#but the first time i saw a shooting star i thought it was a plane about to crash
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Out there, somewhere
or: hey BB-8, ya like sand?
(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)
#my art#artists on tumblr#digital art#fanart#star wars#rey skywalker#bb8#star wars sequel trilogy#i’d love to see the night sky from the desert one day#the light pollution isnt too bad here#but the first time i saw a shooting star i thought it was a plane about to crash#anyway it was like magic#i like to think rey spent her nights on jakku stargazing#maybe imagining which star her parents were on…#MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: DOES REY LIKE SAND#oh my god does bb8 like sand#guys bb8 is the best and also an absolute baby#*lighter thumbs up*
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Vince McMahon Sabotaged Christian Cage's Career
In February 2009, Christian made his surprising return to WWE and debuted on the ECW brand. The moment was exciting for fans, as Christian had made a big name for himself during his nearly four-year stint with TNA Wrestling.
Some fans don't look back on the moment fondly though, as commentator Todd Grisham didn't have much enthusiasm in his voice for the return of a legend. As it turns out, Vince McMahon himself instructed Grisham to have a low demeanor about Christian's return to the company.
Right before I walked out of the Gorillia position before the show. Vince McMahon called me over and said, “When Christian walks out..don’t get excited at all simply say ‘it’s Christian’ and that’s it. Understand me?” Me: “Yes sir”
Tony Khan responded to Grisham's post, calling the behavior insane.
In a recent interview, Kurt Angle stated that there isn't much difference between Vince McMahon and the character of 'Mr. McMahon'.
Reacting to a post criticizing his commentary on X, Grisham recalled the infamous moment. The former WWE personality detailed how McMahon ordered him to say those exact words when Christian returned. Grisham could do nothing but accept and follow his boss’ instructions. Over the years, this moment has become a running online joke.
For some reason, McMahon never saw Christian as a potential main-event talent in WWE. Therefore, Captain Charisma failed to reach similar heights as his best friend, Edge (Adam Copeland). Even after winning his first World Heavyweight Championship, the Canadian star ended up losing the belt in five days.
The story reignited the long-standing debate around McMahon's supposed dislike of Christian (rumors mentioned that Jay wasn't a yes-man and didn't want to be involved with any shenanigans backstage involving Vince and his bullying/harassment way).
The latter was once one-half of his most profitable tag-team stable with Edge. However, following their diversion into single competitors, the former 'Captain Charisma' was never treated as a prized asset.
Former WWE star Lance Storm confirmed the official WWE program incorrectly billed Christian at 5’ 10” when the man whose real name is William Reso is 3-4 inches taller.
McMahon's old WWE lead writer Alex Greenfield later revealed the billionaire once pitched to have Christian's face covered by a blue dot.
"Right before I started, there was a big show, I think it might have been in Toronto. Christian was just so completely over, and everybody thought he was going to get a push at, I think it was the World Heavyweight Championship at that point. We were on the plane one time shortly after I started, and Vince was just like 'God damn, I just don't like his face. His face really bothers me.'
"I was like, 'He's ugly, Vince?'
'No, it's not that he's ugly, it's just, I don't know, it's ratty!"
WWE executive Bruce Pritchard even waded in on the theory, by explaining McMahon was never a major fan. "[Vince] didn’t feel that [Christian] had the personality to connect with the audience in a big way. He didn’t think he was larger than life and at that time Vince wanted the top guys needed to be larger than life. You needed to be The Rock, needed to be Stone Cold, you needed to be Undertaker. Every time you would come up with an idea for Edge or Christian it would be like okay, there is a lot of excitement there with Edge."
"‘Oh by God, we could do this with him. We could do this with him, a big good-looking bastard and then we’d get to Christian and it would just be, ‘Ugh, God, do we have to shoot him? Do we have to see that face? The fuck’s he gonna say?!’"
Even after winning his first World Heavyweight Championship, Christian ended up losing the belt within five days.
He inducted long-term partner Edge into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012 but is conspicuous by his own absence from the list over a decade later. The veteran wasn't offered a new WWE contract following a separate return at the Royal Rumble in 2021.
He has since found a home in AEW under Tony Khan's leadership, who reacted to Grisham's story further in an additional post that read: "Christian Cage is the man."
#Christian Cage#Vince McMahon#Jay Reso#Tony Khan#Adam Copeland#Todd Grisham#Kurt Angle#Lance Storm#Edge WWE#WWE#ECW#AEW#TNA#Wrestlemania#All Elite Wrestling#TNA Impact#All Elite#AEW Dynamite#AEW Rampage#AEW Collision
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[2024.10.15] BRUTUS November 1, 2024 issue No. 1018 - Beautiful Architecture and Windows
OPEN MY WINDOW Open your own window. Hanyu Yuzuru special photoshoot.
Yuzuru Hanyu Hanyu Yuzuru / Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1994. He won two consecutive gold medals in men's singles figure skating at the Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics. He has also won numerous World Championships and Grand Prix Finals. In 2018, he received the People’s Honor Award. After turning professional in July 2022, he became a producer and held three solo shows, including "GIFT" and "RE_PRAY." He also has a picture book titled "GIFT" (text: Yuzuru Hanyu, illustrations: CLAMP).
What do you see from your window, Hanyu-san?
One summer day in a house studio, Yuzuru Hanyu was sitting by the window. He gazed at the garden, which glistens in the quiet sunlight shining through the trees. Behind the sound of the shutter, Erik Satie’s "Gymnopédie No. 1," which he had selected from his iPhone playlist, was playing on the portable speaker.
"During shoots, I always choose a song that suits the situation and the intention for each shot. Since turning professional, I've had more opportunities to be photographed not just as an athlete, but as a person and an artist, and each time I am reminded of how many people put in a lot of time and effort to create a single photograph. When I heard that today’s theme from BRUTUS was 'windows,' I approached the shoot as if I were trying to fit myself into a crafted story."
At the beginning of the score for "Gymnopédie No. 1," the performance instructions read, "Slowly, with sorrow." The gentle yet melancholic melody resonates with the struggles a skater must have faced both physically and mentally, before and after achieving glory. Hanyu-san, what do you see from your window?
"When I used to live in Toronto, my house was on a high floor of a building, so I could see the whole city. It was raining in the areas covered by clouds, but I often saw rainbows in the gaps between the clouds where it wasn’t raining at all. That scene left a strong impression on me. I also can’t forget the view I saw from the airplane window during overseas trips. Whether it was on my way to Europe or coming back, I can’t recall clearly, but the plane was flying above the clouds, and only the moon shone brightly amidst the surrounding darkness. The brightness of the moon made it impossible to see the stars, and that scene was so beautiful that I rested my forehead against the window and gazed at it for a long time."
A town in the rain and with a rainbow. Darkness and moonlight. Even these scenes seem to suggest the journey he has taken so far. During the photo shoot, Hanyu was photographed from both inside and outside the window, but which side does he prefer?
"Personality-wise, I guess I'm the type who likes to keep to myself. I'm an introspective person, and I've often thought deeply about myself and people since I was little, so in that sense I might be the type of person who prefers to close the window and focus on being alone. However, I believe that even the most sociable and cheerful people need personal space and sometimes want to close all the windows. But those windows must have handles on them, so that when the time comes, someone else can open it for them, or they can open it themselves… That's what I was hoping to express in that window-shoot I did earlier."
He announced his transition to a professional career in July 2022. It was a declaration of his unwavering commitment to move forward. Although he stepped away from the competitive world where he compared himself to others, his battle with himself continues as he strives for even greater heights. He has already achieved three solo shows, a first in the figure skating world, all of which were a huge success. If we were to compare Hanyu to a house, would it be that he didn’t move to a new house when he turned professional; rather, the house itself remains the same, but the direction the window opens and the view from it have changed?
"Well, it’s true that my fundamental personality hasn't changed at all from before I started skating to the present. I have always been inquisitive and curious, often wondering, 'What is a human being?' In that sense, it is the same house. I probably have windows facing all directions, and I probably hang blackout curtains over them. Sometimes I want to feel the morning sun coming through the east-facing window, and other times I don't want to see anything and keep all the curtains closed. I think humans, myself included, are very selfish and interesting, and sometimes we wish to be part of society, and sometimes we just want to shut ourselves away in solitude. When I'm on tour, I might close the curtains. I want to block out the noise around me, concentrate on myself, and deliver a good performance. Afterwards, I'll secretly lift the curtains to see how the audience reacts (laughs)."
In his solo performance tour "RE_PRAY" from 2023 to 2024, Hanyu himself became the protagonist of a role-playing game, blending skating performances and videos to express a world of opposites, such as success and failure, life and death, light and darkness, and game-over and continue. This unprecedented ice show struck a universal chord with audiences from all walks of life, touching their hearts. What’s next for Hanyu, who always exceeds the expectations of his fans?
“I can’t reveal the details... but I’m constantly thinking about new songs and programs. I said earlier that I haven't changed, but since I became a professional, the way I spend my time has obviously changed, and I don't have time to just sit idle anymore. This year I turn 30, and every day I reflect deeply on what I’ve worked hard for nearly 30 years and the meaning of my existence now.”
After the interview, we returned to the studio for the rest of the shoot, where we could hear Matsutoya Yumi's "Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara" playing in the background. "Open the curtains..." Perhaps now is the time to open windows in various directions and take in new input in anticipation of the next step. I tell myself that everything I see is a message.
Source: BRUTUS November 1, 2024 issue No. 1018, pg 65 Info: https://brutus.jp/magazine/issue/1018/ https://x.com/gucci_jp/status/1846128889573032006 BTS: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_MEmG5MwL0g / https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lAnWsArkHYw
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The 100 knew how to do a redemption arc.
Throughout its seven-season run on The CW, post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama repeatedly doubled down on one of its many thought-provoking mantras: there are no good guys. The “good guys” often did terrible things in the name of survival, and the “bad guys” were rarely through-and-through evil (although they could be “cockroaches”).
Timed to the recent 10-year anniversary of the series premiere, we chatted with Richard Harmon, Lindsey Morgan, and Henry Ian Cusick about how they came to join the show, the extent to which Harmon and Cusick saw their characters as villains during the first season, and why they think The 100 has stuck around in the sci-fi genre.
Murphy wasn’t originally Murphy: he was “John #1,” and he wasn’t meant to live past the show’s second episode. Harmon recalled the process of first auditioning for the show: “I originally auditioned for the role of Bellamy, beautifully played by Bob Morley,” he said. “I remember auditioning for that and thinking, ‘There’s no way in hell I’m ever going to get this role.’ Lo and behold, I did not.” Weeks later, he got an audition for the roles of “John #1” and “John #2,” and after feeling confident that he’d booked it, he learned that he had. He was John #1.
Harmon said that despite his character’s predetermined Episode 2 death, he approached the first episode determined to do something different and have fun with the role. Thankfully, showrunner Jason Rothenberg was watching. “I guess he noticed that, liked what I was doing, and expanded the role in some rewrites during the shooting of the Pilot,” Harmon said, adding that half of what Murphy said in the aired Pilot wasn’t there in the original script. “When it got picked up to series, he emailed me personally—which was kind of a shocking thing as not a lead, to get an email from the creator of the show. He said, ‘I really liked what you did, how would you feel about not dying in the second episode? Could you stick around for the whole first season? Your last name will be Murphy, people will call you Murphy, and what do you think?’” And so went the story of how he booked “John #1”… and how “John #1” became John Murphy.
Katie Yu/The CW
First appearing in the show’s second episode rather than in the Pilot, Morgan wound up on The 100 through a whirlwind of correct timing and fate. She’d been waiting to hear whether she’d booked a role on Chicago P.D. when she auditioned for the part of Raven on Tuesday, chemistry-read with Thomas McDonnell [played Finn Collins] on Thursday, and was on a plane headed to Vancouver by Sunday. She later found out she wouldn’t have gotten the Chicago P.D. role. “It’s crazy to look back and imagine it happening any other way,” she said.
Similarly to Harmon’s “John #1,” Morgan’s Raven wasn’t meant to be a The 100 mainstay. Originally, Morgan said, Raven was meant to die after just five episodes—a shock, when one considers how integral the quick-thinking mechanic and tech genius became to the plot of the show. “I was on pins and needles, waiting to receive my death notice with each passing script,” Morgan said. After the Season 1 finale, Rothenberg made the offer to Morgan to stick around for Season 2. She’d been up for a role on a different show at that time. If she’d gotten it, Raven would’ve died from the gunshot wound dealt her by Murphy. Obviously, Raven survived. “The rest was history,” Morgan said. “As we all know, nothing can kill Raven Reyes.”
The CW
For his part, Cusick mentioned that it was a sense of longing for Lost that led him to The 100. “It was Pilot season, and I had just finished something, and I was reading a bunch of Pilots,” he remembered. “The 100 turned up, and I thought it was very similar in tone to Lost, which I was missing. I read that and I said to my agent, ‘That’s a cool Pilot.’ I ended up having a meeting with [showrunner] Jason Rothenberg, and we had a chat, and he offered it to me.”
While he did almost float Clarke’s mother, Dr. Abby Griffin (Paige Turco}, in the Pilot, Cusick disagrees with the label of Kane as a villain and passionately defends him. Even in the show’s early days, he says he just viewed Kane as “more of a d**k.” Cusick recounts several things his character was accused of doing but never actually did—such as attempting to kill Jaha (Isaiah Washington)—and maintains that rather than being villainous, Kane was simply a stickler for the rules. “Other people were talking about him and badmouthing him, but he was just a man who was trying to save the human race,” Cusick said. “He went about it in a rather authoritarian, draconian way. He was very strict. And then when he arrived on Earth, he went ‘Oh, humanity is still around.’ Then he could go back to being who he really was. That’s my opinion.”
Whether viewers considered him a villain or a d**k, Kane undoubtedly softened up. His kindness and diplomacy helped establish peace with the grounders as he formed a friendship with Indra (Adina Porter), he and Abby fell in love, and he gradually became a father figure to the delinquents—especially Bellamy Blake (Bob Morley). “I really took to Bob quite quickly,” Cusick remembered. “We would joke around a lot. I would call him my ‘idiot son’ and stuff like that,” he said with a laugh. “We kind of cultivated that relationship, I thought, that we were like father and son. We enjoyed each other’s company, so that was easy to play.”
The CW
Harmon, on the other hand, readily admitted he played Murphy as a villain in Season 1—so much so that he’d taken inspiration for Murphy and Bellamy’s relationship from Biblical literature. “I based [Murphy] loosely off of Lucifer, actually,” he said. “Bellamy was God, for this group, and I’m his right-hand favorite angel, but demon, really. Eventually I try to take too much power, just like Lucifer does in the Bible, and God smites me down. That’s when I get thrown out to the grounders in the wild and come back way later, with the sickness.”
When the show was picked up for a second season, Harmon and Rothenberg had another chat. “At the end of Season 1, Jason said, ‘Will you stick around for the long haul now going forward to Season 2?’” Harmon said. “And I was like, ‘Of course, I would love to, but how are you going to do that?’” Rothenberg, Harmon remembered, wanted him to get the audience on Murphy’s side. Harmon was up for the challenge, as long as he was given material to convince the audience that there was a good reason behind Murphy’s notable not-niceness. “Eventually, as the seasons progressed and the fans responded favorably to Murphy, all of my cuts were a good angle, and I was a little more tanned with dirt, and I was like, ‘I think they’re trying to, maybe, make me hot,” Harmon laughed. “I don’t think at that point in my career anyone had ever tried to make me attractive on-screen before. That was nice. That felt good.”
Raven Reyes was about as far from a villain as one could get, even though she, like every character, had to make incredibly difficult choices. Morgan has fond memories especially of Season 2, and portraying Raven’s journey with losing the use of her leg. “As an able-bodied actor, I felt a deep responsibility and honor towards playing a character with disabilities as accurately as I could,” she said. “I wanted to bring justice, nuance, complexity, and the best accuracy to her journey as I could, and hopefully share and showcase her truth, as well as the strength people with disabilities exhibit daily.”
Morgan, too, has fond memories of filming in the Vancouver wilderness. While filming with Cusick and the “adult” cast on the Ark put her inside in the warm studio (and closer to the snacks), she enjoyed being outside in the forest… and sneaking in an on-set nap when an opportunity presented itself. “I can, and will, nap anywhere,” she recalled. “Thomas [McDonnell] almost stepped on my head once, because I was napping on the floor of our cast tent. I blended into the ground.”
The CW
Aside from his bond with Bellamy Blake, Kane’s other major connection on The 100 was his romance with Dr. Abby Griffin. Surprisingly, Cusick hadn’t known the writers intended to take the characters in that direction. “I remember Paige [Turco] saying to me, ‘I think they’re trying to get us together,’ and I was thinking, ‘No, that’s never going to happen. We need to be combative. That’s where the drama is,’” he said. In the end, Kane and Abby had a heartwarming love that lasted several seasons. Cusick thinks that not being told from the start about the romance angle only improved his performance. “The actors had no clue that was going to happen, so we were just playing our motivations, and our roles, and what we thought was right,” he said. “There was no hint of any flirtation or anything like that between the characters, so that’s when it happened. Maybe the audience saw it, I don’t know, but it was certainly a surprise to me.”
Unfortunately, Kane and Abby didn’t have the happy ending that many might’ve hoped for. Cusick departed the show in its sixth season, and Turco’s character was killed off in the Season 6 finale. While The 100 fans know all about heartbreak, it might add an extra layer of sadness to know that originally, Kane and Abby had been intended to have a more hopeful story. “My relationship with Abby was good, and people wanted us to get together,” Cusick reflected. “I think that would’ve happened, had I not left. I know that Jason [Rothenberg] said he wanted that to happen—he wanted us to get married, which would’ve been interesting.”
Cusick also directed the eleventh episode of Season 4, “The Other Side,” and the tenth episode of Season 5, “The Warriors Will.” When he thinks back on those experiences, he does so with appreciation for the show’s crew including director of photography Michael Blundell, and gratitude to Jason Rothenberg, director Dean White, and the cast. “Just in general, I never really got a chance to say this: I wanted to say thank you,” he said. “When I meet everyone at cons, I’m thinking about how we all went through this together. We all have relationships that are unique, because we went through that show. I’m always amazed when we meet up at cons by how fun they all are, and how nice it is to see them again.”
The CW
On the subject of conventions, Harmon mentioned that he and Morley used to take it as a badge of honor when fans would tell them that they hated Murphy and Bellamy. Twitter death threats, too, Harmon learned to take in stride. “It got a little hectic at times, for sure,” he remembered. “If people wanted to hate you so much, I’m so grateful for that. That just means we did our job well.” Harmon also mentioned that he wished he’d gotten to keep Murphy’s jacket from Season 1. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know what happened to it. Morgan, on the other hand, has held onto a few of Raven’s iconic items—including her trademark red jacket and knee brace. “I joked that I was going to make a plaster cast out of my body and display them in my house,” she said. “I definitely didn’t do that, but I have them in a safe place.”
As for The 100’s staying power, Harmon, Morgan, and Cusick all pointed out its continued interrogation of what it means to be human, especially in heightened, life-or-death situations. While the show was airing, Harmon said he called it the “biggest show you’ve never heard of.” At this point, he no longer thinks that description is true—people have heard of it.
“It was cool to be on the biggest show you’ve never heard of, because people would be like, ‘What show?’ and then all of a sudden there’d be five people who’d go, ‘The 100? Yes!’” he remembered. “People who watched it fell in love with it. Or were livid with it. Either way.”
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We (and by that I mean myself) demand more headcanons cuz they go hard asf😈
i have so many i’m gonna break these up by character. i will only do like the major ones. these are not all my headcanons just my big ones.
