#{{ and that one of the side effects was that she lost her melanin- but is it bad if i say screw that idea bc it sounds too cruel?????? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

twistedcharismaaa · 4 years ago

Text

Contemplating...

Summary: Lakeith contemplates on how he should make his first move.

Author’s Note: Hi guyssss! I’m here with another one-shot! I hope that you guys enjoy! I love you guys sooooo much! I pray that all of you stay safe. You are loved. Enough of me chatting, don’t forget to leave a comment for ya girlll!!!!

Skin the shade of the clearest midnight sky shimmering effortlessly under the soft-colored strobe lights. He ran his fingertips over his lips and leaned forward in his cushioned chair. He nodded his head along to the beat of the music echoing throughout the club. He stretched out both hands and formed a square with them. Ah, there it was - he conjured the perfect frame of her. He squinted his eyes in total concentration while subtly biting his bottom lip. He didn’t know if it was the liquor in him or what, but he could’ve sworn he saw stars dancing across her cheekbones. The only thing occupying his brain was how he wanted to telescope her astrology. He rested his hands on his lap and rubbed his thighs casually thinking - contemplating.

He contemplated and she noticed. She noticed him watching her with eyes full of curiosity. She tugged at one of her loose curls while crossing her right leg over the left letting the painful anticipation brew through her gracefully. What felt like hours to them both, at last, their eyes met. Time itself stood still for them - bowing and surrendering to their wills. At that moment, her breath became caught in her throat. Instantly, he felt his heart rate quicken. His heart was beating in his chest like an unheard drum. Quickly recollecting himself, he waved at her subtly while flashing a timid but flirtatious smirk from across the room. His eyes were locked, unmoving, and blatantly stubborn as he admired her. A sly smile formed across her lips as she watched him. If only could see her up close … maybe it would quench the craving he had for her? Her aura was so mesmerizing that it left an unbearable hunger inside of him. The feeling was so strong, so disrespectfully insatiable. He had to say something.

“So say something,” he thought to himself.

Her body awakened with arousal feeling his heavy essence from across the room. He was full of desire for her and she relished in the feeling quietly. It left her wondering what else he could make her feel. It was something about the way he looked at her. It made her feel her invincible yet soft, submissive yet dominant, and nervous yet enticed. She never wanted his eyes to leave hers.

“Come closer,” she thought.

Lakeith left his booth and approached the melanin blessed goddess boldly. She was even more beautiful up close - smooth enriched umber skin, deep brown fierce eyes, and her smile was heavenly - almost angelic. He ran his fingers over his beard while trying to quiet his roaring mind. He felt his mind run away with him easily taking him on unwanted trips. He had so much he wanted to say but sadly no words seemed to escape his slightly gapped lips. Awkwardness crept in the air ready to devour him fully as embarrassment crawled up his spine and rested on his right shoulder. He cleared his throat while teetering back and forth on his feet. He slipped both hands into the pockets of his jeans. Again, he smiled but this time wider. She didn’t realize the effect she had on him ….or maybe she did? Maybe she was enjoying watching him unravel like a loose seam. She made it easy to become lost in her eyes, her lips, the fullness of her thighs, or the -

“Do you want to dance with me?” the woman questioned completely interrupting Lakeith’s rapid thoughts. She placed the half-full glass that she was holding on the table before her. She uncrossed her legs teasingly watching Lakeith eyes studying her strawberry-shaped thighs. Finally, she stood to her feet while softly running her fingertips over her dress eyeing him seductively.

Lakeith swallowed harshly. He nodded silently in compliance as she reached for his hand. He extended his hand towards hers while biting down on his bottom lip.

“Yeah,” he answered.

Suddenly, he felt her hand graze his temptingly slow. Now palm in palm with her, the woman gradually pulled him onto the dance floor with each step. A playful smile appeared on her lips as she used her free hand to stroke his face gently. She pulled away from him altogether swaying her hips to the rhythm of the beat. Then, she turned away from him and grinded on him recklessly. Lakeith’s hands rested on her wide hips as he cocked his head to the side watching her whine her waist on him. She felt his breath tickle the back of her neck causing chills to slither down her spine wildly. His grip on her hips tightened as he gradually took dominance of her body. He rotated his hips against her ass as he visualized the movements in the most lustful way.

“I am bewitched by you,” he whispered in her ear.

The woman smiled to herself as she watched Lakeith’s fingertips caress her bare thigh. She allowed his fingers to drum around the hem of her dress as he planted a kiss on her shoulder. She gasped as she felt her clit throbbing as goosebumps blossomed on her skin. Quickly, she turned towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stared deeply into his eyes as he stared intensely into hers.

“I want to be yours for the night,” she said softly.

Lakeith pressed his forehead against hers eyeing her for a little while longer before kissing her lips gently. The kiss was sweet yet sensual. As they parted from each other’s lips Lakeith felt the hunger for her grow inside of him like a raging storm as she felt the need for him brewing throughout her like a neglected teapot. Again, he dove in for another kiss as he pulled her into him letting her feel his growing erection. He let his tongue explore her mouth devilishly as his hand wandered up her dress. He strummed his fingers against her lips before sliding her panties to the side. She sucked on his bottom lip before breaking the kiss. She rested her head on his shoulder as she felt his fingers circle her sensitive bud. Absentmindedly, she twisted her hips on his fingers leisurely riding his profound fingers attempting to reach her mountain peak. Reluctantly, he removed his fingers from her womanhood.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I wanna know your name.” he demanded

“Call me Ari,” she answered.

“Lakeith,” he whispered back while sucking on his fingers.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said while leading her off the dance floor.

When he looked at her he saw constellations and astrology that had yet been discovered. As he lead her off of the dance floor, he contemplated silently. He thought about how he wanted to kiss every star she held tenderly, stroke every moon aggressively, and bask deeply in her galaxies to be forever lost in her milky ways.

-----

@ghostfacekill-monger @l-auteuse @soulfood-fics @tgigoldie @shaekingshitup @thickemadame @mskirara @mdmecjskywalker @savagescorpion @teardropzih @chaneajoyyy @cyntgefel01 @jamielennkeeler @peacefuldesiress @aislinnsilver @musically-hypnotised @cicici03 @mooon-berry @lovesunnyandmary @ju5tp34chy @luna8819 @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @zeckharyah

#lakeith stanfield #lakeith stanfield x black reader #lakeith stanfield x !blackreader #lakeith stanfield movies #lakeith stanfield imagine #ari lennox #ari lennox music #ari lennox x black reader

164 notes · View notes

benjaminjofaiho · 5 years ago

Text

The Captain Next Door Ch.5

Summary: You’re a doctor who also just so happens to be a fan fiction writer. You love lots of fandoms but Captain America is by far your fave, so what happens when you get a new job, move to Brooklyn and realize that the brownstone you bought is right next door to Captain America? Obviously shenanigans ensue.

Warnings: Swearing.

It’s worth noting that I do not care for or abide by the timeline, there are some people mentioned that haven’t technically been brought together yet [ As per Winter Soldier ] but I did it anyway. P.S. I do not currently have a beta and the ‘f’ and ‘u’ keys on my keyboard are messed up so incase you see repeating letters anywhere they aren’t supposed to be feel free to let me know.

AN: I had so much fun writing this chapter. Please reblog and share. Your feedback is always welcome and I love hearing from y’all.

You looked at his back muscles and not to mention nice ass as he walked up the steps to your house. Yeah. This was definitely going into a fic. The world needs to know about this physique. He turned back to you and asked you if you were ready with that milliwatt smile. You were ready alright. Ready to jump his bones. Just as he was about to turn his keys into his house your phone started to ring. You lifted it to see The Bone Man’s smiling face.

“Boner, what’s up?”

“Hey babe, Do you got time for a couple consults?” A couple? Usually it was just the one or two.

“What do you mean a couple?” You hesitated, putting your finger up to Steve, you were completely taken out of your flirty and laid back mood it was work time. He turned to completely face you and lean on his front door.

“Yeah I know you’re not working today but there was a freak accident on the highway. I have about 10 patients that need to go into surgery but I need your okay and the on call doctor isn’t answering his phone.”

“Fucking Daniels. I bet he’s golfing with members of the bboard. I’ll be there, gimme 20.” Ending the call and biting your lip you looked at Steve. You were going to get to go into CAPTAIN AMERICA’S house but Dr. Daniels was in absentia so you were the next call.

“Listen I’m really sorry but I have to go, there’s emergency at work.” Looking at your watch you absent-mindedly said “I told him 20 but it’ll be more like an hour, I totally forgot it’s rush hour. Alright Captain, duty calls.” Turning and running to go to your brownstone and get your workbag and change your clothes you heard Steve calling out for you.

“Y/N! Wait!” You turned to see him jogging up to you “Where do you work?”

“Mount Sainai. Why?”

“It doesn't have to take that long.”

Scrunching your face you told him “ I know about the subway, but I don’t know it that well and I don't want to risk getting lost. Plus I heard the MTA is really unreliable and I don't have time for any delays right now” Spinning back around your continued to your house but you were stopped by an arm around your bicep. It felt as if your body came alive. Usually when you were thinking about work you had a really one track mind. Work was still on your mind while your bicep burned, it just wasn't at the forefront. You looked down and saw a large hand that you would have imagined was very rough but was actually soft and then looked up to Steve’s face. For a moment he was staring down at his hand too. Snapping out of whatever haze he was in he let you go.

“Sorry.” His hand shot up. “I can get you there in 15.”

“15 minutes?” You asked, confused. It took 20 minutes to get to work without traffic. How was he going to get you there faster than that? You decided to voice that particular concern.

“Just trust me, Go get your stuff and I’ll be waiting for you when you get out.” Knowing you had no time to argue you just turned and ran up the steps into you home. Within ten minutes you were back with your hair up in a bun and jeans with a blouse. All signs of Saturday rest and relaxation were off of you. And there he sat. Atop a fucking motorcycle. You almost tripped over nothing and your eyes were bugging. You were sure of it..

“Absolutely not.” You began.

“You’ll be fineeeee” He started to persuade. “ Think of all the people you could save. And potentially loose if you call an Uber. Come on. Get on.” Realizing he was right you were about to get up behind him and then you stopped again.

“What’s up Doc?” He smiled. Under normal circumstances that would have gotten a light chuckle out of you. But aren’t weekend Y/N. Weekend Y/N had checked out and Work Y/N was here and in complete control despite her faltering 10 minutes ago.

“I can’t get on that death trap without a helmet” You shrugged pulling out your phone about to open the Uber app.

“Hey” He said and he was in front of you in an instant. “Of course I would get you a helmet. We have to protect the precious cargo.” Handing you an all-black helmet. How many times would he alone you make you grateful for your melanin that a blush you could feel was creeping up behind. He took your bag from you while letting you put the helmet on. He sat on the bike and waited for you to get on. This was the closest you’d been to him in your almost 3 months of knowing each other and you weren’t touching him but you might as well have been. You could feel the heat radiating off his back. Flipping the face shield up you asked how you wouldn't fly off. Was there some sort of mini motorcycle seatbelt or something?

“Yeah of course look at the end of your arms” He laughed. “You can either wrap them around me or hold on to that little railing on either side of the back.” You looked back and indeed there was a little railing, then opting to respect his boundaries; hold on to those. The engine come alive beneath you and you let out a little squeal you hoped he didn't hear.

“Ready? He shouted.

“Yeah” You shouted back trying to sound as normal as possible. You were off and zipping through your borough and were on the highway in 4 minutes. Shortly after you pulled up behind a sedan where you stayed for almost a full minute. Traffic was no joke and you started to think maybe it would have been better for you to take the subway. Moving closer to Steve so he could hear you began to shout over all the engines around you.

“Traffic is worse than I expected! I think I should have gotten on the subway”. In lieu of responding he just shook his head. You heard him saying something from behind the screen shield of his helmet. After asking what several times, he annoying flipped up his visor and said “I said hold on!” You were the closest you'd ever been in your months of knowing each other. You were able to see his eyes weren’t all the way blue actually, they had a bit of gold flecks in them. Only being able to manage a strangled ‘okay’ he flipped his visor down.

Grabbing the handles behind you and clenching your teeth you closed your eyes and prepared for the worst. But you weren’t prepared for what happened. The world started to fly by you and all you could see the back of Steve and the your blurred surrounding. Before you knew it you were screaming and found your arms all the way wrapped around Captain America. Boundaries be damned, this man was trying to kill you. Did you he know you belonged to people? Did he know you were someone’s child? You both made it to the hospital in 9 minutes and you got off the back of his bike with shaking knees.

“Steven. It feels like my esophagus dropped through my chest knocking my heart into my stomach causing a ripple effect that made my uterus fly out of my asshole.” Before being able to stop yourself your hands shot up to cover your mouth. “Excuse my language. I appreciate the ride but that was crazy.” Meanwhile Steve was keeled over his handlebars laughing enough for the whole island of Manhattan.

Between fits of laughter he managed “Y/N, you know to call me Steve come on. And plus it was my pleasure, you've been feeding me well for months so this was honestly the least I could do. By the way what time do you get off work?”

“Oh Steve, you don’t have to do that-” he cut you off immediately.

“I’ll be in the area. I was supposed to come down here during the week but since I’m already here I might as well get stuff done. Plus, I’ve been hearing a lot about global warming, and that its my generations fault and how we can help emissions by doing communal rides and such which, so I’m picking you up because it’s my civil duty, and to collectively lower our…carbon footprint?” you couldn't help but smile. You were had no idea the great Captain America was a rambler.

“Okay.” And you both looked at each other smiling small and you turned to walk away. Turing back around “Oh! By the way, if you happen to finish your…stuff before I’m done take Sonia’s number. She’ll be able to direct you to my office where you can wait and if you’re hungry she can grab you something to eat as well. There’s a TV in there so you can watch the news or whatever old men do” You ended laughing and his smile got bigger as well. Turning around and walking through the automatic doors of the hospital Work Y/N was back. It was game time.

After quickly changing into your scrubs and lab coat you paged Boner and were able to find him near intake with a patient.

“Bone man, talk to me” You began. You heard a patient laugh and question Bone man?

“Excuse me ma’am, Dr. Y/L/N. knows my name is Dr.Siriboe she just likes to joke.” He leaned in close to her like he was about to reveal a top secret and put his hand up to the side of his mouth. “You know I heard she wanted to be a comedian at first, but she didn’t have the chops so she settled for being a doctor. Not as funny but I guess it keeps the lights on” He ended with a shrug. The patient began to laugh. You knew Boner was funny but he wasn't tears in your eyes funny. This was because he was a handsome surgeon. You were woman enough to admit his good looks. Keeping it as professional as you could with someone you’d known for so long, you got started.

With a smile still on your voice you asked “So, what do we have here?”

====================Steve’s POV=======================

He had nothing to do. Absolutely nothing. But when he felt her arms wrap around him like that? He knew he was hooked and was looking for any way to get a fix. So he pulled up to the place he would always go when he needed time to think. The Met.

The Met served as a sort of mental relief and motivation/inspiration, depending on his head space when he decided to visit. But as of late, he hadn’t needed to visit because. He didn’t know he just felt, satiated. He looked around at various exibits and found himself staring at a portrait of an open field of flowers. Physically he was staring at that painting but in reality he was looking through it, and thinking of you. He spent the next few hours wandering around the Meuseum for hours. Around 6 he decided to head back over to the hospital to see if she was ready to go.

Upon arrival he texted Sonia and got the instructions to your office. Finally walking in he saw the smile on your assistant’s face welcoming him and asking him if there was anything he needed.

“I’m fine thank you ma’am, although, would you be able to help me turn the news on in Dr. Y/L/N’s office?”

“Of course Sir.” she replied. “And please, Sonia is fine.

After a few minutes of silence with her setting up the TV for him he asked “Please don’t take this the wrong way. But why aren’t you acting more nervous? Not that I want you to or anything…just curious.” Sonia let out a light laugh.

“To be honest I kind of know of you a bit. I speak with Sam a lot and you’ve come up in conversations plenty of times seeing as how the both of you are in some type of love affair” She began to audibily laugh and then absentmindedly added “Plus I can’t the good Doc to shut up about you, so I sort of feel as if I know you already.” She continued to search for the right channel. Before he could stop himself he found himself asking

“Really? Y/N talks about me? What does she say?” All he heard was a distracted ‘hmm?’ in way of response.

“Excuse me, Sonia” He began again. “What does she say about me?”

“I’m sorry what?” Sonia turns her face in his direction with her eyes still glued on the screen. It was clear she was responsive but not present.

“Sonia?”

“Yes! Oh I’m so sorry! I always get confused by this TV.” She said landing on BBC and finally turning to give him her full attention. “What was your question again?”

“Y/N? What does she say about me?” He’d never thought it would be possible to see the color drain from a person with such a rich complexion but he was witnessing it.

“I don't think I said that, Captain”

“Oh yes you did. You said, and I quote ‘To be honest I kind of know of you a bit. I speak with Sam a lot and you’ve come up in conversations plenty of times seeing as how the both of you are in some type of love affair. Plus I can’t the good Doc to shut up about you, so I sort of feel as if I know you already’ Actually. By your words it seems as if she talks about me a lot. So, what does she say?” Sonia started backing out of Y/N’s office.

“ You know the usual…nothing unscrupulous…You know her, shes a sweetheart. Only good things and you can believe me about that” She answered nervously.

“Can’t you give me any specifics?” He turned the Captian America charm on 3000. Who was he becoming? Since when did he imagine doing sinful things to beautiful women and it was getting out of his control. Since when did he try to do anything possible to get closer to a woman ? Physically and otherwise? Since when did he draw the same subject over and over for God’s sake? He was a disciplined, responsible, respectable man. Who was Y/N turning him into? Even in the midst of this mental crisis he knew she wouldn't be able to refuse the Charm.

