#I miss my bougie babies so much

[roronoaswifey]

BABY DADDY ZORO BABY DADDY ZORO BABY DADDY ZORO.

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎

ೃ⁀➷cw. sexual content, mentions of substance consumption, foul language, slight infidelity, both reader and zoro got their names tatted on them, y’all got a baby girl, this isn’t a smutty as i has planned for it to be ngl

ೃ⁀➷zuha’s note. forever pushing lora’s zoro and his bruk ass pickup truck agenda .

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who, despite knowing you called things off with him weeks prior to finding out about your pregnancy, still knows absolutely no boundaries when it comes to you and his four year old daughter. shows up to your place on unexpected days, talking bout “wanted to see my babygirl, ‘s there an issue?”, crashes overnight on the couch because “the truck’s engine’s busted” or “‘s too dark outside and i left my glasses back home”. it’s terrible habits but he seems to always convince you to let him stay by the grin on your daughter’s chubby cheeks whenever she smells the scent of pancakes, eggs and bacon in the air with her favorite side of fresh fruit.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who always shows up to your daughter’s school events no matter the circumstance. he got work? somebody’ll take cover for his shift. truck broke down? nothin’ an uber won’t fix. he may arrive slightly late due to directional challenges, but he will still always show up. dressed in loose grey sweatpants with a white fitted tee and gold chain, he spots you dressed as classily as ever (bougie, he loved to call you) and notices your birkin bag saving a seat for him. he squeezes through the row and ignores the thirsty looks he receives, all in favour of sitting at your side, arm wrapped behind the seat of your chair and kisses your temple when you lean into his embrace.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who swings by every weekend to pick up his daughter for his turn of the rotation. if you ask him, he’d rather just stay over for the weekend and spend it with y’all three but he’s aware of your personal life outside of both him and your daughter, and complications (like whoever the fuck dropped you home that one friday night and gave you a cheek kiss when you’d asked him to stay a few hours with his baby) that can interfere in y’all’s relationship.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who, on the occasions you let him spend the night over, always makes it up to you. it’s always the same routine—you tell him to crash on the couch and leave as soon as the rise of dawn awakens and yet he always ends up in the warmth of your bed, one leg propped up with two hands on your hips and fucks into you with precision. the sinful arch of your back and your whines as you beg him for more drive him insane, makes him miss you so much more than he’s willing to admit. though for now, he’s content in showing you how much he longs for you through plunging his dick deep in your guts and silencing your moans with his tongue down your throat (to his dismay, you make him pull out and finish on your back).

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who loves to spoil you and his baby. doesn’t have the highest paying income but no matter his salary, he’d be more than willing to spend 50% of it on the both of you. anything his daughter wants, she gets. he knows you can good and well afford for the both of you but he feels it’s his job to make sure you both live a soft life. no matter the reason—job promotion, birthdays, anniversaries, just for the fun of it— he’ll always want to gift you. he isn’t the best with words but he genuinely thanks the heavens that such a wonderful woman was able to bless him the greatest of gifts.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who freezes in shock the very first time his daughter asks him if he’s still in love with you. he forgets she was blessed with your intelligence, but such a pretty and chubby face smothered in chocolate syrup from her ice cream sundae on their weekly hangouts asking him if he still loves mommy the same way her classmate’s parents love each other makes him realize that these habits between you and him may badly affect y’all’s kid’s future. still, he sighs melancholy and lightly flicks her nose that scrunches up adorably, and while she huffs childishly a “papa!”, he tells himself he’s in long due of a conversation with you. “i do, princess, more than you could imagine.” he answers, though he isn’t sure if she heard him as she quickly stuffs her mouth full of the sugary dessert once more.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who, for the first time in years, decides to actively start dating again. he quickly regrets his decision when he’s on a dinner date, faintly listening to some broad babble about whatever it is she’s talking about but realizing he genuinely cannot see this girl— or any other girl—in his distant future. he’s too busy thinking about the slight twitch in your eye when he’d let you know he would be on a date and may arrive later to pick up his baby. you asked him where he met said girl, and he honestly told you his work friend had set him up on a date. you wished him good luck and to not spare any details when he comes back, but he felt the strain in your fake smile. you’re too easy to read, he decided a while ago, or maybe he’s mastered the art of your deception. regardless, he regrets going on this date and regrets even further when he lets her blow him off in his truck, especially since he never got to finish his load before dropping her off home.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who still invites you and his baby over to his parents’ place whenever there’s any family cookout. terra loves you and her granddaughter, always bombarding zoro with questions whenever he goes to visit. she showers you and her granddaughter with so much love, calls you her daughter despite you and zoro having broken up years ago. she checks on you occasionally, lets you know you’re always welcomed in her home despite everything. she spoils her only granddaughter with gifts and treats and love, takes her on walks and offers to even let her sleepover at her place for the weekends. zoro takes note of that offer, especially since y’all’s anniversary is approaching round the corner.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘!𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎 who brings you to the very first restaurant y’all had y’all first date at, years ago. on the roof patio of the five star restaurant, at the same table, he sees how your eyes sparkle in admiration at his efforts to recreate one of y’all’s most memorable moments in your past relationship. he’s dressed in the fanciest button up and slacks with dress shoes he owns, brings you bouquets of your favorite flowers and as always, pays for your meal. the date goes smoothly, as does most things you guys do, and he walks you back to his truck, hand in hand with the moonlight bouncing off the irises of your eyes. you catch him staring and he’s swears he’s fallen so deeply in love with you— or maybe he never truly stopped. it’s a scary but thrilling feeling, and from the heat rising on your cheeks and your shy gaze, he knows you feel the same. he can’t help but cup your face with one big hand and capture your lips in a sensual kiss, smiling when he feels you melt in his hold. you pull away shyly, nuzzling your nose into his and zoro swears on his mom he would run across the globe back and forth on a leg, go to hell and back, just to have you back in his graces.

needed to get this out of my drafts 🗿.

[astaraels]

so I know I'm in the no galladads side of the fandom but hear me out on this one—

so it's maybe five years after the end of the show, Ian and Mickey are still going with their security business, maybe they've even branched out and hired some extra help, making good money, swapped out the stolen ambulance for actual SUVs that Debbie has fixed up for them, and they've maybe even bought a house back on the South Side with a dog and a cat and they're close to all of Ian's siblings (Debbie and Carl and Liam all still live in the old Gallagher house, Lip and Tammi are a few blocks over)

and one day they're on a lunch break together, leaving some diner when some rando kid bumps into Ian, turns out it was a pickpocket, and Mickey takes off after the jerk who tried to steal from his husband (he may not be a South Side thug anymore but like hell is he gonna let that shit slide)

he knocks the pickpocket over and it's some kid, like thirteen or fourteen with bright pink streaks in her dark hair and fierce brown eyes, and Mickey is like wtf kid do you wanna die

and the kid is like oh fuck you, very much an angry kitten type because she's definitely a scrawny thing—by this time Ian's caught up to them and his bleeding heart is like look if you give me my wallet back I'll buy you lunch (Mickey complains that "we just ate, Gallagher" but Ian insists)

so they either go back to the diner or find some McDonald's and this kid practically inhales some burgers and fries, and both Mickey and Ian know the look of a kid on the streets, but she's giving off those vibes that say don't touch me don't talk to me don't fucking perceive me

but Ian probably sees something like Mickey, and Mandy, in this girl and we all know he wants to help people, so he asks her if she's okay or if she needs anything, and even though he can feel Mickey starting to grumble next to him Ian still offers her their couch to crash on after she mentions getting kicked out of a salvation army shelter because they found out she was trans

and after some very intense eye to eye communication between the husband Mickey's like okay yeah fine but if one thing is outta place in the house then we're gonna have words

and the girl—they find out her name is Starr, or something like that—is like wtf why are you people being nice (they understand the suspicion, obvs, they aren't stupid), and Ian's like uhhhh we're gay and we've gone through some shit of our own so maybe we just wanna help?? (although he does notice she relaxes a little bit when he tells her that they're gay)

so they drive back home and Starr is absolutely enamored by the gallapets (a beautiful fluffy black cat and a big pittie mix, both of these animals are Ian and Mickey's baby girls), while Ian fixes up the spare bedroom with fresh sheets—usually it's where Franny or Fred stay when they come for weekend visits

and at first Starr is like okay yeah I'll stay one night but then I gotta go, and somehow it ends up that one night turns into two, then Ian and Mickey come home one afternoon and the house looks amazing because Starr is like "yeah your place was a fucking mess so I figured I'd clean" because she's not a freeloader gdi

and before they know it she's been there for a few weeks and Ian's trying to help get her back in school, because one night they were sitting around and talking and she offhandedly said that she does kinda miss school but the last place she went they were assholes about her transition, and Mickey is like just do that homeschooling course thing that maybe Tammi talked about one of her bougie friends doing for their kids

and then it's been a month or two and they bring Starr to a Gallagher family get together—Debbie hosts the family at the house at least twice a month, but everyone's been super busy lately so it's been a while since the last family dinner—and Debs gives Starr a hug and is like "oh so you're the kid my brothers adopted" (she and Sandy worked things out btw and have been back together for a while now, they've even maybe talked about getting married)

and Starr is like oh no I'm just crashing for a bit but by this point Ian has already got her the homeschooling correspondence courses, and Mickey's taken her to find a doctor who can prescribe her HRT ("it was on our route anyway, fuck off, Gallagher") and their pets adore her—Ian jokes that their cat is the one who actually adopted Starr, they just went along with it

and basically I just love the idea of them taking care of a young queer girl, and being like the cool gay uncles, and yeah :')

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep2 Musings - KING LDPDL 🤴🏾

WTF was going on with Louis this episode!? My guy was frikkin FERAL! Jacob! The ACTEURE that you are~! 🤌 Sir Anderson! Eff an Emmy--he's British, someone KNIGHT this man already! 👑

Louis was deflecting AND flexing on Daniel, I could not WITHSTAND the charisma uniqueness nerve and talent!

Daniel was LITERALLY shaking in his boots--call in Dr Fareed again; whatever "medication" y'all gave him is wearing off.

Armand, are you gonna give Daniel a CHOICE my guy?

The LOUMAND of it all--they were SERVIIIIIIING~~~~

These two banter like an old married couple, it's SO GOOD! ^0^

And it's SO EFFING FAKE! XD

Jacob/Louis has unleashed yet ANOTHER persona(lity): this heinous bougie AF trophy wife wench whom I absolutely LOOOOOOOVE. 😭

The pretentious snobbery of it all. <3

Armand and Lestat should be fed to a BLENDER! Stop ragging on my sweet baby Louis for not wanting to lay around killing/sexing all night! Then y'all get mad at him when he sits around the house all depressed, not wanting to go out and do anything but read books!

But Armand confronting Louis was so adorable--thinking they were either insulting the coven, or toying with them/playing hard-to-get.

And Louis talking about how much Armand looked like a BOY playing dressup (just like Claudia)--he's so condescending sometimes, this 33-y/o who had to grow up too soon; vs. an ancient vampire who'll forever look too young. U_U

Oh how the tables have turned; but history still repeats itself!

It's so wild how with Loustat, Les was the one pretending to be a regular human, in his awkward frumpy clothes; while Lou was struggling to hold on to his high class status during their bidding war over Miss Lily ("admiration and emasculation"). But with Loumand, Louis' the one tryna pass as a regular human in his layman clothes, while Armand "masquerades" as Gentleman Death.

Both times, Lou has to contend with the power imbalances of two overpowered vampires outclassing him over & over again. But while Lou was hostile & offended by Les; he's scared & meek with Armand.

He's been humbled & broken down so much, and he knows firsthand what older/ancient vampires are capable of--

--esp. since Armand confronted Louis intending to threaten him (b4 he realized how pretty Lou was and changed his mind, LOL).

But I do wonder how Louis sensed his "ancient power" exactly? Other than Claudia he's only been around Les & Daciana; so how could he tell? (I bet Daciana's as old Armand.) This was something that always irked me in the books, cuz TWMBK weren't sensed by Lestat until Marius brought him right up to them. Is it cuz Les was too young, or TWMBK just didn't bother projecting their presence to anyone?

Cuz we know Armand was always sending out signals with his Mind Gift (but he's a pro at it, ofc).

Sometimes it seems humans can sense the undead better than the undead can; they can just tell something's OFF.

But I'm just curious exactly what Louis was feeling from Arma--oh wait!

Yeah, never mind, stupid question! XD

Lou's REACTION, I cackled. Chile, you know how cute you are, stop acting coy! XD The man was so painfully gorgeous in this episode, like--

HE WEARS WOE LIKE VELVET, Y'ALL. 😭

He wears neck ties like the French in France, y'all! 🤣 LOUIS! You're KILLING me! 😍 The Village is waiting!

Santiago's 100% right--I am COMPLICIT in the misery of others; I just wanna see Louis break down and have a total fit (and kill Daniel while he's at it--UNWORTHY in SanFran, UNWORTHY in Dubai!).

DRAG HIM, LOUIS! Pack this closeted geriatric butch queen TF up!

I have no clue WTF is going on here, but if Daniel hates it, then I LOVE IT; keep pulling humor from HIS pain for a change, yeah!

The SKULL-DRAGGING, jfc!

My guy is UNHINGED, and I'm here for it!

Armand, why are you INTERRUPTINGGGGGG??????? 😩

OOP!

Nevermind me, Armand, put him in his PLACE, yaas!

[alltimefail-sims]

Okay friends I need to talk about this little girl for a second because Shereé is so!!!!! freaking!!! cute!!!!! I can't stand it!!!

I didn't want to take the spotlight off of Terrance in my main submission post, but let's talk about Shereé a little bit!

Fun headcanons about the Chapman family below the cut! ❤️❤️❤️

When I was dressing her up and adding little details to each outfit category I wanted the baubles in her hair to be different colors to reflect my vision of Shereé sitting cross-legged on the living room floor while Terrance sits on the sofa behind her, swapping each one out to match her outfit for the day. 🥺💕

Also you can't really see them super well in the screenshots but she is wearing diamond studs in the shape of her favorite cartoon character, Hello Kitty! I imagine they were her first "big girl" earrings - the first ones she got to switch the standard piercing studs out with - and they were a birthday present from her dad!!

Speaking of ear piercings: when the Claire's associate pulled out the piercing guns Terrance was more scared than Shereé was lmao. He might have shed a tear or two because (1) when she initially flinched at the pain he nearly died and (2) he was hit with the overwhelming feeling that his baby girl is growing up waaaaaay too fast!

Shereé is kind of a picky (and bougie) eater and that's what got Terrance into cooking in the first place!! He was a chronic doordasher before she came around! When Shereé tries something at a restaraunt and likes it, Terrance enjoys the challenge of making the dish at home "but better." He's successful about 45% of the time 😒 (lol).

I said in the OG post that Shereé wants to be "a superstar" when she grows up and that's because she loooooooves to sing, dance, and play her piano! I imagine she would be a drama club and choir girly, but if ballet was a thing in game she would do that as well! I also imagine she goes to weekly private piano lessons. She's just super damn talented and Terrance will tell anyone and everyone in the vicinity about it!

Terrance lets Shereé try out her new nail polish colors on him and sometimes they will even play spa, dress-up, makeover, fashion show, etc. Terrance does not GAF about boy game this girl game that he's just gonna play and make his daughter happy!

Like her peers she was not immune to the TikTok influencer Stanley cup madness unfortunately, but she is "Way too mature" to bully anyone! But tbh if Terrance found out she was being a bully over a damn cup he would toss that shit in the trash with a quickness anyway 😂

Shereé can be heard saying "You're too grown for that daddy" at least once a day. He will never escape the childish allegations, not even from his own daughter lmao.

When I went into their household in game the first autonomous thing Shereé did was complain about the heat... so I guess she doesn't like summer very much and especially doesn't like hot weather 😂

Also I got an ask about how to pronounce Shereé and I would pronounce is SHER-RAY as opposed to SHER-REE, if that makes sense. (I couldn't find a video with this specific pronunciation but if you've ever seen The Real Housewives of Atlanta I believe Shereé Whitfield pronounces it like this as well!!!)

