#and he just buys a vespa

[pyschologicalrocketgirl]

Lucas Sinclair owns a vespa

[hannahssimblr]

On narrow, shaded streets we amble among the crowd, past at all the little souvenir shops hawking bags and t-shirts, postcards and beaded bracelets. I grin at a magnet of a little fat faced chef, riding a vespa with a pizza in his hand. Something about his expression reminds me of Jonas.

“My stepdad used to buy magnets like that all the time,” Astrid says when I show her. “He thought they were so funny, but my sisters and I hated them. Their faces are creepy. They leer at you. The day he broke up with our mother, we threw them immediately into the trash.”

I buy it anyway. 

Outside a craft shop, she plucks a ceramic jug from a shelf to scrutinise. It is hand-painted in with delicate foliage in blue paint. “I think I could make something like this at university, don’t you?”

“Well, maybe this trip will inspire a collection of work for your pottery class,” I say, and she lifts it up to the sun, glinting upon the glaze. 

“It’s beautiful.” 

“Would you like it?”

She smiles. “I would. It’s so unusual.”

I get it for her, then carry the little package, wrapped carefully in tissue paper, around as she flits from store to store, finding inspiration in the art she sees. Inspiration comes to me, too, in the colours, the shapes, the slash of sky in negative space between buildings. I photograph it all. The fruit stands little dogs sleeping in doorways, bougainvillea cascading down whitewashed buildings, and laugh with delight as a little yellow car squeezes a path through a crowd of pedestrians. I marvel at this little town, and all the pockets of the world that still cling to so much charm.

“This is exactly what I needed,” says Astrid, on the terrace of a cafe overlooking the sea. 

“Coffee?”

“Yes, and all of this. The sun, the air. I have been so tired of Berlin lately, and the sky being so grey.”

“You’ve been bored.”

“A little, yes.”

We order coffees. Ristretto for her, Americano for me. The server eyes me with some savage combination of amusement and contempt. I imagine his thoughts. “Of course you would order this, American boy,” the man in my head says, and I force myself to smile at the real one. “Thanks”. 

“Grazie.” Astrid hisses.

“Oh, alright. Grazie. Sorry.”

As he returns with our order, he says something to Astrid in Italian. She responds, then him, and in front of me they have an entire conversation I cannot understand. I sit, sip my coffee, and wait for them to finish. Whatever he is saying, he’s very enthusiastic about it, gesticulating, hands moving passionately. I try not to be bothered when he points at me, and Astrid laughs at whatever he has to say, even though the heat of embarrassment rises to my face. If he’s saying something about me, I can’t defend myself. How frustrating it is not to understand another language being spoken right in front of you. Eventually, he leaves, and she simply straightens her dress underneath her and takes a dainty sip of her coffee. 

“What were you two talking about?” I say, after several moments. 

“Oh, nothing really. He was just asking me where we are from.”

“Right.” I trace the rim on my cup with my fingertip. “Just I think I understood something he said to you.”

Her brows rise in dull surprise. “Oh?”

“Bella,” I say, “As in, beautiful.”

“Oh, yes, he was talking about the weather. ‘Una giornata bella’, he said. ‘A beautiful day’.”

“What did he say about me?”

“About you?”

“Yes. When he pointed at me.”

“He said you don’t look Danish, and I agreed, because you aren’t.”

“Oh.”

“You’re self conscious?”

“No, just, I didn’t know what he was saying. I didn’t know if he was flirting with you in front of my face.”

“Italian men are very passionate about a lot of things. Perhaps it looked like that, but he was being friendly.”

I exhale a laugh. “Giornata bella, huh?”

“If he said ‘bella’ regarding me, it wouldn’t be okay?”

I pause. “Well, I don’t know. Calling another guy’s girlfriend beautiful in front of him is kind of on the line between okay and not okay, don’t you think?”

A shrug. “What if it’s true? Shouldn’t we allow people to appreciate beauty? To see it, and say something? What if I like to hear it? Would you prefer to see me locked away from the world?”

“Of course not,” I scoff. “I’m not one of those weird boyfriends that only wants you for myself.”

“I’m glad you said that,” she gazes at a lone seabird, whirling, spiralling above the bay. “Because I could never handle that. That will never be how we are.”

I smirk. “Yes, ma’am.”

Beginning // Prev // Next

[randomprose]

missed calls and white cosmos

[ao3] - set during chapter 452 Guan Shan will never say it, because he’s a lot less brave than He Tian is, but he hopes He Tian knows he feels the same way.

Mo Guan Shan will be the first to admit that he tends to get absorbed in his work. He can’t help it. It’s a job that he actually enjoys, pays ridiculously really well, and lets him express his artistic side. Of course, he’d get bouts of hyperfixation.

He really didn’t mean to blow off He Tian and he really did intend to call when he’s done. It’s just that he got done late. Really late. And on a night when He Tian said he had some good news to share too.

‘Ah, shit,’ Mo Guan Shan thinks, sighing to himself. ‘He’s gonna throw a bitchfit. I just know it.’

10 missed calls and 20 messages though, really?

He doesn’t bother going through each of them now as he hurriedly dresses himself while trying to ring back He Tian.

“C’mon, chicken dick pick up,” Guan Shan mutters, cursing when he nearly busts his nose on the floor as he hastily changes out of his overalls and into his pants. “I know you know I’m calling, asshole. Fucking pick up already.”

‘sorry. late. where r u?’ he types with one hand as he shoves his feet into his sneakers.

“Fuck,” Guan Shan growls as he revs the engine of his scooter. In his head, he’s frantically thinking of a way to make it up to He Tian but he’s drawing up blank. In the years he’s known He Tian ignoring him is just about the worst thing you could do to him.

He passes by a flower shop and thinks about buying a bouquet but his skin is not thick enough to carry one around while he’s on his Vespa trying to find a stupidly unresponsive He Tian. He knows it’s probably the kind of gesture He Tian will be surprised at coming from him, would likely get him instantly forgiven for being late and not checking his phone just because He Tian is easy like that when it comes to him for some reason, but it seems so insincere and very obviously pandering and Mo Guan Shan does not do insincere or pandering, especially not with He Tian.

Instead, he stops by the road when he sees something that catches his eye. He plucks a single stem of white cosmos from the plotted plants on the sidewalk because it reminds him of He Tian. He tucks it in his pocket, careful not to squish it as he cruises the streets to find his no-doubt sulking boyfriend.

Blessedly, he finds him soon enough by the bridge near the restaurant they agreed to meet. He’s leaning on his parked car and even from the distance Guan Shan can feel his bad mood, can just imagine the pout on his face and the tantrum he’s gonna throw. 

“Hey, there you are. How long have you been waiting? Have you eaten?” Guan Shan prods even though he already knows He Tian has been waiting for him for three hours and he likely hasn’t eaten because he’s always hated eating alone.

Silence. Mo Guan Shan tries a different tactic.

“You look pretty handsome in that suit.” The compliment comes easily to him because it’s the truth. He Tian really does look handsome in his suit which is why it makes Guan Shan all the more sorry and the guilt in his gut much heavier that he didn’t come to meet him sooner. “Say something. I really was busy.”

Mo Guan Shan has long shaken off the habit of ignoring He Tian. How could he when the man is so stubbornly persistent in making sure Mo Guan Shan’s thoughts are never devoid of him? Not for long anyway. And it’s not like Mo Guan Shan has ever had any success in keeping his thoughts free of He Tian either.

Yet right now He Tian is making a valiant attempt at ignoring him and Mo Guan Shan finds that he does not care for it. He does not care for it at all.

‘Fuck. He’s even giving me attitude.’ Mo Guan Shan can’t help it. He’s so irritated his hand comes up on its own to snatch at the cigarette dangling from He Tian’s lips because he knows for a fact he’ll hate it.

Except He Tian unexpectedly turns to him, thin eyebrows drawn down into a frown, eyes full of annoyance and a touch of anger.

‘Fuck me. This handsome face,’ Mo Guan Shan furiously thinks even as he appreciates the view. ‘I swear to god your stupidly handsome mug is gonna be the death of me one day. Fuck!’

“You…really forgot about me?” He Tian finally speaks and Mo Guan Shan blushes at the slight whine in his voice and the almost imperceptible pout on his lips even as the bastard blows smoke directly at his face.

Guan Shan coughs and pulls back as He Tian turns away from him again, still sulking. He digs into his pocket for his peace offering, wincing slightly when he sees that it’s wilted and bent in the bud but still offers it in all sincerity.

“He Tian…” Guan Shan holds the small flower up and it immediately catches He Tian’s eyes. “Don’t be mad…okay?”

The crease in He Tian’s brow vanishes and an arm reaches out to pull Guan Shan by the waist. Guan Shan easily goes, wanting to be close the moment he found He Tian. His hand fists at Guan Shan’s shirt as if he’ll disappear if he doesn’t hold tight so he wounds an arm around He Tian’s shoulder and leans down to plant a featherlight kiss on his temple, an apology and an assurance in a single gesture.

“Fine…” He Tian sighs, sagging against Mo Guan Shan in what feels like surrender. “It’s my fault I can’t live without you.”

Mo Guan Shan will never say it, because he’s a lot less brave than He Tian is, but he hopes He Tian knows he feels the same way.

[albentelisa]

Hi! Here's an interesting idea. What if James Sr had come back to town during the events of season one to cause trouble?

He is not a changeling or a supernatural creature. He's just a major class A jerk.

Not even the teams enemies would team up with him.

Oh, nice one! So James decides to come back soon after Jim has found the amulet. He contacts Barbara first, but she simply tells him their relationship is a thing of the past and she isn't going to revisit that page (it happens before she starts dating Strickler - James is just not someone she is willing to forgive). Enraged by the rejection, James decides to take away Jim from her - only to discover that he has no connection with his son. Jim is cold and distant to him, and all attempts to start a conversation fall flat. James gives his son some terrible dating advice regarding Claire (which makes Jim uncomfortable and disgusted as his father treats girls like trophies with no respect altogether). James also buys Jim Vespa for his sixteenth birthday, which is seemingly a working strategy, but in the end, Jim realizes that no expensive gift can compensate for all those years of absence so he gives it back (and that's why Jim's bond with Blinky works even more here). When Barbara starts actively dating Strickler, James tries to sabotage it, much to Barbara's annoyance.

