#leo x florence
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pov: you are leon and your best friend just found out about you and his sister
#oc: emery marlowe#oc: faye marlowe#x: faye x leon#they became an item not to long during and after raccoon 🥀✨🤡#i was looking at my brother playing and i realized with the remake i can talk about this and them again skzjjzhx#he was like he heard a voice in the background of his call with leon before spain it SOUNDED familiar but was like eh it’s his imagination#she was asking him about if he packed or not sjzjxjhx she was still thinking they were going to get married that weekend 🥀✨🤡 WRONG#i dont think they got married until ? after 4? maybe after six? im not sure?#and THEN leon (🤡) forgot he had his engagement ring on and emery NOTICES and is like hmmmm inch resting right#and leon had to give an excuse of like OH THEIR NAME IS LIKE FLORENCE sjzjzhhx#bc he’s like he’s gonna have my hind end I can feel it u know aksjzhh#and then she’s with ada right emerys beloved and i think she kisses him before she leaves and leo forgets he’s there bc hehe pretty wifey#and leon is looking at him like 🥀✨😠 IM GONNA KILL YOU LEEEEONNN#*emery is looking at leon skzjzhzh#but is also like 🥀✨🥹 bc it’s his best friend and his sister#leg.txt#leg.ocs#older brother mode ACTIVATED ig ajsjzhzh#i changed the images bc i liked these better skzjzhhx#but emergy has no room to make excuses for not being in touch with his sister given he has been ghosting her since ‘98 🥀✨🤡#he WOULD have known if he called his sister the moment he could but NOO he said he ‘forgot’ when in reality he thought it was safer if she#thought he was dead? unbeknownst to him she was an agent and a coworker of his beloved ada 🥀✨😵💫
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Knights with a Idol S/O (part 1)
Knights (separately) Leo x gn reader, Izumi x gn reader
Fluff, Little angst, idol stuff.
Warnings: Anxiety thoughts (Izumi), nicknames, kisses,
This is the first part, the second is part here!☆
You belong to a new group under ES Square, you were already in a relationship with him when you debuted…
Leo Tsukinaga
At the beginning
He was so hyped up when you debut, he attended your concert, and he was the first in the line, screaming the song.
I really believe that he copy and paste the link of your debut song to all the contacts that he had in hold hands.
He will give you advice about how is alright to take the brakes once in a while.
He will make sure to be friends (or leave a good impression) with all your bandmates.
How he shows his love (in public, in private, etc.)
He won't stop talking about you.(he talks a lot about the things he loves)
Messages and calls in your free time, even between your activities, I believe that he would make time to do that.
When neither of you has idol activities, you would have dates in his room watching videos and documentaries about aliens, spending time together. (Natsume is so done with you two)
Kisses on the forehead and cheeks (Quick little kisses on the cheek in public) and a lot of hugs!
Communication is the key, Leo will make sure to have it!
I believe that one of his love languages is dedicating his songs to you.
“I promise you this, my dear” and with that “Silent Oath” by Knights finishes.
When you and he are in the same concert he would go to the dressing room you are in and would give you encouragement
“You will shine like you always do!” ”You have nothing to worry about, they gonna love you, but not as much I do!” “Show them your beautiful and powerful voice”
Another love language that he had is writing songs for you! if your group chooses one of the songs that he writes, he will say it to his fans.
How rumors start
Has I said before, he would say to his fans “By the way I write a song for (insert group name), they are very talented! I was really happy when they told me that they choose my song”
When he said that, all of his fans were a little suspicious about it, why does he have such interest in that group? That is how the rumors begin.
Another thing that caught the fan's attention was your actions.
On variety shows you would answer things like “Actually, my favorite song is (insert a knights song) because their voices are so beautiful” “I usually spend my free days with Leo-kun, we had a lot of fun!” “On my debut days, I always remember having a lovely supporter, thanks to them i keep going until today”
How the fans know about your relationship
Knights won an award, so they diced that Tsukasa and Leo would give the thanks speech to their fans.
Everything was going normal until Leo finished with “I wanna thank our princess for all the support that they gave us, I wanna give a special thank to (your name) for always supporting knights, but above all, for being my inspiration “ and with that, all the world knows that you and Leo were in a relationship
“I´m sorry, I shouldn´t have done that,” he said with tears in his eyes.
“Don´t worry love, I am thankful to be in your life ” you whipped his tears with your hands, grabbing him by his cheeks.
“You are not angry with me?” he asked looking at your eyes, see those beautiful green eyes happy again was the only thing that really matters to you.
“If I was you in that situation, I would do the same, or even worse, I would scream that I love you, aliens would know at that moment that we are in love” Both of you laugh when you said the last thing
“I love you dear” he saw your lips, he always does it when he wants a kiss.
“I love you more, Can I kiss you?” you said while you approached even more.
“Of course” he murmurs, his lips were soft.
You had your world in your hands.
Izumi Sena
At the beginning
Unfortanetaly, He was in Florence by the time you debuted, but after your concert finished, he would call you to say that he was watching you online and all the moments that had him fall in love more with you.
I believe that he has a lot of merch about you in his room, Shu probably has complained about it.
He will give you advice like is alright to do work perfectly, but will be occasions when you can't do that, is important that even if you get frustrated about it, don't give up, you are gonna be alright, you are human after all, take a break, and keep it going.
If one of your bandmates gets too close, he would tell you that he is jealous about it (please he needs a lot of words of affirmation).
How he shows his love (in public, in private, etc.)
One of his love languages is gift-making knit things for you! You already had a whole closet with the things that he made.
He would check on you via messages, he makes sure that you eat all your meals, and you are restringing well, etc.
When both of you had free time, you spent time together on dates outside ( like going to the beach, aquarium, looking at the stars) and inside (watching movies together, taking coffee while you catch up).
He is more to give hugs than kisses, in private we would love to kiss you on your cheeks (he gives you kisses on your hands when you are in public, he is very professional when both of you had worked together )
Izumi spent a lot of time working as a model, but when you need it he always is there for you.
“Izumi, don't you have work today?” “I reschedule it, have you eaten? get up, we are going to the cafeteria”
When both of you are on the stage, he will give little glances, only to make sure that you are alright.
Has I said before, he always does little things that prove that he loves you, for example, opening the door for you, carrying your things, ordering food for you, and retouching your make-up, etc.
How rumors start
It was his actions that betrayed him, he always makes sure that you are safe, little actions like holding your hand when both of you are getting down the stage, how he gives you attention when you speak on the microphone, etc.
Fancams of you and Izumi smiling at each other went viral, and soon both of you began to have worked as models for different campaigns (both of you were happy about it).
The connection that both have could be seen through the camera lenses, they invite you to a variety show.
How the fans know about your relationship.
In the variety show that you were invited to, you said it unconsciously, you found out when you saw the episode on the TV, fortunately, Izumi was with you at the time.
In the episode, both of you were doing an activity that was a little dangerous and you said “Be careful love”, Izumi responded “Don't worry, we are gonna win this”, and both of you know that this is only going to confirm the dating rumors.
“Are you scared?” he asked, you were in total shock, how could you say it so naturally? What is gonna happened next? Anxious thoughts were running wild in your mind.
“Love, look, everything will be alright, don't worry” you don't even notice when he approached until he was hugging you.
“I´m sorry” tears start to fall while hugging Izumi.
“What are you apologizing for? I couldn't be more proud that I have you as my partner, that we love each other” he murmurs in your ear “Besides, we are pretty obvious, and the media love us, so relax, believe in me that everything is gonna be alright” he whipped your tears.
“Gosh I love you so much, you know that?”
“Yeah, Who doesn't love me?”
“You are ruining the mood, love”
“I´m ruining it?” he said caressing your cheek with his hand while he approached to kiss you.
“Sometimes I hate you” you murmur into his lips.
#ensemble stars#enstars x reader#enstars imagines#enstars ff#enstars x you#enstars fluff#leo tsukinaga#leo tsukinaga x reader#leo tsukinaga x yn#izumi sena#izumi sena x reader#izumi sena x y/n#izumi sena x you#knights enstars#yuuki works ☆#knights ☆#headcanon ☆#esworks
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Flower Language
➢ pairing: Leonardo x MC [Ikemen Vampire]
➢ word count: 1,413
⚠️ content warnings: None!
This is my entry for @ikemenlibrary's Ikemen Valentine Gift Exchange, dedicated to @sunnyikemen! I have never written for Leo before, but I had a lot of fun with his character, and I hope that I did well enough to make for an enjoyable read at least! Happy belated Valentine's Day, Sunny, and here is some Leo fluff for you :)
Being around the most famous polymath in history, there was always a new surprise in store.
Leonardo da Vinci seemed to know everything about everything. Perhaps it was because of his endless knowledge, gathered over the course of centuries, or perhaps it was because of the air of ease that surrounded him—but it did not escape his notice how the newest resident of the manor seemed to gravitate toward him upon her unexpected arrival.
He never denied her his company. At first, because he knew she was frightened and disoriented.
For a girl who had found herself transported into another time period in the blink of an eye, there was only uncertainty around every corner. Yet Leonardo's breezy personality and apparent ability to handle anything with minimal effort brought her security, as well as distraction. He knew this, and so he made it a note to help her throughout her time in the manor, keeping her mind off her troubles.
You're restless and wish to get out of the manor, cara mia? Well, then, let's take a day outside Paris. The French countryside is an equally worthy sight for a time traveler, and it'd be a shame not to have you visit. Hm? Where to? Well, it's no fun if I tell you all the details, now, is it?
How to paint, you ask? Why, you wish to prove a point to Theo? Ha! Don't pay him too much mind, 'knabbeltje' is merely a term of endearment, I'm sure. But if you really wish to learn, then I am glad to be of service, morso mio. ...Hm, no, of course that's not the same as what Theo says. Would you accuse me of such a thing?
So, you want to hear about Florence back in those days, then. I hope this isn't because of any gossip you heard from the noble Comte. ...Alright, alright. Come, sit. I suppose I ought to make an effort to salvage my good name, at least.
Days turned into weeks of trying to make himself available to her, helping her calm down and settle into her new life at the mansion. He had sworn to himself that was all it was. But as wary as he knew to be of the passage of time, somehow he found it creeping up on him again. Even after she was already well settled, he continually found himself at her side, as if naturally drawn there.
He didn't realize until too late, one afternoon when they were sitting out in the mansion's gardens together.
A certain flower had caught her eye—a yellow daisy—and Leonardo had commented, absentmindedly, "Ah, yes. Joy and friendship."
It was an innocent remark, accompanied by a little chuckle. It made sense to him that this should be the flower that struck her. He had come to associate her with such qualities, after all, because they were what she brought to him. Every little inconsequential story he shared with her, every time he allowed her to watch him paint and work, every time he whisked her out on some spontaneous excursion, it was often met with that look of intrigue, that little excited glimmer in her eyes.
Yet he was somewhat surprised when his passive comment earned him that same look.
Humming to herself, her eyes scanned over the other flowers in the garden and came to rest on another. “And that one?” She nodded her head towards the flower in question.
“Which, the marigold?”
She glanced back at him expectantly and nodded once more, seeming quite eager to hear his explanation. Leonardo, now acutely aware that he was being tested, smiled a little.
“Marigolds represent grief. Or the passage from one life to the next.”
“Really? But they seem so much brighter, warmer…”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you doubting me, cara mia?”
And for that remark, he found himself rewarded with soft laughter. Despite himself, and despite everything he had assured himself about maintaining his distance, he could not help but feel his heart squeeze. Spending an idyllic afternoon wandering around the mansion’s garden, chatting among the flowers as they bloomed with the new season, it all felt so warm.
“No, no…” She shook her head, still smiling. “It’s just unbelievable, that’s all…”
“So you are doubting me.” Leonardo tsked in faux disapproval, savoring the little back-and-forth of the moment. “Alright, now it’s a challenge, then. Ask me about another.”
Looking around again, she settled on a vibrant purple bud and pointed to it.
“Ah, crocuses stand for young love,” he answered knowingly. “There is an old Greek legend that Crocus was a mortal lover of Hermes, and the god was so devastated when he died that he had him transformed into a flower. The red on the inside, there, is supposed to represent his blood.”
She seemed quite taken by the story as he explained. Ah, he would never tire of seeing that look on her face, when she was so absorbed in what he was saying, when he knew she was hanging on every word. But arguably, it was even better to watch her fluster when he concluded his tale with a triumphant smirk.
“Alright, don’t get too arrogant, now.” She pointed to another flower. “What about that one?”
“Sweetpea, gratitude.”
“And the lily?”
“Purity.”
“And the white camellia?”
“You’re adorable.”
For a moment, silence fell between them. Even the great polymath had his limits, and he did not realize what he was saying—or how it would be construed—until he glanced at her curiously and found her staring back at him.
Oh.
“No, I mean…” He coughed. “That… is what the flower means.”
She blinked. Quickly returning to her senses, she began to shake her head, as if to simply laugh off the misunderstanding. “Yes, right.”
For as much as he was inclined to laugh along with her, however, he found himself unable to do so. Once more he felt his heart squeeze in his chest—though this time, it was a more uncomfortable feeling. Uncomfortable in a familiar, sinking way.
“Well, anyway… I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that you’ve studied flower language at some point as well. You’ve studied practically everything else,” she said, attempting to keep the mood light and teasing. “At times I wonder, is there anything you don’t know?”
Leonardo found himself staring at her a moment longer, somewhat troubled by that old feeling in his chest, and taken aback by the realization that he did, in fact, find her quite adorable. Not wanting to keep her waiting for a response, lest she start to suspect there was something on his mind, he sighed and managed a little smile.
“...Actually, cara mia… There are plenty of things I don’t know.”
With that, he reached over and carefully plucked one of the little flowers nearby. He tucked the flower behind her ear, grinning with satisfaction as he watched her demeanor brighten again.
“Hm, that’s better.”
“That was a pink camellia, right?” She gazed back at him with that curious look he loved so much to see on her.
“Maybe so.”
An ambiguous response, as if he had simply chosen the flower at random, when they both knew that wasn’t the case.
“What does that one mean, then?”
Something in Leonardo’s grin became a bit more wistful. There was another beat of silence, and then, suddenly, he reached out and lightly ruffled her hair.
“...I concede defeat,” he said, after pretending to think for a moment. “I’ve forgotten.”
Laughing at his actions as she tried to fix her hair, she seemed quite pleased by the thought of having gotten one over on him. So pleased that—much to his relief—she let it drop, and did not question him any further about the flower’s meaning.
Leonardo watched her smiling, standing in the sun with a flower in her mussed-up hair, and studied her as though she were one of the wonders of the world. There was no longer any doubt in his mind as to what exactly this feeling was, weighing so heavily upon his heart. And there was no doubt that he had chosen the right flower to express it.
Even if he could never say it to her face—his lovely Crocus, who had so miraculously appeared in his life across time and space, and who was bound to one day return to her own world beyond that door—he could not deny it.
This unspeakable feeling, represented by a pink camellia.
I long for you.
#also praying that I have the correct meanings for these flowers#I did some research but every source says something a little bit different ;-;#if there are any inaccuracies it was me and not leonardo lol#at any rate I really hope you enjoy!! it was a lot of fun to write for you!!#ikemen vampire#my ikemen valentine gift exchange#ikevamp#ikevamp leonardo
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9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better
Thank you so much for tagging me @missanthropicprinciple
3 ships you like: Rhaenicent (of course), Hürrem x Leo (THEY WOULD HAVE BOTH EATEN THE TURKISH DELIGHTS FOR EACH OTHER), Nurlim (ICONS).
First ship ever: Probably Thasmin?
Last song that you heard: Delilah by Florence and the Machine
Favourite childhood book: Anne of Green Gables
Currently Reading: Fire and Blood by George RR Martin and The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire by Leslie Peirce
Currently Watching: The Untamed and The Bear (I WOULD be still watching Magnificent Century season 4 but the YouTube admins have stopped uploading the clips. THIS IS RUINING MY LIFE)
Currently consuming: I just had some pizza
Currently craving: a glass of water and some chocolate cake. ALSO THE REST OF MAGNIFICENT CENTURY SEASON 4.
Tagging anyone who wants to do this
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₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. [ s. izumi x gn reader ]
a/n ꕤ : mb for disappearing from writing 🥹 any nanbaka fans? if so, pls hmu hehehe
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the moon is pretty tonight. can he see it from Florence? is the moon as bright as it is from where you are to him? you miss him, he... does he miss you as much as you miss him? wait did he even feel the same way as you do?
" I like you. " silence engulfed you two after your confession, is he angry? embarrassed? upset? maybe disappointed? you don't dare to raise your head to look at him. hearing his footsteps distance from you, he had walked away. the next thing you knew, he was back at Florence.
knights can't help but bugged you after hyping you up to confess. of course, no one expected things to go downhill instead. tsukasa being the knight he is, he vowed to get izumi back to Japan. what kind of Knight is izumi? to run away from not even a monster!! tsukasa internally screamed when he heard your side of the story. no one actually heard this story from izumi.
" he's back, " arashi calls you from your office. turning to face her, you can't help but flash her a weak smile. will he even look at you the way he always does? he's truly a snowflake. so gentle, too gentle, so fragile and pretty much different from anyone else. a one of a kind gem. can you really catch him from falling like snowflakes?
" oh my! is that the new photo of izumi? he really outdid himself this time. let's congratulate him for his hardwork, " arashi grabs your wrist to pull you along with her.
going into knights room, what do you see? the red knight, the wannabe black cat, the songwriter, and of course izumi. tsukasa was the first to greet you as ritsu quickly push arashi hand away from yours to pull you in a hug, mumbling something along the lines of wanting to sleep with you because of how warm you were. leo was quick to say hello too.
everyone stared at izumi, waiting for him to acknowledge your presence. with a sigh he finally says hello. you can't help but feel tears welling up to your eyes. before you could let your thoughts flood into you, izumi pats your head.
" I'm sorry. it took me a while to understand my feelings for you. I'm not saying I can't return them but! I don't hate you. your tolerable than most and if you're still up for it... we can date? " izumi says as he tries to hide his red face from the rest. he just admitted his feelings!
" love is in the air, " ritsu happily hums as leo feels a little light bulb dings.
" romance songs, come here sena! "
" go away ou-sama! "
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Frozen in Time
Chapter 3: “Until next time, my dear.”
Izumi Sena x Reader (F) (!!)
Synopsis: After the aquarium date with OCEANS, a call from the foreign land reached the model. His flight back home resulted in the photographer learning a certain language with the help of the model's fellow colleagues.
Note: Idk if Izumi and Leo being fluent in Italian is canon but I have to since this thought rotted my brain. hard. Had to google translate those and read my Italian dictionary and install Italian apps. Instead, I use DeepL thanks to March’s recommendations. If anyone here knows Italian, pls teach me until I reach college so that I'll learn Italian there once I'm still studying for college. I swear... If I can annotate this, I would've spammed the whole thing by spamming a lot of simping noises, pics, and gifs.
Sorry this took me a lot of time to finish it but I'm still trying... Q-Q school sucks...
At the airport, Izumi was called for work at Florence. Izumi didn't disclose any further information why he had to go back there so suddenly and he only said that it's just urgent.
Before he left Ensemble Square, he only told the rest of Knights to stay at Ensemble Square but they all came to the airport to see him off, much to his dismay. But he didn't show the annoyance when he eyed your figure and kept his expression neutral.
"So tell me, all of you wanted to see me off, don't you?" Izumi asked them, including you. "Why, don't you want to see us cry while you depart for Italy?" Arashi grinned as she asked him. Leo chimed in, "Come on, Sena~ We rarely get to see you depart when you urgently leave all the time."
Izumi pressed the center of his forehead using his fingers and massaged it as he let out an exasperated sigh. "Leo, you always go to Italy with me when we have the same flight." "Yeah, that's why I said 'rarely', remember?"
Ritsu chuckled at their interaction and glanced at you. "Not to mention, it's Princess' first time seeing you depart so..." He grinned as he trailed off and continued, "Coincidentally, she has something to give to you before you leave."
Arashi leaned close and whispered, "Go on..." and patted your shoulder. You walked closer to him and held out the bag to give it to Izumi. He raised his brow and stared at the bag with a stern face. "What's that?"
