#(forgot to add before she also has a tiny bag to put Cool Stuff in) (rocks. it's mostly rocks and pebbles)

[slightlytoastedbagel]

happy because kiddo IchiHona sad because we're never getting kiddo Kohane are we

[katiea03]

❣︎Moving In With The Haikyuu Guys❣︎

❣︎Warnings❣︎: None other then a tiny bit of spice 🤏🏽

❣︎Genre❣︎: Fluff

❣︎Featuring❣︎: Tanaka,Nishinoya,Akaashi,Kenma, and Ushijima

❣︎A/N❣︎: I really like this idea a lottttttt. I decoded to add a random drabble for when you guys are moved in too. It’d be pretty cool if you gusy sent request so send awayyyyyy. Anywhoo Enjoy :)

Tanaka:

Moving in with this man will be just as chaotic as him.

You guys had spent a long time looking at apartments because you guys wanted to be sure it was perfect.

So when you guys finally get the keys, Tanaka will be carrying you bridal style through the door and speeds around the place.

“RYU PUT ME DOWN!”

“Can’t babe, we gotta practice for later!”

He continues to speed around the apartment finally stopping in the kitchen.

He places you on the counter and looks at you with the widest smile

“This is it baby, just you and me.”

He gives you the sweetest kiss before throwing off his shirt off

“Let’s do this!”

If it was up to him, he wouldn’t of had you lift anything but you insisted on helping

But that doesn’t mean he’s gonna let you lift anything too heavy.

By the end of the day, you guys have successfully moved in all the boxes and the very few pieces of furniture you guys did own.

But you guys forgot to buy food… so ordering in it is.

I could easily imagine the two of you pigging out on Chinese food on the floor as you imagine how you two are gonna decorate the place.

You both were exhausted so after sharing a quick shower, you both passed out on the mattress the two of you had set up on the floor.

Tanaka held you extra tight that night, knowing every night would be as amazing as this one.

Random Scenario

You were enjoying a little alone time just scrolling through your phone while you waited for Tanaka to come home from the corner store. All you wanted was a bag of chips, so you were starting to get concerned seeing as he still wasn’t back yet. You knew something was wrong. You hear the door slam and you sit up.“What did you do Ryu?”

He comes from the hallway with a cage.

“Okay babe hear me out!”

“What is that?!” You stand up and walk up to him

“It’s a hamster.” You stare down at the cage with the tiny dwarf hamster as its little beady eyes blinked up at you. Shit its cute.

“I got the cage and food and everything she needs.”

Your lips turned into a pout “It’s a she?”

“Yup!” Dammit! You’re supposed to be mad.

“How much did all this cost?” You almost don’t wanna know.

“Don’t worry about it.” Tanaka places the cage on the counter and reaches into a plastic bag.

“Oh- and I got your chips.”

You were probably gonna strangle him… but he’ll live.

Nishinoya:

Moving in with Noya… is an experience and a half

And probably the most unorganized if we’re being honest.

This man didn’t label any of his boxes and kinda just threw everything together.

He also has a lot of stuff.

He’s traveled a lot so he has a bunch of knick knacks.

You guys walk into your small but homey apartment and he sighs

He looks back and forth between the kitchen and living area.

“Man the sex is gonna be GREAT!” You smack his chest hard.

“We have neighbors!”

“Oh yea!”

Will your neighbors hate you guys, probably.

Noya has music blasting as you move in all your stuff and it isn’t until after dark you guys get everything.

You close and lock the front door and wipe your forehead.

Noya walks into the middle of the living room and starts taking off his shirt

“Yu what are you doing?”

He continues to remove his clothes until he is stripped down to his boxers

“We have to set some rules in this house! Rule number one, no clothes allowed!”

He goes to remove the last piece of clothing but you run and stop him.

“STOP We don't have curtains!”

Does the night end with you guys “breaking in” the new apartment

Yes, yes it does 😉

Random Scenario

Living with Nishinoya taught you a lot. And you guys definitely learned a lot about each other. One thing is that he loves spa days. You guys have made it a tradition to have a relaxing day together full of face masks and long soaks in the tub every Sunday. He loves it when you tie his hair up with a scrunchie as you paint his face with clay masks. He surprised you one Sunday with matching bathrobes with your initials on it. You excitedly changed into it and followed the same ritual as always. You guys had gotten new bath bombs and best believe the man was excited. He always lets you get in first and he slides in behind you. You place the bath bomb in and lean against him as you close your eyes. He rubs his hands up and down your body as he lays soft kisses on your shoulders.

“You know I love you right.” He softly kisses the nape of your neck.

“Mmhmm I know. I love you too” You turn and caress his cheek.

“I could fall asleep like this.”

“Me too.” You get comfortable laying against his chest and try your best not to drift off in his arms.

Akaashi:

Akaashi would be the most organized when it comes to moving. Everything is placed away neatly in boxes and of course labeled (With his label maker of course).

He would never use garbage bags to pack stuff

He would have everything separated based on category.

For sure the thing that would take the longest would be his books.

This man has a mini library I swear

So best believe it would probably take a day to organize his books the way he likes.

“Oh my god why are these books so heavy.”

“Cause they are all hardcover”

He takes the boxes from you and you quickly realize that a lot of his stuff is his books

Of course you guys are lacking furniture for a while but that’s partially because you guys have a hard time deciding what pieces you should get.

Akaashi needed an office for sure with his job.

You would surprise him with a really nice bookcase, cause there is no way his old one would work here.

Random Scenario

Akaashi is a really hard worker, and though he is not exactly where he wants to be in his career, he still gives it his all. It is a pretty demanding job, so there have been many sleepless nights for him. He usually falls asleep a lot at his desk. Tonight was another one of those nights. You wake up in the middle of the night to see his side of the bed untouched. You sleepily climb out of bed and walk straight to his office. You slowly creek open the door.

“Keiji, are you awake?” You get no response. You walk further into the room to see him slumped over his desk with his glasses hanging off his face. You push the strands of hair away from his face and gently shake him awake. His eyes flutter open and he quickly shoots up in his chair.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep here.” He rubs the sleep from his eyes and sits up cracking his back.

“It’s okay, just come to bed. Your work will be here in the morning,” You take his hand and walk back to the room with him. He quickly slides back into bed and forces himself to keep his eyes open until you’re in bed with him. As soon as you are under the covers he knocks out. You softly brush your hand over his face before falling back asleep yourself.

Kenma:

Kenma isn’t exactly the easiest person to move in with. Not because of anything bad, but because this man just hates the essence of moving.

Packing up all your stuff to move it and to take it all out again

It really sucks

And it honestly kind of stresses him out.

Especially with his gaming setup. He was sure to pack all his equipment as best he could.

And during the moving process he didn’t have the time to stream so that kinda bothered him too.

But because of all the stress, he is that much more grateful when you guys have finished moving in.

With your help, he managed to put a temporary set up with his chair so he could finally stream again.

When it comes to decorating, he doesn’t really care. If you like it, he likes it.

Probably would ban Kuroo from coming over.

“Kozu, Kuroo is asking to hang out.”

“Tell him no”. He continues to focus on his game.

“Why not? You haven’t seen him in a while.”

“And I would like to keep it that way.”

You wrap your arms over his shoulder and kiss his cheek.

“Well I already invited him for dinner.”

You knew he secretly wanted to see him, he just had a weird way of showing it

And in the end, you three had a great night together.

Random Scenario

You are about to throw the switch at the television as Kenma won another round of Super Smash Bros. He sits back on the couch with a smug grin on his face and you kick him lightly.

“Again! I’m gonna beat you at least once!” You sit at the end of the couch leaning forward as you start the round for the twentieth time tonight.

“ You know, it gets kinda boring winning all the time.” He yawns.

“Oh shut up, I’m gonna win this time!”

“If you say so.”

You are practically slamming your hands against the buttons and it is doing nothing in your favor.

Kenma laughs out loud as your health bar goes down quickly. You quickly retaliate with the same kick over and over, blocking him into a corner. You scream as you get a lead on him and slowly take down his health.

“Stop using the same moves.” Kenma sits forward a bit annoyed as it is actually working.

“Don’t be salty now”

It becomes an intense match but you ultimately lose. You throw yourself over Kenma’s lap as you wrap your arms around his neck.

“It’s not fair!” You whine out as he lays his hands comfortably on your waist.

“You tried your best” He teased as you leaned in to give him a quick kiss. You lean back with a pout and get off his lap.

“What?” He stands up and reaches for you but you go running down the hall.

“You want a kiss, you’re gonna have to catch me!” Kenma questions whether or not he should take part in your juvenile game but it doesn’t take much convincing as runs after you.

Ushijima:

Moving in with Ushy Gushyyyyyyyyy😩 (I’m sorrry)

Moving in with Ushijima is surprisingly pretty easy

But the one condition was that you had to get house plants

And a lot of them!

But that’s okay, cause they are all your plant babies

(He names them all)

You guys also needed a balcony, it didn’t have to be a big one, but enough to have some plants outside as well as at least 2 chairs.

The apartment was perfect for you both. Plenty of space for both you and him along with all your babies.

Moving all your stuff was really easy and Ushijima didn’t let you lift a finger.

“Toshi can I please do something! There are so many boxes.”

“I told you sweetheart I got it.”

You crossed your arms as you pouted.

But you gotta say, for doing all the moving by himself, he got it done really quick.

And it was a nice view if you know what I mean 😏

Man rolled up his sleeves and mmmmhmmm

Anywhoooooo

The plants were last and you both took your time placing them around the house.

Did you have any furniture

No

But you have plants so you’ll be fine

Random Scenario

Your mornings started way earlier ever since you moved in. Him being an early riser stuck with you too. You climb out of bed wearing a big T-shirt of his and find Ushijima sitting shirtless with two cups of hot tea on the balcony. You open the sliding door and he turns around.

“Good morning darling.” You lean over and kiss his forehead.

“Morning Toshi.” You sit in your respective seat and he passes you the hot mug,

The sun is slowly rising as you both peacefully sip your tea. You lay your legs over his lap and his calloused hands run up and down your bare legs.

“Have you already watered the plants?”

“Yea, right before you got up.”

You mumble a response and continue looking out towards the sunrise. You listened as he softly went over his plans for the day; he was going to be super busy with practice. But that didn’t matter. In this moment it was just you and him and all your plant babies.

[newcaptainofsquad9]

Not So Korean Drama~Park Sooyoung(Joy) x black!fem!reader

Pairing: Sooyoung/Joy x reader

Genre: Romance, Comedy(not really), College AU, Fluff

Summary: The it girl on campus, acting major and international student, Park Sooyoung  is all you can think about. You aren’t the only one, every person has a huge crush on her too. You want to ask her out, yet in the back of your mind you know everything about it would be unconventional.

  Warnings: Anxiety, Mentions of bi-phobia (nothing major), Mentions of Microaggressions 

Word Count: 4,206

Author’s Note: Here’s some Red Velvet, I also decided to write more black readers because I want to write more for black women like me. Also I know this is very niche so I hope you guys enjoy it regardless if you identify with the main character or not. Hope you guys enjoy!

Sometimes I see this mediocre, yet funny life of mine as a television show. A world where I’m surrounded by so many generic people, well they aren’t really generic, just similar to one another. That’s usually how it goes at La Rouge University , or as most of the students of color call it, La PWI. It’s weird though, I don’t really fit in with the other black students either, nothing against them but I’m just more on the nerdy side. I know that doesn’t make me unique, but there aren’t a lot of nerdy black girls on campus. The only one I found was Brianna, who was close to Wendy and Yeri. I found my band of friends but Wendy can be a bit insensitive at times. That’s one of the reasons why I keep my budding crush on Sooyoung. Where can I begin about Park SooYoung? There’s so much about her that draws me towards her, well regardless of her sense of style, straight black hair and the ability to pull off any lipstick color. 

“Um, earth to Y/N?” Brianna asks. 

I blink up from my book, a page that I clearly checked out from. I totally forgot we were in the library of all places, whoops. Of course Brianna’s holding a smug grin while she taps Yeri. 

“Look, Y/N’s lost in thinking about Sooyoung’s eyes,” she teases.

Yeri giggles as she takes Brianna’s hand tightly. 

“I know right, I don’t know why you don’t just ask her out already,” Yeri says. 

I cringe at how loud she said it as Wendy approaches our table with her usual blue sweatshirt, tan pants and bag slung across her shoulder. She must have gotten from her English class since she’s clutching her literature book for dear life.     

“Who’s asking who out?” she asks as she pulls up a seat. 

“Um, no one,” I say quickly. 

Wendy throws a deadpan look my way. 

“It’s gotta be about you Y/N,” Wendy notes. “You’re the single person at the table and if Bri and Yeri were cheating on each other I’m sure they wouldn’t discuss it in front of each other.”

Both Brianna and Yeri shrug as they link arms and kiss each others cheeks. 

“You haven’t found someone else, have you babe?”Yeri whines. 

Brianna nuzzles against her cheek. 

“You know I haven’t jagi,” Brianna coos. 

Yeri giggles at the pet name she taught Bri, earning a kiss on her lips. They’re cute, teeth rottenly so, but I always wonder how they got together. Of course they’re in the same major and have an obsession with Boba tea but what about their obvious racial differences, with Yeri being Korean and all. I’m curious but then again, it’s not my place to ask. It’s their relationship. 

“So, are you gonna tell me who it is?” Wendy asks while she pokes me with the end of her pen.

“Nobody,” I say.“None of your concern.”

Wendy pouts as her pokes grow faster. 

“Ah come on! You were fine with telling Yeri and Bri about it!” she groans.

“Yeah, but you’ll just kill the vibe,” I explain, “plus you know them so.”

Wendy gasps. 

“Really? Ah! So it won’t be hard to guess!” she says.“Is it Minseok from the Starbucks?”

Yeri giggles. 

“Uh, it isn’t a he, Wendy.”

Wendy blinks at Yeri’s statement as I send a Brianna a knowing glare. She nods and pats my hand. 

“Oh, I didn’t know you were into women, Y/N,” Wendy says. 

“Yeah, but I’m still into men too Wendy,” I say. “But yes, this crush is on a woman.”

“Oh ok,” Wendy says. “I didn’t know that was your thing but ok.”

I hold back my words, but Brianna doesn’t. Thank God.

“And what’s that supposed to mean Wendy?” she asks.

Yeri pinches the bridge of her nose as Wendy glances at each of us in confusion.

“What?” she asks.“Aw, did I overstep again?”

I nod sharply when Brianna scoffs. 

“Took a giant step over the line,” I say. “I’m bi.”

Wendy’s eyes soften. 

“I-I’m sorry Y/N,” she says. “I hadn’t realized and you never talked about it with us.”

“It’s fine,” I tell her with a pat of her hand. 

“So,” Yeri says, breaking the tension.“When are you going to ask her out?”

Fortunately Wendy’s all smiles again, yet she goes to asking me again.

“So, who is she? Oh! is it-”

I don’t even register who Wendy’s talking about as my focus shifts towards the entrance of the library. The double doors slide open, slowly (maybe its my hyperactive mind) and steps in the woman herself. Park Sooyoung. Of course she’d step in now of all times with her stylish tan trench coat, white turtle neck and dark skinny jeans. Just like in the TV shows she brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. Ok it is my hyperactive imagination, she’s even walking this way. Shit, no that’s actually happening. Wendy pokes me again. 

“Y/N? Oh!” she gasps, realizing. 

Sooyoung steps up to our table with a tiny smile and a wave. 

“Hi Wendy, Yeri,” she greets.

Her attention shifts over to Brianna and I. Me. Park Sooyoung is looking at me. 

“Oh! This is Y/N,” Yeri says as she squeezes Brianna’s hand. “And this is my girlfriend, Brianna.”

Sooyoung grins, flashing a few of her teeth as she bows slightly, reaching for Brianna’s hand, shaking it then holding it out to me. I. My skin flares as my words begin to disperse. 

“Nice to meet you,” Sooyoung says. “Brianna. Y/N.”

Her attention is back on me, her eyebrow raised as she notices that I haven’t taken her hand yet. I grip it quickly and shake it just as swift.

“N-Nice to, meetyoutoo!” I manage to blurt out. 

Sooyoung turns back to Wendy. 

“I just wanted to ask if Professor Philip put the PowerPoint online,” she says. “I had to miss lecture today because of rehearsals.”

Wendy waves her off. 

“You’re in the clear,” Wendy reassures. “He’s going over it again next class.”

Sooyoung releases a breath of relief, another smile engulfing her striking features yet again. 

“Thank you Wendy,” she says.

It’s as if the entire library started to notice Sooyoung, guys start to pop up that I don’t even know. I know one of them, Jackson Wang, a friend of mine, we aren’t close, yet I didn’t know he knew Sooyoung.  

“Yo Y/N!” he greets. “Bri, Yeri, Wendy!” 

He then turns back to Sooyoung.

“We should get going,” he says. “JB and Bam Bam are waiting.”

“Ah, you’re right!” Sooyoung exclaims. “It was nice meeting you both, see you guys around!” 

And just like that Sooyoung’s gone and around the corner with Jackson flanking her. Are they a thing? Last time I checked Jackson was endlessly flirting with Namjoon, the library’s part time receptionist and full time genius. I’ve confided in Jackson about my sexuality before, but I’ve never talked to him about Sooyoung. Oh God, they must be dating.

“Y/N, Y/N you still there?” Yeri asks.

I turn my attention back to the table. Brianna holds a shit eating grin as always, Yeri tries to stifle a laugh while Wendy narrows her eyes at me.

“Sooyoung,” she says. “You have a crush on Park Sooyoung.”

“Not just a crush,” Brianna notes. “A school girl crush, I know you saw how nervous Y/N got. She could barely speak.”

I hunker down further in my seat as my face flares again.

“Shut up,” I groan. 

Wendy giggles. 

“It’s cute Y/N, but I’m not sure if Sooyoung’s-” she pauses prior to continuing. “You know.”

I get an uneasy tingle from Wendy’s words. She’s right, what if she isn’t into women. What if she doesn’t like black people? Another stab that would hurt more.

“What Wendy?” Yeri asks. “Gay or Bi? it’s ok, you can say it.”

