#I’ve been to events of hers a few times but I’m like always kinda starstruck seeing Julia Nash irl *__*

[rivetgoth]

I know my primary faves weren’t ever technically on the label (I mean. aside from side projects) but my god Wax Trax! broadly just so represents my all-time favorite moment in music literally ever. The “Stainless Steel Providers” music video, everything Jim and Dannie stood for. Groovie Mann’s scream at the start of “A Daisy Chain 4 Satan.” The style, the sex appeal, the drugs, the experimentation coupled with both the edge and the fun, the uncompromising queerness and disco sensibilities… Engaging with it all for the first time it felt like I was discovering the coolest music that had ever been made. And I still feel that way. Read Chris Connelly’s autobiography btw.

[crescentsteel]

To All the Boys I’ve Loved - The Popular Guy (1)

route: Tooru Oikawa genre: fluff wc: 3.4k

This is a collab from our server @babythotshq. 

Experience other routes here. 

Route masterlist.

For the last time, he took in the sight of the volleyball gym. This is the last day he’ll ever step foot in one again. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of the place while reliving the memories he gained for the last three years. Training, wins, and losses – glory and bitterness, he recalls them all with no regret.

Yet, he found it best to leave the sport behind.

After having his fill, he turned around and found a girl waiting for him. At first glance, it looks like she’s going to confess. She had the look — blushing cheeks, starstruck eyes, and a letter, only it was not just one letter. She was holding one too many envelopes.

“Um. Oikawa-san?” 

He smiles, his signature one when greeting his fans, “Yes?”

She hands him a brown envelope that has ‘Oikawa’ written on it. He usually knows how to react to letters given to him. He’d be ‘happy and excited’ to receive them, but something tells him that this is not a usual letter. 

“It’s not from me, but uhh, can I have a photo with you?” Her voice was a pitch higher as she voiced out her request.

“Of course.” 

She took out her phone with excited hands and they both posed with peace signs. Before she gives him the envelope, she hurriedly gets a pen and scribbles something on the envelope. After she hands it to him, she bows and walks away.

He usually does not bother with fan letters these days. They say the same things anyways, just written differently. Yet, he has a strong feeling that he must read this letter. For the first time in a long time, he’s thrilled to open a fan letter.

When he gets home, he plops himself on his futon and carefully opens the envelope.

Hey,

I know this is weird since we’ve never talked except for that night but hear me out. I kind of like you, not in the sense where i know everything there's to know about you but in a way where if I see you at random times of the day, you just kinda lift my mood…

Maybe it's just because I find you inspiring? 

You were kind of an all around guy, super nice, with a fun personality to the boot. As much as I liked you, I envied you too. How could you make everything look so easy? As an overachiever who grew up burning her candles every damn night, you made it all look effortless and to add it all up, you didn’t even brag! How annoying you are. 

What’s even more annoying is that I can see your profile on magazine spreads and ads as if seeing your handsome face in school wasn’t enough.

I hate how it seems like something you’d do, yet at the same time, something you wouldn’t. Get what I mean? I thought your passion was for Volleyball, leaving modeling just as a hobby, but you do that exceptionally well too.

Indeed you were out of reach and definitely on another level.

Yet that night when I first got to talk to you on the farewell dance, you weren’t on another level. You were just you and it made me realize that maybe I should take a page off your book, “It’s all about a leap of faith, Y/N.” you said.

A leap of faith. Such words from a guy I’ve been crushing on wasn’t something I’d expect. I always thought you played safe, stayed behind safety bars but when I saw that dangerous glint in your eyes, I realized, you never did. 

You were always like that, people were just so caught up with the idea of the model/volleyball player with good grades that they never saw past that. They don’t think about the devotion and commitment you must’ve poured to be good at everything you do. 

I know I won’t be seeing you again and it’s kind of sad to be honest since you kind of brighten up my day but I’ll remember you, especially those words. Probably even buy a signed poster of you someday.

Take care always,

Y/N

Oikawa’s eyes remain at the signature of the letter with surprise and amusement. Y/N? The awkward, timid girl from the dance? He reads the letter once again just to make sure he’s read it right. 

He knows how popular he is, both in and out of school. He’s always approached by random people, mostly girls. Those who greet him and ask for pictures on the streets he immediately forgets. But the students, he somehow can remember their faces, especially when he sees them frequently ogling him at school. Being the captain of the volleyball team while working as a model meant having fans cheer for him on the sides. He doesn’t mind of course. He’s used to it. He knows how to smile for them, talk to them, make them like him even more. 

By the time graduation was just around the corner, the faces of his fans at school were already familiar to him. So when you talked to him at the night of the dance, he had question marks looming on top of his head. Prior to that night, he had no idea who you are. He hasn’t seen you around. He just knew you were in the same year with him because it was the farewell dance for the seniors. 

That whole night was tiring. If it wasn’t the girls asking him to dance, it would be students asking to take selfies and/or asking for his number. He’s used to the adoration and he loves it, revels on it even. But that night was on another level. They didn’t care about his personal space anymore. The dance was their perfect excuse to hog him. 

So when he had the chance, he escaped from the place and took refuge in a restricted area. The dance took place only in the school grounds, so they had closed off certain rooms for equipment storage and preparation materials for the party. He snuck into one of the rooms. He didn’t bother turning on the lights since he did not want anyone noticing that someone might be there. 

He took a seat near the windows and looked at the main grounds from that room. The bonfire was lit in the middle of the place while students frolic around, having the time of their senior year.

He’s always at the center of everything he’s involved with and it was fucking awesome. But sometimes, just sometimes, it gets a little bit too rowdy. Once in a while, It’s nice to sit out like he was doing now and watch from the sidelines as students like him have their moments like this. 

The door suddenly opened, much to his dismay. Was he followed? He made sure he wasn’t. He’s a bit ticked off. Some fans really don’t know when to quit. Maybe he’s been too generous to them.

He heard someone trying to flick open the lights, but the room still remained dark. 

“Huh? The lights aren’t working?” The stranger said. He stayed in his place, hoping that he wouldn’t get noticed and be left alone. Although, the chances of that happening is really slim even though he knows that only the silhouette of his back can be seen from the way he was facing the light of the bonfire. 

Like he predicted, you notice him not long after. But what came out of you wasn’t what he was expecting. 

“Hey! Students are not allowed here. Go back to the grounds.”

He turns around from his seat to look at you. You squint at him, trying to make out his face that was hidden by shadows. But he sees you, how you walked slowly to him so you can identify who he was and how your face contorted from strict to horrified. 

That’s a first. 

Even though you didn’t know it was him, you could at least be glad that it was indeed him. 

As you’re closer now, he confirmed that you weren’t one of them. You didn’t follow him. You found him.

“O-Oikawa san?!”

He executes his ever pleasant smile. “Hi! Do you mind if I stay for just a few more minutes?” Surely, you can give him that. You do know him after all. “Um, well... Students shouldn’t be here.” You responded hesitantly. 

He wanted to applaud you for refusing. It’s been a while since someone denied him of a request, especially a girl. Nothing he could do about it though. He’d rather just find another hiding place instead of convincing you.

He stands up and heads for the door when you suddenly block his way and wave your hands frantically. “Wait wait. Uhh. Err.” You look around as you try to search for the words to say. “Before you leave. Can I ask you something?” Your face is flushed red as you put your hands together and fiddle with your thumbs, obviously nervous about what you were going to say. 

“How do you do it?”

His brows knit together in confusion.

 You must have realized how vague that sounded since you spoke again. “I mean, how are you so good at everything?” The admiration in your eyes wasn’t like the one he sees from everyone else. It was one that showed respect, as if you recognize the hard work he’s put in everything he does. And for once, it felt like someone perceived him as an actual human being. 

“What’s your name again?”

“I-I’m y/n l/n!.” You said a bit too loud with a shaking voice. It was funny.

You must be part of the farewell dance committee since you seemed like you were about to get something from the room for the event. You’re also wearing the school uniform, unlike everybody else who’s dolled up. What a waste. You’re kinda cute.

