#I ordered some centers online that should arrive next week so that will be fun

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

Working on trying to make some earrings :)

[soobadnoonecanstopher]

Touch it for Real, Part 9

Genre: Humor / Fluff / Angst / (Eventual) Smut 18+

Warnings: OMG they were roommates / slice of life / slow burn / mutual pining / crude humor / cursing / virgin!baek / idiots to lovers / unresolved sexual tension

Characters: Baekhyun X You/Female Reader

Description: You teach Baekhyun how to date. (Basically the Get You Alone M/V)

A/N: DO NOT YELL AT ME! It is going to be okay. 

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8  , Part 9 , Part 10

You had a secret.

For such an abstract and shapeless thing you could sure feel it sitting in there.

It was pulsing.

Your secret felt like a splinter lodged just under a single taste bud that sat in the center of your tongue. You could feel your white blood cells attacking it, trying their best to push it up and push it out, but still it clung tight with its sharp barbs lodged within your cell walls. You brushed your tongue against your teeth.

The secret did not budge.

What you knew about them though, was that secrets did not like to stay hidden forever.

Your fork slipped and clanked noisily against the ceramic plate and the bright orange carrot ball rolled across the smooth white surface nearly sliding over the edge onto the white linen. Whoever decided that your steamed vegetables needed to be shaped into spheres simply for aesthetics should be forced to come out here and explain how you were supposed to spear one of these things while also avoiding the risk of it shooting across the table and hitting your date in the face.

Ben turned out to be very nice. If you were into tall, handsome, clean-looking, and responsible guys who drove their own cars and also had things like health insurance and retirement plans. When you first saw him, you were struck by the firmness you felt when he shook your hand and smiled brightly at you. He had all of his teeth and a head full of hair. He was definitely walking around on his real legs too. He looked like the kind of guy who didn’t let the clean laundry sit in the dryer for longer than a day and changed out his toothbrush every three months. You couldn't see a single fault.

You were trying your best to make a good first impression.

Really, you were.

Well, while also keeping an eye on Baekhyun who sat beside you with his focus down on his plate as he sliced his food into bite sized bits. His control of the fork and knife felt so careful and so exacting, it neared obsession. He had not ordered the steamed vegetables. None of his food rolled.

Across from him, looking just as cute in person as her online dating profile pictures conveyed, was Mia.

Mia was fine.

She was fine.

You didn't want to get into it.

Her clothes were fine. They were exactly the kinds of clothes you had expected she would wear.

Her hair was fine.

She actually had a hairstyle that reminded you of one of the characters in an anime you watched with Baekhyun once and you wondered about the upkeep costs of that particular shade of blue that streaked through her hair. You wondered if she had to switch to blue towels and blue pillow cases or if everything in her house was just stained forever.

Baekhyun’s cheeks blushed when he shook her hand and his smile was bashful, if not a bit tight when she complimented his glasses. Your mind briefly considered the plush, expensive white towels you both owned at home and a flash of horror overcame you for a split second when you imagined those towels streaked with a blue stain from the shower.

He bought those glasses at a store. Anyone can go to the store and buy glasses. Did such a superficial compliment really warrant such a deep shade of pink on his cheeks?

You took a sip of your glass of wine and the sweet, cool liquid had a tart aftertaste that lingered on your taste buds long after you swallowed and you stabbed roughly at the runaway carrot again, impaling it with the prongs of your fork.

Finally.

“I got it,” you said out loud to yourself with a wide smile and you held your prize up in front of your face for a second. Long enough for your eyes to drift across your table to meet Ben’s and you caught the soft amused chuckle that puffed from his nose.

You’d already gotten through the backstory. Starting with the curious question from Mia about how you and Baekhyun got to know each other and you took a quick glance toward Ben as Baekhyun explained that you and he had been roommates for a couple of years. You caught the slight smile on Ben’s lips as he looked down into his water glass and you wondered if he was pleased that he already knew the answer to this question as you had been quick to tell him this important detail about your life as you chatted with him during the last week or so.

Mia on the other hand simply let her eyes drift over from Baekhyun’s face to land on yours for a moment and you offered a disarming smile by way of explanation. Not that either of you had any explaining to do. You could live with whoever you wanted to live with. It took her ten seconds to return your smile, although you didn't quite believe it, or believe that she was done with her curiosities about this topic.

You couldn't really blame her although you’d given her nothing to be suspicious about. Not in the last 20 minutes since you’d all arrived and nibbled on shared appetizers, at least.

Hell, you hadn’t even touched him all day. From before you both arrived at this fancy restaurant and just relinquished your coats to some stranger simply because she held a hand out and sported a severe enough hairdo and manic look in her eyes that was too frightening to question. From the morning when you woke up and wandered into your kitchen to make toast for one and you ignored the sound of his feet shuffling in, half-asleep to grab a yogurt from the fridge. You hadn’t even helped him style his hair; which looked stunning, by the way, with the waves and the faded brown color that absolutely looked like something the perfect boyfriend would let you play with as he laid on your lap. He hadn’t even asked for your help picking out his outfit. He’d simply done it all on his own and waited for you by the front door wearing those jeans and smelling like that familiar scent that he bought for your date with him weeks back.

When had this all become so awkward? You’d never been afraid to touch Baekhyun before but now, well, the touches hadn’t ever concealed quite so much meaning before.

By the time the entrees arrived the conversations had moved on to hobbies and interests.

Ben was a movie buff, and his favorites were mostly mainstream blockbusters of the Marvel Superhero variety. He enjoyed many of the genres of films you’d mostly seen just the previews of. His top ten contained a bit more horror than you were comfortable with. One in particular, a prolific film based on a Steven King novel, had been the kind of psychologically terrifying film that made your chest rattle and you had spent most of the second half of that movie with your face buried in Baekhyun’s arm begging him to just describe to you what was happening and to tell you when the scary parts were over.

When he asked you what your favorite movie was you hesitated for a moment before pulling the movie Forrest Gump out of basically thin air. Yes you had enjoyed the movie. Yes it was something you’d seen more than once and if it was on television right now you would sit down and watch it from start to finish and you would enjoy it. It was a respectable favorite to have. It was the kind of favorite movie you would not be embarrassed to show to your grandmother.

But it wasn’t actually your favorite and you could feel the burden of Baekhyun’s eyes as he turned his head to look at your face when you said it.

Something about naming, out loud with your own lips — the light and fun, mindless guilty pleasure of the film that was actually your favorite movie that you’d watched hundreds of times and returned to watch again and again every time you felt even a little bit upset; something about saying it out loud to this table of people with countless of hours of media consumption under their belts and opinions about things like prolific directors, production companies, hefty CGI budgets, and overused, tired tropes that absolutely should be dropped in 2021, well it just felt too vulnerable for you to say out loud.

You swallowed a sip of your wine and refused to turn your head to look at Baekhyun until you heard the sound of his throat swallowing the ice water he sipped.

When Mia changed the topic to Anime you felt Baekhyun come alive beside you and Ben slinked back in his seat a little as the two of them got to talking about something that was highly anticipated and was slated to be released next year. Rumors about artists and directors with names you could not know flew easily from their lips and Mia mentioned the name of one previous work that you recognized.

In fact you had watched the entire thing last year with Baekhyun and you remembered talking excitedly about it with Mia during one of your early text conversations.

Your face lit up and you happily joined in, excited to finally know what in the world they were talking about when you accidentally let something slip when you reminded her of what she had said about the anime before. Luckily you stopped yourself before you could admit that you had actually been the one she had been chatting with at the time.

Still, she caught it. She was very quick and sharp and you watched her face as she registered that you’d referenced something that only Baekhyun should know about. Had you just fucked up?

“Ahh, we,” you raised your index finger and waved it lightly toward where Baekhyun had stiffened up in his seat beside you, “he told me about what you said.”

There was a moment when her eyes widened and she looked at Baekhyun briefly before returning her focus to you.

“He...told you about me?” She lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, straightened her back and leaned forward with her forearms rested in front of her plate on the table. Her off-the-shoulders number dipped when she leaned in and you caught a bit of black lace and the bunch up of her impressive bosom.

She smiled a coy smile aimed across the table.

You followed the smile and your eyes reached Baekhyun. He’d been hit with the smile and had been too stunned to return it. Instead, he lifted a hand and rubbed it over the back of his neck twice before reaching the same hand forward to grab the ice water he’d been sipping all night as he pulled in a mouthful and puffed his cheeks before covering his lips with his flattened palm and swallowing noisily.

“I also mentioned you to my friend,” Mia said not quietly enough for it to be just for him and you dropped your eyes down to the half finished chicken on your plate.

She was fine. Mia was fine. She’d done absolutely nothing wrong. She was nice and she was probably a good person, but you kind of wanted her to die.

“So,” Ben interjected suddenly and you looked across the table at him as you tried to conceal the surprise on your face to find him sitting there.

You noticed he was done with his food and his plate had already been cleared away by the super attentive waitstaff.

The negligence of your own date weighed heavily on you and you angled your chest forward to face him directly for whatever questions he had for you.

He was pointing toward Baekhyun and Mia with his extended finger and raised eyebrows.

“You two work in computers?” It was a work question. He’d gathered this much from the brief introductions everyone had given and while you had failed to offer any insight as to what you did for a living, Baekhyun and Mia had both mentioned computers.

“He’s a software engineer, and I’m a programmer. Similar but not the same,” Mia explained. You weren't sure of any of the details or of how they were different. You hadn’t really put much thought into it. You knew Baekhyun worked the magic with the keyboard and could fix anything that you happened to break.

“I’m in advertising. Just got scouted by Comma Entertainment and I’ve accepted.” Ben had a hand raised to his chest and his eyebrows were up. This seemed important to him and you let your lips form into an impressed O shape as you raised your eyebrows. His tone and the way he said the name of his new employer seemed to warrant the excited reaction.

You weren't familiar at all with his industry but you knew how to react like you knew what he was talking about. He certainly seemed impressed by himself. Who were you to discourage his enthusiasm.

“You’ve heard of it?” You sold it too well. Baekhyun had leaned close to you and whispered an aside question and you shot him a tense look with your eyes as a warning, but you quickly pushed your smile wide for Ben who was, deservedly, very excited about his new position.

“Of course, who doesn’t know Comma for advertising. That’s a very big deal. Is that why you were so busy last week? We hardly got to talk.”

Your subject change was so slick. If you hadn’t been the one to do it, you’d have been impressed by it. The disappointed pout on your face sold it well.

“Actually I was at the bank a lot last week. It was so weird. I had a few accounts that seemed to be hacked but then it turned out to be nothing. Had to change all my passwords though, so that was annoying.”

“That sucks. They didn't take anything did they?” Mia spoke up from beside Ben; concern written all over her face.

“No. Whoever did it just seemed to access purchase histories mostly. Some loser of a hacker. Didn't even get any money.” Ben’s lips pulled wide and he was laughing with his head thrown back at his perceived victory over the hacker that had been messing around in his bank records.

“You can learn a remarkable amount of information about a person’s bad habits from their bank history, Ben. Sure utilities and rent; that’s boring. You can find out how often someone gets hammered at bars. How many of those bars are also strip clubs. How many maxed out credit cards they make minimum payments on each month just to keep their head above water. Their gambling losses and the motel rooms they book in the bad part of town…”

Baekhyun was speaking up beside you. You turned and you looked at his profile as he spoke so candidly and with what you could only describe as a certain smugness on his voice.

The only reason he’d stopped talking was to catch his breath. It was the most he had spoken all night and you honestly felt taken aback by the suddenness of his words and more, the topic he spoke on. It felt weirdly pointed. It just felt so detailed; almost accusatory.

“What?” You hissed the question; focused it hard and as under your breath as possible to the man seated beside you.

His lips closed up before his eyes turned to look at you and you caught a quick blink of his eyes that preceded a softening of his features that had no business looking that confrontational in the first place.

“I’m not saying any of that stuff applies to Ben.” Baekhyun lifted a slim dismissive hand to wave toward your date. “It’s just an example. For all we know Ben’s only weakness is eating fried chicken every day.”

Ben’s lips were pulled into a thin line on his face and his jaw unclenched when you looked back at him. Then he was smiling at you and it was bright and convincing. You smiled back at him and shook your head at your wacky roommate’s antics.

“Actually it’s pizza. You caught me buddy, I’m a hardcore pizza addict. Every night.”

“Well, not tonight.” Baekhyun shrugged with an odd smile landing on his lips.

Ben’s tight smile flattened and the two men seemed to be staring at each other for longer than you thought was polite for a shared first double-date.

“So what is it that you do?” It was Mia who ultimately broke the tension and you looked across the table into her eyes. She had a pleasant smile on her face and was still chewing on a piece of bread, clearly unbothered by the strange standoff that had just been going on between the two men at this table.

Surely you weren't the only one to notice how odd it had been. Had you just imagined the tightness in Baekhyun’s fist that laid over his thigh and the hard glare in Ben’s eyes?

With Mia’s question though, you felt your own lips pull closed and your eyes danced around the table to the other curious parties who also were now looking at you to answer the question.

You’d prepared well for this date. You’d made sure Baekhyun had the detailed first date topics, questions and answers for perfect small talk, even the section on table etiquette. You’d made sure he knew you’d be here to steer the conversations toward topics he was comfortable discussing and you’d even set up a safety signal he would use if he wanted to bail and just go home.

You’d planned it all out, down to the detailed progression of the evening and how at the end someone might even suggest going together for drinks. And should one of the dates wish to split off, it would be completely okay as long as the corresponding person felt comfortable. You’d even promised that under no circumstances would you abandon Baekhyun to do this on his own if he didn't want to. Not even at the behest of Ben, your date.

They were looking at you and you'd gone quiet. You’d been so busy preparing for this date that it never occurred to you that you were also actively involved and that someone might possibly ask a question about you and your work.

Your work. Well…

“Uhh...I don't really do anything worth mentioning.”

You felt it. It was a warmth that had pooled in the skin around your nose. Your cheeks felt warm and you felt just insignificant enough for it to take your undeserved confidence and throw it out the window.

Ben and Mia were watching you. You pulled your bottom lip in between your teeth and bit down on the dry chapped skin on the surface.

“Nothing?” Ben said and his eyes were wide with a look of confusion on his face.

“Well, not nothing.” You were not completely unemployed. You had been quite impressive before. You’d been working with the best publicists of an entertainment company and had been in charge of crafting and perfecting the asset sheets of many of your company's highest profile artists. You’d been the best at it and at one time had been highly sought out for your expertise. You had a way with it. You could work some real magic. You could make a dud of a raw potato sound like a five star course in a Michelin star restaurant. Losing your position in the spring of 2020 had really been a huge blow to your confidence. You looked back at how far you had fallen. Boring data entry jobs to make ends meet. Taking on weird side gigs so you could afford tiny luxuries like your favorite scented lotion or the name brand tampons instead of the store brand.

“I do have a job.” You added lamely. “It’s just not at all interesting.”

Ben dropped his eyes from yours and Mia shrugged her shoulders and stabbed a carrot ball expertly on the first try.

“Yeah but what is it?” Mia said as she chewed daintily. The heat in your cheeks spread and you let your eyes wander away from hers over the various dinner items that covered this table.

Beside you, Baekhyun’s movement caught your eye and you turned to see him place an elbow on the table in front of him and he leaned forward.

“She’s a dating coach. She’s really good at it, but much too modest when she talks about herself.”

Oh no. He wasn't about to spill the beans was he? This was definitely not something in the approved list of first date dinner topics. Wasn't this topic too incriminating? Wouldn't Mia put two and two together and figure out that you had been coaching Baekhyun all along? Also, wasn't this new profession of yours too brand new to start talking about so freely like this? What the hell was he doing?

“A dating coach? What’s that?”

Strangely, Mia didn't seem to be looking at Baekhyun with wheels turning and sirens blaring. She was looking at you with her mouth empty and hung open with a look of genuine interest in her eyes.

“Do you like, feed them what to say in an earpiece?” Ben was speaking up from the other side of Mia and you laughed at the absurdity of such a silly rom-com movie cliche.

“Well no. I’m not a pickup artist. I am a dating coach. Think about it like a sports coach. I am teaching my clients the skills to play the game. Skills to overcome dating anxiety, or I’m teaching them to identity and move away from self-sabotaging behaviors, limiting beliefs, or preconceptions that are detrimental to a healthy relationship.

I have clients that don't even know where to begin. My goal is to strategize with them and place them effectively within the dating scene so they stand the best chance. It’s incredibly hard to be objective about your own love life, but I provide an outside viewpoint. I step in and intervene when I see something that isn't in line with their relationship goals or the vision they have for dating.

I’m not teaching manipulation or just telling them what to say. There are no love spells to make someone fall in love with you. I’m changing the way they believe in themselves so they can present themselves to someone else in the absolute best way to begin a real relationship with someone.”

You’d been leaning in as you spoke animatedly with your hands. You felt the genuine excitement building with your words. You were surprised at how much of your previous profession’s language applied to this new exciting endeavor you were embarking on, but there really were tons of overlapping similarities between the two fields. The explanations just poured out of you.

You hadn’t said any of this out loud before to anyone but the more you talked about it, the more elated you felt about what you were doing with your life. With how much you had been helping Baekhyun and how much progress you had seen in just one day of helping your clients — Baekhyun’s friends Minseok and Sehun. Sehun had finally, finally sent you his first selfie that wasn’t taken from his lap after you’d sent him many examples of good selfies taken from different angles. Minseok was already halfway through the materials you’d sent him to study and had been working hard on identifying and changing the self-defeating language he’d used in his rough draft dating profile.

“She has an app.” Baekhyun piped up from beside you. He’d leaned back in his chair as you spoke.

Both Ben and Mia’s faces mirrored each other’s. Their eyes were wide and their mouths hung in amazement and you quickly closed up your own mouth and grabbed anxiously at your wine glass, feeling a little bit embarrassed about having talked so much. You couldn't resist the chance to smash their misconceptions about what your goals actually were with helping your clients. None of these people were unlovable. They were all worthy of finding someone and you were going to give it your all to help them see their own value.

“Not at all interesting?” Mia spoke up, “that’s super interesting. That’s really, really cool. Can—Can I have your contact info? I have a friend that would be interested in your services.”

“You have an app too? This is something we could advertise online. It would do extremely well on certain kinds of reddit forums and definitely in most online gaming communities.” Even Ben sounded excited, if not a bit overly judgmental, and you heard a quiet, but hostile scoff next to you.

You ticked your head toward the sound but did not turn to look at him. You knew that scoff well enough to hear the annoyance in his voice at whatever he thought Ben might be insinuating about online gamers and the connection to the incels that haunted the forums of reddit.

“I think it’s a bit premature to think about online advertising. I’m still only one person.”

Ben smiled and shrugged off your quick dismissal of his idea to partner up and advertise your business to the desperately lonely and pathetic gamers of the world. Hell, the more you thought about it, the less inappropriate Baekhyun’s annoyance was. Ben could use some coaching on choosing less insulting words.

Thankfully the dinner was over and the check had been taken care of. You looked away from the palpable awkwardness that slapped you across the face when Baekhyun waved away Ben’s card and paid for the entire bill with his own.

“You can get me next time, buddy.” He definitely said this word sarcastically. It was out of line and you simply could not find the right moment to pinch his leg under the table to get him to behave himself in a discrete enough way that would not get you caught by the other two people at this table.

You let it slide simply because you had no way to stop it. He was ignoring the way you waved your finger frantically at him down by your calf. You knew he could see you in his peripherals.

No, Baekhyun. Stop that. Be nice. Your hand was saying. He wouldn't even look at it.

The dinner was over and the movie was starting soon. You’d picked a restaurant that was close enough to the theatre that you could walk.

You paired off. It was far from natural. You actually caught Baekhyun’s eyes as you stepped quickly and walked ahead of him, falling into step beside Ben and you left behind Baekhyun and Mia to bring up the rear. It took every ounce of self control not to turn around and look behind you to see how closely they walked to each other. To see if Baekhyun kept his hands shoved securely in his pockets or if he swung his arms at his side as he walked, inching a hand closer and closer to Mia’s swinging hand in the hopes of a back of the hand brush of his warm skin against hers.

Your steps must have stalled. You’d reached the theatre and you looked up to locate Ben, only to find him at the box office purchasing four tickets for the movie you’d all agreed to watch days ago. For the life of you, you couldn't remember what you were seeing. You merely followed where you were led and found yourself seated in a center row of a movie house sandwiched between Ben and Baekhyun. You noticed the center armrests had been lifted when you arrived and simply did not bother to lower them since everyone was too full from dinner for any movie snacks or drinks.

The house was mostly empty and then lights dimmed as the movie began. You searched your brain and nearly pulled out your phone to check your chat logs for the name of the film but decided against shining a tiny bright light in a dark room.

The movie began and you were quickly drawn into the narrative. It was a dark film and as the soundtrack began to take on more sinister sounding tones you recognized that your heart was racing and you were feeling the tension all over your body. It was not a gorey horror film, but it was leaning more toward the psychological suspense thriller genre. Not really something you watched much of.

