#during the event week is uh. honestly. not super high at this point.

[solarpunkani]

We are now halfway through page 5

It is 3:44 am

I am going to bed

Me like 2 days ago: i could never write a low stakes thing like some kid looking for his sister’s lost doll the stakes arent high enoygh theres no conflict its boring

Me sitting here at 1am: why is the idea still stuck in my head. Am I seriously doing this. I have so many other projects to be working on.

*deep sigh*

[princess-pill-enjoyer]

Im not dead hi

💀💀💀

I kinda thought to myself a little and I was just like... oh yeh with the note I left on and the degree I've let this get to me dipping for that long probably would look suspect..

Figured I'd get back to it. I am tryna slow down again. Me constantly being like.. high high starts to get in the way I'm seeing. I can get away with it within the first like hour halfish buuut past that I get really out of it and I process shit super slow. I've actually always had this problem now that I'm looking back tbh. But usuallyyyy I'd just dose again during that period and I'd be fine. But with how much i take off rip I have hydration issues by the first and I'm sure taking dose after dose prolly would exasperate that a bit

I'm actually halfway through the bottle now. It was kinda weird to see. It's felt like it's unlimited ever since I bought the giant bottle but 4 months later andd I've emptied the rest of it into the container I hide em in. I don't know how I feel about it.

Oh right uh I dunno if I had done it by the time I posted the other one but I went ghost for like.. 4-5ish days and that was.. eventful. Wasn't planned. I was sad one day and I just continued ignoring everything until a less closeish friend of mine reached out. He considers me his best friend but even with that we don't talk that that much. So once HEEE start going through hoops to try and reach out I was like o uh maybe I took it too far.

All in the past now it's been about a week being back. I try and let myself ignore messages more so that I feel more comfortable giving myself space without needing as long as a break. Well. That's the nice way of looking at it. Whatever uh. R and me have been fine. Had some technical issues with insta and I wasn't on as much cause of it which wasn't a great look after all that. I felt so bad. She cried a few times while I was gone. Unlike me and the other dude we do talk everyday and while the shit aint as like.. ig attentive as it used to be, we do usually get back to each other a bunch throughout the day so she damn near instantly thought something was off..

Sorry I'm babbling at this point. Long story short. Habit has gotten pretty bad. When I dipped I was doing it 3x a day and I've been doing 2ish lately. Still a long way from the once every other day I was doing when I originally started this. It makes me really sad honestly. Sometimes I don't even feel like taking my pills for the day but then boom I'm finna cry. Or irritable and have my whole day ruined off a minor annoyance. It don't even feel worth it to fight it anymore. But the hydration thing is kinda bad so I try sometimes ig

I had 2 funerals to go to while I was gone too. One was an old family friend. I never was close with her as like I'm just now really starting to connect with people in my family tbh. But it was still like.. wild. I just visited her around this time last year and one year later she's in the ground. The second one was for a longtime friend of my mom's. I won't lie, I really didn't know her at all. But it happening back to back just rattled me. I had seen them both semi recently and they weren't deathly ill at the time or anything. I just. I dunno. I can't explain why it makes me sad

I had to get high for the funerals. I felt so embarrassed but I just know it'd be easier that way. Though uh I kept circulating on whether they suffered or not and I couldn't stop crying cause of it. I hate that there's a real possibility that they sat there feeling terrified and in agony before they left. That still kills me. I hope they were able to be semi comfortable at least. It's the least they deserve

I'm not high rn but that's finna change. I had to play this game with a friend of mine yesterday while coming down and that shit was.. miserable. I wanted to sleep and lie around but dude bought the game for me specifically for us to play. I wouldn't dare. I was tryna stay sober today just incase he was tryna play earlier today and i didn't wanna risk being gone gone. But atp I think I'll just hop on tomorrow. I'm sick of being like this. I'll just say I got busy.

I'm gonna probably change the way I write these cause the multiple times a day thing is kinda awkward to document. Or not. I dunno. Maybeee I will stop being such a fucking JUNKIEEE and take the shit at least semi safely I wouldn't need to but. We will see.

I'll get back to it tho. I think it's important to keep up with it and if I only update when I'm semi stable it defeats the purpose of the page tbh. My bad for dying off the face of the earth. I'm fine

[the-twewy-sequel]

TWEWY: The Animation - Episode 3 Review

Like a bolt from the blue, it’s time for the TWEWY Anime Review!

This is super late, but I've legit been busy, sorry on the off chance anyone was looking forward to this. I will try harder for future reviews T_T.

For me, this episode sort of solidified that the show is indeed its own thing and is not one of those "very-close-to-the-original" type adaptations. We've had evidence of this throughout, but this is basically where I go, this could end up having different events entirely and not just a different detailing of it or chronology, which I think is important for understanding the show and trying to enjoy it: expecting it to be something it won't will just end up in disappointment, after all.

At the same time, while it's fine to be original, I do think it should still be good, and I won't hesitate to point out when I think the dialog or execution feel lacking in general.

With that out of the way, the end-game to Shiki's week continues, and we find out that these two characters we've seen milling about have apparently died in an accident. It's interesting seeing them get what feels like a bit more "blatant" nods compared to the original game, but I sort of understand it in that the original game didn't have a lot of different non-controllable player characters appear, so giving opportunities for ones besides the main 4 to appear will likely prove important to fleshing things out.

A lot of interesting points in this episode, but one of them was the discussion on entry fees (which of course happened quite differently before), and what I think is a much more direct explanation of what Rhyme's entry fee was. Now, it's been a little since I played TWEWY, but I feel like her entry fee was actually more implied than outright stated, especially in this early game, but maybe they didn't feel it was an important detail to hold back on—perhaps it's dependent on how the 3rd week goes.

On a less important note, Kariya's characterization as he sort of teased Beat felt a little bit different here, and I wasn't sure I liked the way Beat acted after losing Rhyme. I think the execution just felt a bit less tight somehow: Hanekoma wasn't very convincing when he basically said he'll "figure something out" for Rhyme, IIRC "7 minutes before you disappear" just became "some vague amount of minutes", Beat's reaction felt slightly off-character in the nuance, etc... oh, and Hanekoma can apparently just call Neku when he wants now. Uhh, okay then, hahaha.

But re: the above pic, Uzuki TOTALLY kicked Beat in this scene, then claims she can't attack players. WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT KICK? Bruhhhh.

This scene had a little bit less impact for me too, for whatever reason. It felt... a tiny bit more forced, somehow? I'd like to hear what people in the comments felt, but this wasn't the only scene that started to feel this way. In regards to the dialog... who is "all of us", exactly? Beat's, uh... not exactly around, Rhyme is erased, and so were all the other players. Am I missing something here?

While I'm not sure what I might be missing, I can tell you what this adaptation is: an actual build-up for the game master of week 1. As I suspected, introducing him in front of Neku and Shiki basically only at the end meant that the dialog and conflict here felt... very half-baked and not compelling. He acts like he knows Shiki and it seems like he tries to get to her but it doesn't work at all because Shiki already went through her growth, and it didn't really have anything to do with Higashizawa. So, is just kind of an awkward cooking-obsessed "boss enemy" that pops up to us and, in my opinion, not someone the viewer feels especially motivated to beat, whereas at least in the game it felt a bit more like Shiki genuinely had something to prove and had sort of "overcome" his earlier provocations.

While it's the nature of this review to point out changes and things I felt could have been done better, it's not like it was a terrible episode overall. Some important things happened, there were some nice fight moments with various new psyches shown, and some good visuals and music in general. However, even to the last scene with Shiki disappearing, a lot of the bits of dialog felt a little bit awkward, and it felt like some things were missing.

For instance, Beat was missing from the final scene with the Conductor—we don't see him become a reaper here anymore, Shiki disappears crying and sad instead of smiling and saying she'll wait for him in front of Hachiko/asking if they'll still be friends (which I thought was a way better way of doing it, having a final touching moment and letting the despair sink in only after Shiki is gone), and... did Neku even get his memories back? I don't remember Kitaniji saying he gave them back, and that feels like a fairly important detail to be overlooking, so... I'm honestly a little confused.

Overall it was a decent episode, but the show is leaving me fairly disoriented with the way it is scrambling everything together, and I actually have been trying to go into this not having seen the original story recently (though I do reference it during these reviews), so I'm definitely not trying to overcompare/analyze it or anything.

At the same time though, it's a given that when you rewrite scenes a lot, you're going to have to write them about as well as the original wrote its characters, or it won't hold up as well. When the standards are high, that becomes difficult, and I worry that the show is losing a little bit of its "edge" if you will, especially as the "shininess" of the cool art style and such wears off.

[xialing-gf]

school spirit

summary: mj does the most disastrous thing a high schooler could possibly do: fall for a cheerleader

wc: 1781

MJ loathed going to school sports events. Well, loathed was a strong word. She strongly preferred not to waste three hours of her life by screaming and shouting with teens who were way too interested in people kicking balls around. MJ’s idea of a school sports event was probably wildly exaggerated as she had never actually been to one and relied on movies and rumors to create an idea of what they were like.

As much as Michelle hated going to school sports events, she caved and agreed to attend a football game with Ned and Peter (only because that was the only way they would agree to play Super Smash Bro’s at her house during the weekend). They dragged her excitedly to the football game and chose front row seats so they could be closer to the action. 

Michelle didn’t tell her friends that she brought a book with her so she could read it once they were distracted by the game. However, she didn’t expect to be the one who was the most distracted. 

When Michelle was about to take out her book to read once the football game started, her attention was caught by the cheerleaders cheering on the track. Normally, Michelle would have just rolled her eyes at their peppy facade but her eyes landed on you. 

You were one of the most enthusiastic cheerleaders as you always cheered the loudest and never faltered in front of an unimpressed crowd. Michelle watched in awe when you ran to the middle of the formation and the cheerleaders boosted you up to the top of the pyramid they formed. Waving your blue and yellow pom-poms, you shouted, “M-I-D-T-O-W-N! Go Midtown!” 

Your eyes met Michelle’s when you scanned the audience and when you saw her stunned expression, you gave her a wink before jumping down into the net formed by your fellow cheerleaders’ arms. Right at that moment, Ned and Peter turned towards Michelle to ask her if she wanted to get snacks with them and saw the blush spreading across her tan skin.

“Who’s that?” Michelle asked her friends as she watched you continue to chant a cheer with the other cheerleaders. 

“Whoa, Michelle. I think she’s the captain of the cheerleader team. She’s way out of your league,” Ned shook his head, chuckling when he saw the lovesick expression on your face.

“Do I look like I care?” MJ turned towards her friends with a deadpan expression on her face. Peter stifled a laugh behind his hand. “Fine. I’ll find out who she is without your help.”

Michelle watched you during the entire football game, making sure to look away when you glanced in her direction to seem disinterested. Once the football game was over, Michelle saw you and your friends head to the hot dog stand, so she bid a quick goodbye to Peter and Ned before walking to the hot dog stand. Ned honestly thought Michelle was going insane and called after her, reminding her that she shouldn’t be talking to you and she responded by flashing him the middle finger. 

While you were giggling about a joke with your friends next to the hot dog stand, Michelle walked up to you after taking a deep breath and mentally preparing herself.

“Hi! I’m Michelle. Uh, you’re really good at cheerleading. I just wanted to let you know that,” Michelle managed to speak without completely stuttering, which she was almost never able to do with complete strangers.

“Oh hi! I’m Y/n. Thank you so much for your compliment! I really appreciate it,” You grinned at Michelle and Michelle nearly fainted. She swore that your smile had the beauty of all the stars in the sky combined. Pointing to the book Michelle had tucked her arm, you asked, “Is that ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ by John Green? I love that book!”

Michelle is shocked by your remark and replies, “Really? Me too. I mean, obviously, since I’m reading it.”

