#and pretty sure i've written her get sick on a car ride

[baronessblixen]

when I first saw Detour, I could have sworn Scully was going to the bathroom when Mulder wakes up and yells for her. I thought it was a good addition of comedy and answered my question "do they feel comfortable going to the bathroom around each other"? I mean, in all those road trips, Scully would have gotten an upset stomach or get diarrhea at some point. If their room were next to each other, would Scully go to a public bathroom so that Mulder wouldn't hear her fart? Does she hold them in during in the car rides?

He doesn't fo sure! He gasses her out.

I think they feel comfortable going to the bathroom around each other. Scully is a doctor and they're usually not at all squeamish about these things. They're all normal body functions and fluids. So I say she didn't go to a public bathroom to fart. If they eat something that doesn't agree with their stomachs, they will for sure crack not one, but two windows in the car.

[notedchampagne]

TLT progress update: Finally found the time to finish HtN and oh boy that was a Ride and a half. I'll be the first to admit that it's a difficult read, I don't think I've ever had a narrator be this unreliable before but it's was absolutely worth it. It really was a cool experience to wade through the river ((heh)) of confusing time and environment jumps, only for some small detail to be mentioned which basically picks up a flare gun and quite literally illuminates the surroundings for a moment ((the time they all checked in with their calls signs and Ortus said "G. P." was like someone had thrown a steel bar into the inlet of a massive turbine. I screeched to a halt for a solid ten seconds trying to figure out why that tripped me up before pulling GtN from the shelf and frantically flipping through to the note in the lab)).

Also, I'm still hung up on the whole Sleeper deal, especially the fact that the letters in the coffin room anagram to "Pyrrha". First thought naturally was that it is Pyrrha but it doesn't quite fit with the shuttle portrait I think. Excited to see where that one goes

I think what from a sheer style point endears me most to the series so far is the. Passive hostility towards the reader, I guess you could call it? There's clearly a massive amount of world building that's happened behind the scenes, but it's just that, behind the scenes. You're an outsider, you know nothing about the world. You get the full POV of a character in the world and you still don't really know anything at any point bc they're Land-of-Punt-ing you, there's next to no exposition about how this or that aspect of the world works because the character and everyone around them all know how it works already, so why waste thoughts on it? Idk I've read only a couple of stories that are written like that and it's absolutely a double edged sword ((bc at some point you have to throw the reader some bones or they will get frustrated and stop)) but here it's executed really well ((e.g. I'm not actually sure if it's ever actually explained what the Cohort is, but at some point you've gathered enough context clues to pretty reliably get the picture))

In conclusion: High hopes for NtN

LOVE your thoughts on this because you highlighted exactly why i love the tlt series so much: it hilariously takes on the perspective of the character least equipped to tell the story, offers you context that requires 1-2 rereads to understand and get to in full, and then right when youre about to feel lost it helps you up the stairs. perfect story for dumb bitches that love mystery like me. i had the EXACT same experience when i saw G+P and had to flip back to gtn to glance at the lab note LMFAOOOO

i has missed the coffin room anagram spelling pyrrha the first time but the sleeper is wake! i think her spelling out her name was just a funny and somewhat sick bit. like keying your name into your exes car

[anti-romantico]

[she doesn't have to know] seventeen mingyu

warnings: best friend younger brother AU (title is a little misleading lol), age gap (reader is 5 years older), oral (f receiving), protected sex, i suck at writting fluff but i tried, let me know if i missed something

A/N: feel free to ignore this but there is a funny story regarding this fic lmao. originally, this was written for seventeen's vernon, but after finishing it I just stopped feeling it and left it on drafts until I knew what to do, then I posted it, but tumblr marked it was "mature" so I deleted it. then I changed it for txt soobin, and I was happy with it, but when I made the poll I wrote svt mingyu instead and didn't release until I proofread it lmao and since some people already voted for svt mingyu, i decided to change it.

Also, I'M REALLY SORRY. This was supposed to be posted yesterday but I was so tired after work I totaly forgot :( I'm sorry

luv u, moon

words: 2.5k

Vacations for yourself, that's what you needed. And even though you wanted Lia, your best friend, to go with you, she insisted you needed this. "I promise I won't burn down your house while you're away" she said with one hand over her heart. And you knew you could trust her, you just were terrified to travel alone.

The hotel was gorgeous, with a beautiful view of the beach. You rang the bell and waited for the receptionist.

— Good morning, what can I do for you? — The young lady said with a pretty smile. You gave her your name and waited for your key.

The room was definitely your favorite part, you deliberated if it would be better to stay there all week, but of course, you were there to explore. Yes, the bed looked too inviting to stay there your whole life, but the many restaurants you booked were calling you.

You sent a message to Lia to let her know you were at your room and that you missed her, and instead of answering, she called; like she always did.

— Hi, babe! — Her voice made you smile. — How was the flight?

— Pretty good, you know I always sleep to avoid feeling sick. — You sat down on the small sofa and looked through the window.

— Right. Oh, guess what? Mingyu is also there. Not sure if he's staying at the same hotel as you, but he sent me a photo.

— Oh really? I'll see if we can meet up for dinner. — You said. Mingyu and you weren't exactly close. You used to find him attractive, but he was your best friend's younger brother.

— I told him you were there and he said the same. — You both laughed knowing the dinner will never happen.

After talking for another hour while you unpacked and got ready for your first dinner alone, you said goodbye. You looked at yourself in the mirror and admired the blue dress Lia gave you exactly for this trip. It was comfortable and made you look really pretty.

The restaurant was close to the hotel, so you walked there with the help of google maps. Once you were seated, the waiter gave you the menu and told you you just needed to raise your hand when you were ready to order.

