#anyways I'm really excited about this and I'm the type of person who can't contain her excitement

[arabic-langblr]

Sneak peek about the surprise

Hello, lovely people!

I hope you're all doing well.

First of all, thank you so much for the warm welcome back ;-; I honestly didn't expect it! I would have returned much earlier if I knew that was the case :')

Anyways, I'm currently working on a few posts and there's also the surprise I mentioned earlier, which I wanted to share it with you to see who's interested in participating in it.

I've always said that I'm not so happy with the available free Arabic courses online, so I decided to do something about it and make an actual good free course that is fun and accessible for everyone. I have experience in teaching Arabic for non-native speakers of different ages so I think I'll be able to make an interesting course based on my humble experience and knowledge.

I'm currently working on the material, although I'm no editing expert but my point is not to have the "perfect" course in terms of technology/presentation. I am, however, confident that the content will be good, that I'll be able to give you guys something that is fun and practical إن شاء الله. I'm not sure if we can call it a course, or an event or a learning activity, as you wish it's the idea that counts ^^

I'm gonna start from the very beginning, and I'll be with you every step on the way. During the time the course/event will take place, I'll answer questions, give you homework and correct it, etc.

It won't be live. I'll make content in advance so that people can listen to it at their own pace. I'm thinking of posting 2 lessons a week depending on how long each lesson will be.

I hope you'll be interested in this idea, the first level will be beginner i.e. the letters / harakat / words.

Is anyone interested in this idea? let me know.

Also, if you have any other comments / questions feel free to share them! Like how long would the lessons be ideally? And how many lessons per week?

[iraprince]

I adore all your art with cookie and was interested in Sapphicworld- but I’m curious (so plz don’t take this as a negative-) what exactly in your opinion sets it apart from other Queer PBTA hacks like Thirsty Sword Lesbians?

I’d just really like to hear your thoughts about it as a system and world especially given you are a indie developer yourself?

hi!! thank you!!

so, a few caveats before i start off — one, i actually haven't played many other pbta games (like for example i know Of thirsty sword lesbians + own a copy that i've poked around in but im not very familiar w it), so i honestly can't provide much in the way of comparing/contrasting it w other pbta stuff in the same vein, and my impressions of sapphicworld are pretty much just contained to the game as its own thing, not so much sapphicworld as a Type Of Game

and two, while i am a dev myself, i'm a huge novice! like, i'm proud of the stuff i put out and i love doing it, but i personally feel like my lack of experience is such that like, i don't think my opinions in this case are particularly informed by my own work as a dev or anything. all this to say im happy to answer this question, i think i just gotta tackle it from a different frame than what ur specifically asking!

BUT ANYWAY. i can still talk abt why im so excited abt sapphicworld in a way that has kind of outstripped other stuff in general, and for me it's about the world 100%. like i honestly spend close to no time thinking abt the fact that sw is even pbta to be honest. not that the mechanics + gameplay aren't important, bc they are thoughtfully crafted and well done and fun, and i'm saying that from the perspective of someone who playtested earlier versions that have now been reworked! it's just like, not what comes to mind first for me — what's exciting and fresh and irreplaceable abt the game in my mind is like. it is fully committed to immersing you in an extremely lush, strange, richly fleshed out world, one with a long history and folklore/mythology and a TON of really fun npcs who all have different subcultures and its own calendar with seasonal holidays and regional terrain with specific fleshed out dungeons/towns/etc to discover and even like, specific FOODS typical to each different region and and and and —

and maybe at first that seems kind of overwhelming, and tbh it is. when i first got into it and i was going thru the playtest document (which if im remembering right was like. ~300 pages shorter at the time than the current playtest doc) i DO remember anxiously thinking to myself "god this is a LOT and idk if i'll be able to retain enough of this to rp convincingly" etc etc. but like... it's just really compelling, and it does an incredible job of mixing humor and gravity and horniness in a perfect ratio that always comes across as intensely earnest and makes it equally easy to have a fun goofy time or a really emotional time, which i think is REALLY hard to do.

and while normally it's hard for me to get thru something that dense and long all i can really say is that i just straight up like it enough and was charmed by it enough to pick away at it until i grasped it and felt like i understood a bunch about the world, which also has a curve to it bc in structure and tone its very different from any of your... idk more Standard fantasy or sci fi worldbuilding, so it's not like u can immediately slot in ur expectations from other settings and just learn some new vocab words, it's a world that from my perspective also Functions differently than a lot of other fictional settings in a way that's a little hard to describe succinctly. (none of this is succinct to begin with but ykwim). it makes me want to gm my own campaign, really really bad, when usually i have always been absolutely Terrified of the idea of gming! idk man. it has a Flavor. it's full of Vapors. u get transported somewhere else reading it and playing it in a way i haven't experienced in a while and a lot of times after a playtest session i felt like my brain stayed behind in sapphicworld for a pretty long time.

i feel like i am sounding a little melodramatic and incoherent but like. genuinely sapphicworld is just a fictional world that i am really bone-deep charmed by and interested in and when i WAS reading thru the rulebook for those first days it did not take me long at all to find myself constantly thinking "i want to play in this world, i want to play in this world, i can't wait to play in this world," and i just think that's really special. and like — just as your curiosity abt comparing sw to tsl was not intended as a diss or a negative, what im abt to say is similarly neutral — im a person who sometimes finds it a little difficult to click with or feel excited abt a lot of the Queer Indie Stuff that i see get popular with other people, bc it just doesn't connect w my specific lesbian + trans experience; not that it feels inauthentic but that im like, oh, idk, i think these guys are just. not My Zone, ykwim. on the flip side so much of the humor and heart and transness and sex in sapphicworld is something that really resonates w me and just Clicks in a way that i have also found really special.

rounding myself off before i ramble for like five more paragraphs but just as one more morsel of something i like abt sapphicworld that is a little more concrete than me spinning around the room yelling "I JUST LIKE IT OKAY": one of the most fun parts of character creation is getting to mix and match your kind (sort of like ancestry/species, the form ur physical body takes) with a subculture. so u get things like a werewolf babe (cookie! babe being a subculture that focuses on being Like, Totally Hot), or a centaur knight, or a minotaur debaucher, or a vampire cowboy, or an organist (cthulu-y tentacle guy) scenester, or a skeleton wizard, etc etc etc etc — there are SO MANY to pick from that when i was trying to bait my friends into playing w me i couldn't find a convenient way to list them all so ppl could start thinking abt their characters. and every possible combination basically is interesting and amusing and fun and practically THROWS a great oc into your lap and i literally think i could amuse myself endlessly just Making Characters in sapphicworld and never actually playing w them.

[panting, disheveled] so tldr. i like it. uh. what sets sapphicworld apart from other ttrpgs to me is that i have fallen balls to the wall in love with the very soul of it to the point where i don't even really think about it in comparison to other games at all and it has just become an Experience to me and i suppose i cannot guarantee anyone else will fall into insane homosexual hysteria in the same way but here we are. HOPE THAT HELPS

(ALSO PSSST. idk if this is just perfect timing or if ur curiosity was specifically prompted by this but the @sapphicworldttrpg patreon DID just launch and if any of this has been intriguing u should check it out. okay mwah bye)

[costanzainc]

ive decided this is my diary because i don't think anyone knows my name here.

I'm still that kind of naive and also have never had that feeling of validation from the internet sooo i still have some part of me that likes to keep things a secret! Who knows why.

Anyways, today like many other days I had several tasks that I needed to get done. Instead of doing them or setting time for myself to do them, I moved to the couch and laid down and slept. I know that smoking makes me tired, and really takes me down but I can't stop doing it. I decided to cut cold turkey on the first day of summer! So until then, I'm holding onto the fatigue. Much like everything else, a part of me will miss how tired I am from smoking. It's a part of me and a part of this time! How could I not look back fondly.

Anyways, I did have to get food for my dog so I did get up eventually. I called my friend because I dream of being alone but can't be. I only realized today that I haven't been alone really. Well I've been alone but not the way I used to be. The kind of alone that feels like you aren't tied to anyone and you aren't tied to anything. My therapist (haven't seen her and still owe her money from almost 8 months ago) she told me that I feel that way because I never set boundaries. I guess now I know she's right. It sucks I couldn't speed up what she knew a part of me subconsciously knew already but the lessons have stayed with me! Thankfully!

Anyways, we went to a couple different places and I sure spent $$$$ but only $100 more than what I wanted. Normally I would have spent all my money. The fact I contained myself is pretty impressive. Only to me though. We'll see how I feel again on Friday.

I am excited about my purchases though, and I think a lot of me is growing and healing and looking back at old moments in a different way. Normally my nostalgia and hurt cloud the way I see some situations but now I know a lot of those old moments are past me. Does that make sense? I held onto them and think it would play out z way but now I know it wouldn't have. Idk! My shoulders felt lighter today too.

Because of today though, I am fixing that relationship to my face, makeup, and caring about my appearance. I am a good looking person, despite my teeth (which i will fix SOON), but I'm seeing that and I know now makeup enhances that. Even my friend said she wondered why i was extra glowing when I saw her in my makeup. I'm just proud of myself for all this trying I'm doing.

I rarely try to do things because I am so insecure it's hard to feel like everyone isn't making fun of me behind my back. I try to be honest with people in a kind way of you're asking for honesty and I am being honest not disrespectful so I wish others would do it for me. But I'm trying pretty hard and it's funny the catalyst for this. It was my job. Not the crush. In fact i'm starting to get over that because I'm feeling like a dump site. I can have a crush though. Just a friend crush though :)

I want to write more things like this in my personal at home for me written diary but typing is so much faster. Should I do a digital journal?

[chungwoohell]

ep: 461

RTD arc part 1

next

-Insane board game;;;;

Fans’ SNS timelines began to explode with news of TeSTAR’s limited edition board game album.

After comparing the images, the reaction became even stronger when it was said that the board game seemed to have the same appearance as the one that appeared in the teaser.

-I guess they really used it as a music video prop.

-Is it a game structure that uses a poker app? I don't know what it will feel like. Will there be a TeSTAR world view?

-They know how to sell it, really haha.

-Wow, I really need to have this.

It was mainly excitement and anticipation, but not necessarily in a good way.

This was because of the limited number.

Even if a regular edition is released in the future, it will definitely be different in composition from the limited edition.

-Just 1000?

A group that sells millions of albums?

-Don't you think about the game? Wow, the sales will be very popular.

-How can I buy this?

-The agency can't let go of T1's actions.

-I wonder if someone is from a label under that label.

Thanks to this, TeSTAR’s new agency, Stars Orbit Entertainment, finally began to receive criticism.

In fact, because they were produced in a hurry to meet the schedule, it was impossible to meet the production schedule to make tens of thousands of units.

However, there was a feeling that this negative reaction was intentionally neglected to some extent.

This was to calm down the atmosphere of excessive deification of the label in advance.

This is because it is a burdensome task for both new companies and groups.

Anyway, if the composition of the regular edition was almost the same as the limited edition, it was a complaint that would soon subside.

Moreover, because TeSTAR’s comeback itself came first, fans couldn't just focus on criticizing the agency.

For example, something like this.

-Oh, the album is USB type.

Testa's album released this time was not a CD, but a USB.

It is also a standalone composition.

It ended up being a simple set-up consisting of only an album USB, a recycled paper box, and a photo card.

-I think we will continue to make USB products in the future due to environmental issues.

-Honestly, as album sales are growing, a lot of trash is coming out 0.0

However, not being able to receive the photos and lyric book in person made people feel strangely disappointed.

In an age where online streaming has become a trend, the reason to buy an album is because having physical possessions is more meaningful.

Moreover, the small number of components felt somehow shabby.

The USB may contain photos and lyrics as data, but the fact that you can't hold it in your hand feels somewhat chilling.

-Well, 3 types via USB...

-I wish you could show me what the USB looks like.

-I wish it was a doll or something.

-No, they don't really tell you anything, but they take reservations first. Maybe they should at least release some concept photos haha.

The quality of the teaser was good, and the voice was relatively quiet thanks to the enthusiasm for the concept of continuing the teen concept of the previous album, which ended unfortunately.

But it was definitely there. The strangely depressing atmosphere created by voices of dissatisfaction.

'Ha....'

In the end, fans who cared about it deliberately tried to find something be ter.

Part of the effort was to find special content that is not usually included in CD albums and to spread the word about it on Testa's album reservation product page.

-I heard that this album includes an extended MV version. Since it is in US B format, I think I tried it at a large volume. I'm already looking forward to it.

-There is a warning regarding the QR code reader! I guess there's something to read through QR. I think I prepared a lot.

But that was the end.

No more specific information about the album has been released even as the comeback date approaches.

'What are you thinking??'

Thanks to this, even the first Homma for Park Moondae had been tearing her fingernails out.

Although the concept photo was released once, it was a comfortable teen concept similar to the previous teaser.

This means that it was decent and pretty but had nothing special.

It felt too similar to the last album.

Compared to ‘Present’, which had a 30-minute teaser, 'Better me', which had a cinematic trailer, and 'Promise', which was like a movie.......

'There was only one teaser, it was a USB album, and the composition was simple....'

It was inevitable that the scary word 'cost-effectiveness' would pass through her mind.

-I could never have imagined being treated like this at a new company.

-The back of my head is tingling~~~What did you do with the dark damp ness? After all, it was a dark dampness that only works on the mysterious Seombyeol.

-Sambyeol is now active for a week and going on tour?

-Don’t you think this title will be somewhat similar to the previous title, ‘Pose’? But now it’s worse.

(* Seombyeol is to prevent talking about TeSTAR in search results.)

Amidst the swirling emotions below.

As anxiety, agony, excitement, and anticipation intertwined, the fateful day finally arrived.

It's midnight, Testa's first comeback day under the new company. Finally, the MV... It’s released.

"...Ha."

[TeSTAR 'Roll the Dice' Official MV]

Homma took a deep breath.

The title is dice, and the thumbnail also had dice......

How far will you go?

'Is this really a board game concept? I'm worried that it's gotten to this point because I feel like I'm going crazy... No!'

Homma shook off useless thoughts and clicked on the MV with trembling hands.

"Uh?"

What appeared on the screen was... It was a wooden floor. It was the floor of the attic that appeared in the teaser just before.

But TeSTAR, who was sitting there at that time, was not there. It wasn't them that was focused.

It's a board game board.

There are tokens and cards scattered on it.

However, the impression was a bit different from when it first appeared in the teaser.

I thought it was the typical plot of dividing the space and moving forward by picking up the ground.

But looking at it like this... Rather, it is more elaborate, realistic, and feels like a blueprint for a building....

‘…A prison? Maze?'

That moment.

The camera was sucked into it.

[You have my dice]

A low voice echoed through the black field of vision.

And the screen came back again.

-Doong...!

A long row of hallways.

Built with gray stones of different contrast ratios, the place looked like part of a huge underground dungeon.

The huge rusty nameplate on the floor was briefly captured on camera.

< KIS >

-Keep It Safe

Tap, tap.

