#also stopped by the Nintendo store but didn’t buy anything there

[sweetandglovelyart]

Went to New York City today and bought some Kirby stuff ⭐️

[pommpuriinn]

Date Night

🧷 After Joohyung finally recover during their little break in Japan, Beomgyu decided why not set up a little dinner date on a fancy-ish roof top.

As Joohyung was spending her time in the Nintendo store with Soobin walking around, buying things, or watching ‘Super Mario’ on the screen with the rest of the kids. At this point had her basket full of items from Pokémon plushies to accessories for her Nintendo switches, and most importantly games. “You really have a shopping problem noona.” Soobin said at the sight of her basket. “That’s why I bring another luggage with me because I know myself.” Joohyung smiled and added another plushie into her basket.

Just as she finished paying and they walked out her phone started ringing, Beomgyu was calling. “Beomie~” Joohyung bit back her smile. “Joohyung you’re free tonight right?” Joohyung has been going out with her female staff members every night after she recovered basically having a girls night, like doing their nails, getting cute tooth gems, and even getting tattoos (hers is on her right upper thigh). Joohyung hummed ‘yes’, “yeah why?”

“Good because I got us a reservation at this fancy-ish restaurant tonight on a little roof top and I was wondering if you wanting to come?” Beomgyu asked, and Joohyung could tell he was either embarrassed or nervous which she found it cute. “You’re asking me on a formal dinner date?” Joohyung teased him. Soobin on the other hand rose his eyebrows amazed at how romantic Beomgyu can be. “Wow, I didn’t know he was so romantic.” Joohyung held in her laughter and answered Beomgyu. “Of course I’ll go with you.” Joohyung could hear Beomgyu’s little giggle. “Ok I’ll see you when you come back Jooie, love you.”

“Love you too.” Joohyung ended the call and once she ended it she immediately lightly slapping Soobin’s arm. “Why is he so cute!” Soobin gave her his iconic side eye, “you guys are so cringing sometimes.”

“Ya! When you get a partner you will understand.” Joohyung teased Soobin. “I’m too awkward to have a partner.” Soobin scoffed. “Well if Beomgyu can get a partner,” she pointed at herself. “Then you can too.” Soobin laughed and shook his head. “Are you making fun of your boyfriend?”

“No! That’s what you guys always say.” Joohyung defended herself, making Soobin laugh ever more. “Ok come on, let’s get you back to the hotel room.” Soobin placed his hand on her back and gently pushed her forward.

Beomgyu immediately ran into Yeonjun’s room, barging in. “Woah! It’s called knocking.” Yeonjun jumped, as he was laying on his bed. “I need your help.” Beomgyu went on his knees begging. Yeonjun rose his eyebrow, “with what?” Beomgyu sighed almost not wanting to ask Yeonjun for his help because he knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it. “I need help with styling.” Yeonjun chuckled, “styling? Why?”

Beomgyu got up and sighed, “I got me and Joohyung a reservation for tonight at a kinda formal restaurant.” Yeonjun was also amazed at Beomgyu. “Ya, when did you get romantic?” Yeonjun teased Beomgyu making him feel embarrassed. “Hyung~” Beomgyu whined. “Fine. I’ll help you free of charge too. Only because I don’t want you to look like a fool in front of noona.” Beomgyu pushed Yeonjun’s arm, “Hyung!”

“Ok, ok I’ll stop. Show me your closet.” They both went into his and Joohyung’s shared hotel room and went straight into their closet. Yeonjun sifted through Beomgyu’s clothes and ultimately poor Yeonjun couldn’t find anything that he can work with. “Just bring those slacks with you and come back to my room.” Yeonjun shut the closet door and both headed back to his room. “You’re lucky I bring about everything with me.”

Jooie: should I get ready soon?

Joohyung texted Beomgyu, as she got everything laid out and her makeup out. Both her and Soobin went immediately back to the hotel mostly because Soobin didn’t want her to blow another $300 dollars on random items.

my puppy: yah I’ll get u in 2 hrs

Joohyung hid her schoolgirl actions from coming out even when she’s alone she feels embarrassed if she starts having butterflies in her stomach. She didn’t want to be “cringing” even though it’s a perfectly normal way to act, like earlier when she was gushing about how cute Beomgyu’s little giggles were.

Joohyung got ready pretty fast and looked at herself in the mirror making sure to fix little things on her dress and her makeup (lip)/hair. “I would date myself too.” Joohyung chuckled, as she looked at herself. Her session in the restroom got erupted by knocking coming from the door. “Yes?” Joohyung called out, as she made her way to the door to open it. Joohyung peeked her head out from the door just for her to immediately almost close the door and then placed her forehead against the door. “What? What?” Beomgyu was confused and amazed at her reaction seeing him. “Why do you look so good right now?” Joohyung said, still against the door making Beomgyu laugh. “Do I really look that good?”

“Well you always look good, but you look like you came straight out of a photo shoot.” Joohyung finally looked back up at Beomgyu. “You can thank Yeonjun because this is mostly his clothes.” Beomgyu looked at himself. “I figured.” Joohyung teased. Joohyung opened the door wider so Beomgyu can finally come in and once he got a good look at Joohyung, he instantly felt warmer in the face and neck.

“What? Do I not look that good?” Joohyung tilted her head to the side a bit, and had a pout on her lips.

“N-no, no! I-I mean yes!,” Beomgyu recollected himself. “I mean yes you look beautiful, noona.” Beomgyu as you can tell is…down bad for Joohyung.

Joohyung smiled, “thank you, but before we go can you help me put on my heels?” Beomgyu nodded quickly and followed Joohyung. Her heels were right by the foot of the bed which Joohyung took a seat on waiting for Beomgyu to bend down. Beomgyu then got down on his knees and proceeded to grabbed the heel for Joohyung’s left foot and sliding it on her pedicure foot. Beomgyu seem to let his lust emotions get the better of him and he started gently rubbing on Joohyung’s smooth warm skin. It didn’t take long before Joohyung knew what he was doing, so she pushed Beomgyu back by his chest with her heel. “You should save that for after the dinner, puppy.” Joohyung purred, making Beomgyu almost whimper. “Yes noona.” Beomgyu obediently answered, continuing with the other heel.

It was like a switch went off in Joohyung because after Beomgyu was done putting on her other heel she went forward and placed both hands on Beomgyu’s cheeks and kissed his lips, “thank you beomie~” she gave him a sweet smile snapping him out of his daze. “Y-you’re welcome.” He blushed.

The couple went walking to the restaurant as it was near and they wanted to see the Japan scenery at night. They of course took boyfriend and girlfriend photos as they were walking including photos for moas that they plan on posting someday-maybe. It didn’t take long before they ended up at that rooftop Beomgyu was talking about. Joohyung lightly gasped at the sight they got from rooftop. “I have to take photos.” Joohyung opened her camera app and started snapping away. “I’m glad you like it.” Beomgyu smiled at the sight of Joohyung enjoying the view since he got a table right by the railing. “I love it, thank you.” Joohyung hugged his arm since they sat side by side.

Don’t worry these two don’t show a lot of pda when they’re out by themselves, they like their alone time with each other behind close doors. Since in the back of their heads they still know they’re idols with eyes always on them.

“I like the tattoo you got.” Beomgyu traced the blue ink that’s on Joohyung’s right upper thigh. “Thanks, she costed me a lot but it was effort it.” Joohyung rethinks about the moment her tattoo artist said the price. “Does the company know you got another one?” Beomgyu asked, looking up at her. “Yeah I called Bang PD after I got it.” Joohyung answered, leaning back against her chair. “Ah, of course the BigHit princess gets to do whatever she wants.” Beomgyu teased Joohyung causing her to lightly punch his shoulder. “I’m not the BigHit princess!” Joohyung whined.

“Bang PD was the first ever person to call you that and then moas started calling to that not long after.” Beomgyu brought in the facts and before Joohyung could defend herself Beomgyu brought up another point. “Including BTS too.”

“Well Bang PD was probably joking and BTS were just teasing me.” Joohyung defended herself. “Whatever helps you sleep at night Jooie.” Beomgyu shrugged earning himself another hit.

The waitress soon came and took their order before promising them that the food and drinks would come as soon as possible. The couple spent most of their time talking about different things and snapping some more photos of one another. Beomgyu’s favorite photos were the ones of catching Joohyung off guard he thinks those are the prettiest. Especially the ones of her just staring at the view of Japan’s nightlife. The waitress kept her promise and brought out all of their dishes including their alcoholic beverages in a short time matter. “Thank you~” the couple thanked the waitress in Japanese.

Beomgyu’s little table manners of getting Joohyung’s plate and getting a little bit of everything for her came out. It was a habit he and the rest of the members developed whenever they ate together, it mostly came from wanting Joohyung taste everything they liked since she didn’t have a variety of taste pallet on her. Also because she is the oldest and gets first bites.

“Are you trying to get me to blush?” Joohyung rose her eyebrow, as Beomgyu tilted Joohyung’s head up and wiped the corner of her mouth with his napkin. “If I was trying to make you blush I would’ve done this.” Beomgyu went closer to Joohyung and licked the other corner of her mouth, getting the chocolate from their dessert off of her. Joohyung’s eyes widened with the feeling of Beomgyu’s warm tongue licking the little chocolate she had on her. “Fair enough.” Joohyung said, as Beomgyu pulled away with a cheeky smile on his face.

So much for trying to keep the pda at a minimum tonight. Joohyung had to pull out one of her cigarettes out to try to calm herself. “Could you?” Joohyung handed him her lighter, as she placed the cigarette in her mouth. “Sure, but are you sure you don’t want my kisses instead?” Beomgyu gave her his perfect doe eyes. “I’ll answer that question in our hotel room.” Joohyung didn’t let Beomgyu win. “You’re a tough woman Bae Joohyung.” Beomgyu smiled, as he lit her cigarette.

[maddieinwonder]

Bait & Switch

Spencer Reid x GN!BAU!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None, super fluffy 

Word Count: 3.5k words 

Plot: Reader reveals that they’re going to buy a Nintendo Switch so Spencer invites them to go together with him. In the process, some feelings reveal themselves.  

Author’s Note: My first time writing about Spencer, and actually, my first time writing a fic in a long time haha. Just imagine that this takes place in 2017, although you don’t have to know anything about the Switch in order to read this.

Masterlist

-------------- 

"What's got you in such a good mood, baby?" Derek asked, leaning over his chair. Even without looking up, you could feel the smirk that decorated his face. After almost a month at the BAU, you didn’t need to be a profiler to expect this much from Derek. "Got a date this weekend?"

You tried to focus on your paperwork before relenting, rolling your eyes. Still, you couldn't hide the smile in your voice when you shot back a reply. "With this job? You wish, Morgan."

"Give yourself some credit, beautiful. With your looks I'm sure you could score a good looking fellow for a night you won't forget."

"I'm sure you would know all about that," you replied, this time grinning from ear to ear.

Ever since you joined the BAU, your seat has always been across Derek Morgan. The guy was a terrible flirt but also one of the most trustworthy people you knew, so you couldn't keep up a sarcastic mood for long.

"Actually," you replied genuinely, "I'll be lining up this weekend to buy a Nintendo Switch." Out of the corner of your eye, you could sense Spencer stiffen in his chair next to you.

"A what switch?" Derek asked, his face scrunching up in confusion.

But before you could begin to reply him, Spencer rolled his chair over and opened his mouth. The both of you knew what was coming.

"The Nintendo Switch. A video game console developed by Japanese company Nintendo that's completely one-of-its-kind, on account of its console functioning like a tablet that can either be docked on a home console and linked to a TV, or used as a portable device with two wireless controllers so you can..."

Not being able to help yourself, you giggled at his info dump. You've always admired how much knowledge he could store in his big brain. But more importantly, you thought he was kind of cute like this. A fire would light in his eyes and it seemed like the world around him ceased to exist.

You only realised you were staring at Spencer when the last bits of his question registered in your mind. "...you going to?"

Blinking your eyes, you snapped to attention. Derek seemed to notice, because you felt his signature smirk return to his face.

"Which store are you going to?" Spencer repeated the question. Anybody else might be annoyed, but he only seemed mildly restless. A rare look for the unathletic genius.

"I'm going to the one three blocks down from here," you replied.

"So am I!" Spencer sat upright in his chair, beaming. You think that this is the most excitement he's expressed to you since you joined the BAU.

Then his confidence seemed to waver. He began tugging at the edge of his sleeve, eyes glancing to the side at nothing in particular when he asked, "W-would you like t-to go together?"

A smile spreads across your face before you can stop it. "Sure! Sounds like fun."

Spencer grinned back, and there was a moment of silence before Derek interrupted the conversation that he began. "Well, I'll leave you and lover boy to plan your date. I'm going to spend my Friday night at the bar."

Your heart thumped involuntarily at the word "date", while Derek turned to Emily. "Hey Prentiss, you want to grab a few drinks and dinner? I'm sure I can get the others to leave work for one night."

"Anything's better than this," Emily shrugged, lifting her mug of already-cold coffee.

Standing up to retrieve her bag, she smirked at you and Spencer, having heard more of the conversation than she let on. "Have a great weekend, you lovebirds. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

She and Derek shared a laugh as they moved towards the Batcave to retrieve Garcia next.

As you watched them go, you feel Spencer's eyes on you and a flush warming your cheeks. You knew they were just teasing you with the word "date", but the truth is you've liked the genius almost as soon as you met him.

You may not have an eidetic memory, but you could still remember the flutter of butterflies that exploded in your chest when you first laid eyes on Dr. Spencer Reid.

He had waved from a comfortable distance, the other hand tucked in the pocket of his dark slacks. He towered over you easily with curly locks that barely touched his sweater vest, and you swore you've never seen anybody more attractive in your life. His intelligence only added to your attraction. 

"Shall I pick you up at 7am tomorrow?"

You turned back to Spencer, who seemed even more nervous now that everybody in the bullpen had left. Yet what he was proposing was rather bold compared to his usual behaviour.

“Pick me up?” You repeated.

“It’ll be easier to find a parking spot that way, and the weather report predicts that tomorrow will be a sunny day, so I know you’d rather not walk three blocks to the store.” He rambled nervously.

“You know me well, Spencer.” A cheeky smile snuck onto your face, and in a moment of false bravado, you said what was on your mind. “7am. It’s a date, then.”

Spencer’s face turned beet red.

You didn’t wait to dwell on his reaction, dumping the last of your paperwork into a pile and picking up your bag. But as you walked to the elevator, you couldn’t help yourself from grinning ear to ear. It was a date. Kind of.

-------------- 

You couldn’t sleep. You had gotten home earlier than usual, but the extra time to plan for your “date” tomorrow proved to be a bad idea.

What would you wear? What would you talk about? Should you extend it to a meal, or dessert, or maybe coffee?

Although you were confident in the moment, you were beginning to regret teasing Spencer before you left. You’d known him long enough to know how he reacted to embarrassment, and there’s a good chance he might back away because of your forwardness. 

You groaned, trying to get these thoughts out of your head. The reality of the "date" was sinking in now. This would be the first time that you and Spencer would be alone in a non-work setting. To say that you were nervous was a gross understatement. 

But there was something worse than showing up nervous, which was showing up nervous and sleep-deprived, so you turned off your bedside lamp and tried to will yourself to sleep. That's when your phone began to buzz.

You were so on edge that the sound almost made you fall off your bed. Turning over your phone, your heart leapt to your throat.

Spencer, 2:03am: Sorry to disturb you when it's so late, but I realised I don’t have your address. Could you send it to me when you're awake?

You gulped. Just relax, just relax, you repeated in your head.

Me, 2:05am: It’s alright, you didn’t wake me up. I’ll attach my address below.

Spencer, 2:06am: Thanks. Having trouble sleeping?

Me, 2:07am: A little

Spencer, 2:08am: Me too.

What was I supposed to reply to that? You silently screamed. But it turned out you didn't have to figure it out.

Spencer, 2:11am: To be honest, I'm a little nervous about tomorrow.

Me, 2:13am: Why?

Spencer, 2:15am: I suppose it’s because we've never spent any time alone before.

Hearing the genius act so shy made you feel a little more brave.

Me, 2:16am: Well, I'm looking forward to the chance

Spencer, 2:17am: I am too.

Despite your nerves, you smiled at his small confession.

Spencer, 2:19am: We should get some sleep.

Me, 2:19am: I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night, Spence

Spencer, 2:20am: Sweet dreams.

Your anxieties were washed away and replaced with the biggest smile on your face. Without knowing it, Spencer’s words rippled a sense of calm over you, and you fell asleep shortly after. 

The next morning, you woke up with a newfound clarity. You knew what you were going to wear. 

-------------- 

Spencer couldn't stop tapping the edge of his steering wheel. He knew he was nervous, and admitting it to you last night didn't do much to stop that fact from eating away at him.

He texted you 3 minutes ago that he was waiting outside your apartment, but you hadn't replied. Although he knew that there were plenty of logical reasons why you might have missed his text, his hands didn't stop itching to call you and see if you were alright.

Then out of the corner of his eye, you emerged from the corridor and he felt his heart speed up.

You were wearing a blue flannel that he'd never seen you in before with a pair of dark jeans. Your hair, which you usually kept in a up-do at work, was let down in waves, touching your shoulders. And then there was the pièce de résistance, you were wearing a Doctor Who t-shirt with the TARDIS on it.

Hook, line, and sinker.

He didn't break his gaze on you the entire time you got into his car. Even when you beamed at him and wished him a good morning, a small yawn escaping your perfect lips, he was completely tongue-tied.

"Earth to Spencer," you called out, looking up at him curiously. "You there?"

Spencer shook his head suddenly, cursing himself internally for being such a doofus. "Sorry, uh, I was distracted. Good morning." He smiled sheepishly, tucking a stray hair strand behind his ear.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat. "I was thinking we could grab some coffee before we headed to the store? We can make it quick. I know there'll be some people already lining up."

He peeked at you rubbing your eyes and thought it was the cutest thing he's ever seen. “Looks like you might need it," he said without realising he'd just flirted with you.

You giggled, lowering your hands from your face. "Sounds great." 

-------------- 

Spencer wasn't lying when he said it'd be quick, although in truth you could have taken all the time in the world and you would still be happy. The initial awkwardness between you washed away almost immediately as you fell into a quiet conversation about your favourite Doctor Who episodes. 

You wanted to commit the sight of him driving in the morning to memory. The sun had just rose, lighting a gentle halo around Spencer’s messy hair and sculptured face. He was wearing a bigger sweater than usual, the sleeves hanging around his wrists loosely. While his eyes were focused on the road, his lips parted slightly as he softly bantered with you about David Tennant. 

You felt an overwhelming urge to reach out and kiss him despite the driving hazard. And despite the fact that you’ve never kissed him, of course. But you could hope. And hope you did. 

Your hope had grown when he parked in front of the coffee house you’d once mentioned was your favourite. Spencer made your coffee order perfectly and you had found yourself hoping that it was because he’d paid extra attention to you, and not because of his brilliant memory. 

And when you reached the video game store and he opened the door for you, you hoped it was because he wanted to make a good impression, not only because he was a gentleman. 

And when he stood between you and a video game rack in line, you hoped that he was trying to shield you from the other people in the store, and you hoped that he was thinking of pressing you against the rack and kissing the daylights out of you. 

You needed to get a hold of yourself. 

The conversation had swapped to the reason why you two were here in the first place, and you found yourself talking to Spencer about Breath of the Wild, a game that brought you back to fond memories of your childhood. 

“The Legend of Zelda was the first video game I ever played, on the first console I ever owned.” You shared, smiling fondly. “It was the video game that my brother and I bonded over, and we bought every game together since.”

Spencer nodded in rapt. You felt him leaning closer to you, although it may have been your imagination. 

“This is actually the first time I haven’t been with him for a new game,” you realised. “Due to our jobs, we haven’t seen each other in awhile, but we still text each other!” You tried to end on a lighter note, not wanting to bring the mood down on this “date”.

