#2. brad sees it as a moment of weakness that he is always trying to make up for which means he will remember the executor (zack) as

[roman-roy-apologist]

gang i need to write a young brad fic from zack’s perspective as an older sibling in an abusive household

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2024 MOVIE LIST

www.tumblr.com/theharpermovieblog

THE CRITTERS FOUR-IN-ONE REVIEW

I watched Critters 2 (1988) Critters 3 (1991) Critters 4 (1992) and Critters Attack (2019)

I've already reviewed the original "Critters" film, but along with my roommate and best friend, I embarked on a journey through the series' sequels.

"CRITTERS 2: THE MAIN COURSE"

After returning to Grover's bend, original hero Brad, finds himself facing another outbreak of the dangerous alien fur balls known as the Crites.

"Critters 2" might be my favorite of the whole series. It keeps the lighter tone of the original film, expands upon the town of Grover's bend from the first film, brings back some characters and really feels like an easy breezy 80's B-Horror. "Critters 2" incorporates everything director Mick Garris is good at. Silly B-Horror with no frills. I don't always love Harris as a director, but this shows why he can sometimes win me over.

"CRITTERS 3"

Residents of a shitty apartment building face off against a crite infestation.

While "Critters 3" retains some of the lighthearted feel of the first two, this is the first drop in quality for the series. And, when you're dealing with B-movies, you don't really have much quality you can afford to lose.

There are a few things to like here, like the fact that the critters still remain adorable. And, you get to see a teenage Leonardo DiCaprio scowl his way through a supporting role. But overall, this isn't nearly as fun as the previous films.

"CRITTERS 4"

A direct follow up to "Critters 3", we find series mainstay character, Charlie, lost in space and time and helping a space salvage crew fend off the Crites.

They say space is where horror franchises go to die. Like most horror icons, these franchises often return from this intergalactic death, but it's always a low point.

For a series that involves alien creatures, "Critters 4" feels oddly out of place in space. It's the tonal shift and the lack of fresh ideas that really kill this one. It's trying, for whatever reason, to be darker. Even worse, it turns a beloved series hero into a villain while erasing a lot of the fun of the critters themselves. You do get a decent cast, like Brad Dourif, Angela Bassett, and b-horror actor Anders Holm. So it's not a total wash.

"CRITTERS ATTACK"

Imagine if the CW network, the Lifetime network, the Disney Channel and a moron decided to team up and make a critters movie. This is that.

There are a few fun and silly crite moments here, but the main story and everything else are garbage. It's boring, and I cared about none of it or any of the characters involved. This movie is a struggle to get through, and of all the "Critters" films I've watched, this is the one I truly hated to sit through. Not once is it interesting and it doesn't even have the decency to be 'so bad It's good'. Even the horrible acting was hard to laugh at because I was too bored to express joy.

This also gets it almost all wrong when it comes to the Crite aliens themselves. It introduces a queen of the species, even though they have no gender and reproduce without sex. The critters seem like they are struggling to eat people and bite through them. And, it gives the Crites the very unoriginal weakness of high pitched noises.

Boo this turd of a movie.

So, that's it. 4 sequels to "Critters".

My advice and recommendation is to just watch the first two films. They have a real 1980's nostalgia quality that makes their brand of fun infectious.

[occasionaloneshots]

Stranger Things X Country Music

Okay? Here’s the thing, stranger things is in small town Indiana, most of the teens there know how to use a weapon, and the Byers were taken hunting on their birthdays, that’s a hicktown. As someone from small town south, everyone is raised a little on country and has a soft spot for at least one song, regardless of main music taste. Our “before he cheats” if you will. So here’s my list of 80s-early 2000s country that I think would be the stranger things characters’ (from Hawkins so no Max and Billy) favorite country song with lyrics and an added headcanon type thing

ALSO country is mainly just narrative poetry out to music, trigger warning for death and suicide

Jim Hopper

Don’t Take the Girl - Tim McGraw (1994)

“Take the very breath you gave me

Take the heart from my chest

I’ll gladly take her place if you’ll let me

Make this my last request

Take me out of this world

God please, don’t take the girl”

He cried the first time he heard it because it made him think of all of the awful things life unfolded for the women in his life, still cries at the last verse despite none of the women in his life dying in childbirth. He relates to the hopelessness of it

Eleven Hopper

Stay Beautiful - Taylor Swift (2006)

“You’re beautiful

Every little piece, love, don’t you know?

You’re really gonna be someone

Ask anyone

And when you find everything you’ve looked for

I hope your love leads you back to my door”

El still has that childlike adoration of beauty well into her early adulthood and Taylor’s debut album really spoke to her. But stay beautiful really reminds her of people like Max, Mike, and Nancy who she always saw as beautiful and could see the good in

Will Byers

Wildflowers - Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris (1987)

“The hills were alive with wildflowers

And I was as wild, even wilder than they

For at least I could run, they just died in the sun

And I refused to just wither in place

Just a wild mountain rise needing freedom to grow

So I ran gearing not where I’d go”

Will is someone still heavily attached to the wild feeling of not having worries as a child because of losing the tail end of his childhood to the upside down, the idea of comparing that to the beauty of flowers brings him comfort

Johnathan Byers

He Didn’t Have to Be - Brad Paisley (1999)

“And then, all of a sudden, oh it seemed so clear to me

How we went from something’s missing to a family

Looking back, all I can say about all the things he did for me

Is, I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.”

I’d like to believe that at some point (probably post season 2) Johnathan began to see Jim as some sort of father Figure, thinking of him comforting himself and his mother when they thought will was dead and how he put himself into caring for will after the upside down. He idolizes the way he cared for their family when he didn’t have to because Lonnie never did

Joyce Byers

One Promise Too late - Reba McEntire (1986)

“Where were you

When I could have loved you

Where were you

When I gave my heart away

All my life I’ve been dreaming of you

You came along one promise too late”

It makes her think of her younger self in combination with her feelings for Jim. The constant promises getting in the way of finding their way to each other

Nancy Wheeler

Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter (1996)

“The fields have grown over now

Years since they’ve seen the plow

There’s nothing time hasn’t touched

Is it really him or the loss of my innocence?

I’ve been missing so much”

Nancy definitely associates the song with Steve and her season one self. Unsure of if she really misses who she was with Steve or just who she was before the upside down tore her understanding of life apart

Mike Wheeler

I’m Still A Guy - Brad Paisley (2008)

“Well, love makes a man do some things he ain’t proud of

And in a weak moment I might

Walk your sissy dog, hold your purse at the mall

But remember that I’m still a guy”

This song has a lot of energy of a man trying to cling to his own masculinity in insecurity which I think Ike relates to a lot. Especially in this point where he can only tell people he loves that he loves them when they’re in danger, he relates to this concept of clinging to what makes a man a man like his father does

Lucas Sinclair

Heads Carolina, Tails California- Jo Dee Messina (1996)

“We’re gonna get out of here if we gotta ride a Greyhound bus

Boy, we’re bound to outrun the bad luck that’s tailin’ us

Oh, heads Carolina, tails California

Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer”

Lucas after getting Max and himself wrapped into the upside down drama begins growing obsessed with the idea of running away with her and just getting her out of Hawkins before she can get hurt again, he doesn’t care where, just somewhere safer

Erica Sinclair

That Don’t Impress Me Much - Shania Twain (1997)

“Oh no, alright alright

You’re Tarzan

Captain Kirk maybe?

John Wayne?

Whatever, nuh-uh

That don’t impress me much”

This is a song on her getting ready mixtape, definitely singing along to it while getting ready in her young adulthood. The energy of it reminds her of the fire her younger self had

Dustin Henderson

Somebody Like You - Keith Urban (2002)

“There’s a new wind blow in’ like I’ve never known

I’m breathing deeper than I’ve ever done

And it sure feels good

To finally feel the way I do

And I wanna love somebody, love somebody like you.”

Dustin associates his adult freedoms and his love for people who surround him as this new breath of air after basically parenting his own mother. The love he finds in adulthood feels like coming up for air, breathing that first deep breath when you come out the water

Steve Harrington

Live Like You We’re Dying - Tim McGraw (2004)

“And I loved deeper

And I spoke sweeter

And I gave forgiveness I’ve been denying

And he said some day I hope you get the chance

To live like you were dying”

Steve truly does believe that his brush with death in dealing with the upside down found it’s way to bettering him. despite the trauma he gained he sees himself for having a new love for life and the people in it from how easy it was to lose people to the monsters of that other world, he finds it relatable

Robin Buckley

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton (1980)

“Working 5 to 9, you’ve got passion and a vision

‘Cause it’s hustlin’ time, a whole new way to make a livin’

Gonna change your life, do somethin’ that gives it meanin’

With a website that is worthy of your dreamin’

Well you got dress and you know they matter

Be your own boss, climb your own ladder”

Robin would LOVE how Dolly makes herself an individual with her style and definitely seems like someone who would love to follow her own passions but lives in fear of not being able to make a living off of it. She’d love 9 to 5

Eddie Munson

Whiskey Lullaby - Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley (2003)

“The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself

For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath

She finally drank her pain away a little at a time

But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind”

Hear me out, Eddie would NEVER admit to actually liking this song or any country of that matter. But I think he tends to take on guilt for things that aren’t his fault and he’d find something really relatable in a sad away about Alison’s verse. Also I believe in the country music to emo music pipeline, so this is a song that would be on the list to getting him into darker lyrics in my opinion

Chrissy Cunningham

She’s In Love With The Boy - Trisha Yearwood (1991)

“But Katie’s young and man

She just don’t care

She’d follow Tommy anywhere

She’s in love with the boy

She’s in love with the boy

She’s in love with the boy

And even if they have to run away

She’s gonna marry that boy some day”

Chrissy seems very into the idea of true love and keeping an image up. And the idea of running away with someone who truly loves her is something that has her twirling around her room while she gets ready

[bunny-bts]

She's Everything

Pairing: Yoogni x Reader

Summary: You moved and started anew in Korea, where you were so lucky to meet your favorite KPop idols. You've been happier the past two years than ever and all because you chose to leave romantic love in your past but you're unaware of your friends' feelings.

Warnings: maybe cursing?

Author: Based on She's Everything by Brad Paisley because this picture does things to me. Noone can tell me they don't listen to country. Part 2?

Words: a lot, I was copy pasting it to a word counter and got tired. For the record, wrote this after work so....

"Night guys," Yoogni pats all of the guys on thier shoulders. It had been a long day and he just wanted to go home and pick some strings, relieve stress. He sighs and leaves, twirling his car keys on his finger as he walks out of the studio. The sun had set hours ago and the stars lit up the sky now, he stops to look up at it for a second before walking to his car and slipping in and noticing that he had gotten a message saying he needed to do a live video. He slid his phone up on his dash and leaned his head back on his chair and groans before sighing and driving home, well the hotel room. Quiet, it was quiet, he wished he was back in Korea with you as he tosses his phone on the couch and keys on the kitchen bar table and flicks the lights on. He kicks his shoes off by the door. He made his way over to the couch and sets the laptop up for a video. Reminding himself to put on a smile as he leans over and grabs his guitar. Immediately the video has comments flooding up, he waves and gestures his guitar and explains he had a long day and wants to play. Just like that, song suggestions fly in, he can't even keep up to read them all but he catches the one that he was hoping to see. Yours. "Play something country," he shakes his head and smiles. He can't out right say Y/N and acknowledge you but he finds the chord and starts playing and you know he saw your comment. He plays and his mind wanders, he just focuses on the music and memories of the past few years flood his mind

She's a yellow pair of running shoes

He doesn't realize he is about to laugh as he starts singing because of the memory. It was maybe six months ago when you and Jungkook, being the idiots you both were and the same age, decided that you wanted to race to see who would buy the other cake at lunch. You won, despite your legs not being as long they carried you just as fast. You wanted to do it barefoot but Jin and Namjoon wouldn't allow it, you insisted the shoes slowed you down. Truth was you just hated wearing shoes. You did start taking off barefoot but they said no because it was on pavement, much to your annoyance. Your shoes were yellow because they were a dirty pair of what used to be white knock off converses and they just got dingy with age. Come to think of it, you may have actually been faster without them, you had some powerful feet.

A holey pair of jeans

All of your damn pants had holes in them. All of them that fit you at least, you either bought them ripped or there was one pair you sandpapered a rip into and wore so much that the fashionable little rip turned to a giant gaping hole in the knees because the strings popped and faded away. God, your jeans aggravated him.

She looks great in cheap sunglasses

You were frugal. He remembers a trip to a mall one time with you and Jungkook, and Joon. Joon wanted to visit the sunglasses shop because he had broken yet another pair. As Namjoon tried some on and he leaned on the door waiting for you all because he just wanted to sleep that day. "Y/N, try these," Joon hands you a pair and he remembers watching. "Ray-Bans, ey~ she got them Ray Bans-," you tried them on, "I can dig it," you make your rapper face in the mirror until you see the price. "What the fuck? Oh hell no, you just gonna break them anyway. Come-on." Then you dragged the boys out by their hands and told Namjoon to drive to a gas station. You walked out wearing a pair of shades, your hair blowing in the breeze and sun shining down on you. Ofcourse he was looking at your cut off daisy dukes but his eyes in that moment trained in on the sight of your face and he was glad you and the guys weren't paying attention. You looked so damn good in them, and you looked like for a split second you felt like you looked good too. You walked over to them, "three dollars, you're welcome," you smirk giving them to RM who immediately broke them trying to put them on his face. "Okay, six dollars, I'll be back"

She looks great in anything

Despite what you thought, you did. His favorite thing for you to wear would be lingerie but he's never seen that, imagined it yes, but that's different. His favorite thing he has seen you wear is a good pair of jeans. Jeans when they don't have holes. They hug you nicely, paired with a navy blue v neck blouse you have and he is done for. It's all he can do to not say something to you. You did maybe three times a year max do this, but, wear lip gloss, that made his knees absolutely weak. He has known you for two years now and you've done that three times, once to church, once to go clubbing with them at a beach, and once just because but it had to be a somewhat special occasion for it to happen.

She's: "I want a piece of chocolate"

This was a recent memory, last month. Your cycle came while you happened to be staying over with them. He, Jimin and Hobi went to get you some things, upon Namjoon's request. He knew what to grab because he is a grown ass man but you texted him that you wanted specially that you wanted just a little bit of chocolate. You were adamant as always that there was a such thing as too much chocolate. He was going to just grab a candy bar but Hobi was for some reason hell bent that you needed strawberries. You did like strawberries but still? Jimin said that chocolate to dip them in would be perfect. You were pleased.

"Take me to a movie"

You would be perfectly happy if you went to work and on your days off went to see a movie, then came home and had dinner and just talked the night away on the porch or sat there silently. You knew what movies you wanted to see and the trailers gave you something to look forward to.

She's: "I can't find a thing to wear"

This. You will complain about not having anything to wear while trying on a million outfits. He and Jin don't hesitate to groan and complain, but really, he wished the door was open and he could see the little fashion show

Now and then she's moody

Moody wasn't really it, what he narrowed it down to be was that you were like him. You were nice, sweet, most times but now and again life becomes too much and you bottle things up so it explodes like when you shake a bottle of soda and open it

She's a Saturn with a sunroof

That was true, you weren't fancy. He smiles to himself, thinking about you trying to drive a family vehicle like that and he laughs as he sings. He imagines you screaming at Jin and Jungkook in the back and threatening them that they can't have fries if they don't be quiet and pictures himself sitting front passengers seat next to you and just watching you. This hasn't happened, but he can imagine it.

With her brown her a blowing

He loves watching your long brown hair blow in the breeze. If it's a gentle breeze it looks like in the movies and music videos; like princess Pocahontas. However, when it's strong wind it's one of the funniest things in the world to him. It's slapping your face, going in your mouth, getting hella tangled which would hurt later but it pissing you off was funny. He would always be there to help you brush it and wipe your tears later

She's a soft place to land and a good feeling knowing

He may not realize it but all the girls watching are cooing at the warm face he has as his eyes close. He wished you were here and he could lay his head on your lap now, feel you stroking his hair and drift to sleep there but it was a good feeling knowing you were watching this live he had long forgotten about

She's a warm conversation

That I wouldn't miss for nothing

She's a fighter when she's mad, and a lover when she's loving

When you got mad, it ranged from cute to damn with hot somewhere in the middle, damn being scary. Youre so small but just damn. As far as loving, you wouldn't let yourself do that romantically but he sees how you are with him and the guys.

And she's everything I ever wanted

And everything I need

I talk about her

I go on and on, and on

'Cause she's everything to me

She's a Saturday out on the town and a church girl on Sunday

Cross around her neck

Seven, no, eight months ago. Back in the summer, blinding light came into the room waking him up. He shielded his eyes and sits up. "Wake up Suga," he heard your voice, filled with something, a emotion he couldn't place. "Wha-," he was hungover, "what? W-Why are you awake? We slept for," he looked at the clock, "two hours? When did we get back?" You shrug. It was then he realized you were wearing a pale-ish clam pink silk dress with spaghetti straps on your shoulders, no bra, paired with wedge high heel sandals. He let his eyes scan you apply your lipgloss, the one that's the same kind JK uses, the uh, Rosy lips Vaseline. You leaned over the vanity mirror of the hotel room to see what you were doing and he remembers taking in the sight. Contrary to the jeans you wore the night before with the black t-shirt. "What's going on?" "I need to start going back to church"

"mmk, have fun," he laid back down, just feeling hungover as fuck. How are you not? He looks over his shoulder at you downing two Excedrins dry before coming over and sitting on the side of the bed. You put a hand on his bare shoulder, "Please," he couldn't look at you, in this, look in those eyes and say no. "Mmk"

And a curse word cause it's Monday

Fuck was your favorite word, there was no doubt. You love how versatile it was. It could be a verb, an adjective, a noun, you even somehow managed to make it a proper noun. He heard you say it shamelessly every way possible, except one

She's a bubble bath and candles

Candles gave you migraines, the scents were overwhelming, but you kept unscented ones on hand. If you've had a day anything like his today you'd light some for aesthetic purposes and sink yourself into a nice hot bath and most likely forget your bubbles in another room only to call him or one of the guys to get it for you and giggle happily upon being able to use it. After ofcourse smelling it and humming contently

Baby come and kiss me

You had only said this to them all in a playful platonic way, to kiss thier head or cheek. There was one time when you were all drinking around a fire at the lake house when you did say it and kiss Jin on the lips. It was a peck, you were all drunk, but he can't help the frown appearing on his face

She's a one glass of wine and she's feeling kinda tipsy

"No! Stob it Y/N!" The smile returns remembering this night. You decided to have a glass of wine and unwind. Your logic was that the bottle itself was made of glass to justify your actions

She's the giver I wish I could be

Stealer of the covers

Every time you sleep over, the guys agree on one thing. No matter who you sleep with, you are a blanket hog. You don't do it on purpose. It's just that you start sleeping in fetal position and without realizing it go into a deep sleep and somehow maneuver into some sort of rogue pelican formation. Not to mention you're always cold

His wallet falls out of his pocket onto the floor as he's getting into it, he comes back to reality and stops playing for a second as he reaches down for it and stops. He stops and smiles at the flap that's open with a picture in it. A selfie you took of you and him randomly one day because you caught him smiling and wanted evidence. You wanted proof and since you never had a open mouthed smile like in this one he wanted it to so he had it made into a photo card. He remembers and gets back to singing, noticing the comments demanding it.

