#Wad for a Winter Adventure

[happyeasygoindia]

The Ultimate Packing Guide: Essentials for Every Kind of Trip

Proper suitcase packing decisions will either rescue your travel experience or destroy its success. The correct packing selection along with the correct exclusion of items determines the success of your traveling journey regardless of the trip duration or length. When you streamline your packing while also caring for the meter and maintaining preparation for all situations you will face success.

Travel planning requires a few basic steps for booking flights of stairs but packing your belongings in a smart way remains equally essential. The last packing checklist provides a structured way to pack correctly for all types of travel experiences both affordable and luxurious.

The Carry-On Essentials

Your carry-on needs to contain necessary items which you will use on flights as well as soon after landing.

Essentials in Your Carry-On:

The travel documents you need include your passport as well as visa (when required) and boarding pass, change of location insurance together with a printed copy of your flight of steps itinerary.

The Tech & Accouterment section contains five items: headphone, commove cable, power bank, noise-call off earphones and universal travel adapter.

Three travel-friendly toiletries including small toothpaste together with helping hand sanitizer and face wipe joined by your necessary medications.

Safety Items Include a Neck Pillow and Eye Mask Alongside a Lightweight Jacket Because of Possible Cold Conditions in Air Travel.

The nursing bottle with water and few healthy snacks serve as essential travel supplies for hydration and energy maintenance.

The packing tip includes putting a backup outfit inside your hand baggage because travel delays and misplaced luggage are possible.

Packing for a Weekend Getaway

The preparation of a smart backpack remains crucial for all trips spanning a weekend. The final objective remains flexible while being lightweight without exceeding capacity.

Weekend Getaway Essentials:

The packing list includes two to three multi-purpose outfits with comfortable footwear.

The travel toiletry set contains a selection of miniaturized toiletries packed in one kit.

Day Bag: A little backpack or lug for each day's outings.

Refer to the forecast before packing since inaccurate weather reports will result in unnecessary items.

Tamp for a Business Trip

Professional attitudes should be balanced with emotional comfort during business travels. Proper packing will lead to both time efficiency and decreased stress when booking flights for important commercial meetings and league events.

Business Trip Essentials:

Professional apparel consisting of smooth schematic pieces should be included.

The complete equipment set includes laptops with appropriate chargers together with display items.

Professional-Looking Comfortable Footwear: Comfortable yet professional-looking shoes.

The essence of a train kit within a compact size to deliver full grooming services.

Avoid wrinkles in formalwear by placing the items in a garment bag and rolling them up before packing.

Beach Vacation Packing

Have an easy vacation by packing only minimal items while bringing all required essentials when you fly to your tropical destination.

Beach Vacation Essentials:

Two pieces of swimwear offer the essential requirement for dry alternatives.

Sunscreen and Sunglass protect eyes and peel from ultraviolet sun rays.

Flip-Flops & Beach Towel: Essentials for beach excursions.

Routine attire constitutes loose and lightweight items for walking through public spaces.

Waterproof Bag: Safeguards your electronics and treasures from Sand and water.

A small concealment-up item made from a sarong will serve you while using very little storage room.

Wad for a Winter Adventure

Wearing clothes suitable for cold zones requires layering although bulky belongings use enormous additional traveling space. Intelligent packing for a winter adventure requires the following strategy.

Winter Stumble Must-Haves:

One should wear a thermal base layer under a sweater and pair both items with a waterproof jacket.

Cold-Conditions Add-On consists of a Baseball Glove combined with a beanie and fond scarf.

The Waterproof Iron Heel Is Mandatory For All Cold-Moisture Conditions During Your Snow Or Rainy Journey.

A hand heater functions as a life preserver during extreme cold conditions.

The largest clothing item should be worn during air travel because it saves room in your luggage.

Packing for a Backpacking Trip

Taking on backpacking requires packing extremely basic with essential items taking priority for flexibility.

Backpacking Essentials:

Lightweight Apparel: Quick-drying and wet-wicking apparel.

Select a pair of comfortable shoes which can be either trekking brake shoes or sneakers.

Versatility Geared Wheel: Collapsible water bottle, microfibre cloth, and foldable sleep bag.

A first-aid kit needs to contain bandages, antiseptic wipes as well as vital medical supplies.

There are travel locks and security details which require you to lock your equipment in hostels and public transport.

Using packing cubes when packing will enable you to maximize space and maintain clothing order.

Packing for an International Trip

A substantially-mob purse serves as a reliable solution for international travelers to remain prepared for any circumstances.

International Trip Must-Haves:

Essential Documents: Passport, visa, locomotion insurance, and transcript of important documents.

Currency & Payment Options: Local cash, acknowledgment cards, and a currency conversion app.

The Universal Adapter and Power Bank combination stands as an essential combination to maintain connection on the go.

Long-distance flights require comfortable travel attire since they can be very tiring.

The essential tip for packing involves creating digital copies of crucial papers and keeping these files in both email accounts and cloud storage platforms.

Smart Packing Tips for Your Upcoming Trip

Pack a List

The purpose of making a list enables you to remember vital items. Divide your suitcase content into fundamental items followed by garments and hygiene items and travel equipment.

Roll or Fold

Save space while preventing wrinkles in your travel clothes by rolling your clothing then fold heavy clothing pieces to keep them at the base of your suitcase.

Pack Multi-Purpose Pieces

Find garments that can quickly be folded upward or downward and footwear which can serve various purposes.

Pack a List

Using a list enables customers to keep track of essential items by making a commitment to never overlook key items. Organize everything into four groups including essentials, clothing, toiletries and equipment.

Roll or Fold

Use rolling method of folding clothes for saving space and also to reduce wrinkles, fold up loose things, and place them at the base of the luggage.

Pack Multi-Purpose Pieces

Pick clothing that can be picked up or pulled down and shoes which are multiple use.

Carry On Fluids must be stored in compliance with the 3-1-1 Rule

Make sure to check that your fluid toiletries are under airline guidelines—100ml or less in all quart-sized bags.

Check Weight of Your Bags Before They Leave

Spend less on luggage charge by weighs your bags before stepping out to airport.

Whether you are off on a short budget airline flight for a weekend only or going off on an epic long haul adventure, smart tamp down is thy name. By prioritizing the need and being efficient with space, you can travel lightweight but be adequately equipped.

Before buying your procedure ticket, use this final guide to pack with this aim of making the procedure of particular practice easy. Whenever you travel, don’t let anything get in the way, and ensure carefree and pleasant traveling if on the one hand you prepare in advance well planned bag. So go ahead, grab the cheapest deals on flight booking, and prepare yourself for next adventure!

Source: The Ultimate Packing Guide: Essentials for Every Kind of Trip

[inbarfink]

Okay, so ‘the Winter King’ was wild to me specifically, cause like, when I said to myself back in August ‘oh Fionna and Cake is airing soon, I should post my Adventure Time Roleswap AUs soon or they’d be outdated!’

I was thinking more in the direction of, like, there been some new revelation about Simon’s character that’s going to make my alternative versions of him feel super Wrong. But actually all of the Simon Character Exploration Stuff has been working super-well with my existing characterization but what I didn’t expect

Is for the show to do it’s own Roleswap AU!!

And then I was considering if I should nick some of the Ideas from this Universe for my own AU.... but then the Reveal happened and like…. My King Simon is actually genuinely a decent guy and I don’t want him associated with that wad.

(But I might take some inspiration from the Candy Queen because that design is God-Tier)

[animeniacfan]

Fionna and Cake Hit their Breaking Points in Dark Episodes

Wow....okay, I knew that this was going to get dark since its #AdventureTime, but man! #FionnaandCake showed us two of the worst timelines possible! I don't know what was worse: the world where #TheLich won, or the one with Bonnie & Marcy fighting. 5/5

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Eps 7 & 8 Review If anyone was expecting a simple, straightforward adventure for Fionna and Cake, then last week dispelled any notions of that. Fionna finally realized how over her head she and Cake might be and that nothing was as simple as she thought. She’s traumatized by the realization that the Winter King was a selfish wad who cursed his world’s Bubblegum…

[goldenpinof]

Hi, Kate! Sorry, this ask might sound somewhat cynical. Is the show really that good? Like is it worth it? I'm having a bit of a faith crisis. By worth it I mean that in order to go to Amsterdam I'm planning a whole 2 week trip to France since the plane tickets cost nearly 1000€ anyway, so I'd rather make the most of it.

But then the trip is turning out to be quite expensive, yet the possibilities of sightseeing are very limited cause it's winter. I'm starting to think that maybe I should just give up on the show and simply visit France in spring. On the other hand I genuinely don't know whether we'll all be dead by spring or not 🫠 There's also like a chance I'll get to see the filming of a cool tv show if I go in February.

I'm fairly certain that I do want to go, it's just a very spontaneous decision and I've never done anything like this and idk whether I'm doing something fun and adventurous or just irresponsibility spending money.

I guess my question is: is the show entertaining/meaningful/funny or just kinda cute? How long is the sister Daniel segment? How long do they spend on phan theories and how wild (without spoilering) are they? All I know is that there's boxing, true or false theories and sister Daniel. Are there any other segments? I know people wouldn't be going to multiple shows if it was mid, but I just need some reassurance.

"just irresponsibly spending money" – me in September 😂 still didn't recover from it.

idk, how to answer this, apart from technical parts.

the Sister Daniel part is about 10 mins, maybe a little bit more. theories... idk how much time, and i don't have it in me to listen to the audio recordings. there are 4 pairs of theories, and the audience chooses 1 from each pair. they spend enough time on every chosen theory, but there are definitely some "fans favourites", hehe, and if people don't get those, it's kinda sad. some of the theories aren't even theories, they just say what we already know for a fact (cowards!).

other segments: doll house with dnp eras; 1 minute yap about what the audience yells; role model or no-le model (that's actually fun! in Europe specifically because of the cultural differences); their monologues (as if we didn't hear enough from Dan during WAD, i swear); the song (this. this alone was worth all my money. i wanna learn the lyrics by Amsterdam; i hope the UK, that is going very hard, learns the dance, and someone films the audience during the song). i don't remember anything else, but those are not all segments.

i can't say if you should or shouldn't go, considering the budget you are planning to spend on the trip. it's definitely gonna be adventurous regardless! but it also depends on what you're looking for from the whole experience (travelling + meeting phannies + buying merch + watching the show + discussing the show afterwards). since i was planning to check all 5 boxes, i had a good experience overall even if it had cost TOO MUCH money and nerves. but it could be worse, let's be honest. i was planning to travel Europe with them since WAD, so i was kinda prepared to go wild. the show itself wasn't my toppest priority, i would have travelled even if it completely sucked ass. i would say, Dan has put more into WAD as a show conceptually, although we didn't appreciate it enough at that time (and i say "we", and i will say it again, and i 100% include myself in this; those who were there will probably understand what i mean). maybe it's the problem of production, maybe – of the intent. i'm not ready to analyse this shit. is this show made better than ii? i wouldn't say so. will you regret missing it if you don't go? PROBABLY. it's all about the audience, you know. it adds so much to the experience. and you can't predict if the audience is gonna be good or bad, but the show is based on interactions, so you will participate in it, and that's the difference you don't wanna miss if we compare it to watching the tape when it comes out. also, tapes are usually polished. the beauty of going to the show is seeing them fucking up and improvising, unexpected things happening and them reacting to it (it doesn't happen on every show, but you can be lucky, you never know).

i'd say try to go. if you're not sure right now, you don't have to buy the ticket today or tomorrow. Amsterdam has enough of them for now (but check it after a few UK dates; the Brits may decide to travel after seeing the show). the show is entertaining for sure. meaningful? if you read too much into it (this is MY opinion). funny? sometimes :)

[doom-nerdo-666]

Hi, I just recently got into DOOM (and found your blog). Do you have any good recommendations for fan doom mods/maps? (they range from the most popular ones to your own personal favorites or little niche levels)

I'm going to see what i can think of because there's always good stuff that not even the Cacowards bring up.

As for mapsets or wads:

Romero's Sigil is obvious as if it should be official.

Memento Mori series

Requiem

Icarus Alien Vanguard

300 minutes of /vr/

Ancient Aliens

Anomaly Report

Alien Vendetta

Back to Saturn X series

Doom 2 Reloaded

Doom 1/2 The Way id Did

Some of the Doomer Board Projects like AUGER;ZENITH and Emerald City

Doom Zero

Doom city which is pretty good for a single map

Epic 2

Good Morning Phobos

Jenesis

Japanese Community Project

Moonblood

Munity

Plutonia 2 and Plutonia Revisited

Rebirth

Scythe 2

TNT Revilution

PhobosDeimos Anomaly

UAC Ultra

Going Down

Doom 64 for Doom 2

Consolation Prize (PS1 Doom and Doom 64 but compatible with gameplay mods)

Whispers of Satan

Note that some of them could be difficult or even have things like DEHACKED enemies or whatever can get in the way of a gameplay mod.

