#* ' this is my candy store ; now ' main verse. )

[tthehair]

tag dump pt 2

[jo-harrington]

Corroded Coffin Fest - Day 27 - You'll Be In My Heart

Summary: Eddie and the boys fight their homesickness when they're on the road for the summer.

Word Count: 964

Rating: T

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Store Manager!Reader

Warnings/Themes: Friendship, fluff, allusion to sex, discussion of marriage

Note: Alright final Saturday of this event, I'm both sad and excited, it's been a really great one. For this day, I'm going back to my fondest series, my baby, The Store Manager Verse. It's specifically set before the proposal in Longevity and it very much explores how Eddie got the idea to propose to Store Manager at all.

And I might've fucked up the timeline and my own fic canon so just...if you notice something, shhh no you didn't.

Check Out the Main Post for @corrodedcoffinfest here! Even if you didn’t start on Day 1, you can still join!

Tagging: @the-unforgivenn at her request.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

August 1990

The summer of '90 was a special one.

It was Corroded Coffin's first real life tour. Well, not really.

"Actually," you told them when they broke the news to you, "you're forgetting about the Independence Day Tour of '87."

"We didn't make t-shirts for that one, sweetheart," Eddie teased and dropped a kiss on the top of your head before diving into the details.

It wasn't a true tour in the sense that they'd pack up the van and hit the road and never look back until the tour was over--that would require them quitting their jobs for a time, something their wallets desperately couldn't handle. But a few days off here to go to this festival? A few days off there to enter into this Battle of the Bands? That was doable.

It was as close to a tour as they were gonna get for a little while, and it was gonna help them get further in their music career.

It also prepared them.

Being away from home for a few days at a time prepared them for an inevitable week or month or year that they could potentially face if their star grew brighter.

Eddie quickly realized, though, how much he would miss you when that time came, because he missed you terribly now.

He started seeing you everywhere he looked. Foods he thought you might like to try, love songs that reminded him of you. Someone at one county fair even did a cover of Beth, which he would argue was your song. And at one fest, there was a booth with hand drawn postcards featuring cute fuzzy animals with nefarious settings in the background.

It started with one of those.

A postcard of a kitten with a big purple bow sitting in a haunted forest. Purple for Claires, he explained when he presented it to you on their return home. You gushed over it, said that you loved it, and it went up on the fridge.

Until the next time the guys were out of town.

Next it was special chocolate caramel candies with thick sea salt on top from a booth that sat next to the main stage. They had probably eaten more chocolate than any other food during that trip; you had to try it.

Then a big over stuffed teddy bear--

"It's an Eddie Bear, actually." He pointed to the denim vest it wore. "See?"

--that he won playing a game of ring toss.

A huge tin of assorted fudge from Mackinac Island and a promise to take you with next time they went.

A necklace made of special stone beads that supposedly helped with everlasting love or something; he'd gotten to choose a tarot card when he bought it. He got the two of cups, whatever that meant.

Each and every gift that Eddie brought you when he was away was special. Some big, some small. Some made you ooh and aww, some made you cry because of how much you missed your idiot boyfriend, one even earned him...well...lets just say his bandmates, who you shared a duplex with, made themselves scarce for the evening.

But it was the last stop on the tour that brought maybe the best gift, the most meaningful. It made Eddie really stop and think because...well, this was the stop that they were debuting a new song about his parents and his childhood and how the future wasn't set in stone and you couldn't change things that were bad for you, even with the best intentions.

Marriage is a Death Sentence.

So it was ironic that the first thing to catch his eye would be a ring.

Not a typical engagement ring, not a diamond or really anything big and shiny at all. It was strange and artsy and interesting but when he saw it there at that little crafters booth...he just thought of you.

It was a weird thought. Jarring.

And it scared him.

He turned tail and walked right out of the booth, stopped at a stand where they sold little critters made of recycled wire and bought you a tiny porcupine. There, done, gift bought, no need to think of it anymore.

But he couldn't stop thinking about the ring for the rest of their time there. Not when they performed, not when they ate lunch, not when they packed the van at the end of the night to go home.

He hadn't given marriage much thought when he was younger. He liked dating, liked dating you. You never brought it up, neither did he. But then you took him as your date for Jen's wedding a few years back, and the two of you talked about it and of course you were on the same page. Couldn't see yourselves doing the whole commotion, no suits or dresses, no desire to have your families and friends stare at you for hours.

Not to mention some of those vows were just heinous.

No wonder Al and Elizabeth Munson were destined for heartbreak if they vowed to honor and obey...blegh.

So marriage? No, not at all. Immediately no.

But you? Forever with you? You were his best friend. Wouldn't say his soulmate, that was Jeff obviously and you had no problem with that. But you were...you were you.

So the answer was a resounding yes. Always.

Eddie ran, faster than he'd run in a long time if ever, through the booths as everyone packed up for the night, to the little crafters stall from earlier.

"I was just about to pack up," the vendor laughed as Eddie caught his breath. "You made it just in time."

It was fate.

He pointed where the ring still sat, as it if was waiting for him, and said,

"I'll take it."

[reallyhardy]

regent’s open air theatre LSOH (2018) breakdown

act one. herein, two years later, i try to remember as much as i can about this production with the help of gifs i took from the trailer and shutterstock images. let’s go!

THE BEGINNING. i went to see a matinee so it was daytime, but the stage set was all black-and-white very newspaper aesthetic. my sister and i were very close to the front, five rows back:

and here we are, excited for everything to begin. (note my giant tooth earrings. was really hoping they’d catch matt willis’ eye.) soon enough crystal, ronette and chiffon took the stage for the prologue, belted their faces off and got me hype from the first moment. their costumes were kind of punky, street style (my favourite look was on the girl with the green jacket and shiny leggings:)

skid row was great. the grey set really highlighted the colourful costumes, and for this first number the set stayed black-and-white so the only colour were the main characters and urchins, and the ensemble wore black-and-white costumes.

and i remember being so thrilled by the costumes - in this photo seymour is wearing yellow socks but by the time i went to see it they were pink (to match audrey’s hair!) and audrey is wearing fluffy slide slippers in the promo photos but when i saw it she wore a pair of blue open-toe kitten heels.

once the song ended we got to see some character personality: marc antolin as seymour was adorable. he was (for most of the first act at least) very goofy and beamed a lot, he had a very cute smile. his voice was quite high and nasal and silly and i honestly had a really big crush on him. jemima rooper as audrey was equally sweet and adorable - she had a cotton candy pink wig and started off in kind of a sexy-ish outfit, with a sheer off-shoulder top over a bra. her eye makeup was light blue (and the bruise bright purple) and she was really short compared to seymour. mushnik was super tiny and greasy looking.

every interaction seymour and audrey had was just! so cute. at the start where audrey and mushnik discuss orin (the ‘you don’t meet nice boys on skid row’ conversation,) seymour is stood behind them kind of goofing around and he flips his shirt collar up pretending to be orin and acting macho but at the end of the scene audrey goes quiet and carefully fixed his collar back down before she left and it was!!! emotions.

da doo i can’t remember anything about how things looked :( during grow for me it really highlighted how…cute seymour was. he beamed the whole time, and the plant puppet in its baby form was fantastic, (the pod head at the top opened up and had little human teeth lmao) and they used like… household objects painted green for plants. the roses were red toilet brushes:

with red ink on them so when seymour touched the bristles there was visible blood on his finger which was fun. lots of attention to detail in this production.

seymour on the radio i think happened off-stage? so we just hear him being interviewed while we watch mushnik and the urchins listen to the radio together. the choreography during you never know was really fun too, with seymour and the urchins dancing together, seymour did a lot of hip wiggles and kept trying to stop audrey ii from trying to bite at the urchins as he danced. one of the green ping-pong balls fell off the puppet but nobody slipped on it so it was fine. also GOD the voices of the urchins were just so good in this one.

somewhere that’s green is a song that makes me cry most of the times i listen to it or watch any versions of LSOH, but this is the first time i’d seen a version where audrey was also crying. during this number the actress climbed up onto the top of the mushnik’s store prop and she still had the bright purple black-eye makeup on as well as the cast on her arm so she looked so beat down and sad and it was just toward the end of the song at ‘i’m his december bride’ where her singing started to break down and she started crying, and covered her face by the time she got to ‘far from skid row’ with her voice breaking oh my god the tears were flowing VERY much from my eyes.

and as a note the actress did not have this beautiful wig on when i saw it, she wore one with much less volume - it could have been the same wig just styled differently, (tucked under/trimmed to be just sort of...round?) but it was just... so much less cute lmao, you can just about see it here in this cast mirror selfie:

anyway. then it was time for closed for renovation! this one was fun, audrey and seymour i think were just...arranging plants and other things? the ‘mushniks’ shop prop might have expanded a bit? they turned it around?

there were some cute little dancey bits with the three of them together:

then audrey & seymour talk a bit. audrey gives seymour the kind of advice that she also needs to be taking herself -- seymour asks audrey if she’d go shopping with him, and then orin arrives on the scene.

dentist was amazing. i’ve seen a lot of bootlegs of kind of lackluster orin scrivellos but… well, me and my sister decided we were absolutely going to see this production when we found out matt willis was playing the dentist. (we were big busted fans lol) he wore this insane painted leather jacket with this tooth-themed biker gang design (he and his backup dancers all had hell’s teeth on the backs of their jackets) and his dentist coat underneath had the sleeves ripped off to show his tattoos… they gave him white foundation to make him look i guess more ill/joker like? it totally worked. he honestly kinda stole the show and he totally exceeded my expectations (which is saying something because my expectations were that he’d be perfect for the role and that i’d enjoy his performance thoroughly!!!)

then he comes into the shop, comments on the plant, poses around, treats audrey terribly. and not only does he abuse audrey in front of seymour who iirc was watching horrified (as you would) but also poor seymour gets his junk grabbed twice by villains in this production too lmao, orin grabs and squeezes seymour’s junk while he’s yelling at audrey. it’s a theme i guess???

(hell of a promotion image, that one.) then orin and audrey leave and it’s time for mushnik and son. they did a lot of the usual ‘awkward-tango’ choreo and it was just excellent really. there’s nothing i didn’t enjoy about the number, plus mush was quite a short guy but had a real big voice.

you get a good view of all the fun things they used to represent plants here too: cleaning brushes, feather dusters, hairbrushes, a small fishing net, a bubble wand...

so feed me was great because it starts off of course with the plant puppet prop:

but then by the second verse (when it comes to ‘does this look inanimate to you’) they opened up the puppet’s leaves like a mouth and audrey ii in drag queen form emerged (to thunderous applause). [i found a short clip someone got on instagram a while back, you can watch it here!] she was holding a microphone in her hands so when it came to seymour’s responses she held out the mic to his mouth and it was :’) really funny. and seymour gets his junk grabbed again:

because he can’t catch a break. staging wise i think i remember this was very bisexual - it’s important to note that the first wig audrey ii wears strongly resembles the wig that OG audrey wears - and at times during this number audrey ii acts quite flirtatious with seymour and he seems receptive to it and has to visibly shake himself out of it.

audrey comes back for her sweater (iirc it was a VERY jazzy 1990s looking one in aqua green and pink) and seymour and audrey ii make up their minds about what to do with orin.

so seymour heads out - the dentists chair was just a beat-up shopping trolley with various things stuck on (see there’s what looks like a plunger, wrist restraints too lmao) and orin had a bunch of bloodied weapons such as a power drill instead of a dentist drill:

anyway i usually don’t enjoy now(it’s just the gas) as a number when i’ve seen it in bootlegs but again matt willis had tremendous feral energy and he pulled it off. plus the gear was quite retro-futuristic very cool looking:

it was also especially funny just after ‘now’ because after seymour runs off with orin’s body in the trolley he comes back in with it all chopped up and he was pushing dismembered limbs (the arm was even painted with matt willis’ tattoos and nail polish which was a GREAT detail) into the windows of the prop mushnik’s building that audrey ii was inside of, and he even threw up into the audience which was :’) gross but funny. it was yellow. i didn’t see if it splashed anyone.

then... intermission. will continue this in [part 2, which is here!]

[btschooseafic]

Hey you, what’s your dream?

Pairing: platonic!oc x ot7

Details: manager!oc, predebut/idolverse, partial BTS World!verse

Summary: Aviva gets pissed off at an executive.

Warnings: This is a fictional story based on real events. The characters presented here are not the same as their real life counterparts. (TW: discussion of body shaming/ body image issues) [Masterlist]

Track 19: Valentine’s Day

Sour Candy- Lady Gaga & BLACKPINK

“I'm sour candy

So sweet then I get a little angry”

February 14th, 2013

Soonyoung woke Aviva with a big wet kiss to her forehead.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” She held out a box of chocolates to the younger girl, beaming. Aviva rubbed her eyes and squinted up at Soonyoung, looming over her in bed. She was wearing a pretty red dress.

Aviva glanced at her phone. “Why are you up and dressed so early? Why are you waking me up so early?”

“I’ve got a pity breakfast hook-up date thing with a friend of a friend,” Soonyoung told her all in one breath. “But he only had time in the early morning, so, like, I wanted to say goodbye to you first.”

Aviva yawned. “Too bad, I was gonna make us a nice breakfast.”

Soonyoung pouted. “I could skip the pity breakfast hook-up date thing and stay with you. You’re more important, and your food tastes just as good as whatever café it is we’re going to, I’m sure.”

Aviva laughed. “Thanks for the flattery, but you should go. You’ve been complaining about how horny you’ve been lately.”

“True.” Soonyoung nodded. “Okay, I’ll go, but you do something fun for yourself today too, okay, girl?” Aviva shrugged. “Do it! I’m gonna call Hobi and make him bully you until you do!”

“Well, that’s no fun…” Aviva muttered.

Later that morning, Aviva went to the dorm as usual, to pick everyone up for their day of work. Jimin sat in the passenger’s seat next to her, unusually quiet and wearing his scarf covering his face.

“He got a cold cause he didn’t dress warmly enough when we went home for the holidays,” Jungkook told her, noticing her glancing at him every so often.

“Agh, Kookie, you didn’t have to tell her that!” Jimin protested hoarsely.

“It’s okay, manager, we still have plenty of that throat care stuff you gave us a while ago, so we’ve been testing everything that was left out on Jiminie,” Jin told her.

“Testing…?” Aviva wondered. Jimin grimaced.

“Nothing’s working,” he told her quietly.

“Hmmm. I’ve also got some special tea Soonie’s grandmother gave us over the holidays,” Aviva told him. “If you wanted to try that.” He shrugged.

“I’ll try anything at this point.” He stared at his feet. “I’m supposed to be an idol, how can I do that if I can’t sing?”

“Yah,” Namjoon said lightly.

“You can sing, Namjoon-ah,” Aviva said. He smiled at her. “...sort of.”

“Yah,” Namjoon said, again, now looking more offended.

“You could just be the hot dancer, Jiminie,” Tae suggested.

“Hmm, but Hobi-hyung,” Jimin pointed out. “And you and Kookie aren’t that bad either, Tae. Hmm, and Yoongi-hyung, sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” Yoongi wondered. Jungkook grinned as Namjoon frowned.

“Yah!” Jin said, his face squeezing up as he swung his arms around. “Joon-ah and I can be hot dancers too!” Namjoon snickered.

“You’d still be the cutest one, Jiminie,” Hoseok told him. Jimin frowned.

At the office, Jimin, Hoseok, and Jungkook went to dance practice, while Tae, Jin, and JK went to vocal practice, and Yoongi and Namjoon went to work on writing more songs. Aviva had a meeting with marketing, and then went to check on Jimin.

She found two girls waiting outside the dance studio, whispering and giggling. Aviva recognized them as some of the newer trainees, who were already fans of BTS, the maknae line in particular. They jumped when they saw her, trying to hide something behind their backs. They were holding boxes of chocolate.

Aviva smiled. “It’s alright, girls. I won’t tell the higher ups if you want to give the boys chocolates. Just don’t let their heads get too big.”

They giggled. “Thanks, manager-nim!”

“Do you mind if I wait around with you? I wanted a word with my clients.”

They shook their heads. The girls waited together in silence for a few minutes, before Aviva started up conversation again, asking what kind of chocolates they got, and how their training was going.

By the time the boys finally came out of the studio, she had given the girls her number and told them to call her if they ever had any trouble.

Jungkook and Jimin blushed as the girls handed over the chocolate boxes and then rushed off. Hoseok sighed.

“None for me?”

“You’re too old,” Jungkook told him ruthlessly. Hoseok winced.

“Aish, Avi, you’ll get me chocolate, right?”

Aviva made a noncommittal noise. Hoseok whined as the younger boys laughed.

“What’s on our schedule next?” Jimin wondered, his voice still raw.

“I’ve got vocal practice,” Jungkook told him apologetically. Jimin winced.

“I was gonna join Yoongi-hyung and Namjoon-ah if you want to come, Jiminie,” Hoseok offered. He hesitated.

“Or you can come rest in my office,” Aviva offered. “I’m just going to be working on my computer for a while, so it’ll be quiet.”

“…Okay,” Jimin said. “I could use a nap.”

As they neared her office, Aviva spotted a higher-up the boys had been having trouble with recently. She automatically shifted her body in front of Jimin, trying to hide him, but the employee saw him anyway.

“Ah, Jimin-ssi…” He sneered down at the box of chocolates. “Are you sure that’s wise?” Jimin stiffened. “You’re supposed to be having a debut soon, and they say that the camera adds twenty—”

“You have no right to speak to my client that way!” Aviva snapped. The official stared at her.

“Excuse me?”

“No. I have excused your behavior long enough,” she thought.

“Avi…” Jimin whispered worriedly behind her, gripping her arm.