"Just take it, Mr. Sena." You replied, mustering up all of the courage to make him accept the gift from you. He didn't hesitate to accept the paper bag and took it from your hands from its handle. He scoffed, "So, last night, you called me by my name and now you addressed me by my last name with formalities? How weird are you?"
"Ignore that. Open that later when you're on the plane." You said and walked away. You immediately hid behind Arashi and let out a sigh of relief.
Izumi checked the time on his wristwatch and said, "I have to go. I don't want to be late for my schedule."
"Glad to hear that you're finally married to your schedule, Sena." Leo jested and Izumi huffed out, turning away from everyone and left for Italy for his work as a model overseas.
"See you in a week, Sena~!" Leo waved his hands and said goodbye to Izumi. All of the sudden, Izumk turned and walked towards you. The others let out a confused look until he leaned closer and whispered to your ear.
"Fino alla prossima volta, cara mia."
Izumi's warm breath touched your ear. Chills crawled into your spine as a blush dusted your cheeks when he whispered into your ear. Surely, those words will remain repeated in your mind like a broken recorder.
Arashi quickly pressed her fingertips on her lips as she hid her grin behind her hand and took a picture using her phone with her other hand.
Izumi's foreign words never left your mind. Those words repeated before and after you slept, keeping you awake at night. You don't know what language it was and try to wrack your brain if it's French, Spanish, or any other language.
You tried to look up those words in Italian for the translation online on the internet. Unfortunately, you don't know how to pronounce it or spell it out so you gave up.
The next morning, You read Izumi's profile once again in NewDi office and he lived in Florence, Italy for his modeling career. You heard from Tsukasa that Leo and Izumi live together in Florence while pursuing their own passions and come back to Japan for idol work. This time, Leo stayed in Japan because he's composing a song and he is stuck with his own inspirations while Izumi is away.
Coincidentally, your current schedule is accompanying Leo while he's attending DRAMATICA's circle meeting. After taking pictures of him with his fellow circle members, you know it's time for him to compose a song after gathering a pile of inspiration in his brain. You didn't want to disturb him but he noticed you right away and looked up to see you. A wide smile formed on his lips and called you.
"Oi, (Name)! Do you need some help or anything?" With that one question from him, you felt like you were determined to know the words Izumi told you and learn the language. With that, you asked Leo for help. When you explained to Leo that you want to learn Italian, he was ecstatic and was over Cloud 9.
It was all a blur when he dragged you to NewDi office so fast that your mind couldn't process the situation. You blinked twice as he ran out of the office and brought a stack of books with him, including papers fluttering away on the stack, falling like feathers from the sky.
"Let's start with the basics— greetings!" He said as his eyes sparkled with determination and delight and he let out flashcards that were nearly worn out of his pocket. The flashcards show that it was always used over time. Each card has a text and it's translated from Italian to Japanese, making it easier for the user to understand.
"But first—" His words cut off when Leo slammed a stack of books on the table. You read the name of the books from its spine. It's mostly written in Italian and your head starts spinning.
"Mr. Tsukinaga..." You called the composer. The unknown language that never existed in your vocabulary and it made you dizzy and you feel overwhelmed. "C-Can you slow down...? I'm new to the language..." Leo heard you and pushed the stack of books to reveal himself from behind it. He saw how your eyes practically spinning and it broke his heart.
"Rest assured, Princess~" Leo reassured you as he grinned. "I'm just showing these because these are what I used when Sena and I learned Italian way~ before we lived in Florence. Ah, the memories are flowing in my mind!" Judging from his expression, he's about to compose a song this time. "But, I'll let my inspiration stay inside me while my priorities go to the princess. Of course, to get used to the language, I'll speak in Italian to help you practice your auditory skills, just like how we learned Japanese since the day we were born."
"Alright... But please, can you please stop calling me princess...?" You sighed out and Leo answered, "But you're Sena's princess, you know?" Your eye twitched in annoyance and let out an exasperated sigh.
You slammed your forehead and planted your face on the table and groaned, "Stop calling me Zumi's princess. It gave me chills just by remembering his icy stare." Shivers crawl on your spine as you remember how cold his gaze is. But Izumi's warm and gentle touches made you blush. You're glad that you hid it away from Leo.
"Whoa. You have a nickname with him now, (Name)? That's nice. Seems like Princess and Sena's getting closer than expected." Leo exclaimed, loud enough for almost everyone in NewDi office to hear.
You sat up and facepalmed at how loud Leo's voice was. "What do you mean by that? That's the old nickname I gave him in the past." You waved your hand, brushing it off but the Italian classes with Leo turned into a one-sided interview with him about your relationship with Izumi.
"Tell me, you really like Sena, don't you?" Leo asked you once again while you read the flashcards. You blankly replied, "I don't."
Leo took your camera from the table and took a photo of you. The moment you heard the click from the shutter, you snatched it back from Leo's hands and looked at the picture.
In the picture, the camera's focus is on you while the stack of books on the side is blurry. You were reading the text on the flashcards with your face flushed red with a serious expression. Leo is not wrong about the fact that you're blushing but when he pointed out that it's because he talked about Izumi to you, your blush actually grew as you brought a tomato to shame.
"Hah?! Then why are you blushing for the whole time when I talk about Sena, huh?" Leo pointed out as he exclaimed. You fell silent as you stared at the picture in the camera and looked back at Leo, who was grinning for the whole time as he put his chin on his hands as his arms propped on the table. "So, did I lie about that?"
"You... still do..." You stammered and put your camera near you on the table, away from Leo's hands.
Seeing that you flushed in embarrassment, hiding your flustered reaction, Leo's eyes glinted in mischief and he took a picture of you with his phone while you're not looking. He snickered as he tapped his finger on the screen and sent the picture in Knights' group chat at Hold Hands.
Knights | Operation: Photographer
Leo sent a photo
Leo: Studying while interviewing her about her crush on Sena.
Arashi: Please make her admit it. I want to see them kiss and annoy the hell out of Izumi.
Leo: Princess is too stubborn. She denied the whole time.
Tsukasa: You two chatted at the wrong group chat.
Leo: Let Sena see this. It's not like he'll get mad or anything.
Leo looks up as he hears you read the words on the flashcard and his eyes widen in amusement. He listened carefully as you attempted to read a sentence.
"Te-i a-mo..." You read one of the phrases in the flashcard, the one that it's easy for you to read. "Why is 'I love you' in Italian pretty easy to read...?" You murmured as you went on.
"Ka-ra... mi-a...?" You tried to read the next two words in the same flashcard.
"Cara mia" Leo corrected it for you fluently and asked you, "Was that 'Ti amo, cara mia.'?" You nodded at his question and he grinned happily. "That's how they call their female partners and tell her they love her. Meanwhile, caro mio is for the women who used it as their endearment for their male partner. I often told that to Sena for practice ever since the day we moved to Florence." He laughed out and continued, "You should've seen his face. His face is as red as yours right now."
"But it translates into 'I love you, my dear.'," You pointed it out and his grin widened and beamed, "I just want to tease him while declaring my love for him, that's all. After all, I always say that to my muses, my source of inspiration!"
"No wonder why Ritsu told me that you two acted like a couple when Mr. Sena thought of you as a pet." You said as you drank your juice from the bottle and continued to read the flashcards one by one.
Suddenly, Leo barked, meowed, and cawed. You nearly spat out your juice and held it in your throat. You gulped it down and cackled, "Pfft—! Tsu-Tsukinaga?!" You laughed out and slammed your fist on the table. You clutched your stomach with your other hand and held it tight as it hurts to laugh out loud like this.
You lean your forehead on the table to hide your laughing face. Tears of joy came out of your eyes and you sat up and wiped it away. "Tsu... Tsukinaga... Th-That is too—" You chortled. "I can't help it...!" You kept laughing and his eyes showed a glint of mischief and shifted to his gaze to his phone leaning behind the stack of books.
Unknown to you, Leo recorded the whole thing with his phone, ready to show the whole scene to everyone later and quietly snickered. He turned his head to hear shoes clacking and the rhythm of the footsteps are like a model's, which he recognized oh so well.
"My, what's got our Princess laughing about?" Arashi chimed in and looked at your slumped figure as you rested your head on the table, exhausted from all of the laughing you had done. Quiet laughs came out of your mouth and breathed in between laughs. "I-It's Tsukinaga..." You felt like you nearly lost your breath after laughing a lot. "He— He suddenly made animal noises... out of nowhere..." You hiccuped and breathed as you calmed yourself down.
Arashi tried to process what you meant and it clicked her. She chuckled and smiled as she glanced at the stack of books written in Italian. Most of them are written from the original writer and author while the rest is translated into Italian. There are also Italian-Japanese and vice versa dictionaries, including some of the scribbled notes on the table.
"Why is she studying Italian right now?" Arashi asked and looked at Leo, who wrote notes on his old notebook. Odd, she thought. The composer is not composing and is just writing notes.
"Well, I believe it's something that Sena whispered to her at the airport last night," Leo answered as he scribbled down random notes on the pages and marked them down by encircling and underlining a word on the text's page. "I'm really sure he whispered something to her in Italian."
You sat up straight and took the flashcards once again and read it. "Something goes along with mi-a ka-ra or whatsoever..." You answered as you muttered, which caught their attention to you. Leo let out a wide grin on his face and snickered as you trailed on, "And a-ra puroshi... puro-chima... I... don't know now..."
Arashi looked at Leo and she saw him grinning like an idiot, making her gawk in response. "O-Oh..." She covered her mouth with her hand, baffled.
"Anyways, (Name)," Leo called you and he gave an old worn-out notebook in hand. "It's my old notes. You can have it and take it."
"Really?" You questioned and accepted the notebook. He nodded as he hummed in delight. "You asked me to teach you Italian and I'm happy to do so as I oblige. Anything for Sena's princess~"
"Thanks... but I'm not Mr. Sena's princess." You facepalmed. "Not now, but soon~" Leo teased and you felt so done at Leo that you groaned. Arashi giggled at your reaction.
"Tsukinaga... Let's just study, okay...?"
"Sì, mia principessa~" He grinned and he took the flashcards on the table and showed you a word on the card. He taught you Italian and his voice soothes you and motivates you as his energetic tone makes you focus on learning Italian.
He expected you to learn so easily on speaking Italian without the Japanese accent but his expectations went further south. First time's a charm and second can bring no harm but he wanted to snap when you reach the tenth.
After what seemed like forever (to Leo), he felt like he wanted to scream and cry his heart out when he saw you trying your best at the language but...
"Sh-Shi... ao..."
"No, no. That's 'ciao'."
Leo held the flashcard tightly and firmly. He is so determined to teach you Italian but you're trying. He is holding back his tears, too desperate to hold back his screams and hear you say the word so fluently. He is really trying.
"Leo, take it easy, she's trying her best..." Arashi looked at you worried as she saw you furrowed your brows as you tried to pronounce the word correctly. You squint your eyes at the flashcard and try to read the translated text shown underneath the foreign text.
"Try to say it quickly, (Name). It works." His voice slightly shook as he told you so. He nervously gulped down and stared at you deeply.
To Leo and Arashi, this is the 20th time (recorded by Tsukasa, Leo's orders) and the ginger is so close to kneeling on the floor, all fours and crying in such pain. You were too cute to be mad at but he is holding his tears because you are trying, like a child wanting to say its first words. He felt like a parent at this moment.
"Shi-ao." You did say it quickly, resulting in Arashi sputtering and she covered her mouth and she stifled her laugh. "You did your best, (Name)..."
'Baby steps, Princess! You can do it!' He wanted to scream out as dramatic tears began to form on the corner of his eyes. "One more try, (Name)! You got this!" He gripped the flashcard so tight and held back his tears as he encouraged you to do one more attempt.
"C-Ciao...!"
There was a moment of silence after they heard you say the word fluently. Arashi's mouth opened agape and nearly dropped her phone while recording a video of you trying to speak fluent Italian. Her eyes widened and she inhaled. She was about to scream but someone did before she could say her words out loud.
"Finalmente! La principessa di Sena ha finalmente detto "ciao" in modo fluente!" Suddenly, Leo cried out in Italian, breaking the silence. The composer shed tears in happiness as the papers on his hands finally scattered, floating and falling like feathers in the air.
"You did well, sweetie. I'm so proud of you..." Arashi congratulated you and she cried happy tears, felt so proud for Knights' princess while she still recorded a video of you. She felt like a proud mother who saw her child doing its best on their achievements in life.
Tsukasa looked at his seniors in confusion and applauded at you. "Congratulations, Miss (Name), you did well after twenty-one attempts."
"T-Twenty-one?!" You exclaimed. Leo grinned and replied, "At least there's progress. Whahahahaha! Sena should see this. He'll go crazy about seeing Princess learning and practicing Italian language."
'Oh, God... he's too loud...' You nervously chuckled at the words Leo exclaimed out.
"Ciao, (Name)~!" Leo beamed as he greeted you and you smiled and greeted him back, "Ciao, Leo." Leo nearly got a heart attack and hyperventilated as he fell to the floor. "Principessa is so adorable! Inspirations are overflowing! Whahahahahaha!" He left the office with a mad dash all the way to somewhere he can compose properly and well, he couldn't control his own composure.
And of course, he left his phone, still recording a video of you practicing the language. You eyed his phone and you are so sure he's sending the whole video to Izumi later.
The office was left silent after Leo left and yet, everything was left in awkward silence. You stood up from your seat and brought the old notes and flashcards Leo gave you to your arms and broke the ice.
"A-Anyways, I think I should go... passing my report to the agency about my progress..." You nervously chuckled and scratched the back of your neck as you let out a wry smile. Ritsu's eyes glinted in mischief as he saw this and grinned, "My, if you keep on doing that, I might consider it as flirting~"
"Flirting...?!" You looked at him, baffled and Arashi chuckled and chimed in. "He says that if you do that again, you might end up flirting to someone if you do that." Ritsu stifled his laugh and snickered. A blush bloomed on your cheeks and you flushed in embarrassment as your blush brought Tsukasa's hair to shame.
"Rashi, I'm not trying to flirt with anyone here! You two, quit that, will you?!" The blonde and the ravenette laughed as a response, resulting in you pouting at them, angrily as your cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
In Japan, it's noon. In Italy, it's evening. Izumi returned to his apartment after a long day's work. He plopped down on his bed in exhaustion and sighed. He was so sure he did get enough rest when he arrived at Florence yesterday in the early hours of the morning. Thankfully for the idol, he managed to get a good rest on the whole flight to Italy and slept again after he arrived at his shared apartment with Leo.
Izumi groaned when he heard his phone notifying him with constant messages and it's obvious who is the sender of the message. He grabbed his phone on his bedside cabinet and checked his lockscreen.
Knights | Operation: Photographer
Leo sent a photo
Leo: Princess is so cute that I couldn't resist getting mad at her. She is really trying her best.
Leo: Oi, Sena. You better see this.
He opened his phone and looked at the group chat in Hold Hands and his eye twitched when he saw that Leo sent a video.
Leo sent a video
Arashi: I'm pretty sure it took you five minutes to take a video of her saying "I love you, my dear" in Italian after you left the office.
Tsukasa: Senior Narukami, he sent the one where Miss (Name) was studying at Sky Garden.
Leo: Buuuuuut I managed to take a video of her at Sky Garden in secret. She's still reading 'I love you, my dear' and she is still trying.
Izumi opened the video Leo sent at Knights' group chat. He watched it and carefully listened to what sound was there in the video.
His eyes widened in surprise when he watched the video. It's a video of you reading one of Leo's flashcards at Sky Garden. You were sitting on the bench as you read the flashcard under the tree's shade, reading Italian in a Japanese accent. He didn't expect that you would study the language after he whispered such words into your ear before he left Japan.
A faint blush dusted on his cheeks as he continued to watch the video of you as Leo's student in Italian lessons post-classes. He stared at the screen as he listened to you reading the words in the cards, attempting to make it fluent and understandable to the foreign ear.
"Caro mio..." His heart flutters as you mutter the phrase properly. His gaze softened and smiled. "Cara mia..." He whispered lovingly. He wanted to hear it in person and he wanted to hear those words from you.
"Amore mio... Wh— Mr. Tsukinaga?! P-Put your phone down will you?!"
"Ahaha~ I got caught! Scusami, Principessa." Leo ran away from you and the video stopped right there.
Izumi chuckled lightly at the way you reacted to Leo taking a video of you. The sight of you having multiple reactions at once without your face mask covering your face made his smile soften more.
He exited the video with a single tap at the arrow on the screen as he smiled. His smile disappeared and turned into a serious frown when he saw the others assuming and expecting Izumi's reactions and comments to the video Leo sent in the group chat. He irked when he read the conversation in the group chat and gave the ginger a cold glare.
Knights | Operation: Photographer
Leo: Senaaaa did you watch the videooegdkej
Leo: Sorry, I sneezed
Arashi: Obviously, he did.
Ritsu: Secchan must be squealing like a school girl in love~
Izumi: Say that again, Kuma.
Leo changed the group name to Knights | Operation: Photographer x Model
Arashi: Leo, Izumi will throw hands at you once he returns to Japan.
Izumi: Leo.
Leo: Ahahaha anyways...
Leo: I noticed that Princess can read the cards fluently without someone watching her as long as she did her best.
Leo: And it's obvious that she motivated and determined to learn because of a certain someone~
Ritsu: We all know who it is Lrosoprhrk
Ritsu: Sorry. Ritsu slept on me and he dropped his phone. — Mao
Izumi turned his phone off and placed it on his bedside cabinet and lay down on the bed, hugging the dolphin plush you gave him yesterday. He pressed his face on the plush, just like how you did back then at the aquarium's souvenir shop.
He can vividly remember that scene right before him. The way you pressed your face on the plush and nuzzled it, like a mother giving gentle affection to their child. The way you hold it in your arms is like how one will carry their pet, knowing its back is sensitive.
The model couldn't help but to lovingly sigh. For this whole time, he admired you and he never realized it. But that admiration grew the more he knew the others teased him for being warm, gentle, and affectionate towards you. The way he treated you is different from the way he treated Makoto in the past when he's still a student in Yumenosaki.
And yet, after reminiscing those memories of the past, his mind still wandered back to you, repeating the scenario over and over as he continued to remember the events back then at the aquarium. The way you reacted when he draped his coat on your shoulders, the way you looked at him when you caught him staring at you in admiration whenever you smiled, the way you shy away when he held your hand on the way back to Ensemble Square. He clearly remembered it all but his mind only thought of you holding the toy plush you bought from the souvenir shop, the one you gave to him, the one he's holding right now.
Speaking of a toy plush, he remembered something and he realized about one thing he forgot to do back in Japan. His eyes widened in realization when he remembered the plush inside his dorm room, inside the paper bag, and the said item sitting on his table.
That loving gaze full of admiration faded when he remembered what he forgot.
'Ah... I forgot to give that to her...'
At night, inside the shared apartment you lived in with your aunt and cousin, you still studied Italian with the notes and flashcards Leo gave you. You swiveled your chair as you turned to the next flashcard, reading the basic greetings in Italian text.
Outside of your bedroom, your aunt and cousin looked at you from your door, confused. They looked at each other and returned their attention back to you and the two stacks of old books on your desk. They let out a confused look ever since you arrive in the apartment, late in the afternoon with flashcards on hand that it caught their attention. They looked at each other and quietly followed you until you reached your room, closing the door shut.
Earlier, after you returned to the apartment, your mind wandered as your focus remained on the flashcards on your hand. You accidentally entered the apartment's storage room and you found old Italian books in there. You know that she kept her old things in the storage room. You scratched your head at the utter coincidence that you dusted the books and brought it all to your bedroom, which is now stacked in your desk.
While the two are watching you studying, Nyaitsu is playing with the crumpled papers on the floor. He stared at the ball made of a sheet of paper like a predator and growled as he jumped to get the ball of paper but it jumped away from him. The kitten yeowled and tackled on the crumbled paper again and this time, his attempt was successful on his playful little hunt, he happily let out a few small meows when he was able to crush the crumpled paper ball with his little paws.
From a cat's perspective, they seem to be grinning in victory as they watch its prey like a predator. He growls and scratches the crumpled paper with his claws and eradicates it under the paws of the merciless kitten.
While Nyaitsu is having fun with his own little game, you focus your brain on your studies and read the notes Leo gave you with his flashcards on the side.
