#/* ...why do I feel like Ed has a weird relationship with films thanks to his upbringing Ed. Buddy. Can you be normal about anything? */
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not-that-dillinger · 5 months ago
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Ed curled his fingers lightly around Jet's, the sensation of warm hands in his grounding. He turned to Jet, focusing intently on his eyes.
"I--" even at a whisper, his heart raced and his breath caught in his throat, his voice too loud in his own ears.
He wasn't sure how to answer, even if he could.
He'd never really been one for movies, even before he started at Encom, and now that he spent most of his day staring at a computer screen, staring at another screen during his free time was more likely to cause a migraine than help him relax. Today Ed needed the distraction.
He glanced at the stack of DVD cases on the TV stand. Most of them were an eclectic collection of telenovellas, Bollywood, French, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic films that had once belonged to Hjordis, though Ed did enjoy them when she convinced him to watch them with her. Of the ones that were his were the complete series of Columbo, Deep Space Nine, and the original Scooby-Doo series, The Dead Poets Society, The Goonies, The Princess Bride, Twister, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jumanji, three different productions of Les Miserables, and several Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes adaptations.
...Ed wasn't sure he had a favorite.
He had to answer Jet's question. Saying he didn't have one was just... weird.
...There was a Bollywood film he'd seen recently on a whim that reminded him of one of the ones Hjordis had liked.
Three Idiots is good, he gently tapped in Morse Code on Jet's hand.
Ed... didn't quite hear Jet, too lost to his panicked thoughts to really process anything, though warmth of Jet's forehead on his seemed to pull him out of it slightly.
He glanced around for the puzzle book, though even that didn't seem to successfully divert his attention this time.
#/* ooh I can definitely see Alan enjoying Star Trek the Motion Picture! */#/* my personal headcanon is his favorite is The Day the Earth Stood Still */#/* Specifically the original 1951 film; he was really excited for the remake took everyone to go see it */#/* Everyone there was witness to a dissertation length/quality rant about how it was an insult to the original afterward */#/* (If you have not seen it... that's where 'GORT KLATUU BARADA NIKTO' hanging in Alan's office in the first Tron film comes from) */#/* related headcanon: Alan has a grumpy old grey cat named Gort. Probably a Ragdoll or Maine Coon */#/* Not sure when this thread takes place but assuming before 2010 */#/* the three versions of Les Mis is not anachronistic though */#/* they are: the 1978 and 1998 films and the production Ed a part of in college that Hjordis snuck a recording of */#/* not mentioned in the DVD collection: Hjordis's recordings of every other play Ed was a part of gifted to him at graduation */#/* they are both one of Ed's most prized possessions and something he would die of embarrassment if anyone discovered */#/* (which is to say someone should bring them up at some point) */#/* ...why do I feel like Ed has a weird relationship with films thanks to his upbringing Ed. Buddy. Can you be normal about anything? */#/* Jet: Asks a completely normal and harmless question */#/* Ed: *internal panic* (*sigh* at least he's not panicking over what's going on at Encom anymore) */#/* Also on the TV stand: the rulebook for AD&D 2E and the complete set of rulebooks for Traveller */
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bbodysnatchers · 3 years ago
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Tbh if you actually like answering early fandom questions I have like a million (btw it’s me again from the last 2)
You mentioned before that you were kind of out of the fandom by Danger Days but do you remember what the reaction was when Gerard talked about drinking again?
Did many og fans stick around or did they really turn on the band? Like I know you said bullets ppl hated revenge but did it grow on them eventually?
What did ppl think when Gerard and Lynz married???? That one I really want to know bc when I was newer in the fandom everyone kissed her ass like crazy and it seems like ppl have only recently realized she and msi aren’t the greatest.
Ok! Hey!!!! I kind of love you for all of these btw. this is gonna be LONG. SO yes, I was totally out of fandom at that point. However, I do follow a few blogs and I remember when the article was posted where he talked about his struggle with an ED and starting to drink again during DD. Personally, I was kind of. In shock? I didn't realize how much he was struggling at the end of it tbh. I think it also took a lot of older fans out a little bit too. It kind of made him a tangible human being rather than this formative icon we idolized. Saying that sounds awful. But at the beginning, because there was no social media, we had NO idea what the guys were actually like irl. They were human, obviously, but they were people we had put on a pedestal and we could project onto them, y'know? We had interviews and such, but the first glimpse we got into ~the real them~ was LOTMS, which was a highly edited version of the truth that fell into the stereotypes we kind of built. It glossed over Gerards addiction pretty rapidly. Reading his struggle at the end of MCR and DD broke my heart. This band did SO much for me, and a lot of us, but we never took into account how much it was taking from them or Gerard. That's all I can really say about it? Like I said, I wasn't in the fandom. So this was mostly my perspective. No one turned on the band. I think we just kind of grew up and started experiencing new things. Our interests change and merge as we get older. Some things I got from being an MCR fan stuck with me forever - i.e, my love of horror films and graphic novels, as well as my forever love of the guys. But the music wasn't what I needed anymore, yknow? I have diagnosed avoidant personality disorder, and severe depression as a result. My Chem helped me feel seen when I felt totally fucking invisible. It helped me form lasting friendships. I'm still friends with people I met in line to their shows in 2005, and on myspace. As I turned 19-20, my sadness started feeling more melancholy rather than anger. I listened to a lot of The National around then, and started getting seriously invested in film as a way of escapism. In regards to people hating revenge - I think a lot of people either left or stuck around for good. You can go back on old lj entries on the chemicalromance comm and read peoples reaction to Revenge songs. They hated how manufactured it sounded, hated how clean Gerards vocals were, HATED I'm Not Ok - thought it was too commercial for what they were prior. As someone who got into the via Revenge, it actually took some time to get used to the sound of Bullets! ALRIGHT. Ok. GERARD MARRYING LINDSEY. I wish I could figure out how to add a cut to tumblr now but IDK OK.  SOOO. Some background that y’all know but is needed for context. Gerard was in a LONG TERM relationship for YEARS with someone named Kat. No one has ever EVER seen her. Gerard only talked about having a girlfriend, thanked her in notes, and she is mentioned by some reporters sometimes (as goth looking). They break up. Gerard is ~technically~ single for like. a fuckin MONTH. then Eliza shit starts up (even tho she was alluding to being with him for fukin EVER). She fakes a pregnancy, they get engaged (around I Don’t Love You), shit was WILD. like BALLS TO THE WALL INSANE. I can go way way way more into this if y’all are interested just lemme know. THEY BREAK UP around the beginning of Pro Rev. Ok. OK. Within like. another fukin MONTH Gerard is seen MAKING OUT WITH LYNZ FROM FUCKIN MSI. They go to each others shows, seen holding hands ETC ETC. LIKE. THIS DUDE. This dude who had a LONG TERM GIRLFRIEND WE NEVER EVER SAW suddenly has had TWO PUBLIC RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SPAN OF NOT EVEN A YEAR.  also btw. We ALL thought he was gay, no fukin joke. Like I was saying earlier about not having any social media. We had an idea of what the guys were like from their stage personas and LOTMS. And like. Gerards Stage Persona is Loud. We thought Eliza mightve been a beard? Idk it was a weird time tbh.  BUT THEN THEN T H E N G AND L GET MARRIED????>>????? THEY HAD BEEN DATING A M ON TH. a MONTH. and they got fuckin MARRIED. The conspiracy theories, y’all, I can’t. IT WAS INSANE.  SO DUDE GETS ENGAGED TO SOMEONE, BREAKS UP, MAKES OUT WITH BASS PLAYER FROM MSI AND GETS MARRIED TO HER. ALL WITHIN T H R E E MONTHS.  goddamn.  So, ok. Last bit. Unfortunately the attitude towards language and WAS different back then. I know a lot of younger fans shit on older fans for saying so, but it WAS. It was totally different. MSI were seen as ~too cool, and their fans were pissed they went on tour with My Chem, etc. I wasn’t a fan, but I had seen them live a few times with a friend who was (not on Pro Rev). They just weren’t my thing and I hated Urines face. My friend who was actually a huge fan of BOTH msi and my chem separately was SHOCKED that G and Lindsey got together because their band and their vibes were so different. People mostly thought Lindsey was hot at the time but didn’t know anything about her, cuz again, no social media. Like, I cannot stress enough how much about these people we did not know. No one cared about their social lives or what they were like irl so we DIDN’T know how gross Urine and crew were. Like. A Huge factor as to why people were pissed and mad at Eliza was because she was making something Gerard obviously wanted to keep private into a public thing for attention and clout. Also, when he was being SO public with Lindsey it was shocking. Anyway I h8 msi. 
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youranxiousnerd · 3 years ago
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The Transformation Thoughts
bc hsmtmts said gay rights
spoilers below
yesss seb doing the recap
wait did seb just say he was crying?!?! give him a hug 
cow baby!!!
wow miss jenn and seb having a civil conversation
Natalie is back!!
ej and ricky with the mask
kourtney’s outfit!!!
ashlyn’s outfit...
ahh so the awards and the show are separate, good, that’s how it works
RICKY’S SHIRT!?!?!?! 
i love it
ricky is lgbt do not try to convince me otherwise
ASHLYN IS SINGING IT IS BEAUTIFUL
like pop off
ricky and the mask
that mask is the true villain in season 2
“Belle, I-” flops
Ashlyn is carrying the scene, she is such a good Belle
how is ricky allowed on stage oh my god
the cap
that damn mask
“It’s okay, it was just my face”
Miss Jenn is hanging on by a thread
finally some ashlyn and ricky content
“Which they will” buddy have you faced the music? Have you seen Ricky?
“I think I might have been playing Troy at one point”
Miss Jenn needs help from someone who isn’t a teenager
“Mother is freaking out” High school theater at it’s finest
“There is math involved”
“OH” 
sassy seb
i can’t with east high’s tech crew, what are you doing?!?!
and why are the actors figuring out the tech stuff?!? i’m sure kourt, big red, ashlyn (she knows all), and seb (he lives on a farm) know what to do. 
the crew cannot be that bad
btw here are my thoughts on this scene
guys it is ashlyn’s house not yours
portwell shoulder bump
ASHLYN I LOVE YOU
OH SO NOW YOU HAVE DRILLS
WHERE WERE THEY WHEN THE TECHIES STARTED USING GLUE ON PLYWOOD!?!?!?!
I WANT ANSWERS
i. cannot. with. this. show.
lily wtf
“is this too weird” yes
like why?
lily like actually shut up
big red’s “wtf”
let her be evil damnit
“i’m just not well liked here” i wonder why
that was really weird, anyways
“he gets weird around tools”
me too
no give big red the drill he knows how to use it
someone write a fic about the girls and seb’s chaotic target run
why don’t you have a blackout and dramatic music and lights for the transformation, i know it isn’t award level but if done right it can be pretty dope
“I don’t know if my parents will be okay with me being at a co-ed sleepover”
“Chip, this is your mother speaking, go call your mother”
HE DID THE FINGER GUNS
GAY TABLE SIT AND FINGER GUNS THEY DID THEIR RESEARCH
ashlyn’s bucket
CARLOS GAY TABLE SIT
OH MY GOD
they’re so gay soulmates
let big red have his skateboards
“i need to talk to seb at some point but it can wait” honey no it can’t wait seb is on the verge of a breakdown
wait they havent talked in a week
Im a hypocrite ive been dancing around someone for three years
“You’re still at school”
“I’m worried about my children” “She means us”
such a high school theater thing (like i got married during high school theater, we had a family tree)
“ah, Sebby”
“Now I’m pretty sad” give him a hug
the girls ship seblos
“But, I guess he has to be, out of default, right... there’s not a lot of choices for a boy like Carlos, here, at East.”
alright here come the tears 
why...why couldn’t he say “gay” or “queer” or “lgbt”?!?!
“Not so good at saying the feelings part out loud”
shiz that hit close to home. 
Seb is just making me cry today, isn’t he?
wait so we’re just going to change the subject? coming from a queer person, opening up about your problems about your sexuality is hard. like, there are things that happened years ago im just telling people. 
“You’re my sister, he’s my cousin”
it seems everyone except nina knows about the chocolates. imagine gossip time when gina told people write a fic
Nini just stop talking. It wasn’t a big deal, simple mistake. Not everything has to be big and dramatic
and wasn’t she just asking about Gina and Ej? 
Nini for the love of god it is not something to read into.
“The farmer type”
Ash and Red exchanging gossip
wait... why are they texting about this?
“Why wouldn’t he say something to me?” It’s a hard conversation to have. “hey are we together just because i’m your only option?” 
“Okay, pretty boy” HE CALLED HIM PRETTY BOY
RICKY!!!!!!!!!!
!!!
carlos and gina chaotic siblings
give ej a hug 
“Sweet boy”
im so glad the guys are talking about their feelings.
Why a sleepover? It’s more of a hangout.
“Verging on failure”
jennzara therapy
slowwww burn
you go from hand holding to fist bump
disney please release an acoustic version of “let you go”
so it’s just carlos and ricky chillin’ at big red’s house?
do not play let you go for nini
do. not.
“You guys are a hallmark movie”
for once ricky is being smart
“the look on your face when you were talking about Seb tonight” smiles
he is so whipped
“I think you and Seb have something worth fighting for...bro”
that was so sweet and then there is bro
i love this show
“Sorry, I’m adjusting to being called bro” 
him and seb being awkward about feelings... that is a high school relationship
i love ricky in this scene
“Yeah, let’s just write”
ASHLYN CALLED BIG RED BABE AWWWWW
nina shut the actual hell up
“It’s in the costume shop, somewhere” mood
“Thank you, 15″ THEY SAID THE THING
GAHHHH
I LOVE IT
howie and kourtney oh my god what is happening
 “and begging”
“hi” he’s so nervous oh my lord.
he is so awkward around seb 
it’s like a switch
“Do you want to get risotto with me sometime” OH MY GOD THATS ADORABLE
GINA BABY HE LIKES YOU 
GINA HONEY!!!
AWWW THAT WAS ADORABLE
PORTWELL YESSSS
gina’s little run
“Am I in trouble?” 
they’re so nervous 
oh my god its time
“You keep it all bottled up” GUYS I CANT ARGGGG
can ricky just like, go behind a curtain?
“lookin’ for our kind of love” carlos basically just said “i love you”
seb is so whipped like look at him?
they’re so in love
seb’s little eye role at “in a heartbeat, i choose you”
the hands omfg
oh my god they’re going to dance
SHIZ THE HOMECOMING SUITS
I WAS RIGHT
OH MY GOD
SHIT GUYS IM DYING
gah the hands i cant
carlos is leading i love it
the tie
a tie just killed me
im combusting
You’re honor, they’re in love
i really thought carlos was going in for a kiss he is probably getting one later
i like how the dance isn’t big, it’s small and a little awkward bc right then it’s just them.
THEYRE SO IN LOVE HOLY SHIT
damnit big red
big red is legally required to interrupt almost kiss moments especially if it’s an lgbt kiss bc we cant have two in one season
in a heartbeat is so cute. Frankie showed UP this season with the vocals. there is no way that was all acting bc they looked so in love.
I...I love it
the lyrics are perfect
In a Heartbeat and Let You Go are probably the best OG songs of the season
“Siri, add In a Heartbeat to my gay sob playlist”
these boys are just serenading each other left and right 
“Yeah” 
so it’s just “yeah”!?!? That’s it!?!?! Seb could have least kissed him on the cheek or did they use all their kisses?
I love the song and love the scene, but there is so much more to discuss. Are we going to brush over the fact that Seb literally had an allergic reaction and didn’t get help because he didn’t want to disappoint Carlos!?!? Are we going to brush over “no, seb” and seb feeling like he has to get carlos big things!?! One “yeah” doesn’t erase all that. I’m hoping we get closure, proper closure, not a joke. 
In conclusion, only one thing was settled (Carlos loves Seb for Seb, not because he is the only out guy in school).
“Seb and Carlos suffer their first fight” effing liars
BTW it looks like they filmed the dance scene with the homecoming suits and normal outfits so disney release the footage
Ricky is the biggest Seblos shipper
“Bro”
you morons. are you using rigging without an adult there?!?!
im pretty sure that isn’t allowed. only trained people were allowed to use the rigging. it should be Natalie since she did it in HSM
you should have gotten mats are something or stand in a circle
gahhh
RICKY
OH MY FRICKING GOD
NO ONE RAN THEY JUST WATCHED WTF
WTF WAS THAT ENDING
UMMMMM NO
i legit have no words oh my god 
they just killed the lead
you guys saw the rope you should have ran 
you should have gotten mats or blankets or something just in case
rigging is difficult, set rigging and people rigging
EAST HIGH WTF
Looks like the sleepover is going to be in the ER
My gay heart is full but my theater heart is screaming. The episode went by really fast. I liked it, like a lot.
To answer the question, no, I am not okay @organic-guacamole and we will have a theater kid sleepover
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fandomscombine · 4 years ago
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TUA SERIES PART 4: Diego
The Hargreeves Kerfuffle Part 4:Diego
The Hargreeves siblings x Hargreeves!Reader (Familial Relationship)
BG: The Reader is Number Eight. It follows how you fit into the structure of Season 1 and the family dynamic of the siblings.  
This part follows y/n blowing off some steam with Diego being a supportive brother.
You don’t have to read every single part as each focuses on the reader’s relationship with each of her sibings.
But of course to get most of the story, read the whole thing. Besides why would you want to miss out on Hargreeves Siblings content?
A/n: sorry if this took long to update, I lost the master copy of the fic document- well technically, I was and am typing this on an auto-save document but it had glich somehow and when I searched and open the file it was only the first 2 parts. It took a while to find back the most updated document.
WC:1028
DISCLAIMER: I DON’T OWN THE TUA SERIES. THIS IS JUST BY A FAN WOULD REALLY ENJOYED THE SERIES AND WAS INSPIRED TO WRITE.
*ALSO NOT PROOFREAD
>>GENERAL MASTERLIST<<
>>THE HARGREEVES KERFUFFLE SERIES MASTERLIST<<
READ: [PART 1]   [PART 2] [PART 3]
>>JOIN MY WRITING CHALLENGE!<<
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Your blood was boiling.
How dare Luther, your own brother accuse you of killing your own father.
Sure, your childhood wasn’t exactly the healthiest and emotionally suitable for a child but in a weird way your father had shape and trained the 7 of you to be at least somewhat in control of your powers.
Raising superpowered children is no small task.
Lost in your thoughts, you hadn’t realized how far from the academy you had walked.
You stared at the city Harborview, imaging how your life would be different if you hadn’t had these powers.
Peace. That’s what you think you would have. A sense of peace, living a normal daily life- get up, go to work, hang out with friends, sleep in a nice cosy apartment and repeat. No powers.
The final words of Sir Reginald replays in your mind.
‘The end is near, get the others ……and save…..the…..tttiiiimmm’
The end is near, get the others and save the tim- whatever or whoever tim is.
You assumed that it meant his time was up and had wanted the family back together. You had done just that but what had that got you? Indictment for one. A family reunion consisting of 5 emotionally incompetent adults and one trapped in a kid’s body.
Leaning across the railing you shouted. ‘Cosplaying as batman at aged 6 was cute but as a grown ass adult lurking in the shadows is definitely a red flag!’
A chuckle sounded from the corner. ‘Noted m’mam. Will not do it again’ said a deep voice.
To an untrained ear, no sounds of footsteps could be heard.
You, however can as do your siblings. All of who can also identify who is coming based on the sound- each ever have a slight variation, a unique touch.
Luther has the heaviest, loudest footsteps out of everyone.
Allison- quiet and delicate.
Diego has a sense of purpose in his walk- no doubt like the secret agent and superheroes he had always wanted to be.
Klaus is a bit unpredictable; it is either too fast and energetic or soft and slow pace.
Five. He cheats, mostly blipping in and out of places. But if need be, he usually takes leaps or huge steps, always ready to teleport out of any situation in midstep.
Ben. The master of stealth. He always manages to take the least steps, the most effective route between hiding points.
Vanya though without training is actually very good. At times you wouldn’t even notice her near as proven in her countless times secretly watching the rest of you training.
‘I doubt that.’ Turning to face the new arrival. ‘You are the literally embodiment of Vigilante Hero Complex.’
The city lights illuminating his face.
‘Ah! Case in point!’ You pointed at his outfit. ‘You’re even wearing a spandex suit, Diego!’
Diego shook his head, brushing off your teasing aside. He was happy to at least help bring a smile onto your face- even if it was at his expense.
‘How you feeling?’ Even though you all were the same age, Diego can’t deny that the numbering hadn’t had an older sibling protectiveness to come over him- especially when Luther was being a total dick. If only he was in charge, he thought.
‘Better… better now that you’re here.’ You admitted, bothering your brother never gets old. ‘Thanks by the way-for the cheer up.’
You both stayed in comfortable silence it was not until 20 mins later did Diego break it by apologising.
‘Sorry for what?’
He didn’t reply instead he lifted something out of his pocket. It shone against the deep blue waves.
You gasped. ‘Dad’s monocle.’
‘I know Luther believes you took it.’ He let out an exasperated sigh. ‘I’m sorry. I should’ve have confessed instead you took blame for me….’
Wrapping his fist around it he continued, voice getting harsher. ‘I …I just couldn’t you know? After all he did to us? How he treated us? We were just kids!’
He clutched it tighter shattering the glass. ‘He was gone. This was the most valuable things he had- never let it out of his sight….so I thought that this….that by taking this, it would be the closest thing in ever hurting him.’
‘Oh Diego…’ You didn’t know how to comfort someone who is going through the same scenario, a same situation that you yourself need help on.  ‘Dad is gone and…yes he wasn’t the most caring father. But the past is in the past, the only thing we can do now to move forward. Don’t let that define us. Strive to do better.’
‘We tried that once remember? And where did it get us?’ He countered.
‘Better than if we were to have stayed.’ You rebutted. ‘C’mon Diegs. Think about mom. Think about how she constantly reminds us to put our best foot forward, no matter what life throws at us..’
Diego’s face softens, he was always a momma’s boy.
Closing his eyes, he mutters an okay. Then he tosses the bloody cracked monocle into the water. ‘Now, why don’t we go stuff our faces full of donuts.’ You offered. ‘I can handle your typical brooding self but the 2 of us sulking? No can do, what we need is to eat our feelings.’
‘Giddy’s it is.’ Replied Diego, offering you his arm.
‘So I assume you parked 2 blocks from here?’
His eyes went wide. ‘How’d you-‘
‘PPPPlease!’ Rolling your eyes. ‘I might have subconsciously wander to this part of town, but I was conscious about a car not so subtly tailing me for 6 blocks.’
‘So you knew I was watching you from the very beginning.’
‘YUPPPP’ Popping the p. ‘At first I wasn’t sure who- nice car by the way, new?
‘A month ago.’
‘Anyway is wasn’t until you started following on foot til I knew.’
Elaborating when you saw his confused look. ‘You walk as if you’re the protagonist in an action film.’
‘I do not!’ He said defensively.
‘DO too!- Thanks.’ Settling down onto the passenger seat as Diego closed the door.
The debate lasted until you reach Giddy’s or so what was left of the store.
‘WHAT THE-‘
END OF PART 4
READ: [PART 1]   [PART 2] [PART 3]
Taglist [All]: @gruffle1
Taglist [TUA]:@herecomesthesun1969 @alabaster1223 @ultraviolet-m @winterierwriter @lordofthunderthr @grapesauze @xbarrjallenx @white-wolf-buckaroo @yoheyyosup @infinitystones2018 @94seun @buckynatlarry @thegirlwholikestomanythings @just-some-stars @97yrm @2cuteforyourlies @e-bendy @criminallyhamilton @aqarath @change-the-world-someday @sambucky8 @spankin-soda @big-galaxy-chaos @neenieweenie @okimreadynow @weird-pale-blonde-person @thebloodrobin @vicassa​@tkdcnlettuce @alexander-hamilhoe​
Feel free to tell me to you want to be tagged for the series or for all/any other of my fics.
Would love to hear your opinion on the series so far too!
 -Posting this a 2nd time, cause the 1st Tumblr error-ed out and deleted it.
also a bit of self plug here, i have a writing challenge going on and I’d love for you to join!
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bedtimebrain · 4 years ago
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EXO Chanyeol: Oppa?
First Chanyeol Scenario! And have you heard his ‘Without You’ ? Damn it got me stunned when i listened, i didnt know it was going to be the one by Mariah Carey. I mean ofc chanyeol doesn’t speak perfect English but what can get more attractive than him playing the electric guitar😭 His film’s gna be released globally soon, wish him the best! 
