#she has ambitions to open a restaurant

[drmaddict]

Patchwork

Summary: Henry becomes a father... Just not how he thought it would happen.

Word count: 2.160

Warnings: mentions of domestic violence, lots of fluff

"Six?"

"Six."

"Six children?"

"Well not biologically, but.... yes."

(Y/n) looked uncertainly at Henry. The blue eyes stared at her in disbelief.

"You have six children living in your house?"

She sighed. That was always the point at which every guy ran away.

"I understand if that's too much for you," she began. 

Henry shook his head still in disbelief, but grinned. "Do you ever sleep, or do you just get used to  sleep deprivation?"

She smiled cautiously. Didn't trust the peace yet, though. "To be honest there are two kids one 9 and one 12 and four pubescent teenagers."

He regarded her quietly across the restaurant table. "Are you okay?" he asked, "Did I say something wrong? I know my reaction may have been a little surprised, but I didn't mean to cut you in."

She relaxed a little. "It's just... Most guys run away as soon as they hear that, and that would really be .... a shame."

Henry smiled and shook his head. "I don't run away. I hate cardio."

That made her smile.

"But you'll still have to tell me how you get to adopt six children and teenagers.... And that as a single woman in her mid-twenties."

"It's like cats. Somehow I guess it doesn't stay with just one." She tipped her wine glass. "The first one was Jason. He was the son of my neighbors at the time and would come by my apartment every so often in the afternoon until his mother got home. One night he showed up at my door bleeding. His father caught him with make up and beat him black and blue. It took a while, but then he could move in with me. He's graduating from high school this summer. He has even been accepted to a make up school. He wants to go into film as a makeup artist." She smiled softly. "He's come a long way."

Henry curtsied in shock at the story. "Fatima is 16 and has been disowned by her family for not being a virgin. She has ambitions to study law. I don't think anyone will stop her from going to Oxford. Mike is almost 16 - next week - and grew up without a father and even though his mother tried everything, she has high level schizophrenia. She has been institutionalized and now lives in care. We visit her whenever her condition allows it. Mini - Emilia ran away at some point. We don't really know what happened. She is 14. Kamon is 12 and comes from a refugee family. His parents have been sent back to Thailand. We are trying to get a visa for them. Until then, I'm kind of his foster family. He and Mike are not officially adopted. Both love their family and do everything for them, even if they can't always be there. And Lilly. She is 9. Her family died in a car accident. No family member has been found."

She was silent for a moment and continued to contemplate her wine before looking up and looking at Henry.

"Henry... I understand if this is too much, but.... they've all been through enough in their lives and every single one of them has their reasons for making it hard for new people in our family. So if, against all odds, you say yes to this circus, know that it's not so easy to get out of it either." Her gaze became insistent. "If you leave me, that's one thing, but I won't do that to the kids."

Henry, who hadn't said anything all this time, took one deep breath and reached for her hand lying on the table. He smiled. "If they're willing to meet me, so am I."

Henry stood in front of a gigantic house. His house was already big, but this one surpassed it. Despite its size, however, it didn't seem ostentatious. It looked cozy and inviting. The word 'home' popped into his head.

Shouts and frantic footsteps sounded from inside. 

He pressed his thumb on the doorbell. Immediately, everything went silent.

The door opened with a jerk. A dark-skinned boy stood before him, beaming at him. From the colored eyeliner, he concluded that it must be Jason.

"Hello Mr. Cavill." he said in a noticeably loud voice.

Immediately, frantic footsteps sounded and he saw scattered bodies running through the background.

"Hi. Henry will do." he smiled.

"Come on in. I'm Jason. Ehhm... (Y/n) isn't here yet.... Mike had... They had to go to the hospital."

"Is he okay?"

Jason shrugged. "Normally, he is. Boxer you know... Tea?"

"Gladly."

He stepped into the house. It was swept as if empty, yet the traces of life could be seen in it. Self-painted pictures. Photographs. Various equipment for hobbies. Shoes in different sizes. And that was just the hallway. Henry let himself be led into the kitchen and sat down on one of the chairs. None matched the other.

"Mike had a match this morning. (Y/n) said he's already patched up. They're already on their way here."

Henry smiled. "With something like this, you should take your time."

Jason set the steaming cup down for him and sat with him.

Henry accepted it gratefully. "It's very quiet."

"Be glad." was all he said, sipping his tea. "I don't want to chase you away, but it's like human history here. The periods of absolute peace are relatively negligible." He ran his index finger over the rim of his cup and grinned. "And I'm one of the worst divas here. Just a warning."

The front door opened and a rumble sounded, followed by an amused giggle. "Sorry about that." a boy's slurred voice rang out.

"That's okay big guy. Come on off to bed." he heard (y/n).

"I'm fine!"

"That's because they drugged your ass off so you can't feel your face."

"Where's Ammy?"

"Mike you need to rest now. You can call Amber when you're in bed."

"Who are you?" A blond boy in a gray sweatshirt and swollen face looked at him from the doorway, aghast. "Who's that?" he turned to (Y/n).

"A friend Mike. That's a friend. Jason stop filming him!"

Still grinning, Jason put the phone away and turned to Henry. "Welcome."

"What's the dog's name?", Kamon asked him.

"That's Kal...like Superman." he smiled at the shy boy.

"I like Batman."

Henry rolled his eyes playfully. "Oh yeah, why?"

"Batman watches out for kids nobody else wants. Like (y/n)."

Henry smiled.

"I told you not to rummage through my things!" yelled Emilia down the hall.

Henry and (Y/n) sat in the garden each holding a book.

"I wasn't rummaging. I was getting MY eyeshadow, that you stole from MY room!" shouted back Jason. "It's not my fault you leave your lovey-dovey fanfictions lying around in the open like that!"

"You have no business in my room!"

"That being said - Tom Holland? Really?"

A splintering sound rang out.

"I guess that was the vase, then," (Y/n) sighed.

"I would have thought she was more of a Sebastian Stan type," Henry reflected loudly.

"How long has she been sitting there?" whispered Henry to (Y/n).

"Since this morning. She hasn't looked up from that book in five hours."

Fatima sat at the large parlor table surrounded by books, writing notes and index cards.

"That's impressive. Scary, but impressive."

Kal walked over to the table and nudged her.

"I have to study! Sit!" Kal obeyed immediately and sat next to her chair.

"She'd make a good drill sergeant," Henry grinned.

(Y/n) sipped her coffee. "You've never seen her in exam stress."

"This isn't exam stress?"

"This is relaxed studying."

Henry looked in shock at the girl with noise cancelling headphones. (Y/n) grinned into her cup.

 "They need more glitter!" determined Lilly.

Henry reached for the can of edible glitter and sprinkled more of it on the unicorn cookies.

"Like this?"

The little girl looked thoughtfully at the tin. "Like this."

Henry bowed theatrically and slid the tin into the oven. "All for your majesty." The girl giggled.

(Y/n) just watched with a smile.

Jason and Mike sat on the sofa grinning together at a tablet, each with headphones in their ears.

This wasn't normal. Even Henry knew that by now. He wondered if they were both watching porn. He'd been that age once, too. He knew what that was like.

(Y/n) came into the living room and looked over there shoulders at the two of them. She laughed uncontrollably grunting, but immediately suppressed it and came over to him.

No porn, he concluded.

"What about these two?" asked Henry, pulling her to him on the sofa and onto his lap.

"Just a movie," she grinned.

"What movie?"

She continued to shake her head with a grin and waved it off. Henry was very reluctant to be shut out. So he sat (y/n) down next to him on the sofa and stood behind the two teenagers. When he saw his younger self in a black hoodie grinning and holding up a tarot card, he groaned in annoyance.

The boys snorted indignantly. Henry looked defiantly at the display.

"Oh come on Sweet Cheeks! What's wrong?" asked (Y/n) with a laugh.

He looked at her with an intensity that promised she would pay for this yet. She could hardly wait.

"What's with the hair?" laughed Jason.

"It was in back then!"

Henry stood in the kitchen making coffee while there was the familiar bustle around him. Kamon couldn't find his second shoe, Lilly needed a certain T-shirt, Jason occupied the bathroom, Mike shoveled eggs into his mouth, Fatima just drank the coffee straight out of the pot, and Emilia hid behind a book.

He could hardly believe that over a year should have passed already.

They had grown close to his heart. He didn't want to miss the chaos at all. The last time he left for a job, it seemed almost eerie how quiet it was that night. He had told (y/n) about it over Skype. She'd just grinned and said those feelings liked to sneak up on one.

"Do you think they want me in their life?" he had asked her uncertainly.

She had only smiled. "Wait a minute." She disappeared and came back a moment later with a piece of paper. She held it up to the camera. "Lilly drew this for you today." It showed eight roughly drawn people. Under each one, in capital letters, was the name.... except for (y/n) and him. It just said Mum and Paps. Henry stared wide-eyed at the screen. "Please act surprised when you come back. It's supposed to be a gift.", she put the paper back down. "Are you crying?"

Henry had remained silent. He had only nodded.

He smiled at the memory. The picture hung framed in the hallway. It had become Henry's favorite picture.

"Car one go!", (y/n) called down the stairs.

The three mismatched teens got up from the table and walked to (y/n)s car.

Henry packed the last of the snacks into Lilly and Kamon's lunchboxes before he, too, packed them into his cat and drove them to school. Jason had a little break from make up school and stayed at home.

Henry came back earlier than (y/n). He waited patiently for her in the kitchen. Looked at the mismatched chairs and the photos on the wall. Photos that now included him. (Y/n) came shortly after him and dropped into her usual seat next to him. She reached for the waiting cup of coffee and dropped her head on his shoulder. "How did I do this alone before?"

Henry laughed.

"I mean it. Don't you dare leave! I can't take it anymore!"

Henry just smiled at her. He got up from his chair and knelt down in front of her. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and held it in front of him. "I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life anywhere but with you and the kids. (Y/n) will you marry me?"

She looked at him with shocked eyes. "Are you sure?"

He nodded with a smile. "I want to take Lilly to her dance lessons. I want to be there when Jason gets his first jobs. I want to see Fatima come top of her year at Oxford - in law AND medicine." They both laughed. "I want to cheer Mike on in his competitions. I want to watch Emilia find the romance she secretly wants. I even want my heart to break when Kamon is reunited with his parents. I want to be with you. I want to be with the children. I don't want to run away. I want to be part of this family."

"You already are," she smiled, crying. She pulled him close and kissed him.

"Does that mean yes?" he grinned.

"Yes you idiot." she laughed.

#henry cavil x y/n #henry cavil x reader #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill #henry cavill fluff #fluffy #fluff #henry cavill x you

[grandmother-goblin]

The Best Kind of Gift

Ao3 - Masterlist

Summary: When Gale's preparations for an end of the year party fall behind schedule, he expects a mad rush of cooking once he gets home in order to have everything done on time. His wife has other plans.

(The smutty Gale holiday fic! The world was against me getting this done in time lol)

Relationships: Gale x Female!Tav

Rating: Explicit (18+) for smut.

Word Count: 5.2k

Tags: Smut, oral sex, cunnilingus, fingering, penetrative sex, breeding kink, light dom/sub, she calls him 'Sir', hypothetical talk of pregnancy.

Four hours ago.

Gale was supposed to have been home four hours ago.

The sun had long since set by the time he unsequestered himself from his office at Blackstaff Academy. He was only supposed to have been on campus for an hour or two. Just long enough so he could finish enchanting Sarana’s present and wrap it in secrecy. It was the first year they got to spend the winter holidays together as a married couple, and he had wanted to do something to make it special for her.

While he was glad that he finished the present, the enchantment took much longer than he expected. He simply lost track of time. Most days, that would not have been a problem. But most days, Gale had not made a promise to his esteemed colleagues to provide several main dishes for their end of the year gathering.

Gale brushed a snowflake off the tip of his nose with the back of his gloved hand as he walked beneath the orange glow of a street lamp. Snow-slicked sidewalks meant he couldn’t rush himself, and he had exhausted his magical energy creating Sarana’s gift so creating a portal was an impossibility as well.

Gods, he was so screwed. The gift was definitely worth it, but he was definitely screwed.

Clasping at the collar of his thick, gray overcoat, he pulled it a little tighter, wishing he had remembered to bring the scarf Sarana had knitted for him. Sarana did so much for him. Everything from the Netherese orb, the whole ordeal with Mystra, to dealing with the Absolute… She even moved to Waterdeep for him. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

For him.

If she had asked, he would have gladly done the same for her.

There wasn’t another soul out there who loved him the way she did. She always told him that he was enough, just the way he was. That he didn’t need to do anything or get her anything to prove his love for her. Although giving his lover a gift had gone catastrophically wrong in the past, he still wanted to get Sarana something.

Unfortunately, the gift-giving would have to wait. There was so much that needed to be done before the party. So much food needed to be cooked, he had to factor in time to make himself presentable and not to mention travel time.

As he made his way down the road toward the home he shared with Sarana, he mentally ran through the list of things that needed to be done.

The honey glaze ham would take the longest. Even if he started the oven the exact moment he arrived home, he’d still be at least an hour late by the time the ham was ready. Then there were the bacon-wrapped dates, the savory hand pies, and Morena Dekarios’s signature seafood stew. Not to mention at least three types of cookies; chocolate chip, cinnamon sugar, butter cookies…. The list seemed endless.

Once again, his own ambition was his worst enemy.

Thankfully, he had done the majority of the prep work the night before. Sarana had offered to help out in whatever way she could, but he hadn’t wanted to trouble her. Still, she insisted on at least doing the dishes. Although, all that work mattered very little anymore. It would take a bloody miracle for him to get everything done in time.

With a defeated sigh, Gale pulled his keys from his coat pocket as he arrived at his front doorstep. Though his fingers were numb despite his gloves, he managed to unlock the door to his house with little trouble.

Maybe, he thought as he pushed the door open, he could just pick something up from a restaurant on their way to the party. It wouldn’t be nearly as impressive as a home-cooked meal, but he promised to provide food.

Showing up empty handed simply wasn’t an option.

The wall of warm air that greeted him the moment he stepped into his house felt like heaven after trudging two miles in the snow. It was a relief to take a breath of air that didn’t send an icy chill straight to the back of his throat and his lungs. Gale removed his overcoat and gloves, hanging both on the coat rack by the front door, before sitting down on a nearby bench to unlace his winter boots.

It was as he worked on unlacing his boots, his body gradually recovering from the cold, that he noticed it. The sound of music from his enchanted piano, Sarana humming a cheerful tune, and a mouthwatering melange of aromas that make his heartbeat quicken.

Gale could smell the salty-sweetness of roasting, honey-glazed ham. There was the scent of garlic and melted butter and spices. Of chocolate and cinnamon and sugar. He couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips even as anxiety tugged at his stomach.

Gale knew Sarana was perfectly capable of cooking and following instructions, but she didn’t do it very often, saying that she preferred his cooking to her own. But when she did decide to make a meal for them, it was always something simple. Delicious, but simple.

