#(OH YEAH the drama is 'rain or shine' very good very sad it also has Si Eun from stayc in it hiiiiiii stayc is my fave gg!)
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b-blushes · 1 year ago
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august '23 songs woo yay! in no particular order
2 Baddies - NCT 127
Bubble - StayC
Strawberry Sunday - NCT DOJAEJUNG
Designer - NCT 127
Our Season - ZEROBASEONE
CAKE - ITZY
Vitamin - NCT 127
Our Summer - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Kidult - SEVENTEEN
#menow - fromis_9
Perfume - NCT
Can I - Lee Junho
And I - ZEROBASEONE
Bye My Neverland - KISS OF LIFE
Pink Venom - BLACKPINK
Do It Like That - TOMORROW X TOGETHER & Jonas Brothers
One More Last Time (feat. Ashley Alisha) - Henry Young
Broken Melodies - NCT DREAM
Rose Blossom - H1-KEY
this post is pinned so i can reblog it every month with the music i've been listening to WAHOO!!! (it is mostly kpop tbh - i hope any expectations have been adjusted appropriately :P)
#very curious how long this playlist is appealing to me as to say that i've been in a weird place mentally while making it would be#an understatement :P#i think the common thread in all of these is 'a short catchy phrase that i can sing along to'? maybe? :P#did not have 'first time listening to a song with the jonas brothers in it' on my 2023 bingo card but this one with TXT is so catchy to me#ALSO freaking LEE JUNHO hellooooo i came across him as an actor in what's now one of my favourite dramas and he is#an extremely good singer! who knew! (everyone but me?) next month i'm gonna check out more of his solo work AND w/ 2PM >:)#(OH YEAH the drama is 'rain or shine' very good very sad it also has Si Eun from stayc in it hiiiiiii stayc is my fave gg!)#also soooo fun to be listening to new groups but the bad thing about that is that there is no backlog to go through :( excited to see#what zerobaseone and h1key and kiss of life AND boynextdoor (not on this list but serenade was fave on my july playlist) release!!!!#ALSO ALSO pink venom makes me smile every time because of DK on game caterers X seventeen (i think?) and everyone hyping him#seventeen my beloved my favourite group <3#anyway i am not immune to instagram videos of challenges. one more last time very good very powerful#ALSO. what's the deal with one more last time being 'feat' ashley alisha but 'by' henry young? guessing this is a music production thing#how does that work? as far as i can tell ashley alisha is vocalist on the whole thing and as far as i knew that was who the song was 'by'?#okay. commentary over time for PIZZA! >:)
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mystic-kitten-writer · 6 years ago
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Limerence [M] ︳19
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Pairing: Zuko x OC
Genre: Romance, mainly fluff with future smut, and if you squint hard enough - you’ll find some angst.
Rating: SFW
Words: 5200+
Notes: A bit of a sad chapter, but I promise it gets better loves <3 I remember writing this, and not at all intending it to be as angst as it turned out (I hate writing sad things, it hurts my heart~). Well enjoy everyone, thanks for the support and love <3
Masterlist ︳18 ︳ 20
❤ Buy me a coffee? ❤
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 Limerence: (English/n.) the state of being infatuated with another person.
The moment their eyes locked they knew - the flames within him twisted while the water within her turned. It was a connection, a connection that would lead to love, adventure, and drama.
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Fanaa
(Hindi/n.) Destruction of the self; “destroyed in love.”
~ Ying Yue Jiang ~
            The green sails bobbed up and down with the current, the sounds of chatter and laughter seemingly being carried with the wind into our bedroom. It was quite gloomy, despite all of the ruckus, the first time since I have arrived that the sunlight wasn’t shining through the clouds. The gray sky swirled above, the air smelt dewy, signalling for rain in a few more moments. But despite the dark atmosphere, I bore a curious smile, since for one; I was quite a fan of rain, but also in anticipation.
            Lia draped my silk robe over my shoulder’s from behind, startling me slightly, “Ah- thank you.” I said faintly, my gaze consumed with what I saw from the window. I already knew Lia rolled her eyes as I tried to tie my robe around my waist without looking down – I can’t see them at all.
            “For spirit’s sakes Ying Yue- here.” Lia grumbled as she tied the sash around my waist, “I swear if I left you, I would come back to you still standing here with your mouth to the floor in your damn lingerie.”
            “Sorry, I’m just curious.” I said with an apologetic smile, but despite her crossed arms, she still bore a smile, “I know; hence the tight leash Fire Lord Zuko keeps on you.”
            “I’m not some puppy…” I grumbled under my breath, but Lia just grinned.
            “Well, he didn’t say you were a puppy.”
            “Then what did he call me?”
            Lia opened her mouth slightly, before placing her finger upon her lips, “Puppy sounds nicer. Let’s just go with that.”
            “What’s that suppose to mean!?” I huffed as Lia laughed away, rummaging through my wardrobe. “You’re really going to ask me what Fire Lord Zuko thinks about you?” Lia scoffed, picking out potential dresses for me to wear, all of them made from the finest silks and decorated to the spirits. It was my turn to be left speechless; she had a point. I just snickered to myself once more before gazing back to the window.
            The Earth King and his brother-in-law, who has been nicknamed as ‘the asshole’ – courtesy of Zuko and Sokka, had arrived. I was eager to meet them, greet them once they finally docked. But Zuko made me promise one thing, and that was to not travel down with him to the docks. In all fairness, I wasn’t too upset at his decision, mainly because as great as I felt, I also knew that I was still a bit too fragile to travel to the pier and back and have enough energy for tonight’s dinner party.
            So instead, I found myself helplessly scanning the grounds from my window, in hopes of finding them. I could hear Lia groaning to herself as she watched me stand guard at the window, “They just got here not even an hour ago, they could still be making their way up the palace.” Lia spoke logically, and I couldn’t help but smile sadly knowing she had a point. Gosh, I missed them – their dirty jokes, their loud laughs, even the teasing!
            “Princess is sleeping with Zuko now?”
            “Ouu, do you think they’re doing the dirty tango?”  
            My eyes widen, their voices loud and clear. It’s them – and really, ‘dirty tango?’ I swiftly turned on my heel at the sound of their voices, the bedroom door flung open with a loud bang against the wall, “OHHH PRINCESS~!” they sang in unison. Never did I think I would be as thrilled as I am now to hear my awful nickname – a first for everything I guess.
            My eyes lit up, and I couldn’t stop the enthusiastic gasp that escaped me as I ran forward, “TOPH-SUKI!” I cheered. Right away my arms wrapped around their necks as I pulled them in tightly, Toph groaning in annoyance while Suki just giggled and snuggled back. “I missed you guys so much!” I blubbered happily as I nuzzled my face into their necks; so much to tell them!
            Toph snickered, but I could feel her pat my back and for a brief second, hug me back. “You look so good, Yue! It seems like Zuko has been taking pretty good care of you for us!” Suki gushed as we pulled away, her hands squeezing my cheeks with admiration. I grinned sheepishly at her compliment, but just as I was about to speak, Suki placed her hand over my mouth. “Before anything - we have a surprise.” My eyes widen, confused, but Toph just knocked on the closed door behind them, “You can come in now.”
            My eyebrows furrowed together, Suki letting her hand drop from my face, and the door opened. My heart fluttered, and my eyes teared up seeing who opened the door. Her hair decorated with her signature braids and her crystal blue eyes looking at me with pure happiness. There’s no way; she is supposed to be back at home – how…
            “Kima?” I whispered.
            She smiled brightly, waving shyly, “That’s me. Here to stay.”
            I dashed forward, engulfing her in the biggest hug of the century. It’s Kima; she’s here, oh my gosh she’s here. Kima laughed, hugging me back just as tightly, “I missed you so much.” I sniffled into her arms as she patted my head, “I know my Lady. You can thank Fire Lord Zuko.”
            “What?” I gasped, pulling away with a dumbfounded expression on my face. Kima smiled, wiping away my tears of happiness from my cheeks with her sleeves, gosh I missed Kima. I loved Lia, she was terrific, but Kima was Kima – someone no one could replace. “Before you left, Fire Lord Zuko asked if I would be willing to work for him as your maid, alongside Lia.”
            “The only catch was that she would have to come with us to the Earth Nation, so she would have enough time to pack and get things sorted since you two lovebirds left in a hurry.” Suki finished, a massive grin on her face as she watched my evident shock. Zuko did this; he knew how much I adored Kima. She was the first friend I made when the gang took me to the Southern Water Tribe – he knew.
            “B-but, the Southern Tribe, that’s your home. What about your family and friends-” Kima shook her head, “You’re my friend, and I’m pretty sure I can start a family wherever I go.”
            It was then I noticed Kima gazing over my shoulder, a soft smile on her face. I turned around, seeing she was gazing over at Lia, who bore a soft blush upon her face – I’m such an idiot. How did I not realize- “I guess we both found love huh?” I whispered, and Kima smiled bashfully, “I guess we did. There must be something in the Fire Nation water.” I laughed at Kima, shaking my head, not realizing how much I missed her voice, her touch, her jokes.  
            “Sorry to ruin the moment, but what’s that on your face Yue…” Suki whispered, reaching forward and tracing the long pink scar on my jaw. My eyes widen, they don’t know. Zuko, Sokka or Aang never told them yet. Kima frowned as well, poking at my face, inspecting me like a mother who noticed her child got injured. “Ying Yue tripped! You know how clumsy she is.” Lia said with nervous laughter, her hands tightly hugging my shoulders from behind. Thank goodness for Lia and her quick thinking.