She's a picture in my wallet

Of my unborn children's mother

He doesn't even realize that he stops this time for quite a long moment at the memory that comes with this line. Or that he is crying much less.

It was one day when you saw a pregnant girl and everyone was swooning over her and her son who was with her. Her son wanted to play with the guys to which they all happily went along. You walked away and he followed noticing something was up.

"Y/N...."

"Oh hey," you smiled up at him, weakest one possible.

"Something wrong?" He sat at the picnic table across from you.

"It's silly..."

"Tell me anyway?"

"I've known I've wanted to be a mom since I was 16. One day I was riding home on the bus and I just decided, someday that's what I wanted. I never wanted a huge family, I just wanted one or two. Not then, obviously, I just knew someday. I moved here after a long term relationship ended, y'know that....I wanted one with him, I cried, I can't even remember how many times I cried and practically begged, but there was always some reason we couldn't he'd come up with.....so," you shrugged, "it's silly, it doesn't matter anyway. Never going to happen.....girls like me don't get that," You got up and left him there and walked back to the car

He now realizes his face is wet and reaches up to wipe the tears that went down his face

She's the hand that I'm holding

When I'm on my knees and praying

The memory of the morning of the hangover returns again. He could tell you were nervous, eyes were on you. He knew it because you were so beautiful but you probably didn't. When the church cleared and it was just the two of you you dropped to your knees but stood back up just as quickly.

"Hey, Y/N, you can pray if you want..."

You shook your head, "I've messed up a lot, I'm scared...."

Nothing scared you. He took your hand and got on his knees too. "I'll do it too"

The two of you prayed in silence, holding hands. He finished before you did and just stared at your interlocked hands, rubbing his thumb over your ring finger

She's the answer to my prayer

She's the song that I'm playing

And she's everything I ever wanted

And everything I need

I talk about her

I go on and on, and on

'Cause she's everything to me

She's that voice I 'd love to hear

Someday when I'm ninety

Every day that passes

I only love her more

Yeah, she's the one

That I'd lay down my own life for

And she's everything I ever wanted

And everything I need

She's everything to me

Yeah, she's everything to me

Everything I ever wanted

And everything I need

She's everything to me

Sitting the guitar down he smiles at the camera, says goodnight and blows a kiss. With a little heart fingers he says goodnight and signs off and gets ready for bed

[fishylife]

Thoughts on Street Dance of China 4 episode 2

(Aka Fishy is screencapping shows again. I’m screencapping straight from Youtube so sorry for the shoddy cut off screencaps but blame Youtube for having their player bar cover the video. I’ve never understood that because it’s always in the way.)

(Also Episode 2 part 1 is really just “How many times can Han Geng and Henry hug” and the answer is “as many times as they want”)

- Not really sure why Henry chose Anissa and Tuzi for the 2 vs. 2 battle, especially since Anissa was really not confident about it :( I felt really bad for Anissa because she seemed super nervous!!!!! I just hope that she doesn’t lose enthusiasm and that she can continue to enjoy the rest of the competition v.v

- Kelo and Uwa were extremely impressive though. Like, the way they move together is so awesome and cool.

- Among the dancers, Xiao Jie is actually really good at speaking. No wonder he gets interviewed a lot, because he’s able to describe the dancers to us layfolk, but he is also very smiley and entertaining.

- How dare Yixing be this cute 😤😤😤 He’s definitely far more relaxed when he’s just a spectator, that’s for sure. He was laughing at all the jokes and awkward moments and generally so much more animated when just part of the sidelines.

- Henry covering his mouth because he was enjoying Xiaohai’s performance was pretty cute too, not gonna lie.

- I liked San’er from episode 1, so I was cheering for him when he participated in the 3 vs. 3 battle lol. But it was really interesting to hear the conversation when Wang Yibo asked his team why San’er lost the battle. Ye Yin and Liangliang told him that to the judges who are old school, they care less for explosiveness, and more for actual skill, and while San’er’s performance might’ve looked really exciting to the average viewer, that’s not what the old school judges look for.

- So apparently Lil Kev plays a lot of mind games, and we saw that during his battle against Bozi. So he’s like...the Brad Marchand of breaking lol.

- Are...are we gonna comment on this hug between Poppin’C and Xiaohai? Lmao

- What are they being so cute for. (Also don’t @ me but Bunta is....really cute)

- Is it just me, or did we get fewer behind-the-scenes practice clips this time for Han Geng vs. Henry compared to Yixing vs. Yibo? Particularly for the 5 vs. 5 battle.

- Dimple alert. (Sorry I know this is a Han Geng vs. Henry battle but Yixing just looks so freaking cute today)

- Han Geng.....has a really soft and gentle voice (it is simping hours up in the fishy house okay). He speaks particularly quietly during his one-person interviews and his voice is so pleasant to listen to in those clips.

- Henry was talking about how he wanted to do that move with Poppin’C where they’d lean back on each other’s knees and do a wave with their arms. For some reason that move struck me as something that was very Henry like. He just strikes me as the kind of guy who uses a lot of waves and smooth-looking moves in his dances.

- Also lol @ Henry being “non fatigue!” That Ontario French curriculum at work.

- Han Geng and Henry trash talking each other except it just turns into a walk down memory lane about how Han Geng used to take care of Henry.

- Don’t even act surprised, y’all knew I was going to screenshot this.

- Kitty is amused.

- Of course Han Geng would end his routine with a big ol’ hug. What a huge softie.

- I did think that Han Geng and Xiaohai were kind of a rough duo because even if they were in sync, it was hard to tell because of the height difference. Actually, I spent a lot more time focusing on Han Geng, especially towards the end when the rest of the team crowded around them and he was visibly one of the taller ones.

- Henry’s move where he stood on Poppin’C’s thighs was super cool!! His performance was just super fun to watch. I felt like I was having a good time along with them haha.

- Please sir, may I have more hugs?

- I think Han Geng and Xiaohai’s second performance was better because it relied less on being in sync performing the same actions. However, at this point, Poppin’C and Henry have kind of created a specific brand (TM) for themselves, like they are so uniquely charming to watch, so they have firmly won me over Han Geng and Xiaohai’s team.

- Running into a hug? Are you kidding me, Lau Hin-wah???

- More

- Not only is this show cashing in on the Suju/Suju M fans, it is definitely going to pull in new fans with the Han Geng/Henry ship lol.

- Yixing spinning to get up.

- It is just so goddamn natural for them to be so close to each other. Also Han Geng said that his waist is feeling iffy from that popping ^^;; Old man joints

- Lifting Han Geng’s shirt to look at his patch...

- One of the dancers on Han Geng’s team was crying because he made a mistake in the 5 vs. 5 battle and Han Geng is like why are you crying? And gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

- Why is that the ads done by the dancer contestants are so much more entertaining than the professional ads (the ads with mainstream celebrities or with professional actors).

- Henry’s written the pinyin on top of the Chinese names of his team members. Better safe than sorry, you know?

- Lmao how dare they bully Tengzai and Shitou by making them talk XD

- I think that when Henry assigns his team members to certain battles, he is thinking more about the combination of styles, rather than the skill level or  synchronization. When he assigned Anissa and Tuzi to the 2 vs. 2 battle, he wanted to try out the East vs. West approach, but the opposing duo of Kelo and Uwa had a lot more history together and were obviously better as a collective unit. When it came to Chen Mo and Waiwai, he was interested in seeing a waacking duo. In theory I think I know what Henry was trying to imagine, but I think it is difficult to have a really intense waacking duo because it’d be hard to synchronize very high speed arm movements. In the end, they went with some moves that were simpler, and I think that’s why they lost out to Tengzai and Shitou. That being said, Henry did win his first battle against Han Geng. I think it’s just the 2 vs 2 battles that are his weakness. The 3 vs. 3 battles are really just individual battles, and the 5 vs. 5 battles are usually made up of dancers who are used to routine group dances as opposed to solo or duo dancers.

- A quick word about the judge Icee. His name in Chinese is 王冰冰. The 冰冰 part is self explanatory enough (冰 means ice), so where does the 王 come from? I read somewhere (I forgot where), but apparently his wife’s surname is 王, so he just took on her surname for his Chinese name. Don’t know how true that is, but I think that’s cute.

- So often I see Bunta and Ibuki having fun and cheering on other people, whether it’s their own team members or dancers on other teams.

- Less than a second flashback of Zitao from a previous season v.v Please producers...let us have a LayTao reunion....please....I beg....

- The 5 vs. 5 battle between Yixing and Henry’s teams was pretty fun to watch, probably because the song was so hype lol.

- The leader battles between Yixing and Henry were really entertaining too though.

- The first piece of music for Henry and Yixing’s leader battles was very very cool. Like, it was just a nice piece of music to listen to, and I think that the kind of music it was gave way to rather creative interpretations. Henry and Han Yu went for a more story-based approach, whereas Yixing and MT Pop focused more on an aesthetic. I preferred Yixing and MT Pop’s performance here.

- Henry and Han Yu also had a pretty solid performance for the second song. As for Mingming and Gumball, they didn’t really perform “together,” because they were both doing their own thing, but their individual performances were interesting. (Also let us acknowledge, nothing gets Yixing turnt like KRUMP XD He was so into the performance haha)

- I was so caught up in the euphoria of Henry/Han Geng that I forgot that Henry and Yixing also had a past history, but I think their friendship probably mostly existed off screen. They were from different groups after all, but we also know how low key Yixing has always been. Even if they were bffs we never would’ve known. I also remember on Back to Field, Yixing said that Henry helped him install and set up his music software, so they probably have some kind of rapport on the music side. But yeah, it just seemed like Yixing was rather formal about it all, calling Henry his 哥哥/前輩. And Henry seemed to look at Yixing like his son lol. He was like oh look at Yixing and how far he’s come, etc.

- Xiao Jie said that he’d battled Hilty & Bosch 14 years ago, which means that Xiao Jie isn’t that young, which may be why he’s so chill lmao. Anyway, Xiao Jie is a very entertaining dancer to watch, and he worked well with Shen Zihao. But of course, HB are formidable themselves as well and their chemistry is just too too good. And they’re just incredibly clean dancers.

- Yibo went over to Han Geng to scope out who he was going to send out for their battle. Xiao Jie tried to warn Han Geng about this but he was too late and Yibo already made his attack. But the entire interaction between Yibo and Han Geng was so lols because it was so strange lmao. Yibo was straight up like “who are you going to send out during the battle?” And Han Geng kept thinking that Yibo was trying to play mind games and use that to gleam other information from him. So Han Geng’s answer ended up being really confusing too, he was like “if that’s what you’ve decided I’ll follow your lead.” The thing about Han Geng is that he is too senior for Yibo to clown on, so he is actually being serious, and Han Geng is trying to keep things light haha. (I think Yibo would totally be his normal gremlin self to Yixing and Henry, but Han Geng is like the next tier up from them both.)

- LMAO Aki-san calling out Tony-san for being older than him XD And Tony Gogo was like what have I ever done to you??? I love Aki-san hahahaha.

- Okay Aki-san vs. Nelson was pretty awesome, but SO WAS BORIS vs. ZYKO???? Holy crap that was sooo much fun to watch because like....human bodies can bend that way? And Boris and Zyko aren’t small guys, so it was insanely awesome to watch.

- Side note, Boris’ Mandarin is pretty good. I looked him up and on his Instagram he says he lives in Shanghai, so it makes sense that his Chinese is good enough for everyday communication. In one part of the show he was instruction Yibo on dancing and like, he was not stuttering at all.

- Wait, Han Geng says that he’s known Yibo for 10 years :o So I just looked him up and it turns out Han Geng has been with Yuehua Entertainment since 2010, so I think the math makes sense. Wow, how time flies. He always such a dad though, he’s always like, the top priority is fun and happiness!!! And honestly, he’s right. Like, what is this show if not just a huge dance showcase more than an actual competition?

- Physically impossible for Han Geng not to hug his didis.

- I love that in a dance party full of dancers, some will still choose to slow dance like this.

- Of course Henry will come and praise his gege. (ft. Nelson in the right lol)

- Yo I love Rochka. He’s one of the chillest guys there.

- The kids’ performance was cute :3 Their little jumpsuits uwu

- Also one of the kids was Shitou’s daughter and it was absolutely hilarious how he still introduces her in the most monotonous and neutral voice and he was like “please give her some encouragement” in the most low energy voice ever XD The b-boying kids were super legit though. Oh and apparently Xiao Jie’s son was one of the dancers too :3 Somebody was like “yo Xiao Jie isn’t that your son?” and he was like “lol yeah.” XD Aren’t they cute?

[goeatsomelife]

The Teasing Game ✦ Part 3

Warnings: angst, swearing

Pairings: George Mackay x Reader

Read PART 1 PART 2

Summary: Teasing game with George, but you developed romantic feelings for him. Can you resist your desire to save a family, or you will fight for your love? Another Unpleasant Plot Twist awaits you in the end! You are Dean-Charles Chapman’s sister. 1506 words

Author’s Note: Yeah, I finally get inspiration to continue this story and OH boy, another plot twist awaits you in the end. Please, like and reblog, if you follow the story! Thank you for your kind comments!

Savoring the sweet and sour taste of spicy homemade apple pie you thought about future meeting with George. It was Wednesday. In an hour he will pick you up. You thought about the past, questioning the results of your teasing game. You wondered if it was worth it. Who started it? You thought it’s just a game, but you caught feelings for George. After meeting his “beautiful” girlfriend you’ve decided to quit drooling all over his blue eyes. But time heals everything and now your anger was almost invisible. Your sweet slumber was interrupted by a ring of a doorbell, making your heart skip a bit. You fixed your hair, taking a look at yourself in the mirror. You will let him suffer…in a good way.

"Hey," yeah, it's awkward. He was standing in your doorway, wearing a cozy grey sweatshirt. His hair was slightly messy, some of the wheaten locks were falling on his eyes. His eyes like the sky, clear and beautiful. He made you feel weak, so you allowed him to take you to his car.

"So..." You pinched the fabric of your dress, trying to not sound nervous. "Where are we going? You're not planning on murdering me in the forest?" You've noticed that you drove outside the city. Along the road where only high green trees. It seemed like a labyrinth, that you were willing to solve.

His laugh was mesmerizing. Hearing his velvet voice you can't hold yourself from smiling. He noticed that with his peripheral vision, but you quickly changed your facial expression.

"It's a surprise!" He really thought of a date when he needs an explanation to do? He has a girlfriend after all.

"Seriously? I don't want to go on dates with you! I just want an explanation. That's all," You can see a sadness in his eyes. Your words get him. Bingo! One point to you.

"It's going to be a long story, so buckle up".

We made it to the final destination. It was a beautiful meadow surrounded by wildflowers of different colours. There was a thin rippling mountain river. Sounds of water always made you calm. George knew what he was doing.

"I thought it's going to be easier for you to digest information in the place like this," sometimes you think that he was reading your mind. He looked around the place we were staying and unfolded the blanket, laying it on the flat ground. He grabbed a bag from the trunk and started placing food: homemade lemonade, sandwiches with ham and cheese, fresh vegetables.

"What is this?" You took one piece of what seems like brad or something.

"It's a banana bread" you love everything baked, so you didn't want to wait before you took a whole piece of delicious food in your mouth, chewing it proudly.

"Mm it's tasty!" You sat on the blanket with a big smile on your face. Maybe, this day won't that bad.

"I made it myself" you can't believe it. Gosh, Meghan is a lucky bitch. Getting a man like that.

You were eating a second sandwich, stomachs full. Lemonade in your cups.

"Tell me when you ready to listen," George said, his eyes looked dim. He was nervous. You didn't want to ruin that perfect moment. How good it would be if there was no girlfriend, no work, no feelings. Only this perfect moment. Sun was caressing your skin with warm beams.

"I think I'm ready! Tell me everything" Here we go. Buckle up Y/N, we’re going down!

"I want to be honest with you. This is why I've decided to get you here. It's my secret spot," he looked around again with a proud smile. "I get here every time life gets too harsh on me. HeIe is quite"

"I understand why. Here's beautiful, George" you said, convincing that you believed his words. The spot is really amazing, but what's that bad happening in his life? He has a girlfriend and a career. Is it a trick to appease you and get you to believe in whatever he will say?

"Will it be too cheesy if i will say it's beautiful like you?" You chuckled. He knows how to clear the air. At that moment you realized how comfortable you were with him. No awkward silence, no misunderstanding. You didn’t felt that good with someone in a long time. Too bad he lied, too bad he has a partner. Maybe it will be okay to be just friends?

"We were dating with Meghan before 1917 release. She was kind and supportive. I've never loved her, but I can't deny sympathy. But when we started planning on 1917 something changed in here. I told her about how big this project is, so she started to demand more from me. She asked for expensive presents almost every fucking day, spent less time with me, more with her friends, I was like a wealthy daddy who will pay on her every wish."

