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ifyoucantsurvivejustry · 1 year ago

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What If We Made It?

Hiya! Just a little Saturday morning activity. Pure fluff. Might grow into something more, I’m not sure yet, but let me know what you think. Thanks xx

Consistent buzzing, not unalike to bees flurrying around their hive could be heard from the famous white house that perched unrecognisably atop the cliff in Watch Hill. The arrangement of the yard not dissimilar to any party arrangement of the historic annual fourth of July parties that so many had come to know about. However, what separated it on this particular day, was the colours, not reflective of the patriotic colours of the United States. Today the yard was decked out in white with shades of pinks and lilac sprinkled along the entrance from the gate where a small number of guests from both sides were entering. The men present in their finest black suits with brightly polished oxford shoes, ladies decked out in an assortment of coloured dresses and shirts and skirts. Hair ornately done, people buzzing with excitement at the events that were scheduled to unfold in the imminent future.

In the house, there was a whole other level of excitement radiating within its walls, with the two separate parties, occupying individual wings. Laughter could be heard from the lower levels, transcending its way down the stairs, a mixture of both male and female giggles and shrieks.

One wing consisting purely of the groom’s party and the other of the bride’s. The distinct shriek of the groom’s best man could be heard, louder than the other men, as it always had been. George Daniel had always managed to have the most characterizable laugh from his other mates. No doubt the catalyst for the shriek being some inappropriate mumbling from another bandmate. However, the groom was not experiencing the same giddy giggling as his other mates. Matty, dressed in a bespoke black suit with the top two buttons of his white shirt unbuttoned was pacing up and back along the large bedroom which a fellow bandmate was occupying. They had all elected to get ready in George’s room as it was the largest of the guest bedrooms and Matty was forbidden to enter his own bedroom before the end of the day. Excitement of the day aside, this was monumental for Matty, it had been a long time coming.

A long time consisting of trials, tribulations and public scrutiny, but he was here, about to vow the rest of his life to one person. Long gone were the days of risk-taking behaviour and gallivanting around with the latest upcoming model or influencer. It wasn’t the commitment he was anxious about, but more the question of whether this was genuinely happening. He was waiting to wake up from what he was convinced was a drug induced hallucination reminding him that he would never, in a million years, be privileged enough to be able to spend the rest of his life with her. The same person he has loved from afar since that very night he dedicated a song to her in Los Angeles in 2014, some eleven years ago now.

“For fuck sake Matthew! Would you just settle down and light a fag!” The famous drummer yelled, using the grooms full name to emphasise his growing annoyance at the stomping of Matty’s feet. “You’re going to run a hole through the carpet if you keep it up for much longer”.

George, dearest George, had tied to knot to Charli in late 2024 in a small Italian Church ceremony, followed by an enormous after-party that only he and Charli would have the capability to pull off. What a night it had been, full of tracks mixed by the groom himself, slurred speech, scantily clad sweaty bodies and blisters on nearly everyone’s feet.

“Hann, can you get us a drink please.” George requested, rising from the armchair perched near the fireplace that was certainly not needed in the Rhode Island heat in August. George walked over to where Matty was pacing and was quick to reach out his two long arms towards the pacing figure a mere distance in front of him, halting Matty and spinning him around to face himself.

“I’m not havin’ a bloody drink before I walk out there, George. This is not the same vibe as your wedding, mate!” Matty yelled, raking a hand through his slicked back curls. Although as his stress levels increased, the unruly curls refused to conform to the strength of the hair product.

Before Matty or George could say another word, Adam, or affectionately known as Hann was back in the room, neither Matty nor Ross had noticed his momentary disappearance. Matty was too anxious, and Ross had just walked out from the bathroom adjoining the room after finishing his hair. Adam had managed to slink a bottle of some spirit from the bar just down the hall from their room. No glasses in tow.

“Ay, just shut it and take a swig, would you.” George said reaching out to take the unknown bottle from Adam’s hand. Extending the bottle outward to read its label before moving the neck to his own lips first. “Fuckin’ hell, really, Tequila?” George scowls at Adam. “Ay! I had like thirty seconds to grab something before I would get busted, you seen how many bloody people are swarmin’ about this joint?” Adam responded.

George gulps down a mouthful of the liquid before pulling the neck away wincing. “Alright, that’s me sorted, who’s next?” He asks, shaking his head in an effort to dispel some of the aftertaste whilst waving the bottle around his three best mates standing in a circle around him.   Ross extends his arm outward, bringing the bottle to his lips in a similar motion to George and letting the liquor burn its way down his throat. “Alright Hann, your turn. Matty’s too much of a chicken.” He says grinning and looking over at his best mate who’s big day it was. Ross earnt a scowl from Matty as he extended the bottle in Adam’s direction. Before Adam could grab the bottle, Matty gripped it and repeated the same motion before passing it onto Adam. Adam repeating the drinking motion.

“Ugh, that shit is vile, I’ll cop a bottle of Malbec over that shit any day.” Matty groaned. “Don’t know how I still feel obliged to knock around with you losers when this is the shit you make me do.” Reaching into his suit jacket for a cigarette. His waiting bride slowly learnt that he was never going to be able to give up his one vice and truth be told, she liked how the smell of cigarettes mixed into his own smell and created something that was so distinctly Matty. Leaving its traces everywhere he went.

Lighting the cigarette and extending the pack to George, Matty had appeared to have calmed down. George was surprised, thinking he was really going to need to talk some sense into him. Matty inhaled the cigarette and turned around to look outside the open balcony door at the guests gathering below. He spotted people he had become incredibly close to through his lover and people he had always been close to. They wanted a small, intimate celebration of their love and they had narrowed the guest list down to one hundred. Which was as small as it could get when you were about to marry one of the most famous pop-stars of this century. He couldn’t quite believe that they had made it through all the hardship experienced over the last two years. From being reacquainted through Jack, who he really owed a lot of this to, too testing the waters that summer of 2023, to having to publicly ‘break up’ that same summer and conceal their relationship from the world for almost a year to protect her reputation and his own sanity. He doesn’t know how he will ever be able to thank Jack enough for sharing both his and her music between one another until she plucked up the courage to text him herself.

Staring down at the people mingling and taking drinks being passed to them from the distinct waiter uniforms vastly apparent from the colours of the guests’ clothing, Matty reflects on the harrowing but also, most rewarding adventures of his life and it was only just getting started. Both artists tours had quietened down. Matty and his band finishing the tour for their sixth album some six weeks ago and Taylor had had almost eight months off now, enjoying being newly engaged and writing more music. Matty accused her of never being able to keep still. But secretly, he hoped she would never stop as he adored watching the way her brain would turn as they enjoyed watching and doing mundane things together. Like, watching the sun rise and set from the balcony of their bedroom at Taylor’s Rhode Island home when they had the tour schedule break to be able to enjoy the peace and quiet together. Or, when they were perched high up in the sky travelling from concert venue to concert venue snuggled in their seats watching the latest all-consuming television show, waiting for the episode to finish so they could break down the theatricality of it all, Taylor enraptured by the way his mind worked and the eloquent nature of his vocabulary, although sometimes she wanted to slap him in the hopes he would stop using language that made him sound obnoxious.

“Matty, love, its time”. He turned around to find his dad had entered the room and was making his way over towards where his son was standing. Shaking his body lose from the anxiety he reached out to butt out his used cigarette in the ash tray just to the other side of the door on the balcony. Not going unnoticed how many cigarette’s were littered within that ash tray, reflective of the late night and early morning that the four best friends had shared leading up to the afternoon’s events.

“Right, fuck, shit okay.” Matty said running his hands through his hair, again.

“Our boy is getting hitched for fucking Taylor Swift!” Adam yelled clapping his hands in front of his chest. This outburst not going unnoticed by the other band members looking questionably amongst themselves. An outburst of this nature not something regularly shown by the guitarist and more suited to the behaviour of George.

“What? Fuck off the lot of you ay! I’m happy for Matty.” Adam defended, reaching forward to wrestle George before the four of them would need to act their age for the ceremony, the reception however, was anyone’s game.

“Alright, knock it off the pack of you!” Tim, the father of the groom said choking back laughter as he shook his head and made beeline for the door. Before exiting the door, Tim turned and reminded the lads they had “Five minutes before you all need to be downstairs.” Looking at each man individually. It wasn’t lost on Tim that he had had the pleasure of watching each of these four boys grow to become men and get married and have babies. Adam and his wife Carly, were soon to become a family of four. One final glance at his son whilst Matty was brushing down his suit he uttered “Matty, I am beyond proud of you and I love you dearly.” With that, Tim walked out the door, closing it firmly behind him.

“So, let’s get this show on the road.” Ross stated, rising from his position at the foot of the bed.

George made eye contact with Matty as the other two men walked towards the door. He offered a nod and turned around to face the door, following the other two out. Matty, now alone in the room, walked over to the mirror and attempted to, as best he could, place some of the stubborn curls into their place. Failing, he exhaled, glanced himself over one last time and made his way out the door.

The trek to his position at the alter was one that was long given the vast expanse of his fiancés mansion. Matty thought by now he would have become accustom to the extent of wealth that Taylor acquired given he was somewhat famous himself, but he didn’t have the same financial portfolio that she did. And yet, it had never been an issue for them, never once in discussion or point of an argument. In fact, he was so incredibly proud of her he didn’t give a shit about the money, but sometimes, on a day like today, he wished the house wasn’t as big as it was so he was already at the alter waiting for his bride. He reminded himself to slow down and enjoy the anticipation as he walked down the ornate staircase aligned with photographs of Taylor as a child, family, both his and hers. Photos of the two of them together, some even from 2014. Photos of her and his bandmates together. Hoping that within the coming weeks a photo of the two of them from this day will be hung in its rightful place along this wall.

He'd made it through the throng of people seated along the isle, shaking hands and kissing those as he walked along. Each person happier and more exicted than the last he spoke to.

“Cabbage!” Jack exclaimed pulling him in for a hug.

“I can’t thank you enough Jack, I mean it.”

“Matty, stop that. You did all the hard work. I am beyond fucking excited for the two of you. Now, go get up there and take your spot. She won’t be far away.” Jack exclaimed, winking at Matty.

Turning to look up at the spot where he was about to dedicate the rest of his life to her he saw his three mates in their rightful spots by his side. He arrived beside George and turned around to face up towards the house where his bride was preparing to make her entrance. He caught his mothers eye and she winked his way.

Inhale, exhale. This was it. He felt George pat his back.

“You ready, mate?” George asked.

“Ready as I will ever be G.” Matty replied.

It’s peculiar how the notion of time, when you don’t wish for it to pass by quickly it does and then when you want it to fly by, it drags. Within moments, before Matty could even drink in the visuals surrounding him, the guests were being asked to stand for the entrance of the bride and her party.

Matty could hear his heart hammer in his ears, the same way a child does when they are about to be told off. However, this wasn’t fear, this was pure excitement. His last few moments as an unwedded man were happening.

The first bridesmaid appearing not long after Matty’s now dear friend as well, Ed approached the right hand side of the alter, clad in a suit and his acoustic guitar began to play the opening chords of Norah Jones’s Come Away With Me. A song choice left entirely up to his lover. Selena following not long after Taylor’s childhood friend, Abigail who smiled at Matty. Gigi was next, then Blake and then Andrea. A woman that Matty had become incredibly close to as he and her daughter navigated tumultuous times. Before taking her place next to Blake, yes unconventional for the mother of the bride to partake in the bridal party, but Taylor insisted, Andrea pressed a kiss to Matty’s cheek, mumbling “I love you both and wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness.”

Within moments, all eyes were fixated on a slow moving white figure progressing towards them. George, looking over at Matty, saw his breath catch before exhaling. There she is Matty thought. Hair pinned up above her neck with tendrils floating around her ears, like they always did when her hair was up, escaping the elastic holding the remaining locks up. Matty locked eyes with Taylor, a shy smile gracing her lips. Both parties’ eyes slowly filling with moisture. She looked radiant, a not quite full length gown gracing her figure, with a neckline that exposed a small amount of cleavage. Matty thought she looked nothing short of a film star. Her dress echoing the form of a classic Hollywood style. Magnificent he thought, swallowing in an attempt to slow the tears filling his eyes.

Taylor who had spent the morning drinking champagne and celebrating her upcoming nuptials with her close friends and family, like Matty, couldn’t believe this moment was happening. Matty had never looked more handsome, freshly shaven face, top two shirt buttons unbuttoned with the smallest tip of his chest tattoo poking out, just the way she liked it.

“Hi.” She mouthed arriving at the alter.

“Hello, love”. He returned.

Before letting go of her father’s arm to turn towards her lover, she placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, Daddy. I love you.”  

“My pleasure. But I love you more, Taylor.”

With that Scott kissed his daughter’s cheek and made his way to his seat beside Denise and Tim.

“You look absolutely breathtaking, darling.” Matty utters, just for the two of them to hear.

“You polish up real nice too.” Taylor replies, drinking her soon to be husband in.

The marriage celebrant, who thank you to much argument between the pair given Taylor was raised Christian and Matty an atheist, they managed to land on a ceremony that was equal ground for the two, arrived under the floral arrangement overlooking the wide sea set out below the ground of the lovers Watch Hill Estate cleared his throat and began.

“Good afternoon everyone, we are gathered here…” Matty and Taylor had both tuned out, enraptured by one another’s gaze. She looked remarkable, Matty was desperate to pinch himself. It was hard enough in the moments that followed after she had said yes to his proposal in the summer of 2024 that that moment was real, let alone her standing in front of him ready to declare their love in front of their closest friends and family.

He looked incredible. The bespoke suit hung in all the right places and the unbuttoned shirt catching her eye every now and again. She could feel the smile pushing to explode from the corners of her mouth. Retrospectively, marriage was not something Taylor let herself contemplate after her ending her previous relationship, who would want a life subject to the constant scrutiny and tabloid gossip. But more than that, who would want to be known as being ‘Taylor Swift’s husband’ everywhere they went. It was easier to not let herself imagine, to shut out the thought of what her dress would be like? The colour and shape of her engagement ring? Where would she get married? Never did she think after the heartbreak of 2014 that she would end up about to spend the rest of her life with the Matty Healy. Through the years that spanned between 2014 and their reunion in the fall of 2022, she thought about him and their brief romance a lot. She was young but it still ignited something in her that she searched for in nearly all of her other partners but wound up empty handed time and time again. It wasn’t the materiality of a wedding that she forbade herself from thinking of, it was more the fact that no one wanted her because of who she was, the world’s most famous pop-star. Matty didn’t care. She could have been a cleaner in a shopping mall for all he cared, he loved her and had loved her since that very first night they shared in 2014. Eleven years, a number of different partners both hoping that the next one would be ‘the one’, never truly believing that they stood a chance together.

The bride and groom find themselves pulled back to reality when the celebrant begins. “Matthew Timothy Healy, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself in marriage? Do you promise to honour, respect and adore Taylor, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Matty says in a beat, eyes not leaving hers. No contemplation, no stuttering, no hesitation. All in.

The celebrant turns toward Taylor. “Taylor Alison Swift, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself in marriage? Do you promise to honour, respect and adore Taylor, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Taylor replies, eyes welling with tears. Blinking in an attempt to keep them at bay but one slipping from her right eye.

“Don’t cry, love.” Matty says reaching out to brush her tear away.

“I’m not, I promise.” She says looking him dead in the eye. He smirks, that devilish, cheeky smirk that gets her every time.

The celebrant looks over towards Carly, her son sitting on the chair next to hers. “Can we have the rings now please?” Carly motions for her and Adam’s son, Max to head toward the celebrant pulling the rings out of his pocket and placing them in the celebrants’ hands. Unbeknownst to the bride and groom, his mother had checked the rings were safely stowed in Max’s pocket five times before the ceremony had started. Max retreats from the celebrant heading over towards his dad.

“Nice work, bud. Now go back and see mummy.” Adam high fives his little one. Earning a chuckle from the crowd. Max retreats back to his mum, earning a plump kiss on his crown.

The celebrant begins, “Matthew and Taylor, your rings have been warmed with love by your families and friends, may they serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment. Always remember that you have someone to share this life with and that never again, will you need to walk alone.”

Matty taking the plain gold wedding band from the celebrants, “Before the witnesses present, I, Matty take you, Taylor to be my lawfully wedded wife, my soul mate and my one true love. I give you this ring as a symbol of my promise to love and support you today, tomorrow and always.” Slipping the ring onto her bare ring finger. Silently hoping that it never, ever comes off. They’ve been through too much for it to.

Taylor glances down at the ring, it glistens in the August sun. Taking in its simple nature it serves as a constant reminder that although the two of them are some of the most famous people of the modern era, throughout their relationship they have managed to enjoy the simple, ordinary and mundane things together of which has built strength, much like the strength of the gold band now placed on her left hand.

Prompted to retrieve the remaining wedding band, Taylor places two fingers either side of the platinum band and reaches out for Matty’s left hand and repeats the same, “Before the witnesses present, I, Taylor take you, Matty to be my lawfully wedded wife, my soul mate and my one true love. I give you this ring as a symbol of my promise to love and support you today, tomorrow and always.” She says, choking as she attempts to get the last words out.

“Matthew, you may kiss the bride”.

He looks down at his wife. And with that, they lock lips in front of their nearest and dearest. Ready for whatever the future holds for them.

#matty healy #Taylor #taylor swift #maylor #matty and taylor

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jelly-pies · 4 years ago

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Dancing From Now On

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Pepper remembered their first dance. Contrary to public knowledge, it had not been at the annual Stark Industries gala.

Tony and Pepper's first dance took place months before that, alone at the mansion, late after a long day of work. The music had been Pepper's idea, to relax. But the dance had been Tony's.

"Getting better, Potts." Somehow cheerier than usual, he spun her slowly around the workshop. "Nobody will ever know you had two left feet. Hardly believe it myself, if my toe wasn't still throbbing."

Pepper huffed. "Not all of us could afford dance classes, you know."

"Well, it's not that hard, see? We're just swaying." Tony pulled her in, an inch closer, meeting her eyes. And for one moment, Pepper was purely dancing with the friend she was secretly in love with—not the boss who depended on her, or the playboy whose one night stands she escorted out of the mansion every few weeks. Just Tony. "Just dancing."

Their casual flirting was one thing. But this was getting dangerously close to something else—so Pepper ended the moment. JARVIS stopped the music, and when Pepper looked back after collecting her things, Tony suddenly looked away as if he'd been caught staring.

Maybe he had.

"So, you're good?" Tony asked casually, hands fiddling with some tools he picked up. "No stumbling over anybody's feet at the next gala?"

"We're good." Pepper matched his light tone. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."

"You're very welcome, Ms. Potts."

"And Tony... " She paused at the door. Did she imagine that expectant look he sent her way, or was it just the lighting? "Um… that contract you still have to look over. Don't show up tomorrow without it."

"Which one?"

"Tony."

He chuckled. "I got it. Have a good night."

Maybe it was just the lighting.

"Good night," Pepper answered, and exited the room with deliberate steps.

She turned back before the landing. Tony was facing away, bringing up holo-screens, flexing his hands—and suddenly she remembered the feel of those calloused fingers against her own, drawing her closer.

Tony looked up. Pepper turned away, determined not to be caught staring.

But maybe she had.

Pepper remembered their first dance. And she remembered how it led to much, much more.

Their second dance, that one was at the Stark Industries Firefighter's Family Fund benefit. A backless blue gown, a little banter, an almost-kiss on the roof. Another moment Pepper ended before anything could begin, even though she half-wished something would begin—had been wishing it those dreadful three months of Tony's disappearance.

As Tony left to get them drinks, Pepper turned away to hide a growing blush. She didn't see the way he looked back at her from the door.

Tony reentered the building, and didn't see the way Pepper looked after his retreating back, either.

Years later on another rooftop, after a disastrous Stark Expo, the kiss became real.

They even had a witness, who deadpanned, "You guys look like two seals fighting over a grape."

Tony put his arm around her as they faced Rhodey, and Pepper couldn’t help thinking how that gesture must make them look like a real couple. She found she didn’t mind. All of a sudden, plans of her resignation as CEO didn't seem so urgent.

Tony turned back to her as soon as Rhodey left and challenged, "How are you gonna resign if I don’t accept?"

Pepper laughed, letting the action release her anxiety and near-death stress and girlish romance. "I…" And Tony was leaning close. She stopped him with a finger on his lips. "Tony, if I don't… we can’t…"

"Come on, it’s us. We’ll figure something out." And there was that look again. Pepper wasn’t so quick to blame the lighting this time. "Ms. Potts?" Tony took both her hands. "Pep?"

It was too late to stop this moment, and Pepper knew it. But the doubt must have still shown on her face because Tony took one look and continued, "Remember when we danced? The first time, Malibu? You crushed my toes about a hundred—"

"Please let that go."

"—but we made it work."

Pepper took a breath. "We did."

Tony smiled, eyes shining—that's how Pepper could always tell if his smiles were real. She could also tell that both of them were done holding back… whatever this was.

"We are pretty good at dancing," Pepper replied.

Tony couldn't see her face as they embraced, but if he did, Pepper was sure he could tell her smile was real, too.

A private night at Stark Tower after the New York attack, that was the third dance. Or fourth, or fifth, maybe. Pepper wasn't sure she needed to count anymore.

She was only sure of two things. Swaying together in their home, with JARVIS playing soft music overhead, her arms around the love she had almost lost—and had accepted she would come close to losing, over and over again, for the sake of saving the world—Pepper was only sure of these: that she wanted herself and Tony to have a thousand more dances to come.

And that she could never know which one would be their last.

They danced that night on yet another rooftop, after the events with the Mandarin.

They didn't dance after Ultron.

Or for several months after that.

But the next time Pepper and Tony finally held each other in their arms, they held on tighter, and neither let go for a long, long time.

This wasn't how Pepper imagined it, for several reasons.

Tony’s smile was different. There was a sadness in them that lingered like ashes, but he smiled anyway, holding her close—which was a feat with Pepper's growing belly, but they made it work.

There were fewer guests. Several seats they left vacant on purpose, scattered around the lakeside like lonely souls. Some people held the belief they were there, in spirit, and that's what mattered. Pepper wasn't so sure; pure sentimentality had prevailed on her to leave the seats out.

Apparently sentimentality ran high this evening. The band played the song she and Tony had first danced to, oh so long ago, in a mansion long since blown to bits, by an AI, a friend, long since gone.

There was no publicity in what had once been anticipated as the event of the decade. A single ray of sun through gray clouds instead of all-around sunshine, in what was supposed to be the happiest day of Pepper and Tony's life.

But the people they loved—those that were left—celebrated with them, and that was enough. A simple reception at their new house, and the wedding was over.

After the lake grew quiet and the stars came out, the newlyweds slow-danced through the night, just the two of them.

This wasn't how Pepper imagined their new life would start. But start it did, with a dance.

"Getting better, Potts," Tony whispered beside her temple, their heads pressed together.

"Not so hard without the floor length gown. I know that was my idea, but God, don’t let me do anything like that ever again."

Tony chuckled and spun her slowly until she faced away, then wrapped his arms around his wife, their four hands interlocking on top of her belly.

Pepper had long lost count of their dances. But she knew this was one she would always remember.

It was Tony who broke the silence. "You guys still here? Scoot."

Pepper turned where he was looking: Rhodey’s wedding presents on the mantelpiece, staring at them—two plushie seals. And she laughed. Tony could always make her laugh.

“Fighting over a grape?” Pepper recalled.

“I never really got that image, to be honest.”

“Hm.” She turned back to Tony, cupped his cheek, and leaned in. “Let’s see about that.”

"That’s it! You’re doing it!" Tony spun their daughter around until the song ended, and Morgan collapsed in giggles on the floor. Tony scooped her up and tickled her with his stubble, making the giggling grow louder.

"Dad!" Morgan laughed. "Mommy, save me!"

Pepper swiftly rescued the toddler, only to drop her on the couch and blow raspberries on her stomach a second later. "In this house—" another tickle, and Morgan squealed— "nobody—escapes—dancing!"

Morgan finally succeeded in pushing her away as FRIDAY started the next upbeat song, and soon all three were back on their feet.

“Not that it's a competition.” Tony walked in. “But she loves me three thousand.”

“Oh, does she?”

“You were somewhere on the low… six to nine hundred range.”

Tony could always make her laugh.

Even the night after the Avengers came to visit. The night their new life, that Pepper knew in her heart could never last long, started to melt away.

Tonight there was no music, no dancing. Only the crackle of the fireplace, the weight of the future, and Pepper’s words hanging in the air— "But will you be able to rest?"

Tony didn’t answer her. He didn’t need to.

But Pepper held his hand, and Tony kissed her cheek. And when they finally went to bed, they held each other tighter.

Tony held her hand, and Pepper kissed his cheek. "You can rest now."

Tonight there was no dancing.

Two cylindrical compartments stood along the garage wall, one of them forever to be empty. In the other, Pepper put her Rescue suit away by herself. Crossing the room, her fingers couldn't help lingering over Tony's reserve helmet—Tony's desk—Tony's tools—Tony's presence. She could always feel it in his workshops.

Their first dance had been in his workshop.

