claw your heart out

his most preened and proper and educated self told him to chill, bid on some art, maybe have a drink. and then the former bullingdon club member told him to not chill, destroy some art, break some bottles because nobody needed to be drinking watered down and far too expensive bubbly gasoline. and he’d come with ivana –– so he really was trying to be on his best behaviour. taking a sip of his bubbly gasoline, sarmad studied the painting in front of him –– as you do –– his boredom was interrupted by a familiar voice and a smirk on his own lips. 

“ why, were you keeping an eye out for me? ” he teased, glancing over at her ; an eyebrow raised in question. they rarely, if ever, saw each other out of the office. but now here they both were. “ so how’s your night going, wilson? see anything you like? ”

Head shook at his question and while she keeps her expression deadpan, there’s no denying that she was already enjoying this conversation more than she had any of the others so far. “No, not this time. I’m off duty so there’s no need to babysit you to make sure you don’t do anything you shouldn’t.” Tone had turned playful towards the end, an deniable challenge laid down before him. Moments later she’s shrugging, somewhat in disinterest and somewhat in feigned nonchalance, before her gaze is fixed on the painting in front of them. “Well enough I suppose. The art’s beautiful but I won’t be bidding.” Sip of her drink is taken before she shoots him a glance out of her corner of her eye, still facing the painting as a smirk tugs at her lips. “Someone doesn’t pay me enough.”

Gaze flickers over him for a moment, trying to keep her expression assessing rather than appreciative though she’s not sure she manages either. “I like the outfit, by the way.” Maybe she should have just left it there, within professional boundaries, but they weren’t at work. This time there was no distance to preserve and she’d never been one to not say what she was thinking without good cause. “You look good.” 

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?

To an extent yes. She’s not all that content with her career, knowing that somewhere along the lines she’s almost definitely sold herself short. Or at the very least gotten too comfortable in an assistant's position when she should be pushing herself into something else. She had a really happy childhood and that’s perhaps still her happiest times, the simplicity of it all. But she’s never been someone who measures their life solely in happiness. It’s taken into account and she will alter things if she’s too unhappy but generally progress is what Beth is critical of in her life. 

L: How often do they post on their social media accounts?

Almost always everyday. Not so much actual posts on instagram but her story is always full of things she’s shared from other activists and influencers ( think some Florence Given and Munroe Bergdorf but add more ). Twitter is where she is most active and I would like to think it has some serious AOC vibes, if anyone else could be that amazing. She doesn’t post that many pictures when it’s a public account but when she does they’re mostly faceless - she tends to get tagged rather that post. She also has a YouTube account where she tries to upload a video once every two weeks talking all things political. 

I: In general, are they organized or messy?

Organised, sometimes painfully so. 

Z: What time does their end usually end?

She doesn’t have a hugely strict schedule, her day is done when she has accomplished the tasks when she set herself really. Generally she doesn’t get that tired and can get through with only a few hours sleep but if there’s been a run of late nights she’ll always 

A: Who are their exes? Do they still keep in touch?

Beth has three main exes: - her girlfriend from the summer before she went off to university that she still hooks up with sometimes when she goes home to. They always knew it was going to be a temporary thing and so it’s mostly still chill. - her university boyfriend, Hugo is just all around the worst - Oliver who started as something casual but the two of them inevitably caught feelings. But he helped somewhat restore her faith in dating and they’re mature enough to still hook up.  That’ll be a ‘hell no’ for Hugo and a ‘hell yes, still hit’ that for Oliver.

B: Who is the last person they shared a bed with?

Probably Aziza ( after one of their wine nights that end up in a cuddle puddle ) or a one night stand. Most likely Olly after the event.

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?  

answered above

T: How quick are they to cry?

A lot quicker than she would like to be really. Not that she’s particularly quick to cry but Beth would rather she didn’t cry in front of anyone at all. They generally tend to be tears of frustration rather than sadness but she hates that whenever an argument in her personal life gets too heated, the tears start flowing. 

H: Who texts/calls them the most?

A: Who are their exes? Do they still keep in touch?

