#and today i babysat one friend’s daughter and then saw my actual best friend who i haven’t rly seen since she got married + pregnant

[urfavedumbcunt]

i had such a massively productive (read: busy) week (and i only needed a bean on 2 of those days) and i’m so exhausted i could die and it feels like my body could literally fall apart and i stg if no one calls me a good girl (and also eats me out) i’m gonna physically implode upon myself

[fanfics-for-the-hockey-fan]

A Lie to Love - Nathan MacKinnon

This is for @antoineroussel Summer Fic Exchange. I had the wonderful @broadstbroskis!

I had so much fun writing this fic and reading everyone else's work, I love getting to see so many great writers sharing their work on this site. This is also one of the longest pieces I have written in a very long time, as I was writing this I had a million other fic ideas pop in my head so many those will get written some time soon.

***

I just sat down on my couch, just getting home from work when someone started knocking on my apartment door. I was hoping to ignore it and it would go away, unfortunately they kept knocking. I groaned as I got up, decided how much I was going to curse this person out. “What-” Right behind the door was Nate, giving me a nervous smile.

I had met Nate through his teammate Gabe, I babysat for Gabe and Melissa on a regular basis. Nate showed up one night that I was watching their daughter looking for advice from Melissa. I was able to help him then he hung out with me until Gabe and Melissa came home. Since then I could expect him to show up at my apartment at least once a week for dinner, and we were close friends after I had to save him from a laundry emergency that first night I met him.

“I’m so glad you’re home. I need a huge favor.” Leaving the door open I headed back towards my couch, I knew Nate would follow me and close the door behind him. Once I was sitting on the couch again Nate pulled my legs onto his lap.

“Last time you asked for a favor I ended up with the flu.” Which was true, he had asked me to help out at a learn to skate event that was outside in December. It had been a cold and foggy day, and two days later I was down for the count.

“I brought you soup! And tissues for we left for that road trip.”

“You brought me one box of tissues and two cans of tomato soup.” Nate raised an eyebrow like I had proven his point. I threw a pillow at his head before speaking again. “I’m allergic to tomatoes!”

“Oh, I’m an idiot. Sorry. But I still need a favor.” I really wanted to just say no, ask Nate to leave and go to sleep until I had to go into the office tomorrow. But I knew I was going to say yes before I even found out what he needed. “Please Ruth.”

“What is this favor?”

“I need you to be my fake girlfriend.”

“That was not what I was expecting you to say.” That got a small chuckle out of Nate but he also looked nervous. “Why do you need a fake girlfriend?” Nate was in a ‘single and loving it’ stage of life, he just wanted to play hockey and hang out with his teammates.

“An executive on the team has been talking up his daughter for like the last two years. I’ve been able to brush off the hints he has been throwing at me, luckily she doesn’t live here. Today he came up to me when I was heading out for the day, talking about how his daughter is coming into town and how we should get dinner together so I can get to know her. I thought I could brush it off as a one off dinner, say we there was no connection and then she would be gone. Easy, ya know?”

“Not really. But continue.”

“Apparently this isn’t just a visit for her, she is moving here. And going to work for the team on the social media team.”

“That must have ruined your plan.” Nate nodded and I knew I was going to agree to his crazy plan. “So how did all this lead to me needing to be your fake girlfriend?”

“I panicked and said I had a girlfriend.”

“And I’m the only girl you hang out with that isn’t related to you or in a relationship with a teammate.”

“You are also one of my best friends and the one person I trust every part of my life with. I know this is a lot to ask, I know this is bigger than asking you to help with a skating event. This is a change to every part of your life, and lying to a lot of people.”

“I’ll do it.” Nate’s jaw actually dropped like he couldn’t believe I was agreeing to do it. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

“Thank you, thank you so much. I know this is a huge ask, I really do.”

“Before we talk about details, I need food and wine. Not necessarily in that order.” I ordered food and pulled out the biggest wine glass I had. As we waited for the food, we came up with a plan and story to tell everyone. We decided to stick with the cliche story of best friends who decided to fall for each other.

“Um, what about kissing? And other PDA?” Nate’s cheeks flushed as he asked the question and I knew it wasn’t from the wine. “I don’t want to do anything you are uncomfortable with.”

“Let’s just start with hand holding and that kind of stuff.”

“Yeah, okay. That sounds good.” Our food was delivered then, Nate going to the door and coming back with the bags of food.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry about it, you can think about it like this is our first date.” I nod and start eating once we decided on something to watch. This felt normal for us, eating take out and watching whatever hockey game Nate was able to find. After we finished eating Nate helped me clean everything up before he got ready to leave. I walked him to the door, hugging him tightly as he let out a sigh of relief. “I don’t think I will ever be able to repay you for doing this. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t worry about it Nate, I’ll always be there when you need me.” I closed the door behind him, hoping that I wouldn’t regret agreeing to fake date my best friend.

Nate’s pov

I had been ignoring my phone since I pulled into the parking lot at Ruth’s apartment building, knowing that asking Ruth to do this would make or break our friendship. When I left her apartment I was hopeful that this wouldn’t be the end of our friendship. But I also knew it was only going to make my feelings for her grow. I realized within a month of knowing Ruth that I had feelings for her, and I had almost told her a dozen times a year since then.

I checked my phone when I got home, I had four missed phone calls from my captain and nearly a dozen texts. I skipped over looking at all the messages and just called him. “Nate, why did I hear you say that you are dating someone? Mel has been questioning me since this afternoon because she heard you say to someone that you are in a relationship. She is pissed that I didn’t tell her about it. Which is hard to do considering I had no clue.”

Before I could answer I heard Mel’s voice. “MacKinnon, you better tell me who you are dating.”

“Uh, Ruth-” There was a loud squeal on the other end of the call and then I heard Landy trying to shush his wife.

“When were you going to tell us this?” Gabe asked after it got quiet. I wanted to tell them the truth, we had talked about it. We eventually decided that we wouldn’t tell them the truth because Gabe was the worst gossiper on the team.

“It’s only been about a month, we wanted to make sure this was going to work before we shared it with anyone. We wanted to wait even longer but one of the executives was trying to set me up with his daughter.”

“Alright. I guess that is enough information from now. We can always ask more questions at that fundraiser on Friday night.”

“Oh shit.” That caused Gabe to laugh at me.

“You didn’t tell her about that yet?”

“No, we weren’t going public yet so I figured that I would just go by myself. But I guess I need to tell her about that now and see if she is willing to come with me.”

“That is a big first outing, good luck with that buddy.” Gabe hung up and I knew that I needed to tell Ruth about Friday but when I left she had mentioned she was going to crash as soon as I left. I figured I should go to bed now and deal with everything tomorrow.

***

I was getting ready to knock on Ruth’s door when it flew open and Ruth was standing there looking shocked. “Nate! What are you doing here?” Her eyes then looked at the coffee cup I was holding, one that I had brought for her. “Oh, what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“You only ever bring me my favorite coffee order when you have bad news.”

“I-Landy reminded me last night that we have a black tie fundraiser on Friday night.”

“And now that our supposed relationship is public, you are expected to bring your girlfriend with you.”

“Yeah. I am sorry, I never meant to make your life this complicated.” Ruth took the coffee from me, taking a sip before locking her door.

“I know what I signed up for Nate. I need to get to work, walk with me to my car.” I followed her through the hall of her apartment, waiting for her to yell at me. “What is this fundraiser for? And what kind of dress do I need?”

“It’s for the children’s hospital. We do it every year, they book a huge ballroom and it’s a lot of rich people. The Avs don’t run this fundraiser but all the sports teams in town donate a bunch of stuff to them to auction off and the team likes us to go so the people are more willing to open their wallets.”

“And yet that doesn’t tell me what kind of dress I need, or what time this thing is. Or any of the other million things I need to know to get ready for this thing.”

“I’m not sure about any of this, every year I go by myself. I can have Mel call you?”

“That sounds good. I have to go now, I have a project that was assigned to me yesterday that is way behind schedule. So thank you for the coffee and I’ll see you later.” I watched as she got into her car and drove away.

Ruth’s pov

By the time lunch came around I was buried under a pile of work, I hoped that if I could work through lunch and stay a little late every day this week that I would be caught up by the end of the week so I could focus on the lie at this fundraiser. So when I saw that Melissa was calling me I knew my plan was about to be derailed. “Hey Melissa.”

“I am going to ignore the fact that you didn’t tell me about you and Nate. And I am also going to save all of my questions for later, Nate told me that you need a dress for Friday. I can be at your office in 10 minutes, we can go shopping during your lunch hour.”

“I am so behind on a project that was just given to me this morning and it was already so far behind because the guy who was incharge of it before me was an idiot. I don’t have time to take a lunch break this week.”

“But Nate gave me his card to buy your dress with.” I knew I would regret what I was about to say but I didn’t have another option.

“If I tell you what size I wear, can you just get me something?”

“Absolutely!”

“Thank you. As much fun as I think shopping with you would be, I just can’t leave right now.”

“I get it. Send me a text with your sizes and I’ll find you the perfect dress.”

“Because my brain is a mess right now, I wasn’t supposed to babysit on Friday right?”

“No, my parents are in town this week. They are watching the kids. There is no way you are getting out of this event.” A part of me was hoping that I would have that as an excuse to not go but with that option gone I started to mentally prepare myself for Friday night.

***

“Thank you for letting me get ready here.” I said to Nate as he let me into his house. “And thank you for letting me crash here tonight.”

“Of course, it makes more sense this way. I also have your dress, Mel wouldn’t let me look at it when she dropped it off on Tuesday. I figured you can use my room to get ready, it has more counter space for whatever you need.”

“I’m not kicking you out of your bedroom and bathroom.”

“It’s not kicking me out when I volunteer to use the guest room. C’mon, let me carry your bag.”

“How long until we need to leave?”

“I have an Uber scheduled for 75 minutes from now.” I nod, knowing that I could make that work without having to rush too much. Once Nate headed into the guest room I started to unpack what I would need for now. Grabbing a towel before going to figure out the shower, which was far more high tech than anything I had ever seen in a shower before. I wrapped the towel around myself and went to find Nate. “Nate?! How do I work your futuristic shower?” I only stuck my head out in the hall to yell and luckily he heard me from the guest room he was in. A few seconds later he came out in only a loose pair of shorts, laughing at me. “Don’t laugh at me, your shower has a computer screen!” I opened the bedroom door so he could come in, watching his eyes widen when I saw I was only wearing a towel. As he came in to turn the shower on for me I took the time to look over him. When he turned to show me how to change the temperature and turn it off I knew he caught me checking him out. Nate was such a beautiful person, inside and out. I knew that fake dating Nate had the potential for my true feelings to come out and I was trying to convince myself that this wouldn’t end with the death of our friendship.

“Need anything else?”

“Nope.”

Nate’s pov

It took every ounce of willpower to not kiss Ruth when I saw her standing in my bedroom in just a towel, and then when I caught her checking me out I was really tempted to tell her the truth. I knew that this fake dating would just cause more pain for me but there was nothing I could do about that now. I took a colder shower than I had originally been planning to take but after that was done I got my suit on, just a dark grey suit so that hopefully I wouldn’t clash with whatever Ruth was wearing.

