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ginger-snaps014 · 1 year ago

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I recently posted a defense of Snow White after all the live action controversy, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the other Disney Princesses that face similar pop-feminist treat. As such, here is my defense for my childhood favorite, Cinderella. Ps sorry for the long post, but she’s my favorite. Also, TRIGGER WARNING - I put the domestic abuse items at the bottoms as number 7, but it referenced throughout.

1. Timeless and Universal Story

For those of you who are unaware, Cinderella is not only iconic as a Disney princess, but a version of her story exists in most parts of the world. In Egypt, you have the story of a Rhodopis (written between 64 BC and 24 AD). In China, there is the story of Ye Xian which dates back to 860 CE. The Malay-Indonesian people have the tale of Bawang Putih Bawang Merah (the swing version). The Vietnamese have Tam Cam. The Algonquin Indians of North America have "The Rough-Face Girl." In Germany, the Grimm brothers published "Aschenputtel" in 1812. The English have “Tattercoats”. The Russians have Vasilisa the Brave, or Beautiful, or Wise, or Fair… she is too popular for a single name. In Italy, there is Basile’s Cenerentola (published 1964). There is the French Cendrillon by Perrault (published 1967) (this is the one that the Disney version is based on). And in America, the iconic retelling is Disney’s version from 1950.

I’m sure there are more retellings by different countries. These are just the ones I remember and could quickly find. These are also limited to (i) the most known versions for each area, (ii) female protagonists, and (iii) instances where the happy ever after includes marriage to a man of wealth and standing. There are many others versions which do not include these points. After all, the base Cinderella story arc is simple: (i) protagonist in a good position that reflects a culture’s values; (ii) protagonist falls due to an injustice and loses one or several of the the following: family, wealth, status, looks, etc.; (iii) despite the fall, the protagonist keeps the values appreciated by the culture; (iv) an outside source comes to the protagonist’s aid and provides advise or items; and (v) thanks to the combination of protagonist’s values and the advise/items, the protagonist lives happily ever after in a secure position that is equal or better than where they started. When dealing with the classic Cinderella, the fall should occur in the domestic sphere with a personal transformation occurring after the fall, and security is reached when a female protagonist can leave the abusive environment permanently. Because this is a defense of Disney’s Cinderella in particular, I’m going to focus on that Film in an American context.

2. Femininity as a Neutral

While pop feminist like to point out that Cinderella is shown doing primarily domestic (aka historically feminine) work, needs a pair of heels to change her life and is saved by a prince, they never dive deeper into their arguments. At the end of the day, traditional femininity is a mixed bag in this film.

A. Domestic Labor

Yes, Cindy is shown doing domestic labor. However, that domestic labor is shown in a negative light. She’s is in rags, worn out, and trapped. Domestic labor is not painted as something good. It is part of the representation of the abuse she suffers. The most artistic image of this labor occurs while Cinderella sings with the soap bubbles. That song is immediately followed up by the cat Lucifer destroying her work. Showing the endless and thankless nature of domestic labor.

B. Makeover

The heels are magic and part of her transformation. They are shown as “good” because of what they give her (i.e. the ability to go to the ball and the ability to prove her identity). Her makeover does not occur in a vacuum. We see Cinderella admire her own reflection in the movie multiple times (while in rags and transformed). We see her fawn over her mother’s dress and enjoy feminine things. She is not forced to give up her identity conform to the femininity those around her want her to have. She is given an opportunity to be herself. She is the girl who like ballgowns. She is the girl who enjoys shoes. The clothing is her expression. Not her cage. If Cinderella did not like such things, her fairy godmother would not have forced her to wear them. Forced femininity is wrong. So is hating on femininity for existing. And hating those (of any gender) that enjoy it.

C. Prince as a Symbol

Yes Disney’s Cinderella’s happy ending comes with a man, but he is not the point of the ending. If you ever noticed how underdeveloped the prince is, you are not alone. Because the prince is a symbol of Cinderella’s dream rather than a well rounded character.

In the movie, the ball is set up last minute. From the moment of the king’s decision to host the ball to Cinderella’s midnight run, not even 24 hours have passed. If Cinderella had been only been dreaming of a ball and prince for the entire film, how could she be singing about that particular dream in the beginning of the movie. The ball has not even been planned. She can’t have. Her dreams referenced in “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” must then be about something else. Looking at the context of the story, we know it takes place in a capitalist, patriarchal, hierarchical society based loosely off 1800’s France. In a capitalist country, financial security comes from riches (like in the royal treasury). Hierarchical status come from high standing (like royalty). Female success in a patriarchy often equates to marriage. Cinderella was only taken care of and protected while someone who loved her was alive (her father). She knows the mere fact a person has a duty to take care of and protect her (the stepmother) is not enough. As such, Cindy would find love, not a contract marriage, more secure. At the ball, Cinderella does not even realize it’s the prince she dances the night away with. She learns after the fact.

And what is her happily ever after? A prince who loves her, marries her, raises her social standing, and provides financial security. He is the embodiment of love and safety in the society of the story. Is it wrong to dream about love and safety when your life is miserable due to the lack of both? Heck, I’m not in her situation, and I still dream of love and security.

D. The Stepsisters

Like Cinderella, her stepfamily enjoys beautiful things and fashion. They want financial security. They embrace femininity as much as Cinderella. But are despised for their attitude and actions. Cruelty, vanity, greed and jealousy. They push Cinderella down so they can appear higher than her. The toxic nature of these characters shows that femininity is not idealized on its own. It must be combined with other positive traits. Bows and ruffles do not make one a worthy person. Ballgowns and heels alone do not earn a happy ending.

Perhaps their failings are in the unfeminine sins of being loud and ugly, but other versions of these stepsisters (including the French versions) are described as beautiful and poised. They are still the antagonists. Perhaps it’s their vanity, but we spy Cinderella enjoying her looks on multiple reflective surfaces throughout the movie (bubbles, a fountain, a pond and a mirror). Cinderella cries as loudly as the sister sing off key. Despite the Disney Marketing Team using the term “Ugly Stepsisters,” the story focuses on the sister’s actions (like ripping up the pink dress violently) as much as anything else. Their cruelty is better remembered than the shape of their noses. It’s their souls that are ugly. And no amount femininity will change that.

E. Masculinity is also Neutral

While masculinity is not very present in this movie, it does appear in side or undeveloped characters. The unhinged king who acts rashly, violently and loudly (negative). The nervous duke who needs a vacation and seems on edge (neutral - but less traditionally masculine ). The underdeveloped prince (positive) . The nefarious cat Lucifer (negative). And the helpful mice - particularly GusGus (positive, but ignorant) and Jacque (positive, but condescending) . Marrying a man might have given Cinderella her opportunity to flee an abusive household , but the stronger masculine moments of the film (like the king with his anger and the midnight chase) are not seen as particularly positive. With such a mixed bag of representation, you cannot say masculinity is treated in a more positive light than femininity.

In fact, even adherence to gender expectations is varied. The king is the character obsessed with babies. That typical feminine trait is his redeeming quality. The evil stepmother is commanding. Her presence on screen is filled with power. The Duke is physically weaker and emotionally intelligent. The Prince is obsessed with “love” but not women in general. None of the men are ambitious with the potential marriage. The most adhered to gender convention is clothing. Something that this particular fairytale says can easily be transformed to match your true identity with a wave of a wand.

3. Capitalism and Media

Every piece of media contains parts of the society that made it. Cinderella is no different. You can see the Dior New Look as an animated fashion masterpiece, the glitter of postwar consumerism and influence of post-war propaganda. In 1950, the dream was to throw off the toil and dirt of the war years and drive in your Chevrolet Bel Air into a future of modern conveniences and beauty.

Some people have complained that Cinderella is too capitalistic - with her new magic clothing celebrating consumerist culture and with wealth being a part of her happy ending. Well, Cinderella was made in America post-WWII during the Cold War. Pro-capitalist sentiment was the name of the game.

Plus, many older and more recent versions continue this capitalist view because we still live within capitalist societies. They are merely reflecting the values of society back at the audience. There are Cinderella tales where the wealth is refused (1997 animated Anastasia for example).

Additionally, even in the Disney version, Cinderella must return to rags before she can achieve happiness. While in these rags, we see her happily daydream about the night before and hum to herself contently while getting ready to meet the duke (who is trying the slipper on all women). This joy did not require her to change into a fancy gown. Or adorn jewelry. She is not embarrassed by her rags. Her mood only sours when the stepmother locks her in the attic. The loss of her escape makes her weep. It’s the lack of freedom, not finery, that breaks her. Even the last images of this film show Cinderella running happily in a fairly simple wedding dress down a flight of stairs with her prince and entering carriage that pulls away. The last image of Cinderella is not entering a castle, wearing golden gowns, covered in sparkling jewels, or any definitive measure of her new wealth. It’s her escaping. With the person who loves her. Running towards a life free of abuse and fear.

4. Everyone is a Princess

One Cinderella retelling said it better than I ever could. Per the Little Princess, “I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren’t pretty, or smart, or young. They’re still princesses. All of us.” Cinderella is not about a chosen one. A prophesied hero with special powers or abilities. It’s a story about a person being abused by those more powerful and overcoming that trauma. Anyone who was ever been made to feel like less than, can see hope in this timeless tale. I would expand this sentiment beyond girls to anyone who wants to be included because as Sarah reminds us being a princess is a state of mind. Anyone can do so if they are kind, remember they are worthy of love, and refuse to let others make them think their life has no value.

5. Bow down to the Princess that saved a Studio

Prior to the release of Cinderella, Walt Disney’s studio was facing imminent foreclosure. Disney owed the Bank of America millions of dollars.“Cinderella” proved to be the hit the Disney studio needed. Had it flopped, Walt Disney would likely have gone out of business; instead, it was a huge hit, and, in 1955, he opened Disneyland. Disney reportedly said the magical dress transformation sequence in Cinderella was his personal favorite piece of animation. Cinderella has remained visually recognizable and iconic over 70 years after her introduction. She is often used as the face of the “Disney Princess” marketed items. No doubt just the art of this movie changed the pop culture landscape forever. Without Cinderella, there is no Disney World, Little Mermaid, Mulan, Marvel Studios (as we know it), Owl House, Mary Poppins, Parent Trap, Beauty and the Beast, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lion King, Mighty Ducks, Remember the Titans, Holes, Inside Out, Encanto, Coco, Princess Diaries, Hocus Pocus, etc.

6. Personal Bias

I will own up to my own bias. Cindy and Buffy (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) were my two main fictional heroes. I love them. It should be noted also that I am blonde with lighter eyes so I strongly identified visually with Cinderella on screen. She is one of the reasons I so strongly support increased representation for the POC, LGBTQA+ community, disabled people, etc. I remember how much it meant to see someone who looked like myself on screen. I can’t imagine not wanting others to experience the same joy.

**Trigger Warning Domestic Abuse**

7. Classic Cinderella, a Domestic Abuse Survivor

A. Her Story is a Survival Story

A classic Cinderella character suffers from and escapes domestic abuse. Disney’s Cinderella is no different. She is a victim who overcomes her circumstances and becomes known as a role model, heroine, and royalty. The film narrator directly states, “… Cinderella was abused, humiliated, and finally forced to become a servant in her own house. And yet, through it all, Cinderella remained ever gentle and kind.” Her suffering does not limit her ability to find happiness and success. She wins. She escapes. The fact her success is in part due to her friends and support network is valuable. And at the end of the movie, Cinderella must run down the stairs herself to the get the Duke’s attention. She must take that last step to obtain freedom. That’s often the hardest step. And it was her choice and action.

There is nothing wrong asking for or receiving help. Cinderella’s worth is not diminished because she has friends. We should be encouraging domestic abuse victims to reach out and get help. It is an incredibly dangerous situation, and the victim’s life is most as risk at the moment of escape. Cindy relied on mice, a fairy godmother and royalty. If you are in that situation, pleas feel free to rely on a friend, family member, hotline, etc. Get yourself to a women’s shelter that can give you a roof, clothes and food. Cinderella received goods from her godmother. There is no shame in getting help.

Cinderella is not less valuable because she did not escape on her own. She just needed to escape. Happiness is only found outside of the abusive environment. This is the story of survival. Remaining gentle and kind despite the world. Not letting your trauma darken your heart. How can that not have value? Especially, when this is such a real world issue.

B. Blame Society and Abusers, not the Woman

In the context of a story which is loosely based on 1800’s France, we see no working women (other than Cindy as a servant). To leave without a reference (which the stepmother would never give) or a husband to provide, Cinderella would have ended up a prostitute. There were no domestic abuse shelters in the 1800’s. There were no ways to support or save herself within the world shown on screen without a “miracle”. If leaving a domestic abuse situation in our world is hard, dangerous and requires aid, Cindy required more. She required magic. Neither Cinderella nor any other domestic abuse victim should be blamed for the faults of their society.

We should also not fault Cinderella for being abused. I don’t understand how conveyers of pop-feminism can clearly explain the issues with victim-blaming in sexual situations, but then fail to grasp the exact same concept in popular narratives. Is it the animation as a method of storytelling? The fact the victims find happiness despite their trauma without always resorting to punishing the evildoers? The fact that these victims are hyperfeminine? As if looking a certain ways means you are asking to be hurt. How is this supposed to make real victims feel when they hear the cruel comments? When they identify with Cindy’s situation? Don’t blame the innocent party for failing to stop the actions of the abusers. Only the abuser is responsible.

