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pineconeinatree · 3 years

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witchy tips for witches with depression <3

I've been struggling with depression for some time now and I've been having a lot of issues practicing my craft since the lack of energy and motivation, so I decided to compile a list of simple routine things you can try to add to your daily life to get you back on the craft and maybe make you feel better :]

theres no instant cure to depression but there are ways to make it a little less bad, and little by little get you back on your feet !! these may not work for everyone as I am writing down things that work for me and just simple ways I use to incorporate the craft into my daily life. please please please also seek prefessional help if you're able to !! talk to friends and family, you're loved and cared for !! google depression self help tips for more tips, I know most of them may sound dumb or trivial or useless but it is so worth a shot adhering to them for some time, maybe you will notice an increase in your mood :D

1. veiling

when I go out, I wear a scarf on my head to protect my energy or keep me in a good mood, depending on the days activity. you can wear a scarf around the house or go out with it and putting one on also works for a bad hair day (read: haven't washed hair in a week) ;D

just cleanse the scarf by maybe shaking the unwanted energies out of it or with incense or with whatever you see the best and bless the scarf with your intentions for the day :D

2. cleansing

if you have a hard time taking care of your hygiene ( it's okay I promise, it can be very exhausting :/ ), try getting some baby wipes on your bedside table and when you wake up / before you go to bed, wipe your face, armpits, feet etc. with the wipe and with the intention of cleansing. it's quick and very easy and I promise that it's worth it, you'll feel a lot more fresh afterwards. you can do the same with washing in general ! if you take a shower imagine the bad thoughts and depressive energy go down the drain in a black/gray/brown stream of dark water !! you'll feel a lot more fresh and maybe a bit clear-headed even :)

3. tea magick

while getting your cup of tea / coffee, stir your days intentions into the drink or do this:

stir clockwise thrice to bring positivity, stir counterclockwise to let out negative energy in your next three sighs and then seal the spell to let the sadness repel.

I recommend black tea or white tea or chamomile tea and add some honey / sugar to sweeten the deal !!

4. shadow work

I know that one of the last things you might want to do is dwelve deep into your feelings but it really will be useful in the long run. if you feel yourself getting upset or your mood suddenly dropping, try getting to the bottom of it; what triggered the emotional reaction? take a deep breath, relax into your feelings as they are in that moment and be honest with yourself. observe them without judgment and try to find out where they came from and how to solve the conflict.

here's some prompts and questions you can try asking yourself:

how did you feel ( more accurately than just upset; were you angry, jealous, sad, lonely etc.) ?

is there something you can do right now to solve it ?

how could you handle this situation in a healthy way? eg. try to come up with healthy coping mechanisms.

how can you maybe prevent this in the future?

try the court trial thought challenging technique. if these thoughts or this situation was a court case, which side would win? imagine yourself as the defense attorney. you need to gather 100% foolproof evidence you have siding with the negative thought and then defend it against the undermining counterpart. it's kind of a pros and cons type of list but you adopt the viewpoint of an outside viewer to get a clearer and more realistic view of the situation. this thought process can help you realize that some negative thoughts aren't truthful and help you let them go. you can Google "the court trial cbt" for more on this technique :D !!

5. studying the craft

we're all individuals and we react differently to bad states of mind but what I do often is distract myself by being on my phone and I know ( I hope so, at least ) I'm not alone in this. as a witch, you're always developing and learning new things, was it about learning different kinds of ways to practice your craft or getting to know other practices or maybe reading a guide how to grow your own herbs ! point is, if you're gonna distract yourself, you could try reading ebooks or articles or even tumblr posts about things that interest you !

maybe try making a list of subjects, topics and practices that interest you and set a goal for yourself to read at least about 3 subjects on the list per day !!

6. making pinterest boards / planning

this isnt directly magick but I think it does count as practicing your craft. make mood boards for the next full moon, come up with spells, make pinterest boards about cool things that interest you or maybe start planning for the next sabbath ! just have fun with it, maybe colour coordinate your pin boards or arrange them by season !

7. go out for walks

it is so so so important to try to adhere to some routines. a big part of managing depression is taking care that you get enough sleep, eat enough and do fulfilling, nice and healthy things. go outside and try to look for rocks or crystals from the nature ? or try foraging ! or maybe go for a walk during sunset/sunrise and admire the beautiful sky and clouds ! ANY reason to peep your nose out of the house is a good reason. maybe go meditate to the nearest park ? or try yoga !!

8. interests and passions and things you loved to do

I know that it might be hard to find joy in the things that you used to like doing but you should try to do at least one thing that you used to love doing for 10 minutes every day ! incorporate a little witchcraft into it too if you want to !

draw or paint a sigil and maybe colour it

sing your favourite song with intent that matches the lyrics

try freestyling with any instrument you play and let your intuition guide you with the chords and notes that come out ! you can try also making small melodies that correspond to different intents and use them for cleasing or happiness or protection !!

bake or cook something you've always wanted to try ! look up the ingredients' correspondences and cook with desired intents !

please know that you're not alone !! my dms are always open if you want tips or just someone to talk to, too :) you don't need to do all of these but maybe try taking some inspo and adjust it to your life and surroundings and daily life and come up with ways of your own, it's your craft after all !!

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boldlyvoid · 3 years

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Amoreena | Chapter two

Chapter Two

summary: Heaven is a real place and it's located exactly 14.6 miles away from the FBI, Quantico Headquarters. Off behind a small park, under a fantastical willow tree surrounded by wildflowers, in every colour young minds can imagine.

Don't forget, heaven also comes with angels.

Warnings: fluff, hurt/comfort, depressed spencer, reader has a daughter, falling in love, strangers to lovers

word count: 6k

a/n: this is set May 2021 in my brain just in case anyone was wondering while reading it !! here is the pinterest board and the spotify playlist for the fic too!

from the beginning <3

They were sitting on the steps of the Smithsonian when he arrived. Y/N was a vision in a yellow blouse and blue jeans, basking in the sun's rays when she looked more like sunshine herself, throwing seed at the birds with Amoreena.

He took a deep breath and smiled, waving to get their attention.

“Spencer!” Amoreena cheered, running down the steps and into his arms. Almost knocking her hat off as she leapt into his arms.

“Oof,” is all he can say as he makes sure to catch her, surprised to get this sort of reaction from someone.

She fixes her hat and leans back in his arms, “do you like my outfit? I’m the old man from Tarzan and mom is Jane!”

He sets her down then, watching her stick a foot out so he can get a good look at her olive-coloured jean shorts, button-up shirt and blue bowtie and brown boots. She went all out for her adventure today, making his heart burst.

“I looked into that Milo guy,” he says, showing off his own outfit. Pushing his glasses up and adjusting his red bowtie.

“You look just like him!!!” She was beyond excited, turning to Y/N who was all smiles on the steps.

She stood as they walked towards her, “mom look, he’s Milo!”

“You look great,” she complimented him, that twinkle in her eyes back as she blushed.

“Thank you, so do you,” he said softly. “Both of you are dressed for the right adventure today.”

“What do you have in store Mr. tour guide?” Y/N teased, taking Amoreena’s hand and walking into the museum.

“Dr. Tour guide,” he corrects her softly, making her smile and shove him lightly.

“Sorry,” she teased him, “Doctor tour guide, what is your plan for today?”

“I bought 3 tickets ahead of time,” Spencer admits, taking three lanyards out of his jacket pocket and handing them each one. “We have special access today, just show the guards these and we can go almost anywhere.”

“Are you sure you don’t work here? Not even undercover?” Amoreena interrogated him, narrowing her eyes as she watched his response.

He laughed, “I promise, I helped them on a case once, and my old boss knows the curator, they owed me a favour.”

“Old boss?” Y/N catches it.

He nods lightly, “he quit a while ago to have a family.”

“Smart man.”

“I sent in my letter of resignation last night,” he adds, “if you’re still looking for a literary historian?”

She beamed at him, reaching out an arm to tuck under his and pull him in close. Following him through the doors with Amoreena’s hand still in hers. “I’ll arrange an interview this week.”

The rotunda was one of the coolest parts of the Smithsonian Museum of National History. A beautiful African Bush Elephant greets them in the centre, tusks extending out towards them as Amoreena gasps.

“Wow,” her small voice whispers.

“Cool, huh?” Spencer leans to look at her expression, she’s absolutely gobsmacked.

It makes him smile, that beautiful glimmer of amazement spreading across her face as her small brain tries to understand what exists in the world outside of her mind's grasp. It was priceless, he loved every moment.

“So, I was thinking you could look around and whenever you’re ready, we have access to the Student Centre. You’re going to get to look at some special bones and fossils, and even dig some up!” He was so excited to share the plans with her.

She let go of her mom's hand to flap her arms wildly, excitement coursing through her veins as she shook, grinding her teeth together as she smiled, it was how he remembered feeling as a child when something good happened. Pure joy, excitement level 1000.

“Sound good?”

“Spencer,” Y/N placed her hand on his shoulder, taking over for the speechless child, “that sounds perfect, thank you.”

“The Dino’s are this way,” he leads them down the corridor, through a set of doors towards a large swirling sign,

“Journey through deep time!” Y/N read the sign, smiling at Amoreena as she ran towards it, touching the swirl as she read all the words to herself.

“It’s so sad they died,” Amoreena says so matter of factly that it makes him bite back a smile.

“Yeah,” he agrees with a small laugh. Y/N's shaking her head with a sigh of pure love. “What kind of dinosaur is your favourite?”

“The Jurassic era,” she responds, standing closer to the sign and reading all the words. “Did you know the earth used to be mostly desert? There was a massive heatwave, that’s why they believe dinosaurs were most likely scaled but thanks to the melting ice caps as we recover from the ice age and move back towards being tropical, we’re discovering dinosaurs frozen in ice with feathers and fur!”

It takes his breath away, seeing someone so much like him with a mother who loves every single word that leaves her mouth. Pride on her face as she looks at her little genius and back towards Spencer, waiting for his response.

“So you’ve been a paleontologist this whole time and you never told me?”

She laughs and swats the air, “no, I just read a lot of books.”

“She can read really fast, like Matilda,” Y/N bragged.

“I do too,” Spencer knelled down in front of her. “It’s a very wonderful thing to have a brain as big and magical as ours, never let anyone tell you otherwise okay?”

“Never, I’m the smartest in the kingdom,” Amoreena smiled.

“Yes, she is,” Y/N smiled again, placing her hand on Spencer's back as they continued to walk around the exhibits.

He felt like he had a family, like one of those couples who would go to Ikea and pretend they lived in the sets. This was the most perfect make-believe day of his life, leading a child just like him through a world of things she loved.

Y/N was quiet most of the day, watching them interact with a soft smile and sad eyes. Spencer noticed it but let it slide, he’d ask her about it later when she could be honest with him. He didn’t want to profile her, it wasn’t fair to judge her before he knew her, nor taint the fantastical thoughts he already had about her.

They had lunch in the butterfly exhibit, sitting at the seat by the fountain, Amoreena asking nicely if Spencer could sit in the middle so they could both talk to him. It was adorable, Amoreena was so intrigued by his mind she couldn’t stop asking him questions.

Y/N made him a sandwich and brought him a water bottle, as well as bringing some apple slices and grapes, goldfish and juice boxes for when Amoreena got hungry on the way home. Like a true mom, her purse was full of napkins and hair ties, random books and toys. Rocks, pine cones, everything a young mind would find exciting.

She was like Marry Poppins, pulling everything and then some out of her purse as she searched for something specific. “I brought you something, I’ve had it sitting around the house just moving it to different spots over the years, and thought you’d like it.”

It made him giddy to know she was thinking about him, he couldn’t sit still as he anticipated what it was. She pulled a small metal pin out of her bag then, taking the backing off and clipping it to his pocket.

“Best tour guide ever,” she whispered, reading the words to him with a smile.

“We haven’t even gotten to the best part yet,” he shrugged, pushing down the butterflies in his stomach as they were swarmed by the beautiful creatures.

“It’s like animal crossing in here,” Amoreena said to herself as she looked around, kicking her feet as she sat on the bench, tilting her head back and forth absentmindedly as she took it all in.

He wasn’t sure when he stopped doing that; when he started to mask his true self so much that he no longer felt free in public, taking a moment to copy her movements and just enjoy the moment. Making her smile as she noticed him copy her with adoration, not to tease her in any way whatsoever.

“Can we talk when she’s looking at the fossils?” He asks Y/N softly, knowing that she’ll be the most open when Amoreena’s tiny ears wouldn’t be there to remember everything she says.

“Yeah,” she nods with a small smile. “How about I throw out our garbage and we head to that surprise?”

Amoreena jumped off the bench, tugging Spencer towards the door as Y/N cleaned up, following them eventually.

—

They had the classroom all to themselves and Amoreena was still for the first time all day. Standing in the middle of the room as the lights adjusted, changing the glow from blue to amber as they warmed.

The walls were filled with posters and informative signs, there were glass cases showcasing all the finest fossils and bones known to man. And a sand table in the middle of the room, smocks and brushes for archaeology all set up and waiting for her.

“Once you get all suited up, and we’ll get you a little mask so you don’t breathe in any of the dirt and dust, you can dig up whatever is hidden in there!” Spencer announced.

Y/N helped her into a smock, handing her the brushes and asking her to be extra careful with the plastic chisel and hammer. She was beaming from ear to ear the most toothy smile he’s ever seen.

Y/N stopped to take a photo of her then, holding her instruments in front of the sand table, “get in, we’ll tell everyone that Milo took us on a special tour today.”

Spencer kneeled close to Amoreena, she leaned in and wrapped an arm around him to get him in closer, always being the one to choose how much contact she made with Spencer. He would never want to overstep with someone else’s child.

“Beautiful!” Y/N cheered, locking her phone and slipping it back into her jeans as Amoreena turned to the table of sand, dirt and clay.

She got right to work, not skipping a beat as she leaned in and started to dig. Spencer stepped back with Y/N, knowing Amoreena was going to be in her own little world for as long as they left her alone.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m great, I’m just a little surprised,” her voice is soft, low enough that it stays with him. “You’re really good with her for a fed.”

He laughed, nodding his head as he registered her joke. “Ex fed, and I have a 12-year-old godson, Henry.”

“Ahh, so no kids of your own?” Her voice was small, she took a look at his hand to avoid eye contact and he understood.

“None, no wife, no love children hiding out there in the world that I know of, it’s just me, I promise,” he tried his best to ease her anxiety about introducing a new man into her child’s life.

She nods slightly, “you seem too good to be true sometimes.”

He huffed out a small laugh, pressing his lips together as he looked at her, “pretty sure I’ve been dreaming since I saw you.”

She shoved him as she laughed, “would you like to come back to our place for dinner? I know it’s a little weird, believe me, I know, but we live on my parent's land and my mom’s making enough shepherds pie to feed an army.”

“Yeah I’d love to, I’ll get a cab home after,” he felt a swirling in his stomach, nervous and excited all at once.

“Okay,” she whispered, “or we can get to know each other, and then you could sleep on the couch and I’ll bring you back into DC in the morning? I have to drive in any way.”

He licked his lips and nodded his head, wondering what other kind of invitation this could be. If it was pure hospitality, wanting him to be safe for the night instead of inside some stranger's car, or was she wanting alone time with him.

The thoughts turned around in his head over and over making him dizzy, “okay, yeah I’d love to,” he managed to slip the words out without falling over them.

She smiled, tight-lipped and small. Looking up at him with a new look he hasn’t seen on her yet, one he’s only seen in a few faces in his time, and yet he believed her’s the most.

She was smitten with him as much as he was with her.

He sighed, smiling back at her just as soft. She reached her hand out to hold his, walking towards the table with him in tow. Leaning over Amoreena’s shoulder as she unearthed her new most prized possessions.

—

Amoreena was the funniest kid to drive with, He sat in the passenger seat of Y/N’s car with her in a car seat directly behind him. She was singing, cheering, pointing out the window to show him all her favourite things on the way to her house.

Telling him stories about the make-believe people she created to live in the houses, the trolls under bridges and the names of every cow in the field along the long driveway of her grandparent's farm.

“Bob and Linda are an interesting pair,” she warned him as they pulled in closer and closer. Dirt flying up behind the wheels as she drove fast, knowing every bump and turn from memory.

“They will be asking you every question in the book and if you’re going to be looking at the animals they will insist on putting you in flannel and a cowboy hat, it’s a tradition for visitors,” she explained it in a way where he knew she wanted him to think she hated it, but actually she looked excited to do it to him.

“I can’t wait,” he smiled.

“Amoreena has already told them all about you at dinner last night, so they are expecting her to drag you here tonight,” she pushed the blame onto Amoreena, downplaying her affection for him in a self-conscious way he could feel.

He didn’t want to profile her, but it wouldn’t turn off. He was desperate to know her more, to know if she felt the weird tugging in her heart that made him think soulmates might be real. A pain so intense that if he had to explain it to a doctor, it was like his heart was a negative charge and he was being drawn to her much more positive one.

“We have 16 cats, 46 cows, 13 chickens, 4 ducks, 50 sheep and 1 horse, her name is buttercup,” Amoreena informed him, stealing the attention once again.

“Wow, who’s your favourite?” Spencer turned to her, watching her kick her feet as she looked out the windows.

“Probably Alfonzo our fluffy show cow, or Rufus, our dog,” she said softly. “Sometimes nanny lets him sleep at our house.”

“That’s so cool, I’ve never had a pet.”

“What?!” Amoreena stopped, pressing her lips together as her eyes shot wide open, thinking it was the most absurd thing anyone has ever said.

“My mom was sick when I was growing up so I spent my time taking care of her, I didn’t have time for a dog,” he said softly, saying it in a way that wouldn’t scare her.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N said softly, reaching her hand out to pat his knee as she kept her eyes on the road.

Then she was pulling in past a big house, around the bend behind it, past the garden and the trail to the barn towards another house. It was big and white, probably big enough to have 4 bedrooms. Many levels, with multiple build-ons from years ago ageing to match eventually.

It was covered in vines, ivy and flowers. It was just like miss honeys. He felt something unspeakable, opening his mouth softly to breathe as his eyes trailed up the siding to the shingles.

He couldn’t believe it.

“Home sweet home,” her wonderful voice brought him back to reality. Saying the word that matched the feeling in his chest.

“Wow,” he whispered. His mouth moved to say words, not a single one slipped through the cracks, his lips touching with fake syllables as he stared at it.

“It was my grandma’s, it’s the house she raised my dad in,” Y/N explained as she put the car in park.

“Mommy had me as a gift for GG,” Amoreena added from the back.

“Her great-grandma,” Y/N nodded with a soft smile, biting the inside of her lip as she fought her feelings. That was a touchy subject that he was going to pry into, later on, wanting to know every single thing about the most exceptional women in the world.

There was a cat sitting on their front step, introduced to him as toothpick because he was the smallest in the last litter. And then the name of every single cat on the way back up to the main house.

Simon and Gar-funk-field twin orange brothers, Alaska the all-white one, strawberry shortcake had a red heart on her butt, oven-mitt for comedic effect obviously as if they others weren’t funny enough, as well as shovel and Catrina… all 16 of them had a name and Spencer was not going to forget a single one.

“Welcome! You must be Doctor Reid,” her father was a very large man, it shocked Spencer slightly.