To your left, Ben sat completely still; focused only on the movie screen. He looked so calm and nearly unaffected by the terrifying things happening on the screen. He occasionally shifted in his seat but did not react to the jump scare that flashed before your eyes and made you flinch hard in your seat. You’d reached the point in the film when the main characters were in genuine danger and you began to wonder if anyone would make it out of this movie alive. Was this one of those films where everyone was doomed?

It happened again, another jump, another loud shocking sound and another noise startled you and you dove to your right, hiding your face in the warm shoulder of the man sitting beside you.

The realization was instantaneous. The second you felt the warmth of his arm, and the smell of him hit your nose, you pulled your head up and you straightened out your spine, mumbling a quiet apology to Baekhyun for using his arm to hide behind as you removed any and all contact points you had with his body. You angled your hips and your knees away from him and even went so far as to stick your hands well under your own thighs and keep them there so you didn't grab for him again. You had been doing so well by not touching him at all today. Why did it have to be a scary movie?

Things grew more frantic on the screen. You held your breath and tried your best to keep from reacting as much as you could. How long was this movie? How much longer did you have to endure this? You should have paid more attention to the details of this part of the date. This was your own fault. You were acting like a big baby because you couldn't handle a little frightening scenes in a movie.

It was coming again. You could feel it building. You closed your eyes and terrible sounds were erupting all over. You would just not look. You could make it through if you just didn't look. With your eyes closed the sounds felt louder than ever and when you thought you couldn't take it anymore you considered committing the enormous sin of getting up during the climax of the movie to use the bathroom just so you didn't have to sit through this anymore.

There was a shift beside you then. You felt warm fingers inching down your forearm, traveling the path your hand took that led below your thigh and someone was reaching for your hand and pulling it out from where you’d been sitting on it. Someone to your right was gripping your hand with his own warm hand and you opened your eyes to look down between the hidden space between your hip and Baekhyun’s hip. There, you saw the grip of his hand that wrapped securely around yours.

He squeezed down once and you followed the length of him up to catch a glimpse of the side of his face. He was looking up at the screen. His eyes were open and he did not flinch at all. He was so still aside from the occasional movement of his lips when he moistened them with his tongue.

You could handle this if he lent you a little bit of his strength like this. Your eyes returned to the screen but your mind wandered back down to the secure comfort you felt in his hand.

You felt your own secret throb.

It made you flinch just a little bit and Baekhyun’s hand shifted then. He moved, lifting the tight grip for a moment and you wondered if he was done, would he take his hand back and leave you cold and afraid again? The lift was for the shift of his fingers and you felt the push of each digit between yours. He pushed his fingers between yours; interlocking your hands together with his and his thumb moved lightly over your own thumb, brushing comforting strokes again and again through the loud and scary and shocking scenes that played over that screen.

This time the racing you felt in your chest had nothing to do with the scary movie. He was touching you. He was holding your hand in secret. It felt forbidden with his date sitting right beside him like she was and with your date seated right beside you like he was. All of your attention was down on the slow pressure you felt from his thumb as it traced the shape of your own thumb down from the very bottom up to the tip, around again. The simple up and down had a slow and sensual rhythm to it. When he lifted his hand his thumb moved and you held your breath to feel that same very slow touching trace the outline of the palm of your hand again and again. He drew absentminded shapes into your skin with the pointed tip of his thumb and your eyes drifted closed as the longing grew within you. He followed the paths of the creases in your skin like a palm reader. He did not even need light to see them, he simply felt them and traced along the paths.

You let him.

You felt bewitched.

You loved him.

The credits rolled on the screen and the lights switched on. The change was abrupt. You were taken by surprise and shocked by it like you were from the jump scares in the film.

His warmth left you. His wandering light touch, his deliberate and careful exploration of the lines that made up the palm of your hand vanished.

Everyone was standing and everyone was walking out of the theatre house and your mind felt clouded and dazed but you followed where their steps led and you found yourself standing outside of the exit doors with the three other people who you entered with.

Baekhyun stood beside Mia and Ben occupied the space of the sidewalk square that you also stood inside.

It was the end of a night. You felt an overwhelming urge for this evening to be done so you could go home and shower and maybe eat something sweet and distracting and maybe made out of chocolate.

“Well this was fun,” it was your own voice that ultimately called it.

Mia had been looking at Baekhyun who had been looking down at his own feet as he lightly tapped his foot on the concrete below. Three taps.

Tap, tap, tap.

You felt a jolt of realization. Baekhyun had just tapped his foot thrice on the floor below him well within your sight and you recognized what that meant. He was feeling done. He was done with all of this exhausting socializing and being out in public with so many people around and he wanted to go home now. This was him asking you for help now as he wasn't sure how to end the date but wanted it to be over.

“What about...grabbing some drinks, maybe...” Mia was talking only to Baekhyun as she looked at him, “if you aren't too tired.”

“Hey Baek, isn’t your grandmother coming over early tomorrow? Do you still have to get ready for that?” You interjected suddenly and Baekhyun looked up into your face with his mouth open and you watched his eyes move slowly over your face as he recognized what you were doing. You were giving him an out. Mia had asked him to go for drinks and you were giving him an excuse, should he need it.

You both knew his grandma came every other Sunday. You both vividly remembered the wonderful visit you had at the beginning of the week with her and she wasn’t due to arrive again until next Sunday.

He could simply correct you if he really did want to go with her. He could call you a dummy and tell you that you had the wrong week again and playfully tap you on the head to jog your brain back into functioning the right way as he often did when you got something mixed up.

“Oh, yeah she is,” Baekhyun grabbed your convenient reminder from the air and smiled a rueful smile directed at Mia. His smile widened with the wince on his face, “that’s too bad.” He added and Mia took it well.

She smiled and nodded her head and there were well wishes for a safe trip home all around as you all parted ways.

Ben said he would text you later. Baekhyun told Mia the same and you waited until they both walked away to follow Baekhyun back to his car for the quiet ride home.

The silence was heavy, but it was comfortable.

Baekhyun didn't speak at all and you could tell by the way he carried himself that he was tired. He wasn’t normally an extroverted person and found it very draining to carry on a full conversation with friends he knew well. Strangers like he had been with tonight, well, you could see the fatigue in his movements and you knew he needed something warm to drink and maybe some comfort with a familiar favorite tv show to zone out in front of.

You handled it better. You were used to having to go out of your home occasionally and you even enjoyed socializing with your coworkers on the few days you went in to the office for work. You felt a bit drained but mostly you were preoccupied with watching how he was handling it and you were also burning with curiosity to know how Baekhyun felt about the whole thing.

He’d wandered into the living room and he found the sofa. You followed him close behind and grabbed the remote, flipping to a familiar and funny cartoon that you often saw him playing in the background as he worked on things. He didn't usually watch it that closely but it was comforting enough to stay on and keep his mind occupied for a while.

You didn't speak. Everything you had to ask him could wait. Even the scolding you had for him about how he acted toward Ben could also wait. You’d let the man breathe a little first.

You busied yourself in the kitchen making two cups of hot tea and when you returned you found his head leaning against the back of the couch with his eyes still glued to the screen. He had a passive smile on his face and he reacted positively to the wacky scenarios the characters found themselves in. He would occasionally speak out loud, speaking along with a funny line he knew by heart and you found it impossible to resist saying the follow up joke. You knew this show as well as he did.

He accepted the tea with a smile and had a few sips and you set your mug on the coffee table in favorable of the comfortable side of the sofa, the side with the pillows that allowed you to rest your head comfortably as you watched the big tv.

You were feeling pretty good. Baekhyun had now officially gone on his first date with a real girl who wasn’t you and he’d had a nice time. You could see from where you laid your head down how relaxed his face was as he giggled at the show.

You stretched and you felt his warm thigh with your foot. This sofa was long enough for you to stretch out completely and you only barely reached where he sat at the other side. You wiggled your toes, unable to resist the light messing with him that you often gave in to and his hand reached down to grab ahold of your foot, which he held in place as he paid attention to the tv.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you sat up a little bit to pull it out.

You saw a text message from Ben.

From the preview you got the idea of what kind of text message the man would be sending you an hour after your first, and apparently your last date with him.

-Hey you seem like a super cool girl, but...

The preview showed you enough to know that he was dumping you before you’d even gotten anything started with him.

You opened the text. Your curiosity outweighed your sense of self preservation.

-...but whatever’s going on between you and your roommate, well it doesn’t really seem like there’s much room for me. I just don't think I can start something knowing I’ve already lost. Thanks for inviting me tonight. The movie was fun. Good luck with everything. - Ben

You felt the sting.

You couldn't help it. You’d spent all evening watching Baekhyun interact with Mia with every ounce of your self control devoted to not letting your jealousy show at all. At one point you’d been so damn engrossed in them that you forgot Ben was even there. What an unfair and shitty situation to have put him in. You quickly keyed out an apology for your crappy date etiquette and thanked him for going out with you tonight.

You couldn't even blame him for anything. He had been sweet and he had tried his best to be the perfect gentleman. What had you expected?

You sent the last message you would ever send to Ben and tossed your phone roughly toward the coffee table. It bounced but landed in the middle.

The racket called Baekhyun’s attention and he turned to look at you with his eyebrows raised in question.

“Ben just rejected me.”

Somehow saying this out loud to Baekhyun felt better than hiding it from him. It felt less miserable than keeping it inside of yourself and letting yourself suffer the sting of the rejection alone.

Baekhyun’s lips pulled into a small frown and he took out his cell phone from his pocket and tossed it roughly on the coffee table beside yours. It took a similar bounce and your eyes widened in surprise at the sudden gesture.

“No way, not Mia too,” you said in genuine fear and Baekhyun shook his head with his shrug still well in place.

“Nah, I just can't lay down with my phone in my pocket,” he said as he wiggled on the sofa trying to get comfortable, “though in hindsight I can see how you would think that, sorry. Mia hasn’t texted yet.”

He was wiggling, finding no comfort in all the positions he tried and you caught his wandering eyes for a second as you lightly tapped a hand over your belly.

This…

This would be fine. This was something you both did sometimes. Baekhyun said your belly was warm and comfy and made the best noises and he liked to use you as a pillow when he was just too tired to go to his own bed.

He moved right away at your invitation and you let your legs part around his chest as he laid his head down right on top of you. He turned his head to face the tv and didn't even squirm too much before he sighed out loud. His arms laid on either side of your waist and you felt the constriction as he lightly squeezed around you.

You really hadn’t gotten to touch him all day. Your fingers found their way into his hair and you felt a low moan from the back of his throat travel though your body as you raked your nails down the back of his head to his nape.

“Peanut,” you said softly, feeling every little bit of the annoying little tickle of that stupid secret sitting inside of you.

You could feel the heaviness of his body as he gave in and relaxed his muscles on you. You felt every breath he took and they seemed to be changing as you played with his hair and he gave in to the relaxing comfort you offered him.

“Hmm?” He replied after a long while. You angled your face and could see that his eyes were closed.

“How was the date? Was it nice?”

You had so many hopes for him. You were trying your best to ignore the pangs of your own selfish jealousy and get past it all to get to something good for him. Something that would make him understand how incredible he was. How beautiful he was inside and out and how precious of a human being he was.

“Mhmm, I liked it.” He said softly and he shifted and you felt him tighten his hold around your waist briefly before he relaxed again.

“Did you really? Do you think you liked Mia?” You kept your voice strong. You did not allow your fears to overcome your voice. You were okay with this if he was okay.

He did not answer right away. You’d stopped playing with his hair and you kept your hand rested over his head. He was so warm. He was so lovely.

“Do you want me to like Mia?”

No.

Mia would be so good to him.

You did not answer. Your answer would have been no. It would have been selfish. You’d just been dumped by your date, how dare his date have gone so well. You’d both been on the same date. You could still see the way she looked at him. She found him just as lovely as you did.

You felt a thickness at the back of your throat and you swallowed it down.

“I’m trying, Bug. She’s very nice to talk to. Do you think I should like her?”

Was this because of his mistrust of people? Was this his shyness about letting someone he didn't know very well in close?

You couldn't respond. You did not trust yourself to do the right thing.

“You should go rest if you’re sleepy,” you said, you know, like a coward.

It took him a few minutes of laying on top of you before he realized that you were right and he would be much more comfortable in his own bed. He nodded and pushed up with his arms, and his eyes stayed closed and his head stayed hung down as his feet shuffled and he made his way into his bedroom, leaving his door open you merely heard the loud sound of him plopping down on his bed.

You were stuck where he left you.

Stuck in about as crappy a mood as you’d ever found yourself.

You hated everything about this. You hated how much you loved him and you hated how receptive he was to the idea of dating Mia. You hated how she looked at him and giggled at his small jokes and you hated HATED the way his cheeks blushed and the shy smiles he gave her when she talked to him.

You laid there and you stewed in your mood for longer than was good for you and the only thing that made your it up was the simultaneous buzzing that brought both of your cell phones to life on the coffee table.

You reached for yours. It’s as your dating coach app. Baekhyun had received a new message from Mia. The feelings that surged through you were taking over your sense of what was good and what was right and what was proper behavior for someone like you to participate in.

You swiped to read the message.

-Hi Baekhyun. Sorry I couldn't wait until tomorrow to text you. I had an amazing time tonight and I was wondering if you would like to meet up tomorrow after your Grandmother’s visit for coffee? I have something I’d like to ask you.

You felt as if your body was on fire.

You could feel it deep inside your chest, deeper still inside your belly where his head had been resting moments before. You felt it in the palm of your hand where his thumb had traced the patterns of lines there. You felt it in your lips that he had kissed and in your tongue ached inside of your mouth from your stupid secret.

You reached for your phone. You opened the app for the power he’d given only to you and you responded to her message as if you were Baekhyun.

-Hi, Yeah, that sounds fine. I’ll meet you at 1pm.

Your hands moved on their own. You moved to the internal commands of your app and you deleted both of the messages from the chat history. When you picked up his phone you saw the notification for Mia’s message vanish before your eyes and when you unlocked it and accessed his chat log, there was no sign of the unimaginable and unforgivable sin you had just committed against him.

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8  , Part 9 , Part 10

Tag list: @j-pping  @blahblahblah-boo  @his-mochi-cheeks  @amyeonzing@littleflowercrown13  @baekinmylife  @insta1010  @nana-banana  @f4ncyvelvet@bbhbeth  @totallynerdstuff  @byunbabybaek @maijinki @bbyunz@theclawofaraven @kingkushdealer  @uhobob @baekswifey​ @punchmebaekhyun @xlxbaekhyuneex

[boldlyanxious]

Boop

Jasonette July prompt 12: dare

My masterlist

Jasonette July

Marinette, Jon and Damian were happy to be together again even though they had only been apart a couple weeks. Marinette flew back in from France arriving after Jon had stopped back by from Metropolis. She knew they had been together a couple times since she had been home but it still felt great to have them all back together again. It was so weird not seeing them every day. They finally gave up their wonderful New York apartment since they were all graduated from university and getting jobs soon.

It was really weird at first to live with two guys she barely knew but they ended up getting along great and she had been desperate for a place to live when her place flooded. The landlord had offered her another apartment at the same price but it was really gross and too far away. The flooded apartment, she was told would take too long to repair so they could get rid of the lease. She passed it 6 months later and people were living there and it had a fitness center, coffee shop, and a water garden. She looked online and the rent was 3 times what she had been paying. She was pretty angry, but she ended up with 2 besties from the situation that she probably wouldn’t have gotten to know very well otherwise.

Tonight they were celebrating being back together again. Marinette barely had time to look around Damian’s house because he and Jon were rushing her. She was shoved into a room and Damian gave her a dress that his (sorta) sister helped him pick out and they had food ready for them to eat before they rushed out the door. The plan of the evening was to celebrate job offers and all of them being together again. Marinette wasn’t even given a chance to rest so she was reeling a little from the flight still. But she wasn’t going to pass this up. Jon was always willing to go out and have fun, but Damian feeling in a partying mood was rather rare so they were going to enjoy it.

It was loud in the place even though it was not a large New York club. Marinette had loved going to those so much it had probably eaten into her budget far too much. It was always better going with the guys because they wouldn’t let her pay. They knew she had a much tighter budget. Actually it was mostly Damian paying the covers and the tab without ever saying anything. She was pretty sure that he paid more rent than her too but he just told her that there was already an extra room and she more than made up for it with her constant cooking and she did more of the shared chores.

She knew his family had money, but she had a feeling she had no idea how much money until she saw the house. It was massive and the grounds went further than she could see. She never really talked about it because he didn’t. It was so much different from the people she knew growing up. Chloe who talked about the money all the time or Adrien and Kagami who didn’t talk about it but they were kept separate from others by their parents. She had never even met Damian’s family and they didn’t live that far away. She knew they talked but they didn't tell him how to live all the time.

They got drinks as soon as they were in the door and they did not go slow. Marinette was making up for all her time being considered a minor while living in New York when she left France right as she reached the drinking age there. She could finally drink in public here and they kept feeding her fun fruity drinks and laughing at her stumbling on her heels while still loopy from her flight. She didn’t care though. It was pretty standard for them to all pick on each other a bit it was all in good fun.

She pushed Jon towards a girl who had been watching them. He looked terrified and he tried to fight against her pushing him. He managed it but then she stumbled. She knocked into Damian who kept her on her feet but her arms still swung around wildly. Then she knocked over a drink. She looked back at them sheepishly but they were already looking at her grinning. They would not let her out of a dare even after having just gotten off a plane from Paris. They had been doing dares for knocked over drinks for a couple years but she had gotten a lot more of them that they had. She was significantly better about being more careful now, but It only took one little stumble to ruin her good streak.

---

Jason sat in the corner of his favorite bar looking sullenly around at the noisy crowd around him. He saw Damian across the room and wondered if his presence was responsible for some of the overly excited younger crowd. He may not care about his presence in the media, but they certainly cared about him. He was rich and single and a new college graduate, so he must be looking to mingle. Of course the Demon Spawn wasn’t interested in the crowd around him. He was perfectly happy with Jon nearby. Jason didn’t think he would ever want or need any other friends but as he glanced back he notice a girl with them.

Initially he thought that maybe she was trying to get close to one of the boys but not only did neither seem very interested in the beautiful girl but she seemed to be hanging around with them and bantering. He looked back up and saw her trying to encourage Jon to approach a girl at another table who had been looking their way. Jason nearly lost his foul mood when he saw her stumble and flail around being propped up by Damian. He could see their maniachal looks from across the bar and thought she was begging. But she soon squared her shoulders and took Damian’s fresh drink and drank it until it was only ice left.

She looked around and he looked back down at his drink so he wouldn’t be caught watching her. He finished his drink and signaled the bartender to make him another. He didn’t realize she had moved from beside his brother and friend until he glanced that way and saw her walking right his way. She seemed to be focused on a spot behind him as she walked. He looked back away again as he received his drink. When the waitress stepped away the girl was right behind her and looking right at him.

---

Jon and Damian laughed as they watched Marinette walk across the bar to complete her dare. She looked back at them several times hoping they would change their minds but they were more interested in laughing at her than anything else. She didn’t know anything about the angry looking man sitting alone at the end of the bar, but Jon and Damian knew that at least her fears about him lashing out at her were false. She had never met Damian’s brother so it was a bit fun for them to find a way to play a joke on both of them at once.

Marinette froze as she made eye contact with the man in front of her. He would have been very nice looking if her were smiling but he looked like he had had a very long day and just wanted to be left alone. But Marinette didn’t want to face the consequences for not doing the dare. Damian and Jon would never let her live it down. The man watched her standing there but he didn’t say anything and neither did Marinette. That was part of the challenge. She wasn’t allowed to say what was happening. She reached over to him and tapped his nose with her finger.

“Boop,” she said, as she touched his nose.

She almost expected him to yell or be angry. But she figured she could get away from that. But he just let it happen; he had no interest in causing a scene. As if he knew exactly what she would do he reached out and grabbed her arm before she could retract it. The way he held on caused her to lean heavily on the bar next to him. His face didn’t look angry, she almost thought he had a hint of a smirk. He loosened his hold but didn’t release her arm completely.

“Where did Damian and Jon find such a lovely friend to send to poke the bear?”

“Wha--do you know them?” she asked.

“I do. Do you feel like getting them back for tormenting you?”

He let his fingers slide off her arm but he leaned close to her. She leaned in close to him too.

“What did you have in mind?”

---

Jon and Damian watched, laughing as Marinette approached Jason. They expected to have an epic reaction from both of them to leave them with a story to tell in the future. But when Marinette reached out for Jason and didn’t pull away they didn’t know what to think. The two leaned close and seemed to be talking. They couldn’t see Marinette’s face, but Jason looked pretty serious. They hadn’t expected him to be very angry but maybe he was telling her off. Maybe they should have made it a comment to him rather than actually touching him even if it was a rather innocuous action.