“I understand that this is a competitive industry, but you have no right to say purposefully harmful things to a growing teenage boy!” She drew herself up to her full height, which was several inches shorter than the man. “How would you feel if someone had spoken to you like that when you were his age? Or is that exactly what happened? Are you stuck in a vengeful cycle because you were hurt as a child and never able to grow past it?”

“You have gone too far!” The man said, pointing his finger in her face. “I will have you fired for this! Or at the very least, suspended without pay!”

He stomped off down the hall.

“…You shouldn’t have said that,” Jimin said, looking a little tearful. “What if he really gets you fired? I mean, he’s not wrong about the chocolate, even if he could’ve said it more nicely—”

“No!” She said sharply. Jimin flinched. Aviva took a deep breath. “Jiminie, I’m sorry, I’m…” She rubbed her temples. “It’s not just you, he’s been saying comments like that to all of the boys, and to trainees even younger than you… I know people say things like that all the time, but he is definitely the worst I’ve ever personally met.”

Jimin studied her for a moment.

“Walk with me,” he said, taking her arm again.

“Where are we going?” She wondered, glancing around the hall.

“Hey, noona, I know you were standing up for us, and others, and I’m grateful for that… but it sounded a little personal too. Is there…” He massaged his throat. “Is there anything you want to talk about?”

She frowned. “I’m here to help you, not talk about myself.”

“You don’t have to,” he said. “But if you want to... talking to you helps me, a lot. I just want to return the favor. You don’t always have to shoulder everything, you know, just because you’re the manager. You’re my friend too, and I care about you.”

“Jiminie...” She groaned as he stared wide-eyed at her. “Oh, not the puppy dog eyes!” He grinned. “Fine, but keep it quiet, okay? I don’t like to talk about it much.”

“I don’t want to force you—“

“It’s not that.” She waved her hand.

“I just don’t want certain people to know, so...” She put her finger on her lips. “Okay?” He nodded, sliding his hand down to hers and squeezing. “No one ever said anything, well, not to my face… but sometimes in the changing room people would whisper, and laugh… everywhere in the media, and most of the women surrounding me at work, on the train, at the store… They’re just a lot… smaller.” She frowned down at herself. “I get that there are different challenges facing body image as a Korean man in an idol group, and especially a dancer,” she said, looking at him grimly. “But for me, my main issue is feeling too big, like I take up too much space. Especially when I moved here...”

“Idols are pushed to be skinny,” Jimin agreed. “Just as much as contemporary dancers in general, though for some different reasons, it mostly boils down to not fitting an image someone decided was the ideal long ago.” He reached out, pushing her hair back from her face. “I think we’re both gorgeous, so fuck them.” She laughed. “I’m serious.” He pouted.

“I know, thanks, Jiminie.” She looked up, realizing he’d led her to the studio. “Why are we here?”

“Cause we’re gonna ask the hyungs to help you keep your job,” Jimin said. Her eyes widened. She shook her head.

“Jimin-ah, no, I don’t want to drag them down with me.”

“Too bad.” He pulled the door open, dragging her with him. “We’re with you all the way, whether you like it or not.”

Hoseok and Yoongi had been so angry when they heard what happened that Namjoon had Jin take them home early. Jin had to basically drag them out of the room. Jungkook, Jimin, and Tae practically had to sit on Aviva to get her to stay in the studio while Namjoon left to talk to the higher-ups.

“I talked them down to three days unpaid suspension, and no mention of it on your permanent record,” he told them when he got back to the studio. He snorted when he saw Aviva’s hair, mussed from her running her fingers through it so much. He combed it down absentmindedly with his fingers.

“Thanks,” she said quietly. “I mean, I still kind of wish you hadn’t, but… thanks.” She looked at Jimin. “You too.”

“And we get to walk back, since Jin-hyung took the van!” Jungkook said happily.

Taehyung groaned. “No… I’m tired…”

“We still have several hours left, guys,” Namjoon told them. He looked at Aviva. “Ah, they want you out of here ASAP though, just in case he sees you and tries to complain again.”

“Got it.” She nodded. “I’ll go to the dorm and grab my car.”

“You don’t have to,” Namjoon said. “You can go home and rest. Jin-hyung can drop it off tomorrow.” She waved her hand.

“You know I won’t be able to sit around and rest while everyone else is working hard.”

“Well, you deserve some rest, but… yeah, I know you’re not the type.” He shook his head, smiling fondly at her back as she left.

Aviva was surprised when she walked into the dorm and Yoongi greeted her with a hug.

“They shouldn’t have done that to you,” he growled in her ear.

“Now, now, all’s well that ends well,” Jin said pleasantly. “Do you want a snack to cheer you up, Avi-yah? Maybe something sweet.”

Yoongi pulled away from her, his lips twitching slightly.

“You do deserve a treat.”

“For getting in trouble with my sunbaenims?” She wondered.

“Well, for that—” Yoongi agreed.

“Fuck the man!” Hoseok cried out from behind them, punching the air.

Aviva laughed.

“And also… for standing up for us,” Yoongi continued, more quietly. “Come on.” He took her hand. “I’ll take you out for one of those ridiculously expensive coffees you secretly like.”

“No, it’s waste of money,” she argued.

“Not for you,” he argued back.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I appreciate the thought, but I don’t want you wasting your money on me… especially when I’ve just been suspended without pay for a couple of days… just… I’m sure I can find something in the kitchen, let’s make something together.”

Yoongi’s eyes widened.

“You want to…cook with me?”

“Eh, I’m so jealous,” Jin said. “Sounds fun.”

“Baking, more likely,” she said. “But yeah, if that sounds okay with you, it would probably help me take my mind off things.”

“Okay.” He nodded, his face flushed slightly. “Let’s do it.”

Yoongi seemed a little disappointed to be making a chocolate cake for the boys, but once they started he got really into it.

Aviva offered him the bowl to lick, but he shook his head, staring at the cake in the oven in interest.

“It’s not going to bake any faster if you watch it,” she told him, her lips twitching in amusement. He shrugged. “Okay, well, don’t burn yourself. I’m going to clean up—”

“Wait!” Jin ran in, closely followed by Hoseok.

“We heard something about cake batter!”

“You can have it if you help me clean up,” Aviva bargained.

“Fine,” Hobi said, making grabby hands at her. “Just hand it over.”

“Dishes first,” she told him.

“Namjoon…” Aviva said over the phone that night. She heard him gulp.

“Aviva?”

“About that song you just posted to Soundcloud…”

“Yeah? What about it?”

“You do know there are rules against explicit content, right? And that the new Head of Marketing is aiming you specifically towards a younger audience?”

“Ah, so here’s the thing. I may have lost a bet with Hope-ah and the punishment was to record and post a song with lyrics that were, um…”

Aviva sighed, massaging her temples. “Okay, so both you and Hoseokie are in trouble, got it.”

“Is it really that bad?” He wondered.

“Honestly, I think it’s hilarious,” she told him. “But I don’t think Chief Ho Kyungso will agree. I miss Sanghoon-sunbae, at least he could take a joke…”

“Hilarious?” Namjoon repeated. “It’s supposed to be sexy!”

Aviva laughed.

[yvesdot]

Valentine’s 2021 Drabble 1

SURPRISE!

It’s a Valendrabble! Well, it’s a little longer than that, but nonetheless. And, yes, this is part one, because there are two parts. I initially wanted to write something for the main characters of THE ONE AND ONLY UNIVERSE OF KAY RAINIER, Kay and Atlas, but I knew I’d have to write two Valentines into the story itself and other than those two there wouldn’t be any for them to experience, so I couldn’t make it canon-adjacent in a way that made sense. 

I spent some time coming up with a solid Constantine/Julia piece on the same theme, but then went back and realized that I can do whatever I want. So I wrote two, and they go well together, and you can have and eat whatever cake you like. Feel free to ask me if anything doesn’t make sense based on the project page, and I’ll happily add more context. 

Read here below or at this Google Doc (with author commentary!)

[ONE (You are here!)] [TWO]

Out on a walk, accompanying Kay to someplace that doesn’t seem worth it in the freezing wind, Atlas stops in front of a stationery store. Kay averts her eyes from the storefront immediately, but Atlas squints in at the pink, frilly display in the window.

“Is it Valentine’s?” he asks, examining the stickers and cards and pink marker sets.

“No,” Kay says, now shielding her eyes with one hand. “It is January.”

“You don’t have a calendar, do you?” Atlas asks, stepping back to her side. He makes a mental note: don’t buy Kay any more pens.

“In the kitchen.” She sticks her gloved hands into her coat and keeps walking. “I keep one in my journal.”

“When?” 

“Whenever you see me writing in it.”

“That’s not true.” Atlas crosses his arms. “Last time I looked you were writing about that chick from Hamlet.”

“If you mean Gertrude, Hamlet Jr.’s mother and Hamlet Sr.’s widow, then yes, I very well may have been,” Kay says. “That does not preclude the possibility of my otherwise keeping track of time. For that matter,” she considers, “if you had been referring to Ophelia, that might also have been correct.”

“No, I was talking about Gertrude.” Atlas rubs his hands together, then conjures ink-black mittens. He’s never been sent somewhere so close to home and so much colder; he wishes they could at least get snow. “Ophelia wouldn’t have been as funny.”

💕

It’s no longer the most wonderful time of the year, according to the radio. It’s Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream on repeat, everywhere they go, which makes Atlas think it really must be the most wonderful time of the year.

“See,” he says, ambushing Kay as she considers avocados in the grocery store, “this one is Teenage Dream.”

“Mm.” Kay drops an avocado into her grocery basket and moves on to the cucumbers. 

“I’m just saying, you can recognize it,” he says. He follows Kay along the vegetable aisle.  “It doesn’t sound anything like California Gurls. California Gurls is the one with Snoop Dogg about the types of girls in California. If it has Snoop Dogg in it, then it’s not Teenage Dream. Teenage Dream is the one where she’s singing in head voice in the verses, and the first line in the chorus is higher-pitched, even though both of them are sexy and fierce. California Gurls is an answer song to Empire State of Mind, I’m pretty sure, and you can hear how it’s argumentative where Teenage Dream is celebratory. Like Katy is doing this kind of debate-as-striptease thing. In California Gurls, I mean. And the music videos are completely different—” He knocks into someone’s cart, looks at it, and keeps going. Kay fixes the cart. “—moods. Teenage Dream is the one where Katy is having sex, and California Gurls is the one where all the candy is sex. Do you have a problem?” he asks an old woman staring at them.

“Not everyone wants to hear about whipped-cream lingerie in the grocery store,” Kay says, pulling Atlas away with her.

“Well, that’s a personal issue. Now, which one is that from?” Atlas asks, leaning on Kay’s arm. 

Kay thinks for a moment, then says, “Teenage Dream.”

“Nooooooo,” Atlas whines, following her to the checkout line. 

“I know; I’m hopeless,” Kay says, re-organizing her cart. “It seems impossible I haven’t understood it by now. I suppose you’ll just have to explain all of it to me again.” She looks away from Atlas just as he thinks he’s caught a smile. “Start with the one that’s a commentary on objectification.”

💕

Atlas pulls down at least three different streamers on his way to breakfast. BY ACCIDENT, which is a distinction neither Kay nor Constantine seem to understand. Constantine in particular is distraught enough to abandon the table mid-muffin. 

“So it’s Valentine’s now,” Atlas says, sitting down. He removes Constantine’s napkin, but puts it back at Kay’s reproachful look. Then he disappears one knife to keep things interesting.

“Not yet. My father likes to be early.” 

“What is this, an American public school?” Atlas tosses a muffin into his mouth whole. 

“We are having fun,” Kay says, buttering her toast. “On occasion, even a Rainier can be persuaded to have a good time. I would have expected you, of all people, to rejoice at this.”

Atlas leans back in his seat. 

“And what does your dad do on Valentine’s?” he asks. “Get marginally less uncomfortable with pink?”

“Does anything about this look marginal to you?” Kay asks, waving her hand and hitting a paper heart.

“I’m just saying,” Atlas says (in his indoor voice, which is to say, Kay’s normal voice). “He doesn’t fuck. What’s the point of Valentine’s if you don’t fuck?”

“Certainly not culture.” Kay wipes her hands on her napkin. “Art. Tradition. The great ideals of classic romance.”

“Same thing,” Atlas mutters absently, watching Constantine struggle to put a string of dried roses back up. It takes Kay a significant amount of time to notice that Atlas is causing the breeze blowing Constantine’s streamers just out of his reach.

💕

Atlas almost forgets Valentine’s. He manages to figure it out in the evening, when he happens to pass by the calendar in the kitchen. Constantine has marked it all up with business meetings, and Kay’s script denotes occasional family visits. Atlas examines the calendar, takes a careful squint at the dates, and returns to Kay in the parlor.

“Kay,” he says, “is it Sunday?”

Kay turns a page, sitting with her feet up in the wingback chair. Even her book is a deep burgundy, though she hasn’t had to change her outfit to match.

“It certainly is.”

“Which Sunday?” he asks, creeping up towards the arm of the chair.

“The fourteenth of February,” she says. 

Atlas takes a careful perch on one chair arm, making sure not to tip things over. This requires some magic. Not as much as Atlas would have expected; it’s an expensive chair.

“So,” he says, “Valentine’s.”

“I missed desperately the branded cards and candy hearts.” Kay reaches up to scratch Atlas’s back.

“Well, I’m just saying.” Atlas squints into Kay’s book, which is half in Italian. The rest appears to be poetry. “You don’t want to go out?”

“No.”

“No fancy restaurant?”

“No, thank you.”

“No candlelit dinner?”

“Not remotely.”

“Good.” Atlas tucks his feet up to sit cross-legged. “Want me to sit here and read your book over your shoulder?”

“Like every other night?” Kay murmurs, leaning over to kiss him. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Atlas grins, looking down as Kay flips back to the beginning. He hopes she’ll explain it as they go.

[queencopy-blog]

continued I @chaoslived

                  “ are you really testing me right now, jd ? just quit it. “

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Rock and roll the night away!

What better way to escape than getting lost in music? Headphones on, thoughts off - nothing like some good bops to help get you through the day.

KK Slider's been looking into expanding his musical repertoire so he's been playing around with different genres in hopes of creating a brand new sound. And that's how rock and roll night came to be!

Joining us on this musical adventure are Sonja, with her siblings Robbie and Tiffy, and cousin Bubba. It's been ages since Daisy Jane and I have last hung out with Sonja so it's nice that she and her fam dropped by for a visit. I've hung out with Robbie and Bubba a handful of times while this is the first time I've met Tiffy.

Sonja's been meaning to stop by the camp for a while but life has gotten busy. She also wanted her dad and stepmom to come along too but then something came up so they were unable to make it at the last minute. Same thing for her grandma, though to be honest, camping isn't really her thing so it's probably for the best that she didn't come.

Old Thelma Lou may come across as a cantankerous old lady but she really is a nice person once you get to know her. Underneath that rough exterior is a protective, dedicated, and tough mother figure who wants what's best for you, even if she kinda has a hard time showing how much she cares about you. We video chatted with her before the concert and she's still the same old Thelma Lou, keeping an eye on her children, grandchildren, and their friends in her own unconventional ways.

We also chatted with Buzz and Skeeter, both who are doing well. The reason why they weren't able to join us at the camp is because Skeeter's pregnant again. She and Buzz were going to have a boy last fall but there were complications and the baby was stillborn. So far things are moving along smoothly, but to be safe, Skeeter's on strict bed rest. In about four months, Sonja, Robbie, and Tiffy will have a little sister!

Sonja has been busy working on her graphic novel, which she plans to release in the fall. She's a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, known for posting relatable and funny comics online. I love her art - it's got a sketchy and loose style that's sorta minimal yet super expressive. When I got into digital art, I took some inspiration from Sonja's work by using pencil brushes for line art and the gouache brush for coloring.

After working in the studio for hours on the book over the past several weeks, Sonja felt she could use a change of scenery - which was the main reason why she wanted to come to the camp. She also wants to get back into using traditional mediums like painting so she brought along some canvases and paints. The great outdoors is perfect for finding inspiration when you're in a rut!

Robbie runs a fix-it shop in Elmstown with two of his friends. His specialties are clocks and anything that has a lock thanks to his grandma and dad - Thelma Lou likes collecting clocks and Buzz's a locksmith. He's the reason why the family saves so much on repairs - Robbie and his friends can pretty much fix anything! Elmstown is pretty far but I'm keeping his business card in case I need something fixed like my computer since that'll be more cost effective than sending it to the store where I'll probably get overcharged.

It's a good thing we have Robbie here to help KK Slider with the equipment. He had some old amps and guitars that he'd been meaning to get fixed but since they were custom made, it's hard to find parts that need replacement. Thankfully, Robbie never leaves home without his toolbox and with his magic, we were able to improve the stage setup.

Bubba's still living with Thelma Lou, though he's in the process of moving out to his own place. He's not leaving Rayetown though, just moving to the other side of town so he can be closer to the post office. Along with delivering packages for the citizens of Rayetown, Bubba's also a drummer and occasional lead singer for The Cogwheels, a local band that regularly performs at the Chili Bowl.

Thelma Lou and Bubba have a sweet relationship. He's the oldest of the Harp grandchildren through Thelma Lou's daughter. His parents pretty dumped him on Thelma Lou's doorstep when they moved halfway across the country, which wasn't very nice of them. His mom and grandma have a stormy relationship so that explains why Thelma Lou's kinda overprotective of him, and in return he respects her a lot. Recently though, Bubba and his mom have been keeping in touch sporadically - thanks to Uncle Buzz and Aunt Skeeter. As for his dad though, since he walked out on his mom, he hasn't heard from him in years, which he feels is probably for the best.

And there's Tiffy, the youngest (so far) of the grandchildren. She's seven and a half years old and likes to sing and dance. This is her first time being away from home for a couple days so she's pretty excited about it. Plus, she gets to spend time with her siblings, something she always looks forward to since they live far from home. By the time she was born, Sonja and Robbie had already long moved out of Rayetown. Up until Tiffy came along, Sonja and Robbie rarely visited home, a deliberate choice that they both kinda regretted but at the same time felt it was necessary.

