, the show-runner, and I was like, ‘Hey, you know what would be really cool? What if the character is half-Mexican, too?’” Gutierrez says. “And she's like, ‘Oh, yeah, let’s write it in the script.’ And I got to write a couple lines in Spanish, which is really cool. [Jamie] could have been this mould of a cool, likeable jock. And then he ended up being this very nuanced human being, which is awesome.”

Though he is learning to appreciate all parts of his heritage, Gutierrez hasn’t always embraced his identity. “I remember feeling like I might have been not American enough for America, and not Mexican enough for Mexico,” he says. “And I remember having a bit of time in which I had an accent in both languages. Even my name — in Mexico I always went by ‘Froylan’, which is my full name. And then in the U.S., I went by Froy, because I thought it would be easier for other people to say.”

He continues: “I identify as Latino, but I”m also very wary of auditioning for Latino roles because I’m aware I don’t look like a typical Latino person. I don’t want to be someone that you can just sub in for that role, when I’m really white and blonde. And so whenever I do get a role like this, one where he’s not written to be any particular direction and we’re able to collaborate, I’m able to inject some of myself in there. So it’s been really cool to embrace all sides of my history.”

But of course, as is true for Gutierrez, Jamie’s cultural background is only a small part of who he is. Cruel Summer is committed to portraying him as a nuanced character that breaks the moulds of masculinity while tackling complex inner conflict. “Living in his shoes and walking in them, a big question that came up for me was, ‘What is the difference between guilt and shame? [Jamie]’s coping mechanism was terrible and unhealthy, and caused more pain for the people around him. But at the same time, the shame that he internalized made it worse for him. One thing I really learned, is that shame is about yourself and beating yourself up. And guilt is about taking accountability and apologising, moving forward without expecting the relationship to come back. It's just about trying to heal what happened and then moving on, on the terms that the other person sets. It’s not about you, and I think that’s what the character learns throughout the show.”

#froy gutierrez #wonderland magazine #froylan gutierrez #interview #cruel summer #catherine santino

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doberbutts · 4 years

Text

On Consent and Autonomy

Having a discussion with a friend about this sort of thing reminded me that I never typed anything up with Tiki’s journeys through this outside of adding onto various posts already talking about how little dogs like chihuahuas don’t get to have boundaries a lot of the time, and how a lot of the shitty aggressive little dogs are simply dogs who were never allowed to express a boundary without drawing blood.

One of the most important things to me with my animals is, and always has been, consent. I use it with my exotics, I use it with my domestics. There are things that my animals must allow me to do- nail trims, baths, teeth brushing, etc- but for the things that are required I do a lot of no-nonsense desensitization and a lot of fearfree veterinary methods to allow the animal to see that while these things are non-negotiable, they’re also not that bad and don’t have to be the worst thing ever.

But for everything else, there’s always consent involved.

I’ve spoken before about how there’s the issue of autonomy and consent especially with little dogs, who have their buttons pushed and their boundaries ignored simply because of their size, because it’s not like if you harass a doberman into biting you, because an angry chihuahua can do the same damage an angry doberman can. How little dogs especially are favored for the “living toy” and “fashion accessory” factor above all else, and how many of them are so undersocialized and underexercised that they don’t even seem to grasp that they can walk from place to place by themselves and just expect to be carried everywhere by default. How many actually don’t like that and dislike the idea of the looming behavior us freakishly tall humans tend to exhibit while interacting.

One way I managed that entire problem with Tiki was simply asking for consent to pick her up or put her down. She first learned that she could actually move from place to place on her own, and then she learned that she could accept or reject the offer to be held, and then she learned that she could ask to be held or put down. Simply by giving her a cue for both up and down, and allowing her to navigate that while earning her trust that I wouldn’t suddenly change the rules. Even to her last day, she understood the difference between her previous life of being scooped up without warning or consent, and the life I had built for her to accept my offered choice of being held tight to me.

When the vet brought her to me one last time, she was squirming in the vet’s hands to get down. When I offered her the chance to be held, she leapt into my arms and cuddled close. She was delirious with fever and couldn’t hold her own head up, but she still recognized the offer of comfort, and she chose to have her final moments held tight to my chest.

But- that’s not the only consent-based training I practiced with her, or with the various dogs at my job who struggle with the same thing.

In our training videos, you could see me tossing a treat a short distance away to encourage her to leave me. Training can put a lot of pressure on a dog, especially a dog that may be sensitive or struggle with confidence, and the tossed treat provides a “break” from expectations as it allows them to disconnect and disengage, giving them a chance to destress by sniffing, shaking, or running around a bit before returning to you. My general rule of thumb is that if I toss the treat and the dog does not immediately return for more training, they are asking for space or even for a longer break. This is a bit different if the dog is simply distracted by its surroundings- for those, I will encourage them to come back by calling them. But more and more I have found that these sensitive dogs actually develop more and more tolerance to that pressure, because they are allowed to back off when they feel overwhelmed, and rejoin you when they feel more confident. Of course, it is key to keep your training lighthearted and fun regardless, but especially so with these sensitive dogs that need a little extra boost. No one likes learning that feels like a chore.

Another thing I do is during playtime. If I begin to suspect someone is getting too aroused or overwhelmed, I remove the aggressor from the situation and bring them a few feet away. If the recipient does not want to continue the interaction or needs space, they typically will walk away. If instead they come bounding over to harass the aggressor to rejoin play, then the game was fun and everyone was having a good time. If I have removed someone too late for a peaceable interaction (ie: I stepped in as aggressive corrections began happening), then both are taken aside to calm down before being re-released to opposite ends of the play area and they are monitored closely to ensure their next meeting and interaction does not result in a grudge match. I frequently use a three-strikes method with this- you get three chances to not be a giant dick before playtime is over. After that point, you may watch (if you are quiet), but you are outside of the play area and on leash. Very rarely do I need to employ that method more than once before the dog in question connects that dickish behavior = no more fun, and it keeps everyone else safe in the mean time. More often I have dogs that learn how to play appropriately, respond to social cues and minor corrections well, and to alter their play to suit a variety of partners and groups.

I also do this with human-to-dog playtime! Tiki loved biting and wrestling hands, and once again especially with a smaller or more sensitive or less confident dog, it’s easy to accidentally overwhelm or scare or hurt your dog without realizing it. To prevent this, I do push the dog away during a wrestle match. If the dog bounces away from me, or continues to bounce but holds a position just out of reach, then generally that is a cue that they were becoming overwhelmed and need a moment to recover. If the dog immediately pounces on my hands again, then once again the game was fun and everyone was enjoying themselves.

Dogs cannot speak English or any other human language. That’s not to say they don’t understand us, but their ability to say these words are so limited that outside of a handful of studies we truly haven’t seen too many instances of dogs communicating with words we humans can understand. That does not at all mean they cannot consent. I frequently ask the dogs “do you want ___” or similar. While yes, most of the things I ask them are things I’ve built up very positive associations with- a walk, a cookie, their dinner, to go play- the fact remains that all of the dogs in the house are used to hearing us ask if they desire something. Before I give Creed a cookie, I ask if he wants it. Before I take him to potty, I ask if that’s what he needs. Before I offer him something to sniff, I ask if he wants to. There are, in fact, times where I give him something and he spits it out. I ask him, “do you want ___” and sometimes he really does walk away. No, he didn’t want that right now.