            “Ha, you know me,” I said with a bright smile as I played with my fingers. Kima and Suki snickered, oblivious to the white lie Lia said, “My Lady, you really need to be careful.” Kima lectured, “You really did a number on yourself.” I smiled awkwardly, anxiously biting my lip, because, at the corner of my eye, I could see Toph. A frown on her face as she crossed her arms, Toph knew. Toph knew we were lying through our teeth, but she didn’t say a word. “I can tell you guys more about it later, just not now…” I said, and Toph nodded, understanding the double meaning in my words.
            As much as I wanted to tell them what happened, Lia and I knew it would be foolish. Right now our concern was with the Earth King and his safety; the last thing we should do is tell them about an incident that was written off as nothing more than a natural accident. Well, at least that was what Zuko had said to me - an accident. But I couldn’t shake off the uneasiness Zuko had when he said it, as if he didn’t believe his own words. I also couldn’t shake away the fact that I swore I saw someone at the top of the waterfall that day before the rocks came tumbling down – or maybe it was my mind playing tricks…
            “So you and Zuko are sleeping in the same room now?” Suki said with a raised brow, a giant grin on her face. I blushed realizing her words, suddenly pulling my robe closer to my body, “Uh, yeah. We’re sleeping together – but, uh, not like that.” I muttered as Toph and Suki snickered to themselves, “So you’re telling me. That you’re going around dressed like that, sleeping in the same bed, and nothing is going on under the sheets?” Suki spoke, the smirk on her face growing more and more.
            “Gosh Suki, not everything revolves around sex!” I stammered, but Kima giggled.
            “Don’t get me started on the damn hickies,” Lia muttered under her breath, and right away, the gateway of endless teasing was opened.
            “THE WHAT?!” Suki shrieked, and for once, Toph looked extremely interested in the conversation. “You’re a bug.” I grumbled towards Lia, but she just grinned, “Payback for all the trouble you put me through.” Kima sighed heavily, covering her face with her hands, “What did I willingly walk myself into?” Kima muttered under her breath. Lia laughed, wrapping her arms around her shoulders.
            “Tomorrow, we’re having a girls night. And you, Princess, are spilling all of the damn beans.” Suki spoke with crossed arms. I let out an exhausted sigh, knowing very well what a girl’s night entails; wine, a far then appropriate conversation about sex, and more wine. But deep down – I was looking forward to it, maybe I could ask them for some advice regarding ‘sexy time’...what’s the worst that could come from that?
            “Well, Imperial Consort Ying Yue, we have exactly one hour to get ready for the dinner party. So let’s get dressed, shall we?” Lia spoke, clapping her hands together. Kima grinned happily, “Can I do her makeup? It’s been such a long time-”
            “You do makeup; I do hair, I love playing with her hair – it’s so long.”
            I smiled watching them together; they were like two peas in a pot. Teamwork makes the dream work.
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                        The sound of rain pattering lightly against the roof echoed in the hallway, calming my nerves as I fiddled with my necklace. Everyone was already inside of the grand hall, including the gang. Suki and Toph had to stand post as security with Sokka, while Aang was already inside chatting away - politics. The hallway was empty, as everyone who should be inside, was already inside, minus Zuko and me. I crossed my arms as I stared at the doors to the grand hall, breathing deeply.
            It was my first formal party as Imperial Consort - a big step for me, and my heart started beating erratically against my chest just thinking about it. I was beyond nervous, gosh Yue get it together. It’s one stupid dinner party – A warm hand on my lower back caught my attention, instantly my breath hitched hearing his husky voice in my ear, “You look delicious, how about we skip the dinner, I think I've found my meal right here.”
            My cheeks flushed, turning on my heel swiftly. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at Zuko – a mischievous smirk playing along his pink lips as he towered over me.
            Damn.
            He looks good.
            I hadn’t seen him all day, now being the first, and maybe that was a good thing; given that my self-control was being tested to the max. His hair was pulled up into a sharp bun, keeping true to his prime and proper image he worked so hard on creating. Not a single hair out of place - slicked back to perfection. Zuko wore a mahogany coloured robe that clung to his body, a deep V neckline showing off his killer collarbones, and teased at the hidden muscles that were underneath. A sizeable overflowing cardigan that almost touched the floor loosely hung off his broad shoulders, decorated with golden dragons.
            Zuko's fingers danced along my face, his lips just hovering upon mine. His natural scent of firewood was overwhelming; butterflies were fluttering in my stomach as I found myself struggling to breathe. “Hi,” I whispered breathlessly, all too consumed with him. It hasn’t even been a full day, but I missed him. Gosh, I missed him. His touch, his warmth - I love him.
            Zuko chuckled lowly, devouring my lips with his own. We stood there without a single hint of concern, enjoying the way our lips danced together, a private dance that only we knew. He hummed pleasantly as I gasped. My eyes fluttered closed, my hands falling on his chest, just basking in his presence, the rush to join the party suddenly gone.
            “Hi, love.” He whispered, so low that I could’ve easily mistaken it as a groan. I smiled, pulling away, letting my finger teasingly touch the skin that was exposed. “I think I found my meal as well.” Zuko grinned, his hands trailing up and down my back, pulling me against him as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. Faint butterfly kisses was all I could feel, trailing up and down my throat with ease. My knees buckled, but I found myself tightly gripping his front the moment he nibbled my ear, “How about we skip the dinner, and go straight to dessert.” Zuko growled; a hint of desperation in his voice.
            I bit my lip, swallowing the moan that so desperately wanted to escape. Never, has Zuko been so upfront like this. So openly needy that it caught me off guard. “Z-Zuko, the Earth King - Kuei.” Zuko hissed, gripping me tightly as he pressed his forehead against mine, “Don’t ever mention another man’s name with me, especially like this.” I rolled my eyes, “He’s married.”
            “And you’re naïve to think that would stop a man. You haven’t played politics till you played with the Earth Nation.”
            “He cheated?” I gasped.
            “Not him, he’s probably the only good soul in the Earth Nation government. But for the rest of the Earth Nation royals…” I frowned, who would've thought, no wonder Zuko was so hesitant to have me come to this party. “We should get inside Zuko,” I spoke, clearly the only one with politics in mind. Zuko groaned miserably, placing another kiss upon my lips, “Can I change your mind?” he mumbled. I giggled, poking his chest, “Very unlike you mister Fire lord. Wanting to skip on your duties like this.” Zuko let out a sigh, shrugging his shoulders, “You owe me.” Zuko grumbled, pulling away and linking arms with me.
            “I owe you nothing; it’s your job.”
            “Way to throw me a bone.”
            “Like the damn leash you have on me?” I grumbled.
            Zuko smirked, his hand sneaking far past my hip, giving me a playful slap on my ass, “Well if that’s what you’re into, I have no problem tying you up.”  
            “Oh fuck you Zuko! You pervert!”
            “Fuck me indeed.”
            “ZUKO."
            "Has anyone ever told you that you're adorable when teased?"
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            “Congratulations Fire Lord Zuko, Imperial Consort Ying Yue, I wish we could have sailed faster to celebrate such a joyful occasion.” Earth King Kuei spoke with a broad smile, his crown bobbing as he bowed down towards us. 
            Zuko beamed, taking a sip of his red wine, “Don’t fret, you’ll be the first to receive the wedding invitation.” I blushed at Zuko’s words, although I knew it was nothing more but political and friendly banter, a soundless promise, it still rattled me. If only Zuko knew how I felt about him, how much I wanted those words to be true. The Earth King chuckled to himself; his green eyes lit up with delight at the thought of a wedding while his green robes swayed with each chuckle of his. “Maybe you two could get married in the new Nation.” The King spoke casually, but it was then I knew, let the passive-aggressive decisions begin.
            I could feel Zuko’s arm stiffen from underneath me, yet his charming smile never wavered once. His golden eyes twinkling, he was in his zone. “It would be quite an idea, something we can ponder about after we sign the papers.”
            “Always on top of things Fire Lord Zuko –  wouldn’t expect anything less from the Fire Lord himself.” The King spoke, taking a small sip from his goblet. “Although we would have to deal with the rebels.” My eyebrows furrowed together, the who?
            Zuko sighed frustratingly, an understanding transpiring between them both. Clearly, these people are a lot more trouble than even I realize if Zuko is getting tense just thinking about them. “The rebels?” I blurted. Zuko looked down at me, seemingly forgetting I was even here to begin with. “Ahh, a group of men and women who take pleasure in raiding villages and such.” Spoke the Earth King, shaking his head in regret.
            “They’ve taken thousands, from the wealthy and the poor,” Zuko grumbled.
            The Earth King shrugged his shoulders in defeat, seemingly as upset as Zuko, “And to think that it is all handled by one man – Yakone.”
            It was like a lightbulb in my head went off – Yakone. A name so familiar, yet nothing more but a story. Why was that name so familiar? Why does it seem like I’ve heard it before? “Ying Yue?” Zuko whispered in my ear, gently tapping my hand. My eyes widen, head snapping upwards as I realized that I had zoned out, “S-sorry. It’s just that the name, Yakone, it sounds so familiar.”
            The Earth King chuckled, “Not surprised; he’s infamous. Killed hundreds without any remorse, rumours say he’s a Bloodbender.” He's a what- In a snap, my body went rigid. A cold sweat overcame me - my palms felt clammy, the air felt heavy, and I knew my face went white.
            A Bloodbender, that’s impossible…
            “Sorry, I shouldn’t talk about such rumours as if they were the truth.” The Earth King said lightly, seeing the evident fear in my face. I forced a smile, struggling to find my voice, “I-I’m sorry, I’m just a bit parched. Please excuse me while I fetch a drink.” I untangled myself from Zuko’s arm and dashed, pushing through people in desperation.
            Despite the large room, I felt trapped. Suddenly people brushing up against me to get by sent my nerves on overdrive. Everything felt too much. My breath shortened as I struggled to stay focus, spots clouding my vision as my head pounded — a Bloodbender.
            A Bloodbender.
            A Bloodbender.