The food was on another level, and even made you afraid the food of the other places wouldn't be as good. Suddenly, the waiter let you know someone was trying to pay for you. You looked at him confused and he pointed at the entrance where you found Mingyu smiling. You sighed and shook your head no and asked the waiter to give you your check.

Mingyu waited for you, telling his friends he would see them in the hotel. When you got out of the restaurant, you already knew he would be there.

— How nice of you, but a little bit creepy if you ask me. — You said when you were in front of him.

— Better me than a stranger. — He said and made a move with his head. His car parked beside the two of you with a guy getting out of it and giving Mingyu the keys. — Do you want a ride?

— Was it too hard to ask first? — You said, waiting for him to open the door. He laughed and did it.

— So, how's traveling alone so far? — He asked without looking, full attention on the road.

— I've been here less than 24 hours, but I think I can get used to it. — You said looking at him. Yep, he was still really attractive.

— And about the dinner the three of us knew wasn't going to happen... — His comment made you laugh.

— I can't promise anything, I've booked a restaurant for each day and I really want to enjoy them alone. — You said, not afraid of him getting offended, at the end of the day, he knew you.

— Oh no, of course Your initial plan was to be here alone, but since we both thought we wouldn't meet, I thought we could come up with something now that we did. — He parked close to your hotel and looked at you.

You checked your phone. — Today is friday, I booked for another dinner tomorrow, — you said in a quiet tone. — does it suit you on sunday? I've booked for breakfast.

— Sunday night... Yeah, I'm free. Anything in mind?

— Lia told me about these souvenir places all over the beach, and if I'm honest I was looking for an excuse to not do it. I'll get her something later. — Mingyu laughed. — I do want to go to the beach though.

— Then we have a plan. — Mingyu started the car and drove to the entrance of your hotel. He got down and opened your door, taking your hand to help you.

— See you on sunday. — You said before walking away.

— Oh, by the way... — Mingyu said, making you turn around. — You look beautiful.

You fought the urge to not blush. — Thank you. You don't look bad.

Sunday arrived really fast, but you didn't mind, the previous day you couldn't stop thinking about this... date? Was it a date? no, it wasn't, just hanging out with your best friend's brother... fuck.

Mingyu asked Lia for your number and sent you a message asking for your hotel room. Two soft knocks on your door triggered your anxiety.

— Wow. — He said when you opened your door. — You look really pretty. — You were wearing a black long skirt and white top.

You let him in. — What's with all these compliments, Mingyu?

— What? I can't tell you how pretty you look?

You sighed and crossed your arms. — Just... take that backpack and let's go. — You pointed at the backpack on the floor and opened the door.

The weather was chill, but you already knew, that's why you packed some cozy pants to wear just in case. You both sat down and you offered him some snacks, which he accepted.

You talked for a bit, enjoying the view. The weather started to get cold so you took a small blanket from the backpack. It wasn't enough to cover both of you, but Mingyu insisted he wasn't cold.

— So after that asshole, you haven't dated anyone? — He asked, flexing his legs and hugging them against his chest.

— I don't have time for that, Mingyu, and if I'm honest, none of the guys I've hooked up with made me think "maybe I do want to settle down". — He nodded. — You? I don't think I've heard about a "special someone".

— I had a girlfriend not long after I graduated, it lasted a year, nothing serious since then. — It was your turn to nod. Suddenly, you felt a shiver down your spine, making you shake a little bit. — We can leave if you want, it's getting late.

— Oh no, it's just the wind, I'm fine.

After a comfortable silence, he asked: — Are you still not looking for something serious?

— Not really, just having fun for now. — Your fingers playing with the blanket.

— Are you having fun right now? — And you noticed when his tone changed.

— You're my friend's brother. — The way you said sounded like a reminder for both.

— You can't blame me for trying to shoot my shot. I've been waiting for my turn for a while. — He rested his body on his arms, looking at you.

— I thought you got over your little crush on me when you got in college. — You turned your head to look at him.

— I thought I did, but then I saw you looking gorgeous in that blue dress sitting alone... like I said, you can't blame me. — He leaned his head to the side and shamelessly checked you out. — And maybe it wasn't your intention, but I can't stop thinking you dressed up this pretty just because you knew we were going to meet. — You stayed silent, trying to find the words, but he kept talking. — And I can continue with the cheesy talk if you want, but I really want to kiss you, at least once.

And you knew that if you thought about it, you wouldn't do it, so you just did it.

You shared a sigh of relief, letting the other know how long you were waiting for it. His tongue made his way to your mouth and you let him.

But it hit you. — Wait... — He started to kiss your neck. — Your sister...

— She doesn't have to know if you don't want to, even though I'd pay to see her reaction to this. — Mingyu pulled you from your neck to kiss you again. You put your hand over his chest and straddle him. — Uhm, don't start something you can't finish.

— We both know I started this earlier. — You said, admitting you dressed up like this for him.

— I fucking knew it. — His hands flew to your butt, squeezing it. — Are you sure you want to take the risk?

— Are you asking yourself... kid? — You called him the nickname you used to call him when he was in high school.

The way back to your hotel was fast, none of you couldn't wait any longer. You opened your door quickly and threw everything to the floor, you'd clean later.

You took Mingyu to your room and pushed him to the bed to straddle him again, but he inverted the positions, and you were about to protest when you felt his fingers brush over your underwear. You weren't ashamed by how wet you were, he even growled against your neck when his finger made the fabric to the side. He was skilled and you hated yourself for waiting so long to finally let him touch you.

He started with one finger, then two. The wet noises filling the room. You moaned out loud when his thumb put pressure on your clit. You didn't care if anyone heard you. You felt his fingers leave you and his body over you. You opened your eyes and you caught him licking his fingers clean. He lowered his body and removed your underwear, but leaving your skirt. You took a deep breath when his tongue finally made contact with your cunt, pulling your own hair when he opened your lower lips with his finger so he could have more access.