Though Gale had told Sarana what he planned on making for the party, he hadn’t provided her with the recipes. Not because they were secret or anything like that, but simply because he thought he would be home to make things himself. While most of the recipes themselves were straightforward, the way they were written were not. Several of them were family recipes that just had a list of ingredients and instructions like ‘measure with your heart’. Most definitely not very friendly to a cook going in blind.

“Sarana?” he called across the house, not sure if she would be able to hear him over the sound of the piano. He toed off his boots, leaving him in just his thick socks, dark slacks, and a deep burgundy sweater Sarana had knitted for him and started toward the kitchen.

He didn’t make it two steps before Tara landed at his feet.

“Mr. Dekarios!” she greeted, staring up at him in a disappointed yet affectionate manner that only cats could manage. “Heavens, you’re late. You must see what your lovely wife has done in the kitchen in your absence. You’ll be so happy.”

Gale narrowed his eyes. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not.”

Tara’s side brushed against Gale’s calf as she passed by. “I would never,” she said and hopped up onto the bottom step of the stairs that led to his wizard tower. Without offering any further elaboration, she bid him farewell with a flick of her fluffy tail.

Though everything smelled wonderful, Tara’s words gave him cause for concern. On one hand, she didn’t particularly enjoy it when things went wrong for Gale. On the other hand, she did enjoy seeing him sweat on some occasions. Kept him humble, so she claimed.

Brow furrowed with a mix of concern and curiosity, Gale started toward the kitchen.

Lantern lights above the counters and fire cracking in the fireplace from the adjacent living room illuminated the kitchen in a soft orange glow. The kitchen table was filled with trays upon trays of hand pies with a golden, buttery crust. Steam from a large metal pot on the stove swirled and disappeared into the air, carrying the delectable scent of exotic spices throughout the entire room. Then there were the cookies.

So many cookies.

Gale’s mouth fell open as he stood in the entryway, taking in the sight with an equal sense of wonder and disbelief. When he had smelled the food cooking, at most, he had thought Sarana might have gotten things started. Not that she would almost be finished with everything.

Sarana had her back turned to him as she removed yet another tray of cookies from one of the two ovens in his kitchen. A little smile tugged at his lips when he realized that she was wearing his apron, which was far too large on her, but it did a decent job of covering up her pale pink sweater and dark brown leggings. She had her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, highlighting the sharp beauty of her Gith features; her tiny nose, the adorable spots on her cheeks, her delicately serrated ears, her plush pink lips that deserved at least a million kisses.

Gale gathered himself before he got lost staring at his wife again, which happened more often than he cared to admit. “Good heavens, Sarana,” he said as he stepped into the kitchen, looking to see that yes, she even made the bacon-wrapped dates.

Pretty much everything he had planned was done, and from the looks of it, it was down quite well. Exceptionally well, as a matter of fact.

“Gale!” Sarana greeted with a big, sharp-toothed smile that always brought a flutter to his stomach. “Sorry I got started without you because I know how much you enjoy this. But look—” she tilted the cookie sheet toward him ever so slightly so he could clearly see what was on it “— I made little wizard cookies.”

Lined up on the tray were the most perfect gingerbread cookies Gale had ever seen. They looked soft and chewy, the edges of them were clean and sharp, making the silhouettes of wizards in pointy hats and robes. Rounded feet and hands gave them a cute, whimsical quality. She bit her lower lip as a smile still rounded her cheeks, looking adorably proud of herself as her bright blue eyes gazed up at him. “I was gonna give them all little peppermint sticks for staffs.”

If there wasn’t a hot tray of cookies between them, Gale would have kissed her right then.

He ran his hand through his hair as he took in the kitchen once more, a small breath of laughter passing his lips. “This is incredible,” he said and approached the counter, completely taken away but the sheer amount of effort she must have gone through. “I can’t believe you did all of this. I can’t begin to thank you enough.”

Sarana set the tray of gingerbread cookies on the counter and removed her oven mitts. “It was no trouble at all,” she said with a bright smile and untied the apron. “Once I realized you were running late, I figured I’d get started. Tara was kind enough to show me where you keep your recipes and Us helped out a bit as well.”

“We stirred,” Us said directly into Gale’s mind with that cute, yet creepy, voice of theirs. Although he couldn’t see where the little intellect devourer was, the creature never strayed far from Sarana.

Well, except when Us had to hunt. Given its diet, that was probably for the best. Though Tara had mentioned that ever since the creature moved in there had been an uptick in pigeons flying into windows. But Us made Sarana happy. Gale supposed he didn’t mind that Us was likely singularly responsible for lowering the collective IQ of the pigeon population so long as it kept its promise not to hunt more intelligent creatures.

“You truly did not have to do this for me,” Gale said and placed his hands on Sarana’s hips, spinning her around so they were face to face. “I feel absolutely awful. Grateful, but awful knowing that you went through all this trouble due to my careless—”

With a swiftness that took him by surprise, Sarana playfully pushed a warm cookie against his lips. “Gale, it wasn’t any trouble,” she said with a smile as he accepted the cookie.

Cinnamon sugar dusted the soft, golden brown cookie. When he bit into it he was met with buttery richness that practically melted in his mouth. It wasn’t his recipe, he noted, but he was definitely going to add it to the Dekarios family cookbook.

With sugar surely still on his lips, he pulled Sarana in for a kiss, feeling an almost overwhelming sense of gratitude for the woman he had married. He could feel her smiling against his lips. He couldn’t help but smile in return.

“You know, not everyone can pull off something like this,” he said, gesturing to the entirety of the kitchen.

“Well, I was raised by halflings,” she replied with a twinge of pride in her voice. “Big family dinners and food with friends is kind of a thing for us. If I didn’t know how to make a full meal with a couple of potatoes and whatever I could find in the pantry, my mother might have considered sending me back to the crèche.”

“I think our mothers would get along well.”

“Oh! Speaking of your mother, I want you to try the stew before we add the fish,” Sarana said and guided him to the pot simmering on the stove. “I saw that it was your moms recipe, so I really didn’t want to mess it up.”

When Gale tasted the broth off of the wooden spoon Sarana offered to him, it immediately brought him back to his childhood. The spices, the tomatoes, the hint of lemon juice; it was all spot on.

The sense of love and warmth that washed over him in that moment was almost indescribable. There was just something about Sarana learning his mother’s recipe that just felt so unbelievably special. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of that bright, wonderful feeling building in his chest.

Quietly, he reached for a dial on the stove and turned down the temperature of the burner below the pot just a bit. “How much longer does the ham have in the oven?”

A cute little wrinkle in Sarana’s brow formed. “A little more than an hour. Why? Wait. Do you like the stew?”

“I love the stew,” he replied and placed his hand on the subtle curve of her waist. “But I love you more. And I feel like if I don’t kiss you now, I might explode.”

With a giggle, Sarana stood on her toes and looped her arms around his neck. “Well we certainly can’t have that.”

Gale brought one hand to her jaw, his thumb brushing over the little black spots that decorated her golden cheeks. Tilting her head up, he lowered his mouth to hers in a slow and tender caress. He could taste the faintest hint of something sweet as his tongue coaxed her lips apart, deepening the kiss.

Her fingers sank into his hair as her lithe frame melted into his. Without breaking the kiss, he wrapped his arms around her, suddenly feeling like he was not able to hold her close enough or tight enough.

A small flick of her silky tongue against his ignited a fire somewhere deep in his chest. Every brush of her lips made that fire grow brighter, burn hotter. There were no thoughts in his mind except getting closer to her, wanting nothing more than to share the flame that she had sparked within him.

His cock strained against his trousers, prodding Sarana’s stomach far too eagerly, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Sarana certainly didn’t seem to mind either, judging by the way she rubbed herself against him. Gale groaned when her hand slipped between their bodies and she cupped him through his trousers, giving him a gentle squeeze.

He pressed himself into her touch shamelessly as his hands trailed down her sides. Then with one strong movement, bent his knees and linked his arms just under the curve of her backside. She gave a little squeak of surprise when he lifted her off her feet with ease.

“I think we have time for a little break, don’t you?” he asked as he began to walk her towards the living room.

Between Mystra curing him of the orb and Sarana’s insistence of having a work-out partner, Gale had gotten into probably the best shape of his life. It wasn’t but a few months ago that he wouldn’t have dared to try such a thing for fear of pulling a muscle. But now? Gods, he loved being able to pick her up whenever he wanted. She certainly seemed to enjoy it as well.

Soft hands cupped his face as she stared down at him, Sarana’s eyes were filled with so much love it almost hurt. “If we don’t, we’ll make time.”

He took her lips in another brief, silky, caress. “Good.”

Another giggle burst from her lips when he deposited her on the couch. He wasted no time caging her beneath him, cradled between her legs as he captured her mouth with his again. Those little laughs of her quickly dissolved into the sweetest moans as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and kissing him as if she could breathe him in.

His hips moved between her legs in subtle, instinctual movements as his mouth trailed down to her neck. When he reached the collar of her sweater, he pulled the material aside and nipped at her collarbone, marking her skin and drawing out a pleasured gasp.

Blunt fingernails lightly dragged across his scalp as Sarana tangled her fingers in his hair. “Gale,” she breathed as her hips tilted up, grinding herself against the hardened ridge in his trousers. “I want you.”

Gods, he wanted her too. Muttering an incantation under his breath, he ran his hands slowly down her body as if he were memorizing them for the first time. Her soft, cashmere sweater shimmered and vanished under his touch, sent away to the nearby armchair. Gale cupped her rounded breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples as the lacy material disappeared with another glimmer of magic.

He drew one rosy-pink nipple into his mouth, sucking and lapping at the sensitive peak as his hands ventured down further. The rest of her clothing faded away with just the touch of his fingertips, leaving her completely bare to him.

There was something about her being naked while he was still fully clothed that made him feel powerful. Trusted, but still in control. Like she believed with her whole heart that he would take care of her. And he would damn well prove her right. Every single time.

Part of him still didn’t believe that she was his. That she wanted him, chose him, made the decision to be with him every single day. He didn’t want her to regret that choice for even a single heartbeat.

Gale kissed his way down her body, over her breasts and taut abdomen down to the soft mound between her legs. He pushed her thighs apart and she lifted her hips, baring her slick, soaking pussy to him. The scent of her arousal was strong; a feminine musk that went straight to his cock. Impatient for a taste, he dragged his tongue through her folds with a rapacious moan.

“Fuck, Gale,” she gasped, arching almost off the couch as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

Using his forearm, he pinned her hips down as he covered her with his mouth. His tongue circled her clit, teasing her with practiced licks as her fingers tightened in his hair. When Gale closed his lips around the stiff bud and sucked, she cried out as she writhed beneath him.

Sliding his hand up her thigh, he sought her center and found her completely soaked. Her back arched when he plunged two fingers deep into her core. With his mouth still on her clit, he curled his fingers inside her, massaging her walls as they tightened around the intrusion.

Her thighs began to tremble, her legs pressing into his back as if she was trying to push him closer. Sharp, panting breaths puff from her lips as the trembling turned to full on shaking.

“Gale, I’m going to—” Her whole body went taut as an orgasm tore through her. Her walls clenched around his fingers as he continued to lap and suck at her clit, wanting to draw her pleasure out as long as he could.

As her breathing evened out, Gale withdrew his fingers and began kissing her inner thighs, nibbling the tender flesh, once just hard enough to mark her again.

He wasn’t sure what it was about Sarana that made him want to claim her in such a way. To mark up her skin so anyone could see that she was taken. Even if no one but him would see the insides of her legs, he still wanted to leave a little love bite. Just for the two of them.

His cock was so hard it was almost painful as he sat up, her legs still thrown over his shoulders and giving him the most gorgeous view. The way her golden skin turned slightly pink in the aftermath of her orgasm, the hard, pointed peaks of her breasts, her slick and swollen pussy.

Fuck. When he brought her to the couch, he mostly only had her pleasure on his mind. Not his own. But seeing her like that beneath him, her eyes dark and glassy with lust as she gazed back at him…

“Gods, you’re beautiful,” he said and pressed his lips to one of the adorable black spots that dotted her calf. “You make me want to do all manner of things to you, none of which are very gentlemanly.”

A sultry smile spread across Sarana’s lips. “You can do anything you want with me, Sir.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. When she called him ‘Sir’ it was like another part of his mind took over. A part of his mind that was very much not a gentleman at all.

Sarana’s gaze followed the movement of his hands as he unbuckled his belt and pulled at the ties of his trousers. Her breath hitched when he freed his aching cock, her eyes locked on his engorged length as a bead of precome leaked from the tip. When her tongue darted out past her lips, Gale could barely stifle a groan. As much as he loved seeing her lips wrapped around his cock, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

Not only that, he was desperate to fill her up. He wanted to claim her inside and out. Oh, he might feel a little embarrassed later, but at that moment the idea of Sarana attending that party absolutely filled with his come drove him wild.

He notched the head of his cock at her entrance, mesmerized by where their bodies connected. “Do you want to see what I see, Sarana?” he asked and pushed himself just barely inside of her. “Do you want to see how gorgeous you look right now?”

Sarana nodded frantically. “Yes, Sir.”

“Then close your eyes,” he said and projected his vision directly into her mind. It was a simple spell, just a minor variation of a basic illusion cantrip, but he had certainly never used it like that before.

Her pussy clamped around the head of his cock as her face flushed red, her eyes clamped shut but seeing through his eyes. Watching as he did as he sank into her. Inch by devastating inch.

Sarana’s mouth fell open as she stretched around him. “Look at you,” he said as he watched his cock disappear into her deliciously tight core. “Look at how well you take me.”

An erotic, high pitched whine passed her lips as she bucked her hips with the limited movement she had, bouncing on his thick length. “Please,” she whimpered, her body practically vibrating with need.

“Don’t open your eyes until I tell you too.” He wanted her to see what he saw. To see how badly she wanted him, how beautiful she was, how she came apart on his cock. He wanted her to see how he could absolutely fill her to the brim with his come.

Gale withdrew himself almost completely before he slammed into her again. “Harder, Sir,” she pleaded even as her fingertips dug into the couch cushions.

And who was he to refuse her?

The couch scraped against the floor with the force of his next thrust. “Oh, gods yes!” Sarana squirmed beneath him, her hips rocking to meet every brutal movement. Obediently, she kept her eyes shut, so Gale knew that she could see how sweetly she took his cock, the sinful view of her pussy wrapped around him as she took him to the hilt. He knew she could see the way her breasts bounced as he pounded into her and the way her face contorted with pleasure.

Gods, he really wasn’t going to last much longer.

Leaning forward slightly, he practically folded her in half as he rocked into her, putting pressure on her clit with his every movement. With the new angle, his every thrust was met with sweet yelps that she tried to stifle with her fist.

At some point, he lost his concentration on the illusion spell. The moment claimed him completely. It was just him and her, the feel of her body joined with his, her skin against his.

Her walls fluttered around him, like she was trying to hold him tighter and pull him deeper. Then with a choked cry, her body seized up, her legs trembling on his shoulders as another orgasm tore through her.

That look of complete ecstasy was all it took. Gale felt his balls begin to tighten, threatening release. He gripped her legs hard as he impaled her on his cock, the sounds of their bodies slapping together filling the room.