They quickly decided he wasn’t angry and was possibly hitting on their friend when he reached over and pulled her close to him. Marinette went willingly and rested her weight against his thigh while he put his arm around her and the other he motioned for a waitress so they could order drinks. Marinette didn’t look back to see them at all. She continued talking close to Jason, and he was just as engaged with what Marinette was saying. They waited around trying to decide whether to go pull her away to hang out with them again but she didn’t use the signal that she wanted a rescue so they didn’t think she would be grateful for the interference.

---

“Are they still watching?” Marinette asked.

“Yeah. But they are trying to not be obvious about it.” He leaned down close to whisper in her ear. “Do you want to give up or do you want to up the ante?”

“I’m having too much fun to give up now.”

“Glad you think I’m such a good time.”

“Very funny. They always get me with dares. Its about time I got them back for it.”

“Well, I’m all for it. Did you want to leave with me?”

“I think you may have the wrong impression about what is going to happen here.”

Marinette pushed back from him slightly.

“I don’t have the impression that anything is happening after. But I would help you give them the impression. I am the delinquent brother after all.”

“So we would just walk out the door together as a joke.”

“Its all up to you. We could give them a show and stumble out together or just exit together and call them to meet you out there.”

Marinette considered carefully for a bit. She still thought it was unfair of them to enforce the challenge when she was fresh off a plane. Both of them had had a relaxing day before going out where as Marinette was still on Paris time and off a 9 hour flight. She made her decision and then moved in on Jason before she could back out. If he was shocked he didn’t show it. She held onto his collar while his hand slid to the back of her head. She was almost sorry that their kiss was far more chaste than it appeared to those around them. It was also far too brief. Jason just waited until her friends watched in shock before they separated and he took her by the hand and they left the bar.

The car he had called was already waiting so they were in it and off before they could be followed out. The other 2 would have to call a car still before following after them. Marinette laughed in the back of the cab and Jason grinned back at her. She recognised Damian’s house when they got there. It made sense that he would know that was where she was staying.

It was barely five minutes after Marinette and Jason arrived before Jon and Damian burst into the room they were in. Marinette had set the scene when she heard them rushing their way so her hair was partially pulled down and she had her legs resting over Jason’s. His arm was around her on the back of the couch and they had a movie started.

“Hey, did you guys want to watch a movie with us?”

They tried to act put out by the turn of events but after a moment they laughed at the turn of events. They joined the other two on the couch, but from that moment on they never made Marinette do another dare.

Taglist

@jasonette-july-event | @theymakeupfairies | @emjrabbitwolf | @vixen-uchiha | @trythisagainlove | @trippingovermyfeet | @tbehartoo | @adrestar | @zynna

[mmilkbreadd]

—oh my god, they were roommates—

Masterlist | Next

╰┈➤ looking for a roommate.

╰┈➤ any gender, any age.

╰┈➤ contact tsukishima kei for more info.

[part one]

pairing: tsukishima x roomate!reader

genre: fluff.

word count: 1k

Tsukishima Kei never imagined he would be bankrupt at such a young age. Working in the museum and being a professional player in Sengai Frogs should be enough —or that was what he thought. But now, he found himself posting an ad online looking for a roommate to help him pay his monstrous rent.

Though he first considered his friend Yamaguchi instead of a stranger, he already had a flat of his own. So searching online was the only option left.

Tsukishima had interviewed a couple of applicants before you. However, they were not “ideal enough” to share an apartment with him —he was a perfectionist regarding tidiness and order. Therefore, whoever didn't match those conditions was not considered a viable option.

Still, you were not the exception.

The appointment was in a cafe near Tsukishima's apartment. You arrived ten minutes late because you got lost on the way there. Your hair was a mess, your clothes were soaking wet, and your shoes dirty, all caused by the great storm outside. Kei looked at you from head to toe, wondering how the hell you forgot to bring an umbrella with the awful weather Japan had these last few weeks.

“You're late,” he said. “I don't like tardiness.”

You quickly sped to the table and sat across from him, offering a huge smile —despite his dry words and imposing demeanor, you still hoped he would choose you.

“I'm sorry,” you replied. “I got lost coming here. I'm new to town, and the heavy rain wasn't helping at all!”

Tsukishima sighed, wishing Yamaguchi's flat flooded, so he could just move with him and save him from this agony. That was a rather self-centered thought, to be honest, but he couldn't care less about it.

“You are (L/N), (Y/N), I assume,” he said while glimpsing at some papers. “Your resume seems just fine, but it's not enough. And, I have to say, my first impression of you is not the best.”

You frowned at his words. At first sight, you saw that he wasn't the kindest and gentle, but you thought it was just a facade to scare the creepy applicants. You were not like that, though, so you realized he was always acted like you suspected —or at least that was your initial guess about him.

You could say both first impressions of each other weren't the best.

Tsukishima started questioning you about your life and routines, each question getting sassier and dense. You expected inquiries like “how's your family like?”, “What are your habits? or even “What do you like doing for fun?”. But instead, he asked you if you used the bathroom as slow as you arrive at meetings, if you liked strawberry shortcakes, and if you enjoyed dinosaurs' documentaries... Tsukishima Kei was definitely unique. And your hope had entirely disappeared as well.

The tension between the two of you seemed to increase at every strange question. Tsukishima's serious demeanor never left his face. You thought he looked pretty handsome, considering he hadn't smiled during the entire time you were with him. Yet you still succeed in observing him, concluding that he was indeed beautiful.

Tsukishima pushed his glasses up from time to time, and you noticed his large fingers. Blonde, sarcastic, and a bit of a douche —just your type. His words sounded bold and very blunt. Something about his rude attitude made him appealing as well.

Only imagine how his house looked. You bet it was cleaner than anywhere you've ever been, and really empty too.

When the interview ended, he thanked you for coming and let you go without any word left. Before retiring, you tried analyzing his facial expressions again, yet nothing on his appearance told you what he was thinking at that moment.

“You could be nicer next time, you know,”you said after you put on your coat. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, looking up from his glasses. “Maybe it'll be easier for you to find a suitable roommate. As you won't scare most of them away.”

Before he could answer, you rushed to the door and left, smiling to yourself. His snarky nature wouldn't tear you down in any way possible. You were strong, confident, and independent. Finding an apartment was easy for you, so a rude guy like him wouldn't ruin your chances nor confidence —even if you were a broke college student on a budget.

Narrowing his eyes as he watched you leave while thinking of a comeback to your words. Although he couldn't find one good enough.

Tsukishima was a little dazzled. None of the other candidates had stood up for themselves before. Maybe, after all, you weren't a bad option to pick. However, he wasn't going to tell you how impressive your response was. He knew you knew what you did. And he hated that, but he still had a few people to interview, so there was a chance someone would be better than you —if that was in any way possible.

Did he find you attractive? Possibly. That was the first question that popped in Tsukishima's mind when you first ran into the place. Even if you were a disaster because of the rain, you looked stunning anyway. You had managed to charm him, though he would never admit it. Your smile confused him, as he wasn't used to people being nice to him —mostly because he wasn't nice to them either.

Tsukishima couldn't take you out of his mind for the entire evening.

As days passed, you still struggled to find a place to stay, and motels weren't the best spot to sleep once you were there for weeks. Your back hurt, your spirit was a bit crushed, and money was slightly running out.

Perhaps it was the Universe, maybe it was the gods above, but a text message changed everything.

Unknown: This is Tsukishima Kei. You can move in this week.

Even on message, he was brief. Though you didn't care, finally, things were coming together for you.

Tsukishima Kei was going to be your roommate.

Crazy, right?

[keepingupwithfundies]

BuB Season 10 Episodes 4-7

It’s a rainy long weekend here, and I managed to catch up on the Bringing Up Bates recaps. From Christmas to making plans for Valentine’s Day, the Bates family is quite busy with four babies on the way and three budding romances. 

-T

*Episode 4: 'Tis the Season For Surprises

Katie is teaching Ellie, Addee and Callie how to curl their hair. Katie says she is the only older girl in the house right now, and so she wanted to do a fun bonding activity. Ellie, Addee and Callie are not sure about learning themselves, but Katie says they should learn now before she leaves. The girls say they will miss Katie, but Callie is looking forward to having her own closet in the girls room. Travis will be coming soon, and Kelly says engagement is inevitable. His sister is recently engaged as well. Kelly asks Katie if they have any timeline, and Katie says she'll know when Travis talks to her dad, since he'll tell her mom and her mom will tell her. Everyone laughs, but agrees that Kelly isn't great at secrets. Kelly says Nathan is bringing his girlfriend as well, and everyone is excited to meet them. Katie is glad the pressure will be shared. The family will be spending Christmas all together, since Alyssa is due in February, they're not sure she can make Valentines.

Meanwhile, the guys get to work decorating the house outside of the house. Jackson is just back from Alert and wants to get the lights up. Jackson is glad to be home for Christmas after Alert, and Zach is there to see Jackson but got put to work on the lights. Nathan pulls up with Esther, and the family is excited to meet them. The work stops, and everyone rushes over to meet her. Esther is excited to meet everyone, and Whitney in particular is glad to meet them. Esther is also from a big family, and she says "the more the merrier!"

The couples (also Trace) gather for a bonfire, and also for a chance to meet Esther. Nathan teasingly makes Carlin move so he can sit next to Esther. Everyone works together to try to start the fire, and John jokes that the fire just needs "more people with more ideas to get it going." Eventually it starts burning, and Carlin asks for Nathan and Esther's story. They met at a mutual friends wedding, and Nathan thought she had the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. A week went by of them chatting, and Nathan wanted to be more than friends, and they kept talking everyday. Esther told him she wanted to be with him as well, and they've been talking for about a year. They waited a bit to go public, but they seem very happy. Carlin says she wanted to support them, and they're all glad that Nathan is so happy. Nathan asked Esther to be his girlfriend on her birthday, and Nathan says they'll see about the timelines but Nathan knows Esther is the one. Nathan genuinely seems thrilled, and the night is a success.

At Zach and Whitney's, they are decorating gingerbread men for a gender reveal. Whitney says she is excited for their fourth baby, and the plan is to give blue or pink cookies as a gift to the grandparents at the Christmas family photos. There is going to be multiple announcements at that time, Zach says. Bradley hopes for a boy, and Kaci wants a girl (shocker). Whitney is excited to tell everyone at the party.

Josie and Kelton arrive at a parking garage to do their gender reveal with Willow. Josie is excited to share that they're having another baby, and they don't know if it is a boy or a girl. They are going to find out by doing a photo shoot with her friend. This time, they wanted it to just be their little family finding out together. So, they twist the poppers and celebrate, but the episode doesn't show the color. They plan to tell everyone at the Christmas party.

It is time for the Christmas party, and Kelly says they have tried to be careful during covid (ok) and so Tori's family is sick and unable to make it, but everyone else was healthy and there. Zach and Whitney get their cookies ready, and then it is time to head out for pictures. The family pictures begin, and then it is time for the big family photo. It is very cold out, but the family gathers together for the photos. Then, it is announcement time. Josie goes first, and gives her father-in-law a gift. It is an ornament, and one side says "Baby Girl" and the other says "Hazel Sloane Balka." Everyone celebrates. Zach and Whitney go next, but Zach gives them one without color first as a prank, and then they get the cookie with the blue frosting. Bradley is so happy to have a brother. Erin is announcing on behalf of Tori and Bobby, and Kelly is excited to learn they are having a girl named Charlotte Raine. Everyone gets out of the cold, and Gil gathers the family to talk about Jesus. The family then sings carols. Gil says there are four new babies on the way, and two new relationships in the works, and there is a lot to celebrate.

*Episode 5: Home Sweet Home & Nathan's Love

Michael is at Tori and Bobby's new house, and Zach, Whitney and kids walk over to knock on the door. They are excited to be neighbors. Bobby says it was time to look for a house, and they haven't had a lot of luck until Whitney let them know the house two doors down went for sale. Bobby and Tori jumped on it, and they got the house since the original homeowners loved Zach and Whitney. The cousins are so excited to be close, and Bradley in particular is excited. Tori has asked Erin and Chad to decorate the house. Bobby has been working from home, so he has a desk in the bonus room that will eventually be Charlotte's. The boys have a room, and then Tori shows of their room. Brandon and Michael are thrilled for the new homeowners, and Bobby and Tori are so excited to be close to the family again.

The family goes on an outing to the zoo, which is one of Kelly's favorite places, for Layla's first birthday. Everyone is wearing masks, and Carlin is excited for Layla to see the animals. The family walks through the zoo. Kelly says the monkeys are her favorite, since they're so active. Carlin says she can't believe Layla is a year old, and she remembers all the memories they have made. Carlin says that Layla is their sunshine, and they are obsessed.

Alyssa and John are getting ready for their new arrival, and Alyssa says you would think they would be ready but technology keeps advancing and they keep getting cooler new items. Alyssa says this time around, she will be in the hospital with a doctor instead of a birth center with a midwife. The hospital rules are strict because of Covid, so Gil and Kelly will have to meet the baby at home. They set up their swing, and Alyssa says they have reversed the order with having kids young so that they will be able to enjoy their adult kids and grandkids younger too.

At the Bates Sisters Boutique location, Chad and Zach are working on getting everything functional for the boutique. Whitney says they are lucky trying to run a small business with all the talents in their family. The sisters arrive, and they are impressed with all the work that has been done. Erin says she has been sick and missed a lot of what has been going on, but she is excited to get to be part of the progress now. They go into another room to discuss the location of the photo shoot wall, since that is very important to their online branding. Erin suggests a location, and talks about how to turn the storefront area into an actual storefront. Everyone is excited by how far the boutique has come in such a short time, and they are excited to see where it will go.  

Zach is back to doing tree work with the family, and he says it is like no time has passed. Nathan is there, and he says he isn't home very much but it is satisfying getting to do tree work with his siblings. Zach says he forgot how much work tree work is, and Zach says he wants to be 56 and moving around like his dad instead of 33 and moving around like he is. Carlin says her dad is getting older,  but he is still the man. Jud and Jeb joke that is is getting too old. The tree job goes smoothly, and the guys start talking about Esther. Nathan says he wants to be with her forever, and he is thinking about the ring. Nathan thinks about a spring engagement and a fall wedding. Nathan says he is ready to change her from a girlfriend to a fiance. Nathan wants to fly her to the Bahamas, and they talk about ideas, but Nathan says he thinks he should run them by some girls to get their opinions. They get back to work, so Nathan can catch his flight out.

*Episode 6: A DIY Date and a Delivery Day

Erin and Chad and Bobby and Tori are on a couples getaway in Gatlinburg. It was a gift to them from Kelly and Gil for Christmas. While there, Erin has brought them to a place called Board & Brush, where you get to DIY home decor. First up, they begin distressing their wood. Then, they stain it. They talk about Tori's pregnancy- she is just about halfway, and feeling good. Chad asks Bobby about having a girl, and they are excited. The instructor spends some time showing them how to use the drill, which Tori thinks is useful for herself and Bobby, but not that useful for Chad. Chad tells them about the boutique project, and they are looking forward to moving in in a week. They complete their projects, and Tori is excited about hanging it up in their house.

Alyssa is preparing for her baby, and she has her daughters pack their bags to get ready for when the baby comes. John comes in to help them, and he says being a girl dad is a lot of fun. Alyssa starts handing out plastic bag filled with outfits for them to go. They finish packing, and Alyssa says they picked the name Maci Jo, Maci they just liked and Jo is for her mother and grandmother Betty Jo. Kelly is super excited to have a grandchild named for her, and says she can't stop saying the name.

Effortless Beauty Co is doing a stylized shoot at Castleton Farms, and they are thrilled about the opportunity. Katie gets to work on makeup, and she makes conversation with the models about looking forward to her wedding. Katie says she is ready for the ring. The shoot goes well, the bride loves her makeup, and Katie says she can't wait until she gets to be in the client chair.

Brandon and Michael arrive at Zach & Whitney's, bearing lasagna and homemade bread. Zach and Whitney are thrilled to get to enjoy Michael's lasagna. Zach & Whit's house is crazy, since the boutique is taking up half their house right now. Michael talks about her sewing business, which took the back burner during school but it is growing fast. Michael is volunteering at children's hospital for now while she figures out what is next. Everyone agrees that it was a fun dinner and they need to do it more.

Alyssa calls her mom, and says she thinks she is in labor. Alyssa wants to give her mom some time to make plans. Alyssa is just in early labor but she wants her parents to start heading their way so they can meet Maci. Alyssa gets everything ready to go, but now she is wondering if it is labor or not. Alyssa starts walking because she just wants labor to get going so she can be done. Alyssa has usually had shorter labors, but this one is taking its time. Alyssa has been having contractions for a while, and so she is heading to the hospital to see if they can help her progress. In the hospital, Alyssa gets an epidural and is making quick progress. The doctor lets John help deliver the baby, and he is thrilled he got to help.  Alyssa is pleased with her hospital experience, but she is excited to go home and introduce Maci to everyone. Gil and Kelly arrive in Florida to meet Maci. Everyone is thrilled for the Webster family and wants to meet Maci.

*Episode 7: Lawson's New Love and the Boutique's New Digs!?

Chad has been working on an old camper since he loved camping as a kid and he wants to do it with his family. The camper is old, but it has good bones and they are completely redoing it. They step inside the camper and talk about what they want to change. Gil and Kelly joke that they are going to make the camper incredible like they always do. Erin says that with 2020, they look forward to getting out there and making new memories all together.

Kelly is preparing for Valentine's Day, but Kelly isn't as prepared as she usually is. Nathan and Lawson walk in, and Kelly says they need to pick about the theme. They debate different ideas, and Katie walks over to get involved. One of the little kids suggested animals, and Kelly facetimes their group text and Zach gets on to share his opinion. They joke that no matter what, Zach will come as a cowboy again, and Lawson jokes that he will be a better cowboy. Zach says he won't, since he doesn't have a girlfriend-and Kelly says Lawson actually might have some news in that department. Zach asks if he is bringing Nathan again, and Lawson says he has upgraded in the beauty department. Kelly says Lawson was traveling a lot to California, and she thought he was working but she then learned that there was a girl in California that he liked. Everyone agrees on the animal theme, and Kelly is glad to start getting to work on the party.

It is Boutique moving day, and there is a lot of clothes being transported to the new location. There was a huge moving sale where 5,000 dresses where sold which enabled them to move. It was a huge group effort to move the product. Trace and Chad load up a truck load to take to the new location, and then the team goes into the new location. Everyone is so excited by the new space- Chad has built a beautiful packaging station for the boutique. There is a lot of work still to go, but they are excited for the new space for their store.

Lawson and Trace are looking for Duke, Lawson's dog. Trace jokes that Duke likes Trace better than Lawson since he is spending more time with him. Lawson is preparing to take him to training for a few months. Jackson comes out on the porch, and he has unfortunately broken his arm snowboarding in Colorado. Jackson had surgery with 13 screws and two metal plates put in his arm.  Trace mentions that Tiffany was on the trip to Colorado, and he has been spending a lot of time in California. Lawson said his girlfriend Tiffany joined him on the trip. Lawson says it is early in the relationship but a great trip. Lawson says she is coming to Valentine's Day, and everyone is thrilled about that. Gil and Kelly are looking forward to spending more time with her. Nathan is glad they're both in relationships at the same time, and they are excited to see how this pans out.

[sourbat]

And Then-

Words: 2800

Rating: T

Pairing: Toki Wartooth/Magnus Hammersmith 

Summary: “Hammertooth, as told by the Dethklok Minute.”

There was nothing that could be done to completely vanquish the paranoia, even with the presence of half a dozen committed klokateers, so Toki knowingly made a point to always bring a disguise, to try and play it safe and drink one less bottle than normal, take one less hit than he preferred, because the last thing he wanted to do was prove Magnus’ fears correct. 

Toki was there the first time it happened. Worse, he was with the whole gang, reclining comfortably in the hot tub, finished giving Skwisgaar a high five, when Nathan flicked the television on, revealing  The Dethklok Minute host’s marred face.

“Today I bring you a blast from the past. We’re talking ancient history here, folks! Famed rhythm guitarist, Toki Wartooth, was recently seen chatting it up with none other than ex-Dethklok, and failed solo artist, Magnus Hammersmith. The two were seen causing quite the scene outside of the Griffith observatory, resulting in them being kicked out from the premises. Apparently, Hammersmith couldn’t handle the extra attention. Real shame, Hammersmith, it’s as close to the stars as you’ll ever get!”

They laughed when they saw the images, the brief video clip of Magnus angrily grabbing and tossing someone’s phone off the cliff, and the hilarious tweets shared by fans that all seemed to focus on how desperate and loathsome Magnus was in comparison to him. There was nothing he could say, whine or threaten to calm the rest of the band down. The day only grew progressively worse as he checked his phone, spotting new threads and comments on all the platforms he frequented, but not hearing a single word from Magnus.

