#(( i was also looking bc miss ripley was looking way too good in this one))

[primordyalsoul]

just got home from a movie marathon with my friend and the last thing we watched was A.lien Resurrection and my god...i was LOOKING at the scene where Clone!Ripley sees all her past failed grotesque forms when they were trying to make her....the pure horror and disgust as she destroyed them all..oh my god

[stargazingcarol]

Into the blue, out of the blue.

Part one: Into the blue.

Pairing: Jake Lockley x reader, Marc Spector x reader, Steven Grant x reader.

Summary: You meet your neighbor and you're pretty sure he's American. But why is it that the next times you see eachother he speaks in a British accent. As you keep meeting you start falling for Steven. And then he disappears for a while and he's back and he tells you about Marc. But he also tells you about Layla. You really like Steven but now he's kinda married? What now?

Trigger warnings for the series: mental health problems, angst with a happy ending, fluff, slowburn.

A/N: this will be a multi chapter fic and this is the first chapter. Thanks to a few writers I've asked on anon i decided to get this story on board since i have it all planned. Not yet written completely but i KNOW what's gonna happen throughout the whole fic. In the end i hope you like this story and I'm dedicating it to @softlyspector and @astroboots they have both been so great at giving me advice. Thing is hi i didn't say it was me bc it was on anon. You guys (Becca and Cici) are not obliged to read this at all but i felt like giving thanks for your very rewarding advice anyways. Thank you 🤍

Part 2

Chapter 1

Marc had a lot on his mind. He was trying to block Steven off for a bit even though he knew he probably should let Steven take this moment. But he wanted a moment alone.

Between his mom dying and his dad seeing him but not exchanging words it was a little bit too much. A little bit too fresh. Even though that had only happened a few days ago.

He just wanted to sleep but he had to do this. So he grabbed a box from the ones he had left on the outside of his, well, Steven's new apartment and his foot got on the side of his door frame but he kept going.

Leaving the box on the floor he just stared at it for a moment until he turned around.

Gasping, a little scared at what he saw and then--

"Hi? Um. Do you need any help? Are you my new neighbor?" A woman asked. You must be in your late 20s. You were smiling a little nervously.

Gosh he needed sleep. He didn't need this right now.

He started walking towards you and you kept on his stare until he was too close to her, you were blocking his exit. Moving out of the way you looked somewhere else.

"I'm good, thanks" He looked at her and smiled. He knew it wasn't a genuine smile but he hoped it eased her to walk away. Walk away from his life. He didn't want to meet anyone. He wasn't looking for friends. He just wanted Layla and he couldn't even have that. He hated how everything turned out.

Walking over to the elevator, he didn't noticed that the woman was still staring at him while biting her lip. You knew what you had to do. You had heard him through the thin walls of your apartment. Cursing and moving heavy stuff.

A new neighbor. You haven't had a neighbor in over six months. The apartment had been vacant since Mr. Ripley's death. You missed baking him cookies and sitting with him to drink tea. He would drink tea while you drank water. Not a big fan of coffee or tea and the old man didn't drink anything else. Sometimes you would bring your own juice. But the old man hated when you did that. So you just opted for water with cookies.

This was new. Cursing and movement was new and when you saw through the peephole a silhouette of a man, your first thought was that his back was too toned for his own good. 

Not having a lot of friends here in London. And you thought maybe since you had been on such good terms with Mr Ripley before his death, maybe you could be friends with your new neighbor?

The smile that he gave you seemed to make him look constipated or something. You gave a little snort but he didn't hear you.

Just when the doors for the elevator were about to close, you ran for it and slip through.

The doors closed and you didn't look at him. Not even through the mirrors all around you and him.

You were silent until finally you broke the ice. "Really, i don't mind. I'd like to be in good terms with my neighbors." You said like it was nothing and Marc closed his fist and let it open again while he breathed.

"If you say so." He muttered but he knew you heard because from the corner of his eye you nodded with a smile.

He didn't seem like a bad person. He just seemed like he had a lot going on. Maybe helping him move will ease some of his worries away.

When the both of you got out of the elevator and into the street, you saw a truck with it's trunk open and a few boxes left. Either he didn't have a lot to move or he had already done it and she didn't hear him until the last second. You're here already, though.

Your arms went for a big box but he stopped you, his hand engulfing your arm and you just stared dumbfounded at his touch for a moment. Until you looked at his eyes and even though he still seemed tormented, he was half smiling. He still looked constipated though, like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

The man clears his throat and you try not to stare too hard. His back had been interesting to you all the way through her peephole upstairs, but seeing him up close was too much.

