#and before I move since I’m using my roommates�� switch to play currently lol

[white-weasel]

I Wanna play ai the somnium files nirvana initiative so bad and yet!!! Real world responsibilities keep me shackled away from it

[flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash]

Hi Ash! :) I've spent the last 20 minutes or so going through your cat tag and your cats are so adorable! It seems Lydia is very talkative and she's really cute. I love her little antics lol. But I saw that you had another cat before Lydia and I think her name was Sybil? May I ask why you chose to find a new home for her? Did Julian not get along with her? Hope you don't mind me being nosy. 😉

Hello! I’m so glad my cat content just gave you 20 minutes of entertainment! Lydia has gotta be the most talkative kitty I’ve ever owned, and does she ever have a unique personality lol! She’s as loud and obnoxious as Julian is quiet and calm, but they balance each other out perfectly. 

I’m gonna put a keep reading bar for the rest, because my response got way longer then I expected, but also that situation wasn’t one I could explain in just a sentence or two.

I did have a previous black kitty named Sibyl. I got her as a kitten after a previous adult cat I owned (named Sebastian - I had adopted him as an adult cat and he had a lot of health issues and ended up having to be put down at a pretty young age after a battle with cancer). My first cat, Julian, who I got back in grad school, is superrrr social and grew up when I lived with two roommates, a dog, pet rats, and various foster kittens. So I’ve always wanted him to have a furry buddy, especially when I moved out on my own and had a job that kept me from being home during the day. So originally I got Sebastian, who passed away after I owned him for about 2 1/2 years, and then I got kitten Sibyl, and her and Julian got along fantastically. Julian loves kittens and is such a sweetheart. I owned her for about a year and a half, and though she was easily startled by noises and hid from everyone else, I never had any issues with her and she was such a love bug. 

There was an incident one evening where, to my best knowledge since I only heard it and didn’t see it, she was in the litter box and I don’t think Julian knew. He went to run in the box himself and I think scared her so badly that it’s like she flipped on him (one big lesson I learned from this is make sure the entrance of your litter boxes face out across the room, so that a cat can see immediately when they enter the room if another cat is already in there). She attacked him, and I separated them for the night, thinking she just needed to calm down. Well, she never did. I spent almost two months trying to slowly re-introduce them, and every time she had any sort of access to him, she’d attack him. And not in a regular cat spat kinda way, she was trying to kill him (he still has a scar on his mouth from the time she got away from me and flew into him for not even 10 seconds before I grabbed her). I’ve seen plenty of little cat spats, but I’ve never seen a cat focused on legit doing as much bodily harm to another as possible, and it was honestly pretty terrifying (and the ultra weird part was I could run in between them and grab her and not once did she ever turn on me). And Julian never fought back, he’d just huddle there shaking in a ball until I got her off him. I went to two different vets, consulted with an animal behavioralist, did alllll the medical tests and tried allll the behavioral techniques, and nothing worked. I think I watched every video and read every article on the topic that I could find, hoping there was some magical answer if I just tried hard enough. It was one of the most helpless feelings I’ve ever had, and on top of that I live in a one bedroom apartment, so I had them separated with one in my living room and the other in the bedroom. And since they both loved attention from me, I literally had to take shifts when I wasn’t at work with playing and cuddling with one while the other meowed and scratched at the door, then would switch and vice versa. It really took a toll on my mental health, and I have so much empathy for anyone who ever has to go through a similar situation. 

So, eventually, as Sibyl’s hypervigilance and aggression towards Julian started to get worse, not better, I made the heartbreaking decision that Sibyl needed a home where she could be the only kitty. I kept telling myself if she’d just give me one little sign of progress, I’d keep going, but she never did. If anything, she became so hypervigilant that she never relaxed and would just pace back and forth in front of the closed door and growl and hiss. It was heartbreaking, and it started to get to the point where I was afraid it was going to traumatize Julian because he was, understandably, scared a lot of the time because of it. I really wish I knew what happened in her little brain that made her see her harmless brother as the enemy, but I resigned myself to the fact that I’ll never know. I tried finding her a home through some FB groups, but let me tell ya, people can be horrible. The amount of judgment and poor advice I got was horrendous. So instead I came onto tumblr and made a post, and my followers were SO supportive. And because of this lovely site, one follower reached out to me and said her sister had recently lost her own little black kitty friend and was looking for another one. I spoke to the sister on the phone, who was just the sweetest human being ever (ya know that feeling when you get all the positive vibes and can just tell someone is a good soul? Yea, I got that immediately), and the very next day I packed up Sibyl and drove her a few states down South to her new home. Leaving her that day was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I cried the entire drive back. But her new mama loves the crap outta her, and I know now that I was just a step along the way for her to find her real furever home.

Now, even after being attacked multiple times and dealing with all that stress, Julian was still depressed af that his sister was gone. The apartment just didn’t feel right and I knew that he would hate being an only cat, so I started looking online at kitty rescues, and a couple of weeks later, we got Lydia. She was exactly what both he and I needed to lift our spirits and get us back on track. And though that situation was one of the hardest I’ve had to deal with, emotionally (which might sound ridiculous to some but my cats are my kids and I always swore I’d do whatever it took to make them happy - never thinking it would mean having to give one up), it ultimately led me to this little floof ball who is currently sleeping on my lap, and so I think it’s safe to say that it all worked out exactly as it was meant to in the end :) 

[96enox-blog]

pool date (woozi)

to a boy i love right now; October 16

A/N: Yeah. I fell in love with Lee Jihoon over the last couple months. Every story in this series will probably show that. Man, I adore him. The dates are important lol. I like chronology. Here we go. Happy 2019! Here’s to a start to my own personal project.

PS: Promise the stories shorten after the first few :D

word count: 1.8k | fluff fluff fluff | also clearly I like pool | and I never name her. | Part 2: October 24

“How is this fun?” she demands as Hansol nudges her into the pub. “This seems like the least fun place you could take me to.”

Hansol snorts as Seungkwan follows them inside. “Oh come on. You’ve been studying non-stop, noona. It’s a good idea to relax a little.”

Her eyes swing around the room. There are four pool tables in the center with booths all along the perimeter. A few people are lined up waiting for drinks at the bar. It smells musky and the lighting is dim except for over the pool tables. It feels like a Western-cowboy movie.

“They’re here already,” Seungkwan says over her shoulder.

“Where?” she asks. Her heart rate picks up at the prospect of meeting new people.

Hansol urges her forward.

Seungkwan had called him to their apartment when she’d walked out of her bedroom and screamed into a pillow on their couch. When she’d calmed down enough to talk, Hansol had gotten out of her that she was stressed about midterm season. So Hansol had instructed that they get dressed (that included Seungkwan) and he would take them somewhere fun.

As she had left the room, she’d overheard the two boys whispering. And at first, she was compliant, going and actually getting dressed even though a little voice nagged her about all the study time she’d be missing. By the time she went out to find Hansol on the couch, she’d changed her mind.

He smiled up at her, but frowned when he saw her expression. “Ah, ah, ah, noona. You aren’t backing out. I’ve already made plans for us. There are people waiting for us.”

“There are who doing what?” she demanded. “I don’t want to see anyone, Hansol.”

“Your outfit says otherwise.”

As they now walk up to a pool table of Hansol’s music major friends, her outfit still feels out of place. Her large hoodie and skinny jeans don’t exactly feel dressed up when the boys look wonderfully casual.

“I’m so not going to enjoy this,” she mutters to Hansol. Despite herself, a smile grows on her face. The tallest one returns it when he sees her. An arm drapes around her shoulders.

“Noona, didn’t think Hansol would be able to get you out here.”

“Nice to see you too, Mingyu,” she grumbles. She leans into him. He’s the only one she’s met before. The three other boys are familiar, because they tend to be around when she goes to find Hansol on campus. The one currently angling to take a shot is dressed similarly to Mingyu in a silk shirt, though his black contrasts Mingyu’s pale pink shirt.

The familiar crack of two pool balls connecting echoes in her ears. She watches the 6-stripe roll into the right corner pocket. The man straightens and high-fives the man standing next to him. Both have equally impassive expressions, though the one who’d just played is considerably shorter than the other men around the table.

“Oh, noona, I don’t think you’ve ever met my roommate,” Mingyu says. The man looks up at Mingyu’s voice. “That’s Jihoon hyung. He’s majoring in music production.”

Jihoon bows his head and takes the water bottle from his partner’s hand so he can play. Mingyu takes it upon himself to introduce the players she doesn’t recognize. “That tall cool guy is Wonwoo hyung. He’s good at games and Jihoon hyung is really competitive, so it’s not really fair that—”

“Shut up, Gyu,” Wonwoo’s deep voice murmurs. Over the music and all the other people playing pool, she’s surprised that his voice rings clear. She hadn’t even noticed his mouth moving. Carefully, he rounds the table, eyeing all the possibilities.

Meanwhile, Mingyu draws her attention away from Wonwoo to a man with brightly coloured hair and a bright smile on his face ready to greet her. His two front teeth remind her of a bunny and she can’t help but reciprocate the smile. “This is Soonyoung hyung. He’s not very good.” He waves towards the pool table. “That’s why we’re losing and the hyungs are going to beat us.”

“You just suck at the game, Gyu,” Jihoon chuckles.

“Noona’s actually really good,” Hansol quips.

“You take my place,” Mingyu encourages. “I’ll play with Hansol and Seungkwanie.”

She bites her bottom lip as Mingyu hands off his pool cue. Jihoon, across the table, notes that the cue is too long for her. Since Wonwoo is still trying to decide at what angle he wants to hit the cue, Jihoon passes his pool cue across the table. She hands Mingyu’s back towards him and Jihoon heads towards the far wall where there are others. She tosses the pool cue between her hands and finds it’s a little too heavy for her liking. She glances at Wonwoo who still hasn’t taken his shot yet.

Soonyoung is apparently on her train of thought. “Wonwoo, stop taking eons. Let’s go.”

She joins Jihoon at the cue rack. He glances over at her as she walks up. “Still too long?”

“I tend to use a lighter one,” she admits. She hands it back to him. Jihoon studies it and watches her try two others before picking the latter. She inspects the tip and shrugs.

“You play pool often?” Jihoon asks.

She shakes her head as they make their way back to the others. “I honestly haven’t played in a while.”

