#I’ll never get another heirloom ever lol
Text
New Girl on the Block (23)
(Welp, y’all, this is it. This is the last, pre-written chapter that I have written. From here on out we’re gonna have to rely strictly on my writing consistency and... I’m so sorry for that lol Because CLEARLY, if we’re on the last pre-written chapter, after having posted, like, three over the last month, we know that this isn’t gonna be good. BUT! I do have THIS chapter to give you! So please enjoy! And don’t forget to check out the mini series connected to this called Journal Entries!)
Ch.1 / Ch.22 / Ch.24 (ao3)
Chapter 23: How the Cards Fall
Marinette stared in horror at her former classmates, violently kicking herself for being so reckless. How could she forget that this was one of Alya and Nino’s favorite food carts too? She used to eat there with them all the time! She should have known better than to pick this place! Actually, she shouldn’t have picked anywhere to eat at all! Going to a place she used to enjoy meant going to a place where she used to hang out with her old friends, which meant eventually running into them, which meant- well - this! Oh, how could she be so stupid?
Maybe it won’t be so bad, she reasoned with herself before she could start hyperventilating. Maybe they’ll just roll their eyes and leave instead of making a scene.
But Alya was never one to back down from a (accidental) challenge. As soon as she realized her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, a scowl etched itself onto her lips, and she started stomping in Marinette’s direction.
“It is you!” The red-head scoffed. “Oh, when I get my hands on you-”
Marinette flinched back, officially throwing breathing out the window. She looked at her current classmates and wondered what they would do if she ran, what they would think. Would they follow her or would they stay and talk with Alya? What if they started asking questions that Marinette couldn’t answer? What if Alya answered the questions before she could? Would they believe her? Was she going to have to find a new school again? What if Lila’s lies followed her there too? What if she never escaped Lila’s claims?
Suddenly, not breathing turned into breathing too fast, but before she could spiral further than gasping, a shadow passed over her.
It was Allan and Claude, coming to stand in front of her as a defense.
“Hey, woah!” Claude said, holding up his hands in a calming gesture. “Why don’t you back off a bit and tell us what’s got you so upset?”
A hand touched her shoulder lightly, and Marinette’s gaze snapped to Felix, who was now standing next to her. He met her eyes with a subtle raise of the eyebrows, and she knew what it meant.
“Are you alright?”
Marinette drew in a deep breath to steady herself and nodded, even though her insides felt like they were turning outwards at this point. Felix must have seen through her fib because his hand stayed on her shoulder as he looked back at Alya. His eyebrows were furrowed, which could be from his concern, but Marinette also knew curiosity when she saw it. He wants to know who these people are, and why they’re angry with her. And after everything she’s told him about her old school, he might be able to figure it out.
Alya briefly paused at the boys’ blockade, before raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.
“So is this who you’re hiding behind now?” She asked, unimpressed. “Are these the new people you’ve managed to dupe?”
Marinette tensed, and Felix’s grip tightened on her shoulder. Whether that was a sign of support or his disgruntlement, she wasn’t sure.
“Are we supposed to know what that means?” Allegra, who had also come to stand next to Marinette, drawled.
“No.” Alya said. “Not yet, anyway. This one likes to wait until you’re in pretty deep before springing her trap.”
Marinette bit her lip, indignation rising in her chest. She didn’t deserve this. She hasn’t done anything wrong!
“Alya, that’s enough-” She tried to say, but Alya cut her off.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” The red-head snapped. “You don’t get to have a say anymore, not unless you’re willing to admit what you’ve done, what you really are.”
“Alya, come on.” Nino, who finally decided to join the conversation, coaxed. “L-Let’s just go. It’s not worth fighting over.”
Marinette might have been grateful had he not backed down right after when Alya shot him a glare.
“I’m going to assume you guys are her new classmates and friends.” Alya continued. “So let me tell you, as a former classmate and best friend, that this girl,” she pointed her finger accusingly at Marinette, “is a fraud.”
“That’s not true!” Marinette couldn’t help shouting.
Alya ignored her. “She makes herself look sweet and innocent by making you croissants or cookies and bringing you handmade gifts, but it’s all an act. All she really wants is the attention that the gifts bring, and when she doesn’t get it, she goes ballistic. I used to think she was the best thing in the world until a foreign exchange student came along and became more popular. Then she started stealing that person’s homework and ripping it up, or throwing her textbooks in the trash, or even tripping her down flights of stairs. One time we even caught her stealing personal items!”
“I didn’t do any of that!” Marinette insisted, more so to her friends than to Alya. “I told you she framed me!”
Alya scoffed. “You can’t even deny it anymore! Lila has all of the rude texts you’ve sent her, there were multiple witnesses to the tattered homework that was on your desk- myself included -and we all saw her take her family heirloom out of your locker.”
“That wasn’t a family heirloom! She literally bought that in a store two months before and then put it in my locker to frame me!”
Alya rolled her eyes and turned back to Claude and Allan. “Obviously, she’s going to make up whatever excuse she can to keep you from listening to me, but I advise you to dump her now while you can. She’ll make your life a living nightmare if she thinks you’re better than her somehow, though at this point,” Alya shot Marinette another scalding glare, “we all are.”
Tears burned in the corner of Marinette’s eyes, but before she could further argue her innocence, Claude spoke up.
“Ok, so what proof do you have of this?”
It was something she’d expected Felix to ask, honestly, and it left her staring at the brunette in shock. He was.. asking questions. The right questions. He wasn’t taking Alya’s words as gospel the way everyone else at Dupont had done with Lila’s words.
Alya frowned. “I already told you-”
“No, I don’t care about what you’ve said.” Claude interrupted. “You’re a stranger I just met, and Marinette is a good friend that I’ve known for a wonderful month and a half. I’m going to need more than your word.”
Alya narrowed her eyes at him, debating.
“Alright, fine. I’ll bring Lila here as a first hand account. She has the texts saved on her phone. As for the homework and such, those have already been replaced and done away with, but I do have the class president binder where several important forms are missing from Marinette burning them instead of giving them to Lila after leaving.”
Marinette had to bite her tongue to avoid laughing despite herself. Lila said that she burned some of the class papers? What would make her lie about something like that? Was it to get out of the work? Oh, boy, was that going to come back to bite her. She probably had to resign all of the ‘missing’ paperwork! Oh, this is the greatest thing Marinette’s ever heard. Hopefully, she said she lost a lot.
“Do you have the burnt papers?” Allan asked.
“No, of course not-”
“So, let me see if I’ve got this right,” Allegra said, her voice edging on annoyance, “we’re supposed to believe the account of a foreign exchange student, who we also don’t know, and who, apparently, brought out the worst in Marinette by herself even though no one had ever done so before, and the only actual proof you have, other than that girl’s word, is a series of texts that can easily be altered and a binder with some missing pages that ‘Lila’ could have misplaced or even burned herself. Is that correct?”
Alya scoffed. “You’re making it sound ridiculous.”
“No, I’m repeating what you’ve said to us, which is ridiculous.”
“She’s done other things too!” Alya insisted. “Just the other day she met up with one of my other friends and tried to persuade them into her clutches again, even though she had already transferred schools. Look-”
Alya pulled out her phone, and for once, Marinette looked on with interest as well. Lila making up a lie like that meant someone had to be going against her now, right? So who was it? Did someone mention Marinette’s name in an argument, and now Lila’s latching onto that as an advantage?
After a minute of searching, Alya flipped her phone around for them to see her screen, and the picture displayed on it made Marinette’s stomach drop.
“Woah, is that Adrien Agreste?”
The group, aside from Felix, leaned forward to see the picture better, but Marinette found herself leaning back, the blood draining from her features. That was a picture of her and Adrien at the café last Friday, but- but how did- when could they have possibly-
“Where did you get that?” She blurted out before she could stop herself.
Alya fixed her with a smug grin. “Look familiar? Lila took this while you and Adrien were having lunch last week. I’d been wondering why he was asking her so many questions about her stories, but now it all makes sense. You’ve been secretly coaxing him to your side again, and poor Adrien couldn’t resist. Even when I called him about the picture, he said he just wanted to be your friend again. I guess he always did see the best in everyone, though.”
Marinette felt sick to her stomach. How long was Lila with them in that café and Marinette didn’t even know it? How much did she overhear as Marinette blabbered on and on to Adrien about her current life? Did she know about Marinette attending Rosemary? Did she tell Alya about her attending Rosemary? How many people did she send that picture to?
She clutched for Felix’s hand on her shoulder, suddenly not trusting herself to stand, and he quickly put his other hand on top of hers. The comfort of his touch was appreciated, but not enough.
A burst of laughter cut into Marinette’s panic, and she turned to Claude who was all but rolling on the grass. He clutched his sides as he howled and even went as far as to wipe tears from his eyes.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute..” the brunette wheezed. “So you’re telling me, that Adrien Agreste, the fashion icon and heart throb of Paris, was in your class, but Marinette only started acting out after the foreign exchange student showed up? No offense to you, Mari, but I’m pretty sure a rich, young model would have been way more popular. How come she didn’t sabotage him?”
Alya faltered for a moment, not quite expecting the question and certainly not the laughter. “W-Well- I mean- she did have a major crush on him. Maybe she didn’t care that he was more popular than her because she liked him so much.”
Marinette felt her cheeks heat up out of embarrassment, but thankfully, no one touched on that subject. Instead, Allegra hummed and said, “Okay, fine. Assuming that’s true, what made Lila so popular?”
“Plenty of things.” Alya stated matter-of-factly. “She’s helped Prince Ali organize several charities, made petitions to save endangered animal preserves, is best friends with Ladybug-”
Marinette didn’t resist her eye roll.
“-and even saved Jagged stone’s kitten!”
Marinette glanced at Claude, who immediately deadpanned a “what”. She knew that if anyone was going to pick up the last line, it would be him.
“Jagged Stone never owned a kitten.” Claude said. “He’s allergic.”
“It was before he knew he was allergic.”
“He’s still never owned a kitten!” Claude exclaimed with a flail of his arms. “He’s only ever owned a crocodile! That’s been said in multiple interviews!”
“But-”
“And if we want to bring up charities, Prince Ali doesn’t organize any charities. He only donates to them.” Allegra pointed out.
“I-”
“And petitions to protect endangered animal preserves?” Allan echoed. “Those don’t need protection. They are set in stone by law.”
“I’m sure-”
“Look, you’ve clearly been given false information.” Claude said, crossing his arms, “and because you were dumb enough to believe the real attention-seeker, you’ve lost an amazing friend. Now I suggest you leave us alone before I report you to the authorities for harassment.”
Alya’s face twisted with rage. “Harrass- you know what? Whatever.
I’ve done my part. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when she starts ruining your life out of jealousy.”
Marinette caught a glimpse of Claude clenching his fists, and Allan put a hand on the brunette’s shoulder to steady him.
“We won’t. Have a nice day.”
Alya huffed and stormed off, dragging Nino with her. He glanced over his shoulder to give Marinette an apologetic look, but she didn’t meet his gaze. Instead she crossed her arms over her chest and blew out a sigh. That.. could have gone worse.. she supposed.
“Marinette.”
Marinette’s fingers dug into her skin, and she hesitantly looked up at Felix. His hand had loosened on her shoulder, and he was staring at her with an unreadable expression. What was he thinking right now? Was he angry? Disappointed? Confused about why she didn’t tell him about her lunch date with Adrien? She wished he would give her a clue of some kind.
“Are you alright?” He asked softly. “You’re shaking.”
Marinette blinked, pulling her hands away from her body. She was shaking? How did she not notice?
“Oh, and you look so pale!” Allegra cried, wrapping her arms around Marinette’s shoulders. “Should we take you home?”
Marinette grabbed Allegra’s arm and forced a small smile as she shook her head. “No, no, I’m.. I..”
She wanted to say that she was fine, that they could continue having lunch as usual, but a lump in her throat made it hard to get the words out. Next thing she knew, tears were spilling down her cheeks, and she was putting her hand over her mouth to choke down a sob.
All this time.. All this time she’d been keeping her past a secret from them, scared that they might take Lila’s side like everyone else, yet here they were, holding her close and offering her hushed condolences. They were giving her the very support she’d been afraid of losing, and now she was ashamed that she’d ever been afraid at all.
“I’m so sorry!” She nearly sobbed.
Allegra pulled her closer. “No, don’t say that! There’s nothing you need to be apologizing for!”
Claude and Allan rushed to wrap their arms around her as well, and Felix slid his hand down to rub her back. This, of course, only made her cry harder, because they were being so gentle with her, so kind. How could she have ever doubted them?
“Why don’t we go back to the house?” Claude suggested gently. “Mom and Dad won’t be back yet so we can give you a minute to recover.”
“And Felix makes the best honeysuckle tea.” Allegra adds. “It’ll cure any pain those idiots caused.”
Marinette sniffed and gave a little nod. People were starting to stare at them anyway, and at this point, she’d lost her appetite.
“Thank you.”
“Of course, whatever you need.” Allegra said as she led Marinette back to the car.
Marinette took the handkerchief Felix offered her and dried some of her tears, then gave him a small, grateful smile. He hadn’t spoken much during the altercation, but the way he quietly hovered around her and held her hand when she needed it said enough, especially since she knew he didn’t appreciate being touched.
It’s funny. Whenever she used to think about them finding out about Lila- because, surely, it would have to happen eventually -she always assumed she would feel anxious or paranoid afterwards. “What if they didn’t believe her? What if they constantly doubted her actions now? What if she constantly doubted their actions? Would they ever be able to trust each other fully again?” But as she got into the limo and sat down, and everyone crowded around her to show their love and support over the awful things Lila had said, all Marinette felt was safe.
~~~~~~
Felix leaned his back against the peppered countertop and crossed his arms, his finger tapping against his bicep with impatience. The iron tea kettle sat on the stove next to him, slowly heating and steeping the honeysuckle tea that he’d been requested to make. Usually, it took no time at all for the kettle to whistle, but today, it felt like he’d been standing there for an eternity.
He glanced at the digital clock on the microwave to see how long he’d been waiting, and the numbers 12:45 blinked across it.
12:45pm.. That meant he’d been in the kitchen for about..
Two minutes.
Felix sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his gaze sliding to the kitchen doorway. Marinette was sitting in the living room with the others just outside of it, with her and Allegra on one three-cushioned-couch, and Claude and Allan on the other one across from them. She seemed to be having a decent time, chatting and laughing with everyone, but that didn’t ease Felix’s mind any, not after what he saw in the park.
He’ll admit to being curious when the fight first started. Rosemary is known for its hair-pulling, arm-biting brawls, but they’re also known to remain dignified despite them. For example, the brawls are almost always private, which is why, when someone called out to Marinette in such a harsh and open manner, Felix couldn’t help being intrigued.
When he saw how Marinette reacted, however, his stance on the situation dramatically changed.
In the month and a half that he’s known her, Marinette has faced down high-class celebrities, an overwhelming amount of clothing requests from Claude, and an actual akuma, and not once has Felix seen her so much as flinch. Not until today, that is, when that red-head somehow shook her to her core. Just the sight of her sent Marinette into hysterics, crying, shaking, her face becoming white as a sheet- he’s quite certain she almost hyperventilated at some point too. This strong girl that he’d grown to admire, that he was starting to believe could face anything unscathed, had crumbled to pieces in mere seconds, and it honestly frightened him. He wasn’t sure what to do or how to help. So he simply grabbed her shoulder, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say- that he was there for her, and was she alright?
She understood him, thankfully, and her shoulders started to loosen a bit under his gaze.
But then that red-head started talking.
She spat out the most ridiculous accusations Felix had ever heard, accusations stating that Marinette was a liar and a fake, that she only ever did things for attention. Even if the part about wanting attention was true- which it wasn’t -why would it matter? She does incredible things simply because people ask her to. Why shouldn’t she get any attention for it?
As annoying as the last claim was, though, it wasn’t nearly as infuriating as the rest of the things that girl said. She told them she was Marinette’s former best friend, yet she cast the ravenette aside at the drop of a hat simply because an exchange student with a rusted silver tongue told her to do so. Honestly, who would be dumb enough to believe that some foreign student was best friends with one of the Parisian superheroes? Or that a highschooler actually got to organize charity events? The most she would be able to do at her age was greet people as they walked inside.
Felix wasn’t even going to think about the Jagged Stone claim, since Claude already made it quite clear that that was another lie, but really, who goes into a new school spreading the most impossibly grand lies they can? More importantly, how did those lies manage to stick? Was everyone at Dupont a complete moron?
No.. No, that wasn’t it. No one was that stupid, surely. They all probably wanted to believe Lila. That’s why they pounced on Marinette the way they did. They were looking for an excuse to go after her the entire time.
Felix clenched his fist and turned to the kettle again, watching the steam rise from the spout. It’s no wonder she became so worried when saw Adrien Agreste at Rosemary. After her crush on him and the lies, Felix wouldn’t want to see his former classmates either.
...Speaking of Agreste, what was that picture about? Felix doubted Marinette was trying to ‘persuade him to her side’ as that red-head had said, but her reaction to it was extremely strong nonetheless. Why were they in a café together? It sounded like she met up with him only last week, but she’d told Felix a couple weeks ago that she didn’t want to see him. Why would she put herself through that? And why did she grip his hand so hard when she saw the picture?
The shrill whistle of the tea kettle broke into his thoughts, and Felix jumped to move it off of the burner. Once it was set aside properly, he turned the stove off and began setting out the mugs to fill them. They weren’t as delicate or pristine as the tea sets his father owned, but they would do nicely for the time being. Besides, if Marinette had a one-of-a-kind glass teacup, she might fret about breaking it instead of enjoying the tea.
Felix filled the mugs and put them on a tray, along with some sugars, milk, and honey, then picked up the tray to bring it into the living room. A round of delighted cheers filled the room as he entered, and Claude eagerly bounced up from the couch to grab his mug. Felix moved the tray out of his reach, though, not wanting to offset the balance and spill everything.
“Sorry it took so long.” Felix said as he set the tray on the table. “The tea is fresh so I brought in ice cubes to cool it off if you want them. If not, make sure to blow on it before drinking or you’ll burn your tongue.”
“Yeah, yeah, we know the drill.” Claude remarked as he reached for his mug again.
Felix rolled his eyes. “That was for Marinette’s benefit, not yours.”
“I’m sure Mari knows how to drink hot tea.” Claude retorted.
“But I appreciate the advice anyway.” Marinette spoke up with a smile.
Felix glanced at her as he handed her a pink mug, trying not to look at the puffed up red spots under her eyes. Her tears had long since disappeared, but the remnants of them still remained, including the trails on her cheeks that the tears had run down.
“You’re going to love this, Marinette.” Allegra chirped, thankfully taking the girl’s focus. “This tea literally tastes like honey. I doubt you’ll even need any sugar!”
“Yeah, but I’m gonna.” Claude smirked, already shoveling a spoonful of sugar into his tea. “Unsweet tea was never my style.”
“I swear you are gonna die from diabetes one day.” Allan muttered while taking a sip of his tea.
“And it will totally be worth it.” Claude replied.
Marinette and the others laughed, which helped Felix relax a tad as he sat next to Allan. If Marinette was laughing again, maybe that meant she was feeling better.
The ravenette’s lips hovered over the mug for a solid minute as she blew on the pale, celadon liquid, and when she finally decided to take a drink, Felix found himself staring. Did she like it? Was it too strong? Should he go make something else for her?
“Oh, this is amazing!” Marinette gasped, her eyes lighting up.
Felix smiled, relieved. “I’m glad you think so. I like to add a few drops of honey and a sprinkle of sugar every now and then because it brings out the flavor, but that’s just a personal preference.”
“The tea is incredible already, but I’ll try your style anyway.” She said, reaching for the sugar. Claude pushed it towards her, while Allegra gave her the honey, and once Marinette dumped the extra ingredients into her mug, she took a spoon from a tray to stir them.
She took another sip of the tea, and this time, she sank into the couch with a contented sigh.
“Wow. That is so good, especially with how warm it is! I feel like I’ve just been wrapped up in the most comfortable blanket ever.”
The trio shared a laugh, and Marinette sat up with another giggle herself, but to Felix’s disappointment, the smiles didn’t last.
Marinette set her mug on her lap and let out a sigh, a bashful smile replacing her giddy one. She kept her gaze on her cup as she said, “So, I guess… I should explain myself?”
The group exchanged glances, and Allegra frowned.
“What’s there to explain?” Allan was the first to ask.
Marinette looked up. “Well- Y-You know.. The reasons why Alya was so angry with me. How everything happened at my old school.”
“Again, what’s there to explain?” Claude said. “It’s obvious what happened. This ‘Lila’ person spread rumors about you around the school, and for some reason, your classmates were dumb enough to believe it. End of story.”
For once, Felix agreed with him.
“.. Not quite.” Marinette admitted, causing Felix to furrow his eyebrows. How much more to the story could there possibly be? Don’t tell him it got worse.
“I’d like to tell my side of the story, if you guys don’t mind.”
Allegra offered her a reassuring smile. “Of course not, but you don’t have to tell us anything if you don’t want to.”
“Yeah.” Allan agreed. “Your word is all we need.”
A grateful smile caught the corners of Marinette’s lips. “Thank you, but I want to do this. I’ll feel a lot better once you guys know the full truth.”
“Then we’re all ears.” Felix said, sincerely.
Marinette’s smile widened slightly as she glanced at him, but her expression fell serious again when she began her story.
“It started almost two years ago. The September before last, a girl named Lila joined our school- er -my old school, Dupont. She came in telling all of these different stories about meeting celebrities and arranging charity events or music concerts and being ‘best friends’ with Ladybug.”
The sheer disgust in her voice when she mentioned being best friends with Ladybug made Felix smirk, but he let her continue.
“With stories as crazy as that, I couldn’t believe that my fr- uh.. That my classmates were actually believing her. In one day, she had them following her around like dogs and carrying her stuff because she claimed to have hurt her wrist in an accident. I forget which excuse she used, but it ticked me off to no end. So I tried to tell everyone that she was lying.”
“It.. didn’t end well, unfortunately. She turned into an akuma and went on a rampage, and after Ladybug and Chat Noir fixed everything, she only gained more sympathy from everybody. That’s when the stories about me started.”
“Every time I tried to expose her, she would make up some elaborate lie that made me the bad guy, and everyone swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. I tried to tell the teachers about what was happening, and some of them helped keep us separated during class time. But other than that, I was kind of just.. left to handle it by myself.”
Felix held back a scoff. Typical. Teachers never bothered entering student squabbles if they thought it wasn’t law-suit worthy.
“Of course, since the teachers weren’t doing anything, the lies only got worse, and soon, Lila started lying about me unprovoked. She would say I stole her things or ripped up her homework or tripped her down the stairs. I almost got expelled over it twice.”
“Wait, seriously?” Claude said before Felix could actually scoff. “So you told the teacher that this ‘Lila’ was spreading lies around the school, but they still tried to expel you over the things she said?”
Marinette nodded. “They would have to if she hadn’t come back and made up some lies about having been mistaken. I’m still not sure why she did that.”
Felix shook his head, absolutely incredulous to what he was hearing. It appeared the students weren’t the only morons in that school. How has it stayed funded for this long?
