#90 degrees goes wrong along

[cocklessboy]

The biggest male privilege I have so far encountered is going to the doctor.

I lived as a woman for 35 years. I have a lifetime of chronic health issues including chronic pain, chronic fatigue, respiratory issues, and neurodivergence (autistic + ADHD). There's so much wrong with my body and brain that I have never dared to make a single list of it to show a doctor because I was so sure I would be sent directly to a psychologist specializing in hypochondria (sorry, "anxiety") without getting a single test done.

And I was right. Anytime I ever tried to bring up even one of my health issues, every doctor's initial reaction was, at best, to look at me with doubt. A raised eyebrow. A seemingly casual, offhand question about whether I'd ever been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Even female doctors!

We're not talking about super rare symptoms here either. Joint pain. Chronic joint pain since I was about 19 years old. Back pain. Trouble breathing. Allergy-like reactions to things that aren't typically allergens. Headaches. Brain fog. Severe insomnia. Sensitivity to cold and heat.

There's a lot more going on than that, but those were the things I thought I might be able to at least get some acknowledgement of. Some tests, at least. But 90% of the time I was told to go home, rest, take a few days off work, take some benzos (which they'd throw at me without hesitation), just chill out a bit, you'll be fine. Anxiety can cause all kinds of odd symptoms.

Anyone female-presenting reading this is surely nodding along. Yup, that's just how doctors are.

Except...

I started transitioning about 2.5 years ago. At this point I have a beard, male pattern baldness, a deep voice, and a flat chest. All of my doctors know that I'm trans because I still haven't managed to get all the paperwork legally changed, but when they look at me, even if they knew me as female at first, they see a man.

I knew men didn't face the same hurdles when it came to health care, but I had no idea it was this different.

The last time I saw my GP (a man, fairly young, 30s or so), I mentioned chronic pain, and he was concerned to see that it wasn't represented in my file. Previous doctors hadn't even bothered to write it down. He pushed his next appointment back to spend nearly an hour with me going through my entire body while I described every type of chronic pain I had, how long I'd had it, what causes I was aware of. He asked me if I had any theories as to why I had so much pain and looked at me with concerned expectation, hoping I might have a starting point for him. He immediately drew up referrals for pain specialists (a profession I didn't even know existed till that moment) and physical therapy. He said depending on how it goes, he may need to help me get on some degree of disability assistance from the government, since I obviously shouldn't be trying to work full-time under these circumstances.

Never a glimmer of doubt in his eye. Never did he so much as mention the word "anxiety".

There's also my psychiatrist. He diagnosed me with ADHD last year (meeting me as a man from the start, though he knew I was trans). He never doubted my symptoms or medical history. He also took my pain and sleep issues seriously from the start and has been trying to help me find medications to help both those things while I go through the long process of seeing other specialists. I've had bad reactions to almost everything I've tried, because that's what always happens. Sometimes it seems like I'm allergic to the whole world.

And then, just a few days ago, the most shocking thing happened. I'd been wondering for a while if I might have a mast cell condition like MCAS, having read a lot of informative posts by @thebibliosphere which sounded a little too relatable. Another friend suggested it might explain some of my problems, so I decided to mention it to the psychiatrist, fully prepared to laugh it off. Yeah, a friend thinks I might have it, I'm not convinced though.

His response? That's an interesting theory. It would be difficult to test for especially in this country, but that's no reason not to try treatments and see if they are helpful. He adjusted his medication recommendations immediately based on this suggestion. He's researching an elimination diet to diagnose my food sensitivities.

I casually mentioned MCAS, something routinely dismissed by doctors with female patients, and he instantly took the possibility seriously.

That's it. I've reached peak male privilege. There is nothing else that could happen that could be more insane than that.

I literally keep having to hold myself back from apologizing or hedging or trying to frame my theories as someone else's idea lest I be dismissed as a hypochondriac. I told the doctor I'd like to make a big list of every health issue I have, diagnosed and undiagnosed, every theory I've been given or come up with myself, and every medication I've tried and my reactions to it - something I've never done because I knew for a fact no doctor would take me seriously if they saw such a list all at once. He said it was a good idea and could be very helpful.

Female-presenting people are of course not going to be surprised by any of this, but in my experience, male-presenting people often are. When you've never had a doctor scoff at you, laugh at you, literally say "I won't consider that possibility until you've been cleared by a psychologist" for the most mundane of health problems, it might be hard to imagine just how demoralizing it is. How scary it becomes going to the doctor. How you can internalize the idea that you're just imagining things, making a big deal out of nothing.

Now that I'm visibly a man, all of my doctors are suddenly very concerned about the fact that I've been simply living like this for nearly four decades with no help. And I know how many women will have to go their whole lives never getting that help simply because of sexism in the medical field.

If you know a doctor, show them this story. Even if they are female. Even if they consider themselves leftists and feminists and allies. Ask them to really, truly, deep down, consider whether they really treat their male and female patients the same. Suggest that the next time they hear a valid complaint from a male patient, imagine they were a woman and consider whether you'd take it seriously. The next time they hear a frivolous-sounding complaint from a female patient, imagine they were a man and consider whether it would sound more credible.

It's hard to unlearn these biases. But it simply has to be done. I've lived both sides of this issue. And every doctor insists they treat their male and female patients the same. But some of the doctors astonished that I didn't get better care in the past are the same doctors who dismissed me before.

I'm glad I'm getting the care I need, even if it is several decades late. And I'm angry that it took so long. And I'm furious that most female-presenting people will never have this chance.

[auclairedetoru]

Hello! I'm a little nervous because I haven't requested anything in a long time, but I was hoping that maybe you could write something for Gojo with a tall, muscular fem reader? Maybe some headcanons? The buff girlies hardly get any love. Thank you 🥺

- 👾Anon

Absolutely! I've noticed the majority of the time the reader is always described as smaller than the character, which don't get me wrong, I love feeling petite and adorable in fiction since that's not the reality 😭 but the strong tall girlies deserve representation too, that's why in my roomie! Sukuna story I made the reader a boxer!

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Oh you asked Gojo about his girlfriend? Oof, get ready for him to talk your ear off.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 He'll tell you all about her personality. How she's incredibly sweet, and she takes care of him and his students and friends with all the love in her heart, and she's so smart, he's pretty sure whoever made her chose only the best qualities.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 And then he starts talking about her looks and physique... Oh boy, if he wasn't hyper excited before, he's gonna be now.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 The first thing you'd notice about Gojo is how fucking tall he is. He's nearly 191cm, 6'3 in freedom units. He could very easily cosplay slenderman. People have a hard time looking up at him because their necks start to hurt after a little while, but... Not his girlfriend.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 She isn't as tall as Gojo, but she can make eye contact with him with ease, and he LOVES it! He can wrap his arms around her shoulders and hug her, he can kiss her without bowing down nearly 90 degrees, he can give her piggy back rides without having her stand on a chair first. He just loves her height, it was perfect, like she was made that tall just for him.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Then there's her strength, and no, not the mental strength, but physical. Every time he sees her wearing shorts and/or sleeveless shirts, he goes feral. She makes him feel like a Victorian man seeing ankles for the first time, or like a school girl with a crush.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 His girlfriend trains hard everyday, and over time she has built very strong muscles that make Gojo salivate. His favourite thing to do is bite them, which earned him the nickname "vampire Toru" and every time she feels his teeth sink into her arms or thighs, she'd say something along the line of “uh oh, vampire Toru is awake!”. Namami told him that if he had a tail it would start wagging because of that one simple sentence.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Gojo loves play fighting with her because she manhandles him with no fear of hurting him and it drives him crazy. Sometimes he lets her win just so she can pin him down on the floor, he would playfully gasp with a hand in front of his mouth to make her giggle, but the blush on his cheeks is very real.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 When his students met her for the first time, they were in awe (except for Megumi who already knew her). Her smile and voice were so sweet, but everything else about her would definitely crush them with a flick of her finger.

“Your shoulders are very broad.”

“thank you! I worked very hard on them.”

“and you're so tall.”

“you'll catch up to me eventually.”

“... Can you teach me how to be like you?”

ᯓᡣ𐭩 At first, Gojo didn't like that, he was supposed to be their role model, not his girlfriend! He huffed and pouted when they ignored him and focused on her instead, but when he got home and his pretty girl showered him in cuddles and kisses and told him he is still her number one, he was back to his happy self.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Speaking of cuddles, Gojo loves when she holds him and vise versa. He never believed in soulmates, but with the way they fit in each other's arms no matter who's the little and big spoon, he started to believe she really is the other half meant for him and him only.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 He doesn't have a favourite love language with her, because they were all his favourite ways of loving her. Whether it's through kisses, gifts, words, he does them all. He knows that the world has been harsh on her given that she doesn't look like what people think a woman should look like, so he tries his best to give her back the confidence they have taken away from her.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Over the years and with the help of Gojo, she has become so confident and secure in herself. She stopped hunching over and hiding behind baggy clothes and now stands tall and wears whatever she wants, because she found someone who loves her for the things she thought made her unlovable.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 So yeah, his biggest flex is his tall and buff girlfriend.

It went into a totally different direction than what I had in mind but I hope you like it!

[fishiefishieluvr]

hiya! this is my first contribution to the fandom… i used inspiration from the song daddy was a sailor by marina diamandis. if you wanna give it a listen, here is a link! i recommend listening during the read! the reader’s backstory is entirely based off this song… well. at least waaaayyyy in the past.

i used myself a bit for inspiration because i have a sea creature tattoo t_t

there’s no warnings aside from slight angst and mentions of brief injuries. rafayel continues being a shithead in the fic… i wanted to depict his lemurian form accurately so i tried to utilize good interpretations of mermen and mermaids lmao. this is just a mere interpretation of what could’ve happened! afab reader so she/her pronouns!

word count: 2.3k

🪸

would she, could she, be home when the stars came out to party?

His fuschia gaze darts to her petite, bony shoulders. Wearing a t-shirt in 90 degree weather… What is wrong with this woman… And thus, he feels compelled to point it out. Rafayel was never one to bite his tongue. He’ll state what needs to be said, regardless of what it pertains to.

“Aren’t you brave, huh? Wearing a t-shirt, risking the idea of getting a farmer’s tan…” He clicks his tongue and smirks as he sees the glare etched into her eyes.

Y/N playfully sticks her tongue out, rolling her eyes. Her fingers tug at the hem of her thin shirt, yanking it off of her form. A tight charcoal hued bikini hugs her features.

Almost immediately, Rafayel’s gaze flitters over the curvature of her waist — right over the tattooed flesh. His jaw goes slack when he sees precisely what it is. A seahorse, an inadequately drawn one, at that.

His head pangs as his jaw is clenched tightly. As much as he wants to desperately think that now is not the time to reminisce, the memory still is etched into his mind.

🐠

The morning rays of sun were tortuous on Rafayel’s scales, drying out the cool flickers of fuschia pink and turquoise blue. Webbed hands curled around the sand, wincing as the burning sand sizzled into his scaled skin. His gaze travels down, eyes widening as he peers at the new burn wounds. Rafayel doesn’t want to call out for help, as his heartbeat is pounding in his ears at the mere idea of entrusting a human to help him return to the seas.

But it’s futile. The Lumerian boy will certainly perish if his wounds persist without aid.

So, he swallows his pride. His jaw is clenched tightly, the pang of his wounds and dried out scales aches throughout his entire body.

“Heeeeh…” Rafayel shakes his head. God, that was a pathetic sound, his voice cracking as he called out hoarsely. “Help, please..” It’s a quiet plea, hardly even audible.

His vision is fading in and out, only seeing the blurriness of the sand and the sunlight shimmering down onto the beach. The Lemurian boy hardly even notices the approaching silhouette.

“Oh my goodness! Are you a-alright?” It’s a feminine voice. He can hardly even see straight, but he feels the sensation of… Softness beneath him. A guttural groan slips past his cracked lips.

Rafayel hears the noises of shuffling, then nails… Tapping along something metallic? Before he even knows it, the cool metal is brought to his lips, water spilling down his throat. It feels… Peculiar, this isn’t the same water of the sea. The lack of saltiness sends a shiver down his spine. Then, the freezing water hits his tail and abdomen. He harshly flinches and winces.

That’s when his vision returns to normal, his head cradling upwards. His fuschia and sea blue eyes widened. It’s… A human. Not like any of the other humans he’s seen. Her shimmering (hair color) hair shines beautifully underneath the morning sun, lips parted revealing the loss of her front tooth. She has to be around his age, young… No older than 11 years of age. And, that’s not even the worst part… His head is cradled upon her thighs.

The Lemurian boy sharply pries himself away, stumbling back as his tail flips around with the movement. Humans aren’t to be trusted, not after the torture they thrusted upon Lemurians. He’s heard all different types of horror stories from his people…

He holds up his injured webbed hand, his claws out and ready if needed. “Get… Away from me. You’re a human. I won’t accept your help. Your kind slaughters my people mercilessly. How am I to expect you to be any different?”

The girl’s eyes widen, her features shifting into an expression of brief panic. Her hands wildly flail in the air. “I-I don’t want to hurt you! I.. Need to wrap that, uh… Hand of yours. You have to trust me. Please, I’ll do anything for you to believe me..” Her shoulders sink, a frown creasing upon her lips.

Rafayel’s eyes narrowed into slits. As much as he wants to believe her… The things he’s heard echoes throughout his mind. He shakes his head, his lilac tresses slightly swaying. “Swear it.” It comes out as a hiss, face contorting into one of firm seriousness.