James also gets in the way of Jim's trollhunting with his constant visits and nearly learns about trolls several times. Toby proposes to feed him to Bular several times.

However, the team Trollhunters isn't the only one annoyed. At some point, James tries to flirt with Nomura (who also is tempted to feed him to Bular). Strickler initially is rather neutral, but as his relationship with Barbara progresses, he makes plans to get rid of him for good. Eventually, Angor Rot scares James off (unintentionally as James stumbles upon him by accident and Angor decides to simply scare him to death).

He isn't seen afterward so everyone just assumes that he finally gave up. No one is sad.

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

Random TF2 headcanons bc it has me in a chokehold.

These are set in 2023 bc I want to write these silly geese in present-day situations. (Still haven't gotten into the lore.)

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None of these fuckers like the same fastfood restaurants, they always disagree.

Heavy likes Jimmy Jon's.

Medic likes Subway, he thinks it's the healthier option (don't tell him the bread can legally be considered cake)

Scout likes Wendy's. Sniper pretends to like McDonald's just to mess with him. He really doesn't like fast food at all.

Demo likes Culver's

Spy hates fast food and has never eaten at places like that. He's too good for that (this is a lie. He frequently goes to Starbucks).

Soldier loves KFC with a passion.

Engie likes Popeyes.

Pyro doesn't eat. They guzzle pen ink and glitter glue.

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These old men can not use Gen Z slang to save their lives. However, Scout is horrendous with slang, He has called himself the rizzler. You will not go a day without him saying, "Take the L." This man is menace.

Medic used the word "Rizz" once and Scout almost threw up.

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Engineer loves Legos! He has every adult set. He's done the vespa, he's done the bonsai tree, and any others you can think of. He also buys the small kids sets for Pyro. They do it together for fun.

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Medic. Loves. To. Talk. Shit.

This man is loyal to no one. Show up to the lab with food and wine, and by the end of the night, you'll have dirt on anyone and everyone. Archimedes loves to listen in while he rants and raves.

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Speaking of Medic, whoever headcannoned him as a guy who acts like a teenage girl was 100% correct. This man has a playlist for surgery that's all Kesha, MARINA, Gwen Stefani, and Britney Spears. This man has neon glitter pens and has a fuzzy pink diary (that's where he keeps everyone's secrets!). Man's says "teehee" and kicks his legs. He has a canopy bed and string lights in his room. (And I love him for it ���🏻)

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All of them are mentally ill in someway.

Heavy, Demo, and Engie have anxiety, but manage it well enough for it not to be a problem. (Demo just happens to manage with alcohol 😮‍💨)

Scout has ADHD and depression.

Sniper and Soldier have Autism

Spy has depression, and also body dysmorphia.

Medic has autismn, insomnia, and BPD

Pyro has schizophrenia and autism

————————————————————

Sniper loves animals. Like, let's be for real animals are his hyperfixation. He has a special camera that can take pictures of animals from far away. He loves the fact that he can use his skills as a sniper to photograph animals.

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Spy can't recognize his own face unless he has his mask. His face seems to distort in the mirror after a few minutes. His mask keeps his features in place so it doesn't get a blurry and muddled.

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Demo knits! His mom taught him when he was younger. He has a blanket his mom started and he finished in his room.

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Might make more who knows :)

Love this game and the fandom sm rn.

[michealhehejackson]

I decided to look a little into how Luca and Alberto's relationship would work and their compatibility. I'm not super informed on zodiac signs and love language, but I decided to look into that because I thought it was a interesting and different way to look into their relationship lol 🤷‍♀️ Luca would be a Scorpio and Alberto would be a Libra (according to their birthdays) I didn't know this, but love language usually correlates with your sign?? So, scorpios usually express love through physical touch and quality time. Libra express themselves also with physical touch and gift giving. I saw this as very interesting because this does correlate with Luca and Albertos' characters!!

Luca is shown spending lots of quality time with Alberto and Giulia. He spends literally "4 hours" a day ?? 💀 (From what is shown in the movie) Hanging out with Alberto when they first meet, and then starting to spend lots of time hanging out and talking with Giuilia shown throughout the montages in the movie.

Another thing I found surprising is that Luca does express himself a lot through physical touch or is very physical, which I never realized because I perceive him as a very reserved and shy kid 🤔

Moving onto Alberto, he also would most likely or does express love for others through physical touch. Alberto, which again is surprising to me, is more subtle than Luca. He also is shown expressing with physical touch, but in just more quick punches or nudges when he's excited 💀 Besides this, he also shows more greater gestures like him hugging Luca and others like Massimo. I could also count that deleted scene of him hugging Luca when he was saved during the race.

Another love language that is usually associated with Libras is gift giving. This, again, surprisingly does correlate with Alberto ?! Examples are him selling the vespa to give Luca the gift and opportunity to go to school. Including, the drawing he made, giving it to him when he left. Another one is him trying to surprise Massimo by giving him a big catch of fish as an "apology" gift or a big present to impress him ☹️

To sum up, this does give a little idea of how their relationship would work when they do get together in the future and their friendship lol. This also shows more about their characters, and the way they bond with the people they care about ☹️ I got more of an idea, and can picture things like Alberto always making and buying little random things to bring home to Luca and Luca not minding spending hours on end around Alberto. <3

Again, I don't completely know how this stuff works 💀. I know zodiacs don't always correlate or can predict how a person is. Its very unreliable when trying to determine relationships, but I think it gives an idea. Love language is also something that is usually determined by the person themselves lol. Some more (very random) proof that they're meant to be together beacause I have read Scoprios and Libras usually go very well together despite being opposites!! 😧 At the end of the day, we don't really need astrology to prove this tho because of the sacrifices, friendship, and bond they have with eachother and with some of the creators of the movie also believing they are meant to be together 🫡

Never really looked into zodiacs or love language, but it's really interesting how these descriptions do fit them!

[artzychic27]

🏳️‍⚧️Happy Pride From the Recess Class!🏳️‍🌈

Akuma Class

Science Kids

Austin A: Legally Blonde, but Gayer

Gender nonconforming, who has time to narrow down pronouns?

Does everyone’s makeup before Pride with Kendra and Victoria

Dyes his hair pink

Gives free haircuts, paints peoples’ nails, and dyes hair using spray-on dye

They just want everyone to look fabulous, is that so wrong?!

Dresses in only flag colors

Uses his mom’s credit card to buy binders for people

This is the only time of year he makes people simp. Not the other way around

And they are going to use it to their advantage

Dresses her chinchillas in drag

They. Look. Gorgeous.

He somehow escapes the Glitter Wars unscathed

Todrick Hall is her anthem

Austin B: Gaymer Gurl

AroAce and He/Him

Wears Croc Heelys to pride

He wanders off a lot, and it terrifies his boyfriends best friends

Brings Elizabeth III to every pride and dresses her in only the finest fashions

He buys her all sorts of pride-themed cat toys because she’s worth it

When people ask him on a date, Elizabeth III hisses at them

Casually getting adopted by drag queens after he casually tells them about his home situation

He’s granted entry to any drag house when he wants to get away from his “parents”. He’s got six moms now, and he will steal jewelry for them

He met a little girl with yellow eyes like him and she hugged him

All of Marceline’s songs are his anthems

Austin Q: Secret Mom Friend with Mommy Issues

Questioning & He/?

Tempted to put a leash on everyone

Especially Austin B because he won’t stop wandering off!

Austin Q: WHERE ARE MY BABIES?! Have you seen a little bitch in yellow glitter pants?! He’s a little ho, but I love him!

He supplies the snacks Austin T doesn’t make. He’s the main apple slice supplier

He also makes sure to bring apple juice. He just likes apples. “They’re good for you, Armsy!”

Cosplays as every redhead character- Penn Zero, Vicky, Melissa Chase, Mary Test, Black Widow, and more

He joins the muscle-flexing contests and wins a couple

Can carry Austin A, B, and T on his shoulders

Once again, everyone thinks the four of them are a poly couple

Austin Quinlan, Protector of Lesbians, Wielder of the Sapphic Sword, Kicker of Protesters’ Balls

Knows how to do a badass rainbow kick

Austin T: OUT OF THE WAY! I AM VERY GAY!

Gay & He/Him

Bakes all sorts of pastries for everyone and it’s pretty much the one thing everyone looks forward to

Seriously, this boy brings like twenty containers full of cupcakes, cookies, and pancakes (For the pansexuals, of course)

Not even protesters are immune to his cupcakes. But because he’s petty, they only get plain vanilla with no toppings

That’s how disappointed he is in them. Now they feel as though they’ve disrespected every deity

The drag queens, dykes on bikes, and just lesbians in general will kill for this baby

Casually name drops his parents any time a protester screams in his face

He and Jean reenact scenes from Phantom of the Opera

DJ threw a glitter bomb at him, and no one was safe

Wears Huggycake like a boa because she loves all the people, and she scares off homophobes

He met other reptile queers and now they’re having brunch

Lotta Jameson: Kick Buttowski, Queer Daredevil

Aromantic and She/Her

Gerard tinkered with her Vespa, and now rainbow glitter shoots out the pipes

Do NOT give her sugar. Seriously

She somehow sneaks onto floats

Austin Q: Lotta! Get down from there!/ Lotta: Be gay, do crimes!

Brings a baseball bat in case of transphobes

She has a shirt that says so

She did a bike jump over the protesters and dropped bags of glitter on them

Now she’s getting called Amelia Earhart by literally everyone

She got the aviator goggles and they’re pretty sure Amelia is a queer icon… Also, she sometimes goes missing in the crowd. She’s so short!

Austin Q: WHERE’S MY OTHER BABY?! SHE’S THE LITTLE GINGER BITCH IN GOGGLES!/ Lotta: Do you call all your babies bitches?