Hansol, Seungkwan, and Mingyu have bought a beer for everybody. As she’s not into drinking and Jihoon has to be up early for a class the next day, they pass on the alcohol.

“More for us then,” Mingyu sings. They’ve taken to a booth across from their pool table. Wonwoo and Soonyoung with a beer in them are useless players, so she and Jihoon have kicked them out.

To make it more interesting, they’ve started betting. So far, he owes her a pizza and she owes him a coffee. It’s getting late and they’re on their last game.

She bends over to line up the cue ball with the striped 4 at the other end of the table. It’s sitting right next to the far left pocket, courtesy of Jihoon’s last shot. She tucks her hair behind her ear, but it tickles her neck. It also doesn’t help that Jihoon’s eyes are following her every move. He was careful at the beginning, careful not to stare, careful not to brush by her. As they’ve played and she’s won and made a few hard shots (and with Hansol and Seungkwan shouting some drunken facts about her), he’s become increasingly more interested.

Sighing, she pushes her cue stick into Jihoon’s hand, as he’s basically standing right next to her. There’s no elastic on her wrist, so she turns to Hansol. “Do you have one of my elastics?”

Hansol pats his pockets and nods. He stretches across Seungkwan and Soonyoung to give it to her. Since becoming friends, he’s learned to carry a spare on him for when she forgets them for lab or if she has a test. She pulls her hair up into a ponytail and sighs in relief. Rather than lining up herself and the ball again, she trusts her judgement and hits the cue.

The crack is satisfying and she watches, with a smirk, the ball fall right into the pocket. The cue ball bumps into the edge before rolling back to the center of the table. Jihoon has given her a few free shots by knocking the cue ball in after his own solid. She smiles and turns to Jihoon. “I have the 8 ball left, Jihoon. I think you’re gonna have to owe me delivery after all.”

“Hyung, don’t let her smack talk you,” Mingyu calls.

Snorting, she meets the man’s eyes. Mingyu is grinning stupidly, as he has since consuming his second beer.

��If that’s your best smack talk, I think I’ll be fine,” Jihoon snorts.

“I don’t really talk smack. I let my play prove how good I am.”

Jihoon tips his head, unable to argue with her there. She can’t get the 8-ball in one shot, so she rolls it near a pocket out of Jihoon’s way and lets him play. While he’s been checking her out, she’s been doing the same in return. And she has to admit that his butt isn’t bad to look at.

Now, he wiggles it a little, knowing she’s staring.

Maybe it’s that sip of beer from Hansol that has eased her nerves a little. Or she’s already too warm in this room that she can’t feel her embarrassment anymore.

Jihoon knocks three of his solids into various pockets. He sinks his last one and then straightens up, standing across the billiard table from her. “I bet you one date.”

She blinks in surprise at this turn of events. The boys can all hear him and hoot from their spots in the booth. Jihoon ignores them. “If I sink the 8-ball in this next shot, you owe me a date.”

As he was playing, he’d bumped the 8-ball out of alignment. To get it into any pocket from its position right now would be difficult. Jihoon is a mediocre player at best and she knows she’s better than him at the game.

Dating good looking musical types scares her though, so saying yes here would either be bad or worse news for her. Bad if she doesn’t get the date, worse if she does. So she nods. “Okay, deal.”

Jihoon smiles and her heart melts a little. The boys have gotten up, drinks in hand, to stand around the table as Jihoon lines up his shot. Hansol drapes an arm around her shoulders, mostly because he gets clingy when he’s had a bit too much to drink.

They watch as Jihoon stares hard at the table. Throughout the night, she’s watched his eyes switch from focused to unfocused just from a tilt in his head. He almost looks angry when focused.

Finally, Jihoon bends over to take his shot. The ball knocks against one side, rolls to the other before knocking into the 8-ball. The momentum continues through and pushes the ball away from the closer pocket to the one on the other side. It lands perfectly into it. Mingyu and Soonyoung yelp, running to jump onto Jihoon’s back. He grins across the table at her and Hansol squeezes her shoulder.

Outside the pub, their friends separate to give them time to say goodbye.

“I didn’t think you’d manage that last one,” she tells him honestly, burying her hands into the pockets of Hansol’s jacket.

Jihoon scratches the side of his head. “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it either. But you owe me a coffee and a date now.”

“Coffee date on campus tomorrow then?” she asks. “After my midterm.”

Jihoon nods. He holds his phone out to her. She texts herself and feels her phone buzz in her pocket. After passing the phone back, they awkwardly stand there. He shuffles his feet, unsure of how to say goodbye.

Until Mingyu steps in to save them. He loops an arm around Jihoon’s shoulders. “You have class early tomorrow, hyung. We should go.” He steers Jihoon away. Over his shoulder, Mingyu calls, “He’ll see you in his dreams, noona.”

Jihoon’s ducked head indicates embarrassment and she can’t help but laugh.

[griffinxwoods]

pose for me: clexa oneshot

Clarke is an art student taking a sketching course, but she’s having trouble drawing portraits for her assignment. She hangs up flyers around campus for a model and Lexa responds. 

disclaimer: sup kids, this is my first venture into fic writing, probably writing in general i guess. i’ve only ever written like 3 or 4 scripts for class so ,,,hope this is decent. i’m kinda used to just writing action and dialogue (in my small handful of works lol) as it happens so like backstory is weird to me idk. anyway, if it seems rushed and rough, it probably is. i definitely didn’t reread it! but uh, let me know what ya think i guess. maybe any tips, things i can change in my writing.  

______________________________

“Please stop.”

“Come on, he’s pretty hot.”

“He’s not.”

“Really great in bed, though.”

“Raven.”

“He did this one move the other night I’ve never done before and it felt amazing.”

“I swear to God, I will throw up on you.”

Clarke laughed at her friends’ antics as she sipped on her latte, not at all phased by the conversation taking place next to her. Raven released a laugh and sat back in her chair. Octavia just tried to keep her lunch from resurfacing.  

The three of them sat for lunch at the Ark Cafe, a hotspot on campus. Every Tuesday since the semester began, they’d meet here and catch up on anything they’d miss during the week. Granted they did all live together, seeing entirely too much of one another in ways you would never want to see your closest friends. But between going to class, homework, jobs, and a variety of other events, it’s difficult to really check in on each other. Therefore, weekly lunch dates at the Ark.

“Raven, ease up a bit,” Clarke says.

“Aw, why, come on. It’s fun seeing her squirm,” Raven grinned.

“I could go the rest of my life without hearing about my brothers sexual encounters and it would still be too soon,” Octavia shivered. She faced Clarke, ready to wipe the mental image of Raven and Bellamy doing, well, anything at this point really.

“So, moving on to a safer topic. How’s that assignment going, Griff?”

“It’s… real shit right now, thanks for asking.” She sighs.

Being an art major, Clarke liked to think she had some talent. Growing up, she always had some writing instrument in her hand, a brush, a crayon. She’d grab something to write with and drew on anything she could find. Sometimes that might just be the walls in her home. Her mother would be furious, but Jake, he never bothered much. Always encouraging Clarke to draw, to practice. So she did. And she got pretty damn good at it. One thing she couldn’t seem to fully grasp were portraits. So she decided to hone in on that part of her craft this past year. Currently in an advanced drawing course, one of her assignments was head shots.

Raven lowered her head and looked at Clarke through her lashes. She ran a finger up Clarke’s arm and said, “I’m always down to pose for you, Griff.”

“Tempting, but I’ll pass.”

“I’ll make it worth your while, ya know?” It came out huskier than she intended but Raven wasn’t one to back down from some good old teasing fun.

“Rae, you’ve posed for me before and, hate to break to you babe but, not really jonesing for round two any time soon.”

Octavia snapped her head towards Clarke, biting her lip to keep a smile from bursting, while Raven sat back and nursed her bruised ego.

“That was just uncalled for.” Raven whispered.

Clarke laughed and shook her head, looking down at her latte. “Seriously though, I’ve drawn you guys so many times it honestly does nothing for me creatively now.” Clarke wiggles in her chair, adjusting her position and sighs. “I don’t know, I think I need something new… fresh, maybe. I feel like I’m in a rut.” Clarke always felt a less confident about her skills in portraits.

Octavia and Raven both hummed knowingly. Raven snapped her fingers, bolted forward, Clarke’s sure she has a terrible idea on the tip of her tongue.

“I know!” Raven exclaimed, “You could post an ad for a model on Craigslist. A girl in my English Lit class did that once - don’t look at me like that - she’s fine! She needed a new roommate!”

Yup, definitely a bad idea.

“Yeah, fine,” Octavia huffed, using air quotes around ‘fine’. “She’s probably being held captive somehow without a way out. Next time you see her in class, ask her to blink twice if she needs help.” Raven rolled her eyes and sat back once again. She pushed up the sleeves of her red henley and snatched up her fork, stabbing her lunch.  

Clarke glared at Raven, “No way in hell, Rae, and you know that.”

Octavia watched Raven as she played with her pasta, “Why don’t you just, post a flyer on campus?” She turned to Clarke and took a sip of her water. “You’re bound to get a few chumps call you up to pose for you.”

Raven’s face lit up, “Griff, imagine the nude paintings you could do. The possibilities…”

Clarke let out a breathy laugh. Never one for letting an opportunity turn remotely sexual, Clarke was half expecting Raven to come to that conclusion for her. She knows Clarke would never ask a stranger to pose nude, but of course, it wouldn’t be Raven if she doesn’t at least suggest the idea.

“Thanks, Raven. I’ll throw in a nude just for you.” Clarke runs a hand through her hair and exhales a breathy laugh. She closes her eyes for a moment, thinking about it. “You know, O, I’ll do that. I mean, why the fuck not, right?”

Octavia and Raven cheered; Raven pumped her fists over her head, quietly chanting Clarke’s name.

Octavia looked to Clarke, leaned forward and spoke softly, “You know that you’re gonna do so good on this assignment, right Clarke? You’re incredible.”

Clarke gazed at Octavia fondly and grasped her hand on the table. She really did love her friends.

___________________________________

Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Bentham. Every single student sat in this classroom could not care less about these dead men and their supposed ideas. They fidgeted with their pens, shuffled in their seats, eager to run out of the room, out into the modern world filled with snapchat filters and ridiculous memes.