— Fuck, Mingyu... — You moaned when he gave a quick suck on your clit.

And it was like you told him what to do; he continued sucking on your clit while fingering you.

And just now you felt ashamed because you were so close. You pulled his hair, but wouldn't be able to tell him, your loud moans were his sign to know though.

He gave you a last lick before going up with you again. You kissed him and removed your sweaty hair from your face.

You pushed him again while kissing, pulling his shirt up and helping him to undress. You almost felt sorry by how red his dick was. You started to massage him slowly, then you grabbed it and spreaded to precum on the tip. Mingyu grabbed your neck and kissed you, making you confused, but you didn't stop to jerk him. His hand went to unclasp your bra without removing your top, not leaving a single doubt he loved the outfit. He massaged your boobs under your top and pinched your nipples, making you whine.

— I hate to be that jerk, but I don't have a condom. — He said, grabbing your hand that was still jerking him.

— You're in my hotel room with me dressing this nicely for you, what made you think I was done? — You gave him a quick kiss before standing up and grabbing a condom from the drawer.

— I'm so close to marrying you, woman. — He said, throwing his head back when you straddle him and slowly rolled down the condom.

Mingyu pushed your body back to the bed and pinned your hands over your head before penetrating you. His eyes on your boobs told you enough to know why he chose that position. But you couldn't keep your eyes open for too long, he felt too good inside you, you not being able to move added something to the situation.

The bed started to crash against the wall, and even though none of you would ever admit it, that turned you one even more.

His lips started to suck on your neck and you immediately moved your head so he could have better access to it. His finger went under your top again to pinch your nipples, making you moan and throw your head back.

— I'll never get tired of that. — Mingyu said in a whisper. You didn't answer, biting your lip when he gave you a last hard pinch.

The skirt started to bother you so one of your hands went to the knot on your right side and untied it. Mingyu pulled out and quickly removed the skirt and your underwear before penetrating you again. You pushed him back and rode him, both moaning for the new angle. You could feel him on your stomach, and while you were looking him in the eyes, you also removed your top.

He loved the view, he wanted to enjoy it every day and night. God, he was obsessed.

You moving your body up and down in a desperate way took him out of his thoughts. Your boobs bouncing were distracting, but he wanted them in his mouth. You pulled his hair when you felt his teeth biting softly your left nipple.

You grabbed his chin and made you look up. His eyes were dark and his lips were swollen. You kissed him a little before biting his lower lip and cummed. His hands went straight to your hips to keep the movements, making your whine for the overstimulation. But he didn't take long, his lower whines confirmed he also finished. And even though you were already trying to catch your breaths, your hips were moving slowly.

— If you're going to keep going, then I'm going to need another condom. — He said, burying his finger on your skin to make you stop. You finally stopped and pulled him out, making both of you sigh.

After that, you ordered dinner and Mingyu sent a message to a friend to send him some clothes and other belongings. The night was calm, and while you were enjoying your food, you talked about your lives. Kissed some more and fell asleep.

You woke up close to 4am to go to the bathroom. Carefully, you got up without waking Mingyu up.

You looked at yourself in the mirror and sighed. She doesn't have to know if you don't want to. Mingyu's voice resonated in your head. Maybe it was the best.

Mingyu's reflection appeared behind you, but you didn't turn around. He walked toward you and caged you between the sink and his body.

— Is everything ok? — Hi said, kissing your neck and playing with the elastic of your pajamas. He was teasing you, and you were a little surprised you were down for it.

You both shared a look in the mirror and nodded. You pushed your butt against him, making you bite his lip. Oh you were so down for it

[pbandjesse]

Today is labor day! And it feels thematically appropriate to finally. Finally. Tell Tumblr the secret I have been holding from the Internet for a month. I am 11 weeks pregnant! And today we finally got to tell my family. So I can also finally tell all of you. It has been incredibly hard to write my posts since July 31st when I first found out. And there are other versions of my posts I had written. So I will have to go back and edit those back. It wasn't all of the days but there is a good handful from the beginning of August!! It has been so hard to not say anything! It's why I've been so sick!

I was so nervous to tell my parents. How would they react?? Would i get the emotional excitement I hoped for?? It's basically all I wanted to talk about yesterday. And thankfully when I got home last night I was able to shower and settle and I was able to sleep pretty well, despite the nerves.

I had brought two flower arrangements home from the wedding. One for me and one for my parents. I was smart and dumped the water from the vases but would fill them up for the overnight. And in the morning they still looked great.

I woke up at 8. With the plan for us to leave at 830. James was making crepes and they looked so cute in their Uganda soccer kit. And I really love my denim dress. I felt good. I was nervous but I didn't feel sick. And I really hoped I could keep that going. Ride that wave as long as I could.

Right before we left I noticed one of my frogs was dead. Covered in snails. And I was so sad. So I think I have no frogs anymore. And it just bums me out so bad. I am just going to have to completely start my tank over. I can't get the snails to stop. It's ruined my tanks environment and it just sucks so bad. James would handle getting my baby frog out and buried. I was just really sad. But I tried to not let it ruin my day. We had a big thing to do.

I went out to the car to move stuff around so there would be room for us to bring our laundry with us to my parents. And soon we were on the road.

I brought a pillow and that made me more comfortable. I never fell asleep but I enjoyed resting and we listened to a podcast and it was not a bad drive at all. We wouldn't have to deal with any traffic and we got to my parents at 1030.

We didn't discuss between, me and James, how we were going to tell them. We had packed a little gift bag, with the ultra sound from my last appointment (remember when I went to see that 'specialist'?) and James picked a fig from the tree to bring with us. I packed it like a gift. And when we got to the house we put the flowers and the gift bag in the kitchen table and just didn't mention it. I would have to decide on the right time.

