#No wonder he got hired 10 days ago

[lily-s-world]

I don't know if it was my type of humor or maybe the cultural differences, but the presenter in the Golden Globes tonight was so unfunny. His monologue was boring and basically just pointing out who was in the room.

Reducing the impact Barbie had this year, to the physical attributes of a plastic doll. For real??

The joke about scientifics getting laid, like, that could had been funny in the 80s, now is just stupid.

Not to mention the attempt to joke about who Taylor Swift was dating, so original!!!

[jinwoosbabyboo]

Spoiled Rotten

The lads men showing how spoiled their girl is. ft everybody even the mystery 6th LI [Requested by: Self aware anon]

Zayne

_thedrzayne

♥️ liked by misshuntermc, yvannamama, _thedrnoah and 77k others

_thedrzayne: I want to spoil you like this for the next decade

tagged: misshuntermc

comments

misshuntermc: Loving you isn’t enough I need to be curled up inside your frontal lobe

↳ _thedrzayne: ‘Zayne I love you’ would've sufficed My Love ↳ misshuntermc: When he says ‘I love you’ but I say ‘Let me wear you as a skin suit’ 😈 ↳ _thedrzayne: ok…..

_thedrnoah: Young love such a beautiful thing treat her well kiddo 👍🏼

↳ _thedrzayne: I wouldn’t treat her any other way and I’m not a child ↳ misshuntermc: Don’t be a smartass 😒

yvannamama: If he doesn’t love me like this I don’t want it

↳ gray.sun: You find that crush yet? 🧐 ↳ yvannamama: You think I won’t put roaches in your shoes? 🙃 ↳ _thedrzayne: Yvonne where would you acquire roaches? ↳ yvannamama: I’m sure Carter got a few crawling on him ↳ _thedrzayne: You’re probably right

— View 42 more comments

Rafayel

seagod_raf_

♥️ liked by vocalsby.talia, misshuntermc, thomasthomas_ and 75k others

seagod_raf_: You said pink long stem roses? Heard you 🙂‍↕️

tagged: misshuntermc

comments

misshuntermc: I love you my little fishie real bad 😘

↳ seagod_raf_: 😍😍😩💞 ↳ misshuntermc: I’m still confused on how you got these so fast I asked for these like 10 minutes ago ↳ seagod_raf_: I’m the worlds best boyfriend 😏

vocalsby.talia: Are they fake?

↳ seagod_raf_: Is that a wig? 🤨

thomasthomas_: How the actual hell do you find this many roses with stems that long?

↳ misshuntermc: I’m wondering the same thing ↳ seagod_raf_: I’ll take that as the compliment I know it was meant to be ↳ thomasthomas_: 😐😐

talkthat_tara: Girl did you fall?

↳ misshuntermc: No ↳ simonesays: Are you lying right now? ↳ misshuntermc: …. yea ._. ↳ liiisa_: The wheeze I just whuzzed 🤣

— View 27 more comments

Xavier

lumiere.who

♥️ liked by whosjeremiah, misshuntermc, imjenna and 70k others

lumiere.who: Maybe she’ll let me in the kitchen after this

tagged: misshuntermc

comments

misshuntermc: The answer is a resounding fuck no but thank you for the gifts 🥰

↳ lumiere.who: Just once? ↳ misshuntermc: No 😘

simonesays: Damn I might’ve folded lowkey 😬

↳ whosjeremiah: You haven’t seen Xavier try to cook 🫣 ↳ liiisa_: Consider yourself blessed and highly favored ↳ misshuntermc: Hes singed the tail off my eyebrow making scarmbled eggs before

talkthat_tara: Hold on don’t we work for the same company? 🤔

↳ liiisa_: Right?! The math aint mathin’ ↳ misshuntermc: He’s secretly a Prince from an entirely different planet 👀 ↳ lumiere.who: I just have a few side jobs ↳ imjenna: Are they hiring? ↳ nene.nero: Jenna asking the right questions

— View 32 more comments

Sylus

skye.109

♥️ liked by misshuntermc, thing1_luke, thing2_kieran and 82k others

skye.109: She’s humble for the masses but this is what I get

tagged: misshuntermc

comments

misshuntermc: You get me and all my love 😘

↳ skye.109: You know what hell yeah ↳ misshuntermc: 🤭❤️ ↳ simonesays: Bitch I know thats right 👏🏼

liiisa_: This man has an unlimited money hack and he only got roses? Side eye.

↳ misshuntermc: We’re standing in a new villa he bought me as a ‘just because’ gift ↳ liiisa_: …….Girl just delete my comment next time 🙂 ↳ skye.109: Loud and wrong that’s quite the combination ↳ thing2_kieran: PFFFTT ↳ misshuntermc: Kieran I know you’re not laughing you blew on a spoonful of cold cereal today stop it ✋🏾 ↳ thing2_kieran: ☹️☹️

nene.nero: Day 109 of me opening this app and being called broke in 50 different languages

↳ thing1_luke: Damn thats tough … Stay up soldier 🫡 ↳ talkthat_tara: Luke please what if that was his 13th reason?

— View 47 more comments

Caleb

callmecaleb

♥️ liked by misshuntermc, giggity_gideon, talkthat_tara and 72k others

callmecaleb: I’ll always take you wherever you want to go

tagged: misshuntermc

comments

misshuntermc: Taking me out of the country last minute to get authentic sushi is insane

↳ callmecaleb: I mean I am crazy in love with you ↳ misshuntermc: Okay Beyonce

talkthat_tara: Go ahead and just land that plane right on me when you get back

↳ simonesays: I’m right there with you babes ↳ liiisa_: She got that storybook love like tell me your secrets

giggity_gideon: Me and who? 🤔

↳ callmecaleb: Your right hand ↳ liiisa_: STOP OMG ☠️ ↳ giggity_gideon: It’s actually my left I hold the phone with my right 📱 ↳ misshuntermc: Gideon go ahead and log out for me 🫴🏾

— View 18 more comments

Secret Admirer

misshuntermc

♥️ liked by skye.109, seagod_raf_, callmecaleb and 140k others

misshuntermc: Found this on my doorstep ; im not complaining

comments

liiisa_: NOW WHO TF? 🤨

simonesays: Ma’am do you have beer flavored nipples or something?

talkthat_tara: Coochie got witchcraft embedded in it or something

↳ misshuntermc: Bold of you to assume im giving up Nani

skye.109: I would’ve left my black card with the pin but this is cute

↳ seagod_raf_: Here you go WE DO NOT CARE ↳ skye.109: That was quite the response….funds running low? Is that why you’re so irritable? ↳ seagod_raf_: Band for band ↳ skye.109: Don’t embarrass yourself on the internet like that

_thedrzayne: This looks like something Caleb would do but i’m just spectulating

↳ callmecaleb: I would’ve handed it to her and cooked her a meal but thanks for thinking I'd be this cowardly ↳ _thedrzayne: You’re welcome ↳ callmecaleb: 😐😐

nene.nero: I’m surprised Xavier wasn’t the first comment

↳ misshuntermc: He showed up on my balcony like 2 minutes after I posted this ↳ imjenna: The front door wasn’t an option? ↳ misshuntermc: I guess not 🥴

— View 227 more comments

[dewdrops-whammy-bar]

Tenth Drink Free- Chapter 2

Chapter 2/10- Star Taglist: @skele-bunny @rain-loves-scallops @dewphomet

{1}

Second chapter let’s fucking goooooo In this one I’m gonna delve more into Dew’s mind, his backstory, and his (frankly awful) mental health. Oh and he’s going to jork his peanits in the shower. Warning for mentions of/allusions to self-harm and self-destructive behavior.

“You seem excited.” Rain remarks, draping himself over the back of the couch with a smug grin. Dew looks up from his cereal to glare at him.

“What gave you that impression?” He asks.

“You’re up before 10, you don’t have anything on your calendar for today, and you’ve got the closing shift tonight. There must be something going on that you’re excited for.” Rain counts off on his fingers. “Ooooh, have you got a date?”

(Read the rest below or on AO3)

“Why do you care?” Dew grumbles. “Looking for gossip? Wondering if I’m still single?”

“Oh, I know you’re still single. I’m just checking in on you. As a friend.” Rain bats his stupidly long eyelashes at Dew. “What’s so important that it got you out of bed at the ungodly hour of 9:24 in the morning?”

Dew knew the reason, he’d spent most of his afternoon and evening the previous day agonizing over Big Sexy like a schoolkid with a crush. He’d analyzed every word of their short conversation and picked apart every glance, trying to glean whatever subtext he could from it. THEN he’d had a particularly exciting dream that woke him up at 6. After about 45 minutes of vigorously jerking it, he’d given it a rest after his third orgasm. At that point he was too awake to go back to sleep so he’d just busied himself with various little tasks until he got hungry enough to venture out.

“Fucked my sleep schedule.” He shrugs.

“At least you fucked something.” Rain remarks, turning back around and plopping himself back on the couch. “I’m getting ready for class.”

“Well good for you. Enjoy your boring-ass lecture, I’ll be here writing music and playing video games.” Dew sniffs.

“Enjoy that, I guess. Hope you like that coffee shop.” Rain snips back.

The words stung a bit, even though they’re nothing Dew hadn’t heard- or thought -before. He’d escaped his small town by bus on his eighteenth birthday with his guitar and just enough money to get by for a few months. By the grace of some god, Rain was looking for a roommate in the area he ended up in.

He’d managed to get a job at Cloudy Skies by borderline begging Cumulus to hire him at his interview. It wasn’t entirely manipulation, he’d had a long day and had been rejected from five jobs in the past week. It was nearing the end of the month and his portion of rent was due soon and he was afraid he’d be forced to sell his beloved guitar. He couldn’t help breaking down when Cumulus asked about his lack of past employment. He still felt guilty for it, even though it was six years ago.

He doesn’t realize how deafening his silence was until Rain’s head pops up from behind the back of the couch again.

“I’m sorry.” The other man says softly. “I didn’t mean-“

“You’re fine.” Dew reassures him. “It’s… well, you know. A bit sore.”

“That’s fair. Sorry for bringing it up.” Rain sighs sheepishly. Dew just nods and returns his attention to his cereal.

He’d like to go to college, get a degree in music or music education, but he’s broke. His job pays enough to cover rent and groceries and medication but that doesn’t leave much left over to pay for any classes. Student loans aren’t much of an option for him either, he doesn’t have much credit and being in debt stresses him out severely. He’s scared he’ll be stuck working customer service his entire life, a starving artist overlooked by everyone.

The texture of soggy cereal in his mouth almost makes him gag. He gets up from the table and puts his bowl in the sink, heading back to his room.

The rest of the morning passes normally once Dew cheers himself up again. He even manages to snag the pedal he was after (granted, for a little more than what he’d limited himself to spend, but whatever). He then celebrates by parking himself on the living room couch with a family sized bag of Takis and a controller and dedicates the next few hours to Resident Evil.

Eventually Dew gets bored and wanders back to his room to get dressed for work. He finds himself actually caring about his outfit for once. He settles on celestial-patterned skinny jeans and a black and red button-up shirt. He’s even compelled to slap on some eyeliner.

He realizes halfway through the eyeliner application process that he might be doing this in case he sees Aether again. He groans, drops his makeup pencil on the desk, and leans back to stare at the ceiling. He was too old to be having a crush. He had more important things to worry about. He wasn’t in high school anymore, putting on his best “pastor’s daughter” act and fluttering his eyelashes at the football team captain. That guy turned out to be an asshole anyway.

“Come on.” Dew grumbles. “You are a grown ass man.” He knows the drill- be infatuated by someone for a few weeks, create an idea of what they’re like in his head, finally push down his self-loathing enough to talk to them, and be disappointed by how they actually are. It’s happened too many times to count. It’d only turned out positively once- with Rain. They’d fucked a few times but decided to stay as friends, much to Dew’s relief.

He picks up the pencil again and finishes his makeup. He almost doesn’t want to see Aether again. He’d just be disappointed and go home and sulk in bed and give Rain another reason to tease him.

But he has bills to pay and a six-stringed child to care for. So he hauls his ass to Cloudy Skies, clocks in, and parks himself behind the register. He just has to get through a 5-hour shift. He can do five hours, that’s like three runthroughs of his favorite playlist.

“Hi D-dew!” Aeon chirps with a wave. Dew gives them a nod and a brief smile as he passes them in the kitchen. Aeon’s the most recent hire, a bright-eyed (well, in only one eye, the other was blind) 20-year-old computer science student working part-time. Dew doesn’t like change so he wasn’t a fan of Aeon to begin with, but they’ve grown on him. They’re like him- a weird kid trying to carve out a safe place in a scary world. He’d taken them under his wing as soon as he’d gotten used to having another person in the shop. He’d almost torn Swiss a new asshole the only time he dared to mock their stutter.

Dew glances around to make sure Cirrus wasn’t around and pops in one of his shitty wireless earbuds. Some music would make his shift a tiny bit more bearable. The opening notes of Toxicity filter through the tinny speaker of the earbud and he sighs with relief.

The afternoon crowd of students begin to flood into the shop and he’s quickly busy making drinks and heating up pastries. Sunny joins him behind the counter to help, thankfully.

He’s so busy with work that he doesn’t notice Aether has entered until he’s staring at that glorious chest with- dear lord, his shirt is unbuttoned an absolutely slutty amount.

”Hey, what can I get fOr you?” Dew’s voice cracks and he inwardly cringes.

”Hi, can I have a, um-“ Aether looks down at his hand. Dew sees smudged purple ink creeping over the side of his palm. “Cold brew with hazelnut syrup? Large, please.”

The same thing as last time- Dew’s own recommendation. His heart flutters. Stop it.

He grabs a large cold cup and jots down the order- and Aether’s name- before punching it into the register. “Yep. Anything else?”

”That’s it, thank you.” Aether smiles and Dew notices his crooked teeth. Fucking adorable. Jesus, stop it. You’re on the clock. 

“That’s $5.06.” Dew manages to get out. He takes the cash Aether hands over, along with the punch card. The hole punch today is a star. The heart-shaped hole from last time taunts him.

”I’ll have that right out for you.” He tells Aether as he hands the card over and slides the cup into the queue waiting to be filled. He allows his eyes to linger for a second on Aether’s absolutely perfect ass as he leaves before he turns to serve the next customer.