It can sound silly, asking dogs what they want, asking for consent, things like that. But it’s also not as difficult of a concept as one might think! Having seen so many dogs aided by these methods and more, I can’t imagine going back to force a dog to do something (non-essential) it genuinely didn’t want to do. What exactly is the harm in allowing your little dog to say no sometimes to being picked up? What exactly is the harm in allowing your sensitive dog to say it needs a break from training? What exactly is the harm in allowing your dog to say it needs a moment to calm down while playing? The harm in not allowing these things is the very real prospect of getting bitten. Allowing them? Don’t really see any negative side-effects.

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alex-fa-ch · 3 years

Text

Rainbow Shot

Between the Bottles - Chapter 3

November, 2003

“So.” Poland began, raising an eyebrow at the phone in his hand. “I got this text from Germany.” He glanced upward from the screen to Czechia and Hungary. The three of them were waiting in the hallway outside of the meeting room. The meeting wasn’t for another few minutes, and most of NATO were standing in the hall.

“Since when do you have Germany’s number?” Hungary asked, confusion in their voice.

“I guilt trip him into buying me booze.” Poland explained, looking back down at the text in question.

“Does that work?” Czechia asked, considering the possibility. Could he get free beer from Germany?

“Not usually.” Poland answered. “But, listen to this. He said that Massachusetts’ bodyguard is apparently in some sort of mood.” He flipped the phone shut, pocketing it as he looked back to his friends. “Way more likely to attack someone today. So don’t do anything stupid.”

“Ohhh fuck.” Hungary’s eyes widened as they tensed up, biting their lip anxiously.

“What?” Czechia asked, confused by their reaction. The hell did Hungary care if New Hampshire was in a bad mood.

“Okay, soooooo...” Hungary began, trailing their words a bit. “If that’s the case, I may just go hide in the supply closet or something.” They tensed further, more anxiety overtaking their face.

“Why.” Poland’s tone was unamused and his face was annoyed. He didn’t look nor sound very happy with Hungary’s bullshit.

“Well, you guys know how New Hampshire just doesn’t like me?” Hungary asked.

“I do now.” Czechia made a face. They knew he was at least friendly-ish with New Hampshire, so he was surprised this was only coming up now.

Hungary ran a hand through their long hair. “Welllll...” they began. “It’s because I kiiiiiiiiinda got with one of the states.” they confessed.

“Really.” “Bullshit you did!” Poland and Czechia expressed their doubts at the same time.

“I did!” Hungary insisted. They put a hand on their chest, apparently offended that they didn’t believe them.

“Suuuuure.” Poland rolled his eyes. “Which one, then?” He challenged.

Hungary’s expression shifted from anxious to smug. They slowly crossed their arms as a grin creeped across their face. “Wyoming.” They answered, looking a little too proud of themself.

Czechia had to think for a moment, but came up empty. He leaned over to Poland. “Which one is that?” He asked in a whisper, unable to place the state in his mind.

“I have no idea.” Poland whispered back, shoving him away a little. “Shut up. You did not.” He argued. His wings ruffled a little with his annoyance. “America would have killed you, I’m sure. You know what he’s like about his states.”

“America didn’t know!” Hungary still looked rather pleased with themself. “And this was years ago, now!” They flipped some of their long hair back over their shoulder.

“You are so full of shit!” Czechia had a laugh in his voice as he argued, finding himself barely believing them. “Come on Karol, who the hell would be stupid enough to go for one of America’s states? That’s a death wish.”

“Hungary would.” Poland laughed with a smile, a taunt glittering in his silver eyes. Czechia laughed right along with him, while Hungary just looked more offended.

“Let’s say we believe you.” Czechia said. “Which I don’t. But what does that have to do with New Hampshire?”

“I guess Wyoming is one of the states they’re really close to.” Hungary grimaced as they explained it. “So when we broke up...” They shrugged it off. “Look, let’s just say that if they’re that trigger happy today, I want tulips at my funeral.”

Czechia kept laughing while Poland rolled his eyes again, before shaking his head. “You’re a moron.” He said.

A sudden commotion alerted the group, grabbing their attention. The three of them looked over to the direction of the shouts. Netherlands had excitedly jumped from his place beside Belgium and Luxembourg. Massachusetts had entered the hallway, and apparently immediately had his attention. Czechia shot a glance to Poland, who shrugged.

Czechia also glanced curiously at New Hampshire. They didn’t seem any angrier than usual. They almost always looked like they wanted to murder someone. But he knew that was just their face. It would probably be more unsettling if they happened to look happy for once.

“Mass!” Netherlands called, bouncing and barely containing his excitement. “I just heard the news!” He jumped over to her, his arms out for what looked to be a hug.

New Hampshire was faster.

Czechia blinked, and they had moved from besides Massachusetts to directly in front of her. They met Netherlands’ jump with a hard shove. They immediately followed the motion with leaping on him themself and wrestling him to the ground. Netherlands let out a few swears in his own language. Czechia blinked again, and New Hampshire had the barrel of a rifle pressed against the man’s neck.

Czechia was impressed, if nothing else. It had been a long time since he had seen anyone move so fast, let alone someone like New Hampshire. He found himself smirking a bit at the scene. They hadn’t even thought about it, had they? They were instantly ready and able to take down someone taller than them, and apparently unafraid of immediately threatening his life in the process.

It was fun to watch, in a weird way.

“Get off me!” Netherlands yelled, switching back to French. “You know I’m not going to hurt her!” He insisted, trying to shove them off. “Christ, I was trying to hug her!”

New Hampshire didn’t move, nor did they respond. They kept their gun pressed tightly down against the man’s neck, their unspoken threat very clear. Czechia, along with the rest of NATO, watched intently. It really did look like they might just assault Netherlands. If what had happened so far didn’t count.

Massachusetts laughed, though. Everyone in the hallway seemed to instantly relax. It couldn’t truly be dire if she was finding amusement in it all. “Sem, you should know better.” She told him, walking around to look down at him. “You can’t just jump at me like that! You’re lucky I didn’t set you on fire.”

“Or that I didn’t put a bullet in your-” New Hampshire began, their anger intensifying.

“You’re both crazy!” Netherlands shouted, shifting his glare from New Hampshire to Massachusetts herself. “Get your guard dog off me!”

“Hey.” Massachusetts warned. “They’re just doing their job.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Alright Ham, you’ve had your fun.”

New Hampshire made an annoyed noise, but they did get up. They turned away from Netherlands, blatantly refusing to help the man back up. Fortunately, Belgium was already at his side, and Massachusetts was helping the man up as well. Czechia watched as New Hampshire brushed themself off. They apparently sensed being stared at.

Their head whipped as they looked over to (most of the) Visegrad group with a look that could have killed. Hungary flinched, yelped, and jumped to duck behind Poland. They peeked out from behind one of the wings, which was now flaring up a little higher as Poland shot an eyebrow back at New Hampshire. Poland seemed completely unfazed, while Hungary seemed terrified.

But Czechia smiled back at New Hampshire. They likely needed it. He gave a friendly wave too. They blinked, their ire giving way to confusion. They gave a small and awkward wave back, before turning back to Massachusetts. Their confusion was still clear, though. Czechia laughed to himself, before he turned back to his own friends.

Hungary was still behind Poland’s wing, hands clutching the leading edge. They and Poland exchanged a look, and then they both broke into a fit of snickering.

Czechia rolled his eye. He looked between the two of them. “What.” It came out as more of a statement than a question, but he did wonder what was so funny.

Before they could answer, Massachusetts yelled something in English. Czechia caught a couple of the words, but he wasn’t sure of exactly what she said. He had been trying to learn more English, but that language was so different than the Slavic or even Romantic languages he was familiar with.

But he was able to guess that she had called the meeting in by everyone else heading into the room. He went in too, taking his seat in between Hungary and Poland. He looked to Massachusetts at the head of the table, waiting for her to start.