C. Real World Issue and Inspiration

Much like Cinderella, we exist in a capitalist, patriarchal, and classist society. The USA struggles with domestic abuse and child abuse even today. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe forms of domestic abuse (Domestic Abuse Statistics by the NCADV). In 2021, a reported 452,313 perpetrators abused or neglected a child. In substantiated child abuse cases, 77% of children were victimized by a parent. In 2022, 21% of people alleged to have abused a child were themselves children. (Child abuse statistics by the National Children’s Alliance).

The issue was even was worse in the past, which might explain why certain older versions of Cinderella still resonate. For the majority of western history, domestic abuse was explicitly legal. Maryland was the first state to make hitting your wife illegal in 1882. In North Carolina in 1886, the beatings had to be severe enough to cause permanent injury or malicious beyond reason to be punishable. Wife beating only became illegal in all of the United States in 1920. There were not serious legal changes between then and 1950 when Disney’s Cinderella was released. Domestic matters were seen as something private to handle at home. In 1962 (12 years after Cinderella’s release), Domestic violence cases were transferred from Criminal Court to Family Court in New York, making it nearly impossible for perpetrators to be criminalized if he or she assaulted someone. Also in 1962, the first guidelines for recognizing child abuse and neglect are printed. Maine opened one of the first women’s shelters in 1967. In Chicago during the 1970s, women’s who left their husbands due to battering were denied welfare because of their husband’s salary. The Child Abuse and Prevention Act only passed in 1974. Terms like emotional and physiological abuse were not used or recognized until right before the 1980s. Stalking wasn’t identified as a crime until the 1990’s. The Violence Against Women Act was not passed until 1994.

Given that Cinderella is a story where the victim, not only escapes, but thrives, it has merit. Because that the majority of domestic abuse victims are women, Cinderella’s gender and femininity seem all the more valuable. I know of at least one survivor who used this film for comfort while growing up. I hope she has stayed safe.

Cinderella is not defined by her pain or abuse. She is defined by her perseverance and good heart. She is defined by her escape from the abusive home. She is defined by finding love, security and acceptance. She is a valuable character who deserves to be iconic. I hope every survivor can see a little of themselves in her gentle kindness.

#cinderella #disney #disney cinderella #domestic abuse #defending my childhood movies #she’s a hero #long post #pop feminism counter #femininity #femininity in Cinderella #feminism

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gothicswiftv · 2 years ago

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Emery’s 2022 SK8 Fanfiction Wrapped

(Really just Renga fanfics if I’m being honest)

These are some stories I’ve read since joining the fandom, so August 2022 - December 2022

Also, they’re all rated G or T but please be mindful of the tags (mostly for violence)

💠 FIVE FAVORITE FICS

A Moment to Be Real by MissLightBright

some kind of fairytale by arahir

Every Week and Counting by SKayLanphear

My house is a mess (so why don’t you clean it for me) by infinitelink

Yearning for the Freedom of Birds by LaurelNymph

minor spoilers ahead (in my Notes)

💠 FICS I KEEP COMING BACK TO

reki and langa are just friends (maybe) by zukushou

Ring ‘em Up | The One with the School Festival Trope and We’re Throwing These Rules Out The Window by LaurelNymph

Sunset | Cried Wolf | and Just a slime by Sleepwich

SNOW White and Going Once, Going Twice… by EnthusiasticCynicist

he was a skater boy, he said — no, you know what, no, we’re not calling it that by arahir

love signs, baby by discountscoobyart

I Don’t Dance (I Know You Can) by soupthatistoohot

The Dance by Undercoverqueer

The blue flowers up my throat. by zj3bson

💠 FICS THAT SURPRISED ME

The Tethering of Us by MissLightBright

Notes: I was wary going in, I really didn’t think I’d like a story that was a rewrite from canon without containing fantasy elements or something. I guess reading the description, I thought Reki and Langa wouldn’t spend enough time together (like I thought Langa would always be busy) but I was wrong and I was hooked 💗 🙌🏼 I binged this in a day and a half.

Skaters and Rulers by KurapikasScarletEyes

Notes: It was a short story that left me wanting MOAR 😭 the suspense of the sword fight/attack, and Reki and Langa’s interaction was so nice 💗💗💗 applause

Craving motion by livingonyoghurtandspite

Notes: Reki’s reaction was a unique take, fresh (even given the angst) and it left me wishing the best for Renga

Careful What You Wish For by Larisss

Notes: I thought this would be a silly goofy haha funny fic but what it did for Reki I just 💗🥹

💠 FICS THAT MADE ME CRY

If I Only Could (Make a Deal with God) by MissLightBright

Notes: THE 📃✍️ ✉️ MAN. THE 📃✍️✉️ GET ME EVRRY TIME. AND LANGA SUFFERING TOO I- *sobs*

Please Breathe by NevaraRaven

Notes: Langa was so scared T-T and just.. reading about Oliver’s death will never not make my heart hurt

more hearts than just mine. by brokencomatose

Notes: When Langa had to say goodbye ;_;

(…I’m just now realizing in these fics that made me cry, even ones I didn’t list, I would cry the moment Langa broke)

💠 FICS I WISH I READ THIS YEAR

bunny slopes by buzzcut__season

Notes: I wanted to read this before Christmas, but I read other shorter Christmas themed fics first. And then 2022 Renga Secret Santa stories started coming out and so I started reading those and yeahhh. I’ll still go back to bunny slopes asap

Another Cindereki Story by spottedinfinity (redhoodedwolf)

Notes: Same situation as bunny slopes! I read a bunch of shorter Cindereki fics before I could work my way to this one T^T I’m almost there Cindi!

💠 FAVE FIC FROM FAVE WRITER

A Moment to Be Real by MissLightBright

Notes: I’m not even super into fae stuff?? I think the sweetness + angst of their romance, and just the wonder-like/almost nostalgic feel I got throughout the story made my heart happy. Bro the second half of the fic so far *clutches heart* BRO I CANT BELIEVE THEY- [spoilers] 💘💞💗

💠 NEW FIC FROM (relatively) NEW WRITER

Strangers (to lovers) by Larisss

Notes: This one had me squealing “oooooo~ let’s goooo!!” Plus I love reading fics where Miya shows off how legitimately smart he is

💠 FICS THAT MADE ME LOL

Langa Has Fallen and Can’t Get Up by maddisunshine

Notes: omg this one part had me screaming. Langa: *injures leg* Reki: Ok man I’m gonna poke around, tell me where it hurts … how does this feel? Langa: it feels… Nice? (!!!) Reki: OK MAN

How Miya Played Matchmaker Without Actually Playing Matchmaker by wiseterria

Notes: THAT VINE REFERENCE CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND HIT ME LIKE A SKATEBOARD TO THE FACE. I WAS CACKLING AT 2 IN THE MORNING EL OH ELLLLLL

your eyes, they never lie by kittenyoongs

Notes: Langa and Reki’s banter omggg enough said

Brain-to-Mouth Filter by theseathemoonandthestars

Notes: “Langa Kyan” 😌 Reki I know you’re freaking out rn but your friend is a riot

just thought you should know by egoisticluv

Notes: JUST,,, THE THOUGHT OF EVERYONE LIKE hey what the heck is up with Langa??? ???I don’t know???? haha

💠 FICS WHERE I CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW THEY END

At the End of This Thread by MissLightBright

Notes: When people put spins on the ‘red string of fate’ trope I get all 👀

A Magical Misunderstanding by banditoheart (eldritchpossum)

Notes: PLEASE UPDATE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LANGA WAS SO SCARY AND COOL IN THE LAST CHAPTER 👁️👁️

Please, I’m Begging You, Check Yes by Sleepy_witch

Notes: High School In The 90s Au?? Mutual pining?? Please… I’m begging you… write more of this (lol see what I did there)

p.s. No pressure to update btw! Just letting you know I REALLY enjoyed what you wrote!

💠 FAVE SCENES

Language Barriers by athellos

Notes: REKI YOURE SO ROMANTIC DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA

I used to hear a simple song That was until you came along - Cindereki by Marvel4Lifebitch

Notes: There was one part where my swiftie heart went HAYWIRE. Also, the fic heavily follows both Disney Cinderella movies, so near the end when it went off on its own thing I was afraid of what would happen and good God poor Reki ;~; and Prince Langa seeing him like that ;;;~;;;

Frostbite by soupthatistoohot

Notes: Chapter 2, Langa and Reki alone in the coffee shop, maaan 💞 that whole scene 💞💞

Don’t let your thoughts win by ScarletRigmor

Notes: THE WAY LANGA WAS SO SCARED WHEN REKI-

#sk8 the infinity #sk8 fanfic #sk8 fanfiction #renga #renga fanfiction #renga fanfics #reki x langa #links #archive of our own #ao3 link #read on ao3 #long post #rambles

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alciefromwonderland · 8 months ago

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Hey, so uh!

I wrote a little one act play sort of thing. I'll have it under the cut if anyone wants to read!

Amelia - a woman in her mid 20's

Danny - a man in his mid-late 20's

[The scene opens on Amelia standing before a gravestone, a small bundle of flowers on top. The stage is almost completely bare otherwise. It is a cold winter's day in a cemetery. Amelia stares down at the grave, a look of sadness and contemplation on her face. She is wearing a sleeveless dress and rubs her arms absentmindedly.]

[Danny enters. He is dressed in a black suit and white button up shirt. Neither of them is dressed for the weather, but Danny seems far less bothered by it. He approaches Amelia who glances at him before turning back to the grave.]

Danny: Did you know him?

[Pause.]

Amelia, shaking her head: ...I don't think so.

Danny: (laughs) Don't think so? You're not sure?

[Pause. Amelia shifts uncomfortably.]

Amelia: ...I don't think I knew him.

[Beat. They both look quietly at the grave.]

Amelia: Did you?

Danny: Mm... [Pause. He contemplates his answer for a moment.] Not really. Heard about him, though.

Amelia: Yeah?

Danny: Yeah. Nothing too special or impressive or big, exciting news or anything. I mean, you can find it in the papers, but it's just because you know...they gotta report on all the deaths and everything.

Amelia: Nothing special? He was...what? Didn't even make it to 30. How does someone die that young and it's just discounted as "nothing special"?

Danny: Well, no, I just mean like...he wasn't involved in anything crazy. Just...one of those stupid kids who tried to go swimming before they should've.

[Pause. Amelia nods slowly. It's getting cold. She bunches her shoulders for a moment. Danny looks her over, realizing that she doesn't have a jacket.]

Danny: Here... [Reaches for the buttons on his suit jacket, hesitates, and drops his hands back to his sides.] Uh...listen. You should probably get back home soon. It's way too cold out here for something like that. [He gestures to her dress.] I mean...look, if you're here to see someone in particular, I can maybe help you find them.

Amelia: No, I'm... [Pause. She shakes her head.] I don't know why I'm here.

[Danny looks at her for a moment, a mix of concern and pity on his face.]

Danny: Okay...well...people don't usually come here without reason. I mean...you know, they come to see someone. They come to just enjoy the quiet. They come to learn or pay respects or to mourn. I mean...did something happen or...?

[Amelia shifts uncomfortably. She doesn't look up at him. He's a stranger and she's not sure what she should tell him, if anything. But he seems willing to listen and that's enough for her to start.]

Amelia: ...everyone I know is gone.

Danny, shocked: G...gone? Like...?

Amelia: No! No, they're not dead. They're just... [Pause.] I don't know who they are anymore.

[During this speech, Amelia slowly turns to Danny without realizing, only coming to her attention when she's looking into his eyes.]

Amelia: I don't...talk to them as often anymore. You know, we...we get busy. We all do. And that's fine. But it's...I mean, whenever I do try to catch up with them, it's like...like they're slowly fading away. Emmy...Emily...wants to be called her actual name now because nicknames are silly and childish. Chris has changed majors five times now and I just...I can't keep up. I thought Sarah and Cindy were engaged - but now she's seeing Gary? I - I haven't even spoken to Gary since we were kids, so I can't even imagine what he is doing, what he likes, who he is - but the...the people they used to be...the people I am friends with, they just...they don't exist anymore. I'm just friends with a bunch of ghosts.

[She realizes she's been staring at him, rambling. She looks down at the ground, pulling her arms in closer.]

Amelia: I'm sorry. [She shakes her head, muttering] So dramatic...

Danny: Hey... don't say that. It's not dramatic.

Amelia: But it is. I mean...I don't know why I'm so upset. They're still around. They're not *dead*, they're just... different.

Danny: Really different, sounds like.

Amelia, nodding slightly and gesturing to the grave: ...feel like I know Daniel here as much as I know...whoever Emily is.

Danny: Well...I dunno about that.

Amelia, shaking her head: (Speaking quickly and shakily) Well, I do. I thought it was just little things at first, but I... there's nothing left. We don't work in the same place. We're not part of the same clubs. Most of us don't live anywhere near each other anymore. I try to invite them over for things that it turns out they don't even enjoy anymore. I...I don't...know them anymore. I don't know if I ever did. I... they're gone. The people I loved are all gone.

[Danny nods. He has things he wants to say, but he doesn't want to burden her more. She's shivering.]

Danny: Tell you what...I'll be here tomorrow. We can talk more...when you come back with a coat and maybe some mittens, okay? I don't want you to freeze out here.

Amelia: ...maybe I do.

[Pause.]

Danny: Sorry, maybe...?

Amelia: Maybe I do. Want to freeze. I live with ghosts anyway. Maybe...maybe I should just join them. [laughs bitterly] I still...still try to bond with them sometimes. Even when they aren't there? I just...pretend they are. I watch our old favorite shows and play the games and keep up with our old bookclub series and I tell myself that I'm not alone, but...

[Danny pauses. He starts to reach out for her. She turns to look at him. She looks desperate and terrified. He drops his hand.]