“I swear on everything I love. Now..” She shifts forward, rummaging through her bag, pulling out some wraps of gauze. “Let me see that, uhhh..” Her gaze lingers down. Can these… Be considered hands? Webbed fingers and all?

He rolls his eyes, letting out a pfft. “You humans are so stupid. Lemurians have hands too. Don’t be dumb.”

The girl lingers forward, delicately taking his hand within her own. Despite being the same age, his hands… Are larger than hers. “Lemurian?” Her head tilts to the side. “I…. Thought you were a merman.”

Rafayel feigns offense, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he lets out a gasp. “The audacity of this girl. We are, very much, different from mermaids and mermen.” He lets out a contented sigh as the gauze wraps around his palm.

Her expression shifts into one of… Guilt? Shame? He can’t quite put a word on it. “S-sorry… Good, your hand is all wrapped up.” She clasped her hand over it briefly, Rafayel’s heart skipping a beat at the intimacy of it. “I dunno much about Lemurians. But my mama is a mermaid. Well… Turned into one.” She shakes her thoughts away. “Anyways! I should probably introduce myself. I’m Y/N.”

“Rafayel. And do tell me more about this… Mermaid mother of yours.” His eyebrows are knitted together in curiosity. This all sounds so incredibly… Unreal. There’s no way her mother is a mermaid, right?

She bites down on her bottom lip, contemplating on explaining. Y/N’s gaze seems to blossom into one of pain. “My grandma said she died, but my aunt — who took me in… She said she turned into a mermaid when she got really sick. I don’t know what to believe, but I don’t think my aunt would lie to me. I like to think my dad is searching the seas for her, and that explains why he’s away all the time on a ship.”

Rafayel’s heart clenches in his chest. He knows the truth, but he can’t bring himself to hurt her further. Even if they had just met mere minutes ago. He’s not exactly the type of Lemurian to crush someone’s fantasy that helps them sleep at night. “I haven’t seen her down near where I live. I mean… That’s assuming she looks anything like you, like I’d imagine.”

Y/N’s eyes soften, her cheeks tugged into a grin. “I’m sure she’s off being mysterious somewhere in the deep ocean. And yeah, I’ve been told that I look like her.” Her hands retreat downwards further into her lap, her gaze lingering on the glistening scales adorning his tail.

He notices this, playfully rolling his eyes. He might as well lighten the mood. Well, at least attempt to. “Wanna draw a picture of me while you’re at it? I can guarantee you I’ll outdo you in that regard. My mother taught me the refined arts at a young age.” Rafayel smirks, revealing his pearly white teeth.

Her face flushes red in humiliation. Immediately, she breaks her gaze away from him. This seems to make Rafayel pout a bit in disappointment. “I-I’m sorry… Are, uhmm, all Lemurians artistic? I wanna know more about you and your people..”

Rafayel shifts, gnawing at his inner cheek. He’s having an internal debate with himself. As much as he’d typically deny it, he desperately wants to feel her skin brushing along his scales. “Most of us, yes. I happen to be exceptionally gifted of my kind, though. A prodigy, if you will.” He acts on his better judgement, his webbed hand gently wrapping around her palm. “C’mon… I know you’re curious. I’ll play nice and indulge, I won't bite… Hard.”

“R-Rafayel!” She squeaks as he brings her fingertips to his scales. Her mouth is hung open, the pads of her fingers brushing along the scales. They’re softer than she expected… Almost silk-like, smooth to its very essence. “So you’re an artist…? I always wished I was creative like that.”

Rafayel lets his head fall back, a pleased hum vibrating in his throat as her fingers caress his scales. “All of us are talented in our own, unique and independent ways. I happen to be very talented at art. My mother taught me at a young age. I scavenge for stuff for my paints at the bottom of the sea. I’ll have to show you sometime.”

Y/N’s heart swells within her chest at this, giddy at the thought of seeing his art firsthand. “I’d be honored, Rafayel. I’d love to learn how to properly draw. I’ll be pretty lousy at first… I think I wanna draw my favorite sea animal..”

He quirks up a brow, feeling her soft, tiny hands still graze along his tail. “What’s your favorite sea animal, then?” Rafayel’s head tilts to the side, his interest piqued.

She hesitates for a moment. Her hand freezes its movements on his tail. “Seahorse. I just think they’re cute… And it’s especially adorable how the male seahorses carry the babies. I like…” Her cheeks are tinted an adorable pink hue, and this only makes Rafayel’s heartbeat quicken. “I like how they mate for life. I’ve always been a sucker for true love.”

Rafayel feels… Scorching hot. And it’s not because of the sweltering, morning sun. He shakes his head as the air runs through his lilac tresses. “Alright, you’ve had your curiosity with me. Now is my time.” Rafayel states. It’s not like he’s entirely unaware, he’s seen many humans before… But he’s taking this as an opportunity. The lavender haired Lemurian gently peels her hand away, raising her fingertips to brush along his cheek briefly. The sensation of her touch running along his scales is almost too intoxicating. Rafayel allows her fingers to brush over his lips. His breath tickles her skin as a contented sigh slips past his lips.

“I’ll show you a seahorse in person. You can come, see my homeland for yourself. We’ll find a pair of mates, and you’ll be mesmerized not only by the beauty of where I live, but by my dashing good looks also.” He murmurs against her skin, noticing the slight tremor in her hands. “And I’ll teach you to paint, to create, with these small, pathetic human hands of yours.” Rafayel playfully snickers.

Her eyes narrow and she flicks him on the cheek, which causes him to whimper. “You ruined the moment. Are all Lemurians this rude?” Y/N mocks him, grinning widely at him.

Rafayel doesn’t seem to be too impressed with that, crossing his arms over his chest. “Only when an irritatingly kind human stumbles across them.”

“Y/N! Where are you, my dear? Have you gone to secure some seashells?” The sound of an old lady’s voice calling out causes Y/N to harshly flinch. She scrambles back, her hand reaching for her leather backpack.

Her eyes are wide and she wraps her arms around Rafayel’s neck. “I have to go. And you should too. My grandmother can’t see us, can’t see you. I’ll be back at dawn this time tomorrow. I hope you get home safely…” A warm, tender smile crosses her lips.

Rafayel’s hand reaches upwards, his clawed fingers scratching against her scalp. Her hair is so delicately soft.. He wonders if it’ll maintain its softness under the sea. “You better make it tomorrow. I’m looking forward to that, y’know?” As she pulls away, her feet wobble into the sand. Y/N brings her index and middle fingers to her lips, kissing them and holding her fingers in the air as she pulls away.

And with that, she grins toothily, giving him one final glance before she darts off. Rafayel’s heart sinks in his chest slightly at her farewell. He yearns for her fingers to instead be his, to feel the sensation of her lips on his scaled flesh. His body staggers slightly as he retreats into the sea, his tail flailing in the air.

As he swims away, gliding through the bright water, he grins. Rafayel has decided — when he arrives home, he’ll paint a small portrait of the image of her in his quarters back home. His heart races in his chest as he wonders precisely what tomorrow will entail.

The same heart that has already set its sights on her. She will forever be etched into his memory, his heart belonging to her the moment her gentle hands caressed his scaled skin. And just like her beloved seahorses, he plans to do precisely the same. After all, who isn’t fond of a story of true love? It always prevails until the very end.

🌊

“Are you going to catch up, Raf? The water is going to be cold by the time we get there!” Her voice shouting out is enough to bring him back to reality. Y/N turns, flashing him a grin, and it’s exactly the same as the one he had once seen before. Except, obviously, this time all her teeth are intact. Adult ones, at least.

Rafayel snorts, jogging behind her. “Last one to the ocean is a shriveled shrimp!” His hand reaches over, fingertips gliding over her inked flesh. “Maybe we’ll find a seahorse in the water?” His brow quirks up, yanking her gingerly into his bare chest.

Y/N gasps, looking up at him with widened eyes. “If only! I always loved them.”

I know you have, cutie. Rafayel thinks to himself, his lips tugged into a wide grin.

[coimbrabertone]

If You Ain't Cheating, You Ain't Trying...Part Three.

There is a mission in Red Dead Redemption 1 titled "Liars, Cheats, and Other Proud Americans" which I considered using as the title for this blogpost. That being said, the old adage "if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'" is perhaps most closely associated with NASCAR.

And the poster child of cheating in NASCAR? None other than Smokey Yunick.

Henry "Smokey" Yunick had been a pilot in World War II and turned to NASCAR when he came home, driving in the early years of the sport. He is, however, known far more for his work as a crew chief. Particularly the cheated-up monstrosities from the 1966 season.

That story actually begins in 1965, when Dodge and Plymouth banned from competing as their powerful 426 Hemi engines had not met the 500 production units for homologation standards. In protest, Chrysler Corporation pulled all their teams and drivers, including NASCAR legends Richard Petty and David Pearson.

This was a major problem, thus, in 1966, NASCAR allowed the Hemi engine. Dodge and Plymouth returned, along with their star drivers, but in turn, the Ford factory entries pulled out in protest. Thus, Ford driver Curtis Turner instead signed for Smokey Yunick to drive a Chevrolet Chevelle.

Everyone knew this Chevelle was flagrantly illegal...but nobody knew exactly how.

The most popular explanation had been that Smokey built a 7/8ths scale replica of a Chevelle with an oversided engine.

In reality, car was the right size...sort of.

Smokey had raised the floor, lowered the body, moved the body three inches back on the frame for better weight distribution, smoothed out the underside to effectively give it a 90s F1 style flat floor, had the fenders and bumpers flush to the frame, and changed the angle of the front and rear window for better aerodynamics. Yeah.

It gets worse.

Come the August race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR had reached an agreement with star Ford driver Fred Lorenzen to get him back in the sport. He, along with another famous crew chief, Junior Johnson, were basically given a blank check to do whatever they wanted for the race, they weren't going to get disqualified.

Thus, the 1966 Ford Galaxie, had its nose to the ground, its rear swung upwards for better aerodynamics, and the windshield was 20 degrees lower than normal. Not only that, but because it was an oval turning to the left, the left side of the car was a whole three inches lower than the right side. This is still done on oval racers today, but uhh...three inches is rather obscene. So obscene, in fact, that Lorenzen needed help just to get in and out of the car.

Painted yellow and with that swing from front to back, they called it the "Yellow Banana."

Smokey's Chevelle, in all fairness, had all the earlier infractions and by now had added an extension to the back of the roof that effectively functioned as an extra spoiler.

Both cars passed inspection.

Cheating had gotten so extreme that, for the 1967 Daytona 500, NASCAR would introduce body templates, essentially the shape that a car needed to be in order to be deemed legal. As advanced as its gotten now, NASCAR still more or less works based on templates.

The key thing is though, in NASCAR, Junior Johnson and Smokey Yunick are venerated. They were both part of the inaugural class of International Motorsports Hall of Famers in 1990. Johnson was then part of the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. Lorenzen and Turner, who drove those cars are Hall of Famers as well. If anything, they're more popular because they cheated.

With Smokey Yunick in particular, there's an almost folkloric aspect to his cheating.

One story goes that, shortly after NASCAR finally regulated the size of the fuel tanks, Smokey drove one of his cars into inspection. NASCAR took the car apart, removed the fuel tank, and told Smokey that they found nine things wrong with the car. Smokey shrugged, turned the car on, said "better make it ten" and drove off.

How? eleven feet of two-inch diameter fuel hose, wrapped around the car. Allegedly Smokey said "I coulda driven that sumbitch to Jacksonville." Realistically, it seems that much fuel hose would only be good enough for five gallons, and I'm not sure how fuel would get from the line to the engine without a fuel tank in between, but hey, five extra gallons is still an advantage.

Anyway, the point is that cheating is considered commonplace in NASCAR and the greatest cheaters are revered. Even now, there's a belief that the Championship Four cars at Phoenix are cheated up to high heaven because they know NASCAR isn't going to disqualify a championship contender.

Or the car that Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove at the 2001 Pepsi 400 - the first race at Daytona since his father's death at the 500 earlier that year - he was driving away from the pack in clean air on a restrictor plate track. Some people say it was a gentleman's agreement not to get in Jr's way if he was in position to win, some people say the car was the most blatantly illegal thing since Smokey Yunick. Others say the team did nothing wrong but NASCAR gave them a restrictor plate with a bigger opening to get the narrative they wanted.

Nobody knows for sure, but the point remains. Cheating is part of NASCAR, always has been, and it pretty much always will be. Whether it be "HMS never legal again" or "Dem Cheatin' Yoders" NASCAR twitter will constantly have somebody throwing out cheating allegations at one team or another, but nobody really blinks an eye at it. It's just part of the culture there.

Therefore, it's interesting to see the culture clash between the two worlds of American motorsports. On the NASCAR side, cheating is revered, with these stories being told and retold and exaggerated into the folklore of the sport. Meanwhile, on the Indycar side, it's turned Team Penske, and particularly Josef Newgarden, into a villain in the eyes of many fans.

For the two most popular racing series in America, they sure do view cheating through a different lens.

[lewiswhatshisname]

I suppose I ought to introduce myself

I like taking photos with odd cameras. I am by no means a professional. I just have loads of cameras I've picked up second hand from various places, and like mucking about with them in different ways.