Kendra Anne Gunderson: Casually Spider-Man Kisses People… With Consent

Polyromantic and She/Her

Kendra is a bit of an icon

Known by all as “Hand-Stand Girl” because she walked only on her hands for the entire event

She has two drag queen uncles and her cousin is a beauty influencer in the queer community

Every time Kendra breathes, a lesbian meets her perfect match

Her eyeliner is on point

DJ lowers her down from buildings so that she can kiss pretty people… With consent, of course

Those two are always getting into some sort of trouble

They spray painted some transphobe’s car and put an egg in the slightly open trunk. It stunk up the car for days

When she’s not pranking protesters, she’s on the mom friend squad with Austin Q and keeping Austin B from wandering off

DJ Detweiler: The Drag Jester

Genderfluid, Bisexual, and He/She

Owns an assortment of pun shirts for every sexuality. No one knows how they come up with them

DJ: I came out to my dad./ Mason: DJ, NO!/ DJ: He told animal control he had a bison in his house!

Always accused of starting the Glitter Wars. She ain’t denying anything

As the name implies, he’s gonna prank the protesters and TERFs

So far, he got a TERF to sit on a whoopie cushion, tricked some dick trying to force himself on an Ace girl into kissing a frog, and made some homophobe think his foot went missing

Heads to drag clubs to do standup, and is probably gonna get a Netflix show when she gets older

DJ: Do you know the difference between a government bond and a homophobe? The bond matures.

Now he’s booked for seven shows throughout the month

He’s got a laugh like Sardonyx that makes people (Especially Mason) simp

Any time DJ laughs, a trans boy gets his soup

Austin Spinelli: Sneaking Out in Ballet Flats

Achillean and He/Him

Casually flirts with any guy he comes across

And he lays the Italian accent on THICK

Dresses in pinstripe suits and says he’s the boss of the Velvet Mafia

When he’s not in suits, he’s dressed in his ballet gear and doing ribbon dances

His splits are flawless

Any time Spinelli does a pirouette, a trans girl gets her wings

Any time Spinelli does a pirouette, a transphobe gets punched

When he’s got the time, and he always does, he does chalk art with the kids, and creates a literal mural

He’s always got time

The organizers loved his work so much, they commissioned a mural for a youth center

Knits beanies for everyone

Gia Griswald: You Ask, I’ll Tell

MtF Trans and She/Her

Her dad went with her to her first pride, and none of the protesters wanted to mess with the six foot tall military general war hero

Gets into flexing contests

Wears rainbow camouflage to every event

If she sees a scuff on your combat boots, she’s gonna clean them

Helped Gerard write his queer history book

In a club with other queer history buffs and they reenact iconic poses from history, but make them gay

She attended a military funeral with her dad during June, and the soldier being burried was a lesbian

Immediately, a bunch of freaks who probably stalked them went to protest. Gia flipped some bastard over her shoulder

Roger Raincomprix, the arriving officer, didn’t see a thing

She eats a crap ton of marshmallows

Victoria LaSalle: Queers on Wheels

Asexual, Bigender, and He/They/She

Decorates her wheelchair with all sorts of pride stickers

Rocks it every year in a crop top

Starts every glitter bomb fight. No one ever sees them coming

She’s just… She’s a goddex

Everyone wants to get a selfie with him. That’s how gorgeous he is

Out of everyone’s leagues

Teaches kids in wheelchairs how to pop a wheelie

Likes to answers kids’ questions

Kid: Are you a robot?/ Victoria: … Yes. Yes, I am.

Only Gerard has the privilege of sitting in his lap as he cruises through the crowd

Gerard Grundler: The Gay Genius

FtM Trans, Pan, Polyamorous, He/Him

He’s written a mini-pride history book with Gia. They got publishers lining up and everything!

Everyone is just so pretty

He bails during the Glitter Wars and takes cover in a coffee shop

Victoria’s gotta keep him from wandering off and possibly joining a cult because the members are pretty

Probably hacked into the medical system so people can have better access to hormones

Faints any time he sees Victoria in a crop top

Dresses in a lot of pride flag sweater vests no matter how hot it is

Victoria: Gerard, it’s ninety-/ Gerard: SWEATER VESTS RULE!

He builds robots to wave pride flags in sync

He and Rochelle protect the bugs

Mindy Blumberg: Opera is Gay as Fuck

Demigirl, Panromantic, They/She

Sings “Rainbow Connection” in an operatic fashion, and leaves everyone in tears

Carries Gia on her shoulders

She carries everyone on her shoulders, but mostly Gia

Will act as a human shield during the Glitter Wars because that’s how much she cares.

But the second Austin T gets his hands on a glitter bomb, she’s out

Hayley Kiyoko is her anthem

If you ask, they’ll hug you

Mindy gives amazing hugs

Everyone will die for this girl

Also, she’s weirdly poetic. It makes everyone wanna listen to her for hours

Is a pacifist, but she’ll give it to you straight if you mess with her friends

Rochelle Weems: That one person at pride who takes pictures of the protesters screaming at queer kids and posts them online for everyone to see

Demigirl, Polysexual, Ze/Zir

Brings zir Polaroid to make a scrapbook and blackmail protesters

Ze’s a rat, but a good kind of rat. The kind who makes sure homophobes and transphobes don’t get away with yelling at queer kids

Was self conscious about zir back brace until ze saw a drag king wearing a bedazzled one

Was roped into letting Austin A, Victoria and Kendra do zir makeup

Ze looked gorgeous!

Ze and Austin B share the good gossip with drag queens

In exchange, they get tickets to shows

Will kill for Austin T’s cookies

Just don’t let zir have too much sugar, otherwise ze will go crazy and start a cult based on cookies where everyone wears Cookie Monster bathrobes

It’s happened once before, and now ze’s under surveillance

Protects the bugs from getting stepped on and then places them in protesters’ hair

Ze saw this one guy about to take a swing at a lesbian, and promptly kicked him in the balls

Now ze’s got twelve new numbers in zir phone

Mason Ewing: The Most Organized Person At Pride

Bigender, Asexual, He/She

Brings a binder filled with horrific facts about conversion therapy to throw in the faces of protesters

Will talk the ear off of any protester about why they’re wrong about everything until they just walk away

Gets carried by DJ on her shoulders

Somehow knows where everyone is at all times

He teaches Rochelle how to walk in pumps and ze teaches him how to steal thirty candy bars

Brings sarcastic coffee thermoses

Paid Gerard to make her coffee maker battery operated, and now she brings it everywhere

She just pins an asexual flag pin on her tie and calls it a day. Though, if DJ asks, she will wear a pun shirt

DJ is the only one who knows how to make her laugh, and Spinelli’s taking bets on who will ask who out first

Beck King: Cosplays As Frida Kahlo

Nonbinary, Achillean, They/Them

The responsible chaperone when M. Grotke’s out of commission

Dyes their unibrow rainbow

Silently flirts with guys using eyebrow language

Cosplays as Clone High Frida Kahlo and the original Frida Kahlo. They just like Frida

Just casually flexing their muscles in front of hot guys, nothing going on there

Then the hot guys write their phone numbers on their hockey stick

Spinelli’s mentor in ‘The Way of the Achillean’

He makes crowns for kids

Any time a protester tries to attack them, they just suddenly disappear

People swear they’ve see men in black drag protesters away from Beck

Seriously, it’s like this guy’s got a whole security detail!

Alonzo Grotke: I Went to the First Pride, and All I Got Was This Brick

FtM Trans, Gay, He/Him

A well seasoned gay

Has a shirt that says “Papa Gay”

He’s total DILF getting hit on by every silver fox. He ain’t complaining, and they sure ain’t complaining when they get a look at his abs with that crop top

Seriously, this guy is ripped

The parade paused when one of the floats got a flat, and he just… He just made a whole bunch of guys simp by changing a tire, that’s all they’ll say

He’s the one keeping people at gay bars from getting roofied by creeps

Teaches meditation at the youth center

He gets hit on by the single dads, A LOT

Back in the day, he stole a police motorcycle and painted it rainbow. He passes out autographed copies of his mugshot because it’s such a good photo

His kids went to spy on his date with M. Monlataing and he pretended he didn’t notice

He passes mini water bottles to protesters since it’s ninety degrees out and he doesn’t want them dying of thirst despite everything

But, he does it with this smirk like, “Looks like I’m the bigger person here, losers. Namaste.”

[fandomsandfeminism]

Rewatched FLCL last night with some friends (some who had seen it before, some for whom it was their first time watching it.)

And like.

It's not an anime you can recommend to people who haven't seen any anime. (My husband said that it actually made a lot more sense to him now that he's watched Evangelion, and the level of anime bullshit is off the charts.)

And it's an anime that can be hard to recommend since it's so deeply uncomfortable at times. (But then, the experience of being 12 is inherently very uncomfortable isn't it?)

But I think IGN columnist Davis Smith said it really well, "Logic dictates that FLCL should be an undisciplined and unaffecting mess, given all the insanity that its creators are attempting to weld into a functioning whole. Yet while it's hard to explain exactly why, it works. It entertains me. At times, it makes me laugh; at times, it makes me a little misty-eyed; at times, it makes me want to scream and howl and light things on fire and break windows with baseball bats and yes, maybe even buy a Vespa. That's the kind of success that you just can't argue with."

My friend (who, granted, was pretty stoned by the end) said "there should be a room in the MOMA that just has this and the Utena movie playing on repeat."

[avirxy]

For the prompts "It's alright, I'm not going to let go." Jlaire but Monster hunter au?

“It’s alright, I’m not going to let go.” Jim promised keeping his hand steady around her side, stumbling, leading them both through the woods blindly.

Heart pounding up his throat.

His Vespa remains in the parking lot, as they tore off through the back door of the convenience store, which means they’ll have to loop around.

If they can do that, the muted voices just beyond sight don’t seem prepared to let up.

They’d stopped for snacks and gas after the Papa Skull concert out of town, simple as that, it’d turned into something much worse.

Claire coughs, sputtering between breaths sounding dry and rasping. He can feel her nails digging, pressing into his side as she struggles to get her legs to match his pace.

“What was that stuff they hit you with?” Was it poisonous? Or worse?

“Monkshood,”

Jim’s eyes widen. “Wolfsbane.”

And they’d had a plentiful stock too.

Werewolf hunters and not just in self defense, no, these people, they did it for sport, sickness twisted his gut and he fought it down.

“I should have known, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s—it’s not your fault.” She assured, sucking in a breath through her nose. “I just, I need to,”

They can’t keep going like this, he can’t stand to see her struggle. Jim checks over his shoulder before he stops, if they do catch up the least he can do is make himself the target.

Claire winces as he lowers her toward the forest floor, helping her lean on a fallen log.

