#another is when you have to run out a building to a nearby car during a shootout and i pressed the use button to open the door

[aro-aizawa]

against my better judgement i did indeed buy the saints row 3 remaster and oh boy i should have expected all the bugs

[atiny-for-life]

Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - Part 23

Masterlist

Youth (A-World)

I'm a bit reluctant to talk about this one since it's clearly a very personal song for both Yunho and Mingi so I will, once again, stick strictly to the visual parts of the MV and steer clear of the lyrics

We open on Yunho and Mingi running along a dirt path between two open fields toward a small wooden cabin, its windows lit up

Given the protagonists in the other two unit MVs prior to this one, we can already assume that these two are from the Halazia World as well so we won't be able to rely on any diary entries or other past knowledge outside that one MV and its associated promo-material and worldbuilding

They reach the building and Mingi peeks through one of the dusty windows and we get to look at a scene from his past

His past self, scratched up cheek and blood around the corner of his mouth, is sitting across a masked man in the shabby interior of the cabin

Speculating on the identity of the man is not yet needed as we'll get more hints toward his identity in a second; however, it is noteworthy that a gramophone can be seen on the chest of drawers - it seems music was not yet outlawed when this took place

We move on to Yunho who's also looking through another window into his past which consists of a garage-like room filled with instruments, tools, a beat-up looking car and sound-muffling rugs, boxed in by walls covered in graffiti

Since I assume they didn't have timelord-technology when they built this cabin, we can gather that they're not actually looking into these rooms but are rather thinking back to their lives in the other world - the cabin is simply a symbol of their past

It's likely, though, that it's located in the same place as their hideout back in their world since they specifically sought it out

We return to Mingi who's now being confronted by multiple masked men in a rather run-down looking police interrogation room

It could be that these guys are working directly under Henry Jo - elites, maybe, or a human version of the Android Guardians from Z-World

Either way, we can conclude that Mingi, and potentially other Black Pirates, were involved in some kind of scuffle during which Mingi was injured and arrested

They're likely now trying to get him to rat out the rest of the Black Pirates or maybe they're just pissed at his attitude or behavior

Either way, Mingi visibly doesn't back down - instead, he snaps back before putting in his earbuds and looking away (behavior that is reminiscent of Mingi in the A-World, specifically in the Diary Film)

After this, we cut to shots of current-day Yungi performing in an abandoned parking-garage-like building, followed by a more artistic shot

We see a row of full-body mirrors showing Mingi in a suit and glasses - all polished and business, alongside a more translucent version of Yunho in a similar get-up

Is this what they were pressured to look like? Is it what society expected of them, what they were forced to conform to? It's likely.

Much like in IT's You, albeit more violently and blatantly, the screen shatters as he punches one of the mirrors to signify his breaking point as he recalls past trauma

In their business suits and among the shards, they both dance with a row of Black Pirates between them before they break formation and spread out more freely to continue their performance

We get some pretty shots of Yungi on the roof of the cabin and with a nearby parked truck before we return to Yungi in his past

He's standing by the beat-up looking car and it looks... truly wrecked, potentially burnt and with a smashed in driver's side window

Did his older brother die too, like A-World Yunho's? If so, is this some Across the Spider-Verse type thing where certain fixed events cannot be avoided?

It's definitely a possibility, given the emotional outburst during which Yunho grabs an electric guitar and proceeds to bash it into the car's windshield

The trauma-related anger aligns with Seonghwa and Hongjoong's in Matz - but who can blame them?

And like Hongjoong and Seonghwa, he also has a tendency for expressing his trauma further by committing arson

As we see him perform near the car wreck, the flames are already licking away behind the glass panes in the background

Clearly, Mingi had the same idea as we see him stand in front of the now burning cabin before Yunho steps up beside him

While Mingi seems transfixed by the flames, Yunho looks over to check on him

Mingi meets his eyes a moment later before we cut back to their performance in suits which transitions to the same choreo performed in front of the burning cabin

A few more flashes of their past and them running on the dirt path before we end with the title card as they stand there, side-by-side, while the symbol of their trauma burns to the ground

[respectthepetty]

So, I saw your post about the JoongDunk, PondPhuwin, ForceBook ultimate gym bros bl. And I had a very important question.

If, hypothetically, gmmtv were to actually make this a thing. What would you want their color coding to be like? Even, how would you want their color coding to change as the fall in love?

Feel free to be as specific or generic as you like! I'm just very curious about the idea 👀

I have eighty million things to do, Anon, yet here I am, excited to answer this question, immediately! *pushes all my responsibilities to the side* There are no pictures because I'm being wild today and doing this from my WORK COMPUTER!

First, the premise of my Gym Bros BL, tentatively called

Flex Appeal

*I'm using the actors' names, but this is about their characters, not them. Force owns a gym. He has trainers Dunk, Joong, and Pond. Book and Phuwin work together at a food marketing company, so they eat a lot of snacks throughout the day. Phuwin wants to start working out and drags Book along. Dunk and Joong are super competitive, but it's all really them flirting with each other. Pond instantly likes Phuwin, but Phuwin thinks he is nothing but a meathead until he realizes Pond is super smart and kind. Book likes Force and starts bringing him tasty treats from the office during the workout sessions since he notices Force never leaves to eat properly. We could have cameos from other people who workout or companies trying to market their food. We could have Force trying to keep his business open, and Book helping him with marketing. WE COULD HAVE GYM QUEERS!

Now for the colors:

Dunk and Joong - Red Rascal and Green Guy. Dunk has the Red Rascal look aka beautiful. His character would always be up to some tomfoolery, and Joong as the chill Green Guy would always be down to join in on the shenanigans. I call them my troublesome tykes for a reason, and I think their natural personalities would easily lead to characters who are the matchmakers of the group too. Like constantly setting up situations for the other pairs to fall in love while unknowingly falling in love themselves.

Pond and Phuwin - Pond is a Blue Boy in this imagined series. He falls quickly for Phuwin and is devoted to winning him over. He is good with his hands and very intelligent when it comes to building, like say for props for an ad that Phuwin needs help with. Phuwin on the other hand is a Yellow/Orange Oddity. He is creative and works in the visuals area of the marketing department. He likes to talk and Pond likes to listen even if Pond doesn't understand it all. He wears glasses.

Force and Book - Give them the dark versus light dynamic. Force is a Brooding Boy, in black most of the time because his life has been rough, which is easy since it'll be black tanks, black shorts, black car. Yum. Then, Book is the Happy Human in his cream and white cardigans with khaki pants or some basic boy attire. Force will teach Book to take risks, and Book will open Force's heart!

Cameos:

Mix works at the company with Book and Phuwin, but he is a higher-up who we see three times. He mentions his boyfriend goes to this gym nearby, which gives the boys the idea to try it out.

Earth is the boyfriend who shows up occasionally at the gym. He never speaks. I just need to see his back tattoos.

Fourth and Gemini can play baby interns at the company who just randomly pop in with the wrong orders of coffee and the wrong mail for people.

Neo is an asshole from another rival gym who is a meathead and Phuwin's ex (see what I did there people who have been around since Neo x Phuwin?).

Louis works in the IT department, and we see him exactly once when Phuwin has to go ask for help with his work computer, and Louis notices an old picture of Phuwin with Neo on it.

Papang is the guy constantly getting hit on at the gym. It's a running joke throughout the show, but in the second-to-last episode, his HUSBAND shows up to drop off his phone since he left it at home, and it's revealed to be Mark, who appeared earlier in the season as an up-and-coming baker who the company is trying to woo, which is why Papang works out all the time since he loves his man's baked goods. Neither wears the ring because rings should not be worn when working out or baking.

Book convinces Mark to come out with a line of healthy after-workout snacks, Force is used as the model, and his gym sees a rise in customers since his gym is the only place to get these snacks, and EVERYONE WINS!

I have spent a lot of time thinking about my gym bros bl. I need it like I need air. These men are too built to let it go to waste. Film them in a gym. Just let the camera roll and half of the footage would be just them bs-ing with each other. It's a win-win for everyone involved including the audience.

[trivialbob]

Sheila and I already held our family Christmas celebration. We need no more shopping. But I like visiting small towns. Sheila never said no to checking out a boutique or gift shop.

This is Waseca, MN. The drive here was just over one hour south of the Twin Cities. 9,200 people live here. It has a downtown with hose old, two-story brick buildings I like.

Were I to win the lottery, one of these stores, in any small town, would be high on my list of things to buy. I don't know that I'd even try to run a business. No, I'd make it into my own brick, two-story man cave with a big glass window overlooking Main Street and several nearby small bars and grills (and certainly a nearby boutique for Sheila when she visits me).

The county courthouse here is cool.

This store below is the equivalent of the big, overstuffed chairs located in department stores under the escalators. Those places where men wait while wives shop. As Sheila checked out another store I wandered over to this place. Sadly, it's only open on Saturdays. If I had a small town business, that schedule would be a goal of mine.

Even better, I could have a self-serve business, the kind which only requires me to leave the massage recliner chairs in my man cave as often as I need to empty boxes of quarters. Below is a self-serve, two station dog wash with a clever name and no attendant on duty.

We made an obligatory stop at Kwik Trip. I was very tempted to buy a Don'z Pizza to bring home. How can you go wrong at that price?

Despite the gloominess of gray skies and intermittent rain, we had a pleasant drive home. I will never understand ow someone spend a small fortune on a nice car, especially once that comes with HD-Matrix LED headlights with Audi Laser Lights, and not even let the automatic feature to turn them on during a low visibility day. Your gray Audi is pretty, but it would be wise if people could see you coming from more than 100 feet away on a day like this.

Tonight we have a holiday party just two houses away. I'm looking forward to it because there will be four couples there, all whom I like a lot, plus some relatives of the hostess whom I've met a few times and also really like to be around.

[safaritours786]

Dubai City Tour: Discover the Best of Old and New

In Dubai, old and new coexist in an intriguing mixture. Dubai, with its skyscrapers, luxury, deserts, and history, attracts global visitors. Are you planning a trip? This guide presents the main highlights and ensures you get the most out of a visit to Dubai.