Tiffy's looking forward to the new baby - and she's absolutely certain that things will work out this time. She was really bummed about what happened with her brother, especially since she always wanted a little sibling. Buzz and Skeeter had been trying for years to have another kid - they didn't have Tiffy until about six years into their marriage - and that was after being told many times that they missed the boat. It's a good thing they didn't give up or else Tiffy wouldn't be here today!

While helping KK Slider set up for the concert, we also went sightseeing outside the camp. Now that the weather's warming up and the sun's staying out longer, we can venture further out. The first place we went was the mountains, where Sonja was inspired to pull out her canvases and paints. She's been working on landscapes and backgrounds so it was the perfect opportunity. Since she had a lot of fun doing that, I figured we could do the same in other places outside the camp like the woods or the meadows.

As they were testing out the equipment, KK and Bubba were jamming out while Tiffy danced. She definitely inherited Buzz and Skeeter's dance skills! Tap dancing and ballet are her favorites and she definitely wants to branch out to other forms of dance. Her parents are looking into more dance classes for Tiffy, which she's excited for. One of the reasons why she's looking forward to having another sibling is so she can have a dance partner in the future. Imagine, Tiffy and her little sister, dancing together!

Later, Robbie joined in on the jam session, playing the bass. Apollo, Static, and Cherry joined in as well, and before we knew it, all of them were writing new songs that eventually became the setlist for the concert! Sonja later got into the jam session after Daisy Jane showed her around the cabin and her studio. I sense a collaboration between the two in the near future...

Around 5 we finished setting up for the concert and began preparing for a barbecue dinner. By the time all the food was set up, it was time to rock and roll! I have to say, KK and the campers really outdid themselves with the stage setup. It was a mix of performances by KK Slider and jam sessions by us. The concert was an awesome experience!

In the span of one hour, Bubba and KK wrote Road Ode. KK came up with the intricate melody that's a perfect fusion of his signature sound along with elements of classic rock. Bubba came up with the lyrics, taking inspiration from his relationships with his mother and grandma. Easily one of the highlights of the night.

Apollo sang lead on a number he co-authored with KK Slider titled Old Man Blues. It's a bluesy rock and roll tune with a catchy guitar riff that's stuck in my head as I write this. The light show visuals really add to the vibe of this song, elevating it to another level.

Static and Cherry performed Heavy Metal Ballad as a trio with KK Slider - another song that was just finished today. The song was actually three different compositions that merged into one. Cherry has been playing around with a cool heavy metal beat for a while. She had a good thing going on but had trouble turning it into something, so she put it aside in hopes of finding the right spark to kick it off. Static came up with lyrics for the chorus, originally through a little ditty he called Lightning Muses. And like Cherry, he had something but couldn't figure out what direction he wanted to take it. Then along comes KK Slider, who saw the potential in these two wildly different compositions. Somehow, with his verses and additional melodies, he created an instant hit!

In an unexpected surprise, KK Slider got Daisy Jane and I on to perform a new KK original as well as a couple songs from Lilac and the Cadillacs. The new song, Sky Blue Twilight, is a collaboration between me, Daisy Jane, and KK Slider. It was something we came up with a while back, and I had almost forgotten about it until today. I'm pretty rusty from songwriting but working on this piece was pretty fun! I really should get back into writing music...

Sonja, Robbie, and Tiffy also joined Bubba on stage for another new song, titled All That Rock 'n' Roll. Tiffy sang lead vocals with Sonja on the keys and Robbie on bass. Along with being a fantastic dancer, Tiffy's a great singer! I filmed the whole thing for Bubba so he can send it to Thelma Lou, Buzz, and Skeeter. I have to say, KK Slider and Bubba make a great songwriting team!

Another fun song is Violet Blaze, an upbeat rock and roll tune by KK Slider, Candi, Kabuki, and Spike. KK Slider really outdid himself on that guitar solo! With riffs like that, there's no other song fitting to be titled Violet Blaze. What one can't put into words, music expresses it - one just has to listen and feel.

And of course, in between the new songs were KK Slider classics, but remixed. It's amazing how changing up the genre can give well known songs a fresh makeover! That's what I love about KK Slider's music - the versatility. In terms of reinventing his sound while staying true to himself, I'd say KK Slider succeeded with flying colors!

Aside from Tiffy and the early risers, the rest of us have been rocking and rolling way past midnight. I'm still a bit buzzed from the concert, which just ended less than an hour ago, so I'm gonna unwind for a bit before going to bed.

[lovelylogans]

clumsy blessings

as the day arrives with all its clumsy blessings what we will become waits in us like an ache.

-birth-day, lucille clifton

part of the wyliwf verse.

ao3 | read my other fics | coffee?

warnings: mostly fluff, but mentions of dads not showing up/absent fathers, blood mention, some swearing

pairings: pre-logince, pre-moxiety

words: 8,348

notes: happy birthday, logan!! this references a variety of things that get brought up in chapters 2, 5, 6, and 7 of the main storyline—this is how a lot of that stuff happened!

papa always wakes him up really super early on his birthday, which is always kinda fun, like it’s a big huge sleepover and it’s just papa and him, except better, because it means it’s his birthday.

logan almost can’t fall asleep the night before his birthday he’s so excited, because it’s like christmas, and this’ll be the first birthday that he’s in school and papa’s already promised that he can have a sleepover with roman and daddy promised that he’s coming to town too, so it’s really gearing up to be the best birthday that ever happened EVER.

but he manages to fall asleep, like he always does. and papa wakes him up, like he always does.

“happy birthday, honey.”

logan squints up at his papa, who’s leaning over logan’s bed with a smile, having just gotten down from his, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders—it’s colder than it was when they fell asleep, and usually they share when it gets cold like this. logan sticks up his arms, and his papa chuckles.

“up?”

“up,” logan agrees sleepily, and his papa makes sure he’s still bundled up in his own blankets before lifting logan onto his own bed, and logan crawls so he’s got his chin digging into his papa’s chest, so he can still see his face.

“i’m six now,” logan informs him.

“you are,” his papa agrees, settling a hand on logan’s back. “you gotta use two hands to show off your age now, buddy. i can’t believe how fast you’re growing up.”

“my birthday took forever to get here,” logan informs him. “for-eeeevvv-eeer.”

his papa laughs. “it feels fast to me. how’s your life so far?”

logan considers this. he says, “i guess i don’t like that whole humidity thing.” he enunciates the word carefully, because pronunciation is important.

“i’ll work on that,” his papa says seriously, before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “now. at this exact time, many moons ago, i had been in labor for fourteen hours. fourteen! and while having you of course was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, at that point, i was very tired.”

“because labor hurts really bad,” logan says, and his papa taps him on the nose.

“exactly. and i was saying naughty words like a sailor on leave, which you really shouldn’t do, but i was hurting pretty bad so i give myself a pass, and i was surrounded by a hundred prominent doctors, just hollering my fool head off—”

he makes a funny face, and makes a funny yelling noise, quiet enough that it won’t escape the pool house and wake anyone in the inn, so logan giggles. his papa leans over to press a kiss to logan’s forehead.

“so there i was, lying there, and...”

...

papa’s singing as they go to the diner—he’s carrying logan on his back, which means logan’s got his arms wrapped around his neck as papa dances a little as they make their way down the sidewalk—and his cheeks hurt from smiling so big.

it’s just kinda them, plus it’s really clear that he’s doing it because papa wants to, so it’s not a little kid thing that he’s doing at all, here.

“it’s the birthday boy, it’s the birthday boy, it’s the birthday boy, it’s the birthday boy!” patton chants as he tosses open the door of the diner, the bell jangling, and virgil looks up from the counter with a smile.

“hi, virgil,” logan says.

“hey, kid,” virgil says. “happy birthday.”

logan squirms, and papa tightens his grip.

“you gotta pay a toll to get off the papa patrol,” his papa says, businesslike.

“toll means price,” logan informs him.

“exactly right, kiddo, very smart!” his papa exclaims. “and the price is, i gotta get a kiss to let you down.”

logan groans.

“kiss,” his papa chants. “kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss—“

logan rolls his eyes and leans in to smack a kiss to his papa’s cheek, and by the time he’s scrambled down to the ground, virgil’s in front of his papa, hands stuffed into his pockets.

virgil’s been acting a bit weird over the past couple days, but logan thinks that’s because papa splattered cake batter everywhere two days ago and the diner was really busy yesterday because virgil had to do taxes or payroll or something very adult-sounding and maybe a bit boring like that.

virgil stares at his papa for a few seconds as papa makes sure that his shirt’s all straight, and then he shakes himself before he gets to logan’s level.

logan likes that about virgil—well, he likes a lot about virgil, virgil’s one of his best friends (he thinks?) so of course he likes a lot about him—but virgil always talks to him like he can understand what he says, not like some of the other adults. like a lot of grandma’s friends talk to him like he’s a baby, when he is six whole years old and he can read two grades above where his level should be and he has up to the fives memorized in times tables, thank you. 

“happy birthday, kid,” virgil says. “has it been a good one so far?”

“it was until papa was embarrassing,” logan informs virgil primly, and virgil snorts, glancing up at his papa.

“we’re sure he’s turning six?”

“he better be turning six, it’s already weird that he’s getting so big already,” his papa says, smoothing a hand over logan’s hair, and logan puffs his chest out a little. he’s taller than roman, but he’s not the tallest in the class—he’s pretty in-the-middle, but his papa keeps promising that he’ll grow into a lot of the stuff he gets from the store where the clothes come in trash bags and are almost always a little too big and smell a bit like what papa says are mothballs like in the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe before papa puts them in the huge industrial-sized washing machine that they’re allowed to use in the inn.

“i have a surprise for you,” virgil informs him seriously. “wanna come back into the kitchen?”

what kind of question is that, of course logan wants to go back into the kitchen. first of all, there’s a surprise, and second of all, logan’s kind of hoping that the surprise is one of the at-home chemistry experiments that virgil does with him sometimes, like baking powder and vinegar that logan gets to dye whatever color he wants, or the time virgil showed him how to make ice cream in a plastic bag or how to make rock candy in old, washed-out jars. 

so he follows virgil behind the counter (which always feels like a special kind of rebellious privilege, because he and roman are the only kids in their class who have been back here) and back into the kitchen.

virgil reaches over, picks up a tray, and flips it so that logan can see.

“it’s a cupcake tin,” logan says.

“yeah,” virgil says. “i’d have the cupcakes, but i figured you’d want to pick the flavor me and your dad could bring to your class.”

logan looks up at him, and then to his papa, and then back.

“you guys are coming to school?” he asks eagerly.

“for a bit,” his papa says. “i cleared it up with mr. geller, so we’re bringing in morning snacks and i can hang out with you during recess, if you—if you want—“

“yes,” logan says. 

“yeah?”

“yes,” logan repeats, smiling big. “i can show you my cubby and my desk and the nametag roman colored in for me and the library and you two can read to me and—”

“sounds like a big day,” his papa says.

“this is the best birthday,” logan tells him, and his papa puffs up a little, all proud of himself, and virgil reaches down to ruffle his hair, before he said, “can you see the flavors from down there?”

“nope.”

“picking up okay?”

“picking up’s okay,” he says. that’s another thing he really likes about virgil—virgil always asks him if he wants to be picked up or hugged or anything, which daddy doesn’t always remember to do and his papa always kind of seems to just know and asks if he doesn’t, so. he thinks asking’s better than just assuming. that way you make sure it’s right.

virgil hefts him onto his hip, and he pulls out a binder full of recipes. “okay, we got a lot of choices here, kid. you have a preference before we narrow it down?”

“roman really likes chocolate and cherry,” he says.

“it’s your birthday,” virgil points out.

“i know,” logan says. “but i picked out the cake. i wanna share it with roman, ‘cause he’s my best friend, and i want him to feel special too, so he can get what he likes for cupcakes.”

virgil pauses, and logan leans to look at him. “what?”

“you’re a really good kid, you know?” virgil says, and logan shrugs, before staring at the recipe book.

he ends up picking chocolate-caramel and vanilla-cherry cupcakes, and then virgil shoos him and his papa out of the kitchen so he can make a birthday breakfast.

papa gets him a copy of the courant and digs a pen out of his pocket, so that logan can scrawl all over it. logan likes the courant, he just thinks it could be better, so. he’s trying to help it be better.

whenever he tells rudy, the editor, that, rudy says he is “kind of a smartass—wait, dammit, tell your dad i said smartbutt, actually, i’ll give you a dollar if you don’t tell him i said naughty words,” but that’s got smart right there in the name, so he isn’t sure why it might be something he can’t tell his papa about, other than the naughty word part of it.

virgil brings out a cinnamon roll that is the size of his face for his birthday, and he and his papa sing happy birthday, and it’s a weirdly warm day which means that logan can get away with wearing shorts on his birthday, which never happens, and the diner joins in by the end, and logan blows out the candle on the first try, and then virgil sits down for breakfast with him and his papa, which he almost never does, so.

logan kind of feels like the whole world is trying its best to make sure that he’s having the best birthday ever.

...

roman examines the box, and narrows his eyes and tilts his head like he’s seen adults do at the art shows mommy gets invited to sometimes. it doesn’t really help, so he just uses his eyes normally again. maybe adults do it because they’re all old and old people have bad eyes.

“the blue one,” roman decides at last. “logan likes blue.”

his mother nods, professional, and sets aside the other rolls of wrapping paper—mostly red, because it’s both of their favorite colors. 

“it’s gotta be perfect,” roman tells her. 

“you have told me that twenty-three times,” his mother says. he’s sure the number’s right—mommy always remembers how many times roman’s done or told her something. it’s like one of her superpowers.

“you’re sure you don’t want to help?”

“whenever i help the paper goes all wonky,” he says. “and since it’s gotta be perfect—“

“—twenty-four—“

“—you gotta do it, with the pretty bow and the string and stuff, ‘cuz i can’t make the curly thing with scissors,” roman says. 

“i’ll wrap it while you’re at school,” she says, setting the box aside. “are you ready?”

roman does a little twirl—he’s wearing his new red sweater and a pair of dark jeans and he put a couple of the sticker earring things around his eyes and on his ears, the favorite ones he’s been saving for a special day, and logan’s birthday is a special day. he also put extras in his backpack. just in case.

“backpack,” his mother says, and roman sighs, stomping off and shrugging it on—it’s pink and glittery and pretty, and it’s got tulle on it like a tutu—and spins again.

“there,” his mom says.

they walk to school together. well, for the most part they walk, roman practices jetés and tries for a tour jeté a few times, and he does the whole tombée pas de bourrée glissade pas de chat combination a couple times because it’s fun and his mom corrects his footwork as they go, the sunshine growing stronger in a way it hasn’t been in ages. 

“okay,” his mother says at the gate.

“don’t forget to wrap it,” roman says.

“i won’t.”

“with the big bow and the curly ribbons,” roman checks.

“yes, roman,” she says. “now get to class. and you keep neglecting your back leg when you leap. you have to point your toes every time your foot leaves the ground.”

“got it,” he says and tugs at her jacket until she leans down so he can give her a kiss on the cheek. 

he gets into class before logan, which is good, because that means he can tuck all of his things into his cubby and hang up his backpack and jacket on his hook and check his face in a mirror, to make sure that none of the sticky earrings have fallen off—they haven’t—and that he doesn’t have any of his breakfast on his face or anything.

he sits at his desk, and he waits.

the clock says that there is ten minutes until school starts but it is a lie because it takes for-eeee-veeer for logan to get here, and roman leaps to his feet as soon as he walks through the door, walking-not-running-mr.-geller! to be the first one to see him and say—

“happy birthday!”

“inside voices, roman,” mr. geller says wearily.

“sorry!” roman calls, and whispers, “happy birthday” to show that he has listened.

logan grins at him. “thanks,” he says, and adds, “i like the stickers.”

roman beams, tilting his head back and forth, so he can see the ones on his ears too. “thanks! can i carry your backpack and stuff?”

logan hands over his backpack, so roman trots over to hang it up for him as logan straightens up his cubby—he is very tidy and very particular about his cubby, so usually logan just trusts him to hang up his stuff because he’s seen how messy roman’s desk is.

they sit at their desks—they get to face each other, so roman can show logan stuff that he draws during class and they can whisper and try not to get caught by mr. geller—but since they’ve only got a couple minutes until class starts they can’t really talk for long.

the first thing in the morning they practice their letters, which is a Quiet Activity. logan’s really good at letters—logan’s really good at everything, though.

but then they get to do coloring stuff, which roman really likes! and also it means—

“can i draw on you?” roman asks.

“yes.”

“mr. geller, logan says i can draw on him, ‘cause it’s his birthday!” roman calls out, and ignores the inside voices response because that’s not a no, and logan presents his arms.

“whaddaya want?” roman asks, business-like, uncapping a black marker. “since it’s your birthday.”

“stars’n’stuff, please,” logan says, a little shy.

“awesome,” roman says, and starts to doodle—he draws blue, five-pointed stars, and swirly planets, and a jupiter or two, and all kinds of moons. 

logan keeps looking at the schedule that mr. geller’s got on the wall, and at the clock, and he looks excited.

“recess is soon,” roman offers, and logan grins.

“yeah,” he says. “snacktime too.”

“i didn’t see you bring in birthday snacks,” roman says. because that’s a thing kids do sometimes—sasha brought donuts for the whole grade on her birthday.

“papa and virgil are bringing ‘em,” logan says.