Fire licked up his spine as his thrusts lost any sense of rhythm, doing what felt right without any thought behind it. A deep groan rumbled in his chest as he buried himself to the hilt, stilling as he unloaded deep inside of her. The intensity of his release sent sparks across his skin, his whole body trembling in the aftermath.

Sarana’s hands cupped his face and pulled his mouth to hers in a slow, luxurious kiss until both of their bodies relaxed. Her legs fell from his shoulders and wrapped themselves around him, still holding him inside of her. Her walls continued to flutter around his softening length as if trying to squeeze out every last drop.

Gale rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “I got you a present,” he murmured and swiped his thumb across the curve of her cheekbone. He could feel her smile under the movement. “I was going to wait until after the party to give it to you, but….”

He pulled out, feeling some primitive satisfaction as he watched his come leak out of her. Without really thinking, he scooped it in his fingers and pushed it back inside.

Sarana squeezed around his fingers with a small laugh. “If your present is another orgasm, I won’t want to go to the party at all.”

With a chuckle, Gale pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned off his fingers. “Well, then the next one will have to wait until after the party, won’t it?” he joked and reached into his other pocket and found the gift he had crafted for her.

It was something he knew she wanted, they had talked about it on multiple occasions but it always seemed like an impossibility. But now? Gods, now he was a little nervous to present it to her. What if the only reasons she seemed enthusiastic about the idea was because it was something that seemed so far out of reach?

His throat felt dry as he held out a dainty, golden chain necklace with tiny pink diamonds set between every couple of links. It was a piece of jewelry that he knew Sarana would love, but it was the enchantment imbued within that was the true gift.

For both of them.

“I spoke with a Githzerai researcher outside of Candlekeep,” he began as Sarana took the delicate chain from his hand, smiling at the gleaming gold and sparkling jewels. “I can tell you all the details later, but if you wear this…” Gale swallowed and traced his hands down her sides. “We might be able to conceive.”

Bright, ocean blue eyes blinked up at him as Sarana took in his words. She held the necklace to her chest. “You mean….”

Gale inclined his head, his heart attempting to beat straight out of his chest. “We could have a baby.”

“I thought Lae’zel said it was an asexual process.”

“With all due respect for Lae’zel, she has been wrong about many things regarding her own people. This—” Gale tapped the necklace “—will allow us to at least try.”

Sarana blinked again as moisture gathered in the corners of her eyes, a wobbly smile on her lips. “We can have little Gales,” she said and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

“We can have little Gales,” he confirmed as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tight as she snuggled into the crook of his neck.

Pressure built behind his eyes, tears threatening to fall over his lashes even as a smile pulled at his lips. Provided that there were no issues on his end, Sarana could make it so she could conceive as soon as she put on the necklace. And Gale was more than happy to help out with the rest.

“Help me put it on?” she asked.

“Let’s get dressed first,” he replied and returned Sarana’s clothes to her with a simple hand gesture and a thought. He buttoned up his trousers and righted his clothes before he took the necklace from her hands. Back turned toward him, Sarana swept her hair over her shoulder, giving him access to the back of her neck.

He had barely finished clasping the necklace before she was throwing her arms around him again. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Sarana pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I want seven.”

Gale straightened. “Seven what? Necklaces? Or — if you want seven little Gales I know a great variety of duplication spells that —”

A clatter of utensils and cutlery sounded from the kitchen, and they both whipped their heads toward the source of the sound. His mind immediately went to Tara as his heart dropped to his stomach. Tara had been on her way up to the tower when he last saw her, if she had come back to the kitchen… gods he would never have been able to look the tressym in the eye again.

Not only that, Tara could be a horrible gossip and he did not want his mother to know about his and Sarana’s baby-making plans quite yet.

Us stood on the counter, a wooden spoon wrapped in one of its tendrils, ladles and spatulas strewn at its feet. “We stirred!”

Thank the gods. As creepy as Us was, it did not care in the slightest what he and Sarana did in its presence.

Sarana gave Gale a quick peck on the cheek before hopping off the couch. “Come on.” She held out her hand, her new necklace glinting in the firelight. “We’ve got little wizard cookies to decorate.”

And little wizards to make, he thought to himself as he took her hand and followed her into the kitchen.

#gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #gale x tav #gale x female tav #gale fanfic #gale smut #bg3 #baldur’s gate 3

[chefkids]

Fork Theory

This is the second part of the Spoon-Fork-Knife Theory  that I believe makes up the main themes of the whole series and each season. Make sure to read the Spoon Theory before this and then read The Knife Theory. Mikey’s fork used to represent a moment of extreme stress is really what sold me on the SFK theory being a core part of the show, because it is so not subtle once you realize what they symbolize.

Richie was reaching his limit with too many forks. He had lost his best friend, his wife left him, he had no purpose or ambition. He was constantly being pushed aside and given tasks that were small and inconsequential enough because everyone expects him to mess up.

Richie became a “fork” to other people, especially Carmy and Sydney, when he was constantly stressing them out and getting in the way of their progress. He was scared of change and annoyed by them because they were so driven and had a clear purpose when he did not.

He was reaching his fork limit and felt like he was being left behind with all the changes happening to the restaurant. Every time he tried to help he just messed things up. He asked Carmy about what his purpose was and told him the story of the guy who had no skills and just watched trains all day, and eventually all his friends moved on without him. It wasn’t until he embraced the literal forks he was given to clean, that he found a way to his purpose.

Carmy and his entire family have far too many forks. Donna has her drinking issues and mental illness. Mikey had his issues. The whole absent father of it all. Mikey stayed behind and lived with Donna in attempts to care for her, but it wore him down so much that he gave up on trying to fix up The Beef and he gave up on himself. Natalie and Carmy felt as though they have to be the ones fix them. Natalie stayed behind to try and care for Donna even when she refused her help, while Carmy left home to try and be good enough for Mikey to let him help The Beef. Carmy tries to cover up the forks and ignore them, he ignored the obvious signs that something was really wrong with Mikey. He ignored confronting his mother in order to avoid creating further tension and escalating things into bigger “forks”. Meanwhile Natalie tries to address them directly.

Donna hit her fork limit when Natalie asked her at the table if she was okay because she can not handle acknowledging she is not okay.

Mikey hit his fork limit when Lee made a dig at Donna’s outburst, because Mikey knows better than anyone what it is actually like to be with her and to constantly have to handle every “fork” that Donna throws his way. And in a way, Carmy hit his fork limit and had to leave them after this.

Carmy had been avoided dealing with his “forks” for a long time. The biggest “fork” still yet to be addressed is that he apparently has yet to even see his mother since returning to Chicago. So by opening night all the metaphorical and even physical forks came flooding in at once, from the broken fridge handle, the shelves in the wrong place, the lack of real forks, the broken toilet, his situation with Claire, even Donna showing up, it all came crashing at once.

Donna tried to remove her “forks” by leaving the party and crashing her car to get everyone to stop and finally pay attention to her, because she feels so overlooked for all her efforts that she put into the dinner. After the incident happened, Carmy went even further away from his family, because removing himself is the only way he knows how to cope with “forks”.

When the to-go disaster happens he becomes a “fork” and makes the situation worse for everyone by freaking out, so Sydney and Marcus also had to remove themselves from the “fork”. When Sydney quit his first instinct to get rid of the most obvious “fork” by breaking the ticket machine instead of actually fixing anything. Then he almost let the building burn down because he just wanted it all to stop and did not have the “spoons” to cope with any more “forks” by himself now that Sydney wasn’t even there.

Carmy already knew since the start of the day he was not okay with Claire. Instead of addressing the “fork” he had with her before she came to the restaurant, when he knew he had to be focused on Sydney, he ignored it and let the “fork” get to him which got him locked in the walk in. He even acknowledge that he “did this to himself”, because he knows he was avoiding all his “forks”.

Carmy does have the "spoons" to do what he needs to do and work well, he is capable of being a good chef and a good person and being emotionally in tune, but he can't access his "spoons" half the time because he is still riddled with the trauma of all his forks that he pretends he doesn't have.

#fork theory #the bear meta #the bear #carmen berzatto #sydney adamu #sydcarmy #carmy x sydney #syd x carmy #spoon theory

[milamilamilax]

Sydney's mental health

I’ve read plenty of theories about Sydney’s potential health issues, particularly whether she might have lupus, but I think the show could take a different approach. There are various clues throughout the two seasons pointing at mental health issues for Sydney, which I think these point towards things potentially getting worse for Sydney as she puts too much pressure on herself - or perhaps hints of a backstory for Sydney, but the clues are definitely there. 

We’ve seen general hints about Sydney having anxiety, e.g. struggling to sleep, haunted by memories of catering, and the stomach problems she has, likely due to stress. We also know that she is closed off emotionally, to the extent that she arguably even hides the truth about her mother’s death. Although we haven’t seen it officially yet, her “c’est pas grave” tattoo feels like something someone with anxiety would say to themselves as a kind of motto.

Specific things I’ve noticed while rewatching that support this include:

Sydney talking to Carmy (1x05) about the collapse of her business “My whole shit got rocked. And there’s not a night I don’t stay up just thinking about what I could’ve done different.” Sydney refers to her shit getting rocked separately to her credit getting fucked. Notably, when talking with Marcus about the same thing (the collapse of her business) in 1x08 is how this affected her finances - her negative credit score and moving back in with her dad, so she must be thinking of something else here. (I also think this is a sign of Sydney/Carmy > Sydney/Marcus; she’s more open with Carmy when they barely know each other than she is with Marcus when they’re hanging out outside of work as friends.)

In the shots of Sydney's bedroom (also in 1x05) the choices of posters could mean something more. There are 2 film posters that we see clearly in Sydney's room: (1) Jumping' Jack Flash, a film named after a Rolling Stones song, which recounts stories of intense suffering only to come out stronger, and (2) Speed, a film about a bus that has been rigged to explode if its speed drops below 50mph. This also made me of all the references to Sydney driving and how this is a metaphor for her ambition and work ethic (see here) - could it be a reference to this drive also being a weakness?

Sydney talking to Marcus (1x08), after he compliments her for not taking a day off and getting right back to cooking: “I’m just the type, like, as soon as I stop I just *mimics falling apart*". Clearly, she’s experienced this falling apart before, but this is something we haven't seen on screen. We don’t know the timelines of Sydney’s business and exactly when it fell apart, but could it be that the collapse of Sheridan Road drove her to also collapse? (This is also the conversation where she explicitly says to Marcus "It would be weird to work in a restaurant and not completely lose your mind," but I think this is something different to her references to losing her mind when she's not working.)

Sydney talking with her dad (2x02), she differentiates The Bear from her previous business, saying: “I’m in a much better place than last time.” I found this choice of words interesting - separately, she mentions that she’s learned lots of lessons, and has a partner now, but the reference to a “better place” is distinct. What kind of “place” she was in when she started and closed Sheridan Road? It sounds like whatever her emotional and mental state was, it was at least a factor in her failure there. It’s also interesting that she didn’t mention this as one of the reasons for leaving catering when she discussed it with Carmy in 1x05: she didn’t refer to any personal factors, focusing instead on the logistical challenges (on her business getting too big too fast, and the difficulties of running it out of her garage). 

Emmanuel to Sydney (2x09): “I know you can put a lot of pressure on yourself”; Sydney responds: “why can’t we put everything that we have into everything that we can?” And then, “I don’t know if I could do another one.” This exchange isn't subtle at all, because Emmanuel is a great dad and cares about his daughter, but I find it interesting how much he is focused on the pressure Sydney puts herself under; he's no longer focusing on the risky nature of the industry or her change in plan as he was in 2x02, he’s only concerned about her wellbeing here. We know how much pressure she is in fact putting on herself (to get a star, and to generally be the best) so could she end up pushing herself too far again?

Sydney talking to Carmy (2x09) in the infamous table scene: “What if I just, like, completely melt? Like I just, fuck up and fail?” Now, at this point, we haven’t actually seen Sydney completely melt. In 1x05 and 1x06 she handles crises at the restaurant like a boss and saves the day with her quick thinking, and even with the to-go crisis in 1x08, her initial response is to try to help - what makes her throw in the towel is Carmy’s attitude towards her. She could also be referring to the final pasta dish she did for Sheridan Road, but this also didn't sound like "completely melting" to me. I think she’s remembering another time here, a different memory that we haven't seen yet - or perhaps foreshadowing melting in the future.

I’m also interested in how the writers have made Sydney so similar to both Carmy and Mikey, two characters who we know have struggled with extremely poor mental health.

Now, Sydney and Carmy's clothes (think matching jumpers, uniforms, the Thom Browne connection - see post here), language (see this post), and even their names (see here) show how similar they are. This post, however, made me realise how much the writers have also made Sydney mirror Mikey. Maybe the writers are hinting at a similar spiral (although I couldn't imagine this involving drugs specifically, which is something we've never seen referred to in the context of Sydney). 

When Mikey was spiralling, Carmy was away - he didn’t even know Mikey was using drugs, and he didn't go home in the immediate aftermath. Likewise, in 2x10, Carmy is (for all intents and purposes) away and unable to help Sydney when she begins to lose control of the situation. Just as with Mikey, Richie is the one who is available - and, this time, he’s able to save the day.

Generally, Sydney appears relatively stable on the surface, particularly when we compare her to some of the Berzatto family - but I think this is at least partly a case of her being a character who doesn't let her emotions show as much. My own theory for S3 is that the above is either hinting at a larger spiral for Sydney, or is some heavy hinting for Sydney's backstory, which I hope to God we get to see more of.

#god bless sydney adamu tbh #my baby #but i do think thinks will get worse for her #the bear #the bear theories #the bear meta #sydney adamu

[thewhiskersonkittens]

You Know Why

Pairing: Nick “Goose” Bradshaw x Female Reader.

Summary: You’re a sexy sweetheart with a past and a toxic boyfriend. Goose sees that and wants better for you. Why? You know why. ❤️

Warnings: Fluff, romantic, hurt/comfort, reader has jerk boyfriend, toxic relationship, some curse words, punching, Goose becoming “Mr. Steal Your Girl”. ;)

Word Count: 4,787

A/N: I couldn’t come up with a name I liked for Reader’s boyfriend in this so he’s just “Boyfriend” LOL. The word “Squid” used in this story is a common nickname for Navy sailors, usually intended as a mild insult. This idea comes from the 150 Random Writing Prompts list by @writinginstardust​.

“Don’t go on that date.” “Why?” “You know why.” “Say it.”

“Blue Hawaii” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley. 🎵

I really like this one. 😍  I hope you enjoy! :)

Lieutenant JG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw thought he always knew what his type of girl was. He wanted one that shared his sense of humor and values. Someone who didn't mind his silly antics with his best friend and someone who could understand how important his service to the Navy was to him. Someone he could feel comfortable with introducing to his mother. He let his friend, Maverick, chase the hot-to-trot bombshells. As nice as they were to look at, Goose knew he didn't want the hassle and drama those types inevitably came with. Or at least that's what he thought until he met you.