“We can’t stop,” Her voice is thick with its intensity.

“You need to catch your breath.”

As much as she looks like she’s going to retort it never reaches the air, her chest heaving as she takes another deep breath instead.

He slides his phone out of his pocket, no service, he doesn’t have his sword, they weren’t prepared for this, who expects to be ambushed in a convenience store after all?

They’re outnumbered by at least three and if they have more Monkshood on them..silver weapons too, that won’t affect him, judging by the way the hunters reacted they probably assumed they were both werewolves. So maybe he could become a deterrent-

Claire leans forward, derailing his train of thought completely, pressing her forehead against his shoulder and Jim is more than happy to stay still, eternally if he must, hand sliding around one of hers.

“You’re overthinking this.”

“How did you—“

Claire makes a soft scoffing sound, like she could see the gears spinning in his head, looking up a him, “They’re nothing without their weapons, stupid things sting.”

Jim brushes his thumb along her lower lip, wiping away some of the dried blood. The cut isn’t bad, and with her healing it should be gone by tomorrow, but still..

Claire’s eyes flick up to meet his, the soft gold starting to glow as the sun goes down, orange and pink touching the trees.

“How long will it last?”

“Depends on the dose—“ Her fangs glint in the dying light, “Blinky said it’s more potent in liquid form, but they hit me head on with the bag of powder.”

It’s remnants remain dusted to the edges of her jeans, smeared on her boots.

Jim bites his lip, stomach churning with nerves.

“Are they close?”

She tilts her head, brows furrowing as she listens to sounds he can’t possibly make out.

“West of us, if we stay here they’ll likely come across us eventually.”

“They definitely know we’ll try to double back, and my Vespa’s still on empty,” He hadn’t even had the chance to buy gas before the cashier was drawing a dagger from underneath the counter and swiping it at his girlfriend.

Jim sucks in a sharp hiss as her touch gently strays across his arm, grazing the irritated, faintly bruising skin.

“They hurt you,”

“Lucky shot.”

“Which one was it?” She asks lowly. The gold seems wilder now, more intense.

“Claire.”

Despite the look in her eyes she grins, all sharp and dangerous teeth. “Just wanna know who I need to hit harder,”

Jim twists in the leaves, catching sight of something familiar. He’d seen clusters of them along the road, in a field they’d passed, a potted one on the gas station counter.

“This flower,” Jim uprooted one by the stem, “it, changed colors when you got up to the register.”

He brought it closer and Claire cringed, scrunching her nose in disgust.

“Lupine, I’ve seen it in books, detects werewolves. Smells rotten to me.”

The petals had begun to shift hues, ivory white fading to bleeding red the longer he held it between them.

“That’s how they knew,”

Claire pushed her back off the log, seeming to have caught her breath, using one knee as leverage. Jim grasped her hands, disregarding the flower and helping her up.

“Sun will be down in less than ten minutes.” Better opportunity for them to get away without being found or send them on a wild goose chase. “They won’t be able to find us,”

Claire shook her head, cracking her knuckles and Jim instantly knew what she was planning to do. “But I’ll be able to find them.”

[pommpuriinn]

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩ MINISODE 3: TOMORROW CONCEPT TRAILER

outfit/shoes | hair | makeup | nails

★ it’s seen that Joohyung is just in her happy place like the rest of the boys, just finding comfort in each other along side the fox.

★ there was a zoom in on Joohyung’s side profile showing her scrape on her cheek. It’s the same one she had in the 0x1 love song prince/princess pictures

★ Taehyun is showed laying next to the fox telling Joohyung something who was standing over him

★ Joohyung is in a child like state running around playing with the fox or even chasing it. The clip then show all the members running with the fox

★ everyone is at peace enjoying each others company until a giant black shadow figure grows over them with red beaming eyes staring down at them ready to shut down their fantasy

outfit | makeup | hair

★ the members were getting questioned, but none of them seem to care of the state of the the situation. Joohyung was distracted by the up look at the stars through the massive windows

★ “so you’re telling me you’re all princes…and princess from the B612 planet?” The detective wasn’t buying it no matter much they explained to him. “That’s right.” Kai answered while munching on his burger. “Listen!” The detective slapped his hand in the table trying to get Joohyung’s attention only for it not to work, as she was infatuated on the stars 

outfit | makeup | hair

★ as the members were sneaking pass the guard the video shows Joohyung holding Kai’s hand, as they cutely speed walk pass the sleeping guard

★ Joohyung and Yeonjun sit facing the fennec fox case. It’s like they both were trying to figure out why this fox holds something to them. That is until one of the members tapped both Joohyung and Yeonjun’s shoulder making both moved in sync with ‘throwing a stone’ motion 

outfit | makeup | hair

★ after Soobin caught the stone he look up at Joohyung before the video cuts to the group dancing

★ Joohyung was showed dancing with Yeonjun, Soobin, and Kai.

★ moas loved how short Joohyung looked at the end of the dance as the members all stood in a line and walked off since she was in the middle of

outfit | makeup | hair

★ after serving tables a tried Joohyung threw herself on the chair as she tried massaging her back to relieve the ache. “Table 4 is ready.” Her co worker tapped her shoulder

★ it flashes back to Joohyung in the dead forest. She slowly reaches her to touch her scar which was covered with a sanrio bandage

★ Joohyung got up from the chair and stare at the number 4 and it was like a memory unlocked. The paper saying ‘if you come at four in the afternoon, I’ll began to be happy from three.’ Joohyung gasped and quickly step back bumping into her coworker causing the glass cup slip out of the co worker’s hand and break. With the glass breaking sound it transitioned to the fennec fox glass case from the museum broken

★ theorists moa were freaking out as Joohyung and Yeonjun were experiencing the same time; the memory of the paper, being  infatuated with the fox, and breaking the glass

outfit | makeup/hair

★ Joohyung is riding with Yeonjun as they have stole the fennec fox. Joohyung anxiously turns her head and sees the detective chasing after them

★ the video zooms in on Joohyung hands clenching on to Yeonjun tighter, as he drives faster

★ Yeonjun cuts off the chase by zooming to the exit while Joohyung gives a final glance back at the camera

★ both Yeonjun and Joohyung fall to the ground with all scratches on their faces from the fall with the vespa

★ Joohyung reaches to her right cheek and realizes the bandage fell off and revealed her scar

★ the rest of the members came to the rescue and comfort both Yeonjun and Joohyung before seeing the fox waiting for them

★ finally being all together and seeing the fox it clicked. They remember it’s name. The princess and princess found their crowns again, and this time they won’t forget





[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

D O P A M I N E 

Chapter I 

“There’s a side to you, that no one really gets out there. And I’m glad they don’t. Because that way, I can still have you all to myself somehow.”

April 13, 2032 

She closes her eyes momentarily, sort of forces herself to take this moment in properly. For once. She moves her head to the left, her eyes wandering down the majestic hills of the city of Portofino. The sound of an old Vespa driving down the serpentine streets far, far away. The warmth of April sun kisses her skin, almost a bit too strong for her taste, right here, right now on this beautiful Friday morning. Not a single cloud in the sky. The full bliss of the mediterranian sun kissing her warm skin. She smiles slowly, not sure whether it’s her soul tingling her chest and making her break into this facial expression or whether it’s just the sun on her face, forcing her to twinkle her eyes together. But in this moment, everything is okay. She closes her eyes again, takes a deep breath to soak it all in. The nervousness in this moment. The tingling feeling in her belly that is truly a mixture of nervousness and excitement. The fears, and also the happiness that comes with it. The gratefulness, she was taught by life. The awareness of the fact that some things can’t be controlled. Sometimes, for the better. Sometimes for the worse. 

Within a few moments, she can already hear his bare footsteps over the checkered tiles, making his way back to the rustic breakfast table she’s sat at here outside. The sound of a porcelain mug touching the marble stone table. Taylor opens her eyes, knowing very well that who she will find with her eyes will instantly bring this feeling of Peace back onto her chest. He shields his face from the sun, moves on his chair a few inches away to ensure that he can have his breakfast in peace, without the sun tingling his eyes that much. He should’ve grabbed his sunnies before stepping outside. She can read his mind like a book.

Tayor just sits there, reaches for the coffee mug he just placed in front of her and takes a first sip. God, she loves this coffee. He got it at the farmer’s market at the Mercato Del Giovedi last week. Hazelnut and Vanilla aroma. He’s explained the process of how to make the perfect Italian espresso to her for half the day when she commented how great the coffee was, that he placed next to her in bed that morning. A little ritual he knows she can’t live without anymore. The sound of an espresso cup being placed next to her bed after a long night of getting no sleep again, and walking the corridors back and forth from room to room, trying to soothe and carrying the weight of a little insomniac - the little boy version of herself and him. The smell of coffee and the feeling of gentle kisses being placed on her temple, followed by his firm and familiar hand on her arm and the whispers of i love you’s in the air. Mornings with him. 

She knows he loves roaming around the various Italian market on weekends in the area. His love for trying new foods and then forcing her to eat whatever new fruit he just got, or whatever new coffee-making technique some Nonna at the local coffee shop has taught him is one of the things that simply ‘came with age’ as she teases him so often. But all of that teasing is just her way of avoiding to say these words that everyone has on the tip of their tongues. Those words that are easier to say than any other. He’s happy. He’s not just found her, but also a new love for life and a sense of curiosity and belonging that he maybe craved for thirty years of life. 

Life, before her. 

Still, she’s convinced he talked her into buying this house in the hills of Portofino, just to have best access to coffee, lots of it, fresh italian ice-cream and authentic Pasta alla Vongole, right by his doorstep.

“We should invite Suki and James tonight as well. To celebrate. I’m having a good feeling about this.” he says, placing his coffee mug in front of him again, smirking over to her side of the table. His phone still in his hand, he carefully places it next to his plate. His eyes are a little puffy, after all it’s been a long night again. But the happiness in his face is undeniable. And she hates it. She hates his premature excitement that will most likely just result in disappointment again. Taylor takes a deep breath, just brushes a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. He can tell she didn’t like that comment, but he won’t ever change when it comes to this. He won’t ever swallow down the fact that he just knows. He knows it will work out. It has worked out before, and it will work out again. And he knows her well enough to know that whatever optimism and calmness she lacks, he’s here to balance it out for her. That’s why he’s here. To be for her, what she’s been for him for so long.