Between taking orders and making drinks, Dew sneaks glances over at where Aether’s decided to sit. He’s pulled out a laptop covered in stickers and seems to be studying. He’s wearing glasses, much to Dew’s delight (followed by annoyance) and his brows are slightly furrowed. Goddamnit. Out of all the people to have a puppy crush on it had to be a customer. Fucking amazing, thank you brain.

When Dew ventures into the back to take his break, he’s cut off by a very smug-looking Swiss leaning against the counter.

”So.” The man starts. “Sunny told me you have a crush.”

”Well, she’d be wrong. I don’t have crushes.” Dew ducks under his arm and makes a beeline for the back door. How did she know already? What the actual fuck?

”If you say so.” Swiss shrugs. Dew slams the back door before he can continue.

He eyes the brick wall, wondering if it’s worth it to punch. He’s gotta get his annoyance out somehow before he snaps at someone. He settles for kicking it instead. It only relieves his tension a little bit.

Dew digs his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and sparks one up. The acrid smell calms him despite burning his nostrils. He hates the taste and smell of cigarettes but at least it’s something he can rely on to calm him. Vaping just doesn’t bring the same satisfaction- he’s tried. He knows he’s gotta quit but he’d just turn to other bad habits to replace it. He’s convinced himself it’s a form of harm reduction.

Dew grinds his teeth together. He’s thinking about his emotions again. He can’t afford to sink into self-pity again. He needs to pull himself together before he starts crying. He hasn’t cried in years and he’s not about to start now. Especially not at work.

His cig is only half-finished but he stubs it out anyway and heads back inside. A glass of water and a mint rinse the taste out of his mouth and he takes his place at the big industrial sink in the kitchen for dish duty. He’s glad he doesn’t have to interact with customers for the rest of his shift. As much as he’d like to ogle Aether, it’s probably best if he takes his mind off him.

He scrubs pans and mugs and plates and utensils and baking tools until his forearms burn and turns up his music. He estimates his playlist has cycled through about two and a half times by the time Sunny taps him out at the sink.

“Stop spreading gossip about me.” He tells her, a bit harsher than he intended it to be. “Swiss is gonna be on my case for months, you know how he is.”

“Maybe you should get off your ass and ask him out. It’s the big guy, button up shirt, nice piercings, right?” Sunny grins at him and flutters her eyelashes. “He’s hot. Might have to make a move if you don’t.”

Dew sighs. “I don’t have a crush. Yeah, he’s hot, but I’ve got no desire to date him,” He hisses under his breath. The little lovesick voice in his head wails at the thought of Aether going out with someone else.

“Sounds like someone who’s got a crush…” She whispers back and winks at him. “Cir wants you to clear the pastry counter, by the way. Enjoy the view.”

Dew doesn’t dignify that last remark with an answer, only takes his earbuds out and walks over to Cirrus at the other end of the kitchen. She looks up from jotting notes on her clipboard and rubs her eyes.

“Hey Dew. Could you do me a favor and empty out the glass display?” She asks while stifling a yawn. “Sorry. Long day.”

“Understandable. I’ll get right on that.” Dew gives her a two-finger salute, which she returns. His spirits lifted somewhat at the prospect of first dibs on the leftover treats, he trots back out behind the counter.

Aeon sits at the stool behind the register, sneakily tapping away at their phone. Dew bumps them with his shoulder as he passes.

“Careful. Cirrus’ll give you an earful if she sees you on your phone,” he mutters. “I swear, she acts like an overbearing mother sometimes.”

“I know. I w-would have put it away if I’d-d heard her footst-steps.” Aeon shoots him a conspiratorial grin. Dew blinks.

“You’ve memorized her footsteps?” He asks, somewhat amazed. “In three weeks of being here?”

Aeon shrugs. “I’m good at-t patterns.” They turn back down to their phone and resume tapping. Dew sneaks a peek at their screen and sees they’re filling out a Sudoku puzzle with frightening speed. He shrugs and lets them be.

The pastry display is picked clean, only a few crescent rolls and a lone muffin remain. Dew picks them out with tongs and places them on a plate. On habit he glances over to the corner where Aether sat- and still sits, to his surprise. He seems to be taking a break from studying, instead leaning back in his chair and reading a book.

Dew opens the warmer on the countertop and slides the muffin inside. He adds one of the crescent rolls after some consideration and shuts the machine. The few minutes it takes to warm up the pastries are spent wiping down counters and collecting tools to be washed.

He returns from the kitchen and slides the baked goods from the warmer onto a plate. He hesitates, takes a deep breath, and walks out into the seating area.

Aether looks up as he approaches, pushing his glasses up to his forehead with a tired smile.

“We’re closing in around twenty minutes.” Dew lowers his voice a bit, glancing at the few other people in the shop. “Thought you might want some leftover snacks. Don’t tell anyone.” He smiles and sets the plate next to Aether’s laptop.

“Oh, awesome. I was just wondering what I was gonna have for dinner.” The man smiles with those adorable crooked teeth. “Thanks for the heads up. And the food.”

“‘Course.” Dew smiles back, stomach doing flips. He sneaks a peek at Aether’s book- it’s a well-worn paperback with… two shirtless men on the cover. Well, that answered the question on whether he liked men or not. Dew actually had a chance.

He walks away to notify the other stragglers and wipe down tables. Aether only leaves five minutes before closing, waving at Dew as he did. Goddamnit he’s cute.

Dew has another cigarette on his way home to try to clear his head. He knows Rain hates the smell of smoke but he’ll shower as soon as he gets home.

The front door squeals as Dew enters the apartment, making him wince. He kicks his boots off, drops his bag, and makes his way to his room. Rain’s door is closed so he’s either gaming or jerking off. Dew fights the urge to just collapse on his bed. He knows he’ll never get up that way, and he’d rather not have aching ribs tomorrow from over-binding.

So he grabs his sleeping shirt and fresh underwear and drags himself to the bathroom. He’s out of makeup remover so he just rubs his eyes with a damp cotton pad until his eyeliner is gone. It leaves the skin raw and he winces.

The hot shower water soothes him. He closes his eyes as he massages shampoo into his hair and allows his mind to drift. It immediately goes to Big Sexy. He’s too tired to resist it- fantasizing would probably get the silly crush out of his system faster anyway.

He imagines Aether’s hands in his hair, combing through it gently as they kiss. How warm his lips would be, the scratch of his beard scruff against his neck, his large hands holding Dew’s waist, squeezing his chest, pushing his thighs open-

“Haaaaah…” Dew leans against the shower wall and tips his head back to avoid the spray. His hands explore his body- not as big as Aether’s, but he can pretend. His hand finally dips between his legs to find himself already slick and ready.

He pushes his middle and ring fingers into his cunt with a gasp. “Aether…” He pumps them in and out, imagining the bigger man’s fingers instead. The fingers of his other hand pet over his clit as he imagines Aether’s tongue in their place. Dark blue eyes look up at him through long brown eyelashes, fingers curling right up into that perfect spot, a low chuckle as Dew whines.

He imagines Aether pulling back and he whines again. “Noooooo…” Fantasy-Aether just grins, uses those big hands to flip him onto his stomach, and eases his cock into him. Dew adds two more fingers, moaning at the stretch. “Aeth- oh my god-“

Fantasy-Aether fucks him hard and deep, groaning unspeakably sexy things in Dew’s ear. Dew cums hard, thighs shaking as he clenches and flutters around his fingers. He sinks to his knees and braces his hand on the side of the bathtub as he rides out his orgasm.

“Fuck…” Dew mumbles as he washes off his hands in the now- lukewarm water. He’s embarrassed now- he just jerked off to a customer. He hasn’t technically done anything wrong, he’s free to crank it to whatever his dick desires, but he’s pretty sure he won’t be able to look Aether in the eyes for a good week. Incredibly awkward.

He gets out of the shower, dries off, and changes into pajamas. ‘Pajamas’ is pushing it though, it’s one of those T-shirts with three wolves superimposed over a full moon and forest that’s four sizes too big and boxers.

Dew returns to his room, hair still wrapped up in a towel, and collapses into bed. He’s tired from having emotions all the time. It makes him have to think about his life and if he does that too much he starts to spiral. A therapist would probably tell him to start thinking about his emotions and to stop smoking, but he doesn’t have a therapist. He’s fine as is, as long as he takes his meds. He pays too much for them anyway, he’s not gonna shell out another hundred a week for someone with a degree to tell him to breathe.

There he goes, spiraling again. Dew punches his pillow in frustration. As he rolls onto his back his eyes fall on the notebook on the floor next to his guitar.

He hasn’t journaled in years. The idea makes him want to laugh but… if he can get his thoughts out of his head and onto paper maybe they’ll leave him the fuck alone.

Dew drags himself out of bed and settles on the floor with the notebook. He chews on the cap of the pen tucked into the wire spine and hesitantly touches the tip of the pen to the page.

The next thing he knows he’s filled three pages, front and back. His handwriting is messier than usual- almost illegible- and he can barely remember what he wrote. Probably for the best.

Tearing the pages out of the notebook, Dew crumples them up and reels his arm back to toss them into his garbage can. He hesitates.

Instead, he opens one of his dresser drawers and shoves the wadded paper way into the back. It finds a home among his holey socks and empty deodorant sticks (he really should throw those out). He shoves the drawer closed a little harder than he really needs to. It feels good.

He takes his hair out of the towel and tosses it across the room. He’s too tired to put it into its usual braid, he doesn’t care if it’s frizzy tomorrow. Finally, Dew crawls under the covers with his hair still damp and goes to sleep.

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[trickphotography2]

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Robert 'Bob' Floyd

(Every Step You Take) I'll Be Watching You (Bob Floyd x Reader one shot)

Bob disliked Friday team nights at The Hard Deck but knows they're important to the squad. That is, he disliked them until Penny hires a new summer bartender who gently pushes him to try new things. But when he comes in to find the police asking for her, the last thing he expected was to find himself protecting Evie. Trigger warnings: stalking, attempted assault. (Bob x Reader [Evie], no physical description)

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw

Santa's North Island Delivery Service (Bradley Bradshaw x Reader one shot)

Stuck at work, Bradley is missing his daughter's first Christmas Eve. But when the squadron decides to turn the hanger into Santa's Workshop, the pilot is able to sneak away to spend a little time with his girls. (Inspired by a true story; Rooster x Reader Christmas fluff)

Wanna Dance with Somebody (Bradley Bradshaw x Reader one shot)

When his girlfriend of three months ditches a night at the Hard Deck after a rough day, Bradley knows just what to do to cheer her up.

Friendsgiving (Bradley Bradshaw x Reader [Duchess] one shot)

Rooster wasn't for you. You were opposites in so many ways - he was an extrovert to your introvert. The center of attention to your wallflower. You weren't interested in a one night stand, and he couldn't offer more. So his volunteering to help with Friendsgiving was just a friendly gesture after you returned from a deployment...right?

Marvel fics posted on Ao3

[saltyyuuri]

🪻In another life 🪻

Iso x fem! Reader

PART 6

PART 1 - PART 2 - PART 3 - PART 4 - PART 5 - PART 6 - PART 7 - PART 8 - PART 9 - PART 10

Words: 4500

Warnings: mention of blood- mild violence and mental health. It's going to be angsty. This warning is simply going to be copy pasted to all chapters

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You had just finished up another simulation training, this was your third one already. Things had settled down and nobody questioned the mission that you had a panic attack on anymore, things were just going back to normal how they were before you started getting stuck in your head because of the Omega Iso.

You were feeling pretty decent after this training session, it went a lot better than the two first ones. Sova definitely didn't hold back when it came to the simulations, he had set them up almost near perfectly accurate- which is why the first one hurt so much to do. But you were getting used to it, used to seeing a mirrored version of Iso, giving you heart tugging speeches, the same desperate look he gave you before you shot him- everything.

Honestly, sometimes you wondered how Sova could get it so accurate-but at the same time you didn't dare ask. As many people said within the decades that I had passed-some things are best to be left unknown.

Overall you were very proud of yourself for the improvements, how you were slowly getting a hang on keeping your head cool even with the heart tugging scenarios. You still needed to keep working on it, you were still hesitating to take shots at times- but it was a lot better than it was. Or at least, that's what Sova would say to encourage you.

The only issue is Iso, even though pretty much everyone else had gotten over the incident of the panic attack, he occasionally would bring it up, trying to get an answer from you. He was persistent, that's for sure- and you thought that maybe after one or two times he'd finally give up. But he didn't, as he had brought it up for a fourth time a few days ago.

You had noticed a few changes in his behavior, very small ones but still noticeable. He was coming to you more often-not the other way around. The moment you stopped going to him and always putting in the effort on your end- he would start doing it. It definitely made you happy, but it also started to make you hesitate.

Did you really still want this? That was the million dollar question now. You have had feelings for him for the longest time, from the day you got hired pretty much- but since the whole incident where you got a bit close to Omega Iso, everything involving him felt a bit messy now. You definitely still had feelings for him- but the problem now is the hesitation. You weren't comparing him to his Omega version anymore, you at least managed to get control over that- your mind finally separating the two and not just putting them both in the same basket.

Right now you were heading outdoors, you decided you wanted to go take a walk around the nearby city, maybe head to the park with that nice little river that flooded through it. You have put your earbuds in, your small backpack over your shoulders and a water bottle inside the backpack, prepared to leave and enjoy the outdoors.

You pressed played in The music on your phone, it started playing loudly inside your earbuds. It started on a pretty nice upbeat song, one that have been trending recently and that just keeps getting stuck in your head. 'APT' by Rose and Bruno Mars started playing in your ears, humming along to it as your steps matched the Beat of the music.

Your playlist continued as you just enjoyed the positive feeling of the music, the sunny day that wasn't too warm or too cold- the small breeze in the air and the clear streets- it allowed you to enjoy everything a little more peacefully. The park wasn't that far away, there was an entrance that was closer to headquarters, and that's exactly where you headed to.

You passed the smaller entrance to the park, following the dirt trail down. It seemed like the park was pretty empty at this time, not that you were complaining. You got to walk along the bushes and trees, looking over the flowers that were growing and some of the flower beds nearby. The path finally made its way towards the Little River, a small bridge passing over it.