Spencer looked at you as if he wanted to say something, but he kept his lips shut. 

“What about you? What was your first video game?” You threw the question to him, trying to divert attention away from your sad-enough story. 

He blushed in response to your question and looked down at his black converse. You noticed he began touching his sleeve in a familiar motion and you looked at him suspiciously. “Spencer?”

“W-well, the t-truth is, I didn’t actually c-come here to buy a Switch, and I don’t play video games at all.“ The last part of his sentence came out rapidly. You might have missed it, if you weren’t already used to the tongue twisters he spit out on a daily basis.

“What?” You exclaimed a little too loudly, causing the other shoppers in line to glance at you weirdly. “Then... Then what are you doing here?” You said quieter this time. Your eyebrows furrowed as your mind scanned the possibilities. 

“W-well, I, uh, wanted to spend time with you,” he blurted out. He raised his eyes to meet yours, his face completely red.

It was your turn to be flustered now. Your voice was quiet and you could feel your hands shaking. “Is this a date, Spencer?” 

“Only if you want it to be, I mean, I want it to be but your opinion matters to me, and I wouldn’t want to bring you on a date if you didn’t want to. We can just hang out like friends if that’s more comfortable--” 

You grabbed his free hand, gently lowering it from where it was moving as he rambled, until your fingers were intertwined. 

“I would like it to be,” a large smile took over your face. You were a little teary despite how weird it was to confess your feelings for him in a video game store of all places. 

Spencer was quiet for a moment, squeezing your hand in return. “Would you like to go for lunch after this? As a date,” he clarified this time. 

"I would love that,” you beamed at him, “as a date.” 

-------------- 

Spencer had always imagined the kind of girl he would fall in love with. Caring, intelligent, had an appreciation for classic literature, maybe. But when he saw you for the first time, every expectation he held flew out of the window.  

You were beautiful. Wavy dark hair tied into a high ponytail, wearing a navy shirt, and funnily enough, a beige cardigan and black converse. Morgan joked that it was like meeting Spencer 2.0, but he disagreed: the two of you were worlds apart. 

You were incredibly tech savvy, although not as much as Garcia, but certainly more than the rest. You loved the smell and taste of coffee without sugar. You were happy to hug everybody you met, from colleagues to victims. You didn’t like paperback so you read everything on a Kindle. 

But the biggest difference between the two of you, was that you were emotionally intelligent. 

All of your brilliance, combined with your PhD in psychology - having worked as a psychiatrist affiliated with Sex Crimes before joining the BAU - you were able to pick out the team’s moods from a single glance. It’s what endeared everyone to you immediately, and what made you such a great profiler.   

But the way you treated him was different. You just, listened to him. While everyone else had gotten into the habit of cutting him off or simply ignoring him when he opened his mouth, your eyes would light up instead. 

He could always tell you were listening because you would look into his eyes when he spoke, and you would ask him questions after he was done. 

It made him feel like the world around him ceased to exist, except for you. 

So he started studying your interests to grab your attention, trying to throw in a few jokes hoping to see you smile. It only took one month for him to seize his chance. Still, never in his calculations did he think you would say yes. 

He smiled at the thought, stroking your hair gently as you cuddled on the couch together, watching you play Breath of the Wild. 

After a more than successful first date, you had asked him to come over the next day to spend more time together. A month ago, he would have politely declined with an excuse like needing to read a new academic journal, but when he arrived at your doorstep he allowed himself to be drawn into your arms, relishing the giggle he earned as a reward for being hugged. 

“Damn it,” you grumbled quietly as you ran out of stamina scaling a cliffside for the fifth time.

Spencer laughed. Without a second thought, he pulled you closer and kissed the top of your head. 

In the background Link fell off the cliff once again, the game playing a sound that he came to recognise as Link dying. But there were no curses this time, as you had turned to look at Spencer, nothing but adoration in your eyes. 

“That was our first kiss,” you said so quietly and sweetly that Spencer’s heart melted at the sound of it. 

“First?” He took his chance, leaning closer. “You know, the usage of the word ‘first’ almost always implies that there will be a ‘second’ and a ‘third’ and a...” 

His voice trailed off as your fingers left the controller to touch his lips. Your touch was intoxicating and he wanted more. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Spence,” you started, lifting your finger from his lips. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you-” 

“Don’t be sorry,” he managed to get out in a hurry before capturing your lips in his. He felt your astonishment at first, but you quickly lost yourself in the kiss as he brought his hands up to cup the sides of your face, deepening the kiss further. 

You finally broke apart after awhile, both panting for air and smiling widely. Spencer never thought he could be so lucky. “That’s the second one,” he said quietly, bringing up two fingers to indicate the number. 

You looked at him with love in your eyes and abandoned your controller on the table before throwing yourself at him, flattening the two of you against your couch. 

“Ready for the third?”

-------------- 

Derek Morgan wasn’t an idiot. That’s why he could tell that something had changed over the weekend between his desk mate and boy genius. 

The two came into work together on Monday morning, which was weird in itself, but they also took every opportunity to stick to each other, from coffee breaks to disappearing for lunch and “asking” about paperwork. 

When they vanished for the umpteenth time that day for coffee, Derek leaned over Emily’s desk to confirm his theory. 

“It’s not just me. Pretty boy finally made a move, didn’t he?” He cocked an eyebrow. 

“Definitely. Those two are so obvious that even Hotch has picked up on it. From his office.” She quipped, grinning as her eyes moved to the scene behind Derek. “Speak of the devil.” 

Entering the conversation, Spencer did what he did best. “Did you know that ‘speak of the devil’ is the short form of the idiom ‘speak of the devil and he doth appear’? The phrase can be traced back to the 16th century when mentioning the devil was considered prohibited. In fact, when people were caught saying the phrase--” 

Derek caught your eyes drifting to look adoringly at Spencer. He couldn’t take this anymore. “So what happened between you two last weekend, huh?” he interrupted, smirking. 

Your reaction was better than he gambled. You turned a bright red and your eyes darted between Spencer and Derek in panic, truly flustered for the first time since he’s met you. But Spencer was strangely calm, his eyes travelling from his best friend to Emily in the background trying to stifle her laughter, while a small smile tugged at his lips. 

“We’re dating now,” he announced to the two a little triumphantly, while rubbing your shoulder as a peaceful gesture. 

Derek and Emily were stunned by their friend’s directness, only to be shocked out of it as Hotch walked by. “Finally,” he muttered, loud enough for them all to hear. 

You were the first to crack a smile, then the rest followed suit with laughs and congratulations. Hearing the uproar, Garcia and JJ peeked out of their rooms, joining in and demanding more details about this new but not entirely unexpected development. 

Amidst the chaos, Spencer laces his hands in yours and gives it a squeeze. For the first time in a long time, you feel unequivocally, unmistakably happy. 

[6ad6ro]

there's a lot of posts about piracy going around rn. so here's mine:

anti-piracy arguments are almost always classist. you shouldn't need to be rich to be happy. we were all born into capitalism. it's not voluntary. many of us don't have parents or other support networks keeping us afloat. poor people still deserve to have nice things. i could care less about keeping a system running smoothly that keeps most people poor and only few people rich.

if you work a shitty, low-paying job, then a simple monthly streaming service fee is YES actually too much to ask. no i don't care if your fav big company loses "potential" money from people who couldn't afford to buy them to begin with.

if there wasn't such a thing as "poverty"? if people could generally AFFORD to go out and easily get the things they want and need? obviously piracy wouldn’t be much of an issue at all. it's always frustrating to hear anti-piracy arguments from people who ignore how CRAZY expensive cost of living has become. again, usually the biggest anti-piracy peeps are either naive rich kids (who have things paid for), rich ppl who STAY rich by keeping things broken like they are, and the poor people they’ve brainwashed into being submissive hosts to their parasitic behavior.

in a world like this, where people are overworked and tired? with very few tangible goals available in their future? people NEED entertainment to stay sane. it's literally a mental health issue. yes, in a way, you NEED that funny show to inspire yourself to keep going. that game you can't afford otherwise? will help you relax after a hard day. don't let some disney mouthpiece tell you shouldn't download lion king if it'd help calm you down, especially when the people running that company could probably afford to have a private zoo in their backyard.

there's ALSO the big issue of control. as companies move further and further into streaming and cloud technologies? ownership has become a huge issue. greedy companies are finding more and more ways to nickel and dime people over long periods of time rather than get a one-time fee. it makes them more money, they don't have to actually GIVE customers anything (copies of data are free to them). and customers are left with nothing to show for it after-the-fact. this means that even though entertainment is being produced way more than the past? i’d argue people have LESS access to the entertainment they want for how much they’re paying. because it’s all temporary.

drm and limited use is becoming a norm. meaning? it's harder and harder for people to "own" their favorite things even if they COULD afford it. your favorite movie might simply cease to exist in 20 years. your favorite game might become nothing but a fragmented memory.

"piracy" solves this. backups. ownership. it takes control away from companies who abused that power. and puts it back in your hands. when nintendo stopped making their back catalogue available? and went around shutting down all the emulation sites? i was thankfully in the clear. because i download and archived many of my favorite things. in many cases i own cartridges of my favorite games already? but those can break, or in my case, get caught in a flood. but due to piracy, i can still play "mario 64" to pull myself away from suicidal thoughts. and i'm not limited by nintendo randomly deciding to remove it from the switch store and take the cartridges off of store shelves? in order to drive up their yearly profit via copycatting the methods used for the "disney vault" scam (look it up).

i am someone who tends to enjoy things from other countries. but it can be INCREDIBLY restrictive to try to go through "official" channels attempting to pay for them. if i want that old, relatively unpopular 80s japanese prog rock album? i'm just stuck. i HAVE to hope someone is sharing it online. but this often applies to new things as well. "licensing" is generally INCREDIBLY stupid, especially when it comes to other regions. do you REALLY want simple licensing issues to stand between you and your potential new favorite anime? and in many cases, the distributors just don't care enough to make the thing available globally. and no, i don't think this should mean we all just "miss out".

one of the biggest issues we are experiencing online at the moment? is one of censorship. governmental censorship, religious censorship, and maybe worst of all? corporate censorship. i'm not talking about "bring back racist imagery" etc (but that DOES play a part). i'm more talking... rewriting history. edits. removal. for example, it shouldn't be left to some corporation to decide whether or not a sex scene in a movie is deemed "too racy" for today's audience. if somebody creates an amazing album, but then commits some awful unrelated act later, that shouldn't mean that album should be made unavailable. in many cases, old media can even TEACH us what NOT to do. we gain nothing by erasing history. and corporations are never doing it to be moral. they're only following required guidelines in order to maximize profit. “fake showings of morality” to keep up appearances and keep all potential buyers buying. piracy can give you the OPTION of access to unedited works, or things that have been removed from circulation.

piracy can negate corporate control and artificial-scarcity. create opportunities for absorbing other culture's art without having to deal with availability issues in your country. it circumvents corporate and governmental censorship. and helps you archive the art that makes your life worth living.

finally... the "but it's stealing and stealing is wrong" argument is invalidated by the fact that, by ANY moral compass? these companies are STEALING from US. constantly. by a LOT. look at the way any big company is run. the way it leeches off of it's customer base. the offshore tax havens... does THAT seem okay to YOU?! if someone went around stealing all the food and locking it up, would you REALLY consider "breaking in" to get some so that u didn't starve as "stealing"? don't pretend that you don't NEED escapism and entertainment to get by. you know that you do.

the only people that piracy COULD hurt? is small, independent artists. who, if you actually listen to them, would rather you send them money directly? or buy merch. etc. because companies usually take SUCH an awful cut that it’s better to find alternate ways of supporting them. if you use reasonable context with what you decide to download and share? it’s fine! like i might buy a depeche mode vinyl or two? or a shirt. or go to a concert. but i’ll pirate that $1000 rare box set. because i just can’t AFFORD that kind of excess. and my income doesn’t dictate how big of a fan i am of their music. as long as you chip in when you can to your favorite creators? it’s actually fine. if i didn’t pirate, i wouldn’t be into 95% of the artists i’m currently into. i’ve spent so much on media that it’s almost embarrassing... my argument might not be entirely black and white? but i can safely say that piracy’s positives GREATLY outweigh it’s negatives. most research done has shown time and time again that it doesn’t really hurt creators. if anything, it’s the way greedy companies REACT to the idea of file sharing that hurts those creators. it really is an argument of big corporations trying to make sure they keep ALL the money. and it has almost nothing to do with art or artist’s rights. so please keep sharing everything. download away. for the sake of your own sanity, and generations down the line. because corporations don’t care about you. they don’t care about artists. and they don’t care about maintaining easy access to the art. they just want money, regardless of the cost to everyone else’s happiness. and if you can afford to PAY for it regularly? you should consider yourself very lucky. so maybe stop shitting all over poor people who unfairly have less access to what you already have. everybody deserves to be happy.

[northernindigenousbeautyhailey]

Stories of the Unsolved

17 years ago since The Disappearance of TAMRA KEEPNESS from the White Bear First Nations in

🇨🇦Canada🇨🇦

Stories of the Unsolved Stories of the Unsolved

years ago

EARLY LIFE:

Tamra Keepness and her twin sister, Tannis, were born on September 1, 1998 to parents Lorena and Troy Keepness. The family were from White Bear First Nation, located in the southeastern portion of Saskatchewan Canada, and resided in Regina.

Shortly after the twins were born, Lorena and Troy separated, resulting in the two girls splitting their time between their parents. The majority of the time, they lived with Lorena, her live-in partner, Dean McArthur, and their three siblings near downtown Regina, at 1843 Ottawa Street. The neighbourhood was known to have issues, particularly regarding poverty and other social problems.

It was no secret that the adults in Tamra’s life struggled with alcohol and substance abuse issues. Dean, specifically, had served two months of a three-month sentence for assaulting Lorena while in a drunken rage. Due to these issues, as well as reports of child neglect, Social Services were often involved with the family, with a total of 50 reports made to crisis workers.

Despite what some might call an unsteady home life, Tamra was a smart and caring girl. She fiercely loved her siblings, especially Tannis, and she frequently had a huge smile on her face. She was also known for being feisty and a bit mischievous, and she was always on the lookout for adventure. When not playing Mario Kart on Nintendo, she could be found climbing her favourite pine tree at the end of the block.

LEAD UP TO DISAPPEARANCE:

On the evening of July 5, 2004, Lorena, Dean and all five children were in the living room watching television. At some point, Lorena and Dean got into an argument, which they claim was about nothing serious. At around 8:30pm, Dean decided to leave the house to cool down. While out, he ran into Russell Sheepskin, a man who sometimes resided in the family’s basement, and the pair decided to grab a few drinks together. Before heading to the St. Regis Hotel, Dean made a stop at a nearby 7-11 to buy some milk for his and Lorena’s newborn baby, which he later dropped off at the house.

Lorena spent the majority of the evening with her children. Between 10:30pm and 11:00pm, she sent them to bed and decided to head to a friend’s townhouse located a block over, leaving her eldest, 11-year-old Summer, in charge. After a while, she and her friend went out to purchase more alcohol and Lorena stopped by the house to check on things. When she returned to her friend’s residence, she called Summer and told her to ring if she needed anything.

At 12:00am on July 6, Russell returned to the house, incredibly drunk. He made himself some food and checked on the children. He recalls seeing some of them, including Tamra, sleeping in the living room, meaning they must have come downstairs after Lorena put them to bed. A couple of hours later, Russell was smoking a cigarette on the front porch when he encountered Dean. The pair got into a physical altercation, resulting in Dean punching Russell and stomping on his head. Injured, Russell went to the hospital to get stitches. He claims he didn’t lock the front door before leaving.

According to Dean, after the fight he decided to walk to his aunt’s house, where he planned to spend the night. However, he ended up getting lost, so he didn’t end up arriving until two hours later, sometime between 5:00am and 5:30am. Police reports claim no one saw him during this time.

At around 3:00am, Lorena returned to the house to find all the doors locked. As such, she entered the home through a window. She was drunk at the time and doesn’t quite remember if she saw her children asleep in the living room. However, she has stated that she recalls seeing Tannis and Summer before she herself fell asleep on the couch.

DISAPPERANCE:

At some point on the morning on July 6, Tamra’s older brother, Raine, felt her leave the bed they shared. While he doesn’t remember the exact time, he does recall it was starting to get light out.

At 9:00am, Tamra’s grandmother came by for a visit and saw Lorena nursing a hangover. This is around the time Lorena herself awoke, as she had to open the door for her mother. Shortly after this, Summer and Raine left the house to attend a day camp at a nearby community centre.

Tamra was first discovered missing when she didn’t come down for breakfast. Lorena had told one of the children to go wake her up, as they were going out for a walk, but she wasn’t in her bed. After checking nearby playgrounds and contacting friends and relatives, Lorena reported her daughter missing at around 12:15pm that afternoon.

INVESTIGATION:

The search for Tamra grabbed the attention of the entire city and would become the largest and most expensive in Regina’s history. At first, patrol officers checked the neighbourhood to make sure she hadn’t simply wandered away or gone to another house, but after they could find no trace of her, the search intensified. The Regina Police Service set up a command post in the parking lot of a church in the 1900 block of Ottawa Street, and hundreds of volunteers, police and RCMP cadets began the search on foot, horseback and in the air. They scoured streets, yards, neighbourhoods, alleys, manholes and trash cans looking for her and even took the search to a local landfill and to areas outside the city. While clothing and a child’s shoe were discovered, they didn’t belong to Tamra, and overall little trace of the missing girl was uncovered.

Since the initial search, there have been others throughout downtown Regina and around the family home. Lorena signed consent forms allowing investigators to search the house. She also provided them with her DNA. Besides seeing a window that had been broken during the fight between Russell and Dean, they found no signs of forced entry or a struggle.

Police questioned sex offenders in the area. They also obtained surveillance footage from area bars, gas stations, convenience stores and a nearby Greyhound depot.

To help develop a timeline for the night before, investigators brought in the family, including Tamra’s siblings, for questioning. In particular, Dean, Russell and Lorena were under intense scrutiny. At the time, investigators felt they weren’t being completely forthcoming with information and were overall not happy with the gaps and inconsistencies in the version of events they were told. The three denied the allegations and expressed that investigators were focusing too much attention on them and not enough on finding Tamra. To help move the investigation along, they named five people they believed could be suspects, including a pedophile who had befriended Tamra some time before.

A few days after Tamra disappeared, an Amber Alert was issued. There are different reports as to why it took so long for one to happen. Some sources say the Amber Alert system hadn’t yet been implemented in Saskatchewan at the time, while a spokesperson for the Regina Police Service said the circumstances of the disappearance hadn’t met the criteria for an alert.

The disappearance soon made national headlines. While appreciative of all the coverage the case was getting, the family soon grew frustrated with both the media and police due to the way they were being treated. Rumours soon began to spread about what happened to the missing girl. One person said she had been seen at a dollar store with an older woman, while another, which has since been disproved with hospital records, claimed Tamra never existed and had been made up in order to scam money from Social Services. A third rumour, which was spread by business owners in the neighbourhood, claimed detectives were looking for a middle-aged white man named “Rocky” or “Roch”. However, police never confirmed if this was true.

To show support for Tamra and the family, residents would wrap ribbons around trees and leave both teddy bears and angels on the steps of the Keepness house.

On July 13, 2004, a $25,000 reward was issued by the Regina Police Service for information about the case, this after searches for Tamra had been suspended. The case was quickly changed from a missing persons investigation to one that was criminal in nature.

On July 19, 2004, Dean was charged with assault causing bodily harm in relation to the fight he’d had with Russell on the night of Tamra’s disappearance. While he tried to appeal, he was denied and sentenced to nine months. Two days later, Tamra’s siblings were removed from the house by Social Services and placed into foster care. Neither government officials or the police would say if this was related to the case, but the house was once again searched after they left.

