#I speak so ELDERLY why didn’t y’all say anything am I a joke to you?! XD but speaking elderly is fun man

[kataracy]

Kataang Week DAY 3 // Confessions & Whispers

Wanna get out of here?

[symbolism-of-a-rose]

SO, again it is Rune Factory’s 12th anniversary weekend. And I finally pulled out my laptop, so here’s the beginning of a fanfic that I’ve started writing. I actually started this a while back, before the weekend was announced and... yeah. 

Behold, my theoretical plot for Rune Factory 5: The Wooly Revolution This is Chapter 1 (it’s unfinished, but getting there. I’m up to chapter 7 or so)

Spring 1, Year 1

I woke up to rain. It splattered across my face and dripped down my neck. The sky above me was a blurry blue-gray between the feathered foliage of overhanging trees. For a moment I just allowed myself to breathe. There was an ache in my head, near the base of my skull and crawling toward the top. The air was cold. It sat like the last dregs of winter in my mouth. The ground beneath my back made me shiver. Oddly, it was dry. Pieces clicked together. I must have been lying there before it started raining.

How had I gotten there? Had I meant to-

Blond hair and blue eyes suddenly popped into my view. “You alright?” a young man asked, his eyebrow quirked in a curious face of concern. A brown headband did little to tame the sunny spikes protruding from his scalp. He looked like a traveller of some kind. He offered a hand to help me up.

I took it, looking around at my surroundings. It was a forest, densely populated. I could hear birds, monsters, and other small animals rustling in the underbrush.

Oddly, though, it did nothing to remind me of how I got there. Or why I was there in the first place.

Or, I realized with horror, who I was.

“Can you talk at all?” the man tried again. Now that I was standing, I could see that he was shorter than I expected. He stood at least four inches shorter than myself. That wasn’t normal-- was it?

I blinked at him. “I-- yeah.” I ran through a few ways to broach the subject with him. Did he know who I was? Was I supposed to know him?

“Do I know you?” I asked finally.

The man smiled as if I had made a joke. “Hmm?” he shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I was just heading to Laine up the way and saw you here. Did you hit your head?”

I rubbed my head experimentally. Sure enough, there was a sore patch right on the crown of my scalp. I winced.

The man nodded sympathetically. “Let’s head into town together.” He shivered slightly in the cold. His head tilted to the side and he made a strange face. “Sounds to me like you’ve got some amnesia.” He smiled reassuringly at me. “But I’m sure there’s a place up ahead where you can live out the rest of your life in relative peace without anyone from your previous life ever showing up.” He started walking before I had a chance to figure out any of the words he had just said. Had he started speaking a different language while I wasn’t paying attention?

“Wait what?” I asked as I jogged to catch up with him.

“I’m Micah,” he said cheerily as he continued to walk through the forest. “Do you remember your name?”

“Uhhh….” Did I remember my name? “It’s Elle.”

“Elle? Nice name,” he said brightly. “And, if you don't mind my asking, are you a guy or girl?”

I made a face without thinking, starting at Micah in disbelief. “What?” He just stared at my face as calm as can be as if he hadn't just asked one of the oddest questions I had ever heard in my life.

Which, considering I could only remember the past few minutes, didn't say much. I sighed. “A girl.”

“Awesome!” He smiled. “Do you remember your birthday?”

“Ah…” no. I did not. “Maybe the beginning of winter?”

“Sounds good!” His smile broadened as he pointed ahead to a place where the trees suddenly cleared. “Look! There's Laine!”

We broke through the last line of trees. For the briefest moment, the world seemed to hang on a breath, my heart hovering between one beat and the next. Mist hung low over the rolling grasslands, leading down toward a small village near the coastline’s edge. A cluster of buildings were huddled together against the chill from a spring breeze carried from across the ocean. Some were small, homes perhaps. Others were robust and comparatively full of life-- smoke curling from chimneys and doors fearlessly tossed open in defiance of the chill.

“It’s beautiful,” I said quietly, my voice lost in a gust of wind.

I glanced at Micah at my side. His eyebrows were knit together in a look of confusion. “Something’s not right,” he muttered. He took off at a run down the path that led to the cluster of sea-worn buildings.

Without thinking, I followed him. What did he mean something wasn’t right? Did he live there? Were we about to run into a mess?

Probably. But I followed him regardless.

We arrived in the town, breathing heavy. I curled forward with my hands on my knees as I struggled to be able to ask one of the thousands of questions that were starting to bubble into my mind. Micah was looking around as if he expected to be greeted by someone or something.

When I finally thought I might be able to say something, a scream interrupted my intake of breath.

I turned my head this way and that, looking for the source. There were sturdy wooden structures like homes or businesses, but it took me a moment before I found the person who was screaming. It was a group of children playing outside the porch of one of the bigger buildings. About half a dozen of them were chasing one another. A small, dark-skinned boy was at the head of the pack, running away from the other five with a stick in his hand.

“Jerome! Get back here!”

“Big Bully- gimme back my stick!”

“Heeee~eey!!!! That’s not yours, it’s my turn!”

“Get him!!!”

The kids ran until they came running toward me. For a second I wondered if they would stop. They didn’t and my second of hesitation was a second too long. For the second time in all of the half an hour of my life, I found myself looking up at the sky with gentle water drops finding their way into the awkward crevasses of my neck.

“Ah now,” said a wizened voice, thick with sarcastic intent. “Look what y’all did. You nearly killed this poor girl.”

“It’s Jerome’s fault!” said a different voice. “He took my stick!”

I sat up, blinking and trying to again make sense of my surroundings. An old man, judging by the wrinkles in his skin and the white hairs on his head, stood with crossed arms and an expression that told me I was in trouble. He wore simple but hardy clothes, he looked like a worker of some kind, like a blacksmith or carpenter. He also had that air of authority that told me I should probably respect him or find myself in a world of social inconvenience.

But why the heck am I in trouble? I wondered. I’m the one they knocked over!

“Maybe less poor than just stupid,” the man said, nodding to himself. “That’s what you get for standing there like a gaping fish.”

Don’t agree with yourself! I thought bitterly, standing and trying, vainly, to brush the mud off my clothes. It occurred to me that I hadn’t noticed what I was wearing earlier. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to think about it now either.

“You alright, Elle?” Micah asked, seeming to have only just realized that I had fallen.

“I'm fine,” I said, not sure if I really was.

“Good,” he said. He turned his attention to the old man. “Is there a shrine or temple or anything nearby?”

“You need to make a confession?” The man squinted at Micah.

“Ignore him,” a new voice said behind us. We turned to the newcomer, an old woman was standing there with a small child on either side of her. She was elderly more than old. She seemed like the stately kind of woman who took charge of almost any situation. She wore a long green-gray dress with a high neck and long sleeves. Her hands were folded in front of her nicely. I envied the neat way she tied up her hair. My hair kept falling into my face no matter how many times I pushed it back.

“I tend the shrine here,” the woman continued. She shot a look at the old man and sniffed. “Rooty’s just a lazy sack of bones.”

I glanced at the man, wondering if this was normal. I didn't really have much to compare it to. But the words didn’t seem to sting their intended recipient.

The old man, Rooty, smiled sardonically in response. “Sally.” the way he said her name made me think they were probably old friends. “Wonderful to see your rheumatism kept you from bringing the kids on time.” He paused. “Again.”