"A-Ari... Aribi... de..." You tried to read the flashcard on your hand as you studied the language. "Ari... bede..." The kitten's ears perked up as he began to seem curious at his owner's new routine. He sat there and looked at you as he looked at you with curiosity.
You groaned and leaned your back on the chair's backrest and sighed. You don't want to give up right now. You sighed out once again and returned to study the language orally. You quietly exhaled and uttered it out. "Aribidecchi."
You facepalmed and your actions scared the kitten behind you. You sighed, "Too close..."
"Arrivederci."
You turned your head to the door and saw your aunt, entering your bedroom and walking closer to you. "Arrivederci translates to 'Goodbye' in Italian." She pointed out and said the word fluently and accurately and she sadly smiled, remembering something she always wanted to forget. "Those are the last words I heard from your uncle before he left."
"He did?" She nodded at your question. "It remains fresh in my memory and it never fades. I missed him very much." From a longing gaze, it turns into a sorrowful one. You know your aunt's heart shattered on that fateful day, where he left completely in your lives, gone like the wind. It broke your heart seeing her like this.
You know all too well when her husband, your uncle, left Japan to work overseas as a full-time photographer. She begged him to stay but that heart wrenching news broadcasted on television made her heart shatter into pieces, shredding her from her core. Her sorrow affected you and it made your heart beating in pain whenever you saw her cry in her room ever since that day.
She shook her head and ignored the pain of the past and smiled. "Since you wanted to learn Italian, may I teach you as your foreign language teacher?" You excitedly nodded and hummed in agreement. She chuckled at your response to her question and began to wonder why you were learning the language on your own.
"(Name), what made you learn Italian yourself?" She asked you and you confidently answered, "Actually, I wanted to know what Mr. Sena told me at the airport yesterday evening."
Her eyes glinted in awe at your answer. "My, it seems like someone made you learn the language just because of a single simple sentence or phrase." She quietly held her chuckle and grinned. She patted your shoulders and engulfed you into a motherly embrace, something you loved to feel ever since you moved into her apartment.
"I won't pry further into your curiosity and I will teach you. In exchange..." She deeply thought and whispered into your ear. Her condition made your cheeks pink so that you couldn't help but to disagree without hesitation. "I-I can't accept that...!"
"Sweetie, consider that as a motivation to learn the language," She said as she placed her index finger on her lips and winked. "After all, you found a reason to be motivated and determined to speak the words you wanted to tell him once he comes back from overseas."
You bit your lip as you held your blush. She is right. You wanted to tell him something back once he returns from his flight back home to Japan. You wanted to know what he told you that day before he left the country to work in Italy for his modeling career. That is the reason why you wanted to learn the language.
An undying urge to learn while burning the midnight oil is too strong that the small fire of determination in you turns into an endless flame. You huffed out in excitement as you balled your fists as your eyes glimmered. She chuckled at your determined state and smiled. "But..." She pointed at the clock on your desk. "It's almost time for dinner so you can weaken the flame in you for a moment."
"Aw..." You sadly sighed and she patted your head. "If you knew that your stomach grumbled with that determined look on your face, your cousin would laugh at you and tease you for that." Her remark couldn't help but to make you flush in embarrassment and you clutched your belly. You heard your stomach grumble and you felt it from your arms as you clutched it and your blush grew more red, earning a chuckle from her.
"Now, now, little student of mine, it's time for dinner~" She smiled and noticed the little Nyaitsu climbing up on your sweatpants and resting on your lap. You gave out an anxious chuckle and sighed. "I guess he doesn't want me to eat..."
"No worries, I'll bring you your plate once I return." She said and left your bedroom, leaving you and Nyaitsu alone. Once the door is closed, Nyaitsu's ears perked up and meowed, trying to get your attention.
You look down to look at the kitten on your lap and smile. "Still playful, huh?" You asked him as you scratched his chin. He purred in satisfaction and melted on your touch. Somehow, seeing him like this made you remember how he patted your head that day while looking at you in a most affectionate manner.
Red bloomed on your cheeks and you hid your face behind your hands. There is no way that one single look of his made you melt. You swiveled close to your bed and took a pillow. You pressed your face on the pillow and screamed on it. There is no way that your idol crush is the first person you worked with since the whole collaboration project started and it made your head spin.
"Nonononono— There is no way...!" You panicked as your mind began to swirl with fragmented memories of you and Izumi together. You felt like a high school girl in love, infatuated with your crush. But the more you felt like you are infatuated towards him made you deny it. You felt like you wanted to crawl in a hole and die there at the fact that you are still in the first stage of Five Stages of Grief: Denial.
"Oh, Goddess of Fate, please help me..." You muttered your prayer under your breath as you returned your attention to the old notes on your hands. But the more you read the language, the more your mind thinks about Izumi. You begin to feel warm as your blush darkened and Nyaitsu is satisfied with how warm his owner is right now. Great, you made yourself as his personal warmer.
The next morning, you arrived at Ensemble Square's entrance doors. Before you entered ES' grounds, you put your face mask on, checked your camera bag and its contents, and patted every pocket on your coat. You felt a slight change in your coat pocket and noticed that there is a bump on it. You checked your pocket to see what's inside and you saw Nyaitsu, napping in your pocket.
"Nyaitsu...!" You whispered out his name. "Why are you in there?! You're not supposed to be here...!"
Seeing that the kitten was still napping in your pocket with no signs of waking up, you sighed and entered the premises and acted less suspicious, avoiding the fact that you have a kitten in your pocket.
You remembered you brought a paper bag with you in your hands. You'd rather not think about what's inside the paper bag because this piece of clothing belonged to someone you know and you forgot to return it to him. You are asking yourself why you forgot to return that to him after you left Ensemble Square for the day.
You texted Arashi to meet you at the garden and she agreed to meet you. Coincidentally, she mentioned Nyanko in her tote bag and she asked you if you brought Nyaitsu with you. Without hesitation, you said yes and she is ready on her heels to go straight to the garden, prepared for Nyanko and Nyaitsu's little playdate.
At ES' garden entrance, you were met by Ritsu, waiting for you at the entrance. Since today is the welcoming of mid-spring, the garden became a little colder than yesterday. You wondered if summer is closer than you thought but it didn't drop at the slightest.
Ritsu didn't hesitate to throw himself behind you and draped his arms on your shoulder. "Carry me." He whispered into your ear and it sent shivers on your spine. "A-Apologies, you seemed a bit heavy for me to carry you. And you're... invading my personal space..."
"I know," He mischievously grinned and smirked. "But you wouldn't mind if it's Secchan invading your personal space, hm?"
A pink blush dusted your cheeks and immediately answered, "I-I would mind..." You tried to push Ritsu away but he hugged you from behind, holding you in place. His warm breath touched your ear. It made you feel slightly ticklish and sirens began to wail in your head.
"R-Ritsu, can you please let go?" You shyly asked him and he rested his chin on the junction between your neck and shoulder. "I will, under one condition."
Oh, you know how much you hate conditions whenever you're in such a predicament. "No."
Goosebumps formed on your skin and when he blew air on the back of your neck. When he saw the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, he grinned. "Hm, I will let you go when you accept and admit your feelings towards Secchan to me."
"What if I don't harbor such feelings towards Mr. Sena?" You turn your head to look at him and struggle in his embrace. If someone saw you and Ritsu like this, it'll create a scandalous mess and rumors will spread like wildfire. The entertainment society is a dangerous place whenever scandals and rumors are formed and you don't want to be involved in such events.
"Ritsu, please let go of me." You grunted as you struggled and his embrace became tighter and yet his hold was firm. "Hm... I'll think about it until you say yes." His smirk became impish when he heard you groan in annoyance.
Light footsteps were heard on the way to the garden and it made you jolt and pale when you heard it. "R-Ritsu, let go! Someone's coming this way...!" You panicked as you struggled in Ritsu's embrace.
"Relax," He sighed in reassurance and nuzzled his face on your neck. "It's just Haakun, he brought the tea leaves he prepared for today's circle meeting."
"Yeah, right but what if it's not him?" You hissed under your breath and panicked. Desperate to avoid attention from the eyes of strangers, you quickly whispered. "F-Fine...! I'll tell you but please, let go. Let go...!"
Ritsu let go of you and grinned. "Good girl. You can't turn back on our agreement, okay~?" He grinned and you narrowed your eyes at him. The air became tense the moment you stared at him. Ritsu noticed a slight change in your aura that sweat began to form on the side of his face.
Your narrowed gaze became a cold glare. He saw that and it somehow reminded him of Izumi's glare but this glare is more intimidating and colder.
'Shoot... I crossed her line...' He thought as he looked at you. Deep inside, he is intimidated by your gaze alone when he doesn't show it on the outside.
You crossed your arms and asked him, "I don't know what you were implying but I do know that it's not a good thing, Ritsu."
He hid his fear with a sly grin and replied, "What if I tell you it's about the way you acted towards Secchan back at the aquarium?"
"What—"
"Senior Ritsu, I brought the tea leaves!" Your words cut off when a soft, gentle, soothing voice fills your ears and the intimidating aura around you dissipates. You blinked twice and looked at the person who was skipping its way towards where Ritsu is.
Baby blue colored hair, bob cut in style. His lavender eyes glinted in excitement. His smile is like a child's and it seemed adorable. In his hands is a box of tea leaves, which there is a label on the front of the box's side. Your eyes widen in surprise at the familiar sight of this young male right in front of you.
"Shino?" You said out his name and he stopped behind Ritsu. His eyes widened in joy and surprise and smiled. "Senior (Name)? It's been..." He counted with his fingers and continued, "...last year since we last met."
"My, you've gotten taller than last time, Shino." You chuckled and patted his head, earning a delighted giggle from him.
You met Hajime back then when Nazuna asked you to take a picture of him and his unit, Ra*bits, for his graduation picture for his last year in Yumenosaki. Time does sure flies seeing that there are changes that you can pinpoint a few when you saw Ra*bits' lives on your phone screen.
"How was Nyan-Nyan? Is he doing well at college?" You asked Hajime and he gleefully answered, "Of course! He manages his time well as a college student and as an idol. It's been like this since the past year after a long hiatus from college."
"I see. That's good to hear~" You chuckled and exchanged questions with Hajime for a moment to talk about Ra*bits' growth as an idol unit and their individuality as a unit member of the said unit.
Ritsu looked at you, baffled at the sudden change of your personality. He was left out when you suddenly chatted with Hajime. Thankfully for him, he can remember what Kaoru once mentioned in the common room a few days ago.
"If looks could kill, then her glare is way scarier than yours, Senacchi."
'Kaoru isn't lying about this one...' He thought and nervously gulped down, ready to apologize. But since seeing you smiling like you are talking to an old friend you haven't met for a long time, he decided that he'll wait after FLAVOR's circle meeting.
You remembered that the Music Course building never existed before when you stepped in as a student of Yumenosaki and blended in with the students in the Idol Course, just like how Anzu joined in when she became a student in the Producer Course. After the Music Course building was established after you became a third year in the academy, you never showed up to anyone in the Idol Course and stayed in the shadows for the whole war.
And seeing what happened at past Valkyrie's last performance and met Nazuna after he recruited members for the Broadcasting Committee, it made you wonder how were you pulled back to the Idol Course building after meeting Nazuna, whose voice is silent every performance and lived everyday as a doll, under his puppeteer's control.
Now that the marionette's strings are cut from its puppeteer, he lived like a human and he deserved to live like one.
You sighed, missing your committee leader. You know how everything was in the war. Though you're a student from Music Course, you knew what the war was like two years ago and you knew how much Yumenosaki had changed after the revolution. Peace spreaded throughout the whole academy when that happened.
"I heard from Senior Ritsu that you're his photographer today in your schedule as Knights' photographer for Picture Perfect. Am I right?" Hajime asked and you nodded. His eyes shined and lit up in joy, finally got to see his upperclasswoman back in action as a photographer whose job is to capture every memory, just like how you did for your fellow alumnus' yearbook pictures. "So it's almost like you're doing what you did before you graduated, right?" You nod and hum in affirmation at his question.
Suddenly, Nyaitsu popped his head out of your blazer pocket, surprising Hajime. "Whoa...! Where did that come from?"
You chuckled at the young rabbit's reaction and Nyaitsu climbed up on your blazer and stood on your shoulder. He meowed as a small greeting and Hajime stared at him.
"Apologies, Shino," you apologized to him and let out a light chuckle. "Meet Nyaitsu. He's my kitten and a part of my family. Well, I don't like him calling my pet because it sounded like I babied him and I rather having him as a family member."
"Nice to meet you, Nyaitsu." Hajime greeted him and Nyaitsu jumped off your shoulder. You didn't get to catch him on time and he landed on your forearm and dived into the paper bag.
"Nyaitsu?!" You panicked and opened the mouth of the bag and you saw Nyaitsu napping on the clothing in the paper bag. "Nyaitsu, don't nap in there. You're going to make me wash it again..."
"What's inside the paper bag, Senior (Name)?" Hajime asked and you nervously answered, "Someone let me use his coat and I forgot to return it to him before he left the country for work."
Ritsu heard this and his eyes glinted in mischief as an impish smile curved on his lips. Hajime asked another question. "Whose coat was it?"
"Mr. Sena's." You didn't hesitate to answer when a slight pink blush dusted your cheeks.
"Wait, Secchan's coat?" Ritsu joined the conversation, pretending to be surprised. You nodded and spoke, "Well, he let me have his coat back then at the aquarium. He said that the indoor area is cold and he let me wear it."
"I... I see..." Hajime smiled and uttered in confusion. You sighed out, "As much as I wanted to return his coat, now I have to wash it again because Nyaitsu is napping on Mr. Sena's coat..." You paused for a moment and remembered something.
"And speaking of coats..." You slowly turned your head to glance at Ritsu and an annoyed glare was seen on your eyes. "Ritsu, where is my coat?"
The ravenette nervously chuckled and dropped a sweat. "I left it in Secchan's room..."
You facepalmed and sighed. Your blush grew. You thanked your mask for the umpteenth time since the collaboration started and you sighed. "Ritsu, you have been really implying something since the start, hm?"
"Er... no?" He feigned ignorance and nervously chuckled once again. Your glare became colder, colder than the harsh winter in the mountains. You crossed your arms and spoke in a low tone of voice.
"I am watching you, you self-proclaimed vampire."
Ritsu grinned but behind that grin is a scared Ritsu who is speed dialing 119 for his life. On the other hand, Hajime, who seemed oblivious, made him remember something from your glare and pose. He blurted out, "Senior (Name), just you remind me of Senior Sena."
"Hm?" Your cold aura dissipated and looked at Hajime. You asked him, "Am I?" He nodded and hummed in affirmation. "Your glare and pose made me think of him." He smiled like an innocent child while he answered.
Your blush grew. "O-Oh..." His words made you look at him in confusion but your heart couldn't help but to flutter at the sight of your adorable underclassman being honest at his own thoughts. 'Goodness gracious, Shino... You are so cute that I wanted to shove you in my pocket with Nyan-Nyan...!'
"Ah, yes. So anyways," You changed the topic and continued. "I believe the rest of FLAVOR is waiting for us so let's go to the heart of the garden for tea."
"Oh, right. It's the welcoming of mid-spring." Hajime smiled and looped his arm under yours. "Let's go to the garden. I want to introduce you to Kazehaya." Hajime gently pulled you as he escorted you to the garden. You two giggled in joy as you two walked your way towards the garden and whilst having a conversation.
Ritsu was left behind, stunned as he watched you and Hajime walk away. He knew that Kaoru wasn't wrong after he witnessed your glare and he knew that Hajime reminded of Izumi's usual glare and serious composure.
'Seems like I really shouldn't mess up with her and be careful...' He nervously gulped down and followed behind.
At the garden, three of FLAVOR's circle members are waiting for the other two to arrive. As of now, their aura was serene and calm as the gentle mid-spring breeze passed by the three idols by the table. Eve's leader and Eden's unit member, Hiyori Tomoe sipped his tea from the cup and closed his eyes to savor the flavor of black tea, as suggested by fine's leader, Eichi Tenshouin.
A delighted, satisfied hum escaped his lips and let out a neutral smile. He opened his eyes and his amethyst gaze glanced at his aquamarine blue ones.
"I heard you were the one proposing this collaboration project to that certain modeling agency. Am I right?" Hiyori asked Eichi a question with a stern expression. He chuckled and answered, "Of course. Originally, it was meant for StarPro's project but it requires experienced models. Thus, I changed it and asked NewDi's manager for permission, to which he openly accepted along with Knights' leader."
"I see." He replied and heard a dog barking underneath the table. Hiyori looked down and saw Bloody Mary sitting beside his feet. A gentle smile formed on his lips and lifted her up and placed her on his lap. "Jun, aren't you supposed to be watching her while I'm busy?"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Jun apologized as he arrived to fetch Mary and took her from Hiyori's lap. Tatsumi softly chuckled while he read a book in his hands and spoke, "I heard that there will be a few cats visiting the garden today. It'll be better that there won't be a fight between two kinds, Tomoe."
"Perhaps you are right." Hiyori agreed and faced Jun. "Jun, take Mary with you. I don't want our little princess to get hurt by their claws."
"Understood. I'll take her to my dorm room. I'm sure Oukawa won't mind. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." He excused himself to leave and waved his free hand while his other arm carried Mary.
Just as Jun left, they heard a cheerful chatter nearby and they turned their heads to see who was arriving at their meeting place.
The teal haired idol smiled and closed the book after marking the page where he last read with a bookmark. "It seems like they have arrived."
"Come on, it'll be fun. I promise~" Hajime beamed and smiled as he pulled you to join the small tea party with FLAVOR. You hesitated and told him, "Shino, I don't know if I should join you..."
"Well, that can't be helped when you came along with Tsukippi and Secchan on their own circle meetings." Ritsu grinned and he asked you, "Don't tell me you're not used to drinking tea?"
"I-I am used to drinking tea but I'm not sure if I should come along right now." You retorted and shy your gaze away from him when Ritsu stood beside you.
"Isn't that (Name)?" Eichi and Hiyori asked themselves at the same time and they looked at each other and returned their attention to you, Hajime, and Ritsu. Eichi chuckled and grinned, "What a surprise. I didn't expect that they'd send one of their junior photographers for this project."
"And what a mere coincidence. It's someone we knew from the past who came along with Ritsu." Eichi muttered and remembered the past events at the war.
As the three of you arrived at the garden, you looked up to see a familiar blonde and your eyes narrowed at the lime-haired male. You stared at the two familiar idols and you clicked your tongue as the worst of memories in the past began to resurface in your mind.
"Heaven's Demon and Cabbage Head, long time no see. What a surprise to meet you here." Your words came out with sheer hate that slipped out of your tongue. Hajime and Ritsu sensed that your mood became sour the moment your eyes laid on Eichi and Hiyori's figure.
Eichi chuckled and Hiyori grimaced at the nickname you gave them back in your second year days. You began to wonder why you were acquainted with the previous members of ex-fine before, during, and after the war and you let out a wry chuckle and looked down on them out of pure contempt and you sneered.
"My, if it isn't (Name) from the Music Course," Eichi spoke up with a smile. You were aware that his smile isn’t genuine and you narrowed your gaze at him. He continued, "I thought we were still friends after you took pictures of the memories in Yumenosaki. We were so close back then." He spoke as he began to sound provocative while he grinned.
"Seeing that smile of yours made me think that you never changed at all, Tenshouin." You let out a neutral smile while your hatred towards Eichi seeped out with the words escaping your lips. "And oh, I'm not here to have a cold war with you once again. I'm here for the project you proposed."
"And how did you know it was me?" He asked and looked at you like an innocent child out of pure curiosity. You sighed out, "My boss, Ms. Narukami, Mr. Tsukinaga, and Suou."
Eichi blinked twice and he chuckled. "You never changed at all, (Name). You are a smart one, just like before."
"Became smarter than usual after the war ended, Tenshouin." You smirked with confidence and placed your hand on your hip. "And hearing the news that the heavenly orchestra lost to the revolutionaries back then, I couldn't help but to laugh. You deserved that by the way."
Ritsu and Hajime looked at you and Eichi exchanged replies. The self-proclaimed vampire notices the tone of contempt in your voice while Eichi's voice is being friendly. It's a one-sided hate conversation, a cold war Eichi had caused between you and him after fine won against Valkyrie in the past.