Wendy frowns. 

“Guys, I don’t mean to come off like that,” she groans. “I just don’t want her to get hurt. Sooyoung hasn’t been here in the states for a while, I’m not sure if she’s-accepting.”       

“Well if she’s hanging out with Jackson, who’s big bi energy by the way,” Brianna explains. “She’s got to be somewhat accepting.”

Yeri’s eyes soften at me as she reaches for my hand.

“That doesn’t mean you should give up,” she says. “Just talk to her.”

I slip further down into my seat, it’s easier said than done. Sooyoung’s an international student which means she only hangs out with other international students. I only know two of them: Wendy, born in South Korea but studied in Canada prior to moving here and Jackson who moved here from China on a football scholarship.  They’re friends of course, but even they blow me out of the water with their style and the looks they get from students. Sooyoung especially. 

“I guess, ah look at that!” I say while getting out of my seat. “I got class in ten.”

Brianna grins. 

“Your class doesn’t start until 3:30, it’s only 3:05.”

I nod with a quick smile.

“I know!” I say. “I just need to get away from this conversation. Talk to you guys later!”

I’m out and away from the table before they can utter a goodbye.

***

Class was dull as usual. Thankfully it ended before my eyes glazed over and I can grab some dinner before heading back to my dorm. The classroom empty's out quickly, I rush to the exit of the building, ready for that cool air to hit me. 

“Ey! Y/N!” a booming voice calls.

I turn to see Jackson. He’s clad in his black and red Letterman jacket with the letters L and R embroidered on the front. His hair’s also gelled back to perfection, it looks awesome might I add. 

“Hey Jackson,” I say. “What’s up?”

I slow my pace for him to catch up with me from down the hall. The cool air hits my face, I sigh, then turn to Jackson, who’s already behind me as I hold the door for him. 

“Thanks,” he says as he stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “You done with classes for today, right?”

I nod sharply. 

“Yep, you?”

Jackson chuckles.

“You know I don’’t have classes on Thursday,” he notes. 

I roll my eyes. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have asked. That’s what I want to say, but I restrain. I find myself doing that a lot here at La Rouge University. Don’t want to come across as that kind of black girl. Sure, Jackson and I are cool, I just don’t want him to put a thought into his head. I’m sure he’s seen many stereotypes of black women, black people in general. I don’t want to put that risk out, especially when Brianna and I have to had many talks with Wendy about it.       

“Hey,” Jackson says softly. “You good?”

I blink up at him as we stroll through the courtyard with the wind nipping at our skin. 

“Yeah, uh, I’m fine.”

Jackson smirks and leans closer to throw an arm around my shoulder. 

“So, Miss Y/LN,” he starts. “Tell me, how long has your little crush been a thing?”

I jolt at his words.

“Huh? C-crush? Nah, uh what do you mean a crush?”

Jackson chuckles and bats his eyes jokingly. 

“Don’t play coy!” he exclaims. “You looked like you were going to pass out around Sooyoung.”

My skin burns at his words. I wasn’t that obvious, was I?

“I-I, um, Sooyoung, who? Never heard of her.”

“Sure Jan.”

“When the hell did you watch the Brady Bunch?” I ask.

Jackson shrugs.

“I watched it with Yeri last weekend, you should have came over. I heard its a major part of American slang and memes which are hilarious.”

I nod in agreement. 

“Yeah, let’s discuss memes instead of Park Sooyoung oh-”

Jackson jabs his finger at me.

“You even know her last name, ha!” Jackson says. “You’re totally crushing right now.”

I sigh in defeat. 

“Fine, yes I like her all right. It’s not a big deal anyway.”

Jackson frowns. 

“It totally is,” he says. “Sooyoung and I are friends, along with classmates. I even know her schedule, for class and drama rehearsals.”

“Oh nice,” I say.

“I know that she’s free right now. Chilling at Reveluv Cafe, going over her lines, drinking some coffee or what not, looking stunning.”

I flush and cross my arms. 

“Yeah, probably flocked by drooling people,” I say. “She’s too stunning for her own good.”

“Yes, but unlike those drooling losers you’re going to talk to her.”

“I’m sorry, what? Jackson, no way,” I say. “She’s an actress, didn’t she act in a couple of K dramas?”

Jackson nods.

“Four actually,” he clarifies. “The first three were cameos, but the latest one she played a huge supporting role, over shadowed the male and female leads.”

“That doesn’t make my situation any better,” I deadpan. “she’s got status in her home country, gorgeous features and a promising career ahead of her. What the hell do I have?”

Jackson’s arm tightens around me.

“You’re sweet, pretty and nice to talk to,” he says. “You also have a career ahead of you crazy, that’s why you’re studying remember?” 

“You’re a friend,” I groan. “You’re inclined to say that.”

“Yeah, but even before we became friends, I always found you hot,” he admits.

I elbow him playfully in the ribs.

“Jackson Wang! Stop playing!” 

Jackson shakes his head.

“I’m dead serious, black women are sexy. And you definitely aren’t the exception.”

“Stop!” I laugh and playfully push him away. 

“What?” he chuckles. “look I know you find Asian guys attractive too! And I know good and well you like Asian women.”

He narrows his eyes and wiggles his eyebrows.

My face heats up as we enter the library for the second time today.

“Is there anything I can do to make you stop?” I joke.

Jackson nods.

“Talk to Sooyoung,” he suggests. “Hey, I can help! Start the conversation!”

I just stare at him as he puts his hands together. 

“Please?”

“Fine.”

***

Reveluv cafe is bright, a little too colorful for my taste, but still homey and comforting. The walls are covered in various fruits, some hand drawn and neon to bring, I guess variety. It’s cute. Even the floor is bright red, leading up to the counter that’s decorated with other tropical themes, the employees even wear sashes and white uniforms with fruit based buttons.

Jackson leads me to the lounging area of the cafe which has an area of circular tables and higher tables near the windows. Sitting at one in the corner at the far back is Sooyoung, her straight hair spills down her cream colored turtle neck. Her head’s down in a book, she’s transfixed on the page. 

“Jackson, maybe we shouldn’t-”

“Sooyoung, hey!”

Damnit Jackson.

Sooyoung’s head jerks up as a soft smile graces her lips. 

“Jackson, hi!”

I watch from behind Jackson. He walks up to Sooyoung, she stands and engulfs him in a hug. 

“How are lines going?” 

Sooyoung giggles.

“Great so far! What brings you and-” she pauses to look at me. “Hi, Y/N, right?”

I nod sharply. God, she remembered my name.  

“Yeah, hi Sooyoung.”

Jackson smirks with a knowing glare at me. Hasn’t this man clowned me enough?

“Y/N here was just nervous to speak to you.”

My hands start to tremble as Sooyoung looks to me with confusion.

“Why?” she asks. “You’re friends with Wendy and Yeri, so by default I think you’re cool.”

Wow. Park Sooyoung just called me cool. 

“Oh, she is,” Jackson declares. His mouth opens to say more, yet a slight buzz in his pocket stops him. 

“What is it?”

Jackson takes a look at his phone quickly before grinning back up at me, then Sooyoung.

“Sorry ladies, I kind of have a study date with Mr. IQ 148!” 

Sooyoung’s brows furrow. 

“Um, who?”

“Namjoon,” I say. “Jackson! Ah!”

I take his arm and whisper.

“You can’t leave yet,” I groan. 

Jackson pats my arm. 

“You got this babe, I promise to give you all the details with Namjoon if you give me the details you get with Sooyoung.”

God, this man is incorrigible.

“If I fuck this up you owe me so many smoothies.”

Jackson chuckles.

“You got to try first sweetie, she’s cool, you’ll see.”

Jackson says a quick goodbye to the both of us.

I turn back to Sooyoung who’s looking dead at me with her hands behind her back. 

“Would you like to sit?” she asks with another bright smile.

“Yeah, uh sure.”

She gestures to the empty seat across from her, I slide into it quickly, Sooyoung follows. 

“So, are you an English major like Wendy?”

I shake my head. 

“No, actually I’m a creative writing major.”

Sooyoung’s face lit up as she took a swig of her coffee.

“Really? So, you write your own books and stories?”

I nod, and try to hide a smile behind my hand. Her attention is fully on me. 

“Yeah, but mostly poems though,” I say, pausing once I meet Sooyoung’s eyes. I don’t finish, God I can hardly face her. If Jackson can see it than its got to be obvious to her.

“Y/N?” she asks. “Are you ok?”

“Y-Yeah, I-I I just-”

Sooyoung’s eyes soften as she takes my hand, which is already starting to get clammy and sweaty. 

“It’s ok, breathe,” she coaxes. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

I giggle, the action eases some of the anxiety. My heart rate goes down a bit, just a bit because Sooyoung’s hands are still over mine.

“I-I guess not to judge me, or freak out even,” I say. “I know we’re different, ok. And we’re both women.”

Sooyoung giggles, teeth baring rather sweetly.

“You’re cute,” she coos. “Yes, you’re American and-”

“Black,” I blurt. 

Sooyoung nods.

“Oh, I didn’t even notice,” Sooyoung jokes. She raises our interlocked hands together drawing my attention to my brown hand and her lighter, almost porcelain one. “Why? Is that an issue? Is that what’s making you so nervous?”

“Part of it, the truth is, I like you,” I admit. 

Sooyoung’s eyes widen, forcing me to pull my hand away from her own. She draws back to as she tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. My trembles don’t die down, but the flaring in my chest does. I nod as my eyes travel down to the table, I can’t look at Sooyoung right now. Of course I made a fool of myself.

“I uh, I can leave you alone now-”

“Wait, Y/N!”

She grabs my wrist before I can get up, it startles me. 

Our eyes meet again, Sooyoung giggles, the confidence she oozes makes me glance down at the legs of her chair. 

“Can I admit something too?” 

I nod, she then sighs lowly. 

“Can you look at me? Y/N?” 

Before I can register her question warm fingers juts my chin up, forcing my attention on her face. She smiles and I swear her eyes lingers down at my lips for a moment prior to moving back up to my eyes. 

“I’m flattered,” she whispers. “You’re really pretty, I’d love to go out. Maybe next week, if that’s ok?”

“I, um, yeah,” I mutter. “I-I’m looking forward to it.”

***

Weeks come and go. The teasing from Jackson, Brianna, Yeri, even Wendy (surprisingly) continues as the dates with Sooyoung get frequent. We’ve start to hold hands even, which is a huge step for me (Sooyoung initiated it first of course).  Dating Sooyoung has been surprising to say the least, she’s even more flirty now that we know more about each other, which makes me more anxious to be around her now. It’s fun to be around her, she’s interested in aspects of American culture that she doesn’t know much about. One in particular being memes, thanks to Jackson himself and even slang. It rubs me the wrong way to hear her say, ‘sup sweetie’ at times but she’s still learning. Right? I’m just thinking too much into it. I’m sure she won’t start talking black and Jackson learned not to from me, along with a quick, yet needed scolding from Brianna.  

 I arrive at Sooyoung’s apartment a sweaty mess. This is the first time I’ve been to her apartment and I already feel like I’m gonna mess this up. She talked about living with someone, but what I didn’t expect was a stunning woman with straight, blonde hair to answer the door. I don’t remember seeing her around campus, I’m sure the people would flock to her as much as they flock to Sooyoung too. 

“Hi, uh,” I pause at how intimating she looks. “I-I’m uh, Sooyoung invited me.”

The woman chuckles as she gives me a quick once over. 

“You must be Y/N,” she notes. “Come in.”  

She steps aside for me which I do. 

The house looks like a loft inside: a low, white couch sits in the middle of the living room, a flat screen hugs the far wall, the carpet is clear and fluffy covering most of the floor, leading to the staircase. 

“Joohyun!” Sooyoung calls while rushing down the stairs. “Y-Y/N, hi.”

I give her a tiny wave as Joohyun chuckles. 

“Well, I’ll leave you to your date,” Joohyun says with a quick wink at me and a narrow eyed glare at Sooyoung. 

“How long are gonna be out unnie?” Sooyoung asks. 

Joohyun giggles and raises an eyebrow.

“Why?” she asks. “You both aren’t going to have too much fun, are you?”

My eyes scan down to the carpet to memorize how spotless it is. 

“Joohyun! Y-You’re so embarrassing!” Sooyoung exclaims. I see her black sock covered feet next to mine. 

“All jokes Sooyoung,” Joohyun explains. “I’ll be staying at Seulgi’s tonight. It was a pleasure meeting you Y/N.”

“Same here,” I say. 

When I meet Joohyun’s eyes her intimating demeanor disperses. An easy, toothy smile now replaces it. Once she waves and is out the door, Sooyoung’s hands are on my face. 

“I’m so sorry about her,” she groans. “She didn’t frighten you too much, did she?”

“Not really,” I admit. “Does she always do this to people she doesn’t know?”

Sooyoung giggles.

“Yeah, she’s just protective is all,” she explains. “Now, would you like to watch the show here in the living room or.”

She steps up to rest her hands on my sides. 

“My room could work, I have plenty of stuffed animals,” she suggests. “We could cuddle.”

She smiles, my heart flutters as she intertwines our hands together. I lose my breathe as she steps closer, our faces suddenly an inch apart. She’s using a bright, red lipstick, perfect at this distance. Kissabl-

“Can I kiss you?” she asks.

I nod, she tilts her head to the right before our lips meet. Her lips are smooth, with a cherry taste. I didn’t even know lipstick could taste this good. She smiles against my lips, her hands wind themselves around my waist in order to deepen the kiss. Sooyoung’s fevered kisses keep my lips moving with her, it continues until I run out of breath, forcing me to pull away. 

“How was that?” she asks prior to biting her lip. 

“It was I-”

It takes me a minute to gather my words. I never kissed a woman before and that was-

“Amazing,” I manage to say.  

Sooyoung chuckles lowly, takes my hand and leads me to the couch. 

“Yeah, would it be dope if we continue?” 

I cringe at the word dope, she notices right away.

“What is it? I’m rushing things aren’t I?” she asks.

I shake my head, but think about it for a moment. I want to have this conversation about our different cultures. Of course it’s something we’re got to talk about but why do I feel as if its so awkward? It’s just a few words, right? I just don’t want to come across as that kind of person. That kind of black person especially. 

“Y/N,” Sooyoung says. “Are you ok?” 

“Yeah, it’s just uh,” I pause to finally form coherent words. “Slang, it’s um kind of weird when you say it-not saying that it’s bad or anything its just.”

I pause again to sit next to Sooyoung, who listens intently. 

“It’s your thing, right?” she asks. “As an American?”

“As an African American, as a black person,” I say. “I just don’t want you to use certain terms without knowing where they come from. I’m curious about Korean too, but I want to go by it respectfully. I want to respect you.”

Sooyoung’s eyes lighten up, her fingers play with my right hand as a smile spreads across her face.

“I want to respect you too jagi, ah! To be honest I got most of those words from Jackson anyway.”

I roll my eyes. 

“I’m not even surprised.”

“So, can we still watch the drama?” she asks with a playful frown.

“Of course!”

Sooyoung lets out a delighted giggle, presses a quick kiss to my cheek and moves to turn the flat-screen on. Maybe dating Park Sooyoung wasn’t going to be so difficult after all. 

[drivingsideways]

WIP Wednesday

So @rain-hat​ said I should post a bit from the latest fic so she can read it (properly formatted and not in a chat window, I think??), so here’s a bit from an as yet untitled fic set post-canon verse TKEM, featuring our favourite cop-who-got-a-different-life and also orphan-who-got-a-different-life thanks to Lee Gon being a total ass. 

The White Lily Orphanage isn’t a state organization, instead it’s run by the nuns from the Sisters of the St.Paul of Chartres Convent, one of the earliest established Catholic orders in the Kingdom. It’s not a large home- they have the ability to take in around twenty children at a time, though at the moment they have only half the number. The youngest right now is a three year old ball of sunshine, Jia and the oldest is the lanky fourteen year old Jihun. Hyeon-Min has been attending Mass at the church attached to the convent with eomma since- well, since he was ten.

(God sent Prince Buyeong to us, eomma had said, having found God via the kindness of a stranger, we must be grateful.

Hyeon-min had accepted her explanation then, and now, twenty years later, he doesn’t feel the need to tarnish her faith with his cynicism. He maybe agnostic about God, but he knows that the sisters are kind, that they try to do their best by their young charges, and that’s enough.

He knows enough about the world that he believes that one of its rules should be to pass on the kindness of strangers.)

He parks his bike and grabs his gym bag with the change of clothes, noting a rather beaten up looking sedan in the parking lot. Perhaps there were some potential adopters visiting today, not a very frequent occurrence.

The rates of adoptions in Corea were low, compared to the number of children who needed families. Usually, children who lost their parents were taken in by grandparents, if they were still alive, or the parents’ siblings, if they were not. The ones who ended up in the system- they were truly society’s rejects, the ones who had no one left who cared about them; a patrilineal society obsessed with bloodlines didn’t see them as anything but an inconvenience, or a shameful secret. That their own king was an orphan was not a hypocrisy; Lee Gon was king first, orphan second.

The slack with respect to the less nobly orphaned was picked up by religious or charitable trusts, and only a little by the government. The rules governing adoption were prohibitive- Seo Ryeong had told him about the circles that eomeonim and she had to run to officially take Gyeong-ah into the family. At some point, it had come down to bribery. She’d been tight-lipped and her eyes had glinted in fury, when she’d told him,  though it had already been far enough in the past that Gyeong-ah no longer woke up crying from nightmares, and didn’t stuff her food down at each meal as though she didn’t know when she’d next get one, or try to take as little room as possible in their already tiny apartment.

Gyeong-ah usually accompanies him on these visits too, though she couldn’t make it today.

“LET ME SLEEP” she’d texted in all caps, “I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE FOR AT LEAST 24 HRS HYUNGNIM” .

He figured that meant she’d drop by when he wasn’t around.

 Jia-ya is the first one to spot him when he enters the common room, which is where the kids are normally, at this hour. She runs toward him, almost tripping on her toes, with her hands already raised high above her head. He drops the bag on the floor and swings her up, twirling her around, while she squeals delightedly. When he lowers her, she throws her arms around his neck, placing a candy-sticky kiss on his cheek.