Also I took so long to write this, that by the time i’m done, he has enlisted:,) Sigh, Chanyeol, see you the 27th of every month!
Characters: Chanyeol x reader
You caught Chanyeol’s attention, but… You’re not so into rowdy guys. How will it turn out?
Ding Dong!
You were outside EXO’s dorm with a bottle of Cola. You didn’t really know EXO, in fact you only actually knew Jongin. The story goes where one night you saw a really sick man swaying side to side along the streets. Being the nice and kind soul you were, you went up to help. And that person turns out to be jongin, which at that point you didn’t know was an EXO member until much later when your friend showed you an EXO poster.
You helped him to the apartment building and you left your number with him out of worry because he insisted he head up alone. After that you guys somewhat became friends. And ever since you knew he was a celebrity, you occasionally ran errands for him just to save him some trouble.
‘Annyeong y/n! Thanks for buying the cola!’
‘Sure Jongin oppa! I’ll be leaving then !’
‘WAIT!!!’
Just as you were about to leave, a shout came from inside the house 
‘Annyeong Jongin Chingu! Are you free? Wanna join us? I wanted to play a 2v2 switch game but we are short of 1 person. THERE’S PIZZA HERE TOO, ARE YOU INTERESTED?!’
Honestly, you haven’t even spoken once with chanyeol but here he is, trying to aggressively convince you to play games together. Not exactly an extrovert yourself, that overpowering energy was quite a turn off for you. You raised a brow at Jongin, trying to ask him to get you out of this situation
‘Erm.. Actually, i...’ In your mind ran a 1000 different thoughts on what’s the best way to politely reject this but you just couldn’t think of any, just then jongin finally cut in, only to say
‘Yeh come join us! It’s going to be fun, plus I’m sure you haven’t eaten dinner too’
Although you were a still a little reluctant, you relented for the sake of Jongin and entered the house. Seeing Sehun was also in the house, you both greeted each other politely and you proceed to sit quietly by the dining table. 
‘LET’S EAT QUICK CANT WAIT TO TRY THE NEW GAME’ Chanyeol just sounded overly excited about this. 
Over dinner, Chanyeol in particular was really friendly with you, probably just trying to make you feel comfortable as he tried to get to know you. But after a while, the conversation floats back to him talking about himself. You weren’t complaining though.
‘Okay so that day..’ Chanyeol begun his 5th or 6th anecdote during the dinner but couldn’t stop laughing before he could even get started on it.
He was laughing so hard he started hitting jongin beside him and his exaggerated movements actually hit the table so hard it toppled your coke glass over onto you
‘oh my gawd!’ you reacted in reflex and got up immediately from your chair.
‘HYUNG! SERIOUSLY?!’ Jongin reacted with shock then laughter. He quickly passed you some tissue 
‘Let’s just clean up right now and start the games’ Sehun added calmly 
‘Y/N I’M SO SORRY. LET ME GET YOU SOMETHING TO CHANGE INTO, IM SO SORRY’ 
You could tell Chanyeol was really feeling sorry when you saw that panic in his eyes when the coke spilled. Though it’s really weird to be wearing some other guy’s clothes when you just knew him for hours, you couldn’t be possibly telling him you would only wear jongin’s and not his... So you followed him to grab something to change into 
Stepping into his room you can’t help but get abit wide eyed. His room was almost like what you would imagine a musician’s to be. Guitar, piano, bass, iMac, subwoofer etc. You were so amazed you couldn’t stop glancing around as he tries to uncover some clothes from the depths of his cabinet.
Finally finding it, chanyeol turned around and caught how your face literally wrote ‘amazement’,  he couldn’t help but laughed beneath his breath before handing a sweater to you.
‘Why do you look so amazed? Your expression made it look like you just walked into a museum.’ Chanyeol asked
You felt embarrassed from his question and was absolutely tongue tied. Looking towards the corner of the room you caught sight of a basketball and a miniature basketball hoop. You quickly switched the topic
‘um you play basketball too?’
‘Yes I do! Like in my free time, once in a while. Outdoor activities keep me sane when I feel like I need a break, apart from jamming of course, as you can see. Why, do u play too?’
‘Oh I see, haha. And yes I play basketball too.’
‘I wasn’t expecting that! You really dont look like it though! What’s...’ before he could finish his sentence, jongin came into the room to check on you.
Breaking off that small talk with chanyeol, you changed out of your dirty top into the sweater. Sigh, the game hasn’t even started but you were almost already drained. 
—-
2 hours into the game, you were getting really really sucked out of energy. Looking at chanyeol still so engrossed in the game, you wonder how could he still remain so fired up.
Just then the bell rang and the boys looked at each other, 
‘Who’s that? Any of you got delivery ?’ Sehun asked as he walked towards the door. Looking through the peek hole before opening the door.
‘Ah Suho Hyung, why did you not open the door on your own’ Sehun asked
‘I left them in the car, too lazy to grab it. Oh, hi y/n, what you doing here?’
Feeling really tired now, your honesty got the better of you and you replied without thinking 
‘Hi Suho-ssi, I got called to play some games, but now i’m stuck here’
‘Ya, you punks , it’s really late now you know. It’s way past 1030, Y/N still needs to walk home. Just shut off the game right now.
And Chanyeol didn’t you say you were meeting your high school friends tonight?’
At this Chanyeol loudly cursed then exclaimed
‘AH RIGHT I FORGOT! I GOT TO GET CHANGED NOW’ 
Phew, Suho surely is a life savior. More than happy to be out of this situation, you quickly packed your stuff and thanked the boys
‘I’ll be leaving, thanks for having me today and the free pizza.I had fun. Jong-in oppa please tell Chanyeol ssi i’ll wash his sweater before returning to him.’
At the same time chanyeol came out from his room hastily,
‘Y/N wait for me! Let’s leave together!’
You would have preferred having some quiet time by yourself right now, but you didn’t want to make things awkward by saying no. Seeing how Chanyeol got comfortable with people so quickly was beyond your understanding.
You were always took really long to warm up to new people unless you could really click with them, just like jongin.
‘Ah thanks for waiting, let’s go! Where do you stay? Is it near?’
Trying your best at a comfortable and casual tone, you replied ‘Uh yes it’s just about 5 to 10 minutes away if I walk. Where you going to?’
‘Oh just meeting my friends for supper. Let me walk you home since it’s not too far, anyway my friends are still on the way
So you were saying you play basketball do u watch nba or something ? What position do you play’ Chanyeol naturally strike a conversation with you
‘I DONT really follow, but yeh I check out the highlights and stuff. I play the Center position’
‘SERIOUS?! YOU’RE NOT VERY BUILT FOR A CENTER!’ You must be really good then!’ Chanyeol seemed to genuinely be amazed 
Chuckling a little, you just shrugged and said
‘Erm yeh but the coach just thinks I’m pretty tough I guess.’
‘Oh and i heard from jong-in you didn’t know EXO until recently, so what music do you like ?’
Feeling a little self conscious about the fact that a musician is here asking you bout your music taste, you answered hesitantly
‘ R&B, acoustics, ballads , those sort? Ed Sheeren , AKMU and some other English oldies’
‘Then do you know ‘Without you’ by Mariah Cary? I’ve been listening to it lately and it’s been stuck in my head!’
Laughing at how random that was, you softly started singing along with him as he started. 
At this hour of the day, at about 11 pm your mind isn’t too functional to overthink, you felt like you were loosening up towards him. Though he was a little too over enthusiastic and animated, you somehow liked that he seemed to have this innocence to him.
Just as your short jam ended, you have also reached your apartment
‘I’ve reached! Thanks for walking me back. Bye, drive safely later!’
You flashed a smile, bowed politely and was ready to head in, but chanyeol actually called out before you could head off
‘y/n! Wanna exchange numbers? We could go shoot some hoops at arcade someday or just ball.’
You were not too keen actually, wanting to just keep your relationship with him as simply acquaintances.  Thinking bout how to put the rejection across nicely , you said
‘Oh, thanks for offering. But I’m really not a night person . And you know, you guys being EXO and got to be stealthy , everything goes on at night. Really not my thing though, I don’t think we can ever match a time.’
But turns out he was more insistent than you thought
‘Oh then I could invite you for games or a jam session ! I wouldn’t say we have exactly similar tastes in music but I do like the music you listen to and you sound great singing!’
That made you blush a little , partly embarrassment partly being shy at his straightforward words.
‘It’s fine chanyeol-ssi, I’ll just see you at your dorm when I pass by to see Jongin oppa and return your sweater. Bye’
—-
For the next 2 weeks, you somehow got more frequent calls from Jongin to run errands for him. But when you turned up at their dorms and Chanyeol was in, he would either be the one to get the door or be inviting you in for whatever they were doing. 
Today afternoon, you were over at their dorms again, but just with jongin and chanyeol. You had bought tteokbokki and corndog for yourself and decided to buy some for EXO too, but turns out it was just the 2 that were in. 
‘ah, y/n thanks for the food. i’m going to change and leave for dance practice soon’ 
‘you’re welcome jongin oppa, i’ll leave soon too’
just as jongin headed to the room, chanyeol took the chance to ask
‘y/n are you free? Do you want to hangout together instead? Since i’m free today and you’re already here.’ Chanyeol asked expectantly. 
You were already much more comfortable with him, but together in the house? You wouldn’t even with Jongin.
‘Erm, Chanyeol-ssi, it’s okay. I’m not too comfortable staying in the house with another guy ..’ you said it hesitantly, feeling a little bad for rejecting him. 
‘Oh actually, I meant to head out, there’s this place which I thought both of us will like’
oh shucks, that was embarrassing. In an attempt to cover up your embarrassment, you laughed abit harder than you should and agreed more enthusiastic than you would normally
‘OH ! HAHA! Ok, sure then let’s go!’
Almost instantly, you saw Chanyeol’s eyes brighten up. He got up immediately got changed and you both headed out.
In the car ride, you finally calmed your senses down and became sane enough to realise
‘Chanyeol-ssi it’s still pretty early right? Wouldn’t you heading out with me like this be really dangerous?’
Stopping his incessant rap and singing ever since you got in his car, he replied
‘There’s this arcade I used to go to when I was a student. It’s really old now and no one really goes there anymore. It closes around 5pm everyday , but I know the boss! I’m gonna ask him to just let us use the place for a short while’
With one hand on the steering wheel, he looked at you and was bubbling with excitement as he explained. You laughed seeing how excited he was, somehow also making you look forward to the fun to come.
Being really chatty as usual, he spoke the whole ride about anything and everything, slowly without even knowing, you dozed off.
The next moment you woke up, the sun was already starting to set and you’ve both reached the arcade, which was on the second floor along a shophouse street.
It looked so rundown and shady from the outside. The signboard was unlit and had completely yellowed. The window panes were blue tainted and so dusty you could see the dust from the streets.
‘Chanyeol Ssi are you sure about this? Please don’t bring me to a haunted house’
‘Ya, trust me, you’ll be surprised’
Together you headed towards the dark staircase that led you guys to the arcade. You struggled to catch up with his pace as he went up the stairs. The narrow and unlit staircase made you so jumpy that when the lights suddenly came on, you quickly latched your hand onto chanyeol’s sleeves without thinking.
Laughing at how scared you were, chanyeol slowed down his pace, walking side by side with you instead.
‘Why you so scared! We’re reaching soon, don’t worry, it’s hella cool place!’
Not really having the capacity to respond now, you continued holding on to his sleeves until you reached the end of the stairs.
Letting go, you awkwardly said thanks and entered the arcade, finding that it was certainly better than you thought but not fantastic.
‘Lee Soo Hyung! I brought my friend here today , could you let us use for about an hour + after you close?’
‘Chanyeol ah! It’s been a while! After all these years I finally see you with a girl. Hello Agassi, why did you come here with him? Be careful he doesn’t slaughter you like how he does when he plays games with his friends’
Not knowing to whether tears of joy or sadness would fit this situation, you raised your brows at chanyeol.
‘Alright I’ll leave this place to you guys, I’ll be back in about 2 hours after I eat and run my errands’
-
2 hours passed by in a flash. And you sure had lots of fun, shooting hoops, playing Daytona, Mario kart , and even challenging him to dance on pump it up. All of which u lost rather miserably cause you were just horrendous at games.
As you both left the arcade, you thought back in realisation that you didn’t see that annoying over competitiveness today in him today. Instead it felt Chanyeol wanted to make it fun for the both of you rather than winning you.
Internally feeling a little touched about this, you thought to subtly show your gratitude by treating him later.
Walking out of the stairs to the streets, you saw Baskin Robbins just right across, below a dancing school.
‘Chanyeol ssi! Let me buy you ice cream ok! Let’s cross the road to Baskin Robbins’
‘Haha, y/n why the sudden treat? I’m not complaining though, I want Choco mint in a cone’
You went into the shop and placed the order for the ice cream. But when you came out, there was a commotion right outside the shop and realised chanyeol was in ‘trouble’. 
You panicked internally , where did the fangirls come from? They all surrounded chanyeol and were squealing and asking for pictures.
You headed back into baskin Robbins, not too sure what you should do. It’s not going to turn out well if he is seen with you.. Should you head off first? Or should you help him?
With one hand holding on nervously to the ice cream you looked intently at the situation outside, with a total mind blank.
Only about 15minutes later, you saw chanyeol managed to escape back to his car as the crowd in this secluded area eventually died down.
You didn’t head out to find him, worried that if any Fangirls were left, you would land him in trouble.
You stayed at in the shop, looking at the melted ice cream you bought for him, should you just dump this away? Do you head off yourself soon?
Just then a call came in
‘Y/N! Where are you? I’m so sorry I got caught by those dance school girls. Are you alright ? Where did you go ? In case you’re wondering, i got your number from jongin to contact you’
‘Chanyeol -ssi...? Are u ok? I’m just waiting at baskin robbins .. just head home without me, I’ll just find my way back..’ feeling still at loss about the situation, you replied with a heavy heart
‘Ah, no, just head down to the alley behind I’ll pick you up from there. This place is too secluded , I’m not going to leave you here alone’
‘But ..’
‘Just meet me there’
Feeling down and guilty that this was kind of your fault. You walked mindlessly to the alley with the half melted ice cream. If it were not for you, chanyeol wouldn’t even be heading out in the afternoon right?
As you entered the car, you kept quiet not really knowing what to say. But Chanyeol started apologising repeatedly, and telling you about the whole situation earlier
But all that ran through your mind was how risky the situation was and how bad you felt. You were still quite in shock as you processed that just happened
‘Chanyeol ssi, why did you bring me out today? Seeing that made me realise the severity of how dangerous it could have been for you if you were caught together with me.. and I can’t help but feel it’s my fault you got surrounded by those fan girls..’
Pausing before continuing, you added
‘Let’s never do this again. I’m really sorry’
‘Don’t be sorry, i am not even blaming you or anything! Plus i was the one who wanted us to hang outside together. I knew this might happen, but i still wanted to have fun with you’
‘Why Chanyeol-ssi?’
Without thinking, he answered almost immediately 
‘Because i just find you cute’ 
You blanked out completely as those words, you could feel blood rushing through your cheeks. 
You started externally processing your thoughts out of nervousness and panic
‘i know this sounds ridiculous but are you like interested in me? i know i am blushing like mad right now but im not really into loud guys. and though i had lots of fun with you just now i think you should just give up if you are even thinking of anything’ you went on rambling not even knowing what in the world you just said
He looked at you seeming to have something to say. But then looked at the messy ice cream and decided to reached for it instead.
‘thank you for this ice cream, and y/n whatever you said…honestly, can i just have 1 thing from you?’
‘uh what is it?’
‘can you just call me Chanyeol Oppa instead?’
Your heart skipped a beat at what he said and you could feel his gaze was still on you.
After a few moments of silence that hung heavy in the air, you shyly and softly asked
‘Chanyeol oppa shall we go back now?’
Still feeling shy to look at him, you stole a glance at the rear view mirror and saw Chanyeol smile the widest smile you have ever seen since you guys met. 
Finishing off the ice cream, he started the engine, ready to drive off. But before stepping the accelerator, he looked up at the rear view mirror and you both caught each other’s eyes and both looked away almost immediately smiling shyly when your eyes met briefly. 
As the car speeded off, you kept your eyes on the side view mirror, and you were glad you weren’t the only one smiling like an idiot the whole ride back. 
Was this a little boring? I read through it multiple times and can’t really tell anymore. i hope it was fun for you guys who read it for the first time~ though i must admit if i read a fanfic with such an ending i might feel lowkey unsatisfied :p
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quicksilversquared · 5 years ago
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The Cat’s Girlfriend
Apparently not satisfied with the attention that her stories and previous Ladyblog interviews are getting her, Lila decided to claim that she was dating Chat Noir, which Chat Noir's civilian self has some problems with that. He can't really dispute the claim as Adrien, but- well, sometimes opportunities pop up when they're least expected.
links in the reblog
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Lila had loved telling her superhero stories for months. She had become Ladybug's best friend only days after arriving in Paris, of course. Her grandparents had been superheroes in Italy. She and Ladybug hung out all the time, eating snacks that Lila had baked herself- she had been taught by a master baker, after all, and Ladybug set fire to anything she tried to bake, so it only made sense- and talking battle strategy. Ladybug took Lila to her and Chat Noir's hangout spots all the time- Lila showed off pictures that had clearly been taken from the top observation deck at night as proof. She helped Ladybug match powers and Miraculous, and wasn't it a pity that her hard work helping had been destroyed with Queen Wasp's appearance?
But her claim that she was actually dating Chat Noir? That was new.
Their classmates oohed and ahhed, exchanging excited looks while Lila ducked her head bashfully, not-so-subtly basking in the attention and fielding questions with a shy look on her face.
"Apparently her last story had stopped getting her enough attention," Plagg snickered from inside of Adrien's jacket. "Whatcha going to do about this story? Just let people believe that Chat Noir is dating Lila?"
"What else can I do?" Adrien hissed back. He didn't like it, but Adrien wasn't supposed to know what was going on in Chat Noir's private life. If he tried to claim anything else, then people would be suspicious and it would just draw unwanted attention. If he had an opportunity to correct the story as Chat Noir, then he would, but the chances of him getting that opportunity? Really low.
(After all, if he brought it up out of the blue, then that would suggest that he was close enough to hear Lila, unless Alya posted about it on her blog. And even if she did... well, it might be seen as mean-spirited to just bring up and bash that one specific claim when he hadn't been asked about it, even if it would totally be well within his right to do so.)
The bell cut off the questions, and everyone broke away from huddle around Lila. Almost against his will, Adrien's attention slid backwards as Alya and Marinette returned to their seats. No doubt Marinette would point out the very obvious holes in Lila's claims- after all, everyone with eyes could see that Chat Noir was interested in Ladybug, not a random lying civilian- and then Alya would just dig her heels in, ignoring all of the holes in the story in favor of complaining that Marinette wasn't giving Lila a chance.
It happened every time, after all. Adrien could understand why- it was really annoying to see their friends suckered, over and over again, and Marinette was all about justice and fairness- but they just weren't getting anywhere.
(He had tried jumping in on Marinette's side the week before, because Lila had been trying to get a class outing rescheduled because she was "going to be gone" and "would hate to miss it- she would feel so left out!" and rescheduling would have fallen on Marinette, but Alya had just dug in even deeper, meeting his resistance with her own. So that- well, it hadn't worked.)
(Thankfully Marinette had flat-out refused to change the date, informing the entire class that if they wanted to come up with a second outing on a date that worked for Lila, that was up to them but she was too busy to change everything.)
"She's so lucky that she's Chat Noir's girlfriend," Alya was gushing behind Adrien. "Ladybug as her best friend, Chat Noir as her boyfriend- I bet Ladybug introduced the two of them! And it's no wonder that he's interested, because she's a sort of civilian superhero on her own, isn't she? With all of her charity work and everything."
Adrien cringed. Here it came, another argument between two besties-
"You know, I bet that Chat Noir would love to tell you how they got together! He seems the romantic type- y'know, the kind to absolutely gush about their girlfriend?"
Adrien's mind flatlined.
...what.
"I bet that would make a really great video for the Ladyblog," Marinette continued, and Adrien turned to- well, not to stare, because that would be rude, but to try to figure out what was going on. Had Marinette been akumatized? Or, more likely, had Lila been akumatized and now was controlling Marinette like a puppet? "I know you said that videos have been slow lately, because too many of the fights have been too dangerous for you to get close, so maybe a superhero's personal life interest piece would help with that?"
"Ooh, yeah!" Alya agreed, hand shooting out to snag her notebook and pencil, and Adrien blinked in confusion. Had both of them been taken over by weird body-snatchers or something? Their Lila-centric conversations never went like this. "I can interview both of them! Lila said that I could ask her about their relationship after class today, so I can get her side of the story then, but yeah, my viewers would love to hear it from Chat Noir, too. I'll ask him for the story after the next akuma fight! Well, the next one I can get to," she corrected, looking a bit sheepish. "My parents said that if I run off again and leave my sisters in the apartment when I'm meant to be babysitting, I'll be grounded for a month. And I can't get out of school. But the next chance I get! Now I gotta think up questions before that happens- I can't get caught unprepared!"
Alya started scribbling furiously in her notebook, Adrien's eyes slid over to Marinette. She caught his gaze and her lips twitched up in a smirk before she winked, and it all fell into place. Once again, Marinette was proving just how smart she was and how well she could put that into practice when she wasn't letting her frustration blind her.
Clever, Marinette. Instead of doing the same thing she always did and arguing with Alya about Lila, she had outwardly gone along with it and in doing so, had managed to steer Alya into doing exactly what she wanted to. Now Alya would go to Chat Noir, not to fact check but just to get more information for her scoop, and end up find out exactly how truthless Lila's stories were.
...well, he might just get his perfect opportunity to debunk Lila's lies after all.
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  It really was no real surprise when Ladybug and Chat Noir spotted Alya biking after them during the next akuma attack. She kept on their tails, cell phone apparently mounted on the front end of her bike to minimize the likelihood that she would lose control of the bike while steering one-handed, and was the first reporter on-site after the akuma had been defeated and it was safe to approach.
Considering that she wanted her story first, that was no real surprise. She had to get to them first, since Lila's "side of the story" had been filmed and posted the previous day. Adrien had been surprised by that, but after texting Marinette, it had all become clear. Alya had never been known for her patience, and, well, two posts and two videos were better than one! So she had posted the interview with Lila, promising a "part two" soon. That meant that people would be interested, and they would no doubt come back regularly until the part two was posted.
(And they would, Adrien knew that. Apparently Lila had heavily implied that she knew who Chat Noir's civilian self was, though she hadn't said it outright, and that had people clamoring for more interviews to try to get any clues they could.)
...he had to feel a little bad for Alya, honestly. There would be no easy way for her to hide the fact that she hadn't fact-checked any of her articles featuring Lila and her friendship with Ladybug, and that wouldn't reflect well on her. Still, she couldn't say that Marinette hadn't warned her.
Maybe this would just be a much-needed wake-up call to Alya that she couldn't just dig her heels in and not check her facts just because she thought that she was right.
"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" Alya called eagerly, biking over eagerly and yanking her phone from the holder as she practically tossed her bike aside. "Do you have a few minutes for a quick interview?"
"It depends on how quick," Ladybug quipped. "I have three minutes, I think, and Chat Noir, you have-?"
"Four." He considered Alya. "But I'll have to go in two or three to be safe."
"Great!" Alya practically shoved her phone in his face, and it was only his model training that kept Chat Noir from yanking his head back and giving himself several chins in the process. "So, I recently learned about your relationship with the one and only fantastic Lila Rossi, and Paris and I would love to hear your side of the story of how you got together!" The camera swung to Ladybug briefly. "And how you helped set them up!"
Hook, line, and sinker. He had Alya right where he wanted her. Thank you, Marinette.
"You must be mistaken, I'm not dating anyone," Chat Noir told her, pasting on his best puzzled look. "All of Paris knows that I only have eyes for Ladybug, after all. I don't know why anyone would think otherwise." He shrugged. "Someone must just be spreading rumors."
Alya paused, clearly taken aback. The phone inched backwards a hair. "But- but Lila told me herself! All about how Ladybug introduced the two of you, and how you got closer, and- and-"
Next to him, Ladybug let out an exasperated sigh. "I thought I told Lila to quit making up stories about knowing me months ago. It was annoying then, it's still annoying now, and I'm certainly not thrilled that she's dragging Chat Noir into it now, too. I'm sure that if she's been making up stories about other famous people, that they're not thrilled about it either."
Alya took a slow step back, looking a bit paler than usual. Admirably, though, she kept on filming, even though she had to know that her integrity as a reporter was getting torn apart live. "I- oh."