But the woman at the front of the classroom, walking from one end to the other while lecturing? This was her one of her favorite places. Commanding a room, discussing one of her favorite subjects in the world, engaging young minds (granted they’re probably just as old as she is). Here, she was comfortable. She was at ease, and she loved it.  

“Immanuel Kant’s most notable contribution to moral philosophy is the categorical imperative. I hope you all read up on it. The first formulation of the imperative, also considered the formulation of a universal law of nature, is ‘act only according to a maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.’”

She paces the front of the room, hands clasped behind her back. Sleeves rolled up to her elbow of her otherwise pristine shirt, slim slacks and brown oxfords ironed and shined to perfection. Glasses perched up the bridge of her nose, the picture of professionalism. She surveyed the room. A handful of poor souls watched her as she spoke, mostly indifferent.

Lexa sighed and straightened herself at the center of the classroom. She leaned against her desk and brought her hands forward, crossing her arms across her chest. She decided to switch gears for a moment, hoping to revive her students and engage them in, really, anything.

“Okay, take the case of the murderer at the door.” A few students sat up straighter. One boy in the middle had his head down, resting on his extended arm on the desk. He rolled his head around and looked at Lexa, intrigued. She hitched an eyebrow up. Of course, it had to be murderers.

“Let’s say, for example, Max here,” Lexa pointed at the boy with his head rested sideways on his arm, “excused himself from the class to use the restroom. We all know where he went, right?”

Scattered nods around the room.

“We can assume he went down the hall, the closest restroom. After a few minutes, we hear a knock on the door.” Lexa walks to the side of the room, knocks on the door. “There’s a gentlemen behind the door asking where Max is.”

Lexa clears her throat and her voice booms. “'Hello, I’m looking for Max, I’ve come here to kill him. Do you know where he is?’” She’s turned to them, holds a hand up and forms a finger gun at Max.

Lexa glances around the room at her students. Some laughed at her antics, but thankfully, most of them were paying attention, thank God. Life has been reignited in her classroom.

“How many of you will lie and say that Max is actually in a classroom in a different building?” The boy in question has sat up a while ago, now looking around the room to see who would inevitably betray him, as if anyone in college is loyal to some kid they only see twice a week and never speak to. Most of those speaking agree, muttered yes’, not ratting out Max. He releases a breath, nodding. The class has allowed the kid to live another day, safe from Lexa’s finger gun.

Lexa purses her lips, nodding, crossing her arms. She chuckles, knowing the response she’ll receive, “Kant would argue that you all just did the wrong thing.“ 

An uproar among everyone, Max is now lamenting the hypothetical loss of his life because he just had to use the bathroom.

But how could that possibly be the wrong move? The entire classroom just saved Max’s sad life. He can go home and play Call of Duty in his underwear while shoveling Doritos and wiping the dust residue off his fingers on his chest, if the boy pleases. They did the right thing.

"Professor, that’s fucked,” was heard, a delinquent in the back of the classroom. Lexa internally groaned.

“Mind your language.” she said.

He sank back in his seat and crossed his arms. “There’s no way that can be the wrong answer to this. We probably saved his life so kudos to us,” he smirked.

“According to Kant, it’s wrong,” Lexa says, curt and final. She paces the front of the room again, “he believes if you know where Max is, you have to tell this man at the door that Max is, in fact, in the bathroom down the hall. Solely because lying is wrong. It’s always wrong, no matter the situation you’re put in.”

Lexa stops by her desk and glances at her watch. Five minutes to spare. Not bad. “Alright class, seems like a good place to end so that’s it for today. Please don’t forget your next test is soon. I hope you’re all well prepared by then. Have a good weekend.”

The students quickly pack up their bags and bolt out of the classroom. Lexa walks around her desk and begins packing her laptop and lecture notes into her leather messenger bag. A few students wave goodbye and throw small smiles at Lexa as they leave. Some of them blushing when Lexa returns the gesture.

A woman clad in black - black leather jacket, black ripped jeans, black combat boots, the only thing that isn’t black is the plain white shirt under the jacket - props herself against the doorway, watching as Lexa finishes gathering her things. Lexa drapes the bag over her and moves towards the door.

“You know, if I were you, I’d definitely take advantage of the amount of students fawning over you.”

Lexa gasped, her emerald eyes wide, “Anya,” she breathed, “that’s illegal - don’t say that so loud.”

Anya raised her arms in defense, “I’m just saying. There’s some pretty hot chicks in your class. I’m always here to encourage my little sister to get some action.”

“Thank you, Anya. Much appreciated. Will definitely take that under consideration. Wonderful to see you anyway,” Lexa rolled her eyes.

Anya smirked. She loved teasing her little sister. It was too easy.

“Alright so, where to, hotshot college professor?” Anya clapped her hands together.

“There’s a good place near campus, amazing tacos,” Lexa responded.

“Sold.”

The two sisters walked through campus. Anya was just relieved of the longest shift of her life at the station, and before heading back home, she decided to check on her little sister.

“Anything new and exciting happen within the last maybe 37 hours since I’ve seen you?” Anya asked.

Lexa sighed and adjusted her glasses slightly. “Not really. Class was alright today. I like my students when they actually participate in discussion. They’re smart, they just need a little push sometimes so I did the whole ‘murder at the door’ scenario.” Anya hummed and nodded, familiar with that story. “I got ‘em talking. But otherwise, you know, same old.”

“How about you switch it up from the usual same old to something, I don’t know, different?” Anya suggested. Lexa has been doing just about the same things for the past few years. She knows that going through what Lexa did was difficult - she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But Anya just wants Lexa to enjoy herself, live a full life like she deserves.

“What do you mean, I have fun,” Lexa scoffed.

“Reading articles on the space program isn’t what most people consider to be fun, Lexa. Neither are documentaries”

“Sending people to Mars is so incredible. I mean can you imagine being able to step foot on a planet? The moon is one thing, but another planet?” Lexa said, arms waving around as she spoke. Once you get her going on anything space related, she can really run with it. “And lots of people watch documentaries, okay. It’s like in style now or whatever.”

“Yeah, that’s really cool, Lex. But I mean more along the lines of this crazy thing called socializing.” She chanced a look at her sister. Lexa sighed. “Going out. Meeting someone new, sharing a couple drinks and talking. It wouldn’t hurt you.”

As they walked past the campus cafe, Anya slowed, looking at the cafe’s storefront. A neon sign flashing above the door, letting the world know they’re open for business. A list of specials for the day, and a few flyers hung up by students. One of them is for math tutoring, triggering some flashbacks to high school pre-calc and Anya shivers. Math is an abomination and ultimately impossible to understand. Another flyer - an advertisement for a band playing near campus at a bar Anya frequents. She won’t attend that night, thank you flyer. The last one mentions needing a model to pose for an art student, a brief description of a meeting beforehand, along with a phone number.

Anya yanks Lexa back by her bags strap and points at the flyer, “Look, this person needs someone to pose for them for an art project. Why not start there? It seems like it’ll be a one on one meeting, and then they’ll draw you.”

Lexa huffs and crosses her arms. She doesn’t need this. “It’s fine, Anya. I’ve met people, I socialize.”

“Lexa, if you even think about telling me the people you socialize with are the teachers in your department, where you talk about old dead philosophers, I swear on my own grave that I will throw you onto the back of my bike, ride out of town to the highest cliff I could find and throw you off of it into the black depths of that valley.”

Lexa opened her mouth to refute that claim, but closed it and scrunched her face up instead.

Anya nodded, “Yeah, I thought so.” Lexa glanced down and shoved her hands in her pocket.

Anya stepped towards her, she spoke softly, “Look, just meet with them, feel it out, and if you’re really not into going forward with it then fine. But I just want to know that you tried. You left behind your comfort in your routine and you did something new and unexpected.”

Anya looked at Lexa, pleading, hoping Lexa would agree to at least meet her halfway on this one. Anya has tried repeatedly for Lexa to try something different. After the incident, she let Lexa heal, take as much time as she needed. But it’s been so long, and she’s worried Lexa’s going to stay stuck in this rut Lexa’s put herself in.

“Okay. Yeah, okay. Fine. I’ll call them. But if I’m not feelin’ it, I’m leaving.”

Anya’s smile was so wide it reached her ears. "Good. That’s all I ask.”

Lexa huffed and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She took a picture of the flyer, deciding to call them later after lunch. A part of Lexa knew that Anya was right. She had a point, after all, it had been too long since Lexa genuinely did anything of her own volition. There’s no harm in trying new things, is there?

___________________________________________________________

The Brew is a quaint coffee shop on the edge of campus where most students pop in on their way to class. Not entirely too large, it housed a few couches for its customers to lounge on, some scattered tables and booths, a handful of paintings and photographs done by some of the students lined the walls while today’s hits played softly throughout the shop. The employees scattered around behind the counter, taking orders and preparing drinks. It was cozy.

Clarke walks in and heads up to the counter. She orders a small caramel frappucino, hands the barista a bill and picks up her drink at the other end of the counter once it’s been called out.

Clarke picks out a booth in the corner up front. She still has a few minutes to spare before meeting with her potential model. She shifts in the booth, fidgets with her drink and pulls out her phone to occupy herself. Clarke’s nervous about this chick. They spoke on the phone briefly, set up a meeting before Clarke makes a final decision. But the last thing she needs is to draw a student in her apartment and end up on the floor, gutted like a fish - although as normal as they probably seem here, that could very well still happen. Shit. Am I even sure this is a good idea? What if I just use Instagram models as reference instead? Could that work?

Just as Clarke was pulling up Raven’s contact, the door to the Brew chimed open. Clarke looked up as a woman walked into the coffee shop and her jaw dropped. Donned in brown chelsea boots, ripped jeans, a leather jacket over a dark blue button up, wearing a pair of Ray-Ban glasses with frameless bottoms, the woman took a moment to look around and Clarke held her breath. She’s praying this is the girl she’s set up a meeting with.

The woman spots Clarke in her booth, tilts her head to the side like a puppy and strides over to her hastily. It seems like this woman’s out of breath.

“You’re the art student, right?” Clarke nods.

Lexa sighs in relief and drops down in front of Clarke, situating herself in the booth.

“I’m so sorry, I hope I made it on time. I don’t even know honestly, I just bolted from my classroom over here. I got a little held up by a student who -”

“Wait, you’re a teacher?”