Hajime broke the moment of silence and asked you, "Senior (Name), I didn't know you were friends with Senior Tenshouin in the past. And what happened in the—" You covered Hajime's mouth and shushed him. He quietly nodded and removed your hand off of his mouth.
"Well, I may forgive you for being a changed man but I still loathe you with every fiber of my being for what you had done in the past, Tenshouin." You looked at Eichi out of disgust and crossed your arms. "Don't think I'll let the past slide like it's normal and meant to be forgiven."
"Understood." Eichi gave you a close-eyed smile and poured tea at the empty teacup. "And I wouldn't mind if you join us for tea, (Name). When was the last time I drank tea with you?"
"I never drink any tea you offered to me." You scoffed. "I don't trust you for that because I know you'll spike my tea."
"Oh?" He let out an amused chuckle at your remark out of doubt. "I am not spiking anyone's tea, (Name). I'm hurt."
"I'll take a few pictures of Ritsu's circle meeting with flavor and that's final. Nothing more, nothing less." You utter out and bring out your camera from its bag and turn it on. "I'll go ahead and prepare the camera. If you'll excuse me— ow?! Nyaitsu?!" Your words cut off when Nyaitsu climbed on your back. His claws caught on your hair and climbed up on your shoulder.
Hiyori sputtered and stifled a laugh while Eichi held his amused chuckle as both of their shoulders began to shake. Tatsumi on the other hand was quiet for the whole time and let out an amused smile while he watched you staying still until the kitten reached its destination— your shoulder.
Nyaitsu meowed and you let out an annoyed sigh. "Please don't do that again..." Ritsu chuckled and grinned. "If only I'm that cat, I wouldn't mind clinging on you anytime."
"Aren't you a self-proclaimed vampire, Ritsu? You might as well address yourself as a vampire with feline-esque behavior." You replied and walked away from him. He was stunned for more than he can count today. Ritsu clicked his tongue and sighed. "She really is like Secchan but modest..."
Few pictures were taken and you were satisfied with the result. You sat on the bench in the garden as the members of FLAVOR left except Ritsu, who was napping, resting his head on your lap. In the midst of the break, you read the flashcards you brought whilst you drank tea Hajime blended in your thermos. Darjeeling Tea, your favorite. You didn't know that he blended your favorite tea when you didn't tell him. You appreciated his effort and took a few sips while reading the flashcards.
"Mi manchi, amore mio." You read the flashcard as your Italian accent became accurate as you read it fluently. You looked at Nyaitsu sleeping on Ritsu's chest and you muttered out, "Nyaitsu è un gatto." You chuckled and patted Nyaitsu's head softly while he was on Ritsu.
"My, it seems like your Italian is getting accurate, (Name)." Ritsu commented and looked at you while he rested his head on your lap and asked, "What were you saying just now?"
"It's a secret." You replied and silently read while you mastered each sentence and phrase in the flashcards. You kept reading that you didn't hear the wings of a bird fluttering and perched on your shoulder. You blinked twice when you heard a small coo and you glanced at the bird on your shoulder.
"If this is one of Hibiki's doves, shoo it away from me." You blankly muttered and you glanced at the white dove on your shoulder. "And I mean it." The dove cooed and stayed there for a moment. You let out a sigh and continued to read the flashcards.
"(Name)! I'm here~!" The dove flew away from your shoulder and landed on your head and sat down as a voice called out to you. You saw Arashi skip her way to where you were and brought a tote bag with her, slung on her shoulder. "I hope I'm not late for their playdate." She sat beside you and put her bag on the bench.
Nyanko meowed and popped her head out of the bag, revealing herself to one of her owner's closest friends. She jumped out of Arashi's bag and her little bell on her purple collar jingled as she moved. She looked at Nyaitsu sleeping on Ritsu's chest and she didn't hesitate to walk over Ritsu.
"H-Hey! Naru, don't let Nyanko walk over me." Ritsu sputtered after Nyanko's tail brushed on his mouth. She sat beside the sleeping Nyaitsu and looked at the sleeping kitten.
Arashi began to fawn that her cat made a new friend. Her eyes widened when Nyanko licked Nyaitsu, cleaning him. Nyaitsu woke up and meowed, glad to meet its new friend. But what surprised you both is when Nyanko bit Nyaitsu's scruff and jumped down from Ritsu's chest and landed on the stone-paved floor and put Nyaitsu down.
Seeing this interaction between the two cats, you prepared your camera and took pictures of Nyanko and Nyaitsu playing together. She is acting like a big sister to the kitten when Nyaitsu chased Nyanko's tail and he tackled it. He bit her tail but Nyanko showed no signs of pain. Nyaitsu is still a young kitten so his bites aren't painful and she lets him play with her.
Out of habit, you stood up and took quick shots of the two cats on the stone floor in various perspectives and positions. The dove flew away as you stood up and disappeared into the blue spring sky. Ritsu hit his head on the bench and he hissed in pain. He pouted angrily at the fact that his pillow left him, taking pictures and squealing like a schoolgirl.
"(Name), that hurts. Aren't you supposed to be my pillow today?" Your brain is not listening.
You blatantly ignored Ritsu's annoyed remark and you kept squealing and fawning over at how adorable Nyanko and Nyaitsu seemed when they’re together. "You two are soooo cute I can just shove you two in my pocket!"
Ritsu left the garden with an annoyed sigh and looked for a different napping spot. He regretted having you as his pillow for today when there are cats in the area. First, he compared you to Izumi, now he's comparing you to Leo. Life is so not okay for the self-proclaimed vampire.
Arashi chuckled and took pictures of you kneeling on the floor and smiling like a child seeing an attractive toy right in front of them. Her seeing your smile made her remember once when she saw the pictures of you in your camera, back when she lent it from Izumi before they went to the modeling agency to return the camera to you.
Her heart softened when she saw that soft, genuine smile curved on your lips while holding Nyanko in your arms. You let out a soft giggle when Nyanko licked your cheek and you beamed towards the owner of the cat.
"Rashi, Nyanko is just like you." You smiled, complimenting the blonde haired idol and she chuckled. "I know, she is so sweet that I want to protect her in any way I can. Just like how I once declared to myself to protect you."
Your heart fluttered at her words. It made you feel soft and warm inside. Knowing Arashi, she is always there by your side wherever you go to accompany you as old childhood friends reunite after years of not meeting each other. You let out a soft, quiet smile. Your smile made her want to be with you longer than she knew.
She once declared back then that she will be the knight who will protect you, your happiness, and your smile. And now, she will pass that responsibility to the one fitting for you to protect your smile, taking you where the sun shines as you stay in peace.
Her mind tells her to protect you but her heart says otherwise. She knows that she will still pass that responsibility to someone and her decision is final after staying there by your side as your loyal Knight.
"Anyways~" She ruined the silence at a perfect timing and grinned. "Have you finally known what Izumi told you back at the airport a few days ago?"
You shook your head in dismay, earning a sad sigh from her. But not long, you beamed, "But I will do my best to know what he says and I'll finally be able to understand what he meant by that."
Arashi chuckled and cheered you on, "Do your best. I'll be here to support you."
You huffed out, determined to continue learning the language. "I will. Thank you for your kind support, Rashi."
"You're welcome, (Name)."
Behind the bush is the composer composing another song. He nodded as he heard you practice your greetings and farewells with Arashi. He secretly recorded a voice record of you and nodded at how accurate your accent is in Italian. He quietly chuckled and continued to compose a song, not wanting to disturb your small warm-up session with his fellow unitmate.
Leo hummed a familiar tune while composing and messaged a certain idol in Hold Hands. He sent the voice record to him and continued to compose.
Sena
Leo sent a voice message
Leo: Please listen to this Sena.
His eyes lit up when he heard a buzz from his phone and grinned.
Sena
Sena: Leo, why are you sending me this?
Leo snickered and sent a quick message to Izumi.
Leo: The sender you are messaging right now is composing.
Sena: Whatever.
"Ah, right. Rashi, I forgot to return Mr. Sena's coat. Can you leave this in his room?" You picked up the bag sitting near the bench.
"My, of course." Arashi chuckled as she accepted your request. She saw you hesitating to give her the bag and confessed. "But... Nyaitsu napped in the bag a while ago and I'm hesitating to give this to him or have someone leave it in his room..."
"No worries, a few brushes of lint roller will do the trick~" She smiled and you gave the bag to her. "T-Thanks, Rashi..."
Leo's hand froze as he wrote the melody from his mind. He blinked twice and began to process and remember what he had just heard.
'Did I hear that right? Princepessa has... Sena's coat?' He repeated his thoughts and without hesitation, he jumped out of the bush, scaring you, Arashi, and the cats. You jumped out of your seat and backed away when your eyes met his. He yelled, "(Name), you have to give it to Sena in person!"
"Whoa?! When did you get here?" You asked him, surprised at his sudden appearance. You looked at him and you were not amused by how the leaves stuck on his head and his tired eyes with dark circles, failed to hide from the concealer and worsened due to the lack of sleep. He simply answered, "I was here for the whole time."
"Tsukinaga, Rashi can leave it in Mr. Sena's dorm room once she returns to Starmony Dorm. You know that outsiders are not allowed there." You placed your hand on your hip and stared at his current physical appearance. "And most of all, you need sleep. You're in a worse state than I am."
You weren't lying. You stayed up all night studying and you don't want to lose your learning streak today because of work. Gladly the concealer you applied on your face worked well but your tired eyes show it all.
Arashi chimed in, "It's alright, Leo. I can leave this on Izumi's bed and give him a note."
Leo took a picture of you holding a paper bag and messaged someone. "Nah, leave it to me." He pressed the send button and grinned when he got a sudden message from his sender.
Sena
Sena: Leo, tell Naru to leave it on my bed in the dorm.
"Well, he said he wanted Naru to leave the bag on his bed in the dorm..." Leo sighed, disappointed. "Well, pretty acceptable because outsiders aren't allowed in the dorm.
Arashi took the bag and chuckled. "Well, I must go and I have work to do." She picked up her tote bag and brought Nyanko in there. "I'll be heading back to the dorm to leave Nyanko and Izumi's coat there so we'll see you next time." She left with a small wave and you waved back. "Mhm, good luck with your work Rashi. Stay safe and be careful on your way there."
As Arashi leaves the garden, you turn to face Leo, who still stuck his head out in the bush. He pulled himself backwards and got out of the bush and sputtered as he dusted himself to remove the leaves and twigs off of him. "So, how are your progress in Italian?"
"Fine-ish, I guess?" You answered and he chuckled. You helped him remove the leaves on his hair and on his shirt. "I'm still looking for the words Mr. Sena told me at the airport the other day..."
"Well, I can help you with that." Leo beamed and asked you, "So what was that again? The one you mentioned back then?"
"Something like..." You thought deeply and didn't hesitate to answer. "Fino arra prochima bolta, cara mia."
Leo stifled his laugh at your attempt at being fluent at the first attempt. It sounded a little funny now that he considered you in the intermediate level but you still tried your best. "He said that?" He asked you and you answered with a yes. He chortled, "Well, I didn't know he'll be the roman...tic type..." His words faltered and faded out in realization. His eyes widened when he realized what you had just said. He blinked twice and looked at you, dumbstruck.
You tilted your head in confusion and asked him, "Tsukinaga...? Is something wrong?"
He shook his head to go back to reality and asked you in pure shock. "Se-Sena told you that...?" He asked you as he looked at you in bewilderment. You innocently nodded and he blinked twice. "Yeah. Do you know what he told me, Tsukinaga?"
Leo fell silent and thought for a moment. He sighed and replied, "Apologies, Princess. You might be surprised if I tell you the truth. That shall wait in the near future."
"If you'll excuse me, Princess. I have work to attend to." Leo picked up the music sheets from the grass and excused himself to leave. You tilted your head in confusion and watched him leave the garden, leaving you there with Nyaitsu sitting close to your feet and he meowed.
Few days had passed and it's the day Izumi returned home to Japan after finishing his work in Italy. Somehow, you expected him to meet you and the other members of Knights here at Ensemble Square after work hours but someone has other plans in mind.
At the break room, you quietly drank your tea from the can and reread your draft of your report in your notebook. You crossed out the less important parts in your draft and you wanted this to be perfect before passing it to your boss.
While writing, you felt an eerie presence behind you that you nearly dropped a sweat when you felt it that it sent shivers on your spine. That presence seemed oddly and nostalgically familiar at the same time. You were so sure that you felt this certain presence back in the days when you were wandering the halls while you were still studying at Yumenosaki.
Unknown to you, three idols stared at you deeply, deep into your soul. A pair of red and green eyes stared at you from behind the seat you were in. That caught the attention of a certain idol who was just entering the break room. He blinked and let out an amused smile. "Oho~?"
Suddenly, someone swept you away from the table and carried you in their arms and ran away from the crime scene. Everything went slow when someone carried you like time stopped and returned to normal when they ran away with you in their hold.
"H-Help me?! This is kidnapping! Put me down!" You screamed in confusion and flailed. Your screams caught the attention of the few at the halls and tears practically formed in the corner of your eyes as you cried for help. This is normal in Yumenosaki, they say. But this behavior cannot be tolerated outside of the academy grounds.
You felt like crying until a voice spoke up. "Shut your mouth or it'll affect Knights' reputation."
You look up to see Ritsu carrying you all along, all the way to the main entrance of the building. You fell silent and stared at him in disbelief. The K in Knights stands for kidnappers and the K in Yumenosaki stands for kidnappers, too. This is a norm in Yumenosaki and it's been a year or two since the last time someone kidnapped you like this.
Ritsu put you down on one of the benches in the lobby and sat beside you. He rested his head on your shoulder and napped. "Don't leave and someone will fetch us to pick Secchan up at the airport."
You deadpanned and replied, "He's an adult and he doesn't need to be picked up by anyone."
"What if I tell you that Anzu did that often whenever Secchan returned to Japan?"
"She's a producer, silly."
"And there's me, Leo, Suuchan, and Naru."
"You're his fellow unitmates."
"And what if I tell you that he wants to see you at the airport?"
"For work, of course." Ritsu let out an annoyed sigh as you countered his remarks without hesitation. "You really are a smart one, yet oblivious to understand why we need you there at the airport to meet with Secchan."
You were about to answer but it was cut off when someone tackled you from behind and greeted you with his usual greeting to you. "Uchuu~✩ Ciao, Principessa!" You felt like the air escaped your lungs the moment he tackled you from behind and you nearly fainted. Nyaitsu on the other hand jumped out of your pocket and yeowled in surprise.
"C-Ciao, Leo... Do you need to greet me in Italian?" You greeted him back and scratched your head in confusion. He haughtily laughed and answered, "Well, it's another way for you to learn faster into the language, Principessa~"
A sigh escaped your lips and suddenly, Leo took your hand and ran as drag you out of the lobby. You don't have time to prepare nor deal with his antics right now. You really need a break from Leo and his eccentric-like behavior.
"Tsukinaga?!" Alarmed, you screamed out his name and he didn't hesitate to carry you in his arms. You were so sure you thought that he's just a shrimp but he's actually not. You completely judged a book by its cover. "Sorry, (Name), we really need you in this one."
"Tsukinaga, I appreciate the fact that you are going to the airport to fetch Izumi after work hours. But do you really need me there?" Your words faltered when Leo dragged you to Ensemble Square building's exit. You were quite surprised there is a white van at the entrance.
Ritsu let out a yawn as he followed behind you and replied, "Well, we promised Secchan to bring you there to the airport with us and he agreed."
"I doubt that the frost prince of a knight agreed to your menacing antics." You rolled your eyes and narrowed your gaze and glanced away from Ritsu.
Your eyes widened when the van's door slid open, revealing Tsukasa. He held out his arms as if to reach something. A hit of realization came into you when Leo suddenly passed you to Tsukasa. For someone who is a few years younger than you, he held you in his arms with ease.
The moment you are in Tsukasa's arms, he commented, "Oh, God. She's so light..." He brought you inside the van and put you beside him. Leo slid in and sat beside you and yelled, "All right, let's go! We got her."
'Oh, God. I've been kidnapped by Knights.' You paled at the realization. "Leo— No, Knights, are you planning to kidnap me?!"
"Maybe yes, maybe no." Ritsu yawned and entered the van and at the seats behind you, holding Nyaitsu in his hands. He chuckled and asked you, "Wanna join with me here? You can cuddle with me."
You blinked twice and shook your head. You nearly cursed in perfect English but you held your breath and sighed, "No, I am not coming with any of you., except Rashi, of course. The K in Knights stands for kidnappers. I am leaving this van—"
Suddenly, the van's door is closed by Leo and locked. "Darn it..." The van left in front of the building and went out of the gates, driving its way to the city. You slumped your back to the seat's backrest and let out an upset huff.
As if everything is normal, Tsukasa read an article in his tablet, Leo composed a few melodies in his music sheets, and Ritsu napped with Nyaitsu at the back. You held your camera tight in your hands and beads of cold sweat formed on your forehead. Oh, you wished if only the ground could take you alive right now but drowning yourself in the sea is a better option as of now.
You sighed in distress. You were an alumnus of Yumenosaki Academy and escaped every chaotic antics and shenanigans of every student there in that said alma mater. You thought you could get away after graduation or Repayment Fes but you nearly forgot that it still existed at Ensemble Square, where most of Yumenosaki Academy students are there.
"Rest assured, (Name)." A voice called you and you look up to see Arashi at the seat in front of you where you, Tsukasa, and Leo are. She waved her hand to greet you with a kind smile curved on her lips.
'Rashi...!' You were on the verge of tears when you saw your childhood friend right in front of you, who seemed like an angel descended from the heavens, taking you away from the depths of hell. "Rashi, how can I be rest assured when Knights— your unit members to be specific— kidnapped someone in the past?" You deadpanned and she sighed, "I guess that can't be helped..."
You groaned in annoyance and you looked at Leo and Ritsu. "Still, why do you guys even need to kidnap me? You could've just told me."
"Well, technically, we have to do what our current king commands us." Ritsu answered. Tsukasa immediately retorted, "Don't point anything or everything to me. It was you all along."
"Nah, Naru and Leo helped you plan for all of this. The Knights-taking-(Name)-all-the-way-to-the-airport-with-a-getaway-van is all done by you and her." Ritsu replied and yawned as he forced Nyaitsu to cuddle with him, which made the kitten panic in the hands of the vampire. Out of habit, you grabbed Nyaitsu away from his arms, fearing that someone might hurt him in the process of forcing him to be cuddled by someone due to his small size. It pains you to hear Nyaitsu crying out to be free from his terrifying embrace.
Arashi dramatically gasped, "How dare you say such things right in front of Little Princess?! I would not dare to plan something like that just for bringing her to the airport with us."
Leo chimed in to the conversation and he retorted back, "Hey! I also didn't plan this so-called kidnapping thing. It was Ritsu. Naru and I only suggested bringing (Name) along to pick up Sena. Besides, she has something to say back to him once they meet again at the airport, right?"
You gave the self-proclaimed vampire a side eye when you found out the truth and you clicked your tongue. When Leo mentioned what you were supposed to do once you and Izumi met at the airport, a faint blush dusted your cheeks. To be honest, you weren't prepared at all. You hoped that it's just a simple greeting or a phrase to say it back to him.
"Well, it seems like you snitched the tactician of the unit." Ritsu huffed out in defeat.
Arashi ignored Ritsu and peeked from her seat and turned to look at you. "(Name), are you feeling uncomfortable? You can join me here~ My seat right here is a two-person seat~"
"Rashi... You are the sweetest being..." You called out her name with tears forming on the corners of your eyes. You sat beside Arashi with no hesitation and hugged her. Arashi chuckled and comforted you as she hugged you back. "There, there..."
'Tch. Favoritism...' Everyone in the van (except the driver) looked at you and Arashi being close from the seats behind you two.
"Ah, right." Leo remembered something and spoke his thoughts out. "(Name), remember what Sena told you a week ago at the airport?"
"A little. Why?" You answered and he grinned. You blinked twice in realization and you blurted out, "Wait. I told you that a few days ago and I only know "cara mia". What's the translation of the first one?"
"Don't be surprised, okay?" You nodded at the small note that can be thought of as a warning. He answered, "Well, "Fino alla prossima volta, cara mia" translates into "Until next time, my dear"."
Everyone in the van fell silent. You looked at him out of pure bewilderment as your face flushed in embarrassment.