He was like Santa Clause, it was more than a bit of a shock. Thick grey beard, bald head, red flannel and dirty work jeans, probably in his late 60’s. He was what you imagined Santa to look like outside of Christmas, on holiday with his wife.

He looked like a man who lived a long and happy life, he had a wife who cooked good meals for him, he probably didn’t mind sitting back with a beer most nights. There was definitely going to be sports memorabilia inside and a million photos of Y/N and Amoreena, and the purest energy known to man. Family love.

He hated how fast he profiled it all in his mind, trying to drop that aspect of his inner monologue moving forward.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Sir,” he said softly, nodding lightly as he placed his hands in his pockets. Letting it be known he didn’t touch people, and weirdly being respected.

“Please, it’s Bob or Poppy Clause,” he laughed, shifting his attention to Amoreena as she climbed the stairs towards the porch.

“How is my lovey?” Bob asked her softly, “may I have a welcome home hug?”

“Ah,” he smiled and nodded to himself. He was used to it, asking permission for her sensory issues. Spencer was impressed, and a bit emotional at the fact someone his age was respecting a way of life many didn’t care to understand.

Amoreena gave him a hug, throwing herself into his arms, “no beard tickles,” she instructed, holding onto his shoulders as he kept his face away from her.

Y/N placed her hand on Spencers back, “I told you they were a lot, my mom is worse.”

“I feel very comfortable here, don’t worry,” he assured her.

“I should worry,” she laughed, “you’re one of them, oh god.”

“One of who?”

She tilted her head at him, shaking her head, “eccentric, full of life, bursting with weirdness that would probably be a strange purple goo if I could see it.”

He pressed his lips together as he thought about it, nodding softly in agreement. “There is nothing wrong with that, it just means I’m having fun and living my best life from now on.”

“Welcome to the family,” Bob added, a simple saying that invoked a feeling of pride he long yearned for.

—

Dinner was lovely, he’s never had shepherd’s pie before. Learning it was ground beef, beans and potato casserole, and somehow there was also corn in there… he wasn’t sure why it was so delicious but he enjoyed it a lot.

It might have simply been the ambiance that made it so good.

Her mother was the sweetest woman, she made everything from scratch. Including bread that he was obsessed with and a pie for dessert, she was overjoyed to have an expected yet unexpected guest.

Knowing there was a possibility he’d come, but not setting a place for him at the table unless he showed. She wrapped him up in a big hug when he arrived as well as after dinner when he helped her move the plates to the sink.

Her dad offered him a beer after dinner, taking him to the front porch to talk while the ladies cleaned up for the night. Amoreena had a strict bedtime routine to stick to, and it wasn’t his place to witness nor get in the way.

“So,” her dad started the interrogation easily. “I’m sure you wouldn’t be here if Y/N didn’t trust you. And she doesn’t trust many people.”

“I can promise you I’ll never hurt either of them,” he said with the utmost confidence. “It’s been two days and they’ve brought me more joy than I can explain, and I’m never going to take that for granted.”

“Good answer,” he smiled. “Now, farmhouse rules are as follows; you can roam where ever you please, just ask permission before using any equipment, we’re more of a petting zoo than a farm now so the animals are overly friendly, try and keep them inside the gates.”

He was a bit flustered, computing the fact that he just trusted him like that. Maybe he was Santa Clause, making a list and checking it twice, and Spencer happened to cross off every box to land him on the nice one.

“Sounds good,” he smiled. “Thank you.”

“Believe me, sonny, I know what it’s like to want to impress the old man, but it’s all about Amoreena,” Bob warned him. “If she loves you then so will Y/N, and she falls fast.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle, “I’m the same way.”

“That’s what Y/N was saying, I think it’ll be good for Amoreena to know someone like her, we try our best to get her out there and making friends, she’s smart enough to move up some grades but she’s a kid, y’know?” Her father basically describing his own childhood back to him.

“I graduated high school at 13,” he presses his lips together, hoping it doesn’t come off as a brag. Taking a sip of his beer to take the edge off how awkward he felt.

“Do you regret it?”

“No,” he smiled at Bob, who was smiling right back, “it led me here.”

Bob hummed in response, taking a sip as well as he sat back in his rocking chair, watching over the cows in the field as the sun began to set. It was picture perfect, unbelievable.

Wet feet on the hardwood floor caught his attention then, Amoreena was in her PJ’s as she ran towards the door. Putting on her rubber boots and swinging open the screen door.

Her hair was wet, falling into her eyes as she pushed it out of the way, “are you joining the parade and dance party?”

He acted like he knew what that meant, “sure?”

“Yes!” She cheered, “hurry up mom!!”

Y/N walked down the steps slowly, shaking her head as she laughed. “You are so impatient, the animals aren’t going anywhere.”

“No, but Spencer will!”

It made his heartache, the thought of leaving.

“Come on,” she slipped back into her shoes and joined them on the porch. “Off we go, see you later dad.”

“Be good, make wise choices,” he teased her.

“Okay old fart, sleep well,” they had a friendship that was admirable.

Spencer followed with glee as Amoreena said goodnight to all the animals, parading down the path towards their house as she made sure to talk to everything on the way there.

“Every night we pick 2 songs to dance to, it gets all the sillies out and rewards us for a day well spent so we can bless our bodies with a good sleep,” Y/N explains as she unlocks the front door.

A cottage full of books in the middle of the woods, that dream he always had, coming true as she ushered him inside. The smell of coffee drifting towards him as he noticed the brown candle on the mantle surrounded by photos of Y/N and her family.

She placed her keys beside it, kicking off her shoes and making sure Amoreena did the same. In the living room, she connected her phone to a set of speakers, letting the little one pick out 2 songs, queueing them up to play as she bounced with anticipation.

“Tonight’s selection is today was a fairytale by miss Swift, and Anne Hathaway’s cover of somebody to love, form the cinematic masterpiece that is Ella Enchanted,” Y/N announced like she was hosting the grammies, pretending her phone was the mic before hitting play.

He knew somebody to love, the Elton John version, it was a song that Penelope and Emily sang at karaoke when they reached 11 shots each, so not very often. But enough to have him remember the words, singing along with them as they danced.

It was a better workout than Derek had ever put him through, they held hands and jumped around, he twirled Amoreena around, pretending to do the tango with Y/N. Waving their arms in the air, it was the most carefree he has been in ages.

The songs fit the situation more perfectly than any of them seem to realize, he’s falling head over heels in love with this family that he met yesterday. Something in him saying that he needs to stay, that this is where he was supposed to be.

Getting Amoreena into bed was more difficult than Y/N imagined, she didn’t want to stop talking to Spencer. Only finally agreeing to sleep when she learned he would still be there for breakfast in the morning.

“Can you read me a book from your brain?” Her sleep-deprived eyes blinked as she asked him softly.

He looked at Y/N from the doorway, she nodded, patting the bed for Spencer to sit on the edge.

“Any book?”

“Any book.”

“Bedtime for baby star,” he says softly. Remembering all the late night’s he’s heard JJ whisper it on the back of the plane, in the corner of a police precinct in the middle of nowhere, in a twin bed beside his as they shared a hotel room.

“Once there was a baby star, she lived up by the sun. And every night at bedtime, that baby star wanted to have some fun,” he recited the words in an exciting tone, just low enough to soothe her into sleep. “She would sine and sine and fall and shoot and twinkle, oh so bright, and she said ‘Mommy! I’ll run away if you make me say goodnight.’”

Y/N looked at her with a fake stern look, leaning in enough to rub their noses together. “And then her mommy kissed her sparkly nose and said, no matter where you go,”

Y/N kissed her on the nose, “no matter where you go,” she repeated.

“No matter where you are, no matter how big you grow and even if you stray far,” to which Y/N repeated. “I’ll love you forever because you’ll always be my baby star.”

“Goodnight my sweet Amoreena,” Y/N kissed her head softly and stood, Spencer, joined her by the door.

“Can I have a hug?” She asked him softly, he looked at Y/N for approval once again.

She placed a hand on his back as she nodded, watching him lean in and hold Amoreena softly, “goodnight, I had a fun day today.”

“See you tomorrow,” she smiled, closing her eyes for the night.

Y/N replaced her lamp light with a night light, closing the door on the way out of her room as she blew a kiss towards her baby, “love you.”

“Love you more,” Amoreena whispered back.

Spencer was nothing but smiles in the hall as she looked at him, “I’m going to pour myself some wine and sit in the garden, are you interested?”

“Ecstatic actually,” he replied, following her towards the kitchen and letting her pour him a glass.

Behind her house, she had an overgrown garden, every area of her life had a reference to a book somewhere, a story someone else told that she’s now claimed as her own. Living in the world she always wanted, inviting Spencer to stay a while.

She let out a deep sigh as she sat down on the outdoor couch beside him, dropping her head on his shoulder softly, it was more contact than he was expecting. She had barely touched him.

“You should know that I like you a lot,” Spencer spoke softly. “I don’t want you to think I’m just some creep trying to get close to you and your kid, I genuinely think you’re wonderful and Amoreena is magnificent.”

“I trust you, I googled you and everything, don’t worry,” she laughs. “I wouldn’t invite you to the museum and let you give my kid a hug without doing research.”

“Not everything is on there you know.”

“I think you are very wonderful as well,” she said softly, “but I know it’s just the fact that you’re so darn cute that’s making me feel like I should drop everything and invite you into our life.”

“I understand,” he replied. Waiting for her to tell him that this was the last time she’d see him, it was inevitable at this point in his life. Nothing good lasted for long.

“So I need you to know all about me and I need to know all about you before you decide you want to stay because I can’t handle bringing you into Amoreena’s life for you to just leave her,” another deflection.

“You might want to hear mine first before you decide if you want me to stay around her,” it sounded scarier than he planned.

“Alright then, you go first,” she insisted with a small smile, eyes darting past him towards the cows in the field. Not ready to be vulnerable with him.

“I worked with the FBI for 15 years, I’ve helped catch some of the worst people in America, and some of them have vendetta’s against me. As far fetched and insane as that sounds,” he pre-warned her, watching her face drop as she understood the weight of his words.

“I have been framed and sent to prison for three months, I was kidnaped, tortured, drugged, and assaulted, not to mention shot a few times. I have more trauma than you can imagine. So that’s something you have to consider in a future with me,” he whispered so she wouldn’t hear how ashamed he was of himself.

“And the fact know that I can’t always keep myself or you safe, no matter how far disconnected I am from the FBI. It doesn’t matter if I change my name and hide here for the rest of my life off the grid. There are some fucked up minds out there that don’t want to let me experience true happiness. But in all honesty,” he finally stops his long-winded rant. He bites his bottom lip as if he is holding back someone worse than all the things he just said.

“I’m willing to die tomorrow if it means my last day on earth was this fucking perfect.” Tears welled in his eyes, “I am so tired.”

“It’s okay to cry, I would be too,” she says softly, a frog in her throat as she nodded. Tears welling in her eyes as her face scrunched.

He blinked and a tear escaped, slipping down his cheek and being swiped off by her thumb in an instant. She kept her hand on his cheek softly, he leaned into it.

“I’ve been running for so long,” he whispers because then the words don’t really exist. They’re secrets only for her to hear and then they’re gone. “I was basically groomed for the FBI, I was their personal computer and they didn’t give a single shit about the wear and tear on me.”

He started to sob. She cradled his head against her chest in one swift motion, holding him close and rubbing his back. Shushing him softly as he cried into her shoulder.

“You know that Katy Perry song?” she changed the subject as he calmed down, understanding his pain and accepting his warnings, but continuing down the path anyway.

“Summer after high school when we first met,” she sang like an angel. “It was like that, I thought I met the love of my life after I graduated, we got engaged a year later, then he died in a car crash and I was single for a very long time.”

“Then my grandma got sick and she made a bucket list. Number one was to become a great grandma,” her words became whispers as she tried to stop the tears, following Spencer’s tactic even though it failed so miserably.

“I said fuck it. I’m going to have a baby and make my own family, one person I can truly care for and never lose. She’s my world, she was the light of my grandma’s life until it burnt out, she has changed my world in ways I can’t even explain.”

It fell silent as they absorbed each other’s explanations of their issues. The root of their problems, the core of their soul were the most hurt was kept locked away, opening the doors and swapping scrapbook snapshots of terrible memories.

“I think,” she says, finally, like music to his ears. “I think that I’m okay, I’m positive actually that I want you in my life like this. All of you is fine with me, you’re not that scary, and I’m tired of waiting for the right moments because it means losing the people over time missed. I want to live my life fully, I’m at peace with the unknown and with you.”

Peace.

“Not to quote Taylor Swift at you or anything, but she does have a point in that song,” she laughed lightly and he felt her chest jump. Life bursting through her as she made light of an incredibly touchy subject.

“I don’t know the song,” he whispers.

She gasps, “oh that’s the line, I finally found it. Our first fight can be whether or not you like Taylor Swift, don’t even think about how upset Amoreena will be if you’re not, I’ll kick you out.”

He can't stop laughing then, digging his face into her neck as he holds her closer to his chest. Breathing her in as she finishes his laugh in a giggle, rubbing her hands down his back as she presses her cheek to his head.

“I haven’t had the time to listen to her this year I know she’s been busy releasing music,” he admits, “but I’m sure I’ll love it.”

She shifts awkwardly on the couch to take her phone out of her pocket, opening her music and playing the song she was speaking of.

He simply rests his head on her chest, both of them laying back onto the cushions together, finding a comforting spot for their arms as they listened to the words, silently.

He absorbed it all, every word she said bringing forth a feeling he’s never felt before. True understanding, like someone, gets him. Gasping audibly when she says ‘robbers to the east clowns to the west, give you my sunshine, give you my best.’

He wasn’t alone.

#spencer reid #spencer reid smut #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid self insert #spencer reid request #criminal minds smut #criminal minds imagine #amoreena

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jeonqquk · 3 years

Text

tattooing | jjh

Pairing- Jaehyun X Reader

Genre/ Tags- fluff, crack, bi jaehyun, lucas royally fucks up, tattooing

Age rating- 13+

Word count- 2.6k words

Summary- Tattooing doesn’t go as planned.

POV- Third person

Your whining wasn’t gonna get you anywhere, you were well aware of the fact. But you supposed that you might as well give it a shot. The ‘it’ here being the fact that you really wanted Jaehyun to get a tattoo. It wasn’t that you wanted to somehow blackmail Jae into getting a tattoo. Oh god, no. You’d never want that. It was just that you had always been fond of tattoos, the meaningful ones, not the totally unnecessary, really weird looking, out of the world ones. Jaehyun with a tattoo would be fucking hot though, that was just a plus point- not the main reason as to why you wanted him to get one.

You were thinking a sweet quote or something, but that would only be possible of he was willing to get one.

“Jae, baby, what do you think about getting a tattoo?” your boyfriend of 3 years sighs, rubbing his hand on your knee that had been placed on his thigh. “I don’t know..maybe later. Why are you so intent on me getting a tattoo though?” he wiggles his eyebrows, suggestively or whatever, and you look at him in confusion, trying your level best to stop the blood threatening to creep up your cheeks. You clear your throat and reply simply “I feel like a tattoo would be beautiful. Just permanently inked onto your skin. It should be something purposeful though. I don’t want you going bald and tattooing a zipper on your scalp.”

A snort is heard from him “Don’t worry, I’m not going bald. Although it’s a very tempting idea.” Rolling your eyes at his lame comment, you sit up and move over to cuddle closer to him on the couch. He wraps his left arm around you “Why don’t you get a tatto Y/n?” he questions and you look up at him in mild shock. Well, you could get a tattoo. You are of legal age and stuff but the thought had never crossed your mind. You don’t know why.

“....I could...” Jaehyun smiles, his dimples popping out and you can’t help but mirror the sweet action. “So why don’t you? We’re not even doing anything and I know for a fact that you have a lot of designs saved on your Pinterest board. Even if they were for me, you can try finding one that suits you too.”

Suddenly feeling giddy, you quickly grab your phone from the coffee table and unlock it, clicking on the app you needed. As you find the board, you see that you’ve gained 18 followers in the time span of 2 weeks. Huh.

As you scroll through the pins of small intricate designs that could be engraved onto a finger or hand, Jaehyun points out one that looked like watercolour art and was in the form of a small flower with red petals. It did look quite cute, to be honest. “Hmm, this does look nice. Won’t it look good on my collarbone?” Jaehyun nods in agreement “I was thinking that too.” Smiling up at him, you look into his eyes “Well, should I get this?” Your boyfriend chuckles at your excitement, and pats your head in adoration. “I know that you’re excited, sweetie. But don’t you wanna try looking at other designs before deciding?” Humming, you scroll a bit more as Jaehyun reads a novel. But you don’t find anything that captures your attention a lot. Sure the sweet quotes, couple tattoos and nature-related designs are great ideas for a tattoo but you were set on the one with the rose.

Jaehyun coos when you tell him that, squishing your cheeks and telling you that the two of you could go to a shop tomorrow and get design inked onto your collarbone forever.

It’s 9:28 am when you wake up from your slumber and turn to give Jaehyun who looks like he had also woken up just a few minutes ago a peck on his lips. His dimples are visible as he smiles and greets you. The two of you get up and freshen up before you’re sitting at the dining table to eat blueberry pancakes.

The clock shows that it’s 10:30 am by the time you two leave the house and head for the tattoo store you had researched last night. It takes 15 minutes to reach said shop and Jaehyun parks the car before looking at you with concern evident on his face. “Y/n, you are sure about this right?” Smiling fondly at his worry, you keep your hand on his cheek “I’m sure Jae. Don’t worry.” One kiss is enough to relax him and you pull away before you get too carried away and end up dirtying his car again. Oops.

You enter the cosy shop hand-in-hand with Jaehyun and see someone sitting at the reception wearing an oversized blue shirt. Definitely not the vibes you had expected to get from a fucking tattoo parlour but oh well. You had expected everyone to be intimidating and were ready to hide behind Jaehyun as soon as you entered. But it seems as if that wasn’t happening because all you had deciphered from the shop called Inkphoric was that it was built in a way not to scare the people who had gathered the courage to even stop foot in it.

The receptionist, she said her name was Nara, leads you both to a room in a corridor. Your hands are sweaty and thankfully she allows Jaehyun to go inside as well. When you’re seated on the chair comfortably, Jaehyun grabs a stool to sit beside you and you wait for the tattoo artist. The wait isn’t long because a minute later, a man who looks about your age is walking towards you all. His all black get-up matches the tattoos littering his arms and he also seems to have a piercing in his right ear, a silver dangling.

“Hello, I’m Lucas. I’ll be tattooing…” he introduces himself and looks between the two of you, silently asking which one of you he would be tattooing. Honestly, you would have expected him to at least know who he would be drawing on but quickly brush the thought off as you greet him, telling him that you would be the one getting the art onto her skin. He smiles cutely and nods, and you look at Jaehyun, his comforting smile relaxing your tense body.

Nara talks to Lucas for a minute or so and then walks off, shooting you an encouraging smile before closing the door behind her.

“So what is it that I’ll be tattooing onto you, ma’am?” Lucas speaks and you show him the image of the flower. Jaehyun is holding your left hand in his, the warmth seeping throughout your entire body and you’re grateful for Jae’s beautiful ability of being able to calm you down in only a matter of seconds- no matter how serious the situation would be.