You worked at a little hole in the wall BBQ restaurant near the docks. The wall decor was tacky and the air always had the lingering scent of cigarette smoke. None of that mattered to Goose. The pulled pork sandwich was to die for and best of all, the restaurant had an old upright piano in the corner open for anyone to play. At least that's what he told himself on the reasons why he kept coming back. You were leggy and buxom. A "body built for sin", as they say, or even for the pages of a girlie magazine, as it was rumored you had once posed nude in one.

"I'm telling ya, man! I've seen her in there as Miss March, like, a year ago." Wolfman once told Goose during a round of locker room talk.

 "Yeah, you say that but you fail to come up with the evidence." Hollywood chimed in, laughing, while Wolfman claimed he no longer had the magazine to prove it.

 "Mother Goose got the hots for a centerfold?" joked Slider.

 "She's not a centerfold." Goose flatly stated despite not being quite sure of himself. He didn't know why he suddenly couldn't come up with one of his quick quips. "She's not..."

 As if reading his friend's mind Maverick spoke up.

"Hey, so what if she is?" He said to no one in particular.

"Like any of you horn dogs really care?"

Maverick turned and smiled and nodded at Goose who returned the nod. The conversation went in another direction and all was quickly forgotten. Except Goose didn't forget. He couldn't stop thinking about you.

Your story was that you had moved out to California from some small town in the Midwest. Like many girls before you, the bright lights of Hollywood had attracted you and your ambition was to make it as an actress or a model. Needless to say, your Tinseltown dreams never panned out. Not wanting to go back home but no longer able to afford L.A., you relocated south to much more laid back San Diego.

It really didn't matter to Goose whether or not you'd been a centerfold or whatever else was in your past. That was the least of it. His real problem was with that goddamn boyfriend of yours.

...

Goose sat on the piano bench in the restaurant, messing around on the keys, lazily playing whatever song came to his mind. It was early on a Friday night and the place seemed deserted at the time. It was only him, the bartender, and one other patron who looked half asleep at the bar. 

Goose hummed a few notes. From where he sat, he could see the small parking lot. He saw you sitting in the passenger seat of your boyfriend's Trans AM. Even from the distance, Goose could feel the tension. Your arms were folded across your chest, your face turned away from the guy in the driver's seat. The RIO watched your boyfriend's lips move. He was yelling at you, that was for sure. It made Goose shift uncomfortably. He didn't like it when any man raised his voice at a woman. You turned and said something back to your boyfriend, your face did not look happy. You turned again and made an attempt to exit the car, when the guy grabbed your arm. Goose felt ready to jump up to your defense but you quickly shook your boyfriend off and got out of the car in a huff. You slammed the passenger door so hard it rattled the car windows. Your boyfriend peeled out moments later.

You opened the door and stomped inside. You were so fired up you didn't even notice Goose sitting there at the piano until he casually said:

"Trouble in paradise?"

You froze and looked at Goose. He was in jeans with a T-shirt and a blue Hawaiian shirt.

He kept his eyes on the piano keys.

"Goose." You said. Just seeing him made you calm down a bit.

You walked over to the piano and stood next to him.

"Where's your partner in crime?" You asked.

Goose smiled and glanced at you over the bridge of his aviators.

"Mav? Oh, I imagine by now he's probably shacked up with some lady he picked up at the O club."

Goose paused and quickly added: "I mean, he had a date. Yeah, that's it. A date."

You chuckled as he winked and hit some keys trying his best to imitate the sound of a comedic rim shot.

"Have a seat, honey." He offered, nodding to the bench.

You had some time before your shift started. You slid your purse strap off your shoulder and rested it on top of the piano as you took a seat next to Goose.

"Everything OK, Y/N?" Goose asked, cautiously. He made it no secret he was not fond of your boyfriend at all.

You nodded and said: "Yes. I'm fine, Nick. Thanks."

He didn't press and you didn't offer anymore.

You reached out and touched a few keys.

"I never learned to play an instrument." You told him, changing the subject.

"It was just never a thing in my house. Growing up."

That was another thing. You didn't like to talk about your family.

He had been struggling all night to figure out what to play. "Great Balls of Fire" was his favorite song but sometimes he felt like switching it up.

Wanting to lighten the mood, an idea popped into his head and he started playing.

"Night and you/And Blue Hawaii/The night is heavenly..."

He turned and and smiled at you and continued singing:

"And you are heaven to me."

You felt your heart flutter and your cheeks blush.

"That's my favorite Elvis movie. Blue Hawaii." You mentioned.

"Yeah? It was on TV in the rec room last night." Goose said.

"I've always wanted to go there." There was a wistful tone to your voice.

"To Miramar's rec room?" Goose suggested. "It's nothing special. Let me tell ya."

You laugh. "No, you dork! I meant Hawaii."

Goose smiled and kept playing.

"You mean you've never been?!" Goose asked like it was impossible.

"Well, we should go! And WHO are you calling a DORK, missy?!"

You laughed and shook your head at his silliness but he went on.

"No, seriously, let's go, Y/N. It's beautiful! You'll love it! We'll go to Pearl Harbor first. Gotta pay our respects."

You giggle. "Of course, Goose."

"That's right! And then we'll do all the touristy shit, ya know? Like, we'll go to Waikiki Beach. It's crowded as all get out but don't worry we can still have fun. We can go swimming or surfing or snorkeling. Whatever you want, babe."

Goose winked at you as he continued to tickle the ivories. You couldn't help but smile. The man always knew how to make you smile.

"We'll go to a luau," Goose said. "Eat some pig that's been in the ground for half a day. Drink as many of those fruity drinks you like."

Playing along, you joke:

"Yeah and maybe if we're lucky we'll both get... Lei-ed."

Goose stopped playing and let out one of his loud, wild, and infectious laughs.

"Oh, baby!" He cackled. "At this point, I'd settle for a hula girl shaking her grass skirt in my face. But yes, ma'am!" He drawled.

"I always appreciate a nice lei." He gave you a knowing look over his sunglasses.

"You and me both, Navy man." You winked.

"Great Balls of Fire!" Goose quickly slid his hand back and forth across the keys so it made a range of notes.

You both loved the way you flirted with one another. Not so much in an overt sexually charged way but in a more tongue-in-cheek way.

"You're sweet, Goose. But I know it's all just a pipe dream." You sigh.

"Why do you say that?" He asks, softly, eyes still on the keys.

A beat of silence passes between the two of you.

"You know why." You replied.

"It doesn't have to be that way, Y/N." Goose replied.

Something about the way he spoke and the soft melody he was now playing made your heart feel like it was melting.

Changing the subject, you glanced at your watch and said you better get going but he gently touched your arm, stopping you.

"Wait," Goose said. "C'mere. I wanna show you something."

He patted his lap.

You raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"C'mere," Goose repeated, smiling. "This won't take long, I swear."

He pushes the bench back a little bit so you could stand up and sit on his lap.

You shoot him a quizzical look as you settled yourself on his lap. You feel butterflies dance in your stomach as he pulls you closer and his arms cover yours.

"This will be your first piano lesson." Goose tells you.

You laughed and turn to look back at him. "What?! Are you serious?"

"Don't worry, honey, it will be a freebie lesson. After that, I'm afraid I'll have to start charging. A guy's gotta eat, ya know?"

You can't help but giggle as Goose reminds you that you had just mentioned how you always wanted to learn an instrument.

"Yeah, but not right now!" You exclaimed.

"Oh, hush," Goose replied. "You're being a very difficult student to work with, young lady."

He turns you back so you are facing the piano. He places your fingers on the keys and rests his hands on top of yours.

He leans his head over your right shoulder and guides you on which keys to play. You can feel his breath hot in your ear.

The notes you make don't sound nearly as good as when Goose plays.

"That's all right, darlin,'" He coaxed. "It's a little awkward your first time but you practice enough and it will come more naturally."

He really didn't intend that as innuendo but you both catch it and chuckle.

Goose worked the pedal below while you kept trying the keys he taught.

"I'm no good at this," You comment.

"Here, let me show you."

Goose takes your hands off the keys but makes no indication that he wants you to get up so you stayed seated in his lap.

His arms flanked around yours and he shifted his body to scoot closer to the piano and you could feel his chest flush against your back. You caught a faint whiff of his woodsy cologne.

He started to play but he wasn't playing the same thing as before.

Gradually, you recognized the tune and it all started to click.

"Wise men say/Only fools rush in/But I can't help/Falling in love with you."

Goose sang softly in your ear.

You didn't realize you were holding your breath until you let out a sigh.

Sitting there in Goose's lap with his arms around you, the warmth of his body heat, his smooth singing voice serenading you, it felt so good. You felt warm, safe, and loved. Things you hadn't felt from anybody in a long time.

As Goose continued to sing, you closed your eyes and surrendered to the moment. Soon he was slowly rocking you side to side to the music. His face was so close to yours, you could feel his mustache brush against your skin.

"Take my hand/Take my whole life, too/For I can't help/Falling in love with you."

Goose finished singing and you both sat very still for a moment. Slowly, you twisted around to face him. He lifted his aviators up and rested them on top of his head. Your noses were practically touching. You were both staring at each other's lips. You both were breathing heavily.

You both wanted to say something but couldn't. You felt your bottom lip tremble but whether it was from anxiety or anticipation, you weren't sure.

Goose reached up and pressed his thumb to your lips and brushed it back and forth. Just when you felt like you couldn't stand it any longer, he leaned in and your eyes closed anticipating his kiss.

"Hey, Bradshaw!"

The voice of the restaurant manager made the two of you jump. It gave you such a jolt of surprise that you accidentally tipped backwards, catching yourself on the piano keys, resulting in a medley of sour notes. Goose reached out and helped you steady yourself.

"Are you gonna turn my waitress loose any time this year?"

The manager joked. He was a friendly, middle aged man.

"Dinner crowd's gonna be coming in shortly." He explained, his head sticking out from the kitchen door.

You watched as a range of emotions crossed Goose's face as he tried to pull himself together. He also had got lost in the moment before and had forgotten where he was. It was such an easy thing to do for both of you when you spent time together. He swore under his breath.

"Uh, yeah!" Goose called out your boss. "Sure thing, man! She's all yours."

Goose reluctantly released you. The piano bench made a scraping noise across the title as he pushed away from the instrument to allow you to stand up.

You gathered your purse and turned back to Goose. He remained seated on the bench, looking up at you with wide brown eyes.

"Thanks for the piano lesson, Goose," You tell him. "I gotta get to work now. See you around."

"Y/N, wait."

You shake your head no and started to move away as he stood up.

"No. I'm sorry, Nick."

Was it your imagination or did your voice just crack when you said his real name? It must have because you noticed the change in Goose's face. His brown eyes, reflecting concern. You both knew you only called him by his real name when you were being serious.

"I'll come back." Goose said. "Later. Tonight. When you're off."

You sigh. "That...That wouldn't be a very good idea. "

Goose inhaled and exhaled a very audible sigh of frustration.

"Your boyfriend? Is he coming back?"

You nodded.

"Look, I just don't want there to be any trouble..."

"Trouble?!" Goose repeated. He motioned to himself, trying to lighten the mood.

"C'mon. Do I honestly look like trouble?"

There was a beat and he added:

"OK, so I DO look like trouble but that's only when I'm with Maverick. He's a bad influence on me. Other than that I'm an angel, baby, I swear." He made a show of crossing his heart.

"Yes," You chuckle. "Yes, you are, Goose."

Damn this man, you thought. Damn this irresistibly charming, handsome and heartwarming man.

"Go to work, honey," Goose said. "I'll come back. "

...

Shit. Goose thought. The chance was right there and if it hadn't been for the worst timing in the world from your manager, you two would have kissed. One thing was made crystal clear: you felt the same way he did.

Goose never thought of himself as the type that would deliberately swipe another guy's girl. Tonight that was going to change. His reasons were valid. He was coming back and he didn't care if it started "trouble" or not. He wasn't afraid of your boyfriend and you shouldn't be either. You deserved better and he was going to give it to you. He was going to make you his.

All throughout your shift you couldn't get your mind off of Goose and the almost kiss you had with him at the piano. You kept replaying the scene over and over in your head. Oh God, how much you wanted him. And he wanted you, too. You told him not to come back but you hoped he wouldn't listen.

Please come back, Goosey. Baby, please.

You clocked out and when you walked out into the dining room, you felt your heart soar like a F-14 launched off the catapult.

Goose was waiting for you.

"Hey," He said, smiling. "I'm back."

"I see that." You said.

You wanted to run to him. You wanted to jump in his arms and plant kisses all over his pretty face but you restrained yourself.

He offered you his arm.

"C'mere. Walk with me awhile."

You walked together down to the pier. The night had a warm, balmy breeze. You both stopped along side the railing looking out at the twinkling lights of the passing boats.

"He's coming back to pick me up." You blurted, referring to your boyfriend.  You were looking to break the awkward silence. You turned to face Goose.

"He's taking me on a date," You explain.

Goose only nodded and listened to you explain how your boyfriend had been asking you to move in with him. He had been starting to get very adamant it and it was causing problems, among other things.

"Does he hit you?" Goose asked, carefully.

You shook your head no.

"Don't lie to me, Y/N. You can tell me. You know that."

"I would never lie to you, Goose. You know that."

Goose nodded.

"I know you wouldn't, baby."

There was something about the way he said that. It was so firm yet so warm and gentle. You felt your eyes well up with tears. You managed to kept them at bay.

"Look, Y/N," Goose started. You wondered if you were finally going to discuss what almost happened at the piano earlier.

"Do me a favor." Goose stated, taking your hands in his.

He hesitated before looking you square in the eyes.

"Don't go on that date."

You stood there for a moment, holding hands and eye contact.

You felt your bottom lip tremble again.

"Why?" It was all you could manage to squeak out.

"You know why."

Goose reached up and brushed his thumb across your lip.

You couldn't take it anymore.

"Say it."

To your surprise, Goose shook his head no.

"Say it," You demand. "Say it, Nick! Say it!"

Goose kept shaking his head.

"No, honey. I'm done talking."

Before you knew it, his lips were on yours. You immediately surrendered to his embrace. Your hands were moving all over each other. He pulled you as flush as he could to his body. You let your hands slide up his sides, over his neck and into his hair. You had wondered before what kind of kisser he would be. He did not disappoint. His tongue danced with yours over and over in the most tender and loving way. A moan escaped from your mouth and Goose squeezed you tighter.

Goose reluctantly released you when it became necessary to breathe again.

Your eyes fluttered open. You both were panting steadily.

"Oh, Goosey," You whispered.

You hugged him again, pressing your face into his chest. You felt his arms wrap around you, feeling like a cozy blanket .

"Talk to me, honey," He soothed. "What is it?"

"I've made so many mistakes in my past." You told him. "I'm not proud of the things I've done."

Just thinking about your life back in L.A. made you want to cringe.

You looked at the gold cross that he wore on a short chain around his neck next to his dog tags. You reached up and rubbed the pendant between your fingers.

"I used to go church," You said, not sure why you were telling him this. "I used to be a good girl. Once upon a time. You're such a good man. You should get yourself a nice church girl, Goose. A good girl."

Goose cupped your chin and tilted your head to make you look up at him.

"I don't need to do that. I already got a good girl."

You were both smiling when he leaned down and kissed you again. He wanted to communicate through the kiss. He wanted you to know nobody was perfect, everybody has made mistakes, it didn't matter what your past was, the time was now and that's all that mattered.