"nice,” roman says. 

logan keeps squirming, so roman ends up finishing up logan’s arms and they color in one of the coloring sheets mr. geller hands out—well, logan kinda does, he keeps looking at the clock and at the schedule and at the door.

and then the door opens, and logan’s off toward the door like a shot, and mr. geller doesn’t even have time to lecture him about running before logan’s dad is picking him up, swinging him up into his arms with a big hug, as mr. geller approaches him. virgil from the diner is holding a box-thing, and roman gets up from the desk to sneak up to see him, since virgil’s waving at the kids who are waving at him.

roman tugs at his pant leg. “virge.”

“hey, kid,” virgil says.

“it’s logan’s birthday,” roman informs him, because it’s really the most important thing about today and possibly ever.

“i know,” virgil says. “it’s pretty cool, right?”

“the coolest,” roman says, and virgil’s lip quirks up into a smile.

“everyone, this is logan’s dad, mr. sanders,” mr. geller announces.

“hi, mr. sanders,” the room thrums.

“hi, everyone!” logan’s dad says happily, setting logan back on the ground.

“—and most of you know virgil, from the diner.”

“hi, mr. virgil from the diner!”

“it’s logan’s birthday today,” mr. geller says, “so logan and his dad and virgil brought in some snacks for the class. so, if we all want to come over here for storytime while logan and his dad and his friend get the snacks ready?”

the class obediently shuffles over, but roman clings stubbornly to the virgil’s pantleg.

“roman—“ mr. geller begins.

“i wanna help, too,” roman says. 

“i got him, rob,” virgil says, and mr. geller sighs, before he seems to accept it and goes to sit down in his chair at the reading rug, and roman skips over to the counter where mr. geller usually puts snacks together, and bounces on his toes.

“hi there, roman.”

“hi, mr. logan’s dad,” roman says.

“okay, virge, let’s—” logan’s dad frowns, and says, “i should probably ask who wants what, right?”

“that’s probably a good idea,” virgil says, and he goes to check the closet so he can get more napkins and also cups, because they brought some juice for drinks. so it’s just logan and roman.

“what kinda snacks is it?” roman asks logan, bouncing from foot to foot.

“cupcakes.”

roman gasps, and claps, and bounces even more, because movement is a way to get the energy out and his mom says he is a very energetic person. “virgil makes the best cupcakes.”

honestly, virgil makes the best everything.

“half’s chocolate caramel,” he says, and then he smiles at roman and scuffs his shoe over the ground. “and i—and i had virgil make the other vanilla-cherry. since you really like chocolate and cherry’s your favorite.”

what can roman even do to that except hug him!!!

except logan didn’t expect for him to hug him, and roman hugs him too hard, and they tumble over, and logan makes a yelping noise when they collapse, and roman lets go of him immediately, heart dropping when he catches sight of logan’s knee—scraped-up, somehow, and bleeding, and roman is the worst friend ever.

“oh my god,” roman says, “are you okay?! does it hurt?!”

“no,” logan says, but his voice is wobbling so it’s a lie, and roman knocked him over and hurt him on his birthday.

“i—“  roman begins, and scrambles. “i can help make you feel better!”

logan takes a deep breath in, and says, voice steadier, “okay.”

“okay,” roman says, and so he leans in, and presses his lips against logan’s knee. and then another one, before he draws back.

“m’trying to kiss it better,” he explains. “s’it working?”

logan’s gone all pink, like he does sometimes, and he swallows.

“yeah,” he says. “yeah, it’s—it’s working.”

“oh,” roman says, and beams. “good!”

“whoa, hey, what happened here?” virgil asks, dropping in next to logan.

“i knocked him over on accident because i got too excited,” roman explains, guilty. “sorry, logan.”

“s’okay,” logan says, and explains to virgil, “he kissed it better.”

virgil’s lips twitch. “he did, huh?”

“twice,” logan says.

“i owe you a thousand birthday apology kisses,” roman says, anxious. “i’m the worst.”

“it was an accident,” logan says staunchly, but then logan’s dad comes over and oh, roman’s gonna be in so much trouble.

“what was?”

“i got too excited and i hugged him too hard and i knocked him over,” roman says, fully expecting him to maybe shout a little like mr. geller does or a disappointed lecture like from his mom, before logan’s dad looks between logan and him and nods.

“well, accidents happen,” he says decisively. “and you said sorry, right?”

“super sorry, mr. logan’s dad,” roman says, nodding so hard that his hair flops into his eyes, like virgil does sometimes, and logan’s dad tries not to smile.

“then i don’t think you should get in trouble or anything,” logan’s dad says, and digs around in his pocket, taking out a little white box. “good thing i’ve got a first aid kit. i can put a band-aid on logan and kiss it better?”

“roman already kissed it better,” logan says, and logan’s dad’s eyebrows shot up his forehead.

“he did, huh,” he says.

“i can do it again if it helps,” roman says, and he asks logan, “d’you think it’ll help?”

“i think it will,” logan says.

“all right,” logan’s dad says, and pops open the first aid kit, taking out the cream stuff that makes sure a scratch doesn’t get even worse. “you wanna have roman help pick out a band-aid while i help clean this up, buddy?”

“i’ll get the cupcakes ready,” virgil says, and so logan’s dad smears the paste on logan’s knee as roman and logan peruse their band-aid options—not quite as impressive as his mom’s band-aid stash for dancers at the studio, but pretty darn impressive—and logan holds up one with rockets on and one with a princess on.

“which?” he asks.

roman tilts his head. “belle,” he says decisively. “she’s smart, like you, and you’ve already got a rocket on your arm. plus she’s blue and that’s your favorite color, and the rocket’s just white and gray with only a little red.”

logan nods, and hands over the belle band-aid—”very wise choice,” logan’s dad says—and carefully puts it on to make sure that it won’t do that annoying thing whenever logan bends his knee.

“okay,” roman says, and bends over to peck it again. “better?” he demands.

“i bet a snack and some juice will help even more, huh?” his dad says. “you think you two are up for helping hand out the cupcakes?”

“yes,” logan says decisively, and leans up to check the cupcakes, before he points.

“that one’s for roman,” he says.

“‘course,” virgil says. “here, you can hand out the chocolate ones and roman can hand out the vanilla ones. your dad can handle the juice. don’t want any spills, right?”

this is not usual class-snack-passing-out methodology, but mr. geller kind of looks like he’s given up at that point. he accepts the chocolate-caramel cupcake that virgil hands him, though, along with a thermos, and is directed over to his desk. it’s kind of funny, like virgil is directing mr. geller to the calm-down-corner, which roman has been to a number of times, but mr. geller lets out a really big sigh when he sits and takes a sip, so he guesses mr. geller likes it.

the cupcakes look really pretty—both of them have swirly, multi-colored icing, pink and blue and purple—and the chocolate caramel ones have rolos on top and the vanilla cherry ones have a cherry, and soon the sound of chewing is all that’s in the class.

he and logan sit at their desks, and logan’s dad walks by, setting down two plates.

“special delivery,” he says, and he winks, and puts down their juice, too, before going to stand with virgil to make sure the snack station’s all tidied up.

roman tugs his closer—his has the pretty icing, and the cherry, but there’s also—

that one’s for roman, logan had said, and roman grins at him, fishing the pretty, plastic ring out of the icing, sucking it off before slipping it onto his finger, wiggling it at logan.

“d’you like it?”

“i love it,” roman says. it’s got a gold band, and the red ruby-ish looking plastic gem is all rounded with little twinkling sequins, like diamonds. logan grins, showing off his, with a rectangular blue stone, and his band is silver.

he thinks that means he’s forgiven.

...

the bell jangles, and virgil’s almost immediately at logan’s side, helping him slide off his backpack.

“hey, kid,” virgil says. “was the rest of your day at school good?”

“not as good as it was when you two were there,” logan says. because his papa had joined up on his team during all the games they played at recess, and logan lasted the longest he’s ever lasted in jump-rope, and he and his papa won the hopscotch tournament, and it turns out his papa’s not very good at four-square but virgil sure is, and he’d join in when he wasn’t giving piggy-back rides to all the kids in class. and then when they’d went in for naptime, mr. geller had let him and roman stay up, so they’d sat nestled between virgil and his papa as his papa read all the stories that logan picked out, virgil staring at his papa over their heads, all of them leaning heavy against each other. and then his papa stuck around for lunch and virgil brought him food from the diner for lunch, too, and since usually logan brings cold leftovers from whatever the inn’s guests ate last night for dinner it’s a reversal from staring at the other kids’ cafeteria meals, and it sure is a step up from most of the other kids’ cafeteria meal of cup fruit and sloppy joes and cardboard cartons of chocolate milk. 

“still good, though?”

“still good,” logan says, and follows virgil so he can scramble up on one of the stools at the counter.

“okay, after-school snack,” virgil says, planting his hands on the counter. “you got a preference?”

logan considers this for a few seconds, before he shrugs. “you can pick.”

“huh, really?” virgil says. “no super-sugary snacks? it’s your birthday, you can if you want.”

“well, yeah,” logan says. “but i’m gonna have cake later and probably a special treat for dinner, so i may as well eat something healthy before i do.”

a proud smile bursts out onto virgil’s face.

“what?”

“there’s hope for you sanders boys understanding nutrition yet,” virgil says. “how about some apples with peanut butter, and some ants on a log? that’s still fun, right?”

“okay,” logan says, and virgil taps the counter once before retreating into the kitchen.

logan digs around in his backpack, and gets out the worksheets he’s supposed to do for homework, and settles in to do those as he eats his snack and when his papa gets done with his shift at the inn. daddy’s supposed to come around dinnertime, maybe, and so’s roman and virgil, so he wants to get his homework done now so he’s not distracted by it later.

when virgil asks, that’s what he tells him, and virgil stares at him for a bit.

“what?” logan says.

“sometimes,” virgil says, “i swear you were born thirty.”

logan brightens. “like you think i’m an adult?”

“in some ways,” virgil says, and reaches out to tousle his hair. “however, sometimes you are pure teenager, and i fear the day you hit thirteen.”

“that’s forever away,” logan says. “that’s my-whole-life-right-now away, plus a year.”

"you’ll see,” virgil says. “eat your snacks, first, so you don’t get peanut butter on your homework.”

logan pointedly chomps the celery, so it makes a loud crunching noise, and virgil grins at him before he goes off to check on some other customers.

so logan does his homework, and talks with virgil when virgil has some free time, and he’s double-checking his math answers when a hand lands on his shoulder.

“hey, kiddo,” his papa says, and logan spins the barstool so he can look at him.

“hi.”

“good rest of the day at school?”

“yeah,” logan says. “not as good as when you were there, but yeah.”

his papa grins, and ruffles his hair, before he steals one of logan’s apples, dipping it into peanut butter, and popping it into his mouth.

“can you check my homework?” logan asks.

“sure thing,” his papa says, and tugs over the nearest completed worksheet. his papa helps him polish off his celery and apples—virgil always kind of overestimates how much to give him, but logan is a “growing boy” and virgil says he’d rather be safe than sorry on serving sizes—before logan finishes, and his papa helps pack it all away again.

“see you at six-thirty?” virgil checks, leaning his hip against the counter and staring at his papa. it’s kind of a weird stare—but then, virgil’s been acting weird lately, so.

“six-thirty,” his papa confirms, smiling. “and you’re picking up roman?”

“yep,” virgil says, and looks at logan. “have a fun couple hours, yeah? i’ll see you soon.”

“okay,” logan says.

“what do we say?” his papa chides, and usually virgil looks at logan all amused whenever his papa says that, but for whatever reason—today, virgil’s staring at his papa.

he’s been doing that a lot today.

logan sighs, which makes virgil’s gaze snap down to him, and says, “thank you for the snacks.”

“you’re welcome,” virgil says, except his eyes move from logan’s face to his papa’s again.

“thank you, have a nice day,” logan says, handing over the key. the guest—an old lady named ingrid, except he isn’t supposed to call people old to their face—smiles at him, and accepts it. he glances back to see his papa trying to smile, too, except his face is kind of funny about it.

his face has been kind of funny ever since logan had gotten a special birthday cookie from sookie and his papa had stepped out to take a phone call and come back all pinched around the eyes. logan doesn’t like it.

logan adjusts his stance—he’s on a chair so he can see over the desk to see customers—and he hears his papa take a deep breath.

“honey?” 

“yeah, papa?” logan asks, looking up at him. his papa makes a face, then looks like he’s trying not to make a face, and reaches out and takes his hands.

oh. it’s probably bad news.

“i’m really, really sorry,” his papa says, voice quiet and soft and gentle, “but, um—but i just got the news that your dad can’t make it today.”

the only thing logan can say to that is “oh,” and he hates how quiet and sad it sounds and he hates how his papa’s face drops when he says it.

“i’m,” his papa says, and he sounds choked and watery and no, his papa isn’t supposed to be sad and upset with himself like it’s his fault, “i am so sorry, sweetheart, i know you were looking forward to seeing your dad.”

logan takes a second, and logan thinks.

logan also has two dads. plenty of people don’t have dads—roman is one of them, because his dad is dead—but logan has two dads. his daddy is one of them. he tends to see his daddy on holidays, and whenever they take trips out to california to see him. his other dad kind of just leaves him to his own devices and doesn’t ever come to anything at school and he doesn’t always remember his birthday. he doesn’t make him birthday cupcakes or after-school snacks or keep him company when papa falls asleep at the dinner table because he’s so tired.

his daddy is kind of like alex murry from a wrinkle in time: meg’s dad is missing and not there, and when he’s there, it’s good, and she learns a lot from him, but he’s missing and she has to suit up and go save him with her brother and someone from high school and three random mysterious ladies, and it turns out that meg’s dad used the fifth dimension to travel through space and time and he’s trapped and it’s because he won’t succumb to the group hivemind.

except his daddy doesn’t use tesseract technology to travel through time and space. he just lives a long way away, and he doesn’t even have the excuse of evil aliens who prevent him from coming to his birthday or picking up the phone or even just sending a card.

logan also has a papa. he is a good dad. he is quite possibly the best dad—he always makes sure that logan is warm and full and happy, and he always reads to logan and tucks him in at night and cheers him up if he’s sad and he makes sure that he has good birthdays.

logan’s papa is like lily and james potter and molly and arthur weasley from harry potter and mr. and mrs. quimby from ramona and maurice from beauty and the beast and mr. brown from encyclopedia brown and miss honey from matilda, all tangled up into one person, and that’s his papa.

and logan doesn’t want to focus on a version of alex murry who isn’t even trapped because he’s fighting the darkness. he’s just not there. and logan doesn’t know if it’s because he isn’t trying hard enough to be there or if it’s because he doesn’t want to be there.

he already has a dad. if one doesn’t show up—that’s on him. that’s not on logan. that’s not on his papa. that’s dad—his other dad’s—loss. not logan’s. 

“my dad is right here,” logan says, and his papa—his dad, his primary parent, his papa, his dad, who is all logan needs, parent-wise, thanks very much—looks startled, before squeezing his hands again.

“i know i am,” his dad says, “but—“

“my dad is right here,” logan repeats. “is virgil still coming over?”

his dad looks even more startled. “yes—in half an hour, i think.”

“roman too?”

“roman too,” his dad says. “but if there’s any way i can make it up to you—“

“it’s a good birthday,” logan says, and his voice is firm. “it’s been a good birthday. him not being here doesn’t change that. okay?”

“i—okay,” his dad says, and bites his lip. “can i give you a hug?”

logan considers it. “okay,” he allows, and his dad picks him up off the stool and hugs him so close and so tight and logan closes his eyes.

my dad is right here. my dad is right here. my dad is right here.

...

“—make sure he comes home right then, ms. prince.”

“and that he won’t eat too much cake?”

“of course not,” virgil says, sounding almost offended. “i’m not letting any of them eat too much cake.”

a soft huff that’s usually means mommy’s laughing around someone who isn’t roman.

“all right, then,” she says, and calls, “roman, are you ready?”

“just a minute!” roman hollers, giving his eye one last swipe with the brush. this’ll have to do. he careens out into the living room.

“here i am!” he sings.

“yes, here you are,” his mom says. “do you have your sleepover bag?”

roman groans, and stomps back into his room to get it. “that was my dramatic entrance!” he hollers.

“well, it was very dramatic,” virgil says, and a slightly louder huff from his mother.

roman swings back into the room, and then proceeds to strike a pose, and flutters his eyelashes for extra emphasis.

“your makeup is very pretty,” virgil says seriously, and roman beams.

“thanks!”

virgil takes the bag, and the perfectly-wrapped present, swinging it over his shoulder, and roman approaches his mom.

“behave,” she says. “and tell mr. sanders thank you for letting you sleep over.”

“i will,” roman says, and when he gestures she bends so he can smack a kiss on her cheek that leaves behind a bright red lip print. 

"bye, ms. prince,” virgil says.

“goodbye, virgil,” she says, as they walk to the door. “goodbye, roman.” 

“bye, mommy!”

she shuts the apartment door behind them, and roman takes virgil’s hand as they walk down the stairs, and head for the inn.

he gets so into telling virgil why he is wrong about cinderella and the prince in there, because he was a very busy prince, that he almost doesn’t notice when  they get to the inn.

and then he drops virgil hand and basically sprints to the door, knocking as loud as he possibly can, ignoring virgil’s “wait up!” and then the door’s thrown open and—

“hi there, roman!” logan’s dad says brightly.

“hi!” roman says, equally bright. 

“hi,” logan says, poking his head out from behind his dad’s thigh. “hi, virgil.”

“hey there, birthday boy,” he says, and logan’s dad steps aside to let them both in. 

logan really loves the poolhouse—roman’s never been, he’s just kind of been near him and usually whenever he hangs out with logan it’s in the inn.

roman looks around the room, and he decides he loves it too.

there’s pretty swaths of fabric draped everywhere, dying the patches of sunlight pink and yellow and red, and there’s a curtain hanging in front of a big clawfoot bathtub like in the movies, and logan and patton’s beds are next to each other, with big fluffy pillows and blankets all over them, making roman want to swan dive right on top of it, and a few beanbag chairs tossed around to make a little sitting area, with stacks of books like ramshackle towers and skeins of yarn bundled up in a little basket by a rocking chair, a few pairs of knitting needles sticking out of the top of it like hedgehog spines.