Right off the bat, I don't care about taking the perfect shot. That's boring to me. While I don't go out with the goal of intentionally taking wonky shots – I do actually try to make sure each shot is focused and exposed properly – quite a lot of my cameras are broken or weird in some way. My main film camera technically works, in that the lens attached to it is in good nick, and when I push the shutter button, it goes click. But the shutter fires inconsistently, and will often misfire at the lightest touch, it doesn't really fire at the speeds it's set to, the ISO dial is loose as hell and is always changing itself, and even if it wasn't doing that, the light meter really has no idea what light is in the first place.

It really only gets better from here. All of my cameras have some sort of physical malady by dint of being second hand, and in many cases, straight up antique, or because they're Holgas and have a deliberately imperfect design. I've got a couple of "toy cameras" as well, with cheap plastic lenses that make any given shot look a bit weird. None of these categories are mutually exclusive either.

But I also just like to do terrible things to both my cameras and the film I shoot on. My favourite thing to do is shove the wrong format film into the cameras. Sometimes I don't feel like cutting down film to fit into my 127 cameras, so I'll cram a 35mm roll in there. Or I'll stick one into one of my 120 or 620 cameras just for the hell of it. I like to redscale film, soup it, and just generally fuck it up before and after shooting. When I develop the film here at home, I don't put a lot of attention into making sure everything is perfect down to the tenth of a degree and to the second. I am not that fussed about any of it, frankly. As long as the roll comes out of the tank with photos on it, I'm happy. If they're messed up, whatever. That's part of the fun.

Right now, I'm slowly working through uploading my backlog over here. I've got even more photos on deviantART, and I post them to Patreon a month before I put them anywhere else. I also try to remember to put prints up, but that's a whole process on its own. In addition to uploading my backlog, I've been spending much of my time just working on scanning and editing a whole other backlog of negatives.

And according to Lightroom, right now that comes down to nearly 400 photos that I've yet to post, and a further 5,000-odd that I've not even looked at for editing. Plus the five or six rolls sitting on my printer waiting to be scanned.

You'll find a mix of birdwatching and urban photography, along with some random other things. I have favourite subjects I like to go back to again and again, and you'll get used to seeing them through a variety of lenses.

TL;DR, I take a lot of photos, many of them odd or wonky, and I'm never going to be done with this backlog. And the photos I have in Lightroom are only from the last few years. Multiple hard drive crashes have caused me to lose all of my digital photos a few times over.

Current Gear:

Canon EOS Elan II E (35mm)

Canon EOS Rebel XT (dSLR)

Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 (instant film)

Holga 135BC (35mm)

Holga 120 WPC Panoramic Pinhole (120)

Kodak Jiffy Six-20 (620)

Kodak Brownie Target Six-20 (620)

Kodak Brownie Starmatic II (127)

Kodak Brownie Starflex (127)

Kodak Ektar H35 (35mm)

Kodak Ektar H35N (35mm)

Minolta Maxxum 3000i (35mm)

Minolta Maxxum 8000i (35mm)

Pentax MG (35mm)

Ricoh KR-5 Super II (35mm)

Sawyer's Nomad 620 (120/620)

Super Ricohflex (120/127/35mm)

Plus photos from a variety of iPhones

[alloutofgoddesses]

They removed your tailbone????????????????

YES!!! Story time!

It was winter. It was seventh grade. I was walking back inside on the sidewalk. The sidewalk had not been salted properly. I slipped on a huge patch of ice and instantly felt pain right where your tailbone exists. It hurt like a bitch but I had just taken a hard fall onto concrete so like of course it hurt. It went away after a while so I figured it was fine.

Until it came time to travel to my grandparents house several states away and I was in TEARS by the end of the road trip. My butt hurt SO BAD, way more than the usual aches and pains of road tripping. And then the pain didn’t go away.

At first my mother did not believe me which Rude but eventually I went to my doctor, and she ordered an X-ray and she couldn’t really tell what was wrong so she ordered an MRI and both those things led to her noticing that I have three degenerated disks in my lower spine (honestly probably the cause of most of my problems) and it looked like my tailbone was “anti-verted” which I will forever believe is just a fancy doctor term for “idk man it looks weird”

I get sent to a specialist. The specialist has ZERO bedside manner and tells me, a scared very mentally unwell thirteen year old that my only options are to have a surgery wouldn’t really fix the problem or take Advil for the rest of my life. That sucked. My mom took me to Spirit Halloween to cheer me up because it was so bad.

By this point, I’m in pain all the time. I get a special pillow to sit on both in the car and at school, and it is put in my IEP that I have special permission to stand up in class whenever necessary because the pain was just that distracting. To help mitigate the pain, I am seeing a chiropractor on a very regular basis. It’s awkward as hell because I’m experiencing puberty and he’s constantly touching my lower back and butt.

Blah blah blah I make it to eighth grade and I am having A Bad Time. I’m in so much pain that I think it’s the only thing I’m going to feel for the rest of my life. I am being heavily bullied at church on top of getting injected with a crap ton of religious trauma. At the same time I’m going through a sexuality crisis because middle school. I am scrounging for reasons to get out of bed and it’s only working sometimes. It’s BAD.

Somewhere along the line my chiropractor takes a look at my X-ray and he goes: “This is broken. This is very broken. Your tailbone is broken.”

I look at the X-ray. Instead of being attached to my spine, my tailbone is completely detached from bone, muscle, tissue, and is existing at a 90 degree angle in my body cavity. No fucking wonder it hurt so much!!

On it goes. We know what the problem is but we don’t know how to fix it and this point I have a very healthy mistrust of doctors.

Enter my eighth grade social studies teacher. Her husband has been the gym teacher at the elementary school where my dad works since idk the beginning of time probably. And also, small town, so they both me well.

She hears what’s going on. She sees me struggling to exist on the daily. She pulls me to the side after class one day and says “Hey. My son broke his tailbone a couple years ago. We went to this doctor and the surgery they did really helped.”

Cue social studies teacher getting in contact with my parents and me having approximately a million appointments at a doctor’s office in *gasp* the great city of El Paso, Texas. The doctor decides that it’s best to remove the bone because it just floating around is causing A Lot of nerve damage.

So, July 7th, 2016 I got my tailbone removed from my body in a procedure called a coccygectomy. I had to figure out how to do things while either completely laying down or standing up for two weeks because I couldn’t sit. I walked around with a Franken-butt for a few weeks until the stitches dissolved. I still have nerve damage and I will probably never be able to sit normally or without pain again but it is so much better then it used to be.

And now that social studies teacher is my principal and I have a cool scar that I can’t ever show to anyone because well. The location of the tailbone is. You know.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #226

Today is Thursday.

We have made the drive to Washington DC.

We are here. And I know it's unwarranted to feel this way, but still… it's almost as though I am just a hair's breadth from you.

Silly. I know. Never mind it.

The air in this place isn't quite as bad as I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong, it is some mid-to-upper 90s (32-36 degrees C), but it's not nearly as humid as I expected. Being in this place is kind of like having a hot, wet towel waggled aggressively at you. When I was last in Maryland, it was in Owings Mills, and I remember, even in the morning, going outside was like being beaten half to death with bricks wrapped in hot, soggy towels. I couldn't go outside, except very briefly. I'm glad that the weather here doesn't seem to be like the weather there.

Still, it's enough that I have to be careful about exerting myself if I don't wanna end up using my rescue inhaler. We carried our stuff from the parking garage where the car is to the hotel, and we needed to make two trips to get it done. I am feeling pretty woozy from having overheated, but my lungs didn't close up or anything. Yay!

Along the way, we stopped at a place called Pizza Yeah. That's in a place called Langhorne, Pennsylvania. It was on the route to DC. Last time we were in Langhorne, J was still playing trumpet regularly in all kinds of different places. He had gotten paid to take part in a Christmas performance, so for a number of weeks, we made several weekend trips there, so that J could participate in rehearsal.

I went with him to make sure that he ate and took care of himself; it's a requirement, because if left to his own devices, he'll push himself way too hard, work without taking any breaks, sleep in the car instead of in a bed, try to subsist entirely on granola bars, dry cereal, and water, and then wonder why he's so exhausted and miserable and borderline suicidal.

…I wonder if you two would get along; you and he have more than a few self-destructive tendencies in common, good grief. I swear to goodness, both y'all gotta stop doing that shit. Cut it out, willya???

Anyway, so back then, we went to Pizza Yeah, because it was close to the hotel we were staying in. And Sephiroth... oh my goodness, their pizza is the stuff of LEGENDS. We haven't been back there since we went all those years ago, and this is really sad. But!!! J noticed that it was along the route, so we decided to stop there for lunch! AND!!! It was super convenient, because it was pretty much at the halfway point between our house and Washington DC, time-wise. So we ate there! And it was EPIC!!!

And before you ask, yes, of course I got pictures for you!! You've read enough of my letters by now, no? What do you take me for??? Hahahaha!!

...Of course, I also snagged some pictures along the drive... These aren't in order, though; forgive me...

...I love taking pictures for you, because I love showing you how beautiful this world can be.

Hey? Did you notice? I'm getting better at taking pictures of birds-of-prey in the sky, even in a moving vehicle! Pretty rad, right? Do you like them...?

Well. I had better get ready for tomorrow. We are at the hotel, and I still have to shower, and I have to wash my CPAP and scrub the inside of my face with the tiny bristle brush, and all that stuff.

Hey, Sephiroth...? I'm gonna do the great big scary thing tomorrow. I don't suppose you'd lend me some of your courage, strength, and determination, would you...? I don't suppose you'd lend me some of your ability to be gentle even when I'm tired and frightened... would you...? I don't... I don't suppose you'd watch over me just a little, would you?

I'll do my best tomorrow. And I'll write to you tomorrow, too, when I get a chance, I promise. So please stay safe out there; I'm sure you wouldn't wanna miss hearing all about how it goes...

I love you. Good night...

Your friend, Lumine

[year2ns]

Fixing wood grain

While getting feedback on my work, someone mentioned the grain along the planks was facing the wrong direction, to confirm this, i had a look at photos of planks of wood

while looking through the planks of wood, i discovered the grain faces horizontally for stability and durability.

Fixing my material

i opened up my material to see what was inside, the first thing i noticed was that the texture was was going into the color of the material output, i started with adding a texture coordinate and connecting it to the texture sample and changing the UV coordinates

i changed the UV both equal to 5 and realized instead of rotating it, it scaled the texture

as this didn't work, i was not sure on how to rotate the material, i searched it up on youtube and found a tutorial on how to rotate the material.

Making a custom rotator for the material

Following on from the video, it showed me that it can make a node called the custom rotator which allows me to rotate materials by using the texture coordinate for the scaling and float value for the rotation, in the video they use a scale parameter for the rotation value

I put the rotation angle at 90 assuming it would rotate the texture, however this did not work, to test this further, i decided to make it a material instance so that i can change the scale parameter in real time to see the results, i applied the instance to my planks.

Through changing the rotation value, i discovered that the value is not equal to the degrees rotated, instead it goes from 0 to 1, with 0 being the default rotation and 1 being rotated 360, through experimentation i found 0.25 was a good rotation value

with how its turned out, i am pleased with the end result, as it now actually resembles a more realistic looking wooden plank. as a final tweak, i decided to increase the UTilling to 2, which squishes the texture a bit which allows more variants to show over the planks, which make it even more realistic.

[vertanvertan]

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[personinthepalace]

This Friday, April 3rd: 90 Degrees!!!

[maybestoryideas]

Babysitting Skid & Pump w/ Agoti and Tabi

How They Met

In a momentary lapse of your infinite wisdom and judgement, you accidentally scheduled to meet up with Agoti and Tabi on the same day you offered to watch over the Skid and Pump for Lila. Apparently she had to leave town for the day, and the kids had been getting in more trouble than usual.

You were getting ready to leave for Lila’s, only to be met with a screen demon and floating skull when you opened your front door.

After explaining the situation to them, you promised to hang out some other day, when you wouldn’t be busy. Somehow, Agoti interpreted this as an invitation to join you and help babysit, which is the exact opposite of what you were implying.

You were more than a little worried about Skid and Pump meeting your friends. The kids could be quite the handful sometimes, and your friends were prone to… outbursts.

“Hey, Tabi! I didn’t know you had a little brother.”

“Shut the fu-“

“Language.”

When Skid and Pump see Agoti and Tabi, they’re instantly attached.

“Skid, Pump, these are my friends, and they were just leaving.”

“I like your spooky masks!”

“Um, thanks… Why are you two wearing costumes?”

“It is the spooky month!”

“It’s 90 degrees outside.”

“Wanna see something really cool?”

Agoti then proceeds to get down on the sidewalk and start doing push-ups with his tongue. Skid and Pump are instantly impressed.

“Your spooky friend is so cool!”

“They think I’m cool. Whaddya say about that?”

“I say you just licked a public sidewalk and probably need to go to a hospital.”

“Can Agoti and Tabi hang out with us today? Please?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure they have very important adult things to do and need to get going.”

“Not really.”

“Dang-it.”

“Please???”

Skid, Pump, AND Agoti are at your legs, staring up at you with big begging eyes. Tabi is standing behind them with secondhand embarrassment.

“F-Fine!”

“Yay!”

Agoti is constantly bragging and being a show-off for the kids; he’s playing it up more than normal. Meanwhile Tabi’s being a lot more chill, vaguely answering any questions the kids have about him.

“You’re so good a video games!”