“Hyungnim, where were you??” she demands. “You’ve gone so long that Chia forgot you”.

Chia is her favourite toy- a rather ratty looking cloth panda.

“Sorry Jia-ya” he says, “I had a lot of work”

She pouts. “Have you got chocolate?”

“Mmmhmm” he replies, nodding, “But let’s share with everyone later, ok?”

He puts her down on the floor, and turns to the others who’ve come up, all grinning, except Jihun, who’s trying to look unconcerned, remaining where he’s seated at one of the two computers, headphones in, fingers flying rapidly over the keyboard.

“Hey everyone” he says, reaching out to ruffle a head, tweak a chin. “Ready for a game?”

They’ve got a small basketball court at the back, not professional, by any means, but enough for the kids to work out some of their energy. For soccer, and other games, Gyeong-ah and he take them to a nearby sports club. Ryeong-ah had been the one who worked out a deal with the local residents association that owned the club when she’d made Assemblywoman; it was her constituency after all, and she had cultivated her relationships at local level, as much as she had in the higher echelons. Thanks to (former) Assemblywoman Koo, the kids now had access on alternate Sundays to the club. Luckily, the Sisters of St.Paul of Chartres weren’t too strict about preserving the holiness of the  Sabbath rest; as long as the kids attended Mass in the morning, the rest of the day could be spent as they wished. Today is a Sunday when they don’t have access to the sports club, so Hyeon-Min’s plans are adjusted accordingly- a game, then lunch with everyone, and then piling them all into the small van the orphanage has and taking them for ice cream, before he has to drop back at the station, just to check in on Woo Ji-hyun and Bo-Young who have the day shift today.

“Where’s Sister Lee?” he asks, and twelve-year old Su-bin pipes up “She has a visitor today” and her twin, Yun-seo adds, “He’s a handsome oppa”.

“Is he now?’ Hyeon-min grins down at her.

“Not as cool as you, hyungnim” she assures him earnestly.

“Drop the flattery” he tells her seriously, “You’re not getting an extra scoop later. Everyone go on and get changed.”

The twins and the others- Ming-yu, Jun-ho, Min-su, Seong-min, Min-ji and Eun-ji- dart off.

He picks up his bag again, heading off to the guest room to get changed, calling “Jihun-a, c’mon, let’s go” only to get a shoulder lifted in a shrug, Jihun not even bothering to look at him.

Well, he thought, that was new.

He didn’t press him, confident that Jihun would find his way out later. The problem, perhaps, was that Jihun was a few years older than the others, almost fifteen, ready for high school. The next oldest were the twins, at twelve, and the others fell between nine and eleven, except Jia, who was everybody’s darling at three.

Jihun was preparing to write the same scholarship exam that Hyeon-Min had taken all those years ago, to get into CNA. His grades at the local public school were pretty good, and he excelled especially at art- but it was a tough school to get into, given the sheer number of candidates applying, even more than when Hyeon-Min and Ryeong-ah had given the test.

Hyeon-min thought he could recognize in Jihun the same kind of hunger that he’d seen in Ryeong-ah, all those years ago. And just like all those years ago, one part of him was amazed, and proud; another was just scared for Jihun, for what the world might do to him, outside of the safety of this place. He tried to shrug the fear off- what use could it be to Jihun- and had begun helping him prepare for the test, instead.

Perhaps Jihun was upset because he hadn’t been able to come by for three weeks, although he’d spoken to him a few times on the phone and had checked in with Sister Lee as well.

When he changes into his shorts and t-shirt and comes back to check in, Jihun’s disappeared. Perhaps he’d changed his mind and decided to join the game, after all.

He’s about to duck out of the room, when Sister Lee comes in accompanied by a young man- the “handsome oppa” of Yun-seo’s description, clearly.

“Ah, Inspector Kang” she says, giving him her usual warm smile. “Good morning. You finally have a day off, I see.”

“Good morning, Sister Lee” he greets her, bowing.

She turns to the man with her.

“This is Senior Inspector Kang Hyeon-min from Busan PD” she says, and the man gives him a strangely assessing look, and bows. He’s fair, slightly shorter than Hyeon-Min, a dark eyes and a sharp nose in a square-jawed face. The glasses and the clothes- a light blue button down shirt that’s unbuttoned at the collar over khaki slacks,  give him the look of a librarian on vacation. He’s probably a few years younger than Hyeon-Min.

“I’m Kim Jun-Yeong” he says, bowing toward Hyeon-Min.

“Mr.Kim teaches art at the school” she says, meaning the local public school all the kids here attend. “He came by to talk about Jihun.”

“Is something the matter?” Hyeon-min asks, immediately. “Is Jihun in trouble?”

“Nothing like that” Mr.Kim says, with a smile. “In fact, I came by to chat with Sister Lee about Jihun’s future plans. He told me that he was preparing for admission at CNA.”

Hyeon-Min nods. “I’m trying to help out” he says. “When I can.”

“Inspector Kang has been a huge support to the children here for years” Sister Lee says, giving him another warm smile. “And since he’s a CNA alumnus himself, he’s probably the best suited to help Jihun ace the exam.”

“Yes, of course”, Mr.Kim says, adding, “Jihun-a has told me a lot about you already, Senior Inspector Kang.”

“Oh” says Hyeon-Min, politely, “He’s never mentioned you to me.”

Something wry passes over Mr. Kim’s face at that, and it makes Hyeon-min feel a little silly.

“Mr. Kim is of the opinion that Jihun should perhaps try for an art school later” Sister Lee says, “And finish high school at some school less demanding than CNA, Kang-ssi”.

“Did Jihun-a say that’s what he wants to do?” Hyeon-min asks, stunned. Jihun had never mentioned it to him.

There’s an awkward silence.

“He did seem open to the idea” Mr.Kim says, sounding a little apologetic. “He started asking me about art schools and scholarships a while ago. I didn’t know then that you were already preparing him for the CNA entrance.”

‘But” says Hyeon-min, feeling like the rug had been pulled from under his feet.

Sister Lee says, thoughtfully, “Perhaps he was uncomfortable bringing it up with me or you, Kang-ssi.”

“We never forced him”, Hyeon-min feels compelled to protest.

“Jihun-a admires you a lot, Kang-ssi” Mr.Kim murmurs, “It is but natural he would want to follow in your footsteps.”

Hyeon-min looks at him and meets that calmly assessing look again.

“Did he ask you to meet Sister Lee and talk about this?”

“No” says Mr.Kim, “He didn’t. In fact, I think he was a little upset when he saw me today.”

Well, that explained earlier, Hyeon-Min realizes.

“Will you—” starts Sister Lee, nodding toward back, from where they can already here the shouts of the children.

“Yes” Hyeon-Min answers. “I’ll have a chat with him.”

“Good” she says, smiling again at him. “I’ll talk to him later as well.”

She turns to the teacher.

“Mr.Kim, I really appreciate your dropping by. It’s not often we get teachers who are so concerned with the well-being of our students.”

Mr.Kim says, quietly, “I was brought up in a home too- not as good as this one” he adds. “I know what it’s like.”

Oh.

Well, now, Hyeon-Min feels like a total piece of shit.

“Thank you, Kim-ssi” he says, and tries to infuse it with something more than stiff formality.

Mr.Kim gives him a short nod.

“I’d better head over before the fighting starts” Hyeon-min says, giving Sister Lee a smile. “I’ll see you at lunch, Sister Lee.”

They part ways, and when Hyeon-min reaches the court just in time to stop Min-ji from punching Eun-ji in the face, he sees that Jihun is there as well, but sitting on the side-lines, playing with Jia, although he’s changed into game clothes as well.

He darts a glance at Hyeon-min and then quickly looks away, flushing.

Hyeon-min jogs up to him.

“Get in” he says, clapping him on the back, “So I don’t have to keep the peace all by myself”

Jihun looks up at him, uncertain, as though he’d expected Hyeon-min to be- angry- with him.

“Jihun-a” he says, holding out a hand toward him, “ C’mon.”

Jihun takes his hand and lets himself be hauled up, and Hyeon-min even manages to get a one-armed hug in before he scampers off, suddenly cheerful.

 It’s a good game, and after, as they’re all chattering at the lunch table, Gyeong-ah comes in and plonks herself down opposite the twins, and they stuff themselves to the gills before piling into the van.

Gyeong-ah’s driving, and as they pull out of the gate, Hyeon-min notices a black Hummer parked in the alley, five cars away,  the glasses shaded so dark, he can’t see inside.

He has an idle moment of wondering what a car like that was doing in the neighbourhood but is distracted by Jia-ya climbing into his lap to tell him all about Chia’s adventures in the place she calls “Funderland” (like Wonderland, but fun, she insists).

 On the way back, Gyeong-ah drives again, and this time the kids are mostly in a food coma, some of them burping softly, sprawling on the seats, so he gets a chance to talk to Jihun, settling beside him, right at the back.

“So” he says, “art school, huh?”

Jihun glances at him quickly and then away, head bent.

“Do you know which ones you’re interested in?”

Jihun looks up then.

“You’re not angry?” he asks, uncertainty writ large on his young face.

“Just surprised” Hyeon-min admits. “Why didn’t you ever tell me or Sister Lee? You know we wouldn’t have stopped you.”

He shrugs, looking away.

“Everyone’s expecting me to become the first CNA graduate from the home” he says, softly. “All these years”.

“Nobody wants you to be anything other than happy, Jihun-a” Hyeon-min contradicts him, gently. “I’m sorry if I ever gave you any other idea.”

Jihun turns to him.

“I did think I wanted that too” he says, candidly. “But then—I don’t know, hyungnim, frankly, it sounds like an awful place in other ways.”

“Who’ve you been talking to?” Hyeon-min asks, surprised, because he’d never said anything to Jihun about it other than good things about the academics, and the opportunities it would open up for him.

Jihun gives him a pitying look.

“Hyungnim” he says, “You know the internet is a thing right? Or was it not a thing when you were young?”

“Hey” he says, “I’m thirty-one, not a dinosaur.”

Jihun looks unconvinced.

“Student forums” he says, helpfully. “And even Mr.Kim—”

“Mr.Kim went to CNA?” Hyeon-min asks, surprised again.

“No” says Jihun, “But I think he knows people. He’s a teacher, right, he knows this stuff.”

“Hmm” says Hyeon-min, miffed.

Jihun eyes him again. “Are you angry I didn’t tell you, but I told Mr.Kim?”

Wow, Hyeon-min thinks, dissected by a fourteen-year old, wonderful.

“Don’t give me your backchat, Jihun-a” he says, and Jihun grins at him.

Hyeon-min diverts the talk into the art schools he’s interested in, and they spend the rest of the ride like that.

 Later, before Gyeong-ah and he head off, they have a talk with Sister Lee.

Sister Lee Jeong-hui- or “Dragon Lady” as Gyeong-ah liked to call her- was a petite woman with delicate wrists, and long fingered hands that poked out of the sleeves of her habit. Unlike most of her contemporaries, she’d joined the Order, not as a young girl, but in her mid-thirties, after making a name for herself as a labour rights lawyer, working up north, in the mining communities. She’d moved to Busan when her health took a downturn- her asthma was something terrible- and she’d been shunted around the diocese until ending up at the orphanage ten years ago. She’d taken one look at the lackadaisical administration of the Orphanage- then run by Sister Pa, who was already in her seventies, taken a deep breath, and got to work. She’d transformed the place, scrounging funding wherever she could- sometimes by just persistently annoying the powers that be- and was currently in a long drawn out battle with the Bishop of the Diocese over her demand that they expand their current home to start a support home for single mothers- the people most likely to abandon their children, for lack of resources and societal stigma.

They talk about her latest efforts in that direction, after Hyeon-min tells her about his conversation with Jihun.

“Thank you Inspector Kang” she says, softly, “I hope you’re not too disappointed.”

“Of course not” he says, staunchly, though perhaps he was, a little. “Jihun’s going to be great at whatever he does.”

“Yes” she agrees, a fond smile transforming her rather grave face into loveliness. “He’s a blessed child”.

“Anyway” she says, sighing, “Perhaps it’s just as well. Even with a scholarship, funding for other expenses would have always been a tension. This way, we have some time to prepare before he goes to art school.”

Gyeong-ah says, “What did the Welfare Association say?”

When the Diocese had hummed-and-hawed about the home for women, Sister Lee had turned elsewhere.

Sister Lee makes a rather un-saintly face. “That government policy doesn’t include- and you won’t believe this, or perhaps you will- doesn’t include subsidizing and rewarding irresponsible behaviour”.

“I thought Ryeong-ah said they had a specific budget for women’s welfare” Gyeong-ah says, hotly. “They can’t deny it only to some women, can they? Plus it’s a discretionary budget.”

Sister Lee sighs. “Child, I don’t know if I have the energy to fight that battle right now. If we had someone on the Committee there- but it’s all bureaucrats who think of it as a sinecure position really…”

She shrugs, and pats Gyeong-ah’s shoulder, comforting.

“I’m not giving up, Seo-Gyeong” she says, “Not yet.”

They bid her goodbye.

 As she puts on her helmet and climbs onto the bike, Gyeong-ah says, abruptly, “Sometimes I’m so angry with unnie for what she did- because she fucked up her chance to help people like Sister Lee, who really need her”.

“ Song & Kim will get her out” he says, “Right?”

“But what about after?” she argues, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Her political career is probably over.”

“It’s never over with Ryeong-ah” he reminds her, belting his own helmet, and adjusting the strap of his gym bag over his jacket.

As they drive out of the gate, he sees that the Hummer isn’t there anymore.

[the-quiet-winds]

You Need a Blue Sky Holiday (part one)

i love this one so much. it’s one that @ichlugebulletsandcornnuts and i did a while back - more early softness!!!!

[Part 1: I Don’t Wanna Miss a Single Thing]

it’s several weeks into rehearsals when jane shows up late for the first time. jane is always early, which is why her lateness raises some concern, especially from katherine.

jane hurries in about twenty minutes late, looking stressed and dragging a small suitcase behind her. “sorry,” she sighs. “my roof started leaking; i had to call someone round to fix it.” she indicates her suitcase. “also, if anyone knows any hotels that will have a free room tonight then i’d be really grateful. i don’t think they’re going to be able to finish fixing it today.”

the other queens immediately begin recommending places nearby, aragon even naming one next door to her own place. 

it’s later in the morning when katherine approaches her, nervously wringing her hands together. 

“you’re welcome to stay with me,” she says quietly and unsurely. “my apartment isn’t huge but i have a pull out couch.” she drops her voice. “i feel like i should return the favor after all you’ve done for me.”

jane places a hand on her arm. “there is no favor to be repaid, kat. i love having you around.” she smiles. “but if you’re serious about the offer, i’d gladly take it up.”

katherine gives her a small smile. “cool. i, um, i normally get the bus home, but there’s a parking space outside if you brought your car and need to put it somewhere.”

“thank you, kat,” jane says with a genuine, soft grin. “you’re really helping me out here.”

a sense of pride wells in katherine’s chest at that; she was being helpful, she had use. throughout the rest of the day’s rehearsal she tries her best to think of how else to help jane. she’d need to make dinner, of course, she couldn’t expect jane to cook in katherine’s apartment.

she’s practically bouncing by the time rehearsal is over, from anxiety or excitement she isn’t quite sure, though. she gives jane directions to her apartment, a half hour drive in the opposite direction of jane’s house.

they pull to a stop outside an apartment building that had obviously seen better days. katherine tries to hide an embarrassed flush as she brings jane upstairs and into her cold, slightly boring and dingy apartment. 

“home sweet home,” she says with a nervous laugh as they enter.

she fidgets her hands anxiously as jane puts her suitcase down in the hallway. “do you want a drink? tea?” she asks awkwardly, but jane smiles kindly.

“that would be lovely, thank you, kat.”

katherine nods and hurries through to the tiny kitchen, rifling through the mostly empty cupboards to find the box of tea bags she knew was hanging around somewhere. she notes with a cringe that she doesn’t have all that many ingredients for whatever she was going to make for dinner; she should have stopped at a shop or something on the way home.

she finally finds the tea bags in the back of a cupboard behind a few tins of baked beans just as jane steps into the kitchen.

“where are the mugs?” jane asks, opening some of the cabinets to try and help. she notes with a frown how barren most of them are. 

katherine blushes and points to the sink, where both of the only mugs were sitting upside down, obviously having been used. 

jane simply picks them up and gives them a quick rinse and wipes them out with a paper towel, and katherine cringes at jane doing her dishes. jane doesn’t seem to mind, however, and katherine finishes making them tea. 

only a half hour later, once all the tea has been drunk, jane excuses herself to go shower, leaving katherine alone with no plan for how to prepare a dinner for them both.

katherine takes a deep breath to calm her panicked mind before trying to make the best of what she knows she has. right, she has half a bag of pasta, which is good. on the down side, she doesn’t have any sauce to go with it. she rifles through the tiny freezer compartment in the fridge hoping desperately that some miracle had granted her something she could construct into a dinner, but all she can find is some oven chips, a tub of ice cream and an empty ice cube tray. she stares at the nearly empty fridge hopelessly, wondering how she’d let it get to this point where she actually had no food in the house.

well, katherine knew why that was. it was because she’d lived exclusively off instant noodles for the past week, but she couldn’t exactly serve them up to jane.

she’s so busy searching for foods to supplement she doesn’t hear jane behind her.

“katherine?”

she jumps and turns, knocking the half empty bag of pretzels off the shelf she’d be investigating. 

“yes?” she asks.

jane looks at her inquisitively, trying to work out the source of the girl’s stress. “you need some help?”

katherine turns bright red but fights to hide it. “no,” she says in a small voice. 

jane picks up the bag of pretzels and sets it on the counter. “what are you looking for, love?”

katherine shrugs. “anything, really,” she says in a small voice. “but it’s fine,” she adds hastily. “i’ve got it under control.”

she grabs a few things haphazardly from the cupboards and has a quick look at her findings. unless there was a recipe out there that used a pack of cookies, a tin of peas and a single stale tortilla then katherine was fresh out of luck.

jane watches katherine flounder for a second before taking pity and approaching her.