“Right.” Massachusetts began, looking up to the room. “Is there anyone here not aware of what is happening in America, specifically within my own state?” She asked.

Czechia, along with most of the room, put his hand up. He hadn’t really been paying attention to American politics lately. If anything truly major happened, he usually just heard about it from the news or some of his neighboring nations bitching.

Massachusetts rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh. She muttered something under her breath in English, before continuing in French. “Well, I won’t sit here and bore you all with how our laws work. But same sex marriage has been passed in my state, setting a very important precedent.”

Stunned silence swept over the room. Czechia himself was certainly stunned. Wasn’t America well known for being against that sort of thing? Especially a majority of the states themselves? How did she manage something like that?

“Congratulations.” Belgium was the first to break the silence, sitting next to Netherlands with a gentle smile. Netherlands looked beside himself with joy, grinning and bouncing in his seat. Czechia blinked as he remembered Netherlands had done something similar not that long ago.

“Hm.” Massachusetts hummed an acknowledgement, though her face didn’t betray any emotions. That made Czechia uneasy. Normally, she was very proud to defy America, make landmark announcements such as these, or just generally piss people off. This was far too serious for what he was used to from her.

“Some of you may have already guessed what I’m about to say.” She continued. She glanced over her shoulder at New Hampshire, who gave her a small nod. She took in a deep breath, letting out. “But this decision came with personal stakes.”

Though the silence of the room remained, the energy of it immediately shifted. Everyone seemed to draw their own conclusions. He blinked. He had suspected, if just because who has blue hair and isn’t?? Maybe a bit of a stereotype, but he apparently hadn’t been incorrect.

“I’m a lesbian.” Massachusetts spoke with conviction, saying it with her whole chest. She looked around the room, her eyes darting in between nations. Something sparked behind her eyes as she silently dared anyone to say anything. “I should hope this doesn’t change a single damn thing. But you should all be aware.”

The silence in the room was fearful and anxious. If anyone had any thoughts on this at all, no one was voicing them. Perhaps that was for the best. Massachusetts definitely had a temper to her when she was pushed. And more than that... he shot a glance behind her to New Hampshire. They were watching the room with an intense glare. After how they had jumped on Netherlands, everyone knew they wouldn’t hesitate.

Czechia felt a string of guilt run through him. He wanted to say something in support of her. He really and truly didn’t have a problem with it. Especially with himself being... whatever he was. But he didn’t want to be the one to break the silence. He chanced a look to his left, wondering what Poland thought of all this. Hungary was on his blind side this time.

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding him. For some reason, he really thought Poland was going to have a problem with it. But the man just looked bored, if not a bit zoned out. That made sense, it wasn’t like he liked being here or dealing with any of this.

His guilt intensified. The silence seemed to swell in the room. He wanted to say something, anything, just to break it. But what could he even say? He kept quiet.

“Well,” Massachusetts broke the silence at last. “That’s better than how most of my family reacted.” She looked down at her papers. “With that out of the way, I wanted to touch on...”

~🥃~

After the meeting, Czechia felt drained. It had lasted for hours, as it usually did. Truthfully, it had gone better than these meetings normally did. Once things had actually picked up, there had been very minimal arguing and fighting. He had almost forgotten about Massachusetts’ announcement at the beginning while he watched some of the other nations go for each other’s throats.

But he did still feel bad about not saying anything earlier. Perhaps other countries would have joined in if he had been the first. He sighed, and came to the conclusion that it would be best if he at least apologized to her, and offered his support privately. He looked around for her, and spotted her speaking with New Hampshire.

He smiled as he made his way over, hoping not to alarm either of them. Massachusetts was hitting the paper in her hand as she was yelling something in English about it. New Hampshire looked as bored as they ever did. Until they spotted him.

They raised an eyebrow, and Massachusetts followed their gaze. She scowled harshly, and Czechia flinched a bit. But then he realized she was actually looking behind him. He looked back over his shoulder to see that Turkey and Greece were shouting at each other, and it looked like it was beginning to get physical.

Massachusetts shoved past Czechia, nearly knocking him over as she ran over to the fighting nations. He stumbled a bit, as she had run at his blind side. He was surprised when he felt someone’s hand on him, steadying him. He blinked and looked to see New Hampshire with their arm out. They took their hand back, apparently refusing to acknowledge what they had just done.

Czechia took his flask from his pocket, shuffling a bit away. He knew they didn’t really like to be touched. He took a swig before speaking. “Not gonna interfere?” He asked them. “You jumped on Netherlands earlier.”

“Turkey and Greece are not stupid enough to touch her.” New Hampshire answered, their tone flat “Netherlands is.” They paused, watching the argument unfold. “Look.”

Czechia saw exactly what they were talking about. Massachusetts had small wisps of flames swirling around her hands as she shoved Turkey away from Greece. He blinked. “Guess you could say she’s flaming?” He made the joke before he could consider what a bad idea that was. But he did immediately realize after the worlds left his mouth, and he nervously glanced to New Hampshire, wondering if he was going to be shot for like, the third time in his life.

To his surprise, New Hampshire had a fist in front of their mouth. But he could still see the smile as they very obviously struggled not to laugh. They were snickering a bit as they tried to hold it in. They turned away from him, but that seemed to make it worse. When they finally broke and did laugh out loud, it was quiet but so nice.

Czechia smiled at it. “I like your laugh!” He complimented them, still refusing to think before speaking. “A couple years ago, you said you don’t laugh.” He teased.

New Hampshire shot them a dirty look as they composed themself, but then they kept their smile. “I don’t.” They insisted, in spite of it. “What were you coming to talk to her about? I will pass the message along.”

Czechia could tell they were trying to change the subject, but he accepted that. He had finally made them laugh, and that was enough for him. “I was going to offer her my support.”

New Hampshire looked surprised. “Really?”

“Well, yeah!” He confirmed. “I don’t really have a problem with it!” He rubbed his arm. “Would be sort of hypocritical if I did...” he muttered... wait. Shit. He said that out loud. Why the hell had he said that?! What if they had a problem with it? Sure, they had protected Massachusetts, but that was their job, and she was their sister. They were barely even acquaintances.

But they just looked confused. They blinked a couple times. “Didn’t you have a wife?” They asked.

Czechia’s throat dried at the mention. “I- yeah.” He looked a bit away. “I do like women...” he trailed off, before looking back, shoving his emotions down. “Men are nice too. I don’t know.” He shoved his emotions further down, trying not to think of her. But Slovakia was the only other person he had ever told, and while she had been fine with it, it was still terrifying to tell anyone else. Even on accident, because he just couldn’t stop himself from talking. God he wanted to drink.

“The word is ‘bisexual’.” New Hampshire said evenly. “I’ve only come across the word recently myself.”

“There’s a word for it?” Czechia’s eye widened. He looked to them. “Other people feel like this? How do you know?” He asked them, his heart racing a bit faster in his chest.

New Hampshire didn’t reply, but their silence told Czechia everything. He instantly got it. He looked back over to Massachusetts, who now had Greece by the shirt as she yelled at him in English. “She doesn’t know, does she?” He asked.

“She does.” New Hampshire said. “But she’s been very focused on her own work.” They paused. “I looked into these things after she told me. There were many concepts I was unfamiliar with.”

Czechia smiled, crossing his arms. “It’s sweet to see you care about her so much.” He said, smirking a little bit.

New Hampshire gave him a glare of death, but he just stuck his tongue out back at them. They rolled their eyes. “I am her bodyguard, it’s wise to be educated on the things she talks about.”

“Nothing to do with the fact you’re her protective sibling?”