The kiss was abruptly interrupted when a booming voice from behind said your name.

"Y/N?! What the HELL is going on?!"

You froze stiff. Goose immediately pulled you off to his side, moving in a defensive position in front of you. His protective mode had been activated.

There was your boyfriend, standing there just a few feet away.

He was shooting daggers at you with his eyes.

"I've been looking all over for you. Your boss said you left thirty minutes ago?!"

His glare found Goose.

"And who the fuck is this clown?!" He was looking at the aviator but speaking to you.

You felt your stomach knot with fear. You didn't want there to be a scene. You didn't want anyone to get hurt.

"No, no, no, pal," Goose answered, waving his index finger, voice dripping with sarcasm. "There's only one Bozo around here and it ain't me."

Your boyfriend put his hands on his hips and squinted his eyes.

"Oh, a real funny guy, huh? We'll see what's funny when I knock that shit-eating grin off your face."

You clutched Goose's arm. He looked back at you and touched your hand, reassuring you it was OK.

Turning back, Goose could only find amusement in the situation. Guys like your boyfriend were a dime a dozen. Their bark was always worse than their bite.

"Y/N, I asked YOU a question." Your boyfriend spat.

"He's my friend," You simply said.

Your boyfriend moved closer. Spotting Goose's dog tags, he scoffed.

"He’s one of those squids, huh? I should have known. Boy, you'd really screw anyone, won't you? All right, you had your fun. Come on. Let's go."

He had the audacity to stick out his hand, expecting you to take it.

You shook your head.

"No."

Your boyfriend's eyes widened with disbelief.

"What?!" He was not accustomed to being denied.

"No," You repeated, much louder. "I said no!"

Goose felt his heart swell with pride at your new found confidence.

Your boyfriend let his arm drop. He threw up his arms in frustration.

"I can't believe this bullshit!"

"Believe it, brother," Goose gloated. "You heard the lady. She doesn't want you anymore."

"Hey, asshole, " Your boyfriend pointed his finger at Goose. "Nobody is talking to you!"

"Yeah, well, I AM talking to you," Goose quipped. There was an edge to his voice he didn't use very often but he still maintained his composure.

He knew nothing made a pissed off person more angry than someone who wouldn't take the bait.

"She doesn't want you here. I don't want you here. That gives you one option: Go away and don't come around ever again."

Your boyfriend edged closer. To your surprise, Goose did the same.

With the two men standing in front of each other, you noticed how Goose was taller than your boyfriend. Goose had his shoulders squared and his chest was puffed out like a peacock. He wasn't exactly a super buff guy but he did have a decent build.

You watched in awe at the display in front of you. You never had two guys fighting over you before.

"Oh, yeah?" Your boyfriend whined, peering up at Goose. "What are you gonna do about it if I don't, hot shot?!"

Goose grinned so wickedly it was almost a little unnerving. He started chuckling. "What am I gonna do?! What am I gonna do?! " He mocked.

He began cracking up.

He turned around to you and called out: "Hey, Y/N! Your boyfriend here wants to  know what I'm gonna do!"

You thought maybe Goose suddenly lost his marbles and your boyfriend looked just as perplexed.

Just as quickly as he started, Goose stopped laughing, turned back and violently snatched your boyfriend by his shirt collar, catching him completely off guard, lifting him off the ground. The action made your boyfriend yelp and you audibly gasp.

"Fuck around and find out." Goose told him, very matter-of-factly.

He released your boyfriend without warning and the man stumbled upon impact with the ground.

He looked visibly shaken up. You suddenly laughed. Mostly at yourself at why you let him bully you for so long. You walked over and defiantly linked arms with Goose.

Your boyfriend's panicked eyes flickered back and forth between you and Goose. You both waited to see what he would do next.

Nostrils flaring, he yelled: "Fine! Fuck it! You can have her, man. I was about done with her ass anyway." He told Goose.

He shot one more glare at you. "Fuck you, bitch!"

The last thing he saw was Goose's fist coming toward his face. It connected with his nose so hard it sent him flying backwards. He fell flat on his back on the pier, knocked out cold.

You gasped and turned to Goose. He was groaning, flexing his hand, rubbing his knuckles, trying to relieve the pain.

"I hate it when it does that!" He said, humorously, as if his hand had a mind of it’s own.

"I don't take it very well when somebody talks to my girlfriend like that."

You looked from your new boyfriend to your now ex-boyfriend laying splayed out.

 "Is he going to be all right?"

Goose shrugged.

"I suppose so. Don't worry. He's still breathing. He'll walk it off. C'mon, let me take you home."

...

You walked back to the restaurant parking lot with your arms wrapped around each other's waist.

"I didn't know you could fight like that." You said, curiously.

"Yeah, I used to box a little bit while I was in Annapolis." Goose explained.

"I gave it up because I didn't want to screw up my hands. I like playing the piano more than boxing. It's good to know I still got it, though!"

You give him a sultry glance.

"I got to admit it was pretty hot." You give him a nudge.

Goose laughed and made a playful growl in your ear which made you giggle.

"That get your motor going, baby? I'll have to remember that."

"You're a little bit of a lover and a fighter, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

As you reached the parking lot, there was one burning question still on his mind.

"Can I ask you a really, really random question?"

"Shoot." You reply.

"You used to do some modeling, right? Back in L.A.?"

"Yes?"

You both stop walking when you reach Goose's car.

He chuckled nervously while he scratched the back of his head.

"So were you ever in a magazine? By any chance?"

You laughed and regard him curiously. You folded your arms across your chest and gave him a pointed look.

"What kind of magazine are we talking about?"

" Hehehe... " He chuckled. He wonders if he's going to regret this but he just has to know.

"You know," He said. "A girlie magazine?"

Your mouth opens in surprise but you're not upset. It was actually quite funny.

You pretend to be flattered. You clasped your hands over your heart and bat your eyelashes.

"Oh, Goosey." You fake some sniffles. "It's so sweet of you to say that! That's always been a dream of mine ever since I was a little girl. To be the centerfold in a girlie magazine."

You then burst out with laughter.

"No, I was never in anything like that! Where on earth did you get an idea like that?!"

Goose was cackling with you.

"I'm sorry, honey! I honestly don't know where that idea came from."

I knew those idiots in the Miramar locker room were full of shit! Goose thought.

This time you took the lead and kissed him.

"I love you, Goose."

"I love you more, honey."

He held you in his arms not wanting to ever let you go.

"You know, Y/N," Goose started.

"I happen to have a really great Polaroid camera." His voice had a hint of mischief in it.

You smiled, slyly.

"That's nice. Any particular reason why you're telling me this, Goose?"

He shook his head.

"Nope! No reason at all! I just thought you'd be interested in that little tid-bit."

"Uh-huh." You clicked.

Goose opened the passenger door for you. Before you slid inside the car, you told him that he could show his camera to you "on the trip".

"What trip?" Goose asked.

You smiled. "Our trip to Hawaii, of course."

Goose laughed.

"Great Balls of Fire!"

#top gun #top gun 1986 #nick goose bradshaw #goose #goose x reader #nick goose bradshaw x reader #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #reader insert #x female reader #bless you if you read all this b/c it's kind of long ❤

[useless-catalanfacts]

Carme Ruscalleda is the female cook in the world who has been awarded the most Michelin stars: a total of 7.

Born in 1952 in Sant Pol de Mar (a small coastal town in Barcelona Metropolitan Ambit, Catalonia), she came from a family of farmers and started working in her family's shop, which was a butcher's. There, she started preparing ready food for take away, and developed her passion for cooking.

In 1988, she and her husband opened their restaurant Sant Pau in their hometown Sant Pol de Mar. Their mix of traditional Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine with avantguarde and creative cooking brought them great success and recognition. In 2004, she opened a Sant Pau restaurant in Tokyo (Japan). She has also written many recipe books for both professionals and non-professionals.

Nowadays, she is considered one of the most innovative cooks in the world and is the woman who has been awarded the most Michelin stars. Last week, the University of Barcelona made her Doctor honoris causa in recognition of her work.

#carme ruscalleda #cook #chef #cooking #michelin star #arts #menjar #cuina #cuisine #restaurants #sant pol de mar #catalunya #famous catalans

[vacationship]

TL;DR I’m fixating about all the people who in one way or another have some kind of unsupportive attitude or stance about Carmy being an (acclaimed) chef, or having a restaurant, or just being in the culinary world.

In no particular order. Claire. Yes, Claire, in a subtle way. In the store when he said he shouldn't have encouraged his old teacher's kid to be a chef, she agreed. Without knowing anything yet about how he is doing now, except what she may have heard, and we know she knew from Mikey that he spent time in New York and Europe, she agreed. She went on to “be delighted” for him that he was doing the thing and opening a restaurant, because her primary motivation is to make Carmy feel supported by her, to try to mirror him, to win him. She remembers him and she remembers the Bear, and tbh I have too much more to say about her perceived place in Carmy’s life/dreams. But suffice it to say her first reaction to the chef profession was not positive, it may be neutral, but it was not positive.

Donna. In so many words, Carmy was off being a "big time" chef and she has to beg him to come back home. Cicero makes it clear that their dad left her to deal with the restaurant. Being a chef or having a restaurant is not a good thing to Donna, and cooking for the family is a manipulation and a burden. Her coming to Friends and Family night would ruin this (their) good thing, because she knows she has never really supported Carmy's culinary ambitions, or him as a person. She knows she has baggage about it and she knows her shit has gotten in the way.

Richie, initially. Yes, he supposes that Carmy loves it and has fun. He sees and presumes it as Carmy's purpose. He eventually tells Carmy "he gets it" and he “needs this” after Forks. But he spent s1 berating Carmy's culinary "big time chef" ambitions and his absence from the family.

Cicero. Ironic, because he's funding it. But he tells Carmy the odds are he will fail. This is his way of being supportive, by pushing him to see how hard it's going to be. But this support is tainted with grim reality. He doesn't exactly encourage the dream, he just sees that Carmy is going to do it with or without him. And since he's owed money, he decides the safest bet is to support him further (financially) to try to recoup. I sense (want?) that his heart is in it, too. But it’s a firm stance he’s taking.

We don’t talk about the chef at EMP.

Mikey. He does make it possible for Carmy in the end, because somewhere along the way he realized by protecting Carmy he actually hammered down his dreams. He made Carmy feel uncool and weird, unwanted. When Carmy showed him the drawing Mikey knew he couldn’t do it with him, he didn’t have it in him for reasons we don’t fully know yet, but he set out to find a way to give Carmy’s dream back to him. Maybe Mikey always wanted to support Carmy inside, but regardless Carmy did not feel supported on the outside. It’s complicated with siblings. Mikey was in it, too.

Brings me to Natalie. The Beef was a waste and a drain to her and she worries what it does to Carmy. She’s reluctant to be PM at the Bear partially because she’s just found out she’s pregnant. It’s not until the very last ep in s2 that she realizes she “works here now.” Nevertheless she persisted and supported Carmy because that is Nat. Again, it’s complicated. Not supporting Carmy (worrying) is also for herself, because of her own experience with the family.

For the rest of the employees it’s their livelihood and they are mostly mentees. Of course they want Carmy (and Sydney) to succeed. Tina did join in on berating Carmy for coming in and messing things up, but it feels different, she’s not taking a stance about Carmy’s dreams I don’t feel.

Bonus. Even Tish in Fishes!—Carmy is weird for making the sprite, and she (and Richie) hadn’t taken the time to broaden their own horizons and understand that chefs make things from scratch and that’s actually cool.

I think that’s it. But who does actively support Carmy with their words and energy? Sydney, Marcus, Pete. Luca, we assume. It’s fair to include Emmanuel since all of his worried feelings are to do with Syd, but once he’s at the restaurant, even if he didn’t meet Carmy, he knows it’s the Thing. Michelle: she supports him to get out, not sure she addresses his interests per se, but she knows what he’s into and the type of person he is (sensitive, creative) and she suggests NYC.

It’s just interesting to think about all the players in Carmy’s life and how they have pushed and pulled on him with regard to his chefhood.

#sydcarmy #I tag everything sydcarmy

[rene-is-an-insomniac]

Hello there, I have write this submission for the crush exchange event. I used my one of my Genshin OC for this if you don't mind.

Her name is Lovette (or let's just say, her mortal name), she is a performer from a certain circus named "Wonderland of Elated". She is usually a performer for acrobatics, ballet and aerial silk. She is very good with knowing everything about everyone despite of her have not meet some of them before.

When people mentioning her, the third person pronouns that they used are She/They.

As what the information said, it is implied for Lovette to be an extrovert person. Her other noticeable traits in her personality is Creative whenever it comes to creating a piece of creativities (This could be paintings, writings, dancing and such that has to do with creativity), Perfectionist as she wants to make everything that she does being perfect so that no one can pointing out her flaws, Very Self-Aware and Very Aware about everyone such as personality, likes, dislikes, ambitions and of course, people's downs on life... Basically, she knows everything about everyone.

Likes: Ribbons, Fashion, Fantasy and Romantic Books, Fluffy Animals (Example: Bunnies), Ballet, Songs and Music (That has a meaning behind it), Creative Pieces (Example: Art, Music and such) and most importantly, (Almost) Everyone!

Dislikes: Rock and Roll (The music is too hard for her if I have to say), Fake Feelings and Bad People (in general).

Hobbies: Searching article of clothes, Dancing, Drawing, Writing and Learning to Love people (platonic and romantic but it's mostly platonic than romantic).

Sorry for the delayed delivery Traveler, your package went missing. We were able to relocate it however.

You have a special message from him~

@mystiicxl-w0nders

Lovette, my dearest

Hello, sweetheart! Due to my busy schedule, I'm sorry we haven't had more time to talk. Normally, I'd come see one of your shows, but recently, my work has been too demanding.

Knowing you, you deliver the most incredible performances, though not as well as I. You can only get so far with your acrobatic abilities. You could benefit from learning some of my routines to use in your own shows. It will boost your performance to new high places. How about a date sometime this week if you're free? There's a new restaurant in town, but it's exclusively open to members of the VIP club. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it.

P.S. A troupe member has a fresh new costume that she is unable to wear. I decided you could use an extra set of clothes, so I kept it instead of donating it.

I'll be seeing you soon~

Lyney

Thanks for choosing Rene's Express. We hope to see you next time!

#genshin impact #genshin fic #ren writes #genshin lyney #lyney x reader #lyney x gn reader #lyney x fem reader #100 follower event #crush exchange

[yvonne-rutherford]

Being Alive

Date: 09 February, 2024

Someone to hold you too close

Someone to hurt you too deep

Someone to sit in your chair

To ruin your sleep

“Are you sure you feel well enough to go to dinner?" Félix's hand was pressed to the small of her back and he leaned in to press a kiss to the top of her head. Yvonne couldn’t fault him for his concern, considering he was the one holding her hair back once again as she knelt in front of the toilet puking her guts up. Just like New Year’s. Well, almost. Her eyes caught on the glint of gold courtesy of the Virgin Mary medal that now hung from her neck.

