#I crashed it into a fence post once when I was 15

[angelosearch]

Here's a long mushy post because today is a special date.

Way back in the early oughts, I was talking to this guy on AIM (blast from the past, I know). We started talking in November of 2008 and from the first time we chatted, I felt like there was something special about him. We became fast friends and would chat into the early hours as we put off doing our homework. He was funny and smart and would help me with my physics homework and occasionally Rick Roll me.

One time, we worked together to try and figure out if every person in the world moonwalked against the earth's rotation on the equator, could they get the planet to stop spinning (inconclusive, but probably no).

The first time we spoke on the phone (the first time we heard each other's voices) it was the day that Obama was inaugurated. I remember this because I felt overwhelmed and awkward. I didn't know what to talk about, so I brought that up.

I got the sense that he liked me - or at least I hope he did, because I liked him. A super nerd, captain of the fencing team, loved his dog - I DEFINITELY had a crush.

But I wasn't certain that he liked me until February 10th, when he messaged me on AIM and quoted Newton's third law. He said something to the effect of "Newton's Third Law states that reactions are equal and opposite. I really like you - does the law apply here?"

Well, that guy and I have been together 15 years now. After a long distance relationship through the rest of highschool and college, we moved in together in 2014. We got married in 2016. His sister Rick Rolled us at our wedding. We got a congratulations card from Obama (someone mailed him our wedding invite, to this day I don't know who).

It's been an eventful couple of years. We've had jobs and apartments and dogs and roommates. We've gone on amazing adventures, engaged in so many hobbies together, and played through a bunch of videogames side-by-side. There's been hundreds of hours of audiobooks and probably months worth of television. Oh, and A LOT of BeatSaber.

He has been very excited about my return to fanfiction and my renewed love of FFVIII. He has never played the game but he will let me talk about it endlessly and bounce fanfiction ideas off him. Everytime I finish a chapter of something, I send it to him and he gives me feedback. If that's not love, I don't know what love is!

He was there to help me into the car when I was loopy from having my wisdom teeth removed. Before I learned to drive, he took me anywhere I couldn't reach from walking/transit without question. He has seen me through my career ups and downs and is now my biggest cheerleader as I apply to grad school.

Once I hosted an event for a job I had. Doing that always pushed my mental health to the brink. I was staying at a friend's place in the city after the meeting with the plan to metro home in the morning, but the wave of a manic episode that had manifested over the week crashed into my mind and I was caught in the riptide of a panic attack. He drove out during a blizzard in the middle of the night to bring me home and rubbed my back as I laid on the floor of our apartment, sobbing.

Our relationship survived a whole pandemic. When I had struggles with my birth family, we became each other's family, and his family welcomed me too. Then he saw me through my darkest timeline and has supported me through every step of my mental health journey. Just a few hours ago, I was stuck in some memories and he talked me through it. I am tremendously grateful everyday to have such an amazing person in my life.

In October of last year, we moved into our home. For the first time in my life, I feel safe and comfortable in the place I live and waking up to be with him, here, everyday brings me so much joy. I recently heard this song, which really captures how we feel in this moment of our lives:

So happy anniversary to "my Rinoa" - @tharinock (funnily enough the same handle I first got to know you by). Here's to the next 15 years of fun and love.

[ronnie-wood]

9, 11, 15, 17 for the Stones ask meme :)

OMG HI URL TWIIIIIN!!!

9. favourite photoshoot?

jeez there are SO many of them that I love. But out of all of them, i think the Clearwater shoot is the most special to me because it isn't even an "official" shoot - the photographer is unknown, and yet they're all so excellently composed and there's a candid, unguarded quality to them that feels very intimate and relaxed.

11. which member's solo work is your favourite?

RONNIE'S!!!!! IGMOATD and Now Look have zero skips for me!!

15. favourite photos of the band?

ugh there are COUNTLESS but i'll try posting at least one from each era (brian, mick taylor, ronnie).

I like to call this one, "The floor is having the only braincell in the band".

I love this shoot because they're just standing in some gotdam grass and they're one of the biggest rock bands in the country kllfjdg also again, Charlie and lil Mick look AMAZING and i love Mick's hat ;__;

This is just so cute. Need I say more??

This is really similar to the Green Park shoot but not really and I really love every one of their fits here, especially Mick n Brian's!!

Ronnie gets his own solo pic because I Say So and Look At My URL. The composition of this, the glow of the lights, the unusually calm demeanor, the empty seats - it all gives this "calm before the storm" atmosphere and it's PERFECT.

THIS ONE TOO!!

17. favourite story/anecdote related to the band?

There's a LOT but I am currently thinking about how Keef HATED Stephen Stills for no real reason HKJFDHGKFG here's a quote from Ronnie about it:

"Every time I think about Stephen Stills, I can’t forget that Keith couldn’t stand him and there was nothing Stephen could do to change that. We were sharing a studio once at Atlantic Records in New York, and Stephen wanted to play one of Keith’s guitars. But Keith said no and actually locked all his guitars away to keep Stephen from playing them. Then Keith put a sign up on the door that read “No Stephen Stills Allowed”. I’m not sure Keith knows why he didn’t like Stephen, but he used to say, “Stills doesn’t know how to do drugs properly.”

also, as a bonus: Another quote from Ronnie the time Keef fucking BROKE into Ronnie's HOUSE to drag him out of sleep to record:

"At about four o'clock in the morning, just when everybody was getting really tired, after we’d really done well and cut a couple of basic tracks, Keith would say, “Right, now we’re going to do this”, and we’d all go “Ahhh…” while Bill would be hovering in the doorway. Keith’s catchphrase of the time was, “Nobody sleeps while I’m awake”. There was one night when I’d actually managed to get out of the studio one night and climb into bed thinking, “Oh my God, I’m so tired”. It didn’t last. Keith climbed over the fence outside, jumped into my garden, broke into the house. In my sleep I could hear the door bursting open, boom, boom, crash, bang, and in they came, right up to my bedroom - “Nobody sleeps while I’m awake” - and I was dragged back into the studio." (from According to The Rolling Stones)

[thevibraniumveterans]

Ms Marvel Ep1! - “Generation Why”

Live-blogging spoilers!

-

1. I caught this in the title:

2. “Can a woman just live, hmm?” YES 🤩

3. “Thor is secretly a gamer!” Yes because some dude got yelled at by him thru the headset in Endgame and was like WTF 🤣

4. “Remember, new episodes drop every Wednesday.” KAMALA PLEASE 😂 You going meta?! 🤣

5. Wait, when Kamala’s dad told Aamir (is that his name? Kamala’s bro?) to eat his breakfast, I swear that was right out of the comics! I feel like I’ve heard that line before.

6. Crashing the car before you even start your first lesson, Kamala? 😏 I remember my own driving lessons, nerve wracking, every one of them 😅

7. Ok that’s not nice, the teacher misnaming her 😔 And like, the fact that she’s getting weird looks? Oof.

8. “No, no, no, Bruno” 🤣 SORRY NOT SORRY 😈

9. The school counselor is hilarious 😂 Kamala just zones out, like girl? I would too 😌 (I still do, too!)

10. “Kamala, who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?” I love it when Phase 4 is all about ✨identity✨

11. Oh that dividing effect is so cool!!

12. Bruno Carrelli is kinda adorable though, and I LOVE THE FACT THAT KAMALA LOVES STAR WARS 🤩

13. Those chalk animations are amazing!

14. Kamala’s family absolutely love Bruno.

15. Kamala’s parents not letting her out with a boy? oooh, that sounds familiar. Was forever until I got to do that once, and then it went south, so. Never did that again 🤣 I relate to that “don’t go out at night” thing. Still don’t wanna do that, and I’m no longer a teenager 😅 Protective moms, am I right, or what

16. “Come on, beta. You’re not normal.” “UGGHHH!!” yeah, neither am I, Kamala xD

17. I LOVE THE COMICKY effects!! The speech bubble as Bruno answers his bestie Kamala. AND THE NEON LIGHTS ON THE WINDOW WTF this is so cool!!!!! HOLY SHIT I AM GEEKING OUT AT THE EFFECTS HERE IT EVEN EXTENDS TO THE LED SIGN ABOVE THE DOOR WHAAT

18. Bruno the tech guy, very like his comic counterpart. Love to see it.

19. “If you don’t go with your dad, you’re not going at all.” How on earth did this either-this-or-that ultimatum hit me so hard 😫 It’s not what was said, it was what was implied.

20. I love that there’s a rooftop scene, because the first time I saw Kamala in the comics and there’s a rooftop scene, it was with this dude who turns out to be a huge jerk, so there’s that. But Bruno’s nice. He’s a great guy. Get yourself a bestie who believes in you. 🥺

21. Kamala play fighting with her bestie Bruno reminds me of way back when I was 9 and pretended my pencils were lightsabers at school. Ah, fun times.

22. WHEN A LIGHTBULB LITERALLY GOES OFF ABOVE KAMALA’S HEAD OMG. I CAN’T. I AM IN LOVE WITH THE ANIMATION.

23. Kamala has the most adorable little giggle.

24. CAMP EFFIN’ LEHIGH.

25. Man, I love the dream montage, instagram posts and all. Outdone itself.

26. “Between the authorities and us the people, we are to blame.” WOW! How is this so true for nearly everywhere on Earth nowadays!

27. I wonder why they’d open Camp Lehigh, given how in CATWS it was all fenced off and whatnot. What’s the story there? What, heroes save the say and suddenly everything’s open?

28. AVENGERCON is something that must happen. I WANT IT.

29. CUTE 🤣

30. That America’s Ass reference, well done 🤣

31. YOU LEFT YOUR GLOVES KAMALA oh my god. You don’t just leave your gloves your bestie made for you 😫

32. I LOVE THE COSMIC SUITUP. The way it’s almost like a jelly-like crystal, it is so beautiful.

33. THE EMBIGGENING!! YESS!!

34. I love that she can just… make the stuff? Even with her foot!

35. “Who do you want to be in this world?” I wish I knew too… I too sometimes have my head in the clouds, like Kamala’s mom says to her.

THIS FIRST EPISODE WAS AWESOME!

[silverwhiteraven]

Borne of the Stars - Chapter 14 - An MLB Kryptonian AU

Tag List:  @eve-valution @weird-pale-blonde-person @kris-pines04 @soulmate-game @abrx2002 @amayakans @vixen-uchiha @heldtogetherbysafetypins @raisuke06 @dorkus-minimus @mopester-is-here @moonlightstar64 @annabellabrookes @toodaloo-kangaroo @the-navistar-carol @elspethshadow @chocolatecatstheron @ivymala07 @maribat-is-lifeblood

[ Summary: Author is Back! The Heroes now meet. They also meet their first Akuma. ]

[ Posted on A03 ] [ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 13 ] [ Chapter 15 ]

Marinette was falling.

Well, falling as much one could when holding on for dear life to one end of a magical yo-yo that acted as its own weird grappler mixed with a trapeze. Neither of which she had ever used in her life.

First time for everything she supposed, though she also hoped this wouldn’t end with lasts, either.

Speaking of firsts being lasts, she realized her latest upswing was about to turn into a crash course collision with a black clad figure floating in the open air. As she yelled a terrified “ Look out!! ” at the person she didn't know was friend or foe, she really did wish this would be her one and only time her bad aim with a yo-yo ever turned into this situation. She really doubted it, though, but a girl can dream.

She barely saw a flash of blonde hair and green, green eyes turn towards her in shock before they slammed into each other, and fell several meters to a high rooftop below with mutual ‘ oofs ’ and wire wrapped around them. They rolled to a stop, Marinette resting awkwardly atop the other who had her back to the roof.

“I am so so sorry!” Marinette immediately apologized as soon as breath was back in her lungs. “I’m really new at this, I-” She was interrupted and silenced a moment later by a laugh and green, feline eyes looking into her own from below.

“Don’t worry about it, little lady,” the girl clad in black soothed reassuringly, her French accented. “I know a thing or two about knocking everything over when you first start out. I’d make a great practice dummy if you ever need it. Now, let's get out of this- uh…” She looked down, confused, at the string around them as she gave her arms a tug. “Wow, this stuff is stronger than I thought.”

Marinette could just feel the yo-yo string staying firmly tight with every tug, and realized she still had one end of it in her hand. “Oh! Let me just-” One tug, and the yo-yo came zipping around them and back into her hand. She was up in an instant, backing up with a flush of embarrassment on her face. “S-sorry, again, I’ll get better at this soon.”

The other girl just grinned, revealing pointed canines as she stood up as well. “Take your time, I can carry us both for as long as we need until you’re ready.”

A distant rumble caught their attention, and the blonde girl went tense and turned back to Marinette.

“Let’s make these introductions quick. I’m Oncilla the Black Cat,” The girl in black said, a hand over her heart and the other behind her back, taking a rather formal looking bow. “You must be the Ladybug I was told to expect?”

Marinette gaped like a fish for a moment before nodding quickly. “Oh, yes! Ladybug, yeah, you can call me that, not many other options with this costume, huh?” She joked nervously with a glance at her red and black-spotted hoodie.

“It suits you, Buggy,” Oncilla said with a grin, then walked over to the edge of the roof towards where the noise was coming from. Marinette- Ladybug- followed, fidgeting the yo-yo in her hand. “We should get going,” Oncilla added, squinting into the distance. “If there's anything I know, it’s that the damage only gets worse with time.”

“Experienced?” Ladybug asked, looking out over the edge nervously.

“Very. You?”

Ladybug laughed nervously once more. “Only with classroom bullies. This is…”

“Bigger, yeah. But think of it this way,” Oncilla turned to Ladybug and set a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “In a classroom, you're both on equal footing. Out here with villains? The field is bigger, but being Ladybug means your footing is the same, too. And you know what else you have that they don’t?”

“What?” Ladybug asked curiously.

“Back-up,” Oncilla said confidently through a big grin. “Bullies never have many friends, and villains are nothing more than slightly bigger bullies with even bigger heroes to oppose them. Trust me, your Ladyship, we got this. ”

Ladybug’s shoulders relaxed, and a grateful smile spread on her face. “Thank you. Having friends to back you up is always a good choice. Glad to have you as one of mine.”

Oncilla beamed at her. “Let’s head off. I can fly, but since you can’t, I'll stick with you. I've learned my lesson with going in head-first without my team, I won’t be teaching that to you on our first day together.”

“I appreciate it, considering I’m still not used to this yet at all,” Ladybug showed the yo-yo in her hand. “Catch me if I fall again? I don’t think ladybugs land on their feet…”

“‘Course,” Oncilla answered, then pulled a silver staff from behind her back. Not only did she plan to stay by Ladybug, she also seemed to be planning to forego flying so she could keep the same pace. Ladybug appreciated the gesture, and with a toss of her yo-yo and a step off the edge, she was off towards her first ever in-person super-villain, partner close behind.

Their travel wasn't long, though it felt like forever to the poor Ladybug, who was holding any more panicked yells from escaping. She really hoped she would get used to this soon, she really did.

They found their villain near the Eiffel Tower, the large monument clearly being the Akuma’s goal.

“They're trying to get a higher vantage point,” Oncilla fills in as Ladybug notices the Akuma was only floating so high off the ground. One of the Black Cat hero’s feline ears was flicking, cluing the other into Oncilla’s enhanced hearing as well.

As Ladybug turned back to look at the villain, squinting at them, she could have sworn for just a second she heard the Akuma muttering to themself. Maybe she got her hearing enhanced, too, just not as much? She supposed it went along with the themes, really.

“So how do you usually handle this kind of thing?” Ladybug questioned without moving her eyes from the target. She also kept them moving closer, though slower to keep from rushing or alerting the Akuma.

“Observe, strategize, attack, and don’t ever hesitate. Waiting is only good if it lets you get information, otherwise that’s just stalling, and stalling is bad if you don’t want extra collateral damage.” Oncilla was clearly concentrating well on the situation, looking and sounding perfectly in her element. Ladybug felt out of place, but she still held to the hope that she could fill her new role without any classic Marinette-clumsiness getting in the way.

“Observe…” Ladybug mused. “I saw earlier from my own, uh, high places, that all the glowing street parts popping up are a big, connecting map. The roofs of some buildings are even getting marked with icons.”

“Oh, I noticed that too, a... friend pointed it out to me,” Oncilla nodded. “But why turn the whole city into a giant map?”

Ladybug shrugged. “Maybe they got lost, couldn't find a place to ask directions?” She tapped her chin, thinking more. “I also saw a few odd things while I was swinging around. A few miscellaneous places had markers on them, almost like pins in a personal map rather than existing landmarks. They could be caused by the Akuma’s personal interests in those places?”

“Sounds reasonable. But in that case, they already know the layout of the city. Again, why a map ? Maybe...”