You’re at enough distance for his arms to reach you and pull you closer. He grabs your waist with his left hand and holds your hand with his right, getting you in a dance position. Your eyes widen. The fluster in your cheeks goes a shade deeper. Your whole body becomes rigid while your hands tremble at his touch. He can literally see your chest rise up and down from breathing too heavily. He almost wants to laugh at your reaction. 

“Oikawa-san?! What’re you doing?” you whisper in a panicked voice. 

He really wasn’t sure, but he felt like teasing you. “We’re still part of the farewell dance, yeah? Indulge me and I’ll indulge you.”

He starts swaying slowly. You follow clumsily with that look of uncertainty and nervousness still transparent in your whole face. He wonders what’s going on in your mind. A lot of others had desperately asked him to dance with them, which he all declined because accepting one invitation meant accepting all of the others. 

But within the small confines of this dark room, he can do as he pleases without any regard to mindful eyes.

“Why aren’t you looking at me though?” You grimace at his question. “I’m not used to being this close to good-looking people.” You bluntly said, your expression is still of discomfort. You really are interesting despite the aloofness you show him. 

Still, you moved with him to the faint rhythm of the music outside. 

“How I do it, you ask?”

That’s when you meet his gaze, your eyes curious and attentive to the next thing he’s about to say. Your whole body loosens up, as if you forgot that he was holding you.

“It’s all about a leap of faith.” He was awaiting the look of puzzlement in your eyes. He knew how obscure his answer was. 

But it didn’t come. Your eyes retained the same inquisitiveness they held before.

“How can you sound so sure about something uncertain?”

Smart girl. You clearly understood what he meant. Maybe he can give you a real answer, one that he hasn’t said in any interview for it showed a dark side of him that doesn’t sit well with his image.

“Hmmm. Between you and me, y/n, when I hit something,” he dips his head just a few inches from your ear. 

“I hit it.. until it breaks.”

He felt you shiver at his words. Then he let you go and patted your head while you were frozen in place. 

“Nice to meet you,” he said while exiting the dark room.

After that dance, he never saw you again. He didn’t think much of it. If he’d be honest, it’s like it never happened. There were no traces, no witnesses, only you two in the dimness of that enclosed room. The exchange you had was just as brief as well. 

But your letter, it ties up with what little words were said between the two of you. The admiration is just the surface of it. Beneath that was perceptiveness, envy, and compassion. Four different things melded coherently to give a refined message of encouragement, all in the form of this letter.

He has to see you. The letter needs to be answered. 

Only then he realizes that you’re both senior students who already graduated. He didn’t even see you on campus as students. How the fuck can he even find you now that he has no chance of seeing you at all?

He quickly gets the envelope to see anything that might be a clue to how he can find you.

And there it was. A number written hurriedly at the edge of the envelope with a note that said ‘call me’.

The corner of his lips shoot up. He’s a hundred percent it wasn’t your number. It couldn’t be you based on how refined you wrote that letter. 

It was the girl from earlier, but he doesn’t mind. At least you’re traceable now.

—

He was able to get your number from your sister in exchange for a video greeting. Unfortunately, your sister was texting non-stop so he had to block her number after he got what he wanted.

He didn’t text you yet. First, he wanted to see the university you decided to go to. It was one piece of information he managed to extract from your sister. 

He’ll take a look around first. He wanted to see what uni life is like since he’s not going to attend one. He couldn’t tell if it was a busy day or there’s this many people on a daily basis. A few minutes of walking around and he could already hear the murmurs in the background. 

‘He’s so hot.’  

‘Does he go here?’

‘He looks like a celebrity’

Well, it couldn’t be helped. It was him, Tooru Oikawa. Even if they don’t know who he is, his looks attract attention.

Maybe he should’ve worn his cap and facemask. Admirers will just get in the way of seeing you. Maybe he’ll just come back later. 

He’s about to dip when two girls approached him. “Hi! Are you a freshman like us?”

Too late. He should’ve left sooner. When one comes, they’ll start flocking at him right after. Since he’s already caught, it wouldn’t hurt to accommodate onlookers.

“No, sorry. I’m just visiting someone.” He replied warmly. Another girl comes his way, followed by another, and another. Yep, just like he anticipated.

“You’re looking for someone too?” One girl asked, then her friend whispered something to her. It was supposed to be a whisper but it was loud enough for him to hear. “These hot men better not be looking for the same girl. I swear I’ll lose it if they are.”

He remembers the other colored envelopes your sister was holding. 

Ahh. So he was not the only one, huh? The original plan was there was no plan. He just wanted to see you again and talk about the letter. But based on what he heard, he has competitors now. 

That just won’t do. 

He tuned out the girly muttering and looked for a way to flee from the scene. 

Among the crowd he was attracting, there you stood, paralyzed in the middle of the path with your eyes expanded in horror. 

Great! He found you.

He filled his lungs with air. 

“Yahoooooo! Y/N!” He waved enthusiastically at your direction which caused everyone else to look at you. Instead of acknowledging him, you took a step back, turned around, and half-ran away. 

You really are funny if you honestly thought you could outrun him.

“Excuse me, ladies. That’s her I came to visit.” He hears the dejected groans but pays them no mind as he makes his way to you.

With his long strides, he didn’t really have to put as much effort in chasing as you did in running away from him. He’s impressed at your dedication though. You didn’t even dare look back. That’s good for you. At least you won’t see him right behind you already. 

He wouldn’t mind following you a little bit more just to see how long you can last before you turn your head back and check where he is. But he needs to be the first recipient of the letter who gets to talk to you. He has an idea to throw off anyone who could possibly be around, waiting for their own chance to go talk to you.

He picks up the pace just a little so he can close in on you. When you are within reach, he loops an arm around you which causes you to stop dead on your tracks. 

“That’s not nice of you, y/n. You heard me calling you.” 

You didn’t have to look at him. He knows that you know it’s him. You gulp before facing him. A terrified look spread on your face upon seeing his, verifying that it was truly him. 

You looked around nervously, assessing the situation you were in. You saw something that unnerved you, but he couldn’t tell what it was. You suddenly remove his arm, only to take his hands.

You spoke with a worried expression.

“Come with me.”

You drag him haphazardly, leading him somewhere in the university. He has no idea what’s running in your head as he lets you take him away. Though, he doesn’t mind. You’re essentially the reason why he came anyways. 

You reach inside one of the buildings with less people. Still on full alert, your eyes skimmed the area before going inside one of the rooms, pulling him with you. Once inside, you let go of his hand.

Without catching your breath, you yelp at him. “Why are you here?!”

He reaches for his back pocket and takes out the brown envelope. “Cause of this.” He smiles sweetly while he waves the enclosed letter at you, then puts it back to where it came from. “Your sister’s a real gem for going out of her way to give it to me,” his statement drenched with irony. 

Instead of answering him, you walked three steps away and faced the wall. You softly knock your head against the wall, looking down as you mutter, “What did I do to deserve this?” Followed by another knock, “What did I do to deserve this?”

Before you can do it the third time, he moves toward you and places his back hand where your forehead is supposed to hit again. You look at him distressfully, not removing your forehead against his hand. “Why are you here?”

“I just told you why, Y/n-chan.”

You stand up straight and sigh wearily. “I mean why even bother? I’m sure you get tons of those on a regular basis.”

You were right. Among other letters, he only read yours. Even though you didn’t intend to send the letter, he thought you’d be at least glad that he went after you. Instead, you were questioning his decision of doing so. Not once in any of your limited interactions had you agreed with him. 

He really just wanted to talk to you, initially at least. But you prove to be more and more entertaining that he’s about to do something totally abrupt. 

He supports his weight by leaning his elbow against the wall where his hand is. He slightly tips his head to the side as his smile veers from pleasant to haughty.

“I bothered cause I want to ask you out.” 

Route masterlist.