You made your way up the bridge and stopped Midway, looking down at the water with a smile as music continued to play in your ears. Your head bobbed to the rhythm of the music, tapping your foot. Hell, at some point, when the last chorus played, you sang along to it softly - may as well enjoy the emptiness of the park.

You continued to stare down at the river, looking in the clear, shallow water. It was no deeper than 3 feet, and flowed pretty decently. But due to that flow it kept the water very clear, so you could easily see any fish, any frogs tadpoles or even aquatic plants and little rocks.

A rock in particular caught your eye- seemed to be a quartz of a decent size for you to be able to see it from here. Your mind immediately went to Clove, who absolutely loved rocks for some reason. Quartz was pretty in your opinion, and you figured that maybe Clove would like it.

But instead of being a normal person and just getting down the bridge to walk around and then head in the river- you just straight up hopped over the railing, into the small River, getting yourself completely soaked over from the water splashing around you. The bridge wasn't very high, just a few feet above the water, so your fall didn't hurt you.

But it definitely attracted attention- even though the park was nearly empty there was still some people there- and two people in particular who immediately recognized you. Iso and Sage were seated on a nearby picnic table, and from your point of view on the bridge you didn't see them-one of the trees was covering them. But now that you were in the river, they could definitely see you now.

You still have your earbuds in and playing music, so you didn't hear them call out to you. Anyways you were too busy digging your hands in the mud, trying to fish out that quartz you spotted. It was only once you finally had the decent sized Rock, a half white quartz half clear quartz that looked stunning, that you finally looked up- and you were immediately face to face with your teammates.

You had mud on your legs and arms from digging up the quartz, and of course you were soaked from the waist down. You stare at them while they just looked at you little dumbfounded. You looked around awkwardly before rinsing off The Rock, your arms and a bit of your legs as you could further off in the river where the water hadn't gotten stirred up yet. Then you finally got out, settling on the grass on the ledge of the river, setting down your stuff and taking off your shoes and socks to let them dry out.

You finally took out your earbuds, the two agents walking over to you with confused and curious expressions, and slight amusement on Sage's part. "Hello there, (Y/N)." Sage started the conversation with a smile and a friendly tone. "Hey-" you said shortly as you finish setting up your stuff and putting your earbuds away in your bag.

"Why did you jump in the river?" Iso asked a bit bluntly, his expression more curious than he tried to let on. "I saw a nice rock- and I thought Clove might like it." I said as I patted the decent size quartz besides me. "So you got yourself drenched for a rock-" he repeated, his face now going to a deadpan as he spoke.

"Yes, I did. What about it?" You responded with some sass- and that was definitely a first. You never really sassed him before- hell you wouldn't even sure if you ever have been sarcastic with him. It definitely took him by surprise, and it quieted him down for a moment. Sage decided to take over the conversation. "Well, I do admire that you willingly got yourself soaked to get Clove something they would like." She started, her usual calm, friendly demeanor coming through.

"It shows that you're dedicated to your friends." She finished off, looking down at the Crystal beside you. You nodded, your own gaze shifting to look over the quartz with a small smile. "Yeah. I do appreciate them a lot too." You said with a small hum. Iso finally spoke up again, seeming to get over your sass towards him.

"What are you doing in the park?" He asked bluntly, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets as he spoke. "Just decided to take a walk and enjoy the weather." You were going to add something else but you decided to bike back the comment, you didn't want it to come out rude, especially not in front of Sage. "Alone?" He asked once more. "I don't see why that's a problem?" You retorted to him, starting to wonder where he was going with this.

"it's not a problem, I was just wondering." He simply said, slightly nodding his head. Sage took a moment to observe your interaction with Iso, frown starting to appear on her face. "You two seem so distant talking to each other- did something happen?" She asked curiously, but there was concern on her face.

"I mean, this is probably the longest conversation we ever had." I replied a bit bluntly. I don't know why I was starting to speak my mind like this, when usually I would bite my tongue or at least shy away from conversation as he would usually lack response. Iso looked away as soon as I said that, and also seemed a bit nervous the moment that Sage looked at him then back at you.

"So, you two have been a duo, a rather good one at that, practically since day one-and yet you two never had a full proper conversation together?" She asked, slightly baffled at the news. She had assumed that you two were at least friends considering how well you work together. But at the same time she was taking a moment to think over all the times that she has saw you too hung out together-which was none.

"We had conversations before..." Iso mumbled out sheepishly, a week attempt to plead the case. You simply shook your head slightly letting out a small sigh. Sage looked at the two of you and then her gaze landed on ISO, her frown deepening.

"Iso, do you even hang out with her?" She asked, her voice sounding like she was scolding him. "We hung out-" he started off before pausing, looking over at you and then quieting down. He looked embarrassed and didn't really want to finish his sentence. You only hung out once because you asked and Sage wasn't there. You were going to be mean and say it outright, you weren't that cruel.

But at the same time Sage didn't take long to add things up. She wasn't stupid that's for sure. She definitely looked very frustrated with Iso , but she didn't add anything on to the conversation. Instead she turned it towards you and offered you a friendly smile as if she wasn't currently in mad at Iso.

"(Y/n), would you like to join me for lunch? There's this cute cafe not far from here that offers nice light lunches that suit the weather nicely!" She offered out to you, almost instantly ignoring Iso. You looked back down at your soaked shorts and shoes, not quite the ideal outfit to eat out. "Erm... I mean I look like a wet rat right now-" you mumbled out.

"Nonsense! Don't worry it's not a fancy place. If anything, we can always eat on the balcony outside." She said, motioning you to get up. You didn't really want to refuse out right, so you ended up putting on your wet shoes, packing the dried up rock in your bag and deciding to follow her through the park. You kind of expected Iso to follow along- but he just stayed back and watched you too go.

You felt a bit guilty that he just lost his hangout buddy- all that because you decided to open your mouth a bit too much. You didn't look at Sage as you felt bad, you didn't really want her to worry about it. "You're quiet, is there something on your mind?" She asked you as you two walked, she was leading the way towards the small cafe.

"I didn't mean for you to essentially just dump him there- I didn't want crap to start because I opened my mouth-" you said Softly, knowing that even if you did lie to her, she'd eventually figure it out. "(Y/n), do not feel bad for my choice. I didn't know that you too weren't even on a friend basis- I had just assumed so since you two were a duo. I didn't realize he spent all of his time hanging out with me."

She said, smiling at you as she placed a hand on your shoulder. "Sage, please-if he wants to hang out with you I don't mind- I mean it's his life, he does what he places." I said, shaking my head slightly. "Except he's your duo. The very least he can do is spend time with you." She said firmly, her tone not leaving much place for argument.

There was a pause in the conversation, a short silence. It wasn't awkward but there was a bit of intensity to it. Sage then spoke up again. "Be honest, does how much contact do you two have outside of missions?" She asked you a little bit gentler than before, her hand was still on your shoulder as you walked.

"... Up until recently, practically nothing." You answered honestly her question. You can see slight shift on her face where she didn't look very pleased with the answer. "Sage, like I said, he chooses what he wants to do I'm not going to get all bossy because I'm his duo-" you immediately tried to backtrack a bit. "No, stop trying to play it down." She said firmly.

"He works best with you, he said it himself after a few missions where you two were duoed. He's the one who explicitly asked to work with you. And we obliged, because we saw how good the results were." Sage admitted, her tone sounding a bit discouraged and as she spoke. "Wait, he's the one who asked for us to work together?" You asked her in surprise-that was information you had no idea about.

"He didn't even tell you?" She repeated after you, a look of surprise on her face. There was yet another moment of silence as you two approached the cafe. "He explicitly asked to work with you because your powers paired well with his. And you two seemed to get along on missions... I didn't know he didn't even spare a minute for you outside of it." She said a bit sadly.

"Sage, please don't be mad after him." You try to reason a bit, even though you didn't even know how to argument what she was saying. You wanted to defend him-but the more she spoke the less you could say. You don't even know why you were trying to defend him at this point-was it because of your feelings once again?

"Why do you let him just discard you like that?" She then asked, looking up at you with a serious face. "I mean he doesn't discard me-" "(Y/n), I don't think I remember him sparing a glance your way now that I think of it-and you're telling me it was like that up until recently?" You quieted down once again. You didn't even know how to respond to that, because she was right.

"it's complicated." that was the only lame answer you were able to give, the only one that didn't involve outright saying the only reason why you weren't making a ruckus about all of this or reacting any stronger.

"You like him?" She suddenly asked, her tone softening once again. Sometimes you cursed how perspective some of the agents were, and all you could do was just look away, trying to change the subject. "So what's good at this cafe-?" You asked a bit tensely, the subject change was obvious as day.

"They have some really good cucumber salads and Sandwiches. But that's off subject." She answered , using the hand on your shoulder to turn you back towards her as she asked the question again. "Do you like him?" She wasn't going to let you escape that question no matter how much you tried or change the subject. "Fine... Yes, I have feelings for him. Happy now?"

Your answer was a little snappy but she didn't react to it, looking what she was thinking over something. She gently guided you inside the cafe to get food, falling quiet as she got caught up in her own thoughts. You two ordered something light and easy for lunch, taking a seat at the table indoors. Turns out you had time to dry out as you two walked over, so you didn't look too much like a wet rat.

You sipped on the drink you order, a strawberry lemonade and she sipped on an iced tea, shutting down the cup before speaking up. "Why do you like him? I'm curious. Especially considering your... Circumstances." She asked, resting her head on her Palm as she was genuinely interested to know.

"it's probably going to sound corny." You started off, you could already feel your face heating up from the slight embarrassment of having to say it. "I watch romcoms in my spare time, trust me, I can handle corny." Sage said with a small giggle.

"Well... It started because of how he acted during missions. He always has a protective stance- whenever a fight would break out his first instinct was always to make sure I had cover- and if I didn't he would use himself as cover." You started to say, deciding to tell her about why you developed feelings for him. "Then, once the fights are over, before anything else you always checks up to make sure I'm fine."

"Whenever we worked with others as a larger team- he would still stick around me the whole time and check on me first every time." You continued, looking down at your glass of lemonade. "He occasionally would say compliments when we're on missions. And he remembers the most random details- like I recently discovered he knew of my lactose intolerance - and he was careful enough to order boba without dairy product."

You said, taking a sip of your lemonade. "It's honestly not that much... But it was small gestures that I appreciate a lot." You finished off, and you had a feeling probably sounded ridiculous to develop feelings over such small things.

"That's adorable - he really does that?" She asked, her curiosity peaked as she held her glass with two hands, interested in the conversation even more than you it had expected. "Y-yeah."you accidentally stuttered because you weren't expecting her to be this engaged.

"Wow... You know, you should have said something sooner to me. I wouldn't have hesitated to turn him down a few times and send him your way." Sage said, a slight look of guilt on her face as if this was her fault. "What- no, please. Don't feel bad for all of this. When you come to think of it-he chose to hang out with you, No?" You said, trying to reassure her.

"Well... I still played my part in this. I do enjoy his company, and he is quite nice to hang around with. But I assumed he was also like that with you." She said, shaking her head slightly as she had an apologetic look on her face. "I invited him out a lot too, it wasn't just him asking me to hang out." She continued before taking a small sip at her iced tea.

"I see." You said shortly, even with that information it's not like you wanted to be mad at her. From the beginning you never blame her for anything- it was mostly just Iso. Your food arrived, and you started eating slowly and sipping on your drinks.

"I'll cut down our hang out time from now on. I won't push him your way though, but I'll make sure he has more than enough free time to spare for you too." Sage started, speaking up as if she was taking an important decision right then and there. Before you can speak up and argue back, she continued. "And if he doesn't start treating you better, he's no longer going to have you as a duo. He's the one who wanted you to begin with- and if he's not willing to treat you better, then he doesn't deserve to have you as you as his duo." She said firmly, making sure to leave no place for argument.

You didn't know how to feel about it-you were touched that she was taking your defense and she was willing to do that for you; even though you felt bad because you didn't want him to get punished over this. It made you feel selfish in a way, so your emotions were just conflicted. You sipped on your drink, unsure how to deal with the different emotions.

"Is that okay with you?" Sage finally asked after a few moments seeing that you were quiet. "I-... Honestly, it feels nice that you are willing to do that and that you care so much for all of this - but at the same time I feel selfish. I feel like... I don't know- like maybe the backlash he's getting is my fault." You responded honestly once more.

"it's not being selfish, it's wanting respect and appreciation. He wanted you as his duo yet doesn't show much of either to you. If anything, it makes him selfish for wanting what's best for him without actually taking care of it." She said, trying to guide you through your thoughts and emotions. "Because you could duo with a lot of other agents, creating powerful combinations with your powers and theirs- yet you chose to stick with him because you respect and appreciate him." She continued. "So why tolerate someone who doesn't show the same effort back?"

Her words both comforted you and left you thinking. She was right once again- hell, it was almost as if she was always right. The only reason why you were tolerating him and hanging on so much was your feelings for him. When she put the perspective back on you, that really was the only thing that was keeping you to be his duo.

You couldn't just lose feelings in the snap of a finger- but it did make you start rethinking a bit. You finished up your food and drink, mind starting to think over what she said and your current situation with Iso. The walk back to headquarters was filled with small talk, which was a bit absent minded from your end.

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Back at the dorms, you were in Clove's dorm room, you had just given them the quartz you had found from your day at the park, taking it out your small backpack to hand it to them. "Shite, this thing is huge!" Clove said excitedly, already admiring the mix of white and clear quartz. They immediately found a spot for it on their desk, setting in your plant and a candle. " It's really pretty too! Thank you so so much!" Clove said, giving you a quick hug as a thank you.

"I I thought you would like it. I literally jumped in the river to get it-" you giggled out, giving them a hug back as you spoke. "Damn, you went that far to get me this? Talk about determination-" Clove said as they put a hand over their heart, giving you a slightly exaggerated look of being in love with you.

"I Shall cherish this crystal with all my heart and make sure it remains in perfect condition!" Clove said in a slightly exaggerated dramatic voice, which didn't fail to make you laugh again. "God you can be so dramatic sometimes-" you sent through laughs, shaking your head.

The two of you laughed a bit more, adding to the joke every now and then as the conversation stayed light . You to continue to talk and gossip, as per usual, until the conversation changed over to a topic that came back up very often. "So~ Iso -" Clove started before you cut them off.