“They're tracking something?” Ladybug filled in.

“Exactly!” Oncilla snapped and smiled at her. “Maybe a bit more like a GPS system. Or a treasure hunt. They don't know where the thing they're looking for is, but they know it’s going to be marked on the map. So, they need to get somewhere to be able to see the map best.”

“Like a really tall tower in the middle of a lot of shorter buildings,” Ladybug finished, then looked onward, past the Akuma, to the Tower itself.

“Let’s intercept them at the base,” she suggested, “If we can't stop them there, we can at least follow them up and see where they go from there.”

“Smart,” the other replied. “Let’s go.” And with that, Oncilla was running and pole vaulting towards the Tower, skirting far around the Akuma to avoid notice, Ladybug close behind with her yo-yo.

The two heroes got to the base of the Eiffel Tower before the Akuma did, though not by long. However, the Akuma seemed not to notice them, eyes locked on the upper levels. That is, until a violet glow ringed their mask, and their eyes snapped downward to the duo, before their previously pensive expression warped into a cold sneer.

“The Ladybeetle and Black Cat! You finally arrived!” The Akuma spoke loudly, impatience thick in their tone.

The two dropped into defensive stances at the recognition, Ladybug’s more sloppy and unpracticed than Oncilla’s. Ladybug thought to herself that she should really take more fencing classes as Marinette. Maybe Kara and her friends could assist, too? Not the time to think about this! She self reprimanded, turning her focus back to the villain.

“What about us?” Oncilla taunted, bringing the focus of the Akuma to her.

“I am Atlas, and in exchange for your Miraculous, I shall be able to find what I have lost with the gift I have been granted. So hand them over.”

“Yeah, no,” the Black Cat wielder continued, “These aren't toys to trade like Halloween candy. We keep them, and you get lost.”

"No! Give me your Miraculous and get out of my way so I can get back to finding my things!" The Akuma bellowed at the heroes.

"I'm sorry Atlas, but we really can't do that," Ladybug chimed in, looking conflicted. She wasn't used to this, it was only her first time as a hero, let alone negotiating with a super-villain or a possessed civilian. Yet, there was something here she did know how to do.

"But!" She interrupts the Akuma as their face contorts into a deeper scowl, their body crouched and coiled, ready to jump at them. "But, maybe we can help?"

"Help?" Atlas became confused, and the butterfly-shaped glow returned. They waved it away with a shake of their head, "Quiet, Hawk Moth, maybe she can help you with this, too."

"Yeah- Yes! I can try to help, what is it you lost, maybe we can look for it." She glanced back to the other hero, making sure she was on board. Oncilla shrugged, relaxing from her previous stance and restraining herself from jumping right into fighting.

The Akuma looked thoughtful before answering.

"Well, at first, I just lost my pens,” the Akuma recalled aloud. “But then..." Their expression contorted in pain as they remembered their moments that led to their Akumatization.

"I lost a lot, actually," they amended. "Today was rough, a lot went bad. I just wanted to relax and work on my calligraphy when I was finally home. But I couldn't find my pens, or my backups... God, I found my good paper with spilled ink! " Their voice rose again, the anger and frustration growing and radiating from them like a toxin. Ladybug kept herself from recoiling and held herself as steady as she could, listening.

"I'm probably the one who spilled it when I left this morning, hell, I probably forgot my pens in the locker when I emptied it, or on the subway like a freaking idiot . I keep doing things like this, losing everything . I can't keep anything straight, I can't remember anything right, I can't do what's expected of me! " Tears streamed down their cheeks now, and their cries had risen to a yell.

"I need everything mapped out for me because I'm useless without that!! So just, HELP ME , or GIVE UP and GIVE ME THE MIRACULOUS!! "

The butterfly glow returned, and only a split second of unheard prompting had the sorrowful and angered Atlas attacking the heroes off-guard.

The two heroes jumped apart, dodging the first attack. Oncilla was quick to engage Atlas in  close combat while Ladybug recovered herself.

The fight moved away from the newer hero, and in an attempt to get herself closer, tossed her yo-yo into the beams of the Tower. It stuck and pulled her up, but she failed to get it back down, and ended up hanging from the string a few meters in the air. Looking around to see if there was anywhere for her to safely fall to, she realized, even if it wasn't much, she could see things better than from the ground.

“Oncilla!” Ladybug called out, and saw the other hero’s feline ears twitch towards her in acknowledgment. “I need to get higher, I have an idea! Can you handle them for a minute more?”

“Of course!” came the response. “Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, I got this! Go!”

With a quick, hard tug, and another throw of the yo-yo as she fell, Ladybug was heading up the Eiffel Tower.

As she swung to the peak, she called out, “ Lucky Charm! ”

[snowdice]

One More Chance (Part 12 of the Series “Is There Anything Left of Patton?”)

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Logan/Patton, Virgil & Patton, Logan & Virgil, Roman & Patton

Characters: 

Appear: Patton, Logan, Virgil

Mentioned: Roman, Remy

Summary: Season change. Life changes. This time, Patton does too.

Notes: Zombie Apocalypse AU, Patton is a zombie

This is the twelfth part of a series of one-shots called Is There Anything Left of Patton?

Previous parts:

“Something Left”

“Someone You’ll Never Meet”

“Food You’ll Never Eat”

“Things You’ll Never Do”

“There Are Things That Are Lost”

“There Are Things That Are Missing”

“And There is a Question”

“Is There Anything Left of Patton?”

“And There is an Answer”

“But What Does It Mean”

“One More Dance”

My Master Post

The day Roman danced with Patton marked a big change in the house. Remy had basically already figured out what was going on with Patton (or at least as much as one could given Logan and Virgil didn’t quite understand it themselves), but it came as a surprise to Roman… somehow. Virgil had worried on the first day about Roman’s reaction considering his initial behavior when he’d met Patton, but much like Virgil had, Roman had managed to get attached. Zombie or not, Roman had decided Patton was his friend. The explanation of just what exactly was going on had come with some awkwardness, but not violence and life quickly moved on.

Once the secret was out and neither of them had an extreme negative reaction, their guests began to crest the barrier between guests and residents in the house. Logan began to devote time to thinking up a more permanent solution than just having the two crash on the floor of the study. For now, they had found usable mattresses and dragged them home to set up a temporary third bedroom in the study, but Logan had been making plans to renovate the house next door and build an attachment between the two so they would have more space. He’d already spent some of the summer constructing a sturdier fence around the neighboring house and planned on working on building more solar panels for its roof in the basement during the winter.

The division of labor became a lot easier too with the addition of two people. Scavenging was much easier, allowing Logan to get the supplies for the aforementioned solar panels as well as other supplies from more difficult to break into places. Remy and Roman were actually quite practiced at not dying in more risky situations since they’d started in a city.

Remy knew a bit about tech, having worked in a theater and jury-rigged a few things like microphones and lights in his day. Though he didn’t know as much about stuff as Logan, he knew enough basics that Logan was able to teach him things about maintaining and fixing the generators and other things around the house.

Roman, meanwhile, was good at hunting in both the traditional way and in the Roman-did-you-really-just-catch-a-chicken-with-your-bare-hands sort of way. They now had 3 chickens which they’d set up a coop for in the other house’s backyard.

Both Roman and Remy could sew pretty well which took some of the load off of Virgil and they could help in the garden some (Logan was still not allowed anywhere near it).

Virgil still often found himself panicking about the fast approaching winter, but they had even more supplies than the year before even counting the two extra mouths. So, overall, everything had changed for the better.

And then, there was Patton.

Patton had good days and bad days, but even the bad days were in stark contrast to what he’d been like a year ago. It’s like something had been triggered in him, and once he’d figured out how to follow the path to consciousness, it became easier to do so by the day.

On good days, Virgil imagined an outsider wouldn’t ever guess what he was. He wasn’t 100% normal, but most people would have no trouble saying he was a person. He still never spoke (except reportedly to Logan sometimes when they were alone), but he did react to what they said and seemed to understand. He smiled at Roman when he played him a song and tilted his head when Virgil spoke softly to him. There were entire passive aggressive arguments about the décor between him and Remy as both moved everything from furniture to decorations around sometimes behind each other’s back… and sometimes while making unflinching eye contact. Virgil thought they were having fun. Maybe?

There was a day in late August after the temperature had finally broken and it wasn’t boiling hot anymore where Virgil came down to find every blanket and pillow in the house had been brought to the living room and piled on and around the couch. Virgil at first had thought it was another malfunction and Patton was confused, but it was clear by how Logan reacted that it was in fact just a Patton thing. Roman had taken the blankets and constructed a fort for him which they’d both proceeded to spend the rest of the day in talking (well, Roman did the talking) about musicals and Disney movies.

Then, there were a few times where Virgil had caught him staring at a full cup of water sitting in the armchair. He’d sheepishly pretend like he’d gotten the water to drink it and Virgil let him.

Virgil’s hoodie just as often ended up folded outside his bedroom door in the mornings as it ended up in the washing machine and sometimes Patton would even come find him and hand it to him.

They hid the macaroni and cheese and woke to the entire loaf of bread that had been on the counter gone and cold grilled cheeses in the refrigerator. They put the macaroni back.

And on his best days when he came downstairs and poured himself a glass of juice from the refrigerator, he’d shoot a smile at Virgil and go off to find Logan. Virgil would often find them later smashed into the armchair together with Patton’s head on his shoulder while Logan read a book to him out loud.

The good days were become slightly more frequent as the months pushed on, but today was a bad day.

He’d been very confused and mostly unresponsive all day, but there was still something there in his eyes even today. Virgil glanced over as he removed the last jar of canned strawberries in this batch from the pressure cooker on the stove and set it on a dishtowel to cool. He’d been taking inventory earlier and some of the older cans that needed to be used soon were on the kitchen table including a jar of pickles.

Patton was staring at that jar intently as though it held the secrets of the universe. “Do you want a pickle, Patton?” Virgil asked. There wasn’t much of a response except for maybe a flicker of his eyelashes. However, the fact that he seemed to connect the sealed container with one of his favorite snacks did say something good about his object permanence.

Virgil passed the card table he’d set up for the earlier batches of cans to the kitchen table and grabbed the jar. He quickly took out one of the pickles and closed the can back up tight so the man wouldn’t try to eat all the contents in one go. He placed the pickle down in front of Patton. He immediately grabbed it and Virgil quickly turned away, so he wouldn’t have to watch that. When he looked back, the pickle was gone, and Patton had placed his chin on the table to once again stare at the jar intently.

“You just keep doing that buddy,” Virgil said before turning back to his canning station on the counter. He’d been working all day and this next batch would be his last. He started spooning the pre-prepared strawberries into the jars as he heated the water back up in the pressure cooker. He heard Patton shifting around but didn’t pay him much mind, too engrossed in his task. Annoyingly, it ended up that he was about half a can short on his mixture. He must have filled one of the earlier batches too full and now everything was uneven. It wasn’t a big deal, but still irritating. He’d just placed the last lid on when a hand suddenly appeared next to him and he jumped.

Honestly, one would think he’d be used to Patton randomly reaching for him by now. Except, unlike what usually happened, the hand went for one of the jars from the last batch instead of for Virgil himself. There was a quiet pop before the jar was set down again with its lid off. Virgil blinked at him. He blinked back and then wandered away. Virgil’s eyes followed him which is when he saw the card table. Every single jar was open.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me Patton.” Patton gave him a curious head tilt, looked at the dozens of opened cans, and then looked back at him.

Virgil put his head down on the counter and let out a long, loud groan. He was actually impressed by own his lung capacity.

There were footsteps from the living room after about 15 seconds of sustained groaning. “What happened?” Logan asked.

“I just wasted an entire day on canning is what just happened,” Virgil sighed, gesturing to the many, many open cans.

Logan’s presence in the room seemed to pull Patton in and he walked up to him, kind of bumping into his front. Logan’s arms came up to hug him softly, and he rubbed his back a bit. Virgil watched as, after a moment, Patton tilted his head a bit to angle his mouth towards Logan’s ear. Virgil raised an eyebrow at that. Logan hummed after a few seconds and pressed a kiss to the top of Patton’s head. “It’s okay, love. I’ll help Virgil clean it up for you. You don’t have to worry.”

Virgil blinked. “Yeah, no, it’s fine Pat,” he was quick to reassure. “I get it. You’re good. It’s just a few cans.”

“How about I take you upstairs and you can lay down for a bit?” Logan offered. Patton nodded. “Alright, I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Logan said to Virgil before starting to guide Patton upstairs.

“You will not,” Virgil muttered, knowing it would be at least an hour, maybe two before he could pull himself away. Yet, he was more amused than annoyed at that fact. Virgil turned to look at the state the kitchen was in as they disappeared up the stairs. “Well, I guess I get one more chance to make sure the strawberry levels are even in all of the cans.”

Want to read more? The next part of this series is  When There Is Something Left.

[artnerd1123]

Among Us: CR3WM8TS

Docked and Loaded ——————————————

The ship finally arrives at the newly established Sector G base on a new planet. Hopefully, start of work goes smoothly. Hopefully the logs are functioning well, too... 

Among Us archive/askblog Fic chapters post

——————————————

once again i am chopping a chapter in half to keep it from getting too long. anyway!!! more normal crewmate troubles n dorkiness with some ominous vibes for Flavor (tm).  hopefully the next part will come out sometime soon! enjoy this for now!

                                                 ===+===+===

Mission Log 10

Ship Model: SKELD D34-H120 Designation: SUPPLY TRANSPORT, EXPLORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF SECTOR G PLANETS Crewmate Count: 9 Crewmate Colors: DARK GREEN, WHITE, PURPLE, DARK BLUE, YELLOW, RED, LIME, BLACK, PINK

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: IN TRANSIT Course: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Systems:

Navigation: COURSE INLAID / STABLE

Engines: UPPER - ONLINE, TANK 0.86 / LOWER - ONLINE, TANK 0.83 / OUTPUT ALIGNED

Reactor: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

O2: STABLE

Electrical: STABLE

Communications: ONLINE

Shields: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Weapons: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Security: CAMERAS ONLINE / ALL FUNCTIONAL

Administration: MAP ONLINE / CONNECTION SECURE / SHIP FILES UP TO DATE / ALL CREW ACCOUNTED FOR

Medbay: EQUIPMENT ONLINE / FUNCTIONAL / CREW FILES UP TO DATE

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

Notes: Updates by PINK still taking well to system. Travel into sector G uneventful. Crew bonding time worked into today’s schedule, all crew in attendance for at least an hour. Crew performing normal activities.

                                                ===+===+===

Mission Log 15

Ship Model: SKELD D34-H120 Designation: SUPPLY TRANSPORT, EXPLORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF SECTOR G PLANETS Crewmate Count: 9 Crewmate Colors: DARK GREEN, WHITE, PURPLE, DARK BLUE, YELLOW, RED, LIME, BLACK, PINK

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: DOCKED AT [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] Course: N/A Systems:

Navigation: COURSE REACHED / STABLE

Engines: UPPER - ONLINE, TANK 0.72 / LOWER - ONLINE, TANK 0.68 / OUTPUT ALIGNED

Reactor: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

O2: STABLE

Electrical: STABLE

Communications: ONLINE

Shields: OFFLINE / FUNCTIONING N/A

Weapons: OFFLINE / FUNCTIONING N/A

Security: CAMERAS ONLINE / ALL FUNCTIONAL

Administration: MAP OFFLINE / CONNECTION SECURE / SHIP FILES UPDATING FOR MISSION / ALL CREW ACCOUNTED FOR

Medbay: EQUIPMENT ONLINE / FUNCTIONAL / CREW FILES UP TO DATE

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

Notes: [SKELD D34-H120] docked at [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] successfully. No transport issues to report. All supplies for transport intact and in transfer process to base. Mission files currently integrating to ship system. Crew integrating to mission base to assist in tasks, exploration, and supply dropoff. Weapons and shields offline to align with docking procedures. Course will remain unlaid until HQ supplies further information.

                                               ===+===+===

It had been a good long while since Bunbun worked on an exploration ship. She’d been stuck updating supply line SKELDs for awhile, and got bogged down repairing virus bound code in defensive SKELDs for longer. Exploration ships were like little breathers in the middle. It meant she just had to worry about one ship, once all the updates were done. She could sit and watch the stars. Make a friend, if she was lucky. And, on days like these, it meant she’d be helping out with something bigger. Planet 236-OCE-849 was a gorgeous world. A new one, too! Sector G was largely new to HQ. They had high hopes for the planets and inhabitants. This one in particular was the first they’d set up a base on. Crashing waves and strange colorful formations were the source of many rumors across the airwaves. Bun had been unable to see the planet’s surface as they descended, but the views before they made landing preparations were breathtaking. Most of it was enveloped by an ocean. The water bound world was like a painted marble, little bits of vibrant colors poking through. She’d never seen land so vivid. It made her all the more eager to get down to the surface.