            How? I-I thought-
            “What is a beautiful lady like yourself doing all alone this evening?”
            My head snapped to my side, a hand softly grabbing mine. I flinched, not expecting such contact, an unexpected gasp escaping me. A tall man stood before me, long black hair tied back, loosely falling behind his shoulders. He was handsome; his skin sun-kissed. He bore a brilliant smile, his pearly white teeth gleaming towards me as he gently patted my hand, “Sorry to startle you; your beauty captured me.” His voice was low, yet it had a smoothness to it, not rough or husky like Zuko’s.
            “O-oh, no, sorry. I was in my own little world.” I stuttered, taken off guard by his presence. Wait, did he just call me beautiful? A blush erupted on my cheeks, Zuko was the first man to say I was beautiful. It felt weird having another man compliment me, oh well - just shut up and accept it I guess. The mysterious man chuckled, seemingly interested at me getting flustered. Gosh, his eyes are so green - “My name is Kayto and yours?”
            “Uh, Imperial Consort Ying Yue Jiang,” I said quickly, realizing that he still held my hand in his. His eyes widen in surprise, “Imperial Consort?” He repeated a hint of disbelief in his voice. I smiled and nodded, “Please take this as a compliment, but aren’t you a bit too young to be a consort? You’re so young, to think that some old man is going to bewed you.”
            My eyes widen realizing why he had said that - and to be fair; he was right to some degree. Such a title was given to older women or men, people later in their lives ready to get married and have kids within the next year or so. I laughed at the way Kayto’s face seemed pale at the thought of me marrying an old man, “I promise you; he isn’t old.” I said with a giggle. The idea of Zuko with grey hair and a small old age belly brought a smile to my face; I would love to get old with Zuko – retired and snuggling all day and night. I wonder if he will still be as grumpy as now?
            Kayto laughed; a sense of relief on his face, “Still, it’s a shame to know that you’re taken. You seem lovely.” I awkwardly looked at my feet, not used to such compliments. Is this what flirting is? “Ahh-uh, thank you.” I stammered out, biting my lip. Kayto chuckled, watching me fail miserably to get out this situation, but just as quick, Kayto’s eyes narrowed. Before I could realize, his soft hand was outstretched and gently traced my lower jaw, “He may be young, but he doesn’t take care of you.” He muttered, tracing the scar.
            I frowned, “It’s an old wound-”
            “I’m not a fool to injuries. It’s pink, soft, fresh. How could a man let such a flower like you get hurt?” He huffed. I opened my mouth to speak, but once again, I was at a lost of words. Did he just call me a flower? I like flowers - for fucks sakes Yue focus, this man is flirting with you! Leave! “If you were mine I wouldn’t let a single thing touch you.” He muttered, his hand gently falling from my face and brushing my hair back. I froze, “It was my fault, I was careless-”
            “I would love to meet the man whom you’re destined to wed. I have a feeling I could do much better.”
            “That wouldn’t be necessary-”
            “It’s me.”
            I could feel hot hands place themselves on my hips, pulling me into his chest with a thud that knocked the air out of me. I looked over my shoulder, seeing Zuko’s face, a sense of relief overcoming me - he saved me. But my gladness quickly disappeared. Zuko looked furious. His eyes narrowed, lips pressed thin, as the vein down his neck popped out in irritation. I could see the way he clenched his jaw, his golden eyes flickering in fury. He's mad, oh no- is he angry at me?
            “Fire Lord Zuko,” Kayto said quickly, bowing slightly.
            Zuko’s grip on my waist was tight, so tight that I could feel his fingers digging into my skin, I’m going to have bruises at this rate - “Long time no see, Kayto.” Zuko hissed, not bothering to sound happy at all. Kayto grinned, seemingly noticing the hatred in Zuko’s voice, “Aahh, Fire Lord Zuko, do you know Kayto? I just bumped into him, and we were just talking-” I awkwardly stammered out, but stopped when Zuko looked down at me, a mocking smile on his face, “Do you know who this man is?” Zuko snarled.
            “Uh, his name is Kayto…” I meekly spoke. Zuko smiled once again, but the smile on his face was far from genuine. It was so forced that it killed me to see, let alone have it directed towards me. He leaned into my ear, whispering so only I could hear, “He’s the Earth King’s brother-in-law.” For the second time this evening, I could feel my stomach in my throat. He was ‘the asshole’ that Zuko and Sokka talked about. Just my luck, the only man to speak to me during this whole party and it has to be him?
            “I’ll leave you two lovebirds be, and Imperial Consort Ying Yue-” I turned to face Kayto, forcing a smile on my face as I looked at him, “My offer is still on the table. I’ll never let a beauty such as yourself get defaced with a scar.”
            In an instant, I turned around, gripping Zuko’s gown in my hands, trying my best to prevent Zuko from lunging towards him. Kayto snickered as he walked away, laughing as he walked away unhurt as I struggled to keep Zuko in my grasp. Zuko was fuming right underneath my hands, breath heavy as he snarled. “Zuko! Relax; I didn’t know that was him!” I whispered harshly, trying hard not to attract a crowd.
            At the sound of my voice, Zuko looked down at me, pure disgust on his face, “Nice to know how you feel about scars. I guess I was just some pity case for you.” Zuko spat. My eyes widen, feeling Zuko back away from my touch - as if my grasp was venom, “W-what? Why would you think that?” I whispered, my voice cracking as Zuko stepped back, “Wouldn’t want a scar or else you’ll turn ugly. I get it; I heard it my whole fucking life. And to think, that you were the first person in my life to look past my scar - fuck am I stupid.”
            “Z-Zuko...” I whimpered, losing my voice as he swiftly turned on his heel and left me. My cry out to him just blended in with the rest of the chatter amongst us. My mouth felt dry, and my voice went as I watched his figure get smaller and smaller the faster he walked away. My eyes teared up as I clenched my fists - not now.
            Today was supposed to be magical, the first party Zuko and I attended to as a couple. But instead of happiness, I was standing with hundreds of people – alone. Zuko was nowhere in sight, probably just acting normal, being the amazing actor he was. Zuko was angry with me - he hated me. My chest felt like it was tightening as every breath hurt, a struggle. "Hey, Yue - you okay?" 
            I looked behind, Aang's brows pinched together as he reached forward, but I pulled away. "He hates me..." I whispered. Aang's eyes widen, "W-what are you talking-"
            "Aang...I love Zuko, and he-he…hates me."
            "You love Zuko?" Aang blurted, his eyes frantically bouncing around the room, looking for answers. "Yue, what happened?" Aang spoke sternly, pushing his glass of water to some waiter as he moved towards me. But I shook my head, pulling away once again, "I-I need to go. I'm fine - stay at the party. You have-you have things to do." 
            "Yue wait!" 
            I pushed my way through the crowds, leaving the party as I dashed to our bedroom. I can’t be there; I can’t.
            The guard's eyes widen seeing me and how flustered I appeared. I hastily pushed them aside, not bothering to greet them - too busy trying my hardest not to let my tears fall. I slammed the bedroom door shut; my shoulders slumped as I struggled to breathe.
            I just stood there, in the middle of the bedroom for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. So much had happened, so much and I didn’t know what to think. I could feel my legs weaken from underneath, my body tingling as I shook. Each step to the bed hurt, my eyes glazing over as Zuko’s words ran through my mind on repeat. A giant lump in my chest, a pressure that was just building and building the more I tried to breathe, to think.
            Something soft in my hands caught my attention, only then noticing that I had unknowingly grabbed the teddy bear Zuko gave me. The brown fur still warm from the nightly snuggles – Zuko’s warmth. My lip quivered.
            Take a deep breath Yue; everything is going to be – I cried.
            My knees curled up to my chest as I stuffed my face into the teddy, the poor creature soaking up all of my tears. “W-why doesn’t Zuko understand that I love him?” I cried, almost wishing that the bear would answer back. But instead, the teddy bear looked back at me expressionless. I held the teddy closer to my chest, my makeup running down my face as I crashed against the pillow.
            My body trembled as I cried, my throat sore and nose red.
            I love him.
            Every single thing about him.
            I didn’t care that he had a scar, that didn’t make me love him any less. With or without that scar, I loved Zuko. I shut my eyes as I wiped my nose with the sleeves of my dress, not caring at all that I was probably ruining the finest of silks. I looked at the bear, foolishly speaking to it as if it understood me, “I love him. But all I do is hurt him over and over again.” The teddy's soulless black beaded eyes stared at me, my reflection shining back.
            My hair was a mess, my cheeks stained, and I choked up once again, “I love- I love Zuko. Why didn’t I tell him right then and there? That I think he’s perfect?” I shut my eyes. I could hear the water hitting the window with a vengeance. The distant sound of thunder rumbling, the spirits way of saying they were upset about something.
            A pathetic whimper left my lips, exhaustion consuming me, I love you – why can’t you understand that?
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Copyright © 2019 Mystic-Kitten, inc. all rights reserved. No reposting, modifying, or translations of any kind allowed. Thank you for your cooperation. 
Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar characters portrayed in this story besides Ying Yue Jiang, Lia, Kima, and any future creations.
❤ Buy me a coffee? ❤
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deermi · 6 years ago
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Pink Roses | Part 2
Summarry: Chanyeol was coming everyday with his pink hair and a bright smile. You didn’t even bother asking what he wanted because he always bought one type of flowers. And one day he didn’t.
Gnere: Fluff
Warnings: Cheating (mentioned)
AU: Florist
Pairing: Park Chanyeol x Reader
Word count: 3k~
Author’s note: Wow, it’s longer than any of my previous chapters. You have no idea how much fun I’m having writing this series. There’s a little bit of a drama at the beginning, but what would it be without any? 
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I put my mug on the table roughly, almost spilling the coffee on the table.
