Blue Royalty | Miscellaneous Thread

Littlefeets · 4 March 2025 06:21

Trigger Warning: Physical Abuse

Summer-ish? 2000 - just after Addie’s wedding to Harry

He couldn’t breathe. By the time he turned the handle of his hotel door, his legs felt weak. His heart felt like it was beating too hard. He let the door close behind him and he fell to his knees with a broken cry. She was gone. There was no getting her back.

Each breath was more difficult than the last. He had to place his hands on the floor to brace himself. For a moment he thought he might pass out, hyperventilating. He couldn’t handle it.

One by one, tears landed in a silent splash against the floor.

He never cried.

Only when the love of his life was in a hospital bed, when he’d had no idea if she’d even wake up again. Or when he was in such excruciating pain he couldn’t handle it, but it wasn’t enough to make him pass out.

He lost her. She was gone. He lost them both.

His heart had already been ripped out, but then it was crushed.

He felt like he was going to die.

It would’ve been easier if he felt numb.

It wasn’t like how he felt finding the note she left that day, with that fear of not being able to find her and not knowing what happened. This was somehow worse. He knew she was fine. She was with her husband, his best friend. She was with someone else, and he couldn’t be with her.

He was supposed to be the one calling her his wife. He was supposed to be marrying her. She was supposed to be his, and he was still hers.

He was still in pain thinking about how Addie was now married to his best friend when he returned home, and the pain only got worse from there. He wasn’t alone, his father was waiting for him.

“You f^^king lost a duchess to a f^^king black piece of s^^t? You couldn’t even f^^king do that?” Despite Leo’s friendship with Harry for all those years, he knew his father never approved of him. Leo ignored his father’s blatantly racist comments as much as he could, knowing what happened every time he tried defending his friend.

“I tried to get her back… I tried… I don’t know why she didn’t want me…”

“I know why. Clearly she saw how you’re a f^^king failure in everything. You can’t do a f^^king thing right. You’re a f^^king sorry excuse for an Azure.” Leo’s gaze was glued to the floor, even as he flinched at the sound of his father opening the clasp of his belt. “You clearly haven’t f^^king learned, Leonardo. You’re still a worthless f^^king stain on my name.”

“I’ll be better, father…”

“You won’t. I know it.”

His father’s insults began to blend together as he was shoved against the wall. Most of it he’d heard thousands of times. He was worthless. An embarrassment of a son, of an Azure. A failure. Why would Addie have even wanted him in the first place? He was nobody special. Hell, even his best friend, the man Leo had been hit countless times for defending as a child, left him. They both chose to leave him. He wasn’t someone they wanted to stay around for, and he was a fool for thinking he deserved a friend like Harry had been for so many years, for thinking he deserved the love he had with Addie. They deserved better than him. Maybe he deserved Addie leaving, deserved Harry picking her over him. Harry would love her and care for her, and maybe he would be better for her than Leo ever could’ve been. Harry would be everything he’d been for Leo all those years and more.

“That girl left because of you, you know. Clearly she realized you weren’t even worth her time. You were such a f^^k up that she ran from you.”

Twenty one f^^king years old, and he still couldn’t stand up to his father. He couldn’t fight back. He tried so many times, but any time he tried, it only got worse. As a child he begged. As a teenager, he fought and tried to resist. Nothing worked, nothing made it easier, nothing stopped it. The most he could do was let his shirt fall to the floor so it wouldn’t be ruined in the process, and brace himself against the wall.

He was weak. He didn’t deserve Addie. She deserved more than a weak child who couldn’t stand up to his own father. How had he even thought he could be a good husband for her? He was nothing. It was his fault she was gone. His fault that she didn’t want him. All of it was his fault. Everything always was. He knew it. His father knew it. The scars on his back proved it.

He almost didn’t notice his father’s continued words as the crack of the belt sounded in Leo’s ears. Pain followed, stinging on his back, burning more with the second hit.

He was broken, weak, worthless, undeserving, alone. Maybe it was better that Addie wasn’t his anymore. His only true skill was that of f^^king everything up. He lost her, maybe that was better than them getting married and him finding a way to f^^k up even worse and get her hurt in the process. His father didn’t approve of everything she was wanting to do, all the things Leo wanted to help her do, anyway. Maybe it was better that he wouldn’t try to stop Addie. Harry would help her reach for the stars. Leo’s father would have no reason to be angry that Leo wanted Addie to succeed if they weren’t together.

Leo felt the warmth of blood begin to run down his back. The buckle of his father’s belt had hit his back with enough force to split the skin. Again, Leo felt the slicing pain, just before his legs finally gave out and he found himself on his knees.

He didn’t have to even register what words came out of his father’s mouth. The meaning was clear. Leo was the problem. It was his fault, like always. If it wasn’t for his words, his actions, none of it would’ve happened. If he hadn’t f^^ked up, yet again, his father wouldn’t have gotten angry. Leo knew it, yet he still found every opportunity to anger him. It was like he’d never learn.