“Old coot,” she sniffed. Gently, she nudged the children toward the building.

“In any case,” the woman said, keeping an eye on the children as they ran past me, Micah and Rooty. “If you need to see the shrine, I'd be happy to show you.” She bowed respectfully, finally turning her eye to Micah. “I'm Salina.”

Micah’s shoulders fell in relief. “Thanks a bunch,” he said as his face fell into a smile. He looked at me and gestured to Rooty. “You should probably stay here. I bet Rooty knows where the farm is.”

I blinked. “What farm?” I asked. Had we been looking for a farm? Was I forgetting something?

He laughed as if it hadn't occurred to him that this needed explaining. “The farm where you'll be living from here on out.” He waved as he hurried to follow after Salina, leaving me there with more and more questions by the moment.

I looked back at Rooty. He was scratching his head. He looked at me. “You're here to start a farm?” He asked dubiously. He eyed me in a way that said he didn’t think I was suited to the farm life.

I shrugged. “I don't know. He found me unconscious in the woods. I don't remember how I got there or where I'm from or anything else for that matter.”

Rooty grunted and started to turn back down the road. “Well, your friend wasn't lying. There's a farm just over that way that hasn't been tended to in years.” He turned back to see that I was following. “C’mon, follow me.”

“Waaiiitt!!! Jerome still hasn't given me back the stick! It's my turn!!”

Rooty turned sharply toward the child who spoke. “You had better get into Miss Charity. You know how she gets if you're late.”

All the children suddenly stiffened before taking off at a full sprint toward the schoolhouse. I wondered briefly what kind of woman Miss Charity was, but then Rooty was walking off again. I had to jog to keep up with him. How was an old man so fast?

“The farm's this way. There's a little house attached to it that no one’s using. I don't know if it has any furniture or anything but you're welcome to have it.” His words flowed so quickly I hardly had the brain power to interpret them. “The seed shop’s owner’s been out of town for a while. Their son is taking care of it for the time being. A no-good delinquent, if truth be told, but there you have it. Luckily he's got that girl keeping an eye on him, but she's as naive as they come. You’ll find the shop if you poke around town for a bit. The carpenter’s shop is open, but I don't know what services they're offering this time of year.”

He kept up a rattling account of names and shops and places in town with a solid complaint against each of them. Somehow, even though his words were harsh, I got the impression he was quite proud of his town.

“And if you know anything about monsters, then you’d be welcome to try to cross the forest. But if ya don’t then steer clear. It’s a dangerous place these days what with--.” he coughed suddenly, interrupting himself. “What with everything.”

“What do you me--?”

“And here we are!” he interrupted me, gesturing to a dilapidated shack beside a weed-infested field of stumps and boulders.

It struck me that the area outside of town, the way that Micah and I had come into the town proper, would be much better suited to farming, but I decided to say nothing so not to seem ungrateful. Rooty looked at me expectantly as if either waiting for my complete dismay or complete adoration. I settled for a half-hearted, “Wow.”

Rooty turned away, but not before I saw a smile form on his face. “This’ll be your home from now on. Take good care of it.” He started to return the way we had come. “If you need me, I’ll call ya.” He waved without looking back.

“Wait, what?!” I looked after him, rooted to the spot. He just kept waving and walking until he was out of sight. I looked back at the shack. A large blackbird swooped overhead and lighted on the crest of the roof.

“What?” I said, quieter, to myself. I stood there staring for a long moment. More birds flew around. My head began to throb painfully and I shivered with a cold breeze that tore through the dress I wore.  

I made my way to the little hut. At least the wind wouldn’t be able to reach me inside, right?

Surprisingly, the inside was much cozier than the outside might lead one to believe. It was only a single room with a small washroom attached to one side. There was a small space with a table and a single three-legged stool to the left of the front door. To the right, there was an old mattress on a wooden frame. A small apple crate was placed next to it with a single candle stub and a worn book.

I moved toward the book, curious. Inside was a diary belonging to someone named Cucumber who had run a farm there a long time ago. Without hesitation, I tore out the pages belonging to Cucumber and began to write my own entry, explaining everything that had happened to me thus far.

Just as I finished, my door was thrown open. The roof shuddered and dust flitted down from the ceiling. I froze, fearing that the house would fall down on top of me. Then I saw Micah standing there in the doorway, eyes wild and a giant grin on his face. “Holy Native Dragons, Elle, you’ve got to see this!”

He paused when he saw me with the open book in my lap. He grinned. “Oh, hey! You found the diary! So Rooty already explained everything to you about the farm, yeah?”

“Ah,” I closed the book, not wanting Micah to see my descriptions of him. “No, not really. But I think I’ve got the jist of this part at least.”

“Well lemme explain the rest reeally quick, then-- you’re absolutely not gonna believe it-- anyway--.”

He shot off in an explanation that was almost entirely lost on me. At first he said things like “check through your inventory with the [L] button” and then “equip with the [A] button” and “You can use it with the [B] button, but be careful because sometimes you’ll get stuck using a move and get killed by a monster mid-stroke.”

I stared at him blankly until he was done, physically feeling the words bounce right off my head. He finally finished miming a stroke from a weapon of some kind and put his hands on his hips. “Make sense?” he asked.

My head fell to my hands and I wished that I had never regained consciousness. “How did you make that sound with your mouth?”

Micah ignored me and turned toward a chest I hadn’t noticed against the far wall of my hut. “Oh, hey,” he said, moving closer to it, “I bet this has your farming equipment.” He opened it and started rummaging through it.

Horrifyingly, the sounds that came from it sounded significantly more echo-y than they should have for a container so small. I moved to examine the chest over Micah’s shoulder. My mouth fell open. Inside, the box was significantly wider and deeper than it should have been.

“How-?”

“I know,” Micah said in a tone of weary dismay. “But it’s always like this.” He pulled out an ax that definitely shouldn’t have fit inside the box, to begin with. He examined it and sighed discontentedly. “This couldn’t cut a twig, let alone a tree.”

I sighed, realizing I had expected his answer this time.

“Don’t worry,” he said, patting my shoulder as he misinterpreted my exasperation. “I’m sure the blacksmith in town can help you upgrade them eventually.”

I hummed in response, wanting nothing more than to sink into unconsciousness and hope that this was all just a bad dream. Micah seemed to notice my despair. He sighed, glancing out the open door. “Well, I guess it can wait until tomorrow,” he said. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll be back tomorrow morning to help you figure out the farming stuff-- heck, I bet I can find you some seeds from the shop in town as well!”

With that, he turned on his heel, smiling back as he shut the door softly. “Sleep well!”

I listened to the crunch of his boots against stone as he walked away toward town. Eventually, they faded into the cawing of birds and the whistle of the wind over my rooftop. Wearily, I turned on my bed so I was sitting on my knees and facing the window. I gently pulled the dusty curtain back, worried that the touch would cause the gentle fabric to disintegrate.

The scene outside was just as it had been when I’d first seen it-- bleak. From this angle, I could see the rickety wooden fence that marked the edge of the cliff. I made a mental note to never wander too close-- or fix up the wall later when I knew more about that kind of thing.

With the window open, I curled up on the mattress. It felt stiff and musty. As I closed my eyes, I wondered if maybe I’d regain my memories once I woke up. Maybe I’d know my way home. Maybe I’d remember my family…. Maybe I’d… Maybe…. Remember.