The memory jolted her, pulling Pepper's eyes back to the last gift Tony left: her Rescue suit slumped in its compartment, looking as battered as she felt. Pepper remembered what it was like to take the suit to battle. To fight side by side with her husband, gauntlets firing in sync, guarding each other's back. A team to the end.

Did that count as a dance? Because otherwise, Pepper realized, she didn't remember the last time she and Tony danced.

She remembered their first, though—would always remember it. JARVIS’s song, their wedding song, strained in her ears—she could almost feel Tony's calloused fingers around hers—dancing in his workshop late at night.

But in this workshop, on this night, Pepper could only cry.

Pepper still danced.

She danced with Rhodey, and they leaned on each other, the way they had learned to do long ago.

She danced with Happy, bouncy little head bangs as they cooked Christmas dinner together, and for a moment the house was full of music again.

She danced with Peter, years later at his wedding, whispering "We’re so proud of you" in his ear.

She danced with her daughter. Morgan always pulled her to her feet whenever a lively song came on the radio— "In this house, nobody escapes dancing!" And they laughed. And they danced.

Pepper still danced. Just not with the one person she most wanted to dance with again.

When years had passed, and Morgan was grown, and the house was quiet most hours of the day, Pepper developed the habit of sneaking out on the balcony on clear nights, and looking up at the stars.

Some of her favorite dances with Tony had taken place under the stars. Like the rooftop. And their wedding.

Pepper didn’t remember which dance had been their last. But she remembered the first. And the second. And the thousands that came after that. Maybe that was enough.

In the quiet of the lake house, with only the strains of their wedding song echoing in her ears, and the stars above her, forever her witness—Pepper danced.

- "Ang Huling El Bimbo (The Last [Dance])," The Eraserheads

Lahat ng pangarap ko'y bigla lang natunaw

Sa panaginip nalang pala kita maisasayaw

(All of my dreams are suddenly gone

Only in dreams can we dance from now on)

#THIS IS ENDGAME COMPLIANT BTW #pepperony #pepper potts #tony stark #mcu #fanfic #angst #character death tw #did I have 3+ other wips I started first and wanted to finish first? yes #did I dump my endgame feels on this angsty one-shot instead? also yes #jelly's

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threeletterslife · 4 years ago

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Propinquity (Law of Seesaw)

→ [6/7] of the Glossary Series

→ summary: You first meet him on a seesaw. What a surprise, your relationship with him is exactly like that of a seesaw too—there are ceaseless ups and downs. So much so that you wonder when it’ll end.

→ pairing/rating: yoongi x reader | PG-13

→ genre: 50% fluff, 33% angst, 17% crack | e2l!au

→ warnings: profanity, mean insults

→ wordcount: 9.2k

♫: Seesaw by BTS

You can't remember the last time you've gone a week without fighting.

There is always a new problem that arises. A new argument that is sparked from the depths of trivial problems. Then Yoongi stops talking to you for a day (or days if the fight is serious) and sleeps downstairs on the couch until he wants to crawl back to you and apologize. Other times, you're the one who has to drag yourself to your boyfriend's study with a plate of his favorite fruit and an apology in your head.

But it seems like the fighting never ends.

Now the bed feels cold. It is empty. Just like you.

You know that Yoongi's downstairs, either working with his new client (through the dead of the night) or already sleeping on the small couch. Though you're supposed to be mad at him, you worry. The couch isn't good for his already deteriorating posture. But you can't nag at him now. It'll result in more arguments.

When was the last time you and Yoongi didn't fight, though?

The correct answer is never.

From day one, you and Yoongi were destined enemies.

"Hi." You're a proud little child, standing up straight with your hands on your hips. A bit chubby and round in the middle but you flaunt the extra weight. "My mommy says I need to make friends before kindergarten starts."

"My mommy says not to talk to strangers." The young boy peeks at you through his shaggy black hair. He rocks the paint-nicked seesaw by himself, kicking his feet off the ground only to come back down with a light oof.

"I'm not a stranger," you scoff, crossing your hands over your chest. "Let me play on the seesaw!"

Yoongi doesn't even have time to answer because you're crawling up on the opposite side already. "H-Hey!" he yells but he's too late. The moment you innocently perch upon the seesaw, you’re slammed to the ground and Yoongi's lifted up high in the air.

Ah, the weight difference.

"GET ME OFF!" Yoongi screams. "GET ME OFF!!"

Your eyes turn wide. You hadn't meant to scare the boy. You thought everyone wanted to fly up in the air, and you were just granting the little boy's wish. In your head, you didn't even think of the possibility that Yoongi is afraid of heights. (Which was stupid of him to even try playing on the seesaw in the first place.)

"GET OFF!" Yoongi yells viciously at you. His face has turned a bright shade of pink and purple.

You think he looks like he's about to suffocate.

"I'M SORRY!" you shriek as you dive off the seesaw.

Yoongi lets out a high-pitched, ear-piercing scream as he subsequently flings off the seesaw. He lands on his butt several centimeters away from the rusty playground equipment and bursts out crying.

You gasp. Oh no. This was bad. Very, very bad. So you do the first thing that comes to your head: run away.

The boy's cries become louder and louder as you sprint in the opposite direction, but you grit your teeth and dash on. Eventually, your guilt for throwing off a boy from the playground seesaw dissipates when your mother buys you ice cream for lunch. Food is always the solution.

You have no idea that day you accidentally made a little boy cry was the day you met your future boyfriend. You just thought you met a crybaby coward.

And he thought he met the devil. If the devil was a chubby little girl with chipmunk cheeks and rolls on her arms.

You two had no idea you would meet again.

So far, the first day of kindergarten isn't going so great. All the other girls brought their barbies to class. You brought your stuffed animal snake—Mr. Slithers.

And now the other girls don't really like you. Because "snakes are icky!" Their words, not yours.

If they only knew this week was a rainforest theme in your head. Every day of the week, you would prepare to bring a new stuffed animal that lived in the rainforest. Today would be the green snake, then tomorrow, the tree frog and so on. But no one applauds your genius planning skills.

So you mope around for half of the day. The girls are playing princesses with their stupid barbies and they won't let you join because a snake cannot wear a ball gown.

You end up poking at the seesaw in the kindergarten playground. It's boring when there's no one else to sit on the other side. Mr. Slithers isn't heavy enough to seesaw with you either. You want your mommy.

"You!" a high-pitched voice shrieks.

Jumping, you whip your head around to see the little boy. No. The same little boy who you accidentally flung backward on the seesaw.

"Are you gonna throw me off the seesaw again?" he yells. For such a skinny little boy he has quite a loud voice.

"I didn't mean it!" you yell back.

"You need to apologize to me!"

"No!"

You run away again.

And just like a real big stupidhead, Yoongi tattletales on you to the kindergarten teacher, Mr. Kim. In your defense, you didn't even do anything to Yoongi at kindergarten, so Mr. Kim can't make you apologize to stupid Min Yoongi.

Mr. Kim agrees with your defense. But he doesn't approve of you using the word, stupid, so you have to apologize to Yoongi anyways. While you're positively livid, Yoongi is triumphant.

That is only the start of the rivalry.

In first grade, Yoongi calls you fat.

You aren't normally one to waste your time tattling to the adults, but Yoongi did it to you in kindergarten so it only feels right to get revenge. But apparently calling someone fat is much worse than calling someone stupid. Yoongi has to apologize to you and he has to sit in the time out corner. He also gets a call home so his parents are notified of his bad behavior.

In second grade, you start losing weight. Not because Yoongi called you fat. But because you figured you should start exercising to be as healthy as your gym rat parents. When you tell the second-grade class you want to become a football star and you've planned out your whole athletic pathway, Yoongi is the first one to rudely laugh at you. So you make sure to boo his presentation when he brags about writing a whole book by himself (it's called Dot Goes to School—pretty mediocre stuff). Both of you have your recess privileges taken away.

Staying in for recess with someone you absolutely despise is not worth the satisfaction you got from teasing them. So you and Yoongi become more discreet in your never-ending ways to spite each other.

In third grade, Yoongi calls you a stick during recess. He makes sure to say it loud enough so you can hear his insult but not as loud so the playground monitor doesn't hear. Sneaky brat. You turn to him with flashing eyes and tell him very upfrontly, "Says you."

The rivalry still exists in fourth grade, when both of you feel like you're too old to play on the playground. The seesaw incident is still ingrained in the backs of both of your heads, though. So even when you and Yoongi have your separate groups of friends, you still manage to be mean to each other.

For instance, the day before the annual fourth-grade square dance, you and your new group of friends spread a rumor that Yoongi has cooties. As a result, no one wants to be his partner the next day.

But then your partner, that brat, Park Jimin calls in sick on D-Day and so your plan backfires in your face. You dance with Yoongi. And now you have cooties too.

In fifth grade, girls are starting to talk about boys during recess. When the shy, cute Gayoung confesses her crush on Min Yoongi, you have to excuse yourself from the friend group. Instead, you go out on the fields to play soccer with the guys. Thankfully, cooties are 'for babies' in fifth grade, so you have free reign with the boys.

Park Jimin confesses he likes you in sixth grade. He tells you that you are pretty. But his confession was definitely not in your schedule. You're supposed to go to swim practice in five minutes. So you wave him off. Not because you hate him. But let's face it. The boy ditched you in fourth grade and you had to dance with Yoongi. Plus, now Jimin's Yoongi's friend. There is no way in hell you are going to butt noses with Yoongi's friend.

The whole grade goes in an uproar when they find out you rejected Jimin. You couldn't care less.

Seventh grade is weird. You finally get your period. And the new sex-ed class collectively makes everyone embarrassed. It also starts the influx of period jokes from yours truly, the boys. Whenever a girl is in a bad mood, the boys yell, "YOU MUST BE ON YOUR PERIOD!" You make note of every guy who says this. Then the second time they yell that to a poor girl, you hold up a tampon with ketchup on it. It shuts them up so well that all the girls in your grade start to carry around tampons and ketchup packets.

Surprisingly enough, Yoongi isn't part of the rowdy group of boys who make insulting period jokes. He's gotten much quieter over the years (middle school must've brought some sort of maturity on him), but he still finds ways to make your life miserable.

When there are rumors that Jimin will ask you out to the Halloween dance, you actually prepare to accept—maybe just to spite Yoongi. But turns out the whole rumor was a lie made up by the boy you despise. So you're rendered embarrassed.

In eighth grade, to your surprise, Gayoung asks Yoongi out. Of course, Yoongi would say yes. He knows you hate Gayoung. She had grown ample boobs and fit in with the popular girls who talked about boy bands and got dress-coded every day. You have no idea why such a popular girl would ask out a nerdy, rat-faced boy. But apparently, Yoongi is conventionally handsome. What a load of bullcrap.

It irks you even more when they become a revolutionary couple—the first time a girl has asked out a boy.

You make a bet with your friends that the couple won't last a week. Your wallet cries that year. You lose nearly ��30,000.

By tenth grade, they are still dating.

You're starting to wonder if Yoongi somehow got his grubby hands on a love potion. There's just no way that whiny asshole can keep a girlfriend for that long. But according to your friend who is friends with the friends of the friends of Gayoung's friends, Yoongi is a good boyfriend. You want to gut yourself after hearing that.

Gayoung is always bragging about how Yoongi buys her flowers before class, and she makes sure everyone knows of this by posting pictures of the aromatic bouquets on Instagram. Yoongi often writes her little love poems and short stories, and though you're 100% sure Gayoung doesn't read them, she posts those online too. God, she is so annoying that you unfollow her. (You've blocked Yoongi's account a long time ago.)

For the most part, though, when hating Yoongi is not on your mind, your life is pretty normal. And you're definitely content. You and a sporty transfer student from America, Jungkook, have hit it off. It's fun taking him around everywhere to taste test all the convenience stores in Korea.

Until the day you catch Jimin and Gayoung lip-locking behind your favorite kimbap store. You and Jungkook look at each other with wide eyes. Before Jungkook can stop you, you snap a quick picture of the action and run away, tugging your friend along with you.

"Dude, you should delete that picture," Jungkook says for the billionth time.

"No can do," you tell him. "I'm sending it to Yoongi."

"To spite him?"

"Duh."

"Aren't you helping him by telling him his girlfriend is a cheater?" Jungkook challenges.

You squint. "You're actually right, Kook. Then I won't tell him."

"Isn't that a little bit too mean?"

"What??"

"I mean, they've been dating since eighth grade. It's been nearly two years, right?" Jungkook points out. "I think Yoongi deserves to know."

"Don't you dare!" you gasp.

"Sorry, Y/N," Jungkook shrugs. "It's just the right thing to do."

Two days later, Gayoung comes to school wearing not the school uniform but a short skirt and tight shirt. Her arm slings around Jimin, her apparent new boyfriend. Yoongi is nowhere to be seen.

Rumor travels around fast. And they're all accurate for the most part.

But it's not very satisfying to see Yoongi missing from all the action. The whole school day, you wonder where the fuck the boy is. Maybe he's crying his guts out. You've never experienced heartbreak before, so you're not sure if you have the right to say Yoongi necessarily deserves it. You can say though, that he had it coming. After all, all those years he teased you, he hadn't felt a single bit of remorse.

Sucks for him.

It's dark by the time you begin to walk home from school. You'd stayed late to brush up on your horrible chemistry skills so you wouldn't completely fail the final test. On the walk back, you notice the familiar playground. You'd grown up with that thing. But it's been a while since you've cared enough to stare at it.

Usually, the rusty old playground is empty. But today, a figure sits in the shadows. More specifically on the seesaw.

It brings back memories. That had been the same seesaw that had started your rivalry with Min Yoongi. And someone's sitting on it.

You squint, your curiosity getting the better of you as you creep towards the figure. Oh god. Once you see the outline of the person, you know this isn't going to be a very fun experience. Ew, you think. Gross.

But that's until it occurs to you that the person is crying.

Holding your breath, you walk closer to the crying boy. He's shaking, hands covering his face. The other side of the seesaw is up in the air.

He's crying about Gayoung, you realize.

You breathe out. "Need someone to sit down to fling you out again?"

Yoongi jumps. He hiccups. Then he quickly wipes away the tears streaming down his face. "Shut up."

You grin, sitting down on the other side of the seesaw. And this time, neither of you fling off. It is completely balanced.

"What are you doing here?" Yoongi croaks when he realizes you're not going to be leaving any time soon. He sniffles, but for the most part, he hides the fact that he'd been crying very expertly.

"I dunno." You shrug. "What are you doing here?" When there's a pause, you add, "I didn't see you in school."

"Oh, didn't know you cared."

"I don't."

"Figured."

"Did you break up with Gayoung?"

Yoongi laughs scornfully. "No. She broke up with me."

"Yikes, really?"

"What is your deal, Y/N?" Yoongi sighs. "Are you going to laugh in my face? Tell me I deserve this?"

"Not anymore..." you grumble. "Because now there's no element of surprise."

Yoongi rolls his eyes. "I reckon you spread the rumor?"

"...The rumor?"

"Yeah, the fucking rumor!" Yoongi shouts, throwing up his hands. "You're the one who told everyone Gayoung was cheating on me!"

"Woah, there! I didn't say anything about it!" you yell. "It's not my fault your ex decided to hook up with Jimin!"

"What??"

"Here! I have the fucking receipts!" You whip out your phone, aggressively swiping through your photos before landing on the exact one you were looking for. When you show Yoongi, his eyes turn wide but his posture deflates. He looks defeated.

"She actually cheated...?"

The way he says it with wide eyes and a slumped attitude makes you feel a tiny bit of pity. But the habit of being mean to Yoongi sticks.

"I'm not even surprised."

Yoongi glares at you.

"I mean," you say with an innocent shrug, "she's been eyeing other guys since you started dating her."

"I know..."

You are not about to show sympathy to Min Yoongi. You are not going to let down your guard. You are going to stay cold and emotionless—

"I'm... uh... I... er, I guess I'm sorry."

Yoongi lifts an eyebrow. "Why are you sorry?"

"Well, it just seemed like you really liked her—"

"Nah."

"Oh?"

"This is going to sound very stupid."

"Try me." You grin. "In my eyes, you always sound stupid. Remember? I got in trouble for calling you stupid in kindergarten."

Yoongi rolls his eyes. "How could I forget?" He grips the seesaw handles. "I don't think I've ever really liked Gayoung."

"Damn, this is tea," you gasp. "Why bother dating her for so long, then?"

"Ha!" Yoongi laughs. "Good question, Y/N. I don't know," he says sarcastically. "I was probably trying to piss you off. Didn't think it'd last that long."

"Oh??" You raise your eyebrows. "But didn't I just see you cry over Gayoung?"

"Er—"

You definitely caught him in a lie. Though it's dark, you can imagine Yoongi flushing a bright shade of pink—he does that when he's guilty. Not that you cared enough to notice over the years.

"It's okay she's with Jimin now. Not your problem."

"Is this your half-assed attempt of trying to solace me?"

"No?" You make a face. "Why on earth would you think I'm trying to solace you, Yoongi? You called me fat in first grade."

"I see you still hold grudges."

"Oh, that's really my only talent," you snort.

"Aren't you a really good planner?"

"Me?" Is this a compliment you hear?—and from the Min Yoongi?

"Yeah, you're going to plan the graduation ceremony, right? They hand-picked you from the student council, didn't they?"

"Well, uh, yeah." You raise your eyebrows in both surprise and suspicion. "Didn't think you'd care."

"I don't."

Of course.

"Okay, fine by me."

"Why are you even here again?"

You pause. Actually, why are you here? You could've just simply walked away and never had this conversation with Yoongi. But you'd stopped. And now you're talking with him. You answer him truthfully. "I really have no idea."

Another pause.

"Are you gonna ask me to leave?"

"... No."

"Oh." You cock your head. "Okay."

The two of you stare at each other. A staring game commences.

But Yoongi blinks first, claiming you the victor of the little contest. "You can stay if you want."

You scoff. "Excuse me, I didn't know I needed your permission."

Yoongi throws his hands up in the air. "Do you always have to fucking pick a fight?"

"You're the one who starts them!"

"I didn't even say anything mildly rude."

Okay, he might kind of have a point. Maybe all those years of hating him have ingrained permanent hatred in your head, so whatever comes out of Yoongi's mouth seems like an insult that you have to respond to with equal rudeness by reflex.

"Where did we even go wrong?" you sigh, rubbing your forehead.

Yoongi snorts. "Literally right here. On this seesaw."

"You're right," you laugh. This is probably the first time you and Yoongi have agreed on something; it's a foreign feeling that doesn't quite settle right in your stomach.

"Remember when Jimin had a crush on you?"

"Oh stop—" Just one single sentence brings back so many memories.

"Now he's downgraded to girls like Gayoung," Yoongi snorts.

"Oh?" A wide smile stretches across your lips. "Are you saying I'm an upgrade compared to that vile girl?"

"When you put it that way, I'm not so sure."

In any other circumstance, you'd think Yoongi's attacking you again, putting up another unnecessary fight. But right now, it's obvious he's just teasing you.

"Let's face it, Yoongi. I'm better than your ex, aren't I?" you tease right back.

"Barely," he grumbles, but he mumbles under his breath, "but yes."

Thankfully, your owl ears pick up the last part and you grin haughtily. "That's all I needed to hear." Just by habit, you glance down at your watch, frowning when it reads a little past 10 p.m. You're definitely behind schedule right now. Strangely, though, it's kind of worth it, talking to your self-proclaimed nemesis without ripping each other apart with moderately hurtful words.

Yoongi takes notice of you checking the time. Always the same, he thinks. He can't remember the last time he saw you without a watch.

"Anyways... it's getting kind of late..." you say. But you're careful not to stand up from the seesaw—just in case you'll accidentally fling Yoongi off again.

Yoongi nods in agreement. "Yeah." But what he hears next is beyond what he would've ever thought would come out of your mouth next.

"Wanna get some cup ramen? I know a good convenience store nearby."

"With me??" The words slip out of Yoongi's mouth before he can maintain his stoic, chilled composure.

"Why not?" You shrug. "Maybe tonight's the night we can finally stop fighting and act civil for once."

"I am getting tired of the back and forth bickering," Yoongi admits. "Not a bad idea, Y/N."

"I come up with genius ideas once in a while." You flip your hair back and grin. "We just can't stay out before 12 because I need to plan my friend's birthday party before 1."

"I'll get you home by then."

"You're going to walk me home? How boyfriendly."

"It's a habit," Yoongi grumbles.

"A good habit. Keep it up, Min," you laugh. "Then you'll get a new girl in no time."

The two of you count to three before carefully getting off the seesaw together. There are no accidents this time. Everything seems... balanced.

The most what the fuck moment in your life comes when you wake up one morning and realize the person you text and hang out the most is, indeed, Yoongi. Months ago, the thought of him made your blood boil. Now, he's just a friend—a very close friend, too.

Entering eleventh grade with Yoongi by your side is weird. Every other school year, the two of you tried to stay away from each other as much as possible. Yet this year, it's the complete opposite. The two of you solace each other. Even if that involves heavy teasing and harsh verbal exchanges.

"You idiot!" Yoongi shrieks. "And you just let her get away with it?"

"Why yes, why yes I did!" you scream in your shrill voice that makes Yoongi almost flinch back. "What was I supposed to do? Yell at her and tell her I deserved to be class president and not her? Tell her to her face that she cheated the votes?"

"Yes?!"

"Well, I didn't have the guts!"

"Why do you always run away from your fucking problems?"

Yoongi's words pierce through your heart and suck up your anger, replacing it with regret. He’s right though. When something doesn't go the way you planned, you have a habit of ditching. You're afraid of the consequences that will follow when you freestyle everything. And Yoongi knows this.

"I-I... I just... It's easier," you sigh, slumping over your desk seat. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"Fight back maybe?" Yoongi's tone is softer after he sees you become dispirited. "I mean, hey, you win some, you lose some."

"I know... I just feel like I'm always losing these days."

"It's okay," Yoongi says. His big hands awkwardly pat at your back. And as funny as it is that he's attempting to comfort you, you're actually well comforted. "Doesn't matter whether you win or lose. What matters is the experience."

"Wise words."

"Well, I'm a wise person." Yoongi gives you a shit-eating grin.

"Oh god."

Sometimes, Yoongi's the one who breaks down, though it's not as often as you do. But once the storm comes, it's hard to make it leave.

"Please don't talk to me right now."

"But Yoongi," you plead, knocking on the door to his room. "I had to practically beg your parents to let me in!" you whisper angrily. "Come on, open the damn door!"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Do you want me to break the door down??"

Silence follows and a small click indicates that the locked door is now open. You carefully turn the knob and push. Yoongi faces you immediately and the way his eyes are red and his cheeks are wet is indicative of a beforehand hysterical crying session.

"Oh, Yoongi..."

"I said I don't want to talk about it," he mutters. But you know he's just saying that because talking about it will make him cry again. You know him too well.

You pull him into a hug. "Maybe music isn't for you," you say. "It's okay if you failed that path. There are many more to take."

He's silent, squeezing you tightly. But you don't mind the silence at all. It's more peaceful that way, and you know he's actually listening to you when he's not talking.

"You're good at writing aren't you?" you whisper, patting his back. "Maybe that's your path. And if it isn't, so what? Poke at every pathway until you find one that's just right for you."

It's advice for yourself as well. Yoongi's upset that he was rejected from a music audition he was preparing to pass for years; he knew he wanted to pursue music and he did it, though it might not have been very successful. You, on the other hand, have no idea what you want to do in the future.

"I guess we both have to start on new paths now, right?"

By twelfth grade, you and Yoongi are beginning to bicker like a married couple. At least, that's what Jungkook says.

"For the last time, we do not sound married!"

Jungkook rests his head on the palm of his hand. "Sure. Sure."

"The thought of even being romantically interested in Y/N gives me goosebumps," Yoongi snorts.

"But the good kind of goosebumps if you know what I'm talking about," Jungkook says. He wiggles his eyebrows in such a suggestive way that you mock vomit.

"Okay, gross," you groan. "The day I catch feelings for Yoongi is the day the whole world will end."

"Um, right back at you," Yoongi frowns. "Don't worry," he says, giving you a cocky grin. "I'm very repulsive. You'll never catch feelings for me."

"We'll see about that," Jungkook snickers.

Every year, Yoongi writes you a birthday letter. Even now, in college, he manages to find time to make the same effort he's made for the past two years. Every year, he somehow makes you cry with his elaborate words. And every year, Yoongi films it because he's a little shit.

This year though, the tone of the letter is much, much sweeter than you expected. Almost as if it's a love serenade and not a platonic letter to your best friend. The writing is elaborately flourished and fluffed up to the point it sounds like a love poem. And you swear Yoongi spritzed perfume on the envelope because the letter smells (shockingly) amazing. The message itself doesn't make you cry. Instead, after you finish reading it, you stare up at Yoongi's camera in shock, jaw dropped open but no words coming out of your mouth. Yoongi seems to like that reaction a lot, and he even zooms up on your dumbstruck face to make fun of it later.

He'd written ten things he loves about you. And it drove you crazy that you didn't know whether it was platonic or romantic.

Love, Yoongi. He'd signed the letter. Not the usual, From your bestest motherfucking greatest friend, Yoongi.

What the fuck did 'Love, Yoongi' even mean??