ADAM
despite living in slavic countries for most of his life, adam speaks english with a british accent because he learned it from anthony. he can also do a perfect american accent because he played WAAAAAAAYYYYYY too much fallout
adam is autistic (this one actually is canon, i mean come On dude) but also has ADHD and C-PTSD
scrawny because he was malnourished during his time as d-class. very insecure about it.
he and sylvester sloan know each other through anthony. i mentioned that sloan babysat adam occasionally, i was completely serious. he let adam watch star wars and adam literally wanted to BE luke skywalker.
yeah luke was his gender awakening
uses she/her to refer to his younger self from before anthony saved him as a coping mechanism— in reality he’s trying to deny that it even happened to him in the first place.
smokes weed when the team is off. calvin does not approve.
marries harvey in every stardew valley playthrough.
romances halsin in baldur’s gate 3.
cracked at fromsoft games.
CALVIN
bisexual, he just doesn’t realize it.
calvin is a gamer. he had adam build him a setup. they play together. adam beats his fucking ass in everything and makes fun of him for it.
really, really bad habit of bottling his emotions (which is why olivia keeps dumping him)
was ~19 when he got arrested for the stuff hyun-ki mentioned. vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence is considered a felony charge.
grew up in the midwest. talks like a midwestern dad.
his aunt owns a horse ranch. calvin REALLY likes horses as a result.
he once promised adam to take him to meet his horse and teach him to ride after everything. poor guys :(
he and aaron would have had a father-son relationship.
he was a very “difficult” child due to him not being believed about his mother’s death. he had no idea how to cope with it. often got into fights, which is why his aunt ended up sending him to boarding school. she got a lot of calls even when he was there because calvin just. got into a fuckton of fights.
he didn’t go to therapy until the insurgency MADE HIM go to therapy.
legally can’t drive. doesn’t give a fuck.
he would occasionally let adam just lay on top of him like a cat. he thought it was platonic. like just guys being dudes.
would be a good father.
if he saw his dad again he’d shoot the guy without any hesitation.
blames the foundation’s negligence for his mom’s death.
likes planes a lot.
OLIVIA
sees adam as her little brother. they’re extremely close by O5-3’s chapter. she’s rather protective and very quick to defend him.
adam taught her to play dungeons and dragons and gives her book recommendations. she plays a halfling life-domain cleric/college of swords bard (multiclassing)
loves mystery novels.
adam introduced her to stardew valley. she usually marries leah.
bisexual. does not know this.
easily frustrated with calvin because calvin is terrible at communicating his feelings. calvin is trying to work on this. it’s going terribly. despite this, calvin is very affectionate with her and she does how open he is with that.
very relationship-centric person. this is mostly because she didn’t get much characterization in twie.
keeps a sketchbook. mostly doodles flowers.
her and sophia would have gotten along amazingly.
likes to dabble in poetry.
would romance wyll in bg3
huge fan of law and order. adam questions her taste in television shows.
if she had procreate she’d be fucking unstoppable.
i don’t have much on her bc characterization is so lacking :((
would have gladly taken sam (O5-11) with her back to the insurgency. deeply regrets that she didn’t. she thinks about sam a LOT, it genuinely haunts her. like she will try to sleep and she’ll just hear that gunshot and want to throw up.
VINCENT ARIANS / ANTHONY WRIGHT
i don’t remember if i mentioned this in the last post but vincent is a cat person. had a cat named mira. she was a calico.
insomniac.
in his ‘ideal world’ he would have lived with aaron and been able to raise adam.
very, very envious of people with ‘normal lives’.
we don’t know much about what vincent did in the foundation— the dialogue from O5-13 at the end of the children matches up with what he tells aaron in the apartment scene so i assume vincent was felix’s predecessor and felix held another number. as for what he did, we do know he was, like, an ACTUAL engineer who designed bombs at some point (stated in O5-5’s chapter); he could have been in charge of security.
it’s implied he had a second-in-command type position under aaron and likely was on the first delta command before his first ‘disappearance’, unless he wrote the summa modus operandi then just vanished off the face of the fucking earth for a while.
records of vincent are next to impossible to find within the insurgency as he worked so closely with the engineer and they don’t even know who the engineer was.
aaron thought vincent was dead until he received reports of anthony wright working with calvin.
anthony and sloan were good friends and out of all members of delta command during the way it ends, he respected sloan the most. anthony would have considered an actual relationship with him if he wasn’t like “no, i’m probably gonna disappear again or just straight up die soon anyway.” anthony was right, he did in fact die.
sloan knew who vincent arians was, he just had no idea that anthony and vincent were the same person.
genuinely, anthony wanted to die.
adam gave him a reason to live outside of vengeance.
GENUINELY sees adam as his son. he’s a bit harsh on him during TWIE because he never wanted adam in the insurgency at all. he and adam had a conversation at some point where anthony expressed this and told adam he wished the latter just went to a good college and worked in programming or IT.
would not have been able to kill calvin had he made it to the end. would also have not been able to kill aaron.
frederick traumatized this man just as much as he traumatized aaron, vincent just absolutely refuses to acknowledge it.
sophia knew about vincent’s love for aaron and may have even encouraged it.
if his love for aaron was reciprocated, they likely had a relationship while aaron was with the insurgency and tried to be secretive about it but felix carter just “I know what you are.”
he would be very sweet as a lover. very sappy. hopeless romantic. given who he was in love with, are we even surprised?
cigarettes are part of how he started aging again.
the insurgency kind of knows he’s older than he looks, they just say he’s in his fifties because he looks like it, but even TWIE says he’s been around as long as anyone can remember. likely, vincent surfaced as anthony wright around the same time that sylvester sloan joined the insurgency.
his plan in case anyone saw any old photos of vincent and noticed that he looked eerily similar to anthony was to say that he’s vincent arians’ grandson and that his mother was arians’ daughter.
vincent had no children, but he did like being around kids.
during his years with the foundation he’d often lock himself in his lab just to cry. aaron often checked in on him.
frederick repeatedly called him aaron’s dog as a joke that vincent found very not funny. vincent/anthony isn’t really big on dogs because of this.
if anthony saw adam today he’d be immensely proud.
if anthony had made it to the end he would have tried to make aaron tell him why he left. aaron would not have been able to tell him.
anthony was a bit scared of how much like aaron calvin is.
would have liked O5-11 if they met.
AARON SIEGEL / O5-1 “THE MAN WITH THE INFINITY GUN,” “THE FOUNDER”
if you claim to be frederick’s #1 hater and you’re not aaron siegel then you’re fucking lying.
very sappy romantic, similar to vincent, but only with sophia. she thinks it’s adorable. he just really loves his wife a lot.
cannot let go of anything for shit. if he was at the scene of vincent’s death he would have tried to bring him back.
had a very weird father-child relationship with sam.
tolerated most of the other O5s at best, especially rufus (O5-6) and valerie (O5-7).
felix has always been his favorite aside from sophia (and vincent during the insurgency days)
borderline personality disorder
capable of straight up hanging up on frederick. this annoys the absolute fuck out of frederick.
PETTIEST BITCH IN THE WOOOORRRLLLDDD he’s like a fucking crow
sees mortimer (O5-5) as family because he’s the grandfather of alison chao, at least in other realities. mortimer gets along well with aaron.
very easily sent into overstimulation, it’s unknown why. he’s only ever perfectly calm in a sensory deprivation chamber.
extremely pale.
lives at overwatch. often falls asleep at his desk or on the fucking floor.
wreck of a man, but a surprisingly exceptional leader when he actually feels like leading instead of letting valerie handle things.
the other O5s don’t even know much about him.
visits san marco as much as he can.
FREDERICK WILLIAMS / THE ADMINISTRATOR
obsessed with the string theory, literally discovered it before the idea was even conceived.
had a wife and daughter, both died horribly. his daughter was extremely young and he’s a tad bit obsessed with the idea of bringing her back. driven by grief but also the fact he’s just a Bad Person in General
extremely manipulative (canon), but also just likes to fuck with people.
sometimes he doesn’t even call aaron or calvin he just speaks into their heads.
sometimes he’ll just call them and ask shit like this. aaron would hang up on him but calvin can’t.
can manifest however he wants, he usually chooses the phone.
reality bender (canon) and extremely powerful at it. like it’s lowkey concerning.
god complex.
totally the kind of guy to go “no don’t kill me im just a girl”
adam ivanov as the engineer would beat the shit out of him if given the chance.
what aaron described in the apartment scene was literal psychological torture. aaron was not the only person he subjected, just his favorite punching bag.
aaron, near the end of his life, got him a world’s worst boss mug and kept it next to the phone. calvin got a second one just to drive the point home.
a bit obsessed with antediluvian anomalies (project paragon). talks to calvin about them extensively.
hated vincent for no real reason he was just a bitch.
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Hi Ana, it’s great to see you!
I started re-reading A Lot Like Us recently, and I got sucked in just as quickly as I did the first time reading it. I love reading the comments there as well, and compliments you get from people here.
Isn’t it amazing how many people all around the world you touched with your stories, and what an impact it had on them? You’re making the world a better place in your own special way 💕
I saw your previous response where you’re talking about how you struggle with writing these days and I just wanted to reach out and say that it’s ok, people change and grow, please don’t put yourself under pressure. It’s not healthy and you will start seeing it as something you have to do and not something you want to do. Give it time. Only write when you feel like it, don’t push yourself. That’s just a bit of unsolicited advice from someone who went through something similar.
But the main purpose of this message is to remind you what a huge impact you’ve had and what a difference you’ve made.
(trauma dump coming up, tw for pregnancy loss)
In 2018 I was in Brussels with my boyfriend of seven years for my birthday weekend. I was five weeks pregnant, absolutely over the moon.
There’s a beautiful small town called Bruges near Brussels, and we went there on birthday. We took a boat tour, it was November so it was already dark, and I remember looking up at the starry sky above us, and I saw a shooting star. I remember thinking that I should make a wish, I remember saying that I don’t need anything else, I have an amazing boyfriend and a baby on the way, I remember thinking that I have never been this happy.
And boy, the universe took it as a challenge.
The next day, as we were at the airport waiting for a plane back to Ireland, I started bleeding. Then there were two weeks of being stuck in bed, trying to save the pregnancy, but I lost her. I can’t even tell you when, she was so tiny that I didn’t notice. One scan she was there, heart beating and all, and next scan there was nothing.
And then, “the love of my life” just walked out on me. Ghosted me after seven years. Literally dropped me off at my house after the hospital appointment and drove off. And I thought he’s grieving so so I got out of my bed, barely able to stand, let alone walk, still bleeding, and I got on the bus to go make sure he’s ok. And he was more than ok. He was on dating apps, his profile saying that he is “looking for a princess to look after.”
I was devastated, had a nervous breakdown, ended up on some strong meds just to stop from shaking, just so I can get up from the bed and go to the toilet. I kept having these visions of me dying, where I felt everything as if it was real, I had nightmares about a baby crying alone in the dark, I was royally effed up. Diagnosed with PTSD. I couldn’t be alone with my own thoughts, I’d spend hours just walking around the mall or town, or I’d go to the cinema to see three movies in one day, just to avoid being by myself. I was a mess.
Well, and then, one day, I started reading A Lot Like Us. When I started reading it, I didn’t know where it’s going to go. When it became clear to me that there’s going to be a pregnancy loss there, I stopped reading. I couldn’t face it. But then I did. I don’t even know what pushed me to do it. I think that I was just so invested that I had to know what happens next. So I took a deep breath and started reading again.
It wasn’t easy. It hit me like a ton of bricks. That part after Y/N is thrown into the pool and Sam is with her in bed, and she lets herself face the grief for the first time, that was very similar to what happened to me. Except I didn’t have Sam Winchester to cling to, but that’s ok, my pillow did just fine.
I went through it along with Y/N, and it was the story that YOU wrote that allowed me to finally start to heal.
And I still read it about twice a year, I grieve and I cry with Y/N. And I heal with her, she graciously shares the love and support she’s getting from everyone around her with me, and this wouldn’t be possible without you sitting down one day, deciding to write a story that was forming in your head.
You absolutely changed my life for the better, Ana. You didn’t know you are doing it, but it happened, and I will forever be grateful to you for it, forever grateful for whatever force it was that pushed me to AO3 that day. Maybe it was the universe trying to apologise for doing me dirty on my birthday in 2018. I don’t know. But I do know one thing, I wouldn’t be here today if you didn’t post the story.
My hero ❤️
It's been a good thirty minutes since I read your message and I have been bawling my eyes out, Annie! You're a friend now... I think of you as one, and always with a smile on my face. I'm livid that some asshole treated you that way and that the universe had the audacity to be so unkind to you! Close your eyes and imagine me giving you the biggest hug... the kind that smothers you a little and you have to say a muffled, "I can't breathe" but you're still grinning in my embrace.
Trust me, Karma comes for everyone... and my people invented that word, so I know what I am talking about. 'A lot like Us' might have helped you, but that fight? That was still all you because you are a brave person with the spirit of a fighter.
I might not have experienced exactly what you did, but if there is anything that writing ALLU taught me, it's that compassion trumps empathy, and you my friend are deeply adored in my heart. I wish you all the healing and love, in a way that is truly worthy of you!
As far as forcing myself to write goes, well, it's not a pressure that others are putting on me. But I know that when all else fails, writing is the only thing that keeps me sane. I need to write now as a means to remain rational. So, don't worry, I'll be just fine. Even if it isn't effortless anymore, I need to put in this work to get back in my groove. Also, your advice is ALWAYS solicited!
ALLU was life-changing for me and I grow fearful that I will never be able to produce a better piece of work. But if that was my highest high, I am elated that it helped you in any way <3
I love you, my Darling! You are a freaking rockstar <3
#Ana loves Annie#you really are a rockstar and so brave#i love you with my wholeass heart#all the love for allu#long post#anaanswers
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Spencer’s abandonment issues finale breakthrough... 4.5/5 STARS. (-.5 taking too long to get to the point)
One thing about Spencer and Olivia, they are not a shallow ship. The obstacle this season was deep rooted in Spencer’s abandonment issues that has been a problem for five seasons (and his whole life) and he’s just never dealt with it in therapy. He was in therapy for his shooting but never his abandonment issues. They never talked about his dad leaving. He been showing textbook abandonment issues on this show for years, built into his character and it’s just treated as part of him and this season was the consequences of him acting in it with the most important relationship in his life and he fucked around and hurt himself. It caused him to lose the one person he knows he loves more than anything and didn’t actually want to push away (That’s why he was crying, heartbroken and chasing her around and following her wherever she wanted to go) Because that’s what trauma does. You don’t WANT to do that. It jumps out. Like Spencer legit needed to go to therapy in order to come back with a better understanding of what the fuck he just did in the first episode.
Spencer and Olivia were always attached at the hip and the second Olivia got her first job, that naturally changed. Spencer saw that change as her pulling away from him. Spencer pushing Olivia away in the first episode saying she’s happier when she’s away from him and she should just go and be happy because he was feeling abandoned and left by her. Feeling she was slowly being taken away from him caused a spiral. His abandonment issues made him jump to OH I KNOW HOW THIS ENDS, WITH YOU LEAVING ME despite Olivia herself wanting to stay together. As he says later in therapy, there is a voice in his head that even though he understands the situation (Olivia is just working/meeting new people), even though he hears what the other person is saying, that voice tells him THEY ARE LEAVING YOU. SEE, EVERYBODY LEAVES YOU. Which is explained to him as that’s 8 year old Spencer. And 8 year old Spencer can’t process anybody leaving with a reason because he never got one. He was watching Olivia and paying close attention to her pulling away from him and it made him feel, oh she’s getting ready to leave me. Spencer realizing as the season went on that even broken up Olivia will never leave him because she loves him and him thinking she is just gonna leave and move on from him was not a reflection of Olivia or her behavior but of his own thoughts and abandonment issues. Olivia can’t be right next to him at all times for Spencer to trust their relationship. Olivia should be able to GO TO LONDON and Spencer needs to trust that his loved one will come back. And this isn’t like his dad who was there one day and gone the next without a reason. Olivia will come back. And in the finale, he actually let himself trust Olivia to come back. He looked at the plane she was on leaving and smiled because he knows and trusts Olivia to come back. Spencer learning for the first time to love and trust comfortably through Olivia. Bro????
#all american#spelivia#spencer james#olivia baker#this show is big on him and her coming towards each other healed
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S Cawaii!-san&Demon Slayer Love Yumigeta Ako (23.11.26)
Good evening🌝
I'm Yumigeta Ako🛑
Thank you very much for your comments yesterday!
Thank you very much for our Hokkaido Performanceー!!!
Lots of you came to watch us huh!🎶
I want to hear about your thoughts at our next individual event!!!
Also our new formation was announced yesterday!
Leader Ikuta Erina-san
Sub Leader Ishida Ayumi-san
Sub Leader Oda Sakura-san
💚💙💜💚💙💜💚💙💜💚💙💜💚💙💜
Please continue to support Morning Musume。from here on too❤️
How amazing… all of their names contain 「田」。
Also today
I'll talk about S Cawaii!-sanー!!!
Today on S Cawaii!-san's official X(Twitter)
They posted some photosー!!!!
Don't I look totally differentー!!!!
Seeing my fringe so thin made me so 「Ooh……!」
「Woah……!」
I was really excited!
There's another cute pink outfit of mine but I'll post that another timeー‼️
It was my first time doing this kind of hairstyle and just doing such a cool shoot📸
So、I was really excitable and kept telling the stylist-san 「This is my first time doing this hairstyle!」ー!
And、if you look closely at my eyes
Well not my eyes but the bit underneath my eyebrows。
Look closely
There's rhinestones!!!!!
I've always admired the way my senpai wear them during concertsー!!!!!!!
I also have large hair clips、and cool star earrings so I really enjoyed this shoot!!!!
I've also never worn such heavy eyeshadow so it felt really really really fresh。
And And And
On the flip side I'm wearing a really pale beige lipstick
And that surprised me too!
Like 「It's so pale but so beautiful!」!
I wore a cool outfit and a pink outfit、so you can see two opposing styles but they're both Yumigeta Ako(?) So please read it and pay attention to that contrast〜❤️🔥
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Well then it's time for today's 【Gettaa Life】✨
Look at thisー!
Yesterday、when I looked out of the plane window at the airport I saw something!
A Demon Slayer planeー!!
It was so coolー!!!!!!!
I really love Demon Slayer〜!!!
Demon Slayer is what first got me obsessed with anime!!!
It was a huge hit when schools were closed which is when I was in 5th〜6th grade!(T/N School closures = covid lock down times)
I couldn't play with my friends while schools were closed so I spent my whoーle time at home and I was super bored、
But my best friend was talking about Demon Slayer、so I started watching it and I was like 「This is so interesting…!!!!」
So I asked Mama to buy me the Manga and then I started collecting goods…
I got super duper obsessed!!!!
I also made origami
Creator・6th grade Yumigeta Ako / Cameraman・6th grade Yumigeta Ako
They're pretty good
I was super obsessed with making Demon Slayer origami☺️
I was so proud of them I took them to school and showed them to my homeroom teacher like 「Look what I made!」😂
...
There are so many wonderful words in Demon Slayer、and I really love that about it💕
...
And with the covers of the manga、
I love the illustrations of the characters and the authors foreword and the titles each and every volume‼️
Writing all this makes me want to read it again。
Once YokoAre is over I think I'll reread the whole series from volume 1 ❤️🔥
I Getted 「Feelings of Love」✨
Demon Slayer is part of my origin story…
I'll always love itー!!!!!
That's all!This has been 【Gettaa Life】!
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T/N News and information has not been translated
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2 days
Until Yokohama Arena
(Today was the final day of rehearsals!)
I definitely can't catch a cold now!!
Getting ill now would be the worst timing ever!!!!!
Tomorrow I'll wear a mask and gargle and wash my hands and disinfect everythingー!
Well then I'll see you tomorrow!