“Maybe it was a power play.” Allan muttered with a frown. “She sounds like the type of person who would do that.”
Marinette shrugged. “Yeah, I guess she is.”
“Didn’t anyone believe you?” Allegra asked.
A wince overcame the ravenette’s features, and Felix reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say about that question.
“Yes, someone did,” Marinette admitted, “but he wasn’t very helpful, to be honest. Actually, he tried to get me to stop going against Lila in case she got akumatized again. His reasoning was that her lies would eventually be found out on their own, but.. as you know.. They never were.”
Claude scoffed and put a hand to his chest, seeming to be offended by the very notion. “Are you for real? He just wanted you to let it go?”
“Did he even say anything while you were in the process of being expelled?” Allan asked.
Marinette’s face said plenty, but she answered aloud anyway. “No, not that I know of. He never liked getting in the middle of confrontations.”
Now it was Felix’s turn to scoff. He tipped his drink up to his lips, downing half the mug to avoid interrupting her story further. Felix scoffed, taking a sip of his tea to avoid interrupting her story further. Did no one want to stand up for Marinette? Did no one in that forsaken school have any sense of loyalty or gratitude? That dumb redhead at the park even admitted that Marinette had done numerous things for them as favors. How can they look at themselves in the mirror each morning when they treat people so horribly?
“So what happened after you almost got expelled?” Allegra prompted.
“Well, if you’re asking me what changed, then nothing, really.” Marinette replied. “Lila continued to lie, and I continued to take the fall for it, except now people were actually doing things to me. Before, they only talked about me behind my back or glared at me from the front, but after another one of Lila’s crying fits, they started ripping up my homework, stealing my things. I guess they thought they were playing the act of karma when they did it.”
“And I assume that guy who believed you stayed quiet the whole time?” Claude asked bitterly.
Marinette shrugged. “Basically. He tried to speak up on my behalf a few times, but he was always shut down too fast for it to matter.”
“Eventually, it got so bad that everyone started tripping me too, or running into me on purpose in the hallway. The last straw was when someone tripped down the front steps of the school, and I almost stumbled into a passing car. I was lucky I didn’t get hit.”
Felix’s grip tightened on his cup, and he thanked whatever was watching over her that day while simultaneously cursing the idiots she’d been forced to interact with. Did they even realize what they were doing? Or did they simply not care about almost murdering another classmate?
“Oh my gosh.” Allegra gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.
“That’s insane.” Allan said.
“Were they even sorry?!” Claude demanded, outraged. “Did they even look ashamed when you almost got hit?”
Marinette took another drink of her tea and shook her head. “No. My Maman tried to talk to the school about it, but since nothing actually happened besides me getting pushed, they could only offer her detention slips or suspension.”
She paused to look up at Felix, surprising him.
“That’s why I decided to transfer to Rosemary.” She said, and in that moment, it felt as though everything she had ever told him clicked into place. The reason the akuma attacks all seemed minor to her, why she never mentioned her old school, her becoming pale when Agreste first came around to Rosemary- it all made sense now, like he’d taken a million separate puzzle pieces and connected them to form a single picture.
Felix thought he would be pleased, that he would feel triumphant upon solving this brain teaser known as Marinette, but he didn’t feel pleased at all. Instead he felt.. Sympathy. And fury. This girl was not some puzzle for him to mess around with. She was a person, a friend, his friend, and to hear her be treated in such a way made his blood boil.
“We’re glad you did.” Allegra commented.
“Yeah, you’re clearly much better off here.” Claude agreed. “Those jerks don’t know what they lost.”
“So you guys aren’t.. Ya know.. mad at me or anything?”
“Mad at you?” Allan frowned. “Why would we be mad at you?”
“Well,” Marinette thumbed her mug for a moment, “I did kind of keep this a secret from all of you on purpose. I just didn’t want to drag my old problems to my new school. That and.. I didn’t want to risk you not believing me.. I’m sorry I didn’t have more faith in you guys.”
“You don’t have to be sorry.” Allegra said. “You went through something terrible. We don’t blame you for not wanting to bring it up again.”
“Besides, you transferred schools to escape from the rumors, right?” It only makes sense that you wouldn’t tell us about them when you got here.” Allan pointed out.
Felix nodded in agreement, and Marinette let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s good to hear. Thanks for hearing me out.”
“Of course.” Claude smiled. “You’re our friend, Marinette. A few dumb rumors would never drive us away. If it did, we wouldn’t even be friends with each other by now.”
Marinette gave him a curious look. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, we’ve all been lied about at some point.” The brunette stated nonchalantly. “I mean, we go to Rosemary, a school filled to the brim with rich, talented, and extremely spoiled kids who have nothing better to do than gossip about each other. I get accused of cheating at least once a semester. Allegra had rumors about her bribing the dance teacher when she was chosen for a leading role one year, and Felix has been rumored to actually not be rich at all.”
Felix rolled his eyes, but an incredulous laugh left Marinette’s lips.
“What?”
Allan snorted. “Oh, that one was pretty funny. Some people still think he actually lives in the school.”
“Seriously? Why?”
“Cause he wouldn’t invite people over to his house.” Allegra said with a wry smile. “And he practically wears the same outfit everyday.
Marinette hummed, looking Felix up and down. “They make a good point.. Felix, is there something you’d like to confess to?”
Felix gave a playful scoff, and the group laughed at his reaction.
“See?” Claude asked. “Your rumors were definitely worse than ours, but we’re not inexperienced. People will always try to bring you down in the lamest way possible.”
Marinette chuckled. “Yeah.. I guess they will. Thanks, guys.”
“Anytime.” Allegra smiled, pulling Marinette into a small hug.
“We’re always here for you.” Allan added sincerely.
Marinette smiled as well. “I know.”
“And if any of those jerks come around you again, you just let us know,” Claude said, punching his fist into his palm, “especially if it’s that guy who tried to tell you to ‘ignore’ Lila.”
A nervous laugh came from Marinette, and she reached up to mess with her pigtails as she said, “I appreciate that.”
Felix, satisfied with how the conversation ended, tilted his cup up to his lips, only to realize it was empty. He pulled his cup down and scanned the table, noting that Allegra and Claude’s cups were empty as well.
“Why don’t I get us some more tea?” He offered, moving to grab the tray.
“Oh!” Marinette perked up, quickly downing the rest of her tea in one gulp. “I’ll come too.”
Felix blinked. “Uh.. that’s not necessary. I can carry it all in one sitting. If you’d rather sit-”
“No, it’s alright.” She said, standing up to take Claude’s cup from him. “I want to stretch my legs anyway.”
The trio exchanged glances again, but Felix was too busy eyeing Marinette to notice. ‘Stretch her legs’? She’s only been sitting for- what? Thirty minutes? Forty-five? How restless could her legs be?
“We’ll wait in here.” Allegra remarked, referring to herself and the other boys.
Felix nodded and picked up the tray, not bothering to argue with Marinette. If she wanted to walk with him into the kitchen, she certainly had the right to do so. And who knows? Maybe she wanted a moment to herself and didn’t know how to tell them.
They strode into the kitchen together, and Felix set the tray on the counter while Marinette handed him her mugs.
“Thank you for helping me. You know you didn’t need to.” He said as he refilled the mugs.
“I know,” Marinette said, leaning against the counter while she waited, “but I actually wanted to speak with you privately, so this works for me.”
Felix raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She wanted to speak with him privately?��
“What did you need?”
Marinette glanced up at him, then seemed to think better of it as her gaze flicked back down to the ground. “I wanted to apologize to you too.. You remember last week when you asked me if something was wrong and I told you I didn’t want to talk about it? Well, the reason I was upset was because Adrien came to the bakery that day and begged me to speak with him. I didn’t really feel comfortable with it, but I felt guilty not giving him a second chance when he seemed so sorry about how he’d acted with Lila. So I agreed to have lunch with him after the Valentine’s Day party, which was where I ran off to while you guys were cleaning up. I guess Lila took a picture of us there, and I didn’t realize it..”
Felix frowned. Her reasons for visiting Agreste again were troubling to hear, but..
“Why do you need to apologize to me?”
Marinette’s gaze snapped to his again, her eyes wide with surprise. “Because I didn’t tell you. I knew after everything you’d heard about him that you wouldn’t want me going to see him, but instead of hearing your opinion, I just didn’t say anything. I should have talked to you about it. Maybe then Lila wouldn’t have found me and taken the picture..”
Felix stared at her for a moment, astounded by her logic. She thought she had to ask him before going to see Adrien? Sure, Felix would have advised against it immediately, but that didn’t mean she had to ask his permission.
“Marinette, you don’t owe me anything.” He told her. “Your life is your life. If you want to go have lunch with Adrien Agreste, that’s your decision. And while I would have advised against it, I still would have supported your decision nonetheless. I am your friend, not your boss or guardian. Do you understand?”
Marinette nodded, a grateful smile crossing her lips. He was happy to see it.
“More importantly, you don’t owe Agreste anything either. Just because he finally wisened up to his mistakes doesn’t mean you have to give him a second chance, especially if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.”
Felix paused, thinking over what he’d just said.
“Although, I am curious.. What did he apologize for? He wasn’t one of the people who assaulted you, was he?”
“Oh, no, no.” Marinette hastily answered. “He, uhm.. He was actually the one who didn’t believe Lila.”
Felix tensed, using all of his self-discipline to avoid screaming ‘Are you kidding me?!’. Because really, out of all the people that had to convince Marinette to let Lila go, why did it have to be him? Actually, now that he thought about it, of course it was him! Who else would Marinette have been willing to listen to? Who else would have had the gall, the audacity, to act as though enabling a spoiled brat was some noble sacrifice? Wow, that guy just managed to keep climbing up the ranks on Felix’s ‘most hated’ list, didn’t he?
“I see.” Felix managed to mumble. “Are you going to tell the others?”
Marinette bit her lip, which was most likely a ‘no’.
“Not yet-” bingo “-I don’t want him getting a bad reputation. He did apologize, after all.”
Felix drew in a deep breath, letting the frustration towards that answer melt out of him. This was Marinette’s decision. She has trusted him with it, and he is going to respect it, no matter how much he hates it. That’s why he simply heaved a heavy sigh and put a hand on her shoulder as he said, “Marinette, you are truly too kind for this world.”
A blush bloomed across her cheeks, and she let out a small laugh. “O-Oh.. thanks.”
Felix turned back to the tray and picked it up, offering her a polite smile as he did. He didn’t agree with her method of handling things, but he did trust her to know what she was doing. Marinette was Marinette, after all, and she was much more capable than he was in most areas. If she thought this was the best way to go, he wouldn’t dispute it.
“So,” he began as he gestured for her to start moving towards the living room, “if I just put sugar in Claude’s mug instead of tea, do you think he would know the difference?”
Marinette snorted. “Oh~, that’s a tough one. Maybe we should test it to find out.”
“Alright, but you have to give him the cup. If I do, he’ll assume I’ve poisoned it.”
Marinette giggled and walked into the living room, and Felix followed behind her with a smile. He knew he couldn’t march up to the Agreste mansion and rip Adrien apart like he preferred- he probably couldn’t get any revenge on him whatsoever -but Felix would be darned if he just let this go the way Marinette wanted him to. Actions such as this needed to be punished, not forgiven and forgotten because of some half-hearted apology. If she wanted to toss the whole ordeal over her shoulder, that was fine, but Felix was going to hold a grudge against Dupont that was strong enough for the both of them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Devotion: Alright guys! We’ve talked about the message of God’s wonderful salvation- which you should totally go back and read if you haven’t accepted Christ as your savior. It’s extremely important. -we’ve talked about how the Bible says people will react to the word of God, which has been proven to be true time and again; We have talked about Hell and why it exists; and in the last message, we talked about God’s compassion and faithfulness to His people. The last devotion wasn’t exactly in line with the others as far as the salvation theme, but today’s devotion will be! We’re going to talk about Jesus Christ and what exactly He went through on the cross to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. This one’s probably going to be a bit long, and it is going to be gruesome. So what I’m going to do is bolden the main points of what He went through, then I’m going to describe them in detail. That way, people who can’t stomach gore or painful descriptions can still see a semblance of what He did, and people who can stomach it will get to understand the full extent of which Jesus loves us. Alright? Everyone got it? Great! Let’s get going then!
We start in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus comes here only a few hours or less before He is arrested to be tried for crucifixion. He knows He is about to be arrested; He knows that this is the only way to save us from our sins, but that doesn’t stop Him from crying out to God and begging Him for a last way out. He says, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”, and the Bible says that He was under so much stress during this prayer, He actually began sweating drops of blood. Blood! More so, the Bible also tells us that Jesus had to have an actual angel fly down and keep His heart from rupturing, lest He die prematurely. That means that Jesus was so stressed He almost died before He could even be crucified! Jesus was scared! He was terrified of going through with what God was asking of Him, and wouldn’t we all be! Nobody likes pain, and Jesus was about to go through one of the greatest pains we could ever face. Not only that, there were going to be a few other add-ons to the physical pain He was about to receive.
See, Jesus is supposed to be the perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice to atone for all of our sins, but to do that, Jesus not only needs to be punished for the sins we have committed, He also has to become the thing He’s being punished for. You cannot punish something that is innocent. It would be unjust. Jesus is aware of this, and that’s another reason He’s as stressed as He is in this moment of prayer. Although Jesus is manifested in human form at the moment, He is still very much God and part of the Holy Trinity, and as such, He still hates sin with a burning passion. He is disgusted by the very thought of it, the very idea. So imagine His dismay when He figures out that He has to become sin! That it has to be woven and meshed into His entire being! That would be like, for me, looking at all of the disgusting food water that’s in the sink before doing dishes and having to bathe myself in it without soap. (even bathing in it with soap would be bad, but you know) And for you guys! Think of the most disgusting thing on earth and then imagine being drench in it! Having it smeared on your skin and shoved in your mouth and caked all over your body- That’s what becoming our sin was going to be like for Jesus, and He hated every bit of it!...
But He loved us. So He went on with it anyway, the pain of crucifixion and the atrocity of becoming all of the sins of the world at once.
As soon as He was done with prayer, Judas- one of the former twelve disciples -betrayed Jesus and handed Him over to the chief priests as well as a crowd of people and soldiers. Jesus went willingly with them and did not fight. In fact, when Peter- another one of the twelve -leapt forward to protect Him by cutting off one of the High Priest’s ears, Jesus actually rebuked him and proceeded to put the High Priest’s ear back on his head. He was healing one of the very people who were about to kill Him! And the disciples were so confused and so panicked by this mob and Jesus’ “strange” behavior, that they all fled. Every single one of them. (This was done to fulfill scripture, so we shouldn’t judge them too harshly, but it is extremely sad for Jesus’ case.)
So the High Priests take Jesus away to Caiaphas, another High priest, and they put Him on trial. The High Priests and Elders tried to put false witnesses up on the stand, but none of their stories were adding up. They couldn’t share the same details that the other was, and almost no two stories were the same. Therefore, the High Priests got frustrated and started taunting Jesus directly, saying, “Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee?” But Jesus refused to say anything. He just sat there, silent. This angered the High Priest, so he finally just yelled at Him- or at least, I imagine he yelled -and said, “I adjure thee by the name of the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” And here, we have one of the instances that Jesus openly admits, plain and blunt, that He is the Christ. He tells the High Priest that He is the Son of God, and that after this, He will be sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven.
The High Priest rents his clothes (which means to tear them. It used to be a sign of grieving) and says that Jesus has committed blasphemy, and unfortunately, the rest of the council agree and sentence Him to death. This is where the beginning of the crucifixion process begins. They still had to get a governor’s approval for the death sentence, but that didn’t stop them from taking Jesus and blindfolding Him and beating him while He was blindfolded. They would laugh and spit in His face during this and taunt Him, saying “Prophesy unto us, though Christ, who is he that smote thee?” It was an incredibly humiliating experience for our Lord to go through, but it was about to get much much worse.
The next morning, they take Jesus to Pontius Pilate, a governor, and demand that Jesus be crucified. Pilate, I would assume, reviews the case, because we see him ask Jesus if He is the King of the Jews a few verses later. Jesus simply answers with a “thou sayest” then refuses to speak again for the rest of the time. Despite that, though, Pilate knew the people were only delivering Jesus there because they were jealous of Him. So he gave the angry mob a choice: “Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?”
so understand this choice, it is important to know that there was a certain feast going on at that time, and at the feast, Pontius likes to release a prisoner of the people’s choice. Barabbas was a current prisoner, known for being a murderer and a thief, and I’m sure Pilate was hoping that by presenting a very unjust man compared to Jesus for release, the people would concede and choose Jesus to release. That’s not what happened, though. The people were so angry and so swayed by the High Priest’s influence that they decided to let the thief and murderer loose, as opposed to a completely innocent man. Pontius Pilate is flabbergasted and asks them, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”
The response was.. unanimous.
“Let him be crucified.”
“Why? What evil hath he done?” Pilate persisted, but the people only cried out louder for Jesus to be crucified. So Pilate, seeing that he couldn’t change their minds, washed his hands in a bowl of water and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”
Thus, Jesus was sent off to be Scourged, the first part of the crucifixion process. Scourging is a devious, calculated type of torture that uses a cat of nine tails to rip the flesh off of its victims. A cat of nine tails is basically a leather handle that has nine different whips attached to the same end, and on the end of those whips were hooks created from shattered glass or twisted metal or any other kind of sharp thing you can think of. The romans would throw the whip across their victim’s skin, and the jagged pieces laced into the whip would latch onto the skin. Then, the Romans would yank across the whip, causing the jagged pieces to tear through the flesh. The pain that would come from that is excruciating, and during this scourging, Jesus was stripped of his garments and whipped with a cat of nine tails thirty nine times. To put that in perspective, it takes 40 times of being whipped with that thing to be killed. This means that Jesus was whipped to the point of near death. His skin is in tatters. There is blood all over his skin. His teeth have probably cracked from having to grit them so much, and Jesus is in pain. He’s in so much pain already.
But it’s not over yet.
The next thing the Romans decide to do is place a purple garment around him, and weave a crowd of thorns together. These aren’t just regular thorns, either. These thorns are about two inches long and pointed, and by the time the Romans got a thick circle of thorns together, I’d imagine you could hardly hold it in your hands without getting hurt. They took those thorns and pushed all 70 or so of them into Jesus’ skull. THEN they grabbed a rod and beat the thorns into His head!! The thorns punctured Jesus’ head so deeply, that the thorns actually touched his skull, curved from hitting it, then poked back out of His skin somewhere else. The way the Romans put this crown on His head, Jesus physically couldn’t take it off. And after all of that, the Romans bowed down in front of Jesus and mocked Him again, saying, “Hail! King of the Jews!” and beat Him with their bare hands, even though they had already whipped Him to the point of near death.
Pilate took Jesus to the Jews and again begged them to reconsider and let Jesus go, but the Jews refused to do so. They screamed for Jesus’ death all the more, so Pilate reluctantly gave it to them. This leads us to the beginning of the end, when they make Jesus carry His own cross. Part of the crucifixion was having the crucified carry their own cross to Golgotha, or Skull. It was kind of like an extra burden and humiliation attempt, and it worked well. Think of it like a murderer being forced to make his own death shot and give it to the nurses who were going to insert it in him. Jesus had to walk through the city, or at least on some sort of road, where crowds of people were lined up on both sides, all of them cheering for His death, and He had to do this while He could barely stand up straight. The Bible tells us that, because of His injuries, Jesus actually didn’t get to carry His cross all the way to Golgotha. He collapsed somewhere along the way, and a man named Simon had to help Him carry it the rest of the way, but sadly, they did get it there.
Once Jesus and the cross were on the mount, the Romans laid the cross down, laid Jesus on the cross, and used these huge nails to nail Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross. This was done through careful puncture wounds between the wrist bones and foot bones. It kept Jesus in place, while aggravating his nerves to make his feet and hands go crazy with pain. The Romans then raised the cross up for all to see, and for the next six hours Jesus hung on that cross. Something to note about this is that Jesus’ cross was not smooth. It had splinters and jagged edges all over the place, and the way the nails were pierced into His feet and hands caused Him caused His lungs to push heavily on His diaphragm. Because of this, breathing became a bit of a problem. His lungs could take in air, but He couldn’t breathe out. To do that, He would have to pull up on the nails in His wrists and push up on the nails in His feet and exhale. Pushing up, though, would cause Him to push His scraped, slashed, and bruised back against the splinters or possibly even into them. And let me remind you: He hung on that cross for six hours. Six. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you would do a lot of breathing in six hours.
And yet, despite all of that pain and suffering, the worst was still yet to come.
Jesus said seven different phrases while on the cross. Seven times He pulled Himself up on the cross, enduring extreme forms of agony, to speak with us. Would you like to know the first thing He said?
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Jesus asked God to have mercy on us and forgive us. We’ve rejected Him and cursed His name time and time again, we’ve insisted on turning to Him with malice and hatred, and now we’ve put Him through some of the worst, most excruciating pain imaginable.. But He asked God to forgive us anyway. This, Jesus’ incredible love and mercy and grace towards us, is the baseline of Christianity. His love is what keeps this world turning on its very axis, and it’s why we have no qualms shouting His name to the rooftops. His name deserves to be shouted and praised after all of the things He went through just to allow us to be with Him and talk with Him.
The second phrase He said was to a thief who was hanging on the cross with Him. In the Bible, we are told that Jesus wasn’t the only one being crucified that night. Two thieves were also being crucified along with Him, and they were placed on the mount to His left and to His right. The thief on the right was spitting on Him and mocking Him as well, but the thief on the left rebuked the first thief, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” And the second thief turned to Jesus and added, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
This is when Jesus speaks the second time, as He, I imagine, turns to the thief as best He can to reply, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” This conversation right here is a wonderful example of salvation and how simple it truly is. This thief was dying. He’d lived a bad life full of mischief and wickedness, and he had no way of making that right. But because he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, he was still able to go to Heaven. Salvation isn’t about works or what we can try to give back to Christ (although, we should try to give back to Christ as much as we can after being saved), it’s about the free gift that Jesus gave us. Heaven and Salvation is a gift. All we have to do is accept it.
The third phrase Jesus says is to John, one of the disciples, and Mary, Jesus’ mother. The Bible says that Jesus sees them before He speaks, so I imagine they are near the cross and weeping. Again, He drags Himself up on the splintered cross, draws in a pain-staking breath, and utters, “Women, behold thy son!” to Mary, and to John He says, “Behold thy mother!”. So He was making sure that His mother was going to be taken care of before He passed away.
Around this time, as Jesus was hanging on the cross, the earth fell into total darkness. I’m talking the sky was black. And as soon as this happened, Jesus cried out into the sky, saying his fourth comment on the cross.
“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” or “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
This.. is where we see the second add-on that made Jesus so terribly stressed during His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. He is taking on the sins of the world. One can only imagine how many sins that would be, and in this moment, Jesus is taking every single one of them and forcing them into a single person, a single place to look upon. There was so much sin in Jesus at the very hour, that God had to do what He’s never done before in history and turn His back on a human being.
