#AND THEN MISS GIRL HAS TO HEAR ABOUT CHICKEN NUGGET HAPPY MEAL???? THE SAME DAY????? FOUL!!!!!

[jonathanbyersphd]

In s5 I need to see Nancy telling the hilltop crew about her Vecna vision but this time everyone isn't standing on the other side of the room like she has the plague, Jonathan is holding her and Mike is squished on her other side and Joyce is holding her hands. Let Nancy be comforted by her people!!

No bc the s4 scene pisses me off SO MUCH like 1. Very rude and also a little suspicious that we don't see what Nancy sees. 2. A certain SOMEBODY has the audacity to tell her it's not real 3. WHY IS NO ONE COMFORTING THE TEENAGE GIRL WHO JUST SAW THE UNIMAGINABLE HORRORS? WHY IS SHE LEADING THE CHARGE AGAIN?

Like not to woobify Nancy but she def deserves more comfort & support next season to make up for s4 (also anything that involves Wheeler siblings interacting is good for me)

[simping-on-the-daily]

It would be unfair to do just Chelsea for these. ;p Here’s Aisha!

Credit to @luxet for her questions!

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? “SoundCloud. I just have a more easier time with it.” is your room messy or clean? “My bedroom is clean, as well as my room located in the corner of Thomas’ mind.” what color are your eyes? “I have blue eyes with slit pupils.” do you like your name? why? “I think Aisha is a suitable name.” what is your relationship status? “Taken.” describe your personality in 3 words or less “Analytical, Sharp, Rational.” what color hair do you have? “My hair’s an indigo leaning towards purple.” what kind of car do you drive? color? “I don’t drive, but a blue Sedan would be nice.” where do you shop? “You can’t really shop in the Mind Palace, but I like the bookstores.” how would you describe your style? “Smart Casual.” favorite social media account “Reddit and Wattpad both have....interesting things, but they are still my favorites.” what size bed do you have? “I have a Full XL.” any siblings? “I do not have any siblings.” if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? “I think I live in the best place already.” favorite snapchat filter? “The face swap filter is both a blessing and a curse.” favorite makeup brand(s) “L’Oréal.” how many times a week do you shower? “One in the morning and one before I go to bed.” favorite tv show? “I have a guilty pleasure of Netflix original shows.” shoe size? “My foot size is around the 10s, I think.” how tall are you? “6′0.” sandals or sneakers? “Sneakers don’t make an annoying slapping sound when they hit the ground, so them.” do you go to the gym? “No, I do not.” describe your dream date “Some people think that stargazing is my dream date, but Logan just got me into that. I truthfully prefer cafes, but as long as we are content doing the activity together, that’s the only thing that matters.” how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? “Right now, I have $80.” what color socks are you wearing? “I’m wearing white socks at the moment. Weird question.” how many pillows do you sleep with? “One.” do you have a job? what do you do? “No, I do not.” how many friends do you have? “All of the Sides are understandably good friends of mine.” whats the worst thing you have ever done? “I’d prefer to talk about the situation when I’m ready.” whats your favorite candle scent? “I don’t like candle scents.” 3 favorite boy names “I have an interest in Gabriel, Noah and Charles.” 3 favorite girl names “Minerva, Athena and Anne are some of my favorite's.” favorite actor? “I hate to be biased, but Thomas Sanders does a great job at acting.” favorite actress? “Jennifer Lawrence’s work is truly admirable.” who is your celebrity crush? “Mark Ruffalo may be known for giving out spoilers, but he does terrific performances.” favorite movie? “Same answer as below.” do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? “..........Why are you making me choose?” money or brains? “Brains.” do you have a nickname? what is it? “Who doesn’t have a nickname, honestly? Roman has plenty of them for me.” how many times have you been to the hospital? “None. We all have a sort of healing factor, and I am responsible enough to avoid any accidents.” top 10 favorite songs “I believe some of them were also mentioned in one of my bios.” do you take any medications daily? “No, I do not.” what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) “I have a normal skin type.” what is your biggest fear? “Needles.” how many kids do you want? “Can we even have children?” whats your go to hair style? “My hair always stays the same: some messy and unbrushed indigo hair leaning into the colour purple. The courtroom scenario was one of the few occasions my hair became more neater.” what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) “Currently, we’re in a beach house. It was Chelsea’s idea, as we create new houses. The Mind Palace is endless.” who is your role model? “I must give teachers their credit for being able to put up with their student’s rowdy behavior.” what was the last compliment you received? “You must hear really well with those pointy ears. Not sure if it’s a compliment or an insult.” what was the last text you sent? “I sent Logan a link to a site explaining the definition of some modern slang.” how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? “It was around my fourth.” what is your dream car? “A Sedan is good enough for me.” opinion on smoking? “My opinion on this? You’re not alone. I can’t stop you from smoking, but please make sure that it’s out of personal interest and not a form of endangering yourself.” do you go to college? “If Thomas went to college, then yes, I technically did. If he didn’t, then I didn’t.” what is your dream job? “I don’t really need a job.” would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? “The suburbs are much more safer.” do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? “No. I have no benefit in taking hotel property.” do you have freckles? “No, I do not freckles. However, Logan does. He just covers them up.” do you smile for pictures? “It depends on the picture we’re talking about.” how many pictures do you have on your phone? “We don’t have a storage limit, and right now I have around 400 in my gallery.” have you ever peed in the woods? “You’re assuming that I go in the woods.” do you still watch cartoons? “Cartoons are still shows, regardless of the artistic style. Yes, I do.” do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? “Wendy’s.” Favorite dipping sauce? “My favourite is Honey Mustard.” what do you wear to bed? “I wear a lot of dressing gowns.” have you ever won a spelling bee? “When your opponent is Patton, you’re bound to be victorious.” what are your hobbies? “I believe they’re listed in a bio already posted.” can you draw? “Yes, but I’m better art digital art then traditional.” do you play an instrument? “Nope. But since it doesn’t impact my daily life, it doesn’t bother me.” what was the last concert you saw? “It depends on the last concert Thomas went to.” tea or coffee? “Tea. It’s much more relaxing and is less bitter then coffee.” Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? “Starbucks has a lot more variety in their food choices.” do you want to get married? “I’m not a fan of weddings. It reinforces the fact that you need a giant celebration to prove your love instead of acts of trust and loyalty. Maybe that’s why I chose the callback instead.....” what is your crush’s first and last initial? “L.S. Logan Sanders.” are you going to change your last name when you get married? “Perhaps.” what color looks best on you? “Indigo and black are my more iconic colours, but I do appreciate some purple in my attire once in a while.” do you miss anyone right now? “Not as this particular time, no.” do you sleep with your door open or closed? “The door is closed, but not locked.” do you believe in ghosts? “In the Mind Palace, anything can happen. Ghosts are childsplay compared to the other supernatural creatures in here.” what is your biggest pet peeve? ”Clicking pens, unnecessarily revving your engines, waking you up in the middle of the night and then saying ‘oh did I wake you up?’ as well as bashing a book or film when you haven’t seen it.” last person you called ”I had to call Remus. I can’t remember the details, but it involved something with pencil cases.” favorite ice cream flavor? “Buttermilk and black sesame ginger are delicious and underrated.” regular oreos or golden oreos? “I prefer the regular Oreos.” chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? “I don’t enjoy sprinkles a whole lot. I prefer to cover my desserts with chocolate syrup.” what shirt are you wearing? “I’m currently wearing an off the shoulder top, coloured a dark navy blue with star patterns.” what is your phone background? “The night sky. It’s aesthetically pleasing.” are you outgoing or shy? “I would prefer to call myself an ambivert.” do you like it when people play with your hair? “Playing with my hair? That’s fine.” But don’t try to get rid of the knots or try and brush it.” do you like your neighbors? “The Dark Sides live right next to us in their house, and I have a neutral opinion about the lot of them. Remus is okay, though. I’m not a fan of Deceit.” do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? “I wash my face after brushing my teeth.” have you ever been high? “I know that if I answer this question, the readers will probably warp it into some form of suggestive content.” have you ever been drunk? “I’m not sure if we can get drunk? I might have to ask Logan that later.” last thing you ate? “My last meal was some noodles and meatballs.” favorite lyrics right now “The following lyrics are from the song Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars.” When I see your face There's not a thing that I would change 'Cause you're amazing Just the way you are summer or winter? “Winter. The cold air gives more chances for indoor activities as well as a nice aesthetic.” day or night? “The night is much calmer, so I’ll prefer that.” dark, milk, or white chocolate? “Dark chocolate. I believe that the bitter taste makes it good.” favorite month? “July, I’m not sure why, but I get some happy during the seventh month.” what is your zodiac sign ”While I wasn’t ‘born’, per say, my creation was during the constellation of Capricorn, so I’ll go with that.” who was the last person you cried in front of? “It was a pretty long time ago, but I think it was Deceit. Back when we were kids.”