This has been YumiGettaa Ako!Good night🐤🐤🐤
#hello pro blog#17ki#17ki members#ako yumigeta#getta#gettaa#haruka inoue#hello pro#hello project#hello project blog#getageta#getta translations#yumigeta ako#hello project member#morning musume 23#Morning Musume#morning musume blog translations#morning musume blog#morning musume translations#hello pro blog translations#hello project blog translations#s cawaii!#demon slayer#kimetsu no yaiba#kimetsu fanart#demon slayer characters#japanese idol#japanese#japan#17ki member
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saw the craziest shooting stars last night. every other time i've seen shooting stars they've been like tiny and faint and i just assumed they were always like that but nah last night they were like. like they are in cartoons and video games. huge and you could see their really long trails and they were like pink and red and purple and the actual meteors themselves were HUGE and bright, bigger in the sky than any star or planet. my really young cousins (like 3 and 5 years old) were there and im so happy they got to experience that because like. wow.
oh also i had a genuine ufo sighting kajdkdhsjdh like im not saying it was aliens bc who knows what they were but they were NOT planes or fireflies or meteors like. oh my god they moved so weird. like at first i thought they were planes but then they started moving in weird directions and circled around each other, eventually taking a triangle kind of formation before all going the direction away from the center of their shape until i lost sight of them. i am so mad bc i didn't have my phone outside with me and im like hello is anybody gonna get this???? and they're like well it won't show up well on camera blah blah and by the time anyone started filming it was like already done so im stuck being a no-evidence chump -_-
#my guess is it's like. idk nighttime drone testing or something? there is an air base or something near where i live#but still i don't know what they were and they were flying so that means they were by definition ufos. which is very cool#my posts
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me and my lil ufos (srry for my bad england)
my friends tell me how big my imagination is they never believed me fuck them
27.07.24 it appeared for 2 or 3 seconds around 11pm. about 1.5 hours later, around 12pm, it appeared for 1-2 seconds.
I dont remember the date but i think it was a few months ago
At that time i could see it for a few seconds it quickly went up and disappeared.
What i saw on 27.07 disappeared almost as if it was erased
About an hour and a half later i realized out of the corner of my eye that i had seen it, it suddenly appeared and then disappeared. it wasnt erased slowly like the first one
For some reason they all disappear as soon as i notice them. could this be a coincidence?
So why are they always here?
At first i thought it might be a plane but it couldnt be. It couldnt have been a helicopter either. the plane goes from far away and looks small.
Even though the helicopter is moving closer it still looks small and makes noise.
Also i have never seen a helicopter or plane that looked like a light in my life.
It was not in the form of an object but rather it looked like something moving forward and emitting light.
It cant be a shooting star either i know what shooting stars look like
I was most think about the possibility of being a drone.
But no drone moves forward by going up appearing and disappearing in an instant or fading away as if it were gradually becoming invisible.
The damn thing looks exactly like this its like a white light and its shaped like this and it moves like i showed with the arrows.
I couldnt take any photos or videos in any of them. how could i record something that appeared and disappeared for a few sec?
I turned on the phones wifi to write to a friend about what i saw around 11 pm in that day but it did not connect to the wifi which seemed to be working at full speed. i turned the phones wifi on and off for almost 10 minutes i kept scanning but it didnt connect even though it said it was connecting occasionally and when i clicked on the wifi it didnt even say "interacting and connecting". ive never had this much disconnection before even when my wifi was low.
Usually when i clicked on the wifi it would interact and connect immediately at such times.
Frankly im not sure if what i saw was a ufo or not i still have my doubts.
But as i wrote, it was not something emitting light like the one i saw a few months ago or rather its light was not that strong. i could clearly see that it was a gray ufo like in classical myths but what i saw 1 and a half hours apart was different.
The first one i drew was the first object and moved in this direction. the second one moved in a direction that made a right angle. they were both the same size and the same. i think they are the same object but i could be wrong.
Why does it pass more or less in the same place and then go back vertically from the same place to another place?
btw i saw all of this while sitting on the balcony of my apartment.
When i told my mom what happened on 27 07 she said it could be something american made.
She mentioned that america secretly produces such objects.
Frankly it seemed ridiculous to me why would they pass through here? besides i dont think they have the technology to produce something that can go so fast disappear or become invisible and also appear and disappear suddenly or go up and disappear almost at the speed of light.
Im still not sure if what i saw was an eye illusion or not.
If its not an eye illusion and its what i think it is this seems ridiculous to me. am i the only one who would come across this?
Whatever this fucker is i dont care what it does
But i still feel like im being watched
i will turn off the ventilation when i go to the bath.
When i first noticed the moon i thought it was one of them bcs of its shape bcs it was in the shape of a half moon.
I wont give a fuck about this anymore
Ive got a lot of problems and frankly i dont give a fuck about them
[update]
13.08.24 i saw it again
It was 10.20pm
I went out to the balcony to smoke a cigarette again and i was thinking about things. among the things i was thinking about was how long my aliens(!) havent visited me i was thinking that I was more alone than god. after thinking about these about 10 minutes later while looking at the sky (i was looking to the left) i saw a light passing quickly from the right side again the same thing. it was an object but this time it was obviously far away because it was small it passed by and disappeared in a moment.
I thought it was an eye illusion but i kept looking in that direction.
After a few sec a light shone and disappeared. it was a steady light. i looked at where the light was thinking maybe it was the light of a plane or something.
But i couldnt see anything from there.
its now 12.44am and while i was applying centauron to the wounds on my ear in the mirror i was thinking about aliens. i applied centauron poured water for myself went to the balcony lit a cigarette and saw something passing quickly from the left side. i dont know because i could see it clearly. i was very scared i put my hand to my mouth and this time something passing from the middle (im talking about the sky). I saw a light, it was the same object again but it was far away and it obviously passed quickly.
i dont know what this could be
btw a few days after what i saw a few weeks ago, I searched for '[my city] ufo' thinking that maybe someone else had seen it but i only found a news about a ufo sighting in [my city] a few years ago
there was nothing else
im not surprised tho because this is not a huge object so everyone would notice it. u have to look at the right place in the sky at the right time to see it.
i told my mom what i saw at 10.20pm and she said "these are not ufos because they always pass here at this time its ridiculous." I don't know mom
i know that ufo is a general name given to unknown objects in the sky so i use the definition ufo anyway because this is an unknown object in the sky for me.
i dont know why i was so scared of what i just saw maybe i was excited and tho i was scared. but it was going too fast that might be why
im not in a movie about aliens so i dont think ill give a damn about it.
I probably exaggerate and obsess over what i see because every day is the same boring day.
drone or
FUCK
While writing drone or i looked at the house across the street.
IT PASSED AGAIN
I SAW
As i looked it passed behind the house.
OF THE BUILDING
THE ROOF IS LIKE THIS AND IT FAST PASSED WHERE I SHOWED WITH THE ARROW
it went to the back of the building
It passed in the second i looked at it
I SAW
How could it be a coincidence?
wait
im probably exaggerating
seriously
i dont see right
im sure its an eye illusion
The days are so boring that my brain has started playing tricks on me again.
If i were an alien i would pass over somewhere in america not my city. its ridiculous im trying to explain it
i have no evidence how can i capture it since its a matter of seconds sometimes even split seconds? everything is so ridiculous the last time i sent her a message was around 4 pm today, its already 1 am and she still hasnt texted me. my mind is boiling sfm.
anyway nevermind im starting to feel so worthless again i dont give a fuck about ufos what contribution do things flying in the air have to my life?
i just told my mom but my anger towards her is more than my fear i could tell her these things instead of telling them to myself but shes talking to her loser friends. when no one is with me this dickhead thing in the sky is with me fck this shit
something flashed and went away again
are yall fuck with me
[update]
24.08.24 i saw the son of a bitch again this time it wasnt full light it was grey, there was light coming out from underneath it, it went fast but not very fast either. i saw a glow 2-3 hours ago but i didnt feel the need to write about it.
this is what i see but light is not green its white (i found it on pinterest)
[update]
I saw it on 11.09.24 at 00.27
It passed over the apartment building opposite, its light suddenly turned on and it disappeared in an instant.
it was very fast
i was thinking to myself, when i looked at the sky it passed exactly where i was looking. it was like light again
My cig fell out of my hand :(
[update]
i saw it around 1-2 pm at night on 26.09.24. a light flashed and left. after a while it quickly passed horizontally across the sky. it appeared suddenly, moved quickly and disappeared. it was a corporeal luminous object and shape of the previous ones.
i saw it 1-2 week ago but i forgot to write about it. i think i saw an object passing vertically or horizontally at that night. yea it was the same object but i dont remember its route clearly. because time has passed and since i havent written it down it hasnt made a place in my mind.
[update]
On the 28th i saw a shinin light in the night sky
[update]
04.12.24 i havent written since i read an article about what i saw. btw ive seen it 3 more times so far and im almost sure what i saw now.
Recently several astronauts saw white lights outside the space shuttle. they saw that even though they were in the form of light, they moved from glass to glass and watched them. even if they doesnt have any eyes. it was a 200 page article and it was detailed in all its scientific aspects. i searched but couldnt find the article. if i found it would put the link.
They also had photographic evidence and it was the same as what i saw. in fact they are thought to be creatures that can think like humans. even though they research but dont know much about them. while i was on tt came across the video on my fyp by chance and read the article. there were even ppl who saw it inside their house. some say they feel peaceful when they see them while others say they feel fear and uneasiness.
actually i was a little sad when i learned all this. because i thought they were aliens.. anyway if i find that article again ill put the link below.
I almost forgot that Descartes talks about them in his book Treatise on Light, Discourse on Method and Thoughts on Metaphysics. he even tried to contact them.
[update]
11.12.24 i saw that light-shaped creature again around 01:30 last night. it appeared suddenly moved quickly and disappeared as usual.
if i see it again i will write it for no one here
But the first thing i saw much months ago - as i wrote - was not one of them. the one i saw later was not one of those light-shaped creatures too. i even posted a similar picture from pinterest in this write. in short i have never seen a ufo except for 2 times. these lightiy ones are among the creatures i mentioned.
[update]
14.12.24 at 12 am one of those creatures flashed and went away i looked here and im sure i saw it wasnt a plane or anything. btw today is my birthday
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the language of flowers | l.jn
featuring: film director!jeno x artist!reader (no gendered terms), jaemin, chenle and jisung cameos
summary — jeno doesn't speak of his affection in words. instead, he teaches you that the letter "L", in his love language of flowers, is for lavender lozenges, lily of the valleys, lockets and love.
author's note: damn the stars rlly aligned for me to post this one... originally was just gonna let it rot in my drafts but here i am posting it for @strxbrymochi 's bday. happy belated bday ki !! muah ily. also, this is part of the “and they were roommates” universe.
You should have been prepared for Jeno to be constantly busy when you started dating him four months ago. But it still comes as a shock to you when Jeno sits you down on a Saturday afternoon, a plate of violet cookies placed in front of you.
"I'm sorry," he begins. The moment the words escape his lips, you know what this is all about. Even so, you keep quiet, allowing him to continue with the apology he's prepared.
"I've been signed on to do a short film, and they want us to do the shooting overseas."
Although you knew it was coming, it still comes as a punch to your gut. Being away from Jeno is hard for you, and you don’t want to let him go.
"Where to?" you ask, the words coming out before you can stop them. It's too late now to tell him to stay, and you curse your brain for being two steps behind your stupid, ever-running mouth.
"London. It's a Victorian era film, they said, about flowers."
You permit yourself a small smile. "You love flowers."
Jeno looks down, nodding once. "Yep."
You reach over, tilting his chin up. "Look at me."
He does, eyes quivering anxiously while he waits for you to speak. You’re always the one talking—rambling—and now that you’re silent, it must scare him. You touch your forehead to his, and you feel him breathe a sigh of relief.
"Don't be sorry. Go, and enjoy yourself. Pour your soul into it. I'll wait for you to come back, okay? Don't forget me when you're busy working with everyone else."
Jeno lifts up his hand, and you press your palm against his, fingers interlocking with his. "Won't forget you," Jeno mumbles. "I couldn't ever forget you."
You grin, kissing his nose. "I know you wouldn't, silly boy."
—
As Jeno wheels his luggage over the smooth airport floor, he turns to look over at you, shuffling your feet and staring at the ground. He leans over, whispering in your ear, "Blue salvia."
Think of me. It's one of the first flowers that Jeno gave you before you started dating, a secret confession you only learnt about when he finally told you what it meant. Now, it serves as encouragement for you, something to accompany you when Jeno can't.
You smile at him, eyes wide and pensive. "Have a safe flight."
Jeno wraps you into a hug, burying his face in your hair. He doesn't know when he'll get to see you again, and he's not sure if he can survive these months without you. But for both of your sakes, he'll try.
"See you later, alligator."
"In a while, crocodile," you reply, the familiar words a promise between the two of you to weather this storm together.
—
Jeno sits in his seat, flipping his phone in his hand as he waits impatiently for the plane to take off. He tries his best not to look at the time, trying not to count down the seconds in his mind, trying not to keep track of how long it's been since he last saw your face.
An announcement starts to play, asking all passengers on the flight to turn their attention to the flight attendants as they begin the safety briefing. Jeno looks at the flight attendant, but doesn't process the words he's hearing, his mind too focused on the thought of you.
He slips his hand into his pocket, his fingers finding purchase. The plastic crinkles in his palm as he draws the object out, realising that it's a sweet. You told him once that you always have to bring sweets when you’re flying, to suck on in order to prevent your ears from getting blocked.
Jeno has packed the mints you asked him to, but they're in his bag. He swiped the lavender lozenges from your stash that morning, a keepsake to remember you by on the trip. As the pilot announces that the plane is taking off, Jeno pops the sweet into his mouth, the taste of sugar and lavender dissolving on his tongue.
He misses you.
—
Jeno is rudely awakened from his sleep by Jaemin shaking his shoulder. "Good morning," the elder says in a singsong voice, and Jeno's eyes spring open. He casts Jaemin a dirty look, but the latter just grins back at him.
Jeno sighs irritably, getting to his feet and hauling himself out of the bed. His heart's not in it—not in this trip, and maybe not even in the film—and Jaemin knows it.
However, it's not like either of them has a choice. Jaemin liked the script for this film, and Jeno did too. He had plenty of ideas for the film. Despite it being a small project, Jeno believes it can turn out much better than people are expecting it to.
The only issue is that it's not in Korea. It's far away from you, and Jeno needs you in more ways than one. You are his source of comfort and his pillar of strength, but most importantly, you are his muse. Without you, he finds himself unable to function, not knowing which step to take next. Because all he wants to do is find the path that leads back to you, even if it's the worst or stupidest decision he could possibly make.
Longing gnaws at him every day, carving a giant you-sized hole in his chest. He snatches his copy of the script off the table, and Jaemin takes a sweeping glance over the room.
"You've surprisingly tidy for someone who looks like he has zero motivation to keep things organised."
"That's because all of my shit is in my suitcase, so I'm prepared to go back at the shortest notice."
Jaemin rolls his eyes at Jeno's retort, clapping his hands together. "Alright, smartass. Get moving so you won't be the last one to arrive again."
Jeno tugs on his shoes, slipping his hands into his coat and taking an umbrella before getting out of the door.
—
Your takeout arrives earlier than expected, and you suddenly recall that you haven’t checked your mailbox in almost a week. Usually, Jeno's the one who does it, collecting mail while waiting for the elevator to arrive. When Jeno had just left, you had made a conscious effort to check the mailbox every day, but now that it's been almost a month, you’re starting to forget again.
You pick up the takeout box and place the food on the table before exiting again and heading downstairs to check the mailbox.
As per usual, the mailbox is full of bills, although usually the number of letters is much fewer. You mindlessly flip through the envelopes, not paying much attention, until one of the letters catches your eye.
It's sealed with wax, which strikes you as odd—who even uses wax to seal envelopes in this day and age?—and you place it on top of the other letters to examine later.
Upstairs, you neatly place the letters on the dining table for you to settle later on. Then, you turn your attention back to the sleek, cream-coloured envelope, intrigued.
You take a closer look at the wax seal, realising that it's a stamp of a flower bouquet. Could it be from Jeno? you wonder.
It doesn't seem very likely, however. Jeno has never been one for dramatic flair, and the simple yet elegant letter practically screams dramatic. There's only one person you knows that's this dramatic, and it's…
"Donghyuck," you breathe out. One of Jeno's college friends, Donghyuck is the definition of dramatic. He loves to exaggerate and make a big fuss out of everything, and it's entertaining to say the least. Donghyuck is also chattier than most, similar to yourself, and the two of you had hit it off when you first met at one of Jeno's college roommate's place.
Donghyuck is essentially your key to Jeno's past. Jeno has been a solitary creature for all the time you’ve known him, and he doesn't talk much about his life before he met you. Besides Jaemin and Donghyuck, Jeno doesn't initiate much interaction with his old friends either. His friends respect that, so you don’t know much about what Jeno was like in the past.
However, Donghyuck is different. He loves to bring up embarrassing memories, inside jokes, and tell people old stories about his friends. You have always loved to listen to Donghyuck talk about Jeno in college, or even his first impression of Jeno when he saw him around in high school.
If it weren't for Donghyuck, you might not even have known about Jeno's friends' whereabouts now, nor have gotten to know about them.
Remembering the letter in your hand, you hurriedly get a hairdryer to heat up the seal, gingerly removing it and opening up the letter.
Dear Jeno and Y/n, you are cordially invited to Lee Donghyuck and Ha Yeon-seok's wedding...
Wait, what? You read the first line again, your heart stopping when you see the word “wedding”. Wedding? It takes you a few seconds to remember that you’re 24 now, which is almost a reasonable age to get married at. Since neither you nor Jeno had dated anyone for a while before you got together, sometimes you forget that other people have been dating for years now.
You take a few deep breaths to calm yourself, and continue reading.
The wedding is to be held in London, and it briefly crosses your mind that Yean-seok is half British. Once you’ve processed that information, you do a double take and check the date. It's in six months from now, and you have to get presentable clothes that fit the colour scheme within that time period.
While you’re wondering now to get the clothes in time, your phone dings.
jeno: hey, y/n you: hello jeno: i have... news.
Jeno calls to inform you that, regrettably, there has been a complication with some of the scenes. For one scene in particular, they had arranged for a horse carriage to be used during the filming. However, due to a miscommunication, the horse has been sold to someone else instead.
The screenwriter insists on having the horse be a specific breed for stylistic reasons, but the budget for the project makes it infeasible for the team to find a suitable horse in a short span of time.
Jaemin wants to postpone the project so he can discuss the details with the screenwriter, and clarify everything to ensure there will be no more hiccups in the production. The rest of the team will either fly back to Korea, or stay in London, whichever is more convenient for them. Since editing can be done remotely, there is little incentive for them to all have to renew their visas.
However, Jaemin has asked Jeno to stay in London so all of the important members of the team can be physically present, to ensure everybody is on the same page.
When you ask Jeno when he will return, he shrugs and says, "In two months, or half a year—I have no clue."
Although you’re upset and annoyed with his lack of a reaction, you understand that Jeno is upset too. He's suppressing his emotions, which is a bad habit of his. But you aren’t going to lash out and make him feel more demoralised, so you just mutter a quick "love you" and hang up.
After hanging up, you belatedly realise you haven’t told him about the wedding invitation yet. Still reeling from his indifferent attitude, you decide to tell him after both of you have cooled down.
—
Days turn into weeks, that turn into months, and somehow you haven’t been able to address the issue of Donghyuck's wedding. You have been through your closet countless times, and after rummaging and filtering through both of your clothes, you’ve prepared a suitable ensemble for both of them.
You’ve sent an RSVP to Donghyuck to let him know that you and Jeno would be attending, and an excited Donghyuck had sent you a video of Yeon-seok and himself clapping happily.
You have also booked a flight for a week before the date of the wedding, to give yourself time to adjust to the time difference, and you plan to stay after the wedding to spend time with your and Jeno's friends as well.
Despite having settled almost everything, you’ve left one very important detail out—you haven’t discussed it with Jeno yet.
Jeno knows that there's a wedding, of course. Donghyuck had announced it in the group chat when he and Yeon-seok first got engaged, and Yeon-seok had sent an update once the details of the wedding were confirmed.