“ Nothing much. You’re really friendly and helpful, and brave because of your job and all that ya’know? And that you have a nice smile but your eyes. Good lord when she starts on your eyes I know to take a seat because we are gonna be here for a while.” She began to playfully mimick your accent “Oh my God Sonia, I’ve never seen eyes so blue” and then as if noticing she was spilling all the beans her hand shot up over her mouth. “You never heard that! You never even spoke to me! In fact I’m just the pretty lady with the beautiful accent to you!”

He couldn't help but laugh. And he was happy for it because before her little outburst he was feeling something that he was sure other people would deem as shy? Or was he blushing? He had no idea but he didn’t like the feeling one bit so laughter was a nice change of pace.

“Hey” He said grinning as he shot his hands up “ No one will ever get a word out of me.”

“Thank you” she breathed a sigh of relief “That would have been my ass.” With that she left him in the office. He had a little while to think to himself it didn't last long because he could see the profile of a man talking to Sonia out in the little reception and shortly he turned and walked into her office.

“Hello Sir, it’s such an honor to meet you. I’m Dr.Siriboe, I work in a different department than Dr. Y/L/N, but when Sonia told me you were here I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet you. Thank you for all your service and sacrifice. My grandfather fought in WW2 so I grew up hearing stories about the front line and I know the tax it takes on a person. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, Captain.” He smiled. Steve smiled back

“It’s good to meet you, Dr. Siriboe. I’m just a guy that decided to put on a uniform one day but you, decided to put on a white coat and save lives. That is an equally if not more taxing and hororable carrer so the pleasure is mine.” Simling widely Dr.Siriboe gave a small nod in way of accepting the comment and asked the captain to sit down with him.

“So” He began “You like 2k?”

“Love it!” Steve replied with a big smile.

“Wanna play? You know what matter of fact I can’t do that to you. I’m sure whopping your ass would be considered treason or something.”

“To be commit treason you would have to be in possession of some type of threat.” Looking around the office Steve continued “But I don't see anything threatening in here.”

“Ohhhh Cap’s got jokes!” Kofi said laughing with Steve. “But its not gonna be so funny when I decimate you in this game. Then Imma be the only one laughing.”

“Now son, If I go in on you it would be considered heroism in defense of our great nation” Steve snapped back laughing. “You don’t want these problems.”

“Son? Sir. Sir. Excuse me, sir. If I were to really get started by the time I was done witcha they’d arrest me on elder abuse and I’m liable to catch a case.”

Before he knew it they had been playing a game of madden for about 30 mintues and between the little conversation and a whole lot of shit talking he really took a liking to Kofi. He enjoyed his company and he was always looking for new friends that weren’t attached to S.H.E.L.D. in any way possible. He seemed down to earth, and a happy go lucky fellow. Obviously he was smart to be able to become a doctor so he had that going for him as well.

He seemed like the type of guy that would already had been Steve’s friend if they hadn’t just met, he had a friendly personality. Then he wondered why he had never heard of this man before. This is the type of man Y/N should hang around, not that Boner fellow. They seemed as if they would be good friends and he decided then, that he would introduce the two. As if she was a genie and manifested though her doors.

“Oh! Hey! Steve! You’re here!” She said looking winded.

“Yeah I am. I’ve been here for a little under an hour just chilling with-” turning behind him to gesture to Kofi “Dr. Siriboe. Dr. Siriboe officially meet Dr. Y/L/N, Dr. Y/L/N, meet Dr, Siriboe, he works in…well actually I didn't even get his department. I’m sorry what department do you work in? You never really mentioned it.”

“He’s in ortho” She said, cutting him off. Kofi and Y/N stared at each other for bursting out laughing leaving Steve uttlerly confused.

“Steve, this is the Bone man!” Steve felt something sour in the back of his throat. This? This was dR. bOnEr? THE dr. Boner? That she wouldn't ever leave out of important decisions? The one that helps her when she needs it and doesn't know who to call? This is the guy she was referring to as ‘sort of her work husband and sort of her husband husband?’

“Oh.” Was all he could manage. He was sure if he could see his own face in that moment it would look something like a 6month old who was constipated. He’d been on the couch fraternizing with the enemy?! Why would he be the enemy? Why would he even think of that? Why had he been internally monologuing this whole day? Again what the hell was she doing to him?

“Well” He began trying to recover “Are you ready to go home?”

“Oh! You came to give her a ride? I thought we were gonna split an uber and Rate the Pache as usual and maybe pick up some Thai?”

“Shut up about Rate the Pache boner! Damnit that's supposed to be between just me and you!” She whisper shouted. He couldn't help himself and asked.

“What’s rate the pache?” He asked turning to Kofi knowing you wouldn't give him an answer.

“Well,-” Kofi started

“Traitor!” She shouted and to be honest it startled Steve a little. He had never seen this playful and mischievous side to her before. He’d seen glimmers of it with Sam but never this full out and raw. He assumed it was because of their old friendship, but that didn't stop the little green monster coming to life within him. Who was he becoming?

Laughing Kofi continued “Rate the Pache is something we started doing back in med school. At the end of the day we get together and rate the patients we worked with on that day. Who would we bone, if there was no repercussions to our careers.” Looking over to you he saw your hands covering your face with what he thought was embarrassment. The practice was a little iffy admittedly, but he couldn't help thinking that she just looked so damn cute acting shy like that.

“Anyway!!!” She shouted and turned to him. “Steve, I just have to get a couple things done here iff you don't mind waiting like 20 minutes and then we can head home.”

“Sure, no problem” He said.

“Well, we can try to finish this game” Kofi said interrupting his train of thought.

“Ahh I didn't know you were open to public beat downs Kofi, lets do it!” Steve laughed.

After about 15 minutes of playing, she asked Sonia for a cup of tea and Sonia told her it would be ready in a few, however the next person to open her door was not Sona, but a man instead.

“Dr. Daniels” She started, “How nice of you to answer your page” looking at her watch “hmmm… 6 hours too late. People could have died.” The room went silent and everyone turned to look at the late doctor.

“Dr. Y/L/N, I’m terribly sorry. It started off with me trying to just have a meeting with some of the board members and then they refused to let me leave without playing a round. But I promise the meeting was worth while. I was able to get cardio 3 million dollars for research!” She let out a squeal.

“Really?! Damnit Daniels! I was really prepared to rip you a new one but I can’t be mad at this. This money will change so many lives and help preventative care so much. Thank you.” She ended quietly.

“Of course. Meanwhile I swung by my house and got you something.”

“Is it what I think it is?”

“Your blueberry tea leaves as requested. And I threw in some blueberry scones just as you like them. Try one now. I added something new and I want to know if you can taste a difference.”

Biting into one she moaned which was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. If he weren’t so busy being something in the neighborhood of jealous he might have actually started to feel aroused. Why the hell was she surrounded by all these…Men? Men who had eyes just like him to see how wonderful she was. Men who had dirtier minds than him imaging all sorts of things.

“Is this lemon glaze drizzled overtop?” She asked.

“Good pallete! I call them blueberry lemonade.” He replied.

“I mean this with all repect daniels, if things don't work out here in the hospital and I fire your ass for something you do to annoy me, you could definitely make it as a baker.”

That pulled a laugh for a quiet Kofi which made this Dr. Daniels aware of his presence as well as Steve’s as well as if he didn’t notice the both of them before.

“Kofi, what’s up man? Sorry I missed the pages.” Daniels said nodding to Kofi.

“Don't worry about it man. You know Y/N zoomed in to save the day as usual.” Turing to face Steve it was then he noticed who he was. Steve could always see the change in people when they recognized him. He noticed the Dr. stood up a little taller, and cleared his throat lightly. Oh, he was a fan.

“Hello, my name is Dr. Gerald Daniels, It’s a pleasure to meet you Captain America.”

“Nice to meet you Dr. Daniels, likewise.” Steve said giving a patented smile. “Congrats on your new research money by the way.”

“Thankyousomuch” Daniels rushed out. Then zipping back to her “Enjoy the tea and deserts. See you Monday. I’ll go round on the patients you had today, so you can get home.” With that he was out of the office and left a bouncing Y/N at her desk happy as could be.

After she finished her scone, Steve watched her walk out of her office and go talk to Sonia. He watched her throw her head back in laughter and couldn't help but imagine yanking her hair back and burying his face in her neck taking in her sweet smell. He wanted to bury something else in her too but then he heard Kofi aggressively clearing his throat.

“You like what you see?” He started.

“Sorry?” Steve decided to play stupid.

“ I mean any other day, I would let you be distracted and continue to score on you while you look in a completely oppsite direction just as I have in the last 2 mintues already scoring 3 times but...” He paused the game “ That’s Y/N. I’m protective over her.” He said seriously.

“I really don’t know what you think you-” Steve started but Kofi interrupted him.

“Listen man, I’m not blind. What are you trying to do with her? You know what? That’s none of my business. Whatever it is, make sure you’re clear about it and don't hurt her. Because at that point you’re gonna have more to worry about than aliens falling out of the sky.” With that he unpaused the game and continued to play as if nothing happened between them. Steve turned back to Y/N and Sonia to see Sonia walking out of the office and Y/N looking out the big window. All of a sudden she turned and looked directly at him and gave him a small smile that felt like an ember lighting a fire. It was a smile he returned.

“Alright people.” She started after walking back into her office. “I’m just about ready to go and Sonia’s gone for the day, apparently she has a date to get to.” She said wiggling her eyebrows and laughing. Kofi stood.

“Okay I just got a page myself, so I have to run.” He stretched his arm out to steve. “Nice to meet you man.” Kofi had that easy go lucky smile but his grip was telling another story. It said if you fuck this up I fuck you up. Steve didn’t know where he stood with Kofi. Thiking of him as boner he didn’t like him at all but getting to know him as Kofi he knew he was someone he could befriend plus him sticking up for Y/N like that really won him points in Steve’s book as much as he hated to admit it. He sorta liked the guy.

Turning to Y/N kissed her cheek and jogged out the door and she looked after him. What the hell was going on with those two? He couldn’t place his finger on it. Was she maybe into him? Before he could even think of the situation further. She sat on the couch next to him while putting her feet up on the table and let out a big sigh.

“So how was your day Steve?”

“Well” he began mentally scrambling. “ I finished those errands I told you about but I ended up at the Met as I usually do.”

“Usually? What do you do there usually?”

“I look through Picassos stuff, they’re permanently on display. Then I go through the current exhibits. I like looking at things from all over the world and from varying time periods. Sort off broadening my artistic palette if you will” He said with an easy smile.

“I’ve never been to the Met! It’s on my list of to-dos before I officially become a New Yorker.”

“Then I have to take you down there one of your free days. We can. Make a day of it. Remember, doing my civil duty and all.”

“Sounds good, I’ll let you know” She said quietly. Off course. She was back to her normal self now, trying to let him down easy. He didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was and suggested they go home.

She turned off her light in her office and her stomach let out a noise that demanded for attention and she let out a laugh.

“I’m a little hungry, can you tell?”

“Right!” Steve said snapping. “Kofi mentioned something about Pad Thai? I know the best Thai restaurant in all the boroughs.”

“I have to stop ya there chief. If it’s not New Saigon then you are sorely mistaken. Me and boner have been eating there since I used to visit him here in the city and lived back down south. He’s something of a foodie and I’m inclined to believe him.”

“Hey! I know something or two about food as well. I promise you you’ll like it.” He stared at her while she stared at him and the both of them had a silent battle of wills.

“Fine! But if I don't like this place, I get to choose where we eat from now on.” Now on? Does that imply that we’ll be doing this more often? Steve decided not to over think it and just live in the moment. He told her wait at the front of the hospital while he pulled the motorcycle around. He couldn't help but notice a pep in his step and it all began with him thinking of having her arms wrapped around him again. Pulling up to the hospital he saw he nervous face in view and let out a little laugh. She was the cutest. He handed her the helmet.

“Where are we going anyway?” She said taking the helmet from him.

“It’s this little hole in the wall called Jai-Yen.

“Jai-Yen” She repeated quietly. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“Well you have now.” Steve smiled. “Let’s get going.”

“Alright, take me on your devil machine” She said putting on the helmet. Steve laughed and shook his head. As soon as she was stable on the back of the bike they were off.

Taglist: @champagnesugamama@smooth-sunflower@queenwinchester27 @hamilboots @trees-are-friends

3 notes · View notes

marvelheaux · 6 years ago

Text

T’challa’s Outside Daughter (Chapter 4)

T’CHALLA X BLACK!DAUGHTER READER / OC

A/N : Hey Guys!! Sorry for the Long wait. Depression was getting the best of me and plus I wasn’t feeling well at all. But here it is :) Enjoy xx -Lanna

Description : Zyra is the first born of King T’challa. She moved to the states and grew up with her Single mother with hardly any contact with her father. Queen Mother Ramonda decided that with all the drama and secrets going on, that it's time to bring the family together .

Story Links:

Main Character + Faceclaim

Character List

She met one of her father's Exes (oneshot)

TOD Prologue , Chp1 , Chp2 , Chp3

Warnings: Possible Grammar Errors, Angst, Strong Language

Words: 2K

Zyra sadly walked off backstage to the area, where the crowd was seated . She was a bit disappointed because she and her team placed 5th at the 2016 Cheerleading Worlds competition. They had a promising year, until it took two major deductions on day 2 of finals and their bubbles were popped. She walked out into the arena looking for her mom, her frown turned upside down and her face lighted up, when she saw a special guest sitting next to mom. Her grandfather, His majesty King T’chaka, was standing there smiling and clapping. She ran and hugged him tightly. She couldn’t believe he actually came and watched her performance but she felt some type of way because he’s a very busy politician, and he just watched a ‘terrible’ performance.

“Congratulations entle!! I’m so proud of you!”

“Thank you baba! If I had know you were coming, i would’ve pushed a little harder” Zyra said looking at the floor”

King T’chaka took her hands and preached to Zyra

“ You win some, you lose some. Just work on your mistakes and learn from them, so when next year comes, you know what to do. And trust me. Next year IS your year. Trust me.”

Those words stuck with her. Even after his death, she pushed even harder. Those words came into effect when they in fact did win the year after that-

“Zyra wake up….” she felt someone shaking her shoulder gently and speaking in a soft voice.

This made her woke up from her sleep, in the jet cubicle.

“Huh?” She said looking oblivious , whilst wiping the drool off her face.

“We are 5 minutes away from touching down in Wakanda” Nceba, one of the dora members, reassured her.

With that, she quickly went to the bathroom to freshen up. She even was offered breakfast from the jet staff due to her long flight.

“Zyra, you are home.”

She smiled as she got up from her half-eaten breakfast and rushed to the frontal view of the quinjet. It drove through the heavy bushes, then the protective barrier unravelled and revealed Wakanda. Her breath was taken way. Wakanda was beautiful. Even though she wanted to vlog or snapchat what she saw, she decided not to and wanted to be in the moment and take in wakanda and all its glory.

While she was still excited and getting her stuff together, the room suddenly started to become small. She started to feel dizzy and her heart started to race, so she sat down. As the quinjet opened and the Dora was about to escort her out, she started crying and hugging her legs. Nceba saw her crying and came to her aid. Queen Ramonda who was standing on the outside patiently waiting on her granddaughter, became worried as it was taking her along while to come outside. She suspected that something was wrong, and she walked passed the Dora standing outside with her, and found Zyra in her condition.

“Ah Cebisa, sithandwa sam” Ramonda embraced her tightly, rubbing her back and rocking her back and forth, when she noticed that she was having an anxiety attack.

“Breathe with me. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Zyra struggled to follow suit, bouncing her leg and holding on to her grandmother for comfort.

She was afraid.

She missed her mother.

This is going to be the longest time that she was going to be away from her mother and it made her feel uneasy.

“Worry not my child. We are all happy to see you. We love you and your country misses you. Your mom is proud of you.”

Zyra nodded her head as she tried to take in what her grandmother was saying.

“Do you know home many times, your mother and I wanted me to bring you back here? It was always a fluke because your father was trying to keep you a secret and me and your father were always at loggerheads for that. But not to worry, he will learn and come back to his senses.”

Zyra secretly disagreed because she still feels her father is the scum of the earth.

“Come on dear, the others can’t wait to see you!!”

........

Zyra suddenly felt like she was going to shit herself as she grabbed her pillowpet and her backpack and headed for the main entrance of the palace.

She doesn’t remember much but the flamboyant scent of the building tickled her memory. She was finally back home.

The palace was huge and quiet, which was suspicious. Walking down the corridor, she came across an old painting of her grandfather when he was a lot younger and she smiled.

“I miss you baba.”

Zyra heard voices around the corridor, including a familiar voice with a cute accent.

“ Shuri???!” Zyra called out.

Pitter patter of feet became closer and closer and a wild Shuri ran around the corner.

“OH MY GOD AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

When she saw Zyra, they both screamed and ran towards each other and jumped into each other's arms. They hugged each other tightly, while crying tears of joys.

The dynamic duo was back together.

They have not seen each other since Zyra’s mom side of the family, last vacation trip. Although they were seven seas apart, T’chaka and Ramonda made it their business to bring Shuri to New York for every school vacation, so they can spend time together.

They broke apart with tears in their eyes, analysing each other.

“I missed you so much!”

“I miss you too! You have no idea”

“ Look at you! Princess Shuri all royal and shit! You are so cute!!” Zyra joked.