“Oh my God!” my voice came out as a loud surprise gasp “What a-“
I couldn’t continue because Chanyeol reached over the table, and covered my mouth with his hand. The panicked look on his face made me take a quick glance to the side. Some people turned around to see what was happening at our table. Blush creeped on my cheeks when I realized that I must’ve almost shouted.
Chanyeol took his hand away and sat down on his chair once more, breathing out slowly.
I couldn’t stand looking at him. He wasn’t the Chanyeol I knew, he wasn’t all smiley and happy. He was the one who had always cheered me up, but now it was the other way round. The look in his eyes was so miserable, and the sadness painted on his face was breaking my heart.
“Sorry.” I muttered “But I just can’t believe that. I can’t believe she has cheated on you.”
He ran his hand through the pink hair.
“Yeah, I’m… I’m pretty shocked too.” his voice was so small I could barely hear it “I thought she loved me.”
“That’s what I thought as well.” I took another sip of my coffee “When I first saw you buying flowers for her.”
The moment I put the mug down on the table I realized that Chanyeol wasn’t looking at me. He was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, gaze fixed on the ground. But even from this angle I was able to see that his eyes seemed to be behind some clouds. There was only sadness in them, and I quickly noticed that he was starting to tear up.
“Oh, no, no, no.” I got up from my seat and sat by his side on the couch “Chanyeol, don’t even try crying  because of that sl-... Girl.”
He still didn’t look at me.
“But-“
“No ‘buts’.” I cut him, and placed my hand on his back in a reassuring gesture “If she was dumb enough to let you go then you shouldn’t be crying because of that. She clearly didn’t deserve you. If I had a boyfriend who bought me flowers every single day, I would never even think of letting him go.”
“So why did she do this?”
“Because she…” I stopped talking once I realized his eyes were still glued to the ground “I’m not going to continue if you kept staring the floor, Park Chanyeol.”
He didn’t respond in any way, so I grabbed him by his shoulders and made him sit properly. I looked into his eyes, my hands still pinning his back to the couch.
“She didn’t deserve you. She was dumb enough to let you go.” my voice was louder than before, but I didn’t care if other people were paying attention to us or not “You are that one customer that everybody would want in their shop. You are always being so smiley and happy and, oh my god, you are making me smile as well. No matter how bad my day is, your presence is somehow cheering me up, you know? And, come on, what customer buys flowers and gives them to the seller? And not only are you the person who comes regularly into my shop, but also you became my friend. Chanyeol, that has never happened to me before. I've never befriended a customer before, but I don't regret it. Don't give up on yourself and don't think that you are not important to anybody else because of one stupid girl.”
When I finished talking, I realized that Chanyeol was finally smiling. Not faking a smile, but really smiling. This was the Chanyeol I knew.
“Wow…” I muttered, taking my hands away from his shoulders and moved my hair behind my ear nervously “I must’ve sound really desperate.”
“You kinda did.” he laughed, making me grin immediately “But, being honest, that was the nicest thing somebody has said to me in a long time. Thank you.”
I suddenly felt warm, and a in the color of Chanyeol’s hair tinted my cheeks. I didn’t know whether it was because of what I had said, or because of his adorable answer.
“Hey, there’s no reason to be shy now.” he laughed and nudged me with his elbow “You told me that I’m always cheering you up, but our positions had switched for today I guess”
There still was some sadness in his voice, but it was much smaller this time.
“Yeah, they did indeed.” I looked up, hoping my blush was less visible “Are you still going to be my customer?”
“Don’t tell me that you see my only as a customer. I’m your friend, remember?”
“I know you are.” I scoffed ironically “But I was just wondering if you’re still going to visit me in the shop since you have no reason to buy flowers anymore.”
“Well, I don’t know much about plants and that kind of stuff, but that doesn’t mean I can’t come to you everyday. Actually, you should teach me something.”
“Really?” I laughed “You want to become a florist, or what?”
“No, I just thought that it would be better if I knew at least a few things about my friends hobby.”
In that moment, I realized that Chanyeol was probably the kindest and nicest person I had ever met in my life. Talking to him felt just right, and it was so natural. From the day we had met, I had never felt awkward around him. He was the type of friend everybody wanted. Compassionate, caring, generous, and always joyful.
“You should start with picking your favourite flower.” I said
“Come on.” he rolled his eyes “How hard can that be?”
A smirk appeared on my face.
“Harder than you think.”
The sky was gray and raindrops were tapping against the windows of the florist. I was cutting the stalks of forget-me-nots while humming to myself quietly. The sound of scissors was interrupted by loud bangs of big pots being placed onto the ground. Each time I looked up, I saw Chanyeol carrying them around the small area of the shop, from one place to another.
“You have no idea how much you’re helping me.” I said, trying to focus on cutting the plants correctly
Chanyeol let out a heavy breath and ran his hand through the pink hair, making it appear even fluffier than before. There was sweat of his forehead, but even though he was tired, the smile on his face didn't disappear. He walked up to me slowly and rested his back against the table.
“I'm aware of how much of a help I am there's no need to remind me. ” he joked and winked at me “You're lucky I had a free day at the uni.”
I rolled my eyes and cut the stalk of the last forget me not. Actually, he was the one who offered the assistance, but I didn't mention it.
“Ha, ha, ha.” my hands automatically grabbed the whole bouquet “Very funny.”
“I know.” he teased
“Okay, you're lucky that these flowers rare for sale because I would hit you with them right now.”
Chanyeol started to laugh, throwing his head back. It was so addicting that I started to laugh myself, completely forgetting about the flowers that I should've put into a vase. His company was calming and entertaining at the same time. With him by my side I was always feeling at ease, no matter how much chores I had.
“Stop making me laugh and get back to work.” I managed to say
“Excuse me?” he looked at me, his eyes wide “You are the one who made me laugh.”
“Because you started the talk.” I grabbed the flowers and finally put them where I should've before
“Because I finished carrying those things around.”
“Really?”
I looked around and indeed, all the pots were in the places I wanted them to be. The inside of the shop look just like I had imagined, before the new plants had been delivered. Despite the rain and gray sky, the colors of the flowers were almost glowing, making the small space appear bright and beautiful.
“You're fast.” my eyes scanned the entire room
“And sweaty.” Chanyeol groaned “I need a shower.”
“Yeah, I can smell it.” I teased with a smirk on my face “But being serious, this was the last bouquet. Actually I should've closed twenty minutes ago, so just let me take of the apron and we can go.”
I walked to a small bathroom at the back of the shop and washed my hands from all the petals, dirt, pieces of stalks. As quickly as possible, I took of the pink apron a grabbed my bag.
When I walked inside the main room, Chanyeol immediately noticed me.
“Ready?” he asked
“Ready.” I replied
The moment we opened the door both of us noticed it was pouring rain, even though it was warm outside. It's not like we hadn't know it before, but we must've forgotten. At least I did. In the morning the sun had been shining and I hadn't checked the weather forecast. That meant I didn't have my umbrella with me.
My eyes darted to the side hoping to see Chanyeol holding one, but I quickly got disappointed.
“You don't have an umbrella as well, right?” I raised my eyebrows
“Exactly.” he massaged the back of his neck with his hand
I threw my head back and closed my eyes.
“How am I going to get home?” I started to look for my phone in the bag “I think I should call a taxi.”
“Or you can come over my place.” Chanyeol suggested “I don't live far away from here.”
For a while I thought he was joking, but when our eyes met I realized he was completely serious.
“No, I can't.” I shook my head “I don't want to bother you and your roommate.”
“You won't.” he said “At least until it stops raining. Really, we'll be in and out.”
I didn't know if this was a good idea. I had never been at Chanyeol’s before, and he had never come to my flat as well. However, I didn't actually mind the idea of a small visit.
“Alright.” I sighed “But how do we get there?”
The huge, mischievous grin on chanyeol she face was enough of an answer. I didn't even have to hear his next words, they were unnecessary.
“We run.”
Before I could even stop him, he grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. His legs were much longer than mine so I thought that keeping up with him would've been almost impossible, but Chanyeol wasn't running at his fastest pace. The raindrops were falling onto our bodies as we ran. I shivered when I felt them dropping on the top of my head. However, I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud. Chanyeol did the same thing, and when I looked up from the ground I saw that he also had already been soaked. His hair was sticking to his forehead, what made it look so different than usual.
People on the street, who walked safely under their umbrellas or had waterproof coats, glared at us as we ran past them. We stomped into a few rather big puddles, making other pedestrians a little damp.
My clothes were soaked, my feet were drowning in my shoes, my wet hair was sticking to my face. But I was really happy.
We had ran for only about seven minutes, slowing down from time to time, before we reached Chanyeol’s flat. It turned out he was living in the top floor of a pretty new block of flats that I was passing every day while going to work. We entered the building and called the lift.
My heart was beating fast, as I took deep, loud breaths.
“This was the dumbest, yet the funniest thing I had done in a while.” I managed to say
The door in front of us opened and we entered the lift.
“Being honest, I'm really surprised you ran.” Chanyeol pushed his hair back with one of his hands, while he pressed the button with number 6 with the other one “I didn't think you have guts to do so.”
Form the moment we had met I had been considering Chanyeol as adorable, and nothing else. But now, with his wet hair pushed back and speaker t-shirt sticking to his body, he didn't appear like he usually did. He looked smoking hot.
“Running in the rain doesn't really requests much courage you know.” I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to stop thinking about the visible muscles of his arms and chest
“Depends of how much of a coward you are.” he smirked
The lift stopped and, when the door opened, we left in a complete silence. When I turned around, I noticed a huge wet stain on the floor where we had been standing.
“I don't know if I really should come over.” I hesitated “I don't want your flat to be all soaked up.”
“Don't worry.” he shook his head “We’ll try to do something about that.”