"Dzaddy," you laughed again. Now was your turn to clear the air. He chuckled bitterly. Probably, it was too serious for him, you didn’t even know what’s will come next.

"Our relationship was toxic, so I quitted it. Little did I know. Before the premiere, she came to my house with the pregnancy test. There weIe two lines. I still can't believe it," he hid his face in his hands. You flinched. You didn't even realize tha I your mouth was agape. She is pregnant. What an unexpected turn. You'd stand up and go home, but curiosity overpowered so you stayed still, waiting for the continuation.

"She threatened me, said that she will go to the police and say that i raped her! She didn't want to let me go... I'm stuck in this relationship. And ..soon I'm going to be a dad...I guess." you tried to digest all of the information. Soon you came up with some questions.

"Did you have an intimacy before made it quit?" It was quite a personal question, but he was willing to open up to you.

“No. That's the case. But I can't prove anything!" his voice was desperate.

"So you think it's not your child?" you asked curiously, with hope in your eyes.

"Maybe...maybe mine. I'm not sure about anything. Everything that I cared about before was work, but now... I'm so frustrated and exhausted. I didn’t tell it to anyone before, because I wanted to sort thing by myself. But with each day it gets worse. She’s hiding behind pregnancy and ruins my life, steals my money," he was broken. You couldn't sit there when he was nearly crying. You felt horrible. You sat closer, carefully laying your hand on his back, patting it.

"George..." You couldn't come up with the right words, don't want to make everything worse. You wanted to help him, but you need time to figure out how. It was disgusting how someone can treat his partner like that. And for what? For money?

"But what made me believe in the light at the end of the dark tunnel...it's you" you tried to find his eyes, but he was hiding his face in his arms.

"You made my life a little bit easier. But fucking Meghan ruined everything again." You put your hand on his, squeezing it lightly and moving it away from his face. His hand was big and warm. Something drove you to him, and you couldn't resist this power. But you must listen to your common senses.

"I can't be with you when this woman carries your child. It would be cruel to you and to her. Maybe she is carrying YOUR child," you couldn’t believe your words. You didn't want to break him, but you can't be with him in this situation. His back muscles tensed, and you felt this with your hand.

"See...You're different," he said, weakly holding your hand in his arms, playing with the ring on your finger.

"But I want to make your life easier." He raised his face to look in your eyes. His eyes were tearing up. You didn't even realize that the sun was setting on the horizon before you noticed how his tears reflected the light. He was like a lost child, trying to find his mum. Suddenly his hands landed on both sides of your face, sending warmth and shivers through your body. You couldn't hide your eyes. You were mesmerized and it drove you crazy. What you were doing?

"I like you Y/N," and your lips met each other in a slow waltz dance, savoring every moment. His lips were soft and wet. You felt the saltiness of his tears.

"I wanted to do it for so long Y/N," he parted for a moment, searching for acceptance in your eyes. You couldn't resist desire, that was driving you to him from the first day you've met, so you reconnected your lips, deepening the kiss. It was a positive answer to his intentions. You were sinking in the turquoise waters of your feelings, now you're not going to be saved. Oh god... what you've got yourself into?

I hope you didn’t forget about this story @fandom--0verdose​?

[pixie88]

Meeting the Parents pt 2

Chapter 12 - Always the Bridesmaid.

A/N: I’m on fire with these ATB chapters once I got to 5 in my drafts I thought I better release one! I hope you like it.

If you would like to be ADDED or REMOVED just let me know!

Read previous chapters HERE!

Warnings: Fluff & Light Angst

Word Count: 1832

Pairings: Laila x Harry

Enjoy!

"Is he mine?!" she seems a bit taken aback by his question, she wasn't expecting to see him again.

He asks again "Is he my son?" it's almost a hiss.

"No! No, he's not" she understands why he would think he is considering the timescale "I did a DNA test when he was born, he's Anthony's"

Harry is relieved, "You're one hundred percent?" she nods "I can show you the results if you would like?" she doesn't wait for his reply she rushes off, moments later she hands him a bit of paper.

It reads at the bottom -

Alleged FATHER  - ANTHONY KENNEDY

Probability of Paternity: 99.99999%

Harry feels like he can finally breathe again, he hands her back the piece of paper "Thank you and sorry I just had to know," she offers him a weak smile, "It's OK, I understand why you would think he was yours. Again, I'm sorry about what happened to us in the past and I'm glad you have moved on she seems lovely!"

His thoughts go to Laila "She is to be honest with you, she's probably the best thing that has ever happened to me" her face sours, but quickly changes as she hears her son cry "I'm coming Jasper" she turns back to Harry "Sorry, I have to go. Harry take care!" he smiles "You too"

He makes his way down the path, pulls out his phone and dials Laila's number. It rings a few times before she answers.

"Hey Harry..." He cuts her off, so she doesn't get the rest of her words out.

"He's not mine!" she lets out a breath"How do you feel about that?"

He chuckles "Relieved, Laila the thought of being tied to her because of a child...I couldn't think of anything worse. I thought I might have wanted him to be mine for a few moments but as soon as I knew he wasn't mine, I realised I didn't really want it at all"

"Well, I'm happy for you and at least that's cleared up now. You can move on from it"  He can tell she's secretly relieved to as much as she tries to pretend she was OK with it.

"I'm on my way back to yours so make sure you're ready, we'll leave for my parents when I get back"

"OK, I'm nearly ready. Harry, I'm so nervous," he chuckles "No need to be! You've met my mum, one of my brothers and my sister...my dad you just need to take everything he says with a pinch of salt. He's hard on everyone until they get to know him"

"Great....anyway. I'll see you in a bit, I love you" He laughs "See you soon! I love you too"

Later they arrive at his parents house, Harry lets himself in with his fingers entwined. Laila's heart is racing with nerves, "Mum, Dad?" he calls out "Harry! We're out the back" They make their way through the house towards garden "Laila! How are you?" Rose welcomes her with open arms.

Harry puts him down and pulls Laila over to the table "Arthur and Izzy you've already met Laila, but Dad, Brad, Will, Sophie, Claire and Ruby this is my girlfriend Laila, Laila this is my Dad Colin, and my brothers Will and Brad and their wives Ruby, Sophie and Claire" His brothers and their wives offer her a warm welcome but Colin doesn't even look up at her.

"Hi, Rose! It's nice to see you again!" Laila smiles at her, she notices the rest of the family round a table "Uncle Harry!!" a little boy runs over colliding with him, Harry picks him up "Hey Cohen! This is my girlfriend Laila!" Cohen looks over to her "She's pretty" Laila smirks "Thank you! You are adorable!" Cohen smiles.

Take everything with a pinch of salt! She thought, "I knew something was going on with you two! I saw the way he looked at you at the sky gardens!" Izzy winks at her, they take a seat Harry doesn't let go of her hand.

"We were in the early stages of dating at time" Laila smiles at her. She hears Colin sniggers, but she chooses to ignore it when she feels Harry give her hand a tiny squeeze.

A little while later dinner is served "Laila, are you left handed?" Colin asks "Erm..no, no I'm not," she smiles at him "So, why are you holding your knife and fork like a left handed person? It's a bit ill mannered?" he hisses. "Sorry, I always have used them this way..." he cuts her off "What do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I'm a hairdresser" he sniggers again "So not a doctor then..what a shame!"

"Dad!" Harry hisses at him "Harry, it's fine!" she smiles softly at him. Pinch of salt! She thought.

"And your parents?" Colin asks "My parents? Well, they own a pub" Colin laughs "Of course they do! Talk about lower class and cliché"

This comment makes her blood boil she jumps out of her seat, throwing down her cutlery "Say what you want about me, but don't you dare talk about my family!" She says pointing her finger at him "My parents are worth 10 of you!! You are nothing, but a miserable, snobby, rude old git! I will not sit here like everyone else and let you get away with talking to me or about my family like that!" she storms off through the house and out the front door.

Harry chases her calling after her "Laila! Wait!" He catches up to her, gently grasping her arm, making her turn "Laila, I'm sorry I should have spoken up...I should've never let him speak to you like that. It's just that's the way he is. I know that's no excuse"

"I get it..he's your dad, we make allowance for family. I shouldn't have say anything" Harry chuckles "No! I'm glad you did..That is what I love most about you. You don't take crap from anyone, you speak your mind and no one has to second guess where they are with you"

Behind Harry, Laila spot Colin stands in the doorway. Harry eyes follow in her direction "Harry, if he's here for round 2, I swear to god I will not be responsible for my actions" Harry chuckles "As much as I would love for you to deck him..." she cuts him off "Don't you think I can take the old man?" she asks.

He laughs "I have no doubt that you can take the old man! But let's just hear what he has to say? I promise I will step in if he's out of line again," she rolls her eyes "Fine" Harry takes her hand and they make their way over to him "Let me just warn you, you dare speak to her like you did in there so help me god" Colin can see his son will not stand by and let it happen again.

"First can I say Laila, I'm a protective old fool, I just don't want him hurt like last time. You were right in there, when you called me a miserable, rude old git. No one has ever pulled me up on how I speak to people and for that I respect you"

"You forgot snobby!" Laila hissed, Colin laughs at her "I also forgot to say sorry which I truly am sorry and if you will allow it can we start again?"

"OK, I'm also sorry for what I called you" Colin laughs "You have nothing to apologize for everything you said in there was spot on. Now let's go back inside"

They follow Colin back to the garden as they walk in his brothers clap "Keep hold of this one Harry! We like her!" Will laughs "Don't worry I intend to!" he winks at Laila.

Later, Harry is playing football with the kids Cohen, Ethan, Bobby and Lara while Laila is colouring with Mila "Do you love my Uncle Harry?" Mila looks up at her "I do" Mila smiles "He loves you too. Are you going to marry him?" Laila smirks she loves how kids are so blunt "Maybe one day"

"Maybe one day?" she hears him asks over her shoulder. Great! She thought. "I asked Laila will she marry you. She said maybe one day!" Mila giggle, Laila blushes as Harry takes a sit down next to her "You're all sweaty!" Laila wipes his brow "Yeah, those 4 have been ganging up on me. 4 against 1 can you guess who won!" Laila laughs at him.

"Not you?" she winks "Got that right!" Harry grabs Laila's hand as she's colouring making her go out of the lines "Harry!! Look what you made me do!" he chuckles at her and does it again "Harry! Stop it!" she hisses "Or what?" he asks.

She takes the felt tip pen and draws on his face "Laila!" she smirks, Mila giggles "What? I'm colouring out of the lines like you wanted me to," he smirks as he shook his head, "You are so going to regret that!" he's quick, he takes a red felt tip pen off the blanket they are sitting on and aims for her face, but she dodges it. He goes in again she falls back against the blanket, Harry grasps her hands pinning them, so she can't stop him. She's laughing "Harry, don't you dare!"

Moving towards her face with the pen between his teeth as his hands pin down hers, she's laughing "Harry" as he gets closer Mila pulls the pen from his mouth and uses it on him "Argh! Mila, you're suppose to be on my team!" he lets go of Laila, Mila gets up and makes a run for it. Harry is about to chase after her, but Laila grabs his ankle making him fall to the ground.

She gets up and makes a run for it after Mila, they're both giggling as they run from him. Before they get to far, Harry's arms come around both their waist's "Gotcha both!" he begins to tickle them and they both fall to the ground trying to get away.

"Uncle Harry! Stop! I'm sorry!" Mila says through her laughter, he stops "I like Laila, Uncle Harry" Harry smiles at his niece "Me too!" he winks at Laila.

~*~*~*~

A few weeks later

Laila had arranged to meet Nikki at the park with Poppy, They are chatting when all of a sudden they hear Poppy scream.

They both rush over to her, Poppy is hysterical on the floor below the monkey bars "Pops, what's wrong?" tears steam down her face "It hurts!!" she screams "Poppy, did you fall from the bars?" Laila asks her and she nods unable to answer because of the pain.

Nikki becomes distraught "Nikki, It's going to be fine!" Laila tries to reassure her "I'll call an ambulance just in case" Laila pulls out her phone to make the call.

Continue reading this story here - Chapter 13.

@shewillreadyou​ @lem-20​ @secretaryunpaid​ @khoicesbyk​ @aussieez​ @txemrn​ @irisofpurple​ @casualpostqueen​ @shannonwrote​ @tea-me-kah​

[writing-reading-inspiring]

A Maddening World (Peter Parker X Reader) - Chapter Two

Summary:  (y/n) was only trying to get volunteer hours in order to gain admission into NYU. However, the Stark Mental Institution held more than she bargained for when she meets her patient, Peter Parker. She never planned to get mixed up with someone who is set on the idea that an alien named Thanos snapped half of all living creatures away and made everyone else forget, yet here she is. The universe has a funny way of trying to correct itself.

Chapter One  ~  Chapter Two  ~  Chapter Three

‘Hi’. That was it, he only said ‘hi’. 

I started to stutter out my reply, "H-Hi, I'm (y/n), y-your new nurse.” 

He simply nodded at me and turned back around to look out the window. I had to think for a moment to figure out what else to say.

“Uh... the first thing on the schedule is breakfast. Do you eat here or do you-" I was saying before he cut me off. "I eat in the cafeteria like a normal patient, it's on the 2nd floor next to the bathrooms." I didn't know what to think due to his tone. He sounded annoyed that I didn't know what to do, or that I suggested he eats in his room. He coughed and I realized that he was standing at the door waiting for me. "Yeah sorry, I didn't know exactly how it worked. Let's go." We walked in silence to the elevator and got in, the tension growing thicker with every step. "I'm not crazy you know." I was shocked at his sudden words, "What?" "I'm not crazy or a psychopath. I just remember what I’m not suppose to remember. I see nightmares when I'm awake. I'm not crazy though." "I never said you were." "I know what people think and I know what they want to believe. It's not true though." I was angry when he said that, I never even thought that. I hate it when people just assume things about me. I was about to say something, but the elevator doors opened to reveal a hallway that was just as white as the other hallways. Peter seemed to be able to read my mind because the next thing he said was, "All of the hallways are white, they have to be. Other colors could possibly agitate the other patients. In my opinion though, the white is even more aggravating. Staring at nothing but blank walls all day? Yeah, no thanks." "Oh, I guess that makes sense. I’ve always wondered why hospitals only have white walls. I agree with you though, it’s annoying to barely see any color, especially if this is where you live. It’s like there’s no color in life.”

Peter looked at me with with slight acceptance.

“You can say that again. The only color we get is in the recreation room on the 5th floor. Those walls are a lovely beige.”

I couldn't help but laugh at what he said. I’m not quite sure if it was supposed to be a joke or not, but I couldn’t help myself. Thankfully, Peter gave me a slight smirk as he neared a set of double doors.

We walked into a huge room that looked a lot like a school cafeteria. The walls were a faded white that made it seem like this room was the least of the hospitals worries. The lines held a typical steel, buffet style with the limitation of full time kitchen staff members looking over and controlling exactly what each patient gets.

“So, this is the cafeteria. Volunteers can get food here through the shop at the end of the room,” Peter told me while pointing to the very back.

“Thanks, but I ate before I came here. I’m just going to go sit down at a table. Anywhere specific you want to go?”

“Yeah, I usually sit at the back table with Ned, his nurse Betty, and our friend Michelle.” He pointed towards a gray table that a boy and two girls who all looked to be around our age sat.

I gave Peter a slight nod and made my way to the table he indicated as he stepped into line.

As I neared, the boy who I assume is Ned looked up from pushing around his oatmeal. The blond next to him took notice and looked up as well with a smile on her face. The girl at the end of the table looked me up and down as if to see what my weaknesses were and how she could use them if need be.

“Hi, I’m (y/n). I’m a volunteer here and was just assigned to Peter,” I said with as warm of a smile as I could muster. I was becoming very intimidated very fast, which is something I absolutely detest.

“Hi (y/n), I’m Betty, Ned’s nurse,” the blond said while pointing towards the boy next to her. “I’m so glad that you’re a new addition to the hospital.”

I sat down feeling slightly reassured that I got the right table. Peter joined me not even two seconds later with a plate of eggs, bacon, orange juice, and two small pills.

“Hey Peter, what’s up man?” Ned talked to Peter in an excited fashion that made it seem like they haven’t seen each other in five years.

“Not much. Oh, dude, did you see the Star Wars marathon that started? They’re showing them in the wrong order.”

I couldn’t help but give a closed mouth smile at the two interacting. There was something childlike and innocent about it. Almost as if they’d known each other for years and have had this in common for just as long.

I felt the unnerving feeling of eyes on me, so I turned around to discover Brad looking at me. He flashed me a smile as our eyes met and a chill run down my spine. I wasn't able to tell if it was good or not. "So, why are you here? Don't you have something better to do?" 

I was quickly broken out of my trance by an unknown voice. I’m guessing it was the girl at the end of the table by the way the others were looking in her direction. By now I’ve determined that this must be the Michelle Peter was telling me about. "What?" Of course that’s what I go with for my brilliant and witty reply. "Not many people volunteer at a mental hospital. So why did you?" "It's great on college applications and I wanted to make a difference." "For some reason I don't believe you." She wasn't necessarily wrong. I came for the college applications and because Liz dragged me along. It was mostly because of Liz. “MJ, she just started, give her a break.” It was Ned who came to my rescue. I shot him a smile to show my appreciation. 

“I’m just saying it’s odd. It’s almost as if she’s hiding a secret. So … are you (y/n)? Are you hiding a secret?”

“Not one that I can think of. I’m sorry if that’s disappointing.”

She leaned back and eyed me up and down again. After she was done, she shot me a smirk and went back to her cereal.

The rest of breakfast was spent in an awkward silence as everyone finished their meal.

One Peter was done, we headed back to his room, where I had to wait outside so he can change. After about 2 minutes, he opened the door to let me in. I sat on a chair next to the window while he brushed his teeth and brushed his hair (though it didn't really help). 

It was around 8:50 when he was done, so I knew we had to get him to therapy. "Peter, your therapy session is in 10 minutes. Where is it?" "Happy really didn't tell you anything did they?" "Happy?" I was confused as to who he was referring to.