Just under a month after Tamra went missing, a vigil for the missing girl was held at the family’s house.

On August 11, 2004, Troy was charged with assaulting Dean with a baseball bat, during which he sustained minor injuries. Troy told investigators that he’d gone over to the house to try and get answers about his daughter’s disappearance.

In September 2004, unsealed search warrants revealed police had evidence to believe Tamra had been abducted, as blood had been found on the floor, on the front porch and on bicycles sitting on the porch.

That same month, investigators searched Muscowpetung First Nation, approximately 60km northeast of Regina. The week-long search involved 30 people from the Regina Police Service, the RCMP, Montreal Lake Cree First Nation, and Search and Rescue Regina. While a reason wasn’t given as to why the search had moved north, it’s believed investigators were trying to establish a connection between Tamra and a burnt-out Volkswagen van found on the reserve. The van had been stolen just 10 blocks from the family home on the night the young girl went missing and a jail guard named Sherry Ann Rose had told police that she and a former inmate had stolen the van, picked up Tamra and dumped her body in a ravine on the reserve. A massive search was conducted, with special attention given to ravines and gullies. The waterways were drained with compression pumps and thoroughly searched, but nothing of interest was found. It was later deemed that remains found in the van did not belong to Tamra, and Sherry Ann Rose confessed to having made the story up in order to get her abusive boyfriend locked up. As a result, she was charged with mischief.

Pasqua First Nation was also searched based on tips from the public and visions from First Nations elders.

A six-person task force was established to investigate leads in the case. It would eventually be pared down to just two detectives.

In December 2004, Walter William Obey of Muscowpetung First Nation was charged with assaulting Sherry Ann Rose. He had also been charged with stealing the van that had been found burnt out on the reserve.

At one point during the investigation, Troy was charged with assaulting a female. He claims the assault occurred due to the stress he’d been enduring as a result of Tamra’s disappearance. He was sentenced to house arrest for the charge.

In June 2005, a new team of investigators were assigned to the investigation. That same month, a memorial march was held to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Tamra’s disappearance. This would be replaced the next year by an annual barbecue.

In October 2005, searchers brought in cadaver dogs to aid in the investigation. They searched around Regina for three days, with a specific focus on the north end of Winnipeg Street, Wascana Lake and Wascana Creek. This would be one of the last major searches for Tamra, as the search would be scaled back in April 2006.

Dean has publicly stated that he feared for his safety during the early days of the investigation because he felt the police and the community believed he played some role in Tamra’s disappearance. This sentiment sometimes resulted in the family member’s safety being put into jeopardy. In one instance, three people jumped Lorena after accusing her of selling her daughter in order to buy drugs, something she has repeatedly denied.

In August 2008, seven officers were assigned to work exclusively on the case.

The reward for information was doubled to $50,000 in June 2014. The increase was approved by the Regina Board of Police Commissioners and it has been renewed every year. The police chief hopes the continuation of the reward will allow the family to see they still care about finding Tamra.

During 2014, a hand-drawn map of Muscowpetung First Nation was uploaded to Reddit, with the user claiming the wells on the reserve contained Tamra’s remains. According to the user, she’d found the map amongst the belongings of a deceased relative and that her grandmother had gotten it from a late aunt who’d drawn it up based on visits to a person in prison. While she didn’t have any firsthand knowledge of the investigation, she recalled her family talking about wells and felt the map might be worth something to the investigation. As for why she shared the map on Reddit instead of contacting the police directly, the user claimed to have previously submitted tips via the RCMP, the Regina Police Service and Regina Crime Stoppers, only to never receive a response.

Upon learning about the map, investigators looked to see if it held any real value. This resulted in a search of the reserve, which was done by the Regina Police Service, members of Tamra’s family and the Fort Qu’Appelle detachment of the RCMP. They looked through over two dozen wells with a special camera, but found no evidence that Tamra had ever been there. While an attempt was made to contact the Reddit user in the hopes of learning more about the map, investigators have said they don’t believe it to be an authentic piece of evidence.

The experience was very upsetting for Tamra’s family. It’s been noted that the search prompted renewed interest in the case.

The family has consulted with psychics, elders and mediums. The police have also been in contact with elders, who told them they’d had visions of a child near rocks, trees and water.

In May 2015, Tamra’s case was one of 122 highlighted by the province of Saskatchewan during Missing Persons Week.

In July 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against the federal government. Tamra’s case was one of many listed. It claimed the federal government had breached the charter rights of Indigenous families to security and freedom from discrimination, and that numerous negative experiences were had as a result of the alleged mishandling of cases. It also claimed that the RCMP shared a responsibility with the government, given it’s a branch of the federal government. The claimants sought $500 million in damages for the RCMP’s handling of the investigations and $100 million in punitive damages.

In May 2019, the RCMP launched a week-long campaign to bring more attention to 45 missing children in Canada. Tamra’s case was one of the one’s highlighted.

Toward the end of 2019, the Regina Police Service renewed its commitment to solving the case. It’s still an active investigation and is currently in the hands of the Cold Case Unit. Investigators are still reviewing and working on case files, and they continue to regularly receive tips – approximately 16 a year. While no arrests have been made and no evidence found to explain how and why Tamra went missing, it’s believed she is deceased and that foul play was involved. However, full details of the investigation haven’t been released due to the ongoing nature of the case.

Lorena has said she doesn’t like to talk about the early parts of the investigation, given the negative focus that was on the family at the time. She also shares that the numerous rumours took a toll on everyone. She agrees with investigators that someone out there is currently withholding information and, as such, she and the family continue to pursue leads on their own time.

THEORIES:

1) The general theory in the case is that Tamra was abducted by a stranger. Some people think she may have wandered away and been abducted by a driver who was cruising the area at the time, while others cite the home’s location. It’s less than a block from the Oskana Community Correctional Centre, a halfway house for federal parolees, and is located near the Salvation Army’s Waterston House, which is known to shelter former inmates and drug and alcohol users. Some feel that Tamra’s disappearance may have been at the hands of someone staying at either location.

While there are many theories surrounding who could possibly have been involved, Lorena is certain her daughter was taken between 9:00am and 10:20am on July 6, 2004. This is further supported by Raine’s version of events, which state Tamra most likely left the room during early/mid-morning.

2) Some in Regina feel Tamra may have been abducted by someone in the drug trade or potentially sold by her mother in order to pay a cocaine debt. The authorities asked Lorena if her daughter’s disappearance was related to the drug trade in some way and Lorena fiercely denied it.

3) There’s a slight chance Tamra’s disappearance is related to the argument Dean and Lorena had on the night she went missing. However, this is seen as unlikely, as both have said the argument was not about anything major and was simply a small spat between partners.

4) It’s possible her disappearance is the result of an accident. While this line of thinking opens up to many possibilities, one idea brought up theorizes that Tamra may have gotten lost after leaving her home. Possibly scared, she then crawled into somewhere so small that she’s never been found. If this is the case, then it means the young girl has most likely passed away.

5) Some have speculated that Tamra’s unstable home life could have played a role in her disappearance. They feel the evidence for this stance comes from the investigators’ theory that Lorena, Dean and Russell have not been completely forthcoming regarding the events of July 5 and July 6, 2004. However, as aforementioned, all three individuals claims they’ve been completely truthful with those investigating the case.

6) A final theory held by the family involves a drifter that used to stay at the house. Lorena informed police of the woman, whose name is currently unknown, as she used numerous aliases. However, it is known the children called her “Big Auntie”. She is said to have been a sketchy character who frequently lied to Lorena. She had been staying at the house before Tamra’s disappearance, but left after she and Lorena had a falling out. She has not been seen since.

Is it possible she abducted Tamra in revenge, or could she have had another motive for abducting the young girl, if she was indeed involved?

AFTERMATH:

Every year, the community holds a barbecue in Tamra’s honour, just a few blocks from where she disappeared. It’s held by the Regina Treaty and Status Indian Services, and the Regina Police Service sends officers to help serve food. According to the family, they hold it to show everyone they’re still looking for Tamra and to also lend support to other families of missing and murdered Indigenous women. They’ve shared that seeing the amount of people who come out and show support has helped them hold onto the hope that one day she’ll be found. Until that day happens, the barbecue will be held yearly.

Unfortunately, Lorena no longer has any family pictures of Tamra, as someone threw out a large portion of her property a few years ago. The only images she has of her daughter are those featured on the missing persons flyers.

Many of the investigators who initially worked on the case have since retired. However, they are still dedicated to solving the case and say it frequently comes to mind.

Lorena has moved repeatedly since Tamra disappeared, having been evicted numerous times. She spends her days working odd jobs and has shared that she fell into sex work not long after her daughter went missing. Her other children have never been permanently returned to her custody and the three babies she gave birth to after Tamra’s disappearance have since been taken by Social Services.

Tamra’s twin sister, Tannis, is currently in university.

Russell Sheepskin passed away on January 1, 2009. Those investigating the case wonder if he knew any more information that may have been useful in finding Tamra.

Lorena feels hopeful that she’ll one day see her daughter again. She does not think Tamra is dead, despite what investigators have said.

Troy has shared that he tries not to dwell on the case, but that it’s hard not knowing if Tamra is alive or dead. He says he harbours guilt over having lost custody of his children in the years leading up to her disappearance.

CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Tamra Jewel Keepness went missing from the 1800 block of Ottawa Street in Regina, Saskatchewan Canada on July 5, 2004. She was five years old, and she while what she was last wearing is unknown, it’s believe she could have had on a light blue striped halter top with pink accents; light blue jeans; and either rubber boots or pink and white shoes. She may have been barefoot. At the time of her disappearance, she stood at 3’5″ and weighed between 35 and 40 pounds. She had bobbed black hair and brown eyes. She has two circle-type birthmarks on her stomach, one dark and the other lighter in colour, and a scar on one of her legs, just below the knee.

Currently, her case is classified as a missing person. If alive, she would be 21 years old.

If you have any information regarding the case, you can contact the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500. Tips can also be submitted to Child Find at 1-800-387-7962 or anonymously via Regina Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Russell Sheepskin👇🏾

Summer Keepness👇🏾

Troy Keepness👇🏾

Lorena Keepness👇🏾

Tamra Keepness 👇🏾

Raine Keepness👇🏾

Dean McArthur👇🏾

Ellen Keewatin👇🏾

[thepriceofbeingaroseisloneliness]

“He didn’t like to stand out. However, his legs made him look fast so he would get chosen for the class competition relay. But as he didn’t want to draw any attention, he would purposely take a longer time running in P.E. class. “

Notes before reading: This is from Kaoru’s first book “Dokugen” in which his articles from “Ongaku to hito” magazine were compiled, but also an exclusive interview about his life was included. I already posted the first pages of this interview for Kaoru’s birthday  (pages 62-66) and you can read it here. This second part starts with his high school days, getting into metal music, HIDE and first music steps and bands. If you own the book, these pages are 66-75, if you don’t, you should consider getting it *wink wink* -You were a free and uncontrolled boy, right? K: That’s it. Somehow, I felt like I just liked to be where everyone else was. Rather than being an active part of the group, I would just follow it.  It was kind of like floating around. The so-called ego woke up in my body once I entered high school. I started to be my own self. -So, what about high school days? K: I was going to a high school near my house but,  until I went to get the application for the examination, I was like “is a place like this a high school?”, it  was a school that looked like a vocational school. Later, when I went to take the exam, even though it was a high school entrance examination, there was calculation, I remember doing the exam while thinking “if I fail this, I’m really a useless guy”. I was really nervous when I went to see the results days later. But even if I thought “It’s good that my name is there!”*  and I went to the school thinking “I’m a useless guy for sure!” when I was asked by a homeroom teacher “how was it, how was it” and I said “I passed”, they would say “Congratulations!” (laughs) As I feel embarrassed, I felt like “please stop!!”. *Often in Japan, if you name appears on a list of exam results, it means you passed, if your name is not there, it means you have failed. -What kind of school was it? K: It was really a hopeless high school. Bad punk guys, people with bad conditions or that couldn’t take middle school classes properly…. there were only that kind of people. When I was in middle school, I played sports, when I entered high school, there were many people who just gave up about their future.  The topics when they gathered were about girls, television, Idol clothes or hairstyles…that were the main topics of conversation. After that, as expected, as there were a lot of punks, there were guys that would bring to school knuckle dusters (a weapon attached to your fist). The first time it felt like saying “there are embarrassing guys��� but gradually everyone started to feel similar(laughs) -Did you feel like you were deteriorating for being in such a place? K: Well, I was thinking about what I would do after that.  There were plenty of negative things too. I could no longer meet my acquaintances from middle school…. But gradually I started to open my eyes to bands, then I started to think that that was the only thing I had left. -Unexpectedly, the reason of that was because you found about “X” (X Japan), right? K: Yes. X debuted when I was in my first year of high school, so I listened to “Blue Blood”. Originally, when I was in my 3rd year of middle school, a transferred student came, he was a lot into metal and listened to various bands. Until then, if someone said metal, I only knew Seikima-II (laughs). Because of this person’s influence, I started listening to X’s “Vanishing vision”, DEAD END and Kinniku Shōjo Tai. However, I didn’t think about buying CDs myself, I was satisfied with the tapes that person dubbed for me. But with “Blue Blood”, I went expressly to the store to make a reservation and buy it. -Is that so? K: When I was back from school, I went to buy it. At an electronic chain stored called “Seidensha” I bought it and I got a poster too. Also, there was a rock flower ( a toy that moves as response to sounds) with the faces of the members of X at the store and I wanted it, but as one would expect, I didn’t get it (laughs) -Making a reservation and buying… that means that your expectations were high. K: That’s true. I never have booked anything besides Nintendo games. (laughs) -What do you think that motivated you to that point? K: Probably it’s connected with what we have talked about until now but, since long time ago, I have this tendency, I like to hang out with people and I also feel like I want to know what that people like. If someone says “this is interesting”, I honestly think “I’m going to try it too!” It’s like I’m trying to understand what people says it’s interesting. Maybe it’s because I like the other person, or I think “I want to get along with this guy”. I want to understand more about the other person. So, as I was good friends with this transferred student, I wanted to understand the things that he said that were “good”. -As if it was a recommendation…. K: The band that this guy said that was cool was about to debut soon. Then I should buy that too. Maybe that’s what I thought. -If you think about that, his existence is quite important, right? K: That’s true. If this guy didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be what I am now. Anyway, Hide looked like nothing but a ghost/spectre. “This person is hella cool….” I thought. He doesn’t look human. From that moment, I only could see Hide. -So, “Blue Blood” caused a huge impact on you.  Can you remember that moment? K: Of course. I came back home, with my uniform still on, I listened to it on the radio cassette. I had goose bumps all the time. Then, I was like “what a……”. Anyway, I listened to it all day at home and the next day I went to school and I “propagate*” it to everyone. I let the guys from my class listen to it. *Kaoru says “布教” which means propagation (e.g. a religion); proselytizing; missionary work. -You acted fast, right? (laughs) K: From that moment, I started buying magazines, I would cut the articles of X and put them in plastic sheet. Then, a guy said to me “Eh? I don’t listen to this band” but he liked ZIGGY, so I said, “X is a bit different”. There was a guy who covered BOOWY songs… I was “attacking” people, one after another. -This is the most active story I have heard until now (laughs) K: For sure! I would bring the videos I bought to that guy’s house and I would show him the magazines too.  The next day, I would tell another guy “Today we are going to hang out at your house” …. that kind of things. -So, your music friends increased…. K: That’s it. Then, from that moment I started playing guitar. -Why guitar? K: As one would expect, it was for HIDE.  I wasn’t really interested in guitar as an instrument until I saw a X Live. I thought that Hotei’s guitar strumming was cool though. I became obsessed with HIDE right after “BLUE BLOOD” was released, at the concert held in the medium hall of Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan in Osaka. It was my first-time watching X, my seat was at the back of the first floor, but as it was the medium hall, the stage was very close. Then, my eyes met TOSHI many times, it was like “he is pointing at me!” (laughs). Anyway, HIDE looked like nothing but a ghost/spectre. “This person is so hella cool……”. He didn’t look human. From that moment, I only could see HIDE. -So, you thought “I want to be like HIDE”?

K: The day after the concert, I looked up in a magazine where I could buy HIDE’s guitar model. Then, I went to an instrument shop at Amerika Mura, I think the shop is not there anymore, but I went there and if you didn’t do a reservation you couldn’t get it. So, I made a reservation on the spot and I paid it with the money I have saved from my part-time job and New Year’s gift. But it didn’t arrive for about 6 months.

-So, you started practising with a guitar borrowed from a friend’s sister.

K: Yes, yes.  I started with the strings. Of course, I couldn’t play any song of X, it always was like I was only strumming. Since then, I gradually started to be surrounded by guys who liked the same bands, so we would gather at someone’s house and without an amplifier, we would practise together.

-Did it feel like “I have finally found something that makes me go crazy about it!”?

K: I was totally addicted/absorbed by music at that point. I would go every day to the bookshop and the record store to check if there was something new. At that time, from corner to corner, I would read every page of WeROCK magazine. I would read the pages for the recruitment of members too. (laughs) Then, I would go to indies shops and shops that were selling metal style clothes. I was attracted by things made of rubber or panted leather, that kind of fashion.

-What about your hairstyle?

K: Of course, I started to grow my hair long. At high school, long hair was not allowed but I told a teacher “I’m moving forward on my music’s path, growing my hair long is job hunting.”

-Those are defying words….

K: I said, “Because I already decided my path”.

-You were really thinking that?

K: Make a living of it……but yes. “I will play in a band!”, “I absolutely will be up on a stage”, I think I already decided that. “I will play in a band after graduating from high school, so if I cut my hair, I won’t be able to do it!”, I said.  It wasn’t a homeroom teacher but a teacher who played guitar and I was told “if that’s so, then do your best”. But sometimes when I tied my hair up, I was told “if it is bothering you, cut it”, “I will overlook this but if it is bothering you, you should cut it, if you grow it that long, more than a man you will look like a Basset hound” (laughs) After that, during class I would hold a pencil and practise how to press down the chords, I was told “Take this class properly!” but I didn’t take it seriously.

-At that time, what about other music or bands besides X?

K: Unless the songs were fast, I wasn’t interested. One way or another, I’m a guy of sharp riffs and fast beats. Even though I really didn’t understand the riffs at that moment, it was like “fast riffs are life!”, that’s why at that moment I was barely clicking with Western metal. Rather than that, I liked punk because there were many songs that were fast. A person from the rental shop in my neighbourhood recommended IRON MAIDEN (British metal band) but I was like “I don’t understand anything at all!”. But I liked HELLOWEEN (German metal band)

The first song played at a studio was “NO NEW YORK” from BOOWY but we couldn’t cover it properly at all but I felt like “ We are getting closer a bit closer”, it’s like going up a stairway (laughs) -So, you liked fast songs, right? K:DEAD END didn’t have fast songs, but I liked them though. The melodies, the atmosphere of the songs, MORRIE’s looks, all that. As you know, I would get the information from magazines, so I liked people who looked cool and flashy. I also liked COLOR and D’erlanger among others. -That’s national metal. Before that, there were bands like LOUDNESS and 44MAGNUM. K: I didn’t go there. This is also a cool story but, the bands of that time, weren’t the ones with sauvage perm? -LA metal style?* *LA metal is  a Japanese term that refers to rock bands that were active during the 80s. K: Rather than those, the ones that put their hair totally up. The ones were the hair looked stiff until the very end. Also,I thought that if the hair wasn’t blonde or red, it wasn’t cool. That’s why COLOR and X were shocking. The hair was totally up and the songs were fast. The first thing I liked about those bands were the way the hair was standing up. -When did you try to put your hair like that for the first time? K: Probably months after I listened to “Blue blood”. I put it up by myself, at home (laughs) I was like “how do you do this?”. But, in a magazine said “use hair spray” so I went to buy it. I would my hair like that when I went to school too. It was like “this is what a man does” (laughs) -Later, you would finally be in a band. K: It was at my second year of high school. Our first live was at a school festival. Before that, everyone got into the studio to match the sounds. It was mostly imitation. -Do you remember entering at a studio for the first time? K: It was really messy. I think we were at the studio for maybe two hours. For the first hour, it was just a mess, playing around with the instruments. Then, I think we say “Let’s give it  try” and played “NO MORE NEW YORK” by BOOWY.  Of course,we couldn’t cover it properly at all but I felt like “ We are getting closer a bit closer” (laughs) -That’s something naïve/innocent, right? K: “We are like going up a stair way right? is it cool?” that’s how it felt. -Then the first concert came…. You wrote in an article that you were so immersed into playing that you don’t remember it. K: That’s true. I remember really well the preparations before the concert, though. -What was that band’s name? K: It was called “DIE:STERIA”. I attached the world DIE somehow with TERIA. -It’s a coined word. Did you make it up by yourself? K: That’s it. A lot of the bands that I looked at the magazines had D and then something else attached, so I thought it was cool. As I’m talking about this, I suddenly feel embarrassed (laughs)

-(Laughs) That’s being young, right? Did you make any original song with that band?