There are times when God’s grace leaves us, when His mercy runs out and we are instead faced with His judgement, but despite that judgement, God is still present in our lives and in the world around us. No matter how alone we’ve felt in the world, God has always been there next to us without us knowing. But not here. Here, God is actively turning His back on Jesus. He is completely forsaking Jesus because of the amount of sin that has poured into Jesus’ heart and soul as part of the sacrifice. That absence of God is something we are never going to know (unless you don’t get saved and go to hell, I suppose) but I can only imagine how empty it must be. How crushingly lonely it must feel, to know that now, Jesus truly is all alone in this world. The very God, the other part of Himself, that He’s been with since the beginning is now just.. Gone. That, I believe, was the worst part of this entire crucifixion for Jesus. He can face the physical pain; He can face the disgustingness of sin; He can face the humiliation of being God but also being mocked and treated like a life form lower than dirt because He knew He wasn’t facing any of that alone. He knew God was right by His side.
But now He wasn’t.
And Jesus was still there on the cross.
We see in the Bible that the darkness lasted for a full three hours, meaning Jesus has to go at least three more hours without God’s presence and comfort and light. In these last few hours, though, Jesus says three more phrases. His fifth phrase is, “I thirst.”
Another part of the Roman crucifixion costume was to get a sponge and soak it in vinegar mixed with gall. The combination created an extremely bitter taste that would supposedly distract the crucified from their pain every now and then, if only for a moment. So when Jesus said, “I thirst”, the Romans quickly got a sponge or even a cup ready and gave Him a sip of it. After He drank the cup, Jesus cried with a loud voice and said His final two phrases. Now in Luke and John, the last phrase that Jesus says is different when compared to each other, but the phrases are both so unique that I believe Jesus said both of them, one right after the other, and John and Luke simply wrote down different halves. So I’m going to write the last two phrases together.
“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. It is finished.”
After this phrase, Jesus gives up the ghost, or in other words, allowed Himself to die. This is another crucial point of Christianity because it shows Jesus’ power over life and death itself. He isn’t killed by blood loss or exhaustion or by a heart attack or anything like that. He simply dies because He wanted to at that moment. I think that’s kind of comforting actually. A God as powerful and loving as Jesus, who can control His own life and death as well as everyone else’s and was willing to give up His own life for us when we didn’t deserve it or even ask, is a God I most definitely want to serve.
Unfortunately, though, death was not quite the end of Jesus’ sacrifice. Not many people know this (or, at least, I didn’t know it for a long while), but after Jesus’ death, He went to hell for three straight days. Yes, you read that correctly. Actual Hell. If He’s going to take our punishment, He needs to take all of it, right? So don’t think God is just dishing out the punishments, but not taking any for Himself. He doesn’t need any, because He is a holy and perfect God, but He took some anyway so we didn’t have to, because He is also loving and merciful.
Hell was, thankfully, the last step of the sacrifice. After that, Jesus completed the ritual of becoming our free ticket to salvation by raising Himself from the dead! Have you ever heard of anyone who could raise themselves? I haven’t! And on top of that, the Bible says that Jesus’ resurrection was so powerful, that several other people around him were raised from the dead too! Just because He raised himself! Isn’t that crazy?
This is why rejecting Christ is such a big deal to God, and why people who claim there are other ways to Heaven are extremely blasphemous, because if there were any other possible way to Heaven, do you honestly think that God would have sent His only, begotten Son to die on the cross for us? Do you think God wanted to come down to suffer through all of this pain just to say “yeah, actually, you can also get in this other way”? No, of course not. Rejecting Christ’s sacrifice and salvation is basically telling Him that all of that pain and suffering didn’t matter, the same as spitting on Him like the other Jews as He hung on the cross.
He’s made the pathway to Heaven unbelievably simple. All we have to do is admit that we’re sinners, admit that we need saving from our sins, and accept Jesus Christ to be our savior by believing that He was the Son of God and that He died on the cross for us. If I was sure about anything in life, it is this. God is real. Heaven is real. Hell is real. Jesus is real, and He, along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, is calling to you now. He is giving you another chance to accept Him as your savior before it’s too late. This could possibly even be your last chance. So please don’t put it off.
I love you guys very much and really really appreciate the people who have continued reading this. I’ll be praying for all of you to receive what I’ve told you, and for those who already have, I’ll be praying for you to keep growing in the Lord. Stay strong in the faith my friends! Keep telling the world about Jesus! He’s always right beside us! <3
Also, Here’s a link for a youtube video about Jesus’ death from a medical point of view. It’s a bit more detailed than I was, so please go watch it as well! https://youtu.be/0B3kgiLxybYOn that note, here’s a link I found recently that gives a bunch of videos and written materials from the author of “Cold Case Christianity”. He was someone who used to be an atheist until he started studying the four gospels with his skill of eye-witness-account-scrutiny. After studying the Bible for a few months, He realized that the Bible is, in fact, telling the truth, and ever since then he’s been racing to let the rest of the world know. Please check him out! www.coldcasechristianity.com/resources)
Tag List: @sasstrashforlike5fandoms @artbyknigit @athena452 @nickristus-dreamer @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @arsaem @abrx2002 @neakco @pawsitivelymiraculous @too0bsessedformyowngood @nathleigh @lusicing @officiallydarkgeek @all-mights-asscheeks @tbehartoo @woe-is-me0 @raeuberprinzessin @lazuli-11 @miss-chaos27 @trippingovermyfeet @sadpotatoondrugs @ladybug-182 @jaggedheart11 @marinahrasauce @i-need-blog-ideas @thewheezingbubbledragon @crazylittlemunchkin @unabashedbookworm @moonystars14 @sunflowers-and-mooncakes @2confused-2doanything @magnificentcrapposts @moonnette @nickristus-dreamer @vixen-uchiha @casual-darkness @luxmorningstarr @jjmjjktth @kaithehero @itsme1598 @theymakeupfairies @xjaccyx @miraculous-ninja @miraculouspenta @swiftie-miraculer13 @justafanwarrior @all-mights-asscheeks @ira-sairain @lookatthestars1 @dahjokester @blissful-passing @solangelo252 @canivialemonsquints07 @derbygracie @pleaseignorejustheretoread
129 notes
·
View notes
Text
Texts from the Lost Tomb, part 5.4
I swear folks once I get this and the last part up I’m gonna condense it all
But yeah couldn’t resist some <3
Zhang and Wu Chat
Wu Xie: Um. I’m all done with the shower if you want a turn.
Zhang Qiling: I’m alright without one.
Wu Xie: sooo are you pissed at me still?
Zhang Qiling: ? I have not been angry with you since the ladder incident.
Wu Xie: you’ve barely said anything since the necklace thingy
Zhang Qiling: I believe it is a long-running joke amongst my friend group that I do not, in fact, say much.
Wu Xie: okay but there are multiple gouges in the tea house walls that would suggest you had somewhat strong feelings today
and I kinda caused the events that sparked said feelings
so just checking in you know
Zhang Qiling: I was not angry so much as I was afraid. More afraid than I’ve been in a long time.
Wu Xie: ??? But it has worked out fine??? Everyone made it out alive and Uncle Erbai gets to feel morally superior to the Zhang family for a while so today was a win overall
Zhang Qiling: I heard you scream. I didn’t know what had happened. I couldn’t get to you right away. Therefore, I was afraid.
Wu Xie: ohhhhh. oh, Xiao Ge. It’s alright now—hey the necklace was actually helping u look out for me:) It’s not like those ppl were actually trying to hurt me, really. Your family isn’t so bad, at least you don’t have any uncles you know of
today was just some big misunderstandings wrapped in some poor life choices. Tbh my memoir title
I feel kind of stupid for screaming but when a glowing necklace wraps itself around your neck it’s a little uhoh moment lol
I did like the design tho def my aesthetic.
Zhang Qiling: I am pleased that it was able to protect you when I was not.
Wu Xie: Uh no you are not allowed to get all emo abt this it’s only like 3pm
damn time flies when it’s flashing before your eyes lol
Are you on the roof? You’re def on the roof. I thought I heard the tiles moving over my head. Come down or I’m coming up.
Zhang Qiling: I will be down in a moment. Do not come outside, it’s cold and raining.
Wu Xie: you know, Zhang Rishan said he thinks the necklace might be linked to you, somehow
something from long ago, even though you wouldn’t remember it.
It’s lucky that it liked me, huh:)
Zhang Qiling: Yes. Quite lucky.
Babysitters Club Chat
Wang Pangzi: AWW LOOK AT HIM NAPPING ON YOUR SHOULDER SO CUTE. BEBES HAD A BIG DAY. YOU TWO ARE PRECIOUS. BE GOOD AND POSE FOR THE PICTURE NOW.
Zhang Qiling: No. Also, I am considering what steps I should take with Zhang Rishan. Regardless of his concern for the Zhang family line, his actions were unacceptable.
Wang Pangzi: HES DROOLING A LITTLE ON YOU WHICH IS LESS CUTE BUT I CAN CROP THAT PART
LOOK I KNOW YOURE STILL PISSED. IM NOT EXACTLY CALM MYSELF, I JUST HAVE WAYS TO SKIRT AROUND TIANZHENS BULLSHIT FILTER THAT YOU LACK
GET ON MY LEVEL
WU ERBAI WILL HANDLE IT, THINGS HAVE SETTLED I THINK
BUT ABOUT THAT NECKLACE
SO INTERESTING HMMM
Zhang Qiling: I am the patriarch of my family. The necklace behaved as I would, apparently, to protect a vulnerable family member. Wu Xie’s bad cold last week activated it, and it responded to a perceived danger to him today. Simple enough.
Wang Pangzi: UH HUH
A FAMILY MEMBER
THE NECKLACE REALLY SAID LOVE WINS
TOLKIEN COULD NEVER
Zhang Qiling: It protected him on a technicality. But I will not allow him to bear the burdens of my family ever again. It has taken so much from him already.
Wang Pangzi: YEAH SURE BLAH BLAH DESTINY BLAH BLAH ANGST
“A TECHNICALITY” WOW WHO SAID ROMANCE WAS DEAD
ANYHOO IM SCREENSHOTTING THIS FOR UR WEDDING RECEPTION SLIDESHOW
YA KNOW DURING MY SPEECH
Friends of Wu Xie Support Group Chat
Hei Yangjing: you’re welcome for everything today<3 I accept PayPal, although of course it is always my honor to assist my friends:)
Wang Pangzi: WE ARENT PAYING YOU SHIT
Zhang Qiling: You did absolutely nothing.
Hei Yangjing: whoa whoa maybe I wasn’t threatening family members or busting up load-bearing walls like some undying divas I could name but I totes helped
or at least I was there for moral support maybe?
Zhang Qiling: The only reason I knew you were there at all was that as I lowered my blade from Zhang Rishan’s neck, I heard the camera click and saw you were taking a selfie making a peace sign, angled to have the two of us in the background.
Xie Yuchen: I saw it on social media just now. The caption is “#greatdaycatchingupwiththelads #blessed”
Wang Pangzi: TBH KIND OF JEALOUS I DIDNT THINK TO DO THAT
Hei Hangjing: okay yeah you see Xiao Ge that is a modern kind of help I should’ve known you wouldn’t be aware
It’s called performance, you wouldn’t understand
it’s a ‘Gram thing
Also it means I’m a great person
Bc letting you handle the situation was my gift to you
Zhang Qiling: Wu Xie mentioned there is something called “blocking ppl” that gets them out of my phone.
Hei Yangjing: nah
Can’t trust that Wu Xie, bae can’t tell a coffin from an urn amirite
it’s not a thing, blocking
Xie Yuchen: It is a thing. I’ll show you later, Zhang Qiling.
Wang Pangzi: YOU BOYS GO GET CLEANED UP AND COME BY AROUND 9 I SNAGGED SOME OF ZHANG RISHANS BOOZE ON THE WAY OUT
Bonnie and Clyde Chat
Hei Yangjing: you looked pretty comfortable in those handcuffs earlier ;););)
Xie Yuchen: Go to sleep, idiot.
Hei Yangjing: You’d have to do something to tire me out ;););)
Xie Yuchen: Are you like this around Wu Xie? Not that I care, I’m just asking.
Hei Yangjing: uh that’s a big nope
First off all Idk when I’ll die but Id prefer it to be on my terms and not at the hands of those other two
Secondly there is a part of me that remembers how adorable he was when he was younger and that makes it weird
(No offense but u were not adorable. He was bebe luke skywalker, you were bebe princess leia I am obvs Han Solo 4lyfe)
Also I’m a little scared that if i flirted with him and he flirted back he’d be better at it.
Xie Yuchen: All valid concerns.
Hei Yangjing: as cute as he is I don’t really wanna tap that.
Xie Yuchen: I see.
Hei Yangjing: do you tho
Main Chat
Wu Xie: okay folks who wants cocoa to top the evening off? I picked some up today:D
Wang Pangzi: UH YOU SPENT YOUR DAY BEING KIDNAPPED AND PLACATING A SENTIENT NECKLACE WHEN DID YOU HAVE TIME TO GET GROCERIES
FRANKLY THATS INTIMIDATING
Wu Xie: the tea house gift shop:)
Wang Pangzi: …YOU BOUGHT COCOA FROM YOUR KIDNAPPERS. FROM THEIR GIFT SHOP. DURING YOUR KIDNAPPING.
WU XIE
WU XIE WHY
Wu Xie: I mean we were there the whole day, it felt impolite not to buy anything.
Wang Pangzi: OH RIGHT GREAT POINT ID HATE TO BE RUDE TO THEM AFTER THEY WENT TO THE TROUBLE OF ABDUCTING US
LISTEN WHEN PPL STEAL YOU IT BECOMES FREE REIGN ON THEIR SHIT
UGH YOU PROBABLY GOT A RECEIPT AND EVERYTHING
WAS UR LITTLE SHOPPING TRIP BEFORE OR AFTER THEY STUCK U IN A DUNGEON TO EXPERIMENT ON YOU
WAIT NVM I DONT WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT
Wu Xie: look, let’s focus on the positives/ we are all okay, and we learned something new, that necklace is still active! It’s really quite nice-looking when it isn’t moving of its own volition.
Wang Pangzi: YOU AND YOUR RELENTLESS DUCKING OPTIMISM
ZHANG QILING ARE YOU SEEING THIS
Zhang Qiling: I would love some cocoa. I’ll come to the kitchen.
Wu Xie: I have special marshmallows for you!!
Wang Pangzi: I SEE
WE ARE SUBSCRIBING TO THE PRESTIGIOUS “FUCK IT WHY NOT” SCHOOL OF THOT TONIGHT
LOL SURE LETS GO COCOA IT UP
IVE GOT SOMETHING STRONG TO POP IN IT
Wu Xie: Still thinking about that design… I’d love another chance to examine that necklace under less Zhangy circumstances.
Kinda sad we couldn’t borrow it to use for illnesses and dangerous missions :/
ah well it’s for the best, a family heirloom should be treasured, preserved and protected<3
Zhang Qiling: I put it on your dresser.
Wu Xie: ???????
Wang Pangzi: AND THATS WHY YOU AND I ARE FRIENDS, XIAOGE <3
Wu Xie: I—
Zhang Qiling: Are those bunny-shaped marshmallows for me?
55 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fire Lily | Pt. 12
warnings: none
a/n: Sorry this took me this long, guys! I’m back in school and am a little bit busier now, but I promise I’ll update as much as I can! Be warned that I did write a portion of this chapter with Can We Sing the Darkness to Light in my brain (it’s a choral piece and I’m a nerd lol) and so I probably found some of what I wrote a lot more emotionally compelling than it is due to my fragile state of mind when I hear a good tenor part. Whoops.
This chapter takes place during “The Headband.” The story kind of stalls for a bit here in the aftermath of Crossroads of Destiny, so I’m sorry about that, but I promise I’ve got some more exciting things planned for later!
Fire Lily Masterlist
The Fire Nation was weird. It was a thought that Y/N couldn’t get out of her head. Everywhere Y/N had been in the Earth Kingdom (besides Ba Sing Se, which was strange and creepy within its own right), had had the shadow of war looming over it constantly. Here, it was like it didn’t exist.
There was no fear in the Fire Nation, not like there was in the Earth Kingdom, and nothing like what Katara and Sokka had described about the Southern Water Tribe. Here, they weren’t constantly on alert. They could relax. Somehow, the Fire Nation had always been on the offensive. These people didn’t know what it was like, hearing about armies creeping closer to your home.
It was also strange to think about how Zuko lived there. The Fire Nation was his home. Y/N was letting herself think about Zuko now, every once in a while. She let herself think about Jet, too. She thought of him every time she picked up her swords to spar with Sokka. She thought of him every time she lit their fire at night.
They were staying in a cave outside of the village, and it gave Y/N the heebie-jeebies. She didn’t like how dark and damp it was, and it made her feel trapped. Toph felt right at home, surrounded on all sides by earth. Meanwhile, Sokka couldn’t get past the threat of “enemy birds.”
“They’re Fire Nation birds, guys,” Sokka insisted, waving his arms frantically to deter the birds in question.
“They’re birds, Sokka,” Katara corrected, rolling her eyes.
“So, this is how it’s going to be until the invasion.” Sokka looked around at their surroundings—the cave, some rocks, grass.
“Hiding in cave after cave after cave…” Y/N shuddered, glaring at the mouth of the cave.
“We don’t need to be cave people,” Katara said, putting a reassuring hand on Y/N’s shoulder. “What we need is some new clothes.”
“Yeah,” Aang agreed, “blending in is better than hiding out. We’ll be safer with Fire Nation disguises.”
As much as Y/N hated wearing Fire Nation clothes, she hated constant cave-living more. “I like that plan.”
“We don’t want to sit around and eat cave hoppers,” Toph said, hitting the cave wall. A few of the bugs came tumbling onto the ground, and Momo scooped one up and ate it with a chomp. Y/N winced. “They have much better food out there.”
“Well, where are we going to get clothes?” Sokka questioned, crossing his arms. “We don’t have nearly enough money.”
Y/N thought for a moment. “We could just steal some. I thought I saw some clotheslines when we flew in.”
The others stared at her for a moment.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures?” Y/N added, uncertainly. Yes, they were the “good guys,” but they also needed clothes, and no one had any better ideas.
“Okay,” Katara agreed quickly. “Let’s go.”
---
As it turned out, stealing had been very fun. Y/N wondered briefly if that made her a bad person, but she had managed to find a ribbon for her hair, and the feeling of having it away from her face made her question her morals a lot less.
Y/N did try her best to find something that wasn’t red, to no avail. Soon, they were all clad in their Fire Nation getup. It felt a lot better than the soldier’s uniform, but Y/N still wasn’t sold on the red. Sokka and Aang seemed to be enjoying themselves, though, and Aang seemed a lot less upset about covering up his arrow.
Y/N was very unsure about the sleeveless red top and dark grey pants that she was left with. But it was definitely better than her tattered dress, and the ensemble was easier to move in. She liked how her arms were completely free, and the long pants made the grass let scratchy.
Katara and Toph looked great in their outfits, although Katara did seem upset about having to remove her necklace, and Toph had already punched the soles out of her new shoes. They made the unanimous decision to go into town and get some shopping done with the money they had left.
“Here.” Y/N took her own money out of her bag, as well as the gold cup with her family crest. “We can all use this. I don’t really need it anymore.”
It was time to let go of the cup. It would be useful to them, at least. And there were plenty more heirlooms in her family. And now, standing side by side with the Avatar, two of the most powerful benders in the world, and Sokka, in his genius, Y/N felt more confident than ever that maybe she’d be able to make it back home. Her father could forgive her for getting rid of the cup. Her mother thought it was ugly, anyway.
“Are you sure?” Aang asked with some concern. Y/N nodded.
“It’ll be more useful to us if we trade it,” Y/N insisted. Besides, the cup was just another reminder of Ba Sing Se.
“Wait.” Katara stopped Y/N as the others turned to leave. “Your hair. The ponytail is too low. The Fire Nation has them higher.”
“Oh.” Y/N didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it. She pulled the deep red ribbon out of her hair.
“Here, let me help,” Katara said, pulling the ribbon from Y/N’s hands. Y/N was tall, so she had to crouch a bit, allowing Katara to secure her hair into a ponytail that sat towards the crown of her head.
“Better,” Katara hummed approvingly. She took Y/N’s hand. “Now let’s go.”
The village they were in was vibrant and peaceful, Y/N noticed. There were plenty of people around, and Y/N hadn’t seen any soldiers yet. The group decided it was safe to split up if they wanted to. Y/N followed Toph and Katara to a jewelry booth.
Y/N helped Katara pick out a new necklace, and Toph donned a small crown. Y/N was a bit surprised—Toph didn’t seem like the type to appreciate jewelry. Y/N bought a set of matching gold bangles to put on her wrists.
“You know,” Katara suggested as she secured the necklace around her throat, “we could get you something for your swords. I know Jet had something like that.” Katara’s voice caught on Jet’s name for just a moment before recovering.
It would very useful, Y/N knew. She could always bend, but she felt like Katara could tell she had mixed feelings about it. Plus, she knew more about wielding the swords than proper firebending.
After a lot of scouring, Toph managed to locate a store for weaponry. Y/N asked the shopkeeper for advice on what to look for. He had seemed confused for a moment, and Y/N remembered that hook swords probably weren’t a common choice here—she had read once in her library that they were a traditional weapon from the northern Earth Kingdom. But luckily, the shopkeeper hadn’t asked any questions and directed her to the right area.
Y/N ended up settling on a belt-like sheath, with two loops at her hips that the hooked points of the sword easily fit through, but it would get stuck at the handle, holding the swords securely but still allowing for Y/N to pull them out without much trouble.
“Six gold pieces,” the shopkeeper said in an unnecessarily loud voice. Y/N frowned. They only had a few silver pieces and the cup left, and Sokka and Aang had the rest of the money. Y/N pulled the cup out of her bag and set it on the counter.
“I’ll trade this for it.” The shopkeeper’s eyes widened.
“Where did you get that?” He asked, eyeing the piece. It looked as if he thought it was fake; he picked it up and tapped it on the counter a few times.
“I’m from the colonies,” Y/N said. It wasn’t a complete lie. Technically, she was. The man gave her a brief look of disgust.
“It’s worth more than what you’re asking,” Y/N pressed, tapping a beat on the counter impatiently. She hoped he wouldn’t ask more questions or say anything about what his sour face was for.
“Deal,” the man said finally, taking the cup and stashing it behind the counter. Y/N felt surprisingly little as she watched it disappear from sight, and any wisps of sadness were expunged when she secured the belt around her waist.
Y/N walked back with Katara and Toph to their cave hideout. Sokka was already waiting, but Aang was nowhere to be found.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Y/N reassured. “There aren’t very many soldiers in this village, and his tattoos are covered.”
“Yeah, Twinkle Toes can handle himself,” Toph agreed, plopping down onto the grass.
“Hey, Y/N?” Sokka called, waving his arm. “Want to look over some of these plans with me?”
Before Y/N could respond, Katara was speaking. “You never ask me to help you with that stuff.”
“Hey,” Sokka protested. “You and Aang and Toph handle the bending, and Y/N and I will handle the plans. No offense, Y/N.”