The dogs didn't bark when we came in. It was like they were so excited they were basically honking??? Mom would come out and was very surprised. But I was so happy to see her.

Dad was still getting ready for the day. So I would have to wait.

We would chill in the living room. And talked about life and just catching up. It was hard to redirect the conversation when Mom would talk about me feeling sick, but also when she brought up our planned Scotland trip. The problem being my expected due date is two weeks before the trip. So I was pretty sure we were going to have to reschedule that. Which makes me a little sad but I knew she would understand.

I went to bother Dad and tell him to hurry up and join us. And soon he would. But I wouldn't tell them yet still.

Around 1130 mom asked if we wanted to order pizza. I had had my two crepes in the car but I absolutely wanted pizza now. I love the pizza place near them. So we would order pizza and James got a cheese steak and mom got a quesadilla.

While we waited for the food to be delivered, mom brought up Scotland again. And I decided it was the right time. I honestly wish I got it on video because she had such an amazing reaction. I told James to get the gift bag and mom was like. Why do I get a gift?? And I'm like well it's kind of a thing for both of you.

She brought out the framed ultrasound first. And she literally stopped mid sentence and goes. No??? You're fucking joking?? Jesse??!! You're joking?? And I go right into explaining, this is why I've been sick. And she ran over to me to give me a hug. And dad is like ??? What is happening, Sharon stop cursing!!! And mom hasn't shown him the frame yet and he wasn't getting it. But we finally hand it to him and he gets it and he go no!! Omg!! And they were both so excited. She claims she didn't cry but I saw the teary eyes. She was so excited. Dad was so excited.

Then I explained the fig. And dad goes. Wow. My grandchild, as he holds it up. And then I explain the whole story. When we were on the cruise I was nauseous. Jess's parents kept saying I was pregnant. I didn't want to take a test until August 1st, despite missing two persons. But when I got off the cruise and was still nauseous I spoke to the camp nurse and she convinced me to take a pregnancy test on July 31. And that evening I did and it was immediate. "PREGNANT". And then I told James. And we high fived. And then the next day we told Charlotte because she was leaving for Spain. On August 2nd I made an appointment for an obgyn but I let them know I had been sick but also I was spotting and they said I needed to go to the ER. So I had to tell Alexi and Heather and Elizabeth because I had to leave camp.

And when I got the the er I got fluids and they confirmed the pregnancy but I also got an ultrasound. Based on my last missed period they thought I might be 10 weeks but I was actually more like 6/7. And I got to see it early. It didn't look like much but I got to see it! And I drew a pictuee of it to show James later.

And then in the ten days between the ER and the OB-GYN appointment I lost 10lbs from being sick. And the midwife was so nice and James got to see them and they still didn't look like much but we got to see their heartbeat. And now I have my next appointment tomorrow. And I'm so nervous because anything and everything can go wrong. And I can't see them because my belly isn't see through so I just have to believe they are growing safely. And I really hope we get to see them tomorrow but I don't actually know if we will because I don't know how often you get ultrasounds. I want to see them every time though, only seems fair.

But they were just so excited. And when the door bell rang with our friends it took everything in mon not to just tell the pizza man that her daughter was pregnant. But it was the main point of conversation for the rest of the day.

Lunch was great. I actually ate 4 pieces of pizza! And I would actually feel pretty well through around 230. We would talk about the research and reading we have done to get ready. The book I'm reading. Things we have learned. Mom told us about her experiences and James finished the laundry between topics. It was just so nice. It was so nice to be able to talk about everything. About the scary things. About me accidently ripping my boobie skin off with kinesiology tape. About how I have had all my eggs since I was a baby inside of Mom. So this baby has always been with us, our whole lives. And it makes me just a little emotional to think about.

And like I am still scared. It could not be growing. It could not be growing correctly

It could be missing organs, or a skull. It could be perfect and then die at the end. Or it can be totally fine and I can come home with a new little person. That looks like me and James. The person I love so much.

And I just have to believe that no matter what happens I will be okay, and it will all work out how it's supposed to. Just how I have always believed.

And James got to talk about their excitement too. They are a little more focused on my health. They are just so worried about me being so sick. But they are also such an amazing support. And I love them so much.

I started feeling not amazing. And we had one more stop at Xavier and Kaitlyn's house. So at 3 we would give hugs all around. Mom and me had gone down to the basement and she gave me a nice new basket and a bunch of pencils for camp. And we got all of that in the car. And said goodbye. It was exciting that we got to give them something to be excited about. I love them so very much.

We left there and headed to our friends. They are about 40 minutes from my parents. And it was really nice to see them. They are expecting as well, and she's only a few weeks behind me! How crazy!! We talked about our different experiences. She said her mom was barely sick and that's been her experience so far, while my mom was sick the whole time and that's my experience too. Rough. But I enjoyed hanging out. They brought us a few little Pokemon things from Japan. And we just talked and caught up and spent an hour and a half there. It was fun.

But I was losing steam. So it was time to go. We said goodbye and headed not. See them soon!!

We would stop at Wawa on the way home. We got drinks and snacks. I got a small hoagie. And it did help me feel a little better. But the drive home would be a bit tough on us

Not much traffic, but our cord wasn't charging right. My phone would get down to 2%. And people were driving terrible. James couldn't stop sneezing. And the sun was so strong and directly in our faces. We couldn't block it no matter what we tried. So it was not a super fun trip back. But we were fine. And we would finally get home at 7.

We got everything inside. And I was just like. I gotta go lay down. James would put our clothes away. And we would just enjoy hanging out and doing our own thing in our bedroom. James worked on writing. I watched videos and scrolled. It was calm.