“Me?? Look at you!! Melanin poppin, skin glowing, pink in on pink everything in synced” Shuri laughed referring to Zyra’s barbie pink champion jumpsuit and her matching pink timberlands.

“It wasn’t planneeeeedddd I swear! Its weird cause my bags- WAIT….WHERE MY BAGS AT?” Zyra started running around the place worried.

“I LOST MY BAGS! I GOTTA GET MY SUITCASES! DID I LEAVE THEM ON THE PLANE-”

“SIS RELAXX!!! The attendants have your stuff. Did yo ass forget you’re royalty too or???”

“Oh.”

The both laughed heartily as Shuri grabbed her hand to show her around the rest of the palace.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the way to Shuri’s lab, she showed Zyra the King’s Office and Quarters and she became hesitant and started to talk the other way.

“Wait where are you going? Nobody’s in there.”

“Huh?”

“He’s not in there, they aren’t home.”

“Oh thank God”

“They’re in Maiorca right now, won’t be home until tomorrow I think.

“Maiorca??? Oh they boujie boujie…”

“Don’t worry our traditional 20th birthday parties are going to litttttyyyyy!”

Just like how the spanish community have a quinceanera for the 15th birthday, wakanda had traditional birthday parties for when they turn 20. She found it funny how he can travel to these lavish places with this “new family” but never wanted to claim her. He was always her source of anxiety and insecurity.

Soon they arrived at Shuri’s lab and Zyra couldn’t believe her eyes. It was like a scientist’s wet dream. One of the million things that they both shared together, was their passion for science and technology. They always shared their ideas and theories together.

“I have something to tell you and please don’t get mad” Shuri clasped her hands nervously.

“What is it?”

Shuri pulled up blueprints of the new black panther suit on the technical board.

“This is the finished product of the suit. Anndddd …..Ikindaddedyourdesignstoit!” Shuri said in one breath whilst squinting her eyes.

“YOU DID WHAT?! I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NO TO DO THAT!”

“The kinetic energy and adding the different types of vision was such good ideas I couldn’t help it.

“Shuri-”

“I’m sorry sis!!! I told him i did it!”

“Are you though?”

“I mean no but….”

“I’m suing yo ass for damages” Zyra could help but laugh. This was typical Shuri.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LATER THAT NIGHT

The girls were relaxing in the balcony pool of the Queen’s Quarters, chatting it up and gazing at the stars. This girl time was needed cause there was alot to catch up on. Zyra got quiet for a moment which made Shuri worry for a bit.

“What’s the matter usisi?”

“I just feel guilty sometimes.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I feel bad about …..being close to my grandparents. Because. I never wanted to take the attention away from you. I know they just felt for me.”

“You shouldn’t feel that way because my father and I always had a good relationship. He felt it was necessary to step in as a grandparent. We’re like sisters remember?”

“Yeah…” Zyra managed to crack a soft smile.

“Besides, T’challa was always the favorite so...you know how that shit goes” Shuri rolled her eyes and backstroked to the pool steps and Zyra dramatically sucked her teeth and laughed.

After calling her mom back in new york and having a long conversation about wakanda, Zyra decided to hit the sack to catch up on some much needed sleep.

3am.

Zyra was snoring softly in her big comfy duvet when she was woken up by the sounds of constant heavy footsteps and a disturbingly familiar male voice.

“Great...the motley crew is back from their trip.” She thought to herself. “I wish they would stop waking me the fuck up” . Zyra covered her head with pillow, hoping she could go back to sleep.

On the outside, T’challa, Nicolette and their two children walked into the beauty room area of younger folks Quarter’s, where the attendents were putting Sariyah’s 20 (not really) suitcases and designer clothing away. On the way to the lounge area, Matthew saw a couple of light pink suitcases that were noticeably not belonging to neither his sister nor his mother.

“Wait who's suitcases are these?” Matthew said under his breath.

He noisily checked the suitcase tag. He was taken aback when the tag read “JFK”. “Wait, New York, it's a possibility that his sister is here”

“Wait? Is Zyra here?”

“Yes my prince, she is asleep in her room” one of the dora chimed in.

“What is she doing here?” Sariyah was already annoying to the fullest.

Queen Nicolette was shocked as she looked to T’challa for answers. At this point T’challa was catching cold sweat and suddenly felt nauseous. He had zero notice that she was arriving at all. No words from King T’challa at this point. He just headed to his room quickly and Nicolette followed suit.

“Getting cold feet huh?” Nicolette sat on their matrimonial bed. “I thought we talked about this”

T’challa was hunched over the balcony, trying to get his mind together. You would expect a king of a great nation to have an answer for everything. Not this time though.

“I shouldn’t at this stage tell you how to be a father. Grow a pair.”

T’challa side-eyed his wife .

“Boy stop looking at me like that and cuddle me, I’m sleepy.”

……..

It’s well into the fore-morning and Zyra had had it cause the noise won’t stop. Sariyah thought it was cute to purposely knock on her door and stomp as loudly as she can to aggrevate her. After a couple more loud noises, Zyra suddenly got out of bed and walked out the room wearing an oversized t-shirt , a kente print bonnet on and a pair of socks. She calmly walked into the lounge area where Sariyah was standing.

“Can the person who is knocking on my door stop please?”

“No one is knocking on your door, go back to bed, wannabe”

“Wannabe?” Zyra was starting to get pissed off cause she doesn’t tolerate disrespect.

“Listen lil girl, I aint got time for your bullshit, just shut the fuck up so I can sleep please” she turned on her heels to walk away.

“Why you sound like a man?”

Sariyah was clearly taking a jab at Zy’s strong New York accent.

“Guess what, I sound manly, and these hands manly too. Don’t fucking play with me you rat ass bitch”

Zyra slammed her bedroom door.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS CHAPTER? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING HAPPEN NEXT? COMMENT !! YOUR FEEDBACK MEANS ALOT! AND REBLOG TO SHARE WITH OTHERS IF YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER. - Lanna xx

sithandwa sam - my love

Usisi - sister

Entle - beautiful

Taglist: @mxrvelous-bxrnes @kida114 @royallyprincesslilly @dramaqueenamby @randomassfandomwho @jadesid @deansbbysblog @pananegra @janell-r @zakarakillmonger @omgsuperstarg @skysynclair19 @amethyst09 @sisterwifeudaku @bezzywazhere @mbakus-bae @champagnesugamama @kumkaniudaku @brianabreeze @sarahboseman @queennanayaa @ginghampearlsnsweettea @fanwolfgirl @theifandbegger

#T'Challa x black reader #t'challa x black!reader #T'Challa #t'chaka #t'challa imagine #zyra udaku #T'Challa Udaku #t'challa x reader #black panther #black panther imagine #black panther x reader #black panther x black reader #Chadwick Boseman #chadwick boseman imagine #chadwick boseman x reader #Wakanda #queen ramonda #shuri #dora milaje

131 notes · View notes

seventeen-imagines-reactions · 6 years ago

Text

He loved her for everything she was and decided to be

Maybe listen to this when reading : ♫ danielions’ Best of 2018 - K-Indie (happy)

For the first couple parts everything written in bold and in between the lines is “current commentary”, I added “c/” (current) and „p/„ (past) later on so it’s not confusing because the parts in “our time” get longer. ^^

"Did your really think I didn't know what I was doing?" He asked her. The setting sun made his melanin skin glow a bit more than usual as his slightly wet hair framed his face. "I knew exactly what I was doing back then." Hyunjin started leaning back, dangling his legs off of the rooftop and looking directly up into the sky to watch the sunset. "I just thought that we were a match made in heaven as soon as I saw you."

*****

He really loved remembering that day. She was just sitting there, her feet lightly tapping to the music but her gaze focused on her notebook. "Why don't you just try and talk to her?" Jisung asked, teasing his friend who thought no one saw how he looked at the girl on the other side of the café. "Wh- what? I'm not staring at her." "I never said that... I was actually talking about our initial topic, the problem you have with your teacher, you know." The grin on his face grew with the shade of red Hyunjin's face became. "I- I mean...-" Hyunjin finally gave in. "Was I that obvious?" "You forgot that your eyes speak, too." "I don't know... Something just,... I can't stop looking over." "That's why I told you to go and talk to her." "But that's weird, isn't it?" "Not really. I meam people do that all the time. Just leave when she wants you to leave." "So... you really think I should go?" Jisung sighed, throwing his head back in desperation. "If you don't go now I'm calling her over. You've been looking at her all this time now, you're going to hate yourself if you don't go now."

Hyunjin gathered his whole strength, took a deep breath and got up-

only to turn back around and slightly shake his friend who really didn't expect. "Han! I really don't think I can do this. I never did this. Help!" He tried to whisper but at the same time he felt like screaming his soul out. "Just be yourself. You don't have to flirt, just be nice and funny like you are." Another deep breath again, but this time Hyunjin really turned around and didn't stop until he was at her table."

The girl he wanted to talk to- completely immersed in what she was writing couldn't tell that someone was being her company. She was leaning her head on one of her hands and wrote with the other, any strand of hair that fell into her face, she swiftly tucked behind her ear and went back to writing again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Do you know that feeling when you look at something or someone and all your nervosity just disappears? That's how I felt with you. I had no idea who you were but you just looked at me and I felt safe." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hyunjin, now rather calm, shortly stood up to tap her shoulder. "Hm?" This is the first time Hyunjin really saw her face, she had fair skin and her eyes were a really light blue. For a couple of seconds he just looked at her and it felt like infinity until he finally brought out another word. "He- hello." "Hi?" She looked rather confused as to why she was randomly approached, but she patiently waited until the boy in front of her kept going.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"I don't know just looked at you and you seemed so confused even though you were the one to start talking to me. It was really funny, now that I think about it again." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Do you need anything?" "Your name." Hyunjin immediately regretted saying that but what can he do? She already heard... and to his surprise laughed about his words or at them he didn't know yet. "Wow, that's pretty straight-forward. Don't you think?" "That's... also not the direction I wanted to go to but I mean... I spoke already. I'm Hyunjin if that is of any help whatsoever." Hyunjin's gaze wandered from left to right, he was clearly uncomfortable and shy again but he wanted to fight through. "I'm Y/N." She smiled at him, taking away all his nervosity again. She didn't know her effect on him but he knew and his courage slowly built up again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Honestly, my weak point might have been your very nervous and highly chaotic energy." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nice to meet you.-" Hyunjin adjusted his position and was sitting comfortably now. "Would you mind if I accompany you for a couple of minutes?" "No,... I wanted to take a break anyways. Do you want something to drink?" "No, I'm good thank you."

There's that awkward silence we all know right? When someone just randomly stops talking or there's just nothing to say? That... didn't happen. Neither one knew the other but to them it felt like they met a friend, someone that's familiar - coincidentally - and now they're just sharing a silent moment together. "What are you reading there?" "Oh this-" Y/N picked up her book turned it around a couple of times, not really sure why she brought it. " - just a book I'm reading these days. I thought about reading it during my break today-" "-oh god I'm sorry. I can leave if you have plans." "What- no no. I figured it makes very little sense to only read for hours and hours I have to allow my eyes to rest too, you know?"

"I think I've read that one too, sometime in school." "Sometime in school, sounds like you had to love it." Y/N laughed again, unconsciously cleaning her table, putting away her sheets as if - in her mind - she was done studying. "I mean I read it but I didn't understand the book back then. It made no sense and I really just read it to pass my exams at some point." "Oh really? I really love that book. I think I've read it a couple of times already." "What? What do you see in that book, that I can't see?" Hyunjin leaned forward now, really interested to hear what she thought about the book he hates so much. "Wow uhm... I kind of really like the author's viewpoint and understanding of the little actions. There's a lot happening in the main characters’ life but he really shows that you can and need to appreciate the little things. At points he really made the life of that person really messy and nothing went well and you got sad while reading but then... you know that person comes home to a warm meal and it's like the best thing ever and even as a reader you feel that kind of ease? I don't know if that makes sense." "Oh wow. I never looked at those things like that. Honestly when I read it I got so confused as to why that person was so happy about that meal? It made no sense to me because I knew what was bad and it felt as though the person was naive?"

"Do you understand now?" "Hmm... I do. I think."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I understood that my heart was racing because you were smiling at me."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh wait. I think I'm being called." Hyunjin looked around to find jisung frantically moving his arms to get his attention. "I need you really quick." He said, trying not to disturb the few people left at the café. The boys had to sort out their problem they talked about earlier, it took a little but he was walking back to Y/N's table as if she was the person he met up with originally. "Hm?" She wasn't there anymore he thought that she might've went to the restroom but the note on the book she left, said otherwise. "Heyo, I got a message and had to leave. Wasn't able to say goodbye but it was nice talking to you! I'm leaving the book, you read it again. Maybe you'll understand what I was talking about now. Have fun!"

Hyunjin... was devastated to say the least. He knew he wouldn't have asked for a number if he knew that she had to leave but he enjoyed his time with her a lot. No reason why, at least in his head, but he really enjoyed her company.

The boys walked home. They usually talked a lot but today, it was really silent.

Hyunjin threw himself on his bed as soon as he arrived. He didn't talk he didn't eat. He just slept, or tried, until he got back up and looked at the book she had left him. "At least you're not that boring book anymore-" he got up to his shelf and looked were he placed his own version of this book. "-you're a memory I want to keep." Hyunjin took the sticky note that was still on the cover and wanted to place it inside so it wouldn't get lost. But as he opened the book he noticed faint writing on the back of the cover page. "This book belongs to: Y/N / If lost call: ----" This can't be right? Was this really on purpose or is it a coincidence?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"I felt like I looked into a diary. Like I was looking at a secret I wasn't supposed to see." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hyunjin gave himself little time to think about his next action. He knew he wouldn't do it after trying to talk to any of his friends, no matter what they said. So he just grabbed his phone and texted the number. "Hello there. It's Hyunjin, from the café earlier. Thank you for leaving your book. ^^" It was a basic message, he didn't want to come off as weird. In his head this was a really normal thing to say, he didn't want to force friendship on her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"I waited so long for an answer. I thought it was a wrong number, a number that's out of service. So many things went through my mind." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He sat on his bed now, nervously holding his phone in both of his hands. Hyunjin must've looked so funny on his bed because he also didn't know how much time passed until his phone finally buzzed.

"Oh hi. I'm glad you didn't just leave it there. But how did you get my number?" Oh. Oh no. Hyunjin started panicking, would she think he's weird for texting that number? But she was the one writing it down... "Oh it was in the book. In case you lost it." "Oh, I forgot I did that. Sorry, I was just confused." "That's a lot of confusion coming from the same person. I should be sorry. ^^"

Hyunjin made a little noise and let himelf fall on his bed again. It was the same process as earlier now, he had to act or he wouldn't do it. "True, but that's fine." "So... can I confuse you one last time today?" "Uh... sure." "Would you meet me again? In the same café? I really enjoyed talking to you." Hyunjin threw his phone away as soon as he texted that. He didn't know what was driving him but he ran out of his room to go and tell Jisung and the others.

"You did what? / And how? / How did she react?" Questions on question were asked as Hyunjin only watched his friends, kind of out of breath. "Wait wait, let him calm down first." Their oldest exclaimed while watching his friend more or less panicking. "I don't know I tought I wouldn't do it if I talked to Jisung, because he was there. And then I thought talking to all of you would take too long and I wouldn't do it again so I just messaged her and left."

While Hyunjin explained everything to his friends, Jeongin - their youngest - made his way to Hyunjin's room and looked for his phone. He was mischievous and known for that, so he checked his phone for messages. Jeoning walked back into the shared living room and had a big grin on his face. "Looks like someone has a date tomorrow." Hyunjin jumped up, not sure if he should be angry or not, and grabbed both the phone and jeongins hand to read Y/N's message. "I'm going to be there tomorrow again, around noon. I'll be waiting for you!" He let himself fall to the ground, he expected a lot but not that she would answer right away. "Wow." His friends gathered around him and patted his back, they were happy for him but he didn't really seem to realize what just happened.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Woah I was so nervous then. My heart just didn't stop racing for a good 10 minutes or so."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night went by fast, everyone was excited for the next day and Hyunjin.... well Hyunjin thought about what to wear, which perfume to use and even what to say to her. He was nervous to say the least but happy Y/N had accepted to meet him again. Hyunjin didn't even know if this was normal or something really special, but to him it felt really special and that was more than enough. "I'm leaving." He said, looking back at all his friends who were standing in the hallway. "Don't be too late."

The day felt like a whole new season. It was spring yes but have spring days ever felt this good? It felt really warm, the sun was shining brightly and everything started to blossom. He never really realized these things, is it because he was happy? While walking to the café many thoughts were crossing his mind. Was he being weird, did he gain a new friend? Why was he so nervous and why did he feel so happy to meet a person he didn't know until a day ago?

His heart started beating faster the closer he got to the café but he tried to stay calm. Hyunjin looked around to find her, something about her face looked really familiar so it would be easy for him to find her. There she was, sitting at the same table again. This time reading a book. "What are you reading?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't believe in love at the first sight, really. But I do believe in a click. And the click was there."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- c/ "It was so weird wasn't it?" Y/N asked, memories just kept playing in front of her eyes. Believing it was difficult. How a conversation about a book changed her life for the better. Their lives, to be exact. "See, I told you I knew what I was doing." "Well, you really didn't." "What do you mean? I killed it. Everytime we met you left happy." "Well that doesn't have to be because you knew what you were doing. You were so confused all the time even though you were the one making almost all the steps. It was so funny." Hyunjin sat up straight, ready to face Y/N in a joking manner. "What, what. Tell me when was I ever confused and didn't know what to do." "Huh? Okay. We could be here until tomorrow if I start now." Their laughter filled the evening breeze. "No no. I bet you can't even find two moments." "Two? That's easy. Remember the time we hugged for the first time?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you for walking me home. You really didn't need to." Hyunjin and Y/N were able to call their meetings dates now. Weeks passed by after they met the first time, but it felt like it was so much longer. None of them wanted to rush things so they only said they were friends to everyone but everyone said they were made for each other... and they knew too.