“None taken.” Y/N knew her bending was almost useless—she could light their fire at night, but other than that she only knew a few basic moves. In a true bending fight, she was done for.
Y/N walked over to join Sokka, sitting on the grass in front of a rock that he was using as a makeshift table. Y/N was a bender, sure, but it was nice to have a non-bender around. Y/N wasn’t comfortable with her bending like the others, who were all masters of their own elements when she had never even had a formal teacher.
“I tried looking into that boiling rock you were talking about a bit more,” Sokka explained, spreading a map across the rock that he hadn’t shown her before. It was an older map of the Fire Nation—Y/N wasn’t sure where he got it.
“I couldn’t come up with much, but my guess is somewhere like that would probably be in one of the more volcanic regions of the Fire Nation.”
“But why would my brother be in the Fire Nation?” Y/N wondered aloud.
“What?” Sokka looked at her in confusion, an eyebrow raised. “You’re looking for your brother?”
“Um…” Y/N hummed awkwardly. “Yeah. He was arrested by the Fire Nation before I left home. I had a weird dream a few days ago, and he said something about a boiling rock.” She could tell Sokka was looking at her sympathetically, although she made a point to focus her eyes on the map.
“I know it’s a long shot,” Y/N acknowledged, “but I thought I’d at least try.”
“No, I totally get it,” Sokka shrugged. “You want him to be safe. I get that. He’s your brother.”
“I feel like it’s my fault,” Y/N admitted. “I didn’t help him. I actually made the situation worse.” Y/N gave a dry laugh. “I don’t know if he’d want to see me.”
“Of course he wants to see you.” Sokka looked affronted. “He’s your brother, and you’re supposed to take care of each other.”
“Yes,” Y/N groaned, “but I didn’t!”
“He’s your older brother, right?” Sokka clarified, his head echoing your nod in response.
“Well,” Sokka paused, as if searching for the right words, “as an older brother, I’m sure he wants to see you. And Y/N, I know it’s hard when you want to protect someone, and you fail.” Sokka’s eyes were filled with a sadness that made Y/N want to reach out and hug him, but she held off.
“But that doesn’t mean that that person is going to be angry at you,” Sokka continued carefully. Y/N felt like he was reassuring himself as much as he was her. “And even if you fail, you can keep doing everything you can to protect the people you care about. And I’m sure that he wants to do the same for you.”
“Thanks, Sokka,” Y/N said softly, her eyes beginning to water. Before she could back away, Sokka was pulling her into a hug.
Y/N hugged him back. She realized she hadn’t hugged anyone since… well, before she left home. They stayed there for a moment, before Sokka pulled away.
“Ready to review my schedule?” Sokka asked, suddenly upbeat. He unrolled a scroll that spread all the way across the rock and down onto the grass.
“Oh my…” The entire thing was color-coded. Y/N wondered where he got the ink for that. “Hand me a pen.”
Sokka smiled as they went to work.
---
Aang returned to camp later in the afternoon and was properly lectured by Katara. Sokka was completely appalled.
“You’re enrolled in Fire Nation school?” Sokka asked for the tenth time. Aang’s answer didn’t change.
“Yes. And we learn about the secret river tomorrow!” Aang reminded them. The secret river was the only thing getting Sokka to moderately accept the idea. Y/N thought Sokka was too easily persuaded by weird sneak-attack opportunities. “But I can’t go back unless I bring my parents to meet with the headmaster right now.”
“Y/N can be a pretty convincing actress,” Toph suggested. “Not for me, since I can tell when you’re lying, but others seem pretty convinced.”
“Sokka, Y/N,” Aang pleaded, “will you pretend to be my parents?”
“Sure,” Y/N agreed. If Aang really wanted to go to this school, she would help. She remembered how much she wished she could go to school. While it was still far from a normal experience… Aang deserved to have some fun like a regular kid.
“I don’t know,” Sokka murmured, looking contemplative.
“Secret river, Sokka!”
“Fine,” Sokka gave in. “But first we need to get our disguises!”
“Disguises?” Y/N echoed, but Sokka was already running off, Aang following enthusiastically behind him.
When Sokka and Aang returned, Y/N almost died from laughter. The beard plastered to Sokka’s face was ridiculous. She had no clue where he got it.
“Y/N, make your hair look more mature and put this in your shirt,” Sokka ordered, holding out a bundle of cloth fashioned into a smooth round shape. It looked like a bag stuff with wool.
“What?”
Sokka sighed exasperatedly. “Do you want to be convincing or not?”
“Fine.”
Y/N felt ridiculous and was pretty sure she looked almost as ridiculous as Sokka as Aang led them into the school building. Y/N noticed how everything inside seemed a little bit short, and portraits of Fire Lord Ozai hung on the walls, Fire Nation insignias everywhere. Y/N had never seen the Fire Lord’s face before until Aang had brought back his macaroni portrait.
Zuko didn’t look like him, Y/N noticed. Ozai’s face was sharp—Zuko’s was kinder. But Y/N found herself imagining Zuko on that poster, with his shaggy hair and scar, and that look on his face when he fired at the Avatar.
Y/N took a seat with Sokka and Aang as they entered the headmaster’s office. The headmaster was a severe-looking man with the same beard, sideburns, and thin mustache that all of the Fire Nation men Y/N had met seemed to have. He greeted them as they took their seats.
“Thank you for coming, Mr. and Mrs…”
“Fire,” Sokka replied haughtily. His accent was atrocious. “Wang Fire.” Y/N held back a snort.
“And this is my wife,” Sokka gestured to Y/N, “Sapphire.”
It took everything in Y/N’s power to not roll her eyes. “Sapphire Fire. Nice to meet you.”
“Well, Mr. and Mrs.,” the headmaster paused, “Fire. Your son has been enrolled here for two days and is already causing problems. He’s argued with his history teacher, disrupted music class, and roughed up my star pupil.”
“That doesn’t sound like our Kuzon!” Y/N said, giving Aang a discrete bump of her elbow when he smiled.
“That’s what any mother would say, ma’am,” the headmaster responded. “Nonetheless, you’re forewarned. If we continue to have problems, I’ll have to send him to reform school.”
“Reform school?” Y/N asked.
“By that, I mean the coal mines.” The headmaster stood, glaring down at them.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Headmaster,” Sokka said. Y/N wanted to facepalm. “I’ll straighten this boy out something fierce!” Sokka turned to Aang. “Young man, when we get home, you’re in for the punishment of a lifetime!”
The headmaster seemed rather satisfied with that response, nodding with a slight smirk.
“Thank you for informing us of our son’s behavior,” Y/N told him, trying to sound professional to make up for Sokka’s over-the-top character. “Goodbye.”
“Success!” Sokka cheered as soon as they were out of earshot. Y/N punched his arm.
“Wang Fire?” Y/N questioned incredulously.
“What? It’s a good name!” Sokka whined, rubbing the spot on his arm.
“Sapphire Fire?” Aang added with a smirk.
“Okay, so maybe that one wasn’t my best,” Sokka admitted, stroking his beard.
“Will you please get rid of that thing?” Y/N already didn’t like how much Sokka was enjoying his fake facial hair.
“Never,” Sokka replied with a smile.
Fire Lily Masterlist
taglist: @kaylove12, @akariblue, @wolfiemichele, @aquatickanye, @sunflowerr-mami, @nadiblue. @la3divine, @sarsky, @aangsupremacy
#atla fanfic#atla#zuko x reader#eventual zuko x reader#zuko x y/n#the gaang#the gang#atla x reader#wang fire#sapphire fire#kuzon
55 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Wicked Powers Theories
The Wicked Powers has recently been getting me excited WAY too much - which says a lot about how weird I am since Cassie hasn’t even started on it yet (LOL).
aND, so, I kind of thought it’d be nice to jot down some predictions and theories on how the series might go and maybe some thoughts on THE SHIPS (that really do be the real TEA).
So.Here we go.And do let me know about any thoughts you have on this topic as well - I read anything about TWP like a crazed creature these days istg.
1)The POV has already been envisioned to be from Ty, Dru and Kit. I absolutely love this settlement since they are all very intriguing characters. Ty is an interesting person and his actions are always unpredictable, so we might enjoy this one. And,I believe he is at The Scholomance while the story progresses, followed by Livvy (Ghost Livvy, I mean).It’s still unclear what Livvy’s situation is, so I can’t wait to know more about that - it’s bound to be something unexpected. And, as for Dru, it’s kinda obvious. We all know that WE HAVE A LOVE TRIANGLE COMING UP. But, other than that, we also know she attends The Academy and finally starts to makes some friends and even has that really close Italian (..or was it Spanish???) Shadowhunter friend who’s her age and Cassie also revealed that the two are really tight indeed. And I will be honing in on the Love Triangle soon - I told you I’ll be trying to spill whatever tea I’m guessing at. And, as for the last character WE HAVE KIT! OMFG YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE OLDER BROTHER KIT.LIKE GOSH DARN IT HE IS SO ADORABLE AND MINA IS SO EFFING CUTE I CAN’T EVEN- AND KIT’S TRAINING WITH JEM AND HE IS GOING TO BE A WELL-TRAINED SHADOWHUNTER IN TWP, SO YAYYYY!! And, I absolutely CANNOT wait for MinaXKit interactions, they are the cutest siblings ever and I absolutely know that Mina grows up to be sarcastic. I can’t wait for the possible sarcastic arguments between Kit and 4-year old Mina. YOU THINK I FORGOT ABOUT KITxTY? NOPE.THE REAL SHET’S COMING UP.
2)Now,we know that the storyline is going to have something to do with that Faerie Heirloom that was from the Rosales Family. And, Cassie also said it was going to be kind of an Arthurian Legend-ish story. If you don’t know the Arthurian Legend, I suggest you read on it. I’m not sure if Cassie meant the characters and LOVE Aspect of it or the LEGEND aspect of it as in the stuff about Excalibur and all. But, for now we’ll view it in both and examine it, shall we?
King Arthur's reign ends after his wife and best knight have an affair.
This is the drama in the legend.But, there are no relationships with the MCs yet. So idk. I’m clueless. Like, maybe Dru has a relationship?? Okay I’m clutching at practically nothingness so don’t judge me. :/
So,it’s obviously something to do with the LEGEND.
I am afraid I cannot say too much about it, since I have never read too deeply about it. But, here’s some of the basics:
-He managed to pull out Excalibur from the rock it was stuck in.
-He wielded Excalibur for the people and not for his own self-interest.
-He gets help from a wizard named Merlin.
-The peeps go on a quest.
And I have this reference from a website..I’ll hit u with the link as well, if you’d like to read more on it like I did
Arthurian legend, the body of stories and medieval romances, known as the matter of Britain, centring on the legendary king Arthur. Medieval writers, especially the French, variously treated stories of Arthur’s birth, the adventures of his knights, and the adulterous love between his knight Sir Lancelot and his queen, Guinevere. This last situation and the quest for the Holy Grail (the vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper and given to Joseph of Arimathea) brought about the dissolution of the knightly fellowship, the death of Arthur, and the destruction of his kingdom.
(I’ve linked it with the text above.)
So,now I thought this was interesting- the destruction part. After all, it’s something I’m expecting about the Shadowhunters. Will the Clave maybe be destroyed? Or maybe Faerie will be destroyed? So,there were three things that brought on this uh Destruction.FIRST, his wife and his best buddy were going behind his back and doing them lovey-dovey stuff. And they all go on some quest to retrieve something important to them. So, this sounds like something plausible to be the plot of TWP. Maybe the Heirloom’s missing? And who goes on the quest though? Maybe they venture through Faerie? BLAH MY HEAD HURTS SOME THINGS ARE BETTER TO BE SURPRISED WITH ;)
-----I kinda scrolled back up while writing about Janus down there and remembered CLARY MIGHT BE TAKEN HOSTAGE LIKE YESS AND THEY GO FIND HER MAYBE?
3)We will defo see Christina, Mark and Kieran at some point- no worries, Emma and Julian too. Happy Couples! XD
4)So,then we can look forward to Dru and Jaime’s interactions. I am absolutely excited for this the most, as a shipper of the two. If you remember, we saw Jaime ignoring her for a while back there at the end of QOAAD and then he says “See ya at the Academy soon ig”. I really do hope they meet and hang out as friends, at least. I am excited to see what kind of trope it’s gonna be tho. Like, do they ignore each other and remain awkward until they start the adventure stuff in the book where they eventually have to talk to each other after years or smth. Or, maybe they’re really good friends rn. But, what I’ll warn y’all shippers is that they might not end up together, and could wind up as brother-sister-ish kind of best buddies. Which is equally cute a relationship imo. It’s a really sweet thing to be, really. I lowkey hope Cassie spins something beautiful for their relationship like a sibling-like best friends kind of thing. But, I feel like they might have feelings for each other in secret. Or maybe they date. Or maybe they suppress their secret-feelings for the sake of friendship later on in the book and end up having that really sweet friendship I was talking about.There are SO many options and that is precisely why I am so freaking excited.
5)JAIME ROCIO ROSALES. Like, I have this gut feeling that he might end up being my fave male protagonist character in TSC. He’s got it ALL. Like, the sense of humour, the looks, the bubbly yet brooding personality, the quirks and OFC THE FRICKING NAME ITSELF IS CUTE AF LIKE BRUH I CANNOT WAIT TO READ ABOUT HIM.I have so much to say about Jaime but I’d rather we let ourselves simply wait for the crumbs Cassie might give us or maybe reread all his parts in TDA like I do everyday or just wait for the book to come out rather than simp for someone we know nothing about yet....
6)Ash Morgenstern. He’s a cute lil bean. That was random and untrue lmao. He’s not a ‘lil bean’. He’s totally badass with dem wings and all, but we know he’s soft inside for Janus and ofc Dru, I believe. I find him the most intriguing character, honestly. I would love to know what goes through his head. He’s actually, like, the one character in TSC that I don’t have all figured out. He gon surprise us all for sure tho. He is awesome. That’s all I have to say for now. And he looks up to Janus which is SO GODDAMN SWEET AHHHH. And THE WINGS I CANNOT WAIT TO READ MORE ABOUT THE WINGS IT SOUNDED SO BADASS ISTG I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT GOSH DARN IT. But he really do be a cute lil bean lowkey tho.
7)Kit and Ty
LOL. I have no words really. But lemme tell you how it might go. There is definitely going to be some kind of reunion. AND THEN THAT’S WHERE IT GETS CUTE. They could either be awkward and we know what tension that gets us-perhaps some whisperings of My Watson...(? ;) and maybe they go all sad and brooding with dem looks later OR, they could be the sweetie-pies they were before and be happy and all HIII BUDDDYYYY MISSED YAAA LESS GO BE DETECTIVES YAY BURN IT UP MAH BUDDY!!
Either way it’s going to be cute af and we know it . TRUST IN CASSIE Y’ALL.I trust Cassie to let this ship sail the seven seas and seven more like it deserves.
8)Ash and Dru
So, Ash has a strange lil fixation on Dru and I believe he even thought she was ‘pretty’ or something. It was definitely a good adjective, but I think he said ‘pretty’. idk but we know he likes her. and I can imagine a nice relationship. I can picture them with her hair flying in the wind and they meet for the first time or smth. IHNI WHAT IM SAYING. But, there will be DRAMA. They are going to be real cute with each other YOU CAN BET ON THAT.And, by cute I do not necessarily mean ‘Oh, you have the loveliest eyes’ or some shet like that. I have a feeling it’s going to be a case of ‘Well,that’s not weird or anything YOU WEIRDO - NO U - NO U - NO U’
However this relationship is going to go, I know that it’ll be a sweet one.And, for all you shippers of these two, I have no assurances that HE IS THE ONE or anything but he is definitely a candidate. Jaime is going to be some competition I can tell. So, idk. It depends on the Jaime x Dru ship to decide things for Ash x Dru ship imo, since it might be a no-brainer if the two have feelings for each other- I mean,Jaime is an actually perfect love interest in TSC, while Ash is strong potential Best-Friend material, so it’s ONLY if Jaime and Dru don’t like each other that way that Ash could make it as a love interest. So, if y’all wanna find out what’s in it for you guys, ask Cassie maybe about how the Jaime x Dru ship might go, the next time u wanna ask her ;)
9)Tavvy and maybe the kid Helen and Aline might have had
We were getting hints of another baby, so HERE WE GO.Tavvy might have a playmate. :D. YAYYYYYYYYYY
10)Janus
I’m honestly worried about him. He is a worrisome character. I hate empathising with the antagonist, personally. AAAAHHHH . I hope we see some character development in him. I really don’t want to see him as an antagonist in the story.
He’s sweet and feels cheated, but he should realise that it ain’t Jace’s fault but SEBASTIAN’S fault. I would like for him to make amends with Jace :(
And, also, he might get the story started in TWP tho idk. But, seriously tho, when he went home in that short story and Ash asked, “I thought you were gone forever?” or something of that sort and he shook his head sadly and Ash went soft for him. Like, that fricking broke my heart. I love this relationship tho.
And, i hope Clary and him can be good friends. But, I feel like he might end up dying to save her or smth and make us all cry . T_T
11)WHAT TF IS GOING ON WITH THE SHADOWHUNTER POLITICS RN THO?HOW AND WHERE ARE THEY ALL SURVIVING TOGETHER WHAT IS THEIR SYSTEM AND STUFF THIS IS NOT A POINT WITH POTENTIAL THEORIES COZ HONESTLY I WANT TO BE SURPRISED BUT I THINK THEY MIGHT ALL JUST BE IN HIDING AND THEN IN TWP THEY MIGHT HAVE TO COME OUT FOR A QUEST OR SMTH AND WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE SHADOWHUNTERS AT THE CLIMAX OF THIS WHOLE SERIES??? IT IS THE END OF TSC SO IM SCARED AND KINDA SAD TOO :(((((((
12)Thule
We might learn more about the Thule world and maybe they restore it or maybe the Quest is in Thule. idk. we don’t know much, but Thule will most probably be explored a lot. Cassie wouldn’t have opened up Thule for no reason.
13)Zara and Emma
Showdown? Befriend e/o ? What’s in store for these two? If it’s a showdown we get to see CORTANA YAY I AM OBSESSED WITH CORTANA NOW BECAUSE OF CORDELIA AND HER OBSESSION GOSH DARN IT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME
14)BIG WAR
I see a huge war coming I just know it. It’s a climax so there MUST be a big war and so I cannot wait! Feel like there’s gonna be some deaths as well. Lowkey feel like Jia might die. I can feel it. :(
15)The best-friend shadowhunter of Dru is a nice thing to look forward to! I can’t wait to read about the two! And I love the fact that Dru is finally exposed to new people. And, for anyone who’s confused as to how she goes to the Academy, in QOAAD she only said she’ll have some maturity done AFTER some years . Those years are over and she at the Academy now hecc yeah
I BELIEVE THE BFF IS CALLED THAI AND SHE’S FROM THE SPANISH INSTITUTE CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG???
16)Magnus Bane
He is literally everywhere. He gon be here too. No worries for all the Magnus Bane stans. He’ll make it here without a doubt! Good for you :). and the entire community of shadowhunters they literally always need him
17)THE MAIN MAIN PLOT THE SHADOWHUNTERS SHOWDOWN IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO ALSO BE RELATED TO THE PRINCES OF HELL COMING TOGETHER AND I AM TOO SCARED TO LOOK TOO INTO IT BUT WE KNOW SHIZ COMING GNJODIFPEDWEFHUGBJ VM
18)THIS IS KINDA RANDOM BUT I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SELF-ESTEEM GROWTH IN DRU LIKE PLEASE SHE QUEEN MWAH
#shadowhunters#theshadowhunters#queen of air and darkness#the dark artifices#TWP#the wicked powers#cassandra clare#shadowhunters theories#the wicked powers theories#twp theories#lady midnight#lord of shadows#kit herondale#ash morgenstern#dru blackthorn#emma carstairs#julian blackthorn#mina carstairs#ty blackthorn#tavvy blackthorn#jace herondale#clary morgenstern#clary fray#tessa gray#the infernal devices#helen blackthorn#mark blackthorn#livvy blackthorn#zara dearborn#horace dearborn
45 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ground Zero
Part Two: Freedoms
Read on AO3 here.
Summary: Two-shot. Though Tonks had been fantasizing about moments like this for months—moments when the two of them were in bed together—none of them had involved quite this much blood or mortal peril. In which Remus is injured during a mission and Tonks has to think fast to save his life.
Author’s Note: This will be a two-shot and perhaps part of a larger Remadora series. They are definitely one of my OTPs, and I feel like a lot of their relationship was glossed over in the books. This story attempts to place a timeline on some of their romance. It takes places soon after Order of the Phoenix, before the Half-Blood Prince. I envision it happening right before Harry arrives at the Weasley’s and sees Tonks and Molly there. I’m pretty new to fanfiction writing, so any kind comments would be appreciated! (I had to re-upload chapter 2 because of a link issue and because idk how Tumblr works lol sorry about that)
Chapter 2 : Remus recovers from the attack while Tonks tries (and fails) to stay casual. There's only one bed, after all. Past Wolfstar if you squint.
One minute. That’s how long she allowed herself to lose control. Sitting there, shivering on the cool bathroom tile, she felt like a complete idiot. Since it had been well-established that the universe hated her, it made perfect sense that she had to have gone and fallen in love with a man who she was quite certain would never love her back. At least, not in the way she hoped. She had managed to earn in his friendship, but was sure that, in his eyes, she was still the same immature girl he had believed her to be all those months ago: too young, too frivolous, too clumsy. And, he was probably right. He had been a bloody professor for Merlin’s sake! Meanwhile, she was the girl who would pretend to be professors to pull pranks and end up in detention with a Howler from home the next day.
Not to mention the issue of Sirius. She had never known exactly what had gone on between Remus and her cousin in the past. But, after Remus’s reaction to Sirius’s death, she was fairly certain their relationship had not been strictly platonic. These thoughts of Sirius caused her to shake even more. A few stray tears slid down her cheeks. It was her fault he was dead.
She relived the fight at the Department of Mysteries every day. Her biggest failure. What could she have done differently? What curses or hexes had she forgotten? If she had been a better dueler, a better Auror, would Sirius still be alive today? Surely, Remus had asked himself similar questions. So, Tonks resigned herself to the sad truth: even if Remus felt anything towards her, he would never want to be with the witch whose incompetence had led to the death of one of the only people on Earth he had ever loved.
Her minute was up. Tonks pushed herself off of the floor. She leaned over the sink and stared in the mirror. Her hair, which often involuntarily changed color to reflect her mood, had reverted to its natural mousy brown. Right now, she possessed neither the desire nor the energy to turn it back to pink. With one hand still gripping the basin of the sink, she turned on the faucet. For a moment, she just stood there, listening to the water run. She took a deep breath and splashed a few handfuls of cold water on her face. Returning to the bedroom, she was determined to force any longing thoughts concerning Remus from her mind. Constant vigilance, she repeated to herself, policing her stream of consciousness in order to banish all romantic inclinations. Although, somehow, she was certain this was not quite what Mad-Eye had had in mind when he coined the phrase.
“You should try and get some sleep,” she remarked as she exited the bathroom, feigning a casual tone. “You take the bed. I’ll put some blankets on the floor.”