Taglist (those in bold and crossed out can’t be tagged):

@sakusarights  @elianetsantana  @tetsujime  @kweenregent @ne-kuroo @restricted-illusion @avbreyissad @kac-chowsballs @aksteldesu @justatempo @barali.k @humanitysbiggestsimp @al3xx1s @kellesvt @isentsworld @daniella-uwu @bokuakadaily @kitababie @luckypartyranchmug @melialeic @omigogames @cafetetsu @sleep3deprived @vicassa @the-writing-otaku @chibishae34 @chickennuggetthot @tsukisemi @timeturnerss @mariachiiii @spaceboitrash @dearestsuna @atsumubabe @cadenceh2o @hawkssnugget @hikari-writes @dabilove27 @isleofnajera  @thathoneybee3  @tsumue @uncleirohsbobbatea @shinhiromi @solarskiesdream @greyevangeline @graykageyama @holycometz @mattsuns-prettybaby @fluffymilkbread @rogueofbullshit @turntechsquishy @tweety1501 @sunashi @stale-sandcastle @kellesvt @heykoutarou​ @kuroosleftkneecap

[co-mixed]

WicDiv

For three days that it took me to read The Wicked + The Divine, I’ve been calling it my rebound book. After a Buffy month it was something new and fun, and like it always is with rebounds, your ex was mentioned in the first issue.

So yeah, a classic rebound it was, an easy to get into universe with a familiar writer and artist, basically a sure thing. Now that I’ve finished it, I can’t say it’s left a deep cut or multiple debate points in my mind, because I loved almost everything about this book.

The good

At this point I know very well that when it’s a Kieron Gillen/Jamie McKelvie (possibly Matt Wilson) book, I would at least want to look at it (a lot).

I have said it before, and I will repeat it — I absolutely love McKelvie’s illustrations. I don’t know how it works for everyone else, but in my case when the art is good, I feel like the voices get more vivid, the images move, all comes together to drive the story forward. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that McKelvie rarely has any lazy panels (or even lazy elements). Everything is on the same high quality level. So even before reading WicDiv, regardless of the story, I knew that I’ll be hunting for trades or a hardcover, because of this art.

Jamie McKelvie is one of a few artists who can ask which character you would want to do, and get a reasonable answer.

Not to diminish the writing, and really that would be impossible. Kieron Gillen has proved his skill time and time again. The dialogue, and the wiseass speeches. Everything flows really well, and the duo gives you the feeling of stepping from a street filled with smells of puke and piss into a suit with cocaine and sex on the menu. And yeah, there is a lot of sex in this book, so much that I think I forgot half of the canon ships.

The world itself is built with care and attention, I can’t ignore that mostly because often writers would just throw in fun stuff without doing proper research. This isn’t the case here, you can see how much work has been put into it, and if nothing else, the creators’ comments give you a glimpse. Which also shows how much they really care about the story.

The bad

This will be a short one. My only problem with WicDiv was chaotic pacing, which is understandable, and could be a personal issue. I prefer a more careful, slow and thorough process of character development, so I wouldn’t mind some more of the “before” stories. Like who were these characters, how did they come to their divinity, how they dealt with it, what parts of themselves they had to give up. These are answered for some of them, but others were left a mystery.

At the same time there is a definitive ending, something that while makes sense to the story, doesn’t leave much to the interpretation. But again, might be just me, I’m a sucker for a finale that poses a question (yes, the alley scene in Angel was brutally perfect).

The story

After reading the first few issues, I felt like the story took a while to get moving. I got hooked because of the premise, but the events were merely short pieces, that took a while to come together. It felt like a bunch of sketches and maybe was too jumpy for my taste. But issue after issue, as you get used to the style, you start getting it, and somewhere at 2/5 you can’t stop reading. It’s a mystery, that plays around with the concept of superpowers and fame. It’s a simple plot, if you strip away all the bells and whistles, but well, those bells and whistles are really what makes it unique. And in many ways, the characters play an important part.

Characters

A few I liked, a few I didn’t (within the story, not the fact of their existence). They knew they’d be loved and hated, so what else is new. Ultimately, they are the most important part of the story. And the exciting thing is that you can and can’t relate to them. Kinda like the idols that they represent.

It would make sense to go through the pantheon one by one and see what emotions the leave.

Laura

The protagonist, that’s easy to relate to. By the end of the series we know a lot, if not everything about her. But I like how she starts out: starstruck, and mesmerized. Trying to stand out, and to make sense of her life. Well, the latter doesn’t ever work, but stand out, that she did.

Lucifer

She’s one of the characters I know people adore, but I don’t exactly get why. Aside from a pretty obvious chaotic behavior and zero-fucks attitude, there wasn’t much more to her. No conflict I could get behind. I find her previous iterations more interesting.

Amaterasu

Just like Lucifer is more evil because evil, Amaterasu is good because good. She reminded me a lot of early Karolina Dean (Runaways). But I get the feeling she exists for balance, and with other characters it plays really well.

Baal

If I had to pick my favorites, he would be one of them. He is the one who gets a more definitive arc, and enough conflict to support my need for drama. He’s also a show off, and loves playing god.

Inanna

Again, a character I don’t quite get. Good and loves everyone, fast friends with everyone. That wasn’t enough for me to like him. So Inanna kinda stays in the background.

The Morrigan

Also one of my favorites, not just because of underground gothic chic. Just something about all three of her sides that makes sense, even if it’s not supposed to. There wasn’t a lot of Morrigan in the book, but what was there spoke loudly.

Baphomet

Again, one of the most likable ones. And I think his arc is very deep. We get to see him before godhood, and I feel like we got to see a few things from his point of view.

Woden

Cornered myself with this one. There’s such a complicated story with Woden, that I can’t even say whether I liked it or just accepted it.

Tara

Tara’s a big secret throughout most of the beginning, and then she’s in many ways such a regular person. I like her story, but I probably wouldn’t like her poetry.

Sakhmet

That’s a crazy that I like. Yeah she’s an if Rihanna was a cat, but her actions make her unpredictable, and I always like a wild card.

Norns

But mostly their leader. All I can say is so so so pretentious. I know that’s the idea, but I also view it from inside the story, so I get to be mad.

Dionysus

Another one with a little less screen time, and another likable one. Seriously, that’s almost all I can say about Dio. I’m also too old for his parties.

Minerva

A kid of wisdom. We don’t talk about kids.

Ananke

An old lady in charge. Also not much to say here if I don’t want to spoil thing. And I don’t.

So The Wicked + The Divine. Not exactly a new comic book, so it’s likely that many of you have already read it. But if you haven’t, you have to.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

At the Drumbeats Festival! 

Guess which camp had the honor of hosting the Drumbeats Festival? Actually, it was kind of a last minute thing. Sunny’s camp was originally going to do it but scheduling conflicts happened and since my camp’s the nearest, they decided to move it here. First the Happy Floral Festival and now this? It’s been a lucky year!

So for the past week Isabelle, Katie, Daisy Jane, and I have been working hard to get things ready for the festivities. Since we’ve had experience with the Happy Floral Festival, preparation was a lot less daunting this time around. I’ll admit, it was tight, but we managed to get it done.

Because things were a bit hectic due to last minute changes, we had help from some of the performers who arrived early. To my surprise, there were some familiar faces at the festival. One of them happens to be Hawk, the last of the BFF Squad who finally made it to the camp! His sister Paloma is one of the performers along with her partner Phoebe in a duo called Lo-Pheebs, which is a play on lo-fi. What a cool name! I’ve only met Paloma a handful of times and she’s always fun to hang around with. Phoebe perfectly compliments her in personality as they’re chill and laid back while Paloma’s enthusiastic and playfully aggressive.

Another familiar face were the Thornton bros. Ever since the entourage officially disbanded I haven’t seen much of Josh and Lake, and even less of Demetri. Shortly after leaving the entourage, Josh became Lo-Pheeb’s manager, which was unexpected but turned out to be a good fit for him. Meanwhile Lake’s been focusing on his acting career as well as trying to become an influencer and Demetri’s studying at Seashore Path while working at Kitchen Cove on the weekends. In short, they’ve all been super busy to the point that they rarely saw each other anymore, which was surprising to me as all three are super close.