“Mr. Hogan. His first name is Happy.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little, “That’s kind of ironic. But in that case, yeah, he really didn’t tell me much.” "Technically, if I don't tell you, then I don't have to go to therapy with Mr. Beck." "Nice try, but I'm sure I can get someone to help me."

He gave out an exaggerated sigh. "It's on floor 9, but I don't think they will let you sit in the room." "That's fine, but we have to go now." Again there was an awkward silence as we made the short journey. Never before have I been so grateful to step out of an elevator. He lead me to a wooden door labeled 'Dr. Beck’s office'. Peter knocked on the door and you could hear a thump and a loud curse from within. "Peter there you are," a man who I presumed was Dr. Beck, opened the door. I took a minute to process what he looked like. He was a well built man whose dark brown hair was slicked back slightly. His eyes were a memorizing blue and he had a short beard growing. He wore a white shirt with navy dress pants and black dress shoes. He was altogether a handsome man who was probably way too old for me (which is honestly a tragedy). He looked at the watch on his wrist and gave a teasing smile, "Wow, you're actually on time today. I usually see you at least 10 minutes late." "Yeah, this one made me actually leave on time. The audacity," Peter teased back while gesturing towards me. Dr. Beck looked at me up and down and suddenly his demeanor changed. "And who may you be?" "I'm (y/n), his new nurse." I reached out my hand and he took it, shaking it for just a tad bit too long. "You’re part of the new volunteer program. That means your in college correct?" "I’m about to be, yes," I said analyzing the way he was looking at me. He almost seemed to be checking me out. I’m really starting to like this hospital for all the wrong reasons. "Well I'm afraid to inform you that you can't sit in on the appointment, but I'll talk to you about it later."

His words got me out of my head, "Of course, thank you." I took a seat on a bench that was outside the office as they both went in. I saw Dr. Beck look at me again before he disappeared into the office. I sat there on my phone and looked over some of the papers that were in the folder to try and pass the time. It must have worked because before I knew it, Peter was done and Dr. Beck was pulling me aside. "Listen, miss (y/n). Sorry, I’m I correct to assume it’s miss?”

“Yes, it’s miss.”

“Good, well then, miss (y’n), I’m sure that you’ve read about Peter’s condition in the folder they provided to you.” I shook my head in confirmation as he smiles back. “That makes this easier then. Basically, Peter is still believing in this fantasy of his. He keeps insisting that these ‘superheroes’ called the Avengers were around and no one remembers them bringing back half the population after five years and then some Thanos guy got rid of half the population again. I’ve tried talking through it with him and assure him that everything is fine, but he is holding on to this illusion. I advise you to be careful about what you say in order to not upset him. That would be the best way to ensure you’re kept safe," he said and touched my arm at the end. I said my thanks to him and made my way back to Peter.

As we were walking down the hall when he suddenly stopped. "Are you okay?," he asked me. "What do you mean?" "I mean, Mr. Beck was kind of coming on to you and I want to make sure he didn’t make you feel uncomfortable. He’s usually a nice guy, but I just want to make sure you’re okay." I couldn't help but grin at his concern for me. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. How about you? You were in there for 2 hours." "I'm fine. He doesn’t usually flirt with me like that,” Peter said with a teasing tone. "Oh, I see what you’re doing, Parker. It’s fine, don’t tell me, spare my feelings. He does that to everyone, doesn’t he? Oh, how will my heart go on,” I joked back dramatically We continued to laugh as we walked down the hall to the elevator. He pushed the button for the first floor. "It's your free time, so what do you want to do?" "I want to show you something," he said as he took my hand and lead me out of the elevator. 

Tag List:

@alix-winchester​  ~  @thenerdiverse​

[epic-ash-and-sora-fan]

Alive Chap 2

                                           Chapter 2: Explanations.

Clemont couldn't take his eyes off it, or should he say him? Whatever the case, this day went from strange to outright impossible, How in the name of science did Brad do this? Why did he do this? The teen leant against a nearby table to stay on his feet. Brad must've noticed this as he bought a chair over which Clemont gratefully sat on.

"This...this is a joke, right? It has to be a joke."

What other explanation was there? Aside from the ludicrous one. Sure Clemont didn’t know how Brad got that boy in on this but anything would make more sense than what he was told.

“Afraid not," said Brad with a smirk.

“But….how?….It’s impossible! Is….is this even legal?!”

Brad rubbed the back of his head, giving Clemont a slightly sheepish look.

“I’ll admit it’s a bit of a grey area. Honestly, we hadn’t really meant to create him. Well, we did, but we hadn't intended these results."

Clemont took a deep breath to try and calm himself. It wasn’t really working.

“So how did it happen?” he asked.

“Well, we thought it would be helpful if we could create sort of dummy bodies for hospitals. They would be useful for training students who are looking to become surgeons. We were about done with this one when one of my colleagues, thought it would be amusing if we try to get the heart beating. I decided to indulge her because I thought the heart would stop after a few seconds, like always but...”

“It kept going?” guessed Clemont.

“Yes. Once started it didn’t stop. We had waited for five minutes when Freya discovered something shocking. He was breathing! Not only was the heart beating but the brain was also working. In hindsight, maybe the reason all the other hearts stopped beating after a few seconds was because they weren’t...for lack of a better term, connected to a brain. Now that we’ve put everything together though...it was something I failed to consider. Anyway, I thought Freya was gonna faint right then and there. I thought I was too. It’s nothing short of a miracle!”

Clemont turned to the one-way mirror where the boy was sleeping. The boy who was artificially made. Clemont still couldn’t wrap his head around it. It really was a miracle. This was completely unprecedented. Sure, he built Clembot, but he was made of metal. This boy could easily pass off as a normal teenager!

“How long has he been….alive?” he asked, still watching the boy as he seemed to snuggle further into his sheets.

"About four days," said Brad. "We've of course done plenty of health checks and some tests, all non-invasive I assure you. He’s perfectly healthy. There is one thing that concerns me though.”

“What’s that?”

“His immune system is very weak. It’s to be expected considering that it hasn’t had the chance to fight off illnesses. Right now even something as insignificant as a cold could be dangerous. That’s why we’re keeping him in that room, just for the time being. It has been sterilized so he should be relatively safe. We would give him vaccinations but as I said, he's artificial. We don't know what those would do to him. We need to do some tests first. Consider every possible risk. so until then, he'll have to stay in that room, or in this building at the very least.”

“Wow….” It’s not often that Clemont was left speechless, but that was all he could say at this point. Despite his initial misgivings, Clemont had to admit what Brad managed to do was incredible. Something like this never happened before. He understood now why Brad didn’t want to go public yet. This sort of news would blow up beyond comprehension. That boy would be famous but also at high risk of being mistreated or manipulated. It’s a cruel world out there. He stood up and walked over to the one-way mirror placing his hand on the glass.

“What’s his name?” Clemont found himself asking.

“He….doesn't have one yet," admitted Brad. "Any ideas?"

Clemont started at this. Brad was asking  him ? He didn’t even know this boy. He was about to voice his concerns when what sounded like a cough was heard from the one-way mirror. The boy was awake now and had his hands on his neck.

“Is he okay?!” cried Clemont.

Brad let out a laugh.

"He's fine. He does that when he's thirsty. Suppose I should get his lunch. Hey, why don't you join me so you can meet him."

“M….me?! Are you sure?”

“Of course,” said Brad standing up. “In fact. I’d like you to be the one to keep an eye on him. I know it’s not exactly what you signed up for but we’re all so busy with our research that we hardly have time to give him the care he needs. He needs to learn to interact with others. He’s a blank slate right now and being isolated isn’t going to help matters, so I’d like you to take care of him, interact with him, play with him. Teach him everyday skills. What do you say?”

"That….that's asking a lot," said Clemont as he practically tied his fingers together.

“I understand this is sudden and I apologise for that, the idea just this moment came to me. Well, you don’t have to answer right away. For now, let’s get his lunch seen to.”

Before they could leave, however, a researcher around Brad’s age came in holding a clipboard. He had burgundy hair and wore a similar lab coat to the other researcher. He gave Clemont a look before turning to Brad.

“Excuse me, sir, we have the results of the latest test I think you’ll find them fascinating.”

“Thank you, Reginald. Oh, this is Clemont. The new intern.”

Reginald turned his gaze to the one-way mirror. “I see you showed him that thing.”

“For the hundredth time, Reginald he’s  not a thing," said Brad sternly. “In fact, Clemont here will be seeing to his needs if he accepts the job.”

“Are you certain that’s wise sir?” asked Reginald with a touch of testiness in his voice. “I know you didn’t accept my proposal the other day but if you’d just...”

“Reginald we’ve been over this!” snapped Brad. “Unless you have something new to tell me, please return to your duties.”

Reginald’s eyebrows creased but he nodded and exited the room but not without giving Clemont a hard look.

Clemont cleared his throat if only to combat the awkward silence that followed that unpleasant encounter.

“Sorry about him,” sighed Brad. “Reginald isn’t the easiest person to get along with, but he’s very good at what he does. Shall we get down to business?”

“R...right," said Clemont shaking of the bad feeling he had, and followed Brad to another room.                                        

Interestingly, lunch was already pre-made. Brad pulled out some cheese sandwiches from the fridge and poured a glass of orange juice. He had Clemont wash his hands thoroughly so that they didn't carry any harmful bacteria. Once Brad scoured his own hands they headed back to the boy's room. Brad pulled out his badge and placed it against the reader next to the door. After it beeped he opened the door. Clemont was sure if his heart pounded any harder it would pop out of his chest.

“Food time lad,” said Brad as he put the tray of food on to the teen’s lap. He gestured Clemont to come over. Which he did.

“This is Clemont. He’ll be the one bringing food and spending time with you for the time being.”

Clemont felt his heart leap into his throat as the boy looked at him, He had chocolate brown eyes which held the innocence of an infant, which he sort of was despite his appearance. He had strange markings on his cheeks which Clemont guessed were imperfections. He was wearing a black t-shirt which looked two sizes too big. If Clemont met him down the street he would never have guessed that this teenager was built not born. He looked so real.

“Well I better look over the test results Reginald gave me," said Brad. "Will you be okay on your own for now, Clemont?"

“Oh...sure no problem," said Clemont. His nerves were all over the place, and he didn't know how successful he was at hiding it. Still how hard can sitting with an artificial teenager be?

“Okay, then I’ll see you two later.” He gives Clemont a card that appeared to have a phone number on it. “Call if you need anything.”

Clemont nodded.

“Right. Thank you.”

Brad nodded and left the room. Clemont sat on a chair next to the bed and watched the boy eat, though he played with his food more than ate it. It was intriguing to watch. Despite looking around Clemont's age, this boy had the mentality of maybe a two-year-old. It ended in a bit of a mess but the sandwiches and orange juice were gone.

“Heh, you’ve got crumbs all over you.” laughed Clemont he pulled a hanky out of his pocket and started wiping the teen down he even got some crumbs in his hair somehow. Clemont began to brush them out. He jerked his hand back for a second before touching it again. The hair even felt  real. Well almost real. It was smoother than hair tends to be but other than that it felt like normal hair.

“ash...”

The boy looked up at Clemont inquisitively. Clemont laughed a little.

"Sorry, your hair, it kind of looks like someone poured ash on your head." Clemont didn't know if this boy even understood him, but he felt compelled to keep talking. "It's not quite the same colour, but I guess if there's a lot of ash it would come pretty close. Hey, how's that for a name? Ash?"

It was a ridiculous way to come up with a name but Clemont doubted he would think of anything better, and honestly he did look like an Ash. It was like the name was made for him. The boy just continued to stare at Clemont as if he didn’t hear him. Technically, Ash was only a few days old, so Clemont didn’t really know what to expect. He took another glance around the room, now noticing how empty it really was. There wasn’t even a window.

“Isn’t there anything for you to do in here? No TV? Not even something to read?”

Another blank stare.

Well, that answered that. Clemont now understood the predicament that Placebo Net unwittingly placed themselves in. Teaching Ash was gonna be a full-time job, and they were busy with important research So it looks like it fell to him. Definitely not what he pictured when he accepted this temporary job, but he was here now, so he was gonna make sure to do a good job. It can’t be much different than looking after Bonnie. Accept for the massive language barrier.

“Don’t you get bored?” he asked. “Like when you really want to do something?”

The synthetic boy still said nothing but didn’t take his eyes off of the teen. Clemont gave a sad smile.

“I guess you really don’t understand huh? That’s okay. Hope you don’t mind me talking though. It’ll get awkward if it gets too quiet. Clemont sat back down on his chair. While not official yet since he still needed to tell Brad he decision. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to try and help this boy with the basics.

“Well...anyway...I’m Clemont.” He said then pointed to himself. “Clemont.” He pointed at the boy. “Ash.”

The boy stared at Clemont a bit more then he lifted his own hand and pointed to himself.

“A…..A….Aaaash?”

Clemont nearly fell backwards. Did this scientific wonder just speak?! Maybe he was just repeating what Clemont was saying. No, this boy pointed at himself so did seem to understand that Clemont was talking about him.

“Yes, yes, you’re Ash. That’s your name….urm if you like it. A name is what we call people. It’s something personal. We use names to let someone know we’re talking to them. It gives us an identity.”

The boy….or Ash….pointed at Clemont.

“C…..Cemont?”

Clemont let out a nervous laugh.

“Erm….close enough.”

Clemont soon found himself telling the boy about his life. About his dad, his sister and about being a gym leader, though he was sure that much of it went over the teen’s head.

“Siiister?”

Clemont nodded.

"Yeah, a sister is….hmm, how do I explain this? A sister is someone who has the same parents as you. Oh, a parent is someone who….bought you into this world. So, I guess that sort of makes Brad your dad, in a way."

He let out a little laugh, though Ash just gave him a look that said he didn’t fully understand.

Before the somewhat one-sided conversation could go any further the door opened and Brad came in.

“Clemont, sorry this totally slipped my mind. I need to give you this all-access card. The one we gave you expires after 24 hours. Just in case you didn’t accept our offer. I just need you to read and sign the contract. Standard procedure.”

"Oh okay sure," said Clemont as he walked towards Brad and accepted the clipboard. After carefully reading the contract he signed it finding it reasonable. He felt a sense of dread when he heard a loud thud behind him. Clemont hardly dared to look and when he did his fears were confirmed.

Ash was no longer sitting on the bed but was now sprawled out on the floor and was in the process of trying to pick himself up. Clemont was at his side in an instant immediately followed by Brad.

“Ash, are you okay?!”

“Ash?” asked Brad with amusement.

"I...guess I found a name," said Clemont as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Oh, I see, not bad.” laughed Brad. “It suits him I think. I’ll let the others know.”

Ash moaned and rubbed his forehead.

“Owwww….”

"Well, at least now we know he can feel pain," said Brad with a nervous laugh. "Okay, kid. let’s get you back onto the bed, then we’ll get some ice for your noggin.”

“I’m sorry,” said Clemont. “I turned away for just a second and…”

“Don't worry about it Clemont," reassured Brad with a wave of his hand. "If anyone's to blame it's me for distracting you. In fact, I would consider this a good sign. This boy-"

“Ash.”

Clemont had to stifle a laugh when Brad jolted and stared at the artificial teen who pointed to himself.

“Ash. I….identee”

Brad blinked before seemingly recovering from the shock and continued.

“Ahem, pardon me,  Ash  never actually tried to follow anyone before. Not to mention he’s talking already. He must’ve taken a liking to you.”

Clemont blushed slightly. He didn’t know how to respond to that. Instead, he turned to Ash.

“Here, let me see.” He gently took Ash’s hand and moved it so he could assess the damage. There was a reddish mark above his left eye. Clemont cringed slightly. No doubt there will be a bruise there tomorrow.

It didn’t take long to get Ash back onto the bed and with Brad’s help made an ice pack. Ash flinched back when Clemont placed it on the bruised area.

“Sorry, Ash, I know it’s really cold but it will help your head feel better.” He reached out and rubbed Ash’s shoulder. “It’s okaaaay. I’m not gonna hurt you. This will help I promise.”

More slowly this time he gently placed the icepack onto Ash’s forehead. While he did flinch again he didn’t pull away. Whether Ash understood Clemont’s words or that he recognised his tone of voice as unthreatening Clemont didn’t know but at the very least progress was being made. He took Ash’s hand and placed it over the icepack.

“Just hold it there for now okay? Good, just like that.”

Ash looked up at Clemont with the most innocent eyes Clemont has seen on anyone other than Bonnie.

“Good?”

“Yeah, good. Said Clemont giving Ash a thumbs up. “You’re doing good.”

"Colour me impressed," said Brad. "It's a job for us to keep this boy still when we’re doing health checks and here you are treating a bump on the head and he barely moves.

Clemont rubbed the back of his head.

“I…..I guess you just need to make him feel safe.”

“I see, pretty much like any other child," said Brad. "You're a natural at this Clemont."

“Well, it helps that I have a little sister.” chuckled Clemont. He took a deep breath. Now seemed like a good time as any to tell Brad what he decided.”

“Anyway, I’ve thought about it and...I’ll do it! I’ll take the job.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know how good of a job I’d do but it has to better than that Reginald guy looking after him right?”

Brad let out a laugh.

“Might have to agree with you there, but don’t tell him I said that. He’s already peeved with me as it is.”

He placed a hand on Clemont’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Clemont this means a lot and really takes a load off my mind.”

Clemont smiled then turned to Ash.

“Well, guess you’ll have to get used to seeing me around. Ash.”

Ash looked up at Clemont still holding the icepack to his face, and did something that he didn’t expect to see so soon.

He smiled.

- - - - - - - - - -

The rest of the day went with no incident. Ash was no worse for wear after his tumble. Which was a relief for everyone.

Clemont lied on his bed and stared at the ceiling. His room, at least for now, was pretty modest, considering it was really used as a break-room there was a small table with a couple of chairs and even a kitchenette. Clemont’s mind was going over the day’s events making it near impossible to sleep. After an hour of tossing and turning he gave up. Kicking off the sheets he got out of bed and exited his room. Hoping a walk will tire him out. Being sure to take his badge with him, he left his room. Sure many of the employees have gone home for the day, but a few, namely Brad and some security guard remained behind, and Clemont didn’t want to cause confusion. He was certain Brad would’ve told them he was employed here, albeit, temporarily, but one can’t be too careful.