“how about we pop out to the nearest shops and get some ingredients?”

katherine internally cringes again. she was supposed to be housing jane and making her comfortable, and now she was offering to take them both to the store because katherine couldn’t even provide dinner. it’s pitiful, really, she feels, that she can’t even begin to return the kindness jane showed her day in and day out. 

jane sees katherine’s face slowly fall as she spaces out. she steps forward and puts a gentle hand on katherine’s cheek, startling her out of her reverie. she slides her thumb over katherine’s cheekbone. 

“i’ll make us my casserole, yeah?” she offers.

katherine really doesn’t want to agree. “i can do it!” she protests, wincing at how childishly petulant she sounds.

“and i’m not doubting that, kat,” jane says softly. “how about we consider this dinner my thanks to you for letting me stay at such short notice, okay?”

her tone of voice is, like always, so soft and comforting, and for a moment katherine gets lulled into the security of it and almost nods. she stops herself halfway through the movement and tries to disguise it by running a hand through her hair.

jane can see the conflict in katherine’s eyes, but she doesn’t know what the issue is. katherine was already helping enough by just letting her stay, so why couldn’t jane contribute?

“come, love,” she says, taking katherine’s hand and leading her to the door. “let’s go on, now.”

katherine is so close to just letting jane win, just going with it all and letting jane take care of her, but she feels that horrible pathetic sting and pulls back. “i can do it,” she says again, firmer but not angry.

“i know you can, love,” jane says gently. “and i don’t want to impose, but i do want to help, if i can.” she reaches out and takes one of katherine’s hands in hers; katherine reluctantly lets her. “please, kat. let me do this.”

katherine has a horrible twisting feeling in her stomach, caused by her failure to pay back any kind of hospitality to jane, who’s done everything for her over the past few weeks. she genuinely doesn’t know what else to do; agreeing would be admitting her failure and making jane take all the responsibility, but she has no idea what she could possibly create from her bare kitchen and she doesn’t want jane to go hungry either.

there’s hesitation in kat’s response, and jane takes that as an invitation to lightly pull her towards the door. katherine doesn’t argue. 

they head down to the car without katherine saying a single word. jane puts on some music, nothing particularly noteworthy, but she notices katherine quietly humming along to a beyoncé song, and jane can’t help but smile. 

when they arrive, jane picks up a small basket, which katherine immediately takes, mumbling something about wanting to help. 

jane gives her a small smile. “what should we have tonight, love?”

“whatever you want is okay by me,” katherine shrugs, clutching the handle of the basket and not quite looking up at jane. jane looks at her carefully and takes her free hand.

“casserole it is, then, kat.” she gives katherine’s hand a gentle squeeze. she’d cooked for katherine enough times to know that this was her favourite and so she guessed it was a safe bet. “come on, love, we need to start at the vegetable aisle.”

as they make rounds through the store, jane is delighted to see katherine unroll from the anxious bubble she had been in when they arrived, and by the time they were getting the chicken, she was back to her old self and jane can’t help but smile. 

they reach the checkout line and they converse as the man in front of them finishes his purchases. 

they begin setting stuff on the belt when jane sighs. “forgot the chicken stock,” she muses, then looks around. the aisle was just two down from where they were, and there was no one behind them. “you stay here, love, i’ll be right back,” she tells katherine before heading off to find the chicken stock. 

the cashier, a woman no older than jane herself, chuckles lightly at the exchange, then looks back at the ingredients. 

“what’s mum cooking up tonight?” she asks conversationally.

katherine flushes slightly pink. “oh, she-” 

she was going to say “she’s not my mum”, but for some strange reason she can’t bring herself to correct the cashier. maybe it’s the comforting sense of normality about it; if it was true she wouldn’t have to be katherine howard, ex-wife of the king and part of 500 years worth of baggage. instead she could just be kat, here to buy some ingredients for dinner with her mum, jane. it’s a slightly embarrassing thought that she definitely doesn’t want jane to ever find out about, but she allows herself to indulge in the pretense for a little while.

“she’s making a casserole,” katherine says instead, smiling slightly. “my favourite.”

“well, you’re a lucky girl, aren’t you,” the cashier gives a friendly laugh. “that sounds lovely.”

“it will be,” katherine mumbles, that same goofy grin on her face and a blush tinting her ears a bit pink. 

the cashier smiles as jane returns with the last ingredient. she rings it up and jane takes out her card to pay.

katherine can’t get her mind off what the cashier had said and what had followed. 

then, the cashier speaks again to katherine as she hands jane and katherine their bags. 

“be kind to your mum, kid,” she says teasingly.

jane doesn’t comment on it, and katherine isn’t sure if she’s relieved or worried by that fact. she didn’t correct the woman or seem offended by the comment, which was encouraging, but maybe jane was just being polite.

they take the bags back to the car and jane switches the radio on again as she pulls out of the car park and onto the road.

while katherine was looking out for jane’s reaction, unbeknownst to her jane had been monitoring katherine’s reaction. she noted the little skip in katherine’s step after the cashier mistook them for mother and daughter, and she could see the tiny grin that katherine was struggling to hide. honestly, jane thought it was very sweet.

she continues to keep her expression neutral as she parks the car outside katherine’s apartment building and lets kat lead them upstairs, but she fails to hold back the tiniest hidden grin at the thought of katherine being her daughter. 

she packs it away a moment later, not wanting to fill her head with fantasies, especially not fantasies that could hurt kat. what if they got too close and it all fell apart?

jane casts these thoughts from her head as she and katherine begin preparing dinner. they fall into a familiar rhythm - katherine peeling the vegetables as jane chops other ingredients.

the casserole goes in the oven for its thirty minute bake time and jane and katherine find themselves simply looking at the other, an odd sense of awkwardness between them.

“sorry i don’t have a tv,” katherine gives jane an apologetic look. “i could put something on my laptop, if you wanted?”

“it’s okay, kat,” jane smiles. “i don’t mind.”

the silence draws on between them for a few more moments before jane speaks again.

“so, how are you feeling about rehearsals? excited for the show?”

“i guess,” katherine shrugs. “i’m excited to tour. i didn’t get to go many places before...” she trails off and scratches at the base of her neck awkwardly.

jane presses her lips together but forces a tiny smile. “i’m sure it’ll be very fun-filled.”

katherine just nods and looks down at the floor. jane crosses to her and puts an arm around her shoulders, leading her to the couch. 

it’s a bit uncomfortable, jane finds, stiff and most definitely second hand. but jane stops thinking about that when katherine curls up and lays her head against her shoulder. habitually, jane places a light kiss in katherine’s hair as they sit in silence.

katherine tenses for the tiniest moment at the pressure of jane kissing the top of her head, and then she relaxes, closing her eyes and curling up even closer to jane. the silence is slightly less awkward now, a little more comforting instead.

jane absent-mindedly starts humming as her fingers run through the ends of katherine’s hair, the melody soft and calming.

jane feels katherine unfurls slightly, relaxing into her arms. she holds kat just lightly closer and feels the girl’s breathing slow and even out against her side as she seems to fall asleep. 

jane waits, not stopping  her humming or her soft ministrations of katherine’s hair until the oven dings.

“hey, love,” she says quietly, “it’s time to wake up, yeah?”

katherine stirs with a sleepy yawn and an adorably dazed expression on her face. “mhm?” she questions, and jane can’t help the soft smile that quirks her lips.

“dinner’s ready,” she says, standing up. katherine perks up slightly at the news and gets to her feet, still trying to wipe away the sleep from her eyes. 

jane’s smile doesn’t fade as she leads the girl to the kitchen.

———————————————————————————————————–

tag list: @percabeth15 @kats-seymour @qualquercoisa945 @jane-fucking-seymour @a-slightly-cracked-egg @justqueentingz @annabanana2401 @wolfies-chew-toy @broad-way-13 @tvandmusicals @lailaliquorice @aimieallenatkinson @sweet-child-why03 @gaylinda-of-the-upper-uplands @funky-lesbians@thinkaboutitmaybe @hansholbeingoesaroundzeworld @anaamess@beeskneeshuh @prick-up-ur-ears @theartoflazy @justqueentwo @brother-orion @paleshadowofadragon @lafemmestars @beautifulashes17 @jarneiarichardnxel @idkimbadwithusernamesandstuff @sixcago @mixer1323 @boleynssixthfinger @aimieallen @elphiesdance @boleynthebunny @krystalhuntress @lupin-loves-chocolate@bellacardoza16 @bluify

[docholligay]

In Which I Drive 17 Hours to Act Like a Goof

I want to preface this story with the advice that if you ever get the chance to meet Jen Cohn, you should do it. You should do it if you have only a passing interest in Fareeha Amari, even. She is an incredibly gracious, funny, and very very kind woman, and I am grateful that if I was going to act like I had never met another human being in my life, it was to an incredibly gracious, funny, and very kind woman. 

I also want to preface this story with the caveat that I am remembering this to the best of my ability, but there were parts, dear reader, where I believe my brain simply shorted out and left the building, very likely cruising over to some bar to have a drink and pretend it had never known me, and I understand the inclination. 

Lastly, I want to say that the only thing that keeps me from retreating to the mountains in shame is that if nothing, I am probably not the most awkward person she has ever met. 

But I’m probably up there. 

If you click beyond the read me, you solemnly swear that you will try to view this with a charitable eye, and please carry with you every positive thought you have ever had of me.  

I brought my fanfic to the con. This isn’t the first fanfic I’ve ever had signed–my sister got me Charlotte Chung’s autograph, and a friend is getting me Crispin Freeman’s–but it’s the first one I’ve ever gotten signed myself. With this, I reasoned, I would have three of my top five characters, and one of my top two, and so really the eight and a half hour drive each way wasn’t that big of a deal. So I planned it out, went to an Office Depot and had them print two copies, in case I lose or ruin one, on 24 pound linen resume paper like I’m John fucking Milton, and headed to Salt Lake. 

I wasn’t nervous the whole time I was in the con. I cruised artist alley, looked at the pinball machines, and strolled around waiting for her booth to open, picking out what to say, thinking I was going to play it VERY cool because I am a neat, casual, funny lesbian, and not an awkward lesbian disaster. 

Oh ho ho, hubris, you who makes a mockery of us all. 

I’m standing in line, waiting, and suddenly it occurs to me that while this fanfic is not, in the strictest sense, about her, it is, to some extent, about her. I can feel myself blushing as I’m sitting here writing this two days later, and at the con it was this overwhelming sense of HOW STUPID ARE YOU, HOLLIGAY? IT ISN’T EVEN THAT GOOD. I swear to god I felt tears spring to my eyes, and I was suddenly so EMBARRASSED of myself that I wanted to run. I started to shake. 

Luckily or unluckily, depending on how you take the tale, Nikki was right next to me. Nikki, our preeminent Pharah main and Definitely Not Super Invested in Pharmercy friend, was in no way going to allow me to bold. We had driven eight and a half hours last night, and we were literally going to drive eight and a half hours the next morning, for mostly this reason. I was not going anywhere. 

We get up there, and it should be noted that I’ve never met a celebrity at a con. I’ve met musicians after concerts and stuff, but nothing this structured, it’s usually just someone with a guitar sitting on the edge of the stage shooting the shit because that’s a solid 89% of concerts I attend. All of this might be very par for the course, but if stories I’ve heard are any indication, and things going on around me were normal, it could just be a Jen Cohn thing. 

She introduces herself as Jen and sticks her hand out to shake mine, and thank god my name is three letters and one syllable because I managed to remember it. I’m still holding my fanfic in front of myself, the spare copy still safely pressed in the cardboard bag. Nikki is chatting, because she still has the capability of speech, while I’m mostly shaking my head yes and no. 

I don’t remember how it came up, but Nikki said that we had driven here from Montana, and that it was about eight and a half hours each way, and that we had done it mainly to see her. Jen Cohn’s eyes lit up and she walked around from the booth and hugged us both, which I was not at all expecting, but was so sweet and felt so genuine and so kind. 

I’m just going to buy a print, I think, and have her sign it. 

But once again, Nikki was next to me. Jen is asking if we play Overwatch, and I’m nodding my head, and if I had the capability of speech, I might have said, I love Pharah as a character, so much, but her playstyle is a little beyond me, I stick to Tracer, harass is really my game. But I didn’t, and, so I didn’t. And then I hear Nikki. 

“We’re really more on the creative side of things, my friend here…”

O H N O. 

It’s not just my head that’s shaking now, it’s my whole body. I am a tiny Jewish maraca that can’t even keep time. 

Nikki must have said something about me having a fanfic, because I managed to present it. I even managed to set it on the table! And I haven’t creased it, or ruined it, or anything. 

She’s never had anyone bring her fanfiction before, she says, but she doesn’t say it like I thought she would, like no one has ever done it because it’s cringeworthy, but with a sense of surprise and delight. And then, it happens.

Jen Cohn starts reading my Fareeha Amari fanfiction. She starts reading my Fareeha Amari fanfiction and telling me I should contribute to the Pharmercy zine, they’re doing a round two and they didn’t add fanfic last time, but they might and they should. 

What I want to do, is shake my head and tell her not to read it, assure her that’s it’s all rather quasi-canonical, and not good besides, I want to take it away before she can realize that it’s all so terrible, and oh my god now she’s moving to the second page. 

But what I say instead is, “I have another copy, if you want it.” 

And I do, Merriwether font size 11, eight pages of white linen resume paper at 24 pound test, so it would hold up, you see. So it would stay nice. Maybe I said it because I didn’t want her to read it in front of me, that I hoped she would put it in some stack somewhere and forget about it. Maybe I said it because I did want her to read it, because I hoped, like I do with every reader, that it would do something for her, in some way. 

She said she’d love that, and as I’m going to set it on the table, still shaking so badly that I’m sure I look like I’m coming down off a weeklong bender, she asks me if I’ll please sign it for her. I nod, and as I go to take the pen from in front of me, her poor handler looks like she thinks I’m going to pass out, and I do feel a little like passing out, now as she mentions it with her eyes. 

I’m not sure what I wrote. I know it was some variation on thank you, and I doubt she could read it anyhow, my handwriting being terrible in the best of times and at the point we are in the story, it has disintegrated to this sort of rune-like text, as if I were practicing my Hebrew letters and forgetting that this is English. I signed it, and she signed my copy, and I carefully tucked it back in the bag with the careful folds, where it would be safe. 

There’s a million things I might have told her. That I loved the voice she gave Pharah, that I thought it was so wonderful how much she was behind Pharah/Mercy. That I’m Jewish too, and growing up with my major representation being Fievel Mousekewitz, while I know we’ll never have one in-game, sometimes it’s nice to imagine that a character you love might be Jewish. 

I did none of them. I mostly shook and stared. 

Nikki had no such problems. She was funny and engaging and decided she had to buy the Pharah/Mercy print, despite already having a print, because she does not care about them AT ALL, it is important for all to note, and she definitely doesn’t want to hang it in the office where she can stare at their gay faces. 

This is a good time to insert that Jen Cohn and Lucie Pohl both had this print, signed by the other, for people to buy, with all proceeds going to the Ali Forney Center. If you take nothing else away from this story, let it be that they are both using their fame for something good. 

Her paint marker screwed up and she turned a huge blotch of paint into this amazing huge heart, all the while laughing about how much love was on this print, all the love, and I actually did laugh, even in my sort of catatonic state. 

In conclusion, she was so amazing and lovely, and while *I* acted like a complete doofus (and Nikki may be able to fill in stuff I forgot) she was incredible and warm and one of the most positive, if not the most positive, celebrity experience I have ever had. She didn’t make me feel like I was acting like an awkward loser at all, even though I VERY clearly was, and again I cannot recommend enough that if you ever have the chance to even say hi to her, I’d do it. 

I still haven’t had the courage to see what she wrote to me. Maybe when I’m a little less embarrassed. 

The rest is on Patreon because it’s much more personal.

[cookiedoughmeagain]

Haven DVD commentaries; 5.01 - See No Evil

Here are some notes on the DVD commentary for the first episode of season five, with Shawn Pillar and Lloyd Segan, Executive Producers. These two do sound quite a lot alike, but I think I can tell which of them is speaking when. None of this is necessarily word-for-word quotes though because I can’t always hear each and every word because the sound quality on this one is frankly terrible. Terrible. It sounds like it was recorded on a phone. In a bag. Under the table. But, I think I got the gist of it. 

LS: We’re watching the recap right now, and people don’t realise how tough it is to cut a good recap. Who does this? SP: Well it’s sort of everyone. It starts with the editing assistants, watching the previous season and they put together something. And then we start to hone it. We try to keep it to around 40-50 seconds, for season openers it’s around a minute.

[As we see the recap of the final scene of season four, in the cave] SP: We had a big debate with the network and the studio about how we were going to end this scene - the finale. It ends on their close ups now. LS: But if you’re diligent you’ll see on the DVD the alternative ending that was considered SP: Really? That’s so fancy. So there’s all these close ups, and then she - can I say it? LS: Well no because we want them to see it. SP: Well, we can tell them, why not? So basically Mara takes a step forward and does something really cool. And the network wanted to be not stuck with that. And they weren’t wrong. But it was very cool. And the idea now is that we more slowly reveal that. LS: And we’ve made it a more personal version in this. [Me: *checks DVDs for this deleted scene and comes up empty* :(

LS: So here we are with this beautiful baby in the gazebo. And Shawn, that’s a real infant there, right? SP: That is a real baby. There were twins. The baby cried on cue. And Jayne [who plays Gloria] and Molly [Vickie] were freezing and fantastic. This was a really cold scene to shoot. I think this might have been the first scene we shot of the season. LS: And this is right in Chester, this beautiful gazebo by the water, by the very well known yacht club. By the way, we should mention who Molly’s Dad is - Molly’s father is John Dunsworth who plays Dave. So they clearly are a very talented family. SP: So, this was a fake baby when you can’t see the face. And a real baby in the close ups. It’s a very hard thing to act, to have a very light fake-baby and pretend it has the same weight. It’s one of the giveaways of fake-baby vs real-baby. Jayne is quite good at it. SP: So this was a fun deal seeing Vickie draw. So we basically had different versions of it that the props department had pre-drawn on different pages, and then she [Molly] just adds a little bit. And this was fun, doing these effects [the petals floating up when Vickie blows on the drawing]. LS: Yeah I remember you telling everyone to be patient because without the visual effects this scene seemed to take a long time, because they’re reacting to something that’s not there. And you would say wait, you’re going to love it when all of the visual effects are in. And sure enough - look at how beautiful this came out. SP: I love when we get to go into heightened reality, slow motion suspended reality stuff, like a music video. Look at the baby [apparently fascinated by the floating petals], that’s great. This was a one take baby. SP: So this was a few different angles to get this scene. It was super fun to envisage it and chip away at it. When you’re directing, particularly for TV where everything’s so fast, it’s sort of like a chess game, where you’re trying to get all of the shots and angles you want. LS: Poor lighthouse. SP: Poor lighthouse. So, a lot of these aerial shots were compiled from different seasons.