“First of all, it will be the same result as every time. Heard it from me first.” she says, raises her hand as if she’s going to win this one with him. Even though there’s no winning in this. She knows so much better. He just leans back sitting in his chair, the warm tiles under his bare feet. He knows where this is going, crosses his arms over his tattoos and patiently waits for her to finish her speech.

“Second, I would certainly not tell anyone else but my mother tonight. If I would even tell her, to be honest. Probably not. Which is also irrelevant since it’s definitely not going to be…”

“What’s with all this scowling, grumpy cat?” 

In the process of taking a slice of melon from the big plate he placed in front of her, she just stops for a second. Looks at him with the face he enjoys more than anything. She’s half mad, half smirking, her bangs still all over the place, as always in the mornings. She hates it when he doesn’t properly react to her dramatic statements, and instead just focuses on making her crack a smile. She hates it, but she can’t live without it either. He knows that as well as everything else about her. 

“Grumpy cat died years ago. The internet knows.” she says trying to act smart, and starts eating her breakfast.

“Pretty morbid. Wow. Didn’t know this side to you until now. A bit scary but I like it.” he teases in a thick accent, and she just gives him one last provoking look before cutting the slice of melon in half with her knife. He smiles his cheekiest smile, just sitting across her in the shade. She knows him for so long, and these mundane conversations are as familiar to her as the feeling of home she gets when hugging her mom or listening to new music with her dad in the car. Yet he still gets her somehow. Yet he still has the ability to challenge her mind completely and in each conversation. 

“I just hate that you’re getting your hopes up, when..” 

She doesn’t have to finish her sentence, already witnesses him moving his chair to sit closer to her. It’s his way of shutting her up. His arms immediately open up, and almost like a reflex, she just melts into these, feels his arms wrap around her from both sides. The most familiar smell in the world in her nose. His big hands holding her so tight over her white tank top that she’s slept in last night. She closes her eyes, her small hands clawing a bit more into his skin over his t-shirt than she usually does. Her nose in his shirt. His lips on her ear. Her small fingers digging into his tattooed skin. 

“No matter what, it’ll be fine, baby.” 

He half mumbles, half kisses her gently in his dark voice, slowly, right over her ear on the spot between her bangs and her temple. She nods, as a natural reaction to him, both eyes still closed. She doesn’t know why, but he’s the only person she believes when he says something like this. Because she knows where it comes from. Because he knows what ‘things not being fine’ is actually like. Not like most people.

Still pressed against his torso, she opens her eyes, not moving a bit. The warm breeze of Italy’s morning air in her face. She’s safe here, in his arms. She’s finally where she was always meant to be. 

“I know. I know.” she replies slowly, believes what she says for once, sitting on one of these balcony chairs and being fully sunken into him. 

Within a matter of seconds however, the peaceful quiet is over. The big balcony door opens a second time today. Taylor feels him slowly pulling back, ending the hug as Andrea already stands there in the door frame. A little blonde curly-head next to her, who is almost unable to reach Andrea’s hand with this massive height difference between them. Still confidently, he makes his way across the patio door, taking one step after the other, not even stumbling a little bit this time. With a proud smile on her face, Andrea looks at the couple that just ended their hug. She can feel that something is in the air between these two. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but someone woke up from their nap and protested for mom and dad.”

Taylor feels another wave of warmth on her chest, but this time, it’s not the sun lighting her up from the sky. It’s his eyes. These tiny green eyes in the smiling face of this little human. The reason that everything makes sense again. The reason, everything had to happen exactly the way it did. 

Even before she can react, the curly-haired man next to her seems to have the exact same reaction as her. As loving and happy as always when he interacts with his son, it takes less than a few seconds before he’s picked up the little boy on his green socks, gently throwing the little child up in the air, then picking him up and stealing his chubby cheeks what feels like a million kisses. These little giggles in her ears have the potential to heal her entire soul right there. Andrea notices. She smiles at these two boys, just like Taylor does. 

“Mate, it’s almost eleven thirty. Are you a teenager now? Sleeping until noon? Like dad?” he asks his son while standing there with him in his arms, right in front of two of the most important women in his life. Andrea laughs at this comment already, but Taylor still sits there, just looks at her boys with a smile. Marlowe seems to be busy again touching Matty’s tattoos on his arms with his tiny fingers. One of the greatest fascinations this little boy has when being in his dad’s arms. He doesn’t understand yet why his dad has these little drawings under his skin, and everyone else doesn’t. 

“Well, if you’re up all night entertaining your parents, then you’ll also sleep until noon I guess.” she says, clearly mocking her little baby on his arms. The tall man in his boxers just laughs at his son on his arm, who looks less interested in these words by his mom than anything else. He seems to have enjoyed the action with his dad from before though. Just points with his finger to the air again. He loves the lemon trees in their yard. Every morning, the two of them go take a look at these trees. He will never forget the little face he made when Taylor gave him a tiny slice of lemon to try. A face for the books. Priceless.

“Mamma..” he suddenly mumbles, his tiny grabby hands pointing to the blonde woman on the chair in front of the breakfast table. It takes less than five seconds and he passes his baby to Taylor, who immediately reaches with her hands across the small body and places him right on her lap. One hand on his chubby warm thigh, the other pressing the little curly head onto her chest. It feels like a reflex, almost. The most natural movement, that only a mother will understand. And Marlowe’s reaction tells her the same. He gets quiet all of the sudden, seems to have returned to his place of safety and comfort. The arms of his mother. His home. 

“Do you want to try some melon, honey?” she asks after pressing a kiss onto his head from up where she is. She can feel him reaching for the fruit on her plate, and she patiently hands him a tiny slice. The little boy looks a bit confused at the fruit in his hand, then slowly moves it to his mouth. He touches the sweet fruit with his tiny tongue once. Taylor just watches him carefully, just like Matty does. He’s already laughing at his face. He’s never tried this type of a cantaloupe before. 

“I think he likes it.” Andrea says with a smile on her face. Taylor moves her head down, trying to see any type of reaction in Marlowe’s face. He doesn’t look as disgusted as yesterday when she gave him broccoli for the first time. It seems to be pleasant enough for him to continue sucking on the fruit the way he does. With sticky hands she holds the fruit against his mouth again, feeding him carefully to not ruin the little white trousers that Andrea has put him in this morning. 

“Do you want some breakfast, Andrea? I can also make you the coffee from yesterday you liked…” Matty says, a hand on her mother’s arm. She loves how close they are, just how close they’ve become in the past years, quietly focuses her gaze on the small creature on her lap. Unreal how much she loves just every single movement this little human makes. Just quietly sits there, on her lap, eating his watermelon with a smacking sound and drooling all over her hands again. 

“Oh I’m good, honey.” Andrea answers him, “I was actually going to take him for a walk by the beach before Scott gets here.” 

“When does Dad arrive again?” she asks, her head looking up to her mother. Just when she was about to answer is when Marlowe starts shaking his head dramatically. 

“What? You don’t like it?” Taylor asks him confused and he just shakes his head enthusiastically. The man standing next to Andrea just breaths out amusedly at his son.

“But you just had half of it?” 

Marlowe shakes his head again, so much that he could almost fall off her lap. If he’s got one thing from his mother, it’s the dramatic way of giving answers.

“No.” 

“Okay, okay.” 

“Let me get you a napkin.” Matty mumbles, disappears inside the villa again. Taylor just looks at her son, manages to reach for his sticky hands right before he was about to touch his tiny shirt. Andrea laughs at the two of them. This little boy needs less than three minutes to turn the entire table into a mess. 

“When did he fall asleep last night?” 

Taylor sighs, holding his tiny sticky hands in hers, before kissing his head again a few times, patiently waiting for her husband to get back with some kitchen paper. 

“Around four in the morning.” 

Andrea sighs. “This little night owl.” 

Just in this moment, the brown-haired man with the dark brown curls, just like his son but with some grey hair in between, approaches his wife and hands her the kitchen paper. She begins drying the little hands, then thankfully smiles at her mother who takes the boy from her lap again, so that Taylor can clean her own hands too. Sticky hands and eye bags. A normal morning in their house nowadays. 

“Are you going to the beach with grandma?” Taylor says excitedly, and Marlowe smiles. She laughs gently at her happy baby. 

“Did you use the sunscreen in his room? We also have the little hat from…” 

Andrea smiles at her grandson’ father, who’s standing right in front of her, his big hands securely holding these tiny feet he made. 

“I’ve raised two children, Matty. I’ve got it all under control.” 

Taylor just continues drinking her coffee, has to smirk at her mother lecturing him. He tends to be a little control freak when it comes to Marlowe sometimes. His worst fear constantly being that anything happens to him, or Taylor. A fear that grew in his chest through fatherhood. Maybe it’s because he knows how easy it is to make a mistake that can impact your entire life. Maybe it’s because the moment Marlowe opened his eyes, he knew he’s got a reason to be better.

“Mom, I have a meeting at eleven, and..” Taylor turns her head to look at her husband, “When are you leaving again?” 

With a sigh escaping his mouth, he puts down his coffee mug one more time this morning, then takes another look at his phone on the table next to him. 

“I’m leaving for the airport around 1.” 

Andrea nods. 

“So you can still say goodbye to your dad when we get back, Marly!” The blonde grandmother whispers into her grandson’s ear. The little boy doesn’t really seem to understand. “Just one night without daddy. Just one.” she adds in a cooing voice, but Marlowe doesn’t seem to really care, is busy moving his little chubby legs on her arms.

“Let me open the gate for you guys..” the grown curly-head says, signaling Taylor to remain seated. She still gets up once, mumbles a little ‘have fun with grandma, baby’ into these chubby cheeks, then watches the three of them disappear inside the house again. She takes a few steps onto the balcony rail, just stands there in the shade for a few moments. Her hands on the cold metal, her bare feet on the sun-warmed tiles. She’s still nervous at the thought of before. Secretly wishes he would finally come back now, so they have clarity for once. 

Taylor notices how she starts biting her lip again. She needs to stop doing that whenever her anxieties creep up again. 