“Oh, that’s very pretty.” “Thank you.” you smile at him, and he prepares his stuff. You’re pulling down the hem of your shirt slightly and exposing part of your left collarbone, where you want your collarbone.

Lucas says that he’s tracing the design out first and you wait patiently.

“Now, don’t be scared. It’s gonna hurt at first, especially at the bone but it will soon go away. You can hold your boyfriend’s hand.” he instructs and gives you an encouraging look as Jaehyun moves to your right to give Lucas space, his large hand completely enclosing yours.

“Okay, here goes…” the sound of the gun whirring to life fills the room that has tattoo designs filling the wall.

“Fuck!” your voice pierces through the air and you jolt from the sudden pain. It felt as if someone was impaling you with a sword- which was partly true- but they were doing it continuously. Jaehyun is shocked from your sudden movement and struggles to catch you in his arms. Lucas quickly tears the gun away from your neck and you whimper out, the pain searing through your entire being and Jaehyun tries shushing you, his attempts all going in vain.

Shitshitshit. This is torture. It’s only the first touch of the needle against your skin and you’re already this close to crying. How the fuck do people get those huge ass tattoos?! Trying your best to calm down and ignore the pain spreading throughout your entire being, you squeeze Jaehyun’s hand hard enough for it to pain but you don’t really care at this point, the throbbing of your collarbone enough to send you flying. He’s stood up from the stool by now, standing behind you.

“Okay..sorry sorry, you can continue.” you whisper out and clamp your lips shut so as to not let out any more weird noises. You’re sweating by the time Lucas gets the gun closer to you and bite your tongue hard enough to draw blood when the feeling of the needle pressing against your skin fills you up again.

Holy heck, I can’t do this.

Your face is an accurate representation of agony, your entire body tensing as Lucas tattoos your collarbone with his long hair slightly brushing against your neck. You try leaning your head back and lean against Jaehyun. He’s whispering soft comforting words as countless profanities leave your mouth and you feel sad for Lucas, having to hear the shit you were spewing.

“It’s alright, baby. Just think about other things, happy things.” your boyfriend pecks your cheek and hugs you lightly, trying not to disturb Lucas.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale inh-

“I think I just popped a boner.”

You gasp. Lucas chokes. He moves. You shriek.

“Ah, shit!” the gun’s needle scraped against your skin, it was all so sudden. The pain suddenly shoots throughout your entire body, tears filling your eyes. Nononono.

“Jesus! It’s paining too much!” you’re sobbing by now, Lucas is frantic and Jaehyun..well..he is burning. He’s too busy regretting all his choices to even notice what’s happening around him. Jaehyun bends down to fix his problem and emerges 5 minutes later, when you’re still twisting in torment. Everything is red, your lip being abused by your teeth in order to calm down.

“Y/n! Ma’am! I’m so sorry! Shit, no!” Lucas apologises and sprints over to get a cloth to wipe something you feel trickling down your chest now. Blood. You’re bleeding.

Writhing in agony in your seat, you clench your hands as if that would somehow reduce the sting, and pant, trying to relax. Your eyes are widened at an attempt of keeping it all in but the throbbing just doesn’t seem to dissipate.

Oh God…

Lucas is now carefully dabbing at the source of blood with panic written clearly all on his face. You look at Jaehyun through the ache to see that he is now coming back to reality and upon seeing your state, a gasp tears his throat and he’s looking at you with his eyes widened.

The distress prevents you from speaking properly but you manage to call out, “J-Jaehy..Jaehyun.” Said man is desperately looking between your blood gushing out and your face twisted in discomfort. He figures it out and as soon as he does, takes your whimpering form into his, murmuring endless apologies and if you could, you would stop him from saying that but the sting is still there, only lessening a tad bit.

It’s hell, trying to clean the blood away and getting it sorted out. You cried a bit during the process as well but you were perfectly entitled to do that, the gun had pierced your skin quite deep when Lucas had jolted upon hearing what Jae suddenly said.

30 minutes later, you’re hiccupping slightly and trying to breathe normally after the mad incident. Surprisingly, no one had come in during that time and you were thankful for that, not having wanted anybody to see the mess that had been caused because of Jaehyun’s unexpected confession. Speaking of which, you wince and turn around to look at him and when his eyes meet yours, ask him what he meant “What was that about you popping a boner?” the incredulity just hit you now and you wait for his response impatiently.

“Nothing babe...just forget it. I’m so sorry for saying it so randomly, though. I should’ve thought before speaking. I’m so careless.” the look on his face melts and you are about to pull him into your chest when you realise that you can’t.

The pain has subsided by now, it’s bearable and you turn to look at Lucas who- when he catches your gaze- immediately walks over to you and starts speaking. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry! That was so sudden and I messed up your tattoo. It’s all my fault, please forgive me if possible.” he looks scared, and you understand why. He probably thinks you’ll sue him or something but you weren’t planning on doing anything of the sort. “It’s alright Lucas. I’m also not gonna tell anyone. We’ll just tell everyone that as soon as the gun touched me, I chickened out and told you to stop.” you keep your hand on his head that’s bowed and he looks up. There are tears brimming his eyes and you don’t know if it’s out of fear or the fact that he genuinely feels terrible for what he did. It really wasn’t his fault anywhere though. You didn’t understand why he was so stressed.

“I’m sorry Lucas, I just said something stupid without even thinking before. You don’t need to take nay of the blame.” Jaehyun’s voice fills the room and Lucas’ features relax a little before he smiles forcefully. “Well, if your cuts get better, then maybe I can continue the design?” he jokes and you laugh along, knowing all too well that you wouldn’t be coming here again. Your first tattoo and this had happened.

“So do you wanna tell me about that boner-popping now? Lucas isn’t even here.” you’re sitting at the dining table, having just finished your dinner with empty bowls of pasta in front of each of you. Jaehyun shifts slightly in his seat and you wonder if you made him uncomfortable, although you don’t understand why- the reason couldn’t have been that bad. As soon as you start to backtrack, Jaehyun’s voice is heard.

“Well..just..you know when you were getting the tattoo?” you nod slightly “Lucas was just, his black clothes..and he was bending over and I don’t know. You were whimpering..” “So the scene was too hot and you popped a boner?” you complete his sentence and he meekly nods before you’re howling with laughter, almost falling iff the chair and forgetting about the pain around your collarbone. The bisexual in Jaehyun was showing and he was afraid to admit it, you don’t now why. He had told you about this when you started dating, and you were totally fine with it, because you knew that he wouldn’t cheat on you.

“Hey..” your boyfriend half-heartedly attempts to stop you but you’re too far gone to realise that he may be feeling bad. When your laughing fit is over, though, you look at him for any trace of sadness but are relieved to see that he’s only blushing lightly, his dimples showing when he smiles.

“So, do you wanna get a tattoo now?” the answer is obvious, given the fact that today did not go as planned. You’re surprised when he answers.

“I don’t think so. My body is a shrine and a tattoo will take away its chastity.”

“Shrine indeed.”

Ty for reading! Yes lmao ik the ending is weird asf, as is the entire story, but nvm

Feedback is always appreciated!

this was supposed to be a drabble for jae’s birthday 😭excuse the typos they’re terrible and i’m literally the most impatient living being you’ll ever encounter

also, the shop name lmao i just got it from google- not creative i know

Tagging: @neoculturedtrash , @jeongjeffrey , @orange-lemon-cross , @nanasimp , @bluejaem

#jaehyun #jung jaehyun #jeffrey #nct #nct 127 #tattoo #reader #jaehyun x reader #jeong jaehyun #nct ff #nct 127 ff #jaehyun ff #jae ff #jaehyun fluff #jae fluff #y/n #neo culture technology #jaehyun jung #please excuse the shitty header

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amethystroselilith · 3 years

Text

Intertwined Fates (Chilumi/Zhonglumi) - Chapter 5

Yea so... uhm... I may or may have been addicted to anime during vacation and the next thing I knew, uni started again and uhm... we're a month in now... So much for me promising to be active in writing smh...

Also, I learned how to add pictures! Chapter 3 is updated for the ring picture :)

Can be read in ao3 here

SUMMARY:

Plans don't always go the way it is

Lumine can’t help but smile as Qiqi’s laughter filled their living room. Her heart can’t help but melt at the sight of her future husband, and her father pretends to be monsters and make fool of themselves to entertain the little girl. Lumine can’t help but chuckle to herself, her daughter completely has these powerful men wrapped around her little fingers.

“A beach wedding is such a wonderful idea, Lumine! Your aunties and I have founded these locations so far, if they’re not to your liking, just tell me, okay? Your mother will make sure to make your dream wedding happen!” her mother beamed beside her as she splayed out the pictures of potential beach locations on the coffee table in front of them.

Never did Lumine thought there will come a time when her mother and herself will bond like this. Upon confirming their engagement, her mother had been ecstatic; messaging Lumine all potential wedding ideas she can, even creating a board on Pinterest.

While it may be annoying to Lumine, she can’t deny that she’s excited herself. She gently shrugged her mother off at first, claiming that she’s busy with work, but one boring evening when Ajax was busy fixing something at work in his home office, the blonde woman opened the app to see what her mother is up to. She looked through the grand ideas her mother had pinned, they were mostly wedding dresses and accessories. The more Lumine browses, the more her mind starts imagining a wedding scenario, and the next thing she knows, she’s saving beach wedding-related pins and a phone call from her mother popped out of her screen.

Ajax joined mid-conversation and was surprised, and secretly elated that his bride also shares the same excitement of them officially tying the knot.

Never did Ajax thought he would be so invested in wedding planning, he’s more invested in the honeymoon part, but after listening to his fiancée and soon to be mother-in-law for a while, he can’t help but fall in love with the beach wedding idea and started looking at ideas on his own phone, which granted him a collaboration in the Pinterest board they’re working on.

After a promise of her mother looking for venues, the two-hour conversation ended with an excited soon to be wed couple.

A few days after that night, Lumine can’t help but think of her grand day every time she has the chance to. She had been bright during work, always humming softly as she works. Her glow had affected everyone in the bakery, even Xiao who smiled softly and even suggested something for the wedding cake, which Aether will be in charge of.

It surprised the twins, making them stare at Xiao long enough for the said man to be embarrassed and murmured something to forget about it until Lumine expressed her delight at the idea.

The original idea was a beach-themed cake, with the usual sand-like crumbs and seashells. Xiao instead suggested a baby blue coloured cake with frosting smudged on the cake to look like waves.

The day then ended with Xiao and Aether presenting a drawing of their combined ideas, Aether adding some white roses to complete the look.

(AN: Source: https://emmalovesweddings.com/summer-beach-wedding-cakes/summer-beach-wedding-cake-ideas/)

Lumine is in love with it.

“Have you two decided on the wedding date yet by the way?” her mother pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Well, we’re thinking a sunny Summer wedding will be nice? It fits the whole beach wedding theme, and coincidentally, that’s the time Ajax and I will don’t have to worry much about work.” Lumine answered, “It’s also going to be Qiqi’s first Summer at the beach.” she smiled at the scene last night, Qiqi’s eyes wide and curious as Ajax talks about the beach.

Qiqi had never been a huge fan of being under the sun, always preferring to stay under the shade, but from the looks of last night, her daughter seemed to be willing to give it a try, the seashell hunting and castle building especially.

Her mother took note of it on her phone, “Got it, now go ahead and look at these locations, I’ll contact them as soon as we get home.” she smiled.

Lumine hummed as she looked at the potential venues, they look great to Lumine so far, she appreciates the notes her mother stick with the pictures showcasing what each location is known and loved for.

She’s really invested in it, and Lumine wonders where all this energy is when it was her and Zhongli-

Before she could dwell on the thought, she shook her head, gaining a curious look from her mother.

“Sorry, something caught in my eye.” she shrugged it off while pretending to rub her eyes.

She went over the venues again, she managed to pick her top 3 favourites before calling for her groom to be, “Ajax, can you help me choose between these?”

The scene before her paused with Qiqi laughing as she pretends to fly as Ajax holds her up while her grandfather pretends to catch her.

“Sure, wanna help Mama and Papa choose the wedding venues, Qiqi?” Ajax cooed before sitting next to Lumine, putting Qiqi on his lap.

“Yes, Qiqi wants lots of seashells.” the little girl replied as she looked at the pictures.

“I’m sure all of them have lots of seashells, dear.” her grandmother chuckled.

Her mother is right, so it doesn’t really narrow down Lumine’s options, “How about you?” she asked Ajax, intertwining her fingers with his.

Ajax hummed, giving Lumine’s hand a kiss as he looked at the options, Qiqi giggled and offered her own hand, to which Ajax chuckled and give it a light kiss as well before ruffling her hair.

“They’re all good to me.” he shrugged.

“Ah, as helpful as your father was when we were planning our wedding.” her mother joked.

“Hey, I just trust your taste more than mine.” her father defended as he sat next to his wife.

Ajax was about to use the same excuse, but Lumine glared at him, “Don’t you dare.”

He raised his hands in defence, “Alright how about this, we close our eyes and let fate pick?”

Lumine raised an eyebrow.

“What? They’re your top 3 favourites, right? And we can’t choose, so why not give it a try?” Ajax shrugged.

Lumine sighed but agree, “Well, why not?”

With their hands together, they closed their eyes.

Their parents can’t help but laugh, Qiqi giggling in anticipation as she waits for the answer.

Their fingers grabbed a picture.

They opened their eyes,

‘Cool Isle’, it read.

~~~

“Qiqi wants beach wedding too,” Qiqi says, effectively freezing Ajax from cooking.

Lumine snickered from the table, watching and waiting for the man’s reaction. It was almost dinner time when her parents left, so they decided to hang out in the kitchen while Ajax prepares their meal, Qiqi’s colouring on her notebook while Lumine decided to just randomly film themselves. It’s a thing that she loves to do, documenting some of their lives to look back to in the future, and now looks like an interesting memory to laugh at someday.

Ajax turned to them with a tight smile, “No.”

Qiqi pouted, “Why not?”

“Because you’re my baby Qiqi and you’ll be forever, therefore, you’re not allowed to get married,” Ajax explained, pouting when he saw Lumine snickering with no intention of stopping their daughter from her terrifying plan.

“But why?”

“You’ll get three storytimes later if you promise not to get married.”

“Four!”

“Deal. You got that on camera right, love?” Ajax turned to Lumine.

“Oh my god.” Lumine laughed but nodded, “Yeah, I did.”

“You heard that yourself future Qiqi,” Ajax said at the camera.

“Four stories, yay!” the little girl hummed, bouncing lightly as she coloured.

The rest of the evening went quietly, they do their routines, Qiqi falling asleep midway through her first story, and now Ajax and Lumine are cuddling on their bed, the blonde having her back against her lover’s chest while his hands trace random shapes on her hip.

“What are you thinking about?” Lumine asked as she turned to face Ajax.

“Just you walking down the aisle dressed like the goddess you are.” he grinned.

“Really now?” Lumine raised an eyebrow, but Ajax can still see the smile she’s hiding.

“Well, trying to imagine what’s underneath the dress but it doesn’t sound as romantic now, does it?” Ajax teased, earning a playful smack from Lumine.

“It sounds more honest at least,” she retorted back with a playful smile.

“Now I can’t stop thinking of it…”

Lumine can feel something poking her leg, “Stop, it’s a surprise!” she huffed.

“That doesn’t help, love, now I’m more curious.” he groaned as he buried his face against her neck.

“There’s a reason why it’s called a surprise, you know.” Lumine rolled her eyes but still tilted her head to give him space.

“A small preview would be nice though…” he said suggestively before giving her neck a soft nibble.

“Hm, I guess a small sneak peek is fi-”

Lumine didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence for her fiancé just dived in for his meal.

~~~

“Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day, little Qiqi wants to play…” Qiqi sang softly as she traces the raindrops on the car window.

“It looks like it’ll be raining for the whole day.” Lumine observed the sky, “Qiqi, if it’s still raining when school’s done, just stay over Granny Shan’s toy store and I’ll pick you up, okay?”

“Can Qiqi have a new toy?” Qiqi gasped in excitement.

“If you’re a good girl for Granny Shan, then Papa will buy you one.” Ajax chuckled at the sparkle in Qiqi’s eyes.

Qiqi nodded before humming again, this time, livelier as she starts to think of what toy she would want.

“It’s nice we have someone to watch over Qiqi, we might be a little busy today since we’re in charge of the sweets for an event. I’ll make sure to bring Granny Shan something when I pick Qiqi up.” Lumine says as she looked at the notes on her phone to prepare for today.

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that, babe.” Ajax hummed as he slowed the car in front of Qiqi’s school rather than the bakery, “Fix your raincoat, sweetie, Papa will walk you to school.” he said then waited for the little girl to follow his order.

“Give Mama a kiss and have fun at school, okay?” Lumine smiled.

“Okay! Qiqi’s gonna do her bestest!” the little girl responded before giving Lumine a kiss.

Ajax prepared the umbrella before stepping out of the car to get his daughter.

Lumine hummed and waited in the car. She looked at the toy store across the street, “It looks like they’re opening.” she said as she watches someone in a raincoat and an umbrella try to push up the display barrier to reveal the contents of the shop.

Granny Shan did say someone was helping her run the shop, “Someone looking for his family, huh.” she remembered the old woman saying, though she didn’t get any more information than that, though she did remember the man being nice to Qiqi and buying her a present.

Lumine should also bring him something as a thank you later.

The car door opening pulled Lumine’s attention from the employee.

“Qiqi has her umbrella, right?” Lumine asked.

“Yup, I made sure she didn’t forget it this time,” Ajax answered as he settled inside the car, “Alright, let’s go,” he said as he drove off.

~~~

Zhongli sighed as he shrugs his raincoat off and placing it on the coat rack together with the umbrella. He’s glad he stopped Granny Shan from going outside to open the shop herself. It was a bit tough even for him to push the barriers up with the wind trying to blow his umbrella away, he doesn’t want to imagine how dangerous it would’ve been for her.

“I hope it won’t be raining as much later.” the old woman hummed as she observed the weather.

“The weather news said it’ll be raining but it would be lighter than this,” Zhongli said as he went on about his duties.

“Well, either way, Qiqi would be waiting here, her mother will pick her up later.” Granny Shan said, “Which is nice cause I would love to give her something for their wedding.”

“Wedding?” Zhongli raised his eyebrow.

“Ah yes, turns out the couple isn’t married yet. Qiqi isn’t biologically the groom’s but she was raised by him when her father died from an accident.” the woman explained.

“That’s an unfortunate accident.” Zhongli frowned.

“Ah it was, but her groom is a great man, he said her deceased husband was his best friend, while it may sound controversial, I think it’s great that he takes good care of them, you can see how dedicated and loving he is when it comes to his family.” Granny Shan chuckled, “Maybe you should visit the bakery sometimes, it would be more fun to socialise with people your age than just an old lady like me.” she teased.

“Don’t be like that, I quite enjoy our conversation.” the brunette replied, “But I think it would be nice to meet them, maybe they can help me in searching for my own family.”

“Ah, that would be great as well.” Granny Shan replied, “Well, I’ll go ahead and make us some tea to warm us up.” she said before leaving to the kitchen.

Zhongli hum before continuing his tasks.