Since their dates kept turning to be really long for the past times Hyunjin decided to walk her home. The area wasn't dangerous but he tried to spend as much time as possible with her. "It's late and you shouldn't be out alone at this time of night." "That's really sweet but you have to walk home now and you live far away." "No, it's fine. Really, I can just use the subway." "Tell me when you're home okay? Or else I'll worry." "I'll call you." "Hyunjin, you said that last time and forgot." Hyunjin shyly scratched the back of his head. "Ask me why." "Why?" "Because I sat down with the boys and didn't stop talking about you for hours and hours."

A shy laugh escaped Y7n's lips. "That,... I mean. That's still not an excuse." Internally, she was really happy that it was darker, like that no one would be able to tell how much she blushed. "I'll call this time I promise. I'll get going now." Usually, Hyunjin would just walk off and Y/N would turn to go into her home. This time, however, she almost out of reflex stood on her tiptoes and flung her arms around Hyunjin neck to say goodbye. "Bye, be safe." Hyunjin just stood in her embrace for a split-second until he slowly put his arms around her waist. He tried to hide his face in her hair and hoped this moment would never end. Not only because he wanted to stay like that, but also because he felt so embarrassed and thought that even at this bad lighting his red face would show. "I.. I will- I should..." After the split he tried to collect himself and made really awkward movements into the direction he would go to. "I should go now bye." And off he was. Hyunjin stumbled over his own feet and after scratching his head burried his face in his palms while still walking. Y/N still watched him walk into the darkness and in that moment felt like she had to say something. "I can still see you." And without saying a word Hyunjin went back to walking down the street "coolly".

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- c/

"But I was cute wasn't I? And you smiled? So win-win." "Where is the win for you there?" "Uhm... I... I made you happy?" "That's a good safe sir." "Was I really that awkward?"

"Hm. I mean if you randomly hugged me I would react the same but since we hugged already, the first hug from your side didn't feel that sudden you know. But it was so funny to watch you stumble and probably internally scream... And then you just walked as if nothing happened." "Hah! Wrong. I didn't just internally scream I actually screamed in my hands but you didn't hear because I'm good." "No that just makes it funnier." "But you love me so that's fine. Okay. That was the first, I said at least two." "Hmm... there's a lot actually. And you know that stop lying." She pointed at him as she laughed and Hyunjin scrunched his face. "I'm not awkward."

"OH! You remember when we were dating and we went to that... uhm the market thing? Where an older couple approached us and said that we looked similar? And asked if we had the same parents. Clearly joking and you freaked out?" "To be fair-" He started, holding his pointer finger up in order to underline a fact, that really shouldn't be a fact. "I didn't want people to think that we are siblings because if I were to kiss you that would be weird?" "You know that's ridiculous. We really obviously aren't the same nationality. Hyunjin you were so hesitant to say that we were dating. They were just trying to tell us something and you just stumbled - again - over your words."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"No no. We- We are n-. I mean we look similar but- " The couple infront of you smiled at Hyunjin's nervosity and tried to explain why they said what they said. "Don't worry. We were just joking." "Oh.." "So, you guys do know you look similar?" The older lady asked while moving her graze from Hyunjin to Y/N. "Actually yes. A couple of friends have told us. They found it funny that we got together and look similar." Y/N tried to explain. "But we didn't realize that until then." Hyunjin finally said. "You know what my mother told me when I was younger?" The smile on the lady's face grew bigger and her eyes seemed to shine of youthfulness at the thought of her past. "She kept telling me that my soulmate would look like me. My mother believed that people who look alike are meant to be together. Soulmates faces would compliment each other and when I look at you two I can really see that. You really look like you were made for one another." The lady looked at the man next to her. "Just like we did when we were younger, right? We always heard that we were a perfect match. Wherever we were and look at us now 50 years later. It's nice to see that even the younger generations can find their soulmates." "That's really nice of you to say-" Hyunjin started off, holding the elders hands now. "I hope that-" his looked at Y/N now "-lives as long as yours does."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- c/

"But see. I was insanely sweet again." "How-" Y/N started laughing uncontrollably. "How do we always end with 'Hyunjin's cute.'?" "Because I really was, you can't lie." "I mean it was cute that you held their hands. And that we just talked to them." "Yeah... listening to their stories was really one of the highlights. I hope they're doing well." "Okay that was cute."

"But it's so funny. After that day so many people told us we looked alike. So randomly, too. We didn't even tell that story." "Honestly, after that day I kept finding similarities in our faces or things that one of us has but the other doesn't." "Maybe we really are soulmates." Y/N said, staring off into the - now almost completely set sun. "Wait, you didn't believe that from the very beginning?" "You did?" "I mean yeah. I do know you don't really believe in love at the first sight but I also don't." "Hyunjin what?" Y/N just laughed again, what Hyunjin just said made no sense. "Like I didn't believe in that and then I met you and bam. You know." "Baam and poof there was love?" "Pretty much." It was a laughter filled evening. Their happiness was a thing many other people admired and adored about them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Woah you guys almost make me jealous." Chan said, while looking at his friends with a shocked expression. "Don't y'all think so, too? They are so cute and giggly. It's so surreal." "True." Everyone at the table joined in now. "The way they look at each oter? I mean sorry that I own a heart no need to rip it apart." "And then when only one of you is laughing the other one is STARING at the one laughing?" Y/N was holding onto Hyunjins arm and tried to hide behind him. "You all need to stop. I'm cringing." "WHAT? It's y'all doing these things and you cringe about us telling you this?" "Stop making her shy." Hyunjin said while puttin his arms around her. "Oh look at prince charming." Minho started teasing him. "He loved her for everything she was and decided to be." Everyone was laughing at his choice of words. "I hate all of you." Y/N said, now looking at everyone. "But I do love y'all too and you know that." "No, you love Hyunjin." "I swear to god Felix." “Oh do you remember when they first met?” Jisung asked. “Woah, that was one tough day.” Chan laughed. “What? I was pretty calm.” Hyunjin pouted. “Yeah sure. You kept the conversation going for at least two hours. You didn't know one another and talked about a book. For two hours. Two. Hours.” “I mean we are pretty good with books.” “Hyunjin literally hated that book before you talked about it.” “That is very true I have to admit that.” “See I affect him in a good way.” “I also have to admit that Jisung was a really good sport that day.” “Why?” “Y/N, you know why.” Jisung laughed. “It really started when you told him to stay.-” He looked at Hyunjin now. “Do you remember when she told you to stay and be with you? That's when I knew and I just watched from afar.” “Of course I do.”

"He looked like he wanted to cry. He really did." "Because I wanted to cry." He laughed.

"We went back home then right? And I didn't really talk the way home for some reason I felt like I had lost a battle. I was so sad." "I really didn't know what to do. Really. I wanted to joke about him being in love but it felt so bad even to me." “And then you were home and just suddenly bursted out you messaged her.” Chan pointed out, everyone was just digging in their memory. "He looked so stressed and I've never seen him just do things you know. He must've felt so many things in that moment to just message you."

"Wait no, do you remember when they tried to hide the relationship." "Oh-" The boys now started acting really really bad, just to tease their friends again. "You mean when they tried friendzoning each other for a day until we told them that we knew?" "I still don't understand how you found out." Both Hyunjin and Y/N questioned. "I think we acted pretty well." "Sure-" Woojin started. "Just friends. No one believed that to begin with." He laughed. "But why?" "Just friends don't steal secret glances from one another." Jisung threw in. "Adn they don't get jealous when the other one talks about someone else." This time it was Seungmin. "They also don't look at each other like that." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- c/

"Are you happy Y/N?" "Hm?" "Are you happy with me?" "Of course I am. Why would you even question that?" "I didn't. I just wanted to hear it again." Y/N scooted closer to Hyunjin now, to lightly hug his arm and lean her head against his shoulder. "You've been hearing that for the past few years and you'll hear it for many more." Hyunjin very faintly kissed the top of her head, smiling against her hair. "I hope so."

8 notes · View notes

kamino-ink · 6 years ago

Text

Wither | Kim Woojin

genre ⌁ dystopian, sci-fi, adventure, dystopian!au, angst, fluff, inspired by The Hunger Games!

summary ⌁ What’s left of the two Koreas is now the pit of entertainment for the rest of the world, built upon corpses, natural disasters, and lost wars - the scattered districts now fight to survive each day. When your name is plucked from the hundreds of thousands in the country, you are left no choice but to comply to your fate - either kill and win, or die trying.

word count ⌁ 3k

warning ⌁ incredibly violent w/ lots of gore, crude humor, suggestive at times, etc.

Check out my masterlist!

When you wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. The only visible evidence of a body having been laying there the previous night is a strewn section of the tattered sheet and a single pillow with a bit of a dent in it. An afterglow of the morning light seeps through the cracks of the wooden walls, spreading across your warm cheeks, one of which was still pressed against the pillow under your head. You prop yourself up onto an elbow, tired gaze searching for Seungmin.

You sit up begrudgingly from the stale comfort of the mattress, ignoring the small wince of pain that jolts up your spine and the distinct pop of your wrists as you push yourself up. Finally your gaze manages to focus on the span of the tiny room, the younger boy in question stood in front of a broken mirror by the foot of the bed. Clad in only a pair of shredded sweatpants, his bare back is open for the world to see. Dark scars run down his melanin skin, leaving no space for healing.

Sitting at his exposed feet is a giant beast of a dog - he insists that it’s a mixed bastard, though by the appearance of the damn things drooling canines and scratchy pelt, you still think he picked up the runt of a coyote. As if it can sense your gaze burning daggers into the boy’s back, the dog lifts its muzzle and curls its lip, showing off the cracked teeth and his lolled tongue. His green gaze meets yours, as if challenging you to approach.

Deciding not to risk pissing off the runt, you instead slide off the ancient mattress, a slight squeak from the springs making you flinch just a little. “Seungmin, you should be getting ready.”

“So should you, Y/N.” He retorts quickly, thankfully tearing his harsh stare from his shattered reflection of the dusty mirror to look you up and down. “I would say sorry for letting you sleep in, but... then I would be lying.”

“And we do not tell lies in this home, Minnie. Good on you.” You tease him lightheartedly as you go to the closet door, which has been permanently stuck to be open ever since the sliding door had jammed after an earthquake a few years back. You listen to his quiet scoff at your teasing words while you shuffle through the closet, searching for an appropriate outfit for the day’s big event. Your fingertips brush against what feels like a cardboard box near the back of the closet, which you subtly bring out.

The top is riddled with dust and grime, though you were used to the germs and murk covering just about anything in the house. Of course you couldn't help but gag a little in pure disgust at the sight of whatever god forsaken substance had rubbed onto your fingers from the lid. Still, you slide the lid off the box, only to hesitate when you see the clothing inside.

The hesitation to bring out whatever might be in the box is obvious to your brother, to which he sends you a solemn look before his cold gaze travels down to the box. It’s clear that he recognizes it by the flash of emotion in his eyes, but he doesn’t discourage you from exploring what’s inside. “It’s Amber’s dress, the one that Henry gave her before the annual ball,” the brunette explains quietly, “he gave it to me after the funeral. Said s’mthing about Amber wanting to give it to you when it got to be too small.”

Amber... god you missed her.

“I - what if Henry sees me in her dress?” You question him almost inaudibly, though you decide to go ahead and grip the material of the wool dress and slowly bring it out of its lone container. “I don’t want to bring up those memories, Minnie. You know damn well that he’s been trying to forget everything for years now.”

“Then don’t wear it. You’re the one making a big deal out of it, Y/N.” The younger retorts in a dry tone. He opts to let the room fall into strange but comfortable silence as you stare idly at the dress now dangling from your fingertips, and he follows your actions in the way of haphazardly throwing a shirt over his top half, effectively covering the scars dotting a majority of his body.

“... the dress suits you, Y/N. You’ll look beautiful - maybe a person of the opposite gender might actually give you the time of day.”

“Uh huh, like who? Kino?”

“Definitely not Kino - I mean you’d catch his attention, but I’d beat the shit outta him before he got the chance to talk to you.” Seungmin says immediately, ruffling the top of your head of hair as he walks out of the bedroom, the stinky dog following at his heels. “Hurry up and get dressed, though. Baekhyun and Chanyeol said they’d be waiting by the records hall for us.”

And then he’s gone, having let the curtain separating the bedroom from the rest of the house fall back into the entryway behind him. You look back to the wool dress sitting in the palms of your hands - the dress that belonged to your older sister all those years ago. She had always wanted you to wear her clothes, mostly the knitted dresses her love Henry had made, but when you were younger you had vehemently refused; you were a child who favored the common tattered jackets and clothes of your district rather than the better looking cloth Amber’s wealthy beau had made himself.

She had never gotten the chance to see you wearing her clothes. She never got to see how you would look in the fashion that she adored simply because they came from the man she loved. In fact, she was like you, preferring the thin cloth and ripped pants most seen hanging off the bodies of other Chester residents; but when it came to Henry, she wouldn’t hesitate to try on the dresses he designed.

With a soft sigh you start to strip yourself of the nightgown with holes in it and a ripped trim, letting it fall to the floor and coil around your bare feet. Taking the dress and sliding it over your naked body, you wonder if perhaps your sister is watching - maybe she could finally see her little sister wearing the dress she adored so much - albeit for a day of sorrow and nightmares.

Chester was known for its gloomy atmosphere and just as chilly temperatures. The older district was in the heart of South Korea, stretching from what was once known as Seoul all the way to Busan. Arguably the better option of all the accumulated districts, the cold days and nights were heaven compared to some of the nuclear fallout to the west or south. In the other districts, it was rare to find food or even proper shelter - being accepted to reside in Chester was a diamond in the rough for many families, including yours.

After the nuclear fallout between North and South Korea almost a century ago, both countries turned to dust - those who somehow survived the war unified both halves of the whole as best as they could, seeking assistance or asylum from other countries and world powers.

But the help never came - at least, not after the disease had started to spread.

It started when the United States flew out military personnel and some doctors to help rebuild or save lives. No one had been aware of it back then, but the lingering radiation that didn’t automatically kill the survivors had seeped into their cells, staining their genetic makeup somehow. Yet when those who came from the outside came in contact with those they were sent to help, their skin would blister with bubbles that popped within seconds, spraying contaminated blood and pus onto their skin. In the first twenty-four hours of recovery efforts, anyone from the outside either died or escaped back to their home countries before they became infected. What was left of the two Koreas became outcastes to the world, with no help coming in that century or the next.

And now your generation, along with every generation after that, was known as the Alien Bloods - not very creative in your opinion, or too witty; but in any case it was true. You and your brother, along with anyone else in North and South Korea, had tainted blood.

So how were any cities still alive? How did the districts come about? If no help ever came, how was it that you were even alive?

Entertainment. That was what the two countries became to the entirety of the healthy population. Apparently the economy of literally every other country had started to collapse due to the annihilation of the war, and the world powers thought it best to create something from the ashes - something that would bring in commercial success from every corner of the globe. And thus, The Radiation Games was born - stolen right from the title of an ancient novel dubbed The Hunger Games, though they switched it to be a tad bit more fitting with the nuclear situation at hand.

There were districts instead of cities or towns, and you happened to be... “lucky” enough to live in Chester district; only those who had less of the genetic mutation than the rest of the population were permitted to reside in the giant sector of the country, and your family was part of that closed circle. Chester was the hub, so to speak, of what was left of South Korea while North Korea became the black-market central, namely the district of Nixvar. Two halves of a whole indeed.

Walking out of the stone and wood block you called home, the first thing you spotted was a crowd of US soldiers, white and yellow radiation suits clinging to every inch of their bodies. They donned familiar helmets similar to that of an astronaut’s, the yellow skull signa a trademark of their line of work; being dubbed as Cybs by pretty much everyone.

“’bout time you got done changing.” Seungmin snorted in amusement, kicking himself back up from the gray wall beside the doorway once you step outside. He follows your dead gaze that pierces the suits of the Cybs, almost laughing to himself when one of the bigger ones notices your glare and quickly whips their attention back to their formation. “Come on, Baekhyun and Chanyeol will never let us live it down if we’re late.”

You nod in silence, watching as the boy sends his dog away and makes sure that it doesn’t follow the two of you into the hub - if a Cyb caught sight of an animal like that in Chester, the damn runt would be shot down without hesitation.

Seungmin leads the way, as he always has when it was Reaping day, one of his callused hands tugging gently on your own. Any sort of crowd blocking the paths into the central hub during their walk to the event split away upon seeing your brother, their gazes either admiring, fearful, or filled with burning rage.

You notice as clear as day how his grip tightens on your hand, the way he straightens his posture in front of the beady glares directed at him. Any time the two of you would leave the house it was similar to this exact situation - the other residents of Chester would watch as their past victor strolled through the district perfectly alive and well, though they wished he was six feet under.

The pair of you get to the records hall faster than expected, and of course, there are two much taller people waiting for you.

“I was wondering if you idiots would be late - hell Baekhyun took nearly an hour getting ready-”

“I did not, dipshit! I simply took careful time to make sure I looked good for the cameras; I mean, one of them might catch my youthful innocence and make me a star in the other countries!”