You can hear the sound of footsteps and see iron doors lined up on both sides. It’s like someone’s point of view.

'Are you a jailer?'

Then, the camera leaves again.

Hwiik.

The camera, which went into an iron door on the left and immediately approached someone, who was sitting on the floor.

The figure was wearing a white costume with a harness, a stage costume reminiscent of a straitjacket or prison uniform.

Now she saw the figure with his head slightly lowered, Homma immediately noticed.

Close your eyes... Black-haired Park Moondae.

‘Huh…!’

Because his bangs were a little long, his eyes were slightly obscured.

The moment of close-up of the pale face,

-Pipipipipipipipi….

I started hearing small noises from somewhere.

A noise that appears when a machine detects something or operates.

Then Park Moondae raised his hand with his eyes closed and hit it somewhere.

Puck.

With a screen showing a surveillance camera exploding in the air. The music explodes.

[Touch your hand

My tape is cold again]

A mid-range sound that is refreshing.

And the screen soared upwards, and eventually it went up through the dark secret room and went to an upper level somewhere.

A ray of light shone from the ceiling of the place, a lattice-lined iron cage.

The tempo rises.

[The moment my heart beats

All my senses are slow]

In that ray of light, someone sneakily came down with a rope attached to the end of the torn-off iron cage.

It is Ryu Chungwoo, wearing a tight leather suit.

As he landed, a slightly mischievous smile appeared on his face.

The drum beat mixes in, and the bass rushes heavily along with a slightly more rocking sound.

[Exciting contact

In your silent eyes

[Finding a clear answer]

As Ryu Chungwoo puts his hand to his ear, the cut changes to someone doing the same motion.

It was Kim Rae-bin wearing glasses.

[There is only one choice

Yes, take it all (one more)

Even if I lose this tight grip]

Raebin Kim, who was sitting in front of a dark monitor room, looked like a hacker or an employee.

However, he soon turned his head with an expressionless expression, as if he had no idea, and then took an awl out of his pocket and smashed the monitог.

Just before the monitor crackles and turns off.

Between the twisted viewing angles, Cha Eugene, wearing a straitjacket, looked at the camera and smiled with her fangs showing.

And then the monitor turns off and silence.

[Let's Start, a fight]

Along with the low-pitched melody, the pre-chorus exploded.

[Find it and look at its face

I don’t care what’s next]

There’s cuts of each TeSTAR member running through gray hallways, secret rooms, mazes, monitoring rooms, and other unknown conceptual places that are connect without a break.

[Chaser today again

Don’t stop your hands]

It looks cool, but the moment it seems like the incredible cut transitions to a reappeared scene so much that you can’t even tell how many cuts were taken. Then someone’s hand blocks it.

It was a hand wearing cotton gloves.

[Find out everything

Don’t be scared what’s next]

The owner of the hand was Lee Se-jin.

Lee Se-jin, wearing a navy-blue uniform, was drinking coffee and smiling.

Then he turned his head to look at the broken monitor, took the key, and left the monitor room, humming.

[Chaser tomorrow again

Don't end the twist]

And the chorus.

[Just roll the dice]

During the dance break, costumes and the background changes naturally, like a cross-edited video of stages.

From white prison uniforms to military uniforms, and then back to leather suits.

“Huh.”

How many shots did they take of this one? No, it seemed like it was more exciting than running around, but I’m sorry to say that it was better than that, but it was enough to make my heart pound.

Homma swallowed her saliva and continued watching the video.

[Trust, take my side]

In the second verse after the chorus, the story and choreography are appropriately mixed, and the video returns to its original KPOP feel.

It is a powerful performance video full of concepts.

However, I was able to understand the story in quite detail thanks to the beginning.

'Let's see... Moondae and Cha Eugene, um, prisoners? It's the same thing. Raebin and Chungwoo are phantom thieves. And is Keun Sejin the jailer?'

However, Bae Sejin and Seon Ahyeon appeared in the performance in various outfits, but they were just tilting their heads, showing they were not sure about their specific roles.

[Okay, this Final Round]

It was when the bridge melody was flowing.

The screen suddenly changes from fast tempo to long take.

What is reflected is the back of someone standing in front of a huge iron door.

The camera soon rotated halfway, revealing his true identity.

It was Bae Sejin.

'Ah, it was a phantom thief!'

He was dressed similarly to Ryu Chungwoo. That was when Homma nodded.

Bae Sejin calmly looked at the iron door and reached for the lock pad next to it.

There was a strange mechanical device that looked like a key, and I wondered if there was a close-up of its leather gloved hands.

Ugh.

Suddenly, the hand changed several times, trembling between a hand wearing a cotton glove and a hand with a scar.

"...!"

But soon returned with gloved hands.

And the moment I connected the key to the lock pad, a code entry field appeared on the machine.

[______]

‘Oh!’

Bae Sejin seemed to be smiling faintly…

-puck!

With a clicking sound, the screen disappeared.

“…??”

[Just roll the dice

Trust, take my side]

There was no next verse.

In an instant, another dazzling performance video followed.

Even though Homma was fascinated by it, a question remained in her mind... In the end, I gave in to the performance.

'I'm sure you'll get a treat at the end...!'

Yes. The hint was given right when the song ended. But not in the way she expected.

On the screen that turned black, something else appeared instead of Bae Sejin’s whereabouts.

It was a close-up shot of a beautiful face.

"...?"

That... It was blonde-haired Seon Ahyeon, who is wearing a navy-blue uniform.

He looked straight into the camera and pursed his lips.

-…Choose your side.

The soft sound of string instruments began to flow.

As the screen slowly closed to black from top to bottom, Seon Ahyeon slowly turned his head and began to walk down the hallway.

It was the gray hallway we first entered.

The black baton waved slightly from Seon Ahyeon’s waist.

Looks good for subduing someone.

“…..”

Then the screen fades black.

Amid the soft string instruments, until only the clear sound of military boots remains.

-Tuk, knock, knock....

Then, a letter comes to mind.

[Roll the Dice]

~Please enter the code

The last thing that appears is a blinking black box.

This appeared when Bae Sejin accessed the lock pad in the music video.

and....

“….Ha!"

Homma let out the breath she had been holding.

crazy!

'I was worried for no reason!'

The quality was like a movie! Although it is a bit different from existing music videos, this will definitely get a response.

'There will be a huge reaction from foreigners....'

It was already expected.

'The world view is a bit... It was very bold, though.'

It was like a new world view! There was a bit too much force, so it felt like some kind of drama fan music video.

'Is the board game that worldview? 'Do you understand if you do that?'

It was when she was thinking hard.

Suddenly, personal messages poured in on social media.

'What?'

I thought it was just DuckTalk, so I clicked on it.

-The album product page popped up and it was the key from the crazy music video.

“…??”

-The key in the kid’s music video is the album USB!!

“…Uh huh??”

She opened her mouth and screamed.

‘Aaaah!!’

The next day.

‘Hurry! Hurry!

She frantically opened the album she had received.

So, while being as careful as possible, I hurriedly disconnected the USB, which was a music video prop, and connected it to the computer, then tried to access the folder.

Because....

'You made it so meaningful!'

There was definitely something in the MV expansion! I had to see it!

'Just click on the video like this!'

Could we see the extended version of the MV?

"... !!"

However, it was not the video player that welcomed her.

[Do you want to allow the TeSTAR Roll the Dice MV Extended Edition (Playable) app to change devices?]

App?

At that moment, she realized.

'Playable.'

game.

The MV extended version is... It was a game!

[apompkwrites]

reader impact || fan service scene: resting with you

series masterlist characters: diluc, xiao, zhongli genre: fluff summary: the creators of genshin impact have graciously gifted the players with a fan service scene featuring you! notes: i know dill's doesn't contain sleeping in your lap,,, i'm sorry but i hope you like what i provided :))

diluc -

diluc isn't one to have many sleep issues.

until the nightmares kick in.

whenever he can't sleep, he tends to just sit in his house.

it's always quiet.

not something you'd want after a nightmare, but he deals with it.

it's better than trying to expose himself to thousands or even millions of people.

but one night, after a particularly harsh nightmare, he remembers that the next day was supposed to be when he streams the newest genshin update.

but, he's already up...

and...

he probably will try to take a nap later today anyway...

soooo.

"i know it's a bit of an early, or late, stream but i was already awake."

his stream is definitely worried because this is the first time he streams at like 2:00 am.

he won't address it, though.

they don't need to know, anyway.

he pretty much tries to ignore any questions about his sleeping habits and opts to answer them very vaguely.

he is excited to play the update because he knows there's some more (name) content :))

he'll get everything done that he needs to do like commissions and events from them nice nice primogems.

and then here he is, ready to start the newest feature.

go to the angel's share.

ah yes, the place his character officially met you for the first time.

(he definitely has issues with interacting with patton before going inside)

the quest basically has diluc go around to collect more things needed for the winery.

pretty simple quest.

canonically, the quest takes the mc a few hours to complete because the materials are everywhere.

so a cutscene plays when he gets back to the dawn winery, which is where charles told him to bring the materials.

he walks inside and there you are.

greeting him with a brief nod and a wave of your hand.

mc drops the items on the table, ready to turn around and leave for another commission.

until you call out to him.

"ah, traveler."

mc turns back around and walks back to stand next to you.

you stand up from your chair and place a hand on their shoulder.

you stare at them for a moment.

"...i apologize. you must have been traveling for a long while to get the materials."

mc tries to wave you off.

"no, no. you'll hurt yourself. hm... come with me."

you literally CARRY MC TO A SPARE ROOM.

EXCUSE ME YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT SO CASUALLY?!?!?!

anyway, you pull up a chair next to the bed before placing the mc on the bed.

you simply sit in the chair, quietly stroking your thumb along the mc's arm.

"take a break. i'm sure the adventurer's guild will do just fine for now."

diluc is trying his hardest to hold back tears.

he just... really needed this.

xiao -

it's widely known amongst xiao's community that he has insomnia.

he talks about it a lot on how he has trouble sleeping and he even streams on the nights where it gets so bad he doesn't like being alone with his thoughts.

such is the case here where a new update drops and he's up and ready to play.

he greets everyone briefly as they enter the stream, rubbing his eyes and letting out small yawns every once in a while.

they always know when it's an especially hard night for him, so they come prepared with (name) emotes to try and cheer him up.

they don't have the heart to spoil him about the new update and what it includes.

of course, there will always be that one person who tries to spoil something.

the chat sees that and just spams (name) emotes to hide it.

and since xiao is pretty sleep deprived at this point, he doesn't notice.

now he's ready to actually play.

he'll complete his daily commissions and anything else he needs to get done before checking out the newest features.

he does know that there's a part in the update that features you :0

he doesn't know what the actual update is but he just knows that he'll be able to see you again :))

so he's going through the update, right?

just admiring you even if he's half asleep.

and here comes the part that actually almost put him to sleep right there.

his mc and you are walking down the streets of liyue and it's all dark.

there's a few lights here and there.

you two are walking down to the inn he had first met you at.

passing by the boss lady at the front counter.

walking up the stairs.

and there you two are, on the very balcony he ad first seen you on.

"...you seem tired."

his character doesn't say anything (as expected) but just rubs their eyes and nods.

pain is floating beside you two before going off towards the kitchen downstairs.

now it's just you two.

"you should take a rest."

your voice was so soft :))

you look around the balcony before sighing, taking a seat on the ground.

his character stares at you for a bit before you pat your legs.

"i told you to rest, didn't i?"

?!?!?!?!

YOU'RE TELLING HIM

TO LAY DOWN

ON YOUR LAP????

ASJHAKDHAK

ahem.

anyway.

his character takes a bit before finally letting their head rest in your lap.

he's thanking whoever animated this part because it's a POV shot from the mc.

he's just staring up at you.

you're looking down at him with the softest expression he's ever seen.

"...rest now. i won't let anything harm you."

his chat is freaking out.

he's almost asleep at this point.

life is good.

zhongli -

zhongli doesn't have a lot of sleep issues either...

if he did, he'd probably just drink some tea and try to sleep again.

he isn't the type of stream late at night/early in the morning.

because of this, he plays the newest update for genshin at his scheduled time.

some people who watch him are going to bed though, so it's late at night/early in the morning for them :)

he knows this and tries to tell his viewers to get proper rest.

"it isn't good for you to stay up so late."

he really cares about them :))

he's happy to talk to them though.

(he definitely knows people like his voice so he's happy to help them sleep by talking to them)

his daily objectives take longer considering he's taking the time to read to his viewers.

of course, all of the things he's reading are genshin based.

more specifically you, but they don't mind.

anyway, he FINALLY gets his stuff done.

now he's finally ready to start the new (name) quest.

he's like... one or two hours into the stream already.

but he doesn't mind longer stream, especially when it concerns you.

go to third round knockout

ah yes, the little restaurant you go to for stories about yourself.

and, of course, there you are sitting at your usual chair and drinking tea.

you invite him over to sit down, which causes another cutscene to play, talking more about your adventures as a god/dess.

and, to zhongli's delight, the quest fully begins.

the quest follows you and mc going around lie, exploring different areas while you talk about what you've done there in the years you've been alive.

it's a more chill quest that features lore and character building :))

and then you get to a more secluded spot in lieu.

just the two of you.

the sun has already set and the stars are shining down on the two of you.

zhongli isn't saying anything, reveling in the silence as if he were actually there, standing next to you.

and then your character takes a seat in the grass.

and mc follows suit, sitting beside you.

it isn't long before zhongli's character begins to drift off to sleep.

and that's when it happens.

you reach over and pull mc into your lap, your storytelling continuing as if nothing happened.

"this may be awkward, but i noticed you were falling asleep. go on ahead. i'll be happy to share my stories to help you rest."

zhongli, once again, isn't saying anything. he simply lets the cutscene play.

you're still recalling tales of your past, calmly telling them to whoever was listening.

it's calm and quiet.

and zhongli now knows why people love hearing him tell stories as they sleep.

because he is definitely getting that same sensation hearing you recall your past.

[beetsandskzreads]

silent bright summer night

bang chan x gn!reader, y/n works with skz and became their friend (the ultimate dream haha)

genre: tooth-rotening fluff, slight angst with a happy ending

notes/warnings: nothing intense, this is very fluffy, there's brief mentions of cheating, long distance, y/n's exes, fear of abandonment, slight insecurities, deep talks, reader and chan are slightly wine drunk, y/n and chan are whipped, y/n makes it explicit they want to date someone very warm and caring (aka chan), i don't think that's a warning tho djsjs just saying

scenario: on a balcony, at a beach apartment on a summer night of vacation, y/n opens up to chan about their past and current lovers. what y/n doesn't know is why chan is so interested listening to it.

It was 1:01 am when chan and I found ourselves in the balcony that overlooked the city and it's bright lights on a summer night. Skz had gone to sleep right after all of us came back from a night out of lots of fun, buying stuff on stores by the beach, having ice cream, seeing the view of the city lights reflecting on the sea water, appreciating street artists...