Clemont walked down the hallways. The facility looked so different at night it was almost scary. He wasn’t all that surprised when he found himself at the same door that Brad bought him through to introduce him to Ash.

Clemont still found it astonishing that Placebo Net not only managed to replicate organs such as hearts and lungs but even created a living breathing human out of them. This would easily make the history books if Brad was ever comfortable with going public. Clemont shuddered as he opened the door and went inside, walking straight towards the one-way mirror. Ash was in bed, fast asleep of course. Clemont sighed. didn’t know when or if Brad would ever make Ash’s origins public, but he actually hoped it wouldn't be too soon. He had no idea how the public would react to Ash if they knew the truth about him. If there was anything Clemont learned about people, in general, it's that a lot of them hated anything that went against the norm. New things scared them. In fact, he was surprised and in a way, quite humbled that Brad even trusted him with this secret to begin with. He was essentially a stranger who could easily go straight to the press about this. Not that he would of course. He promised to keep this a secret and he intended to keep that promise, if just for Ash's safety.

Clemont placed his hand on the glass as he watched Ash sleep. The thought of him getting hurt or worse by some insensitive intolerant jerk made Clemont’s blood run cold. There was no way he was going to let that happen. Period.

 I’ll keep you safe, Ash. I promise.

 T.B.C

[eusuntgratie]

1, 2, 7, 8, 15, 16, 23, 28, 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bi asks | ask me

1. who was your childhood male crush? who your female crush? 

i had it bad for brad pitt a la Legends of the Fall. I still REALLY love long haired men, but I was pretty much exclusively attracted to long haired men in my youth. and apparently my weakness for pretty men crying started LONG AGO. I’ve had a crush on Salma Hayek since forever <3

2. when and how did you realize you were not straight? 

heh. so i’m a bit of a weirdo i guess.  or maybe my story is just the result of growing up in a heteronormative society and being able to pass as straight. i’ve always been attracted to women and gender non-conforming folk, and i’ve always been drawn to, felt supported by, and felt protective of the queer community. i never had a lightbulb moment, but in the last couple of years, i actually spent some time thinking critically about and claiming an identity. i usually use pan but i’m good with bi too :)

7. what is the most stereotypical bi thing about you/that you do?

i feel like there’s this perception that bi/pan people are attracted to everyone (like literally every human), and i’m not, but i do crush on people easily, i don’t have a type and am attracted to a really wide range of humans, and almost always find a person i enjoy ogling in nearly every scenario (shows, movies, bars, whatever). my lovely husband is VERY used to me lusting after AT LEAST one character in nearly everything we watch and listening to me ramble about why they’re pretty. we watched SNL last night and during kate mckinnon’s cast intro i was like “i LOVE her” and you could HEAR the heart eyes in my voice and he was just like “babe i know you tell me literally every time we watch SNL”.

8. describe your style

what style? i never leave my house anymore 😂

typical day if i’m not dressed for work & plan to work out - high waisted workout leggings, a strappy sports bra, and a cropped shirt if its warm or a sweatshirt or something if its cold. baggy sweats and a hoodie in the evenings if its cold enough.  jean shorts and tshirts in the summer, leggings or jeans and sweaters or flannel and boots in the winter. I’m almost always barefoot. I dress up infrequently but I do love to wear fancy dresses or jeans and cute tops with heels and lots of bright makeup and eyeliner. so basically, zero effort (sweats or workout clothes and no makeup) or a nice outfit and full face of makeup. no in between, except for work, but zoom life means i don’t really wear my work clothes right now.

15.   your favorite queer novel?

probably call me by your name. i’ve read it a lot and i really love the aggressively first-person-ness of it...being totally immersed in every thought that pops into elio’s head because it reminds me of when I was his age and how i thought about love and attraction then. obviously i love the movie too. I haven’t read enough queer fiction, though. i have a bunch of bi books on my list for my next bookshop order that i’ve been meaning to make for like six weeks. if y’all have recommendations, send them my way.

16. your favorite queer movie? 

brokeback mountain. i love the movie, but i also have such strong memories around it that i think that’s what makes it my favorite. it came out when i was in college, and i went to school in a small college town, so me and my friends drove a couple of hours to see it. we had planned to make a night of it, go out to eat after, and i just remember us all staring at each other at dinner, still sobbing. once we stopped crying, we talked about the movie all through dinner, through the drive home... i had a bunch of really great conversations with people in college because of that movie. one night in our dorm lounge in the basement a group of us stayed up all night talking about queerness and masculinity and attraction. i watch it every year or two, and it always rips my heart out. if i’m in the right mood, just the chords from the theme song will make me start crying.

23. what’s something that makes you fall for a person immediately? 

i’m an actions speak louder than words kinda person. i need to see that somebody will do what they say they will, that they’ll take care of me, that they can deal with the shitty stuff. watching someone competently do something they are good at is just... oof. i’m also super duper tactile, so i’m a big fan of lots of flirty touching and dancing and touching for no reason and hand holding and hugging etc. etc. etc. y’all get three guesses why I love bucky so much.

28. what is a dating/relationship deal-breaker for you?

not doing the fucking work. i don’t expect my partner to be good at everything, but i damn sure expect him to try and to work as hard for us as I do.

and smoking. being around cigarette smoke makes me want to cut out my own lungs. i can’t with that.

30. what childhood moment makes you think “I should’ve known I wasn’t straight back then”? 

i don’t know. i might not have one, which is lame. i never hid my attraction, i just let my relationships dictate my identity, i guess. so i never had this aha moment of like “oh shit i’m not just into men!”; i’ve always known that. and I don’t know that ever really thought of myself as straight when I was young, just like I didn’t really examine or think about my whiteness until I started doing racial justice work. i don’t know. I dated men and ended up marrying a cis man and I didn’t really critically think about my own identity beyond that. that sounds so utterly ridiculous and lame, but its true. I think if I hadn’t been raised Catholic I probably would’ve dated other genders, but its also not as if there was a girl I wanted to date and didn’t because i was scared; i think it was a lot more layered and complex than that. well that’s not an answer at all, but there you go!

💗💜💙

💗💛💙

[rebellect-writes]

[b]Name:[/b] Jess. [b]Age:[/b] 20. [b]How did you find us?:[/b] Don't give me that look.

[b]Name:[/b] Formerly Maddox Sinclair, now Maddox Mackenzie. [b]Nicknames:[/b] [LIST] [*] Mads. [*] Dox. [*] Mouthy. [/LIST] [b]Age:[/b] 30. [b]Date of Birth:[/b] 5/3/1982. [b]Gender:[/b] Male. [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] Homosexual. [b]Occupation:[/b] Delivery boy for Curious Cafe.

[s][b]Powers:[/b][LIST]He's a Sensitive. That means he can feel the other supernatural beasties unless they’re good at hiding themselves even though he's human. To him it feels like standing near an open furnace if someone’s leaking power, and other times, it’s just a warm breeze against his skin. Push him though, by piling on the pressure, and he’ll pass out from pain and the lack of air. Give him a few hours and he’ll bounce back like any other psychic does. [/LIST][/s]

[b]Animal Species:[/b] Lion. [b]Animal Description: [/b] [IMG]http://cache2.artprintimages.com/lrg/30/3066/8DIDF00Z.jpg[/IMG] [i]Weight:[/i] 380lbs [i]Height at shoulders:[/i] 4 ft. [i]Length:[/i] 9'5 from nose to tail tip. [i]Coat:[/i] Tawny gold. [b]Do you have a hybrid/alpha form?:[/b] Nope. [b]Rank:[/b] Pride. [b]How long has your character been a lycanthrope?:[/b] 2 days. [b]Mindset:[/b] Domissive. [b]Power level:[/b] Omega.

[b]Face Claim:[/b] Trent Ford. [b]Description:[/b] [IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/6p1c0j.jpg[/IMG] [i]Height:[/i] 5’11 feet. [i]Weight:[/i] 139lbs. [i]Eyes:[/i] Blue. [i]Hair:[/i] Brown with gold highlights. [i]Build:[/i] Pretty lean, taller then he looks and pretty athletic. [i]Visible marks:[/i] [LIST]Maddox has a Gothic cross between his shoulder blades, two dragons curled around the cross its self staring at each other. The only other tattoo he has is a band of music notes curling around his right bicep. As to scars, he has his share. Most aren't that noticeable. [/LIST][i]Style:[/i] [LIST]He’s the type of guy to wear whatever comes to hand, but mainly, it’s a beat up leather jacket, jeans, scuffed up combat boots and a t-shirt of some kind. He just isn’t a fancy type of fellow. He just makes do with what he has. The one thing, Maddox would put before himself, is the pendant around his throat, he's had it all his life and apparently, it was his mothers. [/LIST][b]Special Skills:[/b] He's a good people watcher and handy with a knife. Nothing really special about that is there?

[b]Personality:[/b][LIST]Maddox is hard to describe personality wise, simply because people hear his smart mouth, and either want to strangle him, or love him. He is the type of person to take anything someone throws at him, and simply lets it wash over his shoulders. Though, he will take every chance he can to put his comments and thoughts into the occasion. While he doesn’t show it, Mad is completely bored with the world. He has been on the streets for over fifteen years, and he’s seen something’s, done things that he wouldn’t wish on any other living soul.

He keeps his pain on quiet shoulders, and would rather get up and do things then sit around and heal. He doesn’t seem to like being still for too long; maybe it’s the fact that he was on the streets like an abandoned house cat. He isn't someone to be messed with, because he has stared down vampires looking for food, and bitch slapped a shape changer for waking him up.

Don’t get him wrong, when Maddox says something it is most likely the truth, whether you want to hear it or not. He sees things in people, and can be the perfect voice of reason. This kid is a mess of contradictions, but all you really need to know, he will stand with those that show him respect. While he won’t admit it, he is bi-sexual, he always has been and it doesn’t bother him as much as it did while growing up. His views on the world are plain, ‘Don’t fuck with me, and I won’t fuck with you’.

When it comes down to Bradon, he has a mean streak a mile thick for anything that so much as pisses his mate off. While Maddox never normally loses his cool, he will blow a fuse if Brad is forced into a position that he doesn’t like. He’s very protective of his mate and can read Mack like a book. The saying “Don’t con a con man” comes to mind. All around though, Sinclair is the light to Bradon’s dark side. [/LIST][b]Likes:[/b][LIST] [*] Cats [*] Having a roof over his head. [*] Pissing people off, that pisses him off. [*] Drinking. [*] Being in control. [*] Drawing. [*] Showers, they are amazing things. [*] Chicken and vegetable pie. [*] Pain, to a small degree. [*] A sleepy Bradon all to himself. [/LIST][b]Dislikes:[/b][LIST] [*] Being tied down, it’s a borderline fear. (Though Brad makes it a hell of a lot different.) [*] Drugs of any kind. [*] Dogs (that aren’t on a leash.) [*] Being woken up by annoying alarm clocks shaped like chickens or cows. [*] Cold eggs. Ew. [*] Idiots. [*] Upsetting Brandon without doing it on purpose. [*] Hospitals. They smell of death. [*] People that try to bully him into doing things they want. [/LIST][b]Weaknesses:[/b][LIST] [*] Hot chocolate [*] Brandon, through he won't admit it. Often. [*] Younger homeless kids. [*] He can be too kind for his own good. [*] His smart mouth. [*] His sensitivity at times. [*] He can't read much, just enough to not kill himself. [/LIST][b]Strengths:[/b] [LIST] [*] He’s a good people watcher. [*] Bradon! [*] Keeping secrets [*] His smart mouth [*] Making a way in crowded sidewalks. [*] Breaking and entering [*] Lying to people but at the same time, telling them the truth. [/LIST][b]History:[/b][LIST]Maddox has always been in the system, from the day of his birth; he was dutifully removed from his mother’s cold dead arms, and taken away by the child care officer that had brought in the expecting fifteen year old pregnant girl into the hospital only days before. Brought up in the public foster home, he was always looked at by prospective parents, and always, those parents turned away and found another kid that they wanted.

Young as he was, he didn’t care. The foster home, was his home, everything he knew and loved and also hated. He was always bullied by the stronger kids, and at one point, at the age of seven; one of the care workers made it his personal mission, into making Maddox his personal sex toy. It was the world he grew up in, and he grew used to it after two years, even when his career rented him out to his friends under the guise of day trips. By the time he was ten, he was living on the streets, always one step ahead of the law that always wanted him to go back to his abusers.

Over the next couple of years of turning tricks on the street for cash, doing what he knew what to do. Selling himself for money and protection, stealing and the like, just to survive. He met one guy that would change his life though, for better and for worse. A werewolf that became an older brother to him. Maddox began to pull out of the black pit he had thrown himself into, and came into his own eventually thanks to the shifters help.

They where good friends, and then [i]it[/i] happened and everything else fell apart. His street brother was kidnapped, well Maddox, always one to stand by his friends, followed the things that took his buddy away. All the damned way to the big Apple! A city is always the same, and Maddox quickly found out that he couldn’t do a damned thing to help his friend out of the bind he’d gotten himself in with some pretty pissed off vampires. So he settled for the next best thing, keeping an eye on him from a distance and doing what had to be done, to keep the news coming. He’s not proud of what he did, but he wouldn’t take it back.  

He obliviously didn’t do that good a job in the end though, because there was someone that was stalking him. A cop that had a vendetta against his street brother, Bradon Mackenzie. He wasn’t to know that his bro had killed this man’s brother, all he could really see from the moment the shape shifter stormed into his life was that the man was slowly destroying himself. They fought for a few months, but eventually when Bradon gave him the news that his brothers body had been found, Maddox gave up. He just didn’t have it in him to fight any more.

Brad had an opportunity to save them though and the relationship that they had, they relocated to England and away from everything that they knew to start over in Jackford, England. That was like, two years ago now, if not longer and Maddox is just back to his happy self. So he's never met his parents or known a real family, big deal. It's a new life for him, one with the man he loves no less...And a rag tag bunch of werelions.

Almost six years later, Maddox became a married man and infected. Best christmas ever. [/LIST]

[veryangryhedgehog]

Man of Medan: AKA Let me Throw my Money at your Face Supermassive

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these little analysis things, and I doubt this one will be very long (just kidding I lied), but I’ve been playing Man of Medan, the first episode of the new “Dark Pictures” anthology by Supermassive games, and I think you can tell by the title exactly how I feel about it.

(As a note, I will be discussing the contents of the game, so SPOILERS ahead)

First of all, let me just start by saying that I am a huge fan of horror in general, but especially of horror anthologies. There’s just something about the format that fits in so well with this particular genre, one that is often more about eliciting a certain kind of emotion or feeling from the audience vs. any grand character studies or morals to be shared. Don’t get me wrong, those things are great as well, as a writer becoming known for my massive amounts of character (a large number of which I kill off) I understand entirely. But horror in particular is a genre best encapsulated by its brevity. The shorter and more visceral it is, the less you have to explain, and often the more terrifying or thought-provoking. 

Another benefit of the anthology format is the ability to explore a larger amount of ideas in a shorter amount of time. And horror is of course, all about its ideas. So the instant I heard that Supermassive was going to create a series of shorter horror stories in the format of its previous game “Until Dawn” I was immediately excited. I held back a little, holding onto the fear that sequels are often worse off than their predecessors, and that lightning doesn’t often strike twice. I am pleased as punch to admit that my caution was entirely unwarranted.

Keep in mind, I have never actually played “Until Dawn”. I have seen two different Let’s Plays of it, but I feel as if I can’t truly judge a game without actually having played it myself. That’s kind of the purpose of a video game. Thusly I will not be making a whole ton of comparisons between the two works, but rather discussing “Man of Medan”, or MoM as I will abbreviate it as, on what I have observed and its own merits.

However, the one point of comparison I will have to make is between its two “framing devices,” mostly because I think it’s interesting to compare these two with the themes of their respective games. Until Dawn had a psychiatrist character, and many of its themes were related to the characters and their interpersonal relationships. I think people who claimed that the “choices didn’t actually matter that much” in the game were incorrect, as the choices weren’t so much based on how the story went moreso than how many characters made it out and how their relationships with each other changed. 

A lot of this theme of character interaction carries over to MoM, but at the same time I feel like there’s a much larger emphasis put on the concepts of the tales, as horror anthologies are wont to do, and the plays and twists on tropes that the creators can make. Thusly, MoM trades out the psychiatrist for the Curator. I will say that personally, I like the Curator better as a character. The psychiatrist was meant more to scare you, whereas the Curator has a deeper sense of disquiet to him. It’s more subtle, and it shows that while MoM does have a lot of “jump scare” moments to please the masses, it also contains that hint of genuine creativity and understanding of its genre. Also, for those of you who read Ede Valley, I think it will be obvious to you why I like this character so much. Or maybe not quite yet.

On the topic of its creators, I was incredibly impressed with the writers’ understanding of tropes and their uses in Until Dawn--I always hated when people complained that its characters were “weak” or “annoying” because once again, they completely misunderstood the creators’ intentions--and Man of Medan continues to impress on that front. To be fair, my friend (an actor) and myself (a writer) were able to guess what was really going on within about ten minutes of the game’s beginning, but even with that knowledge, it was still utterly fascinating for us to go through the game and seeing what the creators did with it.

Have you noticed that all of the characters see different things? (Special thanks to @allimiece for pointing this out.) Alex and Brad see pretty generic things, but Julia (who is unsure of her relationship) sees Alex trying to attack her, Fliss (who is relatively superstitious and cautious) sees cults and rituals, and Conrad, most interesting of all, has his own hornyness turned against him in the form of a pretty pinup girl turning into an ugly crone and hunting him down.