"The first time either of us met Lila Rossi was at or right before her akumatization into Volpina for the first time," Chat Noir chimed in. "And the only time either of us has come into contact with her is during akuma battles, either when she was akumatized herself or when she was purposefully getting in our way by claiming that she was badly injured and needed attention. If she's claiming otherwise- well, then it's her own fault if Hawkmoth decides to target her thinking that we're friends. I suspect that she's just making up all sorts of tall tales to get people to like her so that she can manipulate them into doing what she wants."
"Oh."
"I had hoped that such a public call-out wouldn't be necessary and that Lila would realize that lying about having connections with famous people such as superheroes was wrong, but clearly talking to her relatively privately hasn't done a thing." Ladybug glanced around at all of the assembled reporters. They had caught up now and were eagerly recording. "So I might as well make it clear: We are not connected to Lila Rossi in any way. I am not friends with her, Chat Noir is not dating her, and any claims to the contrary are not at all based in fact. She is lying about having connections for her own gain, and I would take any stories she tells with a huge grain of salt." She waved, winding up to throw her yo-yo. "Bug out!"
...well, clearly Ladybug wasn't going to give Lila any wriggle room. Harsh, but admittedly deserved at this point.
"She said it all, folks," Chat Noir told the cameras with a winning smile. "Any stories from Lila Rossi should probably not be trusted, at least not without a very in-depth check first. If something sounds too good to be true, well..." He shrugged, determined not to lose his cheer. "It just might be."
With that, Chat Noir took off into the sky, heading back home and feeling lighter than he had for a while, a load off of his shoulders now that the rest of the world- well, Paris at least- knew not to trust Lila Rossi. Maybe it was a bit of a dramatic approach to the problem, as highly publicized as the call-out had been, but if he had learned nothing else during the months of dealing with Lila that they had gone through, it was that she was slippery and would just come up with more excuses. Maybe there would be fallout- fallout that he had, admittedly, initially been hoping to avoid, with Lila no doubt pouncing on yet another akuma to try to get revenge- but in the end, everything would hopefully be better.
It was weird to say, really, but maybe Lila lying about dating Chat Noir had been the best thing that could have happened, since it had provided the perfect opening for the superheroes to correct the lies that she had been spreading without looking like they were picking her out unfairly. If they were super lucky, maybe the added publicity from all of the major news stations would get the attention of Lila's mom, and some of her other lies would start unraveling with a vengeance.
Even if that didn't happen, Alya and the rest of their classmates would be aware of Lila's lying now. They weren't going to trust her, which meant that Lila would be left powerless. She couldn't do anything when everyone around her was aware of her manipulations.
The rest of the school year was truly looking up.
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aragima · 4 years ago
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hannibal questions! 🍖🔪
@nietzscheantrout @horrorlesbians and @hanniba1 wanted me to answer these hannibal questions and i wrote too much but oh well! thanks to all 3 of you ilu!!!
favorite episode and why: oh we’re just goin straight to the hard questions huh um OKAY so i think i can only do an ep a season - s1: SORBET SUPREMACY! you get to see the exact moment will looks at hannibal and thinks “.........shit. it’s him isn’t it. he’s The One. SHIT.” and that is so important to me - s2: this one is really hard maybe naka-choko? it’s so fucking gay and sexy. but tome-wan... but mizumono............ yeah idk - s3: torn between digestivo and the wrath of the lamb cuz they both hurt SOOO good much; i love will breaking up with hannibal and hannibal manipulating the situation so will can’t leave asldkjansk it’s so toxic we have to stan..... and for twotl i mean do i really have to give a reason every scene LIVES in my mind and it contains my favorite shot in the whole show:
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that is LOVE baby! that is DESIRE! that is being ENTHRALLED!!!!
least favorite episode and why: i feel like they’re all so necessary that it’s kind of impossible to say but probably antipasto. i get sick of hannibal and bedelia’s shenanigans really quickly and as much as i hate to admit it... i miss will. i also think it was an extremely weak season opener and i blame it for getting the show canceled sjshshsgsg the resentment...
favorite side character: chiyoh or jimmy or actually wait— RANDALL TIER 🖤
if you could bring back one character who died, who would it be?: RANDALL FUCKING TIER. i want there to be a weird thing with him and hannibal and will going on. but also i love what his death did for will so idfk, other than him it’s gotta be beverly
dish prepared in the show that you would like to try eating/making: i was supposed to make hannibal’s osso bucco recipe like 3 weeks ago but it completely slipped my mind so i guess i’ll get on that my next grocery trip  
which side character would you kill off?: chilton just because for god’s sake just let the man DIE ALREADY poor guy <- i’m taking ava’s answer because YEAH
was there any scene that you didn’t like to look at?: nah. the skin ripping scenes at the beginning of either kaiseki or sakizuki (idk i don’t remember, i hardly watch s2a) are particularly brutal but i tough it out
biggest ship: i mean do i even have to say
why did you start watching hannibal?: my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, and her dad were watching it as it was airing and i was like “oh cool hannibal lecter origin story” but due to inconsistent access to the episodes i would just watch it randomly and that is... not the way to watch hannibal. i gave up around the end of s2 but knew hannigram was It regardless. i decided to watch s3 for the first time earlier this year just to have finished it and was like HOLD UP and did an immediate rewatch that left me... well, how i am now
favorite hannibal fic if you’ve read any?:
oh boy. yall ready for this? all of these can be found on ao3 obviously (i’m so sorry this is so long but i guess i’ve been asked to put together a fic rec anyway)
as soft, as wide as air by blackknightsatellite, the ladders series by emungere, blackbird by emungere, consenting to dream series by emungere, taken for rubies by emungere, at first meeting by emungere, protect me from what i want by @alienfuckeronmain, god of the cold, cold wars by highermagic, the abyss smiled back by highermagic, pomegranate seeds by highermagic, absolute zero by highermagic, in the truly gruesome do we trust by sidnihoudini, TKO by sidnihoudini, oh dear by lunarwench, each according to its kind by chapparral_crown, a flood in our hearts by nanoochka, let me sinful be by darlingred, uncomplicated by stratumgermanitivum & youaremydesign, good bones by @damnslippyplanet​, like they do in babylon by @damnslippyplanet​, your obedient servant by kareliasweet, past our satellites by shotgunsinlace, only the tender meat by isagel, the shape of me will always be you by missdisoriental, a white-walled room by rodabonor, spleen et idéal by rodabonor, the paper doll series by rodabonor, a common point of interest by rodabonor [i do NOT like a/b/o stuff but if i did... it’s this fic], just thought you should know by earthsickwithoutyou, the sacrificial lamb by princesskay, transcendent suffering by itsbeautiful, not something polite by moistdrippings, leave your message after the tone by onewhositswithturtles, holes in the floor of the mind by feverdreamblood, crossing caina by feverdreamblood, the archipelago series by melusine10, but seas between us braid hae roar’d by kareliasweet
have you watched any of the hannibal films?: yeah all of them except manhunter! i grew up watching silence of the lambs because my mom loved it and i went thru a big edward norton phase as a teen so i’ve seen red dragon like 10 times
have you read the thomas harris books?: no and i’m not going to lmao #fakefan
favorite murder tableau: if we’re talking just hannibal’s- the judge. if we’re talking Murder Bad But Kinda Pretty like in general probably the mushroom people or the totem
favorite blood spill: will imagining hannibal while he beats randall to death or The Gutting of Will Graham
what’re some of your headcanons?: - will is good at shibari (backed up in canon: his fishing knots, the firefly man’s full body hishi karada harness) - hannibal rarely listens to modern, non-classical music but he’s a björk fan and he saw one of her chapel performances during the vespertine era and was Moved - will listens to classic rock (zeppelin, the doors, pink floyd) with some classic country (patsy, merle, johnny) and blues (billie, muddy, bessie) thrown in. he’s also a sucker for early/mid-90s college rock/alternative/grunge - will plays the piano (because of the piano in his living room) and the harmonica (because he’s country white trash); he’s kind of shit tho - hannibal fell for will somewhere between “my thoughts are often not tasty” and “you won’t like me when i’m psychoanalyzed” (love at first sight! at last sight! at ever and ever sight!!!) - will’s circumcised, hannibal isn’t 🤪 - hannibal’s a gemini!!!! adaptable, creative, intelligent, outgoing, impulsive, etc - will’s an aquarius!!!!! analytical, a loner, temperamental, unique, compassionate, etc - will’s mom was jewish go read my fic about it https://archiveofourown.org/works/26774326 - hannibal is an agender man (tbh i think of this as canon, it’s just unstated/undefined) - hannibal can speak russian, spanish, and a teensy bit of portuguese in addition to the other languages we know he speaks (lithuanian, english, french, italian, japanese) - will speaks limited amounts of french; he learned it as a kid in louisiana - ED TW will sometimes has a Difficult relationship with food due to food instability by the way of poverty as a kid and goes through periods where it’s hard to keep himself fed, but hannibal is so good for him in that way because he keeps him from going hungry 😓 (yes this is me projecting but also it makes SENSE) - hannibal typically bottoms but THEY DEFINITELY ARE BOTH VERS and will never stops being surprised by how much he loves catching a dick. every time is like religious experience. okay? okay - they’re also both very kinky and switches but tbh.... will was made to Dom hannibal like that’s the reason he exists he could drag that old bitch around by a leash and hannibal would be in heaven HANNIBAL WOULD CALL HIM SIR - the first time they have sex hannibal comes like immediately but he isn’t embarrassed because he’s hannibal fucking lecter and hannibal lecter doesn’t get embarrassed - i have a hc for their favorite sex positions but i’m not gonna put that here because i don’t want yall calling me crazy any more than you probably already do but if you wanna know just DM me all i do is think about them fucking it’s a curse - okay no more dirty stuff abigail called hannibal “dad” on more than one occasion and it was half-joking but it also felt comfortable to her; she never thought to call will “dad” because he’s a weirdo and never knew her as much as he knew his idea of her - hannibal taught her to play piano at the cliff house - beverly is pansexual!!! - brian and jimmy kissed one time when they were drunk and they NEVER talk about it EVER - chiyoh is straight probably. i know, i know, everyone says she’s a lesbian and if she’s a lesbian to you that’s awesome! she’s a lesbian! but idk i just think she’s SO fucking straight and tbh i mourn bc that’s my wife. she could MAYBE be bicurious... - chiyoh is non-monogamous and doesn’t do serious relationships, she doesn’t like the idea of being tied to one person ever since she left the lecter castle - she helped hannibal and will escape after The Fall; she told hannibal she would continue to watch over him and i think she did, she got them a boat and got them the fuck out of there - MOLLY IS DOING SO MUCH BETTER WITHOUT WILL. SHE’S SO GLAD SHE GOT OUT OF THAT WHEN SHE DID. she has a good, long talk with alana and finds out all the shit about him and hannibal that will never told her (and it was a lot), gets drunk and burns all his shit, and then washes her hands of the whole thing; moves to a different state, gets a girlfriend, and never thinks about will again
okay i’m capping it there or i’m never gonna stop!! i’m not tagging anyone cuz i think everyone has done this by now lmao but if you’re a mutual who hasn’t and you want to just do it and say i tagged you!! mwah!!!!
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mor-beck-more-problems · 4 years ago
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Intro to Balancing Your Life || Morgan & Sasha
TIMING: Current
PARTIES: @sasha-r-blog & @mor-beck-more-problems
SUMMARY: Sasha drops in on a new class on campus; Morgan is only too happy to offer encouragements.
“…And who is it that determines the definition of humanity? What kind of definitions do we see offered by Victor, or Henry Cleveral, or the Creature?” Morgan asked the class. The students, while not thrilled with some of Mary Shelley’s ‘big words’ had enough preparation to offer semi thoughtful ideas. Obviously, Victor thought he could define what human means. One of her try-hard students, eager to please every adult in sight, posited that while Victor’s definition of humanity is the one that dominates the narrative, the intrusion of the creature’s perspective halfway through the book is meant to compel the reader into questioning its validity. “Yes!” Morgan tossed the kid a candy from her bowl. “The midpoint crisis here upends our expectations through thought, rather than action. It is, structurally, the center, the heart of the story, changing what we believe to be true. But, are we convinced by the Creature’s definition of his humanity? Why or why no–”
Morgan’s timer, the theme song of The X-Files, went off.
“Shit. Alright, that’s time everybody! Do your homework, do your reading, and get ready for Fan-Fiction Friday! And you–” She pointed to the newcomer sandwiched at the corner of the seminar table. “Come see me for a minute. The rest of you: glad you love each other, but please get out.” As the room cleared out she began to gather up her things. “I’ll level with you, I haven’t checked my roster, so I’m not sure if you’re a late add or just checking things out. But either way, I might be able to answer any questions you have better one-on-one instead of just looking at you across the room.”
Sasha watched the other students mingle and leave, a second of nervousness keeping her in her seat before the professor called out to her. It was hard to parse the tone in Professor Beck’s voice when Sasha’s immediate assumption at a teacher saying to “see me” was that she had fuck up somehow. But either way, Sasha walked towards the desk, dodging any curious looks from her exiting classmates.
“Um, hi. Sorry I didn’t mean to cause any trouble by sitting in.” She shifted the straps of her backpack, tugging them against her shoulders, as if the weight would somehow shield her from the awkwardness. “I’m Sasha Rodriguez. You gave me your office hours awhile ago. I uh, didn’t get a chance to visit but I saw your name on the winter session course list  and thought I’d check it out. I’m trying to branch out I guess.”
It took Morgan a few minutes to place the girl. She didn’t give out her school contact information to everyone, but it happened often enough that she had more than one name floating around her head. But the more she looked at her, the nervousness, the eagerness, the closer Morgan got to a hunch. “Oh, you’re the girl trying to figure everything out in college. I’m glad you decided to come by. If you’ve got some spare time, we can go somewhere and talk? I’d love to have you join in the spring, if you like what you’ve seen so far.” She dumped her books and laptop into her bag, and shouldered the load, handling the bulk with ease thanks to her strength. “Come on. Why don’t you start by telling me what you’re branching out from and what you thought about class today.”
“Oh, yeah, okay.” Sasha said as she moved to follow the professor. She still wasn’t used to how casual some professors could be. In high school they made it sound like professors were all strict, no nonsense, and unforgiving. And Sasha had certainly had professors like that during her first semester. But here was a professor throwing candy to students and cursing in class and talking about fan fiction. It was cool, but weird to process.
“I’m in computer science and I’ve only really taken courses in that department and math stuff. Oh, and also English 101, for the gen ed.” Those classes had been a lot different from what Sasha had just sat in on. Even the one English class she took didn’t really match up, that one having been run by an exhausted looking graduate teaching assistant who didn’t seem all that interested in teaching.
“The class was cool, though I feel like a lot of the stuff you were saying went over my head.” Sasha had a moment of internal panic, worried that came off as implying Professor Beck was bad at teaching. “I’ve just never been good at looking into books, but the class was interesting. I was surprised you mentioned fanfiction at the end. I didn’t think most professors even knew what that was.” Oh no, did that sound rude too? Sasha closed her mouth before she could say something dumb. Besides her advisor, if you could even count their meetings as conversation, and Ben, Sasha hadn’t really spoken one on one with a professor before. It still felt a bit surreal.
“Oh, that’s just because you’re coming in at the tail end of the course. I don’t throw my students into the deep end before I’m certain they can at least, you know, doggie paddle.” Morgan smiled good naturedly and lead them up to the main sitting area in the English building, setting her bag down carefully and making herself comfortable. “I can tell you that looking into books isn’t so different from the way you look into the stories in other media. Movies, TV, video games, comic books--our relationship to the stories we engage with say so much about what we envision for ourselves and the world. The more we understand and invest that relationship, the more empowered we feel to take control of our fate.” Morgan stopped herself from saying anything more and laughed, low and self deprecating. “Oh, jeez, don’t tell the other professors I said that. But, anyways, yes, the aforementioned reasons are what fan-fiction and other forms of counter-storytelling are so important. But more important than that is doing something that’s going to challenge you in positive, enjoyable ways. And making time for a little fun.” Morgan held her fingers up, like this much. “Can I ask how the rest of college is going for you, Sasha?”
Sasha followed her and sat in the unfamiliar sitting room. She gave a small smile as Professor Beck talked about stories and how people related to them, finding that she had been nodding along without realizing. She stopped once she did, somehow worried that it came off as over eager, as if a professor would ever get mad at someone being interested in what they were saying. If only the professor knew how close that hit to home for her. All those stories of kids getting superpowers, it was real. As if it had jumped straight off the page. As if Sasha had willed it into being. In the back of her mind Sasha wondered how she would have reacted to suddenly growing calls if she hadn’t grown up on comics and superhero movies. It felt like the blueprint to everything now.
Lost in her own thoughts she was a bit startled when the professor’s tone shifted. “No, no I agree, I think. I think all that stuff is important. Storytelling. I mean, I’m not much of a reader but comics and games and movies have been really important to me.” She wished there was a major in that stuff. Or crime fighting. She’d be on the dean’s list if her nightly patrols counted for credits.
“It’s been going okay. I mean, I don’t really do much outside of classes. I’ve been trying to do more but I mostly keep to myself.” It was the same thing she had told her advisor and Professor Campbell, but more and more Sasha felt silly for saying it. It wasn’t like she did nothing, just nothing related to college life. But it wasn’t like she could tell her professors she was protecting White Crest. Or at least trying to.
Morgan noticed Sasha’s interest and perked up at once. “You know, we do cover films in my class,” she said, grinning slyly. “And books. But still. It’s the same kind of thought process as with books, so it might as well be given its time and place. There’s plenty of other courses like that in this department, even a film and media studies minor. You should do what makes you happy, because undergrad coursework doesn’t matter half as much as you think it does. It’s all internships and jobs and connections and recommendations that help you get anywhere. And this place, college, has a lot of flaws and problems, but one of the best ways to make it worth it is leave knowing as much as you can about the things that matter to you most.” But that was about all the pitching she was willing to do on behalf of her class. Besides, being a student at UMWC came second to being a kid in White Crest. Morgan couldn’t help but look at the girl and wonder what this place would do to her. Morgan pushed the thought away, she couldn’t let herself focus on a big, bad future like it was some kind of unstoppable force.
“This might sound silly, coming from a professor who just tried to recruit you to their class, but I hope you do find other things besides school studies. There’s a much bigger world out there, and you should have something else in your life. At least friends and playing video games or going to Al’s at one in the morning or whatever kids your age do now. Life is for doing stuff, you know? Whatever it is you’re thinking about doing or joining, you should go for it!”
“I never really thought about taking a minor. I didn’t know they had one about film.” Honestly, more and more Sasha felt like she hadn’t planned much of anything when it came to school. Or life in general. But she supposed she could change that. If anything this talk had made her actually interested in looking into classes, something she had mostly breezed through doing in the past, simply checking off the boxes of what she needed for her degree. But if the professor was right and it didn’t matter that much... “Maybe I’ll try looking into classes for film and english and stuff like that. They seem fun. At least the stuff you were talking about seems fun.”
Maybe it would make school more interesting, instead of something Sasha went through the motions of to get to her real job. “Real job,” as being a superhero paid. As if she wouldn’t one day need a day job. College was a convenient way to pass the time and something she was told she had to do, but it would be nice to actually care about it, to feel like she was actually doing something.
“I do have hobbies...” Just none she could tell Professor Beck about. “But yeah, I should probably try to do more. I wanted to check out the library. I was supposed to help out with the comic collection there as a volunteer thing. So that’s a start I guess.” It had almost slipped her mind, but that was something she had been genuinely excited for. It was just hard to remember stuff like that during the day when she was normally up all night. Her nightly patrols had turned her days sluggish and uneventful, filled with quick naps between class and maybe some video games alone in her dorm before she put on her costume and went out again. And she loved doing it, of course she loved going out at night to keep White Crest safe. But at the same time...
“Do you ever just get really focused on one thing?” Sasha asked the question before she was thought about it, but decided to keep going, even if it was dumb. “Like, you have something you like or is important and you just focus on that and everything else just kinda blurs into the background?”  Sasha rubbed nervously at the back of her neck. “I don’t know if that makes sense. I guess sometimes I feel like that. But I don’t know if I want to change it.”
“The library is a great start!” Morgan said. “You’re going to learn so much, and probably find people who have similar interests to you when they come to check out materials. But I hope you do other stuff, not for credit, just for you. You’re only going to be young once--” Hopefully.
She couldn’t help but smile at Sasha’s notion, that hyper-focus was something rare or embarrassing. “Oh, all the time. I have some art projects that I do on the side, and I can get so lost in my carving that hours can pass by so easily. Same with baking, or cooking something really involved. It’s almost like you’re connecting to something else, outside of or beyond you. There’s you, the thing you’re doing, and this energy it gives you, right?” Morgan watched the girl’s expression to see if she was getting it right. “Even if it’s just kind of like that, I don’t think you should change it. Whatever that thing is, it sounds to me like the universe is giving you the green light to keep going.”
Sasha nodded, giving a small smile. She was happy that Professor Beck seemed to get it and not think it was weird. Sure, Sasha's focus wasn’t on crafts or cooking, but it was the thought that counted. Her mind lingered on what she said about being given a green light. Really, what was a bigger green light than getting her powers? But she knew there was more to it than that. There had to be a reason it was her. She had to be able to do something with her powers, something to really help people. It was comforting to have the professor say she was right, that the universe wanted her to do what she was already doing, but there was a pang of melancholy knowing Sasha couldn’t tell her, or anyone, the truth. How much did advice and validation matter when the person saying it didn’t know the full truth?
She shook the thought from her head. “Thanks. Sorry, I didn’t mean to ask you a bunch of weird questions when I came to sit in. I think it would be cool to try out one of your classes though if you still have room for students.” Sasha chased away the worry of struggling in a class she wasn’t used to. If worst came to worst she could always drop that class. At least it would be something new, something she might actually end up liking.
Beaming and unawares, Morgan took out a post-it from her bag and scribbled out the class information before handing it to Sasha. “Don’t be embarrassed about questions,” she said. “Questions are how we learn. You’re never going to find anything interesting if you always leave well enough alone.” She stood up, getting the vibe that Sasha had opened up all she felt like so far. “I hope to see a lot more of you this coming semester,” she said. “Hoping even more that you do something just for you, but.” She put a finger to her lips. That’ll just be our secret.
“Thanks. I’ll try to keep asking them.” Well that was one social interaction that didn’t go horribly. Wasn’t great that Sasha considered that a victory for herself but she was going to take the feeling of accomplishment anyways. “And I’ll try to do stuff for myself too.” That was going to take more work than just registering for a class, but maybe it wouldn’t be the worst. She couldn’t promise herself she would put in the effort though. Tucking the post-it note into her backpack she smiled and said goodbye to Professor Beck. Maybe a few new classes would be enough to make her college life, and her daily life, seem a bit more exciting and a bit less like time to just get through. But her patrolling White Crest at night was still more important. Professor Beck didn’t have to know that part though.
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courage-a-word-of-justice · 4 years ago
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HypMic 7 - 9 | Maou-jou 5 - 6 | Akudama Drive 6 - 8 | I7 s2 6 - 9 | Taiso Samurai 5 - 6
HypMic 7
I will never not laugh at the content advisory, haha.
I like Kazuha already. Too bad he’s probably evil…
Oh, is it the day of the DRB in the series already…? Or maybe, because it’s the qualifiers, BB and MTC’s match is on a different day to FP and MTR’s.
Oh? Does Tom know Jakurai well enough to call him “Jakurai-sensei”? (<- middle ground between “Jinguji-sensei/Sensei” and “Jakurai”) Also, Tom uses “ore”.
Ooh, Iris is a motorbike rider, eh? Interesting. I thought they (<- not sure if Iris is a “she” or “he” with a really weird name) were more of a Saburo-type and didn’t bother with things like that, based on their appearance. Update: Someone on Yahoo Answers said based on Iris’s watashi, she is a woman.
Typo fixed! Good job, anime staff! Update: I’m referring to “…darkest hour is just before the down” (sic).
…bukkorosu = “f***in’ slaughter ‘em”. It’s not wrong…it’s just the subbers really like to abuse the F word for MTC. But you knew that already if you got this far…right?
LOL, Ramuda wants to “scratch [Rex’s] back” (figuratively) to…get SNS views? Hahaha.
This Studio Alita is probably a reference to Shinjuku Alta.
Yotsutsuji!!! That was the one big spoiler I got before watching the episode today and I’m so happy I got to see him animated!