The two of us had been talking the whole evening, we hung out as a group but mostly just spoke to each other and laughed at the members jokes, both of us having a sparkle in our eye every time we saw the group happy. There was this unspoken pleasantness, a bliss, calmness in the air but with a lot of excitement. Chan was so happy to be around the sea with "the kids" as he refers to them and being at the beach almost 24/7 this week, it was like his natural habitat, his home, a comfort place. It left you feeling even softer for him, and as you shared your love for the sea, your feelings were at a peak. You liked Chan, and you loved this place as much as he did.

The night was so great, everyone was out like a lightweight as soon as we arrived to the vacation apartment we're in. Chan and I were testing the theory that a glass of wine would help us get drowsy and help us fall asleep as well, since we both have trouble falling asleep and felt nothing but a remaining excitement from the night out. It came to me especially because of the enthusiasm of talking to him, we were connecting so well, I didn't want this to ever end.

And so we drank (one glass quickly becoming the whole bottle) and we talked for what felt like hours on end, that neither of us wanted to cease.

- My ex best friend, she never quite knew how to choose guys, she always went for the ones that would never turn her way, the ones who obviously wouldn't care about her, not because of her, but because they were really careless guys, walking red flags. - I told him, I couldn't remember where exactly the conversation started but we were talking about nice people picking shitty people to date.

- What about you? - he asked

- Me? I barely even like guys, I mean I do, but I'm really picky actually, I don't allow myself to fall for cold people, I wouldn't forgive myself if I took interest in someone rude, I try so hard to take care of myself so I either stay alone that way or I find someone who makes me feel better, who knows how to take care of me, after all we chase happiness, I think a caring person could do that, someone gentle who isn't scared of emotions or who at least is open to face that fear with me by their side.

- I get it, it's hard to get by if you don't have emotional support, a partner should be able to provide that support, yeah. Did you ever... find someone like that?

- Yeah, in the past I did and even now I do know someone more than ideal... I guess my ex partners when I was young were going through a soft phase tho... I guess everyone has an emotional limit they were scared to cross... once I found that barrier the relationship stoped evolving, reached a dead end and so there was nothing left for me anymore and I left, plus, you know, cheating, long distance, a bunch of stuff really... it wasn't meant to be and I'm okay with that.

- What about that someone right now?

Silence ruled for about 3 seconds before I knew what to say. That someone right now is him. Ever since I've known him feels like he's the only man ever, but I don't think I'd tell him that, not soon anyways.

- What about 'em?

- What's that person like? What makes you trust they're any different from your exes?

- Sometimes I fear they're not, but I set the bar really high and I reset it constantly, to make sure I'm seeing it right, sometimes they seem so perfect to me that I wonder what good have i done in my past life to deserve to be around such a bright person. Of course they make mistakes too, but even the way they deal with them is so... mature, it's so easy to just solve things communicating, it's insane to me. Then I remember it's probably because they're eventually gonna leave me too, or just not reciprocate my feelings and after they break my heart I'll probably loose all hope in love, be heart broken for two years until I decide I'm gonna focus on myself again... it's a cycle after heartbreak, but with this person I'm really scared, because they mean more. I'm way too deep in before I've even expressed my feelings, it's gonna be devastating. - I'm rambling, the wine made me do it.

- What makes you think they wouldn't like you back tho?

- I'm not sure I just... it would be too good to be true and it's complicated... he's amazing and I'm just not sure if he'd be into me, I mean, I think I'm lovable and I think I'd be a great lover, I just don't know if I'm his type or if he'd consider me. We have a bit of an age gap, I'm not someone who's typically pretty or specially good looking, I have my charms but I have no idea if that's enough for him to be in love. It's complicated with each others work too... - I notice chan's gaze on me, he has his head leaned on his hand on the table and he's looking at me with bright eyes, eyes that look tired and a little drunk but somehow, he manages to look at me in a way that makes me feel adored, I don't know why you have to make me feel so much love, Bang Chan - Why are you looking at me like that?

- You have no idea how other people perceive you, do you? - he ignored your question, probably because of his drunk-ish drowsy state - Everyone I know likes you, see, you're a naturally kind and caring person, you're attentive to people's needs, you make sure everyone feels comfortable around you... that's so appreciated by everyone. I think you're exceptional y/n, you have this charismatic way of existing, a refreshing and comfy presence everyone can feel, but to me... it feels like home. You feel like home y/n. So... I have no idea who that person is but I sure as hell know they'd be more than lucky to have you as a partner and they're definitely dumb if they let you go.

- Are you dumb? - my heart's pounding quicker as I'm about to do something I didn't plan on doing ever.

- Huh? No, why w-

- Because that person is you... I like you, Chan. In a more-than-friends way - I interrupt him quickly before I lose my newly found courage.

Chan could've sworn his heart stopped for a few seconds. Suddenly sobriety hit him like a truck. It was the alcohol that made you say that, he thought, but he wished it was true and you didn't drink enough to be lying about this kind of stuff, you had a full on conversation and you seemed pretty sober.

- Y-y/n are you sober? - he tries to navigate through the situation.

- Oh my... yeah I am, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, it just rolled out of my tongue. I'm sorry... - you said as you panicked and tried to go back inside, regret filling up all your organs.

"I messed up" your brain keeps repeating as desperation starts entering your body, until Chan grabbed your hand, stopping you from leaving.

- Wait! You don't need to apologize, I'm glad you told me... You didn't think I'd say all that about you if I didn't like you as well, did you? - he asks suggestively.

- I don't know - you blush as you realize what he's getting at - You're just so nice to everyone, I didn't make a big deal out of it.

- Well, you should've made it a big deal, the biggest deal actually because I've been trying really hard to show you how I feel these past few days and you were so clueless I thought you were purposefully ignoring the signs because you didn't like me back.

- I'm sorry Channie, I just didn't want to assume stuff and get heartbroken if it wasn't true.

-Well it is true, so you don't need to worry anymore. I really like you too, y/n. And I've wanted to say it for a while too, I was just wondering if it was a good idea since you work with us, but I can't contain my feelings anyways... you always treat me so softly and you look after the kids really well... It just feels like you were made to be by my side, you're the embodiment of the person I've always dreamed to be with, and these past few days with the kids and you... it just felt like we were the perfect family you know? I don't think I could be without you by my side anymore... - he stops, he's been staring at your eyes the whole time and now they're starting to water.

How could you not cry when he's saying the things you thought you'd only ever hear in dreams?

- Why are you crying sweetheart? - he whispered, as he wipes a tear with his thumb, the other hand holding your hand as he stands closer every second.

- It's just... I'm so... happy - you smile through your tears - I'm so happy to hear that, you said it in such a beautiful way too... I feel exactly the same, it's like I've gained a family with you guys but you... I've grown really attached to you, feels like some parts of you are tangled in my heart in ways I couldn't tear apart if I wanted to... I'm drawn to you and when I'm with you it's comfortable, blissful, it's right. You're so good to me, it's unbelievable, but it's true, and it warms my heart. - you say as your foreheads touch and your smile grows, his eyes showing so much adoration for you, you could melt.

Suddenly you share your first kiss together, a soft yet passionate mix of sensations, and it felt like everything you ever felt around Chan but better.

You stare into each other's eyes, smiling like the little lovely goofballs you both were, noses touching, ocasional little pecks filled with giggles because you were whipped for each other.

- So this means we're exclusive lovers now, yeah? - he asks with a blushing face, a very silent giggle and a huge, uncontrollable smile.

- Definitely, yeah - you answer biting your lip until eventually you let out the largest smile you ever had.

Needless to say, you didn't leave that balcony to go to sleep that evening. In fact, you two watched the sunrise kissing and cuddling, talking about the feelings you had for each other, when they started, why you liked each other, covered by a blanket, not wanting to let go of each other now that you were openly romantic.

Han found you both sound asleep, you on chan's lap, head on his neck as his arms wrapped around you gently, on a chair in the middle of the morning. He obviously called all the members to watch you two as they assumed you two finally got together. All of them saw it coming, Chan wouldn't shut up about you and had written what could be an entire album about you.

They were happy at least you'd be around more often to cook your delicious food. And you both blushed really hard once you woke up to lot's of teasing from the kids, it was fine tho, you liked it just like this, it was home.

[booksandbeanjuice]

𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐔𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐍 ⌲ 𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘳

Word Count: 1205

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c h a p t e r t h r e e

"Alright, a cheeseburger extra pickles with potato wedges and a chicken tender platter with fries. Would you like any ketchup or honey mustard?" the waitress looked at Piper.

"Ketchup, please," the girl responded. The waitress nodded and took off toward the kitchen while Piper took a sip of her strawberry lemonade.

"Ranch goes better with chicken tenders than any other condiment. Too bad you can't have it," Lillian chuckled.

The brown haired girl rolled her eyes at her friend. Every time Lillian got the chance, she'd brag about how great food is with certain things that she knew Piper couldn't have. 'Ah, the many glories of being lactose intolerant,' as Piper would say.

The two girls were complete opposites, but mentally and emotionally were somewhat the same; it's what makes them such great friends. Lillian was the type of person that you would be intimidated by at first, but would grow to love if you didn't piss her off the first time you'd met. Bold and stubborn are her most obvious traits, but only a few new Lillian for who she was deep down behind closed doors. Piper could read her like a book, but never pushed Lillian when she knew she wasn't ready. Lillian Greene was the friend everyone needed in their lives, but only few have been graced with.

"Has Artemis calmed down a little since Hudson came home?"

Piper was chewing the bite of french fries she had just put in her mouth. "Uh, no, not really." She swallowed her food before she continued. "I mean, he has in the sense of coming home before three in the morning. The dude still goes out and does who knows what, but Hudson keeps close tabs on him. I'm just glad he came home and I didn't have to babysit Art anymore."

The curly haired best friend nodded to Piper as a sign of understanding and comprehension of what she had said. "Well, if you and Hudson ever need a babysitter for him, you know my schedule." Lillian winked at her friend.

Piper gagged. "I still think it's so weird that you like my brother. It's been over ten years now, Lil. You know you can't tame that feral beast."

Lillian shot back playfully, "Hey, a girl can try!"

The friends giggled until a phone notification caught their attention. "Work?" Lillian asked Piper.

"Who else would it be," Piper stated dryly. "They want me to come in fifteen minutes early because they've hired a new girl and she starts today." She started to pile her utensils and things on top of her empty plate of food and took one last sip of her drink. Piper stood up from the booth. "Text me how much mine is and I'll venmo you when I get a chance. I'm so sorry."

Lillian looked at her friend. "Don't worry about it, Pipes. I still owe you for buying my food last week. Call this even."

Piper smiled at her friend and held up her hands in the shape of a heart in front of her chest before she turned around and headed for the front door. Even though her job was just right down the road, Piper got in her car and drove since she wouldn't be going back to Greene's after her shift.

The familiar bells chiming above the door when Piper walked in grabbed the attention of her coworker, manager and the new hire. She made her way over behind the desk to set her belongings down and then faced the people present in the room. The lobby was quiet besides the constant low hum of the vending machine echoing through the space.

"Thank you for coming in early. I know you were probably at lunch with Lillian, and I apologize for that, but Lloyd wanted you to come in so that he could show the new girl around."

The girl smiled softly at her friend. "It's okay, Z. I was finished with my food anyway."

"Right, okay, so welcome to The Lotus, Zoe! This is Piper and Zion. Piper is lead concierge and been here for about four years and Zion has been here for around two and a half. If you have any other questions that I do not answer during your training today, feel free to ask Piper for answers. This girl knows this place like the back of her hand." The dark haired girl glanced at Piper for a second, then at Zion, and then back at Piper. Her second look at Piper could have turned her into stone.

Lloyd and Zoe walked to the back to go over some ground rules and give her papers containing information about her new job. Zion turned to his friend and coworker. "Let's hope she doesn't quit after a week like the last person did."

Piper chuckled, "Yeah, let's hope not."

A few hours go by with foot traffic being steady  for a Thursday afternoon. Zion was forced to take his break with the new girl, which left Piper at the front desk all by herself for half an hour. She didn't particularly mind since there was still an hour or so before the business started to pick up. The girl hopped off of her stool to go scan a room key back into the system as unoccupied. The chiming bells above the front door signaled that someone had probably come in. Piper faintly heard footsteps approaching the front desk and a couple seconds later hearing the bell atop of it ringing out.

"I'll help you in just one second," she called out.

The red indicator on the computer screen switched to green, telling her the key has been unassigned to the previous person. Piper slid the key into it's manila envelope and placed it into the correct number cubby.

"Alright," she said as she exited the room," how may I help y-"

Piper's words were cut off when she saw the person waiting at the desk. She wanted to speak, but she couldn't find the words.

"Hi, Piper. I need a room i- if that's okay,” he quickly stuttered the last part. The boy pushed the sides of his hair that was sticking out under his hat back behind his right ear.

"Of, course you can, Mr. Joyner. Is it just for one night?" Piper asked. The shock and excitement of seeing Owen again after a couple weeks made her want to do a little dance.

"I'll actually be here for about a week," he said.

"A week it is then," she said to him with a smile as she registered a room to him.

Piper went and grabbed a key card for him after taking his payment. He thanked her and went on his way to find his room that he would reside in for the next week. Her mind was spinning a million miles an hour. She hasn't seen the guy for only a short period of time and couldn't get him out of her head for any of it. Why was this guy so special? Why was he so stuck in her mind? Piper didn't have any answers to these questions, but knew this - Oh, what a week this will be.

——————————————————————————

Missed a chapter? No problem! Find it below:

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[heyitsrcoor]

Meet-cute

Genre: Fluff, unrequited love, friends-to-lovers

Pairing: Day 6 Jae x Reader

Length: One-Shot

Meet-cute [noun] /ˈmiːtˌkjuːt/:

(in a movie, etc.) a humorous or interesting situation in which two people meet, that leads to them developing a romantic relationship with each other. (Cambridge Dictionary)

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Absolutely Smitten (Dodie Clark)

───────────────⚪───────────────────

◄◄⠀▐▐ ⠀►►⠀⠀ ⠀ 1:17 / 3:48 ⠀ ───○ 🔊⠀ ᴴᴰ ⚙ ❐ ⊏⊐

•••

Your 12-hour shift at the hospital just ended. The census hasn’t gone down for days and while you’ve gotten so good at convincing yourself that you’re strong and resilient, you can feel the weariness seep in through your bones.

While walking to your apartment, you noticed that the bookstore on the corner of the street has finally opened its doors. A part of you wanted to walk past it, visit another day when you’re not wearing your nurse’s uniform, tired and sweaty. But the urge to scan the book selection was much stronger and so you find yourself pushing its glass doors. The bell chimes welcome you.

The warm lights and the smell of new books were enough to calm your weary soul. The bookstore was smaller compared to the well-known ones located at the malls, but it had the organic and cozy vibe of a library which you’re very much well pleased with. And the fact that it’s not crowded yet means you’ll be able to roam around freely.

You were feeling giddy when you finally reached the non-fiction section. Your eyes scanned each title, looking for any familiar ones that could be in your TBR list.