“We should hang out sometime. You seem like a cool person,” You casually remarked as you took a sip out of your drink. Surprise was evident on your friends’ faces as they observed your strange behavior.

“Yeah! We should. You seem like a cool person too. Okay, um, see you around!” MJ quickly turned around and walked away with her hands in her pockets. She had no clue that you watched her as she left with a hopeful smile on your face. 

Michelle did end up seeing you a lot at school. You always waved to her, no matter who you were surrounded by. She waved back and you two shared a knowing smile. Peter and Ned were stunned when Michelle voluntarily asked them if they could go to a football game with her. At the football game, Michelle tried to work up the courage to talk to you again but when she saw that you were surrounded by more of your friends than last time, she decided against it.

Then, on Coming Out Day, Michelle had the opportunity to talk to you again. You officially came out as bisexual, which had shocked the entire school as no cheerleader had ever come out in the school’s history. Michelle saw you at your locker and decided to congratulate you.

“Hey Y/n! It’s me, Michelle. Congrats on coming out!” You broke into your classic smile when you saw Michelle standing behind you.

After you closed your locker, you gave Michelle a big hug. Michelle was stunned by your gesture so you explained once you pulled away. “Thank you for inspiring me to come out! Remember how you came out last year? That really helped me come out this year.”

“Oh, wow that’s so sweet! Thank you so much,” Michelle was taken aback by your reply. Nobody had ever told her that she had an impact on their life, much less hank her for coming out as a lesbian. 

“Of course!” You beamed back. The bell rang, initiating the passing period before fifth period. Reluctantly, you two broke apart and as you began walking to your next class, you waved, “See you!”

“Yeah!” Michelle replied before practically skipping to her next class, joy overflowing in her heart. Her next class was geometry, a class that she despised being in and often slept in. But because of her interaction with you, Michelle was wide awake in her class and grinning while she doodled hearts in her notebook. Peter and Ned exchanged concerned glances, weirded out by MJ’s enthusiastic behavior; they figured it was because of you.

A few days later, you and MJ met in the parking lot of the school. Michelle was just about to drive home when she noticed you were standing by your car with your phone pressed against your ear, looking very distressed.

“Hey, are you okay?” Michelle asked carefully, approaching your car. You sighed, putting your phone down as you turned towards her. 

“Yeah, but my car isn’t. The insurance company is coming and my sister promised to handle all the technical stuff since insurance will probably get here around the time her rehearsal ends. I just need a ride home.”

Without thinking, Michelle offered, “I can give you a ride home if you’d like.”

“Really?” Your eyes lit up with hope upon hearing her offer and when Michelle nodded in confirmation, you threw your arms around her in a tight embrace. This was the second time you had hugged her this week and if you kept giving her hugs, Michelle was going to melt into a puddle. “Thank you so much, Michelle!”

“You can call me MJ,” Michelle grinned as she opened the door to the passenger's seat for you.

“I like your nickname. It’s so cute! Thank you, MJ,” You smile in response and Michelle nearly drops her car keys due to the overload of emotions she experiences from your simple response. When MJ drives you home, you decide to have a conversation about the book ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ with her. From this conversation, you found out that you and MJ had a very similar taste in books. Who would have ever thought that the cheer captain and a lonely bookworm could have so much in common? 

Once MJ arrives at your house, she commented, “Your house is actually really close to mine. We live, like, one block away from each other.”

This sparked an idea and you took out a post-it note from your backpack and explained as you scribbled something down with sharpie, “In that case, here’s my number. I owe you a ride sometime since you gave me one today. Thank you so much again!”

MJ watched as you grabbed your backpack and bag of cheerleading gear before walking back to your house. Watching you disappear into your house, Michelle finally realized that she was developing a giant crush on you,

With the homecoming dance approaching, the majority of students were concerned about who they were going with. Michelle didn’t expect anybody to ask her and she wasn’t going to ask anybody out either, even though she desperately wanted to you out. 

That was until Ned ran up to you during lunch with an excited expression. “There are rumors that Y/n is turning down all offers to go to homecoming, from both boys and girls. People think it’s because she’s planning on asking somebody out to homecoming.”

Suddenly, you felt a surge of hope. What if the person you were planning on asking out was Michelle? Ever since Coming Out Day and the day Michelle gave you a ride home, Michelle’s relationship with you had been shifting slowly but surely. Michelle went to every single football game just so she could cheer you on and watch your routines. You talked with her after each football game and often times, Michelle would give you a ride home and playfully tease you about your pom-poms.

At the last football game before homecoming, Michelle was supporting you in the crowd as usual and there was an abrupt shift from the usual routines as the song changed from an upbeat, dance song to a slightly slower, romantic song. Your cheer teammates surrounded you and hoisted you up in a pyramid as you held up a sign that said, “MJ, Hoco with me?”

All eyes in the crowd turned away from the game and towards MJ as she clasped her hands over her mouth in shock. There’s only one extra second of hesitation before Michelle removed her hands from her mouth and cries, “Yes!”

This is how Michelle ended up never missing another school football game in her entire high school career.

~

check out my mj x reader masterlist or more marvel fics on my marvel page! comment to be added to my mj x reader taglist

Mj Taglist: @retrobhaddie @just-your-local-history-nerd​ @chickenstrips45 @vaginalstds @stop-drop-and-drumroll

[star-duck]

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard - Book 6 chapter 4 summary

I know other people are doing summaries but there are scenes I want to write down so that I can remember them fondly, so here goes! Please notify me if I get things wrong and such, since I mostly write this from memory (I read this yesterday) while glancing at the book sometimes. Also I sure hope this sounds coherent, the original text is very graceful...

The events in this chapter actually starts at the end of the same day chapter 3 took place. Seigi's biological dad finds him as Seigi is walking home from Etranger. (Unfortunately I don't remember his name, Seigi doesn't refer to him by name, and I also refuse to check his name, so we'll stick with "dad" here) He starts trying to talk sweetly to Seigi, telling him how he managed to know Seigi's whereabouts.

During the conversation, Seigi has flashbacks on dad being abusive in the past and how he barely paid for damages to Hiromi after they divorced. Dad later explained that his mom (Seigi's grandma) died, and thus he lost his financial support and eventually lost his home. He implies strongly that he wants Seigi's help for food and shelter, while also badmouthing Hiromi. The exchange is honestly so raw and frustrating and I hope someone translates this in all it's.... glory. Seigi is extremely upset and is contemplating to just hit him, but anyway dad decides to leave after the conversation goes nowhere.

Also scattered in the chapter is that Hiromi divorced dad during Seigi's elementary school time, then she married Tanaka-san (the current husband) during the same period of time. Thanks to this and the ex being abusive, Seigi had to move schools multiple times.

Seigi gets stressed about the ordeal, thinking that he probably needs to skip work tomorrow since he thinks dad will come back. After he informs Richard through email, Richard asks if everything is alright and Seigi lies, saying that he just has events related to job-seeking and school works.

The next day, after spending his time outside, Seigi goes home only to be welcomed by dad in front of his apartment. Seigi walks away while dad still keeps following him and talking to him, then Seigi decides to walk in a hardware store. He buys something, walks out, and comes this scene (rough translation):

(Seigi) "Have you ever thought of dying?"

(Dad) "Dying? Why are you saying such a scary thing?"

"I have"

"Uh, let's stop talking about this. It's weird. Unpleasant."

"When I was in elementary school, I thought of killing you and then dying myself."

And now, just a little, I wish I really did just that.

In this peaceful Japan, even though there are a lot of violence happening every year, people can still buy a knife in hardware stores. Once this guy realizes that what I just bought was a sharp object, he takes a step back.

"Seigi, joking like that isn't good. You'll get involved with the cops."

"Do you want to see if this is a joke or not?"

"Why do you say things like that? I love you so much. That's why I went all the way to look for you, why don't you get it? I worked so hard to find you. Are you heartless now? Have you become a bad kid?"

"Let's decide here whether you'd leave or not. I'll give you 30 seconds."

Dad turns completely pale, and Seigi starts counting. Dad keeps trying to reach out to him but Seigi doesn't budge, so he eventually leaves.

The next day, Seigi is completely distraught. Tanimoto greets him, notices that Seigi isn't well and looks upset, then asks if it's better if she just leaves him alone, and does just that.

Seigi starts thinking of quitting Etranger, since he's afraid Richard will also get bothered by stalker dad, especially knowing that Richard is a british nobleman who treats Seigi to 3000yen+ dinners weekly. He makes up his mind and decides that the coming saturday will be the last time he works at Etranger, and starts making lots of pudding.

Shaul sends an email to Seigi, saying that Richard is worried of him so he's asking if everything is fine. Seigi's reply is a lie, once again. Seigi learned that dad apparently tried to ask for Seigi's key to the apartment's landlord, but since he couldn't prove himself he wasn't given anything.

Trivial stuff but Seigi starts thinking about how both Tanimoto and Richard are like angels to him. While Tanimoto is an angel that softly flies on the sky, Richard is an angel who despite having wings, he still walks firmly on the earth.

The next day Seigi is woken up by dad waiting in front of his apartment. He brings a piece of "gem" that looks like it's bought from a 100 yen shop. They talk for a bit, Seigi can't handle it anymore and throws a 1000 yen bill through the gap of his still-locked door. The dad grabs the money, complains that it's not enough, but eventually leaves. Seigi starts planning to move to weekly rental apartments, and throughout the week the dad has resorted to calling Seigi instead of physically visiting him. Then, Saturday comes.

The day in Etranger goes normally and smoothly, which is a nice surprise to Seigi. He's obviously emotionally very tired and worried, but he tries to appear cheerful because it's his last day. At the end of the day, he finally tells Richard that he wants to quit his job, effective tomorrow. Richard just says yes, and then invites him for a "goodbye dinner", though he hates saying that, so he just says that he wants to make good memories during the dinner.

Richard invites him to the high end hotel they went that other time in the case with Hase-senpai. They go to a restaurant high up (i think it's a rooftop restaurant but i'm not super sure) and apparently Richard has ordered set menu, so all they have to do is sit and wait for orders to come. After finishing, Richard brings him to the hotel's bar, both ends up ordering non-alcohol coctails, and Richard offers Seigi some high-end chocolate with liquor filling. Then comes this scene:

(Seigi) "This is so good, it feels like a waste to eat it..."

(Richard) "I think so too"

"Hn?"

"I don't want to.."

"Did you say something?"

"I don't want to send you home"

Seigi double takes and reconfirms that Richard did just say that to him, and no one else around. Richard confirms and pulls out a hotel card key, inviting him, light as if he's just asking Seigi to get into the car as usual. Seigi is determined to make today a good last part-time job day, so he will never say no regardless of what Richard says. All Seigi replies is "what floor?" but Richard doesn't answer.

Once they reach the right floor, Richard hands Seigi the card and Seigi proceeds to open the door. Inside, Jeffrey is waiting, yelling surprise, and Seigi is so surprised he's about to run away. Richard leads him back into the room and makes him sit on a chair. By the way the hotel room is the super high end one with multiple rooms and stuff, not the standard single room.

Jeffrey starts telling Seigi about how since he's been "legally" stalking Seigi for... a long time.... , he finds out about the stalker dad problem and informs Richard. Richard then asks Seigi why Seigi won't tell him anything. Seigi retaliates and says that it's not Richard's business, it's not like Richard wants to hear anything bad like that, etc. Then Richard says that he likes Seigi so, so much, that it makes him angry. At this point Jeffrey leaves the room for a bit so there's just the two of them.

At first Seigi denies Richard's concerns, saying that he might have been influenced by his dad more than Richard would ever know. As a kid Seigi looked in libraries about domestic abuse, and found a book that mentions that statistically, boys who witness domestic violence in their homes have a higher chance of growing up to be an abusive partner themselves. Seigi then recalls how sometimes as a kid he ended up punching and destroying things, how Hiromi enrolled him to learn karate to release the steam and learn how punches and kicks actually hurt. However he still thinks that he has the potential to be violent, and he doesn't want Richard to see that.