K: Just one. It was fast, like melodic speed metal. But I was just scratching the guitar.

-Is there a recording?...

K: I don’t think I recorded it. In the studio I would like “do this, then like this” “sing like that”…I explained everything.

-What about the lyrics?

K: The lyrics……I wrote them (laughs). The lyrics were pretty terrible. They were kind of violent (laughs) Then, there was a melody that could be played by an acoustic guitar with fast riffs.

-From that point, furthermore you could be part of an original band, CHARM.

K: I came up with that name too. I think I made it up thinking it means “to charm, to fascinate”.

- Even after graduating from high school, you continued in that band.

K: But as expected, my parents didn’t approve, so for the time being I got into a vocational school. After the first semester, I decided to leave the school, I went only to convince/persuade my parents.

-Even after graduating high school, the band activities were local.

K: That’s right but I would rather say that we didn’t do much. Some members were working so more than doing nothing, it was like we weren’t moving much. Some members were working so we had periods that we did nothing. I still felt like I have to do it properly, so I used to play at live houses. Even so, we would play once or twice a year. That kind of level. Then, we would hang out at someone’s house and made songs with MTR.

-By the way, did HIDE’s existence mean the same for you as before?

K: Well, even more, I was addicted/crazy about him. X was appearing more and more on tv and they were national wide. The more opportunities you have to see them, the more you are going to like them. “Ah, Hide is wearing new clothes” or “Recently his hairstyle changed a little”, things like that. I would record all their tv appearances and I would see all the magazines. At that time, candid/natural photos were sold a lot a the bookstores. I bought many of HIDE. I bought a big hat that looked like the one that HIDE was wearing.

-You were completely a HIDE geek/nerd.

K: That’s right. When they came to Kansai, I would definitely go to see them. I also went for Tokyo Dome performances, “White Night” and “Blue Night”. I took a night bus with my friends, we arrived at Tokyo very early and would kill time around until the time of the concert. After it, I slept at all-night movie theatre in Shinjuku and then took an early-morning bus to come back home.

-Admiring his presence in that way, did you ever think “I want to become like that someday?”

K: I didn’t. Because I was playing only locally. Because there weren’t things like sending a demo tape or doing an audition. That’s why after that, if I hadn’t had the encounters that I did, I would probably have kept being local.

-What would you say to the Kaoru of that time?

K: To myself at that time? I see…. “Practice more!!!, I guess (laughs)

 (Next part)

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #442

“the more you suffer, the more it shows you really care, right?”

Would you ever sell your soul? No. Do you believe that something is going to happen in 2012? Welp, clearly not. I never believed it. Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? No, but I'd love to! When was the last time you slept in someone else’s bed? Uhhh not since I visited Sara, I think. Do you like your music loud or at a reasonable level? Loud, for sure. Louder than I should listen to. Did the last person you kiss have a tattoo? No. What’s the last song you heard? "The Bird and the Worm" by The Used. Has anyone told you they missed you lately? No. What are you most likely to do when you’re exhausted; take a nap, drink some coffee, or go for a run to get yourself pumped up again? Naps definitely win. What are you most likely to pick if you got to choose your topic on a research paper; drug abuse, mental illness, or the death penalty? Mental illness, for sure. What is your favorite month of the year and why? October, bc aesthetic. What’s your least favorite animal? Probably wasps. They're mean fuckers that kill bees. What was your class song when you graduated? Some super shitty country song. Have you ever had to spend the night outside (not camping)? No. What`s the scariest living animal that you`ve petted? A tarantula, I'd say. She was a sweet rose hair that I literally did pet, which you absolutely should not do to tarantulas, but I knew nothing about them at the time. The urticating hairs on their abdomens cause serious itching, and I tell ya, that sure happened. So did you play old school Nintendo or Atari or Sega? If so which one? We had an old Atari for a long time. When/where did you meet your first love? In the hallway, during my sophomore year of high school. Is there anyone you dislike, that you have to see/speak to regularly? Hm, what qualifies as "regularly," really? I don't like my sister's husband, who I see semi-regularly, but I don't really talk to him. Does your family eat any unique foods for Thanksgiving that aren’t the norm? If so, what are they? Nah, not that I can think of. If you eat oatmeal, do you add water or milk to it? What is your favorite flavor? Milk; I don't like it with water. I only eat the apples and cinnamon kind. Was the last video you watched on YouTube a music video? If not, what was it of? It's a let's play. Have you ever been brave enough to cut your hair in a very different way? If you have, did you regret your decision after? Yes, and I still love it. What was the last book you had to read for school? Did you enjoy it, or were you just trying to get through? The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I loved it. Has anyone you know personally ever won the lottery? If so, how much did they win? Would/have you ever play(ed) the lottery? No to both questions. I have a very addictive personality, so I don't really mess with dangerous things that might tempt that behavior. What band/celebrity/etc. do you know the most information about? Who would you like to learn more about? Markiplier, ha ha. As for who I'd like to know more about... hm. Have your friends met the last person you kissed? Girt has. Who has made the biggest difference in your life? Jason. You get a text from someone saying that they want to hang out - who would you most like it to be from? Also Jason. -_- What is the name on your birth certificate (feel free to withhold your last name for privacy reasons)? Brittany Marie is all you need to know. Even if shopping isn’t your favorite... every girl has a favorite store. What’s yours? My favorite physical store is Hot Topic, but my favorite store overall is Rebel's Market, which I'm pretty sure is just an online source. Which type of undies do you wear most: Thongs, bikini/briefs, bootyshorts, or granny panties? Don't you dare laugh, I prefer "granny panties" lmfao. They're what I'm comfortable in, okay. How many nail polishes do you have, if you were to take a guess? *I* have none. Idk about Mom, but I know not a lot. Are you on birth control? Do you use condoms? I use birth control to regulate my period and ease cramps. If I was sexually active though, both would be musts for me. When did you start your period? How did you react? Who did you tell first? When I got home from school sometime in middle school. I don't remember exactly how old I was, but I was EXTREMELY upset. Like, I cried, because I didn't feel like a kid anymore. My mom was the first to know. Have you ever had sex while on your period? If so, would you ever do it again? NO NO NO NO THAT SOUNDS SO GROSS LKASDFJ;AJW;LKERJA;WEJLRKQWLKE;JR. Which way do you swing (boys, girls, or both)? I'm bi. Or pan. I really don't know. Tell me ALL about your longest/most serious relationship. Are you still in that relationship? How about I don't, because doing that I'm sure will send me in a PTSD spiral. No, we're no longer together. Who is your ALL TIME best friend (don’t count your boyfriend, either, silly!)? Sara. I don't think I've been as close with any other best friend. Which one of your friends has the best singing voice? SARAAAAAAAAAAA. What shade are you in foundation or concealer? I don't have a clue. I don't wear either. Have you ever showered with someone? Boy or girl? Were you completely naked? "Were you completely naked." No, I shower with underwear on. I've showered with my little sister as well as my best friend as a kid. I've never shared a shower as an adult and don't want to. Do you think you’re good enough for the person you like? No. Are you a cuddler or no? If I'm really into you, YUP. And if it's not hot. Wouldn’t it be kinda annoying to have to share a bed every night? No. I miss it sometimes. Have you ever walked on a beach at night? Yes. It's beautiful. Could you go the rest of your life without drinking alcohol? Pretty easily, yeah. Would you marry someone you didn’t love if you were paid 10 thousand dollars? No. I just wouldn't be able to stomach doing that. I'm solely marrying for love. Have you had sex today? I haven't in many years. Do you still care about your last ex? Very very much! Do you own more then one bathing suit? Nope. Is there any alcohol in the fridge? Yeah, but none I like. Who have you recently made up with after fighting? Nobody. Who do you WANT to make up with? Jason. Megan. Do you get scared easily? Hm. It really depends on the situation. Have you seen UP? Never the full movie, actually. I need to. How many coats of mascara do you use? I use it so rarely that I barely know. Two, maybe? What’s your favorite bracelet? The one Sara gave me. I used to always wear it, but it's worn down with time and is too loose for me now, so it's just with my jewelry. What color hair does your mom have? It's naturally gray now, but she dyes it black. Favorite song to listen to when you are mad? "Headache" by Motionless In White does it. What restaurant would you want to work at? NONE. I ain't working with hungry people. I don't want to work with people - period. When people ask “how are you?” do you say “good” even if you aren’t? Depends on who's asking. If it's a stranger or someone I barely know, odds are I'm just going to reply with "fine" or something like that. Were you honestly a good kid? Yes. Is anything wrong with your eyes? I have to wear glasses, so. Have you kissed or hugged anyone today? No. What is your mom’s and dad’s favorite TV show? I don't really know for either. Mom watches loads of shows, and I don't live with Dad, so. I know he really likes The Big Bang Theory, though, which Mom also loves. Have you ever suspected your mom or dad of having an affair? No, but ~supposedly~, Dad did with his now-wife. I don't know what the fuck is true between my parents, though. Do you think buying second hand clothes is gross? It depends on the type of clothing (ex., used underwear is a huge fucking no), as well as the state it's in. Does it gross you out when your parents kiss? They're divorced. That would be incredibly weird, uncomfortable, and impossible with how I know at least Mom feels towards Dad. Do you have a playlist made on YouTube? Yeah, multiple. Do you like dollar stores? I mean, sure? They have good deals occasionally and are a good option to stop for a quick snack or something. Mom doesn't actually *shop* in them, though. What’s the last thing you bought from one? I think a honeybun. Do you think it’s weird how babies are made? Well, yeah. Science can be crazy, though. Have you ever lost a friend over the opposite sex? No. Are you comfortable in a short skirt? I wouldn't be comfortable in ANY skirt. Do you and your family go on a vacation ever year? We essentially never do. Vacations cost money. We don't have money to spare. When you were going out with your last ex and you had the chance to date your celebrity crush, would you have left your bf/gf for them? No, because it's not like I know him personally, while I know her very deeply. Who was your most romantic moment with? Jason. Do you sweat easily? Like you wouldn't BELIEVE. A side effect of one (or even multiple) of my meds is hyperhidrosis, so I can sweat an ocean in two minutes, it seems. It's disgusting, and I am so self-conscious about it. What’s one memory you wish would just vanish? Just a specific moment with Jason that is particularly agonizing to recall. Are you in love with someone? No. Partying or watching a movie? Partying isn't my thing. I'd have more fun watching a movie with friends. What pisses you off the most? Child molesters/rapists, probably. Where do you want to be at a year from now? I just want a job by then, dude. I also hope I've lost a lot of weight. Do you like pickles? Only dill pickles. If you saw someone broken down on the side of the road, would you stop to help? Honestly, no. I don't trust people. What do you do with your plastic grocery bags after you unload your things? We put our plastic bags into one big bag for later use. Have you ever slept in a water bed? Yes. How often do you use Flickr? I don't. I only ever check my friend's for meerkat photos, ha ha. Share three nice memories you have of the person you fell hardest for. No, unless you want me to cry. Have you ever made any of your friends cry? Not deliberately of course, but yes. Do you look decent in your most recent photograph? God no, I look high. Out of all the guys you know, who would you trust to not cheat on you? Girt. I know he never would, especially because HE'S been cheated on. How do you plan on disciplining your children? NOT by physical means, I can tell you that much. If I actually had kids, I'd teach them through (hopefully) primarily deeply talking things out. If need be, there'd be time out, grounding, things like that. I do NOT support methods like spanking your kid, so that's a big no. If you could live in another country, would you? What country? Yes; Canada. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Quinn, probably. What’s one health problem you wish you didn’t have? It's a tie between depression and anxiety. What is your cure for hiccups? NOTHING works for me. It's the worst. Did you ever do anything in class that annoyed other students? I mean, I don't think so. Have you used a Ouija board and had a freaky experience with it? I've never messed with one, and I don't want to. I don't know if I believe in their supernatural abilities or not, but I ain't fuckin around and finding out. Do you stick with a political party, or vote for who you like best? I pick based on their policies and morals, not necessarily their party. Do you know anyone who is an albino? No. Word search or crossword puzzle? Word searches. When you watch a game show, do you like to see people win or lose? Aw, who wants to see them lose? It's great to see people win and be so excited. Do you have a pair of fake redneck, vampire, etc. teeth? No. What is your favorite Pixar film? Finding Nemo. Do you get really mad when you lose a game? Not at all. I'm not very competitive, and games are about having fun. When was the last time you used a pay phone? I actually don't think I ever have. Who did you have your most amazing kiss with? Jason. Do you go to church every Sunday? I never go to church as I'm not religious. If you had to get famous for one of the following, which would you choose: music, acting, writing, modeling? Writing. What do you think of girls with huge boobs that don’t wear bras in public? Who the fuck cares. If they're comfortable and at least have a shirt on, let 'em. Most women have breasts, big whoop. Do you even like politics? God no. What’s it like at raves? Oh god, I'd never go. Have you ever had a dream in which you were making out, or more, with someone? lol yes

[aegir-emblem]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIRE EMBLEM!!!

Y’all, the 30 year anniversary!!!!

My first video game ever was Fire Emblem Sacred Stones on my brother’s black Game Boy Advanced “console”... I still remember being so shocked by that main intro, my god - hhhh it was so pretty!!!

Just... shoutout to this texture. This game was so amazing and colourful, I would love to see it remade.

My first crush ever was Joshua from this very game, who I have made posts about before... and Lyon’s theme still makes me cry every time I hear it. Those flashbacks hit different. GAH!

Between 6-years-old and middle school, I played a lot more Fire Emblem games, like Shadow Dragon and Tellius... and while they were good, none of them hit as hard as Awakening did when it dropped. Do y’all remember when Awakening dropped and you first saw that customisation page?? And those cutscenes for the first time?

It was nothing like I had ever seen, and even as the games continue to get better and better in quality both of writing and graphics, Awakening will always hold a very close spot in my heart as the game that really shaped a lot of my childhood and personality, to be honest.

Id: Purpose makes me sob every time I hear it. I just remember the emotional roller coaster this game brought me through, through roadtrips and trainrides and plane flights across the US. I have logged over 500 hours on Awakening that are recorded, let alone all the times I started and stopped new playthroughs. My peak achievement was defeating Grima in 2 hits using Ricken equipped with a ladle.

That brings us to Fates... I know that Fates has a tricky rep within the fandom, so I won’t go too into detail. I have fond memories of the day my brother and I went to the store to buy the games, and we didn’t tell each other which game we would be purchasing. Until we walked up to the counter, me with Conquest in my hands and him with Birthright. From then we knew it would be a battle within the home, haha.

My brother is the better strategist than I am, but I grind my characters. It was really hard in Conquest, but I found a way, and whenever we would do castle battles, it was always evenly matched; my powerful Nohrian team against his brilliant tactics.

Additionally, although it was limited, the option of Bisexual S-ranks for Niles and Rhajat was very nice. I understand the contract rules that go into making games, especially in this franchise, but it was a step forward, and the representation for me as someone of the LGBTQ+ community was very nice. I understand that some people in the community remain frustrated with the minimization of the representation, but it was a step in the right direction for me.

Also, just the energy of Fates... The full creation of both kingdoms was so satisfying, and the cutscenes were crisp and lovely. And Corrin/Kamui’s design!!! The dragon blood techniques... I loved Fates. It was very exciting.

And more recently... Three Houses. The most I can say to start off... WOWZA.

I have more to say about this game than I can put into words, really. I bought my switch only aware of this game, and still to this day I don’t own many other games for my switch since Three Houses has taken up so much of my time.

Three Houses is incredible. The extent to it all, with the full voice lines and the quality of production, depth of character and story and the fact that it’s essentially THREE (four/five) games in one is so fantastic. Every character has such depth and detail, and it has inspired so much incredible art and writing. 

I, for one, have always struggled with writer’s block, but had a passion to write. This game changed that. By coming out on the Nintendo Switch, it opened up Fire Emblem to a broader community and gained an onslaught of fans passionate about the experience and ready to share what they could do. For once, I had a much more solid base of people to receive my writing. Recently, I finished my first multichapter fanfic, and have (since January of this year) written over 250 pages of fanfiction just for Three Houses. It’s utterly incredible.

And going onward with representation, this game deals with such depth of character that it is impossible to ignore their values. It deals with topics of racism, mental illness, sexuality and identity... and throughout it all, it remains a Fire Emblem game as if to encourage people that despite how scary the world can seem with those things, it always moves on. Despite the real-life topics, it is set against a backdrop of Kings and Queens and Emperors, Knights and magic and the question of chivalry with a goal in mind and so many allies to support you along the way.

The cast of this game has been lovely, and the quality resonates clearly with the value and the legacy that the game has. It’s fantastic.

I didn’t mention some of the games, but also - thanks to Heroes!! It has opened Fire Emblem to a whole new audience, and brings together so many more creative artists and fun communities... It’s amazing.

In short, I would not trade Fire Emblem - the series, the producers and studio, anything - for the world. It has shaped so much of who I am as a character, provided me solace in times where everything is changing too fast and I can retreat into a world with friends, allies, and goals. 

Whenever I think of these games, I think of my brother as well. He introduced them to me, and it’s something we’ve been able to share this whole time even when real life divided us.

I wish I had more words to articulate how this series makes me feel, but I truly do not. My passion for this series is beyond words. So - all I guess I can say is: 

Happy Birthday, Fire Emblem Series!!! Congrats on 30 years, and thank you so much for everything!!!

Fanfiction.net @ Thirth Floor; AO3 @ ThirthFloor

[shochmonster]

84 Questions

original: https://fuckyeahsurveys.tumblr.com/post/61049002526/84-questions

Put your music player of choice on shuffle and list the first 10 songs Guns of Brixton - The Clash Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys  Chainsaw - Nick Jonas California - Joni Mitchell Make It Wit Chu - Queens of the Stone Age This Woman’s Work - Kate Bush The Bad Thing - Arctic Monkeys Between the Bars - Eliot Smith Drown - The Smashing Pumpkins Different People - No Doubt

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Would you take anyone with you? I’d take @duoloopo to the UK. I’d like to see places other than London.

What is your preferred writing implement? (eg. Blue pen, pencil, green pen)  I use my iPad stylus the most, but I have this heavy mechanical pencil I really like for drawing. 

Favourite month and why? October. I just love the fall vibe. 

Do you have connections to any celebrities (even minor)? List them. I went to undergraduate school with Rebecca Sugar. We used to ride the bus between NYC and DC together on holidays. 

Name 3 items you could pick up from where you are. Can of seltzer, pencil case, stack of bills

What brand logo is closest to you currently? REAL Skateboards

Do you ever play board games or other non-computer games? Got any favourites? I love Small World and Munchkin. 