He propped himself up on his elbows to look at her properly. “Don’t be ridiculous, Tonks. You just saved my life. You’re not sleeping on the floor. This is a king-sized bed, there’s plenty of room for the both of us.”
Great, just great. Why did this man have to be so goddamn chivalrous? So much for ignoring the mess going on in her brain and…other regions… Sharing a bed was not going to make this situation any easier. Maybe if she possessed more willpower, she would have told him no—insisted that she sleep on the floor, or went downstairs to check out another room. But she didn’t. Instead of making what would have undoubtedly been the more responsible decision, she began to remove her shoes and bloodstained clothes to join the half-naked subject of her pining under the blankets.
The two partners sat in silence for a prolonged moment, both staring up at the ceiling to avoid meeting the other’s gaze. Tonks mentally kicked herself. This was getting ridiculous. There was no reason why she should be acting like a schoolgirl. She was an Auror: an elite wizarding warrior. She ate Death Eaters for breakfast. Surely, she held the capacity to brave the awkward territory into which they were entering. She turned to face him, sitting herself crisscross with her feet on the mattress. “So…love potion, eh?”
He chuckled lightly, relieved at the break in the tension. “I suppose I did promise you a bedtime story, didn’t I?”
“It really is the least you could do. Seeing as I saved your life and all, Lupin.”
“Fair enough, but I’m afraid I made the tale sound a lot more interesting than it actually was.”
Tonks raised her eyebrows. “Spill.”
“In my 5th year, some admirer of Sirius’s—I should note he had plenty of them—gave him some fire whiskey for Christmas. I told him not to drink it. Naturally, I assumed he had tossed it out after my warning. But then, one night, he and I were in our room and fancied a drink. Sirius opened a bottle of fire whiskey, which, as you can probably guess, was the bottle he had received from the girl. We drank it. Needless to say, when Peter and James found us later that evening, we were in quite a state—blabbering on about a ‘Michelle Thompson’ or something like that. We had started a duel over which one of us would get to ask her to Hogsmeade. I had cast Levicorpus and Sirius was hanging upside-down in mid-air when they arrived. Well, James and Peter had a right laugh, but then, being the good friends that they were, used James’s invisibility cloak to sneak down to the Dungeons and fix up an antidote. When I came to, they told me what had happened. Obviously, I was quite reluctant to drink or eat anything Sirius offered me for a long time after that.”
Tonks giggled. “Sounds like something Sirius would do, drink something given to him by a strange woman without thinking. Reminds me of the time Charlie Weasley almost ate a tainted chocolate frog before a Quidditch match. Some Slytherin bloke had them delivered by owl the morning before the game. Unmarked. I had to slap it out of his hand! Turns out it was filled with undiluted Bubotuber pus! He would’ve been out commission for weeks! But, even after we found all that out, he was still cross with me for ruining his chocolate frog! How thick can you be?!? I mean I know sometimes Mad-Eye’s methods are a bit out there, but, you’ve gotta admit, the bloke’s got a point about never eating or drinking something you didn’t make yourself.” Tonks was cracking up, fondly remembering the look of innocent disappointment on Charlie’s face. She snorted. Her hands instantly flew to cover her mouth, eyes wide. What kind of noise was that? She didn’t even have her pig snout on!
To her surprise and delight, Remus smiled and laughed alongside her. For a second. Suddenly, the weight of death hung heavy in the room. Their laughing ceased. The pair looked away from each other once again.
“You and Sirius were close, huh,” Tonks remarked, emotionless. She turned back to face him. He gave a quick nod, still avoiding meeting her gaze. She would not pry.
“You know, in some ways, you’re very much like him. You both have the same devil-may-care attitude, the same penchant for troublemaking.”
She noticed he used the present tense.
“I’d never met him before the Order. Mum was banished from the family once she married Dad, y’know. But if she ever mentioned the Blacks, she would tell me he was her favorite,” Tonks reminisced.
She remembered the last days she had spent with Sirius at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. They had laughed and drank themselves silly, destroying as many Black Family heirlooms as they could get their hands on. She had asked him for advice about her Order missions—not because she had really required it, but because she could tell her questions made him feel needed. She was pretty sure he known then about her developing crush on Remus. But, he showed no signs of jealousy or animosity towards her. Instead, he would flash sly smiles and wink at her whenever Remus was near. “Moony’s a good bloke,” he had cryptically remarked during one of their final afternoons together, after he had caught her staring.
Those conversations with her now-dead cousin seemed ages away. The guilt resurfaced once again, swelling in her chest, snapping her back to the present.
“It’s not your fault,” Remus gently whispered. Feeling tears pricking in her eyes, she furiously blinked, attempting to ebb their flow.
“That he’s…that he died. It isn’t. Bellatrix was after Sirius. I hate to admit it, but she may be a better dueler than the whole Order put together. She would have gotten him regardless, it was all set up. She would have done anything to kill him. She hated him. If it’s anyone’s fault that Sirius is dead, it’s mine. I should have known something was wrong. I should never have let him leave that house.”
“But he was dying there, too,” Tonks replied, her voice breaking. “He was dying every day he couldn’t be out fighting with us. There was nothing anyone could have done. He had to leave that house eventually. I would have done the exact same thing. It’s a shame we all didn’t wise up sooner.”
Another heavy silence filled the room. “He told me you were a good man, Remus.”
Silence again. And then, “He said the same about you.”
She raised a questioning eyebrow.
He continued. “I mean, clearly, you are a very kind, very beautiful woman…” he trailed off. Some part of Tonks was elated that he had called her beautiful. Another part was ashamed for feeling elated. They were discussing a dead guy, for Merlin’s sake!
His next remark was so quiet she wasn’t sure he had really spoken at all. “He said he approved.”
“Approved of what?”
Instead of responding to her question, he said: “I told you earlier that you’re a lot like him. But you are different in many ways, too.”
“Oh?” She tried to hide some of her disappointment. Was this his way of telling her he wasn’t interested?
He stared intensely into her eyes. “Sirius tried to do everything in his power to distance himself from expectations. He worked very hard to be seen as different, and cared very much about how others saw him, despite appearances. But you don’t feel bound by anyone’s expectations. You don’t care what others think of you. You’re unapologetically whoever you want to be, your own person. You’re unique, Dora. It’s one of the things I love most about you.”
She couldn’t quite remember what had followed. An infinitesimal shift of a body. A creak of a bed spring. A gentle kiss. Then more. She briefly broke away. “I think I’m in love with you, Remus.”
He pulled her closer into him, now both sitting up. Their kisses deepened, becoming frantic and hungry—quite unlike any kisses she had experienced before. Careful not to disturb his still-healing wounds, she ran her hands over the uninjured parts of his chest, feeling the lean muscle below her fingertips. She felt his hands respond in turn. Electricity coursed through her veins. All thoughts fled her mind. It was just the two of them, wrapped up together on the old hotel bed. She glanced at him in between breathless kisses, questioning. He met her eyes and nodded. “I think I’m in love with you too, Dora.”
They both grinned as she straddled him, as gently as she could…
Tonks gazed at the sleeping man beside her, attempting to memorize every feature of his face. He looked so peaceful, so carefree, when he slept. There was no telling what would happen when he woke: if he would express regrets, tell her he couldn’t be with her, admit he had made a mistake. Maybe she was a daft idiot for sleeping with her partner. Maybe he would reject her, using their age difference or his werewolf status as excuses for why they would never work. She honestly didn’t know what she would do if he said any of those things. It could be the beginning or the end for them. But at this moment, she forced herself to remain in the present, to remain in the warmth of Remus, his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. She kissed his forehead before dozing off into a blissful, dreamless sleep. Free.
#remadora#remus lupin#nymphadora tonks#remus x tonks#Harry Potter#hp fanfic#hp#hp ootp#hp hbp#Harry Potter and the half blood prince#Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix#My writing
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
1023
survey by ohsh1t2wksl8
Why might you get rid of an old family heirloom?
I have the tendency to be a bad hoarder tbh, but I can imagine having no problem with throwing an heirloom out if I find out something particularly disgusting about the original owner, like if they were extremely racist when they were alive or were serial killers or something.
What is something that kids spend most of their time doing?
Ooh, I haven’t been a kid nor have I hung out with kids in a while. I do know a lot of them like asking a series of questions, which I mostly find adorable. All my cousins did this with me when they were younger.
What is something that you might only do once a week?
My family and I watch Sunday mass weekly. I’m not into it, but I don’t have a choice.
Why might a person wake up at 2:00 AM?
Nightmares. I know this happens to me, at least.
What is something you might eat with a hamburger?
I usually eat mine with French fries. But some restaurants serve burgers with onion rings, which is even better.
Name something that you haven’t done since high school gym class.
Ran in an oval. That’s how we were made to warm up then, but in my college PEs we were never required to do so and stationary exercises usually sufficed.
How much would you tip a waiter or waitress for good service?
Tipping isn’t required where I live and the whole calculating for the 20% bit is a completely foreign concept here. That said, I usually give a P20 tip as thanks in every restaurant I dine at; but if the service was exceptionally good, I’d give either a P50 or P100, depending on how much money I have left.
Who is your favorite character from the television sitcom, “Friends”?
I think I’ve answered this recently but my answer will never change - it’s Chandler, for damn sure. Monica’s a really close second, and she was originally my first favorite until I realized Chandler is way too hilarious of a character that it would be almost an insult not to rank him 1st. The rest of my rankings go Rachel, Ross, Joey, then Phoebe.
What is something you can buy for only $1 or less?
For P50, I can get myself a couple of ballpens.
Name a native Spanish-speaking country.
Mexico.
What is a liquid in your kitchen that you hope no one ever drinks?
Canola oil.
What is something that breaks down frequently?
Me...hahahahahahahahahahaha but another answer would be the public trains that we have. Those have never been reliable and in pre-Covid days it was common to hear news of the LRT/MRT breaking down and passengers being forced to walk all the way to the next station. Of course, unsurprisingly, the government never really did anything about it, and with public transport being indefinitely halted due to Covid it’s now mostly a buried issue.
What is another name for “book”?
The first guess that came to mind is publication, but now that I think about it it’s a bit of a broader term compared to book.
Name a famous wizard.
I’m gonna go with the obvious because I’m not too familiar with this genre anyway: Harry Potter.
Name a piece of furniture that might be handmade.
Tables! My grandpa hand-made our present living room table. :) It’s made out of wood but my mom spray-painted it black to fit more with the atmosphere she wanted for the house.
Whose name might you have tattooed on your body?
I would have initials tattooed on me, but never names. That said...can’t really imagine anyone’s initials deserving a permanent spot on my skin. Maybe my kid’s/kids’, should I have my own in the future.
How long is an unbearable commute for you?
I don’t commute. But as a driver, I will start getting pissed if I find myself on the road for 2 hours straight especially if my destination isn’t even too far away.
What is something that you always need to leave plugged in?
The electric fan is turned on 24/7, unless I’m not in my room.
What is a sport that you’ve always wanted to play, but never got a chance to.
Ooh, this is honestly hard to answer because back in high school we were given the chance to try out a bunch of sports - futsal, baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, and even gymnastics and cheerleading. Name it and we were probably briefly taught it. And some sports I tried out on my own time, like beach volleyball and ultimate. Hmm...OH wait we never covered tennis!!! and I’ve always wanted to try that.
What is a fruit that you might eat in the morning?
Hard pass.
What beverage do you most commonly drink with breakfast?
I either have food accompanied with water, or just coffee with no food. I never have coffee if I’m having food for breakfast as I don’t like how that could affect the taste of my food.
Name a type of gun that doesn’t shoot bullets.
Do water guns count? Haha.
Where is a place that you might not get cell phone reception?
Underground parking lots. I’ve definitely gotten in trouble before for missing out on my mom’s texts and calls because I had been hanging out at a mall’s underground parking area.
Who might you send a selfie to?
Angela, but I never really do that anymore. I used to, though, back when we still regularly sent each other Snapchats.
What is a plant that someone might grow themselves?
My grandma keeps a lot of horsetail plants at my childhood home.
Name an item in or on your bed every night.
I sleep beside my phone as I need the background noise from YouTube to lull me to sleep.
What type of vehicle would you not want to hit while driving?
I’ve driven beside Porsches and Ferraris before, which has always made me quietly panic lmfao
What part of your body typically has an ache?
I’m starting to get regular headaches after my shift. My shoulders and lower back also hurt more often now. Definitely time to invest in a comfy work chair.
Out of your work shift, how much time do you spend doing “actual work”?
Hmm, not sure what actual work means butttttt on weekends, I’ll check in on work stuff for a total of maybe around 30 minutes just because I hate being far away from work for a long time haha.
Why might a person be running?
They forgot something in their car and need the thing immediately.
Name an older actor who has been in lots of movies.
Bette Davis.
Where is somewhere that you might need to use coins?
Riding the jeepney. Or any public transport, really.
What material might be used in building a house?
Concrete.
What is a metal that a coin might be made out of.
No idea. I’ve long thrown my chemistry/physics lessons out of my head, lol.
Can you name a country that starts with the letter A?
Azerbaijan.
What is something that comes out of clouds?
Rain.
Name a food that would roll if you accidentally dropped it on the floor.
Lumpia. And it is also a type of food I would have no problem picking back up regardless of where it lands. Lumpia is life hahaha.
What is something that comes in a glass bottle?
Wine.
How long do your New Years resolutions typically last?
I don’t make those, exactly because they never last with me.
What is something that you would hate to see floating around in your bathtub?
I’d hate to be sitting in a tub filled with water that was already dirty before I could even settle in it.
About how many pages is the longest book you’ve ever read?
I never finished either, but it’s either Les Miserables or Gone with the Wind.
Name something that Kentucky is famous for.
Outside of KFC, which I’m pretty sure I heard somewhere that its first franchise actually opened in a different state, I have no idea.
Who would you call first after getting engaged to tell them the news?
I can imagine it would be Angela.
Can you name a country with a lot of ice?
I dunno. Finland maybe?
What color underwear might you wear for a special occasion?
Black.
1 note
·
View note
Text
BLESS ME WITH YOUR OTP!
I was not tagged but @tarberrymentats did it so I’m gonna do it. I don’t have any good fallout content rn so please accept these WIPs of my fave dnd girls, Aviyah and her wife Iesha, as tribute. (Maybe I’ll have time to actually finish my art someday lol)
Do they fight often? If so, what is their dynamic like?
The bicker more often than not, but it’s never mean-spirited. When they do fight though, it’s serious. Aviyah is prone to explosive bouts of anger, which immediately triggers Iesha’s flight response due to her past trauma. They’ve been actively working through this to get better over time and they refuse to go to sleep angry.
Who is the most skeptical of the two?
Aviyah has her ears and eyes wide open at all times and she trusts almost no one, save for her traveling companions and her wife.She spent the majority of her childhood watching her back and dealing with the skeeviest criminals Varisia had to offer so she knows what kind of things are out there. Iesha is almost too trusting of everyone and everything (which is part of what got her killed in the first place) so it seems only right that Aviyah has to watch out for her, too. You can never be too careful.
Who would be most likely to suggest a night of dancing?
Iesha grew up in a Varisian caravan, dancing every day of her life. She never passes up the opportunity to give praise and she drags Aviyah with her whenever she can. Aviyah has been learning her peoples’ traditional dances with her wife and she’s more open to it now than she’s ever been prior, but she would still prefer to admire Iesha’s more elegant steps under the pavilion than join in.
What would they do if the other was injured in battle?
Iesha is calm and collected in the field. They’ve encountered their fare share of creatures and ruffians on their travels through Varisia and Aviyah is injured more often than she isn’t. She keeps a cool head and carries an aid kit with her everywhere, just in case. She’s been dead before and she doesn’t worry too much about herself. The only time she ever panicked was when Aviyah was nearly killed too far from town for a cleric. She still applied her knowledge as best she could, speaking to Avi in a low, soothing voice, and they managed to keep her stabilized until she could be healed enough to walk.
Aviyah thought she’d be able to handle it. She’d been in countless fights before and she’d held her own in the blood and viscera that followed but when she saw Iesha’s eyes wide, the arrow dug into her chest above her heart, all of her resolve melted away to panic. She dropped everything to run to her side, hyperventilating, and forgot everything she’d ever known about healing and medicine. Ultimately, the group developed a more solid contingency plan after that so no one would be endangered again and they worked with Avi to develop her coping skills.
How do their fighting styles complement each other?
Iesha’s fighting style was definitely different from everything that Avi had ever seen before. She’s flashy and theatrical, fighting with a bladed scarf covered in bright embroidered patterns and trimmed with bells. At first glance, Aviyah thought it was absolutely ridiculous. That is, until she realized it made the perfect distraction in the field.
Aviyah is all cloak and dagger, sneaking up on unsuspecting enemies and rending them with precision damage. She carries three heirloom daggers on her hip (and about 11 more mundane ones in various hiding places) and she takes pride in using them. Iesha is the perfect partner for keeping her targets unaware of her presence and together they’ve taken down entire syndicates of baddies in the underbelly of Varisia.
Do they want children? Does it frighten them? How many do they want?
Aviyah had never given any thought to having children. She suffered a mid-term pregnancy loss when she was being kept at Merchant’s Fortune and vowed after that moment that she’d never let another man touch her as long as she lived.She is absolutely terrified of being a parent because she doesn’t want to fail her children or give them an opportunity to be as broken as she thinks she is.
She wasn’t counting on meeting Iesha, though. Iesha had always wanted to be a mother and have a family. She’d grown up with many siblings, in a caravan with many younger children and she married the first man who promised to give her a future. Of course, when that man murdered her in cold blood, plans changed. She lived for a while as a spectre and vowed that if she ever got her corporeal body back, she’d never let another man touch her as long as she lived.
No man ever did, obviously.
They’ve considered adopting children but have ultimately dedicated their lives and their fortunes to ending the slave trafficking trade that took Aviyah as a child and funding housing and food for the poor in Varisian cities.
What happened when they took them home to their families? If their families aren’t in the picture anymore, how do they feel about it?
Aviyah’s mother passed away when she was young and her father and brother were killed while she was being held at Merchant’s Fortune. She’d been 8 the last time she saw them and she wished very desperately for them to meet her. Iesha took her to the temple to commune with their shared deity and they received the blessing of knowing that Aviyah’s family had passed on from Pharasma’s Boneyard and into Desna’s domain together. It brought Aviyah great peace and she asked Iesha to marry her the same day.
Meeting Iesha’s family was very different. For one, she had left the caravan with her new husband in tow and returned with a woman they had never seen before and in that time she had died and been resurrected. They asked few questions, just happy to see her home and they immediately adopted Aviyah into their fold with open arms. It was uncomfortable at first because it made Avi miss her family terribly but she realized she was being given an opportunity to finally be a part of her culture and a part of a family as a whole.
How does each person show affection towards the other?
Iesha speaks every love language, loudly and clearly and constantly. She wears her heart on her sleeve for everyone to see and makes sure that Aviyah knows she is loved and cared for. It can be smothering to Avi sometimes in comparison to her own reserved nature, but even she can’t deny that to finally feel wanted and loved after so long without is nice.
Aviyah is less public about it. She loves to pick flowers while she’s walking and tuck them into secret places for Iesha to find later. She buys her wife’s favorite pastries when they are out for supplies to break out during dinner as a surprise. But by far her favorite thing is the quiet moments when the sun is just coming up and they share soft, tired kisses and just enjoy each other’s company.
Who cries the most? Who is better at comforting?
Iesha cries about nearly anything. Often, they’re happy tears but just as often they’re not. She never cries for long--she always says that time spent sad is time wasted and it never takes much to calm her down. She’s also better at comforting Aviyah when she cries than the other way around.
When Aviyah cries, it’s crushing. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, she can’t breathe and her knees buckle and she is overwhelmed with the sound of blood in her ears and the pressure in her chest. Iesha learned quickly to settle her on the floor where she could hold her and she guides her in breathing and regaining her control. They count floor tiles or trees together until she can think again.It’s a methodical process that Iesha is glad to help with. She doesn’t want to say how she learned.
Who is the bigger flirt?
Iesha is incorrigible. She’s constantly using innuendo and she loves to fluster her wife by any means necessary and she doesn’t care much who sees or hears.
Aviyah is more subtle. She likes to whisper in Iesha’s ear when no one is listening or stretch in just the right way when she knows she’s looking. It’s absolutely maddening.
Ultimately, these two are a weird match and the second greatest of my dnd stories and I love them dearly with all my heart and hopefully someday I’ll finish their novelization and everyone can meet them properly. <3
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
When Maxwell Met Stephanie: Pt. 2- Christmas Eve
This is another bit of backstory for Maxwell and Stephanie within the Cordonians Gone Wild AU created by @speedyoperarascalparty , @ao719 , @leelee10898 and @cocomaxley. Thank you guys so much for letting me be a part of this fantastic AU!
Disclaimer: I don’t own the TRR characters, they own me.
My tags: @fullbeaumonty @brightpinkpeppercorn @hopefulmoonobject @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @blackwidow2721 @choiceslife @dancetothestoriesinyoursoul
CGW tags: @annekebbphotography @carabeth @moneyfordiamonds @give-me-ernest-sinclaire @3pawandme @ooo-barff-ooo @tornbetweentwoloves @ownworldresident
Pam opened the door of the Walker cabin to find Anitah, Alicia, and Genevieve.
“Hey guys. What do Drake and I owe the pleasure?” She asked, stepping aside as the girls filtered in.
“We're scheming of course.” Anitah giggled.
“It's a good, Christmas spirit scheme.” Alicia assured.
“Maybe just a little bit selfish too.” Gen shrugged. The ladies gathered in the living room, spreading around the furniture.
“Okay, I'm listening.” Pam perched on the arm of the couch next to the queen.
“So you know how everyone keeps commenting about how we have to find Max a partner right? He's always alone when we all get together…” Gen started.
“And we kind of feel like, at least Alicia and I owe Maxwell in a huge way.”
“Right. I mean without Max, she'd have never gotten to marry Liam. And if she'd never married Liam, I'd have never met Leo.” Alicia shrugged.
“So you want to play Christmas matchmaker for Maxwell?” Pam asked quirking an eyebrow. The ladies all nodded.
“Okay, so I take it you guys have someone in mind then?”
“Well you weren't here to see it, but our little Maxie was quite smitten with Drake's cousin, Stephanie. She and her mom stayed at Ramsford for a couple of weeks after your wedding and he's been texting her and talking to her on the phone and Pictagram ever since.” Anitah said slyly.
“No. Absolutely not. I'll be damned if I watch another member of my family get involved with the Beaumonts. Not happening. Leave my cousin out of this.” Drake said entering the living room, folding his arms across his chest.
Pam rolled her eyes. “Drake, stop being so dramatic. Don't you want to see Maxwell happy?”
“Sure if it keeps him out of my hair. Can't he be happy with someone that doesn't share my DNA? Lady Hana? Lady Penelope thinks he hung the moon for Christ's sake.”
“But we like Stephanie too.” Alicia piped up.
“Plus she seemed to really like him. You can't choose who she likes, Mallow-man.” Gen added.