And it happens so that the two of you fight about it later on.

"This year's birthday video is the best one yet," Yoongi laughs as he tries to turn the camera around to show you the screen.

You jerk away, frowning. "That is not funny."

"Why? Didn't like my letter this year?" He's teasing you but you're annoyed.

"It was different."

"A good different?" Yoongi nudges your shoulder, a smug smirk plastered on his lips.

"Literally, please, stop. Before I wipe that smirk off your face."

"Okay, okay," Yoongi sighs, raising up his hands in defense. "I bet you're just salty you can't name ten things you love about me."

"You're right, right now, I can name zero things," you scoff.

"Liar. You wouldn't have stuck by my side for this long if you didn't love me."

The fact that he's right makes it more irritating.

"Fine. One. You're an asshole—"

"Come on, is that really a reason?" Yoongi laughs. "This isn't ten things you hate about me, you know."

"Hear me out. You're a certain species of asshole that I find slightly more bearable than any other asshole," you say. "I think you're a tolerable asshole. It's a compliment."

"Thanks?"

"Two. You're an idiot—"

"Is this how the rest of the reasons gonna go?" Yoongi scoffs incredulously. "My letter was heartfelt at least!"

"No, but you're a bearable idiot. The kind that irks your strings just enough to make you pissed but not enough to make you explode. No idiot is tolerable but at least once in a million years you give good advice." You shrug as Yoongi shakes his head in denial.

"I always give good advice."

You roll your eyes. "Three. You're not very good looking—"

"I shouldn't even have asked," Yoongi grumbles. "Why did I fucking bother?"

"No, but you're not ugly. Isn't that good news?" you giggle as Yoongi just shakes his head at you. "It's perfect! That way, you attract people with your personality and not your looks! It's a compliment," you add when Yoongi glares at you.

"Whatever," he says.

"Four!" you say triumphantly. "You are drama-free. Except with me. But I'm an exception because I'm special."

"You got that right," Yoongi mutters underneath his breath. "What about five?" Compared to a minute ago, he looks more interested in your list now.

"Five? Well, you're genuine," you say nodding your head. "You wouldn't let me walk around with an eyelash on my face or spinach stuck between my teeth."

"Yeah 'cause you'd embarrass me too because you'd be by my side," Yoongi protests.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that."

"Fine. Six?"

"Six... hm..." you hum. "You have pretty eyes."

Yoongi laughs out loud. "Thanks, I guess."

"Seven... let's see... hm..." You rub your chin thoughtfully. "Well, you put the toilet seat down for me."

"My mother didn't raise a hooligan."

"I actually agree with you on that one," you say, laughing. "For eight, I want to just say you're a good friend."

"You stole my number 8 on my letter to you!"

"Yoongi, you should just be glad I even repeated it back to you," you giggle. "Wanna hear nine before I forget?"

Your friend sighs but he nods.

"You're a very good writer. And I'm not just saying that to boost your already enormous ego or anything, but I genuinely think you can write," you say. "And I love that because then I get these good ass letters on special occasions. It's weird how you can choose each word so carefully that all of the meanings fit in this gigantic well-flowing story. And you'd think you'd use all these hard vocabulary words to throw me off, but your writing's easy to read and comprehend. It makes it more impactful." You quirk your brow at your friend who finally looks satisfied. "Is that enough?"

"Yes, now that's more like it!" Yoongi grins. "Butter up my ego a bit more, won't you?"

"Can't. I don't have a number ten for you." You shrug. "Sorry."

"C'mon, you can only think of nine reasons why you love me?" Yoongi leans into you, poking your cheek. "I thought of eleven but I had to take one off. This isn't very fair."

"Oh? What was the eleventh?"

"It was more of a joke so you don't need to know."

"Excuse me? I love jokes—even though I don't take them very well."

"Yeah, well, I especially don't want you to take this a bad way," Yoongi says.

"Was it something mean about me??"

"Kind of."

You frown, scrunching your nose. "Try me."

Yoongi shrugs. "Fine, then. I called you oblivious. Happy?"

You lean back from your friend, giving him a disgraceful look. "Me? Oblivious? First of all, no. And second of all, why would you love that about me?"

"Oh, I don't know, because you're so oblivious you can't even tell that I like you??"

One look at Yoongi and you can tell he's dead serious. "Woah," you breathe. You want to ask him to repeat what he just said to see if you heard him correctly the first time. But he's already looking a little impatient at your delayed answer. So you gape at him, muttering a soft, "Like? As in...?" You can't finish the sentence.

"As in love?" Yoongi finishes for you. "Sure."

"Bro..."

Yoongi rolls his eyes. "I thought the letter made it obvious, Y/N."

"Well, I thought you were joking." You fidget with your hands. "Damn, Yoongi, now what the fuck am I supposed to say?"

"Do whatever you want with that information," he says, shrugging so nonchalantly that you wonder if this man even has feelings.

"Broo..."

"And if that means you're gonna keep saying 'bro,' then I guess that's fine too." He gives you a shit-eating grin.

"No, it's just that... wow. Since when??"

"Like, a year ago? Bit after Jungkook called us a married couple," Yoongi says. "But I'm so dead inside I hid it pretty fucking well. I kept thinking it'd go away too, but man, I still like you now, so I guess the feelings aren't going away anytime soon."

"But what are you proposing??" You run your hands through your hair. "That we go out??"

"Okay, you said it, not me."

You huff. It's weird. This dynamic you have with Yoongi. One moment you're bickering and the next, Yoongi's confessing his feelings for you. Strangely, though, you're not as turned off as you expected.

"One date."

Yoongi raises an eyebrow. "One date?"

"You can buy me dinner, and if it goes horribly, we're going right back to friends," you bargain. "In the case that it goes well, then, uh, you tell me."

Yoongi laughs. "Oh, I'll be the one to tell you, all right."

And unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on the way you look at it), he's right. Four days later, your relationship with Yoongi becomes official. It irks your strings that none of your friends are even the slightest bit surprised about your newfound romantic relationship with the man you'd known for way more than half of your life.

"We all saw it coming, Y/N," they tell you. "We're actually surprised you two didn't date sooner."

But Yoongi is actually a good boyfriend, so there are no regrets. Aside from the small bickering here and there (the married couple kind of arguing), your relationship with him is sound. And the fact that not much has changed in the way you treat each other since you began dating makes you wonder if you were technically in love with Yoongi this whole time but you were way too blinded by your stupid senses and habitual, platonic teasing that you didn't think you actually liked him romantically. It doesn't really matter now, though. Because you're with him anyway.

Yoongi's love language is quality time and coincidentally, so is yours. College becomes a blast. When you're not studying, you're with Yoongi and when you're not with Yoongi, you're 'studying,' but really thinking of your boyfriend.

Yoongi has a way of plaguing your mind. It's been like that since you were little, too.

Once out of college, things become more difficult. Marriage matures into a serious question that neither you nor Yoongi is ready for. So both of you put it off.

As soon as you secure a job as an event planner and Yoongi becomes a professional grant writer, the honeymoon phase of the relationship plummets to the ground.

For nearly eighteen years you were a victim of Yoongi's 'teasing.' His judgmental remarks. But there is a time and place to be a critique.

"Oh, come on, the food isn't even that bad, Yoongi. Just a little bland. That's it."

"There was a hair in my soup," your boyfriend complains. "I'm asking for another bowl."

"Okay, fine, but don't ask for the manager like last time."

"Last time, the waitress called me a tightwad!! What was I supposed to do?"

"Just let it slide? You yelled at her for bringing you bad food when she didn't even cook it! Can you please stop acting so above everybody?"

"Whatever." Yoongi sets down his silverware. "I'm gonna Uber home." He tosses you his credit card and it slides across the wooden table and stops right in front of your dish. "And I'm going to write a Yelp review of this shitty place."

"You're not a fucking entitled writer! Stop acting like one!" you call out to him as he turns his back to you and storms away.

You end up eating dinner at a restaurant by yourself. Yoongi's right, the place is shitty, and the food is bland, but it's not downright intolerable.

Often, these days, it feels like your relationship with Yoongi is spiraling downward. The two of you cannot seem to agree on anything. It reminds you when you'd hated him in your younger years. But you can't hate him now; you live with him.

He's unavoidable.

Usually, Yoongi drives. The car feels foreign to you only because you normally don't sit in the driver's seat. The short mixtape of songs Yoongi wrote and produced for you plays the moment you turn on the engine. He'd gifted that to you a few months ago, after one of your bigger fights. You let the soft serenades play as you drive home.

No matter how many times you and Yoongi fight, the two of you make it up to each other somehow. There is no fight without a resolution. Yoongi will be waiting for you when you get home.

And he is. He's waiting with a blueberry yogurt cake from Paris Baguette sitting on the kitchen island and a letter in his hand. A written apology. Because Yoongi thinks he conveys his feelings better in writing than with spoken words.

"I'm sorry for storming off..." he says almost shyly. The man is nearly twenty-five years old but he sounds and looks like a guilty child with his lips pulled out in a pout and his eyes glancing nervously at your face to see if you weren't going to yell at him. "I, uh... didn't write the Yelp review."

How can you stay mad at that?

"And I wrote you an apology..."

You walk closer to your boyfriend and hug him. "Thank you..."

"Yeah," he says. "And good news, the cake will be really flavorful compared to what you had for dinner."

You smile. "Good thinking."

After a storm, there is always a rainbow. When there is a down, there is an up. And vice versa.

"Can we please stop planning every single fucking second of our lives?" Yoongi says exasperatedly. He flings away the brochure you had handed him that detailed the week's trip to Hawaii down to the last minute. "We're going on vacation. This makes me feel like I'm going to a stupid summer camp."

"If we're going to Hawaii, we shouldn't just relax around in the hotel all day, Yoongi," you scoff, gathering the abandoned brochure and tugging it to your chest. "There's stuff to see on the islands. We need to try everything my friends did! Why would we even go to Hawaii if we're not going to do these fun activities?"

"Come on. 7 o'clock breakfast? 8 o'clock hiking up to the falls? 10 o'clock scuba diving in the ocean? 12 o'clock lunch at the top of a big ass hill that we have to climb up ourselves? 1 o'clock zip-lining meters in the air? 2 o'clock festival? I could go on, but isn't that too much? When can we breathe?" Yoongi shakes his head. "No way. And all of that's just in one day. And the second day is even worse. Y/N, I want to go there to rest."

"If you wanted to rest, then you can do it at home," you argue. "Why go to Hawaii to rest?"

"There are different types of resting," Yoongi sighs. "What's a better way to fall asleep than in front of the ocean? We get to relax in a hotel, which means we won't have to make our beds or cook our meals or even do the dishes. That's relaxing for me."

"Well, it's not relaxing enough for me."

"Come on, Y/N. We went to Banff and you planned every single second of the trip there. I thought it was miserable. Can we please relax just once? For literally one trip?"

"But I already booked everything..."

Yoongi curses. "Why are you always four steps ahead of everything? It's unnecessary!"

"Maybe I'm not four steps ahead and you're just four steps behind!"

"Oh, so you're telling me that everyone else in the world plans their days down to the last second." Yoongi rolls his eyes. "Bullshit, Y/N."

"It's not my fault you're so—so, fucking lazy!"

"I'm not lazy!" Yoongi's eyes flash as he slams the dinner table. "You're just too high maintenance! Fucking nobody can keep up with you!" Before you can react or even yell back, he pushes his chair away and stands up, stomping away in a fury. You can hear him enter his study. There's that familiar door slam again. And the click of the lock means you won't be getting in that room anytime soon.

You're left by yourself, clutching the Hawaii brochure to your chest. A little angry at yourself but a lot madder at your boyfriend. With a bitter scream, you toss the brochure in the trash and curl up in a ball at the side of the couch.

But the thing about you and Yoongi is that with time and space, you recognize each other's perspectives. The rest is history.

Three hours just crying out your pent-up anger gets the irritation out of your system. By the time you're done though, you're a little hungry and guilty. You make a few phone calls and switch things around.

"Hey." You knock on the door of Yoongi's study. You're too afraid to turn the knob yourself. "I know you're in there."

No answer.

"I canceled the excessive activities..." you whisper against the door. "We can plan the trip together... I mean, better yet, we don't even have to plan anything at all... We can be..."—it pains you to say but—"spontaneous."

"Go away. I'm trying to work."

Sometimes Yoongi takes a bit longer than you to come around.

But by dinnertime, he's crept out of his study and has already ordered takeout from your favorite restaurant. The steaming pile of white rice and perfect side dishes lie on the dinner table, waiting for you. He waits for you too.

"I got a new client," he says, looking down at his hands. "And I got your favorite food." You notice that he's holding the Hawaii brochure you'd thrown away. It's a little wet on the sides. Maybe because Yoongi had to wipe off the remnants of the leftovers in the trash that had stuck onto the paper. Your boyfriend finally looks up at you. Shyly. Almost cautiously. "Wanna compromise?"

"Compromise?"

"We plan half of the trip and wing the rest of it," he offers. Yoongi slides you the brochure. "See, so I was thinking..."

You've always hated roller coasters. They are almost always unpredictable with head-jerking twists and turns that bring you closer to vomiting the contents of your stomach rather than pure bliss. There are one too many ups and downs.

Yoongi likes to joke that your relationship with him is a roller coaster. Only because there are too many dips that rocket up to the sky only to plummet down again. You disagree. Because, eventually, no matter how shitty the ride is, roller coasters do end. Your relationship with Yoongi is not over.

You like to compare your relationship with Yoongi like the ocean waves. But during a tsunami. The ups are great; the towering waves give you a beautiful vantage point. And it's all fun and games until the waves crash down on everything you once loved, destroying them. And the process repeats so much that in the end, there is nothing left.

That's what you feel now. Empty.

Alone in the bed with Yoongi downstairs and nowhere to be seen near you.

After a while, even the highs of the relationship makes you feel numb. The lows wreck you past your breaking point. It takes more time to find resolutions—the fights go on for longer than days, even weeks.

When you were younger, fighting with Yoongi was irritating at most. Now, they leave you sobbing and drinking alone in the corner of the bathroom. But it's so late in the game.

You've known Yoongi for over eighteen years of your life, since kindergarten. You keep telling yourself that he's the only one in the world who could understand you; and you're the only one in the world who can understand him. But other than that, you can't find another reason why you're with him.

Sometimes, you listen back to the mixtape he made you years ago. The lyrics don't apply to you now. And this year, for your birthday, he half-assed a letter for you last-minutely because he was 'busy.' Busy drinking with his friends the night before. You've stopped planning your dates for months.

Actually, when was the last time you went on a date with him?

You can't recall.

Maybe the back and forth arguing you and Yoongi had gone through in the majority of your relationship was a sign—a bad sign. If only you hadn't met him on the seesaw that day. Then maybe none of this would've happened.

You might be dating someone you have things in common with. Maybe someone you don't argue with as much.

Falling asleep with tears in your eyes that keep the pillow wet until morning is an occurrence that you're too familiar with. It is an occurrence you want to stop. When Yoongi isn't downstairs by morning, you're thrown into further misery. He usually works from home... He must be really angry to leave without saying anything.

You eat breakfast by yourself. Lunch consists of ramen. And dinner... Yoongi's still not home so you skip the meal altogether.

By 9 p.m., you look at your phone. You don't want to be the first person to break—the first person to apologize—but you worry. Will he hang up on you? Tell you to go away? The possibilities seem endless.

So much thinking hurts your head. Some fresh air might do the trick. Before you know it, you're wandering around a familiar rusty playground again. It brings back childhood memories. When your hand trails across the paint-chipped monkey bars, you're brought back to when you were only six years old. The towering obstacle had looked so big when you were little. Now, you could easily cross the bars by simply walking.

It's strange to see the once-bustling playground be completely empty and in the dark. You hear that they're going to tear down this place to construct a little convenience store so no one must've visited this playground in a very long time. You'll miss it when it's gone. You had a lot of fun around here.

Just as that thought passes through your head, your eye catches sight of the seesaw.

Ah, the start of everything.

Slowly, you walk towards it. Each step makes your feet sink further in the smoothed over gravel but you manage to sit at the very edge of the seesaw. Immediately, the other side flings up in the air. It reminds you of when you flung Yoongi in the air. A pretty funny memory. But not right now. Thinking about Yoongi now hurts.

You hate it when you start to contemplate the worst-case scenario. A breakup. Moving out. Stress. Tears.

You run your fingers across the rusty handle of the seesaw. Hopefully, things don't come to that. But how much longer can you handle the arguments? They seem to be elongating as time passes. What if one day, the argument lasts a month? Several months? A year?

If there is one thing in your life that you strive to achieve, it's predictability. With Yoongi, there is none of that. He makes last-minute plans out of nowhere and doesn't tell you until the last second. Then you have to go on a frenzy to reschedule everything. It is a cycle that you've become sick of. And he's sick of you planning everything.

That has been the issue of the last ten fights.

The same issue.

And it's unfixable.

You and Yoongi are rock bottom on the very floor of the Mariana Trench. The back and forth game of banter has turned into something more serious, and it just isn't as light-hearted and funny anymore.

"Hey."

You nearly fall off the seesaw at the sound of Yoongi's voice. He's got his hands shoved in his pockets and he looks like he was awake for more than 24 hours.

"H-Hey," you say.

"The seesaw, huh?"

"Yeah." You nod. "The seesaw."

Yoongi smiles but it's not a very happy one. Even now, you don't think either one of you wants to apologize for the fight.

"I've been thinking," Yoongi sighs. He doesn't spare you another glance before he sits on the other side of the seesaw. You're suddenly jerked up in the air. There used to be a balance but it seems like Yoongi's gained some weight—or you've lost a lot. "Remember when I said our relationship is like a rollercoaster?"

"And I said I disagreed."

"Right." Yoongi sighs. "I take that back. We're not like a rollercoaster. We're in a game."

"A game?"

Yoongi gestures at the seesaw. "This is our game."

"...The seesaw?" You raise an eyebrow at the man but Yoongi doesn't budge.

"Yes. Look." Yoongi pushes off the gravel with his feet, putting himself in the air while sinking you to the ground. "And when you push..." Following his words, you launch yourself back in the air. Yoongi looks up at you as he sighs. "We're always on opposite sides, opposite places."

"Even when we try to balance," he continues, trying to lift his body to bring you down to the same level as him, "we fail." He ends up higher than you now and you look up at him.

"Some game this is..." you mutter.

"It's a game of ups and downs," Yoongi tells you. "It's tiring, isn't it?"

"Of course it is."

"And like all games... there is an end."

You raise both eyebrows. "Oh."

"From day one, you know... we weren't really supposed to get along," Yoongi says. "But somehow seeing each other every day, bickering with each other... all of that let us be in closer proximity with each other. And then we thought we were meant to be."

"You're analyzing our relationship?" you scoff.

"Don't act like you haven't done the same, Y/N."

You're silent.

"It doesn't matter whether we love each other at this point, Y/N... Does it? Love or not, I don't think I can live like this."

It's ridiculous. You're having a grown-up discussion possibly leading to a breakup on a fucking seesaw of all places.

"You want to separate?" Your voice comes out smaller than you expected. When it becomes a reality, it's much harder to digest.

"You've been thinking about it too, right?" Yoongi sighs. "I mean, I heard you call your mom the other day. And it didn't sound too good."

Guilty. "Well, yeah, I've been thinking about it... Just... I just didn't think it'd become a reality so soon." And you always thought you would have initiated the breakup, not the other way around.

"Yeah... I felt bad you always took initiative with things so I decided to save you the stress and do it myself."

"Wow. Thanks." You shake your head. "Real thoughtful."

"Right?" Yoongi grins. "I don't think a lot will change if we break up. We've always hated each other a little."

You let out a wry laugh. "I'll never forgive you for calling me fat."

"And I'll never forgive you for calling me stupid."

"Looks like we're even."

"Yeah, for once." Yoongi shrugs. "I guess we can be platonic roommates until I find another apartment."

"Sounds good to me." You ignore the tears welling up in your eyes as you try to smile. "Let's get off this seesaw to seal the deal then."

"The end of the game." Yoongi's voice shakes just enough for you to know he's crying.

And as the two of you walk back to your shared apartment with tears streaming down your faces, you realize you wouldn't have it any other way. A breakup any later would be regretful—even wasteful of time. A breakup any earlier would've left you to separate forever. A breakup now is perfect.

You're acquainted enough to still possibly be friends. But not bound by marriage to make the procedure worse and more complicated.

Of course, you love Yoongi. But sometimes, you love the wrong people—the people you don't belong with, the people who won't make you happy. You're just glad you didn't run away in the beginning. Yoongi taught you a difficult rivalry, a difficult friendship, a difficult relationship. But you don't always have to go the hard way.

When a relationship becomes like a game—repetitive with the addition of wins and losses—that's when you know you can stop.

You'll be on the easy route now and find someone who is as crazy about planning as you.

You look up at Yoongi. His cheeks are wet with tears but he doesn't necessarily look sad. Instead, he looks hopeful. Like he'll find somebody who can appreciate his love for leaving sarcastic Yelp reviews or somebody who loves spontaneity as much as he does.

And when he finds that special somebody, you'll be happy for Yoongi. But, of course, not before you tease the living shit out of him first.

—masterpost

—masterlist

#ficswithluv #btswritersnet #btswriterscollective #bangtanfairygarden #btswritingcafe #yoongi #min yoongi #yoongi imagine #yoongi fanfic #yoongi fanfiction #bts #bts fanfiction #propinquity #okay let's pretend i totally posted this fic last friday #like halfway thru this week #i remembered i never posted on friday omg clown #🤡🤡 i don't even think i've been on social media #school rlly said no❤️

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no2cars · 4 years ago

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Traffic Noise Is a Silent Killer

The ruckus of cars and planes can damage not just your ears, but also your heart.

By Cypress Hansen, published February 21, 2021

In 2011, Germany’s Frankfurt Airport—the country’s busiest—unveiled its fourth runway. This addition sparked major protests, and for years demonstrators returned to the airport every Monday. “It’s destroying my life,” one protester told Reuters in 2012. “Every time I go into my garden, all I can hear and see are planes right above.”

The new runway also channeled dozens of aircraft directly over the house of Thomas Münzel, a cardiologist at the University Medical Center of Mainz. “I have lived close to the German Autobahn and close to inner-city train tracks,” he says. “Aircraft noise is the most annoying by far.” Münzel had read a 2009 World Health Organization report linking noise to heart problems, but evidence at the time was thin. Driven in part by concern for his own health, in 2011 he shifted the focus of his research to learn more.

Exposure to loud noise has long been linked with hearing loss. But the ruckus of planes and cars takes a toll beyond the ears: Traffic noise has been flagged as a major urban environmental stressor, second only to air pollution. In the last decade, a growing body of research more directly links air and road-traffic noise to heightened risks for a number of cardiovascular ailments—and scientists are starting to pinpoint the mechanisms at play.

Evidence of noise’s physiological effects—whether on cells and organs or entire populations—“is really coming together and painting a picture of the problem,” says Mathias Basner, a psychiatrist and epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania and president of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise. Yet, he adds, few people are aware of the severity of what his colleagues call a “silent killer.”

Estimates suggest that roughly a third of Americans are regularly exposed to unhealthy levels of noise, typically defined as starting around 70 to 80 decibels. For comparison, normal conversation is about 60 dB, cars and trucks range from 70 to 90 dB, and sirens and airplanes can reach 120 dB or more.

Numerous studies link chronic exposure to environmental noise to an increased risk of heart-related troubles. People living near the Frankfurt airport, for example, have as much as a 7 percent higher risk of stroke than those living in similar but quieter neighborhoods, according to a 2018 study in Noise & Health that investigated the health data of more than 1 million people. An analysis of nearly 25,000 cardiovascular deaths between 2000 and 2015 among people living near Zurich’s airport saw significant increases in nighttime mortality after airplane flyovers, especially among women, a team reported last year in the European Heart Journal.

As researchers probe the physiology underlying noise’s cardiovascular consequences, they’re zeroing in on a culprit: dramatic changes to the endothelium, the inner lining of arteries and blood vessels. This lining can go from a healthy state to one that’s “activated,” and inflamed, with potentially serious ramifications.

When sound reaches the brain, it activates two important regions: the auditory cortex, which interprets noise, and the amygdala, which manages emotional responses to it. As noise gets louder, and especially during sleep, the amygdala activates a stress response—even if the person isn’t aware of it.

Once initiated, this response releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol into the body. Some arteries constrict; others dilate. Blood pressure rises, and sugars and fats flood the bloodstream for quick use by the muscles. The cascading stress response also prompts the creation of harmful molecules that cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the lining of blood vessels. This dysfunctional endothelium meddles with blood flow and affects numerous other processes that, when impaired, contribute to a range of cardiovascular illnesses, including high blood pressure, plaque buildup in arteries, obesity, and diabetes.

Studies on people and mice show that the endothelium doesn’t work as efficiently after just a few days of nighttime airplane-noise exposure, suggesting that loud noise isn’t a concern only for people already at risk for heart and metabolic problems. Healthy adults subjected to recordings of trains during their slumber had impaired blood-vessel function almost immediately, according to a 2019 study published by Münzel and his colleagues in Basic Research in Cardiology.