~~~

It was five hours after Qiqi’s done with school.

Five hours of Qiqi waiting for her Mama.

And Qiqi is starting to get a little fussy.

By this time, Qiqi would have taken a nap in the private room of the bakery, she would’ve woken up refreshed and would be playing with her Uncles now.

She doesn’t even remember the promise of a new toy, she just wants to go home and sleep.

Granny Shan had offered the sofa in their living room, but Qiqi isn’t comfortable with napping somewhere else than the comfort of familiarity their bakery gives. Even if she knows Granny Shan and Mr Zhongli are good people, she just wants her Mama and Uncles nearby.

Zhongli frowns as Qiqi rejects another snack from him, while Qiqi did have a packed lunch with her, he thought that some sweets will brighten her mood, but all he was getting was a no and a frustrated tired face from the girl.

“Hm, it’s barely raining outside now, why don’t you just walk Qiqi there?” Granny Shan said.

Qiqi perked up at the suggestion, looking at Zhongli with tired and pleading eyes.

“Yeah, I think it would be a great idea, the little one is tired and I think she’d be more comfortable resting with her family.” Zhongli nodded.

Qiqi’s eye lightened, she nodded in agreement before standing up to follow Zhongli.

“Alright, be careful, bye Qiqi.” Granny Shan waved.

Having been in a good mood again, Qiqi smiled and waved, “Bye-bye, GrannyShan!” before grabbing Zhongli’s hand.

It took Zhongli by surprise, he wasn’t offering his hand but it seemed to be a habit of the little girl, which isn’t that bad, it’s safer that way and he’s glad her parents thought her that.

Also for some reason, it gives him a huge sense of comfort.