Not because he transmitted bad energy, he just was too pretty for your own good. You loved an attractive man like any other person but when they were pretty and knew about it, they used those looks to get their way. You hoped he wasn't the case. Even though he didn't seem to flaunt his looks at all in the few minutes you have known eachother.

His forehead was sweaty and so were his curls, rebellious rebellious curls that he kept pushing back with a huff.

"Not that one, too heavy." He says.

You want to say "and you think i can't take it?" But you just nods. Who knows what's in that box. Maybe it really is heavy.  He pushes you a smaller box and when you grab it thinking it's gonna be heavy, you step back a little losing balance.

His hand goes to your back to steady you, his other holding the box she was about to take until he stopped her.

"Easy there" his hand is gone the instant you're steady on your feet and he starts walking inside again.

You stared at his back once more. Sighing as you walk behind him.

You both do this a few times, going back and forth grabbing boxes and leaving them at his empty apartment.

When you are all done, his hands go to his hips inspecting the now full apartment with just boxes and just when you're about to ask "what now?" Your alarm goes off.

Taking the phone out of your pocket and blink at the name of the alarm. It's time for your therapist's appointment.

"Um, i need to go, but it was nice meeting you." You nod and he just nods back, his face is blank with a thin line on his lips.

"Nice to meet you too, neighbor" He smiles and for the first time his smile doesn't seem like he's dying inside. He seems genuine to have met you and you try to keep your steady heart but it's a losing battle if you're being honest.

Turning around, you walk away to your  apartment to get ready, a smile on your face like you can't contain it. It's so big you feel like your skin might break and make your smile even bigger.

***

"You seem totally fine from our pasts sessions and i think you have the skills to deal with whatever comes your way. I think, i think we should close your case." Dr. Williams closed her notebook.

Your eyes widened and your fingers made crescent moons on your knees.

You didn't think you were ready to leave therapy, not yet. It was a bit early, no? You were doing better yes but for the past years you had been from therapist to therapist that's all you seemed to know. So, hearing this was, weird, you didn't like it at all. You weren't ready.

"You think so?" You asked gulping. Scared.

"Yes. Don't you?" Dr. Williams pushed her glasses further up her nose and she tilted her head with a kind smile on her face.

"I really really don't" You let out a shaky breath.

"Relax, okay. I think you're ready but if you don't that's totally fine. We can see eachother for a little while until you feel like you're ready. But i need you to think about it okay? Can you do that?"

Dr Williams had been seeing you for a year now. Treating your depression and big insecurities. You didn't think you were cured at all so why was Dr. Williams even suggesting to close the case? Do people even go to therapy to get cured or to manage?

"I can do that" you relaxed and let yourself get a bit more comfortable in the sofa in her office.

"Great." Dr Williams looked at her watch. "We have 15 more minutes before our session is over. Anything interesting happened today?" She finally asked.

You were about to say no, until you remembered, him. He had been the highlight of your day. And maybe your doctor could see it on your face because she clasped her hands and seemed to get closer.

"Something did! Tell me tell me" Dr Williams chuckled and while you smiled and looked outside the window you started talking.

"I have a new neighbor" looking into Dr. Williams green eyes, you saw how her eyes sparkled with the want to know more.

"Really? What's their name?"

Your eyes widened when you noticed you never asked him for his name. You remember it was on the tip of your tongue but the silence while you both worked made it almost impossible to ask. Like breaking a spell.

"Shoot, i didn't ask him his name" you sheepishly say and Dr Williams laughs, throwing her head back, her red long wavy hair dancing in the air.

"Next time you see him you better ask him his name" She says.

"Yes, of course. Cross my heart." You made the crossing in your chest and smiled at the thought of him.

A little grumpy but he seemed like a nice person and that was enough to keep you interested.

***

Getting into your apartment complex late at night after your doctor's appointment, and then having some dinner with friends and a few drinks. You were technically sober, but you couldn't move right. Grasping the wall of the elevator, you felt your head was out of your shoulders and the only thing that could ground you was your bed.

When the elevator opened, you tried to walk out of it but was too unsteady. Before you lost balance you felt arms held you.

When you looked up and blinked. Neighbor guy.

"Oh, hi" You chirped and he smiled. You didn't know if it was the light or your dizziness but he didn't seem as tormented as before.

"Hello there, do you need help, love?" His voice sounded different. British. Which was weird. Wasn't he American? You were a forgetful person but you didn't think you were that much. Or were you? Maybe it's the drinks you had tonight.

"I thought you were American?" You grinned as he led you out of the elevator.