Okay I'm gonna shut up - I've gotten the oversharing about these characters out of my system (for now). I'll end this with the cute popups they got about each other in the literal miniscule 5 mins I spent in their household:

Obsessed with them, genuinely and truly. My heart can't take it

***Please ignore that her accented 'e' is missing from the whims. I was just testing the household. Her name is correct now <3 These sentiments were too cute not to share though

[inactivewattpadauthor]

Johnny Cage x Writer Reader: Basically What The Author Going Through

Warning: Venting. Title is self explanatory ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your eye twitched as you hear the front door to the studio open and close. Just another noise is needed to distract you. Again! Fucking frustrating.

"Baby, I'm home!" Johnny calls happily for you, grunting as he drops his duffle bag aside, filled with his props or outfits or guns, or wherever the fuck job he came from today.

You didn't call back. Grumbling as you forced yourself to lock in on the page before you. You were about to pull out your hair. Nothing has came to your mind for the past hours... days.... WEEKS!

Only one draft is needed nearly one day a week. So why are you always scarce?

Footsteps thumped to your little office den. "Oh, don't tell me you're still nesting here." Johnny enters and frowns as he was very much told silently.

The death look you gave him just checking up on you.

"Y/n, you're still trying to think of what to write for your paper-"

"You don't get it, you pretty boy bastard!" You hissed.

"Easy, easy." The actor held his hands up in pacifist. "Okay, if it's this bad, why don't you just... step down for a bit. This was an off and on thing for you, right?"

"Okay, yes! It is an on and off hobby for me. But I start caring too much. I don't want to stop, at the same time, I can't keep up. And if I can't keep up, I'll have to redo it all over again."

You pace around the room and speak so fast for him. The concerned blind guy only just follows you with his eyes. Looking at you like the weird hysterical young woman you are.

"It's not like I can force myself to just write ANYTHING. I'm too bougie to be posting dog shit plots. It gets obvious." You add on.

"Okay, are your emails open for your readers? Maybe they can help-"

"𝐍 𝐎."

"Okay, got it." Cage cleared his throat and looked away.

"I already feel pressured since I don't feel that motivated. I don't need more pressure being added onto me like that. I don't miss that feeling."

You stop to breath before furrowing your eyes.

"My emails are always opened to my beloved readers. I like hearing what they have to say and think of my work. But I know the second I decide to take requests, I'm going to be the next Cory."

"Who?" Johnny raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay!" You held your face in your  hands and took deep, deep breaths. Finally, you'll stop talking very fast and crazy.

"I... I don't want to stop posting stories. But... without any passion to write... and how I can't think of what to write. I don't think it's possible anymore. I keep telling and telling that I'm running low on pages, that writer's block is itching me, I still force myself to keep up the every six days expectation. And I end up having to post something I feel is crappy or too overused."

You stopped there not knowing what else to say. But it felt some sort of good on your part.

Johnny got to speak. "Look, Y/n. I get what you're saying. And it's okay if you end up slowing down. You'll get back to it whenever your mind is ready. But you can't be too harsh with yourself because that's what makes the fun turn into some nasty prison cell, whatever."

He pats your shoulders reassuringly.

"There's so many other important things you have to do in life. So, who cares if you post a day late. Or two. Or a month. Or maybe even a year and a half. It's your call. Tell all those self expectations to fuck off!" He half jokes and holds a middle finger up with the exclaim.

"Right." You smile.

Wow that feels so much better our chest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you :') I wish my creativity didn't go down otherwise I would try harder.

It's like the only time I get motivated is if I'm feeling freaky and decide to write about Fujin, and thats an example of overused. Ik some of yall like it, but I try to post different characters.

[otomeblcass]

Nu:Carnival Character Headcanons:

⚛》》》Favorite Wines《《《⚛

~Quick note~ My entire week has consisted of me making this list that no one ever asked for, or the probably ever thought about. For some further context, I work as a wine specialist at a giant liquor store, and I have way too much time on my hands where I read a lot about wine and sake. I've added images of one of my favorite wine references, Wine Folly, and highly recommend their website and books if you're curious about wine. Without further a do, if you don't mind a long post, I have combined some of my obsessions: Nu:Carnival and what wines I think suit each character.

Eiden:

Port, like all the way, he wants something sweet and Hella strong. Considered a fortified wine, put simply a wine that has been given additional alcohol, Port comes in many styles, but most are sweet. Eiden specifically loves the chocolate and nutty flavors that these wines have. Also this wine can be a hit or miss for people, so Eiden gets a great laugh out of seeing others' reactions to his favorite wine. Give this baby a bottle of Port and he can talk for hours on end about the crazy stories he’s collected after some wild nights with this wine.

Petite Sirah, Aster would want a wine that is very full in body (aka something that really coats the mouth, similar to blood) and powerful bold flavors, he’s an extremely experienced wine connoisseur, or “wine snob” as Morvay would say, but regardless Aster knows his wines. He loves showing off his personal cellar, explaining the areas they come from, and he especially enjoys bragging about the cost of the wines he’s collected. 

Aster:

It’s taken Morvay quite some time to get into wine. For many years he’s been firm in his statement that he doesn’t like wine like that shitty-little-vampire does. Most of the red wines Aster has made him try are far too bitter, and the white wines are sour as hell. He’s finally realized dessert styled wines exist, such as Muscat of Alexandria, and can be caught sometimes at night sipping this wine with some biscotti as a treat.

Morvay:

Yakumo at first glance comes across as someone who would not be into a “dry red wine” so it’s really interesting to think that his favorite wine would be a Malbec. There has been many occasions where he was served a much sweeter wine than he would personally like, but obviously it’s Yakumo, poor baby is too nervous to let someone know they got his order wrong. Much like Eiden’s favorite wine Port, Malbec has similar rich dark fruit flavors and a smooth chocolatey finish, these wines are a lot dryer in comparison, but not too bitter. It is a wonderful balance for the precious chef Yakumo. (This is one of my favorites too, let's go Yakumo bb)

Yakumo:

Vidal Blanc is not only a bougie sounding wine, but it goes exceptionally well with fresh fruits and desserts. This wine is an elegant off-dry style white wine that can be used to flaunt floral and fruity flavors without being too sweet or childish. As we know Edmond has his sweet tooth, so he would really enjoy the Ice wine style this grape can be used to make. Ice wines are as sweet as dessert wines can go and they take a lot of time and effort to make just a small amount. It’s a perfect pairing for our perfectionist and hardworking captain.

Edmond:

Every winemaking area has established a sparkling wine (I’m somewhat imagining what wines would correspond to the different Klein regions) Olivine is very curious to try anything new, so when traveling and discussing things with nobles he has grown very fond of a particular sparkling wine, Prosecco. He always has gravitated towards a gentle sweetness and slightly acidic flavors and this wine has a perfect balance. As per Eiden’s recommendation, Olivine has discovered this wine makes amazing cocktails such as mimosas, so every now and then Olivine enjoys making those for a relaxing brunch with the clan members. 

Olivine:

An interesting thing we've learned about Quincy during this current Rainy Season event is that his favorite foods include honey, jerky, and dried fish, very natural and raw focused foods that absolutely suit him. A unique wine that has a unique flavor profile of earthy fruits, herbs, and meat is one called Pinotage. Quincy, much like all our wood territory babes, is highly skilled in the winemaking trade. Pinotage is a wine that is very challenging to produce and Quincy has practically mastered it. So much so Quincy doesn’t really drink the wine, but prefers to keep it stored away. He’s positive that the right time will come to enjoy this wine, perhaps with a special individual, right when it’s aging duration has peaked. 

Quincy:

Umeshu or Japanese Plum wine, this is a tricky one because it technically is fermented ume fruit with the addition of distilled alcohol, aka this is a liqueur not a wine at all. Kuya is known for being a trickster though, so it’s a perfect match for him. Umeshu can be made at home, though it does take a lot of time to infuse, it makes the occasions when Kuya drinks this a real treat. The flavors of Umeshu are a mix of sweet and sour fruits like plums or apricots with a lingering alcohol burn. Kuya takes a lot of pride in homemade Umeshu and will lure others (Eiden) into drinking this delicious and sneakily strong beverage with him. (Another personal favorite of mine ♡)

Kuya:

Favorable of all things delicious and mostly edible, Garu and Karu are foodies willing to try anything at least once. They’re super new to trying alcoholic drinks and can’t really handle the smell and taste of something with a strong alcohol content. Concord is a classic beginner wine and it has a very distinguishable grape flavor, let’s think like a traditional grape juice or jelly. Depending on how it’s made, this wine can range from non-alcoholic all the way to higher percentages, Garu and Karu are big fans of having this sweet wine with snacks. Who knew that a wolf yokai would be obsessed with concord grape wine with a pb&j sandwich!

Garu & Karu:

He really enjoys the sweet and lightly sparkling version of this grape varietal, Moscato D’Asti. They have a full assortment of fruit aromas and flavors like peaches and honey, and they have a low ABV making them super easy to drink. Blade describes this wine as “Cute Juice” hence that’s his first response to describing the effervescence. He’s an even bigger fan of being able to use his e-droid abilities to analyze the many fruit flavors in this wine and he’s always excited to share the flavors whenever his darling is ready to try them. *wink wink*

Blade:

A great leader must also know great wines, and it seems super likely that Soleria would make bright red fruit focused wines with lots of herbs and spices. Sangiovese is an extremely versatile grape that can be blended and aged into numerous wine styles; it goes even better with savory and spiced foods. Dante is very intelligent when it comes to wine and is even more impressive when he guides others through a proper wine tasting. Even though Dante has a fierce way of showing it, deep down he really just wants others to appreciate wine the way he does.

Dante:

Rei really enjoys all of the genetic mutations of the Pinot Noir grape, like Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc, coming from a scientific perspective. More often than not though, the complex red wine Pinot Noir is his favorite to consume, especially during his late night studies and experimentations. Depending on where this wine is grown the flavors can be very misconstrued, quite often it is thought to be a fruity and slightly sweet, but it takes people by surprise by being tart and dry. Rei really likes a lighter bodied red wine that has a slight bite of sassy acidity just like him. 

Rei:

Thank you for reading! I spent way too long thinking about and writing this. I'd love to know what others think and what your favorite wine is if you have one! I also just realized I never thought of wines for Rin or Huey, but I really am not super sure what I'd pick for them.

[kayla-marie-writes]

Welcome to Samdal-ri, Episode 5:

Yong-pil is adorable, as per usual. I'm giving away my age here, but I do miss being able to run around and play safely as a kid, and now I'd never allow my daughter to, unless we are in an enclosed, safe location.

Even in GRIEF, he's still looking for her?! And she settled for WHAT?! Oh, COME OOOON!! He's so🥹. (How do actresses not FOLD when Ji Chang-wook gives them puppy eyes?! HOW?!)

He doesn't cuss? He is so cute. Samdal-ri still won't open up much, at least about the ex, but from the last couple of episodes, she's getting there, I think...I swear, I love Yong-pil more through each episode.🥰

Again. I LOVE the trope of older Korean women being strong, caring, and TERRIFYING. You don't mess with them, but GOD HELP YOU if you mess with their babies. Honorable mention, if the lead is a powerful supernatural being who trembles at the might of an older human woman.

Hm. Both male leads KINDA look similar, although he's not showing any tendencies yet. They're not competing over Sam-dal...yet? Why do people keep asking if Yong-pil is uncomfortable, and they do the most to keep them apart? Oh. They both got her medicine.

Ugh, that weird bastard...why is he so obsessed with taking her down? It's already happened. What more does HE NEED?!

GET THEM, MAMA! PROTECT YOUR BABIES! They spend WAY too much time worrying about those two. I have the feeling that their gossip, and other factors, led to the breakup. So...I assume that Namdal-ri is another small town that wants to modernize? (I admit, though, a state fair type of park by the seaside sounds amazing, but I also understand that older generations don't like change). Bougie-ass politician...lol...ooh, you're done. DONE.

Oh, no. She's gonna see her ex. BEAT HIS ASS! Wait, that lady must know her reputation! I am CRYING LAUGHING! OH. The side glance of all Korean dramas. Oof. Again. The alcohol consumption is crazy.

The Lambo scene is cute-oh! Oh, he was smooth. Okay, sir. I'm not a material girl. But I like how he did that. Okay, Sang-do. I still love my Yong-pil. But that was cute.

Oh, no...gossiping strikes again. If I ever get to visit Korea, I'm definitely going to find small towns as well as big cities. As much as I love the city, I also think about the country town in North Carolina where I used to visit my grandparents.

Sigh. Here she goes, pushing him away again. Whyyyy? He's always offering his hand, not even as a boyfriend, which I appreciate. He's not doing the whole, "You're here, I'm here, let's get back together", thing.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS ASSHOLE?! Yong-pil, tap into K2 and WHOOP HIS ASS! Get the WHOLE town on his ass! Oh, the atmosphere got cold REAL QUICK. THAT'S RIGHT BREAK THAT SHIT!! I love them. So much. For all the gossip, they look out for each other.

"Fix it, I don't have that money," I am ROLLING! (Not them trying to fix the camera!😭🤣). I hate that they even need to give that jackass anything. Sang-do with the FLEX!! STAND UP FOR HER, YAS! OMG SOMEONE PUNCH HIM, PLEASE! YES WE LOVE A DASH CAM!!

Aww...you.know what, I think this is my favorite episode so far. Yong-pil🥹. I saw that. Why don't they listen to him at work, though? Or try to silence him? Maybe he wouldn't act out as much. It's...the weather. Listen to that adorable, sweet spaz! Oh...wow. Right in front of him on camera. Ouch. So here we go. Second male lead stuff. Now...I notice that she never asks Sang-do how he found her.🤔

Overall, the best episode so far. I DO hope to see some development for the other two sisters, as I saw in the little preview at the end. Alright, time to watch My Demon.😁

[mattreactsto]

Karen…is that a Spirit Halloween wig?

Awww. Chim did this?

Well…when he’s right he’s right.

Hen. Come on. The fuck?

Karen is a saint. Denny looks fed up with the bullshit.

Karen with the astronaut Mom joke. Move in next door and let’s have mimosas. Can you make mimosas? (I have zero ingredients)

Karen is a babysitter for a butt hurt white boy…and professionals.

Hmmm. Karen took them off the fostering list so Hen could concentrate. Okay. That makes sense.

Uh. Karen. Your kid?

Denny looks like one of the kids a year or so ahead of our son. (how the hell did I not pick that up)

Okay. The Yeps were funny.

Is…is Hen actually a mom. Because. Just. That’s. Comfort your kid. Come. The. Fuck. On.

Flashback Hen doesn’t have Bougie glasses.

Oh yeah Karen. Get it. GET IT!!

Oh my gods. Karen. Lovingly takes off the glasses…and breaks a goddamn lamp.

Bobby is so commanding. Why aren't you like that? (You ignore me like the cat does. Piss off.)

Dead guy. Brain putty. Sad.

God I love Karen.

Eddie is so…useful. You want him to root around in you, don’t you? (That’s not the point…)

Only Karen would argue with Bobby mid emergency. Slay girl. Slay.

Annoying white guy is more helpful with a busted face.

Ooh. Ugly ex stories.

Hen. Karen is so good. She wouldn’t bail. She’s a better person than you.

Buck. You should know by now to NOT fucking argue with Karen.

I wonder if the actors balls get sweaty in the turn outs.

Boom boom boom boom. I want you in my room. Or however that song goes.

Karen deserves a spa day.

So…Karen got UHauled and Baby trapped?

Karen…she is so valid with this. Okay. Season one…makes more sense.

Wooooow. Hen. Be less of a bitch maybe? I mean. Valid points from Karen. But Karen…the baby is innocent. I mean yeah. The Eva of it all is shit.

Karen. No! If they kill her off I swear to fuck.