Gently grabbing Qiqi’s hand and an umbrella, they made their way.

~~~

“Oh my god, I hope Qiqi is fine.” Lumine said as she frantically shoved her things in her purse, “We were so busy no one can come to get her, I couldn’t even prepare something for Granny Shan.”

“Baby, calm down.” Ajax sighed as he wrapped his arms around his stressed lover, hugging her from the back “Qiqi’s in good hands and you guys did amazing for the event, you should rest for a bit,” he said softly before kissing the side of her head.

While Lumine is shy with public display of affection, there is no customer to tend since the bakery was closed early, most of the employees left, Xiao was at the kitchen making sure to clean the last bit before locking up the back then heading home, and Aether had left to pick Keqing up from work. It’s just the two of them in front of the shop, Lumine having cleaned up the counter and tables when Ajax arrived.

“You know how Qiqi is when she doesn’t get her nap, she’s going to be a nightmare to take care of later.” the blonde dreaded.

Ajax chuckled, turned her around and lifted her up to sit her on the table, “I’ll be with you, don’t worry, we’ll handle our little tantrum monster, okay?” he smiled with an Eskimo kiss.

The exact thing Lumine needs to calm down, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, “How are you always so bright even after work.” she pouted at him.

“Let’s say messing with a certain midget is a great stress reliever.” Ajax grinned mischievously.

“You know one day, you’re gonna get in trouble for pissing him so much at work.” Lumine deadpanned.

“Eh, I only mess with him when it’s a slow day so I’m not disrupting anything at work. Though it had become a game for everyone to bet on who’s gonna fall for whose prank, I have a winning streak of 4 if you’re curious.”

“If our kids become little shits, you’re sleeping on the fucking sofa.” Lumine threatened, though there’s a playful hint in her eyes.

“Such a harsh punishment, love, how will I pass on my legacy?” Ajax faked frowned.

“What legacy? Being a little shit to Scaramouche?” Lumine teased as she poked his cheeks.

“Well, I was thinking our kids vs his, you know? A worthy opponent, their battle will be legendary!”

Lumine laughed, “Ajax, no!”

Ajax grinned, glad that his lover is in a much brighter mood. The talk about their future kids had also brightened him up with excitement, he can imagine Qiqi being the best big sister she can be with the future little ones that’ll be running around their house.

Speaking of which, he should start looking for some renovation plans to handle a bigger family in their home.

A text notified Lumine. She checked her phone and sighed in relief, “Well, looks like Granny Shan sent her employee to walk Qiqi here.”

Ajax hummed before burying his face against her neck, “That’s great, ‘cause I’m feeling comfortable like this.”

“You’re gonna make the man uncomfortable, Ajax.” Lumine pointed out how intimate they look but nonetheless brushed her fingers through his hair.

“Eh, should be expected with a soon to be wed couple.” Ajax shrugged not moving except lifting his face to rest his forehead against hers.

Lumine just chuckled and welcomed the comfort.

“Mama, Papa, Qiqi’s here! Look, Mister, that’s Qiqi’s Mama and Papa!”

#chilumi #zhonglumi #chilumi/zhonglumi #genshin impact

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sunflowerhazzavol6 · 4 years

Text

breathless

Y/n and Harry have been in a casual sex relationship for the better part of his tour, until Harry invites her to Paris with him and leaves her questioning the nature of their relationship. 3k words of pretty much pure fluff in Paris!

Being with him was suffocating.

Not in a bad way, but in the way where she was constantly breathless. Was this what love was? It felt like it. Swept off her feet, wondering where he was, what he was doing, if he was thinking of her. She felt like a part of herself was missing when he was gone, moping around in her dark apartment until he would make his way back home. He was light.

He was light now, sleeping on his stomach with his arms under the pillow. Sun made its way into the room between the curtains, running along his bare back. In her sleep she had forgotten he was there. She was so used to missing him that it was her default, but now he was here breathing in and out softly.

“H...” She whispers, wrapping her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder. He doesn’t stir. “Harry.” She kisses his neck, then his cheek, then his temple.

“Would you knock it off? M’tryna get some rest here.” He mumbles.

“Haz.” She pouts, wiggling her way under his arm. He smiles softly, his eyes still closed.

“Hello.” He tightens his arm around her, nudging his nose against hers before pressing their lips together. His lips were soft and slow with sleep, savoring the time. She lived for these slow mornings, mornings together when neither of them had to run off to do this or that. Mornings when she could melt completely into him and pretend like the outside world didn’t exist.

“I missed you.” She whispers, running her fingers along his back. He adjusts himself so both arms are around her, finally opening his eyes. He sighs, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Me too. I’m glad you could come to Paris at least, before the next leg of the tour.”

“Why would I turn down an all expenses paid trip to the most romantic city in the world with my sugar daddy?” She teases, kissing his chin. “And an added bonus, he’s great in bed and doesn’t have saggy balls!”

“And with that, my confidence has increased tenfold.” He laughs, kissing her again.

“So what's the plan for today?” She says after a while, pulling away and getting up out of bed. He grins boyishly at her body while she pulls on his shirt, moving his hands behind his head.

“You mean we have to leave this room? Or more specifically, this bed?” He nearly whines.

“Harry, we’re not in Paris solely to shag each other.”

“Shag? I really am rubbing off on you, aren't I.” He sits up on the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her to him. “What would you like to see, darling?” He kisses her shoulder. “We could see the Louvre.” Her collar bone. “Maybe get coffee first.” Her neck.

“That sounds nice.” She murmurs, playing with his hair.

“If thats what you want.” He stands up, cupping her face in his hands. She nods, biting her lip. “Well fuck, y/n, don’t do that. Then we’ll really have to just stay in bed.”

She pulls away with a laugh. “Alright, get showered then.” He sighs dramatically, kissing the top of her head and going into the bathroom.

It felt good to be with him like this again. She visited him a few times while he was on tour, but even with her present there was still work to be done and she had to respect that. Now, with him taking a break, there was time to just be. Be a couple, be friends, be whatever they wanted to.

That was the thing. They had never established what they were to each other. The lack of labels was infuriating to her, which she hated to admit. In the beginning it was liberating, being free to see him but not to be tied down to him. Now it was plain frustrating. He could see whoever he wanted to, and she supposed she could do the same, but any fling she attempted paled in comparison to this. To him.

She knew he had been seeing other girls while on tour. If anything they were honest with one another, especially when it came to sex and other flames. He hadn’t said anything for the past few months though, which meant he either thought they were past telling one another their sexual conquests or he hadn’t had any. Y/n didn’t even know where to begin with that. She herself hadn’t been with anyone in awhile now, and being with Harry only made her want him more. He had never flown her out somewhere to be with him and him alone, sans entourage of his band and management team. They only had one body guard with them now, and he was only around when they left their room (which hadn’t exactly happened yet). That had to mean something, right? Paris, the most romantic city in the world, and he had wanted her there with him.

“Y/n.” His voice pipes up from the bathroom door. She turns from her suitcase, dressed in a floral wrap dress, to see him standing with his hair wet and a towel around his waist. “Shave or no shave?”

She laughs a bit. “You’re asking me?”

“Well, I plan on kissing you, so yes, I am asking you.”

“I like both.”

“So half shaved and half not?” He raises his right eyebrow. Fuck. Maybe they should stay in.

“Hardy har, very funny.”

“Shaved it is.”

“Shaved it is.” She confirms, following him into the bathroom. Yet another moment she yearned for when he was away. The mundane kind. Getting ready together.

Not long after, Harry was holding the door open for her, his bodyguard waiting outside and nodding at them. Harry says good morning and then takes her hand, leading her to the elevator. That was something to consider, she supposed. Although Kenneth was nice enough, they could never be truly alone. Harry always had eyes on him, and although it was something he was used to, she wasn’t.

“There's this little cafe just down the street.” He says. “They’ve got some outdoor seating and excellent lattes. We can grab a bite and then go to the center of the city to see the Louvre.”

She nods, holding the strap of her purse. He lets go of her hand, touching the scarf she had tied in her hair to keep it half up. “I like this.” He says, looking at her. “You look beautiful, y/n. You always look beautiful.”

Before she can say anything back the elevator door opens and his hand falls to his side, leaving her flustered as they exit.

The busy cafe was cute and as Parisian as y/n thought it could get. Granted, her version of Parisian was the things she had pinned to a board on Pinterest to help her contain her excitement for this trip, but that's besides the point. The outdoor seating was basking in the mid-morning sun, a few pigeons poking around for little morsels and crumbs. The guests were speaking all sorts of languages. The locals French, of course, but y/n also heard many others, tourists like herself. Only a few people seemingly recognized Harry, but no one went any further than a simple gesture to their table-mate.

Harry pulls out a chair for her, glancing through the window to look at the menu inside. “What would you like, y/n? I was thinking a pastry and a coffee myself.”

She sits, looking through the window to the inside. A group of teenage girls are looking through the glass at them, giggling and taking their phones out. Ah, she had spoken to soon. “Whatever you think I’d like is fine, and get me a cappuccino please.” He squeezes her shoulder and then goes inside with Kenneth.

As if on cue the girls all go silent, until finally a brave one separates from the group and shyly walks up to Harry, introducing herself. Y/n sees Harry laugh before gesturing to the other girls to come over. They all join their friend, talking excitedly to him as they all exchange hugs and take photos. Harry carries on talking to them until he has to order, hugging them all goodbye.

When he comes back out he’s smiling, shaking his head. “What?” Y/n asks, watching him sit down.

“That first one asked very politely if they could get photos with me and said that they all were massive fans and couldn’t believe I was here. And then another one asked who I was with.”

“Oh? And what did you say?”

“I just winked.”

Y/n blushes. “And why would you do that?”

Harry just shrugs, smiling when their coffees and pastries get set down on their table.

“You’re such a flirt, Harry.” She pushes his shoulder.

“I know. Isn’t it infuriating?” He grins, taking a bite of his pastry and groaning. “Fuck. Now that is delicious. Can you believe that food this flakey even exists?”

“Because you’ve got loads to compare it to?”

“I consider myself a pastry connoisseur, darling. Let me take a bite of yours.”

She smacks his hand away. “Greedy! Let me have a bite first.”

“You won’t appreciate it as much as I would.” He pouts teasingly, sitting back in a slouch and crossing his arms. Y/n laughs and takes a bite, cupping her hand underneath the croissant to catch the crumbs.

Harry was right. It was incredible. Flavors of butter, bread, chocolate, and strawberries all perfectly swirled together into one delicious bite. Every croissant she had had in the states was nothing compared to this. She lets out a moan.

“Hey now! Can’t be making noises like that without sharing.”

Y/n covers her mouth as she swallows with a laugh. “Let me try yours. What is it?”

“Apricot. Bloody hell, not that big of a bite.” He snorts at her eagerness, nudging his foot against her calf. “Can’t take you anywhere.”

“Who me? The messy, impolite American?” She says through a mouthful of pastry.

“Thank god you’re such a good shag or I’d have nothing to do with you.” He teases, handing her her pastry back. She laughs a bit but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. There was probably some truth to that, but she really didn’t want to admit it to herself. If she did it might rip her to shreds.

When they’re finished Harry cleans up their table and waves goodbye to the group of girls before coming back to y/n with a glass of water. “Let's take a taxi to the Louvre, shall we?” He hands her the glass, causing her to look at him quizzically. “Don’t give me that face. They probably have a shite food and drink policy at that place and I don’t want you running solely on caffeine and sugar.”

“I’m always running solely on caffeine and sugar.” She takes a sip. “Just admit you’re worried about me being dehydrated.”

“Now who’s flirting?” He grins, sitting down in front of her.

“I don’t like you watching me chug water, Harry.”

“Why, think I’ll find it unattractive?”

“Yes.” She says plainly.

“Don’t mind me, love. Just want to watch some water dribble down your chin.”He coos. She smacks his shoulder, and before she has time to even properly register what's happening he’s grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it gently, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.

“Harry.” She hisses, pulling her hand back. She can feel the heat in her cheeks. “We’re in public.”

“I know.” He shrugs, standing back up. “Now finish your water so we can go.”

The entire taxi ride Harry chats merrily with the driver, commenting on a soccer team in the UK that was doing well. While y/n always found it endearing the way he called soccer “football” and how his accent got thicker whenever he talked about it with a fellow fan, her thoughts were racing. Why was he being so publicly affectionate all of the sudden, but was still joking about the sexual nature of their relationship? Why was he not dodging questions about them dating like he used to? Why did he care about whether or not she was dehydrated?

“Look at that.” He says with a grin, looking out the window at the glass pyramids in front of the museum. “Well, I hope your bets work out in your favor, mate. Can’t let those bloody irishmen get the best of ya. I know that from experience.” He pats the man's shoulder and hands him the fare for their cab ride before reaching over y/n to open the door. “My lady.”

Y/n steps out, followed by Harry and Kenneth. Within moments a tall, lanky man with dark hair and glasses makes his way over to them, wearing a pressed uniform with a name-tag reading “Pierre.”

“Monsieur Styles, welcome to the Louvre. I ‘ave been asked to escort you today inside of ze museum.” He says with a thick French accent. “We have taken ze necessary precautions to ensure that you are kept secure and comfortable inside.”

“Thanks mate.” Harry says, taking y/n’s hand. He was just full of surprise PDA today. “Ready?” Y/n nods, looking into his eyes to try to read him. Nothing but his cheeky smile.

Y/n knew Harry loved art. He had always told her that he felt that art was the best way to express oneself without uttering a single word. That’s why he dressed the way he did, paying close attention to every detail of what he wore when he wanted to say something with his outfit. She admired him for that, especially the way he expressed his femininity with ease. Him embracing that side of himself was wildly attractive to her, and she was always baffled by the way he was able to do that without ever taking away from his masculinity. He just used his clothing to re-define what masculinity was.

“Harry.” She murmurs, moving her free hand to his forearm to pull herself up to his ear. Pierre had led them into an empty hallway, where a museum security guard had joined them for their tour of the museum.

“Hmm?” He hums, putting his hand over hers.

“We can’t see the whole museum in one day, can we?”

“Probably not.” He nods in thanks when a door is opened for them, leading them into a room full of tourists. A few people stare in recognition, but he looks back down to her. “I guess we have to decide what we want to see the most.” He frowns when people start taking photos, dropping her hand. Her heart sinks.

“Well,” She starts, attempting to distract herself. “How about we just walk around and see what catches our eye?”

“Sure.” Harry says, still distracted. His eyes scanned over the crowd of people in the room, cautious and on edge.

“Harry.” She sighs. “Harry, look at me.”

His eyes shift back down, softening ever so slightly when they meet hers.

“Don’t worry about them. They’re not even here. It’s just us, okay?”

“Alright.” He smiles the tiniest bit, gently knocking his fist against her chin in a play punch. “Lets go look at art”

As much as Harry loved art, y/n loved it too. But while Harry loved it for the aesthetic, she loved it for the history. It had survived centuries and wars, and had seen more than she ever would in her lifetime. To any unaware passerby, they were just mediums on a canvas, but to her they were eras etched into time.

“Can you believe that people used to just live with this in their house?” She asks, looking at Harry. They were standing in front of Louis XIV, Harry’s hands clasped behind his back.

“Not exactly a house.”

“No, but you know what I mean.”

Harry looks at it, wrinkling his nose. “I suppose that is strange. People travel from all over to see this portrait and it was just a part of their decorations.”

“Harry!” She gasps. “We should go see Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss!”

“Should we now?” He smiles at her enthusiasm.

“Don’t act coy.” She says, starting towards a directory. “If only there weren’t so many rooms.”

Harry moves to stand behind her, resting his hand on her lower back. “Hey, there it is.” He points with his free hand. “We just leave this room and take a right. Come on.”

It was better than y/n could have imagined.

The story was romantic in itself. Cupid, sent by his mother Venus to curse the love life of the beautiful Psyche, instead fell in love with her. From that blossomed an innocent and nearly naive romance, completely entrapped in the bubble that love had created. Hidden away from the world. Y/n couldn’t help but shift her gaze to Harry, studying his profile. His eyebrows were soft with awe, lips parted in wonder. He looked like they did; statuesque, something to be preserved and admired. Timeless. She couldn’t help but feel that their stories were one and the same. Hidden, illogical, naive. Yet there was nothing and nobody that she was more sure of. And now here they were, seeing for themselves Cupid tenderly holding his lover like she was the only thing grounding him to earth.

“Did you know Psyche is represented by a butterfly?” Harry says finally, clearing his throat.

“Is she?”

He nods, rubbing his chin. “It symbolizes immortality, innocence, and transformation from one being to another.” He bites his lip, looking at her. “I like the idea of that. Being able to change but still remaining true to yourself. Who you once were.”

She looks back at him, gnawing on her own bottom lip. “Do you feel like you’ve changed?”

“Undoubtedly.” He says quietly.

Y/n looks back at the statue, unable to hold the intensity of his gaze. “From what?”

“Y/n…”

She pauses before opening her mouth, just to close it again.

“Y/n?”

“What are we doing, Harry? Are we together? Are we just friends? Are we just-” She lowers her voice. “Are you just in it for the sex? Because if you are that's fine, I can live with that. We can continue whatever this casual thing we have going on is, if that's what you want.”

He doesn’t respond.

She swallows. “Unless you’re not just in it for the sex anymore. Because I don’t think I am.”

He bites his lips together, contemplating something.

“Forget it, forget I even-” Before she can finish her statement he cuts her off, cupping her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers.

They had kissed loads of times before, but never like this. Those kisses were heated, desperate, and motivated. The pressure of his lips against hers was calculated this time, pushing and pulling like he couldn’t think of another way sufficient enough to show her how he felt. For the first time in his life he was cautious, taking his time in the way she tasted. One simple kiss was enough to tell her that he felt the same. Had probably always felt the same. Grounded.

“Does that answer your question?” He breathes.

“Not quite. Maybe kiss me again?”

#harry styles #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x reader #harry styles fanfiction #harry edward styles #fine line #love on tour #harry styles fluff

511 notes · View notes

groovybaybee · 4 years

Text

Greener - II

Greener - I

(4.2k)

cw: mentions of abuse (not this chapter and nothing too intense but better safe than sorry) also alcohol consumption

There are moments in life that conjure up intense emotion any time you think about them. Happy or sad, whenever your mind flicks through its rolodex of memories and lands on it, you feel that moment come to life. You brain must have logged every detail of that time and packed it away in the back of your brain for you to stumble upon later down the road. Your mind takes you back to that moment and brings your senses along with it. My mother always reaches for these moments in times of strife, dipping her hand into a lucky dip of ‘happy places’ and allowing the sensation to wash over her. Her favourite is a family holiday to Spain, sipping ice-cold drinks as we swung our legs in the chilly waters of the pool below us.

Not all the moments I remember are so positive, but I feel them just as strongly. Instead, I created my own ‘happy place’ to escape to whenever I felt overwhelmed.

I stand, waist-deep, in warm water. Waves lap around me, hugging and kissing my naked skin as I breathe gently under the moonlight. The sky above me is clear and an audience of stars shine down on me. I bare my soul to the universe and feel love and appreciation in return. The night sky watches over me as I let my eyes close, leaning my head back, chin high. My shoulders relax more than they ever have as a warm but refreshing breeze wraps around me, hugging me tightly. I hear trees rustle somewhere behind me, whispering sweet sentences to one another as the sand beneath my feet reaches my ankles, anchoring me securely to the world, grounding and protecting me from floating away.

I let my eyes open and I am back in my kitchen. No gentle breezes or salty air. Just my kitchen, with its colourful, mismatching crockery and photographs blu-tacked to the wall. However, there is a clear change in the room since the time I shut my eyes tightly, my chest feels looser, my throat no longer feels as though it is closing, and my breathing has slowed drastically.

Raising my phone from my side, I return to the source of my sudden panic.

A news article, forwarded from my manager, Jim, a simple ‘Didn’t know you were dating’ preceded the link to the website. Of course, he was joking, not realising the stress I was about to feel.

Quickly clicking the link, I remind myself to breathe deep and slow as I am redirected to a webpage.

BACK ON THE HORSE? HARRY STYLES SPOTTED GETTING CLOSE WITH MYSTERY WOMAN

Hunky heartthrob, Harry Styles, caught canoodling outside hot Los Angeles restaurant, Spago. Despite reportedly having only split with model ex-girlfriend, Camille Rowe, a mere two months ago, the pop sensation was witnessed cosying up to a new woman.

I am skim-reading at this point, desperate to get to the end with some shred of mental stability. My eyes land on the articles singular piece of ‘evidence’, a video taken from across the street. It begins with Harry and I talking and laughing outside the restaurant, follows us as we migrate closer to one another, my head thrown back in laughter before we are nearly pressed together. I had not realised quite how close we had gotten. The video ends when Harry and I are blocked from view, Harry’s car obstructing the camera’s line of sight. No one would be able to tell we did not kiss. My stomach squeezes uncomfortably as I read the video’s caption.

Keep it in your pants guys!

It is all a little dramatic. A small part of me wants to laugh at the way this has all been exaggerated and made into a big deal. That amusement fizzles as I continue to read the article, pausing after reading the final line.

All this has us wondering, has Harry really moved on so quickly?

Good question.

Quickly replying to my manager, I send the words ‘Blind date’, before glancing at the comments beneath the article.

Big mistake.

Despite the article not naming me directly, not something I am shocked or offended by as Harry is clearly the more famous of the two of us, the comment section of the webpage has not mirrored the same unawareness. Almost every comment mentions me by name, the majority questioning how we even know each other.

I allow myself to be sucked into the vortex of curiosity, taking in every opinion possible. Many of the replies to the news make it clear that they do not know who I am, and therefore that is reason enough for me to be nowhere near Harry. A lot of comments debate whether or not Harry has fully dealt with his breakup, suggesting that this was a PR move to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. I make the mistake of googling her.

Well I don’t think the jealousy tactic is likely to be effective.

She is stunning. A French model. Could I be more of a cliched parallel to her? I try not to compare the two of us, however, a few comments bring attention to the bloat of my stomach and it becomes very difficult not to feel vulnerable after that. It was a blind date. Harry and I were set up. That is the only reason he would ever look at me twice.

But he wants to see me again.

I cling to that thought and close the webpage on my phone, pocketing it and deciding fresh air is what I need. Stepping through the patio doors of my house, I peek out into the sunshine, letting the warm rays soak into me instantly. The small house is built on a hill, the garden demonstrating this the most as it is split into two grassy tiers. I walk up the concrete steps until I reach the patio furniture at the top. Sitting myself on one of the wooden chairs, I take a second to appreciate the view; the back of my house shaded by the incline of the hill which allows me to peer over the top of my roof and look out at the hills. As a kid, I had pictured living somewhere warm enough for palm trees, now I am able to watch them arc in the wind.

I did this, and this is far more important than a few words. I am alive, I am good, and I am kind.

Pressing my toes into the soft, cool grass beneath me, I slip my phone out of my pocket and compose a text.

Sat in my garden and I reckon the view would be fun to paint, fancy it?