Danny: My brother died when we were kids. Stayed out in the cold too long. Mom didn't know he was out there. Everyone kinda figured...you know...neglectful mom, couldn't be bothered to take care of her kid... (shrugs) She wouldn't be bothered. But she was.

[He gestures into the distance.]

Danny: The one with the flowers and the little toy car is his. She comes down and replaces the flowers every couple weeks and brings a new car when the one there already gets broken or rusted or lost. She keeps up with birthdays and Christmas and...hell, she went to all the soccer games he would've been in. Cheered for his team and...hung the victory pictures on the fridge as if he were in 'em.

[Pause.]

Danny: I think more people live with ghosts than we realize sometimes.

Amelia: It's different when they're still alive. I can't come here to mourn or...bring gifts.

Danny: No, but...

[He hesitates. He's not sure if he's about to say the right thing.]

Danny: What if you come here to make new friends?

Amelia, laughing: In a graveyard?

Danny, shrugging: You met me here, didn't you?

[Amelia smiles.]

Amelia: ...you said you'll be here tomorrow?

Danny: I will.

[Amelia looks up from the grave to Danny. After a moment, she looks over to the side where Danny had pointed out his brother's grave.]

Amelia, turning back to Danny: Same time?

Danny, smiling: With a jacket next time.

Amelia, smiling: And mittens. I'm Amelia.

Danny: Danny.

[Amelia smiles and briefly looks down at the grave with a curious look. She turns back to Danny.]

Amelia: Well...I'll see you tomorrow, Danny.

Danny: See you tomorrow.

[Exit Amelia.]

[Danny looks at the grave and approaches it. He rests his hand on the slide, sliding it up towards the flowers. His hand stops just before he touches them. He sighs.]

[Lights down. End scene.]

#tw death #tw child death #tw suicide #nature #naturecore #whump #emotional whump #love #loved #tale #mental health #dark academia vibes #staying strong #short story #keep calm #keepgoing #life meaning #meaning

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kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate · 5 months ago

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I decided to include some songs I like in each key for funsies.

c major (gay and warlike): Time After Time by Cindi Laupner, Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran, New Slang by The Shins, Heaven by Bryan Adams, It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion, Strawberry Blonde by Mitski

c minor (obscure and sad): Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush; Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode; Don't Speak by No Doubt; The Logical Song by Supertramp

d major (joyous and very warlike): Harvest Moon by Neil Young, Loser by Beck, The Middle by Jimmy Eat World, Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney

d minor (serious and pious): Careless Whisper by George Michael, Dilemma by Kelly Rowland (ironic these first two songs are about cheating; of course, maybe that's the point of them being in this key), I Hear a Symphony by The Supremes

eb major (cruel and hard): Welcome to Paradise by Green Day, I'm A Fool To Want You by Frank Sinatra, Blurry by Puddle of Mud (I guess I'm not really into this key bc it took me ages to find this much and I'm pretty meh on these)

e major (quarrelsome and boisterous): We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister, The Impression That I Get by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Weird Science by Oingo Boingo

e minor (effeminate, amorous, plaintive): Killing Me Softly by The Fugees, Bring Me To Life by Evanescence, Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

f major (furious and quick-tempered subjects): Self Esteem by The Offspring, Torn by Natalie Imbruglia, Chelsea Hotel #2 by Leonard Cohen, Something Like That by Tim McGraw, Vienna by Ultravox

f minor (obscure and plaintive): All The Things She Said by t.A.T.u, Genie In a Bottle by Christina Aguilera, Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega, Brand New City by Mitski

g major (serious and magnificent): Two Princes by Spin Doctors, I Will Survive by CAKE, Unpretty by TLC, When You Say Nothing At All by Ronan Keating, All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, Picture Perfect by The Regrettes

g minor (serious and magnificent): Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, Roxanne by The Police, Tainted Love by Soft Cell, Thank You by Dido

a major (joyful and pastoral): Night Shift by Lucy Dacus, Take On Me by a-ha, Lovefool by The Cardigans, I'm With You by Avril Lavigne, Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, Bitch by Merideth Brooks

a minor (tender and plaintive): Losing My Religion by REM, Lovesong by The Cure, Dream A Little Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald, Historia De Un Amor by Luis Miguel

b major (harsh and plaintive): Wannabe by Spice Girls, Ironic by Alanis Morissette, Close To Me by The Cure, Talk Dirty to Me by Poison, Inside Out by Eve6, Drive by The Cars

b minor (solitary and melancholic): Maneater by Hall and Oats, I'm a Believer by Smash Mouth, (I Just) Died In Your Arms by Cutting Crew, White Wedding by Billy Idol

bb major (magnificent and joyful): Dancing In the Moonlight by King Harvest, I Get Along Without You Very Well by Chet Baker, There She Goes by Sixpence None the Richer, She's The One by Robbie Williams, Walking On Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves, In Circles by Sunny Day Day Real Estate

bb minor (obscure and terrible): I'm Still Standing by Elton John, Kiss From A Rose by Seal, Jump (for My Love) by The Pointer Sisters, Here Without You by 3 Doors Down

tag yourself

#I may as well specify these songs are from getsongkey.com and that they're more mainstream as a result #so they more accurately represent the tastes I had in high school #but I still like them #I just listen to more obscure music now #like a fucking hipster

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ulkaralakbarova · 4 months ago

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The eccentric new manager of a UHF television channel tries to save the station from financial ruin with an odd array of programming. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: George Newman: ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic R.J. Fletcher: Kevin McCarthy Stanley Spadowski: Michael Richards Bob: David Bowe Harvey Bilchik: Stanley Brock Philo: Anthony Geary Raul Hernandez: Trinidad Silva Kuni: Gedde Watanabe Noodles MacIntosh: Billy Barty Richard Fletcher: John Paragon Pamela Finklestein: Fran Drescher Esther Bilchik: Sue Ane Langdon Head Thug: David Proval Killer Thug: Grant James Teri: Victoria Jackson Joe Earley: Emo Philips Gandhi: Jay Levey Cameraman: Lou B. Washington Bum: Vance Colvig FCC Man: Nik Hagler Bartender: Robert K. Weiss Spatula Husband: Eldon G. Hallum Spatula Wife: Sherry Engstrom Spatula Neighbor: Sara Allen Sy Greenblum: Bob Hungerford Crazy Ernie: John Cadenhead Blind Man: Francis M. Carlson Earl Ramsey: Ivan Green Joel Miller: Adam Maras Billy: Travis Knight Little Weasel: Joseph Witt Teri’s Father: Tony Frank Teri’s Mother: Billie Lee Thrash Fletcher Cronie #1: Barry Friedman Fletcher Cronie #2: Kevin Roden Phyllis Weaver: Lisa R. Stefanic Big Edna: Nancy Johnson Betty: Debbie Mathieu Little Old Lady: Wilma Jeanne Cummins Animal Deliveyman: Cliff Stephens Band: Guitar: Jim West Band: Bass Guitar: Steve Jay Band: Drums: Jon Schwartz Band: Keyboards: Kim Bullard Whipped Cream Eater: Barry Hansen Thug #3: Bob Maras Thug #4: George Fisher Guide #1: Tony Salome Guide #2: Joe Restivo Yodeler: Charles Marsh Mud Wrestler: Belinda Bauer Satan: Patrick Thomas O’Brien Conan the Librarian: Roger Callard Timid Man: Robert Frank Boy with Books: Jeff Maynard Promo Announcer (voice): M.G. Kelly Promo Announcer (voice): Jay Gardner Promo Announcer (voice): John Harlan Promo Announcer (voice): Jim Rose Film Crew: Production Manager: Gray Frederickson Original Music Composer: John Du Prez Editor: Dennis M. O’Connor Producer: Gene Kirkwood Producer: John W. Hyde Writer: Jay Levey Director of Photography: David Lewis Production Design: Ward Preston Set Decoration: Robert L. Zilliox Costume Design: Tom McKinley Makeup Effects: Allan A. Apone Special Effects Makeup Artist: Douglas J. White Sound Recordist: Ara Ashjian Sound Editor: Christopher Assells Sound Editor: Charles R. Beith Jr. Sound Recordist: Gregory Cheever Sound Editor: Clayton Collins Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Andy D’Addario Sound Editor: Dino DiMuro Sound Editor: G. Michael Graham Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Jeffrey J. Haboush Sound Mixer: Bo Harwood Sound Editor: Dan Hegeman Sound Editor: A. David Marshall Sound Editor: Diane Marshall Supervising Sound Editor: Dave McMoyler Sound Recordist: Art Schiro Sound Editor: Scott A. Tinsley Visual Effects Producer: John Coats Visual Effects Supervisor: William Mesa Visual Effects Art Director: Richard Kilroy Visual Effects Art Director: Ron Yates Post Production Supervisor: Susan Zwerman Production Supervisor: Bill Carroll Stunt Coordinator: George Fisher Stunts: Bob Maras Stunts: Brent Stice Stunts: T. Alan Kelly Stunts: J. Granville Moulder Stunts: Michael Steven Howl Stunts: Richard Drown Executive In Charge Of Production: Kate Morris Associate Producer: Becki Cross Trujillo Associate Producer: Joe M. Aguilar First Assistant Director: John R. Woodward Second Assistant Director: Benita Allen Casting Assistant: Gregory Raich Casting Assistant: Sandi Black Local Casting: Barbara Brinkley Henry Local Casting: Laurey Lummus Key Hair Stylist: Lynne K. Eagan Makeup & Hair: Roseanne McIlvane Wardrobe Supervisor: Ainslee Colt de Wolf Wardrobe Assistant: Phil O’Nan Boom Operator: Joel Racheff First Assistant Camera: Ed Giovanni Second Assistant Camera: Tiffanie Winton Second Assistant Camera: Brett Reynolds Second Assistant Camera: Cindi Pusheck Production Coordinator: Bonnie Macker Script Supervisor: Carol Stewart Second Second Assistant Director: Lorene M. Duran Third Assistant Director: Pam Whorton Additional Editing: Steve Polivka Assistant Editor: Lewis Schoenbrun Supervising ADR Editor: Karla Caldwell Music Supervisor:...

#game show #loser #music spoof #music video #satire #Top Rated Movies

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hanahaki-arcade · 8 months ago

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Familial f/os!

Parents/grandparents:

Medic

Heavy

Saxton Hale

Ga-men Coolatta (HLVRAI)

G' (HL)

The Seventh Doctor

Lesley (DHMIS)

The Six Guardians (The White Guardian, the Black Guardian, The Celestial Toymaker, The Dream Lord, The Papal Mainframe and Rassilon)

Itward

Eli Vance (technically my father in law but :3)

Azian Vance (Also technically my mother in law)

Dr. Issac Kleiner (same as the above two)

DJ Octavio (Dad)

Siblings:

Tommy Coolatta

Benrey

Yellow Guy

Olivia Mann

Cindy the SKULL

Uncles:

Barney Calhoun

Russel

Kids:

Chell

Wheatley

Rick

Fact Core

Space Core

Cuno

Cunoesse

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thoughsofthemastermind · 11 months ago

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My soul left me after the Patar Beach

A "Paradise" is a fantastical location. Usually, it's an optimistic and entertaining environment. You may, therefore, describe a beach as a paradise to draw attention to the notion that the beach is your personal interpretation of a fantastical setting where you can enjoy yourself and feel delighted. Beach. It consists of five letters and can elicit a variety of feelings and provide therapeutic warmth when you are in the presence of the shore's wind and sand. When it comes to a person's vivid and effortless view of the beach, beaches are really simple, nonetheless, if someone is looking at them with complete appreciation and understanding, they may develop an in-depth meaning and view of the beach. Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, we are always able to determine when we are near the beach, or we are already at the beach when we smell the salty sea air, hear the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand, and rocks, and the sensation of the combination of heat and cold air.

The Patar beach at Bolinao, Pangasinan, is a personal representation of my paradise. This beach is among the most exquisite in the Philippines and is well-known for its abundance of immaculate beaches. It features this gorgeous beach with pristine white sand, crystal-clear waves, and mind-blowing views that will leave any visitor astonished. Since it is a public beach, it receives very little maintenance; yet, it is our duty as visitors to contribute to the beach's sustainability. Further, south down the coast are numerous more sections of white sand beach with little bays and formations of coral rock. Many of the lovely white-sand beaches on Pangasinan's western coast are just waiting to be discovered and may be easily viewed from online satellite maps. This coastline includes lengths of lovely beaches in the towns of Agno, Bani, Burgos, and Dasol.

While Patar Beach is a great place to swim, snorkeling only reveals a little in the way of underwater life. This is apparently due to the lack of coral in the area, though snorkeling may get better the further south you travel. In Bolinao, there are numerous attractions to see. On our second visit, as we drove along Patar Road on our approach to the beach, we saw signage pointing to three caves—Wonderful Cave, Cindy's Cave, and Enchanted Cave—which are actually underground pools. There are also several places where you can stay like G beach resort Bolina. Naturally, as soon as we were fully aware of the Patar beach, we had to begin discovering the best routes there. The Manila to Bolinao route is served by a number of buses, including the Philippine Rabbit, Dagupan Bus, City Trans, Five Star, and Victory Liner. It takes about five to six hours to get there, allowing you to pass the time by doing anything you like. Just rent a bike in Bolinao town center to go to Patar Beach. Another option is if you choose to travel by car, as we did, head towards Tarlac City via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). Take the Camiling road at Tarlac City and continue driving all the way to Alaminos, Pangasinan, and then to Bolinao. Before you enter the town proper, take the road on the left that is across from the Bolinao Central School if you want to go directly to Patar Beach (this road is named Saturnino Camangian on Google Maps).