“Yeah, I’m a bit of a celebrity. I actually got so famous that these jerks tried to get rid of me. Obviously it didn’t work, though, and blah blah bla-blah blah…”

“Are you a ghost?”

“My body’s invisible. It’s a long story.”

Skid and Pump try to teach them the Spooky Dance. Emphasis on ‘try’.

“How are you moving your arms that quickly?!”

“I feel like an idiot.”

Meanwhile, you’re recording all of it on your phone. Haha! Blackmail.

You spent the day playing video games, watching TV, and hanging around the house.

So, at the end of the day, it wasn’t a total disaster.

Together

After Agoti and Tabi showed that they can act like decent people in front of kids, you agreed to let them join you whenever you’re babysitting.

You thought having three adults keeping track of two kids would make things easier, but they somehow manage to get into more trouble between the four of them.

“You’re supposed to the mature ones! How do you manage to cause this much trouble? On accident?!”

You always end up having to be the ‘Mom-friend’, but it rarely does any good.

“Let’s go to the spooky forest.”

“Yeah! Let’s go!”

“Let’s… not?”

“Let’s put it to a vote! Who wants to go into the cool spooky, haunted, abandoned forest?”

[Three hands immediately go up, followed by a fourth]

“And who wants to stay home and be boring?”

[One awkward hand goes up]

To be fair, Tabi at least tries to be a responsible adult, so it balances out Agoti’s chaotic enabling.

They once took everyone to Zardy’s maze. Never. Ever. Again.

“You’re going to get us lost, just like last time!”

“That was your fault! I knew exactly where we were going, but you kept taking us in the wrong direction!”

“Guys, we haven’t even gone into the maze yet. Look, the sign’s right behind yo-”

*angry SEGA Genesis and angry Russian noises intensify*

You decided to take Skid and Pump through the maze, and just left the two screaming outside the entrance. When you finally got to the end, they were still screaming. Not at each other, but at a scarecrow.

They’re a lot more well-behaved when you’re just hanging around town. Probably because otherwise they’d have to deal with police and witnesses.

If any shady creeps approach your group, Agoti and Tabi will stand right behind Skid and Pump, silently threatening until they back off.

They also do it whenever the Hatzgang starts picking on Skid and Pump, though they tone it down since Roy and his friends are still teenagers.

“Hey kid. You’re not causing trouble for my friends here, right?”

“N-No, sir! We’re just… kidding around. Oh God, please don’t kill me!”

For one Halloween, Skid and Pump dressed up as Tabi and Agoti.

“Aw! You two are look so cool and spooky!”

“How come you never call us cool and spooky?”

“Skid and Pump are cute kids. You two are public menaces.”

You frequently visit the candy store at the end of the day. On the off chance that there’s something the kids want but can’t get, Agoti will pay for it or bribe Kevin to look the other way. Sometimes it doesn’t work and then Tabi will threaten to demolish the store. That always works. You’ve started forcing them to wait outside the store while you buy everything yourself.

Even though Agoti and Tabi’s chaotic personalities feed into Skid and Pump’s mischievous behavior, you can tell that they genuinely like the kids, and you’re happy they get along well. Sometimes.

“Pump, where did you learn that word?”

“I heard Agoti shouting it when he was playing video games.”

“I thought so.”

Meanwhile

“Hm…”

“What’s up, dude?”

“I don’t why, but I think [Name’s] gonna kick my ass tomorrow.”

(Thanks for reading! Please give me things to write about?)

[dontworryitsjustafirstdraft]

Pls I need some thoughts about this, so to my 6 followers and anyone else this posts reaches, gimme some advice or opinions! Here it goes:

I want to be a tutor (for the most part, I think). Originally I wanted to ‘grow up’ to work as a history professor at a community college and work in an art museum or two as well. However, life doesn’t always like to follow well-thought-out plans of any sort, and life can also be very mean, so I never got to go to university to get a bachelors degree, let alone a masters (which I actually needed the most). And we aren’t going to talk about me informally dropping out of photography schooling 🙃

So my worry is this: I’ve been out of school for so long, I’m extremely worried about being up to date with what is being taught, let alone just being smart enough. I love learning. I love learning so much that I wanted it to be my job to help people learn. I love the fact that there is ALWAYS something new to learn. I love that knowledge is a good power to have and wield, that there’s never any excuse not to learn, and that everyone deserves the ability to learn and have access to proper tools to excel in their learnings. BUT (there’s always a but). I have not had the best education. To be completely frank, grade school has done me such an extreme disservice, and while this is not a slight to all community colleges, mine did not have a consistent basis in my learnings. I look back, and I’m incredibly sad with my schooling experiences. And with that said, I’m very scared of going into this and have the possibility of failing the students I would be tutoring with my subpar abilities.

But, would it still be worth it? Is it possible to spend most of this year reteaching myself the things I was taught years ago, along with the many many MANY things I am lacking in, and then pursuing becoming a tutor? Please know I am such an anti-work person and wish capitalism would suddenly stop existing-but if I’m forced to work for 90% of my life, is it wrong to want to do it with something I love? Something I’m passionate about? Something that feels fulfilling to me? Is it wrong to want to put my degree ‘to use’?

Does it seem worth it? How would I go about it? Where do I even start? Should I treat it as a business?

Again, the fear and apprehension is (mostly) not the job itself, but rather in my abilities to do the job. I’d love if teachers, tutors, students, etc. would comment with their experiences/thoughts/opinions! Thank you all in advance, especially if you read it this far!

TL/DR; I want to be a tutor, but essentially have a terrible education, but love learning and teaching. I want to know is it worth pursuing, if (prior to tutoring) I put in the effort to be current with the topic I’m interested in tutoring with. Experiences/thoughts/opinions wanted. Ty!

[wtf-yoongi]

Softie. / MYG

pairing | yoongi x reader

summary | just a morning with min yoongi 🥺

prompts | “i love you more than coffee.” *distant gasps* + “every morning you kiss my forehead before i leave for work, why was it my lips today?” from this prompt list.

genre/warnings | disgustingly fluffy + very domestic

words | 1,990

note | i wanted to write something like this and then it fitted the prompt someone requested two ages ago and it became way too long for a timestamp and here we are

Very rarely does something beat the smell of black tea in the morning. Not any black tea, but this one in particular.

Forget it, nothing beats it.

The earthy tones coming from the leaves are enough to get you excited about your day and you’re careful not to scoop too much from the fancy, squared, tin box. It is, after all, precious and expensive — it seems like it gets pricier and pricier every time you restock it, almost to the point you’re begging the clerk for a discount.

You know it’s too much and you should stop spending money with that, the same money that could buy you enough tea for a whole year, but this is exactly the way luxury items go. Just above average, pretty packaging, minimalistic logo and a warm feeling in your heart from doing something special for yourself.

Like a ritual, you twirl the spoon and breathe in the steam coming from the pot before closing the lid. The instructions say you should brew it for three minutes and you’re proud to say you haven’t got that wrong once — not even on the day of your sister’s wedding, when she called saying she burned her ring finger, accidentally saw her fiancée and there was a real possibility of them not moving forward with the ceremony that day.

Even though she married with the ring on her middle finger, since the other one was bandaged, everything worked out. A little bit like a sitcom from the 90’s, but it did — in the end, it always did. That’s why you spend way too much money on that tea, because something about it makes things just work somehow. It’s unexplainable, quite magical and, to be honest, a little childish, but you love it.

Naturally, your hands start moving while the three minutes pass, refilling the kettle with water when you hear the shower stop running like you do every single day. In between the tea being served on a mug and his lazy morning footsteps, there’s only enough time for you to eat your peach yogurt.

“Hmm,” he hums and you can hear him getting closer as he speaks. “Treating yourself today, huh?”

You guess Yoongi can smell the black tea as well.

As you’re focused on adding the perfect amount of honey to your mug, there’s no time to turn or even look up at him coming into the kitchen with a sleepy and sweet look on his face. In such a small room, it only takes a heartbeat for him to stand next to you, leaving a quick kiss on your temple and short squeeze on the curve of your hips.

“Any special occasion I should know of?”

“Not really.” You shrug and, for a moment, Yoongi’s aftershave replaces the smell of tea completely. It’s fresh, clean and light, like most things he enjoys without noticing. “I just wanted something different.”

“I’m jealous, I want something fancy too,” he says without any weight to his voice, reaching for the coffee beans placed at the farthest corner of the pantry — the ones he also saves for very few mornings. “Did you sleep well?”

You nod quickly and excitedly, turning ninety degrees to open the refrigerator in search of milk. “I had to. There’s this big presentation today I’ve been preparing for five…”

“So there is something special going on.”

You stop in your tracks to look at Yoongi’s knowing smile, coffee grinder in front of him rumbling and doing its job while he waits.

“You’re a creature of habit, you know that, right? You wouldn’t drink this specific tea if something wasn’t going on.”

You smile at him, finally moving again to add a dash of milk to the mug and mixing it to check if it was enough. “If you weren’t so emotionless, I’d say that’s romantic.”

“Oh, you want romantic?” Yoongi’s tone goes up an octave, mocking you a little. “Fine. How about I love you more than coffee. In fact, I love you more than the smell of freshly ground beans in the morning and you know I love that very much. How about that, huh?”

It’s your turn to mock his words. “Oh, wow,” you gasp, raising a hand to the center of your chest. “How am I going to move on from this? I better email them saying I won’t be able to make it today. After this? Woof! No way I’ll be presenting anything but fifty slides of my favorite Yoongi pick-up lines.”

“That would be a satisfied client, don’t you think?” He plays along, adding the coffee to a French press and topping it with the water you just boiled. “Oh, do you want some toast? I feel like eating toast for some reason.”

And just like that, with Yoongi reaching for the toaster above your head, you’re both interested in something else. He pinches your side with his free hand and you take a step to your left, giving him enough space to place the appliance on top of the marble counter.

“You do have time for toast, right?” Yoongi asks as he turns it on and starts looking for bread. “I don’t want to make you late, the first two can be yours.”

“The tea is still a little too hot, I have time.”

“Good.” He nods shortly. “Sit down. These will be done in no time.”

You watch as Yoongi reaches for plates, knives, butter, strawberry jam and places all of them on the small kitchen table. Meanwhile, you sip the tea slowly, quietly enjoying it and, deep down, wishing for it to work its magic once again.

“Are you nervous about the presentation?” Yoongi asks just as he places two perfectly toasted slices of bread in front of you. He soon moves back to set two more on the toaster and turns to you again, waiting for an answer.

“I’m okay. It’s been worse.” You shrug, focusing on the butter as it melts when it meets the warm toast. “This client is nice. Even if they don’t agree with something, it’s not like…”

“Don’t bring Mr. Moon up again,” Yoongi warns you, slightly uncomfortable and somewhat ready to politely offend Mr. Moon if he ever showed up in front of him. “I’m still not over that. Who does he think he is to mistreat everyone because of a grammar mistake?”

You laugh at the way he seems so bothered by that. “It was a good thing, though, don’t you think? We kicked him out because we didn’t need his business if it meant we had to deal with that.”

“Serves him right,” he huffs. “He was being an ass for a long time, the grammar incident was just the tipping point.”

“And you don’t even know about the emails he sent to the junior analysts. He would literally…”

“Please,” Yoongi interrupts with a tight smile and warm eyes, nothing but light humor in his words. “Don’t make me hate him more. This is bad for myself, I have to be the better person.”

“You’re right,” you agree with a smile, taking a bite and adding a few words in a muffled voice. “He’s a problem of the past. And a solved one, thank God.”

You swallow just as Yoongi sits in front of you with perfectly done toasts for himself. He adds butter and strawberry jam to both of them before speaking again. “I’m glad you’re not nervous about this stuff anymore.”

“I’m glad too,” you admit and take a sip of the magical tea before continuing. “Shaky hands are also a problem of the past.”

“I want you to know I’m very proud of you. This sort of thing is not easy to overcome.” 

You giggle. “Yoon, you’re getting soft again.”

“When am I not?” He takes a bite and soon covers his mouth, not being able to stop a smile from forming. “I am a softie, this is who I am.”

“No, but you’re particularly soft today, I think. It all started when you were whining about me leaving the bed,” you say while getting up to place your plate in the sink. When you turn around, Yoongi is looking at you with what you can only describe as adoring eyes. “See? This is what I mean. Do you have a mirror? Look at yourself, there’s nothing not soft about you today.”

He’s the one giggling now, motioning for you to move with the hand that’s not busy with a toast. “Go finish getting ready, you’re going to be late!”

You hurry out of the kitchen with a smile, soon entering the bathroom to brush your teeth. It’s still kind of foggy, nothing but the perfume of Yoongi’s shower gel everywhere, and you have to wipe the mirror with a towel to see yourself properly.

The nervousness could be worse, yes, but it’s still there a little — well, today is the day you’ve been preparing for the last five weeks and there’s a lot at stake. You inhale and exhale deeply, concentrating on the goal rather than the challenge. What happens, happens, but you’re pretty sure you’ve done everything you could and that’s enough to leave you satisfied no matter the outcome.

“Yoongi, I’m leaving!” You call out, fixing a strap on your shoulder and immediately feeling the weight of the laptop and the heavy (but pretty) leather notebook you bought last fall — another one of the luxury items you treated yourself with. When you look up, the man is standing with another one of his knowing smiles and a thermos in hand.

“Were you really not going to drink every single drop of the tea you spend way too much money on?” He raises an eyebrow, extending his arm so you can take the travel mug from him. “I know you’re good and don’t need the magic from the tea, but…”

“Shut up,” you say jokingly, slapping his hand in the process. “And thank you.”