The sun’s fading light threw a perfect square of light into my face, waking me with some gentle warmth. I pulled the curtain closed, blinking until I could see again. The small room was a warm orange now. I noticed things I hadn't before: the small fireplace in one corner, the large mirror on the wall beside the washroom.

Slowly, I sat up. My head didn't ache as much, to my great relief.

Sadly, I still remembered nothing from before I woke up in the forest. The thought left me feeling somewhat melancholic. I took a deep breath. Better to mourn it now and accept my lot then let it fester for later.

I might have a family somewhere. They might come looking for me. Or they might not. I might have people waiting for me. Or I might not. In the end, whatever happened in regards to my past, this place was my new home. And I would make the most of it.

I recorded these thoughts in my diary. I didn't realize I was crying until the ink began to blur.

What made it all the worse was the fact that I didn't even know what I was mourning. I didn't know what I was supposed to be missing. I didn't know what home I had left behind or what friends I had now abandoned.

But all the same. All the same. I had a new life. New people. I could be happy here. I just had to try, right?

My stomach growled, interrupting my soliloquy. I winced, wondering where I'd be able to get food. The hut didn't look particularly well-stocked. I began to pat the sides of my dress. Maybe I had pockets and money inside of them.

Sure enough, I found a store of money in my inventory with just about three thousand gold pieces. I hoped that would be enough for a meal in town. And some seeds. Maybe tomorrow I’d be able to get a start on fixing the farm.

I stood and stretched. My back popped. I winced. Moving toward the washroom, I caught a glimpse of myself for the first time in my memory.

I was obviously a woman. Micah’s question came back to my mind and I made a face. The dress I wore was well-cared for if not just a bit dirty. I could see places where someone-- myself, perhaps?-- had patched the seams and tears. It fell past my knees where I could see my torn stockings. They were knit with some kind of twisting pattern around my calves. Boots that laced up just past my ankle were tied onto my feet. They seemed scuffed and a little worn, but in good condition overall.

“So that’s what I look like,” I said, finally looking up at my face. There were splotches where dirt had clung to the rain on my face. My hair, probably a dusty brown, was currently just dusty. It might have been in a braid at some point, but I looked a bit like a wild child.

For a moment, looking into my eyes, I thought there was something wrong with them. But the moment passed. They were a deep fuschia color. Pinkish, but maybe that was just the setting light.

I moved to the washroom to clean myself off slightly. Maybe even brush my hair. I found the room to be better stocked than I had first anticipated. There were even some old, worn clothes. They were cleaner than what I was wearing so I put them on. It wasn’t anything flattering, but it seemed that I might be able to sew, so maybe I could take them in a little to fit me better.

I set my dirty clothes aside with the intent to wash them later when I returned. My stomach hurried me along toward the town again. Feeling refreshed and ready to eat the best meal that a poor amnesiac could afford, I threw open the door--

Only to have someone knock against my forehead with a sharp knuckle.

I spluttered and ducked, rubbing my forehead.

“Oh, gods, I’m so sorry-- I didn’t-- gods--.”

“Ahh,” I hissed. This kid had the knuckles of a palm cat. I blinked at the wood floors beneath my boots. Did I know what a palm cat was?

“Are you alright?”

I finally looked up at the man on my doorstep. His face was golden with the setting sun. His hair was sandy, nearly blending in with his skin. His purple shirt glinted with silver threads. He was tall and reasonably built, not gangly nor threateningly large. All that being said, if he wanted to pick a fight, I was pretty sure I could take him.

“Mmm, yeah,” I said, straightening. “Er… Sorry about that.”

His eyes widened comically. “What? No, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have--- gods, I’m so sorry. I should have been paying attention.” He was waving his hands. I found myself smiling at him. He was cute.

A blush spread across his face. “Really, I-- sorry-- I’m here because Granny Sal sent me. She said you’d probably be hungry and Rooty forgot to feed you before dropping you off and she’s with the twins right now and Rooty’s at the orphanage, of course, and-- gods, I’m rambling I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright,” I laughed for the first time. I noticed the box in his hands. “Is that for me?”

“Yes!” he said as if he had just remembered. With his arms stiff as sticks, he extended the box toward me. “It’s a dinner-- and there’s probably enough for breakfast tomorrow as well.”

I accepted the box. “Thank you, I was just thinking I was hungry.” My stomach growled to emphasize my point.

“I- uh.” from his other hand he lifted a second box. “Sal gave me one as well, so that I could join you, if you don’t mind the company?”

I blinked in surprise. Given what I had seen of Sal-- well, I had only seen her for a minute. Maybe she made a habit of making sure no one ate by themselves. “Of course not,” I replied.

I didn’t need to glance behind me to see the dusty, unwelcoming interior of my home. “Shall we eat outside?”

“Sure!” he beamed, clearly relieved that I had accepted. “There’s a place over there--,” he pointed toward the cliff, “--where a lot of us like to come to watch the sea. It’s a nice spot, is it okay if we eat there?”

As nervous as I was about the cliff and the rickety fence, I followed him there. The fence was even more rickety than I had imagined. Pieces of wood were just a nudge away from falling to the churning water below. He led me past the fence, around to a little flight of stairs leading down to a large shelf of sand and grass.

“Sometimes Will comes here to fish,” he explained. “Juliette and I come with him every now and again. It’s also a great spot for the fireworks festival next month. We don’t talk about it in town though, Rooty goes off on us hard if we do. He doesn’t want the kids thinking that it’s okay to get this close to the cliff.”

I nodded as if I understood what he was saying while we found our way to a rickety bench against the cliff face. Then I realized I had no idea who he was talking about, apart from Rooty and the kids. “I’m sorry, who is Will and Juliette?”

The man, who still hadn’t introduced himself either, laughed self-consciously. “Right, sorry, I forgot that you haven’t met everyone in town yet.” He opened the box of his dinner and began eating as he explained. “Will, Juliette, and I all work at Charlie’s Inn. Will’s-- well, he’s supposed to be an entertainer, a juggler, but he’s more of a glorified waiter.” He chuckled again. “Juliette helps me with the music sometimes, but she’s more of a hostess. She’s kind of like the face of the Inn.”

“So you’re a musician?” I asked, not really wanting to take my attention away from the best meal I could ever remember having. If Sal’s cooking was this good, then I think any sense of melancholy would be lost with my expanding waistline.

“Mm-Hm,” he said around a bite. “I stick to the piano for the most part-- you should hear Juliette on the violin, though. She’s incredibly talented!”

I glanced at him. The tone in his voice, he was so proud of his friend. He also seemed the type to deflect any sort of compliment away from himself. Again, I wondered, how do I know that?

“I’m sorry,” I said suddenly, hoping to finally get his name. “I never introduced myself. I’m Elle.”

He blinked at me in surprise. “I knew--” his face changed suddenly. “Oh! I didn’t introduce myself either, I’m so sorry!” He shifted to turn toward me and bowed slightly. “I’m Hammond, it’s an honor to meet you, Elle.”

“You as well, Hammond,” I smiled at him.

He chatted more about the townsfolk. I heard another half dozen names that seemed to just slip through my mind without any sort of intention of staying there. He was very animated as he spoke, very enthusiastic about all the wonderful qualities of everyone in the town. His voice had such a gentle quality. It was pleasing to hear.