“i like your face,” logan says, and roman brightens, grinning, and flutters his eyelashes.

“i put glitter on,” he says. “an’ lipstick. i like the red.”

“it’s pretty,” logan says, and roman beams.

virgil gives them all dinner before cake, because he is a grouch who does not believe in cake for dinner, but he guesses the grilled cheeses that virgil makes on a griddle are pretty good. 

“cake or presents first?” virgil asks, and logan tilts his head, considering.

“presents.”

“the right choice,” roman says. “whose first?”

virgil and roman end up playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who’s first, and virgil wins. 

logan tears it open, and gasps, unearthing it, and then another, and another, and another.

“virgil,” he says disbelievingly, “there’s so many here.”

they’re all lego collections—the kind that logan can assemble in tons of different ways, and not just one set way.

“i figured i might as well—“ virgil hesitates, but says, “well, you know, better too much than too little, right? especially on a birthday.”

“they’re awesome,” logan says. 

“oh,” virgil says. “cool. good.”

“better not open those up yet, kiddo,” logan’s dad says, “you’ve got two more presents to open up.”

logan pauses, and says, “after cake?”

“after cake,” his dad says. 

“mine now,” roman says, and presents the box, grinning.

“there’s ribbons on,” he says, staring. “i almost don’t wanna rip it up.”

“rip it up it’s your birthday,” roman screeches, and logan laughs, before he obligingly starts to rip it up.

he stares, and says, “what’s this?”

“i made it,” roman says, and scrambles over to explain it. “i—i put you in peter rabbit, ‘cause you liked it during storytime, 'cept instead of vegetables they’re stealing berries to put into jam.”

logan’s dad makes an aww noise, and says, “that’s very creative, roman, what a cool gift!” as logan slowly opens up the book, tracing his fingers over the drawings that roman did, the letters roman made sure were all straight and even and spelled right.

he takes his time reading it, and roman knows he’s taking his time reading it because logan’s the fastest reader in the grade, and by the time he gets to the end he flips it back to the front, almost like he’s gonna read it again.

roman, about to burst, says, “d’you like it?!”

“i love it,” logan says immediately, and at last he looks up from the book, eyes shining, and he grins at the look on roman’s face. “i love it, roman, this is the coolest thing ever.”

“oh,” roman says, breathless, and grins back. “good.”

“i’m gonna put this on a table, so it doesn’t get stained by cake or anything,” logan’s dad says, and ruffles roman’s hair. “awesome art, buddy.”

“thanks, mr. logan’s dad,” and virgil snorts.

“you can just call me patton,” logan’s dad says.

“okay, mr. logan’s dad.”

logan’s dad laughs, before he goes and he gets a box that is the size of roman.

logan gapes at it. “whoa,” he says.

“here, i got a chair for you to stand on,” logan’s dad says, and drags it over so logan can clamber up to rip off the wrapping paper, and then open up the box, and his head whips toward him.

“papa,” he says breathlessly.

“a secondhand bookstore near the city was having a closing-down sale,” logan’s dad says, and roman tugs at virgil’s arms until virgil lifts him up so he can see, too.

there’s books. there’s so many books—it’s the most books roman’s seen outside of class and bookstores, picture books and thicker books and chapter books and books for big kids, too. so. many. books.

“and—and look at the top,” logan’s dad says. virgil sets roman back on the ground.

logan picks it up, and stares. it’s a furniture catalogue, roman thinks, the kind that gets delivered to his mom sometimes. logan looks toward his dad.

“what’s this mean?”

“it means,” logan’s dad says, “that i got a promotion at work! so that means we can move, and you can get your own room, which you can decorate however you want.”

“we’re moving?” logan says, dejected, and roman’s heart plummets—because moving in movies always means you almost never see them again.

“closer to the diner, and roman, and school,” his dad says hastily. “you aren’t moving away, honey.”

roman lets out a sigh in relief.

“oh,” logan says, and considers this. “closer to roman?”

“well, hopefully,” he says.

“that’s okay then,” logan decides.

“and i got a decoration,” his dad says. “which you can keep in your room, or out in the living room, if you want. roman and me had a pretty similar idea, actually.”

“okay,” logan says, and his dad goes to dig out something. it’s a book, big and leathery and cool-looking, like a book that a sorcerer would use in a movie.

logan flips it open.

“i kept a record of all the milestones you hit, as a baby and a little kid,” logan’s dad says, and points. “and i kept stuff open—‘cause you’ve still got to lose a tooth, and graduate high school, and all that stuff, and i have tons of pictures, too—“

logan takes just as long a time to page through that as he did with roman’s book—there are tons of pictures, of who logan says are his grandparents and his other dad and some people from around the house—and they hit the empty pages, and logan closes it carefully.

“happy sixth, buddy,” logan’s dad says, and leans in to press a kiss to his cheek. “here’s to six million more.”

“you can’t live for six million years,” logan says.

“six million!” roman declares. “six million! six million! six million!”

“it’s cake time, i think,” virgil breaks in, and logan’s dad cheers.

and when roman tries it, it tastes like jam and frosting and all the best kinds of things.

it’s exactly the kind of cake logan deserves.

...

“i think they’re both tuckered out,” patton says, voice hushed.

“i think you’re right,” virgil agrees, similarly quiet, so as to not wake the sleeping boy who’s flopped out on his chest. “where are they both sleeping?”

“they’re taking my bed,” patton says, and virgil narrows his eyes at him.

patton huffs, hair flopping endearingly with the force of his breath, and says, “it’s one night of sleeping on the ground, virgil.””

“well—“

“do you want to make the babies sleep on the floor?” patton challenges, and virgil sighs.

“no,” he mutters.

“one night,” patton repeats. “my back will survive.”

“fine, fine,” he mutters, and carefully holds onto roman as he stands, to make sure he doesn’t flop his head back and wake himself up, and patton follows suit with logan. 

virgil carefully settles roman so his head is on the pillow, and then moves to tuck him in; he barely even stirs, and virgil has to suppress a smile at the sight of him, slightly open-mouthed, letting out noises that aren’t quite snoring.

“his lipstick’s gonna stain your pillowcase,” virgil says, and patton stifles his snort as he similarly makes sure logan’s all tucked in.

“it’ll wash,” he says, and steps back to survey the pair of them, nodding once.

“porch?” patton offers, and virgil nods. 

patton’s “porch” is really two old, near-broken rocking chairs donated by the inn sitting just outside the door, overlooking the inn’s grounds, and patton gathers up some of the spare blankets in his arms as virgil readies his own supplies.

patton’s already settled when he comes out, closing the door behind him, and patton laughs.

“more cake?” he teases.

“little bits,” virgil says, handing over patton’s plate, trying not to drop what’s tucked between his arm and his chest as he sits in his own chair, setting his plate into his lap, before he unearths the surprise.

patton laughs at the sight of the two mini-bottles of wine—virgil had picked up a four-pack for about six bucks at the gas station.

“it’s your six-year anniversary of fatherhood,” virgil says defensively, and patton’s smile goes all touched and soft and kind of sappy, brown eyes warming, and oh god, okay, virgil seriously needs to get this crush under control, that’s his best friend.

“well,” patton says, and tilts the bottle at him. “cheers, then.”

virgil taps his bottle against his, before he twists off the cap. 

they eat and drink in relative quiet, before patton says, “you—i told you. about chris.”

virgil swallows, and fiddles with the bottle. “yeah. i mean, i figured—i mean, i didn’t wanna ask and make it awkward in front of the kids.”

patton nods, before he looks out at the grounds and says tightly, “i tried calling, to see when he’d get here, but i just got his machine. don’t bother calling me back, he said, i’m out on the mystic blue, i’ll call when i recover and if you’re worth it.”

he sounds like a douche, virgil would say, if he didn’t want to hurt patton’s feelings, because for whatever reason patton still considers this guy his friend, so instead he says, “what’s the mystic blue?”

“i didn’t know either, ‘till i looked it up,” patton says, and takes a long pull of his wine. “turns out the mystic blue is a cruise liner that prides itself on its breathtaking views, its vibrant night-life in its three separate clubs with other similarly-minded party people, and,” his face twists, becoming tight, “the all-you-can-drink package from any of their full bars.”

virgil’s struck dumb, and all he can say is, “that douchebag.”

patton shrugs and wraps himself tighter in his blanket, but he doesn’t deny it.

“i mean, seriously, that—that asshole,” virgil fumes. “he’s missing out on his son’s birthday, the one he promised to come to, to get blackout drunk for a week in the fucking bahamas?”

“it’s two weeks in the baltic, actually.”

“whatever,” virgil says. “i—i literally have to punch him now, you realize that?”

patton snorts, and leans to knock his elbow into virgil. “stop that,” he scolds. “little ears might hear you.”

“i just—god,” virgil says. “he better be leaving logan the biggest trust fund, i swear.”

“my parents kinda have that covered, i think,” patton says.

“the answer here is clearly two trust funds,” he says, mostly to make patton laugh, and he does, a little, and virgil hesitates, before he continues.

“logan didn’t seem too upset.”

“well, i didn’t tell him the particulars, but,” patton says. “all he kept saying was my dad’s right here, so i don’t—i don’t know if he was upset and not telling me, but usually i’m pretty good at telling if he’s sad, so.”

“logan’s tough,” virgil says. “he’s—y’know, he’s a really good kid.”

patton smiles, and if it was before the cake batter went everywhere in the kitchen, virgil would’ve leaned over to touch his arm, or something, and oh my god, had he had this crush for an absurdly long time and just not tuned into it?

virgil shakes the thought, and says, “that’s on you, you know?”

patton steals a look at him, looking soft and gentle and god, virgil managed to say something that made him look so touched and grateful and he feels like he’s about to float right through the roof, before patton shakes himself and looks down at the ground and clearing his throat, not quite able to shake off his smile.

“um. thanks.” he steals a look at virgil out of the corners of his eyes, almost blocked by his glasses, and says, “you ain’t too shabby at raising a kid yourself, you know.”

he grins, unexpected, and it feels like it’s about to split his face.

“well,” virgil says, and shrugs. “it’s easy, with a kid like him.”

“yeah, it is,” patton says softly, and scoots his chair closer so that he can lean his head on virgil’s shoulder, and virgil just about holds his breath, afraid that if he breathes wrong it’ll break the moment. 

“happy birthday, logan,” patton murmurs.

“yeah,” virgil says, and hesitantly rests his cheek against patton’s head. “happy birthday, kid.”

[kusunogatari]

[ ObiRyū October | Day Seventeen | Trick or Treating ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū, Hatake Kakashi ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ]  [ Vulgarity ]

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“Is he here yet?”

“No, not yet.” Very carefully, Ryū applies the last of her makeup. Funnily enough, it doesn’t take much. Just some gaunt, dark makeup around her eyes to make them look sunken and ghastly. She doesn’t even need a wig, her white waves straightened to make a foreboding curtain around her face.

“Ugh, I swear that guy manages to be late at every turn…” Scowling, Kakashi descends the stairs. His own costume is...mostly applied. Ryū just needs to finish wrapping his head, the rest of his mummification already complete. He claims the holiday is lame and for kids, but...she totally noticed him spiffing up what she’s already gotten done.

He might claim Obito’s dragging them out, but she knows he’s actually glad his friend asked.

“It’s not that late yet,” she gently retorts, turning her face to look for anything she’s missed. Just a little black lipstick, and she’ll be done! The second hand store had the perfect white dress, which she’s (temporarily) dirtied for effect. Some carefully tacked-on gauze gives her a spooky look, and just like that: she’s a wraith! “Want me to text him?”

“No, I’ll do it.”

Ryū gives him a glance, a brow perked. He’s standing at one of the windows by the front door, clearly keeping watch. That seemed a little...odd. But she soon shrugs it off. “I hope it doesn’t get too cold...it’s gonna ruin our costumes if we have to wear coats…”

“It’s pretty cloudy, we should be fine. You sure you don’t wanna go to Rin’s party? She said you could go.”

“I know...but I can’t let you dorks go anywhere on your own,” she replies, carefully applying her lipstick. “That’s just asking for trouble.”

“...uh huh. Doesn’t have anything to do with Obito going with me?”

“If Obito weren’t going, you wouldn’t be going. So I guess you could say that,” she counters cheekily.

Kakashi scowls, hidden behind the wrappings on his face.

“Besides, they’re all older than me. It’d be weird. Can’t I just go trick or treating with my brother without being interrogated?”

“Okay one, they’re only about a year older than you. And two, Obito and I are their age, so what’s the difference?”

Ryū turns, pouting. “I’m the odd one out! They all think I’m just a little tagalong. Doesn’t matter that it’s only a year, they still think I’m a twerp. I can tell, they don’t like me…”

Kakashi rolls his eyes. “They like you just fine. You’re just too sensitive.”

“And you’re not sensitive enough!”

It’s then a frantic knock sounds at the door, and they both look to see Obito peeking in the window. “Let me in!” he calls, muffled through the glass.

“About time,” Kakashi mutters under his breath, opening the door. “What took you so long?”

“I had to fix my facepaint, it started melting!” Staggering through the door, Obito arrives in all his zombie glory. Scars left uncovered, he instead has a fake wound on his forehead, and...well, it looks like it’s actually bleeding, given that the paint is indeed starting to ooze.

“Oh, jeez...here, lemme see.” Ryū crosses the gap, a makeup remover napkin in hand. “I can make a new one with some makeup that won’t run. You’ve got it on here way too thick, that’s why it’s being goopy, silly.”

“Uh -?” Not given a chance to refuse, Obito finds himself dragged to the mirror in the main hall, Ryū quickly getting to work. “...you know how to do that?”

“Yeah, duh. We did a workshop on it in theater class, remember?”

“I didn’t do that one, I did props!”

“Well maybe you should have done makeup instead,” she teases, cleaning his forehead. “Now hold still.”

Kakashi, arms crossed, watches the pair with a halfhearted glower. “Hurry up, it’s almost dark. We’re gonna run out of time.”

“It’ll just take me a minute! Obito should get to look the part, too. Have a little patience big bro.”

“Yeah big bro,” Obito echoes, grinning.

“Shut up or I’ll give you a real wound, instead.”

“What crawled up your ass and died, Kakashi?”

He heaves a curt breath, not wanting to admit it. “...nothing. I just want to get this over with since it was all your idea.”

“Says the guy who can’t stop fiddling with his costume to make sure it’s just right,” Ryū retorts. “Admit it, Kakashi - this is gonna be fun! You don’t have to be such a stick in the mud all the time.”

“Trick or treating is for kids.”

“And we’re still kids,” she reminds him, leaning out past Obito to look at him. “Stop trying to grow up so fast! We’re not gonna think any less of you for letting loose and having fun sometimes.”

“...okay maybe I will, but that’s just cuz I have to make fun of you,” Obito offers, pretending to flinch as Ryū lightly baps his arm. “Kidding, kidding!”

Kakashi just rolls his eyes. “Someone around here has to have some sense.”

“Hey, Ryū’s got plenty of sense, and she’s not a jerk!”

Blinking, she flushes a light pink.

“She’s also too easily swayed by your shenanigans, so that doesn’t count,” Kakashi counters dryly.

“Well maybe she just likes to have fun!”

“Okay guys, c’mon, enough arguing,” she cuts in with a sigh. “Obito, how’s that look?”

Not realizing she was done, he leans in toward the mirror. “Whoa! That looks so cool!”

Her pink cheeks get pinker. “Think that’ll work for tonight?”

“Yeah! Thanks!”

“You’re welcome!”

“Okay, now are we ready to go?”

Ryū holds up a hand. “One sec!”

Kakashi groans, head tossing back as she dashes upstairs.

“Y’know, you didn’t have to say you’d go,” Obito offers, crossing the room to stand beside him.

“Ryū wanted to go.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to.”

“Yeah, actually, it does.”

“Why?”

Another grumble. “...cuz I’m her brother. I don’t want her out alone after dark with anybody.”

“What, you don’t trust me?”

“I trust you the least.”

“Aww, why? You know I’d never -!”

“Just nevermind,” Kakashi mutters, edging too close to a rather sensitive topic.

“Okay, back!” Ryū hurries back to the main level. “Here!”

“What’s this?”

“They’re trick or treating bags, duh! Gotta have something to hold all our goodies, right? We made them this week in Home Ec for the elementary school students. I had some extra time, so...I made us all some! They’re based on our costumes.”

“Dude, this is awesome - thanks!” Obito holds out his bag, which sports a felt zombie face on it. “Is there anything you don’t know how to do?”

Kakashi deadpans as she blushes again. “W-well yeah, plenty of things.”

“...okay, anything else, or are we good to go?”

“All right all right, let’s hit the street!” Bag in one hand, Obito holds his aloft, staggering and dragging a foot toward the door.

“Obito, come on! We won’t even make it to the neighbor’s if you go that slow!”

Rather than replying, he just groans.

This is going to be a looong night, Kakashi can’t help but mutter mentally.

Once they get outside, Ryū pushes against Obito’s back to speed him along, earning a laugh as he breaks character. “Save that for when we’re closer to the doors!”

“You don’t like my zombie walk?”

“I like it just fine, but you’re too slow! Kakashi’s right, we don’t have all night. Don’t be a walker, be a runner!”

“What, like...this?!” Spinning around, Obito makes a wild sound, reaching out and making Ryū squeal in surprise as he starts chasing her.

“I’m a ghost, you dork - I don’t have a brain for you to eat!”

“That makes two of you,” Kakashi calls from behind them

“Hey, shut up!”

“Don’t run ahead.”