"Wait. What does he mean by "Until next time"...?" You inquired out in confusion and Arashi stifled her laugh at your sudden outburst. Leo held his laugh and nearly fainted as he held it in as his shoulders began to shake in amusement.
"You'll have to know about it from Sena himself." Leo laughed out, earning a flustered groan from you in return.
Later, as the van arrived at the entrance, Leo opened the van's door and grabbed your hand, dragging you out of the van with him. Nyaitsu jumped into Leo's jacket pocket and hid there as the two of you went out of the van in such a rush. You hurriedly fished for your face mask in your pocket with your free hand but it fell down to the stone floor the moment you and Leo stepped into the airport's entrance.
"Tsu-Tsukinaga, wait!" You tried to pull your hand away from him but he suddenly carried you in his arms and held you in place. "Scusami, Principessa~☆"
"Leo Tsukinaga, put me down. I can walk on my own!" Your demands fell on deaf's ears when his decision was final. You hid your face behind your hands to avoid anyone seeing what you look like. Luckily, the crowd in the airport is small and less in numbers so you're safe, for now.
In the airport's waiting lounge, Izumi waited for the others to pick him up. While waiting, he's listening to a recorded audio from his phone with his earphones. A small smile was curved on his lips as he listened carefully, almost memorizing every detail.
"Mi manchi, amore mio."
"My, you did well this time, (Name). How about goodbye in Italian."
"Oh, that's simple. Arrivederci."
"Wow. Who taught you?" "My aunt."
"Fufu, she's a good teacher and boss." "And she's also the best aunt."
His heart began to flutter as the sound of you expressing your happiness and joy and he let out an affectionate sigh. 'Thank you for raising her to be the sweetest person known in existence, Miss Old Lady...' Izumi thanked your aunt in his mind while listening to your conversation with Arashi, exchanging thoughts and laughs with you in the recorded audio.
Leo kept sending him recorded audios and videos of you speaking Italian in such a fluent manner since a few days ago. He noticed that there's progress but there are some words that you considered difficult. And on the next day, it became easy for you to say it but on the close to the accurate side. With Leo's help, you learned the language like a walk in the park. He was amazed at how you were a fast learner in the language. He let out a soft chuckle, catching someone's attention beside him.
Izumi didn't notice that the person sitting beside him heard him sigh and chuckle. He was too caught up in the progress from Leo's lessons that he was living in his world. He turned his head to face Izumi and asked him, "Sena, what's making you sigh and laugh like that? Is there something interesting in what you were listening to?"
Beside him was Shu Itsuki of Valkyrie, who returned to Japan to work as a member and unit leader of the said unit. Izumi turned to Shu and took his earphones off and replied, "Leo sent me something that made me annoyed. That's all."
A chuckle escaped Valkyrie's leader's lips and replied, "That made you annoyed? You seemed like Agape whispered into your ear, telling you to listen to the voice Tsukinaga told you to listen."
"Do I seem like one?" "You wouldn't be if you didn't let out a sigh full of affection out of infatuation."
"You sound like Mademoiselle, Itsuki. Or rather, you sound more romantic than usual." Izumi let out a sigh, making Shu let out a quiet smile in response. Shu huffed out in response, "Hmph, if she were to talk right now, she would've chimed in and said how much Mademoiselle and I are alike. But yes, it seems like I've gained quite a few insights in terms of romance. I have to admit, I read a few romance books in France when I'm having more time to rest at work."
"No wonder why." The two let out a friendly chuckle afterwards. Shu saw the paper bag beside Izumi's travel bag. "So you still have that? Is that item in that paper bag so special to you?
Izumi nodded and answered, " Yeah, it's from someone I know before the collaboration project started. I believe you met her back then, Itsuki. She's a fellow alumnus from Yumenosaki."
"Really? I would like to meet her." He replied and Izumi smiled, "Of course. Leo told me she'll be here with them in any minute—"
"Senaaaaaaa! We brought (Name)!" Their conversation ended when a voice called out to Izumi from a distance away. Izumi turned around to see who was calling him and he clicked his tongue when he saw who. "—when I told him that I'll meet her later at ES..."
Leo ran his way towards Izumi with you in his arms. He saw you looking like a mess while Leo carried you and ran towards Izumi. Nyaitsu is clinging on your skirt and clinged on it with its claws for dear life. When Leo slowed down and stopped after running, he climbed up on your skirt and landed on your knees.
"Speaking of... It's them and they're here... with her?" Izumi facepalmed and sighed. He walked closer to Leo and scolded him. "Leo, I told you that I'll meet her later at Ensemble Square. Are you out of your mind, Tsukinaga?"
Behind the two of you is a running Tsukasa, Arashi, and Ritsu, following the two and stopped running when they saw Izumi. Arashi waved her hand to say hi to Izumi but her face became serious when she saw Shu. "Ah, it's "Teach"... What a coincidence."
"Where is Kagehira? Isn't he supposed to be with you, Narukami?" Shu asked Arashi and she answered, "Well, Mika wanted to come with me but he's still busy with work. For Valkyrie, he says."
"I see." He nodded and held his sigh, worried for his unitmate who stayed by his side for the whole time as a unit member and dear companion.
Izumi's eyes widened when he saw that you didn't wear a face mask, the only protection of your identity from prying and sharp eyes in the area. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw you covering your face with your hands. He will definitely scold Leo for doing all of this so suddenly with you being involved in such matters later at Starmony Dorm.
"Leo, didn't I tell you not to bring her here?" Izumi gave the composer a cold gaze. Leo guffawed out loud and answered, "Sorry, Sena~ I can't help it. She really wanted to see you right now."
"Lies! I didn't say anything about it..." You sighed out and took Nyaitsu and put him in your blazer pocket when Leo put you down. Your feet missed the ground and your legs were a bit wobbly as you stood up properly on your feet. Leo replied, "Well, now, it finally happened."
Shu's eyes gazed at you with a sense of familiarity. He felt like he had seen you before. He was so sure he heard your name before but he didn't know where or when was the last time he heard that name back then.
You looked at the seat where a familiar paper bag was sitting beside his travel bag. You looked at him and asked, "So you still have that?"
"Of course." He answered and retorted, "Do you think I'll leave it there in Italy? Who knows when Leo will scribble his pens on the walls when he enters my room without permission?"
"Hey!" Leo glared at Izumi and retorted back. "You always lock your door in our apartment. Scared that you'll lose the gift Principessa gave to you?"
"I didn't say who gave it to me, Leo." Izumi and Leo began to argue. You let out a sigh and turned away from them and pretended that you don't know any of them here.
Your eyes glanced at the doll on Shu's arms and recognized it. You look away for a moment and for a split second, it moves. You glanced back at the doll, only to see it in its original position and you glanced away and looked back when you caught the doll moving.
'Mademoiselle, I know you're quiet right now and you can't fool me...' You spoke to the doll in your thoughts and surprisingly, she didn't answer. You let out a sigh of relief and turned to face the two arguing idols.
"Before anything else, Principessa has something to tell you." Leo turned his head to face you and he grinned. "It's something she promised to me in the middle of our study session."
"I didn't—" You paused for a moment and you remembered something. You sighed and walked closer to Izumi. As you were finally close, you looked at him in the eyes and spoke, "I know what you told me a week ago before you left Japan, Mr. Sena."
Izumi's cheeks were dusted with pink as you told him. You continued, "And I wanted to tell you this on the day you returned here in Japan... With the same language you told me a week ago..." You walked closer to him and told him to lean down. He didn't hesitate to lean down and he froze when you whispered something into his ear.
"Bentornato, ammiratore mio."
Izumi's faint blush grew on his face as you whispered those words into his ear. His blush reached the tip of his ears as he gawked in awe. He nearly fainted and his hands began to shake and blinked twice in confusion. He finally recovered from shock and let out a small chuckle and smiled in the most affectionate way possible, a rare sight to see.
When they saw Izumi's blush, Arashi stifled her laugh, Ritsu snickered, Leo grinned wide, Tsukasa was stunned, and Shu was surprised to see his friend blush like this. Knowing that the others saw him blush like this, he will never hear the end of the interview from his unitmates later after they return to Starmony Dorm.
You distanced yourself away from him to give him space. Your eyes were in a daze when you saw how red he was. Finally, when you told him the words you planned to tell him once he arrived home, you felt the weight on your shoulders lifted.
"I won't pry further into your curiosity and I will teach you. In exchange..." She deeply thought and whispered into your ear.
"Tell him something in return in Italian. Tell him a greeting once he returns. Or if you're brave enough, you can confess to him in that said language."
Her condition made your cheeks pink so that you couldn't help but to disagree without hesitation. "I-I can't accept that...!"
"Sweetie, consider that as a motivation to learn the language," She said as she placed her index finger on her lips and winked. "After all, you found a reason to be motivated and determined to speak the words you wanted to tell him once he comes back from overseas."
You felt like fainting on the spot when you remembered the condition she gave you with him. At least you have a goal that you kept as a secret for this whole time without any of them knowing.
"But, if he gave you an endearment in return, well..."
"I'm back, (Name)." He answered and he whispered into your ear, just like how he did before he left the country a week ago.
"Mi manchi, tesoro."
Your mind short circuited for a moment there when he whispered those words to you. Your heart exploded inside your chest. You felt like running ten laps right now after hearing him say that with an endearment in the end. Both of you at this point are an endearment away from falling deeper in love.
"You'll have to spend the whole ladies' night in my office with us and tell us everything that happened after the task is done. In. every. detail~" She continued her words with a wink.
"Mi manchi means "I miss you" in Italian." You remembered what Leo told you when you read the flashcards once back then. 'He misses me?!'
"I... er..." You stammer, quite unexpected at the endearment he gave you. You shyly chuckled and looked away to avoid his gaze. 'Oh, God... I'm falling for him...' You mentally sighed and you became flustered just at the endearment alone. Of course, you knew about it when Leo taught you the endearments in Italian.
Leo grimaced and commented, "Argh... I can't believe (Name) stole one of my muse..." He scratched his head and groaned, jealous. Arashi chuckled and replied, "But didn't you have her in your list of muses?"
"Ah, right..." He chuckled out of embarrassment at the realization and scratched the back of his neck.
"Is it over already?" Ritsu yawned and asked the others. They nodded in response and he let out a sly grin. "Hm, it seemed like we're a few moments closer to make their re—" Tsukasa shoved a donut in Ritsu's mouth, preventing the languid vampire from saying more than he should have. "Alright, you've nearly said too much Senior Ritsu."
Ritsu's protests were muffled by the donut in his mouth and slowly ate it. He glared at the garnet-haired knight but Tsukasa didn't care at all.
W/N:
I suck at writing endings that my hands craved to write chapter 4 because I am offering my soul after doing every single performance task this week. I am so done. Writer's block is a btch.
Give me a break. It took me a month to finish this. Fck school. It's summer here and it's soooooo hot. And worst is that I felt like I died due to red week.
T/L: (With the help of Duolingo lessons and DeepL)
Fino alla prossima volta, cara mia - Till next time, my dear.
Ti amo, cara mia/caro mio - I love you, my dear.
Si, mia principessa - Yes, my princess
Finalmente! La principessa di Sena ha finalmente detto "ciao" in modo fluente! - Finally! Sena's princess finally said hello fluently!
Scusami, Princepessa. - I'm sorry, Princess.
Mi manchi, amore mio. - I miss you, my love.
Nyaitsu é un gatto. - Nyaitsu is a cat.
Bentornato, ammiratore mio. - Welcome home, my admirer.
tesoro - darling
taglist: (url in bold text means that you were unable to be tagged. dw i’ll tag you at the reply section^^/)
@thelocal-idiot | @valeriele3 | @lleoll | @saiharaaa | @starlightalien | @saltyamen | @achilleas-dream
#written by herri#izumi sena x reader#sena izumi x reader#ensemble stars x reader#enstars x reader#enstars#ensemble stars#izumi sena#sena izumi
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Ivy & Stone, Chapter Thirteen: A Lovely Bride She'll Be
pairing: victorian au!frankie morales x oc (florence bell) / victorian au!javi gutiérrez x florence bell
rating: E (18+ only, angst, jealousy, one mention of being drunk, not gonna list any other warning so i don’t spoil anything but if you’ve been reading this far, it’s just more of the usual shit!)
wc: 8.4k
a/n: so much here to digest, please do not be afraid to screech in my ask box 🫶🏼 i am screeching too
series masterlist
While the Bell family carried on with planning and arranging Anna’s engagement dinner, Frankie fell right back into what he knew best: tending to the garden.
Poppy sat outside with him in the uncharacteristic English sun for as long as she could stand it, but eventually made her way back inside the house to carry on with Lady Elizabeth, Anna, and Maribel, the women all taking a quick liking to her in a way that made Frankie feel all the more insecure. It was his status and his status alone that made him an exile here, cast aside as nothing more than a tool to make their estate look as nice as they considered themselves. Although truthfully, he didn’t mind making himself useful and his appearances scarce. He’d all but made up his mind that his proposal to Poppy had been a terrible mistake and didn’t wish to face her anymore than he had to.
It was around midday when a carriage came rolling in, its wooden wheels crunching along the gravel as it neared the estate. He knew who it must be, the final members of the Bell family coming to offer their congratulations to Anna and Andrew. Setting down his hedge trimmers in the tiny workshop that his entire affair with Florence started, he rushed over to the water spicket to rinse his hands and forearms clean before disappearing back to his cottage for a proper bath, knowing that tonight was the big dinner—a dinner he was shockingly invited to, surely all in thanks to Joseph Bell.
With every step he took towards his cottage, he could feel his heart racing in his clammy palms, his thoughts spinning enough to make him sick, the anticipation of seeing Florence after so long—and so much—finally settling in. He tried to keep his breathing steady, but couldn’t control his shaking hands as he took his suspenders off one at a time, his eyes a blank stare ahead at the pond behind his cottage. Stripping himself down to nothing, he stepped in the cold water and let it shock his nervous system, washing away every anxious thought and sickening worry. He let himself sink beneath the water, cooling his heated cheeks and wetting his sweaty curls, before surfacing again with a deep gasp for air.
Just mind your own. She won’t even notice you. She may not even look at you…may not even remember you.
Somehow the thought of being in the same room with her and her ignoring him like a stranger or a ghost made him even sicker.
To say that Florence had been giving Javi the cold shoulder would be an understatement. The entire ride from Swalley to the countryside just north of London was silent, aside from Leo’s occasional questioning about the passing sights.
Something about his distance the night prior had turned her feelings a bit sour. She hated his constant insistence to shield her from the world already, but there was something in his eyes that told her that this was something new, like he was shielding his thoughts from her. She was no longer this precious thing he wanted to protect, and instead of feeling relief over that fact, she was hit with the harsh realization of why that was. He now saw her as something to fear, or something too dangerous to hold close.
“Are we close?” Leo asked Florence, his eyes trained on her as she simply stared out of the window, giving no signs of even hearing him.
Javi cleared his throat, glancing at Florence before turning to the little boy. “Yes, just a few more miles.”
“I cannot wait to see everyone,” Leo gushed, a wide grin on his face as he continued trying to get a response from his sister, going as far as knocking his boot against hers. She finally looked at him with a jerk, her eyes lost as she met his eyes before quickly glancing at Javi and finding him already staring. “Have you decided to stay at home, Flo?”
Florence’s eyes turned stern as she kept them locked on Javi’s and replied, “Yes, I think I will.”
“I thought we were going to stay at my family’s home, my love?” Javi said, his brows furrowed.
“No, I would feel much more comfortable in my old bedroom,” Florence replied, her tone flat as she spoke to him.
Javi nodded, his lips pursing into a flat line as he accepted her coldness as though he expected it.
“Whatever you’d like, Florence,” he said, turning his gaze to the window.
She watched him for a moment, her heart breaking slightly at this sudden shift that seemed irreparable. Could she ever really spend the rest of her life proving that she was a friend and not an enemy, that she loved him as she said she did, that she was perfectly content…most of the time, at least? No, she thought. She’d grow to despise his insecurity and turn even colder than she already was. Looking down at the ring on her finger, she suddenly felt all of its weight, the urge to pluck it off rising high in her throat until she was forced to sigh and leave it be for now.
“Frankie, my love. You look dashing.” Poppy was in her dinner gown, a soft blue number with gold detailing down the skirt, her golden hair done up in an elaborate braid with two delicate curls framing either side of her face. Frankie felt she looked right here, like she was born for this world, and he supposes she technically had been.
He, however, couldn’t help like he was wearing a costume of sorts, his coat and vest suffocating him even more than the tension in the air as the family stood around the first floor awaiting the arrival of Florence, Javi, and Leo.
“Thank you, as do you,” he managed softly, hating how formal he felt he had to be around the person he was expected to spend the rest of his life with.
“Mr. Morales,” Joseph Bell walked over with two glasses of red wine in hand, offering one to Frankie. “Pardon me, Miss Poppy. Could I steal your fiance for a moment?”
“As long as you bring him back,” she joked with a winning smile, watching as the men walked off into a lone parlor together, Joseph shutting the door behind him for extra privacy.
“Florence is coming tonight,” Joseph said, taking a seat in the chaise by the window while Frankie remained standing by the fireplace. “How are you feeling?”
“I haven’t given much thought to it,” Frankie lied poorly, earning a hearty chuckle from his employer.
“If that isn’t the most blatant lie you’ve ever told,” he said. “Be honest with me, now.”
“I feel as though at any moment my heart is going to give out,” he confessed with a small, weak laugh. “Is this normal?”
“You know, when I was younger, I was in a position much like my niece’s. I fell in love with a girl from the country, no money, no land, nothing. And though I must acknowledge my hardships were lessened on account of my sex, I was threatened by my parents when I informed them of my plans to marry her that I’d be disowned and cut out of any inheritance I had claim to,” Joseph said, taking a more sympathetic tone.
“Are your intentions to remind me of why it is clear I must leave her be? Because I assure you, I have not forgotten for a moment,” Frankie said, sipping his wine before taking a seat in the armchair across from Joseph.
“No, my intentions are to convince you to follow your heart,” he said, smiling gently at him. “I followed mine and left the country with her to start anew, and although she left me far sooner than I would’ve hoped the Lord would’ve called, I cannot tell you that a single bit of me regrets choosing love. Look at everything that became of me, all that I’ve gotten on my own. There is no reason the two of you can’t find that, as well. Especially if you return to America with me and run the landscaping company I intend to start.”
“You’re serious?” Frankie asked, his brows knitting together. “You want me to run a company of yours?”
“I do,” he smiled. “Me and my wife never got to have any children, but I see something of a son in you, Mr. Morales. I’d like all of my companies to eventually go to you, and whatever family you start.”
“And if I choose Poppy?”
“My offer will remain,” he said. “Poppy will make a perfectly lovely wife, but I know you know deep in your heart that you will never love her, at least not the way you’ve loved before.”
Florence swore she could hear her heart beating as she stepped out of the carriage to greet her family, her hand reluctantly resting on Javi’s until she was on solid ground. Javi remained at her side as they watched Leo run into his father’s arms, Lord Thomas scooping the boy up before setting him down again to fix his attention on his wife and daughter’s reunion.
“My, you’ve gotten darker,” Lady Elizabeth said as she stood in front of her daughter with a small smile. “Has France been very sunny?”
“It has,” Florence replied, her tone all-too cordial.
“Well, perhaps you’ve brought some of that sunlight with you,” she said, nodding at her daughter before moving her attention to Javi. “And you look well rested. I trust this vacation has all but secured an upcoming wedding date?”
“My love, we have plenty of time to discuss that later,” Lord Thomas interjected, inadvertently saving both Javi and Florence from having to vocalize the current state of their relationship. Instead, Florence was pulled into a tight embrace, her arms willingly squeezing her father back. “I’ve missed you, darling.”
“I’ve missed you too, father,” she hummed, closing her eyes to soak up his familiar warmth that she hadn’t realized she missed.
When Lord Thomas pulled away to corral everyone inside the home, Florence felt that weight on her ring finger again, her eyes fixed on the way her parents fawned over her fiancé while she could hardly even look him in the eye. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before she had something new to look at, a pale, bright, and pretty face with the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, hair as golden as the stars in the sky, a white-gloved hand resting upon her ex-lover’s arm.