[As we see Dwight wake up on the rocks by the beach] SP: Actually, I take it back - this was the first scene we shot, on day one of season five, we started with this scene of Dwight and Duke; Adam and Eric. This was Eric’s first day in his wig. Because we had cut his hair. We knew we were going to cut his hair at some point, because everyone was kind of over the long hair including Eric and we decided that we wanted to make a change. And so we debated, because the bane of producers existence are wigs. But, they did a pretty good job. LS: Yeah it looks terrific. SP: There’s a little bit of CG wig removal we had to do because sometimes you could sort of see the edge of it. LS: But tell us about this location because it looks like it took some effort to get all the equipment out there to shoot. [on the beach/rocks with Duke and Dwight] SP: Actually we found a spot just right off the road. This is at the spa, the abandoned hotel. We’ve shot there before. It’s a great place we can get access to and we were able to shoot a couple of scenes there without any big production moves. LS: That’s great.

[Vince and Dave walking through the woods]; SP: So this is a scene that we actually reshot because it started snowing. The scene was great, the actors were great, but we had to reshoot. LS: And so talk about the woods, where is this? SP: We try to keep all of the locations near to each other so that we can get more money left for other things. The less moves you’re doing in a day, the more time you get to work with the actors, and the more shots and angles you can do.

[As Mara handcuffs Nathan] SP: This was a fun scene to shoot where Mara’s pretending to be Audrey and she tricks him. LS: Emily Rose did an amazing job playing these multiple roles. SP: It was really fun actually, becuase this was the first time we got to see Mara go full Mara. This was her first scene and she had a little bit of anxiety with it because it was the first time she was going to go full Mara. She had done it in the previous season for just a moment. We actually found the character in the final take and the final direction, it was something that connected between her and I, where she basically went; OK I get it. And she did it and we all went; Oh my god, there’s Mara - just for a split second at the end of the season. And this was the first scene of the new season where she got to be Mara, and we played with it. I was like, OK; a little bigger, little smaller, be a little crazier, a little meaner, faster, slower. So we really played with it and this was where we really discovered who she was. And then that process continued even in post.

LS: And here’s our title sequence that you cobbled together with very few resources. SP: There’s a minute long version of it that’s fantastic. But at some point the network decided that it should be 20 seconds. And I think we haggled and finally got to 30 seconds, or 28 seconds or something.

SP: So it’s always fun to find aerials that we’ve shot in previous seasons to match scenes that we’re doing now, that match the colour and the look and the feel. This was an overcast day [as Duke finds a handcuffed Nathan] so I love those aerial shots that matched and we cut those in.

SP: This was an interesting season in that we switched from doing a seven day episode to two [something I can’t hear - cross boarded?] six day episodes. So of the 151 days of shooting we had, we cut out a month to do 26 episodes, it would have taken a month longer otherwise. So what we did was have one director direct two episodes, so I directed episodes one and two. So this was a challenge because basically the actors were sometimes doing scenes from two different episodes in one location in one day. So we’d have to sort of say; this is this scene in this episode, we’ve gone through all of this stuff and now you’re in this scene, this is the next episode. So we really had to track the arc of where you are. Which was fun and a challenge.

[As Nathan and Duke arrive to find the lighthouse destroyed] SP: So this is fun location, this is also at the spa, we shot this on day one. The spa is the building there to the left, so we put a load of police cars and stacked some boulders there to the right. And the fog rolled in on this day which fantastic. But we staked a bunch of fake boulders everywhere and had wood dropped around. SP: So these are CG stiches on the guy’s eyes there. No stiches were stitched. Initially there was a lot more of these monkeys (that will show up later) that sew people up. And, to my relief, we got rid of them. Because, they would have been hard to shoot, and they were iffy about pulling them off. I’m sure we could have done it, but the network was worried about it. LS: It would have been cute. It would have been nice.

LS: So having Dwight played by Adam Copeland, he just brought it. And this season was more opportunity to develop his character. Every time we gave him more to do he just hit it out of the park, and this season is his best season to date. He’s really immersed in the mythology of the story, even giving him (as you’ll see later) a love interest.

SP: Another interesting challenge we had is we didn’t have Jennifer to come back. So we basically scripted the episode so that everyone’s looking for her. And so we tied it to Eric’s arc; finally falling in love, finally finding the woman he truly loves and then losing her. And so the arc of these first two episodes is really the search for her and you realise that the mystery is tied to one of our main characters as the Troubled person, and it’s really the beginnging of Duke’s journey for this season - his fall from grace and eventual heroic [journey?].

[As Nathan talks to Vince in Dave’s hospital room] SP: So this our hospital set, this is in the curling rink side of our ice hockey sound stage in Chester. And every year we’ve made it a bit bigger, and this year we got the nurses station. It’s a challenge to shoot people in these tiny rooms but what I like to do is keep the camera moving, as you see. SP: So these dreams [of Dave’s] (wow I haven’t seen this in a long time, I forgot what we did), there was a lot of debate about what Dave’s seeing. This is stuff I shot after the fact to sort of build the mystery of what happened in the cave after we cut away. Because we leave season four - boom, everyone doesn’t remember what happened and they all end up in different places. So, somehow it’s linked to Dave, we don’t really know what happened.

SP: And one of the fun things about this episode is there’s a lot of secrets between people but also they don’t know what happened, so there’s a lot of agendas and people are just trying to figure out what’s going on. And people aren’t really being honest with each other [as we see Nathan and Dwight talk in the hospital] and everyone’s kind of in their own little agenda. LS: I think it’s all well intentioned right? I mean the idea is that they each think they have their own way into saving Haven. They’re not quite sure who to trust and so they’re trying to figure it out.

SP: So this is our coffee shop which is actually [Nicky’s Inn?] in downtown Chester. LS: Amazing food. SP: So this is another scene with Mara where she’s pretending to be Audrey, which is kinda fun. So we played with it a bit, played with those looks; a little meaner, a little crazier. I thought Emily really did a great job and gave us so many different options. Because one of the things I like to do, becuase no one is ever completely right in what they think. So I have my vision of the scene, the writers have theirs, the actors have theirs. And somewhere in the middle, through everyone’s work is the best version. So I like to push and pull and play with things and get different angles, so we can pull it apart in post. [In the coffee shop’s stock room] SP: So this was fun in that this is actually the back room of the Haven Herald. We actually cheated this standing set, we just dressed it with those racks and made it look different. LS: And in fact that same standing set has been used for quite a number of purposes for production and that same building is our wardrobe department.

SP: One of the things the actors are really good at is working with the visual effects. We basically get to explain what’s going to happen and block it out and then they get to make it real, because the visual effect’s are only as good as the actors’ reactions. Doesn’t matter how much money you spend on the effects it’s not going to work [if the actors’ reactions don’t fit]. And with a better reaction you can actually spend less money on visual effects because they kind of earn it.

[As Mara leaves the dead guy in the stock room] SP: That was CG blood not real blood. It was great to see Emily as Mara killing someone. It really set up her character, as; OK this woman is a bad [ass?]

LS: Shawn tell us about the car [Duke’s truck] SP: I am in love with this car, I’m obsessed with this car. We rent it from a guy who is slowly restoring it. This is right down the street from Nicky’s Inn.

[As Dwight watches the car roll over and over down the street] SP: There was a lot of debate about how we could pull this scene off, and I said there’s got to be a way to do it. So basically we wrapped the car with cable, and we had a car pulling it so that the cables unwound at the same time as a forklift flipped it. So the forklift flipped it forward, it rolled, and then the car pulled it. And so it was a fairly non-stunty way to do a stunt. We flipped it and CG’d out the wires later. We had four cameras rolling and we did it twice, and that gave us enough footage. And it was a way to do it fairly fast and cheap, and make it look like a big sexy car flipping scene which normally would take a whole day to shoot - we shot it in about two hours.

[As we see Vince flicking through the Cabot journal] SP: The props department did a great job with this, I love these inserts because it gives us a real feel for the town and shows the age of the town, and gives it credibility and texture. And I just love watching these guys work together [Lucas, Eric and Richard]. Richard Donat is one of the great actors in North America and just a wonderful guy. LS: He is. And he is a lovely guy. That’s the nice thing, not only is he brilliant he’s also lovely. SP: He just gets so into the scenes. And they all commit. You can see it on their face sometimes, you’ve got to get psyched up for these heigtened reality moments. When they’re doing exposition scenes it’s a specific skill for the actors to get into the scene and make it feel real. And - look at what Lucas is doing there [Vince is talking to Duke and we see Nathan beside Vince], he’s thinking, he’s reacting, and that’s why I love these shots. And I try to put them in situations where sometimes the most interesting thing isn’t the person talking, or the person listening. And it takes the [pressure?] off in some of the exposition scenes. They just do so much with their faces and eyes, it’s a pleasure.

[As we see Nathan driving onto the beach to find the thinny and wait for Mara] LS: Ah we’ve used this beach a few times. SP: I love that bronco so much. So this was fun, we shot several scenes here. There’s a lot of scenes with different characters guarding different posts looking for Mara, and looking for Jennifer. [As Nathan looks through his binoculars] That’s a rock we just plopped ten feet off the water. And then we had a CG rock out in the distance, because we couldn’t get a rock with the perfect tides. But we did a whole plan with charts and tide maps and stuff and came up with a plan and then of course the plan changes because nothing’s directly on schedule, and so the tide was too low and we had to move a bunch of stuff around. But overall it was pretty great and we had a free boat floating out there [visible in the distance]. Free background is the best.

LS: We should do a shout out to the aerial team. SP: Yes, the fantastic helicopter team. Every year at some point we go up to freshen up the library so it looks like every episode gets a helicopter unit but really we line up a call sheet and GPS information for every episode and we have cars drive and do chase sequences and stuff. And it’s around episode seven and we go and shot the aerial shots for all the episodes up until then, and then we usually do another helicopter unit later.

[As Dwight is creeping up behind Mara in the woods] LS: Now this is a cool sequence. SP: This was fun. This was our Matrix moment [as the bullets curve around towards Dwight] LS: Long before the Matrix existed SP: Yep. So this is the kind of stuff where you shoot slow motion and you tell the actors to freeze, and then you put in CG bullets. And it’s about the camera moving, them being frozen, and really having cool angles to sell it. I just love Emily when she has fun - it was fun to play with this. I’ve said it before but, not making Mara arch or boring, or too big or too small. Emily really found a good balance where you hated Mara but you sort of liked her. And I think over the course of the season, the writers and Emily did a great job of getting a feel for her. I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of for this season is the writing and the cast, and obviously the look of the film I’m super proud of. And the location and the crew. But I think this is our tour de force this year of the writing and the acting and giving everyone something to do and something to play. LS: It’s just occured to me that you had some very specific looks for Mara and her wardrobe. What went into those decisions? SP: Well, she was kind of stuck with her outfit from last year, Audrey’s outfit from the last season. And so we planned it last year; OK it’s going to be cold next season let’s make sure she’s wearing a jacket. So Mara has more eyeliner and her hair’s a little more messed up and more edgy. And Audrey obviously is softer. But what really did it was her acting; her cadence, the way she carried herself, her rhythm of speech. Her sarcasm. She [Mara] is just totally unlikeable in an amazingly likeable way. LS: Yep, she did a phenomenal job. SP: That taser gun has a couple of different things to it, so some of what you see is CG and some of it is real.

[As we see an aerial shot of the beach] SP: That’s actually the bronco; we drove it down onto the beach and I got that shot. I said, make sure the car is on the beach, and then I flew by with the helicopter. And then the bronco would drive to another location and I’d fly over and get that.

SP: This was fun going back to early season one, where he looks over and see’s her lip gloss in the door and he remembers the first time they talked about being able to feel each other. Or, Nathan being able to feel Audrey. And this is the original footage. We were going to reshoot it and I was like, Why? The old footage is so great. And they look so much different. It wasn’t the original music though.

[As we see Dwight driving along on the phone to Nathan] SP: So these driving scenes are fun to do. It’s just me and the director and camera operator, we get in the car and we drive around. And we just do the scene a whole bunch of times to try and get good background. And the actors love it. So like I said OK let’s drive by that church, so we drive by there and try to get that in the background. Maybe I’m the only one obsessed, hoping the fans are going to be watching that scene and go; Oh my god look at that church, look how cool that is!

SP: So we were able to block shoot these scenes with Duke, and the scenes with Nathan at the bronco. Block shooting is when you write a whole bunch of different scenes at the same location, and you line them up and shoot them all together. So it allows you to make good use of the location because it’s worth it for multiple scenes, the actors get to do a bunch of stuff, and it’s worth getting the big wide shots because you can use them - and you kind of need them so not every scene looks the same.

[As we see Dwight talking to Gloria in the morgue] LS: So Shawn talk about this set. SP: This is our sound stage, it’s connected to the hospital set - the hospital is just down that hall right there [behind Dwight I think] and we pretend it’s on a different floor. The windows are different. It’s one of my favourite sets on the show, it’s’ a beautiful design by Jennifer Stewart. Our painters are fantastic, and gaffers and everybody.

[As Mara is getting the gun to Nathan’s head on the beach] SP: This was really fun to shoot this scene. LS: So I’m curious to know, this is quasi-stunt stuff right? So how do you choreograph it? SP: It’s great when the actors do their own stunts and our cast is super gung ho. I hate fights that look staged, I just want them to look real and there’s certain things that are based in the reality of cop training and things that you do in certain situations. Like stepping backwards and turning. And it’s kind of fun to see Mara being a bad ass, knowing that she has all of these lives and experience and see her take down Nathan - obviously she’s got the FBI training, she’s got all of the training and experience of all of these lives. So she takes down Nathan and chokes him which is super fun. And we had to figure out how to make it super quick and organic and fast, without making anyone look bad. Making everyone look cool and smart, and not doing something hokie and stagey that looks like a bad karate scene or something. SP: So one of the big things to talk about in terms of how this looks is that we switched from 35mm film to digital this year. And we lucked out in that most of these days are overcast, and that’s where the digital equipment really shines. I spent a lot of time in post colour timing and degrading this footage and adding grain and darkening it, and trying to make it not just look good, but look like film. LS: Well what’s interesting is that Eric [I assume Eric Cayla] is great in all mediums and he was very comfortable making that transition. SP: Well he had done it before. He did it on the Deadzone and even with the horrible technology they had then, the early HD which was awful, he even made that look pretty damn good. Ah, I could go into a whole clinic on why I like film way better than digital.

[Where Dwight is talking to the Barrow family with the See No Evil Monkeys on the mantlepiece] SP: We picked this house because of the creepy tree [outside] and it’s also our First AD’s house, he rented it for the year. And we built this location at his house, which was great. So it’s none of his furniture or curtains or anything, we brought in all that. SP: So these are early scenes where we get to see Dwight out on his own investigation. One of the reasons we were able to make this season as big and as interesting as we did, is different characters having their own story lines. We were sort of forced to bifuricate the shooting and giving different people their own story lines. So you get to see Dwight really follow his own investiagation, so this is one of the early Dwight scenes by himself without one of our other cast. And he really stepped up and did a great job, because he is carrying this scene and driving it forward. LS: I love how this set is set up - the photos on the wall and everything. Nothing is accidental. And the monkeys. SP: We spent a lot of time designing those monkeys. We wanted them to be old, but not so old you’d be like; Why are those on your mantel? So, a lot of monkey discussions, a lot of drawing.

[As Dwight and Duke are checking out Duke’s map] SP: I love this location. It’s right down the street from the Rope Loft where there’s lots of parties during Chester race week. And we eat dinner there about once a week. It’s also right around the corner from the yacht club and right next to our production office. And in the summertime there’s lot of boats out there. SP: This overcast look, you can see it added a lot of texture, and we added grain to this footage. Normal HD just doesn’t look this good on a sunny day. It just looks kind of flat no matter what you do to it. But we just so lucked out with this overcast weather. And Mark our Colourist really did a wonderful job this year, really chasing film and giving it that warmth and texture that film has, that digital doesn’t. But you can get it there - or get it pretty damn close, and I’m pretty damn proud of what we ended up with. This was another scene that we block shot where you kind of shoot one long scene but with different cut points. And actualy sometimes in post you end up cutting it at different points that originally intended.

[As we see the outside shot of the hospital] SP: This was an establishing shot that we shot on film a couple of years ago, and then we cut back to digital back in our standing set. LS: What was that location? SP: It’s actually a school in Mahone Bay.

[As we start to see Dave dream] SP: So these memories were a discussion point for a while.  We weren’t sure for a while exactly what he needed to be remembering, and how fast or how slow we wanted to tell the story. So after we were far enough into the season with the writers we went back and had some discussions about how much and how little we wanted to reveal there, to track with where we wanted to go. And I thought we found a really nice balance with Dave’s point of view and it just escalates all season.