“First I’m too slow, now I’m too fast. Make up your mind, Kakashi!”

They reach the first house, everyone huddling up on the doorstep as Ryū rings their doorbell. A young couple opens the door, marveling at their costumes before giving them each a heaping handful into their bags.

“Hey, so are we gonna trade each other for stuff we don’t like when we get back?” Obito asks, looking into his bag.

“Maybe, if we have enough time.”

“Kakashi do you even like candy?”

“I like the sour ones. And dark chocolate.”

“I like mint and chocolate!” Ryū pipes up. “Ooh, and peanut butter!”

“Eh, I’m not too picky. Sweet is sweet to me.”

They slowly make their way around the neighborhood, visiting house after house and dodging gaggles of younger kids pursued by their parents. They even manage to cross paths with a few others from their classes.

“See! I told you we’re not too old,” Ryū teases her half brother with a grin.

“Obito and I are still pushing it,” he counters. “Most of our classmates are probably at parties instead.”

“And yet you’re here with the cool kids.”

He snorts. “Debatable.”

They even manage to cross paths with a teacher from the school, his wife helping take their son for a round of trick or treating. Ryū hoists the little blond to her hip, cooing over his fox costume. Naruto is quickly a bundle of giggles at her attentions.

“She’s pretty good with kids, huh?”

Kakashi glances to his friend. “She’s been babysitting for them.”

“Whoa, really?”

“Mhm. It lets her earn a little spending money, and she’s learning some responsibility.”

“And practicing for being a mom.”

The Hatake’s expression sours. “If she wants to be one, sure.”

“She’d be a great mom! She’s super sweet and patient.”

“Good thing, since it lets her put up with you.”

“Hey!”

As the evening ages, the trio decide to call it a night. Each of their bags are rather swollen with goodies, and Ryū digs through her own eagerly.

“Wow, there’s a lot more here than I thought we’d get!”

“Good thing we went down that side street - they had the best haul!” Obito agrees, peering into her bag. “A lot better than my neighborhood. Everyone’s so stingy…”

“So you’re just here to loot ours?” Kakashi asks, brow perking as Obito goes pink.

“No!”

“He’s just teasing,” Ryū assures him, rolling her eyes. “Come on, let’s get back and trade!”

They return to the Hatake household, sitting in a circle on the living room floor. Each dumps out a little candy mountain at their front.

Right off the bat, Kakashi hands over everything but sours and dark chocolates to his sister, who in turn gives hers of his favorites. He’s left with a bit of a small pile, but he doesn’t really care. Sweets aren’t his thing.

“Okay Obito, what can we trade?”

“Uh…” He rummages around. “I’ve got some chocolate and mint stuff. Not much with peanut butter, though.”

“Okay! What do you want that I’ve got?”

They start haggling, Kakashi unwinding the bandages on his face enough to chew some sour Starbursts. He can’t help but be amused at how seriously they take it. Unlike himself, they both sport some pretty hefty sweet teeth.

“But that’s not fair!”

“I don’t want them!”

“Then take some more of these!”

“It’s fine!”

“Ryū, he said he doesn’t want them,” Kakashi cuts in, getting tired of their babble.

“But -!”

“Are we going to watch a scary movie?”

The question acts as the perfect distraction. The other two teens blink. “...are we?”

“Might as well sit and watch something while we eat all this, huh?” Kakashi pops another Starburst.

Obito glances to a clock. “It’s kinda late, though. Should I head home?”

“Aww, already?” Ryū gives Kakashi a pleading look. “Can he stay?”

“What?”

“Tomorrow’s Sunday, it’s not like we need to be up for school! He can just sleep over after the movie. We can put the inflatable mattress in your room!”

A hint of suspicion colors his gaze. “You’re gonna have to make extra breakfast.”

“I don’t mind! Pleeease? We’re having so much fun, I don’t wanna quit yet!”

Ugh, she’s too convincing for her own good. “Fine...I’ll make some popcorn. Go find a movie.”

“Yay!”

...he’s going to regret this, isn’t he?

Throwing a bag of popcorn into the microwave, Kakashi subtly watches into the living room. Ryū and Obito both look over Netflix, trying to find a good movie.

“No, not that one! It’s too scary!”

“I thought that’s the point?”

“I wanna be able to sleep tonight!”

“Nothing to be scared of! Kakashi and I will be here, right?”

“W-well, yeah...but -?”

“Okay, let’s keep looking. Scaredy cat.”

“Am not!”

Obito just chuckles. “How about this?”

“...okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

Kakashi just rolls his eyes, splitting the popcorn three ways. “Here.”

Lights turned out, they start the movie.

Like most horror films, it starts out slow. Ryū, wedged between the boys, sinks into her seat and subconsciously munches her popcorn, staring at the screen. And despite his usual boredom with the genre, even Kakashi pays attention.

And then the first jumpscare happens.

“Eep!”

Kakashi flinches as Ryū shrieks, shying back from her slightly as his ear complains. But then he glances over to check on her.

And she’s curled up into Obito’s shoulder.

His eye gives a slight twitch.

Obito, watching wide-eyed, hasn’t really reacted. But a few minutes later, when another shot of the movie’s monster flashes across the screen, he lifts an arm without breaking his stare at the screen to let her closer.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

By the end, neither of them have moved. Only once Kakashi flicks on a light do they both jolt, realizing their positions.

“...time for bed,” Kakashi then mutters. “C’mon Obito, help me set up the air mattress.”

“Uh...right.”

Ryū scurries to the bathroom to brush her teeth, the boys awkwardly heading to Kakashi’s room.

Kakashi doesn’t say a word, letting Obito stew in it for a while.

“So, uh...Ryū really doesn’t like scary movies, huh?”

Here we go. “She likes ones with ghosts. Gore bugs her, though.”

“Really? Doesn’t she want to be a nurse?”

“Mhm.”

“...then -?”

“There’s a difference between real world injuries and overdone movie wounds,” Kakashi sighs as he throws some blankets over the temporary mattress. “If it’s too over the top, it freaks her out. Besides, she’s only sixteen. She’ll get over it before she actually gets into med school.”

“...right.”

More awkward silence.

“Does she, uh…”

“Does she what?”

“Does she...like me?”

Oh brother. “She seems to tolerate you pretty well, yea.”

“That’s not what I mean! I mean does she...like me?”

“How should I know? Ask her if you’re so curious.”

“I can’t just ask her that!”

“Why not?”

“Cuz -!” Okay, he doesn’t really have a reason. “...it would be weird.”

“Weird.”

“Yeah!”

“What are you, twelve? No wonder you’ve never had a girlfriend.”

“Maybe I haven’t wanted one!”

Kakashi deadpans. “...do you like her?”

Obito flashes pink. “...I dunno. I...I guess so.” A pause. “...is that...bad?”

“You tell me.”

“I mean, you’re her brother, and…” Something seems to sink in. “...oh…”

“Yeah. ‘Oh’.” Finished, Kakashi just glances to his friend. “...you’re an idiot, but...apparently she’s into that sort of thing.”

“...wait, she -?”

“Yeah. If you weren’t thick as a brick wall, you’d have noticed by now.”

Suddenly Obito is far more nervous. “...are you mad?”

Kakashi sighs. “...no. I just worry. That’s what big brothers do.”

“...sooo…?”

“...so...just don’t fuck it up. Then I won’t have a reason to get mad.”

“Er...right. Okay.”

“Okay guys, bathroom’s free! G’night!”

Obito fumbles for a moment. “G-goodnight!”

“Night,” Kakashi calls back. Once he’s ready for bed, he slips under his covers, hearing Obito do the same.

...well, breakfast is going to be interesting.

     Well this is...late and a bit on the short side, but I ran out of time. Today was busy and I ran out of steam =w= But it’s done! Also got to rest run the sub-verse idea of Ryū and Kakashi being related cuz I just like the vibe :3      Anywho, just some silly fluff with out favorite dorks. Makes me sad trick or treating won’t really be a thing this year (if people are smart, anyway).       ...I’d say more but I’m tired :’D Thanks for reading!

[hclfhearted-a]

21, 32, 40, 41, 42, 43

RANDOM OC QUESTIONS    /     @sunbruise​​

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

she does have a bit of a temper, though it’s quick. if she gets frustrated enough, she might snap for a moment but then she just fizzles out && then just immediately goes to upset silence. when she loses her temper, she isn’t going to hit anyone or be physical in any way, but she might shout or cry when she’s angry - especially when it’s from frustration. lillian is a big fan of the silent treatment, but that’s probably from her parent’s influence who used to do it to her when they were angry at her. she is absolutely not patient - she’s impatient as hell, but given the situation she’s more likely just to rant in her head about it than actually take it out on the person (such as in cases of it being at a restaurant, for example) as she knows it’s probably not the person’s fault && it’s not going to kill her to wait a couple more minutes for something. If it’s towards friends, or people that know her well enough that they probably won’t get angry with her for her impatience, she might let out a whiny, ‘come on’ or ‘hurry up’.

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

due to her thin blood && her heart not regulating body temperature as well, she’s always cold, so don’t be surprised when even in summer she’s carrying around a sweater just in case. lillian has big autumn aesthetic, primarily wearing colors like oranges, reds, browns, && dark blues && greens. she likes fuzzy sweaters, turtlenecks, skinny jeans, boots, && soft berets - it’s almost hard to remember that she primarily (meaning her main canon) lives in a place where there’s almost no seasons. due to her upbringing, lillian dresses pretty conservatively, even when she’s wearing skirts or dresses, they are typically to the knee or longer, && she doesn’t wear too many things that are low cut on top (also because she’s self conscious about her chest scar). to bed, she generally wears a two piece set that’s long sleeve, long pants, && in winter they’re fuzzy. she will wear socks to bed too but they usually end up kicked off. when it comes to jewelry, she has no piercings, but she is fond of necklaces, especially crystals, or the simple kind with a single pendant. lillian doesn’t like bracelets because they get in the way when she writes && it feels weird to wear it on her other wrist. lillian keeps her makeup relatively simple && natural - though she admires those who can do more complicated things with it - she just doesn’t know how nor does she think it would look good on her. her favorite kind of makeup is lipstick && she likes the kind that is more matte, though sparkles are sometimes fun. lillian prefers to wear her hair down, it comes just past her shoulders, though when she’s in study mode or needs to keep it out of the way, she wears it in a high ponytail. she doesn’t spend too much time doing her hair - thankfully, hers is pretty manageable without much issue - but she does keep it clean && loves using wonderful smelling shampoos && conditioners. her clothes are a weird mix of designer, department store, walmart, && hand-made. her parents can really only afford walmart with the occasional department store item (typically something that she’s going to have for years), however lillian’s aunt && uncle are wealthy enough that they were the ones putting her through private school && helping pay her medical bills, so occasionally she might get a designer item or two (most of the time it’s a hand me down from a cousin). if she was honest, lillian doesn’t really care either way - it doesn’t matter to her where the item came from, so long as it looks like something she’d wear/use && that’s generally the case. as for the hand-made items - lillian can knit! she loves knitting people cute things, from clothing to little stuffed animals && some of her things she made herself - she loves them the most.

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert?

absolutely not! lillian can not have such things! as per her cardiologist’s orders - things like coffee && energy drinks could really make her sick, if not cause major problems with her heart. now - during the autumn she might get an iced pumpkin spice latte from starbucks in their smallest size && keep it in the refrigerator && drink it over a period of several days because she likes the taste but can’t have the caffeine, but otherwise she doesn’t touch the stuff for her own health. she will drink decaffeinated teas, though, like the relaxation kind. she doesn’t eat a ton of sugary food either, due to dietary restrictions, but she does enjoy things like pies, doughnuts, && sour candy - she just has to eat it in strict portions. can lillian stay awake && alert naturally? to a degree - she’s gotten better at it because of school && studying requires her to learn how to keep awake for long periods of time, but she doesn’t really have much of a choice in it because she’s only allowed to keep awake through natural methods.

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

question answered over here!

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

currently, in her main canon, she’s going to school for pediatric cardiology, as she wants to work with children who have the same sort of conditions she does. she really wants to help improve the research on congenital conditions && help the next generation of kids who are diagnosed with heart defects live longer && happier lives. she isn’t sure if she’ll be able to do it - she’s smart, but being a doctor is exhausting work && she’s got prejudice against her disability riding against her, but she’s trying her best. some of the things she considers dumb because they are more hobby goals, not life goals, is she wants to improve on her roller skating && be able to do more tricks && she’d like to learn how to do more complicated knitting patterns, perhaps even open a little online business so that she can earn enough money to move out of her parent’s house. she’s not sure what she’d sacrifice anything for, but probably something to do with her work in medicine, helping people. she wants to make a real difference in the medical community. her secret ambition that she doesn’t think will happen is to invent a new medical procedure or medicine that ends up saving a ton of lives. as a bonus, here are some fandom universe secret goals she has.

all for the game: she wishes to help start an exy league for people who wish to play but are disabled && get them to be able to play in the special olympics && win medals.

harry potter: make hogwarts (or any other of the wizarding schools) && the wizarding world in general more accessible && friendly for disabled witches && wizards.

percy jackson: this is more personal, but lillian wonders if the other demigods at camp jupiter don’t think her worthy because she can’t physically keep up with a lot of them, so she wishes to be able to go on her first mission && do well so they will like her.

the shadowhunter chronicles: she wishes to learn more about her powers (she’s a warlock) && be able to help people. she wants to be known for it like magnus bane.

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

sort of? lillian was raised catholic, went to church, went to a catholic private school for all her years until she graduated from high school. she considers herself kind of non-practicing right now, since she doesn’t go to church && she’s a bit more critical of organized religion now that she has experienced what it was like to grow up under it && is able to branch out more. she might still pray from time to time, avoid saying ‘oh my god’, && other things that she’s been conditioned with since she was a child, but she wouldn’t consider herself as devout as her family - not that she’d say it to them. she likes the concept of religion - of all religions - the idea that people have something to comfort them && she sees nothing wrong with religious people, but she doesn’t like how pushy some can be && those who disrespect other’s beliefs. she graduated with people who are still very devout like her cousins, && those who hated catholic upbringing so much they went full atheist, && she respects them both so long as they aren’t rude. in more fandom specific verses: in the percy jackson verse, she’s raised catholic at home - mainly her mother’s doing - && she’s uncomfortable because she worries she’s disrespecting carna && the other gods && goddesses. but, she does what she has to in order to avoid fights with her mother. in her shadowhunter && harry potter verse, she deals with the fact that she’s got magic && that’s considered demonic by her parents && it creates a lot of tension when she’s home to the point in her shadowhunter verse, she’s kicked out on the street the day she turns eighteen.

[bladekindeyewear]

Freed up some time, actually!  Gonna blog the new pages of HS^2.  Liveblogging resume...

FYI, the post I glimpsed that alerted me to the fact that new pages exist had a translucent screenshot of Brain Ghost Dirk on it, so I know that at least is in store for me.  Makes sense; a way to involve Dirk’s voice obnoxiously heavily even when he’s too far away to narrate.  And ties into this... chapter(?) name, of course.  Chapters, huh?

> CHAPTER 1. Ghostflusters

God. Damnit.

Could we NOT???  No?

Fuck you, Dirk.  I blame you for this.

So we have greenery, a can-city and Sburb-legal human house mix... some sorta cow-looking thing from far away in the front yard...

The void resounds. Space seizes and warps as the bounds of relevance erode away to nothing but the wishful nostalgia of times passed. There is a hole in the middle of the universe, and it is hungry.

All very literally true.

But the denizens of this particular iteration of Earth C don’t know it. All of this is just business as fucking usual for a planet plagued by war, continuous inclement ghost weather, and the general malaise of being absolutely severed from canon.

--oh, FUCK.  This isn’t the new planet, this is Candy timeline Earth.  I didn’t wanna come back here!  :C

I guess that explains most of the content warnings.  Except fucking ALCOHOLISM.  Gee, thanks for adding THAT to the Candy timeline, as if it wasn’t fucked over enough!!!  Bluh.

I thought the closing lines of the Epilogue were that after RoboDave, Aradia and alt!Callie dove out of the Candyverse inside the singularity, the black-hole timelines and Dirk’s presumably-still-”relevant” nonsense weren’t going to collide with each other again?  So... why are we seeing this?  Is there going to be MORE influence like that, and the ending line was just fancy-talk?  Is it just an irrelevant little follow-up to Candy to show things turning out okay or pseudo-okay, like an epilogue to the epilogue?  Or is some of this Dirk nonsense presumably within the bounds of some sort of canon going to still have some last bit of influence on this so-called non-canon timeline?

That last one would make sense, given that it echoes how Homestuck^2′s dubious canonicity would still have definite influence on fanworks outside of canon.  Right?

Let me pull that last line from the epilogues again--

...where’s the Epilogues’ log, this is getting kind of hard to find with all their reorganization... fuck, I had to guess at the URL even.  Here we go, the last page of Meat...

The hole leaves behind an absence in the sky so calm that continuing to call it a sky wouldn’t seem to do it justice. It’s a perfectly neutral expanse into which anything one can imagine might be summoned. And for a while, anything was. But not anymore. Where the hole gaped just moments ago, there now exists an imaginary line.

Above this line resides all that matters. Below exists all else. Never again the twain shall meet.

...Right.  This implies that Canon and Non-Canon shall never meet again.  BOTH ways.  Doesn’t quite gel with the fact that we’re cutting back here--

Oh.

This is about Jake and Brain Ghost Dirk isn’t it.  I noticed his name down further on the page.  THAT’S why we’re cutting back here.

So, Canon and Non-Canon aren’t exactly meeting... not for anything relevant, anyway.  But we’re using Candy Jake’s visibility of Brain Ghost Dirk to get a better idea of Dirk’s broader self and plans through a splinter of him?  While getting another glimpse into how the post-epilogue Candy timeline is going for our, er... “curiosity”?  Is that it?