A musical artist you love that isn’t well known Laura Stevenson and the Cans

A musical artist you love that is well known Red Hot Chili Peppers

What is your desktop background currently? Thomas Barrow on the beach in the Season 4 Christmas Special

Last person you talked to, and through what you talked to them @duomaxwell02 with my face :O 

First colour name you can think of that isn’t in the rainbow White

What timekeeping devices are in the room you are currently in? Two wall clocks, though one is very old and doesn’t wind anymore. I also have a clock @duoloopo ‘s dad made for me. It’s on the piano. 

What kind of headphones do you use? JBL Bluetooth, noise canceling 

What musical artists have you seen perform live? Foo Fighters (3x), Incubus (3x), Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Audioslave, Justin Timberlake, Troy Sivan, Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Queen (but with Roger Daughtry, not Freddy... for obvious reasons.). Probably a whole bunch of others I’m blanking on. 

Does virginity matter to you? Not really. 

What gaming consoles do you or your family own? PS4, PS2, PS1, XBox 360, N64, Gamecube, Wii, NES, SNES, various Gameboys, Nintendo DS, PSP

What pets do you have? What are their names? Two cats, Hemingway and Renji

What’s the best job you’ve ever had? I like freelance art gigs the best. As for ‘normal people jobs’, I once was a sign painter for Whole Foods. That was pretty fun, minus the work drama. 

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? Food service. 

What magazines do you read, if any? I’ll pick up Time once in a while

Inspiration behind your URL? My classic original URL was LinkWorshiper and had been since AIM first existed. I picked it because Zelda was the first fandom I ever joined. Now I’ve changed all my handles (except on AO3) to reflect my actual name, as my literary agent thinks it’s more professional. 

Inspiration behind your blog title? Mean Girls. I always chuckle imagining Thomas and Jimmy as some Edwardian version of the Plastics. 

Favourite item of clothing? My Downton livery waistcoat. And the stiff bosomed shirt and collars I have to go with it. 

Are you friends with any exes? Nah. By the time I felt comfortable enough to possibly try, I also didn’t care enough to. 

Name at least one book you loved as a child. His Dark Materials (the trilogy by Philip Pullman). I still love them and am jazzed that he’s writing more these days. 

What’s your native language? If that language has distinct regional variations, which variation? (eg. AU English, US English) US English, mostly a northeastern dialect/accent

What email service do you use? Gmail

Is there anything hanging on the walls of the room you are currently in? So much stuff. I have a mood board full of Downtons stuff over my desk, various DA posters and memorabilia, plus some artwork I’ve done, and some of my JC Leyendecker collection. The aforementioned wall clocks, a San Francisco cable car bell, Sailor Moon and a few other little knickknacks, like my hamsa. To name a few lol. 

What’s your favourite number, and why? 212 because it’s Manhattan’s area code and also because it used to be the notation for one of my favorite ships in an old fandom. 

Earliest moment in your life you can remember? Sitting under the table and looking at my grandma, who was wearing a Cruella Deville dress she’d knit herself. Like, it had the actual Disney character on it. Pretty cool to a little guy, I guess!

What did you have for dinner yesterday? Quesadilla 

How often do you brush your teeth? Whenever they feel gross

What’s your favourite candy/chocolate? Lately, I’ve been into Junior Mints. 

Have you had other blogs on Tumblr? Do you have any other blogs currently? This blog used to have my old handle, linkworshiper. I did a small Whole Foods blog when I worked with them, but it never went anywhere. 

If you were suddenly really hungry, what would you choose to eat? Sushi

What fandoms would you consider yourself a part of? Downton Abbey, though lately I’ve been crazy busy and not as active as I once was. Casually still poking at old fandoms like Zelda and Gundam Wing to name a few. 

If you could study anything, what would it be? More art education can’t hurt. Maybe some formal history education. 

Do you use anything on your lips? (eg. Chapstick, gloss, balm, lipstick) Chapstick 

How would you describe your sense of humour? Seinfeld 

What things annoy you more than anything else? Mouth noises

What kind of position are you in at the moment? Sitting

Do you wear much jewellery? Nope

Who is the leader of your country, currently? Any other levels of government with leaders? (State, region, province, county, district, municipality, etc) Three supposedly equal branches of government, currently being run into the ground by a clown 

Last 3 blogs on your dashboard, not including any of your own @halcyondaze @mab1905 @lavender-hued-melancholy

What do you carry your money in? I try to never carry cash, but I carry a small wallet 

Do you enjoy driving? Why or why not? I like it but sometimes it feels like a chore, especially during a commute. @duoloopo thinks I’m a shit driver so she tries to drive whenever she can, which has pluses and minuses. 

Longest drive you have ever been on? Savannah GA to San Francisco, CA in a UHaul

Furthest away from home you have ever been? Germany 

How many times have you moved house? God, I don’t even know. More than ten. 

What is on the floor of the room you’re currently in, not including furniture? Cat toys, unused canvases

How many devices do you own which can access the internet? Phone, computer, iPad, various game consoles 

Is there is anything that is guaranteed to always make you happy? Thomas and Jimmy <3 <3 

Is there anything that always makes you sad? Thinking too hard about being a failure

What programs do you currently have open? I just rebooted, so only Chrome, Spotify and Photoshop

What do you associate the colour red with? This line in the Kate Bush Song Blue Symphony, which goes, ‘I associate love with red, the color of my heart when she’s dead.’ 

Last strong smell you can remember smelling? The Greek food I ordered in for dinner

Last healthy thing you ate? Roasted veggies

Do you drink tea or coffee, and how much per day? I prefer tea, and I drink coffee for energy, though sometimes I think it just makes me crash harder. 

What do you associate the colour blue with? The sky

How long is the closest ruler you can find? 12 inches

What colour pants/skirt/etc are you currently wearing? Dark blue

When was the last time you drank water? About a minute ago

How often do you clear your browser history? Rarely

Do you believe nude photos can be artistic, rather than erotic? Yes

Ever written fanfiction for anything? Oh God, yes. You can still find it under Link Worshiper on AO3, though some of my ‘classics’ have been removed since I turned them into original manuscripts 

Last formal event you attended My cousin’s wedding

If you had to move your birthday to another date, which one would you choose and why? Maybe inch my birth year up just by two so that I’d stop being called a damn millennial. At my age, I really just don’t relate to the generation even though technicalities make me a part of it. 

Would you prefer to be at a beach or in the countryside? Beach

Roughly how many people live in your town? 52,000

Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? Leonard Nimoy :D 

Favourite place to shop? Can be a certain store or a place where there are multiple stores I haven’t really gone shopping since the pandemic. Right now, it feels like the only place to buy anything is Amazon XD

Do you have a smartphone? What kind? If you don’t, do you want one? Samsung. It’s not a Galaxy but is a new model and a fraction of the price. 

What is your least favourite colour, and why? I don’t think I dislike any colors honestly. 

How do you spell grey/gray? Grey. I’ve got too many British online associates to ever go back. 

Go to your dashboard and describe the image shown in the radar section (below the “Find blogs” link) It’s Umbrella Academy fanart of Klaus. He’s in black and white with this hands over his eyes and the background is red. It’s very graphic. 

What difference is there between how many followers you have, and the number of blogs you follow? 736

How many posts do you have? 8,859

How many posts have you liked? I can’t find the stat D: 

Do you post mainly reblogs, or your own content? Mainly reblogs but I pepper in my own content when I can. Lately, I haven’t had time to do as much fanart though, and I kind of feel like it’s not worth bothering to post my original stuff. Nobody follows my blog for that. 

Do you track any tags? No. 

What time is it currently? 7:33 PM CMT

Is there anything you should be doing right now? Waking up @duoloopo. TIME TO JUMP ON THE BED. 

tagging, if they feel like it: @abbys-little-whippersnapper​ @bumblebarrow​ @irrationalgame​ @downtoncat​ @mab1905​ @duoloopo​

and everyone who I’ve forgotten

[shijiujun]

[History3: MODC] Ep 1-2 Summary - SOMEONE PROTECC XI GU PLS

Alright guys! I managed to make it home in time, and watched both episodes, but I guess I’m able to do a mini summary of sorts - But my verdict on the show is while the first two episodes seem a tad bit slow in terms of plot but there ARE NO GLARING PLOTHOLES THANK GOD and i gotta say I LOVE XI GU AND HAO TING AND BO XIANG AND ZHI GANG AND THE TWINS LMAO THEY ALL SO CUTE and surprisingly I like the main girl as well Si Yu although okay it kinda sucks that she’s going after Xi Gu while still attached to Hao Ting unless she was aiming for threesome but then no communication there and FRANKLY it might even be a love rectangle between Xi Gu - Hao Ting - Nintendo Switch - Si Yu lmao 

We start off with Hao Ting and gang (the fiercer twin, Gao Qun, Bo Xiang and the other guy whose name I still don’t know but he’s a Singaporean actor) in class and the Chinese teacher reading off abysmally low scores ranging like in the 30s and below out of a 100, and guess what our lovely main lead Hao Ting scores THIRTEEN OUT OF A HUNDRED

And okay you gotta give it to Hao Ting - He’s a little shit but he’s a CHARISMATIC little shit with a glib tongue, anyway the teacher yells at him for being not serious about graduating and his friends cheer him on and are just generally obnoxious, and then Hao Ting quips that this is about freedom yeah, and of course the teacher is like fuck you dumbass & threatens Hao Ting that if he dares to leave this class he doesn’t have to come back

Don’t ever dare and threaten your dumbass jocks in class cuz they hear a dare they gonna CARRY OUT THE DARE TEACHERS HAVE YOU NOT LEARNT ANYTHING - so Hao Ting leaps over a desk and runs out much to the cheers of his friends and everyone in class who get up and run to the windows and doors to watch him go - And then one of his friends yell at him to ask him to buy fried chicken early from the canteen I think

And then cut to the next scene - The gang at the courtyard/stage thingy and Gao Qun filmed the whole thing earlier and is showing to everyone while they eat fried chicken, and then Hao Ting demands for 300 NTD each from his friends, who refuse to pay lmao although Hao Ting digs into Bo Xiang’s pocket and digs out some coins and keeps them 

Then Hao Ting’s girlfriend pings him and he runs off

Cut to the infirmary, and HT’s shirt is half off as his girlfriend Si Yu is helping him to ice his shoulder and spray muscle relaxant on his back - She’s chiding him for being so reckless earlier and asking him not to do that again because she’ll be worried, and HT obviously soaks in the attention and TLC from her, and then they proceed to MAKE OUT

Pretty good makeout scene really, although idg why the camera angle had to show like her cleavage specifically like LMAO ARE U ALLOWED TO SHOW THE CLEAVAGE OF A TECHNICALLY UNDER-18 GIRL?!!! No idea, anyway, things get really heated up, but they’re interrupted

And XI GU makes his first appearance here!!! He’s taking a nap in the infirmary and is totally disturbed by these two horny teenagers, in any case SY and HT go out, although SY’s eyes are totally on XG as they leave - She’s curious about him

Then the infirmary doctor comes in, and obviously XG is like the apple of everyone’s eyes and I GET IT BECAUSE WHEN HE SMILES IT’S DEVASTATING - So the doctor is chiding him for not eating lunch (and if you read the character intro translation I did you’ll know it’s because XG is poor and he wants to save money, like that’s driving force behind all his actions for now at least) and because of that XG is obviously thin as fuck and pale like Edward Cullen - So doc tells him to take more care of himself and rest etc. etc.

And then side character 1 and side character 2 - SY’s friends, the girl (SC1) calls herself a fujoshi and is obviously a fan of XG and you’re a bit creepy but I get you girl, and then anw SY is asking SC1 about XG after she sees that XG is first in exams again, and SY gurl don’t two-time please

HT is DYING to buy a Switch, and after dinner with his fam, he tries to secretly ask him mom for money but the mom and sis totally gives him away and the dad threatens to hit him to see if ‘he’ll be more normal’ after that LMAO - and anw dad chases HT to the room but HT wins by shutting the room door and son and dad yell at one another through the door - But despite this u can see that they’re really close

Mom and sis settled on the couch eating fruits in the chaos - a MOOD

Then next day SY catches up to XG as he’s walking to (class? to lunch? idk?) and asks him to tutor her, and XG rejects her of course cuz he likes to study alone and he hates everyone else kinda but she insists and he refuses and then because they’re doing this on the stairs she slips and OF COURSE SMOL XG catches her and upstairs, the fiercer Xia twin videos it and them in that position

Fiercer Xia twin meets the rest of the gang on the rooftop but no one has much of a reaction to his news until he pulls out the video - HAO TING EATING REGARDLESS OF THE NEWS IS LIKE A BIG MOOD REALLY - the nicer Xia twin tries to speak up for XG because they’re like classmates, and then WHOA there’s a strange like almost-kiss moment as Xia En and Xia De like confront each other over that

HT finishes eating and goes confidently, “She won’t like him”

And then he goes to the infirmary wanting to take a nap right, and when he pulls open the curtain THERE XI GU IS ASLEEP AND THIS IS WHERE WE GET THE HAO TING FALLING ON XI GU ON THE BED SCENE FROM THE TRAILERS - And HT groans, “First he ruins my plans and then now he’s taken my bed”

HT reaches for a red pen from the table on the other side of Xi Gu’s bed and of course he falls and lands on the bed, and then XI GU WAKES UP AND HORRORRRRR

Doc comes in and reprimands HT for bullying/disturbing XG basically

And then I can’t remember where the scene is exactly but XG at some point goes to work at Zhi Gang’s soy milk store?!!! I think or cafe that sells soy milk lmao, and Zhi Gang asks if he’s eaten dinner, and XI GU SO CUTELY SMILES OMGGG and lies that he has, but obviously ZG already knows that XG is lying and already bought dinner for him, and also lets XG go home early out of consideration for XG’s studying schedule since he’s also studying to graduate this sem I think?!

Oh okay then before this scene, we have THIRSTY BO XIANG AT HIS COUSIN’S GYM WIPING THE EQUIPMENT AND ALSO TAKING SECRET PHOTOS OF ZHI GANG - His cousin catches him, makes a scene and he’s ZG’s personal trainer I think and when he lifts up ZG’s shirt to ‘check’ on his progress, wow, BX DROOLS OKAY

And then at some point, Si Yu ambushes XG in class and gets him to tutor her after school because he stays behind for two out of five days, and then the twins find out, so when the time comes, the fiercer twin bullies XG out of class, and SY is left disappointed 

HT basically begins to skip school and part time, and helps his mom to give out flyers in his neighbourhood to earn some extra money, and he also somehow cheats his mom by deliberately over-counting his daily part-time rate LMAO, but the sis does the math and outs him, and dad chases after him to try to hit him again but HT ain’t scared at all and they just play cat and mouse

And then the gang corners XG during lunch, bully him and basically makes him late HALF AN HOUR for class which has NEVER HAPPENED TO PERFECT ATTENDANCE AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE XI GU - He’s distressed because he needs a perfect attendance record and grades to get scholarship for university - So he’s fucking distressed, and the nicer twin at the back obviously sees it and he FEELS BAD and XG didn’t eat lunch again so he’s having gastric probably

End of the class XG begs the teacher not to record his tardiness because he really needs the scholarship, but the teacher is like everyone saw you come in so damn late, how can he like not put it on record? But when XG insists - white-lipped and shaking and all - teacher asks him to tell him why - and so XG tells him (which also doesn’t help him in terms of being bullied more by the gang when they find out)

So the gang ends up sweeping the corridor lmao

XG once again goes to work and kind-hearted LOVELY OPPA ZHI GANG gives him a bread again and asks him to go home early to study CRIES WHERE IS MY DADDY LONG LEGS

and BX probably because of his punishment, is unable to go to the gym for a while, but ZG asks the cousin where BX is

End of episode 2 shows BX on his bicycle cursing his cousin out for making him go all the way out to like... find a soy milk store, and GUESS WHAT SOY MILK STORE BELONGS TO HANDSOME ZHI GANG OKAY

Oh yeah and then he sees his lovely oppa in store helping XG to straighten out his collar and then he gets jelly

and the next day he confronts XG and pushes him against the wall and THE EPISODE ENDS HERE LIKE STOP DIS BULLYING

THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW:

This is pretty damn cute so far i have to admit, and I PROMISE YOU ONE OF THESE EPISODES, XI GU IS GONNA FAINT FROM HUNGER OR ILLNESS AND THEN EVERYONE FINDS OUT HOW POOR HE IS AND HAO TING CARRIES HIM TO THE INFIRMARY AND THEN BULLY GANG REGRETS BEING SO MEAN TO HIM

And for now, it seems like Si Yu may actually be supportive when she finds out that HT has taken an interest in XG - More on that in the next trailer I think, because somehow HT will mess up and XG ends up losing his first place on the exams and walks away dejectedly as HT regrets being a fucking idiot

And also at some point Zhi Gang will see Bo Xiang having fun with another girl on the streets and be all pissed and jelly and withdraw, and then HT tells BX to please go apologise and get him back, which BX attempts to do - CRIES HANDSOME OPPA IS DEFINITELY ZHI GANG OKAY

***

For @decadentdeerpolice <3

[evwuniverse]

Animal Crossing New Horizons Beginner Review

Animal Crossing has been around since April 14, 2001, with its first release from the franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. Since then Nintendo has built a loyal fan-based community of individuals who’ve fallen in love with the game. Trying to be non-biased in this review (I’ll try my best!) I’m going to explain the positives and negatives of the recently released Animal Crossing game called Animal Crossing New Horizons which came out March 20, 2020. Every part of the review will be broken up into sections so you can read specifically the part you’re looking for. This is going to be a very long and extensive review covering hopefully everything you need to know about the game and whether or not you should obtain it if you haven’t already.

Animal Crossing Timeline (all of the games from 2001-2020):

2001 - Animal Crossing

Console = Nintendo GameCube

2005 - Animal Crossing: Wild World

Console = Nintendo DS

2008 - Animal Crossing: City Folk

Console = Nintendo Wii

2012 - Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Console = Nintendo 3DS

2020 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Console = Nintendo Switch

Who is Animal Crossing For?

The rating for Animal Crossing is for anyone 3+ and is family-friendly.

The point of the game is to build up an island filled with animals who are your neighbors which later on become your “best friends.” It falls under the category of social simulation. When you’re building up this utopian island you’ll notice it starting from the very beginning with lots of grassy areas, trees, weeds, and some flowers here and there. As you progress forward you get a town hall, market store, clothing store, and a museum. You’ll also, have other animals who want to move to your island so you’ll start to see more houses that you find the placing for in Animal Crossing New Horizons. This is something not yet seen in the Animal Crossing franchise. We were never able to choose where we could put an animal's house. They would just randomly build anywhere. This is a nice feature we’ve been given this time around!

Game Progression Shops and Lore of the Game:

Nook’s Cranny: The Market

During the progression of the game, the Nook’s Cranny ran by Timmy and Tommy two young raccoons that aren’t blood-related to Tom Nook. Both Timmy and Tommy are apprentices of Tom Nook’s Tom Nook considers himself more of a mentor or teacher. He is known for wanting to teach others good economic principles to help them from suffering financially in the future and making the same mistakes he had made. Their names were revealed in Animal Crossing New Leaf and this time around they’ve joined us as the shop owners of Nook’s Cranny in Animal Crossing New Horizons.

You’ll start with basically a wooden shack called Nook’s Cranny and with time you’ll slowly build up to an actual market store almost looking like a cute little town flower shop from the outside. This will continue to change during the progression of the game. However, to be honest I haven’t gotten far enough in the game yet to see the other changes that there supposedly are.

Dodo Airlines and Mystery Island Tours:

Airport Itself:

Dodo Airlines is a new part of Animal Crossing New Horizons this is a more organized way of being able to visit other friends and players islands. Before in other Animal Crossing games such as Animal Crossing New Leaf, you would go into a small building that was a train station. There would be a monkey that would grant you access to leave to other towns. Instead, they have an airport in New Horizons it’s run by two characters Dodo Orville and Dodo Wilbur. This is also where you can invite others to visit your town. From here they’ve added new things such as Mystery Tours which you’re able to take by using a Nook Miles Ticket. This will take you to a random island that contains bug, fish, items, and other resources that may not be accessible on your island. Some islands have special trees such as bamboo, foreign fruit trees, and rare flowers, The foreign fruit trees will always be the same foreign fruit.