Chanyeol’s flat was in the corridor right in front of the lift. We entered the apartment and I looked around it. It looked almost exactly as I had expected. It wasn't enormous, but it wasn't tiny either. There was a sofa, a small table in front of it, and a tv. On the right there was a door that probably lead to the bathroom, and on the other side there was a short corridor. At the end of it, I saw two pairs of black doors - one to Chanyeol’s room and the other to his roommate’s. On my left, I saw and entrance to the kitchen.
“Welcome and feel free to make yourself  at home.” he said and made a circle with his hand, pointing at the room  
“You’re back.”
The sudden voice coming from my left made me turn around. I saw a young guy, who must’ve been Chanyeol’s roommate, resting his body against the wall. He was shorter than him, but he also was pretty good looking. But, while Chan’s hair was in the shade of baby pink, his was raven black.
“Yeah, I was helping Y/N in her shop.” said my friend
“Oh, so it’s nice to finally meet you, Y/N.” the shorter guy came up to me and reached out his hand “I’m Baekhyun.”
“Y/N.” I introduced myself and shook his hand “But you already know that.”
“Chanyeol mentioned you a few times.”
I raised my eyebrows cockily at the pink haired guy.
“Did he?” my tone was ironic
My friend shrugged indefinitely, but there still was a small, shy smile on his face. Before he could say anything, Baekhyun continued.
“Guys, I guess you've been running in the rain, but would you actually mind changing?” he asked “Because you're flooding the apartament.”
“Yeah, yeah. Give us a minute.” Chanyeol waved his hand and his roommate showed us thumbs up before returning to the kitchen
I bit my lip. I had nothing to change into, but at the same time I didn't want to leave.
“Um… Chan?” my voice was very quiet “I don't have any clothes with me.”
He looked at me, and scanned my body from my toes to the top of my head. When he finished he ran his hand across his face and let out a quiet groan.
“Damn, you're right.” he sighed “I'm sorry I forgot about that. I mean, I can lend you some of mine.”
I felt my cheeks heat up. It was very nice of him to suggest that, but I didn't know whether I should agree. I didn't want him to think that I didn't feel comfortable in his flat, or in his company, but at the same time I didn't want to bother him.
“S-sure.” I stuttered “Why not?”
“Okay…” he was staring at me intensely “I will be right back.”
He left the room for a minute or two, before returning with his black t-shirt and a pair short sweatpants in the same color. Chanyeol was much taller than me so it was obvious that his clothes will look extremely baggy on me.
“Here.” he handed them to me and pointed at the door on our right “The bathroom’s over there. You can change inside.”
I nodded, being too afraid of my voice being filled with embarrassment. The wet, pink dress I was wearing didn't feel comfortable, and it was sticking to my body revealing the shape of my bra.
When I closed the door of the bathroom behind me, and locked myself, I quickly took my clothes off. I gladly got rid of the dress and my bra. Actually, I didn't care that I was in a flat with two guys. I just wanted to take that damp thing off. Chanyeol’s clothes were so big on me that I was almost drowning in the t-shirt, while his normally short sweatpants reached the middle of my calves. Luckily, the top was oversized enough not to reveal anything underneath.
I looked at myself in the mirror and started to wonder whether his girlfriend had had those on as well. I sink my teeth into my bottom lip at the feeling of sudden… Something. I didn't know why I started to feel like I wanted to wear those and pay him a small visit everyday.
“You done?” Chanyeol’s voice came from the other side of the door, making me snap out of my thoughts
“Y-yeah.” I stuttered and quickly opened the door
He was standing in front of me, his eyes once more scanning my frame carefully. I felt like they were burning holes in my body so I started to nervously play with the wet dress I was holding. For a while, I thought I saw him swallow hard.
“Chanyeol, uh…” my voice was trembling, but I managed to control it “Chanyeol, where can I put my clothes?”
It looked like he didn't hear what I had said. He blinked a few times and shook his head slightly.
“You can put them in the bath.” Chanyeol’s eyes were far away from mine “We will wait until it stops taming. We can watch a movie, or… something.”
‘Exactly.’ I thought ‘Something.’
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thesunsethour · 6 years ago
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Little Les Mis Things ~ 28 Dec 2018
* okay so this is becoming a series
* let’s get started my guys
* DUBLIN EDITON
* KILLIAN DONNELLY BACK AS MY MAIN MAN JEAN VALJEAN!! he was perfect absolutely incredibly prefect. i saw him a year ago in london and then booked again for this summer but he was gone so when i found out he was gonna be in dublin i like ran to get tickets (i explained this all to him at 482994 miles an hour at stage door he was lovely). Killian is the best Valjean i’ve ever seen he hits all the high notes his acting is superb he just embodies everything jean valjean and i will treasure his stint as JVJ for as long as i live
* Katie Hall as Fantine was amazing!!! you really got the sense that fantine wasn’t this ‘can-do-no-wrong angelic woman’ but literally a young girl forced into terrible circumstances which Katie played SO WELL holy fuck. her acting with javert and JVJ was just stellar
* Javert was Nic Greenfields and he. was. INCREDIBLE!!! stars honestly had me in tears what the fuck man it was beautiful and he was like slowly getting more haggard as the musical went on and khlgkfk I LOVED HIM
* Cosette was Bronwen Hanson and she was the smiliest Cosette i’ve ever seen it was so pure you could really see her as just the embodiment of light and hope and her scenes with Marius was A+++
* Speaking of Marius, Mr Henry Apps made his professional debut during this tour and WOW!! astounding. he was awkward but not annoying and love struck but not sickening
* Enjolras!! Will Richardson!!! he had the good ass blond curls for this role GOOD ASS BLOND CURLS!! he was so good and his singing was beautifulllllllllllLll
* Éponine my love was Tegan Bannister and this was a solid af éponine tegan really made this role her own while still being éponine if you get me it was gr88888
* Thénardier was Martin Ball and need i say any more than he stole the goddamn show
* Mme Thénardier was Sophie-Louise Dann and hoooooooly shit was she committed to her accent it was brilliant and she was hilarious
* OK GENERAL THINGS
* there was no revolve like there is in london and so the whole staging was different and it was freaking fantastic
* they included all these little book moments like when valjean steals some money from a kid twas good
* killian donnelly is a fantastic actor and when JVJ is getting rejected by everyone at the start i was nearly on my feet like “STOP BEING MEAN TO HIM!!!”
* jean valjean got beat up so much in this production. someone help him. let him sleep. stop punching my boy
* the foreman really was fuming today and you could really sense the fear he pity in everyone
* fantine also got beat up by the other factory girls leave my girl alone please!!!
* her hair was so beautiful and when they cut it it was so sad
* fantines transformation from ‘virtuous’ to ‘lovely lady’ was never more pronounced then in this and you could see the early stages of her sickness and anger and hooooo boy it was emotional
* you could also see some of the other ladies getting sick and it kinda made out that they also died soon after and that’s so sad oh god
* when that prick who accuses fantine started babbling to Javert fantine had like kill bill sirens going on
* fantine practically attacked JVJ and was like “kinda all your fault bruh” and jvj has his sad puppy dog brooding face of oh no my morality it was dramatic
* javert: jean valjean was captured this morning” JVJ AS MLM: *freeze frame* huh whaaaaa
* who am I? 2!4!6!0! ONEEEEEEEEEE (high note thanks k!!)
* fantines death was so tragic i died too
* whenever a character dies a really bright white light shines on them store that info it’ll become important later
* when jvj met cosette he booped her nose remember that too it’ll become important later on
* master of the house was fucking fantastic best sequence in the whole first act
* thénardier not knowing how to bless himself when his wife says “it’s no more than us christians should do”
* GAVROCHE!!! my little man!!!!! LEGAND our little narrator
* montparnasse didnt have his hat babet did and i was sad
* however, montparnasse was fabulous and his acting choices (by leo miles) were superb and really book accurate he was always real sneaky and sly with perfect posture
* when cosette and marius met cosette dissolved into giggles and it really served to humanise that meet moment
* G R A N T A I R E ( ruben van keer) was the best grantaire i’ve ever seen. he was constantly drunk and drinking and hanging off people and you could see he reallyyyyyy annoyed enjolras BUT R and gavroche had the sweetest relationship (remember that, it’ll be important later)
* gavroche, standing on table: “lemarque is dead”
* enjolras, lifting him down: “lemarque is dead. hmmm. that’s sa- LETS USE HIS FUNERAL FOR OUR POLITICAL MOTIVES”
* all the amis were like “seems kinda soon? idk” but E was just so inspiring that they were like “hell yeah” after two seconds
* cosette was on her balcony and marius was below it ala romeo and juliet and when cosette rushed back into her house to come downstairs marius flung himself against the wall “IM DOING EVERYTHING ALL WRONG” lol drama queen
* attack on rue plumet- CHECK
* during on my own the entire audience seemed to have caught a coughing bug and were hacking up their lungs like SHH
* after on my own éponine walked upstage and the barricade like filled in behind her it was class
* éponine screamed in pain during a little fall of rain and honestly? i died it was so sad
* grantaire hugged gavroche so tightly after éponine died and kissed his head it was so gentle wooeowoowow i stan older/younger brother dynamics
* OKAY SO AFTER GRANTAIRES VERSE IN DRINK WITH ENJOLRAS RAN DOWN FROM THE BARRICADE AND THEN DIDNT HUG HIM AND I WAS LIKE HMMMMMM OK WHAT BUT THEN AS R STUMBLED AWAY EVERYONE IGNORED HIM AND HE COLLAPSED IN A CORNER BUT GAVROCHE RAN OVER AND HUGGED HIM AND FELL ASLEEP ON HIS LEGS CURLED UP IM N O T O K A Y
* bring him home murdered me
* it was so beautiful
* everyone listen to killian donnelly sing bring him home
* he got a solid 2 minute long applause it seemed like the applause would never stop
* since they didn’t have a revolve stage when gavroche went round to pick the ammunition you could hear him singing but couldn’t see him and when the first shot rang out all the barricade boys like jumped but then he started singing and climbing again and made it all the way to the top of the barricade before being shot, bathed in white light and collapsing into enjolras’ arms
* it was SO SAD
* enjolras passed him to grantaire who SOBBED
* and so instead of enjolras and grantaire hugging in drink with me they made had like a solemn moment of understanding over gavroches body and they both looked to traumatised and fuck
* fuck
* then as all the amis died on various parts of the barricade white light was shining in every direction and grantaire was the last to die
* when JVJ was dragging marius into the sewer he was just muttering little reassurances to marius like “come on now good boy there we go not long left come on please” and boy did that shit hurt
* enjolras was upside down in a wagon cause there was no revolve and javert piled gavroches body on top of him
* when thénardier woke JVJ up thénardier nearly karate chopped him it was hilarious
* turning fucked me up they all brought candles on stage and there was this little child there and oh fuck it was so sad
* BUT THEN
* during empty chairs marius walked into a stage filled with candles and picked up éponines one and all the amis filed on and picked up their candle and walked off as he sang and at the very end marius blew out éponines candle and raised the jar it was in like a final toast to his friends what tje fuck that’s sad
* during the wedding the thénardiers were so funny and all the wedding guests copied their ridiculous dance moves
* WHEN JVJ WAS DYING I WAS DYING HE LOOKED SO FRAIL AND OLD AND HE BOOPED COSETTES NOSE AS HE WAS DYING LHLKHKKHKHKG
* fuck off bye i’m broken that was so goddamn good
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evenstevensranked · 7 years ago
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#23: Season 3, Episode 3 - “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend”
Twitty’s new relationship with Allison Wong starts monopolizing his free time and Louis' jealousy emerges once again. Meanwhile, Ren and Donnie get caught up in some heated sibling rivalry for a change! 