“TA actually,” Lexa beamed. “I’m the TA for Professor Gonzalez - ethics and critical thinking. He lectures for the most part and I jump in half the time, when needed, but I definitely grade everything.”

Clarke was impressed. This woman looked about her age, and she’s teaching ethics to her peers? Honestly, that’s hot.

“That’s amazing,” Clarke sighed.

“It’s pretty rewarding. Nothing as amazing as being an artist, though.”

Clarke blushes and waves her off, “Please. I’d barely call myself an artist. That’s a long shot. A pipe dream, really,” Clarke says wistfully.

Lexa’s features soften, gazing at Clarke warmly, her emerald gaze locked onto Clarke’s cerulean eyes. They’ve literally only been in each other’s presence for all of six minutes and all Lexa wants to do is wipe clean any doubt from Clarke and make her believe she can be the greatest artist of their time.

“I haven’t seen any of your work but I’m sure it’s nothing short of phenomenal,” Lexa assured. She got so caught up just having a casual conversation with this stranger, she completely forgot the sole purpose for their meeting.

Clarke smiled and fiddled with the sleeve on her drink. She makes a mental note to thank her friends for pushing her into doing this.

“Speaking of, we should probably talk about what I’ll be doing. Probably where, too,” Lexa said.

Clarke’s eyebrows lift up in surprise and she smirks, “You’re awfully confident that you’d be my model. And that I’d take you anywhere, in fact.” A little savage, Clarke.

It was Lexa’s turn to blush. “I didn’t - I mean, I don’t want to presume anything. You didn’t - the flyer didn’t really have any specifics and I just want to know what I’m in for. I - that is, if I’m -” Lexa rambles, hands waving around as she talks. Completely avoiding eye contact with Clarke.

Clarke lets out a deep laugh and sits back. Arms outstretched on the table, hands cupping her drink still, amused at how quickly she was able to fluster Lexa.

“Don’t worry, you’re fine. I’ve heard way worse from this,” a wry smile on her face.

“Well, now I’ve gotta know what you’ve been told,” Lexa leaned forward, arms resting on the table.

“I’ll save you the specifics but I’ve had a few guys call to ask if this was a nude model position, and whether or not I’d join afterwards.”

Lexa laughed, “Oh Lord, gotta love college boys.”

“I really should’ve expected it, honestly,” Clarke quipped.

“Yeah, definitely part of why men aren’t really in my wheelhouse,” she looked down and shook her head, amused. It took Lexa a moment to realize exactly what she said, and when she did, she looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Clarke perked up at that, leaning forward again and grinned. Oh, if she didn’t want to ask this girl out before, she definitely did now that she can guess she has a chance. Wait, that’s not what we’re here for. Focus, Griff.

“Agreed.” Lexa smiled wryly. “But, anyway, back on topic,” Clarke narrowed her eyes at Lexa, “the model thing.”

“Yeah, alright, yes, of course. So, what exactly are you looking for?” Lexa cleared her throat, and sighed deeply, relieved to be on a safe topic for a moment. She’s never revealed any kind of information about herself so quickly to a stranger before. She’s not used to fumbling with her words. She’s definitely not used to any blushing around a girl. It’s a little unnerving for Lexa.

“It’s pretty simple, I’d hope,” Clarke said. “Here’s the whole situation, really. I have this assignment for one of my art classes where I need to draw a portrait of someone. Not my strong suit honestly, and I’ve drawn my friends so many times I’ve, kind of, gotten used to it? I guess.” She sighs, exasperated at the thought.

Lexa nods, listening intently. “Anyway, I just need someone to sit still for a while, couple hours maybe. Hopefully gather up some fresh inspiration.” Clarke cringed, “that sounds really boring for you, I’m sorry. I didn’t totally think that through but I promise to keep you entertained.”

“Oh, so I’ve got the job then, huh?” Lexa teased.

Clarke rolled her eyes playfully, “Yeah, well, it was a tough one - came down to you or some frat guy who’d, undoubtedly, try to feel me up at some point. So you’re a decent choice, I guess.”

“Glad to know I’m at the same high standards as some fuckboy,” Lexa joked.

Clarke gasped, “What kind of language is that from a college professor, ma’am?” She placed one hand over her chest, faux appalled, the other rested on Lexa’s forearm.

“I’m a cool professor, don’t you know?” Lexa shot back. She was hyper aware of Clarke’s touch, making her stomach flutter. Oh, fuck.

Clarke smiled brightly at her, “Alright hotshot, whatever helps you sleep at night.” She had the urge to rub Lexa’s arm gently, but let go before her body decided on it’s own.

Lexa already missed Clarke’s touch, her arm tingling where her hand has been, craving the warmth, wanting to know how it’d feel to slip her hand into Clarke’s. She shook the thought away.

“Are you free for today?” Clarke asked. Blue eyes gazing into deep green.

“I have absolutely nothing else planned, so, yeah. I’m free,” Lexa responded, barely above a whisper.

“My apartment’s not too far from here so, uh, we can go back there and I can get started, if you don’t mind? If it’s okay with you for today, I mean.” Clarke’s lips twitched up in a hopeful smile.

“Yeah, of course. I’d love to.” Lexa murmured.

Clarke beamed. The two gathered their belongings and headed out. Both of them a bundle of nerves. Stealing glances at each other as they walked down the street, hearts fluttering, yet trying to ignore it.

______________________________________________________

The walk to Clarke’s apartment was fairly quick. The two talked about silly things along the way; Clarke told Lexa about her favorite bands, Lexa told her about being on the soccer team in high school. They got to Clarke’s building and lead the way up the stairs to her apartment.

They reached the third floor and Clarke stopped in front of one of the apartments. 3C in large, faded gold on the outside of her door. Lexa shoves her hands in her pockets as Clarke unlocks the door and steps inside.

“It might be a mess in here, I share it with my two best friends so I never know how it’s gonna look sometimes,” Clarke chuckled. She placed her keys on the table next to the door and placed her bag on the couch.

Lexa still stood in the doorway, hands in her pockets, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Clarke glances over her shoulder at Lexa, looking nervous as her eyes dart around the room. “Do you need an invitation inside, like a vampire? You can come in, Lexa,” Clarke teases.

Lexa shakes her head and steps inside, smiling at how her name sounds rolling off Clarke’s tongue. Smooth and soft, like Clarke is the only one meant to say it. 

“I am, actually,” Lexa places her bag on the counter and starts taking off her jacket. “So, thank you for the unlimited access to your apartment so I can suck your neck to live.”

Clarke snorted and watches as Lexa hangs her jacket on the highchair in the kitchen, blissfully unaware of what she just said. As soon as hit her, Lexa stopped cold in her tracks, ears burning, eyes wide.

“I didn’t - I was just - I mean, vampires do drink blood and they - they bite necks so -” Lexa rambled, hands flying as she spoke.

Clarke pressed her lips together, trying to hold back a laugh as she watched Lexa stumble. Lexa seems so easy to fluster, and that’s just too adorable. I wouldn’t mind if she did, honestly.

“Before we really go into vampire mythology, how I set up my supplies and you can make yourself at home in the meantime?” Clarke asked.

“Yeah! Yes, no problem,” Lexa clapped her hands together. “I’ll just, uh, be over here.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder at the living room and nodded. Clarke giggled to herself and walked over to the corner of her living room where she had some art supplies laying around. Lexa clasped her hands behind her back and looked around the room.

The apartment’s fairly small, quaint but comfortable. An island counter in the kitchen, a few schedules stuck up on the fridge, a sectional couch in the living room along with a recliner both facing a coffee table and a flat screen. The floors were hardwood, the wall behind the television was red brick, photos scattered around. There was a gym bag thrown in one corner, some scrap metal on the coffee table. She looked over at Clarke’s little art corner, sketchbooks stacked in a small pile, a box of pencils, an easel pushed against the wall next to a window. Lexa loved it. It felt full of life and love. It felt like home.

Lexa walks over to a collage of photos on the wall, examining most of them, really just the ones with Clarke. Clarke and a group of friends drinking at a party, Clarke with two brunettes dressed up as supervillains for Halloween, Clarke getting a piggyback ride from an older man with similar stunning blue eyes. That photo’s a bit bigger than the rest of them.

Clarke snatches one of her larger sketchbooks and finally grabs a pack of graphite pencils when she notices Lexa. She inhales a deep breath and strides over, stands next to Lexa.

“That’s my dad,” Clarke says, barely above a whisper. Lexa chances a glance at Clarke, whose eyes are trained on the photo in question. Lexa’s all too familiar with the look in Clarke’s eyes. She turns back to the photo as well.

“A striking resemblance.”

“I got my good looks from him, I’ll give ‘em that much.”

“Eh, you’re alright, I guess.”

“I’ll have you know I won a beauty pageant once because of those good looks.” 

Lexa chuckles, “Oh, yeah?”

Clarke smiles and turns to look at Lexa, “Okay, I was like six. Either way, it was a beauty pageant so…”

“So, the age kind of invalidates it, don’t ya think?” Lexa teased. She turns her body towards Clarke, smirking. Her emerald gaze meeting Clarke’s deep cerulean. Clarke’s smile is threatening to spill as she holds Lexa’s gaze. Lexa’s never felt so at ease with someone else, so quickly, before. Her eyes dart down to Clarke’s pink lips and licks her own. Her heart’s racing. Calm down, you gay mess.

Clarke watches as Lexa’s eyes dart down for a moment, just a second, and she locks eyes with Lexa again. A heat pools down in Clarke’s belly as she looks at Lexa’s plump lips. Clarke looks back up at Lexa. Both of them wrapped in the rising intensity of the moment. Neither of them wanting to move from here.

Clarke huffs and closes her eyes for a moment, “Anyway!” she exclaims. She walks around Lexa and waves her arm in direction of the couch. “Pick anywhere. Make yourself comfy. It won’t take entirely too long but, still, sit.”

Lexa takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, tilts her head back to look up. She presses her lips together, licks them, and nods to herself. I’m already so fucking screwed.

She turns and walks over to Clarke, clears her throat, “He was a handsome guy. You have his eyes.”

A shy, bashful smile on Clarke’s face. She loves being told all the things she has in common with her father, physical or otherwise. He was her favorite person, her confidant, her partner in crime. And she really misses him.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“What was he like?” Lexa was hesitant, but she wanted to know as much about this girl as she could get. “I mean, if you’re okay with that”

Clarke nods, “Yeah, no, it’s fine. It was a while ago so I’ve worked through it,” she chuckles. She looks up at Lexa, sees her smiling sweetly. She looks down at her blank sketchbook. She should probably start on that.