He chuckled. "I don't know what you're talking about but I've always been British." He says and now you're getting more confused. You honestly just need more sleep.

"Where do you go?" He asks and you frowned.

"Next to you." You say looking at him with hooded eyes as his hands on your hips tighten. Then he softens and mumbles a sorry. You swear you can see that he's blushing and you bite your lip.

"Um" you look around until you see your door. "There"

His eyes widen. "Oh! Next to me, next to me. How dumb, okay now i get it. Sorry." He starts leading you to your door and you can't help but giggle.

"It's okay, honest mistake." You breathe when you still feel his hands on you.

The guy from earlier had touched you once when you went to grab the box and his touch had lingered on your skin for a while after he retracted his hand and you know you will be thinking of his hands on your waist again on your bed.

When you were in front of your door, his hands went away and you brought your key from your jacket pocket. You opened the door and turned around.

The guy was staring at you with an awkward smile expression.

"I forgot to ask your name earlier." You leaned against the door and he grinned.

"Steven"

You nodded thoughtfully. He didn't seem like a Steven at first but sure, that's his name. You can't change that.

You tell him your name and he repeats it and you shiver at the way he's looking at you.

"Well, um, i should sleep now. Thank you for helping me Steven." You point to the back of your apartment.

"Of course, of course. I'll leave you to it. Have a nice night." He waves and goes into his own apartment.

You close your door and lean against it. He's really cute.

Brushing your teeth and changing is a little difficult but you manage.

As you get comfortable in your sheets you think of both of your encounters with this man today. One, he seemed quiet and grumpy and the second he appeared to be chatty and he didn't looked that distressed as the first encounter.

You could still feel his hands on you. A ghost of a touch. Both so different and when Steven held your hips tighter, gosh, you were about to ascend to heaven.

You couldn't wait to see Steven again. Maybe you could bake him some cookies tomorrow. Maybe.

[tampon-on-the-sidewalk]

New York Recap

I am really sick so this’ll be short sweet and simple(enough) very long and under a cut

My travel anxiety SUCKED on my way to New York and I got there 20 minutes late but all it took was one hug from my boyfriend to make it all better(I have not seen him in 9 months)

That night we went to the Japan Society art exhibit which was really really neat and about gender(though a few of the paintings were explicit). They had a little café/bar setup with a live band playing and it was just really really neat. Also, if I am remembering the painting description correctly, Geisha were originally all men

I think we ate at Applebees that night.

The following day we visited my old haunts- Nintendo Store(where he found a Legend of Zelda sheetmusic book and a Venusaur, and we looked at their collection of old consoles and watched a couple people try out the new games), Sunrise Mart(Four words- Chocolate Chip Melon Pan), Bookoff(Where I found all seven volumes of the anime Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok and all were under 7 bucks except for one that was like 8, naturally I bought all seven and now have a show to binge.Also found some Morning Musume concert discs/Single Vs but couldn’t remember what I already had so I let them be. Talked myself out of buying a Tsunku album.), and Kinokuniya(Café Zaiya’s sakura mousse was absolutely fantastic and I FOUND BOTH MOMOCHI AND KARIN’S PHOTOBOOKS AND A C-UTE ONE TOO but they were like 40 bucks a pop and he had to do everything in his power to stop me from buying them though honestly I should’ve bought C-ute’s). We ate at the hotel restaurant I think, it was okay but I started getting a sore throat.

That same night, we ended up going to the Ripley’s Museum(whish was really fricken neat, I’ve been to the one in Atlantic City before but this one was quite different).

The next day and easily the best day of the trip we went to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater NJ for the first time since 2011ish. Started with the market itself and bough over 50 bucks of snacks and curry roux, then went to the café  for some curry and a Strawberry Crepe(is was so fricken good omg). We then moseyed on over to their Kinokuniya, got some chuckles at manga covers, read some Japanese childrens’ books, found a book about Maru.. And then went to eat again =w= I got a Ten-don zaru soba combo and he just nibbled on some pocky. After sitting for a while longer we checked out Little Japan USA(Used to be Mars toystore/traditional good store but they combined them) and my heart told me that in the one of three remaining Shippuden mystery boxes(which were like 15 bucks a pop) was the figurine I wanted so I chanced it and IT FUCKING WAS.