When Jeno told you about the wedding, you told him about the invitation, and you both laughed over how excessive it was.
But if you said any more about the wedding, you’d have to bring up the elephant in the room and ask if Jeno would still be working on "Chamomile Tea" during the time period, if he'd be busy, or if he'd return to Korea before that. And that, even after all the time that had passed, remained a sore spot for both of you.
So even as the date loomed closer, your conversations with Jeno never went too far in the direction of the wedding. Instead, you tiptoed around the upcoming event like shattered glass was sprinkled over it, and you didn't know what the consequences of stepping on it would be.
Arriving in London is a dream. It always has been, since you learnt that their universities look like castles and their winter consists of dreary, rainy mornings that are perfect for staying in and cuddling while cheesy rom-coms play on the TV. But it's never been your dream to land in London alone, with no one to pick you up from the airport, standing starstruck in the middle of the polished floors while people hurry by.
Some lady you don't recognise waves at you. When you frown, squinting to see if it's a familiar face, the lady walks up to you and grins, "Hi! I'm Soyeon."
You cock your head in contusion.
"I'm the screenwriter for 'Chamomile Tea', the short film Jaemin's overseeing. He wasn't able to come because he's busy trying to keep Jeno out of trouble, he said."
You let out a short laugh. That does, in fact, sound like Jaemin's job most of the time. Soyeon hands you a ticket, folding your fingers around it before you can protest.
"Jeno wanted all three of us to go to an art museum to get inspiration, but I've already finished my part for this project. All that's left for me is to give input, not come up with more ideas. Jaemin suggested that I give my ticket to you, so here it is." Taking a closer look at the ticket, you realise that it's an exhibition meant to celebrate the changing of season from summer to autumn.
"Leaves turning brown," you read aloud. "Petals fall and colours fade, yet many are enraptured by the cooling season that is autumn. Artist Hwang Yeji explores textures, colours and more in this vibrant display."
Soyeon smiles encouragingly at you. "I've known Jeno only for a few months, and he's always been extremely cold towards everyone, but his face lights up whenever he receives a text from you. And when you order takeout for him? That's the only time I see him enjoy his meals."
Your lips tremble as Soyeon continues, "Jeno's mind is a complex place. I'd hate for all that creative potential to be wasted just because he's busy moping. That's why I offered to pick you up instead of Jaemin—I was interested to know who could be the only one to make Jeno truly smile."
You close the distance between yourself and Soyeon, wrapping your arms around the latter. Even if you have only just met her, Soyeon seems so sweet and genuine. Her honest words caught you off guard, but you are touched that she dared to say them.
Soyeon pats your hair comfortingly. "Let me know if you need any more help."
You discreetly blink back tears, ignoring the stinging sensation in your nose, and force a smile. "Thanks, Soyeon."
"You're very welcome."
—
You climb out of the taxi with a sunflower in hand and your suitcase in the other. The exhibition is held in a building with windows as wide as you are tall, the stained glass illuminated by the sunlight.
The lady at the entrance scans your ticket and waves you through with a smile, and you return it before heading on inside.
Panels upon panels of stained glass line the corridors, angled in a way that pictures of light are projected on the ground, weaving between the paintings, casting an angelic glow on each artwork.
Jaemin catches your eye before you can get stuck at any of the paintings, and shushes you with a finger on his lips as you speed up.
"Hi, jagiya," he says lowly, wrapping you in a quick hug. "Jeno's busy and I didn't tell him you were coming, so the rest is up to you. I'll leave the two of you alone, okay? Call me if you need me."
You nod, squeezing his shoulder gratefully.
—
You tuck your sunflower behind your back and wheel your suitcase to the side, silently approaching Jeno. He's completely absorbed in studying the details of the painting, so you gently rest your chin on his shoulder.
"Hey, baby." Jeno turns, coming face-to-face with you. Your noses touch, and from the corners of your eyes, you see Jeno's cheeks flush red-hot. You raise your hand to cool his cheek, but he grabs your wrist first, eyes locked on your face. His pupils dart from side to side, scouring your face as if he's afraid you’re just a figment of his imagination.
You stay in that position, Jeno’s fingers curled around your wrist, until he's convinced that you’re real, at which point his face floods with exhaustion and relief.
He buries his head in the crook of your neck, nuzzling into the space between your chin and collarbone. His hands come to rest naturally around your waist, and his hand brushes against the sunflower.
He moves back suddenly, surprised, and you awkwardly manoeuvre your arms around him. This allows you to present the sunflower you bought at a nearby florist to your boyfriend, and you’re delighted by the grin spreading across his lips.
"Have I ever told you that I love you?" He asks.
"No, but you've given me red camellias, and I think that’s basically the same thìng."
Jeno chuckles. "Basically.”
Jeno reaches for your suitcase, holding tightly onto the sunflower you’ve just given him. He turns to you, raising his eyebrows expectantly. "Well? I'll take you back to her hotel."
You frown, pulling back in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Aren't you tired?"
You wave his concern off flippantly. "I'll be just fine. I'll crash later, and the jetlag will hit me like a truck, but I've already allocated a week for getting used to it."
Jeno snorts. "As expected."
You wave your ticket. "Hey, Soyeon's already passed up her chance to see this exhibition so I could go, okay? I'm not planning to waste it."
Jeno nods hastily in an attempt to placate you. "Okay! Let's go then."
He trails behind you obediently until you see a piece that catches your fancy, stopping to take a look. The painting depicts several lilies of the valley in a vase. Behind the vase, there are two mountains painted in grey, but the small patch of grass that the lilies sit on is several vibrant shades of green.
You stay in front of that painting for a while, impressed by the details and texture on the canvas. A shutter sound catches your attention, and you blink a few times before turning to see Jeno holding up his camera and smiling sheepishly.
He rubs the back of his neck and says, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You looked too good standing there, I just had to get a shot of you."
"It's okay." You look back at the canvas, eyebrows knitting together.
"Don't you think the art style looks familiar?"
"I don't know much about paintings, so I can't say... " Jeno's reply dies on his lips, and he, too, stares at the painting with interest. "You're right, it does look familiar."
The two of you hum in concentration, Jeno resting his chin on top of your head while you wrack your brain for an answer. You tilt your head this way and that, and then it hits you.
"Park Jisung," you say at the same time Jeno does. "How did you–"
Jeno points at a small square of text. "It says right here. Park Jisung, 24, oil on canvas." You mentally slap your forehead. How could you forget that museums put up a description of each artwork and its artist? You must be too tired from the flight.
"That's right, " you say. "That's why it looks so familiar. Contrasting colours was one of the most defining aspects of his style."
You met Jisung at a kids' art camp when you were in university, and the two of you had learnt a lot from each other while teaching the kids. You were surprised to find out that he was two years your senior in a different university, despite being the same age as you.
You lost contact with him after that, and were very, very shocked to see him at Jeno's college reunion. Although you don't speak much to Jisung now, the things you learnt from him at that one camp will stick with you forever.
"That kid's insane," Jeno muses. "He skipped a year in elementary, lived with hyungs he barely knew in university, and did side jobs because he hadn't gotten a scholarship to pay for his tuition fees, unlike Yeon-seok."
You shrug. "Maybe not 'insane'. Just determined."
Jeno nods. "And he's not much of a kid anymore, is he?"
You shake your head with a smile. "Not anymore."
—
As you wander around with Jeno, stopping at paintings to admire them, a sense of melancholy threatens to overwhelm you, slipping between your eyelids like a mass of black water, a receding wave preparing to crash upon the shore of your eyelashes.
You blink back thoughts of insecurity, trying to focus on the artworks and not your feelings, but it’s no use. You can’t escape from the thoughts running wild in your head, and it gets the better of you, a lone tear managing to get past your barriers, trailing slowly down your cheek.
You subtly wipe it away, but Jeno notices immediately, and he stops short.
He turns towards you, concern emanating off his being, and it offers you some comfort. He holds you carefully, like he’s not sure if you’ll break apart in his hands. His body shields you from anything else in the museum, encasing you in a bubble of protection and silence.
You breathe in deeply; once, then twice. You feel the heat behind your eyes slowly fading to a simple stinging sensation, one that doesn’t make you feel completely helpless.
Jeno’s hands tighten around you, and you instinctively lean in towards him. He doesn’t speak, allowing you to unravel the spool of thread wrapped around your lungs, prying apart the anxiety that prevents you from breathing.
When you can think straight again, you look at Jeno, and he knows.
Without words, understanding passes between you, and Jeno knows everything that’s running through your mind.
He nudges you, gently. Are you okay? his eyebrows ask, raising so high they almost disappear into his fringe.
You can lie about a lot of things, like why you came to the museum in the first place or how you feel staring at the art on the walls or whether you’re okay right now, but you don’t. Because you know that regardless of what you say, Jeno will see right through you like you’re a ghost. You’ll never understand if it’s because it’s you, or if everyone’s feelings are transparent to him. You don’t think you care.
It’s enough to just stand there, weightless. You’re completely supported by Jeno, whose embrace is so tight it’s practically lifting you off the ground, and you;re not complaining.
If he could lift your burdens off your mind the same way he’s lifting your feet from the ground right now, he would. And you would want him to.
“I feel like my art’s worth nothing if it can’t be shown to the world.” You speak slowly, uncertainly, knowing you might cry if you let everything out too quickly. Jeno wants to stop you before you get caught up in the flow of you words, but he knows it’s better if you let it all out.
Opening a bottle of carbonated soda that’s just been shaken is dangerous, but if he leaves it alone, the bottle might just explode.
“I know I don’t make art to be seen. I make it for myself. But at the same time, can any artist say that their craft is not made for the eyes of man? We all long for approval and praise, and that is partly what we make art for.”
Your lips tremble, and Jeno finds himself forced to stare at your quivering eyelashes and the sheen of tears you’re barely holding back. Still, you steel yourself, digging your heels into the ground to steady yourself.
“I wonder, sometimes. If my art isn’t seen, is it even art anymore?”
That’s the minefield, the question Jeno can’t answer without speaking baseless comfort. He has no answer to it, only empty words that he knows will fail to put you at ease.
You, however, don’t expect an answer. You look curiously at Jeno, waiting for a response, but the response doesn’t have to be a satisfactory answer.
Jeno leans in, tucking your head between his chin and his collarbone, placing a kiss on the crown of your head.
He holds you there until you’ve stopped trembling. Then, one hand still firmly in yours, he takes you back to the hotel, sitting on the edge of your single bed while you sit and stare into nothingness.
When you make no move to get changed, he stands, and brings you to the bathroom. He peels the clothes from your body, helping to scrub your skin until it’s a rosy shade of pink, then wraps you in a towel and moves your arms to dry your body.
After he’s showered, the two of you sit on the bed, Jeno on top of the covers, while you’re tucked underneath them. Jeno has no change of clothes, no money, only his phone and both of your tickets to the museum.
In his street clothes, he refuses to get under the blanket and dirty the bed, but you are content with his presence.
You lie on the bed with your arms wrapped around Jeno’s waist, and when the shock has faded, you cry yourself to sleep.
Jeno is there throughout it, a beaming light in the whirlwind of emotions you’re experiencing, a constant presence that grounds you. He allows you to breathe between sobs, until they slowly fade away and your eyes close, motionless.
The next day, you find a wreath of galaxes on your bedside table, along with a glass of water, and it feels like a great weight has finally been removed from your shoulders.
The day of Donghyuck’s wedding comes earlier than you were expecting. Between taking you out to dinner and going on bike rides around the city, Jeno has kept you busy. Busy enough to forget your troubles, or at least for you to be able to cope with them in a relatively healthy manner.
You hear three knocks on the door, and as you go to open it, you see Jeno standing there, in the emerald green tuxedo you picked for him and the matching tie. His shirt is a pale green, so pale it can be mistaken for white, and gel gives his hair a wet gleam.
He smiles innocently, and it outshines all the charm his outfit has.
You fell in love with all of Jeno, after all, not just his appearance.
Your sage green dress flows past your ankles, and it would drag on the floor if you weren't wearing heels. They’re tall, but even with them on, you are still only the same height as Jeno. He grins at you, and carries you, bridal-style, into the lift lobby.
“Leave some room for the grooms later, stop trying to one-up them,” you joke, but Jeno only hoists you up into a more comfortable position.
“No can do,” Jeno says cheekily.
You don't pursue it.
—
A surprise awaits you in the car. As you open the door to the passenger side, you find that it’s filled—and so is the driver’s seat. Your heart skips a beat, thinking you must’ve gone to the wrong car, but the sight of the driver’s face makes you do a double take.
“Jisung?”
Jisung offers you a shy grin. “Yep, it’s me.”
“Is it really you? I thought… I never thought I’d see you again! How–” your words come out from your mouth before you can think them through, your rapid-fire Korean faltering in your confusion.
“Donghyuck and I are friends, remember?” You don't really, but if Jeno and Jisung are friends from college, it makes sense that Donghyuck would know them both too.
You clap a hand over your mouth, mind reeling. “So… you were invited to the wedding too?”
Jisung nods. Then, he gestures towards the lady in the driver’s seat. “I also have to introduce her to you. Y/n, meet Yeji. Yeji, Y/n.”
Yeji offers her hand for you to shake, and you take it, wondering where you’ve heard the name before. Yeji, Yeji, Yeji… Ah. You’ve got it. “Hwang Yeji?”
She’s the artist who organised the exhibition Soyeon had given you tickets to view. It was there, at the museum, that you saw Jisung’s art. If she really is Hwang Yeji, then everything will make sense.
Yeji nods. “Pleasure to meet you.”
She picks up a small bouquet of pink peonies, orange tulips and heather, presenting it to you. “Jisung showed me a few of your pieces, mostly older ones,” she says by way of explanation. “They had the potential to become something more. I heard from Jeno that you’d seen my exhibition, so I know you probably like flowers, and you know that I like them too. So this bouquet is an invitation for you to work with me some time, for us to perhaps collaborate on another exhibition in future.”
You are taken aback by the sudden offer, but you’re not an idiot. You remember the way you had collapsed into Jeno the week before, scared that you would never be able to get your art out there. Now, your chance is right in front of you.
You take it.
Gratefully receiving the bouquet, you don’t miss the symbolism of the flowers, the goodwill the arrangement holds. You know it is intentional.
“Thank you for your offer. I look forward to working with you.”
Yeji shakes your hand heartily, and you and Jeno get into the backseat.
After settling in, you rest the bouquet on your lap, and you turn to see Jeno holding a white rose. You frown, wondering where he could’ve conjured it from, and lock eyes with Jisung in the driver’s mirror. You raise your eyebrows in question, and he shrugs innocently.
You roll your eyes at the conspirators, but turn your attention back to Jeno. Jeno carefully slips the white rose into the side of the bouquet, managing to prevent it from looking uneven. You play with the petals of the rose, its symbolism clear in your head.
Used to congratulate people on career successes, your mind supplies helpfully. The only career success you can think of right now is also the most recent one, Yeji’s offer to you. But there’s no way Jeno could have known that Yeji would put that offer out. Unless…
“Did you know?” You ask, tone accusing. You doesn’t have to finish the question; Jeno understands what you’re talking about.
“No, I didn’t know if Yeji would offer to work with you for an exhibition. Jisung only told me that he had shown Yeji your art, and I had faith in your abilities. I knew that after witnessing the extent of your talents, Yeji would have something good to offer you, career-wise.”
You can’t argue with that. The logic is sound, and the flowers are cohesively pretty. You continue to play with the petals, a small smile dancing on your lips.
The smile doesn’t escape Jeno’s attention, and he smiles too.
—
It starts to drizzle as soon as you reach the wedding place. Jeno is quick to procure a clear umbrella, holding it for both of you. He knows you wouldn’t want to get your clothes wet.
Jaemin is there too, one hand tucked into the pocket of his trousers, standing by the side. Donghyuck’s wedding is a loud, chaotic one, with many guests you don't recognise all talking with each other. Jaemin hovers at the vague edge of the crowd, as much of an introvert as Jeno, and you tug Jeno over.
“Hi, jagiya.” Jaemin envelopes you in a warm hug, and he smells like home.
Jeno opens his hands for a hug too, but Jaemin only laughs and swats his hand away. Jeno slings one hand over Jaemin’s shoulder, and you snatch his umbrella away, going off to find Donghyuck.
The two men stand side by side, Jaemin still holding the umbrella, watching you disappear into the hordes of people.
—
The rain gets heavier, and you try to occupy as little space as possible, not letting a single part of your body protrude from under the umbrella. Droplets of rain splash onto your shoes and your face, and you wipes them from your face with the back of your hand.
Jisung stands beside Donghyuck and Yeon-seok, with Chenle, Jaemin’s old roommate, and a couple of other men you can’t remember the names of. Donghyuck and Yeon-seok’s roommates from university, you think, because you remember seeing them at the reunion.
You congratulate the grooms, and move to stand next to Yeji and Jisung. The small circle are the only people that have gotten a chance to speak with Donghyuck and Yeon-seok, and by the looks of it, their conversation isn’t going to end anytime soon.
Yeji makes small talk with you, and you laugh about a few shared experiences, before you notice the crowd starting to disperse, and the officiator announces that the wedding is beginning.
You move back to where Jeno is, and he leaves Jaemin with his umbrella, ducking under your umbrella to join you.
The wedding is simple and sweet, and there are tears all around as the two bridegrooms say their vows.
“...to love and to cherish, until death does us part.” Jeno’s fingers suddenly falter, and the golden locket he’s been fidgeting with throughout the wedding slips through his fingers. He lunges to catch it, and you finally notice what he’s been doing with his hands.
Resting one hand on his left knee to calm him down, you nuzzle into his neck, and nudge his hand open with your index finger.
“What’re you holding?” you ask under your breath.
“Nothing.” You briefly register the officiator allowing Yeon-seok and Donghyuck to kiss, and you look up at them just in time.
“Open your hand,” you command.
Obediently, Jeno uncurls his fingers, and you take the locket from him. You fumble with the clasp, but it springs open, and there’s a picture inside. Squinting, you realise that it’s a picture of you and Jeno, taken when you weren’t paying attention. Your hand is shielding your eyes from the sun, and Jeno’s firm hand is wrapped around your waist, pulling you close.
Your grip on Jeno’s knee tightens.
“How long have you been carrying this around for?” You ask, voice slightly hoarse.
Jeno looks away. “Since we took the picture. It’s been, what, two years?”
You feel your throat seizing up, and you force yourself to take a few deep breaths. Jeno has been carrying the locket around for two years. Almost the same length of time that you’ve been dating for. He’s loved you enough for the whole span of that time to carry a picture of you around wherever he goes.
You can’t breathe. “You’ve been carrying this around for two years?”
Jeno shrugs nonchalantly. “Yeah, like a soldier going off to war,” he quips. Somehow, you’ve switched to Korean, but you don't quite register it. It just feels right, better, to speak in your native language.
It fits, the same way your body fits into the cracks of Jeno’s body, the way his arms wrap around you and fit into every nook and cranny of yours. Your scars line up against each other’s, and Jeno is the puzzle piece that makes you whole.
“So you love me.” It might seem strange, after all they’ve been through, to doubt it. But it hasn’t been long, and you hate to give yourself away, to love somebody else. Every day, you wonder if you’ve crossed the line from like to love, or if you’ve fallen out of like with each other.
“Yes.” You never knew one word could turn your world upside down. The rain has eased, but it feels like there’s water rushing in your ears, heart pounding.
Then, “Are you okay?”
You hear it from your other side, your left side, and you see Yeji there, concern in her eyes. You turn your attention back to the proceedings, and see Donghyuck taking the wedding bouquet from Yeon-seok, preparing to toss it in the air.
“Yes,” you say, determinedly. Jeno guides your hand to tilt the umbrella backwards, giving both of you a better view of the grooms, and the water continues to flow off the umbrella.
Neither of them makes a move to take it, leaving the more eager guests to rush towards Donghyuck, surrounding him. He turns his back towards them, Yeon-seok moderating the crowd, and tosses the bouquet into the air.