(One of) Irihatoma and Degarashi refer to Jakurai as “Jakurai-sensei” as well. Hmm, I never noticed. Update: That’s Degarashi, because Irihatoma speaks to Jakurai alone later this ep.
There’s 50% chance I’m getting this wrong, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say Kazuha is voiced by a veteran VA…one I already know about.
Doppo calls Kazuha by his first name…That upgrade means their relationship escalated quickly (or this is a quirk of HypMic in general, since I noticed most characters are on first name basis with each other). Also, it’s cute Doppo finally has someone in his corner. No other part of the franchise has one, to my memory. Update: It might actually be “Kazuha-kun”…but I’m still surprised though. Update 2: It’s both, actually.
I’ve listened to the phrase “some random guy” several times from Hifumi’s mouth and all I can figure out is the “yatsu” at the end. (Doesn’t help my ears blocked themselves up again, although it’s less than it used to be.)
Harumi Wharf.
R? On a helicopter landing pad?
…uh oh. I was right when I thought Kazuha was going to be evil. Also, Doppler shift/effect. Update: “Doppler” is clearly a pun on “Doppo”.
Hmm? “Hey, Doppo” from “yaa”…it doesn’t have a name referred in there. It’s a small but odd thing to do. (I remember a professional translator was complaining that people with intermediate Japanese were giving them flak for translating things “wrong”, but what I do here is analysis for my future and edificiation. I’m not here to knock down pro translators’ doors and demand a refund, because I’m trying to go pro to atone for my sins as a scanlator.)
The soundtrack’s slightly sinister tone, plus the fact I figured the culprit well before Doppo did, makes me slightly scared…for MTR.
I realised they skimped on the budget…this “hot off the car chase” line seems more like an MTC line, doesn’t it…?...Yeah, it’s almost word for word for MTC in DRB+. Maybe the subbers rushed and used this translation (this link I put here) rather than their actual lyrics…? I will have to get to the bottom of this. Update: Turns out the translation is slightly different, but…yes, there is reference to a car chase in the start of Shinjuku Style. (Sorry, I don’t know every lyrics of every song off the top of my head.)
…wow, this got really Doppo-centric. I’ve never seen the leader relinquish their position when it comes to “leading into battle” before. It just goes to show the staff really do pay attention to how popular Doppo is.
Note “Doppo” means “walk alone”, roughly speaking, hence the “solitary” line.
This song is very, very faithful to its original lyrics, because I was trying to look at Hifumi’s “mixing paint” line and it pretty much matches.
Hifumi’s “my men”, LOL.
Kazuha = “one leaf”, hence the “leaves” in one of Jakurai’s lines.
I cringe every time I hear screaming coming from this episode, y’know…?
…oh dear. MTC’s plot actually bled into MTR’s.
I already knew from browsing Twitter earlier today that Kizuna was going to become FP’s today, but hearing it is another matter entirely.
Kosuke Miyoshi is Kazuha. Apparently, this guy also voiced Mashirao Ojiro (the tail guy) from BnHA, but that’s his only major role…so I was right in that I knew him, but wrong in that he was, again, a relative rookie in comparison to most.
Apparently FP’s sign is a peace sign sideways to represent an F, but…it’s just a sideways peace sign to me…
…how is Dice’s bead ornament attached to him? Is it on his hair, on his ear, on the skin behind his ear…? I was trying to replicate his outfit and got stuck on how to represent it, so I ended up opting for trying (and failing) to do a small braid on the right side.
IWGP shows up this season…it’s the song with the “hoo!” noise BB perform in this episode.
LOL, “Dead men tell no tales” is a perfect saying for MTC.
Akudama 6
Is there a movie called “Brother”…? There’s apparently one that’s the plural of that, but not that itself.
If HypMic likes the F bomb, then Akudama like the S word.
I-Is it just me or is the choreography sped up at some points in this episode…? It’s a bit disorienting to come back to.
I thought the kid was a robot…but close enough.
Oh no! Why does the teacher always have to die for the student to become stronger???
Kairaku/shugi -> pleasure/doctrine (if I didn’t somehow misunderstand the shark’s kanji combo),
The part after the ED looks a little too long…keep watching.
The Japanese says “Lost Children”, but the English says “The City of Lost Children”, probably referring to this French sci-fi film.
I7 s2 6
I like how Gaku is taking special offence to Yamato’s comments about him being a playboy.
Re:vale-san. I never noticed until now.
“I’m already looking forward to it.” That’s how I would translate Tsumugi’s “I’m already excited”.
“…who could possibly complain?” – I think Mitsuki might.
The pun in the MEZZO show is that tai (group/squad) sounds the same as tai (want to ~). Rabbinsta is obviously Instagram + Rabbit (Chat?).
Oh my gosh! It’s the Yotsuba sister!
Mitsuki’s shopping trip OST is nice, man. This piano.
This episode has a really great sense of danger and foreboding for the future.
I7 s2 7
Perfection Gimmick. Never heard it in the anime before.
Even the ramen house’s name is a play on “Idolish7”.
LOL, Yamato sure turned that comment around.
The sign talking about beer says something about coupons below it. (It went by too fast and my CR app’s kinda fiddly, so I can’t really go back…)
Kimi to Ai na Night (pun on Idolish7, aka “AiNana”, again).
Mitsuki, no one hates you! You’re just imagining it all!
I7 s2 8
Momo hugely resembles Sasara, right down to the highlights on the hair…
“…you’re so handsome…” – I’m dying on the inside here, people! *laps up the BL pandering with a derpy smile on my face*
Banri and Tsumugi haven’t been focussed on lately…they’re clearly doing something regarding Banri’s ties with Re:vale, but I can’t quite figure out what that “something” is.
Why is there a basketball and a football in the back of the Takanashi office…?
Please don’t run in heels, Tsumugi…
“I love Idolish7!” - Ah, despite my quibbles, Tsumugi is good after all.
“making one’s best exertions” – Why do those words on the cup worry me a bit…?
Isn’t “I’m watching you” a creepy statement…?
Apparently Tamaki’s symbol is mp (mezzo pianissimo), hence Sougo’s words.
…my gosh! Aya’s foster father is Kujou?!
I7 s2 9
If I heard it right, Tenn’s line was “I can be your idol”, not “your prince”.
“Older Izumi” - ��ah, poor Mitsuki.
“Damn you, sexy beast…” – LOL!
…aw, I think this is the first time my heart has been lightened by Tsunashi’s laugh. He’s a good boy.
The chibis…I’m still trying to get used to them…
As a song once said, “You can’t please everyone so you just gotta please yourself.” (Blah blah blah, something about garden parties…)
Takao what now???...okay, Takao Dayuu.
…You’re lucky that wasn’t Tenn doing Takao Dayuu. It would’ve been very “Gentaro does his courtesan voice” if it was.
Nagi doesn’t overpronounce things as much in this season. It’s…pleasant, actually. Give me more of that.
Nagi’s “Oh my god!” was hilarious.
Taiso 5
Ra (ら) and ro (ろ) look kinda similar in hiragana.
Even without the audio, I can guess the words were “yarubeki koto” (things you should do) -> shachihoko.
The texts are written in gyaru-moji. Gyaru-moji is basically indecipherable to anyone who doesn’t know how it works – kind of like the common teen vernacular, to be honest (LOL…?) – and so the subs actually kind of ruin the confusingness of it all, but they did slightly better when they went “UR”.
Movie shiritori! But…has it really been half a year since Leo started? I feel slightly robbed about that plotline with the Men in Black right now…(then again, HypMic is just as bad about important plotlines, if not worse, so…I’m going to be patient and not complain.)
July 5th…Rei is a Cancer…?
They’re…finally moving on this Men in Black plotline! I only complained two points ago! Thank you, staff, for listening to my complaints (…?).
Moon Land finished recently, so I wonder if I’ll lose interest in this anime from here on out…? There was a Pommel Horse Prince in that.
Moon Land taught me that gymnastics has a lot of skills named after their creators, much like the Aragaki previously. The score is out of 10 for both D (difficulty) and E (execution), meaning a 20 is the best you can do, but the judges can get really picky...
The word for “vault” literally means “leaping/jumping horse”…makes sense.
Some of these names are names I’m familiar with from Moon Land already…but I never remember what the skills look like.
…welp, Leo just proved he really is a ninja after all.
Dr Stone’s s2 had its ED announced to be “Koe?” by Hatena and “Yume?” here really makes a theme…does Hatena give all their song titles question marks on the end?
Taiso 6
Colour gangs? Like in IWGP?
It’s nice to see they’re (Jotaro and Rei) communicating properly for the first time in possibly this entire anime.
On the wall, that thing is an evacuation map…of some sort.
…I’ve always wondered: if a bird eats chicken, does that count as cannibalism?
This is like thw Makkachin incident all over again (in YoI).
“…there’s no reason for you to grin and bear it.”
…Leo and Jotaro, both are so dense! Boys *shakes head*.
BB? More like ET (LOL)!
Maou-jou 5
…I didn’t even notice the cast was all dudes bar the princess at this point.
Tatakau Onnatachi. It could mean “fighting women” or “female warriors”.
I’m still vaguely pissed that Kirito is here under my nose…darn Demon King!!!
One of the harpy’s recent worries was that she wanted to become friends with the princess…That’s kinda cute…
Didn’t Syalis already get the coffin that one time? Or did it get confiscated?
*eyes sparkle* Cloud…I’d like to sleep on a cloud…*dreamy look on face* Cloud.
This is basically Princess, ‘Tis Time for Torture in reverse.
Is it “make do” or “make due”…?
I don’t think I need to explain the joke where the harpy is happy.
Gendo pose!
I wonder if the bed or the sheets will talk to her (Syalis) someday?
Maou-jou 6
The New Gearbolt’s quote is “guruguru dokkan”, which is just a bunch of sound effects. It would translate to something like “whir-whir-thud”.
Underwear episodes are some of the worst episodes ever…they’re so juvenile…I dropped at least one series based on the underwear episode alone.
Ah! The seal on the ice monster’s shoulder! Too cute!
How can a mechanical princess mecha (…thing?) have worries?
LOL, never underestimate the hilarity of the teddy demons ganging up on the Demon King.
I like how the Japanese pointed out the demons only moved the princess.
HypMic 8
I thought the robberies were Kazuha’s doing…? Or is this a separate case?
Samatoki answering his phone with his feet up…LOL, there’s just something funny about it. It shows he’s just so badass, he can get away with it.
Riou’s hacking (?) skills come to the fore again. (Or is that listening to enemy intel?)
Ooh, Iris is sassy. I love her already.
…er, Samatoki? Blowing cigarette smoke into Jyuto’s face is just rude…
“…don’t hang up your gloves.” – Considering Jyuto has his red gloves…LOL.
What the heck is that backing track when the 2nd car moved out? That’s a cool track.
Ah! Iris is a Saburo-type…LOL, Saburo’s fake identity.
“a cop who’s in with the yakuza” - Wow, way to diss your own teammate, Samatoki.
For a guy who was only just in the water, Riou doesn’t even look wet.
“2 DIE 4” – Hmm? So did the anime staff know what Riou’s 2nd round song title was at the time…? Update: Judging by the name “Requiem” dropped in the next episode, I would say yes.
“…f*** the police…” - Wow, way to diss your own teammate, Samatoki. X2
Hmm? In Riou’s rap bit near the end, he goes “mad warrior” and that rhymes (in a very loose way of speaking) with “Mad Trigger”. The English didn’t keep that.
I remember seeing a spoiler which said that line (the one about slaves)…but seriously, Jyuto is such a “sexy revenge cop” (as someone once said – I think it might be Slug, or an anon to Slug) that literally nothing else seems to matter about him.
Why do they subtitle the laughing??? I still have no idea.
“Sgt. Iruma”? The guy just says “Iruma-san”. Is he a sergant or some other rank? Update: Yes. (As in, he is a sergant.)
I’ve never actually seen Ramuda sleep in a bed before, come to think of it. Does he not have a bed?
I would assume Gentaro is going…but he said he won’t be going, then negated that and then negated it again. Unless the 2nd time was him admitting it was a lie the first time…is he going or not???
“shinsetsu no human” – (Spoilers for later on/manga)…Yes, that’s actually what Ramuda says. It’s as if Ramuda subtly admits, right there, he isn’t human.
Nodo = throat…If this were translated more literally, it would sound pretty clunky.
“…rappa no inochi…paa!” – Yep, the subbers got the gist of the joke there.
Dice is basically a worm at this point…He’s squirming like one, anyway.
That “number of pips facing up” thing has got to be foreshadowing for something, y’know? Nothing in a story ever goes to waste. Also, it’s likely the dice are weighted or something…
…yep, there you go.
That voice Gentaro used for “I despise lies” was amusing…because it’s so different to his normal voice, and because Gentaro is a serial liar.
The 2nd song…which I already know is called “JACKPOT” from browsing Twitter earlier today…was a bunch of fun.
Udagawacho.
Hmm…emphasis on the candy. I wonder what that means? (<- already knows, I just want to keep it a secret from you, dear reader, if you don’t know it too)
ANIME SHOP is so clearly a pun on Animate, including the colours, that I can’t even…LOL.
FP’s Kizuna sounds distinctly different to the others…probably because of Ramuda. It’s mostly Ramuda carrying the tune there.
“Life is what you make it.” – Hmm, an interesting quote for sure.
HypMic 9
…welp, they don’t call it Fling Posse for nothin’.
I didn’t believe my ears, so I went and listened to it again. Sure enough, Ichiro calls Jakurai -san, not -sensei.
Ramuda’s normal voice! Things are getting serious~!
“Hifuming”? Is that a deliberate choice on the translators’ part? Or is it a mishearing?
…I’m laughing at how Samatoki called Ichiro a “hypocritical piece of s***”. I know the “s***” part is correct at minimum from the audio.
I believe Samatoki said -san, not -sama when he asked for an honorific. Hmm, interesting.
I knew this would get animated, but…I still can’t believe I’m watching it! Amazing…absolutely amazing.
If you’re wondering…yes, that long thing is her entire title and name. It’s said the name “Kadenokouji” is the longest Japanese surname in existence.
I remember reading a tweet earlier today that said somebody wanted “Altercation! Altercation! Altercation!” as a song title…and now I LOL, because the subbers made Gentaro say the exact same word.
Hmm…I only just noticed BB are the only ones with bags. They probably came last, but who took the others’ bags into Chuoku…? Update: Some of the others did have bags, I just never spotted them. For instance, Riou is carrying a large black rectangular bag, but Samatoki and Jyuto don’t have any. Jakurai has the bag from his TDD days.
The 2nd DRB brackets got announced today. BB vs DH, MTR vs BAT, FP vs MTC, rolling out across Japan (and Japan only due to COVID) in 2021.
“What happened between you and him?” - I was going “who?” in Cantonese (as I sometimes do), but turns out they’re just referring to Samatoki.
This is exactly as it played out in the drama tracks and manga…exactly what I was waiting for all this time! So good, dangit!
LOL, in the future, we will have camera drones working our concerts like they do in the DRBs…I think (?)
I wonder what Dice is thinking right now, seeing Otome on the screen…hmm…
…gah! Airhorn! Airhorn to the ears! *tilts to side due to sound*
I still kind of remember Slug’s take on the final battle…”The popo? More like the poopoo!” (or something like that). *sniggers*
The little barking bit after Jiro’s verse was…kinda cute, actually.
…ow, these are some burn-ass words. See? This is the power of the DRB!
…eh? Riou’s mic has his MC name on it. Don’t think I’ve seen that in any other part of the series.
Hoh, Riou even made references to Saburo’s character songs.
You can see “Hc” on Samatoki’s mic too…probably another case of his MC name, but partially obscured by his hand.
Aw, “Samatoki no sabaku toki” is a good lyric. Why couldn’t you try to keep that, instead of translating it literally to “judgement day for Samatoki”?
You can hear a thumping beat in the background when Samatoki prepares himself. That seems to be a similar way to how ARB treats this stuff.
“I’m THE Samatoki” – “Samatoki-sama da”.
I think it was really cool to show Samatoki handing the song over to Riou, but it also indicates there’s a disjunct in the lyrics that would cause such a thing. From this, maybe Riou is MTC’s weak link…?
Skeletons with katanas! Is that not cool?!?
…hey, that joined words thing Ichiro does…I would assume that’s what Rhyme Strike looks like in the HypMic universe?
Notice Samatoki took the word “signal” from Ichiro’s part and put it into his own one.
“Today is a good day to die.” – *eyes bulge* Oh…gosh. What a quote. Update: Someone theorised Ichijiku wrote these titles (the last 2), but someone else – like me – theorised this quote was what FP and M fans thought for this battle.
Akudama 7
…that’s one twisted kid.
Never threaten to kill a kid who can regenerate far better than you, Hoodlum.
Brawler is still in the OP…it’s kind of saddening to see him now.
I noticed a certain character appears on the Executioners’ hands if you pause at the right moment in the OP. It’s the first character in shori (management).
Bunny: set meal/Shark: roasted meat (yakiniku)
…This sounds a heck of a lot like the genbaku dome (Hiroshima Peace Park).
Bunny and Shark’s shirts together: Idiot -> Shark: Bone
Actually, this also reminds me of the Osaka Expo held in 1970. I loved writing about that event – it was just so fun to write about.
This anime is like Appare-Ranman’s sequel, except without the racing and crazy racial stereotypes (although there are still crazy stereotypes).
…whoa! This scene is going on the end of year list for sure. Just…have to remember this scene, where all the children disappeared, exists.
…”The City of Lost Children” is an apt title for this episode.
(HypMic spoilers!) I wonder if they’ll reveal that Ramuda is a clone in what’s left of the HypMic anime?
…oof, Doctor’s a filthy traitor!
Rule number 1 of fighting: never yell out “Smokescreen!” when the smokescreen is meant to cover you.
…LOL, dark censorship bar. Please wait for the Blu-Rays to see this scene uncensored.
What the heck?! The countdown went from 7 to 0 so fast!
Akudama 8
Black Rain, huh? *checks* It’s a movie about a pair of New York policemen who have to save a Japanese gangster from his death.
…don’t jinx it, Swindler!
Your brother isn’t on the moon, Sister. It’s just your dreams on there.
Notice “Neo Lake Biwa” actually has “Reiku” in its name, as opposed to, say, “mizuumi” or “ike” (the Japanese equivalent).
You can still see where Doctor stitched herself up.
What did Doctor “hold on to”?
Way to monologue through the whole morality thing… (<- not as satisfied as they would like from this scene)
I wonder if the seal is electronically tracked…
Tsubo = pot, vase…*thinks about drugs* (Not that pot.)
“…I’ll make you into a real man.” – More like a eunuch, LOL. (partially sarcastic)
I recall from Sarazanmai that “pair look” is the term for “twinsies” in Japanese.
Oh! Swindler kind of looks like the Executioner Boss now.
…I find it ironic that Swindler had long hair up until not too long ago.
Can to the eye! Ouch! That’s gotta be worse than a lightsaber…er, jitte to the eye!
This makes me wonder…was Courier a rich kid once…?
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revisionaryhistory · 4 years ago
Text
Three Days ~ 31
Catch up on AO3
EMMA
What a crazy fucking weekend.
I watched Sebastian walk through the doors before I drove off. I was barely back on the main road when the weight of the time together really hit me. We shoved a lot into a short period of time, but the short period of time wasn’t that short. Total of four days. Four days isn’t that long to get to know someone, unless during those four days you were apart for maybe ten hours. Two before dinner and eight after. We weren’t apart from Saturday at eleven until just now. Three full days, minus him leaving equals sixty-eight hours of an uninterrupted time, add in fifteen minutes at the grocery and nine and a half for dinner. Now were at seventy-seven hours and forty-five minutes together. I have no idea why I did this math. Usually when you’ve known someone for four days you’ve hung out, talked on the phone, did a few things. We didn’t do that. We spent seventy-eight hours together. Barely any of it sleeping. The problem, which isn’t much of a problem, is trying to accept how I'm feeling about Sebastian after four days and seventy-eight hours sound like more time, which makes the difficulty saying goodbye make sense.
I need to talk to my best friend. My drive isn't nearly long enough. I told my vehicle to call Angie and waited for her to pick up.
"My favorite person!"
I smiled at the sound of her voice, "Even on a long weekend Tuesday morning?" Those are almost worse than Mondays. The short week being the only redeeming quality.
"Always." We both laughed. "I'm dog assed tired. We didn't leave Eli's parents until late. There were too many one last songs. How was your weekend?"
"Apparently it was the weekend for visiting parents. I met a man who was up here helping his parents move."
The excitement in her voice was clear, "Did you? I want to hear absolutely everything. Wait, is this a good meet or a bad meet? I still want details, but need to be prepared."
"Ang, he is incredible. I... he's incredible. It was such a good weekend. I want to flop down on my bed kicking and screaming. He is sweet, funny, and we talked for hours and hours. We had so much fun. And that was before the sex. Parts of my body are still tingling. When I get home my sheets are going to smell like him." I took a shuddering breath. Wow, it felt good to get that out.
"Holy shit!" Angie's laugh was pretty close to the best part of my day and I’d had a really good day. "You're gushing over this man. I can’t wait to hear everything. Why didn't you call me last night?"
"Because I only just dropped him off at the train station."
"Explains your still tingling parts."
Yes, it does. Meet up on FaceTime about four?"
"Sounds good."
We hung up and I felt like I could make it through the day without exploding. There is something about a new romance, especially when it comes out of nowhere, that fills you with so much energy. It's fun and exciting. I walked into school with a ridiculous grin and an idea.
I had to work fast. My kids would be coming soon. I ducked into Mallory's room on the way to mine, "Hey, can you come help me for a minute?"
"Sure. Right behind you."
Mallory was a fifth grade teacher. She would definitely corroborate that age were smart asses, but she liked smart asses. We'd started the same year and became friends going through all the orientation and training stuff together. Mal had clued me in on the gossipy teacher I'd gone out with a few times. I would not have been the first story he'd told.
Mallory caught up to me, "Everything ok? I missed you yesterday."
We were good friends, but not good enough for me to tell her about Sebastian before talking to Angie. "Yeah, I was enjoying the long weekend and wasn't ready to be social."
"I hear you. Felt like a work pot luck."
My day had been much better. "I laid around all day." Truth. We walked into my room and I sat my stuff down, handing my phone off to Mallory. "I want a new picture for my final newsletters. Wanted to get it before all this white got dirty."
Mallory took my offered phone, "You look really pretty."
"Thank you." I wanted a very first grade teacher picture. I went to the bookcase in front of our nearly full word wall. I held one hand out like I was showing off our year, which I was, but I was showcasing the words baby, blue, and boy. She took a few pics, I gave her a quick hug, and told her I'd see her at lunch. I took a couple of close up selfies before sending the full body one to Sebastian with a text saying, "Ready for the week."
I got back, "Damn..."
My kids started arriving and it was lunch before I checked my phone. I had a two word message this time, "Closer, please." I picked the selfie I thought he'd like best and sent it before heading to the teacher's lounge for lunch.
It would be after school before I heard from him again.
Sebastian ~ So pretty
Emma ~ Glad you think so. TY
Sebastian ~ Posting something on IG. Not creepy to follow now.
Emma ~ We're past the creepy zone?
Sebastian ~ More or less. My thoughts about a first grade teacher are more inappropriate than creepy.
Emma ~ Completely different.
Sebastian ~ Good day?
Emma ~ Very! Heading home. You?
Sebastian ~ Meeting with manager. Tell you all about later. Safe drive home.
Emma ~ TTFN
I headed home, skipping my usual trip to the gym. Volleyball practice could count. I was out on my deck with a glass of iced tea when Angie called right before four.
"Start at the beginning."
I went through how we met, dinner, and the festival on Saturday. The falling asleep on the couch got us laughing.
"He sounds adorable, Emma. Tell me about him. Where's he live?  What’s he do?”
Angie knew all about Ed and she was married to a musician, so I wasn't concerned about her reaction to him being a celebrity.
"He's tall and works out. His body his amazing. Gorgeous blue eyes, brown hair with just a little wave, and a beard. His lips ... his smile lights up his face and he has crinkles at the corners of his eyes. He's gorgeous."
"Of course, he is."
The slight sarcasm in her voice wasn't doubting what I said, but the level.
"You think it's the sex haze." We call the tendency to find someone more attractive if the sex is good being caught in the sex haze. It will blur a lot of faults. "Except he is objectively gorgeous. Want to see a picture?"
"You bitch! You should have led with a picture."
I laughed, "No, I shouldn't have." I sent her the silly picture with the bear from the festival. "I wanted you to hear about him before knowing who he is."
Her eyebrows pulled down, "Who he is?" I heard her text notification and watched her face go from confused to wide eyed, "Holy fuck, Em! That's Sebastian Stan."