The door of the ship opened with a loud hiss of pressurized air. Metal clanked against itself as the two halves pulled themselves apart, the groaning making everything in the vicinity go still. Of course, what happened afterwards was anything but. The gangplank was already lowered, so the cooped up crewmates came scrambling out. Captain Groud was first, their voice echoing back towards the ship as they called for the Mission Lead. Silk trailed after, one of xyr robots hot on xyr heels. Rose and Laser went off as a pair, aiming to tend to any wounded and check how defenses were going. Nanner emerged with supplies already loaded, a couple crewmates from the planet coming to help her transport them where needed. Lemon and Junior were off to check the base’s energy status, the son sticking anxiously close to his father. River, to no one’s surprise, sauntered off the ship to go find somewhere to lounge. Groud said he’d help when they needed him, but from the looks the rest of the crew gave, there was probably a fat chance. That left Bunbun walking down the gangplank last. She was glad now that she’d pulled down her solar visor. The light outside was nearly blinding compared to the ship’s lobby. Around her she could see miles and miles of open sea, the bluish purple waves almost hauntingly familiar. Like an echo of the blue green waters she had back at home… I wonder why the water here is more purple… I bet Rose might know. She only took her eyes off the ocean when something crunched under her boot. She drew back hastily, afraid she’d stepped on some planetary inhabitant- only to draw in a sharp breath from surprise. The ground she stood on was a bright pastel orange. Upon closer inspection, it looked to be made out of some sort of… finely webbed rock? Coral, she realized, eyes widening. Her gaze snapped up to the island they’d landed on. The whole thing looked like a fractured rainbow, colors radiating across the ground. It was all made of the same webbed rock- coral, as she’d remembered. The realization had her bouncing on her heels. I’m standing on an island made of coral!!! She took another hesitant step. It crunched again under her foot. She couldn’t keep herself from giggling as she kept moving, feet dancing over coral that shifted from orange to yellow to green to purple. A myriad of colors, and all so bright!!! She’d never laid eyes on anything quite like it. “Enjoying the scenery?” a voice called, snapping Bun out of her happy dance. She froze in place, instantly standing to attention and trying not to drop her tablet. Another voice laughed, the sound carrying closer as her face flushed. When Groud’s star patched green and Silk’s beat up purple came into view, she let herself breathe. Ok. So. She hadn’t entirely made a fool out of herself. These two, at least, knew who she was. “M-maybe a little, Captain, eheheh,” she called sheepishly. “I’ve never been on a planet with coral islands before.” “Well, it’s a treat for you then!” Groud laughed. “Hey, if you’re not busy, why don’t you go head down to the power room?” “Oh, are the base crewmates busy?” Bun blinked. “Yeah, a little,” Groud nodded. “There’s a lot going on. Lots to update and lots to move.” “That, and Lemon ‘n Junior said they might need some help,” Silk added. Between you and me, I think they just want someone they can rely on to help figure the energy out.” Bunbun’s face flushed again, the warmth from Groud’s voice and Silk’s visor-shadowed smile buoying her mood higher. She’d only been with this crew a few days, but they trusted her this much? … Honestly, she couldn’t tell if that was foolish or not. But things needed fixing, and her crewmates needed help. So, off she went.

The base layout was pretty standard. It was a bit compressed to fit the strange coral island, but they’d managed to fit everything in about the right place. Lucky for Bun, she didn’t have too far to go. The building to the gangplank’s right would give her access to Electrical’s courtyard. The crunching of multicolored polyps beneath her feet made her smile with giddiness, picking up the pace to get inside the base. The door was already left open- standard procedure for operating periods- so she strolled right through. Nobody seemed to be waiting for her in the building’s lobby. She’d guess they were all outside, if it weren’t for a few voices. She could hear a couple people down in the security area. River and some other security crewmates, if her auditory memory served. They were talking pretty boisterously. She hooked a hasty left out towards the courtyard, eager to move on before one of them noticed her. The courtyard was once again standard. Four generators, one control panel along the outside wall, and cagey wire fencing around the edges. Bunbun found herself wondering once again what that was meant to keep out. On a new planet like this, nobody really knew what to expect. It could be anything. Images of creeping beasts and flashing eyes started to bubble up, so she shoved the thought out of her mind. It was fine! The fence would do its job, surely. Just as she would do hers. It’s fine. Lemon and Junior were standing before the control panel, their confused chatter making Bun glad they enlisted her help. From the frustrated looks on their faces, they needed it. They should teach more cross system repair in the academy… oh dear… “You two need some help?” Bun called, striding over to the panel. The pair looked up, relief instantly appearing on their faces. “Bunbun, thank fuck,” Lemon sighed. He leaned against the wall, pulling his goggles back up over unruly red hair. “we’re really goin through the ringer here…” “Y-yeah, uh, any help would be really appreciated,” Junior added sheepishly. He fiddled with his tablet, nervous fingers closing out a couple HQ manual tabs. “Of course, guys,” Bunbun smiled shyly. She tilted her head at the open panel, a mess of wires greeting her. Well. That was. Not encouraging. Her brows furrowed the more she looked, eyes trying to trace input to output and back. “... ok. I uh. I see several problems here.” “That’s an understatement,” Lemon snorted, shaking his head. “I don’t even know where to start.” “Did you make sure to take the relevant systems offline?” Bun asked. “Already done,” Junior nodded. He held up his tablet, a couple tabs pulled up to show electrical systems operating on reserve. “We can’t keep it offline for too long, or else the lights are gonna go out. Which, um, wouldn’t be super fun.” “Right, we’ll have to move fast,” Bunbun replied. “I think I can manage that.” Rubbing her hands together, she eyed the mess of wires before them. She’d handled worse, right? This wouldn’t take too terribly long. It was only when she remembered the other two were watching that her confidence faltered. Was she supposed to help? Was it even ok to take over here??? “... Is, um, is it ok if I… uh… manage it…?” She chuckled timidly, scuffing a boot on the ground. “By all means, dear,” Lemon chuckled, giving her a little dramatic bow as he moved back. “I’ll give you all the space you need.” “Just remember we’re here to help if you need!” Junior offered, scooting back to his dad’s side. He smiled nervously, the sun flashing off his visor as he shifted a bit in place. Gathering courage, if his next little quip was anything to go by. “We might, uh, know the reactor better, but we still know our way around a pair of wire cutters! Eheheheh...” Bunbun smiled gratefully at them both. “Of course, thank you. I’m, um, gonna get on this as fast as I can.” With that, she fixed her attention on the wires once more. Whoever set this base up hadn’t been picky about organization. She could fix that easy enough. She’d just… start by sorting the colors. Taking a breath, the electrician hefted up her tablet, free hand reaching carefully for the nearest red wire. Yeah. This would be over in a sinch. And maybe later, she could go explore a bit more. The thought made her grin wide, fingers flying between wires even faster. Oh, yes. Seeing some more of this beautiful planet would be worth any circuitry headaches. She’d just have to remember to add this to the ship’s log later…

                                              ===+===+===

SHIP SYSTEM REALTIME LOG: System setting: DOCKED [STORAGE AND VENT MONITORING]

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: DOCKED AT [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] Course: N/A Systems: 

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

…

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: MATERIAL BUILDUP DETECTED  

Vents: CLEAR

…

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

[your-rose-highness]

Tell Me What is Love (ch-9)

Pairing-Baekhyun x OC

genre- Fluff, angst.

Chapter 9

Baekhyun woke up to find Sarang's bed empty the next morning. Last night’s events came crashing onto him and he closed his eyes in despair. Walking to the kitchen, he found sarang with her nanny, a 15 year old, who seemed to have a crush on baekhyun.

“Hello, mr byun.”, she chirped on seeing him walk down the stairs in the simplest beige pajamas.

Baekhyun responded with a meek smile, ruffling her hair and proceeding to kiss sarang.

Though the young girl spoke to him with gusto, baekhyun had only one thing in his mind, he needed to speak to the members about this. They had already seen troubled days but he had been grateful when they supported him with love and care.

Driving to the dorm, he was half afraid of how they would respond. With them by his side, he could live through the worst apocalypse. He found Jongin asleep on the couch as he walked in, who briefly opened his eyes to see who it was. Surprised to hear someone come in at this hour, jongdae peeped from the kitchen, a spatula in hand.

“Oh baekhyun! What are you doing here so early?”, jongdae asked, surprised.

“Just wanted to talk to you guys; is everyone in?”

“Yeah. i think suho hyung is in the gym.”

“Why is jongin on the couch?”

“I don't know either. I woke up and found him there. Making pancakes, want some?”, jongdae asked, stirring the batter a little too hard.

“Yeah sure. I’ve missed them.” baekhyun smiled at his friend.

“Oh yeah, why are you here? Something wrong?”

“Jongdae, I'm afraid Tae and I might file for divorce soon”, Baekhyun let out in a rush.

Jongdae set his bowl aside in shock. His expression was vocal enough for baekhyun to know what he was thinking. Jongdae knew everything about the distance between baekhyun and taeyeon. Jongdae and chanyeol would always be his first picks to talk about things that ate his heart out.

“Are you sure?”

“Taeyeon and i talked about it last night.”, he mumbled.

Jongdae didn't know what he was supposed to say to his friend at this moment. He gently placed his hand on baekhyun’s shoulder, trying to digest it all.

“Junmyeon hyung is going to be mad.”, baekhyun shuddered to think.

Jongdae shook his head in disbelief. “Please tell me you’re kidding. Is that what you’re thinking about? Divorce is a huge deal.”

“I've given up, jongdae. I’m tired of this. I just want to breathe easy when i wake up in the morning.”, baekhyun hissed at him.

Junmyeon had anticipated something bad when he saw Baekhyun at the dorm so early. He had prepared himself to find solutions instead of just being displeased. The boys were his family and as much as he didn't want to, he was someone they always looked to for answers. Being sandwiched between his member’s expectations and the company’s responsibilities, he seldom found himself in immense stress. 

Baekhyun explained everything to the boys post breakfast, taking his time through details that he had skipped the first time. His eyes filled with tears thinking about the trouble he was putting his members through. As he struggled to find words, jongin sat by him, often rubbing his back to give him courage.

“I'm sorry to you all.”

“It's not the time to be sorry baekhyun. Till when are you going to be this irresponsible? You really need to contemplate your decisions.”, suho uttered. “We’re brothers and we understand that you're going through something very difficult but this affects us all alike.”

“Don't worry! It's one for the team again. What are friends for, after all?”, chirped chanyeol.

One for the team. The boys had once again shown what family meant to them. Baekhyun glanced at each of them, taking in their smiling faces, brave, ready and armed to help him. It is so amazing that just last night, baekhyun felt himself shredded to pieces, finding it hard to breathe. Now, these people with whom he had spent most of his adult life, were always around the corner. He only needs to extend his hand for help. Help before he drowned himself within the deepest pits. He bursted into tears once again, this time, without anything to hold him back. Not Sarang, not Taeyeon, not even Hye hee. He felt free, his shackles disappeared, he let out his deepest sorrow without being afraid of what anyone would think. The boys, worried, rushed to their friend, but no amount of consoling would have stopped him that day. Suho lightly touched chanyeol’s arm signaling him to let baekhyun cry it out. He soon fell asleep on the couch after which the boys threaded lightly around him, jongdae covered him with a blanket and joined the rest of them in Suho's room.

“...he was seen. It’s not something to be ignored. I heard manager hyung said someone attacked a friend of hers.”, Suho said agitated.

“Maybe he needs to stay low for a bit?”, suggested Chanyeol.

“Do we have to protect hye hee?”, Jongin asked.

“Something needs to be done, but we will need to keep it from baekhyun. We can't have him act instinctively again.”

“Lee Sooman sir will NOT be happy about this.” jongdae added.

“Don't worry, he’ll just need a bit of time to come around this. Taeyeon is involved too, so he won't be too harsh.”, chanyeol whispered, peeping to check on the sleeping baekhyun.

The boys just chatted after that, each giving ideas how they should protect baekhyun from the wrath he’d receive from the public. Every word would be held against them. Baekhyun woke up after a couple of hours and the boys did everything they could to take his mind off the huge wave that would be hurled at him in the future.

Hye hee had received an interview via Jaebeom within a week. She prepared to give her best while also setting up a good resume that would hopefully impress them. Though Jaebeom was confident she would get through, hye hee had always been the kind to obsess over details. The day came and she picked herself up to put her best foot forward. To say it was amazing would be an understatement. The scriptwriter loved her work and the blog she ran on the side seemed to be an added cherry on top. She was finally going to work decent hours and receive a pay that would make it easier to pay her student debt. Maybe the days will be brighter now. Jane was feeling better than before too and claimed to have seen her life flash before her eyes and now wanted to study further into journalism. She decided to apply in colleges and jaebeom was more than supportive.

She was moving on. Yes, that's what was supposed to be done. Besides, Baekhyun hadn't called her after that whole confession incident that took place last week. Jane was right. He came in when he needed help. And she would be his best friend, who would support him. Nothing more, nothing less. 

'What of the tension that you felt pass between you two?',her brain reasoned.

What of it? There was nothing. Old graves are best left undisturbed. A new leaf needs to be turned over and a fresh chapter needs to be etched. 

Jane got very busy with university and it left Hye hee and Jaebeom seeing each other both because of work and out of boredom. He had never turned down an offer of post work drinks and turned out to be excellent company, especially after he had a bit too many beers. His usual composed self would go for the toss, something that left even the director surprised. Being the responsible person he was, he restrained himself from drinking on days he knew he would eventually drive Hye hee back home.

The project that they had been working on was almost ending and that meant long nights editing. Many times they'd find themselves alone at the office finishing up sections that needed to be done by next morning. 

It was one of those days when the two decided to take a break and go to the nearest convenience store to grab a little something to eat. His frequent glances caught her attention as she peeled her chocolate ice cream.

"What? Just spit it out. You didn't like the dialogue didn't you? It's not cheesy, this is what people talk like when they're emotional… I'm sorry to break it ….", She blurted out of the blue, making jaebeom laugh.

"That's new, Hye hee! The work pressure finally getting to you? It's been, what, like four months?", He cheekily replied.

"Then what is it? Tell me already!"

A small smile continued to play on his lips, as he hesitated. Turning towards her, he drew a little closer to her before whispering, "I like you, Hye hee." Looking at hye hee's surprised Pikachu face, the slight crooked smile never left his lips. He seemed to be having fun.

"Was it that shocking? I thought I was being pretty evident that I liked you. Or are you dense?"

"But...why?... What?" Hye hee's brain malfunctioned.

"I think you and I are similar in ways. I find you charming. Of course, you're exceptionally pretty, but that goes without saying. You're kind and as much as it's such an overused word, I really think people don't really understand kindness…" he confessed confidently, while Hye hee nibbled on her ice-cream, her cheeks growing hot.

"I don't know what to say…"

"Please know that I'm not trying to put you on a spot here. I'm aware that you're not the kind to jump into a relationship with someone instantly without pondering over it. And I respect that.

"I'll be in Japan for the next three days for work and I'd like it if you'd give me an answer then. I'll wait patiently, till then."

Hye hee spent the rest of the night only looking at him as he continued to work. With his back turned to her, she was free to ogle as much as she'd like. She forced her heart to stop bouncing off the walls and get to work. It's not like she hadn't had men confess to her. But before Jaebeom only Minseok was someone who sincerely put their heart out for her. When she turned him down, he handled it gracefully and never made her feel uncomfortable. That alone told her that he was an amazing human being and when the right girl came along, he'd be the best other half.

Then why was she on the fence about Jaebeom? She did like him… but romantically? In times like these her first call would go to Jane… but he's her brother. What if she's mad?

They finished work at 4 AM. Jaebeom wrapped up work earlier than hye hee(thanks to her inner debate session) and he graciously offered to tidy up everything else while waiting for her to wind up.

The ride home was eerily quiet and her lips itched to randomly talk about things, but the only things she noticed were how much longer his hair had gotten since they had first met, how muscular his arms looked on the steering wheel, the bracelet that always wore hung daintily from his wrist…

"Please Hye hee. Let's not be awkward around each other. I'll….try to be normal if you say no", He said hesitantly. 

She only mumbled a soft okay.

"Alright. Here we are.", He turned to her once again, his eyes testifying how tired he was. "Sleep well. Don't over think. I guess, I'll see you in three days?", He pursed his lips hopefully.

"Have fun."

He nodded with a soft smile and drove away. She was living with Jane for a while till she found her own place again. Jane insisted that she moved after the whole incident.