After that we walked a ways to check out a shopping plaza/the supermarket chain my love works for, took a stroll by the Hudson river, and then went back to Mitsuwa for one last quick snack of Taiyaki. At the bus stop we saw two people who also came from Mitsuwa and they were talking about Kpop so I was keeping to myself but then somehow we started talking and I said I was more into J-idols and it turned out one was a fan for like 10+ years now and actually went on a 30day concert streak just to see H!P concerts and they’re like a legend in my eyes now and we talked for the entire ride back to Port Authority and it was so cool. We walked back to the hotel fully content. We found a ramen chain close to the hotel that we were familiar with from our Philly trips and it was really really good, plus they were playing oldies music and SHARAMQ’S SINGLE BED CAME ON AND I GOT SO GIDDY I DROPPED MY PHONE

And then the day of the concert.

My cold started hitting hard so we went back to Sunrise mart, mainly for lunch/Choco chip melon pan but also so I could grab some facemasks. We walked Central park for a couple hours and rode the carousel and had a grand old time while I got the worst looks from white people for wearing a mask. Then we went to the Turnstyle underground market just to look, went into Lush so I could show him all the neat things, asked about the different flavoured toothy tabs and she was like ‘I can give you a couple of this one to try back home’ and I was like ok cool AND SHE GAVE ME LIKE 20

Then we get to the venue and after a long while in line and our bladders almost exploding we get in and get like the best possible view of the stage(it was standing room and as y’all might know I am one tiny guy) and the first band was really great, Gothic Knights, they were NY based and one of few lesser-known openers that were really really good and the singer was goddamn gorgeous

Then Hammerfall came out. They were great. The mosh pit behind us? Not so much. We had to move because my boyfriend kept getting bumped into and I was pissed because he was getting annoyed so the only place we could really go was behind a support beam which was conveniently also right under an air vent. By this point I’m starting to cough super duper hard and was so close to just saying ‘lets go back to the hotel’ But no. I traveled 9 hours from Florida to NY just to see these guys. We hit up Gothic Knights’ merch booth(The lead singer was right next to me and a. he couldn’t see me smile bc facemask so he just saw my sick-and-dead eyes and b. by the time I realized he was there it was too late to tell him how amazing he was), got a T-shirt and an album and I think my sweetheart helped me pay for it

By the time Delain got on stage I was like 100%done so we sat on the stairs until the staff yelled at us and then we stood on the stairs. I could barely hear, charlotte was off her game, and it was just such a disappointment. But I am pretty sure that Merel looked right at me and smiled which made my night

Hit up the main merch booth and spent far too much- Signed Hammerfall CD, Delain Moonbathers T-shirt, and a button set. We grabbed a quick snack for my boyfriend on the way back to the hotel but I was just far too sick. Think I fell asleep as soon as we got back.

He left the following afternoon and then I went to karaoke despite being very sick and entirely croaky. You should’ve heard me try to hit the notes in Shall we Love. Got to sing with one of my close friends for 2 hours and catch up briefly before I walked back towards the hotel. It was downpouring and I still didn’t eat that day so I went back to Terakawa for some ramen and heard even more oldies jams(Diamonds by PrincessPrincess, a Finger Five song, and hilariously enough the folk song Kasa Ga Nai aka Without an Umbrella). Took a nice bath and got ready for the next day’s departure.

It started out okay honestly. Watched some TV, mailed myself my snacks, ate a great breakfast at the Cosmic Diner(the food got to me within like 2 minutes of ordering) and then left an hour early for the Subway. Glad I did too, because if I took the 1230 and had all the delays that happened on the 1130, I would’ve missed my flight. The subway took like 40 minutes longer than it should have. But anyway, get on the flight, smooth sailing so to speak, but due to overhead compartments being full before I had gotten on I needed to check my carry-on.

So I’m waiting at baggage claim. The conveyor belt gets stuck. We get stuck there for like 30 minutes while they try to fix the jam. in that time I get a call saying my 8pm shuttle(which I got so I could have time to eat beforehand, my flight landed at 540) was cancelled. Started sobbing uncontrollably and my immune system failed yet again so I was feeling even sicker because of it, and still haven’t gotten my bag yet so I was scared I’d miss this shuttle bus too and be stranded. Then another person from the company calls and informs me that no, the 8pm was NOT cancelled and I can still take it. By this time it’s almost 7p and I’m sobbing to them on the phone and I go to get something to eat but I’ve lost my appetite and am feeling far too ill. I grab something small from a restaurant, head over to the lush in the airport and buy myself 2 bathbombs, a bubble bar and toothy tabs, and go to wait for my shuttle. It shows up about ten minutes early and  everything goes smoothly. I ended up calling out of work for today because as the ride progressed I was getting progressively worse.

Got home, got bombarded by my cat who was extremely upset with me, took a nice bath and went straight to sleep.

Now after spending over an hour to type this up I’m going the fuck back to bed. Goodnight everyone and thank you for reading.