“Try not to move too much, by the way.” Lexa nodded, sat back and crossed one leg over the other, her attention completely on Clarke.

She starts sketching Lexa’s face as she speaks, “Well, my dad… he has my best friend. I mean, I love both my parents - my mom’s great too, we just… fight more often. I guess.” A beat. “But my dad was the peacekeeper. Definitely my biggest fan in every way,” she laughs. “I don’t know how long it took me to understand you can’t draw on the walls at home and paper is a perfectly acceptable option but, he never got angry, even though Mom did. He always backed me up.”

Clarke absentmindedly sketched while she spoke. An outline of Lexa’s face, her beautiful curls, her blue button-up. She chanced a look at Lexa through her lashes. Lexa’s expression is as soft as ever, her eyes glossy and understanding. Clarke can tell she gets it. She hates that this is something they have in common; a loss.

The two lock eyes and Lexa inhales, “He sounds like an amazing father.”

Clarke smiles sadly and responds, “Yeah. He was.” They hold each others gaze briefly, and Clarke looks back down to continue her work.

“I lost someone special to me, too,” Lexa sighs. “Her name was Costia.”

Blue meets green again, Clarke feels so much for this complete stranger, it’s scary. The moment’s briefly intense, the silence a little thick.

“Long story short, she was in a car accident. It was pretty late, some guy had too much to drink, ran a red light,” Lexa fiddled with the hem of her shirt and shrugged. “You know the rest.”

“Lexa, that’s… terrible,” Clarke says.

“Yeah.” She folds into herself for a moment, rubs her hands over her thighs repeatedly, ready to switch gears. It’s been a few years but, every time she thinks about it, it aches a little more.

“Anyway, that got dark,” Lexa laughs an empty laugh, attempting to change the subject. “I uh - wanna hear about this one time in high school, I was on the soccer team and I wrongly got detention for a week because I accidentally hit my coach in the face with a soccer ball?”

Clarke bursts out laughing, “Oh my god, how did that happen?”

Lexa smiles, she tells Clarke all about her rivalry with one of her teammates, Ontari, how everything was made into a competition, how they ended up liking the same girl and their little competition spiraled and Lexa claims she was framed for the missed shot that smacked their coach in the face. To this day, she wholeheartedly believes she was set up. Clarke couldn’t stop smiling at Lexa, stealing glances at her, away from her sketch, as often as she could. She was just about finished but Clarke tried to take as much time as possible on it.

“Lexa, I’m sure you weren’t framed,” Clarke teased.

“I was! Clarke,” Lexa leans forward, serious as ever, hands clasped together, “That girl is satan reincarnate. She, no doubt in my mind, framed me.”

Clarke shook her head at Lexa’s antics. “Okay, okay. I’ll take your word for it. I had something similar happen in high school. Well, gym class, at least.”

“Ooh, an embarrassing story, is it? I’m intrigued.”

“Relax, nerd. I just witnessed it, it wasn’t me. Trust me, I barely participated in any sport, besides volleyball.”

“Volleyball? Oh man, wish I could’ve seen that.”

“Why’s that?” Clarke looks up from her sketchbook.

“You probably looked really good serving up shots during games.” Lexa smirked. Part of her can’t believe she just let that slip, but the more she talked to Clarke, she figured, why not? Anya pushed her into doing something new and it led her to a beautiful, amazing girl. If that’s not some cosmic sign then, Lexa doesn’t know what is.

Clarke’s cheeks turned bright red. She wasn’t expecting that.

“So, how’s the sketch coming? How terrible are you making me look?” Lexa asked.

Clarke huffed, “Are you saying I’m a bad artist?”

“No. I’m probably just a bad model,” Lexa replied amused.

Clarke scoffed, “How can you be bad at sitting still?”

Lexa rolled her eyes, “Just - can I see it?” she asked gently.

Clarke rose and walked over to Lexa, who stood as well. Clarke bit her lip hesitantly and shoved her sketchbook in Lexa’s hands.

“It’s probably really rough and definitely not my best work, so i’m just apologizing in advance and -” Clarke stopped rambling when she saw Lexa running her finger over the sketch. She was speechless. The slope of her nose, the hard lines of her jaw, the absolute softness and light in her eyes, her full smile and wild hair. She looks full of life. She looks beautiful in a way that Lexa’s never seen herself as. And she’s speechless.

“Clarke,” she whispered, “this is amazing. You’re so talented.” Lexa breathed.

Clarke smiled bashfully, heart beating wildly at the compliment. She can tell Lexa means it and it makes her heart soar.

Lexa clears her throat and hands Clarke the sketchbook. Clarke closes it, places it on the coffee table.

“I should uh, get going. Professor Gonzalez got called up for jury duty this week so I should probably go over the lecture for next class,” Lexa said as she gathered her things.

Clarke rung her hands together and nodded, “Yeah, of course, no worries. I’ll walk you out.”

Lexa pulled her jacket on and slung her bag over her shoulder. They walked together to the door of Clarke’s apartment.

“Thank you so much for doing this, Lexa. It was a huge help,” Clarke said.

“Of course. Let me know how the assignment turns out, yeah?” Lexa asked, hopefully.

“Definitely,” Clarke responded. She knows her eyes are blown and she can tell Lexa’s are too. They stand by the door, Clarke rocking on her feet and Lexa fiddling with her bag strap.

“Fuck it,” Lexa sighs.

Lexa reaches up, grabs the back of Clarke’s neck and kisses her. Clarke’s a little surprised, but she quickly melts right into the kiss. It’s soft, Lexa’s lips are soft and full. And Clarke’s lips taste like her lip gloss, strawberry flavored. Lexa’s lips parts beneath Clarke’s and the softness is gone. At the feel of Clarke’s tongue, Lexa releases a pleased sound, deep in her throat, and it leaves Clarke wanting to make Lexa do that again, wanting more.

Clarke digs her hands into Lexa’s jacket and Lexa cups her hands over Clarke’s cheeks, a thumb brushing over the curve of her jaw as Clarke’s tongue presses against Lexa. This time, it’s Clarke who groans.

Lexa comes up for air, moves back slowly, eyes still closed. She rubs her nose against Clarke’s and sighs.

Clarke’s eyes are still closed, too, and she smirks, “Been wanting to do that since I saw you walk through the cafe.”

Lexa laughs, “Wanna keep doing that, maybe, over dinner this Friday?”

“I’d love to, hotshot.”

[sequoiann]

❧ h.js | roommate!au

pairing; seventeen joshua x reader

genre; bulletpointed, roommate!joshua, humor, fluff

✎a/n; roommate!aus are backkk !! this is the first time i’m collab-ing with another writer! she approached me a while back and asked if we could write something together and we decided on roommate!aus :)) her account is @kpop--fics ,, do check her out if you’d like! she’s the nicest person ever i swear <33 we’re also currently working on another roommate!au, do look forward to it!

okay so josh as a roommate

you just arrived in korea and started going to a new school, which had dorms attached to them 

so you thought, boys and girls would be separated, right? 

nAhH

this school, as they say, is sp e c i al!!

apparently the principal trusted people enough to mix the two together 

so there you were, standing before your room, ready to meet your new roomie 

you knocked and a insanely good looking person opened the door 

like WOW did it hurt when u fell from the heavens

at first he started to talk to you in korean, but when you looked at him with utter confusion, he switched to english instead

“i take you must be y/n?” he asked, a bit embarrassed 

cute lol

you just hummed and nodded to confirm his guess 

afterwards you took a good look inside 

and damn it was clean 

like super clean ;;; not a speck of dust to be found

except for tht empty random guitar bag lying randomly against the wall but it doesnt matter

“do you need help?” he asked with literally the SWEETEST voice ever after he sees your bags and bags of luggage

boiii u were pretty sure your expression was just screaming “bithc u cute”

and you internally melt bc wow he was so nice and just asdfghjkl

you mumbled something amongst the lines of “no it’s fine i can handle them

you two literally just met, and you didn’t think it was polite to get help from him so abruptly

but shua

this gentleman

was insistent

after what seems like 10 minutes of bickering (ok maybe it was just a few seconds of push and pull)

he just shakes his head and reaches out to your luggage, pulling it into the room

and you just bit your lips and went in with your hand-carry luggage

he helps you unpack and while ya’ll do that, ya’ll strike a conversation

you guys were gonna be living in the same room, so might as well quickly get rid of the awkward air rightt?

yeah so you tell him how you moved from your home country to korea for study

and you actually haven’t actually learnt how to speak or write or understand their language yet

joshua’s super chill with it and he’s just like

“that’s fine, you’ll learn over time” and

“you’re lucky i actually speak english”

you laugh and he tell you he’s from LA and you’re like oh i’m from blahblahblah

then you guys go on and on

and he’d actually tease you from time to time

and take advantage of the fact you can’t understand a word of korean

he’d literally call you cute in korean and when you ask him what it means he’ll just

“it means pls pick up your clothes from the floor”

and you’ll narrow your eyes at him bc the korean phrase was like just 2 syllables but the english translation was a whole sentence??

but you’d just pick your clothes up bc you know you’re messing up the dorm HAHA

besides that, he was a total gentleman 

he occasionally wakes you up in the morning by playing a song on his guitar 

(probably his morning routine bc you wake up to him playing his guitar while sitting on his bed almost every other day)

it sounded so good like damn my guy you do your thang

and you’d continue sleeping bc it wAS SO SOOTHING

and when you really don’t wake up joshua would abandon the idea of playing the guitar chords and just strum noisily

and you’d fling your pillow at him since his bed was like beside yours

there was a nightstand in between your beds and that’s all

“it’s 8, y/n! classes start 9!”

you just go back to sleep

joshua still tries to get you up but you’re like a dead pig

and you’d just mumble something about being able to get ready in five mins

HA YOU THOUGHT

you always end up rushing and being a frantic mess

“SHUA WHERE’S MY PANTS”

and he’d just be frantic with you bc you’d never let him leave for his classes without you

aka you being late = him being late

n the both of you are just fuckin DASHIN across your room

“THE CLOSET??”