She lightly stepped into the apartment, only to find Jane's room open and sitting at her desk.

"I'm home…"

Jane turned to look at her with half droopy lids, "oh Hye hee, go shower… I'll be with you in a minute. I can't study anymore. What about Jaebeom oppa?"

"Huh? He….he is at home I guess. I mean...where else… he went home.", She stammered.

"Guess you're tired too. Poor soul. Come to bed soon."

Hye hee showered and quickly got into the covers while Jane was scrolling through her phone.

"Yah, EXO is going on a world tour again.", Jane said, showing her the news.

"Ah. Great."

"What's wrong? Is something on your mind?"

There are times when your brain knows not to say certain things, but somehow, you feel it is already being done and that's exactly what hye hee did.

"Jaebeom said he likes me.", Hye hee blurted, closely watching Jane's expression for signs of disgust and hatred.

"WHAT?!"

"oh don't be mad, Jane! I have no one else…"

"This is great news! I always thought he behaved a bit too weirdly around you! Now I know! Yay! My best friend and my brother!", Jane exclaimed, hugging hye hee with all her might.

"Wait! I didn't say anything yet."

That diminished her energy a bit. "Oh. But, you know, now that I think about it, you guys do match a lot. Is that why I'm such good friends with you? I can't imagine…" she shuddered.

"I'm not sure what I want Jane."

"Look now, don't take this matter into that overthinking mill in your brain. For once hye hee, just do what you feel is right. Everything doesn't have to be black or white. It's okay. Don't think about what will happen in the future. Just go with the flow babe. And no, I'm not saying this because he's my brother. But he is a good man."

Hye hee pondered over things and did realise that she did try to look at things a little too critically at times. She took a deep breath and decided to sleep it off.

The next two days were incredibly dull and she sort of missed Jaebeom. It was a void that made its presence loud and clear. This was the first time, hye hee had spent days missing a man other than Baekhyun. Why did she feel so guilty? Baekhyun was in Europe while she worked in her office, he had taken Sarang with him this time. The fact that she knew this because it was on Instagram and not because Baekhyun had told her, bothered her a bit. He could have been busy. 

She shook away her thoughts about Baekhyun at that moment. How was she going to date someone else with Baekhyun clouding her head all the time? 

The day of Jaebeom's arrival had come and it made her nervous. He would go home first and then come to Jane's to drop off the things Jane had asked him to buy for her. As the clock inched closer to 1 PM, her heart went uncontrollably all over the place, half wishing to run away and hide. What would she say and how? Probably if she saw him, her mind would clear out. Probably for once, life would be like those in movies and angels would sing when a person saw their loved one!

You wish.

"Bitch you look like someone kicked you in the stomach. Breathe, please.", Jane commented, giving her friend a side glance.

"I'm nervous.",whined Hye hee.

"This is my brother. What is to be so nervous? Just tell him whatever you feel. By the way, what are you going to say?"

"I don't know yet."

Jane stood and stared at her friend for a good minute before letting a huge sigh.

"You are one hell of a mad person. He's starting from home. Just sent me a text. Something that he's never done before. Pretty sure that's for you. Great, now I'm being used as messenger.", She dramatically said, putting her hands up in the air in surrender.

She heard the bell soon, and her heart began trying to jump out of her chest. Jane gestured to her to relax as she went to get the door.

Jaebeom was home.

His eyes searched for her instantly, locking them in hers, while he spoke to Jane. He wanted to smile, but pressed his lips together.

They looked at eachother but didn't utter a word.

"Hi.", She meekly said when Jane excused herself to go to the bathroom, glancing at her friend.

"Hello, hye hee. How've you been?"

"Okay, I guess.",she said fidgeting.

"My days were quite dull I'm afraid.", He replied, a faint smile reappearing on his lips," I guess I missed you."

Hye hee blushed. Jaebeom had a way with words and it did stir hye hee.

"I missed you too."

"Are you saying yes?", He asked, his voice breaking in surprise.

Jaebeom walked across the room where Hye hee stood, beside the kitchen and asked again.

"Is that a yes, Hye hee?"

She gave a tiny nod of affirmation and jaebeom let out a small chuckle. Fisting the air in victory. Hye hee laughed with him, feeling like a teenager again.( AUTHOR NOTE: GOT7 fans know this line!) Jane's loud 'awww' surprised them and she ran in for a group hug.

"You guys!!! I'm so happy.", She exclaimed.

Hye Hee was happy too. For the first time in forever, she was not thinking about Baekhyun. If only she knew that her best friend was fighting through his worst days.

[raeofgayshine]

Charlie and Julius

For the anon who asked about Charlie and Julius:

This definitely got a lot longer than I intended, but I had a lot to say about them. So most of it will be under the read more. I do want to just put a few trigger warnings though. Nothing too in-depth, but there are mentions of: suicidal thoughts, character death (but not Charlie and Julius), a car crash, transphobia, and some less than great parenting (I think that’s everything, but if you need me to tag for anything else lmk). 

And if you would like to know more about them, you can check out the tags for them, I’ve mentioned them a few times here and posts that remind me of them. Or feel free to send me questions because I love to talk about these two.They are best boys.

So Charlie Austin and Julius Dauer

- The two of them have been best friends since childhood. I kind of go back and forth on what age/how they met (As I've used them in several stories), but officially the pair met when they were 4, in pre-k. And they became best friends almost instantly. A friendship that was only solidified by the fact they lived down the street from each other, which meant frequent playdates, and as they got older, the two of them constantly visiting each other’s houses (Although they did tend to spend more time at Charlie's house as Julius's parents were always... busy)

- Ever since they were young the two always had a knack for getting into trouble, with Charlie usually spearheading the way and Julius all too happily following behind him. 

- I honestly think of them almost akin to Phineas and Ferb in some regard. They definitely didn't get up to quite the scale of things those two did, mostly because they were scientists first and builders second. But like they were regularly creating explosions by age 8 and almost always challenging the laws of physics 

- (When they're 15 they may or may not have created a slightly unstable device that uh, destroyed a large part of a (thankfully deserted) island. But at other times couldn't create an explosion that even like, knocked over a fence. It was... unpredictable. But they worked out the kinks eventually)

- In high school, their experiments earn them the title of "Mad Scientists", with many people citing that Charlie is often the "mad" part of the duo because of his general recklessness. But it's just Julius is far quieter about his ideas really.

But uh, we'll get to high school in a moment. Let's back up slightly, back to childhood. 

- They got up to a lot of antics beyond their science experiments. 

- I mentioned that Julius's parents weren't around much? It's a bit more complicated than that. I don't want to get into too many details because that will make this a very long post, but basically, Julius's parents did not get along hardly at all. They had vastly different parenting styles, but honestly they also just really did not like each other. His mom mentioned once they had only got married because she had gotten pregnant with Julius. 

- Julius's mom traveled a lot. For work (and other things). She was hardly ever at the house, hardly spent time with Julius, but she did spoil him constantly in lavish gifts and would take his side in arguments only to piss off his dad. She always put on this show about loving him but also didn't know shit about him. 

- Julius's dad on the other hand... Well, let's just say he never made any time to spoil his son. He hardly made time to pay attention at all, it seemed to Julius, except to tell him that he could "do better" and not so subtly encourage him to hang out with someone better than Charlie. His dad had a lot of high expectations for Julius, from a young age Julius was placed in piano, ballet, as well as classes for several other instruments (violin, cello, guitar. As he gets older Julius also learns how to play other instruments to varying degrees, but the only one he sticks with is the ukulele). 

- Charlie had a habit of trying to cause trouble during Julius's lessons to scare off his various teachers, because he always thought it was too much pressure to place on a kid to do so much, and succeeds with most of them besides Julius's piano teacher. This is a big part of why Mr. Dauer does not like Charlie. He thinks he's a bad influence on Julius.

- It's not to say that Mr. Dauer doesn't care about Julius, it's just... he really wants Julius to be successful and get into an Ivy League school and have a good future. And he doesn't ever really understand he's pushing too much. He thinks because Julius is very smart and all of that, he can handle the pressure. 

- But he does care. When Julius comes out as trans (at 16/17), and his mom reacts extremely badly, Mr. Dauer does take Julius's side. Even though he doesn't really believe Julius is trans and straight-up says he thinks it's a side effect of having so many guy friends, you know he is willing to let Julius continue going to the same school and ride out this "phase" because he had been doing a lot better since starting high school (At an all-boys school, although he was originally meant to go to the sister school) and as long as he kept his grades up, Mr. Dauer didn't really care. 

- (And he does come around eventually to accepting Julius, but that takes quite a few years and it happens slowly over a long time). 

- And you know, Mr. Dauer was the one who raised Julius after his parents split up. When Juls was 11, they got a divorce and his mom left without even caring to fight for him. Sent occasional gifts afterward but Julius hardly saw her except for a week over the summer and sometimes around the holidays, if his dad pushed for his mom to take him.

- On the other hand, Charlie had a very very close relationship with his parents. And in many regards his parents kind of adopted Julius a bit as a second kid. They were the polar opposite of Julius's family. Not perfect, but pretty fucking close

- Charlie and Julius were nearly inseparable growing up, as I mentioned. They were together all of the time, never saw one without the other close behind. 

- Well, never saw them apart until they were 11. That's when Julius's parents got announced to him they were getting a divorce, and with very little warning Julius's dad informed him that they were moving. 

- And Charlie was on vacation at the time. They never got a chance to say goodbye. 

- Well, not fully. See, Julius wasn't stupid. He had heard his parents talking about getting a divorce, the pair fighting late into the night for over a week. 

- Before Charlie left on vacation, Julius did a bit of goodbye. See, Charlie and Julius's favorite movie as kids was Winnie-The-Pooh, they were very attached to the characters. They even called each other Robin (Julius) and Bear (Charlie). So before Charlie left, Julius as sappy as he was, he just asked Charlie not to forget him. ("And Bear? Promise you won't forget me? Ever?" "Oh I won't Robin, I promise." "Not even when I'm 100?" "How old shall I be then?" "99. Silly old bear.")

- The next few years were hard for the two of them. You know, they were best friends, and without each other, both of them felt lost. Julius really struggled in school to keep up with the pressure put on him by his dad, without Charlie there to balance him out, it got really hard. And he never really made any new friends, he was too busy just trying to cling the fuck on, and not let other people notice just how much he was struggling. Because he didn't want to disappoint his dad. 

- Things were... harder for Charlie in the end. He had other friends, kids on his soccer team, he was always outgoing and stuff, but never any as close as Julius. He probably would have been okay though but

- When Charlie was  12, his parents were killed in a car accident on the way to his soccer game. And Charlie walked away with a few cuts and bruises and a broken arm.

- Charlie wouldn't admit it, but for years he blamed himself for the death of his parents. It... took a few months for the guilt to hit him. For a while, he tries to push away the pain, the grief, the guilt. To the outside world, he seems to cope with it all remarkably well. 

- He moves in with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He throws himself into school and into sports (Baseball, he couldn't do soccer anymore, not after...) and into student government, keeps himself busy all the time

- It's not enough. Of course, it's not enough. I mean, it's enough certainly to convince everyone else that he's doing okay. Charlie has always been really good about hiding his emotions from everyone who wasn't Julius (who was the only person Charlie ever let himself be vulnerable around). So no one seems to notice that Charlie has become suicidal. Living starts to be really hard for Charlie, and there's a point where the only thing that keeps him alive is that he doesn't want his aunt and uncle to have to find his body. He knows it's a problem, that he should tell someone, but he's too scared of how they'll react. And he doesn't really feel like he's worth being saved anyways. ("And the ghost of survivors guilt can be so kind") 

- Besides, Charlie knows he just has to make it until he gets to high school. Knows that he'll be attending the private boarding school his dad and uncle both did come 9th grade. It's states away. If he could just make it there... well at least his family wouldn't have to find him. 

- Of course, that plan all goes straight out the window when Charlie arrives and finds that his roommate is none other than Julius. And god knows Charlie definitely couldn't hurt Julius like that either. 

- And Julius needed him. All it takes is one look for Charlie to see all the cracks in his best friend, the pressure from his dad combined with a newer fear of being outed to his parents, of being trans in general (because that was still new for Julius. He had only found the word less than a year ago. And the school was safe but... he was so scared. And he hadn't had anyone to talk to about it).

- So maybe it takes a little bit for Julius to really notice the cracks in Charlie as well. Charlie was, after all, the better of the pair of putting on a brave face. In fact, even as kids Julius had called Charlie his courage, and this hadn't changed. Julius breaks down the first time that they meet again, and Charlie becomes pretty much determined to... stay strong for Julius. ("This is not what I intended. I always swore to you I'd never fall apart. You always thought that I was stronger.")

- Charlie really is Julius's courage though. He makes it easier for Julius to breathe again. For the first time in years, with Charlie by his side, Julius feels like he can do anything. 

- And eventually, when his world no longer feels now like it's falling apart, and Julius feels like there isn't the weight of the world on his shoulders, he starts to notice that Charlie isn't as okay as he says he is. And Julius is hesitant to bring it up at first, because he didn't want to push Charlie away, wanted to give him space to open up on his own terms. 

- But when it becomes clear he isn't going to, and Julius is so so worried, eventually... he confronts Charlie. And it takes hours and hours of wearing Charlie down before he breaks and finally admits everything he had been keeping in. Admits all of the guilt and self-hatred he had been holding. 

- For the first time in their friendship, it becomes Julius's turn to be Charlie's courage. He's scared, he's so fucking scared hearing the things that come out of his best friend’s mouth, but he is determined not to let Charlie know that. Because Charlie needed him now to be strong.

- After getting Charlie to open up, the next hurdle for Julius becomes convincing Charlie that he needs to get help. Charlie is terrified to tell his Aunt and Uncle because he doesn’t want to upset them. He doesn’t know how they’ll react. 

- But with Julius as his courage, Charlie tells them. Right before Christmas break, Charlie admits that he needs help to his Aunt and Uncle. They’re shocked and upset and blame themselves for not seeing that Charlie was struggling, but they promise to get him help. 

- They discuss, over break, they discuss Charlie not going back to school. They think that he needs time off and he needs to be at home to recover. Charlie argues with them constantly to let him go back. That he could see a therapist near the school and he had Julius to watch out for him

- They don’t relent until almost two weeks after the second half of the year had started. There were conditions and a lot of concerns, but everyone could see that Julius was important for Charlie to be able to heal.

- And it’s not like things get better overnight. Both Charlie and Julius continue to struggle, to have their bad days. But unlike before, now they have each other. And together they could do just about anything.

- As I said before, they become known as the Mad Scientists. They reign terror in the science labs, cause explosions and set off the fire alarm so regularly that the whole school just kind of stops noticing it. Most students avoid the science wing outside of class, and for those who wind up in a science class with them well... it’s certainly never a boring time. 

- Much like as kids the two of them are hardly ever apart, so much so that their friends frequently call them Chalius just because it was quicker. And everyone pretty much knew that if you told Charlie something, Julius was bound to know it as well and vice versa. 

- A lot of people assume that the two of them are dating. Or if not dating then they assume that they are just oblivious idiots, who are both in love with each other and just won’t admit it. 

- It’s because of the way they act. The fact that they’re always attached at the hip, hold each other hands nearly all the time. Always sit one pressed against the other, arms and legs touching, and oftentimes you would find the two of them just curled together. Charlie would easily plop into Julius’s lap to stay close, and Julius loves to lay with his head in Charlie’s lap so that Charlie could play with his hair. They hugged each other tightly, Julius always resting his chin on Charlie’s head protectively. They called each other by their nicknames and acted so soft and sweet sometimes their friends teased they were going to get cavities just watching them. 

- And of course, Charlie and Julius love each other, but what they had wasn’t a romantic relationship. The closest they can come to finding something to call it is Queerplatonic Relationship, but for the most part, they insist that they are just Charlie and Julius. Nothing more and nothing less. They can’t explain it. But it’s theirs. And they’re so so happy with it.

- (They only ever tell their friends about them being something akin to QPPs. They don’t really mind other people making assumptions, as long as those they care about understand and accept them. The rest of the world didn’t matter).

- They have a handful of ways in which they calm each other down, provide comfort, or even just provide a distraction from each other’s thoughts. Charlie very frequently plays with Julius's hair (which he keeps about shoulder length, he likes to have it long and he loves Charlie playing with it) which helps them both relax. Julius will "play the piano" on Charlie's arm as a way to help keep Charlie grounded, depending on what Charlie needs sometimes Julius attempts to have Charlie guess which piece he is playing, other times he simply just "plays" whatever piece comes to mind and occasionally will sing along. Julius will also play the real piano for Charlie if it is available, although he plays the ukulele when he's trying to keep himself distracted. And Charlie will sing to Julius if they're alone. "Their song" is Somewhere Only We Know, but sometimes Charlie will sing other things, including Return To Pooh Corner as another favorite. 

