In honor of just 50 days being left for pujo, I am here with a prompt for you!
Ethan seeing Diana in a saree for the first time. 💜
I want to know all about it!
Okay so Pujo is 5 days away, I know I know I am phenomenally late, but on the occasion of Mahalaya here's a little something I wrote, I hope you like it and let the pujo celebrations commence!
RANGI SAARI
Book : Open Heart (book 3 timeline)
Pairing : Ethan Ramsey x Diana Ramirez
Word Count : 530 words
Rating : General
Category : Fluff
Trope : N/A
Warning : None
Summary : It's his first time seeing her wearing a saari (traditional wear of women of Bengal)
A/N : This is extremely self indulgent but I finally wrote something after a million years, say you're proud of me 🥺 there's two bengali sentences, I'll translate them at the end❤
Sunlight pours in through the curtains of a room that holds memories. Memories of laughter, of tears, of first loves and first heartbreak, of the thrill of being here with the only one who matters. A double bed with sleep muddled bed sheets warm in the early autumn light, half illuminating the man currently asleep on the bed, unaware of the gentle storm that rages on in the rest of the house.
… … …
Downstairs is pandemonium, a storm of dark brown hair and feet tangled in clothes, of fresh wafts of a very familiar jasmine smell and laughter that once was common in the same hallways.
"Ma amar dul gulo kothay?" *
"Ghorei toh ache, bhalo kore khoj" **
Then there's a pattering of bare feet on stairs and the hurricane passes through, leaving calm behind.
… … …
When Ethan wakes, for a moment he tries to remember the place around him. Then his mind tries to make sense of the absence of Diana's warm body by his side.
Only after that does he notice the vision in red in the other end of the room. The one peering into the ornate mirror that takes up a fourth of the wall, as she puts on the gold earrings that glints in the early morning sunlight, catching rays and releasing them in the magic of the moment.
For a moment it's difficult to breathe, his mind going back years to those sleepless nights scrolling through her social media, going back years, staring at the unreality of her in her birthland's finery.
The next moment he finds his gaze drawn back to the tumbling dark brown hair that has fallen to her back, a single drop of water travelling across the smooth bronze of her exposed midriff, the sunlight that reflects in the depths of her brown eyes intensely concentrating on attaching the earring hoop.
Then she sees him and turns towards him.
The smile that she sends towards him is enough to make him forget breathing once again.
… … …
Like teenagers in the early blooming stages of love, they stare at each other, blinding impossible blue to the grounding storm of rain soaked browns.
Unaware of the hymns being chanted through the loudspeakers, holy words praising the goddess, floating through the air of an Indian autumn.
Neither speaks, their breathless smiles holding the other's heart in the cusp of their hands.
He drinks in the sight of her draped in red, she's a dream in his waking hours, beautiful, untouchable, warm, his.
She drinks in the sight of him in her childhood bedroom, sleep tousled hair, beautiful in the way he's completely hers.
He can't speak, drawn to silence by the sight of the woman he loves, so his voice comes out cracked when he utters, "You look-"
"Acceptable?", she jokes knowing damn well that it can't be further from the truth.
"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful", his voice is fervent, worshipping.
He slowly makes her way towards her, outstretched hand reaching to hold hers.
Once they meet, she squeezes his thrice, her signal of happiness only known to him.
He squeezes back.
They are perfectly, incandescently happy.
TRANSLATIONS
*"Ma amar dul gulo kothay?"
-> Where are my earrings mom?
**"Ghorei toh ache, bhalo kore khoj"
-> It's in your room, search carefully.
A/N : If you've read this far, I love you and I hope you are taking care of yourself, I have missed being active in the fandom with college hitting me like a freight train but now with vacations I'll have more time to be here.
CFWC Writer of the Month April 2022
HeadoverheelsforRamsey
Each month CFWC highlights one of our many talented fanfic writers and this month’s writer of the month is @headoverheelsforramsey ! We hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her work below!
The writer is selected randomly, and the criteria can be found on our navigation page.
Blog: @headoverheelsforramsey
How do you want to be known on Tumblr? Sruti
Quick Links:
BLOG
MASTERLIST
See More Below!
1- When did you start playing Choices? What's the first book you played?
2018! America's Most Eligible was the first one I played alongside High School Story.
2- When, and why, did you join Choices fandom?.
I have been a Choices player much longer than I have been in the Choices Fandom. In 2020 the pandemic hit and much like everyone I was bored to my core. Choices used to be my escape from the dreads of the real world, but I started wanting for more. I already used to follow a few Choices Instagram pages and one of them had posted a link to an Open Heart fic that took me straight to Tumblr. This hellsite wouldn't let me read it until I signed up hence I did so and read the fic then another, then another, and then another. That's how I started diving into the world of fanfiction and began lurking here.
3- How did you pick your URL name?