Just as I finished getting my shoes on there was a knock on my door. I opened it and was immediately speechless. The deep green dress looked amazing on her and I am pretty sure that my jaw was on the floor. As she moved in the dress I saw the large slit on the one side that showed a lot of her leg. “Can you zip my dress?”

“Y-yeah.” Ruth turned so her back was to me, pulling her hair to the side so I could tug up the zipper before whispering. “Perfect.”

“I should be ready in just a few minutes.”

“Yeah, I just need to come grab a tie. I wanted to wait until I saw what color your dress was.” Ruth nodded as we both heard into my bedroom, I headed straight for my closet and by the time I came out with my tie on Ruth was standing at the end of my bed smiling. “You look amazing.”

“You do too.” I walked over to Ruth, both of us looking at our reflection in the mirror. “We make a good looking couple.”

“I don’t think I can do this.” I froze after those words came out of my mouth, Ruth looking at me with wide eyes.

“O-okay, um, I’ll go grab my stuff and get out of your hair.” Ruth went to turn and walk away from me, but I gently turned her around so I could tell her the truth.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” I cupped Ruth’s cheek, locking eyes with her. “I have had feelings for you for so long. Probably since a month after I met you but I was scared to tell you. And then we became friends and I didn’t want to make things weird, so I kept it a secret. But I also fell for you more as we became closer friends. So I think a part of me decided to say I was dating someone because I want to be dating you. For real.” Ruth didn’t say anything, just took a step closer and pressed her lips to mine. “I, what just happened?”

“Everything you just told me, I feel the same way.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now kiss me for real.” That I could do, I kissed Ruth like I had wanted to do for years. We only stopped kissing when a car horn sounded in my driveway. “I think I need to fix my lipstick.”

“I would say sorry but I’m not. I’ll go to the car if you want to fix your lipstick.” Ruth nodded, stepping back while smiling at me. “Just so you know, this isn’t our first date. I will be planning that for next week and it is going to knock your socks off.”

“As long as you are there, I can’t wait.” I kissed Ruth one more time before healing downstairs to tell the driver we were almost ready. I also couldn’t keep the smile off of my face, I couldn’t believe what started out as a panicked lie turned into a chance to date my best friend for real.

[twoflipstwotwists]

It’s a late afternoon in April, and Sunisa “Suni” Lee is where most people find themselves a year into the pandemic: Home, in a sweatshirt, talking into a webcam. The 18-year-old gymnast is poised to make history at the summer Olympics, but over Zoom, she’s just like any teenager, reflecting on everything she’s balancing behind the scenes.

While training for a wildly unpredictable Games, Lee has been caring for her recently paralyzed father, mourning the deaths of her aunt and uncle from COVID, and recovering from a broken foot that jeopardized her lifelong dream to win gold. Now Lee, whose parents emigrated from Laos, is also fighting to qualify as the first-ever Hmong American Olympic gymnast—all while her community contends with a national surge in anti-Asian violence. “People hate on us for no reason,” Lee says from her parents’ house in St. Paul, Minnesota. “It would be cool to show that we are more than what they say. I don’t know how to explain that...”

Lee’s father inches his wheelchair closer into the Zoom screen, and answers for her. “It would be the greatest accomplishment of any Hmong person in the U.S. ever,” he says. “It will go down in history.”

Before the Tokyo Olympics were postponed in March 2020, Lee’s family was preparing for the trip of a lifetime. Though she hadn’t actually made the team yet, her parents John Lee and Yeev Thoj had no doubts. They bought plane tickets to watch their daughter compete, and planned to celebrate afterward with a trip to Laos to show Lee and her siblings where they grew up. Both John and Yeev are Hmong, an ethnic group made of people primarily from Southeast Asia and areas in China who fought alongside the U.S. in the Vietnam War. After losing most of their land in the war, many Hmong fled to Thailand as refugees. By the late ‘70s and ‘80s, around 90 percent of the refugee population had resettled in the U.S., where there are now 18 Hmong clans, the largest residing in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Lee describes her community there as “really close.” More than 300 people come to her family’s annual camping trip, and she can’t go to a local Asian store without someone asking after her dad. She has become something of a local celebrity herself. At Hmong events, Lee gets stopped for photos by people who tell her how proud they are. “It’s nice knowing I have them to fall back on,” she says. “The support is amazing.”

But last May, just two months before the Olympic opening ceremony was originally scheduled to take place, Lee’s family and the rest of the Twin Cities Hmong community found themselves thrust into the national conversation over race and policing. Kellie Chauvin, the now ex-wife of Derek Chauvin, the officer who murdered George Floyd, is Hmong American. So is Tou Thao, another officer on the scene who is set to stand trial in August on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in connection to Floyd’s murder. As part of the ensuing protests, several nearby Hmong American businesses were vandalized. John says it got “scary” when several homes on their block were broken into.

“I was trying to make the Hmong community more known,” Lee says. “When that happened, I felt like it was a setback.”

Lee’s journey to the Olympics started with a lumpy mattress and a piece of plywood. Her parents were eager to preoccupy their energetic, gymnastics-obsessed seven-year-old, and a balance beam seemed like the perfect distraction. John built a four-foot-long structure from a spare mattress that, to his credit, still stands in their yard today. He also taught Lee, who’s one of six kids, how to do flips on the bed.

By then, Lee had captured the attention of Jess Graba, a coach at Midwest Gymnastics. “It was super raw and she was just a little kid, but she had some talent,” Graba says, remembering when they met. “Her flips were kind of crazy—she had been practicing in her yard—and she clearly had some ability to go upside down without fear.”

In 2016 when she was 14, Lee was named to the U.S. junior national team, and it became clear Graba could be coaching one of the next great American gymnasts. They traveled around the world together for competitions, and by 2018, Lee had won a gold medal on uneven bars at the National Championships. Five-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin, Lee’s longtime hero, took notice of the high-flying athlete. “Her abilities as a gymnast, especially her bar routine, are incredible,” Liukin tells ELLE. “But it’s the unparalleled mental strength that she has shown during the most difficult time of her life that make her the person she is.”

Just two days before the 2019 National Championships, John fell from a ladder while trimming a tree. He was paralyzed from the chest down. At the time, Graba thought Lee shouldn’t compete out of concern for her safety: A distracted athlete is a danger to themselves because they are much more likely to lose focus and get injured. It would have been a devastating end to a decade of training, as nationals are like an unofficial pre-qualifier for the Olympic Games. But John remained confident in his daughter’s ability to compete under pressure. Before Lee stepped onto the mat, they FaceTimed and he advised her to clear her mind—and remember to have fun. “She can stay focused when she puts her mind to it,” he says.

As John watched the competition from his hospital bed, beaming with pride, Lee won the silver in all-around competition, nailing one of the hardest bar routines in the world. One month later, at the U.S. World Championships selection camp, she came within four-tenths of a point of beating Simone Biles in the all-around—the closest anyone has come to Biles in years—and landed one step closer to fulfilling her Olympic dream.

In March 2020, Lee was scrolling through Twitter after practice when she saw the news: The Olympics were postponed, for the first time in modern history, due to COVID. Lee wiped tears away with chalky hands as years of carefully laid plans were thrown into limbo. “To have that taken away from us without having any control is very hard,” she says. “I went through a depressed phase, and it was hard to get out of.”

For weeks Lee could do little more than sleep and cry. Her gym was closed for three months— practically an eternity in the unforgiving timeline of an elite gymnast. When it did reopen in June, Lee broke her foot, meaning three more months of downtime. “If you were 100 percent ready for the 2020 Olympics, then you’re spending the year going, ‘Let’s just not get injured. Let’s just not make any mistakes,’” Graba says.

Lee found an unexpected source of comfort in Biles, who went from being her biggest competition to one of her closest friends after they competed in 2019. “She was there for me,” Lee says. During lockdown, they Snapchatted and texted—two of the only people in the world who truly understood the gut-punch of waiting another year for the Games to begin.

Then, as the country continued to face rising COVID rates in summer 2020, Lee’s own family was devastated by the virus. Her aunt and uncle—close family members who babysat her as a kid—both died of COVID less than two weeks apart. Lee’s uncle, a Hmong shaman, had helped heal her hurt foot with hot ginger and other herbal medicines. Like so many others did during the pandemic, Lee said goodbye over Zoom.

As the nation slowly starts to heal, so has Lee. She can now spot small silver linings from the past year, like spending more time with her siblings and driving her dad to doctor’s appointments, which she calls “good for me mentally, because typically I’m never with them.” It has taken months and months to get back to the peak shape she was in pre-pandemic, but now it’s full steam ahead. The U.S. Championships are the first week of June, and the Olympic trials are later that month. Lee says the extra year has strengthened her performance on the uneven bars and made her more consistent overall. “I just didn’t want to see myself fall back,” she says. “I don’t want to disappoint my coaches or my parents.”

Still, a spot on the team isn’t guaranteed. For the first time in history, U.S. women’s gymnastics has only four open spots (down from five at the 2016 Games), one of which will almost definitely go to Biles. At this point, it might be harder for a U.S. gymnast to make the Olympic team than it is to actually win a medal once they’re there.

Unsurprisingly, none of this seems to phase Lee. She is no stranger to finding the best version of herself under intense circumstances—the version that wins medals, defies gravity, and advocates for her community. Before falling asleep at night, she visualizes herself sticking a perfect landing and coming home as the first Hmong American Olympic gymnastics champion. History made.

[rina-writes]

Mom and Dad

Summary: In the same way that Grayson jokes about being the dad, you are the “mom” friend.  It never occurred to you how strange this was until you and your close friend Grayson are babysitting your cousin and someone actually mistakes you for a family.

Genre/Warnings: Fluffy, Secret Crush, Baby Fever

A/N:  This is a concept I thought of that I forced into a fic.  I’ve been obsessed with 90s aesthetic (particularly film and media and the “grainy” filters) so I am also adding some pictures that inspired me. I don’t own any rights to these pictures and thank you to these beautiful people for inspiring this fic! 

You first met the twins on one of their trips back home to Jersey.  You were visiting a family friend who happened to live near their house.  It was super early in their YouTube careers, so you only knew from your family friend that the boys had dropped out school, moved to LA, and made videos online.  Like most people hearing this, you assumed the Dolans were a privileged family with spoiled kids that only worried about when their next trust fund payment would hit their account.  You were pleasantly surprised when, upon hearing that you were visiting, the Dolan family welcomed you into their home and threw a little barbecue for you and your folks.  Not only were the boys down-to-earth, but they were also kind and easy to be around.  You became fast friends and often spent time together when they came to visit.

It would be a lie to say that they didn’t play a role in you deciding to move to LA for college.  They talked about LA so much, that you always wanted to live there.  The couple times you visited, the twins showed you how much fun sunshine could be, even if you missed the four seasons of the northeast. 

It would also be a lie to say that BOTH the twins were your motivation for wanting to move to the sunny state.  You were a bit partial to the younger, but larger twin, Grayson.  The way you would describe your connection was that you and Ethan were similar, but you and Grayson were compatible. You agreed on the things that mattered, but you and Grayson balanced each other out. Where he was impulsive, you were calculated.  Where you came off aloof, he was gregarious.  You liked to think you brought out the best in each other.  You had a small crush on Grayson, but it was one of those crushes you only felt when you were near to him.  When you were back in school, you didn’t think about him that much.  However, when you hung out at their house or went out to grab a bite, you were completely consumed by him. His hair, his eyes, his laugh, his large hands...everything about him seemed to be crafted by the heavens.  