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #279

“she could kill you with a wink of her eye.”

Have you ever met a guy for coffee? No, I don’t like coffee. Do you feed your leftovers to your dogs? I don’t currently have any dogs, but when I did, it was very rare and (almost) only if he wasn’t begging for it. The only exception was chicken nuggets; Teddy loved him some chicken nuggets, holy shit. That and peanut butter he would always get so excited about. What tricks does your pet do? Neither my cat nor obviously my snake know any tricks. Do you believe in psychics? No. When you hear the name “Ginger” what do you think of? Jason’s fatass beagle. I wonder how she is a lot, she was a darling. What is the worst damage that your car has seen? N/A What was the last thing that annoyed you? Probably my chronic boredom. :’) How would your parents react if you got pregnant (or got someone pregnant)? Both would be extremely confused seeing as I’m not with a guy and absolutely do not want kids. Have you ever had a fight with your boyfriend/girlfriend’s mom or dad? Nope. Are you afraid of frogs? No, they’re Good. How would you react if a complete stranger complimented you? It depends on the compliment and how it’s delivered. If you sound genuine and it’s not creepy, it’s honestly really flattering and sweet, though I get really shy. Who was the last person to make you cry? Myself, technically, thinking too much about he who I shouldn’t, y’know. Do you have Facebook? I do. How would you react if you found out your crush had a terminal disease? God, I don’t want to think about this. I’d be absolutely crushed. Do you eat applesauce? I don’t go out of my way to get some, but sure, I like applesauce. What was the last pill you took for? It was one of my mood stabilizers. Are you in the hospital a lot? No, thankfully. What is your dentist’s first name, if you know it? I have no clue. Have you ever walked on the beach at night? Yes. Does your mother have any sisters? One. Do you read poetry/make it? I don’t really read it anymore, but once in five blue moons I’ll write one if I’m really inspired. Have you ever had braces? Yes, for way too long because we couldn’t afford to take them off. I think it’s why one of my bottom front teeth is angled back a bit. Your parents split; would you want to live with your mom or dad? My parents are divorced and I live(d) with my mom. Ever told your parents you were going somewhere but went somewhere else? To Mom, yes. My sisters and I were going to visit Dad and it was just easier back then to make something else up. Are you afraid of lifts? Elevators? Yes. Not terribly, but I’m not a fan. Who did you last talk to in person? Is that person attractive? My “other mom” Tobey; she brought me some groceries while Mom’s away. She’s Mom’s age though so no, I’m not attracted to her. She’s like family. Have you ever had a deep, personal conversation with a stranger? I mean, isn’t that therapy at first? lmao Let’s talk about the person you had your first kiss with. Do you still talk to that person? If so, do you still like them? Would you kiss them again? No; no, I like his memory; I fucking hope not. How many times have you cried over the person you love/like? A couple times. When was the last time you wanted to cry, but didn’t, because you didn’t want to show that you were upset? Why? I’m really not sure. What are three things that are guaranteed to make you smile, or put you in a good mood? Going on a car ride with me in shotgun to blare my music; seeing Mark laugh oh my FUCKING god; and seeing meerkats being cute. What is something in your life that you feel hopeful about right now? Nothing. What was the last thing you worried about that turned out better than expected? My first teletherapy appointment. What is a meal you eat extremely often? Or do your meals & food choices vary a lot? Chicken of some sort is very, very common. What was the last thing you changed your mind about? Ummm… good question. I know I have done this recently, I just can’t remember it… Who tends to show up in your dreams? Do you ever wonder if you appear in anyone else’s dreams? Jason is practically a staple. Mom is there a lot. And sure, doesn’t everyone? Instead of flat earth, what do you think of the simulated earth theory, that we’re basically all just a giant computer program or virtual reality? I think it’s possible, there really is some convincing evidence, but I lean more towards not believing it. What worries you most about your future? What the fuck I’m doing with my life. What is something you do to feel better when you’re scared? Deep breathing. Who do you feel you can count on the most in life? Is there anyone you wish you could count on more? Mom, and sure. When was the last time you shared a secret with someone, and how did they react? I’m not sure. Are you more likely to give advice or to ask for it? Give. What is the strangest book you have ever read? How did you find out about it? OH MY GOD, SUDDEN MEMORY. There was this book we read in elementary school about this kid who made everything he touched turn to chocolate and it was fuckin wild. Do you prefer to watch movies or tv alone or with other people? Is there anything you refuse to watch alone? Oh, absolutely with someone. Y’all know I don’t enjoy TV that much anyway. What was the subject of the last video you watched? I’m watching the VOD on-and-off of a WoW streamer I like. Who taught you the most valuable lesson in life and what was that lesson? Jason. Don’t let anyone but yourself become your main source of happiness and worth. Have you got perfect vision? Hell no. I’ve got glasses for a good reason. What colour is the door to your house? White. Would you prefer a pet rat, mouse, snake, lizard or spider? Snake. <3 Are you a good liar (tell the truth this time)? Yes. Do you like the smell of a barbecue or bonfire? Yeah, even though I hate barbecue itself. Do you think rainbows are pretty or overrated? Who the fuck thinks they’re “overrated”??? Rainbows are gorgeous. I think we can all agree on that. Are you more skeptical or gullible? Skeptical. How often do you drink sodas or fizzy drinks? LOLOL I DO NOT WANT TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. Has anyone ever called you apathetic or unemotional? Considering I’m the polar opposite, no. Prefer being in control in a team environment, helping out, or taking orders? Help out. Do you like carrot cake? GIRL yes. Do you view animals as being just as important as people? Why or why not? Yes, because we have no greater right than them to be here. Hell, they’re probably more deserving with humanity’s selfishness. I’m aware as a meat eater there’s some hypocrisy here, buuut still in my heart I see them as just as valuable. What made you stop talking to the last person you cut out of your life? She made an absolutely infuriating, false assumption of my mother. Is there a situation or person you haven’t been able to get over/forgive? I’ve forgiven him. Forgetting’s a different story. What are you like during arguments? Regardless of the topic or severity, I will absolutely be fumbling over my words, stuttering, and find eye contact difficult. It’s definitely not rare that I’ll be crying. Where do you like to be kissed? WELL this depends on the mood y’know. What is more difficult for you, looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when they are telling you how they feel? I dunno, both can be very hard. Think of the last time you were REALLY angry. WHY were you angry? Do you still feel the same way? It’s petty and I’d rather not give it the time of day. But I still am kind of angry, though I shouldn’t be. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You have enough time to make ONE phone call. Who do you call? What do you tell them? Why is this so oddly specific lol. But anyway, Mom, and that I love her. Would you rather be hurt by the one you trust the most or the one you love the most? The one I trust the most. Think of the last person who you know that died. You have the chance to give them one hour of life back, but you have to give up one year of yours. Do you do it? Why or why not? No, because she was miserable. When was the last time you told someone HONESTLY how you felt regardless of how difficult it was for you to say? Who was it? What did you have to tell the person? I don’t know. What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up? Why would it be hard to lose? Sara. Her friendship means a fucking lot to me. Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them. Who were they to you? Yesterday to my mom. Are you old fashioned? HA, definitely not. Have you ever gone up to a car thinking it was yours and tried to get in it? Oh my god yes. What’s your most irrational fear? There are plenty of them that I have. Whale sharks lmao. Musicals: yay or nay? I can’t help it, they’re always cheesy to me. Do you play the games on MySpace/Facebook? No. When was the last time you were sunburnt? A few years ago when I went to the beach with Colleen and her fam. It was actually to the point of being sun poisoning. No words for how painful that shit was. How many times have you re-pierced a piercing yourself? Never have, never would. I’m trusting a professional with that. What’s your favorite band? Ozzy Osbourne, of course. :’) How often do you pray? Never. Have you ever hugged someone for over a minute? Yeah. Would you ever get a tattoo on your collarbone? I already have one but am getting it covered with something else eventually. It just doesn’t really apply to me. Do you wake up cranky? Not usually; I’m usually in my best mood in the morning. Are you an official couple with the last person you kissed? No. Who was the last person to hold your hand? I don’t recall. What do you miss most about your ex? Define which ex. Are you attracted to the last person that kissed you? Yeah. Do you and your last ex hate each other? We’re best friends lmao. Have you ever regretted kissing someone? Yes. Are you faster at text messaging or typing on the computer? Absolutely typing on the computer. I make typos while texting too much. Has anybody ever told somebody one of your secrets? Probably. Have you ever kissed anybody who had a mustache? Yes If you were famous do you think you could handle the popularity? Nooooo no no. Have your parents ever told you about their love lives, and any previous relationships they had before they met? I’ve heard small stories about past relationships. Do you know anyone that’s gotten an abortion before? Yes. Have you ever been arrested? No. Who’s the last person that gave you roses? Tyler. Who’s the last guy you texted? My dad. What about the last girl? Sara. When was your first real relationship? From age 15 to 19-ish. Have you ever cried over an ex? I have PTSD stemming from one of them so guess lmao. Do you ever think about your ex and cry? ^ Have you ever cussed someone out? I remember one occasion at my sister’s stupid fucking ex. What’s the most trouble you’ve ever gotten in with your parents? Hm, not sure. Is there something really bad that you’ve done, that only YOU know about? No. Do you have a lot of secrets? Not really. Have you ever made out with someone who was just a friend? No. Have you ever told someone’s deep, dark secret? No. “Your secret it safe with me” is something I’m hardcore about. Have you ever pushed someone into a pool? I don’t think so, no. Do you have a super-secret hiding place and what’s in it? No. Have you ever you shop lifted? No. What state (or country) do you live in? North Carolina. Are you listening to music right now? Yes; 3TEETH's cover of "Pumped Up Kicks." I have fallen in LOVE with them. What is your newest favorite website? I don’t think I’ve really had a “new” favorite website in like eons. Do you have embarrassing memories of stupid things you've done? You have no fucking idea. I still remember things that embarrassed me in pre-k. What was the last thing you cooked on the stove? Scrambled eggs, I’m sure. What color Christmas tree do you want when you have a house someday? BLACK. BLACK WITH FAUX SNOW. How fucking gorgeous would that be??? Have you ever had to use an epi pen? No. Do you know the names of 3 of your neighbors? No. I only know the name of one. What was the last thing you cooked that you burnt or cooked for too long? I’m unsure. If you could have a car in any color, which color would you choose? ANY color? Pink. What was the last grocery store you shopped at? Walmart. What was the last type of milk you drank? 2%. Do you plan to vote in the next election? Yes. I believe silence speaks for the evil in situations like this, and I’m done doing that. Thooouuugh I gotta educate myself on the candidates… What was the last act of creativity you displayed? Writing. What is the last thing you charged? My laptop. Who was the last person to upload a picture with you in it? I don’t know, been a long time. Do you like peas? NOOOOOOOOO. It’s funny, according to Mom, I loooved peas as a baby, but now I’m just like… can’t relate. Do you ever wear sleep masks when you sleep or shower caps when you shower? No. Which friend are you most similar to? Sara and I are very similar. Your ex calls wanting to hang out. What do you say? Well Sara is many states away so like,,,, we can’t unless I wanna buy a plane ticket lmao. If it was Jason, I pretty much know I’d say yes like a fucking idiot. If it was Girt, it’d be a yeah, we haven’t hung out in forever. Do you have alcohol in your house? No. Have you or anyone you know been to rehab? I’m sure someone has. Have you ever swung on a tire swing? I think I have at least once. What’s a discontinued product you wish they still made? Damn, I know there are some, but they’re not coming to me. Have you ever been involved in Facebook drama? Yes. Actually told a motherfucker off a few days back that claimed there was “something wrong” with Breonna Taylor and her death was justifiable. I. Went. The fuck. Off. Then everyone joined in. :D Do you have anything against women who choose to be stay-at-home-mothers? No?????? The fuck?????????? Have you ever kissed someone with a beard? Not a lengthy one. What gaming consoles do you own? PS2, Wii, GameBoy Advance, Nintendo DS Lite, my laptop, and uhhh I think that’s it. Have you ever been so sick you had to be taken to the hospital? Well, mentally sick. Do you know any lesbian couples? Yes. Did your parents monitor your internet usage when you were a teen? Yes. Well, Mom did. Is there anything in the USB key slots in your computer/laptop? Yes, the thing that communicates with my wireless mouse. What advertisements are on your screen at the moment? None. Was there ever a time when you felt absolutely terrified? If so, why? I can’t describe how terrified I was the night of the breakup. It felt so unreal, and I was so certain my life was over. Then there was an occasion where my dad picked my sister and me up from school and he was in an AWFUL mood; he was speeding like a motherfucker and running red lights. I absolutely thought a we were going to get in a wreck or die. Then I have anxiety and have experienced panic attacks, so… guess lmao. Who’s one person who changed how you viewed something? One of the most profound in my life is actually Rhett and Link as well as Hannah Hart. When I started watching GMM, I was actually still homophobic, but gradually I started to ship the fuck out of those angel boys despite it. I started questioning my viewpoint, and finally, on their podcast where Hannah was the guest, telling her personal LGBT story, it just clicked how disgustingly wrong I was. When was the last time you went to a bar? I’ve never been to one. Why did you last see the doctor? I’m going to assume you mean a doctor for physical reasons, in which case I went in to talk about if I qualified for a sleep study regarding my nightmares, only to be told that because my actual doctor was absent, she could do nothing. Sooo Mom and I walked in pretty much just to pay someone to say “wait.” How do you spend the majority of your free time? Something on the computer, I’m sure. Lately, what I’ve been doing most is playing WoW while watching/listening to something. List the cards in your wallet. I don’t care enough to look. Not a lot. What was the last thing to inspire you? Ummm idk. How has COVID affected you? It really hasn’t, other than giving me anxiety regarding my mom as she is in the “of most concern” demographic, if you will. We don’t know if her cancer is gone yet due to the whole emergency trip to NY. But yeah, I personally leave the house like… never, so my daily life hasn’t really had any deviations. What is a comfort show of yours? Hm. I share enough that I’m not a TV person, so I don’t really seek out a show when I need comfort. But I guess if I was sitting there with the remote and I was really down, I’d be happy to find That ‘70s Show. Do you think we were put on this earth for a reason? As I believe *some* sort of greater intelligence is responsible for the universe, I like to think so. But if not, make your own reason. What is something you have done this year you’re proud of? I’ve been home alone for over a month now and am somehow doing okay, taking care of the house and myself. Animal Crossing , yay or nay? I’ve never played it. Not of my interest in games. Do you think breaks are toxic in a relationship? “Breaks” are bullshit. You’re either together or you’re not.