“I'm in. Don't pay any attention to my grumpy husband. He'll get over it. I'll make it up to him later.” Pam gave him a coy wink.
Drake came up behind his wife, sliding his arms around her waist and planting a tender kiss to her cheek.
“If you swear he'll be too busy with Stef to bother me on our vacations, I suppose I'll survive. Just don't pressure her or anything. She's like my little sister. And I swear if he hurts her…”
“Drake, Maxwell is a good catch. I don't think you have to worry about that.” Anitah defended.
“So what's the plan?” He asked reluctantly.
“The Christmas Eve ball. We wanna invite Stephanie to attend. And surprise Maxwell with her!” Gen exclaimed clapping her hands together.
“Right,” Alicia began. “That's where you guys come in, since she's your family and all.”
***********************
“What am I doing?” Stephanie wondered staring out the window of the royal jet.
Drake had called her out of the blue and invited her to attend the Cordonian Christmas Ball. He'd talked with her a little bit about her relationship with Maxwell. Was it even a relationship? It was weird whatever it was, but she couldn't wait to see him.
Her cousin had also filled her in on the plan the ladies had to surprise Maxwell with her attendance, and so far it was proving to be so hard not to tell him she was on her way to see him.
Her phone lit up with a text from Maxwell.
M: I hate getting fitted for a new suit. Why can't I just go in a suit I already have?
S: Go where?
M: this Christmas Ball. I'd rather skip it and FaceTime with you on Christmas Eve.
S: awww I bet it'll be so much fun! You have a hot date? Lol
M: well I have this girl I wanna take, but she's in Texas. I don't think she'll make it
Stephanie beamed down at the screen.
She had never been the type to be giddy over text messages, or guys for that matter; but something about Maxwell made her that way.
They'd been inseparable during her time in Cordonia after the wedding, and despite the huge time difference they'd kept in touch since she'd returned home.
Stephanie peered out the window as the pilot announced their descent. Her body buzzing in anticipation at just the thought of seeing Maxwell again. She wouldn't have to wait long as the ball was tomorrow night, but as she glanced back down at his words on her screen the task of keeping quiet even just one more day seemed insurmountable.
***************
“So, Maxwell huh? You really like Maxwell?” Drake asked taking a sip of his beer. Stephanie peeled at the label on her own before taking a swig.
“It's hard to explain and I know it sounds crazy, but I think I more than like him, Drake. I've never felt like this before. It's like... we're connected somehow.” She shook her head and averted her eyes from her cousin's probing gaze.
“It doesn't sound that crazy. It's exactly how I felt about Pam. Like I'd known her all of my life, but I couldn't get enough of her.”
“Yeah, but you were here with her. Touching her, smelling her...you were with her. Max and I have only had text messages and phone calls. What if once we're together he can't stand my perfume. Or what if I can't stand the way he bobs when he walks? The little things that get lost in a long distance communication.”
Stephanie's eyes were clouded with confusion when she looked back at Drake. He could tell she was nervous about tonight. Her eyes searched him for answers to her unspoken questions.
“Why did you come all this way to surprise him, Stef? I mean there had to be a reason right?”
She screwed her eyes shut trying to find the right words. Finally she exhaled.
“I... I love him, Drake. I know it like I know that the sky is blue and the grass is green. I felt like maybe...maybe being invited here was Fate's way of telling me that what I'm feeling is real. And that he feels it too. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't take the chance.”
He opened his mouth as if to reply, but was interrupted as Pam came down the hall, slinging her purse over her shoulder.
“You ready, Stef? The girls are waiting for us at the salon.” she said grabbing her keys off the hook. She strode over to Drake, kissing him warmly.
“I'll see you guys tonight.” He told her, reluctantly releasing her lips, but never breaking eye contact.
Stephanie gulped the rest of her beer, sliding the empty bottle toward her cousin.
“Guess it's now or never.”
*************
Stephanie was thankful for the queen's penchant for pre-gaming events like this. The ladies had already had their nails, hair and makeup done, donning bathrobes before they put on their elaborate gowns for the evening, and they were already a bottle and a half of champagne deep.
“It seems like such a waste to get this hot just to sneak away from the party later.” Alicia laughed. They all knew it would happen at some point in the evening, so they didn't bother arguing.
“How're you feeling, Stef? Ready to surprise Max?” Pam asked.
“Nervous? Excited? I'm not sure how I'm feeling but I could sure use a whiskey sour.” She laughed.
“Definitely related to Drake!” Anitah giggled hailing one of the staff over. “Let's get Lady Stephanie a whiskey sour, please. She needs the liquid courage.”
Stephanie's whiskey sour had arrived promptly and she sipped it quietly taking in the chatter from the other ladies as they headed into the boutique. There was a giant red velvet bow adorning one of the changing stalls along with a sign which read “reserved” . Anitah sauntered over to the door and removed the sign. “This,” she began proudly, spinning on her heels to face her new friend, “is where we're going to stuff you once you're dressed to surprise Beaumont.”
“Sounds good. Guess we should get to getting dressed then.” Stephanie replied.
She selected an emerald green dress, simple satin with a trumpet skirt. It would hug her curves nicely. She slipped into the changing booth to put it on, careful not to disturb the elegant side-swept hair do the hairdresser had given her. The off the shoulder straps and sweetheart neckline showcased more of her cleavage than she had intended, but hopefully Maxwell would enjoy that. Drake, however, would likely flip his lid even if he was quiet about it.
She stared at her reflection in the floor length mirror before her. She'd paired the dress with an heirloom string of her grandmother's pearls and her hand landed upon them absentmindedly as her phone lit up with a text from Maxwell.
M: I think your cousin in broken :D
S: broken? What do you mean?
M: well he's been pre-gaming this ball more than usual. We just had a very weird conversation about the proper way to court a lady and the importance of safe sex practices.
Stephanie laughed out loud at the text. She couldn't wait to see him. Just the knowledge that somewhere within these very walls he was hanging around shooting her these rapid fire texts, totally oblivious to her presence was enough to make her heart ache for him and she sighed hearing Pam's voice from the main boutique “Drake said Liam just left with Maxwell. They'll be here any moment. All done in there, Stef?”
*******************
Maxwell was filled with so much excitement he feared he would burst. As he and Liam made their way through the palace towards his Christmas surprise from his girl squad it was all he could do not to take off in a sprint.
“Slow down, they're putting the finishing touches on now. You'll spoil the whole the if we arrive early.” Liam chuckled clapping his old friend on the shoulder.
“Sorry, Li. I'm just...no one ever surprises me. I'm usually the surprise-er, and I love surprises. I just want to know what it is already!”
His pocket buzzed and he pulled out his phone, a text from Stephanie, of course.
He stopped dead in his tracks to read the message, his face lighting up like the many Christmas trees throughout the palace.
“Come one, Max. I thought you were excited.” Liam joked.
Maxwell held up a finger. “Uno momento, compadre.” he shot off another reply before he resumed his bouncy steps.
“Are we? Is my surprise in the boutique?”
Liam placed his hand on both of Maxwell's shoulders and steered him into the boutique, the ladies were standing around looking as excited as their best friend.
“God, you all look so hot!” He exclaimed making his rounds, pulling each lady into a brief but warm embrace.
“ Merry Christmas, Beaumont!” Pam shouted.
“You don't look so bad yourself, Max.” Alicia told him.
“Are you ready for your surprise?” Gen asked as Anitah rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
“I can't believe you guys have a surprise for me! Of course I'm ready for it.”
“Well it's right in there,” Anitah started gesturing to the door with the velvet ribbon. “Go on and open it!”
The room was buzzing as Maxwell crossed the distance to the door. He reached for the handle, but abruptly recoiled his hand.
“I know you ladies too well….this is gonna jump out and scare me isn't it?”
A collective groan rang through the room just as the decorated door swung open.
Stephanie raced out of the changing booth, leaping to close the foot height gap between herself and Maxwell as she threw her arms around his neck.
“SURPRISE!” She shouted.
Maxwell's eyes were like saucers as he spun her around, clinging to the petite redhead for dear life.
“Stephanie?! How did you..? You're really here?!”
He peered momentarily over her shoulder to look at Anitah, Pam, Genevieve, and Alicia. They all stood with wide smiles, and Gen and Anitah were clapping. “Thank you” he mouthed the words at them as he settled Stephanie back on the ground holding her at arm's length for a moment.
“I've never seen anything more beautiful and elegant in my life.” He commented, drinking her in.
“God I've missed you, Red.”
“I've missed you too. Are you surprised? It was so hard not to tell you!” She told him with a smile that reached her eyes.
His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her close.
“I'm totally surprised. Looks like I have that hot date for this Christmas Ball after all.” He winked. “You will be my date, right?”
Stephanie laughed. “ I dunnooooo...I was thinking I'd let Drake escort me.”
“Not a chance in hell, Stef. Drake's already got Pam. I still need a hottie to walk in with.” Maxwell feigned a whine.
“Well, I suppose. I mean fair is fair.” She giggled.
***************
“His majesty King Liam and Her majesty Queen Anitah, Duchess of Valtoria.” The herald loudly announced.
Stephanie shifted her weight uncomfortably and gripped Maxwell’s hand a little tighter.
“Hey, you alright?” He asked rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.
“Yeah. It's just, I didn't realize that I'd be announced or anything. I've never done this before and I'm kind of nervous. I don't like it when all eyes are on me.” Stephanie told him in a low tone. She cast her eyes to her feet, but Max lifted her chin with his thumb and index finger to look into her hazel eyes.
“But that's where they should be. You're amazing, Stephanie. And tonight you're on my arm, so I want everyone to see just how lucky I am to have you here with me.”
She gave him a weak smile as the herald continued.
“The honorable Prince Leo and the Lady Alicia of New York.”
Stephanie watched as the couple stepped through the ballroom doors arm in arm with wide smiles. She unlaced her fingers from Maxwell's, wiping her palm on her dress. “I'm sorry.” She whispered, cheeks flushing.
“It's okay. I get sweaty palms too.” He laughed, re-capturing her hand.
“Sir Drake Walker, Guardian of the Realm and the honorable Lady Pamela Walker.”
Pam and Drake disappeared into the ballroom.
“Lord Rashad Domvallier of Domvallier and Lady Genevieve of Illinois”
Maxwell turned to Stephanie, taking her hand and draping it in his elbow. “We're up, Red.” He told her gingerly placing his lips to her temple.
“Lord Maxwell Beaumont of Ramsford, Guardian of the Realm and the Lady Stephanie of Texas.”
Maxwell proudly led her through the doors of the ballroom, pausing only a moment for the brief applause as they made their way toward Drake and Pam.
The evening seemed to fly by in a whirlwind of champagne and waltzes. Stephanie felt like she was in a fairy tale of some sort; but the thing about fairy tales is they eventually end.
She and Maxwell had scarcely let go of one another all evening. They both were silently afraid that if they stopped touching, even for a moment, the other may disappear. As if they would suddenly wake up from this dream they seemed to be walking through.
The last of the guests were beginning to trickle out as the clock struck midnight. Stephanie gazed over the almost empty ballroom and sighed.
“Merry Christmas, Maxwell.” She said without turning to face him.
“Merry Christmas, Stephanie.I guess the evening is just about over, isn't it?”
“I guess it is, but I'm not leaving until the new year. We still have time.” She smiled sweetly finally turning to look at him. He smiled back and have her hand a squeeze.
“I can walk you to your room if you're ready, milady.”
The couple walked slowly towards Stephanie's room, her arms around his waist, head nestled against his rib cage while his hugged her shoulders close.
“This night has been spectacular, Max. I never imagined I'd ever be at party so fancy. I feel like Cinderella, now it's time for me to go turn back into a farm girl.” She joked as they approached her door.
“ You'll still be a princess in my book.”
Stephanie giggled, taking both his hands in hers as she stepped in front of him. Even in her 4” heels she was dwarfed by him, and she peered up into his eyes with just a hint of sadness.
“It isn't just the fancy dress and the fancy party, or even that its Christmas eve, that have made tonight feel magical. It's you, Maxwell. After all these weeks of phone calls and texting…..and the amazing sexting…. I'm just...I'm so happy to finally touch you again.”
He grazed the backs of her hands with his thumbs, tracing tiny figure eights.
“I really wanna kiss you, Stef.” He told her, his tongue flicking out of his mouth to nervously wet his lips.
“Well, Lord Beaumont, I've been waiting all night.”
Maxwell gently cupped her cheek with his hand, his long slender fingers tangling in her strawberry blonde hair, still draped over her shoulder. He leaned in slowly, and after what felt like an eternity his lips finally found hers.
Stephanie sighed softly into his lips, gently pulling his bottom lip in between her teeth as he deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist.
She leaned into him and they stumbled a bit until his back landed softly against her door, Her hands planted firmly on his chest. Reluctantly she broke the kiss, her lips swollen and her cheeks flushed, the feeling of butterflies in her stomach at full force.
“Will you come and see me tomorrow?” She asked, her eyes darting quickly over his face in anticipation.
“Of course I will. And everyday until we figure out how this is going to work.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is no way in hell I'm letting you get away again, Stephanie. Either I'm going to Texas or you're staying here. Either way I never want to spend another night without you.” His thumb caressed her cheek as he spoke and her eyes seemed to sparkle. He kissed her lips once more. “That's a talk for tomorrow, perhaps. But I've dug in my heels on it. I want you to be mine.”
Stephanie beamed up at him, firmly grasping her doorknob. “Good night then, Maxwell.”
She twisted the knob and entered the room.
“ Good night, sweetheart. I'll dream of you...again.” he told her.
It took all of the strength in her body to close the door behind her and she sighed as she leaned against it. After a moment she flung her hands into the air, spinning and flinging the door open.
“Maxwell!” She exclaimed, louder than was necessary as he had only taken a few steps from her doorway.
He turned to face her, hands jammed in his pockets, and he quirked a questioning eyebrow.
“I….I just wanted to say….” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth a moment inwardly debating her next words.
“I... I love you, Maxwell Beaumont.”
He smiled, taking wide steps back to her as his hands cupped her face once more and his lips crashed against hers fervently.
“I love you too, Red.”
#cordonians gone wild#trr au#trr fan fic#cgw#maxwell beaumont#maxwell x stephanie#trr maxwell#king liam#liam x anitah#drake walker#drake x pam#trr rashad#rashad x genevieve#trr leo#leo x alicia
34 notes
·
View notes
Note
Ohhh that last ask had me wondering if they (Cine, Castulian and Iskendi) had a custom of special outfits for weddings like we do with wedding dresses and all! also if its not too much to ask I'm also wondering about clothing in general for all of them? Like what kind of things and colors are common for them to wear and stuff like that! (sorry if it doesn't make much sense I'm not too sure how to word it and also sorry this is so long lol)
Seriously, worldbuilding questions are never too much of an ask. I’m a huge lore nerd for basically everything I’ve ever been into, and getting an excuse to think about the minutiae of our own world is like the Best Thing™, so don’t ever hesitate to ask me/us this kind of stuff.
I’ll cover these one by one again, starting with the general manners of dress and then moving on to the specific occasional customs that go with weddings and such.
The Cine:
The Cine are, as you all know by now, typically a northern people. This isn’t to say that all of them live in fantasy Norway or Greenland or whatever, but the region they’re from does average much colder than the Mediterranean-like climate of Tarracina and the surrounding areas. Because it’s hard to cultivate plants in the Cine homeland (one of several reasons the culture raids), there aren’t a lot of textile fabrics available, except what they happen to be able to steal. So a lot of Cine clothing is fashioned from animal products like fur, wool, skins, and leather, as well as what basic plant matter they can get.
They are also a seafaring people, and so for the most part, heavy metal armor and such is a no-go, meaning that even when dressed for battle they usually stick to the same materials, even if the design and function is otherwise entirely different. Clan Maghnus had enough raiding success, and was in general located in a region warm enough, that this was supplemented by other material like hemp and linen. So on any given Cine from the PC’s clan, clothing is likely to be a mix of those elements. Designs favor trousers, tunics, short cloaks or vests for warmth (rather than long cloaks that might get tangled in rigging), and so on. Footwear is usually boots, and very often someone’s shoes are the most carefully-made article on their person. Cine boots have to keep water out, be sturdy enough for battle or serious hiking, not slip on a wet deck, but also be warm enough for snow. It’s a lot, and one of the most acceptable uses of magic is shoring up the properties of clothing items like that.
In the warmer seasons, Cine tend to forego sleeves first, and some will switch to longer tunics that hit the knee without the need for breeches. On land in warmer months/climes, variations on the theme can include shorter shoes with winingas (leg wraps to keep pant legs out of the way) and the occasional dress. The practicality of all this does not preclude some ornamentation, and Cine jewelry is a wide selection of raided items in metals that can’t be melted down for better use (such as gold, which is much too soft), and more natively carved bone, antler or obsidian articles. The Cine favor decorating their hair and beards over most other kinds of ornamentation, but cuffs, earrings, necklaces and bangles are not uncommon either. A nice set of embossed or worked leather armor is also a common symbol of status, especially given the culture’s emphasis on the value of battle and those who participate in it.
Cosmetics are by and large unheard of, with the exception of woad, which is sometimes painted on the body and face in various patterns. Some of the patterns have specific meanings and are worn at specific times, but others are just decorative and accord with the preferences of the individual. Roise’s woad patterns, for example, are a personal touch and don’t have anything to do with her position as Chief, though if she goes into battle, the patterns change to indicate her standing in the clan. The Cine tend to wear their hair long, or their beards in the case of those who want to/can grow those. This is not at all a rule, and exceptions exist untroubled.
There aren’t any particular types of clothing reserved for weddings; pretty much everyone is expected to wear their best, whatever that best may be. This means some people show up in a nice linen tunic and some people in their fanciest armor—it’s really the individual’s choice. White is the color of Cine death shrouds, so no one wears primarily white to a wedding. Traditionally, both of the couple getting married will wear green, as it’s the color associated by the Cine with life rather than death. One item, like a sash or something, is plenty, and since vivid dyes are hard to come by, the item is often an heirloom. There are some other ceremonies that demand more formal attire, such as the annual coming-of-age day. The young people participating do wear white, as the day represents the symbolic death of one self and rebirth of another. (Sometimes this has a lot of meaning, as coming-of-age day is when one declares one’s gender and intended profession, sometimes against all expectations and patterns in one’s life thus far.)
Castulia:
Castulians typically wear fewer layers of clothing than the Cine do, because the main part of the Empire is quite warm. It’s a very large empire, though, and so at its more remote corners, styles of dress show strong influence from conquered populations, and those on the northern border do tend towards thicker garments. But by and large, the fabrics involved are linen, cotton, and for the more upper-class, silk or satin as well. Most common are long tunics, varying from knee to ankle length, with shawls, capes, or light cloaks worn in various arrangements over the shoulders and body. Dye is available, but rather expensive, as are magical alternatives to natural dye. This is often graded by color, with purple being the most expensive and thus something of a status symbol. The military favors red (for perhaps obvious reasons), and the priesthoods wear mostly white or grey by rank, but with accented accessories or smaller pieces (belts, sashes, wraps, headscarves, and so on) in colors appropriate to their deity. Most Sages wear all and only white, however.
As far as other touches go, metal jewelry (with or without precious stones) is quite common in Castulia. The designs vary widely, and a lot of influence from the former nations that make up the Empire can be seen in regional variants. There’s definitely some stylistic divergence by gender, but the greater differences are those across classes and professions. Soldiers like Sangarinus typically don’t wear much if anything like that, and depending on the trade, tradespeople also have to be selective, but those in the civic and mercantile professions tend to prefer at least one or two pieces at a time. It is vanishingly-rare to see a Castulian pierced anywhere but the ears, and though they will often make artistic use of dyes on the body (think henna), permanent tattooing is also very uncommon.
Like with accessories, cosmetics range across class and occupation, but it’s not unusual to see eyeliners or lipstains, and those in more aesthetically particular professions may also elect for shadows or powders. Lighter touches are preferred so as not to melt off in the heat of a Castulian summer. While eyeliner is fairly ubiquitous across genders, the rest tends to show up much more frequently on the feminine (or, e.g., actors and artists).
Castulians differentiate more between formal attire and the rest than the Cine do. Some garments (such as togas) are considered occasional in the same way a three-piece suit is. And even when formality is not garment specific, the quality of fabric or ornateness of embroidery will often mark a tunic, dress, or whatever off as being for fancier occasions. Castulians getting married will wear either a dress, a toga, or the formal version of the military uniform, if they are soldiers. There are no specific wedding colors, as the same general rule about dyes and things applies, and most people honestly just choose whatever color is their favorite, or sometimes whichever is associated with their family heraldry.
The military has uniforms: formal, informal, and full battle gear. The most commonly seen on Castulian streets is the informal, which is usually a red tunic with half-length sleeves, optionally a layer of padding, a long shirt of scale or chain mail, and then usually a leather chestplate, though sometimes these are metal in the case of heavier infantry. Belts, bracers, and the like accompany this, along with either boots or in some months knee-high sandals, and ocrea (greaves). There are also helmets, but these are rarely worn outside the context of battle or patrol. Officers additionally have special types of cloak, the color and stitching identifying their rank. Depending on where the soldier is stationed, breeches or leggings may serve as an additional layer of warmth, and tunics may be modified to have longer sleeves. Uniforms for the cavalry are heavier, and for the navy are lighter, often lacking the scale or chain in favor of additional padding or simply leather.
The Iskendi:
The life of an Iskendi is lived either primarily on board a ship, or occasionally in small, mobile settlements on islands. They tend to favor clothing in bright colors, the material mostly being what they can steal from Castulia, or manufacture from their limited horticulture. Access to magical means of color alteration is much easier, however, as they’re fewer in number but with a very high proportion of mages in the population, so dyes are seldom necessary. If the Iskendi wear armor at all, it is also stolen, so scavenged and piecemeal bits of Castulian uniforms are not uncommon to see.
Captains tend to be associated with particular colors; for example, Meryem wore a lot of red and gold. Her crew followed suit, and in this way they are recognizable as belonging to a single unit. There is of course variation; not all of Baltasar’s garments are purple or blue, but there’s nevertheless a clear theme, and it distinguishes one group from another quite easily. The Iskendi are also more likely than either the Cine or Castulians to forego certain articles in everyday situations: shoes, for example. Typical Iskendi style is for looser, more draping garments as one moves up the hierarchy. While any captain certainly knows how to rig a sail, it’s part of the status of being captain that they don’t usually have to, so while ordinary crew often tie down sleeves and such while they go about their work, officers typically don’t. The quality of clothing follows a sharp gradation with status, one emphasized by the fact that most everyone is wearing the same color, as the other differences are then more obvious to the eye.
The Iskendi favor jewelry both as ornamentation and for the practical purpose of being able to barter or gamble with it amongst each other. Multiple piercings are the norm, especially around the face: ears, eyebrows, noses, lips, and the like. They also decorate hair and beards like the Cine do, but usually with gold or silver rather than bone or antler.
Given the tight quarters and need for efficiency, there aren’t really any formalwear standards to speak of. Iskendi sailors and settlers alike wear what they have, and keep it in good condition whenever possible, as it’s often hard to say when they’ll be able to replace it. Cosmetics, like finer fabrics, are a luxury item, but quite popular aesthetically. Iskendi also frequently get tattoos, usually centering around some theme of personal significance or particularly-important autobiographical events. Some designs are even shared amongst families, a way of keeping the most important pieces of their history alive.