You didn’t want your feelings to get in the way of your friendship, so you never told anyone how you felt.  Of course, some people figured it out.  Most girls around the Dolan twins fell for either of them. They had that effect on people because they would make you seem like the most important person in the world.  Grayson definitely catered to you more than Ethan. It didn’t help your feelings for him, as you often spent time together doing menial tasks.  That’s why you weren’t entirely surprised when Grayson offered to help you babysit your cousin.  It was a combination of two things Grayson enjoyed: helping people and pretending to be a dad.

Your cousins were visiting you in LA from Jersey.  Your first cousin and his husband recently adopted a toddler named Monica.  While they were excited to have her in their life, you knew that your cousins needed some alone time.  You encouraged them to build a couple’s day full of activities from the spa to dining at an exclusive restaurant.  To ensure they could some of alone time, you would watch Monica for a few hours.  It took quite a bit of convincing, like most new parents, they were attached to their kid. After multiple conversations, and almost begging, you finally convinced them to let you take her out for a fun day in Los Angeles.

You mentioned it casually the night before you were going to pick her up.  You were at dinner with the twins and a few of their friends.  Grayson’s eyes sparkled instantly.

“I can help you with Monica.” He grinned widely.  “We can take her to this new museum for kids.  It’s free entry on Saturday mornings.”

“Why do you know that?” Ethan asked, yelling at his brother despite sitting next to him.

“I saw an article about it...” Grayson yelled back. “Some people read about the news Ethan.”

“O-kay” Ethan put up his hands as he rolled his eyes.  “Trying to show off for Y/N because she’s in college or whatever.  I see you.”

“I’m not...” Grayson said, his voice getting softer as he glanced at you. 

“Well, it works out.” Ethan shrugged.  “You’re such a mom, Y/N.  I can’t get over that Snap! The one where you were tipsy, but still  putting all the girls in your sorority to bed.  You braided that one girl’s hair!”

You blushed as there was a chorus of laughter from the table. “Oh come, on! I’m not a mom, I’m just responsible.”

“It’s okay, Y/N.” Grayson reassured you.  “I have to take care of Ethan all the time.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes at Grayson. “You don’t take care of me...”

Grayson opened his mouth to argue, but you put up a hand to stop him.  Once those two got started, nothing could get them to shut up.

“Tomorrow then?” You smiled, nodding at Grayson.

“Tomorrow!” Grayson confirmed nodding back.  There was a moment where you locked eyes like there was some weird secret between you too, but neither of you seemed to know what it was.  Blushing, you both awkwardly sipped your beverages until someone changed the subject.

When you went to pick Monica up the next morning, you were greeted by big hugs from your cousins. 

“Oh my goodness, Y/N” Your cousin said, looking at you while picking up Monica. In the background, his husband put the final items in Monica’s travel bag.  “Is that your mom’s shirt? I remember her wearing something similar back in the day.”

You laughed and nodded, looking down at the thin, emerald green sweater with four adjacent squares in red, yellow, blue and pink going across the bust. You pulled it down to cover your leggings that stopped at your ankles above your dark slip on shoes. 

“I stole it from the attic.  It’s kind of my style right now.” You grinned.  “Do you like the hat?”

“The beret.” Your cousin’s husband corrected as he leaned over to tilt it to the side. “I believe that was your mother’s too.”

Your cousin and his husband had dated for a long time before getting married.  They practically grew up together, so naturally, your cousin’s husband also knew your family too.  It reminded you a bit of you and Grayson. Except, the dating and married part, of course.

“You got me!” You shrugged, laughing again.  “The lady has great style what can I say?”

“Alright,” Your cousin sighed as he gave Monica a final hug. His husband kissed Monica’s cheek before your cousin handed her to you. 

You took the little girl in your arms.  She had a bit of weight to her, but she was still quite small.  She was close to your complexion, with large eyes and a tiny mouth. She was quiet, constantly observing and didn’t seem to react to anything, not even being handed off to an almost complete stranger.  You made a mental note to make sure she was by your side at all times. 

“You have your pull-ups, your snacks, your wash cloths, your bandaids....” Your cousin tapped the bag on his husband’s shoulder.  “You have it all! Anything you need, do not hesitate to call us.”

“Don’t worry!” You comforted them.  “It’s only six hours.  I’ve babysat for 12 hours and that was for three very....not nice children.  Monica has veteran babysitter with her today.”

“You know we trust you!” Your cousin smiled.  “We just know how much of a doozy it can be to take care of a toddler.  Besides, I think we’re getting a bit of parent separation anxiety.”

You shifted Monica to your hip and reached out for the travel bag. “And she will be back in your arms in six hours! Make sure you are rejuvenated and relaxed when you meet her.”

“Well if you insist...” Your cousin joked, not without taking another longing look at his daughter

“Are you sure you can take both?” Your cousin’s husband asked as he prepared to hand you the travel the bag.  “While she may try to trick you into carrying her everywhere, she can walk.” He added a laugh.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  You nodded.  Just as you were about to take the bag, you heard a knock on the door.

Given that it was a hotel, the three adults looked at each other with confusion.  Your cousin opened the door to see a nervously smiling Grayson waving at you.

“Sorry I’m late.” Grayson apologized stepping in.  “I didn’t want to take the Porsche so I borrowed a car from one of my editors.  It took longer than I expected.”

“No worries.” You smiled, “But I thought we would meet at the museum?”

“I figured you would need some help.” Grayson grinned. “No sense taking a Uber if I have a car.”

Grayson looked around and upon seeing the travel bag made a soft ‘oh’ sound as he took it from your cousin. 

“Oh, this is Grayson.” You introduced Grayson to your family.

“Is this your boyfriend?” Your cousin’s husband asked after shaking Grayson’s hand.

“No,” You laughed softly, hoping it sounded natural and not panicked/secretly thrilled, “He’s a family friend who lives out here in LA.”

“I’m family, and I don’t remember him being a friend.” Your cousin quirked a brow.

You could see Grayson’s face turning red and you cleared your throat. 

“I think we should get going before the museum is no longer free, huh?” You said, changing the subject before the interrogation continued.

“Ha, good idea!” Grayson said, catching on quickly.

“Be safe you two!” Your cousin called as Grayson held the door for you.  

You smiled as Grayson led you to the car.  He was a little dressed up with a long sleeved white shirt, tucked into his dark jeans with a designer belt.  You were so used to seeing him fully casual with no shirt and the tiniest shorts.  It made your heart melt that he had gotten dressed up for Monica.  

Grayson put Monica’s travel bag in the trunk of the black sedan, before running over to open the door for you.

“Take your time.” You told him.  “We’re in no rush, right Mo?” You asked Monica, who was sucking her thumb and taking in her surroundings.

You eyebrows went up in surprise when you saw a car seat in the back seat.

“Ace Family...” Grayson explained, blushing softly.  “I read that young kids should always have a car seat and I wasn’t sure if your cousin had one.”

“I think she usually just sits in someone’s lap.” You bit your lip.  “But, I’m sure this is way safer.  This is so thoughtful, Grayson!”

Grayson beamed at your words. It warmed your heart when he gave you the large goofy smile.  It was his natural one when he wasn’t posing for pictures or trying to look hot.  The smile that only came out when he was really happy.

You watched as Monica fidgeted in the car seat, making it almost impossible for Grayson to buckle her in.  He started to sweat, the stains appearing under his armpits and you fought back a chuckle.

“Let me try?” You offered.

“Uh sure...” Grayson bashfully moved away, watching you as you distracted Monica with the jingling bracelet on your left wrist while you used your right hand to buckle the first clip.  Monica reached for one of your charms and you took the opportunity to clasp the other belt that finished the part on her waist.

“Hands up!” You said, excitedly, secretly surprised that Monica followed your direction, but also happy she did since Grayson looked so impressed.

You buckled the seat belt that went over her body and leaned back to look at her.

“Feeling good, Monica?” You asked.

She nodded softly, looking off in the distance.

“Give me a wiggle.” And you shook your shoulders.

She glanced at you and mimicked you with the same emotionless expression.

Grayson laughed. “She is actually the cutuest.”

“I know right?” You said, looking at him with your lower lip jutted out, a pout in reaction to her cuteness.

Monica looked between the two of you before turning her attention back to whatever outside the window seemed to be so interesting.  She was probably the most laid back toddler you ever met.  This was going to be easy.

“Should I introduce myself?” Grayson asked nervously.

“Honestly, I should probably introduce myself too.” You laughed.  “She was just kinda handed to me.”

You leaned over to be in front of Monica and she turned slightly to give you her attention.

“Now, I’m Y/N.” You said, putting a hand on your chest.  “We met last year, but you probably don’t remember.”

You put a hand on Grayson’s shoulder.  “This is Grayson.”

Grayson stuck out his hand for a handshake and you sputtered laughter.

“Grayson, she’s three she won’t...”

Monica took Grayson’s hand and he shook, giving you a smug expression.

“You were saying?” Grayson asked making you roll your eyes.

“Okay, okay...” You put your hands up. “You’re pretty good with kids...so far!”

You pointed at him, to emphasize that he hadn’t won you over just yet.  

“You just wait, Y/N.” Grayson said, walking to the driver’s seat. You followed suit, and walked to the passenger seat.

“I’ll be such a good a dad, you’ll be calling me Daddy.” Grayson winked, and glanced at you to see your shocked expression. “Oh good god, not like that.”

You laughed, punching him lightly. “I’m just kidding, Gray. I know what you meant.” 

“Oh sure laugh it up.” Grayson said, rolling his eyes as he started to drive. You glanced at him and the tips of his ears were still red from blushing.  So cute...

When you arrived at the museum, Monica’s personality busted out. She loved the exhibits where she could touch stuff, enjoying the slime the most.  You spent about 45 minutes just watching her sticking her hand in goop.  You and Grayson took turns holding her and helping her make shapes with the material.  You took pictures of Grayson, your heart melting seeing his genuine happiness playing with Monica. Every time she made her little toddler giggle, Grayson’s smile double in size.  You were going to treasure these photos forever.  

“I’m going to the bathroom.” You said to Grayson, who gave a quick nod.

You smiled and walked to the bathroom.  After doing your business, you inspected your face.  You dug into your bag and went to apply lip gloss.  You fixed your hat a few times, still not sure if it really went with your hairstyle.

“Uhm, excuse me?” A woman about your mom’s age alerted you.

“Hi?” You turned around and you eyes widened to see Monica holding the woman’s hand, sucking her thumb.

“Monica...what...” You reached down to pick Monica up and the lady smiled softly. You were about to ask for an explanation, but the lady quickly provided one.

“Your husband said you were in here and your daughter wanted to use the bathroom.  He said you would be the girl fixing her beret in the mirror.”

You blushed and laughed softly.  “My husband, huh?” You shook your head.”Well thank you...”

“Come on, Monica.” You said to Monica who was holding on to your shoulder with her free hand.  “Let’s go potty.”

You helped Monica use the bathroom, realizing that Grayson did not provide you with the travel bag, so you had to clean her up without the fancy wipes and creams you cousins packed. 

With both of your hands washed, you escorted Monica out the bathroom who, the moment she was out, ran to Grayson who was waiting across the hall.  He picked her up and she held on to him, resuming sucking on her finger.