[thisheartofminex]

adrenaline rush : one

She makes it all of five steps before there’s a hand gently clasping around her right wrist. Instinct has Phe pulling away from the owner of the rather large hand, it fits around her wrist too easily. Her head turns so quickly she’s not sure that she didn’t whip them with her hair.

When she sees it’s Harry, her heart rate doesn’t go down but instead continues to pump at a mile a minute.

“Yes?” Phe asks, trying to sound like she wasn’t spooked by him at all. Hates giving off any other impression that she was cool, calm, and collected.

“What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t.”

“Which historical region of Greece includes the capital, Athens?”

Phe’s not really paying attention to the pub quiz as much as she normally would have, considering she enjoyed it when her friends made comments about how bright she was (although they were said in a teasing matter it stroked her ego nevertheless). But tonight, she wasn’t feeling like her usual self. The Shamrock wasn’t a pub that she would choose to frequent in her spare time, especially because she knew that it was her brothers' friends and associates local. Phe was under no influence of the type of people that flocked to her brother like a child to a sweet shop, and it was made clear to her a long time ago that she was to keep those people at an arm's length.

So, to say she was a little on the edge tonight would be accurate. She’d only come because there was a promise of leaving right after the quiz but where they’d go after would depend on if they won or not. Before she left, they’d all go to Adam’s after whatever house party they’d been at and carry on with their night there. But Adam’s parents had sold their house and moved to Wales seven months ago and quite frankly nobody else’s place, or parent's, could even compare.

“G’wan Phe, you should know this one.”

Zayn gives her a nudge to her arm, softly encouraging her to participate. One glance at his face and she knows exactly what he’s thinking. He can see she’s not being her normal self and he knows that she didn’t want to come here. He’s the one who promised they’d shoot off after the quiz, with a promise of getting a McFlurry after.

“What’s the question?” She chirps at Natalie, moving to place her elbows on the table across from Adam’s. Her mother’s mantra of ��elbows of the table’ echo’s through her head briefly but she ignores it, focusing on answering Natalie’s question as Adam rolls his eyes at her. It was typically the three of them that banded together and won quiz night, since if one of them missing and the success rate dropped significantly, no matter who else was there. The others like to tease them about it, but they laughed it off and drank the winning booze.

Taking a swig of her drink, she makes eye contact with Lauren, who gestures in the direction of the door leading upstairs. Phe knows exactly what she’s getting at and nods, making sure to leave her jacket on the chair next to Zayn, in hopes of nobody trying to steal her spot.

On their way back down from the toilet, they bump into a friend of Ronan’s, Kieran, who coincidentally happened to be leaving the toilets the same time as them and takes it upon himself to come sit with their circle of friends. He’s telling them about some sort of low-key boxing match that’s happening in town tonight, in a couple hours to be precise.

“Is Ronan here?” She asks, looking in the direction Kieran came from. He’s holding a fresh pint in his hand, with it almost spilling over the edge. Phe makes sure not to be in range of it as she starts walking back to the table.

“No, he’s already at the fight with Jimmy and Fat Boy. We’re gonna go meet up with them in ‘bout half hour though.”

“Meet who?” Zayn asks as the girls take their places from before and Kieran pulls a chair up for himself. He starts telling Zayn about the local match, telling him that it’s so and so’s cousin up against somebody else’s nephew. Adam starts to join in the conversation, all three of them discussing it amongst them whilst Phe, Natalie, and Lauren work on the last three quiz questions.

When the boys go outside for a smoke it’s announced that cheez is the winning team, with a total of twenty correct answers out of thirty. The group win a free bottle of wine and Lauren’s the one who goes to the bar to collect it with their sheet of answers. Natalie and Phe are discussing if it’d even worth sharing the prize or if one of them should take it home, since they did most of the work, as per usual.

It’s Kieran’s loud voice that startles them out of their conversation as he announces that they’re all going to see this boxing match. Phe just looks to Zayn to gauge his reaction but instead of dismissing it and reassuring her with one look, she’s moderately surprised when he comes to the defense of the man besides him.

“Why not? Pretty dead here, might as well.”

That’s unlike Zayn, Phe thinks. The Zayn she knows would go grab a six-piece chicken nugget meal from McDonald’s before going home and smoking a spliff in bed. Zayn didn’t do clubbing, although he had been quite a few times between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, when Phe wasn’t even legally allowed to drink, let alone drive. Since then he’d got into a routine of going to work, coming home with the occasional pub visit here and there. On an especially exciting week, he’d join Phe and Natalie for lunch on a Tuesday. Maybe even see his other friends on the weekend.

Lauren comes back from the bar, carrying their prize in both hands proudly before she’s asked if she’d wish to go and see this fight. With her agreement, it seems settled that the five of them are now joining her brothers' friends in their abnormal Wednesday night. Typical of Ronan and his friends to be doing reckless things without much thought put behind it. Phe wasn’t one to shy away from most things but even she had to question that it was a little shady that some unofficial boxing match was taking place in the middle of the week.

Before she knows it, they’re being joined by two men she recognizes from her elder brothers' school friends and they’re being squished into a mini bus. With her and Lauren being the smallest, the candy floss pink head of hers ends up practically sitting in an Adam’s lap and Phe’s able to squish between them and Zayn.

They arrive at some shifty looking warehouse type after being in the van roughly twenty-five minutes, since the roads were rather clear. Phe has a rough idea of where she is but isn’t too sure, makes a point of finding Ronan and sticking to his side for the remainder of the night (unless he was with a girl – then she’d keep her distance enough, since last time she saw Ronan out with a girl he ended up snapping at her for being there, as if she were some stupid teenager). Hopefully they’d make it home early enough not to wake their parents.

It must have been getting on a bit when they turned up, since the place seemed to be harboring more people than she expected. Phe notices a very distinct vibe immediately, with the air smelling of cheap beer and sweaty bodies. Clearly the spectators had been here quite some time before they showed up, for the floor was sticky enough to indicate they had been. So, when Natalie says she’s getting a call from her boyfriend (he lived a good forty-five-minute drive on a good day), Phe says she’ll join her outside.

“Don’t be long you two, it’s ‘bout to be startin’ soon, yeah?” Kieran tells the pair enthusiastically, with a smile and a wink from Zayn as they promise so come find them in ten minutes give or take.

“Not want anything from the bar?” Nat asks her, to which Phe tells her that she’s not really feeling that shit booze vibe tonight. The girls laugh in agreement, standing to the left of the double doors outside. As her friend lifts the phone to her ear, Phe makes herself busy by pulling out a cig and lighting it up. She doesn’t want to eavesdrop on their conversation so stands with her back leant against the brick wall, not looking in Nat’s direction in hopes of giving her some privacy.

There’s a small group stood just a few feet away from the pair, consisting of three guys and two blonde girls. The girls seem to be pretty cozied up with the men they’re stood closest to, both leaning towards them as a source of heat presumably, by the way they're dressed. Phe can understand, it’d been almost twenty-five degree’s today, so a dress was an obvious choice. Although, everyone seems to forget that once the sun gets down it’s still eligible to reach at least fifteen degrees, so Phe made sure to bring her denim jacket. Since it had so many pockets, it’d also made bringing a bag to quiz night seem pointless.

The third man, unlike the other two, smartly chose to wear a long sleeve CK jumper. He’s stood with his side profile to her, holding a plastic cup full of beer in his right hand, which seems to have a couple of rings on. Phe tries her best not to stare too much in the group's direction, but she can’t help but people watch. They seem to be happy to joke between one another, although she can tell that the two girls are regretting their choice of no jacket. So are the guys, probably damning their t shirts.

Phe hears Natalie say something along the lines of ‘train station’ and she glances over at her friend, who’s stood facing the ugly brick wall that she’s leant against, taking drags of her cigarette lazily. Not five seconds after the phone conversation’s coming to an end.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna spend the night at Aaron’s.” She tells her friend, “the train stations literally just ‘round the corner and he’s gonna pick me up from his station.”

Phe asks again if everything’s alright, to which Nat assures her that it is but she wasn’t really feeling like staying in this dungy warehouse too longer, would rather spend the night at her boyfriend’s. The next train is in ten minutes, so Phe offers to walk her to the station. Natalie’s lucky because the train station was a ten-minute walk down the road and she just makes it on time, giving her friend a hug goodbye and a promise of a text when she was safe.

When she makes it back, she spots Zayn stood outside, chatting with the group outside from a distance. Brown eyes spot her and shout a thanks in their direction before turning his attention towards her, reaching out to grab her arm gently.

“Where you run off to, huh? It’s startin!” He says, gorgeous face frowning softly, “Where’s Nat gone?”

Phe lets him know the situation, as he puts his arm around her shoulders and guides her towards where the rest of their group are sat inside. One glance back behind her and she makes eye contact with the dark-haired man in the jumper. She expects him to divert his eyes, ashamed for being caught staring, but if anything, he does the opposite. Has the nerve to drop his left eye into a wink as he takes a swig from his cup of what she presumes is cider.

Phe doesn’t falter once, just gives him a once over before looking inside, seeing the overhead lights have dimmed significantly. The small crowd, if you could even call it that since there were maximum of fifty people, had turned their attention towards the center where a boxing ring seemed to be conveniently placed.

Her stomach does a summer salt when she see’s this, and when she see’s the two men in the middle. Especially when she clocks on that they both seem to lack the proper fighting equipment for the sport, supporting bare knuckles.

Oh Ronan, she can’t help but think to herself when the first punch is thrown.