“Absolutely not.”

Czechia laughed again, just a little bit. “Well, tell her I support her in full.” He said.

“Mhm.” New Hampshire’s expression and tone shifted back to their usual disinterest. “I’ll tell her.”

The sound of louder shouting got both of their attentions. It looked as thought Massachusetts was about to physically fight both Turkey and Greece at the same time. Admittedly, his money was still on her. Sure, Turkey and Greece were hard hitters, but Massachusetts always seemed like she was one thing away from snapping.

“Now I am going to interfere.” New Hampshire growled, tensing up a bit. “I’m sure I’ll speak with you again.” They said, before dashing over to the scene.

Czechia smiled. “Next month!” He called after them. “I’ll see you then!”

#countryhumans #statehumans #czechia #new hampshire #between the bottles #cz/nh #my writing #word count: 3162 #these gettin LONG #sorryyyy

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painted-crow · 3 years

Note

Do you think house pets can have primaries and secondaries too? If so, do you think they might reflect what their owners have?

They definitely have Sortings! This is an excellent ask 😂

I don't think the owner has a whole lot to do with it, though. They influence the way their pet's Sorting shows up in behavior, but the animal's personality itself is their personality, you can make them more or less stable and confident but I don't think they mold themselves after you.

Sorting my family's pets

My folks have eight animals in the house. Eight. My mom is “slowly” turning into a crazy cat lady and I’m absolutely fine with this. However, this post is actually long (and silly) enough that I’m switching to my laptop to put it under a cut.

Lots of cat and dog stories incoming :D

Tesla (my cat)

Double Slytherin, easy. He's ridiculously sweet towards me and mostly ignores everyone else unless they have food. (He's warming up to my mom though.) He's also a great actor. He's tricked everyone else into thinking he isn't cute and affectionate because he only acts needy and adorable when he's alone with me.

Funny story: he badly pulled a muscle in his back leg from a missed jump the year before last, and he REALLY liked the attention he got from me while I was nursing him back to health. I had a kind of kitty painkiller/anti-inflammatory stuff that came as a paste and could be mixed into wet food, which he normally only gets as a treat because too much upsets his stomach, but he was getting it every day for the medication. I also set up a special bed for him with a heating pad and kept checking on him and giving him attention.

He took a long time to heal, and the vet said I was doing the right thing, but I think I might have made it worse by being so nice to him because he really didn't want to get up and move around! He kept up the "I'm completely helpless, keep babying me" act for a year.

My mom finally took him to the chiropractor, who clicked his tail back into place and gave us some kitty physical therapy stretches for his leg... which he did NOT like, and unless someone was petting him at the same time to distract him, he'd scream like we were murdering him.

So, yes. Slytherin secondary 😂

Aardman (my brother's cat #1)

Huffleclaw. Loves everyone, including kids and babies--he's not only very patient with them, he's really enthusiastic and affectionate with them.

Knows EXACTLY how to get into mischief. Will grab your butt as you pass on purpose to get your attention. Often found in weird places, looking proud of himself: "look, I figured out how to get on top of the kitchen cabinets! I'm gonna knock stuff over now."

Thaddeus (my brother's cat #2)

Double Gryff. He's got big jock energy. This cat actually greets people with a loud meow and that upwards "sup" nod. If he wants attention he isn't subtle about it, and if you don't give it to him he'll play attack your toes. Very charismatic and friendly. He's also kind of an idiot who will fall off of things if he gets distracted while lounging.

He's a Gryff primary because when strangers come into the house, he'll vibe check them and decide if he's going to hide from them or smother them in love and cat hair. My mom was talking to a few different contractors about fixing something in the house, and Thaddeus was totally spooked by one and loved the other. I'm not saying that's why we chose the one he liked, but...

Gracie (my mom's cat)

Slytherin primary. Definitely my mom's cat, reluctant to interact with anyone else but very possessive of Mom's lap.

Possibly a Gryff secondary, or neutral state Slytherin. This house has a lot of cats in it and Gracie is tiny, but she takes zero crap and will smack the others in the face if they think they can push her around.

Isador / Izzy (pack mama cat, doesn't have a favorite human?)

You could make arguments for both Slytherin and Hufflepuff primary for Izzy. She loves all her humans and will yell at any of us for pets. We don't know how old she actually is (all our cats are rescues) but she looks and sounds like a prim old lady, which is appropriate since she's the matriarch of the house.

She does have favorites among the other pets, though. The dogs are her babies, she's known them since they were puppies and is very protective of them (which is pretty silly, since they're 65lbs apiece). She does NOT like Tesla, who is the biggest cat and full of ego, and doesn't really respect her lol 😂

She also didn't like the kittens at first. Gracie and Thaddeus were both kittens, only a few weeks old, that were abandoned in our neighborhood a year ago. Gracie showed up in the back yard, mewling, and Thaddeus was brought over by a neighbor who had found him but wasn't prepared to get up several times a night to bottle feed a kitten. My mom took both of them and we ended up keeping them. Izzy was a little bit hostile towards them at first, but she came around and now they’re part of her pack.

Hufflepuff secondary. If any of the other cats talks back to her, she hisses at them and the dogs come running over to check on her.

Maybe she's a Ravenclaw with a very Loyalist looking system? She cares a lot about keeping the peace. Yeah, you know what, Ravenpuff Izzy sounds about right.

Shawn (my mom's cat #2)

Slytherin primary, I think. My mom was visiting the shelter for dog tags or something basic like that, went back into the cat room to give the strays some love, and this gorgeous gray-and-white long-haired kitten climbed up her shoulder and wrapped himself around her neck and wouldn't let go. She had been Chosen.*

Shawn is also kind of a status hound within the house! The boys keep score of who's top cat... well, I don't know if Thaddeus cares (and Izzy knows it's actually her). Shawn likes to play dominance games with the other cats. He'll pick on Aardman and play wrestle with Tesla (who is twice his weight, but Shawn is very fluffy and he clearly thinks they're the same size, which is hilarious).

One of the Improvisational secondaries. I think he's a Gryffindor.

*Tesla also did this. The shelter lady took him out of the crate and within minutes he'd stretched out on my lap, belly-up, so relaxed he almost fell off. This is how you get a cat. I was actually looking to adopt on purpose, though, which my mom wasn't 😂

Rowan (my dad's dog)

This idiot dog. This absolute buffoon of an animal.

Actually, my mom is convinced he's not all that dumb, and he's tricking us all into believing he is so he doesn't have to be an obedient dog. If so, he's a VERY good actor. Slytherin secondary. (He also weaponizes the 🥺 eyes and my dad falls for it every time.)

Slytherin primary. Every time he misbehaves, my dad insists he's my mom's dog, but we all know better: he waits for my dad to come home and runs up and wags his entire body. He's SO affectionate with my dad and doesn't really care about anyone else's opinion. My dad lets this 65 pound, made-of-elbows idiot creature sit on his lap in the least comfortable positions possible, and baby talks to him.

Alex (my mom's actual dog)

Double Ravenclaw. I know, right? I haven't been Sorting many Ravenclaws in this list.

Alex is a very smart and fairly obedient dog. He is also a border collie (both he and Rowan are). He has also decided that Tesla needs a babysitter, and will follow him EVERYWHERE, doing that border collie staredown thing they normally use to herd sheep.

Yes. This dog tries to herd cats. He's very good at it, actually. All of our cats are indoor only animals (it's dangerous for them outside) but Shawn used to be a real escape artist. I'm not sure how we discovered that the dogs could do this, but we can call the dogs and tell them "get the kitty!!!" and they will work as a team to literally herd the cat back into the house. We didn't train them to do this. They're purebred border collies and they just know.