Chim. Not cool fuck. Not fucking cool. Manipulative little cock fucking shit.

Wow. If anyone pulls that on our kid they die. For real. Fuck jail. Not even scared.

Bobby my boy. Just. Wow.

Hey. Injured Hen is like injured you! Except the break up. You’re just a ba…(finish that word and you’ll be eating through a tube I swear to Jesus.)

You know what Hen. Sometimes I don’t think you actually deserve her.

But seriously. Flashback Karen wig looks like Spirit Halloween.

HEY didn’t that Marvel Jones person lose her spleen too. (Jessica Jones. And yes. Yes she did.)

Oh right. Toni moved out. I wonder if her and what’s his name are having all kinds of geriatric old people sex. (Thank you for that visual. I may just shit in your CPAP tonight.)

After ALL that from the last couple episodes she’s dropping med school isn’t she.

Awww. Do you miss when our son was that age? (oh god so much. He wasn’t a cryer. He was a squawker. A cute squawker. I do NOT miss the diapers or anything, but my little snuggly boy? Oh yeah. )

Seriously. SHE COULDN’T have figured that out like, two episodes ago?

Denny is such a sweet kid. Yes buddy. You’re getting hugged a tonne.

Maybe they’ll write Hen as less of a jerk going forward.

[staycatcher]

Hi!

Red Velvet always has the best concepts and music videos! They're always something different too! I actually don't mind Zimzalabim or Umpah-Umpah. Have you listened to the Christmas song they did with Aespa? You might like it.

You're right about wanting to see more parents! I'm really curious about Robin's now!

The light shows sound magical ✨ We don't put garland on stair rails but we do put it over our windows and it's so pretty every time! I love a good garland!

We don't do much for Christmas at home because we have so many relatives to see. We might watch a Christmas movie and open presents but there's not much else we might do. Your family's traditions sound so cute 🥺 Even your sister's white as hell dog pajamas, it really is the little things that make stuff like this great 💖

Did/do you go sledding? We used to go sledding when I was a kid, always the same park and the hill we'd go down always looked huge but it really isn't lmao. I miss playing in the snow though! Building snow men and making snow angels and stuff 😊

🔍

Hi bestie!! How have ya been??🤠💛

Yeah!! I usually love the collabs sm artists together for the most part!! I especially like Key and Taeyeon together they’re such great friends n they always have perfect vibes!!🥰 I’m glad Aespa has Red Velvet!!💞 I think zoo with nct n Giselle was kinda hilarious tho ngl i love that one I think it’s so funny. Do you have a fav sm collab or one you think is funny? No hate to zoo I just want to speak to the lyricists ask them for writing advice

I think it’ll be fun to know robins background since she always talks about being poor. So it’ll be interesting to see the contrast👀

I thought I’d share you a dax pic from today!! We were watching him today while my sister n her husband went shopping. Every good man deserves a fluffy blanket😌 even if they themselves are fluffy. (He looks sad but he’s happy this is just his face when you stop petting him for 2 seconds)

I live in a very snowwy n mountainous state in the US so yes oh yes I’ve been sledding!! Loved that!! When I was in jr high I had a ski pass (I know bougie it was sick) when I was 13 n it was so fun, n I am happy to say I have survived falling off a small cliff lmao!! I haven’t gone skiing since then😅 Hey soft powdery snow is magical!! I walked away only bruised n scared. I fell my last day of ski lessons, so just imagine a baby giraffe 13 year old queer falling off a cliff in front of a bunch of rich elementary school kids. It’s such a funny memory now tho😂😂 Thank god snow is magical. Got any good sledding stories? I’d love to hear it!!

[quentinbecks]

2, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16 for Charlie and Rafe- oc-musings 🌞🌞🌞

Thank you @oc-musings ! 🖤 I’ve been missing these two lately!

2. Any sleep habits either had to get used to?

Not really. Charlie has a bit of an issue with nightmares and oversleeping, but Rafe is willing to try and help with the former.

8. Have an AU thought?

I do! @johnnycranes and I created a bounty hunter AU for them. Instead of chasing Avery’s gold he’s obsessed with tracking Charlie down after she goes on the run with a gang of outlaws. He catches her and they have a little enemies to lovers arc.

12. How are their communication skills?

For the most part they’re great at communicating their thoughts and feelings with each other. The one thing that was hard for Rafe to communicate to Charlie was his fear of her only wanting him for wealth instead of for him. After the game events he realizes life is too short and that she truly loves him and will do almost anything to protect him.

14. How did they first meet?

They met at a black market auction in Buenos Aires. Charlie tried to cheat someone out of money and Rafe helped her get out of a situation that was definitely going to end up with her dead. She agreed to dinner with him the next night as a thank you, assuring him she would never sleep with him. But, she did sleep with him that very night.

15. Why do they like each other?

Charlie likes how self-assured Rafe can be. His independence and determination to do things his own way were also a major draw to her. She also likes the soft yet commanding side he reserves for her and her alone. Rafe loves that she’s brainy and ballsy. What Charlie wants, Charlie will make sure she gets. He’s impressed by that. He’s into how intense and passionate she can be as well. Even if she can be a bit of a brat at times. He loves it.

16. Who cooks most?

Neither cook very much. They mainly eat out or have help to do it. Though, Rafe will sometimes cook for Charlie and their children. It’s better if she doesn’t given how most of her meals turn out inedible.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep1 Musings - Revenants Pt2

This is the 2nd half of my Revenants Musings. It's unrelated to Pt1, tbh, except that I'm still talking about revenants. But now I'm switching gears to talk about Louis' POV & attitude towards them.

In Europe, he & Claudia are looking for 2 things: ARTICULATE vampires who can explain more about vampires than Lestat; and LOVING vampires with whom they can create a new home.

Mindless Revenants, and Looking for "Good"/God

We get these huge themes in S2 AND S1, that at surface level seem to be making value/character judgements about American vs (Eastern) European vampires, and society at large.

However, it's long been established that the good/bad dichotomy is highly subjective in TVC, and doesn't really apply or work. Not only are we talking about serial killing vampires; but we're also talking about the world at large. AR's TVC has a VERY dark & bleak outlook on the world--no one particular country or culture or religion, but ALL of them. This is summed up by Akasha, desperately wanting to put an end to war & violence (in the most fatalistic way possible).

Lestat's Vampire Court holds that what makes eternal life worth enduring is aesthetics, beauty, art; specifically: Lestat's concept of The Savage Garden, in contrast with the self-loathing of Alessandra's Devil's Road (which they've given to Daciana on the show).

It's categorically white privileged post-Renaissance/Enlightenment colonialist imperialist artistic nonsense, but AR's vampires are bougie AF classist elitist aesthetes who used to be Old World dynasts and Merovingian queens and French marquises and Roman patricians and American slaveowners, and other exploitative aristocrats. So we're scraping the bottom of the barrel, really--none of these are ethically/morally "good" or "bad" peoples, vampires, or countries.

AMC!Louis has a VERY interesting scene when he & Claudia argue.

YES, actually. XD Projecting much! That's one of the FIRST things Louis can't wait to ask Armand in the book/movie!

Louis is Catholic. Like--HELLA Catholic. But Louis' such a coward that he'd rather deny the obvious: convince himself that God doesn't exist; there's wild baboons out there in effing EUROPE; he's an apex predator who only eats helpless baby foxes and guys he has to PAY to feed on; "love? what love?!;" Lestat WHOMST?; Claudia didn't think Paris sucked at all~!; I'm not super depressed & missing my husband, the blood is just "bad" here; I need to find "good" vamps just like me!

Louis does NOT think he OR vampires are good--AT ALL. Like Armand in TVA/Memnoch, Lou's looking for proof that God exists, and for confirmation that they really are damned; forsaken by God.

But Armand couldn't tell him anything, cuz the Children of Satan who taught him didn't have any answers, either. But TVL/QotD blows the lid wide open, when Lestat finally spills the beans & exposes ALL the truths Claudia & Lou had badgered him with over 100 years before.

NOLA had no answers. Eastern Europe had no answers. Paris had no answers. The only vamps who ever gave Louis concrete answers were Lestat in TVL, Maharet in QoTD, and Amel in the PL trilogy. And it's only in the PL trilogy that Louis finally gives up believing in the "Devil's Road," and starts accepting the Savage Garden instead, as Lestat's Blood Spouse at the end of the series LOUIS started.

Mindless Revenants, and The Coven of the Articulate

Although they're both looking for connection, community, companionship, Claudia's Louis' priorities are very different, cuz they've had VERY different experiences with vampirism. Claudia is looking for someone who'll love & respect HER as an adult, despite her being made as a child. Louis is looking for someone to BE in love with, cuz he was made out of love.

For Claudia, she and Daciana are rather similar, cuz they treat the revenant (a grown man) like a child--Claudia sees herself as someone who can be his mentor/mother, teaching him how to eat and hunt and talk; someone she can have KINSHIP with; "the same."

But for Lou, he wants sentient vampires, not mindless revenants.

Claudia read him for FILTH, cuz YES: Louis wanted to be hunted courted. He's a hopeless romantic who likes walks in the park & nights at the opera & bookish conversations by the hearth at home.

At the end of TVC, the most important members of the Vampire Court are the "Coven of the Articulate;" those who'd written the TVC books & shared their stories & explained their place in world history.

And Louis is their founding member, the godfather of their immortal book club, the bookworm who kickstarted TVC with Daniel in IWTV. Unlike a LOT of vampires, Lou never went to ground; he stays awake & keeps a whole archive/library. (He's SO similar with Maharet.) How much he's actually LEARNING? Who knows. But he ENDURES.

Mindless Revenants, and Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places

Lou's starving for (romantic) love. So ofc Louis rejects the revenant on sight. There's nothing romantic/charming about him. Louis feels ZERO kinship with it, despite it very clearly being in fact a vampire--"the same" as him.

YOU'RE dirty, Louis--you literally looked like a nasty AF zombie at the beginning of this episode, wtf? XD

Which makes Lou's whole reaction to DreamStat HILARIOUSLY sad.

Cuz at the end of the day it's not REALLY about what the revenant looks like--though yes, ofc it's hideous & sheltered pretty-boy Lou's SHOCKED that vampires can even look that bad. Cuz unfortunately, AMC never gave us our Swamp King! 😩

AMC is REALLY beating us over the head with just how down horrendous Loustat are for each other. DreamStat's got a whole effing bat clawing its way out of his gashed throat, but Lou's still standing there, tears in his eyes, apologizing, and letting this ghoulish creature neck on him in the middle of a frikkin battlefield reeking of corpses, like...sir. 😨 Jfc, BOTH of y'all're nasty freaks, huh?

Cuz what matters is that it's LESTAT and LOUIS. Covered in gore & filth & at their absolute WORST, these stupid mofos STILL love each other. LBH, if Swamp King revenant-looking DreamStat had popped up instead, Lou would've STILL dropped trou and started singing voulez vous coucher avec moi, ce soir~! 😍

Only difference is that there's no reason for AMC's version to look like that, since Les got off easy in Ep7. So instead we get the beauty filter, as Lestat gets less & less bloody/gory every time we see him, until he shows up at the Trial for realsies.

So when Claudia & Louis make these sweeping statements about "bad" vs "good," this MUST be treated with a grain of salt, considering the layers of context in AR's TVC universe & how vampires operate, and perceive the world. Louis' not REALLY looking for anything in Europe--he's just running far away from what (who) he wants most.

[csjw]

idol! jay x nonidol gn! reader

genre; just some sweet ole fluff

notes; barely proofread so sorry for the mistakes 😰

desc; distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? where you and jay desperately miss each other after only a month. (ft. a rambly jay)

—

Getting off the plane he only had one thing on his mind: what was the fastest way to your apartment from the airport? 

The blinding lights of the cameras didn’t stun him, maybe it was because of his publicity training or maybe it’s because of the fact that his mind was wandering - to your eyes, your smile, your scent. He was down bad like sunghoon said, he denied it at first but now he can see how obvious his love for you is, maybe being down bad wasn’t all so bad.

—

Heart hammering and bag jingling from the souvenirs he got you, he knocked on your door. Before he could even get a breathless ‘hi’ in (hey those stairs are no joke and your elevator has been broken for weeks) he was embraced in a giant hug. He was about to tease you for missing him but you shut him up quick with a kiss, so maybe he missed you a tiny bit too. 

“How was your trip?” 

You were beaming because even if it was only for a month calls and texts would never be able to live up to seeing your boyfriend right in front of you.

“It was great, missed you so much though. oh! But look I got you some stuff. We went to disneyland, it was so cool. Oh my god did I show you the selfie I got with goofy? The dude underneath the costume must’ve been huge! You can barely see jungwon’s face.” Jay says while pulling up said picture

You giggle, you really can’t see jungwon there.

“Okay but here I got you this cute little keychain” he points at each section of the keychain, “look there’s the castle and the little tinkerbell! Isn’t it cute?”

“Very cute baby, I love it thank you!”

“Mhm and there was this one ride that I know you would’ve loved, there were so many fast turns and the drops were kinda scary but I know you’re into that stuff.”

There was a rustling noise as he was making his way through his bag, then there was a small clatter before he finally pulled out a paper?

“What’s this?”

“Oh! We were walking around a college I think, and there was this guy saying ‘join my animal club’ or something like that (he now thinks that maybe it was a club for furries) but it had this cute baby deer picture on it so I brought it with me. Thought you might like it.” He was blushing hard now, cus maybe you thought he was a creep or something. This was definitely not as cute as the keychain. Oh god he should’ve just kept this one to himself-

You giggled looking at it.

Now he’s thinking that maybe it’s not that creepy, I mean you look like you’re enjoying it right?

“Thank you baby it’s really cute”

He let out a sigh of relief. 

“Um, okay I swear I have more stuff in here for you.” More bag rustling, and then a napkin fell out? You were confused, it was all crumpled why would he keep this?

“Baby what’s this?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s from this café we went to, it was really cute, but super bougie like there’s only one in the world and well obviously it was that one. And I heard it had a mean green tea and well I didn’t have that. I actually just had an americano, which honestly top three americanos I’ve ever had. Like wow their coffee beans must’ve been made of magic or something. And anyways you love green tea so I thought I’d save the napkin so that when we go there I could take you there and you could try it.”

“Wait – take me there?”

He was getting even redder now, if that was even possible. “Oh, well I don’t know when promotions and repackage are done I thought maybe we could go on a trip together there sometime. I mean we didn’t have much time to look around but it looked beautiful so maybe we could go and sightsee, just you and me I mean. Only if you wanna go too.” He chuckled nervously not meeting your eyes.

You took initiative in your own hands cupping his face with one, “I would love to go on a trip with you and sightsee and go on that rollercoaster and drink that green tea and do whatever the heck else you wanna do.”

“Oh, okay that’s great. Mhm yup!” Feeling a little flustered at your confident hand-face holding.

“God, you’re such a dork”

—

a/n; hi ! so this is my first writing post on here :D so plz be kind! all feedback is welcome and thank you all for reading <3 reblogs are greatly appreciated (´∀｀) i also don’t know why tumblr format makes it look so weird so very sorry abt that :,( also really bad header, i made it in like five mins

[study-coffee-chicago]

Country College (A Halstead Brothers + Halstead Sister Imagine; Part of AU-gust)

A/N: Thank you for reading! Remember to like/reblog and comment! I'm also donating all the proceeds that from my buy me a coffee account to Save The Children to help the children of Afghanistan. Buy me a coffee link here.

Also, here's the playlist of songs I listened to while writing this and some of these songs are actually mentioned in the imagine in case you guys wanted to listen while reading: Country College AU playlist.

I went on vacation and I swear, this entire imagine was based on stuff I did in Tennessee and country songs I listened to while there.

Anyway, enjoy!

"You got everything?" Jay asked you at six in the morning.

"For the last damn time, Jay, yes, I have everything," you answered as you jumped in the passenger seat of his truck and put your backpack at your feet and your tumbler of coffee in a cup holder.