There weren’t much these days that she didn’t expect her brother to have some part in. She understood he liked to have his hand in somebody’s pie, whether it was good for him or not. Especially when it came to the drug kind.

But this? This was new, even for him. Glancing over at said elder brother, stood next to his new ‘friend’, she can only hope that this was only a mild fascination for the sport. There was only so much that their parents could handle, too, and she didn’t want them having to worry about him more than they already did.

Phe tries, she really does, but when the second match starts, she can feel her patience running thin. The girl attached to Ronan’s side was getting on her nerves, from the way she was shooting dirty looks in Phe and Lauren’s direction, to the way she kept batting her real mink eyelash extensions up at her brother. She’d sobered up a while ago, whilst they were in the cab over since she’d only had a couple of drinks at The Shamrock, so the house music overhead was only jumbling her thoughts up.

She makes sure to let Lauren know that she’s just going to the toilet, shooting a wink up at Zayn as he looks at her brush past him. She knows him like the back of her hand and could speak to one another with just a look. Natalie was also like that, she’d known her for almost as long as she knew Zayn, since he was originally her brothers' friend first.

In the toilets, it’s not so loud and allows Phe a moment to herself to think. She thinks about work tomorrow and how thankful she was that she had a later start. Even goes as far to check the time, 10:18, and calculate how much longer they’d be here and how many hours of sleep she’d be able to get.

Taking the time to wipe her hands dry, she throws the paper towels into the nearby bin before giving her auburn locks a quick smooth down. When she makes her way back to her friends and brother, it’s clear that it’s some sort of half time, probably to give the crowd time to go buy more drinks. Phe’s blue eyes land on the broad back stood talking to not only Zayn, but Ronan and his friends too. Lauren doesn’t seem to be particularly listening, from the way she’s stood, but the men seems to be very interested in what he’s saying.

“Phe-” Zayn starts as his hazel eyes lock with hers, Lauren perking up also, “stayin’ at mine tonight, yeah?” He puts his arm around her shoulders, guiding her to stand facing Lauren, not the strange man.

But she gets a glance up at him, and recognizes him from the guy outside in the CK jumper. Pink lips are parted as he seems to be saying something to Ronan, too quiet for her to hear even though she’s less than three feet away. Sure, the spectators around them had quieted down since there wasn’t currently two guys trying to kill each other in the ring, but they were making enough noise for her have to strain just to her the two people closest to her.

“Who’s that?” Instead of acknowledging Zayn’s question, or Lauren’s unsure look, she makes sure to not stare too hard and just does a small nod in the man's direction to indicate who’s she’s asking about.

“Harry, a mate of Ronan’s.” He whispers back, removing his arm from her small frame before repeating his previous question.

She just nods, sneaking a glance towards Harry again, only for his eyes to wander down to her. A small smirk appears on his lips as jade green eyes look her up and down, body turning ever so slightly in her direction. Phe thinks he’s about to say something but his attention is taken away by a familiar blond from before. Said blond whispers something in Harry’s ear, who just nods and utters a ‘see you later’ to the men stood around him, dares to throw a wink in Phe’s direction, then makes his way towards where she assumes the fighters are waiting.

For a moment she’s a little thrown off by the handsome stranger, from his brown curls seeming to be effortless styled off of his face, to the air of confidence that he gave off. Not to mention the wink? Some part of her is saying that they’ve met before, but they can’t have even as much as glanced at each other, otherwise she’d remember.

Phe could tell he was the type of man that you can’t forget about, wouldn’t let you forget about. From the peeks of tattoos at his collarbones she could tell that he was the type who could ruin a girl's life without a second thought.

It was almost as if that wink was some sort of promise.

***

After the last fight ended, everyone was quick to leave and continue their night somewhere else. Nobody seemed too keen on sticking around since the bar wasn’t open for much longer after the bell rang and the winner’s name was called out. So, since Lauren had to use the toilet, herself and Zayn chose to wait inside for her instead of risk being bulldozed over, whilst the rest made their way outside for a smoke.

They’d open the all two fire escape doors, which helped a little, but also not really. By the time Lauren comes out, pink hair visible from a mile away, it’s cleared out enough to Phe’s liking.

The three of them step outside, Phe wanting to say a goodnight to her brother before they all head off to Zayn’s for the night. Lauren’s folks are out of town this week, seeing some relative’s, so she’s crashing along with Phe. They’d most likely end up sharing Zayn’s bed together, with him either on the sofa or in bed with his roommate, Niall, depending on if he was home and what mood he was in. The Irishman had declined coming along tonight because he wasn’t feeling too ill and didn’t want to make himself any worse.

Lauren spotted Ronan first, pointing him out to Phe. He was stood with the girl from earlier, thinks her names Ava but doesn’t remember being formally introduced to her, who’s stood as if they were joined at the hip. Kieran’s talking to him, cigarette in hand matching her brother’s, whilst the girl just leans against him like a human post.

Phe manages to say goodbye and goodnight to her brother whilst ignoring his ‘friend’ completely. Even goes as far to say a bye to Kieran, before she’s making her way over to where Zayn and Lauren are stood waiting besides an uber that just pulled up.

She makes it all of five steps before there’s a hand gently clasping around her right wrist. Instinct has Phe pulling away from the owner of the rather large hand, it fits around her wrist too easily. Her head turns so quickly she’s not sure that she didn’t whip them with her hair.

When she sees it’s Harry, her heartrate doesn’t go down but instead continues to pump at a mile a minute.

“Yes?” Phe asks, trying to sound like she wasn’t spooked by him at all. Hates giving off any other impression that she was cool, calm, and collected.

“What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t.” Very aware of his hand still holding her arm, she glances down at where they’re connected. Green eyes follow and let go, making sure to brush her fingers as they do. Phe expects him to backdown at her brashness but he just smiles.

“Your Thorns sister, ain’t you?” He doesn’t move, continues to stand in her circle of space without a care in the world. Even places his hands in the front pocket of his jeans, which are jet black and have holes in at the knees, like her own.

“Whatever gave it away.” She says dryly, dark brows raising slightly as she takes a glance in her brothers' direction.

Although he chose to keep his hair cropped short, you could still tell that he was a natural ginger, albeit a darker shade than her own. The freckles on his nose gave it away, too. Ronan had been the lucky one who was blessed with a light dusting of them paired with the ability to tan nicely. Whereas Phe had been cursed to be fair skinned forever, with the absence of any prominent freckles.

“I’m Harry.” He holds his hand out between them this time, letting Phe get a good look at the Rolex on his wrist. Her father always said that watches weren’t for telling the time, but simply just for show.

“Phe.”

“Phe.” He repeats, almost satisfyingly, like a child finally getting the answer they’d been dying to know. Since she’d barely placed her hand in his, she’d expected his hand not to engulf her hand so easily. A quick glance down at their still connected hands and Harry starts to let go, making sure his fingers brush the length of hers.

“You’re slipping through my fingers.”

At first, she doesn’t realise that he’s making a joke, albeit a rather poor one, and can just about manage a blink in his direction through her confusion. It’s only when he sends her another wink paired with a little wave of his fingers as he walks off does it click in her head.

With an eye roll and a sigh she makes her way over to her friends.

[starryviolentine]

Brody’s Diary (Revised Edition): Chapter 2

Part one of the “Pre-Apocalypse Adventures” Series

Chapter 1 ( here )

Therissa is one of the Ericson kids mentioned by Willy in the game as one of the students who died sometime during apocalypse. I normally don’t write fanfics using characters who don’t have a canon appearance and personality already, but for this story I needed a third roommate/older sibling figure for Violet and Brody. Before I knew it, I had come up with this headcanon of Therissa…and I’ve kind of fallen in love with her character. (She was kind of inspired by Xanthippe from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt if you’ve seen that show!)

Violet must have dozed off because the next thing she knows is she’s being shaken awake. It takes a moment for the sleepy static in her brain to wear off, but once the fuzziness fades she notices that the bedroom is a little darker than she remembers. How long was she asleep?

“Rise and shine, loser. You’re gonna miss dinner.”

The voice belongs to Violet and Brody’s seventeen-year-old roommate, Therissa. Therissa is sarcastic, indifferent, and possesses a rather dark sense of humor. Over the past few months of living together, Violet has grown accustomed to the teenager’s tendency to be a little mean. She’s not sure why, exactly, Therissa was sent to Ericson’s, but she has a feeling that it might have something to do with her attitude.