Planning Your Dubai City Tour

Best Time to Visit

Dubai is hot in the summer (June to August), often over 40°C (104°F). November to March is the best time to visit. During these months, the weather becomes more relaxing and comfortable. It is an excellent season for sightseeing above all else.

Tour Options

Dubai presents the city in many ways. Group tours are popular. They involve a guide, transport, and visits to major attractions. The private tour is more personalized; you can choose what to see. On the double-decker tourist bus, you can start and stop at any place.

Must-See Attractions

Burj Khalifa

You cannot visit Dubai without going up the Burj Khalifa. It is the world's tallest building, at 828 metres (2,717 feet). The views from the deck on the 124th and 148th floors are stunning. It's good to book tickets in advance so as not to have long waits.

Dubai Mall

Next to the Burj Khalifa sits the Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping centers. It has luxury stores, an ice rink, an enormous aquarium, and many places to eat. There is a water show in front of the mall. It features music, bright lights, and a stunning display.

It is, in its own right, a standout location for waterfront dining. You can take a yacht cruise and look at the city from the sea. Or, choose to dine at one of the many restaurants located around the marina.

Palm Jumeirah is another artificial island, shaped like a palm tree. It has luxury resorts, like Atlantis The Palm. Monorail trains run around the island. Or go to Atlantis's popular Aquaventure Waterpark, which has water slides.

Dubai Creek is the historical area of the city. Taking a traditional boat ride here and cruising along makes you feel like it's an old-world place. Nearby are Souk Al Khabar and the Spice Souk. These marketplaces feature local culture and one-of-a-kind souvenirs from Dubai.

Dubai Museum is inside the old Al Fahidi Fort. Its exhibits explore this ancient city. The "Al Fahidi Historical" neighborhood has only modern buildings. Its culture is well-known.

Al Fahidi Historical Quarter, once known as Al Bastakiya, preserves old Dubai's essence. This neighborhood has traditional architecture. It shows visitors the city's rich past. Its old buildings and winding alleys are well-preserved. Wind through the streets to find art galleries! Amazing architecture and centers of culture take you back to earlier times. Every corner turns up aesthetic gems and young art hubs.

Roses and other marketplaces in Dubai, the Souk Dubai has many bustling local markets. Here you'll find unique local treasures. Or, taste life at these places and take in the sights.

Dining and Entertainment

Popular Restaurants Dubai offers a variety of dining options. For a special meal with a stunning view, try the Burj Khalifa or Pierchic, a private pier by the sea. Both are unforgettable.

Cultural Shows and Performances

Dubai is full of cultural shows and events. Traditional dance and modern opera performances at Dubai's spectacular Opera House.

Worldwide, no other architecture matches the golden architecture and international standards of performance.

Practical Tips for Your City Tour

Transportation

Enjoy a pleasant day in Dubai's public transport. It has buses, trains, water taxis, and taxis.

But if you are a bit more prosperous, you can rent a private driver and car of your own. They deliver services to your hotel room or escort you to the airport.

Safety and Etiquette

Dubai has a secure, hygienic environment. When entering either religious or traditional local areas, wear an appropriate dress code. To ensure peaceful tourism, tourists should observe local customs. In this way, people from all regions will feel great and valued.

What to Wear

Dubai is, generally speaking, warm, so it's best to wear light, comfortable clothes. Casual wear is acceptable. Wear conservative clothing in public places, particularly at religious and cultural sites.

Conclusion

On your Dubai city tour, you'll see modern tech and rich tradition. Wonderful experiences await you in Dubai. Go see the majestic Burj Khalifa and the biggest Dubai Mall. Stroll along the historic Dubai Creek or visit lively souks. Famous landmarks, delicious food, and lively culture all add up to happy memories in Dubai! Past and future merge in perfect balance.

[mystictarotcafe]

Card of day and update 7.19.24

This is in two parts but shows how a single card pulled can incorporate the past, present, and future depending on how deeply and honestly you look. They can pair or resonate with a previously pulled card, too.

Card of day deck: Meaning of Tarot

Query: There's something I need to hear, what is it? You've always been honest with me. Please continue to be so.

Card: Star reversed: Unfulfilled hopes, disappointment, pessimism, doubt, despair.

My take for me: I've been going through a rough patch. Nothing I do seems to work though the book I'm working is becoming more detailed compared to the under developed shell it was starting out to be. The book is my unfulfilled hope and I'm disappointed in myself for not doing something I am passionate about and love. Self doubt, self negative judgement are holding me back and causing despair.

Now my update which ties in with the reversed Star of today:

I've mentioned I've had daily migraines for years and they are causing the white insulation coating my brains nerves to disappear in spots. Recently, I started infusions to replenish the immune system that disappeared suddenly.

7.13.24 Did infusion. Usually, feel great for a few days afterwards. This time it felt wrong. I felt like I shouldn't be doing it when I did so there may be something in the timing.

By the 15th I felt like utter crap and no idea why. Fever, stuffy, the whole 9 yards. I cried for no reason ( I was trained young not to cry so crying is something I just don't do).

The 16th I woke up completely depressed with bad news added on during the day. I had thoughts of being run down by a train that run nearby...not like me since I am...simply put...a simpleton. I am one who is pretty much happy with very little so I like living and enjoying small things. Even if it is a struggle.

On the 16th I drew the Devil card : responsivity, balance, harmony, alignment. Basically, I need to take control and do what I want to do because I'm only limited by what I think is possible.

I'd been researching and developing my story to be deeper over the past week and it felt good so these, the infusion making me feel icky and the deep depression, shouldn't have happened.

The 17th I had a migraine like I haven't had in years. I couldn't move. I had to piggyback painkillers and medications in order to use the bathroom to pee. Daughter had car and was in a parade so I didn't bother her to take me to ER.

18th was better but still piggybacking painkillers, just not other meds with them. And I did more research for the book.

19th...today. I pulled the reversed star that is explained above. Despair? Depression. Disappointment? Couldn't go to parade. Unfulfilled hopes? Infusion didn't have same affect as before. No improvement. Doubt/pessimism? People I spoke to during the time period all this happened were negative people who told me anything opinion or knowledge I held was wrong.

One of those people are from my past whom I had hoped to reconnect with and build a new friendship with. Another, unfulfilled hope because he's not a positive person who feels he's always right and never wrong. Though he did admit being wrong when I proved my side with documented, peer reviewed, information instead of youtube and random podcast information. These aren't always bad ways to obtain formation but it's like wikipedia...it's only as good as the person's research who's presenting it.

I told myself, and my family, we'd take today to do whatever and what I want to do is dictate the first chapter that I hand wrote and make it even better. Editing is a PITA but it's necessary.

[allovertheworldblog]

Jakarta, Indonesia

I arrive in Jakarta, the always busy capital of Indonesia after taking the business class train from Bandung.

Even though the ticket cost proportionately more than an executive class one the service is the exact same. 

I had expected Jakarta to be something of a showcase.

It wasn’t.

It was really just a bigger version of the other Javan cities I’d been to.

There was one big difference though, the smog.

Jakarta is blanketed in smog for a good portion of the day, you rarely get to see the sun, but you can still feel it’s power. 

The canals around the central area I was staying in were not moving and there was nothing moving on them.

Their stagnant strangely coloured milky water stank to high heaven. 

The hostel I’m staying in Hunny Hostel is only newly opened.

It’s owner is full of hints and tips for things to do in the city. 

I was forever struck by the friendliness of the locals, people running stalls on the street wishing me a 'Good Day' and the like.

Indonesians are in my estimation an endlessly hopeful people.

The homeless woman on Jalan Alaydrus, the street or laneway where my hostel is, makes a living collecting cardboard.

One day when I’m walking down my street she smiles a big smile and says ‘hello’. 

She’s not looking for anything from me, she’s not trying to sell anything, just saying hello.

It makes me quite sad, guilty even.

There aren’t too many sights for tourists in Jakarta.

They’re generally directed to the National Museum, MONAS nearby and the old city of Batavia, that’s about it.

The National Museum wasn’t as well presented as I expected.

Like other museums I’d been to in Indonesia many exhibits weren’t labeled or detailed in any way. 

MONAS, the National Monument, is a tall tower in the heart of the city, in a park that seems out of place in the entirely urban city of Jakarta.

It’s meant to symbolise the country and it’s independence.

To get up to the top of the tower you have buy a couple of tickets, one to the exhaustive subterranean museum in the base of the monument,

another ticket for the trip to the top. 

The queue outside in the heat of the day for the single elevator (which seems a potentially dangerous proposition) which goes up to the top of the monument is marshaled by a man in uniform.

He tells us to move this way and that, then has a go at the hand full of people selling souvenirs. 

The whole scenario says a lot about the country. 

The view from the top doesn’t inspire me as there isn’t that very much to see other than the mega city of Jakarta spread out every which way.

When the Dutch ruled the country the Dutch East Indies, now called Indonesia, they had their capital at Batavia, which later expanded into what is now Jakarta.

Batavia today is called Kota by the locals, which means 'city’ in Indonesian. So, it’s a city within a city. Batavia isn’t a walled city like I expected. Many of the buildings that still stand are from the later part of Dutch rule.

There are also some older buildings dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Much of Batavia is run down, decrepit and falling down in parts. 

Is it a conscious neglect because of what the Dutch did to them during colonial times.

No, there isn’t that purpose of thought in the country or in the city.

Other parts of Jakarta are in equally poor if not worse shape.

All quite sad really, but life goes on, cars and motor scooters whiz up and down constantly and people say ’hello mister’ with a smile,

sometimes followed by a 'how are you?, or a ’where are you going?’, an endlessly hopeful people. 

[first-impressions-gaming]

Shadow Warrior 3

Developed by Flying Wild Hog

Published by Devolver Digital

Release Date 2022

Tested on Xbox Series X

MSRP 39,99 USD

Does this sound familiar to you, “it is so BAD that it is bloody GOOD at some point”? This is my experience towards the narrative of Shadow Warrior 3 in my two-hour playtime summarized in a single sentence. It is also notable to note that I haven’t played the first two instalments of the franchise before this one therefore I am not able to compare the third one to first two or point out improvements or downgrades.