As someone who loves the smells and feel of the oceans along the sands, I consider beaches as my home. You could consider the beach to be your home if that's where you feel the happiest and most at ease. Although it's not really a house, it feels like home, like the place where you belong. While Patar Beach may resemble other beaches, I believe they are all unique. The reason for this is that they have a variety of incredible recollections of the people who have visited them. My recollections are stored in the ocean's depths at Patar Beach.

Like our lives, the waves at the beaches are wildly unpredictable. It is extremely unpredictable, with the potential to be both peaceful and helpful to us, as well as destructive.

#beach #Spotify

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cindycross-39 · 7 months ago

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Me Cindy Cross crossdressing - my white lace g-string.

#g string #crossdressing

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luxstylestylesl · 2 years ago

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greenganjasupplies · 2 years ago

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Cindy La Pew cannabis

Buy Cindy La Pew cannabis strain . It is a rare evenly balanced hybrid strain (50% indica/50% sativa). Also, it is a cross of the classic Cindy 99 X G-13 Skunk strains. More so, this bud has tight and rounded olive-green nugs with vivid orange hairs and a frosty thick blanketed coating of milky bright white crystal trichomes. One smell of this heavy lady and you’ll be gagging all the way to the…

View On WordPress

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whypolar · 6 years ago

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Character design thoughts

I might redesign Cindy, since it’ll be so long before she shows up in any official comic material anyway. Undecided.

That kind of extremely put together and fashionable character embodies how I perceived the people in Toronto and the art school I attended but looking back on it now... most of the people didn’t actually look like that, even if there were more of them than where I grew up. You can’t really look like that without significant effort

Given that a good half my cast is already pathologically obsessed with appearances it might be nice to just let the character with normative mental health look .... normal, instead of like a model

I’ll probably keep the affinity for loud colours tho.

#remibloggue #comic development tag #cindy g white

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secretlystephaniebrown · 2 years ago

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I've mostly been reading DC and was interested in reading more Marvel stuff. Do you have any recs? I've only encountered Marvel stuff through the MCU or X-Men Evolution.

I'm less into Marvel than DC (in terms of current-runs at least) but here are some Marvel runs that I've loved over the years!

Ultimate Spider-Man (2001) by Brian Michael Bendis

Alias (2002) by Brian Michael Bendis

Captain America: Truth - Red, White & Black (2003) by Robert Morales

Runaways (2003) by Brian K. Vaughan

Captain America (2004) by Ed Brubaker

She-Hulk (2004) by Dan Slott

Black Panther (2005) by Reginald Hudlin

Young Avengers (2005) by Allan Heinberg

The Incredible Hercules (2008) by Greg Pak

Daredevil (2012) by Mark Waid

Deadpool (2012) by Brian Posehn

Hawkeye (2012) by Matt Fraction

Black Widow (2014) by Nathan Edmondson

Ms. Marvel (2014) by G. Willow Wilson

Silk (2015) by Robbie Thompson

All-New Wolverine (2016) by Tom Taylor

Black Panther (2016) by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Immortal Iron Fists (2017) by Kaare Andrews

Black Widow (2020) by Kelly Thompson

Silk (2021) by Maurene Goo

Silk (2022) by Emily Kim (listen I just love Cindy Moon)

Okay I need to run to work, but I hope this is a good starting point for you! <3

#Steph Replies #Steph Reads Comics #comic recs #Marvel #anon #anonymous #asks

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btsmosphere · 3 years ago

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Lost in a Book | JHS

~summary: you and Jung Hoseok don’t exactly see eye to eye. but when you (literally) fall headfirst into a whole other world, that becomes the least of your worries ~pairing: hoseok x reader ~word count: 8.5k ~enemies to lovers, college au, fantasy au ~rating: g ~warnings: naughty freudian slip, sexual tension, arguing, fire

~a/n: this is my gift for the wonderful @moccahobi‘s birthday! I am so lucky to be friends with someone as funny, hard working and gorgeous as you and I hope you have a great day!! and no, of course I didn’t choose the biggest bingo square only to forget and write this in a week.. (okay, I did, so pls go easy on any errors!) as always the lovely admins at @thebtswritersclub came up with a fun challenge to prompt this story, so I will be including my makeup palette bingo square at the end so you can see what prompts I used for this! enjoy x

The moment you had seen Jung Hoseok coming through the door, your eyes rolled.

Almost entirely made of large windows, the front of the coffee shop you worked in allowed you to see all the passers-by. So when you spotted your classmate coming down the street, laughing loudly with a couple of friends, you had prayed that he would just pass by.

Of course, you could never get what you wished for.

“Yoongi-“ you tried in vain to capture your friend’s attention, but too late. Yoongi hadn’t even looked around from where he was scrubbing coffee cups when a familiar voice reached your ears, making you groan internally.

“Y/N! Hard day at work? You look frazzled.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” you drawled, resigning yourself to serving him.

He simply leaned on the counter, sagging with laughter.

“Always service with a smile with you, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure you’d be just as tired if you even tried to focus in class,” you fired back.

His grin didn’t even falter. But at last, he dropped his teasing. With a scoff he ordered a tea and turned around, scrolling on his phone with his back to you as you got to work.

It seemed you had grabbed Yoongi’s attention after all, judging by the poorly-hidden snort from the washing up area.

Scowling, you chucked together a cup of tea distractedly, only too relieved when you pushed it over the counter to be rid of Hoseok. So when he sipped it only to wince in disgust, your heart sank.

“Jesus, where’s the caffeine? This is so weak.”

Your desire to argue back lost its short-lived wrestle with your customer service training, and you were reluctantly offering to make a new one. This time, you forced yourself to pay more attention. You knew that way, you could actually get rid of the nuisance on the other side of the counter.

“You see Y/N, the bag goes in the water,” Hoseok remarked, leaning over to see what you were doing.

Shooting the most passionate glare you could muster had the undesirable effect of sending him into peals of laughter.

Eventually, after making a point to leave the teabag in for much longer – at least until you noticed his fingers begin to tap on the countertop – you passed over his second cup with a sarcastic smile. His mood didn’t seem to have dampened that much, but he left without a fuss.

“You have great chemistry.”

The dry remark from behind you had you whirling around to glare at Yoongi instead. He stood in front of his stack of clean washing, observing you with a smirk.

“I don’t think Jung Hoseok knows what chemistry is,” you grumbled.

But as you set to work, a little aggressively, on scrubbing the counter, you never would have guessed how right you were. Or that it would soon become your responsibility.

“So when we sleep, what part of the brain transfers memory from white to grey matter?”

“…what’s grey matter again?”

“I think you could do with some more of it,” you muttered in lieu of an answer.

Hoseok lifted his head from his arms just enough to fix you with reproachful puppy eyes. Sighing, you tugged the textbook back across the table towards you, flipping a few pages back and jabbing your finger at the relevant passage.

Raising an eyebrow, he read it for the second time today with a growing frown.

“Long term…” he said at length.

“Long term memory!” you groaned, dropping your forehead against the heel of your hands.

Behind you, you knew Jungkook and Yoongi were watching this unfold with amusement. You weren’t sure you could take much more of this.

If you had envisaged this when you had signed up for your college’s mentor program, well, you may have changed your mind.

At last, the hour dragged by. Apparently Hoseok wanted to be there as little as you, collecting the books and leaving very quickly once you were done. Though your shift was over, you were sure you might explode if you didn’t get to rant about the guy right now.

Huffing, you marched over to the counter.

“He’s such a jerk!” you threw your hands out, “his ego’s so big, it’s like he thinks he’s too good to even try! And now it’s up to me to make sure he isn’t so behind, but there is so much to do!”

Your coworkers weren’t helping. Both had given up suppressing their laughter, openly enjoying your pain.

“You guys are no help,” you grumbled, folding your arms.

“Just be patient,” Jungkook offered, “it might get better in time.”

“Patience is not something Jung Hoseok inspires,” you retorted, “and I’m being good enough as it is! I even had the generosity to lend him my textbook!”

“You’re a saint,” Yoongi chuckled.

A withering glare later, you slung your bag over your shoulder and bid your friends a tired goodbye.

Much as you hated to admit it, there may have been some truth in what Jungkook told you. Patience did seem to be the key after all. A lot of patience.

A few more meetings had passed, and Hoseok remembered a lot more now. You weren’t sure whether it was due to the quality of your teaching or just a desire to avoid your constant scolding, but it didn’t matter too much. The result was what counted.

You were to meet again today. As always, he came as your shift finished so that you could work in the café.

“You like him really.”

Jungkook’s voice tore your eyes away from the clock you had been watching.

“I’m sorry?”

“You like him,” he repeated, “I’ve never seen you so impatient to get off work.”

“What? I’m not,” you scoffed, “it’s just-“

The little jingling bell above the door interrupted you. Never finishing your thought, you left Jungkook to meet Hoseok at the counter.

“Tea?” you asked him.

“Not if you’re making it,” he quipped, eyes already skimming the menu on the wall behind you.

You scoffed with a roll of your eyes, but said no more. Hoseok’s teasing eyes returned to you as he said,

“Think you can manage a hot chocolate?”

“Of course I can make hot cock-“ your eyes widened at your momentary slip “-chocolate. I can make hot chocolate-“

But for all your correcting and muttering, there was no hiding your embarrassing moment from Hoseok, whose eyes lit up with surprise before laughter spilled out of him in reams.

“I didn’t mean to make you so flustered, Y/N!” he cackled.

Biting your tongue, you hid your burning face from him as he half-collapsed against the counter with the force of his laughter. You angrily set to work on the drink, milk sloshing in the jug as you thrust it under the machine.

“With whipped scream on top too, huh?”

Hoseok’s incessant mocking didn’t stop until you had handed him the drink. If anything could prove to Jungkook just how wrong he was, this should do it. Still, you didn’t dare to turn around and see what your friend made of the situation.

Mixing the powder into the hot milk forcefully, you glared down at the cup.

Damn Jung Hoseok! He couldn’t be any more infuriating if he tried. It wasn’t your fault he was so annoying it made it hard for you to think straight. No one else managed to rile you up so much as him.

You gave him the drink with a side of deathly glare. It only served to amuse him more.

Safe to say you were dreading the next hour.

Clocking off soon after, you hung up your apron regretfully and headed across to your usual table. Thankfully Hoseok was a bit more subdued now.

Unfortunately, you were about to find out why.

“So, Y/N,” he started as you were sitting down.

This brought your attention to him straight away. Your eyes narrowed as he toyed with his mug on the table, avoiding your eyes.

“So, uh, that textbook you lent me-“

You had a bad feeling already. Looking around, you didn’t notice it on the usual pile of books.

“Where is it?” you cut him off.

At last he raised his head to meet your eyes, and you didn’t like what you saw.

“It’s not like we need it that badly anyway,” he began, though you weren’t sure you had ever heard him sound so hesitant, “we finished most of the stuff in there anyway…”

“You lost it, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah. And I think I also spilled some-“

Not waiting for him to finish, you exclaimed your frustration.

“I can’t believe you! Just because you don’t see a use for ever picking up a book, I need that! I don’t have that kind of money spare either…”

As you raked a hand through your hair, Hoseok decided now was the time to be helpful.

“Gosh, I was afraid you would do this. We have a library for a reason, you know?”

Stopping your train of thought abruptly, you lowered your hand to glower at him.

“And now you’re going to make me go in the library? Ugh, you really have it out for me.”

Incredulous laughter followed. Hoseok leaned back in his chair, observing you with raised eyebrows.

“You’re telling me you believe in those stupid rumours?”

Shifting uncomfortably, you shrugged.

“Well, you’ve got to admit the place is creepy, right? And my flatmate said she knew that girl Cindy-“

As you spoke, Hoseok’s laughing grew louder, steadily filling the café until you were forced to stop.

“What?” you hissed.

“We’ve all heard about “Cindy”,” he made quotation marks in the air, “but that’s just a story! The older students made it up to scare newbies – and it would seem it worked. But everyone knows the scariest thing in the library is just the course reading.”

Biting your tongue, you didn’t muster up a response. You would only face more ridicule if you argued about this.

“Don’t forget the librarian,” you joked half-heartedly.

Hoseok chuckled lightly, and you were glad he dropped the topic after that.

But still the issue of your sorely misused textbook remained.

There was nothing to be done. You had to go to the library.

It may seem a ridiculous thing to be scared of, especially for someone who loved books, but, as Hoseok had kindly refreshed your memory of, there were… stories. The campus library at your college warranted a degree of wariness.

Most commonly told was the story of Cindy, supposedly a student at the university many years before. No matter how dramatic the story was made, the essentials were the same; she had gone into the library and never come out.

Logically, you knew that this was just one of those quirky urban legends that came to surround certain places.

Nonetheless, your nerves only worsened as you entered the grand building.

On your way in, you only passed one other student. Most people were leaving uni at around this time, but you needed to hang around anyway because your shift was soon. You had sent a quick text to Yoongi to let him know you would be there once you found the book, and somehow it comforted you a little that someone else knew you were here.

Moving through the first few rows of tall bookshelves, you had to pass by the main desk on your way to the section you were looking for.

Doing your utmost to tread with care, sandals making as little noise as you could manage on the wooden floor, you walked on.

As you drew near, the librarian looked up. Greeting them with a bright smile, you didn’t let it show that your heart was really thumping in your chest.

Hurrying along, you only slowed once you had entered the right section. Near the back of the library, it was dimmer as no light from the window reached all the way into the corner. Utter silence dampened the air. Not even the rustling of the librarian sorting papers could be heard from here.