And speaking of gameplay mods:

High Noon Drifter

GMOTA

Combined Arms

Space Hunter

Colorfull Hell

DAKKA

Legions of Bones

Vanilla Doom Plus

Legendoom Lite

MK-Champions

Corruption Cards

TrailBlazer

Project Babel

Supercharge

Samsara

MetaDoom

Doom Delta

D4T

D4V

Final Doomer

Demon Counterstrike

Treasure Tech

Bratwurst

Netronian Chaos

Highway Acceleroid Booster

Eriguns 1/2

Psychic

Cybers Monster Randomizer

La Tailor Girl

Dusted's Pandemonia

Accessories to Murder

Cola 3

Hideous Destructor

Lt Typhon

And for TC stuff

Golden Souls series

Beyong Reality

Strange Aeons

Skulldash

The Edge of Time

REKKR

Reelism 1/2

Adventures of Square

Pirate Doom

StrongHold: Edge of Chaos

Project Uber

Winter's Fury

There's probably still examples i'm missing, so this is what i thought of.

A good way to look for more is see info of people involved like if they have Doomwiki articles or accounts on other websites and see what else they did.

And because this list is already big, you don't have to look most of them right way so feel free to use your time and interest with how you look at them.

Because some of this stuff can be difficult for newcomers like certain wads and mods.

There's also what versions of GZDoom or ZDoom a certain mod could use since some mods might be discontinued while GZDoom gets new updates.

[egyptianhoney]

Growing pains (on friendship)

When I first moved to London in September, I subletted a room in a flat in Hoxton. I found the room through someone I had met in Montreal, and she then became my first friend in the city. We bonded over going to car-boots, playing board games in her flat, getting ready together for a night out watching Sex and the City, and long conversations under the heated lamps of the De Beauvoir Arms.

Our friendship grew quickly. I remember walking home, tipsy off orange wine, where we chatted endlessly. We had an intimate understanding, and it was refreshing for both of us to candidly discuss our traumas, particularly our mutual experiences with an abusive partner. In those moments, we both needed to reveal those things we’ve never said out loud, those violent memories we once kept in a box, chiseled as grief within our bodies

It's easy to write about falling in love, but difficult to express coherently the moments in a budding friendship where love begins. I hesitate to call that phenomenon “falling in love,” as it is still different, while “platonically falling in love” is gawky. One doesn’t surely love all of their friends either.

My sublet was over by the end of October. A mutual friend from Montreal was coincidentally moving to London, and remarkably found a flat in South Bermondsey with 2 available rooms. She joined at the end of November. I had a few more months of experience in the city, so I wanted to help her with the transition.  We got to know one another through setting up bank or NHS accounts, laughing in the home section of Big Tesco in Surrey Quays, or trying the local Chinese takeaways. 

Spending time with her was always an adventure. Whether we were obnoxiously spotting Joe Jonas after a night out in Camden, trying to find the best bagels, laughing our way around machines at the gym, or exploring the city with the fond sound of heeled boots clacking on the pavement. Or even, just simply spending time together in the flat, experiencing our new lives at the same time. Because of her, I will always remember that grim, frigid first winter in the city as bright and full of warmth. 

In All About Love (1999), bell hooks constructs a powerful understanding of love as a word defined most fundamentally by its meaning as a verb. To hooks, love is an intentional, continuous act—“the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual and emotional growth.” Love does not simply denote feelings of tenderness. Like planting a small seed, love sprouts remarkably out of the soil. With sustained intention, it can grow into a beautiful tree amongst the forest of the loves within one’s life.

In Arabic, there are at least 24 words for love. Hub, the root word of Habibi is used the most frequently and universally. Ishiq centres the passion between intimate lovers, while gharam describes the devotion. Whereas khula or al-wad specifically refer to friendliness and platonic bonds. Like love, there are degrees to friendship in Arabic. From jalis, someone that you sit or share social space with, to khalil, a close friend. 

It’s difficult to identify the initial moments in which those friendships began to fall apart. When I moved to South London, it was difficult making plans with the girl in Hoxton. After numerous miscommunications, we haven’t seen each other in months. In March, I moved back to Hoxton and I was excited to become neighbours again. When I got a flat tire in Whitechapel riding my bike to my new flat, she was even the first person to pick up the keys. Regardless, our relationship never recovered and I haven’t seen her in months. 

As I started making more friends, it became increasingly apparent how incompatible me and the girl from Montreal were. We began to get into heated arguments, often over the most random subjects. When I moved back to Hoxton, we were no longer able to have those spontaneous adventures, because instead of just knocking on each others doors to see if we wanted to go grab dinner, we needed to be very intentional with our plans.

To lose a friend, to uproot one of those trees, even if still a sapling, leaves a profound wound on that forest. A forest can still thrive after its loss, and uses the detritus to create new, stronger trees. Not all friendships create deep lasting roots. Regardless of the aftermath or universality of the experience, the wound itself is felt.

I choose not to write bitterly about moments in which I was hurt, because multiple truths can exist even if in opposition, and thus I choose to intentionally leave more space for tenderness in my memory. But, just as detritus makes for strong fertilizer, I’m writing this to reflect on my own mistakes—so I can become a better friend too. 

In her framework, hooks highlights the fundamental role of self-love. To love oneself requires an honest self-awareness, to push yourself to grow. And just as it was as a child, growing can be painful—but it is both beautiful and neccesary.

To be self-aware, I am writing this to also honour the ways in which I was and continue to be a wonderful friend. And as I grow, make new connections or grow deeper roots with the friends I have, my love grows into a lush forest. 

While I’m biking home from work, on my one-year anniversary of living in London, I think about the friends that I’ve lost. I wonder if there are still any roots left, or a stump that can be salvaged and tended to. Maybe our brief time together was all we needed, the maximum we could have extended ourselves to one another, and maybe those types of friendships are beautiful in their own right. Maybe we were only friends when it was simpler, and struggled when it required confrontations and intentional effort. Maybe it wasn’t love, hob or khalil, but maybe we were just sharing space in this life for a fleeting moment, jalis. 

On a random street in Islington, I stop by the path. A car honks at me at speeds past. I’m looking up at all the beautiful trees, creating a canopy over the road, orange and red leaves fall, while small critters rummage around the piles. I realize, my life is filled with love. I love my friends that I’ve made in the past year, and I love the friends I’ve made before. I love the city and the life that I'm living.

My life is filled with love because I too, am filled with love. 

[no-rest-for-the-doomed]

#026: Infection (2022)

No Icon of Sin in this one. Sorry, folks.

Infection kinda comes and goes in its short 7-map runtime, but you do feel like you're going on an adventure and it's very atmospheric. The 2 main issues I have with it are that progression is almost too non-linear, with many routes leading back to the same spot and a lot of optional stuff. I guess on one hand this leads to worldbuilding and lets you explore a bit more, but I'm a bit classically-oriented so it wasn't for me.

The second thing was that the end of MAP05 and the whole of MAP07 feel too similar. They're both boss arenas with a Cyberdemon, they're both circular and feel a bit too similar, and they roughly follow the same scheme, only MAP07's leads you to the finale. I dunno, what else do you want me to say? It makes the most of Boom format and has some nice optional ZDoom features. There's a cool segment in MAP06 where it looks and feels like the game is glitched. The maps are very pretty. I just have to accept these types of projects are not for me. I enjoyed it, just not quite enough to say it's a home-run.

Bio's verdict: If you like your typical ZDoom WADs like KDiZD or Winter's Fury and want that but for Boom, jump for this. It'll leave you satisfied.

[sourassin]

It has to be done on land, Mariah explains, for there’s no telling where he’d end up if he does it from the deck of a ship that was only built seven years ago. Best case scenario he ends up in a forest in England, leg stuck in a tree—more likely he’d drown in the wild waters of the Atlantic.

They reckon the Adventure would most likely dock at the Republic of Pirates—they, in this case, being Ed and Fang, baffled, Fang being the only one of the crew who’s survived.

Ed had asked Bellamy if he’d heard of—but to hell with it, he’s going to change their history.

He can’t count the number of lives Izzy’s cruel blade saved, even if it was only ever in his service.

He leaves the Queen Anne with his new first mate, and follows Mariah up the hill overlooking the harbour. Bellamy trails after them, one hand on his sword and the other holding their son’s.

It’s not far—it’s not much of a hill, even if the view is good enough, if you like looking at a shithole like Nassau. The Whydah Gally dominates the port; the Queen Anne is listing slightly—likely he hasn’t kept it up as well as he did with Izzy to nag him about the fucking barnacles.

Mariah touches his hand gently; he still startles, and swipes at the tears.

“Alright, how do we do this?” he asks, and Mariah shoves a wad of something foul in his mouth, mutters indistinctly while he chokes on it, and summarily shoves him in the chest. He staggers back—falls, still choking, into the mud—and falls again. And again, and again, for what seems like an age.

When he catches his breath, he’s still lying in the mud, but the sun’s out, and the hideous smell of the Republic in winter has been replaced with the far worse stink of the Republic in summer.

He stands, the bay clear before him, and there she is—the Adventure, bright as the day they took her.

“I don’t know how long I can give you,” Mariah had said. “Work fast.”

He can see the bustle on his old ship—not the makework busyness of a Naval ship or the flurrying inefficiency of a fat merchantman, the buzz of a hardworking pirate ship about to set sail. He runs.

He was an idiot, back then—now—an idiot who thought he knew everything about being a pirate. But not such an idiot that he couldn’t tell when someone was aboard his ship who shouldn’t be.

“Look lively, lads,” his younger self drawls. “We’ve got a visitor.”

The crew jump to, and turn every which way, bouncing off each other in their eagerness to find the interloper. A couple of the brighter ones clock Ed, and make a grab for him. Ed drops one—a quick slash to the hamstring and a pop to the throat and he’s wheezing on the deck. The others are suddenly a little less eager.

The crew opens out, leaving nobody between him and their captain. For a moment, anyway, before Izzy pushes through the crowd and stands in front of his captain. Christ, he’s so young. He wasn’t, of course, when Ed was on the other side of him—Izzy was the one with the experience, the only one who knew shit about piracy, those first few years when Hornigold gave them the Adventure.

Izzy’s pure tension, hand on his sword, ready to strike. Ed’s younger self is just as tense, but he only knows that because he’s been inside that skin—no one else would see beyond the nonchalant swagger of his surface. “Nice moves, old man. Who are you, and why are you covered in shit?” asks his younger self.

Ed shifts his stance and rolls back his shoulders. It’s an echo of the young man’s pose, except it’s not, because Ed has twenty-five years on him and it isn’t bravado any more, and they can tell, the lot of them. The crew falls silent, and Izzy’s gaze flits between them, and Ed’s younger self tosses back his hair and scowls. “The fuck are you?”

“I’m your future, kid.”

“What, I’m going to live to 75 and become incontinent? Nah, don’t think so.”

“You’re going to get everyone you love killed.”

Ed’s younger self laughs, but Izzy snarls and draws his sword. “You think you can threaten Blackbeard on his own ship and live, old man?” He stalks towards Ed, and the crew murmurs appreciatively.

Ed can’t help smiling. “Izzy,” he says, and both of them flinch, Izzy’s stride faltering. “Oh yeah, no-one calls you Izzy, do they? Nobody but Ed.”

“And Jack,” says his younger self.

“And Jack, right,” Ed corrects himself. “But Jack’s not here.”

“Who the fuck are you, man?”

Ed ignores this, and stalks forward himself. He bats Izzy’s sword aside, and grabs him by the throat. The crew gasps like a gaggle of scandalised society ladies. Izzy chokes a little, and goes slack enough that Ed can drag him over to his younger self.

“You are going talk to him,” Ed says. “You are going to talk, and you are going to listen. And if he doesn’t understand, you’re going to keep talking until he does, alright.”

“The fuck are you on about—“

“Shut the fuck up. You’re going to talk, both of you, and you”—this to his younger self—“are going to be patient with him when he can’t keep up with all the bullshit in your head. And you—”

There’s a horrible swooping tug at his stomach. Shit. He’s running out of time. His hand’s still round Izzy’s neck, and Izzy’s looking up at him with wide eyes. He’s so young. “You’re going to tell him how you feel.” Izzy shakes his head. “Yes, you fucking are.”

Another tug, worse than the first. “Fuck! Fucking listen to me—“ He kisses Izzy, swallowing the noise of protest he makes and ignoring the aggravated “Hey!” from his younger self. “If you don’t tell him, it’ll kill you both,” he says, and pushes Izzy into his younger self��s arms before he has to stagger back, the tug wrenching his whole body backwards.