- Once they're reunited, the two of them even start spending the summers together. Charlie's family on his aunt's side runs a successful hotel chain and the two of them often spend the summer at one of those hotels in a tourist town beach. 

- They're actually kind of local legends at the hotel. Julius in particular is known for his karaoke skills. Despite years of training Julius does tend to be very anxious about performing in general. Except when it comes to karaoke.  He's performed a wide array of songs, some with Charlie and some on his own. My personal favorite of the ones I've thought of is That Don't Impress Me Much, which also happens to be the first karaoke performance his other friends get to see.

- Charlie can’t drive. In fact, he doesn’t even really like to be in cars ever since his parents died, it makes him anxious because he’s worried about another car crash happening. But it helps to have someone there to hold his hand, provide a distraction. He gets nervous when his friends and family are in cars too, always makes them text him when they arrive so he knows that they’re safe. But he refuses to drive. Period. He never wants to be in the position where he’s in charge of someone else’s life like that. 

- Technically speaking, there is a no pet/animal policy in the dorms. But Charlie and Julius tend to ignore that. Not for their own pets, but... They rescue lab animals. From the nearby college, other high schools. They find about animals being used for experiments and they take them in. Usually only temporarily, until a permanent home can be found for them. They work with a local group of college students who have been trying to protest this type of research for years and a local rescue. Sometimes they get non-lab animals, usually snakes or rats, animals other people wouldn’t take.

- (Their friends only learn about this operation in Charlie and Julius’s Junior year, when they have to recruit them to find a missing snake).

- The entire school kind of loves Charlie and Julius, because they will cause chaos if asked. Like slip them a note and $5 and they’ll set off the fire alarm right when you’re supposed to be having a test. A little more, a please, a good story, maybe they’ll even shut the school down for the day. And they get away with it because nobody thinks they’re doing it on purpose. They set the alarms off so often on accident, that no one would even consider that they were doing it on purpose.

- Charlie starts to play soccer again, in his sophomore year. It’s really hard at first, he almost quits after the first practice because it reminds him of his parents and it hurts. But Julius convinces him to stick it out, because Charlie loved soccer and Juls knew he missed playing. It gets easier with every practice, and in the end, Charlie is happy to be back on a team again but isn’t ever quite the same as before.

- Julius is the resident worrywart of their larger friend group. Their friends tease it’s because Charlie is the exact opposite, reckless, the type of person who acts first and thinks later.

- Julius is trans, aro? he thinks? And ace 

- Charlie is pan

- They have matching tattoos, Winnie-The-Pooh themed, although I’m still figuring out what exactly they look like. 

- Charlie has tattoos for his parents, although again I don’t fully know what those look like yet

- Julius’s birthday is September 2nd, and his name in their friend group chat is PianoMan

- Charlie’s birthday is July 25th and his name in their friend group chat is Exploding Charlie 

[arcanawildcard]

Maybe it's been posted before. But would love to see if you could do a jealous Ann. Doesn't matter the girl that she's jealous over Akira. Just love how you write her internal thought process in your stories. It's very much how I imagine Ann to be

taking requests here! (be prepared for a wait tho orz) 

read on ao3

The girl was… cute. Ann could give her that. Maybe not model cute—(what happened to ‘just about anyone can be a model if they work hard enough’? a voice that could have been Carmen or could have been Shiho snarked in the back of her mind)—but cute.

Big brown eyes and a pert mouth to go with gyaru-bronzed skin and way too many accessories (seriously, who’d told her that was a good idea?), a high-pitched titter and too many teeth in her smile to qualify as attractive, and her thighs could really use some toning if she was going to show them off that much, but her brown hair was workable if she wanted to put work into it—

Ugh.

She sounded like Mika right now.

Not that there was anything wrong with Mika—(you have an admirable capacity for forgiveness, but there are plenty of things wrong with Mika, said a voice in the back of her head that was definitely Carmen)—but this was one way that she seriously didn’t want to emulate a sharky businesswoman with a hypercritical eye for anything and everything female in her vicinity.

But.

That titter was over something really dumb Akira had said, and that brown hair was being twirled around her finger as she batted her fake eyelashes at him and posed like a— like a—

…Posed like she like-liked him.

The girl was throwing out every signal in the book that she was interested and available, and all those signals were aimed right at Akira.

That was bound to happen at some point, right? She’d just been taking for granted that the whole school hated him (god, what a thing to take for granted; she was the worst), but he really was incredibly cute if you took the time to look past the creepy glasses shine thing, and he had a gorgeous voice when he took the time to speak up, and she’d never forget that first day when he chased her, an almost complete stranger in the middle of a breakdown, down and made her tell him what was wrong.

So now someone had realized what a hidden treasure he was, and Ann…

—Well, for definitions of realized. Did this girl really care about him, or did she just think he was hot?

Ann’s money was on the second.

(And, shamefully, that thought was a comfort. What kind of person was she to feel better about someone not loving one of her closest friends like he deserved?)

And Ann didn’t know how to deal with that. Didn’t know how to deal with one single first year gyaru making eyes at her best friend.

Ann’s best friend. Ann’s.

She didn’t even know why this was something that had to be ‘dealt with’! Akira was finally getting the recognition he should have had all along, and Ann should be—happy. Relieved. Giggly.

She should think this was cute.

It really wasn’t cute.

She felt sick to her stomach, sad and irritated for no good reason, and the girl’s titter was turning into a full-blown laugh and Akira was almost smiling and—

Ann stood up, leaving her lunch half-eaten on her desk, and left by the far door.

—|—|—|—|—

Her name was Anri. It was spelled with the same kanji as Ann’s name.

This was the first, only, and weirdest time she’d ever wanted to tell someone to change their name—and maybe switch schools or flee the country while they were at it.

It wasn’t fair. She knew it wasn’t fair. Anri hadn’t done a single thing wrong except smile at Akira just a little too wide, and yet whenever Ann thought about her for too long, her hands started itching for her whip, half-hating herself for hoping she was interrupting something when she texted Akira reminders about the Metaverse, praying that he’d give her something to hit.

She’d gotten too used to violence. That was the main problem here.

(It wasn’t the main problem at all. She just couldn’t manage to put a pin in what was. This irrational hatred of Akira’s new friend wasn’t doing anyone any favors, so why was it still here?)

Her dislike wasn’t even mutual. Anri was perfectly happy to nod to her in the hallways, greeting her with an easy hey there, Takamaki-senpai! each time.

Ann wished she wouldn’t. There was only so much guilt she could take here.

It was about two weeks into this that Anri failed to acknowledge her presence—something Ann would have been relieved about (if Anri didn’t notice her, then she was under no obligation to notice Anri) if Anri wasn’t blushing and grinning and she couldn’t hear Ryuji talking with someone (Akira) up the next flight of stairs.

“Told you she liked ya, dude.”

Ann froze halfway to the next stairwell.

If Akira replied, it was too quiet for her to hear, and Ryuji went on, “So? You gonna ask her out?”

She caught the fainted wisp of a neutral hum, and her stomach clenched. He had to know. He had to. She couldn’t live in suspense like this.

Dryly, lower, Ryuji added, “You know this is the closest you’re ever gonna get to dating Ann.”

…What?

Her veins turned to fire and ice and electricity all at once, stomach twisting hard—

“Ha.”

It was a humorless kind of noise, an acknowledgement of the joke, an agreement by way of not being a disagreement, and Ann wanted to charge up there and demand answers, wanted to throw something, wanted to be sick—

Just… what?

Closest he’d get to dating—

Well, it wasn’t… wrong, exactly, but why would that even come into the equation—

Closest he’s ever get to dating Ann.

Because Anri liked him and Ann… didn’t…

But Akira— why would Akira even care?

Akira… cared.

Ryuji wouldn’t have made that joke and Akira wouldn’t have responded like that if he didn’t care.

You know this is the closest you’re ever gonna get to dating Ann.

Ha.

Ann turned on her heel and headed back down the stairs. There was no way she could face him in class right now. Skipping hadn’t been on her to-do list, but it was now.

—|—|—|—|—

She was getting water at approximately 2:15 A.M. when three things abruptly occurred to her.

First: if anyone else had been in this mess and told her that they felt the way she did about it, the first thing out of her mouth would have been, oh, you’re in love with him.

Second: she’d been assuming that this thing she was feeling now was somehow fundamentally different from what it would be for anyone else.

Third: it wasn’t.

—|—|—|—|—

Going to school with that particular revelation spinning through her head was pretty wild.

How long—how long—had she been keeping her from thinking about him like that? Now that the floodgates were open, she couldn’t escape it.

All those cut-off thoughts about the shape of his mouth were completing themselves. All those banished fantasies of being in his arms were sitting implacably at the forefront of her mind. All those nights of laughing at herself for getting off thinking about him—and how she’d never let herself imagine kissing him through it—came crashing back.

She spent the entire first half of the day burying her burning face in her notes, unable to escape the knowledge that he was right behind her, just there while she couldn’t stop thinking about kissing him and touching him and… doing things with him, and oh geez, this was way too awkward.

She wanted, she wanted, she wanted so much. Wanted him. Everything he could give over to her, she wanted it.

(Whatever she could give in return was his already, wasn’t it.)

Lunch came, and with it came Anri. forever decorated, forever cheerful, forever getting way too close to someone Ann hadn’t realized she wanted almost since she met him.

“He-yo,” she singsonged as she slapped her hands down on the edge of Akira’s desk. “Guess who jus’ scored two tix to the aquarium! Wan’ come with?”

The requisite beat passed while Akira thought about it, then he said, “Sounds like fun.”

Anri squealed

Ann stared blankly down at her lunch, finally, finally, finally having a name for that emotion making unhappy knots out of her gut.

Jealousy.

She was so jealous she wanted to die.

Or make something else die. Either would work.

“So Saturday’s good, right? Swee-eet!”

“Heh.”

“Hey, Takamaki-san!” Anri leaned over into Ann’s peripheral vision. “…You okay?”

Ann found it in herself to nod.

“…’Kay.” Then, much chirpier, “See you Saturday, sweetcake!”

Once she left, silence reigned for a long moment.

Surprisingly enough, it was Akira that broke it.

“…Let’s go to the roof.”

Sensing the incoming interrogation but unable to find her voice, Ann just nodded again.

—|—|—|—|— 

They stood by the fence overlooking the school, Akira waiting in silence for her to start.

She had no idea how to start.

“You’re upset,” he eventually prompted.

She nodded.

“What’s wrong?”

She curled her fingers in the wire mesh and said, “Are… are you really dating her because— because she’s the closest you’ll get to… dating—” She swallowed against the tight lump in her throat. “—dating me?”

“…Ah.”

Ann waited.

“You heard that.”

“Uh-huh.” Agh, why did her voice come out so small?

“Ryuji’s an idiot.” But you didn’t disagree. “I’m not dating her.” You agreed to go out with her just the two of you, though. “You’re different people.”

…And yet.

“Mm…” Why were there tears stinging her eyes? “I don’t… want you to go out with… with a replacement for me.”

“That would be pretty awkward,” he agreed cautiously. She could feel his stare boring into the side of her head. “She’s not a replacement.”

It was close enough to a defense of Anri that tears coalesced in the corners of her eyes, and Akira inhaled a sharp breath.

“I don’t… I don’t…”

She didn’t have the first clue how to finish that sentence, but it didn’t matter; Akira took one step away from the fence, two steps towards her, pulled her close and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“…Ann?”

“I love you,” she ended up confessing to his shoulder, and Akira froze. “Really, really love you. And if you really wanna go out with her, that… would really, really suck.”

He let out a quiet, half-stunned laugh.

“I don’t know what to do with this,” she said, which might be the real crux of the problem now. “I just… wanted you to know.”

“…Oh.”

The silence was back for a total of two seconds, and then Ann’s face started to burn with a vengeance, a high-pitched whine forcing its way out of her throat.

“…I can’t believe i said that,” she half whimpered, half groaned. “Who just says that? So. Embarrassing…” She buried her face into his shoulder and let out a mortified whine.

“Said… you love me,” he checked, amused and almost breathless.

That was even more embarrassing to hear repeated back to her. And why did he need to check anyway? Didn’t he believe her?

She jerked back look him in the eye and—oh geez that was so close so close so close—blurted, “W-well I do! I really do! I won’t take that back! Not ever! I-I love you!”

“You love me,” he repeated, even more amused and definitely teasing, this asshole…!

“I do!” she snapped.

Her declaration rang between them for one single second, and then something something flashed in his eyes and his lips were on hers, his glasses digging weirdly into her nose one hand coming up to cup the back of her head and—

It wasn’t anything like what she was expecting.

It didn’t taste like sugar, but it sang through her mind like it. She wasn’t seeing fireworks, but her blood was crackling like they were inside her. Everything everywhere was pressure and sultry heat and need that was sated just as fast as it grew and grew and grew.

The wire mesh dug into her back through her clothes and into her scalp through nothing, only adding into the overload of sensation as he pressed her into it with his entire body, a knee between her trembling legs and a hand crumpling her thin jacket as it roamed up her side, and if she was going to turn into an electrified puddle on the spot, then no one could blame her.

For all that she was trying not to make too much noise, he seemed to be having a similar problem—subsonic groans and tight sighs making her knees even weaker, the perfect counterpoint to the little gasps she couldn’t restrain and the clicky noises of tongues and lips and mouths.

It was deep and wet and hot and even Akira looked kind of stunned when they drew apart.

“Eep!”

That… had not come from either of them.

Ann glanced over Akira’s shoulder and found Anri standing at the door to the stairwell with a very strange expression on her face.

“A-A-Akira-senpai! I, ah, one o’ my friends said ya could be found on the roof, an’ um! Hey, let’s jus’ f-forget about the aquarium, yeah?” Her voice cracked pathetically on the last word, and she abruptly turned on her heel. “Y-yeah.”

“…Yeah,” Akira echoed dumbly, glazed out and confused.

Anri slammed the door behind her so hard it rattled on its hinges.

Ann felt distinctly less guilty that she should have.

He slowly turned to look at her, befuddled frown deepening at her squirmy grin. “You look happy.”

She giggled sheepishly. She did feel a little guilty—just not enough, you know? “That means you’re just mine, right?”

She could feel the response through his whole body, he was still so close, his every muscle relaxing a little.

“Always,” he promised fervently, then kissed her before she could finish beaming over it.

—|—|—|—|—

It was a pretty satisfying long while before they discovered that Anri had locked the door on them.

[bugaboowritings]

Lying to Friends - (Stressed Marinette Fic)

Marinette is Ticking Time Bomb

With light ice angst 

I’m WRITING IT!! Here is Part One of the idea where “Ladybug” (the episode) was about a huge Godzilla-like Ladybug eating Paris (Ladyzilla AU or Ladybug Monster AU?). Or just a fic about Marinette lying to Alya, if you only read this part. 

Enjoy. 

 She tapped her pen twice as fast with each passing second. Drumming it against the polished desk cluttered with her chipped-edge textbooks and countless colored pens. Unconsciously moving the one in her petite fingers like a seesaw with her thumb. Bringing relief to her as its beat stayed constant. Much like a metronome, it combed her thoughts into neat lines. In a sequence, she could manage with. Fixing it from the jumble of nonsense that usually caused her to blank out as she stared off into the nothing. 

 Even when handing her pen off to Alya, Marinette thumped her foot up and down. Keeping the rhythm going. Comforting herself. Alleviating the wrinkles on her forehead while the sides of her throat made her feel nauseous. Getting hit by a sudden fever or tasting the reason why tuna sandwiches shouldn't be left in a schoolbag. Excusing herself from her seat. Turning the chair under her with a little too much force. Preparing to get a scolding by the librarian for that later as Marinette cringed at the thump it made. Alya, on the other hand, didn't bat an eye, her arm mindlessly waving bye as her eyes narrowed on the chemistry problem. Biting her top lip before uncapping another highlighter. 

Marinette stepped out of the library with a big huff. She picked the wrong day to be skipping out in her studying with her chem test creeping closer and closer. However, the deadline didn't jump-start panic into her system as it once did. She and Tikki had trouble figuring out if that was a bad thing or a good thing. Yet, there was an undeniable hunch blazing in the back of her mind that wouldn't let her study even if she tried. 

A sixth sense throbbing. 

Ladybug intuition, if you will. 

Something very bad was going to happen. As if, as if the world was on the verge of seeing something horrible. 