Alone with the hushed sound of your own breath, your eyes flicked along the rows, searching for the right name.

Spotting it at last, you wasted no time in reaching for it. But as you tried to slide it from its spot, you were met with resistance. Perhaps it was very tightly packed in its place.

You tried again with both hands. It was still wedged in, but you felt it give a little so kept pulling. You managed to tug it out a little way, but this time, the book tugged back. Holding onto it as tightly as you were, you stumbled forwards, nearly slipping out of one of your sandals.

Gulping, your brow creased. More determined this time, you tried once more, but it seemed the book only retreated further among its companions on the shelf.

Breathing heavily, you stepped back. Books were not meant to do this. You swore it had moved by itself.

Maybe Hoseok would call you crazy if this was your reason for not getting the textbook. But, you thought, staring back down the empty row of shelves, a science textbook was less important than not getting involved with the strange happenings of the library.

Already you were questioning your sanity. Books didn’t move.

Looking back at it once more, it appeared perfectly unassuming. There was nothing unusual about the book. Maybe your mind was playing tricks, driven from the fear you felt about this place.

Breathing deeply, you reached your hand out for one last try. Picking up a book couldn’t be that hard. As long as you didn’t fear it-

Your fingers came into contact with the spine, and not a moment later, the book shrunk right back. But though it shot out of sight between its neighbours, your hand was stuck to it. Your intent to snatch it straight back at any sign of movement failed, and you were yanked forwards.

Flying clean off your foot now, your sandal clattered to the floor among the silent shelves behind you.

Your stomach jerked at the sudden movement. Now, as you plunged towards the shelves, you screwed your eyes shut, anticipating the imminent collision.

None came.

Instead, your insides seemed to be suspended. You had not crashed, but still your feet didn’t meet the floor; though your eyes were closed you were certain you were falling.

Rapidly upping its pace, your heart tried to punch through your ribs the longer you were in this state, fearing your landing. Panicked, you took great gulps of air, limbs flailing fruitlessly.

You landed.

It felt like you had been falling for a long time – too long – yet the force you hit the ground with was not painful. For a second, it expelled air from your lungs, but by the time you had rolled and tumbled enough to land on your back, you were sucking in a shaky breath.

Blinking, you turned to look around you. Your arms struggled to push you from the ground, but you heaved to sit up anyway.

This was like nowhere you had ever been.

No parquet was beneath you here. The ground was earth, sparse tufts of grass growing from it. But in places, the foliage was abundant, great swathes of vibrant grass surrounding a nearby rock which protruded from the ground.

These rocks were also plentiful, though not of regular size. They poked from the ground, rough surfaces being seized by moss of all colours.

Other plants stretched higher still, all in shades of purple, green and blue. Climbing slowly to your feet, your eyes traced up the stem of a slender tree whose leaves drooped downwards with their size.

The only thing you could hope to recognise were roses that grew in places, curved petals familiar atop their stems that wound around larger plants.

In the scattered canopy above you, there appeared to be vines as well. Climbers, perhaps; it appeared as if they were winding around ceiling beams above you, except that they were in open air, pale sky stretching above them.

Very deliberately, you blinked.

Nothing changed.

Jaw hanging open, you turned slowly around. This place continued the same everywhere you looked. You certainly weren’t in the library anymore.

Taking some effort to breathe evenly, you forced your feet to still.

Remembering your phone, you quickly reached for it. But as you repeatedly pressed the power button, the screen remained black. Either you had let it run down, or it wouldn’t work in this alien place.

You replaced it in your pocket with bitter disappointment and continued to stand still, observing this place.

Purposefully, you walked towards the nearest rock. Given the way you were transported here, you were a little wary of touching random objects, but you tentatively reached for the mossy surface. Briefly grazing it, you jumped backwards, expecting something to happen.

Nothing. Just the springy surface of moss, solid and very real.

Staring at the rock, your mind ran in uncomprehending circles. How had you got here? Why? How could you get out?

Cutting through your thoughts, a thump came from behind you.

Startled, you jumped around, eyes darting in panic around the world you had found yourself in. Nothing seemed to have moved…

A cough, followed by a groan, drifted from somewhere.

Frown deepening, you stepped forwards. A few paces brought you around the next rock, bigger than the last. Not only was it taller than you, it was bordered on one side by more of the tall plants, blocking your view of what was behind it.

This was definitely where the sounds were emanating from. As you cautiously rounded the boulder, rustling sounds reached your ears.

Reaching the trees, you peered between two dark blue trunks. Every muscle in your body was tense, ready to spring away at the first sign of danger.

Instead, you were greeted with the shape of a person. They wore a dark jacket, their hair also dark, but they were facing away from you where they sat.

For a moment you stood frozen. You were divided: should you announce yourself? Maybe they could help you? But for all you knew, they might not feel kindly towards you. What would another person be doing in this strange place?

Before you had the chance to decide, let alone move, the person slumped backwards to lie down, huffing a great sigh as they went.

Your eyes widened. Now you could see their face — and you certainly hadn’t expected this.

“Hoseok?”

Squeezing between the trees, you pushed your way into the small clearing he lay in. On hearing your voice, he twisted towards you with wide eyes.

“Y/N?” he jumped up, eyeing you suspiciously, “what is this place?”

“I have no idea,” you answered honestly. Then, “what are you doing here?”

Echoing your earlier words, he said, “I have no idea.”

After a moment, he seemed to remember something and looked around sharply.

“I found this,” he told you, pointing at the ground some feet away. There lay your sandal from earlier.

“Oh. Thank you.”

You flashed an awkward smile and went to pick it on, sliding it back onto the foot it had lost not long ago. Then your silence resumed.

Briefly, you did nothing but stare at each other. Then you stared again at the bizarre scenery around you.

Hoseok was first to move. Apparently becoming tired of your company so soon, he turned away with hands on his hips and began to pick through the undergrowth, which was thicker here than where you had first landed.

Even if this was all the company you were granted, you were eager to keep it, and so followed him.

A few minutes passed. Eerie silence was all around, save for the tentative brush of your footsteps against plants. He hadn’t complained about your presence, though, so you eventually decided it safe to speak.

“Did you… fall here?” you ventured.

His eyes snapped back to you. With a nod, he confirmed it.

“From the library?”

Slowing down, he allowed you to catch up and walk at his side.

“Yeah, why? You too?”

“That’s what happened to me,” you nodded, “but… what were you doing in the library?”

But Hoseok never heard those last words. A deafening, crunching crash resounded through your quiet conversation, drowning you out.

Both of you reacted quickly, spinning to the source of the monstrous sound in fear. Your hammering heart only sped up as you located a dark shape above the treetops.

“There!” you cried, grabbing onto Hoseok’s sleeve.

He spotted it as you pointed, for it was rapidly growing, soaring towards you.

“What is that?” he yelled, stumbling backwards.

You had nothing to offer in reply, instead watching with wide eyes as the creature flew closer still. Still grasping at Hoseok’s sleeve, you tugged at it, looking around for the nearest cover. He made no move. Struck dumb with awe, he seemed to be rooted to the spot.

Turning back to the sky, you were panicked to see the beast drawing closer. You could make out a long snout protruding from its head, spiny wings beating slowly and yet carrying it swiftly over the land.

The monster was enormous, blocking out a chunk of the open sky.

Not wanting to hesitate any longer, you pulled Hoseok forcefully with you as you retreated under the cover of a thick patch of foliage. He complied, still unable to tear his gaze from the flying creature.

You almost daren’t look, even now you were secluded among shadow. But curiosity overcame you.

It was near enough on top of you now. You held your breath, terror washing over you at the sight of it, close enough now that you could make out scales on the thing’s large belly. They glimmered a blazing red as it moved.

But its pace was fast, and it continued quickly, long tail etching a path through the sky behind it.

“Was that…” you breathed, after you felt enough time had passed to be safe. But your thought was too absurd for you to speak out loud.

However, Hoseok finished it for you.

“A dragon?”

Both of you slowly turned to face each other, matching expressions of perplexed shock painting your faces. You opened and closed your mouth, but no words presented themselves.

Your gaze was only severed by the return of the same cacophony to the air that had first heralded the dragon. Only now, it was louder.

Ducking by reflex, you whipped around. Above the treetops, the dragon was returning.

Still filling the air, the sound was that of treetops rupturing as the scaled beast flew low over them, snapping them like matchsticks. Once again, it seemed like the thing was coming straight towards you.

“Let’s move,” you shouted over the noise.

Hoseok didn’t need telling twice.

Side by side, you raced between trees, feet and clothes catching on leaves and vines that spanned the floor. Plunging on nonetheless, you kept your eyes set determinedly ahead.

By the time your lungs demanded you stop for breath, you were sure you must have gone a considerable distance from where you had first been hiding. But the deafening crashes from above had become no quieter.

Slowing down, you sagged against a tree as you gasped for air. Just in front of you, Hoseok looked around, finding you holding yourself up shakily against the trunk.

With a look to the sky and back at you, his face sank further, eyes wide and afraid.

“Y/N!” he cried.

Lifting your head, you met his eyes. Still panting, you turned to follow a finger he raised as he took trembling steps backwards.

Overhead, the leaves seemed to shake. A shadow was sliding along the forest floor as above it, twigs and branches rained down, bouncing from their lower counterparts until they disappeared into the shrubbery.

The dragon was following you.

“Come on!” Hoseok’s voice reached you somewhere among the din.

Spinning, you found him holding a hand out to you, gesturing maniacally for you to continue. You had barely caught your breath, but forced yourself to push away from the tree and run towards him once more.

What did surprise you was that he waited for you. When you came within reach, his outstretched hand was grabbing you, pulling you along at his side.

But there was no time to think of that. Chest heaving with exertion, you willed your feet to move faster underneath you in an attempt to flee the dragon.

All at once, the tall tree trunks you had been running between, almost dense enough to form a forest, stopped. Realising too late, the two of you shot from the cover at full speed, only to find yourselves utterly exposed.

Skidding to a stop, you looked to Hoseok in panic.

Before you could take another step, shadow fell over you again, but it was not cast by harmless trees. The roar of splintering branches grew to an overwhelming crescendo as the dragon caught sight of you and dived, uncaring for the insignificant wood pushed aside by its bulk.

Beside you, Hoseok screamed hoarsely. Together you fled backwards, knowing there was no hope of outrunning your pursuer.

In a few seconds, the beast had descended, giant nostrils flaring at your eye level. Curved fangs gnashed.

With horror, you saw a glow brighten the deep tunnels atop its snout.

In the corner of your eye, you spotted another rock, rough surface towering from the ground. You barely had time to think before you were shoving Hoseok to the side so you fell together behind the barrier. Not a moment later, blazing orange flared, obscuring all other sights as fire erupted from the monster’s jaws and nostrils.

You gave no thought to the position you had fallen in, your push having left you tumbling directly on top of Hoseok. His scream rang in your ears, only rivalled by the crackling heat in the air as his arms wrapped around you. You too were curling up, hands shielding your head in some attempt to shelter.

Thankfully, the rock you had chosen was one of the larger ones and took the brunt of the blast.

Not that it encouraged you much, considering the persistence the beast had shown so far. The dying away of the heat and fire only brought on dread, gnawing low and incessant in your stomach, of the next blast.

Barely daring to breathe, you stayed still, huddling against Hoseok, who did the same.

Any moment, you expected another massive roar to rip through the air. A swipe of the malicious claws or the sizzling heat of dragon flame. The longer you waited, the harder your heart rioted in your chest.

“Students.”

You jolted violently as a loud voice resonated through the air. But it was not the dragon.

Looking around showed you no one who the voice might belong to.

“It is gone,” the voice said.

Hoseok’s hold around you was loosening. Swallowing, you became aware of your proximity and carefully extracted yourself, not looking him in the eye as you moved to sit next to him instead.

It was true that no indicator of the dragon’s presence had made itself known, but you were not inclined to trust a faceless voice. You crawled to peer around the edge of the rock. Finding the space empty, you emerged further.

The clearing was totally deserted. The only evidence of the recent fearful moments was the debris of burnt leaves and broken branches scattered across the ground.

“Who are you?” Hoseok raised his voice, though it shook a little.

You returned to his side, the voice replying as you sunk down beside him.

“Students,” the voice repeated. It was level and calm, but awfully cold. The word was spoken with disdain. “I doubt you would recognise such a voice as mine. You young humans know not the value of words, of books. I am the librarian.”

You blinked in surprise. Next to you, Hoseok sat forward from the rock you leaned against.

“You are? Can you get us out of here?” he yelled, aiming his voice at the sky for lack of target for his pleas.

“Certainly not. I am the keeper of this land. You see, due to the neglect of your kind, my creatures are only kept alive through written word, and I cannot let them be endangered. Students are all the same. Careless. I do not appreciate those who vandalise or waste the knowledge granted them through books. And so, I cannot let you take another one.”

“It’s just a science textbook,” you muttered.

Meanwhile, Hoseok was growing more desperate.

“We won’t!” he called, “just let us out!”

Ringing silence was all he received in reply.

Eventually, he flopped back against the rock with a huff. Worrying your lip, you turned to him, though you had nothing to propose for what you should do next.

His hair was a dishevelled now, strands falling into his eyes which he now turned to you. To your surprise, his mouth curved back into a smile, breathy laughs bursting from him as he rested his head back on the rock.

He shook his head.

“This is crazy.”

You had to agree.

Turning your despairing eyes away and to the surrounding forest again, you were surprised to see movement among the trees. But this creature was not enormous or fire-breathing. A sandy-coloured tail waved, blurring in the air.