"I have been thinking - both after you gave me advice and Sage did-" "wait, you talked to Sage about this?" Clove interrupted you with a slightly stunned look. "Damn, you got gusty!" They added on teasingly. You rolled your eyes before speaking up again. "As I was saying. I've got to thinking- and... Well, I decided that I will only give back the same effort he will give me. So I will stop fully ignoring him like you told me to- because that's honestly just getting mean... But rather only give him back the same attention that he'll give me." You said, explaining your logic.

"That's actually quite smart- can I know what Sage said though? Like how did that conversation go-" Clove asked you curiously, wanting to know what was said to know how you came to this decision. "Well, long story short- I discovered that Iso was the one to specifically ask to be duoed with me- and Sage thought it was unfair that he didn't give me any time outside of missions while I had tried multiple times to bond." You said, trying to summarize the conversation as it was quite long.

"Oh! And also- she said she'll purposely cut back on a hanging out with him so he's certain to have time for me. She said that if he chooses to continue to not try- she's breaking off our duo." You said, which left Clove stunned. "Woah wait- so she is more than willing to be the one to hand out the punishment just like that? Damn-" Clove said, looking surprised at the outcome.

"it appears so." You said softly, sitting down on their bed for a moment. "But... I'm actually kind of Happy. Because after everything that happened, and the advice she added on-... It definitely allowed me to clear my head a bit and think things clearly. If things don't work out-then too bad, I'll move on." You said softly, your expression relaxing as a small smile took over.

"I'm so proud of you." Clove suddenly said, putting their hands on your shoulders. "Huh?" The sudden statement took you off guard. You looked back up at Clove what a bit of a confused face. "I'm proud that you're starting to grow as a person." They said, a sincerely smile as they spoke.

"And if things don't work out- just know I'll be here for you. Just like Sova and Sage - We got you."

[crosbyism]

Omg. Tell me about mash fic?? Please??

thanks for the ask, friend!! ♥️ :))))

OK SO, like a year ago i started getting super into mash (as in, the TV show from the seventies) and especially once i hit the later seasons and finished my first watch through (which took a while bc… yknow, 11 seasons, 24 eps per on average), i got super fascinated with mash’s relationship with canon and continuity. there’s a huge difference in minor canon facts between early and late seasons, which ends up summing up to a really fascinating difference in characterisation for most characters? and it’s actually deeply fascinating to look at those differences. on like a metatextual level, obvs those differences exist bc of the group character dynamics needing to be balanced out, the episodic nature of the show and the lack of obsession with canon continuity in tv shows before the 2000s (— if we can pretend we didn’t say that Margaret’s dad was dead and her mom was an alcoholic in season three, we can make them divorced instead and bring him around for an interesting episode in season 9 or 10, and also, who the fuck is going to care or fact check it—). but if you pick up the heavier “misery of war”/hawkeye’s mental break stuff going on in the later seasons and take all of the differences (and the fact that the korean war within the canon of the show takes waaaaay too fucking long, bc obvs it was a commentary about the vietnam war at the time) extremely literally, there’s this sort of interesting potential for a metafic there that plays with hawkeye’s psychological problems and the timeloop-esque nature of canon that really interested me. it’s not very long so far and mostly disjointed snippets, but i do love this idea a lot and would love to finish it up. some single excerpts from this wip i quite like:

It starts with Trapper leaving. No, that’s not right. Is it? No, it is— They’re at the airport bar; Hawkeye’s staring into the glass, and he looks back up, at— BJ. His bunkmate. No, that’s not right, not yet. He’s going to be, but they’re not there yet. He’s still Captain Hunnicutt, BJ comes later. Right now they’re at Kimpo airport, drinking and making merry and stealing a Jeep to get out of here. There it is, now Hawkeye’s got it the right way round again: this is the part right before Radar freaks out again, and then they take the Jeep, drunk all the way back to camp, and tomorrow morning Hawkeye will open his eyes and think to himself: Gee, it’s a wonder I didn’t drive right into a minefield. It starts with BJ Hunnicutt arriving. What are Hawkeye and Radar doing at Kimpo, anyway?

His colonel’s wife is called Mildred. No, it’s Lorraine. No, it is Mildred. Margaret’s father is dead and her mother drinks. No, he’s alive and they just got divorced. Margaret has a sister. Or does she? No, that’s Charles, and Hawkeye’s getting it all mixed up again— His best friend is a faithful husband. He’s a big cheater in an unhappy marriage. Peg’s going to hire a PI the second BJ’s back, Hawkeye laughed the other day when Trapper told him. Either way, he always loves his daughters. Daughter.  One of his tentmates is always from Boston. He just can’t remember whether he has a bald spot or not. Reality is up for grabs. Someone said that to Hawkeye once. Hawkeye thinks it might’ve been someone important. He can’t quite remember. It’s just all so confusing. Is Hawkeye dreaming again? He’d like to wake up, please. Any time now, he’ll open his eyes. He just hopes he’ll be awake when he does.

[jonathansims-headarchivist]

JON

Statement of Stella Mills, about her… encounter with Jane Prentiss and The Corruption. Statement taken directly from subject, 10:41, on October 24th, 2017. Statement begins.

STELLA

So, you want me to give my statement, Mr. Archivist? I suppose I can do that. I don’t think you deserve it in the least bit, but I’ll give it to you.

I first started working at the archives, oh, about 4 years ago? It’s been a good job. Weird, but good. Paid enough for me to make rent. Paid more over the years as the other janitors started to… go missing. I didn’t have anything to do with that, mind you, regardless of what the police thought. I think the institute just… swallowed them up. The halls, the back halls, are a winding maze. Not quite as bad as the tunnels below the institute, but still had a lot of dead ends and doorways that led right back around. Easy to get lost. Harder to get found.

Or maybe they just couldn’t handle it and left. There’s a lot of things that aren’t nice to see, down in the maintenance tunnels and tucked away in back corners of closets. It’s like the lower you get in the institute, the closer you get to something awful.

Whatever happened, they were gone. I ended up the only janitor. Dunno why Mr. Bouchard didn’t hire more. Maybe he thought I was enough. Maybe he thought it was more cost-efficient to just have one. Honestly, I don’t know. But whatever the reason, it ended with just me. I minded the extra work, though the pay made up for it.

And for a while, that was it. Things were normal. I’d come to work, stay long hours cleaning and tidying the institute in patterned chunks, and leave late. I got very little sleep, and my attempts at socialization had mixed results, but it got me by. 

One day while I was cleaning some of the back halls I saw something shining on the floor. When I looked down to inspect it closer, it was a little silver worm with a black head. I was never one to kill bugs, so I put it in a little container to put outside later. And then, I found another. And another, and another, until my whole container was full of the wriggling little babies. Once my shift ended, I brought them outside with me and set them free in the bushes out front of the institute.

JON

I’m sorry- you picked them up, carried them outside, and did you just call them babies?

STELLA

Yes. Is there something in your ears as well?

[She laughs, because ha ha there are mushrooms in her ears. Jon is displeased]

Fine. Not one for humor, I suppose. Well, anyway, that is exactly what I did. And what I continued to do. Every time I went down there, I had to bring bigger and bigger containers, there were so many worms. I could barely work.

And then… then I met her. The source of the beautiful worms. My darling, my goddess. Jane. Her hair was like ebony silk, skin like ivory, pocketed with glittering holes of silver and darkness. She had no eyes, but I didn’t mind. She was breathtaking. I felt awed in a way I’d never felt before, and I knew she was the one. She was special. Important. It was love. No, not love. Something stronger, more incomparable, more ethereal. Something so massively engulfing that I could have no hope of understanding it. But I felt it. And I could tell she felt it too.

JON

You… fell in love with Jane Prentiss? Are you sure that’s what you were feeling? It wasn’t… disgust, fear, hatred, the innate human instinct of survival?

STELLA

[sharply] Love is love, Mr. Archivist. Don’t be homophobic.

JON

I’m not- being homophobic! I don’t care that you fell in love with a woman, it’s simply… the specific… woman, if you can even call her that anymore.

STELLA

Regardless, quite rude. Jane is not some horrid monster, any more than you or I.

JON

[sigh] Please just… continue, Miss Mills.

STELLA Fine. One day, I met Jane. And she was… beautiful beyond words. I remember complimenting her dress. It looked wonderful on her. She thanked me, and her voice was like a thousand singing angels.The conversation continued, and talking to her just felt so.. Natural. Easy. Comfortable. Like conversations should feel. There was nothing forced like with my coworkers, or my other… acquaintances. Everything flowed as easily as water. This only confirmed what I was already feeling: That she was my soulmate, she was the one. I visited her every day, spending hours talking about anything that came to mind. It was heaven.

She taught me about rot. I’d always had a fascination with mushrooms, fungi, and the circle of life and decay. But she opened my eyes to the deeper beauty in it all. In the gentle snowfall of spores, the soft fuzz of mold, the singing murmur of bugs. It was enchanting.

I don’t know exactly when I began rotting. It happened slowly, naturally. It felt amazing. Pure ecstasy, knowing that I was spreading and joining the great universal ending. We all decay, Mr. Archivist. If not treated with those horrid chemicals, if not prevented by some unnatural means, we all decay. We are meant to decay. It is our destiny, our fate, our calling. Those who try to avoid this great finality are hubristic fools. I am no fool.

Then that horrible tragedy came. You broke the wall and started her grand plan early. And then you killed her. Killed her and all of her children. You refused her gift of rot, of unity! You never deserved it.

[pause.]

I see your scars, Mr. Archivist. You were so close to receiving her gift, and you rejected it so violently. You could not understand or appreciate it. Your ignorance… your hubristic fear… your small-minded hatred… killed her. Killed my darling beloved. And you didn’t even let her return to the earth. You caged her! Trapped her in a jar in your desk! You…

[sob]

JON

…… [he is unsure of what to do] …continue.

STELLA

[Quietly, and with great difficulty] …I rescued her. I snuck into your office and found her ashes. There’s an… exposed wall in the basement. I filled it… I filled it with life. With rot. I scattered her ashes in it and gave her that beautiful finality. The mushrooms and plants that grew there made the perfect habitat for the few children I saved. They’re blossoming. I’m- I’m so proud of them… [she begins sobbing]

JON

Is that all?

STELLA

[sobs louder]

JON

…end statement.

[click]

[click]

Follow up is… complicated. Miss Mills is, in fact, the only janitor at the institute. Elias will not explain why. Obviously her claims about rotting are correct, as she is covered in fungi and mold. As for the habitat… the Institute is a very complex building, as she claims. We cannot find it, however the ashes of Jane Prentiss are no longer in my desk drawer. I can’t say I’m too upset about it, however the implication that some worms survived is… obviously concerning. I have informed Elias about this. We will see what happens. End recording.

[click]

( @mushworms4ever )

Hello, Stella.

I was not aware you had direct access to the tapes. Since apparently you do, I'm going to instead question who you've sent me an entire transcript of your statement recording?

[fd139]

Joo Jaekyung’s vulnerability

Ep.69!! What an episode! I really love how Jaekyung is allowing his vulnerability being revealed! I’ll repeat, Jaekyung’s shoulder injury is an allegory of his feelings!

Since I brought up his shoulder, let’s start with that. Coach Namwook said that “the MFC wants to line up a match” for him. In this particular panel, I find JK’s face very young, he finally looks his age! And his expression is great! He’s not excited AT ALL for a match compared to S1 He’s a bit shocked? Taken aback? Because he had plans to follow! Like, taking care of Kim Dan with his sleep and alcoholism problem? Once he hung up, he’s frustrated. In ep.61, when he takes off the cast, the doctor tells him “you can start with low-impact activities and exercises” We don’t know how long JK have been in bumfuck nowhere, but I think it had been maybe around 2 months? Even though he did a surgery, shoulders usually take a long time to fully recover I had a tendinitis 10 years ago and I’m a former fighter myself, so I don’t think JK is physically ready for a match. He even has these thoughts: “Am I in any condition to compete right now?” Also, Kim Dan’s reaction when he heard about the match, he looked surprised and immediately turned his head to look at JK Of course, KD treats JK’s body, so he knows if JK is ready or not. And KD’s face looks CONCERNED! While JK is training with a sandbag, he’s having these thoughts; what should he do? What are the risks? What is his situation? Now, the following bubbles, some say he’s been talking about his Jinx and all that. “Kim Dan’s a total wreck. Should I just cut my losses and hire someone else? But what if I don’t perform up to my full potential? And training… Do I start as soon as I get to Seoul?” Some see JK being selfish here, but I see the total opposite! He knows that KD is not in condition to have sex with him for his jinx, guys, S1 Jaekyung wouldn’t have cared AT ALL and would have taken Kim Dan like this. Just think about when KD was bruised because the loan sharks, he even used a freaking toy Jaekyung is thinking to hire someone else to handle his jinx for his match BECAUSE he knows Kim Dan is not in condition! He’s considerate compared to S1 When he thinks “it’s so frustrating…” he’s having a flashback of KD drinking alcohol! He then continues with “I have no clue what’s come over Kim Dan” And I really love his last thought “Nothing in my life is going right”, JK is allowing himself being vulnerable and not being in control! In S1, when he was powerless, he was just raged, now, he’s thinking!

The water thrown at KD’s face, I don’t have particular thoughts for the moment. Might get back later about this The next day, we see JK thinking about KD, either during the meeting with the MFC peepz or while driving alone. KD is always in his mind “just the thought of stepping into the ring again had me on edge, and before I knew it, my anger boiled over.” He’s admitting he didn’t react as he wished he should have He then thinks how irresponsible of KD to drink ONE DAY after seeing the doctor, isn’t this frustrating? And he then calls KD pathetic because he can’t take care of himself. And this bubble “I can’t… take it anymore” he had to pause before finishing his sentence. You might think that JK is giving up on KD, but I don’t think this is what he meant. Rather, he thinks seeing KD in that condition is hard, he doesn’t know what to do with KD Which is why he said he can’t take care of himself; because he can’t do the minimum to get better, JK cannot fully concentrate for his training.

So JK has a lot in his chest: 1. He has the upcoming match 2. He needs to train for said match 3. His physical condition is not on point 4. He needs to figure out how to handle his Jinx 5. He wants Kim Dan to get better 6. He doesn’t understand why he does all this for KD 7. Kim Dan has a vice and doesn’t help himself

I probably forgot some things, but you got my point. No wonder his migraine is back!