“I forgot you would need this.” Grayson said, gesturing to the bag on his shoulder, while he shifted Monica’s weight to your hip.

“I know, my husband is so silly.” You narrowed your eyes.

“What did you want me to say?” Grayson said, looking around embarrassed.  “Monica started crying all of a sudden saying she couldn’t hold it.  I ran with her to the bathroom, but I couldn’t walk in and I wasn’t going to take her into the guy’s room.  So, I started to explain that you were in there and she was like “Oh I’ll take her to your wife.” I didn’t want to correct her...it felt like a bad time.”

“I’m just relieved that Monica didn’t announce she had two dads.” You laughed.  “Might have been a little awkward to explain with my husband waiting outside the door.”

“Yikes,” Grayson said, making a face. “Though, I am sorry. I didn’t realize it would put you in such a predicament.”

“It’s fine!” You tried to assuage his worries, laughing. “I mean, we’re like 20...it’s her fault for thinking this was our kid. And that we were married. She’s the weirdo”

“I dunno...” Grayson said, looking at the three of you in the reflection of one of the displays. “It’s not the weirdest thing in the world. Being assumed to be married to me?”

You noticed a bit of bite in his tone and you frowned.  “You’re not the problem, Gray.  I’m just saying we are a little young.”

Grayson didn’t say anything to you in response. Instead, he asked Monica if she wanted to go to the dinosaur exhibit again, another favorite of hers.  She started bouncing up and down, and Grayson carried her toward the exhibit.  You scurried to keep up, confused at what you said to tick him off.  When you arrived, you saw there was a show for the kids.  It was one of those shows where there was a “dinosaur expert” and some people in dinosaur costumes explaining each of the species.

Grayson put Monica down in front and went to stand in the back with the other parents.  He was staring straight ahead, pretending to be very invested.  You could tell he was pretending because his eyes were glazing over. 

“G-Gra--” You started to say, but then his phone started to vibrate.

Grayson glanced down and ignored the spam call, showing his background. The background was of you playing with Monica in the slime.  You blushed and pretended not to notice. Suddenly, it made sense why Grayson was so huffy.  You didn’t want to get too excited, because you were still not 100% sure it was true.

“Hey,” You nudged him. “You’re going to be a great dad one day.”

Grayson glanced at you before looking forward. “Thanks...”

“While, I’m not ready to be a 20 year old mom,” You bit your lip, “I would be down to date one of my best friends...”

Grayson whipped his head to stare at you and you smiled. You unlocked your phone to show your wallpaper, a picture of him playing with Monica.

“Huh,” Grayson smirked. “I didn’t realize how creepy that is until I see it on someone else’s phone.”

“It’s only creepy if you’re not dating the person.” You smiled.

Grayson bit his lip and chuckled. “Thank goodness we’re changing that.”

Your eyes widened.  “Are you asking me out?”

“At the dinosaur musical...” Grayson said, gesturing to the stage.  “Of course, the only place where mom friends and dad friends can truly be ourselves.”

You laughed and Grayson continued to scold himself out loud for being the lamest person ever.

“Would it be weird to kiss someone at a dinosaur musical?” You asked, glancing down at the floor.

Grayson tried to hide his smile, but it was stretching across his face too quickly. He cupped your cheek and pecked your lips softly. As he began to pull away, you started to kiss back, keeping you two connected for a few more seconds.

“That was nice...” You said, smiling. “Really nice.”

Grayson put his arm around you and kissed your forehead lightly.  You both turned toward the show and watched for a bit before Grayson leaned in and asked,

“Can we tell E we started dating tomorrow?” He looked away as he continued to speak forcing you to lean in to hear him. “I don’t want him to know I finally made a move at a freaking dinosaur musical.”

You laughed and grabbed the sides of his jaw to turn him to face you. “Maybe, but you’ll have to make it worth my while.”

Grayson gave you a mischievous grin as he leaned down to rest his forehead on yours. His eyes bore into yours causing the heat to rise to your cheeks. You blushed more as Grayson’s voice, suddenly deepening to whisper said,

“Remember that conversation about you calling me Daddy...”

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #474

“nothing flashed before my eyes  /  no pretty angels, no bright lights  /  all i saw was the devil’s soul, & it looked a hell a lot like my own”

Who are you most nervous about introducing potential significant others to? My dad. He can be a challenge. He says whatever comes to his mind the moment he thinks it, and it's not always nice. What is the most exciting thing about your life right now? My relationship, honestly. It feels like the one thing that's going right, but I'm concerned if I don't take care of the things that aren't going so well, that they will creep into my relationship and start breaking it down, ex. not having a job. What was the most important non-academic thing you learned in high school? To just keep pushing and not give up on life, and that it is full of phases, be them good, bad, or bland. Have you ever had a job that deeply affected your personal life? How so and do you still work there? No. Do you have a “one who got away”? I don't feel like that anymore. If you were in a supoerhero movie, would you be the hero or the villain? Because I like to help people, I'd like to be the hero, BUT villains are waaaay cooler. If you found a mouse in your house, would you be frightened? Frightened, no. I LOVE mice. I'd of course be startled and concerned about it getting into food, but I'd just calmly find a way to get it outside. Have you ever tried to perform magic tricks? I used to LOVE getting those little magic kits when the Scholastic fair came around! I had I want to say three and was pretty good at a lot of tricks in them. Can you do more with a yo-yo than just "go up and down"? No. What is one form of technology that you wouldn't be able to live without? The Internet for sure. Did you get an allowance, growing up? Why or why not? No. An allowance for three daughters was something my parents couldn't afford. Would you rather go to a water park or an amusement park? Why? An amusement park. They're more exciting to me, and somehow water parks seem dirtier with all the little kids and just alksdjlfa;wjke What is one instrument you wouldn't mind learning how to play? The violin. What's the longest amount of time you've had to wait in line for something? Probably something at Disney World as a kid, idr. What is something that you would like to learn more about? I ALWAYS want to learn more and more about meerkats. What is something that one of your family member collects? Mom collects owl stuff. Have you ever moved to a new school before? If so, how did it feel? No, except obviously when transferring from certain age ranges, like elementary to middle school. Have you ever legitimately forgotten to do homework? Yes, at least once in middle school. I felt SO awful and had to go outside of the classroom to do it while they were reviewing the work. Do you enjoy autumn leaves or spring flowers more? Why? I really, really like both. Each are just very pretty in their own right. Depending on where you live, why might a day of school get canceled? Hurricanes or like the mere chance of a centimeter of snow. At least once, we've even had such a severe heat advisory that school was called off. If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be? Can dragons be real? 'Cuz then I wanna meet Clay from Wings of Fire if we could talk, lol. He's so wise and I'm sure would have great knowledge to share about looking at my life from new perspectives. What are some common places that people tour when they come to your city? Um, people do NOT tour this city. It's trash. What's one food that you did not enjoy as a child, but do as an adult? I'm not sure. How would having no electricity affect your daily routine? Everything would change, given I'm always on the computer. Would you rather have a mermaid tail, a fairy's wings or a unicorn's horn? Fairy wings, for sure. What is an animal that you'd like to have as a pet but it's not allowed? I wish SO badly that opossums were domesticated animals, alsdkjfkaljwe. I say enough that I do want to rescue/foster one, though, but I would obviously need a license for that. I would absolutely never just snag one from the wild. What are some things that you do to make the world a better place? We recycle here, don't dare to litter, and I always try to be a decent person that spreads love and hope to other people. Has the last person you had sex with ever had sex with someone besides you? Yes. What’s your favorite store at your mall? rue21, I suppose. We have a small mall. Have you ever done a workout DVD? Oh my actual god, this is a THROWBACK. When we were really little, my sister had a BARBIE workout DVD that we watched sometimes. Who usually takes out the trash in your family? Usually Mom, but sometimes me. What song are you currently obsessed with? Absolutely "Bath Salts" by Highly Suspect, ahhhhh- When you go fishing, do you make someone else get the fish off the hook? When I used to go fishing, my dad would always unhook the fish. Do you take any prescription meds? A lot. What happens if you don’t take them? I very rarely forget to take my medicine, but when I do, I experience anxiety and my tremors get worse. Who was the last person you dreamt about? I don't remember. Do you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened? I hate tea in any way. How often do you honk your horn? I don't really drive, so. I'd be very hesitant to though because I wouldn't wanna piss someone off. Do you have any children? If so, names and ages? That's a hard pass from me, bro. Have your parents ever witnessed you doing something inappropriate? What? No. Did you get babysat a lot as a kid? I don't remember how frequently, but we did have a babysitter. Both my parents had jobs. If you were the principal of a school, what would you do differently? Actually pay fucking attention to bullying and do shit about it. Are you doing anything fun tomorrow? "Fun?" Don't know her. What is something you'd like to receive as a housewarming gift? I dunno. How old were you when you first experienced the effects of puberty? I don't remember. What is your least favorite holiday, and why? St. Patrick's Day because I worry about getting pinched, lol. Pinching even very lightly is surprisingly painful for me. What were some outdoor games you played as a child? Hide-and-seek was my favorite, then my sisters and I made games for on the trampoline and in the pool, etc. Did you accompany your parents on "Take Your Child to Work" Day? I never remember doing that, no. Are cemeteries peaceful to you, or do they freak you out? They're humbling, more than anything. A reminder of how equal we are and that we all end up the same. It's a nudge to cherish life while you have it. Which ancient civilization would you be interested in learning more about? My favorite is Ancient Egyptian. Do you have better long-term memory or short-term memory? Long-term. My short-term memory is absolutely frighteningly horrid. What was the last situation that made you cry? Describe. I was very frustrated with just life in general and how horribly I'm failing at it. Which forest animal would you be most afraid to encounter? A bear, probably. Do you believe in anything supernatural? (ie: spirits, etc) Yeah, like said spirits. Has anyone close to you ever gone to war? No. Have you ever experienced altitude sickness? No. Is there anything, any event, you wish you could remember more clearly? I don't know right now. Have you ever rubbed anyone’s feet? EW you couldn't pay me to. If you had to get advice from someone of the opposite sex, who would you go to? My boyfriend. What was the last new food/drink that you tried? I recently tried jalapeno-stuffed grilled chicken, and a couple days ago I tried this orange/strawberry V8 my mom bought. It was noooot good, which I figured it wouldn't be. That's not a good mix. Have you had a good day today or was yesterday better? Today was fucking awful, and yesterday wasn't exactly peachy either. Have you ever played Sudoku? Yeah, I enjoy it well enough. Do you ever take surveys for money? No; I once signed up for a site like that though because my mom used to do that, but I literally qualified for no surveys with how inexperienced I was and still am with grown-up stuff. Do you like Barbie or Bratz better? I don't have an opinion, and I didn't really as a kid, either. Do you prefer purple or green grapes? I go back and forth, but either way, it has to be a crisp grape or it's just gross. Who was the last person that made you laugh? I was watching a John Wolfe video. Where does your best friend live? Illinois. Who did you last confide in? Girt. Does your car have an alarm? Mom's doesn't. Where was your mom born? New York. What can always make you feel better no matter what? If I'm being completely realistic, nothing. Not every single tactic is fail-proof, especially these days. What is something you’ll never eat again? Why? Crab legs came to mind first. They are SO mushy and just gross. What is currently happening that is scaring you? My life, bro. Have you ever found a stranger’s note somewhere? If so, what did it say? I mean maybe at some point accidentally? I don't remember a specific occurrence.