The Drumbeats Festival is a music festival where all kinds of artists come together to perform. It has an indie, folk rock, lo-fi vibe that makes you feel chill and pumped up at the same time. I wasn’t familiar with many of the artists so it was great listening to and discovering new music. Lo-Pheebs is definitely on top of my list of new artists to check out! 

Lo-Pheebs became a thing over a year ago, shortly after Paloma’s band Out of Sight disbanded. She met Phoebe while on tour a few years back and they became friends, later partners. Lake was the one who suggested Josh become their manager because he felt that his brother needed someone to boss around that wasn’t him or Demetri. Josh is the type of guy who can go a little overboard when it comes to being supportive, something his brothers know all too well. Paloma’s similar in that way too so that’s why they get along so well. At least Phoebe’s there to balance them out as they’re good at handling conflict and helping others see the bigger picture, something that Josh and Paloma admit they’re working on.

This year was supposed to be a busy one for Lo-Pheebs as they were finally breaking into the charts. The festival was actually their first performance in months as they decided to take some time off touring after finishing a major one earlier this year. Josh had to leave abruptly towards the end of their last tour when Lake was badly hurt while on vacation. Also, in between tour stops, Paloma was helping Hawk in Crescent Moon and Phoebe had their own family stuff to deal with. So with everything being so hectic, the duo decided to postpone their next tour and focus on studio work, resulting in their first EP, Bring Down the Beats.

Now that Lake’s almost fully recovered, Josh is slowly getting back into the swing of things. It’s good to see Lake again, especially since he almost died in a freak accident. So naturally his brothers are a bit overprotective of him, making sure that he doesn’t exert himself and such. He can’t run around and explore with his bros, but he’s perfectly content hanging around the camp and taking pics to post online. Honestly, I’m surprised that he doesn’t have more followers.

Hawk and Demetri are an unlikely duo I never saw coming. In a way, they’re kinda like Paloma and Phoebe - the enthusiastic and easily excited one and the chill and quiet one. They’re both into computers and tech stuff - Demetri’s a self taught hacker and Hawk likes to build stuff. Them building something together is either genius or dangerous - let’s be honest, if anyone were to accidentally build a killer robot, it’ll probably be them. Still, I’m interested in a collaboration between the two just to see what they can come up with.

In between setting up for the festival, we also took the time to hang out at the camp. Hawk was going to meet up with Paloma and Phoebe at the festival so when he heard that it was being moved to the camp, he decided to drop by early. So Paloma, Phoebe, Josh, Lake, and Demetri tagged along as they too wanted to help out and spend a couple days at the camp. When we weren’t doing festival prep, we went fishing, bug catching, swimming, cloud gazing, seashell hunting, and foraging - all the fun outdoorsy stuff that one does while camping. It was also a good way to wind back from the stress of setting up a festival, which we definitely needed.

The Drumbeats Festival was a blast! Like I said, I’ve discovered a bunch of new artists to check out. I also learned a lot about drums, which was unexpected, but now that I think about it, the festival is called Drumbeats for a reason. Who knew that drums can be so interesting? Some of the stands are interactive - not only you learn about different kinds of drums, you also get to play with them! 

There’s nothing more perfect than a fun festival under a starry night. Hawk says he’s been into constellations lately, especially now that he has a newfound appreciation for them after spending a couple months out in space. It’s cute seeing him and Celeste gush over stars and galaxies! 

We got to see the Starstruck Nebula, something that only shows up once in a blue moon so that was super amazing! The books were right, words can’t accurately describe how it looks. The closest I can come up with is like a rainbow kaleidoscope made up of stardust and flames, which probably doesn’t make sense now that I think about it. Now I can cross off another thing from my bucket list!

While messing around with drum tracks, Josh and I got to talking about the future. By that, we mean Hawk, Paloma, Lake, and their significant others. Paloma’s with Phoebe, Hawk with Kat, and now Lake and Tom are a thing. According to Josh, it was kinda a will they, won’t they relationship - though it was a surprise that they ended up together. Lake did say his near death experience caused him reevaluate some things and they spent a lot of time together while he was recovering so it makes sense. 

As for Hawk and Kat, there’s been talk of an engagement in the near future. AJ, Elara, and Micah have mentioned it - Micah being fully convinced that a conversation he overheard between his sister and dad has to do with Kat seeking advice on proposing. Devi, Leyla, Tulippa, Misty, and DT have speculated on it as well. So far, nothing from Kat and Hawk themselves so it’s still all up in the air. Let’s just say that when one of them finally pops the question, we’ve got the champagne bottles ready.

Josh also talked a bit about Lake’s ordeal and how it shook him and his brothers up. For a while, before the accident, things were rocky between the two brothers. Most of the time it was minor, petty disagreements, usually involving one of Josh’s schemes gone wrong. They still don’t always see eye to eye, but things were really bad around the time between the entourage disbanding and the accident. And in the middle of all that was Demetri, who was trying to keep the peace as he hates it when his brothers fight, especially when they try to drag him into the conflict. 

When everything came to a crashing halt, Josh had to come to terms with some hard truths. The main ones being that he can’t fix everything and that sometimes it’s not okay. Being the oldest and having practically raised his brothers by himself, he’s super protective of them. So it’s understandable why Lake and Demetri sometimes feel smothered by him. He’s been working on giving his bros space and their bond has grown stronger since then.

I’ll admit, sometimes while catching up with Josh I wonder if this is the same guy I met at Rave’s party (it was a weird time and no, I will not elaborate), but not in a bad way. Of course, he’s still the same happy go lucky, playful, and easily excitable goofball we all know and love - now with a touch of emotional maturity. He and his brothers don’t always have it easy so it’s good to hear that things are getting better. Seeing the three of them together not only reminds me of their close bond - something I always admired about them - but also how much they’ve been through. 

I’m glad that Josh is finally able to find some peace for himself. Being out on the road with Lo-Pheebs really helped him find a purpose outside of his bros and in return, Lake and Demetri can live their own lives without worrying about leaving Josh behind.

After having a busy week, there’s nothing more rewarding than a night full of fun festivities!  On a side note, Lo-Pheebs is on the roster for Concert in the Stars, so the camp will be a stop on their tour, which is set to begin in a couple months. Lake and I are making plans for him and his brothers to spend a weekend at the camp during an event. Also, Hawk and I are also making plans for a BFF Squad camping adventure. So there’s a lot to look forward to in the future.

[theworldofotps]

Falling For His Guitar

Decided to post a kinda fluffy Finn that I had saved since the Becky one I’m working on isn’t done, enjoy!!

Pairing: Finn BalorxReader Word Count:2,738 Description: You meet Finn at your cousin Becky's get together and can't help but fall in love with how he plays the guitar. -Fluff ___________ Tag list: @biforbecky2belts @writtingrose @sjwrites22 @sassymox @detectiveramen @demonkingsangel @the-beastslayers-queen @thewrestlingwarehouse  @new-zealand-chic @reigns420  If you want added to the tag list just lemme know! ____________ "I'm not sure Becks what if none of them like me?"

"You'll be fine lass no worries I promise they're all excited to meet you I've talked about you a lot. Please come y/n you'll have a great time I know how much you love wrestling so here's your chance to meet some of them."

"I don't want to seem like that's the only reason I'm hanging out with you."

"You worry too much we all know I'm your favorite cousin now I'm not taking no for an answer I'll be there in five minutes I’m almost there so be ready."

"Alright, I'll be ready."

Deciding not to argue with her I hang up turning my attention to my suitcase I settle on a pair of (y/f/c) shorts and a black tee shirt. Sliding on a pair of sandals I grab my phone and hotel key knowing I would need it for when I came back.

Beck: What room are you in?

Y/n: 302 on the third floor.

Spraying on a little perfume and adding deodorant I check myself over in the mirror brushing my hair out a little. I was more than nervous to meet Becky's friends when I got the chance to come to LA for two weeks I jumped at the chance. When Becky found out she insisted I had to visit her and a bunch of her friends/coworkers at a get together she was throwing. We didn't see each other much with her traveling and myself working but the times we could meet up it was like we were never apart.