Anyway, Tesla and Alex get into drama. If I'm holding Tesla, Alex is ALWAYS staring at him. I think it's that, although he likes Tesla, he doesn't trust him and he's trying to make sure Tesla doesn't hurt me. Tesla is Very Dramatic and will yell or pretend like he's going to bite me if he's stuck in a position he doesn't like on my lap or he thinks another cat is going to try to steal my attention, and Alex Does Not Like That. Tesla won't actually hurt me on purpose, but he puts up a front in public that he's only tolerating me.

Alex doesn't care if I tell him to go lay down somewhere else. He is going to stare at this cat no matter what. Sometimes, the thing Tesla is yelling about is that the dog is staring at him and he's not in the mood for that nonsense (or, he also just likes when I scold the dog on his behalf), and this doesn't help matters. Alex has decided he Must Protect, and that dog code is more important to him than my opinion 😂

Alex is a Ravenclaw secondary. He's put in the effort to learn to communicate with humans, and he's very expressive with his body language and pointing with his eyes/nose. I think if we got him a set of those word buttons people give dogs so they can "talk," Alex would pick up on it right away and use it a lot.

That’s all the animals for now! Will update next time my mom finds a cat xD

#sortinghatchats #meta #asks #paint speaks #q

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spellucci · 3 years

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RIP Amber

October 2005 - April 28, 2021

Amber the Traveler

Amber was an accomplished traveling companion. She has peed in all of the lower 48 states. She has swum in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, all five of the Great Lakes, and many lakes and streams in between. Amber hiked the 200+ miles of the Bay Circuit Trail from Plum Island on the north shore of Boston to Plymouth on the south shore.

Along the way, she brought joy and happiness to all who were privileged to pet her. On a crowded overlook at Yosemite National Park, Amber collected a crowd from a tour bus. They ignored the gorgeous scenery and lined up to pet her. On the Bay Circuit Trail, high school students would gather around her to pet her. She was beautiful.

She taught Jeanne how to listen to dog language. Jeanne was a slow learner, but she eventually learned the basics of “ha ha, two-legged, you are huffing and puffing up this hill when you should have four legs and run up it like me.” This is said with a smirking, superior laugh. Other basic phrases are: “It’s time for water and snacks.” “It’s time to turn back now.” The most memorable was “I’ve had enough of this cold rain. Put me in this nice warm car NOW.” The car she was next to wasn’t our car. At home, she would sometimes even communicate with her bodily functions, the details of which will be omitted from this obituary.

After hiking the Bay Circuit Trail, she got 3 serious tick-borne diseases. The local vet told us to put her to sleep, she wouldn’t survive. We found another vet who helped Amber stay with us for five more years. Her new vet was delighted that she recovered so well.

Barky Beginnings

At age six, Mike wanted a dog. “But you won’t take care of it.” “Yes, I will, mommy!” Jeanne set him an impossible task: show you can take care of a dog by taking care of the cat for two months, including feeding her and cleaning the litter box once a week. He enthusiastically did everything he was asked, including cleaning the litter box daily. Mike won.

We went to Buddy Dog, the local animal shelter. We saw lots of dogs and Mike liked them all. Finally, we went into the Puppy Room. He crawled into the crate with a lively pile of three-month old rescue puppies and stared at one with rapture. They looked at each other in complete adoration, and so Amber joined our family.

And the lesson about taking care of the dog? Forgotten in the excitement of having a puppy in the house. The duties of feeding and walking Amber were taken up by the adults. Amber and Jeanne fell in love through this experience, Jeanne’s indifference to dogs melting in Amber’s brown eyes. The Bay Circuit Trail hike cemented their friendship.

We always took Amber camping. She learned to swim at an early age. Her first swim was on a long leash. She had a most startled expression on her face, as if to say, “I’m swimming! I can’t believe I’m swimming.” She was a water dog from then on.

Mount Desert Island National Park has a climb, not a hike, but a real climb up stairs and iron ladders, called the Beehive. She was eager to get up it with us. The boys would climb up, she would patiently wait her turn, and the Tim would hoist her up to the next ledge. She was the hit of the mountain.

Amber was a winter dog. She was potty trained in the snow.

We went sledding during the first winter we had her. Tim was concerned she would run away while we were at the sledding hill. Tim’s brother Chris was like, “Run away? You are her whole life! She is going to stay with you the whole time.”

For the rest of her life, she relished fresh snowfall. She would run outside, dig her nose into a fresh snowbank, bring her snow covered snout to the surface, and give a big “look what I did” smile.

Life with Amber

Amber raised a horde of boys from six-ish to adulthood. She considered them her litter mates. Along the way, Amber helped to raise a litter of kittens, played with the cats, including carefully letting one cat wrestle with her.

No squirrels dared enter our yard and deer turned up their white tails and ran. When she heard deer in the yard, she would wait by the door, and charge out after them as soon as the door was open, and return grinning. “Mom, I chased them. Did you see, did you see? They all ran so fast!”

Amber learned to be very careful with geese, and then applied that lesson to turkeys, just in case.

She would always lay at the top of the stairs so that any kid who entered the house would stop and pet her. Up until the last party she hosted, she was always gracious letting her friend-group pet her coming and going.

She always knew who was allowed and who wasn’t. Women and children were welcome. Men? Not so much. Tim was Amber’s primary chef and waiter. Amber’s take on Tim? Alarmed barking every time Tim came home, as if to say, “That guy, he’s here!!!”

In her youth, she was placed in her crate during working hours to keep her from eating the couch again. Once she famously Houdini-ed out of her crate to chase a burglar out of the house with the little he was carrying. Amber very proudly met Jeanne’s car (what’s Amber doing outside, and how did she get out of her crate?) to let Jeanne know that Amber had protected the house. Jeanne was concerned about coming home to an open front door, and waited for the police before entering the house. But brave Amber never went back in the crate.

Amber was adept at taking food that was not intended for her. No garbage can was Amber proof. Many items placed out of her reach on the back of the stove, meatloaf, chicken, pizza, somehow managed to disappear. Amber wore a knowing smirk.

Goodbye Amber

Amber was always an intrepid explorer — ever ready to go somewhere new. As she got older, the walks grew shorter and the RV became her way of going to new places.

Readers of this blog know how she loved to find new places to pee and to sniff. Her favorite spot in the RV was in the cab between the driver and the passenger, where she was in easy reach for petting as we drove her to new sites.

In the last few weeks, we saw her sleeping more and more, and sometimes we would see her legs twitch as she dreamed of chasing squirrels. Her mile, then half-mile walks had turned into 100-feet of pained limping. We decided it was time to let her go. She died peacefully at home surrounded by her peeps, assisted by a vet who makes house calls.

Best girl. Fluffilicious girl. We hope you are running through grass with no ticks, chasing deer that always run, and pizza to snatch off the back of the stove when you get home.

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1195

survey by n0b0dysp3rf3ct

—:: Who ::—

... was the last person you saw face to face? I passed by my brother last night when I had to go to the kitchen to fill up my tumbler.

... was the last person you texted or messaged online? Angela; I was just asking her for the difference among A4/A5/A6 since I’m now planning to buy a binder and sleeves for my rapidly increasing collection of photocards and postcards. It really frustrates me that A4 is the biggest one and A6 the smallest :((((

... was the last person who asked you for a favour? Kata, my manager. She filed a half-day leave last Friday to get herself and her family vaccinated in her town, so she had sent me over a very long to-do list of deliverables that she asked me to fulfill while she was out. Eventually she ended up filing a whole-day leave since she felt feverish after being under the sun all day, and also possibly from side effects of the vaccine, so I ended up carrying the entire workload for the day. I like Kata and she’s a very easy person and superior to work with, so I honestly couldn’t complain about it.