Within a few moments, she suddenly feels a different sensation. Two hands hugging her from behind. One hand that lands on her bare stomach under her tank top. The other one gently wrapped around her torso. She moves her head to the side to face him, but he’s faster, already presses a few gentle kisses onto her side. She turns around, was just about to ask him to go take the test from the bathroom sink when she sees what he’s holding in his hand. For a second, she feels her throat tightening. Only then she realizes that he didn’t look at the result either yet. Right in the palm of his closed hand, he holds the pregnancy test. And he’s as nervous as she is. Taylor feels the metal railing in her back. His still empty hand steady on her naked skin. 

“Did you..?” 

“I didn’t. Let’s do this together, love.” 

Taylor nods, and he can feel her anxiety in his throat. She looks terrified, and he knows why. After two miscarriages, a dozen shots of hormones in the mornings and sheer disappointment month after month, this isn’t as joyful anymore as it used to be. 

“It’s negative. I know it. I feel it..” 

“Shush.” he says, a grin on his lips again. She just sighs. 

“Okay, you take a look and just…tell me.” she says, her arms crossed now. Her palms are sweaty. Her heart beats to her throat. She just looks at the forty year old with a worrisome face. He strokes the skin on her bare arm once, gives her one last reassuring look, before he then takes a look at the test in his hand. She doesn’t even look at it. Only looks at his face. He’s quiet for a second, then looks back at her face. 

“It’s negative.” 

She doesn’t say anything, just nods. She knew it. She knew that this was her last attempt at having another baby. She never thought it would haunt her this much. The fact that it’s over. That Marlowe will most likely have to grow up without a sibling. That she will never experience this miracle again, with the love of her life. She just swallows, nods again and again. Her arms still crossed. Matty immediately takes a few steps back, then places the little plastic test on the table next to him just to make sure he has both his hands free. Free to wrap them around the blonde woman as tight as humanly possible. And so they stand there. Barefoot on the warm balcony floor, her hands around his back, his holding her head as tightly to his chest as he can. It’s almost as if he would try to squeeze the sadness out of her. His arm stroking her back up and down, just like he did years ago when she got off stage, only to learn that one of the most influential people in her life has passed away. Just like he did back then, when she was in her twenties and crying over some guy who broke her heart not once, but twice. 

Matty moves his hand, strokes her hair to the side, then presses a long and gentle kiss onto her head. 

“We’ll just keep trying, baby. It’s gonna work out.” he whispers, his accent thicker than usual, and slowly lets go to be able to take a good look at her. She doesn’t look into his eyes, just looks down and nods slowly. She doesn’t believe him, and he knows. 

“At least we have one baby. Some people don’t have any…”

“Hey, look at me.” 

He places both hands on her cheeks, forces her to look at him. She’s scared, and he knows that look too well. 

“Marly will have a sibling. And we will have another baby. I promise.” he takes a pause. A warm breeze blowing her hair to the side. 

“Believe me?” 

She nods. Not sure if she just did to make him happy, or in order to make herself believe that he’s right. He comes closer to her, kisses her lips gently. For the first time, today. She tastes like the sweet melon she had a few moments ago. His fingertips touching the ends of her bangs. 

“I love you.” 

Taylor smiles, just nods when he automatically gets closer again to kiss her forehead, right above the messed up bangs once. They fall into another hug, Taylor doesn’t say anything else. He hates feeling her pain. He hates this so much. 

“You told me yesterday that you and Jack wanted to work on some stuff next week. How about I try to reschedule my session in London next week, and we all fly out to New York and I work from home with our little buddy? And you can take the week to work with Jack in the studio. What do you think?”

She smiles. He knows her so so well. So well, that he knows that the only thing soothing her now is work. Music. The thing she considers the first love of her life. Taylor nods, her hands touching his stubbly cheek once. Never did she think they’d get to this point. Never did she think he’d be the only thing she ever got right in this life.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to..” 

“Hey, no big deal. I can reschedule easily. So..” 

“Matt..”

He looks at her awaiting a reaction. She never calls him by his actual name. Both their eyes meet and he gets the same goosebumps as he did fifteen years ago, for the very first time. 

“What if..” she stops. She fears saying these words. He feels it right away. She still stands there, back against the balcony railing, hair as curly as always in this humidity, her hands this time on his arms. 

“What?” 

She sighs. One look into his eyes is enough to know that there’s nothing she can’t tell him. 

“What if we will only ever have one baby? What if it doesn’t…? What do we do, if..” 

“You want to know what we do if it’s only you, Marly and me?” she looks at him with big eyes, seems to genuinely want an answer from him. But all she gets is the most honest look that a human can carry. Mixed with his kind eyes, that hug her soul from within. His eyes have the ability to tell her so much, without him using a single word. He worships her. He will never not love her, because she really did change his life. She did change him, pulled him out of the darkest dark just with being who she is.

“Then it’s us three. Taking on the world. Like the three musketeers.” 

She looks into his face, their foreheads touching already. She nods slowly. She likes that thought. She likes the safety that comes with it. The first time in her life that it’s not a boyfriend, a partner, or just her lover standing in front of her and saying these loving words to her. It hits different, because it’s him. Not someone she met and fell for, a bad decision that led to another backdoor romance and that ended in sobbing cries and trust issues on end. It’s someone who utterly, completely, and unmistakably knows her. Her, her baggage, her past, and everything in between. And so does she. She’s seen him at his lowest, and still chose to see the best in him. Always.

His hand reaches for hers and they intertwine them carefully. She doesn’t say anything else, just appreciates his face that gets closer to her head again. These familiar lips that land on her forehead again, and the smell in her nose that truly feels like home in her heart. She’s glad that her mother is out for a walk with Marly. She needs this moment with him alone. She needed it more than she thought, after being apart for a week. 

“We’ll be just fine, baby. If I know one thing about us, it’s that we’ll be just fine. Because there’s nothing..” he whispers, then takes a pause that makes her almost emotional. She doesn’t know why, but something in her tells her that she better soak this moment in. Soak it in, hold onto it, never let it go, and stick with it forever. Her hands hold onto him even tighter. They haven’t moved in minutes.

“There’s nothing that could ever come between us, baby.”

She buries her face once more in his arms, breathes him in. It’s been so many times in her life, when she said those words to people she now considers strangers. It’s been so many times in her life, when she’s heard those words, begging, wishing for them to come true, only to find that they were the reflection of a moment in time. But with him, right here, it feels like a lifetime. He steals her cheek one last kiss, then slowly ends the hug with her. 

“Let me get you some of the cornetto di chociolate I got yesterday. You need it. You deserve it.” he says, his horrible Italian pronounciaton already making her laugh. In his grey boxers, the white shirt he slept in and his curly hair in all directions he smiles at her one last time, then leaves the patio. 

_______________

“What does the little duckie say?” she asks, both hands with a firm grip around the tiny torso. She moves her legs up and down in the pool, enjoys the warmth of the summer sun on her skin whilst getting the perfect refreshment by splashing her legs into the pool. The little curly-haired boy on her lap, learning forward with fascination on his face, just splashing his tiny hands on top of the water in the pool. She can’t help but laugh, because the little floating duck that Matty got him last month doesn’t seem to interest him at all anymore. Instead, he’s all about making the refreshing water splash as much as possible with his small hands. And Taylor lets him. It was smart of her to change into her bikini before sitting by the pool with this little rascal. 

“Is that so fun?” she says, already laughing at her son. He stops for a second, looks up at his mom then. Drops of water running down his chubby cheek. Taylor steals the little man a big kiss. The little blue hat he wears makes his chubby face even cuter than she thought was possible. 

“Are you tired, honey?” she says to him quietly, can see his eyes getting a bit smaller and his tiny body losing some of his balance. A clear sign that someone’s in need of a nap. Taylor adjusts him on her arms, slowly and carefully gets up from the poolside where she was just sitting at and makes her way back to one of the sun beds. She moves her sunglasses from her eyes to the top of her head, then reaches for one of the towels that she wraps the little boy on her arms in. He doesn’t seem too impressed by Taylor drying his little arms, just patiently remains on her arm. He then slowly places his head on her shoulder. She knew he was exhausted. A mother’s intuition is never wrong.

“I know. Let’s take a nap, baby. I need one, too.” she whispers, her hand already protectively on his little head, her lips pressing the most gentle kisses onto the little head. She carefully sits down on the sun bed, happy that she’s now in the shade, right under the big umbrella. It really has gotten hot in the midday sun, hot but also gloomy. A type of weather they barely have whenever they stay in their Italian home. The sky’s grey already and she almost feels like it’s starting to rain soon. She’s even more thankful to be sitting here under the big umbrella that shields the both of them from the few drops of rain that are now visible in the pool. Her son chose the perfect timing for his little afternoon nap. Taylor slowly leans back, adjusts the baby on her chest. He already fights sleep, and Taylor is glad. She could need a nap herself after last night. She carefully wraps the towel around herself, making sure the little wet body is covered. Both hands around the tiny body over the towel, her lips whispering sweet nothings into the little damp head full of curly hair, gently kissing him to sleep. 

It takes less than five minutes and the most heartwarming baby snores are audible in her ears. His snores, and the soft rain on the umbrella above her. There’s nothing as refreshing as the light rain in the hot midday sun. She smiles silently, both hands still around the little body, her lips still glued to his head. Unbelievable how much peace she’s found on this crazy journey called motherhood. Unbelievable that she’s found this peace with the person she least expected it with. 

Taylor’s head falls back, her arms still wrapped around her baby while she allows herself to closer her eyes, too. 

Peace. 

Finally. 

The patio door opens and she hears a few pairs of feet on the green grass of her garden. A little confused, she opens her eyes first, then lifts her head and turns to where the sound comes from. And then, everything speeds up. Everything speeds up, but slows down at the same time. The rain has stopped, even though a dark grey layer of clouds now fills the sky. She can see her parents walking towards her. Tears in her father’s eyes. Andrea’s sobs in her ears now. Tree walks right next to them, and a stranger too. She doesn’t know what has happened, but the only thing she feels herself doing is holding onto the little sleepy bundle in her arms even tighter than before. Almost as if she knew. The next thing she perceives is her father carefully reaching for the sleeping baby in her arms. She hates to let go, but feels her stomach dropping by the look into her mother’s eyes. He gently takes the warm baby from her chest, leaving her cold and alone. She catches one last look of her father carrying the little boy inside, then turns her head back to her crying mother, not knowing yet that this will be one of the moment changing her life forever. She hears her crying words. She feels Tree’s and her hands holding hers, frantically. Almost as if they would want to try to keep her from falling over, right here. She hears her mother’s words but then again, they won’t reach her mind. There’s been an accident. The doctors have tried everything they can. He’s been brought to the hospital, but it doesn’t look good. She’s so sorry. She’s so so sorry. 