16 notes
·
View notes
Text
==> Maid: Contact the Rogue.
[Show Pesterlog]
temporaryPlausible [TP] began pestering lossofMandatory [LM].
TP: Hello.
LM: Oh, it’s the Tery copy kid.
TP: Actually, Tery is an ectobiological copy of me, but whatever floats your boat.
TP: I’ve been meaning to ask you for the longest of time about a certain…idea.
LM: Why me?
TP: Space is your “turf” right?
LM: Hell yeah it fucking is. Ain’t no one better with space than me.
LM: Well, maybe Dilyon is but I’ll let that pass. <3
TP: You do realize you don’t have to put on this big girl act around me, right?
LM: Huh?
TP: I understand that you have a rivalry going on with Tery.
TP: But just because we are, technically, related does not make me your rival.
LM: …
LM: How’d you know?
TP: It’s quite obvious from your talk about each other. But I suggest you talk about your… differences… and solve them. It’s key to your success.
LM: How come? I think it’s pretty neat the way it is.
TP: You mean by your party being split in two halves?
TP: Or as your own patron troll put, “two caliginous halves”?
LM: We’re functioning just fine.
TP: And my “turf” is space.
LM: Ugh.
LM: Okay, just ask what you need and I’ll see if it can be done…
TP: Okay. However, I’m gonna warn you right now…
TP: I’m going to spill a lot of facts all at once for you to comprehend the situation we’re in. You already understood the fact that we came before you and that we are all related on a much greater level than blood, correct?
LM: Yeah, kind of got the hang of that.
TP: The thing that you do not know is the time frame of coming before you.
LM: Well, it’s like, what, a few hours back?
TP: That is what I was afraid of.
TP: Your entire party has come to the conclusion that we simultaneously in the game, at this precise moment in the eternity of space. While time is definitely not my specialty nor is it yours, we can still take it to our level of coherency and say that this precise moment is stretched through the continuum of existence, right?
LM: Yeah…? Like, in the year that I’m in now. That’s your year too, isn’t it?
TP: Not at all.
TP: We’re contacting you from the distant past.
TP: However time doesn’t exactly work like that in The Incipisphere. It will not take into account your date of time when you’ve entered, and it most certainly will not continue flowing in that way. There is not way of telling in what moment of time you’re living, the only thing you may know is how many “hours” or “days” it might have passed since your arrival in the game.
TP: The game occupies its own space, its own time. A realm of its own. Do you understand?
LM: Well…Let’s say that I do.
TP: Good.
TP: In the moments that I’ve launched the game and entered my Medium, or really in any moment of my whole life, you’ve never existed. And you still do not exist in my plane of existence. Not yet, at least.
TP: Again, a loose term since there cannot be “my plane of existence”. But it’s just figurative, I suppose.
LM: Wait, so…
LM: Basically you’re talking…and I’m talking to someone who never existed in…like… my universe in the first place?
TP: Yes.
LM: Oh, wow…
LM: How did I begin existing then?
TP: Through my party activating the scratch.
TP: Whoops, sorry.
TP: The Scratch.
LM: Okay, so more terminology of this fucked up space we’re in.
TP: Yes.
TP: The Scratch is activated only under specific conditions. If the game any set of players is rendered impossible to beat, there is still hope by activating this. It creates a new reality in which “our” party will be successful in beating the game.
TP: However, it won’t be our party and it will never be us.
TP: Upon activating The Scratch, we’re erasing any evidence of our existence, of our planet, of our universe from the plane of existence(now correctly used). Instead of us, there will be new individuals loosely related that will inevitably play the game.
TP: And win.
LM: So I’m like your descendant or something like that? And this game is like an heirloom?
TP: Sure, let’s put it that way.
LM: Okay but I still don’t understand what you wanted to ask me.
TP: Well, we’re going to avoid The Scratch.
LM: That’s possible to do?
LM: I thought it was like absolutely inevitable, like, no loopholes or anything.
TP: Yes, we thought so too but began hatching a plan. We’ve talked to our Denizens in hope of answers but were only greeted with a request. However, the phrasing of the request on its own gave us immense hope.
TP: Because of that, we’ve been preparing heavily but, alas, we’ve come to a bump in the road. The request of the Denizens being it.
LM: What was it?
TP: “When you avoid the scratch, you must take us with you.”
LM: Oh.
LM: They want to save their asses too, lmfao!
TP: Any creature would like to save their asses from absolute wipe out. :)
LM: ‘Tis true.
LM: What was the plan?
TP: We would first all ascend to God Hood. Then, we’d try to set things straight on our Medium, finish the quest and whatnot in order to fully realize our powers. Third, we’d start contacting you to…prevent some things.
LM: Like what?
TP: Mostly, doomed timelines.
TP: We wanted to check if we were in doomed timelines by doing all that we’ve done. The logic behind it is that if our own hatchlings were doomed, then so were we. It’s bizarre that a single decision could end in doom for us all.
LM: I don’t see the logic in that.
TP: And you’re not a Light player. :)
LM: Alright, I’ll trust you on that.
LM: So, I’m gonna guess this is where the question comes in place. I’m guessing…
LM: Since you don’t have any space manipulation players, or Space players in general, you can’t just magically take the big snakes with you, right?
TP: Yes!
TP: This was a long shot from our side, to be honest. We’ve tried taking everything in consideration, of how our realities don’t overlap with each other, how we don’t even exist in your space for you to be able to do such a thing…
TP: But we stopped theorizing and just decided to ask the actual Space player. Since…
LM: Space is my turf.
TP: Yes.
TP: Do you think you could help us?
LM: Well.
LM: It never hurts to try. Technically, it once existed and overall still continues to exist, without looking at the time frame. I’m a Rogue of Space, meaning that I can take that space as long as I know what it serves and what it is, or once was. Kind of like how an appearifier works like, if you’ve ever encountered those!
TP: How do you suppose you got those sick gloves, hmm?
LM: NO WAY.
TP: Lol.
LM: Oh my god! Okay, okay, now I know what to talk about next but I don’t want to get sidetracked here.
TP: Wise choice.
LM: The only problem is that… I don’t know if I’ll rip the right space.
TP: What?
LM: Space and Time heavily rely on each other. They’re two completely opposite concepts but wouldn’t exist without one another. I don’t know if the space I’ll rip will be from my time frame or from any else. It could be possibly that I rip absolutely nothing considering it doesn’t exist right now, OR that I rip it right before The Scratch completely destroys them.
LM: And I don’t think that I’ll be able to rip only the Denizens, so I’ll have to take your planets as a whole.
TP: That would be the most wanted out come actually.
TP: This is fascinating, I must admit… I never imagined that it could be this complicated. Of course, I knew it was moderately hard but…this… It’s making me feel quite excited.
LM: Lol nerd!
TP: Hey, I’m a Light player. :p
LM: That’s just your excuse.
TP: Actually, my very own curiosity and knowledge thirst was the thing that appointed me that specific aspect. Therefore, I’d say that it isn’t my excuse but it is what I’ve made of myself.
LM: Oh, now that I do think about it, our aspects and our classes are heavily tied with what we are at the core, right?
TP: Absolutely. Although, sometimes, the game can be quite cruel and appoint the quite opposite or a heavy challenge to an individual.
TP: It all depends, really.
LM: Oh and I thought you had all the answers.
TP: I’m not a Mage or a Seer of my aspect. :p
TP: I mostly utilize my aspect in combat, actually. Or through the strategical part of any operation.
LM: I see… Eh, not like I’d fully understand even if you relayed it all to me.
TP: Well, I could. That’s what I could do. Put an idea in your mind, or any knowledge or way to do something. Although, I’m not sure I could put in my mastery of it… Hmm…
LM: Not like I want it, no offence.
TP: None taken, haha.
LM: Anyways, when do you want me to try my space thing on your session?
TP: Hmm… The appropriate moment would be…
TP: When I give you “THE SIGNAL”. :)
LM: What’s the signal?
TP: You’ll see.
TP: I have to go run some errands now. Hope to hear from you if you need anything.
LM: Yeah, sure. Good luck with your errands, Gina.
TP: Oh, you actually called me by my own name instead of a copy of Tery!
LM: Mhmm.
LM: I guess I grew fond of you, heh.
TP: Likewise, Vicy.
TP: Good luck with your own session.
temporaryPlausible [TP] stopped pestering lossofMandatory [LM].
#this is l o n g#gina#vicy#maid of light#rogue of space#sburb session#sburb#dont hate me for this im having fun with my characters thanks
4 notes
·
View notes
Photo
I’m remembering the scent of these nasturtiums that I grew from seed, and their beautiful colors, so brilliantly fiery. A pack of seeds, from Dollar General, 25 cents or was it 50? And a bunch of pansies bought at this special nursery where we lived, ruffled, most beautiful bicolors of pastel and dark purple and maroon, yellow and pale storm blue. And their scent was amazing, as were the hyacinths so heavenly a scent. The heirloom rose was almost like a fruity berry scent but lasted one year before it soon began to waste away in our humid climate, and the peony the same. The tuberose and the flowering tobacco were my favorite of flower scents, except that the tuberose was so overpowering that it started to make me feel ill. Nicotiana, flowering woodland tobacco, is said to be intoxicating in fragrance, and I agree, ... ahh..
Anyway, as I sit and smell the grass mown sweet smell and the herbs drifting from my patio, I am here today, without any particular fragrant flowers yet this year. But the wifi is picking up outside the house and I am just sitting here, instead of petting the cat who has become more like the average cat, in a short time, just sitting nearby after a little bit of petting and playing, but then not as active or interactive, just a pleasant presence. But my daughter, ever-attentive, wants to spend the whole evening here with the cat and really I don’t think I mind. Everything is peaceful when you can just be so calm and the whole world about you is just serene, country life, is it numbing, too simple, too easy to be happy? To ignore pressing concerns in ignorant bliss and in soothing ease and pleasure? But before i had my daughter, the same things didn’t cheer me. It was pure numbness to the point of depressive emptiness and futility, meaninglessness.
So,... I guess that numb feeling would return again when she is grown and I’m alone one day again, with my husband, it would return unless I learn the ways that my daughter seems to cheer me up and am able to cheer myself the same. Is it the same, can it be the same, if you’re actually an extrovert instead of the extreme introvert you had to learn to act like, but never really was happy with that? What will it be like when my husband and I are alone? Or is there another way, besides being a crazy cat lady all alone with my cats, and cats, though I love them, won’t be enough company for the deprived and starved extroversion in me?
And maybe I could be like those families all over the world, in many other parts of the world, where the children don’t move out when they grow up and maybe that is the answer, if my daughter is really happy to do that, but maybe. Or maybe my family member will grow close to me.
Or maybe I’ll make friends, but making friends feels like more and more of a distant dream that I don’t know if I’ll ever stumble on the luck of finding a really good friend, and if I did then what save it from the same tarnished hollowness or the false, draining polite numb emptiness that my friendships became or the final insulting drifting thoughtlessly without a warning away from what was for many years the deepest love, or meaningless misunderstandings to show that they forgot what we once shared and so clearly discussed and agreed so perfectly,... what once was the height of closeness. So I then feel, I thought you knew me, but you aren’t the same anyway. So any friendship has that potential. The more I see and learn and know the more likely it seems most friendships could become that way in time with me because I’m too different. I don’t fit in any of the comfortable predictable roles in most anyone’s lives so I just get displaced in time.
But with my daughter, that feels so much safer. I just have to teach her all that she needs in life before she is too old and grows beyond my influence anymore. Then she will keep those things close to heart all her life and we’ll be close all our lives together. And I have to just protect her from ill influences, until she is old enough to see for herself and judge well. I really think most children and most teenagers and most young adults for that matter are led astray and hurt so much by ill influences, even all the way up into their perhaps mid twenties, perhaps even later, because though we are expected to be grown up and think and figure out things for ourselves when we’re in our twenties and 30s, it’s not so easy after all. But, it’s not to say parents could teach their kids better, because if they knew better themselves it’s often still hard to teach, if you even have the time and energy for it. But with my daughter, I feel like maybe I could teach her so much to help her. I am weird, my life has been weird, and I’ve had all this time to learn, think out and write out so many things and I hope that it could help her a lot, so I’ll see, I guess, when the time comes.
But I really feel anyway that most young adults really suffer because of all they don’t know and understand and choose wrong, ignorantly, maybe up till their 30s or beyond often. Especially if life is hard on us, or we have unusual difficulties that no one taught us to deal with. But maturity for everyone is not as thorough and well-formed by then as people seem to think. We generally cope well enough, so to speak. But not necessarily so very well.
So many causalities can occur because of the foolishness that we take on in these not so mature times of our lives. I know that there is only so far I can go or so long before I will have to let my daughter have more freedom but I actually thing that in many ways, I can protect her even into her early twenties, maybe beyond, while still letting her have a healthy life and social opportunities and so on. I won’t be controlling or anything, but just guiding, if she also agrees.
And I would have liked this for myself, really, I think, when I was that age, because if my mom had been so close and such a good friend to me as my daughter and I are, then I think I would have willingly learned all that I want to teach my daughter, and I would have willingly went along with the guidance and carefulness that I would advise my daughter to have about the world, about romance, about friends, and other things.
But what happened to me was a much more average life, in which I was trying to find romance, find a religion or spiritual path, find my career, find myself, cure my depression (bipolar, which I didn’t know then), anxiety, existential angst, despair, find self-worth, find purpose, heal the gaping despair and confusion and meaninglessness I felt, feel I mattered, feel people wanted and liked me and that I had a place and meaning in the world, and feel safe, feel I had a future, get away from parents who really didn’t want me around and felt I was a problem, ending up marrying quite young, because it was better than the other alternative, and felt hopeful, a soulmate, who I’d been with (off again on again) for a few years,... even though I was too naïve to see that the relationship was full of warning signs of the abuse that would later unfold.
Oh well, life is life. I have learned a lot. I hope I can teach my daughter a better path than what I had to take. I have so much I can see to teach my daughter, to learn for myself to be a happy crazy cat lady, or crazy cat family, too, lol, but not just that. Happy spiritual person, happy introvert by necessity not choice, happy artist, and all these things that I can be and my daughter is and we already are but are learning more and more to be and as time goes on I think we will be really well settled into this humble, simple and joyful, but calm life of depth and yet childlike mindful ease, work but not overwork, rest but not laziness, play but not too much escapism, spirituality but not being too detached from reality and the present world and other people. And I can share those things with my relative too.
0 notes
Note
we were forced to hide in this very cramped space (from friends/authority figures/people trying to kill us) and this is a very awkward position to be stuck in with someone you’re avoiding because they’re too attractive for you to deal with” au WITH RHYS AND LUCIEN?? PLS??? I CRY???
this was for the prompts from a while ago!! still doing them, it’s just taking me 5ever lol. BUT THANK U FOR THIS GIFT IM ALSO CRY.
WHO IS READY FOR RHYCIEN?????
———————
“Get off me, you idiotic--”
“You’re the one who’s on me, you get off.”
But there is nowhere to go, and after a few moments of futile struggle, Lucien is forced to settle with his shoulder wedged against the door, half being poked by the cleaning supplies sticking from the shelves in this comically small maintenance closet, and half with Rhysand flush against him, their limbs askew and intertwined as they’re posed to avoid randomly hung buckets and mops.
Lucien swears and Rhysand asks, almost incredulous, “does the Fall Court not believe in adequate storage space?”
“Couldn’t you just replace all their memories with giant squids or something?” Lucien snaps in response, “Cauldron boil me, you’re supposed to be this all-powerful godlike creature and we’re hiding in a closet--”
Rhysand puffs out a laugh and Lucien can feel it on his ear. “I am an all-powerful godlike creature, first of all. And there should be an ‘extraordinarily handsome’ somewhere in there too.”
Insufferable. Insufferable. That he is, in fact, extraordinary handsome, and the slight implication that he knows Lucien thinks that... there are so many awful people in this court it seems impossible that Rhysand could introduce him to new ways to hate a person, but here they are, pure frustrated loathing coursing hot through Lucien’s veins as they hide from the Fall Court guards.
It is entirely Rhysand’s fault, a stunning highlight to this diplomatic trip that seems to have been planned with the specific goal of making Lucien’s life difficult every turn. Today Rhysand had been taking an uncomfortably close look at one of the Fall Court heirlooms, when he definitely had no business being unaccompanied in the vaults--Lucien had stumbled across him and must have startled him, because Rhysand dropped the precious glass artifact he was inspecting, and the sound of shattering was met with cries from the guards and the sounds of approaching boots. A mutual look of fury and fear--neither prince wanted to be associated with the crime, much less face Beron’s wrath for it--and they’d taken off down the hall, since winnowing was magically disabled in the palace. Lucien had been the one to pull them into a closet as the guards drew closer, and as Rhysand’s elbow digs further into his side, he regrets it fervently. His father’s retribution--or almost anything--would have been better than enduring this. It’s pitch black in the closet, and the darkness is heightening his other senses: Rhysand is warm and firm against him, and Lucien is discovering nuances in Rhysand’s scent, thick between them, something like saltwater under the citrus-musk, and he likes it and he hates that he likes it.
Rhysand goes on after a pause; Lucien suspects it’s because he can’t handle the mere suggestion that he’s less powerful than he’s supposed to be.
“In any case, the peace between Night and Fall is tenuous--”
“It gets more tenuous with every passing second of your knee jamming into my thigh.”
Rhys pauses to make a huffy little show of being interrupted. “--As I was saying, is tenuous, and tampering with will or memories leaves traces, if you know where to look. Your father employs people who know where to look. I’d like to not endanger that peace by giving anyone cause for suspicion.”
“Yes, we certainly wouldn’t want you, sneaking around the vaults alone and fondling ancient magical items, to seem suspicious.” Lucien loads it with as much venomous sarcasm as possible.
“Interesting word choice.”
“Oh, you’re going to distract me from your snooping with innuendo? Very mature behavior from a High Lord apparent.”
“I’m not the one who said fondling.” A pause, and Lucien can hear the filthy smirk in Rhysand’s voice when he adds, low and breathy, “And I could distract you with a lot more than innuendo, if I wanted to.”
The points where their bodies press into one another suddenly feel very heavy, and the air around them very thin. Lucien is going to kill him. He’s going to set all of Rhysand’s clothes on fire at once; even if Lucien gets third degree burns by proximity and/or murdered by Night Court spies in retaliation it’ll be worth it.
“Do you just go through life assuming everyone in the world is insatiably attracted to you?” He hisses.
Rhysand hums faintly. “Mostly. I tend to be right, though.”
How can he be so casually haughty, so at ease in this ridiculous pose they’re holding? How in the world does this not phase him?
And what would it take to break that cavalier composure of his?
Lucien feels the urge to try, one way or another, throttle him or kiss him, something, anything, to bring him down to some part of Lucien’s emotional level of lusting contempt. He manages, with great effort, to ignore it and lie instead.
“Consider me an exception.”
“Really?” It’s an amused little purr. “You’ve never thought about me fondling anything other than glass trinkets?”
"Incredibly, I find arrogance something of a turn-off,” Lucien bites out.
“I’m not sure I believe you. Maybe I should rifle around in your head and check.”
“Stay the fuck out of my mind, Rhysand,” Lucien snarls; aware that it’s bait, rising to it anyway. “I catch you trying to get past my shields and I swear I’ll—“
“You’ll what? Mouth off to me some more?” Rhysand says, sharply, baldly. Lucien feels thin fingers find his face in the dark, finds himself paralyzed with equal parts fury and heat as Rhysand traces the shape of his lips, his jaw. “That temper of yours is going to get you into trouble, little Lucien. I hope you get as good at finishing things as you are at starting them.”
The nickname is too much.
Lucien snaps with something like a growl in his throat, and they collide with the clatter of cleaning supplies, door rattling as Rhysand shoves him against it, lips hot and seeking against Lucien’s. Hands grapple ungracefully, pulling, tugging, digging into clothing, both of them seeking to take; Rhysand tastes like sweat and the dust of the room and a bittersweet darkness, and Lucien is all teeth in search of more of it.
“You bit me,” Rhysand grunts, although it doesn’t stop his hand’s frenzied ascent up under Lucien’s now-untucked shirt to touch his bare chest.
“You called me Little Lucien,” Lucien pants petulantly, as Rhys latches onto his neck, sucking out his revenge.
“Well you are proving me wrong, aren’t you?” Rhys palms the generous bulge of Lucien’s hardening cock by way of explanation. “Not so little.”
Lucien holds back a groan, instead gritting out, “Fuck, I hate you.”
Rhysand chuckles, and Lucien kisses him again, rough, sloppy, just so he’ll shut up, for cauldron’s sake—
And then the world is bright, and they’re both tumbling backwards. Lucien hits the ground hard, arousal interrupted by the painful weight of Rhys landing almost entirely on top of him.
The poor maid who opened the door—and managed to dodge out of the way before her prince and the foreign dignitary he’s clearly making out with tumbled out—stands there in absolute shock, a hand clasped over her mouth.
“Sorry,” Lucien apologizes to her vaguely, feeling his shame return to him with his sense of sight.
———————
Rhysand rights himself and slips away before Lucien can finish calming the frazzled, embarrassed maid, and is mercifully absent for the rest of the day, as Lucien grows more and more mortified about the event. By the time he retires for the night, he’s considering hiding in his room for the remaining days of Rhysand’s visit and also maybe the rest of eternity.
But he opens the door to see Rhysand, calmly inspecting the contents of his desk.
“What are you doing here?” Lucien blurts, too surprised and lingeringly embarrassed to put any real hostility behind it.
Rhysand puts down whatever he was playing with, walks over to where Lucien is rooted to the floor with that brand of disaffected self-assurance that reminds Lucien: he hates him, he hates him, don’t make out with him again--
“We weren’t finished when we were interrupted earlier,” Rhysand murmurs, and kisses him.
Arrogant, entitled, presumptuous, insufferable, insufferable, insufferable--
Lucien’s resolve crumples like wet paper and he kisses him back, Rhysand’s night-cool aura washing over his senses, making him forget why this was ever a bad idea. Somehow they end up stumbling towards the bed, Lucien gripping the back of Rhysand’s neck as they tumble onto it.
“It’s Rhys, not Rhysand, when you come,” Rhys manages to get out against Lucien’s lips, somehow still imperious when he’s underneath Lucien, both of them flushed.
Lucien swears softly. “Only if you promise to stop talking.”
272 notes
·
View notes
Text
#hendrikvarju #mexicandinnerparties #passionforwood
Ever walk out of a good, traditional-style Mexican restaurant and think you wish you could do that at home? I’ve got the book for you, Mexican Dinner Parties!
The author’s mother’s from Mexico and his father’s from Hungary. He grew up in Canada. His mom taught him to cook the family dishes to preserve their family heritage and now the author created this book for his kids as a family heirloom. It’s a charming story for sure, but it makes the book very special in another way. My kids are in the kitchen with me a lot, and they learn so much that way. They get coached and always hear what they’re looking for. The author does that in this book. It shows up mostly in the opening techniques pages. He doesn’t just give you the recipe for tortillas, he shows you photos of what your dough should look like, and also what it shouldn’t look like and why. It has that personal coaching feel. You will absolutely be able to master everything in the book with a little practice.