Even though I haven’t played the previous games, the opening sequence and cutscene are welcoming to the players (who haven’t experienced prior games like me) in laying the ground in terms of characters, humour of the game and a little bit of backstory. 

The protagonist, Lo Wang, has a bombastic and charming personality which breaks the fourth wall and who is well aware of his shortcomings and full of himself, he is mixing arrogance with self-criticism which works well for his own portrayal for himself, rendering him likeable to players. This can be observed and witnessed in the very opening scene: we step into a location, a place on a hill between mountains and every little object and item feel out of place and space, such as Lo Wang’s dirty underwear, a wrecked car, stereotypical-looking mythical objects, Lo Wang’s storytelling about recent events and him saying he wishes to open a comic book store if this saving the world mission doesn’t work out.

Early in the game, you have flashback moments such as this clip, the mountain explodes when Lo Wang is wall-running and falls to the ground, crying out loud “I was supposed to win!”:

Another great scene is where Lo Wang attempts to jump across the platform and holds onto a corpse, stupidly fun B-movie vibes are real with this cutscene:

At first I got the impression that the game wanted a shot at making a Doom-like game with fourth-wall-breaking jokes and more approachable less-serious personalities with Doom-ish level design and combat flow, but Shadow Warrior 3 aspires to go beyond that, combat action is more like Serious Sam-type, you go guns blazing instead of calculated or strategic approach.

Shadow Warrior 3 is like a B-movie with full consciousness, it knows it is a B-movie and it builds on it with quality cheesy writing. It is not like “Okay, our writing is not top-notch, it may be B-rated,” it is like “This writing is high-quality B-rated with every detail built around it”.

In every action movie or game, you are the protagonist who prevails despite all the challenges and setbacks, Lo Wang is just another guy who tries to survive in the given situation and circumstances, look at this scene, Lo Wang is trying to get out of the dam before it gets destroyed and as soon as he gets out he witnesses the dam imploding, with side character saying “too close, man”. This line and recognition within it are precious to me, you wouldn’t encounter this sort of line in a Tomb Raider game.

Each weapon and character skill has three upgrades and the order of upgrades are not up to you, the first upgrade for guns is increasing ammo capacity by 50%, you get the cool stuff only in second upgrades such as headshots trigger an explosion to nearby enemies (for the revolver gun), bullets electrocute enemies (submachine gun) etc. Character skills aren’t gamechangers unless you play the game in hardcore mode, what you gain from those skills aren’t that indispensable to overcome enemies.

For upgrades and menus:

Level design-wise, you mostly depend on wall-running, dodging and double-jumping when you travel, these are types of mechanics any FPS player is accustomed to, if you aren’t, it is no brainer because it’s extremely easy to learn. During fights, if you don’t use your environment for your advantage you will see your health diminish pretty fast, you got to dodge enemy attacks often and try to put a reasonable distance between you and and enemies, for example make use of rings that float and allow you to grapple and move across in a location, thanks to this, you can set the tone of the fight.

[wevelocityteampresents-blog]

SEPTEMBER 20TH

I managed to finish another art piece today. I feel so happy now that it's finally done. But at the same time, I also feel like there's not much else for me to do at the moment... But then again, there are those new character designs I need to finish. I hope I can get back to those without any trouble.

During this time, I feel like I can do so much without anything to distract me. I also feel a little happier too.

In Pokémon Violet, I went to finish my assignment. But not without a few stops along the way.

It's funny how the tables have turned.

Of all the Pokémon in the world, Golem was the one I'd least expect to get salt from.

When it comes to treasure, this place is a gold mine! Also, I managed to unlock the ability to use this area as a new stage in Ogre Oustin'. I should play that game again someday for a higher score.

Eventually, I managed to meet up with Kieran. (Who STILL showed up last.)

I still didn't get a badge for this.

After that, I headed back to the community center to get some rest. That doesn't mean I didn't run into anything interesting along the way.

I should fight this Annihilape someday with a Pokémon whose Attack needs some work.

What? AGAIN? More fun for me, I guess.

Before I healed my Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, I thought it'd be funny to talk to Nurse Joy from behind to see if I could still heal them. To my surprise, she had some dialogue for anyone trying to do so.

It managed to get a chuckle out of me.

SEPTEMBER 21TH

I had to go somewhere with my stepfamily to do something important. I thought I could just sit around and play Pokémon or draw while waiting. But that didn't happen. No matter where we went, the entire building smelled like cigarettes. I had to cover my nose the entire time we were there. We never even got our appointment because the staff were acting like idiots. So there goes an entire afternoon...

It wasn't all bad, though. My stepmom actually had the empathy to take us all to a town where we got to eat burgers while also getting treated to the town's fresh air. (Which is good because the car was ANOTHER rental that smelled like tobacco. Yes, it was unbearable. And, YES, I had to cover my nose whenever I had to sit in it. At least this one didn't have a lighter on the floor.)

The only good thing about today was that it's all over.

SEPTEMBER 22ND

In Pokémon Violet, I finally managed to find the item I needed to evolve Applin into Dipplin.

I feel bad for small shops like these. There are probably some dumb kids out there who might steal all the fruit from this stand without paying.

SEPTEMBER 23RD

Due to some recent developments at my school, I had to travel to the campus to sign up for additional tutoring services. (In the rain without an umbrella because I forgot mine at home.) I thought it would only take me half an hour. But I actually had to wait until noon. (I nearly got hungry by then.) It wasn't until then that I learned tutoring services were offered digitally on weekends. I still managed to get some information on tutoring hours for certain classes.

After I ate dinner, I managed to complete that new art piece I've had lying around for weeks. You can see it for yourself on this page. I based it on a frame from an episode of the Pokémon anime I found on another website. Now that I'm finished with it, I can get back to designing new characters before getting started on a future project.

In Pokémon Violet, I tried completing the Kitakami Pokédex.

I guess other non-water Pokémon can swim too. I tried catching this Poliwhirl using Umbre's Toxic. I nearly weakened it when I came to a shocking realization...

Wild Terastalized Pokémon only lose their Terastalization state after getting weakened by damaging moves. Status effects are useless for catching them.

But that was alright because I managed to find another Poliwhirl nearby. I also learned that there's 200 Pokémon in the Kitakami Pokédex. And I'm almost close to completing it. Before I met with Carmine, I visited Perrin since I already caught the amount of Pokémon she asked me to catch.

It's not that big a deal... Besides, I still need to study the stats of Pokémon like Ogerpon and Bloodmoon Ursaluna.

She soon challenged me to a battle to see if I was strong enough to stand a chance against the Pokémon she was looking for.

So did I...

Apparently, the Pokémon Perrin is looking for IS Bloodmoon Ursaluna.

She also comes from Sinnoh. (Which makes sense considering how familiar she looks.) I wanted to follow her to the Timeless Woods. But I felt like I could save Ursaluna for last.

After I met with Carmine in Moussi Town, she told me we needed some Crystal Clusters from the Crystal Pool. After a steady climb, I finally made it. Before we could gather some clusters, we were ambushed by a Milotic.

I managed to beat her in a single turn.

Eventually, Briar showed up to investigate the crystals at the bottom of the lake. She also says that Terastalization exists in other countries outside of Paldea.

(Exactly WHERE in those countries is beyond my guess.)

I was going to take the road back to town. But I fell down a cave and decided to explore it for its riches. While doing so, I hit a booby trap in the form of a Ogre Clan member.

If I had known about her Pokémon sooner, I would've beaten her with just Miraidon.

[warningsine]

People ran for their lives as the long arm of the crane fell to the pavement on the west side of Manhattan. Nine civilians and two firefighters were injured as debris rained down, according to fire officials.

A construction crane caught fire before smashing into a nearby building and plummeting into the street in New York City, causing people to panic and run as debris rained down during rush hour.

A civilian and a firefighter sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries, while nine others had minor wounds as the long arm of the crane fell to the pavement on the west side of Manhattan, according to fire officials.

"As you can see from the debris on the street, this could have been much worse," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.

He noted when the incident happened, just before 8am local time, the street is often filled with pedestrians, cars and buses.

The fire on top of a 54-storey building was first reported around 7.25am, with photos and videos posted online showing flames bursting from the crane's cab.

The crane's arm, which was carrying a 16-tonne load, snapped off after the fire had been burning for some time.

The person operating the crane tried to put out the blaze but had to flee to safety as it spread, according to Fire Department First Deputy Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer.

Firefighters stationed on the roof of another building used hoses to battle the flames as surrounding streets were closed to traffic.

[allisnotgoodrn]

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Incident #1 - Grocery Run Detour

We needed to go on a grocery run to stock up for the week, and my sister offered to drive. Our first stop was to get water. Along the way, we ended up taking a detour because my sister accidentally switched lanes and didn't feel comfortable changing back due to heavy traffic. This annoyed me, which only made her more uneasy. She started getting agitated and went on a small rant about how I'm a terrible co-pilot, claiming that I undermine her confidence in driving.

In my typical fashion, I chose to remain silent. Speaking up would only escalate things, and I didn't want to engage in an argument that I knew I couldn't win. She always sees herself as "right" while I'm perpetually "wrong." We decided to take another detour to check out the nearby park, prolonging our journey back to the main road. My sister grew increasingly frustrated with me for not being a good co-pilot and began belittling me, suggesting that she should rely on herself instead of my guidance. Feeling the need to resolve the situation, I pulled out my phone and used the Google Maps app to navigate us back onto the correct path.