I’ll be honest from my experience every time I’ve used a Nook Miles ticket to do the Mystery Island tours I’ve yet to come across an island with resources I didn’t already have on my starter island. For example, the fruit I started with was apples. I’ve only had Mystery islands with Apples and Peaches so far. I currently have both fruits so I only obtain those fruits on the Mystery Island tours to sell them for a small amount of money on my island. So just know it will be possible if you’re anything like me that you’ll keep getting islands with non-special properties. Or maybe I’m just unlucky?

Harv’s Island:

Another thing that’s unlocked at the airport is at a certain point in the game you’ll have access to travel to a place called Harv’s Is; and which is new and specific to only Animal Crossing New Horizons. This is also shortly termed as phototopia and is a photo studio you can go to and take pictures with the animals in your town. Set up rooms the way YOU want them with PROPS, have as many characters as you would like in the photo, and take photos with character summoned via amiibo figurines which are store-bought action figures if collecting those are your style.

Post Office:

Dodo airlines though it is an airport it doubles as the post office. Back in past Animal Crossing games in the franchise, there was its own separate post office you could go too. Now everything is contained in one place which honestly I find nice. Only because I feel it takes up fewer buildings on the island and more room to make your island your own. Doubling as the post office you’re able to send your postcards and letters via a card stand in the airport. When the card stand is accessed via your character the player can choose between multiple designs for their letters. Some of the letters will be marked with “Limited Availability” these are cards that are only available for purchase until the dates that are listed on the card. Sending a letter costs 200 bells and they’re able to be sent to a current resident of the player’s island, your future self, or a player from another town who is on their “best friends” list via the online service on your new Nook phone (which will be discussed later in this review).

Dodo Codes:

Previously in other Animal Crossing versions, you only had the option to invite or go to an island. However, now there’s an added safety precaution if the players want to use it in New Horizons. This option is called Dodo codes. These codes are five-character passwords that allow the players to visit your island or someone else's island even without having to be friends on the Nintendo Switch. The number of characters that can be on a single island has doubled since previous games in the franchise from four to eight people on an island at any given time.

Multiplayer Access and Rules:

A few things that have changed from previous versions of Animal Crossing:

If you go to another person island and you’re not a “best friend” on their island you’ll be unable to use tools such as shovels, axes, watering cans, fishing rods, and nets.

You’re able to move objects inside of your house even if other players are inside the house with you.

Actions that can’t be performed with an open airport gate:

Buying items via Nook Shopping (via Nook stop or the App)

Changing a design pattern

Inviting an animal to your Campsite via Amiibo

Using Island Designer

Visiting another island (Including Mystery Tours and Harv’s Island)

Sending a card via the card stand at the airport

Actions that cannot be performed with visitors on the island:

Picking up, placing or moving any outdoor furniture

Placing (but not removing) fences

Picking up, placing or moving furniture inside your house (unless all visitors are outside the home)

Using the overview mode for designing your house

Donating items to the museum or having fossils assessed

Wisp will refuse to accept collected spirit pieces (something you’ll find out about later on in your gameplay)

Tom Nook and Isabelle don’t provide any services

Island residents don’t accept gifts

Hitting rocks (without eating fruit) doesn’t provide any resources

Balloons won’t appear to use a slingshot on

Misc gameplay changed with visitors on the island:

Fishbait doesn’t work but is consumed

Wasps, scorpions, and tarantulas don’t spawn

K.K. Slider concerts have the music sent by mail the next day rather than in pockets

There is no entry fee for the Fishing Tourney and other rule changes.

As you can see the airport is the main hub for everything you do multiplayer related. This is pretty much the new hub in your game, yes you can consider the Town Hall as your main hub. But only when it comes to single-player actions. Which now brings me to the Town Hall.

Town Hall (AKA Residential Services):

Town Hall is a little bit different then what it was in past versions of the game... It’s gotten a facelift to catch up with the other advancements that have been added. You’ll quickly learn that Residential Services is the most important aspect of building on your island. This is where you’ll learn all of the basics when it comes to crafting in the game and deciding where you build features such as bridges around your island. Most bridges ahead of time cost you 168,000 bells so keep saving those bells and don’t spend them all of the time. You’ll thank me later on in the progression of the game if you decide to buy it. As you develop your island, the services inside and the exterior of the building will change. You’ll start with a tent for the Residential Services which will later become a grand beautiful Town Hall in the middle of your town with cobblestone right out front of it.

What you can do at Residential Services:

DIY workbench to craft new items

Nook stop which is the Island ATM (this is your bank, shopping catalog like sears, and the Nook Miles shop all in one)

Recycling box (you can pick up these items and either sell them or keep them for yourself I’ve gotten materials when I was low and some nice furniture from it)

Tom Nook and the services he provides, an example is paying off your loan, expanding your home, building bridges and inclines, terraforming, moving buildings, and so much more.

The Residential Services building is open 24 hours a day seven days a week. To unlock Isabelle which yes she is in this game which was super exciting for me when I started playing it. She provides information and services to better improve your island and the characters who live on it. Some of the services she performs are as followed:

Island evaluations (as if your real-life work evaluations weren’t enough for ya!)

Changing the island tune

Changing the island flag

The ability to change certain aspects, such as the catchphrase of a villager. (which I have yet to experience but have heard about this feature)

When you upgrade your Residential Services to Town Hall after a few days of playing the game a lot of characters will come to visit your towns such as Label, Redd, Leif, and the skunk who sells the shoes from Kick’s shoe store. They have small little stands in the cobblestone square right in front of the Town Hall. But keep in mind they only come on specific days during the week.

Blather’s Museum:

Yes, I called it Blather’s Museum instead of just Museum just saying the museum is soooo boring! This is where everything you collect such as fossils, fish, bugs, and now artwork go. You’re able to make donations to the museum and visit whenever you would like. At the time of typing this post, it is National Museum week. From May 18th- May 31st there is a stamp collection event at your Museum. You have to play the game to get the Museum on your island. This is also an unlockable place but not hard to obtain just by playing the game you’re able to obtain it rather quickly.

Able Sisters Clothing Store:

This is another place you unlock after unlocking the Town Hall in the middle of your island. Who could forget the able sister's store? the main place for character customization! and let me tell you the clothes so far in New Horizons are worth the game itself. There are so many cute outfits I’ve bought so many and wasted so many bells on clothes I can’t even tell you how much was bought on impulse. This store will be a money sucker in New Horizons. This is unlocked after one of the able sisters visits your island with her tiny kiosk in front of Town Hall. It takes a few days to unlock but it’s easy to do so once you unlock the able sisters you gain more in-game features., One of these features is the return of pattern design and custom content designs. This can also be done via your Nook phone.

Some background information about the Able Sisters clothing shop. The shop is owned and ran by two sisters Sable and Mable otherwise known as the able sisters. The store was run and owned by their parents before they had inherited it after their parents had suffered a fatal sewing accident. Sable inherited the store and also takes care of her younger sister Mabel.

Designs:

Let’s talk about Designs! after unlocking the Able Sisters clothing store in New Horizons you’ll have access to the design kiosk which can be accessed via the Able Sisters store. Designs are player-created patterns that allow the player to create customizable objects that best suit their needs in the game. This can be clothing, headgear, umbrellas, paintings, wallpaper, flooring, and outside paths and landscaping.

PRO Designs:

A PRO design is considered to be a more advanced design. Unlike regular designs, the PRO designs have the pattern on the reverse and obverse on the clothing which means the player can customize the front, back, and each sleeve. PRO designs take up one pattern slot and just like normal patterns can be displayed and used through the Able Sisters store.

Sharing Designs:

When the player first uses the Custom Designs Kiosk in the back of the Able Sisters store once the store is unlocked. They’re assigned a creator code, which can be shared and used by other players to find all of the code owner’s designs. Individual designs are also assigned a unique code when posted. Using this feature requires you to have an active Nintendo Online subscription which is one of the cheapest subscriptions I’ve ever paid for a video game console subscription to use multiplayer features in games. Highly recommend buying if you haven’t already.

Currently from what I’m aware of these are all of the shops you unlock early in the game. I’m sure there are more but as I continue to play I’ll continue to update this post for everyone to keep the data relevant.

Crafting:

In New Horizons they’ve introduced a new game-specific modification. Crafting! this is so different, new, and yet exciting for an Animal Crossing game and this is the first time something like this has ever been seen in the franchise. Crafting in the game can be used to make tools, furniture, and other various items in the game. Crafting is done through DIY Recipes. Your island has a huge flow of natural resources to craft with that can be used to make tools consistently. Trust me you’ll be crafting tools way more than anything else. In this game, your tools get worn out a break after a while of use except for the vaulting pole that has yet to break for me since I’ve made it. This is a nice sense of false security since all of my other tools break consistently. Below are the steps for crafting as explained by the official Animal Crossing New Horizons website.

Lean DIY Recipes: Learn recipes as you go about your day and participate in island activities to obtain them. One way I’ve obtained them through my island is they wash up in little jars with a message. You can get once a day by this.

Gather Materials: The island is abundant in resources such as tree branches, stones, and even weeds.

Visit Tom Nook’s Workbench: With the right materials you need to complete a recipe you just bring them to the workbench click the item you want to make and you’re on your merry way.

And you saw it here folks! it’s as easy as 1,2,3 it’s not super complicated and gives you something to do if you start getting bored in the game. You can obtain crafting resources on Mystery Island Tours as well so clear out those islands of their resources and stock them away for a rainy day.

Overall Conclusion:

Overall, Animal Crossing New Horizons brings to the table something for everyone to enjoy. From crafting, to decorating, relaxing, and talking to your friendly neighborhood animals it’s hard to get bored on the island unless you have completed everything in the one full cycle of a day on your game. Gathering resources takes me about 3 hours to get wood and branches from all of the trees. That’s just one round of shaking trees for branches I’ve notices on my own that the branches respawn so if you wanted you could do that all day long. The crafting is a nice change and adds some challenge to the game. Also, being able to decorate and place items anywhere you please on your island is so. nice when it comes to customization it almost turns this game into an open world creative sandbox. This is something I love in my experience playing. Do I think it’s worth it in my personal opinion? yes and no I think it’s worth trying out and you get a lot of hours of gameplay per day. However, the reason I say no is because based on an opinion if your not someone into a go with the flow not following a full storyline game and want more of an up paced environment this probably won’t be the game for you. If you’re looking for something relaxing that’s a great time waster go for it!

[thefeelingofdetachment]

Meth Heads

I was drunk on for too long, and high on pills; but they weren't doing anything for me any more, so I had an urge to get higher. I tried black tar heroin before, and it basically made me feel better than opiate pills. I did these drugs, because I don't feel mentally ill while on them. I also feel social, and charming. In the back of my head I realized I was making poor decisions; however I've been suicidal for a long time, so if I fuck up, and die - I really didn't care. I decided to call my homeless friend James, who just came back from living in Mexico. He was smoking meth in Mexico with his gf who he was abusing. He told me she was a "bitch" who wouldn't allow him to watch too much television, and complained that he didn't work whenever when arrived home from work. In anger he would lock her outside, and laugh maniacally, telling her to wait outside until morning. James receives social security disability for schizophrenia. He had good tastes in music, and video games, so I thought I could relate to him. I also have schizophrenia, so I thought that could possibly be another relation. I was completely wrong. In order to find black tar I had too get on a bus, and meet him in downtown Sacramento. I took a bunch of gabapentin in order to have confidence outside, because I rarely go outside, and get nervous in public often. As I was waiting for the bus young teenagers approached me and asked me for cigarettes. Teenagers in my neighborhood often ask older people in their 20s to buy them cigarettes, or black and mild/swishers in order to smoke blunts. I told them to "fuck off." As I sat on the bus I felt nervous, so I sat in the very back observing everyone. There were some students staring at their phones, and another guy yelling on his phone about something. For some reason in poor neighborhoods, people yelling on their phones is a common occurrence, so I just ignored it. The pills started to kick on when I got off the bus. I took a lite rail to James' location. the lite rail was mostly black people with headphones, which relaxed me, because I knew nobody would try to have a conversation with me. When I arrived. I smile, and walked around with James. I asked him "If we can't get tar, do you know if we can get some crystal?" He said, "Yeah fsho." We ended up talking to several sketchy people about finding drugs. Mostly homeless people who smelled bad - with bad teeth. I really didn't feel nervous, because I was high as fuck, and kind of felt sympathetic, because I knew they were as crazy as I was. I just had a home. One black guy thought I was selling meth, so he kept following us, and smiling, asking "You got that good clear, nigga?" I said, "nah man, we ain't sellin' we're lookin," but he kept following us. James sort of just laughed maniacally, as he usually does, and asked if he could get a burger. We went to a burger place, and ate. The man stopped following us after that. At the burger place we discussed how people are fucked up, and avoid you if you have a mental illness. I thought this was true, but people were probably just avoiding us, because we were crazy, and on drugs. After eating I was getting disappointed that we couldn't find any drugs. We found out from one person we could get tar at a motel but it was in a sketchy hotel full of prostitutes and meth heads, and we just wanted to get it without having to knock on doors. I realized My dog was still at home, and might need to piss or shit. We went to take the lite rail, but there was a bomb threat, and it no trains were available. We took an uber to my place. We told the uber driver that there was a bomb threat. He didn't say anything. He was probably pissed that he just picked up two looking-homeless dudes who smelled like weed, cigarettes, and alcohol. We didn't tip him. At my place James and I decided to play Donkey Kong Country for Super Nintendo. One of my favorite things to do in life is to play video games with friends. It takes me back to when I was a child, and before traumatic things occurred. He fell asleep while playing. The next day James went to the liquor store. I took some more pills. He came back, and said, "Hey I found a dude who can give us some tar and dope," so I gave him some money, content that I was going to feel euphoric once again. James left, but came back with a shirtless homeless dude. "He wants to smoke it with us, can he come in?" but before I can say anything they both walked into my apartment. I felt like denying it, but I was high, irrational, suicidal, and wanted to feel good instead of constantly depressed. I was obviously not making the best decisions. Once the homeless man entered my home He said, "Thank you for having me in your home. That's a blessing." Then he started to speak in Hawaiian. I recognized it, because I am part Hawaiian. I told him "Hey, my grandmother was Hawaiian, and Japanese." He replied. "I'm Hawaiian, and Japanese - that means we're brothers - my names is Keiko." We started to smoke crystal, and once I took a hit, Immediately felt my whole body turn numb, and euphoria rising. I proclaimed out loud. "Wooooooo I feel good." Keiko laughed, and so did James with his maniac laugh. He insisted on smoking more, even though I felt like I was done. Keiko started talking about how God lives through him, and God is everywhere and everything. I didn't believe in what he was saying, because I couldn't imagine God living through us while smoking crystal in a trashy apartment. He then started talking about jail, and how scary it was. He took out a long screwdriver, saying he needs to protect himself while homeless. We smoked more, and I started feeling incredibly stupid and forgetful. He told us that he texted a guy, and that we could get tar, so he ordered me to follow him outside to get it. He took his bike, and rode off. I took my bike, and started to ride, but fell several times, because I was fucked up; so I ran to catch up with him. I reached the street, and couldn't see him anywhere. So I just stood their gazing at different locations. I smiled at a woman, and she frowned at me. I finally saw Keiko on his bike coming back, so I followed him when we reached my apartment. He was incredibly pissed. "Never look fucking suspicious outside while looking for drugs. Why the fuck were you looking around? Do you not fucking trust me?" I frowned, and was tired from running. "Why the fuck do you look like that? You don't fucking trust me. I'll fucking take your money, and drugs, and fucking leave you guys behind. The dealer said never buy tar near your own home you fucking idiot." I should have told him to just leave, because he was obviously paranoid, and crazy, but I exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I'm just new to this, and was looking for you. I thought you wanted me to come with you to the deal, because you said go outside. I trust you. I would have just stayed inside, and waited, if I knew that you wanted me to just chill." This didn't seem to convince him, but I told him, "Hey let's smoke more." and this seemed to calm him down. He kept yelling at me inside, so James started to yell at him, saying that I'm new to this, and is always alone, never hanging out with people. He finally calmed down after smoking a cigarette, and another hit of crystal. He told me Hawaiian people wouldn't like me, because I don't make eye contact, and I'm not social. I told him "I'm social on drugs." He kept giving me more, even though I knew I had enough. I suddenly started to feel happy, and child-like. I asked him. "Have you ever been married?" He became angry, and responded. "What? Are you fucking gay?" I said, "No, I'm not gay." He said. "I'm pretty sure you're fucking gay." I replied honestly, and said, "I was bicurious once, and fucked a thai dude, but I've been with a lot of women." He sort of misunderstood, and said, "If you're bisexual, then suck this dick." I told him, "I don't suck dick. I think it's degrading." He replied "I'm pretty sure you want to suck my dick." At this point I wanted him to leave, but realized he had a weapon, and that would be problematic. We smoked more, and he kept talking about women, and pussy. He suggested to bring some prostitutes over. I was so high out of my mind that I was okay with it. I said, "no white women." then he replied again, "Are you fucking gay?" irritably, and I said, "no I just dislike them." He took out his phone, and showed me a picture of his hard dick, then asked, "Do you want to suck this dick?" I just looked at it disinterested, then took out a phone, and showed him my dick, which was significantly bigger. He suddenly was less confident after showing him the picture. He decided to show me how throw punches. I threw punches, but kept missing his open hands, because I was too high. He made me smoke more, and I started feeling insane/happy/paranoid/confident simultaneously. I gave him some weed, and he said, "Since I'm giving you tar and shit, I'm taking a bunch of this weed for the dealer." He dumped my jar out and took it. I wanted to protest, but once again realized I'm too high to defend myself, and he has a weapon. He then suggested a massage. We went into my room, and he told me take off your shirt. I lied down on the floor, and he started to massage me. He actually got rid of a lot of knots, but I was afraid he was going to rape me. This whole time James was just in the living room staring at his phone, playing a video game, and laughing maniacally. "My turn." I started to massage him for a few minutes, but I said, "This is really fucking weird, and making me uncomfortable." He complied, and stopped. So he started to watch porn on my computer. I showed him some of my favorite porn actresses, but then I realized this might make him horny, so I went to back to the living room, where James was sitting doing nothing. We smoked more, and I knew I was high out of my mind, because I started shaking uncontrollably. I realized I lost my weed pipe, and started looking for it everywhere. Making a mess of the whole apartment. Keiko yelled at me saying, "You're fucking tweakin. I didn't steal your pipe." I wasn't thinking he did, but I started to think he did, since he said that. "Why are you shaking so much? You don't fucking trust me.?" James yelled, "because you gave him too much fucking meth," and started laughing. I told Keiko he can have food, and basketball shorts, and this seemed to calm him. He showed me the food he cooked. Japanese noodles, and a full can of Spam. he ate the whole thing, then said, "because you're a fuck up, you don't deserve these good drugs." So he took a bunch of the tar, and went to the bathroom to shoot up most of it. While he was in the bathroom I grabbed my ps4, and the rest of the heroin, and hid it somewhere, but forgot where I hid it. Once he was out of the bathroom, he told me, "I'm leaving to get some bitches. Fuck you guys." but then he whispered to me, "Can you fuck me with your big dick?" I stopped shaking,and calmly replied, "No." He left. Once he left I started complaining to James how I wanted to just do drugs with him, and get no on else involved. James said. "I thought you liked him. Especially when I heard porn playing." I told him I was just playing along. James just laughed, then I realized he was also laughing when Keiko wanted me to suck his dick. I started looking for the heroin, and ps4 to calm down, but I yelled "I think he stole the heroin and my ps4!" James said "Oh wtf fuck that guy" I kept looking, and made a mess of the apartment. I found the tar, and smoked it with James to calm down. I calmed down after smoking, but then became incredibly nauseous. My dad arrived home from his vacation, and saw the apartment a complete mess. He called my name, and saw that I was high out of my mind. He looked like he was going to cry, and instead of yelling he just said, "please don't do this again." He used to smoke meth, so he was actually sympathetic to my situation. I was in bed for six straight days sick. Mostly dry-heaving, and throwing up bile. My father kicked James out of the apartment, and told him to never come back. This event really affected me. It was pretty much my fault, because of being incredibly stupid. I'm paranoid, and anxious of men now. I bought pepper spray, and barricaded my front window, just in case he came back to steal something. I found my pipe and ps4 a month later. The only thing he stole was weed, and money I now have nightmares of smoking meth with new, crazy people, and when I awake I'm sweating, and feel like I'm still high on it. Sometimes I still want to smoke those drugs to feel euphoria from the ptsd due to those drugs, which is ironic. The only thing I learned is that I somehow brought hell into my home, and that morality may be real because I was so afraid. The nihilist in me has slowly died.