"Jesus. I was just asking because I will not be turning this truck around," he said as he moved around the basket of snacks in the backseat so that the two of you could reach them easier. "Someone's cranky."

"Yes. When I finally got to sleep at 12:30 last night and had to wake up at 4:30, I'm gonna be cranky. Please tell me we're stopping for coffee."

"You already have coffee," Will said as he walked up to the truck. "Why do you need more?"

"Shut up. I know for a fact you drink way more coffee than I do, Mr. Med Student."

"Jesus, Jay. You sure you're gonna be able to put up with her for eight and a half hours?" Will asked.

"I dunno, man. Maybe I'll make her ride with you," he joked.

"Yeah, no way in hell that's happening," Will said.

"In all seriousness," Jay started, "stop for coffee in about an hour and a half?"

"Sounds good to me," you agreed.

"Same here. I only have to ditch you guys when we get like eight hours in," Will said.

"Gonna be weird not having you on the drive down, man," Jay mused.

"Yeah, but at least we can meet up at the rest stops and we'll  be in the same state."

"Are we gonna go?" you asked. "If you two were just gonna talk, I could've slept for an extra ten minutes."

"Holy shit," Jay muttered. He turned to Will. "Guess we should get going then."

"Yeah, see you in an hour and a half. Don't piss off the driver too much, Y/N."

You rolled your eyes. "Goodbye, Will."

Will got in his car and Jay got in the driver's side of his truck.

"Eight and a half hour drive plus traffic," Jay started as you both pulled out of the driveway, "so how do want to split it up?"

"I'm tired and I wanna sleep and I don't want to drive through Knoxville because I have no idea where to go," you answered as you pulled your headphones out of your backpack.

"Okay, Miss Sassy Pants. You can drive in the middle, through Kentucky. Might hit traffic, but we'll hit traffic in Tennessee, too, so we'll both have to drive through it. Just please, do not crash my truck."

"Relax. I know how to drive. Just make sure Will stays on your ass the entire time so we don't lose each other."

***

"And, we're officially in Kentucky!" Jay announced. "Time to change the music. At the next rest stop, we'll pull over and go to the bathroom and grab some lunch."

"Jay! You can't be on your phone while you're driving!" you yelled as he reached for his phone in the cup holder, which was also acting as the GPS...even though Jay claimed he could get there without it.

"Y/N, I'm fine. I've done this for three years now. I think I know what I'm doing."

"If you say so."

He turned on a song you didn't know.

"Got a truck, get it lifted," Jay started to sing.

"The hell is this?" you asked.

"Country music. Gets changed from pop to country the second we cross the border into Kentucky. Now, shh. This is a good song. You'll like it. It's upbeat."

Jay drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and sang quietly to Redneck Be Like by Thomas Rhett as he drove while you listened. He was right. It was a pretty good song.

"All day in the sun, always havin' fun, always gettin' stuck in that muddy river. Always got a buzz, always double cup..."

"You'll know the next one," Jay promised.

"And you know this how?" you asked.

"Because it's on Tiktok. When we get there, Adam and Hailey are gonna have to teach you some southern culture."

"So, I'm gonna need a definition of southern culture."

"You'll see when you get there. Now listen. I know you know this part."

Yeah we fancy like Applebee's...

Jay was right: you did know this song. It was Fancy Like by Walker Hayes.

"On a date night," you sang along. "Got that Bourbon street steak..." Jay joined in. "With the Oreo shake. Get some whipped cream on the top, too. Two straws, one check, girl I got you. Yeah we Bougie like Natty in the styrofoam..."

Five minutes later, you pulled off to a rest stop with a McDonald's nearby. Jay and Will filled up their vehicles while you ran inside to go to the bathroom. Once you were inside McDonald's and at a table eating, you asked Will if it was true that he and Jay always changed it to country music when they crossed the border into Kentucky. Will said yes, so you knew you were in for a long car ride. Then, you and Jay switched so that you were now the one driving and you were off again.

***

Hours later, Will took a different exit to get to Nashville and gave you and Jay a salute to tell you goodbye when he changed lanes and then took the exit.

"Not long now," Jay told you. "You excited?"

"Yeah, but a little nervous," you replied.

"Oh, don't be nervous. They're all really nice. And you've already met Hailey, so that helps."

"Yeah, she was nice. She had a cute little southern accent, too."

"One of the many reasons I fell in love with her in the first place."

Before Jay left for a weekend last summer to meet Hailey halfway and then stay in a hotel for a weekend to spend time with her, he finally told you the story of how he and Hailey met.

"Hey, we're goin' to the marketplace," Adam said on the first weekend of their junior year. "You and Will up for it?"

"Uh, Will's studying like normal. I'm up for it. Kim coming, too?" Jay asked.

"I promised her ice cream, so yeah, she's comin'. Baby, you ready?" he yelled down the hall.

"I'm coming, Adam!" Kim yelled back and then walked out of the bathroom.

"Let's go and make some bad decisions," Adam stated, causing Jay and Kim to laugh.

"We can't even buy alcohol yet, you dummy," Kim said.

"I may be a dummy, but you love me." Then, Adam gave Kim a kiss on the cheek.

"Please stop before I puke," Jay said and made a gagging face.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Let's get outta here."

***

Kim was laughing at a horrible joke Adam made while he had his arm slung around him. He had taken off his signature cowboy hat and had let Kim wear it because she forgot her sunglasses. Adam said he felt naked without it on.

They were walking towards Kilwin's when Jay spotted it: a homeless guy next to a blonde who couldn't be more than college age.

"Man, look," Jay pointed.

The three walked faster.

"No, this is for my friend back at the dorm," the girl explained.

"Lady, I'm hungry. Can I please just have your leftovers?" the guy asked.

"I'm sorry you're hungry, but this is for my friend."

The guy reached for the food.

"Hey, that girl sits behind me in my women and the law class," Kim stated.

Jay, Adam, and Kim took off on a run.

"Hey, baby," Jay said and slung an arm around the girl. He leaned in close to her. "Just go with it," he whispered in her ear. "You got Anna's food?"

"Yeah," the girl said hesitantly. But then, she realized that this guy was trying to help her out. And, he was pretty sure that the girl with him sat in front of her in her women and the law class. "Yeah, I've got her food."

Jay raised an eyebrow at the guy and then looked at Adam as if asking the man to try the two of them.

"Alright, well y'all have a good night now," he said and then turned around and walked away.

Once the man was a few shops down, Jay took his arm off of her. "Sorry about that. Just thought you might need some help," he said.

"Was greatly appreciated, thank you, uh..."

"Jay."

"Jay, well I'm Hailey. Nice to meet you."

He didn't miss her cute little southern accent and he loved it.

"You getting ice cream?" he asked.

"No, I uh was just textin' my roommate to tell her I'd be back soon."

"Well, I-- we'd feel much better if you came into Kilwin's with us. Just so that creeper doesn't come back."

Hailey smiled and agreed.

Kim and Hailey started talking about their class while Adam and Jay ordered their ice cream. Then Kim ordered.

"You want anything, Hailey?" Jay asked.

"Oh no, I'm fine, thank you, though."

Jay nodded, but then turned to the worker. "And can I also get a single scoop of chocolate in a waffle cone, please?"

"Sure thing." As she scooped it out, Hailey looked at Jay and he just shrugged.

When they got to the cashier, Hailey pulled out some money and tried to hand it to Jay.

"I've got it," he said.

"But--"

"Hailey, it's fine. I can pay for a little ice cream."

She loved the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"Okay." She took her ice cream cone.

"Hey, Hailey," Kim began when they walked out of Kilwin's. "Do you have friends you need to meet up with?"

"No, I was just gonna head back to my dorm," she replied.

"Oh, did you drive?"

"No, I walked. It's only like a twenty-minute walk from the sophomore dorms."

"Well, after all that, I'm pretty sure we'd all feel more comfortable if you rode home with us."

"I don't know..." Hailey trailed off.

"Those dorms are only like five minutes away from the house we stay at. And, it's on our way there anyway. Please, just come with us."

Hailey sighed. It would be a lot faster than walking. "Okay."

Then, they finished their walk to Adam's truck and the two girls got in the backseat and the two boys got in the front.

And that is how Jay Halstead met the sweet Georgia peach that is Hailey Anne Upton.

***

Jay, Adam, Will, Kim, and Hailey were all at a sports bar one Saturday night in October. It was loud, it was rowdy, everyone was going crazy over the football game on tv, and Hailey was totally over it. And Jay noticed.

"Hey," Jay whispered from his seat next to her. "You wanna get outta here?"

She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "You'd wanna leave and not finish the game?"

In the past two months, Hailey had been spending a lot of time with Kim, and by default, she had been spending a lot of time with Adam, Jay, and Will. She will admit going over to their three-bedroom house they all rented together was a lot better than being stuck in her small dorm with her roommate. So, she went over there quite a bit to study with Kim. And, turns out she and Jay were both law studies majors, so they had a lot of the same classes, but they were in different sections, so they did a lot of studying together, too. And, she knew like most college boys, Jay loved his football. Not as much as Adam, but he watched it whenever one of his teams were playing. Which, was Chicago or Tennessee.

"Yeah," Jay started, "it's kinda loud in here anyway. And, it's just Tennessee playing. I'd be more likely to stay if the Bears were playing."

"Okay, let's get outta here. I know a great little diner we can go to for milkshakes. Pretty sure they're open until 11 and it's only 10, so we should be able to make it."

"Adam," Jay said over the game. Adam turned to face Jay. "Me and Hailey are gonna get out of here. I'll see you back at home."

"See you," Adam said and then turned back to his game.

"Guess we know where his loyalties lie," Hailey laughed.

The two of them stood up from their chairs at the table.

"You better get my friend home safe, Halstead!" Kim yelled.

"Yes ma'am," he said, borrowing a line from Adam. "You've got nothing to worry about."

Then, the two of them made their way out of the local sports bar and to Jay's truck.

***

"You've gotta be kiddin' me," Hailey said as the two of them walked up to the diner. "They're closed. Closed at 10 and not at 11. I'm really sorry, Jay."

"That's okay. Got anywhere else you wanna go? Or I can just take you back to your dorm if you want?" Jay suggested.

She sighed. "Just take me back I guess."

The two of them walked back to Jay's truck and got in. Hailey gasped at the song that was on the radio.

"What?" Jay asked, quickly turning to look at Hailey.

"This is my favorite song!"

Lights go down, wheels go around. I'm taking you home. Hoping for a slow song to come on the radio now.

Slow Dance in a Parking Lot by Jordan Davis continued to play through the speakers of Jay's truck.

"What's it about?" Jay asked.

"Slow dancing in a parking lot."

Jay listened to a few more lines and then decided to turn up the radio and jump out of the car.

"Jay, what are you--"

But he was already at her side of the car and pulled her door open.

"Dance with me?" he asked, sticking his hand out for her to take.

"What?" she laughed as a huge smile grew on her face.

"You said the song's about slow dancing in a parking lot and we're in an empty parking lot, so, why not recreate the song?"

Hailey laughed once more and shook her head and then grabbed Jay's hand. He helped her out of his truck and then she wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist and they swayed to the music.

"Slow dance with you. Spinning you round by the Walmart sign and moving our feet over the painted white lines. Getting close to you. Making the most of whatever we got, even if it's just slow dance in a parking lot," Hailey sang quietly.

"Spin," Jay said as he held his hand up.

"What?"

"Spinning you round just like the song says."

Hailey laughed and reached for his hand and did a spin.

"Beautiful," Jay complimented.

"Yeah, right. That's was probably the messiest spin known to man."

"Well, um, it was beautiful. You're beautiful, Hailey."

She was glad it was dark so that Jay couldn't see the heat that rose to her cheeks.

"You're somethin' else, but thank you." She rested her head on his chest as they swayed to the rhythm of the rest of the song.

The song ended and the broadcaster started talking.

"Can I kiss you?" Jay asked.

"What?" she pulled away from his chest.

"I asked if I could kiss you. Was that too much? You know what, just forget--"

"Yes, Jay, kiss me," Hailey smiled and then she and Jay both leaned in.

It was just a peck, but it was their first kiss and despite it being in a dark parking lot late at night, it was still magical.

"You know," Jay began once the quick kiss was over, "there's a Walmart across the street. What do you say we go grab pints of ice cream from there and then you can show me your favorite country songs?"

"I'd like that. Adam didn't show you enough?" she asked.

"I've only got like thirty I like. I need to expand my horizons."

"Okay, let's go."

They held hands in Walmart and then picked out their respective pints of ice cream. Then, they went back to the parking lot of the closed diner and Jay plugged in the aux, allowing Hailey to show him her favorite country songs while they ate their ice cream from the pint and even shared with each other.

Hailey knew nobody would have a first kiss story like that.

Then, at the beginning of the winter semester, Hailey's roommate decided not to live in the dorms anymore. Hailey couldn't afford to pay for a dorm all by herself, so Kim offered to let her stay with her, Jay, Adam, and Will. So, that's how she ended up living with her boyfriend and sharing a room with her best friend, Kim Burgess.

"We're here," Jay announced. "Well, actually, we're a few streets away, but that's one of the lecture halls on your right."

You looked out the window to see a big red and brown brick building with white pillars on the steps. There was also a white sign telling you what building this was.

"Wow," you said in awe. "It's like those old-fashioned colleges. I love it."

"Well, we'll give you a tour and help you find your classes sometime this weekend before classes start on Tuesday. That way, you aren't getting lost on the first day. But, we'll head to the house for now and get all unpacked."

"Sounds good to me."

Five minutes and a few back roads later, you pulled up to a simple two-story brick house.

"Alright, let's get our stuff out and get inside," Jay said.

You stepped out of the truck and started grabbing some stuff out of the back seat.

"I'll jump in the truck and hand you the suitcases. Think you can grab them when I hand them to you?"

You nodded.

"Halstead!" you heard someone shout and you and Jay both whipped your heads around to see Hailey and Adam walking out of the garage and toward the two of you. Adam, well who you assumed was Adam, was carrying two cowboy hats and he and Hailey each had one on themselves.

"Catch!" Adam said and threw one to Jay where he was standing in the box of the truck. Jay easily caught it and placed it on his head.

Adam walked over to you.  "And one for you, darlin'," he said as he placed the hat on your head.

"Thank you," you said. "But I thought Kim was darlin'," you said. It'd make sense because if this guy was in fact Adam, then he and Kim were dating.

"You didn't tell her?" Hailey asked Jay.

"Didn't think there'd be a need to." Jay shrugged.

"Tell me what?" you asked.

"Well, Adam calls every girl darlin'," Jay explained. "It's just normal for him. And, down here, you're gonna get a lot of huns, sweeties, and sweethearts. A lot of waiters and waitresses do that here."

"And what do they call you two?" you asked, motioning to Jay and Adam.

"Sir," they said in unison.

"Oh, and you'll occasionally get a ma'am," Hailey added. "But, that one's rare because we don't look old enough to be called ma'am."

"Okay. And, uh, not to be rude, but what's with the cowboy hats?" you asked.

"It's a tradition we just started last year," Adam explained. "We unpack, wear cowboy hats, and drink moonshine. Oh, I'm Adam by the way, darlin'."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Y/N."

Jay handed you a suitcase and you set it on the ground. Then, you did the same thing with two more suitcases.

You grabbed your backpack from the front seat, your duffle bag from the back, and your two suitcases.

"Here, I can take those two for you," Adam said.

"Oh, okay," you said and then allowed him to take the two suitcases from you. So this is what Jay meant by southern hospitality since Adam was from Tennessee and all.

"Jay, lemme take your suitcase," Hailey said.

"Baby, I've got it," Jay argued as he jumped out of the box of his truck and closed the tailgate.

"The hell you do," she argued. "I see all your other stuff in the backseat and that basket of snacks you gotta carry in, too. Just lemme take your one suitcase."

"Let 'er take the suitcase, Halstead. Best to listen to your lady," Adam said.