Leo had no idea how long it was before his father finally stopped, the snap of the belt still repeating endlessly in his ears. “This all could have been avoided, Leonardo, if you would’ve just listened and did what you were told.” Leo winced as his body finally began to relax, knowing there wouldn’t be any more contact. He crumpled to the floor, lying there until he could no longer hear his father’s footsteps.

Uneasily, he stood on shaking legs and carefully walked to his bathroom. He was merely able to rinse off the blood that dripped down his arm, from his shoulder, before he turned to collapse onto his bed. He couldn’t bear to look at his reflection. He wasn’t the man Addie wanted. He was worthless, nothing, a coward. He couldn’t do anything right, even when it mattered most.

@benitz786

benitz786 · 6 March 2025 02:57

The “Something Old” - 2031 - Part 13

This dream felt real. Too real.

Jess sat across from him in a room that didn’t quite exist. She knew that. Some part of her did.

The walls stretched endlessly, shifting as if they couldn’t quite decide what they wanted to be. One moment, they were sleek and modern, all polished glass and sharp steel edges, the kind of office where power was wielded with a flick of a pen. The next, they melted into dark mahogany panels, dimly lit by antique sconces, casting elongated shadows that stretched toward her like grasping fingers. The air was heavy—so thick she could feel it pressing against her skin, muffling the sound of her own breath.

And across from her sat Leonardo Azure.

Or… Kai?

Because, fck, the resemblance was unnerving.

Leo was composed. Effortlessly so. He lounged in a leather chair, his posture regal, like he was meant to sit at the head of the table. His suit was pressed to perfection, a shade of navy so deep it almost looked black. A gold cufflink glinted at his wrist when he moved—just slightly, just enough to tap a single finger against the armrest in a slow, rhythmic motion.

His jawline was sharp, almost too sharp, his features so defined they could have been carved from stone. His grey-blue eyes flickered with something unreadable, like they could dissect her if she stared too long. And his blond hair—perfect, untouched, like not a single strand dared to be out of place.

It was Kai… It was Leo. It was both?

And Jess wasn’t sure how to separate them.

Her stomach twisted.

She had spent years forcing herself not to think about Kai. Not to remember the way he had once looked at her, how he had once loved her, how he had broken her.

And yet… here he was.

Except it wasn’t him.

It was Leo.

But it wasn’t.

The realization made something crawl beneath her skin, unsettled and restless.

Jess forced herself to sit up straighter, her fingers tightening around the pen in her hand. The notepad in front of her was filled with precise, clean strokes of ink, but the words—her words—shifted if she stared too long, blurring, distorting into something unreadable.

It was confusing… why was she here again?

Oh.

This was supposed to be an interview.

That’s what this was. That’s why she was here. Right?

She had a job to do.

Jess cleared her throat, forcing her voice into something even. Something professional.

“Mr. Azure, thank you for sitting down with me today.”

He didn’t smile.

His blue eyes—Kai’s eyes, her mind whispered, but she shoved the thought away—flickered with something unreadable.

“Of course,” he said smoothly. His voice was low, even, practiced.

Jess inhaled sharply. Get a grip. But even his voice… it sounded like Kai.

That hurt.

It’s Leo.

It’s…Leo.

She had studied him. Read about him in headlines. Whispers passed between journalists who were too afraid to ask the real questions. Or, were paid not to ask those questions. He was a man wrapped in power, cloaked in ruthless efficiency. A businessman. A kingmaker. A phantom looming over the business world with nothing but a flick of his wrist.

And funny enough, unless one looked, no one would know how powerful this man was.

But Jess had read about him—the real him—in her mother’s journals. Not just the titan, not just the empire.

The boy.

The boy who had once loved so fiercely. The boy her mother had loved so fiercely. The boy who had shattered her.

The boy who had shattered… her.

Kai.

No this wasn’t Kai.

He looked like Kai.

NO.

no.

And for the first time, Jess realized—he was young.

The man sitting across from her wasn’t the Leonardo Azure of today. He wasn’t in his fifties, hardened by decades of life. No.

He was younger than she was.

And that fact—it rattled her.

His hair was golden, untouched by time, slicked back in the way Kai used to style his. His face was unlined, sharp with youth and arrogance. And his suit… his perfectly tailored suit… rested against his frame like it belonged to him before he even knew what power was.

Jess clenched the notepad tighter, forcing herself to move past it.

It’s not Kai. And… and she didn’t have time to dissect why he looked like this…

This was her chance.

This was an interview. Her interview.

She glanced down at her notepad, at the shifting, unreadable words that moved on the page, sliding away from her, refusing to be pinned down.

It didn’t matter. She moved ahead anyway.

“Let’s… start with your latest acquisition—”

Leo tilted his head… just slightly… just enough… and something in his expression made her pause.

And suddenly, everything in the room went still.

His expression was unreadable, too controlled. His fingers—long, calculated—tapped against the armrest, so… so… deliberate.

Then—

“Cut the bullshit.”

Jess blinked.

The words rang out, shattering the polished illusion of formality.

She knew she should have been surprised…should have been.

But instead, a chill coiled in her spine. Because the way he said it—the exact inflection, the exact cadence—was familiar. Too familiar.