“WHERE’S THE CLOSET”

and this is how you two end up in detention together 

it’s really funny if you think about it

and surprisingly,,,

joshua doesn’t blame you for it

“it’s better than just one of us being stuck here alone, right?”

RIGHT.

positivity king

and and

josh is those kind of roommates who would always randomly appear with stuff

like food

like there was this once you were just finishing up your essay and he just comes in and shoves this golden wrapper thing in front of ur face and

“here’s some choc”

and you look at him like ???where’d you get them from

“the mart?”

so yeah you never go hungry with him around

he’s like your little portable fridge

yeah so that pretty much summarises joshua as your roommate 

[kotorno]

I watched the Adventure Time finale...

I’m proud that show was able to last as long as it did, especially with just how... kind of batshit insane the production got in its later seasons. I’m glad it kickstarted the careers of many great creators who have gone either to helm or create their own unique and diverse shows. I can tell that, at least in the early days, there was a big brewing pot of ideas and the “anything goes” mentality allowed different creators to tackle what they wanted with the program. The likes of many popular shows today are either rooted or inspired and admired by this show. And that’s fantastic. The finale was underwhelming. Truthfully I never really kept up with the show, so that’s probably part of it. AT came on the air when I was in college and when I wasn’t busy with games, studies, etc. the only show I tended to really watch at the time was Phineas and Ferb (and you can mock me all you want about that, I still stand by that that was a great show (that also had a nice run... until either Disney or the creators are trying to ruin it/recreate it without being the same show with their new product, but that’s another dumb talk for another time)). Adventure Time would have initially premiered when I was in my Junior of college, so yeah, probably didn’t watch it that much but respected a lot of the voice talent and kind of silly style the show had going for it. I’d watch it on and off through the years and get invested in some of the bigger multiparters such as the return of the Lich (never really understood it too much other than it was just evil), the really cute relationship Finn had with the Flame Princess until someone went “we don’t know how to write this and this is a show about adventure!” so they kind of just... stomped on that, and then the introduction of the being known as Prismo, who was pretty dang cool. A good friend of mine and I began bonding over cartoons because we watched a lot of them. Cartoons are, by in large, vehicles for everyone. They get this bad rep that they’re “kid’s stuff” and I can see why if you have stupidly easy to produce shows that just rely on fart jokes or the like. But we didn’t really see that. This drove us both back to watch Adventure Time, since we wanted to catch up on all the current cartoons. The episode we ended up watching... I think it was a two-parter, was about Finn’s dead-beat dad and getting him out of jail so he could then... betray his son to go somewhere? They killed off Prismo (at least for now), Finn lost an arm, and it seemed like things were getting tense. ...then Finn grew an arm back a few episodes later like, “lol, nothing bad happened.” For both of us, though my friend was already bothered by the two-parter we had watched, we kind of viewed the show has not really wanting to take itself seriously. Like there was this sense that yes, they wanted to have high stakes. Yes, they wanted to create this big expansive story (that the creator of the show kind of just said didn’t really exist or wasn’t extremely fleshed out when the show began, it was just a fun weird idea he had). But it seemed like someone burst into the writing room and went, “NO, WE CAN’T DO THAT. WE NEED TO REVERT IT BACK TO A FUN HAPPY JOLLY ADVENTURE” This seems to have persisted for the rest of the show’s duration.

Random side characters would be brought back, changed up, revived, killed off again, all for the sense of some kind of “drama” but then episodes would go “lol forget that happened” as if the writers were literally fighting with each other on what the hell they wanted to do now that most of their founding talent had moved onto other projects. Not to say anything bad of the last few seasons, but it just seems no one was willing to compromise to make something vaguely coherent. I realize that’s hilarious given that the first few episodes are anything but, but that seems to come from again a time when the series really wasn’t MEANT to have a large overarching narrative. I think with a lot of shows that have appeared since then, everyone just assumes “oh, this is a big overarching story with a beginning, middle and end and we’re just getting pieces of it at a time” such as the like with Steven Universe, the recent Ducktales reboot and parts of Gravity Falls. But I think the proof is in the pudding: This isn’t a “grand scheme, J.K. Rowling had most of the ideas for Harry Potter set out when she wrote the first book,” this is more of a, “Nomura realized he was going to make more Kingdom Hearts games and had to write by the seat of his pants in order to make a long narrative, making up new crap as he goes along.” There’s nothing wrong with that second one when done correctly, lots of older shows such as Star Trek: TNG were able to do this pretty competently. But when I think about it I think back to college when an old roommate and I were discussing the manga, “Bleach” which was beginning(?) or at least had signs of wrapping up at the time. I argued that Bleach overstayed its welcome, had horrendous pacing issues, and was plaguing itself with the most (at the time) bloated ending (which ended up NOT being the ending, fancy that). My roommate argued that once the series was completed, he would reread it and he was sure it would all make sense read as one package rather than the weekly updates we got.

So a few years passed and Bleach finally ended. My former roommate set himself out to do this task. He was kind of disappointed to find out that what I had said was true: The pacing got sloppy after a certain point, new powers get introduced pretty much at random, and fights last for goddamn ever (and this is the MANGA) leading to a really “meh” ending that feels extremely forced... after two other arcs that also felt extremely forced since they go against that proposed “what everyone thought would be” ending.

I feel like Adventure Time will be viewed in a similar light in the future. From the limited knowledge I have, it seems the “writers fighting over” what to do with Finn, Jake and the characters did indeed happen. There were plans for a movie, then it got canceled, then they tried to revive it, then they wanted to do specials and finally they just got a few more seasons. While I’m sure some would say, “well of course Cartoon Network would give them more seasons, it’s their most popular show!” Well it isn’t anymore. It hasn’t been for a while. The fact the show got a few more seasons seems more on good faith of “this product was good in the past, maybe it can still shine” they say as they cram Teen Titans Go literally to everywhere on their schedule. By the time my friend and I had watched the episode with Finn’s dad, Steven Universe had become huge on the network and many fans of AT, who liked some of one of the main original writer’s stories for that show, switched over to their new show instead. Cartoon Network was also premiering new shows around this time with We Bare Bears and Clarence, which had their own form of a humor that was relatable (like the ones found in AT) but without having a confusing as heck backstory/world. These shows became pretty popular because they did things without even making a fuss out of them (one of the characters in Clarence has two moms, and no one questions it, it’s just acceptance. There’s even a joke in that show about one of the characters waiting for a blind date, sees a hot guy and gets excited, then finds out he’s actually on a dinner date with his boyfriend/husband, it’s honestly masterly crafted). This kind of left AT in the dust for a bit as it’s weird show was becoming more serialized to the akin of the later seasons of Spongebob -- When in doubt, do something weird, or dumb or maybe shock-value (substitute for Spongebob’s gross-out humor) just to get views.

It seems the dust finally settled as the writers were able to come up with SOMETHING in order to end plot threads that were set up or messed up or whatever. Did you know Ice King was a regular human from before an apocalyptic war? It was a pretty cool reveal. Cool. Now there’s just a magic time portal for some reason and he’s no longer cursed for a bit and his wife is here. Oh, but he’s Ice King again and doesn’t remember her so... his wife will just wander the wilderness or something now? Okay... Jake’s an alien now. In hindsight, sure, it makes sense, but it feels like many of these ideas are just thrown at the wall for the sake of making “lore” when it’s really just making random crap up to make the show feel more “deep.” (Seriously, go look at the Kingdom Hearts plot to see the master of this craft.)

In the end, the finale wraps with a war... or not... it just kind of devolves into this thing for a bit where Finn has to confront his fears one last time, Bubblegum (who was just kind of shit on a bit from the writers during the later seasons) has to fight her uncle?? But then they make peace, and then a giant demon shows up for some reason because Ice King’s wife summoned it. Why did she summon it? What was the purpose? “Well I wanted my husband back” yeah ok, but... giant demon? The f*ck? Then through the power of music they kind of banish it... it’s... weird. I mean it makes sense for the show, and it’s definitely not a terrible episode. But it feels like they really wanted to play up, “LOOK AT THIS EPIC TALE WE’VE WEAVED, YOU BETTER HAVE NOTICED ALL THE DETAILS!!” for their last shebang. And that’s really the problem: The show was never set up like that to begin with. It was set up as a funny show with silly gags and interesting locales for characters to explore from episode to episode. If they ever did something that had consequences (in the earlier seasons at least) something would be done with a quick explanation of dialogue or something that gave the viewer indication as to what was going on, so they wouldn’t be lost. If you’ve watched Steven Universe at all, this show does it pretty brilliantly. Even with more recent episodes that have become heavily story-driven, you can start an episode without having seen ANY of the previous and it’s easy to work your way into. Having that previous knowledge helps, but the shows are constructed in a way that you shouldn’t have to do that unless you want to. Maybe because this was a finale, that’s why they could get away with it? ...but Gravity Falls had a finale too. It put in a lot of references to past episodes and things that happened in the series. You can still watch that finale without having seen any of the series. There’s no big bar that holds you back as to “why is this happening.” You learn character motivations, importance of items, etc. quickly in how it’s established. I know that sounds really selfish, “well it’s a finale for THIS show, and they should reward longtime viewers” and sure, fine. But the way Gravity Falls did it also didn’t alienate newer viewers either?

We’ll see what time has to say on it when people begin bringing it up to their kids or when past kids look in on it in just a few years who may have never seen the show. Maybe I’m 100% wrong. But I feel that it’s a show that, like Bleach, should have ended while it was ahead, at least a few years back. Luckily unlike Bleach, it’s still an enjoyable conclusion. But it definitely feels like a hollow shell of its former self. (But hey Marceline and Bubblegum becoming an item is actually cool and some of the scenes with them at the end are really cute so that’s a good plus, and Beemo (the best character) became a king so not everything’s terrible... just mediocre besides those points.)

[xellandria]

Chainmail Memes

@hellokibby tagged me and I’m in the mood so LESGO

Directions: Answer 11 questions, tag 11 people, and then come up with 11 questions for your people to answer. 