Eventually I took a bath. I have so many blasters on my feet from last night so the I put in the water hurt but I am sure it helped. And now we are in bed. And I am so ready to sleep. There was so much emotionally charged moments today. Like in the best way but man. I am exhausted.

And tomorrow we get to go to the OB-GYN again. This time we get to meet Dr Hoffman. Of Hoffman and associates! Which is the name of the practice. I get to have appointments with all the drs and midwives so we get to know everyone. I think it's smart. But also a little nerve wracking. You never in now what they are going to tell you. I just hope it's all good news you know?

But now it's time to sleep. I hope you all sleep great. I love you all so much. I will start editing the redacted posts and when I finish that (probably Thursday) I will make a post with the dates of the changes posts! If you want to go back and read them.

Goodnight everyone. Have fun tomorrow!!

[o-uncle-newt]

Cabin Pressure Advent Day 26: Zurich Part 1

At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to do this one, because I usually listen to Zurich 1 and 2 sequentially, usually when I have a long train/car ride back from something shitty and need to smile. But then I realized that this could be my first time listening to them separately since that first time almost exactly nine years ago, and I knew I needed to do it.

That time was pretty crazy- I was traveling abroad and my time zone was ahead of the UK, and where I was staying there was only one room that had internet access, so I had to sneak down there past security in the middle of the night to listen to the first new Cabin Pressure episode in almost two years... two nights in a row! But it was worth it to open up BBC Sounds and just bask in it, while making as little noise as possible so nobody would know I was there. Ah, memories.

And of course, it was so worth it! Incidentally, I don't know if other people remember this but they actually released an advance clip beforehand, which was when Arthur shows up in the new "ice cream van." I don't remember if it was the FULL clip, but it definitely had him showing up and definitely had the ice cream chimes. I remember laughing myself sick at that, while also wondering what they were thinking releasing the funniest part of the episode beforehand, because wouldn't it take away from the obviously less-funny rest of the episode? Obviously, though, I had nothing to worry about.

You might be wondering why I'm just sitting here rambling about what I remember from 2014, and the answer is, to a certain degree, that John Finnemore kind of already did the definitive writeup of Zurich in his Farewell Bear Fact here. I've cited it here before, because it's just that critical. At a certain point, going too much into character arcs and motivations would just be me rehashing what he said, but worse.

That said, I definitely have some of my own comments, like how without listening to Yverdon and Zurich 1 in a row (which I basically never do), I'd forgotten that the pre-credits scene in Zurich is basically just a lesser version of the ending scene in Yverdon... I get that unless they wanted to commit to Arthur having an allergic reaction throughout the scene they couldn't just repeat it, but I'm still a bit sad we lost Arthur's thing about being a hotel guy. That said, transferring the scene over and reinterpreting it was done beautifully, and I love how Theresa showed up right at the key moment, not only for plot reasons (so that Martin needed to admit for real that he had the job) but because having her there as well really differentiated this scene from the prior one.

(I also want to say, my single favorite joke on this whole fucking show is in this episode, and it is "like in Casablanca, where the woman gets to go on the plane.")

The wait from Yverdon had, of course, been agonizing by the time we all (and by "we" I mean all of us but the lucky bastards who saw the recording) listened to it, and I remembered wondering how they were going to handle it- and was both surprised and delighted that Martin's attempted subterfuge was revealed immediately. It had felt like a cliffhanger for the sake of a cliffhanger- and of course, to a degree, it was (if JF hadn't wanted one he wouldn't have written one) and keeping didn't feel sustainable, which indeed it wasn't. And in general, the kind of farce that comes from keeping secrets isn't usually my favorite kind of comedy, which is a bit funny considering how much I love Frasier but I digress. So when everything was out in the open and they all just had to move on and deal with it, that was like a breath of fresh air.

And I LOVE how JF made this episode remarkably self contained! We'll see tomorrow in Part 2 that there are lots of dangling threads just begging to be tied up, but the episode is still utterly enjoyable on its own terms. I've seen/heard/read Part 1s that feel like they're just set up, but here everything is funny, sweet, heartwarming in its own right, even without Part 2 to provide the finishing touches. If the last we'd gotten of the Carolyn/Herc relationship had been her allowing him to say that he loves her because it's a special occasion, it would have been a basically fitting send off, even if what we'll end up getting in Part 2 is better. And of course the auction scene is perfectly self contained and hilarious, just amazing. (Though I have to say, a British radio comedy writer having GERTI as "lot 42" is possibly a trifle on the nose, but hey, everyone does it, why shouldn't he be able to...)

I'll admit that the first time I listened to this episode I thought that Douglas was serious about trying to get Gordon to sell the plane to Carolyn (for decent motives), right up until he explained his plan. Now relistening I'm not sure why I ever thought that, it makes zero sense in the context of the broader story and the characters. It was, of course, so much more exciting to me to realize that they were about to embark on a mission to go steal GERTI back.

[sunflowers-n-rocknroll]

Do I Wanna Know?

Pairing: Jensen x latina!reader

Warnings: angst

Word Count: 1,988

A/N: This was written for @anaelsbrunette​ Yas’s POC Reader Challenge. This was based on the song Do I Wanna Know? by Arctic Monkeys. I’ve never written POC reader before so hope you like it. ;)

“Everybody welcome Jensen Ackles to the stage!” The applause and cheering were so loud you winced. Jensen Ackles stood on the stage looking as if he owned it with a leather jacket and some dark jeans. You couldn’t lie he was good looking, but good looking boys were the ones that always knew how to break your heart in the worst ways.

You sighed once again wondering why you had agreed to come to work again. The place was small but packed. Apparently, it was some sort of VIP event and only those with enough money could pay to attend. But not you. You weren’t here to enjoy some guy in a leather jacket and guitar sing you were here to work at the bar and that was it.