And it wasn’t Leo’s voice anymore.

It was Kai’s.

Leo… Kai?.. No, Leo… leaned forward, elbows resting on the polished wood of the desk between them. The light above them flickered—just for a second.

Jess could hear her own breathing—shallow, uneven—like she had just asked something forbidden.

But she hadn’t…

“You didn’t come here to ask me about business.”

Jess swallowed, shifting in her seat. Something about the way he looked at her sent sharp unease in her gut.

It was a look reminiscent of what Kai gave her at one moment… but she couldn’t… place when?

Irrelevant.

But he was right.

She hadn’t.

Her fingers trembled against the notepad, gripping it tighter.

“Who was she to you?”

A flicker of something passed through his expression.

“Excuse me?”

His voice was quieter now, measured. But it wasn’t confused. It wasn’t the voice of a man caught off guard.

It was the voice of a man deciding how much to give away.

Jess’s grip tightened around the notepad. She felt like she was teetering on a ledge of somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be.

But she didn’t back down.

“My mother. Who was she to you?”

Another pause.

A long, uncomfortable pause.

Leo’s fingers twitched where they rested on the table, but his face gave nothing away. She watched him - leaning back, the movement slow, precise, calculated…

Then he exhaled a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it.

“You already know the answer to that.”

Jess’s stomach clenched.

“I want to hear it from you.”

Leo’s jaw tightened, the muscle ticking ever so slightly. His hands—so still before—clenched just barely.

He didn’t like this.

Jess knew when a man was cornered.

She…knew what Kai looked like when he was cornered…

“She was…” His voice trailed off.

He looked away.

Jess leaned forward. Her pulse was pounding now, hammering against her ribs, but she kept her voice even.

“Did you love her?”

His head snapped back to her.

The temperature in the room dropped.

Truly… it was so, so cold now. The temperature had dropped so drastically that the very air felt sharp, slicing against her skin like daggers. Each exhale shifted into the space before her, dissolving into the thick, frigid silence that wrapped around them. The room itself seemed to shrink, the walls closing in under the weight of the cold, turning the very air dense and brittle—icy in a way that seeped deep into her bones.

Even the light had shifted, the once warm glow now tinged with something colder, harsher, as if the frost had crept into every crack, draining the warmth from the very space around them.

His eyes—Kai’s eyes, Leo’s eyes, the Azure blue eyes—locked onto hers, sharp as glass… or ice… and there was a storm in those eyes.

She knew it well.

She had seen it before.

“This interview is over.”

“No, it’s not.”

Jess didn’t move. Didn’t even blink.

“What happened between you two?”

Leo stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor in a way that made Jess flinch.

“I said—”

“Do you know why she left you?”

That stopped him.

Jess swore she saw the faintest hitch in his breath, barely perceptible, but there. The kind of reaction a man like him wasn’t supposed to have. A muscle in his jaw clenched—tight, controlled—but something about it felt… fragile.

Like a crack forming in ice around them… just before it shattered.

And for a fleeting second, Jess saw it. Saw him. The split-second flicker of emotion behind those stormy blue eyes. It was raw, exposed—like a wound torn open before he could cover it.

It was Kai.

The face in front of her blurred, shifting between past and present, between the man she had walked away from and the one her mother had loved. It was Leo and it was Kai, blending together so seamlessly it made her stomach turn.

And then—just as quickly as it had faltered—the mask slid back into place. The sharp, unreadable expression returned. Leo Azure was back.

Jess tightened her grip on the pen.

The silence stretched between them, heavy and unbearable.

And she knew—she had him.

Honestly…

She hadn’t known why she needed to ask this. Why it felt so urgent.

But now, looking at him—at the way his breathing had changed, at the storm behind his carefully neutral expression—she knew.

“Did you even fight for her?”

Leo pushed his chair back even more. The legs scraped against the floor, the sound cutting through the thick silence.

“Enough.”

But Jess didn’t stop.

“Did you ever even tell her how much she meant to you?”

“Stop.”

“Do you still love her?”

And that—that was the breaking point.

Leo shot to his feet.

The light above them flickered again—faster this time, more erratic.

His fists were clenched at his sides. His breathing was sharp, uneven.

Jess watched as his shoulders heaved, as his jaw locked, as the cracks in his mask widened and split.

And then—

He turned away.

“Leo, we’re not done”

Jess started but he was still moving.

“Leo.” Jess tried again, getting up from her own chair.

“KAI.” Jess screamed this time, unable to stop the name from leaving her lips. And… and she finally saw him stop in his tracks. Why had she called him that?

Why?

Jess barely had a moment to register the shift. The world around them wavered, the office walls dissolving into something else.

A scream hit the room.

Distant, small.

Unnerving.

Was Leo crying? Was… Kai crying?

No… No this wasn’t an adult.

It was a baby’s cry that cut through the room.

Jess snapped her head toward the sound, confusion lancing through her chest.

He was still standing there, but his back was to her now. His shoulders trembled.

And the cry—

It grew louder. And louder.

But now it was coming from him… or she assumed it was him…

And then, the office collapsed.