"I like Adam already," you laughed.

He let go of one of the suitcases and tipped his hat. "Thank you, darlin'."

This caused all four of you to laugh and then you all went inside carrying both yours and Jay's stuff in one trip between the four of you.

***

"Shine in the fridge?" Jay asked after you and he had brought all your stuff to your room.

"Shine, Jay? How southern do you get when you're here?" you asked.

"Oh, he gets pretty southern, hun," Hailey said.

"See?" Jay asked as he pointed to Hailey. "Told you you'd get called hun."

"So, Adam's thing is darlin' and Hailey's is hun?" Hailey nodded. "And it's because you're from Georgia and he's from Tennessee?"

"That's right, darlin'," Adam confirmed and then turned back to Jay. "Yeah, shine's in the fridge. And Kim just texted and said she's on the way back with pizza."

"You got apple pie flavored shine?" Jay asked.

"Hang on. I'm just gonna grab 'em."

The three of you sat down on the bar stools at the counter and waited for Adam to pull them out.

"Alright," Adam started after he put the bottles of moonshine with sip lids on the counter. "We have peach for Miss Georgia Peach." He passed the peach bottle of moonshine to Hailey. "We've got apple pie shine for me and Jay. We've got strawberries and creme for Kim because that's her favorite." He turned to you. "And for you, I got you blackberry because it's not that high of a proof, so it's not that strong." He slid the jar to you.

"Nuh uh," Jay said quickly and grabbed the bottle.

"What the hell, Jay? Give it back! Adam said it's for me, not you!" you argued.

"Last I checked, you're only eighteen."

"Last I checked, Dad's not here. And I know for a fact you drank before you were 21, so pass me the blackberry shine, please."

"I'll take the first sip and then you can have it." He made sure the straw part was open and then he took a sip. "Adam, that shit's like a chaser compared to the apple pie one."

"I know. That's why I got 'er that one," Adam said.

You heard a door shut.

"Pizza's here!" Kim announced.

She walked into the kitchen with three boxes of pizza.

"I got us three pies," she said as she set them down on the counter. "We got one pepperoni and green olive, one supreme, and one meat lovers." She turned to you. "And you must be Y/N. I'm Kim. I see Adam already got you started on that Tennessee moonshine."

"Nice to meet you," you said. "You're from New York, right?"

"Yup, not New York City, though. More upstate."

"Of course she's from New York, Y/N!" Jay exclaimed. "Who else would call pizza a pie except for a true New Yorker?"

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks, Jay."

Jay raised his bottle of apple pie moonshine in a fake cheers and then took a sip.

"Now that's the strong shit I need to start off this semester right," he announced and then set the bottle down.

"Oh, and if your brother didn't tell you yet, he turns into a borderline alcoholic when he's at school," Kim told you.

You laughed. "He didn't tell me that, no."

"Better than being a caffeine addict like Kim and Hailey here," Jay argued.

"Shut up," Hailey said. "You know you're a caffeine addict during finals week just the rest of us."

"I was a caffeine addict in high school, so we'll see what happens," you shrugged.

Kim grabbed a stack of paper plates and set them on one of the pizza boxes. "Dig in. Oh, Y/N, did Adam get you the blackberry flavored moonshine?"

"He did. Haven't tried it yet because Jay has yet to give it back to me."

Kim quickly reached down and grabbed the jar of moonshine.

"Hey, Kim! She's only 18!" Jay protested.

"So? I know you drank an insane amount during your freshman year. So shut it." Kim popped open the sipping lid. "Taste."

You took a sip. It did taste like blackberry, but it was also sort of strong, but it didn't burn your throat that bad like you had read in books that alcohol did.

"This is actually pretty good."

"I know, right? And, me and Hailey will let you try ours when we help you unpack," Kim said. "But, do not try the kind the boys have because it's nasty."

"Baby, I don't know what you have against apple pie moonshine, but it's good," Adam said and then took a sip of his moonshine. Kim rolled her eyes. Adam leaned across the counter. "The New York in her is coming out, darlin'."

"Oh, shut up," Kim said and reached over to steal Adam's cowboy hat off his head.

"Baby, now I feel naked without it," Adam argued and tried to reach for the hat.

"Sucks for you. Now eat your pizza before it gets cold."

***

"Morning," Jay said when you walked into the kitchen the next morning. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. it's nice not having to share a room with anyone like you and Adam, and then Hailey and Kim have to. It was fun having them help me unpack last night, though," you said.

Last night, Kim and Hailey had helped you unpack and when you mentioned that you didn't really know any country music, Hailey pulled up all of her favorite country songs to play for you. You especially liked Girl in a Country Song by Maddie and Tae. They showed you the music video for that song and it was about how, in most country music videos, girls had to dress up in little skimpy outfits and have the boys just stare at them all day. So, in their music video, they changed the roles, and the guys had to dress in skimpy clothing in the music video. It was pretty funny and the song was catchy.

"Let me guess," Jay began, "Hailey showed you some good country music?"

"Yup. The songs she showed me were pretty good, pretty upbeat. Didn't sound like a cat being put in a blender like old-fashioned country, so I guess that's good."

"What do you have against old-fashioned country, darlin'?" Adam asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"I dunno." You shrugged. "Too slow for me and I just don't like the voices I guess."

"You know what we ought to do, Jay?" Adam asked and Jay raised his eyebrows, silently telling adam to continue. "We should show her all the songs that are mentioned in What's Your Country Song."

"Wait, wait. I think I know that one. I think Hailey played it for me last night. Is it the one that mentions Chatta- Chatta..."

"Chattahoochee?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, that funny word. What even is that anyway?"

"It's a river that runs through Georgia," Jay answered. "Pretty sure Hailey used to go tubing down it like we're gonna do today."

You furrowed your eyebrows. "We're going tubing? Like behind a boat?"

Adam laughed. "Christ, Jay! Do you tell her anything?"

"He doesn't," you answered. "So, explain, one of you."

"Alright, I'll do it," Jay said as he poured milk on top of a bowl of Raisin Bran. You looked at him intently. "What we do is, the first Saturday that we're all together before school starts, we go on tubes and float down the Tennessee River. We bring a cooler full of snacks, sandwiches, booze, and water, and a waterproof speaker and we just have a fun time. Oh, and this year, you're the DD."

"Me?" you asked as you pointed to yourself. Jay nodded. "But I don't know where to go! I haven't even been in Tennessee for a full 24 hours yet!"

"Kim's like the mom of the group," Adam supplied. "So she'll still be pretty lucid and could probably drive if she needs to. But, she'll at least be able to give you directions on how to get back here."

You sighed. "Good. That makes me feel a lot better."

"Where are the other two girls anyway?" Adam asked. "They're usually up a lot earlier than we are when we go on the river."

"I think they were a little buzzed last night," you said. "Might still be sleeping."

While you were unpacking, you took a few sips of your jar of blackberry moonshine, but not a lot. You'd never really drank before, much less drank moonshine and you didn't really feel like puking from being drunk or having a killer headache from a hangover...at least, that's what you thought happened from what you had read in books and seen in movies and tv shows. But, Kim and Hailey had each finished like a quarter of their jar, so they had been buzzed last night. They weren't drunk because they could still walk in a straight line and knew what they were talking about, but they did have little dopey smiles on their faces while they helped you unpack.

"She's right," Kim said as she and Hailey walked into the kitchen. Hailey's hair was wrapped in a towel, alerting you that she had just taken a shower. "Adam, can you grab me an Advil?" She took a seat on a stool and put her head in her hands. "My head is fucking killing me. I didn't even think I drank that much."

Adam laughed. "You do this every semester, baby. First shine of the year and you always drink a little too much." He handed her the pills and a cup of water and Kim quickly washed the pills down.

"I just need some coffee," Hailey announced.

"We know, you don't get hangover headaches," Kim groaned.

"Yeah, but I feel exhausted all day. Everyone goin' for coffee? I'll make a bigger pot if that's the case."

Everyone said yes and Hailey started on the coffee.

***

"Okay, we got the tubes, the speaker, swimsuits are on, we have the towels, cooler," Jay rattled off as the five of you sat in his truck. "Anyone double-check the cooler?"

"I did," Hailey said. "We got water, the same shine from last night, some white claws, the sandwiches me and Kim made for everyone, chips, and a few other snacks."

"And I threw in a little first aid kit with bandaids, alcohol swabs, Neosporin, and other stuff. And I've got the sunscreen, too," Kim said.

"See, what'd I tell you, darlin'?" Adam asked as he turned around from his spot in the passenger seat. "Kim's the mom of the group."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kim said. "It means I'm responsible and prepared."

"Those two would get so damn sunburned and dehydrated if it weren't for Kim," Hailey said as she pointed to Jay and Adam in the two front seats.

"Thanks, Hails," Jay replied sarcastically. "Real nice."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile.

You leaned your head against the window. You were supposed to get stuck in the middle, but seeing as you got car sick easily, Kim said she'd switch spots with you.

"You okay?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, just, Jay really needs to turn on the AC before I throw up from motion sickness and how damn hot it is in here."

"Least you got that cowboy hat to puke in if you need to," Jay laughed as he reached for the AC. "You better not puke in my tuck or you will be walking home."

Adam smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" Jay exclaimed and took one hand off the wheel and rubbed the back of his head. "The hell was that for?"

"Dude, be nice! Look at her!" Adam exclaimed.

Jay looked in the rearview mirror and saw you leaning your head against the window with your eyes closed and pinching your nose. You groaned.

"Here," Jay said and tossed you a blue bottle of Gatorade from his cup holder. "Drink this. Get you some hydration and electrolytes."

You took a few sips and then handed the bottle back to him. "Thanks."

"Mhm."

Kim moved the vents so that the AC was blowing on you more. "That help?"

"Little bit, thanks."

"Think you'll be good to go down the river?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, because then I won't be trapped in a hot box going sixty down the road!"

"She's right about that," Adam agreed. "You'll be lucky if you go five miles per hour, darlin'."

"Alright, so the motion sickness should stop. Thank God."

"Just rest your head against the window and listen to some country music," Jay said. "Speaking of that, who's controlling the music on the river?"

"I got it," Adam volunteered. "Everyone give me a song and I'll get the queue started."

***

You had been going down the river for about half an hour now and had finished a bottle of water and eaten a banana, too. You felt fine now. Adam was right, you were going slow enough that you didn't get sick, and you also weren't in the backseat of a truck.

"Hey, Kim," you started, "can you pass me my moonshine?"

"Mhm," she said. You guys had tied a cooler to a tube, which was then tied to Kim's tube. Because, the boys figured that between the five of you, she was the most responsible. They toyed with tying it to your tube because you probably wouldn't get shitfaced (like the boys most likely would) since you were underage, but you had never gone tubing down the Tennessee River before, so they decided on Kim. "Here, Hailey, hold my white claw."

She passed Hailey her drink and then maneuvered the cooler towards her, opened it, and handed you your moonshine.

"Thank you," you said and popped open the sip lid and took a sip. "Ahhh."

"Hey, drink it slow," Adam warned, turning towards you and practically yelling over the music. He and Jay were in front of the three of you girls so they could tell you if there were a ton of rocks coming or if it was super shallow coming up. "Heat makes getting drunk a lot easier because you keep drinking it because you're so thirsty."

"I don't think that's how it works, man, but whatever you say," Jay laughed.

Another song started.

"Hey!" you yelled. "I know this song!"

"Yeah, because it's old as hell," Jay laughed.

"Shut up! I like it!"

Baby you a song you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise. Down a back road, blowin' stop signs through the middle every little farm town with you.

"And this brand new Chevy with a lift kit, would look a hell of a lot better with you up in it. Baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise," the five of you sang Cruise by Florida Georgia Line while holding your drinks in pure happiness.

Because of this, you didn't notice Jay drifting off to the side toward the trees.

Jay let out a sinister laugh as he got closer. "C'mere, buddy, c'mere." The black snake stuck his tongue out and hissed. "Yeah, I know, you wanna scare Y/N, too." Jay held his hand out toward the snake. "I'm nice, I promise." The snake slithered and went up on Jay's hand and started up his arm. He turned once most of the snake was on him. He started using his other hand to paddle himself back toward the group. "Y/N!"

You turned and looked at him. You saw the snake on his arm and tears pricked your eyes. "No! No!" you shouted.

Snakes were your biggest fear and knowing that they were in the river that you were in right now was absolutely terrifying to you. And, with each paddle, Jay and the snake were coming closer and closer to you.

"Jay, please, please!"

Adam turned and looked at Jay and then back to you. "She scared of snakes?" You quickly nodded as tears ran down your face. "Jay! Stop! She's terrified!"

Jay laughed. "No!"

He was coming closer and closer to you.

Adam quickly paddled over to you and went in front of you. "I won't let it go near you, darlin', don't you worry."

"Uh huh," you said and grabbed onto Adam's arm in complete and utter terror.

Unknown to Jay, Hailey was making her way to him. But, she was behind him, so Jay couldn't see his girlfriend coming up behind him with her empty bottle of white claw raised high in the air.

He felt it before he heard her.

"Don't." Smack on the head with the empty can. "You." Another smack on the head with the empty can. "Do." Another smack on the head with the empty can. "That." Last smack on the head with the empty can.

"Ow!" Jay yelled. "Hails, stop!"

"Put the fuckin' snake back and stop scarin' the daylights outta your little sister or I will keep smackin' you, Jay!" Hailey told him.

"Fine, I'll put it back," he groaned.

"Hailey, keep that can raised above his head. If he tries to come back here, hit 'im again!" Adam yelled.

"You got it!" Hailey said. "Hear that baby? Your head is gonna come in contact with this 'ere empty white claw can again if you don't get a move on."

"I'm going, I'm going," Jay grumbled.

"Good, then you won't get smacked again."

"Just for all that," Adam started, "you wanna pick the next song, darlin'?"

"Can you play Better Dig Two by The Band Perry?" you asked. "That counts as country right?"

"Sure does, darlin'." He started messing with his phone. "Comin' right up."

"I told you on the day we wed, I was gonna love you 'til I's dead," you started to sing. "Made you wait 'til our weddin' night, that's the first and the last time I wear white."

"Snake's gone! Made sure he put it down and I even watched it slither away!" Hailey announced. "Put me in the ground, put me six foot down," Hailey joined in after she had finished yelling over part of the first verse.

"And, as for you, Jay," Adam started over the music and all of you singing. "You don't get to pick a song for the next hour."

"Son of a bitch," Jay muttered.

"Hey, you brought this one on yourself, buddy. So just sit back, relax, listen to our music choices, and enjoy your shine."

***

One week later

"And we're here!" Adam announced as the five of you pulled onto a long dirt driveway. "You ready to ride some horses, Y/N?"

"I dunno," you said. "I've never ridden a horse before."

"Oh, Adam'll make sure you're super safe," Kim reassured you.

"Okay, so whatever horse I ride won't buck me off?"

"Oh no," Adam said quickly, "we'll put Jay on Buck."

"Like hell you will!" Jay argued from the backseat.

Despite the studying the five of you had to do, you were at Adam's childhood home. Adam's parents had rented a cabin in North Carolina for the weekend since it was Labor Day weekend and needed someone to watch the five horses they owned.

His parents used to own a riding place with multiple horses, but since their kids got older, they stopped doing it because they were getting older and couldn't give the tours anymore. So, they sold most of their horses, left five so that their kids could ride them with their friends, but still kept the house and the land. Whenever Adam's parents went out of town, either he or his sister would come and stay over at their childhood home and take care of the horses. Seeing as his sister was married and just gave birth to a daughter, this left Adam. And, luckily for him, his parents were fine with some friends coming over to help Adam out.

"Relax, man," Adam began, "I'll ride Buck."

"Wait, is he called Buck because he bucks people off?" you asked.

"You would be completely right, darlin'. Which, would be the reason I'm riding him and neither of you four will be doing that."