Taylor still doesn’t seem to comprehend, still sits right there on the same sun bed she’s just watched her child fall asleep on. Holding him in her arms, thanking god for bringing peace into her life. She still doesn’t understand, feels two set of hands caressing her from both sides. Destroyed and crying faces staring into hers. She doesn’t understand. It’s impossible. They can’t be talking about him. Him. Her everything. The blonde woman looks from Tree, back to her mother, then to the stranger next to them, right by their poolside. She shakes her head, feels the realization of these news sink into her bones. She feels sick all of the sudden, a wave of sharp pain erupting in her chest and spreading throughout her entire body. She starts shaking, her heartbeat rising instantly. She shakes her head again and again, unable to accept whatever has just been said to her. Andrea gets up, starts hugging her daughter, but she still just shakes her head. Shakes her head again and again until sharp cries slowly escape her mouth. Sharp cries that turn into desperate screams that echo through the entire house, up until the front yard, down the hills of Portofino and right to the rest of the world…

To be continued.

[smidgen-of-hotboy]

Alright alright- if you haven't seen it, @one-joe-spoopy delivered a full course meal of their spooky penumbra au with a lil desert from @esquemeencanta a beautiful picrew for visuals (KISSES KISSES KISSES, i love it), so of course it is only right I return the favor with my abandoned monster hunter au with both the original and newest version (so it's like a Buy One Get One)

Basic details: I had plans to write a full length fic covering this au in my head, I never got around to it. This was supposed to be a Benten Lives au. Peter was originally a changeling in the first version (not a vampire like I originally claimed, in my defense my memory is shit sometimes). Juno and Ben were both monsters as well, based on the Greek maenad, devotees to Dionysus that drank until drunk and sang and danced up in the mountains. Rita is human (werewolf enthusiast), Vespa is human, Buddy is a solar elf, and Jet I never got around to.

I don't have much details on the origins of this au but from I can scrap together for the first version it seems like Benten and Juno were attending an art gala. Maenad in this world are terribly destructive when drunk and Benten didn't want to be that, so while he loved their Ma and hid her booze, he "loved Juno more and worked double time to hide the booze from him." To round out this full picture of the twins and maenad, "Maenad are hard to love. Benten is easy though."

Changelings are abandoned children of fae. Fae parents swap their child for a human child and the human parent raises the changeling until the changeling returns to the fae world one day, or until the child eats their face off. They have two faces, the face of the human child and their true face. They have sharp pointy teeth and eat flesh. What this implies about Peter’s relationship with Mag and Slip, I can't exactly say. I came up with this version and concept years ago.

The twins were attending an art gala and Juno notices a lady in a long dress. His image is flickering in and out of existence though. I believe this person was meant to be Peter. I had vague plans for the lights to go out, someone to scream, and when they come back on there's been a murder in the gala, an art piece stolen, and it's up to Detective Juno to solve the case with Ben at his side. They end up splitting up and reuniting, Ben did brief interviews, Juno was investigating the gala space. A big chase was to ensue across the event space and end with Juno cornering the person from earlier and watching in horror as their bones crack and their entire form shifts to match his twin. Their image flickers again. Peter finally reveals his true face and makes some snarky remark before escaping out a window into the night. The murdered victim was because Peter needed to eat, the stolen art piece was his heist, and Ben comes to find Juno down the corridor with a teary face as he explains that he just got done with only one interview... meaning Juno was not working with Benten the whole time. He was working with the changeling. He was conned.

In the newest version, Juno and Benten are no longer maenad they're human. Rita, Vespa, Buddy are the same as the original. Jet is a werewolf. And in this version Peter is a vampire (in my notes I refer to him as Vamp 'Reyev). Juno is a monster hunter in this world, no longer just a detective. Rita works still as his second hand. Ben is alive.

It was supposed to follow the same format as the original: art gala, black out, big storm outside, power returns, and people are dead. They're pale and bloodless. Juno was hired for that night to play security, scare monsters out and keep people inside safe. Ben was there as a guest. Rita is back at the office on standby. So when she gets on call she starts working with Juno to puzzle everything together. When they figure out its a monster amongst the human guests ("a monster thief Mistah Steel! A vampire monster thief!") Juno gets excited to start the hunt, but when he remembers Ben is with him he's torn between doing his job and getting out of there while they can together. If Juno leaves the other guests are likely to die. In the end, Juno and Ben stay. They stick close together even as more guests start dropping like flies and their bodies turn up bloodless. Ben never really knew or understood what it was Juno does for a living. Now he's learning too much.

It concludes with a big chase down a long corridor, thunder and lightening outside, the power goes out again, and Juno stops.  A figure illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the window with their back turned to him. A metallic tang fills the air. Lightning fills the room and Juno catches glowing amber eyes. Dark liquid in streaks dripping down their chin. Juno raises his blaster in the dark. He can't aim. He only has one shot. In the blink of an eye, the figure is gone and suddenly here's someone next to him. He's engulfed in a heady flowery scent and a sharp pain pierces his neck. He cracks his blaster against the side of his assailant's head, but they clamp down harder. Juno is drained and left in the corridor to die. He's going to fall unconscious so before he does he takes the shot. He doesn't know if he hit anything as the world turns dark.

Ben finds him and gets them out of the art gala. Rita has a car come collect them and she meets Ben at a hospital. Juno recovers. He knows what hes going to hunt from now on. Rita and Ben are his anchors but they can only do so much as Juno's hunt leads him to an abandoned lighthouse where all hell breaks loose.

Vamp 'Reyev in this au is hungry and looking for his next meal of the century. He's blended in with society and concealed his identity going by different names for ages. He's evaded monster hunters before in the past but something about this one intrigues him. He's playing with fire. He doesn't care. Nureyev’s eyes have an amber hue to them. He's freakily fast and climbs up walls and ceilings. He's never out of date with the newest fashion trends but his vocabulary gives him away.

Monster-Human society are at odds with one another, they have been for what feels like forever. The humans want all monstered rounded up and eradicated. The monsters want all humans rounded up and eradicated. No one knows who fired the first shots or who's blood was spilt first or why. This is the way things have been. They've escalated so now there's monster hunters like Juno. On the flip side there's also human hunters, monsters that track down monster hunters and get paid to take revenge. Humans don't wander at night out of fear and old wives tales. Monsters don't mingle during the day out of fear and old fairy tales. There are multiple ways to become a monster hunter. Through the Academy, work for hire like Juno, apprenticeship. Sasha went through the Academy and that feeds into Dark Matters. Juno had no prior training beyond his time as a cop, monster hunting pays more so that's why he chose it.

[wanderlustmagician]

Some more Modern AU things;

Figuring out how and where to do a Hyrule-esque name change for the technology and other things is a fun challenge. Since some are easy, like Pictogram for Instagram or calling a GPS a Navi Nav-system.

Others are a little harder. Especially since there may be no need to change them, like Facebook remaining the same. I debated on having it be something Mask based, but it felt forced and ill fitting… so I left it. Others were more fun, like the name of the AI for the speaker in Wild’s kitchen or what the nav system in War’s car (Navi) is called.

So Proxxi is the name of the AI for Guardian Tech, a web search engine turned electronics conglomerate (aka it’s like Hyrule Google).

Then I have Purah and Robbie having created and running Slate, Inc. The AI is called Cherry. They also have a series of computers called the Purah Pad. (Aka they run Hyrule’s Apple Inc LOL)

Wild drives a Master Cycle, but it’s not a motorcycle… it’s a Vespa Scooter. Some things that would have been obvious translations (the Master Cycle being a motorcycle), I made small changes to for the fun of it. Others I left as is, Epona is a horse. She lives on Lon Lon Ranch. Wolfie isn’t a wolf but he is the Hyrule version of a Siberian Husky (a Hebra Husky) which is pretty close to

I also wanted to include the other fairies that are seen in Majora’s Mask, Tatl and Tael, but didn’t want all the fairies to end up as tech. So they’re a pair of rescued pups that live on Lon Lon.

Other things may end up incorporated as locations as things move on. Like the Gate of Souls being a large archway built centuries ago and sitting in the Hebra region’s shining city, Tabantha, and it’s also home to the Temple of Souls. Meant to have similar vibes to Paris, France with the Arc de Triomphe and all.

Or the Mirror of Twilight being salt flats out in the Gerudo Desert that are very reflective, sort of like the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Others will be obviously direct references to locations in the games as is like the Lost Forest/Sacred Grove or the Forest of Time.

That said I’ve made it obvious that some of the boys have tech but some fun quirks;

Time refuses to get any sort of smart watch, Bluetooth headphones. He likes his old school watch and earbuds with the cord, k thanks bye.

Wars has a smart watch, its Guardian tech brand, and he has Guardian tech wireless earbuds. He’s partial to the brand because he knows the people who designed the AI.

Wind and his sister Aryll each have Purah Pad laptops for their school work. Wind’s phone is Guardian tech because of Warriors though. He complains, unseriously, that he can’t connect his phone and computer and that it’s weird to text Wars since the bubble is green. He likes making Warriors eye twitch.

Twilight and Four both have the same brand of Bluetooth headphones. They’re a Twili based brand, Fused Shadows, and they claim to prefer the sound quality. It’s the only piece of tech other than the Proxxi speaker that Twilight owns that isn’t Slate brand.

In addition to his headphones which are over the ear, Twi has a smart watch, smart phone, and laptop- Slate brand that Wild gave him.

Four on the other hand has just a smart phone, also Slate brand. He doesn’t care for any other tech since the forge’s heat tends destroy most tech. His headphones are earbuds.

Wild somehow gets free, top of line, not even released yet Slate brand items. He hasn’t figured out that Purah totally found where he’s living now and is sending it to him. When he gets to buy it for himself, he doesn’t really care.