He must have sent a dozen messages, and earned no reply until late at night, when news had reached every corner of the internet.

Thankfully, Magnus took it rather well, or as well as anyone with little to no say in the matter could. When they finally got together, Magnus was clearly upset, but he was more ashamed at himself for causing a huge scene and threatening a bunch of regular jack-offs for poking fun of him, mad for setting himself up for this disaster, and regretted that he pulled Toki and Dethklok into yet another one of his messes.

Once it was out, they discussed the next step. The public knew they were together in some form, but how much was still up in the air. Romance was currently out of the equation, or wasn’t suspected. Magnus treated it as a small relief; Toki, on the other hand, viewed it differently. The mean gossips centered on Magnus wouldn’t just go away if people continued to treat him as Toki’s inferior. If they came out not as competitors, but as partners, as equals, as a real couple…

When Toki raised the idea to Magnus, he spun it differently. They should come out now before the world figures it out on their own. Rip off the bandage on their own terms, and get the rumors done and over with.

The world was going to talk about them whether they liked it or not, so… why not try to have fun?

Why hide it and pretend they were only friends?  

“Welcome back to the Dethklok Minute! Toki Wartooth and Hammersmith were seen together exiting Club Rhapsody on Sunset Blvd. The two barely made it five steps before Mr. Wartooth was bombarded by fans. It took several klokateers shooting down crazed fans to get their claws off Toki Wartooth. Meanwhile, here’s an image of poor ol’ Hammersmith, left out in the dust.  Good thing he’s already used to it, though!”  

That time Magnus was pissed. He hadn’t even done anything that night, and was the soberer of the two. Sure, they were both piss-drunk, but Magnus had been reasonable enough to leave his keys behind, to tell Toki they needed to leave once it got too crowded, and tried being civil despite the crowds, their disguises slipping off, and people flashing lights in every direction just to say they were in the same club as Toki Wartooth.

Unless given the orders, the klokateers didn’t bother trying to protect Magnus, or shoo away fans who had nothing better than to accuse him of trying to latch on to fame, being a parasite, or an unsightly thorn in Toki’s side. The burden always fell on Toki. He had to be the one to grab Magnus and reel him in, remind him to count to ten, to hold his tongue, to try and be the better man despite the rumors and open remarks.

It didn’t take long for forums to pose the much-feared question, one Toki hadn’t regarded until Magnus very frustratingly pointed it out:

How far back do they go?

Then Toki understood Magnus’ fears. With discussions digging deeper into their pasts, Toki knew it would only be a matter of time before rumors of his disappearance resurfaced, and people connected whatever dots they wanted to reach their preferred conclusions. 

The following months proved too challenging.

He couldn’t blame Magnus for all those close calls. Toki didn’t blame him when Magnus eventually did snap, and lash out. Magus never laid a finger on him, but the yelling…the yelling and the misdirected rage terrified him.

It was Magnus who suggested the break.

Once again, Toki couldn’t bring himself to blame Magnus, even when everyone else at Mordhaus did.

The truth stung. The loneliness ached. The rumors persisted. Toki waited and watched the news, counting the weeks until the much-needed silence finally died down. It never did. Though the conversations decreased, there was never a point in time where comments online didn’t lead to Magnus, tweets or tags that brought up the name, and the terrible rumors surrounding their relationship persisted. It was the suckiest time of Toki’s life as he waited for Magnus’ return, for the world to get over this strange obsession, and for things to return to the way it was before.

Two months later, Magnus returned from the shadows on his own accord, and begged for Toki’s forgiveness and yet another chance at proving he could handle the unwanted attention, so long as it meant keeping Toki’s. Almost immediately after they reunited, the pictures and videos returned, but this time Magnus made a point to ignore it, to do his absolute best to take it all in stride and make the most of their limited time together.

Toki welcomed Magnus with open arms, more relieved than anything that Magnus didn’t give up on the two of them, and was willing to try and make this work.

“While on tour in England, fans caught glimpses of Toki and Mr. Hammersmith just outside of the Tower of London, harassing the local avian residents, and later caught pissing into the River Thames. Well, you know the saying: boys will be boys. In bigger news, Nathan Explosion played the lead role at The Globe’s recent…”

Then, one day, Magnus was no longer the main story. He wasn’t the butt of the joke. He wasn’t the focus of any folly that took place between them. Now Magnus had a title. Now he was just another one of the boys. Maybe not a member of Dethklok, but someone within the circle. A person who demanded some respect.  

It took several months, but Magnus was accepted as another regular figure in Toki’s life. Like Dr. Rockso, Magnus was treated less as a person of interest, a living target, and more a colorful object that Toki took alongside him to various places, adding to the curiosity and allure of their already complex relationship. Unlike the clown, though, the well of controversy had long since run dry, and nasty statements about the older man were quickly replaced with random jokes, silly rumors about Skwisgaar being replaced, and then–

Magnus started smiling, really smiling, again.

And then– 

“Today I bring you none other than our favorite buddy-duo: Toki Wartooth and Magnus Hammersmith! The two guitarists were seen sneaking out the back of Cruachan’s, carrying a wasted William Murderface before being accosted by some rapid fangirls. Luckily for them, Murderface was there to scare them away. Hey, Murderface, didn’t anyone tell you three is a crowd?”  

It was already a big enough deal that Toki convinced Murderface to join in, drink and talk with Magnus, maybe reconcile some past grudges and start afresh. Now people were curious to know why Magnus was so well-liked. In the eyes of the fans, Dethklok was reaching out to Magnus, which meant Magnus couldn’t possibly be that bad of a guy. The focus on Magnus returned, but with a different change in tone. He was Toki’s buddy. A mentor. A reliable father figure.

Magnus read each new role, and grew paranoid for the one that he knew would soon arise from the depths of internet forums.

Another month went by, then another, and after doing their best to avoid the media, to pay extra attention when making exchanges, their reprieve arrived in the form of funny jingles and images depicting the two of them as nothing short of the best of friends. The host of the show played it well, acting as though he never had a hand in spreading lies about them, and treated their nightly excursions, trips and secret dates as just another blurb in the  Dethklok Minute. But as nice as two friends hanging out was, it didn’t draw the same number of crowds as before, and after waiting and waiting, the focus on the two of them finally died.

Nobody cared that Toki hung out with Magnus, and were far more invested in Pickles’ massive pub crawl across Europe, the recent paternity trials of Skwisgaar, Nathan’s up-and-down relationship with Abigail, or Murderface’s failed MLM scheme.

And then–

“Welcome to the Dethklok minute! Uh-oh, Toki-oh! After a huge and successful performance in Japan, Toki Wartooth was seen inviting Magnus Hammersmith into the lobby of the famous Ningen Isu Hotel. But what’s this? Take a look at this!  Though the picture is of poor quality, fans speculate the two are holding hands in the photo…”

A slip up. After months of touring, bad reception and shitty planning on his part, Toki called Magnus over, and in their haste to reunite, were caught in the act.

And then…

“Breaking news! You will not believe your eyes!”

The very thing Magnus feared happened. Toki expected a strong reaction from Magnus. He expected the walls to crumble and the world to feel like it was ending. However, he could not predict just how negative a response he'd receive from his billions of fans. Knees tucked into his chest, Toki sullenly scrolled through the thousands of tags with awful slurs and insulting remarks, now all aimed at him. Fans demanded to know if he hit his head, if he enjoyed giving head, if he was always playing for both sides, if he spit or swallowed, if he even liked girls, if he was drunk when it happened, if it was consensual, if Toki was sure he didn’t like breasts, if he was ok, or if there was something wrong with his eyes because he could do  so  much better than Magnus Hammersmith.

Nathan and the others warned him this would happen, but Toki never believed it. The fans loved him. He could do no wrong.

But, once it was out–

“While most remain torn, a growing number of fans have openly voiced their support of the two…”

Once it was out, it was Magnus who snatched the phone out from Toki’s hand, taking and stowing it in some drawer where it couldn’t bother them before doing the same with Toki, and carrying him off into the night in his arms and telling him it wasn’t worth their time.

“…Send your vote to this number to determine the name of this new, controversial celebrity couple!”

Much like those slow, intimate touches that kept Toki distracted long through the night, the horrible things fans said came to pass. Not much longer, Magnus showed Toki how those same fans that had attacked him, that posted videos and memes making fun of their friendship, that spread rumors and doubt, that tested their patience, were all now sending hearts and their best wishes. There were pictures, both hand drawn and professionally done, hashtags and gifs and essays filled with nothing but off-putting support. Toki found familiar faces and names, avatars and posts from those he remembered directing horrible things his way, and now they were acting as though they never stopped believing in the two.

Toki logged off and debated taking a break from social media.

Magnus beckoned him back to comforting sheets. 

The initial shock came and went, and before long, all that was left was empty support and praise. Wholesome quotes and pretty rainbow flags that meant nothing to Toki, even less to Magnus, and fan songs and imagery that Toki blocked, only to later openly mocked with the only man who understood better than anyone else how pathetic and empty-brained most people were, and how quickly everyone forgets.

The band had little to say, but offered their indirect support by reminding Toki the jack-offs were more than likely jealous. Toki had everything in the world, Nathan later said. It didn’t matter that he left it at that, abruptly ending the conversation before Toki had a chance to really take it in and appreciate the shreds of a hidden apology underneath it all.  Everything in the world.  To think it included Magnus made the half-assed apology more heartfelt, and Toki had to stop himself from getting too close to Nathan and thanking him for taking his side, for being there, for listening, caring in his own way.

And, finally…

“… and in other news, the world’s favorite musical couple celebrated Toki Wartooth’s birthday in upstate New York. After celebrating at Mordhaus, Magnus and Toki decided to take advantage of the band’s extended work sabbatical, and take a vacation together… Next week, I give you a very special Dethklok exclusive, starring none other than the famous couple themselves!”   

With an outstretched hand, Magnus reached for the remote, turning off the television with a short, but aggressive jab on the power button before snatching his keys and turning to Toki, who remained peacefully reclined on top of the hotel bed.

“Ready?” Magnus asked, fixing one of many heavy rings he had on his person as Toki slipped off the bed, hastily running past him to locate his socks and boots for the long day ahead. Magnus fingered a rather hefty skull ring adorned with gaudy, but bright and pointed gemstones. “So, who’s doing what again?”

“I holds him down,” Toki replied as he worked the laces on his boots. “When I gives the words, I jumps across and holds him down.”

Magnus picked up his sunglasses, donning his disguise before casually making his way out of the bedroom. “Uh-huh. And what’s the word?”

“Hmmm.” Toki chewed his inner lip as he searched for a random enough word. “Cinnamon?”

“Cinnamon?”

“Yeps,” Toki replied, standing up and following Magnus. He grabbed a small box of medical bandages and gauze, still in a plastic bag that rested on top of a recently cracked crystal table, and shoved both into his already cluttered fanny pack.  

Magnus reached in, snatching the gauze and stowing it into one of his pockets, leaving more room for Toki to rearrange his things. “And you’re totally fine with me beating the ever-lasting shit out of him?” he asked, earning a mischievous little glance from the younger man. “All by myself?”

“Wells, I’ms gonna to gets him first,” Toki contentedly pointed out, and earned a snicker from Magnus when he dared to smile at the thought. “Ams doing half the works. Also, lets me wear some of the rings.”

“Fine, fine.” Magnus offered his fingers up to Toki, amused when the young man stopped and hovered and admired the large, heavy steel rings bought for the sole purpose of rearranging another man’s face. He raised a brown when he saw Toki reach for a devilish ring adorned with curled horns. “Not that one, I like that one.”

“Evens better.” Toki pulled the ring from Magnus’ middle, sticking out his tongue as he tried it on, along with a few others, before earning a slightly sarcastic look of approval from Magnus.

“Ready?” Magnus asked again, admittedly smitten by how well the ring suited Toki.

“Waits, I forgots my hat.”

Magnus headed to the door, taking his time, stopping briefly to admire the view from the window and take in the magnificent view, while also picking up on rushed footsteps hitting the floor, Toki nearly tripping over himself and putting on the last bit of his outfit, then claiming Magnus’ free hand as his, and yanking him close into a brief, but passionate kiss. 

“Let’s go,” he said after slowly pulling away, eyes locked on Magnus as he opened the door, ready to be led into the light.

[swan--writes]

Dewey x Fem Reader Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet(one of those songs that I rock out to and makes me feel sexy)

I think you’ll be able to tell I was having fun with this one 😉 Hope you like it!

Words: ~1,170

Dewey would never admit why he went to Guitar Center every Tuesday at noon.

Every Tuesday found Dewey Finn at the Guitar Center nearest Horace Green at exactly 12:00 PM. It was almost funny. He wasn’t sure he had ever been consistently on time for anything. Yet here he was, over three months and not a single 12:00 missed. Dewey always stood, peeking through the magazine racks, watching the front door.

Every Tuesday at 12:00 PM, you came to work at the Guitar Center nearest Horace Green.

So one, two, three, take my hand and come with me…

Every Tuesday at 12:00 PM, Dewey watched you arrive.

Because you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine.

On Tuesdays, you would pull up to the store on the back of a motorcycle. Some large, muscly asshole would be driving without a helmet. You always wore yours, though. Smart.

I say you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine.

You would swing your leg over once the bike was parked, take off the helmet, then – and this was Dewey’s favorite part – you would shake out your hair. The way your hair glistened in the cold winter sun was entrancing to him. He could spend all day just watching your hair swing over your shoulders and settle on your back.

Well I could see…

You would always say something. Maybe you were thanking the guy who gave you a ride, or telling him when he should pick you up, or saying something like, ‘Don’t bother me again, jackass.’

You home with me…

(That last one was probably wish fulfillment on Dewey’s part.)

But you were with another man, yeah!

You would walk into work confidently, with your black boots and your leather jacket. Your hips would swing from side to side and without fail, Dewey’s breath would go shallow.

I know we…

Every time, he would tell himself to look away.

Ain't got much to say…

Every time, a tiny voice in the back of his head would ask ‘why?’

Before I let you get away, yeah!

It wasn’t like Dewey was hurting anyone by watching you come to work every single week, at the same time, in a place he had no reason to be.

I said, are you gonna be my girl?

Yikes.

For more than three months, each and every Tuesday was the same. That was all Dewey needed. There was a part of him – a twisted little part – that truly didn’t want to see you any other way. Whenever he thought he glimpsed you on the street or at the grocery store, Dewey would immediately avert his eyes. He didn’t even go to the Guitar Center at any other time, and he always left before he could talk to you.

This way, he could wonder about you. Dewey could wonder what your name was, how you took your coffee, whether you had any tattoos. He could wonder whether you were actually dating the bastard who dropped you off every week at work.

Oh, who was he kidding? That guy would have to be a complete dumbass to not be dating you. From a minimum distance of ten feet, you were the perfect woman. All of Dewey’s fantasies about you assured him of that.

Again: yikes.

But then, after fifteen Tuesdays, the unthinkable happened. Dewey’s B string snapped. On a Thursday. And Guitar City was the only store that carried the strings he used. Normally, he could order them online, but he needed them for school the next day.

So, on Thursday at 5:00 PM, Dewey tucked his face into his scarf and rushed through the cold streets to Guitar Center. The first thing he did when he walked through the door was look at the cash registers. No sign of you. He hated the relief he felt, but he knew it was for the best. He was sort of a creep.

It was only typical, then, that when he turned to his right, he came face to face with you. Dewey gulped.

The tight black tee shirt and black pants you wore were standard for a Guitar Center employee, he knew. There was something about you wearing them, though, that sent his heart hammering and his hands shaking. You weren’t the self-effacing kind of sexy that Dewey was usually into – the kind that doesn’t see its own sexiness. Oh no. Your proximity, your grin, the tilt of your head stated very clearly that you knew exactly how sexy you were. And you knew he saw it too. He was screwed.

I could see…

“Can I help you find something?” you asked.

You home with me…

“Uh…” Dewey swallowed again. “…my B string snapped.”

But you were with another man, yeah!

You raised your eyebrows, then started to turn away. You crooked your finger at him, gesturing that he should follow you. He couldn’t have resisted if he had tried.

I know we…

You stopped in front of a wall of string packets and shot him a scrutinizing sideways glance. When you looked back towards the wall, he noticed you were subtly swaying in time with the music that was playing through the store.

Ain't got much to say…

Dewey watched in awe as you snatched a packet of the exact type of strings he used and handed them to him.

Before I let you get away, yeah!

“Thanks.”

You nodded to the registers. “C’mon, I’ll check you out.” Not if he checked you out first.

Dewey followed you to the register, let you ring up his purchase, and forgot to tell you that he didn’t need a bag. He was too busy staring at the book beside your register. Before he could get a good look at the cover, however, he heard your voice again.

“You come in here a lot, don’t you?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” He forced a chuckle, knowing he sounded nervous. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Pretty sure my boss thinks you’re a cop.”

Dewey snorted. “Oh yeah, the worst stereotype of a cop.” You laughed. Had he accidentally said something funny? Was there a version of this exchange where he didn’t come away feeling even dirtier than usual?

“Well, don’t listen to anything my coworkers say about me, officer. I’m clean, I swear.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, I’m sure you are.” Sure…

Something about the way he said it seemed to arrest you. He couldn’t tell if the look you gave him was appraising, or if he just hoped it was. “Promise,” you said Then you handed him his bag, and you each told the other to have a nice night, and he left. Why did he just leave? Was that how it was supposed to go?

Be my girl!

Fuck, he didn’t even know how much he’d spent. He fished his receipt out from the bag and froze under a street lamp.

Be my girl!

There, in sharpie, was that a…phone number?

Are you gonna be my girl?

.

.

Buy Me a Coffee, if you’d like

[ask-mrradiodemon]

Valentine's Day ~ A Radiodust Story

A/N: This story is largely based on the canon of my RP blog, which I'm posting this on now, and the things that have developed here over time, rather than actual character canon. Having said that, each individual should be in character, and I hope you're all able to enjoy nonetheless. Cheers, everyone

Ao3 Link (since SOME people found it early-)

TW: Brief mentions of alcohol and believing love is unrequited

Baking and cooking are often time consuming activities that can take a toll on anyone's health. Doing so for twelve hours straight three days in a row only makes matters worse, and would cause any normal person to pass out. Of course, the radio demon was far from being a normal person, rarely ever needing sleep. But without a moment's rest, exhaustion was bound to take over at some point. Alastor nearly failed to arrive to the venue on time.

But not quite.

The room in question was something that had previously been old and abandoned; a ballroom in the back of the hotel, complete with a stage up front and a floor made for dancing. It took Niffty nearly a full day to clean up the cobwebs, dust, and creatures that had made it their home, but with the light shining in that space by the end, it was more than worth it. The empty room wasn't enough, though, of course. Decorations had to be put around as well, and with Alastor busy with the food preparations, that task was assigned to none other than...

"Charlie, you've done splendid! Absolutely marvelous!" It was more than a relief when she heard that her decorations were up to Alastor's standards. During the hour of him inspecting each individual piece, only a few tweaks were made. Moving a banner two inches to the left, tightening the knot that held a balloon to the ground, going so far as to change the color of the tablecloth where the food was meant to be placed. Charlie hadn't been nearly as busy lately, but she still worked hard as hell on that. With her work in place and finished, Alastor dismissed her to go get ready for the evening's events.

"So are you gonna fuckin' tell me why you're doing this to begin with?"

Ah, the telltale voice of a drunk man. Not that Alastor was surprised, of course. Without hesitation, he simply made his way over to the barman's table, upon which laid a dozen different drink types. Coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade (pink and regular), tea, juice, and even the soda Alastor had hazardously taken from the upper world's. Under the table, just barely hidden by the cloth, was a large bottle of fine wine: Husk's motivation to be here.

"Well I believe I've said it before, my dear! I've never celebrated an event such as this, and a dance is the perfect method to encourage camaraderie and building relationships among staff!"

Husk was not the least bit impressed. "Right, so that's your canned response you've been givin' to everyone for the past two weeks. In case you don't remember, I've known you longer than these assholes, and you're not like that. So spill."

Alastor didn't respond immediately to the… Question? It was more like an order. Either he had to think of a convincing enough lie, or tell the truth. And since the latter was not an option, and Husk had already broken through several of the excuses Alastor had given, there weren't many options left.

"If you're just gonna give me more bullshit, then don't even bother saying anything." Ding.

"Very well then! I won't! Make sure you're on time this evening, six o' clock sharp!" With that, Alastor simply walked away, with Husk facepalming in the background.

Only ten in the morning! There's so much left to prepare! Hot chocolate couldn't be made more than an hour early, and many of the foods had to be fresh and warm to ensure they were at top quality. At least the cookies, cake, and appetizers had been finished the night before; things would be slightly easier today.

--------

Alastor was never grateful to have an extra pair of hands assisting him. Or, well… three pairs.