Normally, Violet doesn’t care about the names Therissa calls her and Brody, but tonight it strikes her in a sore spot. She rolls over until she’s facing the wall and closes her eyes again, hoping that Therissa will leave her alone. She’s really in no mood to talk to anybody. 

“Hey, you haven’t caught that stomach thing that’s been going around, have you?” Therissa notices her roomie’s lack of response and wonders if there’s something wrong. “Justin told me that two kids were puking their guts out in the boys’ dorm this morning. Totally disgusting.”

The younger girl still hasn’t said a word or even acknowledged her presence, so Therissa comes a little closer to Violet’s bunk to check on her. As the oldest, she feels a teensy bit of responsibility to make sure her younger roommates are still breathing, at the very least. “If you’re gonna hurl, don’t do it in here.”

“I’m not sick.”

“Oh, good. You’re not dead,” Therissa says flatly. “Get up. Go eat.”

Violet scowls at the wall. “I’m not hungry.”

So there is something wrong. Therissa had a feeling that something was off, but now she’s pretty certain that her youngest roommate is upset. “What’s eating you?”

Tired of all the poking and prodding, Violet’s temper goes off again. “I’m just not hungry, okay? Leave me alone!”

“Seriously?” The teenager rolls her eyes and heaves an exasperated sigh. “Okay, if that’s how you’re gonna be...”

For a brief moment, Violet thinks that she’s won and that Therissa’s going to leave her alone. To her horror, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, Therissa slips out of her boots and hoists herself up into the little blonde’s bunk.

“Move over.”

There’s a short pause while Violet considers her next move. It’s not too late to fight Therissa on this. But Violet’s tired, and she’s got no spark left in her to keep up her tough front. She sluggishly scoots closer to the wall to make room for the older girl.

Therissa makes herself comfortable in the space next to Violet. “So, what’s up with you?”

Violet doesn’t answer.

“Come on, Violet,” the teen tries again. There’s no way for Therissa to see the kind of expression Violet’s making with her facing the other way, so she has to make do with speaking to the back of the younger girl’s head. “This amount of sulking isn’t normal, even for you. I know something’s wrong.”

Violet’s ears perk up. She can’t tell if she’s imagining it, but her roommate’s voice suddenly sounds gentler than usual. It’s really strange.

“You wanna tell me about it?”

This is the first time Therissa has shown any concern for Violet’s feelings. The younger girl isn’t sure how to respond. Deep, deep down there’s a part of her that longs to turn to Therissa for comfort. There’s a voice inside her head giving her the okay to open up to the teen, but it’s currently being drowned out by a louder, overbearing warning alarm sounding No! No! No!. In her current emotional state, Violet knows that if she does try to talk about what happened, she would probably start crying like a baby and might not be able to stop. And that would be a complete nightmare.

“No? Okay.” Therissa stretches out so that she’s lying comfortably on her back with her arms behind her head. “You won’t mind if I just stay here for the rest of the night, then?”

“Don’t,” Violet mumbles quietly. “Just go.”

“How could I possibly have an appetite when my favorite little blonde brat is all sad and lonely and won’t even tell me what’s wrong?” Therissa’s teasing is familiar and oddly comforting. Her persistence cracks away at Violet’s protective shell and the younger girl can feel her guard slipping. “Let me guess. You got detention for sleeping during class again?”

As a matter of fact, Violet hasn’t fallen asleep in class for a good couple of weeks. She shakes her head.

“Boy trouble?”

Violet scrunches up her nose and makes a face even though Therissa can’t see it. “No, gross!”

The teenager laughs. “What else...?” After a pause, she suddenly gasps and feigns horror. “Don’t tell me… the dining hall stopped serving chicken nuggets?”

A tiny smile tugs on the corners of Violet’s mouth. “Stop.”

“I’ll leave you alone as soon as you tell me what’s wrong,” Therissa says, adjusting her position again so that she’s back to sitting upright. Her tone also changes to reflect her posture, becoming lower and more serious.

At this point, Violet knows that the teen isn’t going to give up. She pulls the covers over her head and groans. “Fine,” she mutters, voice muffled by her blanket, “I’ll tell you.”

“Sorry, I can’t really hear you with that blanket over your face,” Therissa exaggerates. “Maybe if you turned around so we could have a conversation like actual human beings—”

“Okay, okay! God!” Violet surrenders. She wiggles under the covers until her head pokes out, then pushes herself into a sitting position and finally faces her roommate. “Happy?”

Even though Violet’s looking in Therissa’s direction, she won’t look her in the eyes. Still, it’s a start. “Whenever you’re ready.”

It takes Violet a while before she musters enough courage to talk. Therissa is patient and allows the girl to take as much time as she needs. She can tell that whatever happened is really bugging her. Rather than risk the possibility of making Violet change her mind and close up again by saying anything else, Therissa waits until she’s ready to talk.

Violet, who hates talking about her feelings and avoids it whenever possible, can’t believe what she’s gotten herself into. Nevertheless, she prepares a single sentence. It’s short, sweet, and gets right to the point. Closing her eyes, she rehearses it in her head several times, in a nonchalant voice, until she’s confident that that’s exactly how it’s going to sound coming out of her mouth. Once satisfied, she gives herself a last-minute mental pep talk. That no matter what, she’s not going to start crying and make herself look stupid. 

I will not cry in front of Therissa. I will not cry in front of Therissa. I will not cry in front of Therissa. Violet inhales deeply and opens her eyes. It’s now or never.

“Brody—” The eleven-year-old doesn’t even get one word out before her voice betrays her and falters. The moment the name comes out of her mouth, her friend’s angry face comes into her mind and she feels it again. That same heavy, sinking feeling in her stomach and the tightening in her chest from earlier that day. Her eyes sting with tears and her throat feels like it’s constricting. Violet makes a fatal mistake. She glances up and catches Therissa’s unusually soft and understanding gaze.

It’s all over. The dam has broken and Violet’s no longer in control of her own body. Her shoulders tremble and shudder and she chokes out her words. “B-Brody’s mad at me…”

At first, the teenager is taken aback at how instantly her roommate breaks into tears. The longer she thinks about it, though, the more she realizes that it’s not so surprising after all. When Violet first arrived at Ericson’s, she didn’t utter a single word for weeks. As far as Therissa knows, the first person Violet ever willingly talked to was Brody. Even from the very beginning, not once was Brody put off by Violet’s antisocial front, nor did she ever get too discouraged by their one-sided conversations. She still talked to Violet every day and made sure she had someone to sit with during meals. 

And then, slowly but surely, Violet began to bloom. 

A slight change here, a tiny change there. Over the course of a few weeks, Violet went from not even acknowledging Brody at all to lifting her head and looking over when she heard Brody call her name. To gradually being able to make eye contact. To eventually answering her questions with a nod, shrug, or shake of her head. Before long, Violet became even more expressive, now reacting to Brody’s stories with a multitude of facial expressions or, if Brody said something particularly funny, even little bouts of laughter. 

From then on, the two girls only grew closer and closer, and Therissa was secretly glad that Brody now had a roommate her own age to pester. Occasionally, after lights-out, Brody would climb into Violet’s bunk with her portable DVD player and they would stay up late watching one of the auburn-haired girl’s cheesy tween movies, stifling giggles as they huddled close together under the covers.

Of course, Therissa would get mad and yell at them to “Shut up and go to sleep!”

Violet and Brody go to breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Therissa suspects that they spend every waking hour outside of class together, too. Skinny little Violet with her toothpick legs even joined Ericson’s Outdoor Adventure Club because Brody wanted her to come with her on their nature hikes and camping trips. Up until now, Therissa has never seen one half of the duo without the other somewhere nearby.

As much as Violet likes to act tough and hide her emotions, Therissa knows that she cares about Brody a lot and that she’s completely soft when it comes to her friend. Watching Violet crumble simply because she and Brody had a silly fight earlier is enough indication that tonight is going to suck, especially if their dorm room turns into a warzone. The teenager would much rather be as uninvolved with this tween drama as possible, but right now her roommate looks like she could really use somebody there with her. Contrary to popular belief, Therissa isn’t completely heartless, so she stays and waits for Violet to tell her the whole story.