I am sincerely impressed with the amount of thought that went into the writing of this tale. As with its predecessor, these characters are not the smartest people. They are a little older than their wendigo-chow counterparts, in a slightly different phase of their lives, but still kind of idiots. But that’s the point. Sure, there’s some incredibly cheesy lines here or there, but all of it is done with this knowledge of “yeah, we know this is really stupid too. Look at this fucking idiot. You wanna kill him, right?”

But not only that, I am even more impressed with the thought and care that went into absolutely every detail of this game. I decided to go and watch some of the small featurettes that came with the game, as I’ve always been a sucker for behind-the-scenes stuff. This is actually what prompted the writing of this essay. Because in those featurettes, the creators talked about the amount of thought and love that went into every aspect of the game, down to hiring a costume designer and getting swatches for the Curator’s potential clothes, down to the details on his fucking desk and the hours of thought about the lighting in his repository, and I was utterly astounded (and honestly a little cowed, I wish I could write some of my stories with as much effort). 

I’ve always held the belief that if you put a lot of love and a lot of effort into a work of art, it will really show. And sometimes this will elevate a work from great to stellar, and now if I ever need a ready example of this, I can point to Man of Medan. You can truly tell that everyone involved with this project really cared about what they were doing, and about making something truly great, and every second of screentime just bleeds it.

I’ve played through the game about 2 and a half times now, once in multiplayer, and once in single, and it ran so smoothly and wonderfully and I only ever experienced a few minor graphical glitches (which are slightly worse in the multiplayer, but that’s most likely out of Supermassive’s control). Even my friend who is a professional business man was highly impressed with it, so much so that he was wondering how much money it would take to buy Supermassive (keep dreaming, Wimdy, keep dreaming).

So yeah, Man of Medan is absolutely fantastic and if you haven’t experienced it yet, you should really just go buy it. It’s available on Steam for only $30, and is worth every penny. I understand that it’s very easy to simply go watch Lets Plays, especially of games that play mostly like movies such as this one, but Supermassive is not a huge AAA studio. They certainly don’t get the sales figures that say Call of Duty or even Assassin’s Creed receives. So if you can, please, please go support them in any way you can. MoM is an incredible game and I’m so excited to see what they come out with in the future.

(Also, Allimiece and I are so excited for Little Hope. The Crucible is our shit and we are over the moon about it!)

[thelifeofm]

Contests Schmontests: a few thoughts

It’s that time of year again… AKA photo contest time. I wrote this post 5 years ago after judging POYi for the first time, and housed it on a blog I’ve long-since scrubbed clean. But figured it was worth reposting now since the same conversations are happening now about the winning images. 

----- Judging POYi is such a unique experience that I wanted to share some thoughts and insights with you. From February 2-6, 2015, AP Photo Editor Jacqueline Larma, South African photojournalist (and last year’s 2nd place POY portfolio winner) James Oatway, WIRED Magazine Director of Photography Patrick Witty and I looked at about 10,770 unique images at the University of Missouri’s 72nd annual POYi competition. 

We were judging the News Division — with categories ranging from Feature and Portrait to Human Conflict and Issue Reporting to Portfolio of the Year.

It was an incredible honor to look through the best pictures of the year to determine the VERY best. For me, the goal going into the week was not to not only recognize a very high level of work done this year, and give it a second life, but also to help establish the benchmark for the next year’s work. The magnitude of that task weighed heavily. And I guarantee you, it wasn't taken lightly.

One thing we kept returning to as a judging team was that, above all, this is a photojournalism competition. At its most basic level, the photography has to be there. The quality of the pictures is paramount.

We removed several really good pictures from the competition because of carelessness on the photographer’s part (or sometimes on the part of the entry coordinator — yes some publications actually still have people that enter contests for their staff — which amazes me). Small things like a dirty sensor, poor toning, low res images and crops that left lines or borders on the edges were difficult to get past. This contest is for Pictures of the Year. Before you enter, take a second to ensure there’s nothing detracting from your image.

On a higher plane, come the intangibles. What is this picture saying? Is it truthful? Does the photographer have a voice and a vision, are they moving photography forward with their image? It’s not enough to simply show up (f8 and be there), point, and shoot. When everyone with a camera phone fancies themselves a photographer, we have to set ourselves apart by approaching situations skillfully — photography is, after all, a craft.

Moments always weigh heaviest for me. But there are other elements like mood, composition, light, and what the photographer is trying to say, that we took into account as well. It’s not enough to show up, you have to bring something to the image as well.

That said, judging is a very subjective process. Put different judges on any year's contest jury, and the winners might be different. I think the phrase “best” isn’t necessarily a qualitative term, it’s a quantitative one. A majority of the judges have to agree that it's the best, not all...

We asked ourselves: which pictures resonate with us…. four people from totally different and diverse backgrounds. One thing that was obvious is that when you respect what the other judges bring to the table, it’s an incredibly fascinating process to go through. We talked about the pictures, a lot. You have to be able to articulate why something is good, not just that it is. 

But perhaps the biggest thing I learned from this process is that good judging is about compromise and consensus. It’s not a perfect process, no contest is, but when done right... it’s incredibly fair. Ultimately, the other three judges and I had the utmost respect for the work we were looking at, and wanted the best of the best to be recognized. 

I say that because I got text messages, emails and phone calls after judging was over asking why a certain story didn’t win, or a certain issue not rise up and be recognized. And the bottom line is this: it's hard to second-guess judging because it doesn't come down to one person's opinion... it comes down to a collective vote by just a handful of people that you've put your trust into.

I'll also say this: you can only judge the work that’s there against other work that’s there. I know that there was some powerful work done in 2014 that wasn’t entered. I know that we saw better pictures of certain events or moments on the wires or newspapers, but that work wasn’t entered. You can’t judge a best of anything contest against the ideal stuck in your head — that’s not fair. You have to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of what’s on the screen in front of you — the end. (On a side note: I hate contests that refuse to award a 1st place, and just give a 2nd and 3rd... It's a contest of, the year, you judge what's there. Because that's the best of what you've got. Period.)

Issue Reporting story was, in my mind, one of the strongest categories this year. And it was my favorite to judge. It shows how deeply people are digging in their own backyards to tell important stories.

Brad Vest’s look at the residents of a Memphis Housing project took us inside this place, put a face on the people there, had heart, and a beautiful aesthetic. The pacing and editing of it really felt like every picture pushed the narrative forward a little bit more, adding something to the story. Lisa Krantz’s story on obesity took us inside the life of San Antonio’s Hector Garcia. It had intimacy and depth. It told an important story about a powerful issue and did so with beauty and dignity for the subject. And notice how both of those photographers also had winning portfolios, because those issues, those in-depth stories, those important and incredible moments, carried them through.

The Staten Island Ferry Portrait Series that placed second resonated with me for the same reason: it’s such a good reminder that you don’t always have to go far or seek out the exotic to make interesting and compelling images.

Feature Picture Story was (again, in my mind, I’m not speaking for the other judges here) one of the weakest categories. It felt like a dumping ground for event coverage, for collections of images photographers were lumping together, for fluff that lacked both substance and style. Without purpose, 12 pretty photos from the State Fair do not a picture story make. Make those pretty images, but then ask yourself what you’re trying to say about this place, these people, this thing… AND FIND A WAY TO SAY IT. The feature stories that won, did so deservingly — especially the first place winner which is a quiet, yet almost lyrical way of telling a story. Different, yet emotive. Powerful, yet thoughtful. But the drop off was steep after the ones that placed.

Before we began judging the Newspaper Portfolio round, contest coordinator Rick Shaw reminded us that there’s no such thing as a perfect portfolio. And he’s right. Although some portfolios came close, ultimately, picking a winner came down to weighing the strengths and weaknesses of a body of work. For me, stories held more weight in the portfolio, because that’s really when you get to see a photographer’s strengths: how they work through a story, how they edit it, how their ideas translate into moments. And then how do the singles back this up?

It helps to look at things in a grid form, all together in a contact sheet, to see how things not only look, but feel, as a group. Are there any clunkers that are bringing it down? Is there a frame there that because of aesthetic or approach feels like it was shot by a different photographer? Are you putting a weak sports or spot news photo into your portfolio to fill a hole or is it really necessary and does it add to the work? It’s definitely given me a lot to think about when assembling my own portfolio for future contests.

The state of the newspaper industry is lousy right now. With layoffs and buyouts, losing experience and expertise hurts. I saw that come through in the editing time-and-time again. There were stories and portfolios that were too long, redundant, or full of too many pointless unnecessary photos. Those we eliminated. It sucks thinking, this is a great photographer… if only they had a good editor.

But the winners give me some hope for the industry. There’s no question that there’s still some amazing work out there by photographers who are findings ways to get it done. There are brave photographers willing to risk their lives to make images that show us the suffering, brutality and inhumanity of conflict. There are inspiring and innovative photographers who are finding new and different ways to make images. And there are concerned photographers digging deeper into their own communities to shed a light on the darkness.

Contests aren’t perfect. And entering them isn’t either. Just because a set of judges doesn’t pick an image doesn’t mean it’s bad. It just means it didn’t resonate with those judges in that place on that day. 

And if you win something and have a photo that places, congratulations. It’s a feather in your cap, a pat on the back and hopefully some validation to take back to your bosses to remind them why we need the time and space to do what we do.

The opportunity to see how your own work stands up to the work that’s being chosen is a learning experience. And if your work’s not quite there this year, you know where the bar has been set. Hopefully it’s a motivator more than a deterrent. More than anything though, what I hope people get out of contests is the conversations they spark. The debates about photos are healthy, as long as they’re constructive.

And with all that said: the most important thing to remember is judging is incredibly subjective and it depends on a lot of factors coming together and aligning perfectly — one of the biggest being luck.

[mysterylover123]

My Top 10 Favorite Series of All Time

Mysterylover123, to my followers.

This list, of course, could change. At some point in the future, I could always discover a new series that topples the competition - but for the moment, here they are. My top 10 favorite series of all time - mostly comics or television, but also film, and a few novel series made the honorable mentions list.

Of course, these are all just my personal favorites - that’s the key word. While I did consider objective quality when making the call, I mostly went with my gut and listed series I love for whatever reason - maybe sentimental value, pushing my personal buttons, or just characters I adored. I also made myself list the things I don’t like about the series as well, just to avoid gushing too much and remember that all but one (my #1) series out there are at least, a little, flawed, but nonetheless still lovable. With that in mind, here they are:

#10. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-2015)

Type: Live-Action TV show

Genre: Crime/Mystery; forensic drama, police procedural

Favorite character: Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger)

Favorite episode: “Grave Danger”, Parts 1 & 2 (Season 5 finale)

Favorite Season: 7

Favorite villain: The Miniature Killer/Natalie Davis

Bad points: Weak later seasons, forced romance subplot, copious amounts of filler

Why it’s here: CSI is nostalgic for me. I watched it during my early crime drama loving years, and found out that as much as I liked the premise, what made the show for me was the cast. That was the first time I realized how essential characters are to creating intriguing drama. CSI is still my favorite traditional crime/mystery show, since in seasons 1-8, it maintained a good balance of character drama and mystery-of-the-week. Season 7 is a high point,  balancing an ongoing story with lots of fun one-offs and an emotionally explosive payoff. Later seasons, however, wear down the show’s quality for me. Too many beloved characters left and the series becomes too reliant on filler, ending with a thud that is the series finale. But the best of CSI is still enough to land it here for me.

(Just to clarify, I mean Las Vegas)

#9. Futurama (1999-2003; 2008-2013)

Type: Animated TV Show + movies

Genre: Sci Fi Dramedy

Favorite character: Philip J Fry (Billy West)

Favorite episode: “Jurassic Bark”

Favorite season: 4

Favorite villain: Bender

Bad points: Sexism, weak later seasons, bad 2nd movie

Why it’s here: Futurama came to me during a phase of depression in my life, and the show’s combination of humor and cry-your-eyes out tragedy kept me going. I’ve seen it through five times, and it’s always a blast. To me, Futurama is better than The Simpsons. Simpsons is funnier, but only for seven years or so. Following those seven years are 21 of mediocrity, whereas Futurama thankfully cuts it short. While some of the later seasons are weaker than the early Fox years, they still have quality gems and the show’s unique flavor. The series speaks to me so much; it’s a mix of hilarious comedy, serious character drama, and high sci-fi concepts that all mesh together in a unique experience. This is a series that’s not afraid to try new things, to experiment and let the characters age and grow. My personal favorite part of the series is the friendship between the core trio, Fry, Bender and Leela. Any episode starring them is a-ok by me.

Favorite memories: Binge-watching the series during a period of unemployment.

#8. Death Note (2003-2004; 2006-2007)

Type of series: Manga/Anime

Genre: Supernatural Crime Thriller

Favorite Character: L Lawliet (Alessandro Juliani)

Favorite Episode: Episode 2, “Confrontation”

Favorite Arc: The first one

Favorite villain: Light Yagami (Brad Swaile)

Bad points: Weak second half, so-so character development

Why it’s here: Death Note is a dark, twisted, engrossing thriller, which under normal circumstances shouldn’t be re-watchable. But I keep coming back to it, regardless of how many times I’ve seen it before. It’s a digestible 37 episodes and 108 chapters, for one thing. It introduced me to two characters that endlessly fascinate and frustrate my analytical brain. The antagonists, Light and L, are two of the most brilliant characters I’ve come across in fiction, and their dynamic with each other is endlessly engaging. Well, it should have been through the whole series…if not for certain incidents. But no matter; we have what we have. Flawed, yes. Terrifying, certainly. Death Note scares me like no other story. But what frightens me in DN isn’t so much there gruesome deaths, but how effortlessly it portrays the banality of evil.

Favorite memories: Watching the show during the winter holidays while on vacation, and contemplating the series during the drive home.

#7. Spider-Man (1962-)

Type: Comic book; various mediums of adaptation

Genre: Superhero

Favorite character: Mary Jane Watson

Favorite Storyline: The Night Gwen Stacy Died, #121-122

Favorite villain: The Green Goblin

Bad points: Weak later issues, lots of filler, “One More Day”

Why it’s here: Spidey is still my favorite superhero. He was me in high school (I got into Spider-Man in high school, incidentally), the everyman, the representation of my nerdy outcast struggle and need to both escapism and greater responsibility. But what really drew me to the comic, and still does, was the vast and multifaceted supporting cast. In the great eras of Spidey (Ditko, Romita, Conway, and late 1980s), the supporting cast make the series. Whether it’s Peter’s various complex lady loves, the endless cavalcade of memorable villains, supporting dude-friends like Flash and Harry or my personal favorite, mainstay Mary Jane “you just hit the jackpot” Watson, the cast of Spidey was majorly influential with good reason. The series loses it’s skill in the 1990s, thanks to the Clone Saga and general 90s comic badness, and plummets into an irretrievable black hole in 2007, never to return. But fortunately, there’s still thirty years’ worthy of fascinating comics to draw from before that insanity begins. And those stories have in turn fed fantastic adaptations, whether it be the sentimental 90s animated show, a few of the films, or the superlative Spectacular cartoon.

Favorite memories: Reading Spider-Man comics after high school, while waiting to get picked up. Also, watching the 90s show as a little kid, even if those are kinda dim.

#6. Gravity Falls (2012-2016)

Type of series: Animated TV Show

Genre: Supernatural

Favorite character: Mabel Pines (Kirsten Schaal)

Favorite season: 2

Favorite episode: “Not What he Seems”

Favorite Villain: Bill Cipher

Bad points: A few filler episodes, some odd messages, so-so ending

Why it’s here: I love a good spooky story. Gravity Falls caught my attention around Halloween in 2016, 8 months after the series finale; I binged the whole series through in a weekend. The series remains one of the all-time best I’ve ever watched. With one or two exceptions, there are no outright bad episodes. Everything is either entertaining or incredibly entertaining. The characters feel real, the messages really hit home, and the creativity on display is astounding. Gravity Falls has something in every corner - great character development, compelling drama, laugh-out-loud comedy, and a truly engaging mystery that doesn’t disappoint. I wish the franchise ran a little longer, but I’ll give it props that unlike nearly every other show on this list, Gravity Falls doesn’t over-stay its welcome. Two seasons of brilliance, wrapping up with a strong, though not perfect, finale, before the series had a chance to go on too long or burn out the creators. It’s a welcome treat to watch again, and again, and again. It’s mostly low on this list, not because of the few weak points, but because I don’t have as much emotional attachment to the series as I do to my top 5 pics.

Favorite memories: Watching the show with my dad and brother on vacation. Both of them are very surly and nit-picky, so presenting them with a show this good meant no cause to complain.

#5. Frasier (1993-2004)

Type: Live Action TV series

Genre: Sitcom

Favorite character: Niles Crane (David Hyde-Pierce)

Favorite season: 4

Favorite episode: “Something Borrowed, Something Blue”

Bad points: Weaker later/early seasons, sometimes annoying

Why it’s here: Frasier has a record for the most Emmy awards won by a single show. And rightly so, in my opinion. This is one of those series with astonishingly top-notch writing all around. It’s a sitcom that banks it’s humor on taking down pretentious snobs and prejudiced jerks; the jokes stay funny because, like all good humor, they stay relevant. This series feels kind of timeless; despite coming out in the instantly dated 90s, the characters’ fashions, mindsets, and relationships feel like they could be written today or twenty-forty years earlier. My heart belongs to the series’ ongoing love story between uptight, snippy Niles and eccentric, lovable Daphne (Jane Leeves). I have yet to see a better executed TV romance, one that pulls out all the stops like this one does. If I were to compare Frasier to anything, it would be to a Jane Austen novel. It has the same social satire, the same sardonic humor, the same understanding of romance and human psychology. That, to me, is what makes a great comedy.

Favorite memories: Discovering Frasier out of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons - and coming to realize which of the two is truly the better comedy. (Sorry to take another potshot at Simpsons; I do like the early seasons, I just think the show is overrated).