[mysticprofessoralienhumanoid]

Turning down the akuma pt.2

Since the feral day, when Marinette almost got akumatized, the girl has become a national sensation. It all happened 'cause someone posted a video of her turning Hawkmoth's offer down. Just the next day she was famous because someone decided it was good idea to share it with the world.

No, it was not Alya.

Alya was too shocked, frozen in her spot, watching her sweet, bubbly and kind best friend becoming a new Hawkmoth's villain. So she watched in horror and didn't move the whole time.

But still, someone recorded the whole thing and Marinette was not happy about it. I assume it was Max's robot, who recorded it or maybe Nino, hell, maybe even Kim.

But let's stick with the Max's robot version.

Later, in the evening, Max was doing something on his computer, when Markov flew to him and asked him if Max wants him to publish the video.

Max was confused. "What video?" he asked.

"The one i have from today's events at your school. The one where Marinette Dupain-Cheng declines Hawkmoth's offer of becoming his akumatized villain."

Max was surprised. He didn't know Markov recorded it. He watched it again and again. He exhaled still staring at his computer's screen, where the video was playing "I... I still don't know how she did that... The chances to do what she did are-"

"1.000017%." Markov's robotics voice immediately replied.

"Yeah..." Max was tired. He just wanted to forget about it. He was ashamed of himself for believing Lila's lies. Maybe he's not as smart as he thought-

"What are you thinking about, Max?" Markov asked, somehow sensing his best friend was thinking intensely.

"I'm just ashamed in myself. I was so blinded by Lila's lies, that i forgot about one of my friends, that was always ready to help me, yet i doubted her, the one time she ever needed something from me." he put his head in his hands "I always knew Marinette's amazing and special, but I've never thought she would be able to stop the process of akumazination."

"Yes, the chances are so low, it's a miracle, she did it..." Markov said quietly, but then decided to ask Max something, what was eating (can i even say that about a robot??) him up since Marinette sat at the back of the class and send his owner and his classmates a cold look. "Max?" the boy raised his head from his hands at the sound of his name "Why did you believe Lila, when you knew the chances for Marinette to lie and bully Lila were 3.009653%?" the robot asked.

"I don't know!" Max shouted "But the look she gave us when she woke up from this trance was-was-" Max's voice wavered "It was the scariest, the most terrifying and terrible thing i have ever seen. Markov, her eyes were so cold. I-" he couldn't even finish the sentence. Her icing stare once again in front of his eyes, reminding him of his mistake, of how stupid and foolish he was to believe Lila. He wished to make it stop, but couldn't.

Later, when Max went to his bed and fallen asleep with nightmares of Marinette's cold as ice eyes staring at him, Markov made a decision and posted a video.

The next day Marinette woke up, still drained from the energy she used to decline Hawkmoth's offer and get the akuma from her body, only to be greeted with crowd of journalists and people shouting her name in front of her house.

At first she was confused 'cause why the hell would they shout her name? But then she turned her computer on and saw a video of herself, already watched a million tiimes, where she had this weird conversation with Hawkmoth in her head.

Did she just thank Hawkmoth!?

She used backdoor to sneak out and went to school. Her whole day there was filled with whispers and glances full of guilt from her ex-friends, or what she liked to call them now acquaintances from her class.

She came home, welcomed by her parents

...and Nadja Chamack.

Okay, that's not what she expected to see.

"Marinette!" Nadja quickly got up from the sofa, her parents turning their heads and giving Marinette warm smiles, even though their eyes were filled with worries about their daughter.

"Uh, good morning, Mrs. Chamack. Do you want me to babysit Manon again?" Marinette awkawardly asked, not really sure as to what was going on.

"Ah, no!" Nadja laughed "I actually came here to see you." Marinette raised her eyebrows, waiting for the reporter to continue, not moving from her spot next to stairs to her room. "We wanted do an interview with you." the woman finished.

"Why?" Marinette bluntly asked, crossing her arms, clearly uninterested, earning a scolding look from her mother.

But Nadja shook it off (it's not the first time in her job, she's used to it) and explained that in the span of few hours Marinette has become a sensation as the first person to be akumatized and decline Hawkmoth's offer.

At some point Nadja persuaded Marinette and the young designer agreed to do an interview.

The next day was once again filled with glances and whispers adressed at her, but Marinette ignored it. It was the middle of the last class, when Marinette's parents came to her classroom and took her home, explaining she has to get ready for today's evening.

For what? Her class thought.

Well, the found out in the evening when the turned their TVs on and saw her sitting in front of Nadja Chamack on the red sofa.

Marinette wore her best clothes - a white shirt with her designing symbol on chest pocket and a black skirt.

"Don't be amused, it's just the news!" Nadja's cheerful voice brought her back to reality.

The reporter invited the girl to take a seat and immediately start asking her questions.

"So, Marinette, two days ago you got akumatized, why?" Nadja wasted no time.

"I got angry." Marinette casually responded. She wasn't the type to blame people, she didn't want everyone to hate her class' acquaintances, it wasn't their fault Lila lied to them.

Nadja laughed at Marinette's answer and asked her for more details. Marinette took a deep breath and with tightly shut eyes, said "My classmates accused me of lying." it still hurt her.

"Of what?" Nadja was shocked. She knew this girl since she was in diapers, even babysat her when Tom and Sabine wanted to go out and knew Marinette would never do something like that.

Still not opening her eyes, Marinette replied "They accused of lying and bullying this girl from our class named Lila. They said how they don't want to be my friends anymore and i guess this time it hurt me a little more than usual and i got carried away."

"It wasn't the first time?" Now Nadja was angry, Marinette was like an older daughter to her.

"No." Marinette opened her eyes.

"And i guess then the akuma came and flew into your purse?"

"Yes."

"What did Hawkmoth say?"

"He wanted me to get him Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses. He called me Queen, i guess that was supposed to be my villain name." she shrugged her arms a little at the end of her last sentence.

They talked a little more about what Hawkmoth said to her but then the question Marinette feared the most came.

My favorite when Nadja asked Marinette how Hawkmoth reacted to her calling him bitch and Marinette just blushed a little and asked for the next question.

"And how is the situation in your class now?"

"They don't talk to me. Now i sit at the back of the class, alone."

"Did they apologize?"

"No." even Nadja felt the coldness radiating from Marinette's eyes.

"Uhm, do you consider forgiving them?"

That was the question Marinette defenitely did not expect. "Uh, i don't know." she looked down. "Maybe."

But she wasn't so sure herself.

[bts-reveries]

daddy diaries

“Why aren’t we going to the bakery today Daddy?” Hana asks her dad as he straps on her seat belt. 

“Because, we’re having breakfast at Yn unnie’s house instead.” After fixing his daughter’s car seat, Yoongi closed the door and walked over to the other side of the car to get into the driver’s seat. He straps on his own seat belt, turned the engine on, and reversed out of the parking space to start the journey to your house.

“Hana, sweetie, after breaksfast, Yn and I are taking you to Uncle Taetae’s house okay?” Yoongi tells his daughter, looking at her through the rear view mirror.

“Okaay~~” She happily answers, looking at the view outside the window. Yoongi lets out a soft laugh at his daughter’s contentedness. She doesn’t even question why she’s going to be at her uncle’s and why her dad’s going somewhere with her unnie without her. This makes it a lot easier for Yoongi. 

❀ ❀ ❀

“Text me if anything happens, and keep me updated.”

You and Yoongi both raise an eyebrow at Taehyung.

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?” Yoongi questions. He looks over Taehyung’s shoulder to see what Hana was doing. She was focused on the tv, and slowly munching on some strawberries that Taehyung washed for her.

“Well of course I’ll keep you updated too, it’s not the first time I babysat mini Yoongi.” Yoongi nods his head once, then tilting to the side to look at Hana again.

“Yah, Hana, be good to Unlce Taetae okay?” Hana turns to her dad and nods, putting the strawberry that she was holding on the coffee table before running towards Yoongi. She gives her dad a big hug before giving him a peck on the lips.

“Bye daddy, be safe,” she says, holding onto Yoongi’s soft cheeks. You couldn’t help but watch the sweet father daughter moment they were having. Yoongi’s smile was full of endearment. 

“Of course, say bye-bye to Yn too,” he says, slightly pushing her towards you. Hana jumps into your arms and tells you bye-bye.

“Okay Hana, we’re going to go now,” Yoongi says, walking out the door with you. Taehyung picks her up and the two wave at you and Yoongi good bye.

“Wah~ your dad’s really growing up now isn’t he?” Taehyung says when the door shuts. Hana whips her head towards her uncle and nods, making Taehyung laugh. She doesn’t even know what he meant by that.

“Did you write on your wishlist that your dad get his hair dyed back to black by the way?” Taehyung asks, he was quite confused when Yoongi suddenly walked in with a head of dark hair. Hana laughs.

“We went to the hair salon yesterday,” she answers.

“Oh thank goodness. His hair was looking crunchy.”

❀ ❀ ❀

“Where are we going anyways?” You ask Yoongi when the two of you got in the car.

“It’s a surprise,” he says.

You purse your lips, “fine.”

It was silent after that, but then Yoongi stretched his arm to turn on the radio. You gently nod your head to the music and looked out the window. It was weird. It’s only you two now, when the only time you would see each other before was with Hana or the gang.

You couldn’t believe that you and Yoongi were going on your first date. When just a few days ago you were just chillin in your bakery eating breakfast because of Hana’s birthday wish. Which was to eat breakfast at the bakery everyday until her birthday. Which makes you wonder.. is this date actually because of Hana or does Yoongi genuinely have feelings for you?

“Hey quick question,” you say, breaking the silence. Yoongi answers with a hum.

“Is this date really from Hana’s list or do you actually.. somewhat like me?” You ask carefully.

Yoongi lets out a small laugh and you reply back with a nervous one.

“That was just an excuse, even if Hana did write that in, I wouldn’t hurt you like that,” he says, taking a look at you before turning back to the road.

You nod, bitting the inside your cheek and turning back to the window. The car ride was silent once again. Besides the low sound of the stereo and Yoongi’s humming. But you didn’t mind. It was a comfortable silence and you were busy with your thoughts.

It’s only been a week since the two of you first met but why has so much already happened? It was like fate for the two of you to meet. Kinda like what Hana said the first day you saw her. The day your bakery opened was the day she was looking for a cake. It was kind of a coincidence. Then not long after, you end up being close friends with Taehyung, who was one of his best friends and then you were welcomed into his group of friends and now you were seeing each other everyday in your bakery because of his daughter’s wishlist. It was crazy how fast everything was happening.

“We’re here,” he says, pulling you from your thoughts. You turn to him before looking around you. He laughs at your puzzled state. It takes you a while before you let out a surprise gasp.

“lOtTE WORLD?” You turn to Yoongi with wide eyes and he has the cutest gummy smile ever.

“I thought it’s best for us to come here for our first date don’t you think? We can try out some new things to get to know each other more.”

“I haven’t been here in forever,” you say quietly.

“Well let’s get in there now then.”