People coming and going ordering a million different drinks was slowly driving you insane. You hoped this would be over soon. Someone like Jensen Ackles was probably busy and didn’t even have a moment to breathe.  

Song after song you handed out drinks and refrained from lashing out at the rude people. You needed the job.

“Thanks, everybody for coming out tonight, said Jensen. “I’ll be playing one last song tonight.” 

“Oh, gracias a Dios,” you breathed out a sigh of relief and your friend smirked over at you. 

“Have you got color in your cheeks?

Do you ever get that fear that you can't shift the type

That sticks around like summat in your teeth?

Are there some aces up your sleeve?

Have you no idea that you're in deep?

I've dreamt about you nearly every night this week

How many secrets can you keep?

'Cause there's this tune I found

That makes me think of you somehow and I play it on repeat

Until I fall asleep, spillin' drinks on my settee…”

The women were going wild and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. He was just a human, a human with an incredible voice and an equally attractive body. Sure you enjoyed music, but you knew this type of celebrities, they thought they were like gods.  

By the time the song was over, you were ready to go home and sleep preferably forever. The crowd started to diminish and you began cleaning up. 

“Oh my god! Did you see Jensen Ackles he was so hot,” your friend was basically jumping up and down. You were waiting for that comment all night and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. 

“Cristina you fall in love with basically everybody.”

“I do not,” she gasped.

“What about that boy at the coffee shop yesterday? Or that guy that opened that door for you at the supermarket? Or that girl-”

“Ok ok fine I get it,” she held her hands up in surrender. “But you can’t deny it.”

“Cristina, there is nothing special about him. Sure he can sing, ¿y que? So what? I know about a dozen other people who can do that.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” said a voice behind you and you turned only to find Jensen Ackles sitting at the bar. “But uh can I get a whiskey?” 

You cleared your throat your face burning. “Uh yeah.” turning to grab a bottle you glared at your friend. “¿Cuánto tiempo ha estado allí?” 

“Since you started talking,” she whispered.

You turned around placing a coaster and glass in front of Jensen Ackles. You tried not to look at him as you poured whiskey into his glass but you felt his gaze on you. Some guys came by saying goodbye to Jensen and making plans for the week. Not that you were eavesdropping but they were right there. 

“It’s close to midnight and my sister is coming to pick me up, you need a ride?”

“No it’s fine I’ll be closing anyway. I’ll get a cab.” She nodded before hugging you and grabbing her things. 

You realized Jensen was still at the bar and you hoped he would leave already so you could go home. He stood placing some money at the bar before leaving. Ten minutes later you were making your way outside.

“Hey,” you turned. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.” Jensen was standing there with his hands raised as if you would’ve tried to hit him. And you would have.

“Well, you did.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you said that.”

“I thought you might need a ride.”

“I don’t.”

“Look it’s almost midnight-”

“I am not  sleeping with you.”

“What- no I am not-”

“Listen, pretty boy, I don’t need a ride from you. And I am not going to your place,” you slung your bag over your shoulder before turning around. 

“No, wait. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just offering a ride. Nothing else.”

“Why?”

“Because walking through the city in the middle of the night is dangerous.”

“And getting into some stranger’s car is not?” He looked down, one side of his mouth turning up. 

“Touche.”

You sighed knowing that you couldn’t deny his offer. “Ok fine.”

His head snapped up, “Wait really?”

“Just warning you, I will punch you if you try anything.” 

You gave him your address once in the car and waited for some comment about the area you lived in, but it never came. Surely someone like him had a nice house or apartment in the nicer part of the city. 

“Thanks for the ride,” you said.

“So there is nothing special about me?”

You winced, “You heard that?”

He chuckled, “I did.”

“Listen I’m sorry-”

“No no, I think that is a very fair opinion. But, I think you can make it up with a dinner.”

You opened your mouth then closed it not sure what to answer. He was asking you out?

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to I was just-”

“I uh I need to go,” he nodded and you got out of the car. Making your way to your door. You heard his car leave once you were inside. 

“He asked you out!” You and Cristina had a free period a decided to catch up on some homework outside. 

“Cristina stopped screaming. Yes, I already told you like a hundred times.”

“And you said no,” you stared at her. “Okay fine, fine.”

“And technically I didn’t answer.” 

“But it was Jensen Ackles!”

“Yeah, that’s why.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s on his way to becoming some great musician. And I’m a bartender still in school. And still living with my mom. Nada va a suceder. It’s going to be a good date and then that’s it. On to the next thing he knows he can get.”

“Y/N,” she pointed behind you, and standing right there was Jensen Ackles. “I uh gotta go back to class,” she grabbed her things before taking off. Great.

“You uh left this in my car yesterday,” standing up you took your jacket from him.

“Thanks. How did you know I was here?”

“I asked around in the bar.”

“Right.”

No one said anything before you both started talking at the same time. 

“I also didn’t get your name last night.”

“How long have you been there.”

You glanced away, “I’m Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N” 

“Jensen.”

“I know.”

He cleared his throat, “Right.”

“Listen I didn’t mean to be rude with what I just said.”

“Most people want to be with me for the money and fame. I don’t care about any of that.”

“I’m not most people,” you said. “I also don’t care to have my heart broken.”

“One date. One chance. Just- let me show you I’m sincere.” 

“Why? You can literally have anybody you want.”

“But I don’t want anybody. I just- there is something about you that I can’t figure out about you and it’s driving me insane.”

“One chance,” you said.

You were nervous and you weren’t even on the date yet. Cristina had come over to try and calm you down but you were having second thoughts about saying yes. 

“Y/N, mirame, hey look at me. If things go sideways you call me and I’ll pick you up.”

You nodded the knot in your stomach twisting tighter. The doorbell rang and you took a deep breath. Jensen was standing there in a flannel and some jeans and you couldn’t deny he looked good.