#4. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)

Series type: Live Action films and TV

Genre: Superhero

Favorite characters: Tie: Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston)

Favorite film: Captain America the Winter Soldier (2014)

Favorite phase: Phase 3 (so far)

Bad points: Occasional weak/so-so film, lack of representation

Why it’s here: I first watched only a handful of MCU films; after Avengers, I gave it up and focused on other things. I loved it the first time, but when I came back and screened every picture in the lineup till the present, that is when I fell in love with the franchise. I was missing out on some of the series’ best characters. And that’s what makes the MCU special to so many people: the characterization. The series is at it’s best when it’s giving it’s multi-layered cast focus and development. Marvel comics have always been a favorite of mine, so naturally their best known adaptation is one of my favorites in general. I’ve found something to enjoy in just about every film in the franchise. The biggest surprise hit for me was the Captain America films - a part of the franchise I never dreamed I’d love, but which won me over with the stellar writing in the 2011 film, the indelible Winter Soldier, and the stunning, heartbreaking Civil War. I’m almost afraid of what will come next, as the franchise is heading towards a finale.

Favorite memories: Watching the films over a long, bitter summer, as my only source of joy while working a thankless job and living in a place with bad internet reception.

#3. The Buffy-verse (1997-2004) Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel

Type of series: Live-Action TV shows

Genre: Supernatural

Favorite characters: Buffy, Cordelia, and Spike

Favorite season: Season 5 of Buffy, Season 2 of Angel

Favorite episodes: “Once More with Feeling” Buffy, “You’re Welcome” Angel

Bad points: Weak later seasons, Season 6, some bad filler

Why it’s here: If I was going on sentimental fandom value alone, the Buffy-verse would be number one. I still squee over this franchise years after I first discovered it; the characters have that special Joss Whedon flair that makes them stand out over the crowd, the series’ core relationships are so fascinating I’m tempted to write fanfic about them, and the philosophies and emotional moments in the series have shaped my life. I would never have known what existentialism was, for instance, if not for Whedon’s show. Angel’s line about “ all that matters is what we do” has helped motivate me ever since I heard it. But looking at the series’ quality (and diversity), I will admit that out of my top 3 favorites, it has the most problems. Both shows have one season I can cheerfully proclaim to be outright terrible, (Season 4 for Angel, Season 6 for Buffy), and very shaky first seasons that take a while to find their feet. There are some plot decisions I just can’t forgive, and some truly weak arc villains. But there is also so much that this franchise does so well, whether it be stellar standalones, bold plot moves, and of course, the character arcs.

Favorite memories: Rewatching the show on vacation in France.

#2. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

Type: Animated TV series

Genre: Fantasy Steampunk

Favorite characters: Zuko, Azula and Sokka

Favorite season: 2

Favorite episode: “The Guru”

Bad points: Forced romantic subplots, The Great Divide, odd conclusion

Why it’s here: You may have heard, if you’ve spent any time on the internet, what a fantastic series ATLA is. I try to avoid such phrases when attempting to sell the show to people, because describing a series that way is usually a bad move. But rest assured, it’s warranted. Avatar The Last Airbender is a stellar show in every possible way. Aside from the few bad points I mentioned above, ATLA does everything right. It has the best world building I’ve ever encountered. The animation, storytelling, emotions, messages (sometimes), plot points, philosophies, individual episodes, comedy, drama, action, epic sweep, surprise reveals…(several hours of listing things later) all of these things are pitch perfect. But as always, what makes this show is the cast. My lord, what a cast. These characters are so embedded in my mind, their arcs, personalities, development and entertainment value all stand out a cut above the rest. ATLA is a stunning masterpiece, one that no adaptation could capture, and that even it’s own creators have yet to follow up on, with either the sequel or the comics. But no matter. The original is there, it always will be, and more people discover it every day.

Favorite memories: Nothing quite compares to seeing ATLA for the first time. I saw it in 2014, one of the worst years of my life. Once again, my miserable experience was improved by a fantastic story.

Before #1: The Runners-up.

Game of Thrones: I used to adore GOT, but it started losing me after season 3; I lost respect for the show in season 5. still, those early seasons are still crucial parts of our culture and should be remembered.

Harry Potter: I grew up with these books and I still enjoy parts of them; overall, however, they strike me as being just a little less than they could have been.

Percy Jackson: I binged through the whole first book in a few hours, and loved these novels as a teen. As an adult, they don’t hold up as well, but I still appreciate the things they do right.

The Legend of Korra: The sequel to ATLA is spotty in many ways, but contains enough moments I absolutely love to make it at least a runner up.

South Park: Another series that got me through a bad time in my life and helped me deal with certain aspects of myself (especially episode 1507.) However, the early and late seasons are pretty bad, and the show doesn’t age very well.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: A bizarre little anime that nonetheless really stands out to me for how crazy it gets and how unique the story is.

Hannibal: A guilty pleasure - definitely a show that gets too far up it’s own butt in later episodes, but nonetehless appealing and interesting in the subjects it’s willing to tackle.

Parks and Recreation: My other favorite TV sitcom besides Fraser - it’s a strong runner up for the list but not quite sentimental enough.

Steven Universe: 3 great seasons, followed by a lot of recent mediocrity. Great when it’s great, bad when it’s not.

Code Geass: an immensely ambitious series, that doesn’t quite realize it’s goals but god damn if it isn’t a beautiful try.

Daria: Another show that really spoke to me in high school

Firefly: This was the biggest runner-up for the list. Firefly is 14 amazing episodes of television cut short too soon, giving us amazing characters and great world building in a short amount of time. The series has some bits that haven’t aged well, and those were enough to keep it off my top 10.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

#1. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (manga: 2001-2010, anime 2009-2010)

Series type: Anime/Manga

Genre: Sci Fi (I think)

Favorite character: Edward Elric

Favorite episodes: “Flame of Vengeance”; “Backs in the Distance”

Bad points: None

Why it’s here: I’m gonna be brutally honest: FMAB is here because I can’t find anything wrong with it. It is, without question, the single most perfect piece of fiction I’ve ever come across. It almost frightened me when I first finished the series. Surely there must be some major, glaring flaw, some bad installment or weak character, that I could point to and say Look! Here’s the flaw! This was made by human hands after all! But nope. Many, many rereads through, and I still haven’t found one. FMAB stands supreme. This series has everything. The most fleshed out and real-feeling cast of characters I’ve ever come across (even minor background characters have spectacular arcs and feel like real people). The best pacing and plotting of an overall story arc. The best world building, aside from ATLA. The best exploration of social issues, the best feminism, the best use of mature storytelling. Everything comes back around. The themes, the mystery, the overall tone and story structure. I feel like an engineer gushing over the most perfectly calibrated car ever made each time I watch it. But Fullmetal is even more than just expertly made. It’s appealing. It’s popular. It’s the kind of story you can write essays on or write fanfic for. FMAB can be enjoyed in every capacity. I recommend taking the time to read the Manga first (that’s what I did), then watch Brotherhood. There really is nothing quite like FMAB. (oh, BTW, it has the best series finale of anything e ver. Period.)

Best memories: Watching Fullmetal while coping with death for the first time in my life. There is no better series when it comes to dealing with this subject.

[hillnerd]

Taking a Shallow Breath Ch 7

|Harry Potter | Fanfiction | PG-13 | in-progress | Ch: 3706 words

Ships: Rose/Scorpius, canon and others | FF.net

Romance friendship comedy family & drama | starts super silly- will get more serious as we go. 

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 

A person's front door can say a great deal about them.

Some people enjoy choosing grande hand-carved doors that have history, and speak of times of old. Scorpius tended to like people who chose such doors. It meant they appreciated artistry, quality, and could embrace the unique. They also had a flair for drama. Rose loved those kinds of doors.

Some people prefer the clean lines of an Edwardian door. These usually put more effort into the knobs, hinges, and door-knockers than the wood itself. They speak of someone who enjoys details, while being beyond the fuss of the overly grande, and relatively down to earth. Scorpius had such a door.

There were also doors filled with character but no artistry. Albus had such a door. It was beaten up from years of use, a faded orange color, and the number six hung down so that it looked like a nine. He had a shoddy matt out front with stripes, and though it was anything but put together, it had a certain charm about it.

And finally there was the red hunk of metal Brad had the audacity to call a door.

It bore no decoration- there wasn't even a welcome matt: just a cold steel handle, highly glossy red metal and a black peep hole. It spoke of someone slick like the varnish, cool like the metal, and flashy like that atrocious tomato red.

Scorpius hated that door.

What he hated even more was that he had been staring at it for one hour, nineteen minutes, and ten seconds.

"Rose! Open this door! This is getting ridiculous!" yelled Brad.

One hour, nineteen minutes, and fifteen seconds with the poncy owner himself.

"Calling her actions ridiculous will hardly entice her to leave," Scorpius drawled from the floor.

Brad tried another spell. The door glowed blue then turned garish red again.

"You've also tried that spell already," said Scorpius, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Rose's Charms are the best. Get a magical locksmith: I doubt drawing up contracts for overpaid Quidditch stars has improved your charms enough to worm your way in."

Scorpius was satisfied to see Brad's shoulders tense. Until Brad, Scorpius had never met someone he could not get a rise out of when he wanted to. He had never seen the man lose his cool, which made Al's theory that 'Bert' was not human slightly more plausible.

"It's a Sunday. Magical Locksmiths are like banks and private practice Healers- closing at the merest hint of a Holiday or weekend." Brad leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "Rose's Uncle is a cursebreaker... Perhaps I could get him to open the door."

"If you want the whole Weasley family to know your personal business with Rose, by all means do," said Scorpius. "I'm sure her father would be keen to know why his only daughter has barricaded herself."

Brad blanched.

"You know, this is probably the most I've ever heard you talk, Scorpius."

Scorpius stoically did not mention he despised Brad and generally made excuses to escape his company.

"I suppose I just don't see enough of you and Al, though I think Al orchestrates that. He seems to rather despise me. If it weren't for the fact that he and Rose were cousins ,I'd think he were jealous."

"He is very protective of Rose," Scorpius said with a schooled shrug.

"As are you."

Scorpius remained silent. He didn't like where Brad was probing with this conversation.

"You know, there is a closeness between you and Rose I quite envy at times..."

"Perhaps, if you weren't so busy negotiating with Melrose Fenwick, you could spend time with Rose," said Scorpius.

"We spend plenty of time together," Brad said with a raunchy smile that made Scorpius roll his eyes. "But I still envy your friendship. Sometimes I even worry she tells you things she would never tell me."

"I wouldn't know. I'm not privy to your private conversations, after all." Scorpius could not recall being more uncomfortable. He hoped this would bring an end to this intimate look into Brandon Bradley's perspective. He came from a family where you were taught to never reveal your weaknesses, or worries, for fear they would be exploited later. Being a Slytherin only further enforced this. Scorpius had very few people he trusted with his insecurities, secrets and dreams. Brad would never be one of them, and he had no idea why Brad felt the need to share such details with him.

"She's incredibly special, you know? I even wonder how I was lucky enough to catch her."

Scorpius had pondered that subject many a time.

"I don't pretend to understand your relationship, but your friendship means a great deal to her, so whatever it is you're holding against me, I hope we can move past it. I know she'd appreciate it if we got along," said Brad.

Scorpius resisted a gaffaw.

Either Brad was very shrewd, or he was a much more gracious person than Scorpius had thought him. He hoped it was the former, that way his continued hatred would feel even more just. Was he trying to weasel something of a confession out of Scorpius?

Or maybe he was hoping to use Scorpius as a way to quickly earn Rose's forgiveness.

Scorpius had never cared much for Brad. The man was much too keen to have everyone's approval, an attribute Scorpius disdained. What tolerance he had for Brad dipped when he took up with Rose three years prior- but following the proposal, Scorpius found it hard to recall one pleasant thing about him. If someone like Rose could manage to stand the bastard, he had to have at least one redeeming feature, and after thinking, Scorpius discovered it. He had clean fingernails. There! That was surely enough for karma's sake.

Looking at the shiny door, Scorpius could make out their reflections as they sat together. At first glance one might think the rivals friends.

What if they were friends? Wouldn't Rose appreciate it? Wouldn't Scorpius have more opportunities to sabotage Brad and leave him in a crying mess on the floor for others to mock?

Scorpius felt a bit ill. It was uncomfortable to come to terms with how deeply rooted and savage his feelings towards Brad had become.

The most ruthless part of him wanted to sabotage Brad in every way. He did not want to stop at just stealing Rose, but hurt Brad's reputation, and leave him gutted. He wanted revenge against the ponce for ever having taken Rose's time and attention.

He shook his head to rid himself of this dangerous territory of thought. He never considered himself spiteful- though he had been known as a bit harsh at times, he was nothing if not fair. He was not terribly fluent in underhanded dealings, only ever dabbling in them when necessary, for he had always regarded himself as above that. He was a pillar of virtue, compared to many of the Slytherins he knew.

Of course, being friendly with Brad could have other benefits, like research on how to get Rose to see all the faults in him Scorpius and Al did. He would finally end the hold Brad had on Rose's affections, and if Brad would suffer, so be it.

"Yes, she would appreciate us getting along," Scorpius finally conceded.

"I'm willing to try."

"And I'm willing... to look past your atrocious taste in architectural features."

Brad laughed.

"Yeah, it's not quite as classic as your tastes-"

"That's one way to put it," said Scorpius with a raised brow at the door.

"I suppose that's why you're the architect."

"I don't have any business cards with me, but feel free to floo my secretary. It needs an overhaul, if not for taste's sake, then for your neighbors'. I would have lodged a complaint years ago."

"You know, it's been over an hour," Brad said, deftly changing the subject. "Part of me is wondering if she's in there or not."

Scorpius turned his head to the side. A spark of thought burgeoned within him. Rose was not there at all... and he had a reasonably good idea of where to find her. The more he thought on it, the more he felt the need to leave immediately.

"Well, it seems there is nothing I can do to rectify this situation. I suppose I'm going to go home," he said, hoping Brad took no notice of his sudden inspiration. Brad didn't seem concerned, so Scorpius took his leave, doing his best to look unhurried. The moment the doors closed on the the elevator he apparated.

He was immediately in the familiar alleyway near Marylebone High Street. Of all the wizard inventions, how they had not managed to get better apparating points, he was unsure. The alley had the same long abandoned posters featuring bands he had never heard of, and long-forgotten flyers of past classes liberally lining its its brick walls. At one point people must have passed by this area quite often, but the foreclosed building at the end of the alley looked like it hadn't seen people in a decade. It was a shame, really, as it was built rather handsomely, and with a few spells and layers of paint, it would be a grande place for a business of some sort.

He walked fast as he could without gaining unwarranted attention, until coming to the dark blue doors of the museum.

"Malfoooy!" he heard a voice trill from inside. Vanessa, a plump genial woman called him from the desk. The bubbly woman had worked there ever since its opening, she told him some years ago. She seemed an odd fit for the quiet rooms of the small museum, especially as her trilling laugh would echo off the walls disturbing the guests. He fished in his pockets to pay her for admission. "Don't you try to pay us. You and Rose are in here often enough, it wouldn't be right to ask you to pay each time."

"Fine, but I swear I'll manage to pay you eventually," Scorpius said, re-pocketing a muggle bill. "Is Rose in her usual spot?"

"Oh yes! Same as usual," Vanessa said with a laugh. Scorpius gave her a nod of thanks, before making his way into the gallery. A few turns and flights of stairs, and he was able to see Rose's bright hair. She sat alone on her bench, firmly staring at the painting front of her. Her hand tried to sneakily remove a piece of chocolate from her purse. The purse crinkled in a way that made him suspect this was not her first piece of the day.

"I believe it's against the rules to bring in outside food or drink," said Scorpius, pointing to the sign above her head that said 'no outside food or drink.'

"It doesn't say anything about chocolate," she said pushing another chocolate into her mouth, and licking her fingers. She moved the purse, almost overflowing with wrappers, to the side. Whether she moved it to make room for him to sit, or to conceal how many chocolates she had eaten, he was not sure.

He silently sat on the proffered spot, though not without spelling away a pair of chocolate finger prints from the seat.

Rose continued to chew, a look of consternation wrinkling her brow. She had a bit of chocolate in the corner of her mouth.

"Here." He handed her a handkerchief. She wretched it from his hand and wrathfully swiped at her face.

"Are you all done depriving the greater Western Hemisphere of cocoa, or should I wait until we can roll you out the door?"

Rose scowled at him.

"You're not going to hex me into the wall like your fiance, are you?" he asked.

"I would never do that in a museum!" Rose replied, scandalized. "But once we're out of here, there are definitely no guarantees."

"Good to know. You should never warn your enemies, though," he replied, patting his wand.

"That's such a Slytherin thing to say!"

"And that's such a a Gryffindor response!" he mocked.

They sat in companionable silence, staring at Rose's favorite painting "La Belle Dame Sans Merci." Scorpius suspected she loved it because of the featured temptress who had hair every bit as red and wild as Rose's. Everything about it was like a person were in a mythical dream. The redheaded woman who held an otherworldly grace of temptation, the grande steed, the bright glow of the knight's armor; all of it created a picture one could get lost in. Rose attempted to get lost in it weekly, and sometimes more.

"O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, alone and palely loitering?" Rose recited.

"Besides having to put up with your wild temper, and a bad case of asthma, I'm doing fairly well," Scorpius laughed.

"It's from the poem the painting is based on, dimwit," said Rose.

"I knew that and was being ironic, swot."

"Who wrote the poem it's based on, prat?" she challenged.

"Keats, gasbag. I do occasionally listen when you go into your long speeches about paintings."

"You're on my good side again, then. Plus, I didn't feel like being a human thesaurus any longer. Want to get going?"

Scorpius acquiesced and they left the museum, Rose leading the way. With them, a good teasing argument usually settled any disagreement. The cool air gave Rose a lovely flush under her spattering of freckles. They walked in silence before Scorpius suddenly asked the question:

"Was there a particular reason you were so miffed at me, earlier? With Al and Brad it was fairly obvious, but me..."

Rose stopped at a window display and feigned interest in the vases there.

"So, was there a reason, or were you just exercising your right as a redhead to have a perilously short temper?"

"I was just a bit mad at you for escalating the argument with Brad, really," she said coolly. "All your annoying asides didn't help an already difficult situation."

"Ah, and here I thought you were jealous of my orgy with Lily and Mags," said Scorpius, demeanor calm.