Jess woke up with a gasp. Her body jerked upright, her skin damp with sweat and her pulse pounded in her ears, the remnants of the dream clinging to her like static.

The crying— It wasn’t from the dream anymore. It was real.

Shay.

Her daughter’s wails echoed through the room, piercing through the last hazy remnants of sleep.

Jess’ heart clenched as she turned to the bassinet, her hands moving on instinct.

“Hey, baby,” she whispered, lifting Shay into her arms, pressing a kiss to her tiny forehead. “I’ve got you.”

Her daughter’s warmth grounded her. But Jess’ mind was still elsewhere.

Still caught in that dream.

Still hearing Leo’s voice… Kai’s voice? —his silence—echoing in her head. Still wondering what the hell it all meant.

And knowing—without a doubt—that maybe she wasn’t ready for the truth.

But she was going to hear it anyway.

@Littlefeets

Caticorn · 20 March 2025 16:52

“I really did, didn’t I?” He agreed, laughing as she told him he’d set the bar too high in high school.

They continued talking about his lonely piece and he had to admit, it was nice to discuss it with someone whose first response wasn’t ‘you’ve been seeing that therapist, right Dom?’

Not that he didn’t appreciate how much his husband cared, he just needed to describe his art without the concern sometimes.

“That’s why I put those pieces into my portfolio and on display at my shows.” He explained. “I’m sure that one day it’ll be described as a ‘dark period’ in my work, but I want it out there.”

There was a sense of affirmation as Candice told him that what he had been saying made sense. A comfort in knowing that someone else understood how it felt to find the person who makes everything feel just a little bit lighter.

She finally conceded to his insistence on not being the centre of attention, he felt relieved. That is until she joked about changing her mind. But she was only joking, right?

He listened attentively as Candice continued telling him how she met her husband. “Easy answer. You don’t.” He responded with a playful smile. “I know that feeling though. Colin moved across the country to be with me so I wouldn’t be disrupting my girls’ lives too much. There was no way I was saying no when he asked me to marry him.”

“Much appreciated.” He responded when she said she’d have a drink waiting for him on Saturday and when she pushed back her chair, he did the same, nodding when she explained that she should get going. “I should do the same. My girls don’t need a babysitter anymore but Colin’s working late and I don’t want to leave them alone for too long.

“See you soon, Mr. Lucier-O’Brien. Annnnnd, don’t be late.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Saturday Night

There was nothing like atmosphere of a gallery opening. Dom felt that it was one of the best feelings in the world. This one was different from the others though, because he wasn’t able to employ his usual tactic of blending into the crowd and hoping no one recognized him. For this one, he was in the spotlight right away. He began to warm up to the attention as more and more people, mostly art collectors and photographers, came to speak to him.

His husband had already branched off on his own, sparking conversations with whoever he found and his daughters were wandering around, looking at all of the different pieces.

He smiled back to her as Candice approached him, smiling with a drink in her hand.

“I wouldn’t expect any less.” He responded when she said that she would make him work for his drink.

“And you look stunning, as per usual, Mrs. Clarke-McDowell.” He laughed when she suggested that he might be planning to take over her gallery. “Trust me, you have nothing to worry about there. Tonight has been great so far though. I’ve spoken to some really interesting people. I will admit, it’s strange having people know who I am right away. I usually don’t make myself known at my shows.”

Then a man holding a little girl approached them and when he situated himself beside Candice, Dom assumed that he was her husband. He laughed again as Candice’s words caused him to recall their many adventures when they were younger.

“You know, I think you’re right.” He replied as he reflected. Candice then confirmed his suspicions by introducing the man as her husband and the girl as her daughter. “Pleasure to meet you.”

He briefly scanned the room for his husband but laughed at Charlie’s quip, which he followed with a comment on Dom’s work. “Thank you. I’m glad both of you like it. Unfortunately though, my husband can’t help himself and started networking as soon as we got here.” He answered, seeing his daughters making their way over. “His speciality is criminal law but he also does copyright and intellectual property so an art show is a perfect place for him to find new clients.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He replied as his daughters came up to him. “Candice, these are my daughters, Clara and Amanda. Their brother Jacob is somewhere around here with Maverick.” He introduced them, making sure he didn’t leave out their brother. He gestured to each of the girls as he said their names and they each gave a small acknowledgment. “Girls, this is Candice. She’s the owner of the gallery.” At this moment, the elusive husband decided to make an appearance.

“I feel like I missed a memo or something here.” Colin quipped as he walked up beside Dom.

“Not at all. I was just introducing Candice to my daughters.” He explained, feeling himself relax a little more now that his husband was beside him. “Colin, this is Candice and her husband, Charlie. Candice, this is my husband, Colin.”

“Pleasure.” Colin responded, shaking hands with Candice. “I have to applaud you on getting my husband to not go undercover when his work is being shown.” He added with a small chuckle as Dom rolled his eyes.

@benitz786 - Candice

novella · 13 April 2025 23:02

Mariana

＊✿❀ Annie after senior year (Part 2) ❀✿＊

But getting here, you did that on you’re own — Look How Far You’ve Come by Joshua Bassett

“… And I guess in New Zealand I was too busy arguing with Paige over directions or complaining from exhaustion to think about anything else,” Annie described with a slight laugh, recounting to her therapist the road trip she had taken with her sister.