The soft yellowy horizon gives me a sense of security as the evening creeps in. There is so much beauty in the world and I am glad I took the time to sit out here rather than obsessing over some meaningless gossip. It will all blow over and people will either forget about us or realise that we are not actually together. A small smirk tugs at my lips as I imagine pinning this on Lucy and using it as an excuse to get a free drink out of her.

My phone vibrates twice against the wooden table.

I love that idea. Tomorrow work? (I’ll bring wine) – Harry

I cannot help but grin at the small screen, quickly typing a reply.

4pm? Catch the last of the sun that way. Also you don’t have to keep signing off!

Only a few seconds after placing my phone back down on the table, I have to pick it back up to read his latest message.

Sounds perfect. It’s harder to stop than you’d think – Harry

Giggling at him, I lock my phone and set it down, excitement pooling in the bottom of my stomach. This time tomorrow Harry will be sat beside me, paint-covered and maybe a little bit tipsy. I make a quick mental note to go shopping for food to line our stomachs, not wanting to let him be exposed to my drunken self just yet.

I spend the next day getting my house presentable, or at least as tidy as possible despite the numerous large, brown boxes which clutter my living room. I also spend the day doing errands, shopping for food and drinks Harry might like (probably going a bit overboard and buying enough options for five people rather than two), and picking up some art supplies for the two of us.

Once home, I unpack the groceries, setting some of them out on plates and dishes, making an attempt at a charcuterie board I had seen on Pinterest the night before. Setting up the area we would be spending the most time in, I move the two small canvases I purchased earlier outside, along with paints and brushes and cups of water for rinsing. It seems a little bit amateur, but I do not have time to dwell as Harry texts me that he is just leaving his house and will be here in half an hour.

Dashing back inside, I take the speediest shower of my life just to freshen up and rinse the day away. Chastising myself for my lack of planning ahead, I smear on a touch of makeup and quickly style my hair. I am still pulling on a pair of dungarees, clipping the straps into place, when I open the front door.

“Hi,” I greet breathlessly.

Harry is already smiling when I meet his gaze, looking down at me with an infectious grin. I allow myself a second to drink him in. Obviously, he is dressed more casually than two days ago, dressed in a simple but figure-hugging black t-shirt, a golden chain peeking out from underneath. Alongside them, he is wearing a pair of brown, straight-leg corduroy trousers. He looks good. It should not surprise me, but it does anyway.

“Hi,” he offers brightly.

Stepping aside to let him enter, I try not to check him out, mentally telling myself that I am still not certain where he stands re us kissing each other’s faces off. Probably for the best to err on the side of caution.

Closing the door behind him, I walk us through the living room and to the adjoining kitchen, feeling a tad embarrassed by my decorating style. Splashes of colour litter the house, the walls are mostly covered in photographs, interesting drawings and potted plants.

“When did you move in?” Harry asks, noticing the stack of boxes. My heart pangs slightly at the question but I try not to let the dread within shine through.

“Few months now, I’m just terrible at unpacking,” It is not a total lie, so I do not feel totally bad about it. There is, however, a small part of me that resents not being completely honest with him about why a certain box remains closed and sealed. “I might have gone overboard with snacks, so please eat anything you want,” I tell him when we reach the kitchen and he sees the spread I had laid out.

Suddenly, it all feels like too much and heat prickles my cheeks in embarrassment as I watch Harry eye the full countertops. I had bought far too much and probably seem incredibly eager. Bread touched three types of meat, touched three types of cheese, touched olives, touched sundried tomatoes. There was another plate full of fruit, washed and sliced and displayed daintily in concentric circles. Then there was the bags of crisps, pretzels, biscuits, and chocolate buttons. This was enough for a family picnic, not a light grazing, and definitely too much for a second date. If that is even what I could call this.

“This is amazing,” Harry utters quietly, and I almost do not hear him, my internal monologue reprimanding me so severely it almost overpowers him. He turns back towards me, gazing at me softly, his face a beautiful light pink. “Feel bad for contributing so little now,” he says, a gentle teasing lilt to his voice which makes me smile, a breathy and grateful laugh falling from my lips.

“Trust me, your contribution is the most valuable,” I say, stretching up into a cupboard to grab two wine glasses.

We manage to carry a disproportionate amount of food outside, giggling as we stacked our arms high until I could barely see over the top of my pile. Once outside, we settle on the wooden chairs and Harry pours us each a glass of merlot.

“Matches your hair,” he muses, smirking as he hands the glass to me.

“Never heard that one before,” I tease, trying to ignore the voice in my head questioning if he thinks the colour is ugly.

Harry settles back in his chair, looking out across the hills and valleys before speaking again, “This was a good idea,”

“Yeah, the view is the main reason I bought the house to be honest,” I mumble into my wine glass.

There are a few moments of silence. It is not particularly uncomfortable, but I decide that we could use some music. I dash inside to grab a speaker and connect my phone to it.

“Can I leave it up to you?” I ask, holding out my unlocked phone for him to take, “I’m indecisive.”

He lets out a chuckle, muttering a soft, “Sure.”

Taking the phone from my hand, our fingers brush momentarily, and I have to remind myself that I am not in the middle of a romcom. I feel my cheeks redden at the interaction and quickly turn to my canvas. Placing the wooden end of my paintbrush in my mouth as I scan over the paints in between the two of us. The soft opening notes of The Chain begin to play, mingling with the warm breeze that swirls lightly around the garden.

“Listen to the wind blow,” I sing under my breath, unable to hold myself back.

From the corner of my eye, I see Harry picking up his own brush, dipping into a little bit of blue paint and brushing across his own canvas. I dip my brush back into the yellowy orange colour I had been mixing and paint the outline of my house. It is messy and a little childlike, but I am having a good time. Harry and I both begin to relax as we paint, singing along, and doing embarrassingly enthusiastic seated dance moves when the guitar solo plays.

“I love Fleetwood Mac so so much,” I admit gleefully, catching my breath as I giggle and take a sip of my wine.

“Me too,” Harry replies, a bright smile pairing with beautifully pinkened cheeks.

“What’s your favourite song?” I ask happily, popping a raspberry into my mouth.

Harry pauses for a moment, lowering his brush and giving the question some good thought. He makes it impossible not to admire him, watching as his brows furrow ever so slightly, lips puckering temporarily as his brain ticks over.

“I always come back to Songbird,” he tells me, looking up at me and nodding to himself. His eyes look so bright when they catch the light, reflecting into mine. I almost have to look away.

“It’s a beautiful song,” I admit softly, my voice quieter than either of us had expected, suddenly nervous again to be in his presence and having a conversation which means so much to me.

“What’s yours?” Harry asks, his gaze not wavering for even a second. He is undeniably intimidating, not even due to his status in the world, but simply being beside him feels as though I have won some sort of contest. There is something in his general being that makes me feel both small and powerful all at once. Simultaneously, I cannot believe that he is here in my garden when he could be anywhere else with anyone else, nor can I believe the way he is looking at me, observing me with such delicate looks that it appears he is afraid of scaring me away.

“Storms,” I blurt out. Taking a second to collect my thoughts, I explain, “Skies the Limit is my go-to, but Storms made me feel when I felt numb.”

Realising that I have most definitely overshared, I quickly dip my brush in the nearest colour and spread it across the top of my canvas, accidentally painting the sky pink.

“I think that’s really special,” Harry utters softly, his gaze still on me as I pretend to be focused on my painting and not the spectacular man beside me, or the way his eyes feel on the side of my face. “I want to make music like that, you know?” he says, turning back to the view ahead of us and finishing off his own skyline.

“I think you have,” I confess, feeling his eyes back on me in an instant. I force myself to turn to meet his gaze, urging some sense of bravery to course through my veins. When our eyes meet, he is looking at me like water in the desert, some sort of miracle before him that his brain does not fully believe. His mouth opens, pauses, then closes again. A second later, a smile pulls at his lips.

“I like your pink sky,” he tells me, grinning brightly, not breaking away to look at the canvas in front of me.

I laugh, “Started as a mistake but I think I prefer it like this,” I admit, pursing my lips as I take a long look at my painting.

“I like the way your mind works,” Harry says, smirking when I turn to him with knitted eyebrows, “I feel like you’re so bright and full of joy. Just walking through your house felt like I’ve known you years… I don’t know if that sounds mental.”

He looks at me cautiously, afraid he has revealed too much, and maybe he has, but I enjoy it more than I could even tell him. I like his perception of me. No matter what happens, how much he comes to learn and dislike about me, at this moment he likes me. And, oh boy, do I like him.

The thought of kissing him pops into my head, bold and illuminated in neon. I let it pass, determined not to ruin the moment. Instead, I look at him, and he looks right back. We share a brief period of peace, the sun on our faces with a light wind blowing between us.

“Oh!” We both exclaim enthusiastically as What Makes You Think You’re the One plays on the shuffle. Smirking at our joint reaction, we turn back to our paintings.

For the next hour or so we fully relax into our little world, grooving along as we paint. There is a real sense of calm throughout the space, even the birds in the trees seem to chirp softer, almost as though they were part of our garden party.

The only moment in which there is a break in the bubble of tranquillity is when Harry desperately reaches for a strawberry, stopping himself whenever his hand, covered in a rainbow of paints, gets close. Impossible to tear my eyes away, I watch him for a moment, a delicate smirk on my lips as he attempts to approach the task from a multitude of angles. He lets out a small sigh and I decide that it is my duty to intervene.

“Need a hand there?” I ask, failing to hold back a giggle as I pluck a strawberry from the plate with paint-free fingers.

“Thanks. Can you-- You could… Thanks,” Harry stammers while I hesitate as I raise the fruit to his face, temporarily feeling awkward about feeding a man I barely know.

I quickly get over myself and lift the berry to his lips, already somewhat parted. Taking the fruit into his mouth whole, his lips graze my fingertips ever so lightly. Our eyes lock the second it happens.

Things start to move slowly. My hand lowers into my lap. Harry chews the fruit and swallows, his tongue poking out to catch a stray bead of juice that had escaped from his lips to the corner of his mouth.

No way are you letting yourself be turned on by this. So cliché.

Despite the mental chastisement, I find myself drawn to Harry. The need to feel his lips on my own is overwhelming me. Every second spent not knowing whether he is a good kisser feels like torture, my mind in agony.

It appears that he feels the same way, gaze hesitating over my parted lips, hopefully not focusing on my clear breathlessness. Our bodies seem to be migrating towards one another, some unknown gravitational pull guiding our chests together until out faces are almost touching. I feel his breath on my cheek and quickly I worry that mine does not smell as good.

Why did you eat that slice of manchego?

Surely, he won’t want to kiss me anymore. He must not have noticed yet. But he will, and I will be humiliated. Better to stop now, while for some reason he actually is not appalled by the thought of kissing you. Why does he want to kiss me anyway? He could kiss anyone he wanted. He could have anyone he wanted. It is probably the wine.

The wine has probably stained your teeth as well. God you’re a mess.

I stop dead in my tracks. Swiftly, I pull away from him. It is harder than I had expected, his cologne sucking me in so that it feels like I have to stop breathing in order to separate from him.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

I cannot look at him. Unable to face the reality of the situation and see his bemused, beautiful face. I would only want to kiss him if I did look up at him, so instead I fidget with the hem of my sleeve, nails picking away at the firm stitching.

“I’m sorry,” Harry says, his voice is so quiet that it hurts my heart to hear him so small and dejected, especially since I was the cause.

We sit in silence for what feels like an eternity. I can feel his gaze on me, soft and apologetic, but I am still unable to bring myself to make eye contact.

“I’d be happy just being your friend,” I tell him.

It is a lie. Partially, anyway. Of course, I would love to be his friend, but I also want to kiss him all over and have heart-to-hearts in the early hours of the morning. I want to hear about his first kiss, find out his favourite sweets and his happy place. I wonder if he is there now, desperately trying to escape the awkward bubble of tension surrounding us.

“Yeah, I shouldn’t have assumed… I’m sorry.” Is all he says.

“No,” I pipe up, a well of guilt forming in my stomach as I regard his sunken features, “It’s not you...”

“It’s not you, it’s me?” Harry says with a quirk of a smile.

I let out a breathy chuckle and we finally meet each other’s eyes and understand. It’s all alright.

We keep painting. By the time the sun starts to set and the water for our brushes turns a murky grey, I have finished mine and sit teasing Harry as he adds the finishing touches to his own.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Harry counters with a grin as he adds a sweep of dark red to his canvas.

“Better be some painting,” I mutter into my wine glass.

“Okay!” Harry exclaims excitedly, “She’s done. Ready for the reveal?”

“Yes,” I laugh at his question, as if I have not been waiting to share for twenty minutes.

Harry had insisted that our final products should be a surprise for the other, so for the last hour we painted in secrecy, occasionally peering out from behind our canvases to try and sneak a peek at the other’s.

When we angle our paintings towards one another, the difference in our styles is clear. Mine is bright with exaggerated shapes, almost cartoonish. Meanwhile Harry’s painting is more true to life, a meta portrayal of the view, two little figures of him and me seen from behind at the bottom of the canvas.

“I love it,” I tell him, the picture bringing a grin to my face as I observed the tiny version of myself; a little blob of shoulders and messy hair.

“I’m calling it ‘Friendzone’.” he tells me, a wicked smirk on his lips.

“Hey!” I whine with a gently nudge to his arm, however, the bout of laughter he has elicited really weakens my protest.

Harry helps me clear up the garden before he leaves, carefully carrying his precious painting out with him. After bidding me a sweet goodnight, leaving no doubt in my mind that he had a nice time today, I finish cleaning up. As I am washing the two wine glasses, I peer over at my painting, smiling as I remembered Harry’s comments about my pink sky. Maybe being just his friend would be easy after all.

masterlist

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sergeant-angels-trashcan · 3 years

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I know this isn’t your OTP but... Clint/Kate? 🥺

me *imagines clint as lin manuel miranda* ok let’s go (use whatever clint u like lol)

Fake dating

during the last superhuman registration thing where Clint and Kate disappeared for a while? They wanted to stay together so they were actually fake MARRIED in the suburbs with their rescue dog (technically true, Clint did rescue Lucky!). Clint wound up as part of the homeowner’s association. Kate wound up on a school board and she’s still not quite sure how that happened.

it was totally fine, they were TOTALLY FINE pining from their separate bedrooms and being oblivious idiots until 1.) their neighbor Jerome asks when their anniversary is because wink wink nudge nudge they’ve been in the neighborhood for a year they should have a party! (DON’T forget your anniversary dude that’s never good) and 2.) one of their across the street neighbors propositions one of them for an affair and Kate’s like, look, that’s very flattering, but I take my fake marriage vows very seriously and Clint is all hangdog like she should find SOME happiness and then it all comes out very messy and they have a real date after being married for a year :,)

Bodyswap

MORE PINING and they’re trying to be VERY RESPECTFUL of each other’s bodies but nobody can tell they’ve swapped until Kate and Clint tell them, and Natasha is just in a corner “smdh what did i do to deserve this”

Kate and Clint basically go “well our partnership is already awkward af now, may as well go for it” and they have sex, which switches them back into their own bodies

Sexpollen/fuck or die/aliens made them do it

fuck or die because sexpollen??? Kate gets dosed with some weird alien shit and they figure out it’s a fuck it out of your system or die scenario and Kate is in extreme pain crossing people off of a mental list, like Noh and Tommy and Eli are all people she trusts but they’ll turn it into something it isn’t and suddenly Clint is banging on the window of her isolation room all KATE ARE U OK??? And Kate’s like, look. You are my best friend, I love and trust you, and I kind of need you to fuck me.

And Clint is internally scrEAMing like, is this a trick, he thought they were past this and Kate had him firmly in the “human disaster you love but also despair of” category, like, he never hoped his feelings would be reciprocated only they AREN’T but he LOVES KATE so he has to do this for her and be cool about it, be cool Barton, be cool, and Clint is just in AGONY over getting something he really, really wants in a way he never wanted it

After a few hours Kate is out of the danger zone and she lets slip that she’s going to need some time away from him to learn how to be normal with him again, maybe this was a bad idea because she likes him too much, and Clint’s heart plummets until she finishes her sentence and he says, “please don’t ever be normal.” and it’s very romantic

Dark!fic

Clint never gets recruited by SHIELD, he’s always just this side of being a bad guy. The boys never crash Kate’s sister’s wedding, so she never becomes a young avenger. She does, however, take her place in Derek’s budding criminal empire. She’s a feared crime lord in her own right when Clint is hired to kill her. They have a very civil conversation over a nice cup of coffee when he’s supposed to be killing her, at which point they figure out Derek wants Kate dead. Clint kills Derek, allowing Kate to take his place, and they expand their rule of the city, getting rid of vigilantes and gangs alike

Secret kinks

Clint wants Kate to peg him so, so bad. If only he got up the nerve to bring it up, Kate would HAPPILY oblige. They’re both into bondage and edging, but Kate’s deepest, darkest secret is that she wants to be a sub every now and then, Just, to not be in charge, just to get to feel and not think. It’s not her go-to, but every now and then....anyway, she trusts Clint with everything, so she trusts him with this, too

Their first kiss

they fell asleep during a comfort marathon of dog cops, curled up together on Clint’s couch after a mission that went ever-so-slightly awry. Kate rolls over and yawns right in his face. “Rude,” Clint says, then yawns in her face. “We should go to bed.”

“Buy me dinner first, dude.”

“I just did!”

“You expensed it. Doesn’t count.”

He’s going to say something smartassy, but Kate looks sort of serious, is she for real? Does she want to go get dinner with him?

And then her lips are pressed to his, dry and cracked and very soft and sweet. And Clint half thinks he’s dreaming until Kate has a weird muscle leg twitch that winds up with her kneeing him in the junk and he’s laughing and groaning and bitching and Kate’s apologizing and almost falling off the couch so he hauls her closer, pins her rogue leg with one of his, and kisses her again.

Meeting the parents

it goes terribly. i don’t know how it happens but someone absolutely winds up stabbed

no, 2 people wind up stabbed, and one of them is Clint

Moving in together

Their teams are super confused because they were all under the impression the hawkeyes already roosted lived together??? Which they DON’T but they sort of do, this is just them officially moving in together and sharing bills and stuff. Eventually Clint will concede that Kate helped steal the money that bought the building , so technically it should also be hers. Eventually he gets her name on the deed and that’s part 1 of Clint’s Big Proposal Plan

Moving in is totally fine! Goes off without a hitch!!!

Until Week 2 when they realize that mixing their arrows was a terrible idea. “Moving in” actually happens three weeks after they move in together, and involves designating specific spaces as Kate’s and labeling weaponry in the weapons closet

A crossover of my choice

Supernatural, because that’s where my brain is at tbh. In the aftermath of SHIELD’s fall, Clint’s philosophy is “a moving target is harder to hit” and he remembers these old stories from his carnie days and one memorable episode with an actual honest-to-god vampire, katie-kate, and this BURLY ATTRACTIVE MAN DECAPITATED HIM AND HE VANISHED INTO A PUFF OF DUST I’M NOT CRAZY and Kate has a pretty high threshold for weird bullshit and you know what? turns out they’re actually pretty good at it. Kate’s really good at coming up with new weapon ideas (a mister filled with salted holy water, for example) and Clint has a knack for getting into trouble. They have at least one shouting standoff with the Winchesters. Dean flirts very ineptly with Kate and Clint.

I feel like they are PINING and they share motel rooms to save money and for safety which of course gives us ample ‘there was only one bed” opportunities and LOTS of hurt/comfort with Kate and Clint patching each other up and Clint gently tucking a wayward strand of Kate’s hair behind her ear

kate may wind up with a harem of idiot himbo bisexual disaster men, it’s very possible

An au of my choice

CIRCUS AU CIRCUS AU WHERE KATE GETS KIDNAPPED AS A KID and grows up in the circus alongside Clint and Barney. She’s still a great archer, but she does the highwire act. Clint leaves the circus to join the military, comes back as a SHIELD agent and basically recruits Kate, after which they pine forever and eventually get their shit together. i don’t think i can do anything besides pining tbh. this is a fic i’ve always intended to write and never have. i have an entire pinterest board dedicated to this i’m not ashamed

Send me ships!!!

#hawkeye squared #kate bishop #clint barton #hawkeye #ask meme answers #my stuff #Anonymous #ngl spn au with a himbo harem is uhhhh gonna take up so much of my brain

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rosenfey · 4 years

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how does one.. get out of a writing slump?

There are people who will tell you to just suck it and force yourself to write. And while that piece of advice is valid in certain cases, let me tell you this: there is a huge ass difference between forcing yourself to write when you just really want to but a.) are too lazy b.) unmotivated c.) not confident in your abilities d.) feeling like people will just not care, etc. and forcing yourself to write when you a.) are not feeling it b.) are ill, sad, feeling very down (sometimes writing when feeling pain, sadness and anger helps though, it depends). As a mentally ill person I know how it feels to have constant new ideas 24/7 and the urge to write but being unable to, as words sometimes feel locked behind a wall and no matter how much I want to write, I sometimes really can’t bring myself to. Writing is about joy and as long as you don’t feel joy while writing, don’t write (except for when you need to write out of sad feelings, as mentioned before). Unpopular opinion maybe, but I strongly believe that something that is a hobby you enjoy should not feel like a chore to you. Besides, if you hate it while you write it, because you literally forced yourself despite not feeling it, it’s gonna show on the final product. You will hate it because, well… you hated writing it anyway. When I’m in this mood (and I’m more often in it than not, unfortunately), I usually divert my creative attention somewhere else. Pinterest is really really helpful in this - it costs almost no energy and as I add pins to my character / story boards it feels like I’m doing something that will help my writing in the future or help with my inspiration. I also enjoy doing moodboards and edits, because (while still very time-consuming), they cost way less energy than writing (at least in my experience - spending 4 hrs on an edit drains me less than spending 4 hrs writing). Or just plain ol’ dollmakers (forcing myself to draw is even worse than writing tbh), I love playing with them (yes I’m 22, what about it) and they help with envisioning my characters more than just plain text (or I can create them in the sims and then spend an entire day playing that game because I can’t help myself but that’s a different story). I also like reblogging these ask games / writing prompts thingies and then desperately wait for people to actually send me something (*sad laughter*). When feeling like writing something but not feeling like working on my actual projects I also write assorted ideas down and make outlines (yes, sometimes I do outlines too, though a lot of the time I keep my ideas in my head and write as I go, I know what I’m doing). So yes, I would suggest this: try to make yourself write if you want to, but if you can’t do that: 1.) realize it’s absolutely ok and you are in no way worse than writers who write every single day and have 1586485 finished projects (seriously? are they even people?), 2.) divert your creative attention somewhere else if you can, 3.) if not, make some tea and rest, you will get better and feel like writing again; don’t transform something you enjoy into something you hate. To be honest, I’m in a constant state of a writer’s block (and feel like it’s the same for many other writers) - sometimes I can break through it, sometimes I can’t. And that’s okay, as long as I love what I’m doing.

#ask #anonymous #hope this doesnt sound as if im lecturing somebody ugh id hate to be like that #but yeah this is what helps me #i say this but i too myself need to realize not writing every day is not a sin uhhh

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mobianflame · 4 years

Text

I failed to wish to fly-- so I took a payload ship from Germany to Canada|Travel|The Guardian