And last, when JK thought Kim Dan was the young drunk man who fell into the water, the panels are *chef kiss* JK’s expressions! He ran and JUMPED in that boat without second thought! And the moment he realized it WASN’T Kim Dan, his only thought was “no…” Again, in those panels, JK looks particularly young! And when he heard Kim Dan behind him, THOSE PANELS! His eyes! Look at his eyes! JK ran to get on the boat, but he walked, probably in trance, towards Kim Dan and hugged him tightly!

Jaekyung had shown vulnerability for his performance; S1 JK would have NOT hesitated, injured or not, to participate for a match Ep.69 JK had reflections regarding his condition, asked himself if he was ready, if it was a good idea, admitting his vulnerability

Jaekyung had shown vulnerability for his feelings; His rage when KD was drunk, anger/rage is the tip of the iceberg since we use anger to hide our insecurity and what overwhelm us And these overwhelming feelings burst when he thought KD was drowning! He didn’t hide behind rage, he didn’t hide behind rude words, he didn’t hide behind false indifference

When he knew Kim Dan was alright and ALIVE, the only way he found to show his relief, how vulnerable and powerless he felt, was to hug Kim Dan How beautiful! When we think how JK reacted on ep. 17 with the shark loans when they were going to r@pe Kim Dan, JK acted so detached and emotionless.

I called it, I’ve said that in order for JK to accept healing his shoulder was to lose a match; he’d have to lose KD (or something similar) to realize his feelings Well, this falls on the “or something similar” haha since he thought he lost KD with death

My predictions now? I’ve said that JK and KD need to heal in order to get together and a separation to grow, so I think the training for the match is the reason of their separation. But KD will now know that he means something to JK, so he would be at peace to heal and take care of himself while JK is away.

Find my others analysis below:

Joo Jaekyung theory: abandonment issues?

Joo Jaekyung’s shoulder injury and Kim Dan’s sleeping problem paralel

Joo Jaekyung theory : OCD and alexithymia ?

[pagesandpothos]

March 2025 Reading Recap

The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid 🌈🆕 This was a new second-chance romance about two former hockey teammates who haven't spoken since their friends-with-benefits relationship blew up over a decade ago. It's an emotional read with some by nice character growth. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 | Read as: ebook (ARC from NetGalley)

A Gentleman's Gentleman by T.J. Alexander 🌈🆕🤍 This is a Regency-era romance about a reclusive trans man who must find a wife to keep his family's estate. He hires a valet to help him navigate his upcoming Season, but when he develops feelings for the new valet, everything becomes even more complicated. This is fantastic! It's beautifully written, with great characters and a romance that stole my heart. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 | Read as: ebook (ARC from NetGalley)

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett 🆕🤍 This is the third book in the Emily Wilde trilogy. This was a great (possible?)ending to a delightful series. I love all the characters so much. Emily/Wendell have some truly wonderful moments in this! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 | Read as: hardcover (from library)

My Faevorite Enemy by Gaia Tate 🌈 This is a quick read (less than 100 pages). The romance is between a man and the Fae Prince who teased him when they were kids. It's a light and fun rivals-to-lovers that would make a great Winter read. 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑 | Read as: ebook (from Kindle Unlimited)

Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff 🌈🆕 I really enjoyed this cozy horror/sci-fi with a sweet Sapphic romance at the center. It's a little odd, with lots of great progressive humor and maybe some Lovecraftian monsters. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘 | Read as: ebook (ARC from NetGalley)

The Sirens by Emilia Hart 🆕 I didn't love this one as much as I loved Weyward by the same author, but it has some powerful messages, and I think many readers will connect with the story. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 | Read as: ebook (ARC from NetGalley)

Blades of Furry by Emily Erdos & Deya Muniz 🌈🆕🤍 ⏳ This is a new queer graphic novel that comes out in May. I loved this and had a lot of fun reading it. It's funny and is a great start for a series I'm very invested in following. I'll be reading volume 2 as soon as it is out! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 | Read as: ebook (ARC from NetGalley)

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee 🌈 I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this! It's fast-paced, surprisingly dark, and I got fully invested in the romance! It even made me cry! 🌕🌕🌕 🌕🌗 | Read as ebook (borrowed from Libby)

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall 🆕 This is a great Winter weather thriller. It is filled with shocking twists, engaging characters with suspicious motivations, and some heart-pounding action scenes. The last half of the book almost has to be read in one sitting! 🌕🌕🌕 🌕 🌘 | Read as hardcover (Owned, from Book of the Month)

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett 🌈🆕🤍 This is even better than The Tainted Cup. Din and Ana are such great characters and the mystery had me hooked from the very beginning to the end! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 | Read as: ebook (ARC from NetGalley)

Favorite book this month?

A Drop of Corruption was truly a well-written and brilliantly executed mystery with fantastic characters and world-building. It was the best book I read this month but there's a lot of runners up:

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales made me cry the most.

A Gentleman's Gentleman made me want to kick my feet and squeal with delight.

Blades of Furry made me laugh out loud.

Stats:

- I read 10 books and 3,540 pages this month. - I only read 2 books in print this month. Everything else was in ebook format. - I read every day, with an average of 114 pages per day. - My top genres this month were LGBTQIA+, Romance, and Fantasy. These are also my most read genres of all-time, so I didn't read much outside of my usual genres this month. - The longest novel I read this month was A Drop of Corruption (450+ pages). Blades of Furry was the longest graphic novel (500+ pages). - The shortest book I read this month was My Faevorite Enemy (85 pages).

Key: ⏳Books that are not out yet (I read an ARC). 🆕 Notes books that will be or have already been released this year. 🌈 Books that include major LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or themes. 🤍 A book that I now consider a new favorite! My rating system is below: 🌕 I’d only rate a book this low if I found it offensive. 🌕🌕 Not for me, but others may enjoy it. I don't often rate books this low since I usually DNF any book I don't like. 🌕🌕🌕 I was good. I like all books that I rate at least 3.0, but there were some issues (pacing, structure, etc.) that kept me from fully enjoying it. 🌕🌕🌕🌕 I loved it! Books with at least a 4.0 rating kept me invested the entire time, had interesting characters, and I thought the plot and pacing were good. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 I’m obsessed. This is a new all-time favorite. These are books that didn't just keep me invested but also had me emotionally attached to the characters, relationships, plot, etc.

[turtlesocksv2]

Kinnporsche Rewatch 11 Thoughts

VegasPete Trailer Thoughts: i can't stop laughing about how pretentious it is, with the violins and the wine and the lighting but i also can't deny that it fits Vegas perfectly and it definitely works 👀

Gun is very upset at Vegas "I told you to watch Porsche not to hurt him!" just whyyyyyy are they so obsessed with Porsche but give no fucks about Chay? If it was only about Nampheung Feelings they'd care about Chay at least a little! I need answers!

You know it's bad when the guy you were actively torturing 2 minutes ago takes one look at you after a visit from your dad and is like "....damn, you ok over there?" despite himself.

Kinn's little "SHIT! PETE! That's what I forgot!" is so funny. BUT to be fair to Kinn, which i guess we must be,he very clearly had reservations! something did not feel right, the vibes were all wrong! it was, in fact, Porsche who was the stupid idiot here.

Tankhun reading Kinn for filth is so funny. "being a bodyguard is dangerous for porsche? you're the one who hired him! Do you want him to just stay home and make flower garlands all day?!" Tankhun my beloved, what exactly is Pol's job and what does he do all day again? just wondering.

But also, don't get distracted by Tankhun's delight at Kinn confessing his love of Porsche. Watch Korn's face. He is not pleased. But like, he already knew they were banging. He knew immediately after the first time, and they were not subtle after they actually got together. So Korn Been Knew this entire time. But feelings! Feelings that Kinn will admit out loud! well, that's something different. What is a little light (foster) cousin fucking between mafia members? but feelings go Too Far. They can't be controlled. But boy does he take advantage of it, telling Porsche to stay as Kinn's boyfriend and he can move Chay in, too. How easily Porsche is atticwifed!

LMAO @ all the bodyguards listening in. Pol and Arm are secretly drama loving gossips and that is why they thrive under Tankhun's authority. And Chan has his gun out, looming threateningly. The look he gives the bodyguards when they storm in, cheering about the Victory of Love.

Vegas is just as trapped in the safe house as Pete is and he knows it!

Second glimpse of VIP Character, best boy Khun Spikes! Vegas having a pet hedgie is honestly...the best. great character work.

Chan's face as Porsche introduces the new bodyguards is priceless. I love him. I will miss him when he bites it.

jealous of Chay's snoopy hoodie tbh.

I need to know more about Mama Theerapanyakul. We know she was 'disrespectful' aka mouthy, we know she blowdried kinn's hair, and presumably she was musically inclined. tell us more.

Pete "Your Dad Fucking Sucks" Saengtham. Pete "I bring a real Kill Your Father energy to the table that Gun doesn't really like" Saengtham. Vegas has 10 seconds of therapy and his entire world is shattered. amazing.

Vegas wears flannel pants and a tshirt to sleep when he's not putting on a show.

Pete's weakness is noodles and like...same. #relatable

[shefanispeculator]

Her collaborators noticed a change instantly. “We had anger, we had sadness, we had flirtation, we had sexy, and now we’re madly in love,” Tranter said. Stefani described the shift with one of her frequently used terms — “crazy!” — and added, “Never in my wildest, craziest dreams would I ever have seen this coming.”

Stefani, unguarded and reflective, spoke quickly in torrents of words, pausing only to sip tea from a cup that, like most of her décor, was black and white. She thought back to her childhood in Anaheim, California, where she presumed she’d one day lead a happy family like the one her parents had built. “I literally was so sheltered and naïve, and that’s a lot why I think I got myself into so much trouble, in a way,” she said. She lamented that because of her split from Rossdale, she now has her sons 50 per cent of the time. “It’s like, the most unjust, unbelievable system,” she said, adding that the “blessing” in it was she had time to heal and write. Atop her work table sat a book of photos from her youngest son’s first year, two pairs of sunglasses, her journal and a tin of Dr Martens Wonder Balsam.

Sessions for the band’s first album in 11 years, Push and Shove, followed, and Stefani wasn’t brimming with ideas. “The LP failed to take off commercially, and when the band returned to the studio — this time with collaborators including Sia, Greg Kurstin and Williams — Stefani got pregnant for a third time. “That’s when I started to really find my faith again,” she said. “It’s like a miracle, at my age.”

Weeks after giving birth to Apollo, the offer to become a coach on The Voice arrived, and Stefani found herself relishing her new role as mentor. “I needed so badly to do something different, and I needed so badly to be in a different role, a giving role.” Freshly inspired, she felt the urge to make music and mulled a solo album. “I started to think, well, I’ll just curate a record, and I’ll do it like every other pop girl does.”

This was the first time Stefani had dipped a toe into the new pop economy, where ace songwriters for hire shop tracks from artist to artist. “Every song that people would write for me felt like me 12 years ago, me 10 years ago. And lyrically they could never touch my heart, ever.” She recorded a full album, but decided to shelve it once sessions for Truth took off.

Considering how much the pop landscape has changed in a decade, Stefani is incredulous about her ability to continue recording. “I don’t even understand how I could possibly have had this long a career, or a career at all,” she said. “And that anyone cares, and that I’m relevant or anything, it just blows my mind.”

Tranter said Stefani’s sweetness and humility aren’t put-on. “At first I thought she was just being polite,” he said. “And then I was like, oh, she actually doesn’t realise the lives that she’s changed. She has no clue.” Describing Stefani’s appeal as “that amazing combination of extreme fabulousness and extreme honesty,” he noted the 1995 No Doubt album Tragic Kingdom “defined one whole era of music, and then she did it again as a solo artist, which is very rare.”

Janick said the longevity of Stefani’s career is one reason the label is confident in her new album’s viability. “Obviously there’s a lot of people that have grown up with Gwen over the years. Her being on The Voice, what she does in fashion, she’s all over all the magazines. You can say it’s a grown-up pop record, but I feel like it touches on all different things that people can relate to of all different ages and sexes.”

Stefani, who sometimes reminds herself “Wow, I did do that! I wrote those songs!” to boost her own confidence, said singing about being happy is “so fresh” to her. “I needed something new to happen. And not just in my career, in my life. Something had to change.

Gwen Stefani climbs back from the abyss with new album | Malay Mail

[halfeaten-mantou]

🧁 old-fashioned YanShen cupcake | Chapter 7/10 | ao3

Huanyue receives a tip-off from a competitor company that Yan Wushi is being watched by assassins hired by Tujue, with the motorcyclists from the other day amongst the waiting assailants. Shen Qiao, still embarassed from having gone too smoothly with the unexpected flow that night, is simultaneously concerned for his boss's safety, so he decides to watch them back...or at least try.

Yan Wushi doesn't want Shen Qiao to risk his life, so he invites him into his house, and in the process, finds himself suddenly faced with an opportunity to invite him, too, into his heart.

(Continue reading here or under the cut!)

It takes less than a week of home recuperation for Yan Wushi to walk again. The very morning Yan Wushi returns back to the office, he receives some unexpected news.

It's a short memo sent to his official email, from someone unexpected:

Yan Wushi, you're being targeted by someone from Tujue. Remember the motorcyclist from the other day? That was Tujue. The guy had accidentally misaimed and went in the direction of your subordinate instead, but he got lucky and ended up hitting the right goal because you decided to shield him in the end. They are still watching you, though, so consider yourself warned. No need to thank me, either. I’m telling you this because I owe you one, Mr Yan Wushi. Now we’re quits. ~ Someone from Hehuan

This is very interesting news, although he can already guess who'd sent the note—the new chairperson of the newly revamped Hehuan; the young woman who singlehandedly rebuilt the company one week after its downfall.

Bai Rong.

Yan Wushi chuckles—never thought she'd return the favour.

Years ago, Yuan Xiuxiu and Sang Jingxing, the respective chairperson and chief executive officer of the old Hehuan, had sent a spy. Specifically, they'd hoped that Yan Wushi would hire her as an intern, or even better, a full-time worker, before using her hacking skills to steal Huanyue's information. They'd simultaneously failed and succeeded, because Yan Wushi had seen through their ploys, but yet hired her any way. He'd been wise enough to corner her before she could make any move, ultimately coercing her to turn against them and spill Hehuan's tea.