Since it’s getting a little cooler outside, it’s perfect grilling weather. I picked a recipe from the grilling party, Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with Orange Chipotle Sauce. I chose this recipe because it’s delicious and easy peasy. Big bang for the buck. Thank you to Hendrik Varju for letting me share it with you. I’ll tell you all about the book after that recipe.
Tortillas: To Make or Not to Make?
In my humble opinion, a homemade tortilla does as much as the filling. If you know that’s not your thing and you’re going to buy tortillas, they’ll still be awesome. You do you. But if you want to make tortillas, the learning curve is super easy! If you just make homemade tortillas with an easy-peasy filling you know by heart the first time, you will be effortlessly rewarded!
What do you need? It depends on if you’re team flour or corn. We love both.
With flour, you just use a rolling pin and need no fancy equipment. You don’t use a press.
If you want to make corn, you really need a tortilla press. I have two. They both work beautifully and do the same job. The black iron one, I bought from Amazon, and it’s nice and cheap – $25. The wooden one is gorgeous, no? I picked that up from an amazing Mexican import store in Taos, NM for about $60. Sorry, no link, but if you’re headed to Taos, you should go. They have the best collection of gleefully painted metal sculptures I’ve even seen. A lot of them are in my kitchen now – lol!
Victoria Cast Iron Tortilla Press
I like to use a tortilla warmer ($9) to buy myself a little wiggle room and keep my tortillas warm while I get everything else together. You just pop them in as you finish making them. There’s microwave directions if you are buying them, but I haven’t tried that out. You pop it in the wash machine when you’re done.
Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with Orange Chipotle Sauce
Serves 8
Beef is expensive these days, but you can feed a crowd with flank steak tacos very reasonably because you only need a few thin slices per taco. The combination of beefy flank steak, cooked medium rare, orange chipotle sauce and sweet caramelized onions is just phenomenal. Your guests will love it.
A lot of people are surprised to see paprika in Mexican recipes, thinking paprika is either Spanish or Hungarian. While it is true that Spain and Hungary are the world leaders today in paprika use and production, where do you think paprika originated? In the same country where every chile pepper in the world first originated: Mexico!
It has now been proven by scientists that all peppers in the world originated in Mexico, meaning that peppers did not exist in any other country before 1519 when the Spaniards landed in Mexico. The ancient Mexicans invented paprika as a way to preserve peppers by drying them in the sun or over a fire and then grinding them into a powder. And the rest is history. You have no idea how many amazing food products originated in Mexico, from Avocados and tomatillos to chocolate and vanilla bean. And if it weren’t for Mexico, the tomato would have never made its debut in Europe. Can you imagine Italian food today without the tomato!?
Ingredients:
1 whole flank steak, about 1 ¾ pounds
½ Tablespoon paprika
½ Tablespoon hot paprika
½ Tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 very large white onion cut into spears (julienne)
½ cup orange chipotle sauce (see ancillary recipe which follows)
16 100% corn tortillas (buy them, or make them yourself)
1 cup cilantro, leaves only, torn into smaller pieces
2 limes, each cut into 8 wedges
½ cup salsa of your choice
Method:
Place all three kinds of paprika, the garlic powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a bowl and combine with a whisk or fork. Coat the flank steak generously with the dry rub, massaging it right into the meat. Place in a glass casserole dish, covered, and refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavors to penetrate. Remove from the fridge a half hour before you are ready to grill.
Heat the grill on high and brush with some cooking oil so the meat doesn’t stick. Then sear the steak on one side for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and sear the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat to low, and depending on the thickness of the flank steak, it may be cooked to medium rare within just a few more minutes. You can make an incision into the meat “along the grain” to check for doneness. Do not cut across the grain or the juices will run out and result in dry meat.
Flank steak is best served medium rare, as it will be tough if cooked for too long. When it reaches medium rare, or just under, cover loosely with foil on a cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
While you allow the meat to rest, heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and as soon as a puff of white smoke appears, pour in all the onion spears. Turn the heat down to medium and fry the onions until slightly golden brown. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
When ready to serve, pour the orange chipotle sauce into a large heat proof bowl. Cut the flank steak into thin slices across the grain and drop them into the same bowl. After all the steak slices are in the bowl, toss them around to coat them well with the sauce.
In the meantime, a helper can heat the tortillas on the hot grill (or in a hot skillet on a side burner), getting a few char marks on both sides. Stack the tortillas inside a tortilla warmer, or inside of a kitchen towel in a basket.
Serve each person two tacos with three to four slices of flank steak inside of each tortilla. Then top with some fried onions, cilantro, a splash of lime juice, and about a tablespoon of salsa.
Ancillary Recipe: Orange Chipotle Sauce
Makes ½ cup
You’ve never seen a recipe this simple for a sauce. There are just three ingredients: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, orange juice, and some salt. Certain flavors go together beautifully, like oranges and chocolate or basil and tomatoes. Well, I also think oranges pair beautifully with deep, meaty flavors, so it’s a natural pairing with beef. I even like this sauce on charred pork shoulder, charred chicken wings, and other meats. The charred flavor is best because chipotles also have a deep, smoky flavor aside from the heat itself.
I have to say that chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are so delicious and complex that you can use them to improve almost any soup or stew recipe, Mexican or not. The next time you make a stew, goulash, or some type of tomato based stew, puree one canned chipotle pepper and throw it in. It adds depth of flavor and heat at the same time. Remove the seeds and veins first if you don’t want too much heat.
Ingredients:
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
½ cup orange juice (regular or pulp free is up to you)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Method:
Remove the seeds and veins if you prefer and drop the canned chipotle peppers into a measuring cup or tall beaker. Add the orange juice and salt, and puree with an immersion blender to make a super thin sauce. It can be used as is. However, sometimes I will double or triple the quantity of orange juice and then cook the sauce. <I tripled it, tossed it in the Vitamix, then simmered it to concentrate that orange flavor. ~Jen>
In that case, pour the sauce into a saucepan on the stove. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and then lower the heat to a simmer. Allow it to cook without a lid for 20 to 30 minutes. As the water from the orange juice evaporates and the natural juice concentrates, you’ll end up with a thicker sauce with a more complex flavor. Add the thicker consistency clings better to foods.
As I said, this sauce is amazing on grilled meats of all kinds. But you can also pour it over desserts, including ice cream. If you like spicy food like I do, you welcome peppers even on desserts like ice cream and cheesecake.
Continuing my review…
Mexican Dinner Parties
Hendrik Varju
Format: Hardcover
The book’s organized by party. There’s one chapter for each party from start to finish including time-table strategies to make planning easy for the cook. The parties are: 1-Traditional Mexican Menu, 2-A Mexican Grilling Party, 3-Pozole Party! A Cold Weather Menu, 4-A Gourmet Mexican Menu, and 5-Gourmet Menu with an Aztec/Mayan Twist.
I started with the grilling party. Here’s my thoughts and pics of the dishes we tried:
1-3) Corn Flour Tortillas – p 21. Okay, I have a few tortilla presses and have made them plenty of times before. I usually use a Ziploc bag that I cut open on the sides to line the tortilla press. He recommends the cheap sack your groceries come in. I tried it and laughed. It does come off more easily!
4) Mexican Sangria – p 85. Delicious. I used a $3 Shiraz from TJs and that was terrific. His is unusual because there’s no secondary alcohol in it. He uses sparkling water instead which is nice and light.
5) Quick Salsa Roja – p 86. Great salsa! I don’t usually heat mine and enjoyed it warm and thick.
6) The Best Guacamole You’ve Ever Had – p 89. We loved the coriander and radish additions. Lovely fresh taste.
7) Mexican Watermelon Salad – p 91. Love the watermelon and salami combination. It’s reminiscent of a prosciutto melon dish.
8) Mexican Corn on the Cob – p 93. Delicious. I went with the optional queso fresco because I had it in the fridge.
9) Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with Orange Chipotle Sauce – p 99 & 102. These were delicious! I let the rub sit on the meat all day to really let the flavor penetrate before grilling. The orange chipotle sauce has so much flavor for just two ingredients. I did add more liquid and simmered it for more concentrated flavor as he mentions. I added a little zest from the orange, too, since I was already juicing it.
10) Queso Frito with Charred Tomato & Poblano Pepper Broth – p 119. This blew my mind. It’s a queso dish for the low carb people out there. Killer flavor. You char poblanos over the open flame and toss the other vegetables under the broiler for deep flavor development. These were supposed to get garnished with cilantro at the end. Yeah, I saw that on the counter when I went to clean up. Nice excuse for a do-over, don’t you think? He has you pan fry the cheese. If you had the grill going, I think you could do it that way, too. I like to grill halloumi which he has listed as an alternate cheese choice.
11) Enchiladas Rojas de Pollo – p 69. These are outstanding. I usually sauce and bake off my enchiladas at the end. This is different. He has you quickly fry the tortillas, fill and roll them and top them with the sauce and other garnishes. They’re crispy. The sauce itself is close to a mole. It’s got a haunting flavor with some gorgeous bitterness to it. Total keeper. It’s one of those finish it off right at the last second as you hand it to your guests kind of recipe, but totally worth it. If you get a buddy to help, one can fry the tortillas as the other rolls.
12) Mexican Red Rice – p 75. Great rice. Nothing shocking, but just right.
Some others I have flagged to try: Huevos Rancheros with Quail Eggs, Salsa Verde & Chorizo – p 59 * Chicken Sopes – p 61 * Flan with Caramel Sauce – p 77 * Gelatina de Tres Leches with Kahlua – p 107 * Mexican Cinnamon Hot Chocolate – p 113 * Pozole Rojo – p 131 * Avocado Mango Pico de Gallo – p 151 * Flank Steak Salad with Potatoes and Avocado – p 187 * Agua de Jamaica – p 213
*I received a copy to explore and share my thoughts.
I’m an Amazon affiliate. Any time you make a purchase using one of my links to make a purchase, I get a tiny percentage. Thank you!
Mexican Dinner Parties
Victoria Cast Iron Tortilla Press
Tortilla Warmer
Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with Orange Chipotle Sauce recipe and Cookbook review: Mexican Dinner Parties #hendrikvarju #mexicandinnerparties #passionforwood Ever walk out of a good, traditional-style Mexican restaurant and think you wish you could do that at home?
#beef#cook book#cookbook#dinner#food porn#Hendrik Varju#Jennifer Guerrero#JenniferGuerrero#Mexican#parties#party#recipe#review#steak#tacos
0 notes
Text
659
Mosquitoes find you particularly delicious.
The rainy season where I live is essentially equivalent to mosquito season, so there is definitely a certain period in a year where they are more than usual; and because I like having just my windows open when I sleep (I find the aircon too cold most of the time), the mosquitoes find their way to my room and so there’d be days I’d wake up filled with new bites. I’m lucky enough to have never had dengue.
You cheated on Heads Up 7 Up in elementary school.
We don’t play that here. We do have a game called 7 Up and it *may* be a variation of that, but 7 Up involves running and chasing haha.
You had a favorite Spice Girl.
I’m definitely not old enough to have reached Spice Girls’ peak, and out of all of them I only know Victoria Beckham.
You remember watching the first episode of SpongeBob when it came out.
I was only a year old when Spongebob first came out, so I didn’t watch it by then. I do know what episode you’re talking about, though – Spongebob was pretty much all I ever watched as a kid.
You like to draw.
I was never any good at drawing, so I hate every bit of it.
You wish you had a car.
Sort of? I have my own car bought by my parents, but I am aiming to get my own car when I could afford it. My dream car is the Mini Cooper Clubman.
You used to want to be a model.
I’m embarrassed by it now, but it was a legitimate dream of mine before, so much so that I let my dad know of my intention (then) of becoming a runway model. Idk, I had a past friend who was into VS models and reblogged them all the time, so her interest rubbed off on me and I wanted to be like them as well. I cringe every time I remember, lmao.
You wanted to be on the show All That.
I wanted to be on all the Nickelodeon shows that had the same theme as All That.
You enjoy public speaking.
I’m good at it and can enjoy it on a good day, but sometimes I’ll get anxious.
You have witnessed something supernatural.
Nope. I’ve had friends tell me their stories and I believe them, but I can’t say the same for myself.
You believe in the supernatural.
Just ghosts. I don’t believe in folk creatures, like the ones we have in our native culture.
You aren't heterosexual.
My survey answers in the last six or so years have made this very blatant.
You think the whole transgender thing is stupid.
That’s twisted and sad and pitiful.
You own a dreamcatcher.
Two – one mini dreamcatcher and another giant one. I’ve had an attachment to them since seeing New Moon of the Twilight Saga – there’s a part where Jacob gives Bella her own dreamcatcher at a time when she got depressed and was having nightmares every night, and I know there had been many times when I was like Bella, so I wanted one for myself as well.
You'd want a boho wedding.
So not my style. My wedding’s going to be minimalist and at most, pastel-themed.
You think pink is the best color for cars.
Not for me, no. Simple is better; I like my cars white.
You've been called a free spirit.
Nope, and rightfully so. I wouldn’t call myself a free spirit either. I like trying out new things, but I also like having security blankets and safety nets around.
You're the same height as your mom.
Yeah pretty much. She’s just a tiny bit taller.
You grew up watching Nickelodean.
I grew up watching Nickelodeon*, but this works too. My cousins and I just flipped among three channels – Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network.
You have a sibling who looks like you.
Nah we all have our own distinct looks. There are angles and expressions wherein we look more similar, but generally it’s easy to tell us apart.
You like to write in a journal.
This account is pretty much like my journal, and I love using this blog for my thoughts and ramblings.
You're tired.
It’s Friday, it’s the end of the week, and I’m so, so, SO tired. And of course I’m celebrating by drinking two cups of coffee and staying up as late as I want, lol.
You felt sick today.
The last time this happened was late last year. I felt feverish while I was out for dinner with Gab, but the weird thing about it was that I felt better and as if nothing happened literally a half hour later.
You're very creative.
That is the LAST word I would use to describe myself.
You can be disorganized.
I’m organized about a lot of things, but I’m also disorganized about a lot of things. I could never maintain my closet no matter how much I put an effort to fold everything neatly and start from square one.
You have a fever right now.
Nope.
You've enjoyed babysitting.
We never explicitly used this term but I was always the go-to elder kid to look out for my baby cousins, especially when we still lived under the same roof as an extended family, and I loved every bit of it. I was okay with being the motherly figure while everyone else played games or with toys.
You want to go to New York City to visit.
Yeah. I like bustling cities, so I feel like NYC would be right up my alley. I don’t care much for Times Square though and I would probably spend most of my time going to their museums.
You love tea.
I’m not obsessed with it; I can take it or leave it. And I don’t like the teas that come with a teabag; I drink either the traditional Chinese tea or just sweet, unhealthy iced tea altogether.
You don't play an instrument.
Yeah and I get sad about this like two times a day lmao. I wish I could play just a tiny bit of piano and/or violin.
You used to want Taylor Swift's hair.
I never actively wanted to be anything like her.
You enjoyed High School Musical.
Of course. I was THERE when it came out, and I stayed for every bit of the first film, High School Musical 2, and High School Musical 3. I was right smack in the middle of the HSM frenzy and it’s one of the more cherishable moments of my childhood haha. Everybody knew the songs, the steps to We’re All In This Together, and had HSM shirts, bags, pencil cases, and notebooks.
You watched The Rugrats Movie in the theater.
I barely remember that it had a movie, and I don’t think I ever saw it. Definitely not in the cinemas.
You've performed on stage in a musical.
I’ve performed on stage (as part of a big group) for annual school productions, but I think they were all plays. Hated every second of it.
You've had the lead role in a musical.
Certainly not.
You've had cramps so bad you threw up.
No, but close. A few weeks ago I had a headache SO bad I actually had to run to the toilet only to dry heave. It’s never happened to me before so I got scared and I just slept it off to see what happened the next day.
You've never had Nutella.
2010 Tumblr pressured everybody to get Nutella because it was all the rage at the time and all the cool kids were having it, so I also did at some point.
You have a favorite blanket.
The one Gabie gave me two Christmases ago is my favorite.
You own family heirlooms.
I’m sure we have some but they haven’t been passed on to me yet.
You have carved and painted pumpkins before.
No, pumpkins aren’t really a thing here. As far as I know, coloring/painting on Easter eggs is a more common activity.
You have colored Easter eggs.
Yes, I used to do this with my (second) cousins when they were younger.
You've walked through a haunted house.
I always say I’m into horror stuff, but tbh I think horror movies are the furthest I can go HAHAHA. I’ve never been in a haunted house whether day or night, and I think the only time you’d get me to do it is if I got paid for it.
You've dressed up on Halloween.
Plenty times. I was Dora the Explorer last year :D :D
You've tried to kill yourself.
You've had a false rumor spread about you.
In Grade 6 I had a rumor come back to me saying I was bi and was seeing my friend Andi (who, to be fair, I had a crush on at the time but I didn’t realize it yet). I just found it cool at all that I had a rumor about me considering I wasn’t a popular kid and had literally 2 friends, so I didn’t let it bother me haaaaah.
You've been kicked out of a store (whether for a good or bad reason.)
It was at a McDonald’s lmao. My friends were playing a card game and were yelling every five seconds; I knew people were going to get pissed so I distanced myself as much as possible even though I was at the same table jkfghdgh. Eventually an old man had had enough and asked us to leave, which I was GLAD to do.
You have a favorite stove burner that you always use.
I don’t have a favorite...the one I use often just happens to be my regular one.
You enjoy eating at fast food restaurants.
I find them dirty and nasty so I only eat there if I absolutely have to, but I do like getting takeout and enjoy fast food in general.
You like arrows and feathers and peace signs.
Ugh cringe, this SCREAMS 2010 Tumblr hahahahaha. I mean I liked all of these at some point, but not now.
You want to wear a flower crown for your wedding.
Hell no. It was cute for a while, but not anymore.
You have signed someone else's yearbook.
We don’t do that here. We pay tons of money for our yearbooks that it’s practically destroying them if we ever wrote on them lmao.
You were shy in high school.
For the first half, I was shy and pretty unpopular. By the latter part of high school I managed to gain friends and end up in the ~popular~ circle, but I was still shy compared to my peers. I didn’t take up a lot of extracurriculars (which is what the popu kids tended to do) but I managed to stay within the circle until the end of it.
You're shy when first getting to know someone.
Of course, as most would be I would imagine. I can warm up fast, though.
You've gotten all A's in a class before.
In high school, this was me with English and history. In college, this would be me with my history electives.
You had a favorite class and a favorite teacher in high school.
Sure! Our biology teacher in sophomore year was evvvvverybody’s crush. She was so pretty and kind and smart; when we went to a beach for our field trip, I tried getting stung by a jellyfish just so she’d treat the bite on my leg cos she was one out of two faculty members who knew how to treat stings HAHAHAH. I didn’t get the highest marks in her class, but I enjoyed nonetheless.
You were a teacher's favorite.
BY NO MEANS. Gabie was, though. We were total polar opposites when it came to how we acted in class.
You've won a costume contest.
I...don’t think I ever did, but my mom did go all out when it came to coming up with our costumes as kids.
You have a favorite Disney princess.
It used to be Ariel, then I found her annoying. My present favorite is Rapunzel.
You get carsick.
Only if I excessively do something while in a moving vehicle, like text or read.
You've flown first class.
Never have.
You hate inequality and wish life were more fair.
Don’t we all?
You've had a bad neighbor.
They weren’t bad per se. Just a bit chaotic and the kids (a little older than I was at the time) clearly had behavioral issues. I was so relieved when they moved out.
You've done a cannonball.
I don’t think so.
You have fallen and hit your head.
Nope, and that sounds like the literal worst thing.
You like sunflowers.
Sure! It’s a popular UP symbol – every year, a few weeks before the university-wide graduation, they’d plant huuundreds of sunflowers to line up the entire road leading to my school :) We usually refer to sunflowers as a sign of encouragement to keep on keeping on, so that one day the sunflowers will bloom for us as well.
You like the name Skylar.
It’s alright. I like it because it’s the name of the badass mom in Breaking Bad, but otherwise it’s nothing too special for me.
You've had a friend named Sarah.
I have acquaintances with the name Sarah but they’re not my friends.
You have an Aunt Robin.
Nope. I would end up being the Aunt Robyn in a few years, hahahaha.
You have an Uncle Rick.
I’ve never heard of an Uncle/Tito Rick, but with how big Filipino families are I wouldn’t be surprised if I turned out to have one.
You have a cousin Annabelle.
No, but close. I have an Auntie Bel whose whole name is Amabel.
You think flying a kite is boring.
I never had fun doing it, or whenever we had to do it as a school activity.
You were born in the year of the Dragon.
Tiger, yo.
You like your Chinese zodiac sign better than your American one.
I don’t care for either.
Your laptop has shut off because it got too hot.
It’s never done this before, thank goodness. I try not to overwork it either.
You've accidentally caught something on fire.
Nope, I don’t think this has happened to me before.
You make your bed every day.
Aside from my mom requires me to, a neat bed makes the entire room feel much cleaner so I do it anyway.
You wear a digital watch.
I have a bad record of losing watches, so I never like wearing them.
You have a favorite park.
We don’t have a lot of parks here to even pick favorites from to begin with, which is a shame.
You've hiked a mountain.
I want to sooooo bad. It’s just never happened before/yet.
You want to hike a mountain again.
^
You've been a slave.
What the fuck.
You feel like you've had your free will stolen from you.
My parents were quite strict before but it never felt this bad.
You speak in tongues.
If you mean I can speak more than one language, then sure.
You enjoy medieval festivals.
Never been interested in anything medieval.
Your favorite fair ride is the pirate ship.
I don’t ride rides.
Cotton candy isn't that good.
It’s a cute concept but I wouldn’t always pay for it.
Men look good in pink.
Men – and anybody – would look good in any color so long as they’re comfortable with it lol.
You went to youth group.
Hell no. I’m glad my mom never forced me either.
You were baptized in a lake.
No. Just in a church.
You were on Color Guard.
I have no idea what this means.
You went to your senior prom.
We had a junior prom that I went to, and that was it for my school; but I was also asked to go to a senior ball of another school.
Your first kiss was just an experiment.
No, it was a legit kiss.
You dated a guy you didn't like.
Almost did, though.
You have fallen asleep in class.
Never. I never want this to happen, either.
You have won an award.
A few times.
You type fast.
Yeah, you get used to it through the years.
You have a lot of dreams for your future.
I still want to do a lot, yes.
You've gone camping in the woods.
Never, but it’d be a cool experience. I wouldn’t want to be alone though.
You love to sleep under the stars.
I don’t get to do this but it sounds like a lovely time.
You've gone camping in the fall.
I haven’t gone camping at allllllll.
You own a pair of slipper socks.
That sounds way too hot for where I live lmao.
2 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
parabcllums
* wind / & WORDS !
flyingflosser09
Lisa Muller
noctsim
noctsim✨
airevolutioncompany
Untitled