You laugh quietly to yourself under your breath, breaking apart from an amused Seungmin to give quick hugs to the slightly older men who you both called your friends. “I’m sure that all the cameras will be focused on you, Baek.”

The blonde makes a noise of agreement, wildly waving his hands in the air. “Aha! See Yeollie, Y/N agrees!”

“She’s humoring you, dumbass,” the tallest of your group deadpans, quirking an eyebrow in your direction, “we’ll talk more after this whole thing is over. I snuck in some deer meat from Nixvar, we can cook that and see if Jaebum finally got that old TV working.”

Everyone hums at that, picturing the cooked deer meat and an old movie at Chanyeol’s place above the White Clover Bar. Seungmin and Baekhyun walk ahead, the blonde pestering the younger boy by poking at his sides and messing with his hair.

“How was it today?” Chanyeol asks you under his breath as he walks beside you, having to glance down since you didn’t exactly come near his towering height. “I mean, with the crowds. Did everyone just...?”

“Yeah, but when don’t they?” You grumble in response, watching your little brother with diligent eyes just in case someone tried anything. Ever since Seungmin had won last year’s games it was as if the world had turned against him, all because of the way he’d done it. “Who knows, maybe they’ll be too busy watching people slaughter each other this year to care for a hot minute.”

The pink haired boy sighs at your sharp words, comfortingly resting one of his palms on your shoulder, leading you to the other two boys who’d found a clear spot in the crowd - likely since most of them had parted to make a good few feet between themselves and Seungmin. You go to stand beside your brother, Chanyeol going beside you while Baekhyun remains on the other side of the youngest.

Then you hear it - the unmistakable sound of platform boots clacking against the stone stage in front of the courthouse. Any and all conversation falls silent to the stadium as the main host finally makes his appearance, his bouncy blonde hair cut a different style than last year’s games. A couple of shiny rings curl around his thin fingers, and the young boy is donning a black skirt that swung down to his knees alongside a frilly sort of red shirt with sleeves that encased his hands like paws.

He saunters over to the microphone in the middle of the stage, tapping on it once to give it a quick test. “Ah, it’s working - good, good... in that case; welcome, welcome! As many of you know, I am Han Jisung, your favorite Radiation Games host and occasional interviewer! Today is Reaping day, where one male and one female contestant will be chosen to represent Chester in this year’s games. Now, for the ground rules: anyone is open to be chosen for the games, young or old, victor or not, it’s a fair game out here folks-”

Twelve districts, twenty-four competitors - it was as if the world powers had truly taken the concept from The Hunger Games and made it their own, in a way. How... admirable.

“Now, let’s start with the ladies!” Jisung hums brightly, leaning over to pick a single slip of paper from the giant glass bowl. He shuffles around for a moment, his tongue poking out from between his lips until he finally picks a name. Slowly, he unfolds the paper, and for a split second you can see the look of surprise and guilt flashing across his face. “O-oh! It looks as if the Reaping is becoming a fam-family tradition!”

“Y/N Y/L/N, please come forward!”

No. This couldn’t be happening.

You were supposed to leave with Seungmin, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol. You were supposed to go have fun with your brother and best friends, eating deer meat and watching shitty movies all night while those who hadn’t fallen victim to the reaping partied in the bar below Chanyeol’s block.

You weren’t supposed to be picked.

“M-miss Y/N, please hurry along now-”

“NO!” Seungmin screams from beside you, blocking the incoming Cybs from being able to reach you. His voice cracks as he shouts curses at everyone, going as far as to nearly lunge at a Cyb that tries to pull him away from your frozen body. “You fucking bastards already took Amber away from me, you’re not going to take my only other sister! I’ll fucking slaughter all of you dirty rats-”

Baekhyun somehow manages to pull the furious boy away, though his eyes are wide in shock, too. Chanyeol gently pushes you forward to the waiting Cybs, but not before giving you a tight squeeze of reassurance. He’s saying goodbye.

You let the men and women wearing radiation suits escort you to the front stage. You watch yourself on the screen above the stage as your feet subconsciously carry you to stand beside the waiting host.

“-moving right along, let’s pick from the gentleman!”

Who would take care of Seungmin? Sure he insisted that he would be just fine by himself most times, but he was still a kid in your eyes; though you supposed Baekhyun and Chanyeol would make sure to keep an eye on him in your place.

“Byun Baekhyun, please come forward!”

Another cry of outrage comes from Seungmin, and you're positive that you’ve let out a small noise of disbelief. For some reason, you torture yourself by watching as one of the men you called your best friend determinedly walks onto the stage, watching as his chest begins to rise and fall in waves of panic. Baekhyun shouldn’t be up here - you shouldn't be up here, waiting until you were forced to fight for your lives in an arena.

“... no volunteers? Well then - give a warm round of applause to your contestants from Chester; Y/N Y/L/N and Byun Baekhyun! May the odds be ever in your favor!”

From the looks of things, it was as if the odds were never in your favor.

#skzwriters #stray kids #stray kids au #stray kids fic #stray kids scenario #stray kids drabble #stray kids imagine #kim woojin #woojin scenario #woojin imagine #stray kids angst #stray kids fluff

64 notes · View notes

onlyforthisstoryhyun · 6 years ago

Text

He loved her for everything she was and decided to be

Maybe listen to this when reading : ♫ danielions' Best of 2018 - K-Indie (happy)

“Did your really think I didn’t know what I was doing?” He asked her. The setting sun made his melanin skin glow a bit more than usual as his slightly wet hair framed his face. “I knew exactly what I was doing back then.” Hyunjin started leaning back, dangling his legs off of the rooftop and looking directly up into the sky to watch the sunset. “I just thought that we were a match made in heaven as soon as I saw you."

*****

He really loved remembering that day. She was just sitting there, her feet lightly tapping to the music but her gaze focused on her notebook. "Why don’t you just try and talk to her?” Jisung asked, teasing his friend who thought no one saw how he looked at the girl on the other side of the café. “Wh- what? I’m not staring at her.” “I never said that… I was actually talking about our initial topic, the problem you have with your teacher, you know.” The grin on his face grew with the shade of red Hyunjin’s face became. “I- I mean…-” Hyunjin finally gave in. “Was I that obvious?” “You forgot that your eyes speak, too.” “I don’t know… Something just,… I can’t stop looking over.” “That’s why I told you to go and talk to her.” “But that’s weird, isn’t it?” “Not really. I meam people do that all the time. Just leave when she wants you to leave.” “So… you really think I should go?” Jisung sighed, throwing his head back in desperation. “If you don’t go now I’m calling her over. You’ve been looking at her all this time now, you’re going to hate yourself if you don’t go now."

Hyunjin gathered his whole strength, took a deep breath and got up-

only to turn back around and slightly shake his friend who really didn’t expect. "Han! I really don’t think I can do this. I never did this. Help!” He tried to whisper but at the same time he felt like screaming his soul out. “Just be yourself. You don’t have to flirt, just be nice and funny like you are.” Another deep breath again, but this time Hyunjin really turned around and didn’t stop until he was at her table.“

The girl he wanted to talk to- completely immersed in what she was writing couldn’t tell that someone was being her company. She was leaning her head on one of her hands and wrote with the other, any strand of hair that fell into her face, she swiftly tucked behind her ear and went back to writing again.

———————————————————————————————————–"Do you know that feeling when you look at something or someone and all your nervosity just disappears? That’s how I felt with you. I had no idea who you were but you just looked at me and I felt safe." ———————————————————————————————————–

Hyunjin, now rather calm, shortly stood up to tap her shoulder. "Hm?” This is the first time Hyunjin really saw her face, she had fair skin and her eyes were a really light blue. For a couple of seconds he just looked at her and it felt like infinity until he finally brought out another word. “He- hello.” “Hi?” She looked rather confused as to why she was randomly approached, but she patiently waited until the boy in front of her kept going.

———————————————————————————————————–“I don’t know just looked at you and you seemed so confused even though you were the one to start talking to me. It was really funny, now that I think about it again.” ———————————————————————————————————–

“Do you need anything?” “Your name.” Hyunjin immediately regretted saying that but what can he do? She already heard… and to his surprise laughed about his words or at them he didn’t know yet. “Wow, that’s pretty straight-forward. Don’t you think?” “That’s… also not the direction I wanted to go to but I mean… I spoke already. I’m Hyunjin if that is of any help whatsoever.” Hyunjin’s gaze wandered from left to right, he was clearly uncomfortable and shy again but he wanted to fight through. “I’m Natalia.” She smiled at him, taking away all his nervosity again. She didn’t know her effect on him but he knew and his courage slowly built up again.

———————————————————————————————————–“Honestly, my weak point might have been your very nervous and highly chaotic energy." ———————————————————————————————————

"Nice to meet you.-” Hyunjin adjusted his position and was sitting comfortably now. “Would you mind if I accompany you for a couple of minutes?” “No,… I wanted to take a break anyways. Do you want something to drink?” “No, I’m good thank you."

There’s that awkward silence we all know right? When someone just randomly stops talking or there’s just nothing to say? That… didn’t happen. Neither one knew the other but to them it felt like they met a friend, someone that’s familiar - coincidentally - and now they’re just sharing a silent moment together. "What are you reading there?” “Oh this-” Natalia picked up her book turned it around a couple of times, not really sure why she brought it. “ - just a book I’m reading these days. I thought about reading it during my break today-” “-oh god I’m sorry. I can leave if you have plans.” “What- no no. I figured it makes very little sense to only read for hours and hours I have to allow my eyes to rest too, you know?"

"I think I’ve read that one too, sometime in school.” “Sometime in school, sounds like you had to love it.” Natalia laughed again, unconsciously cleaning her table, putting away her sheets as if - in her mind - she was done studying. “I mean I read it but I didn’t understand the book back then. It made no sense and I really just read it to pass my exams at some point.” “Oh really? I really love that book. I think I’ve read it a couple of times already.” “What? What do you see in that book, that I can’t see?” Hyunjin leaned forward now, really interested to hear what she thought about the book he hates so much. “Wow uhm… I kind of really like the author’s viewpoint and understanding of the little actions. There’s a lot happening in the main characters’ life but he really shows that you can and need to appreciate the little things. At points he really made the life of that person really messy and nothing went well and you got sad while reading but then… you know that person comes home to a warm meal and it’s like the best thing ever and even as a reader you feel that kind of ease? I don’t know if that makes sense.” “Oh wow. I never looked at those things like that. Honestly when I read it I got so confused as to why that person was so happy about that meal? It made no sense to me because I knew what was bad and it felt as though the person was naive?"

"Do you understand now?” “Hmm… I do. I think."

——————————————————————————————- "I understood that my heart was racing because you were smiling at me.”

——————————————————————————————-

“Oh wait. I think I’m being called.” Hyunjin looked around to find jisung frantically moving his arms to get his attention. “I need you really quick.” He said, trying not to disturb the few people left at the café. The boys had to sort out their problem they talked about earlier, it took a little but he was walking back to Natalia’s table as if she was the person he met up with originally. “Hm?” She wasn’t there anymore he thought that she might’ve went to the restroom but the note on the book she left, said otherwise. “Heyo, I got a message and had to leave. Wasn’t able to say goodbye but it was nice talking to you! I’m leaving the book, you read it again. Maybe you’ll understand what I was talking about now. Have fun!"

Hyunjin… was devastated to say the least. He knew he wouldn’t have asked for a number if he knew that she had to leave but he enjoyed his time with her a lot. No reason why, at least in his head, but he really enjoyed her company.

The boys walked home. They usually talked a lot but today, it was really silent.

Hyunjin threw himself on his bed as soon as he arrived. He didn’t talk he didn’t eat. He just slept, or tried, until he got back up and looked at the book she had left him. "At least you’re not that boring book anymore-” he got up to his shelf and looked were he placed his own version of this book. “-you’re a memory I want to keep.” Hyunjin took the sticky note that was still on the cover and wanted to place it inside so it wouldn’t get lost. But as he opened the book he noticed faint writing on the back of the cover page. “This book belongs to: Natalia / If lost call: —-” This can’t be right? Was this really on purpose or is it a coincidence?

———————————————————————————————————–“I felt like I looked into a diary. Like I was looking at a secret I wasn’t supposed to see." ———————————————————————————————————–

Hyunjin gave himself little time to think about his next action. He knew he wouldn’t do it after trying to talk to any of his friends, no matter what they said. So he just grabbed his phone and texted the number. "Hello there. It’s Hyunjin, from the café earlier. Thank you for leaving your book. ^^” It was a basic message, he didn’t want to come off as weird. In his head this was a really normal thing to say, he didn’t want to force friendship on her.

———————————————————————————————————–“I waited so long for an answer. I thought it was a wrong number, a number that’s out of service. So many things went through my mind." ———————————————————————————————————–

He sat on his bed now, nervously holding his phone in both of his hands. Hyunjin must’ve looked so funny on his bed because he also didn’t know how much time passed until his phone finally buzzed.

"Oh hi. I’m glad you didn’t just leave it there. But how did you get my number?” Oh. Oh no. Hyunjin started panicking, would she think he’s weird for texting that number? But she was the one writing it down… “Oh it was in the book. In case you lost it.” “Oh, I forgot I did that. Sorry, I was just confused.” “That’s a lot of confusion coming from the same person. I should be sorry. ^^"

Hyunjin made a little noise and let himelf fall on his bed again. It was the same process as earlier now, he had to act or he wouldn’t do it. "True, but that’s fine.” “So… can I confuse you one last time today?” “Uh… sure.” “Would you meet me again? In the same café? I really enjoyed talking to you.” Hyunjin threw his phone away as soon as he texted that. He didn’t know what was driving him but he ran out of his room to go and tell Jisung and the others.

"You did what? / And how? / How did she react?“ Questions on question were asked as Hyunjin only watched his friends, kind of out of breath. "Wait wait, let him calm down first.” Their oldest exclaimed while watching his friend more or less panicking. “I don’t know I tought I wouldn’t do it if I talked to Jisung, because he was there. And then I thought talking to all of you would take too long and I wouldn’t do it again so I just messaged her and left."

While Hyunjin explained everything to his friends, Jeongin - their youngest - made his way to Hyunjin’s room and looked for his phone. He was mischievous and known for that, so he checked his phone for messages. Jeoning walked back into the shared living room and had a big grin on his face. "Looks like someone has a date tomorrow.” Hyunjin jumped up, not sure if he should be angry or not, and grabbed both the phone and jeongins hand to read Natalia’s message. “I’m going to be there tomorrow again, around noon. I’ll be waiting for you!” He let himself fall to the ground, he expected a lot but not that she would answer right away. “Wow.” His friends gathered around him and patted his back, they were happy for him but he didn’t really seem to realize what just happened.

———————————————————————————————————–

“Woah I was so nervous then. My heart just didn’t stop racing for a good 10 minutes or so.”

———————————————————————————————————–

The night went by fast, everyone was excited for the next day and Hyunjin…. well Hyunjin thought about what to wear, which perfume to use and even what to say to her. He was nervous to say the least but happy Natalia had accepted to meet him again. Hyunjin didn’t even know if this was normal or something really special, but to him it felt really special and that was more than enough. “I’m leaving.” He said, looking back at all his friends who were standing in the hallway. “Don’t be too late."

———————————————————————————————————–

"I don’t believe in love at the first sight, really. But I do believe in a click. And the click was there.”

———————————————————————————————————– c/ “It was so weird wasn’t it?” Natalia asked, memories just kept playing in front of her eyes. Believing it was difficult. How a conversation about a book changed her life for the better. Their lives, to be exact. “See, I told you I knew what I was doing.” “Well, you really didn’t.” “What do you mean? I killed it. Everytime we met you left happy.” “Well that doesn’t have to be because you knew what you were doing. You were so confused all the time even though you were the one making almost all the steps. It was so funny.” Hyunjin sat up straight, ready to face Natalia in a joking manner. “What, what. Tell me when was I ever confused and didn’t know what to do.” “Huh? Okay. We could be here until tomorrow if I start now.” Their laughter filled the evening breeze. “No no. I bet you can’t even find two moments.” “Two? That’s easy. Remember the time we hugged for the first time?"

———————————————————————————————————–

"Thank you for walking me home. You really didn’t need to.” Hyunjin and Nat were able to call their meetings dates now. Weeks passed by after they met the first time, but it felt like it was so much longer. None of them wanted to rush things so they only said they were friends to everyone but everyone said they were made for each other… and they knew too.

Since their dates kept turning to be really long for the past times Hyunjin decided to walk her home. The area wasn’t dangerous but he tried to spend as much time as possible with her. “It’s late and you shouldn’t be out alone at this time of night.” “That’s really sweet but you have to walk home now and you live far away.” “No, it’s fine. Really, I can just use the subway.” “Tell me when you’re home okay? Or else I’ll worry.” “I’ll call you.” “Hyunjin, you said that last time and forgot.” Hyunjin shyly scratched the back of his head. “Ask me why.” “Why?” “Because I sat down with the boys and didn’t stop talking about you for hours and hours."

A shy laugh escaped Natalia’s lips. "That,… I mean. That’s still not an excuse.” Internally, she was really happy that it was darker, like that no one would be able to tell how much she blushed. “I’ll call this time I promise. I’ll get going now.” Usually, Hyunjin would just walk off and Natalia would turn to go into her home. This time, however, she almost out of reflex stood on her tiptoes and flung her arms around Hyunjin neck to say goodbye. “Bye, be safe.” Hyunjin just stood in her embrace for a split-second until he slowly put his arms around her waist. He tried to hide his face in her hair and hoped this moment would never end. Not only because he wanted to stay like that, but also because he felt so embarrassed and thought that even at this bad lighting his red face would show. “I.. I will- I should…” After the split he tried to collect himself and made really awkward movements into the direction he would go to. “I should go now bye.” And off he was. Hyunjin stumbled over his own feet and after scratching his head burried his face in his palms while still walking. Natalia still watched him walk into the darkness and in that moment felt like she had to say something. “I can still see you.” And without saying a word Hyunjin went back to walking down the street “coolly”.