Feeling her lips start to part from the shock of not only seeing Frankie standing in the dining room, but with a woman on his arm, Florence quickly composed herself and turned her eyes to her uncle as he approached her with a wide grin.
“Florence, my God, you’ve grown!” Florence forced a smile onto her face and welcomed him in for a tight embrace. “You need to visit me more often. I think you’d love New York.”
“I’m certain I would, only issue is getting there,” she said with a chuckle. “Between mother’s controlling nature and my own personal…circumstances, I’m not sure I’ll ever get to visit you.”
“Just stow away like your sister,” he suggested with a wink, earning a genuine laugh from her.
“Speaking of, where is the bride-to-be?” Florence asked, turning to look around the room for her younger sister and her mysterious love.
“I believe they are likely helping each other into their outfits for the night, judging by the noises I heard coming from Andrew’s room last night,” he whispered, causing Florence to gasp at the gossip.
“While our parents are around?” she asked in disbelief. “I cannot imagine Anna even speaking to a man let alone—“
“Hush, your mother is coming over here and I don’t wish to see the two of you come to blows this evening,” he smiled and turned to let Lady Elizabeth in on their conversation. “Hello, Lizzie. I was just getting reacquainted with the niece you’ve been keeping from me.”
“She’s far too busy with her engagement to visit you in dreary old America,” she scoffed before turning to her daughter. “Anyway, I’ve just come over to remind you that while we’ve invited someone from your past, that does not mean you have to interact with them.”
“Mother,” Florence sighed, feeling a headache come on. Joseph quickly intercepted a server to grab a glass of wine from their tray, handing it to his niece. “Thank you, Uncle.”
“Go take your seat, dinner will be served shortly,” Lady Elizabeth ordered with an eye roll, watching her daughter walk off to take her seat at the table across from Javi, neither of them looking at the other.
“Excuse me, I don’t believe we’ve met.” Florence turned to the soft voice sounding from over her shoulder, finding that pretty faced blonde from earlier sitting beside her. “I’m Poppy, Frankie’s fiancé.”
“Fiance?” Florence asked, trying to conceal the way her gut twisted with jealousy and anguish. Frankie appeared next to Poppy, taking his seat beside her without meeting Florence’s shocked eyes. “I wasn’t aware Mr. Morales had gotten engaged. Allow me to offer my congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Poppy beamed, oblivious to the tension on either side of her. “You must be Florence?”
“I am,” Florence nodded.
“I know so little about you unlike the rest of your siblings, so please, tell me a little about yourself,” Poppy rested her gloved hand on top of Florence’s, and though every primal instinct inside of her told her that this was her competition, she couldn’t bring herself to hate this woman simply because of her choice in fiance.
“Well, I love to read, I love being in the sun, I enjoy painting, although I’m not very good at it—“
“She is perfectly lovely,” Javi interjected, earning Florence’s eyes on his. “At everything.”
“Is this your fiancé?” Poppy asked Florence, earning a hesitant nod. “Congratulations to you as well, then!”
“Yes, thank you,” Florence managed before reaching for her glass of wine and downing it in one gulp before asking the server for another. “I have to make a visit to the powder room, but I’m sure my fiancé would love to have his brain picked at until I return.”
Watching Poppy laugh and turn to Javi, Florence stood up and turned to walk out of the dining room and up the stairs to the second floor, passing Anna and her fiancé on the way, although she did not stop to greet either of them. She seemed to be in a sort of catatonic state that left her ears ringing and heart beating so fast she worried that this was going to be the end for her.
Opening up her old bedroom door, she locked herself inside and instantly began to hyperventilate, her chest heaving as she paced around the room trying to concoct an exit plan to get her out of this living nightmare.
“Florence?” Anna’s voice sounded from the other side of the door, causing Florence to fall silent in hopes of her sister giving up and leaving her to stew in her dread. “I know you’re in there crying, let me in.”
“So you can laugh at me?” Florence called.
“Let me in,” Anna repeated herself. Florence sighed and wiped her eyes as she stomped over to the door to open it, seeing her sister’s face contorted with concern. “Oh, sister.” Florence was frozen as Anna pulled her into her arms and held her tight, unaccustomed to such affection from her. “I know this must be very difficult for you, seeing Frankie after everything.”
“It is,” Florence agreed earnestly, melting into the embrace once she realized how oddly nice it felt to be held by such an unlikely person. “But…that isn’t all that’s wrong.”
“What else is it? Poppy?” Anna asked, pulling away to shut the door behind her before walking Florence over to the chaise by the window.
“Well, yes,” Florence sighed. “But it’s more than that. It’s…it’s Javi and I.”
“Has something happened?”
“I fear too much has happened, that’s the issue,” she said, allowing Anna to lift her handkerchief to her eyes to dab away her tears. “He doesn’t trust me.”
“Even after all this time?” Anna frowned. “What else can you do? You’ve agreed to marry him, Frankie is engaged, what else could possibly stand in the way of your happiness?”
“He knows something that I’ve been trying to convince myself isn’t true,” Florence said, meeting her sister’s green eyes. “He knows I’ll always love Frankie more than him. Even in marriage, even if I have to watch him start a new life with that perfect woman downstairs—why did he have to choose someone so beautiful and kind? Couldn’t he have chosen someone at least a little bit unlikable?”
“Poppy is a sweet girl, but I can see clearly how much more she is in love with him than he is with her,” Anna said, resting her hand on Florence’s knee. “Besides, it isn’t like you chose someone unlikable. Frankie told me himself that the worst thing about Javi is how little there is to hate him for.”
“But I do,” Florence cried again, letting her face fall into her gloved hands.
“You don’t hate him,” Anna assured, rubbing her palm over her sister's shoulders.
“Perhaps I don’t hate him, but I cannot even look him in the eye without wondering when I will,” Florence replied. “It’s only a matter of time before we become his parents, living separate lives in separate homes, only seeing each other during the holidays. The thought alone makes me feel as though I’m doomed. And the only thing that is making me feel the least bit better is the fact that I know he feels this way, too. He may never admit it, he may always try to fight it or ignore it, but he knows.”
“Have you spoken to him?”
“Not since last night,” Florence said. “I came to his room—and do not judge me for this, because I have it on good authority that you’ve developed your own habit of sneaking into rooms—“ Anna laughed and nodded. “I came into his room in hopes of connecting, of reassuring him that although Frankie would be here, I did not care. But he turned me away and shut down entirely. He couldn’t look at me let alone touch me. I am a young, beautiful woman, Anna. I want a lover who will love me, touch me, look at me. I fear with him I’ll only ever get a passing glance.”
“Well,” she said, sighing. “What are we to do about this then?”
“What do you mean?” Florence chuckled dryly.
“I’m aware I haven’t always been the most sensitive person, but love has changed me. I can now see the difference in a person when they’re in love and when they aren’t. Everything about them becomes lighter, easier, you can see their happiness glowing in their eyes. And you, my sister, have not been glowing for a long, long time.”
“How do I fix this? Mother will disown me—“
“To hell with mother and what she wants,” Anna said. “What do you want?”
“I want…to be happy,” Florence shrugged and felt a tear slip down her cheek. “I want to not have to sit beside Frankie and his bride to be and pretend that it doesn’t kill me. I want to travel and see the world without a male chaperone. I want…to be able to choose my own life.”
“Then you need to tell Javi,” she said, offering a sympathetic smile. “Everything else will come after.”
“I cannot tell him tonight, it would ruin your engagement dinner.”
“Trust me, having a dinner with our family is the only thing ruining my engagement dinner, but if you don’t want to do it tonight, that is your choice. We can send Javi home after dinner and you can take the night to figure out what you want to say and do tomorrow.”
Florence nodded and wiped the remainder of her tears away.
“But for now, we must go down before mother throws a fit,” Anna smiled and stood up, holding her hand out for Florence. “Just a few hours and you’ll be free to wallow.”
“Did love really turn you into someone I like?” Florence teased, earning a pinch to her side.
“I can go back to the mean sister you used to have if you want.”
“No, no. I like this Anna much better.”
If the charade of dressing up like one of these high society monsters wasn’t enough to make Frankie feel sick, Florence’s presence surely did it.
She was sat so close to him that he was forced to smell her familiar perfume, had to hear her whispering to her uncle who sat beside her about her mother’s overly emotional speech to Anna and Andrew, and worst of all, had to witness every single glance between her and Javi, which thankfully was rare for some reason tonight. The only thing between their bodies was Poppy, and though he should have been glad for that space, he only felt trapped by it.
Once dinner ended and everyone began to migrate from the dining room to the main sitting room, Frankie found himself remaining in his seat, unsure of where he could go to alleviate himself of this burning ache to talk to her, to touch her, to engage with her.
“What are you doing sitting here all by yourself?” Poppy asked, walking up to where he sat and combing her fingers through his curls. “Come sit with me in the parlor.”
“I—“ Frankie started, shaking his head as he continued staring at his half-eaten plate of food. “I feel unwell. I think it would be better if I went back to my cottage.”
“It must’ve been something in the food,” she frowned. “Florence and Javi aren’t feeling well, either.”
Frankie swallowed his disgust at the thought of the two of them running off to be together.
“Poor Javi’s had to take his carriage back to his estate all alone,” she continued. “I can’t imagine taking a carriage ride with a nauseous stomach, especially when there’s no one there to tend to me. Though I suppose he’s got servants, hasn’t he?”
“Florence didn’t go with him?” he asked, turning to look at her.
“Of course not, they aren’t wed yet,” she giggled. “Unless you all have different customs than we do in America.”
“No, you’re right,” Frankie nodded. “I thought they’d already got married.”
“No,” Poppy said, giving him another pet. “Anyways, perhaps you should get to bed, then. I can walk you?”
“No,” he assured, shaking his head as he stood up. “I will be fine on my own, but thank you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, cupping his face with her hand.
“Yes,” he nodded, forcing a smile. “I think I just need a bit of rest from all this travel and excitement.”
“I will see you for breakfast, then?”
Frankie only nodded in response, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles before excusing himself quietly from the home.
By the time Frankie had made it back to his cottage in the woods, night had fallen and turned the entire area dark except for the clearing in the pond where he took a cold plunge earlier, the moonlight peeking in from overhead lighting up a feminine silhouette in a wash of midnight blue. He squinted at the figure as he stood near the door to his cottage, wondering if all those myths and legends he’d read about as a boy were in fact true and that a siren stood waiting to take his life.
“Hello?” he called, watching as the figure began to sink further into the water until only her head remained visible. When he parted his lips to speak again, his voice was less confident, terror beginning to creep in and take control of his body. “Hello?”
When no response came, he was forced to decide whether or not he should lock himself inside his old cottage and wait for this entity to consume him or approach it, and against all reason and logic, his feet began stepping towards the bank of the pond until he was mere feet from this shadow of a creature.
“Frankie,” a sob sounded, the shadow turning to face him. Frankie breathed a deep breath of relief at the sight of Florence’s face washed in the moonlight, but the minute he saw the sorrow in her eyes, his fear returned.
“Florence, have you gone mad?” he whispered, looking around for anyone who might see this odd interaction. “What are you doing? The water must be freezing.”
“I just wanted to take a swim,” she said, standing up in her soaked and now sheer slip, his eyes falling to her body before lifting again to meet her stare. “I forgot how cold it gets in the evening,” she continued, attempting to climb out of the pond only to stumble and fall back into the water. “I think I might be a bit drunk, as well.”
“Come here,” he sighed and walked to her, his pants getting soaked from the knee down as he reached to help her up and out of the pond, her skin ice cold. “You’re ice cold, come on.”
Frankie took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders as he guided her into his cottage, shutting and locking the door behind him.
“Give me a moment to light the fire,” he said, the sudden realization that this was their first interaction in nearly half a year dawning on him and turning him awkward. “You can, um, undress. I’ll keep my eyes—“
“I went from being desired by two of the most beautiful, good men in England to being shunned by both,” she said, her tone dark as she chuckled. “Have I really aged so poorly in the last year?”
“Florence,” Frankie sighed, keeping his back turned to her until he heard the wet slap of her slip against the floor. “I have spare clothes in the basket next to—“
“The bed, yes, I’m familiar,” she snapped.
Frankie clenched his jaw as he watched the flame ignite in the hearth, his head shaking as he tried to gather the strength not to argue with her.
“I’ve put on your clothes, now will you look at me?” Florence asked, finally pulling his eyes to hers. “Can I confess something?”
Frankie nodded, resting his hands on his hips as they remained on opposite sides of the open room, the sofa the only thing separating them.
“I want to strangle you,” she said flatly, earning a chuckle of shock from him.
“You want to strangle me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” he asked, watching her as she stepped forward.
“Because,” she said, suddenly sounding less confident and more childish.
“If I’m to let you strangle me, I think I deserve a proper explanation—“
“Poppy,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “She’s certainly as pretty as a poppy.”
“She is,” he nodded, trying to mask his emotions with indifference.
“That’s why I want to strangle you,” Florence said, throwing her leg over the back of the sofa to climb onto it. “You’ve gone and found someone I cannot hate.”
“Or perhaps my choice in partner had nothing to do with you,” he returned, remaining tall over her as he stood by the fireplace watching her make herself comfortable on his sofa.
“You want to marry her?”
Frankie didn’t answer.
“And you love her?”
Again no answer.
“For the love of God, the least you could do is answer me!” she shouted.
“I cannot answer you because I do not want to lie to you!” he shouted back, the sound so foreign to her that it forced her into silence, her eyes meek as she looked up at him. “How can I lie to you and tell you that I want to marry her when the only person I can imagine spending the rest of my life with is you—a quarrelsome, indecisive, selfish, maddeningly intoxicating woman who I have not stopped loving since the minute I saw you reading in your little nook in the garden! How can I lie and tell you I love her when there’s no room for it in my heart, because you’ve taken up every bloody inch! I am not a liar, Miss Bell, and so I will remain silent.”
“You think I’m quarrelsome?” she asked, standing up and slowly stepping towards him.
Frankie nodded.
“And indecisive?”
Another nod.
“Selfish?”
She was close enough now that her chest was pressing against his, her fingers lifting to trace the ridge of his furrowed brow.
“And maddeningly intoxicating,” she purred, honey pouring out of her mouth with every breath as she eyed him up like a feast.
“What are you doing?” he whispered, his eyes falling to her plump pout.
“Intoxicating you, I hope,” she smiled, her finger trailing lower to trace the curve of his bottom lip. “I’ve missed you, my sweet Frankie.”
“Florence—“ he groaned, his eyes shutting in hopes of holding onto a semblance of his honor and strength.
“I’m leaving Javi in the morning,” she whispered. “I’ve realized something on the trip from France.”
“What is that?” Frankie whispered back, his voice breaking with emotion.
“I haven’t loved Javi since the night he betrayed me,” she said, causing his eyes to bat open. “Since the night he hurt both of us. I tried…I tried to convince myself that I was overreacting, that I could move on and be his wife, that I could forget you, but I can’t. And he can’t either. He knows where my heart lies and always has, it’s been me who’s been ignorant this entire time.”
“You love me?” he asked, a tear falling from his eye and down his cheek. Florence caught the tear with her thumb and pressed it to her lips.
“Every moment of every day since the first time I saw you trimming that bush of violets,” she smiled, bringing her hand back to his face only to have him move it down to his heart, holding it there
“Do you know how mad you drive me?” he asked, bringing his lips to hover over hers. “I had to cross a sea in order to breathe, and even then…” He shook his head and sighed. “And even then, I was suffocated with missing you.”
“I’m here,” she said, her voice a wanton whisper. “I’m here and I’m choosing you. My mother and father can shout and disown me, I do not care. I only care that…that I haven’t lost you.”
“You haven’t,” he whispered, a look of pained adoration on his face as he filled in the gap, pressing his lips to hers and repeating the same words over and over until he ran out of breath. “I’m yours.”
Frankie lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her over to his bed, her hands cradling his face to keep his lips against hers. It was sloppy, messy, and desperate the way they clung to each other, both of them practically falling onto his bed, the wooden frame cracking beneath them.
“Your bed,” she giggled.
“It doesn’t matter,” he rasped, trailing his kisses down her neck as his hands fumbled with the button on his trousers.
“Wait—“ Florence stopped his frantic movements with her hand over his, drawing his dark and desperate eyes to hers. “We don’t have to rush anymore.”
Frankie nodded and moved his hands to rest on her hips, his white blouse on her frame sliding up as he let his hands roam up and down her curves as he kissed her slowly and more intentionally, her legs falling open to allow him room to rest in between them.
“I never want anyone the way I want you,” he whispered against her lips. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever touched, do you know that?”
“I hoped it was still true,” she smiled at the ceiling as his kisses trailed lower down her jaw and neck.
“The only woman I want to taste,” he rasped, his hands bunching up the white cotton blouse on her frame until he was peeling it off and casting it aside, his lips finding the stiffened peaks of her breasts. Florence moaned and arched her back, her eyes fluttering closed at the pleasure of feeling his tongue on her skin after so long. “My sweet Florence,” he cooed, kissing his way down her stomach until he was settled between her thighs, spreading them even further apart with the breadth of his shoulders. “Can I taste you, my love?”
“Please,” she whispered, combing her fingers through his curls in encouragement. The first genuine smile to grace his face in the last six months appeared and with it came that simple she loved so much, the sight bringing a grin to her own face as she watched him lower his tongue to her folds, dragging it flat and slow up her seam just to hear her sweet moans again. “You feel so good, my love. I can hardly—god, I can hardly take it.”
“You taste so sweet,” he groaned, a pained look of arousal and hunger on his face as he pulled back to watch as his fingers circled her bundle of nerves slowly, inching her towards the high she knew was bound to come.
Frankie’s hands gripped her thighs as if she’d vanish if he let go, as if he still wasn’t sure this was really happening. Here she was in his bed singing his name like he was a god she’d been forbidden to worship, and suddenly nothing else mattered anymore. All the hurt, all the longing and all the cursing of her name vanished before him into the air with every soft sigh and sweet, melodic moan his skillful tongue pulled from her.
“Frankie, I want--,” she gasped as Frankie interrupted her begging by giving her exactly what she wanted, his finger easing into her and curling causing her hips to buck against his mouth, a ragged sob of relief leaving her lips. “Frankie.”
Frankie pulled back and sat up on his knees, keeping his fingers inside of her to work him open while the other hand popped open the button of his trousers and shucked them down enough to let his aching cock free, the tip angry and weeping at the sight of her spread open beneath him, her face wreck with pleasure as she cupped the weight of her breasts in her palms.
“I need you,” he panted, forcing her eyes open, a smile replacing the open-mouthed look of awe on her face. “Can I?”
“Please,” she begged, her voice hoarse from her cries.
She reached for his face as he slipped his hand from her and planted both by her head, holding his body over hers as he leaned down to kiss her languidly while he pressed his hips into hers, his length lining up with her entrance a slowly pressing in an inch at a time, each time pulling all the way out before pressing back in until he was fully engulfed in her heat. Frankie let out something between a sob and a groan, his face falling into the crook of her neck, his lips pressing sweetly against her collarbone as he stilled himself inside of her for a moment to gather his composure.
“You--” he rasped, turning his face to meet her for another slow kiss. “You’re heaven.”
Florence smiled and stroked her thumb over his cheek as she held it, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose before tossing her head back against the pillow as he pulled out and pressed back into her, setting a slow and deliberate pace that had her hands traveling to his back to carve her name into his skin with her nails.
“Fuck,” he moaned, clutching the sheets for purchase as his strokes grew rougher, her moans spurring him on. “Tell me what you need, my love.”
“Just this,” she cried, hugging the breadth of his shoulders. “Just like this, I’m so close.”
Frankie moaned again, kissing the side of her face and jaw as he pounded his hips into hers, not daring to change the tempo in the slightest as he felt his own release building dangerously quickly at the feeling of her walls pulsing around him.
“Frankie, my love,” she cried, her eyes squeezing shut and legs crossing around his waist to keep him right where he was.
“Baby,” he whined, nipping at her jaw. “I’m--”
“Stay inside,” she begged, turning her face to meet his lips, both of them panting in unison. “Please, stay inside.”
“Do you know--”
“I know, just,” she interrupted herself with a gasp as her high finally hit, warm sparks of euphoria trickling down her spine and thighs. ”Please.”