Tikki instructed Marinette to be on the lookout. Reminding her to pick her allies wisely if the battle up ahead demanded more heroes. Marinette visited Master Fu over tea to speak on the matter. Even mentioning it to Chat Noir on a late-night patrol. Before brushing off the comment she made as a simple thought. Chastening herself as she chewed her lip. The last thing she wanting was to make her partner worry for no reason but this sense of doom made her develop a case of insomnia she couldn't cure. 

Marinette was scared. 

Of what? She was unsure about. 

Maybe everything is getting to her. Like she was crashing from a high. 

 No. 

No, Marinette was fine.

Other than the irrational panic, she's good. 

She had a schedule now so she won't be stressed too much about commission deadlines and due dates.  Slowly getting into the self-care routine thanks to Alya and Adrien. 

She's good. 

Though she knew that wasn't the whole truth. 

Lila picked at her nerves each and everyday. Making it seem like another battle lost when she gave Mari that dumb smirk and ARH! It was so infuriating! Watching her go around like the victim when she lit the match that led to the fire. Lila was worse than Chloe. Marinette even wanted to go far as comparing her to Hawkmoth. 

Marinette ground her teeth at that.

Hawkmoth has been a pain lately. 

Marinette punched a number in the school's vending machine. The same that had stickers on the sides and graffiti etched on the glass. Hoping a drink will clear her head. Searching her coin purse to get something for Alya too. Knowing too well that she couldn't drink it in the library. 

Shooting Alya a text to get down for a quick break. 

Marinette pulled back the can tab, the sizzle of the carbonated drink was music to her ears after swallowing the cafeteria's bitter "green" juice for lunch. Taking a sip as a pick-me-up from studying, waiting for the sugar to kick in her system. Leaning on to the cream-yellow bricks that made up the walls of the school. Noticing one of the bricks had someone's initials scratched on to it. 

"Girl, you don't even know how much I needed this." Alya popped open the can by Marinette's feet. Not asking if it was her's because of course, it was her's. Grinning when it saw it was her favorite flavor. Smiling a little wider when tasting how cold it was. Balancing out the sun while its rays warmed the air around them.  

"I thought we could use a bit of a breather." Marinette hummed. Tipping her head back as she took another sip. "It's not good being inside for too long."

"Yeah," Alya smirked, slurping her drink. "Sure that it wasn't because of the view."

Feeling the bubbles in her drink go up to her nose. Marinette coughed into her elbow. Almost dropping her can. 

"Ah- what?" 

Alya patted her back till Marinette quit coughing. Her brown locks swayed as her head nodded towards the locker rooms. There, as if on cue, the fencing team poured out. Laughing with their gym bags slung over their shoulders. 

Adrien smiled as one of his teammates patted his back. His sandy-golden curls were messy and all over the place. It was a charming look, really. Though he was probably sweaty from practice. The sunrays made his hair glitter as he laughed lightly at one of his teammates' jokes. Marinette could just stand there to watch. Maybe even try to grab his attention or call him out from the crowd. 

Then he looked at her. 

Marinette straightens up. Not caring that her pigtails were a little loose or the fact that her face screamed "fresh out from the grave" with the bags under her eyes. 

He gave her that soft smile he seems to offer only her. Or that's just what Marinette likes to think.  To imagine if somehow, someway, he thought she was special. 

Miraculous even. 

Marinette pumped out her own smile, not helping the red that appeared up to her ears. Waving goodbye a little too enthusiastically. Staring at him even when he turned around, making his way out the school's grand doors. Possibly out to where his bodyguard stood. Entering a slick black car that would take his home. Probably, reaching for his phone to text Nino about when they should hang out. Or probably just shut in a room to practice his piano. 

"No," Marinette confessed. Shaking her head swiftly. "No, you got it all wrong." 

"Mari," Alya cooed. Sporting a fox-like grin. Steaming up another scheme before Marinette stared her down. 

"Seriously. I have to much on my mind to try and chase boys." Marinette sipped. Noticing how her grip made a dent in the can. 

A hand fell on Marinette's shoulder, shaking her a bit before feeling Alya's hand skated into small circles. Knowing too well it was the same trick she did when her younger sisters were upset. 

"You wanna talk about it?" 

----

The two girls sat by the vending machine for a while. Marinette had dropped to the ground when Alya squatted next to her. Their nearly empty cans stood by them. Trembling when a breeze came in but the leftover juice in them kept them from flying away like another piece of trash in the wind. 

Marinette had a great view of the quad from where she sat. It was 4:15 and Ms. Bustier's breathing class was starting. Their meetings were once weekly only to switch it to daily sessions as Hawkmoth started acting up. Pulling out stronger akumas. Every time getting closer and closer on getting the miraculous. Every time he seemed to manage to set the city on fire before Marinette could call on her Ladybug Cure to extinguish it. 

People were fearing for their lives. 

Marinette felt the tension leaving the student's shoulders as Ms.Bustier told them to breathe.  

People were fearing for their lives. 

 Scared out of their minds to think that they could be one of Hawkmoth's "champions". A pawn in his game. Manipulated then tossed away when they failed.  

Marinette came to the conclusion that whoever hid behind the mask, behind the akumas, behind the destruction and terrorism that haunted France she would beat to a bloody pulp. 

It was already set in stone. 

Nothing could change her mind now. Not after days, weeks, months, years fighting against this villain, she has seen first-hand how it changed her community. 

Emotions were a weapon now. Feeling anxious or bothered or frustrated or disappointed or anything negative was seen as a weakness to the villain. A target on your back as you felt anything other than happiness. It drained people after a while. To think that people were afraid to express themselves in fear that a little black butterfly would come down and evilize them. The same healthy emotions that were the basis for any person was now a feared weapon.

Teens, the main targets for akumas, now had this fear on their back as anxiety, depression, and anxiousness ate them up. 

Nadja reported that Akuma-Safe Protocols were now implemented in every school or public area.

Alya posted safety guides to Akumas on her blog.  

The Mayor released messages to the press about how they had to work together with their heroes. To stop this dumpster fire that seems to grow each and everyday. 

And the person stopping from Paris burning down was Marinette Dupain-Cheng in a bug costume with a flirty cat by her side. 

Marinette gave a heavy sigh as Alya brushed her bangs back. Petting her like how a mother would comb her child's hair with their fingers. Waiting for Mari to say what was on her chest. 

 God, Marinette just wanted to tell her. To rant. To vent. To cry. All to stop the headaches she was getting or to release the pressure in her. To explain to Alya who she really is. The same hero Alya follows around was the girl that sat next to her in every class. How every time she lied was to go save Paris, not to ditch her. How the secret society that Alya figured out was the same one Marinette went to every Wednesday for tea. Really, she wanted to spill. To stop lying to her best friend in the whole wide world. To tell the truth. To break down this wall between them.

 But Marinette just bit her tongue.  

Alya could never know about this. 

"I'm just worried about this semester, you know." Marinette sighed. It wasn't what was bothering her, but it was something her parents brought up during dinner. Not to scare her, but because they were too interested in what she plans to do. 

"It's our last year here before we move on to bigger things." She groaned, getting up from the floor. 

"My dream of having my own fashion house and your's about being a reputable reporter.

"I'm scared that we're gonna grow apart." Marinette huffed. Tossing her can in the green bin. 

"Hey," Alya's eyes soften with her tone. "We're going to conquer the world together, remember. We, kind of, still need to be best friends for that to work out." She beamed. 

Her smile mirroring on to Mari's face. 

"I guess, you're right about that."

"I know I am!" Alya exclaimed. Throwing her arm around Marinette's shoulder.

 "Now that we are on the topic of working together, there is this one problem I can't seem to solve on the study guide-" 

"ALYA!"

"What! I need help with it!"

------

TBC -see you next week 

[wildlyminiaturesandwich]

Next up we have:

Build/Buy Objects + The World!

This one is gonna be a little more in-depth than the CAS stuff because I have some issues with these sections, and it’s gonna get looooong and seeing as there’s a lot of images taking up space already this is all going to be under a cut to save space on dashes 😊

First off, the world!

Let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we? The first image is a house in Willow Creek that came with base game... which is identical to one of the houses in Strangerville. Seriously, even the layout inside is the same. They literally just plopped the original on the lot, replaced the windows, doors, and fences, moved some furniture slightly, and called it a day. I am not happy at all about this. I get this is just a game pack but honestly, with the sparse way the Sims team decorate houses that come with packs, it wouldn’t have taken any more than 15 minutes to build a new house for that lot in Strangerville.

The next two images are of world decorations that I’m really quite annoyed aren’t available in the build catalogue. At the very least they should be in the debug menu, but they’re not. The new plants, the old cars, the RVs and campers and all of the decorations on them (lights, hanging plants, etc). They did the same thing with a lot of stuff in Get Famous and I just don’t understand why; they’ve made the objects, it’s not like they have to do any more work other than setting them as buyable!

Moving on to a completely missed opportunuity in the big door in the side of the canyon near the secret lab. That 100% should have been the entrance to a hidden lot. Another missed opportunity is that you can’t live in or even edit the lot inside the crater. I would have loved to have been able to build there or even renovate the Secret Lab but sadly even with cheats it’s not possible. Next to that is an oppotunity that they took hold of an ran with and I’m SO HAPPY about it! The plane crash is a completely decorative item UP you can place it over stairs and add a door to it to make it an entrance to a bunker and it looks so damn cool!!

The doors and windows are FANTASTIC! The only complaints I have about the windows is that there aren’t enough versions of them. I like FULL window sets, different versions for all wall heights and tile widths.

The floors and walls are ok BUT once again we have a recycled floor with the linoleum one on the left of the screenshot! Not only that but it has one swatch. Just one. That is literally just a dirtier version of the one from City Living. I know why they do this, because “What about the people who don’t have City Living?” but if they’re going to do that they should at least add some new swatches for those of us that already have the other floor from City Living. I also wish we’d gotten a floor to match the corrugated tin wall, then we could make flat corrugated roofs!

The next image is some of my favourite objects out of the bunch! A UFO light, a bath tub planter (not functional, wish it was but it’s still cool), the cute little decorative armadillo and whatever that little alien thing is lol, LAVA LAMPS! A fully functional AND PORTABLE laptop!!! A very cool new post-apocalyptic-ish shower/tub combo and a cool little military-style camp bed!

Then we have what are complete misses for me. The bookcase is just another in a line of bookcases we’ve gotten recently that are far too big for the shortest wall height and there is no shorter version. Listen, Sims Team, if you’re gonna do that, give us three different sizes for all the wall heights! The other two misses are these two “desks”, which are actually listed in the desk category but are absolutely NOT desks. They’re purely decorative. They serve no purpose at all. You can’t even place stuff on them. WHY!?

And lastly we come to something that REALLY annoyed me and I’m still not over it. See that pretty wrought iron fence in the front? Yeh, I was super excited when I saw it in build mode... and then I placed it. Take a closer look at the screenshot... IT’S 2D! It has literally NO depth! And for some reason the gate does?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FLUFF!? I am SO disappointed in that fence tbh, I discovered it the first day of early access and I’m still bitter about it! Also, there are four new fences (or three fences and one... boarder?) but only ONE of them (the one at the back) comes with a stair railing! I assume it’s because the others are supposed to be like outdoor fences but come on, we need more stair railings anyway!

I just... overall I’m not very happy with build/buy stuff. There are some really good things but they’re few and far between and considering there really isn’t that much stuff to begin with, it’s quite disappointing. That being said, I absolute LOVE the world, Strangerville is definitely my new favourite world, and that combined with the gameplay aspect and the CAS stuff, just about makes up for the disappointment of the rest for me.

[qvintcssence]

Task || 002 — About the Mun.

01. what’s your name/alias you go by ??

Stephanie, but I go by Steph or S. 

02. what’s your age ??

Well—if Dani’s ancient then I am prehistoric. If you insist on a precise number, I’m 30.  

03. what’s your zodiac sign ??

Aquarius.

04. what’s your ethnicity ??

Dudes, I don’t even know my blood type let alone my heritage. What I do know is that I’m whiter than casper. 

05. what’s your nationality ??

American. 

06. what’s your favorite band and/or musical artist ??

Hahaha, cover your ears, Cody. It’s Taylor Swift. 

07. what’s your dream job ??

My absolute dream job would be writing either as a novelist or showrunner. That said, I’m really passionate about teaching, and can’t wait have a classroom of my own. 

08. what’s one place you would love to visit ??

My favorite city in the world is New York City, but I really want to visit Germany. 

09. what’s your favorite tv show ??

Oh goodness... I’ve seen and loved way too many. If we’re talking ultimates though, I’m going to have to say Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

10. what’s your favorite movie ??

Remember the Titans. I am a sucker for sports films. I literally cry the whole time because they are just that moving. 

11. what’s your favorite song ?

I don’t really have a favorite. I go through stages of listening to songs on repeat over and over again and then not revisiting them until some time later. Right now that includes “Don’t Throw it Away” by the Jonas Brothers and “Church” by Aly and Aj. 

12. what’s your favorite sport ??

Baseball! I am a huge fan of the Cleveland Indians, though I’ve recently started stanning women’s soccer. How about that Christen Press though? 

13. what’s your favorite food ??

Italian. I’m garbage for pizza and pasta. 

14. what’s your favorite face claim to use ??

Hmmm. A few months ago I would have said Eliza Taylor without a doubt, but I’ve really taken to playing with Tasya Teles and Daniel Sharman as well. 

15. what’s your least favorite face claim ??

I get very uncomfortable when people roleplay with child actors and/or children in general. 

16. what’s your favorite character of yours to play ?? which do you think you’re most like ??

I have been with Rory for several years now, so I definitely feel like I know her the best. She’s very near and dear to my heart, so she’s probably my favorite. I love all my kids though. They’re all so different, and they provide me with such a unique perspective! 

I don’t know if I’m really like any of my muses. If I had to pick one, I’d say Matt because I too cannot speak around girls. Haha I don’t have him anymore though, so maybe Ashton or Jonas. 

17. what’s your sexuality ??

 I’m a lesbian because women 😍

18. what’s the last movie you saw in a cinema/theater ??

Ugh. I feel so set up by this question! I took my niece and nephew to see The Secret Life of Pets 2 today, and it was pretty cute. 

19. what’s the worst injury you’ve ever had ??

The summer before 7th grade, I broke my leg and shattered my growth plate sliding into home plate. I was safe though, and we won the game! Too bad my pain tolerance levels are like zero, and it was the worst pain I’d ever felt. #embarrassing

20. what’s a random or interesting fact about you ??

This is the question I struggled with the most. I’m boring, y’all... I have a baby brain tumor that I call a ‘brain buddy’ because he’s not really doing anything up there but chillin’. Also, I once wrote a feature length Power Rangers Film when I was 12. I still have it! 

21. do you listen to music while you write ??

Sometimes! If I do, it has to be very mellow because I get distracted very easily. If there is a song that really fits the moment or inspired me to write the moment, I’ll listen to it on repeat to keep the vibe. Otherwise, I’ll listen to instrumentals or Sleeping At Last’s album titled “Atlas.” 

22. are you a morning, day, evening, or night writer ??

It all depends on when I have time. I honestly get my best writing done on pen and paper while I’m at work with fewer distractions, but a lot of times, I get inspired at night. I also did a lot of writing while substitute teaching, so it all just depends on if the situation allows for it and how focused I can get myself.  

23. have you ever roleplayed intoxicated ??

Yes, it’s embarrassing. Don’t do it! 

24. what language or languages do you speak ??

I only speak English fluently, but I can read French decently well.

25. how long have you roleplayed ??

I started role playing way back in the days of message forums and MSN chat. It was power rangers, and I was 14 so... 16 years. Damn. 

26. favorite roleplay genre ??

Honestly, genre isn’t important to me. Give me a story worth telling, and I’m in. I just need plot. Everything else will fall into place. 

27. one sound you hate & one you love ??

I fucking hate the sound of metal against metal or metal against teeth. Anything that gets that loud screeching noise is a big no from me. 

I love the sound of heavy rain and thunder storms. 

28. do you believe in ghosts ??

I’m fairly certain that no less than three of my former houses have been haunted, so yes. Yes, I do. 

29. do you believe in aliens ??

Sure, why not? I find it harder to believe that the galaxy exists with only us. 

30. do you believe in true love ??

Yes, I do. I believe in reincarnation, and soulmates, and finding each other in each and every universe. It might not be forever, because bad things happen, but it is a constant. 

31. do you hold grudges ??

Not really. I get all hopped up about something for like 10 minutes and then forget about it. No use staying angry over something you can’t change. 

32. do you have any obsessions right now ??

I’m forever obsessed with Harry Potter, but I’d say I have a few other currents. The 1OO, Women’s Soccer, Cleveland Indians Baseball, and Resident Evil are the ones that come to mind. 

33. do you drive & if so, have you ever been in a crash ??