Aurélie doesn’t have any exes of note unless she counts her brief week long romance with the former crown prince of Morocco when she was eight. Her status meant that she didn’t really dabble in anything that wasn’t serious, preferring to focus on her schoolwork and future. Then she met Alexandre and couldn’t imagine herself with anyone else, even when they were still just friends.

U: Would they rather be single or in a relationship?

She’s been with Alexandre almost a decade and she most definitely wouldn’t be without him. Their relationship is extremely important to her and she doesn’t even want to contemplate not being with him. Before him she wasn’t all too concerned with dating because of all the media interest but she’s a romantic at heart and so would probably always gravitate towards being in a relationship regardless.

R: When’s the last time they had a birthday party?

Her last big on would have been her thirtieth at the insistence of her cousins. But for all she’s used to the public eye, Aurélie would always rather not be the centre of attention, unless it’s for a good cause. Instead she’d much rather be the person throwing or planning the party for someone else.

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?  

Yes, without question. Considering there was a time when she wasn’t sure that she’d ever be happy again, she’s immensely pleased with the progress she’s made. She has the perfect family that brings her so much joy, a husband that she adores and a job that makes her feel so fulfilled. There isn’t really anything more she needs or wants other than for her children to grow up happy and her friends and family to get what they want out of life.

L: How often do they post on their social media accounts?

Her public instagram and twitter are pretty heavily monitored and mostly run by staff. She doesn’t really use social media a lot but she does use snapchat & whatsapp ( or it’s equivalent tbh ) a lot to keep in touch with her friends and family.

I: In general, are they organized or messy?

As organised as a mother of two young children can be! She does a pretty good job of keeping things in order but between her children, her foundation, public engagements and then Monegasque politics, things can quite easily slip. She’s very grateful to have a team around her who help her keep a handle on things when it gets a little too hectic.

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?  

T: How quick are they to cry?

Pretty slow really. He’s used to having a pretty good handle on his emotions but even then crying isn’t even something he’d want to do. If he was going to express any emotion freely, it’d be joy and he’s generally pretty good at finding something joyful in any situation. Spoiler alert: he will definitely cry when him and Fiona have children.

H: Who texts/calls them the most?

Fiona, almost definitely. He hears a lot from his mum and sister too though but he’s in almost constant contact with his fiancee at any given moment. 

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?  

He’d definitely like to think so and Fiona is a huge part of that. He’s always been daunted by the notion of becoming King and having to find himself a Queen but with his fiancée he finally feels more at ease with it all. It’s taken the pressure off him somewhat and now he has a partner in it all, support throughout and someone to be by his side throughout it all.

O: How much have they changed in the past five years?

Not all that much really. He’s always been pretty well rounded and responsible. That aspect of him has stayed the same really. The one big change in his life has obviously been Fiona and their relationship. So he’s now very content and it’s made him that little bit more sure of himself, he doubts his choices and the impact they might have less when he knows he’s picked the right person to be by his side.

D: What time does their day usual start?

It depends on the commitments he has on for the day but generally he’s a morning person and an early riser without any prompting. He can roll out of bed quite happily around 6am and start his day then.

O: How much have they changed in the past five years?

answered above

R: When’s the last time they had a birthday party?

C: If they had to pick one sport to play/watch which would it be?

She enjoyed playing hockey at school but since university hasn’t really played any team sports. She runs a couple of times a week to stay fit and burn off some energy but when it comes to watching sport, rugby is her favourite. She doesn’t bother with the premiership but she does watch the Six Nations in her favourite pub, the atmosphere is always electric. 

R: When’s the last time they had a birthday party?

The last big on would be her thirtieth but she tends to throw herself some sort of party every year. It’s a good excuse to get all her favourite people in a room together and she goes with a different theme every year just to keep people on their toes.

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?

Definitely. She finally has her dream job and is feeling fulfilled in all aspects of her life. Things feel very much as they should for her with everything having slotted into place a few months ago. It feels as though she has everything she’s ever wanted and more, not to mention that she thinks the only way is up from here. 

S: How do they tell someone they’re sorry?

The word sorry isn’t one that leaves her lips particularly easily. She’s pretty stubborn, so much so that she struggles to even admit that she’s wrong. But she does tend to apologise in her own way, a cup of tea and a biscuit brought or doing something else nice for them. More of a peace offering really than an actual apology. Félix tends to be the exception when she’d never want her pride to get in the way of their relationship. 