“Uh te-te ves hermosa,” he stuttered.

You smiled, “How long did it take you to learn that?”

He looked down rubbing the back of his neck. “All afternoon?”

It was late by the time you came back home, your stomach hurting from laughing too much.

“Gracias, thank you, for the date,” you smiled up at him. He was so close that you could smell his cologne. 

“It was my pleasure.”

“I uh- I better go.”

He cleared his throat, “Yeah, I’ll text you.”

It went like that for a week, Jensen showing up and taking you some place, nothing fancy or expensive but somewhere you could be together. Sometimes he would take you to one of his concerts and even though you teased him about it you enjoyed being there. Everything was good maybe just too good and of course it had to end. 

Coming late home from the bar one night all you wanted to do was sleep, your mom was in the kitchen, phone in hand.

“Hey what’s going on?”

“It’s your abuela, está enferma.”

“She’s sick? Is she going to get better?”

Your mom shook her head, “We have to go back to Mexico.”

Two days later you found yourself packing your bags. You had given your notice at school and at the bar. Cristina had come to say goodbye and it hurt to leave her. You were putting your bags in the car when a familiar car pulled up. Jensen stepping out with a frown on his face. 

“Hey what’s going on?”

“My grandma is sick and we have to go back home. Back to Mexico”

“For how long?”

“No lo sé. Couple of days? Maybe weeks?”

“And you weren’t going to tell me?” He sounded incredulous and you wished this conversation had happened when you were miles away and not be able to see the hurt on his face. 

“Jensen-”

“Y/N you were going to leave for who knows how long and not tell me?”

“I was going to tell you.”

“When? When you were miles away?” He nodded, running a hand down his face. “No, you can’t do that just because you’re scared.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re scared Y/N! You’re scared about this, about what we have!”

“Jensen this was never going to last! This was nice, but we both know you weren’t going to end up with somebody like me and I am not going to end up with somebody like you. Lo siento. I have to go,” you turned getting in the car, trying not to look back. The better he accepted the truth the better it would be for you. By the time you were back in Mexico he would probably already have found somebody else. 

Jensen stood there not knowing what to say or do. She was leaving. She was leaving him. But she felt something for him. He hadn’t just imagined the past week. And it wasn’t just some simple crush that he felt, this went way deeper than that and he had to find out if she felt that same way for him. He saw your friend come out of the house by the time your car was pulling away.

“Cristina it’s Cristina right? Do you know where in Mexico Y/N is staying?” she nodded and he knew what he had to do because she had caught his eye in that bar even before he had ordered that drink. He couldn’t let her go. He had to know, even if the answer wasn’t what he wished for it to be, he had to know. 

TAGS: @akshi8278​

[yayninjabob]

Author Commentary

Ramblings from Yay Ninja Bob about her monstrous creation~

Besides working on my fic, I personally try to journal every day, and I realized that a lot of my journaling has become me pretty much rambling about the process of writing this damn fic lol.  So I thought I'd share some of that for those who may want to know more behind my chapters from my author's perspective. 

It's certainly not everything I can say, but it is a lot haha..

Chapter 1 - Thirteen

Behind the title:

    Well, when I first began writing VillainR, I hadn't planned on having chapter titles at all.  Mainly because coming up with chapter titles (or titles for stories in general) has always been something I struggle with personally.  Anywho after I decided I wanted to challenge myself with chapter titles, I went back and named chapter 1 "Thirteen."  Why?  Well, it is the PpG's thirteenth birthday, of course there is that.  VillainR as a whole is many things, but one major thing is it is a coming of age story for Buttercup/Joey/Jojo, as well as a story of self-discovery.   There's a few important ages I wanted to cover and 13 is around the age where many kids start to "develop" and being a super-powered kid,  Buttercup finally begins to develop her own "special power" at this age.  I wanted this "growing pain" to be the catalyst for the events of Part One.  So, I gave the chapter the title of "Thirteen" to try to highlight the significance of that age for Buttercup. The self-discovery made at this age is that special power (although they are unaware of it at this point).  It's considered an unlucky number, and as it turns out, it is an unlucky year for our main character.

During the writing process:

     First draft was written on Halloween night 2019 and pretty much all of it was completely scrapped haha. 

     I started writing it in first person, like the original Villain, in Buttercup's POV.   I kept the events but approached it again in third person and liked it so much better that way.  One major thing I wanted to improve on with the rewrite was character development which is pretty hard to achieve when writing in a limited POV of a character who eventually loses sight of much around them.  I debated briefly on maybe doing alternating POVs between Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, but then I felt like it would still exclude a lot for other major characters like Mojo and Princess.  I could add them too but I thought alternating too many POVs would be overwhelmingly difficult (for me as the author for sure but I imagine for the reader too)  Third person seemed to be the best way to handle everything and really my only challenge with that was tweaking the whole "unreliable narrator" trope which I will be honest is my favorite trope ever. It is a challenge to try to recreate the same effect in third person, but I decided that a close third person was the best way to 1) tell a broader story and 2) still set limits on the reader's perspective, and control when and how I drop information and attempt to recreate a similar experience in an entirely new way I've never tried before heh.  (I guess I will spend more time on this on my notes for Chapter 6)

     Second draft I scribbled out in another few days with this new approach.  It began at the start of the carnival and ended where it ends.   Simultaneously I was reworking my overall outline for the fic and began to narrow down all the characters I wanted to be my key players for this epic.  Once my outline was expanded to include everyone, I added the scene with Mojo and Him.  For me, that's when I was like "Ayyy it's all coming together 👍👍" haha.

     Another thing I wanted to improve on was setting and world-building.  So final draft I decided to include some "history" behind Townsville and that's when I worked out the final draft.

    This chapter definitely had the most trial and error during the writing process than any other chapter other than 5 so far.