“We were surprised that young people, after hearing these sounds for just one night, had endothelial dysfunction,” says Münzel, coauthor of an overview on noise and cardiovascular health in the 2020 Annual Review of Public Health. “We always thought this was something that takes years to develop.”

While the data continue to accumulate, untangling cause and effect can be tricky. It’s not easy to conduct long-term sleep experiments or to distinguish between the effects of daytime and nighttime noise—or the effects of the noise itself versus the combined effects of noise and air pollution (which often go hand in hand).

The consequences of environmental noise are also tough to parse due to the subjective nature of sound, says Andreas Xyrichis, a health-services scientist at King’s College in London. Xyrichis studies hospital intensive-care units, where ringing telephones and clattering food dishes can be either comforting or counteractive to recovery, depending on the patient. “We are really trying to make this distinction between decibel levels and perception of noise,” he says.

Despite the remaining questions, there’s a growing recognition of connections between noise pollution and reduced physical health. A 2018 report by the World Health Organization noted that each year, Western Europeans are collectively losing more than 1.6 million years of healthy life because of traffic noise. This calculation is based on the number of premature deaths caused directly by noise exposure, as well as the years lived with noise-induced disability or illness.

And that number is likely to grow: In 2018, 55 percent of people lived in cities, and by 2050 that count is expected to reach nearly 70 percent, the United Nations estimates.

Some governments, heeding public protests, have tried to quiet the clamor of urbanization by adopting nighttime-flight bans, incentivizing quieter technologies, and issuing fines for noise complaints. Individuals can help themselves by ensuring that bedrooms are as quiet as possible: retrofitting windows, hanging noise-reducing curtains, or (if they can afford it) moving to quieter neighborhoods. Cheaper solutions, Basner says, include wearing earplugs at night or moving bedrooms to a quieter part of the home. He believes that people should take such steps even if they don’t find themselves especially fazed by noise.

“If you’re living in Manhattan, you won’t notice how loud it is after a while, because it is normal,” he says. “But if you have habituated to it psychologically, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have negative health consequences.”

#cypress hansen #traffic noise #long post #fuck cars

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artificialqueens · 5 years ago

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Not Nineteen Forever (10) (Branjie/Scyvie)- Ortega

a/n: are we all ready to read a chapter about Christmas on this day of our Lord August 3rd 2019? here’s chapter 10 of the wild ride that is n19f!! please please please if u love this fic then let me know, i’m starting work again soon so my motivation is going to be basically on the floor, so i need u lot to let me know u miss it and love it to give me the kick up the bum i need! enjoy xo

please note: this fic contains young adults often behaving in irresponsible/unadvisable ways with regards to alcohol, drugs and sex. if you are someone who feels as if they could be heavily influenced by fic and incorporate what happens in the plot into ur own life, pls steer clear!

summary: Brooke, Yvie and Nina are three flatmates who forged a friendship in their first year of university and picked up some other waifs and strays along the way. Now in their final year, there are feelings that need to be unravelled and confessions to be made whilst navigating drunk nights, hungover mornings, takeaways, group chats, library meetups, cafe gossiping, and the small matter of getting a degree.

last chapter: Brooke and Vanessa admitted their feelings for each other, and everyone’s favourite set of flatmates all made up.

this chapter: it’s the annual big festive gathering before everyone goes home for the holidays. will Secret Santa gifts be a hit or a miss? will the Christmas dinner be edible? will Nina ever stop singing songs from Nativity?

***

Scarlet was woken up from her nap by a voice in the hall loudly singing a Christmas song. As she came to from her sleep-induced stupor she realised it was Nina that was singing, and that the song was Five More Days til Christmas by The Cheetah Girls. It was actually fifteen sleeps, but these kinds of semantics didn’t seem to matter to Nina, as her voice got muffled and she presumably went into a different room. Scarlet stirred and tapped Yvie on her back, marvelling at how skinny she seemed to be.

“Yvie,” she muttered, then louder as she woke up a little more and Yvie didn’t stir at all. “Yves. We gotta get ready, c’mon.”

“Mnmhh,” came Yvie’s voice from the pillow, as she turned around to bat her girlfriend away. Scarlet gave a soft laugh. They’d been working themselves practically to exhaustion for the past couple of weeks for their exams which they’d just finished the day before, and they were both so tired from constant library days and cramming nights that they’d decided on a 2pm nap. Scarlet looked at the giant Sweeney Todd-themed clock on Yvie’s wall, the razor blade hands showing her it was now five o’clock.

“Oh fuck, we really slept,” she chuckled, as Yvie pushed her curls out of her face and rubbed her eyes, scattering mascara clumps over her cheeks like squid-ink snow.

“The worst part about naps is waking up from them,” Yvie mumbled grumpily, Scarlet letting out a hoot of a laugh.

“Babe. That’s really fucking dark,” she rolled her eyes, leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek. “Come on, get up and get that Christmas jumper on. I want my girlfriend to be the most festive bitch at the dinner!”

Yvie tried to roll her eyes at Scarlet but a big goofy smile stopped her from doing so. Scarlet smiled back and the pair of them pressed their foreheads together, grinning like idiotic Cheshire cats. Scarlet thought that it would never get boring to call Yvie her girlfriend. It was so crazy to believe that they’d been together for over a month, and it had been a whirlwind. She’d lost count of the amount of dates they’d been on (and the amount of times they’d slept with each other), but it hadn’t all been easy. Scarlet had had to hand in three essays as well as sit one exam, and Yvie had had four exams, all of which had been spread out over the past week. So as much as the first month of their relationship had been about great sex, adorable dates and enjoying their time together, much of it had been sharing stressful cramming sessions in the library, Yvie proofreading Scarlet’s essays, and Scarlet testing Yvie on her revision knowledge. There had been countless times where they’d wiped each others’ tears and cheered each other up when the other had thought they would absolutely fail or that they couldn’t do it anymore (and they’d both been through many of those moments, Scarlet noted). She would be the first to admit it had been stressful at times, but Scarlet wouldn’t have had it any other way. She’d revised alongside Yvie over exam periods previously, but this time was different because whenever Scarlet had hugged Yvie and reassured her or brought her an iced coffee back from Starbucks, Yvie had looked into her eyes with more gratitude and appreciation that Scarlet had ever been looked at with before.

But their exams and essays (and portfolios, in Brooke and Plastique’s case) were all done, and so there had been talk on the groupchat about some form of Christmas gathering before they all went home for the holidays. They all usually did something, at least to Scarlet’s knowledge- last year they had gone out for “festive drinks” (which was really just drinks- but Akeria had insisted that it was inherently festive because it was December), and apparently the year before they had all gone sledging at the big hill behind their student halls because it had been snowing. But this year they had decided that, in preparation for graduate life, they would host a classy and civilised potluck dinner. Everyone had picked one component of a classic Christmas dinner to cook, and Scarlet, who was far more confident baking than cooking, had made a lemon and strawberry meringue roulade for their pudding. It had been sitting in Yvie’s flat’s fridge overnight, taking up a substantial amount of room, and Scarlet was very proud of it. She desperately hoped everyone would like it. Scarlet knew that her friends were her friends and that they loved her, but sometimes her anxiety would convince her otherwise and exam season hadn’t helped her mental state. She was looking forward to what would hopefully be a good night, where the only drama would ideally be who had the last pig in blanket.

Yvie had finally got up off the bed and had grabbed her towel. “I’m going for a shower. Do you want one?”

Scarlet self-consciously sniffed herself. Smelling nothing, she frowned and turned to Yvie. “I don’t know. Do I stink?”

Yvie rolled her eyes theatrically. “Honestly, woman, the plots you hatch just so that you can get me to hug you.”

Scarlet stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend as Yvie moved across the room, wrapped her arms around her and buried her face in her neck, taking a big, over-exaggerated, disgustingly loud sniff. Scarlet squirmed away. “Ugh, Yvie! You’re fucking gross.”

“Well luckily, you’re not. You smell fine. But you can use any of my deodorant if you want to make sure. I’ll be five minutes,” Yvie said as she pulled away, muttering something under her breath. Recently Yvie had started mumbling incoherently, or beginning sentences and then cutting herself off, as if she was about to say something and she’d forgotten what it was. Scarlet couldn’t help herself wondering what the something could be. She hoped it was something nice. She’d tried asking Yvie to clarify what she’d said, but Yvie always just explained it away as talking to herself. Scarlet somehow knew that wasn’t the truth.

Scarlet pulled on the Christmas jumper she’d brought with her to Yvie’s flat; bright red with three dogs on it wearing Christmas headgear, and writing in sequins that read “Bark the Herald Angels Sing”. It was suitably the right mix of campy and classy and matched what Scarlet usually wore relatively well. Pausing before leaving Yvie’s room, Scarlet scrutinised her Secret Santa present. She’d drawn Brooke’s name, which her heart had sank at as she was arguably the girl she felt the least close to out of their whole group. She had so badly wanted to ask Yvie or Nina for advice on what to get her but they both were taking the whole thing deadly seriously so that plan had been out the window. Scarlet had settled on a gift bag full of Canadian snacks that she’d ordered from various online stockists, as she knew Brooke was getting homesick and had spoken about how much she’d missed Coffee Crisps. She had spent so long choosing everything and was really hoping Brooke would like it, and that it would bring them closer together.

Optimistically, Scarlet took her makeup through to the kitchen and hoped that Brooke or Nina would be there. Recently Scarlet had been spending more and more time at their flat. This was for three reasons- one, she loved spending as much time with Yvie as possible, two, she loved seeing her other two friends (and Monet and Vanjie, who also popped by quite often), and three, she would rather fling herself into the Eurotunnel and make a cosy bed out of the railway tracks than go back to her own shitty, leaky, breaky, messy flat where Ra’Jah was.

Sure enough, as Scarlet padded out into the hallway there was a variety of sounds behind the kitchen door. One was the tinny racket of Nina’s phone speakers blasting a different Christmas song. Another was Nina singing along. The third was a clatter of cooking utensils and the fourth, lots of swearing. Scarlet was almost afraid to go in.

The sight that met her was only the tiniest bit chaotic. Nina was dancing along to the song in a unique sort of way that seemed to include a lot of bouncing and ignoring Brooke, who was in front of the oven and facing three different pans of sauce, each a different colour. She seemed moments away from a stress-induced meltdown and had her hands in her hair, clutching at big fistfuls of it with frustration. Scarlet was barely given a chance to speak before Nina noticed her, jumped in front of her and pointed in her face, half-singing, half-shouting the song.

“Cause she’s blinding me with love, she’s my saviour from above!”

“Nina, I swear to God I will kill you,” Brooke snapped, before Nina beamed a smile and turned her attention to her flatmate.

“She’s the brightest star I’ve ever seen- brightest star!- It’s like we’re living in some kind of dream- like some kind of dream!” she continued, beginning to dab obnoxiously and making Brooke put her head in her hands. Scarlet burst out laughing as she saw Nina’s Christmas jumper- a riot of white snowflakes surrounding a dancing Santa, with “FLOSSING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE” written in bright green.

“Oh my God, Nina. That’s quite the jumper,” Scarlet finally got a word in as the song reached an instrumental break. Nina’s happiness was slightly dented as she looked down at the horrific design and rolled her eyes.

“Ugh, don’t. I bought it for placement because the school did a Christmas jumper day- yes, in November, I know- and it was only really for the consumption of my class, but all my other Christmas jumpers are at home so looks like this is what I’m wearing. I love yours though!” Nina’s smile was back, reaching out and touching Scarlet’s sleeve as she sat down at the kitchen table. Scarlet thanked her, then cast a glance to Brooke.

“How’s cooking going?” she asked, nervous about the answer.

Brooke twirled round from the hob and mustered up a smile that Scarlet could tell was more for her benefit rather than it being in any way genuine. “Put it this way, I’m half expecting Gordon Ramsay to pop his head through the door and start screaming about sauce. I mean how did I fuck up gravy?!”

“It smells amazing! I don’t think it’ll be fucked up at all,” Scarlet said confidently. She wasn’t lying- the smells in the kitchen were delicious- but she knew Brooke was a giant perfectionist and if she’d messed up even the tiniest part of the recipe she would see it as a total failure.

“It would help if my flatmate didn’t insist on giving me the one-woman version of Nativity as I’m making them, like a fucking expert level of Ready Steady Cook,” Brooke side-eyed Nina, who somehow heard her comment over the music and her own singing. Nina budged Brooke out of the way of the oven, grabbed a teaspoon and dipped it into the gravy. Tasting it, she laughed.

“Christ, Brooke, it just needs more salt. And wine. If in doubt, always add salt and wine.”

Appeased, Brooke continued cooking. Scarlet gave a sideways glance at Nina from her position at the kitchen table and paused her contouring. “Nina, what were you cooking again?”

“Carrots. They’re cooking away. I do them in garlic and honey and they’re just amazing,” Nina explained, grabbing a half-empty glass of wine from the kitchen counter and sitting down opposite Scarlet to keep her company. It was only then that it occurred to Scarlet that Nina was very clearly already on her way to being drunk.

“If you do say so yourself,” Brooke piped up.

“If I do say so myself,” Nina gave a wink, downing the rest of her glass. She turned excitedly to Scarlet. “Also girl, Jesus. That roulade’s been calling my name all damn day. You’re lucky you’ve got something to bring tonight, because you almost didn’t.”

Scarlet gave a shy shrug and suddenly thought she might not need any blusher if she got any more compliments from her friends. “I hope it’ll taste alright. I’m relatively confident that it will, though, so don’t worry about going hungry!”

“If it doesn’t, I still have so much Christmas chocolate that the kids got me for finishing up. We can crack that open. Are you staying tonight, Scarlet?”

Scarlet cast a quick, nervous glance to Brooke, who was busy with her pans. She was always conscious of imposing on Nina and Brooke, hyper-aware that it wasn’t her flat and she didn’t pay rent and she never wanted to stay too often. In this case, however, the answer was a yes, and Scarlet nodded carefully to Nina as she did her eyebrows. Nina gave an excited clap.

“Aah! Exciting! I won’t be in this evening but I’ll see you tomorrow I’m sure.”

“You got to see a girl about her cat?” Brooke piped up, turning around from the stove and quirking an eyebrow. Nina glared up at her, unimpressed.

“If you’re insinuating that I have a pussy appointment…” she curled her lip up in distaste. “…then yes. But come on, it’s not like that. At least, it isn’t to me, I still don’t know what the fuck she’s thinking.”

Scarlet smiled as Nina grew a little quieter. Nina always got a little more shy, a little more reserved, a little more flustered at the mere hint of a mention of Monet. It was just cute enough to be adorable and not vomit-worthy.

“You should just do what me and Vanjie are doing. We know we like each other and we know we like having sex with each other. It’s a good place to be in,” Brooke shrugged, evidently satisfied with her sauces and pouring each of the contents of the pans into three different tupperware boxes. Scarlet snorted a laugh.

“You missed out the part where you pined after each other for two years,” she explained, Nina hooting a laugh and thumping the table. Brooke folded her arms, trying to look exasperated but being unable to hide her smile.

“Okay, I don’t think any of us get a say in how to conduct a relationship.”

“Well all I’ll say, Brooke, is that Vanjie won’t be happy with that arrangement forever. Sooner or later you’ll have to upgrade her to girlfriend status, because she sure as hell does not strike me as the type of girl who’ll ask you first,” Nina said matter-of-factly. Brooke exhaled deeply.

“Christ, this is like that nightmare I had about being on Loose Women. Look, just leave us to it, okay? We’re happy! It’s working,” Brooke shrugged lightly, clicking the lids onto her tupperware boxes.

“What’s working?” came a voice, as Yvie entered the kitchen. Her curls were still a little damp but her makeup was perfect- though admittedly, everything about her was perfect in Scarlet’s eyes.

“Your Mum’s prostitution company,” Brooke retorted, Yvie ignoring her and giving Scarlet a kiss on top of her head.

“You look nice, baby,” she murmured against her hair, Scarlet lighting up at the compliment.

“You know whenever you say nice things about me, my heart grows ten times in size?” Scarlet said matter-of-factly. Nina raised an eyebrow as she moved to the oven and removed a large baking tray with foil over the top of it.

“That sounds like you should see a doctor. Are we almost ready to go?”

“I just need to change into my jumper, two seconds,” Brooke said as she left the room. Scarlet turned around in her seat to see Yvie’s outfit. She had on the black ripped jeans that Scarlet loved so much, her usual Docs, and a navy blue jumper with “MERRY CHRISTMAS, YA FILTHY ANIMAL” on it in white writing.

“Of course your favourite Christmas movie is Home Alone,” Scarlet smiled affectionately. Yvie frowned at her.

“I’ve never seen it?”

Scarlet screwed up your face. “Your jumper has a quote from it?”

Yvie looked down at the design. “Oh, does it? I just liked the sentiment, to be honest.”

Scarlet snorted and then began packing up all her makeup. Soon enough, all four of the girls had their potluck items (and their Secret Santa gifts) and were ready to leave, but not before Brooke had proudly shown them all her amazingly tacky jumper which was green and patterned like a Christmas tree, covered in knitted baubles, sparkly silver tinsel-like material, and a full set of in-built battery-operated fairy lights. All the way to Silky’s flat, the girls had many questions for Brooke (“Does the tinsel not itch?” “How do you wash it?” “Is there a possibility that you could go on fire mid-dinner?”) and the endless chatter tided them over until they reached the girls’ stairwell. They had to buzz twice before they were let in, but eventually they reached the front door which was flung open by Plastique, wearing a very on-brand white jumper with “Dear Santa…I can explain!” on the front in sequins.

“Hey guys! Merry Christmaaas!” she cried, hugging them all happily and letting them in. “I’ve been put on door duty. The girls are all having a meltdown in there, it’s like Cutthroat Kitchen and Hell’s Kitchen and Masterchef all rolled into one, if the object of these shows was to kill all the contestants instead of making anything relatively edible.”

“You could say it’s…” Brooke began, pausing dramatically. “…a Kitchen Nightmare.”

Plastique immediately began pushing her back out the door. “Get the fuck out, you’re uninvited.“

“God, imagine having to make an effort for the potluck. Can’t relate,” Yvie shrugged peacefully, holding her offering up in the air smugly. The girls all groaned.

“Frozen fucking peas,” Nina shook her head. “You are the luckiest bitch, I swear to God.”

“Not fast, you’re last, bitch,” Yvie smiled, clearly happy that she had shotgunned the item that took the least amount of effort to make.

The five girls tentatively opened the door to the kitchen, where the air seemed to be slightly cloudy with smoke. The window was wide open and there was so much sound that Scarlet felt she needed ear defenders. From the speakers, the hum of the extractor fan, and the three girls that were working away, there was an impressive wall of noise being created.

“And this Christmaaaaaas will be, a very merry Christmaaaaaas, for me!”

“Silk, can you shut the fuck up for a second? I need to check my veg!”

“Oh yeah, that’s right, sorry Vanj, I forgot you need to be able to hear to check on a fuckin’ roasting tray!”

“Somethin’s burning, I’m tellin’ y’all.”

“If it’s my stuff you know I’ll kill you all, right?” Plastique piped up, the three girls turning around and instantly lighting up when they saw their friends. Vanessa immediately rushed forward to Brooke, the taller girl greeting her with a “Hey, gorgeous” and a kiss. Scarlet and Yvie were both hugged at once by Akeria, and Silky and Nina seemed to be making a good effort to crush each other to death. Scarlet noticed each of their Christmas jumpers and thought they were all very fitting: Vanessa’s was red and had two gold baubles on its front which were very strategically placed, Akeria’s was almost identical to Nina’s except hers said “TWERKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”, and Silky’s was blue with “Hoe Hoe Hoe” written in cursive silver glitter.

“Ladies, welcome to the Michelin-starred Antigua Road kitchen,” Akeria said with a flourish, Scarlet having to hold back a laugh at her optimism.

“Y’know, I never understood why they named that after an Eastenders character,” Silky pondered aloud, Nina instantly howling with laughter and swatting at her.

“You dumb bitch! Phil fucking Mitchell?!”

The kitchen promptly erupted with laughter, Scarlet having to cling to Akeria she was giggling so much.

“Nah, bitch, they named it after that tyre man. You know, Michelin?” Vanessa piped up, everyone promptly losing their shit again. The girl looked put out and pouted up at Brooke. “What the fuck you hoes laughing for?! That’s what it is!”

“I don’t think they named a restaurant rating system after a tyre company, Vanj,” Brooke smiled down at her affectionately. Clearly seeing she was looking dejected, Brooke gave her waist a squeeze and kissed her on the cheek. Vanessa seemed to cheer up after that and began enthusiastically beckoning them all through to Akeria’s room. Scarlet was impressed by what was there. The girls had moved their dining table through to the biggest room in the flat and had managed to combine enough kitchen chairs, stools and wheely desk chairs to create a table that could fit all seven of them. Each place had been set with plates, cutlery and wine glasses with a small paper napkin propped up on each plate and a cracker at one side, and there was a huge space in the middle of the table to hold all the food.

“I spent way too long on this, but I’m proud of it,” Vanessa smiled happily, the girls all congratulating her.

“This looks amazing! Well done, boo,” Brooke smiled, kissing her on the cheek again. Scarlet watched as Vanjie’s face lit up. With a small dip to her heart, she remembered Nina’s words from earlier. She really hoped that Vanessa and Brooke were on the same page about their relationship.

Everyone began to put their food out on the table, except Scarlet who decided to save her roulade for later on. Brooke set out her sauces and Nina took the foil off her carrots with a flourish, the smell of roast garlic instantly wafting through the room. It took Yvie mere minutes to get her peas ready and she carried them through from the kitchen in a jug, Plastique following her with some delicious-looking pigs in blankets and stuffing balls, each with a shiny, sticky glaze.

“Oh my Christ, Plastique, they look incredible,” Nina practically drooled. “Did you make them?”

Plastique snorted. “Jesus, no. M&S.”

“God, Plastique, I know you’re fucking rich but there was no need to bankrupt yourself,” Brooke rolled her eyes. Yvie smirked and joined in.

“How much did that cost you? Eighty pounds?”

“Is that stuffing made from gold leaf?” Nina quipped.

“I’ll stuff you in a second! Do you want to eat them or not?” Plastique bit back, a warning glare in her eyes that made the girls pipe down. In the silence, Scarlet found herself sniffing the air.

“Something’s definitely burning in there,” she frowned, as Akeria came through with a bowl of Brussels sprouts and set them on the table.

“I keep trying to tell those two, but they won’t listen to me,” she nodded, looking happily at the food in front of her.

“Why did you even bother with sprouts?” Yvie screwed up her nose. Scarlet swatted at her.

“Hey! I’ll eat them! I like sprouts.”

“Ugh, don’t. I have to share a bed with you tonight. Has anyone got a fucking gas mask?”

The girls burst out laughing as Scarlet rolled her eyes and thumped Yvie, before the other girl pulled her in for a hug. They were interrupted by Nina’s surprised voice, the girl looking at her phone intently.

"Oh shit. Vanjie, you were right. It is named after the tyre company.”

“Suck my ENTIRE dick, hoes!” she yelled excitedly before running through to the kitchen to continue gloating, Brooke groaning at having been proved wrong. Akeria rolled her eyes and motioned at the chairs.

“Ladies, sit! It won’t be long.”

Sure enough, as everyone had taken their seats, Vanjie and Silky brought their food through from the kitchen. Vanjie looked pleased as she put two bottles of wine and a tray of roast potatoes and parsnips on the table, then sat down. Brooke whispered something into her ear, presumably more praise by the way Vanessa smiled. Silky didn’t look as pleased.

“So…the bad news is…”

“The turkey looks like a fuckin’ dementor?” Akeria piped up, laughter exploding around the table. Silky narrowed her eyes at her flatmate.

“…the turkey is burnt…” Silky finished. “The good news is I ordered a fourteen piece bargain bucket and it’ll be here soon.”

“That’s chicken?” Plastique screwed up her face, confused. Silky rolled her eyes as she sat down.

“It’s a fuckin’ bird, alright!”

“Well, I ain’t had cranberry sauce and fried chicken before, but there’s always a first for everything,” Vanessa shrugged, casting a hand across the table. “Okay, ladies, start!”

Even though there wasn’t any turkey, it was still an amazing meal. Everyone’s food tasted delicious and when the KFC arrived, most of the girls were open to trying it as part of their Christmas dinner (except Plastique, who put hers on a sideplate and ate it separately). They pulled their crackers and got Brooke to read out all the shit jokes (“She’s queen of shit jokes!”) and all ended up with flimsy paper crowns on their heads. In between eating they all talked about how their exams had gone. Nina seemed the most nervous about her essays as she, out of everyone in their group, was the one who was the most desperate for a first, with Akeria a close second. Silky was her classic blasé self, confident she would get the marks she wanted, although as Scarlet watched the worried look that passed between Akeria and Vanjie she wasn’t so sure. Eventually everyone’s plates were empty and Yvie, Brooke and Plastique took them through to the kitchen and washed up as Scarlet set out her dessert. Soon enough, everyone was munching away and Scarlet felt she was about to burst with everyone’s compliments about how incredible and tasty it was.

