#beth convo

[heyshewritesthings]

To Make Me Better

@troublesomemix

Elizabeth had everything under control, she always had everything under control. Sure, she would have much rather have done something productive with her doctorate instead of being married and if she had to have gotten married, she would have preferred someone that wasn’t Gabriel and wasn’t now the princess of a country with a shoddy history and shaky political standing, but she could manage. She could even manage the bitch of a sister in law that she had. No, everything was always under control. 

But she had to crack, at least sometimes. Beth prided herself on her stiff upper lip of British civility, the ability to always be cool and collected, but every so often that slipped away. Today was going to be a long day to celebrate Rosalind’s birthday, starting with a parade to celebrate the queen herself. There were too many people there for Elizabeth’s taste, having had to always have a fake smile and a wave as they rode along and pretending she didn’t see all of the dirt and grime she wanted so much to take care of. Next was the luncheon with all of the high profile ladies of court. Rosalind thrived on making her life miserable, on trying to stomp on Gabriel and Beth every chance she got and Elizabeth thought she was fairly good at brushing them aside. It was easier to avoid her targets when it was just a few people, but no one wanted to go against the queen on her birthday so less. So, Beth was stuck pretending to be subservient and only making soft little quips in between bites she didn’t want to take. And then there was that rumor spread that Gabriel may still be partaking in some of Quentovic’s earthly pleasures, which would be an interesting conversation that would definitely turn into a fight. Today, after everything, all of Rosalind and her stupid court were too much. There was still the ball tonight as well. 

According to her time table, Elizabeth had twenty minutes to do whatever she wanted before she had to get ready for the ball. Twenty minutes was plenty of time for a mini break down. Resting her head on the cool tile of the bathroom sink, Elizabeth didn’t cry, no that was far too emotional for her manners, but she shut her eyes and took several deep breaths to encounter her emotions and then push them away as she was known to do. A timer would let her know when she had to get up. 

Eleven minutes and forty eight seconds left and she heard the door open. Her eyes opened slightly, enough to see her husband in the mirror and she shut her eyes again with a heavy sigh. They had private bathrooms for a reason, “What are you doing here?” 

[madam-tay]

First Meetings && Final Marriages

@handfuloftroublemakers

Elizabeth wasn’t an idiot, but she was (most assumed) a lucky bastard. Many assumed that Elizabeth wasn’t actually her father’s daughter, given her mother’s extended period in Quentovic before her birth, but at the end of the day she refused to let those rumors matter. Instead, what mattered was that she graduated early from her A-levels and that by the time she entered university she could play two instruments and speak another language. What mattered was that she had gotten her law degree from Harvard and her doctorate from Oxford. What mattered was that, despite her father and mother having been raised in the lap of luxury they raised her to be resourceful and make her own choices. She was a quoted bleeding heart and an unknown force to be reckoned with. 

But she wasn’t an idiot. She knew Queen Rosalind wouldn’t think of her as a force to be reckoned with. Elizabeth assumed the woman merely saw her as a bleeding heart, as someone who would be so affronted by slavery that she’d get overwhelmed. She assumed that Rosalind thought her as too feminine to be feminist and would simper under Gabriel’s thumb. 

No, Elizabeth wasn’t an idiot. She had done her homework the second she learned that her grandfather had decided her fate. 

So Elizabeth decided to play into expectations as best as she could, to keep Rosalind appeased and docile. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun, her dress was floor length, with less that covered her neck and arms and a long train behind her. Her future sister-in-law had dictated their colors, lime green and pink, but she had snuck in some purple earrings to make a point.

The walk down the aisle was slow, looking at her blush bouquet and briefly at her to-be-husband. He was handsome, she would certainly admit that, but that didn’t settle the nerves in her stomach. She refrained from touching his hand until the first kiss, holding his hand and smiling politely as they walked out. It wasn’t until they got into the car that Beth felt like she could finally take a breath, her nerves getting the better of her. “Well, that was a jolly good time, wasn’t it?”

[madam-tay]

[Open to m/f/nb friends and lovers]

“You’re awake!” Elizabeth’s voice was still a whisper, a copy of Shakespeare’s Completed Works on her lap. It was the only thing that could distract her at a time like this. It had been just the two of them in the hospital room, a few friends and family members visiting occasionally and the nurse here or there, but it had been primarily her on the chair waiting for signs of life aside from a beeping of a machine. 

[madam-tay]

@curiositykilledthekerouaccat 

Everything had a time and a place and Elizabeth was well aware of that fact. She had always advocated recognizing that time and place in her students and making rational and informed decisions. She was even an advocate for interdisciplinary studies, merging history, current events, and English literature. Right now, however, she didn’t think her students were aware of those times and places and she did not appreciate it. Being questioned by a teenager who thought that they knew more than her was, frankly, ridiculous. 

As soon as the forty minutes was up, she found herself walking down the linoleum halls and into the familiar office. Looking at the very tall and muscular man, she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame so she could seem a little more authoritarian. She didn’t mind Scott’s habit for bleeding his political beliefs in the classroom, mostly, but she didn’t appreciate ruining her instruction. “Can you explain to me why April Swanson spent the majority of my class trying to tell me that I cannot teach The Great Gatsby because it represents patriarchal overtones?” 

[heyshewritesthings]

Having a Ball

@gervaistheyounger sent in a meme

send me a ⛴ for a shippy starter based on a randomized number (1-10) from the following list. (some could become NSFW, please specify if you only want SFW.) Our muses are drunk and goofing around, when one of them decides to kiss the other.

Normally, Elizabeth remained professional and uptight at all times. She didn’t like to let loose for fear of what could happen if she did. Situations were better when she could control them. Drinking went completely against that. Today, though, she wasn’t sure what happened. A few too many glasses of champagne after a long day of work left her tipsy in her three inch heels. Her cobalt dress hugged her body, an attempt to show up Rosalind (though the sleeves made her feel better), but it made it harder to walk with her impaired status. Luckily, she had a big and strong husband with her (who may not love her like an actual husband and wife, but whatever) who she clung to to help keep her up. He was talking with somebody, somebody she didn’t really care about. Somebody he didn’t care about either. She had the solution, so she pulled at his face with her free hand and kisses him, deeply. Let Rosalind take a good look at that. 

[ongasolinc]

Beth shook her head slightly a small smile resting on her pinked lips. “Ya know ya sound absolutely ridiculous right now right?” she teased before reaching up to push a blonde curl from her face. “Is this some Yank thing or somethin’?” delusioncl

[ongasolinc]

“Oh me god, what the bloody hell are ya goin on about?” The blonde asked as her blue eyes rolled slightly. “Ya givin me a headache jus talkin, bloody hell.” bvrninghovse

[ongasolinc]

“Look at her Ricky, she’s fuckin’ beautiful.” the blonde remarked as she looked down at the little bundle in her arms. Her eyes turned to look up at him, unable to keep the smile off her face. “She’s all ours and she’s beautiful.” xxfarawaylandrpxx