S: How do they tell someone they’re sorry?

answered above.

I: In general, are they organized or messy?

A bit of both. She tends to be a bit of a whirlwind and can be guilty of leaving something of a trail of destruction in her wake, however, she does tend to clear it all up again within a day. Her work stuff is always immaculately organised, she takes her job seriously. 

D: What time does their day usual start?

At a very reluctant 7am. She’s not a morning person, never has been, especially not now when there’s nothing she’d rather do than spend a lazy morning in bed with Félix. But it’s all in a day’s work so to speak and so she grins and bears it with copious amounts of tea, coffee or any other form of caffeine. 

A: Who are their exes? Do they still keep in touch?

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?  

answered here

L: How often do they post on their social media accounts?

Pretty irregularly to be honest. It generally depends on what she’s doing and how busy she is with work.If she’s somewhere beautiful then there will be some scenic shots or if she looks great she’s not shy of putting some thirst traps up. All her profiles are private bar her twitter account, which is mostly just used to tease upcoming headlines.

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?

answered here

N: Are they clumsy and/or prone to accidents?

Not at all. She’s always put together and far too with it to lose track of her surroundings long enough to be accident prone.

A: Who are their exes? Do they still keep in touch? 

A: Who are their exes? Do they still keep in touch?

S: How do they tell someone they’re sorry?

W: Would they be starstruck if they met a celebrity?

C: If they had to pick one sport to play/watch which would it be?

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?  

J: What is their most irrational fear?

SPELL A WORD IN MY ASK BOX AND I’LL TELL YOU…

Alternatively - put an * in my askbox and I’ll pick a muse

A: Who are their exes? Do they still keep in touch? B: Who is the last person they shared a bed with? C: If they had to pick one sport to play/watch which would it be? D: What time does their day usual start? E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?   F: Have they ever had a one night stand?  G: What was their first job?  H: Who texts/calls them the most?  I: In general, are they organized or messy?  J: What is their most irrational fear?  K: What’s their Youtube suggestions look like?  L: How often do they post on their social media accounts?  M: When’s the last time they talked to their mom?  N: Are they clumsy and/or prone to accidents?  O: How much have they changed in the past five years? P: What are their thoughts on going vegan? Could they do it? Q: Do they have a good luck charm they often have with them?  R: When’s the last time they had a birthday party?  S: How do they tell someone they’re sorry?  T: How quick are they to cry? U: Would they rather be single or in a relationship?  V: They’ve been arrested, who is their one phone call to?  W: Would they be starstruck if they met a celebrity?  X: What’s a song that is always stuck in their head?  Y: What movie could they watch over and over again?  Z: What time does their end usually end? 

“ oh, hey –– you look hot, ” antony called out, trying to whistle but honestly, he’d just never learnt how to. taking a drag of his cigarette ( nasty habit –– don’t smoke, kids ), he chased it down with another bite of macaron and sighed. really loudly. and really obviously. lest anyone think he wasn’t angling for a bit of whining. “ escaping my dad and my fiancee, ” he replied around a sip of his drink. he held the thing out to her, just in case she wanted some. parties he could do ; orgies he could do ; the odd black tie event, sure. but bidding on art wasn’t his cup of cordial. the orange kind, obviously. antony like pretty people and pretty clothes and pretty things, but the charity gala was all of that and none of that at the same time. “ what about you? have any fun tonight? ”

“Thanks. You scrub up nicely yourself.” Appreciative smile was sent his way before cadence took a conspiratorial edge, leaning in slightly as she spoke. “Just don’t tell anyone this is about four seasons old.” She would never be able to justify spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothes she’d only wear once. Brow rose at his reply, sympathy in her gaze but wry smile on her lips. “A double whammy, huh? Can’t say I blame you. Don’t worry, my lips will be sealed if anyone asks if I’ve seen you.” Usually she might have turned the drink down but instead she takes it with a flash of a grateful smile, small sip before she answers him. “Yes and no. The venue is amazing and you know I like anything that involves money going to a good cause. But -” She shrugged slightly, figuring he knew her well enough to fill in the blank she left hovering in the air.