He’s not going to keep his footing much longer. They stare at him, his younger self scowling, his arms tight around Izzy. Izzy looks dazed. Ed grins, until another tug nearly sends him sprawling.

He’s out of time. He’s done what he can. He’s forgetting something. He’s falling.

He’s forgetting—“You,” he says, pointing at Izzy, “be nice to Stede.”

He falls, and falls, and—

tbc…

Credit goes to @piratingsoup on Twitter for infecting my brain with Young Izzy meeting Old Izzy ideas

[thatslikely]

lined-paper confessions - s.s.

lined-paper confessions - stiles stilinski x gn!reader

warnings: mentions of fighting (scott and jackson predictably), strict teachers

word count: 1.5k

a/n: head full of stiles rn... requests for our favorite sarcastic boy are open right now so send some in!

Why is every teacher at Beacon Hills High the absolute worst?

Mr. Harris had just rapidly climbed your (highly opinionated) mental ranks to number one: your new least favorite educator. Giving you after-school detention, for doing nothing but watching with horror plastered on your face as Scott McCall, Stiles’ best friend, threw punches left and right at a topless, water-drenched Jackson, who reciprocated every strike as if he were nothing but a reflection. Seriously?

Previously, you had simply been sauntering down the locker-lined hall, Stiles on your right, passionately ranting about some unnamed problem that had him on edge for the past few weeks. You two turned down the empty, cinder-block-walled athletics corridor as he continued to agitatedly let off steam; the setting was decidedly unromantic given the unshakeable scent of overly pungent deodorant and mildew that was all too familiar. 

You clung to every word emitted from his mouth with an almost comical frown like it was a mug of steamy hot chocolate on a bone-chilling winter day. To your disgruntlement, however, his ramblings were stopped mid-sentence when Scott and his wealthy rival Jackson tumbled out from the dingy boys’ locker room, hands clenched in fists and eyes flaming with fury.

Stiles bent down in a rush, poorly attempting to conclude the boisterous brawl with furrowed, concerned brows, but he looked not dissimilar to a toothpick compared to the two burly teammates. 

“Detention for all of you!” Mr. Harris spat venomously as he dashed to the scene, his voice ringing above the grunts and slams that came from the fighting co-captains of the lacrosse team. “Detention now, Stilinski, McCall, Whittemore, Argent, and Y/L/N! Come on!”

You were dragged by the ear to the vacant library, a place which you often resided in whenever you studied with Stiles (often about mythical creatures, to your confusion). Posters that looked commonplace in an elementary school lined the walls, vibrantly encouraging students to pick up a book, or pen works for a writing contest of some sort.

Golden strips of fleeting sunlight peeked through the slatted blinds, and three gum wad-dotted tables were beckoning for the group of you to sit for the next two hours, or until Mr. Harris would finally decide that your soul had rotted away enough to release you.

You were sternly directed to the uncomfortably stiff chair opposite Allison’s, whose eyes shot daggers wherever they glanced. You flashed her an almost unregistrable smile, as if to say ‘hello.’ Slinging the loose straps of your backpack over your seat, your gaze flickering through the pin-drop silent room immediately locked on Stiles’ figure.

Boy, was he perfect.

The unbuttoned flannel over his shoulders speckled with mud from some vaguely mentioned adventure, his soft, tousled hair, that always had a lock out of place, his freckled face, that always bore some goofy expression, all of it. You couldn’t get enough; nothing would satiate your innermost desire for your lips to meld with his’, for your hands to intertwine through the hallways before class, after class, whenever, wherever. 

One eyebrow-cocked, knowing look from Scott in your direction sent Stiles’ umber eyes to meet yours’, an almost confused look swimming through them. He opened his mouth curiously, surely to ask a question, most likely something along the lines of, ‘is there a stain on my shirt?’, but before he could, Mr. Harris seethed, “Take your seats, now.”

Stiles whipped around, not wanting to anger Mr. Harris any further, and he took his seat. The room was quickly conquered with suffocating silence, which the snotty chemistry teacher was bent on ensuring.

You unsheathed a doodled notebook from your backpack, eventually indenting its pages with inky black strokes of various weights and thicknesses. Your habit of penning loose sketches, vague outlines, began one day in math when the clock seemed to tick aggravatingly slow, and every word from the teacher became drawled further and further until they dissolved into the hum of the air conditioning and the chewing of gum: the rhythm of the classroom.

The unconscious lines eventually formed to a familiar portrait: Stiles. Some would be tempted to call him your muse, your kindling of an elegant flame of creativity. You’d always nod your head in complicity more than agreement, for the smart, albeit rebellious boy meant eons more than that to you.  

You had just hit your stride, your wrist’s movements thoughtless and easy, when someone- rather something, hit the back of your head lightly with a small crunch. It was a small, scrunched piece of loose-leaf paper, ripped at the edge. 

You turned your head to the direction that the projectile was tossed at, but both Scott and Stiles appeared to be very, very engrossed in a hushed conversation, neither of their postures attempting to suggest anything suspicious.

You smoothed out the paper of the angular fruitwood table in front of you, attempting to read the almost unintelligible handwriting.

Hey :)

(this is from stiles, by the way)

Your mood lightened a smidge, a grin bubbling onto your face. You tore a piece of paper out of your notebook along the perforation.

Before you threw it in an arch in Stiles’ direction, you penned a response to his note.

Hey ;) how’s detention treating you?

(This is from y/n, by the way)

Crunch.

not great, as expected. I think I saw harris pick his nose. do you have any bleach to douse my eyes in by any chance?

You chuckled a little, a small smirk glimmering on your face for the first time this excruciatingly long afternoon.

Sorry, I’m all out. used it all after I saw Jackson shirtless. how do you survive in the locker room every day?

A smile lifted on Stiles’ face, one so inflated with abundant excitement (and hormones), he might have burst at the seams.

“Man, you’re down bad,” Scott simpered, nudging his best friend’s forearm.

“Shut up,” Stiles hissed with an eye roll.

just keep your head down and you should be fine. one time, Greenberg looked at him a little too long and he nearly turned to stone, like jackson’s abs were medusa or something.

“Passing notes, are we?” Mr. Harris queried with a malicious scowl, his knuckles white from asphyxiating a helpless ballpoint pen. He slinked over to the tables you and Stiles rested uncomfortably in, raising his brow in heavy suspicion. 

Stiles’ deep, dark chocolate-colored eyes widened in worry. “No, sir.”

“I’m keeping my eye on you, Stilinski. You too, Y/L/N.” 

As soon as Harris was out of sight, perched back at the desk and typing furiously, another wad of paper tapped your occiput. 

hey, y/n, there’s something i’ve been meaning to ask you for a while.

The note, while its contents wouldn’t usually spark too much concern, was subtly unlike the few ones you had previously received. The lines of each letter were neater, more methodical. The small blots of ink resting at the conclusion of every stroke were larger, deeper, as if the nib of his pen had rested in the liquidly black pool for a second too long.

Your face scrunched with confusion, and upon noticing your shift in emotion, Allison nimbly tapped your wrist and mouthed, ‘Is everything okay?’

You nodded with wrinkled brows while shakily scratching a reply.

what is it?

Your knee bounced up and down reflexively, clicking from your rapidly retracting pen echoed through the idle shelves and arrays of desktops. It felt like years, centuries even, before a reply finally tumbled at your feet.

do you like me?

(circle one)

yes? or yes? 

Your jaw nearly fell to the carpeted floor in shock as if gravity had been multiplied; your speedily thrumming heart was doing flip after flip in the cavity of your chest. Without a second thought, you quickly circled both of the ‘yes’es as if there were no friction under the ink-dispersing tip of your pen. Before cupping the piece of paper, you scribbled out an additional little note.

wanna go out this saturday?

Stiles’ anxious gaze bore into your hunched-over figure as you giddily wrote your reply. What if you rejected him (even though the page lacked a ‘no’ option, meaning that you would have to add one, which was even worse)? Was it possible for him to ask to go to the bathroom and just never return? Are there any secret werewolf abilities that Scott could use to make him disintegrate on the spot? 

But his overthinking was soon alleviated when he received your response, this time neatly folded into a paper heart instead of a crunchy ball. Each crease was crisp and thoughtful; he didn’t have to unfold your expert origami to know which option you circled (or lack thereof).

He grinned goofily like an idiot as his chocolate eyes glazed your response a million times over, taking in every letter, every stroke, the dot in your ‘i’ or the question mark ending your simple but heart-rate-escalating proposal.

Crunch.

stiles stilinski/teen wolf taglist:

it’s a date then. i’ll pick you up at 6? passenger seat’s already reserved for you ;)

@loulouloueh @when-you-wish-upon-a-starrynight @ronbrokemyheart @dylobilysmomg

if your name is crossed out, that means I couldn't take you! check your visibility settings so I can @ you next time!

fill out this form to be added!

[motorcyclecamping]

Harder-Walker Harley Expedition 1949

In 1949, two friends in California, Paul Harder and Dick Walker spent nine months planning a trip from Long Beach, CA to Rio de Janeiro. They gave consideration to using 4-wheel drive vehicles, as well as other motorcycle models. They agreed on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a 1941 FL and 1947 EL. Both bikes were already well-used, but their confidence was high.

The quality of gasoline varied as they progressed, which sometimes meant hot running for the engines. At times, they averaged 60 mph on good roads. At other points, a road might simply dwindle and end. So they had to make due and go overland.

The adventure tour of Central and South America departed from Long Beach, CA in the Winter of 1949. They left with 250 lbs of supplies, “wads of passports, health documents and tourist information.” In southern Mexico, over 100 of those pounds was discarded.

Harder and Walker also outfitted their motorcycles with auxiliary gas tanks, mounted on the front.

[lunamagicablu]

"D’inverno, quando cade

la neve e imbianca il prato

e nasconde le strade

sotto il manto gelato,

ai bimbi, avventurieri

dal cuor senza paura,

non servono sentieri

per tentare l’avventura: marciano arditi dove

la nevicata è intatta, aprendo strade nuove

nel deserto d’ovatta.

Ma l’orme dei piedini

la neve serberà

per guidare i bambini

a casa, quando mamma chiamerà…" 

Gianni Rodari

*************"

In winter, when it falls

snow and whiten the lawn

and hide the streets

under the frozen mantle,

to children, adventurers

with a fearless heart,

no paths are needed

to try the adventure:they march boldly 

where the snowfall is intact,

opening new paths

in the wadding desert.

But the footprintsthe 

snow will serve to guide the children

home, when mom calls..."  

Gianni Rodari

[pulcinellas-soapbox]

Sunny Day

It was a sunny day, abnormally sunny, it’s usually so murky under the incessant smog collecting over the valley of Los Angeles. No clouds in the sky and the people of the world traveling calmly to their destinations, no honking, no screaming, no disputes, just people being genuinely nice. It was quite odd to him, he found comedic irony in the pleasantness of the day, his last day.

He wondered if this was a gift from the divine, a parting gift, or perhaps a sign that things were finally progressing as ordained. There were a few chuckles, his giggling erupting from somewhere deep in his chest, and as sudden as it had erupted it was gone and replaced with quiet sobs. He parked his car in his usual space, and wondered if his neighbor would come knocking, as he usually did, to complain about him parking to close to the curb ramp. He wondered who had parked there before, and if they had faced similar trivialities. He wondered, as he often did.

The thought of who would pick up his car entered his mind, if it would be impounded before anyone of import would bother to collect his things. A heavy sigh rolled out of his lungs as he wiped the moisture from his cheeks, no more tears, he thought to himself. He leaned over to the passenger side of his vehicle and grabbed a locked box which was tucked under the seat, but it managed to pull something else that was hidden under the seat, an envelope, and it was filled with developed pictures! Oh shit, that’s where that was!

Carefully, he removed the wad of photos from its envelope and began to look them over. The images brought back memories that often felt like they disappeared into a haze. Memories of adventures, both with friends and with fellow professionals. Images of beautiful landscapes, wonderous ruins and locations, exorbitant dinners and what seems to be crystalized fun. He pondered if anyone else in those photos knew, if they were like him. He wondered how many people on the earth lived like he did, from behind walls and masks. If they had ever bent their own truth. Of course, he knew they did, he understood intellectually that such was the case, but he was never able to know it in his heart.