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I love when “kid” shows grow up a bit and we get to see our characters in juicy situations -- Like, immature middle school relationships. LET’S GET INTO THE DRAMA!
We see that Louis and Twitty have found a hobby in "foam-hunk diving." Don't even tell me you didn't want to try this (or STILL want to try this.) If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that this episode inspired us all to foam hunk dive:
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One day during their routine excursion, Twitty notices Allison Wong standing nearby. It's so ridiculous (and slightly inappropriate?) how they have her drink from a water bottle in slow-mo while a deep voice sings "ohhhh, babehhhh" in the background. This is Even Stevens, not Baywatch. Louis encourages Twitty to go talk to her. Their conversation is awkward -- complete with a foam hunk sticking out of Twitty's neck. And I use the word "conversation" lightly because it's literally exactly what you'd expect interaction between two 8th graders to be like (a.k.a. The smallest small talk ever.) But, that's apparently all it takes for Twitty to return to Louis with the good news "She likes me!" and they celebrate by flailing around in packaging materials, as all mature men do.
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I would also like to point out the incredible name for the packing supply warehouse, which I just noticed today: 
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“PACKRAMENTO Packing Supplies” - Not only is the totally legit logo abnormally bright, terribly superimposed, and made on Microsoft Paint... but it’s one of the greatest and worst puns I’ve ever heard. 
Then it cuts to the subplot, where Donnie is preparing to give a rock climbing demonstration on... a giant rock wall that they've named after him. Why? I have so many questions. Was Donnie the school's star rock climber too? What middle school even has a rock climbing program? Lawrence Jr. High does because this is Even Stevens, fool. 
Everyone is there in the stands, including Twitty and Allison who have already started dating??? They're cozying up to each other and everything already. 
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ok they’re honestly pretty cute tho
Just as Donnie is about to do his demonstration, coach Tugnut interjects and performs a cheer for Donnie. This is so disturbing, lol. The opening line is "Donnie Stevens, muscles that bulge" - CALM DOWN, TUGNUT. He also says “Leading his teammates to a steamy hot shower!” Again: Holy crap, Disney. What de heck. Tugnut was definitely a coded gay character... and an unfortunately creepy one at that, dang. 
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Wexler, Donnie, and Tawny are me. 
He then insists that Donnie doesn't ~shine~ without an opponent, so Ren unwillingly volunteers by jumping up and screaming at the top of her lungs after Louis pours ice down the back of her shirt. This leads to a "family grudge match" (Tugnut's words) between brother and sister, which we seldom see and it's a cool lil switcheroo! The sibling rivalry is always centered around Louis and Ren specifically. So it's interesting to see what that dynamic is like between Ren and Donnie. Like, you forget that Louis and Ren have a brother sometimes! To Donnie's shock and embarrassment, Ren beats him. Uh oh. This births the main through-line of the subplot which is the two of them competing at literally everything ever in life after that because Donnie is being a sore loser. 
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At lunch that day, Louis’ jealousy takes center stage when Twitty invites Allison to eat with them. They’re all giggly and lovey dovey -- gushing about the fact that both of their names start with “Al” and they love strawberry ice cream but hate vanilla. Ya know, the kind of solid foundation all enduring relationships are built on. Louis ain’t havin’ it. Twitty even says that the two of them are going to craft club after school, when he usually goes to Louis’ house. God forbid.
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This scene also brought us one of my favorite Louis gifs:
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I can taste the salt from here. No one wears jealousy as strong as Louis Stevens. 
I’m just gonna wrap up the subplot now, like I usually do.. because they’re always much shorter than the main plot and so intermittent that it’s just annoying (and extra work for me lol) to keep going back and forth! Sooo yeah. Basically Donnie starts an unofficial battle against Ren over everything: Like who can put away groceries the fastest and a spur of the moment limbo challenge. I love the limbo scene, because how on earth is Steve in regular clothes one second and tropical vacation clothes complete with a coconut drink the next? Because this is Even Stevens, fool. 
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“This is like that impromptu family fun you see on television!” Steve says, as we watch them have impromptu family fun on television. That’s some sorta fourth wall type joke right there.
Donnie ultimately challenges Ren to a rock climbing rematch... and she beats him fair and square again. Donnie is cool with it this time around and adjusts his negative attitude towards losing! Yay! I also forgot to mention that Tugnut very harshly slapped Donnie’s butt before he started climbing at both matches. Yikes. Ren and Donnie are all happy and proud of themselves for not letting competition come between them, and Tugnut is miserable over precious Donnie losing to his sister. They should probably rename it the Ren Stevens Rock Climbing Wall though. The person it’s named after couldn’t even climb it successfully.
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I love this. It’s so nice, tbh. The end! 
Back to the Twitty and Allison drama. Twitty stops by the Stevens house after craft club and brings Allison along with him. Louis just about dies. He just can’t handle it at all. I’d like to mention that Louis was reading a “swimsuit edition” of Steve’s bird watching magazine as Twitty walked in??? What? Is it just pictures of girls in bikinis posing with birds? Why is that a thing? Because THIS IS EVEN STEVENS, FOOL. Twitty also brought a wind chime he made using sea glass and Allison puts it to the left of Louis’ bed. Later in the scene, Louis walks to the right of his bed and the wind chime hits him in the head. Twitty forgot to mention he also installed a brain and legs into the wind chime. This whole scene is kinda sad though because Louis tries to hang out with them, but everything he suggests is only suited for two people. Like a bunch of hilariously titled board games: “2 On a Plank,” “Two to Tango,” “Third Wheel,” and “Odd Man Out.” Sounds like a fun time! 
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I love how “2 On a Plank” shows, like.. 5 people on the side of the box. 
Louis clearly doesn’t know how to be alone or allow his friends to have other friends/significant others, so he immediately decides to replace Twitty any way he can -- Starting with asking Tawny to date him again. “As of right now, you and I are officially back on!” Tawny can see right through him as usual and tries to make him see that he doesn’t want a girlfriend, he’s just using her to fill the void. There’s a great bit here when Louis presents a daisy to Tawny and refers to it as a rose lol. That moment has been gif’d and literally has 400k+ notes on here! Wowie!
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Tawny’s words of wisdom fall on deaf ears because Louis turns around right away and runs to Tom as a last resort. “Welp, now you’re officially my best friend!” he tells him. As if it’s that easy. Despite sort of being friends, (I say ‘sort of’ because Louis tends to treat Tom like poo on his shoe) the two of them obviously don’t have much in common and Tom is way too uptight to be bffs with Louis. Tom is absolutely elated to have a “best friend,” though. :( He asks Louis if they should talk to each other before school in the morning to make sure they don’t wear the same thing, but Louis insists that’s not gonna happen. And he’s right... the chances of that happening are literally zero. But leave it to Tom to somehow manage to take “best friends” to the next level: 
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I’ll never understand how or why this happens on TV shows all the time. 
Louis tries to take Tom foam hunk diving with him, but Tom’s uptight nature sucks the fun out of everything. So much so, Louis just ends their new best-friendship right then and there. There’s only one thing I dislike about this episode, and that’s the way Louis treats Tom. As usual. It’s pretty hilarious though... Tom says he can’t hop the fence because he doesn’t have his fence climbing gloves. Oh my god. 
Louis attempts to go dive by himself, but it’s just not the same. It also makes him look like a crazy person flailing around in hunks of foam and beaming with joy by himself. I’d like to point out that “Louis” does a flip into the hunks, except it’s definitely not Shia: 
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Shia couldn’t do his own stunts??? lol. The flip was pretty simple! This dude’s wig is so different from Shia’s hair and he has a receding hairline. 
Just then, Louis hides as Twitty shows up with Allison and surprises her with the vat of foam hunks. She’s seriously unimpressed. She calls the idea of jumping into it stupid. One thing leads to another and they decide to break up, dramatically parting ways.