"Your favorite person is here open up."

Becky knocks on the door rushing over I pull it open nearly falling back as she throws herself at me in a tight hug.

"I've missed ya so much y/n you have no idea."

"I've missed you too Becks everyone back home told me to tell you, hello and your mum sent over a tin of your favorite sweets."

"Ahh can I have them?"

Nodding I walk over to my suitcase taking it out and handing it to her grinning as she excitedly opens the tin.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've had these forever I'll have to pace myself if I want them to last. Pack up all of your stuff up you're staying your two weeks with me."

"What?"

"When I found out you were in America for two weeks more specifically LA I went to Hunter and told him I was taking a week off. I don't get the chance to see you often enough we're going to have a blast and then your last week here you are going to experience the travel life of a wrestler. All of our house shows are within driving distance so you won't have to worry about flying on a plane."

"Have I told you that I love you?"

"At least twice a day every single day now lets get this packed and get you checked out Seth is waiting in the car."

Packing all of my things up and making sure that I haven't left anything behind we head to the front desk so I could check out. Putting my things in the back of her vehicle we get in the front music turned up and windows down.

"Hi, I'm Seth nice to finally meet you."

"Um hi, nice to uh meet you too."

"You have to give her a minute to get over her starstruck Seth you're one of her favorites."

"Becky!"

"What I'm not lyin."

Seth chuckles from behind the driver seat as he reaches a hand up between us I shake it with a smile.

"No need to be embarrassed I am honored."

"More like you enjoy having your ego inflated."

Laughing as he scoffs at her I feel myself relax if all of her friends were similar in their behavior like Seth I think I'd be fine. Chatting the whole way to Becky's I listen to Seth talk about the plans he has with a friend to open a wrestling academy while I explain about work.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven."

"I can see the good genes run in the family you all look younger than you actually are."

"Thank you."

When we pull up I can't help but inwardly squeal in excitement I loved visiting Becky's house it was beautiful and always so welcoming. Grabbing one of my suitcases Seth grabs the other while Becky takes my hand pulling me to follow her.

"This will be your room while you're here."

"It's beautiful thank you so much."

Hugging her tightly for a few moments than pulling away I thank Seth for helping me bring my suitcases in.

"You're welcome so when does everyone get here?"

"I told them to show up at four I already have everything set up we'll just have to take out the food."

Walking down to the kitchen we grab the covered food and drinks setting them on the long table that is set near the patio covered with umbrellas.

"Doorbell yes come on y/n, Seth."

Taking both mine and Seth's hands we are dragged back inside by Becky speed walking to the front door.

"Sasha, Renee, Dean welcome this is my sweet cousin y/n."

"We've all been dying to meet you Becky has told us countless stories about the two of you."

Renee smiles pulling me into a hug followed by Sasha while Dean grins shaking my hand. I had to remember to breath it's not going to look good if I fangirl over him in front of everyone.

"It's nice to meet all of you to thanks for being okay with Becky inviting me to tag along."

"Are you kiddin doll? Like anyone could change Becky's mind when she has it set on something besides you're her family if she cares about you then you're probably a good egg."

Taking comfort in Dean's words we walk out to the patio Renee and Sasha asking everything they could possibly think of. More people soon arrive and each time Becky takes my hand giving it a squeeze before pulling me to meet her friends. Everyone is so relaxed and nice there are a few times I have to stop myself from screeching in excitement. When Roman walks in with Bayley and Auska I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming. He was even better looking and sweeter in person I'm not sure how much more my heart can take.

"Is that everyone Becks?"

"No Finn, Karl, and Luke are supposed to be here I'll have to give them a call."

"Finn? Didn't you train with someone back home with that same name?"

"It's the same exact person I think you'll love him he's great."

Nodding my head I excuse myself to the bathroom while she makes the call I had heard of a Finn but hadn't been able to keep up with him much since he's been recovering from injury. Washing my hands I head back downstairs to join the party.

"Y/n come sit with us."

Bayley smiles patting a space in between her and Seth walking over I sit down listening to their stories recounting old matches, events, and parties.

"Becky throws some of the best get-togethers it's always a great time to unwind and just catch up on things that aren't wrestling."

"She threw pretty good ones back home one of the things I love about her is she's always willing to make those important to her comfortable and welcomed."

"Has she changed much from when she was last home."

"Yeah, but in a good way she's confident, not willing to let people walk all over her and she's gotten more determined to chase her dreams. There's a fire there that seems to get brighter every time I see or talk to her."

When I hear the bell I look over seeing Becky preoccupied excusing myself I walk to the door pulling it open.

"Hello."

"You must be y/n it's about time Becky got you over here I'm Karl, this is Luke and Finn is currently getting something out of the car."

"Nice to meet you too Becky is busy but everyone is on the patio."

Shaking hands I walk to the kitchen to get another bottle of water turning around I bump into someone dropping the bottle.

"I'm so sorry I didn't know there was anyone else in here are you okay?"

"I'm fine lass trust me ya couldn't knock me over I'm Finn by the way nice to meet you."

"Y/n it's nice to meet you as well."

Finn smiles grabbing my water from the floor handing it to me holding out the same hand that wasn't clutching a guitar.

"Pleasure is all mine I've heard a lot about you and seen hundreds of pictures courtesy of your cousin and let me say they definitely don't do you justice."

He grins pressing a kiss to the back of my hand I literally have to try not to swoon on the spot I was a sucker for simple sweet gestures.

"Finn? Have you seen, oh there you are y/n I wondered where ya had gone off too."

“You were busy so I answered the door I came to get a bottle of water and bumped into Finn."

"Well, I'm happy you two have finally met Finn we're all in the backyard so whenever you two are ready come join us."

Sending me a wink behind his shoulder Becky scurries off I had a feeling there was more to her words then she was letting on.

"Do you play?"

"A little bit yeah when I have the spare time."

"I would love to hear."

"Then it's your lucky day Becky asked me to bring it over so I could play a little after we eat."

"Great."

Grinning I walk out with Finn to the backyard his friends and coworkers greeting him everyone grabs a plate standing in a line to fill it with food.

 "Over here y/n."

Becky smiles pointing to a chair next to hear and angled towards Finn sitting down I chat with her about plans she wanted to do over the next few days. Smiling as the friends begin to banter and tease each other it felt good being surrounded by so much happiness.

"What do you do for a living y/n?"

"I work for a magazine company in London I moved there two years ago after I received my English and Journalism degree at university."

"Do you enjoy working there?"

"For the most part yeah it's great I kinda wanna stretch my wings out a bit tackle some of the journalism or something along those lines. Becky wants me to think about finding a job over here somewhere we were best friends growing up and it's hard being separated by different countries. Sure it would be hard still because she constantly travels but it would be a little easier ya know?"

"Yeah, I understand I have the same difficulties with not being able to see my family as often as I like. Did she ever talk to you about applying for a job working for WWE?"

"No, I don't think it's ever crossed her mind I'm not sure if I would even be qualified for it."

"Are ya kidding? It doesn't take that much I'll mention it to her later I'm sure she'll jump at it she can help you apply if you want then you could see her and everyone here as often as you like."

"That sounds too good to be true.”

"Trust me Becks will do everything in her power to convince Hunter to consider it and I can promise it won't be just because of Becky you get it. Hunter may tell her he'll look right away but he'll read over everything carefully speak with your current boss and if you're as talented as I imagine then it should be easy."

"Thank you so much."

"No worries at all love."

Finn winks throwing his things away I lean back in my seat letting the thought go through my mind. It would be wonderful to see Becky often and I wouldn't mind getting to see everyone here again the girls all practically stole my phone to put their numbers in it.

"Finn are you ready to play for us?"

"Sure thing."

Everyone gathers close as he picks the guitar up tuning it a little before looking at me.

"Any requests?"

"Oh um what can you play?"