He took the photographs in one hand and tucked the lockbox under the same arm as he climbed out of his car. Slowly but with firm steps, he walked through the passageway from the building parking lot to his unit. Each step becoming progressively silent, it felt like he was floating, barely touching the floor. There was this noise, at first it sounded like a beep, but it slowly built, until…

“Hey, you dropped this!” Those words brought him back down, it had felt like all his weight came crashing down on him and he was now pinned to the floor. It was a neighbor, holding a photo in his hand. The man took the photo, muttered his thanks, and continued his walk which was now a trudge, to his door. Hurriedly, he unlocked the door, scuttled inside, and slammed it shut. He glanced down at the photo that had slipped out of the wad he was holding; it was from his winter family reunion. His parents, his sister, her partner, him, the dog, they were all wearing silly Santa hats and elf ears. He chuckled. He chuckled not because it was silly, but again because of a comedic irony. No thoughts of laughter came to his mind, instead he remembered yelling and arguments, doors slamming, plates being thrown, he remembered being alone, just absolutely alone.

The man trudged over to his dining table, still contemplating on his childhood. Wondering if the greater percentage of children lived as he did, in silence from the home to the classroom, from the classroom to his bedroom, and over again, for years. He wondered if anyone overcame it and how, it felt like he had exhausted every option. He remembered his sister leaving, as she bellowed at their mother about how nothing would ever be good enough for her, how she lived in her own head, and how her narcissism would be the end of the family. He remembered crying that day for something other than loneliness, he cried because he felt abandoned. The only person in his life who he could connect to, the only person who was at least in one small sliver, not completely self-absorbed, was walking out.

He slunk down in his chair at the table after placing the locked box in front of his seat, still holding the family photo at eye level. He wondered if we ever get the choice, if choice really was an illusion. As he placed the photo down on the table, he wondered if the good really does outweigh the bad, if there really was such a thing as balance. He opened the lock box in front of him and wondered if he would do it all over again, if he would have to, or if he would get a choice this time around.

“Maybe next time.” He uttered as he placed his pistol flush against his head.

[endlessdoom]

DBP19: A Doomer Boards Christmas Carol

25 Maps by the Doomer Boards Community

2019

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/themes/xmas/dbp19xmas2

MAP01: Christmas Eve Part I by Big Ol' Billy

The first teaser to this new adventure is a small hub that shows us a cozy house that follows a simple Christmas narrative to set the mood. 4/5

MAP02: Hornaments by Big Ol' Billy

The first actual map with combat, and it is quickly let go. A circular arena with a considerable amount of enemies surrounding us. The dark design and simplistic architecture give it a rather ominous feel. We will also quickly discover one of the new hidden mechanics: shooting the bells. 3/5

MAP03: Christmas Eve Part II by Big Ol' Billy

All maps will have an intermission that leads to the main hub, which also acts as a progress and rest center for reading Christmas letters. A fantastic idea that generates a unique identity. 4/5

MAP04: Festive Neighbours by Phobus

Following the tradition of MAP02 but this time in a frame. Enemies are far away and in ambush positions, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. With a claustrophobic design and a bit lost at times (the bells are well hidden) is a map that takes relatively a little more than it should. 3/5

MAP05: Christmas Eve Part III by Big Ol' Billy

Next intermission, this time we realize that our lovely home is starting to be invaded by bad guys. Oh, Sa(n)tan will be mad. 3/5

MAP06: The Pilgrim and the Hermit by Gaspe

A large map with a rather intricate and claustrophobic design that leads to a variety of paths with various small puzzles and bloody combat. The cold is felt in the hooves. 4/5

MAP07: Christmas Eve Part IV by Big Ol' Billy

Haha. Good times. 3/5

MAP08: Surprise! by glenzinho

A medium-sized Doom-city style map with a surprising design, a multitude of secrets, a small ''bell hunt'' and a progressive combat that changes and varies constantly. Fun and full of Christmas spirit. And demonic spirit too. 4/5

MAP09: Christmas Eve Part V by Big Ol' Billy

An intermission with a... surprise... ending. 3/5

MAP10: Winter Wonderland by Phobus

A surprising wonder, dark, cold and with a unique touch that delivers a variety of visual designs on a large map with fun gameplay that flows seamlessly. 4/5

MAP11: Christmas Eve Part VI by Big Ol' Billy

A hot little adventure. 3/5

MAP12: The Nut After November by SuperCupcakeTactics and glenzinho

That name is unique. For that alone it deserves an extra point. Anyway, this is a medium-large map with a multitude of interconnected roads and tight combat. Fun and with a good Christmas charisma. Hope you aren’t afraid of spiders. 4/5

MAP13: Christmas Eve Part VII by Big Ol' Billy

Ah yes, hello. 3/5

MAP14: Two Sizes Too Small by Doom_RO

A huge adventure that involves hunting different bells and quite aggressive combats through a detailed map with a pleasant and well designed design. Unfortunately, the bell hunting can be a bit irritating due to the simple nature of switch-hunting in its primordial state, but it's still a great map. 4/5

MAP15: Christmas Eve Part VIII by Big Ol' Billy

Did you know that Xmas in Romania is beautiful? 3/5

MAP16: Christmas Tree Mountain by Scrangus McBrickdad/Jaxxoon R and glenzinho

A large map with a relatively small population for its size. With an intricate design and variety of scenarios, it has a fun formula but its layout is somewhat slippery and the progression is somewhat affected. 3/5

MAP17: Christmas Eve Part IX by Big Ol' Billy

Now we explore more and more of the city in these short intermissions. 3/5

MAP18: Xmasphobia by Thundercunt

A claustrophobic and cramped map with a labyrinthine design vaguely reminiscent of Tricks 'N' Traps meets Fear of Plutonia. Interesting premise with great design. 4/5

MAP19: Christmas Eve Part X by Big Ol' Billy

Probably the hottest intermission, to the point that it could be considered a tiny map. 3/5

MAP20: Krampus Anomaly by dmdr

An excellent map with a great flow and exquisite combat, varied and with constant dynamics between the player and the fun, coupled with a good design and understandable layout. 4/5

MAP21: Christmas Eve Part XI by Big Ol' Billy

An intermission that reveals us beyond the labyrinth. Optional but rewarding exploration. 3/5

MAP22: Where Cybneezer Hid Christmas by joe-ilya

A small adventure through a kind of infnerla mansion. Secret paths and dense combat make this map a fun mission. 3/5

MAP23: Christmas Eve Part XII by Big Ol' Billy

The last intermission makes us take a walk through the wintry and dark city to get ready for the last adventure... or maybe not. 3/5

MAP24: Realm of Christmas Time by Big Ol' Billy

The "fine" map, in quotes, is a great entertaining arena with a kind of dynamic IoS that makes us face a huge variety of enemies in a small circular arena. Fun and frenetic in an expansive Christmas violence. 4/5

MAP25: Christmas Morning by Big Ol' Billy

The so famous city of the intermissions is finally given its own use in a magnificent slaughter map that will stop us in our tracks. Enormous, large and with an incredible challenge for all players. The ultimate Christmas present goes out with a boom. You're not supposed to win it (it's technically impossible) but it's a fun and crazy way to end this wad. 4/5

Overall:

» DBP19: A Doomer Boards Christmas Carol (2019) By the Doomer Boards Community

We all want to get into the enchanting spirit of the sweet Christmas season as December approaches. Nothing like celebrating the times of peace, love and understanding among all beings as by doing it in the most holy and fantastic way possible: Killing demons. Those infernal sinners are not going to clean themselves and we are here to do it. Thanks to the fantastic criminal minds of the members of the Doomer Boards Community, we have been given a fantastic Christmas installment that has all the necessary requirements to recreate a good Christmas spirit; blood, violence, guns and many, many demons. Ready to celebrate Christmas? Hit it.

A Doomer Boards Christmas Carol is a project created by the famous krew that this time is launched towards the winter celebrations of Christmas, creating a theme focused entirely on the Christmas touch of the game and redesigning textures and skins for almost the entire project, perfectly invoking that Christmas spirit that few can achieve with a game that was practically identified as a form of 3D Satanism (although it was not exactly released at Christmas, it is a Christmas game in my heart) that would launch to the market a re-copied and unique style. That of being gory and disturbing. Well, let's take the core of Doom and now give it a new twist, one that has lots of snow, cookies, warm milk, presents, red socks and some coal for the bad kids. The result? A grandiose 25-map project (half of them small intermissions) that perfectly re-invents the celebratory style into a Christmas mood that successfully recreates the game on, you guessed it, Christmas. Or something like that.

DBP19 is a fascinating project like no other that really manages to reach those standards and deliver white maps full of passion, identity and a lot of fun. Thanks to the new use of textures and the hilarious re-skins, we now have a new paint scheme for the entire game that takes us out of the hellish air and into a cooler and, uh, wholesome kind of hell.

Starting with MAP01 by @Big Ol Billy, the first map actually works as a kind of intermission/hub-styled map that makes us progress the game accompanied by a small Christmas narrative where the different members of the team give us little stories and messages about what awaits us or the story. A little touch that gives it a nice charisma. @Big Ol Billy does practically all the intermissions, as well as a few other independent maps. MAP02 continues the adventure and this time throws us directly into a combat arena that presents us with two important aspects: 1) the visual style and 2) the new mechanic of hunting ''bells'', something like switch-hunting but more simplified. MAP03 is one more intermission made by the same author, and from now on all the maps with odd number are intermissions. MAP04 by @Phobus is a re-interpretation of the first map but with a more painting style and less mercy. Gaspe comes into action with his MAP06 which gives us a great rock fortress in a world of ice full of action and beautiful visuals. MAP08 by @Glenzinho is, as the title says, a violent surprise that shows an excellent Doom-City style. @Phobus returns with MAP10 in an intricate and tight map with dark corners and welcoming demons. MAP12 by @SuperCupcakeTactics and @glenzinho wins the award for most innovative and fun title I've read all year, luckily not all is title but also essence as this is a fascinating map that combines the two styles of mappers under a perfect synergy of emotion and visual sweetness. MAP14 by @Doom_RO is a huge odyssey that makes us look for different bells while we go through different scenarios making our way through rivers of demons, all in an exciting Christmas adventure. Oh yeah. MAP16 by @Scrangus McBrickdad/Jaxxoon R and @glenzinho pits us against a huge map with amazing visuals but a somewhat confusing layout that compensates with a nice touch of detail and variety of scenarios. Thundercunt (hehe) delivers a labyrinthine and different adventure that contains as many goodies as the demons in MAP18. MAP20 by @dmdr is a fascinating ice adventure that takes us on a journey with good flow, fun combat and excellent presentation. @joe-ilya delivers a mysterious and cold mansion in MAP22, full of demons, Masterminds and a few surprises in the basement. Finally, MAP24: Realm of Christmas Time by Big Ol' Billy is an excellent final scene as we face off in a small arena-style map against a variety of enemies and a sort of modified IoS that delivers thrills and excitement. Like the good little kids, we've been. Of course, the final intermission in MAP25 is what we call a total beast that actually works like a credits map but with a twist.

Wow that was a lot of maps! Probably among the biggest (or actually biggest) DBP, quite the gift!

This winter adventure deliberates with solid greece a delivery of 25 maps full of charisma, fun, gifts and everything we need to feel comfortable and accompanied on a lonely Christmas night while the snow crashes against our windows. Not that I can relate to that because where I live it doesn't snow, but at least with this project I have managed to relate the sweet effect of nostalgia with the innocence of yesteryear where we simply wanted to enjoy Doom in its purest form. Well, this is the purest way to enjoy it at Christmas! Or practically any month, after all I'm playing this in the middle of summer. Hehe. Anyway, want some cookies? Come and get them.

[ramble-writes]

So here comes another valentine's gift for the glorious @franks-mixtape ! If y'all remember the 2 Franks that are brothers and werewolves that I wrote some time ago, this is going from that again because I thought about it randomly and felt like I then needed more of it sooooooo yeah! If you DON’T know, the gist is being that his Frank and my Frank are half brothers. Father being a werewolf to both which resulted in his Frank being a halfling, while mine is whole werewolf due to different mothers. 19 years apart until both came to Ormond where they met up and figured out they’re brothers. So there ya go!

Warning(s): probs just standard cussing, buuuut that’s it lol

Don’t forget to like, reblog, and follow if ya wanna see more! (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

-

A Wednesday. Worst day for the 14th to fall on. Especially since it’s in the middle of the school week. Frank James Morrison sat there in the last class for the day, English. The teacher decided to focus on how Valentine’s day started from some dude who got executed in Rome or some shit. He wasn’t paying attention, finding it useless to learn about. Emerald green eyes lazily gazed around the room till they landed on his brother’s russet hair.

Frank Fenik Morrison was there a few seats to James’s left, amber eyes were trailing over the printed paper the teacher had passed out previously. As much as he was into literature, if he wanted to learn history on a subject of a man who was killed for trying to teach his religion to the Romans, he would’ve in his history class.