Double yes. I ran over my fence post backing out of my drive a few years back, and I’ve fallen victim to the icy Ohioan roads a few times. I also side swiped a truck merging into a lane and also pulling into a parking spot, but listen... I’m not that bad of a driver! Not-So-Fun Fact: All three of the weather induced accidents occurred on February 11th—a day before my birthday. 🙃 These also all occurred before I was 25... minus the bad park job. 

34. do you like the smell of gasoline ??

That’s a no. (Dani, that’s gross!)  

35. do you prefer writing fluff, angst, or smut ??

Honestly, I love it all. Not a huge smut writer, just because it feels a little too personal with the person you’re writing with, but I’m not opposed to it as long as everyone is over 18 and comfortable writing it. Angst and fluff get me hook, line, and sinker though. I live for it! 

36. are you in a relationship ??

I WISH.

37. grab the nearest book to you and turn to page 23, what is the 17the line ??

“I have buried one friend to-day,” he thought: “what if this should cost me another?” —The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

38. put your playlist on shuffle and list the first four songs that pop up:

“Let’s Get Married” by Bleachers, “There for You” by Martin Garrix & Troye Sivan, “Star Maps” by Aly & Aj, and “Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 

[minnochu]

Lustrous (pt. 7)

Hybrid!Kook x Reader AU

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4 | Pt 5 | Pt 6 | Pt 7 | Pt 8 | Pt 9 | Pt 10 | Pt 11 | Pt 12 | Pt 13 | Pt 14 | Pt 15 | Pt 16 | Pt 17 | Pt 18 | Pt 19

(A/n) I literally need to update Wonderwall but I had a burst of inspo for Lustrous that I wrote another update instead and thought I should just fuck it and post it ‘cause I’m still acclimating to uni life and studying and sleeping is all I do now LOL I can’t really say since this is my first year but fair warning I might temporarily disappear in the future 3 years from now if I get in the bsn program, my major is pre-nursing so really, really wish me luck please ;-; With that note, enjoy the update lovelies <3 sorry for the long msg.

.

“She leaves the house for a few hours and she’s already attacked again?” Seokjin blinks as Jungkook sets you down on his bed for the second time in the last 24 hours. The nurse managed to alleviate any harm the herb might’ve done but you were still swimming between consciousness and totally knocked out. He sighs and sits down beside you, watching silently as Seokjin retrieves unknown herbs that resemble dried lavender and white flowers. Lighting a candle, he whispers and grinds them up in the marble mortar that sits on his dresser. “Les lames colligo. Ad me gluttuli,” he breathes, concentrating as the ingredients gather and concentrate into a single serum in one of his vials.

When the serum is finished, he hurries to their side and lifts the vial to your lips, massaging your throat to encourage ingestion as the serum enters your mouth. Jungkook hears another incantation but it isn’t as audible nor recognizable as the first liquid gathering spell he’d just used for the serum.

“It’ll take just a minute for it to take effect…” he sighs in relief, “Now what was that herb you said she ingested?”

Before the younger could answer, you cough and inhale sharply, sitting up instantly. Your hands find purchase on Jungkook’s shoulders, fingers digging into his skin through his shirt as your frantic state wheezes and stares wide eyed at him in fear and confusion. It shouldn’t hurt, but he feels his energy draining away, wincing as he starts to feel pain and can’t seem to gather strength to stop your frazzled actions. Face paling, he’s on the verge of passing out as if all of his blood is draining from his body.

“(Y/n)!” Seokjin calls out as soon as he realizes what’s happening. Grabbing you by the shoulders, he winces when he feels his magic absorbed when you face him and curl your fingers around his wrist. His eyebrows furrow and he mutters an apology before slapping you across the face.

“Ah.” Your fervent actions halt all at once and you blink and mentally take in what was happening. “You… you slapped me?” you ask him with big eyes, making the elder sweat drop at the naivety of your question.

“S-sorry (Y/n), you were out of it and hurting Kookie.”

“I hurt.. Jungkook?” you ask incredulously, not even sure how that was even possible with how you were only a mortal.

The said werewolf is huffing and catching his breath, rotating his shoulders as the soreness and fatigue ebs away, but he still feels rather drained. What just happened? You were no hybrid, only a human? Right?

“So…” Seokjin starts awkwardly.

“Muting herbs, she said,” Jungkook speaks up, shaking his head of any remaining weird sensations, handing his hyung the vial, “A vampire tipped them and told them to give this to her.”

Seokjin freezes, brown eyes widening as he rotates the vial and watches as the dried leaves move within the glass. He glances at you which only confuses him as he scrutinizes the herbs.

“(Y/n)? You’re sure you’re just a human?”

.

“I-I’m sorry!”

The chuckle is deep and very promising of danger as the witch quivers in fear, cornered against a fence that ran along the border of private territory. Fear licked at her stomach, twisting and morphing into worse as she presses herself against the fence. She glances quickly behind her into the deep forest of willow and shrubbery. Biting her lip before hurriedly whispering, “Ianuae Magicae.” She squeezes her eyes shut as she phases through the fences and into the forest, away from the vampire.

“My darling where are you going?” the man chortles, applauding her bravery to even try to run from a vampire. “The Blackwell family, will do anything to keep a mere pawn in her place, especially when she goes and blabbers to that mutt.”

“Blackwell?” she thinks, glancing everywhere as she shoves past shrubs and bushes, casting quick spells that push the bushes together behind her in attempt to keep him at bay. Her hair is whipping behind her as she grows tired and whispers a spell in attempt at increasing her quickness. What was a coven doing collaborating with a vampire? Why were they targeting a mortal? Unless…

“Gotcha, little lamb,” he grins wickedly as he appears behind her. In the split second that she turns to regard him in terror, he’s got his long fingers wrapped around her throat. His eyes narrow as she kicks and thrashes uselessly in his ever tightening grip, “Give up, you knew I’d come for you if you opened that big mouth of yours, witch. But I commend you for completing the little quest I gave you - if only you didn’t let that wolf interfere with our plans you would’ve lived a perfectly peaceful life.”

Tears prick at her eyes as she gasps for air.

“Don’t even try to phase out or cast one of those pesky little spells my dear,” he clicks his tongue in annoyance, catching the slight movement of her lips, “You’re already in quite the promising position, you know?” “I’ll see you in hell my dear,” he grins flattening his free hand to create a spear and forcing it through her chest. His fingers open to grab at her heart, wrenching it and squeezing as she screams in agony before he tears it out and she’s gone limp.

Dropping the heart and her body to the ground, he chuckles, licking the remnants of her blood on his hands.

“Ahh.. I made a mess again…”

His mouth stretches into a lopsided grin, eyes glowing an iridescent gold as he licks his lips, “I guess I’ll have to take care of you myself little lamb.”

.

“A what?”

Seokjin gave Jungkook a look as if saying that he knows exactly what he’s saying.

“I’m not following,” the younger sighs, exasperated by the warlock’s pestering, having been dragged out of his room where you’re laying to recover from the herb’s effects, “I’ve never heard of one.”

“That girl is a siphoner!” He whispers harshly, jabbing a finger in the direction of the closed bedroom door, “A muting herb is used to knock a witch unconscious and mute her powers! If she weren’t one she wouldn’t have been affected by the herb! Siphoners are still witches but mutants born without their own magical power and have to siphon from others. I felt it and I’m sure as hell you did as well back there when she touched you in her panic. She was siphoning our magical power! She may be mortal, as all witches and siphoners are - even me - but she is a siphoner and it looks like even she has no idea.”  

“That must explain why she’s so good at potion brewing in class,” Jungkook blinks, thinking back to today when he was admiring how efficiently she was working as if she already knew how to make nectar.

“That and the siphoning stone that’s hanging around her neck. I thought it was peculiar when I saw it the other night when I was tending to her. The etched words on it were hardly readable but I knew it couldn’t just be a fashion statement,” Seokjin continues, “She’ll be okay, but this sudden revelation is quite surprising, and here we were scolding you for imprinting on a human. She’s quite the mutant like yourself.”

“Shut up,” Jungkook grumbles, feeling insulted before pressing the door to his room open.

“(Y/n), you doing alright?” He sighs as he enters before his body goes rigid and his room reeks of an unknown creature. A vampire. And it’s definitely not Namjoon or Tae. A black mist has formed just above you, a hand reaching out of its center towards you as the body that is phasing into the room forms.

He snarls, eyes flashing as his nails extend into claws and his teeth form fangs.

As soon as the vampire’s body has fully phased into the room, Jungkook is already pouncing while Seokjin hurries to take you from the room. Weakly, you get up, glancing back worriedly at Jungkook who shields you both from the vampire.

“Who the fuck are you? And what’s your business with her?!” He growls animalistically, chest heaving as he readies to shift any moment into his true form.

A smirk plays across the vamp’s lips, his eyes narrowing down at the wolf.

“It has nothing to do with you, mutt.”

His chest reverberates with an impending snarl in annoyance, already on edge that he had the nerve to intrude in his home and attack you.

“It has everything to do with me when you’re trying to target (Y/n).”

The vampire laughs, “Do you have any idea what she is? Where she’s from?”

“What’s a wolf doing trying to protect a mutant? A reject?”

Because she’s just like me, Jungkook thinks but is quick on his feet to lunge when he notices the vampire about to phase to get to you and Seokjin.

He’s on fire, body burning and blood boiling. His bones morph and shift, moving underneath skin that quickly grows tawny and umber fur. A long bushy tail sprouts from his sacrum, ears and snout forming, and hands morphed into paws with sharp claws as in place of a half human is a six foot tall wolf, ten feet in length. He lunges in time to catch the vampire mid-phase in his mouth and crashes into the bedroom wall where they both tumble outside in the woods that the cabin is sat in.

.

Scowls and hardened frowns decorate the faces of the coven that surrounds the crib that cradles a toddler sound asleep. They whisper and murmur in disgust of the child as the mother looks upon her half in sadness and repulse.

“A mutant witch?”

“She will soil the powerful name of the Blackwell family!”

“We must get rid of her at once!”

At such a thought the mother felt rigid as she gripped onto the gate of the crib, “No, we can’t kill her!”

“What do you suppose we do then? We cannot allow a mutant such as her to live in our coven, it is not of our values!”

“Even so, I will not allow you to kill this child!”

Later, a vampire entered the house of the Blackwells, a cloak drapes over his shoulders as his golden eyes regard the apprehension in the witches and warlocks’ eyes. The gleam of his amber ring is apparent, the facade concealing the true lapis lazuli hue that indicates it as a day ring.

“The child?”

They lead him to the girl who looks fearful as he approaches her.

“Why, my dear little lamb,” he smiles gently, masking the intentions that lie in his flexing fingers, “Rejected by your own coven, how pitiful… you should rejoice at their mercy for granting you life as opposed to death.”

Her eyes widen, opening her mouth to scream but no sound comes out as his nails make contact with her forehead and each cheek.

“Forget little one, and live a life this family has so mercifully allowed you to have. Memoriam oblivione delebitur.”

You collapse, no longer having the strength in your legs as you feel three points on your face burn with recognition: your forehead and cheeks. What was that vision? Who was that girl? Why was she being rejected? What had she done to be ostracized by her family? Why did her heart hurt?

Glancing back towards Jungkook’s room, you feel the immense power of his aura burst and grow even more intense than it usually already is.

“(Y/n)! Come on we’ve got to get you out of here!” Seokjin says as he quickly fills in Yoongi and Hoseok who were also home. The two are quick to head towards Jungkook’s room as you two go towards the front. When you’re outside, you start towards town when a giant wolf is flung right in your path. His eyes burn a brilliant blue as he glances at you briefly before clashing once again with the vampire. At this your cheeks burn, knowing well that that was definitely Jungkook. Yoongi and Hoseok join him in their wolf forms, snarling and snapping at the enemy before Jungkook signals to one of them to get you out of there. The one with ginger fur, you assume is Yoongi, nods briefly, offering an affirmative bark and bounds towards you and Seokjin who catches on and slips his arm around your waist as you both mount the back of Yoongi and speed back to town and towards your home.

Jungkook glances wearily back at you, leaving his side open for the vampire to rush forward and kick him, his enhanced strength sending the youth into one of the trees. The wood bends underneath his weight and he shakes his head at the sudden attack. Just as the vamp goes to deliver a punch, kicking off the ground quickly, Hoseok pounces, mouth managing to catch the vamp between his teeth and tearing into his side. Thrashing his head around, he launches the blood-sucker into a tree trunk and rebounding onto the ground unceremoniously. Before he can recover, Jungkook is quick to set his paw on his stomach to which he strains a mocking laugh.

“Kill me,” the vampire wheezes, blood dripping from his mouth as the claws from the wolf press into his middle along with the crushing pressure of his paw on top of him. “I’m not spilling anything for you mutts.”

I don’t care, he thinks, growling as he leans down, takes his head between his teeth and tears the vampire’s head off.

Hoseok is quick to revert to his human form, body steaming and cooling down as he returns from the house with drywood and a lighter to burn the body to keep him from regenerating if possible. Jungkook stops him to the search the decapitated body, sniffing and pushing the cloak out of the way before signalling Hoseok to take a look at the insignia on his breast pocket. The elder looks at it confused but knowing it must be connected to a coven he cuts it out and promptly burns the body and head.

Sighing, he glances back at the giant hole in the side of his home, “Great, Namjoon and Jin are gonna freak when they see the mess you made Kookie.”

The wolf snorts and nudges the male with his nose.

“Go check on her,” Hoseok grins cheekily, winking as he turns to head back to the house, “We’ve got some work to do on the house now.”

Jungkook doesn’t waste a second and is sprinting down the streets of their town and finds himself at your home where you’re pacing back and forth outside with Yoongi back in human form and Seokjin explaining the events to a worried looking Yahiko.

You’re quick to run up to Jungkook and surprise him with a hug, letting your arms wrap around his neck as he cranes his head down to let you nuzzle against him. You forget for a second that this is the Jungkook who detests your company but he allows you to this one time only hug that fills his insides with hot liquid gold, heart fluttering at your physical touch.

“I’m so glad you’re safe!” You cry in amazement and admiration.

You take a step back to regard him with a big smile, to which his wolfish eyes much like the sky, shimmers that enchanting blue.

“(Y/n). Step away from that wolf right now.”

You shiver at the tone of voice from Yahiko. She’s never spoken in such a way, it causes shivers to race down your spine as you turn to see her eyes flashing a warning orange.

“Wait! Yahiko this is my friend, he’s not dangerous!”

“Friend or not (Y/n).. he’s a murderer, a criminal, you mustn’t mingle with the likes of him!” She snaps back, sounding just like a mother who disapproves of her daughter’s boyfriend. “I presume he is a friend of yours,” she says towards Seokjin and Yoongi, “Take him back, and (y/n), you’d do well to stay away from him from now on.”

You frown and glance up at Jungkook who regards you with his ears flattened and eyes downfallen.

(So I got an ask about being tagged for my updates, if you want to also be on a tag list, shoot me an ask or reply to the post and I’ll add you in future updates!)