After Paige’s intervention- and long past everyone’s silent prayers- Annie had finally brought herself up and out of the house to speak with someone professionally. Dr. Georgia Connelly had somehow remained patient through Annie’s scepticisms and reluctance, even outbursts against opening up, and after long periods of calming persistence, Annie began to talk through things. About her grief for her mother and Finch; her guilt for her many destructive behaviours; her confusion and uncertainty over who she was as a person. Between the many periods of frustration, reclusion, and coldness, Annie had slowly began a journey of self-forgiveness and healing.

Though Annie still had her times where she struggled to get out of bed, let alone leave the house, her days of severe isolation and deprivation appeared to be behind her. Even to the extent where she had let Paige convince her to see the world with her. The trip certainly hadn’t been some soul-searching life-changing journey- with many long hours on the road, detours from getting lost in the cities, and occasional regret from questionable street food. But it had become a real turning point for Annie. She had laughed with Paige more than she had in a long time, rediscovered interests in the world around her, reigniting her love for the ocean and beaches, and even her times of frustration over small things- the whole thing had posed a perfect distraction for Annie and a reminder she was still capable of feeling.

“And then Australia was just, ah-” Annie couldn’t find the words, she had so many words and so many more feelings now, this moment being the epitome of that development. “Driving through the Great Ocean Road felt like nothing I’ve seen before at all and standing on Bondi Beach was so.. calming and surreal in ways I really haven’t felt before,” She continued, a pang of melancholy already sinking in at being away from that experience and being back at home. “Everything was just so new and different and… it made me feel like that too,” Annie expressed, before her tone began to shift, “Being back it’s like.. back where I started.”

Dr Connelly shifted in her seat, taking in what Annie had been saying, letting the silence sit as she made sure she was done before inputting. “It sounds like Australia really gave you something important. And coming back is natural to feel unsettled since coming back, and feeling the sharp contrast from discovering this new version of yourself to coming back,” She started, building up to something in her usual way, and Annie could never tell where she was going to go. “But coming back home is not the same as coming ‘back where you started’, it doesn’t undo all the progress you’ve made. That version of you is still in there. We just have to find ways to bring her out more,” Dr. Connelly continued, looking to Annie, “How can we bring parts of her to Beryl Heights Annie?”

Fvcking Beryl Heights. The town of all wrongdoings in her life. The community hall where their prom had been, and Annie had been wrongly accused and arrested for the murder of her friend. The roads that Annie crashed on, and forests that she had witness set alight. The hospital where her father had forgotten who she was. The school where… everything else happened. Even to think of this place cast a shadow over whatever hope and contentment she had began to feel at the start of this conversation. “I don’t.. I don’t think it’s possible,” She stammered after a while. “Not- not here.”

For a moment, Dr Connelly could only nod. She had heard all Annie’s tribulations at this point, and there was an understanding that some moments would stay unsettled for her. “Annie, what do you want to do with your life?” She eventually asked, a change in tone to mark the alternate route in conversation. Annie let out a breathy, non-smiling laugh, mainly in confusion. “What?” Was all she could come up with. “Your future. Have you thought about it?” She asked gently, “Do you want to work? Go back to school?”

Annie sighed in consideration, opening her mouth to speak before realising she had nothing. She looked up to the ceiling upon that realisation, stuck in silence as moments passed. “I don’t know,” Eventually slipped out, her eyes welling up, as some type of functional future had never been something Annie thought of as an option, as something that could happen for her. She hadn’t seen anything past her teen years, something that usually swayed her destructive behaviours and impulsive decisions. “I never…- I thought, I always thought it was too late. That I…-” Annie succumbed to her struggle, giving up her hunt for words, her reaction being telling enough.

“I understand, Annie. But it’s not too late for you. You’ve survived things that most people never have to face, but you still have your whole life ahead of you,” Dr Connelly told her in a delicate tone. “There is still so much you are yet to achieve and experience, so much that you with your strong-willed nature and determination are capable of.” She left a moment for that to sink in, before passing the conversation back to the subject. “What would it look like, if you allowed yourself to imagine something for yourself?”

＊✿❀ ❀✿＊

“Hell has frozen over,” Principal Klein exclaimed when he saw Annie Williams walk into his office on her own accord, at a time where it wasn’t obligatory for her to be at school anymore. Annie rolled her eyes in exasperation his comment. As much as Annie had changed now, and lost many parts of who she was during school, seeing the Principal managed to tug out that sarcastic nature she once used to embody. “I’m sure you’ve already alerted security,” Annie remarked dryly in a monotone voice, considering the probable truth in that statement.

After some hesitation and last-minute doubts, Annie finally took a seat in front of his desk. “Well.. it’s no secret that I couldn’t graduate,” She started, with a cautiously slow tone, facing the top of his head as Klein’s eyes were fixated on whatever it was he was writing. “And, you know, graduating is usually a good start for people hoping to go to college…” Annie continued, dragging it out slightly longer with apprehension on how this was going to be received. “Or people that want to get jobs, or be, like successful, and stuff…” Was the final drag before she got to the point - “And was wondering what I would need to do. To do that.” Annie concluded. Then came a period of silence as her words sank in.