... was the last person you lent something to? Ooh, I don’t remember. I don’t really lend people things.

... was the last person who told you a secret/confided in you? Andi was just sharing to me their worries about taking the LAE (scheduled for today) and how they’ll be okay if they don’t pass.

... is the tallest person you know? Jo is like 5′7″ and we all look like beans when standing next to her. One of my uncles is also very tall; around 5′10″ or 5′11″ if I’m not mistaken.

... the shortest person you know? I think Aya? That’s just a smart guess, though; I haven’t seen most of my friends in more than a year.

... your oldest (in years) friend? Mik is turning 28 this year. Sometimes I forget just how much older he is than me since we vibe really well together during the rare times we did get to hang out. I’m still bummed we never got that smoke break we wanted to have.

... is the oldest (in length of time) friend? Angela.

... is your youngest friend? Hannah was born in 2000. Peter was born in 2001 but we aren’t that close yet.

... is your newest friend? I haven’t made any new friends recently. Stan Twitter is lonelier than I thought it would be; everyone is already friends with everyone so it’s hard to break that space. Not to mention everyone is also grossly younger than I am – I keep seeing profiles with ‘2004′ on their bio :/ I should start making an effort to look for older ARMYs lol, I definitely feel like I’d have more fun that way.

... is your closest relative? My eldest cousin on my mom’s side, my Kuya.

... was your favourite teacher? My music teacher from high school. I neeeeeever liked music as a subject and it was never a priority of mine, but she always kept our classes something for me to look forward with her advice and the way she was always able to make lessons interesting.

... was your least favourite teacher? Those who made it clear they didn’t like me, even though I didn’t do anything to deserve such hostility.

... did you spend the most time with when growing up? My siblings and cousins since we all lived together at one point.

... knows you the best? My two best friends.

... always beats you in games or sports? Andi would probably be able to beat me in any game. They just let me win because they know I can be a sore loser.

... who is the most creative of the people you know? My family is pretty artistic and I have a lot of talented relatives - my sister and my cousin Maggie paint and draw; my mom can make any kind of craft she wants, with her hnds; and one of my grand-aunts regularly does paintings. I think all of them are amazingly creative in their own way.

... is the funniest person you know? Probably Andi. Hans makes me crack up too.

... is the most organised that you know? My mom.

... that you know has travelled the most? My dad. Both our fridge doors are filled from top to bottom with magnets from places he’s travelled in due to his line of work. He’s toned down quite a bit in the last few years and has taken to staying within Asia, but back then his traveling history was super expansive – Germany, Jamaica, Italy, Belize, Aruba, Italy, France, Monaco, Denmark, Norway, the UK, US, Estonia, Portugal, etc.

... has always been there for you? Angela never left my side.

... has given you the most personal gift? I can’t possibly pick, my friends are pretty good at giving me gifts...like Andi getting me a Petals For Armor CD and a Punk shirt that hasn’t been produced in a while, and Angela giving me a personalized Friends mug because she knows I like my coffee and she knows I like Friends.

... has an annoying laugh? I don’t think anyone I know has an annoying laugh.

... never forgets a birthday? That would be me.

... do you live with? My parents, my two siblings, and our two dogs.

...,do you have the most in common with? I’m not so sure about this one, actually. I share bits of my personality with a lot of people - like me and Jo liking BTS, me and Andi liking wrestling, Blanch and I having similar personalities, me and Laurice being super meticulous when it comes to our work, etc. - but I haven’t met anyone who’s virtually a duplicate of mine when it comes to my traits and interests.

...is the sportiest person you know? I’m also not sure. Most people I know are into watching a bunch of sports, but none of them actually play.

...was your last missed call? It was an unknown number that I kept ignoring because THEY WOULDN’T TEXT WHO THEY WERE. If you have enough load credits to call me multiple times, then surely you can text me and introduce yourself first, and maybe then I can pick up the phone.

...did you last open your door for? My sister knocked last Friday because someone wanted to talk to me via landline. It was weird since no one calls via the phone anymore, but I have a gut feeling it was that ^ same person who had been trying to call me through my phone but never texted me. Eventually I learned it was one of the bloggers I’m talking to for work who just wanted to ask a few questions about our ongoing engagement.

... has your heart? Kim Taehyung. Expect the same answer for this type of question moving forward.

... has your respect? I gotta hand it to Tina for consistently doing well in her studies and excelling in every subject while doing photo and video editing for two orgs, working on her thesis, and being a board member in our mutual org, all while living alone. She does so well I wish I can tell her to give herself the occasional break to avoid burnout.

...do you share a special song with? I don’t think I have that with anyone.

...do you miss right now? Literally allllllll my friends.

...last made you angry? It’s been a while since I’ve directed my anger towards another person. When I get pissed off these days it’s usually over a situation that goes awry or out of my control.

...did you last buy a gift for? So this was not technically meant to be a gift, but what happened was I accidentally secured two orders of the same poster set, which was a part of this new BTS photobook coming out later this month, from two different shops. One of the shops merely posted an ‘interest check’ for the poster set so I signed up for it thinking it was harmless, but when they got back to me they already attached an invoice :/ I ended up having to pay for it just so things won’t get complicated between myself and the shop anymore; and I told Angela she can just keep the extra set I bought and that she can consider it a gift.

...did you celebrate your last birthday with? My family and technically my workmates since I didn’t file a leave that day. I also had food delivered to their house so I guess that can count as my ‘celebration’ with them.

...have you gone to a concert with? I went with Angela for my first Paramore show.

...can make you laugh? Anyone can tbh. It’s not very hard to make me laugh.

...has taught you how to do something? Nina taught me how to embroider and do basic needle/thread skills back when I was still getting into the hobby.

...has lost something of yours? I am almost certain my ex never kept the handwritten letters I used to write her. She never seemed to remember or bring up the things I wrote.

...has broke your heart? Gabie but I’m over it.

...has stood you up? Hasn’t happened to me before.

:: What ::

Is your favourite colour? Pastel pink.

Can you do that most your friends can’t? Type fast, apparently.

Is your birthday? April 21.

Colour eyes do you have? Dark brown/black.

Form of transport do you take to work/school? I work from home. But under normal circumstances I would drive my car.

Music do you like to listen to in the car? I connect my Spotify to the car’s Bluetooth and listen to whatever artist or playlist I’m into at the moment. The music I put on could also depend on my current mood for the day.

Languages can you speak? Filipino and English. I’ve also been able to pick up looooots of Korean phrases and expressions because of the amount of content I watch. I’m nowhere near fluent, of course, but I’m increasingly able to pick up what people say based off a few Korean words I’ll hear in a sentence.

Was the last thing you drank? Continued from idk. I finished off my glass of water from dinner.

Was the last thing you ate? My mom made pasta.

Time did you wake up this morning? Depends on how late I slept the night before and how tired I was, but it usually ranges between 5:45–7:30 AM.

Colour are your bedroom walls? They’re white.

Drink do you usually order when eating out? I never order drinks unless I’m at La Creperie, in which case I always get their San Gines hot chocolate; for everywhere else that isn’t a bar, I just get water.

Food can you cook well? ...I can’t cook.

Animals have you had for a pet? Dogs, rabbit, lovebirds, goldfish, and technically a cat but she was mostly Nina’s.

Are your initials? RC.