Frankie nodded and pressed himself even deeper with each stroke until he was spilling inside of her, the foreign feeling taking his breath away as he let himself fall into her arms, careful not to crush her. He sung her praise and kissed every inch of skin he could find, slipping his arms under the curve of her spine to hold her tight to him as their hearts pounded in unison.
After they both regained their sense, Florence let out a giggle that was infectious enough to pull one from him as well, the two of them laying tangled in the sheets with a satisfied glow on their cheeks.
“I cannot tell you how much I’ve missed this feeling,” she said, tracing the curve of his nose with her fingertip.
“What feeling is that, my sweet Florence?” he asked, catching her fingertip with a soft kiss.
“Total contentment,” she replied, trailing her hand to his shoulder to smooth over his warm skin. “Feeling like there’s nothing missing in the world. With you, I’m not wanting for anything in the world. I have it all right here.”
Frankie smiled and leaned in to kiss her deeper than he had all night, no lust or desperation in it, just complete and total adoration. “I love you, Florence.”
“And I love you, Frankie,” she grinned.
Frankie rolled them onto their sides, his elbow propping up his head as he watched his hand map the curve of her side.
“It may be premature talking about our future, but…earlier your uncle mentioned something to me, and I haven’t been able to shake the image of it since,” he said, lifting his eyes to meet hers. “He asked me if I’d run one of his companies, which would…well, it would give me the chance to provide for myself, but also…a family.” Florence smiled, resting her hand over his as it sat on her hip. “I could provide for our family.”
“Are you asking me to follow you across a sea and become an American? Raise your babies?” she asked, a playful lilt to her voice that left him unsure of whether or not he overstepped. “Because I’d love that. I’d love being anywhere in the world with you in any condition. You are the love of my life. I will follow you anywhere.”
“You would?” he smiled, his eyes turning glossy with emotion.
“Francisco Morales, I want to be your wife. I want to have your children. I want to spend our lives together far away from all of this, from my mother and this world she clings to. Will you--”
“Aren’t I the one who’s supposed to ask?” he interjected with a grin.
“Then go on and ask, because I will if you don’t.” Frankie laughed and nodded.
“Florence Bell,” he started, leaning in to brush his lips against hers. “Make my wildest dreams come true and be my wife.”
“That isn’t a question,” she grinned. “But yes. In this life and every life, yes.”
After a warm evening spent inside Frankie’s cottage, her dress hung out to dry overnight, Frankie bid Florence a temporary goodbye, watching as she walked back to her family’s home in the morning mist and dew to face the reality of her situation while he handled his own and packed the last of his things to prepare for a quick evacuation to the port.
A few hours had passed since she left, and now that the birds had begun to chirp, he knew that the rest of the house would be awake and making their way down for breakfast. He changed into his usual clothes today, vowing to never dress up in that costume again, and started towards the back of the house where the kitchen and servant’s entry was, hoping to bypass Elizabeth and Thomas so that he could find Poppy and explain his situation, apologize for the torment his own pain caused her, and then leave her.
When he arrived at the kitchen, the head cook and her red-headed daughter that had fawned over Frankie last winter were standing at the stove, not even glancing at him. He was thankful for their ignorance, the thought of another confrontation draining him of all of his energy. He found Poppy soon after in the main dining room sitting at a table with most of the family, Elizabeth and Thomas the only noticeable absences besides Florence.
“Mr. Morales!” Joseph Bell chimed, a gleeful look on his face as he sat at the head of the table, his fork loaded with a fat sausage. “Come, sit. We have a plate waiting for you.”
“I’m afraid I must decline,” he said, his eyes glancing at Poppy as she sat gossiping with Anna. “Poppy, can I have a moment with you in the garden?”
“Unchaperoned?” Benjamin teased with feigned disgust.
“Of course,” Poppy said, setting the napkin in her lap on the table before scooting out of her chair and following Frankie out through the kitchen to the garden where he took a seat on a wicker bench. “Is everything alright?”
Frankie swallowed his nerves and shook his head, his eyes fixed on the wet grass beneath his feet as he couldn’t muster the courage to meet hers.
“I…want to start off by saying that none of this was ever my intention,” he said, not seeing the immediate drop of her smile. “I thought I could move on and start a life with you, forget about the person who…who I truly love and long to spend the rest of my days with, but…I can’t.”
“What are you talking about?” Frankie turned to face her, regret and sorrow written all over his face.
“I’m in love with Florence,” he said. “I feel as though I always have been, even before we ever met. This world and her parents forced us apart, but…last night--”
Poppy sighed, shaking her head as she turned to look into the distance.
“You weren’t sick,” she said. “You were only lying to sneak away with an engaged woman? While I sat worrying over your health?”
“I am truly sorry, Poppy,” he said earnestly. “I had no intentions of seeing her, but I found her outside of my cottage and--”
“All thoughts and care of your fiance vanished?” she spat, standing up. “Save your apologies and explanations. I do not care to know what happened or why, I only care that minutes ago I was happy and in love and set to marry a man I thought was good and kind and honorable, but you are none of those things. You are cruel and selfish, just as Florence is. Both of you chose lust over honor and are shattering hearts you do not plan to mend. I cannot say you aren’t fit for each other, because it seems you are a perfect fit. Two irresponsible, heartless souls who only care about yourselves.”
“Poppy, I truly--”
“I wish to never see your face again,” she said, taking off the ring he gave her and throwing it at him before storming back into the house, leaving him to stew in the reality of the hurt he caused. The hurt that still felt worth it for what he got.
Perhaps he was everything she said and more, or perhaps he’s simply a man in love, unable to curb all of its demands.
It was hardly dawn when Florence snuck her way into her home, finding her mother and father pacing in his study still dressed in their pajamas.
“Florence?” her mother called, stomping out of the room to her daughter who stood frozen in just her slip and Frankie’s overcoat in the foyer. “You stupid, selfish, insolent child. I cannot believe you come from my loins, I cannot fathom where you find your nerve--”
“I do not care what you think of me,” Florence said. “You have always held me to a standard I would never reach. You expect me to be you, to live exactly how you’ve lived and to do as you’ve done, but I hate you. I resent you. I do not want to be you.”
“You’re ruining your future,” her father chimed in. “Have you thought for a moment about Javier?”
“He’s all I’ve thought about for the last year!” she bellowed. “I’ve thought and thought and hoped and sacrificed, but the truth is that he and I are far better off without each other than we’d ever be together. He wants a different life than I want. He…he is better off chasing that life than settling for a woman that grows colder and crueler with each passing day. I love him enough to want better for him, and I love myself enough to want better for me.”
“You’re going to regret this when you’re my age,” Elizabeth said, shaking her head at the ceiling.
“I don’t think I will,” Florence sighed. “I know I’m making the right choice, and when I tell Javi, I know he will agree.”
“I--” Elizabeth was stunned into silence, her head shaking as she met her daughter’s eyes. “You are no child of mine. I want you out of this house by the end of the day. Take your gardener with you.”
“They can come with me,” Joseph said from the staircase, making his way down in his robe, a pipe in his mouth. “If you do not want them, I do.”
“This isn’t a matter that concerns you,” Thomas said, pointing his piercing glare at his brother.
“It wasn’t, no. But the minute your wife disowned your own child, your eldest daughter, it became my duty to care for her as my own. She is my family and deserves a home, whatever home she chooses to create with whomever she wants to create it with,” he said, turning his eyes to Florence. “Florence, my dear, we can leave this evening.”
Running into his arms, she hugged him tight and whispered, thank you.
“Now go on and get dressed, I will accompany you to Lord Gutierrez’s estate.”
Florence wasted no time in hurrying to get dressed, knowing that it did not truly matter what effort she put into her appearance for this meeting. Her gown was the last thing Javi would be thinking about.
It was a thirty-minute ride from her family’s estate to Javi’s, and the entire way, her uncle offered his support and advice.
“Just tell the truth, not about what has happened with you and Mr. Morales, but about how you are feeling. He already knows where your heart lies, but he does not yet know how you feel about him.”
When they finally arrived, Florence’s stomach was twisted in knots as she saw Javi sitting on the steps of his front door, his hands clasped as he watched the carriage come to a stop.
“I’ll be waiting here for you,” Joseph said, patting her shoulder.
Florence stepped out of the carriage with the help of the footman and kept her eyes locked on Javi’s as she closed the distance between them, the realization that this was the most eye contact they’d shared in the last two days dawning on her.
“Hello,” she started meekly.
“You’ve come to give me my ring back,” Javi said simply, resolution written in his brown eyes.
“I have,” she confessed softly, slipping the ring off her finger and handing it to him.
“I understand,” he said, his eyes locked on the piece of gold in his palm. “You love him.”
“I do,” she nodded, her eyes round with sympathy. “And I love you too. Enough to stop us from making the worst mistake of our lives.”
“I know,” he whispered, lifting his eyes to meet hers. “I never would have found the courage to do it myself, so…I do thank you.”
“You know I never intended for any of this to happen,” she said, taking a seat beside him. “Everything I said and felt for you was genuine, it just wasn’t--”
“Enough,” he completed her thought. “I knew the entire time, I just…committed myself to the idea of spending my life with the first person I truly connected with. I didn’t stop to think about whether or not it was realistic.”
“You have so much life left to live, Javi,” she said earnestly, reaching for his hand. “You will love and live and experience so much more without me beside you dampening your light. Please, go out and live. Do not listen to your father, do not worry about pleasing anyone. Love whoever you want because life is too short to settle for normalcy when you are not normal. You are exceptional.”
Javi smiled weakly and nodded.
“I hope he treats you as good as you deserve,” he said. “And I hope our paths cross again so that I can see it in your eyes as I do right now.”
“I wish for that too,” she smiled and squeezed his hand.
“How has your mother taken the news?”
“She disowned me,” Florence chuckled. “But that’s alright. I never wished to be owned in the first place.”
Javi laughed too and nodded. “No, you didn’t.”
After a tight hug and a farewell, Florence climbed back into her carriage and sighed in relief.
“Are you alright?” Joseph asked, surprised when she smiled and nodded.
“I’m more alright than I have ever been.”
#pedro pascal#pedro pascal fic#pedro pascal fanfiction#pedro pascal fluff#pedro pascal smut#frankie catfish morales#frankie morales fanfiction#frankie morales#frankie morales angst#frankie morales fluff#frankie morales triple frontier#frankie morales smut#frankie morales x oc#javi g fanfiction#javi gutierrez#javi g angst#javi g x oc#javi gutiérrez x oc#javi g fic#javi gutiérrez angst#ivy & stone
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hi everyone! it's been a while & finally i'm making my comeback. work has finally left me some room to breathe so i'll be reappearing on your dash and hopefully getting back into the swing of replies. down below there's a full list of everything currently in my drafts. please let me know whether you'd like to continue or drop these threads. whichever scenario is completely fine and understandable (it's been a hot sec after all), just let me know. if you'd prefer to start something new, we can also do that. feel free to message me or reply to this post anytime. there's no rush at all to make up your mind, but just to start off i'll start with replies for threads people do actively express interest in. so if anything from this list is something you're still excited about, let me know and i'll prioritize. we can always waitlist the other stuff while we feel it out. anyway, let me know, come chat, let me love u down and can't wait to continue writing together. love u all! 💗🥹
with @persephonyed.
carlos x lorenzo
marley x camille
with @silvrmoon.
nadiye x milo
axel x kadri
zehra x sierra
with @lilacwiine.
drew x felice
amara x maya
with @invcntions.
alec x lucas
mateo x saxon
devrim x leo
beau x koa
emre x noah
luca x jaiden (smth new?)
jesse x finn
peyton x vance
soren x lincoln
with @horrorphase.
dominic x percy
milan x kendall
with @slumpcd.
max x theo
kendall x nolan
jinny x gwen
with @gcldcnhour.
eden x mathias
rhys x bodie
isabel x tate
alina x priya
zoe x knox
ethan x violet
marisol x miriam
with @temptedfates.
emmett x aydin
noor x solana
with @spectraled.
maddie x rory
tbd x dallas (thought abt replying if u would like replies <3)
with @vacationeyes.
marco x conrad
julian x callum
emre x frankie
xavier x tyson
jude x forest
with @lovecharged.
jonas x antonio
aleksei x drake
bridie x quilo
tbd x amie
jonas x antonio (part two)
julian x zayn
felix x robin
nadiye x rasim
tatum x uziah
carlos x gabriel
with @fruitpoem.
ambar x joel
with @inkiidreams.
aera x selin
davika x esra
carlos x mallory
merve x yaritza
robin x aurelia
lais x nova
casper x knox
lachlan x olivia
with @wutheringdevotion.
lachlan x oliver
rowan x ginny
connor x evan
meera x monique
carlos x gabriel
gwen x jonah
margot x adrian
with @gardenwalls.
meera x paloma
alec x mack
naiyana x nadine
daniel x minako
laura x andrea
fabien x mei li
nazli x rhys
with @felteverywhere.
alina x rowan
with @sunstvne.
santiago x constantin
with @gvngsigns.
gabriela x lucas
kai x mateo
florence x liam
tobias x zuri
andrea x cruz
ricardo x vincent
with @scbrvght.
all of our formula one threads (don't think i owe u the replies but let me know if you'd like to continue them <3)
lale x finley
soren x everly
mAYBE im missing things. if there's anything i owe you that isn't on this list, feel free to point it out to me! and also vice versa, if you owe me something & you want to discuss continuing or dropping it, just come message me and we can chat about it!
#this literally took forever but <3#just don't wanna drop the current things if people are still interested#because i genuinely love these pairings?#so please don't hesitate to tell me if you'd like to continue certain threads because then they'll be prioritized!
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The Stuff I Read in June/July 2023
Stuff I Extra Liked is Bold
I forgot to do it last month so you get a double feature
Books
Ninefox Gambit, Yoon Ha Lee
Heteropessimism (Essay Cluster)
The Biological Mind, Justin Garson (2015) Ch. 5-7
Sacred and Terrible Air, Robert Kurvitz
Wage Labour and Capital, Karl Marx
Short Fiction
Beware the Bite of the Were-Lesbian (zine), H. C. Guinevere
Childhood Homes (and why we hate them) by qrowscant (itch.io)
piele by slugzuki (itch.io)
بچهای که شکل گربه میکشید، لافکادیو هرن
بچه های که یخ نزدند، ماکسیم گورکی
پسرکی در تعقیب تبهکار، ویلیام آیریش
Küçük Kara Balık, Samed Behrengi
Phil Mind
The Hornswoggle Problem, Patricia Churchland, Journal of Consciousness Studies 3.5-6 (1996): 402-408
What is it Like to be a Bat? Thomas Nagel, (https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674594623.c15)
Epiphenomenal Qualia, Frank Jackson, Consciousness and emotion in cognitive science. Routledge, 1998. 197-206
Why You Can’t Make a Computer that Feels Pain, Daniel Dennett, Synthese, vol. 38, no. 3, 1978, pp. 415–56
Where Am I? Daniel Dennett
Can Machines Think? Daniel Dennett
Divided Minds and the Nature of Persons, Derek Parfit (https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118922590.ch8)
The Extended Mind, Andy Clark & David Chalmers, Analysis 58, no. 1 (1998): 7–19
Uploading: A Philosophical Analysis, David Chalmers (https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118736302.ch6)
If You Upload, Will You Survive? Joseph Corabi & Susan Schneider (https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118736302.ch8)
If You Can’t Make One, You Don’t Know How It Works, Fred Dretske (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4975.1994.tb00299.x)
Computing Machinery and Intelligence, Alan Turing
Minds, Brains, and Programs, John Searle (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00005756)
What is it Like to Have a Gender Identity? Florence Ashley (https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/fzac071)
Climbing towards NLU: On Meaning, Form, and Understanding in the Age of Data, Emily M. Bender & Alexander Koller (10.18653/v1/2020.acl-main.463)
On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? 🦜 Emily M. Bender et al. (https://doi.org/10.1145/3442188.3445922)
The Great White Robot God, David Golumbia
Superintelligence: The Idea that Eats Smart People, Maciej Ceglowski
Misc. Articles
Ebb and Flow of Azeri and Persian in Iran: A Longitudinal Study in the City of Zanjan, Hamed Zandi (https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110694277-007)
WTF is Happening? An Overview – Watching the World Go Bye, Eliot Jacobson
Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convicting them of crimes, Natalia Alamdari
Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens, Cathy J. Cohen, Feminist Theory Reader. Routledge, 2020. 311-323
Is the Rectum a Grave? Leo Bersani (https://doi.org/10.2307/3397574)
Why Petroleum Did Not Save the Whales, Richard York (https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023117739217)
‘Spider-Verse’ Animation: Four Artists on Making the Sequel, Chris Lee
Carbon dioxide removal is not a current climate solution, David T. Ho (https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00953-x)
Fights, beatings and a birth: Videos smuggled out of L.A. jails reveal violence, neglect, Keri Blakinger
Capitalism’s Court Jester: Slavoj Žižek, Gabriel Rockhill
The Tyranny of Structurelessness, Jo Freeman
Domenico Losurdo interviewed about Friedrich Nietzsche
Keeping Some of the Lights On: Redefining Energy Security, Kris De Decker
Gays, Crossdressers, and Emos: Nonormative Masculinities in Militarized Iraq, Achim Rohde
On the Concept of History, Walter Benjamin
Our Technology, Zeyad el Nabolsy
Towards a Historiography of Gundam’s One Year War, Ian Gregory
Imperialism and the Transformation of Values into Prices, Torkil Lauesen & Zak Cope
#reading prog#one day i will be able to read books well again#most of the things that aren't linked i can provide directly upon request#those dennett citations are hard to track down
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hiiiii :з i just read tessellate and have so many emotions. i'm so fascinated. the story and characters, they are so catchy. seriously. i read all night and today, until consumed everything. i worried and laughed with them, sympathized with them. they are so alive 💔 with each chapter, I thought, what's next? and this question hangs in the air until the next chapters :з you write very well. and pics scenes is awesome. Atlas is such a marshmallow ❤️ I hope he will overcome this internal struggle, this insufficiency. Because Florence is right, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from his father. and Florence. i'm sorry, but I can't ignore her pairing with Icarus x) he just a crush <з riding a motorcycle is one of my favorite moments ever... but he keeps made a mess in his life... but i'm rooting for each and every one of them. Dan and her family relationships, Kai, his strange feelings and Alex, Taryn, her failures, her victories, her friendship with Atlas, her first feelings ❤️ Atlas and Florence as siblings and even the charming cat Leo (and his hat too lol) i love it when I find such heartfelt stories that stay with you ❤️ so thank you for such great story. wish you inspiration
HELLO! Hi! Thank you so much! 💗 I agree, Atlas is indeed a marshmallow 😂 I’m glad everyone is definitive in their own ways! Makes me really happy to hear especially juggling everyone’s storylines ☺️
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🕊️: hi, there! i'm a 21+ writer searching for 18+ writers ONLY. i'm looking to write a dominant older character against a younger character (for the most part). the plots would vary from dead dove themes such as dubcon, stalking, etc to more normal things. depends on the pairing. i have no preference for a gender of pairings or chars but bonus point for anyone wanting to write with an older female atm! i'm itching to write a MILF against a younger woman. professor x student esp.
LOOKING FOR:
- 2-4 paras length. i'm a novella writer. i enjoy detail.
- patience is key and very important. my reply speed varies.
- tupperbot and discord only for the time being.
- no doubles. ocs only for certain pairings and i'm very FC driven.
- willing to do around 3 ships per writer, but i don't wanna repeat ships once i find someone willing to do a specific pairings.
- will require a writing sample of at least 1 para once i contact you.
- must be comfortable with varying dark themes. ppl with no limits and few triggers would be ideal.
FANDOMS / PAIRINGS:
(bolded and first character is the character i'm looking to play. dove symbol stands for toxic ships with possible do not eat themes.)