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I love how this screencap really illustrates that it was the foam hunks that tore them apart. Imagine? “How did your marriage end again?” “My wife wouldn’t jump in a tub of packaging materials with me.” -- This is why middle schoolers aren’t ready for relationships. 
Louis is beyond happy that they broke up at first. He’s just excited to have his best friend back. But, unfortunately.. all Twitty can do afterwards is mope around. He can’t stop thinking about Allison. This brings us to the end of the episode and the reason why I really like this one. In the end, Louis decides to put his friend’s feelings before his own and convinces Allison to go foam hunk diving with them. Awww. She pops up out of nowhere and pleasantly surprises Twitty! Tom shows up too and the four of them have a good old fashioned blast. 
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It’s like when friends get caught in the rain and have a cinematic, grand old time -- except this is Even Stevens so it’s foam hunks that fall instead. 
And that’s it! Idk man, I just always liked this episode. I’ve said it a million times but I live for teen drama lol. It’s just refreshing and entertaining whenever this show decides to explore relationships. We get to see quite a few here as well! There’s Twitty and Allison of course. But then there’s Louis and Twitty’s friendship, as well as Ren and Donnie’s rivalry. This one is kinda stuffed to the brim with it, but I really enjoy the main plot. Even though Louis was super jealous the whole time, the resolution always makes me happy. Just goes to show that he’s a good friend, even though selfishness can get the better of him sometimes. This episode also kinda doubles as a Twitty plot which is cool. Oh, and Shia does his “WAHHHH-HA-HA-OOOOOO!” scream at least 10 times in this episode. Five of which are in the first 2 minutes, so there’s that. I actually just realized that this episode is basically the same plot as All About Yvette, except reversed and less cheesy. I feel like I mention that episode a lot for some reason lol. 
I also want to let you guys know that I’ve created a Redbubble account to start selling some Even Stevens-related designs/products. I’ve been working really hard on the designs and cannot wait to post them!! Ahhh. I have so many ideas! haha. (Like *cough* Twitty-Stevens Connection band merch *cough*) It’s gonna be fun. I was inspired to do so because I saw that Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven and other Disney Channel “classics” have some new official merch for sale through Hot Topic. But of course... Even Stevens gets nothing. So once again, I’m taking matters into my own hands here lol. I always try to search for Even Stevens merch, but I can never find anything. So I’m making these products for myself as much as I’m making them for y’all. I’ll be sure to let you know when the stuff is posted. 
ALSO Brookwell/McNamara (the show’s production team) followed the blog on Twitter. I feel so validated and ~official.~
Thanks for reading! As always, I encourage you to chime in via Disqus below.
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allthekpopgifs · 7 years ago
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i was tagged by @hyunukhan​ ❤❤❤ thank you this was impossible lol so i basically just cheated
FIRST GROUP YOU LISTENED TO: the first one i remember is 2ne1 because the mv for It Hurts came up in the youtube suggestions when i was listening to jrock (i didn’t realize it was kpop when i listened to it though, i just thought it was cool)
FIRST GROUP YOU KNEW THE MEMBERS’ NAMES: super junior (all 15 of them!) because my little sister adores them and i was hoping we could bond over kpop lol
FIRST BIAS EVER: tablo was the first person who really drew me into korean music and i spent a lot of time looking into his past and being emotionally compromised because his story is heart crushingly sad (but has a happy ending, well not ending because he’s still alive, but you know what mean)
FIRST SONG TO MAKE YOU EMOTIONAL: expired by tablo (actually that whole album tbh)
TOP 3
top 3 fav male groups: • CNblue - the first group i searched for music videos online for (also the first group i saw live) • EXO and VIXX - the first groups i watched shows of (showtime and mtv diary respectively) • History - the first group i fell in love with that i kind of realized was underrated and made a post on tumblr begging people to love them
top 3 fav female groups: • Wonder Girls - Please Be My Baby was the first mv i saw that i actually knew was kpop • Spica - No More was the first girl group song i remember playing on repeat (along with Queen B’z Bad Girl) • The Ark - these girls really got my attention predebut with their powerful dance... lately Dreamcatcher and Gfriend have had my attention for the same reason (i’ve also got my eye on Apple.B, their debut was super cute but they’ve also done covers that show some power too)
top 3 fav solo artists: • Choi Sam - when she released trauma i felt my soul die and be reborn, if she collabed with Yongguk the depth of their voices together would physically transport me to another dimension or just outright kill me • Sunmi - after full moon i had to stop fooling myself and admit i like girls (i used to say that girl groups were good, they just weren’t my style haha silly me) • Lee Michelle - first of all, her vocals are out of this world, Without You is amazing, and also she raps
• Flowsik - (he used to be part of Aziatix where are eddie and nicky??) i love his voice and his style and i want to adopt him as my uncle (even though he’s too young to be my uncle) • Roy Kim - I Want To Love You 1:43 to 2:11 ......  not even half a minute long but i could listen to that part on repeat forever • Park Hyoshin - when VIXX’s Hongbin was fanboying over Park Hyoshin i though ‘must be some gorgeous actress’ and i was right about the gorgeous part at least. im so glad i took Hongbin’s recommendation... the first time i heard Wildflower i was totally blown away
top 3 fav songs of all time: three random songs im currently into • WhatDa - oh my god i am in love with this song right now. i love how Ato shines in this song, i love the drop at 1:30 (get it Bomb!), i love how it sounds dangerous... definitely going to be on repeat for a good long while • Secret Love Song - vocals and visuals from heaven • strange girl - let me see if i can explain this mv... so a super hero saves the twins from getting hit by a car, they pester her to teach them her secrets, (cue a hilarious twist on the classic gratuitous cleavage shot), amazingly synchronous dancing (i mean they’re TWINS), a couple guest rappers, a fun song, a great mv
top 3 male biases: times i cried because of boys: • lee seungtae... because he worked so hard, and because of the lawsuit and because he just wanted to sing, and because he took a bath on camera but not in a sexy way he was just there and it was so wholesome and i love him and i miss him and i truly hope he lives a life filled with contentment and doesn’t ever blame himself for what happened • when kris left exo, because it was the first time i experienced a member leaving a group, and i didn’t realize at the time that could even happen (innocent little me) • when Nu’est W announced they were coming back with aron, because I truly didn’t think he was going to stay, but he DID stay and i was so relieved
top 3 female biases: times i cried because of girls: • when i listened to yoon mirae’s black happiness and read about her struggle and saw all of the amazing things she’s been able to accomplish. she wins on every level, like she can rap and sing, she has a beautiful family and a prestigious career (she’s 100% as successful as her husband), she’s totally strong and badass and also soft and feminine • when amber released borders and i read her message and watched the video and listened to her voice and just... yeah... borders • that time yoohyeon said ‘i’m doing... a science’ and it was so cute that i laughed until tears were actually streaming down my face
top 3 fandoms you’re part of: • if anyone’s actually interested in my other fandoms (other than korean music and dramas)  i have a personal blog
top 3 choreographies: the last three that really caught my attention were: • rain • love whisper • these three
ULTIMATE
ultimate bias group: epik high was the first group i bought a physical album from (Remapping the Human Soul) tablo was the first one i knew, but tukutz and mithra have my heart too now ultimate male bias: the first time i heard leo speak i actually gasped (it took like 28 episodes of vixx mtv diary for him to say something okay lol) and my heart still does summersaults every time i see him smile because im so happy for him that he overcame his shyness to follow his dreams ultimate female bias: i am completely in love with actress and variety show host song jihyo. i adore her for not wearing makeup on tv and absolutely slaying, and also for wearing dramatic makeup and slaying once again, for being the only woman on running man for years and constantly holding her own, for her love of sleep and food and the members, and also that one photoshoot with the sword
wow this got really long and rambly, so if anyone’s gotten this far i’ll end with one very important message: PLEASE SUPPORT IMFACT THANKYOU
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youreghanamissme · 7 years ago
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Hey There, Brown Booger
a11/14/2017
It's that time of year again-- when I'll have to filter my tears, my sweat, and every drop of water imaginable because the rain has finished. The landscape has reverted back to its tan and dusty self. I can no longer leave anything of value near the windows overnight lest I want to a nice coat of dust on it in the morning. My boogers are red-brown, and soon, my hacking cough caused by the dust will return in full force. Moto drivers have already started to wear their face masks, some of which perform double duty as a fashion statement (fuzzy cheetah print is all the rage right now, y'all). It's been a while since I've sat down and typed about myself. I wish I could say it is because I'm a very, very important person who hasn't a modicum of time to spend on my arse, detailing the contents of my crazy life to the internet. Nope, nada, nein! Idleness is three-fifths of existence in country. Henceforth, the abridged capitulation of the past few months for my five readers out there (hey peeps!)...
I.       Wake Me Up When September Ends
Half a year later, and GLOW/BRO camp still lives! One of my favorite campers had been reminding me to visit her community for a while, and I wanted to! But life happens, so instead, I invited her to mine :) She's a Gonja by tribe, so I thought it would be cool to show her a little taste of how we live it up in the heart of Dagomba land. Her stay was short but sweet. She wanted to continue living a slice of my siliminga (foreigner) lifestyle, but she couldn't bear to be apart from her mother for too long. Her siblings don't help their mother out at the market. Honest, my few days with Gifty were some of the most rewarding and intense bonding moments I've had as a mentor. Spending time with her illuminated a fact of Ghanaian life that I already knew but never fully internalized until Gifty shared with me the hardships of her life—that children in Ghana are forced to deal with the burden of adulthood far too early. We cried, we laughed, we watched a lot of movies and played a lot of checkers... Youth camps may be a finite venture in the Peace Corps realm of projects, but I say participate if you can. Or, just work with youth through volunteership or something. If not for GLOW/BRO I wouldn't have met some of the most intelligent, self-motivated, and hopeful young people in Ghana.