“Okay, guys,” Plastique said through a mouthful of roulade. “Can we please do the Secret Santa now? Please please please?”

“Oh my God YES!” Vanjie grinned, thumping the table and sending her fork flying. “Let’s go, I want my present!”

“Alright, bitches, calm down! Okay, I’ll start,” Yvie said, reaching behind her and into her bag and pulling out a small gift bag. “I had…Miss Akeria.”

Akeria gave a yelp of delight and reached her hands across the table for her present, mouthing a thanks to Yvie. Peering inside the bag, she abruptly closed it and doubled over laughing, tears squeezing out the corners of her eyes.

“What is it?!” Scarlet asked, looking from Yvie to Akeria expectantly. Yvie attempted to explain, but she was too busy killing herself laughing like the other girl. Still howling, Akeria pulled out three things from the bag- a white ashtray with “BUTTS” written in the centre, a small plush donkey, and a pink silk eye mask which said “Booty Sleep”. As the room began to register the link, everyone began hooting with laughter at the ass-themed gifts.

“Jesus Christ, Yves, that is so perfect,” Scarlet shook her head as she clutched at her stomach.

“Oh my God, thank you, Yvie. It’s amazing,” Akeria wiped the final tears of laughter from her eyes and took a big deep breath. “Okay, mine isn’t nearly as good as that. But I got my good old flatmate…Vanessa Vanjie Mateo.”

Vanessa showed more excitement than an infant on Christmas Day as she opened her present and found a huge stack of DVDs tied with a red bow. As she leafed through it, her smile grew.

“I know that we got Netflix and that,” Akeria explained to her, looking the closest to shy that Scarlet had ever seen her look as long as she’d known her. “But I thought it might be cute.”

“Kiki…” Vanessa smiled up at her then trailed off, as she explained to the others. “These are all my favourite movies that we all watch together all the time…She’s The Man…The Proposal…10 Things I Hate About You-”

“Yeah, they’re pretty much all rom-coms,” Akeria cut in, getting another laugh from the girls. Vanessa got up and hugged her flatmate, thanking her and fussing over her until Plastique started clamouring for more present-giving.

“Alright, ya filthy whores!” Vanessa exclaimed, producing a haphazardly-wrapped present from under her seat. “I got Yvie’s bitch a.k.a…Scarlet!”

Scarlet found her face lighting up in surprise. She’d had no idea as to who had got her, but she was glad it was Vanjie. Thanking her, she reached over to take the present and opened it excitedly. Inside was a shiny silver photo frame with crystals outlining its edge, and in the frame was a selfie that featured all seven of them from a night out they’d had months ago. Scarlet recognised it because it was her cover photo on Facebook. She loved it because they all looked so happy together, and it had been taken on one of those nights out where everything just went right, and so many hilarious things seemed to happen, and there was no drama at all. Scarlet looked up at Vanessa who was smiling happily. She knew Scarlet loved it.

“Vanjie this is so cute, what the hell!” Scarlet exclaimed, turning the frame around to show the girls. The room was filled with “aaw”s, until Brooke frowned and squinted at the frame.

“What does it say?” she asked, Scarlet turning the picture over, confused until she spotted the small engraved quote at the bottom. Scarlet felt as if she would cry as she read it out.

“Best friends forever, never apart, maybe in distance but never at heart,” she smiled, getting up and squeezing Vanessa in a hug. “Vanjie, it’s adorable. Thank you so much.”

Vanessa blushed as Scarlet pulled away. “Stop bein’ all mushy, bitch, and tell us who you had!”

“Oh, right,” Scarlet said, tucking a bit of her hair behind her ears and reaching down to the gift bag at the floor. “Brooke, this is for you.”

Brooke’s eyebrows shot up as she smiled in surprise and took the bag from Scarlet. Scarlet’s heart thrummed with nerves as Brooke looked in, her eyes widened, and she let out a scream.

“Oh my GOD! Scarlet!!” Brooke cried, Scarlet jumping as Brooke hopped out of her seat and immediately sprinted round to Scarlet’s side of the table to give her a hug. She began explaining to the others as she retreated back to her seat to have a proper look in the bag. “She got me all my favourite things from back home…there’s actual maple syrup…oh my God, Swiss Chalet sauce! There’s fucking Ruffles All Dressed in here…oh my Jesus. There’s so many fucking Coffee Crisps! Scarlet, fuck, thank you so much.”

Scarlet could barely stop herself from smiling, happy her gift had had the desired effect. The present-swapping continued. Brooke had Silky and gave her a huge holographic makeup bag with “LESS GUYS, MORE FRIES” on the side, which Silky insisted she would use as a clutch bag when going out. Silky gave her present to Plastique- a set of expensive nail varnishes and a keyring with the entire lyrics to Vroom Vroom by Charli XCX on it in tiny font.

“My fucking anthem, bitch, yaas!” Plastique cried, clearly happy with her gift.

Plastique gave Nina a hand-stitched hessian carrier bag with “Miss West” on the side in red sequins, which Nina was very excited to use for all her marking. The final present to be gifted was from Nina to Yvie, who got given a little alarm clock in the shape of a headstone which played “Spooky Scary Skeletons” as its alarm sound.

“I was just fucking sick of hearing that iPhone alarm going off for minutes on end every morning, so this’ll be a nice change,” Nina explained, as Yvie laughed and thanked her.

Soon enough, all the wine bottles became empty and the night soon drew to an end. Plastique offered to give Nina a lift to Monet’s flat and the two of them left first, leaving the three hosts, Brooke, Yvie and Scarlet. Brooke was slightly slumped in her seat from the effort it was taking her to tuck her head into the crook of Vanjie’s neck, who turned and kissed her on the forehead.

“You sleepy, baby?” she muttered, Brooke nodding lethargically. The two of them concluded that Brooke would stay the night with Vanessa and so Scarlet gathered her things, thanked the girls for a lovely evening, and left arm-in-arm with Yvie.

It was a cold night, but Scarlet couldn’t really feel it as much after the few glasses of wine she’d drank. They both, however, had to watch for the small patches of black ice that had formed after the drizzle of the day had frozen up on the ground, and Scarlet’s heart gave a swell every time she gave a small skid and Yvie clung to her protectively. The night was pitch black and magic, and each yellow streetlamp cast a spotlight on the pavement for the love story that she and Yvie seemed to be living out. It was deeply surreal.

Scarlet looked up to the sky, smiling as she saw a few stars despite the endless amount of light the city produced. Looking at Yvie and watching her concentrating deeply as she navigated the icy pavement, Scarlet found herself smiling in spite of herself.

“She’s the brightest star I’ve ever seen…it’s like I’m living in some kind of dream…”

Yvie gave a chuckle as she turned to face Scarlet. “Oh, Jesus, not you too. We’ve only just managed to free ourselves of Nina and she’s basically a Michael Buble in training.”

Scarlet gave a soft laugh and slipped her hand down from the crook of Yvie’s elbow and into her hand. She gave a sigh, suddenly sad.

“I’m going to miss you when I go home, you know.”

There was a small, melancholy pause in the silence that followed. Yvie eventually gave a matching sigh and squeezed Scarlet’s hand. “I’m going to miss you too, baby.”

“It’s only a month or something, though. We can still skype,” Scarlet added optimistically, trying not to worry about how the distance between their family homes would affect their still very new relationship. There was another small silence where Scarlet tipped her head back up to the sky. “Why do I feel overcome with hope and joy- shit!”

Scarlet suddenly found herself hitting the ground, pulling Yvie down with her onto the ice. She gave a splutter, Yvie sitting up on the ground and beginning to let out her deep, Disney-villan chuckle that Scarlet loved so much. Scarlet laughed so hard her stomach muscles could barely support her endeavour to sit up but eventually she managed it, sitting on the icy pavement and laughing with her girlfriend like a lunatic. Suddenly, Yvie said something, her face growing instantly serious.

“What?” Scarlet asked, her smile dropping off her face.

Yvie swept the hair back from her face with a nervous hand. “Fuck…remember how we used to say I love you to each other?”

Scarlet’s stomach gave a plummet, almost as if she was hurtling down a rollercoaster with ten consecutive loops in front of her. “Yeah?”

“Well…can we start doing that again? I know it’s different now we’re properly together, and I’m not saying I’m falling for you yet or anything intense like that, but I could see that happening. I do love you though, so fucking much. And sometimes…fuck, I don’t know. I just want to tell you.”

Scarlet could barely wipe the smile off her face. She wasn’t going to let Yvie in on what she was really thinking- that she’d begun to fall for Yvie a small while ago and it wouldn’t be long before she would be able to admit to herself that she was completely in love with her- because it could wait for now. For now, she had her beautiful girlfriend with her curls framing her ridiculously gorgeous face and her eyes full of hope, and a sky full of stars.

“Well I love you too,” Scarlet smiled back, her pulse giving a jolt as Yvie’s smile grew wider. “Not much has changed on that front.”

Scarlet leaned in and gave Yvie a soft kiss, her lips warm even though the air was freezing. It wasn’t the I-love-you moment, but it was pretty perfect. As Yvie pulled away, she stood up, dusted herself off, and offered Scarlet her hands.

“Come on, dumbass,” she smiled bashfully, Scarlet allowing herself to be pulled up. “Let’s get back before our tits turn into snowballs.”

#rpdr fanfiction #branjie #scyvie #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #yvie oddly #scarlet envy #lesbian au #college au #university au #nina west #akeria davenport #silky nutmeg ganache #plastique tiara #not nineteen forever #ortega #n19f #s11 #background ninex

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girls-scenarios · 6 years ago

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Girl Group Fic Rec

A/N: Because I feel bad that I’m not going to be posting much this week. Please enjoy these fics while I suffer through the last week of classes and four major papers. - Admin Kiwi

Twice

Bedside Manner - Nayeon/Jeongyeon - T - Jeongyeon ends up breaking the record for most visits to the hospital in a month. She claims she's doing it for the challenge, but her friends are pretty sure it has more to do with a certain nurse she keeps running into.

Actions Speak Louder - Nayeon/Jeongyeon - T - Fate normally sounds romantic, but Nayeon is beginning to think that it's a curse in the form of this damned mystery girl in her class. College!AU

in the mood for love - Chaeyoung/Tzuyu - Chaeyoung often laughed as if nobody were watching, and Tzuyu now understood when Teresa Teng sang of smiles being comparable to flowers blooming on a sweet, Spring day.

louder - Nayeon/Jeongyeon - jeongyeon marvelled at the way nayeon made her feel like everything was alright with the world.and even if it wasn’t, that’s fine too. because they could take on the world someday, so long as they were in this together. (based on jeongyeon's part-time job at the bakery that she had while she was a trainee.)

get off free. - Nayeon/Momo, Mina/Sana - M - placing the bloodied knife down onto the oak table, nayeon blinks once, taking a deep breath in. well, fuck. serial killer au.

The Great Fog of 1893 - Jihyo/Tzuyu - T/M(?) - Vampire!AU - The last dairy entries of Miss Park Jihyo, regarding the events leading up to her disappearance, in 1893.

points and theories - Chaeyoung/Tzuyu - G - chaeyoung loves math, and, although tzuyu doesn’t always understand, chaeyoung finds a way to make it simple

sugar, we’re going down - Tzuyu/Jihyo, Nayeon/Jeongyeon, Dahyun/Chaeyoung, Momo/Sana - M - "look!" nayeon's mouth is right at her ear. tzuyu doesn't even need to back away, because the volume's just right. "the purple-haired one, right at the front. apparently she's part veela."

Afterglow - Mina/Chaeyoung, Nayeon/Momo, Sana/Dahyun, Jihyo/Tzuyu - T -Twice/X-Men AU. After discovering she has the power of hypnosis, Mina is sent off by her parents to a hidden school for the gifted in Korea where she will be safe from anyone attempting to harness her powers as a weapon. There, Mina befriends eight other girls, each with extraordinary powers of their own, that will help her to come to terms with being a mutant, as well as help her learn to control her powers, which can be detrimental, even deadly, to those around her.

Another Pretty Face - Nayeon/Mina - G - Nayeon’s used to imagining herself in healthy relationships with beautiful strangers she sees on the streets. Mina’s an interesting character who keeps showing up in her life from time to time.

Nightswimming - Nayeon/Jeongyeon - T - Nayeon is first. She's the best. She's always the best. Until she's fourth. 2yeon swimming AU; in which Nayeon is the star of the college swim team and Jeongyeon is her roommate.

Compliment - Momo/Sana - G - Three times Momo complimented Sana thinking she didn’t know japanese and the one time Sana returned the compliment

Game - Nayeon/Jeongyeon, Sana/Dahyun, Momo/Mina - T - It's finally Jeongyeon's year. She's finally the starting pitcher and she's got this. At least she thinks she does. But the opposing team's head cheerleader, Im Nayeon has different plans.

A guide to handling the girl who makes you write Batman on her coffee cup. - Jihyo/Momo - G - In which Jihyo is a barista and Momo has way too much fun coming up with weird names.

Green Tea - Jeongyeon/Sana - G - Jeongyeon needs to focus on her essay for class buts it’s pretty hard when her crush is looking sad and ill in the next room. Jeongyeon can’t act on it they’re unwritten rules about falling in love with your housemates. Right?

LOONA

On That Day, I Wished It Would Blossom in the Sun - Kim Lip/JinSoul - T - In which Jungeun is the local florist and Jinsoul is the tattoo artist down the road whose smile renders Jungeun speechless, leaves her desperately searching for wherever the air in her lungs went. She thinks Jinsoul took it with her.

the coloring book - Yves/Chuu - G - sooyong was never good with children, and although she loves her niece yeojin, she wasn't particularly happy to pick her up from kindergarten. little did she know she'd meet someone really, really special there.

Drowning In You - Kim Lip/JinSoul - lifeguard jungeun saves popular girl Jinsoul from drowning. feelings may or may not have ensued.

Goal - Hyunjin/Choerry (rare pairing!) - G - Friend asked for Hyunrry AU, and this is what happened. Soccer! and Highschool!AU

Wake Up Call (It's Like Holding Hands) - Hyunjin/Heejin, background Haseul/Vivi, Yves/Chuu, Kim Lip/Jinsoul, Olivia Hye/Go Won - G - “Happy Halloween, hoes,” is the first thing Yeojin says at exactly twelve midnight, before dumping a box of spiders onto Chaewon’s head. Or, Hyunjin is in love with Heejin. Yeojin tries to "help". Just another day in the LOONA dorm.

if you were also looking for me - Yves/Chuu (and background ships) - T - The annual talent show auditions are being managed by none other than Jiwoo's mortal enemy, it's snowing in September, and Jiwoo may or may not have vague magical powers. But hey, it's junior year: anything may as well happen, right? Featuring: teenage angst, social media, bathroom graffiti, magic-induced fainting, unhealthy amounts of obliviousness, truly awful pickup lines (courtesy of one Heejin Jeon), and the worst recorded snowstorm in history.

But My Heart is Like Paper (You're Too Good To Be True) - Go Won/Olivia Hye - Hyejoo looks at the little paper crane, spies the telltale pencil markings on its wings from where she had written her algebra work down before folding it. Gingerly, she picks it up, smiles to herself as she pinches its neck and tail, pushing and pulling, watching the paper crane’s wings go up and down. A light bulb flickers on in her head .Or, Hyejoo just wants to brighten Chaewon's week, so she folds her origami every day and hopes it's enough to bring a smile. Highschool!AU

Truth//Dare - All popular ships - G - All Jung Jinsol wants to do is take the train home after school. But when it breaks down, leaving her and 11 other girls stuck in a compartment, what's a girl to do but play a few rounds of Truth or Dare?

stole my napkins and my heart - Haseul/Vivi - G - Haseul wonders what exactly it is about the napkins at the cafe she works at that makes them worth stealing, and wonders what exactly to call the little leap her heart does when she sees the napkin thief.

Gonna fly now - Go Won/Olivia Hye - G - Truthfully, the boxing club had been their very last hope. Hyejoo had tried everything from football to swimming along with a impressive number of martial arts but after each she’d shrugged her shoulders and said she didn’t felt like playing it again and her parents had sighed and said let’s try something else then. But then Hyejoo enters the boxing club and while her parents starts chatting with the coach her sight immediately settles on the tiny girl with the long black hair who’s hitting a punching bag in a corner of the room like she wants it dead. She can’t seem to be able to stop watching.

tempting - Haseul/Vivi - T - Vivi hated this part of her job. Angel/Devil Au

what stays below, what flies above - Haseul/Vivi - Story behind Queen Vivian's favorite painting.

you make loving fun - Haseul/Vivi - G - Kahei desperately needs a date take to her parents’ company event so they won’t set her up with another “appropriate suitor”. Of course, she does what everyone in their right mind would do—she talks her long-time crush into being her fake girlfriend for the weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

cheating - Haseul/JinSoul - T - Soulmate AU where whatever your soulmate writes on their skin, it appears on yours too. And Haseul's soulmate loves to cheat on her exams.

there's sunshine in your smile - Chuu/Kim Lip - G - “She has the hots for Kim Jiwoo. Ran out midway to get her flowers and everything,” Sooyoung reports, flinching when Jungeun glares at her and raises her fist. Haseul has to step in between them to break up the impending fight. With Sooyoung cackling this much, it wouldn’t be long before Jungeun actually punched her anyway. Or: Jiwoo sings like an angel, and Jungeun runs out mid-concert to get flowers for the girl who moved her with just her voice.

steal my heart, too - Kim Lip/JinSoul - G - At first, Jinsol isn’t quite sure what to think as she watches a chubby Shiba Inu walk into her small pet store via the motion detector door because… well, the dog’s owner is nowhere to be seen. Jinsol just stares as the tiny dog struts up to one of the shelves, taking hold of a small bag of treats in its mouth. Amused, Jinsol just keeps watching as the dog walks out of the store. Wait, Jinsol thinks, I’ve just been shoplifted by a dog.

santa baby - Olivia Hye/? - G - it’s not until the fourth time that hyejoo gets suspicious. or,on the first day of december hyejoo finds a small present packed neatly on her desk. and the gifts keep on coming.

Red Velvet

Debugging - Irene/Seulgi - T - Irene is a game developer struggling to analyze what everything meant. Seulgi is a barista who thought she knew it all. Very loosely based on the web drama Game Development Girls.

Let’s Fall In Love For The Night - Irene/Wendy - T - Wendy catches the eye of a certain senior after a performance and a fall.

parties, smiles, and ice cream - Irene/Wheein (Mamamoo) - irene finds herself interested in a girl who owns a sketchbook, likes oversized sweaters, and doesn't mind strawberries at a not so interesting party.

a game is better when played by two - Irene/Seulgi - G - Kang Seulgi always sits beside the same girl on the bus ride home. Or where in Seulgi and Irene are two grown ass women who are passionate about playing mobile games.

Inside This Place is Warm - Irene/Seulgi - G - Irene is a barista at her university's coffee shop, and she just so happens to be the object of someone's affection. The only problem is that no one is quite sure who that "someone" is. This is where Seulgi and her friends come in. Or, in which Irene's a senior in college and she loses her mind over her beautiful neighbor, who she talks to far too often for it to be healthy.

IZ*ONE

it was such a sight, but it was just fluorescent high rises - Chaewon/Minjoo - G - minjoo discovers something about chaewon she shouldn't haveor in which it took her quite the time to get used in seeing her smile. highschool!au

of spells and potions - Chaewon/Minjoo, Yujin/Wonyoung - G - In-progress - Everybody in Hogwarts thinks the same of Yujin, Minju and Chaewon.They want to be friends with Yujin, want to date Minju, and want to never cross paths with Chaewon. /aka that hogwarts au no one asked for

Just Who the Hell Do You Think I Am? - Yena/Hyewon - G - Hyewon starts to regret so much about her life when her tinder date gets bundled into the back of a police car before she sets foot inside the restaurant.

Flavour of the Month - Hitomi/Nayoung (Produce 48/Banana Culture) - G - Nayoung suffers a heartbreak and someone makes her heart race

i told you so - Eunbi/Hyewon, side Chaeyeon/Sakura - T - “Why are you guys arguing over the last condom if you’re both lesbians?” Yena asks. Eunbi and Hyewon both go beet red, avoiding eye contact. “Well, I mean, it’s always good to be safe,” Eunbi tries, but a lightbulb goes off in Yena’s head and she says “ohhhhh,” very loudly, wiggling her eyebrows. “I don’t get it,” Chaewon says. Eunbi thinks she might die of embarrassment. Or, Hyewon is a figure skater and Eunbi is an ice hockey player. They meet at the Winter Olympics in a rather unconventional way, but it turns out alright.

Stay Right There - Eunbi/Hyewon - Eunbi could only wish to be as carefree as Hyewon, instead of being the next CEO of Kwon Enterprises.

Mornings - Hitomi/Chaewon - Hitomi would always sneak up to the other dorm just to cuddle with Chaewon after their schedules.

Sweeter Than Fiction - Yena/Yuri - In-progress - Right in the moment Yuri met Choi Yena in that chat room, she knew the girl was gonna be someone important in her life or, Yuri being absolutely whipped by Yena since the first time they talked to each other and her rollercoaster ride going through feelings while being a broke college student with lots of responsibilities

Zone Wars - G - IZ*ONE's gamer line plays games to mixed results. Sakura taunts, Hyewon wins, Yena complains, and Minju just wants to be included.

BlackPink

And Fall - Jisoo/Lisa - G - Her eyes, behind the lenses catching the veiled sunlight that must be blinding her, are so unguarded, glittering like quick little honey droplets. A gentle, thoughtless smile remains on her lips, even in the absence of an answer. It was hard enough resisting sweet underclassman Lisa, with her bleach-damaged hair and limbs far too long, movements far too sharp, for her body. But this? A gorgeously content Lisa, grown into herself and oblivious of the effect she has on the world, smiling at Jisoo so tenderly it must be a crime? Damn near impossible.

From every Sunday evening to every Sunday night - Jennie/Lisa - G - Lisa wants Jennie to know the way she feels about her, so she writes her a note every day of the week.

CLC

Pumpkin spice with an undecent ammount of cream - Sorn/Seunghee - G - Seasons were only the background for companies to ask for money: “hey! Do you want to be like that girl, long curly hair, perfect make up, that is looking through the window as autumn settles in? Then come buy here! Everything is orange, red, maroon and brown and it tastes like pumpkin!” Seasons could suck Sorn’s toe for all they were worth. “And what would you like today?” “A pumpkin spice latte, please.” Or where Sorn has this big crush on a barista.

like a cat - Yujin/Yeeun - G - Yeeun is a very, very tired college student. She doesn't believe her eyes when she sees a large cat dancing in the middle of a shopping centre. She didn't even know cats could dance. Yujin works at a cat cafe and sometimes has to wear a cat costume to advertise the cafe at the mall. One day, a very tired and loud girl stops to watch Yujin dance.

late groceries - Elkie/Sorn - G - sure it was too late for that, but still, they really needed their groceries. it was Urgent.

unexpected - Yujin/Yeeun - G - yeeun entered the building waiting for a job, and left with a soulmate.

Dancing with our hands tied - Sorn/Yeeun - T - A bet, an unforgettable night, and a really regretful Yeeun.

Weki Meki

trying to find an island in the flood - Doyeon/Yoojung - G - It is not the first time Yoojung has climbed into Doyeon’s bed, but it feels different, when Yoojung sticks her feet under the warmth of the blankets and Doyeon’s arms wrap around her almost instantly. “Sometimes,” Doyeon begins, absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind Yoojung’s ear, “I feel like I’ve already met my soulmate. But other times, I’m not sure, you know?” Something twists uncomfortably in Yoojung’s stomach and she swallows.

it's my favorite business interaction - Rina/Lucy - "Doyeon unnie, as much as I appreciate this, I'm seventeen. When am I going to need this?" "Interviews," Doyeon says offhandedly. "What… kind of interviews…?" "Like your date with Hyojung," Yoojung helpfully supplies. "That's sort of an interview." "Who said I was going on a date with Hyojung?"

Win Again - Doyeon/Somi (i.o.i, soloist) - G - High school heartthrob Jeon Somi's taekwondo team gets a budget cut for the cheerleading team's new uniforms. She has mixed feelings about their future captain, Kim Doyeon.

ten reasons why - Lua/Rina - G - Soeun lists down ten reasons why she hates Sookyung.

fromis_9

the dazzling you, the angelic you - Saerom/Gyuri - G - Beautiful, breathtaking, alluring. That’s what Saerom was. And Gyuri couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off of her, ever.

despacito - Seoyeon/Jiwon - G - it’s this moment, seoyeon thinks, that her idol training has been preparing her for. that is, singing an extremely romantic song in front of the girl who you’ve liked for several months, who also happens to look extremely attractive right now.

the sun was in my eyes (the sun was in her smile) - M - Saerom/Gyuri, Saerom/Hayoung "So, how did you and Gyuri meet?" Hayoung asks.Saerom should be more prepared than this. She has an email in her outbox sent to [email protected] with the subject line important backstory details for a reason. "Through Chaeyoung, the intern?" "Well, you guys look cute together," Hayoung says, giving Saerom an enthusiastic nod. (a buzzfeed AU)

Finding Solace - Saerom/Gyuri - G - Forest sprite Gyuri keeps finding a girl going back to the forest.