"I didn't recognize him until we were outside the grocery. I started laughing." I told her about him not wanting to be anything more than a guy on a date and our conversation about Ed. I could see the disbelief on her face. I didn't talk about Ed. "I thought it would make things easier."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. It's just weird how you meet this famous actor, but aren't all that impressed because your second dad is in Pearl Jam. It's like some weird fate thing. Ed's not going to be happy."
I laughed loudly, "Oh, he’ll fucking hate it."
I told Angie the rest of the story, leaving out some of the more personal bits. When I finished we sat silent for a minute.
Angie smiled, "What do you need from me? You already know the complications that come with being famous. Not particularly stable relationships, paps, and fans. He doesn't sound like a paranoid narcissist, which is a bonus."
I nodded. I did know the pluses and minuses. "I don't need anything really." I took a deep breath, "I needed to talk to someone who wouldn't give a fuck about who he is. My dopamine levels have got to be astronomical. I like him. It started in the grocery, when I realized he was lost and not a rehab patient. There was something about him, how he felt. I immediately wanted to know him and the more I got to know the more I wanted to be with him." I paused, smiled and shook my head a little. "There was this connection. It's comfortable and exciting at the same time. I know it doesn't make sense, but it makes perfect sense. He just feels right."
Angie let the fingers over her lips fall away, "Em, if any one deserves someone, something wonderful it’s you." We shared a smile. "When are you going to see him again?"
"This weekend. He’s coming up for the volleyball tournament." Just thinking about seeing him made me grin.
"Hey," Angie's eyes lit up, "I think Eli met him." She picked up her Macbook and started walking. "A party or something." I could see she was in her living room. "Hey babe, didn't you meet Sebastian Stan?"
I couldn't see him, but recognized Eli's voice, "Who are you talking to?"
I yelled, "Hi, Eli!
His face came into view as Angie sat next to him, "Hi, Em. Shit, are you two fangirling over a Marvel movie?"
I said no at the same time Angie said yes.
Eli rolled his eyes at us. A frequent occurrence when we were all together. Still, he answered. "A couple of times. He's infuriatingly better looking in person."
"What's he like?" Angie, not me.
Eli looked between us before answering, "Nice guy. Funny as hell when he's drunk and they start talking shit. Boone's husband, Kirk, worked on Gossip Girl. Seb's been to gig, a couple of parties. He was filming something and couldn't come to the wedding, but he was at the bachelor party."
Angie shoved him, "Where were we at these parties?"
He looked at her like she was crazy, "You could have been there. No one pays any attention to him. If anything, he tries to blend in. He’s kind of an introvert. And really, would either of you recognized him before Civil War?"
Angie smirked, "One of us wouldn't recognize him if she ran into him."
Eli narrowed his eyes at her then looked at me, "What have you done, Emiliana?"
I waved my hands around in front of me, "Why am I getting the dad voice?"
More eye rolling, "What have you done?"
I rolled my eyes right back at him. "I went to the grocery and there was this guy in a baseball cap and hoodie cursing and talking to himself in the baking aisle. Turns out he was Sebastian Stan."
Eli snickered, "Sounds like him." Angie put her phone in front of him. I could see the wheels in his head spinning. "You would never ask for a selfie. Hook ups don’t include photos. You went on a date."
I raised my eyebrows.
Eli copied me, "You're dating him."
"It would seem so."
"And I’m providing a character reference?"
I shook my head, vehemently, "No. I was having a teenage girl moment calling my best friend to rave about the new guy and she remembered you'd met him. I promised not to Google." They stared at me, "I want to get to know him not research. Fuck knows I don't want him to find me on Google."
I guess Eli could till the last bit shook me, "Em, he would never know where to look."
I shook myself out of the mood, "Yeah, so no, I'm not wanting details on him. He’s a good guy. He’s sweet, good to his mom, was nothing but respectful to me. He’s good to me.”  These were my best friends. “I know he partied too much for a while and there was an ugly breakup where they fought in public, said some mean shit. I don't want information unless you need to wave me off."
Eli frowned and shook his head, "I wouldn’t ask your permission to wave you off."
"I love you too, Eli."
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always-la-belle-epoque · 5 years ago
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hi what is mash and why do you love it so much because i need to know if i need to love it too thanks
Hello, anon! It took a bit because I wanted to put time into my answers, so here you are! 
What Is M*A*S*H: 
M*A*S*H is a tv show about doctors/nurses stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H) unit on the frontlines of the Korean War. The show focuses on the medical staff as they desperately try to save the lives of young soldiers. Many of the doctors are draftees and they are faced with trying to cope with the horror of a war they want no part of and that is the absolute antithesis to their professional calling. They fight against death every day, struggle against military bureaucracy, and try to keep their sanity. Often that deep stress is released in humor, practical jokes, and wildly unmilitary antics, but the true costs and realities of war are never treated lightly. I’ve never seen another show that can make me laugh so hard and then turn on a dime to make me cry just as deeply a second later. The show is a beautiful examination of human nature, heart, found family, loss, helplessness, despair, exhaustion, humanity, and hope,. 
M*A*S*H ran for 11 years, from 1972-1983 and the finale, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, is still the most-watched television broadcast in history (the NYC sewer nearly faced collapse because people would all flush the toilet at the same time during commercials, and the streets were totally empty of cars as over half the country, 150+ mil people, watched the finale live together all at the same time. Can you imagine?!). Plus, it’s been in continuous syndication for 45 years which is impressive. M*A*S*H is for all generations, it resonates far beyond the era in which it was made, or which it was made about.
Why Do I Love M*A*S*H So Much (in general):
I don’t think there is another show out there in the history of the world that has written such narratively wonderful, deeply moving character arcs. I don’t know if there’s another show out there where the characters grow so much from their relationships with one another. Or a show that depicts masculinity in such a healthy, tender way. It is normal on M*A*S*H for male characters to: Cry. Hug. Tuck each other in. Hold hands. Perform emotional labor. Actively listen. Dance together. Sleep with teddy bears (and not have it be a joke). Admit they were wrong. Change and grow from being wrong. Etc, etc. 
And while Major Margaret Houlihan is the only female lead, her character arc is the most beautiful of any character I have ever watched or read. The show doesn’t start out particularly feminist, but it definitely ends that way (both male and female characters evolve here and it’s wonderful). And if more tv shows had characters half as complex as Margaret Houlihan, tv would be a whole lot more interesting, and women would be a whole lot farther along toward equality, imo. 
Why Do I Love M*A*S*H So Much (the personal): 
I was 15 or 16 when I started watching M*A*S*H. I was going through a very dark time in my home life. But my Mom would usually have M*A*S*H on while making dinner or just after. It was their weird time of day where it seemed like a truce between us. Sometimes I’d even sit all 5’8 of my gangly teenage body on her lap and we’d just watch like that with her arms around me (which given that things were darkly terrible the rest of the time it was like being a small kid again in a way I really needed). We’d talk about the characters. We’d talk about the stories. We both loved Margaret Houlihan (it’s interesting that Margaret has the most valuable traits I learned from my Mom - things I like most about her and am grateful she taught me despite all the bad stuff). 
Soon I was racing home after school and jamming in a blank VHS so that I could record each ep. I’d cross reference between tv guide and IMDB to try to see if any eps that I hadn’t seen yet would be on so I could record them for my collection. I made an elaborate cataloging system because they weren’t shown in order! And some eps were shown only rarely!! (I’m only 28, it amazes me that this was how things were not that long ago lol). 
Anyway, the DVD box set came out and I saved up alllllll my $ for it. Thank goodness, because then I got sick and for a few years the M*A*S*H characters were the most consistent and truest friends I had. The show is deeply personal for me. I can watch it over, and over, and over. It makes me laugh, and weep, and cheer. It’s like having friends. Like having family. 
Should You Love M*A*S*H too?
I want you to love M*A*S*H. I want everyone to love M*A*S*H! And M*A*S*H holds up. It’s still radically progressive. It’s still - in this time where North Korea is a frequent headline, where we have a government we do not trust, in a world where we have been at war since 2001 - deeply relevant. 
Here’s the thing though: it was made in the 70s, about events in the 1950s, and this is 2019 tumblr-land. You’ve all read the roasts about lack of critical thinking skills on this website and ability to contextualize, and those posts are unfortunately not wrong. And the world has changed - and changed for even better than what was, at the time, truly radical! Even terms that were the liberal, pc term in the 70s have changed now and are not liberal or pc anymore which for the 2019 watcher might raise eyebrows. But the show is extremely pointed about calling out racism, homophobia, sexism, military fetishism, colonization, etc. I think maybe the only other show I can think of that goes so hard at dogged and relentless political call outs would be One Day at a Time. So I feel protective of M*A*S*H because in 50 years maybe we will look back at ODaaT and say yikes about certain things, though that feels crazy to say now. 
If you do want to watch, here’s my advice (pull down your pants and slide on the ice (sorry, omg M*A*S*H jokeee)): 
Do not start with S1. Start with S4, or S5 even. For one thing, there are some cast changes at the start of S4 so you get intro-ed to everyone again in “Welcome to Korea pt 1 & 2” and “Change of Command.”  It’s a really good starting point to see a lot of characters on the brink of change. Don’t get me wrong, I still really love S1-3 but the characters haven’t grown yet. I love going back because I know them so well, but if you’re just meeting them, I recommend getting to know them in the middle of their journey, watch them evolve, and then go back and see where they started. And I think Col. Potter/BJ really elevated the tone of the show.
Because M*A*S*H is an older tv show, most people who love M*A*S*H never watched the show in order because we could only watched it in syndication! And you don’t really need to watch in order! In fact, CBS had the final call for episode order so sometimes even the air order is different than the writing, filming, intended order. Also, because they had 11 years of content over a 3 years of war, the show itself isn’t chronological. Due to probability (there are just more Potter/BJ eps) I saw more S4+ eps when I was first watching the show so again that’s my newbie preference. Now that it’s on Hulu (and remastered OMG) it might be tempting to watch in order, but really do recommend skipping around or at least starting later in for sure. You’ll learn context as you go (recs below). Then once you get the characters and their arcs it’s suuuuper fascinating to watch in order. 
 Fight me: Is everyone bisexual on this show??! Yes, yes they are. This is where I go full 2019 tumblr-brain, lol, but looking back I think it’s one of the reasons I loved it before I understood myself. It’s gentle, tender, pretty wavy. Alan Alda’s Hawkeye Pierce is, like, arguably canonically bi, like I even wonder if he was intentionally written/played that way on the dl. It’s pretty blatant?? And don’t even get me started on Margaret Houlihan. Godddddddd. 
 On that note, and maybe you will fall over, but Margaret and Hawkeye are my actual, #1, forever OTP. Which is weird for you, dear readers, I’m sure, as I run a v strict wlw blog and I’m very proud about that. But broken people who heal and change and grow because of the other is my tea, jam, and bread (”crackers and jam! too bad!” ;) ),  and so far the writing of other characters and relationships hasn’t a hope of even coming into the range of depth these characters have (obvs not just wlw ships, all other mlw ships are The Worst as well, we’re all doomed, why does tv suck). But anyway, I would take them over any ship any day of the week goombye (but also….shipping Margaret is kinda like….not the point of Margaret Houlihan). 
It’s worth noting that M*A*S*H has a character named Maxwell Klinger who wears a dress to try to get out of the army via a Section 8 (previously known as a “psycho”) discharge (remember lgbtq was still classified as a mental illness, smh). Obviously, this is potentially triggering. And, obviously, not okay in today’s world. To me the show does call out that it is the policies/laws/politics that are crazy, not Klinger. I think there are still some fairly modern ideas in his portrayal in that anyone who treats him like he is crazy, or is disrespectful, is very pointedly shown to be bigoted/an antagonist. Klinger is excellent at his job, brave, loyal, true, and that’s all anyone who is a protagonist cares about (and I do think they try to show to the extend they could during the time it aired that even if Klinger were not doing it for a discharge, they would respond the same way). Fwif, imo, Klinger isn’t played as a one note joke for wearing dresses, in fact, to an extent, he does wear them utterly sincerely. He loves, deeply loves, clothes and fashion because loving something gives him something to live for. It becomes his passion, not a gag. The gag is that Klinger will do anything to get out of the war through any available loophole he hears about (having an imaginary pet camel, eating 10 sausages in a single day, eating a jeep, trying to get into West Point aka join the military to get out of the military), etc. His comrades in arms treat him very sincerely and are very protective. Early on, a jeep comes in with wounded and Radar pulls Klinger away from the blood, “careful, you’ll get your dress dirty” in the most serious, sweet way. Col Potter is always very serious and sincere about telling Klinger when one of his dresses is a fav, and Klinger positively glows. When Klinger has to trade his dress collection to local women in exchange for shelter for the wounded during a bug out, Col. Potter, regular army in his 3rd war, tells Klinger (who is in tears) that it’s the finest act of bravery he has ever seen (and he means it). When Margaret desperately wants to look pretty and Klinger pulls out one of his best frocks and helps her dress in it - Margaret who grew up in combat boots wanting a crew cut - it’s pretty emotional (and I bawl when he gives her the wedding dress, goddd). As for Klinger himself, he’s one of my favorite characters. He has the biggest heart and I love him (and yes, I might feel differently if I had a different life experience than I do - that is why I’m flagging this as something that might not be for everyone, or might be trigger - because history already is triggering, and not everyone might be as moved by him as I am).
If you’re a 30 Rock fan you will know the star Alan Alda as Milton Greeen, Jack Donaghy’s father, and if you love Beauty and the Beast you will know that the actor who voiced Cogsworth is a major (lol pun) character in S6-11! But that’s all crazy to me because they are always M*A*S*H, first and forever, and always in my mind! I can’t believe they’re all in their 80s now, or that so many of them have passed.  :( They are truly my whole heart, my family, my home. 
If you do want to watch, recommend you start with the following eps (omg this list is long but it feels so short):
Welcome to Korea pt 1 + 2 (s4)
Change of Command (s4)
Aid Station (s3)
Death Takes a Holiday (s9)
Carry on, Hawkeye (s2)
Bug Out pt 1 + 2 (s5)
Dear Sigmund (s5)
Period of Adjustment (s8) *my first ep ever :,)
The Bus (s4)
Sometimes You Hear the Bullet (s1)
Tuttle (s1)
Crisis (s2)
O.R. (s3)
5 O'Clock Charlie (s2)
The Nurses (s5)
The Interview (s4)
Movie Tonight (s5)
Abyssinia, Henry (s3)
Hepatitis (s5)
Your Hit Parade (s6)
Peace on Us (s7)
Eye for a Tooth (s7)
Old Soldiers (s8)
Life Time (s8)
Stars and Stripes (s8)
Hey, Look Me Over (s11)
There’s a million more things I could say about the show. I feel like I haven’t summarized it justly. If anyone wants to chime in with why they love M*A*S*H, what your fav ep is, etc, please do :)
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eponymous-rose · 6 years ago
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Talks Machina Episode #100 Highlights!
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That’s right: 100 EPISODES. That’s a lot of great questions, greater answers, questionable pronunciations of usernames, even more questionable uses of overlays, and a++++ excellent dogs. 
The entire cast is answering questions this week!
Max runs an (adorable) intro in the above puppet theater, and each cast member gets a title. Laura is The Heart, Sam is The “Funny Guy”, Travis is The Brawn, Liam is The Actor, Matt is The Brains, Marisha is The Face, Taliesin is The Pyramid, Brian is The Convict, and Ashley is The Favorite.
The cast’s entrance is majestic. There are balloons, sashes, tiaras, and champagne. Henry has a tiara too!
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The Search for Grog will air this Friday, February 22 at 7 PM Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole. If you miss the stream, it’ll be available Saturday morning on CR’s YouTube channel!
Talks Machina and CR will air on CR’s official channels starting today! Starting next episode, TM will be available on CR’s YouTube channel on Thursday at 7 Pacific, and also in podcast form!
Stats: in 100 episodes of TM, there’s been 81 episodes of Brian’s glorious beard. There have been 9 Skype/FaceTime call-ins! There were 244 guest misnomers before that well ran dry. 93 episodes of pre-show hijinks (thanks to Max James!). 95 episodes of Arsequeef. 826 days of being on the internet!
Brian: "The concept of creating a talk show about a D&D campaign has always been absurd to me, so we wanted to embrace that terribleness.”
There’s now a Steve Cam (quietly reading, meal prepping, and ignoring the show), and a Zach Cam (staring at a monitor that’s all just Liam’s chest hair and the Fjord bust), and a Max Cam (dancing in a stripper cop outfit), Lockey Cam (practicing with a sword in front of a mirror and then charging at Daniel for filming it - Brian: “Hopefully Daniel’s non-union.”), Ed Cam (drinking scotch and counting down the days until football returns, and also lint rolling his new goatee), Chris Cam (rapping in the VO booth), Brittany Cam (dancing with a unicorn blanket, huffing compressed air - Brian: “You can’t show that on Twitch!”).
Matt is asked how his DMing style has evolved with campaign 2. “Well... I’ve been forced to embrace a little more of the tragedy in the characters’ backstories.” The internal and external conflict has been really interesting for him to watch and react to. “I’ve learned to be very proud of my players for mucking up my perception of where things are going to go.”
Coming to Xhorhas, Nott’s thrilled to no longer have to worry about the mask. Sam’s excited about the City of Beasts “to see what kind of fucked-up individuals we’re going to find and seeing how Nott will react to that.”
Yasha definitely sympathizes with Nott trying to save her spouse, but “there’s a lot going on with her going back to Xhorhas. It’s definitely triggering for her, but she understands the need to want to go back. I wish I could go to Xhorhas. We’ll see what happens.” Travis: “I’m pretty sure once we go to a place we can never go back.”
Favorite item on the Talks shelves? Taliesin mentions a magnetic Percy mini, Sam likes the tiny Sams (”It looks like my bedroom!”), Ashley and Brian are partial to the Sully painting, Laura loves the Pike painting, Marisha loves all the stuff the cast bought on a hungover voyage to the flea market when they were first building the set, Matt loves a very cool dice tower. Brian likes the Vecna with Marisha’s face. Matt: “I don’t know if I like that one.”
Laura doesn’t like the party using the derogatory term for the Krynn, because she wants people to be happy even if she doesn’t know them. Sam: “I haven’t been the best for that, but if Jester wants me to... I guess I’ll change.”
There are new wipe transitions featuring the Matt pillow and the Fjord bust. It’s glorious.
Gif of the week: Sam calling Travis “studly” for catching the candy. Laura: “...I like that I’ve been cut out of it completely.”
Arsequeef gets the Lifetime Achievement Award for Gif of the Week. He wins Max’s 2006 Honda Accord.
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On Caleb taking off his bandages because there’s nothing to hide anymore: “Was that terrifying for him, or a relief?” Liam: “Yes!” He’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it feels good. He’s got f...r...iends?” Marisha: “I love that sitcom. (weakly) F...r...iends?”
Caduceus being a source of comfort, insight, and advice was built into the character. Taliesin looked at low INT high WIS, and Matt immediately started laughing and told Taliesin he’d do well with that. Taliesin: “There’s plenty of things that will eventually flap that, but we haven’t hit them yet.”
As a player, Travis doesn’t like to weigh things carefully all the time, so a lot of Fjord’s leardership has been a bit about pressing fast-forward. Marisha: “So what you’re saying is that your Grog’s poking through.” Matt points out that if both characters have a trait, it’s probably just Travis. 
Liam: “I’ve got a little Travis poking me from behind.” Marisha, musing: “So many conflicting beards...”
Beau’s prayer to Ioun mostly came from a “couldn’t hurt” perspective. “I’ll try it out. Give it a spin.” When Travis asks, Marisha clarifies that it was Ioun specifically because of the Cobalt Soul. Travis: “Oh yeah, I totally knew the relationship there. I just wanted to make sure the audience did.”
Bugbear friend or bugbear foe? Sam: “He speaks goblin, he seems cool, his name’s Gluzo. He has a hard-to-pin-down accent, but it’s amazing.” Taliesin: “You have a hard-to-pin-down accent, too. It’s something you have in common.” Taliesin gets asked if his insight check revealed that the bugbear is secretly pretending to be someone else. “Yes, he’s just pretending to be a bugbear. He’s actually Matt Mercer.” Laura: “I like him. ‘Cause he’s cute and he let me give him a tattoo.”
Sam: “Nott trusts her friends to be as strong as they can be, and at this point, I don’t know if she’s as concerned with one of them dying as just getting to her husband in time before he dies. If we lose one along the way, Nott will probably cry a little, but will move on.” What if it were Fjord? “Fjord’s expjendable.”
Matt: “I’ve reached a point where Travis controls Yasha in combat, but I don’t consider any of his roleplay canon.” Ashley: “I trust Travis. Barbarian respect.” Laura: “Don’t give him that.” Ashley: “Travis himself is like a Deck of Many things. This is risky, but it’s kind of fun!”
Sam: “That dunamancy shit is lit.” Liam: “And it’s tied up in everything that Caleb wants, so if he can get on the entropy shit and the gravity shit, you know he’s going to go back in time, motherfucker.” Sam is so excited to have these mystery spells because they’re so new, and they’re inherently something they don’t know how to counter or prepare for. Travis: “It’s almost like every time we play D&D.”
Fanart of the Week: a spectacular group shot.
Everyone freaks out over how good Travis looks with glasses. He takes them off and puts them back on sexily for a while. I was too slow grabbing a screencap, but don’t worry, the gifs will be everywhere.
Laura: “Jester hasn’t experienced a lot of emotions. She hasn’t experienced a lot of anything, really. She’s definitely dealt with sadness in her life, but I don’t think it’s been so in-your-face constantly, just the trauma of it all.” Liam: “Yeah, she’s with some very terrible people.” Laura: “While it is traumatic, it’s also been a great adventure, and she’s enjoying being out and doing things. Even if it might hurt her, it’s so much better than reading about it, drawing it, just imagining how it would be.”
Caleb’s still feeling out the shift in his relationship with Nott, but there’s no question that everything they’ve gone through can’t be forgotten or overlooked. “He sees her as an absolute ally no matter what, and will do anything for her. In a weird way, he feels like they’re even more alike than he thought they were, and he loves her and wants her to succeed in what she’s doing, and hopes that the things that he wants don’t fuck it up entirely.” Sam: “Are you talking about Liam and Sam right now?”
Caduceus’ thoughts on Xhorhas? “A new environment, certainly, and a new aspect of nature that he’s unfamiliar with. This is just more terrain to him at this point. He’s also very unaware of the political realities. He’s vaguely aware there is war. He’s still not sure why we can’t just go up and ask for directions from everyone.”
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Brian: “That tiara is the most blessed image.”
Travis on the Captain Tusktooth tattoo: “Brand recognition is huge in Xhorhas.” Taliesin: “Viral marketing.” Laura confirms that it’s not likely to change apart from some small differences from tattoo to tattoo. “Each person gets a special google.”
Laura on fans actually getting this tattoo: “I am ALL ABOUT IT.”
Marisha: “Guys! How about instead of M9 tattoos...” Sam: “We let Laura tattoo us? I would legitimately be down with that!” Ashley: “I’m kind of into it.” Liam: “This is what splits us apart.” Laura: “Everybody gets a dick.” Travis: “How would we explain that to our kid? ‘What’s that?’ ‘Your mom did that.’”
Beau is holding back a bit since her impulsiveness started having negative repercussions. “I think it’s about accountability. She’s started to learn--- especially when she first joined M9, she didn’t have friends, really. I think you had to learn, oh, my actions do affect others around me. I think that’s something you can learn and you can grow in, but yeah, she is trying to not be a total fuckwad anymore. Trying. But old habits...”
Favorite TM moments? Travis: “Do you remember that episode where Brian wasn’t the host?” Brian remembers Travis throwing the card that almost took him out. Ashley fondly remembers PullOutKing. Laura remembers Taliesin saying the phrase “I love teenage assholes” (referring to Percy acting immature), and Taliesin is super glad someone brought that up again just when the tweets were finally starting to die down. 
Ashley talks about how proud she is about how far Brian’s come, and how great he’s doing at this. Everyone has an uncharacteristically sincere moment of applause for Brian. Liam: “Everyone take 30 seconds to drop the bit that we think you’re a total fucking weirdo. You’re so good at this, and you’re such a good friend, and we’re so glad you’re part of this family.”
Marisha pitches the idea of trying to sell TM syndicated on LifeTime now that they have 100 episodes.
Brian remembers having food poisoning that led to him running off-screen, throwing up in the middle of the show, and then having to come back. Marisha remembers Travis texting everyone that night with “lol, did Brian just yarf on TV?”