❀ ❀ ❀

daddy diaries

❀part thirteen: surprise❀

→ singledad!yoongi x baker!reader

a/n: okay so i had the idea at first for their date to be an amusement park but was like idk maan maybe an ice skating (??) date and then the two asks i got was those dates so wOw great minds think alike ?? LOL but the amusement park one was my sister’s ask and like she had a good point there and i like the idea. also, idk if you guys know the variety show we got married? but my sister and i used to like watching the yongseo one and they did that as a date and i watched for this haha. anyways im babbling but i felt like this was getting long so i’ll write part two tomorrow maybe.

!! taglist is closed !!

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taglist is closed! sorry everyone :(( if you want to be notified when i post, you can turn on my post notifs by going to my blog, clicking the person icon and clicking ‘get notifications’ [at least on mobile]

[theoddcatlady]

I Lived In The Haven Commune, Part Five

Part Four

I didn’t find out till I left Haven that my parents were never officially divorced. It wasn’t down on paper or anything but their relationship ended the moment my mother chose to leave us. It was hard. It was. So damn hard.  

My moods swung between being sullen and antisocial to angry and defiant. I couldn’t leave our house until my leech bites healed and I got a wicked case of cabin fever. I was probably the most vile little brat and that didn’t help my father at all, who was suddenly a single parent after over ten years of marriage.

I’ll give it to him though, he never once complained. He never spoke harshly to me, even when I told him I hated him for letting mom leave. He just gave me my space until I was ready to talk and calm down.  

I still have the scar on the back of my knee from the Beleven leech. From what I learned, they’re drawn to the scent of their poison mixing with blood and they will swarm, hence why I had to stay indoors while I healed. Not that I wanted to do much anyway, the bite hurt like a bitch and my mood was already down the toilet.  

What helped was Dr. Gardner and my friends. Dr. Gardner became like a second mother to me, I could talk to her about anything and she never judged. Scotty and Abigail did their best to keep me busy, coming up with new games and even managing to pool their money together and bought a board game in town.  

I think we played Clue over a hundred times that year. Scotty was Colonel Mustard, Abigail was Miss Scarlet and I was Professor Plum, even though he was a boy- purple was my favorite color. It served its purpose though, I wasn’t thinking about my mom when I was trying to figure out murder.

Augustus’ widow approached me shortly after I was released from bed rest. Her name was Madeline, she was pregnant with her third child and her other two were still very little. I was sitting out on the grass when she walked up, sitting down next to me with a sigh. “Oh, I’m not getting up again,” She groaned before she laughed and looked at me. Madeline always wore her hair back in colorful kerchiefs, today it was green with white flowers. “How are you?”

I shrugged.  

“Do you know who I am?”  

I shook my head.

“I’m Augustus’ wife… the man you found?”

Oh. I gulped and stared at the ground. “… I’m sorry,” I mumbled.  

“Don’t be, it wasn’t your fault,” She rested her hand on my shoulder, “In fact, I thank you. He’d been missing since the night before, and if you hadn’t found him, he would have been suffering much longer.”

“Did he die?” I blurted out.

Madeline nodded. “There was nothing you could’ve done. So many leeches… the poison turned him into something else, something that wasn’t my husband.” She rested her hand on her belly. “… I wish he could’ve stayed alive long enough to see our newest though.”

I stared at her belly and asked what was on my mind.

“… Is that Augustus’ baby or… an Unknown Creature’s?”  

Madeline bit her lip and glanced towards the forest. That was enough answer for me already. “Unknown Creature Triste is the father. But Augustus would have loved them like he loved his daughters,” She said.

I got up to my knees and looked at her. “Why are people having babies with Unknown Creatures?” The words tumbled out without my control. I needed an explanation.  

Madeline blinked a few times before she laughed again. “Oh, your mother wouldn’t have told you, I suppose…” She took a breath before she started to explain.

“The Unknown Creatures are something beyond human, but on occasion, they want to mix with them. Some would rather not, but some do. When a woman or man reaches physical maturity, one can be drawn to them… it’s a blessing. Triste chose me long ago, for what purpose I cannot say but if the Wild’s God allows it, then it can’t be a bad thing. The children born from these unions are special.”

I thought about Tara. “Do they look strange sometimes and normal other times?” I asked.

“The Unknown Creatures or their children?” No way Madeline missed my blush by how she smiled. “I heard that you saw Tara when she was born. The children can appear human if they want to, but it’s an illusion. An illusion you can touch and wouldn’t know that it isn’t who they really are. Who knows why that’s the case… but you don’t need to worry. Their children will be a blessing to humanity and will bring glory to the Wild’s God.”

The Wild’s God. I had one more question, one that probably wouldn’t have needed to be asked if I’d paid attention to Father Holmes’ sermons on bonfire nights.  

“Is the Wild’s God an Unknown Creature?”

Madeline shook her head. “I’m not sure. But wherever the Wild’s God appear, Unknown Creatures are sure to be right behind him.”

Questions answered. Madeline never judged me at least, even though I’d been there a few months already and probably would’ve known the answers had I actually paid attention. But perhaps I could feel my mother’s hesitance, her judgment of this bizarre religion of Wild’s God and Unknown Creatures.  

When Madeline’s baby was born, I immediately offered to babysit. Little August was another sweet baby, but I had ulterior motives. If an Unknown Creature’s child could change its shape, could I see it happen?

I remember sitting by the crib as he slept, a baby with soft brown skin and thick black hair. A normal baby in every way. I was starting to wonder if maybe Madeline was wrong about who the baby’s father was when I saw a flicker.

It was like watching a flickering flashlight. One moment August was sleeping, if I’d blink I’d miss what he really was- a snake with a baby’s head, with rainbow scales and a thorn like spike at the tip of his tail.  

But just as suddenly as he changed, he was back to normal. His eyes blinked open and he cooed, reaching up for me for cuddles. I slowly picked him up and rocked him.  

“You don’t need to hide around me. I know,” I whispered.

I felt the thick scales grow under my fingertips, the thorn brushing my skin as his tail wrapped three times around my arm. I didn’t feel scared this time, not like how I felt when I saw Tara that first time.  

He turned back into a normal baby before his mom got back from working, but whenever I babysat him afterwards he’d usually let me see what he looked like at least for an hour or so. I’m still not entirely sure how much he could understand, but he knew enough that I wasn’t going to react badly to his true self.  

I loved watching all the babies, but the ones who were fathered or mothered by Unknown Creatures were secretly my favorite. I wanted to see what they really were, although most of the time I wouldn’t get lucky enough to be allowed to see.  

The next years passed by with a blur of sermons, school, babysitting, and playing with my best friends. There were no more leeches, no more sightings of Unknown Creatures around the cabins. My life was good.

Then I woke up one day at age twelve and my period had started.  

Part Six

[unkindnessofone]

5SOS. Monkey Do

Just a random fluff story that came into my head today. I wrote it entirely on my phone while going to and from work. Excuse any typos.

***

An extra addition of Daphne Hood didn't seem like any extra weight to carry. The tiny little toddler was a welcomed and easy to bring along on his afternoon trip to The San Diego zoo with his kids. They always took a few days off when in California and Ashton had promised to take his kids to the zoo. It didn't matter where they went in the world, Molly and Connor loved to be around animals. It wasn't as if Daphne was ever poorly behaved. She always just seemed happy to be out, quietly devouring the wide world that surrounded her with her giant panda eyes. Ashton didn't think twice in offering to take her along with them. He knew Calum was nursing pinched nerves in his neck that made even the simplest tasks challenging.

As far as going to the zoo went, it was largely uneventful. Molly collected facts and dreamed of setting all the animals free while Connor did his best impression of different animal noises along with his Dad. The three Irwins loves going to the zoo. It was time for Ashton to really engage himself with his children and learn what was going on in their minds. He always learned so much from them when they went even though his plan was always to teach them.

For the most part, Daphne slept in her stroller and dreamed of waffle cone ice cream treats and baths with extra big bubbles. Somewhere in the aquarium, the blue lights soothes her and she passes out. It wasn't until they were headed towards the exit that she perked up and paid attention. If she hadn't opened her eyes then, the paparazzi cameras outside in the parking lot would have shaken her out of dreamland. There was only three guys, one of which Ashton recognized from outside the airport that morning. A fellow zoo goer had posted a picture of Ashton pushing Daphne's stroller past the monkey exhibit and that was enough to catch the weekend warriors attention, grabbing their cameras and iPhones to try and make a quick buck by being invasive.

"How was the zoo, guys?" The shortest of the trip asked, walking backward as he filmed the family with his phone.

Ashton always tried to be polite. It would only make things worse if he snarled at them or gave them a million dollar shot of him enraged.

"Talk to me, not to them." Through monotone, Ashton instructed the guys as he kept walking straight to his rental SUV as if they weren't even there. He just kept pushing Daphne's stroller, holding Connors hand with his right, and watching Molly as she kept her head down just one step ahead of them. It wasn't that Ashton wanted to engage with anyone snapping photos and harassing him, he just didn't want them engaging with his kids even less.

"What's your favourite animal?" Another piped up as they took a picture, hoping one of the kids would respond. A video went for so much more if a child did or said just about anything.

As Ashton reached the car, he blocked all three of the kids to the best of his ability, "Alright, thanks, guys." Though insincere in his courtesy, Ashton still impersonated someone kind when dealing with anyone in front of his kids.

Molly had already opened up the back door of the black SUV as soon as they were there, pulling her body inside in a hurry to buckle up. She reached for her brother in order to help him and her dad. The zoo was her absolute favourite place and she tried her best to ignore the noise and strangers outside the car. She didn't want anything to damper the good day she had. It had been weeks since she saw her dad for more than a couple minutes at a time. She tried to take his advice and find the silver lining in every moment even the bad ones.

Ashton rolled Daphne to the trunk of the car as soon as the side door was closed and his kids were safely strapped inside. He opened up the trunk and bent down at his knees to help the youngest out. It was then he saw her peering over his shoulder where the paparazzi had followed him. Her large eyes were twinkling from direct contact with the sun and her smile giggled over at them. Ashton was distracted by her happy face for just a moment until he realized she was shooting the three men double middle fingers and innocently giggling about it.

"Daph! No!" Instantly hissing, Ashton sprung into action and scolded the toddler. He wrapped his hands over her petite fists and pushed them down onto her lap, holding them there. "That's rude." He informed her behind locked teeth. He didn't know if she had no idea what she was doing or if her parents had taught her the gesture, but either way Ashton handled the situation the way he would if it was Molly or Connor flipping people off. He lifted her up out of the violet stroller and tucked her onto one side so he could fold up her ride. "Stop that!" He pushed her one hand away and rested it on his shoulder as he laid the stroller down. He could see out of the corner of his eye that she was doing it again, this time with a single hand. "Daphne Hood, you little hooligan." He teased her with an amused smile while carrying her around to the other side of the car. "I didn't know you had it in you." She was giggling softly like Snow White would when she first woke up as Uncle Ashton sat her down in her car seat and started to buckle her up next to Molly who was rereading the map from the zoo, recalling the different spots they went.

Ashton was behind the wheel of the car, checking in the mirror that he wasn't in line to run over any of the boneheads that had met them in the parking lot. Before turning, he glanced behind him to make sure all three kids were safe again. Whenever he had someone else's child with him, he was more cautious than he would be if the was just his own two.

"Daphne, that's bad!" He shouted in disbelief. "Stop doing that."

Molly and Connor instantly looked over at their "cousin", noticing her giving two middle fingers to the car window, her head turned to see one of the guys still filming as best he could out the tinted windows.