Hyrule, like Time, has a regular watch but his also has a compass. He also has a Guardian tech phone. Other than his camera, he doesn’t really carry much tech with him on the go. He has a laptop at Wild and Twi’s that he uses for editing.

Legend has everything. It’s all Slate brand now but it used to be a bunch of different ones. Robbie reached out to him after it was realized he was friends with Wild and popular online. He does some advertising on his blog for their products.

Sky, currently, only has his phone. It’s Slate, Inc so he can easily FaceTime with Twi. He will start brand wars between the others purposely, just to watch them bicker.

[ayliamc]

Italia

Day 2 - Lemon Frenzy 🍋

Steps walked: 23,862

Flights climbed: 7

Vehicles ridden: 1

Points of interest visited: 1

Lemons spotted: all of them.

Drugs are great. We took some to sleep and it enabled us to get thru the night and wake up comfortable in the morning, ready to face the day.

Our B&B host, Dino, chided us for not telling him ahead of time that we are both vegano, that he could have plant milks for us, and that his wife is vegan. (Of course not as strict now they have a kid because kids make everything harder, he says. “Wait til you have kids,” to which I got to reply with delight “Oh no I’m sterile.”) He was hilariously Italian as he went on and on about mozzarella, erculano, and how we’re going too fast and we go to bed too early.

We escaped long enough to trek thru Pompei to get to a cafe that allegedly had vegan-as-is croissants (unlabeled). If you know anything about me, you know I can’t resist a vegan croissant. We booked it thru town with a minor detour due to some big church thing for Madonna (I can’t believe she tours in Pompei!) to get our croissants where Google translate helped mediate the exchange. We got two citrus croissants that were not labeled anywhere as vegan but the guy didn’t correct us when we asked “vegano?” three or four times.

We checked out and leisurely made our way to the train station - another long walk - only to arrive at the platform at the same time as the train to Sorrento. How perfect! Except we don’t have tickets yet… so we buy our tickets, the train leaves, and we’re forced to wait forty minutes for the next train, only to discover no one ever asked for our tickets and no entry required them. We could have totally gotten on the first train without paying and we wouldn’t have had to wait. Crime does pay, as it turns out.

‘Twas a crowded train ride to the end of the line, where we then had to trudge for nearly half an hour with our bags on cobbled streets and unreliable sidewalks to get to our hotel. (Side note: i wonder why no one ever talks about all the vespas and scooters in Italy. There are so many! I just figured I would have heard about it before this.*)

We checked in to our hotel around lunchtime, ate our croissants illicitly on the balcony (no food allowed in our hotel room), and headed back out. Naturally, all the stuff we wanted to visit was back in the direction of the train station, but a 25 minute walk goes much easier without two backpacks and a roll-y bag with dysfunctional wheels.

To paint the scene, all these walks are lined with more citrus trees than you’ve ever seen in your life and drivers who might not actually run you down but you probably shouldn’t test that theory.

We grabbed a quick lunch at a family owned Italian restaurant and had some tasty food including “the best tomato pie [Dan has] ever had” then continued on my lemon quest.

Walking on our way to a limoncello Lemon grove we passed another one that we were able to walk around in. It was so pretty. A lovely garden with lemon trees, orange trees, olive trees, squash plants, tomato plants, and peppers. They also had a restaurant but we were so full we decided we’d come back for dinner.

On to I Giardini di Cataldo where we had hoped to have a tour and a limoncello workshop but they didn’t have any available for the day. Womp womp. We tasted some limoncello and got lemon sorbet and ate it in their lemon garden before continuing to meander in the direction of shops.

Fortunately I had set a limit as to how many Lemon things I could get for myself and I immediately met that limit so I guess I’m done shopping for the… trip. Except I still need a Leonardo souvenir, I mean let’s not get crazy.

Here I am casually showing off all my lemons.

Another 25 minute walk to the hotel to drop off our stuff. By this point, I can confirm we had already exceeded yesterdays step count.

Just before sunset we walked to a dock overlooking the coast and watched the last rays of orange sunlight disappear behind the horizon. The coast is a steep cliff face that drops off into the ocean, but in the distance you can actually see Napoli looking like an island, in reality just more of the Italian coast. Then Dan’s eagle eyes spotted a bat. Then another. And sure enough within a nook of the cliff, at least half a dozen bats had roused and were feasting. It was awesome. We watched them for a little bit. I think a few more even joined them as we watched. It certainly felt like there were more bats there when we left.

And the days recurring themes of walking and lemons continued as we headed back to La Limonaia, the lovely lemon grove where we had decided to dine. Our wonderful server was very confident about our “vegano” requests and he had the chef prepare dishes for us. For Dan, a lemon vegan cream sauce on linguini and for me, a salad made with fresh veggies from their garden. Those same veggies we had seen in the afternoon as we wandered around the grove. So fresh! And I could totally tell. I slathered my tomatoes in balsamic glaze and enjoyed some of the best tomatoes I’ve ever had. (Also a hilarious thing we’ve noticed here is when they bring you bread it comes in a little paper bag as opposed to a bowl or a plate. It’s so funny.) We drank, we ate, we were merry, all under the lemon trees. ‘Twas in general a near perfect dinner experience and we happened upon it by happenstance. Not only a great way to celebrate Jimmy Carter’s birthday but our 12 year anniversary. Six years of marriage. I can’t believe I’m old enough for that but there it is.

After dinner we met Carol at her hotel which was thankfully in the same direction as our hotel so we wouldn’t have to backtrack anymore. She got us drinks, gave us a lemon souvenir she’d gotten in Capri that day, and she and her group regaled us with stories from their trip. As ours is still near the beginning, theirs is coming to an end. We chatted until we noticed the bartender was waiting for us to be done to leave so we wrapped it up and Dan and I walked back to our hotel to gratefully rest.

*Sarcasm

[dollsonmain]

My brain just goes at night instead of letting me sleep because that’s the only time it’s actually quiet.

I had to go back to bed this morning, which I’m grateful I can do. When I DID have a job, I had to call out for exhaustion so often that I ended up disqualifying myself for health insurance through my workplace.

Anyway, I was laying there thinking about affordable transportation and how, even if I did somehow manage to get a hold of something (other than a very cheap used car which, of course, is an option if I had enough money to do that), it wouldn’t do me any good.

A kei truck, while more useful than a sedan, also costs more than a used sedan (though honestly not by a lot since used cars are running around $6k for one that’s about to die these days) being between $5k used to $11k new.

A cargo bike is very affordable at less than $500 and I could order one right now! I almost did! Until I thought about it more. (whew for not impulse buying one...)

A vespa or similar motorized scooter is also about $5k. That Guy offered to get me one years ago so I could get to town and then changed his mind when he found out they cost more than a computer and I can’t use it anyway.

The problem with all three options, other than lol money, is that I would still not be able to get out of the housing complex.

None of those three vehicles can even get to 45 mph. People tend to go closer to 65 on the road right outside the complex and if they came around the blind corner going 65 my little 25 to 30mph ass would be obliterated just like the dozens of deer that get hit on that corner every year.

There’s no shoulder for a bike. I do see people biking along there sometimes, but they’re riding sport bikes that are narrow and faster where a cargo bike (which I would need to haul my shit if I were going to and from work because a backpack is right out) is 2 to 3 times as wide as a sport bike and I would be going very slowly due to having garbage spaghetti for hips.

Vespas, with a top speed of 30mph, aren’t legal to drive on a highway at all (not that a bicycle is.....) and when you get east of downtown it’s highway in all directions.

Kei truck tops out at 25mph, too.

So any one of those three vehicles, one of which I could afford (I could sell everything I own and would not be able to afford the others, still), would only get me to the border of the housing complex.

I guess my point is that I’m very frustrated. There are so many solutions but none of them for the situation that I’m actually in.

But hey I could go play golf if golf were something I were even remotely interested in or physically capable of doing...

[msfbgraves]

Konmari day 17: komono

This is so much easier than paper, guys. And I'm still not sure why I wasn't allowed to start with it.

This bitch ugly. Yeet!

I'm a little bit miffed that because paper was so hard I have not really got where I wanted to be with the komono when another group of people comes to do work in my house tomorrow. Maybe being forced through a hard category was somehow good for me but if her reason for this is that paper is an easier category for everyone, I have to say, respectfully: Marie-san, that is not true. I thought your point was not to stall the tidying process. I do agree with the sentimental items last advice wholeheartedly, though. I wonder how that's going to feel.

As for komono: I know, capitalism, sigh, but it should be more normal to rent things. Things that you can return to a designated place if indeed, it turns out you do not use them much.

Stores want to make it so that everything you buy is a split second decision. And it shouldn't have to be. There should be an actual fault margin and no harm done. Or you bake a cake once a year and so you only need it in april. You know how you live. A library for high quality goods. That makes it much easier to try something out, returning it is fine since you know where to go with it, no guilt when it turned out to be not for you after all, and so much less waste. Renting now has a sense of poverty about it, as if you're too poor to afford your own, but this isn't Victorian Britain, nobody cares how much stuff you have. And I know that would take away from "beautiful stuff as a status symbol" but we're humans, we'll find another thing, and in the meantime, stuff you own will be stuff that is tried and tested to make your life better.

You also won't have to resort to poor quality items when you decide to try something out.

(I was watching A Bronx Tale a lot the past days and at a certain point a teenager laments: "We don't even own a car!" Colagero, you live in New York, you ass. Friends of mine who've stayed in Berlin don't own a car either. You don't need a car, you know that! You want to be fancy you rent a car, that's how people have lived for centuries. The subway stop is a five minute walk, and cabs exist.

Dumbass).

What I love about taking the superfluous away is that it truly can reveal the beauty and keeps doing that. This Christmas, my mother decided to offer my father's banjo to my cousin (his nephew, his sister's son). None of us play the banjo, and he plays guitar. But the banjo is so intrinsically linked to my father that I just couldn't stand it. I hoped my sister would veto, but she was more than fine. I wasn't, but what are you going to do? Get over yourself, that's what.

So my cousin has the banjo and I have pretended to have nO prOBleM aT AlL with it, ahem.

Sorting through my things, I came upon a collection of my father's silver miniatures. Which was emotional enough in intself because they represented all his passions: a vespa, a volkswagen beetle, student emblems and...

A miniature banjo I had never before noticed.

Gosh darn it, Papa!

They aint getting that ❤