“Come here.”

Yoongi slowly takes a step to meet you halfway, hug awkward given the weight on your shoulder, but you couldn’t care less. He’s warm, inviting and has a comforting hand on your back while the other moves to cradle your jaw.

“I told you you’re particularly soft today,” you say just as he creates enough space to look into your eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Yoongi mumbles before pressing a kiss on your lips. You barely have time to register what is going on or close your eyes and it’s already over.

“Are you sure? Because every morning you kiss my forehead before I leave for work,” you point out, one eyebrow raised in doubt, but eyes as soft as his. “Why was it my lips today?”

“You may not notice, but the taste of black tea and honey on your lips…” He hums, closing his eyes to show just how much he likes it. “So good.”

“But I brushed my teeth.”

He leans in again and, this time, stays for a while longer — not barely enough for you, but you’d take anything with a smile.

Yoongi shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter. Still there.” He turns both your bodies, getting them closer and closer to the door. “Do you think this happens because the tea is that good and strong? Or maybe it’s because you don’t really do a good job brushing your teeth…”

“Ah, Yoongi!"

Before you know it, Yoongi is simultaneously opening the door, leaving another kiss on the corner of your mouth and pushing your body out. It seems like only a second has passed, but you find yourself right in front of the door when Yoongi is inside with only his head peeking through. 

“Don’t just stand there, you’re going to be late! Call me when the presentation is over and you have a yes, okay?”

He closes the door, but you can still hear him giggle on the inside.

Read more ›› masterlist

[kopikokun]

Beach Day Blues�� l.dh

��� Out on a day trip to the beach with your boyfriend and his friends, you’re anticipating a fun time filled with sunny memories and sand filled swimsuits. What you’re not expecting is the cold shoulder from your usually happy-go-lucky boyfriend, but you’re going to get to the root of this issue, even if it’ll kill you.

pairing: lee donghyuck x reader ft. yuta, mark & jaehyun

content: fluff, beach day, reverse comfort fic, jealousy fic, very mildly suggestive ending

word count: 2053 words

Request 36: Haechan + “I need a hug.” (42) + “You’re cute when you’re angry.” (47) + “You own my heart.” (59) + Jealousy

← BACK TO NAVI.

— 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝.

Perhaps you’re being delusional. Perhaps you’re just dehydrated or, maybe, you rationalise, the scalding rays of the evening Sun have burned not only your skin but your brain cells too (if there were any to begin with). Maybe all of this is just in your head and you’re overthinking it.

    “Hey,” someone hisses, “is it just me or is Donghyuck giving you the cold shoulder?”

    At the question, or rather observation, your head swivels an almost sharp 90 degrees to stare Yuta straight in the eyes. “So, it wasn’t just me thinking that!”

    Yuta chuckles. “Yeah, he definitely seems off…” He peers at Donghyuck discreetly from beneath his sunglasses before turning back towards you. “Did you guys get into a fight or something?”

    “A fight? No way!” You pause, suddenly doubting yourself. “At least, I don’t think so…”

    Though you’re confident in your verdict of innocence regarding a fight, Yuta’s question prompts you to briefly run through the events of the day. To preface things, you, your boyfriend, Donghyuck, and a few of your friends—namely, Yuta, Jaehyun and Mark—had decided around half a month ago to clear up one day in advance for a ‘beach day’ this week. The idea had sprung after someone had brought up how nice and sunny the weather had been lately, and everyone just unanimously came to the conclusion that sunny weather equals beach day.

     You had begun packing for this trip a few days ahead to the surprise of everyone including yourself, which is a testament to your overwhelming excitement, because you rarely--if ever--pack that early for just a single day trip. But who can blame you? This would be your first official trip with Donghyuck. No, you should rephrase that. This would be your first official trip with Donghyuck as your boyfriend. You’ve been on plenty of trips before when you two were just ‘friends’, but now--and maybe this is the romanticist in you which you’ve successfully kept stored away up until recently speaking--it just feels different. You’re sure someone out there can relate, because you’ve never been one to obsess over something as feeble as a label, yet this trip has had your stomach in knots for ages.

  The packing process had gone smoothly--neither you nor Donghyuck had forgotten anything--and so had the car ride over. As far as you can recall, your day at the beach so far has gone without a hitch too. You’d had a little picnic, dipped in the oddly warm sea, played some beach volleyball (badly) and gotten some icecream afterward. No fights, no issues, no nothing.

   Maybe, you think, he found out I was involved in that little switch up with the sea water. You don’t entertain the idea for too long though immediately casting it away, because you know Donghyuck would never be the type to get so upset over a prank.

    So, why the attitude?

    You gaze at Donghyuck’s back, hoping that this mystery might just unravel itself if you stare long enough.

    “Huh…” Yuta’s voice tears you from your zealous staring competition with Donghyuck’s shoulders. “Then I wonder what’s up…”

    You sigh. You know you should confront him and have a mature conversation about what’s bothering him, but that’s so much easier said than done. Maybe this is God’s way of punishing you for ridiculing all those scenes in cheesy teen flicks where the couple would experience a major fall-out because of poor communication. During said scenes, you’d be pulling your hair out, internally screaming at the couple to just freaking talk already, yet now that you’ve been presented this obstacle for you to overcome yourself, you’re erring on the side of caution.

    Come on, you reason, I’ve been friends with Donghyuck for over half-a-decade and we’ve gotten into our fair share of arguments during those five years. What’s so different about now?

    Yeah, you’re right. You find yourself agreeing with your own thoughts, physically nodding along like you’re speaking to someone. Yuta raises a concerned eyebrow at you. Nothing’s different compared to then. You’re doing it again. He’s just my boyfriend, and that’s just a label. Stop. Obsessing. Over. Labels.

    Admittedly, it’s a bit embarrassing having to psyche yourself up to do this, but that’s not what’s important right now. What’s important is that little pep-talk, no matter how laughable it sounded, has gotten you to stand and saunter to Donghyuck with utmost confidence. In hindsight, you should’ve said something to Yuta beforehand instead of just springing from your seat and marching away. The thought hadn’t crossed your mind though, as it was obviously preoccupied with something arguably much more important than giving him the luxury of context.

    You decide not to be too transparent about your feelings at first as you take a seat beside Donghyuck on the sand, leaning your head on his shoulder, hoping that all of this was really just your imagination getting the best of you. You silently plead that he’ll perhaps treat you like he normally would, giving you a little peck on the cheek or at least wrapping his arm around your waist. Unfortunately, your hopes are smothered just as quickly as they arise because Donghyuck doesn’t even bat an eye at you, continuing to chat with Jaehyun and flat-out ignoring your presence. Still optimistic for a reaction, you leave a chaste kiss to his bare shoulder, just to let him know that “Hey, I’m here!”, but to no avail. Infuriatingly, he doesn’t even flinch. All he does is drone on to Jaehyun about something you couldn’t care less about.

    You huff. Audibly. A last ditch effort in vying for Donghyuck’s attention. It goes just as well as your previous attempts. You cross your arms, glaring at the side of Donghyuck’s stubborn little head, hoping to bore a deep hole through his brain. Maybe then he’ll finally take notice of you. Sensing the undeniable tensity in the air, Jaehyun clears his throat awkwardly, offering Donghyuck some lame excuse about needing to take a piss, before shuffling away. Well, at least someone knows how to take a hint.

    With Jaehyun’s departure, you’re left alone with Donghyuck. Usually, he’d be leaping to drown you in affection the second you two had privacy--or even if you two didn’t, to be frank--but all he does now is fiddle with the strings of his swimming shorts absentmindedly.

    “What’s wrong, Hyuck?” you finally ask, desperate to break this frustratingly suffocating silence. “Is something wrong?”

    Finally, after what seems like centuries, Donghyuck acknowledges your existence, though the look he gives you is not a pleasant one. In fact, it’s one of agitation. His tongue prods at his inner cheek before he says, tone bitter, “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

    Evidently taken aback, you crease your eyebrows at him. “I… Did I do something wrong, babe?”

    “Oh, come on,” he scoffs, scornful amusement overtaking his normally amiable features. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know. You can just come out and say it.”

    “Say what, Hyuck?”

    “How much more you’re into Mark than into me,” Donghyuck says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

    You can’t help but laugh, simply bewildered as to how on Earth he came to this conclusion. “I’m into who now?”

    “Mark,” Donghyuck rolls his eyes, “don’t have to pretend like you’re surprised.”

  “I’m not into--” you sigh, a smile of disbelief tugging at your lips. “Okay, tell me why you think I’m into Mark.”

    “I don’t think. I know,” Donghyuck argues and you scoff, “but it’s obvious. And I have proof. Take when we were playing volleyball for instance. The whole time, you kept eyeing Mark up and laughing at his jokes. All of them. Even the weird ones that nobody gets.”

    You snort. “Baby… I wasn’t ‘eyeing Mark up’, I was watching him just in case he missed the ball. And about the joke thing, to his credit, some of them were actually pretty funny! But, as for the the rest--and don’t tell Mark I said this--I felt kinda bad nobody else laughed at them, so I just laughed along with him. Trust me, I’ve been in his shoes before and it sucks. Not all of us are born as naturally as funny as you, Hyuck.” You’re a little remorseful that you’re essentially dissing Mark, but you’re sure he’d understand. Your relationship’s on the line here.

    Donghyuck harrumphs, but you can tell by the slight quirk of his lip that he’s a little tickled by you poking fun at Mark and he’s totally been swayed by your compliment.

    “Okay, fine that explains that, but how about when we went swimming just now? Why did you and Mark keep exchanging funny looks?”

    “That?” You giggle. “You know how your drink was mysteriously replaced by seawater?”

    “Yeah,” he trails off, his suspicion growing by the second.

    “Who do you think that was?”

    Donghyuck groans. “Wait, that was you? Seriously? That was mean, babe.”

  “Aww, I know, Hyuck. I’m sorry,” you coo. Your hand inches its way closer to his as you attempt to intertwine your fingers together.

    Donghyuck rejects your endeavour of fondness. “Nu-uh, no way. I’m not done with you yet.”

    “Oh my God, Hyuck, there’s more?” you complain, though there’s a tint of amusement in your voice.

    “Yes, there’s more, and you won’t be able to worm your way out of this one either,” he says smugly, as if it’d be a good thing if you in fact, couldn’t worm your way out of his next accusation. “How about when we went to get ice cream and you kept sliding up next to him?”

    You pout. “I just wanted to try the watermelon popsicle he got.”

    Donghyuck blinks at you, his once irritated expression dissolving. He seems dumbfounded as you hold his gaze, your mirthful smile never faltering. He turns away from you. “Oh, well… then whatever. I guess you aren’t into Mark.”

    “Hyuck,” you say, hand crawling up his arm, “were you jealous?”

    “Well, yeah, obviously,” he deadpans, still refusing to meet your gaze.

    You giggle. “You’re cute when you’re angry.”

    His cold facade is immediately abandoned at your teasing intonation, and just like that, your cheery Hyuck is back. “Baby,” he whines, readjusting himself so he’s facing you head-on, “don’t tease me. I couldn’t help but be jealous, you know?”

    “And why is that?”

    Donghyuck purses his lips. “Why? What do you mean why?” He gestures up and down, eyes sweeping over you. “Look how pretty you are! What am I supposed to do when you look this good all the time? It’s unfair, really, that you’re this pretty.”

    A blistering heat, one that is much hotter than the Sun, gathers in your cheeks. “Oh really now, Hyuck?”

    “Yes, really,” he says, genuity seeping into his every word. “Literally, everyday I’m surprised you’re even real.” You grin bashfully and Donghyuck pounds his fist to his chest dramatically like he’s been shot. “See! You’re only smiling and I’m already having heart palpitations at just twenty years old.”

    “Okay, okay, Hyuck. You can stop hyping me up now,” you chuckle. You’re beyond glad that your boyfriend has returned to his spirited self, but you know you should address what just happened seriously, just in case. “But hey, I’m sorry that I made you feel that way. Looking back, it definitely could’ve been misinterpreted as flirting and I would never want you to have any reason to feel insecure about our relationship because you own my heart, Hyuck.”

    “Aw, babe, you can be really cheesy when you want to be,” says Donghyuck, pinching your cheeks. He plays what you said off casually, but you know that deep down, it resonates with him, and he honestly appreciates your sincerity. “Come here, I need a hug.”

    “Right now? There are people around, Hyuck.”

    “But you look so good right now. I can’t resist.”

    “I don’t know, Hyuck…” You smile demurely.

    “Alright, then what about,” Donghyuck reaches to tuck your hair behind your ear, whispering, “we ditch the beach day and go cuddle in the car? My skin’s burning, anyway.”

    You grin. “They’re gonna notice that we went missing, you know?”

    “So?” Donghyuck challenges, leaning in to place a short but telling kiss on the juncture which connects your ear and your jaw. “Even better. I want them to know.”

[mediocre-writerr]

don’t give up on me [jennifer jareau]

JJ x fem reader

Summary: SSA Jennifer Jareau, JJ for liking, is dating coworker Y/N, but what happens when Y/N gets kidnapped by the unsub? Also this is a very long imagine soo enjoy!

W A R N I N G: blood, wounds, kidnapping, slight mention of assault and mentions of death

*not my gif*

The jingle of JJ’s phone going off wakes you both up from your slumbers. You groan shoving my head into the pillow as she chuckles softly.