Finally, you see a white spine, “When Breath Becomes Air.” You grabbed for it hastily which caused the books beside it to topple down.

You bowed down to reach for the books but a hand beat you to it.

“Oh thank you.” You said as you stood upright. The person was really tall that you had to tilt your head a little bit to be able to see their face. You held your breath as you stood face-to-face with a handsome, bespectacled, human being.

“Was just looking for this.” He smiled as he held the book you accidentally dropped—Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.

You pretended to be cool about it like it’s not at all a big deal to meet your ideal guy (superficially speaking) in one of your most favorite places.

“Yeah? Sorry for accidentally pushing it to its death.” It sounded alright in your mind but having said it in words made you internally cringe.

He held the book and scanned it for dents. He shrugged, “Nah, it survived the fall—despite being mortal, oh God, that was so bad.” He let out a hearty laugh which you swore could melt an iceberg. “Anyway, thanks!” He smiles once more before turning his back.

Your heart deflated a little bit. Sharing a joke with a handsome stranger at the bookstore. Isn’t that the perfect recipe for a meet-cute? Except you’ll probably never meet again. Just another statistic of your “could-have-beens”.

Well, he could have asked for your name or YOU could have offered a book suggestion. Except he probably doesn’t find you attractive enough and you don’t have the guts to make the first move on a stranger.

You shrugged the thought away. Too much Kdramas and romcoms do screw your brain a little bit. You looked at your book once more. Right, maybe you should just fill your mind more with philosophies and thought-provoking stuff. Nonetheless, you can’t contain the smile forming on your face. Butterflies should stay in the gardens and not on your guts.

•••

When you said that book guy is just another statistic of a failed meet-cute, you were pleasantly surprised to find yourself wrong.

Two months later, you’re at a coffee shop waiting in line when you spot him sitting near the window.

He was wearing a white uniform, busy typing on the laptop in front of him. Unlike the scattered papers on his table, he looked serene. He adjusts his eyeglasses and you notice how slender and beautiful his fingers are.

“He’s a student.” You thought. Before you knew it, you started computing for your possible age gap. Given it has only been a year since you’ve graduated, 5 years would be the maximum gap if he’s a freshman. You cringed at the thought of dating someone younger. Moreover, you cringed at the thought that you’d actually date someone out of your league.

“Good morning! What’s your order?” The barista’s voice booms as if calling you out back to reality.

“Oh…yeah, uhh..” You proceeded to recite your order and another 5 orders of your co-nurses at SICU (Surgical Intensive Care Unit).

Waiting for your orders, you purposefully sat on a table that could give you the best vision of him in a very lowkey manner. Whatever that is.

You tried your best to be nonchalant but your eyes would subtly glance at him.

Oh wow, is that a great view from the window? You thought as you glide your eyes to where he was. To your surprise, he was looking at you too.

You dropped your gaze for a few seconds and looked up at him once again. He was smiling and your heart starts to palpitate.

Did he recognize you?

You watch him raise his hand, waving.

Entranced, you almost waved back but a person walks past you, her white skirt blocking your view of him. You watched her sit right in front of the book guy. Your book guy. She was wearing the same uniform as him. A classmate. A really pretty classmate.

You clenched your hand. You felt embarrassed, angry even. Angry at yourself for always expecting that someone would actually look at you. And stupid for thinking that meeting your soulmate would eventually be as exciting and memorable as the Kdramas.

The barista calls your name and you get up. You picked your orders and left without turning back.

•••

The thing about reality and romance is that not every encounter will be explosive. No, it won’t be as fast as love at first sight. Sometimes, love would come in the most mundane and gradual way possible.

A week later, you’d see book guy at your workplace. He’s one of the two med students on their clerkship assigned in your unit. He’d introduce himself as “Jae” and before you could do the same, he’d utter your name and everyone would be curious to know how you knew each other.

You’d dread the fact that he’d recognize your embarrassing moment at the coffee shop but he’d say that he actually recalls meeting you at the book store. And that he just read your name from your name tag.

Days, weeks passed.

Coincidence or not, your schedule would almost be the same and so you’d spend most of your shifts with Jae. You’d almost feel tired answering his seemingly endless questions.

You’d give him a heads up on what to expect on his first observation in the OR and he’d let you borrow a book in return.

You’d still catch yourself sneaking a glance at him but work would eventually drown his presence.

You’d sometimes spend your lunch together and you’d learn that you share the same taste of music and that he plays an instrument too.

You never seemed to run out of things to talk to and sometimes—a lot of times, you’d entertain that idea that he could actually like you.

But you knew that expectations lead to disappointments so you’d eventually settle your heart that whatever you had is just purely platonic friendship and you’d convince yourself that you are totally fine with that.

You thought that once he leaves your unit, whatever connection you had will mellow down. But then he asks for your number and his first text would be “Started benign in the morning, now I just assisted in delivering a baby. Is it normal to feel like crying?”

He’d send you memes about cats and your fave shows and soon you’d develop your inside jokes.

You tried your best to keep cool and ignore the butterflies but then something actually happens.

1 year later, he’d confess to you in the same coffee shop.

"I like you. I really like you." He said.

You’d be left speechless and be teary-eyed.

“How…? When?” You’d ask.

He said he could not forget how he was amused at your facial expression when you were picking your book at the bookstore. He said he would have stricken a longer conversation if not for his dad waiting on his car who was his ride at that time.

At the coffee shop, he noticed you while you recited the lengthy orders of your workmates and he was impressed.

He did smile at you but his classmate and partner in a school activity coincidentally arrived.

And no, he did not read your name tag. He knew about it when he heard the barista called you and he remembered.

When he saw the hospital he was interning at, he wondered if you’d be there. When he saw you at the unit he was first assigned at, his heart felt like it could jump out of his chest. He thought it was “fate” and it felt like fate because your schedules would usually coincide. He said knowing you more each day excites him and gives him joy. You were his kindred spirit and confidant. You just clicked.

And just like that, your unrequited-love streak comes to an end.

"Thank you." You answered and Jae's eyes started to quiver. He opens his mouth but no words came out.

Realizing your mistake you started to say sorry which made everything worse.

Jae forced himself to smile but you can see the pain in his eyes. He thought he was being rejected!

You took his right hand on the table and held it firmly. "I like you too, Jae."

His eyes widened and he started laughing.

"Oh God, I can't believe I'm capable of having 5 different kinds of emotions in less than 10 seconds."

"Cute," you muttered.

"Did you just call me cute!?"

You shook your head and smiled. "I mean... I guess you're my meet-cute after all."

-END-

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

OPEN WOUNDS.

Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes x Reader

Anon asked: how about an imagine in which you an ez fight because of emily

Chapter index

Chapter four (final)

Word count: 2.1k

Thanks to my lovely beta reader @chibsytelford 💘

Author comments: I hope you all enjoy. This is the final chapter. Gif credits: @angels-reyes .

Tag list: @starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​ @sassymox @wrcn9fvlcver 💥 (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)

When the car stop in the rest area, you get out of it walking towards the trunk to rest you waist there. Lightning a cigar in your lips, crossing both legs, you have a deep breath of the thick smoke. You're off. Totally down. And only when the Mayans are far enough, buying some coffees or refueling, you let go all the pain turned into tears in silence. Last night you feel like you were at home when EZ hugged you, falling again, giving him another chance. Believing that maybe there's a place for you in his life. But it's not. With Emily by Galindo's side, it could be easy. But, now? No. Not now. You're losing again, and she's winning as always.

Shaking the ashes, you have another puff, breathing it till scratching your throat. Spitting the smoke by your lips, you kick the air full of anger. You fought for him. You never gave up. You went every week to the Stockton prison, waiting outside till he decided he wanted to see you. You wrote him letters, sent presents, books... You really cared about him and you were the first person he looked for when he got free. Emily doesn't deserve anything. Anything good. She destroyed his life. She didn't care about his mother, or what happened with his father, nor Angel. You were there, by their sides unconditionally. You earned it.

One finger longer than yours, tangling to your forefinger pushes you back to reality. You can't look at him. You don't have the strength enough to do it. Since you left Charming, you have been in silence, answering him with one or two words when he has asked you about something. Or mostly, shrugging your shoulders. Cleaning your tears with the back of your hand, being careful to not burn yourself with the cigar, you grab the coffee he's offering you. EZ knows that you're hiding something. He knows you read the message. He knows you're not okay, and that you think that everything between you two are done. That Emily goes first. And it's painful for him too, after all he's has shown you. But it makes sense that you can't trust him. 

Ezekiel has a drink of his coffee, before leaving it supported over the trunk, without letting go your finger. He uses that arm to surround your nape and your throat, pushing you closer while he takes off of the pocket his phone. You have another puff, not knowing what he's gonna do, twisting your neck a little to expelled the smoke before placing your gaze on the screen. He types the secret code by heart, the same you know, sliding his thumb over it to open the text app. Then, he shows you. EZ shows you the message that Emily sent to him, and the one you read before him. But when he's sure you read it again, he guides his finger to the right corner to press the menu and delete the text, before blocking the number. No words needed. The Mayan grabs again the cardboard cup, with his gaze on the horizon, resting his body against the car. He also pulls you closer when you throw away the cigar, between his legs to facing each other.

“I showed to Taza this mornen', when you were with Bishop at the workshop. He told me to delete it, simply. And block the number. But I wanted to show you, although... you seen it before, rai'?” You nod biting your inner lip. “I don' care. I'm here. I'll always be here”.

You nod again in silence with your eyes on your fingers, getting tangled in his shirt. You take a deep breath, closing your eyes for a second. EZ knows that no one's gonna take care of him as you did and as you do. He loves you and he's showing it. He's trying hard to make it up to you. He wants to be with you and you're starting to believe it, that maybe you don't have a place in his life, because he's completely yours. And before you can say anything, EZ presses his lips on yours, dearly and peaceful in a soft kiss, taking away your air. Your hands traveling up to his neck, touching his nose with yours when your lips finally move tasting the coffee on his. You enjoy it, as you did last night after all this time separated. But again, he pulls you away some inches, not wanting make you feel uncomfortable.

“I'm not leavin' you. Not again, (Y/N)”. He says, doing the reference to his staying at jail. “There will be no more secrets, no more lies. Nothen' that could hurt you, nor hur—”.

“Kids, let's go!” Creeper's voice interrupt him, but you nod at him anyway before getting up from his body, to walk back to your seat.

┅┅ ┅ ┅ ┅┅

After ten hours of a long travel, between the stops and the traffic jams, you finally arrive to Santo Padre when the sun is going down and you're wishing come back to the ranch so you can have sometimes alone with Taza. The voice of wisdom. He always know what to say to make you feel better, and you also want to know what he thinks about everything happened these two last days. But first, you have to go to the clubhouse. And when you reach it, you suspect that something isn't going okay. The front metallic door is opened. Chucky and Letti are there, but also a white car you can't recognize parked in the alley between the car scrapping and the club. 

Ezekiel parks yours next to the motorbikes, when you two start to hear Taza yelling for no reason. Getting out of the car, you discover what's happening. Emily is there. And so far away that makes you feel sad or down again, your blood starts to boil inside your veins. The younger Reyes stops you by grabbing your left wrist. He's furious, and you can see it in the way he has to frowning. He walks towards the blonde, who is being reprimanded by the Vice and the President, with Angel trying to kick her out of the yard.

“The fuc'you doin' here, Emily?” With a penetrating and rough voice, Ezekiel asks to her.

“You didn' reply”. She says, setting free herself from Angel.

“'Cause I don' give a fuck”.

“EZ, listen”. She begs with tears filling her eyes, trying to reach him.

“Go home, Emily, or wherever you want. But far away from me, my girlfriend and my club”. He sentences with his fingers on the kutt lapels.

“Ezekiel, please. I love you”.

Those words are pretty enough to make you move your feet. Four big steps, and your right fist goes straight her nose.

“Holy shit!” You hear Angel or Coco, or both, cursing. You don't know.

“Who the fuc' taught you to punch like that?” Riz asks while Emily is falling down to the floor, 'cause everything is happening too fast. And you can see sideways Taza smiling proud.

“Calm down, (Y/N)”. Ezekiel tries to stop you, but not even the devil could fight against you right now.

Bishop holds EZ to take him away from you, whilst leaning to the blonde woman to tangle your fingers on her hair dragging her above the floor. She tries to set herself free again, stirring under your grip, with you pulling her strongly right to the front door. She's screaming because of the pain, sobbing and drowning with her owns tears. And you're fucking enjoying it, so do the crew, who are totally freaking out. 

“Next time, I'm gonna break something else than you're fuckin operated nose, bitch”. You growl getting her up grabbed by her clothes to push her out of the clubhouse.

You run the door to close it without more words. Shit, it's feel so fucking good that you're stunned walking back to your car so you can have the cigar packet in it, to light one between your lips.

“Hey, prospect”. You can see how Taza places an arm on EZ's shoulders. “Why don' you bring my kid a beer and some ice to her hand, ah?”

“I'm scared as fuck to say ‘no’, so she could punch me too”. Ez swallows saliva, nodding before going inside the club.

You support your body on the body car by the left side, having a puff that leaves your throat seconds after as an agonic howl. Che takes the cigar, having a smoke, and resting his weight next to yours. Then, he looks at you drawing a smile on the corner of his lips.

“You have to lift up a little more the elbow, when you hit someone”.

“Yea', I know. You told me. But I was tired”. You chuckle, shaking your head for a moment.

“Stay tonig' with him, he earned it, don' you think?”

“Yea', I did it too”.

“Damn, baby girl... You had so much contained in such a little body...” He breaks in laughter, shaking the ash to have another smoke. “You know? Last night Bishop and me had a... talk 'bout you?”

“Yea'?”

“Yes. We talked about the... possibility that when Ezekiel get full patched, maybe you could join Mayans too”.

“How's that?”

“Chibs told us about some women in SOA being members, when Jax was the president. So we could change the statutes, and you could start as prospect”.

“But I don't know how to shoot”.

“Six month to go, (Y/N). I have enough time to teach you”.

“Why you... really do all those things fo' me. I mean, this is not only because you felt sorry for me that night”.

“You said yesterday. We're more into family stuff”. He says kindly touching your temple with his. “I know you can do it, and you're already part of our lives. It's time to level up, don' you think?”

“Yea', maybe...”

You don't know how to feel right now. You're excited, but confused, and happy but scared. It's not the same take care of some animals, that have a gun behind your back ready to being shooted. But even so, you want to do it. Taza brings you back the cigar, when EZ walks towards you, offering the beer and taking your hand to place the ice on your knuckles.

“Get full patched soon, kid. The new prospect is waiting fo'”. Che palms his back, before leaving you alone.

Ezekiel has a raised eyebrow, staring at you waiting for something that could explain the Vice's words. Having a sip of your drink with pursed lips, you shrug softly.

“You heard him, prospect. Don't fuck up Mayans' business and get full patched in six months”.

“You have to be kiddin' me”. He laughs putting your palm on his to stretch your fingers, so the ice can cover more space.