She'd refused to spill everything, though she'd had no choice but to spill some. Had Wushi been in a bad mood, he'd have exposed her and confronted Hehuan, which would, in turn, have gotten her company in legal trouble for the attempted espionage. However, Wushi had decided to be magnanimous and let her go with a warning letter to Hehuan.

Seems like doing good paid off. Yan Wushi smiles, thinking that the goodie Shen Qiao might love this story. Yan Wushi also sighs, because with the current situation, he's got no choice but to lie low for a while.

Which incidentally also means that he can't resume his weekly weekend outings with his intern, even though he's already all recovered now.

He wonders if Shen Qiao is still amenable to visiting his home on Saturdays, even though he's now no longer immobile and in need of caretaking. The noodles he'd cooked the other day were really awesome; the movie they'd found on television that evening was interesting, and it was refreshing to see Shen Qiao tickled and laughing unbridledly at a romcom cartoon.

It was fun. Although he'd fallen asleep like an idiot halfway, it was fun. However, he realises he'd better not suggest that Shen Qiao visit his home—he couldn't bring himself to trust that his mind would have enough control over his heart.

Because now that he could move again, the risk is that he might accidentally make a move on him.

Speaking of Shen Qiao, he hadn't seen him all morning. He whips out his cell phone, sending him a text.

A-Qiao, come upstairs to my office. I have something to tell you.

____________________________________________________

Shen Qiao's phone beeps—it's a text message from his boss. As he reads the contents, apprehension crawls up his spine, accompanied by a sick, giddy feeling in his chest.

Fearing that a confrontation for his actions the other night is impending, he heads to the sixth floor with apprehensive, heavy footsteps. 

When he arrives at Yan Wushi's office, the older man pulls a chair for him in his usual, gentlemanly fashion. Amidst the dark whirlpool of uncertainty and dread in his gut, he can't help but feel a growing admiration for his boss—he'd never envisioned that someone could be so chivalrous even after being taken advantage of in his sleep.

"Shen Qiao, I'm being targeted."

Shen Qiao wonders if that was a highly indirect and roundabout way of phrasing the words, Shen Qiao, I know you tried to 'target' me in my sleep that day.

He doesn't know what to say to that, but he can feel his face burn with shame. He looks at the floor.

"...A-Qiao, are you alright? Are you having a fever?" Wushi stands up, attempting to touch Shen Qiao's forehead. At the sudden contact, the latter recoils in shock.

"—sorry," Wushi retracts his hand, backing off, facial expression uncharacteristically flustered. "Didn't mean to touch you."

Shen Qiao is silent, and for a few moments, Wushi mirrors the silence. 

"I'm sorry—"

"I'm sorry—"

It's the first time they'd spoken at the same time, both words and tempo in perfect harmony, and of all things they could have said, it had to be an apology.

"Please go ahead and speak first, Mr Yan," Shen Qiao offers.

"Okay," Wushi continues, hesitant. "Did anything happen the day you were at my house after I fell asleep at the table?"

Shen Qiao is silent, face growing redder by the millisecond, and shit, goes Wushi's mind, racing like a thousand panicked deers on the run. Shit, did I actually make a move on him in my sleep that night?

Was it, in fact, not a dream?!

"Shen Qiao, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to do anything at all. I was drunker than I'd thought."

____________________________________________________

Shen Qiao cannot believe his ears.

Yan Wushi was apologising...for what he had done?

Something is strange in this situation. A few moments later, the gears click in his head.

Turns out he hadn't been caught after all—quite the opposite, actually.

Shen Qiao sighs, feeling a thousand stones lift from his heart. He realises he doesn't have much time to feel relieved, though, because he now has a misunderstanding to absolve his boss of—a pretty huge one.

"No, Mr Yan," Shen Qiao quickly corrects Wushi before his misconception starts simmering further. "You didn't do anything at all. Please don't worry."

"I didn't do anything? Then—why did you look—"

"Sorry, I was thinking about some other things." Shen Qiao's voice is reticent, voice sounding almost under-his-breath. "Please don't worry, as they don't have anything to do with you."

That last statement was a lie, though, and Shen Qiao knows it. He's been taught, as a child, to abstain from dishonesty except for the most pressing of circumstances, which means that apparently, his heart had gone ahead and decided that hiding his slowly-growing romantic feelings for his boss is a pressing circumstance.

"Oh," Yan Wushi sighs, visibly relieved. "Good to hear that I hadn't done anything untoward. Is there anything I can help you with, regarding your troubles, then?"

"No," Shen Qiao smiles for the first time that day, heart warmed by his boss's kindness. "Please don't worry, Mr Yan."

Something in the deep of his gut starts whispering to him, cooing, saying that he'd chosen the right target to have romantic feelings for. Shen Qiao shakes himself from his reverie.

"Mr Yan, what was it you were going to say...something about being targeted?"

"Right, I was going to tell you. Silly old brain getting sidetracked again." Wushi chuckles. "Tujue's attempting to assassinate me. They'd already tried to do that the other day with the motorcycle."

"...that was Tujue?" Shen Qiao's jaw drops.

"Yeah. Received insider news from someone I know at Hehuan. Anyway, this means you will have to be on your guard as well, because now they know you as my subordinate." Wushi's voice trails off, dipping decibels softer. "And this also means we probably can't meet out on the weekends for a while from now, so the contract will be put on hold for a while."

"Oh," is all Shen Qiao says.

(In truth, he'd almost also said, I can continue to cook for you at your house and bring movies if you're not opposed.

He'd stopped himself, not knowing the consequences of his words—he couldn't bring himself to trust that his mind would have enough control over his heart.)

____________________________________________________

It's Saturday—exactly two weeks since the day of Yan Wushi's attempted assassination, and one week after he finds out the perpetrators aren't letting him off yet—and Yan Wushi finds himself stuck in his house, bored out of his mind.

He's also hungry, so he looks into the fridge—it's actually not just eggs and nothing else this time, because there still remains a few leftover ingredients from last Saturday when Shen Qiao had visited. He tosses the noodles into a pot of water, waiting for it to boil. The water's taking a longer while to boil than usual—a completely normal occurrence, given that autumn has been gradually receding from the trees, making way for winter to arrive on the tree branches. As Wushi waits, he gazes outside his window, and what he sees almost causes his jaw to reach the floor.

It's Shen Qiao. On a bench outside his house. Wearing a large hoodie and track pants. No winter gloves, beanie or coat.

This will not do—the skinny guy will freeze.

More importantly...what on earth is he doing there?!

____________________________________________________

"Silly A-Qiao," Yan Wushi pants, having rushed out from the house. "What on earth are you doing here?!"

"Mr Yan," Shen Qiao stands from the bench, visibly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"That's my question. I asked first, so you answer first."

"I'm here to stand watch and protect you," Shen Qiao responds, not skipping a beat. "I figured the assassins may be lurking around your house, waiting for you to emerge."

Yan Wushi facepalms—on one hand, his heart is feeling warmer than a pavement on a summer day at the thought that Shen Qiao wants to protect him. On the other hand...

“…for someone with a PhD, you can be so silly sometimes, Shen Qiao. What if you become the one to get attacked?!"

"Don't worry, Mr Yan. I wore a bulletproof vest," is Shen Qiao's calm response, sounding like he'd just uttered something completely normal.

"Go back now," Yan Wushi puts on his sternest, most paternalistic voice. "Plus, you didn't bring a proper winter coat—not even a scarf! You'll freeze your skinny ass silly at this rate."

"I won’t, at least not for now. Please let me protect you, like you'd protected me the other time. Also, I don't own winter clothes—I left them back in Xuandu."

Yan Wushi sighs—seems like he's got no choice.

"…if you’re still insisting on protecting me, come protect me from the inside." Yan Wushi points towards his house behind them. "We can take turns to keep watch from the window."

When they arrive back at the house, they are greeted by an acrid smell of something freshly burnt.

"Oh," Yan Wushi realises. "The noodles."

They were boiling—now they're burnt.

Luckily for them, there are still two packs of noodles remaining in the fridge, and luckily for Yan Wushi, there's now also Shen Qiao around.

"I'll cook," Shen Qiao volunteers, sweet as usual.

"Sweet," Yan Wushi gives himself a little hi-five in his heart. "I'll get out the wine."

____________________________________________________

Accompanying their dinner of tomato-egg noodles and wine this time is a Japanese historical movie recommended by Yu Shengyan.

Twenty minutes into the movie, Yan Wushi starts shaking his head.

"What sort of weird taste does this kid have in movies?" Yan Wushi whips out his phone. "Even an old dude like me finds it boring as hell."

Wushi rapidly types an angry message on his phone.

Sent to Shengyan, 21:18 Kid. What kind of crappy-ass boring old movie did you just recommend me? -_-

He clicks send. A few moments later, his phone beeps in return.

Shengyan, 21:20 Boss, how can you not appreciate the beauty of Nomura Mansai as Seimei in Yin-Yang Master 2001?!  That one's a super-classic!  * ૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა *

Reading Shengyan's spirited response, Yan Wushi facepalms. Shen Qiao laughs softly, quietly finding the young man's taste in Heian-era classical Japanese stories equal parts amusing and impressive.

"More wine for you, A-Qiao?" Yan Wushi offers.

Shen Qiao looks down at his glass and realises it's empty—he'd drunk more than he'd known. He hadn't even intended to in the first place, but he'd found it hard to reject his boss, so he'd eventually relented, reckoning that half a glass might be okay.

This is not okay—alcohol has never been Shen Qiao's friend.

"No, thank you." Shen Qiao can feel the blood rushing to his face.

This is not okay.

____________________________________________________

Interestingly, the movie did eventually pick up momentum, so Yan Wushi decides to continue watching it. Shen Qiao, however, hasn't been watching anything for the past ten minutes.

He's falling asleep.

"A-Qiao, are you alright?" Yan Wushi touches his forehead. "Whoa, you're burning."

Shen Qiao doesn't respond—his head is spinning too hard to do so. Yan Wushi starts chuckling.

"Never knew you were this weak to booze."

"I'm not weak to booze," Shen Qiao retorts, slurring slightly. "I'm jus' tired."

(Ironically, the thing about Drunken Shen Qiao is not that he's weak—it's that he becomes uncharacteristically headstrong.)

"Tired?" Wushi smirks, amused at his subordinate being unexpectedly out-of-character when drunk. "Not sleeping well lately?"

"Yeah, not sleeping well at all."

"Why not?" Yan Wushi asks, genuinely concerned.

"I was up thinking."

"Thinking about?"

The blood is rushing; at this rate, there's no longer helping the flow to his own head, so Shen Qiao goes with the flow.

"About you."

>>>>> Continue to Chapter 8: tumblr | ao3 >>>>>>>

[sodiumlamp]

Picard

All right, let me tell you about my dad.

My dad got me into Star Trek, because he liked the original show and he used to watch TNG and the movies whenever they came on in the late 80s, and I started to get hooked on TNG when the "Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger happened, about 33 years ago.

I remember being really excited about Star Trek: First Contact, because that was the first TNG-only movie, and I assumed that it would kick ass. Also, the early trailers showed that it was about the return of the Borg, which-- believe it or not-- was an unusual thing back in those days. That was in 1996, about 27 years ago. My dad wasn't too impressed with it, though. I think he sort of moved on from Star Trek not long after, which wasn't too difficult since the franchise began to peter out anyway. He still watched the old shows, but he wasn't looking for Voyager or Enterprise or anything like that.

I watched the J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek in 2009. That was 14 years ago. At some point it was available on-demand, so we watched it at my parents' house, and my dad saw the beginning of the movie, where a spatial anomaly opens up and the Narada emerges with his indistinct black metal and green highlights, and he groaned "Not the Borg again!" I mean, it wasn't the Borg, it was a Romulan mining ship from the future, but I couldn't blame him for mistaking it for a new Borg gimmick, since they use the exact same aesthetics for the Borg in 1996. And in 1997. And the rest of the Borg appearances in Voyager through 2001. And the Romulan ships in Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002. And... that shitty Borg episode of Enterprise from 2003. At some point, someone decided the Romulans and Borg hired the same interior decorator, and just never looked back. Anyway, my dad was fed up with the cliche, and that was 14 years ago.

So I had the same reaction when they kept showing the "Artifact" Borg Cube that was in Picard Season 1. They treated it like a big reveal at the end of the first episode, which is stupid because everyone already saw it in the trailers, and then everyone who hadn't seen the trailers got to see it in the opening credits. The Star Trek franchise is lousy with Borg, and it has been for so long that it's almost reflexive to use them, but what galls me is how they still treat it like some shocking, blood curdling twist. They literally just did a bunch of Borg stuff in Picard Season 1, and yet Season 2 opens with a spatial anomaly opening up, and a bunch of Borg shit coming out. It's just like Star Trek (2009) except my dad's right this time, it really is the Borg again, and the showrunners honestly think this is still a surprise, 27 years after it stopped being cool.

I mean, this is how low the bar is: When those machine god tentacles came out of the portal in Picard episode 10, I was relieved to see their home dimension was red instead of Borg/Romulan green. They had no choice, really. If they had gone with green, fans would wondered if the machine gods were somehow connected with the Borg and/or Romulans, which would have confused the story.

Anyway. Season 2 opens with a long, loooong setup to a mysterious message broadcast from a spatial anomaly, but I already knew it was the Borg because the anomaly was fucking green. Then a Borg ship comes out of it, because of course it does. But this show can't do anything quick, so everyone stares slack-jawed at the thing and Picard and Seven exchange knowing glances before she confirms that it's a Borg ship.

But no, it's totally fresh and different this time! Honest! These Borg want to negotiate! They even address Picard by his actual name instead of calling him "Locutus". Their queen wears a mask! Oh, and when she tries to assimilate the ship, she uses big chunky cables instead of those creepy tubule things. And Picard can't stop it, so he orders the ship to self-destruct... Wait, that's not different at all! That's the exact same thing he did in 1996!

Then Q zaps him out of it and apparently we're doing a whole other story instead. So let's take this as a cue (get it?) to talk about wasting time. Picard gave a speech for Starfleet Academy about time, and how precious it is, and how rare second chances are, which is filthy rich for a show like this.