"Quite a few songs."

"Play her Wildflowers by Tom Petty that was a favorite of ours growing up."

Becky smiles as I look at her with a grin before glancing back at Finn with a quick nod.

"Could you please?"

"Of course I'll give it my best shot."

We all clap as Finn's cheeks turn a slight red the rest of the evening is spent listening to music, the laughter of everyone and occasional more songs from Finn. The evening was better than I could have ever dreamed slowly everyone began leaving making Becky and I promise to come to one of the house shows so they could see me again. When all that is left is the two of us, Karl, Luke, and Finn we head inside once everything is cleaned up.

"We better get heading back to the hotel we have an early drive tomorrow."

Holding out a hand I have to hold in a yelp when I'm pulled into a group hug by Karl and Luke promising to see me again they head outside. Turning to Finn I see Becky made her escape standing in the kitchen humming.

"It was wonderful to meet you y/n I spoke to Becky about talking with Hunter and she nearly hugged the life out of me so prepare yourself."

"Thank you so much I'll be careful it was wonderful meeting you too."

"Could I maybe call you sometime this week coming up we have a show in LA at the end of the week. We could possibly get together for coffee or something?"

"I'd like that."

Smiling we exchange numbers than with a kiss pressed to my cheek Finn heads out the door closing it after they drive away I lean against it.

"Come on you we have a lot to talk about and that kiss to the cheek is one of them."

Becky smiles motioning me to follow her upstairs sitting in her room we spend the night reminiscing and chatting her promising to help me fill out an application later this week.

"You and Finn seemed to really hit it off."

"He's really sweet and I couldn't help falling in love with his guitar playing."

"Yeah, I could tell when I had to whisper your name five times before you heard me."

"Sorry about that."

I grin as I look around the room my phone goes off and I reach over taking it off her stand.

Finn🎸: The guys left it up to me to let you know we made it I'll message you in a few days about the coffee?

Me: Thanks for letting us now and sure sounds perfect.

Finn🎸: Great well sweet dreams y/n x

Me: Sweet dreams Finn x

Becky grins reading the messages between us before the two of us lay in her bed gossiping like school girls. My excitement for the next two weeks was high but I was just a tad little more excited to see Finn again for coffee.

[trblhalfmoon]

Double Blind

word count: 2,863

A/N: This one was inspired from a random article I stumbled across years ago that said Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds met on a blind date but they were both with other partners. During the night, they ended up clicking better than their original pairs and I thought that was kinda cool and interesting. Enjoy!

“15th Street, this is your stop. Is this corner okay?”

“This is fine,” you thank your lyft driver on the way out as you step onto the curb to eye your surroundings.

You’re in an unfamiliar part of town, but you take a moment to enjoy the lit streets; adorned with chic lights that create a white, magical glow against the night sky.

You check your phone to find you are ten minutes early but decide to head to the restaurant anyway. You tug at the hem of your dress and make your way towards the middle of the block, wrapping your coat closer around your body. Your shivering stems from a combination of your nerves and the cold.

It’s been a while since you’ve been on a blind date. In fact, it’s been a while since you’ve been on any date. Your last relationship had fizzled out after three long years, both of you far too comfortable with your routine of each other to admit that the fire had died long ago. Since then, you haven’t had much energy to put yourself out there.

You stand outside of the restaurant to wait, opening the dating app out of curiosity to study his profile for the millionth time. This will be the first time meeting each other since talking for the past two weeks.

You scroll through your messages, aimlessly looking for some kind of instruction or update, when something dated a few days ago catches your eye.

        How do you feel about a double date?

You almost drop your phone in shock; you don’t remember agreeing to something like that. But you read through the conversation anyway, wondering how you missed a detail like that.

        I’ve got a friend who’s also trying to meet someone. What do you say?

        “sgtm”

You blink at your reply, trying to figure out what happened. The message is dated from last Wednesday, and you scan your brain trying to recall what you were doing at the time. Then it hits you – the company holiday party. You had gotten so shitfaced at the event that you most likely responded without thinking.

It’s too late at this point to try to figure a way out, so you pocket your phone and think of ways to excuse yourself early. Stomach pains halfway through dinner? Or maybe a personal emergency…

“Hyun-Jung?”

You peek up at the man before you and your heart instantly flutters. He’s a couple inches taller than you, and you note the way his dark hair is swept back, with wisps of stray hairs framing his forehead. The metal frames of his glasses stand out against his fair complexion, and you follow the rim to a clean slash above his right brow.

“Sorry, you have the wrong person,” you mutter after a second too long has passed.

The man apologetically smiles and you fascinate yourself with the way his nose scrunches the tiniest bit in embarrassment.

“Ah, my bad. The person I’m looking for said they would wait outside of this restaurant.”

You nod in response, not sure what more to offer him as he steps to the other side of the door and pulls out his phone. You fumble with the hem of your dress again, wondering where your own date is. It’s now almost ten minutes passed your meeting time.

As if on cue, a black BMW pulls up in front of the building and a smartly dressed man in crisp, black slacks steps out of the passenger’s seat. He turns to the back door to pull it open, and a slender, petite brunette steps out with a grateful smile.

The pair make their way towards the door before the man takes notice of you, but when he does, it only takes a moment for his face to light up in recognition.

“Ah, ___, so nice to finally meet you!”

He steps forward to hug you as you awkwardly swing your arm around his neck from what you were anticipating to be a handshake. He smells like expensive cologne, fragrant and musky with a hint of sweetness.

“Hello, Jay,” you try to muster the sweetest smile you can manage, hoping it doesn’t come across too creepy.

“You’re a lot prettier in person,” he returns the gesture, eyes sparkling from his excitement.

“Thanks,” you blush, looking to the couple next to you who also seem to be meeting for the first time.

Then it clicks in your mind…

“___, this is Hyun-Jung and her date…” Jay pauses to look at Hyun for help but she’s too busy studying your face and shaking your hand.

“Call me Dean,” the second man gives you a smile.

“Shall we head inside?” Jay directs the group through the doors.

You all find your seats at a table by the window, Hyun sitting beside you while Jay sits across from you.

“So how do you all know each other?” you try for some small talk.

“Jay and I have worked together for a long time,” Hyun smiles fondly at him.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were dating.

“I met Hyun on a dating app, actually,“ Dean offers quite bluntly.

“Oh really? That’s how I met Jay too!”

You’re not quite sure what you’re so excited about. Maybe it’s the fact that you were slightly embarrassed of that fact. You’re still not used to the reality that this is just how dating is now…meeting people through apps and connecting with each other through a screen. It’s completely new territory for you.

“What app are you using?” Dean’s eyebrows peak in interest.

“Oh, I’m trying out this new one called –“

“Hey, the waiter! Why don’t we go ahead and order our food?” Jay interrupts with a forced smile.

Everyone places an order while you peek in Jay’s direction to see a slight flush on his cheeks. He keeps conversation with you while Hyun and Dean talk between themselves. You can tell she’s starstruck over him and it takes everything in your power to not giggle when you catch her eyes trailing to his lips as he speaks.

Your own date is good looking as well. He keeps himself well trimmed and clean, and you admire the way his eyes crinkle when he talks about something he’s interested in. He’s a bit smaller than Dean, but he carries himself confidently.

You find he works in the talent industry along with Hyun, and that music and production are his passions. From someone who graduated college with a strict science background, you find it slightly difficult to relate to his world, but you politely smile and nod when appropriate.

Hyun talks nonstop beside you, and you glance at Dean to find him politely smiling and nodding as well.

“So what are you into, ___?” Jay folds his hands under his chin and smiles at you expectantly.

“I like art,” you think about the doodles in your sketchbook. “A majority of my mediums are graphite but sometimes I experiment with acrylics.”

Jay raises his eyebrows and nods his head as if impressed. “Do you have any samples?”

“Not really,” you can feel your cheeks burn.

Dean muffles a chuckle from across the table and everyone turns their attention towards him. When he realizes it, he straightens up and clears his throat.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something,” he apologizes.