[qvestchen]

Nemesis // Soonwoo SVT

Summary: It was really laughable. The idea that Jeon Wonwoo had a nemesis. And yet there it was. The clear proof that all his life, like a nagging dull ache, Kwon Soonyoung had stepped all over his plans without ever really acknowledging him.

And maybe it was wrong for Wonwoo to seek him out but all he wanted was answers at first. He had never imagined they would stand opposite each other, fingers on triggers, his death in his nemesis’s hands and vice-versa.

Author: qvestchen

Status: Ongoing

Chapters: Home, Previous, Next.

Nemesis // Soonwoo SVT

Chapter 1:  It was a surrealist meme

Wonwoo looked at the schedule in his hand and scanned the corridor. His eyes found Room No. 67 and he walked to the glass doors with only a slight urgency of purpose being betrayed in his quick steps. He cursed under his breath as the door swung outside nearly crashing against his face. Whoever it was, didn't even see him, choosing instead to continue on their way without a care in the world, happily talking on the phone.

He slunk into the department room, nodding to the man sitting on the small desk that served as a reception counter. "I have come to register myself for the 3 p.m. 'Introduction to Persian Language and Culture' course." He placed a copy of his college ID and registration form on the desk.

"The course is closed," the man responded without even looking up from computer screen.

"But—" Wonwoo began.

The man threw a sheet towards him. "The last spot just got filled."

Wonwoo made a face, eyes dully scanning the sheet. His eyes stopped at the last name, widening in recognition.

Kwon Soonyoung.

His gaze flitted to the doorway. He asked, "Wait, the person who signed...t-this Kwon Soonyoung...was he the one who just left?"

The receptionist looked at him with a grimace. "Yes, and he was damn polite unlike you. Now, can I get my work do—?"

But Wonwoo was already rushing out of the small, air-conditioned room. His footsteps rang across the empty corridor. He looked right and left and followed a flight of stairs down and found himself in the ringing din of the English and Chinese language departments, a sharp contrast to the dusty, quiet floor above. People brushed past, someone knocking against his shoulder while he wildly looked for a sign, anything that he could zero in and recognize, something for him to pin the mystery of his life with.

The scattered conversations crawled at the nape of his neck as he strained to catch the words.

--I didn't mean to—Have you seen—wait up, you f—I can't believe I'm still—Shakespeare probably didn't even—she doesn't love me—are you free on—I flunked Chinese last time so—there can only be—save me from Proffess—which elective are—do you think the comeback—bro, the course is overflowing—are you coming to the party on Friday—we should start making the club flyers th—

"Wonwoo? Wonwoo?"

Wonwoo turned around realizing the weight of a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you really spacing out in the corridor?"

Wonwoo made a face at his friend. "What are you doing here, Mingyu?"

"I came to sign up for my Literature elective but what are you doing here?" the other boy asked, all smiles and mischievous eyes.

"I came to sign up for my Persian elective," Wonwoo said, gesturing Mingyu to walk beside him.

Mingyu laughed his characteristic barking laugh and Wonwoo could see a couple of students stop and stare with intrigue in their eyes. This happened a lot when he was with his friend. Kim Mingyu excited interest everywhere he went. His tall frame and impeccable fashion made him stick out but his warm smile and constant chatter made him endearing. Everyone wanted to befriend him. Many wanted to date him and would have no doubt tried to make a move but since Mingyu mostly hung out with Wonwoo and his snarky aura, Mingyu was bordering on unapproachable.

"That's on the floor above," Mingyu said, still laughing. "I can't believe you've spent a semester here and yet behave like you know nothing."

"I went there. The registrations are full so it was a bummer and then I..." He trailed off, looking around one last time.

"And you decided to come find me? Aww, I knew you had a thing for me." Mingyu joked, eyes twinkling. "But, sorry, Wonwoo, I don't have any plans for a relationship right now. You know how tough it is for college-going people—Ouch, don't hit me!"

"I wish we hadn't met last semester. I can't seem to get rid of you," Wonwoo said, pushing him with his shoulder.

Mingyu grinned. He knew his words didn't have any bite. They were best of friends and even though people always felt Mingyu was never in shortage of friends, it was him who depended on Wonwoo more. He was grateful for their little circle of friends.

Wonwoo added a bit wistfully. "I thought I saw someone."

"Oh, wait a sec, this is my department. I'll drop in and be back. Wait for me."

Wonwoo nodded, taking out his Nintendo and was about to log on to a game when his phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from Seokmin.

Pizzamin: Hey, come to the cafeteria asap

If you spot Mingyu or Minghao, get them too

They never reply to the gc

A very small smile made its way across Wonwoo's features. He began to reply.

Wonwoollen: It's because you and Seungkwan spam the gc with weird stuff

Pizzamin: They're memes

Wonwoollen: It was an hour long video of just you saying "are you ready" and Seungkwan replying "I'm ready" last night

Pizzamin: It was a surrealist meme

The drama club president Hoshi loved it

Hoshi is cool, he helped make it

Hoshi. It was a new name but Wonwoo had already heard it repeatedly in glowing terms on a frequent basis at their cafeteria table ever since the new semester had started. Some 'angel' had descended on to the nearly defunct drama club last semester and over the course of the semester transformed it into one of the top clubs in the university this semester. Seokmin and Seungkwan who had just joined the club, now idolized the said 'angel'.

Pizzamin: Anyway, get everyone

I made a new friend

You all should meet him and make him feel welcome

Wonwoo couldn't resist an eye-roll. As much as he adored his friends, Seokmin had a habit of making a new friend every now and then and Wonwoo who was comfortable with sitting alone, found their friends circle increasing at an alarming rate. When he had come to the university last semester, he had totally imagined himself being a certified loner who could just sit back and watch life unfold in front him. Instead, he got adopted by Mingyu and Seokmin.

Wonwoollen: I'll bring Mingyu

Pizzamin: Hansol found Minghao so be here quick

Also, buy me a music notebook from the store since it's on the way

Mingyu emerged from the office, smiling, slightly red, and stuffing a small chit of paper in his pocket.

It was now Wonwoo's turn to tease. "Let me guess, someone gave you their number?"

Mingyu blushed harder. "It's not what you're thinking. She said just in case I find the elective tough later."

"Yeah, right."

"So," Mingyu said, changing the subject, "whom did you see? Was it someone pretty?"

"No, no. It was just...someone...I don't know, I thought it was someone I keep meeting but not really meeting. It's weird."

Mingyu looked at him shrewdly. "Wonwoo, I think you have a crush. It happens to the best of us. You needn't be shy about it. Minghao and I, we can help you with the wardrobe and Seokmin can give you some nice jokes so your dark personality doesn't come to the fore."

Wonwoo scoffed. "Thanks, but it's not a crush and I love my personality the way it is."

"Sure, whatever you say."

They bickered all the way till the cafeteria, even making a stop for Seokmin's precious notebook collection, where they were hailed by their friends.

Seungkwan shouted. "Last one to the table has to buy cupcakes for everyone."

It was totally stupid and there was no need to race across the cafeteria for those tasteless cupcakes but Wonwoo found himself laughing aloud as he pushed Mingyu sideways and ran forward. Their friends cheered for them. Moments like these he totally forgot the little puzzle in his brain, the strange feeling that there was someone out there whom he kept meeting but only side-stepping, he forgot his fears, he forgot details of this other person he didn't remember in full—the back of the head, the swing of the shoulder, a fraction of a cheek, the turn of the ears, the confident walk, the angle of the shoulders and that one time he had seen a quarter of a smile—he forgot all these little incomplete bits of the puzzle, he even forgot momentarily the name he tried to never forgot. Kwon Soonyoung. Whoever he might be, wherever he might be. Wonwoo didn't care. He didn't want to see the big picture. He just wanted to go on living this simple life where he was racing Mingyu to get out of buying some cupcakes.

He laughed at Mingyu who clutched his side, grumbling and coming in last.

Seokmin called their attention after everyone sat down on the table. "Alright, alright, now that we have shown our worst side, here is my new friend Yoon Jeonghan. He's a History major, just like you Wonwoo."

Wonwoo's heart was thundering after the run to the table but as he looked back at Yoon Jeonghan and his easy, lazy smile, he felt a cold hand clutch at his throat. His eyes never left the newcomer who introduced himself to everyone in a comfortable, suave manner.

Jeonghan had blonde hair that was brushed immaculately in place, every strand glittering with every movement of his head. His eyes were lazy and then suddenly watchful and a slight smirk never left his sharp, angular face. He looked at you as if he knew everything about you, as if he knew you better than you yourself, and Wonwoo who led a quiet, private life felt unnerved.

"Absolutely lovely to meet you, Wonwoo. I look forward to studying History with you. I hope we can be the best of friends," Jeonghan said, his tone affectionate and sinister at the same time, as if they had known each other since ages.

Wonwoo's hands were clammy in the handshake and he wordlessly nodded, trying to retract his hand.

Thankfully, Minghao intervened. "Wonwoo's a bit shy around strangers."

"Oh," Jeonghan said and withdrew from the handshake. "I'm sorry. I can be quite awkward myself."

"It's alright," Wonwoo replied, feeling a bit embarrassed at already judging the newcomer who seemed genuinely apologetic. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Talking about strangers," Seokmin said. "I think someone has a crush on our Wonwoo."

"Oh, you have to hear this," Hansol said.

Seokmin said, "The two of us were just sitting here and discussing our electives and Hansol happened to mention that you decided to go for not-so-popular Intro to Persian because it's really easy and scoring and not many people turn up for it and—" He started laughing.

"And," Hansol continued, with a smile, "this guy on the table beside us literally screamed WHAT and fell out of his chair. Seokmin here goes, 'Oh our friend, Wonwoo, went to sign up for the Persian elective because it's easy' but the man just bolted. He probably wanted to be in your class real bad. People these days."

"No way," Mingyu said, laughing now too.

"Shut up," Wonwoo said, making an unimpressed face. "You're making this up."

"Who was it?" Seungkwan asked, totally interested. "This is amazing."

Seokmin looked around the cafeteria. "He hangs around our table a lot. I'm sure you've seen him—Oh, there he is. His name is...uh, Joshua, I think? Yeah, he's Joshua."

Later, it was with stubborn determination that Wonwoo would explain to everyone that he had only looked out of pure human curiosity, the kind that makes people look up when an airplane flies by and nothing more.

Joshua Hong entered the cafeteria looking frantically around as if he had lost something important.

The fact that their whole table was looking at him was enough to alert him to their gaze. Wonwoo (out of pure human curiosity) watched with an expressionless face as Joshua's eyes widened as he caught sight of something beyond Wonwoo. Wonwoo turned around to see what it was and it surprised him when he saw that it was Jeonghan and Joshua in a staring contest. The rest of the table needn't have existed.

Jeonghan didn't drop his gaze and raised an eyebrow as if in a challenge. Whatever it was, Joshua seemed to understand. He turned around and left the cafeteria.

Opposite Wonwoo, Minghao had caught the strange interaction too. Both of them looked away quickly, knowing that it was something they would discuss later.

"Well, that was weird. I'm going to go to my room and finish the last level of my game. Get me a cupcake, Mingyu," Wonwoo said with a yawn.

Jeonghan raised a hand, putting his phone to his ear. "Just a sec. This is important," he said to everyone. He spoke into the phone, "Hello, Soonyoung?"

hello! this is our first seventeen story on here :)

hope you'll enjoy it. please keep on supporting this fic, soonwoo and svt  xx 

[agentsofmarvel]

My Peculiar Children Headcannons!

jacob:

- favorite class in school is history.

- his idea of "dressing fancy" is a button down polo and sperry's.

- broke his arm when he was seven from jumping off a play set in his backyard while "running away from the monsters".

- gets super whiny and affectionate when he's sick. he will cry for emma or miss. peregrine 24/7.

- has insomnia and has horrible nightmares of his grandfather, wights, and hollows.

emma:

- before the loop, she loved drawing and spending time with her little sister julia.

- takes up photography and wants to do something with photojournalism when she's older.

- her favorite movie is "to all the boys i've loved before" and anything she can find on Netflix.

- after playing around on the beach with a volleyball, she found out she's really good. jacob signed her up for a team immediately.

- her modern day fashion is the Aeropostale / Hollister style.

bronwyn:

- she is ecstatic about all the women's rights movements and how young people are trying to make a difference.

- the peculiars thought she would be good at american football, but she didn't like using her peculiarity to push people around, so she's doing flag football.

- she wants to be a elementary teacher or do something with children when she's older.

- barely uses modern technology. she's happy with a normal, everyday book or a board game.

- she would much rather watch children's movies than teen and adult movies.

millard:

- discovered harry potter and he is in love. he is 100% ravenclaw and proud.

- he also loves fantasy/fiction books like percy jackson and hunger games.

- still communicates [ and has a major crush ] with lily from AMOD.

- loves having fun and asking random questions to Siri and Alexa. he will google deep dive for hours.

- that Barnes & Noble cozy, book and coffee loving aesthetic.

hugh:

- wearer of large hoodies [ preferably yellow ] and yellow and black fuzzy socks. he probably owns a pair of clout goggles too darn it.

- quiet, sad, and distant ever since the loss of fiona. but he's starting to open up and talk to the others more.

- likes Nintendo games like Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart and can get pretty competitive.

- owner of many many many succulents. they are all over his and jacob's shared room.

- he freaks when he hears about the declining bee population and does whatever he can to help.

enoch:

- jacob introduced him to panic! at the disco, fall out boy, and my chemical romance. he freaks out whenever someone plays the first key of "welcome to the black parade".

- wears the "normal people scare me" shirt all the time. other than that, he has a black hoodie that's two sizes too big.

- he loves stores like hot topic and will buy everything if miss. peregrine doesn't stop him.

- will not admit this to anyone, but he secretly watches Dan Howell all the time.

- likes those murder mystery shows that come on in the middle of the night.

horace:

- completely and absolutely disgusted by modern day fashion. however, he watches shows like "project runway" and award shows to see celebrities outfits.

- also hates modern day junk food. like with pizza in AMOD, he hates anything greasy or too fattening.

- he does like memory foam pillows and comfy blankets. they help him with the nightmares.

- likes cats better than dogs and tea better than coffee.

- the kind of person that starts something with so much enthusiasm and gives up after something doesn't go his way.

olive:

- my little disney loving princess. her favorites are merida and mulan because they are brave and don't need any man to help them.

- wears mismatched clothes and bright colors to match her personality.

- absolutely loves school. she loves making all new friends and school lunches are great! [ she doesn't understand why so many kids find it gross ]

- wants to do dance and gymnastics, but can't due to her shoes, which really upsets her.

- watches those toy opening videos on youtube and wants to start her own channel.

claire:

- she freaking adores my little pony and wants to own every piece of hasbro merchandise ever created.

- adorable little pink and white aesthetic that makes her look sweet and innocent, but if you cross her.....

- her favorite modern day food is Mac and Cheese [ which is too hard to eat with her back mouth so she doesn't use it ]

- doesn't like school as much as olive. she would rather stay home and read with bronwyn.

- has taken up soccer and is actually pretty good. she looks adorable in her oversized uniform.

fiona: [ she's still alive! ]

- really upset about pollution and global warming and will try to help in any way possible.

- likes to wear jean overalls over random t-shirts because she doesn't care if they get dirty

- started a gardening club at school that her & hugh run and she loves it!

- started to tie her hair up more into things like pigtail braids or buns. hugh loves putting little flowers too and she'll leave them there forever.

- can actually sing pretty good, but is too afraid to ever sing in front of anyone. she's sung once before to hugh and that's it.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #274

“now i can hear the marching feet / they’re moving into the street”