Adam put the truck in park and you got out of the passenger seat. Yes, you had ridden in the front because Adam said you could because of your motion sickness. Jay wasn't too happy, but it was Adam's car, so therefore it was Adam's rules.

You got inside the house and it had two extra bedrooms, one of which was Adam's childhood room and had an extra twin bed in it for when his friends wanted to sleepover (Because, in Adam's words, it was only girls who shared beds at sleepovers and he said guys didn't do that, so that's why there was the extra bed). In his older sister's childhood room, there was a full-sized bed, so Hailey and Kim would share the bed and the boys said they'd move a couch into that same room for you to sleep on.

Adam opened the fridge once all of you had put your stuff in the rooms that would be yours for the weekend. "Ooooh, y'all, my mama left us some food!"

"Oh, he southern southern now," Kim laughed and walked over to the fridge. "What'd she make?"

"Let's see. We got fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread, gravy, biscuits, grits, tater salad, peaches that she canned herself, and apple pie. She must really miss me if she cooked this much!" Adam laughed after he rattled off the food his mom made for all of you.

"Mama's cookin', paper plate, and tater tater salad," you said, quoting a song Jay had played on the way down here that you had taken a liking to and had added it to a playlist and been listening to it a lot the past week.

"Did you just..." Adam trailed off.

"She did!" Jay exclaimed.

"Is it that hard to believe that I know more than two country songs, y'all?" you asked.

All four of them gasped.

"She's southern! She's southern, y'all!" Hailey yelled.

"What?" you asked as you looked around at your brother, his girlfriend, and his two friends in confusion.

"That was yer first y'all, hun!" Hailey told you and pulled you into a hug. "Yer a regular southern belle now."

"Next thing you know, girl's gonna be fallin' for cowboys," Adam said.

"Aw, hell nah," Jay said. "Ain't no way she's datin' a cowboy. No way."

"Shit, Jay just went southern southern, too," Adam laughed.

"What can I say, when my girl goes hella Georgia, I go hella Tennessee," Jay said.

"That made zero sense, baby, but okay," Hailey said. She turned to Adam. "When we ridin'?"

"We can go right now if you want. Everyone good with that?"

You all nodded and then Adam told all of you to put on your cowboy hats.

***

"This 'ere's Maddy," Adam said before he helped you onto the horse. You put your feet in the stirrups. "They feel good? You can reach 'em well?" he asked.

"Yeah," you told him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, darlin'." He turned to Jay, Hailey, and Kim. "You three remember how to get on the horses since we rode so much last year?"

"We're good," Jay said.

"Hey, baby?" Hailey asked and turned to Jay. He turned to look at her. "You think you can help me on 'im? Pretty sure Diablo's gotten a lot bigger since I rode 'im last."

"Yeah, sweetheart, I got that."

"Did he just..." you trailed off and looked at Kim.

"He did," she confirmed. "She turns into sweetheart around this time every year. Jay gets really southern after only being here a week. Might also have something to do with Adam calling me sweetheart sometimes and he just picks up on it."

Jay helped Hailey onto the huge horse named Diablo and then got on his horse. You were riding Maddy, Adam was riding Buck, Jay was riding Sinbad, Hailey was riding Diablo, and Kim was riding Atta'Boy.

"All y'all need to watch me now," Adam announced from the front. All four of you gave Adam all your attention. "Well, mostly Y/N because she's never ridden before." He paused. "To make your horse stop, just give the reins a little tug. To turn, hold the reins on your right side, and pull towards your right hip, like this." He demonstrated and pulled the reins like he told you and Buck's head turned to the right. "And turn left, do the same thing on the left side. To make them go, just flick the reins a little bit, but they're pretty well-trained, so you shouldn't need to do that. But, if they still won't go, give 'em a little kick. I promise you won't hurt 'em. But, most of all, keep at least one hand on the reins at all times. Oh, and they will try to eat on the trails, but they ain't supposed to, so try and get them to stop by pulling up on the reins if you can.

"Any questions? Everyone sure their stirrups and saddles are good?" Adam finished.

Everyone answered with a chorus of "yeses" and then the five of you were off...that was until Maddy decided she was hungry about a quarter-mile (400 meters) in.

And, to make matters worse, you were in the mountains (because everyone is in the mountains here) and Maddy was bringing you closer and closer to a small ravine.

You did not want to have the experience of trying to control your horse and deciding whether or not to jump off or not and possibly being rushed to the hospital.

"Maddy!" you yelled and tugged up on the reins. Nothing. "Maddy!"

"Pull hard!" Jay yelled from behind you.

"I am pulling, Jay!" you yelled back. "Come on, Maddy!"

Shit, she was still moving towards the edge and trying to eat more.

"Pull to the left!" Jay yelled. You pulled. Nothing. "All the way around! To your left hip!"

You did so and she moved. Finally.

"Now straighten out the reins," Jay told you. You did. "And give her a kick to move."

You did and she continued walking...this time with a huge branch and leaves hanging out of her mouth because she had gotten herself a nice little snack.

"What's with all the yellin'?" Adam asked as he turned his head around and had Buck slow down a little bit. Then, he saw Maddy. "Maddy stop to eat? She acts likes she's starvin', but I promise you she's not."

You kept going and then you started going down a hill.

"Lean forward when going down a hill," Adam yelled back to all of you, "and lean back when going up a hill."

You started going down the hill and kept trying to maneuver yourself so you were in the middle of the saddle. You felt like you were leaning too much to the right, so you kept trying to fix it, but with Maddy still walking, it was kind of hard.

You clenched your stomach muscles to try and pull yourself back to center, but it wasn't working. You tried to push up with your left foot because you were leaning to the right, but that wouldn't work either.

"Just hold on tight, Y/N," Jay told you. "Adam!" Jay yelled as you kept leaning to the right and pulled the reins a little harder to make sure that Maddy would stop.

"What?" Adam yelled back.

"We need a little help back here!"

Adam turned Buck around and he got halfway to you and stopped next to Hailey and Diablo.

"She's fallin' off, you big dummy! You gotta go!" Adam yelled. He flicked his reins. "C'mon, go!"

It was like Buck knew what was going on because the minute he lifted his head up and saw you trying to stay in the saddle, he started coming towards you.

"Buck, stay," Adam said sternly and jumped off him. He walked to your right side. "Now, I'm gonna push your saddle to the left and I need you to lean the same way, okay?"

"Lean to the left?" you asked.

"Yup," he confirmed. "One...two...three."

He pushed up and you leaned to the left, which allowed the saddle and you to be re-centered.

"Can you reach the stirrups okay, darlin'?" he asked. "Or do you need 'em a bit higher?"

"I think I need them a bit higher," you answered. "I thought they were fine, but I guess not."

"That's okay. That's what I'm here for. Take your right foot out."

You did as he said and then he adjusted the stirrups and helped you get your foot back in. Then, he did the same for the left foot.

While Adam was adjusting your left stirrup, Maddy was curious about what was in his first aid bag that was attached to Buck's saddle.

"I ain't got no treats in there, you fatty." He put his hand on Maddy's head. "There's nothin' in there for you. Get out." She started chewing on a drawstring that was on the bag. "Okay, I guess you can chew on that."

"So, to get her to turn, do I just pull like this?" you asked and showed Adam.

"Yes, but put your hand further down the reins when you do that. Works better like that."

"Okay, thanks."

"And, if she keeps tryin' to eat, pull up hard--but not too hard and far that you make her walk backward--and if that doesn't work, give her a quick kick. I promise you won't hurt this little fatty right here."

"Okay, awesome."

"You good?"

"I'm good," you confirmed.

"Okay, so if you ever need to adjust yourself, just grab this 'ere saddle horn." He put his hand on the stub on the front of the saddle. "And put two hands on it...unlike me, and then just push down with your foot on which side you want the saddle to go. Pretty simple."

"Okay, got it," you said.

Then, Adam jumped back on Buck and you were off again.

***

You and Kim were sitting up on the bed in Adam's older sister's childhood room that you were staying in and watching a dumb comedy when Adam poked his head into the room.

"Both you up?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kim answered. "Why?"

"Well, I want to go to the rope swing, and Jay and Hailey both fell asleep spooning while watching some shitty movie in the living room, so do you two wanna go? I'm bringing alcohol."

"Adam, it's like 11 o'clock at night!" Kim laughed. "We won't even be able to see the water!"

"Honey," Adam laughed. "I'll leave the headlights of my truck on! I'm not that stupid to have us jump in blind!" He paused. "You two in?"

"Sure," Kim agreed and then turned to you. "Y/N?"

"Why the hell not? I'm in college, let's go!"

"Alright, I'll let you two get changed and I'll grab the towels and the booze," Adam said.

"Adam, if you're the one driving, you cannot drink a ton!" Kim told him.

"I know! I'll just take like two shots and use moonshine as a chaser."

"You got more moonshine?" you asked.

"Holy hell, Adam," Kim agreed.

"Where do you two think I was the past hour? I went into town and grabbed a few flavors. and, I got both your flavors, too. So, y'all can't yell at me. Now, get changed so we can go before Jay and Hailey wake up and decide they want in on this, too."

***

"You good to sit in the back, Miss Car Sick?" Adam asked you.

"Yeah, you said it's only like a five minute drive, so I'll be fine. Thanks for asking, though," you answered.

"No problem, darlin'."

Then, the three of you were off to this rope swing to jump into a river in the middle of the night.

Five minutes later, Adam threw his car in park and left the radio and headlights on. The three of you got out and Adam grabbed the booze and shot glasses and then you followed him around to the back of his truck. He handed the stuff off to you and Kim to hold while he flipped his tailgate down. Then, he used the flashlight app of his phone to see as he poured each of you a shot of gummy bear flavored vodka.

"Cheers to late night decisions and possibly bad decisions!" Adam toasted.

The three of you clinked your shot glasses together and then took the shots.

"Shit. That was strong," you coughed.

"Chaser, chaser," Adam said as he flipped open the sip cap on the blackberry moonshine.

He handed it to you and you took a few sips.

"Compared to that shot, this moonshine tastes like nothin'," you said.

"See? Told you it had a low proof!" Adam exclaimed. "Now, do you two want me to go first so I can show you how it's done?"

"That might be a good idea, yeah," Kim agreed. "You've only brought me here during the day and it's been over a year, so yeah, you go first, cowboy."

"Oh, that reminds me." He took his signature cowboy hat off. "Hold this for me, will you, sweetheart?" He held the hat out to Kim and she took it from him. "Thank you. Now, watch and learn, ladies, watch and learn."

Kim laughed. "Whatever you say, babe, whatever you say."

Adam walked up to the edge of the river and waded in the water to grab the rope. You and Kim stood on the edge of the river and watched as Adam dragged the rope with him as he stood on a rock, which was right below the tree that the rope was tied to. Then, he cinched the rope between his feet and jumped up and swung forward.

"Yeehaw!" Adam yelled.

Then, after a few seconds, he let go of the rope and fell into the river.

The rope dangled back and forth until Adam grabbed it and dragged it in with him.

"Who's next?" he asked as he held the rope out.

"You wanna go, Kim?" you asked.

"You sure you don't wanna go before me?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go ahead," you said.

"You nervous, darlin'?" Adam asked you as he took his hat back from Kim and placed it on his head.

"A bit." You looked down at your feet. "Are there snakes in there?" you practically mumbled.

"Oh, darlin'," Adam said with a wave of his hand. "I can promise you that there's no snakes in there. You've never seen a snake in there have you, baby?" he asked Kim.

"Nope, no snakes. I promise. Now, I'll go, and then you gotta go because it's so much fun!"

Kim grabbed the rope and then made her way up onto the rock. She did the same thing that Adam did and soon it was your turn.

"I'm stealing your aux, babe," Kim said as she walked toward Adam's truck.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "I don't know why you can't just listen to the radio like we've been doing, but go ahead, baby."

Kim walked over to the truck and changed the input to aux and then quickly pulled up Spotify. From there, she pulled up the song Like A Lady by Lady A, formerly known as Lady Antebellum. She turned the volume all the way up on her phone, plugged it into the aux, and hit play.

"Lady!" came out of the speakers as well as the opening chords.

You gasped as Kim came running back to you and Adam.

"How'd you know this one of my favorite songs?" you asked.

Ever since Hailey had played it for you on your first night in Tennessee when you were unpacking and sippin' on moonshine, you loved this song. It was all about feeling like a lady while wearing jeans and drinking and being comfortable with yourself and not needing a man.

"Y/N, I follow you on Spotify. I can see what you listen to. Now, go get to it, lady!" Kim cheered.

You smiled and turned around. You walked to the rock and climbed up on it just before the chorus. You grabbed onto the rope.

"'Cause I feel like a lady," you sang loudly to the music. "Sippin' on tequila with my Levis on."

You clamped your feet around the rope and jumped.

You felt weightless for just about one second and then you let go of the rope and fell into the water with a splash.

The water wasn't freezing, it was a little cold, but it was still decently comfortable. You started swimming back to the shore and grabbed the rope when it swung back toward you.

"Hell yeah!" Adam yelled as he ran up to you and took the rope so you could pull yourself up onto the river bank. "You did awesome! Did you like it?"

"I loved it! Let's do it again!" you yelled.

"See?" Kim said. "I told you that you'd love it!"

"I propose a celebratory shot for Y/N's first time jumping off the rope swing!" Adam said and the three of you headed back to his truck to have more booze.

And that is how you learned that you didn't get hangover headaches like Kim, but got hella tired the next day just like Hailey. But, a little hangover (despite not being old enough to legally drink) was all worth it because of how much fun you, Kim, and Adam had.

***

Months later

"Welcome to Chocolate Moose, everybody!" Adam announced and fumbled with the lockbox to get the key.

Since it was exam season, there was a tradition that started during the winter semester of their sophomore year that was where they'd all go up to a cabin (each cabin had a name and yours was Chocolate Moose) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which was an hour away from school, to go study without the temptation of parties and the libraries that were packed as hell and barely had any seats open because everyone and their mama had decided to study there.

He unlocked the door and opened it.

You walked in and were in awe. When you walked in, you saw a small kitchen complete with a stove, oven, microwave, and pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups, mugs, and silverware stored in cabinets and drawers. There was also a small pantry to your right the minute you walked inside.

Off of the small kitchen were the living room and the dining area. There was a circular wooden table with six chairs and there was a tv and a couch that folded out into a bed. Right next to that was a bedroom with a bathroom, which also had its own tv in it.

And, if you walked to the end of the living room, there was a door that led to the first-floor deck that overlooked the Smoky Mountains. On the deck was a wooden table that matched the wood of the deck and six stools, so it would be a nice place to study or eat breakfast or sip coffee in the morning.

The stairs to go to the second floor were above the table (so the table was tucked beneath the second set of stairs). When you got up there, there was a pool table, a bubble hockey table, another couch that folded out into a bed, and a coffee table in front of said couch.

To the right of the couch and coffee table was a California king-sized bed with a trunk in front of it which held the bedding for the pull-out couches. Then, there was a dresser with a mirror to the side of the bed and a closet. There was also a full bathroom with a washer and dryer and a dressing table (so tons of counter space and two mirrors) upstairs as well.

And, there was another deck on the second floor. This one didn't have a full-sized table, but it did have two chairs with a small table between, and a small couch complete with a bunch of throw pillows on one end of the deck. This deck too overlooked the beauty that was the Smoky Mountains.

"Who's that?" you asked fifteen minutes later after you had finished touring the cabin and figuring out sleeping arrangements.

It had been decided that Adam and Kim would take the first-floor bedroom and that you'd take the pull-out couch on their floor. Hailey and Jay would sleep upstairs and you wondered why you couldn't take the upstairs couch like you wanted to because Jay was quick to tell you no.

You knew they weren't gonna try to do the nasty up there since there was no door shutting the upstairs off from the downstairs, so you had no idea why he wouldn't let you sleep on the pull-out couch upstairs.

"Who's that?" you asked again while looking out the kitchen window.

Then, you saw a head of red hair in the driver's seat and rushed out the door to where the person parked their car.