“Anyway,” Jay looks back to you. Did you just see him roll his eyes? “You’ve got to show me your art sometime. Maybe we can use it as an album cover for one of my projects.”

“Oh jeez, I don’t think my art is good enough for that,” your cheeks burn again. “I haven’t really messed around with digital software.”

Dean laughs out loud this time and you can visibly see irritation on Jay’s face. Hyun smiles at him apologetically as if to calm him down, and you try to dissolve the strange tension growing amongst the table.

“What’s so funny, Dean?”

He smiles at you, a soft smile, one of interest as you watch his eyes study your face.

“Why is your face so red? You look like a tomato!”

Your hands immediately fly to your cheeks to cover up the rosy tint. This always happens when you’re embarrassed. You turn away, trying to calm yourself down as Dean continues laughing.

“Damn it,” you curse under your breath.

“Really? Lemme see!” Hyun squeals beside you, really only wanting to laugh along with Dean.

“Fuuuck,” you curse louder now, knowing too well that your cheeks are only getting worse. You never liked being the center of attention.

“I think it’s cute,” Jay pipes up from across the table.

You give him a grateful look, and an even more grateful one to the waiter who interrupts the scene with everyone’s food. Your burning cheeks are suddenly forgotten as everyone focuses on claiming their plates.

Everyone but Dean, that is. He’s smiling at you, and you make eye contact for a brief moment as he mouths what you make out to be “cute.”

You shake your head, feeling a weird churning in your stomach from having captivated his attention. After all, his laughing only implies that he had been watching you.

“Wow Hyun, you’re so healthy!” you try to avert everyone’s attention to her food, the house salad with a small side of tomato soup.

“Not at all,” she beams back at you, clearly pleased from the attention. “I’ve got a project coming out in the next few months so I’m trying to watch my weight.”

“That must be hard,” you look at her with sympathy as she begins to cut her food into smaller pieces.

You notice Jay as well with a healthier option, lean chicken with a side of broiled vegetables. Is this some kind of unspoken rule for people in the talent industry? You look down at your plate, a medium rare steak smeared with garlic, herbs, and butter with a side of pan seared potatoes. Carb overload.

“Well I love food, so I eat anything and everything,” Dean exclaims while beaming at his own.

Your eyes almost pop out of your head when you realize you both ordered the same thing.

“Ah, ___, I see you love food too!”

Dean’s smiling at you and you can’t help but smile back. Food is your weakness.

“I once ate an entire pizza by myself and then two cup ramen noodles,” you shamelessly brag.

“I don’t believe you,” he laughs. “You’re so tiny, where does it all go?”

“When something is delicious, it’s zero calories,” you wittily reply.

Hyun stares at you in disbelief while Jay looks between the two of you with an unreadable expression.

“Do you like sweets, Y/N?” he cuts in.

“I love sweets,” you dreamily sigh as you start to slice through your steak.

“I know a really good café downtown, maybe you and I can check it out after dinner.”

You chew through the steak and the butter effortlessly melts in your mouth, creating a delectable mix of flavors with the herbs and seasoning.

“Wow, this is really good,” you declare after another bite.

Dean hums along with you as he pops a piece of meat into his mouth. “Yeah, we’ve got great taste.”

You can’t help but laugh. What a strange thing, sharing a moment with a man between your mutual love for food.

“___?”

“Sorry, were you saying something?” your ears burn slightly from guilt.

Jay flashes a smile that doesn’t touch his eyes and it puts you off. You know you’re supposed to be on a date with him, but nothing shared between you two so far has given you any spark or indication that you are compatible. You apologize and decide to give him another try.

“Sure, the café sounds good.”

He sits back and clicks his tongue, pleased with himself as he addresses Dean indirectly through Hyun, “Looks like you’ll have to find your own way home tonight.”

You sheepishly smile, very much aware of the over looming tension growing at the table. You decide it’s probably for the best that you focus your attention on your date for the rest of the night. In an attempt to take initiative, you decide to ask Jay about his music. His eyes light up instantly.

“I have some samples of music videos, do you want to see?”

“Sure,” you smile, trying to maintain eye contact before you catch Hyun trying to show Dean samples of her own music.

Much to your distaste, the videos Jay chooses to share with you contain a lot of women and nudity. The music is fun and the rhythms are catchy, so you try to zone in on those aspects instead.

“Your music is very catchy,” you praise him after the song ends. “The video must have been fun to -”

“Thanks!” He beams in interruption. “Let me show you a different one!”

“Oh, sure,” you inwardly sigh.

The next song is slow and the video is even more sensual than the previous one. Somehow this doesn’t surprise you. When the song ends all you can do is nod, but it seems enough to please Jay.

“Maybe if things work out, you can star in one of my next videos,” he winks at you.

Your cheeks instantly warm as you hear a muffled chuckle across the table which you choose to ignore. You’re trying to focus your attention on Jay, afterall.

“Oh god, I don’t think I could. I’m so awkward in front of cameras.”

“That’s what they all say,” Hyun leans in to cut into your conversation. “But it’s really fun once you get over it.”

“If I remember correctly, you were pretty awkward when you first started making videos,” Jay teases her.

“Let’s not talk about that,” her laugh is light and feathery but you know there’s warning laced underneath.

“Remember that video we filmed together? I had to tell you what to do with your hands!”

“Jay.”

“If you want, I can show you some of her earlier videos -”

She shoots a laser glare at him and he laughs as he holds his hands up in surrender. You take this moment to glance at Dean to find him staring at you, and he greets you with a smile as he shakes his head subtly in reaction to the other two at the table.

You let out a small giggle, inclined to agree to his silent comment. A quick reflection of the night would tell you both that you are not compatible with either of your respective dates. Dean tilts his head towards the door and you highly consider his offer. But how are you both going to get out of this?

Jay turns his attention back to you just as Dean excuses himself for the bathroom.

“So ______, you got any other plans later this evening?”

“Not really,” you consider coming up with an excuse to get out of your cafe date after dinner.

“Oh that’s perfect, do you want to come over -”

By some stroke of luck, your very loud ringtone cuts in to interrupt and your ears burn as you fumble with your phone to silence it.

“I’m so sorry, I thought I turned that off,” you cancel the call just to have the same unknown number call back right away.

You try to cancel it again but the third consecutive call tells you that it might be your way out of here.

“Actually, I should probably take this,” you apologetically excuse yourself from the table and head for the bathroom.

You’re about to answer the phone as you turn the corner and run into Dean, phone in hand and a big smile on his face.

“I was getting worried,” he laughs. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to answer.”

“I usually don’t answer numbers I don’t recognize,” you look at him amazed. “How did you -”

He wiggles his phone in front of you and you recognize your dating app right away.

“I hope it doesn’t sound too creepy,” he ruffles a hand through his hair. “I saw you fiddling on the app while we were both waiting outside and found you on here. Most people don’t post their phone number on these things.”

“Oh,” your cheeks grow warm. “Yeah, I’m still trying to figure this dating app thing out.”

“Well, what do you say?” he points down the hall towards an exit out back.

“Are you serious?” your stomach churns. You’ll admit you’re probably not gonna go further with Jay after tonight, but walking out on him like this and leaving a bad impression…

“Don’t tell me you’d rather sit through another hour of that,” the man laughs.

“Okay, you’ve got a point. But what am I supposed to say when he tries to reach out to me on the app?”

Dean takes a second to ponder while carefully studying your face. “Something tells me you’re not gonna be needing that anytime soon.”

He has a mischievous smirk on his face but you take the hint and follow him out the back door.

“Yeah, I can say the same for you.”

[luvnhugsgt]

G/T: Everybody Loves Me: Chapter 2

***Five years later…***

“Nice to meet ya’!”

I look up at the beautiful girl’s face, taking a minute to scan from her feet on the ground up to her peppy, warm countenance. She swiftly props herself down close to the floor and scoops me up in her hand, taking me into a warm embrace—you’d think we’ve known each other forever, the way she’s adoring me.