"So? You got it figured out yet?" While Arakniss worked on following the recipes that had been laid out for him, Alastor was gathering ingredients for the ones yet to come. Many of which, he promptly dropped after hearing that question. That gave Niss a much needed chuckle; no matter how many times they talked about this, it never failed to send Alastor short circuiting.

“Yes, well… I believe so? Things have been… Written out, and… Well the decorations are gorgeous, you should see them!”

Niss only rolled his eyes at the nervous deflection. “You’re gonna do fine, dance lessons will come in handy soon. Be dancin’ with my fratello before the night’s over, easy.”

Somehow, the thought of that wasn’t as comforting as it should have been. For that to happen, Alastor would actually have to go through with his confession, and Angel would have to actually accept it. Even with that low likelihood, if it managed to happen, Alastor’s online lessons in tango may not have been near enough to actually perform it well. In front of everyone else that was invited.

"There's a very good chance I could step on his feet. Hooves are a bit more rough than normal shoes."

Niss gave a half laugh, half scoff at that. "Look, you're gonna do just fine. I know it pretty decent, you need some last minute practice?"

Alastor glanced up to the clock. Three hours left, and most things only took a few minutes to prepare…

"That would be quite nice."

--------

So far, things had run smoothly. Husk wasn't offering anyone alcohol, Niffty was cleaning up the little spills and crumbs, and the dessert table was quite the success. Almost all the savory and sweet things had been eaten, with Angel seeming to take a particular favor to the strawberry cookies. Though, if Alastor had been honest, he wasn't paying much attention to everyone else. With Angel's plus one being Cherri, they'd had enough fun with all the energetic songs to make time fly past. Alastor had tried choosing the playlist for the evening, but Vaggie took over that quickly once she saw the old things he was choosing.

Thirty minutes left until everyone's curfew. Thirty minutes left until the end of the event. And Alastor hadn't said a single word to anyone besides Husk, about refilling the drinks when things ran low, and Charlie, assuring her he was keeping an eye out for any damages while she enjoyed the night with her girlfriend.

It was now. Or it was never. Alastor gave a gesture to some stranger that had been volunteered to run the music, and it was cut off as the radio demon made his way onto the center of the small stage.

"I hope you're all having an enjoyable time here. I simply wish to say a few words, a toast, if you will, without the drinks. To our honorable staff members, that worked hard to make this event what it was." Only Charlie was the one aware that was bullshit, that Alastor had planned everything out himself and only allowed the others to help if absolutely necessary. He'd done a very good job of hiding the bags under his eyes, she noticed.

“As you all know, I have given many speeches throughout both life and death. Though many have been broadcast, many a time has it been an intimate gathering among those I… used to consider my friends. As one might predict, never in those speeches have I been at a loss for words or needing to plan things out. Until of course… Now. Perhaps it is because you are no longer strangers, and yet you are far from friends either.”

“I told you we couldn’t trust him.” As quiet as Vaggie’s words were, Alastor’s ears picked them up easily. His smile faltered for only a second, unnoticeable to anyone besides his newfound friend Arakniss, standing in the doorway out of sight.

“You see, in the many months since I joined this staff, I have grown to consider you all as…”

...of course. Alastor knew this was going to happen. Each time he tried to show any kind of gratitude, his throat closed up and he was unable to say the dreaded, emotional words. At least, this time, he had prepared.

“Family.”

To say that everyone was shocked, not only at the appearance of Alastor’s shadow clone standing proud next to him, but at the words it said, would be a terrible understatement.

“It is no secret to most of you that I have… unusual levels of difficulty expressing certain emotions, whereas my “friends” here have no trouble at all.” The last part of that phrase was said with slight menace, though not towards any of the members of the hotel; he was quick to learn how his shadows had been finishing his thoughts recently, filling everyone in on the feelings he would rather have kept hidden. There was a reason most of them, all except Al’s own, were banned from the event.

“As such, I am placing my trust in my other half,” accented with a bow while Alastor gestured towards it, “to help me today, and to ensure my meaning is not changed due to my own inability to speak my mind. Beginning with Charlie…”

As soon as the name was spoken, the shadow was no longer by his side, now standing in front of Charlie with a smile. Naturally, Vaggie reached for her concealed knife, but the shadow simply reached out a hand to take Charlie’s own, placing a small kiss on the top of it.

“When I first arrived here, I did not hesitate to let you know exactly what I thought of this idea of yours. Though I still do not believe the end to your means is possible, you have still managed great success, in your own way. Just look around!” Alastor twirled in a circle, using his microphone to gesture to the crowd in front of him. “More and more people are smiling like they never have before! Whether your ultimate goal ends in complete failure, or minor success…”

Silence. And then another gesture with his microphone, this time to the shadow, who spoke in his characteristic deeper, distorted version of the radio demon’s own voice.

“Your kind heart has made a great influence on many people. Hell is lucky to have someone such as yourself to be next in line for power.”

Ignoring the shocked expression on each face, the shadow moved on before anyone was able to comment on the uncharacteristic compliment, stepping to stand in front of Vaggie and perform the same gesture. Or at least, attempting to do so before she pulled her hand away. In response, the shadow simply crossed its hands behind its back.

"My dear, I'm well aware that I have done very little in an attempt to impress you, or not rebut the many tales you've heard of my name. In truth, I'm gar more used to having enemies than friends. If anything, you had the most expected reaction!" With that came a chorus of laughter, all background noises created by Alastor himself. Surprisingly, she didn't consider this situation funny.

"But, regardless of your views on me, allow me to share my opinion of you. Rather abrasive, tough, and perhaps too defensive." Vaggie looked as though she was ready to run upstage and punch him, only held back by Charlie's hand on her arm. "Yet undoubtedly, you are strong-willed and protective. Indeed, an admirable quality, one that I self proclaim to share." A quick bow and gesture of the microphone, a humble gesture though it contradicted the previous phrase. "It is for this reason that I greatly… respect and admire you.  Perhaps one day, I can earn your favor, as you have mine."

The shadow moved with obvious intention past Angel Dust, but if anyone in the crowd noticed, they didn't comment. Rather, it made its way straight to the bar, quickly summoning a bottle of fine wine rather than attempting any sort of contact.

"Husk! My old friend! I trust that you've warmed up to me more since your arrival, my part in recent events having /nothing/ to do with that, I'm sure."

The resulting middle finger gave Alastor all the hint he needed; keep it short, the relationship was Arakniss wasn't public knowledge yet. "But regardless of that, or the intoxicating reasons you've chosen to say, you've done each individual here- a great service by staying, and we are lucky to have you."

The shadow didn't need to approach Niffty; she had been following it around since the beginning, and now its eyes were on her.

"My darling, you're quite the hard worker at this establishment. Enjoy it or not, you've likely done more work in a day than I ever have as co-owner! Though your job isn't what I'd like to mention." If anything, she was more confused than anyone else. "You're rather invasive, you like to listen in on my private conversations, and you are very persistent in matters that are, frankly, none of your business.” Niffty looked almost heartbroken. “However, in doing so, you are never critical or judgemental. Rather, you are kind, encouraging, understanding. For each of these reasons combined, you are the obnoxious, lovable little sister I never had.” The shadow dissipated as she tried to hug the incorporeal being, but a hand ruffled her hair to reduce the disappointment regardless.

“As for the final member of our staff-” The shadow quietly approached Angel before Al held out a hand to stop it. “We will speak another time.” The quiet whispers in certain patches showed that he wasn’t the only one who knew precisely what that phrase meant, but of course the shadow couldn’t simply leave things up to fate. Rather, he told a hold of angel’s face once the crowd’s attention was redirected, whispering “mon cher” in his ear, so quietly no one but Angel could hear. He may not have spoken a word of french, but with the odd seductive tone, he at least hoped he could figure out the meaning.

“But, enough of the sappy things. It’s a wonderful night! Célébrer, my friends, celebrate!”

Angel was quick to run as the peaceful buzz started and anyone could ask questions, as was Arakniss, but to stop Alastor from collapsing as soon as he was out of sight. His knees buckled and Niss was the only thing stopping him from hitting the floor.

“...what have I just done?”

Arakniss didn't have a fast enough answer before Angel came in through the back door, looking unusually pissed off. "Al, what the fuck was that about!?" Immediately, Alastor stood up and pushed away the guiding arm that was intended to steady him.

"I- My apologies, but-"

"You're really gonna go and say nice shit to everyone but me? And make it fuckin' obvious? Geez, if you really hated me that bad you shoulda just said so." Angel had a lot more to say, but with Niss standing behind Alastor motioned for him to shut the fuck up, he kept quiet for only a second.

"I… did not wish to… say certain things in front of the staff, is all."

"Well go on and spit it out then, I'm listening-"

"This is quite difficult enough without your argument, if you would please allow me to speak."

Something about the sincerity, and unusual level of fear, in Alastor's voice made Angel fall silent as Arakniss excused himself out the back door. A quick memory came of the phrase the shadow had said to him, though it didn't last long once it showed up again, taking Angel's hand as it had Charlie's.

"You're very… irritating. You're overly lewd, and brash, and there's many things about you that spark my wrath easier than anything." Alastor couldn't get any further than that, and an awkward silence followed. Angel staring with a mix of anger and confusion, while Alastor felt his face growing brighter red with each passing second. They had a script to follow. Just like the ones he had written for everyone else. Yet he couldn't remember a single word of it. Part of him just wanted to run, allow Angel to finish enjoying his night, and never speak of this moment again. Part of him also knew he'd never forgive himself if he did that.

"You're enchanting." No going back now. His shadow had full control, and all Alastor could do was stand there and watch. "I can't express how much I care for you. My eyes have been on you since the first day we met. Your eyes, your voice, your personality… All beautiful. I'd give you the world should you ask for it. I've been enamoured with you since the day we met, and I'd be honored if I could call you mine."

There was silence for about a minute, and no one moved. Angel held an unreadable expression, and Alastor's heart broke when he eventually pulled the hand away. Here comes the rejection he knew would happen. At least now, he could be able to move on.

"Look, Al… you're… really amazing, like… Holy shit, I…" Angel laughed and shook his head, pushing back his hair with one hand. "If I had any kinda common sense I'd shove ya against the wall now and kiss ya, but…" He nervously glanced at the shadow, and Alastor's heart rose into his throat as he realized what might need to be done.

"It's… Weird. Not havin' you say it. I mean it's you, but… Not really. And it's kinda hard to believe it's real if I'm not hearing it from you."

Alastor wasn't sure what exactly Angel expected him to do. But what he actually did was nod silently as his smile began to fade, and walk out the door, leaving the distraught shadow behind with a shocked expression.

"Don't look at me like that! It's fuckin weird, like if my brother had just gone and told him all the stuff I think about him. You can't blame me for that!" It didn't respond, fading out into the darkness. Angel didn't have much choice but to head out back to the party, where the final song was playing. A tango. Hand-picked, for the dance that Alastor had spent over a month learning, not that Angel would ever learn that now.

For the first time, Alastor allowed himself to cry in front of someone else as soon as he met Arakniss outside.

He cared. He really did. Angel cared for him.

But that meant nothing if Alastor couldn't learn to say the words out loud for himself. Such a bittersweet feeling. Besides the occasional choked sobs, not a sound left his mouth. If he couldn't learn to say the words, all his work will have been for nothing. Somehow, knowing that was worse than if he had just been turned down.

It had been over two weeks since Alastor had attempted to sleep, and four days since he had any rest at all. Too busy.

"When you allow your heart to lead you, it drives you off a cliff."

[groomlakeprojects]

Crash(test) The Ballad of Faded Wolf

(Summary)

Barry Mick is a struggling tour manager for a young US rock band in his 30's working in the rock world and mainstream pop; but also works several part time real jobs. The band he is currently managing is a young band “Faded Wolf”; full of notorious stories and behaviors including sex,drugs, and rock and roll. Will they crash and burn? Or live and learn? Probably neither.

Crash(test) The Ballad of Faded Wolf

Story written by Joe Bruno

Edited by

Max Barksdale

There’s something peaceful about waking up in a moving vehicle. The scenery moving like an old movie reel as we make our way to the next destination is the best part, I guess. From what my folks told me when I was young, you actually had to dedicate a person, with a license, to controlling the vehicle; which sounds like a terrible idea looking around my immediate company.

“Tommy Rocks”, as he’s known, is in the next bunk over; putting his genitals on one of our roadies face while he’s asleep. Classic. The band I’m currently out on the road with, (for way less money than I should’ve negotiated; had I known the shit storm I had agreed to) Faded Wolf, are one of the new growing bands in the heavy metal scene. And they are all about attention.

These guys just cost the label $600,000 in damages; leading cops on a two hour chase after stealing a old school collection car from a classic car show, then proceeding to manually drive it onto the highway.

Fucking psychos I tell you. Especially in 2044.

A human messing with with our great, automated highways? It’s crazy they’d let anyone touch a real steering wheel. Thankfully the van doesn’t have one or I’d never sleep with this band around. Not that I do much.. From what I heard growing up, people died like all the time crashing these things it was something crazy like the plague, it was in the millions of people dead all of the time, senselessly. And you’ve got to be an idiot to get out on the roads with the old cars and attempt to drive with the cars we have today. Nobody stops and goes and burns gas anymore. The road system today is cars going everywhere all automatically timed to drive without hardly stopping. Except out here, there’s some drivers still not enough automatic services out this way yet.

Suddenly, there’s a loud pop and the van comes to a stop on the side of the road. We are somewhere on I-70 near Anywhere, Kansas. The van operator broadcasts on to the intercom, “Hey fellas, we are really sorry to inform you but your ‘Bandvan’ rental has had an internal problem with it’s charge system and needs repairs. With your insurance purchase, we will be covering stay at a hotel for you guys until we can get the next van in your area. The nearest one is a day away. Really sorry about the inconvenience. We can give you two free days on your next trip. Again, so sorry. Local tow resources are on their way and should arrive in 25 minutes.”

Damn. We had one more date for tomorrow in Colorado, then I was to catch the Interstate speed train to California; where my next job starts. A pop artist, “Yuki”, is playing the VENUE on Mars’ grand opening. This is like the big stadium time too; bigger than the theaters and bars that host Faded Wolf.

I was asked to smuggle some personal belongings they had left when they took off last week. Oh, and it’s going to take two months to get there. The band managers “great joy of the music world”, is basically being the babysitter to the most irresponsible group of people in the world.

Not now.

I have to figure out what we are going to do. The tow truck is pulling up now I guess I’ll go settle up with the service and oh hey it’s the gang is already around the front. Shit. Tommy, Jim, John, and Freddy are chugging beers and flashing their private parts to oncoming traffic. I used to hear stories about bands like Motley Crüe and Guns N Roses, in my grandparents younger days, who did this kind of stuff.

It was wild.

I think that’s what they want.

Shock value.

It sounded fun at first; but after two months of living it, breathing it, and smelling it with this group, it has lost it’s appeal. I can’t wait to go Mars and get away for a bit.

But what are you gonna do?

These guys want it all.

And unfortunately, they’ll do anything for the attention.

We arrive at a local hotel. It was one of these small mom and pop ones with a kind of old “Bates Motel” vibe; except this was Conways motel. It’s almost like a slasher film; but instead of killing you in the shower, you would step back in time to what the elders would call, “the eighties baby!” The room was filled with neon colors on the walls and 80’s movie and music posters on every wall.

A short older man, maybe in his 60’s, in black pants and a faded blue vintage nascar shirt approaches us. He introduces himself as Earl Conway and asks if we are the rock band staying the night. Tommy and the gang, the kind of wild living guys they are, of course are already shotgunning beers behind me with the roadies and some local fans who are also staying at the hotel.

They have also recognized the band.

I shrug and go into “manager mode”.

We get away to settle up the insurance at the front desk.

“Well, I know it’s y’all’s misfortune, but it is just our treat to have y’all stay with us at ‘Conway’s’ tonight. We never have too many city folk stay here; especially real rockstars. Let us know if you need anything; food, beer, some coke, ‘Ya know’,” Earl brags with a grin.

Well, at least I know these guys are mostly safe to party.

“Thanks Mr. Conley. I really hope we don’t need too much. Our next van will be in town around 12 tomorrow. And then, we are back on the road to the rockies. Though, I can’t speak for the band. It looks like they are already making friends.”

I gaze out the door.

The crowd partying with the band has tripled since exchanging info at the front desk. It appears Tommy and Freddy are now signing several women’s breast and taking some suggestive photos. They probably assumed I quit paying attention, went to my room take my sleep aid, and pass out.

What the hell could go wrong? This is what they do.

That’s not managing though.

I’m thinking I got to go break this up.

“Mr. Conley, I’ll make sure we keep the crowd and noise down,” I assured him.

“Nonsense Barry! You know what; on the weekends we have a 25 Acre track, just behind the motel, where we race good old human driving cars. I saw the band’s mishap with that car out in California on the news. Compared to that footage, I’ll gladly let them rip it up tonight!” Earl responded.

Well there goes my peaceful night.

It’s not even night, and two of the old classic cars that drove by earlier have rolled up to the growing party in the parking lot. Freddy, Tommy, and the gang, are now doing what are called “donuts” in the parking lot. I’ve seen videos online where the human controlled vehicles speed and then brake during a turn, to slide across parking lots at shopping centers and apartment buildings. I suppose it’s better they can do that here; instead of the theft and driving on automated highways charges.

I head to the room to try to get some peace and quiet. Maybe I can try to go over my lists for the Mars trip; which I’m surprised about it being a whole 4 month thing and I’m not that nervous yet. I guess it’s hard to think to that far in the future when you live in “Faded Wolf’s” now.

As I’m approaching the room, I can hear sounds of giggling. Nope thats moaning.

Shit.

Someone is having sex in my room.

Again.

I can’t really count at this point how many times this has happened. But I’m not surprised really. It’s Faded Wolf. What did I expect. At least I have my bag. I can work on some things in this old chair at the end of the hall.

Luckily, I brought my headphones to tune this out.

And they are dead.

Goddamn Bluetooth!

I really miss the older devices my grandparents showed me when I was younger, the headphones may have had to be plugged in; but you weren’t left hanging.

Well, i passed out in the hallway on the floor for couple hours and awake to Earl right in my face and shaking me “buddy I got other customers rolling in soon can’t have you here like this.” I agree. I startle but get up in a haze.. I haven’t really felt this low since i turned 30. The world keeps turning though, I get up and grab my bag and computer I used as a pillow. The room was cleared out and I can finally catch a shower.

There’s clearly cocaine residue on the dresser and all of the room beers are gone. As much as I’m disappointed they didn’t leave any to share, I’m guessing Earl may have to order more for tonight.

I finish my shower, get dressed, and head out to the tracks. It’s a sunny summer day, with green trees and a field view; not that Kansas is known for its landscapes. It was a nice break from the crowded cities we usually stay in.

The guys are all hammered and driving these cars, I’d say, 90 miles an hour back and forth through a loop called a “race track.”

I’ve seen these before on the web. This used to be a popular sport, and still has a strong presence in the south to this day.

More of the local community has shown up looking for a chance to party with this band of fools.

I finally take a seat in the stands, with my own beer, and a little cigarette of ‘grass’, as they used to call it. One of the cars with Tommy driving, and yelling something obnoxious out the window, suddenly turns too quick. It goes up sideways, and flips several times in a barrel roll before stopping on it’s hood.

I drop everything and run over to help.

Tommy quickly climbs his way out, soaked in blood and yelling out in pain; which seems to be coming from the arm he’s holding. I look over inside. One of the fan girls from earlier is inside; luckily with a seatbelt on, which is holding her up. Kind of dangling, but still not awake. She looks a little cut up and I can’t tell if she’s breathing.

This right here is why they did away with letting humans drive. This is what my parents used to ramble on about when I

was young and driving had just been banned. I can’t believe they did this for over 100 years. This is a horror movie in real life. The shock and anxiety. You know, cannabis can make you very anxious without any bad shit happening; but this anxiety was something completely new.

One of my clients may have just killed someone.

As the local ambulance and fire response vehicles roll up, so do several police cars.

This is it.

We are fucked.

I am fucked.

The mars trip, is super fucked.

There is no way we are getting out of this mess by the time our next van rolls in tomorrow.

The rest of the band and I stayed back and talked to the cops about what we saw. I look over to the medical team, and see the fangirl miraculously retain consciousness; with no visible broken bones. Just a few scrapes and bruises on her faces. When her eyes finally opened and she got up and walked off with her friends quickly to the ambulance and seemed to try to keep looking over seeing Tommy at the ambulance, my anxiousness subdued a bit.

But now, we had a new set of problems. The law.

Tommy was immediately arrested and was being charged with an older charge called a “DUI”, reckless driving, and driving without a license. Apparently, this whole track operation is mostly for skilled drivers who still get a thing called a “drivers license.”

After they take him away, local news crews start rolling in to film the documentary of the end of our careers.

I had to call the label to let them know what had happened.

Well look at that. Faded Wolf news travels fast. Tim, the A&R rep, is calling me.