Richard gently tells Seigi that all Seigi does is being prejudiced towards himself, and that his prejudice means he's also prejudiced towards every other kid who are also victims of domestic violence. He adds that someone who isn't kind to themselves won't be able to be kind to others as well. Richard also thinks the reason Seigi never gets tired of Richard's looks is because he always sees Richard from afar, refusing to get closer. He encourages Seigi to seek help when he has problems, not just to Richard, but to anyone else.

At one point Richard kneels in front of Seigi who's sitting on a chair, Seigi thinks of how it's like if an adult is trying to comfort a child. Then he starts crying (again). Then Richard tells Seigi to answer the phone. He does, and the dad says he's waiting near Seigi's apartment. Seigi's supposed to go there alone, but apparently the game plan between the two brothers is that Richard is going to accompany Seigi. Jeffrey jokes that Richard might look slender when clothed, but if you see him naked he has pretty well built muscles, so everything should be fine if ever a brawl or anything happens. Richard shushes him.

Richard and Seigi ride on the usual Jaguar to the dad's location. Inside the car, Richard asks why Seigi was so gullible in accepting his invitation to a hotel room, he was sure that Seigi would say no to that. Seigi just says that it's because he trusts him. If Tanimoto ever tells Seigi she wants to punch him, Seigi will let that happen too.

They arrive, Richard stops the car, and encourages Seigi who has made up his determination, calling him a "good boy". Seigi notices that's usually a line used for dogs, but he shrugs it off. However, Richard ends up being the only one who walks out of the car and meets dad. Dad acts confrontational in front of Richard, until Nakata-san (Seigi's now-dad and Hiromi's current husband) appears and grabs shitty dad's shoulder.

Nakata-san confronts shitty dad, asking him why he's bothering his son, if he actually knows anything about Seigi, what he likes, what he's good at, etc. Shitty dad panics and runs away, leaving Nakata-san, Richard, and Seigi there. Seigi walks out of the car stunned, trying not to cry (for the nth time tonight), thinking about how happy it is that Nakata-san comes to help him. The dad and son hugs tightly.

Nakata-san explains that he comes because Hiromi and Richard contacted him about the incident. As it turns out, after the events in England, Richard contacted the couple to apologize about involving their son to all his mess. Nakata-san also apologizes that he couldn't come to Seigi's coming-of-age ceremony, and wants to make sure that he can be here today.... which is Seigi's birthday. He forgot about that because he was panicking.

The couple prepared a birthday present they ordered from Etranger. It's a pair of cufflinks made of tanzanite. Tanzanite is a pretty fragile stone, and by putting them as cufflinks, they want to make Seigi remember to take time to think before leaping into action and to stop him if ever he's about to get violent (though that isn't gonna happen, we all know he's a good boy!) so that the stone doesn't break. The designer of the cufflinks is Maya, the lady from Book 5 chapter 1 who told Seigi he had pretty hands (lol). If Seigi breaks the cufflinks, Maya will absolutely raise hell over it, or so Richard says.

Nakata-san says bye to our two boys because he has to go back to Hiromi's side as she's also pretty stressed from the whole ordeal, telling Richard to take care of Seigi. They both drive back to the hotel, Richard tells Seigi that Jeffrey will help sort things out as Seigi will need to temporarily move around to avoid stalker dad. Seigi asks why they're willing to go this far for him. Richard answers that the family owes Seigi a lot. Jeffrey also previously told Richard that if anything happens to Seigi, Henry will never forgive him, so Richard wants Seigi to just think of Jeffrey as a talking wallet.

Seigi asks Richard to let him go back working in Etranger, and of course Richard says yes. They then turn to go eat sweets somewhere.

[andtheyweredeskmates]

Of Latte’s and Lingerie- Chapter Seven

I finally finished finals tonight so I wrote a celebratory chapter. Hope you guys like it! 

Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6

AO3

TAGLIST: @catsssmeow

One would think that after years of working for his father, Adrien would have known what he was getting into. One would think.

Alas, he was still caught by surprise at the implications of attending his father’s events. His father’s fashion show was in four weeks and yet he found himself a little overwhelmed with the arrangements that needed to be made. For one, there was a car service, because driving his own car was apparently out of the question. For another, Adrien was required to see a stylist prior to the show and apparently nearly everyone had booked up. So after three hours of coordinating with Nathalie and calling in favors, he found someone willing to take him. Adrien was a little disappointed that he no longer had Nathalie to take care of booking these things for him and he had to take care of it himself. Likely because his father wanted Adrien to at least suffer a little from the consequences of “being an adult”.  Adrien supposed there was little room to complain. Besides, normal people made their own appointments for everything.

There was, of course things that Nathalie and his father did take care of. Like for example, the seating arrangements. There was a whole world of politics in the fashion industry that trickled down into every detail, down to the last chair. Adrien was grateful he wasn’t expected to entangle himself in that shit show of a web. Gabriel no doubt, knew his son well enough at the very least to know Adrien would never be good at dealing with that.

Despite all the fuss and a few hours of stress, Adrien was couldn’t help but be a little excited. After being cooped up for years he’d come to realize that at heart, he was a social butterfly. When it came down to it, events like this were always filled with people he’d known since he could crawl and there was comfort in the familiarity.

Adrien found himself wondering about Marinette. Surely she’d be there, in the front row. It was possible that Adrien would end up next to her. Adrien smiled at the thought. He knew how exciting it had to be to have her work shown at such an exclusive event and it made him happy to think about being able to see her get excited. He wondered how she would react. He still didn’t know her very well but he could tell she wore her heart on her sleeve. He could imagine her bubbling with joy when everyone saw how talented she was. Not that Adrien had ever seen her work but to work for Audrey Bourgeois or get a compliment from Gabriel Agreste, you had to be top notch. Adrien knew that better than anyone.

Adrien sat in his thoughts for a long time, laying across his leather couch and staring aimlessly at the ceiling. It was eight o’ clock on a Wednesday and he wasn’t entirely sure what to do. His train of thought had begun with the classic, should I cook or order in dilemma and without coming to a decision, his mind had run all the way to Marinette.

He chuckled a little at the thought of her this morning. She’d been so panicked. He thought of her wild black hair and the shoes in her hands. It seemed so out of place in such a tranquil little coffee shop. But it had been a welcome surprise. Adrien had always enjoyed a touch of spontaneity.

Adrien was interrupted from his thoughts when Plagg hopped onto the couch and settled himself on Adrien’s chest.

“Hey Plagg,” Adrien said, smiling softly as he scratched his cat’s midnight black ears. Plagg merely responded with soft purring.

“Food, huh?” Plagg looked at Adrien with wide eyes, as though prompting Adrien to elaborate.

“Yeah I was thinking take out too. Maybe I’ll have them bring you a little side of cheese.”

“Meow.” Adrien laughed.

“Yeah I know buddy, I know.”

…

When Marinette got home she slumped on the couch and curled up.

“Tikki. Why did you let me invite Alya over with wine last night?” Tikki ignored Marinette and continued playing with a stuffed macaroon that Sabine had bought her for Christmas.

Marinette thought about her day with a scowl. It started rocky and ended worse. She ran late to work, totally embarrassed herself in front of hot guy from Dunn’s, still didn’t figure out his name, had several unpleasant interactions with her boss, most notably about the upcoming fashion show. God Marinette hated planning. The fashion industry would be the death of her, and Marinette was sure of it.

“So, Audrey, I was thinking. I have this friend named Juleka and she’s a model and she would be a perfect replacement for me in the show. She’s beautiful. I’d be happy to send you her portfolio.” Audrey had sighed and rolled her eyes at Marinette.

“Marinette, I’m going to be very blunt with you. I don’t want anyone else. I’m trying to help you. You’re an amazing designer and you’re very beautiful and I think it’s an excellent way for you to be recognized by some of the other big brands that are going to be at the show. So stop trying to get out of it, you’re going to model the red piece and you’re going to like it. Understood?”

Marinette was conflicted. On the one hand, Audrey had given her two compliments in one sentence (which was a miracle all on its own) and on the other hand she was forcing Marinette to wear the red-

“THE RED PIECE?”

“Yes, it’s a flattering color. You look damn good in red and don’t act like you don’t know it.”

Marinette could feel her face turning a deeper shade of red than the red piece itself. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she got. She would be in front of dozens of elite fashion industry workers in nothing but a couple dozen pieces of lacy strings she’d sewn together. She’d be in front of Hot Guy…. In nothing but lacy strings.

Marinette was hungover and she was already feeling the need for another wine night.

Marinette pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at it reluctantly. She found herself pulling up the Hot Guy’s contact info.

Coffee Buddy

Suddenly Marinette pulled a very uncharacteristically bold move

Hey, this is Marinette. Thank you for the hair tie. Sorry I didn’t get much of a chance to talk.

Well, maybe not that bold.

…

Adrien slurped on his Ramen when he heard his phone buzz. He picked it up automatically and squinted at the unknown number.

Once he read the message, he smiled.

Hey Marinette 😊 Its no problem. You seemed a little preoccupied.

…

Marinette was surprised at how quickly the Hot Guy responded. She almost convinced herself for a moment that maybe he was as lame as she was and had no one else to talk to.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Yeah, sorry. Work. I was running late and Audrey isn’t really the forgiving type

Marinette felt her stomach grumble.  It was definitely time for food.

Coffee Buddy

I’m sure you’re super busy. Are you excited about your show? Marinette scoffed.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Well, technically it’s Gabriel’s show and honestly… I’m really nervous

Marinette could feel the little tingle in her gut when her phone pinged. It had been a very long time since she’d felt like that. At least since college.

Coffee Buddy

Don’t be. I bet it’s gonna be great. Besides, I’ll be there to pump you up. I’ve heard I’m an excellent hype man.

Marinette groaned.

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” she grumbled. She typed out another message before routing around in her freezer.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Well that’s sweet of you. It’s going to be a very long night for me.

Coffee Buddy

Maybe we can sit together.

Marinette snorted as she pulled out frozen pizza.

Oh I doubt it, Audrey has me doing…

Marinette thought about it for a long while before typing out the rest of the message to send.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Oh I doubt it, Audrey has me doing a lot of behind the scene stuff during the show.

Maybe hot guy would find out eventually what she meant but Marinette wasn’t ready for that conversation.

Hey dude you’re gonna see me in fancy underpants with a billion other people. Sexy right? Marinette rolled her eyes. No way. She was not having that conversation.

Coffee Buddy

That’s a shame. Are you going to the after party?

That had been another topic of discussion that had come up at work. The After Party. Audrey was insistent that Marinette attend. Marinette on the other hand, had other ideas. Like going home to wallow in embarrassment.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Um… TBD. I haven’t decided.

Audrey was likely not going to let Marinette win that battle either but Marinette could dream.

Coffee Buddy

Well they’re super fun. I’ve been to nearly every Gabriel show and the after party is the best part. It can get a little wild. But I promise, if you stick with me, I’ll show you a great time.

Marinette had always been told that when it came to flirting she was absolutely, hopelessly clueless. Alya had never seen a woman so unaware of the advances of prospective lovers. It was possibly Marinette’s greatest weakness.

Now with that being said, once Alya pointed it out, Marinette had tried to pay better attention. But really, it wasn’t so much paying attention as much as overanalyzing friendly behavior until she convinced herself that it was vain to assume anyone would want to flirt with her. In short, Marinette had not gotten any better.

…

Adrien wasn’t quite sure why, but Nino showed up at Adrien’s apartment shortly after 9. Adrien didn’t complain. He enjoyed the company. Nino couldn’t say the same. At least, not that night.