Matt talks about how proud he is of Brian for going from zero tabletop experience to co-running his own game.
Talks Machina After Dog ft. Sleepy Boi Henry
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“This is the best dog-petting show ever.”
Liam was skeptical about TM initially, because he was worried it would take away from what would be shared in-game. Marisha: “I was stoked for it, not gonna lie. I was very misunderstood and people hated my character, so I was kind of stoked to just get to explain it.” Travis was sold once they picked the name.
Marisha: “It also set the precedent for really dumb, punny names.” Brian points out that, as a channel, they now can’t stick with serious names as their final choice.
Laura’s sister has been watching the show, and she texted Laura after the show to ask what the whisper was, so Laura’s going to tell her and no one else. Liam: “You’re gonna tell your real sibling?”
There’s a horrified discussion about giraffe fighting. Some segues happened in there.
What’s something their characters have done that’s made them proud? Liam: Caleb using the Wall of Fire. Marisha: the Plank King execution episode as a whole (everyone agrees). Travis: “I was proud of hooking up with an NPC when my wife wasn’t here to threaten me with death.” (he immediately turns to Taliesin: “Help.” Taliesin: “No god can help you now.”) Taliesin: “I sunk a boat.” Laura: Proud of not getting caught with Nott in the Platinum Dragon sanctuary. Sam: Taking the blow for Jester so she could escape. Liam: “Molly showing his dick covered in eggs.”
Matt: “I’m proud of you guys not entirely descending into evil madness. I’m proud of the character arcs of being broken, terrible people, and finding out that it’s okay to be broken; you’re not necessarily terrible.” Liam: “The entire cast went, ‘He’s talking about everyone but me’.” Matt thought it was going to be very hard to keep the group together, but the party turned it into character growth moments. “I’m proud of you.” Laura: “Thanks, Dad.”
Yasha loved the arm wrestling. “Oh man, it’s so fun to be the tank.”
Laura: “I’m really proud of us for saving Kiri!”
Everyone has Liam’s chest hair:
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Wishes for the next 100 episodes? More Ashley. 
Brian: “I hate this coffee table more than anything in the whole, entire world.”
What’s something that should never change about the show? How ridiculous it is, the barrel, Dani. Also always have a dog. They fundamentally do the show for themselves, still, and that’s made it a really good environment for them to open up about the show and their characters.
Liam: “There’s a lot of beauty to what we do, but it’s also inherently silly. And to deny that is silly.”
Matt likes that it’s unpolished and imperfect. “Things are going to go wrong regardless, and you can either get angry and frustrated about the lack of control, or you can embrace it.” Sam: “None of this is real anyway.” 
Brian points out that this is not an excuse to stop paying him.
And that’s a wrap! This is the last After Dark for a while, but there are some big ideas in the works for the coming weeks!
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jj-ktae · 6 years ago
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Erotica - Part 4 - (M)
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Pairing: Im Jaebum x Reader Genre: SMUT Summary: You’re a rookie porn actress on the rise and everything goes well until you get offered a role in a big-budget porn movie, starring the most famous actor in the porn industry. Words: 4758 Warning: Read at your own risk Lots of love for @demongyeom who beta-ed this for me because i’m a mess  <3
- Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Epilogue -
- Part 4 - 
“Just this time, please. Save us.” Your manager tries everything. Apparently, he just received a call about one of the actress being sick and cancelling on a short scene. No one is available, half of them being busy and having no time to film today. “It’s not going to take long, it’s a quickie but we need it for the website, we’ve been teasing this for so long.”
You sigh, eyes scanning through the new lines of the scene the director wants you to film again. They called you yesterday, claiming that you need to redo a couple of talk scenes with Jaebum.
This movie is never going to end.
“But I’m stuck here, we don’t even know when we’ll be done!” Maybe it’s going to discourage him. Maybe he will give up and ask someone else because you really don’t want to run around for one thirty minutes scene when you were initially supposed to rest today.
“I called the director, he said they can come. The studio is okay with lending us a space to film. You only need to agree and I promise I’ll pay you back for that. If we don’t help we’ll be in trouble, you know how the boss works.” He speaks fast, already grabbing his phone because now you’re doomed, you can’t reject the idea for you have no other arguments.
“Fine.” You’re already exhausted. Today was an off day. How come you ended with re-filming scenes plus doing a quickie?
“Great, thanks, I swear I owe you big time, Y/N.” he flies away, smile carnivorous and you know he is going to get big money for what he just did.
A head pops from behind the door, apologetic. “Miss Y/N, we’ll start soon.”
You nod their way, walking away and grabbing the new script you have yet to memorize before you start.
It’s only a couple of scenes. The director said he wasn’t satisfied with the way it was filmed and grabbed the opportunity to change the script. You received a call yesterday night which made you cancel your initial plan to visit your mother.
You don’t see Im Jaebum. Actually, you didn’t even catch a glimpse of his lazy figure ever since you arrived. He usually sits in a corner, concentrated yet idle, with headphones and sometimes carrying a book. Today he is nowhere to be found and you let a sigh of relief at the thought.
When you started filming this movie, your wrath toward Im Jaebum was stronger than the plague. His behaviour and cockiness made you think of him as nothing but an arrogant guy with a thick dick and no compassion for anyone that isn’t him.
He acted like you were going to ruin his career, like you were a greedy girl rebelling against a wealthy family and taking the job lightly.
With time he became less hostile, even friendly as he often sat back to chit-chat with you. He shared a bit of his real personality, which you found to be rather opposite to what he had shown so far. He wasn’t that much into sex as you thought he would, his main topics revolving around music and walks around town.
Im Jaebum revealed to be warmer with time. He wasn’t keen on being officially sweet, his smiles more teasing than cute in your opinion.
Yet he felt comfortable as time passed.
The sex scenes were less of a showdown and softer. Jaebum allowed himself to let his guards down, movements now composed and understanding. It helped greatly, turning the crazy adventure into something less annoying and as much as you would like to be satisfied with his new self, something feels off.
Something feels off because you’re starting to enjoy this. You never truly enjoyed a sex scene. You had your fun moments with co-actors who actually made you feel more at ease with the task at hand, but never to the point of enjoying the ministrations.
Maybe it’s because he is a professional. Im Jaebum is very famous in the porn industry even though he barely appears in sex related media. Maybe it’s why he is famous. He must be one hell of a good actor if he can make you believe that he cares.
This is why you refuse to speak to him more than necessary. Your last sex scene in the shower turned out to be very productive, tearing a very strong and realistic orgasm from a very intimate Jaebum; and pulling your barriers down.
So naturally, you decide to stay away from any trouble. Im Jaebum is nothing but talented at what he does which has nothing to do with you, hence, you shouldn’t even think about how he might be genuinely affectionate.
But you know nothing about the real Im Jaebum.
He is thankful that you stopped acting like you hate him. He admits he went too far and jumped to conclusions, but he can’t be blamed, in all honesty. He has seen so many young actress trying to become popular and acting dirty just for the sake of fame. He had to deal with clingy girls trying to get into his pants outside of work, running after him and thinking he spends his time pounding into whatever breathes.
So, thinking about how your relationship started, he doesn’t understand how his behaviour changed. He is used to being distant; he knows what people think of porn actors and doesn’t mind staying on his own – or with the only two people he can call friends. He blames it on the situation and the movie itself. He blames everything on how stupid and mushy he has to be for the sex scenes.
He ignores how enjoyable and soft you feel under his hands.
Jaebum knows it can happen. It’s the perks of making love for a living. He’s touched and kissed many people in his short life so obviously, he may feel attracted occasionally. It’s perfectly fine and natural, if he refers to his non-existent love life. He shouldn’t worry, even when he catches himself thinking about how you’d feel in a more intimate mind-set, or how strong his orgasm had been back then in the shower.
Yet, he doesn’t appreciate how it never happened before.
When he receives a call from his manager asking him to come and film a couple of scenes again, he doesn’t nag him. He usually complains, not caring about how ‘unprofessional the staff is’. Today he comes with no resentment towards the staff, hiding his evident eyes scanning the area, only to find it empty of your presence.
“We’ll start in ten.” The staff runs around, unpleased with the probability of having to pay for another day of filming in the studio. Everything is rushed, from how he gets pulled to the hairstylist, to how discreetly his makeup is done.
He catches you walking away from the restrooms, hands flattening the hems of your dress and eyes busy scanning for any imperfection on the thin clothing. You seem distracted, hurried even, like something is on your mind.
“We’ll start with the kitchen scene, please head to the studio.” One of the staff pulls him out of his thoughts, making him turn around and aim at the busy room.
He thinks everything will be alright when you step into the room, sitting on the kitchen table while he starts preparing food, just like the script wants him to. He turns around while the cameraman gets ready, along with the gaffer who doesn’t seem to be satisfied with the bright lightening. He tilts his head, catching your attention and you can only greet him, timidly.
How uncommon.
Jaebum knows something is off. You usually either ignore him totally or talk to him like he is your friend. You never act like there’s something you shouldn’t be doing, or like talking to him is something that makes you uneasy to the point of turning silent.
“Starting in two.” The director adds, making you both nod in his direction.
It’s going to be a long day.
--
It is a long day indeed. Jaebum has to deal with you ignoring him and he is torn between bluntly ask you or ignore the uneasiness. He decides not to push it. He isn’t the type of person who can be petty to the point of asking for justifications to a person he isn’t sure he is close to.
You find it hard to stare into space between each scene. So far you both were at least familiar enough to talk about your lives, so obviously, he would find it weird that you ignored him all of a sudden.
You almost regret it when you hear him sigh, forgetting about your previous will to get away from the illusion of a caring person. Maybe you’re overreacting. Maybe Im Jaebum really cares and is filming those sex scenes genuinely.
Maybe he likes making love to you.
That is stupid.
And even if he does, what’s the matter? It’s normal to be caring between co-workers. It’s even good to have a correct relationship at work.
So why is it that you’d rather escape from him?
You know the answer but you don’t even dare thinking about it. Im Jaebum is nothing but a very professional human-being.
--
“There you are!” You manager claps loudly, interrupting your train of thoughts as numerous people enter the studio. It’s been an hour since you finished re-filming the scene for Erotica and you were still waiting for them to arrive.
The director rushes inside, shaking hands with your manager before waving at you. “Is the studio ready? We are late, let’s hurry.” You know him, he is one of the youngest director working with your company. At least he is easy to work with so you won’t have to spread your legs for too long.
“Where is he?” Your manager asks, peeking behind to crew to look for the actor you’re supposed to work with. You didn’t even ask, the information not important enough for you to be enthusiastic anyways.
“Jackson should come any minute.” The director runs toward the people preparing the equipment and you follow, ready to listen to whatever they would want you to do. As if on cue, your manager arrives behind you, rubbing his hands excitedly. “It’s a quickie, doggy style, a little bit of hair pulling and that’s pretty much it.”
You nod, kind of relieved that it’s Jackson who is going to come and not another cocky actor from your company. There’s only a few you get along with, most of them are too self-centred to even act like you’re worth their time and it irritates you every time you have to film with them. They’re not unfriendly though, just very conscientious.
Jackson is different. He has a bubbly personality built to become friends with anyone who smiles at him at least once. He doesn’t mind filming at ungodly hours and respects all the decisions without complaining. He is a hard-working guy yet always makes the situation less dramatic.
Jackson is the only actor who has the ability to make you laugh in the middle of a sex scene and you enjoy how casual he is without being too laid back.
It’s natural when he throws an arm over your shoulders as soon as he enters the studio. He seems exhausted like he filmed non-stop for the past month – which he certainly did – but doesn’t act like he is annoyed to be here.
He smiles warmly, licking his lips and taking his cap off. “I didn’t know you were the one who agreed on taking Vera’s part. She came this morning and started throwing up all over the place,” he shivers, making a face. “Horrible. I heard you’re filming this movie everyone is talking about, how is it going? “
You shrug, mouth falling downwards in hope to keep the most neutral face. “Different? I don’t know, it’s my first time acting in a full movie with a storyline and actual dialogue.”
Jackson hums, parting from you so he can take his jacket off. “I like it when I feel more of an actor than a walking dick.” He raises a hand to get your manager’s attention. “I’ll go wash up real quick.” One wink and a boyish smile later, he is gone.
Jackson does a lot of ‘amateur like’ scenes. They’re mostly short and focus on sex only, but he also did movies with storylines and dialogues that had nothing to do with moans only. Despite his growing notoriety, he is still the same guy. You like how nothing feels creepy and dirty with him.
You aim for the bed, undressing slowly. Your underwear are the only barriers to your intimacy, making you shiver and wrap yourself into the deep red sheets. The staff is still busy with the lightning and camera placement while you wait for your co-actor to get out of the staff room, clean and perfumed.
Jackson always feels the same. After all those scenes you filmed with him, he always wore the same perfume and used the same body lotion. He wears strong notes of musk, with a sugary and fruity body lotion.
You made fun of him when he told you he was addicted to Victoria’s Secret’s products.
He comes back whistling. You’re lying down, body covered and head against the pillow. The staff is finally ready so Jackson jumps on the bed, covering himself too.
“You start with oral, then doggie style next to the bed. We need you to be quick, thirty minutes maximum. It’s a free video for our premium members so don’t overdo it.” You both nod at the director, Jackson already approaching you and wrapping an arm around your waist.
It’s a common sex encounter. Jackson groans yet massages your flesh with care. You purr against his neck when he starts touching you, earning an amused chuckle from the aroused boy.
It gets more intense when your lips wrap around his swollen tip. He grabs the sheet and bites his lip, watching you play with his penis hungrily.
You add more dramatic moans when he starts licking you. He is on the floor while your upper body is on the bed and he dives right in, groaning and parting your legs so wide you almost yelp at the sudden stretch.
He smirks against your folds and you want to smack him. It feels good to film without tension or uneasiness. Bless him for being somewhat normal even though he also has sex for a living.
The doggie style scene arrives quickly. Jackson jerks himself and rubs his dick playfully against your folds while you position yourself against the foot of the bed. The staff is quiet, busy even, as they start talking about when the video will be up.
You whimper when he fills you up to the hilt, head rising in an exaggerated blissed expression but you freeze when you open your eyes.
--
Jaebum was supposed to go. He didn’t even need to shower and changed himself fast, rushing to get the hell out of here and rest before meeting with his friend for a drink later that day.
He didn’t mean to peek but when he heard you had to film an unexpected scene, he put his bag down and stayed. It’s weird, he was never the type to be into voyeurism but something tickled his curiosity.
So eventually he sticks around, hidden behind the huge camera, looking like the biggest pervert in town. He watches intently, from the moment you start sucking your co-actor to that climax point when he starts pounding into you at full force.
And against better judgement, he scoffs. It looks rushed, tacky and everything he hates. He rolls his eyes at Jackson when the latter grunts and rotates his hips against your face, shakes his head when he spreads your legs and observes your unnatural face when you start moaning way too loudly.
It’s not natural. It’s not how you usually react, it’s definitely not your honest, flustered face when you close your eyes and lick your lips in false lust.
He doesn’t like it but somehow takes pride in the situation. He has been doing this for a long time now and he recognises a good actor when he sees one. Jaebum’s seen and felt too many fake orgasms to see you’re only wet because you must be. It’s pleasant in a way, because he remembers clearly how much you contracted around him, how you grabbed his arm for support, how you licked your lips to muffle the needy moans.
There’s no connection.
He ends up feeling torn. One part of him wants to laugh at how ridiculous that scene looks yet another part wants to grab your co-actor by the collar and drag him out so he can show everyone how you really act when you’re turned on.
It looks different though, when you look and find him staring. You’re bent over the bed, sweaty and panting yet you don’t seem to be into it. Jaebum knows he shouldn’t be here, but he finds it hard to ignore how disturbed it makes you look. You almost fall when you receive a particularly hard thrust and look away, head low.
“You must find this boring, right?” Your manager walks next to him and talks politely, like he wants to apologize for showing such as shameless and cheap scene.
Jaebum shakes his head, a smirk growing on his not so peaceful face. “It’s instructive.” It’s not. He doesn’t find anything interesting about a muscle-boy pounding into a girl who seems as dry as the desert.
When the scene ends, you fall on the bed, thoroughly ignoring Im Jaebum, who you hope is now gone. Jackson stretches and yawns, slapping your butt. “Get up, lazy girl.” He laughs at you and you smile back, grabbing his hand so you can stand up.
Jackson has no boundaries, for he already throws an arm around your shoulder, bowing at the staff and thanking everyone. “Let’s get a drink. It’s been ages.”
You make a face, shaking your head. “I’m exhausted and tomorrow is my last scene.” You peek around and Im Jaebum is nowhere to be seen, so you relax, muscles now soft and yet conscious of your surroundings.
“I didn’t say we would go to a nightclub. My schedule is packed for tomorrow, let’s- Oh, JB! The famous daddy.” Your eyes fly from Jackson to peek at an unamused Im Jaebum, arms crossed over his chest and smile tight. “I didn’t know you were still around!”
Jackson is dense, Jaebum thinks. He tilts his head and looks down at your bare body, the one you always hide from him whenever you’re done filming. How is it that you have no trouble walking around a naked and noisy guy when you dash out of his sight every single time?
Jaebum keeps his reproaches for himself, nodding at a smiley Jackson who doesn’t seem to mind showing his now floppy and dirty dick for everyone to see. “We met already, I believe.”
Jackson thinks for a minute, before clicking his fingers. “We did? Great! I was about to take Y/N for a drink right in front of the studio, why don’t you tag along?”
You part from him, shaking your head. “I told you I’m busy tomorrow. He is too, Jackson. Maybe some other time?”
Jackson looks disappointed from the way his arms go limp by his sides. “I can’t believe you-”
“Fine, let’s go.” Jaebum cuts him, eyebrows raised and watching you for any type of reaction. “The director said we only have filming in the afternoon, it’s our last scene, after all.”
You open your mouth, bewildered. What the hell is he thinking about?
Jackson claps his hands, proud. “So! It’s settled. Let’s take a shower and get out of here.”
--
You don’t know how you end up in a bar with two porn actors and a financial consultant. Jaebum was apparently supposed to meet his a friend and asked if it was okay for him to tag along, as to which Jackson agreed, of course.
He is also currently making the poor boy – whose name is Jinyoung - laugh with lame jokes and weird facial expressions. Jaebum is quiet, watching the place and sipping his drink. You try to make yourself look busy, but it’s hard considering you don’t want to be here.
“Of course not, we do get into stable relationships!” Jackson laughs, “Right, Jaebum?” He started calling him by his name as soon as he felt comfortable, which means ten minutes after meeting him in the studio. “People think we only care about sex.”
Jinyoung scoffs, “Of course you don’t, Jaebum himself has a mediocre love life. Is it true that sex becomes a chore once you become a porn star?” he looks at Jaebum and shakes his head. “Everyone thinks he is a Don Juan with too much stamina but he lives like a grandpa.”
Jaebum doesn’t have the time to answer as Jackson is already laughing loudly.
“It’s true, I guess? We don’t have sex the same way we do for the cameras. I mean, personally, it became that way for me. I’m so lazy when it comes to real sex.” Jackson nudges you, pulling you out of your thoughts. “How about you?”
You observe the three, your glass still clutched between your fingers. Jaebum seems also interested, because he stopped looking at the wall to stare at you.
You try to play it cool. “I guess it’s true. I wouldn’t know, it’s been a long time since I had personal sexual intercourse.” You don’t know why should share that information with two people you barely know and a guy you fuck with professionally.
Jackson gasps. “See? Most of the people I know who are in the sex industry aren’t thinking about sex non-stop.”
Jaebum hums, playing with his now empty glass. “Some people do think of us as creepy and perverted though.” You almost choke, hoping no one would notice how he was referring to you.
Jackson agrees instantly. “It’s hard to find someone who would accept our situation. What do you think about your friend’s job, Jinyoungie?”
You sigh when you hear the pet name. Jackson is so shameless.
Jinyoung doesn’t seem to mind. He thinks for a minute, before putting his glass down. “I’ve been friends with him for a long time so it’s not like I don’t know who he really is, but I admit I would have been freaked out if I met him under any other circumstances.”
“Right?” Jackson muses, amused with the situation. He turns to an upset Jaebum, “Still, you film some nasty shit.” He laughs after his witty remark, facing a now uneasy boy who is close to punching him in the face.
“It pays well.” Jaebum mutters, avoiding your stare that he knows must be judgemental, now. “It’s not like I’m into this.”
You chuckle at his sulky face. He doesn’t look like the cocky guy who made fun of you the first time you met.
The evening ends fast thanks to Jackson who can make the conversation for everyone. You laugh from time to time, teasing Jackson when a woman in her late fifties offers him a drink and he gladly accepts it, winking at the lady.
Jackson runs around once you’re all out of the bar and sings with an amused Jinyoung who looks like he has been friends with him for forever.
Jaebum stays behind, shocked to see how easily the pair became friends. He turns to you after a while, “Do you want me to drive you back?”
You stop, frozen. Maybe it’s a bad idea. You’ve had a couple of drinks and you don’t remember him drinking to the point of being drunk. It isn’t like him to ask when you could get a cab and head home.
“I mean, I took my car to come to the studio today.” He adds, pulling his key from his back pocket. “It’s easier than finding a cab.” He acts like he is detached and is asking purely out of convenience for you. “Unless you still think I’m a creep who will jump you.” He tries humour because it’s incredibly embarrassing and he has to find a way to get out of this if you ever reject his proposition.
Before your brain works, your mouth opens, rapid. “Okay.”
Jaebum smiles, surprised, and turns around to yell at the duet. “Want me to drive you back home, too?”
Jackson stops dancing, shaking his head at you too. “CAB! THANKS!” He pulls on Jinyoung’s hand to make him waltz, the latter barely able to answer as he is basically being pushed around everywhere. He notices the situation though and smirks at Jaebum, before shaking his head too.
“I’ll just find him a cab and head back.” He laughs when Jackson almost trips, forgetting about whatever was happening and Jaebum is glad he doesn’t have to deal with these two.
He presses on a button and a car makes a sound among all the parked engines by the street. It’s a nice yet simple car, in which you enter swiftly. Jaebum steps in a second later, spending no time in turning it on and you give him your address.
The ride is silent, the only sound coming from the soft music enough to make the situation less awkward. Jaebum is focused on the road, taking turns and listening whenever you give him directions. He discovers you live quite far from the studio but doesn’t comment on it, unsure of what your reaction would be.
You focus on the outside world, peaceful and lit with endless lights. You don’t expect him to become a chatterbox, but it’s true you didn’t think he could be so chill and silent. He does seem like the petty type, the guy with too much confidence and gusto, but he has none of it. He lives simply and has a cool friend, a guy who has nothing to do with the porn industry.
He also seems a lot softer than the first time you met. Maybe it’s because you know more about him and finally started to see him as something more than a jerk who fucks numerous persons per day.
It’s funny that he is the exact opposite of what he seems to be at first. It’s also crazy that he seems to avoid any sort of relationship and claims he isn’t that much into sex. You can understand though. Having sex became too much like working — and now that you spend your time faking orgasms, there’s not that much flavour left in it.
“What you usually do is different from what you filmed today.”
Jaebum’s remark makes you look away from the streets to glance at him. He barely peeks at your face and smirks “From what you told me, I thought you were more into soft porn than quickies.”
You smile. “What makes you think that?”
Jaebum peeks again, stopping at a red light and finally giving you his full attention. “It looked like you were forcing yourself. You don’t seem to fake it with me.”
Of all the embarrassing things that he could have said, this is the worst one. You stutter, the hint of an answer stuck to your throat.
“That’s why I thought you were more comfortable with soft porn.” He tries. Maybe he went too far.
You wait for a good minute before you open your mouth. “It’s funny coming from someone who hates soft porn yet seems to enjoy slow and delicate sex.”
He chokes on air, turning around another corner. “I hate filming delicate sex.”
“Then you’re a very good actor.” You add, making him smirk. “I live here.”
Jaebum leans to look at the building before stopping the engine. He then presses on the central locking button so you can open the door.
You grab your bag, glad you can finally run away from the sticky situation. You get out of the car and lean to thank him but he makes you freeze with his next words.
“I wasn’t acting.”
You blink, not getting if you’re imagining things or if Im Jaebum just admitted he made love to you for real. He notices the way your body stiffens and when you don’t move, he decides to end your misery.
“See you tomorrow, rookie.”
--
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juju-on-that-yeet · 5 years ago
Text
It Takes a Village, Chapter 12/12
The spell that turned Yandere into a baby finally wears off, and Yandere gets to find out what he was like a baby from the other egos.