“What you would need to do what?” Klein repeated after a while. “To graduate,” She clarified, suddenly catching his full attention. Now that she had it, Annie knew she had to say the full words to get the message across - and actually believable. “I want to graduate. I want to do.. what it takes for me to graduate,” She finally said. “If it’s not… too late for me,” Annie added, the tone of caution returning.

Though there was no response, the change in Klein’s actions was clear that his response was coming. The rapid typing and clicking at his computer went on for a few moments. Scrolling, clicking, scrolling again as Annie tapped her fingers against the desk, clicking as she looked around for something else to focus on. Then the sound of printing, Klein spinning in his chair, taking off his glasses and handing her the resultant piece of paper.

“These are the subjects you still need to pass to graduate,” He explained to her as he indicated to the list in front of her, his tone a matter-of-fact despite the scepticism, and possible amusement, he may be feeling at this situation. “You can take the finals in May,” Klein told her, before he leaned back in his chair. Annie took the paper, and with that the weight of this new responsibility for herself. “Good luck,” He said with questionable sincerity before Annie left.

＊✿❀ ❀✿＊

The following months had revolved around something Annie had never thought to do in her life - studying. She introduced herself to a library, her father had helped find her tutors for each subject she needed, and she buried herself in textbooks. It was challenging, at times overwhelming. But for the first time in a long time, Annie had motivation in life, her time was finally occupied with something and she had reason to get up in the morning. Her days were filled with purpose and the progress she was making, in every manner, encouraged her to continue. Annie had started to believe it wasn’t too late for her, she wanted more for herself, and had found a new desire to go to college. And for the first time in her life, it started to become a more attainable possibility.

Testament to the effort she had put in, Annie sat the exams in May and- to her own surprise- passed all that was needed of her. Albeit a year late, with her father, Justin, Kyra, and Paige in attendance for her, Annie Williams graduated from senior year. A celebration not only for her educational journey and success, but for herself too, and how far she had come, and proving to the masses who expected far less of her - including herself.

Weeks after this achievement, an email arrived for Annie encasing the acceptance of her place at the University of Sydney to study Social Work. Opened with shaky hands, read and reread multiple times with watery eyes, and shared to her loved ones with exhilaration. Suddenly, everything that seemed impossibly unattainable for Annie was starting to become closer to grasp. Australia. To escape and become the version of herself that she could see living beyond just bare minimal surviving.

＊✿❀ ❀✿＊

“Ria!!” Her flatmate, Amy called from the other room, before arriving at the doorway, flustered from rushing over. “Are you ready to go?”

Mariana had been at University for a few months now, and while she knew from the moment she arrived that this was the right choice, she was now just starting to find her rhythm. She had made a close circle of friends with people who didn’t know her as the troubled high school teen with a short fuse, but instead as Ria, a nickname from Amy that had quickly caught on and a good representation of this healthier and grown version of herself she finally felt proud of. Plus with the new-found work ethic from her finals, she had actually taken an interest in the course she was pursuing, and she could start to imagine the kind of life and profession she could go into.

She turned to her friend, grabbing her bag and joining Amy at the doorway. “So ready - whose house party are we even going to?” She asked as they made their way out of the flat. “A friend of Noah’s I think,” Hannah replied as they walked, a mischievous smile crossing her face despite Mariana’s attempts of no reaction. “Not Jack… though he’ll probably be there too–” “I didn’t even say anything!” “Okaaay. But it’s some guys who go to another uni I think. Who knows,” She explained before they joined their group that were waiting outside the building. “LETS GOOO the Uber is literally about to fvcking leave us.”

The house was slightly further out, in an area she hadn’t really ventured down before. Though the inside was familiar, as all uni parties looked the same. Crowded, messy, loud, and Mariana was happy to be right in the middle of it all, excited to be a part of something. “Amy, Ria! Hurry up I’m pouring shots!” Toby shouted, beckoning them to join him, Noah and Chloe around the kitchen where small cups awaited them. “What is your obsession with this orange sh!t, Toby?” Mariana exclaimed at the orange liqueur he always seemed to bring. “For real, petition for Toby to just drink vodka,” Chloe added with a laugh, her voice coming out a shout over the surrounding voices, “One of these days you guys will just get it,” Toby defended, rolling his eyes before raising his cup and raising it for everyone else to do the same, “Okay, 3, 2, 1!”

Winced expressions crossed all but Toby’s faces. “No that’s still bad,” Mariana confirmed before Noah’s arm outstretched in front of her, pointing and waving across whoever he’d spotted. “Guys we’re over here!” He shouted over, catching the attention of one from the group, who then led the rest of them their way. “This lot go to New South Wales, as well as probably everyone else here,” Noah explained as their circle expanded to make room for the new additions, before he began introducing them - one in particular joining that certainly needed no introduction.