[As Mara’s checking the thinny on the beach] LS: Is that a CG rock or a prop rock? SP: That is a real rock, that we brought there. We were waiting around for the tide so we moved it and as the tide went out we kept moving the rock. It was kind of a brain twister to figure out but it was also not that big of a deal once we got there. It’s very scary for everyone; how do we know there’s going to be enough sand and enough beach? And I was like; It’s gonna be great! But it was because everyone planned it so well that we knew where we were and how screwed we were at each given moment. LS: Because the challenge is that you shot [all of these scenes at this location] in 11 hours. SP: There’s sun factors and tide factors; half the beach literally goes away. [As Mara shoots Nathan] LS: This was a fun moment that Matt [I assume McGuiness] was super into, that in the middle of one of these great speeches, one of these heroic I’m-going-to-talk-you-down moments but bamm! she just shoots him. So it was really fun. I brought Lucas into the editing room one day and in there was a take where basically he winced right before the squibs go off. Because he was the one motivating the squib [the fake gun shot wound], I basically told him; we’re going to take the squib off of your line, so when you get to that line I’m not even going to say action, we’ll just take the shot. And so he knew that he was basically directing that moment, so when he got to that line he flinched and it was hysterical because you just see him totally chicken out, just this involuntary hesitation. LS: That’s good practice for him because he got to direct. SP: I really do like that scene. And that’s the end of the episode!

[theaspiringwanderess]

Packing For The West Coast Trail; Essentials, Clothing and Food

Return to My WCT Story | Booking: Reservations/Transport | Clothing, Essential Items, Recommended Items, Optional Items, Food

You Don’t Need The Kitchen Sink - Trust Me

Packing is a BIG deal for the WCT. It’s a lot to pack and there’s the pressure of not getting caught without the essential gear while keeping it all at a manageable weight. My first WCT trek I vastly over packed a 53lbs bag! It killed my hike and was hard on my body and most of the extra was food I hated, which was the worst. My second time I managed 38lbs and it went down dramatically as I ate! I packed everything on each list below (minus the book which i forgot and the GPS which I didnt bring) and still kept it at 38lbs including my food. Always opt for the lightest version. Cut size where you can, even the smallest items eventually add up (ex. some people cut off tooth brush handles, I have a rain shell instead of a full jacket, a double foam sleeping mat is much lighter - but bigger- than a blow-up mattress, an ultra light single unit stove, etc)... One spork for all and all for one spork!

Clothing

The proper clothing is a key factor in keeping you dry, warm/cool and happy. It’s important to keep it light weight but you also must be certain it’s functional for your needs. In 2016, my sister brought a rain jacket she tested and thought was waterproof. A full day of beach hiking in pouring rain later, not only did she learn the hard way it was not, but poor girl was cold, soaked and shivering too hard to do anything but shiver. Be 100% sure about your gear. You also want to be selective about fabrics. Avoid cotton, which retains moisture, and feather/down which loses its loft (heat trapping ability) when damp. Merino wool is a great bet to stay warm and dry and is the best option for socks and sweaters. Synthetic, sweat-wicking active wear is light weight and dries quickly for the daily hike. I also prefer my leggings and shorts to have a zip-up pocket or two. 

I pack my clothing in a waterproof stuff-sack, and I put tanks in one small ziplock, underwear and bras in another, and pjs in a third so they stay dry, clean and easy to find. I keep a safeway bag for dirty clothing and my lesser used items at the bottom (towel, bathing suite).

I always pack my sleeping bag in a garbage bag every morning before it goes in my pack. In the event I fall in a creek... or the ocean?... it’ll add a level of extra water-proof protection. I also re-waterproofed my Lowa hiking boots for the first time ever... this is their second visit to the WCT after all. And, as a random side note, don’t plan to wash your clothes on the WCT. I’ve seen so many people make this mistake. Trust me, nothing that gets wet will dry. EVER. If you have a sunny day, air it out, dry it in the sun, pack it up in a ziplock.

It’s important to note everyone has different needs. You might be ok with 2 pairs of hiking socks! Or one pair of leggings... This is just what worked best for me based on the experiences of both my trips. Customize your WCT adventure-wear as you see fit ;)

3 tank tops, active wear / workout (sweat wicking, not cotton!)

2 pairs of leggings, active wear / workout (seat wicking and stretchy for flexibility and comfort with zip pockets)

2 pairs of workout shorts (sweat wicking and stretchy, w/zip pockets)

3 pairs of merino wool hiking socks

1 pair of wooly socks to sleep in (in case you get cold)

2 pairs of sock liners (major blister prevention technique)

PJs: 1 tank top, 1 merino wool sweater, 1 pair merino leggings or light weight sweat pants

1 or 2 long sleeved sweater(s) active wear / sweat wicking (to wear under your rain jacket or as a warming option in morning) *I took one, but in the event you’re sweaty or expect a lot of rain, 2 is advisable.

3 pairs of underwear active wear / workout (or merino wool if you want to splurge) *for women 7 panty liners (1 per day) to extend your underwear life.

1 bathing suite top (use a pair of used shorts for bottoms and you’ll double their use and wash them at the same time!) ... or dudes wear just your shorts of course!

Essential Items

*For your emergency kit it is extremely important to bring allergy and pain meds. Unexpected reactions and injuries happen all the time. On my Murtle Lake canoe trip, my friend had a terrible reaction to the abundance of mosquitos for the first time in her life and I myself, not having allergies, have come away from the WCT with skin infections and allergic reactions. On average 80-100 hikers a year are emergency evacuated from the WCT due to injury or inability to continue.

1 good hiking backpack with hip belt & chest strap & RAIN COVER

1 pair waterproof hiking boots high top - comfortable, already broken in

1 pair hiking gaiters (protect against ticks, bugs, keeps pants, legs and boots dry, shields mud!)

WCT Trail Map, Tide Tables (provided by parks staff)

WCT overnight pass copy (in a ziplock bag somewhere safe)

$160 minimum cash for water taxi, crab shack, chez moniques (in a ziplock bag somewhere safe)

1 pair ultra-light sandals

1 waterproof rain jacket

1 towel (very small, microfibre recommended)

bear spray

single size cooking stove (I love my jetboil flash lite)

cooking stove fuel for 7 days (2 small cans or one large 230 g can)

long handled spork (this titanium one is the shiznit!)

emergency whistle

emergency kit (gauze, medical tape, various sized bandages, disinfecting/antibiotic cream, a few tabs of common medications such as tylonel, asprin, allergy treatments like benedryl or reactin).

2 regular toilet paper rolls with cardboard tube removed (in a ziplock)

Fire Starters:

1 lighter & 1 flint striker (learn how to use it! This is a great video)

Dependable fire starter (2 or 3 tiny balls of dryer lint rolled with a small amount of unscented vaseline inside a ziplock bag work great in wet weather and will burn for 10-15 mins)

sunscreen

2 (1 litre) water bottles OR 1 bottle and a 2 litre camel back water bag

Water purification tabs (my go-to is Pristine brand). Ensure they are the 30 minute variety (not 1-3 hours). Alternatively some people use a UV light but this does require batteries and adds weight

tarp, lightweight

paracord (15 m or 50 ft)

2 carabiners, 1 that can hold 50 lbs, 1 small light (for random things)

1 sleeping bag, synthetic fill (ideally good for +5 celcius)

1 waterproof tent with rainfly (*I have a cheap 2 person waterproof coleman tent with a tarp bottom that I later bought replacement aluminum poles for. The poles made a 5lb tent a 3lb tent - impressive investment. I pack the poles and my friend the tent body = 1.5lb/each)

cell phone (I use my phone camera a lot so I brought 2 backup chargers. Solar charging is not an option given fog)

3 extra large black garbage bags and  

3 large ziplocks (for trash, as an emergency poncho, keep feet dry in wet boots, the uses are endless)

1 pocket knife

1 flashlight

sunglasses

closed cell foam sleeping pad or light weight blow up mattress pad

1 watch, battery or wind-up water proof or at least resistant - digital watches can get damaged when wet or expensive watches ruined)

1 poop trowel.. yes you read that correctly - the plastic kind

1 bug spray (there weren’t many bugs, lots of wind though!)

2 travel sized hand sanitizers (for covid & as well after nature’s call)

1 emergency blanket

1 small soap or body wash (environmentally friendly brand)

1 travel toothpaste & toothbrush [small]

gloves (fingerless mesh back type for weight lifting is best)

neck gaiter (*instead of a hat - can double as a hat)

Other Recommended Items

unscented lip balm... you don’t want to smell like a walking buffet

1 light weight sleeping bag liner to keep sand and dirt out (I prefer silk)

ball cap or foam visor *non-water absorbing (this can be worn on a sunny day or under a rain hood to keep rain off your face).

1 emergency plastic poncho

1-2 hair ties (it gets wet and windy and they double as pack ties!)

sweat band

baby wipes (good for cleaning your face, or dishes...)

a small book or time passer (don’t bring a giant novel)

Items I’d Consider Optional

rain pants (*optional as long as you have a long waterproof rain jacket. gaiters provide extra leg protection or if its warm don shorts! skin dries)

small camera with good battery life (not necessary if you use your phone)

pen and paper for notes or emergencies

small GPS or Spot satellite device

1 waterproof phone case (if you bring a phone)

1 extra light pillow (optional - i had one this time but usually use my sweater)

Food Recommendations

On the WCT you are expending roughly 3000-4000+ calories per day. That’s more than double the average 120lb marathon runner going hard for 2 hours if they ran 12 miles. You are Climbing, Hauling, Pushing, and your feet are operating at the agility level of “expert cat on steroids”. So, essentially you NEED the calories. But packing the right amount (and weight) of food is challenging. I’m happy to report this time I ate it all by the end so it was the perfect amount. If you find you are running low or forgot something, you might be able to grab it from the Nitinaht crab shack and likewise if you over pack you can leave extra food there for someone else. But please, do NOT leave garbage.

**Note, I must, must stress - DO NOT leave garbage on the trail. There is no garbage removal service. Parks staff do not remove it and with covid there are fewer staff in general. Garbage is a major bear attractant and you put others at risk leaving it behind. 2021 is a year with only Canadians allowed on the WCT and the amount of garbage was appalling.

The WCT, and island in general, is VERY humid. It’s best to bring items in individual packages, otherwise things clump or mush. On our first trip, my sister brought important medications that melted and became extremely difficult to take. My advice is to pack any daily meds you must bring in the plastic containers with individual days. This way if something similar happens to you, you can still be safe knowing the amount taken.

Additionally, I work with a very simple but effective system of ziplock bags. This keeps everything fresh, organized, and easy to find as you go. I have one large ziplock for breakfasts, one for lunch & snacks, and one for dinner. As I finish breakfast I move it to the bottom of my bear bag and put lunch/snacks on top for easy access and so on - Ta-da!

I consider lunch and snacks the same thing as we never stopped for a cooked meal mid-day. In 2016 my sister talked me into doing dried lentil dinners and it was the WORST (... for me, she loved it!). It made it hard for me to want to eat, which was a big set back. I have this vivid memory burned into my brain from our first trip of an adorable father - daughter duo whom we criss-crossed a lot. One rainy day he had her tucked up under a tree eating the most delicious looking meat and cheese sandwich and my instant thought was ‘awww, so cute... I’d kill you for that sandwich though...”. Who knew a sandwich could insight such murderous intent?!

My lesson learned was when it comes to physically demanding, multi-day hikes, pack healthy but also things you enjoy eating. I strive for light weight first and foremost. I love fruit but it doesn’t pack well, so items like fruit leathers work well. Real, individually wrapped, cheese sticks are a great too; by day 5 they get soft or oily, but they never go bad (harder cheeses like cheddar are naturally preserved), so I stick to 4 or 5 day cheese supplies. My ultra-favourite hiking snack - individual wrapped rice crispy squares! I pack 2 per day... and a couple extra for desserts! I never packed enough of each junk food to have one for every day, instead with treats I generally aimed to have 4-5 of each and mix it up. In between hikes, I also spend some time picking up and trying different types of nuts. Don’t get me wrong, peanuts are good, but after 4 days they get pretty boring. I often pop into a Winners or Home Sense store and look for enticing types of nut mixes and I’ll keep them in my car to snack on and decide if its a keeper.

Im also very careful about toothbrushing too because prolonged periods of hiking without proper dental care wrecks havoc on your teeth.

Ok! Down to the nitty-gritty! My dinner ziplock has 1 dinner for each night and sometimes a hot (dehydrated) dessert. And I have a small ziplock for items like my toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash slips, and anything else that might need to go in the bear bag. Again, I’ll preface this by saying its important to note everyone’s needs are unique and based on the experiences of both my trips, this is the food I packed.

Breakfast Ziplock

7-8 easy breakfasts (i pack 1 peaches & cream oatmeal for each morning and an extra in case we missed the bus).

coffee - starbucks via’s have been my favs! but nescafe also makes individual coffees and a fab toffee nut cappuccino option!

sugar and powdered creamer (individual pkgs) & tea in a smaller ziplock

a smaller ziplock for toothbrush/paste, body wash etc

Lunch / Snacks Ziplock

bag of beef jerky

individual (real) cheese sticks (usually cheddar, or a hard variety works best, soft cheese goes bad faster)

a few bags of different varieties of nuts (*lemon sea salt almonds, tamari nut mix, cilantro lime cashews, Dare brand Vietnamese coffee flavoured macadamia nuts)

2 bags snack sized hawkins cheezies

5 individually pkgd M&M’s chocolate & oatmeal cookies (*the M&M cookies were crumbly, the oatmeal squished but stuck together!)

16 Rice crispy squares - my ultra-fav hiking snack, individually wrapped (2 per day + couple extras)

4 fruit leather bars in a smaller ziplock

4 snack sized oh-henrys in a smaller ziplock

2 bags Stinger caffeine gummies & 2 capsules Nuune electrolyte/caffeine tabs in a smaller ziplock

Dinner Ziplock

1 dinner for each night and sometimes a hot (dehydrated) dessert

Presidents Choice brand (bagged) vegetarian chili *this was a new try for me, normally I advocate for dry only food because wet is messy, can leak, is heavy and can go bad fast. BUT! I ate this the first night on the trail so it was gone quickly, and it stood up to the abuse and was only $3!

AlpineAire potato cheddar soup (dehydrated) is my fav dinner. fast, hot, make in the bag, and tasty!

2 Stove Top brand stuffing; cut a small hole, let out the air, retape. write water and instructions on the bag. Throw away the box. (*mix with 1 pkg gravy)

1 Instant mashed potatoes; cut a small hole, let out the air, retape. write water and instructions on the bag. Throw away the box. (*mix with 1 pkg gravy) - FYI this is a BIG meal, make only what you can eat or bring a smaller amount if you cant eat the whole thing.

3 pkgs reduced salt gravy mix

1 Nomad Nutrition vegetarian shepards pie dehydrated meal.

1 dehydrated dessert hot option (maple rice pudding this time!)

Return to My WCT Story | Booking: Reservations/Transport |

[nostalgic-blood]

so i went to california a few weeks ago and...

No, I didn’t go ham. I had friends who were like “HERE HAVE THIS” and then I had this thing, and later went to a convention and THEN I went ham. 

Also this was my first non-family trip so I sort of bought a souvenir anywhere I deemed important enough to do so... America, you took a lot of my money. Oh and Disneyland too. 

...also I couldn’t fit some things and forgot others in that top pic.

this wall scroll my cat is trying to destroy

a backpack I bought solely so I was able to even bring all this back, and the posters/prints I STILL needed a friend to ship back anyway...

and this cute koishi i bought, all of three of which were from fanime, yes...

Disneyland souvenirs! A friend (Souless) bought the one of the left. You may have noticed Minnie Mouse ears on the first photo! I didn’t actually get them from Disneyland itself, t’was a gift from our Disneyland veteran who led us to many-a-ride and the least amount of waittime possible, Souless’ fiance Kat. :)

And yes Inside Out is my favourite Pixar movie. Watched Coco recently which was really good, but it’s only second to Inside Out. P:

Let’s start off with my ridiculous friends who decided I needed to own more merch:

All of this was bought by my friend Cannibalfood AKA Akira who went to cons and saw stuff I might like but never got around to actually shipping them to me.. and then, came with me to California and brought this stuff. This is why Negima is on there. It’s been that long.

Oh the non-weeb stuff is souvenirs I got with her while we were in San Fran, including Alcatraz touristy photos since we have few pictures together, a taxidermy place where we each got matching stingray barbs, how romantic. The rock was my very first souvenir. I wasn’t expecting on buying anything else in that shop, so it is the most boring thing here.

Here’s a look at the Touhou artbooks!

One of two CDs, this one with best 2hu on it. I recall from reading the back that one of these has some TAMUSIC on it, which has lovely classical pieces. 

Here’s a semi-random page with some artwork. I recognize some of the artists!

The other one! I cannot read anything in these books, and yes there’s plenty of text as well as the art.

Some sample of the art! I’ll have to revisit these books later but from first glance I think I prefer the art of the first book? Idk.

Next is stuff given to me by various people. The gacha is from Magus, the guy who I stayed at for about half the trip and spent the entire trip WITH since he also went down to SLO and I also shared hotels with him for Fanime. Awesome host, will do again. 10/10. I have another button from someone else but I accidentally included it wit my fanime merch pile photos, so it’ll be along shortly.

The dreamcatcher was made by SlimeMush’s friend who I paid $10 for, and for some mysterious reason it kept being returned to him every time he tried to send it to me. I couldn’t get a good pic of it alone because my cat kept attacking the feathers. SlimeMush also gave me the Flareon button! Apparently all the Eeveelutions he had went to those whose favourite was so-and-so, and apparently there’s equal amounts of love for all of them except for the two he kept himself because he loved them the most. Yes. Flareon is my favourite. :D

The gacha is a ditto + a ditto version of Sableye. 

This Monster Hunter blindbox was given to me by Wolfe, whom I’ve had a few MonHun merch exchanges with so far. I also gave him a MonHun figure from another line, which I’ll elaborate further (because I gave them all out similar to SlimeMush giving out the Eeveelution buttons) and kept whichever was left behind. This is Monoblos! I didn’t fight him all too often so I don’t have much impression of it as a monster, also I thought he was white but w/e, still very cool looking to add to my collection!

Now of all my loot THIS is the stuff I really could have done without in terms of when and where I spent my money. I bought that Incineroar evolution line figure sort of on a whim at a random city in the middle of nowhere, California while on the long drive down to SLO. The Touhou blindboxes, Digimon CD, and RWBY manga came from Kinokuniya in Japantown. Just wanted to buy them because. Even if the Tri series was mediocre in the end the nostalgia still has a strong grip on my heart, especially that music with Kouji Wada. ;_;

And the most touristy thing was buying this wind chime at a gift shop in a spa that I really didn’t need but it was pretty so w/e.