The box was placed in front of her the day after the positive test, after they’d had twenty-four hours to process the fact that the two of them were bringing a new life into the world together. Yvonne’s mind went somewhere entirely different when she saw the jewelry box and her thoughts drifted into a panic before Félix opened it up to reveal a small gold medallion on a chain. Before she could voice her confusion, he said, “I know you’re not religious. But the Blessed Mother is the patron of mothers and it’s a tradition in my family to gift a medal to expecting mothers, to look after them.” Yvonne had smiled and simply pulled her hair back without a word so that he could fasten it around her neck.

She couldn’t remember if her first pregnancy had kicked her ass this hard during the first trimester, but she was already over it. Spitting her toothpaste into the sink and rinsing out her mouth, she looked up to meet her boyfriend’s gaze in the mirror. “I’m fine. It’s just a little morning sickness. Besides, it’s already hard enough to find nights with just the two of us with two kids. We should take advantage of it before there’s a third one added to the mix.” She turned around and reached out to straighten his tie, tugging on it slightly to pull him in for a kiss.

Even on the Friday before Valentine’s Day, the restaurant was booming. It’d taken several favors to get their reservation. More people had the same idea to beat the crowd as they did, apparently. Ash Wednesday falling on Valentine’s Day no doubt played a role in it too. Yvonne had already been invited, and strongly encouraged to attend, Ash Wednesday Mass with the Rodriguez family. Or it was just Mistress Night. She’d heard stories before.

While they waited for dessert, Félix reached out to take Yvonne’s hand. “I know it’s only been six months, but I have another present for you.” She watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box that he opened to reveal a rose gold ring with a pear-shaped black diamond with white diamonds surrounding it. “I love you, Yvonne. This may have started has a mutually beneficial arrangement, but I honestly can’t see myself spending my life with anyone else. You’re ambitious, smart, and I look forward to every moment I spend with you. So, what do you say? Yvonne Rutherford, will you marry me?”

Yvonne sat there, her mind flashing back to a different proposal six months before, in Dubai. At the time, she’d given up on the idea of romance and saw only the path forward to her ambitions that the man in front of her offered. How could she have known that it would lead to six months of happiness and the creation of a new life? For a brief moment, she wondered if her mother had  felt this happy upon her own engagement, if she’d had a moment of joy before the realization that she would never truly belong to the Rutherford family hit. She blinked and came back to the present to see Félix still looking at her slight worry creeping into his eyes. Smiling, she leaned forward and closed the gap between them with a soft kiss to his lips.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Her fiancé (that was going to take some getting used to) took the ring and slid it onto her finger. She looked at him with a question in her eyes as it fit perfectly, but the bastard didn’t have the decency to be ashamed. “I used one of your other rings as a reference for the size.” Yvonne rolled her eyes, but that didn’t stop her from grinning as she leaned in for a second kiss.

“You’re ridiculous. And it’s perfect.” It was only the waiter coming up to the table with dessert that prompted Yvonne to sit back in her seat, though she knew she was still grinning like a lovesick fool. Which is what she was, if she was being honest. Not that Félix’s smile had left his lips either. The rest of dinner passed in a blur, filled with smiles, laughter, and chit chat about when and how to drop the news.

Somebody crowd me with love

Somebody force me to care

Somebody make me come through

I'll always be there

As frightened as you

To help us survive

Being alive, being alive

Being alive!

#self para #character development #char dev

[bcgins]

☾ ° 。◜park jihyo. cisgender female. she/her.◞ could have swore i saw kwon eunji in the city tonight, probably heading to crescent moon cafe! i suppose after living in daegu for one year, they know what they like. i hear they’re the owner of starlight noodle, but who knows. friends describe the twenty-seven year old as assertive + generous, but others might view them as more controlling + pessimistic. putting them into words? i’d say they have an air of soft shirts smelling of cigarettes and nighttime air, unconditional love, and shots of strawberry soju. if you can’t find them, they might be looking at the city lights from onhwahan hanok village! ◜em. 21+. est. n/a.◞ ° ☽

hi hello! i'm em and i'm excited to introduce you to kwon eunji: mom, divorcee, and owner of starlight noodle! you can find some information on her below - if you'd like to plot please give this a like and i'll shoot you a message :)

warnings: mention of pregnancy; divorce; a lifetime of really unfortunate male figures

the story:

eunji was actually born born in daegu! she has a younger brother. her dad was your typical salaryman and her mom was a teacher. growing up she had a relatively happy childhood until her dad got his long-awaited promotion when she was twelve and took it as an opportunity to reset his situation. new life new wife!

he moved to seoul and left his old family behind. her mother got some minor child support payments but it fell on eunji to take on a part time job when she was old enough to help make ends meet. by the time she graduated school she was more than ready to leave and shed the burdens her father laid on her as a child. she actually took off and lived in kyoto from the age of ninteen until she was twenty-two!

while in japan she studied culinary arts and really fell in love with cooking both japanese cuisine and korean. she made friends, earned next to nothing but accumulated valuable experience, and really got to enjoy life for the first time!

after she finished school again she returned to korea and settled in seoul where she worked as a cook in a number of different restaurants. it was during this time that she met her husband, choi insik. he came from an upper middle class family, had a stable job, and made it seem like he was head over heels for her!

she made it clear to him that she had ambitions - she wanted to open her own restaurant and was living on a tight budget in order to save every last bit of her paychecks that she could. he was fine with that until they got married when she was twenty-three and he and his family insisted on a child. what would it look like, after all, if she was working when he was capable to caring for her on his salary alone?

after months of pressure from all sides she quit her job and her daughter, mina, was born when eunji was twenty-five. her life had become housekeeping, parenting, and caring for her in-laws while her own mother remained in daegu because 'there wasn't room to have her here'. that turned out to be true because the steady flow of money that insik had had started to fade into a trickle. debts, he said. student debts, the debt on the apartment, the debt on his car. but eunji knew it was more than that. he went on trips, he stayed out later and later, his clothes got more and more expensive. as long as they had the appearance of progress, that must mean it's true, right?

she tried to balance the books but she knew that things would come to a head. insik seemed to be a very different person and the more she fought the image he tried to construct of what their lives were supposed to look like, the more distant he got. it was clear his parents didn't know, he refused to ask them for money, and after she had the audacity to do it herself they had an explosive argument that ended with her packing a bag for herself and her baby and taking off back to daegu.

her mom let her move in while eunji filed for divorce when she was twenty-six, an ongoing mess that causes her endless stress because insik has decided to make her life a living hell for causing him such an embarrassment. but things are looking up! with the help of her mom she was able to obtain a business loan and open her restaurant. it isn't the high-end place she'd dreamed of, but it's her own. she has her daughter, her family, and is slowly getting on her feet again to get her life back on track!

about starlight noodle:

starlight noodle was named after the stars eunji always drew in the corners of her recipe notebooks. the menu consists of japanese and korean style ramen dishes that can be customized with a list of available toppings! it's open tuesday through saturday (closing 1 am on sunday) and she also has a list of available beer and soju brands and flavors. the interior is cozy - it definitely has hole-in-the-wall vibes. the furniture was bought on a budget and is a little more worn down, but everything is very well kept and clean. prints from local artists cover the walls and the lighting is warm, broken up by colorful neon signs in the wall to wall windows at the front. when it's open it's rare to not find eunji there, and often times her family is there assisting the small staff as well. soft lo-fi music plays and she makes a point to get to know her regulars and make friends where she can!

her personality:

eunji loves people but has a really hard time trusting them beyond a certain point.

she is ruthlessly efficient and pretty type a. things need to be done a certain way to keep the restaurant running and her finances above water and she doesn't have time for mistakes.

she's friendly but a lot of times can come off as blunt (for the reasons listed above)

her daughter, mom, brother, and restaurant are currently her entire world and she would go to the ends of the earth for them

habits: smoking, doing a shot of strawberry soju each night after closing, humming while she works, listening to podcasts during ingredient prep, dancing while she cleans (when she thinks she's alone), reading (when she has the energy), taking walks

potential connections:

her little brother (will probably throw that up as a wc on the main eventually)

one of her mom's former students

regulars at her restaurant

neighbors

someone she trusts to babysit mina once in a blue moon

childhood friends

an ex from high school

a server or cook for starlight noodle

a best friend

an unrequited crush (going either way)

someone that found out how nasty her ongoing divorce is and tries to offer advice and support

someone that forces her to take time for self care - they go out together once in a while just to get her out of the house and restaurant!

a wc is in progress so hopefully i'll have more specific ideas up soon :)

#midnightintro

[buckysswinter]

all you had to do was stay

18+ minors dni

warnings: large age gap(implied; lee is late 30s reader is early 20s), angst, fluff, happy ending

not edited or beta’d- do not repost or translate!

any mistake i make is my own!

lee bodecker x f!reader

word count: 2,062

part two to right where you left me

here you are now, calling me up, but i don't know what to say; i've been picking up the pieces of the mess you made

lee looked at the ticket in his hand, inspecting it. it has been months since he picked up that ticket at the diner. the ink on it slowly fading the more he held it in his hands. he thought of what life could be with her. if he stayed, if he was selfish, he could be happy right now. he hears shuffling feet and he attempts to hide the one thing he has left of y/n.

-"you don't need to hide it lee," dot's voice sounds as she peeks through the door, lee sighs t her statement. he knew dot had been lurking, seeing him look at the faded ticket. he wanted to be happy with her, give her the life she deserves- but everytime he moves on a speck of y/n floods his brain. he can't help but compare them, how y/n's skin is softer, how her eyes sparkled more. lee couldn't bring himself to hurt dot too, he decided to leave y/n, to leave the restaurant with her looking like a dream with tears running down her face- tears he put there.

he left her, he shouldn't be feeling like this. he chose to leave- after weeks of mulling it over, lee decided to put an end to their relationship. albeit, he never gave y/n an explanation as to why or have her the real reason as to why. lee knew of y/n's ambitions, he knew she was more than this town, she could do better with her life than be here, than being with him. that was the final straw to his decision, on top of the silent whispers of her wasting her youth with an old fat guy like the sheriff. lee chose to leave her be, to live her life, to figure out who she wants to be, who she needed to be with. it was the most painful thing he ever had to do- but he did it in the name of love, for y/n.

dorothy's looming presence forces lee to speak up,

-"dotty, i think we need to talk" the strain in his voice surprised him and looking at her she knew.

-"i-" lee sighed continuing the need to end it, "i'm so sorry but i need to leave. i need to break this up. i am so sorry in promising you the life you needed and deserved." lee looked up at her, his eyes watering, he didn't mean to hurt this many people and as he looked up at dot, her understanding eyes looked at him.

-"lee bodecker, you are one of the nicest man in this planet, maybe the nicest man to exist in this rotten town- you taking a chance on me and my son is the best i could ever hope for. i hope you be happy with her, go after her lee- apologize and beg for her back." dot gave lee a bone crushing hug and wiped the tear running down his face. this hurt lee. the pain for leaving comfort to chase something that might blow up in his face. though for lee it was all worth it, he had to show y/n all the love he still had for her.

the bustling city still surprised her, in the two months she's moved to new york everyday she saw something that she deemed odd. yet the city air was fresh to her, different from meade. the tall skyscrapers stand with the sky instead of broken down brick buildings. the way the sun felt against her skin was different too.

it surprised y/n to see other women studying in the same college as her, everyone acting nonchalant about it. two years was all she needed to be a nurse. she’d always loved helping her dad when he got into brawls or even lee when he’d sneak into her house with a cut open lip. lee, she had missed him but it seems to be too late to vocalize it now, he’s moved on and he’s also the one to break it off. though she never got the explanation from him, she thought it was better that way.

the basking thought of him would come up late at night when she realized how alone she was in the city. how she was singled out from her friends that she had made. her mind always wandered back to lee when she thought of home. she would have sacrificed everything to be with home right now but as fate would have it lee did not want her back. the hurt from the breakup keeps her going, lee would have cheered her on if they were still together, though she might not be where she is now if they were still together. she was unsure if lee would leave the power he had back in knockemstiff. maybe if they were still together she would be content in life, in a house somewhere in brewer heights. all the maybes got to her head and tears streamed down her face.

if only lee had explained why he wanted to break up- maybe if she had a reason and maybe if he hadn't moved on she would have stayed.

y/n wiped the tears off her face and focused on her task, needing to finish her assignment which had taken her all night to do. she had to wake up early tomorrow to apply for job, her savings running low.

lee struggled when he arrived to new york, the fast paced walking and talking made him miss knockemstiff where nothing ever happened. the search for y/n was going to be tough and he knew it, a big city like new york and he hadn't got the faintest idea where she was staying or where she went to school. but lee was determined to search every corner of the city if it meant getting her back, or trying to at least. lee hadn't slept since he got to new york, sitting in the first diner he found at the corner booth on his third cup of coffee. the bell rung and something in him willed him to look up and as he did he saw her. the one he was looking for, she looked healthy, her eyes weren't as sunken in as the last time he saw her; she also looked grown, she had more confidence in her. she wasn't the innocent doe-eyed girl lee had met.

lee had taken the menu the waitress had left and hid his face, he was suddenly nervous for her to see him. would she think he was crazy? even perhaps shoo him away without him having a chance to give her an explanation? hearing her sweet voice for the first time in a while brought him back to the first time he ever heard it,

a sweet giggle lured lee back to consciousness, he had gone to church to campaign. married women were swarming him, fawning over him; yet he grew tired of this as soon as he heard her, his head turned to her and a white-like halo surrounded her figure. the dress she wore fitting her whole personality. lee had become addicted to someone he didn't know.

-"excuse me, i saw the ad on the newspaper and i was wonderin' if the waitress position is still open," she still had her accent, it was a slight drawl but it was still there.

if fates would have it, this was lee's chance to talk to her yet he seemed to be choked up on the what ifs.

y/n enters the diner and asks the first lady she sees about the ad on the newspaper and as she was looking around she sees a familiar figure hiding behind a menu. a simple menu couldn't hide his broad shoulders, or his familiar hands. the same hands that was all over her body not long ago. those hands that she loved so much, the same hands that she thought wouldn't let her go and yet it did.

y/n felt ridiculous, maybe it was a man that wasn't lee. the ghost of him was everywhere, lingering and following her around. just as she thought she moved on, he still haunts her.

yet, as they lowered the menu those familiar cerulean blue eyes stared at her. as she made eye contact with him, y/n's heart stopped beating.

why would lee be here? is he real?

as if someone was puppeteering her, y/n made her way to his table,

-"what are you doing here?" her words laced with venom and hatred, though she didn't mean for it to come out that way.

lee stuttered, he took a deep breathe before answering her,

-"i followed you here," y/n didn't even let him finish his sentence.

-"well that's obvious, get to the part why you're here." she was more snappy than he was used to.

-"i saw your train ticket fall at the diner the last time we saw each other and i realized i was wrong. i was wrong for breaking it off and i was wrong-" then again she scoffed at this interrupting him.

-"lee bodecker, i had given you more than enough time to get me back but you turn to another woman. and what's worse is that you never gave me a reason why. do you know how many nights i stayed awake staring at myself trying to look for imperfections, trying to ask myself why you left me? because maybe if i learned why then i could change it and get you back." y/n's tears were running down her face, sitting opposing to lee, she saw how his face changed.