The sun sank past the horizon, setting the mist aflame as it said it’s final adieu. Hammond had been right, it was a very nice spot. The temperature was still chilly, but I could see the summers passing with townsfolk celebrating at the cliff’s edge. It was oddly… idyllic.

“I should probably get going,” Hammond said as the night began to settle in a fair shade of lavender. He collected both of our boxes (neither of us had left enough leftovers worth saving) and tucked them under his arm. “I’ll walk you back to your house.”

“Thank you,” I said. “And thank you for bringing these, the food and company were both much needed.”

Another blush formed across his face. “Ah! You’re welcome!”

I watched his retreating form disappear toward town again. I leaned against the bottom half of the door-- which Hammond had shown me how to separate. I wondered if the townsfolk really were as wonderful as he had painted them to be. I hoped I could see them as optimistically as he did.

[allaboutwannaone-blog]

enemies to lovers!sungwoon 

genre: fluff word count: 2.0k summary: would you listen to your heart, or your mind in the face of love? author’s note: first scenario up, sorry if its too cringey (´・ω・`)  /edits are mine!/

• well *claps three times sassily*

• iTs hA sAeng uN tiMe

• sungwoon was,,, really just like any other classmate (who sits behind you)

• aside from his obnoxiously stupid loud voice (which you’ll grow to love shh)

• and his stupid round glasses that dEfiNiteLy dIdN’T sUiT hIm aT aLL???!! (inserts overly used spongebob meme)

• and his stupid lips that look like clouds (and probably tastes like them too) 

• and his stupidly sparkly eyes and his stupidly cute height and jUst uGh

• come to think of it he was never really a normal person and you were just a wee bit attracted to him JUST A WEE BIT A WEE BIT 

• but ever since this argument you had in front of the entire class,, the wee feelings you thought you had for him disappeared (did it really??) because boi he is annoying  눈_눈 

• it was literature class and your teacher!jisung was asking a question about whether you should follow your heart or your mind when making a choice 

• jisung: “so…y/n, what do you think?”

• you: “actually, i personally think that thinking with your mind is a better option because it will lead you to making a more rational choice, since your heart may make risky decisions based on your emotions. following your heart will not work well in situations that are pressurising.”

• jisung: “brilliant, any other opinions, class?”

• sungwoon: “well, actually, i personally think that your argument is flawed because your mind is logical and logic follows the conventional way of thinking. you’ll never get to go out of your comfort zone! you’ll never take any risk! that’s why you have to think with your heart. think, think!”

• oH HO aH HA *rubs hands in glee* D RA M A

• you: “but taking risks will get you into trouble!”

• sungwoon: “well that’s because you’re a goody-two-shoes!”

• you: “says the one who hasn’t skipped school before.”

• him: “says the one who never fails to hand up your homework on time.”

• you both: “sAYS THE ONE-“

• jisung, exasperatedly: “ALRIGHT CLASS, LET’S SETTLE DOWN, NO FIGHTING BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE UNDERAGE.” 

• ok but he’s secretly shipping you guys together because oo you both noticed each other’s habits in school mHmMmMmMmm!m

• anyway

• that was the beginning of the hatred between the two of you,, you were like bij what the feck 

• queueing for food in the cafeteria? sungwoon secretly slips in front of you when you're distracted,, talking to your friends

• you confront him about it - but he acts like he doesn't know anything even though the small smirk on his face tells you otherwise,, and that infuriated you to no end

• having lessons? you turn behind and ‘accidentally’ knock over his pencil case to pass him papers teachers give out 

• you feel bad whenever he has to pick everything back up but your pride ain't gonna let you stoop that low to help the enemy so you just kind of just signal to your lab partner baejin to help him and he's always ʘ‿ʘ because he knows something’s up but only for a moment as he remembers you have the video of him headbanging on top of a table once because he didn't hear you entering his dorm room,,,bUT THATS A STORY FOR ANOTHER TIME

• however,, one day when you were going home after long gruelling hours in prison (jk school), you decided to take a detour to a convenience store since you are a thirstin’ and hungry hoe 

• after spending eons deciding on which snack to buy (you ended up buying one of each of the five types you painstakingly shortlisted), you finally decided to go and pay

• bUT GUESS WHO YOU SAW ????? (cues the ‘no shit, sherlock’s)

• yes it is,,, HA SUNGWOON1!1!1!!1!1!1!!

• but he wasn't alone

• was he with a girlfriend????? boyfriend????

• NO!!

• he was with an old lady

• and well, being the nosy person you are, you crept closer forward to figure out what they're saying in front of a pissed off cashier while pretending to look at the drinks

• old lady: “i’m sorry, i do not have enough money to pay for everything. are you sure there's no discount for the elderly? i have the card with me-”

• cashier, rudely cuts in: “this is the second time you're asking me that, and the answer is. still. no. fix your hearing, will you?”

• sungwoon: “fix you manners, will you? i’ll pay for her as well so shut the hell up and start being polite, will you?”

• the mildly stunned cashier decided to shut the hell up and started being polite; scanning their items and even bowed to them after they left.

• however, all you noticed was the blinding smile sungwoon gave to the lady.

• it made you feel things

• good things

• something sort of like…butterflies in your stomach

• your mind tells you to sTOP THINKING OF FRATERNISING WITH YOUR ENEMY THAT’S A BIG NO-NO

• …but your heart speaks otherwise

• you decided to leave the store after purchasing your goods (not without giving the cashier a stink eye) not long after ,, and surprise, surprise!

• you knocked your forehead against the chin of someone (that someone has an unbelievably sharp chin and it probably left a dent in your skull) coming into the store

• and it was,,, sungwoon?? again??

• him: “wait, you…were in there the whole time?”

• you: *blinks* *nods dazedly*

• him: “oh…um, i, um forgot to buy my milk and you’re, um, blocking the entrance?”

• you: “oh.” *doesn’t budge*

• you, 10 seconds later: “youdidwellbacktheregoodjobokbye” *runs away*

• you realised that that was actually your first conversation with him that didn't include any fighting…and you screwed it up 

• but why do you even care about that?? like, who cares if you talk to him??

• “you do.” your smol beating heart whispers.

• and that was the day you started falling for him.

• you started noticing how he always seemed to pick up your pen whenever you try some cool tricks which often resulted in it flying backwards (and hitting him once but you swear it was an accident)

• how he never fails to try his best and give you constructive feedback whenever the teacher told you guys to switch papers to mark (even though he’ll always add in some snarky remarks like “hah betcha didn't listen in class”)

• how he defends his friends when they get laughed at for not knowing how to answer questions at times 

• how his lips look so full and cloud-like 

• but what about him, then? does he feel the same?