It arcs towards the middle of the crowd, and a lone carnation falls out. Jeno reflexively reaches out for it before it can fall on the soaked grass, and he tucks the yellow carnation behind your ear.
His face is right next to yours, his breathing fast and rapid, and you hear the pulsing of his heart when you place a hand on his chest.
Jeno leans his forehead on yours, the umbrella creating a bubble of silence and tranquility amidst the loud cheers and celebration outside of it. A tear rolls down his cheek, and he smiles, the tear caught on the upside of his upper lip.
You watch as he licks it away, and brush the pad of your thumb against the trail of the tear.
“Are you crying?” you ask softly.
“No,” Jeno says, shaking his head and closing his eyes. “It’s just the rain.”
You wrap your arm around his neck, nose bridge aligned with his, waiting quietly.
“I know you don’t want to get married now,” Jeno says. “But please, take this carnation as a promise that I will never let you have your heart broken.”
You have heard false promises fall from Jeno’s lips before. You’ve faced his broken promises, seen through his lies, accepted his empty praise. This time, however, it’s different. You know it in your heart, can hear the dogged beating of his heart, refusing to hurt you again.
You smile, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.
“Okay,” you say. “I’ll take that promise.”
—
floriography
violet: a declaration to always be true
blue salvia / azure blue sage: harbours sentiments of missing and thinking of someone.
peppermint: warmth of feeling
lavender: purity, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness.
sunflower: adoration and loyalty, long life and lasting happiness.
chrysanthemum: longevity, fidelity, joy and optimism.
red camellia: you’re a flame in my heart.
galaxes: encouragement.
pink peonies: good luck, prosperity and success
orange tulips: joy, enthusiasm and excitement
heather: admiration and support
white roses: symbolises innocence and purity. used to congratulate people on career successes.
carnations: symbolise pride and love for someone in a supportive way. used to tailor bouquets to one’s favourite colour due to their ease of dyeing.
#nct#nct dream#k-labels#🪁 — my works#jeno#nct fic#nct dream fic#jeno x reader#jeno x y/n#nct dream x reader#fic: the language of flowers
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No wonder I
(Redraw of this)
#I keep playing around with luminosity aaahahahahaha#it’s really fun. and pairing it with saturation is even funnier#funner? more fun#anyway. I’ve been meaning to redraw this for years and now I finally did *fistpump*#and I was listening to Chloe moriondo covers and it was so relaxing. I love her voice!!#I smelled like smoke from last night too bc I was making fire with my friends. in a fire pit#I was disappointed when I learned a fire pit isn’t actually a hole you dig in the ground and start fire.#it was more like an oversized lantern and I got smoke in my eyes but it was very cool#also saw the Big Dipper and Arcturus for the first time and a shooting star#I thought it was a plane at first but my friend saw a tail and we were like oooohhh yeah that’s a shooting star#now I want to go out and watch meteor showers#my art#myart#redraw#my oc#Augusta#inkfox#? old name but eh#no wonder I#LAKE#oc art#oc#fur#?#kemonomimi
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a night to remember.
Summary: After a long 4 months of just bickering, they finally decide to meet up. (Second part to 'Pretty Little Lies')
NSFW MINORS DNI!!
Warnings: Choking, cockwarming, hair pulling.
Word Count: 2892
Dream had enough of the two bickering at each other, he finally slammed his desk with his hand, making the two come to a halt. “Will you two fucking shut the hell up?” He asked annoyed, and Y/N just scoffed while looking away from the screen. “You two have reached my breaking point.” He said, seeing George just look away and Y/N discord icon stop glowing green besides the few shuffling coming from her side. “All you two do now is just bicker, we get it you guys have sexual tension but for the love of God, please just shut the fuck up.” He begged, while George’s ears burned at the mention of sexual tension. Opening his mouth to speak, nothing came out as Y/N was the first to speak up, “If I buy a plane ticket to go and visit the UK will that help you?” She asked sarcastically, and Dream sighed in relief, “Yes! Yes it fucking would!” he said loudly, while Sapnap just listened in noting to himself that he saw George’s eyes light up at the thought of Y/N visiting him. “I was joking but sheesh fine, I will.” She mumbled, and George looked between the sleeping Dream icon, and the Coraline icon that belonged to Y/N.
“Do I not have a say in this?” George finally spoke up, and raised an eyebrow that disappeared behind his long hair. Sapnap now laughed dryly, “Don’t act as if you didn’t enjoy the idea of Y/N coming to you, you know damn well your eyes lit up at the mention of it.” He said, and George just shrunk down in defeat while Dream laughed at the boy’s reaction. “There I bought the plane ticket.” She said, and they heard a ding indicating someone had joined the call, “Why the fuck did I just get a message saying I bought a plane ticket to the UK?” Quackity asked, and Y/N laughed loudly, “It’s for me but I used your money since you owed me anyways.” She told him, while Quackity just stared at his screen in shock. “That’s it I’m leaving.” He said, leaving the call right afterwards. George was now silent, and playing with the strings on his hoodie, “How long will you be staying?” Sapnap asked, and Y/N hummed leaning closer to her mic, “About three months, I want to meet everyone else, not just George here.”
Nodding, Sapnap seemed satisfied with the answer, “Wear protection.” Dream said, and George snapped his gaze up looking back at the screen, “Shut up.” He muttered, embarrassed while Y/N just laughed to cover up the fact that she too was embarrassed. “Well, I leave for the UK in two days, I still have to find a place to stay.” She explained, and George rubbed his chin before he came to a decision in his head, “You can stay with me, I recently moved into an apartment that has two rooms, you can stay in there. Although I won’t be home until later when you arrive mainly because I’ll be recording a video with Tommy and Phil.” He told Y/N, and she just listened, “Alright, then that’s settled.” She said before she grew confused, “How will I get to the house?” She asked and George shrugged, “I could have Tommy and his dad pick you up when he comes to pick me up.” He said, and Y/N nodded even though no one could see her.
“Sounds good to me.” She said, “Well I will arrive around 9 am, so.” She muttered, looking at her phone, “That’s perfect because Tommy said he’d be around at my apartment at 9:30, and the airport is only a 20 minute drive away.” He informed her, and she nodded, shooting Tommy a quick text and telling him to keep it under wraps since he was streaming. The other two in the call were silent, enjoying the time where George and Y/N weren’t arguing. “Well I better go, I need to go pack and I also need to fix my sleep schedule.” She sighed out, before saying her goodbye’s. Leaving the call, everything hit her like a brick. She was going to leave to see George in two days. Hearing her phone ring, she saw Sapnap was calling her, answering it she put it on speaker so she could hear him while she got ready to pack. “Hey Sap.” She said, and Sapnap greeted her back, “I was wondering if I could see your face before you leave to see George.” He asked, in a very rushed way which was difficult for Y/N to keep up with.
Laughing to herself, she shrugged as Sapnap was one of her best friends and she planned on face revealing to him anyway. Clicking the FaceTime option, she propped her phone up so he could see her packing. Sapnap answered it, only showing half of his face, before his eyes widened at Y/N. She changed a bit from what George had described four months prior, “Wow, George was right. You are hot.” He said, and Y/N laughed, “Although you look a bit different apparently.” He said trying to pinpoint what looked different on her, “Oh, my hair is longer and I also dyed the the underneath of my hair.” She told him, and he nodded noting that her hair did look different from what George said. “Are you nervous?” He asked her, trying to keep the conversation going and Y/N shrugged, “A bit, mainly because I feel like when we meet things will be awkward, and we will manage to argue.” She said, while Sapnap just nodded in understanding.
“Well, if you ask me, I think meeting Tommy is going to be worse, mainly because he get’s to see your face.” He told her, and Y/N grimaced at the thought of the loud child bragging about seeing her face. “Don’t remind me.” She grumbled, while Sapnap laughed at her reaction, “Well, that’s all I need to pack.” She said after a three hour long call with her friend. “I’ll see you later, sleep well.” Sapnap said, before ending the call leaving Y/N to her own thoughts. Shooting Dream a text, asking her for advice that she’d read when she woke up. Sighing, she laid down in bed looking up at her ceiling that seemed bare to her now ever since she took off the stars. “God why did I do this?” She muttered to herself, covering her eyes with her arm before drifting off to sleep.
Finally, it was the day she was leaving for the UK. She was at the airport with her two suitcases waiting to board the plane. She had coffee in her hand as it was super early for her, and she was on call with Callahan who didn’t speak back but would text responses in return. “Callahan, I board in seven minutes holy shit.” She said, starting to panic a little, and Callahan quickly tried to calm her down making some typos along the way. “Okay I can do this.” She whispered to herself, and Callahan sent a message telling her that she’d be alright and he’d be here for her when she landed. Callahan planned on staying on the call, even though he’d be left alone for some hours. Their plan was as soon as she lands, she’d join the call and let him know she had landed. Thankfully he’d be awake as he was busy coding stuff for the new manhunt. “Well that’s my plane, I’ll see you after I land.” She told him, and he sent a quick goodbye before she left the call.
Y/N got on the plane and decided she’d sleep the entire plane ride. She had thankfully gotten first class, so she had privacy. Reclining back, she put on the movie that seemed least interesting so she wouldn’t get engaged in it. Shortly falling asleep, she woke up a couple times and would restart the movie if it had ended. Finally, after what seemed like days she finally heard the voice saying they were landing. Stretching she groaned hearing her body crack, and got up when they officially landed. Walking out and going to get her luggage, she went to get something to eat and a drink She joined the call back to see that Karl was also in the call along with Dream. “Hey guys, I landed.” She spoke up, and she got a response from Callahan first, and Karl soon unmuted, “That’s good, I hope things go well.” He said, while Dream finally unmuted, “I was about to head to bed, but I’m glad you made it safely.” He said, before he muted again going back to whatever it was he was doing. Karl and Y/N spoke for a bit, till she got a message from Tommy saying he was here.
Leaving the call, she walked out and looked around for the tall teenager, and finally spotted him looking at his phone with his face covered by a mask. “Hello Tommy.” She said, and Tommy looked up from his phone, seeing the girl approach him without a mask, figuring it was because she had food and a drink. Walking over to her, he pulled her into a hug, “Hello Y/N, I can’t wait to brag to George that I met you before him.” He said while the girl rolled her eyes, as someone grabbed her luggage that she was struggling to bring as her hands were full from the drink and food. “I bet.” She said, and they all got into his car, as she was full on jet lagged. “You can sleep, I’ll wake you up when we get there.” The older male spoke up, and she thanked him, closing her eyes to let the sleep consume her. Feeling herself being picked up, she groaned a bit but kept her eyes closed wanting to go back to sleep.
Hearing muffled voices she could decipher some of the sentences, but the rest were just gibberish to her, “Let her sleep, I’ll wake her up when I get back.” She heard someone say, before she fell back asleep. George looked down at the sleeping girl and rolled his eyes, “First day here and she’s already getting treated like a princess.” He muttered under his breath sarcastically, as he had to carry her into the guest room. Getting up and leaving, he couldn’t help but think of what was to come. After 6 hours of hanging out, George walked into his apartment, and was shocked to see Y/N on the couch watching some random movie. “Hello Georgie.” She spoke, and George just looked at her, “Seems like you’ve made yourself at home.” He said walking over to the couch and sat down beside her, keeping his distance. Y/N looked over at him and her lips tugged up into a smirk, “What are you smirking about?” George asked, looking over at her.
“A little birdie told me that you said you’d give me a night to remember.” She told him, and George froze before he looked over at her once more, “I’m going to kill Sapnap.” He said gritting his teeth, and Y/N shrugged, turning her attention to the movie. “Why don’t you give me a night to remember then Georgie? Hm?” George now clenched his jaw as he turned his head grabbing Y/N’s jaw forcefully making her look over at him. “Someone’s being a bit cocky.” George said, and Y/N just looked at him and groaned when George moved his hand down wrapping it around her neck. “Not so cocky now, are we?” He teased, leaning forwards and chuckled into her ear. Y/N was genuinely shocked at how quick he switched. “It’s the first day, and you’re already wanting me to fuck the shit out of you.” He mumbled, and Y/N shivered, letting out a soft whine.
“Don’t act like you don’t want to.” She bit back, and George just looked at her before laughing dryly, “Who said I don’t want to?” He told her, as he grabbed some of her hair, forcing her head to lean back. Tightening his grip around her neck she whimpered out, and closed her eyes, clenching her thighs together. George noticed this and smirked, “Someone’s enjoying this.” He said, and Y/N was about to let out some curses but she bit her tongue to hold herself back. Moving his hand away from her throat, he started unbuckling his belt while Y/N watched him in a daze. “Stop staring and strip.” He demanded and Y/N immediately obeyed, stripping off her clothes. George looked at her body, and he bit his lips, “Come on then.” He said patting his now bare lap and Y/N quickly straddled his lap.
“Since you’ve been so rude every time we talk, maybe it’s time I fuck some sense into you.” George whispered to her, as he grabbed her hips lifting her up so she could easily slide down onto his dick. “You’re on the pill right?” He asked, and Y/N just nodded her head, before she let out a loud moan at the feeling of George stretching her out. He leaned his head back, letting out a slight groan at the feeling. Tightening his grip on her hips when she tried to, she groaned, “Why?” She whined, and George just leaned forward moving her hair out of the way as he kissed the back of her neck, “You are to stay like this until I feel like fucking you.” He told her, and Y/N shivered at the kiss only listening because she enjoyed this feeling. “Such a good girl, I figured you would be a brat since you act like one.” His voice rang through her mind, and Y/N just whimpered leaning her head back on his shoulder.
“George, please I can’t wait any longer.” She begged, and George just smirked before he lifted her off of him, and threw her on the other side of his couch. Y/N yelped as she was thrown, before she had the chance to raise up George had a hold of her hips making her ass stick up in the air. Pushing down on her back so she was perfectly arching her back, he was holding onto her hips making sure he left bruises. Slamming into her, Y/N moaned out loudly, gripping one of the stray pillows that was near her. Biting her bottom lip, George kept relentlessly pounding into her while Y/N was now a blabbering mess. George enjoyed this as he reached forwards grabbing a handful of her hair and tugged on it. “You look so beautiful like this, so sweaty for me.” He teased, while Y/N just let out an incoherent ‘fuck you’.
Not liking this, George brought his hand up and slammed it down onto her ass. Letting out a small scream, Y/N felt herself grow closer, and George reached around now toying with her clit. He himself was feeling close to his climax, and Y/N could tell from how sloppy his thrusts were getting. Using the hand that had her hair in it, he moved his hand up grabbing her neck bringing her up so she was against his chest. “Fuck George-” She muttered, leaning her head back against George’s shoulder much like earlier. George gave sloppy kisses along her jawline and neck, as they both let out a loud groan. Y/N mumbled words, and George let out a quick, “Fuck” as they both felt themself cum. Pulling out, George watched as some of it leaked out and onto her thighs.
Wiping away the sweat that was on his forehead, he picked her up, “Have you seen the bathroom?” He asked Y/N, who only shook her head, “You’re about to see it now.” He told her as the two made their way into the bathroom. It had a shower, and a bathtub, “Pick which one.” He told her, and Y/N looked between both and pointed to the tub, “I would’ve chosen the shower if it weren’t for how my legs could give out at any moment.” She whispered embarrassed, and George chuckled as he sat her down on the side of the tub, her feet in the tub. “Let me how you want the water to feel.” He said, turning it on and Y/N waited till it felt good, and she nodded, “That’s good.” She said, as she sunk down into the tub.
George smiled at her, as he went over to the cabinet under the sink to grab the bubble mixture. Pouring some into the water, he watched as Y/N mixed it around which formed bubbles. Sinking down into the water, he brought Y/N over to his body, and let her relax against him. “Don’t tell Dream or Sapnap, they had a bet. I really don’t want to lose.” He said, while Y/N lightly laughed at his words, as he massaged her shoulders. “I’m still going to be here for 3 more months, so they are bound to know it happened at one point.” She shrugged, and George hummed in agreement.
#georgenotfound#georgenotfound x reader#georgenotfound imagine#georgenotfound smut#mcyt#mcyt imagine#mcyt fanfiction#mcyt x reader#mcyt smut
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masterpost of random epic dnf moments
i find so much comfort in these posts that just contain links to loads and loads of epic clips so i wanted to make one of my favourite george&dream moments :’)... this took me several days okay.
in no particular order whatsoever
(♥♥♥) “so...dream.” “what?” “um, hello.” “hi”
(♡♡♡) “george!” “yeah?” “HEY 😁”
(♥♥♥) “that is actually george’s fish” “oh what? i will keep it safe” (bonus: giving fish back)
(♡♡♡) “you two and your inside jokes, you guys are such good friends”
(♥♥♥) “i saw an interesting donation on your stream”
(♡♡♡) “trust me. george - i’m handling it.”
(♥♥♥) “i’m not gonna be hurt if dream is next to me”
(♡♡♡) “you’re making me laugh it’s not even fair!”
(♥♥♥) “i shot you once” “no you shot me multiple times”
(♡♡♡) “oh that’s so hot”
(♥♥♥) “what you gonna do, fight me?”
(♡♡♡) “dream has my number because dream needs me sometimes”
(♥♥♥) “stop you’re hurting me” “i’m hurting you?”
(♡♡♡) “i’m very similar to george so i probably won't like it”
(♥♥♥) “i said i’m in the hot tub right now, he said ‘prove it’”
(♡♡♡) “dream stop killing me!”
(♥♥♥) “i’ve always wanted to explore my sexuality”
(♡♡♡) “this is what happens when you fall down my trap”
(♥♥♥) “i’m so used to having your attention 24/7″
(♡♡♡) “why are you so mean dream?”
(♥♥♥) “you know who reminds me of nemo? george”
(♡♡♡) “first thing’s first-” “i’m the realest”
(♥♥♥) “come hide with me”
(♡♡♡) “he looks so handsome, look at him, look at george”
(♥♥♥) “oh george” “oh dream”
(♡♡♡) “you love me?” “yes, i do”
(♥♥♥) “be careful george”
(♡♡♡) “you’re laughing at every different word i say”
(♥♥♥) “can i have the sword dream?” “say that you love me”
(♡♡♡) “just hug me george”
(♥♥♥) “i’m the mememan, my milk is delicious”
(♡♡♡) “george i’m gonna blow up - come with me”
(♥♥♥) “you couldn’t see what dream was doing”
(♡♡♡) “george is easily a top 10 mcc player”
(♥♥♥) “what would you say my weakness is?” “me”
(♡♡♡) “we were getting this computer repair guy - oh my god”
(♥♥♥) “every time you get near me you just get all red”
(♡♡♡) “you would follow me down here”
(♥♥♥) “dream is a simp for me” “yeah”
(♡♡♡) “nice dream!”
(♥♥♥) “smile - you see him everyday”
(♡♡♡) “you deserve punishment george”
(♥♥♥) “what are you doing george?” “i’m on twitter”
(♡♡♡) “george george george you look amazing george”
(♥♥♥) “you don’t have to follow me everywhere”
(♡♡♡) “get away from dream!”
(♥♥♥) “we’re in the stars”
(♡♡♡) thirdwheelboyhalo
(♥♥♥) “dream is so delightful”
(♡♡♡) “DREAM LET’S GO!”
(♥♥♥) “follow me, i’ll follow you actually - just take me”
(♡♡♡) “dream...” “i had to george, i had to”
(♥♥♥) “i trust my dream”
(♡♡♡) “you don’t brag about your looks”
(♥♥♥) “george just tell me you love me”
(♡♡♡) “someone said ‘dream do you think george is cute’?”
(♥♥♥) “kiss george” “that’s a pretty good forfeit”
(♡♡♡) “a plane ticket to dream’s house”
(♥♥♥) “okay that was pretty pog”
(♡♡♡) “i’ve been too focused on george”
(♥♥♥) little compilation
(♡♡♡) “why’d you say it like that?”
(♥♥♥) “dream’s trying to kill me, he’s killing me!”