———————————————————————————————————– c/

“But I was cute wasn’t I? And you smiled? So win-win.” “Where is the win for you there?” “Uhm… I… I made you happy?” “That’s a good safe sir.” “Was I really that awkward?"

"Hm. I mean if you randomly hugged me I would react the same but since we hugged already, the first hug from your side didn’t feel that sudden you know. But it was so funny to watch you stumble and probably internally scream… And then you just walked as if nothing happened.” “Hah! Wrong. I didn’t just internally scream I actually screamed in my hands but you didn’t hear because I’m good.” “No that just makes it funnier.” “But you love me so that’s fine. Okay. That was the first, I said at least two.” “Hmm… there’s a lot actually. And you know that stop lying.” She pointed at him as she laughed and Hyunjin scrunched his face. “I’m not awkward."

"OH! You remember when we were dating and we went to that… uhm the market thing? Where an older couple approached us and said that we looked similar? And asked if we had the same parents. Clearly joking and you freaked out?” “To be fair-” He started, holding his pointer finger up in order to underline a fact, that really shouldn’t be a fact. “I didn’t want people to think that we are siblings because if I were to kiss you that would be weird?” “You know that’s ridiculous. We really obviously aren’t the same nationality. Hyunjin you were so hesitant to say that we were dating. They were just trying to tell us something and you just stumbled - again - over your words."

———————————————————————————————————–

"No no. We- We are n-. I mean we look similar but- ” The couple infront of you smiled at Hyunjin’s nervosity and tried to explain why they said what they said. “Don’t worry. We were just joking.” “Oh..” “So, you guys do know you look similar?” The older lady asked while moving her graze from Hyunjin to Natalia. “Actually yes. A couple of friends have told us. They found it funny that we got together and look similar.” Natalia tried to explain. “But we didn’t realize that until then.” Hyunjin finally said. “You know what my mother told me when I was younger?” The smile on the lady’s face grew bigger and her eyes seemed to shine of youthfulness at the thought of her past. “She kept telling me that my soulmate would look like me. My mother believed that people who look alike are meant to be together. Soulmates faces would compliment each other and when I look at you two I can really see that. You really look like you were made for one another.” The lady looked at the man next to her. “Just like we did when we were younger, right? We always heard that we were a perfect match. Wherever we were and look at us now 50 years later. It’s nice to see that even the younger generations can find their soulmates.” “That’s really nice of you to say-” Hyunjin started off, holding the elders hands now. “I hope that-” his looked at Natalia now “-lives as long as yours does."

———————————————————————————————————– c/

"But see. I was insanely sweet again.” “How-” Natalia started laughing uncontrollably. “How do we always end with ‘Hyunjin’s cute.’?” “Because I really was, you can’t lie.” “I mean it was cute that you held their hands. And that we just talked to them.” “Yeah… listening to their stories was really one of the highlights. I hope they’re doing well.” “Okay that was cute."

"But it’s so funny. After that day so many people told us we looked alike. So randomly, too. We didn’t even tell that story.” “Honestly, after that day I kept finding similarities in our faces or things that one of us has but the other doesn’t.” “Maybe we really are soulmates.” Natalia said, staring off into the - now almost completely set sun. “Wait, you didn’t believe that from the very beginning?” “You did?” “I mean yeah. I do know you don’t really believe in love at the first sight but I also don’t.” “Hyunjin what?” Natalia just laughed again, what Hyunjin just said made no sense. “Like I didn’t believe in that and then I met you and bam. You know.” “Baam and poof there was love?” “Pretty much.” It was a laughter filled evening. Their happiness was a thing many other people admired and adored about them.

———————————————————————————————————–

“Woah you guys almost make me jealous.” Chan said, while looking at his friends with a shocked expression. “Don’t y'all think so, too? They are so cute and giggly. It’s so surreal.” “True.” Everyone at the table joined in now. “The way they look at each oter? I mean sorry that I own a heart no need to rip it apart.” “And then when only one of you is laughing the other one is STARING at the one laughing?” Natalia was holding onto Hyunjins arm and tried to hide behind him. “You all need to stop. I’m cringing.” “WHAT? It’s y'all doing these things and you cringe about us telling you this?” “Stop making her shy.” Hyunjin said while puttin his arms around her. “Oh look at prince charming.” Minho started teasing him. “He loved her for everything she was and decided to be.” Everyone was laughing at his choice of words. “I hate all of you.” Natalia said, now looking at everyone. “But I do love y'all too and you know that.” “No, you love Hyunjin.” “I swear to god Felix." “Oh do you remember when they first met?” Jisung asked. “Woah, that was one tough day.” Chan laughed. “What? I was pretty calm.” Hyunjin pouted. “Yeah sure. You kept the conversation going for at least two hours. You didn’t know one another and talked about a book. For two hours. Two. Hours.” “I mean we are pretty good with books.” “Hyunjin literally hated that book before you talked about it.” “That is very true I have to admit that.” “See I affect him in a good way.” “I also have to admit that Jisung was a really good sport that day.” “Why?” “Nat, you know why.” Jisung laughed. “It really started when you told him to stay.-” He looked at Hyunjin now. “Do you remember when she told you to stay and be with you? That’s when I knew and I just watched from afar.” “Of course I do.”

"He looked like he wanted to cry. He really did.” “Because I wanted to cry.” He laughed.

“We went back home then right? And I didn’t really talk the way home for some reason I felt like I had lost a battle. I was so sad.” “I really didn’t know what to do. Really. I wanted to joke about him being in love but it felt so bad even to me.” “And then you were home and just suddenly bursted out you messaged her.” Chan pointed out, everyone was just digging in their memory. “He looked so stressed and I’ve never seen him just do things you know. He must’ve felt so many things in that moment to just message you.”

“Wait no, do you remember when they tried to hide the relationship.” “Oh-” The boys now started acting really really bad, just to tease their friends again. “You mean when they tried friendzoning each other for a day until we told them that we knew?” “I still don’t understand how you found out.” Both Hyunjin and Natalia questioned. “I think we acted pretty well.” “Sure-” Woojin started. “Just friends. No one believed that to begin with.” He laughed. “But why?” “Just friends don’t steal secret glances from one another.” Jisung threw in. “Adn they don’t get jealous when the other one talks about someone else.” This time it was Seungmin. “They also don’t look at each other like that." ———————————————————————————————————– c/

"Are you happy Nat?” “Hm?” “Are you happy with me?” “Of course I am. Why would you even question that?” “I didn’t. I just wanted to hear it again.” Natalia scooted closer to Hyunjin now, to lightly hug his arm and lean her head against his shoulder. “You’ve been hearing that for the past few years and you’ll hear it for many more.” Hyunjin very faintly kissed the top of her head, smiling against her hair. “I hope so."

2 notes · View notes

jakeremake · 6 years ago

Text

Dimethyltriptamine - an HP fanfic

The human mind is a wondrous thing. A solid mass of nerve tissue, nothing more, nothing less. Sixteen million neurons, sixteen million synapses, and that is all it is. A collection of atoms. If you were to pull each atom out, one by one, you'd be left with just a giant mass of carbon, and nitrogen, hydrogen and phosphor. But combined together it forms a grey, wrinkled mass that is the very basis of life itself. And enclosed within this mass of cells that control everything, every thought, every memory, every touch, every sight, smell, taste and feeling, but not actually a part of the brain itself, is another mass of cells.

This second mass of cells is surrounded on all sides by a thin layer of tissue, the same sort of tissue that separates the nerves of the spinal chord from the spine itself. Protective tissue. Separating this gland from the brain. The pineal gland-the name for this gland-has had a firm place in mythology. It has been called the third eye, capable of seeing into the future, and indeed, that description is not that far from the truth. In other animals, the gland exists as well, to serve as a light indicator, informing the animal when to sleep, when to awake, regulating the rhythms of the body.

In a human, it has a similar effect. It produces melanin, a common protein. Used in the regulation of sleep. It controls circadian rhythms, and affects the start of puberty. Except, however, in the moment before death. In that second before death, when the heart starts on it's last beat, when the lungs take in their last breath, when the muscles-all of them-relax, when contents of the bowels and bladder are spilled forth, this little gland, enveloped by the brain secretes another chemical – dimethyltryptamine

When this chemical is released, it floods the brain, rather suddenly. The effect it has on the brain is rather interesting. DMT-as it is commonly abbreviated-is a hallucinogenic drug, commonly occurring in other natural sources. Sources, such as the phalaris grass. It is a chemical that is traced back to many Central American shamanic practices because of the intense, profound experience that each user has.

All of this happens in the blink of an eye.

There is the saying that time flies when one is having fun. There is also the thought that time slows down in two situations. One is when one is interminably bored, and the other is when it seems everything is happening at once.

This situation was the latter.

He was sure that the last moments of his life were taking an eternity. He had felt the two fangs pierce his skin. He had felt the sudden rush of air into the skin itself. He had felt the hot blood bubble forth. He had felt it, with each beat of his heart, as it sprayed forward, covering him in sticky, red, wetness. He'd never realized just how dark blood was before. He'd never seen this much of his own blood before.

The floor was solid beneath him, it had surprised him that the floor held that well. That it was able to take the shock of a fully grown man falling on it with nothing more than a cloud of dust. Dust that tickled his nose, and yet he could not sneeze. He felt his fingers scrabbling across the smooth wood, rather against his will. He didn't know why they were doing that, simply that they were.

And suddenly green eyes were standing over him. Briliant green eyes. Green eyes that he would never forget until the day he died. He felt his lips curling up into a smile, but then a lock of black hair fell over them. Black hair, that wasn't right. It was supposed to be red hair. Hair, the color of the sky the moment before the sun dips over the horizon. Black, black was tainted, it was a tainted color, a pained color. Black should not be hanging over those vibrant eyes.

He knew what had to be done. He couldn't go without it. It was selfish of him to do this, and he knew it. Selfish to want to make the boy see his side of the story. He was doing nothing but redeeming himself. But he had spent enough of his life suffering for the boy, he had to make it known why.

Those who have dabbled with using DMT recreationally say that one of the most common signs of the come-up, the beginnings of a DMT expierence, or "trip" is a bright white light above them. And the urge to go towards that light.

He could see it above him. The white light, beckoning for him. So bright. So warm. So inviting. He could feel memories spitting out from him, and he did not know how to control it. The only thing he knew was this warm feeling. He was slightly afraid of it, it couldn't be natural. He felt like he was going to die. He knew he was going to die.

The ceiling above him was changing into a motley of colors. A rainbow, changing and expanding and reforming, and he stared at it transfixed. Gold, bright gold, so pure. And red-red the color of the middle of the fire, where it was giving way to yellow, that brilliant deep red with just the slightest tinge of orange to it. But most of all, that green. The color of grass in the park where they used to play. Such a pretty, pretty green.

A voice was rasping out somewhere. "Take it...take it..." It didn't sound very healthy. It was a gurgle, as if they were drowning. He supposed it would be a nice voice if it wasn't drowning. A deep baritone. But the gasping and the rasping made it rather less aesthetic. Someone should pull him out of the lake, or whatever he was drowning in, lest that smoky voice be lost forever.

They say that in the last second before you die, that one's life flashes before their eyes. Played back as if it is a movie. It is unsure if DMT plays any role in this. While it is a powerful psychadelic, all trip reports on the drug have mentioned everything but this phenomina.

He was vaugely aware, of somewhere in this mess of colors that she was there. She was all he could think about. The first time he saw her-that bright red hair, it had been even brighter in her youth, and those green eyes. Crouched behind a bush, leaves tangling in his hair as he watched her go back and forth and back and forth on the swings. Each strand of hair seeming to get caught separately in the breeze, fanning out behind her like a red carpet, leading up to the greatest star of all.

He smiled up at the image, but it shifted before he could stop it. They were on the train platform now, and she was sobbing, and he wanted to help her. To comfort her. The red of the train was the only thing he had ever seen that could rival her hair. He didn't like this movie. She shouldn't be crying. Those green eyes looked less pretty when surrounded by pink.

Then they were in school, the great stone walls of the castle, everything was happening so fast. It seemed as if they went from first year through seventh so quickly. He was dangling from his ankle, he was seeing the look of pain in those green eyes at the one word that had broken a frienship down. He had seen the eyes that had gone from shining brightly with anger one second suddenly become dull and shadowed the next with the muttering of one word.

He didn't want to watch this anymore. The movie was still playing, fickering around the edges. But he focused instead on the colors. Watching the gold move across the ceiling, and the red shifting out of the way before enveloping the gold. Watching the green pulse and throb, swirling through both other colors with such careless ease.

His eyes flicked back to the movie. There was a hilltop, dark, ominous. He knew this place. This was where he had turned to Dumbledore. This was when he learned that one man could not fix everything. It was too dark, the jet of white light was too blinding. It should have been a jet of green. It should have been a jet of green-a different green than the color of her eyes. a poisoned green. A sickly green.

He didn't like this movie, and he tried to not watch it, but he couldn't help it. There was the sound of scuffling feet, and he wondered where it was coming from. It was almost deafening. And again, the dust tickled his nose and again, he could not sneeze. He just wanted this to be over with. Done.

He watched as he found himself flying back to this place. He liked the flying, it was the one thing he hadn't regretted learning. It was relaxing. It was soothing. To be floating over a black sky that looked like painted velvet, looking down at darkened trees and streets with little lights lit, like stars below insted of above.

And then he was inside, the peeling paint staring back at him. And then there was the Dark Lord. Pale, with tough, leathery skin that seemed to be comprised of scales than smooth dermal cells. And then there were the fangs searing into him again, and he was back here, a plesant warm feeling spreading throughout and growing. And he was flying again.

As one dabbles with certain stronger hallucinogens, there is a certain phenomena known as ego-death. When one's mind becomes seperate from one's body. When the sense of self is completely lost. It is terrifying to those who are not expecting it, and is most often the cause of "bad trips" by those experimenting with psychedelic drugs.

He was so relaxed. So warm. So comfortable. Those green eyes were back again. He wanted nothing more than to see them. To stare at them. They were so incredibly transfixing. He could see each line in them. They went to turn away, and he found himself grabbing the robes, to keep those eyes there. To stare at them. "Look at me" The voice rasped out again.

The robes were soft in his hand. They were finely made. Even covered in dirt and ripped half to shreds they were soft. One of Madame Malkin's better cuts. They felt so nice against his skin. So very nice indeed. They went so well with this nice warm feeling that was spreading through him. He felt like he was in heaven. He certainly was no longer on earth, there was no way he could be on earth with the way he felt. It was as if he was floating.

And he could stare into those green eyes forever. They weren't a pure green though. It was a dark green, an emerald green as the base, shot through with streaks of gold here and there. Gold that sparkled in the sun. He had fallen in love with those eyes. He would give his heart over to those eyes. They were just so-he couldn't find a word to describe them. Not now.

The black hair had stopped existing. The signs of a tainted soul had stopped existing. Somewhere, he was vaguely aware of his grip on the robes relaxing, the soft material slipping through his hands, his hands turning a dark brown as the still-wet blood combined with the dirt on the cloak to turn it into mud. But it did not matter to him. All that mattered were those two emerald orbs. They looked so pretty above him. So shiny. They were like a mobile above a child's crib. So tempting there. So soothing there.

They were the only thing that mattered. He couldn't even feel his body anymore, and he did not care. He had the green in front of him, and the kalidescope on the ceiling. That was all that mattered to him. The colors. The warmth. He didn't need to exist anymore. He didn't need to have a body. He didn't want to have a body, it was only weighing him down.

It is speculated that the release of DMT is an evolutionary adaptation to ease the mind into death. There are noted effects-hallucinations, most notably color shifting-bathing the world in red, gold and green- and the shifting of the perception of time. Making it seem as if one moment lasts for eternity. It is speculated to prepare the mind, and the soul, for the afterlife, making the transition from living to nonliving as easy on the mind as possible.

He felt as though he was floating, higher and higher towards the sky. Towards that wonderful blend of colors on the ceiling. There was red. There was gold. And most of all, there was that bright vibrant green. He was reaching for the green. The green was the most important of them all. It was so bright, so important. It was the only thing that mattered anymore.

He just kept floating further and further up, until the green was all around him. Wrapping around him like a safe, secure blanket. Keeping him warm. He was safe in the green. He was safe. He was protected. He felt as if he were coming home to a place he had left long ago. And for the first time that he could remember in more years than he could count, he was happy.