It was rather silly. So originally my username was : @headoverheelsforchoices this was when I used to lurk here and never dared to participate, but then I started seeing a lot of criticism about representation and stuff in general about Choices on Tumblr. Things about which I never gave much thought before joining the fandom and I couldn't call myself in love with Choices anymore. So I changed it to my current one which is @headoverheelsforramsey because he is my og, one and only grumpy husband. 😌
4- How long have you been writing fanfiction?
Surprisingly it's just about a year. Although I loved writing since my early teenage years whether it was for school or for just simple pleasure I didn't write fanfictions until Covid or Open Heart happened.
5- What is your favorite Choices book to write about?
I have only written for Open Heart and as far as I can see into the future it will very well be the only book I write for. Because with PB's downfall I doubt they'll be able to give us a story and love interest as brilliant as Open Heart or Ethan Ramsey.
6- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it or would you change anything about it?
This is kinda embarrassing 😅 but okay! My first fic was actually a 3 part mini-series "Your Love is Killing Me".
I won't say I love it and I won't say I hate it but what I will say is that I am pretty proud of it. Sure there are a lot of things I would like to change and a lot of places where I still cringe but that fic walked so that my recent works could fly. 😌
7- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?
It has to be a tie between Yeh Dooriyan ~ These Distances and Love The Way You Lie. These two are like two parts of my heart. These are my babies and my proudest creations I can never choose between the two. 🥺💜
8- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be, but it could use a little more love?
Hmm, I'll go with Envy & Desire. Personally, I didn't feel this was so special as to become my most popular fic and also become the fic for which I received the most notes for, but I guess beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder so I am extremely thankful for all the love on this fic.
Again I'll always go with Yeh Dooriyan ~ These Distances and Love The Way You Lie. Because I am hella proud of these ones and they could always use some extra love. 🥰
9- What is your specialty as a fanfic writer?
Angst with no happy ending or the fluffiest of fluff and there is no in-between 😂 This was first pointed out by an anon and since then I couldn't get it out of my head. Is this a good thing? No. Am I gonna keep on doing this? Probably yes. Sorry 🙈
10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?
This made me think a lot but I'll have to go with angst. What I have noticed over my journey as a writer is that fluff comes easily and naturally to me but I struggle with angst and since I like challenging myself I don't want to eliminate angst from my life. Does this make sense? Idk Idk 😂
11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MC’s or in your writing?
All. The. Freaking. Time. Meera is a hundred percent the better, smarter, sexier version of me. Whereas Lina is everything that I know I can never be. While I try to write Kevin and Noah in a way that I would like my boyfriends and husband to be. So all of them are just me divided into different personalities and I unabashedly live vicariously through them. 😌
12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?
Setting and a proper opening and closing of the story. Oftentimes I am writing my fics on one immaculate scene that came to me in the shower and forming a setting that leads up to the scene and then bringing the story to a conclusion is what takes the most out of me.
13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?
Yes, my series A(n) (Un)Fortunate Turn of Events and my series Rivals Turned Lovers. I have neglected them for far too long.
14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?
This really depends on who is asking. I did share a few of my works with my brother and I'd happily share them with my best friend. Basically, with people where I know there would be no judgments.
Again I'll say Yeh Dooriyan ~ These Distances and Love The Way You Lie because they are my proudest creations after all. 🙈
15- Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?
I believe every work I read since I first could, has in some way or other shaped me into the writer I am today because I also believe to be a good writer you have to be a good reader first.
As for fanfic writers, there are a lot of brilliant people in the fandom whose work encouraged me to try my hand at it. Two people whom I absolutely have to mention are @genevievemd and @mm2305. I am following Sara's work since I used to lurk around here and it was my happy place through the ups and downs of the pandemic. Mil hosted the May challenge of 2021 and whose prompt is what inspired me to create and post for the first time. So I'm forever grateful for these two amazing ladies! 💜
16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series?
Love The Way You Lie I can just imagine the drama this could bring! 😍
17- Do you write original stories?
Does a teenager scribbling in the back of her science notebook count? Then yes. 😂
18 - What other hobbies do you have?
I love to cook and I am a trained classical dancer.
19 - What’s your favorite emoji?
💜
20: BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).
This fandom was my favorite thing during the pandemic. And now that everything is slowly going back to normal I really thought I won't be able to keep up anymore. And sometimes I still fall behind but I always come back. This corner of the internet has become a home to me, waiting with open arms at the end of a tiring day. I am so incredibly grateful for each and everybody keeping this fandom alive and for everybody who has read and supported my works it really means the world to me. And a huge shoutout to @choicesficwriterscreations for this honor. 💜
Okay so I got a haircut today and while at the salon I got curious!
So who do you think does Ethan's hair? What about Bryce? Actually what tell me about everyone in the gang itself. 😂 What about the kiddos' hair when they are here?
Sorry if it's too much lol. 🙈
Love ya, bye! 💜
Lol I love this
I picture Ethan as someone who's very picky and then very loyal to who he goes to. So once he found a barber he liked back when he first moved to Boston, he's been going to the same guy since.
Before Natalie, Bryce had a regular stylist (I see him going to a cosmetologist instead of a barber idk why) but now that he's dating/married to one, Natalie does his hair.