I pat her collarbone a few times, kinda like a “bro hug”, and in that vein, I can tell this is going to be a real ladybromance—I don’t even think I could avoid that outcome if I wanted to with this chick. This close-up, I’m realizing that I’m experiencing some abstract form of deja-vu—I must have seen her before? That’s awful strange, though, that I’d recognize her—I’m sorrowful to admit to you that I don’t generally remember faces very well; it’s not that I don’t care about people. I just meet so many!

“Haha, aren’t you the social butterfly! I’m Diamond. You’re welcome to call me “Di”. That’s what my best friend always called me-“

“Are you kidding, Diamond—Di—I know who you are!” She grins.

Oh boy, here we go. I try to fight my disappointed reflex and maintain a cheery attitude to match hers. I don’t want to fake it ‘till I make it, either. I want to be in the moment with her; actually embrace her upbeat energy, as I’m getting the vibe that it’s a sincere one. One that would still be here for anyone, despite that I’ve got this unshakable notoriety.

“Say, Tiffany, you look just a bit familiar. Have you ever—um, not to make this beautiful moment awkward at all—but have you ever, I dun’no, asked me to sign something? Maybe took a selfie with me?” I shrug.

“O-oh, no, I’m certain I’d remember that!” She giggles. “I’m kind of obsessed with your show. But if you want to take a selfie for my Insta-!” I smile and find her honestly endearing—oh, there’s that pang of familiarity again…?—and gesture for her to take out her phone, as you would gesture for the driver across the way to go ahead of you. Exuberant, she whips out her iPhone and follows through, and I smile wide. She shows me the picture and I notice that, finally, my eyes are matching my curled-up mouth, and I seem to be convincingly—no, sincerely—happy to be there.

“Have y’ever cohabitated with a Bel before?” She asks me casually, tucking her phone into her back pocket. I’m not used to this—I would’ve bet good money that she’d get distracted, investing a few minutes immediately posting the shot and getting her lucky fix of instant gratification by tagging me and watching the likes pour in…

…But, she didn’t…

And I just can’t shake, that that really reminds me of somebody. Who?! I believe her that she and I haven’t met before, but if that’s the case, who’s the girl she is reminding me of? I haven’t had a whole big social circle, contrary to popular belief. I’ve pretty much had two, maybe three, buddies come-and-go over the years, one of such friends closely dear to me. I choke back a tidal wave of emotion thinking about her, wondering where the time went, and compartmentalize it back to the recesses of my brain so I don’t screw up this moment, of which I promised I’m trying to be present.

No, my best girl isn’t like this, admittedly very charming, young lady at all.

“I’m sorry if I’m a little bit starstruck… Di!” She can’t seem to camouflage a little smile. She rubs the back of her neck timidly. “This reminds me of the time my brother had a run-in with a celeb at the mall. Guess what!”

I tilt my head slightly at my new roommate, wondering if I know this other star. “What’s that, Tiff?”

“He acted all aloof when he told me at dinner, like he wasn’t even fazed! Haha, well, I guess you’re the wrong person to tell, having lived in LA and probably partied at lotsa’ star-studded afterparties, huh?” She smirked in good-humor.

I feel my eyes crease into endearment again, too amused to point out that I haven’t actually lived in LA, nor have I attended any of those afterparties I’ve been invited to in years, figuring also that it’d be obnoxious to bring up sed invitations. “Yeah?” I chirp, trying to saturate my tone with as much suspense as I can muster. I see that innocent look in her brown eyes and feel this indescribable pull to make her happy. “Who was this superstar! Don’t leave me hangin’!”

“Oh my GOSH, Di, don’t even remind me—he literally refused to tell me! ‘Said I’d freak out, which honestly just got me more curious!”

I raise my hand up to my chin like The Thinker, and it crosses my mind that it might be me.

“What mall was he at—do you know?”

“Well, my brother’s not one to give many details, but I’m betting it was the Belshore Passage Mall.” Ah, that’s the mall right next to the Bel Parine-North America tunnel. It leads right to Tampa, where I’ve lived for the past seven years. Now, I’m almost sure it’s me, since hardly any actors I know live there—I stay there for my privacy. If it’s not apparent, I do like to keep my shenanigans low-key, guys.

I squint in recollection, secretly excited to see her cute reaction. “I live right next to Tampa, ya’ know. I’ve actually lived there since 2011,” I nod. “Bellshore Passage Mall was one of my favorite places to chill,”—when I wasn’t dodging the general public—I decide to finish off in my own head, not wanting to traumatize the younger gal like a child who sees Trashy Mall-Santa™ go out for a smoke.

Her draw drops like an agape manhole, “WHAT!” She exclaims, promptly mumbling “ohmygoshI’msorry”, realizing her tone. She quickly tightens her lips; I figure she’s trying to watch her manners, maybe because she’s trying to make an extra-specially-good impression, since it’s considered impolite for a Bel to open their mouth too-wide for too-long in front of a human (put two-and-two together! I don’t want to get into that awkward conversation, you sick, sick people!) “It was YOU?!” She whisper-shouts, tilting her head like a puppy trying to understand.

“I mean, can we know for sure? No, but-

Oh-Oh my goSH!” My face lights up, in actual epiphany this time.

She looks startled, “What?! What?!” Let’s face it, at this point, we’re freaking out as loudly as two middle schoolers saying ‘What’s up, guuuuuurl!” to each other in the hallway.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure it was me! Well, I’m pretty sure! You remind me so much of someone—of course, my mind went to girl first, but it must be your brother!” I put a hand on my hip in triumph. “What does he look like, Tiff?”

“Ooo, ooo! He’s got brown hair, usually messy, kinda’ spiky. A little bit ‘2008-hot’”, she grins, looking like she’s trying to keep-it-together. (I raise my eyebrows, mouthing, ‘Jenna Marbles?’, and she mouths back, ‘You know it!’) “He’s got a little stud under the corner of his lip. Some stud earrings that go with it. Oh! And a big tattoo of a tidal wave on his right arm. Can’t miss it, it’s so big,” she hypes, “especially for yo-oh gosh, I shouldn’t have said that, that was rude of me, I didn’t mea-“

“Nononono Tiffany, none of that apology sh*t, I’m not one of those humans,” I wave dismissively. I can’t shake the crystal-clear memory of both the tide-tat and the butterflies in my tummy from that day at the mall; I hadn’t mused on it for a while, actually. I went a whole month since thinking about it! Usually, I think about it every two weeks. I’m behind on schedule! I frown at the disappointing truth that it didn’t go anywhere, and I was too—what’s the word, intimidated?—too call the boy back. Heck, I didn’t even know his name. He probably is thinking to this day that I could care less about him, if he even remembers meeting me… It’s an incredibly rare event for me, to be intimidated; I’ve had the mantra in my mind, “I love it when people treat me like my inner ordinary girl,” but I’m going to be real with you, here. Something about it made me shy. I’d felt a little ‘exposed’, not like a stupid beauty guru, but a hermit crab without its shell.

I glance at my ring-finger where my grandpa’s tourmaline ring used to be and sigh, earning a concerned look from Tiffany. Yes, I lost it again. I don’t go anywhere—well, ever—but when when I actually do, it’s the Bellshore mall. It’s kind of humiliating, but I’m glad that wherever it went, I escaped the public ridicule of having lost it. Right after the sick moment I first noticed it was gone, Grandpa reassured me that he wasn’t upset with me; “it’s just a ring, an object, is all,” he said. But that doesn’t stop my hands from feeling naked. Now, not only is it attached to my grandpa’s happiest days, but the one happiest day of my life, too. I swear, for the whole year after that fateful day with Tiffany’s brother and the pink, glossy jewel, still adorning my hand, I could see his reflection in it… to be so consumed with a man you just met… and a Bel, at that! It’s like I need something; I need to get that ring back if I’m ever going to get my mind at ease.

“Why the long face?” Tiff coos, her hand stroking my back protectively.

“Tiffany, wait! This is my chance!” It dons on me, and suddenly, I feel ready to move into a bigger shell.