Rose made a face and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"You wouldn't do that," she stated firmly. Scorpius silently watched her reflection, eyebrow arched.

"Or at least Mags and Lily wouldn't do that. I'm still... unsure about your moral ambiguity."

"Hmm," he replied, seeing her flustered expression. "I must admit I can be very morally ambiguous. I suppose I'll just have to depend on you to rehabilitate me."

Scorpius then did something reckless. He was standing intimately close to her and took a curl from her forehead and pushed it to the side, his fingers grazing her pale brow. She seemed to hold her breath, but he could still smell the chocolate in it. Her blue eyes deepened, her delicate and inviting lips opened as her eyelids started to flutter shut. But suddenly Rose backed away with a great jerk and the spell was broken.

"Very funny, you dirty minded thing," she exclaimed, with an overdone laugh. "So! What were they doing in your apartment? Besides the 'orgy'— you can leave those details for someone who cares."

"They decided my wardrobe needed an update."

"I like your old clothes better."

"Lily sort of insisted—"

"Since when do you listen to anyone's advice on anything?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. Rose always had an answer for everything, one of her traits that both annoyed and endeared her to him. In this case, though, she was chattering to keep him at bay.

"Well, perhaps this little experiment in fashion proves I am right in not listening to people's advice," he said. "But I do not want to argue about it anymore, Rose."

"Scorpius! Rose!" they heard from down the street.

They turned to see Lily bounding towards them. Scorpius supposed Al had told her about Rose's little street.

He was going to give a greeting when Lily pressed herself against him and kissed him. Had she been someone else, he imagined he would have greatly enjoyed such a kiss. It was far too long for propriety, and left him rather dazed as one of her hands snaked its way into his hair. After a few moments of her exploring his molars with her tongue she popped off of his face and gave him a sultry grin.

"Hullo, lover."

"Hi," he said with a great breath, trying not to pull a face.

"Hi..." Rose said in such a cantankerous way that Scorpius suddenly realized what had just transpired. Her expression looked somewhere between confusion, distaste and anger.

"So... What are you doing here?" Scorpius let out, his mind catching up to the situation as rapidly as it could. He would have to ask her to refrain from such kisses in the future as it muddled his brain.

"Brad Flooed me and told me what happened. We started looking in all the spots she might be, and I knew Rose comes here often enough. I'm not surprised you were the one to find her first. I definitely am going to give you another examination tonight."

Scorpius glanced between the two women, Lily giving him a rather convincing besotted look, and Rose giving an incredulous stare.

"Well," Scorpius swallowed, and calmed steadied himself before letting out the most stupid lie of his life.

"As you can see... Lily and I... We're involved."

"Involved," Rose repeated flatly.

"Wait a moment," Lily said before giving him a swat. "You haven't told her yet?"

"No," he said coming back to speed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Rose. It just sort of ... happened."

"A few months ago, actually," Lily added. Albus was right. Lily was an incredibly adept liar, and continued to play her role perfectly. "With all the wedding plans he didn't want to distract from you and Brad, but I thought he must have told you by now."

Rose shook her head.

"No... No he didn't tell me a thing."

"We ok?" Scorpius asked, trying to look her in the eye.

She hesitated, then gave them a smile, never looking him in the eye.

"It's fine," she said. "Really, it is. There isn't always a time to say those kinds of things the way you want to. I guess that explains your taking her fashion advice."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Lily said breezily. "On another note, Brad is worried– and we need to do some tests on Scorpius to see what he's allergic to. Why don't you go back to your apartment and then we can figure out your flower arrangement?"

"Why don't we meet at your place, then Floo him, Lily?" Rose supplied. "We could apparate there right now, in fact. You've been to her place before, right Scorpius?"

Scorpius dumbly nodded. He had never been to Lily's home. He didn't even know if it was in London. Lily gave him a panicked look.

"Are you sure you want to come directly with us? Don't you want some alone time with Brad?" Lily asked.

"It's ok," Rose said, looking between Scorpius and Lily. "You two don't want alone time do you?"

Scorpius and Lily exchanged awkward glances.

"No no! There will plenty of time for us to be alone again when you're on your honeymoon," Lily supplied quickly. "But, uh, why don't you go ahead, and we'll meet you there. I have something private to tell him."

Rose made one of her faces. "Right... Well, see you there in a minute, then."

As she walked away, Lily gave her a little wave. Her other hand snaked into Scorpius' back pocket and gave it a squeeze that made him jump from her.

They could distantly hear Rose's apparation.

"Oh, God! She's going to my apartment! Why did you say you had been to my apartment?"

"I couldn't very well say I hadn't been to my girlfriend's place, could I?"

"Yes! Yes you could have! You won't know where any of my shit is, which will be a dead giveaway! Rose isn't stupid, remember?" Lily spat, clearly aggravated. "Are you sure you're a Slytherin? Because you are pathetic at this whole 'plotting' thing."

"I'm sorry, it's a bit hard to concentrate when your tongue is exploring my esophagus and your hand keeps grabbing my bum. Overkill much?".

"Ok, so I was a bit demonstrative. I'll try to hold back from making her jealous," Lily growled. "God, this is awkward as fuck."

"I agree with your sentiment," Scorpius said, giving her a look of distaste.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I could never date anyone so stuck up."

"Next time warn me before you touch me with that filthy mouth of yours," he said, leading the way to the Apparition point.

"Don't make me get those bouquets from the wedding, Asthma Boy!"

"Perhaps we can stick more to witty banter instead of wagging tongues, if you think you can manage."

"Fine. No more unexpected wagging-tongues. She'll get so jealous that you're arguing with me, instead of her, she'll dump Brad immediately," she said dryly.

"Well, at least warn me a bit. It befuddles the mind," he said. "And I need it to stay sharp for all the 'plotting' I'm so pathetic at."

"Let's just Apparate," she said holding his arm a bit too firmly.

Scorpius felt a squeeze around his chest. He hoped it was just due to the side-along apparition, and not nerves at having begun a farce that meant continually lying to his best and oldest friend.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

[echelonfiction]

Sky Of A Million Stars: Chapter 2

I write to cope, so I am writing this,

I don't mean any disrespect to anybody,

Story warnings: sex, manipulation, substance abuse, mental unwellness, suicide (may add more)

Chapter 2 -

Chapter warnings: none

Tagging: @fyeahproudglambert

It wasn't long lasting, maybe six minutes before we were interrupted by a stagehand. I was to my feet in an instant getting my camera putting the spare memory card and battery in my pocket. Shoving some gum in my mouth so I had something to concentrate on if I got nervous. I walked to the door hoping to slip out before them.

“Oi, Hel!” Brad called. “You’re not walking out with the rest of the band?”

“I was going to get an opening shot,” I told with a smile.

“I told you, Brad, my sister’s a professional!” Chester said with a grin.

“Well yeah, I never doubted it,” Brad laughed, suddenly the whole band was heading out the door making fun of each other in some way.

“Yo, Leni,” Mike called as I turned to the size of the stage, I looked back. “You got this baby girl,” he smiled.

“Damn right she does,” Chester agreed, “We believe in you,” he called.

“Holla,” Mike laughed pointing at my brother.

 I smiled at them both before descending the stairs going in front of the center stage so I everywhere else was easy access, should I need to get there quickly. I spent most of the show in between the stage and the crowd getting some amazing shots of the crowd, some amazing shots of Chester with the crowd, Mike working hard, Brad and Dave but it was hard to get decent shots of Joe and Rob from down here so I made my way back stage, quickly swapping my lens and going side stage, switching side of the stage every now and then, eventually happy that I’d gotten enough shots of. I think I took way too many photos, it was easy to do. There were probably a lot I would delete or just keep on a hard drive though, I was after a specific type of photo where the boys were just lost in their music, it was hardest to get Mike in that situation, he was always about seven steps a head of himself all the fucking time, but when he was in those moments, it made for a great memory, a great picture, I just hoped it had portrayed into the camera the way I saw it.

I never realized how hard it would be to not be distracted by the music, especially songs like somewhere I belong and in the end, songs I had a feeling I would still love if they weren't directly tied to some of the people I cared about most in the world. Songs that I knew I would like even if they weren't connected to me. I was jamming along to Faint singing along and taking pictures. Mike finished one of his verses and looked over at me with a huge smirk that I snapped it as he looked away focusing on his guitar wondering what he was smiling about. He was such a dork, I really needed to stop thinking about him, like seriously.

They finished off faint and the arena went black, I couldn't see anything but I felt every one file around.

Instinct told me a body was right in front of mine.

“Leni?” Mike called, chills went over my skin.

“Yeah?” I said softly a moment later a hand went either side of my face lips pressing against mine as he pulled me in, I was stupid considering pulling back, I was even stupider for kissing him back. His guitar pressed up against me, my camera in one hand pressing against his chest as the other hand trailed up his back to his shoulder.

“Why would you do that,” I whined after a full minute of losing my head giving in.

“You’re doing such a great job,” he smiled, I shook my head at him, words were kind of hard, hate filled with lust filled with a knowledge of how the next 14 or so hours were going to play out but words were hard as he backed slowly to the stage for the encore.

Mike and I had been playing this game for years, We met not long after the band formed, it took a while for him to be brave enough to make a move on me, He kinda called the shots on the band but I don't think he wanted to lose Chester as a singer, not that I would ever have let that happen, we’d sneak around in the beginning, then Chester found out and reacted like I knew he would. He laughed. Then threatened Mike, I think Mike took his threat a little too seriously. Over the years we went from just having fun to Mike getting feelings for me, that I didn't share, but then when I grew the feelings to match, he decided it was a bad idea! Only a bad idea that was a good idea sometimes. I was waiting patiently for the day he realized that we were okay, I’d wait as long as it too, his weak days, like today was what made it worthwhile.

I came to my senses about three songs later, they were finishing up with ‘What I’ve done’ I looked down at the setlist that was side stage for the stage hands.

Bleed it out was next, and it was the last song. The crowds went insane for this song, as did the band.

I looked around for the best angle.

“You might want to be in the crowd for this one,” Chester called.

“I know,” I nodded and grinned at him, he grinned back as I looked up and down the stage again walking out in front of Mike. Taking a couple of pictures of the crowd that was starting a circle pit, then jumping on to the ground just as Mike started rapping, Chester was bouncing around the stage, I just kept snapping, it was a test for my camera to keep up more than anything else.

Before I knew it the song was over, and so was the show.

I made my way back stage while they threw everything they had out to the crowd. I wanted to take more pictures but my memory card was full and it wasn't worth opening a third. I could get the same thing tomorrow night if it bugged me that much.

It was so much colder back stage, I was straight at my bag putting my hoodie on.

“Yo, that was a great show!” I heard some one call as the band and a bunch of other people filed in filling the room with noises and stage smells. For me, it was time to face my memory cards and see if I earned a meal or two.

“Helena!” I heard looking up just in time to see my brother crash into me. “Fucking amazing night, right?” he asked hugging me tight then pulling back a hand on either shoulder.

“Yeah, you guys did so well, the crowd was pumped.”

“did you get some good shots?”

“I’m pretty sure,” I grinned. “I have to go through them,” I told. “But there were a few good ones of you and the crowd.”

“You’re a genius!” he said happily.

“Yo,” Mike called. “Smile” he called to us holding up his phone. “For the bands Instagram,” Chester pulled me in lazing his arm around my neck kissing my cheek I couldn't help but roll my eyes. “Perfect,” Mike called.

“I didn't even smile,” I laughed.

“You know that emotion?” Chester teased as we looked at the photo. It was kind of cute. “You did well tonight Hel,” Chester said I looked at him. “I’m Proud of you,”

“Thanks,” I smiled fighting tears. “That means a lot,”

“I know,” he smiled, scruffing my hair before walking away.

Smiling at myself for a few moments before sitting on the back of the couch clicking through the memory card, I couldn’t wait to get some of these on my computer. I looked over to where my back pack was, maybe I could import some now?

Arms went tight around my waist.

“Any good ones?” he asked.

“A couple,” I came across the one when he was laughing at me. “What were you laughing at?”

“You know my verses word for word,” he grinned.

“Faint’s one of my favorite songs, you know that,”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “But I could hear you singing it,” I looked at him. “Over the entire crowd,”  

A smile crept across my face, “It’s a good song,” I smiled.

“That’s a good one of Chester,” Mike admitted.

“These types of pictures were kind of my goal,”

“They were?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, to get you guys in that moment where it was just you and the music,” I said.

“Did you get many?”

“I don't know I’ve barely gone through them,” I laughed. “Chester’s easy to get cause he’s so emotionally driven,”

“What about me?”

“I haven't looked through,”

“But I’m not easy to get those Photos of?”

“No,” I said honestly. “You’re always thinking seven steps ahead of what you’re doing,”

“What about that one?” he asked as I came across a photo of him.

“Almost,” I smiled.

he buried his face into the back of my neck his arms tighter around me. As I leaned into him I let my senses be overwhelmed by him.

He felt so great.

He smelt so great.

“Being near you at times is a bad idea,” I grumbled.

“I know,” he said lowly. “But I can’t help it.”

Ignoring him, I had no choice. . . I kept clicking through the photos.

“I think I got one on the other memory card,” I said reaching for my pocket, trying to put a couple of centimeters between us only to feel the pocket was empty. So was the other one. I shot off the couch feeling the pockets in the back of my jeans, all that was there was my cell phone. “Shit,” I felt down my bra, I sometimes I shoved things in there in a hurry.

“What?” Mike asked, concerned.

“the memory card!” I snapped. I pulled the cushions of the chair, nothing, I walked over to my jacket bag searching it.

“Leni, stop,” Mike snapped.

“Don't fucking try to calm me right now!” I yelled. “Chester is going to kill me,”

“We’ll find it,”

“We have too!” I snapped. “It’s the one from the shoot today,”

“You didn't back it up?”

“ I didn't have time,”

“Hmm, alright, where was the last place you had it,” I thought back to where I changed it over,

“Uh, I came in and changed my lens, and changed the memory card, which I slid in my pocket,” I said “Fuck,” I snapped kicking the chair, everyone looked over at me.

“Come on!” Mike grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the door. “It’ll be somewhere,” he said as we walked to ward the stage. “I’ll look around the stage,” he said pushing me toward the stairs down to the floor.

I opened the camera on the phone looking all over the stairs. And on every piece of ground between there and the other steps looking in every corner of the stage walking across the stage checking everywhere Mike just checked I even walked over to where I was standing when the encore happened, maybe I dropped it when he kissed me. Nope!

I walked to the front of the stage and looked over the ground, it was hopeless. I dropped on the step with my face in my hands.

“I can't find it either,” Mike sighed.

“This can not be happening,” I whined.

“Hey, It’s okay,”

“It’s fucking frustrating,” I snapped hitting my leg.

“Yeah, it is, but we’ll do the shoot again, and there’s plenty of time to get the concert pictures,”

“Mike,” I sighed.

“What you got some great ones on the second card,”

“It’s not the point,” I told. There was silence for a moment, before Mike slid his hand down my arm, wrapping his fingers around my causing goose bumps on my skin.

“It’s kind of the point,” I looked at our hands. He kept talking. “I mean you’ll be more careful with your cards from now on,” he told. “And the photo shoot wasn't a major one,” he pointed out.

“Chester is going to be pissed,”

“Well, you’ve gone from ‘Chester is going to kill me’ to ‘Chester is going to be pissed,’” Mike said, I looked at his face just to see the grin I knew he’d grown. I smiled and looked away. “Oh and a smile, My work here is done,” he cheered standing bowing as I let out a soft laugh. “Come on, let's go face the music,”

“Ugh,”

Mike held his hand out. “Come on, you know I’ve got your back,” I grabbed hold of his hand to be pulled in to a hug.

“Yo!” I said pulling back hitting his arm. “You know if you kiss me in the dark, it's still fucking happens.”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “I know,”

“Mike it’s your ru-” Lips were pressed against mine, I closed my eyes and went with it because I was way too into him to pull back or walk away. I would have thought this would have gotten easier over the years, but nope

Eventually, he pulled back, this sucked, why was he giving in, I hated it, I mean not actually but geez.

We walked back in the dressing room getting cat called from everyone.

“I knew you guys couldn't make it past day one,”

“Yeah, every time Mike tells me he’s going to keep his hands off my sister, I try to catch the breath his wasting,” people laughed. “You know you’ll never get that air back right?”

“I don't want it back,” Mike said grabbing my waist hugging me as tight as he could.

“Dude,” I laughed “What happened to facing the music?” I grumbled. It brought his mood down. I looked at Chester.

“You’re pregnant?”

“Oh god no!” I laughed, I felt shudders all over my skin. “No!”

“Wow!” Mike laughed.

“You’re not pregnant, and I know you’re not going to tell the whole band you have an STD,”

“Chester,” I whined.

“It’s not that serious,” Mike told.

“It’s kind of pretty serious though,”

“Just tell us,” Rob laughed.

“I sort of kind of um” I looked at Mike, then back to Chester. “Misplaced a memory card,”

“A memory card?” 

“That’s it?” Chester laughed. 

“It’s the one from the start of the show,” I told.

“And the shoot,” Mike said for me.

“Hel!” Chester whined.

“I know,” I agreed. “I’m having the worst anxiety,”

“This is what I mean about you being a professional,”

“Chester,” Mike warned. “She’s still got great shots from tonight's gig, we’ll just need to fit in another shoot,” he told. “It’s not earth altering.”

“If this was any other band,” Chester pointed out.

“It’s not,” Mike told. “We’re her family, and it’s just a memory card.”

“Just so we’re clear, I would legit give who ever found it a blow job, except Chester,”

“Because that’s professional,” Mike spat bitterly

“Yo,” a voice called from the door, I looked over to see Jared from Thirty Seconds To Mars standing there in his beautiful man hunk glory  “I’m all good for that type of payment, but at least let me take you out for dinner first” I noticed he was turning something small in between his fingers. . . it was. . .

“You found it?” I squeaked he held up a memory card.

“If you know who H. Bennington is,”

“H. ... that's me, oh my god,” I squealed running over hugging him as tight as I could before snatching it off him. “Thank you so much,” I hugged him again.