“Agent Jareau,” she begins and you hear the sounds of ‘mhm’, ‘okay’, ‘yes’ fill the silence, “Alright me and Y/L/N are on our way.”

“No. Nope. I’m staying right here.” you say shaking your head into the pillow.

“That was Hotch, we have a case here in Quantico.” you let out a groan and bury your face deeper into the pillow.

She laughs softly as she lifts your shirt a little to scratch your back lightly. You let out a soft sigh before looking at her. Her usual tamed blonde hair is everywhere and her eyes are still a little closed from just waking up.

You send her a small little smile before sitting up. You tuck her hair that is in front of her face behind her ear before kissing her softly.

“Ugh, morning breath!” she complains scrunching her nose up in disgust.

You place your hand over my heart like you’ve been shot before falling down onto the bed. Your tongue sticking out, “Agent Jareau...only a true love’s kiss could save me. Please help.”

She laughs to herself lightly before leaning down and giving me a small kiss, “Let’s go before Hotch really throws a fit.”

You let out an exasperated sigh, “Fine. By the way you should get used to my morning breath, you are my fiancé after all.” And she chuckles again lightly.

You guys get to the BAU and see everyone in the briefing room. You take a seat next to Rossi as he gives you a fist bump. JJ stood up in the front with Hotch giving him a small apologetic smile.

“Late night last night ladies?” Morgan asks with classic player smirk.

“Yes a late night of sleep that was rudely interrupted.” you look at Hotch and he stares at you with a scary glance and you put your hands up in surrender.

You like to keep the mood light in the BAU especially before or after case. The team deals with dark and twisted stuff all day. So you try to get the team to laugh and smile as often as you can.

“Now that we’re all here,” Hotch begins looking at the both you and JJ and you try your best not to laugh, “The unsub has left us a tape. It was left at the footsteps of the BAU. I’ll play it for you.”

The team turn their heads towards the projector and there’s a victim strapped onto the chair with a mask cartoon version of Prentiss on their face. They look terrified and are trying their best to escape the bounds that the unsub has them in. They’re breathing heavy, this isn’t staged. This isn’t fake. This is real life. Another person with a mask of Hotch comes in the background and shoots them right in the head and then they just stare at the camera.

“So this unsub definitely wants our attention.” Prentiss announces.

“They are very confident that they can get away with whatever they’re doing.” JJ chimes in.

“Like they’re trying to mock and taunt us.” Rossi adds on.

“The police department found the victims body: 24 year old, Maya Flynn. She was a young teacher who just got her degree. She was dumped in the alley by the BAU. Wrists had rope burns on them which makes sense as they were bound to the chairs.” JJ goes on and you look down to read the files.

“Reid and Rossi, you guys go take a look at the body. Morgan and I will go to the crime scene. JJ try to handle the press and keep all of the word of this to a minimum, do not under any circumstance leak the video tape. Alright everyone let’s catch and find our unsub.” Hotch announces.

“Wait-wait what about us?” Prentiss asks gesturing to the two of you.

“Prentiss, you were specifically targeted in this video. We don’t know what the unsub’s game is, but we know that you were their first kill. We need to keep you under watch here, you can help JJ or Garcia. And Y/L/N, you didn’t finish your paperwork from the last case and Strauss is on my ass about, so once you’re done with that we will reassess your assignment.”

Everyone leaves the briefing room to get to their assignments, but you, Prentiss, and JJ.

“Love, you didn’t finish your paperwork?” JJ stares at you with her death glares.

“No...I wanted to go home early.” I reply and she shakes her head before giving me a kiss on the head.

“Finish it up.” she says sternly.

“I will, be safe?” you ask holding your pinky out for a pinky promise.

She locks your fingers before we kiss our own hand, “Always.”

             ______________________________________________________

“Oh here comes Y/N! She goes for the 3 and SPLASHHH!” you yell as your crumpled up piece of paper makes it way to the trash can.

“You know you’re never going to get any work done and go out on the field if you keep messing around.” Prentiss points out clearly annoyed with just sitting here and doing nothing.  

“You’re just mad that you can’t contribute to the case.” you contradict and she rolls her eyes before getting up from her desk, “Where ya going?”

“To get coffee.” she responds.

“Coffee machine is broken. Let me go get us some because I am starving and want a really good sandwich. Plus you can’t leave.” you point out grabbing your phone, keys, and wallet and shoving them into your pocket.

“Oh yes please!” Prentiss screams, “You’re the best!” 

“I hope so I am your best friend,” you shoot back sending her a wink which led to her rolling her eyes again, “I’ll be right back. Text me your order!”

You walk the short stroll to our favorite cafe, one you’ve walked a million times some with Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia, but some on your lonesome. The breeze nice and cool, it’s a good break from all of the life threatening and disturbing things we see on a daily basis. All of the kids walking around holding their parents hands. Their eyes hold so much innocence, it’s sad that they don’t know the true dangers of this world.

The next thing you know the world went black.

             ______________________________________________________

Team’s POV

“Where’s Y/N?” JJ asks as the rest of the team walks back into the briefing room.

“She went to go grab us some coffee and sandwiches, she should be here by now.” Prentiss says and she stands staring at her phone searching for a text from Y/N.

They all sit down around the table looking at the board, trying to piece together every little thing, but coming up short. They don’t even have a profile they could give the local police department. That’s how stumped they are. 

Garcia comes running into the room with tears filled in her eyes.

“Garcia? What’s wrong?” Hotch asks with concern laced in his tone.

“I got sent an anonymous video from the unsub. I tried to track down where it was sent from, but it was a burner phone.” she says speaking really fast, that’s how the team knows something is really wrong, when she’s speaking a million miles per hour. 

The video starts to play from the TV monitor and gasps filled the room. There was Y/N strapped onto a chair, no mask on her face like the other video just Y/N and her trying to remain calm. 

Most of them seemed to think Y/N was okay, but her best friend Prentiss and  JJ knew better. They could see the fear glistening in her eyes. 

The unsub punched Y/N across the face and Y/N’s head fell back. She continued to spit and cough out blood. JJ’s heart stopped and flinched slightly at the sight. 

“Alright now that I’ve knocked the sense into you, are you ready to deliver my message?” the unsub asked, his voice distorted. 

“No. You can’t break me, is that the best you can do?” Y/N asked knowing that it’ll hopefully give Garcia enough time to track something, anything down. 

Then there came another punch. Her eye immediately started to bruise, “Come on baby. Do it for me.” the unsub whispered in a gross seductive voice.

“Jay,” you whisper, but the room is quiet enough that the camera picks it up, “I love you and for you I’d do anything.” 

“That’s not what I asked you to say!” the unsub screamed punching Y/N again, “Now say what I told you!” 

“He wants to ruin our lives. One by one, he’s been stalking us for years. If we don’t give him what he wants, he will ruin us.” she says finally following orders. 

“Now what do I want?” he asks.

“Hotch he wants the files, something about the Black Hood. I don’t know why, but he wants them. Specifically from you and Rossi.” Y/N says blood dripping down her mouth. 

“Good girl.” he whispers, “Now Hotchner, Rossi, Morgan, Jareau, Prentiss, Garcia, and Reid, Agent Y/L/N doesn’t have a lot of time. She’s definitely a tough cookie to break, but I never back down from a challenge. I’m gonna call you guys to set up a deal, you’ll know who it is once I call,” the unsub gets closer to Y/N and his mouth is right by her ear as his hands wander along her body, “And in the mean time, we’re gonna have lots of fun aren’t we Y/N?” 

The camera cuts out and JJ releases a scream, “No! No! No!” she begins to pace back and forth.

“JJ get a hold of yourself right now. If your ability to go along with this case professionally is compromised then I will gladly have you sit this one out.” Hotch yells sternly. 

“No you don’t get to tell me that I have to calm down. When we went after Foyet your emotions were compromised yet all of still stood by your side. No one questioned your authority. When Doyle went after Emily, all of our emotions were compromised yet none of us were threatened to sit this one out. So you have no right to do the same to me. I am not some local detective, I am a BAU agent!” JJ yells and everyone is taken aback in surprise, but she’s not wrong. 

They all went through something, yet none of them were threatened to step down. Especially Hotch with Foyet. Hotch and JJ continued to stare at each other none of them willing to break until Reid chimed in. 

“The Black Hood case, that was a case in Riverdale back in the late 80′s to early 90′s. Where the killer went around terrorizing the town focusing on ‘sinners’ and he wanted to cleanse the town. What would the unsub want with the files?” Reid asks and Rossi steps in to try and break the tension.

“Me and Hotch worked together on it. We caught the guy fairly quickly. I always thought that it was too easy, but they just explained we got lucky that he slipped. Maybe we got it wrong, maybe we didn’t catch the unsub.” Rossi points out and after one last look at JJ, Hotch breaks his position.

“It’s always a possibility, but that would make him in his mid to late 60s. It can’t be him now can it?” Hotch points out pointing at the video.

“No, this guy looks to strong and his temper is too high for an older man. Plus he was very sexual towards Y/N, an older man wouldn’t have that kind of hormones.” Prentiss observes. 

“Maybe a son? A family member?” Morgan asks. 

“But why would they want the files if they know their dad wasn’t caught?” JJ chimes in finally after getting her breathing under control, her hand resting on her stomach. 

Something that Emily picked up on fairly quickly, but brushed it off. She’ll talk to her about it when the time is right. Not right now. 

The cover photo of the video was Y/N sitting there with blood dripping down her mouth. The unsub right next to her ear. JJ’s eyes couldn’t leave that picture. The picture of you in pain and scared. 

“Maybe it’s not the actual Black Hood’s son. Maybe it’s the one who was caught and framed for it. He died in jail recently didn’t he? That could be his son’s stressor. He believed and was told his dad was innocent for so long that maybe he knows it wasn’t him. He wants to prove his dad wasn’t as terrible as everyone thinks. Sorta like an avenger, he wants to avenge his dad’s legacy!” Reid yells at and Hotch nods.

“Sounds like a good start Garcia-” he begins to say, but Garcia cuts him off.

“Already on it sir.” Garcia responds tapping rapidly on her computer.

“I’m gonna get some air.” JJ says and the rest of the team nods, but she’s already gone before she can get a response.

Hotch nods his head towards the door to let Emily know to follow and make sure she’s okay which she gladly obliged to. 

              ______________________________________________________ 

JJ’s POV

I ran outside the BAU doors and immediately threw up in the bush closest to me, tears pouring down my face. The thought of the unsub doing that to Y/N and watching it made me sick to my stomach. Not only that, but the thought of what he’s doing to her right now. 

I felt someone hold my hair back which I immediately tensed up to, “It’s okay. It’s just me.” I hear Emily whisper and my shoulders immediately relax.

After throwing up my entire breakfast I look at Em and she has concern brimming her eyes, “I’m scared Em.” 

“I know, but Y/N’s strong. She’s a tough cookie and I know she’ll fight whoever this asshole is just so she can be with you.” she reassures me and i nod. 

“Are you okay? I know how close you guys are. You were practically attached to the hip ever since you joined the team.” I ask her and she lets out a small sigh before biting her fingernails. 

“A part of me feels guilty, well all of me. I wanted a coffee and her being the sweet person she is wanted to get one for me, but it was also just an excuse for her to not finish her paperwork. But I also know that Y/N’s glad it was her and not me. If she let me go out like that she wouldn’t forgive herself, so she took the risk, just to protect me. And I know she’d want us to stay strong and keep things light, but it’s hard when we witnessed what we just saw and knowing that she went out to protect me. Not just me, but all of us. That could be any one of us right now, but she decided to take the leap.” Em responds shaking her head. 

“She really is a hero...” I respond placing my hands over my stomach again. 

Emily was about to say something before her phone went off, “Hotch says Garcia just got something. We gotta go back in.” I’m about to cry again when Emily pulls me into a hug, “We’re gonna get her back.” 

              ______________________________________________________

Team’s POV

“What have we got?” Prentiss asks as her and JJ walk into the room.

“Rylan Svenson, 24 year old son of Brett Svenson. This would’ve made him about 12 years old at the time of the murders. A good enough age to know where your dad was at the time of the murders. He now lives in Richmond, Virginia after moving from Riverdale, 4 years ago, and makes the daily commute as a postal worker here in Quantico.” Garcia explains, “No criminal record, but grown up in a rough social environment. Seems like he was a bit of loner in high school because everyone believed his dad was the Black Hood.” 

“I think we’ve got our guy.” Rossi states and everyone nods. 

“Alright when he calls we need to keep him on the line for as long as possible. He’s gonna have Y/N do most of the talking so JJ?” JJ turns her attention to Hotch, “Can you keep her talking? Try to make conversation, we’ll try to have Garcia track down the call. Or see if we can notice something that we didn’t notice before.” 

“I can keep her talking.” JJ nods and Hotch nods back. 

              ______________________________________________________

Your POV

*3 h o u r s l a t e r*

“Wakey, wakey princess,” Rylan whispers to you, he just injected some drug into your arm causing you to pass out, “It’s time for your special call home.” 

You can feel your heart rate rising even higher each time he injects a drug into you after back talking him. Your pant leg has a hole in it. He stabbed you when his hands started to bleed from all the punching and then he wrapped the wound. He can’t get what he wants if you’re dead. He sets up the video camera and hits the call button after a few moments the team answers.