“Are you even listening? Who are you texting?” Adrien just smiled softly at Nino.

“Have you ever heard of Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” If Nino had been taking a sip of his beer the moment Adrien said that, he probably would’ve spit it out.

“Uh, yeah dude. I went to high school with her. I had a huge crush on her all sophomore year. She’s a fashion designer now right?”

“Wow, that’s so cool. I met her at a coffee shop the other day and she’s really nice. I’ve been texting her for about 20 minutes now.”

“So… she’s single now huh?” Adrien cocked his head in confusion.

“Um, I don’t know. Was she single when you knew her in high school?” Nino laughed.

"I'll take that as a no. I guess she was dating a boy?"

“First of all, he was not a boy. That dude was all man. Luka Couffaine. He was in a super sick metal band that supposedly did really well in America. Second of all, how are you talking to a girl and you don’t even know if she’s single?” Adrien gave Nino a contemptuous look.

“We’re not talking-talking. She’s just a friend. We only just met yesterday.” Nino snatched the phone out of Adrien’s hand.

“Gimme that,” Nino said. He began scrolling through Adrien’s texts.

“Hey!” Adrien protested. Nino rolled his eyes as he tossed the phone back to Adrien.

“You are so full of shit dude. ‘I’ll show you a great time?’ That’s literally a tacky pickup line guys use at the bar.”

“What? That’s not even a pick up line. I don’t think you even know what a pick up line is,” Adrien grumbled. Nino snorted.

“Dude, do you know what a pick up line is? I’ve known you for what, two years now? And never once have I ever seen you go after anyone. I thought you were asexual or something.” Adrien looked at Nino with another look of contempt.

“I’m not asexual. I just got my own stuff going on you know. I’m trying to get my shit together so I don’t wreck someone else’s.” Nino rolled his eyes.

“Whatever you say dude. Only thing I’ll tell you then is that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is probably one of the most kickass girls you’ll ever met so if you do decide you like her, you better respect the shit out of her, got it?”

“Sure thing dude.”

Next Chapter

[headoverhiddles]

Spookshow Baby - Rob Zombie x Reader [Smut]

Synopsis: By good luck or connections, you find yourself backstage at a Zombie show, and Rob can’t take his eyes off you. 

Requested by @plagued-rat​!  “Rob and a younger fan meeting at a show and sleeping together or something along those lines.”  Hope you like it, hun :)

Notes: The personalities depicted are fictional-- I don’t know them, even though I wish I did. 

Is it really that hard to get a beer in this place?

You try to navigate your way through the crowd of people getting their seconds and thirds at the bar when you haven't even had one. You finally get up to the bar, and order your drink. You get a bit of a look from the bartender-- you can't tell if he's judging you, or in awe of you, and honestly? You're okay with either. You'd worn a pretty striking outfit tonight, your favorite that you'd had in the closet lying around for something like this.

It had been an event you'd been looking forward to for months. Your friend Ash has a band, a sort of side project from her main group, called The Haxans. She'd promised you'd be the first to get tickets when they had their first show, and five years later, here you are. Maybe if you had told the bartender you knew the singer, you could've at least gotten your beer faster.

Not only are you excited to support your friend, but her fellow band mate and guitarist, Matt Montgomery, is the current bassist of your favourite rock band. Rob Zombie had been a huge part of your life, since Hellbilly all the way up til now with Celebration Dispenser and the new album coming out sometime this year. You'd never been able to make it to a concert of his yet, as he hadn't played anywhere near you, but you had made no secret of your strong feelings for the front man.

 ---

You hang back near the tech at the Viper Room, and look around as the band starts their set. This place was said to be a hotspot for ghosts.

"Sweet venue, huh?" a voice behind you asks. You turn, and see a guy in a big straw hat. You feel like the voice is familiar, but you can't really tell with the loud noise.

"Yeah. It's haunted, you know."

The guy laughs. "No kidding." He glances up at the band performing. "That's... kinda fitting."

"Right?" you smile. "Somebody's apparently buried in the basement."

"Jesus. Guess that's why Johnny Depp sold it."

“Or maybe he did it," you laugh, sipping your drink.

"That’s sure a theory. So, what brings you here?" the guy goes on. You're used to the line that guys use on you to flirt, but this guy's still keeping his distance. It's interesting.

"I like their music," you say, "And I'm supporting my friend, Ash."

"Ah, cool. I'm here supporting the other guy, Piggy D. I dig their sound, he's got a great fucking gig here."

"Yeah, totally. Along with working for Rob? Super rad."

"Hm. Yeah." The guy gives a little smile, which you don't see. "See you around, maybe." 

"Yeah!" you smile, and when you turn back, the guy's gone. You wish you could place that voice.

 ---

After the show, you head up to the stage to congratulate your friend. "You were awesome!" you say, giving Ash a hug. She kisses your cheek.

"Yeah?"

"For sure.You guys were both amazing." Piggy D comes over, lifting his guitar strap over his head.

"Hey. Who's this?"

"This is my friend who I said would be coming, (y/n)?"

"Oh yeah." Matt gives a lopsided grin, shaking your hand. "Great to finally meet you. How'd we do?"

"You were great," you assure him. Ash nudges him.

"She's a big fan of Zombie."

Matt's black shadowed eyes light up. "Yeah? Here, I'll send you a pass to come say hi to us backstage. We're playing the area in a couple weeks!"

"Oh god," you blush, "That'd be awesome. Thank you so much."

"No problem." He gives you another smile, then sets his guitar down. "Gotta dash." His eyes ascend over you and Ash. "John, Rita! Thanks for coming!"

Ash pulls you to the side. "Oh my god. You're gonna get to meet him."

"I know." You fan yourself.

"He's really chill, don't worry. He'll love you."

"You think so?"

"Look at you! You're hot as fuck girl, I'd sleep with you if I wasn't taken. He'll go crazy for you."

“Ah. I’m too young for him...” 

“You could use a daddy. He’s daddy material. Spookshow daddy for a spookshow baby.” 

You smile, and ignore the unlikelihood of that happening. Still-- you've never been so excited.

 ---

The next Friday night, you find yourself enjoying tickets to the Zombie mosh pit in your home town, backstage pass tucked safely in your back pocket. You're currently waiting for Rob to come out on stage, and are watching the opening band, Palaye Royale.

After the last song of the opener's set, the stage lights begin going crazy, and you hear Rob begin to shout out the beginning of Dead City Radio.

The show is amazing, as you knew it would be. You've never actually heard him talk before, only sing, and when he speaks to the crowd between songs, you can't help but notice how attractive his voice is too. During Get High, Matt notices you, points to you with his pick, and winks.

As everyone cheers after the encore of Dragula and gives the band a good send-off, you slip backstage, coming up to the guards. You show your pass shakily, and they let you through.

"Hey!" Matt calls, and you turn down a long hallway to see the boys coming offstage.

"Best show I've ever seen, hands down," you say, "Other than the Haxans, of course."

Matt laughs, and fist bumps you. Ginger and John walk past you, shooting you friendly smiles. For a metal band, these are a bunch of really good guys. Then Rob comes out, dragging a towel over his face and dreads.

"Fucking high energy crowd!" he exclaims, punching the air as he comes over to you and Matt. "Great night."

"Crowd was on fire. Hey man, this is (y/n)." Matt introduces you.

Rob looks at you for a second, and tilts his head. "Oh yeah. You're the girl I met at the Haxans show, huh?"

You go to say yes, then start to realize how he knows. "You're the guy I talked to!"

"That would be me." He nods, then remembers how much he enjoyed talking to you. It’d be dangerous to see where this went, so after that stunted exchange, he goes to leave. You think of something to turn him around.

"Is that a Creepshow patch?" you ask, finally close enough to his patch jacket to decipher each one. He stops, and looks back.

"Hell yeah. You like Creepshow?"

"Love it!"

"Best one?"

"The Crate."

"Oh, fucking right!" He nods, "I like that crazy hitchhiker one too from the second one..."

"Thanks for the ride lady!" you quote, and he gives a loud belly laugh.

"Damn. You're pretty cool." He rubs his makeup with the towel. "I'm, uh... chilling a bit later tonight at a little after party. Sorry to be a big fuckin' drag, but I'm not one for lots of drinking or anything like Danzig or Manson are. I'll probably bore you to death."

"Then we can be a couple dead people together," you smile, and he smirks down at you.

"Sounds like a plan." He bites his lip, and gives you a once over again. "Follow me."

 ---

When you get to the party, it's pretty much like he said. He immediately wanders off around the outskirts of the crowd, stopping only to shake a few hands and greet a few people. It's a cool venue-- better than any you'd been to. It's dark, black-lit and monster-themed, with all kinds of pop art and horror memorabilia around the place. It's fitting for the band, and the people who hang out with them.

"Hey, man. Who's the lady?" John whispers in his ear. "Saw her backstage."

"Someone I met the other day. Piggy brought her back."

"She's pretty, huh?"

Rob shrugs, trying as usual to appear noncommittal when in fact he was feeling very committal. "I like her. Figured she may be some fun. Could definitely save me from this party." John shakes his head with a smile, going back over to Rita.

You try and crane your neck to see where Rob went, and are startled by a voice behind you. "Hey, you're the girl from the show, right?" You turn to see that it's Rob's drummer, Ginger.

"Yeah," you smile, "Ginger, right?" He shakes your hand heartily, nearly bruising your fingers with a drummer's grip.

"You can call me Kenny! Hey uh, long shot, do you happen to have a shower curtain anywhere accessible?" You frown, and are about to say no, but Ginger's already sensed your answer by your look of alarm. "No worries, I know who to call for one." He gets out his phone, and starts texting his old boss.

There's Rob. He's hiding in the corner like Dracula, away from the bright lights and people. You walk towards him through the crowd, toward where he's taken a seat on a red couch shaped like psychedelic lips. Rob watches you walk over to him, furrowing his brow. You look fucking good. His breath gets heavier as blood rushes down south. He hasn't wanted a girl this bad in years... much less a fan. Play it cool. She’s young enough to be your daughter, or some shit. 

"Dumb party, huh?" he mutters, burying his feelings down deep. You smirk, sitting down beside him and crossing your legs.

"Seems like you really don't wanna be here."

"Well, it's all about the show, you know? What happens afterward is all bullshit, catering to TMZ who peddles articles about stupid shit like drugs and trashing hotel rooms to 15 year olds who read their articles and think that's what being a rock star is all about." You blink. He's not wrong.  "But it's uh... it's a lot better with you here." Come on, Zombie. At least try not to be a black hole of negativity for once?

"Don't worry. I'm not really one for parties either. I mean, they're fun sometimes. But sometimes you just wanna be by yourself, you know?"

"Exactly!"

"Or... with someone you'd have a lot more fun with." He glances up. "Wanna get out of here?" you ask, eyes conveying your intentions. 

"Let's do it." As you walk toward the exit though, Rob pulls you down a hallway, then out the back door to the alley behind the club.

"You pulling a Lugosi on me, Zombie?" you joke. He smirks.

"You want me to?"

"Are you a vampire?"

He runs a hand through his dreads. "I'm more of a werewolf."

"It's a full moon," you tease, pulling him closer to you. He walks you back against the graffiti'd brick wall, and you part your legs to make room for him.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he murmurs, eyes already falling down to your lips behind his sunglasses. By way of reply, you take his sunglasses off, reach around to stuff them in his back pocket, and bring your lips to his. 

Fuck it. His eyes close, and he reaches up to support you properly, urging your to wrap your legs around him as he holds you up. You moan as his ratty jeans provide the perfect grind for you, grazing your inner thighs and grazing where you need him most. His fingers dig into your ass as you reach forward and unzip those jeans, taking out the chunky belt with Svengoolie's face on the buckle. 