"Will!" you shouted as he got out of the car. "I missed you!" You wrinkled your nose at what he was wearing: a pair of blue scrubs.

"I drove here right after I got off a twelve-hour ED rotation," Will told you. "Hence the scrubs."

"I would give you a hug, but who knows what kinda bodily fluids have been on those."

"Good choice. We'll postpone the hug until after I take a quick shower and change."

Adam, Kim, and Jay came outside and said their hellos to Will, and Jay took Will's backpack, making a joke saying that it felt like he stuffed a ton of rocks in there.

So, now you knew why you couldn't sleep on the pull-out couch upstairs: Will was sleeping there.

***

"Fuck!" you yelled as you felt a bee sting you on the upper part of your left inner thigh.

"What?" Adam asked.

You, Adam, and Kim were outside at the table on the first-floor deck studying while Will was upstairs studying and Jay and Hailey were studying one of their law studies classes at the kitchen table together.

"The fuckin' bee stung me!"

"Well, you were swattin' at him, darlin'," Adam said, which earned him a smack to the arm from Kim.

"Because he was between my legs!" you argued. "What was I supposed to do? Let him fly up my shorts and sting me there? Oh hell no!"

You got up and walked inside.

"Will!" you shouted the minute you closed the door to the deck.

"Y/N! Keep it down!" Jay scolded. "We're trying to study!"

You had made it up the first set of stairs and leaned over the railing. "Well, I just strung by fuckin' bee, so I think I can yell a bit, Jay! Will!"

"What?" he said and ripped out his headphones when you got all the way upstairs. "Med school's no joke, you know!"

"Well, what do I put on a bee sting?" you huffed.

Will sighed. "Hold on. They asked me to be the one who brought the first aid kit and I'm glad I did."

He got up and then came back with a bottle of lotion.

"Put this on it. Should cool down the stinging. Tell me if it gets worse or starts itching."

"Okay, thanks."

You put it on and hoped it would be better soon.

***

Okay, so this bee sting wasn't getting better. It was actually getting worse.

It had been itchy all day and you were currently shaving your legs in your shower. You felt the place where the bee had stung you and it was swollen as if someone had shoved a disk the size of an Oreo in your leg at the place the bee had stung you.

You got out of the shower, got changed, and walked out of the bathroom where country music was blasting and Jay and Adam were playing a friendly (okay, so maybe not so friendly) game of pool.

"Hailey, is my bee sting supposed to be super itchy?" you asked as you sat down on the couch next to her.

She and everyone else was drinking one of their two allotted white claws. Yes, during finals week you had all decided there needed to be a daily cut-off for alcohol so that you could all get your shit done. And, it helped keep everyone accountable since everyone in the cabin was only having two per day...and you weren't spending a ton of money this weekend on alcohol.

"Um, none of mine have ever been," she said. "Will!" He turned to look at her from where he was sitting and intently watching the pool game...mostly to make sure neither Adam nor Jay cheated. "Her bee sting supposed to itch?"

"Not unless she's allergic to bees...and she's not." He stood up. "Go lay on the bed and let me take a look."

"Oh, fuck no! I am not letting my brother look there!"

"Y/N, I'm a med student. I've seen a helluva lot more than a bee sting on your inner thigh. You can even go put on some short spandex if that would make you more comfortable."

You currently had on loose-fitting shorts that you knew would fall back to expose what underwear you were wearing if you let Will take a look. "Actually, I think I'll go do that," you said.

You quickly grabbed a pair of spandex from your suitcase and went back into the bathroom and changed into them.

"Y'all check for a stinger?" Adam asked.

Will must've filled him in when you were changing your shorts.

"Shit," Will cursed. "I knew there was something I forgot to do."

"What kinda fuckin' doctor are you if you forget to check something like that?" you asked Will rhetorically. "Hailey, I'm gonna need that empty white claw bottle to smack Will over the head with like you did to Jay on the river."

"Sorry, hun," Hailey apologized. "I ain't finished with this 'ere can yet."

"I'll hit him!" Jay yelled, putting down his pool stick and grabbing his empty can.

He hit Will on the arm with the empty white claw can as hard as he possibly could.

"The fuck?" Will yelled. "Why'd you do that?"

"I dunno." Jay turned to Adam. "Why were we hitting Will, again?"

"Holy shit," Adam muttered to himself. "Because he forgot to check Y/N's bee sting to see if the stinger was still there."

"Oh, okay. That was stupid, Will."

You laid on the bed and let Will look at the spot the bee stung you. Then, he put on a pair of gloves and pulled out a pair of tweezers.

"Hailey?" he called. She looked up expectantly. "Can you come over here and hold up a flashlight? I think I found the stinger."

Hailey got up and turned on the flashlight on her phone and crouched down next to Will.

"That good?" she asked as she finished positioning the phone so the phone's flashlight was pointing directly at your bee sting.

"Yup." He looked up at you. "Now, I'm gonna put one of my hands above the bee sting, that way you won't be able to see the tweezers go in. Sound good?"

"Mhm. At least this is better than when Jay tried to attack me with a snake!"

Will laughed. "I bet."

Five minutes later, the stinger was out and Will told you to put Neosporin and a bandaid over it just so you didn't keep itching it because he told you the itchiness wouldn't go away immediately.

"I need a drink," you said after you were all done.

Hailey handed you a raspberry white claw from the mini-fridge next to the couch and you popped it open.

"Thanks," you said.

"You're welcome."

"Everyone shut up!" Adam yelled. "This is Jay and Hailey's song...well, they didn't exactly meet at a bar and Hailey wasn't drinking a white claw, but it was a Saturday and those two did ditch us. So, dance you two!"

They tried to object, but Adam dragged Jay over to Hailey and Kim pushed Hailey up off the couch and towards Jay.

"Sittin' over there in the corner, baby, I saw pretty red lips workin' on a white claw," you all sang along to Single Saturday Night by Cole Swindell. And, you'd be lying if you said that this song didn't remind you of the story that Jay had told you about the first time he took Hailey out when she was bored one Saturday night in a sports bar. "Shakin' to a little Shook Me All Night Long. And I thought, man, what a beautiful sight."

You smiled. Four months ago, there'd be no way you'd know this song. But, thanks to your brother's friends and his girlfriend, you knew so many more country songs. But, most of all, if your first semester of freshman year was any indication, you were going to have the time of your life going to college here in Tennessee.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! Again, please remember to like/reblog and comment because I love reading all your comments and seeing that you voted because that means you enjoyed reading the imagine! As always, if you want to be added to my taglist, just tell me and I’ll add you! Again, I am donating all my proceeds on buy me a coffee until the end of AU-gust to Save The Children to help the children in Afghanistan. Buy me a coffee here.

Taglist: @theambracer88 @virtualreader @kelelas-life @celyndavies @brookerz122493 @musicismyescape27 @anotherfan07 @thexplosivegirl@dreamingwithlens @xoxmariaxox @onechicago18 @iamasimpingh0e @i-like-sparkly-things @herecomesthewriterwitch @liampayne88

[headoverheelsforramsey]

Hello, hello! This week, we are going on a little:

Home Tour!

Notes: Answer the following with pictures (dialogue from your characters is optional!). Collages are highly encouraged if you want to answer a question with multiple pictures because tumblr mobile only allows 10 total pics. Otherwise, tumblr on a desktop lets you add multiple pictures (non-beta)!

For both:

What does the outside of the home look like? (Front/back yard, garden, pool, etc)

Living room and home office (if any)?

Kitchen and dining room?

Bedrooms? (Master, guest, others)

Other rooms?

Do you own your dream home? If not, what does that dream home look like?

What is your favorite room to spend time in with each other?

Super super late to this, because of my stupid exam but now we are here so let's go! 💃🏽🏠

A/N : I am placing this two years and seven months after the wedding, because I HC Ethan and Meera staying at Ethan's apartment for two years after the wedding and they only start house hunting when they have the baby talk and start trying for a baby. So technically not newlyweds anymore. Now let's get started! ✨

Meera opens the door and greets Bree.

Meera : Hii Bree, welcome to our humble abode.

Bree (chuckles) : This place is anything but humble. I hope I am not causing much trouble.

Meera : Absolutely not. Who else is going to make me feel like a youtuber?

Both laugh, Ethan joins and greets Bree.

Bree : Congratulations on the good news Dr. Ramsey. How far are y'all?

Ethan : Thank you Bree. It's been 3 months already.

Meera (cradling her small bump) : Yup one trimester down two more to go.

Ethan (kissing her forehead) : And then there will be a mini version of you running around these halls.

Meera : Nope it's gonna be a mini you.

The couple shares a look as if challenging each other.

Meera : Fine, Bree, whose team are you on? Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?

Bree : I am happy with either because at the end I'll be interviewing him or her too.

The three of them share a laugh.

Bree : Let's get started, shall we?

Ethan : Sure.

What does the outside of the home look like? (Front/back yard, garden, pool, etc)

Front :

Meera : We were looking for something modern yet chic, something that is totally us. I fell in love with the design whereas Ethan was in total awe of the open space and glass doors. Needless to say our heart was stuck on this no matter how many more houses we visited.

Backyard :

Ethan : The backyard also doubles up as the garden but it's not quite completed yet.

Meera : Yes it's been two months since we moved, and we haven't been able to work on the garden because of work and the pregnancy. Ethan : But we want to build a garden with a tree house and maybe some swings.

Meera (too excited) : Ohh swings! Yes please add it onto the list. Why didn't I think of it before?

Pool :

Meera : Definitely my favorite part!

Ethan : She is a water baby through and through so that's no surprise.

Meera : Don't act like you don't appreciate me in a swimsuit, Ramsey (winks)

Ethan : There is no denying that.

Living room and home office (if any)?

Living room :

Ethan : Meera was hell bent on having an L-shaped couch.

Meera : Those things are so bougie I had to have one because now I can finally afford one. But yeah the living room is so relaxing with a beautiful view of the outside.

Home office :

Meera : Honestly speaking, I do not understand the utility of a home office, I didn't understand back at his apartment neither do I understand now. If I am supposed to work from home I can do that on the couch or on my bed or even better on the daybeds by the pool.

Ethan (shaking his head) : You'll get it darling. When you start your maternity leave I'll see how you make zoom calls with the pool as your background.

Meera shrugs.

Kitchen and dining room?

Meera : This part was all Ethan so I'll let him do the talking.

Ethan (proudly) : A Poggenpohl kitchen with a granite-topped island adds an ultramodern touch. Glass shelves display colorful glassware convenient to the wet bar. A translucent sliding glass door below the shelves hides the more utilitarian gadgets. And finally playful mod pendant lights seem to levitate over the dining table, which is meant to resemble a river running through the woods.

Meera : You sure you didn't miss your true calling as an interior designer babe?

Ethan (smirks) : Nope, just the fact that I tend to excel at everything I do, Rookie.

Meera : And that makes you 10 times hotter!

Bedrooms? (Master, guest, others)

Master bedroom :

Meera : The bedroom has a different color scheme and tone from the rest of the house because I wanted it to stand out and break the monotone.

Ethan : Again the chandelier was Meera's opinion.

Meera : Finding common ground between his minimalistic taste and mine was difficult but we made it through.

Master Bathroom :

Ethan : Meera I don't think it was necessary to bring Bree in here.

Meera : It was absolutely necessary! Just look at this tub Bree! The bubbles and champagne dates we have here are a total hit.

Guest rooms :

Ethan : We have two guest rooms and both are styled the same way, but unfortunately we haven't had any guests yet. 

Meera : Is it unfortunate Dr. Ramsey? Bryce is just a call away from crashing here. 

Ethan (pinching the bridge of his nose) : Anyone but Lahela.

Meera : We haven't thought about the baby's room yet. But we have the nursery now. 

Ethan : Yes, maybe we'll turn the nursery into a bedroom or one of the guest rooms in a few years. Let's see.

Nursery : 

Meera : This was completed just yesterday hence the delay in the interview, Bree. 

Ethan : We decided to keep the gender of the baby a surprise so we went with a gender neutral nursery that matches the colour scheme of the house. 

Meera : Also because Ethan Ramsey would rather die than paint the walls of his house pink and blue. 

Ethan (rolls eyes) 

Other rooms?

Home library :

Meera (takes in the smell of books) : Better known as my safe haven. 

Ethan : This was absolutely non-negotiable for Meera. 

Meera : We both own a lot of books and the collection keeps on increasing now with the baby incoming. And look at this reading space. It's from my dreams. 

Ethan : This is tucked away in a far corner of the house and is the most serene place around here. Once, I returned home from the hospital and called out to Meera a hundred times, she didn't answer, I started panicking and then found her silently sitting here in her own world. 

Meera : If I ever go missing please check here before running to the police, because once I am in here I forget the existence of the world.

Bree picks up "Peppa pig's super noisy Sound Book" which was kept on a thick medical journal with a smile. 

Ethan feels embarrassed but Meera laughs. 

Meera : Yes these are the new ones in our collection. Ethan was reading it to the baby before you arrived. 

Home Bar : 

Ethan : The wine cellar grew into a home mini bar because we had this unused space left. 

Meera : He loves showing this and his collection off. 

Ethan : Excuse me! If I remember correctly your friends were very impressed as well. 

Meera : True that. Bryce went bat shit crazy during the housewarming party. He said he felt he got back his bartending days.

Ethan (proudly) : And Jackie's exact words for that evening's toast was "to hell with Donahue's" 

Meera : Yeah yeah, you did a great job honey. Also the more surfaces the better for us. 

Ethan : Keep it PG for the love of God. 

Meera (shrugs) : Pregnancy hormones. 

Bree (points) : And that? 

Ethan (facepalms) : The only thing that doesn't match with the vibe here.

Meera : Nonsense! It was a housewarming gift from my friends and I absolutely love it. Ethan just feels it is a cheaper and juvenile version of his favourite game, soccer. But don't worry Bree, I'll get him to play someday. 

Ethan (smirk) : I would very much like to see you try Dr. Ramsey-Bose.

Meera : And I'll see how you say no when your son asks. 

Ethan : It's gonna be a daughter. 

Meera : We'll see. 

Do you own your dream home? If not, what does that dream home look like?

Ethan : For the majority of my life home for me was a structure of bricks and cement with a ceiling but Meera was the one who brought all the love and light and showed me what a real home felt like. So for me, my home is where my heart is and for this lifetime it's kept safe with this gorgeous woman whom I fortunately call my wife. 

Silence lasts for a couple of minutes then Meera snorts. 

Meera (drying her eye) : Damn you pregnancy hormones, I am not even wearing waterproof mascara. It was super cheesy Ethan, a non pregnant me would have definitely called you out on your cheese but this pregnant Meera has to agree with you. Even a stable is my dream home if I have my dream husband with me. (she kisses Ethan) but I wouldn't mind a Jacuzzi, a home theatre, a game room (laughing)

Ethan (an easy smile on his face) : Always knew you were in it because of the money Bose. 

What is your favorite room to spend time in with each other?

Meera : The library. Just him reading to our unborn child like he isn't already the most perfect man in the world. 

Ethan (a very satisfied smile on his face) : First I am very surprised that you kept it PG. So the obvious answer is the bedroom but other than that, the patio, which is not a room though.

Ethan : Meera has a slight deficiency in vitamin D so to avoid complications, we spend a lot of time here in the sun. We play board games, read and even discuss work here sometimes.  

Meera : Ooh yes! This was another great investment and a great way to utilise the humongous outdoor space we have.  

Ethan : I hope you had fun Bree. Thank you so much for doing this. 