[awkwardnessandbaseball]

CS Countdown to Christmas

Day Four is only 5 days late, y’all. Which is actually later than the others have been. But I’m going to get all of them up by Christmas Eve. Hopefully. Maybe.

We’ll see.

ANYWAY.

AO3

Dec 17: Fake significant other

Man seeking woman to shut his friends the hell up for the holidays, the ad read. Look, I’m a decent looking guy – photos attached, nothing dirty, unless you’re into that ;) – but I’m just not into the whole pairing off, couples for life bullshit that all my friends seem to be so fond of. Every Christmas, we get together and they rag on me for going stag. I just want to bring someone so they’ll shut it for one goddamn night. They’re all coming from out of town, so it would truly just be for the one night. I’d pay you or we can fool your friends, too, if they’re as shitty as mine. Email me and we can set something up. Dinner is in 6 days, so we may have to meet day-of if we don’t hurry.

Emma couldn’t believe Ruby would link her to an ad like this. Who was so desperate for a woman that they’d take to craigslist to find a fake date?

“Message him!!!” Ruby had said.

“Why!?” Emma typed back.

“Because you can finally get MM & her Prince Charming to leave you the hell alone for once,” Ruby’s reply somehow had a smirk and sass to it, even over Facebook messenger.

“FINE. But if I get killed, you have to tell everyone at the funeral that you sent me to my death.”

“Deal. Have fun ;)”

And so that was how Emma Swan found herself meeting an attractive Englishman for coffee mere hours before a dinner he was paying her to attend.

“Um, Emma?”

Holy shit.

KJones420 was way hotter in person than he had been in his pictures, and that was saying something. His hair was messy, his eyes shining. His shirt was practically halfway unbuttoned, and the chest hair that peeked out would probably be soft if Emma just—

Her brain came to a screeching halt.

This is a job, Emma, she told herself.

“Yeah, that’s me,” she managed to smile and hold out her hand to shake his.

He ignored it and wrapped her in a hug instead.

“Sorry. It’s just…you’re kind of my savior right now. I couldn’t take another Christmas of my cousin and her husband telling me how I just need to find the right girl and aren’t I lonely and whatever other sad nonsense she feels like spewing out this year.”

Emma laughed, thinking of Mary Margaret.

“My best friend is the same way. She has this corny, fairy tale romance and I’ve just…never wanted that for myself. But she doesn’t believe me. She thinks I’m missing out on something by being single at the ripe old age of 28.”

“So you’re doing this then?”

“I’m game if you are!”

They spent an hour getting to know each other in a coffee shop. Their favorite sports (hers, baseball; his, soccer, though he kept annoyingly correcting her and calling it football), drinks of choice (hot chocolate with cinnamon for her, Irish coffee for him), and childhood secrets (she’d broken a creepy clown trinket that an old foster mother of hers had, but had blamed it on the cat; he’d ratted out his best friend for cheating on a spelling test). They found similarities in their taste in music and television, but she loved horror movies and action flicks, while he preferred a good comedy over anything else. If anyone had walked by them, sitting close together on a couch in the corner, their mugs largely untouched on the table in front of them, laughing hysterically and whispering conspiratorially, it would have looked like a date.

But it wasn’t, Emma reminded herself. It was a job, a totally fake date that she’d either get paid for or that she’d get to use to fool her own friends, too. A win-win, really.

A bonus that the guy was insanely good looking with a charming accent to boot.

He texted her his address and asked her to be there before 6. She took a sip of her room temperature hot chocolate and watched him leave.

**

“Holy shit, you’re early.”

“You said to be here by 6. It’s 5:45.”

Truthfully, she would have been even earlier, but her hair wouldn’t curl right and she’d planned to wear her hot pink skintight dress with her favorite leather jacket, but she’d apparently spilled something on it and there was a huge stain on the hem. So, she’d had to settle for her second favorite: a soft baby pink dress, her hair high up in a ponytail to hide the imbalance in the curls.

“Swan, you look…,”

“I know,” she said, and pushed her way into his apartment. “Hey, this is a really nice place!”

“Were you expecting otherwise?”

“I didn’t know what to expect, honestly!” There was exposed brick on one wall, a large window facing the skyline on the other. He had a large TV, set to that weird fireplace channel with soft Christmas music playing. His kitchen was huge and open, and there were foil-covered pans on every surface, as though he’d cooked the whole meal himself.

“Are your friends bringing food, too?”

Killian made a face.

“No. I don’t trust Regina – that’s my cousin, remember – near a stove, and Robin specializes in chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese--,”

“For um…Roland, right?”

“You’ve got it!” He looked genuinely pleased that she’d remembered all of the buckets of information he’d poured on her earlier.

They opened a bottle of wine to ease their nerves, and the buzzer for the front door went off somewhere in the middle of their second glass.

“That’ll be them. You ready, Swan?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

She wasn’t sure why she was even nervous – if they didn’t pull this off, it was no loss on her end. She’d gotten to hang out with a hot guy for Christmas dinner. These weren’t even her friends. She wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout if it all went sour. But Emma still found herself hoping things went well, that Killian’s friends would believe them as a couple and that he’d be happy.

Killian’s cousin, as it turned out, was a tough cookie. Regina looked skeptical of the “couple” from the get-go, her eyebrow raised high on her head and her lips pursed as she appraised Emma from top to bottom. Though her stern look faded a bit when Emma offered to help Killian with the dishes and clean-up, she didn’t look fully convinced either.

“I don’t know, Killian,” Regina whispered to him when she thought no one else could hear her. Emma had stepped into the kitchen to find her phone to show Robin a picture of Mary Margaret – it turned out that they may have taken archery lessons together back in high school, when Robin had still lived in the area. Regina and Killian were around the corner in the dining room. Emma hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but she was intrigued.

“What do you mean exactly?”

“I don’t trust her.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I don’t trust anyone when it comes to you. You’re too quick to accept everyone for who they claim to be.”

“And who, exactly, do you think Emma Swan is?”

“Do you know she’s been to jail?”

Emma gasped. She’d thought they weren’t doing a good job of fooling Regina into thinking they were a couple – it turned out they’d been doing a good enough job that Regina had done research.

“Everything okay in here, Emma?” Robin was behind her suddenly.

“Yep, sorry, I was just trying to sneak another cookie before Killian undoubtedly sent them home with you!”

“They’re good, right? He tell you it’s his mother’s recipe?”

“No,” Emma said softly, “he didn’t.”

Regina and Killian returned, both of them looking far too angry for Christmas dinner. Regina quickly ushered Robin and Roland out the door, quick goodbyes and promises to visit again soon called from the doorway.

“I should go too, I guess,” Emma whispered.

“You heard me talking to Regina, didn’t you?”

Emma stared at the floor. This was a job. Why was she getting emotional?

“I heard you gasp. I don’t think Regina heard you, or at least she didn’t let on that she did. I don’t care, by the way.”

“That I went to jail?”

“Aye. I was lucky not to spend time behind bars myself for some of the mistakes I’ve made.”

“How’d she know?”

“She’s a lawyer. She’s just a generally thorough person. I told her your name and I guess she just dug up whatever she could find. I’m sorry she made you uncomfortable.”

Emma rubbed her arm, wishing she’d still worn her leather jacket even though it would have looked ridiculous with the soft tulle dress.

“She’s pretty protective of you.”

“She has her reasons. And she means well. She’ll come around.”

They looked at each other, Killian’s eyes widening as he realized what he said.

“I mean…she would…if we were…if you were…but we’re not, so…” he was stuttering as she asked,

“Do you want to come to my Christmas dinner?”

His mouth hung open for a moment.

“As your fake date?”

Emma took a deep breath, trying to feel as confident as she was about to act.

“As my real date. I had a good time at the coffee shop earlier and I like your friends and I think you’d like mine, so I think, even though we met under the premise of dating being stupid, that we should probably try it anyway,” she was rambling and she knew it, but her mouth was working faster than her brain.

“Yes, Swan. I agree. When’s dinner?”

“Friday?”

“Count me in.”

There was still far too much space between them, an entire kitchen separating her pale pink tulle dress and her high ponytail from his artfully mussed black hair and blue button-down shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes.

“Will you bake those cookies for me?”

“Sure, Swan.”

“Killian?”

“Yeah?”

“It’d probably be okay if you did something really cheesy and kissed me or something right now.”