Last time, I complained about how they got Raffi and Seven together without really giving the characters any on-screen time together. They literally have two scenes, and the second is where their holding hands. This episode adds a little more, but it also acknowledges that Rios and Jurati used to be an item, which I never mentioned before because I totally forgot it happened. Jurati and Rios were such hot messes in Season 1 that I had no idea if they were making out to distract themselves or if it was something more serious. So my complaints about the Seven/Raffi romance goes double for Jurati/Rios, because they broke up off-screen. Hell, for all I know, Raffi and Seven broke up too? This isn't insignificant. These are four of the main characters on this show! The showrunners paired them all off and it's like they don't even care!

But the cherry on top of all of this is Zhaban, one of the Romulans living with Picard in his French vinyard. Early in this episode, Piacard and the other Romulan, Laris, drink a toast to his memory, since he died 18 months prior. This bothered me, because I thought they meant he died in Season 1, and I couldn't remember that happening. So I looked him up and no. He just died sometime between seasons 1 and 2. Why would they write him off the show like this? Did the actor die? No, Jamie McShane's still alive today. Maybe he just didn't want to come back, or they couldn't afford him.

But more likely, they needed him out of the way to set up this romantic tension between Picard and Laris. Actually, I'm not sure that explains anything, since they never revealed Laris and Zhaban were married. Laris tells Picard that and he had no idea at all, so I assume this was meant to be a revelation. I sort of assumed they were a couple the whole time, but apparently the show felt the need to establish Zhaban was her husband just to make it clear that his death means she's single and she's ready to do the Picard Maneuver, if you get my drift.

And that right there is what's broken about this show. The Borg nonsense is a problem. The way they recycled the auto-destruct scene for the teaser and a late episode climax just to fill time? That is also a problem. Picard continuing to struggle with his fear of commitment well into his 90's? Kind of a problem. But the real problem is the slapdash way this show keeps approaching the characters. Why was Zhaban even in the show in the first place? He and Laris did everything together, and now he's gone and it hardly matters, since Laris can just handle the role herself. So why did they write him in?

That wouldn't be such a big deal to me if it was just Zhaban. He's a minor enough character that it wouldn't matter, like all those chief engineers on TNG Season 1. The showrunners were still figuring it out, I guess. But Picard pretends to be this thoughtful, highbrow experience, where all the callbacks are important and everything happens for a reason, and you're expected to find clues in all the easter eggs and prophetic dreams. Zhaban's unimportance proves that it's all a house of cards. The writers are just winging it.

I mean, I would expect the romances in the show to have some emotional weight, but they don't. Jurati's relationship with Bruce Maddox was only introduced right before she murdered him, and that was probably only done to add context to the murder. Jurati and Rios' relationship was so ephemeral that I didn't realize it was there. Raffi and Seven's romance reminds me of this little subplot they did with Nurse Ogawa near the end of TNG, where she and Dr. Crusher would gab about her off-screen love life. But Raffi and Seven are a big part of the main cast of Picard. Why set something like this up and then ignore it?

I keep going on about this, but the point I'm trying to make is that when I say the show wastes time, I don't mean that it's too long, or that not enough things happen to fill the runtime, or that the show is boring. Those statements are sometimes true, but the true issue here is that this show has its priorities mixed up. It spends too much time on things that don't matter and not nearly enough time on things that do. That's what makes it so incredibly frustrating to watch.

[lobster-tales]

Beat the Daylight

Sequel to Face the Noise, an Arcane Rock Band AU

Rating: M

Chapter 20: The Jam Sesh

Summary: All is well. 3 months later || Springtime

This work is available here on AO3. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19

Powder had missed her bed. Sure, the one at the hotel had been comfortable, with its satin pillows and heavy comforter. But there was nothing like her bed, the mish mash of blankets from her childhood that were layered on top of each other in artful chaos, arranged to allow the best combination of weight and airflow.

And particularly this morning, with Lux sleeping beside her, she didn’t want to leave.

She heard heavy footsteps in the hallway, the scent of coffee a few minutes later. Careful not to disturb Lux, Powder slipped out of the sheets and tugged a Hextech hoodie over her shoulders. She’d been surprised at how comfortable it was, way more than any of Shimmer’s merch–no wonder Vi and Mel wore theirs all the time.

Vi was pouring a cup when she walked in. “Morning.” Even after a few months, her eyes still had that shine whenever she saw Powder, that awed relief. Powder pretended not to like it. Vi asked, “Lux here? What time did she get in last night?”

“Late.” Powder pulled out her favorite mug and her second favorite for Lux.

“She likes one splash of vanilla creamer and a splash of hazelnut,” Vi advised. “I picked up both last night. She also likes a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top but not too much because it’ll sink to the bottom.”

Still so weird. Powder wondered if she would ever get past it. “Thanks.”

“What are you two doing today?”

“I’m gonna show her the town,” Powder said, sipping from her own coffee. “We’ll pick up Ekko once he’s done with his meeting. You want to come with us?”

“Nah, I got work.” Vi stretched her fingers skyward. “New hire’s settling in, though. He’s been closing the last couple nights on his own.”

“Good. Give you more time to train for your tournaments.” Powder smirked at her. “Cause you’re gonna need it.”

“Oh, I need it, huh?” Vi scoffed playfully, rising from the table. “Come say that to my face, I’ll whoop you right here and now.”

“No thanks,” Powder said, taking Lux’s cup. “I’m not paying your hospital bill.”

Vi shook her head, grinning. “See you tonight, Pow-pow.”

“Later.” When Powder returned to her bedroom, Lux was just stirring. “Good morning, Starlight,” Powder purred. “Want some coffee?”

Lux blinked at her, and gasped. “Yes!” She accepted the cup, murmuring, “Did I ever tell you that you’re my favorite person ever?”

“Mmm I wouldn’t mind hearing it a little more,” she said, kissing the tip of Lux’s nose.

They took their time getting ready for the day. Of course, Powder wasn’t very helpful, since every time Lux put a piece of clothing on, Powder eventually worked it back off of her again, distracting her with kisses.

“Powder,” Lux giggled. “Come on, I have to do something with my day.”

“I’m something.” And she bit her neck.

They spent a few hours tangled in each other’s arms, enjoying each other in lazy bliss, until Lux glanced at her phone and gasped. “Oh, we gotta go! Ekko finished his meeting a while ago.”

As they arrived at Ekko’s place, he bounded up to the car. “Yo, Crownguard!” Ekko reached in through the window to clasp Lux’s hand and draw her in for a half hug. “What is up, girl, how you been!”

“Good,” Lux said with a grin.

Powder cut in. “You better watch those hands, Boy Savior.”

“Only if you can catch them.” He slid into the back, propping his forearms on the back of their seats. “What’s our first stop?”

“The school,” Lux sighed. “Have to convince my parents this was a productive trip.”

They cruised through campus: the weekend left the area empty, with only a few students trailing through. Powder had familiarized herself with the buildings, and pointed them out as they went. “There’s the chemistry building, environmental science. That’s where Viktor and Jayce’s lab used to be when they were grad students.”

Lux asked, “Which one are you going to be in?”

“All of them,” Powder huffed. “The boys said I can’t start my Hextech internship until I get my basics out of the way.”

Ekko reassured her, “You’ll knock it out in no time. As long as you don’t get distracted by Starlight over here,” and he pinched Lux’s shoulder.

“Hey, what’d I say about hands, bitch?” Powder reached back to swat at him.

They stopped at the top of the parking garage, leaning over the concrete wall to survey the city. The trees were full and lush, cars passing by lazily in the mid-spring day. Ekko and Powder switched off their tour notes, pointing out different landmarks.

“There’s the square,” Powder said. “You can’t really see the pub from here, but you can see the top of the courthouse.”

“And that office building?” said Ekko. “When that place was still being built, we snuck in one night and tried cigarettes for the first time.”

“Oh yeah,” Powder laughed. “Vander was pissed. Vi was grounded for two weeks.”

Lux just beamed at them both, enjoying the stories, only interrupting occasionally to ask questions.

The pub was the next stop. The lunch rush had just ended, giving Vi and Vander a long enough break to greet Lux. Vander in particular was excited to meet her, curious about her style of playing guitar. Lux was nervous at first, but settled into one of her rambles, and Powder gave Vi a knowing look as they all listened.

Eventually Vi and Vander had to get back to work, at which point, Powder, Ekko, and Lux went to Shepherd’s Bridge. After handing Lux some spray paint, they cheered her on while she left her own tag, a bright blue star symbol sandwiched between Caitlyn’s cupcake and a fresh pink “Jinx”.

The trio picked up a few supplies for the evening, stocking up on sodas and chips. Powder dropped off Ekko at his car so he could go pick up Zeri, leaving her and Lux to their own devices for the afternoon.

They lay entwined on the living room couch, half-paying attention to the horror movie. Lux ran her fingers through Powder’s hair, gently massaging her scalp.

“Do you think they’d like me?” Powder asked. “Your parents. And Garen.”

“Maybe. I mean, you are rich and famous now.”

“Jinx is famous,” Powder clarified. “Powder’s just rich.” Because she was over eighteen, all of the money Silco set aside for her had become hers, even after his arrest. The problem was she didn’t know what to do with it, other than pay for school. Now, she had everything she wanted.

Lux smiled to herself. “Well, Jinx is the one in all those scandalous pictures of us, so they’ll probably prefer Powder.”

“Scandalous, huh?” Powder buried her nose in Lux’s ribs.

“They’re going to be weird,” Lux said honestly. “They always have been. Hell, I could be dating Caitlyn and they’d still complain because the Kirammans are new money. You can’t worry about what they think. Just worry about what I think.”

Powder propped her chin on her stomach, gazing adoringly up at her. “And what do you think?”

“I think…” Lux said, tapping her nose with a finger. “That you’re adorable.”

Powder scrunched up her nose, pretending she was offended. “I’m not adorable. I’m a menace.” She gently bit Lux’s skin.

“Fine. You’re an adorable menace.”

The doorknob jingled, and Caitlyn followed the sound, arms overflowing with paperwork. “Hi Lux!” she said with a smile. “How was your trip here?”

“Good.”

Powder nodded towards the papers. “How’s hunting?”

“Ugh.” Caitlyn dropped everything on the already cluttered kitchen table. “I’d rather hunt a hawk in the rain. But, we’re making progress. There’s a lot of new housing between here and Piltover. Lux, I forgot to ask, do you have any home preferences?”

“Nope!” Lux said brightly. “Just my own room and a roof.”

“That’s exactly what Vi and Ekko said.”

Powder gave Lux the side eye. “You know, you could always take Vi’s room and live here with meeee.”

“My parents barely agreed to let me live with Caitlyn,” said Lux. “That being said, I might have some early classes, so it would make more sense for me to spend a few nights a week over here.”

“Or every night.”

“Powder,” Lux chuckled. “I can’t.”

Powder huffed, pretending to be annoyed. “You’d really rather live with my sister and my ex-boyfriend?”

Caitlyn chimed in, “It was that or fourth wheel with Jayce, Mel, and Viktor.” The kettle whined and she entered a few seconds later with a steaming cup of tea in hand. “Speaking of which, Jayce said they’re on their way. Viktor wanted plenty of time to set up his equipment.”

“Perfect.” Powder stretched, rising from the couch and offering her hand to Lux. “I should also start getting set up. Wanna help me?”

“Sure!” As they entered the garage, Lux admired the string lights weaving back and forth over the ceiling, the variety of band posters on the walls. “Not sure how helpful I’ll be, though.”

“Well, you have the most important job.” Powder indicated the brown couch against the wall. “I need you to sit there, and look pretty.”

                                                           ☆ ☆ ☆                                                   

Viktor and Jayce brought Sky with them, as she was visiting from Noxus. While they set up, she regaled them with stories of her new job and coworkers, her love life and friendships. Lux asked constant questions, fascinated. The two had only met over Caitlyn’s video calls, and were fast friends.

Just as dusk approached, Ekko and Zeri arrived with Vi. Ekko prepped his keyboard presets while Vi and Lux tuned their guitars, Zeri warming up her vocals. Caitlyn and Sky were more than happy to plant themselves on the couch, splitting a bottle of rosé.

Vi asked Jayce, “Who’s drumming first?” but Powder answered for her, plopping down into the drumset chair and twirling her sticks.

“You ready to see a real drummer, Talis?” Powder sneered playfully.

He smiled, joining Caitlyn and Sky on the couch, inviting Viktor into his lap. “Took you long enough.”

Ekko played a single chord, considering his bandmates. “Alright. What song are we-”

Zeri interrupted him by seizing the mic and singing,

Shot through the heart And you're to blame

They all joined in.

Darlin', you give love a bad name

Vi, Powder, Lux, and Ekko launched into the instrumental, the noise rattling the walls of the garage. Zeri nodded her head to the beat, her pigtails bouncing with the movement.

An angel's smile is what you sell You promise me Heaven, then put me through hell Chains of love got a hold on me When passion's a prison, you can't break free

Oh, you're a loaded gun, yeah Oh, there's nowhere to run No one can save me The damage is done

The couch crowd sang along to the chorus,

Shot through the heart And you're to blame You give love a bad name (bad name) I play my part and you play your game You give love a bad name (bad name) Hey, you give love, a bad name

For the final chorus, the instruments fell away, leaving the band to sing acapella,

Shot through the heart And you're to blame

Zeri aimed the mic at the couch, and the small audience sang the last,

You give love a bad name

The friends whooped and cheered. Powder whispered to the other band members and they all grinned. She clicked her sticks together, “1, 2, 3, 4!” and they began an upbeat song. There was no part on the keys, so Ekko grabbed his mic and sang with Zeri.

All the small things True care, truth brings I'll take one lift Your ride, best trip

They harmonized, Zeri singing the higher part as Ekko took the lead,

Always, I know You'll be at my show Watching, waiting Commiserating

Say it ain't so, I will not go Turn the lights off, carry me home

Zeri pulled Ekko away from the microphone, dancing together in the center of the room while the rest of the band sang,

Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na, na Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na, na

As the song ended, Mel entered from the garage’s side door, grinning. “I can hear you down the street,” she chuckled. “Excuse my tardiness: meeting ran late.”

“You’re excused,” Zeri and Powder said at the same time.

Mel considered the couch. “And this must be the lovely Sky I’ve heard so much about.”