A quick shoutout to @a-crepusculo and @jamespotterthefirst who came to my rescue when  I couldn't add more than 10 pics. Also thank you Bree for doing this you are a star and an angel. 💜

Tagging my usual : @starrystarrytrouble @mm2305 @charisworld @choicesfanaf @potionsprefect @genevievemd  @shanzay44 @little-flowers-on-heaven @schnitzelbutterfingers  @coffeeheartaddict  @gryffindordaughterofathena @chemist-ana @adiehardfan @custaroonie @ireneadlerisseggsy @takemyopenheart @natureblooms24 @mainstreetreader @izzyourresidentlawyer @a-crepusculo @quixoticdreamer16 @starryeyedrookie @barbean

+ @openheartfanfics

Please let me know if you want to be added or removed. And if you want to sit out only the answers to the ask games hit me up too. There won't be any hard feelings. I promise. 💜

[calypsoff2]

Seventy Two. Part 2

This decision to have my daughter go to Barbados isn’t the easiest and I know people think it is for me because of what happened but it’s hard, I can’t deal with my daughter, and I can’t because no matter what we live in this environment and she will never learn, she will learn this way. Her life isn’t poor, she has luxury constantly. She is bougie has it comes and she needs to understand that ain’t going to pass, people aren’t going to be her friend and I need her to understand this, she needs to humble herself down and this is going to be the nicest way possible, because the other way would be someone breaking her heart, someone out there will humble her and I rather it be us, she is our daughter and nobody will do it but us “I will go and speak to her” getting up from the chair “really? I didn’t think you would want too?” Chris asked “why wouldn’t I, she is my daughter. Yes I wasn’t talking to her but this is going to be a journey for her without us, without her siblings, people who she sees day in and say out so I want her to be ok, and I think I will be the one to speak to her” Chris nodded his head “you know she loves you” don’t I know it “I do, but she needs to know her place too, I’ll either be down with her or I will come down. See what happens” walking off towards the steps, I know Rylee has a soft side, she will miss us so much, I know in her heart she’s sensitive but likes to hide that part to her, this will be a positive and I know it will be. What can be bad about it, Barbados is the love of my life and I love that place with my heart. Her bedroom door is closed, let me knock on her door because it’s only right, I sighed out before knocking on the door “go away dad” I sniggered, of course “it’s mom” I said, it went awfully quiet “come in” she said, I mean I am not going to barge into her room, I like my kids to have privacy. Walking into her bedroom “it’s just me” I said, she is sat on her bed with a sad face “I thought it was dad” she mumbled, closing the bedroom door behind me “I can tell” I laughed “this bedroom has less in it, your bedroom at the new house is bigger, so I don’t know why you complain about staying here” I questioned “because the weather is always nice here, makes me happy” she got a point “nothing stops you from having a good time now” I chuckled, she’s always up to something.

I sighed out heavily “why Barbados mom, I don’t want to go there?” Her voice broke, she genuinely doesn’t want to go there which I understand is daunting, but she will be fine “Barbados is a place that I love so much, baby that is a place I want to retire too. I have so many good memories there, I know you are going to love it so much baby, you are. Rylee, you have been under this protection with me and dad, you have had everything come to you because you are so loved, you don’t know or understand real life. And that is my fault because I spoilt you, you don’t know how to speak to people because you have nothing but adults has friends, you picked up on our behaviour, you hang with us, with Jah and see us say things which you think you can when you can’t. This is a hard decision for me Rylee, I am letting you go there because you need to grow into your own beautiful butterfly. Look at me baby, I grew up in Barbados, did I turn out bad?” She shook her head “you will spend time where I did and you are going to love it, it’s going to be fun. You will learn Rylee, you need too” I know she is still unsure “what if I get lost?” I chuckled “I have been lost in Barbados, but they would always say that is Monica girl, then I would be taken home. You won’t be lost in Barbados baby, nothing like that will happen. Auntie Nikita is so much fun, you have Auntie Mel there too, but we don’t want to hang with adults. You want to be like mom, then you can be like mom because mom loves Barbados. There is nothing to be scared off and that shows me you have fears, and this is a good thing to have. Nobody is ever strong baby, neither am I” Rylee put her head down “can I talk to you and dad when I want too?” She is so emotional, poking my lips out as I made my way to her, sitting on the edge of the bed and Rylee hugged me “what makes you think you can’t speak to us, it’s not jail. Stop it” wrapping my arms around her.

Rylee is helping me pack her stuff, she seems to be calmer about it, she did ask about a phone, and I said no, I don’t want her end up on social media, if she needs to speak to me or dad then Nikita will let her “can I take this mommy!” Looking behind me “you want too? Where did you get this from?” She has a wedding picture of Chris and I “my drawer mom, I kept it there. And I take it with me everywhere” taking the picture from from her “of course you can, oh Nikita is FaceTiming us” answering the FaceTime, waiting for it to connect “cousin!” Nikita spat “hey family, Nicholas, baby. Look at you, you miss auntie?” Nicholas gave me that cheeky smirk “auntie you come to Barbados, and you buy me drink” Nikita side eyed him “boy!” I chuckled “don’t worry baby soon, you going to look after my baby?” Turning the camera to Rylee “auntie Nikita can’t wait to see you, I can’t wait to give you hugs and love, we got some fun stuff to happen, you hear me” Rylee smiled “where do I sleep?” She asked “I got you a bedroom baby, don’t you worry. Are you excited? Nicholas can’t wait for you to come” Rylee looked at me “Rylee we can play together and go to the store, mommy going to take us to uncle house. Oh so much fun” Rylee smiled “yes” she said and then her emotional self came over to me and cried on my shoulder “she is feeling emotional, Nikita. You look after her” Nikita pulled a face “that is family, I got you Robbie. I will show her” she winked at me “thank you, speak soon. Rylee, stop it” disconnecting the FaceTime “why is Rylee crying” Tianna is back “mommy said I got to go Barbados” she choked out “she is going to Barbados for a few weeks, that is all. Just some time away, she thinks she won’t see us again” Tianna let out an oh “I will miss you; can I go too? Why can’t we all go?” Tianna said “because Rylee needs some time away, you can go too. After though, you both can’t go there” Tianna is wanting to go too, at this rate I will be left with just Imani and Junior, Tianna pulled a face, she is thinking hard.

When I look at Junior all I see is Rylee, every little thing about him is Rylee and it makes me laugh because he is my last child too “Rylee is asleep” Chris made his way into the bedroom “good, so she slept then? She said she wouldn’t at first but now she is” Chris cleared his throat “well she is going to a different country Robyn, so I don’t blame her for feeling that way, you know? Scared, nervous. Barbados is your home; this is her home” Chris still doesn’t agree to it and is now taking it out on me “so you’re going to be mean to me because of this?” Chris is angry with me “I don’t know about you, but I feel a type of way shipping my daughter off and put him in the crib. This is why that nigga doesn’t settle in the crib, you’re just too damn busy having him just there” now he is going to be an ass to me “ok Chris” I breathed out “don’t ok Chris me, don’t act all innocent, you do not have a right to do that! You fucking don’t Robyn, you letting my daughter go there? You know what, I don’t even want to be here when she goes, I don’t know. Our parenting skills are different, I actually love them all” this is the shit Rylee sees, she sounds just like him “what you going to do? Hit me? Nigga fuck you, if you were such a good parent then deal with it but you can’t, you can’t actually because you’re parenting skills is you letting them do what they want, fuck you. You apologised to me just to do the same fucking shit, go Chris! Go on!” I shouted at him “whatever” Chris shook his head and went to the bathroom, he will always be sorry.

I shushed Junior lightly as I placed him in the crib “I am putting you in here because I want too, not because of him” I said to myself “I am sorry” see I knew it “fuck your sorry Chris, I am sick of you. Always there trying to put me down, it’s like I can’t do anything right. Why didn’t I just die and then you could have been father of the year, no. Don’t even touch me, don’t touch me in bed, don’t!” I pointed at him “mom, dad please don’t argue” looking behind me “who is arguing?” I lied “I will go, I am not sad anymore. Please don’t be angry, don’t argue. I don’t like it” shaking my head “no, it’s not that. We are just discussing things baby, that is it” I laughed it off “I am not a child, I heard you both arguing, don’t do that” she stepped back “I am going tomorrow so everyone can be just happy, stop shouting. It’s not fair, just stop” this is his fault “Rylee, nobody is arguing. Nobody is sad, it’s fine. How come you’re awake?” I questioned “I couldn’t sleep, just stop it” I shushed her “Rylee, it’s fine. We just speak loudly” I said to her as I breathed out “I am going tomorrow and that is it, everyone not arguing. Just stop, please” she turned away from us and huffed out “can’t lower your tone can you” Chris said “I didn’t even swear at you” I can’t even stand this nigga right now “telling me to lower my tone, just do not even speak to me I swear I can’t stand you, but you the first to cry if I wasn’t here” closing the bedroom door “because I can’t be without you, and you know that. I am going to sleep anyways, whatever, I am always wrong” I rather he just stopped speaking to me.

Junior played up at night which means I had a rubbish sleep, I stayed awake. Chris sis attempt to get up but I got up before him and bought Junior downstairs, he is asleep now but that is because eI am holding him, if I didn’t then he wouldn’t be sleeping, he was be causing havoc but it’s whatever, I got to catch up with my shows in peace “no sleep” looking to the side “no mom” smiling at her “is it because you refuse to actually put him down” I shrugged laughing “that also, he’s my baby. I am just so blessed to have him mom, a son. After what I have been through, this is a blessing I want to hold on too” my mom smiled at him “big day today” my mother said “it is, I am worried. She is still my daughter and I know it’s like I am being judged and it’s like I am giving her away but she is going with family anyways so it’s silly to think that, she isn’t going there for punishment, I just think it will be a good thing for her” my mother sighed out, she sighed out because she has some words “it could be but I really think it would have been better for you and Chris to deal with it but you want to do it this way then we will just do it, I am not going to deny my grandchild of coming, I am happy she is but I just really wanted you both to do it” I know my mom did “but I don’t think she would have learnt, I know it” shaking my head, I know my own daughter.

Rylee ran out of the door “Rylee!” I spat, she stopped in her tracks and then ran back “what?” now she wants to go “momo is waiting I have to go” smiling at her lightly “yes but baby I want a hug, you’re my daughter and I want the best hug from you, come on now” it’s like she wants to go without any issues, no tears or even saying she doesn’t want to go “oh my baby” hugging her close “Rylee I love you so much, I do. I want you to have the best time in Barbados with your cousins, be a child, have fun and we will be ok” I am going to miss her, she is the biggest character in the house “I don’t want you and dad to argue” she said, and it clicked, it clicked on why she is ready to run out, she thinks she is the cause “we don’t Rylee, stop that. I love you, and if you are unhappy then call us, and you can come home” moving back from the hug, staring at her face and it’s like a little me just leaving for America “I love you” my voice broke “I love you too, I got to go now. Dad!” she ran to Chris “I am going to miss you so much chaos” Chris picked up her and held her close “Imani can be that now, I am going now dad so bye” she told Chris, he laughed “I can tell, we will call you” putting my head down, Chris is hating on me for this “bye!” Rylee spat, I just turned away. I am the bad person for this but I am the one hurting the most, I know my wrong doing.

[justal0wk3yg4mer]

Things I've Said: Watch Dogs Legion (Spoilers)

Me *Player/My Actions* Character Dialogue

Heads up, this will be a long post. Due to the story and all the random missions there was a lot. Not to mention, I still have to play the DLC (That will be in a different post, I will give Aiden and Wrench the respect they deserve.) So sorry and I hope you all enjoy.

It's time to liberate London Boys! *Remembering all the other games I've played that had me liberate London*…Again.

Holy shit, it's November the 5th. 21st Century style.

Wait, am I driving on the left side? Fuck, I'm American and I already suck at driving in videogames.

Give me your secrets.

Bagley: Well fuck me. Me: Bagley! 😲

Long hiatus from this game, because I have the attention span of a 5 year old and started playing other games. I came back to it later and restarted to give myself the full experience and completely focus on this game.

Okay, first go around didn't know about the traps. Now? Now I'm never entering an area without arming every single one.

Careful Claire, those words get you shot.

The voice acting is phenomenal!

I'm so glad I bought the pass, fucking around as Aiden or Wrench is gonna be fun.

You can't find me~~ nobody can find me~~

This is now my cargo drone son, his name is Jeeves. We will travel together and explore London from the skies.

That's Dedsec, ye old clock fixers.

And here I go again. Doing everything else but the main story.

My operatives be lookin' bougie 😎

Fuck this wheel mission. Fuck it so hard.

Who's playing 'Fuck you'? *Goes back to the bike I was riding* Oh! I'm playing 'Fuck you'. Fantastic.

Who's shooting? I appreciate violence but not that violent.

Character: Albion's Global Center is here in London! Me: Crazy...not like they were establish here.

Is that? Is that the DJ from the first game? No, he died...right?

My spiderbaby got the zoomies!

That's Dedsec, we inspire illegal activities.

Bagley roosting someone is the highlight of my day.

Did you hear that man?! They're hoarding the toilet paper!

Bagley, next time, just say you're gonna make the bomb go boom.

Cybermen. Cybermen are back and taking people. (Doctor Who anyone?)

Yo Wrench, Bagley throwing shade at you and your crew.

Dalton had a husband?! Aw, poor baby, not gettin' deported on my watch.

That's incest Wrench.

Hm, Aiden still has that voice.

This house scares me; it has a tone. The AI is her mom, as fucked as that is, I'm calling it.

Oh Aiden, you're not that old...are you?

*Before starting the Assassin's creed missions* Wait, wait. I gotta do it. *Switches to Aiden Pearce* I had to do it, This is the closest thing to a crossover Ubisoft is gonna give us.

Eagle drone? I'm dead. *Gets closer to the drone and it explodes* Did that thing screech?!

Notorious gangsters? Oh, Evie would have a fit. Jacob would be so happy though.

Oh honey, you don't want to get into that wiki history lesson.

Darcy: Assassin's and Dedsec. Could you ever image that? Me: Uh, yeah. It was only a matter of time before Ubisoft broke down.

To Buckingham Palace! *Starts humming 'Hail to the Chief'* Wait, shit sorry, wrong song.

*Finishes all the assassin missions* Oh, new outfit. *Recognizes it as Desmond Miles's outfit* ...Fuck you Ubisoft.

Ah, I see. You can't continue until you do the other level. I see your jedi mind tricks.

Bagley: Oh no, she's off her fucking rocker for sure. Me: *WHEEZING*

*Hears something exploding in the distance* I didn't do it.

I feel that Zero-Day is memeing here. Like the, 'Would be a shame if I', that one.

I fucking knew it! You can't be that much of an asshole AND be desperate for help.

Lau please, for the love of God do not let this woman walk away from here. Fucking look at her smug face!

Random ACP: *Sneezes* Me: *Out of habit* Bless you. ACP: Thank you. Me: O.o *Cue X-Files theme*

Wow, you went off your fucking rocker didn't you?

On my grave. If this boss battle is a Rule of 3. *A few minutes later* IT'S A RULE OF 3!!!

You know you-*Referencing myself. Not calling anyone out*-suck when the game is giving you a fucking hint to go to an easier level.

What if Hamish was Zero-Day? I would be surprised...no, actually I wouldn't. If you really think about it, it makes sense. Now, Sabine? That would totally mindfuck me.

*Talks to Malik and really thinks for a moment* Is it fucking Sabine? Bro, I was kidding. But...*Really thinks about it and pieces are beginning to fit together*...oh fuck. And all of Dedsec is in one place- OH FUCK.

I am going to destroy this fucking van.

Evil listens to classical music cliché.

We gotta kill Bagley! Why?! Well okay, I understand why but WHY!?

*Chaos everywhere* Did I miss the Purge sirens?

Me: Why are there all these weapon caches? Hamish: Tons of drones comin' your way. Me: Ah, that's why.

Bagley: Shutting down this one will be just like the others. Me & My Operative at the same time: No it won't.

Final cutscene? *A minute later* Bagley! You tough AI--wait...'Finding Bagley'?!

How fucking would that be if Bagley was Sky Larson's brother and something happened to him and he became Sky's first subject.

Bagley did you have a boyfriend? 😃

*Plays the final corrupt memory* I FUCKING CALLED IT.

Bagley is Bagley. And Bradley is Bradley. And Sky Larson is dead. All is well.