Casa de Deeshini was lit in September! Thankfully not literally. The end of the month marked the Fire Festival, a traditional Dagomba celebration. The story goes something like this:
A long, long time ago a Dagomba prince went missing. His father—the Chief—and the community members scoured the land for him. At the edge of the community they found him asleep in a tree. They concluded that the tree was evil for stealing their prince from them. They rescued him, and to punish the tree, they threw flaming torches at it. And every year following the prince's abduction, they would set a tree on fire with flaming torches to commemorate the return of the prince and to penalize the tree.
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I wasn't able to go last year because I was at OpSmile in Tamale, so I knew I HAD to go to the one in my community this year or else I would forever regret it. And y'all... IT. WAS. LIT. ...LITERALLY!! I have never seen nor experienced so much energy in my community. Hell, I have never seen so many people out and about in my community. There was so much food and drumming and singing, and people were so, so kind. We made torches; we gave torches away; people gave us torches... I loved it. Every single minute of it. I got such a high from the cumulative energy of the whole experience. I invited a few PCV's to come and join in on the festivities where my community lit not one, but THREE trees on fire. We were conked after Tree #2 and headed back to decompress and catch some Z's, but I have never danced, screamed, yelled, sang, and ran with such intensity or felt such ecstasy as I have at Fire Fest. I truly felt beloved and accepted by my community at that moment, and I will forever hold onto those feels when PC life isn't looking so bright.
  II.    It's Scorpio Season, Bitches
October was so intense that I was barely in my community. I had a lot of workshop prep going on that took me out of site (more on that below). It was also my birthday month, the race in Accra, and Halloween (one of my Top 5 favorite holidays of all time)!
It was a little embarrassing this year. I forgot how old I was. I did the math and thought I lost a year of my life, culminating in one of the most pitiful weeks in the history of my existence (sorry, PCV friends who had to deal with my woes and existential crisis), but then I realized I did the math wrong and felt young and relieved (who needs to swim in a tub of virgin blood to retain your youth when you can just buy a calculator?)! Woo-hoo! But then it made me think... is my shitty memory due to the antimalarial pills or am I just truly deplorable in simple arithmetic? The jury is still out.
I celebrated my most recent revolution around the sun with my long-lost twin... who just happens to be from the other side of United States of America (South Carolina, holla at yer guuurl). Something was amiss when I found out that Allie and I both had an unhealthy obsession with costume/ period dramas, chiefly of the British persuasion. And then she told me she used to be a museum docent (!! One of my dream jobs!! Up there with bartender). And when I I found out we had the same birthday... OH LAWD.
It all made sense. We are basically the same person. Once our mutual love for Antiques Roadshow was uncovered, it was basically like the universe was fucking around. What else was there for us to do? Throw a joint costume birthday party, duh.
October 23rd, dudes. I made acquaintances write it on their calendar, and I'm not even ashamed.
But we celebrated the day before because, y'know, the weekend.
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She dressed up as Squints from The Sandlot (ugh, a classic!). I dressed up as a deadbeat-nik. Yeah, YEEEAH. Y'all aren't the only ones who didn't think it was punny/ funny. It's fine though. I chuckled to myself. It also gave me the opportunity to finally, after a year and a half, wear that beret that I got in Accra. KG had proclaimed time and again, “Di, I don't know why you bought that fucking beret. It's a million degrees outside. YOU'LL NEVER WEAR IT.”
I whatsapped her a photo of me in the beret.
It was super fun. Friends came and dressed up, even though some of them hate costume parties, DIY costume parties even more so. I had a grand ol' time, and I thank the folks who made it out and those who wished me a HBD.
A couple days after my superspecialawesome day was the regional Tamale Spelling Bee. My homegirl Sarah is involved with the organization/ event, having volunteered last year. It seemed like such a cool opportunity that I asked and received permission to help out too. I'm not well-versed in the logistics, but the brightest of the bunch in Tamale will travel down to Accra to participate in the national spelling bee. Ghana is the only country in West Africa that participates in the International Spelling Bee held by Scripps. The winner of the national spelling bee gets to go to America to participate in the Scripps competition. They also receive a cash prize (thousands of Cedis, dude), material gifts, and a trip to South Africa or something. Their teacher gets to accompany them too, so it's not just the student benefiting. It's such a cool opportunity, and I'm sad to say that the students (Primary 6 to JHS 2 are eligible) in the north do not have as great an advantage as those in the more southern regions, especially those from Greater Accra or Tema with their ipads and better, more consistent education. But to see the Northern students try their hardest made my heart swell. These students were so bright that some stiff competition will not diminish their shine!!
There were two parts to the regional contest. A written comprehension portion and a verbal spelling portion. The combined scores determined who was going to go to Accra. At the end of the verbal spelling portion, after students had been spelling for over two hours, many remained, but only five students were supposed to be selected. The spellers were exhausted, and somehow the MC of the event asked her boss, the event organizer, if he would allow to send the remaining six spellers to Accra. In a moment of unexplained virtue, he was convinced (sucks for that seventh student that was eliminated...), and the crowd erupted into cheers and whoops and whistles. Just pure happiness, y'all.
 After the Bee, the Accra International Marathon happened. I participated. I didn't die. #praisebe #underhiseye
It was awesome to see so many expats, Ghanians, children, and students participating in the race. I even ran into (not literally, thank jah!) a colleague from an NGO in the North at the 10K starting point! Pardon my smugness, but I wasn't last! In the scheme of life, it doesn't matter as much as the fact that I finished! WOO-HOO!! It was such a thrill. And I felt overwhelmed with joy when I heard the friendly cheers calling out my name near the finish line. These voices were familiar... these voices could only come from loud PCV's who DGAF!! It was bliss to see my friends there. The best thing to come out of training and completing the race was my new found appreciation for running. I have said in the past that I hate running. I often scream it at the top of my lungs when people ask me my views on the very subject, “I. HAAATE. RUNNINGGG!!”
I hate it less now. Part of it may be my assumption that “running” meant going hard, 100% of the time. I'm more lax about it. I walk a little here and there, and I always listen to a good podcast while I'm out completing a run. Take home story: if I can be converted to the Church of Somehow-Running, you can be too. Even though it often appears so, it's not some sort of cult. It just feels nice after you finish (It's those goddamn endorphins). I even kinda feel like a lump if I skip running for too many days. I'm hoping to one day train towards a half marathon and then, maybe, a full marathon, kindasortanotreallyidunno.
Whenever I'm in Accra, which is seldom, I try to couple my visit with a medical purpose because all medical distins are taken care of there. Sucks for folks in the Northern and Upper regions. I went to the dentist for some tooth pain that had been recurring for months. The PC Medical Officer had been telling me that we should “wait and see” about the pain for the past half-year. Whelp, I got it sort of checked out. It's a cavity, underneath a filling of an older cavity... probably. They weren't 100% certain since their x-ray machine was broken and they couldn't fix it before I left for the north. Dang-diddily-nabbit. Add that to my diminishing hearing abilities (to be checked out next time I'm in the country capital as well) and frequent questionable moles (sunscreen is moot when you sweat it all off), and I tell ya what—Ghana, maybe, has a vendetta against me.
  III. I'm An Unauthorized Authority Because I Have a Degree In This
I was chosen to be a trainer for the 2017 Nutrition IST (In Service Training). YASSSS. YAAASSSSS. Started as a participant, now I'm here!
It was a lot of work and planning, and my team was fabulous. The star qualities of this IST compared to the other IST's offered in country are that a female counterpart is required, that female CP's can bring their child, and that there are translators available, so English comprehension/ a formal education is not a requirement. The latter two solutions are imperative in overcoming many of the barriers that prevent women (the primary caretakers and often the MVP when it comes to nutrition in the household) from going to Peace Corps Ghana trainings. I am so proud that the Nutrition IST was so inclusive and mindful of the mamas.  It's empowering to the women that participate, and it's encouraging as trainers and as PCV's to witness their growth and excitement.
I have to give plenty of kudos to the Moringa Man and the Health PCVLT (Peace Corps Volunteer Leader-Trainer ?? I don't know. Too many letters in this acronym) for arranging curriculum that is interactive and varied to meet the needs of our audience.
The Ghanaian diet is mostly carbs and fats because it's cheaper to, say, pound a cash crop like maize into a ball and eat it with groundnut stew, a soup made of a lot of oil (more fat means more calories AND it helps preserve the stew) and another accessible crop, than to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Poverty already affects access to vegetables and meat. The dry season—a time when food is scarce and can be more costly to families whose plush harvest money has already been spent—makes good nutrition even harder. Knowing that food security is an issue, we did our best to come up with applicable alternatives that Ghanaians can explore, highlighting the nutritional benefits of staple crops but emphasizing the addition of others that are available in the market.
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We put the men to work in the kitchen!
We did a LOT of cooking demos, often with fortified recipes for existing Ghanaian meals. We discussed the benefits of breastfeeding, certain micro-nutrients during pregnancy, the correlation between food safety/hygiene and malnutrition caused by frequent diarrhea, and so much more. Because the crops and the culture of the northern regions of Ghana are vastly different from the southern regions, we had two separate workshops.
The best surprise is hearing updates from PCV's who attended and their stories about their empowered CP's holding space to talk about nutrition in their communities. Moments like these remind me of the reasons why I'm here and why I choose to stay. I have a lot more thoughts on the Nutrition IST that I'd like to spotlight in a post apart, just because there are so many facets to it. Look forward to it soon, hopefully haha
  It's November now, so I can stop listening to Christmas music in the privacy of my own room and start singing “Santa Baby” off-key in public. More updated posts coming somehow-soon (read: as soon as I finish my session plans for future nutrition IST’s, eek!)
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