“No, I'm not. Taza and Bishop talked 'bout it last night”.

“So... I have to teach you how to clean properly the bikes?”

“Yes, 'cause I know where you keep the Jose Cuervo and the Coronitas'”.

“And what 'you know about mechanic?”

“I know how to puncture wheels”.

The younger Reyes nods with pursed lips and both eyebrows raised. The loud horn of a car, and some lights flashing outside the yard, claim for your attention. You turn at the front door, with the crew coming out of the clubhouse confused. Tranq is the one who opens it, and you two staring at the black SUV driving inside, without moving a single inch of your bodies. A man with black braids get out of it, opening the back door and letting Miguel Galindo walks outside the car. He doesn't looks good, nor happy, not even angry. He looks more like disappointed. And he walks towards you, but the guys block his steps.

“I just want to talk with the girl”.

“Above my dead body”. Taza spits every word.

“The hell you want?” You ask then, seeing the Mayans turning towards you.

“I want to say that I'm sorry for any inconvenience my wife provoked you”.

“Anything else?”

“I hope this... trouble doesn't suppose a problem between Mayans and the Cartel”.

“Don't worry, your drugs and money are safe. I don't mix bullshit with the club, even if I'm not a member yet, but part of the family”.

“Yes, I'm now sure about that”. He says keeping his hands inside the pockets of his pants.

“But let me tell you something”. You walk between the crew, till you reach him, facing each other. “I don't give a fuck who you are, what you do or who the fuck knows you. Next time your wife comes closer to anyone of my family, the only thing you're gonna find is a collar with her teeth”.

No one says anything. They don't dare to do it.

“And now, get the fuck outta' my club”.

[cheesy09]

The MLQC Boys (The Beginning)

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Chapter 1 of the game.

Note: I am currently on chapter 20 so I'm already aware of the events up to that point. This is just me recollecting the thoughts and feelings I felt when I first read this chapter.

When I first started playing MLQC I dived into it thinking that Gavin would be my bae, because he's 'my type' or whatever, lol. But I still wanted to find out what this thing had in store for me.

So Chapter 1 started pretty... intensely, to say the least 😓.

My company was loosing funding and was at the edge of bankruptcy.

MC: Yes, but to no avail. I signed the investment withdrawal agreement.

Then Anna, the MC's colleague (loved he VA btw, wished they kept her throughout) mentions a name...

Now I knew who Victor was from the promos but I had no idea who he was a character. From what I saw of him in the promos, I thought that he would be the first guy I meet.

You know how in reverse harems there's always that one guy who seems a little more important than the others and usually they'd be the first people you meet? That was the feeling Victor gave me when I saw him.

I was suuuuper hyped about meeting this character because, hey! You can't make Ben Diskin voice a character and expect me not to get excited about it 😚.

Anyways, the game continues, all the while I'm getting through the tutorial.

It... wasn't going so well😥.

My company was going bankrupt...

Kiro's agent shot me down...

And I was starting to lose hope until...

This guy shows up!

At a convenience store!

Ok, so maybe the first person I meet isn't Mr. CEO.

Ok, c'mon Papergames, try and sweep me off my feet! I DARE YOU!😈(Note: I'm not really into blonde boys because they'd usually be portrayed as childish, over-the-top characters that just weren't up to my taste..? Like, every otome game I've played before, I'd choose the sexy, dark haired men who managed to swoon me even before I met them 😌. So I didn't really have much hope for Kiro)

A playful conversation starts between the two (I have to admit, Kiro's VA had me melting because I absolutely adored boyish voices like his), Kiro agreed to appear on my show and everything was going well until...

He goes and throws this line and I was like...

😳

Um...

Ok, that was pretty hilarious. So this guy had a good sense of humour, huh... That's nice to know...

Ahem, Kiro, your fans say that you have the super-power to attract people to you. Is that true?

No.

Seriously.

IS THAT TRUE?!

Because I sure as heck am feeling attracted right now... And those beautiful blue eyes😍...

I soon realised that Kiro was a lot more mature than most other blonde balls of energy were which just made clear the fact of what a terrible person I was to judge a book by it's cover😔. I swear, the entire time I was talking to Kiro I had this goofy smile on my face.

We soon realise that Kiro isn't able to help me out after all (boohoo😭) and then part ways after making a promise to eachother. Honestly, I was a little sad that he left. Who would've thought that I would find this guy that likeable!

And just when I'm thinking he couldn't be any kinder he goes and says...

ARE YOU AN ANGEL?!

(Call me unsophisticated but I'm a sucker for nice guys like him 😥)

By this point Papergames had me sold if they got me to like a character that I expected would be my least favorite.

Anyways, the story carries on and without giving me any time to think, it happened...

HE SHOWED UP!!!!

The big, bad CEO himself!

But...

What the heck is an Evolver?!

Victor, you don't just pop out of nowhere and say random gibberish to someone you just met. And why don't you recognise me? I'm pretty sure the boy in that dream was...

Excuse me?!

You say all that nonsense to my face and then expect me to forget about it?! And with you holding me like this?! You don't play fair man 😣.

After that happens, this guy just disappears!

Just like that!

And then a certain someone appears on the sly...

Aahh, Gavin 😍! Where have you been my swe-

Wait, hold on, are you flying?!😲

His appearance was very brief, but I still enjoyed seeing him 😊.

Three down, only one guy remaining...

PROFESSOR L-L-LUCIEN!!!!?😳😵

This man was... oof! I can't even count the number of times he had me tongue-tied and going red in the face. The suggestive remarks he made here and there had me sweating! Who would've thought that a professor could be this flirty?

RE-INSERT: NEVER judge a book by it's cover!!

So, after a series of heart-flips throughout the chapter, I finally managed to make a successful last episode with the help of Lucien and secured the ability to get back my funding. Now to reunite with that CEO...

Um, is it just me, or does he seem a lot more intimidating now that I'm officially meeting him face-to-face? Ho looks like he could be a part of the mafia, no kidding....

......

......

... We'll probably just have to wait and see.

Those were my thoughts on the first chapter. Exciting, heart-racing and suspenseful. I still hadn't decided on a guy still, but my heart was very heavily leaning towards Kiro. But I still had yet to meet Gavin so...

P. S. Can I just call out the fact of how much I love the MC? She's tough, brave and her occassionally silly moments really endeared her to me. Definitely one of the best MCs I've played till now.

[awesome-power-cat]

Doki Doki Literature Club: Character files Decoded.

(Possible Spoilers) CLICK AT YOUR OWN RISK.

     My sister Lilly and I, decoded everthing below after I noticed that the text within Yuri's ".chr" file resembled (that of) Base64. We then searched and decoded the other character files.

DISCLAIMER: I have yet to fully complete the game, therefore I haven’t fully read the following data (text) to it’s fullest. (That’s why I’m unsure if it contains spoilers)

Monika’s “.chr” file Decoded:

After opening Monika's ".chr" file, I noticed it looked like an image file. So I renamed the file extension to ".png" and got the image below.

     The image resembles a ring of fire with some form of QR code in the middle, however this was not a QR code. I cropped out the ring of fire so I was left with the code in the middle. After examining the code I tried a few ideas we had, and they all failed. I then thought what if this is binary, the white pixels represent ones, while the black pixels represent zeros instead of typing each zero and one out by myself, I programmed a simple java program that would scan the pixels left to right, and output the corresponding value (Zero or One ), based on the pixel color (Black or White). The end result is a binary code. We used an online tool to decode the binary and the result was a bunch of letters and numbers. These "letters and numbers" looked like Base64 so, we used another online tool to converter those "letters and numbers" to text. That's how we got the message below.

"Can you hear me? ...Who are you? I can't...I can't see you. But I know you're there. Yeah...you can definitely hear me. You've been watching for a while now, right? I guess I should...introduce myself, or something. Um...my name is...actually, that's stupid. You obviously already know my name. Sorry. Anyway...I'm guessing if you were able to put a stop to this, you would have done it by now. I mean, I know you're not, like...evil, or anything...because you've already helped me so much. I should really thank you for that. For everything you've done. You're really like a friend to me. So...thank you. So much. I think...more than anything else...I really don't want it to all be for nothing. ... Everyone else is dead. Maybe you already know that. I'm sure you do, actually. But...it doesn't have to be that way, right? Well...there's a lot of stuff I don't understand. I don't know if it's even possible for me to understand it. But I know that this isn't my only story. I can see that now. Really clearly. And I think everyone else has had the same kind of experience. Some kind of deja vu. It's the Third Eye, right? Anyway...I could be totally wrong about this. But I really think you might be able to do something. I think you might be able to go back...or however you want to put it... ...To go back and tell them what's going to happen. If they know ahead of time, then they should be able to avoid it. They should...if they remember their time with me in the other worlds...they should remember what I tell them. Yeah. I really think this might be possible. But it's up to you. I'm sorry for always being...you know... ... Never mind. I know that's wrong. This is my story. It's time to be a fucking hero. Both of us. 2018"

Yuri’s “.chr” file Decoded:

Upon opening Yuri's ".chr" file. I instantly noticed text that looked like Base64. I used an online tool to convert the Base64 text to the message below.

Warning: The following text is... uh.. intense. You've been warned!