His head tilts back as you take him in your hand, and fuck, he has to be inside you. You sink your face into his shoulder as he pushes in, and his face twists up. The way he's glaring at you in pure concentration is driving you wild, and the intense eye contact is turning him on too. He bares his teeth, gnashing as he fucks in again rough, making you gasp.

"Ro-ob..." you manage out.

"Whatdya need?"

"That's... ohmygod,that's so good, fuck, that's so good, faster--"

He gets even more rough, almost animalistic as he drops the cool guy act and just goes ape on your body. One of his hands shoves up your top, unhooking your bra with the precision of a master, and dips down to roll the tips of your nipples with his tongue. You cry out, neither of you caring who can hear you. It's as if he's become the demon he performs as, and it's fucking hot.

"Feelin' good, babe?" he growls.

"So good," you sigh, working down on him. He holds you up with one flexing arm as he keeps your wrists pinned with the other, dipping his head down a little again to leave hickies along the juncture of your neck. "I'm close--"

"Come on, baby, come on," he snarls, "Yeah..." You gasp out his name as his heavy thrusts rock you against the wall, tipping you off the edge and ripping you apart.

He watches you cum with the intense gaze of a hellish predator, and pounds you even harder until you're done. When he's sure you're satisfied, he lets you down, and cums against the wall, bracing himself against it with one hand.

You run a hand through your hair, and lean back. "Christ. There are so many puns I could make right now."

"I like puns," he pants, slipping his sunglasses back on, and with them, into his awkward, chilled out self.

"You fuck like a Superbeast." There's silence as you hold in your giggles, and he stares at you, completely deadpan.

"I fuckin’ regret all of this." You let the giggles burst free, and he takes you under his arm, leading you toward the street. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"My torture chamber, for special fans like you."

"I'm not surprised."

"Then maybe, after the torture, we can throw on a movie. Maybe..."

"You got Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine?"

"...Okay, maybe I don't regret this."

He calls his driver, and excitement fills you at the prospect of seeing what his house looks like. Probably as eclectic as the man himself. As the two of you get in, you open your phone to see a text from Ash.

So?????? watchu up to sex kitty

You grin to yourself as you type out a response that's sure to make your friend screech.

Is it necrophilia if I fucked a Zombie...? ;) 

[tolstoys-nemesis]

Funsize list of literary classics :)

Hey so this is just going to be a very brief list of classics I've read and really enjoyed. Please do bear in mind that I've only read a handful of all the books out there so don't get upset if you don't find your favourite classic or whatever, this is intended to be a very short rec list for people who don't really like classics/want to get into classic literature but don't know where to start. This is probably going to be very basic, but uh, sue me!

1. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen Premise: The novel follows Elizabeth Bennet, a young woman, second-born of a family of five daughters. Her older sister, Jane, meets a man named Mr Bingley and the two of them fall in love. Bingley has a friend, Mr Darcy, who is remarkably haughty and inconsiderate. One day Bingley leaves town for no apparent reason. Cool stuff: Austen is peak feminist literature. Lots of female characters, amazing friendships, huge diversity in their personalities. Very nice and cosy, the book does have a plot and some conflict, but the stakes are quite low which allows for a peaceful read. Not-so-cool stuff: Ok so this might just be me, but I read the book and listened to the audiobook at the same time, and I found that a lot of the spelling was archaic, causing me to be quite reliant on the audio to fully grasp what was being said. But don't get me wrong, P&P is easier to understand than #3 on the list.

2. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens Premise: We meet the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, on Christmas Eve. He's a greedy man who thinks socialism is a plague and is generally terrible. Later that evening, the ghost of his long-dead business partner comes to him and tells him that he must get his act together, lest he should be condemned to eternal damnation. That night, he is visited by three spirits, the first one takes him back to his youth, the second one shows him the horrors that he is passively contributing to, and the third one shows him what will become of him if he doesn't change his ways. Cool stuff: A Christmas Carol is essentially baby Dickens. The tone is ludicrously light for Dickens, and the book is very short (my copy is like 130 pages), so you can absolutely sit down one afternoon in December and read it in one sitting!!). The story is super famous so you already know what you're getting into, so the prose won't get in the way of your understanding of the text. Speaking of which. . . Not-so-cool stuff: ACC may be Dickens' most accessible book, but the style is still very, well, Dickens.

3. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens Premise: Oliver Twist is an orphan brought up in a workhouse in the first half of the 19th century (read, under inhumane conditions). One day, he is drafted by his friends to ask the quartermaster for more food. This goes over quite poorly indeed and Oliver is sent away to learn a trade away from the workhouse. Things go from bad to worse, and we follow Oliver on his journey from the English countryside to the slums of London to his long-lost family. Cool stuff: While Oliver Twist is a famous story, a lot of people don't know the specifics of the plot, and trust me, they're iconic. You catch feelings (both good and bad) for the characters, and honestly it's just so aesthetic I'm- Not-so-cool stuff: Right so there's the obvious factor of Dickens' notoriously pompous prose, but that's still very superficial. On a more serious note, anti-semitism. It's there. Dickens toned it down himself after it was pointed out to him, but it's still uncomfortable. There's also a lot of abuse, both physical and emotional, and uh,,, femicide happens, so if those are things which are sensitive issues for you, you might want to skip on that one? idk, I'm not the boss of you.

4. The World's Wife, Carol Ann Duffy Premise: Is it too early to regard Duffy as a Classic author? What's that I can't hear you over the sound of my love for her! Right so uh this is a collection of poems published in 1999, which focuses on the women behind great men (kinda? that's the most general summary I can give of it?) or bends great men's gender and gives their point of view on the events their Great Man are famous for. Cool stuff: Women loving woman writes about women. It's amazing. Not-so-cool stuff: it's very sexually explicit? yeah that's it.

5. The Last Day of a Condemned Man (Le Dernier Jour d'un Condamné), Victor Hugo Premise: Ok so most of the book is actually in the preface, an essay attacking the death penalty. (there's also a play in there for some reason?? I don't think all editions have the play but mine did and it was very confusing? I think the play is a satire of the society Hugo lived in, but yeah, quite odd). The actual narrative is more of an emotional complement to the very rational preface than anything and omg it's brilliant. Anyhow, the story follows an unnamed man, sentenced to death for an unknown crime (note: this is a far more solid way to advocate against the death penalty than your average "sOmEtiMeS iNnOcEnT pEoPLe aRe WrOnGLy aCcUsEd aNd eXeCuTeD", because that doesn't actually address what's really wrong about the death penalty) from about 6 weeks before his set execution date to moments before he meets the guillotine. Cool stuff: ok so if you're into activism, this is really an amazing book. It's short, can easily be read in one afternoon. Not-so-cool stuff: it's a bummer. You don't want to read that if you're going through some shit, you will make your existential crisis worse.

6. Animal Farm, George Orwell Premise: Do you know about communism and the USSR? Congratulations, you know about Animal Farm! Soviet leaders are pigs, soldiers are dogs, all the other animals are regular citizens. Men are aristocrats. If you like thinly veiled metaphors for autocratic regimes, but 1984 was too icky for you, this is the one! Cool stuff: Short and sweet, can be read in one afternoon. Gets you thinking but doesn't entirely rob you of your will to live. Not-so-cool stuff: Allegories can get very annoying in very little time.

7. Froth on the Daydream/Mood Indigo (L'Ecume des Jours), Boris Vian Premise: It's surrealism time sillies! Right so the main character's name is Colin, he's wealthy, he has a poorer best friend, and he wants a girlfriend. He meets this girl, Chloe, they fall in love they get married and everything is great for about 47 seconds! During their honeymoon, Chloe falls ill, and she is eventually diagnosed with *checks notes* a water lily in the lung! Everything goes to shits in record time! Cool stuff: It's very aesthetically pleasing. There have been a bunch of film adaptations and I don't want to watch any of them because I don't want images that are any different from those I pictured while reading the book. Best enjoyed with some ominous music playing in the background. Quite short, can be read in one afternoon but not necessarily advised. Can absolutely be read over one week-end though! Not-so-cool stuff: Remember what I said about the aesthetic? A lot of people I know read the book and disliked it because of the aesthetic. You just have to figure out whether that's your jam or not. Oh And, I've never been high, but finishing this book made me feel things that I'd never experienced before, and idk whether that's a good or a bad thing.

[gwenbrightly]

Elements

Oh look! My brain decided to create a random drabble about elemental powers instead of focusing on OMAC… Oops. I guess Misako's appearance will have to wait… All the headcanons and stories I've been reading lately that mention Lloyd's powers acting up when he gets emotional made the temptation to write this too great. So yeah. This one shot can probably be considered a part of Of Milk and Cookies, and takes place just after the chapter titled Awkward. I hope you enjoy!

Elemental powers are weird, Lloyd muses early one morning not too long after their visit to Darkley's Boarding School. He can control his now – sorta – and the others can do some pretty amazing stuff with theirs – like being able to lift a sports car with your pinkie. Or spark fire with a snap of your fingers (literally). Or charge your phone using only your own energy. Or meditate inside of a freezer for hours on end without getting cold (okay, maybe he hadn't been around for that). All those things are incredibly cool, and Lloyd's not complaining, because someday he'll be able to do all of that too, which is super exciting. He can't wait, really.

But sometimes... Sometimes having powers isn't exactly the best. He's been around this weird, dorky family of his long enough to notice that there are days where things get a little out of wack. Where Kai or Zane get emotional and the temperature around them suddenly changes to the extreme, or any number of other bizarre side effects. Just last week, Lloyd walked into their skimpy apartment only to feel his hair immediately begin defying gravity due to the sheer amount of electricity filling the air. Puns involving shocking had most definitely been made. Cole and Jay's latest argument (See: whether or not pineapple is an acceptable topping for pizza) had gotten a little... heated, and the master of lightning's powers had acted up as a result. It wasn't the first time this sort of thing had happened, and the blonde is pretty sure it won't be the last. Still, he has to admit that it's a little (a lot) unnerving to deal with the aftermath of an elemental outburst... Especially... now that he's experienced his own for the first time... Okay, he'll admit it – that's the real reason he's up right now – not because he was craving poptarts. Which is what he plans to tell the others if they question it. Not that they're awake, so he's safe. For the time being, at least. Maybe he can get this glass cleaned up and replace the lightbulb before anyone finds out? If he's lucky. Lloyd slips over to the meager set of cupboards that they've installed in one corner. They have to be keeping some extra lightbulbs around here somewhere... Honestly, given what's happened during training, he really shouldn't be surprised that his latest nightmare ended with him blowing up their light source – it had been so vivid, and just… he'd woken up terrified. He hates feeling like that. He'd stared at the mess for quite some time, too shocked to do anything about it at first, but. Having all that power running through his veins was guaranteed to catch up with him eventually. He knows that, but it doesn't make attempting to quietly remove broken glass from the floor any less of a struggle. Carefully picking up the largest piece of what used to be a lightbulb, Lloyd shoves it in the garbage. Bit by bit, the debris begins to disappear. The green ninja has managed to dispose of most it by the time someone else wakes up (it's impressive that it took this long, to tell the truth). It's Nya, of course, trying hard to cover up the fact that she isn't a morning person (at all). The girl seems to have some sort of magical sensing abilities that activate whenever he's in trouble. She gives him a concerned look before wordlessly grabbing a fresh lightbulb from a shelf too high for him to reach. The samurai drags their one whole rickety stool over to the socket and screws it in with a large yawn. Then, Nya gives the floor a quick scan, looking for any remaining hazards that might exist. There are none.

"So. I earned some extra cash at the autobody shop yesterday. Wanna go get some donuts?" The girl asks her adoptive brother, eventually.