＊✿❀ ❀✿＊

@benitz786 I FINALLY DID IT

Caticorn · 23 April 2025 23:30

A Love Story, Pt. 1 - 2018

La Vie en Rose - IZ*ONE

“Ya, Kim Da-Eun!”

“Wae?” Da-Eun reluctantly acknowledged her friend while trying to find the right orientation for the map on her phone. She was visiting the United States for the first time with her friends Ah-Reum and Bit-Na and they wanted to check out the nightlife. They had waited until they were all 21 in international age to visit for this exact reason.

“Eodiga?”

“Uh…mollayo.” She had more or less given up at this point, accepting that they were lost. In a city they were not familiar with. In a country where they barely spoke the language.

“Mwo?”

“Mollayo.”

“Ya!” Both Da-Eun and Bit-Na turned their heads toward Ah-Reum as she yelled out at them. “Jeogi namja-ui ireum-eun Park ieyo.” She told them, pointing to a group of guys. The girls argued for a minute about who was going to approach the men with Da-Eun losing because she was the one who got them lost in the first place.

“Excuse me, do any of you speak Korean?” She nervously asked in Korean, making eye contact with the one in the group who was most likely to be ‘Park’.

“This one’s all you, Park.” One of the other guys confirmed her suspicion when he shoved the one she had been looking at forward.

“Thanks, Bauer.” The man rolled his eyes. Da-Eun could tell from their accents that these men were American, which made it more likely that they could help them. “I do. My name is Michael, my Korean name is Park Min-Jun. Over there are Maxi and Andrei.” He introduced himself and his friends in Korean and a wave of relief washed over her.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Kim Da-Eun but my English name is Gabriella. My friends’ names are Kang Ah-Reum, or Steph, and Han Bit-Na or Clover.” She greeted in return, gesturing to her friends as she said their names. “We’re a little lost. We wanted to go clubbing.” She confessed, feeling embarrassed.

“Well, my friends and I were going to a bar if you want to join us.”

“We would love to.” Da-Eun responded without even consulting her friends.

“You and your friends do speak English, right? Because Max and Andrei do not speak Korean.”

“We understand it more than we speak it but we’re alright. Steph is the best.”

“Good enough.” Michael said before the pair joined their friends again. “Okay, gentlemen, this is Gabriella, Steph, and Clover. We’re going to buy them some drinks.” He told them, switching back to English while Da-Eun filled her own friends in on the plan.

“Sir yes sir.” Maxi replied with a fake salute which had inklings of his proper training poking through.

later that evening

“I think we might need to save your friend from Bit-Na.” Da-Eun chuckled as she sipped her third drink, watching as her friend continued to talk the ears off of Michael’s friend Andrei. At this point, she and Michael were on their third round, and Da-Eun hadn’t paid for a single drink.

"Honestly, it’s better if he’s not talking. Andrei can’t flirt to save his life.” He laughed, looking down at his drink before turning to her. “How long are you staying?”

“We’re staying here until the end of the week and then going to New York for a week.” She told him.

“Okay, good. Then I can see you again.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Da-Eun blushed. After clearing her throat, she asked the bartender for a pen, writing down her phone number and the name of the hotel she was staying at.

“Now you know where to find me.” She said before Steph came up and dragged her onto the dancefloor.

three weeks later

“Is he ever going to stop sulking?”

“Maxi.” He spoke calmly while pushing food around on his tray.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.” It had been two weeks since he had last seen Da-Eun and even though they kept in touch through text and video calls, it wasn’t the same as having her in the same city as him. Having timezones and sh*tty cell signal in the way sucked. And maybe it was not-so subtly having a physical effect on him.

“You’re an a*shole, but you have kind of been sulking for the past two weeks.” Andrei chimed in, addressing Maxi first and then Michael. By some miracle, his phone began to ring at just the right moment, and he excused himself to answer it, trying to hide his excitement as he saw the Caller ID.

“Yeoboseyo.” He answered, trying to seem calm and collected in the event that one of his superiors walked by. “Yeongeo-ro malhaedo gwaenchanayo?”

“Eo.” The line went quiet for a second. “So…I’m at the airport.”

“Wait, what? Which airport?”

“LAX.”

Michael almost dropped his phone and it was taking every muscle in his body to stop from openly reacting.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

After informing his friends that he would be going out, he went out to his car. The short drive from the base to the airport felt like an eternity but when he made it to the terminal and he saw her, time stopped. He stopped his car and ran towards her, lifting her off the ground as he hugged her.

In that moment, he knew he would never let her go.

meet the cast

Translations

Ya = hey
Wae = why/can also be used as ‘what?!’
Eodiga = Where are we going?
Mollayo = I don’t know
Mwo? = What?
Jeogi namja-ui ireum-eun Park ieyo = That guy’s name is Park
Yeoboseyo = Hello (on the phone)
Yeongeo-ro malhaedo gwaenchanayo? = Is it okay if I speak English?
Eo = yeah

Caticorn · 25 April 2025 00:12

As much as Embry hated to admit it, Paige was right. There were a million things that she could have done to find her again after she moved. She didn’t do any of them. She reached up and wiped the tears that were silently streaming down her face, suddenly feeling ridiculous for crying in the first place. Still, the girl’s words set off something inside of her.