-"do you wanna know why i broke up with you? it was because of my own insecurity, because i know you could be better without me. because you can achieve so much without me holding you down. because you wanted to go to a big city and i wanted to stay in that small town, and y/n you deserve more than me and if i had told you all of that you would have assured me that it's not the case and we would be what? together but you would be unhappy because you have so much more to offer than be in that fucking shithole." y/n never knew the gravity of lee's insecurity, they have gone over it a couple of times. first when she heard a couple of guys, younger deputies sneering and poking fun of how lee looked. you had told him to ignore it because you loved him for who he is, part of what attracted you to him was because how soft he was, how he felt when he was on top of you.

-"all you had to do was stay lee, it would've been enough for me. even if i didn't get to chase my dreams, even if it meant me being stuck in a house. that would all mean staying with you lee." her voice was meek, her heart pouring out to lee. if she had known lee felt that way then against all odds she would have figured something out.

-"i know honey, but i couldn;t. i was holding you back and i'm here now. i realized that leaving you, not being with you; it's slowly destroying me. i tried distracting myself with work, playing house with dot but nothing worked. it's always been you and only you. so here i am, as a man asking for you back. i would get on my knees and beg for your forgiveness if that's what it meant." lee got up preparing to get on his knees and y/n opened her mouth to talk before he could.

-"would you leave knockemstiff for me? would you leave all that power you've collected, that cushy house in brewer height, all for me?" it was a question that has been gnawing her brain. if the answer was yes, no hesitation she was willing to give lee a chance.

and without hesitation, with pure love in his eyes,

-"anything for you sugar. i would fight anyone come hell or high water to keep you y/n."

y/n dragged lee to her apartment, their lips clashing filled with desire for what felt like eternity yet it wasn't enough. the electric feeling between them, buzzing and keeping both of them alive. their breathes synced, bodies intertwined.

a/n: this has been postponed so many times just because i couldn't find a way to end it hehe

tags: @extremelyblackandwhite @tharros-auris-black-asimi @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @eclecticpatrolroadlawyer @elbell20-blog @smartycherry @weirdowithnobeardo @queenofshinigamis @greeneyedblondie44 @harrysthiccthighss

#sebastian stan #lee bodecker x y/n #sheriff lee bodecker #lee bodecker angst #lee bodecker fluff #lee bodecker x reader #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan fanfic

[captain-astors]

Omg wait 20, 23, and 24 for Touka, Ayato, and maybe maybe Renji :OO

Alright here we go! Kirishima family.

Touka, such an icon, if I don’t see her giving up on her dreams for Kaneki it didn’t happen.

20. A weird headcanon

Yoriko briefly really wanted to start a band, and Touka actually got really good at playing the electric guitar because of it. The band never happened but she retains the skill. Karaoke night at Anteiku is all fun and games until Touka breaks out the guitar and now everyone’s just sitting on the floor in awe while she duets whatever song gets chosen on the jukebox out of their small catalog. She’s got Wonderwall down to a T at this point, everyone say thanks Koma. 

23. Future headcanon

After the utter chaos of the dragon died down, she returned to her ambition of researching the origin of ghouls! She became widely respected in her field and wrote a couple books with theories that were used far into the future, and eventually one of them was proven. 

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

When she worked at Anteiku, she collected little scraps of travel magazines, research articles, etc. and kept them in a drawer. Just motivation for days when pretending to be a human at school was difficult.

Ayato! Garbage child, committed 3 war crimes before he learned what a kidney was, banned from 4 public restaurants.

20. A weird headcanon

If he wasn’t a ghoul his beverage of choice would be some terrible soft drink or just straight milk with no alternative. I can’t specify the prior because I’ve had a singular sip of about 2 sodas in my entire life but I can speak for the latter, because the two of us are very similar in certain ways and I thrive on milk. No one has ever made the interesting critter joke and it saddens me.

23. Future headcanon

I know he’s canonically 5’5 (170cm) by the end of the series but consider, it would be way funnier if he just stayed 5’2 (159 cm) and for that reason I will always draw him shorter than everyone. Pry short Ayato out of my cold dead hands Ishida you can’t make me believe this idiot is even average height. 

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

Generally he did a lot of stuff at Aogiri he’s not proud of at all anymore. Many ghouls are forced to kill from very young ages on account of their parents being taken by the CCG, but they’ll still have someone to help them compartmentalize it, and typically they’re not slaughtering for the sake of slaughtering in the name of a terrorist organization. He had a lot of power and a need to prove everyone wrong and to prove himself, so he blindly committed at least a few atrocities mindlessly following a command. He refuses to open up about any of it. 

Renji! Uncle by birth, good one by choice.

20. A weird headcanon

He genuinely does not know how to tie a standard shoelace knot. Any pair of shoes with laces he owns were tied once by someone else and are functionally slip-ons. Uta refuses to teach him because he thinks watching this grown man struggle to keep his shoes on is the absolute HEIGHT of comedy, and Yomo refuses to ask anyone else because of pride. So Uta will continue to lose his goddamn mind in peace. Why did the mask maker just fall off his chair cackling? Look across the room, Renji’s probably fighting for his life with a piece of string and losing. 

23. Future headcanon

Constantly anticipating the next murder attempt from your closest companion is… an objectively miserable way to live. But he’s also still well aware Uta will go right back to “tormenting everyone you love because I desperately need your attention if I can’t have your affection.” So he has no choice but to tolerate it for a very long time. However, I like to think it gets more tame with time. From ward-shaking battles to simple poison in his drinks and whatnaught. Sometimes Uta just jumps out of his closet and stabs him halfheartedly 3 times with a stolen quinque and then goes home and that’s the murder attempt for the week. It’s a funny dynamic because that’s a miserable day for Uta and he’s probably going to be pondering the emptiness of his own existence for the rest of the night and is only held back because of lack of drive, and a good one for Renji because in his mind less murdering is a sign of calming down, right? And he can focus on his actual healthy family and friends. Also like a couple others I’ve seen, I do like the thought that eventually Uta is successful. It fixes nothing.

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

Overall he's a very secretive person but I should probably think of something relatively amusing because I could go on about genuine regrets for a while... As a teenager in the fourth ward he'd graffiti ravens with bloody claws, and thought it was very cool and tragic at the time, but on account of his poor art skills they kind of just looked like weird black blobs with red feet. That unrecognizable form was a blessing and a curse because he can insist that it definitely wasn't him without major suspicion.

#Another fun one! I adore the kirishimas and I was hoping someone would ask for them #speaking of which if anyone sent some numbers for furuta I would love you /p #touka kirishima #renji yomo #ayato kirishima #tokyo ghoul #miscellaneous not-art things #zeph answers questions about media/characters/ships

[justforbooks]

The fashion designer Mary Quant had perfected key aspects of 1960s British pop culture long before midnight chimed on the last day of 1959. The Chelsea girl and her try-anything attitude, her short, narrow garments casually bought from a Kings Road boutique – Quant had been working on these since the mid-50s. It took the zeitgeist until at least 1963 to catch on, let alone catch up.

Quant, who has died aged 93, opened her first Kings Road shop, Bazaar, in 1955, the year after Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel ended her postwar hiatus and reopened her Paris salon. They shared a similar ambition: to clothe young, independent women unsuited to fashion dominated by Christian Dior’s 1947 New Look and the work of the grand couturiers. Quant and Chanel designed their clothes to allow new physical and mental freedoms; Quant (unlike Chanel) was also in favour of fun, in reaction to her own teen years under postwar austerity.

Life then had been rationed, begrudged; almost the only place where the young could create their own excitement was at art college, with the Chelsea Arts Ball an annual chance for frivolity. At that ball a teenaged Quant, clad chiefly in balloons, hooked up with a fellow Goldsmiths’ College student, Alexander Plunket Greene, who swanned around long-haired in his mother’s silk pyjama top, trumpet in one hand and film script in the other.

“Life … began for me when I first saw Plunket,” she wrote in her 1966 autobiography Quant By Quant. He was short on ready cash, with an income of “four bob a day,” he recalled, “if one bought cigarettes one couldn’t go the cinema too”, but posh and sexually sophisticated. “Alexander had no use for straightforward sex at all,” Quant said, and he also was consistently unfaithful.

He came from a family said to be Evelyn Waugh’s model for the Flytes in Brideshead Revisited and was at art college crossing social classes. She, born in Blackheath, south-east London, had been persuaded by her parents, Jack and Mildred, both schoolteachers, to study art rather than fashion on leaving Blackheath high school.

After Goldsmiths’, she worked as a trainee assistant at the Mayfair milliner Erik. Quant picked up pins with a magnet and counted out the ration of one chocolate biscuit a day for the assistants, who were so poorly paid that, as Cecil Beaton exaggerated, “there were weeks when only an aspirin touched Mary’s lips and, but for the Jamaicans in nearby Claridge’s kitchens handing over their refuse bins, she would have starved”.

The creation of a hat was Quant’s practical introduction to fashion, and the sculptural moulding that quickly shapes millinery influenced her approach to clothes. She had reservations about “spending three days making one hat which would be worn for one afternoon by a grumpy, spoiled middle-class woman”, learned dress-pattern-cutting at night school, to put outfits together for herself, and briefly worked for the Butterick pattern company.

Plunket’s poverty ended on his 21st birthday when he inherited £5,000; advised by the entrepreneur Archie McNair, who became Quant’s financial brain thereafter, he took a mortgage on a property on the corner of Markham Street and Kings Road, Chelsea.

He wanted to open a nightclub in its basement, but could not get an alcohol licence, so that level became Alexander’s Restaurant, a bistro influenced by his friend Terence Conran and the recipes of Elizabeth David. Plunket told McNair that his girl was good at clothes, and Quant set up Bazaar on the ground floor.

Bazaar acted in lieu of the desired club, with wine or scotch under the counter and girls shedding their garments on the floor, attracting anti-establishment former art-school characters who had gone into photography and journalism. It was hardly a shop – the preferred word was boutique anyway – since the couple never understood business. Incoming bills were piled up and those at the top were paid – Conran said you could not open the front door for writs. They were part of the new bohemian Chelsea set and their stories became SW3 legend.

Quant bought fabric from Harrods at retail prices on a Plunket family account, and had to sell each batch of clothes before she could buy more; when she ran out of stock, she simply shut up shop and started sewing. When she asked manufacturers to make for her, few would, since her ever-skimpier, shorter shapes did not promise big enough profit margins.

Besides, Bazaar might be closed for weeks with a “gone fishing” sign placed in the window while Quant and Plunket went on holiday. They wanted a wider life, flying off in chartered planes to gamble in Le Touquet: because of the era’s currency restrictions, Quant smuggled out in her knickers the cash to buy a French home. They ran an illegal chemin-de-fer game in the Quant delivery van parked in a different Chelsea street each Thursday.

By the late 50s Quant had synthesised her Chelsea girl look from elements of left bank kooky beatnik and practical details of American sportswear, plus her preference for vulgarity over good taste. Then she began supplementing it with memories of her ideal – a girl of about eight glimpsed during a childhood dancing class, who had a Dutch doll haircut and wore a dark skinny knit, very short pleated skirt, white socks and black patent shoes that focused on the boot button of their ankle strap. Quant made similar clothes the basis of the dolly-bird look of the 60s.

In retrospect, this sexualised projection of a very young girl feels disturbing. Dolly-birds skipped, and knocked their knees, and pointed their toes in what Quant called “the wet-knicker pose”. Stocking-tops and suspenders were slowly replaced by patterned or coloured tights, and Quant developed stretchy undergarments no heavier than those tights.

Quant’s own hairdresser, Vidal Sassoon, cut geometric variants of the bob. The whole ensemble pointed in one direction. “The crotch is the most natural erogenous zone,” said Quant, directing her models in their Banlon, Bri-nylon and PVC mini shifts to prance for maximum pelvic thrust, and claiming that her husband once cut her own green-dyed pubic hair into a heart shape. Angry bowler-hatted men beat with fists and umbrellas on Bazaar’s window, Quant recalled: “It got to them in some way, what I was doing.”

Being a dolly-bird was just about affordable on teen pay. Quant went wholesale in 1961, and two years later launched mass-market fashions under the name Ginger Group – ginger, prune and grape being the previously non-fashion colours that she favoured. She also signed on as an adviser with the US retailer JC Penney: from then on she could afford to hop on big jet planes to distant destinations at whim, as she had once done buses on Kings Road; her personal transport was a black Mini car with a black leather interior.

But she was never comfortable with large-scale clothes production and soon realised that the real money lay in franchising household goods such as bedding, and, even more, in designing faces.

Mary Quant cosmetics arrived in 1966 and were more original than her clothes. Cosmetic containers had traditionally been designed as ornaments for dressing tables, with lipsticks and compacts based on 18th-century boudoir trinkets. Quant observed that professional models painted their faces like canvases with brushes and theatrical grease sticks, and as an art student she had worn the contents of her watercolour paint tubes. She commercialised these ideas, and the daisy logo that was always the doodled focal point of her dress sketches then appeared on makeup packaging – yellow tins of crayons, and simplified bottles, sold not from store counters but from “pods” that might have been moon landing capsules.

Skin cream was sold with matching vitamin pills. Bazaar closed in 1969, by which time 7 million women worldwide had Quant’s label in their wardrobe.

Quant cosmetics also dwindled away in the 70s but were revived under licence in Japan in 1984, and re-exported to the west in the 90s. Japan was Quant’s most logical market, for young women there have cultural sanction to present themselves as prepubescent – pretending to be very young is seen as liberating, which appealed to Quant, who said: “I grew up not wanting to grow up, growing up seemed so terrible, children were free and sane.”

She eventually resigned as director of the company, and lost control in 2000 of her name and her daisy, but stayed as consultant. She also began designing clothes for the New York store Henri Bendel, which realised her vintage work was being collected. Her approach was understood as being as dramatically simple as Chanel’s – “Only I had better legs than Chanel,” said Quant.

Her first retrospective exhibition, Mary Quant’s London, in 1973 at the Museum of London, had a 50s gloom room so visitors could appreciate the difference she had made, for which she was appointed OBE in 1966 – a very big deal at the time. She was made a dame in 2015, and a companion of honour this year.

When the V&A put on a lifetime retrospective show in 2019, it sourced exhibits radically by asking the public to loan Quant clothes they had kept. Many of those selected were displayed with old photographs of their owners wearing them, captioned with the outfit’s personal “story”. The exhibition drew huge crowds, with visitors talking to each other – a rare occurrence – about what it had been like to wear Quant fashion when it was new.

Although the Chelsea set regarded home as the place you went when there was nothing better to do, Quant loved her house in Grasse, Provence, and a retreat in Guildford, Surrey. There she gardened by torchlight when day faded, and installed a 60s Claes Oldenburg plastic statue commemorating dolly-bird knees.

The turbulent marriage of the Plunket Greenes, which had begun in 1957, ended with his death in 1990. Her later partner, Antony Rouse, died in 2014. Quant is survived by Orlando, the son from her marriage, and three grandchildren.