Bounding through the trees and coming to a stop at the forest edge, came a labrador.

Staring in bemusement, you found the dog looking right back at you. It was panting, mouth open in a smiley-looking shape. Its tail continued wagging enthusiastically behind it.

Just as you opened your mouth to tell Hoseok, the dog went rigid, body jerking as it barked across the space.

Sitting up straight, Hoseok spotted the dog as well, and together you watched it.

The dog watched back, standing still as if waiting for something. It reminded you of the way your flatmate’s dog used to wait for you to throw the ball when you played with her.

After another minute of stillness, it barked again, then turned and ran. You jumped to your feet as the yellow tail went wagging away through the shadows.

“What are you-“ Hoseok exclaimed as you started towards the trees, following the dog’s path.

Already tired, your legs lagged behind the dog’s pace and you nearly lost sight of the sandy fur. But you kept your eyes trained on it. This animal did not seem unfriendly, or angry. Something told you that you could trust it.

“Where are you going?”

You hadn’t noticed the pursuing footsteps until Hoseok was grabbing your arm, forcing you to stop. Looking around at him in annoyance, you shrugged him off and turned back around. But you had lost sight of the dog now, finding the forest empty.

Your shoulders slumped.

“I was trying to do something to get us out of here-“

“By getting more lost?”

Hoseok’s eyes blazed with anger and he threw his arms out to punctuate his yell with frustration. Opening your mouth, you returned his outrage.

“We’ve been lost since we got here! We don’t know anything about this place, but we can’t just do nothing!”

“What can we do? You heard what the librarian said.”

His volume had lowered and he took a step back.

Breathing out, you did the same, noticing only now how you had crowded each other’s space in your anger. Swallowing down your own frustration, you levelled your gaze at him. His words spoke of despair.

Sighing, you pushed a hand through your hair.

“There’s no use in fighting,” you muttered, “and I’m scared too. But we have to try.”

Lifting his eyes to you, Hoseok felt then as if he was seeing you for the first time.

You shared his fear, and had spoken that out loud, but still the steely glint never left your eyes. Rather than run or hide, you stood tall, resolved to find a way out, no matter how hopeless this crazy turn of events seemed.

“Hoseok?” you called, rendered hesitant by his silence.

Giving his head a quick shake, he averted his gaze from you.

“Hobi,” he spoke.

You frowned.

“I’m sorry?”

“Call me Hobi,” he repeated, “if we’re stuck here forever, I won’t be able to stand it if you call me Hoseok all the time.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Taking that to be some odd form of agreement, you turned around and started to pick your way again through the forest, no matter how blindly. The only vague thing guiding you was the notion that the dog had left this way, but that certainty grew weaker with time.

The only thing bolstering you were the steady steps of Hobi right beside you. A reminder you weren’t alone here.

“Sorry for losing your textbook.”

Smile quirking your lips, you turned to Hobi. He was steadfastly ignoring your gaze, kicking his feet through the low undergrowth while his hands were buried in his pockets.

“If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be here now,” you hummed.

That caught his attention.

“Hey! At least I’m apologising!”

“Doesn’t fix the fact we’re lost in… well, wherever this is,” you chuckled, “though I’m sure it’s worked out well for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I hadn’t come here to replace my textbook, you would be here all alone.”

Hoseok simply tilted his head in vague answer.

After a few short moments of quiet, you resumed the conversation.

“So, what were you in the library for?”

He let silence stretch out for longer than you expected, and you slowed your steps to look at him. His eyes were wide, and when he spoke, it was with a nervous smile, as if he wasn’t sure he should be smiling.

But he was too quiet, and all you heard was something that sounded like ‘yuzbook’.

“Sorry?” you frowned.

With a long-suffering sigh, he finally spoke up.

“I was looking for your science book as well.”

Your eyebrows shot upwards.

“You were?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you had decided it was my responsibility? Even though you lost it.”

“Exactly, I had lost it. I felt bad.”

“Ha!” you exclaimed, jumping around to dance in front of him, “Jung Hoseok admits remorse! What is the world coming to?!”

“I told you to call me Hobi,” he grumbled.

A smile was still bursting at your lips, but you calmed down and returned smugly to his side.

“My bad. Hobi wanted to do something nice! For me, of all people! Maybe this really is a dream…”

“You dream about me?” he grinned, teasing right back.

“Eugh, of course not,” you scoffed.

His laughter filled the forest, and you were glad of it. At length, it faded and you walked on.

“But, turns out you were right to be scared of the library,” he admitted quietly.

Simply nodding, you kept going. By now you had lost all hope to have remained on course with the dog you had seen earlier, but there was little use dwelling on that.

Most of the way, you had been trekking through forest, but now the trees were thinning. Once again, they began to be clustered in patches near protruding rocks.

Coming between two waist-height boulders, you found a pond lying cradled by short grasses and more rose plants.

Agreeing on a break, you and Hobi slumped down at its bank, though you also agreed not to drink it. Hobi seemed much more distrustful of everything you came across in this curious land than you, but there was no harm in caution, you supposed. It was true that, on getting closer to the water, it appeared to glimmer silver.

What that meant, you didn’t know, but didn’t care to investigate.

Reclining on the ground, you breathed deeply. The pond was in a large clearing, similar to the first place you had crash landed in. You couldn’t escape some dread that all this time had brought you in a mere circle to the beginning, but there was no way to be certain.

Forest lined one side of the oasis, while the other stretched away, obscured behind that rocky landscape dotted with an array of foliage.

As you scanned the area idly, a familiar blur of motion had you sitting up with a yelp.

“There! Did you see that!” you cried, but began running without waiting for a reply.

Twisting to attention, Hobi clumsily took to his feet after you.

“You sure?” he called after you.

You kept running. You had seen it – it had been right here. You were certain it was trying to lead you somewhere, and you felt compelled to follow it.

Plunging between rocks, Hobi’s slower steps faded behind you. Uncaring, you continued, eyes alert for any sign of your goal.

And there it was: another brief glimmer from just beyond the next clump of plants. You were so close. This time, you were going to reach it. It would get you out of here.

Still running, you didn’t care that the way wound deeper through the terrain, nor that the world around you darkened as you went. No, your mind was set. You kept moving.

When you finally reached what seemed to be the midst of the darkness, it never occurred to you that this was never what you had been looking for. All you were filled with was delight; in the middle of the dark clearing stood a grove of roses. They were taller than the roses you had seen so far, growing thickly and close together.

In the blackness, the petals emitted a soft glow that shone through their delicate veins.

A smile curved your lips. But as you took a slow step towards the luminescence, something emerged from behind them. It became clear that the roses themselves were not glowing, but the creature. A unicorn.

White coat shimmering with its every move, it seemed to glide over the landscape. The slender horn protruding from its head appeared crafted by the finest silversmith, with hints of colours dancing along it even in darkness.

All breath was stolen from you. Your startled exhale left a cloud lingering in the air beside your lips which glittered as the majestic animal walked in front of you.

Either it didn’t see you, or didn’t mind your presence, because it proceeded perfectly calmly. Keeping your eyes fixed on it, your feet stumbled after the serene creature without you willing them to.

You barely blinked as you followed the graceful unicorn, desperate to keep your eyes on it. You couldn’t have torn them away if you wanted to. Just watching the animal had all your tension melting away: legs feeling heavy, mind fogging. All your worries dissipated as easily as smoke in the wind.

The world was silent. It was as if your ears were plugged as you reached out, somehow confident enough to touch the noble beast.

Another step closer.

Your fingers stretched out, ready to meet the sleek, glowing coat-

“Y/N!”

A blow knocked you sideways, a weight falling with you as the shout of your name rung loudly in your ears. For a split second, you winced, expecting to be crushed on the ground, but already a hand shielded your head. Instead, you landed on a body, held securely in the person’s arms.

Gasping, you found yourself breathless. Your gaze had been severed on being tackled, and now that you blinked, dark clouds seemed to lift from your vision.

Looking around wildly, you were slow to come to your senses, but the person was already shifting.

“We need to move.”

That voice was familiar. Looking around, you found Hoseok’s eyes trained on you as he struggled to stand with your weight against him.

Clumsily getting your feet underneath you, your mouth opened, but a shriek filled the air before you could speak.

Clapping your hands over your ears, you winced at the piercing wail splitting the air.

Hoseok, however, wasted no time. He grasped your wrist, pulling you stumbling across the clearing behind him as he sprinted away.

Wide-eyed and breathless, you twisted to look behind you. The unicorn was still there, but it wasn’t glowing, just plain white. But your eyes only caught it for a second, before a darker shape was swooping from the sky.

Feet pounding, you fled the shrieking beast as it descended in a rush of feathers.

Glinting talons flashed, inches in front of your face as the bird-like shriek reached its peak.

And then you were plunged into shadow, squeezed between leaves and petals.

Hoseok slowed, dropping your hand, but you were practically frozen. You staggered backwards, eyes trained on the spot those razor sharp claws had been.

Above you, the shrill cry was quieting, echoing around the land as your attacker circled higher once more.

“What… what was that?” you panted.

“That was close,” Hoseok responded, no humour in his voice. “I was calling to you! Why didn’t you move?”

“You were?” you frowned, “I-I didn’t hear. I don’t know what happened.”

Light frown creasing his brow, Hobi looked seriously down at you. Swallowing, he looked you over. Your heart still trembled, trying to take in what had just happened, and you looked up at him fearfully. Was he angry?

Fixing his eyes on your own, Hobi stepped forward, bending to draw your faces closer together. Holding your breath, you stiffened, heart rate rocketing as his breath fell warm over your cheeks.

Then he reached his hand out. You forced yourself to hold his gaze, not sure why your face was growing hotter under his scrutiny.

His fingers met your hair. They pulled gently at a strand.

“You had this in your hair.”

Blinking, you found him holding a rose petal up, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

“Right. Thank you,” you spoke awkwardly, snatching it from his hand.

“Let’s stay here for a bit,” he said then, turning around as if nothing had happened. However, you didn’t complain. You didn’t want him to see your burning cheeks.

Hobi had pulled you into the grove of roses you had seen earlier, which grew some way above your heads. The bushes were close together, providing the perfect cover. You heard no more of the shrieking monster as you walked after him through the plants.

Beautiful flower heads were nestled everywhere, the graceful bundles of petals peering at these strangers walking through their home.

Eventually, Hobi came to a halt. When you stopped at his side, he pushed aside some leaves to show you what lay beyond.

You had reached the other side of the grove and a new clearing lay before you. Unlike the other places you had been, there were no tall trees or wide rocks rising from the ground. At last it was flat.

But, most noticeably, in the middle of the clearing there was a building. Deep blue walls rose from a gold base, thin pillars winding upwards to support the corners of the many-sided roof. Small arched windows were set high up in the walls, through which you could see a silvery glow from inside.

Hobi looked around the space before emerging. No longer impatient, you wholly agreed with his caution and also peered out carefully.

As you remained mostly hidden by the roses, something came running around the house.

The dog.

Same as before, it stood looking at you, smiling mouth and wagging tail welcoming.

First, you looked to Hobi.

“What do you think?”

“You were right,” he replied, “the dog seems alright. We should give it a shot.”

Smiling, you felt assured now you were in agreement. Not stopping to think too much about the action, you placed your hand resolutely in Hobi’s and stepped forwards.

This time the dog did not begin running away, waiting for you by the blue house wall instead. As the two of you drew closer, you bent a little, holding your hand out to the creature.

“Hi!” you cooed, ignoring Hobi’s light scoff from beside you.

The dog poised as if it would bark back, but instead it looked towards the house. Following its gaze, you looked through the window and instantly fell silent.

Inside, a figure was sitting, though you could only see their head and shoulders – and a pair of wings. They fluttered lazily, glinting in the silvery light.

“The librarian,” Hobi murmured.

Nodding, you looked back to the dog.

“Will you help us?” you whispered.

Its tail wagged harder.

Smiling, you reached out to give it a gentle pat, ruffling the soft fur between its ears.

Satisfied, the sandy blond animal turned around, tail blurring all the while. It trotted away, leading you around the house. On passing the windows, you both ducked, fearing what the faerie would do if they discovered you here.

A short dash, looking over your shoulders, and you finally reached a thick row of trees. Squeezing behind the large trunks, you were surprised to see large wooden doors waiting for you.

If not for the lingering worry of the librarian somewhere nearby, you would have laughed out loud.

Hobi rushed forwards, grasping the dogs ears and ruffling them enthusiastically.

“You got us out!” he whispered happily.

You were amused to see the dog’s smiling mouth grow wider, tongue hanging out with his praise.

Jumping up with a brilliant grin, Hobi walked to the door. Waiting by the handle, he let you also say goodbye to your four-legged saviour.

“Thank you,” you told it with a loving pat. For a moment, you looked into the dog’s eyes, wishing you could somehow convey your gratitude.

Then a thought came over you. Tilting your head, you frowned slightly.

“Cindy?”

The dog’s tail whirred back into motion, hopping up and down a little at the name.

Breaking into a smile, you patted it affectionately.

“Good girl, Cindy,” you grinned, “thank you.”

Then you stood to join Hobi’s side. He lifted the great handle, which made a concerning thunk in the quiet.

Hurriedly slipping through, you fell against the other side of the wood as he followed and shut it firmly behind him. You were back at the entrance of the library, the glass doors at the front of the foyer showing the road beyond it, no different than ever as cars and pedestrians hurried along.

“Who let someone like that work in a school?” you laughed, incredulous.

Hobi laughed loudly at last, the sound bringing a bigger grin to your face.

You had made it out.