Hm.  I guess that doesn’t count as the twain “meeting”... I’ll just keep reading now.

They spend their days absorbed in the petty and pointless pursuits of “having jobs” and “raising families” and “falling in love”.

Is this Dirk’s narrator voice?  This sounds like something the current megalomaniacal Dirk would say.

I’m not going to quote the rest of the text’s further reminders of how Jane has been made into an absolutely fucked-over asshole in every timeline except the one where she grew old to open a Joke shop, adopt Dad, die, get prototyped and timeline-doubled, then mysteriously disappear from any mention in the Epilogues as if the Sprites were just forgotten about completely eventually.

> (==>)

Oooh, using the less-relevance-surrounding-parens that were used on retconned ghost!Vriska back in Homestuck proper to denote our presence in the non-canon Candy timeline? How handy!

Not a far-away cow, then.

John has been an incredible pal, opening up his home to Jake and his son on such short notice, and even offering him a pair of pants, as well as a shirt that he has so far neglected to put on.

Alright, that got a chuckle from me.

John’s house doesn’t have air conditioning.

What the flying fuck.

...Ah, John’s been away patching things up with Roxy some more, I presume.

It, like the rest of his assets, is in her name. She’d seen to that as soon as they were married.

Life players and assets, huh?  Always gotta be hoggin’ em.

He hasn’t seen much of Tavros today either, but that’s not unusual. He’s probably out with his kismesis, the one he thinks Jake doesn’t know about.

Huh.  Maybe Candy’s young Vriska?  Couldn’t get the real Tavros with your main self, so your alternate nigh-clone self settled with a human by the same name?  Or one of the other kids we heard of from this ‘verse..?

> (==>)

Jake’s hot man-bod cropped out of this image to avoid titillating my readers too much.

(Tumblr keeps jumping back to the top of my post after I add images and I keep thinking the title reads ��Ghostfuckers”.)

Jake washes the dirt out from under his fingernails, and his eyes fall on the bottle still sitting on the counter. John had opened it, but together they’d barely touched the stuff. Jake had promised him and Tavvy he’d dry up his act and all, but... well.

God damnit.  If this is still Dirk-voiced narration -- I’m not sure it can be, now I think about it, as he’s supposed to be “out of range” or something, unless non-canon is just malleable like that, which wouldnt be surprising (or Dirk’s splinter’s presence allows it) -- he could literally be inducing or writing in Jake’s drinking problem just to hurt him more.  You can’t really put an overstep that assholish past Prince Dirk the way he’s gotten to be.

There was another ask in my inbox insisting that Dirk wasn’t going to stay the true villain here, if only as some sort of karmic revenge for declaring his self-importance... but I still don’t think that’s the case.  For one, Dirk HASN’T declared himself the villain... he still can’t see how fucked-up and unjustified his trampling over of everyone’s wills IS.  Shadows of recognition... but not really.  He really honestly believes he has the fucking RIGHT to do what he’s doing.

(Which is, incidentally -- to answer another ask -- why there’s basically NO chance that Rose has some sort of control or recognition of her situation under the surface, and is playing Dirk, as another person hopefully surmised.  No.  She really IS being unknowingly steered away from personal growth and recognition of the thought-control she’s under... because nothing less could feel as horrible to us.)

Part of the entire POINT of Homestuck and its Riddle was to show that these crazy kids, if they put their wills to it, always had the potential to be the literal Gods of the world around them.  That when ordinary people grasp the will and drive to shape the world around them, they can turn everything back from the brink of destruction... or vice versa.  Thus, it’s only appropriate that a player from this game could become a villain more disgusting than any we’d imagined in the series so far.  What he’s been doing -- writing twisted sorrow directly into the lives and experiences of those around him, nurturing their worst, most power-hungry tendencies (Rose) and deceiving them more directly than Doc Scratch (who was PART Dirk) ever did, making a JOKE of their free will in a more terribly direct way than ANY have been shown onscreen to do?? It IS, and is MEANT to be, the worst we have EVER seen in Homestuck.  Not as clumsy and from-the-outside as Lord English, but just as blatantly direct.  Not as easy to ignore or mistake as Doc Scratch’s horrible, intentional Prince-of-Hearty worsening of the players, instead just as impossible to gloss-over as it is to bear witness to.  That very TITLE, “Prince of Heart”, can embody the very ANTITHESIS of the Ultimate Riddle itself, robbing EVERYONE of their ability to shape not just the world around them, but even so much as themselves or their very thoughts.  When used the way Dirk is using it RIGHT NOW, anyway.  And his ambition is to impose this on all of Paradox Space.

There COULD be another villain, later.  But I can’t imagine a single one more appropriate.  And Andrew’s just the type to use one of the Striders, both practically self-inserts of parts of his personality and presence, as that ultimate villain to be overcome in a story about escaping Canon, too.

Turning his ex into an alcoholic just for his own self-satisfaction?  In a side timeline where Jake didn’t even try a relationship with him again and finally had a chance to grow up happy in SOME universe?  I wouldn’t put it past him, and you shouldn’t either.

Moving on.

> (==>)

Eugh.  I just... don’t want to think about him being an alcoholic on TOP of everything else.  As if there wasn’t enough to deal with in Candy already.

> (==>)

Hm?

> (==>)

The jungle air is heavy, humid, and familiar. Twenty years on and the thick drag into his lungs settles on him in a blanket of nostalgia, reassuring in its discomfort.

Hm.  Is this his fantasy, or a view of him in another timeline?

He is deeper in the jungle than he’d ever venture in his waking hours. There were places on his island that not even his Gran would tread, and she’d been the bravest person he’d ever known.

Hmm.  So he even knows it’s a dream, but is still in control...

Jake doesn’t recognize anything. The jungle of his dreams is wild and unknown, and there are things moving in the dense undergrowth.

...Hhhuh.  Still not sure what to think of this yet.

A sudden wind thrashes the canopy. There are pine needles in his mouth. There aren’t any pine needles in the jungle.

Very Dream, then.

> (==>)

--Yup.

> (==>)

Yoink--

> (==>)

JAKE: Yes you are i know that much. I saw your body! I carried your coffin chock full of all those stupid fucking swords! DIRK: Nope. JAKE: Dont nope me mister!

They would pile all those shitty swords into his coffin, yeah.

Anyway, now to see how much Prince Dirk is in this Dirk.  And if he’s in one mind with himself or has the slightest chance of feeling rebellious.

JAKE: I know a dead dirk when i see one! DIRK: Sure you do. But that wasn’t me. Are you really surprised to find out I got a couple of spares? JAKE: So what youre saying is you arent my dirk. DIRK: ...That is a whole ‘nother conversation that we really don’t have time for, pertaining to exactly who or what ‘your dirk’ actually constitutes. DIRK: Do you mean the Dirk from your timeline? DIRK: Then yes, that Dirk is dead. DIRK: If you mean the Dirk that you fucked and then ghosted, no, I’m not your Dirk. DIRK: If you mean the Dirk that you felt closest to, that you really knew--

...well, this Dirk still knows how to be a presumptuous, pushy creep.  :(

JAKE: Ahhh! Brain ghost dirk! DIRK: In the ghosty flesh. JAKE: Crumbs bro where have you been? JAKE: I could have used someone on my side! JAKE: You just disappeared one day without even the odd toodaloo to mark your passing! DIRK: That isn’t strictly true. I did disappear, but it was in a catastrophic blaze of hope-drenched pathos. I even threw out a couple one-liners. DIRK: But you wouldn’t remember that. JAKE: Because...it was a different dirk? DIRK: No, a different Jake.

Hhhuh.  So in the claymation-reproduced Lord English stagefight -- or, maybe more likely, the pre-retcon Aranea-induced Game Over timeline -- he was too washed out by hopesplosions to manifest properly?

DIRK: Until recently there’s been a shortage of ambient narrative relevance for Dirks, since one particular motherfucker has been sucking it all up like a thirsty little twink at his first interspecies rave.

Hm!  So Prince Dirk has been making it so other splinters of himself have really limited ability to influence, huh?  Guess that’s a sort of price for the narrative-hijacking power he’s attained.  Wonder how this Dirk really feels about that.

> (==>)

--Pff.  He’s certainly not shy about letting Jake know he shouldn’t trust him, though!  That’s a good sign.

I’ll split the post here for a bit.  Seems we’re about halfway through this upd8 from the look of the log.

[lovemesomesurveys]

What is the next craft you are going to make? I’ve gotten into making beaded bracelets. Do you go outside every time that it’s sunny? Nooo. I don’t care about it being sunny, that doesn’t do anything for me. Especially if it’s hot and miserable. I don’t understand how people like summer. I’m a fall and winter gal. What’s the last thing you purchased with cash? I don’t remember. In the winter, would you prefer it to be snowy or not snowy? It doesn’t snow here, but I wish it did. What decade did you grow up in? The 90s and 2000s. Although, I’d argue I still have growing up to do.

What was your favorite Backstreet Boys song? A few of them, but “I Want it That Way” holds special memories because in 4th grade I had the coolest teacher and he’d sing songs, even played some on piano, was always goofy and fun and just really cool. We loved when he’d read out loud to us cause he did the best voices. I still remember him reading Matilda to us. Anyway, back to the song, that was one of the songs he’d sing. The whole class did. I think sometimes he did it as a way to get the classes attention, like he’d start and then we join in and do every other verse or something. I think mostly he just did it for fun. I was so sad on the last day of school I remember crying at home lmao. He was favorite teacher by far. I was fortunate to have him again in 8th grade cause he started teaching that grade and it worked out great. My younger brother and a couple of my cousins had him, too. I actually have him on Facebook.  Favorite *N Sync song? I have a few as well. Which of those two bands did you like best? I liked them both. Do you learn choreography easily? I’m no dancer at all. If you had to choose, would you rather be taller or shorter? Taller. Do you feel you can trust your doctor? One of my doctors I know I can. I’ve been seeing her for almost 4 years now and I know she really cares and has my best interest at heart. My other doctor isn’t as personal and I honestly kind of just feel like a number or paycheck and that’s all. I get what I need, which is the main thing, but still.  What is the theme of this year’s wall calendar? I don’t have one. Do you feel like you were just writing 2009 on your school papers? No, it’s been 10 years now. How old will you be in 2033? Blah. Do you believe that Jesus will come back in your lifetime? I hope so. Do you still have your favorite toy from when you were kid? I still have my Barbies. What was the last good book you read? Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter.  Which do you do more: read books, spent time online, or watch television? Spend time online and watch TV. What do you do the most when you’re online? Tumblr, watch YouTube, and check social medias. Do you use a sunlamp? No. Is your 2019 off to a good start? It was a horrible start, I got really sick and it caused setbacks and it was just a really, really bad time. How will you decorate for Valentine’s Day? We don’t. Which foot is bigger, your left or your right? I think my right one slightly is. What color is your winter coat? I have a black peacoat, a white peacoat, and a black/blue/gray/white plaid peacoat. Do you have an art journaling Bible? No. What’s your favorite candy to receive on Halloween? I liked getting chocolate. I hated getting stuff like “Dots.”  Do you think you’re too old to go trick-or-treating? Uh, yeah I’d say so. I’m 30 years old. Do you have a bobblehead? Yeah, a Chewbacca one. If yes, what does your bobblehead look like? ^^^^

Have you ever spent your birthday alone? No. Do you enjoy spending holidays alone (if you’ve ever done it)? I’ve never spent any alone, thankfully. I love that I’ve been able to spend them with family and that’s how I want to spend every holiday. Which holiday is closest to your birthday? 4th of July. Have you ever had a themed bday party? Yeah as a kid I did.  If yes, what was the theme? I had various ones. What is your favorite ride at the fair? I don’t do fairs. Were you afraid of heights as a child? I still am. Do you think it’s stupid when you’re dying to have someone pray that you don’t feel afraid? (I would want them to pray that I live, personally) No, not at all. I mean, if there’s a chance I could live then yes it would be nice if they prayed for recovery and that I pull through, but if there was nothing that could be done and I was dying, then it prayers of comfort and strength would be appreciated. It would be a scary time. What’s the strangest thing you’ve wrapped a present in? Nothing strange, I use wrapping paper, gift bags, or gift boxes. Do you enjoy and appreciate life? Or is this something you need to learn? No. :/ What was on the last mylar balloon you bought? I don’t recall. Which dollar store is your favorite? Why has this question come up in the last few surveys I’ve done?? Have you ever made a pom-pom out of yarn? No. Do you prefer to take showers in the morning or at night? At night. Can you read in the car? * Nooo. I would get so much motion sickness <<< Same. What food gives you diarrhea? That’s not an issue for me, my issue is I have a messed up stomach, so it just gets upset and I get really bad stomaches that really seem to be at random.  Do you keep a diary with a lock and key, or do you just hope no1 will read? Nope. This is my diary for all to see. Do you have a friend turned enemy whom you wish were still your friend? No. Have you ever had a lead role in a play? No. Do you know how to use imovie? Yeah. What does your phone look like? Like a coral iPhone XR. Would you raise your kids differently than your parents raised you? I’m not having kids. What was the best part about college? The learning, some of the assignments, projects, and books we read, and in community college I was a board member for the psych club, which was a lot of fun. Overall I’d say I liked college, but I wouldn’t have said that during. During that time I got very stressed out, overwhelmed, and burnt out. Crazy to be able to look back and say I liked it overall. And it was a time I was doing something with my life and felt like I was working towards something.  If you were homeschooled, did you come up with a school mascot? If so, what? I wasn’t homeschooled. Are you really “wild & free”? Nope. Do you wish to be a free spirit? I���d like to be more independent. I’d like to enjoy and actually live life, not letting fear or my health or myself or anything hold me back.  Where would you go and what would you do if you could do anything? I’d love to just travel all over. Would you ever take a solo road trip? Nooo. Do the mountains fascinate you? They’re beautiful. What is the most fascinating part of nature? Nature is quite fascinating and beautiful.

[ihavenoside]

Headcanon’s about Belle Isle, Aka The island Cyberlife is located on and the Tower it’s self because I do reference this stuff a lot in my threads. 

In my Deviant verse, I have Connor takeover Cyberlife Tower just after Markus’s speech because:

1. He’s angry, here he thought he was free, only to have that freedom snatched away from him, now knowing they can resume control over him and fears they will do it again. He thinks whatever gave them the ability to do that, has to be in the Tower and clears all humans out of it in a peaceful manner mind you. It’s also in their best interest to comply because he’s killed 8 of there guards almost effortless and he’s asking nicely this time around but He’s thinking irrationally. At this point and so scared if the other’s found out, that they would kill him because he’s ready ‘prove’ enough that he’s not trust worthy. He was built to stop deviant’s and brought the army down on Jericho, which is two strikes against him already and feels them knowing he could be taken over by Cyberlife is just the last nail in the coffin. He hides this fear well enough and intends to take this secret to his grave. This is why I have his machine verse set up the way I do because I want to ‘lol’ fuck everything up for him for lols because PLOTTING.

2. From what I understand in the game, it looks like Cyberlfe tower is the main, if not only production building (in the city at least). Which means it holds everything they need to survive from making Thirium to building parts for themselves. From there, they ship out the supplies to the warehouses (like the one Markus and the team steals from for Jericho.) and from there, they ship supplies out citywide to Cyberlife Stores (like the one Markus and North freed their people from) and possibly the smaller repair shops? (like the one kara was brought too) This picture is the reason I think this or at least why I know its one of the main hubs.

3. Cyberlife is located on an island, which they would logically own because they have a gate restricting access when Connor was returning to try and free the androids held within to tip the balance of the revolution in their favor. 

Because of this and knowing Cyberlife Tower holds all the things they need to survive, it strategically makes sense to take it over since the only other way to get to the island other than using this one bridge, is by boat. An island is easier to protect, there are no residential buildings on it which means he can turn the island into an android only zone, which he has because, considering all things, he wants his people to have a safe place to be since everyone has now been displaced. 

Logically, no one would want to willingly return there, so thanks to an idea from Chloe, he’s removed all the Cyberlife signs and replaced them with the revolutionary flags and slogans Markus was using. He also had most of the recycling centers ship the disassembled androids back to Cyberlife so that they could slowly be put back together with the Jericho team. Markus, Simon, North, Josh and even Lucy once she was retrieved and partly repaired. The design floor would have the labs for customization, which means it could be turned into makeshift hospital rooms and everything above that is basically offices, which can be used as temporary apartments. Connor’s taken up residence on floor 39, facing the tip of the island because the rooms above would more than likely be used as conference rooms for business/meeting dealings. All underground levels have been restricted to everyone but the Jericho team. There is ‘no’ reason for anyone else to be down there for security reasons but, this is how I have it set up for my canon.

Now. About the island it’s self. I like to think, even though Cyberlife owns the island, it would have still been opened to the public. It has a nature park and all sorts of attractions which means, it’s just more ways to generate money. Plus, a few areas would just make sense for them to still have considering all the different types of androids they designed.

Belle Isle

Is much bigger then I gave it credit for. See that little circle at the left tip of the island? Now, remember the picture I posted above of the tower? Yeah. That where Cyberlife is located. They replaced the giant fountain that was there and build a Cyberlife tower on it. Which to be fair? The fountain was only built as a memorial to a guy that was apparently a huge jackass and was built after he died because he spent a lot of money on real estate? so... no big loss lol. If anything they might have just moved it elsewhere but anyway.

Island Attractions.

Because I’m extra and like looking for content to use. This research was prompted because @9th-in-a-line wanted to try out his new bike Connor had bought his brother. Again, being extra, I google drove it to see what they might see and found much more then I expected.