🔔 Mary Quant, fashion and cosmetics designer, born 11 February 1930; died 13 April 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

#JUST FOR BOOKS #Mary Quant #in memoriam

[adrianasunderworld]

Any of the main cast having a crush on the Disney princesses?

Off the top of my head, I can see Floyd taking a liking to Ariel. She's fun to hang out with and is very pretty, how can he not? Wherever Ariel goes, Floyd is not far behind, and he'll squeeze anyone that bothers her.

This one is very much my Leona bias and Belle bias talking. But Leona liking Belle, maybe? They hang out all the time. Belle will call you out out your bullshit, and him liking that is one of my favorite Leona headcanon. Leona finds it calming when Belle is reading with him in the botanical garden, like the sound of her turning pages or tapping the cover is soothing, maybe he'll even ask her to read to him? Leona knows she loves someone else. He's not dumb enough to think her friendship is coming onto him. But...there's still a part of him that likes to think of the what if.

Rook doesn't have a crush on Snow White, so much as he admires her. He has a similar adoration for her as he does for Vil and Neige. It's not romantic, but could skew that way depending on whats going on. Rook is fully aware that he is fickle, so even if he does have a crush on Snow, it changes, it comes and goes with him and is seldom ever a serious thing. He's happy to at least make her feel special though and serenade her or carry her books to class, regardless of how he feels at that time.

I can see Azul or Ruggie liking to Tiana. Sort of in the same vein as Floyd liking Ariel. She's a pretty girl that they get along really well with, a little crush can be developed here. I think they would both have a lot of respect and admiration for her ambition and drive. Maybe Azul tries to get her to work with Mostro Lounge, since she wants to open a restaurants, maybe use this as a stepping stones towards that. Some with Leona, they both know she has someone she is secure with. But they still like her. Ruggie I think is more likely to back off than Azul though.

#twisted wonderland #disney princesses #azul ashengrotto #leona kingscholar #ruggie bucchi #floyd leech #rook hunt #belle #tiana #snow white #ariel

[aquaburst3]

Here are some of my OCs in my twst stories.

Things to note:

I'm only writing down the major OCs that I came up with thus far and have at least some impact on the story. No minor characters.

I'm keeping off some of the super spoilery ones off of here. Like who the final boss is.

If you have read any of my stories, you know that I changed up a lot of the worldbuilding. If you are wondering why I'm bringing up random country names and having women working at the Monstro Lounge, that's why.

This is also in descending order of importance to the story.

I'll be adding to this as I think of more.

Night Raven is a university in mine, so everyone here is 18+.

Now that's outta the way, let's get started!

Adriana Jasmine Canul García

Twisted from Yuu/The Player Character

She is a sassy and bold former popular mean girl, who became humbled after her ex cheated on her with another girl, but still has a lot to learn in order to become a better and more balanced person. She’s also quite ambitious, analytical and a quick planner. On the flipside, she’s secretive, untrusting, too cautious, manipulative, super guarded, even to the point of hiding shit from loved ones, is “in her head” too much, over thinks things and has some huge himedere tendencies due to coming from a wealthy family. She's also, obviously, the MC.

Love Interest: Jamil Viper

Malika “Kiki” Hussain Kahlil Al-Shammari

Twisted from Sadira from Aladdin: The Animated Series

She is an outgoing and bubbly gamer girl and mechanic, who is ride or die for those she cares about, and is Addie's first female friend after being isekaied to that world. Her biggest flaw is that she can be petty and vindictive, not always thinking things through. She also has some super scaled back yandere tendencies like possessiveness, pushiness and not liking to hear “no” as an answer.

Destan Zhào

Twisted from Narissa from Enchanted

He is the handsome and charming son of two famous actors. But despite this, he's a z list actor that only pop culture gurus like Cater know about. Even his stepbrother is more well known than him! Thanks to this, he is selfish, cruel, spiteful and will do anything to become a famous celebrity like them and out stage his one-sided rival—Vil Schönheit, except putting in much effort to earn it. One of his plans to do that is to date the mysterious beauty from across the pond that is starting to become more well known with VDC and her siren-like voice.

(Warning: from this point onward there will be some OCs who haven't shown up yet in my fic. If you don't want to see any spoilers, turn back now. You have been warned.)

Name: Alyssa “Lyssa” Étienne

Twisted from Princess Tiana

She’s a hardworking, bright, resourceful and ambitious woman, who wants to open up her own restaurant one day to help her community. However, she often takes on more than what she can chew to point that she often burns out and stresses herself out a fair bit. She can be irritable, stubborn, pragmatic and one track minded, having a hard time seeing from other people’s perspectives. She also befriends Adriana.

Paired with: Azul Ashengrotto

Nefert El-Massoud

Twisted from Mozenrath from the Aladdin: TV Series and Uma from Descendants

One of her teammates on the SDC team, who takes Ace's spot. On first glance, she’s a bitch. But once you get past abrasive and rougher this side of her, she is quite loving and is super ride or die for those she truly cares about. Her biggest weakness is that her ambition and lust for power can be so strong that it can override her common sense. She often makes stupid decisions, sometimes at a very heavy cost to herself. She’s a huge tsundere.

Mahina Kapule

Twisted from Lilo from Lilo & Stitch

One of her teammates for SDC, who takes Rook's spot and goes to Enchanted Rose. She's an oddball, who will do anything for her close family and friends. She's also rather rambunctious, emotional, doesn't always think things through, has a thing for getting into trouble and has a hard time seeing other's perspectives. She is also close friends with Makoa, her adoptive brother, along with Jade, Floyd and Riel.

Deimos Durand

Twisted from Phoebus from The Hunchback of Notre Dame

He's Thierry's (Rollo) right hand man and attendant at Noble Belle, who took the job without knowing what his boss was planning. Despite being rather attentive and doing his job well, he's not loyal to his boss, seeing him for the monster that he is, but is unsure about what to do about it. He's also both athletic and nerdy, being a pretty big gamer in his own right. He's rather witty and confident in himself.

Kouya Reynard

Twisted from Robin Hood

He’s a clever and quick witted fox beastman, who’s charismatic to the point that he can make you believe anything. He is very eloquent and is able to get himself out of any situation. He sometimes gets on Jamil’s bad side with his laid back and blasé nature. He’s impulsive, doesn’t always think things through, can be a bit of a lazy slacker and frequently pulls other’s into his problems.

Makoa Kapule

Twisted from Stitch from Lilo & Stitch

He's Hina's adopted brother and works at the Monstro Lounge. Despite the two being adopted, they share an extremely close bond. He's rather mischievous and wild, getting up to a lot of trouble when he's around his friends, Floyd and Riel. However, it is unwise to judge him only by his appearance. He was sorted into Scarabia for a reason. He's rather cunning, devious, manipulative and is amazing under pressure.

Emilia Khaled Al-Noury

Twisted from Iago from Aladdin

She’s a mischievous, laid back and outgoing girl, who likes to have a good time and the life of the party. She’s smart and cunning, but sometimes things can blow up in her face due to her getting in over her head and not thinking through the consequences or just her putting her foot in her mouth. She's also Jamil's best friend and ex along with Adriana's online friend, but she has no idea. Despite being inspired by two birds, she's completely human.

Guillermo Díaz Gómez

Twisted from: Jack Skellington

He’s the life of the party, who loves to have fun and tries to share that joy with others. Unlike Kalim, he has a bit of a sick and twisted sense of humour. However, he easily gets wrapped up in things and is a bit oblivious, so much that he can hurt others dear to him in the process.

Aziza Hamed Faisal bint al-Asim

Twisted from Princess Jasmine

She's the crown princess of the Scalding Sands, and is forced to marry her cousin, Kalim, despite wanting to make that choice for herself. She is compassionate, outspoken, feisty and sharp-tongued, having a strong sense of adventure and longing for freedom. However, she's also rather sheltered and naive, reckless, stubborn, proud and has a hard time seeing other's perspectives.

Carlotta "Carly" Patin

Twisted from Lottie

A spoiled rich girl from Port of Jubilee and life long friend to Alyssa. She wanted her and Alyssa to attend Enchanted Rose in order to get rich hot boyfriends from RSA and NRC. After some convincing, Alyssa comes along for the ride. While can be ditzy, careless and selfish, she cares a lot about Alyssa and will do anything to help her out.

(As a side note, I wanted to make her a tanned-skinned blonde girl, but I couldn't find a model like that, so I went with that. Just imagine her as a blonde.)

Astrid Benum

Twisted from Elsa from Frozen

She's a famous actress from the Wynderlands, who starred in plenty of queen bee roles, including some alongside Vil. Like the infamous Vil Schönheit, she has a reputation for being an icy bitch, but in reality she's loving, protective and fiercely loyal to those dear to her. However, she's also incredibly moody, secretive and insecure. Despite being Vil's ex, she is still on good terms with him and are still friends.

#twisted wonderland #twst yume #twst oc #aqua writes #aqua rambles #twst tiana #twst robin hood #twst narissa #twst mozenrath #twst iago #twst lilo #twst stitch

[miguel-ohara-wifey]

The young justice ladies and there ideal dates

Artemis 

~Artemis is a sporty girl naturally, and hasn't been away from her job in a while. Alongside the stresses of family drama with her mom. She’d adore a hike right about now

~With an old fashioned style camping equipment and pushing her free time into the weekend. The idea of her traversing the wilderness with her comfortably worn boots. Adventurously climbing every bolder and exercising her body outside the tower simulations. With someone she wants to be vulnerable with one on one is important.

~As well as the idea of competing with you on whose the fastest to the top. Or how long which one of you two can go without a break. She needs someone who can match her energy. Who she can spar with verbally.

~Needless to say if you don't talk trash when you win she takes that as a sign this isnt gonna work long term. 

~Especially when it becomes night, as you two need warmth under the tent which has more holes in it then she realized. When the real conversation begins, she enjoys fire. But also knows when such heat needs to blossom into a gentle hearth of home.

Zatana

~Katana goes with the flow. Movies, Netflix and chill (*wink wink*), musics festivals, roller rinks, anything away. She does what she must to not become a workaholic, or let the job consume her like many she fights alongside. Her sole true priority is having fun; she needs excitement if she’s to truly want anything out of a date. Even if time, place, and activity are up in the air.

~She’ll tease the entire time, she wants some one who goes along with her as she goes along with them. Since her date usually takes charge of the circumstances; she’ll take charge of the conversation. She’ll poke fun, mischievously egg on, a little play of soft manipulation to have her way. None of it malicious; but entirely to pester.

~She’s not one to care what others think or say, so PDA is all well and good. She will definitely like sitting on your lap, pampering you a little. Enjoying having your forehead on the side of her neck. Your head leaning against her chest comfortably. Allowing the crowds, noise, and air in the world to cease. All stirring into white noise as you two just feel, hear, and acknowledge each other.

~Zatana has a fierce if silent sense of loyalty, so if she’s dating. Just one or two, or even setting up to the first. The relationship wouldn’t even need or have a label. She doesn’t keep her options open, she doesn’t have investments into others. Straightforward when it comes to people like that. Unless it’s broken off for whatever reason. She takes her time with finding someone. They don’t need to be a soulmate, fun on the weekends would also be nice. But again, she sticks to you until it’s over.

~Despite her fondness for serious relationships; she doesn’t put sex on a waiting list. (Just ask Dick Grayson lol) She won’t deny waking up to you cooking breakfast for her, or ordering some food by the time she’s up. As absolutely fan fiction bullshit she happily accepts. She’s not used to people being there for her; at least not in a way that wasn’t stifling. So even the smallest gestures of kindness and affection she feels with her whole body. Even stuff such as “thank you” when she does something small for them. Telling your mom about her, switching channels when she doesn’t like what’s on. Or picking her up from places, she treasures it all. And will be more than willing to give. 

Raquel

~Now this is a lady with high standards in romance, dates being the essential ingredient of such. Fine dining, home made meals by you, or a restaurant she’s never tried before. She’s mastered work and life balance for longer than most around her.

~She she doesn’t date to relieve stress or have some fun for the night. She’s dead serious, she dates for the long game. She wants to know your ambitions, your life circumstances, what your plans are on a date. And is more than willing to share her own. She’ll be leading the justice league in due time, by her plan path at least. She’s never gone with the flow when it comes to life. She’s always determined, always with her eyes on the prize, and ready to strike when she can get what she wants. She doesnt expect that of you; but wanting a life with you. She requires commitment in that as you possess in your own personal life.

~Raquel heavily values her independence; she wants a soulmate, she wants a rom com happy ending. However she still will prioritize her work, she wants her own self beyond your relationship. She’ll never, ever compromise her dreams for anyone. Not even the perfect partner. So accept she’ll cancel a date every now and again if it’s means training, a mission, or some disaster at work she must manage. As she’ll be understanding to you when she’s put second to your own dreams and goals.

~And is just as willing to take you out on expensive dates and cook nice food too(even when you cancel). Her favorite to prepare is lobster. As you treat her, she treats you. She’ll get you that pricey video game collectors item, the insanely expensive bag, the car you’ve been eyeing, or whatever else. She has the money, and doesn’t mind breadwinning out of the two of you. So moneys no issues for her, she doesn’t need or want someone rich either. Just someone ready to be with her as she’s ready to be with them.

~As you inhale her divinely roasted shrimp scampi, with basil, garlic, and thyme. When all the dishes are washed and the kitchen is neatly placed to before the cooking was done. She’ll happily treat you further in bed. She does put a timer on sex in a relationship; however. Since you oh so nicely allowed this date to be moved a day for her to do her mission. She’s ready to operate under your clothes *winks*

M’gann

~Despite the growing up shes done with her time on earth. She will not lie that going to the “Hello, Megan!” museum will be fantastically nostalgic for her.

~Unfortunately it was a time riddled with profound insecurity and deception. She knows to exercise compassion for herself. She was young by Martian standards. She didn’t like herself, and was desperate to please. That young girl is still apart of her, even as she’s been buried deep with the years of conflict.

~It would be poignant for her to remember such days with a fond fangirlishness. Able to open up to you about the less than pleasant moments of her childhood at the same time. She implores to have someone who accepts all sides of her. She’s exhausted by the expectation to always be the exhaustively nice people pleaser she arrived to earth as. That you see all shades of her, all the darkness of her soul. Her self destructiveness and destructiveness, still choosing her at the end. Is heartwarming to say the least.

~She’d love to dig out the boxes of her old tapes of the show her uncle sent her from earth. Blanketed by dust and neglect. To be popped into the tower computer to be played. Look into what might as well be a past selfs eyes. How thoroughly she replicated what she saw in a show from a planet she’d never been on. Sent by an uncle she’d never meet face to face.

~She doesn’t know what she feels in her chest, but it’s bubbling and suffocating under where her human heart is. By a white Martian design of shape shifting. But then she looks beside her to see you, laughing at all the dumb 90’s jokes she laughed at then. To see the brilliant mediocrity of a time long past. But to still chuckle and enjoy it’s glow. She smiles, and cuddles closer next to you.

#Zatanna #Young justice #Young justice season 3 #Artemis #Tigress #Rocket #Raquel #Young justice no spoilers #Young justice hcs #my romantic writings #M’gann #Miss Martian