• honestly,, the day you ran away after complimenting was the incident that really got him thinking that hey i’m really am whipped

• yes that's rIGHT

• he liked you even before that incident because you looked cute bickering with him (he thought you resembled a smol angry bird)

• and that day just,, confirmed his suspicions that he really likes you

• but he was scared,,

• that you’ll reject him because in his opinion,, you looked like you hated him a lot

• he had no idea how to rectify that because honestly bothering you was the only way he could keep talking to you 

• bUt hAh jokes on both of you guys because you like each other 

• hOWEVER, THERE WAS A PROBLEM

• none of you are budging to make the first move even though you guys keep staring at each other across the cafeteria 

• small accidental (🤔🤔) brushes of hands when passing down assignments make you feel fuzzy inside 

• shy smiles are now exchanged instead of mock glares anD eveRyoNe around y’all is just like “feck this tension between you guys, i’ll die before y’all even kiss”

• and you're just “…hAhh no he doesn't like me…NOT THAT I LIKE HIM EITHER” (baejin: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

• to make sure that everyone lives to see you guys become an item,, sungwoon’s and your friends decided to hatch a plan to get you guys together (they deadass created a group chat for it called ‘we are gonna make this happen’ what jokes)

• …that's why you find yourself pacing up and down the garden in your school (it's monstrous and no lie you were kinda afraid of it but nvm) because your bestie told you to meet her there after eating lunch and you're just like ?? i thought you had a meeting 

• her: stfu nobody asked for your opinion jUst gO aLonG wiTh tHe fLoW jk i love you

• when you finally heard the crunching of leaves and twigs, you launched into your rant like bRUH I’VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR TWENTY MINUTES WHY ARE-

• unknown: “…sorry?”

• you, a stuttering and blushing mess: “oh-h sor-ry i thought you were my b-best friend because i was supposed to b-be meeting her here.”

• sungwoon, a tad shyly: “wait, what? my friends told me to meet them here too!”

• you: “…oh. guess we have to wait together…then.”

• after five minutes of agonising awkwardness (istg the both of you were dying to speak but it was like there was this invisible barrier), you couldn't take it anymore 

• you: “um, so-”

• sungwoon, at the same time, loudly: “UM, SO-“

• you: “ok you go first”

• him: “no you go first”

• you: “no YOU go first”

• him: “fine”

• you: “fine”

• you: “why aren't you speaking????”

• you, looking over worriedly at the flustered boy: “did you become mute??? are you sick?? your ears are turning red!!!!!”

• him, after a one minute mental pep talk: “okay so you're one of the dumbest persons i've ever met but you're also one of the prettiest too and i've been waiting to say this for the past few months but i really like you a lot but i know that you hate me and want me to be banished to the other side of the world and i'll back off if you don't like me which is a highly possible answer but i like you a lot and fuck why am i rambling”

• you: “wait shut up and let me process what you just said”

• you: *processes for a long time because yOU CANT BELIEVE YOUR CRUSH LIKED YOU BACK*

• him: “…oooookay i’m about to be rejected i should skedaddle away right now”

• and honestly you felt like you could burst but no you can't burst because then you'll never be his girlfriend so you try to keep your guts from exploding 

• but sungwoon was already leaving ,,, you have to takE A C TION 

• so you ran up to him and told him that you actually reciprocate his feelings ,, and you gave him the best hug you could ever give (one that u reserved for only your soft toys and well technically sungwoon is as soft as a soft toy so it makes sense)

• HE WAS SHOCKED, SURPRISED, STUNNED, SHOOK, SURPRISED, SHOCKED (…what else i am not a living thesaurus ffs) 

• his heart was doing that little jump thingy whenever he was around you like “!1!1!!1!????!1!!!!” and he was so happy he wanted to turn around and kiss you but 

• AT THAT MOMENT BEFORE YOU GOT TO TASTE HIS CLOUD LIKE LIPS

• you heard the rustling of leaves and a group of people climbed out of their hiding spots in bushes, behind plants, trees, a random beach chair

• daniel: HEY HEY HEY KEEP IT PG-13 OR THE POLICE WILL COME

• baejin: yEA WE HAVE A BABY HERE *points to daehwi*

• jihoon: and we won't want to scar our eyes lololol no offence to you y/n this is directed to our hyung

• your bestie: i KNEW THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA

• ,,,and that was the end of your fiasco in the garden (not without those bright smiles from your boyfriend that could actually save the world and a few pecks sneaked in) 

• BUT IT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE CUTEST RELATIONSHIP EVER WITH SUNGWOON, AN ANGEL,,

• and you realised that hey you thought with your heart when you confessed to him lmao

[nothingnicetosaysitnexttome]

90 Day Fiance: Season 7, Episode 4

Ooooh chile. The biggest takeaways for me this episode were thank goodness for Anny/Robert and Anna/Mursel b/c the rest of y’all sleeping on your responsibility to entertain. Let’s start with the worst and get to the best and by best I mean (5 dumpster fires out of 5 dumpster fires)

MIKE and NATALIE

We start with Mike leaving his beloved ranch in RURAL Washington state to the best side character to emerge on this show-Beau. Seriously his 10 seconds on screen was the highlight of this reel. We then flash to Natalie and her two friends in Ukraine (umm...have I been saying it wrong for years by saying-the Ukraine?) who are imitating human women going shopping. No joke, this is some earth girls are easy shit but with a gender swap. When Natalie yelled “vote!” on the dress to her two friends I had to check if they were blinking. We then get some background on Natalie via ‘exposition friend’ who she knows from work. Okay, big request to 90 day, alongside their country can you please put their profession? Everyone always says “job” “work” I NEED to know what these people are paid to do. Thank you, TLC. Natalie used to be married to a man who owned a big business. He could spoil her and give her all she wants. I needed them to call in a shady editor over from the early Rupaul’s Drag Race series to pull up some footage of the ranch. Something tells me Natalie gon be bustin out

We also hear Natalie talk about how Mike had a weight issue and that was important to her because she is such an active person. Judging by the pictures they were showing before I think Mike’s in for some serious body-shaming. He arrives and says “look at my cute little girl” and I almost vommed. Then he described her in the bedroom for a solid 60 seconds going through the entire motions of acting out a tigress and I projectile vomited everywhere. No surface in this house was left untouched. He then says hi to her mom who adores him even though neither of them can speak a word to each other and I suspect it is because the mom knows this man is her daughter’s ticket out of this home and they head off to play tigress meets the... I can’t I can. not.

MICHAEL and JULIANA

Unless I blacked out which -let’s be real is possible-they were in this episode for a solid three minutes. The kids continue to bring on wisdom well beyond their years and Juliana thinks it is a smart idea to style her hair and the daughter’s hair the same. The princess Leigh do only makes her look even younger. The kid’s bi-o-log-i-cal mother shows up and iconically states: “some women may be intimidated by someone so young, so tall, so skinny, so gorgeous, so intelligent, so traveled but I don’t have time for that.” And I said let the preacher say amen! She then says to Juliana there will be no parenting for you which- if I was 20- I’d be like fine with me brah y’all have it. I take “not mothering” to mean I’m never gonna discipline these kids, pay for anything they gotta do, and when they wanna stay up all night cool step-not mom is gonna allow it.