Fenik really was just idly taking his pencil to scribble a random design on a blank spot on the paper, the teacher’s voice seeming muffled in the background. Darkening some lines on the drawing, he felt a nudge in his mind, like someone nudging him with their arm. He lifted his eyes up and flickered to the side where gemstone eyes met and locked.

‘Dude. This shit is boring. Can’t we just.. skip out on this?”

‘I wish. But we can’t or shit’ll go down. Plus, they’ll know it’s us since we have the same exact name, minus the middle name.’

This made the raven-haired Frank sigh out loudly. He slightly scrunched his face up at hearing his other half chuckle both from a distance (thanks to his heightened hearing) and in his mind. Since figuring out the two had the same father, name, preference in tattoos, music, and other things, it made for the two getting along pretty easily. It resulted in a sort of bond to form. Since their father was a werewolf, it resulted in an animal like bond to form, that ran deeper than a standard sibling bond. Emotions, feelings, and thoughts were connected. It resulted in a mind link to have basically silent conversations.

‘Jesus fuckin Christ we have thirty minutes left of this bullshit. Feels like it’s taking foreverrrr!’

Fenik had to cover his mouth to stifle the laugh that bubbled up. Hearing him complain like a child made for lightening the boring mood. The internal complaining actually helped pass the time till the bell rang. Kids instantly got up with grabbing backpacks and shoulder bags alike and hurried for the door as the teacher called out that their homework from 2 days ago is due by Friday. Most likely, no one paid attention.

The two Morrisons waited at the bottom of the steps of Fairview, waiting on the other three of their odd pack in the snow. It didn’t take long for Julie, Susie, and Joey to come out. Julie adjusted her coat she has on as she hurried a bit down the stairs, being mindful of the snow-covered steps as she went over to the russet-haired Frank and planted her lips to his. This drew a very pleased growl from him as he kissed her back. Thankfully, those dreaded words to the holiday weren’t uttered.

“A’ight sluts! What’s the plan for today for shit to fuck up?” James asked, the name making Joey chuckle. “I’m lookin’ for chaos to burn down the grossness I feel from all this love shit.”

“I second that. There’s this jackass that’s been trying to feel Susie up in history when it comes to turning in work,” Julie huffed out. This made Joey look at the pinkett with concern on his face.

“And ya haven’t said anything?” Susie looked away at the tallest’s question which made him sigh. “Sus, ya gotta tell us when this kind of stuff happens..”

Her head only lowered before she pulled her hood up to hide her face. Joey had let out a sigh and draped an arm over her shoulders before looking at the other three. Amber, emerald, and brown eyes met and they all shared the same thought.

‘Trash the fucker’s place’

-

To cut things short, finding where the guy lives wasn’t hard. They did the standard: Egging the house, toilet paper thrown and draped over trees and parts of the house. But the brothers took it an extra step by managing to get up on the house with wadded up toilet paper, where they then shoved it down the chimney to block it up since smoke was coming out of it. And they were out as quickly as they came with a job well done. 

They all split to head to their homes, hearing distant sirens meaning the house called the fire department which was sweet music to them. Of course, the russet-haired teen snuck over to Julie’s place after her father passed out for their... usual time together. Raven, as another nickname to call James rather than by his middle name like Fenik, was laying there in bed till about midnight he heard his name being called through that mind link.

‘Thought you were busy bangin’ up Jules.’

‘Shut up and get your ass out here.’

‘Fiiine. But I still wanna hear about your adventures in the pussy caaaave!’

James snickered when he bet the other was rolling his eyes outside, but he got out of bed to get dressed in his usual letterman with an extra layer underneath since it is midnight and it’s still winter. Out the window he went and onto the ground below where his brother is standing and waiting.

“Alright, whatcha want butt sniffer?”

“Don’t. Anyway, thought it be nice to hang out since school has been riding out asses with work to get us “prepared for college” which I could care less for.”

The raven-haired teen nodded. “Yeah. It’s a lot of bullshit. Ffffuck I hate being a senior.”

“I feel that,” Fenik agreed with a nod of his head. As usual, the two headed into the forest since it is their escape, and the only way that the wolves within the both of them can be let out. It’s a nice reliever since a lot of the times going out was never an option and it would make them feel cramped.

Usually, they don’t speak when out in the forest unless they do their usual practice. But for now, it was nothing but a run. Fenik in full wolf with James keeping up at an easy stride. Surprisingly, there was no clouds which let for the moon to shine bright in the sky and reflect off the snow, practically lighting their path. 

They didn’t know how long they’ve been running, but they did come to a stopping point when the two Morrisons came across a big tree. It was there they stopped and flopped down at the base at the big roots, James leaning on Fenik and a hand running through the rust-colored fur in slow strokes.

“Ya know... I’m a bit jealous you can shift and I can’t..”

“Seriously? I dunno. I’d be pretty happy with just the heightened senses n shit.”

This made for emerald eyes to look at the wolf, which in return, amber looked back at the halfling. Concern was felt on both sides. Concern for how one felt left out of things, and concern for how the other didn’t care if shifting was a thing or not. James scooted himself a bit close to be able to wrap an arm around the back of the head of the large wolf and pressed his forehead to his, letting silence overtake the quiet between he two of them.

Something happened since one moment the raven-haired teen was small in comparison to the wolf with clothes on, to suddenly not and... the same size. It was like his body just relaxed for him to suddenly shift, but the realization got for the two to jump up onto their paws and look at each other.

James now was suddenly the same height, same build. Black fur made him look like a shadow o the white snow. Vibrant green eyes stood out like unknown lights in the darkest parts of the forest. The two were quiet, before sounds of excitement left them and they became nothing but giant mounds of fur and limbs with barks and yaps leaving them.

What felt like hours of nothing but romping around in the snow, they both flopped down panting with tongues hanging out of open mouths and tails swishing in the snow. Two sets of gemstone eyes gazed up at the night sky, the moon nothing but a white orb to the side of their vision.

“I hate valentine’s, but this? This is the greatest fuckin’ gift nature let me have haha!” James boofed out, letting his paws stretch out in front of him. It felt like all his limbs were sore from being contained, and finally was allowed to be out.

“Oh trust me. Being this way is heavenly. Feels like what freedom from the system should be. And now that you can shift, we can do this a hell of a lot more. And no one can stop the hell we’ll raise.” Fenik let out a chuff, a canine version of a chuckle. The black pelted one chuffed as well before rolling onto his side and laying close to the rusted pelt one and pressed close.

They were content like that, black mixing with rust, emerald and amber. It took only a nudge from Fenik to say that it’s best they get going. James got up and shook the snow from his fur, waiting for his brother to get up. Both standing, they trotted off to the edge of the forest where they shifted back to their human selves.

“This weekend. Can... we go running again? And... maybe teach me some wolf stuff since now I can shift?”

“Hell yeah man! I’ll be waiting ‘round seven. Sound good?”

James nodded with a slight smile before it fell. There was hesitation, but Fenik could feel it and brought his brother close for a hug. He melted into it and hugged the other back. They stood like that for some beats before breaking it off and headed to their homes with goodbyes through the link. Days and nights for now on were gonna be different, but they were gonna be hella enjoyable and that feeling of being left out vanished. Everything felt right, just as it should be. 

[seokiloquy]

Catch Me If You Can - Nishinoya Yuu

AU: Penpal / Travel

Warning: Manga Spoilers

Word Count: 7.6k+

How could he not have fallen in love with (Y/N) back then? The foreign transfer student that regaled stories of her adventures around the world with swinging arm movements and an indistinguishable accent that had been muddled over years of travel. She was a sun among stars. A linguistic animal lover that had a passion for learning and adventure. No one could resist her charm, not for long. She was expressive, loud and boisterous. But when given the chance, the outgoing girl will always sit quietly and listen with a kind smile on her face. How could anyone not want to know her?

It was nearing the end of March in 2014 when they last saw each other. Despite it being the beginning of spring, the sun was shooting down warm golden rays of light that (Y/N) happily bathed in. Nishinoya sat next to the excitable girl, looking at the various pins she had stuck into her worn down and faded hat, tired after years of travelling and use. It was spunky, out there, it suited her quite well. In her hand, she fiddled with a keychain that he had just given her moments prior. A small enamel volleyball that he had a duplicate of.

“I’m going to travel the world,” she said, leaning back against the stairs of the gym.

The graduation ceremony was long. Despite that, the volleyball team had gathered in their gym to send off the 3rd years, announcing Yamaguchi as the new captain, and making everyone cry. The 1st years were the worst, only getting to spend one year with their beloved elders.

Nishinoya smiled, stretching his legs along the steps to lay down beside her. “Where are you going to go first?”

She hummed, “I think I’ll go to Australia, I want the accent back.”

Nishinoya laughed and watched as the traveller held up the chain to her nose.

“I want to meet as many people as I can, get some new experiences,” she sighed before shooting up from her spot, nearly launching herself on top of Nishinoya’s relaxed position. Her eyes seemed to be twinkling as they looked into his, “I’m going to write you letters.”

How could he say no to that smile?

For three years they sent letters back and forth. Occasionally sending a care package, typically coming from (Y/N), who always seemed to have money to spare for the best quality of shipping. Nishinoya was always eager to open her letters. The words on the page would dance in his mind, creating beautiful images of the girl he remembered as she continued her travels. He would feel his heart squeeze with every package, carrying various treats and pictures for him to enjoy. Nishinoya always wanted to travel despite never having the funds to do so. Because of this, he lived vicariously through his long time crush’s adventures, holding every gift he received close to his heart.

He saved every last picture, letter, and gift. Yearning for when he would find the next one sitting snugly in the mailbox of his family home in Miyagi. 3 years since the day they graduated they had been exchanging letters, and 4 months since he last heard from his (Y/N), who had suddenly stopped. 4 months he waited. 

Nishinoya waited desperately for her next reply, but it never came. Leaving him anxious for months as his family tried to calm him down. Nothing worked. Nishinoya spent most of his free time walled up in his room, ducked under the covers of his childhood bed, waiting.

It wasn’t until his grandfather, Mineo, knocked on his door that something happened.

It was the 2nd of July 2017 at 3:28pm.

“Eh, Yuu, there’s something in the mail for ya,” the old man teased, throwing a thumb over his shoulder.

Running out of his room, nearly knocking over his laughing elderly grandfather, the youngest Nishinoya ran out of his house, through the gates and to the mailbox. From the corner of his eye, he could see the mailman down the street. Inside the box was a neatly packaged envelope. He pulled it out gently, trying his best not to fold or mark the clean paper.

Once at the dinner table, family surrounding all sides, excitedly waiting for the boy to open the letter, Nishinoya let out a deep breath. His heart was pounding, gripping onto his ribcage like a prisoner wanting to escape. His hands shook, making the paper let out a desperate fluttering sound. He read the front of the paper.

The letter was sent from Australia. Particularly a city named Mutitjulu, which he didn’t bother to try and pronounce as even in his head, the English word seemed to only be a muffle of sounds. English wasn’t something he was good at anyway. He continued, staring at his name that was scripted on the front in a familiar style. One that he’s been reading for years.

“Well, what are you waiting for Yuu? Open it,” his mother pressured. She was excited too, tired of her son’s heaving and hawing over the past four months.

Taking in another wavering breath, Yuu opened the envelope gently and pulled out the crisp piece of paper. As he opened it, a wad of cash fell out, sprawling across the table his family sat at.

His grandfather laughed, “What is this? Some sort of ransom?”

“You’re not given money when you get a ransom note, let Yuu read the letter first,” His father chuckled as he watched his wife gather the money in a neat stack also grabbing the stiff paper ticket that had landed before her.

The first thing on the page was the date, followed by (Y/N)’s handwriting.

14 August 2014

Dear Yuu,

Australia feels like a home I wasn’t born into. It’s hot and my hair hate’s the humidity, but it’s a beautiful country. The accent makes it all worth it. While writing this, I sit at the bottom of one of Australia’s many sites, Uluru, a giant rock that would make you look like a worm in comparison. There are flies everywhere, and we’re painting stones in dotted patterns. I painted a lizard.

I’ve spent the last week in the outback with a group of born Australian’s working with Kangaroos. They are the funniest creatures, easily aggravated in the wild, but these ones have become used to humans over the years.

A man named Joshua has become my companion for the week. He’s taught me a lot, I can’t say it all in a singular letter, but here’s a funny story. One kangaroo, lovingly named Swipe, stole his hat on a particularly hot day, hiding it somewhere we never found. I had to give him my hat. When you see him, please, ask for it back, I miss it and will have more pins to add later.

Oh right, the money and the ticket. Well, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, but I wanted it to be a surprise. By the time you get this letter, it should be about mid-summer of 2017. You know how you’ve always wanted to travel the world? Well, I’m picking out your stops. You won’t be able to contact me, that eliminates the fun out of it. But, that’s your mission.