“Hey Tim, buddy! How are you?” I ask, trying to cool tension. “What the fuck did you let happen Barry? You’re the manager! Do you know how much this is going to cost us?” He yelled.

“Look man; you know these guys! Okay? They don’t listen to anybody! I just clean up the mess, like always! But I’m gonna go down there and get Tommy out, okay? These people are super fans; so we might get lucky,” I explained.

“Try what you will Barry; but if you can’t fix this, you’re done.” He hung up.

Earl comes up, still shaken from the event. I immediately start apologizing.

“Hey man. I’m so sorry these guys are idiots, And that poor girl”

He interrupts, “It’s ok Barry, it’s my fault. I encouraged it, and we’ve had accidents from time to time. I could’ve done more to set some ground rules. You guys being here has just been the most fun we’ve had in a while. Look. I got a lawyer buddy who helps me with my books. I’m gonna call him for us. Would you like a ride to check on Tommy?” He asks.

“Of course man! That would be amazing. I actually don’t know how to drive; really none of us from out west do.”

The rest of the crew stayed back.

The buzzkill shook everyone into retreating back to the rooms.

The parties over.

The drive was quiet.

The local radio report is already talking about the accident. I had to change the channel and the next station is, of course, a rock station ironically playing the “Faded Wolf” song “Crash”. I change it again, and finally tune into some obscure classical channel.

It was finally peaceful.

We get to the police station and go check in.

You know in jail movies, this part always sucks. Going to meet your friend or family member; locked up in the jump suit.

It is an all around shitty experience.

It also has be somewhere around 1 AM; about 12 hours away from our van departure schedule. At this point, I feel we are not gonna make it. And I’m not gonna make that Mars trip. We get to the front desk and ask for Tommy.

The desk lady grins and says, “We are hanging that mugshot up in the break lounge; as soon as we get it autographed. We’re holding him a bit longer. You know, y’all are so lucky that girl and her family likes him. He could’ve been here a while.”

I reply confused, “So he’s getting out?.”

“Well, yeah. Some lawyer came in representing that girl. Says she’s his daughter and he settled up with the judge. He will be free to go in just a bit”.

I look to Earl, “Dude, your lawyer is the girls dad?”

He looks shocked, “Shit I had no clue. I hope he doesn’t shut me down.”

The lawyer pops around the corner. “No real harm, no foul; I suppose. We live a little wild out here with these cars, and have accidents from time to time. Regardless, my kid, for some godforsaken reason, has been obsessed with this band for years now, since her high school days, and says it would be the most embarrassing thing to put you away for this. She just wants this to go away. And she really likes this “Tommy” guy, so we’ve made a hefty financial settlement that will take care of her, myself, and get some money flowing down at city hall again. Anyways, we will be in touch with the label for payment soon. And, please. Never. Ever. Let Tommy, or the rest of the band, drive. Or maybe never come here again. I’m serious. Goodnight, gents.” He leaves the station.

Well only in this rock and roll world can such scenario play out. Apparently everyone in this jail is a Faded Wolf fan even the judge. Tommy finally comes out of the back putting his shirt back on and a little bandaged up it seems. He signs a few copies of his mugshot for the station employees. Tommy then comes running at us jumping “ dudes I can’t believe it they love us here, apparently that girls dad is a lawyer, and begged him not to let me stay locked up and pay a fine instead” I reply “ so what’s the damage how much is this going to cost us?” Tommy smirks “ well let’s just say the label is not going to be happy about it and I’m sorry Barry if they blame this on you” I reply “ blame what?” Tommy deeply inhales and answers “eh it’s gonna cost about 20 million or so”. Well in my mind I was thinking a lot worse but that is still probably enough that it’s coming out of the next albums check and probably my check too. He continues “ it’s all good Barry we are getting that next advance and the last album just hit platinum”. This guy has no clue how completely fucked we could’ve been. But how could he? We let this happen and now by paying it off we encourage it.

We all get back to the hotel it’s probably close to 4 AM everyone’s passed out. Earl comes by as I’m packing things to be ready to go in the morning. “ well I’m glad it all worked out for you guys and I’m sorry about letting this happen” I interrupted “ look Earl these guys like to do crazy things and don’t think much, don’t blame yourself

We are all lucky it wasn’t worse.

And crazy lucky that the girl’s dad was lawyer; in our favor.

“You’ve been a great help to us! I’ll make sure to send you a postcard from the new venue on mars!”

He sort of gets excited, “Mars? No way! Is that the pop star everyone is going crazy for? ‘Yuki’ right?”

I replied, “Yup! That’s the one! I actually have to bring some things they forgot when they left the other day.”

Earl grabs a postcard from his folder he was carrying. “Well, could you show some love to the motel up there?”

I look at the picture of the motel which had several cars driving in the background, “You bet Earl, thanks for everything”.

I caught some sleep and woke up just in time for the “15 minute warning” for the vans arrival. We all loaded in and waved goodbye. Tommy was, of course, holding up the show and making out with the girl Alice. You know, the girl he nearly killed last night. I think that’s what her name was. Actually, I’m not really sure what her name was; but I guess it’s best we leave town on a good note.

And there we were; back on the road, heading to Colorado, cracking jokes trying to laugh off the bizarre events from the night before.

Tommy leans from his seat to me, “Barry, man, thank you for being there. We all appreciate it and I promise you that I’m never driving again! Well, unless I come back out here and see her again” he chuckles.

It had been on my mind all morning though, that maybe it was time for a career change. Possibly something with less responsibility for those least responsible. Maybe I’ll start my own band or label and just be in charge of myself. Who knows?

The Colorado show went off without a hitch; other than arriving right as soon as the band was scheduled to be on in 30 minutes. I’m glad we made it, but also just as glad to be out and not in charge of these maniacs for a long time. I left early to catch my train to the launch pad in California.

I can’t believe I made it.

Still sleepy and still taking in the events of the last two days, I figured it was a perfect time to take a sleep aid; seeing as I’ll be boarding a space shuttle to live in (which is basically a hotel lobby) for two months.

From what I’ve read, these launches can make you feel sick quickly; so it’s probably best to be passed out for that part. I get through security, get my bags checked, then board the ship. As I’m seated and buckled, I lay back with freshly charged headphones and some classics playing.

I slowly doze off.

I wake up, and I’m not in the ship anymore, but back in the port at the launchpad in a wheelchair. A flight attendant is near me, sees that I’m awake, and jumps up.

“Sir we are so sorry to inform you like this, but our ship had trouble taking off and was grounded. A second ship left later

in the day, but you have been out for about 10 hours and we could not get you into the next one passed out like that.”

I feel ambushed by the whole situation.

I’m still waking up but I take a second to process it “So when’s the next one?”

She replies, “Unfortunately, the Mars shuttle only flies three times a month, twice a day. That was the last one, and there are currently no options for two weeks. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience”

I’m still processing, but try to negotiate with her, “So what else can I get? my clients need their package.”

She responds, “Well your boss, Tim I believe, has left a package and note for you about that.”

I open the packages and letter.

“Hey, Barry. Give me a call when you get this. You’ve got a new mission. You're now taking the daily flight tomorrow to the moon for ‘Faded Wolf’s’ surprise show next week for the moon colony at the Lunar Lounge.

PS: Mars mail carrier will take the package; don’t worry. But you gotta watch these guys again!

You owe me!

And the label!”

Really? I quit.

[hellofanimagination]

Waiting For A Ghost

Prompt: requested by anonymous “ okay so I had this idea floating in my head for a while now, i tried to write it but lol that was shit but i bet you'll do it better. so anyways, it's a fluffy fic with ray, where he's y/n's waiter at a restaurant and she's there on a date except the guy she was supposed to be with stood her up and it's like rlly obvious and she's embarrassed but ray is super sweet and nice and lowkey flirting and then he asks her out on a date at the end”

Word Count: 858 (kinda short sorry!)

Pairing: Ray x Reader

--

Online dating was never really your thing but you’ve recently moved and you don’t know very many people so you figured it would be a fun little adventure. You met some losers, some creeps, and then a really sweet guy who you actually clicked with. He asked you out pretty quickly after beginning to talk and you were hesitant but agreed, picking a decently nice restaurant in a public part of town. And after the anxiety wore off you found you were actually excited, getting dressed up for a date wasn’t something you got to do very often and certainly not in awhile.

You arrived at the restaurant looking confident and beautiful, checking in with your reservation and realizing that your date had yet to show up. Your table is small, two chairs and a white table cloth. A basket of bread sits in the center and silverware before each seat, gently wrapped in a napkin. It’s not a super classy place, you look to the left and see a large family with children laughing and spilling soda all over the floor, but to your right is an older couple giving each other heart eyes and sharing dessert. It’s somewhere in the middle between family restaurant and high end date night.

You don’t want to order without your date so you stick to drinks, water and a vodka soda. The waiter is a cute guy with curly hair and a bright smile. Your date seems to be running late and you tell the waiter so, earning yourself a sympathetic smile as he leaves you be. He’s fifteen minutes late when the waiter returns.

“It’s his loss,” He says and you look at him in confusion. “You date, he seems to be unaware that a beautiful woman is waiting for him. His loss.”

You smile, surprised and blushing, and he smiles back. He had already told you his name when he introduced himself earlier so you offer him your name and he gives you another dazzling smile. He tells you that they make a really good veggie burger and you order without a thought to your date. Your date is 25 minutes late when Ray returns with a flourish, placing your plate before you with a good sized burger and fries.

You’re not sure what makes you say what you say next, maybe the embarrassment of rejection has just taken away your inhibitions. But you take a deep breath and gesture to the chair across from you.

“Join me?”

He looks unsure, brushing back curly hair from his face, before he smiles nervously and nods. He’s blushing! You grin as he scurries away, most likely to ask permission from his manager. He returns still in uniform but missing his waist apron and order book. He sits before you, looking shy all of a sudden and you are suddenly very happy to be stood up.

“So, Ray, you like veggie burgers. What else?” It’s a lame opener but he smiles anway and jumps into a conversation about books and music and his family. He’s fascinating to listen to, the way he’s so passionate but collected, telling you about himself and his interests and letting you interject with your own interests and stories. The conversation flows so easily, unlike so many other dates you’ve been on, no awkward pauses or struggling to find a topic you have in common.

Your date is an nearly 50 minutes late now and you’re gazing at Ray with nothing short of a look you’d see on a teenager gazing across the quad at their crush in a silly teen romcom. But he doesn’t seem to mind, complimenting your outfit, telling you about his friends, listening to you talk about your job and this new show you started watching last week. He’s friendly and sweet and exactly who you were hoping your date would be tonight.

Your date is over an hour late when Ray tells you he really should get back to work for the last few hours of his shift and you sadly agree to let him go. He’s standing beside your table, looking nervous again and he bites his lip before he speaks.

“I had a really great time with you, do you think we could do this again sometime soon? Maybe when I’m not at work?”

“You’re not gonna stand me up are you?” You both laugh and he shakes his head.

“You? Never. Missing a date with you should be a crime.” You smile, blushing again, and he can’t seem to hide the same reaction on his own face.

“Here,” You pull a pen from your purse and write your number on his hand, noting his warm skin and clean nails. “And don’t wait three days or whatever it is you guys do to pretend you’re cool and uninterested.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m very interested.” He gives you a glowing smile and gathers up your dishes, wishing you a good night before walking away. You can’t help but smile after him, feeling like a sun is rising in your chest, a sea of butterflies.

He calls you the very next day.

[issabeauty1-blog]

Love Untraditional

IT was a few days before Thanksgiving 2018. This would have made 2 maybe 3 Thanksgivings that I spent as a single female. Not that the prior 7-8 years was any different, but my heart was healing from an unexpected breakup. Let me explain. Nathan was supposed to had been my everything. I mean, he was an amazing man. He gave me everything I thought that I needed. I felt protected (and we all want to feel protected). He stood about 6 feet 5 inches, dark chocolate complexion. Although he was lacking in certain anatomy of his body and looks, he made up for it in his intelligence. He showed me things that I had never seen before and always made me feel secure about my extra rolls. He encouraged me and wasn’t afraid of my strong demeanor. If I could say one thing that I least liked about him it would be his non-emotional disposition. I hated that! He was extremely egotistical and cocky on top of that. I guess I partial to blame when I bragged about how good he was in bed. Things began to change when he had to relocate for work. His career was always very important to him. I give him that, he was a hard worker and good at what he did. Although his job bounced him around from state to state, we always managed to see each other once a month….at least. Then the visits started to become far in between. And when we did see each other, if we weren’t having a petty disagreement, we were humping like rabbits. And it didn’t help much that his Caribbean background caused for lots and lots of alcohol. And of course alcohol sometimes leads to things we aren’t so proud of like exploring weird, in the closet desires. And then BOOM, after his mom passed he hit me with the ultimate betrayal. He told me that he had been seeing other women the whole time we’ve been dating! The whole damn time. Now at this time of confession, we were kinda sorta broken up. I just took a quick flight to see him because his mom had passed. He continued on about how much he still loved me but was currently in a relationship. That he had told her all about me and that she was okay with us still being together. This nigga must have been on dog food. Needless to say, I declined his offer. And although I declined his offer, somehow I just couldn’t let go. I did all sorts of foolish things that we as women sometimes do. I stalked his social media, I tried to make myself present places that I knew he would be. I made idol threats just to start an unavoidable argument. I called him from several burner numbers just to hear his voice or maybe I was just hoping to catch him at a weak moment. But the weaker I got, the stronger he got and the quicker he got over me. So finally, I allowed myself to be heart broken for the first time in my life. I allowed myself to be vulnerable and to admit that this man had hurt me deeply. And instead of being revengeful and plotting on how I was going to hurt his ass back, I just spent several days crying. And before I knew it, I was over him and I was over being in love!

So time went on and I felt it was time for me to start dating or fucking again…However you look at it. I started reaching out to those fuckboys who I knew wanted to be with me at any cost. But when the time came, I backed out. I do value my goods. After being so disappointed by the men I seem to attract, I started to believe it was me. That God had forgotten about me in the romance department. I felt myself being desperate and joining online dating sites just to get attention. Tinder was the most accessible, since it was free and everybody was swiping right. I found myself always swiping right but never finding Mr. Right. I met this one man who I had been chatting with for over 2 months. A nice looking guy from Philly with a calming voice and an average personality. He was nice to talk on a daily basis. He would send me pictures everyday. As I waited patiently, he finally sent me the infamous dick pic. And it was impressive. So I finally decided its time to meet. When I finally got the courage to meet with him, we decided to have our first date at the movies. We met outside the theatre and I call myself gonna sneak up and surprise him. But he had the surprise. From a distance he looked just like his pictures. He was dressed nice and casual. Low hair cut with deep waves. This man turned around and gave me the biggest smile. WHERE THE FUCK ARE YIUR TEETH??? All I saw was pure darkness!! How could he think that it was appropriate to meet me for the first time with no fucking teeth! Like bruh… I didn’t know if I should run, scream or kick his ass for wasting my time! So he asks for a hug and I give him a church hug with a gentle pat on the back. I didn’t want to get too close to feel any sort of bulge. We go inside the theatre and I immediately ask for several drinks. He ask me if I was nervous and I replied no, but I was thinking I just want to drink until my vision was blurred, lol. After the movie we went to dinner. He asks where did I want to eat and I’m looking for the most expensive restaurant in Boca Raton. But since it was so late, we ended up going to Juniors. He orders a burger, fries and onion rings. When they brought our food it was enormous and I’m sitting there waiting to see how he’s gonna eat with no teeth. And he had the nerve to ask the waitress for some pickles…Lol. She gave him pickle spears and he began sucking out the soft center. GROSS!! He has been fumbling with his food for about 30 minutes and yet to take a bite. I know he’s hungry so I excuse myself and head to the bathroom so he can scarf down his food. Hope he don’t choke I remember thinking. Before he could pay the bill my Uber was pulling up. Needless to say I didn’t see nor speak with him again.

After being shamed by my sons, my grandma and friends I vowed not go on any online dating sites again. And for the many months to follow, I keep a fresh pack of batteries. It’s now the holiday day season and a lot has changed. I’m a new grandma, new job and a new look on life. I remember cooking the day before Thanksgiving. I had just finished my first bottle of Moscato and the holiday blues is starting to set in. I grabbed my phone to text Nathan but stopped myself. Good girl!! But instead, I refreshed my Tinder page. After a few swipes right, I came across a match with BG. Now BG profile really caught my attention. He was from NY and grew up in Baltimore. He was a single dad and owned his own business. So we began to chat. We chatted all that night and even Thanksgiving day. For some strange reason, I really wanted to meet this guy before wasting my time. And he wanted to see me also. So we agreed to meet after dinner at my community pool house. I freshened my braids, threw on a cute t-shirt and some shorts. I walked across the parking lot to meet him. He pulled up in a bumble bee. It was clean and he looked nice driving it. He parked and I got in. His pictures didn’t do him justice. It was no coincidence that I was strongly attracted to him and him to me. We sat in his car and talked for hours. It was like we knew each other before. After that night, he immediately text me asking for a real date and I quickly accepted. He picked me up the next day and we headed to the beach. Sounds nice enough until he mentioned it was a “clothing optional” beach. Upon arriving to the beach, all I could see was wrinkled old nuts and tits. It was people from all walks of life. I couldn’t believe he would take me here on a first date. We set up the chairs, the tent and undressed to our swim attire. He went to the water as I stayed behind since I can’t swim. After awhile he encouraged me to get in the water. It was fun I must admit. He held me tight promising not to let me fall. After swimming we headed back to the tent. He dusted the sand off my body. The tent was big enough for us both to fit inside comfortably, so we laid down. He spread the blankets down. I started to complain that my skin was dry after getting out the water and he had baby oil…OF COURSE HE DID. He asked me real gentleman like if he could give me a massage! And ladies we all knows what comes next after he plays the massage card. I changed my Pandora station from Maxwell to R. Kelly because I knew this was gonna be good. His hands were so strong and warm against my trembling skin. Mind you, it has been close to two years since I’ve let a man get this close to me. I laid on my stomach and he had definitely done this before, probably a few times that week alone. He rubbed me slowly yet deep enough so it seemed like a massage. But it was more than that. It was erotic and sinful and I loved it. He worked his skillful hands to my hips. He asked me to spread my legs so he could oil my inner thighs, I obliged. I was so nervous yet so turned on at the same time. I closed my eyes tighter and tighter as he explored my body. I give it to him, he played it very safe…looking for any signs of him crossing the line. But I gave him an all access pass. He then started to gently tug at the strings that held my bikini bottom together. At this point, it was no turning back. Not that I wanted to. I assisted him in untying my bikini. His hands quickly found them back between my thighs. He seductively found himself rubbing the outside of my pulsating vagina. He then took what must have been his middle long finger and with an unexpected thrust, it slide inside my pussy full of juices. It must have felt just as good to him as it did to me because I felt his body moan. I then felt something warm dripping on my leg. And just like that, this man had ended my two year draught.

[fanficsforheartandsoul]

The Box With The Letters | Seed Siblings x Fem!Reader

 Hello!

This is the first fanfiction that I'm going to publish online. Also the first one I'm writing in English... I'm not a native speaker so please consider this while reading The Letters Series :)

Part II

Warnings: Mild Swearing

Summary: A member of the cult finds a box with letters in the St. Francis Veteran Center and decides to bring them to the Seed Siblings because Joseph seems to know the sender...

Part I

The box made a loud thud when the cult member dropped it on John’s desk. “What is that?”, asked Faith and looked at the dusty cardboard box, which seemed to be a few years old, with curiosity. “I found it in the St. Francis Veteran Center. It contains tons of letters to the same recipient." John gave the male cult member a funny look. “And why did you bring us this dust collector?” “I-I uh…” Jacob replied in his place: “The sender of these letters is a certain Y/N L/N. Joseph knew her.”

All heads turned to Joseph, who was leaning against the wooden wall of John’s farmhouse. “I indeed knew her. But that was a long time ago. You can throw them away, Jacob.” There was a look in the father’s eyes that made them think. Why would he want to throw them away? Did he have a bad relationship with that woman?

The red-haired veteran raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?" “Yes, get rid of them!” Joseph was upset, which scared Jacob’s follower a lot. Without waiting for further orders, he reached for the box and hurried out of the house. John looked like he wanted to say something but the stern look on Joseph’s face prevented him from doing so.

"Please leave me alone for a while.” The three siblings followed his request reluctantly and left the house. “Marcus!” John called for the male who was taking the cardboard box with the letters to a white truck. He turned around immediately. “Yes?”

“I can’t believe it! Are you really gonna keep the letters?” Faith was staring at her older brother. “I’m not sure." “Then why don’t you burn them?”, asked Jacob and crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaning against the pick-up. “I don’t like it when we aren’t following Joseph’s order…”, chimed in Faith.

“Maybe he’ll regret it later. I don’t want to be excluded from the garden.” The veteran just sighed and let his eyes wander over the farm. John was reasonable but it definitely wasn’t a good idea to disobey Joseph. “As long as you’re not gonna read them.”