At long last, it is done ;w; I hope you’ve enjoyed this story!
Tags: @tired-eldritchhorror​ @peribloke​ (ask to be tagged in future works!)
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11
Read on AO3!
Enjoy!
~
When Yandere finally turns back to normal, it happens just as suddenly as his first transformation. One moment Dr. Iplier looks away from baby Yandere to get one of his toys, and in the next turns to see full-grown Yandere standing there.
Everyone is relieved to have Yandere back to normal; it took so long that everyone had been a little worried that Yandere would be a baby forever. They’re glad Yandere can take care of himself again, and Yandere’s loved ones are relieved that their relationship with him can go back to normal. Chrome and Wilford are happy to have a friend and brother they can actually talk to again, Dr. Iplier is happy to have a self-sufficient son again, and Dark is glad to finally have his boyfriend back after all those weeks without.
Yandere, for his part, is happy to be normal. He doesn’t remember everything about being a baby, but he remembers bits and pieces. He recalls flashes of experience, sensation, memory. He wonders if this is how humans remember their childhoods; as quick snapshots in time. It’s these memories that lead him to egos he normally doesn’t talk to.
“Thank you for rescuing me before, Giniro-san,” Yandere tells Silver Shepherd one morning.
“Oh, n-no need to thank me, it’s what I do,” Silver stammers, though he can’t seem to help smiling. “How much do you remember?”
“Not a lot,” Yandere admits, “I remember being kidnapped, and I remember you finding me, and not really anything in between.” He pauses, thinks for another moment. “I remember flying, though!”
“Oh, yeah!” Silver laughs, “You really enjoyed that. Not many babies like being flown around as much as you did.”
“Yeah, that was fun!” Yandere giggles, “Although, I was wondering…whatever happened to the guys who kidnapped me?”
“Well, uh, Dark and Wilford…took care of them.”
Yandere grins brightly.
“Good! Saves me some trouble.”
“Y-Yeah…” Silver mumbles. He almost seems relieved when Yandere leaves not long after.
Another time, Yandere walks by Ed’s nursery and happens to encounter Marie again. He remembers really disliking her before, but now that he’s normal, the whole situation feels more funny than anything.
“Hi, Marie!” he says to her, and she jumps, surprised.
“How do you know my name!?” Marie yells.
“Because we’ve met before!” Yandere laughs, “Don’t you remember?”
Marie glares at Yandere cautiously.
“I don’t know you,” she insists, “Stop being weird or I’m gonna call Mr. Edgar!”
“Remember that baby Ed babysat a while ago? The one who you made cry?” Yandere asks. “Well, that was me!”
Marie blinks. Yandere can almost see the gears turning in her head; how she’s reconciling this impossible information with the fact that, yes, this person does look a lot like that baby.
“That doesn’t make any sense!” Marie cries, “You’re a baby!”
“Not anymore.”
Marie looks completely bewildered. She turns and runs off.
“Mr. Edgar! Yan turned into a grown-up!! Why can’t I turn into a grown-up!?”
“Dang nabbit, Marie–”
Yandere just laughs and continues on his way.
Later, he spies a familiar squirrel in the hallway. The squirrel seems to remember him, too, and approaches him cautiously.
“Hey there!” Yandere coos, kneeling down to the squirrel, “What was your name again? Allen, Evan–”
“Everett, actually,” says a voice, good-humored, “Close, though.”
Yandere looks up to see King of the Squirrels approaching him, and grins sheepishly.
“It’s pretty hard to remember specific details,” he mumbles.
“Hey, don’t feel bad!” King laughs, “Everett doesn’t seem to mind.”
He doesn’t; the squirrel is right in front of Yandere now, sniffing his outstretched hand.
“You can pet him whenever you want,” King says, “As long as Everett’s alright with it.”
“Really?” Yandere asks, eagerness shining in his eyes.
“Of course,” King replies, “These guys don’t just let anyone pet them; I think I can trust you with him.”
Yandere looks at Everett, and scratches behind his ear with one finger. Everett leans into the touch and squeaks happily. He’s not the Shiba Inu that Yandere has begged Dark for a hundred times over, but he’s still pretty cute.
“Arigato,” Yandere says to King, smiling gently at Everett.
Yandere later finds himself being followed by the Jims, who are apparently interested in filming a conclusion to the documentary Yandere vaguely remembers being a part of. Not so interested that they’ll approach Yandere directly, though.
“Stabby Jim appears to be grown again,” RJ stage-whispers as he and CJ trail several yards behind Yandere down the hall, “We must be careful, Jim! We don’t want to end up on the wrong end of his stabby!”
“You mean my katana?” Yandere asks pleasantly, not turning around or changing his pace.
RJ yelps, and CJ manages an involuntary squeak.
“Run Jim!!” cries RJ, and the pair scramble away as Yandere laughs.
He does get a quiet moment with the Host later, however, reminiscing on being in the room for his bandage changes and interrupting his tender moments with Dr. Iplier.
“I definitely remember getting jealous of you,” Yandere giggles to him from a chair in the library. “I wanted Shishi all to myself.”
“The Host recalls,” Host replies over a cup of tea, smiling gently, “Apparently the fact that Dr. Iplier spent nearly every other waking moment with you wasn’t enough.”
Yandere shrugs amicably, then pauses to think.
“You know,” he says, “Even though I remember all those times when you were in the clinic getting your eyes cleaned, I can’t remember what your eyes look like. I must have seen them…”
“The Host considers it a stroke of luck,” Host says quietly, sipping his tea.
Most interesting to Yandere, though, is talking to his loved ones about the experience, recalling how they reacted, and occasionally scolding them about it. They’re the ones he goes to first, and goes to most often, to learn about what happened when he was a baby and get context for the memory fragments in his mind.
“You were a pretty terrible babysitter, onii-san,” Yandere tells Wilford one morning as they’re eating breakfast together in one of the communal rooms. Yandere’s memories of Wilford’s misadventures in babysitting are predictably fuzzy, but he’s been told what happened enough times already by others. In response to Yandere’s words, Wilford gasps dramatically through a mouthful of bacon.
“Slander!” Wilford cries. “I was a great babysitter!”
“You lost me twice.”
“Excuse you, I lost you once! I…outsourced you the other time.”
Yandere snorts, almost choking on the toast he’s eating.
“Is that what you’re calling it? I think Yami and Shishi would call it “dumping me on someone else” and “shirking responsibility.”” Yandere makes light air quotes with the hand not holding his toast.
“Yanny, my boy,” Wilford says, “I haven’t cared what Dark and Doc think about my behavior since…hmm…” He wiggles his moustache in thought. “About 1976. Give or take ten years.”
“Shishi didn’t even exist yet back then, Wil.”
“See, you get it!”
Yandere laughs again, shaking his head. He knows how to get a reaction out of Wilford, though, and slides back in his chair with mock despair.
“Oh, but nii-chan, did you really not love me enough to watch over me?” Yandere asks, throwing his arm over his eyes. “Did you really dislike me so much that you’d give me to someone else?”
“Hey now…” Wilford starts, bewildered by Yandere’s sudden mood change.
“I’m so crushed…” Yandere moans, sliding all the way off his chair and slumping over to Wilford, “My nii-chan doesn’t love me, he doesn’t want to deal with me anymore…”
“Yan–”
“What am I gonna doooooooo??” Yandere wails, throwing himself across Wilford’s lap, face-down. “How am I gonna survive without my nii-chan??”
“Oh, calm down,” Wilford huffs, rolling his eyes, “Look at you, so dramatic.”
“Well,” Yandere says, craning his head up to look at Wilford, “I learned from the best!”
Wilford bursts into laughter at that, guffawing uproariously as Yandere drops the act, laughing along with him as he gets up from Wilford’s lap.
“To tell you the truth, kiddo,” Wilford says, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, “You were just too much trouble as a baby. Adorable, of course, but you got into everything! And you just can’t reason with a baby.” He smirks. “But you know, you’re just as difficult grown up, aren’t you?”
“Niiiiiii-chaaaaaaaaan…” Yandere whines, slumping against Wilford’s shoulder.
“Exactly what I mean,” Wilford insists, “You troublesome little rapscallion!”
Before Yandere can whine again, Wilford stands from his chair and grabs Yandere in one swift motion, scooping him up and twirling him around. Yandere shrieks and laughs as he’s spun around, so fast that he’s still dizzy when Wilford stops.
“If I’m still troublesome,” Yandere says, “Am I still adorable, too?”
“Of course!” Wilford laughs, planting a kiss to Yandere’s forehead. He pauses. “I suppose what I mean to say it that you haven’t changed at all, except we don’t have to be watching you all day anymore.”
“What “we”?” Yandere giggles, “You pretty much admitted that you didn’t do much watching.”
“Alright, you ungrateful little–”
Wilford spends the rest of the morning alternating between tickling Yandere relentlessly and squeezing him in tight bear hugs and swinging him around. Yandere lets him, laughing and shouting and putting up token protests all the while. Wilford does eventually let him go, kissing his forehead again before poofing away to his studio.
Yandere talks to Chrome, too, as the pair are sitting in the control room playing Mario Kart.
“I’m getting deja vu,” Yandere says as he plays, struggling to get Princess Peach back into second place against the high-leveled NPCs. “Did you play Mario Kart with me when I was a baby?”
“Sort of,” Chrome answers, in first place by a wide margin. “I let you sit with me and watch me play a few times. I didn’t watch you that much, though, it was mostly Dr. Iplier.”
“Makes sense,” Yandere hums. He glances over at Chrome with a grin. “Was I at least fun to babysit?”
“I hate babies,” Chrome says, deadpan, “You were…tolerable.”
“You wound me, Aka-kun,” Yandere says, feigning sadness, “Everyone else says I was adorable.”
“That’s because they’re human adults, who are predisposed to finding babies endearing. I’m not a human, and I have no reason to find babies cute.”
“I’m pretty sure Kiiro-kun thought I was cute.”
“That’s because Oliver’s weird.”
Yandere laughs, then groans in frustration as Princess Peach drives over the finish line at fourth place. Chrome smirks, and Yandere whacks him in the arm with his controller.
“Don’t do that,” Chrome says, mildly annoyed, “You’re gonna break the controller.”
“You’re not gonna scold me for hitting you?”
“I don’t think I need to explain that hitting people is rude, but if you really want me to…”
“Alright, baka!” Yandere laughs, leaning against Chrome as he goes through the game’s menus to start another race. Yandere pauses. “You’re being pretty light on your teasing today. What’s up with that?”
Chrome stops pressing buttons on his controller, and gets an odd look on his face. He knows what he wants to say, but isn’t sure how best to say it.
“I guess…I don’t know,” he mutters, “Remembering when you were a baby, it’s just…do you remember anything else about me from being a baby? Aside from me playing Mario Kart?”
Yandere considers. He does remember something else, but only vaguely. He has an undefined memory of being held against Chrome’s red t-shirt, of crying in his grasp, but he can’t remember what the tears were for.
“Kinda,” Yandere says, “I remember at one point you were holding me while I was crying.”
“But you don’t remember why you were crying?”
“No…why was I crying?”
“I…yelled at you for trying to touch something dangerous.” Chrome shrugs, but the movement seems tight. “I just feel sort of bad, I guess.”
“Well,” Yandere says, “You were trying to stop me from getting hurt, right? You don’t have to feel bad about that!”
“Yeah,” Chrome mutters grudgingly, “I guess so.”
Yandere suspects there might be a bit more to the story, but he knows that Chrome is unlikely to tell him anything if he presses the issue. So he lets the subject drop, but stays leaned against Chrome’s side until his body relaxes. Yandere soon forgets the odd moment as he wins the next couple races, and he and Chrome get back into their friendly jeering and bantering.
Yandere talks to Dark, too; sits on his desk and asks him about how he took the situation, ignores him when he asks Yandere to get off his desk. He doesn’t seem too annoyed about it, though, because he answers Yandere’s question anyway.
“I’ll admit it was strange,” Dark says, “I was never quite sure what to do with you whenever I had to look after you.” He grins. “You still seemed to like me a lot, though.”
“How could I ever not like you?” Yandere asks, leaning towards Dark to kiss him. Dark does more than let him; he moves into the kiss, hand creeping across the desk towards Yandere’s thigh. Yandere pretends not to notice. “I remember being really happy whenever you gave me any attention. I guess it was like…” He thinks. “You know when little kids get crushes on, like, their teacher or their babysitter? Even though they don’t know what romance and stuff are yet? They just think they’re nice and want their attention all the time? That’s kind of how it felt.” Dark chuckles a little at that.
“That makes sense, I suppose,” he says, “I don’t normally like babies, but you were very cute.”
“Thanks~!” Yandere giggles. “So you kinda felt like I did, then?”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it a “crush.”” Dark looks away for a moment, awkward. “I didn’t feel anything stronger than fondness for you. You were a child, after all.” He smiles at Yandere. “I’ll admit I missed you a bit while you were transformed.”
“Really?” Yandere asks, putting his arms around Dark’s shoulders, “You missed me?” Yandere never passes up an opportunity to hear Dark talk about how much he loves him, and Dark’s smirk suggests he realizes that.
“Of course,” Dark insists, turning his head to kiss Yandere’s arm, “I missed having you around to talk to.”
““To talk to”? Is that all?” Yandere’s tone is playful.
“Oh, far from it,” Dark murmurs, lust creeping into his tone. “Would you like me to be blunt?” He finally moves the hand on his desk to touch Yandere’s thigh, the tips of his fingers just barely under his skirt. Yandere shivers with goosebumps and leans close to Dark.
“I’d like you to stop talking and show me what you mean,” Yandere whispers with a devilish grin.
That’s all the encouragement Dark needs to stand up out of his chair and push his hand all the way up Yandere’s skirt. His other hand goes to Yandere’s back to pull him close as he kisses him, going from Yandere’s mouth to his neck, biting and sucking.
“Yami, ah,” Yandere gasps, already overwhelmed and holding onto Dark’s shoulders for dear life, “Yami, slow down, ohh–”
At that, Dark does stop, but only to push Yandere down onto his desk with a hand spread over his chest, aura creeping up against Yandere’s clothes, chomping at the bit to pull them off.
“You asked me to show you what I meant,” Dark says, “And I intend to show you exactly how much I missed you.” He smirks again, but his eyes are more intense than before, his whole posture radiating power. “Isn’t that what you want?”
Yandere gazes up at him, slack-jawed and starry-eyed, still overwhelmed yet eager for more.
“Yes,” he gasps, “Show me, senpai.”
Yandere doesn’t leave Dark’s office for a long while, and when he finally does, he’s bruised and disheveled, lovestruck and humming to himself as he walks down the hall.
But out of everyone Yandere knows, he’s most curious to know what Dr. Iplier thought of his transformation, of having him as a baby. Dr. Iplier’s his dad, after all, and he already enjoys babying Yandere enough anyway. He’s getting a mild gash treated at the clinic when he asks about it.
“Hey Dad,” he says, “What was–ow–what was it like when I was a baby?”
Dr. Iplier isn’t stitching his arm; the cut isn’t severe enough to need it. He is sanitizing it though, and somehow Yandere still isn’t used to that particular stinging pain. Dr. Iplier continues to work on Yandere’s arm, thinking as he does.
“It was…interesting,” he says, then laughs a little at himself. “Descriptive, huh. But honestly, it was…really nice, in some ways. But different. But also not that different.” He grins, looking up from his work to meet Yandere’s eyes. “You still had your normal personality, that’s for sure.”
“Really?” Yandere asks, curious. Most people didn’t have much to say about what he was like as a baby, other than that he was cute. Now that someone’s going to tell him, he’s eager to know.
“Definitely,” Dr. Iplier answers him, holding the edges of Yandere’s cut together with one hand and putting a butterfly bandage over it with the other. “You were just as affectionate, always wanting to be held or hugged. God forbid I talked to anyone but you, you’d get so jealous!”
“I do kinda remember that,” Yandere admits with a sheepish grin. “I really hated it when you hugged or kissed the Host.”
“We could tell,” Dr. Iplier laughs, “You were a troublemaker, too, just like you are now.” He pauses. “Well, not quite as much. There wasn’t as much trouble you could get into as a baby.” His voice has gone wistful.
“What do you mean?” Yandere asks.
“I mean…” Dr. Iplier chews his lip for a moment, choosing his words. “You were too little to hold a sword, or spar in the dojo. And you were too little to want to go out at night and get into fights. You were too little to go out at night at all. You were perfectly happy to just stay here at home all day with me and the other egos. I never had to sew you up or give you blood transfusions, and I never had to worry that I might need to. You were…always safe.” He wipes away the last drops of blood from Yandere’s cut. “It was a relief to not have to worry about all that.”
“Dad…” Yandere mumbles, guilt sinking into his stomach. “I didn’t…I mean…” He looks away. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey now, don’t be upset,” Dr. Iplier murmurs, gentling taking Yandere’s chin in his hand and turning his head back to face him. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. And you know, there’s something I’m relieved about now that you’re back to normal.”
“What?” Yandere asks, still moping.
“You’re not as helpless as you were as a baby.” Dr. Iplier’s voice gets a little quieter. “Do you remember at all, when those guys kidnapped you and held you for ransom?”
“Yeah,” Yandere says, “Mostly when I first got taken and then when Giniro-san brought me home, not much in between.”
“Well, let me tell you,” Dr. Iplier says, “I was beside myself when I realized what had happened. I was a complete wreck. I was so terrified for you because I knew you were helpless. You were a baby; you couldn’t defend yourself or escape. There was a real chance I could lose you.” He manages a smile and cups Yandere’s face in his hands. “You may be a champ at getting into trouble, but you’re even better at getting yourself out of it. You’re so strong and resourceful, and I might worry about you, but I know you’ll always come home in one piece.”
Yandere smiles back, giggling as Dr. Iplier kisses his forehead.
“So you’d rather have me as a grown-up than as a baby?” Yandere asks.
“Yes,” Dr. Iplier replies, “But I wouldn’t be upset if this happened again. Then again…” He grins a particularly playful grin. “…You’ll always be my baby.”
“Daaaaaad,” Yandere groans, but he can’t help but laugh as Dr. Iplier kisses his forehead again, one, two, three times, before finally letting him go.
“Alright, I’ll quit embarrassing you,” Dr. Iplier chuckles, “You’re free to go, kid. Your arm’s all set for now.”
Yandere jumps off the examination table, but doesn’t leave right away. There’s another memory at the back of his mind that he’s curious about.
“Hey, Dad?” Yandere asks, “I have a weird question about when I was a baby.”
“What is it?” Dr. Iplier asks.
“Did you, um, ever…sing to me?”
Dr. Iplier’s face somehow both lights up and turns an embarrassed shade of pink in the same instant.
“You remember that, huh?” Dr. Iplier laughs a little. “I did, a few times. After that kidnapping ordeal, you kept waking up in the middle of the night crying, and it got harder and harder to console you. Finally I ran out of ideas and sang to you one night, and it cheered you up and put you right to sleep.” He smiles fondly at the memory. “I ended up singing to you a few more times after that when you cried, and you seemed to really love it.”
“I remember being held and hearing your voice,” Yandere says, blushing to match Dr. Iplier’s still-pink cheeks. “I only kinda remember the tune, it was like…”
He half-hums an incomplete melody, straining hard to recall it. But the notes he does remember ring true, and Dr. Iplier joins in, recreating the song.
“Oh!” Yandere gasps as Dr. Iplier hums. “It was “What a Wonderful World,” wasn’t it?”
“Yep,” Dr. Iplier replies, “I didn’t expect you to remember it that well, I’m kind of impressed.”
“I really don’t remember it that great,” Yandere says. He tilts his head. “Maybe you cooould…sing it again sometime?”
“Ah, I don’t…” Dr. Iplier ducks his head, embarrassed. “I’m no singer, you don’t need to hear me singing again.”
“But Dad,” Yandere whines, pouting, “You sang for me before and I liked it!”
“You were a baby. I knew you were gonna like it no matter how it sounded. I’d feel awkward doing it again.”
“Daaaaaaaad…” Yandere sighs, flouncing to Dr. Iplier and leaning into his side, “You don’t have to sing right this second, just, eventually! Please?”
“Yan…”
Yandere lays his head on Dr. Iplier’s shoulder and looks up at him with the biggest, saddest eyes he can muster.
“Please, Papa? For me?”
Dr. Iplier sputters, and it takes all of Yandere’s willpower to keep a straight face.
“Alright, alright, I’ll sing for you again eventually,” Dr. Iplier sighs, “Happy?”
“Yep!” Yandere perks up immediately, back to his sunny, happy self.
“You’re a spoiled brat, you know that?”
“Whose fault is that?”
“That didn’t sound like a denial.” Dr. Iplier ruffles Yandere’s hair. “If I’m gonna embarrass myself for you, then I expect something in return.”
“What?” Yandere asks, intrigued. Dr. Iplier grins.
“You have to let me show you all the photos I took of you as a baby, and deal with all my gushing.”
Yandere laughs, a bit awkward but mostly genuine.
“I guess that’s fair. Bring on the baby pics, then!”
That’s how Yandere ends up sitting next to Dr. Iplier on his bed, scrolling through photos on Dr. Iplier’s phone. It’s strange for Yandere to see himself as a baby, but he has to admit he was as cute as everyone says. He’s surprised the spell that transformed him took away his hair dye in the process, but it doesn’t look too bad in the photos. There’s photos of him playing, eating, sleeping, and wearing many, many different outfits (“Why did you buy so many? It’s not like I’ll ever be able to wear them again.” “I know, but look how cute you are in this one! And this one, and this one…”). Most interesting are the ones featuring Yandere with the other egos. There’s RJ and CJ holding microphones up to him, Silver hovering in the air with Yandere held securely in his arms, Yandere toddling after Marie, Yandere surrounded by curious squirrels, Host reading him a book, and even a series of photos showing Bing and Bop trying to teach Yandere how to skateboard.
Naturally, Yandere ends up with a few favorites: The one of him sitting in Chrome’s lap while Chrome plays Mario Kart (“You were totally enthralled by the screen, it was pretty funny.”), the one of Wilford holding him up in the air (“He actually tossed you a few times, almost gave me a heart attack! You didn’t mind, though.”), and the slightly blurred one of Dark kissing his cheek, clearly taken from afar (“I don’t know how he didn’t catch me taking this, but it was worth the risk.”).
But then they come to one of the last photos taken, one of the only ones that appears to have been taken at night, and one of the few that feature Dr. Iplier. It’s of Dr. Iplier standing before a crib, cradling a sleeping Yandere in his arms. Yandere’s sucking his thumb in his sleep, and as cute as it is, Yandere’s favorite part of the image is the serene, adoring smile on Dr. Iplier’s face. One of his hands is tucking a dark curl of hair behind Yandere’s ear. Yandere can’t help but recall every time he ever felt like a burden, like there was no way Dr. Iplier could care about him, and how it compares to the simple sweetness in this photo. Does Dr. Iplier always look at him like that, and Yandere just doesn’t notice?
“You like this one?” Dr. Iplier asks, humor in his voice, breaking Yandere out of his reverie.
“Yeah,” he mumbles, “It’s…really nice.” He pauses. “But wait, who took it since you didn’t?”
“Host did, he was with us that night.” Dr. Iplier’s expression softens as he remembers. “He took this of me while I was putting you to bed. I didn’t know until he showed it to me afterwards.”
“Host took this photo?”
“Yes…?”
“He took this really nicely framed and well-timed photo??”
“Yes, Yan, what are you–”
“How???”
A long pause. Eventually, Dr. Iplier shoves Yandere playfully and Yandere breaks into laughter.
“Don’t be rude!” Dr. Iplier shouts through his own laughter. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he used his narration to make sure he got the best photo possible. I’m glad he did it, though.”
“Me too,” Yandere says, smiling big.
As sweet and fun as it seemed to be for the other egos, Yandere is glad that he��s not s baby anymore. He supposes he’s glad it happened, though, if for nothing else than the memories. But also for the knowledge that the other egos still protected him and cared for him at his most helpless, and, if he’s honest, his most useless. After all, what’s more useless than an infant who can barely even walk or talk? Yet the other egos still liked him, still wanted him around, and his loved ones still loved him and cared for him. Chrome still played Mario Kart with him, Wilford still scooped him up and spun him around, Dark still kissed him, and Dr. Iplier still comforted him when he cried.
Even if the other memories of being a baby eventually disappear, Yandere hopes that the memory of the unconditional love he received will lift his spirits forever.
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surveys-at-your-service · 5 years ago
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Survey #238
“crimson calligraphy written on the trees, creature from the grave, headless and hellbent for me.”