Come and catch me~

Love,

(Y/N)

Nishinoya had to give it to her, Kangaroos were soft. And even in the heat of the Australian winter, he desperately wanted to snuggle up to them and bury his head into their chests. He had jokingly told Joshua that he wanted to be a joey in his next life, to which the Australian born man laughed and slapped his back. 

It seemed as though, despite (Y/N)’s appearance in Mutitjulu having been 3 years prior to his arrival, that she had planned out his whole trip. Getting Joshua to walk him through every landmark and location in Australia that she had visited on her solo trip.

He was a tall man, tanned to a golden ochre colour from his days working under the blistering sun, and you could tell he did hard physical labour from his well built physique. Nishinoya would stare at him occasionally, mostly jealous of his overwhelming height.

The two men were visiting the Sydney Zoo, watching a gigantic alligator eat a whole chicken when Nishinoya asked the older man a question in broken English. He still needed practice.

“Did you help plan everything?” he asked referring to his tour around the continent.

The Aussie shook his head, making his messed up sandy coloured hair bounce. Turning away from the reptilian show, the tanned man looked at Nishinoya with a large smile.

“She did it all herself. Every last detail. You wouldn’t believe it when she told me her plan, she was going to burst!”

Leaving their suitcases at various hotels over the 3 month period and grabbing the bare minimum so they could trek through the day felt new to Nishinoya. He had spent his whole life in one location, only ever needing to carry around a bag or two wherever he went. Joshua carried around a leather satchel everywhere. At every location they stopped at he would reach into it and pull out a photo that (Y/N) had taken while there, handing over to Nishinoya. 

“Keep it, I’ve made copies,” he said when Nishinoya tried to give them back.

Noya bought a photo album after that, carefully storing the photos in the slots that were available. He would flip through the pages until late when the birds started singing. The late nights staring at your photos led to beautiful dreams of hiking through forests and petting koalas together, holding hands and watching the sunset. He wanted that. Minus the gigantic spiders. 

It was at the end of September when Joshua barged into Nishinoya’s room early in the morning and threw something at him.

“Oi! Get up, get packed. You got more than just a plane to catch.”

Noya, still tired from a long night of drinking — likely being Joshua’s way of sending him off — groggily grabbed at whatever had been bounced off his head. He rubbed his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the light that Joshua had so graciously invited in beyond the curtains.

Groaning, Yuu turned his attention away from the bright sun and onto what laid in his hand. A familiar hat, worn out and covered with pins, it’s original colour faded into a dull grey. Next to it, a letter. His spine shot into a straight position as his fingers gently separated the lip of the envelope from its body as quickly as possible. Just like the one before, money, plane ticket and a letter. A noise in the corner of the room caught his attention, Joshua was stuffing Noya’s clothes haphazardly into his suitcases, throwing a change of clothes to the side for him to wear.

“Get changed Cobber, we got to go!”

Joshua steered the tourist onto his plane, not letting Noya take a detailed look at the ticket. At the gate to the airport, Nishinoya was pulled into a strong hug by the Aussie, who rambled into the shorter man’s ear about how he would miss his foreign wisdom and poorly constructed sentences (which had improved over the months).

Before he knew it, Nishinoya was on a plane, reading the note you had sent back for him.

21 February 2015

Dear Yuu,

You like dogs, right? Well, I sure hope you do. I’ve spent the last few weeks in Yukon, Canada (specifically Whitehorse) and HOLY! It is freezing up here in the wintertime. Luckily the group I’ve been working with provides the proper gear you need but still, it’s frigid. So be ready for that. Margaret will help you out. That’s not actually her name, but she says her real name is too hard for us to pronounce.

Anyway, dog sledding. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried it. It’s such a freeing feeling. Oh, and I might have given one of them the keychain you gave me. I’m sorry, but he was so sweet and I wanted to give him something of mine. His name is Mateus. Be sure to give him pets for me!

Make sure to spend that money well~

Love you,

(Y/N)

Although October wasn’t technically winter, the northern hemisphere was cold, too cold. Bundled up in thick layers, covered from head to toe, Nishinoya laid back in the tall snow, rubbing the bellies of eager huskies that rolled around next to him. Yuu laughed and one jumped at him, pushing his shoulder back into the snow and licking any visible skin he could reach.

“Ya! Mateus, please!” The dog backed off, sitting in the man’s lap, panting happily.

Nishinoya sat up, petting the friendly dog’s head with his thick glove. His other hand moved the collar so he could admire the given jewelry. The metal had oxidized, making it look brown and blue. The volleyball has definitely looked better but Nishinoya wouldn’t complain. The dog whimpered at his new human friend as he played with the chain. 

Noya looked the husky in the eyes, “Awe, I miss her too bud.” 

The dog whined again and pushed his head up against Noya’s hand. He obliged to the canines request, rubbing the space behind his ears. The dog lolled his head to the side, then let his body completely fall over Noya’s lap. The other’s came closer, joining the lazy dog puddle that made itself home around their new companion.

“If you keep letting them do that they’ll never let you leave.”

Margaret was a kind woman, older and a bit worn after years of working. She was ruff around the edges but as soon as she got a good look at Noya’s photo album (which now also held (Y/N)’s letters) she swept the young man into a bone-crushing hug, telling him about the memories she had from years prior. Noya listened to every story earnestly.

“She’s a natural,” she said. “Hopped onto the sled, grabbed the reins and off she went! Over the hills through the trees and the wolves listened to her every command.” 

Margaret’s movements were a shadow of the girl he remembered. Large and unapologetic. He took a sip from his hot chocolate as he watched the woman’s arms wing in fluid motions. The fire that was lit next to them cast a shadow behind her, like a puppet. Other volunteers around the lodge watched in awe as she continued telling her of (Y/N). Just how did she manage to make everyone fall in love with her, would there be any room in her heart for him? Everywhere she went she seemed to take someone with her and Yuu couldn’t help but think he’d be left out. It nagged at him.

On the last day of his stay in Whitehorse, Margaret sat down next to Nishinoya and handed him a neatly wrapped pile.

“You know, I sometimes wondered why (Y/N) asked me to make duplicates of her photos. But after spending these past couple of months with you, I can understand it. You’ve got yourself a keeper.”

At the bottom of the pile of photos was the letter, sent back to Margaret from his next location. The woman patted his shoulder.

“You better pack up soon, I’ll drive you to the airport.”

3 September 2015

Dear Yuu,

I know the cold must have been ruff. Haha, get it? Ruff? Well, don’t worry, cause where you’re going next it’s all summer and sun (with the occasional thunderstorm but a little rain never hurt anybody).

The Florida keys are hot. I’ve been spending a lot of time either at the beach or indoors where it’s airconditioned, but It’s been a lot of fun relaxing in the sun here. I found a restaurant, tucked in behind the white fences of a narrow road just by the waterfront. It has a large sign saying “CASTAWAY” I think it’s fitting with the whole nautical theme. It has high ceilings and gives off a wood cabin by the lake sort of feel. All the workers are nice, I’m writing this while talking with them.

I recommend the honeybuns!

Love,

(Y/N)

The honey buns were delicious. They weren’t even something you had to order, but Nishinoya did anyway, every single time. Joe, the owner, along with his wife busted the bar table that Nishinoya sat at. He was the only one in there at the moment flipping through his photo album, adjusting all the photos in place, making them look orderly. Without looking, he reached for one of the many bread buns that sat in the woven basket next to him.

“You know Noya, there’s more food other than the honey buns,” Joe chuckled as he snatched the bun filled basket out of the grasp of Noya’s clingy hands, making said boy pout. Joe laughed again before slipping a laminated piece of paper his way, “Read the menu kid, you might find something worthwhile.”

Joe, despite his outward appearance being that of a beer drinking food lover (which he was), was an avid deep sea diver. Often going with Miranda to collect underwater treasures that could be used as decor for their restaurant.

Nishinoya nodded, thanking the kind man as he began to read. The words gave him a bit of a headache. English, definitely something he’s improved on since beginning his journey but still makes him run circles in his head. He rested his chin on the counter, squinting, hoping the change in sight would magically turn the English into Japanese. It did not, and after 5 minutes of continuous grumbling, Miranda came his way.

“Noya, sweetheart, take a look at the drinks would ya?” she laughed, towel and plate in one hand, flicking the back of the page with a long spindly finger from the other.

He flipped the page over.

The (Y/N) Special

“What is this?” he asked pointing to the only spot on the page that had kanji characters mixed in with the English alphabet.

Miranda smiled, leaning her elbows onto the counter. Flicking a chummy finger toward the page she explained, “That right there, is a drink (Y/N) made up on one of the nights she was here. She jumped over the counter and made us all one, then gave us the recipe for later.”

Joe came their way with a cheeky smile, “Give it a go. It’s got a bit of alcohol in it but not a lot, fine for a midday drink.”

Yuu gladly took the drink created and named after his beloved adventurer and gave it a big gulp. It was cold and sweet with a bit of lemon, perfect for the everlasting hot weather in Florida. He could imagine lounging at the beach or by a pool with (Y/N) sleeping peacefully by his side as he drank this, both of them soaking in the sun’s warmth. Noya sighed happily, resting his head in the palm of his hand.

“Hang in there kid. I don’t think there’s that much alcohol,” Joe teased as he flicked Nishinoya’s forehead. “Don’t go dozing off just yet, we’ve got your next letter.”

Noya didn’t even realize that Miranda had left, only just seeing her as she came back out from the restaurant’s back with a box in hand.

The pictures were of her in various places, just like all the others. Now mostly at the beach or at his current location. He didn’t hold himself back from admiring the images of your summer glow as you posed happily for the camera in your bathing suit. One image of your face stuffed with honey buns make him cackle outright. At the bottom of the box was a small corral and your note. 

18 June 2016

Dear Yuu,

Oh YUU~ please don’t be mad at me! I know you probably wanted to see me first out of all our friends but I couldn’t help myself. Brazil was already on my list and where else would I go besides Rio de Janeiro?

Hinata has grown so much since high school, you’ve got to see him play. You should be proud of your Kohai, he’s gotten pretty amazing~ His roommate, Pedro, was really nice too he likes OnePiece and Spiral Knights. Reminds me of Kenma a bit. They were both kind enough to accommodate me for my stay. Oh, Oikawa showed up too.

Be sure to give Hinata a hug for me~

Love (Oh so very much),

(Y/N)

Had they still been in high school, Hinata would’ve probably blabbered about everything upon Nishinoya’s arrival. But, as you had said, Hinata had grown and thus, he learned some restraint. Managing to respect the wishes of his travelling upperclassman who insisted that he kept a tight lip about everything until Noya had begun his travels in Rio.

Noya, on the other hand, was rather discouraged that his past teammate had gotten to spend months with his girl. His girl? His girl. He grumbled, crossing his arms with a haughty huff.

Nishinoya had arrived in Rio in February of 2018, getting the chance to hear all of Hinata’s stories from the beginning of his appearance in the hot city. Heitor, Hinata’s teammate for a tournament they played a couple of months prior, listened carefully to Hinata’s ramblings as he switched back and forth between languages, translating as much as he could. Nishinoya also often found himself admiring Heitor’s coiling hair. A complete opposite texture from his own. (Y/N)’s appearance seemed to be news to Brazilian man as well, but both listened with rapt attention as the carrot head rambled. 

Noya got really pouty when his friend showed him the pictures though, mostly fixating on the one that had Oikawa, Hinata, and (Y/N) all making strange faces at the camera.

“Shoyo, must you torture me like this?”

Hinata only responded with a large smile and wiggling dance.

Heitor and Pedro had become Nishinoya’s closest companions after Hinata left for Japan. Nice, Heitor’s newlywed wife, reminded him of Saeko, making her his go-to whenever he needed to rant to someone. She never understood a word he said, but would always give him a pat on the back and a warm smile. Luckily, Pedro had managed to pick up some Japanese during his time living with Hinata, making the learning curve of figuring out Portuguese a little easier.

At the near 3 month mark of his stay in Rio, Pedro came out of his room with a box that had Nishinoya’s name printed across it. “It. Yours,” he tried to say with heavily accented Japanese, which the streaked blonde man was thankful for.

The name across the top had obviously been done by Hinata, the messy script made it that evident, not that Noya could easily read it anyways. Just like the others, the box held a few remaining photos that Hinata didn’t give him during their time together and her letter. The envelope had a small crease in the top corner, likely from Hinata’s rough handling, but he was eager to read it despite its mediocre condition.

Pedro sat down next to Nishinoya, taking hold of the photo album, and offered to put them in order. Before he did though, he took his time flipping through the pages, listening to Nishinoya as he tried to explain what was happening in each photograph. Pedro smiled.