"If you found this note in a small wooden box with a heart on it, then *congratulations!* You are probably the first person to read this. I didn’t really plan on sharing this with anybody, but for some reason I think it’s exciting that somebody out there, a complete stranger, will come across this note and read my story. Someone I will never meet, sharing such a personal bond with me. I’m fascinated that either one of us could die - even as soon as tomorrow - with the other being completely clueless to the fact. To you, my entire life is within this note, and so I will live for as long as your memory can carry me. Writing this, I’m wondering if that makes you feel fascinated or violated. It’s so exciting. I’m sorry if my story is a bit disorganized, but I’d like to get it down while it’s still fresh on my mind. First, I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’m a first-year college girl and have led, by most standards, a pretty unspectacular life up to this point. I grew up in an upper-middle class school district with decent teachers. I did track in middle school and some of high school, and I’ve had two boyfriends. Now, I’m studying for a career in occupational therapy, because I feel the field is undervalued and provides tremendous help to people. I’m giving you this background because there’s this strange misconception that if you want to kill someone then you’re either sick in the head or you have anger management issues. But, it’s very apparent that I don’t fall into either of those categories. It’s true that most murder cases are in a domestic setting where someone loses control of their anger or something. But the thing is that those people kill under provocation, whether by a singular outburst or by a slow-burning series of misfortunes. Those people kill because in that brief moment, they want a specific someone, for a specific reason, to be hurt or killed. What I’m talking about is wanting to kill someone for no specific reason, maybe just to see what it’s like. Do you ever get that? I wouldn’t know how others feel, because it’s not something I ever talked about. But I’ve been curious about what it’s like to kill someone ever since I was a child. Not killing anyone in particular, just a random person. It’s always just fascinated me that if I put my mind to it, I can approach anyone, and in five minutes they would be completely gone from this Earth. But I’ve never done so for a couple of reasons. First of all, for most of my life it was logistically impossible for me to do it without getting caught. I only got my driver’s license a couple years ago, and even then, the preparations would take too much time, definitely stirring suspicion. It was only once I started college that I realized this was no longer an obstacle. Another reason is that I was afraid of causing harm to too many people. You might laugh reading that, at how hypocritical it sounds. But, let me explain: Why should I feel bad about killing someone if they’re too dead to care? Who would I be feeling bad for? Contrarily, it’s the grief of the living that I’d rather not be responsible for. Because of this, I knew it would take a good deal of research before finding a suitable person to kill, and I’ve never had the means to do so - again, until I started college. And now, having just experienced it, I’d say it was pretty satisfying in the end. Something I would try again? Probably not, since my curiosity has already been satisfied. It really wouldn’t be the same a second time. But anyway, if by any chance you’re also curious to kill someone, then you’re welcome to take notes. :) *** I started a hobby of people-watching soon after I entered college. People-watching is interesting to me because it’s taking one of the infinite extras in your life and turning them into a main character - without them knowing, of course. It’s so easy to forget that every single one of the hundreds of strangers you pass every day has a life story as deep and complex as your own. One thing I noticed about people-watching, and wanting to kill someone, is that you are in more constant awareness of this. When I find a person to observe, their story slowly becomes more clear to me over time, gaps being filled - it really is amazing. I usually went to grocery stores on weekends and looked around in people’s shopping carts. If I saw something that interested me, I decided to observe the person for a little bit. Of course, since my goal was to find someone to kill, I ruled out anyone who had children or a partner with them. Wedding rings were another tell-tale sign. So maybe once a weekend, I would find someone who fit my criteria, at which point I would follow them home and note their address. From there, it became incredibly easy to investigate a little bit more; most people have normal work hours, meaning I could spend afternoons going through their mail or looking around in their house. I repeated this with several people (and had one close call), but for varying reasons I didn’t really feel satisfied enough with them to kill any of them. I started getting a bit impatient and thought that I might just settle for killing the man named Devon, even though I didn’t really want to kill someone wealthy. But then, I came across someone new - someone who just, felt perfect. The feeling only strengthened as I investigated her further, and I knew that she would be the one for me to kill. A young-looking woman I met at the grocery store, as per usual. She was doing some light shopping with a basket. Her hair was wavy and dark brown, sitting inelegantly on her slumped shoulders and surrounding her tired-looking face. Her bare fingers told me she might be single, but beyond that, my gut was almost certain of it. This woman just seemed so…plain, really. I guess I felt a greater acuity for the personal lives of strangers ever since I started my people-watching. But the way she carried herself, I just got the feeling that if she suddenly died, nobody would be around to miss her. Of course, I still wanted to investigate her a bit. I followed my usual routine of checking out her place during her work hours. I learned immediately from her mail that her name is Linda Watson. Linda lived in a quiet apartment complex, her mailbox easily accessible right outside her door. Instead of quickly shuffling through it, I decided I could take her mail back to my dorm and return it before she was finished with work (she only lived about 15 minutes from me). I did some research and learned how to open and reseal the envelopes without damaging them, which took some technique along with a hair dryer, rubbing alcohol, and Q-tips. This made it easy for me to learn a little more about her. Linda was a 33-year-old woman who worked for a small accounting firm - I’d rather not name the place outright. Her birthday was December 11th which, coincidentally, was approaching in a couple weeks. I also managed to find a bank statement that gave me a nice look into how she’s been spending her past month. It was at this point I realized that my assessment of Linda Watson as an extremely plain woman was pretty spot-on, because there was absolutely nothing interesting on the list. A trip to Old Navy, a bunch of Starbucks, something about $40 from Amazon - no restaurants, no movies, nothing that would really imply she was spending any time socializing. That aside, I also found a cooking magazine, so I guess she was into cooking. Apartments are harder to break into than suburban homes, because there are fewer doors and windows. Every time I got Linda’s mail, I would check the front door and the windows in the back, but they were always locked. This was a bit frustrating because I was really interested in getting into her house. So, I came up with a sort of plan that I thought would be fun, even if it didn’t work. Last Saturday, I visited Linda Watson’s apartment complex as I would on weekdays. The difference is that this time, I wanted her to be home. I thought it would be interesting to have a conversation with her. If I got lucky, I could take advantage of the situation to discreetly unlock a window from the inside. So, I walked up to her door wearing nothing warmer than a light sweatshirt, and knocked. The adrenaline rush was crazy. I was afraid I might screw something up. The door opened, and in front of me stood Linda Watson, exactly as I remembered her from the grocery store. It was at that moment, making eye contact for the first time, that I realized I was running the risk of beginning to care about this person. As selfish as it is, I couldn’t kill a person I cared about, even if it’s a 33-year-old woman standing in a doorway with a slightly perplexed look on her face, giving me a reserved “Hello.” Arms crossed from the cold, I shyly returned Linda’s greeting. I explained that I was walking my dog near the woodsy area behind the back of her apartment, and that he had gotten away. I had been looking for my dog for an hour and was wondering if Linda may have seen him roaming about. Of course, Linda sympathetically apologized for the situation and that she couldn’t be of use to me, but that she would keep an eye out. I wore a defeated expression in response, apologizing in return for troubling her. It somehow went exactly as I had hoped - Linda invited me inside to warm up a bit with some coffee. I outwardly hesitated before accepting her offer, although on the inside I wanted to jump through the door and hug her for cooperating so well. And that’s how Linda Watson ended up with a 19-year-old girl next to her on the couch - who knows if it was just a nice gesture or if she really has no better way to spend her Saturdays than talking to some kid she just met (who happens to be interested in killing her). Linda soon learned that my name is Maria (it’s not) and that I attend the nearby community college (I don’t). I was a little bit nervous that she would ask me too many questions because I didn’t have many answers prepared. I was able to steer the conversation toward her, and she was pretty happy to talk. I asked what she does, and she told me that she works for the accounting firm I already knew about, communicating with outside clients and keeping records. I told her I was pretty nervous about growing up. She told me to enjoy college and to make lots of friends because there’s less opportunity once you start working. When I asked if she was married or anything, she laughed. Of course I knew she wasn’t married, but I wanted to hear more about her love life. She said that she doesn’t currently have a boyfriend (I guess she’s at least had boyfriends, but who knows how long ago). When I asked her about kids, she said she doesn’t want them until she gets a better job. On top of that, she told me that her family has a history of some genetic diseases such as arthritis and depression, which she is afraid to give to her kids. It’s funny that she mentioned that because when I asked to use her bathroom, I noticed a tube of prescription pills on the sink. It was labelled duloxetine, which I looked up later and discovered that it is in fact an antidepressant. I had a joking thought that maybe by killing her I’d be doing her a favor, but quickly decided I was a terrible person for coming up with that. The rest of the visit was pretty dull. We talked about food and some other mundane stuff before I eventually made an excuse to leave. I didn’t get the chance to unlock a window or anything like that, but I didn’t really feel the need to go through her apartment anymore. As early as the drive back to my dorm, I was already thinking about how I would best like to kill Linda Watson. The choice was between effectiveness and fun. I decided to go with fun, because it would be way more satisfying to kind of dissect her as I killed her, rather than just getting it done and calling it a day. Fast-forward one week to December 13th - today, actually. Linda Watson turned 34 two days ago. I made a fun little wager with myself where if Linda was spending her birthday weekend alone, I would pay her a visit and kill her. If she was out or had company, I would stop by next week or something instead. So this morning, I drove over to Lowe’s and bought an axe. Again, I expect you’re laughing, but that’s also kind of the point. An axe is so kind of cliche and a “movies” thing that I actually thought it would be the most fun. Swinging it at someone and everything, it’s a really entertaining image. They actually had a bunch of different axes, so I picked one that had a good weight but was still light enough for me to swing quickly. The drive after getting the axe was when the adrenaline really picked up. All that kept going through my mind on the way over was “Wow, I’m really doing this.” Not in a bad way, just like a surprised this is real life sort of thing. I also got this strange rush of recollections of the time I spent with Linda. It was like my life was flashing before my eyes, except it was just the rather mundane hour I spent with Linda - like snippets of our conversations, the sound of her laugh, her facial expressions and stuff. I also wondered to myself what the crazy serial killers would be feeling at a time like this - schizophrenic delusions? Sexual buildup? I have no idea, but what I felt was kind of like ridiculously alert and numb in the senses at the same time, however that’s possible. Before getting out of the car, I had the sense to stuff the axe into my backpack to look a little less ridiculous walking across the parking lot. The handle was sticking out, but that didn’t really matter. At that point my heart was pounding so hard I could feel my throat throbbing. I tried controlling my breath, but it’s really hard to not breathe fast when your heart is pounding like that. I reached Linda Watson’s door and quietly put my ear to it after setting down my backpack. I heard a voice that wasn’t hers - company? No, it was just the TV, mixed with her occasional tapping footsteps behind the door. I actually kept my ear there for a really freaking long time, because I wanted to make absolutely sure nobody was over. Probably 10 minutes of that and a lot of reassuring myself convinced me. I quietly opened my backpack zipper and held the axe in my hands. My fiercely shaking hands. What the hell was this kind of reaction that my body was making? I told my body to shut up, that it’s no big deal, but of course it wouldn’t listen. It was actually bizarre how much my hands were shaking. It must be the adrenaline buildup. I rolled my eyes at myself and got my hand to rest on the doorknob. If it’s locked, I’ll knock, it’ll be basically the same. I took a deep breath and forced my muscles into action. I swiftly turned the doorknob. Not locked. In one movement, I opened up the door and slipped inside. Linda Watson, just a few steps away into the kitchen. I see - she was in the middle of cooking. She immediately jumped and turned around, startled. I expected that. Quickly, I let go of the doorknob and adjusted the axe into both hands. In the following split second, I realized that she would probably start to make a lot of noise. Looking back, I’m an idiot for not considering that. Just as Linda’s mouth opened to speak - maybe even started speaking - I forcefully swung my axe into the side of her head. But, my axe was facing backwards. I hit her with the blunt end of the blade. I actually did this on purpose, because in that split second I somehow decided that it would be the way to keep her noise to a minimum. It actually worked. I felt barely any resistance in the swing as I collided with her head, knocking it clean aside. Linda’s half-formed syllable came out as a kind of weird grunt - a noisy exhalation is probably the best I could describe it. That happened at the same time as her head smacked into the cabinet from the force, and she fell backwards without any ability to keep her balance. I didn’t hesitate at all to keep swinging at her while she was half lying down on the ground, this time my axe facing the right way. I didn’t really know where to swing, so I kind of just started hacking at her collarbone area and chest. It didn’t feel like the axe was going too deep, but there was a nice “thunk” sort of sound every time the axe embedded into her. I even felt the soft sinking sensation ripple into my hands, like the axe was a kind of physical extension of my sense of touch. On a whim, I swung once at her throat, but most of the swing actually missed and I hit the floor by accident, causing a loud, dull whack to resonate through the apartment. I didn’t have time to think about it. I swung again with better aim and got a more centered hit, feeling the bone or cartilage or whatever is in there, so I must have split it open. Right after that, I decided to swing at her face, and I got this diagonal cut along her nose and mouth, which felt pretty good so I did it once more. I finally briefly stopped to survey the damage. Linda was bleeding ridiculously. The blood was kind of coming out in waves, in sync with her beating heart, probably. It was pooling all around her and riding along the cracks between the tiles. Her light blue shirt was all torn up and stained dark, kind of mixed with a fleshy mess around her chest. It was all just glistening red. Her face wasn’t much better, covered in dripping red at this point, and her lip was kind of hanging off, revealing red-stained teeth in a really weird way, like a zombie or something. Linda wasn’t dead, though. Her limbs were kind of weakly, aimlessly trying to move while she was stuck on her back. More than anything, she reminded me of a bug that you crush but it still pitifully moves its legs around before it dies completely. That’s basically what she was doing. But I didn’t know how long it would take for her to die, or what kind of condition she was in. I ended up grabbing a big knife that was on the counter that she was using to cut up meat. Trying to step around the blood, I reached down and carved into the upper half of her neck, trying to sort of saw it from the left side to the right. It was a little awkward because the area was so soft and squished around the knife as I was cutting. But the sensation was completely different from the axe. It actually felt like I was cutting a tough piece of raw meat (which I guess technically, I was). The blood started pouring out, and I hoped that I severed the most major arteries in there. It must have worked, because after a moment Linda’s limb movements kind of just had the strength drained from them, soon resting still on the floor. I took a few seconds to catch my breath. No time to stick around and think about the experience. I shook the knife blade through a dirty pan in the sink to clean off the blood, then threw the knife into my backpack. I did the same with the axe. I also took her laptop that was sitting on the counter. It had some recipe open for veal and mushrooms. I didn’t really take the laptop to use it, since I have a perfectly good one myself that I got for college. I just wanted to look through it for fun. I finally went outside and closed the door behind me. I got some blood on my sweater and jeans. But funnily enough, I actually anticipated that so I wore dark colors. The drive back to my dorm was just a constant replaying of the experience in my head. I guess that’s still kind of happening even now, actually. But it felt pretty nice. Linda Watson is dead. I kind of let the weight of that sink in. The sensation of having completely removed a human life from existence. It’s crazy. I don’t know how else to describe it. Anyway, I threw the axe and knife into a dumpster on campus, which I think is picked up every Monday, so they’ll be gone by then. My roommate goes home on the weekends, so I have the dorm to myself today. It gave me the chance to go through Linda’s website history. I was right in thinking that’s where her deepest secrets would lie. There was actually a lot of dirty stuff, like the names of websites for porn videos and stories and things like that. Same with her searches. A lot of the websites were boring, like cooking websites and recipes, and game websites like Bejeweled and stuff. I eventually got to the “one week ago” section of her history, and it gave me a chill. There were a whole bunch of searches like “methods of suicide”, “how to tie a noose”, “dangerous household chemicals”, “carbon monoxide poisoning” - like a lot of them. She was probably ready to write a book on suicide after all the research she did. So I guess Linda was contemplating suicide. I wonder if it was influenced by her depression. The irony is actually striking. Maybe Linda was going to die anyway. Or maybe she couldn’t find the courage to do it. If that were the case, I almost literally gave her a birthday present by killing her. That’s actually really comical in a messed-up way, and it leaves a weird taste in my mouth. The part I don’t get is that I didn’t see any of those searches up until the “one week ago” section, nothing more recent than that. I ended up throwing the laptop in the dumpster with the other stuff. It’s been a few hours since then, so I’ve had some time to calmly think about everything. Like I said, it was pretty satisfying and I’m glad I finally got around to it. I feel like I can finally cross it off my bucket list, or like I’m tying loose ends with myself. This is probably the first and last time I’ll write the name Linda Watson - it’s back to living a normal college life, except I might do some people-watching every now and then because it’s definitely fun and interesting. But I’ll always wonder how many people there are like me. I’m sure there has to be a lot, because there is just nothing strange about it to me, being curious about killing someone. Sadly, it’s something that people can’t exactly just talk about, so I guess I’ll never know. I’m sure that anyone would just lie about it even if you asked them. But you can’t help but wonder if that person in the grocery store, who stares at you as you pass by, might be considering what it would be like to kill you. If I could, I would tell them all about it, so they could decide for themselves. But who knows, maybe I got lucky, and that person is you. I actually really, really hope so. ~♥"

Natsuki's ".chr" file Decoded:

We haven't figured this one out yet, but we have a few ideas. Note the image is seamless horizontally.

When we opened Natsuki's ".chr" file we again noticed it looked like an image file. We simply renamed the file extension to ".png" or ".jfif" to get the image below.

     The above may have already been documented/decoded. I would like to note that not all of the character files were encoded with Base64.

Thank you for reading, even though it may have already been done.

[marveloustiming]

Look at the Stars (Part 3/?)

I strode through the doors as they slid open, Peter walking behind me. I found three men standing there. I put my hands out as a man came rushing at me. I blasted two shards of ice at him, one in the leg and in his shooting arm, while Peter got the other one other. I quickly caught a guy that came up from behind Peter, grabbed his chin, and set my hand ablaze. Peter turned his head to me and nodded. He shot a guy that came from the long hallway knocking the man onto his back. As I passed him the man complained about his neck. I stepped on his arm and let out some electricity which knocked him unconscious. Up ahead I saw Peter take the orb and start tossing it up and down. I let out a full laugh. This way the others wouldn't just bail on us. I could hear a quiet echo of a song up ahead. It was Escape by Rupert Holmes. I smiled. He must have been taken from Terra a long while ago. We came up to the cage where Peter got tased and there I could see the blue man with Peter's headphones on, reading my book. One of the few comforting things that I had in my life were in his filthy hands. I could just hear the the electricity crackling at my hands. While Peter went to the side, I placed my hands right on his shoulder and gave him a sharp shock while Peter cracked the man on the side of the head with the orb.

"You have anything to keep you breathing outside?" He asked, glancing at me as we both collected our lost items. "Yep. And I'm assuming that very scary face mask will be helping you breathe?" I asked, a little bit of sarcasm leaking into my voice. "Oh you betcha!" I could hear the the smile in his voice. We walked through the jail and eventually made our way out. I activated my mask and maneuvered my way through space shooting fire out my hands and feet. I hit the ladder right after Peter. Gamora and Drax helped Peter up and then lifted me up right after. These two show spirit! They shall make keen allies in the battle against Ronan. Companions, what were you retrieving?" Peter handed his walkman to Drax while I held my book, said "My old myth book," and walked past him. "Imbeciles." Whether that was directed at me, Peter, Gamora, or all three of us was a mystery to me. While the ship flew I sat next to Rocket, reading and listening to my music while he built something while humming a tune. "Yo Ranger Rick, you can't take apart my ship without asking me! What is this?" Peter yelled. "Don't touch that. Its a bomb." Warned Racket. "A bomb? And you leave it lying around?" "I was gonna put it in a box!" Rocket defended. "Rocket, what the hell is a box going to do?" I jumped in. "Who's side are you on Marris?" Rocket accused. "His because it is his ship after all." I pointed out softly. "Exactly! Thank you Arva!" Peter said. "Oh whatever" and I stopped listening after that, letting my music flow through my head as I pictured all of the epic battles going on in my book. I could barely register the yelling that was going on and the fact that Gamora had walked out of the room.

I felt Peter tap on my shoulder and I looked up to see him jerking his head toward the head of the ship. I sat in the copilot seat while head sat in the front seat. "You seem pretty peaceful for a person that travels with a homicidal raccoon." He said. "I wouldn't say peaceful. I just prefer to stay out of things that could get innocent people, myself, or my friends killed. Plus I can be incredibly oblivious, so that probably doesn't help me." I chose my words carefully, trying not to reveal to much. "Well you seem nice. Rocket and Gamora or just plain rude, Drax is to literal, and the tree is just confusing." Peter admitted. A smile crept onto my face. "You'll get used to Groot. Even though 'I am Groot' is all he says he's actually pretty nice." I said. "How can you even tell what he's saying?" Peter interrupted. I held my hand up onto my knee and willed vines to grow. A small smile rested on my face as he looked at it, awed as the small vines created different patterns. "I am able to control nature. I guess since Groot is a tree as well as a human type figure I can understand him. Anyways I haven't properly gotten to know Gamora or Drax to properly make an assumption. I do know Rocket though. He may come off as an ass but he's a good guy. There is just a lot of pent up emotions inside of him. The sarcasm and rudeness is just a way to hide it. Don't judge him to harshly." I've known him long enough to see a lot of it come to light. All of the pain and hurt that he's contained. As I glanced over I could see I could see him staring at me. I wondered briefly what he was thinking.