(♡♡♡) “if you won, what would be your first date with george?”
(♥♥♥) “we do everything together”
(♡♡♡) “answer my question!”
(♥♥♥) “oh. yeah. but george too.”
(♡♡♡) “if you win, you have to kiss dream!”
(♥♥♥) “dream... i’m messing up” “oh are you still streaming?”
(♡♡♡) “be careful”
(♥♥♥) suspicious dancing
(♡♡♡) “don’t be greedy george”
(♥♥♥) just... this whole edit
(♡♡♡) “george is mine, go away”
(♥♥♥) “dreeeaaaaam i know you wanna help”
(♡♡♡) “george you’re a genius, george kiss me!”
(♥♥♥) “he was wearing like an oversized dream smile hoodie”
(♡♡♡) george compilation 10/10
(♥♥♥) “i don’t wanna hear you laugh”
(♡♡♡) “whenever dream tries to get a new speed run record he just disappears for a month”
(♥♥♥) laughing face to face
(♡♡♡) “can i have some stuff?”
(♥♥♥) “geoorrgeeee”
(♡♡♡) “he lives in your head actually rent free”
(♥♥♥) “you know quite often we just know what we’re talking about?”
(♡♡♡) “now it backfired because george knows me”
(♥♥♥) “he’s small it’s different”
(♡♡♡) “COME HERE GEORGE!”
(♥♥♥) “you can be my valentine if you want george”
(♡♡♡) “no mom no he broke up with me” (bonus: “george denied me”)
(♥♥♥) “just explain your reasoning for denying me” “you didn't mean it”
(♡♡♡) “goodnight george, goodnight gogy”
(♥♥♥) “dream just saved something from snapchat!”
(♡♡♡) “i’m breaking you out!”
(♥♥♥) “you’ll get punished george"
(♡♡♡) “guys this is like the cutest photo of george ever”
(♥♥♥) “guys i’m opening a new business” “selling george pictures?”
(♡♡♡) “don’t attack the wolf dream i’m not there to save you”
(♥♥♥) “you were like ‘you have to praise me now for 5 minutes’”
(♡♡♡) “why don’t you think i’m here?”
(♥♥♥) “we were playing geoguessr the other day”
(♡♡♡) “i am wheezing and dying and george is dying with me”
(♥♥♥) “you used to get mad at me for placing blocks beneath myself”
(♡♡♡) “you have to clip that” “no”
(♥♥♥) “c’mere”
(♡♡♡) “i almost died, water me!”
(♥♥♥) “me and george”
(♡♡♡) “i wouldn’t want to do it unless he’s here”
(♥♥♥) “me and george were literally holding hands in the hallway”
(♡♡♡) “you should get negative points if you’re an idiot”
(♥♥♥) “kiss”
(♡♡♡) “i thought you might want to confess something”
(♥♥♥) “we’ve been talking to each other for 10 hours?”
(♡♡♡) “i’m not here to disappoint you or anything”
(♥♥♥) “mimic my yawn, that means you love me you know that right?”
(♡♡♡) “i’m not helping you this round” “i need you”
(♥♥♥) “we’re literally on a boat”
(♡♡♡) “you’re so ridiculous”
(♥♥♥) “i fell asleep in a call with george”
(♡♡♡) “wow george you’re great”
(♥♥♥) “dream just went 👉🏻👉🏻”
(♡♡♡) “yessss let’s go” “wait let me pick you up!”
(♥♥♥) “dream sort this out!” “alright wait turn around”
(♡♡♡) “you have pretty privilege”
(♥♥♥) “george i have something that will cheer you up george”
(♡♡♡) “i’ve been by your side since the beginning george”
(♥♥♥) “sitting here forced to drink water, it has absolutely no flavour”
(♡♡♡) “gives back i’ll be good” “no no you won’t”
(♥♥♥) “don’t worry. i’m here george”
(♡♡♡) “dream say hi” “hi”
(♥♥♥) “so george why are you laying in bed while you’re talking to dream?”
(♡♡♡) “where did george go, george is not found”
(♥♥♥) “come over here greg i will save the day” “francis!”
(♡♡♡) “that’s not what you told me last night”
(♥♥♥) “please just swim drive the boat drive the boat”
(♡♡♡) “before i even met you, you had this ginormous impact”
(♥♥♥) “you’re not worthless george we love you”
(♡♡♡) “george is like the biggest idiot”
(♥♥♥) “alright fine i’ll play one more”
(♡♡♡) “you see george everywhere. you see what you wanna see”
(♥♥♥) “guess united kingdom because someone you love lives there”
(♡♡♡) “george don’t leave me”
(♥♥♥) “you say bolivia george?”
(♡♡♡) “why are you so feral?”
(♥♥♥) “you’re an idiot” “you’re the one who’s screaming to do it”
(♡♡♡) “”you’re so oh my god” “you’re so annoying”
(♥♥♥) “i trust you so m-so often”
(♡♡♡) “now i have you right where i want you”
(♥♥♥) “heads” “alright it was heads”
(♡♡♡) “george you’re the hottest piece of ass in dreamhunt”
(♥♥♥) “you said ‘just woke up’ and i said ‘me too, in sync bby’”
(♡♡♡) “dnf arc? yeah maybe”
(♥♥♥) *george shooting dnf into wall on csgo*
(♡♡♡) “george and dream’s brotherly relationship is so iconic”
(♥♥♥) “you can’t 👹LEAVE👹 it’s not allowed”
(♡♡♡) “oh we’re finishing each other’s sentences right now”
(♥♥♥) “you said you were gonna what, kiss me or something like that?”
(♡♡♡) “do you have a song that makes you think of dream?”
(♥♥♥) “here george take this take this george”
(♡♡♡) “hey dream” “hey george”
(♥♥♥) “do you have a crush on dream?” “yes, go on”
(♡♡♡) “i am proud of you” “wow thank you dream”
(♥♥♥) “1 dollar every hour” “for how many hours?”
(♡♡♡) “i clicked skip whoops - wait, where are all my balls?”
(♥♥♥) “get out of here GET OUUUUTTTT”
(♡♡♡) “i’m sleeping for at least 8 hours” “but then we’re gonna be out of sync again”
(♥♥♥) “this is actually disgusting, come to me where are you”
(♡♡♡) “thank you baby... oh no” “WHAT?”
(♥♥♥) “yeah i love dream so much”
(♡♡♡) “yes that is exactly what i was thinking dream”
(♥♥♥) “dream” “hi” “hello i’m streaming” “hi”
(♡♡♡) “mm poor little george”
(♥♥♥) “do you have fifty dollars?”
(♡♡♡) “please please half a heart half a heart!”
(♥♥♥) “that’s okay you wanna be near me, that’s fine”
(♡♡♡) “you would know all about the simp handbook wouldn’t you”
(♥♥♥) “please i need you” “i do need you”
(♡♡♡) “kill him!...or her.. or it..”
(♥♥♥) “cause he’s little gogy”
(♡♡♡) “do your parents know about gream?”
(♥♥♥) just... cuteness
(♡♡♡) “wait george my minecraft’s starting my minecraft’s starting”
(♥♥♥) “te amo sueno”
(♡♡♡) “yeah that was my idea” “yeah just like last night”
(♥♥♥) “you can just say he’s a bottom”
(♡♡♡) this entire video
(♥♥♥) “why are you leaving me?” “alright fine”
(♡♡♡) “george you look good in a suit”
(♥♥♥) “i have a present for george!”
(♡♡♡) “why don’t you want to facetime me?” “i haven’t shaved”
(♥♥♥) “dream’s killing me, why are you killing me?”
(♡♡♡) “george i thought you were going to choose me”
(♥♥♥) “you wanna watch a beautiful sunset? just for you dream”
(♡♡♡) “we don’t text that much” “we text everyday”
(♥♥♥) “georgie poooo come here”
(♡♡♡) “oh beat me dream beat me”
(♥♥♥) “you are so impressive dream”
(♡♡♡) “i just ran for like a million hours”
(♥♥♥) “mydic--kslong has subscribed, thank you..”
(♡♡♡) all of these moments are too funny
(♥♥♥) “dreeaaaam! loooook!” “oh he’s cute”
(♡♡♡) “oh george~” “this is scary”
(♥♥♥) “george do that water drop sound”
(♡♡♡) “why is everyone saying ‘george explain the text?’”
(♥♥♥) “why are you saying it like that?” “that’s how you said it”
(♡♡♡) “i’m going to my secret stash”
(♥♥♥) “it said ‘name a dessert’” “you should’ve put me”
(♡♡♡) “i need to come” “you wanna come?”
(♥♥♥) “i have missed your face!”
(♡♡♡) just.. this entire video
(♥♥♥) more on george sleep talking
(♡♡♡) “that’s the same height difference between me and you george”
(♥♥♥) “you’re doing extremely well george. just calm down.”
(♡♡♡) “george~” “stOP. stop it”
(♥♥♥) “i know dream loves me a lot but unfortunately i don’t love him back”
(♡♡♡) “it’s fun to make him more afraid”
(♥♥♥) “someone said ‘dream do you think george is cute?’”
(♡♡♡) “oh we know george we know how hot you are”
(♥♥♥) “dream has friendship hacks”
(♡♡♡) “let’s watch a movie” feat. sapnap
(♥♥♥) “the only man i’m into is george”
(♡♡♡) “you broke my heart dream by....breaking my heart”
(♥♥♥) “keep lying to him george”
(♡♡♡) dream team not dnf but i love this so watch it plz
(♥♥♥) “you turn your camera off to sneeze? it’s okay we love you”
(♡♡♡) “dance with me dream”
(♥♥♥) “dweaaaam pleaseeee”
(♡♡♡) “it’s fine dream, i’ll stream another day” “waaaaaaah!”
(♥♥♥) “i just wanna talk to you”
(♡♡♡) “you’re just like interesting in general george”
(♥♥♥) “when’s my birthday dream?”
(♡♡♡) “here these are for you 🌹”
(♥♥♥) “i love you george”
(♡♡♡) “i’ll fight you in sumo when you’re in my house”
(♥♥♥) “we’re going together aaaaah”
(♡♡♡) “guess what, i had faith in you”
(♥♥♥) “or OR.. we could... kiss?”
(♡♡♡) “i haven’t had my first kiss” “that's a lie, you kissed me”
(♥♥♥) “hey dream give me an ak.... please”
AND OF COURSE THERE ARE SO MANY MORE BUT... i cannot do this any longer therefore the rest are compilations because i cannot do this any longer
(♥♥♥) every time george has said ‘i love you’ (kind of) to dream
(♡♡♡) dreamnotfound moments
(♥♥♥) gaymest moments
(♡♡♡) rare moments
(♥♥♥) wholesome
(♡♡♡) idiot compilation
(♥♥♥) love languages compilation
BONUS: this soulmate compilation...
SO ORIGINAL POST - links wouldn’t work when reblogged because it went over link limit with everyone tagged, so i will reblog with everyone who’s clips i’ve included!
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Indy's Greatest Adventures
I rewatched all of the Indiana Jones movies lately, coincidentally just in time for the trailer of the new one, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. After I replayed Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis last year and realized that Indy was way more of a tomb raider than I remembered him to be, I was a little nervous about revisiting these films. I needn't have worried too much - wonky portrayal of India aside, the movies still hold up well. There are colonial overtones if you bother to analyze things with a 2022 mindset, sure, but the truck chase scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark still has to be one of the best sequences I've ever seen on film. The same goes for the mine carts in Temple of Doom and the tank scene in Last Crusade. Even Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which I tolerate more than most, has a few moments of pulpy goodness, nuclear fridges aside.
This brings me to Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures for the Super Nintendo, one of the few video games that decided to capture the magic of all of Dr. Jones' then-current films. I first saw a screenshot of it as a kid in Issue #9 of The Adventurer, a magazine that LucasArts put out to advertise their products, and I thought it looked neat as hell. A game full of levels inspired by all three Indy movies?! Genius! I never actually played it as a child, since I didn't have a SNES growing up, but the concept stuck with me. And so after I finished watching the films I decided to give Greatest Adventures a whirl, since it's easily accessible by emulation these days.
The game, published by LucasArts but developed by Factor 5 and JVC Musical Industries, runs on the same engine as JVC's three Super Star Wars titles. I haven't played those, but a quick look online shows that they're renowned for being hard as hell and featuring levels that take quite a few liberties from what was in the movies. (Remember how Luke had to go toe-to-toe against a Sarlacc pit monster in the beginning of A New Hope?)
Greatest Adventures doesn't stray quite as far from the source material, though the last boss of the game is a goofy skeleton version of Donovan after he drinks from the wrong Holy Grail. For the most part, though, you've got traditional platforming stages inspired by most of the major moments in each film, like Indy exploring the Well of Souls, beating up Thuggees in the tunnels beneath Pankot Palace, and facing the traps leading up to the resting place of the Holy Grail. Every now and then you'll get a level that expands upon something not really seen in the films - for instance, a snow section that shows Indy in Nepal trying to reach Marion's bar. Then there are what I like to call "gimmick" levels that present you with a key moment from the movies, like Indy running from a giant boulder at the beginning of Raiders or avoiding gunshots in a nightclub in Temple of Doom, and these break up the standard platforming by forcing you to run forward to survive or duck behind cover. Finally, there are three levels that take advantage of the SNES' fancy Mode 7 chip, placing you in a 3D perspective. Temple of Doom gets two of these, mimicking the life raft plane jump in the Himalayas and the mine cart chase. Last Crusade gets the final one, presenting the moment when Indy and his dad escaped a zeppelin via biplane and had to shoot down some Nazis.
It's all standard SNES platforming goodness, though the game is pretty darn hard. Indy controls well (though for some reason his whip is a far better weapon than his gun) but as the game ramps up you can expect to find a lot of inconveniently placed enemies (like birds, a la Ninja Gaiden) designed to trip up your jumps and bleed your health meter. The latter Last Crusade levels in particular start putting you up against Nazi mechanics and guys from the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword who can throw wrenches and knives in a perfect arc that always seems to hit you, and it's a fine recipe for frustration. There's also one level where you've got to swing from your whip between the windows of Castle Brunwald, and man is it kind of impossible.
I also wish there was more of an equal distribution of levels between the three movies, since Raiders gets 12 stages while Temple of Doom and Last Crusade only get 8. Also, I would've liked to see Indy's sidekicks present. Greatest Adventures depicts the story of each film as kind of a streamlined alternate take where Indy's alone all the time, and while Marion and Professor Jones Sr. show up in cutscenes (and notably the Game Over screen), others like Short Round and Willie Scott are nowhere to be seen. Willie, I guess I can do without, but not including Short Round is a crime, especially when they could've easily designed a Mode 7 chase scene with him driving a car as Indy escapes Shanghai.
These quibbles aside, playing Greatest Adventures with save states neutralizes a lot of the frustration, and for an Indy fan, there's much to like here - from the lovingly-recreated John Williams score to the occasional stage that really rewards fans of the movies. For instance, Raiders' infamous swordsman in black shows up at the end of the game's Cairo levels, and instead of proving to be a major boss encounter, all you've got to do is shoot him once to move on, just like in the film. There's also a Last Crusade boss battle aboard a tank where you can't use any other weapons but your fists to punch Colonel Ernst Vogel into submission, and you've got to do it before the tank rolls off a cliff, too. Good attention to film detail there!
The era of licensed video game tie-ins for films is more or less over, so I doubt we'll see anything in the form of electronic entertainment when Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny comes out. (Bethesda does have the Indy license and is supposed to deliver an original game that might coincide with the movie's release, but they've been silent on that front for a year, so we'll see what happens.) With this in mind, I do recommend giving Greatest Adventures a run-through if you've got a high tolerance for old-school platforming or at least want to relive Indy's glory days before the new movie releases. Along with Fate of Atlantis, it's probably the only 2D Indy game worth replaying by today's standards.
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Oh, love
Summary: It takes a year of trial and error, of love and heartbreak, for the two to finally realize there's no one else they'd rather be with. Or in which she becomes they're photographer for a summer tour and falls in love with the dark haired drummer.
Word Count: 10.3k
Warnings: swearing, angst, sexual content
A/N: I just want to say a huge thank you to @ethanesimp for proofreading and hyping this fic up, thank you so much amore! This is the first piece I've written for any of the members of maneskin, and also the longest thing I've ever written! Feedback is greatly appreciated!
January
It’s a call in the middle of the day that begins it all. She’s been in a shoot all morning, running around snapping photos of a wanna-be teen idol. She’s been here many times, being hired to do promo shots for someone who never makes it farther than this. But this call, she knows it’s different. She’s heard the name, seen some videos, she knows this won’t be like the rest. She’s instructed to clear her schedule for the week and to be in Rome by the end of the day.
The cold air hits her as she leaves the building, suitcase and camera bag in hand. This is the moment she’s been waiting for since joining the company, the chance to become a permanent fixture instead of hopping from gig to gig. She’s told that they requested her specifically, that one of the band members saw her collection from a festival last summer and was dead set on booking her for their summer tour. It’s all new to her, the feeling of being the first choice and not second best. She barely hears anything that’s said on the plane by their manager, too busy trying not to freak out.
It’s only a few hours plane ride, but it feels like a lifetime. Thoughts run wild in her head as the seconds tick by, she can’t remember the last time she’d been this excited, or nervous, for something. She’s greeted by more people from their team as she steps off the plane, and is quickly ushered to the villa they’ve been staying in. She barely has time to process the beautiful new city she’s in before she’s hidden by walls of an even more beautiful place.
They give her time to relax and unpack, but clear instructions to not leave the property without security. Things have been crazy, she’s told, since their winning last year fans have become more clever with their tactics. She laughs at some of the stories, but heeds the warning all the same. She’s seen quite a few things that have shaken her to her core, so she knows to be careful and wary.
Music floats through the halls and into her room, the band practicing on the other side of the villa. The music fills her veins with a feeling she can’t quite place, but it’s a welcome humming that gets her blood pumping. She grabs her camera and follows the melodies, laughing at the jokes thrown around in english whenever someone messes up. She angles herself behind a corner just right where she can take pictures while still being hidden from the band.
Her heart races at the scene in front of her. It’s a family like she’s never seen. They all seem to orbit around each other, pushing and pulling each other into their atmospheres. She watches Victoria dance around the room, bass in hand, strumming the lines to an old song. Thomas lays on the floor with a notebook reading off words, Damiano repeating them as he draws on eyeliner. And Ethan, who sits at his drum set, twirling the drumsticks in his hand as he observes the scene before him.
She captures picture after picture of their dynamic, taking the most of Ethan, who seems to have a magnetic pull to him. She only pulls herself from the moment when she’s spotted. “Sai, qualcuno chiamerebbe questo strano comportamento.”
The words are warm against her ear, and she jumps at the unexpected presence. She turns around, laughing to hide her embarrassment, trying to translate the words in her head. She freezes when she sees it’s Ethan, trying to figure out when he slipped away from the rest of the group.
“Ah, niente italiano. Er, it’s unusual, what you are doing.”
Another nervous laugh leaves her lips, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be creepy. There’s something about the way the group is when no one is watching, it’s hard to ignore, it needed to be captured.”
He smiles at that. It’s soft and warm and she feels as if the world has stopped spinning. A song plays between their hearts as a silence falls over them. There’s a beauty about him that makes it hard to focus on anything but him.
A series of crashes followed by loud curses in Italian breaks the spell that they were under and Ethan pulls himself away from her to go and manage his friends. She uses this moment as an excuse to slip away and tour the rest of the house, ending in the kitchen where dinner is being prepared. She snaps a few photos of the chefs cooking, already envisioning the blog post they’ll go along with.
When everyone has made their way to the dining room a toast is made; to new adventures, to new friends, and to family. Sweet wine and light rain makes the time pass faster and the evening flows into night easily. The group parts only moments after midnight, long days ahead calling them to catch up on sleep now.