Sky’s eyes widened at the sight of her. “H-hi,” she stammered, rising. “Senator Medarda, it’s so nice to meet you.”

She took her hands and said warmly, “Call me Mel. I’ve heard you’ve been working in Noxus. Quite the culture shock?”

Sky smiled shyly. “Yeah, they’re a little intense over there.”

“Some things never change,” Mel said wistfully. “Here, I have something for you in the car: Caitlyn mentioned you like rosé so I brought my top six brands for you to sample. Jayce, darling, can you help me bring them in?”

Sky just stared after them, jaw dropped. “Is she-”

“Always like that?” Caitlyn asked wryly.

“Always,” Viktor confirmed, resting an arm around Sky’s shoulders.

When Jayce returned, Vi nodded towards Powder. “Alright, Pow-Pow, it’s Jayce’s turn.”

“No!” She crushed the sticks to her chest, but her possession was more playful than sincere.

Ekko smirked and said, “You’re gonna make her sing this next one alone?” And he played the opening synth riff.

Powder practically threw the sticks at Jayce, taking the microphone in hand as he scrambled to get behind the drumset before the beat dropped.

The sisters sang the first verse together.

Here we stand Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two Sleepless nights Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you

They harmonized together on the pre-chorus.

Feeling that it's gone Can't change your mind If we can't go on To survive the tide Love divides

On the chorus, Ekko and Lux joined the vocals, but paled in comparison to the passion that Vi and Powder shared.

Someday love will find you Break those chains that bind you One night will remind you How we touched and went our separate ways

Vi sang,

If he ever hurts you

Then Powder,

True love won't desert you

And together again, grasping each other’s hands as they belted,

You know I still love you Though we touched and went our separate ways

Lux shredded through the guitar solo, a cocky smirk resting on her lips. Then it was just Ekko, running the synth hook, the song ending with the final two notes of the bass drum.

When the applause and cheers died down, Powder pointed at Viktor. “Alright, Vik, you’ve had it too good for too long. It’s your turn, DJ.”

“Eh, good things never last.” He took his spot behind his equipment, playing a few warm up beats and house music. The couch was too small to fit all of them, so Powder, Jayce, Ekko and Zeri grabbed some lawn chairs.

After his series of beats and tracks, Viktor nodded decisively towards Lux. “You ready?”

“I was born ready,” Lux said. She left the mic in the stand to free her hands.

Viktor started with a snapping, electropop beat. Lux raised her hands, grinning slyly at Powder as she sang. The notes were simple, but she added vibrato to the notes, made the sound her own.

We are the crowd, we're c-comin' out Got my flash on, it's true Need that picture of you, it's so magical We'd be so fantastical

Leather and jeans,

She spread her arms wide, indicating the space.

Garage glamorous Not sure what it means But this photo of us, it don't have a price Ready for those flashing lights 'Cause you know that, baby, I

Lux took the mic in hand, stalking towards Powder in time to the music.

I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me Papa-paparazzi Baby, there's no other superstar, you know that I'll be Your papa-paparazzi

Standing directly in front of her, legs between Powder’s knees, Lux’s free hand toyed with her braids. Powder lifted her hands and claimed the back of Lux’s thighs, holding her there. She gazed up at Lux with adoring, hungry eyes.

Promise I'll be kind But I won't stop until that girl is mine Baby, you'll be famous, chase you down until you love me Papa-paparazzi

Lux’s voice was playful as she went through the verses, gliding around Powder, brushing her fingers over her shoulders, never quite close enough. But as the bridge ended, Lux fell to her knees in front of her, crawling towards Powder as she sang the chorus once more, her voice fiercely possessive.

I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me Papa-paparazzi Baby, there's no other superstar, you know that I'll be Your papa-paparazzi

Powder held her breath. She was spellbound by Lux’s intensity, fixed in place by those bright eyes and the carnal rawness of her voice. Lux added in her own high notes to the final chorus, belting the song as she climbed into Powder’s lap.

Promise I'll be kind But I won't stop until that girl is mine Baby, you'll be famous, chase you down until you love me Papa-paparazzi

The mic dropped to the floor as Lux took her mouth in a rough kiss. Everyone cheered except for Vi and Caitlyn, who averted their eyes and clapped politely, charmed but embarrassed at the fiery display.

The jam session went well into the night, with each of the band members switching off instruments whenever they got too tired. Even Caitlyn at one point felt the rosé enough to show everyone her under-practiced, jerky rendition of Moonlight Sonata, to which Zeri chose to do an entirely inappropriate dance to, making everyone laugh. They went through a variety of genres, and the original Firelights even played a few of the songs from their past performances. Eventually, the group decided to call it, with Powder taking the mic to lead them into one final song.

Acapella, Powder sang the lead, with Vi and Ekko backing her up with harmonies,

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landside, No escape from reality Open your eyes, Look up to the skies and see,

Powder belted out,

I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy, Because I'm easy come, easy go, Little high, little low, Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to Me, to me

Ekko played a gentle, modified scale on the keyboard. The rest of the group joined in, all singing together for the first verse.

Mamaaa, Just killed a man, Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, Now he's dead Mamaaa, life had just begun, But now I've gone and thrown it all away

Powder took the lead again on the second half of the verse,

Too late, my time has come, Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all The time Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go, Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth

During the instrumental break, Vi tore up a guitar solo. Her fingers pulsed against the fret with each note, creating a vibrato sound. When the solo ended, Ekko’s piano took over again. Powder sang,

I see a little silhouetto of a man,

The rest of the band sang,

Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango!

They all broke out into smiles during the operatic third verse. Powder alone,

I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me

Zeri and Lux both grabbed her, dramatically fawning as they sang,

He's just a poor boy from a poor family Spare him his life from this monstrosity

As the verse built towards it’s climactic end, they all sang,

Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me,

“Go Starlight!” Powder yelled, and Lux belted the high note,

For me!

Vi shredded out another guitar instrumental, screaming into the microphone with the rest of the band,

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye? So you think you can love me and leave me to die? Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby! Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here

She kept up the pace, the energy building until finally the music collapsed back into a slower tempo. The couch audience held up their phone flashlights, swaying back and forth to the muted end of the song.

Powder took a moment to look at them, her family. It had grown so much in such a short time. She smiled at each of their shining faces, ending with Vi, who returned the joyful grin. Powder sang,

Nothing really matters,

Lux took her hand, drawing her attention, and sang,

Anyone can see

Powder pressed her sweaty forehead against Lux’s, singing,

Nothing really matters

Lux echoed,

Nothing really matters

Then they harmonized,

To me

Ekko played the gentle piano outro, Vi joining quietly on the electric guitar. And here, surrounded by the music and her family, Powder felt completely and totally at peace.

Any way the wind blows

[thefifthnetwork]

Week 10: Vampires in Vegas

After a week of mostly reruns, we're back with a full week of programming on both networks, including a pretty great Voyager that I hadn't really remembered and the second of the two episodes of The Watcher that I've been able to find.

This is part of a project where I watch The WB and UPN on a 30 year delay. This is crossposted from my website, where you can find an interactive schedule for both networks, including where you can watch these shows today.

Monday March 13, 1995 Star Trek: Voyager S1E09: "Emanations" - 8 PM on UPN

From the previews I saw during The Shamrock Conspiracy last week, I didn't remember this one at all. A few things clicked into place as I actually watched it [1], but I didn't recall anything about the overall plot of this episode or its quality.

This may have been a victim of binge watching when I initially saw it, because with this slower rewatch, I actually really liked it. It uses its sci-fi premise to great effect to explore how a society with a definitive, positive view on their afterlife might approach death and disability.

@elimgarakdemocrat thought that the final scene between Janeway and Kim put a bit too much of a thumb on the scale in favor of the Vhnori's beliefs being correct, but I don't think it took much away from the rest of the episode.

Platypus Man E08: "The Crush" - 9 PM on UPN

Another weird A-plot for Platypus Man as Richard hires a bodyguard to protect him from a stalker, but then the bodyguard essentially becomes a stalker herself. The B-plot about Paige picking up smoking to pick up a guy who's going to a seminar for quitting smoking is good [2], but it's a small enough portion of the runtime that it can't save this from probably being the worst episode of the show so far.

Pig Sty E08: "Erin Go Barf" - 9:30 PM on UPN

Two party episodes in a row for Pig Sty, as the roommates celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the bar where Randy works. Every character is doing the same thing they always do: Cal is sleazy, Randy is a failure, P.J is shy, and Iowa gets taken advantage of by a New Yorker. Johnny literally repeats the same plot about his commitment issues to the exact same girl as in the pilot.

This is the better of the two UPN sitcoms this week though, as Pig Sty's consistent mediocrity ranks above a bad Platypus Man.

Tuesday March 14, 1995 Marker E08: "Dead Man's Marker" - 8 PM on UPN

After a bad episode two weeks ago and no episode last week, Marker sees a bit of a return to form this week as Richard helps a young lawyer clear her father's name from a murder-suicide. This isn't the best episode of Marker, but it's a significant improvement over two weeks ago.

The Watcher E08: "The Human Condition" - 9 PM on UPN

We get the second of the two Watcher episodes I've been able to find. The three stories here are less interleaved than the other episode.

The first story focuses on a mother who becomes a vampire while looking for her runaway daughter. I was wondering if this show had actual supernatural elements, but then it turns out to be just a dream. The other main story is about a stand-up comedian who has to tell jokes for his life after his is kidnapped by a mobster from whom he once stole some material. There's also a short third story interspersed with the first about a conwoman pretending to be a cop busting johns who try to pay her for sex who is then conned by a different conman also pretending to be a cop.

While this episode felt slightly better than the other one, there's still nothing here that's made me particularly disappointed that I can't find any more of this show.

Wednesday March 15, 1995 The Wayans Bros. S1E09: "ER" - 8 PM on The WB

In this week's Wayans Bros, Marlon pretends to be Shawn to use his health insurance, but ends up in trouble when the doctor turns out to be Lisa's father (Richard Roundtree), who Shawn has been avoiding meeting.

This hit my secondhand embarrassment hard, which made it hard to get through at first, but once I got through the first scene with Marlon and Dr. Saunders, then rest was pretty solid.

The Parent 'Hood S1E08: "Byte Me" - 8:30 PM on The WB

Another solid Parent 'Hood. Robert avoids giving Michael the sex talk by setting him loose on the internet. Michael then promptly begins chatting on a personals board while pretending to be a 26-year-old archaeologist.

Nowadays, the resolution where it turns out Michael is chatting with an elderly woman (LaWanda Page) [3] would be trite and overdone, but the internet was so new at the time, I don't think that trope had been established yet [4]. Given a line in the episode and general trends about internet access, the Petersons likely only had access because of Robert's job as a professor.

The B-plot about the broken hot water heater was less interesting, but it was a small enough part of the episode that it didn't really detract from anything.

Unhappily Ever After S1E09: "Don Juan De Van Nuys" - 9 PM on The WB

The last Unhappily Ever After two weeks ago was actually somewhat decent, which led me to theorize that the less of Jack and Mr. Floppy there was, the better. My hypothesis here has been immediately proven wrong, as this one returned Unhappily's typical level of bad despite being relatively low on the bunny.

The episode revolves around Jennifer's unsuccessful attempts to woo the pool boy painter and there's no real B-plot other than a running gag about Jack playing soccer in high school that's mostly just racial stereotypes.

Muscle: "Episode 2" - 9:30 PM on The WB

Good news! I actually found an episode of Muscle online, so I'll be able to watch at least one episode of every show from the original lineups of both The WB and UPN. It's episode 6, which already aired last month, but it will air again in a month, so I'll watch it then. It's on the Internet Archive, and it's linked within the interactive schedule.

This was the last completely full week we have until May, though we'll still have new episodes of most shows [5] next week.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The previews made me think that the Kim went to the Vhnori afterlife, rather than coming from it, which I think threw off my recollection. ↩

Paige has pretty consistently been the best part of this show. ↩

75 years old at the time this was released. ↩

Though maybe there was a similar one with like, newspaper personals or something? ↩

We're out of episodes for The Watcher and Marker airs a rerun, but everything else airs as normal. ↩

[timeoverload]

I had another long day. I didn't leave work until after 6. I also had to pick up cat food on my way home. It wasn't a horrible day but I'm very sore. I could use a back rub.

Some lady called the department phone this morning asking for me. My co-worker answered the phone because I was in decontam washing a pan. I don't know why he didn't just holler through the window to say there was someone on the phone because I could have gone over there. I rarely get phone calls at work. She didn't say who she was and I guess she hung up when he asked for her name. She said she would try again later but she never did. I am hoping it wasn't a debt-collector or something. It has been bothering me all day because I have no idea how that person got that number. Apparently I can't check the call history on the department phone and when I tried to figure it out I accidentally paged over the intercom so that was fun. I went downstairs and asked my friend who works at the front desk if they had gotten any calls from anyone asking for me and she said no. It just seems sort of odd but maybe I will find out tomorrow. I am going to try not to worry about it.

I am not looking forward to tomorrow. I will be the evening team lead. The morning team lead already asked me to stay late. I am expecting to be there at least 12 hours although I hope it won't be that bad. It's supposed to be extremely busy. They are trying to squeeze in as many surgeries as possible since we're closed Thursday and Friday. I'm glad I only have 16 eye cases in the morning so I won't have to worry about that in the afternoon on top of everything else. There are 22 total joint surgeries scheduled for Monday and I am going to need to help get all of those pans wrapped and sterilized before I leave. I hate dealing with the reps because they can be unreliable but I will have to do that too so I can make sure we have everything we need. 3 people are also going to be gone and we are already short staffed since we still need to hire 2 full-time people.

I don't know how I used to work 16 hour doubles back to back when I worked in hospice. Somehow I even managed to ride my bike home after that. I guess that was 10 years ago and my body has changed a lot. I wish I still had that much energy but maybe I will feel better in the future.

I don't want to do anything right now. I'm feeling overstimulated. I have no idea what I want to eat for dinner. I need to conserve my energy and I hope I can get to bed at a decent time. I am going to do my best not to be grumpy tomorrow. I am going to need to have a lot of caffeine. I know I will get through it though. I am looking forward to spending thanksgiving with my family and having a long weekend. I don't have much else to say right now. I'm having trouble focusing now and I'm tired so I'm going to try to relax for a while.

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening and a good day tomorrow. Thanks for listening. 💖💖💖