Gen's stylist is Natalie. Always has been. And most of the gang goes to her now too.
Hello my dearest Bex, I know you're busy but without any pressure can I request 20 from the touching prompts for E and N?
Thank you so much! 💜
Hi babes! I love this one! Thanks for the ask! I picture this happening somewhere in Book 2 pre-attack, when the pining is strong with our favorite dorks. From this ask list.
20) bandaging/stitching up an injury
"What the hell happened to you?"
Ethan stared at Natalie's bleeding hand as she cradled it close to her chest, fear and concern flooding his body. He moved quickly towards her, already assessing the damage to her hand.
"It's nothing, Ethan, I'm fine," Nat tried to reason.
"The hell you are!" Ethan barked. Nat flinched at his tone and he immediately lowered his voice, regret lining his features. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to yell. I'm just-- I'm worried about you. See you hurt... it scared me."
Nat looked up at him. "Really?"
He gave her a small smile. "Yeah; come here, let's get you patched up and you can tell me what happened." He led her to the sofa in his office and grabbed a nearby first aid kit he kept on hand in case of emergencies.
Sitting down next to Nat, he began to clean the blood off her hand and assess the damage to her hand as she explained why her hand was bleeding in the first place. "We were at Donahue's just relaxing after work. And, there was this girl-- couldn't have been older than 21, maybe 22. And this dude kept harassing her, over and over. Wouldn't back off when kept saying no. And then he grabbed her and I just... I saw red. I couldn't stand back and do nothing anymore so I... I walked right up to him and punched him in the face."
Ethan coughed back a chuckle and wet a cotton pad with water before placing it on her open wounds. "That-- while admirable-- was probably not the best decision, Nat. He could have retaliated. Or he could sue."
Nat shook her head. "I doubt he'll even remember it, come morning. He was stupid drunk. And anyway, Reggie had my back and kicked the guy out of the bar afterwards. And the young girl's okay, in case you're wondering. A little shaken, but she'll be okay."
"I'm glad to hear it," Ethan said, nodding. With the wound cleaned, he looked over her hand and nodded. "Well, the good news is, your hand's not broken. It'll be bruised for a few days but if you keep it wrapped and clean, the wounds will heal up quickly. You'll want to ice it when you get home."
"Thanks," Nat said, quietly. She watched silently as Ethan gently spread some antibiotic ointment over her wounds then wrapped up her hand with gauze. She watched him work, his lips pursed and his eyes solely focused on his task. It was moments like this when she could see how he became the revered Dr. Ramsey. The gentleness and focus with which he worked was admirable and an incredible thing to witness.
She hadn't realized he had finished his work until he looked up and locked eyes with her. Her breath caught in her throat as they stared at each other for a long moment, neither wanting to break the bubble they had somehow created. She wished she could get lost in his eyes forever, be swallowed by them the way the ocean swallows a storm.
They were jolted back to reality by the sound of night shift staff walking by and talking. Ethan cleared his throat and looked down at their still entwined hands. "Erm-- you should be good to go. Let me know if your wounds worsen."
Nat nodded. "I- I will. Thanks." She stood from the sofa, fighting the feeling of longing she felt as the distance between them grew. "I- uh-- I should go. Thank you, for this," she said, holding up her now bandaged hand.
He stood as well and nodded. "You're welcome; try not to get into any more fights tonight."
Nat smiled and chuckled. "I'll do my best." She looked into his eyes for a long moment, her smile never leaving her lips. "Goodnight, Ethan."
"Goodnight, Nat," he said, watching as she left the office. His heart skipped a beat when she turned back to look at him one more time. And then she was gone, unknowingly taking his heart with her.
A/N: This took a weird turn but I hope you liked it anyway! 💙
Tags below the cut:
Tag List (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @genevievemd @jamespotterthefirst @paulfwesley @ethansdique @openheartfanfics @perriewinklenerdie @little-flowers-on-heaven @stateofgracious @coffeeheartaddict @liaromancewriter @potionsprefect @mm2305 @gryffindordaughterofathena @actuallybored @writer-ish @queencarb @takeharryandgo @lsvdw-blog @itsjustwinter @chaoticchopshopheart @ohchoices @maurine07 @oldminniemcg @parisa-kh @shanzay44 @uberamsey @izzyourresidentlawyer @adiehardfan @custaroonie @mia143 @a-crepusculo @takemyopenheart @toadfrog26 @quixoticdreamer16 @barbean @headoverheelsforramsey @natureblooms24 @jerzwriter @crazy-loca-blog @dorisz @thegreentwin @cryomyst @kalinahonore @choicesficwriterscreations
Aaaaah this is beautiful! Thank you so much for thinking of me, and for sending me this, my dearest friend. And, again, thank YOU for bringing Ethan and Meera into this world 🤍 You are hella awesome and I love you, babe!
Thank you so much for this, Sruti! It’s so beautiful and I am once again blown away by your talent. Thank you, also, for all the kindness, support, and joy that you bring to this fandom❤️❤️❤️