You can’t help, but smile at Hotch and Rossi in front of you, “Rylan Svenson? Is that you?” Hotch asks and Rylan has an evil smirk on his face.

“Took you a while to figure it out huh Hotch?” he responds. 

“I remember you. You were just a little kid when we met.” Rossi points out. 

“Yeah and I told you countless times it wasn’t my dad!” he yells out which causes you to flinch back lightly, last time he yelled liked that a knife penetrated your leg. 

“Jay,” you whisper again and you smile at JJ’s face appearing into the frame. 

“Hi love, you stay strong for me okay?” she whispers back smiling sadly at the nickname that only you call her.

You’re about to reply when Rylan pops in, “You know I wish I could’ve kidnapped you instead Jareau. It would have been a lot more fun to see them rush to find you especially since you’re pregnant,” your eyes wide slightly at what he said, “Oh wait...no one knows yet do they?” 

“Is that true?” you ask your voice raspy and dry.

JJ nods, “Yeah it is. I found out a couple weeks ago, IVF worked, love. We’re gonna have a baby.” JJ’s voice cracked and you couldn’t helped, but smile at the thought of your little family. 

“Which is why I need you to keep fighting. I need you to stay alive and stay strong not just for me, but for us,” she whispers placing her hands over her stomach. 

Little to your knowledge the boys noticed something in the background that gave away where you were and they were on their way now; JJ just needs to keep you on camera for a little longer. 

“I need you to stay alive so that we can lay in bed during our days off or late at night talking about baby names. I need you to stay alive so you can come with me to his or her first doctor’s appointment and we can hear their heartbeat. I need you to stay alive so we can paint their new bedroom and buy cute little clothes for them. I need you to stay alive so our son or daughter can meet their mom.” JJ had tears running down her face now and so did you, your heart rate still rising due to mix of drugs in your system, “Please Y/N. Please promise me that you will come home to us.” 

JJ extends her pinky out towards the camera and you do the same. She brings her hand closer to her lips and kisses it softly and you’re about to do the same when everything goes black again.

              ______________________________________________________

JJ’s POV

Y/N’s about to kiss her hand when all of a sudden her eyes rolls to the back of her head. All of a sudden her body starts to jolt as foam starts to come out of her mouth. 

“Rylan Sverson hands up right now!” I hear Morgan yell. 

Rylan automatically takes off through the backdoor, but knowing them one of them was waiting out there for him. Reid comes into the frame and releases Y/N from the ropes and places her on her side.

He starts to count out loud probably timing the length of the seizure, “We need a medic in here! Right now!” Instead of going back to counting Reid starts doing chest compressions.

“JJ meet us at the hospital, we’ll be right there!” Hotch points out and the camera cuts out. 

I release a loud sob at the sight of Reid doing chest compressions. Garcia and Prentiss escorts me to the car, neither of them leaving my side throughout the entire car ride. 

They keep telling me it’s gonna be okay, but I can’t listen to them right now. The only thing I can focus on right now is hearing from Y/N herself that she’s okay. 

We get to the hospital to find the boys already there like they promised. They explain that the doctors have her in the operating room right now. Other than her bloodstream, her leg seems like the only part of her injured. Rylan injected her with a mix of cocaine, meth, and heroine causing her brain and heart to haywire. They needed to give her a blood transfusion to get all of the drugs out, it seemed like a simple procedure, but anything could happen. 

Rylan Sverson died, he was shot multiple times by Rossi for trying to shoot Hotch for trying to negotiate. 

The whole team sat with me in the waiting room. Strauss even stopped by for a little before ultimately having to leave to finish up the paperwork that you didn’t get to finish. 

“I’m sorry that I snapped and threatened to take you off the case.” Hotch sat down next to me and said. “It’s okay, I understand.” I whispered back. 

“You know like Reid when Y/N joined remember how young she was? A bright eyed innocent girl excited for her new job at becoming a hero,” he begins and smiles softly, “Usually that innocence and that brightness fades with time, all of these horrible things we see on a daily basis it’s only a matter of time before it does. But Y/N has been with us for four years and not once have I seen it fade. From the day I met her I knew I wanted to protect her like a sister so me yelling at you was just a way to yell at myself to stay calm and professional.” 

I look up at him and he as tears forming in his eyes. I place my hand on his knee, “She’s gonna be okay.” and he nods agreeing. 

Many many hours passed when Y/N’s doctor finally came out, “She’s okay. The wound in her leg is all stitched up and her bloodstream is still clearing out. We got most of the drugs out, but some still linger. So we want to keep her here a little longer for precautions. But she’s awake and alert asking for Agent Jareau here.” 

“Thank you Doctor.” Hotch says with a small smile and he nods before leaving. 

“You guys can come in too. I know she’d love to see you all.” I say and we make our way to her hospital room.

              ______________________________________________________

Your POV

There was a soft knock at the door and you saw the team standing there with smiles on their faces.

“Hey guys!” you try to say with much enthusiasm as possible, but your tired state made it hard.

“Hey kid.” Morgan smiles as he got closer before ruffling your hair and your scrunch your nose up in annoyance. 

Rossi gave you a fist bump, Hotch gave you one of his nods and a small smile, Reid, Prentiss, and Garcia all piled on top of you in one of the best group hugs you could ever get. 

“Jareau,” you say softly as she plants herself next to your bedside. 

You can see the tears that are already formed in her eyes, “Y/L/N,” she smiles at you softly and you gladly return the smile. 

“You did really well out there Y/N.” Hotch says, “You took the risk to go out there. You knew how dangerous it was, yet you still went out because you knew if any one of us went out it would’ve ended the same way. I wish you didn’t do that and thought of yourself first, but I think on behalf of all of us: Thank you.” 

“Woah that was deep, I was just trying to get out of doing paperwork.” you joke trying to lighten the serious mood and the worried looks on their face, which worked, their worried faced turned into smiles. 

“That’s the sarcasm and smart ass remarks we missed and appreciate.” Rossi adds smiling.

“In all seriousness, I couldn’t let Prentiss out there and I knew that if you guys took one step out there alone, it would’ve been any one of you. You all mean so much to me I couldn’t allow that to happen.” you say and they all send your grateful smiles except for JJ who just seems lost in thought.

Prentiss picks up on JJ’s behavior and decides to step in, “I think we should give you guys some time to talk.” the rest of the team nods before saying their goodbyes. 

After they leave JJ just continued to stand there staring into emptiness, “Pull up a chair, stay awhile.” you say jokingly trying to see that beautiful smile of her, but ultimately end up empty. 

“Jay, baby, what’s going on?” you whisper and her gorgeous blue eyes finally lock with yours.

“I almost lost you today. We almost lost you today.” she whispers emphasizing the we in her sentence and you let out a soft sigh.

You scoot over a little in your bed and pat the spot next to her so she can cuddle up next to you. She hesitates at first, but ultimately sits down. Her head immediately goes onto your chest as her leg wrapped around your healthy one. Your arms wrapped her body as she fit into you perfectly. 

You kiss the top of her head when she’s finally settled in, “I’m right here Jay. I promise you, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you or our baby ever. It will always be us.” 

“I know what your intentions were and they were good, but if we didn’t get there in time. If one thing went differently, you wouldn’t be here right now and I’d be holding a lifeless body.” she begins to cry onto your hospital gown. 

You let her cry playing with her softly, “But I’m right here now baby. I’m real, I’m not a dream or a pigment of your imagination. I’m right here.” you squeeze her a little tighter and she looks up at you. You plant a soft kiss to those perfect lips of hers. 

You place your hand over her stomach before leaning down a little to whisper, “Hey there cutie. I’m your mom and I can’t wait to meet you! You’re gonna have the best little family out there. You’ll have Uncle Derek, Uncle Aaron, Uncle David, and Uncle Spencer. Your aunt’s are the best too, Aunt Penelope and Aunt Emily. You also have the best mommy out there, she’s a hero! And me and your mommy are gonna make sure we protect you and keep that little sparkle in your eyes for as long as we can. I promise.” you place your pinky over her belly before kissing your hand softly. 

              ______________________________________________________

You and JJ walk into the BAU to visit the team with both of you on maternity leave for awhile it’s hard to see them. And it was especially hard when they were on a case when JJ was in labor. 

You held JJ’s hand in one of your hands and in the other was the baby’s carseat. JJ knocked on the briefing room door before entering, everyone looked up and smiled at the two of you. 

“You guys have another three weeks! Get out of here!” Rossi yells jokingly and we all laugh. 

“We just wanted you guys to meet our son: Daniel Aaron Jareau or Dani for short” you take Dani out of his little carseat and hold him in your arms. 

Everyone gathered around and witnessed the beautiful piece of innocence in front of them. 

“Aaron huh?” Hotch asks raising his eyebrows and giving one of his rare smiles. 

“Yeah right. Couldn’t have been Derek.” Derek scoffs.

“Or Spencer,” Reid chimes in. 

“Or David!” Rossi yells and we all laugh. 

“We just thought it was fitting.” JJ smiled at Hotch thinking back to the conversation she had with him back at the hospital. 

“Well I’m honored.” he smiles even wider, probably wider than you ever seen it.

They all looked at the newborn in front of them. Each of them taking turns holding him. He had JJ’s beautiful blue eyes, but now they were mixed with your innocence that everyone seemed to love. 

Dani Aaron Jareau was just another reminder that no matter how dark and twisted this world is, no matter how many bad things they witness on a daily basis, that there’s always some sunshine or light to fill the darkness.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] 3rd Anniversary Love Carnival - Gavin

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an event which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

Gavin’s Prologue: here

3rd Anniversary Masterlist: here

[ PART ONE ]

After entering the amusement park, Gavin and I head directly to the attraction I’ve been longing for - the trampoline.

This is an attraction which has been extremely popular on the internet -- as long as one wears the special velcro outfit and uses the trampoline’s elasticity to jump upwards, one can stick onto the wall like a spider.

Gavin is wearing a yellow coloured “sticky suit”. He holds my hand as I eagerly stand on the trampoline, his brows slightly furrowed.

Gavin: Do you really want to do this?

MC: Mm! Since we’re already here, we should play to our heart’s content~ Also don’t you find that the trampoline relieves stress?

I blink at Gavin, watching as the corners of his lips curl upwards.

Gavin: It does relieve stress. But it’s also a little dangerous. There are quite a number of trampoline-related incidents.

MC: That’s true...

Gavin: Scared?

Seeing the smile fade from my lips slightly, Gavin chuckles softly.

Gavin: With me by your side, there’s nothing to be worried about.

He says this naturally, leading me towards the wall.

Gavin: Here, give it a try.

Hearing him say this, I suddenly feel confident. Shooting him a smile, I lift up the slightly large “sticky suit”, facing the wall while taking a deep breath.

After jumping three times in place, I lunge forward forcefully--

Gavin: ...MC!

Along with Gavin’s voice, I fall back onto the trampoline with a thud.

Gavin: Are you okay? Does it hurt?

Rubbing my nose, I answer him.

MC: I’m fine.

Gavin half-kneels at my side, looking both angry and amused.

Gavin: Why did you think of jumping while facing the wall? Aren't you being silly?

MC: ...it’s my first time jumping, so I lack experience. It’d be fine the next time.

Raising my fists, I cheer myself on. Upon seeing this, Gavin smiles.

Gavin: Mm. It’d definitely be successful this time.

He looks at me, his gaze tender, but his tone filled with certainty.

Twenty minutes later, I’m gasping for breath while standing on the trampoline.

MC: Gavin, should we just head to the next attraction...

Even though I’ve already succeeded a few times, I find that I’m not jumping high enough. I can’t help but wonder if gravity is exerting too much force on me today.

Gavin looks at me, as though he’s thinking about something. After a while, the corners of his lips are lifted slightly.

Gavin: There’s no hurry.

MC: Gavin...? Ah!

Gavin suddenly hoists me up onto his shoulder. Caught off guard, I instantly hold him tightly.

He strides towards the wall. My arms are around his broad back, and I hear him saying at my ear--

Gavin: Get ready. One, two, three--

He tiptoes on the trampoline, and the hands holding my waist suddenly exert pressure, and the sudden weightlessness leaves me crying out in alarm.

Along with a “thud”, Gavin sticks me firmly onto the wall. The only thing I can do is to grip his arm tightly.

Gavin: Lift your head.

Following what Gavin says, I realise that the view before me has expanded. I’ve reached a height that I haven’t reached before.

Gavin: High enough now?

Gavin takes my hand in his, his calm voice seemingly mixed with a twinge of satisfaction.

Warmth surfaces from our palms. I lower my head, looking at Gavin, and see the sporadically mottled smile in his eyes.

It imprints itself into the bottom of my heart.

[ PART TWO ]

MC: It’s been such a long time since I’ve taken a roller coaster!

Hugging the safety bar, I anticipate the impending plummet.

After the trampoline, we continue taking on our next challenge - the 4D roller coaster!

Gavin: You aren’t afraid?

While Gavin says this, he rests his elbow against the seat, palm facing up.

MC: I’m not afraid. Having flown with you so many times, I’ve been trained to handle this since a very long time ago! A mere roller coaster can’t scare me.

Upon hearing this, he’s slightly taken aback. His expression seems to be a little odd.

Gavin: …is that so.

Girl: Ah! This is so scary! I really want to get off…

Boy: Baby, don’t be afraid! I’m here, and I’ll protect you!

The conversation between the couple in front of us drifts to my ears. Gavin and I turn to the voices.