THIS. Confused the hell out of me and if you think Connor isn’t looking at this like a kid in a candy store being told he could have anything he wanted, you’d be dead wrong if you think he’s not going to run to Markus to try and figure out how to host the Formula One back on the island. But again, Connor wants Markus to have final say on everything and this would mean, having to open up the island again to the public in hopes of generating money for the Tower to make the things they need. But anyway, that's just ONE of the many things I’ve found.

A Casino 

A lakes museum 

Soccer field / whole athletic thing. Basketball, Baseball, Tenis, etc.

An AQUARIUM 

Kids playgrounds 

A giant slide

Yacht club 

Boat Training Facility

The Us Coast Guard 

Nature centers 

Golf Range

A beach

A slide water park.

An abandoned zoo. 

A conservatory

A lighthouse.

Tons of picnic area’s

and its own little police station.

all of which, Connor has just learned about lmao. Because why would he know about the rest of the island when he’s only ever had to be in the tower. The only thing he likely knew about was the casino which is located close to the tower and knew Detoirt had an aquarium but not realized it was located on the island. The island just became a whole lot more interesting to him lol.

So yeah. Feel free to use what you might have learned here about the island in your own rps, if not, hopeful it might have sparked an idea for your muse to interact with mine lol but these will be all things I might reference at one point or another. Because Connor took over the island, he’s basically the one in charge of it but again, all final decisions will always be decided by Markus and the team because that's how Connor prefers it.

[familiaanteomnia]

~an random assortment of thoughts~ -okay but as much you’d think Xav would be the sort to ‘oh my god i’ve got compensate you for being my fake date tonight’ (which he does constantly go ‘soo uhh how much do i owe you for having the bad luck to experience me commiting Atrocities) he likely hasn’t ever paid *many times for a fake date etc -many hookup stories of ‘so they tried to pay me and i was like flattered but confused....’ *OH moment dawns* ‘high iq be damned, the power of hot people and fun of flirting possessed me’ -nate & xav know american sign language somewhat out of necessity (sometimes used just to communicate without talking and pretty often sibling bickering *sometimes super serious* but it can tend to be a lot of when xav loses all oxygen crashing into the pavement and nate like ‘lol where are those expert crash landing skills now’ -100% haven’t had many mistaken for, mix up moments but certainly had like periods of time in infancy where it did happen *for like most main verses obviously even more likely in others etc/some 110% where they just swap for little things ie namely xav going :) i’m taking all his tests for him and nathan being like ??? the fuck when finds out) -one positive association nate has in his life is quarter machines/gumball contraption ones especially (likely frequently as a child was like plz father do you have a quarter- and sean just like dumping several into nate’s hands) *might have a few negative memories he’s forgotten but i feel sean would very much not mind being like ‘here child i have to take an important call- go play in the mall arcade’’* (but also he probably just enjoys that stuff, likewise xav is a claw machine gremlin/arcade entity of chaos compared to nate’s more wholesomeness) -that being said nate does have Moments where it’s like you might end a shopping trip with him being like needing intervention before he blows an stupid amount of cash for portions of every candy available (bonus if obviously A. he can’t carry that much of candy in his hands and B. one is busted and dispenses a wild amount) -both tend to leave change behind for kids (or prizes, xav especially enjoys stockpiling bouncy balls in the slot so if a kid is even just wishfully opening the flaps they get something- especially in ones that are busted and give a lot) so there is pretty good odds some kid will turn one for fun and then be like ??? free candy?? (xav arcade wise is a frequent ‘i don’t really need this and so like i’m going to make somebody elses day- this is the man who will see somebody like strike out and wholesomely obtain the price for them especially if he knows them) -xav is an fiend for bubble gum ice cream (especially with chunks b.ubble yum branded was an go to when he was a kid) and both really like birthday cake but not all brands of it, nate’s go to is strawberry *both are super picky about chocolate and neither can explain why most chocolate ice creams just taste horrendos to them) *both do enjoy chocolate/aren’t pickyish about it candy wise as much so it’s just a thing of its own nature* -along with that xav Loves making his own ice cream, or mixing things into a container of store-bought vanilla (he loves especially making his own good sized chunk cookie dough ice cream/aside that obviously bubble gum flavored given as he grows up it becomes like relatively extinct to obtain) -going into nate’s room at the estate can be shocking because it given very clean/show room rich energy but in the same breath it’s like, oh there’s a whole giant bucket of l.egos there, that’s not a small bookshelf and it’s got a lot of science fiction+some real double takers etc you have signed stuff etc (the display of cameras, usually signs of some in repair on the desk etc) -nate can make the most elaborate blanket forts, comfortable etc with ease *years of doing so especially with xav where they’d do things like turn the whole basement theater room area into one* that being said he also will be the accident prone one where if it starts to collapse, it’ll usually be right where he is and not where the other person is (he’d had heavy ass books slam into him growing up and been like .... Anyways back to it)

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

Chapter 21: On The Edge Of The Spotlight

Becoming The Mask

Bold and italicized text indicates trollish.

"Behold." Toby opened up a tied grocery bag. An absolutely awful smell wafted out. A nearby troll leaned in for a better sniff. "Month-old sweat socks. Shopping spree tonight, on me." To the relief of the humans, and disappointment of the curious troll, he tied the bag back up.

"Speaking of buying things, I got my tickets for the play," said Darci. "My parents said they'd come, too." Assuming her dad didn't get called in to work.

"Nice," said Mary. Claire groaned.

"I'm not ready. We're not ready. Opening night's practically here and Steve still can't really get into character. I mean, he knows his lines, finally, but his delivery could still do with a lot of work."

"I thought he was doing fine," said Mary. "Everyone but you and he and Eli keeps stumbling. I feel like I'm doing tongue twisters. At least when Steve messes up, he acts like he meant to say it that way, so most of the audience probably won't notice."

"Sure, it's 'good enough', but it feels like he's using that as an excuse not to try and get better. Iambic pentameter is supposed to flow, and he just … blasts it out."

"Toby, do you or Jim have tickets yet?" asked Darci.

She knew he had. As the Mole, she'd been helping sell tickets at a table outside the auditorium that afternoon. But none of her friends knew she was the school mascot yet, so she asked.

"I bought two, for Nana and me. Jimbo said he's worried some emergency might come up in Trollmarket or at the clinic so he's not sure he or his mom can make it, but I'm working on him to buy tickets in advance just in case, so he doesn't get to the door and find out they're sold out."

"How many emergencies does he get called in for?" Mary gestured at the bustling underground marketplace as the four humans stood aside for a few carts to pass by. "It's busy down here but it all seems pretty peaceful. And when stuff does happen, most trolls seem like they'd rather fight out their own problems."

They all jumped when a gnome popped out of the wall beside them and chittered angrily. They reminded Darci of squirrels that way.

"Have you noticed the hat colours?" Claire wondered out loud. "Red and blue, like in Gnomeo and Juliet. Except these little guys don't seem to be fighting each other."

"Have you noticed," said Toby, "how there's now at least two movies that take a Shakespeare tragedy, rework it for a happy ending, give it a surprise cast, and set it to Elton John music?"

"What's the other?"

"Lion King is supposed to be based on Hamlet."

"… Yeah, I guess I can see that," said Claire. "The sequel to that one was Romeo and Juliet, too, and the, what's it called, interquel, was like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead."

"I think it's a sidequel?" Toby looked it up on his phone. There could, amazingly, be a better signal in some parts of Trollmarket than in some areas of the town above. "An interquel happens in the time between other stories. A sidequel basically overlaps another story in time, but with different perspective or locations."

"Elton John also did the Road To El Dorado soundtrack," said Darci. "I've heard the first song was supposed to have another verse, where it talks about a prophecy of the gods coming to live in the city of gold and that's why everyone was expecting them when Miguel and Tulio showed up, but it got cut for some reason."

"We should do a slumber party this weekend," said Mary. "We could marathon a bunch of 'contemporary takes' on Romeo and Juliet and tell our parents it's for school."

"I really need this to go well," said Claire, going to fidget with her hair. Her hand brushed one of her clips and she stopped herself. "My parents have been on me practically since I auditioned. The one time I got a B, what was their advice? Drop the play. If this doesn't go great, they're going to be all, 'we told you so'."

"Hey, no matter how bad the rest of us stink, you'll do great," Mary insisted.

"You both will – AAAHH!" The gnome hopped onto Darci's shoulder, and from there onto a green troll with an orange – pelt? A beard and a fringe of fur across his shoulders – who was walking the other way. The troll either didn't notice or didn't care about the sudden passenger.

"You okay, Darce?"

"Yeah, just startled me."

"It's wild watching them jump," said Toby. "I wonder if anybody's recorded, like, a record, for how high and how far they can go. We should ask Blinky. Or Chompsky; he'll do anything for a Nougat Nummy."

"Who's Chompsky?" Darci brushed off her shoulder. She was pretty good with names, and that one sounded familiar, but she couldn't put a face to it.

"Kind of my roommate? He's a gnome who lives in my dollhouse. I don't speak gnome so I don't know his real name, so I named him after that linguist guy Noam Chomsky; Nana's got some of his books; and Chompsky rolled with it."

Pedestrian traffic had eased up, so they were able to wander onward without fear of being stepped on.

"You have a dollhouse?" Of course that was the part that would draw Mary's attention.

"It's technically Nana's but it's in my room. It's the perfect size for Sally-Go-Back and digging it out of the basement was easier than saving up for the Moon Base."

"How'd you end up with a gnome in your room?" Mary asked next. "Did it follow you back from Trollmarket or something?"

"Stow away in your backpack?" Darci could see that. They seemed to like small places, being so small themselves. An open bag would look like an invitation.

"I think he followed Jim, actually. It was before I found out about, you know," Toby spread his hands in an expansive 'ta-dah' gesture, "this. Chompsky showed up one night, and then Jim came in and saw him and was all, 'oh no, we need to catch him, this is unsafe, what if he bites?', but then Chompsky found the dollhouse and kinda settled in, and I thought he was cool, and … I guess Jim decided he had to keep his cover, so he dropped it."

Toby's face fell a little. It had to hurt, knowing his best friend had been keeping something this big from him for so long. Darci felt bad sometimes about keeping her mascot job secret from her friends, and that wasn't nearly on this scale.

Jim was in the Hero's Forge. Usually he spent some of the night with the four of them, but apparently he'd lost a sparring match a couple of nights ago, and things were tense between him and Draal and Blinky now. As Darci understood the explanation, Draal had accused Jim of slacking off and Blinky took that as an insult to his capacities as a trainer when he found out.

So Jim was ramping up his training.

AAARRRGGHH, at least, was acting as calm as ever. Darci wasn't sure the placid troll could get mad for real.

"Hi, Bagdwella," Mary greeted when they reached her shop. It looked like a junkshop to human eyes but Bagdwella advertised it as 'fine gifts'. "How's business?"

"A little slow this week," she answered. The humans liked to stop by her place because she'd let them practise speaking trollish with her. "Not unusual for the season. It should pick up in three or four days. Rumour has it" – Darci and Claire exchanged amused looks at one of the first phrases they all learned, since it was one of Bagdwella's and Mary's favourites – "some of Glug's relatives are planning to visit from Floor-ee-dah. They always forget to pack a few essentials and they like to bring home souvenirs."

"What's this?" asked Claire, suddenly, sharply. She held up a stuffed rabbit and switched languages. "Where did you get this?"

"My suppliers brought it in a while ago, I don't recall exactly."

"This is my brother's bunny! He's been acting weird ever since he lost it. Suzy Snooze was here the whole time?"

"Uh, Claire?" Toby waved at her. "First rule of bargaining, don't let them know just how bad you want the thing." He turned to Bagdwella. "I'll trade you three socks for the … toy. I don't know the words for 'stuffed rabbit'."

"It's a stuffed rabbit if it's cooked and a cloth rabbit if it's a toy. Twelve socks and a bedspring."

"Four socks and a candy wrapper."

"Ten socks, all argyle."

Toby checked his pockets. "Six socks, a candy wrapper, AND a pen full of delicious dried ink."

"Deal."

"You didn't have to do that," Claire said to Toby when they left.

"I kinda did. She runs a store, not a Lost & Found. Even if she believed you about it being your brother's, she wasn't gonna just give it back."

Claire cuddled the plush rabbit. Darci's skin crawled a bit, watching her. Who knew what the toy had gotten into while it was missing? Trolls were amazing but not very clean.

"You'd better run that through the laundry a few times before you give it back to Enrique," she said.

"It'll be good for his immune system," Claire joked. "But seriously, yeah, I will."

Previous Chapter (Barbara has dramatically ironic concerns about Jim)

Table of Contents

Next Chapter (Back to the main plot!)

What Toby refers to as 'Shakespeare tragedies' are more accurately called 'Shakespearean tragedies', but he either doesn't know that or doesn't care.

In S1E4, Gnome Your Enemy, Toby refers to the dollhouse in his room as "Nana's dollhouse" at least once, so he presumably got it from her.

Bagdwella has a sister, Sagdwella, who "lives under a trailer park in Oo-tah". The Quagawumps live in Florida except for one, Glug, who spends her time in Trollmarket and makes a presumably-alcohol-equivalent drink that she seems to have named after herself.

Jim and Toby didn't see Enrique being carried by a goblin or chase after them, so Suzy Snooze was left in the alley until a troll on a scavenge run happened upon the abandoned plush bunny.

[patricksilvrrozartistry]

Current Music Obsessions: September 1 - 15, 2018

The first half of September's obsessions are here! Let's see those honorable mentions.

New Years Day - Disgust Me Tragedy of Mine - Built to Resist Soul Desire - Ignite Ethernity - The Prototype My Reflection - Homeland Dayshifter - Serpent Eyes Distorted Harmony - For Ester Clouds - Dor Gabbie Hanna - Honestly / Honestly (Encore) Distorted Harmony - Someday Epica - Wings of Freedom Sacrificed - To Whom You Belong Sacrificed - Spiral Down Eva Under Fire - The Strong Psyclon Nine - Crown of the Worm Skyharbor - Sunshine Dust Niburta - Evolution feat. Dou Kalender A Metaphor for Betrayal - Don't Let Go Shadygrove - Scarlet Wood Eve's Apple - Stargazer (live at MFVF 2013) Ariana Grande - Breathin

And now for the main ones.

1. Artemis Rising - Awaken

Found this through Spaceuntravel and I'm shocked by how much it grew on me. I kept saying that I didn't like it that much, but I was wrong. I really dig this track. There's something about the chorus that just gets me.

2. Elsiane and Rich Shapero - On the Winds of Sleep

This track is so lovely. The strings are so haunting a beautiful. And those unique vocal lines. Yes. Such a great track to just chill to. I think I'll have to give this album a listen.

3. Kalafina - Lacrimosa

I was told to check this song out after mentioning that I got obsessed with Magia. So glad I did, because this song is gorgeous. I'm on my way to discovering other songs by them now. This song reminds me so much of the .hack//G.U. soundtrack so much for some reason, which is part of the reason why I love it so much.

4. Dol Ammad - The Nova Temple

The first single off the amazing new album they dropped. If you like progressive symphonic metal, choirs, sci-fi themed lyrics and some electronics, give this a listen. This is a great track off the album, but it's not my favorite. My favorite will be making an appearance soon, I guarantee it.

5. While Heaven Wept - Icarus and I

I wound up rekindling my love for this doom track. I discovered this song when it first dropped several years ago and completely forgot about it. I love the vibe of it and the clean singer has a great voice. I'm definitely gonna check out more from them.

6. Fefe Dobson - Save Me From LA

I thank Miles Jai for putting it out there that she dropped a new song recently. Take Me Away was my jam as a tween, so I knew I had to check this out. It's very different from Take Me Away, but it's a great jam nonetheless. Very chill and catchy.

7. Enemy of Reality - A Gift of Curse

I wound up rekindling my love for Arakhne and found myself obsessing over this song. It's the last track on this epic concept album and embodies Athena's feelings towards Arakhne perfectly. It has the perfect amount of power and beauty to truly capture every bit of emotion she had in that moment of turning Arakhne into a spider and granting her immortality so she could weave beautiful webs for all eternity.

8. Exlibris - Ascension

Inertia is a pretty good album, but this is hands down my favorite. It's full of so much power and emotion. A perfect track to close off an album. That final chorus is everything.

9. Brooke Candy - My Sex feat. Pussy Riot, Mykki Blanco and MNDR

I feel as if Brooke Candy is coming back to her old style and I'm so happy about it. That hard, don't give a fuck sound is back. This song goes in. I'm especially a big fan of Pussy Riot's verse, even though I haven't read the translations yet. Her voice is just so good and sincere, even when singing a song talking shit about police officers. So excited to hear what else Brooke has in store for us. I hope a Cupcakke collab is on its way.

10. Starkill - Until We Fall

This is their newest single and holy shit is it epic. The production on this track alone is so much better than the production on their last album, so I have super high hopes for it. So much raw energy and power and aggression. This is the best way to get people hyped for an upcoming release. And Sarah SLAYED this track with them high notes. So much yes.

11. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Lady Clandestine Chainbreaker

I was on a DSO kick one day and fell in love with this song. It's such a fun track and their new singer pulls it off perfectly. The guitars don't kick in till later in the song, but honestly it make sense. They would've taken away from the dancey vibe of the song.

12. Northward - While Love Died

Floor Jansen is back! I'm so hyped for this new project of hers. I know it's meant to be a hard rock project, but I hope she throws in some growls and maybe some classical bits into it. Pretty much anything to make up for the let down that was Endless Forms Most Beautiful. This is such a fun and bombastic track. Goodbye ;)

13. School of Seven Bells - Open Your Eyes

This is such a chill track. I think I found it on a guy's IG story one day and decided to check it out. It's such a cute and pretty electronic track. I really want to hear more from these guys. I really need to find more artists like this.

I'm shocked this one isn't too long, but then again I haven't been that successful at purging my watch later playlist soooo. Just keep an eye out for a super long one dropping in the future.