Pristin

all my nights taste like gold - Eunwoo/Rena - G - yaebin looked around quickly, but no one was looking at them. "you shouldn't call me that. if they hear you--" "you're always gonna be kang yaebin to me, dummy," eunwoo interrupted. "if they don't like it they can answer to me.”yaebin felt a rush of warmth in her chest, like she was comfortable in her own skin for the first time in years. she had almost forgotten that eunwoo always made her feel that way.

I'm Your Girl ? - Rena/Roa - T “Do you want to know what’s on my mind right now then?” Minkyung asked slowly. Yebin looked back at her and nodded. “It’s you. It’s almost always you,”

falling, falling, falling (for you, you, you) - Kyulkyung/Eunwoo - it's like everything in jieqiong's life shifts into place, while also simultaneously crumbles, within five seconds.

Another Halloween - Yuha/Eunwoo - G - Kyungwon and Eunwoo spend their Halloween together, like always

WJSN

of course the snake would hate the lion - Luda/Eunseo - T - son juyeon, a muggleborn, was incompatible with lee luda, a girl that grew up with her parents telling her that muggles were inferior than them. when she sees herself being target of juyeon's jokes and attention, she thinks she's in hell. she really hates the younger girl, she's pretty sure of that, but when juyeon's get involved in a quidditch accident, luda started to care more than the normal about the other's well being.

Dreamcatcher

Summer Dream - Yoohyeon/Dami - T - Ever since she was little, Yoohyeon has spent her summers lazing away at the country club pool. Funny enough, despite spending so much time there, she never learned to swim. This summer there’s a hot new lifeguard in town who Yoohyeon is helplessly crushing on. When Yoohyeon’s genius of a best friend flings her in the pool in order to try and catch her crush’s attention, another girl ends up saving her from drowning and stealing her heart in the process…

close to you - Yoohyeon/Siyeon, SuA/JiU - T - Kim Yoohyeon has two goals for this school year: to get the solo at the school concert and to enjoy her life alone in her new apartment. Both of these goals are crossed by Lee Siyeon, Yoohyeon's biggest rival since middle school, when unfortunate circumstances lead to them having to share more than just their passion for singing...

A Date in Stilettos - Yoohyeon/Dami, SuA/Siyeon - Blind dates aren't supposed to be amazing.

Traffic Duty - Yoohyeon/Dami - T - Officer Lee Yoobin has the most boring shift ever, or she thinks she does.

One Of The Nightmares - Handong/Yoohyeon - T - Yoohyeon often has nightmares while sleeping and while awake. Handong is always there to bring her back from them.

half my bones - JiU/Siyeon - T - when siyeon wakes up, she finds herself in a garden of lilies. Hanahaki Disease.

i want it, i got it - Yoohyeon/Dami - E - Yoobin has quite a few feelings about Yoohyeon's outfit from the performance of 7 Rings.

#girl group fic rec #kpop fic rec #twice #loona #red velvet #blackpink #clc #iz*one #long post #fromis_9 #weki meki #dreamcatcher

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missjanjie · 5 years ago

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You, Me, and New Orleans | Branjie Oneshot

Title: You, Me, and New Orleans Summary: Vanessa and Brooke Lynn are vacationing in New Orleans during the annual Mardi Gras celebration. After a drink or two, Brooke discovers a new kink in her girlfriend and decides to run with it. (aka gratuitous exhibitionist smut) Word Count: ~1.7k Relationship: Branjie (Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo) Rating: E

Read on AO3

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“Look, it’s almost as tall as you are!” Brooke Lynn giggled as she held the large, blended drink against her girlfriend. And to her credit, it was about as long as her whole torso, balanced only by the fact that it was skinnier than her arm.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and sipped through the overly curly straw. “Just means I’ll get drunk faster.

Brooke chuckled and draped her arm over Vanessa’s shoulder as they exited the bar and started down the loud, crowded streets. The city was bright, buzzing with a strong, boozy energy that pumped life and excitement into the surrounding area.

And in true Mardi Gras fashion, there were dozens of people throwing beads to anyone (but mainly women) willing to expose themselves to the crowds. Naturally, it didn’t take long for someone to approach the two of them with beads and an expectant grin.

While Brooke was hesitant – because what makes these crowds worthy of seeing her? – Vanessa felt differently entirely. Before she could interject with her two cents, the brunette had her shirt and bra rolled up to her chin while strings of beads were tossed around her neck.

To be honest, Brooke didn’t know how she expected to react, but it probably wasn’t to feel a pang of arousal shoot through her body, setting goosebumps up along her skin. “Didn’t know you were game for all the festivities,” she remarked, her hand finding Vanessa’s as they kept walking down the street.

Vanessa smirked around the crazy straw and shrugged as she sipped from it. “Ain’t no point in being here if we don’t get into it,” she explained simply as she looked up towards a balcony and made eye contact with the bead-toting partygoers. “Come on, do this one with me,” she nudged Brooke until she got a ‘yes’. Bouncing on her heels in anticipation, she counted down from three and they exposed themselves in tandem, letting the beads shower down on them from above.

“Since when have you been into that sort of thing?” Brooke asked casually as they continued down the path, arm comfortably wrapped around Vanessa’s waist.

Thinking about it, Vanessa wasn’t sure when this became a ‘thing’ for her. She supposed she always liked to tease, to flirt. There were times where she’d ‘forget’ to wear underwear with a dress or skirt, where she’d tie her bikini top just a drop too loose before jumping into a pool. There was something about showing off when she wasn’t supposed to – getting attention in unconventional ways. “Just an exhibitionist I guess,” she shrugged.

Brooke Lynn looked her over, biting her lip. “Good to know.”

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Back at the hotel, it didn’t take long for things to heat up between the couple. Brooke had Vanessa trapped against the hotel dresser, kissing her fiercely while Vanessa clung to her for dear life. Her hands wandered down her body, resting at the hem of her shirt but stopping short of lifting it up.

Vanessa let out a small, discontented whine. She opened her mouth to complain, only to be surprised into silence when Brooke yanked her by her wrist through the room and out onto the balcony. She was shoved forward, bracing herself by gripping onto the railing, allowing her to look at the street.

Below her, the street was as alive as ever. While not even half as populated as Bourbon Street, there were easily dozens of folks milling about either by foot or car. This didn’t mean much of anything to Vanessa until Brooke came up behind her and all of the sudden, she felt a cool breeze against her body and her girlfriend’s lips on her neck. Her heart sped up, a spark of arousal shooting right to her core.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” Brooke purred as she tossed Vanessa’s shirt and bra aside. “For the whole world to see what a pretty little slut you are?” she struck her thigh with an open palm. “Answer me.”

“Yes, Mommy,” Vanessa exhaled, goosebumps spreading down her arms. It was dark out, leaving their well-lit room visible to anyone that happened to look up in their direction. The thought made her cheeks flush red and she was already craving more. She pushed her body back towards Brooke, grinding her ass against her in an obvious attempt to urge her on.

Brooke let out a soft, dark laugh that sent chills up Vanessa’s spine. “So eager already,” she hummed, sliding her hand forward and down Vanessa’s shorts. She pushed two fingers against her clit, rubbing over the thin fabric of her panties. “Can already feel how wet you are,” she kissed along the shell of her ear.

Vanessa let out a sharp, needy whine, hips pushing forward into Brooke’s touch with a wanton desire for more contact, for more everything. “Please, Mommy,” she begged, breath hitched in her throat.

“Please what?” Brooke’s voice taunted her with how cloyingly sweet it was. Her fingers moved up to trace along the waistband of Vanessa’s panties, occasionally dipping under the fabric, but never quite enough to give in to her request. Her free hand moved up her body, groping and fondling her breasts and pinching her erect nipples.

“Fuck me. Please fuck me, Mommy,” the strain and desperation in Vanessa’s voice became more apparent. Her body trembled in anticipation, only to deflate when Brooke abruptly returned inside the room. “Oh, come on,” she huffed.

Brooke had a wicked smirk on her lips. “Shut up, brat,” she snapped, strutting back outside – now clad in nothing but her strap-on. “You’re gonna be a good girl if you want Mommy’s cock, aren’t you?”

Vanessa had been damn near drooling as she watched Brooke return, leaning with her back against the railing. She hadn’t even known Brooke had packed that – though she supposed there were more surprising things in the world. “Uh huh,” she nodded and stood upright readily.

“That’s what I thought,” Brooke chuckled. “Strip and bend over the railing, babygirl. Spread your legs so Mommy can see that pretty little cunt,” she instructed as she approached her. “Gonna make sure everyone knows what a needy bitch you are.”

And Vanessa was nothing if not obedient. How could she not be when Brooke spoke to her like that? After shedding the lower half of her clothes, she turned, facing the potentially voyeuristic world with eager anticipation with her hands gripping the banister and her legs propped apart.

Brooke licked her lips as she came up behind her, running her fingers down her spine and letting her hand rest on Vanessa’s ass. She spanked her firmly, the sound echoing then and with every following strike, only stopping when her skin took on a cherry-red hue. Then, her hand dipped down, teasing two fingers over her labia, never entering her fully. “Think you’re ready for my cock, babygirl? Ready to put on a show?” she asked as she slowly began scissoring her fingers inside her.

Vanessa could have gotten whiplash from how fervently she nodded. She was quivering in desire, every inch of her body aching for Brooke Lynn to take her. “Yes, fucking ready, please,” she confirmed quickly.

Not a second later, Brooke Lynn granted Vanessa her wish. With one hand on Vanessa’s waist and the other on the strap, she guided it in carefully. She gave her a moment to adjust before holding her waist with both hands and picking up a steady pace in no time. “Don’t hold back, babygirl. Let the whole city know how good Mommy’s cock feels in you.”

And Vanessa knew someone would see them or hear them or both – it was the perfect storm of a busy night and no attempts of hiding it. They were on the fourth floor – far enough up to not be eye-level with passersbys, but still close enough that they wouldn’t have to squint to get a good view. This heightened her experience – everything felt more intense. Her knuckles were nearly white from how tightly she was gripping onto the banister and her voice was getting hoarse from how loudly she moaned. She bucked against Brooke Lynn, trying to fuck herself on the silicone dick in time with her thrusts, only to be pushed up against the banister instead.

“Greedy little slut, aren’t you? Never satisfied with what Mommy gives you,” Brooke clicked her tongue and shook her head. “You’re lucky I’m so generous or I might not let you come,” she mused, slowing almost to a halt to prove her point, then thrusting forward harshly and savoring the sharp yelp it elicited. “That’s what I thought.”

“’M sorry,” Vanessa reluctantly murmured. Then, after a sharp slap to her ass she gave a louder, more convincing “I’m sorry!”

“For what?”

Hesitation. Another slap.

“F-For being greedy!”

Brooke Lynn deemed this sufficient, moving a hand around to rub Vanessa’s clit in tandem with her thrusts. “Good girl.”

Vanessa was relieved at the praise, knowing how close she was to an orgasm. Her toes curled, her chest clenched, her breathing grew more labored. And still she looked back towards Brooke, waiting not-so-patiently for permission. And, with a nod of approval from the blonde, she came with a loud, wanton moan, resting her whole body on the railing by the time she was spent.

It wasn’t until Vanessa had completely finished, barely standing on shaky legs that Brooke Lynn pulled out. She kept an arm looped around her for support before scooping her up and carrying her bridal style into the room and gently laying her down on the bed. She took off the strap before they got under the covers, taking the smaller girl into her arms. “You okay, baby?” she cooed.

Vanessa nodded and looked at her through heavy lids. “Was so good, might not ever wear clothes again,” she warned, a playfulness in her sleepy voice.

“Might not be the worst thing in the world,” Brooke chuckled, kissing Vanessa’s forehead and watching her fall asleep before closing her eyes as well, now utterly satisfied with their vacation.

#branjie #branjie fic #smut #rpdr rpf

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themusicenthusiast · 7 years ago

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The 4th Annual Louder Than Life will Return to Champions Park in Louisville, Kentucky on September 30th & October 1st, feat. Ozzy Osbourne, Prophets Of Rage, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Incubus and a Host of Others

Ozzy Osbourne featuring Zakk Wylde, Prophets of Rage, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie and Incubus top the bill for the fourth annual Louder Than Life destination festival, Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1 at Champions Park in Louisville, KY.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 2 at Noon ET at www.LouderThanLifeFestival.com. Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne — recently reunited with guitarist Zakk Wylde for the first time in over a decade — leads a Saturday bill that includes Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Mastodon, and many more. Prophets of Rage — bringing together the sonic firepower of Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill, with members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, Chuck D, B-Real, and DJ Lord — closes Louder Than Life on Sunday, joined by Incubus, Rise Against, Stone Sour and more. Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, America's premier production company for rock music festivals, Louisville's Louder Than Life features a selection of award-winning bourbons, whiskey, spirits, craft beer, the best food Louisville has to offer, along with a powerful music lineup of rock legends and breaking talent performing on three stages. The festival celebrates the bourbon culture and culinary heritage of this unique American city.

The full 2017 Louder Than Life music lineup also features: Halestorm, Gojira, The Pretty Reckless, In This Moment, Eagles of Death Metal, Thrice, Hollywood Undead, Of Mice & Men, Steel Panther, Falling In Reverse, Sleeping With Sirens, Nothing More, Beartooth, Starset, We Came As Romans, Lacuna Coil, Miss May I, Radkey, Bleeker, While She Sleeps, Greta Van Fleet, Fire From The Gods, '68, Badflower, He Is Legend, Black Map, DED, Through Fire, Palisades, and BITERS. "Prophets of Rage are psyched to bring a brass knuckle Marshall Stack beatdown to the Louder Than Life festival. We are gonna unleash the RAGE, BRING THE NOIZE and TAKE THE POWER BACK so come on down and get some," said Tom Morello of Prophets of Rage. Rob Zombie said, "The Zombie and his horde are ready to throw down and get weird at Louder Than Life. Zombie and Ozzy together again! Dig it! See you in Louisville!" "It's been way too long since we've played Louisville, and we're stoked to be coming back in a big way to join friends Prophets of Rage, Thrice and the rest of the amazing lineup at Louder Than Life," said Tim McIlrath of Rise Against. Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents added, "I'm excited to have Prophets of Rage close out the festival. After seeing them in a small setting in LA, I couldn't wait to get them added to our festivals this fall. Tom, Tim, and Brad from Rage Against The Machine, along with Chuck D and DJ Lord from Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill, playing the hits that made Rage one of the most iconic bands in history is a special thing to see. Adding that along with Ozzy Osbourne, Incubus, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Rise Against, Stone Sour…how could you miss this lineup? And after an incredible run with Gojira this spring I can't wait for them to come to Louder Than Life as well. I'm beyond excited for this year's festival. It's a can't miss experience." Single day and weekend tickets for Louder Than Life will be available at STARTING on Friday, June 2 at Noon EDT. Tickets and VIP packages start at the following prices. Fans are encouraged to buy early and save, as ticket prices will increase in the coming weeks. Weekend General Admission: $99.50 Weekend VIP: $259.50 Single Day GA: $69.50 Single Day VIP: $144.50 A limited number of GA ticket 4-packs and Zippo VIP 2-packs, as well as camping packages, will also be available starting June 2. Discounted online hotel rates will be available through Curadora. General Admission ticket discounts will also be available for active military through Louder Than Life partner GovX. VIP tickets include: VIP entrance lanes into venue; VIP lounge area featuring dedicated bar, beverage and food options; VIP-only viewing area of Main Stage featuring grandstand bleachers; private, upgraded restroom facilities; and VIP-only commemorative laminate. All Louder Than Life camping passes include campsite space for 3 nights as well as access to campground bathrooms, showers, food and beverage concession stands, and a general store. Campers also have in and out privileges between the campground and festival grounds throughout the event. Car (tent) camping passes are $99.00 and RV camping passes are $175.00. Also, Louder Than Life is presenting an official aftershow event with Pierce The Veil on September 30 at Mercury Ballroom (611 S. 4th St., Louisville, KY 40202). Tickets to the aftershow event will be available for purchase starting Friday, June 2 at Noon ET. This is a separate event; a Louder Than Life ticket does not grant entry into this official LTL aftershow event. Here are the preliminary lists of Louder Than Life bourbon, craft beer, spirits and food partners: Bourbon World presented by the Louisville Courier-Journal: Featuring the world's TOP bourbons including Angel's Envy, Basil Hayden's, Benchmark, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Eagle Rare, Evan Williams, Four Roses, Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Maker's Mark, Michter's, Old Forester, Larceny, Town Branch, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve and more!

Whiskey & Other Beverages:

El Jimador Tequila, Jack Daniel's, Monster Energy, Miller Lite, Southern Comfort

Craft Beer (Regional) & Artist Inspired Beverages:

Alltech Lexington, Falls City Beer, Goodwood Brewing Company, Motörhead Shiraz, New Albanian Brewing Company, TROOPER Beer, West Sixth, Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards

Food Village:

Boss Hog BBQ, Cellar Door Chocolates, Doc Crow's, Gelato Gilberto, Gospel Bird, Hebros Kitchen, Hi-Five Doughnuts, Island Noodles, Joelle's Hot Chicken, Mike's Kentucky Kitchen, Merle's Whiskey Kitchen, Momma's BBQ, Pie Baby, Sacrilicious, The Big Cheesy, Tumbleweed (serving Jack Daniel's inspired food items), Up In Smoke BBQ, and many more. Louder Than Life will also feature interactive music, food and beverage experiences including: • Artist autograph signings and beverage sampling at the Monster Energy Hospitality Rig • Jack Daniel's Experience • Zippo Encore Music Experience • FYE Fan Experience • Bourbon World presented by the Louisville Courier-Journal • The Music Experience • It's Miller Time VIP Lounge and Sports Bar • Heavy Tiki • The Big Easy Boil • Rock & Roll BBQ • Love & Fire (open flame cooking) • Dyin 2 Live / Fxck Cancer • and more to be announced in the coming months. Louder Than Life is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, a producer of some of the biggest rock festivals in America, including Rock On The Range, Monster Energy AFTERSHOCK, Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville, Monster Energy Fort Rock, Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, Chicago Open Air, Monster Energy Rock Allegiance, Northern Invasion, Houston Open Air, and more. Sponsors for Louder Than Life include Monster Energy, USMC, Fxck Cancer, FYE with Roadrunner Records, Razor & Tie, Century Media and Another Century, Jack Daniel's, El Jimador, and Zippo, with more to be announced.

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johnismyreason · 6 years ago

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Henry

PART 2

I finally managed to become what I wanted to be. I worked day and night with Janet to pass our exams. And we both got there. We are finally nurses. We were only 12 years old when our fathers went to war. They were not called in 1914 but in 1916 because of their age. They saw their friends a little younger being called. When they were on leave, they returned home wounded, traumatized. Most didn't talk about what was happening at the front, but some did, and when that happened, my father would order me to leave the living room or bar where we were going together. I tried to eavesdrop but they didn't speak loud enough, and my mother chased me away. Before my father left, there was first my brother who was 21 years old in 1914. The perfect age for a patriotic sacrifice. He didn't come back. My mother cried for a straight month. I thought she was going to die of sadness. The day my father went to war two years later, my mother ran after the cart that was taking him away, begging him to come back for ten minutes. She stopped when she tripped over a rock. I lifted her up, brought her home and took care of her until my father came back at the end of the war. Janet's father also returned, but he was no longer the same. The horrors he saw traumatized him to the point where he stopped talking, except in his sleep where he screamed in fear. Janet and I decided to become nurses because we wanted to take care of these soldiers. Today we have succeeded and we are celebrating this victory together, as we have always done.

Janet moved to Birmingham. I don't see why, this town is really not well frequented. She keeps telling me that things are going to change, that more and more bourgeois people are moving in, that it is now time to buy before apartment prices go up. "No way," I replied, "I already have what I need". We spent an entire weekend together, in her new city, going out, drinking, celebrating,... In a week's time we both start working in the new hospital halfway between Birmingham and my home in Sheffield.

"Hurry up, I'll miss my train!" I told her, pressing her. I elbow my way between passengers in the station lobby.

"Y/N, wait! You have 15 minutes left before your train leaves, slow down!" Janet grabs my hand to make me stop. "Here's your purse. Do you have your ticket?" I check in my bag pocket and take out the folded paper.

"There." I show her, relieved. "Well... It's better to say goodbye here, rather than on the platform, you'd be able to get on the train with me."

"I don't do that anymore..." she sighs. She caresses my arms and looks at me with a nostalgic look.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"It's just... Everything's going to change. We won't see each other like we used to, I couldn't take my bike, ride for five minutes and be at your place. Who I'll talk to at night, and..."

"Hey! Everything's gonna be fine, don't worry. We work in the same place together, we'll see each other all day. And then, it's life, things change," I take her hands to calm her down, before hugging her against me. "We'll always be together, I promise." Janet hugged me harder against her chest as a sign of approval. "Janet... you're suffocating me now..."

"Oops, sorry!" she quickly cleared out, giving me my breath back. We laugh before finally saying goodbye. I take my suitcase in one hand, my bag on my shoulder, the new white gloves I just bought to congratulate myself on passing the nurse's exam, and I leave. Janet stays fixed, waiting to stop seeing me to leave. I turn around one last time, wave at him with a big smile, and continue on my way.

People on the dock are pushing me, and I'm trying to get to my car. My suitcase is slowing me down. Why does my car have to be at the end of the line? I struggle, dodge people in my path while trying to find my way around. I stop to ask an agent if my car is the one indicated on my ticket. He tells me that no, it's the opposite. I sigh with frustration. I turn around to get back on my way without wasting any more time, but a man runs into me, dropping my new snow-white gloves in the brownish mud.

"For God's sake..." I bend down to pick them up. The man does the same "They're screwed now..." I look up to scream at the man but my heart stops when I see his face. I hadn't seen him in 4 years, he's changed so much, and yet I would have recognized him among thousands. "Henry?" His eyes open slightly.

"Y/N ? I... What... What are you doing here?" he asks as he gets up, training with him.

"I... um... I came to spend the weekend here with a friend. Janet, do you remember her?"

"Is Janet here too?"

"She lives in Birmingham now."

"Oh I see..." he replied, nodding. We look at each other for a few seconds, not knowing if this scene was real or not. I have a silly smile on my lips that I try to hide in vain. A whistle brings me back to reality.

"Shit... my train will be leaving soon." I quickly pick up my suitcase that I had put on the ground. "I have to hurry, my car is the opposite"

"I'm coming with you."

"Oh... no, don't bother," I replied shyly

"Don't be silly, let me carry your suitcase" I didn't have time to fight back that Henry had my stuff in his hands. He took my hand and guided me through the crowd. His palm is hot against mine. He stepped up, I've never known him like that before. He's changed so much... He was a shy boy, who didn't have many friends and now he's... a man. His hand in mine and the crowd remind me of the night we were at the village ball. He had dragged us into the middle of the piste and we had been dancing all evening. I've never laughed as much as this night. We then spent the night together walking around in nocturnal silence. Henry stopped suddenly and took me out of my memory. "Here we go." He put my suitcase at the foot of the car door and turned towards me.

"Thank you, you didn't have to, you know..." I put a lock of hair that had come off my bun behind my ear.

"I wasn't going to leave you alone with that big suitcase," he smiled at me. "And then... it's good to see you again." I look at him and I feel my pulse increasing, my cheeks blushing. "I'll buy you new gloves, I promise!" he continues.

"Oh no, I'm sure I can wash them. It's nothing."

"No, no, I insist! I'll send them to you by mail. Besides, do you still live with your parents?"

"No, I moved out. Remember that little abandoned house I loved?" He nodded as I climbed the first step of the train, "Well, I bought it. She wasn't worth much considering the state it was in."

"It's true that it was far from being a palace," he laughs. A whistle sounds to say that the train is leaving. He starts slowly at first, I move into the wagon, take my place and put my head through the window. "When will you be back?" Henry asks while walking with the train.

"I don't know yet... Soon I hope so!"

"Okay, I'll wait for you," he said a little louder so that his voice would cover the engine noises. He raises his hand to me so that I can take it and say goodbye. I'm stretching mine and not letting Henry go until he can't follow the train. Our fingers slide over each other to feel each other's skin until the last moment. He smiles at me and stays motionless on the dock until he can no longer see me. I put my head back inside and sit in my place.

Pushed into my seat, I gradually realized what had just happened. Henry. Henry was there, in front of me. I haven't seen him in three years. He disappeared overnight shortly before his 18th birthday. We used to see each other every day since we were 11 years old. Janet, come and spend time with us from time to time, but she never lingered. She didn't like Henry too much, she always thought he was hiding something. While I... I found him hypnotizing. Maybe I should have been suspicious like Janet... I come back to reality and realize that I have already arrived at my station. In a hurry, I get my things back and hurry out of the car before the train leaves. I barely have time to put my first foot on the platform when the train resumes its journey. I breathe relief and giggle alone at my clumsiness.

The station is not very far from my home even if it takes twenty minutes to walk. Fortunately, everyone knows each other in this small village, there is always one with a cart to take me home when I need it. This time, it's a friend of my parents' who offers to help me. I accept without hesitation and put my suitcase in the back before sitting next to him. We have a bit of discussion on the way to avoid embarrassing silences. A few minutes later, he stops in front of my house and takes my suitcase out of the cart. I thank him by promising to say hello to my parents. I painfully drag my suitcase inside and close the door exhaling a breath of fatigue.