We see the girl gripping the guy’s arm tightly. The guy has his arm around her, giving her gentle and continuous reassurance.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glance at Gavin. He keeps his eyes front, though he blinks lightly.

When my line of sight travels downwards, I see that Gavin’s elbow is still against the seat. He reaches out to me again, his hand unfurling.

Looking at his hand, I laugh soundlessly.

MC: What should I do, I think I am a little scared.

After this, I take his hand without hesitation.

With a laugh, Gavin curls his slender fingers, encasing my hand tightly.

Gavin: In that case, hold tight.

Clip-clop, clip-clop–

The roller coaster starts making its upward climb, and I start to get increasingly excited.

MC: Gavin, this “4D Roller Coaster” shouldn’t be that scary, right?

Gavin shakes his head, briefly puzzled.

Gavin: It’s the first time I’m riding it too.

The roller coaster gradually reaches the peak. When it pauses slightly, a few passengers have already started exclaiming.

And my heart subconsciously starts throbbing too.

“Swoosh–” Without any warning, the roller coaster suddenly plummets at a 90 degree angle. In a split second, the head of the roller coaster lifts up, and my vision goes upside-down.

Everyone: Waaaaaaa–

Wind whizzes past, and a tingling sensation from the centrifugal force spreads from my legs to the rest of my body.

At this moment, I finally understand the real meaning of “4D Roller Coaster”.

Turns out that the seats of the roller coaster can move 360 degrees too!

I’m screaming aloud in my heart, but when it bubbles to my lips, it becomes an indistinct cry. I grip Gavin’s hand even more tightly.

Shrill cries resound across the skies. All of a sudden, I feel a gust of gentle wind caging me, blocking out the strong wind.

And I can finally hear my own voice clearly.

MC: Gav-Gavin…!

Gavin: What’s wrong? Are you scared?

Turning my head, I realise that Gavin’s looking at me, looking utterly composed. However, worry creases his forehead.

MC: Nope, I just feel…

MC: That this is way too fun!

Seeing how excited I look, Gavin can’t help but smile too. Underneath the sunlight, his amber eyes are so beautiful that they leave one dazzled.

Even though I enjoyed it to the fullest, I still feel like my limbs are weak after stepping off the roller coaster.

Gavin: Want to go again?

I shake my slightly dizzy head.

MC: …no need.

I take out of my phone to check my makeup and hair, and discover that my hair isn’t as messy as I expected.

When I look at Gavin again, I realise that there isn’t much difference between how he looks right now and before we took the roller coaster.

Suddenly, I recall feeling that gust of very gentle wind when we were up above…

Noticing that I haven’t spoken for a while, Gavin arches his brows.

Gavin: Are you still scared?

I burst into a soft chuckle, reaching out to hug Gavin’s arm. A trace of surprise flits across his face.

Gavin: What’s wrong?

I shake my head, then stand on my tiptoes, giving him a peck, and watching as his eyes widen slightly.

MC: Nothing much. I just wanted to thank Mr Wind.

[ PART THREE ]

In the cafeteria, Gavin and I are seated at the table, the fragrance of delicacies wafting in the air, causing one to water at the mouth.

Staff: …I’ll repeat the rules of the game again for the two of you. As long as you pass our “Couple Chemistry Test”, you can enjoy the sumptuous meal we’ve prepared! I’ll pose a series of questions, and if your answers are not in unison, we’ll remove the dishes one by one. Are you ready?

Gavin and I nod.

Staff: In that case, the game shall begin–

Staff: Having breakfast or sleeping in?

MC: Sleeping in.

Gavin: Having breakfast.

Gavin and I exchange a glance, then I watch helplessly as the warm chicken chowder on the table is taken away mercilessly.

Gavin: It’s all right, it’s just the first question. If you want to eat this, I can make it for you when we get back.

The image of us cooking together flashes across my mind, and I smile while nodding.

MC: Mm, we can make it together.

The game continues. Other than the first question, we provide the same answer for the rest of the questions over the next two minutes.

Even the staff shoots us a look of admiration, and I can’t help but feel a little proud.

Staff: …the next question - Ginkgo or Chinese crabapple?

MC: Ginkgo!

Gavin: Chinese crabapple.

MC: …

Gavin: …

Gavin: Cough… I didn’t want to eat bitter gourd.

Gavin brings his hand over to his mouth, his tone slightly apologetic. However, his gaze carries with it joy as he watches the staff remove the plate of bitter gourd fried omelette.

Seeing him like this, I almost burst into laughter.

Gavin: …it’s all right. We’ll get the next question right.

Gavin grips my hand, tilting his chin towards the table.

Gavin: When we were looking at the menu earlier, didn’t you say you wanted that dish?

I follow Gavin’s line of sight, realising that the next dish is indeed this cafeteria’s popular dish–

An east-west fusion of breaded chicken! Just thinking of how savoury it tastes, I can’t help but swallow my saliva.

Looking at Gavin’s certain and confident gaze, I nod.

MC: Mm!

Staff: in that case, the final question of this test–

Staff: Piano or guitar?

MC: Guitar!

Gavin: Piano.

MC: …

Staff: What a pity. Your answers are different. I’ll be taking this dish away.

While the staff speaks, he prepares to return the dish to the cart. However, Gavin suddenly reaches out to stop it.

Gavin: Could we exchange it with a different dish?

The agile and swift action leaves the staff stunned. He pauses for half a second, then nods.

Staff: Y-yes. But there’s a condition. You have to hold each others’ hands, look into each others’ eyes, and express your apologies to each other.

After hearing this, we’re dumbfounded for a moment. Although this is a little embarrassing, Gavin and I hold hands.

Under such an atmosphere, we look at each other, feeling a little shy.

MC: Then… I’ll start first. I think… I was in the wrong for getting the first question incorrect. In the future, I’ll have my breakfast on time, and not sleep in. Officer Gavin is welcome to supervise me. Mm, your turn.

Gavin: Cough. I… I shouldn’t have deliberately made a mistake and answered the question wrongly… At most, I just wouldn’t eat it.

MC: …hm?

Gavin: …I’ll eat it.

Staff: Cough cough– that’s fine, that’s fine.

The staff interrupts us from the side, clicking his tongue.

Staff: If I were to continue watching, I’ll be full from being a third wheel!

Gavin and I exchange a glance, then laugh aloud in unison.

It’s like a breeze blowing into the gentlest part of my heart. The only thing I feel is that this moment is incomparably beautiful.

[ PART FOUR ]

MC: What should we go for next?

Gavin and I are walking along the street, searching for our next target. A row of vending machines attract my attention.

The line of vending machines contain all sorts of toy capsules. From keychains to ornaments, there’s everything one could wish for.

Especially that one containing couple keychains. The furry keychains look exceptionally adorable.

I notice that Gavin has paused in front of one vending machine.

It’s a vending machine containing robots.

I vaguely recall watching a cartoon related to it when I was young. However, I wasn’t very interested in it, and never really understood it.

However, this looks like something Gavin would like.

MC: Gavin, there’s one vending machine I’d like to try. Could you wait here for me?

Gavin: Coincidentally, I do too.

I grin, nodding at him.

MC: Let’s split up and get the toy capsules we want, and we’ll meet back here later?

-

When we meet up again, I place the toy capsule in Gavin’s hand with satisfaction.

MC: Open it and take a look? Do you like it?

Gavin twists the toy capsule open, and surprise flashes across his eyes.

Gavin: I like it.

While he speaks, he pieces it together simply, letting the small, monochrome robot stand in his palm.

The little robot is holding a gun in one hand, and a shield in the other. Behind it is a structure resembling a one-sided wing.

On top of its circular head is a yellow antenna. Along with its four short limbs, it looks extremely cute.

Gavin: This is my favourite model.

MC: I got it randomly, and didn’t expect to get the right one.

Gavin: I was lucky too.

Gavin smiles, takes out a toy capsule, and opens it.

It happens to be the furry couple keychains I saw earlier.

One of them has soft and long ears, while the other has straight, sharp ears.

Gavin keeps the one with sharp ears, then carefully attaches the doll with the long ears on my bag. Pleased, he nods.

Gavin: Mm, it suits you.

Gavin keeps the little robot in his pocket, and the keychain swings next to me.

Seeing the gifts we’ve exchanged, sweetness brims from the depths of my heart.

MC: Having been with you for such a long time, I feel that my knowledge has been expanded.

Gavin: I’ve learnt quite a lot too.

Gavin pauses, then continues confidently.

Gavin: For instance, that the lipstick you’re wearing today is the colour of red bean paste. And that you’ve curled your fringe slightly.

Pleasantly surprised, I blink and want to give him a round of applause for his perfect answer.

MC: What else?

Gavin: Also, that I have to separate the white from the yolk when making fried rice. And that succulents don’t need that much watering.

MC: Then… what are the steps to preparing sliced fish boiled in chili oil?

Probably not expecting that I’d suddenly pose a question, he ponders it carefully before responding in an exceptionally solemn manner.

Gavin: I can’t explain it right now, but I took it down in my notes.

After he finishes speaking, we look at each other, then laugh in unison.

MC: Gavin, tell me more about this robot. And about basketball, motorcycles, planes and all the things you like.

Gavin: Okay. I’m hoping that you’d give me more cooking classes too.

The corners of his lips curl upwards slightly, and fragments of sunlight flash in his eyes.

Gavin: I want to have an even better understanding of everything to do with you.

[ PART FIVE ]

Note: References are made to Flower Season date, which has not been released in CN!

Dusk dyes the sky, and some attractions have already ceased operation. At this moment, Gavin suddenly pauses.

I follow his line of sight, and realise that he’s looking at one of the classic rides of the amusement park – the small Airplane Ride.

MC: Do you want to ride it?

Gavin freezes for a moment, then chuckles softly.

Gavin: [laughs] Nope.

Gavin: I just remembered how I really liked this ride when I was young. But after I grew up, I didn’t want to as much.

He mentions this casually, but it channels an inexplicable emotion in my heart.

In the short silence, the small airplanes, which are currently in operation, start to slow down.

A group of kids run towards the attraction, accompanied by their parents. Looking at their side profiles, my heart stirs, and I grab his sleeve and run.

Gavin: What’s wrong?

MC: Gavin, let’s go for it too!

-

Sitting on a gradually ascending airplane, the cool breeze brushes past my ears. However, my eyes are drawn to Gavin, who is beside me.

He’s trying his best to stretch his legs in the relatively small space. Seeing the curious gaze I’m tossing him, he coughs softly.

Gavin: …this place is too small.

MC: Your legs are too long!

While grumbling at how the gods aren’t fair, I whip out my phone and face it towards Gavin.

MC: With such an unforgettable memory, we must have some photographs!

Gavin pauses, then suddenly reaches out to take my phone.

Gavin: I’ll do the taking.

Seeing that I'm slightly stunned, the corners of Gavin’s lips curl upwards, bringing with it a confident smile.

Gavin: Since it’s an unforgettable memory, you must be in the frame too.

With my guidance, Gavin changes the angles and takes numerous photographs of us. In the shots, Gavin’s expression, which was originally unnatural, eventually relaxes.

As the rays of evening sunlight disappear along the horizon, the small airplanes also conclude their short journey, and begin their slow descent.

Turning to Gavin, I subconsciously speak.

MC: Gavin, let’s ride it one more time.

Seeing Gavin’s questioning gaze, I laugh while explaining.

MC: Just now, I was helping a young Gavin fulfil his wish. This time, I’m riding it with the Gavin of the present.

Ushering the arrival of evening, the lights of the amusement park start to  illuminate. He seems to pause for a moment, then smiles slightly.

Gavin: Okay.

The small airplane starts moving again, making its slow ascent.

MC: I’d like to ask Mr Gavin–

MC: You got to take the Airplane Ride again. Are you happy?

[Note] She’s making reference to the Amusement Park date!

The EN version of what Gavin said in that date was “You got to take another lap. Had fun?”

But to be more precise, what Gavin said in CN was “You got to take the Ferris wheel again. Are you happy?”

Seeing that I’m all smiles, Gavin can’t help but smile too.

Gavin: I am.

MC: Do you still remember? I mentioned before that amusement parks have a kind of magic power, and can fulfil any wish. So if you have an unfulfilled wish, you can have it fulfilled here.

[Note] She’s making reference to Flower Season date!

He seems to think of a particular memory, and nods.

Gavin: I remember.

He pauses, a smile blooming on his lips.

Gavin: But I think what’s more magical than the amusement park is you. You enabled me to have many new wishes.

MC: Hm? For example?

I blink in curiosity.

Gavin: For example. the next time we participate in the “Couple Chemistry Test”, we’ll definitely make a new record.

Gavin: For example, the steps to cooking sliced fish boiled in chill oil. When I return home, I’ll definitely check my notes, and be able to answer you the next time you ask…

Gavin: For example, right now…

Gavin: I wish to see what your expression will look like in the next second.

He stares directly into my eyes, the light in them twinkling.

MC: Gavin…

Even before I finish speaking, his warm lips cover mine.

The gentle and soft sensation brings with it a unique scent belonging only to Gavin, overtaking all of my senses.

There seems to be a few cries and whistles from behind us, but the sound of the wind dispels them all. And I can hardly pay attention to them.

His breaths remain at the side of my lips. The revolving and blurry lights are behind him. The only thing I can see clearly is his face.

Gavin: It’s an expression belonging only to me.

Fireworks event: here