Kind of activities do you like to do on the weekends? I’m still kind of stuck at home during the weekends :/ so I can’t do much, but I’m not complaining since I actually prefer staying in these days. Anyway, most recently I’ve taken to catching up on BTS content I’ve missed over the last 8 years, so I like watching shows they’ve done like Bon Voyage, Run BTS, etc.

Movie do you know line by line? Two for the Road, TITANIC, and probably most of White Chicks.

Band(s) have you seen in concert? Paramore, One Direction, a bunch of local bands.

Do you buy/get to treat yourself? It’s usually food - I like giving myself a feast every Friday night - but I’m putting that in the backseat for now as I’ve realigned my money to be spent on BTS merch. My big purchases are saved for the albums for now, but every now and then I’ll see a postcard or photocard I like and buy them. Once I complete the albums I’ll be moving on to the concert DVDs, then the special packages, then probably BT21 plushies. Needless to say I have a longggggg way to go haha.

Colours your phone cover? I have a clear case.

Part of the world would you love to visit? Another continent would be nice.

Question do you dislike being asked? Even though I know people mean well, I don’t like being asked “How are you?” but tbh it’s more of a me thing because I just never really know what to say.

Subject were you good at in school? History.

Careers do your parents have? They both work in the hospitality industry.

Brand of clothing do you buy most often? For clothes clothes I’m not really loyal to a particular brand; I buy from different brands and shops all the time. But for shoes, I like sticking to Nikes.

Chocolate bar is your favourite? Not a big fan of chocolate bars. I love Reese’s Cups, though.

TV show have you watched every series of? Friends, Perfect Strangers, Breaking Bad.

Radio station do you listen to the most? It’s a little hard to tell at this point considering I haven’t driven regularly in over a year. But back when I used to do it, I usually flipped among 93.1, 99.5, and 87.5.

Podcasts are you subscribed to? I’m not the biggest fan of podcasts. Find them a tad bit boring.

Is your favourite dessert? Macarons or cheesecake.

Can’t you do that most around you seem to? Ride a bike.

Are 5 qualities you value in a friend? Loyalty, thoughtfulness, honest, sensitive to my needs and those of others, and intelligent.

Are 5 qualities you value in a partner? ^ Pretty much the same thing.

Size pizza do you usually order? Family size usually.

Cuisine do you like to order or cook? I’ve been getting Japanese so many times recently. I rarely go outside sushi.

Colour(s) dominate your wardrobe? Black and white, and colors that were in at one point like mustard yellow and pastel pink.

Toothpaste brand do you use? Colgate.

Sounds can you hear right now? My insanely loud aircon.

Is the weather like today? Like hell. I believe we’re reaching a heat index of over 50ºC every day now, so...that’s fun. It gets absolutely difficult to work in the afternoon when the temperature is at its most brutal, and its times like this I wish I got to work in the office so that there’s aircon and I could at least work comfortably :/

Are your plans for tomorrow? Just work and have tons of meetings, the usual.

:: Where ::

Do you keep your phone when not using it? I keep my phone near me even when I’m not using it since I could always get an important notification.

Were you born? Manila.

Do you go to unwind? Most days it would be the rooftop, but under normal circumstances I like staying at a coffee shop somewhere to escape life and my responsibilities for a short while.

Is your best friend right now? I believe they’re both at home since they have no reason to be out anyway.

Can you go nearby to have a good time? Personally, I would just go to the Starbucks near our village lol. If I’m feeling a bit more adventurous I’d head to Katip, which is prrrretty close by but not quite.

Is the nearest restaurant? We have a McDonald’s literally right beside the village. Then besides that is a Shakey’s, and right across that is a Burger King, then the aforementioned neaby Starbucks. Just makes me realize how urbanized my town has gotten in the last few years.

Is the nearest beach? If I had to guess, the nearest beaches would be in Batangas which is 2-3 hours away, but it really depends on how fast you can drive lol. I’m not too good with long car rides so in both times I’ve driven there I had always taken 4 hours.

Did you meet your closest friend? I met Angela in grade school, and I met Andi at a local rally in my university.

Did you go for your last vacation? Tagaytay, though it was a staycation more than anything else.

Is the nearest mall or superstore? It’s like a 3-minute drive away from the village.

Did you last get an injury? I have loadsssssss of new scratches and gashes all around my wrists from playing with Cooper.

Is the most extravagant place you’ve stayed at? It’s a toss-up between Aids’ or Gian’s house. Gian would probably win since I never actually got to go inside Aids’ place, and his was the first house I’ve been to that was able to literally take my breath away. OH and Shaun’s house was pretty fucking swanky as well.

Do most the local kids play? I would have no idea since I’m neither a kid nor a parent.

Have you been with your family? This is a very vague question lol...what do you mean where have we been? We’ve been to different towns around the country and several countries together, if that’s what you’ve been asking.

Did you spend Christmas last year? We visited a couple of relatives, and we also spent it at home.

Did your parents grow up? My mom grew up within Metro Manila; my dad in a city a little outside of it.

Did you buy the shoes you’re wearing? I’m barefoot at the moment and always am at home.

Would you like to go right now if you could? If life had still been normal I would probably be having after-work drinks at a bar near the office.

Do you miss the most from your childhood? I’m not sure how to answer this with where.

Is the best restaurant you know? I’m still searching for it.

Will you never go again as it was so bad? It’s not that it was bad, but I’d probably never dine at 8Cuts again because their burgers are not worth the hype and are very overpriced for their size.

:: When ::

...was your last vacation? My family’s last legit vacation was in August 2019; but we did have a quick escape to Tagaytay in January of this year.

...did you graduate? I officially ‘graduated’ from college in August, if you could even call it that.

...did you decide what career you wanted? Somewhere between my 2nd and 3rd year of college. That was when I decided I hated journalism and preferred PR, but since PR is under journalism’s umbrella there was no need for me to shift courses.

...did you have your first kiss? Continued. Like WHEN when or how old was I when? In any case, it was in January 2015 and I ws 16.

...did you learn how to swim? Idk, pretty early on. My parents liked taking us to water parks when we were younger, so we had a lot of exposure. I’m not sure if there was ever a time where something just clicked and I learned how to swim; I believe it had just come naturally.

...did you have your first relationship? By the end of 2014.

...did you meet your best friend? I met both of them in school, but at different points.

...do you feel the most at peace? Probably when I’m able to stay at the rooftop all alone.

...do you usually fall asleep? I’ve readjusted my body clock now (I used to want to be in bed by 9 or 10 PM, lmao) and I stay up until anywhere between 12-2 AM on weekdays.

...do you usually wake up? Ranges between 6-7:30 AM.

...did you last watch a movie? September.

...did you last go to a party? Around Februaryish, 2020.

...did you last cry? I can’t really recall. The last moment I can remember was crying over Life Goes On sometime last month, when I heard it for the first time. I’m just not sure if that’s accurate or when exactly in April that happened.

...did you laugh really hard? I always have a good laugh at least once a day.

...did you buy something pricey last? Idk what you would count as pricey but I bought the new BTS photobook set when it dropped back in April. Cost me around ₱3750. I wasn’t able to buy from the first press (it sold out in like 7 minutes lol) which included an exclusive poster set, so I had to look for a local shop that was already offering the poster set separately, and ended up shelling out another ₱2200 for it...which means all in all I spent around ₱5950 for it or roughly $125.

...did you have an argument last? Earlier this evening but I don’t want to get into it as it made me cry from sadness and frustration for the first time in months.

...did you last have a sick day? May last year.

...did you last recieve a hug? I have no idea. February, I think? when I hung out with my friends.

...when is your best friend’s birthday? July 22 or September 15, depends on which best friend.