#fanfic #harry potter #severus snape #deathly hallows #originally a snarky fic

17 notes · View notes

smokeybrandreviews · 4 years ago

Text

Breaking Bad Actors

The myth of “Go Woke Go Broke” is hilarious to me. Everyone is out here reporting that, if you actually have a social conscious about your productions or business, you end of tanking your profits by alienating those who don’t “agree” with that position. This ain’t it, bud. Some of the most progressive shows on television, are some of the most revered. Avatar: The Last Airbender literally has no white people in it and no one cares. The show is good and respects the cultures it pulls from to build that world. Hell, even Korra has it’s moments, when it’s not up it’s own ass with the abrupt shift toward everything Avatar was against. Adventure Time was one of the best cartoons on television for it’s entire run. It grew up with the audience and never got preachy about it’s politics, even if the ending was a little forced. F*ck, man, Steven Universe exists. That sh*t ain’t my flavor but i get why it’s popular. Before anything, Steven Universe is a good show. It tells a decent story but the characters therein are what drive that show’s popularity. A stable of characters that are, effectively, all lesbian. “Woke” content can be great when the representation is integrated into the show organically. Owl House does a good job with this, or, at least it does so far. We’ll see if they start forcing things going forward. You start running into trouble when that sh*t is forced.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is how you don’t do diversity in your shows. Look, i love Catra as a character. She’s the best thing about that show. Scorpia and Entrapta re close but Catra is the only character with any semblance of an arc. I'm glad Catra got her happy ending but it was a f*cking slog getting there. The problem with the new She-Ra as a whole, is that it’s an exercise in virtue signaling. This is a bad show to begin with, bad writing, poor direction, rambling plot, but calling out the lack of quality earns you the title of sexist or anti-female or whatever else, because the diversity of the show has been weaponized by bad actors for the cause. It’s wild to me because it’s sister show, Voltron: Legendary Defender, does the exact same sh*t and is still beloved, even if the last two seasons were less than ideal. Why is there such a stark difference between the two shows? It comes down to the quality of the narrative, the focus of the production. Voltron had a story to tell. It's characters were developed and grew along with the narrative. There was a ton of diversity in that show, even a whole ass gay marriage at the end, and no one was wielding pitch forks about any of that because it was organic to the story the creators wanted to tell. She-Ra was a framework for the show runner to preach at an audience. It fell into the same trap that Star Wars under Kathleen Kennedy did and fans responded in kind. Hell, the Castlevania adaptation is one of the best shows airing now, and there was a legit bisexual love scene where Alucard was visibly bottomed and no one bat an eye, never mind the race bent characters turned fan favorites. Isaac, I'm looking directly at you. You don’t go broke when you go woke. you go broke when you get antagonistic about your sh*tty narrative being called out for what it is and use the diversity in your show as a shield from criticism. If your sh*t is bad, there isn't any amount of black dude or gay chicks that can cover that sh*t up, bro. F*cking make a better show.

I actually follow a lot of right-wing blogs and watch what could be considered toxic male YouTube channels specifically to understand that point of view. I don’t agree with anything they ever say, but I would prefer not to exist in an echo chamber. I need to have properly diverse opinions and takes to be well informed. I'll admit, though, it is exceptionally hard to see their logic, mostly because it’s racially charged nonsense, but i get why they're angry. A lot of it does have to do with entitlement and ignorance but, under all of that backwards nonsense, there is a valid point which should be considered; No one wants to be told what to think. Overtly. You can‘t put whatever message you want in anything you make, as long as it’s subtle and clever. Take Get Out for instance. That sh*t is a straight up accusation of white people and their predatory ass nature but they love that sh*t. Jordan Peele spent an hour and forty-four minutes, calling these motherf*cker out on their bullsh*t and they gave him an Oscar for it. Audiences rewarded his veiled sermon about the parasitic nature of white “culture” with fifty-seven times his budget, in profit for the studio, catapulting his directing career into the stratosphere. How the f*ck did he pulled that off when Brie Larson became the arch nemesis of every neck beard, toxic man-child, and MAGA cultists on the entire interwebs for just saying that we should have less stories about white dudes? Subtlety. Get Out is a masterclass on how to say something career-ending, while packaging it in an incredibly palatable way. Before anything that film is excellent. The writing is on point. The message is cleverly buried under layers of outstanding performances and deft direction. You’re too entertained to consciously realize you’re being directly accused of being sh*tty people. Cats aren’t looking to engage intellectually with their entertainment so you can technically say whatever you want, however you want, as long as you distract them enough to miss the sermon on a conscious level. Larson openly making her stance known to Hollywood, while commendable, is too easy. It's too direct. Sh*t makes you a target, not a hero.

Diversity matters. I think that sh*t should be in everything because the world, itself, is mad diverse. A lot of the culture here, in the states, is driven by people who look like me. Fashion, music, sports; The stuff that get the youth going is all manufactured by people with melanin. It’s mad disingenuous to present a “Hollywood so white” face to the world when the world looks so much more colorful than that. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that there is a very vocal minority that hates to see faces which don’t look like their own, prosper. Entire cities have burned because of it. Entire careers have been lost because of that. The answer isn’t to go the other way. The answer isn’t making “The Force Female.” The force was already female. Ahsoka Tano, Darth Talon, Mara Jade, and Darth Treia were all female but also great f*cking characters. Rey was a plot device that cheapened the already rich and diverse universe that Lucas allowed great creators to expand. The force was already female, and black, and Asian, and white, and blue, and green, and red, and orange, and whatever else because it was designed to be that way. Star Wars failed and sent Disney into a panic because they let a chick with an inferiority complex and massive ego, do whatever she wanted with a franchise that has existed for forty f*cking years, because Twatter has opinions and so does she. Kennedy forgot to make sure the plot around those opinions was good enough to distract you from her politics. She forgot to tell a good story and just decided to preach. No one wants that sermon in a movie, not even the most Woke motherf*cker in the world.

As a creator, myself, i get it. I’ve been on the other side of that Tumblr activism and, more than anything, it feels like if you don’t agree with whoever’s politics, you are automatically the problem. I mean, i got called racist for the way i speak by a black chick, while being black myself. It was surreal and stupid. This chick didn’t like the tone of two reviews i wrote, on a blog with eleven year’s worth of content. Like, for real? Okay. I type how i speak on that blog and i can’t help that i speak with an “urban” flair. I grew up in the ghetto. I speak to my friends like this because they grew up in the same neighborhoods. I actually have a firm grasp on grammar and syntax. I’m a proper writer by trade, working toward getting my first novel published and, guess what? It’s chock full of f*cking diversity. Not because I'm preachy, but because that’s a realistic portrayal of the whole ass world. Because i grew up in a neighborhood that had White people and Mexican people and Asian people and Indian people and Native people and Pacific Islanders and Fijians and whatever else. The world is, inherently, diverse and catering to one extreme or the other is f*cking ridiculous to me. Just tell good stories with strong characters. If the narrative is accessible, you can inject whatever the f*ck you want to say directly into the audience but you have to have a great story to start from. You have to make those colorful characters real. You have to package that bitter pill with a sugary coat so it goes down easy for those who would refuse the dose. If not, you’re just going to antagonize the audience and no one is going to give you the time of day. They're just going to tell you to get out.

0 notes

smokeybrand · 4 years ago

Text

Breaking Bad Actors

0 notes

nomoremarionette · 6 years ago

Link

When we talk about skin problems, acne and period pimples often steal the spotlight. We often overlook the quandary of dark skin shade that can be equally frustrating when it comes to achieving white and flawless tone.

The skin comes in different shades, from tanned to white and brown to wheatish. Out of these, dark skin tends to be more problematic than the fairer tone. Not only the dark skin shows uneven patches more prominently, it also makes our lives difficult by plummeting our confidence in the outer world.

This is the primary reason why people with dark skin look for skin whitening solutions. The thought of altering your skin color might appear to be a celestial notion. But for millions of people in this world, skin color decides the magnitude of confidence they can attain, not to mention the good personality traits they acquire.

But is skin whitening that much important? The answer is probably yes. Imagine why do we always prefer puppies with brighter colors as the cuter ones? Why do producers prefer choosing a model with a fairer tone for beauty products? And why do we associate dark people with bad habits?

Needless to say, fair skin somehow acts as a tantamount of beauty and success.

Starting with the review

People often sway through the internet looking for effective remedies to skin whitening. While many options may be available, there are some that are safer and reliable than others. These are natural and herbal methods. Skin Whitening Forever is one such book that promises to deliver perfect information on skin whitening. The book is simply worth reviewing as it shows how is it better to gather every piece of information from one place rather than searching for content and suggestions from different sources. This is my review of Skin Whitening Forever eBook and how well does it do in changing your life for good.

A word about the author

The Skin Whitening Forever eBook is created by Eden Diaz who is a Jamaican dermatologist with expertise in enhancing complexions. Through her eBook, Eden tried to help people who were facing issues she had faced her entire life. She, herself has been able to successfully whiten her color complexion with several effectual methods. Passing on her wisdom to readers, the author promises to outline a formula that could work wonders for both males and female skin.

About Skin Whitening Forever Program

I tried to test this program as it had something others didn’t. The initiative is focused on drawing around methods, procedures, tools and tactics that could be used by individuals of any age, irrespective of gender. Also, the main focal point of the program is that it boasts mostly of natural methods instead of expensive over-the-night products and other artificial ones. This means that one can get an even tone without having to spend a fortune on temporary skin treatments and medications.

The product is in a pdf file and it was sent to my inbox in an easily readable format. I was amazed at the number of practical solutions one could devise out to improve skin. But most importantly, the book also focused on things you should avoid and habits you can adopt in order to get the spotless patch-less skin. We usually presume these methods to be light and non-functional but to dispel all the notions, the book was supposed to contain something unusual. I kept on reading the program and making notes in order to evaluate each aspect of the eBook.

Preparation for a faultless skin

Have you ever wondered that smoking or passive smoking can lower down the quality of your skin? Did you ever realize that the skin products you are using contain chemicals and using only herbal formulations can make a major difference? If no, then you are in for a surprise while reading this ebook.

Before getting down to the basic regime, there are points and realizations that the author successfully injects making us aware of the habits we have been indulged. These are ones that do and do not favor our skin health. The sole motto of this information according to me was to prepare our body for the methods to take effect in their entirety. For instance, if I had to clear my skin, I won’t be continuing smoking right?

The methods

As described above the methods in the book are inexpensive and easy to implement. Likewise, these are natural and do not impose any side-effects. These methods work deep into your skin and help to fade off all the patches and skin imperfections. Most of the recipes are focused on blood circulation while acting directly on melanin that determines our skin tone. As you read on, you will realize how easy it is to make the skin-transforming preparations. These are bound to cure imperfections while diminishing age spots, acne marks, melisma, dark underarms, and pigmentations.

The easily accessible magic ingredients

Before giving the review about the methods, it is imperative to list down the ingredients with which the natural recipes are made. These include the likes of rose water, turmeric, Yogurt, cucumber, lemon, honey, papaya, basil, coconut water, tomatoes, watermelon, potatoes, egg, saffron, and sandalwood.

Have you ever tried to take interest in a cooking recipe and later lost all the concentration just because it was hard to get hands on the ingredients? If yes, then you might realize how essential it is to have ingredients you can access easily.

As soon as you read about the ingredients of the Skin Whitening Forever program, you will be able to take a sigh of relief. Fortunately, almost every element is available in the house and easily accessible.

You can easily find a basil herb plant, the refrigerator was always stuffed with potatoes and tomatoes, buying a watermelon, coconut water and papaya is just a few steps away and egg or honey can be bought with regular groceries you buy every week. Things could not have become much easier. And this is the beauty of this eBook that a user will start to experience. Everything is so practical and easy to implement. The information provided will spark a ray of hope in any discouraging skin regime. The book denotes how the time is right to change your skin. How it is the best moment to try out the effectiveness of the recipes. It will allow you wanting to know more as you read on.

Some of the recipes

When it came down to the real natural methods, you will soon realize that not all are meant for you. This was because of the unwillingness to try out methods and reviews that you might have read about elsewhere. For instance, the lemon recipes did not come as a surprise as these are being tried commonly without effective results. Nevertheless, there are magical recipes worth trying. Here are some of the other unique recipes provided in the book.

A method I considered worth mentioning here is a recipe made by using a pineapple paste. I always knew that pineapple consisted of a high content of water content and is consumed for maintaining a good and healthy skin. But I didn’t know that its paste could be applied to the skin topically. Hence, I analyzed the method described in the book where you have to make a paste of pineapple along with pumpkin. The paste was kept in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then applied to the skin. The process was to be continued twice daily in the morning and during the night before sleeping.

The second method is based on a rather complex recipe including coconut. The recipe’s method integrated grinding coconut and then passing it through a sieve before keeping it under warm water for a few minutes. To this mixture, pineapple juice, chickpea flour, turmeric and rose water was added. This is a comparatively expensive method and hence one can presume its results to be better. You have to apply the paste on your facial skin to see the effects.

The last recipe one could try in an effort to not leave any reading wasted included most of the eatables we use daily. The yogurt and honey recipe can be the next step in your practical implementation process of the Skin Whitening Forever. This included mixing two ingredients thoroughly and then adding warm water to the mixture. The mixture had to be applied to the face regularly to observe the results.

The diet planning chart remains an added advantage of the book

The methods were all informative and described in a step-wise manner with proper images and illustrations. One could easily love the illustration of the Aloe Vera method. Progressing through the book, the book never ceases to amaze you through the sections of the healthy habits you can adopt for a clear skin. The content that followed allow users to take notes of the diet they can implement having. These can reduce pigmentation while the mentioned food items could help in the skin whitening process altogether.

Besides the topical methods described, the benefits of having natural fruits like papayas, bananas, mangoes, and oranges were also discussed in the book. These are supposed to refill your nutrition intake that would help heal your skin faster. There are several other foods that would help brighten your skin in a short amount of time. These were not only good for the skin but for your body metabolism as well. Some of these included pea, mushrooms and white turnips.

In the concluding parts of the eBook, you will notice a tabular representation of the diet you can walk on for whitening your skin. While one could still wonder whether this works or not, it is nevertheless a useful piece of information that anyone can jot down and practice to see favorable results. The meal schedule of each day of the week is described in a very detailed and precise manner.

The result or the transformation

When you start reaping the benefits of the common methods first, it might be hard to see any visible results. However, the transformation will eventually become visible as soon as you start trying methods regularly. You will soon discover how your skin will love some of the methods described in the ebook. You can try and know which ingredients are loved and embraced by your skin. Things seem to really work and results are evident in the first week. If you try on increasing the quality of ingredients, you will see better results. And more importantly, you don’t have to worry about any side effects, thanks to all-natural methods.

The result of the herbal remedies might appear to be slow. But the satisfaction of whitening your skin without any doctor’s fees and side-effects is unimaginable. The methods really help in making your skin lighter gradually, if not quickly. Your patches will be lightened, dark skin will be brightened and you will be achieving a common skin tone. As you try more recipes, you will soon discover the best one suitable for your skin. And this is the purpose of providing so many options in the ebook. You have the liberty to try out methods without having to worry about any side effects. This makes skin whitening a sinecure.

There are some cons too

Everything that shines is not a diamond. Similarly, the Skin Whitening Forever ebook has its own, though considerably less important, shortcomings. While one can deal with all of these, it becomes imperative to list them down:

The book is a no thumbs-up for people who are looking for instant or over-the-night results. The methods are herbal and hence, take time

The huge number of methods can sometimes appear confusing to a reader. From a list of so many methods, it can become hard to chose one that suits best

The methods are time-consuming and need frequent applications to see the results

For some, the herbal remedies might look same. If you are asked to mix, make a paste and then apply in almost every method, you might start doubting the effectiveness of the remedies.

As mentioned earlier, these are minor issues and it depends on your preferences for how you view them. For some readers, these cons might stop them from relying on the book, while for others, including me, these might not appear to be negatives at all. In the end, it all depends on your use and perception.

The verdict

When you started reading Skin Whitening Forever eBook, you may very well presume it to be another cliché piece of dermatologist writing with medical methods to cure skin. However, things will turn out to be far better than you had expected. First of all, the natural products and methods are really helpful in espousing a new diet regime with a good purpose. The eBook will make you realize that skin whitening is not only an exterior process but is also affected by the ingredients you are consuming. This means that if you improve the core health of the skin, it automatically becomes good on the outside.

For users who deemed Skin Whitening with natural remedies to be an unimaginable treatment, the book can really act as a savior manual. Through this ebook, you will not only be able to leverage the advantages of several natural ingredients but shall be able to see the difference in your confidence level as well.

Interested in this eBook? Get your copy here

Skin Whitening Forever is a simple book with a simple motto-“accept nature and become beautiful”. It is a skin whitening solution that works!

The post Skin Whitening Forever Review | Don’t Buy Until You Read This appeared first on Beauty Ping | The #1 Source for Beauty Addicts.

via Beauty Ping | The #1 Source for Beauty Addicts

#IFTTT #Beauty Ping | The 1 Source for Beauty Addicts

0 notes

allezelizabeth · 7 years ago

Text

OUIBUS or NONBUS: Late to Bruxelles + Lost in Paris

The first post after a wonderful birthday trip shouldn't be to complain about a company, but here we are.

"Why didn't you just take a high-speed train?"

Initially, I was supposed to head down south to Toulouse to see some friends. When that fell through, as in I never received a response to confirm, I was looking for another place to visit for a few days that was still close enough to Paris since I was set to depart from Charles De Gaulle. In just a matter of days, the Thalys train ticket was at about €100 (approximately $ 117 USD) one-way. This was a no-brainer. I needed a cheap ticket out of Paris.

For €47 ($55.41 USD), I purchased an aller-retour (round trip) ticket from Paris to Bruxelles. My return ticket was to Charles De Gaulle so that I didn't have to take a taxi cab back to CDG from the rive droite.

When Plans Fall Apart

Leaving Paris via la gare de Bercy was the easy part. I arrived about an hour before departure and I noticed several things. For starters, people were pissed off. The information booth was filled with folks attempting to buy tickets and yelling about bookings. Several buses pulled up to the quais (dock/platform [pl.]), but there was no sense or reason to the operation. Normally, I'd suggest technology over paper, but this time around I'd have to say you would be left out in the cold if you tried to use the OUIBUS app to do anything. This is the exact reason why our boarding took about 30 minutes. The driver checked passports and tickets on laggy smartphones. I had a printout, but it didn't matter. We were already behind schedule. I checked the site to get my seat number as the chauffeur didn't think it was pertinent information.