After a few moments of silence, my sister shifted the topic to her experience in grad school, particularly the challenges she faced with certain individuals. This wasn't the first time she had shared these stories with me. I had heard them countless times before, but I never quite knew how to console her. Even when I tried, it was never sufficient. It invariably led to an argument where she claimed that I didn't understand and wished I were more adept at saying the right things. In any case, I interrupted her mid-sentence to point out a Doggy Daycare building, reminding her that it served as a landmark for locating the nearby grocery store. This greatly upset her, as she accused me of not letting her express herself and preventing her from finding healing. Once again, I fell silent. When we finally arrived at Grocery store, she was too angry with me to go inside, choosing instead to remain in the car and plug in her AirPods

—

Advice I got from an AI:

It seems like there are a few key issues that contributed to the tension between you and your sister during the grocery run. To handle similar situations more effectively in the future, consider the following recommendations:

1. Open communication: Foster an environment of open communication where both you and your sister can express your feelings and concerns without fear of judgment or arguments. Create a safe space for dialogue, allowing each other to share thoughts and emotions without interruption.

2. Active listening: When your sister shares her experiences or vents her frustrations, try to actively listen and empathize with her. Instead of offering solutions or advice right away, validate her feelings and let her know that you understand her perspective. Sometimes, people simply need to be heard and acknowledged.

3. Choose the right time: Timing is crucial when discussing sensitive topics or sharing personal experiences. If your sister begins talking about her grad school struggles, be mindful of the situation and find an appropriate moment to engage in the conversation. If you're unable to provide the support she needs at that moment, let her know that you want to hear her out but suggest revisiting the discussion later when you can give it your full attention.

4. Show support: While you may not always have the perfect words to comfort your sister, showing support and empathy can make a difference. Let her know that you're there for her and willing to listen whenever she needs to talk. Encourage her to express herself and offer reassurance that you'll do your best to understand her perspective.

5. Avoid escalating conflicts: If a disagreement or argument arises, try to de-escalate the situation by remaining calm and composed. Recognize that it's okay to have differing opinions and that winning an argument is not the goal. Instead, focus on maintaining a respectful and understanding attitude, even if you choose to disengage temporarily to avoid further conflict.

6. Find alternative solutions: In situations where navigation becomes a point of contention, consider using a GPS app or device to avoid disagreements. This way, you can rely on objective directions rather than personal interpretations, reducing the potential for conflict.

Remember, improving communication and resolving conflicts takes time and effort from both parties. It's important to approach these situations with empathy, patience, and a willingness to understand each other's perspectives.

[paviliongeelong]

Unforgettable Moments: Finding The Perfect Wedding Venue For Your Big Day

Looking for a venue for your wedding can be exciting, but you may also feel overwhelmed by the number of options out there. If that's the case, don't worry! This guide will give you some tips on how to make sure your perfect Budget wedding venue Geelong is also an affordable one.

Don't be afraid to get creative with your space.

As you're scoping out potential venues, it's important to think about how each space could be used. In most cases, there will be a main room for guests and another for the ceremony or reception. But don't let this limit your creativity! You may find that by combining two rooms into one big space and removing some walls, doors and/or furniture you can create something truly unique.

For example: if there is an adjoining room that's adjacent to your dance floor but not visible from it (for example: behind closed doors), take advantage of this opportunity by opening up those doors during dinner service so that guests can see each other eating while they're waiting their turn at the buffet line--and vice versa!

Identify your must-haves.

Once you've figured out the who, when and where of your wedding, it's time to start thinking about how you want it to look. The first step in narrowing down venues is identifying your must-haves. This will help narrow down your options by eliminating those that don't fit what you're looking for in a venue. Here are some of the most important factors:

Location: Is it near family members? Do friends live nearby? Is there easy access from other cities or states if necessary (for out-of-town guests)?

Style: What kind of space do I want my guests walking into on the big day--a rustic barn with antique farm equipment hanging from its rafters? A modern art gallery with soaring ceilings and lots of natural light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows? Something more traditional like an elegant ballroom or elegant ballroom with vaulted ceilings? Or something else entirely! There are so many different types of spaces available for weddings nowadays that there's no reason not find one that fits perfectly into whatever vision you have in mind!

Decide where you'd like to see it all go down.

If you've got a vision for the perfect wedding, it's time to start looking around. A great location should be easy to get to and access for guests, vendors and even you!

The location should reflect the style of your wedding: If you're planning an outdoor party with lots of flowers and greenery, then it makes sense that your venue would have plenty of room for all those decorations. But if rustic digs are more up your alley (think barns), then there will probably be less space available for decorations--and maybe even less electricity available as well? It's important that whatever place is selected works with both your theme and budget so everyone can enjoy themselves without having too many hiccups along the way (or worse yet running out).

Make sure there's enough space: Another thing worth considering when choosing where exactly this magical day will take place is how much room there actually needs to be available in order for everything planned out beforehand go off without any major issues later down line like overcrowding during cocktail hour or having trouble finding parking spaces near entrances due its being located too far away from where most cars would drive up via roadways leading up to them - especially if they don't have designated areas set aside specifically designed just like hotels do which often requires additional fees associated with renting out space outside their main building itself.

Conclusion

wedding venues can be overwhelming, but it's important to remember that your wedding venue Geelong is just one part of your big day. You'll have plenty of time to pick out flowers and decorate tables before the big event, so don't stress too much about finding the perfect location right away. Instead, focus on what matters most: having fun with friends and family while celebrating this special moment in life!

Source - https://paviliongeelong.blogspot.com/2023/05/unforgettable-moments-finding-perfect_25.html

[rojaniresort1]

Jaisalmer Desert Camp Booking

What is Jaisalmer Desert Camp Booking?

Jaisalmer Desert Camp Booking is a great way to experience the magic of Jaisalmer. It offers you an opportunity to stay in a desert camp and enjoy the serenity of nature at its best. The accommodation provided by these camps is quite comfortable and you will get all modern facilities like electricity, running water etc. There are different types of accommodation available at these camps such as tents, huts or rooms depending upon your choice and budget.

The activities that you can do during your stay include camel rides, jeep safaris etc., which give you an insight into how people live here in this region where there are no roads or buildings as such but only sand dunes!

The Benefits of Booking with Rojani Resort

The resort's luxurious amenities:

-Rooms are equipped with all the modern amenities, and each room has its own balcony or terrace.

The friendly staff:

-The staff members are very friendly and helpful in making your stay comfortable and memorable. They will make sure that you feel at home while staying here!

Convenient location: The hotel is located near the city center, so it's easy to reach by car or taxi from anywhere in Jaisalmer city.

Planning Your Trip

What to pack:

How to make the most of your stay:

What to do if you have any questions:

Making the Most of Your Desert Camp Booking

Explore the nearby attractions: There are many places to visit and explore in Jaisalmer, including a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and an ancient fort. You can take a camel ride into the desert, which is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of this place.

Take part in desert activities: If you're looking for something more adventurous than just sightseeing, then consider taking part in some desert activities such as sandboarding or riding camels through the sands. These activities will give you an unforgettable experience!

Enjoy local cuisine: When visiting any new place, it's always important that you try some of their local cuisine! Luckily for us at Rojani Resort we have our very own restaurant where we serve delicious Indian dishes made from fresh ingredients every day so everyone can enjoy them no matter what time they visit us during their stay here with us at Rojani Resort

Tips for a Stress-Free Trip

Booking in advance. It's always better to book your trip at least a month before you travel, so that you can get the best deals and discounts on Jaisalmer Desert Camps.

Researching the area: Before booking your Jaisalmer Desert Camp, do some research on places around it like Bikaner, Jodhpur and Udaipur which are all famous tourist destinations in Rajasthan. You can also look up reviews online about these places as well as hotels/resorts near them so that you know what to expect when visiting them during your trip!

Keeping your plans flexible: If there is something that doesn't work out for you during this journey (e.g., bad weather), don't worry too much because there will always be another chance later down the road!

The History of Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is a city in Rajasthan, India. It's known for its sandstone fort and desert landscape. The origins of the city date back to 1156 AD when Rawal Jaisal founded it as a fort on top of an ancient mud-brick village called Rawalpindi. This was done so that he could protect his people from invaders who were trying to attack them from all sides during those times.

The cultural heritage here is very rich because there are many places within this region that have been around since ancient times such as Jain temples, Hindu temples (such as Shri Bhatiyani Devi Temple), mosques and even Buddhist caves which show how diverse this place really is!

The Local Culture

The local language

The local customs

The local cuisine

The Surrounding Area

The Jaisalmer Desert Camp is located in the heart of the Thar Desert, which is one of the most beautiful and fascinating deserts in India. The Sam Sand Dunes are just a few kilometers away from this camp and you can explore them by camel ride or jeep safari. If you want to see something more exciting then visit Jaisalmer Fort that was built during 12th century by Rawal Jaisal Singh - founder of Jodhpur State.

Accommodation Options

Jaisalmer is a city which offers various accommodation options to tourists. The hotels in Jaisalmer are quite luxurious and offer all modern amenities to the guests. They also have restaurants where you can enjoy delicious food items at reasonable prices. If you want to stay at a guesthouse, then there are many options available too which provide good accommodation facilities at affordable rates.

The desert camps are another option for staying in this city as they offer great facilities along with adventurous activities like camel safari, sand dune ride etc.,

[sirfrogsworth]

I found parking nearby and had a short walk to my destination. With camera and tripod on my shoulder, I started trekking toward the park. I turned a corner and Kiener Plaza exploded into view after being hidden by trees. I could see the courthouse and the Arch and this giant grassy knoll all at once.

I have not been to such a peaceful place in a long time.

There was almost no one there.

And the Arch was just filling the horizon in front of me.

There was a cool fountain creating this relaxing white noise and I sat on a ledge next to it.

After the anxiety of trying to do a sidewalk photoshoot with random people walking by, being the only one in this park felt like that anxiety was just melting away—leaving only calm. 

After a few minutes of peaceful meditation, I looked up at the Arch and decided to figure out how I was going to take my photo.

And I noticed something odd. 

The lights were off. 

The Arch has lights!

I know I have seen the Arch with lights!

Getty Images can back me up on this.

SEE!!!??? LIGHTS!

I'm not crazy!

I didn't figure it out until later, but apparently during September they turn off the lights to accommodate migrating birds. I guess the damn things get confused by elevated bright lights. It throws off their navigation and they end up crashing into buildings. 