"Huh?" Lloyd stares at her, not fully processing the question. She shakes her head with a sigh. Clearly today's gonna be a rough one. He really could stand to get away from the apartment for awhile – to decompress and all that therapeutic stuff you're supposed to do when you're dealing with emotional triggers.

"Donuts, Lloyd. You know, those pastries police men are so obsessed with? I'm leaving in five with or without you." His mind may not immediately get what she's saying, but his stomach certainly does. Growl.

"That's a yes, then?" Nya says, smirking.

"Sure. Okay." He replies with a shrug, because donuts do sound awfully good, now that he thinks about it and. He's not gonna pass up the opportunity to eat something other than off brand cereal for breakfast. That would be completely out of character, no matter what the reason for doing so is. They slip out of the apartment, careful not to wake the others (though Cole's definitely going to be offended if he finds out about it later) and wander down the sidewalk. As it turns out, the nearest donut shop is less than a block away. The smell of freshly fried dough greets the pair as they push the door open. Mmm… It's only when she notices the distinct lack of customers inside that Nya realizes how early it is. A glance at her phone (which she probably should've checked before they left) tells her it's not even 5:30 yet. Oh well, if the place is open, it's not like they're intruding or anything. Lloyd perks up noticeably when she lets him pick out his own donut – a questionable decision, since he immediately chooses the one with as much frosting as humanly possible and a thick coating of rainbow sprinkles. It even has gummy worms on it. A part of her wants to scold him for being so unhealthy, but the grin on his face. She can't. So, she selects a donut of her own (powdered sugar with raspberry filling) and hands the drowsy cashier a bill. They find themselves a booth near the windows lining the front of the store and enjoy their breakfast in silence for a few minutes before Nya says anything to Lloyd.

"So. Nightmare?"

"Yup." He tells her in a small voice, playing absent mindedly with one of his gummy worms.

"I kinda figured." She comments wearily, "You gonna be okay?"

"Dunno. Hope so."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I-I…. Don't really remember much about the dream itself… Just… It was so freaky to wake up with the light going crazy… and then it exploded, and I've never had my powers go out of control on me like that and…" Nya wraps a comforting arm around the blonde's shoulders. He leans against her, regretting having been woken up so early, and perhaps still a little shaken by the events that transpired earlier.

"I'm sure it was pretty freaky… You know you can always wake on of us up if you need to, right?" Lloyd nods unconvincing. There are no tears, surprisingly, which Nya takes as a good sign.

"I know… And I was gonna. Eventually. But I wanted to take care of the glass first – so nobody stopped on it. Thanks for helping. With the lightbulb. Being short sucks sometimes."

"Course it does. But it's gonna suck even more someday when you finally stop being such a pipsqueak and end up taller than me." Asserts the samurai. He giggles weakly.

"You don't know that that's what's gonna happen… maybe you'll get lucky?"

"I guess you have a point there. But seriously, if you have any more issues with your powers, I'm here to help. And so are the others. I mean, Kai accidentally set his bunk on fire when he first got his true potential… Maybe you should talk to him about this – I'm sure he'd understand…" Kai is a pretty okay listener from what Lloyd's seen at this point. He probably wouldn't have convinced himself to revisit Darkley's without him.

"M'kay. I'll think about it." He decides through a mouthful of donut, "Not right now though? I kinda just wanna forget about the whole thing…"

"That's valid. This can be our little secret. Betcha the guys aren't even awake yet." The girl agrees, figuring he'll share more when he's ready. She's not gonna push him. This time.

"They're really missing out. This donut is delicious." Lloyd tells her, clearly done talking about powers, nightmares, or anything related. Life's really not so bad when you've got an awesome older sister to buy you junk good. Even if it is only because your elemental abilities went haywire in your sleep.

"Totally. But they don't need to know anything about that. You, on the other hand, will be taking a nap as soon as training is over for the day. And I don't meaning laying around reading comic books. Actually sleeping will be expected." Nya stated, giving him a pointed look.

"What? But that's not fair! I just got a new one!" Lloyd groans indignantly.

"And I'm sure you find plenty of time to read it eventually. However, you also need your rest, so that's gonna have to be a priority for now." Deep down, he knows she's right. He just doesn't plan on admitting it. So, he decides to focus on what's left of the mound of pastry, frosting, and sprinkles instead. He feels better now, anyway.

" So, that happened?" Lloyd says one day, several years down the road, as he stares at a soaking wet Kai. He's not even sure where that much water could possibly have come from.

"Uh... Oh my gosh, Kai, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to..." Nya apologizes, attempting to use her abilities to draw the moisture away from her brother.

"I mean, we all knew it was gonna happen eventually. S'not that big of a deal. But you do owe me a new tube of hair gel..." He shrugs, not particularly concerned. The reason for their... Disagreement isn't important anymore. Things have been tense for everyone since the battle with Morro. He just wants her to be okay. She's not exactly the biggest fan of her elemental powers in the first place.

"Yeah. That's fair." She agrees after a second, looking sheepish.

"Happens to all of us." Lloyd reminds her, "Wanna go get some donuts?"

[lalainajanes]

Hi! idk if you're still taking prompts but can you do one where klaus and caroline are coworker's who are always getting into heated screaming matches during team meetings and everyone who works with them is just used to it, but the new girl is like wtf??? and then later finds out that they're actually married and don't hate each other?? thanks!! your writing gives me life

Obviously I could not resist fluff day! For Step Two of @klarolineshippersclub 12KCXmas event!

With Friends Like These

The office is deserted – its 7 PM on a Friday – so Caroline’sstartled by the sound she hears coming from the hall. It’s a staccato series oftaps. Heels, eating up the distance quickly, and she rolls her chair back,grabbing her phone from the corner of the desk just in case someone’s bleeding.

She’s about to go and see what’s happening, when Kat barrelsin. Her eyes are wide with what Caroline suspects is glee, her hair a wildwindblown mass of curls. Her jackets only half buttoned and she tosses asideher purse, rushing towards Caroline. “You will not believe what I just heard!”

Caroline lets herself be shaken, taking another confusedlook at Kat’s dishevelment. “Did you run from the bar? Thought you were goingto try to seduce the new guy.”

Katherine looks offended. “Try? Please. Mason’s a sure bet.He’ll keep until next week.”

“Wow,” Caroline drawls. “Something came up that’s kept youfrom guaranteed sex? Must be big.”

Katherine lets go of her, tossing her hair over her shoulderand letting out an irritated huff. “Yeah, yeah, mock me. We don’t all get to scheduleregular freaky married sex.”

It takes a fair amount of willpower not to tear her eyesaway and Caroline lifts her chin stubbornly. Katherine might know far too many details about her and Klaus’ sex life butthat was only because Caroline gets a little over share-y when tequila’sinvolved in a girl’s night out. Klaus is shameless enough not to care, evenwhen Kat’s comments get overly pointed. If anything, he leans into it, lets hishands linger and does his best to make Caroline blush. Caroline is working onbuilding up the same aplomb in the face of Kat’s suggestive smirks and taunts.

“You seem to do just fine in the freaky sex department,” shesnipes back.

Katherine grins, slow and very pleased with herself. “Ireally do.”

Caroline groans, walking over to the couch that lines onewall of her office. “I do not want to have this conversation with you.”

Her dry spell is hours away from ending and she’s really looking forward to it.

Klaus has been gone for ten days, dealing with inspectionsfor the new hotel the company is opening in London. Caroline’s team is busy puttingtogether room concepts so she hadn’t been able to justify taking the time awayto accompany him.

She likes phone sex as much as the next girl whose husbandhas a hot accent but it got old after a few days. She misses having a warm bodyto roll into at night; the way he wakes he scrapes his morning beard againsther shoulder when she grumbles about the alarm.

“Someone’s cranky!” Katherine sings. She circles Caroline’sdesk, helping herself to the bourbon that’s stashed in the lowest drawer. “Mynews might not help you.”

Oh joy.

Caroline slouches low, letting her legs flop ratherungracefully, “And yet, you rushed all the way back here to tell me about it?”

“It’s just too hilarious. I couldn’t not.”

Katherine’s sense of humor is a weird thing, an acquiredtaste, so Caroline braces herself. “Alright, hit me.”

“Uh uh. Let me set the scene.”

“And people say I’m dramatic.”

Kat ignores the complaint, lifting the bottle high. “There Iam, in the ladies room…”

“Taking off your panties so you could stuff them in Mason’spocket?”

“Please. Like you’ve never used that move.”

Caroline could honestly say she hadn’t (Klaus likes toremove her lingerie himself) but Katherine’s already continuing her tale. Sheperches on the edge of Caroline’s desk, wiggling in an effort to getcomfortable.

So it’s not going to be a short story. Caroline presses herlips together, holding in a sigh, glancing at the clock. She’s supposed to grabKlaus from the airport at eleven and she’d planned go home and change intosomething easier to remove beforehand. Hopefully Katherine can resist the urgeto embellish too extensively.

“I’m minding my own business, about to flush, when I hear afamiliar name.”

“Yours?”

“Nope, yours. Preceded and followed by some very colorfuldescriptors.” She pauses expectantly, eagerly watching for Caroline’s reaction.

Only to be disappointed when Caroline shrugs, emitting onlya dismissive, “Somehow I’ll survive.” The last time she’d really been overlyconcerned with other people liking her she’d owned pom poms.

Katherine, however, isn’t finished.

“Really? Even when I tell you that our little bathroomgossiper had very complimentary things to say about your hubs?”

Her hands curl into the couch’s cushions, a teeny flare ofjealousy flaring bright.

She’s an only child and she gets a little possessive, okay?Klaus is into it. He’s also no stranger to getting growly and shooting murdereyes and staking a claim and, since he’s got a bajillion siblings, he doesn’t evenhave the same justification for being bad at sharing.

Those incidents usually result in an immediate need forprivacy (or the reasonable facsimile found behind a locked office door or thebackseat of a car). The next day they’ll sleep in, there will be hickies on herthighs and scratches on his back, and they’ll eat dessert for breakfast.

Honestly, Caroline kind of loves that particular ritual,knows very well that Klaus does too.

“Not everyone thinks Klaus is awful,” Caroline points out.

“Because most people are dumb and lack my excellent taste.”

Caroline eyes the bottle, seriously considering chugging abit and just calling a cab when it’s time to collect Klaus. She really doesn’twant to be drunk for their reunion but, if Kat doesn’t hurry up and get to apoint, it might be her best option. “I love you so I’m going to ignore the factthat you kinda just called me dumb.”

Katherine scoffs, “You’re not dumb, just dickmatized.”

It’s probably a good thing she’s not drinking because shewould have choked. Caroline’s laugh sputters out, grows in volume, and she hasto cover her mouth when it becomes hard to control herself. Her eyes water alittle as she finally manages to stop giggling, “Yeah, I’m totally tellingKlaus that you said that. He’ll take it as a compliment.”

“Literally the only nice thing I’ll ever say about him isthat you’re far more bearable and less uptight than you used to be. I creditthe regular orgasms.”

She and Katherine had been hired at about the same time and,in the beginning, hadn’t gotten along overly well. Kat now headed The MikaelsonGroup’s marketing team, was a wizard at luring in celebs and influencers andmaking their hotels a coveted destination. Caroline had worked her way up torun a design team. It’s how she’d met Klaus (and they’d butted heads too in theearly days) coordinating with him and his architect minions.

“I, too, am a big fan,” Caroline admits. “Though, honestly,you should really give cuddling a try. Totally relaxing.”

“Ew, pass.”

It’s an argument they’ve had before.

“Anyway,” Katherine says, so loudly that Carolineinstinctively glances towards the door. “Back to my story. Greta Martin thinksyou should stop being a total bitch to Klaus in meetings. Oh, and she’s alsoplanning on banging him.”

Caroline sits up, now outraged. “I am not…”

Katherine cuts her off, “You have been a little snippy thisweek.”