1. What is your ultimate pizza, you know topping, crust, sauce, and anything else that describes it. I grew up on Long Island and while I suspect the 22 years (jesus) since I moved to the west coast has both changed my tastes somewhat and also added some rose-flavoured glasses to my recollection, meatball pizza (with red/tomato sauce and the typical NY crust) was suuuuuper good.  There’s a place here in Bend that’s pretty good too, with a white/alfredo sauce, chicken, and pineapple and it makes me very happy every time I taste it, so I’m not sure at this point which I’d prefer.  Combination of both, probably—not a huge fan of tomato sauce these days, but meatball and white seems as awkward to me as pineapple and red, so idk.  Then again, 10 Barrel’s white with chicken, pineapple, and ground beef was pretty good and the only reason I don’t do that combo with Raganelli’s is bc they don’t have the ground beef (iirc), so SHRUG

2. What if your favorite board game, and why? I... am not entirely sure I have one?  Monopoly is the board game I’ve played most, but I don’t often have opportunities for board games, especially less “classic” ones, haha.

3. Is there any fictional character you particularly related to growing up? Um.  After moving to California but just before my weeb stage, I was really into Sailor Moon.  Like, really into it.  Sailor Jupiter in particular was like, my thing—she was taller than everyone else and that was occasionally a problem for her, and she had to switch schools and she was dealing with people being not-nice to her and she had brown hair like I did, and so on.  There was a couple years there where I convinced myself (and to some extent, everybody else) that “Lita” was one of my middle names; looking back I’m pretty sure I bought into that more than anybody else did, but that lasted a long-ass time so y’know :x

4. What is your first Halloween costume that you can remember wearing? What is your most recent and most importantly what is your favorite? Remember wearing?  Tails from the Sonic franchise, age 6-7ish.  First one I know I wore was Elmo, but I was like three at the time so I don’t personally remember it, but I definitely remember my mother “helping” me make a Tails costume a few years before we moved; it was made out of that kind of generic plain linen/cotton cloth that’s a little bit itchy until you run it through like twelve gallons of fabric softener, and the tails were very heavy and bogged the whole thing down.  My most recent is harder, because I think the most recent was seventh or eighth grade (which would have been like, 98-99) when I went to school dressed up as Vegeta from DBZ.  I got a lot of shit from my classmates for that one, but whatever I got a lot of shit from them constantly so fuck ‘em in retrospect.

Somewhere between Tails and Vegeta was a Sailor Jupiter costume, which I also got a lot of crap about (large fat girl in a short skirt walkin’ around your neighborhood, ooooh lock the doors she’ll jiggle you to death >:\) but at the time I’m pretty sure that one was my favourite; I remember wearing the skirt itself around the house afterwards and enjoying the way the pleats moved.  It wasn’t very comfortable (Halloween was cold out that year, and also it was made of that same type of fabric as Tails) but y’know.

5. If you could live in any film genre which one would you choose? What would be your role in this reality? Romanticized/utopian high fantasy, definitely.  Gotta be the romanticized kind tho, cos “realistic/gritty” high fantasy is like, woo I’m in exactly the same boat as now but without toilets and even less access to healthcare.  Granted, I’m super unimaginative so I suspect that would be my role regardless of genre, background serf doing exactly what I do now but with a wardrobe change.  Fantasy’s got the best wardrobes though so that’s fine.

6. Do you collect anything? if so what is your favorite thing in that collection? I don’t collect much IRL anymore except art and craft supplies, which get hoarded forever and rarely used.  It’s not a case of “they’re too expensive to use” or anything either, it’s just I never really see a good opportunity to whip out, for example, the giant matte acetate sheets I inherited from my mother when she stopped doing old school freelance graphic design stuff or the remnant of neon animal-print quilting cotton that would make a fantastic T-shirt if it was of an appropriate stretchiness and not, you know, quilting cotton.

In World of Warcraft I collect all the things you can collect in the collections nowadays—pets, mounts, toys, transmog appearances.  Even prior to any of the collections though, I collected shirts, and I own every shirt and shirt appearance available to players in the game (there’s one that Wowhead lists as having been in the game that I don’t own, but I’m reasonably certain that was a TBC beta-only shirt that never made it to live servers and have never seen any evidence to the contrary—it certainly wasn’t equipped on freshly-created blood elves who were supposed to have it, anyway).  My favourite shirt that I never get to use in transmog is the Trapper’s Shirt, previously called the Thug Shirt, which was the shirt that troll rogues were created wearing prior to... I think it was Cataclysm that all those shirts turned into chest pieces instead.  It’s not the most useful of the shirts available atm (that would probably be the Floot-Tooter’s Tunic, which is as close as we can currently get to a black turtleneck), but it’s aesthetically pleasing and I like it a lot.

7. What is your DnD alignment? Do you have any evidence to support this claim? Oof I’m bad at alignments.  I’d say probably Neutral Good-ish, leaning towards Lawful?  Breaking the rules mostly makes me anxious as hell, unless I’m really angry or the particular rule in question is exceptionally stupid.

8. When you were 10 what career did you think you would pursue? I dunno about when I was ten (I was still recovering from moving cross-country and losing all my friends and not having made any new ones yet), but I really only remember ever wanting to be an animator and artist.  Got on the path to do that at some point too, though it ended up not working out for a variety of reasons. Ten may have been the year I wanted to go into theater instead, but I have this very vivid memory of my mother watching a movie about auditions (I’m hesitant to say it was A Chorus Line but it may have been) and the lady I was rooting for got like, completely fucked over in some way that I can’t recall.  Whatever it was, it scared me away from anything bigger than community, lol :x

9. Do you have any fictional ship you really wish would happen even if it doesn’t make sense in canon? What is it, I wanna know. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm see one of my things about ships is that they have to make sense, unless we’re talking total crackships like Loken/Mal’Ganis.  I had an elaborate theory for how Chin Isou and Dokugakuji (from Gensomaden Saiyuki) could know each other and I sort-of shipped it, but I don’t remember exactly what all my reasoning was, and I’m no longer in a place in my life where I feel like I have to ship things.

10. Which Ninja Turtle or Power Ranger were you? Unless you were a person on a different team, then what team? Donatello was my turtle, and the Yellow Ranger was my jam (until she was replaced, then I think my affections went more pinkish).

11. If you could pick any Muppet to be roommates with who would you choose? Bonus points again why? Rowlf, probably.  I dunno, Kermit seems like the logical roommate but I think he and I would drive each other crazy (we both make that scrunched-up hand-face all the time, y’know? :P).  Rowlf just seems like he’d get along without fuss, and also he’s a chill talking piano-playing dog-thing so?

Optional tagging for @damantru​, @dundee998​, @angryfuturerobot​, @baronberserker​, @unlimitedgoats​, @amongthegentlymad​, @delphina2k​, @astrakiseki​, @bellamop​, @celestialmayhem​, and @grimmhooke​—I know y’all’ve got more important and/or interesting things you could be doing with your time so let’s try and give you more procrastination tools eh? :P  good plan xella A+ can’t go wrong

Anyway feel free to answer or not at your own discretion and/or whim!

1. Do you speak more than one language semi-fluently?  Are you interested in (or working on) learning more languages than you currently know?

2. When you’re having a down/blah day, what’s something that’s likely to make you feel slightly less shitty?

3. Are you an egg drop, hot & sour, or won ton soup kinda person?

4. If you wanted to order mixed vegetables, some sort of optional meat, and soft noodles at a chinese restaurant, what would that be called in your region? (this:)

5. What are your top five most-used spices/condiments?

6. If you’re cooking just for yourself, are you more likely to eat something quick or prepare a “full” meal?

7. What did “Exit Only” mean when seen on a road sign in the area you grew up?  Is it different where you live now?

8. Is there a word that, no matter how many times you try, you can never spell correctly on the first attempt?

9. How would you characterize your online “voice”?  Do you have different ways of typing for different situations, or do you “talk” the same way on Tumblr that you do on Twitter or Skype/Discord?

10. What was your least favourite fashion trend of the last few* years?  What do you want to come back in style? (*few = probably from like 2000 to now bc I have no sense of time lol)

11. If you had to choose only one, who would be your favourite character of yours (original or fan, idc)?  What are they like?  Describe them, I want them, give them to me!

[never-not-ever]

I’m bored as fuck so I’m answering the rest of these questions cause I like them☺️

1. When you’re hanging out in your room, do you usually sit on the bed, a chair, the floor, or somewhere else? always laying in bed.

2. A picture and/or a description of what your room looks like. answered this one with pictures a little while ago!

3. How many pillows are on your bed? currently just one but there’s another one and a body pillow between the bed and the wall.

4. Do you share a room with anybody? Have you ever (as in long term, not a sleep over)? I currently do not. Growing up I shared a room with my Aunt from like 2 years old - 10 years old I think. Then when I went to college for a year I had a roommate.

5. Are there any posters or artwork on your walls? What are they? no posters but there is a canvas of a birdcage, a PaintNite I painted, some pictures of me and my girlfriend and a card from her.

6. How many candles are in your room? I think theres like one in a draw but none out for decorations or even ones that I use, not a big fan of candles/my room is never clean enough for them.

7. Where do you keep your clothes? on the floor and there’s some in draws but I don’t wear those ones.

8. Do your parents/siblings/room mates knock before they enter? so my bedroom is on the 3rd floor and across the hall is my cousins boyfriends bedroom and besides him coming up here no one else does so no one knocks and he never comes in my room and my grandmother doesn't climb the stairs. 

9. What color are your walls? 3 of my walls are a pale mint green and then I have an accent wall that is more of a teal.

10. Do you have a laundry hamper in your room, or is it in the bathroom? I have a couple hampers in my room but I never use them lol.

11. Is your mattress on a frame or the floor? it’s in a frame. Before I switched rooms and got a new mattress I use to keep it on the floor and I loved that!

12. What position do you sleep in? Usually on my side but sometimes on my back or stomach.

13. Do you have carpet, hard wood, or tile in your bedroom? hardwood!

14. What’s your favorite part of your room? my bed! it’s so fucking comfortable and big and I love it!

15. What’s your least favorite part of your room? Everything else besides my bed because it’s always a disgusting mess

16. How many hours a day on average do you spend in your room? before it used to be like 8-12 hours depending on how long I could sleep for and if I got out of work early. Now that I’m not working anymore it’s more like 14-18.

17. Have you ever been told that you spend too much time in your room/never go outside/live in your room/etc? oh all the time!

18. Is there a desk in your room? Do you actually use it for homework? I used to have a desk that matched my dresser and nightstand but I never used it so I moved it to the spare bedroom that is now my cousins boyfriends room

19. Is there a tv in your room? there is but it doesn’t have cable and I can only use it to watch DVDs. I never grew up with a tv in my room and so I bought it for myself like 2 years ago, spent some time watching Modern Family and then got tired of it. Haven't used it in a year I think.