See? Pretty.

The results of the blindboxes. Not the luckiest result as I wanted other characters but you CANNOT SAY NO TO WEEB MERCH!

As much as I have been distancing myself from the show, RWBY’s manga has wondrous art. It also decided to focus on some random unknown side character named Ruby instead of the main characters, which I thought while was quite the bold move, was rather refreshing. 

DELICIOUS WEISS BACKSTORY. I recall posting something about this particular chapter on here before. YEEEEE!

So yeah I went to the island prison in San Francisco where AAAAAALL the tourists go. In my defence I have a genuine interest in prisons. Just ask my 300k RWBY fanfiction in which the first quarter of it is set in a prison. It is also not my first prison fic. I put lots of research in that setting to write that kind of shit. 

Also all the souvenirs were the most gimmicky things possible that I didn’t think I’d ever use or would just be paperweight. Except this bag! I may actually use this bag! I know!

And excluding the stuff that is too big or I forgot to take a pic of near the beginning of the post, THIS was the Fanime loot! Magus got me the Monokuma onesie which was extremely nice of him and now I am no longer perpetually cold. Ah yes the warmth of the hide of a psychotic bear. So good.

I could not believe the artist who made one of my favourite Aya pics EVER was at the artist alley. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. Obviously this was an instant purchase. This was my phone background for the longest of times. She had Touhou artbooks too but they sold in the first twenty minutes of the first day of the artist alley. Wow. My friend may try to snag me some at AX in July, so here’s hoping!

I didn’t see a lot of specifically Weiss prints there, and this was the best of the lot IMO. My only wish was that it was a brighter print, or that Weiss herself being so white would stand out more because it’s the least noticeable thing on my wall atm, which is a shame. 

I say this when I saw precisely ONE Aya print (jackpot) and one of another coming up in this bombardment of pics.

THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST PROVOCATIVE ONE HERE LOL. But it was the only Tenko, and DRV3 merch was the most difficult of everything I was looking for to find. Unlike 95% of Tenko art SHE ACTUALLY HAS VISIBLE ABS HERE, which according to the official artbooks she’s supposed to have, so bonus points for that. I had a brief discussion with the artist too and we both agreed Tenko was the best and Ouma was overrated. He has great taste.

Overwatch on the other hand was all over the place in this con, from merch to art, to cosplayers. There were so many cosplayers they didn’t even have enough time to run through half of the tanks and all the supports at the shoot! So sad, so sad. This piece of Widowmaker is beautiful though, so I had to have it.

I saw this online a while back and really loved this image of all the Overwatch ladies being formal. There was a suit-version too, but for whatever reason I preferred this one. Sadly this print is quite small, as it probably would have benefited the most in being larger what with the many characters and thus detail.

Out of all this mess the one thing I wanted the most and hunted for the most was charms. I found NO GOOD CHARMS that fitted my taste and interest, and the closest were these buttons. Oh, and I met my good friend Raphyninja at Fanime and he gave me EXCLUSIVE RAPHYNINA MERCH! Thus that button being here and not in the friendo pile. ANYWAY. There was a deal, 3 for 5, so aside from the obvious ones I grabbed Kork. I love Kork. I didn’t think I would for that type of character, but somehow DRV3 managed it. He will of course be very far away from Tenko and Himiko though. >_>

Here’s a page from one of the Touhou doujins I got, which in hindsight I maybe should not have got? Way too late I noticed that I recognized the seller who I think showed up on a Tumblr post warning of a creeper at the Touhou shoots. He’d try to take pics of cosplayers in a private hotel room at weird, uncomfortable angles as far as I remember, so uh, oops? I was just so excited at finding Touhou doujin for the first time ever that I paid zero attention to the person selling so hopefully I am wrong and they were just someone that resembled that person.

Also I recognized this artist for their cute Satori Koishi content, but could not find any of their Koishi doujins. Sadness.

I bought two Monster Hunter blindboxes at Fanime because CLEARLY I need more, right. I got a Nargacuga, including the box left remaining in the pile I gave away and the one I already have...  I now have three Nargacugas. That’s quite a lot for something I never fought before...

I also got this tiny Zinogre. If we include my buttons I have FOUR Nargacugas now and FOUR Zinogres. The difference is I have fought Zinogre multiple times (I have no idea exactly because I have 600 hours in 4U >_>) and actually really like him! Sadly, in grand tradition like the last time I visited San Francisco (when I was five) I lost something, that being my favourite MonHun button, Zinogre. It is now in the wild with my teddy bear and my hat, forever gone in the California abyss. ):

I got this at the swap meet for 6 dollars. It may not have a stand and is rather dusty, but damn is that a bargain. My only regret is not having the GIGA DRILL BREAKAAAA model instead. I also got that Monokuma bag there too, but that was just because I went there and couldn’t find a single thing I wanted until I saw the bag, which I was on the fence on but wanted to buy SOMETHING from there and got it, thinking that was it ... but then this and the Touhou doujins showed up, soooooo...

Finally this other Nargacuga that was left behind became my monster in that line of figures, the rest in the hands of my friends. It’s actually cuter than I expected, and barely fit in this cheap crappy display case I bought at a Daiso. I moved my dresser a nudge and the Pokemon fell over, so yeah. 

You may have noticed a drop in quality in the photos and that’s because I cannot be bothered to touch up such a gargantuan amount of images anymore, not with the time I have. Would be nice tho. SO, THAT IS THE GIANT POST OF SPOTTO’S MERCH, NOW WITH 100% MORE QUANTITY THAN BEFORE! I spent too much money so I might as well get something out of it by BRAGGING about it! Right? 

Ye.

[abutterflyobsession]

Doctor Who AU Part 30

prelude/one/two/three/four/five/six/seven/eight/nine/ten/eleven/twelve/thirteen/fourteen/fifteen/sixteen/seventeen/eighteen/nineteen/twenty/twenty-one/twenty-two/twenty-three/24/25/26/27/28/29/ao3

The day was soft and gray, a smooth layer of clouds spread across the sky. The sweeping fields of tall green grass were more vibrant without undiluted sunlight bleaching them. The air was cool, heavy with the smell of rich, damp earth.

A few stray drizzling drops of rain fell onto a square patch of dirt that had been cleared of grass. Already a few tender sprouts had pushed themselves up from the loose dirt, undeterred by the loss of the previous generation.

The loose patch of earth shifted.

The newborn sprouts trembled.

A distant flash of lightning lit up a corner of the sky, bright and silent. The wind had died down to a sigh, the world going still in anticipation.

Thunder rumbled and crashed, the wind picked up sharply, blowing in dark clouds, lightning flashed again, and the patch of earth began to heave upward, as if the ground were taking in a breath.

Thunder brought rain crashing down.

The dirt rose up.

A gnarled hand thrust its way into the open, just as another flash of lightning burst overhead, turning the hand into a black silhouette of clawing roots.

“Alright,” a muffled voice said, “did that look as cool as I think it did?”

“Totally.”

Sunny squished through the mud in tall boots, an umbrella held in one hand, a camera in the other. Dawn trudged in from the opposite direction, similarly equipped.

“Ah, the crops are doing so well this year! The nerds are ripe for picking!” the Doctor called from somewhere out of sight.

“I'm going to hug you when I get out of here!” Bog called back, struggling in the mud.

“Just you try it, mudball.”

“These are going to look so cool when we put these clips together,” Dawn said, tucking the camera away in its bag, “How's this one fit, Boggy?”

“The legs are on the right way around this time,” Bog said, clawing his way out of the mud, shaking rain drops and momentary double vision out of his eyes.

“That was one time,” the Doctor shouted, still not visible.

“She's putting newspapers down in the Tardis,” Dawn explained, “she's tired of cleaning mud out of the wiring.”

“She made me get in the cracks with a toothbrush,” Sunny remarked, resting his umbrella on his shoulder so he could grab Bog's hand.

Dawn took Bog's other hand, “Okay, and pull!”

The arm Sunny was pulling on snapped off at the elbow.

Bog looked at the yellow liquid oozing out of the stump.

Sunny looked at the arm he was still holding by the hand.

“Bog . . .?” Dawn began.

“I'm out,” Bog snapped. He slumped forward into the mud.

Sunny finally came to himself and dropped the arm, flailing backwards to get away from it.

“This one a better fit?”

Bog squinted. Dawn's bright face and fluffy halo of hair coming into focus as she bent over him. The sunlight was bright, the outline of it around Dawn was blinding and Bog threw a hand over his eyes.

“He's a shade plant, remember?”

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see the Doctor had unfurled an enormous yellow and red beach umbrella.

“He needs some sun,” Dawn insisted.

“I need a drink,” Bog's voice was hoarse and his mouth was dry. He wondered if that was a good sign or bad sign. Every time he tried on a new body and felt good it usually ended up that his nerve endings were dead or something.

The Doctor poured a cup of water over Bog's head.

“Not what I meant.”

“But it's what you're going to get, my teetotaling tuber. Plants don't drink hard liquor and it therefore follows that you don't drink it either. Anyway,” the Doctor crouched down, the umbrella closing in further on them, “how does it fit?”

“Gimme a ruddy minute, love,” Bog wheezed, feeling his lungs reluctantly inflating, the rigid segments of bark on his chest shifting with each breath.

“Don't smother him,” Dawn chided.

She pulled the umbrella a little further away so the world was a little less smudged yellow and red. There were some green smudges too now. Bog flexed his hands, his joints moving easily, and touched his thumb to his fingertips, feeling the softness there. That was an improvement, definitely.

“Peach fuzz,” the Doctor said, taking his hand and twisting it this way and that, “for a tree you've got really soft hands. The insides, anyway. Backs are still nice and crunchy. Imagine if you hit someone with that. Total annihilation. They'd be picking splinters out of their face for months.”

“Mm,” Bog took the Doctor's hands in his, savoring the newly returned sensitivity in his fingers. It had taken six tries to get his hands right, to turn them from stiff, thick roots to something that he could imagine using to play the guitar with again. He could feel the callouses on the Doctor's palm, the chipped coat of polish on her fingernails.

“He's getting touchy-feely again,” the Doctor called to Dawn, “maybe we need to reboot him.”

“I keep telling you,” Dawn sighed, “that's normal.”

“How's the connection?” the Doctor freed herself and shone the screwdriver in Bog's eyes, “Any lagging? Double vision? Double sensation? Teeth growing in sideways?”

“Nope. Help me out of here and let's see if everything stays where it should.”

“Your ears sliding off that time was weird and disturbing,” Dawn grimaced.

“Then why are you keeping them in a jar?”

“. . . science?”

“Hey, man,” Sunny took Bog's hand, “if your arm falls off again I am done. Completely done. I'm almost at my limit of zombie body horror.”

“And how do you think it feels to be me?”

“If I planted your arm,” Dawn said thoughtfully, “would it grow another Bog? Would it be a tiny Bog? A pocket Bog?”

“Neither your nor your sister are allowed to play with my genetic material without my permission. I thought we established this. And there has got to be an easier way to do this!”

Bog struggled to pull free of the ground, snapping the tiny rootlets that had spread out around the body while it grew. It stung where they broke off, leaving tiny yellow droplets of blood beading on the skin. The skin was still segmented bark, but patterned to be smoother and not grate together so badly at the edges. Only a Cheem body could be grown using the methods Bog and the Doctor had worked out from the data in the primrose. It would take years for a body to slowly take on a more human structure.

“Maybe we should try pods,” the Doctor said. She was pulling hard, but Bog's arm was still attached, “big old pods, bodysnatcher style.”

“Why didn't you make that suggestion half a dozen bodies ago?!”

“I was thinking trees, not peas.”

“Stupid!” Dawn smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand, knocking her glasses askew, “We got too hung up on plants and forgot all about the human aspects! A pod would be so much easier to program a template into and minimize the need for roots to gain nutrients because the body would be suspended in--”

“Miracle-gro?” the Doctor suggested.

“Hate you,” Bog muttered, getting to his feet and brushing dirt off. After the first attempt at growing and piloting a new body Bog had quickly figured out how to add a simple, separate, fabric-like growth in the shape of pants.

“Good, good, the cheekbones came out nicely,” the Doctor nodded in satisfaction before reaching up and pinching Bog's dirt-encrusted cheeks.

Bog was embarrassed to feel himself blush, but also pleased. The body felt real. Almost as if it were him and not just a remote-controlled drone. His real body—real self—was still firmly rooted to the inside of Roland's former Tardis. With a thought Bog could be pulled right back into that prison. Right back into reality.

“Someone is in loooove,” Dawn giggled.

“I'm allowed to appreciate an aesthetically pleasing face!” the Doctor huffed.

“It's the first one I've ever seen you appreciate, sis. Or consistently recognize.”

“He's easy. He's the one covered in bark.”

Bog smacked the back of her head.

“Hey!”

“Oh, so sorry. My reflexes must still be off kilter.”

The Doctor punched him in the stomach.

“I hope this isn't standard courtship stuff for Time Ladies,” Sunny said, standing on his tiptoes behind Dawn so he could rest his chin on her shoulder, “I bruise easily.”

“Sunny, I've seen you fall off a ten foot wall and walk away without a scratch. I'm theorizing that you're either an alien with enhanced resilience or a sudden leap in human evolution.”

“Don't disrespect my skills like this. I am one hundred percent token human and have collected enough bruises and broken bones to take down an elephant before I reached true mastery of parkour.”

“It isn't natural, it just isn't natural. And these bizarre courtship rituals are exclusive to my sister and her lovesick Larch.”

“I'm going out on a limb here and guessing Larch is some kind of tree.”

“Limb,” Dawn snickered, “that's a good one.”

Bog's leather jacket still fit.

Was it 'still' when the body he was wearing had never worn the jacket before?

His tattoos were gone. No, again, the tattoos had never been inked into the tough skin of this body, on the twined bundles of roots that mimicked the shape of arms. The hands he flexed had never picked up a guitar, the feet that were digging their toes into the dirt had never walked on Earth.

Because they weren't on Earth at the moment.

“One of seven Earth-like planets orbiting a dwarf-star called Trappist-1, recently discovered by Danish scientists,” Dawn had explained, “rather less sunlight than Earth, but suitable for a weird Bog garden. Humans will start colonizing in the thirtieth century. Until then it's like your own personal planet.”

Bog had viewed the scenery on the monitors, his interest piqued by a brand-new, untouched planet, “Can I name it, then?”

“Frank,” the Doctor immediately suggested, “or Earthy. Not Earth. Nearth. Frank Nearth. Frank Nearth the Second.”

“You are not allowed to name anything. Ever.”

“What's wrong with New Earth?” Sunny asked.

“Already taken. Or will be,” Dawn shrugged.

“Also that's totally boring,” the Doctor added, “hey, what about calling it Broden? Planet Broden.”

“Never mind,” Bog said, “we're not naming the planet. Not if I have to deal with this.”

Now Bog stood outside Roland's hair salon Tardis, watching Trappist-1 sink behind the horizon. A pristine planet, untouched by the industry of humans—or any intelligent species—and a cheap hair salon was parked in the middle of a grassy meadow, a neon 'open' sign blinking red and blue in the growing dark.

“I guess we've got a keeper,” the Doctor said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I don't seem to be shedding anything important.”

The Doctor took Bog's hand.

And stabbed his fingertip with a needle.

“Yup,” she said, ignoring Bog's yelp, “nerve endings are good.”

“Wasn't there some nicer way of checking that?!”

“Don't be a sapling about it. You're not even bleeding.”

“Hmf.”

“Connection is holding. Since you're real body is hooked up to a Tardis you're very unlikely to experience signal loss, no matter where or when you might be. All data you collect in your avatar body will be relayed back to the original so even if the avatar body is damaged you won't lose any—any . . . “

The Doctor stammered her way to a stop when Bog brushed his fingertips over her cheek. Was it the newness of his body that made it seem that his fingers were more sensitive than before? Or maybe it was just the novelty of touching a person with affection.

“I guess . . . I guess that's a nicer way to check nerve sensitivity,” the Doctor remarked awkwardly. She hitched up her shoulder and squinted her eyes when Bog's hand traveled down her neck, but it was only a few moments before she was leaning into his touch, eyes half-shut.

“This really is me, isn't it?” Bog asked quietly, “My body? My hand?”

“Do you want me to be scientific of philosophic about it?” the Doctor had her arms folded tight in front of herself, making no move to reach out to Bog, “I've got a good repertoire built up.”

“I wouldn't mind a straightforward comforting lie.”

“I'm good at lies. Bad at comforting.”

Bog let his fingers coast over the back of her neck, counting the vertebrae that made gentle rises in her skin. The contact helped him feel real. It made the Doctor feel real. She was a strange being, too big inside for him to fully understand, too quick for him to catch unless she stood still and let herself be caught. She was always running and even now, in this moment, it didn't feel like she had really stopped.

“New bodies . . . I've had loads. They come with memories of worlds you've walked a thousand times, but never walked before. At least you get to say the same height. I had to lower all the shelves so I could reach things without a step ladder.”

“Doesn't it bother you? Not to be yourself anymore?”

The Doctor shrugged, “Sometimes there are things you're glad to leave behind.”

Bog's fingers had been pushing the Doctor's hair back behind her ear and he paused, looking at the familiar shape of unfamiliar hands.

Hands that had never held a gun.

“I see,” Bog gently rubbed away a smudge of dirt near the Doctor's hairline, “I see.”

“You wake up and it all begins again. There's the whole universe, new again, waiting for you, and you've got a brand new set of eyes that see everything differently than you've ever seen them before. I'm glad we got your eyes right. I was afraid we might get the wrong shade.”

“Hm,” Bog toyed with the lapels of the Doctor's coat, “this is all a new beginning, is what you're saying.”

“Things begin and end every day. Some are just more noticeable than others. Today you set a clock to count down the ten years, more or less, until you're avatar is more human than Cheem. And I've set my own timer . . .”

The Doctor looked out over the fields and Bog followed her gaze to Sunny and Dawn. The two were pulsing the light on the end of Dawn's screwdriver to attract fireflies. Or some sort of firefly creatures. They actually looked more like flying, glowing spiders.