Two days have passed since I got back. I can't help but think of Henry... I may try to get him out of my thoughts, but it doesn't matter: I tidied up my house, did the shopping, fixed the hole in one of my shirts, went for a bike ride, even revised my already acquired annual classes for my first day in the hospital next week! Nothing helped me to stop thinking about him. It's 7am, I can't sleep anymore because of him... I get up suddenly, determined to find the thing that will get my full attention. Gardening. I did everything but gardening. These are the last beautiful days before the cold of autumn and winter, so I take this opportunity to arrange the small garden in front of my house. I pick, dig, fill with flowers, pull, cut, arrange,... I'm so focused that I can't hear the postman screaming my name for the fourth time.

"Oi, Y/N !" I jump up and straighten up.

"Oh, sorry..." I said embarrassed

"It's nothing," he snickers, "I have a package in your name."

"Oh, yeah?" I replied confusedly. I never receive a package. I take off my gloves, undo my apron and move towards him. He hands me the package wrapped in brown paper with a string. "Who is it from?" I asked him.

"Oh, Miss Y/N I can't tell you that. I'm just the postman." He gets back on his bike.

"Okay... Thank you, have a good day."

"Good day, miss" and he went back on the road.

I turn the package around to see if there is a note, a name or an address, but apart from my contact details there is nothing. I'm going back inside without further delay to open it. I cut the string with a pair of chisels and tear off the paper. I discover a white box closed with a pale pink ribbon. I make sure my hands are clean by wiping them on my apron. I gently undo the knot of the ribbon and open the box. A note on a paper is placed on the translucent paper.

"Dear Y/N,

This is a little gift to make up for dropping them in the mud. I hope you'll enjoy them.

Come back to me soon,

- Henry"

#michael gray #michael gray imagine #michael gray x Y/N #Peaky Blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders imagine #john shelby #arthur shelby #thomas shelby #animal kingdom #j cody #johnismyreason

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nwbeerguide · 5 years ago

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Little Beast Brewing releases a new core Super Saison and two new Mixed-Culture Cherry sours.

Press Release

announced today that it will release three beers throughout the week--Country Wizard Brett Super Saison, Tree Spirit, and Midnight Riot. The first is Country Wizard, the brewery’s newest core beer, while Tree Spirit is a limited release mixed-culture beer fermented with cherries. The two will release on draft and in 375 mL bottles at the Little Beast Beer Garden in Southeast Portland beginning on Wednesday, June 26 at 5:00pm. Midnight Riot is also a cherry beer and will debut at the fourth annual Kriekfest on Saturday, June 29 at Von Ebert Brewing Glendoveer in NE Portland.

Country Wizard represents Little Beast’s newest addition to their year-round lineup. Labeled a Brett Super Saison, the beer’s 8.5% ABV seems hidden in plain sight. German Pilsner malt, Belgian Munich malt and whole groats are fermented initially with several strains of Saccharomyces. In secondary fermentation, Country Wizard is finished with a proprietary, fruit-forward Brettanomyces strain, giving the beer both a dry finish and complex, juicy stone-fruit flavors.

“We wanted to add a fourth beer to our year round lineup so we went with something quite a bit bigger than our other core beers,” said Little Beast founder and brewmaster, Charles Porter. “Country Wizard has a lot of ‘goodies’ to it—the fruity Brettanomyces character is louder, the body is bigger, the flavors are less subtle, yet the alcohol level is a bit deceiving. We’re very happy to have this beer around at all times moving forward.”

Tree Spirit is one of Little Beast’s most sought after annual release mixed-culture fruit beers. Inspired by Belgium’s famous Kriek beers, Tree Spirit is aged in a foeder for more than six months where it picks up a variety of microflora before being racked onto un-pitted, sour Montmorency cherries from Walkdale Farms in Dayton, Oregon. The beer sits on the cherries for 6 months before being transferred for additional aging. Tree Spirit is dominated with flavors of vanilla, marzipan, and vibrant cherry.

Midnight Riot is a dark, Imperial Bruin-style cherry beer brewed in collaboration with Oproer Brouwerij, a small craft brewery in Portland’s sister-city--Utrecht, Netherlands. Deep amber in color, the beer was brewed with Pilsner malt, wheat malt, oats, melanoidin, and Carafa malts, and was racked onto pitted cherries and aged for six months. The beer was then bottled and kegged and conditioned for six months in the package. The beer is first available to the public for Kriekfest on Saturday, June 29th, and will be available on draft and in limited bottles the next day at the Little Beast Beer Garden in SE Portland.

Beer Releases: Country Wizard, Tree Spirit, and Midnight Riot Country Wizard & Tree Spirit: Wed. June 26th at 5:00pm Midnight Riot: Sun. June 30th Little Beast Brewing Beer Garden, 3412 SE Division St. Portland Join and Share the Facebook Event

###

About Little Beast: Founded by partners in life and work, Charles Porter and Brenda Crow, Little Beast is a family brewery with a passion for making great beer and sharing it with others. We craft wild, wood-aged, and blended beer naturally with diverse cultures, including Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and wild flora. By harnessing the little beasts that ferment our beer, we capture their untamed beauty and produce farmhouse beers that are diverse in flavor and rare in character.

from News - The Northwest Beer Guide http://bit.ly/2RCsnVf

#Beer #News #Brewery

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writefasttalkevenfaster · 7 years ago

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Rafael Barba / The Love Song of R. Barba

Prompt: New Years Eve and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

For @mrsrafaelbarba, this is for you! The New Years fic you’ve all been waiting for and to no one surprise, it’s angstttt. So I hope you all enjoy!! <3

Honestly, Rafael Barba didn’t know why he had bothered to show up. Ringing in the New Years at work wasn’t the most pleasing prospect, but it’s what he ended up doing almost every other year. But this year, he somehow managed to get shanghaied into stepping out of his office, and whisked downstairs to attend this party. He swirled his drink as he gazed around the room, he spotted his coercer, Carmen, speaking to several other legal assistants and attorneys in one corner. She had brought him down here and yet, abandoned him at a moment’s notice. A gathering of individuals he had seen mostly in passing, many of which he was well acquainted, but most of whom he didn’t have the slightest interest in. Of course, he was sure they were good and nice people in their own right, but he couldn’t exactly say the same about himself. He wasn’t sure if he’d be good company for anyone right now. This was his first New Years without his grandmother, after all.

His abuela. He had turned down his mother’s request to visit her gravesite, he just wasn’t ready to face that reality yet. He was such a mess when she passed, he didn’t know how he had managed to get out of bed at all, but life moved on. And so he did too. He managed to messily stitch up those wounds, tucking them underneath his neat three piece suits and high end suspenders. And he just wasn’t quite ready to reopen them. Not yet.

However, the reason Carmen had persuaded him to come down here, seemingly hadn’t arrived, or perhaps you wouldn’t come at all. Maybe you had better plans than a stuffy workplace party in a too small conference room with a barely HD television mounted to one wall. Your arms might as well be wrapped around a stranger’s, in some dimly lit bar or restaurant, or maybe, they were at home, your legs sprawled over their lap, watching the ball drop in perfectly beautiful silence. And here he was, hoping you would pity him with an appearance, maybe some mindless small talk, so he could simply enjoy your presence. And maybe if he managed to get enough liquid courage to sear down his throat, perhaps, at midnight, he could work up the courage to…

He felt a familiar tap on his shoulder, “Merry Christmas,” And he caught Carmen’s eye across the room, as she gave him a sly grin. You were in a simple black dress with sheer leggings, your hair tumbling past your shoulders, several strands tucked behind your ear. “Belated Christmas, that is,”

Rafael felt his lips curve upward at your charming attempt at breaking the ice, “Better late than never,” And you raised an expectant eyebrow. “Oh. Merry Christmas to you too,”

You laughed, before adding, “Better late than never,” Just then there was a loud outbreak of laughter from the people next to you, making the two of you flinch, before he offered you a hesitant smile, before gesturing to two chairs in a more secluded corner of the room.

“Join me?” And with those two simple words, Rafael had managed to do what he wasn’t able to do throughout the year. Ironically, it was not only the anniversary of the Earth’s orbit around the sun, but the first time he was attracted to you. It was New Years’ Eve, a day not too dissimilar to today, except he had walked onto the eerily quiet street, the freshly fallen snow coating the roads, no treadmarks or footsteps to be seen. No, everyone was either in a bar or at home, but surely in front of a television screen about to watch the ball drop in, oh, about a minute now. And he would be greeting the New Year alone, yet again. And he could hear distant cries of Happy New Year from inside the building at the annual New Years Eve Party, and as he stepped onto the street he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Happy New Years,” You smiled, as you stepped down to stand next to him, looking from him to the snow. “Isn’t the snow gorgeous?”

“Yes, it is,” He said slowly, his gaze fixated on your features, and he assumed his face looked akin to five-year-old struggling with a Rubik’s cube, without much success, until you then calmed his fears.

“You don’t know me, don’t worry,” You assured him, “I just saw you out here, and thought I’d join you,” Rafael frowned at your words, unable to piece together your intentions nor your meaning. “No one should spend the first moments of the New Year alone.” You stepped down, seemingly tired of the “gorgeous” sight or his wordless, mediocre company.

But even, he couldn’t stop his question from spilling forth from his lips: “Why?” You stopped in your tracks at the bottom of the stairs to consider his question, before shrugging. “Because no one really deserves that, I think.”

“Rafael?” Your voice cut through his reverie, your gaze slightly concerned, lips caught in a small frown

“Sorry, I just was…thinking,” He shook his head, waving it off,

“As per usual,” You quipped, your frown fading to a teasing smile, “Is there anytime you aren’t thinking?” And Rafael couldn’t help but return your grin with a roll of his eyes.

“Seldom,” He admitted, he had a penchant for overthinking, and the only profession that seemed to credit that was the field of law. “How about you, Y/N, you also seem to have a proclivity for deep thoughts yourself?” He remarked, causing her face to flush ever so beautifully, sipping at the glass of champagne held delicately between her fingers.

“I suppose you could say that,” You mused, as the flush remained settled on your cheekbones, “But I’ve noticed you Rafael, you don’t really talk to many of the people who work with you, not lately,”

He arched a single eyebrow, “I suppose we skipped past casual conversation, and dived right into my psyche,” He set his glass down a nearby table, turning to you as he tried to maneuver around your loaded question. “Can’t you start with my favorite color? A childhood story?”

You seemed to contemplate, crossing your legs, as your eyes sparkled, “What did you want to be when you were a kid?”

He tilted his head, slightly taken aback you let it go so easily, he thought he would have to turn the charm on, at least, a notch or two higher and finagle his way out from under your grip, but you were just full of pleasant surprises, weren’t you? “I wanted to be a writer actually, but law always remained in the back of my mind,”

“What moved it to the forefront?” And he gave a melancholic smile at the thought. The one topic he wanted to avoid this holiday season.

“My grandmother,” He glanced from you to the TV that showed the timer ticking down closer and closer to the New Year. “She always wanted me to become a judge someday. She calls-” He broke off for a moment, before correcting himself, “called me El Juez, all the time, she wanted me so badly to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps,” He shook his head, before shrugging. “Maybe next year,” His eyes remained trained on the television screen, avoiding any pitiful expression you might be giving him at the current moment.

“When did she-?”

“This past year,” He sighed, rubbing his forehead, guilt gnawing at him. What was he really doing here? In a room filled with strangers, booze, and inane conversation, instead of at his mother’s side as she places flowers and looks after his grandmother’s final resting place. “I should be at her grave right now,” He wiped his hand down his face, shaking his head, his question still reverberating throughout his mind, echoing to the point of madness. But why was he here? The countdown had begun, as the room grew louder with anticipation, your reply fading into their shrieks and cries, the volume of the TV growing ever shriller.

TEN. NINE. EIGHT.

He got to his feet with a sigh, as you joined him as well, and your hand touched his accidentally. That is what he thought, until your fingers curled around his own, and pulled his attention from the television screen, gazing into your eyes. Oh yes, you were the reason he was here, in this earsplitting, boisterous room filled with drunk attorneys and servants of the state, you and your pleasant surprises and pointed, overwhelming questions.

SEVEN. SIX. FIVE.

Your other hand cupped his cheek, eyes boring into his own, and he felt your fingers brush a tear away, and he began to blink back his tears; he wasn’t even aware he was crying. But why was he crying? He truly didn’t know. But he knew that your hand was pulling his face ever closer to your own. He could see every beautiful lash, hiding those damn eyes of yours, the ones that had captivated him this evening. It was so unfair. Why was it that everything about you made all the more tempting?

FOUR.THREE. TWO.

But, even so, he couldn’t give into the temptation. He turned his cheek as you leaned in more, his hands squarely on your shoulders to stop you. He couldn’t let you ring in the New Year. Not like this. Not with him.

ONE.

He couldn’t kiss you. He didn’t look back as he stormed out the party, through the double doors, as the office screeched their New Years greetings to one another, several confetti poppers going off as he fled, pushing past the couples assumedly in amorous embrace. He needed to leave. He needed air. He needed to be away from your pointed words and pretty lips. He burst out the doors, stepping down in the crisp air, the clamor of the celebrations now fading into the night. And in that moment, there was time for him to wonder, does he dare? Dare to turn back and ascend the stairs? He had spent his life buried in decisions and revisions, and there was always a moment, a minute to change them. He had known those moments well, measured them against late night evenings, early mornings, and muddled afternoons, against the coffee spoons he stirred his fourth cup of coffee with. But the question remained again: what should he do? And what was he even doing here?

“Rafael? Rafael!” And it seems you couldn’t grant him that either, as you called his name, stopping him in his tracks, as he turned to look at you. Your lips were in a tight-lipped frown, hands in your pockets. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Those damn eyes were wrought with concern, the very same eyes that sent him sprawling, pinned and wriggling against the wall, and left him stuck to watch you tread softly down to bottom of the steps where he stood.

And how should he even begin to explain? “I’m sorry,” He murmured, unable to meet your soft gaze, fear and anxiety welling up from the pit of his stomach. Should he have not even attended the party? Should he have simply stayed in the shadows, listening from his office, leaning against the window, peering out at the happy couples and lonely men in shirt-sleeves, ones just like him. And he turned away. “I just needed to get out of there,”

And her eyes flickered in confusion, her words echoing the same question he had asked exactly a year ago. “Why?”

“Because I think I am the Nobody who deserves to be alone,” And he truly believed in that moment. After all, he was the man who had abandoned his grandmother, he had tried to force her into a home that she didn’t want, her last moments were spent leaving her home against her will, because of his own. And he would never forgive himself for that. And was it worth it? After all the struggles, the pain, the broken home, and so much more, to put his darling abuela through the very thing that finally broke her heart? He didn’t mean to, he’d tell himself, but did that really mean anything in the end?

“You are anyone, but nobody, Rafael Barba,” You said softly, your delicate fingers now on your shoulder, insistent on forcing him to look at you. “You’ve helped so many people, how can you even think that?”

“You said yourself, I overthink,” He shook his head sadly, cutting her off her response. “I’m sorry, I’ve said too much, I should-”

“Will you ever let someone in, Rafael?” Your hand grasped his own, freezing him in place with your touch. “You can’t do it all alone, you’ll end up spiraling inside that head of yours. You need to open up, to someone, anyone!” Your hand was as insistent as your voice now grazing his cheek, just as it was inside. Another minute. A chance for revision.

“To who?” He whispered, as your lips again grew near, drawing close once again. And there seemed to time again, for a hundred visions and revisions, mornings spent sitting across evenings spent lying in bed besides you, and lazy afternoon spent sprawled besides you, for you, and all with you.

And as you pressed your lips to his own, you answered his question, rendering your words redundant with the warmth of your touch and the beauty of your kiss. But still you said: “Me.”

He felt your body rock against his own, one arm wrapping around your waist to pull you closer, the sounds of the party disappearing into the sound of your breathing, until he swallowed it in another breathtaking kiss, this time, your body melting into his own: no questions, no hesitance, and no doubt, just you. He chuckled, as he pulled away for a moment. You stared at him, dumbstruck, seemingly confused by his actions. And honestly, he was too. He couldn’t make sense of his left or right, as he held you in his arms, but all he knew was that he never wanted to let you go. “Happy New Year.” And as he smiled, cupping your cheek to pull you in for another kiss, he whispered against your lips: “Isn’t the snow beautiful?”

Tag List: @rosathawne, @justpastthesecondstar, @anime-music-is-life, @snek-shit, @dreila03, @taylorhogle0510, @serendiptious-esparza, @aya-fay, @mwesterfeld1985, @p-i-n-e-a-p-p-l-e-s, @fleurs-en-ruines, @iworldlywriter, @aspiringyoungwriter, @supermoonpanda, @occamybarnes, @iammostdefinitelyonfire26, @laneygthememequeen, @meganlpie, @sweetsummertime99, @teatimewithtiya

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almostafantasia · 7 years ago

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three ghostbusters and wonder woman

Clexa Halloween Week Day 4 - Party & Costumes

Summary: Clarke’s plan for a group costume with her friends is ruined when Lexa decides to go behind her back and dress up as Wonder Woman instead.

Read on AO3.

When Raven manages to “borrow” four identical pale gray boiler suits from the engineering department, it became a no brainer that they should dress up as the Ghostbusters. All it takes is a few minor adjustments, some embellishments to the suits themselves and some homemade proton packs to strap onto their backs, and the costumes are ready for the four of them to kick ass at Lexa’s annual Halloween party.

“We look fucking good,” Raven says with a grin, striking a pose as she admires their handwork in the full length mirror of Clarke’s bedroom. “Everybody is going to wish that they were us.”

“It’s a shame Lexa isn’t here though,” says Octavia, zipping up her own boiler suit and smoothing it down, before reaching for her backpack and slipping her arms through the straps. “Can you imagine how iconic it would be for all four of us to walk into that house at once?”

“I know,” Clarke nods in agreement. “But it makes no sense for her to come here to change, only to go back to her own house.”

Clarke admires their costume efforts and Raven picks up the half empty bottle of vodka on top of the dresser and pours out three more shots into the glasses they’ve been drinking from as they get themselves ready. It’s hardly the sexiest Halloween costume Clarke has ever worn, but she can’t deny that the impact of three of them together – or four, as it will be when they meet up with Lexa at the party – is a striking effect.

Besides, Clarke doesn’t need to look sexy tonight, not when her girlfriend of just over six months will be there wearing the same thing.

Raven passes out the shots and they hold the glasses up between them, clinking them softly before knocking back the clear liquid.

“Happy Halloween!”

The party is in full swing by the time the three girls arrive. The thumping music can be heard from out on the street, as can the chatter of the people inside shouting to be heard over it, and Clarke is grateful that her girlfriend lives in a student area because otherwise there is no doubt that the police would already have been called to disperse the party-goers.

Inside the house, it’s even louder. The hallway is crammed full of costumed people holding drinks, all at various stages of inebriation, and Clarke squints through the darkness for the familiar boiler suit that her girlfriend will be wearing. With Raven and Octavia right behind her, their hands all linked so that they don’t lose each other in the crowd, Clarke ducks underneath a low hanging decorative cobweb and pushes past a guy in a toga making out with one of the Mario Brothers against the wall, and leads the way into the bigger, but no less lively living room.

Raven tugs on Clarke’s hand and pulls her close enough to be able to shout into Clarke’s ear.

“Clarke, don’t be mad,” says Raven, her voice only just audible over the music, “but Lexa just walked into the room.”

Clarke scans the room for Lexa, searching the crowd that has gathered around the beer pong table in the middle of the room, and replies, “Why would I be ma-?”

Clarke trails off when her eyes land on her girlfriend and she notices what Lexa is wearing. Or rather, what Lexa is not wearing.

Which is to say, that Lexa isn’t wearing the costume that Raven and Clarke have put so much effort into creating and replicating every painstaking detail of the original.

Their fourth Ghostbuster is … well, not a Ghostbuster.

That isn’t to say that Clarke doesn’t appreciate Lexa’s alternative costume. Lexa must be the fourth or fifth Wonder Woman that Clarke has seen at this party alone, but she pulls it off so much better than any of the other girls. In armour, wielding a sword and a shield, Lexa looks like she was born to be a warrior and, Clarke muses, perhaps in another life that’s exactly what she was.

The armoured bodice hugs Lexa’s curves perfectly, covering her chest and midriff but leaving her toned arms and the tattoo that wraps around her right bicep deliciously on view. There’s a shield strapped to her back, not a homemade cardboard shield like the one that Clarke saw one of the other girls dressed as Wonder Woman holding, but an actual plastic one that Lexa must have bought online, and the sword in her right hand looks almost too genuine to be just a fake replica. Lower down, Lexa’s legs shoot out from beneath that impossibly tiny skirt, shapely and smooth and more than a little bit distracting, and it takes all of the willpower that Clarke can muster to lift her gaze to Lexa’s face as she marches across the room to confront her girlfriend.

“Lexa, what the hell?”

When Clarke confronts her, Lexa actually has the audacity to look confused, like she doesn’t know what has soured Clarke’s mood.

“I’m sorry?”

“There are four Ghostbusters, Lexa,” Clarke huffs, shaking her head in disappointment. “Three Ghostbusters and Wonder Woman isn’t a thing!”

“I’d watch that movie,” Lexa shrugs, lifting the red plastic cup in the hand not holding a sword and taking a sip from it.

Clarke rolls her eyes, but then sighs in concession as she agrees, “Okay, yeah. That does sound pretty cool.” Realising that it’s not the point she’s trying to make, Clarke puts one hand on her hips and scowls at Lexa once more. “But that’s not my point! We agreed to do this as a group.”

Lexa flinches slightly as Clarke has admonishes her, and at least has the decency to look a little bit remorseful this time. She leans her sword against the wall beside them and reaches out with the now empty hand to rest it on Clarke’s arm.

“Baby, I’m sorry,” apologises Lexa, her tone pleading, “but Wonder Woman is the big feminist icon of 2017. How could I not dress up as her?”

Clarke takes the opportunity to glance down Lexa’s costume again, and loses both the moisture from her mouth and the ability to form coherent thoughts as she notices just how much skin is on show.

“I don’t know what I’m more pissed about,” Clarke croaks, forcing herself to drag her wide eyes back up to Lexa’s face before she flings herself at her girlfriend in the middle of a party, “that you didn’t join in with our costume theme or the fact that you look like a fucking goddess in that costume while I look like a frumpy plumber in this boiler suit.”

A slow smile spreads across Lexa’s face as she wraps her arms around Clarke’s body and pulls her in close.

“Yeah, but you’re my frumpy plumber.”

“Lexa,” Clarke warns her girlfriend with a whine.

“Want to take a look at my pipes?” Lexa grins, her hands dipping lower until they are in a dangerously inappropriate place on Clarke’s ass, even over the fabric of the ugly boiler suit.

“Why am I dating you?” pouts Clarke.

“I honestly have no idea,” shrugs Lexa. “Now, are you going to continue pouting over my costume choice or are you going to let me dance with you?”

Clarke’s anger at Lexa’s costume choice has all but disappeared, because as much as she wants to stay mad, it’s Lexa and she really doesn’t have it in her.

“You’re so lucky that I love you.”

The smile that spreads across Lexa’s face is one of the most genuinely beautiful things that Clarke has ever seen.

“I know.”

#clexahalloweenweek #clexa fanfiction #clexa fanfic #clarke griffin #commander lexa #clexa fic rec #clexa fic

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ampsandgreenscreens · 7 years ago

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Band Lineup Announced For Fourth Annual Northern Invasion Saturday, May 12 & Sunday, May 13, 2018 in Somerset, WI; Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, A Perfect Circle, Alice In Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Stone Temple Pilots, The Used, I Prevail & Parkway Drive To Perform; All Tickets & Packages On Sale Now

Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, A Perfect Circle and Alice In Chains lead the incredible lineup for the fourth annual Northern Invasion, Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13 at Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wisconsin, just outside the Twin Cities.

Northern Invasion 2018 will be bigger and better than ever with over 12 hours of music per day from the biggest and best rock bands on three stages, as well as a top tier camping experience. TheNorthern Invasion Good Eats area includes food offerings from top regional and national restaurants and vendors.

The music lineup for Northern Invasion 2018 is as follows (subject to change): Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, A Perfect Circle, Alice In Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Stone Temple Pilots, The Used, Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, I Prevail, Parkway Drive, Black Stone Cherry, Red Sun Rising, Andrew W.K., Atreyu, Anti-Flag, 10 Years, We Came As Romans, The Bronx, Dance Gavin Dance, Butcher Babies, Hawthorne Heights, New Years Day, Senses Fail, Stick To Your Guns, Miss May I, Like A Storm, The Fever 333, I See Stars, Wilson, Mutoid Man, Cane Hill, Black Foxxes, Counterfeit., The Blue Stones, Joyous Wolf, Spirit Animal, Stitched Up Heart, and Big Story.

Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle said, “Looking forward to playing material from the new A Perfect Circle release at Northern Invasion. Bringing new songs to life in a live setting is always exciting.”

Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots commented, “Stone Temple Pilots are beyond thrilled to be playing Northern Invasion 2018. We are back! It’s going to be a killer weekend of great music--great fun.”

“We spent a lot of time listening to our loyal Invasion fan base over these last several months to create a lineup that celebrates some of the rock legends along with delivering on our reputation for inviting the hottest up-and-comers in the genre,” said Joe Litvag, Executive Producer of Northern Invasion. “Having heroes like Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains, and Stone Temple Pilotsmatched with new sensations like Parkway Drive, Black Veil Brides, and Red Sun Rising, I think the fans will respond well. It’s going to be an unforgettable weekend!”

Northern Invasion General Admission and VIP tickets (including layaway options), as well as Hotel Packages and All-Inclusive Camping options, and Tent or RV Camping add-ons are on sale now athttp://northerninvasion.com/tickets.html. Fans are encouraged to buy early and save. New for Northern Invasion 2018: Each ticket price level has a limited number of tickets available, so attendees can save more by buying earlier. Ticket prices will automatically move to the next price level once a price allotment sells out. The layaway purchase option also allows fans to split the ticket cost into four monthly payments.

Current ticket pricing levels are as follows while supplies last:

Weekend VIP: $199.50 plus fees

Weekend General Admission: $99.50 plus fees

Monster Energy Weekend General Admission 4-Pack: $319.00 plus fees

Specially priced tickets for Northern Invasion will be available for active military through partner GovX (www.govx.com) while supplies last.

The Northern Invasion campgrounds will be open from Friday, May 11 through Monday, May 14. Festival doors open at 11:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday.

Northern Invasion is produced by AEG Presents and Danny Wimmer Presents and is part of the World's Loudest Month concert series, which features the biggest names in rock music performing in six U.S. events in distinct atmospheres during five consecutive weekends in April and May of 2018.

Northern Invasion is brought to you in part by Monster Energy.

Somerset Amphitheater has been a favorite Midwest music venue since the late '80s. Located on the Apple River and less than 40 minutes from the Twin Cities, for years it has served as a summer hub for music and camping for those from Minnesota, Wisconsin and beyond.

For more information on Northern Invasion, visit:

Website: www.NorthernInvasion.com

Facebook: @NorthernInvasionFest

Twitter: @northinvasion

Instagram: @northerninvasion

About AEG Presents: AEG Presents is one of the largest live music companies in the world. The company is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music events and world-renowned festivals. AEG Presents operates in North America, Europe and Asia through 16 regional offices that support its tours, which include such artists as Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Kenny Chesney; produces or supports over 25 music festivals, including the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival; and owns, manages or books more than 60 clubs and theaters. AEG Presents produces more than 8,000 shows annually worldwide and conducts business under such globally renowned brands as AEG Presents, Goldenvoice, Concerts West, Messina Touring Group, Marshall Arts LTD, and Madison House Presents.

www.aegpresents.com

About Danny Wimmer Presents: Since 1993, music industry veteran Danny Wimmer has been producing concerts and festivals, both large and small. In 2011, he formed Danny Wimmer Presents, which now produces several of the largest rock and alternative festivals in the U.S. By combining A-list talent with local cuisine and culture, DWP has become recognized within the industry for delivering the highest-quality entertainment experiences to fans, artists, sponsors, partners and host cities. DWP creates memorable and all-encompassing festival experiences, leaving both consumers and partners with lasting and meaningful impressions. DWP will continue to add new music festivals to its already stellar portfolio, which includes Rock On The Range, Monster Energy Aftershock, Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville, Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, Louder Than Life, Bourbon & Beyond, Monster Energy Rock Allegiance, Chicago Open Air, and Northern Invasion, among others.

www.DannyWimmerPresents.com

#Northern Invasion #Danny Wimmer Presents #Ashton-Magnuson Media #Somerset Ampitheater #Monster Energy #AEG Presents

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nikkifilm · 5 years ago

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#1 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Entry: The Panti Sisters, dir. Jun Lana (2019)

I. Face Value or Surface Level Analysis

NICOLE: Looking at the film's face value, they've put extra effort on this, especially in terms of the props, costume, and makeup. 'Yun talaga pinakanagstand-out sakin sa buong movie eh. Just by looking at it, you'd know na hindi basta basta mga ginamit nilang props and costume; it's not cheap and it's been consistent throughout the movie. I also love how each of the character has their own distinct identity. Talagang may kanya-kanya silang personality at hindi lang 'yung gender identity nila ang nagdedefine noon. You can easily distinguish who is who despite them sharing one common ground. Technical and aesthetic wise, I adore the way the movie was color graded. The way they used vibrant colors yet visually pleasing strikes and generally makes the film more entertaining to watch. Masarap siya sa mata, kumbaga. It's not your typical gay comedy film, hindi lang siya puro punchline, talagang nandoon pa rin yung message na gustong iparating nung direktor.

PETER: At first, the film felt like your typical filipino slapstick comedy, with a side of stereotypical representations of how lgbt people are portrayed, but really shows that they're more than just looking pretty and more than just what society thinks they are, it shows how each sister cares for something in their life, and as characters develop mas nagkakaroon sila ng gaan ng loob sa isa't isa so dahil dun, they started to care for one another. Per character sa film, may kanya kanyang traits and you'd think na "ay malamang may di ako magugustuhan sa mga 'to" pero hindi eh, the more I watch, the more I get hooked, mas nagugustuhan mo sila, kasi per character well established ang origins, kahit na sa mabilisang paraan makikita mo yung pinagmulan nila and that kind of justified din kung bakit ganun kilos nila. Story wise, yung buong film in face value, for me, was your classic family problem themed movie but told in the eyes of 3 siblings who were separated by their parents' morals and beliefs. It tackles the struggle of acceptance in a family, in gender and in blood. All in all, masaya siya panoorin, even with those moments na merong sad parts, may heated arguments, napapalitan kaagad ng something good or something to make you laugh and it's a genius way of mixing laughter and drama.

II. Film Language

PETER: In a personal standpoint I do see the film residing with neorealism because of how the problems in the film can be seen in some parts of the country, for example, may mga mindsets din ang ibang mga kalalakihan na porket bakla o porket nagdadamit babae, mahina na. May representasyon din ng pang aabuso sa mga kababaihan. Speaking of mindsets, naeemphasize din yung toxic masculinity within the film, doon palang sa part ni Don Emilio, makikita na agad kung pano niya tratuhin ang mga anak at especially asawa niya and that really speaks for itself lalo na sa kultura ng bansa natin.

NICOLE: There's not much to point out on this part, at least for me kasi the entire film was more on narrative than style or technical. However, what I did notice is the way they break the fourth wall by directly speaking to the audience. It's as if they really are aware and they want to talk address the audience of what they want to say. In a way, it's a neorealism film because yes, it is set to be realistic in a way that it's what at least some of the LGBTQ+ community are struggling with family-wise, but at the same time it's modified in a subjective way, in a way that we all wish it would be in real life where they aren't simply tolerated or belittled but also truly accepted, not only within the family but also with the church. Personal belief and religion is still a huge factor that plays in the film. Nagkakaroon pa rin ng debate in the real life context, pero dito ipinapahiwatig 'yung side ng LGBT community patungkol sa kung ano ang gusto nilang iparating sa mga tao at sa simbahan. The way the characters narrate the film, especially in the last few parts spoke louder in terms of that. Kumbaga naging instrumento 'yung mga characters para sabihin sa mga manonood yung underlying message ng film which has been prominently asserted throughout the movie.

PETER: My partner tackled the story's fourth wall break which I agree with, maganda for me yung fourth wall breaking ng film dahil it doesn't do it just for the sake of having the 4th wall breaking element, it blends well into the story itself, subtle and in a way it's something never seen before (or atleast for my standard) it stands as being a narrator for the movie itself, hindi lang siya for a comedic purpose, although yes that is there but as a way to have a continuous flow that most audience can easily follow through or in a way a guide for us to understand what's going on during the film.

III. Social Relevance in the Philippines

NICOLE: First off, nakakatuwa lang na marami ang tumangkilik sa pelikulang ito, lalo na't kabilang pa sa Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. I think bihira lang na umabot ng mahigit isang buwan sa takilya 'yung mga local films, especially yung kabilang pa sa mga ganitong annual celebration ng local films o mga independent films. Like I said, this isn't your typical gay comedy film. Hindi lang puro comic relief yung LGBT characters in the film, at lalong hindi sila stereotyped into a single purpose. Hindi lamang ang sexual orientation o gender identity ang nagdedefine sa kanila as characters, may sarili talaga silang personality at identity. That being said, this film isn't the first yet has largely contributed to the gay films that have good representation of the LGBT community especially in the Philippine cinema. Not to mention na pang-masa ang audience nito, they really broke the convention of how LGBTQ+ people act within a comedy film. Hindi siya puro patawa lang at yung essence ng message niya doesn't stray away from the comedy factor of the film which is good considering its audience. It's a good turn in terms of mainstream films, na oo pang-masa siya, but its deeper context isn't. Given the current situation of the stance between the LGBTQ+ community, there's no denying that mas marami pa rin talagang ang mga religious who are not in favor of the LGBTQ+ community considering na composed pa rin talaga ng more than half of the population ang Catholics. This film, however, became an instrument to LGBTQ+ community, to be able to voice out what they're fighting for — 'yung maging pantay sa paningin ng mga tao at ng simbahan at mabigyan sila ng karapatan, 'di lang bilang miyembro ng LGBTQ+ community, kundi bilang tao rin. At ako, bilang parte rin ng community, I find it quite fascinating na nabibigyang pansin 'yung mga ganitong klaseng pelikula, especially since relevant siya sa issue natin ngayon on the SOGIE bill wherein marami ang hindi sumasangayon kesyo tanggap na raw naman ang LGBTQ+ community yet ayaw naman nila bigyan ng pantay na karapatan bilang mamamayan. Sana nga pinipiling tangkilikin ang mga ganitong klaseng pelikula di lamang dahil pag sinabing “gay” film, alam nilang good vibes at puro katatawanan kundi dahil sinusuportahan talaga nila yung LGBTQ+ community. Regardless naman of whatever belief or values they have, this film can help address the bigger picture with the underlying issue and hopefully the Philippine cinema would push through these kind of mainstream (indie) films.

PETER: As mentioned earlier din, the film breaks the normal thought of an ordinary Filipino sa mga bagay-bagay at ibang social issues, and for me eto yung naging defining factor ng film, saying na hindi porket eto ang nakasanayang kaisipan ay eto dapat lagi ang tingin niyo sa gender na 'to o sa ganitong klaseng pamilya. Nagbabago ang panahon pati na ang mga tao. With this in mind, it applies din with other stereotypical views that the film offers and binabasag nito yung normal na pag-iisip ng masa. As a Filipino living in the current generation, mas napapansin ko na may ibang tao parin na gustong ipilit kung ano yung nakasanayan or yung tradisyon, especially sa religion, in regards to LGBTQ community, hindi sila tanggap or they are seen only as the sinners. Again the film breaks this thought saying na hindi porket dalawang kasarian lang ang unang nilikha sa mundo, hindi ka na nakikita ng panginoon pag part ka ng LGBTQ. It explains na you are seen so long as you believe in the religion (specifically in Roman Catholic) and I do see it as the film sending a mesage to people or to members of the church even, to try and accept them more and to see them as people as well, not just as sinners. Speaking of the church, in the film, discrimination also takes its place here as well, although not implied but it leaves a big impact to those who noticed, sa film, yung boyfriend ng isa sa mga magkakapatid said na wala namang bisa ang kasal nila dito sa Pilipinas and Daniel (isa sa mga magkakapatid) said na hindi importante ang bisa, mas importante ang seremonyas. I do see this as one of the film’s highlights because it is subtle but it leaves the audience with something to think about.

IV. Opinion and Remarks

NICOLE: Personally, I liked the part in the hospital where Chiqui had her miscarriage, because it's where Samuel realized na hindi naman talaga mahalaga 'yung mana na makukuha mula kay Don Emilio, at mas pinahalagahan niya yung morale niya, yung pagiging makatao. Doon din kasi nagstart din na marealize nila Gabbi at Daniel na 'di rin na mahalaga 'yung pera na makukuha kapalit ng hiling ni Don Emilio dahil produkto lamang ng pangangailangan ang batang dinadala ni Chiqui at hindi pagmamahal. Gusto ko na nagkaroon ng development in a way you'd expect na someone would finally inherit the money but they all had that realization na ang mas mahalaga pa rin ay totoo ka sa sarili mo at wala kang ibang tinatapakang tao. From that moment on, kita mo talaga yung pagprogress ng development nila individually and then as siblings or sisters. I also love the ending, kahit na it felt a bit rushed. The scene where Don Emilio had a change of heart since Daniel's death and confronted his two daughters about him not being accepting of them and Gabbi saying that they forgive him. The wedding scene of Gabbi and Kat was more than powerful to me, although it may seem a bit controversial to others, I love how they implied that marriage has nothing to do with your sexual orientation and gender identity and should be with someone you truly love and whom you see yourself living and growing with. Although what I didn't like was that a few of the dialogues felt forced, especially the punchlines. But I do commend that the jokes made aren't offensive and also funny, I just find some of the lines unnecessary, especially at times where the scene is either heavy or serious. Another one was Daniel's death was unnecessary to me in a way that it felt like there was more to her character than what we saw on screen. Although the characters did progress from the moment she died and it definitely made the message they wanted to address more powerful. Maybe it all felt so fast and sudden that it became as a shock to me as an audience. Regardless, it there was still enough closure to lift back the atmosphere of the entire movie.

PETER: Personally for me, the film itself was the whole deal, every scene was made with purpose,but one of the scenes that I loved the most was at the ending parts where they met up again (spoiler) near Daniel’s grave, the remaining family members sees each other with much tension while the father apologizes for everything he did and for mistreating his children, he finally accepted who they really are, for what they are, nakita ko sa scene na yun yung isang despite sa mga pinagdaanan, handa parin magpatawad sa isa’t isa, yung acceptance of both sides is what got to me kasi it is hard for a person to accept someone especially if that someone or group of people go against your morals and what you believe in and at the same time it is hard to accept a person that put you through hard times and not knowing what your worth is and only looks at you from face value. It actually shows how we are as Filipinos as well, despite through the troubles, we see to it that we make amends to our family members who we hurt or who hurt us (so long as they apologize) kasi at the end of the day, pamilya parin sila.

V. Conclusion

NICOLE: I love the film, in a way that I would watch it again and recommend it to other people. It didn't only represent the community well but have also empowered it through the messages they delivered within the movie. Sobrang meaningful and at the same time, sobrang feel-good family movie siya. It tackled the toxicity and the conflicts within a family, especially those of the LGBTQ+ community na kung saan pinaparusahan sila kapag nahuhuling nagpapaka-“bakla”. However, napakinggan naman both sides which was also a plus point to me, na kung saan the father, who is an epitome of toxic masculinity only wanted to protect them from judgment. Although it seemed ironic kasi he resorted before to abuse, it was a good shot for me kasi in the end, he realized his mistakes and is apologetic of his bigotry. With all that happening in one movie just feels good and hopefully it would pave the way para mas maging mulat ang masa pag dating sa pagkilala ng LGBTQ+ community 'di lang bilang comic relief kundi bilang tao rin.

PETER: In conclusion, the overall film was something to think about, the film itself progressed in such a way that you kept on wanting more to the story, and it actually gave you more, hindi lang siya yung normal slapstick comedy or feel good movie, at first, you’d think that the movie won’t have any sense of seriousness when it comes to portraying the social issues it presented, it looked as some film that would just be about its characters, it was quite an experience to actually look at these issues in this kind of light, a modern take on problems that seem to stick. It did a great job of elaborating on its characters, hindi mo makikitaan ng butas yung backstory na pinapakita sa film, kahit with the short amount of time, it still gave the viewers the idea of who these people are and what role they play in the story, kahit nga yung supporting actors malaki ang part to move the story forward. It’s cinematography was simple yet effective, nothing mind blowing and wala masyadong magarbong transitions. It did a great enough job to set the scenes and what messages it wants to portray. Aside from these, the film represents great morals as well, I think the film was effective with this because, again it does look like a typical slapstick comedy, it suddenly changes its appearance as it paces through the story, it’s sudden dramatic scenes and tense atmosphere will get you at times, especially when the story needs to.

VI. Recommendation

NICOLE: Ang sa akin lang naman, sana hindi nila masyadong pinagsiksikan sa bandang huli yung development ng characters. Mas maganda siguro na may nakikita kang gradual improvement throughout the movie, para hindi rin siya overwhelming pag dating sa dulo. Another one is that masyadong direct yung mensahe na gusto nilang iparating, although I get it naman na masa ang audience at gusto rin nilang makasiguro na hindi mamimisinterpret yung message ng film. I guess to me masyado lang maingay yung movie in a way na madalas through dialog ang means of telling the message of the film and I hoped na maybe they thought of another way to express that without letting the characters do all the talking. Moreover, it was an overall excellent film na despite comedies being stereotyped with narrow plots, this movie went the extra mile.

#2 Cinemalaya Entry: Pandanggo sa Hukay, dir. Sheryl Rose Andes (2019)

I. Face Value or Surface Level Analysis

PETER: Pandanggo sa Hukay at face value seems to create somewhat of a mysterious atmosphere, from its settings the film indicates poverty and struggle, the color grading for the film creates a dark and dead toned ambiance that suits the theme and story of the film. The scores in the film did help in creating the desired feel or vibe in each scene, whether it's a fast paced action scene or a suspenseful one it helps invoke the audience in a certain way.

NICOLE: The film is about a mother's love, especially to the single mothers, where in it implies how they sacrifice and strive to give the best life they can to their children. It takes a different perspective on mother-love, as it is a crime, suspense film. The characters on this one are naturally realistic, especially Iza's character, Elena. She's a very simple mother with also a simple lifestyle who works as a midwide in Cavite and is seeking to work abroad in Saudi in order to have more income enough to be able to support her son, EJ. Technical wise, the setting feels realistic and you'd really feel for it in a way that you think you are in the film. It's as if you're not watching a film but rather in the actual point of view of Elena. What's more is that, the long pauses or intervals in the film, watching Elena either do the chores or her doing her daily routine. They're simple and have no underlying meaning but it speaks to the audience to some extent. Narrative wise, the storytelling in the movie was slow-paced, I have to be honest with that. Though the ending really did seem pretty much like a cliffhanger in a way that I was expecting something where everything gets resolved and perhaps we might even see her finally work in Saudi or at least get to see EJ, but none of that where shown anymore. It's more of an open-ended ending, but I do think that I get what the director was trying to tell on this one.

II. Film Language

NICOLE: This felt more of a formalism film, yet of course, it is neorealism as it's always a modified take on reality. It's alarming, and the suspense in the movie doesn't just take place within the screen but also in real life, how possible it can happen to anyone and you wouldn't even know. Films that make you feel like that are what really builds up the suspense factor, especially considering how the crimes shown in the film are really prominent in the Philippine setting. The dialogues of the film at least seemed all realistic like it wasn't even gotten from a script. It all seemed so natural and that's what's traumatizing. I love the camera movements in the film and the use of the angles that depict whether something may be happening or something is important. Especially in terms of the sound design. You know how they want to subtly imply what they want to push through in the movie when a certain dialogue or sound effect is being emphasized or prolonged. This applies to the scenes or cuts where it's either long or prolonged. I haven't observed as to what film theory it may be with this film, but it is heavily influenced or implied that it has something to do with POV or Point of View Theory, as the character may reflect as to what the director want to tell the audience.

PETER: The characters in the film was well utilized as well, it have the main character life in a way the audience know how her personality affect her decisions and how these decisions affect the story. The etibak gang in the film were the ones who further determined how far Elena would go in order to survive for her son, naipakita dito kung agno din kabilis mag isip ang bida, with one wise move, she outsmarted the bandits by making one of them kill the remaining three. I think that the story was written in a simple way, and just in the right complexity in order for most people to understand what was going on in a fly rather than just making it hard for them to process it. Each goal for the characters were so different but each of their needs were too convenient, not easy to get to, but conveniently placed and it felt a bit rushed.

III. Social Relevance in the Philippines

PETER: Pandanggo sa hukay was filled with social issues, some were said in subtle ways and some were explicitly told through scenes, and dialogues. One of the issues tackled was about being a single mother and how hard it is to be one as the main protagonist goes through different struggles and sacrifices in order to provide for her child. The sacrifice of a single mother is more than two parents as she's the only one providing for the child's needs. The film elaborates on this in a deeper level as the mother undergoes into a series of unfortunate events. It also tackles another issue regarding the pay of laborers in the country and how unfair it is to get less of what you worked for, filipinos tend to work abroad as the pay there would be higher but would be in a lower position compared here in the Philippines. It was implied sa film na gusto lumipat ng bida sa ibang bansa dahil mas malaki ang kita kahit assistant lang ang magiging posisyon nito. The film also elaborated on the poor justice system in the country, it showed how slow the police are in terms of catching the crooks.

NICOLE: I would say that this has changed the game in the Philippine cinema crew wise, as they did have an all-female crew in the making of this film. That alone is something that I wish could be applied to all the films that have the same theme, plot, or set of characters, especially since the cinema in general consists mostly of men. Representation matters most, and through these, you as a viewer are able to comprehend the film more. There have been prominent social and moral ills that have been shown in this film that is occuring in the real Philippine setting. It had tackled about the single parenthood, where there is this unspoken thing that mothers, regardless if they are being supported by the father of the child or their family, their initial response is to do everything it takes to give their child a better life. No matter what the status in life is, there's that drive within mothers that nothing can be able to hinder their love for their child, even if that means sacrificing their lives for it. It also implied how underpaid our local laborers are, regardless of what position you are in or what kind of job you are working for. It depicts the the Filipino mindset of how we aim to work hard only to be successful in another country. It's sad, but also very alarming as it is still prominent in the real life society yet no underlying solution. Lastly, is the poor justice system. It wasn't directly implied but it can be seen through subtle ways, like the news being shown on the televisions in the movie. The prominent news on crime depicts how everyday there are endless crimes yet little justice for the victims who have suffered. Another is when it has been particularly implied in the news about how many victims of the EJK have died since President Duterte.

IV. Opinion and Remarks

PETER: The expectations I had was on par from what was happening in the film, it was satisfying but in the story’s case, it was dark and it was a little too much at first, but helps keep the movie’s flow and in a way it developed the character, making her stronger. In a way pandanggo sa ilaw was straightforward, but how the film presents its story and issues was clear enough and it wasn't hesitant to show what it needs to show. The film itself was actually straight forward although you wouldn't know what the film is about at first or going into it with an open mind. In my opinion the film was slow paced, it was at times hard not to doze off or turn your attention into something else inside the theater. The film’s closure was a bit lacking and even if the filmmaker’s intention was to leave the audience with a cliffhanger, it felt as if they were, again rushing although Maganda yung pagkakalatag ng storya all the way to the end in a way na tumatatak talaga siya sayo, all emotions I felt sticked to me even after an hour after watching it, mabigat siya and it really shows na effective ang story sa gustong iparating ng writer at director.

NICOLE: There's not much to point out on the parts where I disliked any of the scenes. Perhaps what I did dislike in general is the pacing. I liked the way the storytelling was executed throughout the film, though. It's simple, vague, yet it's enough for you to be able to understand what the deeper context is in the movie. But going back to the pacing of the movie, it was really quite short or at least felt like it as it was happening slow. I kept on waiting for whatever conflict that was implied to all have its resolution and closure, like if she got the work she's been applying for, if she ever get to reunite with her son, or if she get the justice for what happened to her. I thought it lacked a lot of resolution with all the plots, characters, and conflicts that they have introduced. From the moment that she was introduced, the town she lived in, her son, her friends and co-workers, her job, the clinic she works at, and her boss. I think they kind of dwelled too much on that that I think the conflict or climax where she gets hostaged by the Etibak Gang felt rushed and all so short up to the moment she got back home.

V. Conclusion

NICOLE: I both liked and disliked the film. As mentioned, I liked the portrayal of the social and moral ills, along with the realistic approach towards its representation. I also liked the message they want to tell the audience, and how they took a different perspective on single mothers. The delivery of the dialogue, acting, and the overall concept of the movie is also commendable. It's all natural, and less staged. I also love it in a way that the characters are really alive. Each one of them are unique, regardless if they're the main or supporting character only. It's one thing that I have noticed throughout the film and also why I truly admire the film. Not only that, but also each of the character has their own story and personality, which makes all of them memorable. The reason why I dislike it is only in terms of, again, the way they paced the film. Moreover, it's all good and still a great local film in general. It's not stereotypical or cliche. It's also a unique choice of what profession they wanted to show the audience. Lastly, it's also unconventional, yet something very relatable and relevant regardless of what you are and where you live.

VI. Recommendation

NICOLE: There's nothing much as to what I would like to recommend to the filmmakers, besides the pacing and resolution part. I wished they prolonged it in order to have closure, especially considering how heavy the conflict was. Although if it was intentionally that way, perhaps I would better understand. Regardless, I have nothing to complain about the ending and the plot. It's just how I wished it happened, but then again not all films are close-ended and have a bright or happy ending.

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