He dropped his two children off at the house they were renting while in California. Molly practically running at light speed inside to tell her Mum about everything she learned. Ashton knew Calum would have happily picked Daphne up after, but he wanted to talk to their road manager at the hotel anyway.

"Daphne, I got to tell your parents." While she sat back in her stroller in front of him, Ashton informed the little punk while the road up the elevator to the penthouse where Calum was staying along with Michael's family.

As soon as the elevators doors smoothly slid open, Ashton and Daphne were greeted harshly by the sounds of Bob Seger. He could just imagine Michael singing somewhere in his boxers with Iden on his shoulders and Emmeline on a counter top pretending to play air guitar. Instinctively, he knocked as hard as he could while Daphne covered her ears with both hands. She was used to wearing giant purple headphones when she went to her dad's concerts.

Inside the hotel room, a commotion began over turning down the music and, what seemed to take too long in Ashton's mind, the rock music seemed to grow into a gentle hum as oppose to a loud roar.

"Hey Ash." Grace swung the door open and revealed their party palace. Just as expected Iden was on his dad's bare shoulders clapping his hands above his own head while Skye and Emmeline were playing Barbies on the floor, a game Grace had just vacated for the door. "Hello Jungle girl." Grace waved down at Daphne who peeled one hand away from face to wave back, but kept her other hand protecting her ear. "Welcome back." She said as Daphne sat up out of her stroller that she been sitting like a quiet ruling queen in all afternoon and rushed inside to her mom.

"How was the zoo?" Grace asked once Ashton stepped in, grabbing Emmeline as she ran over to embrace his waist with a Merida doll in hand.

"It was alright." At this point, Ashton was very particular about his zoos. He had seen so many around the world. It was a tradition to take Molly on her birthday and at any other opportunity. "Cal around?" He asked, poking his head around.

"On the balcony." Skye yelled from the ground where she was half listening to Emme explain what the dolls were doing to Daphne who had no idea what any of her friends words actually meant. Calum's girlfriend raised her arm and mimed smoking a cigarette just to fill Ashton in.

"Can I talk to you guys?" He decided to just come right out and ask Skye even though it made both her and Grace look at him with grace expressions.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go get Cal." Skye slowly stood onto her feet only picking up Daphne when she lifted up both her arms as a signal. She had missed her mummy after being away at the zoo and in dreams earlier.

"I'll come." Ash followed quickly, saluting Mike and Iden as he did.

"Daphne." Calum turned as he heard the glass door part. He softened from the stress of the pain throbbing in his neck and smiled as soon as he spotted Daphne in her mom's arms. "What animals did you see at the zoo?" Hoping to improve his daughter's vocabulary, he asked.

Daphne pulled at her ears and puffed out her cheeks, her silent homage to her dad's impression of a monkey that was always hilarious to her.

Putting out the cigarette in a wine glass stained with someone's merlot from earlier, Cal laughed and then made the face back at er before making what he considered to be a very accurate monkey sound.

"Thanks for taking her with you three today." Genuinely Skye told him before resting half her butt onto a stool. "I hope she was okay..." Skye had never had to check before. Daphne was always a low maintenance joy to most people who babysat her. In fact, Skye and Calum would have liked if their daughter was nosier sometimes.

"She was great. Usual sleepy and sweet thing." Curling up three of his fingers, Ashton waved at Daphne. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that there are might be photos of us online or a video or something." Shrugging, he explained.

"Thanks for letting us know." Cal groaned even if he did appreciate his friend's advance warning. He wished his cigarette was still lit. He hated when people took photos of Daphne or any of the kids for that matter. It felt like a crime, a violation to someone so vulnerable that they didn't even understand the harm being done to them. It didn't really strike him as strange though. The four band mates had a natural habit of warning one another about photographers. It just wasn't usually something they pulled each other to the side to discuss seriously. More often than not someone would just shout "fucking paps" across the room and that was that.

"That's all?" Skye narrowed her stare in on Ashton, looking at his messy hair as she felt Daphne cozy up against her.

"Well, Daphne, do you want to show your parents what you did?" Ashton asked the little girl, bringing both Calum and Skye to give her their full and very curious attention.

"Daphne?" Calum's voice moved into stern with ease as he stepped nearer to Ashton and let his dark eyes pounce into Daphne.

"Noooo..." Holding her lips into a perfect dime shape, Daphne sang so long that she started to sway her hips to her own response. She didn't know what was being asked of her, but she knew she didn't like the voice her Dad used.

Ashton dropped down closer to Daphne's level, bouncing on his knees as he waited for her to focus on him. He held up his fist and nodded to it, speaking to Daphne with his hands and eyebrows.

All she did was laugh and run forward to kiss his hand, petting it like she would one of his dogs back home.

"What did she do?" Skye asked, reaching down and adjusting her daughter's hair antennas.

Ashton sighed as he stared up at Skye from the ground and reluctantly gave his assistant and friend the middle finger.

Much to his pleasant surprise, Skye loudly let out a laugh. She didn't try to stifle it at all.

"She saw the paps and I didn't notice, but she just kept giving it to them." Ashton explained, standing up as Daphne waddled close to her Dad and then sat on his sandalled feet, landing her butt right on his open toes with delight.

"She sees Cal do it!" Skye chuckled and pointed at her boyfriend across from her.

"I do it so they don't want to print them or can't." He excused himself, chuckling as he looked down at Daphne and tried to imagine her small fingers flipping the bird.

"I just wanted to warn you. If it was one of us, no one would care, but a cute baby is a different bag of tricks" Ashton explained. He would want his friends to tell him if it was one of his kids.

"Well, thanks." Calum groaned, his neck killing him as he bent down at the knees to lift Daphne up with one quick motion.

"We will punish her accordingly." Joking, Skye assured him as she went to open the balcony again, the noise of Michael blowing raspberries on Iden's stomach and then Emmeline's welcoming them right away.

"That's all that I ask." Ashton joked back as he went inside to say goodbye to his other niece and nephew. Even though he saw them all constantly when they toured, Ashton never bored of the new additions to their travel schedules. He missed them all on his day off and always wondered how they were doing.

"Thanks again for taking her!" Calum sang out as he entered the kitchen. "Say bye." He told Daphne as he exaggerated his wave to Ashton who was letting himself out.

Ashton was almost all the way out of the penthouse when Calum called him back, his head poking around the half closed door, he was greeted only by Calum holding up his daughter's tiny third digit and Michael and Grace howling.

[semicoloncancer]

The Botanist;

I heard someone shouting out the driveway. I live in a small compound designed to look Italian or Greek. European. Let’s keep it safe at that. Colored white and blue but the verandas resembled more the Italian homes you see in movies. The walls ran drip stains on the sides. The lack of care from the old landlord was apparent. I have lived here for a year now and became friends with almost every neighbor but the one at the far end, left side of the 8-apartment compound. 4 houses on either side facing directly each other. All noise from any of them audible even from the depths of the lonely bedroom I occupy.

Instinctively, I went out. The kids from the house at the right side end have glued their eyes already in their dirty feet, their hands fidgeted on their tail end. I was watching a movie that Sunday afternoon. It was boring and I wanted something to distract me and that moment felt perfect even if the glum look on the kids’ faces made me frown too. Two plant pots scattered its contents on the floor. Some exotic looking plant laid flat looking more lifeless than it usually does. The other plant stood still yet as lifeless as the other. The man shouted shifting his stare from the kids to the plants. His right index finger stiffened. I couldn’t see his left hand from the angle but I imagined it tighten bit by bit on the adjacent hip.

He was screaming about how precious the plants were.

He was screaming. He was red. The kids were gray.

One of the kids, Angelo, shifted his eyes to me almost teary eyed almost pleading for salvation. By this time more and more people were coming out of their houses as he raised his voice saying “don’t you look at him asking for help.” I got the taste of the stiff index finger he had been brandishing about. “Look at me and apologize,” he said repeatedly. With all the meager force Angelo could muster, he said sorry. Rafael (or Raf-Raf as I call usually call him) looked at his brother either in dismay or in envy for having such strength to speak. Rafael remained speechless the entire time. Two small basketballs stopped rolling from the other end, the ones they played with to break the two pots.

They were being (poorly) babysat by an unfamiliar teenager. She was the last person to go out. She wiped her still wet hands on the back of her faded red shirt. It resembled the words high school but I couldn’t figure out which one it was. Probably from a city far from here.

Her face was stretched into a shock, she too was stunned at the very same area the kids stood. The screaming went on for another minute and I still haven’t said anything being the first person to witness the scolding. I occupied the second door on the left which is the same side as the man’s. I stood my half a square meter of a veranda almost leaning on the wall avoiding to look comfortable. Beside me walked a tall woman from the house beside me. The daughter of the old landlord. She shook her head slightly, “hello, what’s going on?”

“They broke my pots!” the man said struggling not to stutter. He said the same things in a calmer sort of anger as what he said to the kids before. I asked myself: why do older people talk to each other differently than to kids? The two kids finally moved two steps back with the help of their babysitter. Even the old landlord’s daughter was puzzled when she saw her face.

The situation hushed down but the intensity of the man’s exclaims still lingered in the air. Half of the remaining doors closed, the occupant of the unit in front of me smiled uncomfortably before doing so. I stayed there making myself more comfortable against the wall. The movie inside my living room kept playing through. I wished it would already end when I come back.

Rafael and Angelo were the only kids in this compound. The other apartments housed two more babies from two newlyweds. The kids have no one else to play with at home but each other. The daughter motioned the babysitter that she can already walk the kids in. Usually when they do we can still hear them play except for today. Within the same minute, everyone else has gone in but me. The two adults weren’t even aware I was still standing there. I hoped for any information why the plants were so special.

A few minutes more, the daughter walked my way again, slowed down, smiled, and shook her head. She mustn’t have understood the sentiments of the man why the plants were so special. The babysitter ran out once more to tell the man she will clean the mess herself. The man, already crouching to pick up the lifeless plant, waved his hand, “it’s okay, just go in.”

From the angry man the he was not 15 minutes ago he became the most careful person I have seen. His movements even seemed calculated. Like fixing a bed in the morning. Like a devoted encoffiner. He was suddenly distracted by my presence but continued in what seemed a crucial activity for something he hoped wouldn’t happen. He suddenly spoke as if in monologue.

“I have seen you there since earlier. You haven’t moved much and it’s weird.” He paused but he didn’t want me to answer. “Why you’re there, I’m pretty sure because you’re wondering why I was so angry earlier. I’m not angry anymore, don’t worry. I won’t blare at you. The kids were just having fun and I can’t be angry about that. I might buy the kids some candies later today or a cake. What do you think?” but even in an actual question, it still seemed he didn’t want me to answer. “You know,”

“I’m a botanist. I have been studying science almost my entire life. Even when I was young I especially dreamed of becoming a plant scientist. It’s not just because I think they’re pretty. Or they’re harmless and fragile. I mainly relied on herbal medications growing up. And yes, you guessed it right, at least one of my parents must be a botanist as well.

“I’m pretty sure you haven’t heard of my mother’s name but she’s a pretty big deal in the field of botany. She homeschooled me mainly because she usually went on trips. My father died when I was young so no one else would be there if I didn’t go with my mother on her trips. Funny thing, even in science, a lot of shagging happens. A huge part of my life was spent in hotel rooms and I was used to hearing my mother sneak out although not very carefully.”