What color was the last swimsuit you wore? I only have a black one. Is your dream job attainable? I mean define “dream job.” I’d ideally be a meerkat biologist if I was willing to live in Africa and could handle even mild heat, but I can’t/won’t do either of those, so it’s not obtainable to me. I’d also love to be a paleontologist if I could travel and handle heat once more, but again, I can’t. My only *attainable* dream job is being a photographer, which I am aiming for. I’d LIKE to focus on nature/wildlife photography, but that’s unlikely to be able to support me, so. Do you have to go to school or work tomorrow? N/A Have you slept for longer than usual today? Yes, but only because of my nightmares. I tend to take at least two (though sometimes one) hour-long naps during the day because if I wake up once during the night, as I usually do, I’m fucked because I’m very likely to have an intense nightmare. It seems like the medicine I’m on wears off with consciousness, I guess. I only allow myself to sleep an hour at daytime because my mother has noticed if I have a nightmare, it’s usually no earlier than one hour into sleep. Even then I still have them occasionally. Have you ever taken classes for a musical instrument? Recorder in elementary school was necessary for whatever stupid reason, and then I played the flute for years. Out of school, I took guitar lessons for a while. I got semi-decent (at best I could do the intro to “Crazy Train” at normal speed, I think), but it didn’t last because it was annoying/time-consuming to build up the calluses that make playing painless, I was really bad at overthinking where my fingers were, and I just wasn’t invested quite enough. I’ll tell you, it gave me mad respect for guitarists, that shit isn’t easy by any means. Have you ever been on vacation with someone other than your family? Yes, though it was brief. I was a kid (okay, pre-teen, w/e) still in my separation anxiety from Mom phase and it was literally because of me we had to go home. I still feel shitty about it, though no one seemed upset at me. How old do you think you’ll be when you move out on your own? Who the fuck even knows anymore. Do you have a job? If so, where do you work? If not, do you want one? No; N/A; yes ultimately but no at the current moment because I have to keep watch over Mom. If you wear make-up, which brand of foundation/powder do you use? N/A Would you call yourself a “people” person? Nope. What is one change you need to make in your life this month? Just one??? What’s been tugging on your heart lately? My PTSD plus self-image has been very, very bad. What is the last thing you did that made you feel guilty? Mom had to clean up my cat’s projectile vomit even though she’s supposed to stay away from this kinda stuff through chemo. I literally cannot fucking touch vomit, never mind what came out of him that night. I felt like absolute fucking shit and I still do because WOW I’m a great adult right!! Do you have any physical traits that are bothering you lately? Like, everything. What kind of dog is your favorite? I’m biased to beagles. What was the last thing you received in the mail? A book. What is the last thing you wrote? Like, physically? My signature at the doctor’s office. Do you still care about the person you first kissed? Way fucking more than I should. Do you require a lot of private time? Definitely more than most people. Do you have any songs currently stuck in your head? I haven’t listened to it in forever for ~reasons~, yet “The Mortician’s Daughter” is stuck in my head badly and really needs to fuck off. What was the last song you downloaded? I dunno, I went on a download binge a while back. Have you ever read a really funny book? I remember at least one. “Bite Me” by IDR-Who. Some vampire satire. Have you ever done something humiliating while drunk? Never reached the point of being drunk. How would you react if your celebrity crush came to your door? fuckin YIKES I am NOT attractive rn go away Has your mom/dad ever walked in on you kissing or anything more with someone? HAHA my mom has always had the decency to knock, not so much his mom a;lwkejrewoei but the answer’s still no. What electronics are in your room? (DVD player, CD player, etc) This laptop, my phone, a Nintendo DS, my iPod… Do you have a box anywhere with special items you'll to keep forever in it? Yes, actually. Grew up calling them “treasure boxes.” Do you have any pictures of yourself on your bedroom walls? Lol no, I’d definitely prefer to not see myself as much as I can. That sounds melodramatic, but I’m being serious. It either depresses me or makes me angry. Does your dad collect anything? The Cleveland Browns’ football team stuff, for one. Maybe Carolina Hurricane stuff, too? Idk. I don’t live with him and don’t go in his “man cave” at his house often ha ha. What's better, a desktop or laptop? Explain. A laptop. Portable; that’s all the explanation ya really need. Do your parents still hide chocolate eggs around on Easter for you? Nah. What do you typically do on Easter Day? We go to my sister’s house to watch the kids do their egg hunting and open their gifts, then we usually go to Ashley’s in-laws’ for dinner. Is there anyone you literally need to exist? Apparently not. Thought so. Never let yourself into that state of mind. What would you prefer to get from a guy/girl: flowers, a hand-written poem, a picture he drew of you or a nice night out? Oh, a hand-written poem would wreck me, yeesh. Or a drawing. But any would be very sweet. Do you remember why you made the last mistake you did? I don’t know the most recent mistake, but probably because I’m just in general a terrified person who second-guesses or overanalyzes everything. Did you check how many calories the last thing you ate had? Yes. I’m back on my calorie-counting obsession again. Are your nails long or short? Short, always. I can’t keep them long. What is your favorite kind of cookie? Just the ordinary chocolate chip is fine. What was the last compliment you received? I don’t know. Who will be the next person you kiss? I normally delete this question because the answer should be so obvious, but I feel like just pointing it out that no one fucking knows who they’re gonna kiss next. It’s a dangerous mindset. Don’t make assumptions about what you’ll have even tomorrow. Have you ever made your own icon? Yeah, on many sites. They’re just about always just edits, though, not truly original work. What color is your computer mouse? It’s black. Have you ever been sung to on your birthday in a restaurant? Yes. Do you like black olives? I don’t like olives period. Do you actually think there will be a zombie apocolypse? Personally, no. I do think it’s scientifically possible, we already see this in insects, but I just don’t imagine it happening to humans before we’re our own downfall. Do you like the person you’ve become over the past years? Fuck no. Have you ever gone to church just to get a significant other? … No…? Have you ever punched a wall out of complete anger? No, that shit is terrifying. Are you really ticklish? YES don’t fucking touch me. How do you decide what you're going to eat each day? I just follow what I’m craving that day. How are you similar to your siblings? Different? Compared to Ashley and Nicole at least, I can’t think of any real similarities off the top of my head. They’re intelligent, motivated, outgoing, successful, yada yada, then there’s me. What's your favorite type of non-fiction literature? Autobiographies by people I’m actually interested in. Do you believe in souls? Soulmates? Souls, absolutely. Soulmates, no. It’s fairytale ideation to think your soul has a perfect match with another, hate to break it to ya. Favorite soundtrack? BITCH don’t make me choose between Shadow of the Colossus and Silent Hill 2. Fucking masterpieces. Pianos or guitars? *shrugs* Depends on the music and my mood. Did an animal ever bite you? Never seriously. How many languages do you speak? Only English fluently. I’m poor at German by now. Wiggly worms or bumble bees? Worms gross me out, bees are Good Boys. Religion? I don’t really identify with any. I just believe there’s some form of ultimate intelligence and essences beyond just the body, and that’s all I even pretend to know. Fog, thunder, or rain? Fog gives me that Silent Hill Vibe *Italian kiss* What regret keeps coming back to haunt you daily? The way I treated Jason after the breakup. If you could cure yourself of one allergy, what would it be? Damn pollen. Do you know anyone else with your name? Yeah. What would you be most afraid of happening if you were to visit Africa? Viruses or botflies. Where are you tempted to move to sometimes? I very legitimately want to live in Canada by now, but I won’t because I’m not moving that far from family. Who seems like they have the perfect life? I try not to make that assumption of anyone. Do you ever take pictures of negative moments? Does taking pictures of roadkill count???? lmao probably Do you think it would be a good idea to post photos of negative moments as well as positive? Well… I guess it depends. Like ngl, the pictures some people share of them having panic attacks to just show how fucking real they are definitely touch you, as do those depicting poverty, etc., BUT I really do think there are limits and also differences in motivations. What time zone are you in? EST. Would you ever post a picture of yourself crying on social media? Wow, speaking of. No. ^Why or why not? I am an UGLY cry-er, my man. But I also just don’t want people to see that, and it’s definitely not on my mind to take a picture during a breakdown. What was the last thing you cried about? My life. Have you ever held a newborn baby? Yes. Do you know anyone who has twins? Yes. Where do you buy calendars from? I don’t. Do you shop at the dollar store often? Not *often*, but we’ll stop by for a snack or something sometimes. Are you following in the career path of any family members? No. Do you feel you missed out on a lot as a kid? I guess in some ways. Who was that best friend you ever had? Sara. What color is your laptop? Black. What are five careers you think you’d be good at? My work history has shown I can’t do shit right. Are you thriving in your life right now? lmao no one is in 2020. Who do you have moral support from? My family, doctor, and a few friends. Who encourages you to go after your dreams? The same as above. Do you have people in your family who want you dead? Wow, I hope not. Do you have a walk-in closet? No, but my room at the new house will. :’) Not that I need one, it’s just pretty cool. How do you feel about people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos having so much power and control in the world? Do you believe that any one person should have so much power? Let’s be real, in our current world, money is power, and no one should have that much control of the world, especially if your intentions are bad. NOW I don’t know jack shit about any of those are far as morals go, but just saying. It’s dangerous. Has your anxiety alone ever prevented you from doing something you wanted to do? This is ACTUALLY the story of my fucking life. Do you enjoy reading stories and novels that are heavily stylistic, poetic, or unconventional or do you prefer your prose to follow a familiar grammatical structure? Okay, I LOVE those, like Johnny Got His Gun and The Handmaid’s Tale that’s kinda like, run-on writing. Just letting a train of thought go. Those are two of the most powerful books I’ve ever read and they’re both written in a unique fashion. Have you ever fallen for any sort of Internet-based hoax? (e.g., fake celeb death, satire news article…) I’m sure at some point, especially as a kid. Do you tend to read reviews before you watch a movie or read a book? What do you hope to get out of doing so? NO. I don’t wanna have any precognition. When you go to a concert, how far must you travel for the most usual venues you visit? Most are on the other end of the state, and NC is long, so. We’re lucky if they come to Raleigh. Do you rent movies frequently? I never do, really. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Take pictures or swim. What’s your favorite meal to cook? I don’t cook. What movie has been taken WAY too far, as far as sequels go? Oh, I’m sure there are some, but none immediately come to mind. I’m not that into movies. Do you refuse to eat certain foods because of what they look like? Yes. I am VERY poor at getting past how a food looks. What are you listening to? NSP’s cover of “Don’t Fear The Reaper.” It’s fuckin gorgeous. How much homework do you have tonight? N/A Are you wearing any bracelets? Yes; one that Sara got me as well as an ovarian cancer awareness one. What's physically wrong with you right now? JINKIES I just feel really lethargic like always. Do you take any medications daily? Ha ha thanks for actually reminding me I need to now. When was the last time you moved to a new house? Two years ago, and now we’ll be moving to a much better place by the end of this month/early September, finally. When it comes to relationships, are you the jealous type? Nah. Which gift cards do you have in your wallet? Idk actually. It’s not like I use it a lot. Can you remember the last time you felt ill? What was wrong with you? A few nights ago. I was extremely hot, dizzy, and pretty nauseated. I was fine, though. If you wear make-up, do you take it with you, to reapply throughout the day? Does your make-up stay for a long time after you first apply it, or do you find that you need to reapply often? Are you wearing any make-up atm? I pretty much never wear makeup so have never really had a reason to reapply it. I’m definitely not wearing any now. Does your kitchen have a theme? No. Do you like ice cream sandwiches? GIRL yes. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? Earbuds. They’re more comfortable imo but more importantly block out exterior noise very well. Are you a fan of any independent films? ngl, I don’t know exactly what that is and I don’t feel like looking it up. Could you possibly write a successful novel? I very genuinely think some of the RP stories I’ve taken part in are novel-worthy, yes. I wanted to make them books when I was younger, but now I no longer do mainly because there are areas that are just way too fucking dark that I don’t wanna put out there but play massive parts in the stories, so like… Do you regularly watch the news? I never do. Facebook is my “news” source lmao. Who was the last person you video-chatted with? I don’t remember for sure, maybe some doctor? What do you want the theme of your wedding to be? I don’t really think about this, seeing as my mind has changed enough, and it also depends on what my partner wants, too. Have you ever been caught passing a note in class? Noooo, I absolutely hated passing notes because I was genuinely a good student. I only did so very, very rarely if another friend started it. Have you ever had dandruff? I have dandruff AND a dry scalp. It’s a wonderful mix. Have you ever gone through a phase of crushing on EVERYONE? Definitely not. Do you have any clothes with spikes/studs on them? I have a spiked choker, and I might still have gloves with studs? Can you remember what you last clapped for? My mom’s birthday! :’) Have you ever given a pet to someone else? Yes, with cats; we had to do that quite often when I was a kid because we had so many cats, none which we could afford to fix. Then we’ve done it with two dogs we just couldn’t handle. Oh yeah, I gave my iguana away too because he was too high maintenance for me, but also because he DESPERATELY needed a much bigger terrarium, which we couldn’t afford. I absolutely could not watch him in that tiny tank. I miss him a LOT, but he went to a wonderful home! The lady who adopted him sent me pictures upon pictures months after taking him in. Do you know anyone named Walter? No. What's your least favorite ice-cream flavor? Strawberry is fucking disgusting. And that’s coming from someone whose favorite fruit is strawberries. What's your least favorite song by your favorite artist? I’m not sure. There’s a handful that just don’t grab my attention that I don’t even remember them. What was the last good news you heard? I can FINALLY talk to my psychiatrist tomorrow. Who’s your favorite singer of all time? Probably Freddie Mercury. What airline do you fly most? Idk, I don’t really pay attention. I haven’t flown very often though anyway. Do you have a dog that is destructive? I don’t have a dog. What’s one TV series you’ve seen every episode of? Meerkat Manor is the most obvious, ha ha. Maaaaany times. Assuming you have Facebook, who last left you a wallpost? Probably my friend Sammi. Assuming you have hair, how are you wearing it today? It’s too short for me to “wear” it any particular way. It’s just… there lmao. Assuming you're not homeless, what kind of living arrangements do you have? I live with my mom in a house she’s renting. Have you or have you ever considered messing around with the same sex? I’m bisexual so you can guess I’m not opposed to it. Are you particular about any brands of food you will or will not eat? Are there any restaurants you refuse to go to? Brands, no. I don’t eat Chick-fil-a because they’re run by fucking homophobic bigots that monetarily support conversion therapy and other anti-LGBT projects. I’m not giving you any fucking money. What was the most current dream you can remember about? Do you generally dream every night, or hardly at all? It was actually last night, when I dreamed about accidentally running into Jason where I last knew he worked, and he was really hostile. If I don’t take my medicine, I always have nightmares when I sleep.

[purplesurveys]

594

How are you today? I’m doing okay. My classmates in my least favorite class, Newspaper Layout and Design, have been a big pain in my ass and I’ve been carrying the entire class on my back because no one has the initiative to start giving a fuck about the requirements (I’d want to not give a fuck either, but someone has to and I’m probably the most grade-conscious person in that class) – but it’s a Friday and I’m having amazing coffee right now so it balances out. Do you have mean comments that replay in your head and haunt you? Not really. Some days I’ll remember the one hate comment I got on my ask.fm which led me to delete my account altogether, but it doesn’t bother me because I kinda proved that person wrong eventually.

For context, they told me I should stop wishing to be in UP so bad and to actually pass the entrance exam first before I’m allowed to talk about how much the university means to me. Joke’s on them – I passed the UPCAT not long after. Doesn’t mean I’d forgot the demotivating message, though.

^If so, do you know why that is? I always want to please people and thrive on compliments, so I’m bound to remember every single bad thing anyone tells me. What are you currently worried about, if anything? I’m worried about my deadlines for my Layout class. The requirements are a group effort, and so long as my classmates don’t start moving, I can’t really pass my parts anyway because I have to wait on them. UGH Did you go Black Friday shopping this past Black Friday? Pls stop asking me first-world references

^If so, what was the best deal you got? Have you ever been Black Friday shopping? What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Do you wear a watch every day? No. Wearing them always makes me feel like there is something on my wrist, and that bugs me haha.

Pineapple or pepperoni? I don’t like either. All-cheese pizzas are my favorite. What food makes you feel nauseous? Not to say that it makes me feel like vomiting or dizzy, but I was never really a big fan of blue cheese. I can handle it on my pizza and sometimes its flavor jibes well with the other cheeses, but the taste always sticks out so I’m not particularly obsessed with it. Have you ever seen a spirit? No. When you have your own house someday, what color Christmas tree do you want and how will you decorate it? I want it traditional, so I’m going with green. It’s gonna have all sorts of decor like baubles, snowflakes, tinsel, leaves, etc. My family has always made an effort to make our trees look super nice and detailed and I wanna pass that on when I have my own place and maybe even kids down the road. Name 3 youtube channels you've been loving lately. HiHo Kids, Mankalor, and Moon Jeongwon’s vlogging channel. Do you have a youtube channel? I do but it’s only so that YouTube can tailor my homepage to what I’m into at the moment, and so that I can like/dislike videos haha. I don’t post my own content. ^If so, does your family approve? ...I don’t think they should have an opinion about me owning a YouTube account. But in any case, they don’t really mind. What do you think about the new "for kids" or "not for kids" rules? Like, parental control? I guess it’s a good thing. Kids have always had very makulit hands and end up seeing stuff they’re not supposed to. Makulit is a Filipino word that defies translation, but I guess the closest thing to it is either mischievous or restless.

Case in point: Back when I was in high school, I was working at one of the library computers when these Grade 1 kids sat at the computer beside me. They were searching images of the movie Frozen and it was all normal for a bit, but they scrolled too far down and eventually they landed at this very questionable manip of Elsa and Anna doing some stuff that kids that age definitely shouldn’t be seeing. ^ Do they affect you? No. I’m neither a kid nor a parent. What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten? [slight trigger warning for the vegans!!! Sorry, Filipino cuisine can sometimes be a lot to take for non-Filipinos]  I’m super adventurous when it comes to food so I haven’t found anything I’ve tried disgusting. I don’t particularly like the flavor of bopis (pork/beef lungs and heart) and pinapaitan (goat and ox innards meat flavored with bile, tamarind and chillies), but I don’t find them disgusting, and I’d still eat them if that was served at a family party.

What food is so disgusting you could absolutely never eat it? Dog/cat meat. Do you like sushi? Love sushi. What color was the last sweater you wore? Gray. Name 3 material items on your wish list right now. Nintendo Switch, a new pair of shoes (wow I really am a grown-up), and cash. Are you planning on doing Vlogmas (for youtube) this year? No. Zoella’s the only person I know who still does lmao Have you ever done Vlogmas before? No. Have you ever made money off of youtube? Omg no Are you happy that the year is coming to an end? SO HAPPY. 2019 felt like it was three fucking years long. Have you ever bought a designer purse? I haven’t bought any with my own money. Do people tell you that you look sick when you wear a certain color? No? ^If yes, what color? Do you consider yourself creative? Not at all. ....outgoing? Kinda. It depends on the situation. If I’m meant to be doing something I like or hang out with people I know, I can be very outgoing; but if it’s an unfamiliar situation, I tend to be more shy and let other people lead the way. ....free-spirited? I don’t think I’d call myself that. ....shy? Yep, at first. ....socially awkward? It’s a hit or miss. Sometimes I’m great with socializing; other times I just miss the mark. Do you often feel alone? Mostly during the Christmas season. Otherwise it’s an on-off thing for me, but the loneliness is for the most part turned off. What could be the theme song to your life? I never know what to answer in questions like this. My life has had a lot of phases and it’s hard to sum it all up into a single song. List three new songs you've discovered this year that you like a lot. I Saw You In A Dream by The Japanese House, the Summer section of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (thanks, Portrait of a Lady on Fire), and Joji’s Dancing in the Dark. If you could win a shopping spree in any store, what would it be? Fully Booked. Do you wear jewelry often? Very seldom. List 10 of your favorite girl names. I list them on surveys all the tiiiiiimeeeeeeeee. Uhh Olivia, Mia, Arden, Harper, Juliana/Julia, Isabella, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Lily, Emilia. I’m feeling the name Eloise tonight too, so let’s throw that one in as a runner-up. List 10 of your favorite boy names. Miguel, Joaquin, Javier, Jacob, Mason, Noah, Liam, Seth, Leon, Luis. Andres is also good, so I’m putting that in even though it’s name 11. List 10 girl names (or up to 10) that you don't really care for. That’s so many and possibly offensive :((((( I’ll just go with boomer names like Sally, Linda, Agnes (sorry to my Lola, who’s named Agnes), Karen, Pamela, Susan, Brenda...and maybe more common ones like Angela, Marie, Sam. List up to 10 boy names that you don't really care for. Not a big fan of boy names in general, but ones I don’t particularly like nor dislike are names like John, George, William (lmao just naming all the royals now I see LOL), Benedict, Jeffrey, Donald, Michael, Daniel, Drew, Mark. How old were you when you found out Santa wasn't real? Five. I didn’t find out; I just put the clues together. Do you own a Polaroid camera? Nope. I want one though. ^If so, what color is it? List one past regret. The one dumb thing I did in one of my classes where I forgot to submit something on time, and I had to make do with a late submission, which would already have deductions. Do you own Converse, and if so, what color? i used to; they were red. I stopped wearing them after a bit though so my mom threw them out. We have white Chucks now – my sister brings them with her in her dorm but when she’s home, I’d borrow it sometimes. What color was your senior prom dress? Let’s plz avoid talking about the stuff we purposely want to forget Are you colorblind? No. Name the people you know who are colorblind. Nobody, other than the colorblind folk on Twitter/Tiktok who make wholesome videos separating different colors of Skittles or M&Ms heh. What's one pet peeve of yours? People who DRIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF TWO LANES YO WHAT’S UP WITH Y’ALL Would you ever consider a career in writing? Sure, I’m kinda headed that way anyway. What was the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up? Astronaut. What was your first favorite color? Purple. What is your favorite color now? Pink or black. Do you know a lot of people with the same middle name as you? Yeah, Isabelle is very common. But where I live it’s usually spelled Isabel or Ysabel. Do you like the name Brynn? Not really. It sounds very 2010ish, wherein people would give their kids double-N’s like Kaitlynn, Rylinn, Brooklynn, Ashlynn and I was never a big fan of that trend (except for Finn, Flynn, and Quinn, which I find cute). List five names you hate the spelling of. Literally those 4 names I just mentioned. Oh and in the Philippines, there’s this trend of putting H’s on otherwise normal names, e.g. Jhulia, Mhae, Ghabriella, Mhark...it’s common in the lower classes so I don’t judge, but like it’s just not really not my taste lmao. Do you watch Niki and Gabi on youtube? No. Do you watch Brooklyn and Bailey? No. ....Bethany Mota? No. But I did see her once when YouTube held a FanFest here in Manila and she was part of the lineup. ......Gillian Bower? ....LaurDIY? .....Family Fizz? ....Chronically Jaquie? No to literally all of those. Have you ever purchased a youtuber's merch? No they are always way too expensive lol ^If so, what did you buy?