Only because Klaus has been baiting her.

“That’s just how we are. He pokes, I prod. He’s annoyinglysmug, all ‘oh, aren’t I the cleverest?’ and I like to knock him down.”

“Verbal foreplay is your thing,” Katherine says, adding aknowing nod.

She throws her hands up, collapsing back again. “Exactly! Mymarriage is freaking great and if that…”

Again, she doesn’t get to work up to a proper rant. Superannoying.

“That’s the best part!” Katherine crows. “She has no ideayou and Klaus are married! Talk about dumb people.”

Well, that’s mollifying. Slightly. Caroline will just haveto make things clear. Plans begin to form. She discards the racier ones (unlessGreta proves to be unwilling to take a hint). She twists her wedding bandabsently, “How has she not noted the rings?”

“Forget the rings. How she hasn’t noted Klaus’ doofybesotted face whenever you walk into a room is the bigger issue. Maybe sheneeds glasses?”

Maybe Caroline will get her assistant to shoot Greta anemail detailing the company’s excellent insurance coverage on Monday.

She hears the bottle clink and she shakes off her mentallists, shooting Katherine a glare. “You know, it would have been easy for youto clear up her misconceptions in that bathroom.”

Kat’s brows rise and she shoots Caroline a look like she’ssaid something totally insane. “And deprive myself of prime workplace drama?Please. You know how bored I get on Wednesdays when I have to sit in those dumblegal meetings.”

Caroline’s displeasure must read on her face because Kattosses her a bright smile, leaning forward and offering the bottle. Her toneturns placating, “Oh, relax, Cupcake. It’s harmless. You’ll probably forget allabout this little snafu over the weekend.”

Caroline’s does have big plans.

“Maybe,” she allows grudgingly. She stands, straighteningher pencil skirt. “Speaking of, I should go home and make myself pretty.”

“You’re going to do that gross airport make out thing, aren’tyou?”

Caroline smiles, not trying to hide the slightly mockingedge to it. “Usually, yeah. But Elijah’s not a guy who tolerates a scene.”

She relishes the freezing of Katherine’s body, the wideningof her dark eyes. Her hand flexes, looking for the bottle that had recentlybeen clutched there.

Caroline withholds it, setting it down and out of reach.

She’s not entirely sure what had gone down at the Christmasparty last year (Katherine was way better at keeping secrets no matter how muchliquor was applied) but she knows Kat’s red lip had been rubbed off and Elijah’svest had been buttoned incorrectly when she and Klaus had met the odd couple atthe elevator bank.

Kat had twitched a little at the mention of Elijah’s nameever since.

She adopts her sweetest expression, “Maybe the legalmeetings will be more exciting when Elijah’s leading them in person, hmm?”

Katherine’s mouth opens. Closes. She wiggles her toes to gether heels back in place before hopping off the desk. “I need to…”

She doesn’t finish her sentence, stalking out of the office.Caroline watches her go, both satisfied and bursting with curiosity. A speechlessKatherine Pierce? Caroline never thought she’d see the day.

She makes a mental note to tell Klaus, to wheedle until heagrees to pump Elijah for info. She didn’t often get bored at work, not whenshe could just pop into Klaus’ office and poke around in his projects. But hehad another trip on his calendar next month.

She won’t turn down a little in office entertainment whilehe’s gone.

[jungnoir]

just to continue off of that yukhei head canon, jungwoo as a florist or part of the school gardening club? thank you :) (also love u so much this is the shy anon who thinks ur ethereal but can not show her love as well as she wants to❤️🌹)

(jungwoo requester) also i’m sorry i never specified what i wanted it as but tbh anything you’d like to do because you’re amazing and i have full trust no matter what you do:)❤️            

a/n: here you go!! my dumb self accidentally lost the first half of this yesterday so i tried to recreate the magic as much as possible. and ok!!! i was super excited to get going on this when i got this message!! i love you too omg and dw!! i’ll make these headcanons to keep up with the bad boy!yukhei ones. I hope you enjoy~ the bad boy!yukhei headcanons in question are here. also, i’ll stop blabbering soon, but i recommend listening to this song when you read this :)

jungwoo got into gardening because of his parents influencing him from a young age

jungwoo’s parents were v v much crazy about nature and grew up in the countryside, so when they moved closer to the city, they severely missed having all that open space and being surrounded by green

no matter where jungwoo’s family lived, they always had a garden and they always employed jungwoo’s help

whether he was carrying tiny potfuls of dirt across the yard or whether he was watering the plants, he was always doing something with his parents out there

as he got older, he started doing more heavy labor

in fact, by the time he was thirteen, he could tell a farmer a thing or two about a thing or two ok ok

also by thirteen, his parents gave jungwoo a small section of the backyard where he could start his own garden

while he loved to plant flowers, he also liked to plant veggies and herbs and the like

he has this cute little aloe vera plant that has gotten quite big recently (!)

he makes a lot of homemade remedies and things

now, being best friends with bad boy!yukhei, he also knows a variety of plants that can be used to treat cuts, burn, bruises, you name it

sometimes yukhei just shows up at jungwoo’s door and his parents are like “jungwoo!! he got hurt again!!”

and jungwoo just quietly leads yukhei into the bathroom, sits him down on the toilet and has a lil upset expression on his face as he treats yukhei’s scraped knuckles with salves that he made himself for things,,, just like this,,, cause goddamn it wong yukhei u are a mess

it doesn’t happen as often seeing as yukhei is like. Large and scares most contenders off pretty easily with his words and those thick eyebrows but sometimes a dude gets a lil brave every now and then and yukhei has to show ‘em a thing or two

yukhei always likes to be cute tho, just to convince jungwoo not 2 be mad

yukhei: u kno,,, jungwoo, ur my best friend :)

jungwoo: unfortunately

yukhei: whenever u help me out like this i just think abt how like,, u and me? we’re an iconic duo u kno???

jungwoo: what

yukhei: ur like the village mage and i’m the humble but emotionally motivated warrior protagonist u kno

jungwoo: yukhei i don’t know what you’re trying to SAY

yukhei is kinda mad that jungwoo doesn’t appreciate his analogies but i mean,,, it’s Fine that’s just the problem with being best friends with the village mage and not sidekick #1

even tho jungwoo acts absolutely exasperated with yukhei and yukhei loves to tease the eldest, they’re both fiercely protective of each other

like yeh yukhei will avoid abt 95% of the fights that ppl try to start with him bc all he has to do is buck up and ppl run but like?? one time a fool came up to him and started talking shit about jungwoo’s gentle persona and long story short yukhei was almost expelled and that aforementioned fool switched schools the following week

Nobody Disrespects Jungwoo In Yukhei’s House

and while jungwoo is definitely not the fighting type (he much prefers using his words to get his points across), he also has done a lot of research and has access to several recipes for poison so like don’t fuck with yukhei is what i’m trying to say

don’t ask why he has those just don’t fuck with yukhei and u won’t have to worry about it

anywho :)

it wasn’t until jungwoo started his first year at school that he realized that he’d always,, gardened by himself

and it wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy his solitude!! it was just that he’d never really realized that he wanted to share his hobby with anyone until he got to high school

even tho yukhei was his best friend, they clearly didn’t share the same hobbies as yukhei would rather rot inside all day than go outside and “let the sun cook me from the inside out while doing physical labor”

and even though his parents gardened, they didn’t do it as often anymore

so!!! lil jungwoo just decides to pitch his idea to the school about starting a gardening club

at first, there’s only jungwoo so the school isn’t totally sure they should even bother but then jungwoo brings along a few friends who are interested in joining and they let it be

and the club absolutely flourishes over the next four years

it rapidly collects members of all types and backgrounds, people who lived in rural areas and people who had been at their closest to plants in a flower shop

jungwoo is just so bright and friendly and sweet that a lot of ppl join when he asks despite not knowing a thing about gardening

and by the time jungwoo is about to graduate, he’s got such a following and ppl who are just as passionate as him who want to take over when he heads off to college (yukhei told him he better take a gap year so they could go into college as freshmen together but that choice was still pending oops)

the school had seen how passionate they all were so early on and decided to devote a part of the land at the school to the club to do with as they wished, so jungwoo had the great idea of creating a mini garden paradise

they all pitch in to decorate the garden so it has a beautiful stone walkway with trees that line it and flowers planted all around. benches are placed every couple of feet and it is the Perfect place for students to come whenever they feel particularly stressed during the end of the school year and need somewhere that’s just not hectic

the cool thing about this lil garden is that on holidays, they dress it up!!

so for the christmas eve, they string lights through the trees and hang ornaments on them while the school choir sings carols the whole night

and on valentine’s day, they also string lights through the trees but add little foam red and pink hearts to hang from the branches and on each heart, you can buy one and write a name of someone you love

it can be your family members, your best friend, a crush, or your significant other

it can even be ur cat!!!

(jeno has been doing this for the last three years and we’re honestly all concerned he loves nothing else)

the cool thing about these hearts is that you can either write the name of who you love anonymously and hang it on the tree (and whose ever name you wrote gets to take the heart home with them if they’d like) OR you can sign it ;)))

the tradition is, if you sign the heart and that person finds it and brings it to you, that means they accept your confession

despite jungwoo being the key organizer of this v-day event, he’s never participated

however

that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been confessed to more than a dozen times

when his mom saw how many he’d brought home with him since sophomore year she asked him if she could make a collage and hang it up in his room but he was like mom!!! no!!!! that’s lame

so he keeps them all in a shoe box under his bed

and when he feels a little down or ignored, he’ll pull the box out and remember that some people out there like him a lot

there were all unsigned, but sometimes jungwoo would wish that one of them would be signed at least

part of him would feel himself grow expectant every time someone came to his table to get a heart and he’d wonder “is that one of them?” “will they do it again this year?” “is this the year they sign it?”

the other members would often joke with him abt how his eyes would light up when someone would buy one and would always fidget a lil as he thought about all the possibilities

you had joined jungwoo’s gardening club your second year when your counselors started encouraging you to join clubs to meet people

honestly, there were a lot of strange clubs around

you had almost joined the gaming club but then you found out about this school gardening club, and something abt it just,, called to u

your first time you went, you found a piece of paper crudely taped to the door of the classroom they were supposed to meet up in and all it said was “outside”

so, you went outside

and sure enough, in the back of the school in the large expanse of land back there, you found a bunch of students near this garden all crouched down and doing… Something

you made your way over, a little confused, and tapped the shoulder of the person nearest you

they have a huge ass sun hat on so when they turn around, you weren’t really expecting such a,, good looking guy,,, oh. hm

jungwoo narrows his eyes at you, but it’s only bc he has to look up and the sun is getting into his eyes “hello! can i help you?” he asks cheerily, pushing himself up from the ground and clapping the dirt off his gloves

he’s much taller than you expected, so you step back a little and try to remember what u had even came all this way to do in the first place lol

“ah! uh… this is the gardening club, right?”

jungwoo was smiling before, but now he grins so wide that his front two teeth resemble bunny teeth

cuteeeeee

“it sure is~ i’m jungwoo, the head of the club. did you want to join? i promise, you’ll have a lot of fun” he promises this to you and you absentmindedly think that even if he tried to sell you rat poison under the premise it was candy, you would believe him

but this club is rlly candy in this case bc once you’ve told him your name and joined, you find that it’s so much more fun than you had expected

you had really just wanted to be able to tell your counselors you were into something but now,, now u were really passionate about this

something about how jungwoo ran the club made you so interested in gardening

he taught you the basics from the ground up, but it wasn’t super hard???

he was always very simple and forward with what you needed to do, so you had v lil chance of messing up

he was also v friendly and was constantly asking questions abt your life

he always sounded so interested!!! even in the lil things

like what was your last class of the day? what flower appealed to you the most?