' Are you a crew participant?" the guard inquired, repairing me along with a gaze in the vehicle's rear-view looking glass. "Traveler," I replied. The guard offered me a skeptical appeal then murmured something to themself in German, drinking his head. It was 7am and the slot of Hamburg was actually a hive of task, our slot safety and security vehicle speeding previous whirring cranes as well as dominating heaps of freight containers. As the ship's enormous hull came into scenery, I entered into a globe where every thing was actually larger, louder and more risky than my life on land. The 300-metre, 100,000-tonne vessel just before me was to become my property for the following 15 times.

4 months earlier I had created an appointment on a cargo ship to take me coming from Hamburg to Halifax, Nova Scotia. My European job visa was expiring and I expected to create it home to the west shore of Canada over time for X-mas. Current projects including the Swedish flygskam (air travel pity) had actually beamed a severe illumination on my blindness to the environment effect of air trip, and also I had actually determined that making a reservation for a trip wasn't a choice. Given that 2017, I would certainly produced over 14 tonnes of carbon coming from tours alone. I realised that all my attempts to minimize my carbon dioxide footprint in your home in Milan-- I pattern to operate, limit food refuse and hardly ever acquire new clothing-- are actually wiped out through just one air travel in between Canada as well as Europe.

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Pinterest Sustainable travel within Europe frequently entails trading a plane for a learn, but obtaining to Canada coming from Europe is extra complicated. A freight ship ended up being the evident low-carbon option. Delivering companies market excess log cabin space through chosen travel representatives and I booked my movement with Berlin-based Slowtravel Knowledge. This is still a particular niche setting of travel and ships seldom possess space for more than a dozen travelers, therefore scheduling properly in advance, specifically for peak opportunities, is actually necessary. Adaptability along with travel dates is also essential. I was alerted only days before departure that the ship would certainly be leaving behind three times in front of timetable, and possessed I not already remained in Germany, I will possess actually skipped the watercraft. Where to take place holiday season in 2020: the alternate hotlist Learn more I expected a lengthy and also tiring journey (I loaded loads of manuals as well as downloaded and install movies )and also possessed dreams of gruelling evenings devoted along with my skin in a barf bag, however my knowledge aboard might not have actually been actually even more pleasurable. The pair of various other passengers, Tony coming from the Netherlands and also Janos coming from Germany, were actually riding for the exact same environmental factors as well as their provider helped make opportunity zip. Our log cabins were simple and also comfy, each along with private toilet as well as shower, 2 solitary beds, a workdesk and also extensive ocean perspectives. The 25 workers members, a mix of Filipino and far eastern International guys, were cozy as well as helpful. I was in all-male firm for my transatlantic journey however Isabel Hagen, a Swedish pupil I fulfilled by means of a buddy, brought in the voyage previously this year, and also claimed she 'd possessed a positive adventure as a solo women traveller:" The team rated, considerate, as well as courteous coming from the instant I tromped board."

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rounded-icon block-share __ thing block-share __ product-- pinterest js-blockshare-link" href=" http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?description=I%20didn%27t%20want%20to%20fly%20%E2%80%93%20so%20I%20took%20a%20cargo%20ship%20from%20Germany%20to%20Canada&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftravel%2F2020%2Fjan%2F07%2Fcargo-ship-train-rail-to-vancouver-canada-low-carbon-travel-europe%3Fpage%3Dwith%3Aimg-3%23img-3&media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.guim.co.uk%2Fa42bdebb6b7d2d4c1ac07c64501c467b10aa47b8%2F0_472_3024_2664%2F3024.jpg" intended =" _ empty" data-link-name=" social pinterest" > Pinterest Left usually to our personal devices, Janos, Tony and I loaded our days with darts events, jigsaw puzzles and also rowdy activities of Risk. One morning we participated in chess on a deck bathed in sunlight; the upcoming mid-day Tony shed his weaved cap to hurricane-force winds off Newfoundland. Throughout port phones in Antwerp and Liverpool, our team were enabled to disembark as well as discover both for a time. Back aboard, a day-to-day routine quickly arised: morning coffee on the bridge with the gregarious main police officer, social nourishments along with the crew, as well as on an hourly basis walks around the external decks, the cold sea wind buffeting my skin and also dark waters turning below. Twenty of the greatest sustainable holidays in Europe for 2020 Find out more A highlight was a morning's trip of the ship, led by workers participants. Passenger accessibility to operating rooms was limited, so the possibility to go through the abdomens of the ship from head to stern was actually eye-opening. Aside from almost 4,000 compartments piled on the exterior decks, there were actually 6" roll-on, roll-off "decks bring autos, ranging coming from a line of Range Rovers and also transport vehicles for the United States military to

an airplane fuselage. As the captain explained, the complexities of the massive operation, I admired the sheer scale of

everything around our team, a business liable for transferring 90% of goods worldwide. Facebook

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1.145 2.862 0 4.804-2.693 4.804-6.298 C22 10.54 19.763 8 16.363 8" > Pinterest Lifestyle aboard was thus immersive that after a handful of times I failed to even mind the meals. Passengers dine along with the staff, and dishes are actually meat- as well as starch-heavy, along with few veggies( assume beef stew as well as mash or even bacon-wrapped chicken portions). As I quickly related to know, the deluxe of going to sea is certainly not around alright food items or even a luxurious bed mattress; somewhat, life mixed-up on its own-- the relaxing pace and intoxicating sense of experience-- is actually real deluxe. When I finally prepared feet ashore in Halifax, it was actually tough to point out bye-bye to the hulking ship&that had actually involved believe that house. Conscious options: an honest excursion to Ghent, Belgium Find out more Arriving in Halifax, I still possessed much more than 6,000 km to head to obtain residence( additionally than London to The Big Apple), this moment through train. Along with limited passenger rail infrastructure, a cross-country travel in Canada suggests a halting, week-long adventure instead of fast rail roundabout. There's no solitary coast-to-coast train, so after a through the night learn coming from Halifax I invested a night each in Montreal as well as Toronto just before boarding The Canadian, VIA Rail's main person learn to Vancouver. Created for vacationers, it possesses an enchanting restaurant car, glass-domed observation decks, live popular music and also even red wine tastings during the course of the four-night trip. .8 c-1 0-1.2.5 -1.2 1.3 v1.8 h3l -.1 2.8 z" >

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.822 4.887 -.93 0-1 .628 -.795 -1.405 -1.77.268 -1.165.786 -2.42.786 -3.262 0 -.752 -.39 -1.38 -1.2 -1.38 -.952 0-1.716 1.017-1.716 2.38 0.867.284 1.454.284 1.454l-1.146 5.006 c -.34 1.487 -.05 3.31 -.026 3.493.014.108.15.134.21.05.09 -.117 1.223-1.562 1.61-3.006.108 -.41.625 -2.526.625 -2.526.31.61 1.215 1.145 2.176 1.145 2.862 0 4.804-2.693 4.804-6.298 C22 10.54 19.763 8 16.363 8" >

Pinterest As on the ship I was instantly struck by the friendliness of the workers-- servers and attendants that seemed to be truly happy to be there regardless of being actually countless kilometres coming from house. The meals went over as effectively, like the breakfasts of cosy buttermilk hot cakes drowning in the walnut syrup that I would certainly skipped a great deal in Europe. Suppers of hemp-crusted trout, roast veal chops and also fresh vegetables were actually just as great tasting. The atmosphere among travelers was jolly, with common nourishments as well as a disorderly club where our company exchanged traveling tales. 10 classic UK vacations through public transport Check out even more As on the ship, the extensive fields passing through my window produced the experience special: the endless boreal woods of north Ontario, the icy, composed prairies as well as the amazing Mountain ranges in the west, every landscape shimmering under mid-December snow. Sitting in the dome cars and truck seeing a blazing sunshine collection over white colored Quebec woodlands and waking to whiteout blizzards in Manitoba grew my connection to the land I refer to as property, and also renewed my commitment to shielding this organic charm. Facebook Twitter

Pinterest Stepping off the learn in Vancouver, having journeyed even more than 13,000 km and also intercrossed nine timezones, that van trip at dawn with the dismal port of Hamburg believed that a life-time back. Planet travel with a low carbon footprint may certainly not come or even simple, but I had actually confirmed to myself that it is doable. Now it's opportunity to intend my following experience. Method to go The 15-day payload ship movement from Hamburg to Halifax, reserved via Berlin-based Slowtravel Experience, sets you back only under EUR100 a day( including full-board and carbon make up for) in a two-person cabin. The best-known delivery providers using traveler ports include Hamburg Süd as well as Grimaldi Lines. Other companies to check out are actually New Zealand Freighter Travel, London-based Cruise Individuals, as well as Maris Truck Cruises. Train traveling was delivered through VIA Rail Canada. The Ocean journeys coming from Halifax to Montreal three times a full week coming from ₤ 68 (C$ 117) one means, daily learns from Montreal to Toronto coming from ₤ 22 one-way and also The Canadian, from Toronto to Vancouver twice weekly coming from ₤ 271 one-way.

Carbon dioxide emissions (according to weight of passenger)

Air travel Frankfurt-Vancouver: 1.3 tonnes* Freight ship Hamburg-Halifax (by means of Antwerp & & Liverpool): 5.3 kg** Trains Halifax-Vancouver: 204.2 kilograms*** Overall CO2 Hamburg to Vancouver: 209.5 kilograms * myclimate Foundation ** International Authorities on Clean Transport *** Via Rail

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cousinslavellan-archive · 6 years

Text

Broken Souls Pt 6

Lily’s interested, but she doesn’t want to push too hard if Tiberius isn’t - a Beach Day seems like a good way to test the waters, so to speak.

This entire fic is officially just dedicated to both @wafflesrock16 for lending me Tiberius, and helping me with plotting shenanigans with thes babes, and to @bethadastra so being freaking awesome and somehow managing to always send motivation when I need it most! You guys rock and ilu and I hope you still like his ridiculous little fic! ♥

Also posted on AO3! And Lily has a pinterest board, where I’ll pin outfits and things cause why not!

I hope I didn’t freak him out to badly - shit, man, he’s strong… fucking awesome.

Lily swirls her pen between her fingers, staring blankly down at the datapad she’s been writing on - Teren and Rose’s voices a steady din in the background, the turians’ tapping an almost comforting beat.

Teren had called them in to discuss the upcoming Military Ball the Primarch would be hosting in their honor - a sort of welcoming party for the Alliance allies of the Hierarchy, a night to schmooze and relax with fellow soldiers.

Lily can’t focus on the party talk, though; her brain’s been stuck on one specific turian ever since their spar three days before, when he’d knocked her flat on her ass and then promptly fled.

I mean, he looked interested - I know I’m not imagining that growl, and his eyes were - aw, fuck, turians have better noses than humans, right? He could probably smell how into it I was. Waita control your hormones, Lily, fuck me-

She’d definitely been amped up from the spar itself, but being pinned by a ridiculously strong opponent tended to do things to her - like light her libido on fire, leaving her hot and bothered when said male had barely even looked at her as he all but ran from the Training Room.

After running into a wall, anyways. Lily snorts, lips curling up in a fond grin at the memory, Which was kind of adorable, really. Maybe he just gets really flustered really easily? He probably did smell me, so… hmm, maybe only when someone’s interested.

Lily can’t remember the last time she was bested in a sparring match - and, if she’s honest, she doesn’t remember the last time she’d been so bloody turned on, either. Something about Tiberius just did it for her, even after only knowing him for a few days.

His height’s part of it - and his eyes, such a gorgeous green. The rumbly voice definitely helps, he’s an awesome gamer, and the strength… mmmm, wonder what those biotics of his would be like in-

“Hey, Lil, you okay? Need your input here, sis.”

“She looks rather dazed - should we be worried?”

“Hmmmm?” Lily blinks out of her stupor, looking up to find both Rose and Teren watching her with amused grins. “Sorry, spaced out a bit there - what’cha need?”

“Teren just needs to know what clothes you want brought in, since we’ll be here awhile.” Rose gives her a look, then taps on her datapad, “Remember that you need a dress for the Military Ball - I sent you a couple I thought you might like, but you need to choose one. Likewise, pick a few more outfits, and any other food items you want.”

“We will, of course, make more orders over the course of your stay.” Teren hums, amused, “This is just to stock you up for your first month or so. Anything after that will depend entirely on how long you intend to remain with us.”

“Well, I have a feeling you’re stuck with this one, now.” Lily grins, jerking a thumb at her twin, “I’m kind of auxiliary staff - but I’ll be here at least a few months, for sure.”

Long enough to try and feel out if there’s a possibility of something with Tibs, at least-

“Very well. Make your selections and you’re free to go; I believe dinner should be served soon, and I imagine Rainer is missing you, Rose.”

“Maybe.” Rose murmurs back, and Lily catches the blush on her twins face before grinning and focussing on her datapad.

Food is easy, since Rose had taken care of the majority, and clothes are a mishmash of Alliance Standard and casual outfits - as colourful as she can manage. She pauses over two dresses, biting her lip and considering - super colourful or sparkly? Hmmm, maybe go - clicking on the second selection and finalizing her choices with a little hum. “All done!”

“Excellent. Both of you are so efficient, I love it.” Teren smiles widely, tapping a few last buttons on her own datapad before sitting back and crossing her arms - almost considering them. “How are you enjoying your stay on Palaven so far, ladies?”

“It’s been great - working with your systems is a new challenge.” Rose says, ever professional.

Lily rolls her eyes and elbows her twin in the side, “Oh, c’mon, you find your freaking Soulmate and you want to talk about programming instead? Cut me some slack, Rosie!”

Rose’s face flushes again, though she only lifts her nose up and gives Lily a side-eyed smirk. “Maybe I’m enjoying myself, it’s true - but I happen to know a certain twin of mine has been out to make friends.”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” Lily shrugs, leaning back in her chair with a grump, “Though I, ah, seem to have chased him off.”

“You speak of Tiberius, correct?” Teren asks, humming at her nod, “He’s a quiet one, likely due to the stigma associated with being biotic. Give him some time - and don’t let up.”

“I don’t plan to.” the brunette frowns a little, thinking. Even though Tiberius had continued being rather shy and flustered, the few times she’s seen him since the spar, in game he’s seemed normal - which is good, right? He’s not ignoring me, at least.

“I’ve heard you like to swim, Lily?” Teren interrupts her thoughts, smiling at her surprised look, “I read your files, darling. You should take a trip down to the beach - Cipritine boasts one of the most beautiful beaches on Palaven, and as the whole city is rather low radiation, you could go without your armor.”

Lily perks up at that, spirits lifting. “For real? I mean, I’m technically here representing the Alliance, but I don’t have any work right now, so I’m kind of just wandering around-”

“Take a day trip to the Beach, with my permission.” Teren says, mandibles flared, “Tiberius grew up in Cipritine, if I recall correctly - I’m sure he could give you a wonderful tour of the city, and the beach.”

Like a date. Lily finds herself nodding enthusiastically, nearly ready to jump from her chair, “That sounds like fun! I’ll see if he’s up to it.”

“You do that, dear. Now then ladies, I believe we’ve accomplished everything I called you in here for - time for dinner.”

“Thank you for everything, Teren.”

“You’re very welcome. I’ll speak with you both later.”

Both twins nod, standing and making their way quietly to the door - slipping out into the hallway and heading off towards the dining hall.

Lily is nearly bouncing, making Rose laugh, “Okay, I get it, I’m going too slowly for you - shoo already! Go ask him!”

“You’re the best, Rosie!” Lily grins, stealing a hug before nearly skipping off towards the dining hall - reigning herself in anytime there are soldiers nearby, since she should be at least trying to seem professional, right?

All that flies out the window the moment she’s stepped into the dining hall and her eyes have locked on one incredibly alluring turian, seated off in a corner with a tray of food before him and Rainer sitting opposite.

Lily all but sprints in their direction, excited and impatient - though she forces herself to slow down once she’s within their sight, noticing the way Tiberius glances up and seems to be immediately flustered by her approach.

Okay, Lily, easy now - don’t jump the poor man. If he’s not interested, you don’t want to force him.

“Evening, Rainer!” she greets his companion pleasantly, kneeling on the bench beside the taller turian and grinning widely at him, “Tibs! Are you free tomorrow?”

“T-tomorrow?” Tiberius stumbles over the word, a quiet chirp to his subvocals, and Lily can’t get over how endearing his fluster is, “What’s, uh, going on tomorrow?”

“Teren mentioned that there’s a beach on the edge of the city! A low radiation beach!” she’s still grinning, batting her eyes a little - do turians even know what that means? Dammit self, do some research! - “I’m kind of useless at the moment, so far as Alliance work goes, and I’d really like to explore the city a bit and go swimming! I thought I’d ask you to go with me?”

Tiberius’ mandibles flap for a moment, and she’d swear she can see him swallowing in response to her words - or the eye batting? Maybe he knows human flirting signs?? - before his browplate lowers a bit, rumbling a quiet “W-why me?”

Lily tilts her head, expression one of open honesty and confusion. “Well, you’re the only person I know here, really, and I like your company - you’re fun to be around. So, y’know, I just thought it’d be fun?”

That has him staring at her again, surprise clear in those gorgeous green eyes, and Lily reaches out to settle a hand on his shoulder - smile softer, now, “Only if you want to, Tibs - as I’ve said, don’t wanna be a pain in the ass.”

Tiberius huffs at that, mandibles flickering out in a small grin, “You’re n-not a pain in the ass, Lily. Sure. W-we can, uh, bring a picnic, if you want - have lunch on the, uh, beach?”

“That sounds perfect.” Lily smiles, being sure to let her enthusiasm show, “Good for tomorrow, then?”

“Y-yeah. There’s a nice cafe, by the beach… I, um, I know the owners.” even through the stuttering, Tiberius is returning her smile, and she feels her heart jump at the expression, “We can grab the food there - they, uh, have levo things, too - then spend some time at the beach.”

“It’s a date!” Lily grins, stepping away before her words can fully sink in, “See you at 09:00 sharp, Tiberius! No gaming till 05:00 tonight; I’ll know if you do!”

Then she spins and saunters away, high fiving Rose on her way out of the hall - heart pounding in hopeful excitement.

Beach date with a hottie turian! This will be fun!

Remember, though, Lily - just because your Mark is faded, doesn’t mean his is.

That makes her stop just short of she and Rose’ rooms, frowning at the realization. Maybe that was why he’d backed off - he had a Soulmate, and it definitely wasn’t her.

Well, shit. Nothing I can do if he does have one. She takes a deep breath, shoves the depression away, and forces a grin. Talk about it tomorrow - for now, just look forwards to your date.

Lily’s up at 07:00 the next morning, ignoring Rose’s sleepy grumble when she flicks on the lights and starts getting ready.

She’s not planning to dress up, per say, but she still wants to look nice - plus, her civies are buried beneath her Alliance dress in her footlocker, so the first twenty minutes are spent digging through tightly rolled clothes until she finds something that suits the occasion.

Brought more than I thought. She grins, eyeing the small pile of colourful casual clothes she’s tossed onto the bed - a pile that includes a couple pairs of sandals and other accessories - taking a moment to repack her Alliance wear in half of the foot locker, Okay, reorganize this mess quick, then get dressed.

She hears Rose get up a few minutes later, but doesn’t pay much attention - shifting around shirts and pants, trying to decide on an outfit. Her bikini sits off to the side, ready to go, along with a pair of sunglasses and gold, strappy sandals - she’s got a pair of aqua patterned shorts picked out, but which top should I be wearing? Can turians even read English? Probably just use their omni’s to translate, so it doesn’t even matter what the shirt says-

“Wear the mermaid one.” Rose mumbles behind her, the scent of fresh coffee hitting her at nearly the same moment, “Suits you, considering you’d live in the water if you could.”

“This one?” Lily pats the shirt in question - a white, scooped neck tank with the words Mermaid Off Duty arranged around an image of a seashell - grinning when her twin nods, “I was leaning towards this one, not gonna lie - thanks, Rosie! And aw, did you make me coffee? Best twin ever.”

“Hey, you helped me.” Rose shrugs, passing her the mug and then crossing back to her own bed to sit down, “When are you meeting up?”

“Tiberius is supposed to pick me up at 09:00, so I’ve got-” Lily pauses to take a sip of her coffee, checking the readout on her omni, “-just over an hour. I’m not getting dressed up, but I wanted to look nice.”

“You do you, sis.” Rose smiles, scooting back on her bed to cross her legs, cradling her tea in one hand while calling up her omni with the other, “I’ll just be here, doing work…”

“Dude, just go back to bed.”

Rose waves her off, gaze locked firmly on the readout of her screen, and Lily just rolls her eyes and goes back to getting ready - downing her coffee in a few long gulps before getting up to get washed.

Teeth brushed and face scrubbed, Lily comes back into the room proper and sheds her pj’s, dumping them in the specified laundry chute and working at getting into her clothes for the day: bikini first, since having it on underneath makes the most sense, then her shorts and tank top. She combs her fingers through her hair and settles her sunglasses on top of her head for the moment, bringing up her omni to type out a quick message while she slips on her sandals.

Lily: Tibs! Ready to go whenever you are! Can’t wait to see the Beach! :D

Tiberius: On my way. Cipritine Beach is beautiful; I think you’ll like it.

Both the near immediate response and the comment of I think you’ll like it make Lily grin ridiculously, heart jumping a little as she plops down beside her sister with a happy hum.

“Okay, I know that look.” Rose pokes her in the side, making her squeak, “Good response?”

“Mhmmm, I’m hoping so, at least.” Lily swats her hand away and grins wider, shrugging, “Gonna give it my all, at least!”

“He seems nice - maybe kind of quiet. Keep me updated, yeah?”

“Pft, of course, Rosie-”

Once more, the chime going off interrupts them, but this time Lily’s jumping up and bounding over to the door with a laugh, wearing a flirty grin as she hits the unlock button, “G’morning! That was quick-”

“Good morning, Lily. Were you expecting someone else?” Commander Maxim smirks at her from beyond the threshold of the door, looking pleased as punch that she’d caught her off guard.

Oh, God dammit!

Lily’s expression goes casually neutral, arms crossing as she watches the other woman. “Maxim. How can I help you?”

“Oh, so cold, little Lily - and here I was thinking I would be nice and offer my company for the day. I’ve heard there’s plenty to see in Cipritine.”

“I have plans.” Lily replies, wishing desperately that Tiberius would show up.

“And what about my other proposal?”

“Still not interested. You’d think you’d remember that fraternization is against the rules, Maxim.”

“I could order you to.” the other woman hums, giving her a look that makes her skin crawl, “And who’s going to tell?”

“Please recall, you are not my Commanding Officer, and technically? I outrank you - somehow, I think you’d rather avoid an official complaint.” Lily growls, nails digging into her arms in frustration, “So, seriously, leave me alone.”

“But-”

“S-sorry for the delay, Lily, I s-stopped to get - is something wrong?”

“Tiberius! Finally!” Lily makes sure the door slides shut and locks behind her before she hurries to the man’s side, purposely looping an arm around his as she shoots a glare back in the other woman’s direction, “No, nothing’s wrong, just anxious to go. Can we go? Are you ready?”

Tiberius flinches briefly at the contact, his attention seemingly locked on Maxim - it’s only because Lily’s paying close attention that she notices the way his mandibles flare and his eyes narrow, an almost aggressive posture that she hasn’t seen him use before.

“Ready. Let’s get out of here.” he agrees, shifting in a way that her arm stays looped with his as they move, that burning glare focused on Maxim until he’s turned fully away.

Whoah, that’s fucking hot. Lily has to nearly double her steps to keep up with the much taller turian, but being able to hold onto him is worth the extra workout, Hell, be real, you don’t mind it at all. He just saved your ass from another fucking awkward exchange, and looked fucking hot doing it. Goddamn, Tibs!

“S-seriously, though,” Tiberius rumbles down at her once they’ve stepped into the elevator, the doors closing seeming to bring his nerves back, “A-are you alright?”

“I’m fine, totally okay.” Lily gives him an honest grin, reluctantly releasing her grip on his arm - don’t freak the poor man out, Lily - “Just… people who can’t take a hint. Or a hammer over the head. You know.”

“Mmm. I’ve d-dealt with a few of those.” he eyes her for another moment, as though trying to see if she’s telling the truth, before his mandibles spread in what she’s slowly beginning to recognize as a sheepish sort of grin, “Well, uh, if y-you ever need an out, again, l-let me know.”

The offer just about makes her heart burst of happiness, a happy grin splitting her face. “Will do - thanks, Tibs. You’re pretty awesome. Now, asshole Commander’s aside - I can’t wait to see the Beach!”