“I gave up, okay?!” She snapped. She hadn’t meant for this to become and argument but that seemed to be the way it was going. “That happened and then I was trying to adjust and I had no one to talk to about it so I felt defeated and I gave up. But I never forgot you, Paige. I just want you to know that.” She continued, even though she could see Paige getting more and more fed up with her. Embry stood there frozen the first time she was instructed to get dressed, and then stumbled backwards to regain her footing as her clothing was shoved into her arms.

She didn’t have time to react before the girl picked up her phone and called someone named Zane to the room. Embry just stood there, confused, until a man walked through the door. The following exchange between him and Paige had Bry covering her mouth, holding back a gag.

“Absolutely f*cking not.” She whispered, disgusted as she quickly put her clothes back on. While Paige took this man to bed, she scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper and left it on the desk. “Call me when you’re ready to have a mature conversation” She spat as she collected the rest of her things, put on her shoes, and left, slamming the door behind her. The moment in the closet had been the highlight of Embry’s trip but this had soured it.

She walked down the hall to her own room, ready to put the encounter behind her, but also holding some hope that Paige would eventually come around.

@benitz786 - Paige

Caticorn · 20 June 2025 22:08

A Love Story, Pt. 2 - 2020

Feel My Rhythm - Red Velvet

The music was sweet, and the flowers smelled even sweeter as Da-Eun watched her friends walk down the aisle, waiting for the music to shift, signalling her entrance. When she heard her cue, she stepped forward and took her father’s arm, her smile growing as she saw her soon-to-be husband at the end of the aisle, wearing his formal mess uniform. On one side of the altar stood Ah-Reum and Bit-Na, her matron and maid of honour. On the other side stood Maxi, Michael’s best man, and a photograph of Andrei on an ornate easel with the inscription Andrei Napoleon Mirea, 1996-2020 on the white gold frame.

Two months before the wedding, Michael received a call that cast a dark cloud over the final stages of their wedding planning. Andrei had died while on deployment, two weeks before he was meant to return home. The funeral was held a week later, and even though Da-Eun had suggested to her fiancé that they postpone the wedding to give him time to grieve, he insisted that he wanted to go ahead as planned, with the condition that they honour his friend and the position he would have held in their wedding as one of Michael’s best men. Maxi and Ah-Reum had a different reaction in terms of their relationship. They had started dating a year after Michael and Da-Eun, but they quickly married in a small courthouse ceremony with their parents in attendance once they received the news about Andrei.

Once Da-Eun had reached the end of the aisle, she bowed to her father before he kissed her on the cheek and let Michael take her hand. He delicately lifted her veil once she had taken her place across from him and Da-Eun could see him tearing up as they made eye contact.

“You look beautiful, nae boseok.”

“Gamsahamnida.”

They began the ceremony by lighting a candle in memory of their lost loved ones, and then the officiant started. When they got to the vows, it was the bride’s turn to tear up. They gave their vows in Korean, deciding that it only mattered if they could understand them. Michael expressed his admiration for how to she stuck by him, even with the reminders of the worst that could happen in his occupation. Da-Eun responded by commending his commitment to his job and his family, telling him that she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

“Do you, Da-Eun, take Michael to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Michael, take Da-Eun to be your lawfully wedded wife?

“I do.”

“Then, without further ado, by the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

After officially marking their union with a kiss and running down the aisle, the couple changed, along with their wedding party, into the Hanboks they had made specially for this occasion. Diverting from Korean tradition, both Da-Eun and Michael wore white hanboks. After the first course had been served and eaten, Michael stood up, clinking his glass to get their guests’ attention.

“I’m sure you’re all tired of listening to me speak,” Michael started, sparking laughter among their guests. “, but I would like to propose a toast to Andrei Mirea. Andrei was like the little brother I never had, and his death left a void that I doubt will ever be filled. I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed his absence. He could brighten any room he walked into, which was something I always admired about him, especially given our line of work. I hope I’ll meet him again in the next life but until then, let’s raise a glass to Andrei.”

The entire room echoed with declarations of ‘To Andrei!’ and as Michael sat down, Maxi put his hand on his shoulder.

“That was beautiful, Minjun.” Da-Eun told her husband with a reassuring smile.

after dinner

Bet You Wanna - BLACKPINK ft. Cardi B

“Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming to the dance floor, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Park.”

The pair stood up and Da-Eun delicately placed her hand on top of her new husband’s so he could lead her to the middle of the dance floor. As the music started, he put his other hand on her waist, pulling her in close. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling herself surrounded by bliss and romance.

Next was the father-daughter dance and afterwards, the rest of their friends and guests flooded the dance floor. At the end of a night filled with dancing and way too many shots of soju, the newlyweds travelled to a hotel where they would spend their first night together as a married couple. Their honeymoon would commence two days later, and the week would eventually be immortalized in photo albums and video compilations as the time when everything was almost perfect.

the wedding vibes

translations

nae boseok - my jewel
gamsahamnida - thank you