There was a short silence and when John didn’t answer, Jacob looked up. His brother was staring at one of the letters. “What did I just say, huh?!” The brown-haired male ignored him.

While reading his face showed many emotions. “Jacob…” “Yes?” He sounded annoyed but John didn’t care. “Did you know a Henry L/N?” The ex-soldier shook his head. “No, I don’t think so, why?” John didn’t reply. He just gave him the letter instead. “Read.”

27th of July

Dad,

I dreamed of the day when you would come back home. I imagined it sunny with no clouds in the sky and the smell of flowers in the air. I see you turning into our driveway, using the honk of your muscle car to inform us of your arrival. Loud music is blasting from the radio, drowning out your calls for us. And then there is Mom. Running out of the house to rough up the asshole who is blasting out his music through the entire Hope Valley. And then she sees you. Your stupid army jacket with those dog tags. With your giant duffle bag over your shoulder standing in front of the car, saying “Hi” with the cockiest smile on your lips. Mom is like a statue. And then she starts crying and tears of joy are running down her face. Lunging at you and pampering your face with kisses. Then I am coming around the corner to see why there aren’t any swear words flying around yet. My eyes wander over the scene. I realize who you are. And I run to you, hug you until I have to let you go.

Every morning when I woke up I imagined it like this. Until yesterday.

I can’t believe you have been here for 2 years without telling us. I fucking wrote you a letter every day. I told you about all that stupid stuff, how I missed you and how I’m praying to God that you won’t get killed. I had nightmares of you dying in battle. Dying on your way home. Dying in general.

After you left, Mom became silent. She suffered so much when they didn’t want to tell us where you are. Mom thought you were dead! She took off her ring. She packed your stuff away. You were practically gone from our lives! And now you wanna tell me you’ve been in that goddamn Veteran Center the whole time?!

Why? Why didn’t you just call? Did you forget our number? Do you not love us anymore? I don’t understand. Please give me a call. I wrote my new number on that sticky note. I want to talk. I want to know everything. And if you’re not gonna call me until Tuesday I’m going to visit you without your consent. 

I’m sorry, Dad. I stopped writing and went to bed. My head is clearer now. I’m really desperate. Mom hasn’t come back from her trip to the local bar and I’m pretty sure she hasn’t taken her meds for the last few weeks. She might do something stupid. I tried to call a friend of mine, Joseph, but he didn’t answer. When we meet I’m going to tell you more about him! But Mom is more important now. I know that she’s going be back when you get this letter so don’t worry. And if not, I’m going to tell you in person.

Ah, I know. I’m just trying to find excuses to be able to see you. I just want to know how you’ve been since the last time I saw you. It must be years. 5 years, 6 months and 23 days to be exact. Yeah, I know. I counted. Your little girl is still good at math. After all these years…

I should stop now. The horses are probably hungry.

I still love you, Dad.

Your daughter, Y/N

Jacob just stared at the letters written in blue ink. Some of the words were smudged and there were faded stains which seemed to be caused by tears. He didn’t know this Henry L/N but he appeared to be an asshole. Not telling his wife and his daughter that he was back from war. How cruel.

He could understand the feelings of that Y/N person. When he was young he felt alone too. His father was a drunkard and he hadn’t been able to depend on him since he was born. He felt pity for that woman.

“Joseph really knew her”, said John and interrupted his thoughts. “I told you so.” Faith hummed. “How did you know?” Jacob folded the letter and snatched the envelope from John’s hand. “I saw her name scribbled in Joseph’s bible.” The two siblings looked surprised. “In his own bible?” He nodded.

“Can I read it too?”, asked Faith and looked at him with pleading eyes. “We shouldn’t be sticking our noses in the father’s business.” John threw his hands in the air. “Who gives a shit. Let’s just take a look. And it’s not like he’s ever gonna find out. Right?” The lawyer had a challenging look on his face when he glanced at his elder brother. The veteran sighed. "Whatever, I don’t care. You can have the box."

He pushed himself away from the truck and wanted to leave when Faith spoke up: "Let’s play a game. Everyone picks a letter from the box and reads it The one who finds out about Joseph’s relationship with that Y/N girl is the winner!"

Jacob frowned. He definitely wouldn’t play such a childish game. Especially when it could make Joseph angry. He wasn’t scared of his younger brother, far from it. He just knew what kind of madman Joseph was. The deputy didn’t come to church with his police friends without a reason…

"I’m not gonna take part in your foolish little competition.” While the veteran was against it, John really loved the idea. The competitive man in him woke up and he decided to tempt Jacob to participate too. “I’m in! And the winner is allowed to have some fun with the deputy!"

Jacob hesitated. In the last two weeks, he really had fun with the young police officer and the prospect to catch him again was really, really tempting. And so he gave in. 

“Okay. I’ll join too.” John smiled triumphantly. “Okay, everyone chooses one letter and reads it until the next meeting in two weeks.” Faith took a letter out of the cardboard box and inspected it closely. It was a blue envelope and the address of the Veteran Center and Henry L/N’s name was written in black ink with a slanting handwriting and the stamps were pictures of a person holding a diploma. “I’ll take this one. Choose yours!”

John got closer to the box in the pick-up trunk and rummaged through all the letters until he chose a brown one with two stamps. The handwriting was messy and he already knew that his letter would tell him a lot of interesting stuff. He stepped back and made space for Jacob.

The veteran wasn’t picky like John. He just grabbed the one on top and pushed it into his pockets without looking at it first. “And now hide that fucking box somewhere where Joseph won’t find it!”

Without saying goodbye he left his two siblings standing and joined his followers who loaded lots of bliss containers on a truck.

It was late afternoon when all of his siblings had left. John was in his house and looked over some papers about the stocks of his bunker. He still had a lot of work to do but the envelope on his desk was tempting him. He wanted to know about all the dirty little secrets of his brother. The moment where Joseph told Jacob to get rid of the letters, he knew. That Y/N… Joseph liked her a lot. And he would be the one to find out why. Approaching his desk, anticipation seized him and instead of opening the letter the normal way, he ripped the brown envelope apart and with it, his reserve…

The ex-soldier arrived at the Veteran Center by nightfall. Jacob gave his followers a hand and unloaded the bliss containers together with them. He didn’t waste a thought on the letter in his pocket until he went to bed. When he undressed and changed into his sleeping clothes suddenly the letter fell out of his army jacket. He bent down and picked it up. The envelope was plain white but two brown stains made it remarkable. He had a bad presentiment which caused him to smell the envelope. He knew that scent. He would have recognized it everywhere. The stains were blood. "Don’t tell me…” Without hesitation, he tore open the envelope and started to unfold the letter…

The statue of the father seemed to glow in the light of the sun setting and a small smile appeared on her lips. Faith sat on one of the cliffs before the statue with her personal copy of Joseph’s Word in her hands. The deputy hadn’t shown up in the Henbane River region yet and her followers were still focused on their mission. She was relieved. Their thoughts shouldn’t be poisoned with the lies of the young police officer and his friends. The mission was the only thing they should think about. The collapse would come soon and they couldn’t risk being distracted. Unfortunately, she was at the moment. The blue envelope, which Faith only wanted to use as a bookmark, somehow made its way into her hands. She was curious and that got the best of her. She looked over her shoulder. No one was near. She opened the envelope carefully…

Joseph sighed. The service in his church had been nice. The band was getting better and he actually started to like the background music when he was preaching. But he still felt down. Jacob had reminded him of all the memories he wanted to forget so desperately. He knew about the letters. But he hadn’t thought that Y/N had written so many. But that didn’t matter anymore. The only letter that was important, had been in his possession for years…

Yaaay! So the first part is done, I hope you liked it and didn’t find too many mistakes ;P 

Part two will be posted soon when I have more time... Until then!

Bonus:

~Somewhere in Holland Valley~

Whistling one of the songs from the radio, the deputy followed a path to the main road with Boomer at his side. The dog started barking suddenly and the man immediately saw why. Jumping into a ditch, he hid from the cult vehicle that drove by. The truck made a strange sound when it jolted over a big rock and the things loaded moved dangerously close to the edge. “Dammit, I think something just fell down!” For a second the truck became slower but then another voice protested: “Just drive, I want to be back by sunset and John won’t ever find out!” With a roar of the motor, the vehicle speeded away. The deputy crawled out of the ditch and sighed in relief. When he let his eyes wander over the path he saw what these two peggies had been talking about. A red envelope laid in the dirt. “What’s that?” He picked the letter up and read the address. “Henry L/N… Where have I seen that name before?”

[kanon-mendi]

Anime Expo 2018 Story

GOOD DAY EVERYONE!!!

I am finally back from Los Angeles and HOHOHO DO I HAVE A STORY FOR YOU!!!!! This year was the absolute BEST year from the last 3 that I’ve gone and I literally could not top any other year from now on. (7/11/18: it is 11:47 PM and i JUST finished this... :’D)

LETS START SHALL WE!!! OKAY!!!!! :D

Day 0: Arrival and Pre-Show Night

This day was pretty long. The night before, I was confirming orders and receiving payments that pretty much kept me up for a while. Also, my mom’s friend who’s a priest was in town for the week to relax a little. I needed to stay up-to-date with everything. ANYWAYS, so that morning I woke up around 8 to finish packing. Now, sadly my Tokiya LS cosplay never arrived so I had to abandon my wig that I worked tirelessly for. I just brought with me the Camus cosplay that I had. My best friend had my contacts and I asked someone to make me the wig since I didn’t know if that was also gonna arrive on-time. I finished packing, and my mom took me to the airport. I realized that my flight was later than what I predicted so we waited there for maybe 20 minutes before I had to leave. Now, because of my Cafe experience last year, I was scared and told her to please pray for me since I didn’t want that experience to ruin my year. I boarded my flight and arrived to LA. Best part about it was that I got to sit in the near front (flying with Southwest) and got out of there super quick. Upon getting to LAX, I grabbed my bag and met with Aria and out friend Sally, who was a volunteer this week. Sally was going to take a shuttle to her hotel and we took a Lyft to our AirBnB. When we got to the place, it kinda didn’t look like the pics that we saw, but we sucked it up since it was close to the convention center. Now, I was VERY hungry since I didn’t have breakfast. Aria and I arranged so we could go to Curry House for our lunch. We had plenty of food before heading to our destination, the Los Angeles Convention Center. When we got there, we went to the premier lounge to pick up our swag and then to charge my phone because I forgot my portable charger at the AirBnB. I forget how long we stayed there, but after wards we went to the Entertainment Hall to look at what they had to show. Well.... it was only me that went first because Aria was somewhere else, I forget. Anyways, while I was down there, I saw the World Cosplay Summit costumes from 2003 and after and they look so. Damn. Cool. Like, if I had the right amount of patience for cosplaying, I would definitely do it, but I got frustrated just making a badge. Can’t imagine myself doing more. Then I went to the Wacom booth because I wanted to see their amazing tablets. I also wanted to know prices because I want a new tablet since I broke the stylus and charger out of yet another frustrated episode. Tbh, I’ve been wanting a Wacom tablet for years. However, I only tried them that night because of what you’re about to read later. So, because of that problem last year at the Cafe, Aria decided that it was best for her to go alone (please remember this for later in my story) to make sure that those involved weren’t there. While she was at the Cafe, I chilled out somewhere for about an hour and for the next hour or so, I waited for her to get out. While I was out there, I kept hearing things that really made me uneasy and I was starting to freak out like ‘should I really go there tomorrow’ but I kept myself distracted with Reiji’s current event so I won’t think about the anxiety I had. So when Ari was to get her picture taken, the doors had opened so anyone on the outside could see in because the show had ended. I saw Aria and told her to please hurry because it was almost midnight and I needed to sleep. I didn’t look inside very well, which was good for me in a way because I didn’t want to see what else was in there. As me and Aria were going back and forth, lo and behold the MC, who remembered who I was and was standing AT THE DAMN DOORWAY was all like “Come inside” and I said “No!!” and he was like “Why not?” and I said “Because no!!” and that’s where that little thing ended. When Aria came out of the Cafe, she told me that the people involved in my incident from last year aren’t there this year. Meaning that my celebratory dance from the week before kept going and when we went outside, I literally yelled “FREEDOM!!!!!!!” because I was so relieved that I was going to be fine this year. I was going to enjoy this con SO MUCH because of that news that I won’t have to hide my emotions. I am free of the curse I was going through for a year. I am safe.

Day 1: 20 Hours Awake

This was the day of the Boku no Hero Academia panel with Daiki Yamashita and others (Melissa and Dave Ifgorgettheirlastname VA’s were there). As a Premier Fan badge user, I could reserve my wristband for the panel days before online to just pick it up the day of the panel. However, because Aria didn’t reserve hers on-time, we had to literally arrive at the convention center around 4-5 am. At that time, there were already about 200 people lined up for the panel wristbands. I made line for priority entrance since I had nothing better to do. Anime Jungle didn’t bring anyone cool this year, so I just had more time to look around the place before going to the premier lounge and picking up my wristband. Aria was lucky enough to get hers so that way we could go together. As I was waiting at the priority entrance, staff took us all around the place WHERE because they didn’t know where exactly the first entrance was. Maybe 3 turns around the convention center to just get us back to our original line up place WHERE WE STARTED. I was borderline tired since I’ve been up since 4 and to be taken in circles was really hitting me in my ticked of spot. So, after we were in, I was talking to a few people in line and, let’s just say I made new friends. Aria met up with me later after she had gotten her wristband. So at first, we spent some time in the exhibition hall. I went to the KLab booth to play some Shining Live. It is actually kind of hard to play on a large screen, but I had fun trying all songs (except Mirai Chizu) and it was also very hard to get the S score with the cards they had, expecially with QN songs since there’s only 4 UR instead of 7 like Starish. I tried Poison Kiss and Force Live. Still couldn’t get the S score. At around 10 I headed to the premier lounge to get my wrist band. Now, one cool thing I found that was a great addition to the Expo, it was that badge scanner feature. Meaning, if you don’t have a badge, there’s almost no way for you to be let in. It was great. That also included the Premier badge entrance. After getting the wristbands, we headed down to the west hall cafeteria tp grab something to eat before lining up for the BnHA panel. After eating, we went to line up and curse me for waiting.

ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE JUST FOR PREMIER ENTRANCE!!!!! It was absolutely crazy. Staff was great for getting us lined up and getting us in. Once we got inside, we were lucky to get seats near the front. I think we were on the 4th row. Anyways, when the panel started, they reminded us of no photo or video, which makes sense since there’s a lot of spoilers. The movie itself was AMAZING and the cast was so nice. I felt so cool amongst the thousands of fans. There were approximately 3000 fans IN THAT ROOM so y’all have an idea of how packed it was. Though what was weird is that there was an extra seat right next to me. so there could’ve been more that could go in. Anyways, getting out was much tougher because of the many people that packed up the place. We went back to the exhibition hall because we needed to pick up colored contacts for our cosplays. I have some blue ones that could work for both Camus and Tokiya. But here’s a big downer. I ordered my Tokiya SL costume June 5th. I put on the website that I needed it by July 2nd,  July 3rd at the most. On their website it said 7-12 days to make and 4-7 days for shipping. In total, it shouldve taken no more than 25 days to make and ship. BOI WAS I WRONG!!! June 25th is when I sent my first email to them saying if my costume was ready. They tell me not.

Then by June 28th, I tell them again if my costume is ready to be shipped because typically when a customer says they need it at a certain day, that should put a little pressure. Ho no. They tell me that the costume is not yet ready and they will tell me when it’s shipped out. JULY 2ND I TELL THEM I NEED TO CHANGE THE ADDRESS BECAUSE IT NEVER ARRIVED IN MY HOMETOWN IN NEVADA and they tell me it’s possible to change and I did. JULY 4TH!!! THE DAMN DAY OF MY FUCKING TRIP IS WHEN THEY TELL ME THAT MY COSTUME IS ON THE WAY!!!!! HOE, I AINT WAITING THAT LONG!!!

When I recieved that DHL email, I IMMEDIATELY changed the shipping so it arrives at the Reno office so I could pick it up because I was that done with the fucking company. BACK TO ANIME EXPO!!!!! After the Exhibition hall, we went to the Premier lounge just to relax and Aria wanted to go to Cybird’s panel. While she was there, I relaxed and went down to the Entertainment hall once more. After that, I forget what else we did and then we lined up to go to the Butler Cafe at 9:30. That was our original plan to go because I remember from previous years that they like inviting fans onstage for their birthday and I was to yell out that Aria’s birthday was in 6 months and if that counted. So we get there, and while we’re in line, Aria tells me “Hey, get a picture with Akashi. He was the host at my table and is a ton of fun.” I was like alright, a replacement!! We get inside and the guys at our table were Jiro and Takkan (?). They were the definition of fun. They literally gave us a fun time and I really wanted them at least to host my table one more time. Yes, it was that fun. Highlight of the night was when the butler dancers danced “DNA” by BTS with the original choreography and “Talk Dirty” by Jason Derulo. Now, please take in mind that “Talk Dirty” was used in the first AMV I saw of Voltage CGs. I literally died inside because I didn’t expect them to take it that far. It was fun tho!! I got the FB batch of orders, took my picture with Akashi, who was super cool cuz we talked about BnHA and was really kind. Good person.

Then I went to take my picture with the cosplayer Voltage used (insta: https://www.instagram.com/th3lazyn1nja/)

Weird part of that Voltage experience was that there were these girls WHO WERE LITERALLY FLIRTING WITH HIM AND I WAS SHOOK LIKE never in my years in life would I go that far with a stranger, HAHA NOPE. Aria tried to do a reverse kabe-don on him but failed miserably. Also remember this for later in the story. We left the Cafe and once outside, I again screamed FREEDOM because that experience was better than the last 2 years.

Day 2: Meeting Maeno

This was a blessed day for me. Tomoaki Maeno is probably the longest-running celebrity crush I’ve had. Now, I usually am not 100% open with these things because I respect their work and I respect their space, which is why I buy their stuff and watch their works to express my love for them. The day I heard that he was coming to Anime Expo, I flipped out and actually cried. Luckily I had no make-up on yet (it was my bro’s graduation) so I BLASTED Aurora and other Maeno songs I have on my computer. I called Aria so we could cry together. BACK TO AX We got up around 4 again to prepare for Maeno’s appearance that day. I did my efforts to look like Camus but I was so scared to put on the contacts. I would do it eventually, but at the moment, I just couldn’t because I hate things in my eyes and I’m super sensible to that stuff. I woke up a little earlier than Aria so I could shower, put my corset on, do my make-up and help Aria style her wig to make her look like a female version of Lupin from Code: Realize. I told her to keep her hair up since she planned on going original for the other half of the day. Before I forget, as I was getting ready and Aria was in the shower, I was watching Shunsuke Takeuchi go live on Instagram. He was promoting his new song with the unit AMADEUS. I left one comment that said, “Hello from America!!” and he replied with “Hello!! (waves) From Japan!!” which honestly made my morning and told me that I was gonna have a good day. Anyways, after we were both ready, I headed down to the convention center to start making the premier line for the Cells at Work panel, which is where Maeno was to appear. I also had to meet up with a lovely person that I asked if they could custom make my wig. I paid them for the wig order and for the design so all I had to do was pick it up and put it on. I waited inside the whole time because that day it reached around 104* outside. No way in hell would I stand outside in that weather. So anyways, it was about an hour waiting inside for the wig to come. I didn’t mind because that whole time, I was writing Maeno’s letter. I literally spilled everything I had to tell him because I really felt it was finally my time to confess to someone. I literally didn’t tell him I loved him and wish to be with him. Again, I respect an artists’ space and wouldn’t want them to know that since they’re told that same thing by many other obsessed fans. To shorten it up, I told him that I’ve been a fan for years and will always support him in his work. After getting my wig, I just played a couple rounds of Reiji’s event in Shining Live. I was top 100 this whole time and really wanted to keep my ranking. Here’s where things get a little meh. The panel was supposed to start at 11, meaning they needed to let us in around 10:30-10:45. I was getting worried because Aria was taking forever at the post office since she needed to pick up some CDs she ordered in case Maeno signed our own items. I kept telling her that it would be a little late for the panel since the staff kept saying it was capped and that no one else was allowed to get in line. The premier line kept getting bigger and general entrance was shortening. Men and women alike were filling the LP4 line area. It wasn’t until 11:45 when Aria FINALLY arrived and I said “We’re gonna be in there when it’s supposed to end.”