All of a sudden, a pinging sound rang from your pocket, soon over taken by at least five more.

Pulling out your phone, you found it alive again, the screen lit up and full of messages.

“Yoongi’s wondering where I am,” you muttered, “my shift…”

Hobi pushed away from the wooden door, starting to walk with you across the entrance hall. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he nodded.

“Yeah, um, I should get going too, I guess.”

Opening the main doors, you stood outside on the steps, at a loss. A bus rumbled past.

“Okay,” you spoke at length, “yeah. Er, see you around.”

Smiling briefly, Hobi took a few hesitant steps back before he committed to walking away. One last wave and he was engulfed by the crowd on the street.

You sighed and set off in the opposite direction.

The bell clinked, swinging wildly above the door as you hurried over to the counter.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” you spoke as you set your stuff down.

Turning to lean against the counter, Yoongi shrugged.

“’s’alright. Where were you though?”

“Ah…”

What were you meant to say? Your head was still spinning from everything that had passed, but you knew no one would believe you if you told them the truth. Shifting a little, your teeth nipped at your lower lip while you tried to come up with a reasonable excuse.

Meanwhile, a knowing look was sliding onto Yoongi’s face.

“I see,” he grinned, and then, to your mortification, winked!

“No, you don’t- that’s not-“ you protested, but he was already snickering and turning back to the washing up.

Shaking your head, you concluded that whatever his belief was would make as good as excuse as any. At least he had made it up for you, saving the hassle.

You got to work.

Over the next couple of days, everything ran like normal. Except for you, nothing was normal.

You still had no idea how such a small amount of time had passed while you and Hobi were busy running for your lives in fear of the librarian and their crazed world. You had barely been late for your shift afterwards; when it was time for bed you had collapsed straight in, feeling as if you had been awake for two days straight.

Of course, you had never gone back for that textbook.

In college the next day, you had taken a detour to class, stubbornly avoiding the building that had all but kidnapped you, wondering at the fact no one else seemed to realise.

At the café later on, you waited impatiently for any sign of Hobi outside. He was the one person you desperately wanted to see. Surely he must be feeling the same? He would understand.

But you waited and waited, serving countless other customers without much thought. He never came, and so you were left to question your own sanity by yourself.

Nothing about your impromptu adventure made sense.

If it had been real, why didn’t Hobi act like anything had changed? You certainly couldn’t pretend that nothing had been altered between you while you had been trapped in that strange world inside the library.

Perhaps it had been a dream. All of it seemed so implausible that even recollecting it sent you spiralling with more questions.

But there was one hope. Even if Hobi remembered nothing of what transpired, you were still supposed to tutor him. You would see him next week, and try to assess what he might remember.

So when your phone buzzed that night, screen lighting up with a message from him at last, you had expected to arrange this week’s session. But all it said was: come outside.

Though you frowned, you weren’t going to pass up this chance.

Sliding off your bed, you quickly stuffed your feet into your slippers and tried your best not to break into a run on the way to the door. Collecting yourself first with a deep breath, you pulled it open.

The first thing you took in was empty space outside your door. Blinking at it, you couldn’t prevent the disappointment from creeping in. But then your eyes flickered downwards.

There at your feet lay a rose.

Your lips parted in wonder as you stooped to pick it up. Taking it between your fingers, you rolled it gently there. It was the exact same as those delicate flowers that had filled the grove where you sheltered together in the library.

A smile tugged at your mouth. It only grew as you remembered the identical petal Hobi had pulled from your hair.

He remembered.

The relief that washed over you was dizzying. Clutching the flower to your chest, you smiled out of your doorway once more, silently thanking Hobi.

But you wouldn’t have to be silent for long. Your eyes landed on a figure leaning against a lamppost a few metres away, smiling right back at you.

As your eyes met, Hobi stood straighter. His mouth shifted to a radiant grin. He had come back to you.

Thank you so much for reading!! And again, send lots of birthday love over to @moccahobi!! As promised, here is the beautiful bingo card I used for this story:

taglist: @aianloveseven @preciouschimine @un2-verse @ddaechwita @taegularities

#thebtswritersclub #j hope imagine #jung hoseok imagine #bangtanarmynet #btscreatorscorner #purplearmynet #hoseok imagine #jhope imagine #jhope x reader #j hope x reader #bts fantasy au #j hope fluff #hobi fluff #bts enemies to lovers #hobi enemies to lovers #bts college au

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NCIS: Los Angeles Season 13 Rewatch: “Bonafides”

The basics: When Lance Hamilton’s partner is murdered, he teams up with Sam and NCIS for justice.

Written by: Kyle Harimoto wrote “Omni”, “Merry Evasion”, “Chernoff, K”, “Command and Control” as episode 150, “Granger, O.”, “Ghost Gun”, “Kulinda”, “767”, “Se Murio El Payaso”, “Assets”/“Liabilities”, “Venganza”, “Superhuman”, “One of Us" (Lance Hamilton episode), “Let Fate Decide” (season 11 premiere), “Decoy” (Lance Hamilton episode), “Answers” , “Watch Over Me” (Lance Hamilton episode), “Cash Flow” and "Fukushu". He co-wrote “Three Hearts”, “Leipei”, “Humbug”, both ends of the “Matryoshka” two-parter, “Smokescreen” part two, “Searching” (Lance Hamilton episode), “A Fait Acompli” and “A Tale of Two Igors” (season 12 finale).

Directed by: Terrence O’Hara directed "The Only Easy Day”, “Brimstone”, “The Bank Job”, “Borderline”, “Tin Soldiers”, “The Job”, “Backstopped”, “Crimeleon”, “Blye, K.” Part Two, “San Voir” Part Two, “End Game”, “Paper Soldiers”, “Descent”, “Ascension”, “Fish Out of Water”, “Blaze of Glory”, “Command and Control” (episode 150), “Matryoshka” Part Two, “Belly of the Beast”, “Payback”, “Mountebank”, “Asesinos”, "Searching", “Yellow Jack”, “Raising the Dead”, “Overdue", "Red Rover, Red Rover" and "All the Little Things".

Guest stars of note: Bill Goldberg returns as DOJ Agent Lance Hamilton for the first time since season 11’s “Watch Over Me”. Christian George returns from “Head of the Snake” as Henrik Vuksan. Well-known Navy SEAL Jocko Willink plays Noah “Herbie” Herbert. Ski Carr as Percy Vander. Duncan Campbell is back from “Murmuration” as Agent Castor, Cindy Dolenc as Ryan Logue, Traci Belushi as Ms. Wilson, Million Dollar Listing star Fredrik Eklund plays Rexford Blake, Gregory Shelby as Scott Reid, Bradley Dodds as Bohdan Amantas, Eugene Young as Navy Seaman Harold Forest, Chris Mathieu as Humphrey and Beckett Gunderson is the latest “Young Callen”.

Our heroes: Welcome Lance Hamilton back under sad circumstances.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen: Staking out a former foster mom. Sam: Switch. Kensi: Not sharing her card with Amantas. Deeks: Sharing his card with Amantas Fatima: Not around much in this episode. Rountree: Personalizing his desk because he’s sentimental. Kilbride: Worried about Sam’s time as Switch.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen: Reminds Sam that the carport parking spot is a community spot. Sam: Reminds Callen that it is his parking spot. Kensi: Country music fan. Deeks: Open to country music but more West Coast fan. Fatima: Learns to take a man down by the small bones in his wrist. Rountree: Could buy the entire town where he was born for $10 million. Kilbride: Sharing his Challenge Coin.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange? In the back of a limo when young Callen is stolen from his happy foster home.

Who's down with OTP: Solid hour for America’s sweethearts.

Who's down with BrOTP: It was the Sam and Lance show today and they’re always good, even in rough times. The Admiral and Rountree made an entertaining pair.

Fashion review: Callen wore a pale blue polo – more a Chris O’Donnell look than a G. Callen look. Sam starts the day in a long-sleeve black tee. Sam as Switch wears the same tee with a ton of jewelry. Kensi is wearing a long-sleeve grey and white sweater. Deeks is in a super pale blue long-sleeve tee-shirt. Fatima is training in a red and black zip-up jacket. In the office, she’s wearing a red and white stripped turtleneck under a pale green sweater. Rountree trains in a long-sleeve green workout shirt. In the office, he’s wearing a grey hoodie with a black sleeves and a black pouch. Admiral Kilbride in his typical dark blue three-piece suit with a pale blue

Music: Kensi and Deeks have “Chicken Fried” by the Zac Brown Band on the radio.

Any notable cut scene: No.

Quote: Vuksan: “This is, like, a big ask. Amantas is never gonna forgive me for - bringing the fuzz to his house. Never. Which means I could lose my biggest client.” Deeks: "Fuzz?" Vuksan: “You know I had a ten-month plan for going completely legitimate? Then you guys had to walk up the driveway.” Deeks: “ This guy never stops talking.” Kensi: “Oh, that's a big statement coming from you.” Deeks: “That's my point.”

Anything else: On a parking lot roof, a young man on a skateboard is having some fun until he’s nearly hit by a car as the driver looking for a spot. Making his way into the parking structure, the skateboarder is also once again nearly hit by a vehicle. This time it is an SUV leaving a parking space. The driver yells “hey” to the skaterboy by he’s long gone. Taking a deep breath, the driver takes a second to steady himself when he’s shot twice in the chest. The gunman comes up alongside the open driver’s window with his gun drawn. Reaching into the SUV, the gunman takes a notebook while the driver struggles to breathe.

As the driver is losing consciousness, a sedan races up to his spot. Lance Hamilton runs over to see “Reid” dying in the car. Asking about the notebook and the shooting, Hamilton is told in Reed’s dying breath that “Vander” was the shooter.

Sam pulls up to the office. He’s arguing with Callen on the phone. The Admiral told Callen that if he doesn’t use his leave, he’ll lose his leave. Realizing that Sam isn’t driving, Callen asks if Sam is at work – 20-minutes earlier than usual. Before Sam can answer, Callen asks if Sam is in so early so he can get his old space back. “It’s my spot.” In his car, Callen tells Sam he’s waiting for Anna outside of Eggslut before the two of them go to a motion picture museum. That’s not true. Callen is staking out an elderly woman as she gardens.

Driving to the office, Kensi is bopping along to some country music while Deeks is trying to keep an open mind to her driving music choices. She’s singing along to some Zac Brown Band music, Deeks is wondering why. Kensi can’t believe he doesn’t like country music. He reminds her that he grew up totally on the West Coast. His music of choice is more Sublime, Pennywise, Dr. Dre and Jack Johnson when he feels like he needs to be “herbally enhanced.”

Willing to evolve, he wants to know why this music works for her. If Deeks was just some rando in a bar, Kensi would tell him that she grew up on military bases where this was the music of choice. But since he’s not some guy in a bar, she tells him the music just makes her feel good. She isn’t being told she needs a $3,000 purse to be happy. The two sing on their way to the office.

In the gym, a hand-to-hand trainer is using Sam as part of a demonstration for Fatima and Rountree. The trainer wants to see what Fatima can do. As she engages with Rountree, Sam wanting to see what Rountree can do. Fatima gets Rountree to the ground and Rountree can’t get up. The trainer puts a stop to things. When Rountree is asked what happened, he is explains the tactics Fatima used. Instead of going after Rountree’s strengths – his arms, his legs, his core – she grabbed the small bones in his wrists and was able to position herself to take him to the ground. Fatima loved the exercise, she wants to do more like this.

“Herbie”, the trainer, was a SEAL with Sam. They would train for 18-months sometimes for one six-month assignment. The Admiral pops up on the screen and Herbie goes into full sailor mode. After an “As you were Commander Herbert”, the Admiral was grateful for the training session. He’d also like to see Sam immediately. While Sam leaves, Fatima and Rountree continue their work with Herbie.

In the fishbowl office, Lance Hamilton’s ID photo is on the plasma screen. Sam asks if he’s working with Hamilton. While he doesn’t have all the details, Hamilton was working a case investigating dirty federal agents. Yesterday, his partner Scott Reid was killed. Sam is bothered by this. It gets worse when the Admiral tells Sam that a target of the investigating was a Percy Vander, an undercover asset when Sam is Switch. Sam tells the Admiral that Vander was Switch’s mentor who gave Sam the bonafides to work in his criminal enterprise.

Reviewing the Switch file, the Admiral is impressed with all the good work Sam as Switch got done. The Admiral asks if the Switch persona is still viable. Sam isn’t sure – he’d have to check with King. “I don’t know if she kept quiet on the inside or if she told people who I was.” Hamilton believes Vander was responsible for Reid’s death. Sam knows where this is going – Switch would lure Vander out. The Admiral is worried about the person Sam is and the persona of Switch opened themselves to Vander. “Can you hunt this man Vander down?” The Admiral is worried Sam is too invested. Sam tells the Admiral, “I got this.”

In the boatshed, Sam and Hamilton share greetings. Sam learns Reid had a two-year old son. Reviewing the case, there is a notebook with the names of dirty federal agents from Texas, Mississippi and Alabama kept by a wealthy Texas ranch owner with ties to the Dixie Mafia. The ranch owner died. His son Luke Gilroy sold the notebook to Reid. The sale went through without incident – Luke Gilroy was even arrested – but someone came and shot Reid. As back-up, Hamilton is wrecked that he didn’t make it to Reid in time. Reid set up the purchase of the notebook in a hurry so no other buyers would be involved.

Sam asks where Vander fits in all of this. Hamilton explains Reid’s dying word and asks Sam about Vander. Saying that Vander was used to launch Switch, Sam tells Hamilton it was his most successful undercover operation ever. It was a bicostal set-up, New York and LA.