...did you learn how to drive? I started getting lessons when I was 17, but I didn’t start feeling comfortable with it until I turned 18.

...did you last receive a surprise? Around a couple of weeks ago when my dad came home with Jollibee for us.

:: How ::

Many pets do you have? Two.

Many houses have you lived in? Three that I can remember, but I know my parents moved around a bit when I was a newborn.

Often do you shower? Every morning before my shift. I hate feeling sweaty and icky when I report for work.

Well can you cook? I can’t at all.

Many close friends do you have? I have two people I count as my absolute best friends, but I have a handful of close friends as well.

Many Brothers or sisters do you have? One of each.

Often do you go swimming? I don’t swim much at all, really...I haven’t done it since 2019, so that should say enough. As relaxing as it is, I feel like the clean-up afterwards can be such a challenge lol. Like if you swim in a pool you have to rigorously wash the chlorine off of you; and if you swim in the sea you have to also be thorough about making sure you’ve removed all the sand from your body.

Many times have you texted today? I don’t think I texted today but I did spend my whole day on chat platforms.

Do you like your toast (colour, topping)? I don’t have super particular preferences; I just like mine on the burnt side.

Do you like your tea and/or coffee? My coffee has to be sweet for me to enjoy it. I can take black coffee/Americano; I’ll just wince a lot with every sip. No tea for me thanks.

Do you like to celebrate your birthdays? With a lot of food.

Are you feeling today? A little frustrated because of an argument incident this evening. But I’m shaking it off and just focusing on the release of Butter tomorrow. My first BTS comeback!!!

Serious are you about your career goals? Very.

Many rooms are in your house? In total, 9.

Many bedrooms in your house? 4.

Did you do in your school exams? I was never consistent. I slacked off a looooooot in grade school; couldn’t give less of a shit about my classes then. I got a bit more hardworking in high school, but I still was a bit lax and I allowed myself to not put a lot of effort in subjects I didn’t care a lot for and that I know I would never have to use in real life, like chemistry or accounting, so there were exams I really excelled in and others that I would fail. It was only in college I started taking my studies incredibly seriously and I believe that showed in the grades I eventually got.

Close do you live to your parents? They’re like, five steps away.

Close do you live to your siblings? My sister’s literally in the room next to mine.

Sensitive to criticism are you? I know it’s something that can never be avoided, so I’m always open to hearing them, especially if it’s meant to help me. It doesn’t mean I enjoy it as it is being given.

Motivated to make changes are you? Depends on my mood and mindset.

Creative are you (1-10): -0.5.

Hard working are you (1-10): Probably a 22 if I really put my head into a task.

Sporty are you (1-10): I dunno, maybe a 6? I do like playing table tennis, but I’m pretty meh at any other sport.

Musical are you (1-10): 0.

Do you prefer your eggs? Runny yolk; scrambled; or a really packed omelette.

Often do you go out to eat? Before the pandemic, I liked eating out 2-3 times a week.

Would your best friend describe you? Not sure, I never tried asking them this. I hope it’s all nice things, though.

Can someone cheer you up if you’re sad? Send me photos of V. Hahahaha

Often do you meet up with your friends? ...What do you think? D:

Important is religion to you? It is not a part of my life whatsoever.

Old were you when you first stayed overnight from home? 15 or 16, I can’t really remember.

Old were you when you got your first pet? I was maybe 6.

Tech savvy are you? I know enough to survive my own, but I obviously can’t hack into other computers or things like that.

Do you show you appreciate those you care for? Buying them food.

Often do you cut your hair? I only take a trip to the salon once a year.

Often do you paint your nails? Never.

Many countries have you visited? Six.

Boyfriends/girlfriends have you had? Just one.

:: Why ::

... did you choose your username? Because it was straightforward.

... did you take this survey? I like surveys made in categories, and this seemed interesting and varied enough.

... did you choose the career you did? I found that I enjoyed it MILES more than journalism.

...did you last leave the house? I had to go to a local LBC for a work errand.

...did you last give up on something? She wasn’t worth the effort anymore. She hadn’t been for a while, but it took me forever to realize.

...did you search the last thing you searched? I wanted to sing along to the song but it was in Japanese, so I had to look up its lyrics.

...would you give up on someone completely? Oof, I guess you can refer to one of the previous questions. ^

:: If...::

You could live in any country which would you choose? Canada.

You could choose any animal as a pet which one? I’m perfectly content with dogs.

You could be famous for something what would you like? Being known for a funny tweet would probably be enough lol. I have no desire to be famous.

You are sad, how do you combat it? I don’t really get sad anymore these days, so I can’t super remember the go-to tactics I depend on...I guess I like listening to sad songs and allowing myself to wallow in the sadness, because I know I have to accept and process my feelings first before I can be able to calm down.

You can drive when did you learn? I learned shortly before I started college, when I was 18, because no one was going to be able to take me to university when the school year started.

You could have any job what would it be? Idk, I like the one I have now.

You could go anywhere for a vacation where would you go? Somewhere with a completely different feel and atmosphere, like Norway, Sweden, Finland...that part of Europe, basically.

You could eat anything right now what would it be? Samgak gimbap :/

You wrote a book what genre/topic would it be? It would be a book of essays or maybe a memoir.

You had a theme song what would it be? Idk I don’t really think about this.

You could meet any band/singer in person which one? Billie Eilish seems awesome and easy and fun to talk to.

You could act in any movie which would it be? No thanks.

You get married what venue would you like? Hotel.

If you have kids do you have names picked out? I have one name picked out for a girl but that’s it.

Could describe your dream home what would it be like? Brutalist and minimalist, with large windows, cove lights, and a lot of white space.

You could go back in time what would you change? Break up with Gab earlier.

Could use 3 words to describe your childhood which ones? Could’ve been better.

Could get the answer to any question which question would you choose? When I would die and how, just so I can have peace of mind.

You could have an endless supply of something what would it be? Money, because of course.

Meet anyone who no longer lives who’d you choose? My great-grandfather, mom’s side.

:: Can ::

... you ride a bike? No, never learned.

... you ski? I’ve never even seen snow, so no.

... you bake a cake? I can try but it will probably be very clumsily made as I don’t bake.

... you sing well? I wouldn’t say that. I like singing when I’m alone, but it doesn’t mean I’m any good.

... you do your own taxes? I’ve never tried haha so I guess not.

... you remain calm in a crisis? Depends on how serious it is.

... you do first aid? Let’s just say I wouldn’t volunteer if it comes down to it because I feel like I’d commit one fatal mistake that would make the situation graver.

... remember your best friend’s family members’ names? Both of their families, yes.

... you fire a gun? I’ve never tried so I doubt it.

... your parents drive? Yep.

...your best friend dance well? They’re not ‘dancers’ per se but sure, they can bust out a move or two.

...you make people laugh easily? Not everyone, but sure.

...stand up for yourself? That’s what I’m trying to learn these days.

...you do a martial art? No.

:: Would ::

You like to learn a new language? That’s always a welcome opportunity.

Save the life of a stray animal? Absolutely.

Know what to do if there was a hurricane? We have several ones come in the country every year so yeah, I can definitely say we’ve long been well-prepared for them.

Try a new cuisine? I do this as often as I can.

Risk your life for anyone? Yes.

You like to get back in touch with someone? No, I’m good now.

You drive in the middle of the night to get a stuck friend? Ina heartbeat.

You Know how to perform CPR? In relation to the first aid question, I wouldn’t volunteer myself in case I make a wrong move.

You likely win in a game of chess? I don’t even know how it works, so no.

You stop talking for a day for $100? Easily.

#survey #surveys

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