It was about 12:15 when we could FINALLY go inside the panel and they were STILL having technical difficulties. I was VERY patient because I REALLY needed to see Maeno. Panel didn’t start till about 12:30 ish. So the MC was really cool and made us feel like we weren’t abandoned. After she got us all warmed up, the moment of truth came. I really didn’t expect it to go so fast and, pretty much at an instant is when Maeno was invited onto the floor. When she said to give the warmest welcome to Tomoaki Maeno, I. Lost it. I had tears in my eyes, they just didn’t drip down because my body was conscious that I had make-up on and didn’t want to ruin it for that perfect person. He was literally so relaxed and so sweet to us. I honestly couldn’t find a better day to be alive. After his little intro, he got us hype for the “Cells at Work” episode. It was so funny and every time White Cell came on the screen, the audience would lose it. That included myself, which I think was the loudest of all. After the episode ended, Maeno was invited back and 3 different producers were also invited on the stage. They talked about the show and how much effort they put on it and wanted to bring as much authenticity to the series. I’m so glad I understood a lot of it or else I would’ve cheered at the wrong time. Now, most of the time I was super distracted cuz I was staring at Maeno the whole time. I just didn’t want to take my eyes of him for a single second. He’s just so beautiful in person.

Towards the end of the panel, 3 lucky people would receive a huge posted SIGNED AND DELIVERED BY MAENO HIMSELF!!!! I was a little hopeful that they would call my number, but considering my super bad luck in any raffle of any kind, I didn’t win. I was happy though that Maeno came close every time. Which just seeing him made me happy. When the panel finished, I sped out of there to the signing because 1, my friend dropped her gloves to her Cardia cosplay (not Aria, she was Lupin) and 2, I needed a good spot for Maeno’s signing. We waited there less than 40 minutes. In that time, Aria tried again to go to the post office to get her things, though I kept telling her it was no use since Aniplex had given us posters to have signed. She left either way. While in line, I was talking to the people around me and made some really good friends and got to see some old friends. BEFORE I FORGET TO MENTION!!!!!! So, in order to get a ticket to Maeno’s signing, you would’ve had to attend the talk show at the Aniplex booth in the Exhibition Hall. When I attended, they briefly talked about what we were expecting and how to get the tickets. I was near the stage and I was lucky enough to be one of the first to get that ticket.

BACK TO DAY 2 So we’re waiting in line and we’re going on and on about Maeno and all of a sudden, the girls I was talking to say “Look!!” and I turn around and there he is. Majestic as Camus was Tomoaki Maeno himself on his way to the table. I let out a little scream and waved at him. No one else but us turned around to see him. I let Aria know that Maeno was now at the tables and that he would be signing soon. No more than 3 minutes later, Aria arrived to meet us in line and prepare herself for Maeno. There’s a friend I met back in 2016 that had her 5th Stage book with Suwabe’s signature from when he came. She was WAITING for the right moment to get another UtaPri seiyuu to get it signed. Sadly, they only let us have the Cells at Work posters signed. To me, it was okay because I didn’t care what he signed, as long as I had a memoir of meeting him. The line was moving fast as some didn’t have much to say to Maeno. As it was coming to my turn, I had girls tell me to calm down and breathe cuz I was almost in tears. Then it was my turn. I gathered all my courage from my fat little self and went up to Maeno. He gave me a little chuckle cuz I think he enjoyed my little Camus cos that I put together. I told him hello and he replied with the cutest voice ever. I REMEMBER IT SO WELL!!!! I gave him my poster and he went to sign it. He told me that the ink was still wet, to be careful if I touch it. I told him okay and thank you. He told me thank you and I gathered more courage to tell him that I loved him very much. BLESS ME MORE THAT DAY BECAUSE HE TOLD ME THAT HE LOVED ME TOO!!!!!! I know that’s something he would only tell a fan, but it made me so happy inside that when Aria came back, I cried on her shoulder, I wad that happy. I am feeling emotional now as I’m writing this. Aria stayed in line to talk to a few others that had awesome UtaPri merch, who I got to interact with as well. There was one girl who had the whole Prince Team itabag and parka. She literally traveled to Los Angeles that day just to meet Maeno. Kudos to her. I got to hug her Aqua (she let me) because before the signing, I could not calm down. We left the signing and stayed at the premier lounge the whole night. This is my autograph from Maeno.

Aria went to the Sword Art Online that night and I didn’t want to go because I was so exhausted. We made jokes that day that Maeno took all my positive energy to go about his day. Tbh, if that was true, I wouldn’t mind it at all because he needed that energy to feel all the love we fans have for him. So, according to Aria, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka was very nice and cute to. **This photo was apparently okay to take since they never specified the “No Photo/Video” rule according to Aria.

I don’t know the details on that panel so please ask her (@sweetaria98) for those details for that panel. After that panel, we went outside and bOI WAS IT A MISTAKE!!!!! It was 94 outside and I was DYING of the heat. Aria had a few things to do with a friend (which i never really understood why) but I was sweating from the heat and I personally thought it was the parking garage since I felt it cooler walking away from there BUT NO!! While waiting for the Lyft to come, I WAS DYING!!!! We got back to the AirBnB and Aria went for food a little after that and we ate dinner around midnight. I was sweaty.

Day 3: Loosen Up

So we weren’t really worried too much that day since all I had to do that day was shop for the remaining items from the orders. I did, however, also happen to buy an afternoon Butler Cafe with the $50 discount code that I never used since Anime Expo never sent me that information. Aria cosplayed Otoya from Legend Star that day.

I just love how she looked that day and I’m VERY proud on how the make up and wig turned out. I bought the wig 2 months ago while I was still living in LA and I styled it once I got here. Though I couldn’t do much to the wig since the power in our room didn’t work that night or day. ANYWAYS So after buying 3 orders from tumblr, it was time to head to the Cafe. The plan was for me and Aria to go since it was the only time we could since Day 4 we had the AoT panel with Yuki Kaji. Aria was sadly late to buy her ticket and blamed me for not telling her but I also blamed her for not getting it while she could ONLINE. So I went to that Cafe alone (remember this for later). I actually had a blast that day. I went in with a bunch of people who were young and old alike and it was their first time. For me, it was my second time going in the afternoon, but if y’all remember last year, it was a shit year the first time. So it was good that I went alone and in the afternoon. I was punished like 2 or 3 times because of I forget what game. The guys at my table REALLY made it enjoyable and I had fun with their company. My first punishment that I got was that I had to do a Dragonball scream to the crowd and the second punishment was that I had to give a candle to another butler and tell him “You are the light in my life.” and the actor in me tried to make it so believable that everyone could enjoy that little show. Best part of that afternoon was when the emcee was asking for those who would like to be taken onstage for a special performance. Now, I silently (but made sure some heard) said that it’s been 3 years since I’ve been to their show and was never invited onstage. THAT COMMENT ALONE BEAT OUT A BIRTHDAY GIRL AND I FELT TERRIBLE!!!!!! In fact, I still feel terrible. After their little performance I came off the stage and they finished their act with I forget which songs. At the end of the Cafe, I took pictures with the guys at my table which were Shinomiya and Ryoga. Now, Ryoga left me with a little bug since he kept saying he remembered me from somewhere. I said that it’s my 3rd year at the cafe and if that’s where he knew me. For some reason, I got the impression that we might’ve known each other from somewhere else. I let it slide since I didn’t want to ask more details. Here’s my picture.

Wee. MOVING ON!! So after the Cafe, we go shopping for a little more at the Exhibition Hall and I went to this booth by KLab that had ALL the UtaPri games for Vita and PSP. I only bought Amazing Aria/Sweet Serenade and Music 3 with a Camus towel and charm. That there was about $150 and I didn’t want to buy Repeat Love since I was running out of money and I needed to buy the last order. So, Exhibition Hall closes and we head to the premier lounge to literally rest because we’ve been walking almost everywhere. Before I forget, so before we headed to the premier lounge, Aria ALMOST lost her premier badge. It is a $125 replacement if she actually did lose it. She didn’t really go anywhere except for one booth with I7 stuff and the Cybird booth. She was lucky enough that someone had put it on the edge of the stage at the booth and it was confirmed that it was actually her badge. Back to the story. So Aria changed out of her cosplay into something a little more comfy for her while I put on a sweater since I was FREEZING in that lounge. We waited until 8:30 so she can accompany me to the 18+ one where I was going alone. Now, remember how I said to pay attention tho those “alone” in bold, here’s why. So our friend Sally is a volunteer at Anime Expo. She pretty much has access to ANY panel she wants as long as it fits her schedule. She had just finished that day and I asked if she could hold this HUGE bag of things from the orders I got. She said she would put it in HQ in West Hall, which was in front of the Premier Lounge. I thank her so much for that favor because it was a HUGE bag and I couldn’t bring it with me to the Cafe. Alright. As I’m in line for the cafe, I’m getting nervous because it was the last night of the cafe and I thought I was alone. BOI WAS I WRONG!!!! Now, I’m not gonna say what happened that night because of how crazy it got (ask me for details later) but right before the performances, I see Sally out of the corner of my eye. My thoughts went from “YAS BEST NIGHT EVER” to “WTF HOW DID SHE GET IN?!?!?!?!” in 3 seconds. I ignored that little bit because I thought “Alright, it’s just sally, how bad can it get.” HOHOHOHOHOHOHO WAS I WRONG!!!!! At the end of the Cafe when I’m going for my 2018 worthy Cafe picture, ARIANNA WAS AT THE DAMN TABLE TOO AND I LOST MY TEMPER!!!!! I WAS LIVID BECAUSE I SPECIFICALLY TOLD HER THAT I NEEDED THAT NIGHT ALONE TO SEE IF I COULD FIND CLOSURE TO MY CURSE THAT’S BEEN AT ME FOR 368 DAYS AND IT WOULD NOT LEAVE ME ALONE AND SHE DECIDED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SALLY’S PASS AND LET HER LITTLE ASS IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Y’know, I’m still livid with it. I calmed myself down, took my picture, and left.

Yes, I was that shook at the moment of my picture. Not from Ari, but the performance in general. Anyways, as we’re getting out, I tell Sally to give me my stuff back please so we could leave. We left the convention center and I did not want to speak to Ari for not respecting my space when I SPECIFICALLY TOLD HER to please leave me alone that night. We just said small talk and she got the Uber for us to go home that night. It was midnight.

Day 4: Last Day and Kaji

This day, I wanted to arrive at the hour that the Exhibition Hall opened because I needed to pick up my wristband for the AoT panel and also to buy that last order of merch that I needed to get. We headed straight to the premier lounge and then headed straight for the exhibition hall so I could buy that stuff. It was around 10 that we got there so I was in a hurry. This is when I realized something that worried me Voltage charged me almost 30% tax in every purchase. When I wanted to buy that last bit of things, I had less than $200 on my bank account. The total for something that was only supposed to be $150? They charged me $195. The person payed I think $160 (I don’t have my notebook at the moment to clarify) for the stuff and my service and HOHOHO BOI WAS I LIVID!!!! I realized that I didn’t have money now for my Lyft to the hotel for Aria and Sally and for my ride to the airport. What ended up happening is that I used what was my last $100 in cash to pay half of that payment and the rest on my card and didn’t buy anything else for the rest of the con. That also included food since it’s SUPER expensive at the convention center. I only bought some chips that morning with $2 in cash that I had from previous food purchases. Aria got them for me from a vending machine. So, we lined up for the AoT panel around 10. I was again playing Shining Live to catch up on the event to stay top 100. I hadn’t spent a single dime on the event during AX which was great. I only purchased $20 in prisms and that was at the beginning of the event. Aria went to this auction where they were selling things up to $2k probably. We don’t know cuz we didn’t stay there. We started going in around 11:30 I think since the panel started at 12. We go in and had a good seat at the front. As we were going in, they were giving out Levi and Eren pins to us. I got Levi, Aria got Eren. The panel was great, season 3 is gonna be quite a thriller for fans and I bet y’all that the OP is gonna be AMAZING if X-Japan is involved. Btw, the thing that’s pissing me off so much is that someone had the downright NERVE to take a picture of the panel when it was STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND THEY EVEN TOLD US THAT IT WAS TO BE THAT WAY!!!!!!!! Luckily they respected the BnHA but not with Yuki Kaji in that room. Anyways, Kaji was so cute and he seemed to really get along with Bryce and they both have a lot in common which is great. So after the panel, we realize that we have time to make it to the very last butler cafe show. Aria didn’t want to go since she thought it was too late and I also wanted to see if just in case that booth still had Repeat Love, which they didn’t. So at the Exhibition Hall, I wandered around a lot since I needed a new portable charger and saw that NO BODY had any to sell and the Cheero place wasn’t there this year. TTnTT So, I got bored and then decided to meet up with Aria at the Cybird booth to see what they were doing. At the booth, they were saying so many announcements and Hiroto was really nice to the fans, however time was running out. Most of you know the announcements so I’m not gonna say, but congrats to those girls who won the cut-outs of the boys from their Ikemen series. One more giveaway was done and that was to get a special picture of Hiroto as Isaac Newton (?) from Ikemen Vampire, which I’m VERY excited for because I have a thing for Vampire stories (thanks a lot DiaLovers). We played a huge group round of Rock Paper Scissors and a lot of us beat Hiroto. It was less than 50 which was great. Because time was running out, I didn’t get my photo with him this year. I mean, it’s okay since like, it was about 5 minutes from closing. After i got my prize signed by Hiroto, we left the exhibition hall and headed to the closing ceremony. We waited there for a little bit. I bought some chicken strips with my last little bit of cash and me and aria shared the tater tots. The closing ceremony was great, but I liked last years better. This one I felt too brief and just wasn’t enough. It was still fun though. After the closing ceremony, we left to the AriBnB and called it yet another year in the books.

SO THAT WAS MY ANIME EXPO 2018 STORY!!! I hope you all enjoyed it!! I tried to make it as interesting as possible with as much memory as I have from it because I felt it all go so fast. Honestly, this year was such a blessing that I don’t think any year will top this. VIDEOS BY ARIA WILL BE POSTED IN A FEW WEEKS/MONTHS!! :D I’ll be contacting the people who ordered from me soon... :’D

[liveonthisplanetanymore-blog]

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·         It helps in attaining better erections for an extended time period with a harder erection. It does increase the girth and amount of penis for more fulfillment and higher self-esteem. Customer Review Jonathan S. Nuzzo - “For a long period, I was upset with my low energy and harmful body really. My performance during intercourse and in the fitness center was not sufficient. Due to poor libido and sex drive, my sexual life was arriving at an final end, but Vitality RXsupplement produced everything perfect. Yes, i was supplied by it outcomes within weeks and solved all my problems. I’m glad that it was utilized by me and feel more happy to recommend it to all!” Dennis J. Queen - “I am experiencing problems like erection dysfunction. I recently heard bout Vitality RX, this product has put my life back on the right track. My sexual urges are back and now my wife and I enjoy the sex we used to have when we just got married. This has resolved many issues in my own marriage. Also, I look for that i will have a complete large amount of extra energy still left after working a complete day. I have began to visit the gym and I really like the fact that this supplement is now helping me to get back in shape. I would recommend anyone suffering from too little sexual desire or low energy in completing day to day routine to utilize this as it’ll modification your life.”

Where To Buy THE PRODUCT? Are you experiencing male medical issues like erection dysfunction, premature ejaculation or low libido? Your treatment has been discovered. Vitality RX is an extremely powerful but organic male health supplement that you could order online right now by the select a button, no prescriptions are necessary. If you are willing to buy this product click on the given link below and order the product then. The product is available on-line exclusive. The maker of this product offers “RISK-FREE TRIAL”present for the very first time user. Fill the registration type and pay a little amount of shipping costs only. The merchandise will be shipped at your doorstep within 3-4 business days. If you have any doubt or any query regarding this product then you can certainly contact our customer support team via toll free of charge amount: 1-800-240-9403 and drop the mail - help@mensvitalityrx.com Conclusion Vitality RX is a cutting-age penile enlargement supplement to take care of sexual problem. It really is a tested formulation clinically, hence, it really is safe for intake highly. It helps with restoring and keeping up the poor hormone and testosterone levels in your body. This male upgrade health supplement is the correct approach to increase your testosterone level in the body. This progressive supplement makes you feel dynamic and plays well and long in the bed. This male enhancement supplement builds the level of sex drive and sexual want step by step as you take it. It boosts the blood flow to the penile chambers and influences your overall sexual stamina. Male Enhancement by Erectize, Intensive Testosterone Booster, Inrcrease Libido, Stamina, Vitality, Test Booster, 60 capsules Description Erectize allows you to Obtain the Edge. The researchers at Eronos created the Erectize formulation and it had been an instant success. That is why Erectize may be the #1 Bestselling & most trusted Testosterone Booster in america. If you are looking to increase your male might, boost your male energy and stamina, increase performance, and ultimately Get the Edge as a man, they is the answer for you. It's important when shopping for these types of Supplements that you do your research and pick the best. Erectize (tm) has been the choice many satisfied customers, we offer a 30-day money back guarantee because we know you will see the gains you desire. Made in the USA, in GMP authorized labs, Erectize (tm) is certainly trusted brand since it gives the results guys want. You'll see outcomes within taking your initial pill. Continue acquiring Erectize and you will see the everlasting improvement and stamina you wish after only 15 days. It works so well, and that's why Erectize is the #1 Bestselling Supplement answer. 30-day Satisfaction Assurance: Satisfaction guaranteed by the #1 Testosterone Booster Vitality Reviews: Male Enhancement Formula by Tane Laboratories 5 (100%) 8 votes For some people, just the thought of their sexual experience is more than enough to turn their sexual arousal. But regrettably, for others, they can’t get in the mood at the best of times just. If you’re the main one facing the next said issue, listed below are several natural techniques can naturally boost your sex drive which means you as well as your partner can appreciate fun-loaded sex for a long period. Intensive Vitality, the all-natural penile enlargement supplement is now in the marketplace to supply you with more powerful and bigger erections in addition to increased sex drive. Vitality - Premium Wellness Booster, Increases Power, Energy, Builds Muscle | For Men + Females | Tribulus, L-Arginine Titanax PENILE ENLARGEMENT: WHAT YOU OUGHT TO FIND OUT ABOUT This Latest Vitality Supplement Saying that the male enhancement supplement industry is definitely a crowded space is definitely a gross understatement, because there are hundreds of products on the shelf making comparable claims. Ultimately, what the products state is inconsequential. It's the total results they offer that prove if they are worth the amount of money. Efficacy is important, but thus is your wellbeing. Therefore, you ought not take any item that may damage you over the future, no matter how effective it might be at the moment. Thus, the results you are seeking include not only a much better bedroom encounter but also an existence free of adverse side effects. Titanax is an all-natural male enhancement formula with ingredients capable of giving you the results you want. This product raises your body’s free testosterone driving both libido, levels and performance. Better yet, it does so without the annoying side effects and long-term health hazards found in other products. Who Should Take Titanax Titanax was formulated specifically for men looking to improve their performance in the bedroom. If you want more sexual stamina, this product is normally for you. If you want to improve your sexual performance, this product is also for you. Finally, if you want to improve the bedroom knowledge for you as well as your partner, Titanax may be the supplement for you! Titanax offers health advantages outside of the bed room as well. For instance, it can help improve your disposition by chasing away unhappiness and stress. This enables you to focus on what's important when it's high time truly, but also implies that you can deal with your mood with improved mental clearness. Finally, many men find that they have more energy when their levels of free testosterone go up. This has obvious bedroom benefits, but it may also be used to hit the gym and build lean muscle mass your woman will just love! Is It Good For Your Heart? The makers of Titanax claim that the product has no adverse side effects when used as directed, but it is always best to double-check these things with your doctor prior to taking any supplements. Let’s take a closer look at what's in the Titanax method: 1. Yohimbe - An Aphrodisiac indigenous to Africa, this herb may improve bloodstream circulation, reducing blood circulation pressure in the procedure, furthermore to its sexual benefits. 2. Korean Ginseng - This herb improves the immune system, making certain you can battle off any bugs you find. This ingredient is partially accountable for enhancing your mood by reducing stress also. Finally, it really is a common treatment for erection dysfunction in older men. 3. MACA - a Powdered type of an herb found in the mountains of Peru exclusively, it boosts sperm fertility, increases libido, and boosts the male sex drive. It also contains plenty of carbohydrates and proteins to promote a heart-healthy diet. 4. Fenugreek Extract - This herb is what boosts your free testosterone levels, leading to harder erections and improved sexual performance. It also reduces inflammation, lowers cholesterol, and promotes digestion. 5. Gingko Biloba - This treatment for erectile dysfunction also improves male libido, boosts concentration, reduces feelings of anxiety and depression, and promotes overall mental well-being. All of these ingredients are safe for continual use, so there is no harm in taking Titanax. Women and minors should avoid it though, and men ought never to take a lot more than directed. Where MAY I Get Titanax? The simplest way to get Titanax is on the manufacturer’s official website, Titanax.com They are running a promotion enabling you to try the merchandise for only the price of shipping and handling, making now the perfect time to try Titanax for yourself! Final Thoughts Overall, Titanax is a not just a great supplement to enhance your vitality and libido, in and from the bedroom, but it offers many heart-healthy benefits also. The merchandise has received several positive industry which makes it an excellent option for men.

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