Have you ever played golf? Like, mini-golf. Is there a lake near your house? No, but there's two small ponds down the road. Have you ever made your own pizza or pasta dough? No. Have you ever watched an entire season of a tv show in one day? Uhhhhh how long are the first few seasons of Supernatural? Because Jason and I fucking binged it, and I honestly think that's partially the reason I don't even enjoy TV anymore. Like I liked the show, but jfc it became torture at some point. Not his fault at all, I just never pointed it out. BUT ANYWAY, it's definitely possible we did. What did you have for dinner tonight (or last night)? A ham and cheese hot pocket. Do your parents do things that ‘embarrass’ you? This is so mean, but my mom makes the cringiest jokes and such imo that gives me mad secondhand embarrassment. Do you like any Bon Jovi songs? Yeah, a decent handful. Who was the last person you were in a car with? Mom. Do you give people second chances? Ha, more than "second." How’re things between you and your most recent ex? We're totally great. Really as if we didn't even break up, considering I mean... nothing emotionally has changed. We just know that being together right now isn't the wise decision. It's frustrating as hell, though. We've already established we're not going to "wait" for each other, but neither of us are actively looking for a new partner, either. I want her, and from what I can tell, she wants me, too. We kinda just... don't talk about how unfair it all is anymore because we both get too upset. I was even supposed to go up there with her and her fam for her birthday and Christmas, but that's changed because she and I agree it's too soon after splitting, making it only more difficult to be around each other. We'd want to cuddle and kiss and such by instinct, so we're trying to wait until the wound isn't as fresh. Though honestly, I don't know how visiting period would go consider as said, there has been zero change in romantic attraction. Ugh yeah I just hope she figures out what she wants and all and we can get back together. Have you been to a wedding this year? No. I'm going to my half-sister's next year, though. Are you an aunt or uncle? Yes, and another niece is on her way. :') Do you expect to be married in the next two years? Probably not. What season is your birthday in? Winter. Have you ever been hunting? Fuck that shit. How often do you walk around barefoot? Always in my own house + in other houses if I'm allowed to take my shoes off. When you eat take-out, do you just eat it out of the containers provided? Usually, but it does depend on what food it is. Ex., those little boxes that have rice in them from Chinese places? I'm using a bowl. From the container is just messy. Would you need to sleep with someone before considering marrying them? Nah. Do you carry condoms? No. Would you date someone who has a hearing aid? ... Yes...? "No" is just... so rude?? Like that is something the person absolutely cannot help, nor is it a HUGE thing. It's just a hearing aid, dude. How organized are the files on your computer? Pretty decent. Folders and such. Could be better still, probably. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nah, not my scene. Have you ever brought home a stray animal? Pleeeeenty of cats. Are you physically strong? No, especially not my legs. I've got a newborn fawn's legs, jc. Still working on building the muscle back up. Would you date someone with braces? Oh my god, fuck off. Yes I would. I was the person with braces dating someone without them, so 1.) I obviously can't say shit, 2.) they're taking care of their goddamn teeth, and 3.) I dunno, wearing braces has no goddamn impact on personality???????????? Does scuba diving interest you? Not to an incredible degree, but it'd be cool. Would you ever ask your parents for relationship advice? Maybe for certain topics. Do you think people look up to you? Y'know that "oh no hunty WHAT is u doin" meme??? That's me if someone does. How often do you have trouble sleeping at night? *blinking* There are people who don't??????? Do you blush easily? Ohhhhhh yes. Do you get angry at yourself or at others more often? Hm. Not sure. Can you name five current world leaders? AHAHA nope. How many times have you had the flu? Zero. Do you think imagination is valuable? Oh hell yes. We would be NOWHERE CLOSE to where we are as animals without it. Who or what are you most impatient with? I don't know. When was the last time you mowed a lawn? Never. Have you seen all of the Star Wars films? No; seen only the first three with a friend and saw zero appeal. He didn't either. How about all of the Harry Potter ones, so far? I haven't even seen one. Jason and I started the first one together but. Paid way more attention to each other than the movie lmfao. What part of the newspaper do you typically enjoy reading? None. I collect my school's papers now though 'cuz I'm the photographer for it. :') Have you ever made a website, even a simple one? Four that I remember. The ancient and now-defunct ones were back when I think this site called Wetpaint was a host for simple sites, and a lot of us RPers posted our mob info and stuff there. I had one for Talons, one for Connrads. Ha, out of curiosity, I think I looked for them not all too long ago since I never actually deleted them, but I think the site itself was re-purposed. NOW, I have a Wix site for my photography, and then Kalahari Manor is a ProBoards-hosted site. Which was better: your childhood or your teen years? Jfc, childhood. Teen years were a chaotic and rancid cesspit in terms of mental health. What was your reaction to your first time falling in love? I truly imagine that realizing I was *in love* with Jason surpassed what a high probably feels like lmao. What does it take for someone to win your heart? I'm actually putting thought into this one and I think what appeals to me in a person most is just being friendly with a good sense of humor and obvious, shameless concern for others. AND JFC, HAVE EMOTION. Don't be a brick wall with me. Lacking an emotional side, positive or negative, is such a turn-off to me. I'm not attracted to robots. Being a gentle person is important, and for me personally, you need to actually act like you're into me. Not just between us. Do not make me a secret. AND BE CREATIVE AND WEIRD AND FRESH!!!!!!!!!!! There's nothing wrong with more "vanilla" people, but just for me myself, I need someone who stands out for some good reason. lol okay this answer's actually getting kinda long, I'll stop. There's a number of ways. What is one thing you would rather be doing? Ha ha yo real talk, Sara and I are getting all emotional and deep into our relationship, platonic or romantic, and I want me and her in her bed right now tearing each other up alsdkjfla;kwejre I love her a lot ok. When was the last time you changed your mind about something? OKAY SO I started a new birth control, right? It. Sent. Me. BACK. With my PTSD. How? Idfk, but I was suddenly obsessing over Him again, badly. I stopped that shit, and wha'd'ya know, two days later, I'm like "lol wtf I don't want him why did that just happen hunty was u ok????????". SO YEAH, that was a trip. Do you know anyone with a lisp? I'm not sure. Possibly. How much weight can you lift at once? No clue. Not a lot. Do you ask guys out, or wait for them to ask you out? I've never asked a guy out, but I wouldn't say I wouldn't. Do you like the last person who showed interest in you? I love her. Describe the last person you stared at? I have no idea. Do you like dating one person at a time, or multiple people? I'm personally monogamous. Have your experiences made you more or less sympathetic to others? MORE. Do you find smoking unattractive? I do. Have your parents ever searched your personal belongings? Mom has. Where did you get your last bruise from? ... Well. This is uh. Awkward. Tying into when I was on that medicine that made my libido fucking uncontrollable (thank the fucking lord I'm back to normal), my breasts are lookin rough, sister. Are you looking forward to anything? Nothing in the VERY near future, I think. A bit further off, Christmas. I can't wait to see the kids so excited again, and for once, we come together as a true family. Plus my #1 wish is to have my Mark tattoo improved at an amazing parlor, and I'm pretty sure that'll be happening, just obvs. not on Christmas Day itself. I'll just be fuckin STOKED when I *know* it's happening. Do you have a good relationship with your parents? Yes. How much money did you spend today? $1.25 for something from the vending machine. I didn't have breakfast, so I was really hungry. When you’re bored in class, what do you usually do? Try to not doze off. If we're not doing anything, then I'll play around with my phone. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head for more than a day? Oh, definitely. Ever walked into the guy’s bathroom? HA as a stupid elementary school with her friends, we sure did during a work day (my mom used to work with special ed kids at school). We thought we were soooo rebellious. How many wives or husbands do you want? One. What happens if you fall in love with your best friend? Ha, did. I still am, and we hope to be back together someday. Has a teacher ever flirted with you? Not that I know of. Thankfully. Is it okay for friends to kiss each other, as friends? It's not my thing, but sure, if it's consenting and both are aware it's platonic. Do your wishes ever get granted in the worst way possible? Probably in some way at some point I don't recall. How do you feel about your naked body? NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO Have you ever been called obnoxious? I don't think so, anyway. Do you wish you had a bigger family? No. Which friend would you kiss full on the mouth, no questions asked? Sara. Can you do a split or stick your foot up next to your ear? Nope. When was the last time you complained about something? I was venting some mild frustration to Sara earlier tonight. What is your favorite color combination? Favorite is probably pastel orange and light blue. Love it. Then there's pastel pink and purple. Okay pretty much any combination is about the pastels When was the last time you spoke in front of a group? A month or so back when I had to do my Lifeline presentation in FYS. Do you like group projects, or do you prefer to work alone? I strongly prefer working alone. There's no disagreements, compromises, incompetent partners, etc. Have you ever been told you were going to Hell? Yup! (: Indirectly, but. How did you respond? I don't recall, but I wish I did. Who is the most argumentative person you know? She's not in my life anymore partially BECAUSE of that shit. Do you know anyone who is crazy about proper grammar? Yes, but she has OCD as a valid reason. I'm pretty particular about it too to a degree. Who was the last person to make you feel special? Oh my gosh, my therapist told me she was so proud of me and the progress I was making that I just entirely lit up and became a total beaming ball of giggles and "thank you"s. Would you feel funny if you kissed somebody of the same sex? No, I'm bi. If your best friend grabs your hand, what do you automatically do? Squeeze it. What’s something you can cook or bake like a pro? Cheesy and spicy scrambled eggs, man. Also known as the only thing I can properly cook lmao. Do you tend to flirt a lot, even when the person isn’t single? Fuck no, if they're not single. I'll flirt with my s/o when I see it appropriate or relevant, and in a case where we're both single, I'd be very subtle about it because shy. What’s something that you think is really cute? Off the very top of my head, the Ewoks from Star Wars, oh my fucking god. They were the only thing I enjoyed in the movies. What’s a pretty bird? I mean... pretty much all of them. BUT, can we take a moment to appreciate the bearded vulture? like???? they're fucking BADASS???????????? Besides sleeping, what do you do in bed? Almost... everything. It's the reason I endured/am still recovering from muscle atrophy in my legs. Have you ever hacked into somebody’s account? Playfully, back when that was a thing for friends to do and post lovey-dovey stuff about them everywhere. Megan and I, and I believe Mini and I as well, did it to each other. Possibly more. Is having to pee really badly worse than being really thirsty? Oh hell yes it is. The former can get to a point of hurting. Have you ever touched a Qu'ran? No. Do you love animals more than most? Oh definitely. Why do you eat fast food? It's easy to grab when on the run, and Mom has almost zero time to cook. Then we both have school. Most often I just warm things up in the microwave or grab something substantial enough in the fridge. Is there always going to be that one person you and a friend makes fun of? I guess you could say indirectly, yes. Just something she said in a certain way became an inside joke. Her as a person, no, I wouldn't do that. What is a bad habit of yours that you’re actually trying to fix? Having terrible eye contact. I have a very hard time maintaining it, but I've been trying to keep that weakness in mind when talking to people. Do you write out your feelings? That's one reason why I take these surveys, yes. Do you have bills to pay yet? It's embarrassing that I don't. Not saying like, I want to pay bills, what madman would, but I do want to feel more like a proper, independent adult. Will you be changing your hair any time soon? Not the style, but one thing I'm asking for Christmas is a professional to dye my hair silver. I say pro because my hair does NOT hold color, and because of the bleach needed, Mom's concerned I'll damage my hair if I put my trust into anyone less qualified. Does your mom have a celebrity look-alike? I don't think so, but she looks UNCANNILY like her firstborn daughter. It is SCARY. Is there something you wish you could learn to do? There's loads of stuff. Probably above all, cook. Or stop procrastinating. If you could be amazing at ONE thing, what would it be? Drawing precisely what I see in my head. Because of how important they are to me, I would pay BIG FUCKING BUCKS to get how my 'kats look onto paper. What do you wish people would pay you to do? Complain about my weight. :^) I'd be able to just pay for surgery to fix that within a day. Do you take good pictures? I personally think I do. I mean I wanna be a professional photographer. How would one go about impressing you? It depends on the subject and difficulty of whatever. What probably impresses me most would be someone maintaining a mature, peaceful attitude when there is reason to act otherwise. Self-control, that's it. Do you automatically apologize if you walk into somebody? Duh? Tell me a memory of this summer: It was fucking scorching and I hated every minute of it. What’s something that you don’t need, but really want? Hmmmm. OH, HELL YES. IF I had the proper body to even remotely pull them off, I. Would wear. NOTHING. But corsets. Jesus FUCKING Christ they are so hot. What do you draw more than anything else? Just about all I draw is meerkats. What’s the most favorite class you’ve ever had? The Digital Photography course I took in high school. Or Art Honors my junior year. I really enjoyed the stuff I made. For each person you’ve kissed, describe your feelings in one word: Jason: melancholy; Tyler: dramatic; Girt(?): loyal; Sara: ideal. How do you react when you trip or stumble? Gasp and carry on. If it was a more serious trip, I look around at who saw. Are you good at “biting your tongue”? NO. Why do you love the one you do? She's been there for me without fail, has undying faith in me, supports me through everything, is honest, she's funny and very unique, her adoration for animals shows a great level of compassion, she trusts me so much despite her history, she stands extremely firmly for what she sees as right and wrong... okay I can honestly write an essay on why I love her. Would you rather get [another] tattoo or piercing? GIMME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 THE TATTOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111 Do you have long or short legs? I'd say they're normal, idk. When do you listen to Nickelback? *shrugs* When I wanna? Would you rather make the first move, or your crush? Them. I'm shy.
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sangria-sheeran · 5 years ago
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The Calm—Chapter 3
Hi remember me? I used to write this story but then school got super crazy and I didn’t have time, but I really love it and want to keep writing. Here’s the next chapter! I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
“How do you always manage to get yourself into these crazy situations, Cass,” my best friend Lexi rolls her eyes.
We’re sitting in the back of an Uber weaving through traffic. I told her about what happened with Ed, and she agreed to come with me. It’s a little past eight. My mom wasn’t even home from work yet so she has no idea I’m gone—but it’s not like she’ll care anyway.
“What do you mean?” I question her. “This kind of shit never happens to me.”
I’m looking out the window. Traffic is relatively heavy compared to most nights. Is it because of the show? Is this guy a big deal? When I got up to my room above the bar that night I googled him, and I’ve heard a few of his songs—and liked them—but I didn’t know how famous he was.
“Oh yeah right,” she responds. “It’s usually not this extravagant but still.”
I shake my head. I’ve known Lexi for the last few years. She’s a year older than me, graduated from high school last year and is enrolled in a local community college, but understands me more than anymore else. We’ve done some stupid stuff together—that both her and I insinuated—so there is no one else I’d want to go to this show with me. Both of us are dressed casually. I have on black jeans and a band t-shirt and she’s wearing a skirt and sweater. My long brunette hair is in its natural waves. The car gets off the freeway, meaning that we’re getting close. My heartbeat picks up and I don’t know why.
“I don’t know how close I’m going to get you,” our Uber driver says from the front seat.
“Okay,” I turn to face her. “If you tell me you’re uncomfortable, we leave, no questions asked. But that also goes for if I tell you it’s weird, okay?”
“Of course,” she assures me. “Just tell me the word and we’ll run out of there.”
I smile.
A few minutes later the car halts.
“I’m sorry, it’s all backed up so this is as close as I can get,” the driver announces.
“This is perfect,” I tell him. “Thank you so much.”
We both slide out of the Honda out my side and make our way down the pavement. It’s freezing! February in Michigan is the worst, in the thick of winter, and there is snow and ice everywhere.
“I think it’s up there,” Lexi points a few blocks ahead of us at a large crowd all making their way through a few sets of doors.
I gulp. Shit, there are a lot of people here. We slowly make our way up the street through throngs of excited teenage girls and I stop in line in front of the box office. There’s a couple in front of us, with the girl bouncing on her heels and guy looking like he needs a drink or two to get through the next few hours. I bounce on my heels nervously as time keeps going by. What are his intentions? I tried to make it clear to him last night that I wanted this to be a strictly professional relationship that may grow into a friendship, but that’s it. Right now I want to focus on music—on doing as well as I can on my own to be able to be completely independent. He seems like a nice guy, I’m sure he’ll get it.
“Next in line,” the woman in the ticket office announces, looking like this job has drained the life out of her.
“Hi, umm, I was told to come here to pick up tickets,” I stutter, looking down at my hands.
She huffs. “Name and ID please,” she retorts.
I hand over my ID and feel my toes wiggling in my shoes. I don’t know why I’m nervous.
The woman reaches behind her and grabs two passes from a box behind her without even taking her eyes off the computer in front of her.
“These are for you, it says that you have all-access,” she slides two laminated passes through the small opening at the bottom of the window. “My colleague over here can take you backstage.” She motions to a man standing by the side of the box office with an earpiece in.
My eyes widen briefly. He arranged to have us brought backstage? I thought we were just going to be in the back and then maybe meet up later. I mean he did make me promise to let him buy me a drink; maybe he’s just making sure I keep up my end.
I gulp and thank her, taking the passes and handing one to Lexi.
“No shit!” She exclaims when she sees the pass. “Is this real?”
“Come on, let’s see what they’re up to,” I motion toward the security guard and show him my pass. He nods and then leads us through a side door into the venue.
There are people everywhere—and not just teenage girls like I expected—there are couples, old people, kids, parents with children, everyone. People from every walk of life have all gathered here, and that’s beautiful. The guard finally stops when we make it to a door with the word restricted on it.
“Have a good night,” he bids us farewell and turns back toward the crowd, quickly disappearing in all the hustle and bustle.
Lexi beams at me. “This is crazy! Come on!” Then she tugs the door open.
We’re met by the sound of music blaring from a speaker at the end of the hallway. I know this song, but I don’t know the name of it, and for some reason, it takes me back to childhood. As we make our way down the hall, a wave of recognition comes over me; it’s “Without Me” by Eminem.
I don’t know how I excepted to find Ed that night, but then this definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. Usually when you hear about musicians, they have girls and drinks and drugs everywhere, but no, when I walked into the room that was the source of the music, I saw Ed and another guy with dark hair rapping the lyrics at each other at the top of their lungs doing elaborate hand motions that I’m sure made them think they look cool. I look over at Lexi and she’s smirking, looking extremely amused.
The dark-haired guy notices us and pats Ed on the shoulder. “You got guests?” He says and reaches over to pause the music.
Ed whips around and a smile comes on his face when he sees me.
“You made it! I didn’t know if you’d actually come!” He smiles and pulls me into a quick hug. “This is my cousin, Murray, he films stuff for me. Not like that, like tour diaries and shit. Murray, this is Cassidy, the girl I told you about.”
“I like that,” Ed glances between both of us, a grin on his face.
“Way to go, mate, making me sound like a dodgy porn producer,” Murray holds out a hand for me to shake and I laugh. I already like this guy.
“This is my friend Lexi,” I gesture to Lexi and she waves.
“Ah so you’re the one that’s here to make sure I don’t pull any stupid shit,” Ed smirks. “You also have to make sure your friend holds up her end of the promise.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve put her in her place before,” Lexi responds.
The moment is interrupted by a tall man tapping on the open door to my right.
“We’ll talk after the show, alright,” Ed nods at me and walks toward the guy who’s holding a guitar.
I smile, and then he’s off down the hallway.
-
I sink back into the leather couch and let out a sigh of relief. Finally I’m sitting. Lexi and I watched Ed’s set from the side of the stage with Murray and all three of us danced our asses off. I don’t know if I was supposed to act cool or like I didn’t care about being here, but it was an insane experience and I wasn’t going to waste it by being self-conscious. Every once in awhile Ed would glance over at us and giggle, probably laughing at how uncoordinated we all were; I’m sure the crew probably thought we were drunk. But now I’m sat in one of the rooms backstage with about twenty other people all talking. Ed said he had to shower real quick after coming off stage, but told me to wait for him here with everyone else. Music was playing from the speaker they were using earlier (Eminem still), and there is a buzz in the air from all the talking. Lexi was having a great time, chatting with one of his opening acts about some obscure show they both watched and I was just content to be on my own for a second. I didn’t realize how zoned out I was until Ed interrupted my thoughts.
“You alright? You look a bit out of it?” He asked, handing an opened beer to me and then raising the one in his other hand to his lips.
“Yeah, sorry,” I blush.
He sits down next to me and faces me.
“‘right, tell me about you,” he says.
I take a swig of my beer. God! Why do people drink this? It tastes like carbonated pee. I cough slightly.
“This is a two-wave street; the only thing I know about you is that you’re on tour and you have a terrible taste in alcohol,” I retort.
“Hey!” He laughs. “I think this is a local beer.”
“Doesn’t make it suck any less.”
He grabs my drink from my hand and walks over to the corner of the room, returning a few minutes later with a red solo cup. I take a sip and smile: vodka tonic.
“Alright, well,” he tucks his leg under him. “My name is Ed, I’m twenty-one, and I don’t know whether or not to be happy or offended that you didn’t google me before coming here.”
I shrug.
“Your turn then,” he takes a sip of his beer.
“My name is Cassidy, I’m eighteen, and I write songs and absolutely hate singing them in front of people.”
“Wait really? Then why were you performing at a pub?”
“Because right now no one will sing my songs except me.”
“Fair enough. Have you always wanted to go into music?”
I pause. I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I’ve always liked music, but I was never told I could make a career out of it.
“I think so,” I gulp. I don’t know to get into this with him. “What about you?”
“Yeah, I was quite shit at school so I always knew that I had to do something in the arts, then I started playing guitar and it all kind of clicked. I really liked those songs you played last night.”
“Thanks! I literally wrote ‘Latch’ in math class the day before,” I pause, smiling to myself, “I guess there’s a reason why I failed my test today.”
“I personally think it’s worth it.”
I shift in my seat and the song changes and another Eminem song comes on.
“Jesus, I get it that you’re in Detroit but this is so much Eminem,” I laugh and take a big sip, feeling the faint burn of the liquor.
“I’ll have you know that Eminem was an integral part of my childhood,” he smirks.
I laugh.
“No seriously, my dad bought me The Marshall Mathers LP when I was eleven because my uncle is a legend and said that Eminem was the next Bob Dylan because he heard ‘Stan’ on the radio. It massively helped my street-cred: I was walking around with these huge glasses, ginger hair, and mumbling bitch I’mma kill you.”
I throw my head back and laugh, just picturing the ridiculousness of all of that.
“Aww, I would have been your friend,” I pout.
“You say that now.”
“Nah, we would have been a great team. When I was 11, FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake came out and I listened to that religiously...” I trail off. Should I be telling him this? Fuck it. “Basically, one day I was listening to “SexyBack” with my mom and I asked her why Justin wanted to be whipped because that seemed really painful.”
He choks on this drink and looks at me with wide eyes, emitting the same laugh I did a few minutes ago.
“What did she say?” He finally asks.
“She took my CD away. So yeah, we were both really weird kids. I also played piano and wrote poetry, so I was very popular on the playground.”
He grins. “We would have been a good team.”
I throw back the rest of my drink.
“Want another?” He asks and I nod, taking my cup and going over to the same corner where I’m assuming all the liquor is.
Lexi catches my eye and raises her eyebrows. I give her a small nod; this has been fun so far. Ed comes back a few moments later with my drink and a solo cup of his own.
“So I do actually have a serious question for you,” he sits back down.
I nod and take a sip.
“Basically, one of my support acts has a family emergency and has to fly back to Ireland at the end of the week. My team and I have been stressing about not having two support acts because that’s what we advertised when the tickets went up, but when I saw you play last night it kind of clicked. Now I know you said you don’t have performing, but this is a way to get your songs out there and lead to other things, but I completely understand if you don’t want to do it.”
“When would you need me to start? And where would I have to go? And for how long?”
“If you could on Monday in St. Paul. We’re going on this leg until the 17th of February but then we’re going to Australia after that but you don’t have to commit to that if you don’t want to.”
I look down at my hands. This is an amazing opportunity, and I have been wanting to leave the house for a while. But then again, I’ve never properly been on my own. I don’t have any money, any contacts. Sure my parents weren’t around much when I was younger so I’m not worried about taking care of myself, but they would always leave me money for food and other expenses. This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“Fuck it I’m in,” I respond.
“Wait are you serious?” He smiles, looking genuinely surprised.
“Yeah, why not? I hate what I’m doing right now and that seems really cool, I’m in.”
“I honestly didn’t expect you to decide so quickly considering the vetting you gave me last night.”
“You said you’re a fellow weird kid; weird kids look out for each other.”
He raises his cup toward me.
“Well cheers to that, and welcome aboard.”
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