In Ops, Kensi, Deeks, Fatima and Rountree are reviewing a new case. Ryan Logue, a civilian airspace engineer at EXEC Aerospace stole highly classified Navy schematics. Fatima and Rountree aren’t sure what the schematics are for but the thought is that she’s going to sell them to a Ukrainian national named Bohdan Amantas. He’s been selling legal and illegal weapons for years. Kensi thinks this is an FBI case. It would be but Amantas has been in contact with an old friend of NCIS OSP – Henrik Vuksan, “Omni’s man in LA.”

After Rountree is brought up to speed on Vuksan’s past with NCIS, Rountree shares that Vuksan is now out of prison on parole for over a year. The FBI wants to know if Vuksan is involved. Is he helping Amantas buy the schematics or is using Amantas as a go-between to buy the schematics for Omni. Using social media, Fatima found Vuksan in a pricy neighborhood. Everyone stunned by the pricy real estate – Rountree thinks $10 million would buy the entire town where he was born. “Welcome to LA” is Fatima’s reply.

Checking with King, and admitting to Hamilton that he has some history with “Dana”, Sam tells Hamilton that King did not blow his cover. Hamilton asks if Sam trusts her. “We have no choice but to trust her.” Working on the plan, Sam tells Hamilton that Vander has a big personality that covers a very calculating man. Thinking that Sam as Switch is working out of Mexico City, Vander won’t trust Switch just showing up. Sam thinks he as to get something done for Switch instead.

Outside a mansion, Vuksan is showing around possible buyers, pointing out the features of the home. The buyers aren’t impressed. They had four “must haves” and the house only has three of them. Saying that the house is priced accordingly, the other real estate agent working with Vuksan calls the buyer friendly price “Grand Theft Mansion”

As the possible buyers drive off, Kensi and Deeks arrive. He recognizes them immediately, saying “NCIS!”. His real estate agent buddy thinks NCIS is a “tacky” real estate firm in the Valley. Kensi pulls her badge and Vuksan decides to send real estate agent buddy Rexford back to his office. Before he leaves, Rexford asks if Kensi and Deeks are looking for house. Deeks asks for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house near the beach. Rexford has a fixer-upper for $3.7 million. Kensi and Deeks have shocked faces. Rexford leaves, Vuksan wants to talk.

As the older woman leaves her house, Callen flashes back to a holiday with her. They are making cookies with a Christmas tree behind decorations all over the house. Ms. Wilson is proud of Callen’s cooking-making skills. He’s likely 12. Back in the present, he watches her get in her car and drive off. Callen follows.

In Sam’s car, Hamilton wants to know what’s the plan. Vander, Sam explains, has made his name by providing protection for illegal shipments throughout LA. Never lost one. Hamilton thinks that’s a “lucrative market to have cornered.” Sam agrees but there is a new young crew – a Korean biker gang – looking to infringe of Vander’s territory. Hamilton thinks they are going to team up with the crew to go after Vander. No, Sam tells him, “we’re gonna rob ‘em.” Hamilton likes it.

Ready to go, Sam is getting geared up as Switch – lots of gold chains, a big gold watch, a black puffer coat – as Hamilton gets into place.

Arriving at their desks, Rountree asks Fatima if she found Ryan Logue. She has not. Rountree is holding a football – one he was awarded in college as the game ball. He is going to put it on his desk. Fatima thinks it is cute he’s personalizing his workspace. “Maybe I’m just more sentimental than you.” Fatima gets a hit on Logue’s ATM card – she maxed out her daily withdrawal limit. There is a hotel next to the ATM. Rountree is going to check it out with Castor, Fatima is going to talk to the Admiral about the case.

As members of the Korean gang leave their HQ, Sam as Switch pulls up. He speaks Korean to the leader – Sang. Sang wants to do some business with Switch. Things have changed since Switch left town. Sam says he knows Sang and his men are moving on Vander’s business. Thinking Vander is an old man, Sang wants to move on. Sam doesn’t so he pulls his gun on the four gang members. The gang members are also armed with pistols. Hamilton shows up with a much bigger gun than any of them are carrying so Sang orders his men to put their weapons down. Taking away their ill-gotten games, Sam and Hamilton clean out the gang members. When Sam and Hamilton leave, the gang members all jump on their motorcycles to follow. Hamilton chained them all to a wall – nobody is going to follow.

Walking from the mansion, Vuksan explains that he’s done with Omni, he’s opened a new chapter in his life. Omni gives him contacts and money to buy LA real estate with cash, everything is on the up-and-up according to Vuksan. When Kensi asks about Bohdan Amantas, Vuksan is evasive until he admits Amantas is a real estate client looking for two homes. Deeks asks if Vuksan is supplementing his income by selling military secrets. Vuksan says he makes far more selling real estate than he ever would selling military secrets. Kensi and Deeks are enlisting Vuksan to help them find Amantas.

In the Armory (was Hamilton ever in the super-secret office before? That goes for Herbie too – this place should be on the Hollywood Map of Stars at this point), Sam and Hamilton document their ill-gotten, ill-gotten gains for evidence. Sam is sure Vander had to hear about the robbery when his phone rings – Vander wants to meet with Switch.

In interrogation, the Admiral relieves Castor as Ryan Logue is sitting on the wrong side of the table. Rountree remains. Logue finds being detained ridiculous. She’s in a hurry to leave. Reviewing a file, the Admiral asks why she checked into a hotel not far from her home. Claiming her neighbors were doing construction, she wanted to get some sleep. The Admiral asks if she needed to sleep so much that she didn’t report to work in two-days. She tells him yes. Rountree asks why didn’t she contact the office and tell them she was sick. She wasn’t sick, just tired. She can’t believe she’s been brought in to answer these questions.

Closing the file, the Admiral asks if she’d rather speak about Navy Special Warfare N9 schematics? Saying there is a lot of physics and engineering involved, Logue doesn’t thinks the Admiral or Rountree did more than state schools with undergrad degrees so she doesn’t think they’ll understand. Rountree chuckles. The Admiral stands and tells Logue, “I don’t think this is a day you’re going to remember fondly.”

Hamilton asks about Vander and Sam talks about the good times he had with Vander. Telling Sam that if Vander was involved in Reid’s death, he needs to know Sam has his back. Sam does.

The older woman is reading in the park with Callen watching from his car. Callen once again flashes back to time with Ms. Wilson reading “The Wizard of Oz” to him with a fire going in the fireplace.

As Logue paces around the interrogation room, Rountree asks the Admiral how long are they going to “sweat” her out. The Admiral says answers a while – Logue is a thinker. Rountree mentions the FBI has proof she’s been downloading the schematics. She has but they can talk to her about that down the road. He’s happy to wait until they have proof she was trying to sell the schematics. As a thinker, the Admiral thinks Logue is going over everything she said to them to find the perfect answer to her dilemma. Logue looks into the security camera in interrogation and tells them she’s willing to talk.

Walking down a pier with the drugs stolen from the Korean gang, Sam hears from Hamilton that he’s in the overwatch vehicle in about 30-seconds. On his boat, Vander sees Switch and welcomes him back to LA – he already heard about the robbery. Sam as Switch isn’t happy that someone is muscling in on Vander’s territory. Switch asks permission to come on board the boat – permission is granted.

In the Audi, Vuksan is complaining about what he’s been asked to do – bringing the “Fuzz” to Amantas’s house. Vuksan could lose his biggest client. Deeks chuckles at “Fuzz”. Luskin goes on about his 10-month plan to go legit and Deeks has had enough of his talking. Kensi thinks that is funny coming from Deeks. Deeks thinks that’s the point. Vuksan complains that working with law enforcement is making it harder for him to go legit.

On the boat, Sam and Vander are sharing some champagne on the top deck of the boat, talking about Switch’s business in Mexico City. There is a bodyguard nearby Vander and a woman in bikini near the bodyguard. Vander wants to hear more about Switch’s business and drink some more champagne.

Logue admits to downloading the schematics, which the Admiral says they already have proof of her actions. Rountree asks Logue how she thinks she’ll survive in federal prison. She asks what they want? Bohdan Amantas is the answer. Crying, Logue says she met Amantas after a night in a sports bar. He threatened her – if she didn’t steal the schematics, they’d kill her family. Her only family is her father, who lives in a care facility in Minnesota – Shore Lake - that Logue doesn’t know its address. Barely knows the name. As the Admiral leaves, he asks her what game was she watching at the sports bar. She talks about the Minnesota Wild.

Outside of interrogation, the Admiral knows the Minnesota Wild didn’t play that week. Checking out Shore Lake, Rountree finds it is a hospice. Everyone there is already dying. The Admiral thinks Logue believes she enhanced her story with the details. She just made it easier to take her story apart.

In a park, Amantas is sparring with a trainer and two bodyguards watching him. Kensi, Deeks, Vuksan approach and introduce themselves. Amantas dismisses his bodyguards and ends Vuksan’s crime-free future by firing him as his real estate agent. Vuksan is dismissed by Amantas – offering him sushi with the bodyguards - leaving him with just Kensi and Deeks.

Kensi asks Amantas about Ryan Logue. He doesn’t know why he’d have to answer until Deeks brings up the three homes Amantas has in escrow. If Amantas doesn’t keep them busy with answers to their questions, they’ll be busy looking to see where Amantas got the money to buy the houses. Deeks is going to need tax returns for the last three years.

Told that he threatened Logue if she didn’t steal the schematics, Amantas tells a different story. Logue contacted him, not the other way around. Amantas’s people shut her down – they don’t do business with people they don’t know. Kensi and Deeks asks why should they believe Amantas story and not Logue’s? Asking if NCIS has good computer people – they do – Amantas provides a site on the dark web for them to investigate. Logue is open for business. As they’re about to leave, Amantas wants Kensi’s card in case he remembers anything useful. He gets Deeks’s card instead before Deeks grabs some sushi with Vuksan and the bodyguards.

Laughing and having a good time, Vander wants to do right by Switch for helping with the Korean gang. Sam asks about the notebook – he wants in. It would be a big help for his business in Mexico. Vander is unhappy – he liked Switch, he trusted Switch. Another bodyguard appears and they pull their weapons on Sam. Hamilton does not have a shot.

When Vander orders his bodyguards to search Sam, the one who approaches gets knocked out by Sam for his trouble. The movement allows Hamilton to take out the other bodyguard. Sam runs after Vander, who went to the lower deck. Sam approaches Vander, telling him to put the gun down. Saying that only the police knew he had the book, Vander won’t go down like this. Sam offers to help while Hamilton tries to get a shot on Vander but can’t. Vander accuses Sam of being a cop. Sam tries to warn Vander that there is a sniper waiting for him to move – surrender and he’ll live. “I loved you like a son, how are you going to do me like that?” Vander asks. Sam asks Vander to put the gun down again. Vander walks into Hamilton’s line of sight and raises his gun. Hamilton makes his shot.

As Vander dies, Sam holds his hands.

Fatima confirms Amantas’s story. Logue was selling the schematics on the dark web but not having much success. Thinking that she did the hard part by stealing the schematics, Logue didn’t understand that criminals don’t go into business with people they don’t know. Deeks wants Fatima to call the Admiral and tell him what is going on.

Asking if NCIS looked after her dad, the Admiral tells Logue they didn’t even try. Rountree says everything she told them was a lie. Logue tries to sell being railroaded – this is why everyone hates law enforcement. The Admiral is pretty sure not everyone hates them. He also wants her copies of the schematics she stole since she approached Bohdan Amantas not the other way around. He’s willing to go on the record for that. Rountree is feeling pretty good about his state university undergraduate degree.

At the docks, Sam watches the EMTs wheel Vander’s body away. Hamilton says he’s sorry but Sam blames himself for getting so attached to Vander. Hamilton thinks that’s what makes Sam a human being. While listing what Vander did and his plans for taking the names of the dirty feds from the notebook and make them work for him, Hamilton gets a call. The DoJ found the notebook in Vander’s Tarzana apartment. Sam admits Vander’s death hurts. Hamilton understands.

Packing up his gear, Herbie is greeted by the Admiral. Explaining he can only take LA in 30-hour chunks, he’s is returning to San Diego. The Admiral agrees. Herbie is grateful for the opportunity the Admiral offered his new training company. Herbie has put a lot of his family’s money into getting the company off the ground. The Admiral stops the thank you’s. After Ramadi, the Admiral can’t do enough for Herbie. NCIS will be employing Herbie’s company for all of the agents under the Admiral’s command and the Director plans to roll it out to all offices. Herbie is thrilled. The Admiral gives Herbie his Challenge Coin.

At night, Callen is still watching the older woman in her home from his car. In a flashback, Callen is being removed from Ms. Wilson’s care. He’s crying. The man taking young Callen from Ms. Wilson wants him to meet someone – Henrietta.

What head canon can be formed from here: I’ll stop complaining about the Callen backstory debacle at some point but not today. Early episodes had Callen moving from place to place sometimes only last a day or two but he blanked out on Ms. Wilson whose kindness and decency would be the thing you think he’d remember. Earlier this season Callen had memories of a foster father who built furniture and let Callen help but a woman who seemed to genuine care for him is only now a memory. Feh.

The cases of the week mirrored each other. Sam as Switch was able to work his way right back into Vander’s trust circle by once again proving his worth. Logue could not get Amantas to give her a second of his time because there was no trust there.

Episode number: This is the Munsters episode – 1313 (season 13, episode 13). It is episode 293 overall.1

#NCIS: Los Angeles Rewatch #NCIS: Los Angeles #NCIS: LA #NCIS Los Angeles #ncis la

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