It took two steps for each of them to meet in the middle and when they kissed, she ran her hands over the chest hair that peeked out of his shirt and it was soft. And her ponytail was a lost cause afterwards and he lent her a leather jacket to take home, but only if she promised to wear it to dinner on Friday, and maybe Saturday, too, when they planned yet another dinner, just the two of them.

[anaceinthecrowd]

Let’s get personal. 100 Questions!

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

"I'm Only Sleeping" by The Beatles

"No Exit" by Childish Gambino

"Friend" by C418

"Beauty" by Tim Minchin 

The old NBC Olympics closing credits mix by various artists

"Rey's Theme" by John Williams

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Damn! I was hoping to meet someone from another Earth. Well I guess if I have to meet someone from THIS Earth it would have to be Stephen Colbert. He seems like a super nice guy. He's also smart and hilarious.

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

“him.” How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere by Larry King

4: What do you think about most?

If I'm wasting my life doing what I'm doing.

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

"Ask Alexa to play Valentine music. It's good and grandma will love it" from my mom.

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

With

7: What's your strangest talent?

Idk if this is a talent but I have a near-encyclopedic of all things Disney World.

8: Girls... (finish the sentence); Boys... (finish the sentence)

Boys are good but some are assholes. Girls are good but some are assholes.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Idk but I don't wanna say no just in case someone did and I just forgot xD.

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

Today

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

I have an immense fear of missing out.

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

Yes

13: What's your religion?

Not religious, nor spiritual.

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Going for long walks

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

Behind

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

The Beatles. Almost every song they ever put out was great. They became the biggest influencers on music in the last century and they did it in just a few years. Most musicians work their whole lives to have an ounce of the influence and raw talent each of them had. Plus they had an incredible effect on culture, notably helping facilitate the change that came from youth for the first time having enough money to buy what they wanted, not what they got from older people. The youth got to decide what they wanted and they wanted the Beatles. Not just the music but their fashion, art, movies and so on. 

17: What was the last lie you told?

I've never told a lie! (He says as his nose doubles in length)

18: Do you believe in karma?

I used to.

19: What does your URL mean?

It's a pun on "a face in the crowd" which is a saying about being unknown and hidden in plain sight and I felt like this applied to my experience with being asexual. Also I typed "ace" into a pun generating website.

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

My greatest weakness is fast food. My greatest strength is n/a I'm weak as hell.

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

I like some famous people but I don't really have crushes on any.

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

Yeah but I didn't like it.

23: How do you vent your anger?

Complaining to friends (still not sure why they put up with it)

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

Mistakes? XD   I used to collect snow globes but they started to brake and get green water so I stopped.

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

I'm so damn lonely I'll take anything. I wish that were a joke.

26: Are you happy with the person you've become?

I hope to be one day.

27: What's a sound you hate; sound you love?

A sound I hate is the smoke detector going off when I'm cooking and a sound I love is that sound (like I think only Disney world fans will get this) when you're out in front of test track and the cars go by on the track above. 

28: What's your biggest "what if"?

What if I'm actually the villain of my story?

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

No and yes

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

Right: fan. Left: laptop.

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

Pine scented candle. I love scented candles.

32: What's the worst place you have ever been to?

My middle School. It was the border between two gang territories. We'd have gun and bomb threats every day.

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

I live on the east coast but I gotta go with West coast just because I've been to more of it. 

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

Idk

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

To find what you live to do and do it as much as you can.

36: Define Art.

If someone makes anything and calls it art, it's art. I think that's how it works now. 

37: Do you believe in luck?

I believe I don't have it.

38: What's the weather like right now?

Sunny and in the 80s. Way too hot for winter.

39: What time is it?

9:33pm EST

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

Yes and no

41: What was the last book you read?

Steve jobs by Walter Isaacson

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

I shouldn't but yeah xD

43: Do you have any nicknames?

Drew

44: What was the last film you saw?

I saw Chris Rock's new stand-up special this morning. It was really good!

45: What's the worst injury you've ever had?

I ran on the top of some bleachers, tripped, and fell all the way down, breaking my collarbone along the way. 

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

I can't remember

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

My most recent obsession has been with anything made by Donald Glover/Childish Gambino

48: What's your sexual orientation?

Ace. I mean... It's in the name.

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

Many

50: Do you believe in magic?

Depends on what you mean by "believe" and "magic". I like magicians xD

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

Yes

52: What is your astrological sign?

Idk and I'm sick of googling it every time I'm asked about it.

53: Do you save money or spend it?

A bit of both

54: What's the last thing you purchased?

10 piece chicken nugget meal and a vanilla Coke from Wendy's.

55: Love or lust?

Love

56: In a relationship?

No. Happy Valentine's day!

57: How many relationships have you had?

0 58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

No

59: Where were you yesterday?

Home Depot

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

A strawberry scented candle.

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

No

62: What's your favourite animal?

Cotton-Top Tamarin

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

The Scarab Gun from Halo 2 is a pretty good secret weapon I guess. JK just be yourself. 

64: Where is your best friend?

Oregon

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

As of writing this I don't follow anyone yet so let me get back to you on that.

66: What is your heritage?

A little bit of native American but primarily white eruopean as far back in history as you can go.

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

Sleeping

68: What do you think is Satan's last name?

Trump

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

I'm not answering that question.

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

Idk.

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

Save the dog.

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

Honestly this question is so fucking depressing I'm skipping it.

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

What is love without trust?

74: What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

(Once again only people who've been to Disney World will get it) the music at Soarin' (over California (it's just better)) 

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

Like I'm gonna put my phone number on here. Ha.

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

For me... Having one would be just fantastic.

77: How can I win your heart?

Tell me something I Don't know. I love learning.

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

I'm not sure it brings on more creativity, but any change in mental state in a creative person will bring on a different kind of creativity.

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

Picking the high school I went to.

80: What size shoes do you wear?

10.5

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

I want it to be blank just to fuck with people.

82: What is your favourite word?

Actually...

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

Barracuda

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

Here's the thing...

85: What's the last song you listened to?

"Me and your mama" by Childish Gambino

86: Basic question; what's your favourite colour/colours?

Black, silver and light blue are a few favorites.

87: What is your current desktop picture?

Artists rendering of Epcot.

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

Satan Trump. #callback #comedy

89: What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?

When my family asks me why I don't have a girlfriend yet I'm always afraid to come out and tell the truth to them... That I'm asexual and have no interest in dating anyone except another ace, and because of the rarity of aces its really difficult to find someone. I have no interest in coming out though. It wouldn't change anything.

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren't really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What do you do?

Laugh my head off because I'm obviously being punk'd. Where's Ashton?!?

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

I mean the obvious superpower I now have is the ability to digest radioactive material. But if I could have any power I'd want to be able to travel through space and time.

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

See now this is why that superpower would come in handy! You wouldn't have to choose! (See how I dodged that question. That's my real superpower!)

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

Idk but if I could live my life just as it happened but without being overweight, that would be great.

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

If I say John Lennon will it bring him back to life? Cause if so then yes, John Lennon. Final answer.

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

My mind says south Korea because the Olympics but my heart says to go to Oregon to see my friends.

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

Not that I know of.

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

Yes

98: Ever been on a plane?

Many

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

"Can't we all just get along?"

100. Age?

21

101. What’s a good way to spend a Valentine’s Day when you’re single, lonely and bored?

This. 

[friendsdontlieokay]

Well, about no.2, Steve wanted to comfort her, okay? I know, that did nothing to help cause he's dumb, but he means well, trust me on this one

In s5 I need to see Nancy telling the hilltop crew about her Vecna vision but this time everyone isn't standing on the other side of the room like she has the plague, Jonathan is holding her and Mike is squished on her other side and Joyce is holding her hands. Let Nancy be comforted by her people!!

No bc the s4 scene pisses me off SO MUCH like 1. Very rude and also a little suspicious that we don't see what Nancy sees. 2. A certain SOMEBODY has the audacity to tell her it's not real 3. WHY IS NO ONE COMFORTING THE TEENAGE GIRL WHO JUST SAW THE UNIMAGINABLE HORRORS? WHY IS SHE LEADING THE CHARGE AGAIN?

Like not to woobify Nancy but she def deserves more comfort & support next season to make up for s4 (also anything that involves Wheeler siblings interacting is good for me)