“I spoke to her quite often, she learned Portuguese rather quickly, I was surprised,” he paused for a moment, watching the memory that played in his mind from the photo he had taken of you and Hinata playing volleyball on the beach. “She is quite an amazing person.”

Despite not being able to fully understand what Pedro had said, Nishinoya could hear his feelings.

Why did she have to be so magnetic that even a near stranger felt her gravitational pull?

With an almost sad sigh, he gave Pedro a nudge and began to read the letter. It was filled with glitter. That was new.

 31 December 2016

Dear Yuu,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I might be a bit tipsy but that’s okay! I’ll write this anyway.

New years in France is filled with alcohol. I shouldn’t be surprised but the wine is surprisingly sweet? And you know me, I can’t restrain myself when it comes to sweets.

Paris is beautiful by the way. I can’t wait for you to see it. Danon has been an amazing tour guild. He even gives me a discount on the coffee from his family’s café. Despite being in the more expensive part of town the café is rather quaint. When his parents are out Donon lets me choose the music, it’s typically 70’s dance and pop music, like ABBA. Who am I kidding, It’s mostly ABBA. Sometimes other customers join me in dancing, Danon can’t because he works but I see him grooving behind the counter. I think I made it a tradition.

Ooh, I also made another friend, her name’s Brielle, she's just lovely.

It’s beautiful here Yuu~

Love you loads.

(Y/N)

 Was Nishinoya jealous when he met Danon? HELL YES HE WAS. The man was their age, and undeniably handsome, clean quaffed brown hair and perfect skin. Nishinoya spent his first few days in Paris giving the other man the side-eye. 

That’s how it was, until one Friday evening, when Nishinoya walked into the café he was stopped frozen at the door.

“Ah Noya, my friend! Come join us!” Danon called over the music once he saw the shorter man enter.

In the Frenchman’s arms twirled a beautiful young woman with dark skin and braided hair that swung at the middle of her back. ABBA was playing, Noya noticed as he entered, weaving through the dancing couples of men and women alike. Danon and the woman met him halfway, and Danon, being the gentleman he is, bowed slightly as he gestured to her.

“This is Brielle. I’m sure (Y/N) must have mentioned her in her letter.”

Brielle laughed, waving her hand dismissively, “The two of us only got a moment together, a week at most. But she did talk about you Nishinoya. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

They spoke in English, with French accents, but Noya was thankful for the familiarity, although it did make him notice his own mangled accent even more.

“So what’s happening here?”

Danon laughed, “It’s (Y/N)’s night! What else?!”

The day slowly turned to night and the Eiffel tower began to glow outside the window. Nishinoya tried his best to dance in the sensual duets that took place in the middle of the floor, but more often than not, he went behind the counter, taking Danon’s parent’s place and giving them a chance to take centre stage. Out of the pairs, his parents were the most infectious. But anyone could look Danon’s way and see that he and Brielle were a match made for the night lights of Paris.

Towards the end of May, Nishinoya sat at one of the tables next to the chalk wall, sipping slowly at his tea. Danon came out from the back, giving his mother a rub on the shoulder before sitting across from the Japanese tourist. He placed a clean stack of images on the table between them. Before pointing to the chalk wall with a melancholic smile.

“She wrote you a message up there, ‘see you soon’, she said that a lot about you,” the taller man slid over the stack.

Noya slowly flipped through the photos, pausing at one that captured a moment of Danon holding (Y/N) in his arms as they danced, being perfectly framed by the Eiffel tower behind them. Noya gripped the photo a little tighter. His heart clawed at his insides again. That nagging feeling was back, making the palms of his hands feel sore and warm. Danon’s voice pulled him out of it easily, the man was a siren.

“She is a remarkable woman. If I had the same opportunity that you have right now,” he trailed off, pausing to take a breath, “I would follow her off the edge of the world if she asked me,” Danon took the photo out of Noya’s hands, giving it a fleeting look before tucking it into the album that rested open on the table.

Gulping, Noya met the man’s eyes across the table.

“Aren’t you with Brielle?”

Danon smiled, “I am. (Y/N) introduced us. Brielle knows of my infatuation but trusts me and I can’t thank her more for it.”

“You two are beautiful together,” Noya said, looking up at your name on the wall. He took another long, slow sip of his tea.

“As will the both of you. If you manage to catch her that is.” Danon spoke softly, joining his new friend in staring at their crush’s smooth writing on the wall. “Can you do me a favour, Noya?”

Nishinoya hummed, continuing to look up.

“Love her for the both of us, okay?”

 8 May 2017

Dear Yuu,

A kind old man was nice enough to let me spend most of my time with him and his dog at their home in Hamburg, Germany. He’s a potato farmer! But sadly he injured his back working, what a spine breaker. Anyway, I offered my help farming in exchange for a warm bed and food. He was happy to help! Oh right, his name is Adal. He’s a bit of a grouch but I know he’s secretly a softy.

I managed to get to a few places around Germany before settling down there for the rest of the trip though. My favourite by far is the torn down Berlin wall. It’s covered in graffiti and art and it’s just filled with so much history. It’s overwhelming but seeing the broken wall is just such a beautiful sight. I don’t even think I can put it into words.

Don’t let Adal be too mean to you~

Love,

(Y/N)

 Nishinoya knew what you meant by the wall being overwhelming. It felt like he had the memories of generations pushing down on his shoulders all while a swell of happiness and relief seemed to lift his chest upwards. It was a sight to behold.

Adelina was a kind but blunt woman in her 40’s. Their initial interaction was a shocking one that left a bitter taste in both of their mouths. Noya, a stranger that had shown up at Adal’s doorstep that was in the middle of vast farmland was greeted with a less than welcoming hello.

“Is Adal here?”

In broken English, Adelina responded, “Adal is dead. What do you want?”

After explaining his now new predicament to the resilient woman, she had broken into a gasp eyes wide as she rushed up the stairs of the house. She nearly tripped coming back down, holding a box that was covered in dust and set it down on the wood table in the middle of the large room visible from the door.

She had sighed while she blew off the dirt, “You must be Nishinoya, correct?”

Taking his shoes off at the door, he entered the premises. Adelina had gestured for him to take a seat in the chair across from her and the box. Nishinoya was understandably nervous at the time, desperately wanting to bite his nail or crack his cold knuckles, but he resisted.

“Adal was my father, he died last year and left everything to me,” she started. “I only met (Y/N) once but she was a kind woman from what I remember. Managed to break that old man’s shell. Not many can do that,” she laughed, tucking a greying piece of hair behind her ear.

Nishinoya listened to every word patiently. Adelina wasn’t a great storyteller, she often had to cycle back, remembering events that would have been told earlier on, and sounded rather monotone as she recounted them. For what it was worth though, once she got on the right track, she seemed to be able to recall every detail word for word despite the stories not having been from her own experiences.

“I know the plan was for you to work in the field, but I sold off the farmland not too long after he died,” she said, placing a glass of water for him on the table. “If I had thought a little further ahead, I probably would have waited until after your visit,” she scoffed sadly at herself. “I guess my mind was a bit preoccupied.”

“No, no. It’s alright. I’m the one showing up unannounced. You probably didn’t even remember the plan until I showed up.”

That night, Adeline offered to take Nishinoya on a grand tour through Germany.

“I should at least fulfill some duty that I was given, he would want me to,” she said, giving him a rare smile. “Diese Dinge passieren, und das Leben geht weiter.”

Despite having given him most of the pictures in the box on the first night, the letter remained untouched until after spending three months in the woman’s care. At the airport, Adeline thanked Noya for visiting and wished him well.

“Chase your dreams,” she said, sending him off with a final wave.

 1 September 2017

Dear Yuu,

Somehow a little town at Italy’s ankle has made me believe that gods exist on earth. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but these architects did an amazing job. The buildings are all colourful and beautiful to admire. Especially during the sunset. The whole town is cast with a warm glow.

I’ve been staying in Sorrento, (imagine if I was writing this from Torino! Haha). A small town by the bay known for its beautiful view of the water and 14th-Century architecture, very picturesque. I spend most of my time down by the bay, I’ve gone so often that I’ve even made friends with some of the fishermen. They even offered to take me spearfishing out in the bay. Their boats are beautiful but on windy days I definitely prefer the land.

Don’t let the marlins get to close, they’ll stab you~

Love you,

(Y/N)

 “Eh, Noya! You did great! Let me take a photo for you.” 

Donte was a middle-aged man that owned a boat by the pier. Often spending his weekends fishing for marlins to feed his family the following week. His hair was dark brown and mousy, slowly fading to grey at the sides of his hairline that trailed down his jaw into a patchy scruff of a beard that never seemed to grow. Quickly, the ageing man grabbed Noya’s phone off one of the seats in his large fishing boat and angled it to face the other man.

“Say: sorridi!” he cheered.

Noya dropped his borrowed trident like a spear on the tiled concrete and kicked up his left leg onto the large metal cleat at his side and balanced the weight of the large marlin between his arms. The fish’s mouth hung open, but Noya smiled into the camera of his phone, yelling out ‘sorridi’ as the photo was taken. 

“Ah good. C’mon, I’ll treat you to lunch.”

It was during lunch when Donte began to entertain Nishinoya with some stories of (Y/N)’s visit. The big one was how we decided on the name of his boat. He explained that at the time, his ship was brand new when she visited, with (Y/N) being the first to book a time to experience marlin fishing on the new vessel. At the time the name hadn’t been printed on the side, and when Donte had mistakenly tripped over a loose line it sent him into the cold water of the bay. Despite being able to swim, the visiting woman had immediately pulled out the rope ladder tying to the side of the ship and dived him.

Donte laughed as he recalled floating in the water with (Y/N) staring at him with an irritated expression. “I can swim you know?” he said, making her grumble and paddle to the ladder she had set up moments prior.

“The water is nice, but you better get out soon,” she had teased. “Don’t want the marlins to attack.”

“Thought that ‘the Mad Mer’ was fitting. She did look like a goddess while swimming after all.” 

The description made Noya smile happily.

Donte was starting his next story when Nishinoya felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Asahi had sent him a message.

We’re all meeting up today.

Are you coming?

A cheeky grin pulled on the corner of Noya’s face. Swiping his phone across his screen and clicking, without sending a word to his friend the image was sent.

Woah, Noya!

Are you still following those letters?

Nishinoya chuckled.

You bet!

Donte nodded his head in Noya’s direction and took a large gulp of water and a bit of food from his plate. “Who you talking to?”

“Ah, an old friend. Sent him the picture of the marlin.”

On his final day, after packing up all his clothes, Nishinoya flipped through the new photos he collected. His favourite had been taken on the same day that she had dived into the water to help Donte. It was of (Y/N) in a flowing white dress, arms spread wide open, with the sun setting in the background making her dress glow. This photo closed out the passage of Sorrento, Italy.

 30 March 2018 

Dear Yuu,

Hazyview is quite the sight. It’s full of green trees and large expanses of grass. Rolling hills turn into mountains with sharp cliffs and rounded tops. It’s a sight you’ve never seen before.

I got to travel around a bit before settling in Hazyview so I could learn about all the languages they speak. It’s so interesting! I swear some of the people I met probably thought I was some foreign nut job, but I had fun

Working at a sanctuary for elephants is such a rewarding experience. I wish I could have stayed a bit longer to help. Luckily they primarily used English to communicate because of all the immigrating volunteers they get, but even the diverse collection of language there was amazing. But that’s not the point. Elephants. Elephants are the point.

We managed to save a baby and his mother from poachers! The little guy was rather clingy, and I got to name him!

Work your hardest~

Love,

(Y/N)

 Nishinoya was relieved when he was able to practice his English again with fluent English speakers at the sanctuary. Nearly two years of practice has shown some improvement. 

Jabulani was the man that greeted him when the helicopter landed at the sanctuary. His arms were wide open and his smile was big, showing off his pearly white teeth.

“Welcome!” he yelled over the sound of the helicopter’s blades spinning.

It took a couple of days for Nishinoya to get the chance to interact with the large beasts. That time was spent settling in, getting a tour, and learning about the protocol that was held in high regard at the sanctuary (for good reason).

When Jabulani, nicknamed Jabu, introduced Noya to the various elephants that were being rehabilitated he was brought to a pause at one.

“His name is Shino?”

“Ah yes. You’re (Y/N)’s friend. I almost forgot. She talked about you a lot.”

Noya made a large gesture with his arms, throwing them in the warm air. Then he adjusted the old button filled hat on his head to block the sun.

“When (Y/N) said she named a baby Elephant I thought I was going to be small! She named it after me, and he’s that big?!”

Jabu laughed at Noya’s pain. Giving a hard smack on the back. Earning a groan from the slightly saddened man.