HARRY POTTER:
- 🕊️ severus snape x hermione granger
- 🕊️ sirius black x hermione granger
- 🕊️ remus lupin x hermione granger
- harry potter x hermione granger
- 🕊️ draco malfoy (older, cursed child) x hermione granger
DOCTOR WHO:
- 12th doctor x clara oswald
- 13th doctor x clara oswald
- 13th doctor x female oc (i'll help pick FC)
GOT & CROSSOVER LOTR:
- jorah mormont x daenerys targaryen
- thranduil x daenerys targaryen
SHERLOCK (BBC):
- sherlock holmes x hermione granger
- sherlock holmes x female oc (i'll help pick FC)
- 🕊️ sherlock holmes x mycroft holmest
SUPERNATURAL:
- 🕊️ sam winchester x lucifer (willing to play either)
- 🕊️ sam winchester x john winchester
- 🕊️ lucifer x sabrina morningstar (from caos)
- 🕊️ amara x chuck
YOU:
- 🕊️ peach x beck
- 🕊️ joe x beck
- 🕊️ joe x love
- 🕊️ joe x female oc (i'll help pick FC)
MCU:
- dr. strange x wanda
- tony x wanda
- tony x jessica jones (willing to play either)
- 🕊️ jessica jones x kilgrave
- loki x wanda / hermione granger / jane foster / female oc (i'll help pick FC )
- carol x female oc (i'll help pick FC)
DC:
- 🕊️ joker x harley quinn (willing to play either)
- 🕊️ bruce wayne x harley quinn (willing to play either)
- diana prince x harley quinn / female oc (i'll help pick FC)
RANDOM / MOVIES:
- 🕊️ katniss everdeen x alma coin
- 🕊️ tris prior x jeanine matthews
- 🕊️ rey x luke skywalker (willing to play either)
- female oc x joel miller
- 🕊️ ellie x joel miller
- archie x betty / cheryl
- 🕊️ hiram lodge x veronica / betty / cheryl
- 🕊️ louis cypher (lucifer) x betty cooper
- jughead x archie
- bella cullen x carlisle cullen (willing to play either)
- 🕊️ bella cullen x aro volturi (willing to play either)
- 🕊️ negan x female oc / crossover female char
- rick grimes x maggie greene
- beth greene (diff FC) x dawn lerner
- buffy x giles
- 🕊️ homelander x female oc / crossover female
- 🕊️ butcher x female oc / crossover female
- jennifer check x female oc
FCS FOR OCS I'D LIKE TO USE:
- jeffrey dean morgan
- brad pitt
- pierce brosnan
- johnny depp
- jason isaacs
- john stamos
- idris elba
- leo dicaprio
- jude law
- bill skarsgard
- tom welling
- john krasinski
- kate winslet
- megan fox
- charlize theron
- rachel mcadams
- evangeline lily
- gillian anderson
- florence pugh
- anna taylor joy
- mia goth
- a lot more tbh lol
FCS I'D LIKE TO WRITE AGAINST:
- ana de armas
- sabrina carpenter
- emma watson
- emily blunt
- lili reinhart
- elizabeth olsen
- megan fox
- margot robbie
- elle fanning
- sadie sink
- so many more this ad is getting long LOL.
i know this was a lot so i appreciate anyone who has read everything and is interested! please like this post and i will come to you to discuss further details! thank you.
--
#18+#novella rp#discord rp#harry potter rp#doctor who rp#got rp#lotr rp#sherlock rp#supernatural rp#you rp#mcu rp#dc rp#canon x canon#oc x canon#roleplay finder
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🕊️: hi, there! i'm a 21+ writer searching for 18+ writers ONLY. i'm looking to write a dominant older character against a younger character (for the most part). the plots would vary from dead dove themes such as dubcon, stalking, etc to more normal things. depends on the pairing. i have no preference for a gender of pairings or chars but bonus point for anyone wanting to write with an older female atm! i'm itching to write a MILF against a younger woman. professor x student esp.
LOOKING FOR:
- 2-4 paras length. i'm a novella writer. i enjoy detail.
- patience is key and very important. my reply speed varies.
- tupperbot and discord only for the time being.
- no doubles. ocs only for certain pairings and i'm very FC driven.
- willing to do around 3 ships per writer, but i don't wanna repeat ships once i find someone willing to do a specific pairings.
- will require a writing sample of at least 1 para once i contact you.
- must be comfortable with varying dark themes. ppl with no limits and few triggers would be ideal.
FANDOMS / PAIRINGS: (bolded and first character is the character i'm looking to play. dove symbol stands for toxic ships with possible do not eat themes.)
HARRY POTTER: - 🕊️ severus snape x hermione granger - 🕊️ sirius black x hermione granger - 🕊️ remus lupin x hermione granger - harry potter x hermione granger - 🕊️ draco malfoy (older, cursed child) x hermione granger
DOCTOR WHO: - 12th doctor x clara oswald - 13th doctor x clara oswald - 13th doctor x female oc (i'll help pick FC)
GOT & CROSSOVER LOTR: - jorah mormont x daenerys targaryen - thranduil x daenerys targaryen
SHERLOCK (BBC): - sherlock holmes x hermione granger - sherlock holmes x female oc (i'll help pick FC) - 🕊️ sherlock holmes x mycroft holmest
SUPERNATURAL: - 🕊️ sam winchester x lucifer (willing to play either) - 🕊️ sam winchester x john winchester - 🕊️ lucifer x sabrina morningstar (from caos) - 🕊️ amara x chuck
YOU: - 🕊️ peach x beck - 🕊️ joe x beck - 🕊️ joe x love - 🕊️ joe x female oc (i'll help pick FC)
MCU: - dr. strange x wanda - tony x wanda - tony x jessica jones (willing to play either) - 🕊️ jessica jones x kilgrave - loki x wanda / hermione granger / jane foster / female oc (i'll help pick FC ) - carol x female oc (i'll help pick FC)
DC: - 🕊️ joker x harley quinn (willing to play either) - 🕊️ bruce wayne x harley quinn (willing to play either) - diana prince x harley quinn / female oc (i'll help pick FC)
RANDOM / MOVIES:
- 🕊️ katniss everdeen x alma coin
- 🕊️ tris prior x jeanine matthews
- 🕊️ rey x luke skywalker (willing to play either)
- female oc x joel miller
- 🕊️ ellie x joel miller
- archie x betty / cheryl
- 🕊️ hiram lodge x veronica / betty / cheryl
- 🕊️ louis cypher (lucifer) x betty cooper
- jughead x archie - bella cullen x carlisle cullen (willing to play either)
- 🕊️ bella cullen x aro volturi (willing to play either)
- 🕊️ negan x female oc / crossover female char
- rick grimes x maggie greene
- beth greene (diff FC) x dawn lerner
- buffy x giles
- 🕊️ homelander x female oc / crossover female
- 🕊️ butcher x female oc / crossover female
- jennifer check x female oc
FCS FOR OCS I'D LIKE TO USE:
- jeffrey dean morgan
- brad pitt
- pierce brosnan
- johnny depp
- jason isaacs
- john stamos
- idris elba
- leo dicaprio
- jude law
- bill skarsgard
- tom welling
- john krasinski
- kate winslet
- megan fox
- charlize theron
- rachel mcadams
- evangeline lily
- gillian anderson
- florence pugh
- anna taylor joy
- mia goth
- a lot more lol
FCS I'D LIKE TO WRITE AGAINST:
- ana de armas
- sabrina carpenter
- emma watson
- emily blunt
- lili reinhart
- elizabeth olsen
- megan fox
- margot robbie
- elle fanning
- sadie sink
- so many more this ad is getting long LOL.
i know this was a lot so i appreciate anyone who has read everything and is interested! please like this post and i will come to you to discuss further details! thank you.
like if interested!
#oc x cc#cc x cc#1x1 rp#rp ad#harry potter rp#doctor who rp#sherlock rp#dc rp#mcu rp#you rp#supernatural rp#dead dove#dead dove do not eat#dubcon tw#stalking tw#18+#rp#roleplay
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Funny little Introduction
Hello all! I'm new to the whole writing and book community here on Tumblr, so I wanted to go ahead and make my introduction!
My name is Taylor Howell, Tay if you'd like! I'm 23, use she/her pronouns, and I'm a Leo. I like to think of myself as a chaotic bisexual who is a little too into horror movies and occasionally practices witchcraft :). I've been writing since I was in middle school and wrote fanfiction up until 2017. Since then I have been published in the Rio Review in the Spring of 2019, and in the Surrentium (a local magazine in Sorrento, Italy) in the Summer of 2022.
My favorite authors include but are not limited to, V.E. Schwab, Aiden Thomas, Samantha Shannon, and Erin Morgenstern.
My favorite artists include but are not limited to, Halsey, Hozier, Lil Nas X, Dua Lipa, and Florence and The Machine.
My favorite media includes Kiki's Delivery Service, Clue, X, Hereditary, Fullmetal Alchemist, The Twilight Zone, Final Fantasy VII, and Legend of Zelda.
What I like to do when I'm not reading or writing is cook/bake, Color Guard, watch silly horror movies, try to find my crafty sapphic hobby, and find a nostalgic game to hyperfixate on (we've graduated from Wizard101 to Diner Dash).
The last book I finished was A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon.
I'm currently reading Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark, Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn, and Circe by Madeline Miller.
My favorite genres to read are fantasy and horror. I won't turn down a good contemporary though!
My WIP is currently the first in a fantasy horror trilogy that is a retelling of The Odyssey by Homer with Fullmetal Alchemist influences. But if you wanna know more, you'll just have to stick around! ;)
With that, I'm excited to be here and I can't wait to be a menace on main.
#tumblr writers#writing#creative writing#get to know the writer#get to know the author#bookaddict#books and reading#books#introducing myself#blog intro#writing community#reading community
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Jupiter in Taurus ✨🌸
May 16, 2023 is a lucky day! Jupiter is moving into Taurus. Jupiter is associated with growth and good fortune, and Taurus is associated with material possessions and stability. This is a combination that can bring us long-term comfort, stability and happiness! This cosmic event only happens every twelve years, so enjoy this nearly year-long transit.
Jupiter is the planet of growth, expansion and optimism. It blesses us with good luck and fortune. Jupiter is about expanding our wealth as well as our minds. This planet is associated with the higher mind, philosophy and religion, giving us a larger lens to view the world.
Jupiter will shift into the fixed Earth sign of Taurus, bringing opportunities that are related to patience, building and strengthening efforts and focus on pleasure, stability and longevity.
Over the last year, Jupiter has traveled through Aries with active, action-packed developments. This transit helped you get new projects off the ground and allowed you to get the ball rolling. As Jupiter changes course, you might be prompted to slow down to ensure what you’ve built can stand the test of time.
There’s a calming effect on boundless Jupiter when it moves into Taurus. Jupiter might be ready to expand, but Taurus adds some stability to this. Jupiter had big-picture ambitions, but Taurus might help to slow down to a more realistic and patient pace. If used correctly, this energy can allow us to turn our dreams into attainable goals! This is a real chance to move toward dreams and long-term goals. We’ll find energy to make practical, planned to-do lists and start checking items off until we get to the end result. Jupiter’s desire for growth and Taurus’ patient, headstrong demeanor encourages us to trust the process.
We must practice patience with this transit, and with the Sun, Mercury, Uranus AND now Jupiter in Taurus. This sign is slow-moving. Results require you to work hard and sometimes wait. Trust that results are coming!
Jupiter in Taurus’ Past
Fields that prosper during this transit tend to be agriculture, food, building, music, luxury comfort items and natural or earthy beauty products. In Jupiter’s once a decade transit through Taurus, we often observe the debut of pop icons and artists that define the decade to come. It often signals a boom in progress.
In 1928-1929 Mickey Mouse was introduced, the first movie with sound was released, Joseph Stalin forever changed the life and economy in Russia, and Wall Street crashed.
After a grueling Great Depression, Jupiter returned to Taurus in 1940. WWII initiated the surge of industry like jet planes, computers, and even McDonalds.
Fast-forward to 1976-1977, when ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’, Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors album filled the radio airwaves. We had Star Wars, Saturday Night Fever and the founding of Apple computers.
1999 - 2000 was similarly explosive with The Matrix, X-Men, Fight Club and well, what movie didn’t come out during this era? Britney and Christina were pop icons, Buffy and Charmed battled evil.
Then finally, in June 2011 - June 2012, Lena Dunham’s Girls debuted, iPhones became essential, and artists like Lana Del Rey, Florence and the Machine, and Frank Ocean filled our earbuds.
Jupiter in Taurus influence this time
For the first time since 1941, Jupiter will join Uranus in Taurus. It’s likely that those in positions of power will make riskier decisions, building Jenga towers that can only go so high without crashing. New idols will sweep the imagination, joining Jupiter in Taurus icons like Mickey Mouse and Darth Vader. In the summer of 2023, Venus will retrograde in Leo, which can reboot iconography of the Hollywood machine and influencer culture. A new era of stars will mesmerize and inspire.
Personal Effects
While Jupiter is in Taurus, focus on enjoying life! We can be happy with a simple, good life during this time. Taurus in Jupiter urges us to enjoy, appreciate and build on what we already have.
We can be more realistic and practical. We need clear goals and strong plans, but we take pleasure in pursuing our goals in a more leisurely fashion. Jupiter will remain in Taurus for the next year, making plenty of time to develop the security you have been craving. We attract the most good fortune when we observe wisely rather than jump too quickly into something new.
Life can be prosperous during this transit. Since Jupiter is also seen as the planet of abundance, this can be a period of growth, prosperity and luck in the form of tangible resources like money, food and livelihood. These things can be acquired by using a practical approach with the help of Taurus.
We will have an easier time with practical decision making. We are able to rise above pettiness, mundane concerns and inconveniences.
It’s a good time to look at our financial standings and find a change for growth. Long-term financial investments are in favor and investments may even start to pay off. We can happily watch our profits and possessions slowly, but surely accumulate. We attract good fortune when we are charitable and patient. Make sure that basic needs are met before pursuing more goals.
While there can be some good fortune when it comes to money and personal possessions due to resourcefulness, we can also get caught up in our possessions that bring comfort and pleasure, so be wary of an unhealthy focus on material items or the joy of buying. We can become possessive. Negative manifestations can give us a “wait and see” attitude that leads to us not being motivated, and we can be stubborn with our opinions and beliefs.
It’s a great time for your creative release. Feed, strengthen and style yourself as a powerful vessel to bring the future.
It’s beneficial to keep in mind that Jupiter is about higher minded thinking. We can take advantage of this transit by making sure that our morals and ethics are up to date and meaningful as our attention to material objects. With Jupiter and Taurus coming together, we’re reminded that the answers we seek are with us all the time. Spirituality is not something outside of us that we aspire to, but the always present buzz of daily life. This transit gives us the opportunity to push past distractions and tap into wisdom within ourselves.
Here are some journal prompts you could find helpful during this transit:
What does abundance mean to me?
How do I want to cultivate more abundance in my life? What real steps can I take to achieve this?
What are my values and how do they shape my relationship to material possessions? How can I align my spending habits with my values?
How do I prioritize self-care and pleasure in my life? How can I incorporate this into my daily routine?
What brings me a sense of stability and security? How can I ensure that I am cultivating these feelings into my life?
How can I find the resources to support the people that matter to me?
In what ways have I experienced growth and expansion in my life? How can I build on this momentum moving forward?
How can I find balance between my desire for comfort and my need for growth and new experiences?
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↳- Leo Tsukinaga VOCALOID Producer Headcanons -༉‧₊˚✧
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
My Enstars x Vocaloid brainrot is too strong I NEED to share this.
This will definitely get updated the more hcs I come up with LMAO
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Not only he's a popular composer, but he's also a popular VOCALOID producer.
He goes by "LeoP" cuz he's basic like that. (It's ok we still love him either way).
He basically uses all the voice synthesizer programs but he mainly uses VOCALOID, Synth-V, sometimes UTAU, and later on Piapro Studio.
He also mainly uses Hatsune Miku but he pretty much owns all voicebanks known to man (including appends) so he picks the voicebank that matches his song the best.
He's a massive Miku fan you can't convince me otherwise.
Back to the topic of voicebanks, he tried to convince Knights to make UTAUloids of themselves but they sadly shut that idea down before he could even attempt to do so. (He's still trying though.)
Like I said before, I can see him as the type to use voicebanks based on their voices/how they sound, so you can bet that he also uses UTAUloids even if they aren't "popular".
Imagine the heart-attack you'd get when THE Leo Tsukinaga uses your voicebank for one of his songs, I'm 100% sure he's the root cause of many souls ascending /pos.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
In my opinion, I think he'd hate the piano roll system that the synthesizers use so most likely he'd transcribe his composition in a website that automatically makes a MIDI file out of it. (idk if that actually exists but it does for the enstars universe cuz I said so /lh.)
I can see him absolutely DESPISING tuning. He loves to compose and loves to hear the final song but he hates the actual tuning process.
He either hyperfixates and get the tuning done in one sitting, commission someone to tune for him OR he just doesn't bother and that song goes into his folder, never seeing the light of day ever again.
He sometimes uses VOCALOID for harmony guides for Knights songs.
He definitely duetted with Miku before, there's absolutely no way he didn't.
Tried to convince Knights to sing a song with Miku and the other Vocas. (Knights shutting down Leo's antics pt. 2; Electric boogaloo.)
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
On the topic of duetting with the Vocas... YES he was an absolute menace to 2wink and Switch when they collabed with Miku and the Kagamines.
He attempted multiple times at entering the practice room just to meet the Vocas. (Knights, specifically Arashi, had to physically DRAG him away from the door.)
I can see him be very salty about it LMAO.
Don't worry, to make it up to him AKA to avoid him attempting to break in and enter the practice room all the damn time they allowed him to meet them.
DEFINITELY ASKED THE VOCAS TO "UCHUU" WITH HIM YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.
They're now besties your honour.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
He owns a shit ton of CDs AND has attended basically all concerts.
He definitely asked either Izumi or Mama to accompany him but he was only successful at convincing Mama. (Izumi couldn't be bothered LMFAO.)
I can see Izumi threatening to throw his CDs away if Leo doesn't do his chores in Florence. (Spoiler Alert: That threat works every time.)
Going back to the topic of concerts... I'm 100% sure his songs would make it to the song list. So just imagine Leo freaking out over the fact that the Vocas are performing his songs live.
He buys wayyy too much merch. Someone take his wallet away before he goes BROKE-
Yes he plays Project Sekai... And yes he whaled... Several times actually... Izumi had to take his card away </3
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
As a Voca-P, I can see him as the type to release the VSQ(x)/UST/SVP/etc and the instrumental. So there's always a shit ton of voice synthesizer covers of his songs.
The reason why I say that is cuz I feel that his songs are so iconic/recognizable that, even without credit, people just know it's a LeoP original.
I can also see him as the type that comments on/shares every single cover he comes across. He can't help it! He just gets super excited and happy!
100% the root cause of souls ascending /pos, pt 2; Electric boogaloo.
Bonus: His Voca-P social media accs are definitely filled with reblogs/retweets of covers cuz he just loves sharing people's works.
#tsukinaga leo#leo tsukinaga#enstars#ensemble stars#vocaloid#headcanons#hcs#enstars headcanons#ensemble stars headcanons#forgive me the brainrot is too strong#alexiel rambles
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Main six and music they’d listen to
First of all: they share a love for p!atd and Imagine Dragons
Leo
The script
Imagine dragons
Adele
The beatles
Snow patrol
Florence And The Machine
Harry Styles
Mumford and sons
Raph
Imagine dragons
Bring me the horizon
Five finger death punch
Nickelback
Metallica
Fall out boy
Rihanna
Britney spears
Billie Eilish
The neighbourhood
The entire Arcane soundtrack
Donnie
Light electric orchestra
Phill Collins
Adele
Fleetwood mac
Elvis
Lizzo
Abba
Elton John
Queen
Mikey
Bbno$
Yung gravy
Lil nas x
Nicki Minaj
Lizzo
Kid cudi
AJR
Disney soundtracks
The Happy Fits
Maneskin
April
Within Temptation
The entire encanto soundtrack
Billie Eilish
Abba
Ed Sheeran
Lewis Capaldi
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Papa Roach
Bring Me The Horizon
Arctic Monkeys
Casey
Frozen soundtrack
Joji
Bbno$
Bring Me The Horizon
Sabaton
Arctic Monkeys
Ariana Grande
BoyWithUke
#tmnt 2012#tmnt 2012 raph#tmnt 2k12#teenage mutant ninja turtles 2012#tmnt 2012 april#tmnt 2012 donnie#tmnt raph#tmnt 2012 casey jones#tmnt 2012 leo#tmnt 2012 mikey#tmnt 2012 donatello#tmnt splinter#tmnt raph 2012#tmnt
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