Don't these birds know I am trying to take a photo?

This was very inconvenient for me, birds. 

So, I decided I would just "fix it in post."

This is how the scene looked with the lights off.

And with a little Photoshop magic...

Lights!

I actually like both versions. But I think the better solution is to just go back to that beautiful, serene spot another time when confused birds aren't messing up my photos. 

I also took some shots of the fountain.

It had RGB lighting and reminded me of a gaming PC.

I also tried to get a picture of myself in front of the fountain. But my camera was pretty far away and the longest timer setting was 10 seconds.

The problem is... I am very slow.

And after several attempts I was unable to get into position before 10 seconds was up. So I tried something I haven't done since I was a teenager.

I am about to show you the only picture in existence of me... running.

Now when I say "running" what I am actually referring to is me *trying* to run, but actually going to the same speed as before. The only difference is that I was swinging my arms as if I was running, hoping that would somehow increase my top speed.

As you can see, swinging your arms does not make your legs move faster.

So I went into problem solving mode and I extended the cord of my camera's remote trigger as far as it would go and that gave me another 3 feet of distance closer to the fountain. Once I pressed the button the remote swung down and crashed into the ground, but thankfully it was okay and still functioned.

This maneuver gave me just enough time to get to the fountain and in position right as the camera took the photo.

Success!

I realized later on that my remote camera trigger was also an intervalometer. Which is a fancy way of saying I could have bypassed my camera and set that to any time I wanted.

I attempted running for no reason whatsoever.

How did I not remember that? I just bought the stupid thing a month ago.

Short term memory, you can suck it.

Long term gets the MVP this time.

Chris was worried about me and texted to make sure I got home okay.

Sometimes it is hard being out in the world knowing the longer I stay, the longer I will suffer afterward. I don't feel like Cinderella. I feel like Cinderella's pumpkin. It may be a beautiful carriage until midnight, but turning back into a pumpkin is inevitable. So I try to make the most of the time I am given as a carriage.

I think I managed some good carriage time that night.

After my fountain pictures I headed back to my car. I made sure to take a few nightlife photos of the city on the way.

Some of you may remember my classic photo entitled "Moon Over a Waffle House" that I took a few months back.

This is a new spiritual sequel I am calling...

Giant Building Over a Hooters

So majestic.

I am so happy I got to meet Chris in real life. Nothing can top that. It took me about a week to recover from the two outings being so close together. But I am finding the mental health boosts from venturing out into the world are helping more than hurting. (Though I think I am going to make more of an effort to space them out when I can.)

Thank you to Michael for making it possible for Chris to come to St. Louis. And thank you to Chris for being just as cool in person as I have known you to be chatting inside the internets.

May we meet again soon.

And, yes, your next portrait can have lightsabers.  

Meeting my longtime artist and good friend, Chris, IN REAL LIFE!

So, I hadn't been to a restaurant in over a decade. I can't even remember which restaurant since it was so long ago. But in the past few weeks I've now been to TWO restaurants.

I am becoming a social butterfly. 

And it is exhausting.

But also good.

First I reconnected with my high school best friend, John.

And that went great.

But then the opportunity to see my friend Chris (a.k.a @whosthewhatnow ) came up only a few days later. And this close proximity of social events scared me a bit, but I have been feeling much better since they figured out my heart thing, so I decided to try and do both things even though they were only a few days apart. 

The key to this was strategic resting. As soon as I got home from seeing John, I got in bed and I didn't get out of it until it was time to see Chris. And that was just enough recovery time to pull this off. Typically a short outing requires 2-3 days of rest after. 

I had never met Chris in real life. He has done nearly all of the artwork for my website and comics over the past decade. And he was a main character in my CRAPPRnauts series.

We know each other so well and it is crazy that we've never seen each other with our very own eyeballs.

He is such an amazing artist. He works fast and he adds so many cool extra details that you can stare at his comic panels multiple times and catch a new joke or easter egg each time. He is a dream to work with and my Corg Life series was only successful because he did such a wonderful job bringing Otis to life in comic form. 

So we decided to meet up at a restaurant with his friend Michael and then I was going to take a nice portrait of him after dinner. Chris had never had a professional photo taken of himself and I decided to fix that.

I told him I had a mobile photography setup. Which, in reality, is a trunk full of lights and stands and other various camera gear that I definitely won't need, but bring anyway. It's "mobile" in that it all fits in my car if you are good at Tetris (which I am).

The restaurant was downtown and I had visions of St. Louis's famous Gateway Arch in the background of Chris's portrait. I thought that would be such a cool shot. I could see it in my head and I even dreamed about it.

So I got in my car and headed downtown and my GPS told me to exit at 249B. But I kept looking and I couldn't see the sign for 249B.

This is how much road I had left when I finally was able to see the exit for 249B.

So I ended up taking 249A and going straight to East St. Louis.

Which, if you believe the headlines, is not a place you ever want to be.

Google Maps and I have been having issues lately. They also tried to get me to take the spooky way home that night, but thankfully I actually knew the non-spooky way back from when I used to go to Cardinal games with my parents as a kid.

My short term memory was trashed by shock therapy. And so was a lot of my long term memory. But it finally came through in a pinch and remembered something useful.

I only had to loop around and cross a bridge so I didn't really do anything but touch the edge of East St. Louis. I was mostly concerned about being late for dinner more than its scary reputation. Usually those news stories about a place being "dangerous" are actually just racist and hurtful to people stuck in poverty. I mean, technically my house is in a "dangerous" neighborhood, and we do have trouble with petty crime in some spots, but aside from a few dinged-up mailboxes, I've never felt unsafe in my home.

On the way back to regular St. Louis I could see the Arch on the horizon at sunset and it was kind of magical. And I wasn't able to get a good shot of it, but it sure looked pretty from my point of view. 

My photos kind of remind me of the beginning of movies like Training Day where they are trying to show you gritty, dutch angle shots of the city out of the car window to give you a sense of the location.

As I approached the restaurant I invented a new genre I call "stoplight photography." The sky was orange and the streets of St. Louis were just asking to be photographed. But I wasn't willing to die to get neat photos, so I just took them at every red light.

The big trick was trying to edit the dark area at the top of my windshield out of the photos to make it look like I didn't take these pictures from my car.

After a 15 minute detour through Illinois I arrived at my destination—a Mexican place called Rosalita's. It had a beautiful sign, so I took that literal sign as a metaphorical sign it was a nice place to get a quesadilla. 

Dinner was great. Both signs were right and their quesadilla was very tasty. Chris and I both got one, so we are quesadilla twins. The waitress was one of those "I can remember your order without writing anything down" types. And I am one of those, "I get anxiety when things aren't written down" types. And, to her credit, she did not forget our orders. But she did forget to give us silverware and napkins. So I still feel like my anxiety was valid. 

We told sad stories of the pups we lost. But we also had a lot of fun and laughed and I got to meet Michael who turned out to be an absolute mensch. I sometimes have trouble meeting new people with my social anxiety, but he was very affable and made me feel comfortable with his presence almost right away. He was a fan of Otis and mentioned he still has a Super Otis shirt. I always get choked up hearing that Otis is still loved. Hopefully we get to meet again. 

Dinner ended and it was picture time.

I asked Chris if he wanted the high effort photo or the low effort photo. Either we figure out how to get to the Arch or we find a spot near the restaurant and just take his portrait there. Chris and Michael had a driver because they were coming from a big conference and getting to the Arch would have been complicated. So we decided to go with the low effort option. 

I found a cool shop nearby that had an LED wall that changed to all sorts of different colors. And I thought that would make a neat background and give a colorful edge light on Chris's face. I pulled my car near that spot and started unloading my trunk full of photo gear.

I think Chris and Michael were a little overwhelmed when I started pulling camera gear out of my trunk like a clown pulling an endless handkerchief out of his mouth. But as far as photo setups go, it was actually pretty minimal. 

Light, giant battery, light stand, umbrella, tripod, camera, rolling walker with seat.

My dad's old rollator came in clutch because I wanted to shoot from a low angle and it is hard for me to bend down. In fact, I think I'm going to look into getting an all terrain version so I can do more outdoor photoshoots.

I started shooting in the middle of a downtown sidewalk. And I was super anxious. I could not focus (my brain, not my camera). I was very distracted with all of the people walking by and staring. I was not sure if any of the photos were turning out. I wasn't even sure if they were in focus (my camera, not my brain) because I had not yet had my lens calibrated. But down the street there was a guy with an old school boombox playing random music. His music helped to drown out the ambient noise and gave me some comfort.

I had no clue if the photos were any good, but when I got home and checked them on my computer, I realized I have 12 years of experience and muscle memory built up. I probably should have just trusted myself because the photos all turned out great.

I think Chris can now officially say he has had a professional portrait taken of himself.

This photo has been officially loved by Chris's girlfriend and mother.

There is no greater seal of approval and I am honored.

I was able to comp in any of the colors the wall displayed from other shots in case Chris is feeling a little more green in the future.

A literal rainbow of options.

I also liked this one, though it is a little more "environmental portrait" than regular portrait.

And I got some nice photos of our little group to help us remember the night. 

And I got a bunch of photos of Chris making silly faces like Calvin at his school photoshoot. 

I love this woman's reaction to our little impromptu sidewalk photo shenanigans.

After we said our goodbyes and I gave my friend a hug, I was a little bummed I didn't get to photograph him at the Arch like I had dreamed.

But then I realized I had my own car and it was capable of taking me places. (I actually haven't gotten used to that after not driving for nearly 15 years.)

So I decided to drive a few blocks over to Kiener Plaza—a park with a view of the Arch. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

[imaginidol]

Yeonjun: “Hold on tight, and don’t let go…”

“Damned Uber,” you mutter as you stare down at your phone, seeing that the ride you intended to take had just canceled on you.

How else are you supposed to get to your boyfriend’s recording session now?

Let me call him, you think, hoping your boyfriend would pick up. I hope he hasn’t begun yet, I’m already late.