BLAKE and JASMIN

So we are introduced to Blake and Jasmin. It was very hard to focus because this man had straight-up JT NYSYNC bleached to high heavens Ramen hair on top and a Michael B Jordan beard in black on the bottom. But he starts describing going on a dating app after getting divorced at a young age and I’m like this looks promising. They’re about the same age, they’re both attractive, she comes from Finland which people are not fleeing in droves (in fact girl can I get trade citizenship with you- don’t ask why- it rhymes with Rump) and then a couple red flags come in each with a full music stop. The first is that this grown man lives with his parents which seems to be this season’s theme. As soon as he said that I was like hold up- hold the phone. And this is not a Norman Bates situation like Colt-e and Larissa where he is living there because his mom is his everything. This is a-I’m poor as hell and this “music thing” is me “uploading tik toks on the regular thing.” So how is he paying for this visa? The second was that Jasmin’s sister won the green card lottery and lives ten mins from Blake’s house.This got me thinking back to the  dating app they met on like hold up-he said he didn’t realize she didn’t even live in America which means this feisty minx right here probably put up like a 10-mile radius around her sister’s house. Maaaan, don’t hate the playa hate the game. Annnyyywaaay the sister and Blake drive to the airport together and the sister seems like she is not quite present. She mentions being excited to get to know Blake followed by him asking her several questions and her with the lights on, but no one home. I was very curious if Jasmin was going to have the same energy and surprise! She does. When they get back to the hotel room he says they have some alone time what should they do and she responds “shower and sleep” SAVAGE.

TANIA and SYNGIN

Now Tania pulls a move here that is a classic 90-day fiance guaranteed fail. As someone who has been watching the series since day 1 you never spend the first few days in a place waaaay better than the nowherelseville you live in. So after taking him to NY to stay in a hotel they go to CT to her mom’s shed. That’s no shade to CT but you could take me to a shed in the south of France and I’d be like I’m out. She should’ve had them share a room in an elderly home for a few days and been like surprise! private shed! On top of that she told him it was ready and it ain’t. And on top on top of that she is bossing him around to get the work done as fast as possible exactly how she wants it. If I was Syngin, I would’ve gone straight: 

and been like if we living in a shed it’s Syngin’s shed, Syngin’s rules, and Syngin’s way of life. But instead, they have an explosive fight on day 4, which is always great when you have 90 days.

ROBERT and ANNY

Now this couple is taking me on the roller coaster I was promised. This is the enterTAINTment a bitch needs! One minute I’m team Robert, the next minute I’m team Anny (to be fair I am like 85% Team Robert but you get the point). So it starts off with them going off to meet Bryson’s grandparents. The mom is out of the picture but the grandparents are not and Anny is so upset about it. I am like why is she acting so weird about this and saying they need to leave the past in the past.

Then grandma shows up....

and grandma is fooooooooiiiiiiine as all hell. I was like ooohhhh got it Anny, got it. Also, is Bryson’s mom 12? Nana Stephanie proceeds to have a very rational- if not a little invasive -conversation with Anny who is not having her at all. She is at an 11 straight out the gate. And when Stephanie reveals herself to be a porn star (Diamond Foxxx-you’re welcome) Anny is all that’s disgusting she’s uneducated. And that is some bullshit. If Stephanie wants to be a porn star, by all means, do you. Robert then takes Anny to a restaurant when she really should be in bed with some Theraflu. In this hoarse voice, Anny pulls out a bunch of screenshots of Robert’s exes on his fbook. I'm on the fence on this one. For the most part, I think it's fine if you keep up pics from old relationships but I suppose I could see why it might bother someone. Then Robert reveals Bryson is not his only child. Oh no-the man has FIVE children by four different women. That was a full mic-drop moment for me. I was like hey umm DJ run that back. Did you say five? Four baby-mamas? And where are these children?  They have been portraying this man as this savior single father and did not let us know about the other kids until episode FOUR. Well done, TLC. You go for that Emmy.

ANNA and MURSEL

With this couple I simply cannot. I have zero idea what this man’s motivations are. He does not seem into Americans or American culture and he does not seem into Anna. Is he a hostage? Honestly, I do not know. They go on a bee-keeping adventure which for them is foreplay but the man is shading Anna’s bee-keeping abilities!

She is trying to use this whole experience to set off a night with some bubbly and Boyz II men playing and he is not getting it. at. all. because neither of them understands a word the other one says. She’s all-”does my bee-keeping make you horny baby?” and he's like “bees, yes.” They’re then on their way to what I think is her bridal shower and she is telling him to talk to her friends but she literally has to hand motion “talk.” He arrives and understands nothing and no one commenting on how in Turkey only men have bachelor parties. Oh my non-alcohol drinking friend you have yet to see a bachelorette party. All her friends are confused because these two can barely communicate like even on the most basic of levels. In terms of relationships via google translator, I would put them BELOW Paul and Karine and that's a low ass standard.

So that is this week’s episode of 90 day fiancee! RIP to Angela and Michael and Sasha and Emily because they were not shown for a single second. We keep you in our prayers.

[5hfanfiction]

Falling Over - Chapter 33

“Girlfriend? Really I mean I’m probably not as mad as Dinah but I know y’all didn’t make this shit official before even saying there was something going on,” Normani huffs out, giving them her best diva look as she flips hair over her shoulder and goes to sit on the bed next to Lauren’s feet. “I mean hell, I knew obviously but still.”

“Mani we didn’t tell anyone okay? It was just kinda sudden and we didn’t want to make a big deal out of it is all,” Camila explains as she goes back to get under the covers and sit up next to Lauren against the headboard, partially cuddled into her side but not wanting to be obnoxious. “We’re taking it slow so we didn’t need anything like you guys interfering.”

“If you’re taking it slow how come what I’m assuming are Lauren’s pants are on the ground?” Ally asks in an innocent, oblivious tone as she moves to sit next to the bed in a bean bag chair, smiling innocently at Camila who glares at her when Dinah and Normani burst into laughter at the comment.

“Shut up,” Lauren says from where she’s burying her face into her hands to hide her blush. “Jeans aren’t comfortable to cuddle in, that’s all,” she pouts and the three girls just laugh harder.

“Sure Jan,” Dinah teases as she finally calms herself down enough to have a conversation.

“Teasing aside, how long have you two been official?” Normani asks as she stops giggling too. Lauren is red as a tomato and the girls figure teasing each of the girls alone will be more funny.

“Lauren asked me on Friday,” Camila answers with a bright smile as she clasps Lauren’s hand in her own. “So almost a week.”

“Hold up though how long have you been a thing?” Dinah interrupts the smiling couple because details are important. She may have known a little about them having a thing but Camila hadn’t told her much other than the fact that they kissed a lot and she liked the girl a lot.

“Since we went to Connecticut with Zayn to meet up with his old client, so maybe a month ish if I remember correctly?” Lauren estimates looking at Camila for help who shrugs in return. Counting days is hard and honestly both girls have been so consumed in each other that they haven’t had any time to keep track of anything other than what the other’s lips feel like and how much warmer bed is with another body wrapped around them. (a/n that’s fancy talk for I don’t remember when that was ssorry ;)))))))

“A month?” Dinah asks, her jaw slightly agape and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “You mean you two little nasty gays were getting it on for a month and I didn’t get any details other than a few?”

“Dinah-” Normani tries to cut off the girl jokingly acting offended because god she can be ridiculous sometimes but Dinah doesn’t let her get a word in.

“Mila I had years of no news about any of your life and now that I’m back this is how you treat me?” Dinah questions with a voice full of joking offense and pretending to wipe some tears from her eyes. Despite not wanting to be teased Camila and Lauren both can’t hold in their chuckles along with everyone else at Dinah’s words and acting. The girl really is too extra for her own good. “God it’s like we’re not even friends anymore.”