The month flows by with days and nights blurring together. It seems the studio is really the only place they call home, spending every waking moment in the room that houses their instruments. She stays with them through the long hours, snapping photos of the weird things they get themselves up to. Her hard drive slowly fills with collections of each band member, ones for the public eye and ones she sends to them to make them laugh.
The end of the month brings a party, something small to celebrate sold out tour dates. A night out to a local bar and far too many drinks. She dances with Victoria, who has become her best friend in the few weeks she’s been with them. Damiano and his girlfriend are not far away, but much more caught up in their own world. Thomas has disappeared somewhere, no doubt warming someone's bed for the night. But through all the commotion, she can’t stop watching Ethan.
He’s sitting at a table nursing the only drink he’s had that night, planning to take on the role of babysitter at the end of the night once everyones had too much to drink. He drums his fingers on the table, following the beat of each song that plays. He seems lost in his own world, content with being by himself. She moves away from Victoria, who easily finds another partner, and makes her way to the table.
“Sembri solo,” the words fall from her lips quietly as she takes a seat beside him.
He smiles at her, “Seems your little lessons are paying off.”
She blushes at that, not realizing he’d picked up on her daily lessons with their English tutor. “Only enough to not seem like a tourist.”
A small chuckle escapes his lips, and she wishes she could bottle the sound.
“But don’t change the subject. Tonight was about having fun, celebrating a big accomplishment. Yet you’re sitting here alone.”
He sighs at her insistence, “Sometimes we don’t need to celebrate everything so publicly.”
Something pulls at her heart. She can’t imagine having such a public life, but she understands how it must feel to never have anything to yourself. Before she knows what she’s doing, she places a hand on his arm and gives it a reassuring squeeze, a light tingle shooting between the two of them.
She pulls her hand away quickly, a small blush forming on both their cheeks. He offers her a small smile to make the moment less awkward, and she returns it.
The night ends not too much later, the rest of the crew having decided that warm beds would be much more comfortable than the crowded bar. She helps Ethan herd their friends home, laughing along with him at their drunken antics. Victoria jokingly calls them mom and dad as they help her to bed, and the blush that was plastered on her face earlier that night makes a second appearance.
It’s almost morning by the time she makes it to her own room. Ethan isn’t far behind her, realizing for the first time tonight that they share the same hallway. “Buona notte,” comes his voice from down the hall.
She turns to face him, catching herself stuck in his stare. She can’t quite place the look in his eyes, but it gives her butterflies all the same.
“Buona notte.”
February
February brings more time in the studio and less time outside the walls of the Villa. While winter in Rome is not like the ones you’d experience in colder places, it still brings a chill to her bones. She steals one of Victoria's sweaters after a night spent lounging under the stars, a small break from a busy schedule.
A fire had been lit and a bottle of sweet wine was making its way around the group. She’d set her camera aside for the evening, planning on enjoying a night without the calls of work. She doesn’t know when it happens, but suddenly she’s swaying to a drunken beat in the arms of Damiano who can’t stop giggling at her two left feet. The man had not believed her when she said she couldn’t dance, but was now biting his tongue as they moved around the courtyard.
As the night seemed to come to a lull, a game of truth or dare was proposed and all were in agreement. She finds herself sitting beside Thomas on the floor as Victoria begins the game, a stupid dare aimed towards Damiano that earns him a new haircut. The night drags on in a flurry of laughter and silly dares. By midnight half the group is wearing someone else’s clothes, and the others have barely any on.
She’s moved to be sitting by Ethan, who has an arm casually draped across her shoulder. It shouldn’t feel so electric, his skin touching hers, but it does and it’s the only thing she can focus on. Her heart feels like it’s almost beating out of her chest and the blush on her face isn’t caused by the alcohol in her system.
Damiano is the first to notice her situation, and starts poking fun at her whenever it was his turn to ask her something. It started off innocent enough, small questions aimed towards her love life, but it soon caught the attention of Thomas who was the first one to issue a dare towards the girl. This was how she’d ended up sitting beside Ethan, cuddled into his side. Ethan was oblivious to the things going on around them, until Victoria dared her to kiss him.
It seems as though time stops, the laughter fades and the silence becomes deafening. She turns towards Ethan, a mixture of panic and excitement painted on her face. He smiles at her, “We don’t have to, amore.”
“A dares a dare.” She shrugs at him.
A round of cheers raises up around them as the two lean in. It’s meant to be only a small peck, something good enough to count in the eyes of those around them. But as she goes to pull away his hand reaches up to tangle in her hair and he pulls her closer. Their lips meet again without any hesitation and it’s like the world lights up around them. Blame it on the alcohol, but if she were to die right now she’d be happy.
They pull away a second later, a small laugh leaving both of them, chests rising at an unsteady rhythm.
“Awe, they’re blushing! How cute!” Comes the voice of Damiano, further pulling a blush from the girl.
She grabs one of the pillows beside her and aims it at his head, laughing when she misses terribly.
The night fades into morning and they all climb to the roof to watch the sunrise. It’s a moment she wants tattooed in her memories forever. She’s got her arms wrapped around Victoria and the three boys huddle around them, alcohol still flows through their veins and they’re all singing different versions of the same song.
March
The beginning of spring in Rome is magical. Flowers start to bloom, mornings are coated in a light dusting of rain, and clothing starts to become less of a necessity. She takes photos of the band trapezing the streets. The Villa studio has become too familiar, moving instead to a studio in the city.
By now, a routine has been put in place. Mornings sipping coffee and eating fresh pastries while she laughs at the varying states of wake the band is in. Afternoons in the studio, recording their new album while she collects photos and videos for their ‘making of’. Evenings spent in restaurants and bars, eating some of the best food she’s ever had, and she swears she’ll never eat anything better.
She’s never fallen in love with a city like this before. Maybe it’s the city, or maybe it’s the people she’s with, but she swears she never wants to leave. It suffocates her in the best way possible, the feeling of being home. She hopes that when the tours over and her contracts up, that she’ll move here, maybe even keep these people she’s grown so close to in the past few months.
She’s thrown out of the daydream by Thomas yelling at her in a mix of italian and english for not paying attention. It’s the middle of the afternoon, they’ve taken a lunch break at a restaurant down the block, and Thomas is expressively telling a story. His hands are in the air and he’s almost knocked his wine glass over too many times to count.
Damiano sits across from her, fiddling with her camera, snapping his own photos that he presents to her proudly. She laughs at every one, but never discourages his actions. Victoria is on her left, Ethan on her right, both vying for her approval as they argue over something. She’s overwhelmed by the different directions her brain is being tugged, but the hand that snakes its way into hers calms her.
She looks down to see Ethan rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, a soft smile grazing his lips as they make eye contact. She returns it, whispering a small thank you to the boy.
That night, she lays in bed, in the room she’s begun to finally call hers, thinking of the boy with stars in his eyes. She doesn’t know if it’s feeling like she finally belongs somewhere, or the wine that still coats her veins, but there’s something about him that she wishes she could become a part of. She wants to wrap herself in it and never leave. She’s falling for him, hard. Vaffanculo.
April
It is Victoria's birthday and everyone has decided that she must be princess for the day. Ethan and Damiano have been up since dawn making an extravagant breakfast, something that should be put in a five star restaurant. Her and Thomas had disappeared shortly after waking, returning with a stack of presents that was almost as tall as him, and the best bouquet of flowers she could find.
After decorating the patio with anything and everything they could find, it was a mad dash to Victoria's room to wake her up. She protested, claiming that sleep was more important than being awake, but at the mention of presents she was the first one out of the room.
It was a morning of happiness, and a much needed break from their hectic schedule. She recorded the entire day, from the dramatic wake up call to the celebratory sparklers that were set off that night, it was all captured.
After breakfast the princess requested a trip to the beach, and no one would dare refuse her. They found something private, a little hidden oasis an hour's drive from the villa. They spend hours there, switching between swimming and laying in the sun. She finds herself alone on the sand with Ethan at one point, watching the others like proud parents.
She tries not to think about how close his body feels to her, how she can feel the heat his body is radiating seeping into her, the smell of his body wash. He’s invading all of her senses and she’s trying so hard to focus on anything but him. “Let’s go on a walk?”
His voice is warm as the question escapes his lips. She turns to look at him and she’s thankful to be able to blame the sun for the blush on her cheeks. She nods and gets up to follow him, brushing off the sand that’s clinging to her bathing suit and wrapping a towel around her shoulders.
They disappear down the beach, walking side by side, a comfortable silence enveloping them. It’s not till they’re halfway down the beach that either of them speaks. “Are you enjoying your time?”
She doesn’t miss the hint of worry that laces his voice, and she’s quick to reassure him that she is. “Yes, very much. This is probably the best job I’ve had in years.”
He softly chuckles at her words, “Good. Good. We’re trying to make you feel like one of us, don’t want you running away.”
She’s grateful for the confession, glad that they don’t see her as just another person that works for them. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”
He bumps her shoulder with his, a small smile forming on his face, “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
They head back to the group soon after, realizing they’ve let the day slip away and need to leave soon if they want to make their dinner reservations.
A small vineyard hidden in the valley, they’ve booked the place so it’s just them, and ordered every bottle of wine on the menu to taste. They laugh away the night, enjoying plates of delicious food and letting their minds wander. A gorgeous cake is brought out at the end, half of which ends up destroyed thanks to an impromptu food fight. More presents are opened and Victoria starts tearing up, blubbering about how much she loves the idiots she’s surrounded with.
They walk through the dark streets of Rome, singing happy birthday loudly in every language they know. It’s unusually cold, but she’s somehow been wrapped in Ethan’s jacket, his arm slung over her shoulder. She’s holding Vic’s hand, Damiano and Thomas taking turns with her camera.
The air surrounding them is electrified, she looks up into the sky and thanks the stars for the life she’s living.
May
The summer tour is fast approaching, and nerves are starting to set in. The already high energy group somehow is bouncing off the walls even more, making for an interesting collection of photos. Nerves are starting to get the better of them, and she often finds one of them wandering around the Villa at odd hours of the night. She’s good at being able to channel her nerves into something else, focusing all of the energy on a new project.
One night though, it gets the better of her. She tosses and turns in her bed for hours before she decides that sleep isn’t coming. Instead of lying in bed willing her brain to shut off, she throws on a pair of shoes and heads for the front door, thinking a walk in the warm spring air will do her some good. What she doesn’t expect to find is Ethan sitting out on the terrace, cigarette in one hand and a book in the other, lost in his own world.
She doesn’t mean to catch his attention, hoping to allow him this little bit of uninterrupted peace, but he spots her anyway. “Buona serata,” He rasps, voice laced with the quietness of the night.
“Buona serata, Ethan.” She returns the greeting.
He motions for her to sit down in the chair beside him, closing the book and placing it on the table. “What’s troubling your mind tonight?”
She’s not used to the way someone can read her so well, but there’s something about Ethan that brings her comfort in the fact that he can. “Nerves, I guess. I’ve never done a gig this big, never spent so much time with one group. I’m used to being moved around a lot, still getting used to being a permanent fixture I guess.”
The words are heavy on her tongue, never having voiced her worries out loud before. He takes a long drag of the cigarette hanging from his lips, “La vita ci dà solo ciò che sa che possiamo gestire.”
“Some would think you were a poet in a past life.”
A small laugh escapes his lips, and he shakes his head. A comfortable silence falls over them and she wishes she could bottle this feeling to keep with her forever. He turns to look at her, and it’s hard to put into words the feeling that washes over him. He’s not sure where it comes from, the urge to kiss her, but it sends him spiralling.
He reaches his hand up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face, “Le stelle brillano più luminose nei tuoi occhi, amore.”
The words and his actions cause her heart to raise and her breath to hitch. They’re close now, the closest they’ve been since that night in February, and all she can think about is that kiss that they shared.
Neither knows who leaned in first, but suddenly their lips are touching and it is everything and nothing like they remembered. While the other kiss had been hesitant and brief, this one was full of purpose. Their noses brush and their breaths tangle together, he bits her lip for a moment and a small moan escapes her. He swears it’s the best sound he’s ever heard.
He grabs at her hips, lifting her from the chair and placing her so she’s straddling his lap. She tangles her fingers in his hair and tugs softly, earning a groan from the man. The sound sends shockwaves through her and she rocks her hips against his almost involuntarily. His lips move from hers to the side of her neck, pulling small whimpers from her as he nips and sucks at the skin. It’s everything she’s ever imagined and more. The feeling of his body pressed to hers, the pleasure he can so easily give to her.
She moves her hands down to fumble with the hem of his shirt and that’s when he pulls away. “While I would normally love to do that here, how about we continue this somewhere more private?”
She nods eagerly and removes herself from his lap. He all but drags her inside the villa and towards his room. She trips over her own feet and they both laugh at her clumsiness, falling into each other as he tries to catch her but trips over his own feet in turn. He leans in to kiss her again as their bodies collide, this one sweeter and softer than the previous one.
The moment passes quickly and soon she’s being dragged through the halls again, only to be met with a half asleep Damiano standing in the doorway of his room. They stop in their tracks, jumping apart, trying to act like nothing was happening. “It’s rude to have a party and not invite everyone, you know.”
She lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, glad that he didn’t know what had been happening moments prior. Ethan is quick to explain that they were just having a cup of tea on the terrace and were now heading to bed, and thankfully the lie is believed. Damiano wishes them a goodnight, heading back into his room, and the two are left in silence in the hallway.
“Maybe we should go to bed,” he whispers to her.
Her heart sinks, but she nods her head in agreement and turns to walk back down the hall to her room. She’s not really sure how the night was going to end, but this was definitely not how she wanted it to; walking in silence next to someone her heart aches for, pretending that nothing had happened between them.
He walks her up to her door, still ever the gentleman, and places a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Buona notte, amore.”
The words should not sound as sad as they do, and she tries her hardest to keep the tears welling up in her eyes at bay as she watches him turn and walk away.
June
How do you go back to being just friends after making out with someone? Well, you don’t. At least, not fully. They dance around each other without knowing it, avoiding any contact that could lead to something more or allude to something else, but there are still moments where the world seems to slip away and it’s just the two of them.
The tour kicks off at a festival in Amsterdam. Blue skies and sunny days greet them as they get off the plane. They have a day to explore before their first show, and no one can decide how to spend it. In the end, Victoria drags Thomas off to do some shopping, Damiano plans a trip to a few museums with his girlfriend, and she is left with Ethan.
She’s not truly stuck with him, but she doesn’t feel like wandering a forgein city all by herself. Since the night in the Villa, they haven’t spent longer than a few minutes alone together, both refusing to acknowledge what had happened.
A trip to the beach seems like the best place to be, and within the hour she’s lounging in the sun listening to Ethan read a book. It’s peaceful, the sound of the waves and his voice lulling her into a half sleep. She’s got a drink in her hands, something sweet and fruity, and she’s sharing a cigarette with Ethan. It’s a scene she thinks one would find in a movie.
She rolls herself over so she’s laying on her back, staring up at Ethan who sits beside her. She places her hand on his leg and traces random shapes into his skin. Goosebumps rise in the wake of her fingertips, and he tries to stay focused on the book in his hands but finds it hard to do so. “You are very distracting, amore.”
She looks up at him innocently and she can’t help but admire him. His hair is tucked away in a bun, but a few pieces have fallen out and are flying in the gentle breeze. He’s only wearing a pair of swim trunks, broad chest on full display. He catches her roaming eyes as they make their way back to his face, a smirk slowly forming on his face. “Or maybe I’m the one distracting you, no?”
She smiles shyly and looks away from him, because yes, he is distracting her, and she’s finding it very hard to not kiss him right now. He chuckles at her, reaching his hand towards her face and turning it back towards him. He leans down towards her, “I’m going to kiss you now, okay?”
All she can do is nod, and a second later his lips are on hers. It’s sweet and slow, she can taste the tobacco on his lips and it’s intoxicating. She moves so she’s sitting up, leaning into him more, the world around them fading out until all that is left is them.
A few days later they find themselves in a hotel room in Munich. There’s music playing and everyone’s laughing. Her camera hasn’t left her hands all night, every moment needing to be captured as they ride the after show high.
She’s in the middle of recording Thomas’ one man act when a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist. She knows exactly who it is by the scent that invades her nostrils and sends her brain into overdrive. She lets out a sudden, loud laugh, as his fingers trace themselves up and down her sides, collapsing into his chest as she struggles to breath.
He picks her up and spins her around, letting out an equally loud laugh at her protests. He’s happy, and it’s something that looks better on him than any designer outfit he could ever buy.
He falls onto one of the beds, pulling her down with him. She lands beside him tangled in his arms, he’s looking at her with a goofy grin on his face. The world seems to silence around them as their eyes lock. Her smile softens and she reaches her hand over to brush an eyelash off his cheek, he catches her hand before she can pull it away and brings it to his lips, kissing it gently.
He looks ethereal in this moment, hair strewn all over the place, a wild look in his eyes. She reaches for her camera and brings it up to capture him, never wanting to forget this moment.
The streets of Prague are empty, save for the two of them walking hand in hand down them. It’s early, almost too early to be considered an acceptable time to be awake, but they continue on nonetheless. A wild craving for something sweet had brought upon their adventure, and with the look she was giving him, he couldn’t say no to accompanying her.
They had been sitting on the balcony of her hotel room, watching the sun starting to peak out over the horizon and sharing a cigarette when she had turned to him with a mischievous look in her eyes. “I want something sweet.”
The comment had earned her an offer to order room service, but she shakes her head at the idea, standing up and walking back into the room. “No. Something real, maybe a coffee too.”
He follows her in, watching her pull on a shirt to cover the bralette she had been sitting in. “È presto, amore. Let’s go to bed. We can order something when the sun is awake also.”
She smiles at his words, but makes no move to stop dressing. She grabs her wallet and room key before heading to the door, stopping to turn and look at him, a question in her eyes.
“Fine, I’ll come with you.” He says after a moment, throwing on his jacket and walking over to her.
It’s 7:30 in the morning, the sun is starting to make it’s daily appearance, and they are happy. The small bakery they stumble into is just opening for the day and they’re greeted by the owner, an older lady with the sweetest smile. She speaks in broken English, an obvious language barrier between the group of them, but no one seems to mind.
She orders herself a poppy strudel and a coffee, Ethan ordering a croissant and an espresso, before sitting down at one of the small tables. He sits beside her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side. He presses a soft kiss into the crown of her head and she sighs in content.
Moments like this are what she lives for. She might only be here because she works for them, but somewhere along the way she’s become part of their little family. She looks over to Ethan who’s lost in conversation with the owner, and she whispers to herself, “Penso di essermi innamorato di te.”
She doesn’t know that he hears her, his smile spreading wider across his face.
July
The turnover from June to July happens mid concert in Stockholm. She swears she can feel it, the sudden shift, a slight change in the air. She’s running around in front of the stage capturing pictures of the band in what she’s come to call their ‘natural habitat’. There’s an indescribable buzz in the air as they perform, the crowd becoming louder and louder with each song.
She keeps catching Ethans eye and there’s something primal in the way he looks at her. During a song switch, while Damiano rambles to the crowd, he motions her on stage. He tells her to get closer to everyone, promising that they won’t bite, and she giggles at him. She does what he says nonetheless, capturing some up close photos of the band and a few great shots of the crowd.
All too soon the show is ending and everyone’s piling into the car, a small party taking place in the backseat. Damiano has music blasting from his phone, Victoria and Thomas are dancing along to the beat, and Ethan is belting out the lyrics. She watches the group of them, laughing so hard her sides hurt, and she’s never felt more at home.
When they get to the hotel he’s quick to pull her towards his room, thankfully void of a roommate for the night. The second they get into the room, his lips are on hers. He pulls her close to his body and her hands tangle themselves in his hair. It’s nothing like any of their previous kisses, it’s heated and fast, every thought trying to be conveyed by the fever of it. She pulls back slightly to catch her breath and he leans in to whisper in her ear, “Join me in the shower?”
It’s not so much a question as a statement, but she nods her head eagerly, quick to follow him into the bathroom. He strips himself of the few clothes he’s wearing (most having been thrown off during the show), before turning to her. He reaches his arms out towards her, pulling her close to him and tugging on her shirt. She barely registers him pulling off her clothes, too focused on his body in front of her.