@twilight-loveer 

[onewhoturns]

I got curious about what the entirety of So it Goes looks like for people just reading the blurbs for each chapter post, so here it is::

1 / He knew what he had to do before they jumped the fence. He needs the radio. He’s gonna put an end to this once and for all. /

2 / “What… What happened?” There’s something hard wedged under his hip, and he shifts to free it from its bruising position. A radio. His radio? That doesn’t feel quite right. But it’s in his hands, now. /

3 / Alex is somewhere else. Her body may be moving, and she may have pulled herself onto her feet to lean on the door frame, eyes heavy-lidded when she fixes them on Jonas; but she isn’t there. It’s evident in her grin. He’s seen it before, the crooked little notch, the wild look it gives her. This one is straight, smooth, and it’s like watching something out of a horror movie when Alex giggles at him, picks herself up off of her leaning post, and stands like she isn’t meant to even be alive. /

4 / His wandering eyes catch the edge of a first aid kid peeking out behind a desk. “Oh, hey.” In a couple easy steps he’s shifting his weight to sit on the surface, opening the box and poking through like maybe he’ll be able to figure out how any of this works. /

5 / “But we should be honest with each other, Alexandra. You don’t really want a new brother, do you?” There’s a weight to the words, hinting at some ulterior motive on her part. “What did your friend say? ‘A strapping young lad?’” /

6 / She can’t look at him. Not right now. But she can feel him. If she can just— If she knows he’s there— If Jonas is there, period, she’s okay. She will be okay. Eventually. She has to be. /

7 / His elbows are propped on his knees, head in his hands, and when he looks up she’s smiling. Cracked lips and bags under her eyes, but she’s smiling. Every time. Every time it’s like a spear straight through his heart. “Mom…” /

8 / She fiddles with buttons and the stupid hand crank. Why are things never, ever simple. Especially not with time. Time is never simple. Either you don’t have enough of it, or you have too much of it. Michael didn’t have enough time. /

9 / -Soldier. Misses his. Sleepy Time Gal.- “Well yeah. Obviously.” He’s not sure where the bravery is coming from, but he’s sure as hell gonna use it as long as it lasts. There’s a beat, and Jonas wonders where this is going. If they’re scanning the script and picking out where to go next. There’s a tiny touch of triumph that he’s thrown them off. -Would you. Like her back?- /

10 / Jonas feels the muscles in his jaw start to twitch. Nope. Doesn’t really want to talk about it. Really would rather not. But she keeps on going, and he’s staring ahead, and feeling the guilt eating away at him because Jesus— was she just— did she just— What he did? That wasn’t right. He wasn’t right. /

11 / Alex feels the rewind before it happens. The air pressure drops rapidly, and her ears pop. Both she and Clarissa are sent to the ground, before— “Wait, it’s Clarissa’s turn already?” Ren. /

12 / He swallows hard, trying to soothe her, to comfort her, and the Words are tickling the tip of his tongue because they need to be said, and he’s going to say it sooner or later, it’s not like he can put it off when the fact is constantly hitting him smack dab in the face. He forms the words behind closed lips, breathing her in. She’s crying still, so maybe— Christ, his heart is beating so hard he feels like it’s shaking his whole body. “I-” he croaks, but the words won’t come. /

13 / Usually, Clarissa would be the one to meet them inside. She’d quiz Alex, she’d get all the questions right, and they’d start for the projector. But it isn’t the same now. Jonas can only hear Nona screech the redhead’s name for a fifth of a second before the door shutters itself closed behind him, and the world freezes. Alex’s body is sitting on the sofa as he walks in, and she’s grinning, eyes wild. It looks more like a snarl, when Jonas thinks about it as a threat. /

14 / That… can’t be right. He just stares. Stares and… and falls. Falls to his knees before her, takes her hand in his and meets her eyes. “Alex. This ends tonight.” He doesn’t use the words, but this is a promise. A vow. An oath. /

15 / Lightning crashes and suddenly rain is falling, the lights are out, they’re in the power station and Jonas is not himself. /

16 / His eyes glance to Alex for a second, curious, maybe even a little suspicious (more on the part of the ghosts than Alex herself), but he sandwiches his lips between his teeth and hums his discontent. Sure wish you’d tell me what the hell happened back there, Alex. /

17 / It’s pretty fucking awful, what they’re doing. Where the only way to keep the world the way it is, is to do it all exactly the same. He can’t stop. He can’t back down. He can’t hold back. /

18 / If this goes badly, he doesn’t know how much he’ll remember. He really hopes it’s all of it, because this… this was the best timeline. This was the timeline that he got her, that they changed the future instead of the past. /

19 / -You have chosen. Soldier.- He nods, slowly. Yeah, he did. And it wasn’t easy. -She has not.- /

Epilogue / It feels like the hottest day of the year in Camena, the sun beating down, though a nice breeze is making the trees that shade the patio sort of whisper. It’s… not too bad. Not nearly as ominous as he’d expected August 8th to be. /

August 8th, 11pm / His heart shouldn’t be the steadily speeding wreck that it is. He’s supposed to be the reasonable one. But this is the first loop - or last? - that he’s aware of the time after the island. And, despite all the drama, it’s so worth it. If this is a loop… if he goes back… if he forgets… /

[ayellowbirds]

Keshet Rewatches All of Scooby-Doo, Pt. 15: "Spooky Space Kook"

("Scooby-Doo, Where Are You", Season 1 Episode 15)

AKA "The Mystery Machine Is Itself A Mystery of Interior vs. Exterior Dimensions"

I’m breaking from my standard format for these, because holy jinkies, you need to see and hear this villain’s laugh as video. Text and gifs alone will not suffice.

As seen above, the episode opens in the evening on a view of a fairly run-down rural area. An equally wrecked spaceship flies low over the landscape, orange light pulsing from within, and it comes to a stop and lands out of view. A figure walks onto the road, clad in a space suit that also pulses with an eerie “glowing sound” (if you watch enough cartoons, you know what the sound effects for “glowing, pulsing light” are like) that suggests radioactivity, the head within visible only as a skull. The camera closes on it, and the freak starts whooping and laughing as the interior of its helmet flashes the same red-orange as the spaceship.

It’s fantastic. While not the creepiest, it’s definitely the best villain design of the season, if not the best of all of Scooby-Doo: Where Are You. The ruined ghostly spaceship is a design that both makes no sense at all (why does it look tattered?) and fits perfectly.

Meanwhile, the gang are on the road in the Mystery Machine, and Shaggy offers to make sandwiches for anyone who wants. Only Scooby takes him up on it, and the view cuts to Shaggy assembling what Fred calls a “Jaw-Stretcher Special”.

Mind you, this is overtly the back of the Mystery Machine. Exactly how large is that van supposed to be? It reminds me of the camper van my dad used to own, only far more spacious. Definitely more roomy than its exterior would indicate, by far. We’ve seen interior shots before that showed bare walls, as well as the first episode’s collection of questionable and disturbing equipment. Is it like a TARDIS?

Shaggy adds bologna, meatloaf, and “a slug of double Dutch chocolate syrup”... just as the van cuts out. They’re out of gas, and miles from the nearest station!

...so, I’m going to say it here: Fred is a really bad driver. I don’t know why it falls to him to drive, except that he assumes a leadership role, but as we’ve seen, he’s a lousy navigator, and now it’s apparent he doesn’t keep an eye on the fuel indicator, either. Granted, it seems he was intended as the oldest of the gang, so it may be that he’s just the only one who as a license, at this point.

Oh my gods. Is that why they do what Fred says? Because he’s the only one who has a driver’s license? Did we finally figure out what he brings to the group, aside from traps that never work?

Going to the nearest house to see if they can buy some gas from the residents, they’re menaced by its owner, a surly chicken farmer with a long rifle and a conviction that the gang are actually reporters trying to bother him about “it”—the same spaceship from the establishing shot, and “something” that has been creeping around ever since “it” showed up.

Velma spots a trail of bizarre footprints glowing on the ground nearby, which the farmer confirms is the same kind of print he’s been seeing. The gang decide they’ve found a mystery, and seem to smooth things over, because the next scene is the Mystery Machine back on the road, Daphne having mentioned that it was “nice” that he gave them some gas. Fred agrees, because it means they can seek out the “ghost craft”... just before an eerie light passes over the van, and the gang catch sight of the alien ship setting down over the hill.

They wind up at the wrecked boundary fence of an abandoned army airfield, and follow more glowing tracks through the bent and busted gate.

They’ve only been walking for a few seconds when there’s a clattering, crashing sound, and Velma yelps, “I bet it’s the outer-space ghost,” suggesting i may need to reevaluate my ranking of the gang’s credulity vis-à-vis ghosts. Sure enough, the eerie cackling starts up again from off-screen, and the gang are firmly spooked as they follow the tracks to a work shed from which a strange mechanical noise emits. They find an electrical generator that has only just shut down... and then see the spaceship setting down by the opposite building!

Instead of investigating the craft, Fred suggests they split up and look around. The usual antics ensue, with Scooby and Shaggy’s squabbles over a bag of peanuts leading them right to the space-booted feet of the ghost, and a chase scene that leads through the distinctive setting of the airfield. It’s one of the few times the gang are investigating something other than a castle or mansion this season, and it really stands out, though one wonders why the many planes seen on the field were just left to rust.

Fred, Daphne, and Velma discover a machine shop with fresh grease and recently-used machines, and when Fred winds up hooked and hanging from the ceiling due to the ghost’s machinations, Velma protests Freddie’s assumption that she’d know how to even identify the controls for the hook.

Well, there’s characterization that won’t last. It seems as though, in this first season, Velma’s scientific expertise trends much more academic, including some chemistry but mostly being focused on research and analysis instead of the physical science work that would later be a big part of her interests.

Velma and Daphne meet up with Shaggy and Scooby to get help getting Fred down, and Fred and Velma quiz Shaggy on the details of “this thing you saw”. Apparently he was vague about the details of the ghost alien.

The phantom starts its whooping and giggling act again, and the chase continues as the gang flee in opposite directions, with Scooby and Shaggy winding up in the mess hall (”Never heard of a special place to make a mess...”), proving they have some kind of instinctive sixth sense for snacks that drives them towards the nearest kitchen without even intending to do so. Shaggy finds nothing, but Scooby manages to scarf down a small roast ham, an entire chicken on a bed of greens, and most of a jar of olives before Shaggy comes over to check on him. Shaggy realizes the remains of fresh food are a clue—"Like, how come a ghost from space keeps chicken and ham around?"—and they head out to find the others, running into the ghost again.

The girls and Fred, meanwhile, find a copy of yesterday’s Gazette, with glowing fingerprints left on the front page. “Why would a ghost from outer space be reading yesterday’s newspaper?”

This is why it’s important to maintain details in your haunting site. Big Bob understood that, he even went so far as to make monster-specific food labels.

As the chase continues and the gang reunite once more in the motor pool, they find a busted old jeep with four flat tires... that actually conceal another four wheels, found after Scooby notices that the exhaust pipe smells of gasoline.The jeep even starts remotely, driving out past a larger truck, where the “goony ghost” reveals itself behind the canopy covering the truck bed. But before the gang can react, four more ghosts appear!

Noticeably, the extra ghosts don’t move or even glow, they just stand there looking spooky. It’s enough, as Shaggy and Scooby flee up into a control tower and signal the rest of the gang over the still-functioning loudspeakers with the bugle call for noon mess, still apparently the only one they know. So, Scooby and Shaggy have no idea what a mess hall is, but they know the melody to summon you to one by heart?

Unfortunately, the ghost corners the boys in the tower, and they’re forced to jump out with a parachute. The scene fades to a police car: the farmer saw their car parked by the gate, and in spite of his seemingly ornery character, became worried for the gang and called the sheriff. 

They catch sight of the ghost, who flees into a building, which Fred calls “a bad mistake”—because the steel door the ghost shuts behind itself leads to a wind tunnel for testing aerodynamics.

Fred starts up the turbine, and the ghost grabs hold of a steel ladder as the resulting winds blow off its helmet, mask, and eventually the whole dang costume, revealing an ordinary human: the farmer’s next-door neighbor, Henry Bascombe.

Again, note that the culprit gets a whole name, but the innocent man is just “Mister Farmer”, and the cop is just “the Sheriff”. 

Shaggy reveals his discovery from the airfield control tower: a reel-to-reel projector to beam the image of the spaceship onto the night sky, and an audio player sped-up to sound high-pitched and eerie. The gang “wanna bet” that the extra ghosts were stuffed dummies and that the jeep was driven by remote control, but never actually check. It’s also left unclear what exactly Bascombe filmed to make the spaceship footage, or where his improbable mechanical skills originate.

The sheriff explains that Bascombe heard that the Air Force planning to re-open and expand the field—how does he know that Bascombe knew this?—and the farmer deduces that it was a ploy to scare his neighbors off so he could buy their land cheap and resell it to the Air Force for a profit.

Almost, but not quite.

When will our burden be eased? When will we finally hear “meddling kids”?

(like what i’m doing here? It’s not what pays the bills, so i’d really appreciate it if you could send me a bit at my paypal.me or via my ko-fi. Click here to see more entries in this series of posts, or here to go in chronological order)

[loveofyhwh]

September 5: Job 41–42; 1 Timothy 3; Psalm 62; Proverbs 22:28

New Post has been published on https://loveofyhwh.com/september-5-job-41-42-1-timothy-3-psalm-62-proverbs-2228/

September 5: Job 41–42; 1 Timothy 3; Psalm 62; Proverbs 22:28

Old Testament:

Job 41–42

Job 41–42 (Listen)

41   Ch 40:25 in Hebrew‘>1 “Can you draw out LeviathanA large sea animal, exact identity unknown‘>2 with a fishhook     or press down his tongue with a cord? 2   Can you put a rope in his nose     or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3   Will he make many pleas to you?     Will he speak to you soft words? 4   Will he make a covenant with you     to take him for your servant forever? 5   Will you play with him as with a bird,     or will you put him on a leash for your girls? 6   Will traders bargain over him?     Will they divide him up among the merchants? 7   Can you fill his skin with harpoons     or his head with fishing spears? 8   Lay your hands on him;     remember the battle—you will not do it again! 9   Ch 41:1 in Hebrew‘>3 Behold, the hope of a man is false;     he is laid low even at the sight of him. 10   No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.     Who then is he who can stand before me? 11   Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?     Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. 12   “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,     or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame. 13   Who can strip off his outer garment?     Who would come near him with a bridle? 14   Who can open the doors of his face?     Around his teeth is terror. 15   His back is made ofOr His pride is in his‘>4 rows of shields,     shut up closely as with a seal. 16   One is so near to another     that no air can come between them. 17   They are joined one to another;     they clasp each other and cannot be separated. 18   His sneezings flash forth light,     and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. 19   Out of his mouth go flaming torches;     sparks of fire leap forth. 20   Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,     as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 21   His breath kindles coals,     and a flame comes forth from his mouth. 22   In his neck abides strength,     and terror dances before him. 23   The folds of his flesh stick together,     firmly cast on him and immovable. 24   His heart is hard as a stone,     hard as the lower millstone. 25   When he raises himself up, the mightyOr gods‘>5 are afraid;     at the crashing they are beside themselves. 26   Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,     nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. 27   He counts iron as straw,     and bronze as rotten wood. 28   The arrow cannot make him flee;     for him, sling stones are turned to stubble. 29   Clubs are counted as stubble;     he laughs at the rattle of javelins. 30   His underparts are like sharp potsherds;     he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire. 31   He makes the deep boil like a pot;     he makes the sea like a pot of ointment. 32   Behind him he leaves a shining wake;     one would think the deep to be white-haired. 33   On earth there is not his like,     a creature without fear. 34   He sees everything that is high;     he is king over all the sons of pride.”

Job’s Confession and Repentance

42 Then Job answered the LORD and said:

2   “I know that you can do all things,     and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3   ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’   Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,     things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4   ‘Hear, and I will speak;     I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5   I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,     but now my eye sees you; 6   therefore I despise myself,     and repentOr and am comforted‘>6 in dust and ashes.”

The Lord Rebukes Job’s Friends

7 After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.

The Lord Restores Job’s Fortunes

10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evilOr disaster‘>7 that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of moneyHebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value‘>8 and a ring of gold.

12 And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.

Footnotes

[1] 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Hebrew [2] 41:1 A large sea animal, exact identity unknown [3] 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Hebrew [4] 41:15 Or His pride is in his [5] 41:25 Or gods [6] 42:6 Or and am comforted [7] 42:11 Or disaster [8] 42:11 Hebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value

(ESV)

New Testament:

1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3 (Listen)

Qualifications for Overseers

3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseerOr bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1‘>1 must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,Or a man of one woman; also verse 12‘>2 sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,Or devious in speech‘>3 not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewiseOr Wives likewise, or Women likewise‘>4 must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

  HeGreek Who; some manuscripts God; others Which‘>5 was manifested in the flesh,     vindicatedOr justified‘>6 by the Spirit,Or vindicated in spirit‘>7       seen by angels,   proclaimed among the nations,     believed on in the world,       taken up in glory.

Footnotes

[1] 3:2 Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1 [2] 3:2 Or a man of one woman; also verse 12 [3] 3:8 Or devious in speech [4] 3:11 Or Wives likewise, or Women likewise [5] 3:16 Greek Who; some manuscripts God; others Which [6] 3:16 Or justified [7] 3:16 Or vindicated in spirit

(ESV)

Psalm:

Psalm 62

Psalm 62 (Listen)

My Soul Waits for God Alone

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62   For God alone my soul waits in silence;     from him comes my salvation. 2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,     my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3   How long will all of you attack a man     to batter him,     like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4   They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.     They take pleasure in falsehood.   They bless with their mouths,     but inwardly they curse. Selah 5   For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,     for my hope is from him. 6   He only is my rock and my salvation,     my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7   On God rests my salvation and my glory;     my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8   Trust in him at all times, O people;     pour out your heart before him;     God is a refuge for us. Selah 9   Those of low estate are but a breath;     those of high estate are a delusion;   in the balances they go up;     they are together lighter than a breath. 10   Put no trust in extortion;     set no vain hopes on robbery;     if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11   Once God has spoken;     twice have I heard this:   that power belongs to God, 12     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.   For you will render to a man     according to his work.

(ESV)

Proverb:

Proverbs 22:28

Proverbs 22:28 (Listen)

28   Do not move the ancient landmark     that your fathers have set.

(ESV)