The ringer goes off once before he immediately picks up.

“Beomgyu?” You start, nervous to admit you’re late. Again.

“Are you okay?” He begins, “I’ve been waiting for you at the parking lot. How far are you?”

“I’m uh, I’m…” you say, unable to finish your sentence.

“Late?” He sounds defeated. I’m sorry.

“I’ll book another Uber,” you quickly blurt out, “it’s just that I was—”

“You’re okay!” He laughs. “Don’t rush, I know you’re busy. Please get here safely. I promise, I’m just waiting a few more days until my car gets fixed at the shop, and we won’t be running around like this anymore. Sounds okay?”

You sigh, a small smile forming at the corner of your lips. “Sounds okay, Gyu.”

He laughs, and you both finish your call.

Now to find another Uber...

—

Beomgyu has just hung up on your call when one of his group members walks out.

“Why are you out here?” Yeonjun asks.

“Late again,” Beomgyu says, and Yeonjun nods. He’s noticed that your being late has been a reoccurring issue all week, and it’s slowly been a cause of Beomgyu’s moodiness during their night recordings. Beom's been working on a song project for you and had been hoping to surprise you with it by revealing it the day you showed up on time. But, by the time you would show up, it was already pretty late to go through with these plans.

“Just give it one more week,” Yeonjun said. “If I had my car, I’d help you out. I should’ve not lent it to Hyuka this week for his business trip upstate.”

Beomgyu smiles. “Nah, you’re okay. I appreciate the thought. Plus, we wouldn’t have known my car was gonna have issues the day after he left. I’m gonna go ahead and walk back inside for now.”

Both boys nod, and Beomgyu returns to the building.

Yeonjun stays outside, since he was done with his recording session for the night.

Since I’m done for the night, I might as well surprise Beom, he thinks.

He pulls his phone out and calls you.

—

Your phone rings again, shortly after a (yet again) failed attempt at trying to book an Uber.

But this time, it’s Yeonjun.

What’s Yeonjun want at this hour?

You and Yeonjun were friends long before you met any of the other boys of TXT. He was your best friend, in fact, only up until you met Beomgyu and immediately hit it off. Since you started dating Beomgyu, though, you hadn't spoken to Yeonjun much anymore.

“Hello?” You answer, wondering if he’s okay. He almost never calls you on a whim.

“Hey, Beom just told me you’re not having luck with getting to studio. I’m done for the day, so I could give you a ride up here.”

“Oh, no you don’t have to do that, it would be too much. Thank you, though.”

“No, I want to surprise him, too. It’ll be way faster if I pick you up, anyway.”

After brief hesitation, you think about the helpless attempts at Ubering your way up, and eventually, you give in. I do like to surprise Gyu, and this would be a nice way to make up the night.

—

Yeonjun pulls up to your pinned location, and you both meet up at the edge of a nearby city park.

Oh, no, you think, once you see Yeonjun walk up to you.

“Yeonjun,” you start, looking down at his hands. He’s holding a helmet. “You said you’d be faster… don’t tell me you were talking about your motorcycle!”

He laughs. “Hyuka has my car, remember? We’ll be fine,” he says, walking you over to his bike.

“There’s only one helmet,” you say.

“Why are you worried?” He says as he helps you mount onto the bike.

“I won’t have one, so you better drive safely,” you say.

He gives you a small smile, and tampers with the straps of his helmet, loosening them up. He turns towards you, and before you say another word, he reaches his right hand up to your face.

He lifts your chin with his fingers, carefully rising your gaze up to his. “Who said this is for me?”

He carefully places his helmet over your head, securing the straps comfortably around you.

“What about you? You’re the one driving!” You protest, but he ignores you, and heaves himself onto the bike.

“And you’re the one I’m using to surprise Beom, so I have to make sure you’re safe, don’t I?”

Before you can protest again, he extends his arms out and turns his palms back towards you.

“Give me your arms,” he says, looking back over his shoulder at you.

“Why do you wa— oof!”

He’s grabbed your arms and wrapped them around his waist. “Leave ‘em right… here. Perfect,” he smiles proudly.

“I don’t think this is a good—” you start to loosen up your grip, but suddenly feel his hand wrap firmly around yours.

“No, don’t let go,” he says. He looks down but doesn’t remove his hand from yours.

Instead, he takes both your hands and interlocks your fingers with his.

“This hand,” he says, motioning towards your right, “you leave it right here.” He places it carefully onto the left side of his waist, and gently holds it down. “This hand,” he says now to your left, “stays here.” He places it carefully on his right side. Now, your arms are completely wrapped around him.

“I need you to do one more thing,” he says back to you. “Hold on tight, and don’t let go.”

The motorcycle roars to life, and the loud exhaust startles you in your place. You grasp harder at Yeonjun’s waist, slightly annoyed at the position you’re finding yourself in, but also finding comfort in knowing he’d be a good person to trust on a motorcycle ride.

He was once your best friend, after all.

The sounds of the wakening city night life start to fill the air around you, and the wind starts hitting against your bodies harder and harder.

10mph, 15mph, 20mph, 30mph, 45mph…

You’re holding onto Yeonjun tighter now, as the bike starts settling to a faster and steady pace.

Suddenly, you feel Yeonjun’s left hand pat your arm, and he's rubbing his palm against you.

What are you doing?

He can’t exactly say anything to you, as the sounds of the loud wind and the highway are too loud and overpowering for him to shout comfortably. He’s trying to yell something over his shoulder, but you can’t understand anything.

Suddenly, he slips his thumb between your arm and his abdomen, though making sure never to let his hand grip off your arm. He then takes your arm, and slowly moves it closer towards his heart, and then under his shoulder. Now you have one arm wrapped under and around his shoulder, and the other one wrapped around his waist.

He firmly pats your hand in place, then returns his free hand back to the steering handles.

You gently lie your face against his back, your arms hugging tightly around him.

There was a time when you and Yeonjun were close, yes, and you had almost forgotten how safe you felt around him. You missed hugging him like this, though now you wouldn't know if you could even call this hugging.

"You know," Yeonjun had caught you alone one day at the studio, shortly after Beomgyu's recording session had started. "I've noticed you and Beom getting closer. Are you... are you, like, good friends now?" You smiled. "You won't believe it, Jun. I think, I think we might be starting to become more than just friends." "More..? What, you're best friends now?" His puzzled expression turned into despair. You laughed. "No, silly. I think I'm slowly falling for him." "You're falling for him? You barely even know him! He doesn't even know you like I—" he stops himself. "He, uh, just met you. How can you feel that way so quickly?" You roll your eyes. "Maybe he knows what he wants, and he's shown an interest. I like his assertiveness with me. You wouldn't know anything about that, though." "What are you saying?" His expression is stern now. "Nothing. I guess the last boy I really liked never did show any interest in return, at least not in the way I did. But Gyu feels different." He sits in silence. "That's not true, the last guy you liked did like you. You just didn't give him enough time." You frowned. "I'm not gonna wait around forever. If you liked me, you would've figured I've been waiting for you for years." You paused. "Uh," you stutter, "that 'you' was rhetorical, by the way." Yeonjun stirs his coffee. "Rhetorical, huh? I have to go, I have a schedule I need to get to."

You're thinking of the last time you and Yeonjun truly interacted, and although it wasn't pleasant, there was a slight tension since that never really went away. Right now, though, there were no harsh feelings, and you really did feel as though you two were okay again. Sure, this ride was out of the blue, but at the very least, you were able to hold onto him one more time, just as close as the old times.

I wonder what would've been, if...

No, I can't think that. There's no way Yeonjun liked me back then. Plus, I'm happy with Gyu now.

Though, there was never a day when you weren't caring for me, perhaps in an even careful manner than Gyu.

What am I thinking?

I can feel his warmth if I close my eyes right now. But... am I thinking of Yeonjun? Or should I be thinking of... Beomgyu...

Stop! Stop thinking of Jun! You love Gyu.

Please drive safely, please get us there quickly…

—

Beomgyu’s texting you about where you’re at, attempting to call you twice, but you don’t answer.

Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay, he’s thinking. But for whatever reason, you’re not answering. I wonder if Yeonjun is still in the studio. I’ll ask him to drive me to wherever my love is on his bike. 

He starts fumbling around for his jacket, hoping to ask the staff members to see if they can confirm that Yeonjun hasn’t left yet.

—

About fifteen minutes have passed when you finally start recognizing the buildings around you. You should be approaching the studio anytime now, just a few more turns around the block and you’ll be at the parking lot.

Thank you, Yeonjun!

Finally, the bike pulls up, and Yeonjun parks up front.

Once the bike is turned off, he's the first to speak up.

“Uh, you can let go now, please.”

“Oh, right,” you say, embarrassed to see that you haven’t let go of him yet.

He’s the first to hop off, then turns his body back to you. 

“Let me take the helmet off,” he says, lifting your chin up to him. His cold fingers slowly unlatch the straps, and he removes the helmet to reveal a funny mess of helmet hair. He lets out a heap of laughter, and you glare at him while trying to pat down your hair into place. 

“You’re not funny, Yeonjun,” you roll your eyes.

“Oh yeah? You’re not funny, either. You were practically cutting off my circulation back there with that grip you had!” He smiles.

“Oh, was that what that was?” You say, not knowing that was the reason for him relocating your arms around him. I guess the reason was more intimate in my head.

“I'm okay, as long as you’re okay,” he smirks.

“Thank you for the ride, then,” you say, and start getting yourself off.

“Let me help you,” he says, wrapping one arm around your shoulders, and carefully letting you catch your balance after getting off.

“Thank you again, Jun,” you say, smiling back up at him. “I’m sorry for almost suffocating you.”

He looks down at you, his one arm still wrapped around your shoulder, his other still holding your hand.

“I’m okay. Thank you for trusting me again,” he whispers.

You both stand in silence, without moving, your eyes locked to his. I feel safe right now, you think.

I feel safe with you.

His smile fades, his gaze interlocking with yours.

He’s no longer looking at you.

He’s looking… through you.