She’s never seen him so bare, and she’s having a hard time focussing on anything else. It’s not until her body hits the warm water that she snaps back to reality. He looks wild, eyes blown with lust, a wicked smile on his face. She firmly plants her lips on his, moaning into the kiss as he grabs at her. His hands are skilled and know every way to pull those delicious sounds from her lips.
It’s quick and dirty, and it is everything she has ever imagined it would be.
An hour later, she’s tangled up in the sheets of his bed, his entire being engulfing her as they watch the stars outside the window. She wonders if they are watching them too.
Paris is the city of lights, a statement she’s never been more sure of. The streets are lit with every light, shining brighter than the stars. She’s in a permanent state of bliss, after the night she shared with Ethan. Their relationship is hidden from the public, living in stolen moments and nights in hotel rooms, but she’s never been happier to be someone's dirty secret.
The band is electric on stage, something about the city they’re in taking their performance to a whole new level. The show goes on longer than it should have, but none of them even care when their manager comes over to reprimand them. They hang around to greet fans and take photos with anyone and everyone, and it’s not until security has to kick them out that they finally leave.
They find themselves in a bar, not sure what part of the city they’re in, but no one cares when the night feels like this. They drink expensive drinks that they can’t pronounce the name of, dance to songs they don’t know the words to, and feel more alive than they’ve ever felt. It’s like the world turned itself up to 11 just for them.
She dances with Ethan, not caring who sees because the night is theirs and no one cares. She kisses him in the middle of the dance floor and he pulls her into a vacant bathroom. It’s hot and heavy and the smell of alcohol envelopes them, but they couldn’t care less. Is this love? They don’t care. They’re young and dumb, and well, you only live once.
Back at the hotel they spend the night wrapped in bedsheets on the balcony, a bottle of champagne and a pack of cigarettes shared between the two of them. He points to the stars, a stupid grin on his face, “Le stelle brillano solo per noi.”
She snorts, throwing an abandoned pillow at him. He grabs her arm and pulls her into him, tickling her sides until she’s begging him to stop, tears staining her cheeks but a laugh like no other leaving her lips.
As the night bleeds into morning, and both are hazy with sleep, he whispers to her, “Sei il mio universo.”
They walk down the streets of London, his arm slung over her shoulders as she rambles away, both blissfully unaware of the few fans snapping photos down the street. They don’t notice the group of girls following them, cameras and phones in hand, capturing picture after picture of the couple.
By the time they reach the shop, the photos are already out into the world.
As they order, reposts and comments start flowing, and their phones start lighting up with notifications.
Before they can pay, she’s crying.
Rule number one of being in the public eye; never look at the comments, distance yourself from social media as much as possible, it will never end well.
The final stop in Rome was supposed to be a welcome home. A big celebration was to occur after their last concert, but now, it’s nothing more than finding the quickest way back home. She sits in one of the dressing rooms the entire show, waiting for it to end, scrolling through her social media.
She knows she shouldn’t be, that’ll all it’s doing is hurting her, making her feel worse. But she can’t stop. The comments aimed towards her and the drummer are terrible, and she wishes she could just delete herself from existence. They aren’t even dating, at least not officially, but she’s been deemed the girlfriend from hell. She’s unknowingly stolen something that never belonged to anyone to begin with.
Damianos girlfriend is in the room with her, telling her of her own horror stories dealing with fans, and she knows she’s just trying to help, but she really wishes she would just shut up. She loves the girl to death, she’s been a blessing this entire time, but she feels her mind is too far gone to be saved from the madness.
It’s only a few minutes later that the band wanders in, the usual after show high replaced with a sudden heaviness. Ethan comes to stand by her after putting his things away and pulls her into a tight hug. “Amore mio.”
He’s sweaty and could definitely use a shower, but the hug is comforting. She rubs his back soothingly, knowing this is just as hard on him as it is on her. Their management team has told everyone to remain quiet about it, disappearing from the internet until further notice while they figure out how to manage the situation. It’s maddening, the inability to speak out and protect her. He wishes he could snap his fingers and everything would be fixed, but he knows nothing is ever that easy.
They make their way back to the villa in silence, the car filled with a strangeness. She’s sandwiched between Victoria and Ethan, leaning on the bassist's shoulder, watching her play a game on her phone. It’s not how anyone wanted to end the tour, but the world is a strange and cruel place. Everything good always comes burning down.
August
There’s a party at the villa one night. Things have calmed down enough that she doesn’t spiral every time she looks at her phone, but there’s something in the way Ethan acts around her that makes her uneasy. She’s standing out on the patio, trying to avoid the questioning eyes from everyone in the house. She hasn’t spoken to Ethan all day, and the alcohol coursing through her veins makes her even angrier than she knows she should be.
Out of the corner of her eye she sees him walk out the door beside her, a small scoff leaving her lips as he tries to speak to her.
“Couldn’t be bothered to talk to me all day, what’s changed that you’ve decided to grace me with your presence?”
He looks at her, stunned. “I don’t get what you mean.”
She scoffs again, placing her glass on the table across from her. “Since London you’ve done nothing but ignore me. I get that this wasn’t easy for you, but it wasn’t exactly a cake walk for me. I needed you, Ethan, and you left me.” Her voice is raw and scratchy, the feeling of wanting to cry tickling the back of her throat.
“I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how Dami does it, how he can deal with the comments and messages. My brain won’t shut off, I can’t stop thinking about how if I had been more careful, I could’ve protected you and none of this would’ve happened. I feel stupid for thinking I could have. I hate seeing you like this, I wish I could take you away from all of this.” His voice slowly lowers, till it’s nothing more than a whisper, words meant only for her.
“I was never what you wanted, was I? This was just all some stupid game to you. I was just someone you could use to get off.” Her voice is laced with pain, a small crack coming out as she speaks.
He shakes his head, laughing slightly, and turns to look away from her. He walks a few steps before turning to face her again, “No. No, you were exactly what I wanted. You were everything to me. We were the same type of crazy.”
“I don’t understand Ethan, then what was the problem? This feels like a confession and a break up all in one.” She crosses her arms and leans against the wall, watching as he pulls a cigarette out from his pocket and lights it.
The familiar sight creates something warm in her chest, memories of summer nights like this flash through her mind. Spending the evening sitting on the balcony of different hotel rooms, sharing a cigarette between the two of them while they let the events of the day soak in. She’d give anything to go back to one of those moments. He blows a breath of smoke out and starts to speak again, “I don’t know, amore. I don’t. I want to tell you I love you, to hold you and call you mine. But I can’t.”
“Can’t, or won’t.” It’s not a question, but a statement.
“No, don’t do that. Don’t turn this into something it’s not. I want to, believe me, I do.” He steps towards her and reaches out his arms, “But we both know we can’t.”
She doesn’t know where the tears come from, but they’re there, pooling in her eyes. It’s only been a few months since they’ve met, there were no promises to be anything more than a summer adventure, but this doesn’t feel right. Her heart should not be breaking at the thought of losing someone she barely even knows.
He stops when he notices her state, reaching out to wipe the tears falling down her cheeks. “Merda. Merda! This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.”
She looks up at him through clouded eyes, “Then how was this supposed to go, Ethan? Breaking my heart wasn’t supposed to hurt me this bad? I was supposed to smile and tell you that I'm not madly in love with you and these past few months meant nothing to me?”
His heart breaks slowly at her words. He never meant for the night to go this way, and he wishes he could just pull her into his arms and tell her he loved her, that everything could be okay. But he can’t, so he pulls away from her, “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.”
They’re the only words he can manage to get out without breaking down. He takes a second to watch her, memorize all the features of her face, before turning around and walking away. It’s a sight that rips her heart out, watching his form disappear back into the house. She knows this is it, the goodbye she’d been preparing for these past few weeks, but it doesn’t hurt any less.
Before she can help herself, she’s calling after him. “Being in love isn’t a weakness, you know!” But the words fall upon deaf ears.
Vic finds her standing in the same spot an hour later. She’s got a smoke lit in her hand, the third one from the pack. She hasn’t touched her lips to any of them, but the smell and the feeling of holding it brings her comfort. She was never really one to smoke, but she found it entrancing to watch Ethan do it, and right now, it’s the only thing keeping her grounded. It’s silly, how something so small can mean so much.
Her heart aches in the most unbearable way, but she can’t bring herself to do anything about it. Vic doesn’t speak, just stands beside her. She doesn’t need to ask to know that she is well aware of the events that have just unfolded, she’s just grateful for the company.
September
It’s stupidly hot in London for the time of year, but mother nature loves her unexpected heat waves. She’s home now, having left Rome shortly after the fight with Ethan, assuring their manager that she would be able to edit and upload all of the photos and videos from the comfort of her own flat.
Vic and Thomas had driven her to the airport, had walked her all the way to security and hugged her tightly before letting her go. She’d promised to keep in touch and Victoria had made her pinky swear that if she was ever in Rome again, she’d come visit. The flight was short, and she was glad the time difference was only an hour.
Her sister had picked her up and dropped her off at her flat, and she’d immediately collapsed into bed. That was three days ago, she’d barely moved since. Someone had caught her at the airport and the photos were everywhere, articles upon articles had been released, she’d had non stop messages from everyone, but all she could bring herself to do was turn her phone off.
Her photos make it to the front of magazines, her articles getting featured all over the globe, she’s made a name for herself. She gets emails from prospective clients wanting to book her in at shows, her boss sending her information for more high end gigs, but all she can think about is her drummer boy.
Her phone still sits turned off on her desk, she refuses to turn it on for anything, resorting to using only her email, but she knows everything that’s going on with the band. She’d been asked to join them again in a few months, to become a permanent part of their team. She hasn’t been able to reply.
She gets panicky thinking about seeing him again, about the things people will say if she’s caught in the same country as him. She’s stopped receiving death threats, but there’s still comments that creep in, fans thanking whatever gods made them seperate.
Victoria tries to reach out every few days, worried about the state of person she’s become, but she can’t even manage to type out an I’m okay. The world seems to be too fast and too slow, too bright and too dark, too much and not enough. Her heart aches and it’s a pain so deep she thinks she’ll never be okay again. Love is a cruel, cruel creature.
October
She finally brings herself to go back to work at the beginning of the month. She books herself in for a small band, someone no one really knows but she hopes they will one day. She’s in Amsterdam now, trying hard not to think of the memories the place brings. The band is good, the music heavy and the beat strong. They find a way to tell a story that leaves everyone with a soul searching question by the end of the night. Do you know who you are?
She’s only with them for a few nights, a short gig, but something she needed to get the ball rolling, to remember why she was doing this in the first place. After submitting the photos and writing an article that sends another wave of offers her way, she takes a few days to explore the city. It was wonderful before, when the air was warm and it felt like there was magic enveloping the city. But now, with the change of seasons, it’s even more beautiful than she remembers.
She walks the empty streets one night, huddled in the safety of her hoodie, camera in hand, and captures moments. A couple standing under a street light, a cafe closing for the night, kids running. It’s not until she hears a laugh she’s all too familiar with that her heart stops and her blood turns cold. She turns, ever so carefully, hidden behind the side of a building, and sees him.
He’s beautiful, even more than she remembers, and he looks happy. He’s walking with two girls, the resemblance making her sure it’s his sisters, but in this light she can’t be sure. She’s never met them, but he talked about them often, and she felt a pang in her chest for the homesickness he must have felt.
She tries to run, tries her hardest to get away, but she’s in an alley that leads nowhere and he’ll for sure be able to see her no matter what. The voices of the three get closer and she starts to panic, but there’s nowhere to go and she knows she’ll have to pull on her big girl pants and face him. But her heart won’t stop beating so loudly and she’s afraid she’ll break if he looks at her.
She pretends to be busy with her camera, focusing all of her attention on settings she knows are perfect, but a voice carries it’s way to her ears. “Hey stranger.”
It’s soft and it makes her knees weak and she hates herself for it. She looks up at him and his expecting eyes and her heart breaks all over again. She can’t help it, but suddenly there are tears running down her face and she can’t breathe. “Hey, hey. It’s okay.”
He places a hand on her shoulder but she pushes it away, “No it’s not.” She says between breaths.
“I shouldn’t be here, I should not be here. I have to go.”
She turns to leave, but one of his sisters stops her, “Let us walk you home, please. My brother may be a dumbass, but we have good genes. Let us make sure you get back safe.”
She doesn’t know why the words calm her, but she nods her head and lets the girls lead her in the direction of her hotel. The twins, Eleanora and Lucrezia, talk to her in fits of italian and english, trying to keep her brain occupied. But her whole body is on high alert, too aware of the man trailing behind them and how much of a fool she must look like. She feels like a mess, like someone drowning in a foot of water, but she can’t help it.
They walk her into the lobby of her hotel, the girls wish her a goodnight before shoving Ethan towards her. She doesn’t want to talk to him, and he must see it in her eyes because he tries to leave. But his sisters won’t let him, they stand tall and he looks like a child being scolded by his parents.
“Can we sit?” He asks, pointing to a couch.
She doesn’t want to, she wants to run up to her room and cry, but she nods. They sit and it is silent. Her stomach is in her throat, her eyes hurt from trying not to cry, but she sits and she waits. She studies his face, the crease in between his eyebrows that only forms when he’s confused or thinking, she wants to reach over and smooth it out. He turns towards her and catches her staring, a small smile forming on his lips.
He takes her in, allowing himself to really look at her for the first time in months, and something in his heart breaks. How did he ever let her go? Why was he so stupid to ruin something so beautiful?
“I’m sorry.” He blurts out before he can stop himself. “I’m so sorry, amore. I know I can’t say it enough, I know it’s not as easy as that, but I’m sorry and I love you. So much it hurts.”
The words hit her like a truck, they knock the air out of her lungs and the tears she was trying so hard to keep at bay start falling down her cheeks. She stands up so fast she gets light headed, “I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t.”
She turns and starts walking towards the elevators. He calls after her, but she’s determined to leave, to get away. He runs after her, catching her right before the doors of the elevator close, and he wishes she didn’t look so broken. The doors slip close and she is gone and he feels like he could break something.
Her room is cold and she wishes she was home in her flat. She throws herself into the shower, the water burning her skin, and she sobs. She sobs so hard her body shakes, she screams and hopes no one can hear her.
He’s still standing by the elevator, crying now, too. His body aches in a way he’s never felt before and he hates that he isn’t holding her right now. He knows he messed up, he beats himself up for it everyday, but he doesn’t know how to fix it. He can’t just say sorry and expect everything to be okay, but he has to do something.
November
The ground is covered in snow. It is peaceful and quiet. He’s not used to this, the cold and the snow, but he understands the appeal. He’s standing outside her flat, or at least what he hopes is her flat, Victoria wasn’t exactly sure which one was hers. He’s bought her favourite flowers and he’s prepared to pour his soul out to her.
He paces outside her door for what feels like hours, trying to get himself to knock, but before he can, she opens the door. “Ethan?”
Her voice is soft, his heart sings at the sound of it. He turns to face her and the sight before him takes his breath away. She’s wearing a dress that shows off everything he loved about her, a coat thrown over her arm, she looks like an angel on earth. “Do you have a moment?”
She’s running late for dinner with her sister, but she’s afraid if she says no to him, she’ll never see him again. She hasn’t forgotten that night in Amsterdam, wishes she would have been brave enough to stay and talk, but she can’t change the past. “Yes, yes. Come in.”
She lets him into her flat, taking the flowers he hands her, and brings him over to her couch. “So.”
The script he’d had prepared in his head is suddenly gone from his memories. “I’ve thought this through a thousand times, planned this out a million different ways, but I can’t figure out the right words to say. I’m sorry, amore mio. I can’t say that enough. I never should have left you, shouldn’t have let things happen the way they did. Loving you was easy, and I think that scared me.”
She takes a deep breath, not sure what to say. She feels tears bubbling in the back of her throat and she hates that this is her response to everything revolving around him. He notices the shift in her, can tell she’s about to cry, “Amore mio, please don’t cry. I’ll start and then neither of us will be able to do anything else.”
She laughs quietly at his words, “I don’t think there are any tears left inside of me. I cried them all for you.”
His heart breaks at her confession. He moves closer to her and wraps himself around her. She hates how easy it is for her to melt into his touch, but she enjoys the comfort of it. “Tell me how to fix this. Tell me to stay and I will be here for as long as you’ll have me. I’m yours amore.”
“Please, don’t leave me again.” The words are barely more than a whisper, but he hears them.
He pulls her tight to his chest and holds her. She doesn’t care about anything else but this moment and him.
She wakes up the next morning in her bed. The sun is streaming in through the windows and she can smell Ethans body wash laced in the fibres of her bed sheets. She rolls over, expecting to see him beside her, but is met with an empty bed. Her heart sinks, afraid that everything he’d said was too good to be true, that he’d left her, again. But the sounds coming from her kitchen prove her wrong.
She gets up, quickly changing out of the dress she was wearing the night before, and follows the sound of clinking dishes. She’s greeted by the sight of a shirtless Ethan, back turned to her, hunched over her stove. There’s the smell of coffee brewing and something soft playing from the radio. If she doesn’t think too hard, she can almost imagine this being a daily occurrence.
He turns around when he hears the floorboards creak, a smile on his face, “Buongiorno amore mio.”
“Buongiorno.”
He hands her a cup of coffee and plates the pancakes he’s made. She smiles at the domesticality of it all. He sits down beside her on the couch and they eat in silence, leaning against one another. Afterwards, she washes the dishes and he dries them. Neither one of them says anything until the sun is high in the sky and they are laying in bed together. “I love you.”
It is the first time she’s said it in such a permanent way, she recites it like it is a fact written in history books. He looks down at her, she’s curled up on his chest, a hazy look on her face. He reaches down to tuck her hair behind her ear and leans his head towards her, “Ti voglio bene.” He seals the statement with a soft kiss.
It’s light and barley there, she chases after his lips as he pulls away, and he chuckles in a way that sends butterflies into her stomach. She places herself on his lap, weaving her fingers into his hair as his tether to her waist. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
He stares at her, memorizing all of the features of her face. He loses himself in thoughts of days spent exactly like this, of a life he hopes isn’t just a dream. He flips them over carefully, laying her down on the bed. He hovers over her, arms on either side of her head, “I’m going to show you how much I love you.”
December
“Move in with me.”
It’s early in the morning and they’re sitting in bed sharing a pot of coffee and a pack of cigarettes. His arm is wrapped around her shoulders, she’s leaned into his side, and he whispers those words.
She hasn’t yet told him about the offer from the band's manager, to become their permanent photographer, but it seems like the perfect moment to. “Yes.”
“Really?”
She laughs at his shock, “I was offered to come and work for the band full time, I haven’t replied yet. But I want to take the job.”
A goofy grin makes its way onto his face, “Do it! Right now. Tell them yes, come and stay with us. Be my girlfriend?”
He’s rambling and he doesn’t care. She smiles at him, her heart bursting with love for the man. “Okay, yes! Absolutely!”
Christmas is celebrated in their apartment in Rome. The band is there, her sister flies out and his family comes too. It is a day filled with love and laughter. They eat a grand lunch that they spent the previous day cooking, his mom brings a homemade panettone. They exchange gifts in the evening, and it is everything she’d dreamed of.
On New Year's Eve they make a trip to the villa. They sing songs and drink expensive wine. Fireworks light up the sky brighter than the stars. They sit out on the porch and tell stories of things that seem so far away. He’s sitting beside her, hands intertwined. He tells her about all of the things he wants to do in the new year and she is mesmerized by the way he talks.
There will be a moment in time when the world stops spinning and everything goes quiet, and she thinks that if that were to happen now, it would be the perfect way to go. Surrounded by the people she now calls family and the person she loves most in the world.
Fireworks go off in the distance, someone shouts out a drunken happy new year! and as time flows from one year to the next, she realizes that this is all that will ever matter.
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