"What are your powers? I saw you use fire, ice, nature and electricity but is that all?" Peter asked. "I control the elements, electricity and am able to turn into other animals. I have also been able to expand off of my powers in recent years. Like how I was able to create ice out of water or a force field out of electricity." I explained. I set the tips of my fingers on fire, making little patterns in the air. Peter looked at me like he was confused. "How did you get your powers? That doesn't seem like you would get them naturally." He said, probably already guessing what had happened. "Funnily enough I did get the ability to control nature, well naturally" I said as I looked down at my hands "How I got the rest though doesn't need explaining. Some assholes got curious about what I could do and they picked me up from Terra. They put me through a bunch of experimentation and I eventually got out of it. What happened in there to make me what I am doesn't really matter." He looked surprised at something but before he could say anything Groot and Rocket walked in. Rocket sat in the seat next me while Groot stood behind me. I looked in front of us to see what looked like a giant skull with thousands of lights attached to it. It was beautiful.

"What is it" Drax asked. "It's called Knowhere. The severed head of an ancient celestial being. Be wary heading in. There are no regulations whatsoever here." Gamora said. As we flew inside I could see that hundreds of things were being built inside of the skull. Lights and small mining ships flew around collecting the brain matter of the skull. "Hundreds of years ago the Tivan group sent workers in to mine the organic matter within the skull. Bone, brain tissue, spinal fluid, all rare resources highly valued in black markets across the Galaxy. It's dangerous and illegal work. Suited for outlaws." "Well that all sounds absolutely lovely." I commented. "Well me and Marris come from a planet of outlaws. Billie the kid, Bonnie and Clyde, John Stamos." Peter said, winking at me. All I did was roll my eyes and grin. Those were such old references. "Sounds like a place in which I would like to visit." Drax said. "You should." A few kids came up to us, two going up to Gamora. I clutched the vine that was in my hand when a set of twins came up to me. I grew a flower crown on my head and put it on the girls while I gave a orange tulip to the boy. I smiled at the two before Peter ushered us away. He looked at me and said softly "That was cute." before walking to the head of the group. "Your buyers in there?" Rocket asked Gamora. "We are to wait for his representative." She said as a man was pushed out of the area. "This is no respectable establishment. What do you expect us to do while we wait?" Drax asked, seemingly confused. We all parted ways after that. The barbaric lizard racing that Drax and Rocket seemed to be into just scared me a little bit so I went to look for something else. Eventually I found a small bookshop. I got something called The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. I smiled and thanked the lady behind the counter before putting my headphones on and walking around to find something else to do.

I found a small balcony on the outskirts of the the skull. I was listening to 'Angela' by The Lumineers when Peter walked up to me. The music was blaring so loud that I didn't hear what he had to say. I laughed softly before saying "Sorry, didn't hear you, could you repeat it?" He gave a smile back before saying "You have headphones." I nodded. "I got them on some random planet a while ago when my last ones broke." I replied. "They aren't connected to anything. Don't you have a cassette player?" I grinned widely. "No they're Bluetooth. They don't need to be connected to anything. And cassette players aren't really around anymore. Now we have tablets and phones." I showed him my tablet with it's old case. "But these are giant! How in the hell are you supposed to carry this?" I chuckled. "You should see all the music it has though! There's something called Spotify that has millions of songs on here! Even songs from the 1980s!" I said excitedly. I never really had someone to talk to about this stuff. Rocket had said he didn't want learn about my 'trash planet' and poor Groot had gotten so startled when he heard the the music that he crushed my tablet. I didn't exactly want to talk to them about it after that. I talked to Peter about what I could do with the device, the main topic being music. He showed me his cassette player and the music he had while I showed him Spotify and the giant playlist I had. The excitement went down a little when he told me how his mom gave gave him the cassette player. "It must be nice, having a part of her with you. My parent ditched me as soon as they found what I could do. You had a parent growing up. That's good." I said.

I was quick to feel confused when I heard yelling outside. Peter and me walked outside to see a crowd forming around a fight. I pushed through only to be stopped by a man. "Hello sweetie." He said in a repulsive tone. I only shoved him harder, sending him into the crowd. I walked into the middle to see Drax on top of Groot punching him repeatedly. I grabbed Drax's arm and dragged him off of Groot. "Stop! Stop it!" I saw out of the corner of my eye Rocket aiming a giant gun at us. "Rocket no! Put that shit down now!" I snarled. "This vermin speaks of affairs he knows nothing about!" Drax yelled. "That is true!" Rocket shouted back. "He has no respect!" Drax shouted again. "That is also true!" " Hold on! Hold on!" Peter shouted at Rocket. I could see Groot get up next to me. "Keep calling me vermin tough guy! You just want to laugh at me like everyone else!" Rocket said. I felt my shoulders go slack at that. He never admitted that to anybody he didn't trust. We always got laughed at the talking raccoon, the giant tree, and the freak girl. We were a shit show. It had always bothered us when people muttered about us. How we could never be normal. And now all of it was coming to light. "Rocket, buddy, no one is laughing at you. I promise." I said in a soft tone, hoping to calm him down. "Don't try to sell me that Arva. You know how people look at us! They see some angry rat, a stupid tree, and a freak girl who can kill them in one second!" He shouted at me. "Rocket you're drunk alright? No one's laughing at you." Peter said. "He thinks I'm some stupid thing! He does! Well I didn't ask to get made! Neither did Arva! We didn't ask to be torn apart and put back together over and over and turned into some little monster!" Rocket yelled. For a moment I saw Peters eyes flick to me before he focused on Rocket again. "Rocket no ones calling you a monster." Peter said. "He called me vermin! And she called me rodent! Let's see if you can laugh after five or six good shots from this!" He shouted, lifting hi gun again and pointing it at Gamora, who had joined a few seconds after me and Peter. I immediately jumped in front of the weapon. "Rocket! Rocket, buddy! Four billion units! Rocket! C'mon man, just suck it up for one more lousy night and then we're rich!" I yelled and slowly but surely he put his weapon down. "Fine. But I can't promise that after all this I'm not gonna kill every last one of them." He said tiredly. "See! That's exactly why none of you have any friends! Five seconds after you meet somebody you're already trying to kill them! Arva seems like the only calm one of you people, and she can probably do the the most damage!" Peter yelled. "We have travelled halfway across the quadrant and Ronan is no closer to being dead." Drax said walking off. "Drax!" I yelled. "Let him go. We don't need him." Gamora told me, right as the door to the area was opened.

[fatpingu]

My Secret Guardian

Chapter two - Those damn eyes

Warning: Explicit language, depression, anxiety and almost SA

The warmth from the sun made its way towards my bedroom. A thick sunbeam from the window was now pointed directly at my face, which made me wake up from my slumber. I really need to get some curtains.

Going back to bed wasn't even an option at this point, even though that was the only thing I wanted to do. My bedroom felt like a sauna and without curtains, there was no way that I could stay in that room. It wasn't even 7 o'clock yet, but the sun didn't care that it was my day off.

Might as well get some breakfast now that I'm up, I thought to myself as I got out of bed, the sweat already starting to form on my forehead.

I went to the kitchen, grabbed a Ready-to-Eat oatmeal and sat down at the small table in my tiny apartment. I actually hated oatmeal, but it was just so convenient and it kept me full until lunchtime. It wasn't because I couldn't cook. I was actually, in my own humble opinion, really good at cooking. But what was the point at spending so much time cooking for one person? Who in their right mind would voluntarily spend two hours on making a meal, just to sit by themselves to eat.

I wonder if Alexander likes to cook. My mind started to wander before I stopped myself. Why did I even care? He was 42 years old, there was a high chance that he knew how to fucking cook. It's a basic human skill.

As I finished my food, I looked around the apartment to find something to distract myself with. I usually just stayed at home on my days off, but there was something inside me this day, that wanted to actually do something productive.

As my eyes traveled through my apartment, they landed on my workout clothes. I hadn't worked out in a couple of months, the motivation just hadn't been there. Maybe a run down to the lake and back wouldn't be so bad, I told myself while my butt was still planted on the chair.

I thought about it for a good ten minutes before I walked over to put the clothes on.

The leggings were a little tight around the thighs and hips, but it still fit nonetheless. The shirt however wasn't in the best condition. How had I forgotten about the huge hole on the side? I reconsidered the idea of a run because I didn't have any other workout shirts.

I looked outside one of the windows to see the beautiful weather and other people running around. Men with no shirt and women in sports bras. It was a clear indication that it was hot outside, and that I also could just wear my sport bra. I put on the rest of my attire plus some headphones, and headed out the door.

Either I'm really out of shape or the lake is further away than I anticipated, I said breathlessly to myself as I tried to run. It didn't really help that the sun was burning my entire body while I struggled to catch my breath through the thick air.

The fact that I remembered to put on a cap was a blessing. I would always forget to put on a hat, no matter what weather I was traveling in. The only downside to wearing a cap, was that I could feel the sweat round the area where it touched my skin. Gross.

My phone started to ring and I stopped to catch my breath before answering. I looked at my phone for a moment to see who was calling, a thing I always did to avoid talking to people I didn't like. It wasn't a number that was coded into my phone, and I also hadn't seen it before. I hesitated at first, but answered it anyway. It could've been for a job interview from one of the places I had applied for.

"Hello?" I answered, trying my hardest not to sound too exhausted.

"Oh! Uhm.. Hi! It's Alexander.. From work!" A deep voice stammered from the other end of the call.

"What do you want?"

"I-I know it's your day off but-"

"It is. So why are you calling me?"

"I got my new laptop today, but I don't know how to set up my account."

"Okay? And that is my problem because?

"I wanted to ask if you could come in and help me? You probably have a better understanding about this technology than me."

"Can't you just get another person to help you?" I started to get irritated. Why did he need my help for something so basic? I wasn't the only one at the office who knew how a damn computer worked.

The line was silent for a little bit before he finally answered me.

"No one has time to help me. And you were the first person I thought of calling."

Was I really going to go to work on my day off, just so I could help him with his fucking account? I thought for a second, and then sighed loud to make sure he knew he annoyed me.

"Fine," I groaned as I hung up the phone. I hated it already because I knew that I didn't have time to run back to my apartment, take a shower, jump in my car and then go to my workplace. I had to run over there.

I finally made it to the building's entrance after I had run for what had felt like an eternity, but in reality only was for about ten minutes.

I took a deep breath before entering, preparing myself for all the eyes that were going to be looking at me.

I quickly walked towards Alexander's office, looking down and hiding my face with my cap so none of my coworkers recognized me. I was too annoyed already, so I didn't even bother knocking on the door before entering.

The door flung up and he jumped in his seat, clearly startled by the sudden loud noise in his quiet office. That's fucking karma, I snickered to myself, thinking about all the times he had scared me the day before.

It was a much cooler atmosphere at the office than it was outside.

Thank the lords for air conditioning.

We stared at each other for quite a while without either of us saying anything. I looked at his shirt, expecting another band T-shirt, but was slightly disappointed when I saw that it was just a plain green polo. My eyes traveled up to his face to see something quite unexpected. A pair of black rimmed glasses. I hadn't seen him with those on before, so I almost didn't recognize him.

He looked at my face when his gaze suddenly started to travel downwards to my sports bra. I hadn't even thought about my outfit before agreeing to help him with his computer. As he probably came to the realization of where his eyes were, he adjusted himself in his chair and looked back at my face.

"Nice glasses," I teased, trying to get out of the awkwardness that was floating around. His eyes widened and he quickly reached for his glasses and took them off. "They're for reading," he said while smiling at me.

I grabbed a chair and went over to the side of him, sat down and pulled the laptop over to be in front of me.

As I was typing, I could feel his eyes going from the computer to the side of my face, over and over again, like he couldn't decide what to look at. I chose to ignore him and just focus on setting up his work account.

"What do you want your password to be?" I asked, still not looking at him. He scooted a little closer to me to look at the screen.

"How about.." he thought long and hard before saying "How about your name?"

I took my hands off the keyboard and turned my head, cocking a brow.

"Why?" I asked confusedly. He looked up from the screen and gazed into my eyes. We were inches away from each other at this point.

"Because I like your name. And it's easy for me to remember," he muttered.

I was sucked into his eyes once again. Those damn eyes.

His stare switched between my eyes and my mouth as he leaned a little closer. I bit my lip, staring down at his, but before anything happened, I pulled away and looked back at the computer.

There was a moment of silence before I started to type on the keyboard.

"My name it is then," I said, trying to ignore the fact that my heart was almost beating out of my chest.

Alexander cleared his throat and moved a little further away from me, clearly embarrassed by my rejection.

I tried to pace through the rest of the set up as quickly as possible, wanting to escape the awkward energy that flowed through the room.

"All done!" I exclaimed, pushing the laptop back to Alexander. I got up and almost ran towards the door.

"Tha-thank you!" He stuttered and got up himself. "Wait!" I stopped before grabbing the door handle, turning my head slowly to look at him.

"I was wondering if you wanted to grab a beer tonight," he shyly asked. I was really contemplating my answer. I studied the look on his face, it was clear that he really wanted me to say yes. What was the worst thing that could happen? It was only a beer.

"Sure," I said softly, shifting my weight between my feet. His face lit up by my response and he almost couldn't contain his excitement.

"Should I pick you up?" he asked while nervously twisting his fingers.

"No I'll just meet you there. Joels Pint Parlor? Seven o'clock?" I requested. He nodded as he sat back down in his chair.

"See you there," he smiled. I smiled back at him and walked out of his office.

"Why did I agree to this?" I sighed while putting on my makeup. The sudden realization of what I was getting ready for hit me like a ton of bricks.

I wanted to look nice, but then again, why would I even bother. I had agreed to have a beer with my boss, nothing more, nothing less. I didn't need to put any effort into my appearance, because I wasn't going to try to impress him. But why did I actually want to?

I put down my makeup brush and stared at myself in the mirror. I had my eyebrows done, mascara and eyeliner on and a little bit of lipstick. Do I need more? I thought to myself while studying my own face. No, this is fine. It's only for a beer.

The clock started getting close to 6:30 pm and I started to get more nervous. I had switched between several outfits before finding one that was a little more sexy than my usual work attire. It was a pair of black shorts with a loose white shirt that had a type of V-neck and a pair of wedge sandals. Who was I kidding? I wanted to look good and a little cleavage never hurt anybody.