Slowly and carefully, he continued fixing the mess. There is now some degree of grace in his movements. I still took his pause as a dramatic punctuation and not a chance for me to speak. I won’t even have any input in the topic he chose to share.

“That’s where I met Sarah. I know, yeah, a very typical name for a daughter of a scientist. There were a lot of tropical plants at that time. And one of them was this plant. It can live a long time if given sufficient care. I wanted to keep it in to be safe but it really needs to be out for air and sun. Sarah and I were the only kids in that seminar so we kinda had no choice but to be with each other. Besides, our parents were good friends and teammates.” He chuckled, I finally sat. “I’m not sure if our parents slept with each other that night, though.

“This is a cycad that my mother’s team crossbred. This one, I tried this on my own after my mother died. I saw Sarah once more during the burial but she couldn’t remember me that well until she extended her condolences. Her father sat in front of her on a wheelchair. She still looked beautiful as then when we were kids. She was the one who threw the same plant into my mother’s grave.” He looked at me and smiled trying to know if I’m still interested in the story. For the first time, I said something: go on.

“All right. This won’t last long anymore, I’m about done fixing this anyway. So yeah, I asked her out and we went out thrice. We weren’t the best pair together but she was the woman of my dreams. Until this happened. I kept this plant alive because it kept the image and the memory of her. More of her than of my mother. She’s been married for 10 years now. My mother died 11 years ago. I don’t even see the point of keeping this plant anymore and I needed a reason to let it go.”

He paused. I didn’t answer. He carried the remnants of what was a lifeless-looking cycad. I sat there and stared at the clouds. I heard shouting in the living room and I realized the movie was still on.

[nostalgiaispeace]

351.

have you stayed up past 3 in the morning this week? nooooooo

the last person you spoke to, do you know their eye color? Matt; Hazel

are you currently in a smoking environment? yeah

have you ever been afraid to call someone, even if you knew them well? yeah

the last person who texted you, have you ever fought with them? yeah

are you scared of anything irrational? a lot

can you do a cartwheel? lol no

do you watch the super bowl just for the commercials? i don’t watch either.

how often is it that you make a post on any sort of social media, and then delete it soon after? why? probably often; i annoy myself.

have your ideas and expectations about adulthood changed as you’ve gotten older? yeah

have you ever taken time off to focus on your mental health? are you the type of person that is able to take a break or are you more likely to bury yourself in responsibility? yeah; both?

do you have a different group of friends on a site besides this one? i don’t really have friends on this site.

if you are or were in college, when you share your major with people how do they usually react? if you are not in college, how do you explain your job situation to others and what is their reaction? they were impressed; they hope that i can someday go back to school.

when you watch competition shows, do you feel an automatic support for a competitor who’s from your state or region? no

do you think it is possible that eventually humans will create enough technology to completely or nearly completely automate work and free up people to a new experience of social relations without “jobs” as we know them today? probably.

do you enjoy taking selfies and do you enjoy looking at other people’s selfies? no; depends on the person

are there any songs that you enjoy, but the lyrics are problematic/downright offensive? what about films with shady directors or plot points? how do you negotiate liking art or artists that represent offensive ideas or that have problematic politics? yeah; probably; freedom of expression.

what is your opinion of protest marches? what about different tactics taken by activists such as boycotts, shutting down highways, sit-ins, and even blockades of trade ships? what do you think is the best method to actually enact change? do it; do what you gotta do just don’t riot; peace protest - learn from history.

do you believe in parallel universes or infinite possibilities or do you tend to believe that what we see and know now is pretty much it? i don’t have an opinion.

what if you died in your sleep tonight? that’d be nice.

have you ever done something you told yourself you wouldn’t do? yeah

are there things in your life that you’ll never be able to get over? yes

name one person you wish you could fix things with? -

when was the last time you completely broke down? when my dog died probably.

have you ever turned to smoking or drinking to solve a problem? drinking probably.

what are you listening to right now? -

has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? yes

what do you think of therapists? i love my therapist; give them a chance.

would you ever go to a sperm bank to get pregnant? if i had to.

if a little kid walked up to you and asked, “are you goth?”, how would you respond? lol i’ve had that happen and i just say no.

does it annoy you when people say their heart is “broken”? yes

why aren’t you talking to the last person you kissed? he’s gaming.

are you mad at someone right now? Nope.

has anyone ever told you they wanted to marry you? Yes.

has a laptop ever burned your legs? Yes.

when at a restaurant, do you put your napkin on your lap? no

do you want to be friends with your recent ex? -

what did you hate most about your last relationship? he was an ass at the time.

do you understand the true meaning of “loving someone so much it hurts”? yes

has true love had a way of showing you that it can conquer anything? yes

did you ever play frogger when you were a kid? yeah

do you love deep? i guess so

can you ever see yourself and your ex back together? nope.

what’s your favorite vegetable? asparagus

where would you like to be in 5 years? successful.

would you be with someone who doesn’t have the same beliefs as you? i am

what did your last relationship teach you? trust no one.

what do you think of online dating? do your thing.

do you like someone you’re interested in to pursue you or do you prefer to do the chasing? dunno

do you think confessions make a relationship stronger? sure

would you relocate for love? yeah?

have you seen the person you love/like recently? how is he/she doing? yes; he’s amazinggggg

what color is your jewelry box?   -

can you solve a rubik’s cube? no

have you ever watched porn? Yes.

have you ever sleep walked? i’ve heard stories.

what would you want to be written on your tombstone? "I am free”

do you like carrots? no

have you ever worn lingerie? no

what is your favorite profanity? cunt

have you ever masturbated? Yes.

would you rather be hated or forgotten? forgotten.

spit or swallow? Spit.

what was your first rated r movie? no clue

who was your favorite musician as a kid? do you still like them now? Britney Spears; yes

have you ever gotten ‘bullied’ over social media? was it anonymous or not? yes; anon

if you could get a piercing anywhere, and not have to worry about it healing, where would you get one? monroe

if you could only have one type of sex for the rest of your life, would you choose anal, vaginal, or oral? oral

who or what do you love unconditionally?   Matt; mom; Lily.

what is something you have done that you’re proud of? dunno

what’s your blood type? dunno

what was the last thing you giffed? Lana I believe.

when you go out to breakfast, what do you order? french toast probably.

is there a phrase or mantra you repeat when you are frightened? "it’s going to be okay. breathe.”

have you ever worked at the same place as your best friend? no

what’s your favorite pet name someone calls you? -

would you give mouth to mouth to your dog to save its life? probably.

have you ever had a pet destroy something valuable or important? yeah

ever had a feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right? Yes.

what do you check out first when you check someone out? their face?

is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? sure

do you like the idea of promise rings in relationships? do your thing.

can anyone in your immediate family play the guitar? dunno

why were you last frustrated? cramps

how much have you changed in the last year or so? i’ve gotten better

do you have a favorite name? what is it? naw

what was your favorite disney movie as a kid? is it still your favorite? The Lion King; yup

when did you first start using the internet often? 12?

have you ever been told your aspirations are unrealistic? actually, no

have you ever been called vain? do you agree with them? no

do you believe prayer really works? sometimes

ever dated someone you were best friends with first? no

last person to take off your pants, besides you? Matt probably.

think back to the last person you kissed, how many times have you laughed with them? a lot

what’s something you really want right now, be honest? sleep

who was the last person to yell at you? Matt

what motivates you to go to school? nothing

have you ever felt like you were going out of your mind? Yes.

does your animal sleep with you? yes

do you own a robe? harry potter robe.

do you bathe your pets regularly? naw. Lily would scratch me up.

do you own any Batman movies? i don’t think so.

do you believe vampires are real? No.

are you someone who has to hide the things you like around friends? naw

do you remember when they used to actually throw candy out at parades? yeah

when was the last time you babysat, if ever? did anything bad happen? when Matt worked and had his daughter; she misbehaved alot.

do you ever talk to people you met online through webcam? or is that weird? no

how many people have you kissed in your lifetime so far? who were they? 5?; -

do you know anyone named alyssa? if so, elaborate. yeah; no

would you ever take a pole dancing class? sure

when is the last time you pulled an “all nighter” (where you stay awake the entire night to the next day)? what was the reason you did so, and was it worth it? when i had insomnia; insomnia; -

what is one life experience most people around you seem to have had that you haven’t (marriage, kids, work-related, etc)? conversely, what is one life experience you’ve had that most people around you haven’t? college; -

do you give pets or animals silly nicknames? what’s the funniest or most embarrassing nickname you’ve given an animal? yes; dunno

name something you consider to be completely unforgivable, no matter what the circumstances. why is it so egregious to you? what should happen to someone who does it? sexual assault; self explanatory; prison for life.

if you were exiled, what country would you choose as your new home? England

what’s the last time that you were really happy? what were you doing? who were you with? what made that time so special? yesterday; band practice; bad; it was so fun

are you self conscious about wearing a bathing suit? yes

who were the last people you saw besides from family? Matt.

do you only wish the best for your ex? yes

do you think that once people get married, they eventually fall “out of love?” no

have you ever been called a tease? yeah

when was the last time you laughed so hard you thought you were going to cry? yesterday?

which band/group have the most lyrics that represent you? RED

the last person you kissed, were they a good kisser? Yes.

do you throw things when you’re angry? naw.

do you hit things when you’re angry?   naw.

are you missing school yet? yesssss

your ex calls wanting to hang out. what do you say? we live in different states so it wouldn’t happen.

would you get back with your last ex if they asked you? no

do you want someone dead? yes

are you the one that normally makes the first move? no

when was the last time you sang along with a song? which one was it? yesterday; Kill Me - The Pretty Reckless.

what’s your favorite type of cake? all cake.

where did your first kiss take place? the kid’s living room.

can you go see a doctor alone or do you like to take someone with you? i can go alone but i don’t like to

how long is your average shower? depends on if I wash my hair or shave

do you like pineapple on pizza? Sure.

do you want a tattoo? I do.

what posters do you have in your room? Lacey; AA; Pvris

what was your elementary school’s mascot? i can’t remember....wildcat maybe?

what was the last job you applied for? amazon

do you use your turn signals when you’re driving? no

how tall is the last person you kissed? 5′11″?

are you wasting your time on the person you like? no

have you ever watched a movie in another language? yeah

are you afraid to answer sexual questions? no

what is your favorite type of cat? all of them.

do women breastfeeding in public make you feel uncomfortable? why or why not? no; it’s natural.

name one of your ex’s mother’s names? i don’t remember

have you ever been prescribed narcotics? Nope.

have you ever had a concussion? Nope.

is there an animal that you’re afraid of? yes

what is your favorite eeveelution (evolution of the pokemon eevee)? -

which part of your state/province do you live in[upper,lower,middle]? middle?

do you chew on your hair? no

do you eat more home cooked meals or more ‘quick n easy’ type of foods?   quick and easy

do you eat even when you’re not hungry? no

do you go insane without music? yes

is there an upcoming concert you want to go to? yes

is technology outsmarting humans? probably

how often do you use mouthwash? every night

what is your favorite musical? Singin’ in the Rain.

do you like the smell of burning leaves? sure?

do you tend to laugh when people get hurt, even when it’s serious? No.

are you procrastinating something right now? probably.

have you tried those new banana creme oreos? no

when was the last time you went out of state? Christmaseve.