“Have you ever…” he whispers, his eyes slowly inching closer to your lips. “Thought about wanting to ride on a motorcycle more often?”

You don’t say a word, standing frozen in place, entranced by his intense stare.

“If it ever crosses your mind,” his face draws in closer. “I’d love to be the one you ride with.”

“You… w-we, uh, we can’t do that, Yeonjun,” you stutter. 

“Of course we can,” he mutters. “I think the word you’re looking for is that we… shouldn’t.”

He smiles, scoffing quietly, his teeth peeking from under his lips. 

His eyes abandon yours, and he looks past behind you. 

"Honey," he whispers, moving his lips towards your ear. You can feel his hot breath pant against you. You can smell his cologne, and feel his face lightly lean against the side of yours. Your facial skin-to-skin contact brings about a wave of frustration, your cheeks warming up intensely, and you're left feeling absolutely flustered.

“Do me one more favor, because I’ve changed my mind,” he whispers to you, and your start turning your head back to see what he’s looking at. Quickly, he stops your head from turning by placing his pointer and middle fingers on your cheek, forcing your attention back to him. You feel your eyes fall once again into a deep trance by his, making it hard for you to pull back at all.

“Don’t tell Beom.” His gaze is stern and cemented into yours, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly. There are small curls forming at the corners of his mouth, and he pulls back from your hold.

He drops his smile, and there's a glint of fear deep within his eyes.

He turns back around, and hops on his bike, throwing his helmet on quickly before speeding off into the night. 

You stand for a long moment, before faintly hearing the distant sounds of someone shouting your name behind you.

It was the voice of Beomgyu.

He’s running to you now, panting and calling your name out, when he embraces you into a big hug.

“I thought it was your silhouette from inside the building! Wow, you got here faster than I presumed. You’re like, almost a half-hour earlier than usual! Thank goodness for Ubers, please follow me inside, I have something I want to show you!”

His smiles and laughter quickly fade when he realizes you're not as enthusiastic as usual.

“A-are you okay? Did something happen? Do I need to call the police? Was it the Uber?” He's frantically looking you up and down, checking for signs of struggle.

“No, no, I’m okay, Gyu, really! I’m just… shocked that I’m here early too! He — uh, I mean, she — my Uber girl was, uh, really fast. NASCAR driver, she said she was,” you lied.

Beomgyu’s face softened, and he laughs in amusement.

“Your stories and encounters are always so random. Please, let’s go inside. I have something for you,” he says, interlocking his hands with yours, gently pulling you into the building. 

You decide to push tonight's events out of your mind to contemplate later, and briskly walk inside with your boyfriend. There is no need to bring down his mood right now, because he seems too excited to show you whatever he has planned.

As you walk behind him, holding his hand, you hear the faint sounds of a motorcycle speeding loudly down a now distant highway, somewhere far, far away.

[thethreebroomsticksficfest]

during the darkest of nights (shine the brightest lights)

@diana-bookfairchild​ takes us for an angsty visit to the Potter family at the height of the first war! You can also read it on ao3 here.

Pairings: James/Lily

Prompts: The night before Christmas, Last-minute shopping, and All I want for Christmas. 

Sirius Black apparated only to fall face first into the snow.

Ugh. Prongs would never have let him live it down had he been there.

He shook snow out of his hair as he walked out of the back alley – at least it was somewhat adding to the holiday spirit. He could hear the music swelling from the nearby church and the entire city was something of an eyesore with all the decorations.

Two girls giggled at him as they were passing by. He winked at them. One of them grinned back, the other ducked her head bashfully. Muggles. Always a delight.

Sirius wished he’d brought his bike. It would’ve certainly fit in in the atmosphere. The snow and lights hung up did little to hide the general griminess and hardness of the place. Cars honked impatiently. The darkness of the night before Christmas was only exacerbated by the walls. The smell of iced sludge carried through the wind.

Evans sure knew how to pick a place.

He made his way to the apartment building. The wind picked up suddenly and he felt a shiver run down his spine. He’d barely gotten rid of Rosier and Lestrange and their cronies a couple of hours ago. Had he been followed? Were they behind him, hoping he would lead them to James and Lily and Harry?

Swallowing his nerves and sudden bout of paranoia, Sirius ducked into a phone booth, pressing himself against the wall, breathing heavily. He cast a disillusionment charm on himself, and then just to be safe, a couple of repelling and invisibility charms that the marauders or Lily’d modified or made themselves.

They’re going to be fine, Sirius told himself firmly. The hot flame of panic clawing up his throat subsided back into its embers.

Nevertheless, he felt lightheaded with relief when he got to the building and felt all the wards perfectly intact.

He got to James and Lily’s flat and pressed his ear against the door. As someone tied to the protective charms, the eavesdropping preventing ones didn’t work on him.

“James, I swear, if another Celestina Warbeck song comes on, I’m going to Bombarda the bloody radio,” Lily was saying, cheerful as ever.

“C’mon, Lils, lighten up!” Sirius closed his eyes at hearing his best friend’s voice. “Tomorrow’s Christmas! Leave the poor radio alone and come dance!”

Harry’s high shriek of laughter and Lily’s startled gasp matching perfectly with the pitch of Drops of Amortentia: The Yule Romance clearly indicated what had happened. Sirius laughed hard enough that his hand fell against the door.

“Someone’s out there,” James said sharply.

“It’s me, Sirius Black,” Sirius said rapidly before Lily got it into her head to hex before asking questions. Ever since spending a week in fourth year with tentacles he’d had a very healthy respect for her wand.

“Which movie did you write your Muggle Studies essay on in sixth year?” Lily’s voice demanded, sounding wary. The radio had stopped playing.

“Trick question,” Sirius said. “I wanted to pick a really badass movie but you raved and raved about the Wizard of Oz musical and forced me to write about it. I’m also sixty per cent sure you hid all the books about Hitchcock from the library just to annoy me.”

The door swung open, and both of them beamed at him. “Padfoot!” Lily called. “Come on in!”

“Hey, mate,” James said, grasping his shoulder in a half hug. “Good to see you.”

“You too,” Sirius said. “But it’s much, much better seeing you,” he cooed, heading to the crib where Harry was standing up on wobbly feet, one hand reached out towards him.

At five months, he’d nearly grown out of the pudgy state newborns seemed to perpetually exist in. Lily despaired over the fact that the Potter hair had already grown in. James beamed over the fact that Harry’s eyes had settled to an emerald green identical to his mother’s.

Harry made several excited noises as Sirius picked him up and bounced him. “Look at him,” Sirius said. “His first word is absolutely going to be Padfoot.”

“If that happens, I’m never forgiving you,” James said solemnly.

“What does that mean, half an hour of ignoring him and sulking instead of the typical five minutes?” Lily asked, sounding amused.

James made an offended noise. “I am perfectly capable of remaining angry at Sirius.”

“Whatever you say, Prongs.”

“Oh, fu—”

“Anyway,” Lily interrupted the swear word loudly. “Harry’s just five months. He’s barely eating banana pulp now. He’s nowhere close to talking.” She paused. “Also, a first word is typically one or two syllables and his is definitely going to be ma or mama.”

“There’s no need to be jealous about Harry liking me better than you, Evans,” James placated condescendingly.

“You really want to get into this, Potter?”

“Why not?”

“You’re on!”

“I’m the one who got him Furry!”

Furry was an absolute monstrosity of a stuffed toy that Harry adored to pieces. It gave Sirius the chills; he really didn’t understand how a five-month-old cuddled it while sleeping.

“I got him his practice snitch!”

Lily had claimed that this would help Harry’s locomotion and reflexes a lot. Sirius wasn’t particularly sure about that – if childhood practice really translated into adulthood, he ought to be completely unable to feel pain, thanks to his beloved mother.

“He always smiles and stands up in his crib when he sees me—”

“I carried him for nine months and feed him, thank you, James—”

They’d gotten very close to one another. Sirius could almost literally see sparks flying.

“Ahem,” he said, clearing his throat. Both of them blinked. “We really don’t need to see the flirting. Do we, Harry?” He asked his godson.

Harry clapped happily and wiggled in his arms. James rolled his eyes. Lily laughed and came to take her son from Sirius.

“Like you aren’t just as bad,” James grumbled. “Don’t be a hypocrite, Padfoot. Anna, Teresa, Fabian, Mary, Cara… Every single one of them you shoved into our bloody faces–”

“We are planning on going out today, right, dear?” Lily asked, interrupting what was shaping up to be an impressive rant.

“Of course,” James said, blinking in surprise.

“Wonderful. Just confirming, because once the two of you get started, you never stop and everything gets derailed.”

“You know, I never understood where that word came from.” Sirius commented. “Derailed. How does that mean diverted?”

“It’s from French,” Lily said. “Because trains run on rail tracks and when a train goes off them—” She sighed when the men looked completely blank. “I give up. The two of you need to learn something about muggles other than bikes and music.”

“Speaking of muggles,” Sirius said. “Are you sure you want to go to Diagon Alley and not some muggle place? It’s much more dangerous.”

“We’ve talked about this,” James said. “Yes… It’s dangerous, but we really need to get our last-minute shopping done. Stuff from the wizarding world. And the Alley is pretty much deserted anyway.”

“Yeah, but Death Eaters—”

“Padfoot,” Lily said softly. “We need to do this.”

Sirius suppressed a sigh. He probably should have figured. James and Lily were two of the stubbornest people on the goddamn planet. He sent a prayer to the heavens for patience for when Harry decided displaying their combined obstinacy would be a good idea. “It’s risky,” he gave a final, half-hearted protest.

“Mate, living in times like this is risky.” James snorted. Left unspoken was that they specifically were in danger because of Harry. Not that Sirius would ever wish his beautiful, beloved godson away.

That reminded him. “I think you should go for the Fidelius,” he said abruptly.

“What?” James sounded completely bewildered.

“You really think so?” Lily asked with narrowed eyes. “Why so suddenly?”

Sirius thought about the sudden surge of panic and terror and the goosebumps that had risen right before he’d come into the Potters’ flat. He thought about trying to explain his panic attack, and winced mentally.