Tiberius had wanted to ask for details once they were clear of The Spire - he didn’t like the way the other woman had been eyeing Lily, and wouldn’t hesitate to go to the Primarch if she’d requested it - but the bright smile on the brunette’s face as they step out into the sunlight has him keeping his mouth shut.

You’ve got the gist of it. If she needs anything else, she’ll tell you. He decides, directing her down the proper path and keeping an easy pace beside her. The Beach is a bit of distance away, but he’d always enjoyed the walk - and going by the bright curiosity he can read in Lily’s expressions, she’s enjoying it, too.

Though it’s a good thing he could walk this path blind, since he’s having a hard time keeping his eyes off of the small human.

He himself had opted for just a pair of the cut-out shorts most people would wear to the beach, paired with a simple, baggy shirt - an expandable picnic basket and beach blanket tucked under one arm.

Lily is showing a lot more skin then he’s seen before, and his gaze had been immediately drawn to the colours adorning both her shoulders and arms - tattoos of flowers interwoven and spiraling over the skin, accentuating the muscle and adding to his attraction to the woman. Her shorts and tank top hug her lithe body perfectly, and he makes a note to ask what her shirt says - since sweeping his omni over her chest would likely be, ah, unwelcome.

He’d expected to be more flustered then he is, walking beside the woman he’s come to realize he wants rather badly, yet Lily’s curiosity and honest appreciation for his birth city seems to negate the nerves somewhat - he answers every question she asks, points out landmarks and shops, chuckles when she waves at random people as they walk.

“We don’t have time to visit the Markets today, b-but, um.” Tiberius clears his throat, letting his mandibles spread in a small grin, “If you w-want… we can go there a-another day.”

“That’d be awesome! Cipritine is beautiful.” Lily breathes, smile splitting her face, “I really, really like it here, already.”

That makes him trill automatically, a sound he only barely manages to squash before asking “How, uh, long are you here, anyways?”

She goes quiet at that, for a moment, and Tiberius feels his gut clench - Spirits, don’t tell me she’s leaving soon - before she sticks her nose in the air, smirks, and declares “As long as I damn well please.”

That earns a startled laugh from him, shaking his head as they make it down the final path to the Beach - the little Cafe he’s always loved coming into view.

“There’s t-the Cafe - see it? T-they have goods for sale, as w-well - lots of Levo snacks, since the b-beach gets more off-world visitors.”

“That’s awesome! It’s so picturesque.” Lily’s grinning again, an expression that always makes his heart jump, “Have you been coming here long?”

“Since I w-was a kid, yeah. The original owner’s son r-runs it now, with his Mate.” Tiberius flashes her a smile, mandibles quirked, “Y-you’ll like them, I think.”

They reach the shop and step inside when the door opens, and Tiberius can’t control a pleased purr at the utter awe that washes over Lily’s face, her eyes wide when she pulls her sunglasses off and sets them atop her head.

“This is so cute!” she all but whispers, looking giddy, “It’s like one of the boardwalk shops back home! Tibs, man, you know how to treat a girl!”

Tiberius chirps and looks away, feeling his neck flushing blue as he steps further in, happy but flustered, “Ah, I, uh… I’m, uh, glad you like it, Lily… c-come on, I’ll introduce you to t-the owners.”

The brunette laughs and follows along, and he forces himself to focus on the figure at the cash register rather then the bright little human at his side lest he make an even bigger fool of himself.

There’s a pair of younger males at the register paying as they approach - no older than twenty, he’d estimate, probably visiting the beach on shore leave - that he stays to the side of, flicking a mandible out when Aultis notices him and waves.

“Enjoy your day,” the older Turian nods to the two boys before turning a brilliant grin on he and Lily, “Tiberius! It’s been ages - Primarch been keeping you busy? Or are you just to into Galaxy of Fantasy these days?”

Tiberius rolls his eyes, ignoring the look the two males shoot his way as he steps up to clasp Aultis’ hand, “Says the second highest ranker member of the Tribe - just been busy, Ault. How’re things here?”

“Tourist seasons over, so thing’s have died down a bit - which is good, since we have the baby to look after.”

“Ah, right, I forgot - when was-?”

He pauses briefly when he catches a mumble of Biotic and Primarch’s Lapdog from the younger males as they leave, mandibles pulled in - giving Aulis a shake of his head at his questioning look, intending to ignore them-

“OI, ASSHOLES! You wanna come back here and say that to his face?!”

Tiberius whips around to find Lily halfway across the shop, glaring daggers at the two soldiers and baring her teeth in what he knows is a human sign of aggression, every muscle in her body tensed for a fight.

The soldiers seem caught off guard and startled, staring at the human that had called them out before making a hasty retreat when she takes another step towards them.

“That’s right, cowards! Run! And keep your bigoted opinions to yourselves!” she shouts after them, huffing, and if Tiberius hadn’t been interested before, that would have sealed the deal.

‘Keep her.’ Aultis hums at him, grinning and typing something in his cash, “Anything you and your lady friend want, Tiberius, on the house. And introductions are in order, I think.”

“You don’t need to do that-”

“That’s impressive, young lady - not many people would stand up for someone like that,” a familiar female voice laughs, “You’re rather blunt, aren’t you?”

“Ah, yeah, sorry, I just can’t stand - what is that?!”

Lily’s excited shriek has him whirling around again, though this time he breaks off into amused chuckles.

“Ah, Lily, s-sorry - this is Juvia Palides, and her husband Aultis, t-the owners of the shop - this is Lily, one of the N7’s from t-the Alliance Squad. Congratulations, Juvia, when was the birth?”

“A couple of months ago.” Juvia smiles pleasantly, flicking a mandible down at her cowl, “A pleasure, Lily - I take it you’ve never seen a baby Turian before?”

“Never.” Lily whispers, looking awestruck, “It’s so cute - I mean, he, she? And tiny and feathers-!”

“She - her name is Tani.” Juvia looks pleased, chirping down at the chick and receiving a tiny chirp in reply, “You can hold her, if you like?”

“Oh, no, no, I’m okay!” Lily looks suddenly terrified - an expression Tiberius hasn’t seen since he’s known her, and one he doesn’t like - waving her hands in front of her, “I mean, I’ve never even held a human baby, and Tani’s so little - I’d be afraid of hurting her!”

“Maybe next time, then.” Juvia smiles, inclining her head, “Now then, inventory calls - I just wanted to see what all the commotion was about - wonderful to meet you, Lily, and good to see you, Tiberius.”

“You, too!” Lily waves at the tiny chick before coming to join him at the counter, looking flushed and happy, “So, uh, sorry about all that. Hi. Beach time?”

“Almost.” Tiberius chuckles, motioning to the expanded picnic basket he’d propped up on the counter, “Food, first.”

“Sweet! Let’s get to it, then!”

Twenty or so minutes later, the basket is full - fuller than it needs to be, really, since Aultis had dumped in another few handfuls of both Levo and Dextro snacks at the end - and they’re on their way down to the Beach proper, ready to relax.

“T-thanks for that, by the way.” Tibs hums at her after several minutes of quiet, flicking a mandible in her direction, “I’m, uh, used to it, but… appreciate it.”

“Ah, sorry - I tend to be a bit blunt when I hear people being bigots.” Lily rubs at the back of her head, cheeks a little flushed, “Can’t help it, really.”

“Oh?”

She chews on her lip for a moment, then says “I grew up with extremely racist, xenophobic parents - I watched them treat Rose like a piece of shit, because her Soulmark was Turian, while I was treated like a perfect princess. I did my best to keep her away from them - and now we’re both free. So I can’t stand bigots - and if that gets me into fights, so be it.”

“That’s impressive.” he hums, surprised, “You’re a g-good person, Lily.”

“Oh, pft, now, I’m just a loudmouth.” the brunette waves him off, and he’s incredibly interested in the bright red now covering her cheeks, a soft trill leaving him at the sight, “So, uh, where should be put the blanket?”

Tourist season being over means they get their pick of lots on the Beach, walking along it until they find what they both deem to be clean, comfortable looking sand.

They get the blanket stretched out and plop the cooler in the middle, the built in weights at each corner keeping it in place.

Lily kicks her sandals off at the edge while Tiberius pulls his shirt off and dumps it beside the basket, too warm to wear it now that they’re in the sun by the water - catching Lily eyeing him appreciatively and feeling his neck flush blue again.

Spirits, stop being a flustered mess! You’re just making a fool of yourself.

He can’t quite keep himself from staring when she unceremoniously yanks her tank top off to reveal a teal bikini top beneath, a matching bottom showing once her shorts are likewise pulled off.

Lily catches him staring and grins, popping one hip out further and lifting an eyebrow at him. “That water looks damn inviting, so I’m gonna swim for a bit - you coming in, or?”

“Ah, n-no, I’ll wait here - Turians and water don’t really mix.” Tiberius does his best to keep his eyes on her face, no matter how tempting it is to look lower - forcing his body to relax, what are you, a cadet that can’t keep himself sheathed in the face of a pretty girl?

“Okay - promise I won’t stay in long!”

Lily’s jogging off to the water then, and the lewd purr that escapes him as he watches her is entirely involuntary - a curse and a grumble leaving him as he settles in to wait, opening his omni to check some game stats.

The brunette returns maybe half an hour later, drenched and grinning widely - stopping at the edge of the blanket to wring her hair out over the sand.

“Have a good swim?” he hums, amused and happy to see her so happy.

“I did!But now I’m starving - let’s see.” Lily kneels beside the basket and pops the lid open, pulling out a couple of bottles of water and some Levo snacks, “You weren’t kidding when you said they had a good variety, Tibs - I assumed I’d have to wait until our next supply run came in to get chocolate!”

He chuckles, kneeling on the opposite side from her to pull out some of his own snacks, “They s-stock a lot, since they k-know they’ll get Levo tourists.”

“Well, hey, I’m definitely not complaining!”

They settle in with their snacks, talking quietly while they eat - small things, like life in The Spire, the best restaurants in Cipritine, new events in Galaxy of Fantasy.

Tiberius has just finished off one of the snack bars he’d brought when her tattoos catch his eyes again, the colours near flashing in the sunlight when she stretches. “Lily, can I, uh, ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Your tattoos are beautiful. Do they, uh, have a meaning?”

Lily goes still at that, blinking at him in surprise. He worries that he’s said something wrong, or asked something taboo, until she grins and gives a quiet laugh.

“Kind of. The first one does, anyways.” Lily turns a bit so he can see her back - a purple flower in full bloom centred at the base of her neck, the centrepiece of all the other designs, “This is an anemone flower, which means forsaken.”

“Forsaken?” he repeats, confused and curious.

“Mhm. You can’t see it, but it’s tattooed over my Soul Mark.” Lily glances at him over her shoulder, grin a little sad, “My Mark faded when I was 15 - so I decided to have the flower tattooed over it.”

Oh, Spirits. Tiberius stares at the flower for a moment, trying to see the Mark hidden beneath - he remembers past partners griping that normal Soul Marks wouldn’t take Ink, only faded ones could be hidden by a tattoo - feeling an almost guilty burst of hope, Her Mark is Faded, too - she’s not claimed, she might-

“It just became a yearly thing, after that - I love colours, and I love flowers, so I started adding to it, on the anniversary of the first one.” Lily’s still talking, motioning to the designs etched into her skin, “The roses are for my sister, and the rest of the big ones are different varieties of lilies - the tiny blue flowers are forget me nots, meant to kind of just… weave it all together, I guess.”

“They’re beautiful.” he hums, sincerely, beating back the urge to reach out and run a talon along the designs, to confirm that the blooms are merely designs and not living flowers sprouting from her skin.

Lily is definitely blushing, now, turning to face him again. “How about you, Tibs? Any tats?”

“No tats.” he hums back, a sad note to his subvocals as he turns so his right side is facing her - motioning to the unlegible word on his waist, “Just my Mark - Faded, like yours.”

Lily’s eyes lock onto the Mark immediately, mouth opening in surprise. “How long?”

“It Faded when I was ten.” he says, mandibles quivering a bit, “I never met them - just another nail in the coffin, as you humans say.”

“Oh, Tibs - wait, what do you mean?”

“I’m Biotic - having a Soul Mark should have meant I’d have a Mate, someday, but with it being Faded… seems like I’m meant to be alone.” Tiberius tilts his head back to look at the sky, both surprised and relieved to be telling someone about it, “I’ve, ah… had a couple casual flings, never anything serious - a-always left for their Matches, why wouldn’t they? Who’d want a Biotic with a Broken Soul Mark-”

He’s cut off by Lily suddenly throwing her arms around his neck and pressing close, hugging him so tightly it’s like she thinks he’ll disappear.

Tiberius chirps in surprise, arms hovering awkwardly over her back, praying she doesn’t notice how blue his neck has gone - I didn’t even see her move, what-

“You are more than your Biotics, Tiberius.” she whispers, voice so close to his aural canal he feels himself shivering, “You’re strong, and kind, and fun - and anyone who can’t see that doesn’t deserve you, anyways.”

Tiberius couldn’t have controlled the purr that bursts out of him if he’d wanted to, arms settling firmly around her back as he presses his nose to her hair, inhaling greedily.

He doesn’t know, yet, if he’s reading her right, if she’s interested the way that he is, but he’ll take what he can get, for now.

“Thank you, Lily.” he huffs into her hair, feeling her grip tighten in response, and maybe he holds on a little too long, a little too tight… but Lily doesn’t complain.

#Lily Anne Evans #Tiberius Ramas #Broken Souls #soulmate au #turian/human relationship #turian oc #mass effect ocs #teren fedorian #wafflesrock16 #bethadastra #beach shenanigans #biotic stigma #budding romance

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thenobullshtblog-blog · 6 years

Text

Ink Etiquette

Since I am getting a new tattoo in September it’s made me think about all the questions, comments and unwanted concerns that I usually get when I advertise I am getting a new piece.With that, I've been inspired to do a rant style blog on stupid shit people say regarding my tattoos. At the end I’ll answer some typical general questions for those who want to get inked but are doing a little more research first.

First things First-tattoo etiquette, you gonna learn today.

Stop telling people they will regret their tattoos

What do you care? It’s not your body, you don’t have to look at it every day! Who gives AF. I cant tell you how many times people have told me I will regret the size of my tattoos, the placement, and that if all my pieces don’t have a huge significant meaning that im gonna wish I never got them. IT’S NOT TRUE. I am not you, so don’t project your shit onto me-10/10 we have different views about life, Negative Nancy. My two largest tattoo pieces have no special meaning. It’s Art. I love art of all kinds, and wanted it on my body because its beautiful and badass. I’ve had one of those tattoos for over 4 years now, have never regretted it a day in my life and its honestly my most highly complimented piece. So suck it.

Stop asking people if they’ve thought about how they will look when theyre 40 or 80

Well spoiler alert, I take phenomenal care of my skin and body in general and I have full intentions of being a super hot milf until I reach the puma and then cougar stage so I’m really not worried about anything up until my mid 70’s. I do understand the general laws of aging and gravity but can you honestly tell me that 80 year old saggy wrinkly tattooed skin looks WORSE than non tattooed saggy wrinkly 80 year old skin? Yeah I didn’t think so.

If you don’t like someones tattoo-you actually don’t have to Say Anything.

So many people have this burning desire to voice an opinion that was never actually asked for. If you don’t have anything nice to say-don’t say anything at all. Unless they ask you for your brutal honest opinion, I would try and avoid commenting. Now if someone has a shitty tattoo I’m not saying lie to them, but just keep their feelings in mind as this will be on their body Forever unless they get it removed or covered up. I've had people ask me if I like their tattoos-and if I don’t like them either because i’ts not my personal style, or it’s a poorly done tattoo this is what I say “oh wow, who did you go to?” and then I start asking about the artist. That’s a safe bet. You don’t need to comment, especially if your comment is not nice. Again-these are permanent, it’s not a shirt that they can return at the store.

Realize that your preference of tattoo style and size may be different than someone else

Go big or go home, has always been my thought when getting a new piece. I’ve always loved large tattoos, dainty isn’t really my style. I am a little extra and I like that part of my personality to show with the art I wear on my body. I’m so tired of the bulging eyes people give me when I tell them how big my piece will be, or when I show them the ones I have (after they ask). You don’t have to get a massive tattoo and I understand large pieces aren’t for everyone-OK but get your active bitch face under control especially if you’re going to ask someone a question about size. I’m not shitting on the infinity sign you have on your ankle-lets move forward.

Stop saying “my tattoos are for me”

This is also something people say to me once I tell them how large my piece will be, they normally respond with “oh, I’d never get a tattoo that big-my tattoos are just for me”. Cool? Mine are too? I didn’t pay all that money, give my literal blood sweat and tears to the ink table if all my pieces weren’t for me. I honestly prefer to have pieces that I can see in pictures, that are easily displayed where I will be able to admire them every day without being totally naked. I don’t need a hidden tattoo on my ass cheek for it to be “for me”. Unless you literally have a tattoo that you got because someone else begged you to get it for them because their skin physically cant be tattooed for some odd reason, and you want to specify that the new tattoo is for you-OKAY THEN STFU.

Stop asking people how much their pieces cost-it’s tacky.

We ALL KNOW that nice ink isn’t cheap. Generally speaking people don’t go around bragging about how much they dropped on a sleeve. Ink is an expression of Self, not Wealth. If you really like the artist who did that persons piece, ask them for the artists Instagram or website so you can get their contact info and email the artist directly to inquire about pricing. On the flip side-if someone’s tattoo looks like dogshit, don’t ask them how much they paid for it. They probably know it looks like dogshit and it’s a sensitive subject- you asking about the price is just salting the wound.

Before you ask somebody Why they are getting what they are getting, consider WHY you are asking them that.

There are usually only a few reasons why people ask about what someone is getting, whether they know it or not. A lot of people don’t even Realize why they are asking what they are asking until they think about it.

1. they love art, and are truly interested

2. they don’t support tattoos and want to give you the whole “don’t put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari spiel”

3. they want to add their two cents to what it is you are getting, try and impose their ideas or change your mind to redirect your vision. Regardless they will subconsciously judge you by the content of your piece and form ideas about you based on what you’re putting on your body and where.

If you are asking “why” for any reason other than the first one. Kindly fu*k off.

Nobody puts bumper stickers on Ferraris, but how many ‘rraris have you see with custom pant jobs, bruh? And as for you Linda, nobody cares that you don’t like my futuristic post-apocalyptic leg sleeve idea-you’re not changing my mind. Fu*k your two cents if it’s not going toward the bill. And we both know it’s not, so again-kindly fu*k off.

Alright- so that just about concludes my ranting about stupid shit people say or ask. Lets get to some actual Q&A’s/tips and comments.

What does it Actually Cost?

It depends on the artist! Some artists charge by the size of the piece, and some charge by the hour. Whenever I email a new artist I always ask them if they charge by the piece, or hourly-they’ll let you know. From what I’ve experienced I’ve typically had artists who charge between $150-$250 per hour, but my philosophy when getting a piece is “spare no expense”. This is going to be on your body FOREVER. No, I’m not ballin like LeBron, I’m ballin on a budget, so yes I do have to save up to get my pieces-but it’s always worth it. You get what you pay for.

What does it feel like?

The best way I can describe it, is a hot cat scratch over and over again. In some more sensitive areas it can feel like what I imagine branding would feel like. Everyone has a different pain tolerance and skin sensitivity, so some areas may be more sensitive on some, than others. A lot of people say the ribs are by far the most painful-to be honest when I got my sternum piece although the bony part of the sternum was murder, the ribs weren’t bad at all-in some spots it rattled my rib cage so much it kind of ticked. Likewise, some people get inner bicep/tricep tattoos like it’s nothing, the back of my tricep killed me. I was almost in tears. It totally just depends on your skin.

Go the Extra Mile

If you cant find a local artist that you Love, drive. Even if it’s 2-3 hours out of the way. Again, this is going to be on your body forever. I would rather drive an extra 2 hours or so for the artist I know is going to crush my piece, than a local artist who would probably do an okay job. That’s not to say you cant find a good local artist-but if you cant, expand your search radius.

Walk in, or wait?

It depends on what you want, but if you’re asking for my suggestion I would do as much research as you can on the tattoo shop. Look at customer reviews, the artists online portfolios. You'll have better luck than hoping you randomly pick a good place for a walk in. Although I do have a walk in lettering tattoo and it looks just fine haha For a planned piece understand that the artist you want may be booked for the next couple weeks, months or up to a year. Don’t get discouraged, you'll have time to really think about the piece you want, change any details, and usually if they're booked that far out-they're pretty good and well worth the wait.

Color or Black and Gray?

This is a personal preference. Growing up I Hated how pale I was, being a ginger was a struggle all around but the porcelain skin was definitely a target. I hated wearing shorts, and never did all through high school because of how beaming white my legs are. To be honest I didn’t start wearing shorts until I got my First tattoo. Artists and tattoo admirers alike have complimented my skin time and time again, and how the colors in my tattoos really pop because of how pale I am. So, I prefer color tattoos because they show up super vibrant and it makes me feel even more comfortable in this vampire skin. I don’t necessarily think color is better over black and gray and in some cases I think that it also totally depends on the type of piece you are going for. Consider your skin tone, the type/style of piece you are getting and then decide.

Think it over, and speak up.

I feel like a lot of the “regret” that people are talking about with tattoos comes from spontaneous ideas or trends. There have been so many times I have seen a bad ass concept for a tattoo and I thought about finding and artist and setting an appointment ASAP. The next day I will revisit the idea and go eh, I guess I don’t love it that much. I have a Pinterest board that is just for my tattoo ideas, I pin shit on there so later I can look at it and think if that’s something I really want or not. I definitely recommend either pinning similar images of a concept you want, drawing it out, or writing it down in a notepad and then sleep on it. You'll be surprised how quickly you may change your mind in the course of even a few days, a week, months or a year. If you’ve had the same tattoo concept for quite a while, and every time you revisit the idea you still love it just as much-it’s probably safe to start on that piece when you're ready.

When you finally decide to get your piece, the artist will usually have it drawn out in some form, either on paper-or on an iPad of sorts that shows you all the details and potential coloring (if you're getting color). Do Not be afraid to speak up if you don’t like something or want to change something. It is their job as the artist to accommodate your wants especially since they are putting something permanent on your body. Even when you get the stencil on, if you don’t like the placement, or want to change something-let them know. They can remove the stencil pretty easily and print out a new one after they fix whatever it is you want fixed. But don’t just deal with something if you're certain you don’t like it. You're gonna have to look at it every day.

Artistic Freedom

This is just another opinion-and by no means a fact. But I’ve found by giving the artist freedom on my piece has always made them turn out even better than I imagined. There are quite a few people out there who go in with a very specific piece or picture in mind and are disappointed when their piece doesn’t look EXACTLY like the picture. Well, that’s pretty hard to replicate as it is but especially when that artist isn’t the original artist of that picture or drawing that you bring to the table. This does not go for portraits-obviously you want your Marilyn Monroe to look like Marilyn Monroe and a portrait artist definitely should be able to replicate that haha I am talking about more “creative” pieces you want. My suggestion, have a few pictures of things you like (and some things you don’t like) regarding the concept of your tattoo and tell your artist to have fun with it. If your artist enjoys drawing up your piece and has freedom to add their flair on it, it will probably turn out better than you micro managing the shit out of them. I’ve always given artists freedom and I’ve always been crazy surprised at how the piece they gave me turned out way better than anything I had in mind.

This is all that I can think of? I probably lost 99% of you by the first 500 words, but to those of you who made it to 2,376..cheers.

#tattoos #tattoo #ink #ettiquette #lifestyleblog #rant #letsgetweird

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