“Don’t look at it like that. Think of it this way,” He said as he grabbed Noya’s shoulder, straightening his back. He gestured to the elephant’s trunk that started sprinkling water over its head. “She must think highly of you. Think you can reach great heights like the trunk of an elephant.”

“That height is mediocre when giraffes exist.”

The throwaway comment earned Noya another hard smack.

“Don’t say that around the elephants. They’re sensitive creatures.”

Occasionally, at night when everyone was lounging around the common area, eating food and relaxing, Nishinoya got the chance to listen to Juba and his friends speak in their native tongue. Zulu was something he had never heard prior to coming here, and as he listened to them converse fluidly without tripping over any syllable or sound he couldn’t help but realize why you appreciated the complexities of language so much.

The last letter was short, and when he opened it a picture slipped out. You wore Karasuno’s classic colour; black. You were in a waving salute, your two fingers in the motion of pointing away from your forehead. The back of the black tracksuit was visible thanks to your slightly turned position. You stood on the steps of the volleyball gym, the doors were open. The letter was sent back to Hazyview recently.

 9 April 2019

Dear Yuu,

What do you think? The newest job suits me, huh? I managed to race through school while I waited. World Cultures, I’m excited.

See you on the first day of school~

Love,

(Y/N)

 April 20th of 2019 was the first day of school. Nishinoya had flown in from Hazyview the night before, greeted by his parents who pestered him about all of his adventures on the way home. Still wide awake with jitters of excitement, Noya rambled about every moment and story, flipping through his nearly complete photo album.

He was wide awake until he wasn’t. Despite his eagerness to wake up early to the following day and hopefully ambush you in the morning before classes started, he managed to sleep through most of the day. When he finally did wake up he was groggy from the jet lag but forced himself to change into something more presentable than plane clothes. Be grabbed your old hat, oxidized keychain and his photo album before rushing out.

Once he got to the front gates he breathed in deeply. It had been years, and the nagging feeling had returned to his chest. Students gave him weird looks as they left the school grounds.

How could he not have fallen in love with you back then? But how could he be so naive to believe he was the only one? He thought of Danon in that moment, letting the words replay in his head. Over and over again. For the both of us.

Taking one last breath, he ran towards the old gym he remembered. The doors were slightly ajar and the welcoming sound of air-filled balls bouncing off the wooden gym floor made his heart race. He screamed as he kicked the doors wide open.

“(Y/N)!”

A high pitch screech followed.

“Noya? What the hell are you doing here?”

Despite the change in hair, now back to his natural black, Ukai hadn’t changed a bit. The squealer, Takeda, held his chest tightly as he stood straight, recovering from the sudden scare. The players on the gym floor began to murmur, they’d ask their coaches questions later.

“Sorry, Takeda, Ukai. Do you know where (Y/N) is?” Noya asked, gripping his belongings tightly. “I thought she was going to be in here.”

Takeda let out a shaky laugh, “You haven’t changed a bit, Noya. But did you maybe consider she’d be in the girl’s gym?”

Ukai sent Takeda a confused look, to which the bespectacled man waved off as if saying ‘I’ll explain later.’ 

Nishinoya began bouncing on his toes, ready to move. Wearing a smile, he yelled a loud ‘thanks!’ as he bowed, before running out the double doors.

The girl’s gym, though not one he visited in his past often except for those moments he went to see (Y/N), brought a familiar feeling. The sound of balls ricocheting off of solid surfaces greeted him as he stood outside the double doors, waiting, scared.

Then he heard your voice, heavily accented but pronouncing every word with a sense of style with accuracy. Soothing and sharp with a bit of a raspy bite from years of hysterical laughter and yelling.

“Tiny Hinata! Natsu, can you do me a favour real quick?”

Slowly, he pushed the doors open.

Nishinoya didn’t even see the young orange-haired girl lift the old polaroid camera to her face. He was too busy enjoying the old familiar feeling of his girl’s hands holding his back, hardly even hearing the smack of objects fall from his hands and onto the floor. He melted. Noses brushed against each other as she pulled him into a kiss that was worth the years of patient pining. He let out a breathless laugh when she pulled away, letting his head fall back for a moment as she used her hands to lift him back into an upright position. His hand came to rest on her shoulders, massaging them gently to fully know that she was there.

That nagging feeling finally crawled away, chased out by an eruption of warmth in his stomach.

“I finally caught you, (Y/N),” he said, wearing a dopey grin.

“Took you long enough,” she teased, hitting his arm.

Picking up his belongings that he had dropped suddenly, he held the brim of her old hat between his fingers and slipped it onto her head. Back where it belonged.

The photo was a pretty one, fitting perfectly into the last page of his album.

So this onshot comes from a prompt in my writers notebook that I’ve been wanting to write for over a year. And when talking to one of my firends we got really into multiple different idea’s and then dragged Kiwi into it. So this one is sort of collaborated.

I hope you liked it! it’s the longest thing I’ve written so far and it’s about the length of a regular two or three parted story. - Bacon

Posted: 03/07/2020

[main-bangtansmauyeondan]

Twin Telepathy (Image after Text)

🎄 Day 8 - Twin Telepathy

MASTERLIST

a/n: First of a few written chapters in this series! Enjoy!

“Be careful! Don’t get it all over yourself!” 

YN reached out, a wad of napkins in hand, to sop up the mess that Jimin had made on the table. Her twin brother attempted to drink his beer out of the glass while literally still pouring from the bottle, racing against the foam that bubbles up. As soon as the beer started spilling, Jimin immediately stood up so as not to get it all over himself, and the fit of laughter started between the two. 

YN loves days like this one. The transition between autumn to winter -- it’s generally a cold day, but it’s a manageable cold when you’re indoors. The spot they chose for their sibling lunch date is just near where she lives and is known for a warm and cozy atmosphere aside from its good food. Today is extra special since she misses her twin brother so much. He’s been busy running his chains of dessert bars and take-away kiosks, and on top of that, he’s also working on publishing his first ever cookbook, too. YN on the other hand has just returned to work from a couple of weeks of hiatus after going through a painful break up with her long-term boyfriend. Since the twins no longer live in one apartment, they find it difficult to see each other as often as they’d like since they’ve both been busy especially during the holiday season. Today is one of those spontaneous times that they’re both free, so they decided to meet up for lunch.

“So how was Paris?” Jimin asked her as he sat back down after getting his giggly self together, face twisting into funny expressions as he continued examining if he got beer on his crisp white shirt. 

"Paris is still the same. To be honest, I really didn't get to enjoy my time there since my schedule was packed." YN answered while shaking garlic salt onto her steak. "They took care of me though. People were really nice," she took a bite of the steak and immediately followed it with a forkful of mashed potatoes. 

"It looks like they starved you over there," Jimin's snide comment coupled with a teasing grin didn't escape YN and she stared back menacingly at her brother. Jimin loves watching his sister eat heartily. He used to pick on her a lot growing up because of her appetite, without realizing he also enjoys food just as much as she did. After getting a degree in media arts, she established a startup photography and film production company, Golden Closet Film with her then boyfriend and started blogging her foodie adventures. Her broad knowledge in food coupled with her social media presence has earned her multiple recognition over the years, and lucky for her, she gets to do what she loves for a living. "Do you want some wine with that?" 

"No, thanks. Eww," YN shuddered at the thought of it. She's down with some good cocktails, but never wine. "I'm sticking with my iced tea." She sliced off a piece of her steak, pierced it with a fork and offered it to Jimin, "Here, try it with the garlic salt." 

Jimin's eyes widened as soon as the food hit his tongue, "Ohhh that hits different! Have you reviewed this restaurant before though? So good!" 

"You don't remember? It's one of the first restaurants I covered. I mean, we covered, you know… for GCF." YN looked away from her brother, and suddenly seemed to get lost in her own thoughts. 

Sensing the shift in his sister's mood, Jimin took the opportunity to dive right in and peel back the multiple layers of facade that she has been parading around like a mask ever since Jungkook broke up with her. Everytime he thinks about how Jungkook left his sister for a recording artist he just met while shooting a music video, he still seethes with anger. What more does the thought of it do to her? He looked back to the time when he received the news about their break up. How he dropped everything at the dessert bar in the middle of a busy day and drove straight to her apartment. The sight of his usually self-secure, perky and bubbly sister's tear-stained face and puffy eyes almost tore him apart. He's never seen her that down before, and right then and there, he knew all he could offer her was a warm hug and an assurance that he would go to great lengths just to make sure nobody could hurt her ever again. "How are you holding up? It's been what, over a month already?" 

"I'd be lying if I say I'm a hundred percent okay now, Chim," she put down her fork and shifted slightly on her seat, bracing herself to lay down her cards on the table. "I'm generally doing great. I'm back to work, I've been travelling, I can say his name now without flinching… Jeon Jungkook. See?" Jimin couldn't help but smile at how animated his sister's face and hand gestures are whenever she tells a story. "But sometimes though, especially when I'm alone and see or hear something that reminds me of him, it still stings…" 

"That's normal. I wouldn't expect you to just switch off. But I'm happy you seem to be dealing with it well," he reached out to brush away the strand of hair that has managed to escape his sister's hair clip and onto her face. She smiled back at him. "Anyone in particular that's been a big help for you to take your mind off of JK?" 

"Work keeps me busy. My friends have been busy as well, with Sohee and Yoongi planning their wedding and Suzy with her career and--" 

"And Taehyung?" 

"What about Taehyung?" she asked in return, albeit getting a bit flustered. She turned her head and blankly stared outside through the gigantic floor-to-ceiling restaurant windows. She felt a sudden and unfamiliar drop in her stomach at the mention of Taehyung's name. It almost felt like riding a roller-coaster… Scary yet exhilarating. 

"I dunno…" Jimin shrugged, "you tell me." He took another sip of his beer before leaning back on his chair. He's seen that look on his sister's face before, so he decided to drop the subject before he even began because he knew she would just end up veering away from it and immediately create a diversion. True enough… 

"Taehyung is Taehyung, Jimin. Get off my back," she dramatically rolled her eyes. "What about you, though? Why don't you start going out with people? Why don't you start, you know… dating?" There it is. The diversion. 

"Good question!" Jimin knew the diversion was coming but he didn't know it would be directed to him. "There is someone I've been eyeing, actually…" 

"Oooh. What's her name? Have you asked her out already?" she asked him excitedly. Ever since Jimin established his career as a restaurateur, he barely had any time to go out with friends. Let alone, date. 

Jimin smiled sheepishly before covering his eyes with one hand. "Aaah!" he whined. "I don't know her name."

"What?!" his sister looks at him incredulously. "How old are you? 13?" 

"Noooo… I don't know where to start." he ran his fingers through his hair and heaved a defeated sigh. "She's a regular customer and I may or may not have been sending her complimentary cookies when she comes by." 

"Awww that's so sweet, Chimchim," YN coos at her brother's gesture. "What's she like?" 

"Beautiful, obviously… She seems like a nice and kind person, you know? The way she regards the staff. Considerate. The way she's aware of what's going on around her…" Jimin continues to talk about this No-Name girl. From the way his eyes glimmer, one would think he's talking about someone he's known for a long time. YN couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy on the inside with the affection apparent on her brother's voice. People say that twins often have the same ESP or often feel what each other is feeling, and although there has not been any scientific evidence, YN and Jimin have an undeniable connection that is almost 100% correct all the time. There have been a lot of heart-to-heart conversations between them, but this is the first time in a long time that YN has seen and heard Jimin talk about someone this way, let alone a stranger. "Do you wanna hear a funny story?" 

"The floor is yours, bro," she encouraged him. 

"So one time, it wasn't that busy at the café, I was in the kitchen. I saw her come in, she sat at the far end of the room, took out her laptop and started setting it up while one of the staff approached her," he smiled at the recollection. "Naturally, I sent out free cookies. As soon as the staff left, she started eating the cookies. When she picked up the last one, she accidentally dropped it on the floor."

"Yikes!" YN cringed. "Did you send out fresh ones?" 

"I was about to!" Jimin buried his face in his hands as he started laughing. "I stopped on my tracks because I saw her quickly picking up the cookie off the floor. She looked around, making sure no one had seen it… THEN she popped the whole thing in her mouth!" Eyes completely disappearing into slits as he carried on laughing. 

"Oh Lord, nooo!" YN gave in to her brother's contagious laugh, "she is you, Chim! That 3-second rule never gets old! Give her the damn cookies, next time, you coward!" 

"I'll figure something out… Maybe figure out what her name is, too, or at least what to call her."

A short and comfortable silence settled between the twins. Something that happens all the time whenever they're thinking about something at the same time, more often than not, the same thing too. Their parents call it twin telepathy and it's accurate most of the time. 

"3-SECOND COOKIE GIRL!" they exclaimed in unison before giving each other a solid high-five.