“I just think,” he swallowed. “It’ll be safer. For you both. And for Harry.”

Cheap shot, but Harry’s safety would be what convinced them. Their own safety mattered a lot less.

Lily still looked unconvinced, but James bit his lip in thought. “Maybe you’re right,” he conceded. “I’m getting tired of moving around, at any rate. I want Harry to have a home.”

“James are you sure?” Lily asked.

“I don’t know – we’ll have to talk to Dumbledore again,” he said. “Think about it a bit more. But Padfoot – you’re right. After Dorcas and Victor…”

Sirius flinched. James looked apologetic. Lily passed Harry to James and came to Sirius to put her arms around him. He leaned into them.

He and Victor Vance had had a bit of on-and-off thing. They’d been off when Victor had been murdered with his sister-in-law Dorcas Meadowes, but that hadn’t reduced the pain of it much. Or at all.

“But the Fidelius is risky,” Lily said frowning, leaning her head on Sirius’ shoulder. The weight was comforting. “You know – no other wards can be put up, single point of failure, can’t go out through Apparition or Floo or Portkey—”

“Less risky than this,” Sirius muttered. He thought about the feeling of being followed and had a full body shudder. Lily frowned, likely feeling that. He hurried on, “If we pick someone we definitely trust, like Dumbledore—”

“I don’t want Dumbledore as Secret Keeper,” Lily interrupted. Both the men stared at her.

“What? Why?” James asked incredulously. Of the three of them, having grown up in a liberal pureblood house, he was the most faithful in the aged headmaster. Which wasn’t to say the other two didn’t trust him. Which was probably why Lily looked uncomfortable.

“I just—I don’t—” She let out a frustrated breath, obviously unable to articulate it.

“What is it, Lil?” Sirius asked, frowning.

“Dumbledore’s a general,” she said finally. “Our general. And… His priority is winning the war. And that was ours too, when we joined. But now…”

“Harry,” both Sirius and James said at the same time.

“You think he’ll – what, betray you guys because it’d be the better option?” Sirius frowned.

Lily hesitated. “I don’t think he’d betray us.” There was an uncomfortable pause. “But I’d still prefer the Secret Keeper be – if we’re actually, truly doing this – someone who loves us. Someone whose topmost priority is Harry too.”

“You have a point,” James said. He sighed. “On both counts, honestly.”

Sirius didn’t say anything for a moment. “Yeah,” he sighed. “Maybe the Fidelius is a stupid idea. Maybe we can get you some sort of a permanent safe house or something.”

Lily kissed his cheek. “We’ll think of something,” she promised. “For now, though…” She strode to the chest on the table, pulling it open and taking out two vials. “We have some last-minute shopping to do!”

Sirius had to grin at the sudden mood switch and the eagerness in Lily’s voice.

James stared mournfully at the potion. “Do we have to use Polyjuice?” He complained. “I hate the stuff.”

“You’re taking enough of a risk even without it, Prongs,” Sirius scolded.

“The point we’ve reached where Sirius is the cautious one,” Lily sighed, shaking her head. “This is pathetically sad.”

“I can be cautious,” James said in a mock offended voice at the same time as when Sirius said: “Fuck off, Evans.”

James made a face as he downed the Polyjuice. He became shorter and thinner, his hair turned blond and his face grew plumper. Lily grew taller, her hair shooting upwards towards her chin and turning black.

“Wow,” she said. “That never gets old.”

“I disagree,” James shuddered. “That shit got old the first time.”

“James!” Lily scolded. “Don’t swear in front of Harry!” When Sirius snickered, she rounded on him. “And you, Sirius, if you manage to get a swear word as his first one, I will kill you.”

Sirius held his hands up in defeat, grinning brazenly. “Hey, no plans on that, Lily.” She rolled her eyes fondly at him, while James leaned in to kiss her to pacify her the way he did whenever Sirius managed to annoy her – which was ridiculously often.  

“It’s so weird kissing you like this, James,” Lily laughed as they broke apart. “You’re so – different.”

“I’m sure I’m as handsome as ever,” James said arrogantly, running a hand through his hair, which looked much weirder when it was straight and actually lay flat.

“And there’s the arrogant prat I love,” Lily said, leaning up to kiss him again. Despite their completely changed outward appearances, they kissed exactly the same – Lily tilting her chin, James holding the back of her head. And they just: fit. Like always.

Before they forgot his existence – the way they used to all the time in seventh year once they started dating – Sirius made loud gagging noises. They broke apart, looking half amused, half annoyed.

“Thank you Padfoot.” Lily drawled.

“Yeah, we’re going now, alright.” James rolled his eyes.

“You’re welcome, see you later rather than sooner, leave me some time with my godson!” Sirius said back cheerfully. Lily stuck her tongue out at him as she headed out, and James flipped him off before wrapping his arm around Lily’s waist.

As soon as the door closed behind the couple, Sirius bounced Harry. “Now what should we do Harry?” He wondered aloud.

Harry gurgled.

He nodded seriously. “I see. Do you want to do something that’ll piss your parents off just a bit, or something that’ll make them really, really mad?”

Harry made a ga-ga-goo sound, and Sirius nearly had a heart attack thinking he was about to speak. He really didn’t want James and Lily to miss that. Also, at the same time, he remembered being there when Harry first stood in his crib with shaky legs, and crying from joy. Then Harry silenced at himself, and gave a toothless smile.

“Bad boy,” he scolded. “Scaring me like that.” He bopped his nose gently.

Harry grabbed Sirius’ finger.

“We’re like that, hmm? See what you’ve done now,” he tutted. “No fun for you. We’re going to have a nice, boring night like your parents want.”

Was it Sirius’ imagination or was the baby pouting?

No way. Harry was only five months. It was a miracle he could even stand, even just only with support. He definitely couldn’t understand what Sirius was saying.

“Alright, alright,” he sighed exaggeratedly. “We’ll do what you want. I swear, kiddo, you’re going to be a total nightmare when you grow up.”

Harry giggled. It reminded him of Lily’s – which Sirius hadn’t heard since before they’d gotten to know about the prophecy.

He thought about Voldemort wanting this beautiful, adorable, incredible, the bundle-of-joy, the light in all their lives dead. His head ran through the Fidelius, all the protective charms he knew, ways to get the Potters out of the country and all the safehouses he knew about. Panic began to coil in his chest again.

Sirius breathed, held him close and kissed his head, smoothing the black hair down.

“You’re going to be fine, Harry.” He whispered to his godson, “I swear.”

  “It’s so odd seeing the Alley like this,” Lily said, frowning.

“Yeah, I know,” James looked troubled. “I really, really hope this gets resolved soon.” Without Harry’s involvement, went unsaid.

“You reckon Harry will like this?” Lily asked, trying to get off the topic. But that was ridiculously hard to do, these days. Everywhere, every time, this was the subject everyone wanted to discuss. Even James’ once happy-go-lucky best friend was now perturbed and traumatized. She sighed, thinking of Sirius, remembering the way he’d shuddered against her and clung to her when they’d discussed the Fidelius. She’d have to find a way to cheer him up.

Maybe invite some of the Order once she and James and Harry shifted to a bigger place next time? Harry was due a playdate with Neville anyway.

“—hope he has better taste than this,” James was saying. He paused, considering her with soft eyes. “What’re you thinking about with such focus, love?” He batted his eyelashes at her. “Really hope it’s me and not some other bloke.”

Lily laughed. “No, I was just thinking about Caradoc,” she said mock seriously. “Have you seen those muscles – and his eyes are absolutely dreamy—”

James swung her up to kiss her again. She thought she’d never tire of this. Some pleasures, no matter how oft experienced, felt like the first time every time, and this was one of those.

“Yeah?” He asked breathily. “Well, by the time I’m done with you, Lily Evans Potter, you’re not going to be thinking of another man in that context ever again.”

She shivered despite herself. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Potter,” she said teasingly.

“Never do,” his eyes twinkled. “And even if I did, I assure you this one I have every intention to keep.”

“Ah, young love,” The shopkeeper said. “We’re having a discount for the Christmas-Yule-Hanukkah-New Year season,” He elaborated. Probably because of lack of business, due to the atmosphere of the war. “What are you looking for?”

“Just gifts in general for friends,” Lily replied. She passed the few things she and James had collected from the shop. “Ring these for us, please.”

“And something for our son. He’s only a few months old,” James added. “But he can already stand with support and make comprehensible noises,” he said with the dad-pride air he had about him every time he talked about Harry and which made Lily want to snog the breath out of him.

“Congratulations! He sounds wonderful,” the shopkeeper grinned.

“Also, where’s Madam Dunning?” James asked. “She’s usually around here whenever I come to shop.”

The shopkeeper grimaced. “She… hasn’t come to work in two weeks.” The implication was obvious. James’s eyes darkened.

“I’m so sorry,” Lily gave her condolences softly. “We’ll just take a moment.”

“Of course.”

“James,” she said, putting her hand on his cheek as she stood against the wall right outside. It was dark enough that she felt confident nobody would see them. Last minute shoppers were still around, though much less than what she thought would have been the number if it weren’t for the war. No one lingered. “James. Love. Can you hear me?”

James shook his head, sighing. “Yeah. ‘Course, Lil.” He grabbed her hand. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” she said. “And that’s okay.”

James let out his breath shakily, leaning in to press his forehead against hers. “I think I want to get those packages from Wiseacre’s and go home.”

Lily nodded, despite this being their only night out for the foreseeable future. “Alright. I haven’t got you a present though,” she added with realization.

“All I want for Christmas, I already have,” James whispered, eyes soft. “You and Harry. And Sirius and Peter and Remus.”

“I think we needed a reminder of that,” Lily said quietly.

“Yeah.” James agreed. “I love you, Lily. Every day more than the day before. You, Harry, our family is worth everything.”

“You’re what I’m fighting for. You’re the meaning to it all, for me. I love you too. Happy Christmas, James.”

“Happy Christmas, Lily.”

And as midnight rang out, they kissed.