Inspirations:

     Townsville world-building/history - much of it is inspired by the city I grew up in (for the most part) which is Los Angeles. I mean it has all the sort of settings we've seen in the show which are all pretty diverse right?  Townville had to have a diverse cityscape ranging from a busy downtown setting to quite suburbs to upperclass mansions, beaches, an island, forests, etc.  Well I knew LA had all that and so I tried to re-imagine Townsville as basically an alternate universe LA lol. Monster Isle, I based on research I did on Catalina Island.  I imagined the Utonium household was in a middle class neighborhood like Pasadena- close to the heart of LA but still a relatively "calmer" part of the city.  Morbucks Manor would be in the Hills like Beverly Hills.  Downtown was the heart of the city like Downtown LA.  I debated briefly whether or not to have the Gangreen Gang be from an area modeled after South Central or East LA, but eventually I went with East LA because TBH I am just more familiar with it since that's where my mom's side is from and where I grew up early on in life.  PLUS East LA actually has a pretty big punk scene so that fit the story too with Ace being in a punk band and all that. 

1998 PpG Show References:

     "Oh my gosh they have giant Bunny-Bunny's at the prize tent!"

    (Super Zeroes)

Pop Culture References:

   (OK most of my pop culture refs are just punk references lets be honest lol.  Why Punk?? - because it is rebellion and rebellion is the heart of this fic)

     The Clash - OK in original Villain I established that this was Buttercup's favorite band so I HAD to have that back for the redux. Here's all the refs I crammed into chapter 1 lol:

   "Oh, Man! It's so hard to choose, like, I love literally everything by them. But I gotta say it's a tie probably between their first album and London Calling."

"Hell yeah. Jimmy Jazz is my jam."

"You know, my band does a cover of White Riot," Ace continued to talk music with the teenager as he lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. He held the smoke in his lungs as he continued, "Only we call our version Green Riot."

Blondie:

     The one artist Buttercup had introduced Robin to that she instantly obsessed over was Blondie.

(Some) Symbolism:

     - Blossom is 5'9" and Buttercup is 5'8" - Buttercup is always falling one step behind Blossom.

     - Bumper Car scene - has some foreshadowing and well...

Blossom sat behind the wheel of a red bumper car at the opposite end of the metal floored rink. Buttercup crossed her arms in protest, "No way. I'm driving." she demanded.

Blossom also crossed her arms from where she sat behind the metal wheel. "So you can just rampage and crash into everybody here? No way." She fastened her seat belt with a quick snap and placed her hands firmly on the steering wheel again.

"Ugh. That's the whole point of bumper cars! It's to bump the other cars! You're supposed to try and bump everyone before the times up!"

"You always take it too far, Buttercup. I'm driving, so get in." The redhead grasped the steering wheel in her hands firmly, and refused to move.

And...

"You drive like an old lady," Buttercup shook her head in disbelief as her sister managed to avoid yet another collision.

"Well, that's your opinion," she shrugged off the insult, "Personally, I think it takes just as much skill to avoid every single car in here, as it does to hit every single car," she smiled at her sister.

And finally a brief allusion to the OG Villain lol...

"Blossom!" Buttercup shouted louder so she could get her sister's attention. She pointed at the fast approaching purple car that zoomed towards them from their right side. Behind the wheel of that car was Bubbles who wore a rather determined look on her face as Robin cheered for her.

Blossom saw, but by then it was too late. Bubbles and Robin's car slammed into Buttercup and Blossom's car at full force, spinning Buttercup and Blossom's car into the wall of the arena. The loud buzz which signified the end of the ride then sounded.

    - the roller coaster is Buttercup's ideal carnival attraction; it's got the thrills, twists, turns, ups and downs.  And makes Bubbles sick.

     - the Ferris Wheel is Blossom's ideal carnival attraction; it's a staple of any fair, grand and big, overlooks everything, and traditionally romantic

YNB's favorite scene:

     Personally, I loved writing the whole exchange between Buttercup and Blossom in the car.  Establishing their rivalry, Buttercup's jealousy over Blossom's special power and heroism, Blossom's projection of her own insecurities, their differences, and their commonality. 

Final thoughts on the chapter:

     I was pretty satisfied with how it turned out but I did wait to post it until I had a decent headstart on chapter 2.  I was pretty nervous about whether or not I could stay personally committed to writing this fic so I just wanted to make sure I was really feeling it first, lol.  It had been so long since I'd written fanfic so I just needed to be sure.

     When I outlined everything I estimated the chapter length to be around 6-7k words... And I was surprised that it was double that at about 12k.  Which was wild because on my outline each opening chapter for Part 1, 2 and 3 were supposed to be shorter and more like preludes to everything else.  Well, I guess they ARE shorter chapters but STILL definitely longer than any chapter I used to write for my multichaptered stories.   At the time I thought "Ok obviously my writing has changed but surely I wont go much longer than 12k for future chapters...."  Hurr hurr.

     Personally, I was pretty proud of myself for spending so much time on it and rewriting it over and over and all that.  In the past, TBH whatever was my first draft was pretty much also my last draft haha.  I cranked out a chapter in one sitting usually and edited it mayyyybeee lol.  I just wanted to get it posted so I could move on and get to that next point in the story.   But I suppose now that I'm older and a bit more self aware, I realize a lot of my own anxieties manifest a lot in my writing though and I can recognize it in my old works like the OG Villain where I JUST WANNA GET TO WHAT I WANT TO WRITE RIGHT NOW OK??  I forced myself to slow the hell down this time, take it one scene at a time, and when things felt off I took breaks, slept on it for a few days and came back with new approaches or ideas.   And so far that's how I continue to work on it.

   Also, CHVRCHES.  I listened to a ton of that band while working on this chapter especially.