“Dinah first of all there aren’t even a ton of details to be told so you know them most, second of all,” Camila speaks as Lauren giggles into her arm still at Dinah’s act, “we didn’t tell anybody - well except Zayn cause of the whole mind reading thing, which by the way Lo you could’ve warned me about that, I didn’t know until he answered my internal debate about what rice to get at Chipotle last week - but that’s not the point you guys are the first to know we’re official and that should be enough,” Camila says, blushing slightly when she gets off topic and Lauren chuckles with her.

“Okay I’m not salty, I swear, I’m just rethinking our entire friendship,” Dinah crosses her arms over her chest and glares but the rest of the girls fall into giggles.

“Well I for one am happy for you two, Mila I know you haven’t dated a lot so congrats on your first relationship,” Ally smiles and Camila is grateful that they’re shifting in conversation because she missed her friend. “But tell me Mila, what else is there from the recent to update me on?”

Her and Ally have been talking since Camila got her number from Normani on one of the first weeks there, but she hasn’t been as up to date in the spooky stuff because Camila didn’t think all of that was something you tell people on the phone. Ally was updated on what she missed during the high school years, that Camila was the haunted one and her house was not. After crying a little bit because “that means you could’ve stayed” and “I’m so sorry you had to go through that Mila I wish I could’ve hugged you through it all”, Ally was also caught up to date in the fact that Camila had managed to make some friends of her own and was now living with a sexy, mysterious ghost hunter - Dinah’s words - and as safe as she can be.

However the four girls who went to Boston College had talked about it and decided that Ally, being Ally, would get too emotional and end up driving down to visit them and drown the whole city in her tears, and although she’d get emotional right now too, they now knew more details and could tell Ally what was going on with the fear that came along with uncertainty.

Sure, right now Camila wasn’t in the best standing with Dorothy and her nightmares and don’t even start on the whole mirror thing, but at least this way they could explain everything to Ally and only have to console her for what they definitely know, and not have to comfort her over their lack of knowledge.

The girls all lived through the experience of the unknown and it was scary to say the least. Lauren and Camila took things the hardest but the weeks of constant nightmares lasted a while and Normani and Dinah may have not been there but they weren’t oblivious to it. Them, Harry, and Lucy were all well aware of the issues Camila was facing and knew better than to bring them up with her, wanting to help get her mind off of the bad things, but in the end of the day they were all insanely worried for her well being, especially after she told them Chord had his worse times around now.

Lauren’s job is confusing too. Normani was mad at her for a few days because she didn’t know why she wasn’t doing anything to help Camila prevent this ghost from taking over, but there’s so much more to it than Lauren having “powers”. Lauren can help, she definitely knows how to and she’s definitely able to.

The issue is that helping Camila lose the ghost will negatively affect Camila as well.

The ghost is basically like a leach. A leach that latches on and in Camila’s case it couldn’t get too good a grip but it was always present. As time goes on it’s attachment becomes more permanent, more stable, much more connected and it’s residency in it’s victim becomes stronger.

Now a leach can be pulled off pretty easily really, but not think of it on a large scale, something that attaches itself to your soul, your mind, your entire body. Unfortunately trying to pull it off of Camila will leave a mark, and Lauren doesn’t want to pull until she has to. You see, if the ghost is more in Camila’s mind, the nightmares will be worse, but the chance that Lauren will get the ghost out is higher because there will be more of its presence for her to grasp onto. If Lauren tried right away to get the damn thing away from Camila then most likely she’d end up messing with Camila’s head instead of the ghost.

The math of it is confusing, Lauren took classes for years to figure out when and how to pull, how is the easy part but when isn’t too easy. If she pulls too early she’ll end up hurting Camila, if she pulls too late she’ll miss her shot. That’s why having Zayn as her unofficial partner is helpful, once the ghost is getting more over powering Zayn will hear less of Camila and more of Dorothy.

Lauren knows how to tell when it’s time without him, she just has to be cautious because it’s entirely too easy to mess that up, and even if she didn’t care as much as she does for Camila, Lauren doesn’t want to be responsible for anyone having to go through more pain than necessary, or worse than that. “Well Ally how about we talk about the ghost stuff after dinner later, we’re going to eat soon and I don’t want to cut out any important facts about our girl’s wellbeing,” Lauren answers Ally, noticing all of the friends share the same nervous look at the thought of telling their ball of sunshine.

“Yeah that sounds good, plus I don’t think I’d be able to eat enough after hearing what you’ve had to go through these past few months,” Ally replies with a gentle smile towards Camila who shoots her a grateful look.

Ally isn’t dumb. They haven’t directly told her anything that could make her think Camila is in danger. They also haven’t made it clear that she doesn’t know the whole story. But Ally isn’t an idiot.

When she first found out that Camila was haunted and not the house (well first if you don’t count crying like a baby) Ally did as much research as she could. She made the mistake of looking up “individual hauntings” first, which led her to death lists and facts about how almost all haunted individuals died in infancy or elderly stages. She became slightly emotional at the images and stories (okay very emotional) and had to take a break to watch The Office to cheer herself up, but after an hour of laughing and trying not to think about it, she realized Camila was a teenager, and that if she had survived infancy then she could survive to an old age.

That being said, Ally researched “haunted teens” and soon enough she’d read up on all of the limited stories there were. Based on the facts Camila had told her about high school Ally suspected that Camila would be going through a lot any time soon and the hesitancy when Laly talked to one of the girls answered her question. She wasn’t mad at all that they were withholding information because she understood and was actually rather grateful that they didn’t scar her with all the negatives they were getting. But spending a week with camila in person was the present and Ally knew she had to get the answers that she wanted.

“So, tell us about Troy,” Camila breaks the silence they’d fallen under, excited to push the bad stuff for later and spend the now catching up with her long time friend.

They catch up about Ally’s gossip while Dinah and Normani occasionally but in their own stories about dates until they’re interrupted.

“Karla?” Sinu’s voice is heard and a knock at the door along with it breaks the girl’s conversation. “Dinner is out on the table and me and your father are downstairs so you girls can come get seats anytime you’re ready to come, preferably soon cause I’m hungry,” she jokes as she pokes her head in before turning back down the stairs.

“Thanks Mami, we’ll be right down,” Camila calls after her as she lifts her head from where it’s been resting on Lauren’s lap. “Okay you guys go downstairs we gotta get dressed,” Camila orders as she picks herself off of the bed and gestures towards the door for her friends to leave.

“Oh I see how it is Mila you and your girl gotta catch some shades before we eat, well I’m about to take all the good stuff so sorry not sorry,” Dinah pouts as she pulls Ally up out of her bean bag seat and heads towards the exit, a chuckling Normani and Ally following.

“It’s Cuban food so it’s all good!” Lauren calls after them and Camila laughs before falling back into bed next to her.

“Hey,” Camila says softly, sitting next to Lauren but turned so she can face her and sit up at the same time.

“Hey back,” Lauren whispers, leaning in to peck her girlfriend’s mouth quickly before pulling away. “How are you feeling? Did the downtime earlier help at all?”

“It did,” Camila answers, leaning her forehead onto Lauren’s and gently brushing her hair out of her face. “Thank you for lying with me, but we really should get downstairs so you,” Camila starts and jumps up to grab Lauren’s jeans, “have to put these back on.”

“Buzzkill,” Lauren murmurs, stepping out of bed to pull them out of Camila’s hands. “I like you better when you’re trying to get me out of my pants,” she teases and Camila laughs along as she watches Lauren pull up her jeans.