The cabin was cozy and I had access to a 220v outlet and a USB port. The air flow was nice. WiFi (pronounced wee-fee) was spotty and limited to 50mb, which was used up about an hour into the trip. The bus also had a WC, but I didn't use it.

Three hours into the trip, the driver took a 45-minute break at rest stop just outside of the Belgian border. This was, according to their site, included as part of the journey time. Pas vrai. We arrived about 2 hours late into Bruxelles. This ate into my time in Bruxelles, but I made up for it by having espresso and staying out late.

The Beginning of The End

After a less than a spectacular inbound trip, I left OUIBUS a 'neutral' review. While the amenities on the first bus were decent, I couldn't forgive them for the 2-hour delay. What if I had a train to catch? Or a flight? I was lucky neither was the case, but I could see how it could affect someone's itinerary.

Bright and early at 7 am I made my way back to the Bruxelles Midi Station to catch the bus back into Paris-Roissy-CDG Airport. I was sad to leave Bruxelles but relieved to be heading back home. It was pitch black outside when I heard the bus driver calling people over to form the queue. I present my passport to which he snickers 'Americaine.' I laugh and respond, "Malheureusement (unfortunately)." I hand him my paper ticket and ask, "CDG?"

"Oui."

A second driver is rushing him to get people on board. When I asked what my assigned seat number was, he paused for a moment and then blurted a random number.

"Onze."

I sat down feeling uneasy, so I checked the website and indeed my seat number was 41. As I made my way to my assigned seat a woman there told me in French she was told to sit anywhere. I didn't want to move her. So I just said, "Pas de problème." I went to the last row and chose a window seat. As we began our journey I started to smell the foul odor emanating from the WC, which only got worse by the minute. I wasn't the only one being accosted by the putrid scent; however, I was able to keep my breakfast inside of me.

Once I started to see recognizable landmarks I was relieved that I was going to make it into CDG on time. Did OUIBUS redeem themselves? Non.

Instead, the driver appeared to be lost. We drove between terminals. Ever go around in circles on a bus? It isn't fun. When he finally found the correct station and platform he parks. Nobody seems to get off except one couple and I figured this is their stop also. I grab my things and I get off the bus. To my surprise, the couple lights up a cigarette and from a distance, I see a frantic bus driver on the phone. Now I'm worried. I ask to get my bag from the baggage bin and he waves me off. I'm frantically looking for my ticket when he orders people to get back on. Maybe he's at the wrong terminal I thought. I take the first seat right up front because I want to make sure I get off quickly at the next stop.

We end up driving straight into gridlock traffic. I suddenly realize that we are moving towards Centre-Ville and away from CDG. One passenger gets yelled at for asking if he'll make his train on time. As the time goes by, I become more aggravated and start to live tweet my whereabouts to OUIBUS including snapshots along the way. WiFi is no longer connecting and the Orange F network is having trouble keeping up. At approximately 12:15 pm, we are dropped off at some random bus stop near Gare Routière de Bercy.

I can't see a taxi stand anywhere, so I walk towards the bus station. It looks different than the bus station I remembered. That's because I was at the train station (Gare de Bercy-Paris) that just happened to have OUIBUS platforms. (I now know that I could have kept walking to the other side, but trust me when I say, it was quite the walk because I couldn't even see the OUIBUSes anywhere!) I go up two flights of stairs with all of my belongings only to see a park. I'm racing against time and head back down. I'm hungry, sweating and tired, but I am determined to get to CDG. I walk back towards the bus stop and flag down the first taxi I see. He asks if I ordered the taxi. I didn't want to lie, but I also needed to go. With a dejected look on my face I said, "Non, pas moi (No, not me)." After looking around he then asks me where do I need to go.

"CDG!"

He waves me in and I throw in my luggage. I arrive at CDG at 1:16 pm. He didn't accept cartes bancaires ou cartes de crédit, but luckily I had one €50 bill, which I handed to him as he gave me a receipt. I found the nearest bench and tried to process what had just happened.

Note: Because the Orange F signal was weak, one tweet didn't make it through. I took a screenshot.

What's Next?

If you go through my Twitter feed, you'll see that I was given a link to a complaint form which I have since then filled out. However, I'm not sure how effective that will be since their site is horrible. I've sent it three times and once through Facebook messenger as I have yet to receive any kind of confirmation email. On top of that, the negative comments on their Facebook page have given me no hope. I should have just taken the train and will do so the next time I decide to take a trip to Bruxelles from Paris. OUIBUS should change their name to NONBUS. Don't be taken by the cheap fares. It's tempting, I know. Still, with all the drama that comes with the ticket, I'd rather pay more and have peace of mind. Avoid at all costs, or it will cost you!

Here links to some other reviews:

OUIBUS Reviews on Trust Pilot

OUIBUS Review by Melanin Travel

PIN ME!

#Paris #Bruxelles

0 notes

janeaddamspeace · 7 years ago

Text

Children's Books About Fascism and Racism Build Resilience and Understanding #JACBA Newsletter 25Aug2017

11 Kids' Books That Will Help Them Understand the Struggle for Racial Equality

"That's why I was happy to come across this list of books to help kids understand the fight for racial equality from ReadBrightly. Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich offers 11 suggestions, divided by age, beginning with The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson, about segregation, and We March, by Shane W. Evans, about the 1963 March on Washington. I'm going to start with Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh, because my son and I have already been talking about school segregation, and Lillian's Right to Vote by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, because we've also talked about voting and the Voting Rights Act. There are also books for older tweens and teens and a graphic novel by Congressman John Lewis."

Each Kindness written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis 2013 Awardee

From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson 1996 Awardee

I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson 1995 Awardee

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Shane W. Evans 2016 Awardee

We March written and illustrated by Shane W. Evans 2013 Awardee

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her family's fight for desegregation, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh 2015 Awardee

How to Talk to Your Kids About Charlottesville

American Anti-Racism

THE YOUNGEST MARCHER By Cynthia Levinson Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton (Picture book; ages 5-9)

This picture book about Audrey Faye Hendricks, a 9-year-old girl who marched in Dr. Martin Luther King's Children's March and was jailed for a week, shows how one child overcame fear and joined in the fight for justice. In my original review, I wrote, "Levinson and Newton keep her story bright and snappy, emphasizing the girl's eagerness to make a difference and her proud place in her community."

The Fight Against Anti-Semitism and Nazis

THE WHISPERING TOWN By Jennifer Elvgren. Illustrated by Fabio Santomauro. (Picture book; ages 5-8)

This picture book with a graphic novel sensibility tells the story of a young girl, Anett, whose family is harboring Jewish refugees in a Danish fishing village. Anett brings food to the mother and child hidden in her cellar, and helps guide them to boats on one moonless night. The title is derived from her suggestion that the whole town whisper directions to the pair to ensure they don't get lost. Though the book was originally suggested for the 7 to 11 age range, our reviewer, Elizabeth Wein, said it felt appropriate as an introduction to the Holocaust for younger children.

NUMBER THE STARS By Lois Lowry (Ages 8-12)

This Newbury Medal-winning novel, told from the perspective of 10-year-old Annemarie Johansen, tells the story of the Jews who escaped certain death in Denmark in 1943. When word gets out that the Nazis intend to round up all the Jewish people in the country, Annemarie and her family save her best friend, Ellen Rosen, by pretending she is Annemarie's sister and helping her make it to a fishing boat that will bring her and her family to safety in neutral Sweden. It's a novel grounded in dark historical truth and yet full of hope.

WE WILL NOT BE SILENT The White Rose Student Resistance Movement that Defied Adolf Hitler By Russell Freedman (Ages 10-14)

This nonfiction account, aided by many archival photos and materials, tells the story of the German teenagers who banded together to fight secretly against the Nazis, rallying their fellow citizens by writing and distributing thousands of leaflets denouncing Nazi atrocities. "We are your bad conscience," they said to the Nazi leaders. Freedman tells their story of resisting with words effectively and concisely.

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson 2013 Awardee

We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song written by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton 2014 Awardee

Whispering Town written by Jennifer Elvgren and illustrated by Fabio Santomauro 2015 Awardee

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry 1990 Awardee

We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman 2017 Awardee

Freedom Walkers by Russell Freedman 2007 Awardee

Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor by Russell Freedman 1995 Awardee

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman 1994 Awardee

Not Just Stories: Six Children's Books For Fighting Fascism

Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust, Eve Bunting: As difficult as it is to talk to kids about genocide, this book makes a case for speaking up when it looks like neighbors are in danger.

The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting 1990 Awardee

Enlisting young adult fiction in the battle against racism

Book Riot editor and "Here We Are" author Kelly Jensen posted a request on Twitter last Friday: "My 33rd birthday is next month, and between now and then, I'd love to see 33 classroom literacy projects completed. Up for the challenge?"

Many of the teachers Jensen highlights write about their desire to create diverse classroom libraries. They've asked for funding to buy "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas, "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon, "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson, books from Scholastic's "Dear America" series.

"It makes a huge difference when students have books that let them know they're being seen - that their perspectives and voices matter," Jensen said. "It's huge what kids will take with them from that."

The New Uniform of White Supremacy: Interview with Susan Campbell Bartoletti

"What we see in a lot of images coming out of Charlottesville are these very clean-cut-looking young men," says Susan Campbell Bartoletti, the author of They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group and Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. "They're putting the face of a gentleman on values that are, in my opinion, anything but gentlemanly."

Toward the end of our conversation, Bartoletti points out a particularly chilling antecedent to the uniforms seen in Charlottesville. She directs me to Nazi propaganda: posters of clean-cut white men towering over people and, in one, shoveling aside presumably Jewish and black men. Several posters show the Nazis dressed in white button-ups and khakis. The resemblance is haunting. "And they didn't hide their faces either, did they?" Bartoletti asks rhetorically.

Kids on Strike! by Susan Campbell Bartoletti 2000 Awardee

Growing Up In Coal County by Susan Campbell Bartoletti 1997 Awardee

11 books to help you talk to your kids about race and racism

Books you can read with your kids to start the conversation on race and racism

-A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams - After their home is destroyed in a fire, Rosa, her mother and grandmother save up to buy a comfortable chair for all of them to enjoy. A heart-warming celebration of a loving family.

-One Green Apple by Eve Bunting - Farah feels alone at school, even around all her classmates. She listens and nods but doesn't speak... because she doesn't know the language. But on a field trip to an apple orchard, she discovers that many things make the same noises they did at home. As the class combines all their apples in the cider press they discover that mixing all those different things together makes one delicious drink.

-Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson - Clara is a seamstress in the Big House, and dreams of a reunion with her Momma who lives on another plantation. Then she hears two slaves talking about the Underground Railroad, and she figures out how to use the cloth in her scrap bag to hide a map of the land - a freedom quilt to guide the way.

-Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - I put this on every book list I possibly can because it is beautiful and insightful and eminently readable. I read it as an adult, but I'd say it's suitable for anyone from fourth grade up. Woodson write about growing up in South Caroline and New York in the 1960s and 70s. She talks of the remnants of Jim Crow laws, and her growing awareness of the civil rights movement.

-The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren - When people in a small Danish fishing village shelter a Jewish family during the Holocaust, they must get the family safely to the harbor to board a fishing boat and get to neutral Sweden. They devise a plan to communicate without attracting attention and risking the family's safety.

-Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - When the German troops begin their plan to "relocate" all the Jews in Denmark, Annemarie Johansen's family takes in her best friend and hides her in plain sight as part of their family. The book shows how the Danish Resistance smuggled almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark - close to 7,000 people - across the water to Sweden. It deals with an unimaginable tragedy but the hope and love of the people in the story make it a good book for middle-to-older elementary schoolers. It's one of our favorites.

Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart written and illustrated by Vera B. Williams 2002 Awardee

Music, Music for Everyone written by Vera B. Williams 1985 Awardee

Steamboat School, written by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Ron Husband, 2017 Awardee

Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Terry Wideners, 2004 Awardee

Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York 1880-1924 by Deborah Hopkinson 2004 Awardee

A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired written by the Jubilee Singers by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Raúl Colón, 2000 Awardee

Hundreds Rally in Lexington Vigil in Solidarity With Charlottesville

"You realize that you don't have a choice sometimes. You've just got to speak out. You've got to stand up and speak out," noted Lexington Mayor Jim Gray.

Kentucky Author George Ella Lyon sang a song during her time at the microphone.

You and Me and Home Sweet Home by George Ella Lyon and Stephanie Anderson 2010 Awardee

10th National Conference of African American Librarians

The 10th National Conference of African American Librarians is hosting an array of children's authors now until August 13 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta. Headlining the group are authors/publishers Wade and Cheryl Hudson.

Also confirmed are Kelly Staring Lyons (Ellen's Broom & One Million Men and Me) and Atlanta's own, illustrator R. Gregory Christie, a recent Coretta Scott King Book Award recipient and Caldecott "Honor Winner" for the book (Freedom in Congo Square).

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie 2016 Awardee

Angelina Jolie animated by Taliban tale made in Ireland

Based on the bestselling children's novel by Deborah Ellis, The Breadwinner tells the story of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl living under the Taliban who gives up her identity to provide for her family.

Nora Twomey, of Cartoon Saloon, directed the film, which was co-produced by Aircraft Pictures Canada, Melusine Productions and Jolie Pas Productions. It also received funding from the Irish Film Board.

Cartoon Saloon is Ireland's most successful animation company, having been twice-nominated for Oscars for The Secret of Kells (2010) and Song of the Sea (2015).

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark, written by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley, 2017 Awardee

We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song written by Debbie Levy and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton 2014 Awardee

Live Event: Big City Book Club at the Billie Holiday Theatre

This special Bed-Stuy edition, at the recently renovated Billie Holiday Theatre, will feature a discussion of "Another Brooklyn," the best-selling novel about coming of age in Kings County in the 1970s. Ginia Bellafante, the Big City columnist, will be joined by Jacqueline Woodson, the book's author, for a lively conversation.

Each Kindness written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis 2013 Awardee

From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson 1996 Awardee

I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson 1995 Awardee

Abenaki expert to make Plattsburgh stop Adirondack author will host storytelling session at Plattsburgh Public Library

Author Joseph Bruchac is coming to Plattsburgh on Aug. 22, bringing with him stories from a culture that dates back to the 1600s.

Bruchac will visit the Plattsburgh Public Library on Tuesday to sign copies of his books, sing traditional American Indian songs and tell stories from Abenaki culture.

The Heart of a Chief by Joseph Bruchac 1999 Awardee

Library Chat: Grab some books and find out why world's social problems are happening

Your public library has materials for all ages, including materials that will help you start a conversation with children and open the door for them to understand any kind of difficult issue at a level that is comfortable for them and for you.

The award winning free verse work "Brown Girl Dreaming," by Jacqueline Woodson, suitable for adults and children, might be a good place to start.

"Separate is Never Equal" by Duncan Tonatiuh is available as an audiobook and as a short video of the book. This picture book work discusses the fight to end school segregation for agricultural workers in California in the 1940s. Or, for a more regional experience, or introduce a piece of family history, you could pick up "Baseball Saved Us," about Japanese internment, by Ken Mochizuki.

If you are embarking on a road trip you might download the audiobook "Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans" by Kadir Nelson, who also penned a number of works for a variety of ages.

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson 2012 Awardee

The Village That Vanished written by Ann Grifalconi and illustrated by Kadir Nelson 2003 Awardee

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her family's fight for desegregation, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh 2015 Awardee

Hear author Francisco Jimenez speak on 'Migrant Experience' in Redlands

The Redlands Adult Literacy Program at the A.K. Smiley Public Library invites you to hear Francisco Jimenez, who wrote the autobiographical book "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child."

This year, more than 150 local literacy tutors, learners and community members have read Jimenez's book and were moved by reading of the obstacles Jimenez overcame in his quest for an education.

Jimenez will speak on "The Migrant Experience: A Personal Story" at 6 p.m. Sept. 7.

The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jiménez 1998 Awardee

Detroit Museums Examine the Riots That Changed the City

The story of Detroit's July 1967 riots is, in some ways, a tale of two cities, one black and one white. Now, 50 years later, three neighboring museums here are revisiting that fateful summer with exhibitions that portray and explore the riots in sharply different ways.

Erin Falker, an assistant curator at the museum, said that they chose to place "Flag for the Moon: Die Nigger" by Faith Ringgold, a distortion of the United States flag from 1969 that spells out the racial epithet in its stripes, across from the khaki-colored "Patriot" by Jeff Donaldson, from 1975, and "Weight" by Mr. Phillips, from 2001. Ms. Falker said the grouping highlighted the remembrance that, on the night of the raid that sparked the riots, the club was having a party for African-American soldiers returning from Vietnam.

Another goal at all the museums is teaching millennials and other young people to make connections between the past and present. The Wright's curator of exhibitions, Patrina Chatman, a Detroit native who was a teenager during the riots, said art with Black Lives Matter elements mixed with earlier civil rights references reminds young people that "history is repeating itself."

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold 1993 Awardee

Protest Art: What Is It Good For?

As Jerry Saltz has noted, there have been a number of exciting politically engaged exhibitions around New York City right now, and more coming soon. The curators at the Whitney Museum dug around in its archive to put together "An Incomplete History of Protest," from which this slideshow is drawn. It opens August 18.

Faith Ringgold (b. 1930), Hate Is a Sin Flag, 2007.

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold 1993 Awardee

---

The Jane Addams Children's Book Award annually recognizes children's books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.