I grabbed my purse and car keys and headed out the door. I knew I would be there way to early, but just sitting around and waiting in my apartment was going to be torture for my nerves.

The bar wasn't as crowded as I had feared, but then again it was also a Thursday.

I walked towards the bar to find a place to sit, and low and behold there were two seats free right at the bar counter.

I sat down on one of the chairs and placed my purse on the other so no one could sit there. I looked around the room to observe the different kinds of people that were hanging around this bar.

Maybe this was a bad idea, I thought to myself as I got eye contact with some creepy looking men, sitting in one of the corners of the bar, having a conversation about something that looked like it would be gross to hear.

One of the men stood up from his seat and proceeded to walk towards me, smiling all creepily. My gut twisted and I started to shake a little. I was really scared of strangers, especially men, and especially creepy looking men. He was getting really close and I froze in my seat.

"Hey baby! What's a fine piece of ass doing at a bar all by herself?" he said with a smug on his face.

"I-I uhm.." I stuttered. I was so scared that I couldn't form a decent response.

"How about we get out of here, huh? You look like you could use a really good fucking," he said, leaning closer towards me.

"Ple-please leave m-me alone," I almost cried, tears starting to form in my eyes. His grin faded as he looked behind me.

"You heard her. Leave!" a deep voice growled behind me. I look back to see Alexander, looking a lot angrier than usual. The creepy man didn't budge, he just stared at Alexander and then back at me.

"Is this your boyfriend?" he asked irritatedly while pointing. I was still frozen, but managed to make a small nod while looking at the floor. While tsking, he leaves the bar counter and heads back to his friends.

Alexander moves my purse from the other chair and sits down, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" he asks while trying to make eye contact with me. What is it with those words when they come from him? I can feel the concern in his voice that I haven't felt in others when asking me the same. I didn't answer him with words. I just looked at him and nodded.

Alexander raised his hand to catch the bartender's attention so he could order something to drink.

"Two beers please," he requested and turned back to face me again.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I jus-"

"Don't worry about it."

Our small conversation got interrupted when the bartender sat down two pints of beer in front of us. I took a huge gulp of beer to calm my nerves. Who would have thought that I left my apartment early so my nerves wouldn't get the best of me, just to have them destroyed by a creepy man because I left early.

"We agreed to seven o'clock and I just happened to be here before you. Seriously, you don't need to apologize."

Alexander took a swig of his beer and looked back at me again.

"I mean it! If I had just been here ten minuets earlier this wouldn't have happened."

"You look good tonight," he beamed. "Not that you don't normally look good! It's just.. I really like your outfit! But it's a shame it isn't very professional," he smirked, taking another sip of his beer.

I slapped his arm, making him spill a little. "I know what I said about your clothes was rude, okay?" I acknowledged while trying to hide my smile because of his joke.

"It's okay, you're right. My clothes aren't very professional and I do need to buy some proper stuff. It would be an honor to have you as my guidance tho," he said while swirling his beer.

I chose to lower my guard because I actually felt really comfortable being around him at this point. "I would love that," I said while smiling at him.

We had been at the bar for about two hours, laughing and talking about random stuff. I had found out that Alexander had been in the military when he was 22 and that he was really passionate about music. That definitely explained the band T-shirts.

"No! Queen is definitely better than David Bowie!"

"Are you out of your mind!? 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' is a fucking masterpiece of an album and beats everything that Queen has ever made!"

"Look. 'Innuendo' is literally so amazing! 'The show must go on'? What about 'I'm going slightly mad'?"

"If you want to talk about Queen albums, at least mention the best one! 'A Night At The Opera'? Don't you like 'Love of my life'?"

"I.. don't.." I turned my head to face my almost empty beer glass on the countertop. "That song reminds me of some dark times that i would rather forget."

I could feel Alexander's hand on my thigh. Normally, I would've smacked him across the head for doing that, but didn't feel like it. His hand was very warm and soft against my bare skin.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned my head to look at him.

"It used to be one of my favorite songs because of the emotions that it packed.. But then my boyfriend left me a couple years ago and suddenly, the lyrics hit too close to home. And still does."

Alexander angled his eyebrows upwards.  "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, squeezing my thigh in a pitying way.

"I don't."

"Do you have any kids?" I asked, wanting to turn the conversation around.

"Do you want any?"

"And your wife is cool with that?"

"I can't have kids, and he wasn't very thrilled about that. I had told him in the beginning of our relationship and he told me then, that he didn't mind. Apparently he did." I swung back the rest of the warm beer and almost threw the glass back at the counter.

"I don't have one"

"You don't have a wife?"

"Not really."

"No. We got divorced about five years ago"

"I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to be so nosy." My face was turning red. It was probably a mix between the beer and the sheer awkwardness I had created.

I looked at Alexander, and to my surprise, he didn't seem bothered about my questions.

"It's getting late and I have work tomorrow," I stated as I fumbled with my purse, trying to find some money for the beers. I placed the money on the counter and stood up from the chair. I started walking out of the bar and Alexander walked right behind me.

We both walked towards the parking lot behind the bar to get to our cars.

"Will you text me when you get home? Just so I know you made it home safe?" Alexander asked while fiddling with his car keys. I wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but I could see on his face that he was dead serious about my safety.

"I don't have your number," I said.

"It's the same number that I called from earlier today," he smiled, still playing with his keys.

I smiled back and unlocked my car. "Sure."

I got in my car and drove off. Just like the day before, Alexander didn't get into his car before I had driven off.

When I came back to my apartment, I looked through my purse for my house keys. They weren't there.

Did I forget them at the bar? I checked my purse again until it hit me. I never took my keys with me. Only my car keys. Fuck!

My apartment door was that annoying kind that didn't need a key to lock it. It locks by itself. That meant that I was locked out of my apartment, and the landlord wasn't available until tomorrow morning.

What the fuck do I do now!? My pulse started to jump and I could feel myself getting lightheaded. I didn't have any family or friends that lived near by. They all lived around three hours away.

"Hello?"

"Hey Alexander. It's me."

Chapter three

[thealchemyth]

Dancing With Dust

Chapter 1: Indelibility

Genre: Magical Realism

Word count: 1,677

Summary:

Phan is doing fine in his everyday life; studying magic under the tutelage of his eccentric master, hanging out with his annoying friends that he can't live without, enjoying his college life, and probably failing at Potion again but that's fine.

What he last needs is catching feelings for the most annoying sentient being on this planet who also might be his master's new disciple. And admitting it feels like a punch in the gut.

He's not fine.

A/N:

Every character in this story has two names: birth name and chosen name. They usually prefer to go by their chosen name and keep their birth name a secret. The importance of a birth name depends on the wizards themselves; some of them might feel that being called by their birth name is a symbol of intimacy and some feel that it doesn't represent their identity and hence, could be thrown away if they feel like it.

Benefactors or Wizard Masters are well-respected members of colleges of wizardry. They are either professors or grandmasters in said college.

The college the main characters enrolled in is Ganesha college of wizardry. It has four houses: Garuda, Lembuswana, Barong, and Naga.

The first time they met, it was uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was the way he came up to him and acted friendly and immediately asked for permission to call him by his nickname. Perhaps it was the way he smiled with the hint of amusement hinted at the curve of his lips. Perhaps it was the way he looked at him with raised eyebrows, expecting a response as if he had the obligation to.

It began with him and his friend, Clarity, stuck in an empty lab brewing Inversalius potion, which according to the book, was supposed to have an effect to reverse genetic mutation if brewed properly. But so far, the color of the potion didn't show any indication of being 'brewed properly'.

Professor Adhyaksa gave them a pitying look as he gave permission for them to use the lab earlier. Perhaps he understood that for most of the students, potion wasn't the most favorite subject. And that the amount of students who failed reached the level of outstanding.

The little jars — which mostly contained organs from varied magical creatures and herbs — felt like mocking them. It also didn't help that the temperature was too hot to their liking that even the cooling rune they drew every hour only gave little comfort. Clarity kept tying and untying her carnation pink hair in desperation. Meanwhile, his black with blue highlight hair kept reaching a new level of messiness the more it was exposed to the potion smoke he honestly gave up trying to keep them looking presentable.

It was somewhere during their peak of suffering that someone opened the door to the lab and made him so startled that he almost dropped the mixing spoon. He thought it was Professor Adhyaksa at first; perhaps he came to say their time was up or something. But once he looked up and opened his mouth to form an apology — and maybe beg for another additional time, he found that the one coming in was another student; from the house of Naga if the emblem embroidered on his tie was any indication.

"Hey, are you the one named Phantasia?" The boy asked after he walked over to him and Clarity, suspiciously looking like he already knew which empty lab they were currently using; his head tilted to the side as he looked at him. His hair was a nice combination of gray and brown with some of his bangs falling nicely to hide part of his forehead, and his hand casually wrapped around Clarity's shoulders as he sat beside her to insert his presence and make it impossible to ignore. His eyes, Phan noticed, appeared to be a warm shade of chocolate; and they looked bright and friendly and innocent-looking as if he didn't just barge in uninvited.

"I've heard about you from Clarity. Can I call you Phan?"

Phan frowned, looking sideways to their apparently mutual friend, Clarity, whose shoulder was borrowed, and silently asking who the heck that was and why he was acting so familiar.

Clarity only snorted in amusement.

Phan's gaze returned to the intruder whose face he finally recognized from a few encounters they had before (even if they had never talked) — in the hallways, in front of the classrooms, at the training ground, in the canteen.

Talking to new people was never part of Phan's ability, especially the too-friendly type. His frown deepened as he answered icily, "No." And it was almost venomous too. His gaze slid back to the small, sad-looking cauldron he was using which contained asparagus green potion; and it looked as pathetic as the cauldron itself if Phan was honest.

He did not want to hear about what Clarity said about him to…whoever this guy was. And he did not want to get involved in a stranger's business.

"That's too bad. I'm Vadimas, by the way," the boy continued to say, standing up and rounding the table so he was standing right in front of Phan. "Thank you for the warm welcome."

Phan heard him chuckle. And he sent a glare after Vadimas put his hands on the table whilst leaning into his personal space.

"You're annoying the shit out of him, you know that right?" Clarity pointed out but without a bite and not without a chuckle. "When I said make a good first impression, I didn't mean it like this."

Vadimas pouted, but quickly recovered as he paid her no mind anymore. He crouched down and put his hands on top of another as he sent Phan what people might call puppy eyes.

"So, Phan. Phantasia, apologies for bothering your time. That was rude of me, but could you at least hear me out first, pretty please?"

Phan glanced at him for a moment before sliding his gaze back to check on his potion which almost turned to a worrying shade of gray as he stirred. And the smoke attacking their faces smelled too sour to be called a successful result.

"What do you want?" He said, finally after a long pause, albeit half-heartedly. And somehow, he could imagine Vadimas' expression brightened even without glancing at him. "And how did you find us here?"

"Mmm," Vadimas pretended to think, lifting his hand and touching his chin with his fingers; a silver ring sat comfortably on his pointer finger, giving occasional glint when the light hit it at the right angle. "A little mouse might have blabbered to me that you two would study together for the Advanced Potion exam after class — and oh, she said you're kinda hopeless in that subject, by the way — in exchange for caramel canonball*."

At that, Phan immediately whipped his head to the side to glare at his friend who, in turn, hid her face behind the second edition of 'Advanced Potion Making' textbook so only a mop of pink hair could be seen.

"As for the first question," Vadimas continued as he grinned sheepishly, saving Clarity from almost being hexed. "I actually need a favor."

Before Phan could open his mouth, Vadimas clapped his hands together in a pleading gesture to halt whatever kind of rejection his brain came up with. "Could you possibly arrange a meeting with your benefactor for me? I need to talk to him about urgent matters," pleaded Vadimas with the hopeful tone coloring his words.

Phan blinked; stunned. It was so out of the blue. "With Master May? What for?"

"My current benefactor is about to work abroad and she recommended that I come to yours. And I really need a new benefactor if I still want to stay in this college. So, please?"

Ah, shit.

Phan bit his lip as he considered the sudden request. Benefactors were essential in wizards' education system. They were the guardian as well as mentor that young wizards' parents sent their children to for learning about basic magic and everything related to it. They didn't have to live with their benefactors, but some of them preferred that for different reasons.

And when the wizards reached age 19, their benefactors would register their disciples to the universities they had affiliation with.

But, out of all benefactors available, why Master May?

"Why didn't your benefactor contact mine themselves?" Phan asked curiously; his head tilted slightly, mirroring Vadimas' gesture earlier. "Surely, discussion between benefactors directly would bring a better result."

"Err, how to put this," Vadimas gave a pause and looked sideways. His hand came up to rest at his neck before running his palm on it as he thought. "My benefactor and yours have a, uh, complicated relationship. She only said that in order to arrange a meeting with Master Mayhem, I have to talk to his disciple. And I only know that it's the guy from the house of Garuda. But luckily, I know an insider."

Vadimas glanced at Clarity, which was then confirmed by her with a nod.

"...How complicated?" Phan inquired. Master May, short for Mayhem as Vadimas pointed, was a bit eccentric. And even that might be an understatement. And, like Phan, he was difficult to approach and didn't have patience for any bullshit. "And if that's so, why wouldn't she recommend you another benefactor? Besides, Master May only accepts one disciple at a time."

Clarity nudged gently at his elbow, pulling his gaze away from Vadimas. "Because his benefactor is Master Salva."

Phan mouthed 'ah' at the unexpected revelation. That answered all of his questions, then. But still. "There's no guarantee that Master May will be willing to accept you, though."

The 'are you sure you still want to try' was left unsaid but obviously understood from the hopeful and determined look Vadimas was giving him.

The other boy nodded firmly. "Just leave the persuading to me."

"...Alright." Phan shrugged, "it's your business, anyway."

"You'll do it?!" Vadimas jumped and reached for his hand as excitement overtook him which made Phan jerk back almost immediately.

Noticing his touch was unwelcomed, Vadimas released his hand with an apologetic look. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Phan lowered his gaze and nodded slightly. "You're welcome," he said drily whilst feeling the heat spreading on his face.

Vadimas gave him an ear-to-ear grin, looking so pleased. "Thank you," he uttered softly; the sincerity that bled from those two words sent a fluttering sensation in Phan's stomach.

"Oh anyway, your potion is incomplete. It lacks salamander eyeball and snotty beans," Vadimas jerked his head toward the small cauldron. "See you later, Phan!"

And then he was out the door. Just like that.

"How the heck did he figure that out?" Clarity grumbled, flipping through the pages frantically.

"Who even allowed him to call me Phan!" He cried and put down the mixing spoon, giving up on stirring the ridiculous potion.

When Clarity was busy checking through the shelves and jars for the ingredients Vadimas mentioned, Phan's right hand rested on top of his left wrist. The weight of someone else's hand still lingered there. Vividly. And hauntingly.

It felt uncomfortable.

So uncomfortable that his ears turned red.

*: Phan and Clarity's favorite snacks. It's a bag of small chocolate caramel balls that would explode once they're inside your mouth.