“Mmm I like that better too, but let’s save it for tonight,” Camila agrees, pulling Lauren in once she’s clothed and pecking her again with a chaste kiss.

They make their way downstairs to find the three girls sitting with Camila’s father and while her mother is probably busy getting the last of the food out onto the table. Lauren notices and immediately goes towards the kitchen to help Sinu and Camila smiles as she watches her girl go towards the door and grabs an open seat with another next to it for Lauren.

“So mija, tell me all about your classes,” Alejandro says once everybody notices her entrance and ends their previous conversation. “I’ve heard from these girls already and apparently BC lives up to all it’s been recognized for,” he continues, smiling at his daughter.

“It’s good it really is, some crazy professors but everybody has those,” Camila replies, spotting her mother carrying a tray into the room from behind her dad with Lauren trailing with a basket of biscuits because every Thanksgiving needs biscuits and a plate covered in foil or something that’s probably delicious. “Mami is there anything else to carry?” she asks as the two women place the last things on the table.

“Nope, Lauren helped me finish with it so now all that’s left is the eating part,” she smiles as she takes a seat next to Alejandro and pecks him on the cheek as everyone begins setting their plates.

Lauren smiles at Camila as she sits down next to her, aware of the people in the room so she doesn’t move to kiss Camila but she does reach a hand under the table to squeeze Camila’s sweetly.

They spend the dinner catching up and eating the delicious Cuban food that Camila’s family provided for the occasion. Lauren doesn’t remember the last time she had a home cooked meal since she lost the closeness with her family once she was diagnosed and sent to school. They were kind of freaked out by her abilities to be honest and it doesn’t bother Lauren as much anymore but the first year of adjusting to them being almost afraid of her was tough. Then she got caught up in all the work and school she was going through she she was the reason they couldn’t mend the mess they had made but before that one of her best memories was from the constant sunday night family dinners her family and grandparents would have with food like this.

Camila eats everything she can which isn’t surprising but in the midst of her frenzy she does notice the look of nostalgia on Lauren’s face so she goes back to holding her hand (which she let go to eat more) because Lauren is worth a slower intake of any food, even the best of the best.

By the time dinner is done everyone is mainly caught up with the basics of the “school” part of school. The parents had been curious since they’d only had snippets of how Camila was doing, but they were also wondering about the other girls who they’d grown to know as family over the years in Miami and Lauren who both Cabello parents considered family too now based on how good care she took of Camila.

There was an obvious lingering tension though about Dorothy and once everyone was stretching and getting ready for dessert Alejandro thought it was time to break the ice.

“So, I know this isn’t really something fun to talk about but we’re all pretty worried about you two,” he starts, putting his food to the side so they can grasp the seriousness of what he’s about to bring into play. “Lauren I trust you with my daughter entirely, but I need to know everything you do right now - everything you’re able to give of course,” he explains, understanding from Sinu that Lauren doesn’t tell them every single detail to prevent unnecessary worry.

That’s mainly the stuff that they wouldn’t understand if they tried. Lauren knows from experience and school that when people don’t know what something means they tend to see it as a negative and freak out before you can attempt to explain. But in this situation there isn’t a lot that Lauren is going to keep private.

Frankly, she has told Camila everything and both girls didn’t see the point in hiding the fact that they’re about to get hit by a tsunami. She hadn’t been planning to tell Camila because she thought emotions would interfere, but knowing Camila the way she did, she knew Camila would be better off knowing how bad the current was looking. She’d reacted bad at first, not ba but sad, crying and hugging Lauren for all she was worth and crying some more and trying to sleep it out but failing when another nightmare hit. When Lauren woke her up from it though she’d reacted better, saying she’d do whatever it took to make it easier and encouraging Lauren by believing her ability to fix this.

“Well things aren’t too good,” Lauren says bluntly, not wanting to lie to them at all so they know exactly what they’re about to be up against. “They’re not at the worst possible yet and for that I’m very grateful, but the nightmares as you all know have been pretty harsh lately and this past week Camila had another run in with a mirror.”

Lauren was scared to explain this part, nervous that Alejandro would be mad at her for leaving their daughter alone at all, and even more scared about possibly having to explain why she wasn’t home. Camila however had reassured Lauren that they’d be thankful that she was there at all and they probably wouldn’t even question why she wasn’t there.

“I got there before her mind was captured but it was a close call,” Lauren continues and Camila squeezes her hand under the table when she tenses at the look on Alejandro’s face. But he doesn’t interrupt, just nods for her to continue, the rest of the table listening intently. “With my partner Zayn’s help I was able to access the damage and there wasn’t too much but the nightmares are worse and the bruising has basically stopped except for her the bruises from the nightmares on her neck and wrists.”

“That’s good right?” Normani cuts in with her eyebrows raised, everyone else nods in agreement but shares the curious face at the answer, except for Ally who knows what that means from her research, she has a look of terror on her face.

“Not exactly…” Camila answers and now it’s Lauren holding her hand tighter to comfort her, knowing Camila is trying to be strong but actually freaking out.

“The ghost used to use her back to try to get entrance to her. The spine is like the control center of the body functions and such so ghosts start there, hence the bruises that littered her back all the time. But once the ghost finds a better entrance it moves on,” Lauren explains anxiously, sympathizing with the way everyone’s face drops at the news. “We’re not sure yet if the entrance it thinks that it has found will work but it might, it might not. I’m watching her carefully though,” Lauren continues, not wanting them to be sad but knowing this is a sad topic.

She’s not as worried as she was a few weeks ago though. She had thought her feelings for Camila would get in the way of her work, but now that she’s told Camila everything she feels like her feelings will do the opposite. Caring so much about Camila will bring her best work forward, because where normal people would never be able to play with their loved one’s mind in the way she might have to Camila’s, Lauren isn’t exactly normal and they both understand that it’s not Camila she’s fighting, it’s that bitch Dorothy that won’t hop off Camila’s dick.

“I’m watching her closely, and I know this is scary for you all but I know what I’m doing,” Lauren says slowly so everyone can try to accept what could happen any day now. “I hate having to tell people this but it could be any week now and when I see the need to take action I’m doing so immediately. Zayn is in Maine right now with some family but we’ve already set up the first rounds of medications and tools I’ll need and Camila is strong so we can do this,” Lauren finishes, now awaiting peoples replies to the most recent news.

“Thank you,” Alejandro is the first to talk, looking up from his lap where he had been solemnly staring, tears brimming his eyes and face flushed red, and Camila’s heart could break at seeing her dad like that but she also sees trust in his gaze and she’s happy that he trusts Lauren and Zayn to handle this. “Thank you for taking care of her,” he continues and Sinu knew most of that so she isn’t as shaken up but she nods along with him. “Really Lauren we appreciate it more than you could ever know, and you keep giving us updates once you’re back at school okay? We don’t care if it gets too brutal to handle over the phone okay?”

Normani and Dinah are having a similar look to Alejandro at the news and Ally is full on crying because reuniting with her best friend should have been simple and easy and why do things go so wrong?

“Of course sir,” Lauren replies, knowing at this point keeping any information from Camila’s parents would be cruel to them. “I’ll tell you anything that happens,” and Camila doesn’t want to get emotional because she knows that if she can hold it together now Lauren will let her cry into her shoulder later on.