Bog tugged on the Doctor's coat, making her turn away from the scene. Dawn and Sunny were beginning something, something bright and fresh. They carried their own hurts and worries, but the both of them were fundamentally sound and happy in a way that Bog and the Doctor could never be. Sooner or later Dawn's path would diverge from her sister's.

“She's not gone yet,” Bog said softly.

“That's one of the things about being a Time Lord,” the Doctor said, her head lowered, hiding her eyes in shadow, “you see more endings than you should.”

“Doesn't that just mean you see more beginnings, too?”

The Doctor looked up, slight frown on her face while she took in his words. Something seemed to click into place because she laughed, her painted lips twisting into a reluctant smile, “I think I'm starting to see why I keep you around, Bog.”

“I thought it was for my good looks.”

“I guess you're alright. For a tree. I wonder if you'll turn red and orange in the autumn, because that would be spectacular.”

Bog tugged on her coat, pulling her closer as he bent down, “You're completely bizarre.”

He gave her a brief kiss, confirming that the nerve endings in his lips were functioning properly. He took a breath and looked into the Doctor's eyes. It was hard to say whether the stars he saw there were a reflection of the night sky or from the vast universe she carried within her.

A sudden thought tickled Bog and he laughed.

“What?” the Doctor drew back.

Bog pulled her back, “I was just thinking, technically, that was my first kiss.”

Dawn let the twelve-legged insect dance over her hand while it followed the light from the screwdriver, “It wants to play! I thought it was like fireflies and it was a mating thing, but it's just that he wants to play, like crows. What smart little things.”

“Pretty too, in their weird way,” Sunny picked one out of his hair and shooed it back into the air.”

The two of them stood, knee-deep in grass, surrounding by the winking of the insects and the steady light of the stars. It was cool and the wind was rustling mysteriously in the grass.

“Is it over, then?” Sunny asked, holding Dawn's hand while they watched the sky.

“I guess it is. For the moment.”

“You'll take me back and drop me off in time for my shift, just like none of this happened.”

“I guess.”

Sunny's chest felt tight. Dawn was going to go whirling off into the stars. He would be stuck on Earth, just like before, except this time he would know that he was stuck. Before it was just life. You walked on the surface of the world and knew that anything beyond that was out of your reach.

“I mean,” Dawn took his other hand and swung their hands back and forth a little, “if you want. But after your shift ends . . . are you free?”

The cord tied around Sunny's chest broke and fell away, leaving him able to breathe freely again. The shy look on Dawn's face, the puffs of her hair nodding in the breeze, the sparkle of light glittering from under her eyelashes . . . she was beautiful. She was new. Her sister was like some ancient stone, craggy furrows worn into her by time and trouble. Dawn, just like her name, was new, just peeking over the horizon. Sunny wanted to follow her and see new things together.

“Well,” Sunny could only barely keep himself from grinning, “actually, I kind of have a family dinner I have to help set up. Big deal, the whole family, aunts, uncles, cousins. Even an army of plant people could stop us.”

“Oh,” Dawn dropped his hands, drooping a little, “yeah. Can't skip out on family. I guess we'll just—”

“But,” Sunny took her hands again, “are you free to come to the dinner?”

“Your family dinner?”

“Yeah, we're all allowed to bring dates, but only if we're super serious. No casual flings allowed. It's my grandma's rule. Family only.”

“Family only?”

“Yeah, well,” Sunny's face was suddenly hot, “I mean, I don't know how this is going to end up, but . . . I'm—I'm kind of serious. About you.”

Dawn's face lit up brighter than all the stars and lightning bugs around them. She grabbed Sunny by the shoulders and pulled him into a kiss, pushing away all her thoughts about the terrible revelations of the last few days while she slid her fingers through his hair.

Those were endings.

This was a beginning.

Not Exactly The End

I plan to do several epilogues to fill in some details. But, basically, this is over. Y’all got any questions you want answered that were in the main story? Lemme know and I can incorporate them into the epilogues.

thank you all so so much for reading this super random crossover and enduring endless tree puns

[gsmatthews95]

the animal house

Hola all.

I'm very sorry about the black out I havent been in a blogging mood recently for some reason. but today, with half an hour till our bus to Macedonia I thought I can't continue this and be a whole country behind, that, would have been a large mountain to climb. I am also sorry I have just remembered I forgot to post my Kosovo blog, I Was too bust having fun and that. Worry not I am back and unsure of whether I will post one or two blogs and if I do 2 how will I split them up. Life's unanswered questions.

So our start in Albania was eventful, shockingly because of the buses. You may have noticed the running theme here guys, the buses are crap meaning I got my wish for more adventure but it has meant they've been more expensive and tiring than wed hoped to be honest. But yes, we were at the terminal having speed walked cause we were late in time for the bus. We asked where it left from and were pointed to a corner outside the station... OK, so an international bus is leaving from that corner? Sure. We got there and another man was waiting for the same bus, this helped our nerves. Then he came to speak to us to tell us the bus wasn't coming into the city but was leaving from a restaurant out of town and we had to share a taxi there, cheers for that. Oo i be just realised I wrote about this in the last piece. Oops sorry. Ok moving on.

So Tirana is the Albanian capital city. Not the most exciting place in the world but it had a good feel to it with some pretty buildings, a big Pyongyang esque square and a rich history of empires and communism. One thing that must be noted about Tirana is its abundance of bus stations... It has 3 or 4 just to add to the confusion, amazing, wicked, falaminderit. But yes. Our first stop in Tirana, get George a tattoo yay. I've wanted one for ages and having finally found a design and place for it, it was just a matter of getting the tat. 50 dollars? Fine. And now a few weeks later its not infected, its peeled and looks sick. Everyone meet wei ling my new panda. The next day we were up for an early free walking tour, which was banging followed by a trip to the biggest of Hoxha's communist rule. Side note: he was so paranoid of soviet and us nuclear attacks over a few years he made (I think) 188,000 bunkers, put of an intended 370,000 (I think) to prepare for war with both the us and the soviets. The irony is that the president didn't even know Albania existed, lol. The one we visited tho was huge and never used. At times it was 5 stories underground and even had a huge meeting room/theatre. I stress, it, and none of the others, were used. Wow. On The day we planned to leave for berat we planned a day trip to kruja, the stronghold and home of our great Albanian hero skanderbeu the liberator and saviour of the Albanian people. This was cute. It was a town in the mountains with a pretty old town with cobbled streets and stores and a big omnipotent looking castle. We had a nice lunch up there and wandered the walls before heading back for our bus. This is when the next bus saga began.

This one ranks high in our list of bus grievances second the one in Kosovo and one ahead of the one we're in as I write... So we got back and walked to our hostel, 30 mins. We got our stuff and walked to the station with our bags in the rain. Remember there are three bus stations. We walked to the one we thought was it. Oh no its the one just along this road on the left by the big statue. Ok we can do that. This was maybe another km. We are tired and demotivated. As we get to the station we see a bus to beret leaving around the roundabout. We dont panic, there'll be another we're not in a rush. We ask a guy who works there... That was the last bus, great. So we have to get a bus towards fier and get off at a roundabout to get a taxi. As the sun was setting. Then when we got to beret the street name had changed so the one we gave people was the new one and everyone only knew the old ones so we couldn't find the apartment. This was until a nice man made it his mission to get us there so he called the number five times rill he picked and and the host picked us up. This was a very long day.

Beret however, was a pretty old ottoman city. Another UNESCO site (again) god were getting bored of these now just get me a beach and a city. He he he. Speaking of which we've seen two  more since lol. OK yeah so there's lots of white ottoman houses up the hills with big windows, very photogenic and pretty. There was also a big castle on the hill over the town. This was big, not just a castle but now there are restaurants and hostels up there too along with a mosque and church. Much more than we anticipated. Good exercise, good views and some good history, good cricket. (That was for you dad). Berat was nice but we were done with towns so it was on to the coast and one of our favorite little spits on the trip, vuno....

So I've now decided how to split this piece. I was going to put this in the second one and Split them between cities and beaches but having had such an action packed day yesterday I think I may ramble a bit too much so putting vuno in this piece may be preferable for both my brain and your sanity. I hope y'all agree with me, much love. So vuno. This was a funny stop, wed heard about it from a girl in Montenegro who recommended it to us a a hostel that was converted from a school in a tiny old town near the sea. Cool, the clincher tho was when she said there were animals just wandering around all the time. Score, result, as two big animal lovers vuno was placed on our itinerary immediately. So getting there wasn't easy, shock another bus situation. This one was long and hot. Firstly there was the intracity bus, simple. Then the minibus thru the mountains which was long, over two hours. The driver was also the most sane driver we've ever seen, he drove so carefully and slowly it was refreshing although it did mean the journey was super long. Bring back my crazy drivers please. So we were in vlore. Fine, one more bus and we're there. Only issue, there was no bus station. WHAT?! Omg. Yep we were dropped on the street and told to go to a street corner. We went there and spoke to three taxi drivers who told us we needed a three euro taxi, shock. Not having that thanks. So we spoke to a bus driver who told us to go stand by the road 50m away and hail down a bus that passes. Lord Almighty. Ok. Oh yeah by the way it was like 30 plus degrees. We waited then I asked another woman in a bus company shop and she says there is one leaving from outside her shop in 20 minutes... Convenient... We also only have half the money she asked for and she accepts it. We were very suspicious. Waiting in the road again but this time with a ticket the stakes were high.... We jumped at every bus that came until finally we got it. Easy. We got on and calmed down knowing the worst was done. How wrong we were. This journey, supposed to take an hour by car, took three hours and was unbearably hot. Urgh. It was a big one. But we made it to vuno and when walked to the hostel went a windy way to find a shop. There was no shop. We ended up walking down a narrow downhill path, thru rubble and rocks and eventually thru a construction site as some workers had to let us thru their underground piping operation. Safe to say we felt we deserved a beach day the next day. So the skholla hostel was nice, well done up and had all the amenities apart from, when we first arrived although it got fixed, running water... We were camping so it was also very cheap. The next day we went to a buff beach near by. It was an hour and a half walk to get there thru olive groves, over little farmers walls and down a cliff. It was very nice and provided some exercise before an inevitable day of beach lounging, eating food and swimming. Tick tick tick. A lush day on a lush beach with barely any people because it was getting to late in august. The only problem... The walk home... Up hill... We also manager to get lost... It was very hot and sweaty and we missed our trail sign, grrrrrr. Luckily we had the maps app and we ran into some shepherds who pointed us right. This also led us thru a scenic... Bee farm... The randomness of this trip never fails to disappoint hahahaha. A good day nonetheless. The other day and a half we spent at another beach near by that we could hitchhike to. Again very nice but more busy because its easily accessible and closer to the big town himare. As eluded to earlier the true attraction of the hostel was the wandering animals. Firstly the house cat was an aggressive scavenger, literally eating off your plate and would even come back after he'd been thrown away. Next came the "stray dogs" its hard to say if there stray tho or just have very lax owners. They were all starved of love and affection tho. Lucky they came to the right place, two affection craving humans here, form an orderly line please while we pet all of you in turn. Ok next. We showered them with love and they loved it. I miss Rowland 😞. Next came the heard of goats that fame straight thru the hostel every day. I say thru the hostel the hostel in built on one aide of the road and campsite is on the other. This is the main road to vuno town.. It was wide enough for one Car... But somehow seemed to have constant traffic running thru it, bazar really. The goat heard tho was hilarious, many if them equipped with bells so their imminent arrival was anticipated they would all trot thru, maybe 100 of them, grazing around our tent climbing down walls and generally just chilling, they were jokes and their procession was generally a highlight of our day. Lastly was the wandering mules. Lol. Mules. Run you mule. There were three but apparently there were up to 15 that just wandered freely all day erday. They arrived as we were all eating dinner, how convenient... And as I was trying to chow down on my pasta I had two mule heads, one on each shoulder, also trying to get a bite. They were very persistent, they're big and strong so it was a tricky one to stop them from getting at my food. We pushed them. They didn't budge. We clapped. They flinched. Them eventually our Peruvian friend got them away and then it was just the cat to contend with. An eventful dinner time at the animal house but all very funny and enjoyable.I'll leave y'all here and write the next chapter of our tale in half an hour or so, my head needs a wee rest, as does my stomach. This bus is like a furnace and is weaving round mountains, bleurgh.Falaminderit, ciao. G.

[themomsandthecity]

This Cookbook Author Will Inspire You and Your Kids to Eat More Plants

I'll admit that since having kids, my eating style has often prioritized convenience over health, and I've been the worst off for that fact. I know I'm not alone in this. Hell, one of my friends actually forgot a doctor had suggested she had a gluten allergy when her daughter was a toddler; she stopped eating gluten when that same little girl turned 7 and suddenly started feeling great. Raising kids so often takes priority over nourishing ourselves in the way we did before we became moms. But wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to worry about shopping for and preparing loads of gorgeous veggies for ourselves and totally different foods for our picky kids because we were all eating the same wonderful-for-us diet? That's what I love about podcast host and plant-devotee Jessica Murnane, whose brand-new first cookbook One Part Plant (A Guide to Eating Real, One Meal at a Time) will teach you that it can be easy eating green without the judgment that usually comes as a side dish with diets that include words like gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Jessica (who, side note, is also an awesome designer who created my wedding invitations before switching careers) grew up in the Midwest eating meatloaf and bagged potato chips, like so many of us, and continued those eating habits into adulthood. But then, at 33, she was facing a full hysterectomy to treat her Stage 4 endometriosis and was counseled to try to change her diet, which ended up changing her life. Not only did eating a plant-based diet prevent Jessica from needing that surgery, but it led her to a new career helping others live happier, healthier lifestyles through their diets - including Lena Dunham, who wrote the cookbook's foreword. Pretty awesome, right? In the middle of this big mental/diet/career switch in 2014, Jessica also became a mom, adopting her now 2-and-a-half-year-old son, Sid, with her husband and moving her young family from Chicago to Charleston less than a year later. Instead of allowing new motherhood to derail her plant-based life, Jessica has incorporated her son into it. "It took me 33 years to like green juice," she says. "Sid liked it on his first sip." I know what you're thinking: no way will my kid suddenly become a tiny plant eater. But keep reading and Jessica might just change your mind, or at least change your dinner menu. One Part Plant ($28) hits bookstores Feb. 21. POPSUGAR: What inspired you to write the One Part Plant cookbook? Jessica Murnane:There were a lot of plant-based cookbooks out there that take an all-or-nothing approach. I wanted to create something that felt approachable for people. Like what if I don't have to be strict Paleo, vegan, gluten-free, whatever? What if I just tried one plant-based meal a day? When I changed my diet, it felt like the hardest thing, but had someone said to me, "It doesn't have to be all or nothing," it would have felt more manageable. Start with one meal, and maybe one leads to two, and two leads to three, and suddenly you're eating like this every day. PS: Speaking from experience, motherhood doesn't always inspire the best eating habits. Was adding a child into your life a challenge? JM: It really wasn't. Because I was already eating a plant-based diet, it didn't occur me to feed him any differently. I started feeding Sid vegetables as his first foods. I do think that starting kids off with vegetables first and not fruit is a good idea, because if you start with fruit, you teach them to want sweet stuff all the time. But at the same time, I don't want to tell anyone want to do. And every kid is different. PS: So Sid is a happy little vegan? JM: I can't put down a bowl of steamed broccoli, and he'll eat it. He's not that cool. But yeah, he doesn't eat any meat or dairy at all. I definitely will say that all the grandparents were at first concerned about his diet and now are 100 percent on board because Sid is strong, smart, and thriving. I think they see now that his diet is working for him. He's not lacking. And I do make sure that he's getting everything that he needs, not just a bowl of rice. He eats all the good stuff for his body to grow. PS: Is he ever picky about his eating? JM: He's picky for healthy things. His favorite foods are hummus and plantains. Sometimes new things can be a challenge or a surprise. I gave him a turmeric-ginger juice thinking there was no way in hell he'd drink it, and he liked it. But then I made some brown rice noodles, and he thought those were disgusting. We watched a Sesame Street episode once where they were trying new foods, so a lot of time, I will say "Remember Big Bird tried a new food?" and then he'll be on board. If I made any mistake in the beginning, it was that if I found something he liked, I would continually feed him that. It was veggie burgers for every meal. PS: So what's Sid's daily diet look like? JM: For breakfast, he loves bananas and whatever kind of nut butter he can get, and I also make what we call "green cakes." I blend spinach into almond milk and use that milk in pancake batter. He loves them. For lunch, he likes a hummus sandwich and yes, we do use sprouted bread, but you don't have to. I also make him these little energy balls, which is his version of a cookie. For dinner, he likes a veggie burger and some fruit, and he loves dipping things, so maybe some bean dip. PS: Any easy prepared foods you recommend plant-y moms have around the house? JM: We always have a couple tubs of hummus and Trader Joe's plantain chips or Inner Peas for dipping. I also love Justin's Almond Butter sleeves, Hilary's veggie burgers (they're the best), sunflower seeds, raisins, and cashews. PS: What would be your go-to intro meals for a mom who wants to start eating plant-y? JM: Start with foods that feel comforting. Try coconut veggie curries (super fast to make), lasagna made with cashew cream, and vegetable chowders. It doesn't have be a boring bowl of steamed broccoli and brown rice. Eat something you enjoy! PS: Smoothies are always a crowd favorite in my house. Do you have a favorite? JM: I love two huge handfuls of spinach, a cup of almond milk, a frozen banana, a scoop of almond or peanut butter, and a dash of cinnamon. The key to a great smoothie to blend your liquid and greens together until they're nice and smooth. Then add the rest of your ingredients. Depending on the quality of your blender, it might take minute to get super smooth. Be patient; it's worth it! Also, there is no shame in having a bunch of smoothies ready to go in your freezer for desperate times or crazy mornings. I love Daily Harvest for that. Related: If Your Kid Is the Pickiest Eater in the World, These 5 Tips Are For You The 1 Thing Every Family - Food Allergies or Not - Should Do Before Making Dinner Mom Confession: My Kid Only Eats Encased Meats and Carbs http://bit.ly/2l9oNkr