20. If your bedroom could look any way you want, forgetting cost and practicality, what would it look like? Right now I’m in a mindset where I don’t give a fuck what it looks like. I only care about my bed. I wouldn’t want to fix it up nice cause I just don't care anymore  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ lol

21. Do you put stuff under your bed? no, but I’m sure stuff gets knocked under there by accident.

22. If you play an instrument, do you practice in your room or somewhere else? I do not play an instrument.

23. Do you charge your phone next to your bed? I charge my phone and leave it on the bed.

24. How many windows are in your room? just one.

25. Do you have a private/connected bathroom? nope, would be awesome if I did though!

26. Do you keep makeup, jewelry, lotion, perfume/cologne, and hair stuff in your room or the bathroom? most of that is in the bathroom, I don’t wear jewelry though, and I keep my perfume in the car lol

27. What are your thoughts on others being in your room without your knowledge or permission? I’d hate it, I’d be really fucking pissed especially since right now there are bloody napkins everywhere.

28. When you have friends over, do you hang out in your room or somewhere else? I don’t have friends over because of the mess.

29. Is your bedroom a place you can relax and feel safe? yes, it’s definitely my relaxation place and funnily enough my safe place too!

30. If you could invite ANYBODY (dead or alive) into your room, who would you want? my Aunt, she’s dead and this used to be her room. It’s the same room I spent the beginning of my life in, the same room where I had drawings of horses up on the wall, the same room where I cried to her because I knew she was dying soon and the same room where she promised me “when I get better we’ll go out to dinner, just you and me” but that never happened

[illnameitlast-blog]

OMG it’s been more than a week since I’ve started this personal project.

I’m going to retry calling as much as I can remember up to today.. 9/11/2017. Might not finish. 

so 

the original plan for that Thursday was to connect two friends in the music industry at 2, clothing photo shoot w a Postmates driver, L, who I quickly befriended at work (a cafe in Brentwood) at 5, and then around 8pm I was going to sleep over at a coworker’s house so that she could bleach and re-color my hair. 

..here’s what really happened. 

I woke up somewhat early, maybe around 9:30/10am. Currently my long-time high school friend Kristine is going to move in with me into the small studio I live in. Her lease ends the last day of August, & that’s today, Thursday. The night before, my friend Taylor said last-minute she needed a place to couch surf after all & will be putting her room up for Airbnb. [Taylor lives in a master bedroom by herself in a large apartment right next to The Grove. The last time I saw her a few months ago I told her I would be down to move in with her and she agreed it would be cool. We agreed she’d Airbnb her room for extra money for September, while I saved rent money to move in with her in October.] 

I walked less than 10 minutes to get a bunch of breakfast for myself. I’m talking about pancakes, toast, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, and sausage. When I come back, I eat about 3/4 of what I ordered and eat half of an acid-laced sour patch kid, roughly equivalent to half a tab (I’d like to think). It’s about 12:30. 

Alright, now I need to start getting ready as fast as possible before the acid hits. First I talk to house owners Danny & Tara about Taylor moving into the studio with Kristine & I. A little unsure at first, they eventually agree. I go back to getting ready. 

The acid doesn’t hit until about an hour later, when I’m about to leave for my 2pm froyo meeting with friends Yael & Josephine. After getting Pressed Juicery’s matcha “froyo” w almond butter, pineapple, & extra pineapple, we walk withYael to some place she knows of where we can hang out. We’re on Abbot Kinney and arrive at the TOMS store. As you walk in, there’s a coffee bar. Past it, a seating area with tables on the right side and shoes for sale on display on the left side. Past THAT, you go down a few stairs onto grass turf with tall, stair-like seating all against the right side with a couple tables & chairs on the floor against the wall across the entrance of area. We all sit & talk for a bit, where I find out that Yael will be at the Anaheim House of Blues the next day, Friday, where I’ll also be to support a friend’s band that’ll be performing. We agree to try to see each other the next night. Around 3:30/4, we leave to walk back towards our cars. On our way back, we pass the Wheel of Fortune that seems to be some type of known landmark? I spin the wheel, first getting WISDOM but then it quickly switched over to FUN. currently, I do not disagree. maybe later in life I might. 

I get back to my car. right before meeting Yael & Josephine, L texted me asking to rain check the photo shoot. since I was free & I knew Kristine needed some help bringing things to my place, I decide to go over to her apartment in Westwood. when I get there, I’m feeling amazing. I had just linked two amazing people in the music industry and that was the first meeting I’d ever scheduled. I was ecstatic! earlier in my day I had come up w the idea that instead of Taylor putting her room up for Airbnb, Kristine & I could just move in instead. I was going to move in October anyways. I needed to check with Kristine first, & she was for it. So I called Taylor & told her my idea. Taylor loved it! In the span of about a 5 minute phone call, we were moving to West Hollywood. Because of that I was also able to help another one of my friends that was looking for a place to stay for the month of September! ***side note about the weather, during my phone conversation with said friend, that was the day when there was like, apocalyptic weather going on, where it was very warm & humid, but pretty windy & even started raining at some points during the day. I say this because I was observing the weather from the open window at the moment***  during my time there I created this tumblr on impulse. eventually Kristine’s roommate finally left for home & it was just the two of us. it was starting to get late & nothing had been put away in the car yet. WE NEEDED TO BE OUT & DONE BY SUNRISE.

I start packing things in the car. We need to start moving. Once we finished, we drove to Kristine’s home home, about 1:15 hour drive away. We got back to the apartment around 4am I believe. I’ve never mentally pushed myself that hard before, I was so freaking EXHAUSTED moving everything to the car while Kristine cleaned, back & forth, from the 3rd floor (but thankfully had an elevator). We didn’t finish til 7am. I ordered food around 7:30 for pickup on my way home. 

I leave Kristine around 8am. She’ll meet me at my place for food & a shower soon. I get home, scarf my breakfast sandwich down, eyes-closed, hoping to simulate resting. As soon as I finish I hop in the shower right away. I get ready, tell Kristine how to lock up, then leave. I go to work from 10am-6:30pm. 

I’m EXHAUSTED. I magically make it on time. Work is rough. After about an hour, I use the bathroom & check my messages for anything important. Tara is very upset about Kristine leaving her burrito leftovers & the dog got to it, after just telling me the other day to make sure the rules about food in the studio were known. I don’t have time to reply, so I just go back to work & go back to cutting the watermelon up for juice, since we didn’t have any ready. I’m extremely stressed at that point & start tearing up. My coworker/big brother figure Isa sees me, takes over, & sends me to the bathroom. I’m crying. The only 2 bathroom stalls are occupied. I’m crying. A woman on the phone walks into the bathroom & is in line now. I’m still crying. One of the shift leaders Val comes in, hugs me, & takes me to the office in the back. She’s had enough breakdowns to know what was happening with me & I’m thankful for the care she showed me. FINALLY, I’m done crying. I go back to work, feeling better, and finish the rest of my shift. 

As soon as I clock out, I change outfits & head to the House of Blues Anaheim to see birthday! I saw birthday @ SXSW earlier that year, where I also met the frontman, Duran. Although I was DEAD & exhausted, I had this show in my calendar for about 2 months, had told them I would be going the same day they announced it, & refused to flake on them. Their last show I’d missed their set, but I’m so glad I saw this one. The energy was amazing, & it made me want to introduce him to Yael even more for potential booking purposes. Unfortunately, Yael was in a different room than me & couldn’t leave, since she was there as Production Assistant for the show. After birthday’s set, Duran & I catch up a little & watch a few songs of the next opener. It was very interesting. 

Duran says there’s a band he wants to see in a different room & is going to find the stage hand to see if we’d be able to go check it out. The guy gives us two shiny pink wristbands & we head outside towards the entrance to the Foundation Room. This is the room Yael is in! I’m STOKED. We go past the door, it’s immediately an elevator. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Exit, walk across the catwalk above/between the stage downstairs & the ramp entrance to the room I saw birthday perform in. 

We enter the room, which is in the shape of a rotunda. Very nice. Duran is standing behind my shoulder. I ask the girl at the front desk if we just walk in. 

Girl: “Do you have tickets for the show?” 

Me: *shows wristbands* 

Girl: “Oh! You’re a member?” 

Me: *quick pause of hesitation* ... “Yes! :D” 

Girl: “Would you like a glass of champagne?” 

Me: “If you would like to pour it for me, thank you so much!!!” 

Duran & I walk in, both holding a glass of champagne. Eventually I introduce Yael & Duran to each other. Towards the end of that show I run into Alexa / Plexxaglass! Shortly after, Duran & I dipped. we went back to the first room we were in. He gets me backstage, into the green room. I help the boys put away their things to leave. In the next room over, Bro Safari is playing.. & Duran has 4 tickets. It’s about 11:30pm. As much as I really wanted to go, I knew I couldn’t let myself, unless I wanted to LITERALLY die of exhaustion. Also, I worked the next day 8am-4:30pm. Duran offers to walk me to my car, except we actually literally walk down the ramps instead of take the stairs to the floor I needed lol. Long story short, I lost my car, we looked for it for about 20 minutes including one of the other boys in the group, then found it on the floor beneath the floor we were looking all over. 

I get into my car, & check my messages. Turns out my friend had moved into the studio already, meaning to me that I couldn’t sleep over there that night. Kristine was at her old apartment where her friends had moved into, but there was no furniture yet meaning there was only hardwood floor to sleep on. Taylor’s place wasn’t an option yet, as she was still cleaning her stuff for us to move in. On my way to Anaheim I’d seen a sign to Riverside & thought about sleeping over @ my best guy friend’s house. Except he’s in Vegas for the weekend. I didn’t wanna go back home home to Rancho/Fontana bc that was way farther than Riv & I know I was already so tired.. So I texted my coworker Bekah, who was supposed to color my hair the other day, to see if I could sleep over for the night. I got to her place at about 1. Her cute ass bought me granola bars & milk in case if I wanted cereal in the morning. (’: We talked a bit, drank wine in bed, then I FINALLY passed out. I woke up the next morning, left around 7:30, and there was ash on my car bc apparently that day there was a fire nearby. Nature is being hella crazy as of lately.