he helped you plant your first “honorary” flower as a member of the club

on the walkway, each member gets a flower to take care of up until graduation, after which then the other members will keep it alive to remember them and their contributions to the club

jungwoo just has a lot of sappy cute traditions ok

he tells you that you can plant anything, so you choose the flower you like most and he tells you you can plant it right next to his

even tho… there’s tons of space…. jungwoo…… it doesn’t have to be…. next to yours

this also means that when you all go out to check on the garden, you have to stand right next to him to check on your flower

your knees touch his as you water them together, make sure they’re getting enough light, etc

he always loves to talk to you about the flowers

honestly sometimes he just chatters and chatters and you’ve noticed over time that it’s a nervous habit of his

it was,,, rlly cute

since it was fall when you joined, jungwoo informed you that it was important to care for the flowers so that they wouldn’t be too affected by the weather change

you remembered one cloudy october day when the club couldn’t meet bc of the expected rain storm that evening

you had been about ready to head home for the day when you saw something strange through the windows, where the garden was

there, you could see a very frustrated jungwoo trying to set up tarps over the garden to protect them from the harsh weather

he hadn’t quite gotten it set up right

it was supposed to stand like a small tent over the flowers that weren’t covered by the trees, but it kept slipping off the middle post

rushing out to the patio, you drop your backpack next to the back door and sprint over to help jungwoo steady it

he’s surprised you’re there, but smiles appreciatively and gets back to work hammering it in the ground on the other side

“thanks,,, i honestly thought i could do this myself but i guess not” he rubs the back of his neck and laughs shyly

you just chuckle, “i saw you struggling and couldn’t help but come over”

jungwoo clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “where would i be without you, (y/n)?”

you bite your lip and look away before he can see how flustered that comment alone makes you

somewhere along the way, he’s gotten the tarp set up correctly, so he’s just about ready to call it a day when all of a sudden,,, it starts beating down rain

Hard

jungwoo, in surprise, grabs an extra tarp he’d taken and throws it over his shoulders before coming over to you and handing you the other side

all he tells you is to “run!” and you just start sprinting toward the cover of the trees because it’s the closest thing to you

and,,, you’re standing awfully close to each other

you don’t register jungwoo is laughing until he unknowingly presses his chest against your shoulder, the vibrations from his laughter shocking you out of your concentrated stare on the crazy rain that forced the sky to be dressed in a dreary grey

you look up at jungwoo and find him grinning at you, “why’d you run this way and not toward the school?”

the rain is beating against the tarp despite the tree cover, but it’s not nearly as much like it is out on the open grass

“oh,,, uh,,, well it was closer and.,,, uh,,,”

yeh no u can’t even find the logic in your choice

but jungwoo doesn’t seem so bothered by it

he looks around the garden and sighs, “i’m glad you came to help me when you did… otherwise the flowers would be in trouble”

you just nod, trying not to focus on how warm his skin is against your own

he suddenly crouches down so you’re uneven and you blink at him, “jungwoo, what are you doing?”

���do you wanna run out there again?”

“uh,, not right now, no”

“then let’s just sit here and watch the rain. it looks really nice like this”

to be honest, you couldn’t see how pretty it could really be sitting outside in the rain, but he was also holding one half of the tarp and it wasn’t like you could really leave him like that,,, so u sit down

you both have to cross your legs so the rain won’t get you wet, and while you’re both sitting on the walkway and looking out as thunder rumbles and flashes of lightning show in the distance, jungwoo says very softly “most people don’t like this kind of weather because it’s wet and cold and disruptive… but i find it kind of peaceful. even though it isn’t very nice for my garden, i still like it in a way. it’s like the world telling you to stay in for the day and rest”

you look over at him once more, but he’s focused on the sky, eyes alight with the same kind of admiration that he has for his flowers

he looks captivating

you smile almost instinctively, “a gardener who likes gloomy weather?”

he chuckles, meeting your eyes, “if you know plants, you know that they don’t just need sunshine all the time. they also need rain. you come to appreciate both and set up protection when needed. kinda like people… though it takes us longer to realize that for ourselves in comparison to plants.”

you’re not sure what to say after that, so instead, you scoot minutely closer to him and start to look at the rain through the same rose-colored glasses that he does

you don’t realize how long you’ve stayed out there with him until one of the teachers leaving for the day catches sight of you both and tells you to come inside before it gets too late and the storm picks up more

reluctantly, you walk with jungwoo until you get under the patio and its overhead roof, and when you grab your phone out of your bag, you find that you’ve got quite a few missed calls from your parents

“i really should go, my parents are probably pissed i missed their calls” “ok!! i’ll see you tomorrow then?”

he lets the tarp fall, and his hair is a little mussed from the rain that got on him before you both found shelter

his skin is dewy from the humidity

but he looks just as handsome as he did the first day you met

“yeah… tomorrow… hopefully we don’t get caught in the rain again” you joke

jungwoo suddenly turns bashful, “i… wouldn’t really mind”

that’s probably the day you fell for him tbh

you kept your feelings mainly to yourself, and when you found out about the valentine’s tradition, you thought that maybe,,, maybe you could just get those feelings out and be free of them

so you made your own heart instead of buying the ones you guys were selling and put it up on a random tree when you were sure jungwoo wouldn’t see

only, ,, you had expected to be the only one

it turned out that when you and some of your friends went walking through the garden to see if anyone left any for you, you found the trees decorated with so many other hearts that had jungwoo’s name

yours was the only one that was different

before you could go back and snatch it down however, jungwoo had already found it

“why’s this one look different?” you’d heard him ask his friend yukhei, who had begrudgingly tagged along

“idk dude, maybe they wanted to be special. you’ve got like a thousand fans around this school u know”

you don’t know why your heart felt so,,, pained when you heard that

after all, you just wanted to “confess” and get it out of your system in some way so you could move on

why would you care so much that other ppl liked him too? you couldn’t control that!!

however, you went home with a few hearts that your friends had left for you and decided that you would just leave it at that. the next day at school would be as normal, and you would start getting over your crush on kim jungwoo

except,,, it didn’t happen that way

if anything, the years that dragged on only made you more in love with him

and so, every year, you would leave another heart (always homemade, always the only one of his confessions that was different in some way)

and you never dared to sign them

you would stay anonymous and hope that by the time you graduated, your feelings would somewhat dissipate with age

look bih!!! it’s not working!!!

plus,,, it seems like ppl just keep catching on the longer it goes on

especially yukhei

you had never even talked to the guy but he had caught on to you after the first valentine’s incident almost immediately

he just spotted you in the hall, walked up to you, and said (in a very not subtle voice) “so you like my best friend!!”

you had to shush him and pull him around a corner where there were less students

and he’s just grinning like a fool, “you seem cute! don’t hurt him tho or you’ll wish you hadn’t”

and ur just like ;-; pls don’t threaten me i’m just tryna live my life as a simple lovestruck human being

but then he shakes his head “i’m just kidding, i know you wouldn’t hurt him,,, but why,,, won’t u tell him”

u: !!! i’m fine being just friends

yukhei: LOL yeah no really why won’t u tell him

feeling like you can’t continue to lie, you tell him that you feel like you won’t have a chance, what with the fact that he has so many admirers already and you don’t want to take any chances bc i mean,,, u really really like him

and you’ve already become his friend so why jeopardize that

but then yukhei is like “well,, i understand that much, but i think that you should still tell him. if not now, at least before it’s too late. you’re just going to keep feeling unsure and if you miss your chance, you won’t forgive yourself for that…. i know that it’s scary, but i will tell you one thing and you can figure out what to do with it: there’s a great chance your feelings aren’t as one sided as you think”

then he drops his eyelid down in a wink and pats your shoulder and leaves you like that

yet, still, you don’t confess

at least, not yet

you continue to just be friends with jungwoo and leave him that same unique heart in the garden every valentine’s but that’s it

you continue to keep yukhei’s words in mind, but haven’t yet decided went to act on them

fast forward to graduation, everything is all over the place

ppl are getting ready to head straight off to college, others are planning parties to celebrate, and others are just unsure of what to do

jungwoo knows that he’s going to miss this school with his everything

he’s already crying harder than his parents when he wakes up the morning of LOL

yukhei also comes over early that morning just to threaten remind jungwoo that he should wait for him so they can go to college at the same time

jungwoo: who even said you would get into the same college as me?

yukhei: do you think i don’t have my ways. we’re going to college together you fool

for some reason,,, jungwoo just pulls out the box of hearts he’s received

and he sets out the three unique ones he received

he had honestly tried his best to figure out whose writing it could have belonged to, had tried to rule out ppl who bought the hearts the club made, etc.

he never got to find out

he had once jokingly asked yukhei if he made them for him but yukhei just grinned all knowingly and told him he needed to look a lil deeper

and jungwoo was ???? but really anxious to know

but today was the last day for this mystery person to personally confess, and he felt a foreboding feeling. like it wouldn’t happen

he goes through the ceremony, taking pictures and the works

yet, the whole day, he hasn’t seen you

sure, he’d seen you walk the stage, but you had disappeared into the sea of people as soon as the ceremony ended

he had sent you several messages but you hadn’t answered any of them

he had taken his last pictures with the rest of the club and had elected the next leader of the club in a very emotional goodbye

he decided he would find you later, maybe see you before the day ended after he finished having dinner with his parents

he had one last thing he wanted to do before leaving, and that was in the garden

he looked at it now, a beautiful, ever-growing thing that had come a long way since ninth grade

now he was leaving it, and he couldn’t quite believe it

he wandered down the stone walkway and found his flower, right next to yours

he couldn’t help but snap a few pics of them, sending one or two to you in the process

when he had finished up reminiscing, he found himself just sitting on one of the benches and watching as the wind swayed the branches of the trees, distorting the sunlight that filtered through the leaves

he felt himself quietly laughing to himself as he recalled when you and him had gotten caught in the rain here all those years ago

it felt so far away now

tugging his cap off his hair, he leans forward on his knees and sighs

until something pink appears in his vision

it takes him a second to realize there is a little cut out heart in front of his face, hanging from a red string that dangles off a familiar finger

on the heart is his name, in that familiar handwriting that he had never been able to recognize

and underneath his name,,, it was signed

with your name

jungwoo follows the finger to your face, a nervous twitch in your smile as you hold the heart out to him

“i meant to leave this for you before you got here but… yukhei told me you’d beat me to it”

jungwoo breathes out in disbelief before reaching into his pocket for his own homemade heart with your name on it

“i guess we both have funny timing” you laugh, watching him stand from the bench to take your heart from you

jungwoo blushes, “the fact that we’re both here tells me our timing is good enough”

you watch as he puts both your hearts on a branch next to each other, watching the wind blow them back and forth in the breeze. the strings they’re hanging on tangle and it feels like a sign

he looks at you with that same look he gave his flowers, the same look he gave the angry, stormy sky as it shamelessly rained down on the both of you. his hand reaches for yours

“yeah,” you say softly, letting him pull you closer, “i think you’re right”

jungwoo captures your lips in a small kiss that feels like the last three years of longing finally finding a home

you suddenly don’t feel so bad about waiting for the right moment, because had you not, you might not have met jungwoo halfway like this

and it feels so, so good

also yukhei is totally taking pictures from behind a bush but dw about it

[hazinhoodies]

October part 4

A/N: i had this ready for so long and decided to rewrite it last night and i didn’t proofread to the best of my abilities so im sorry. all parts are tagged under october fic

Warnings: none

Word count: 2k (the longest chapter so far at least)

Emma and Hannah talked for the rest of the night about anything they could. When no one spoke, they sat in a comfortable silence until it was broken with one of them sarcastically threatening the other or speaking with no provocation.

“Cough one more time and I’ll throw you in the lake” -Emma 9:34

“What do you think our pets name us?” -Hannah 9:57

“Thanks, I hate it” -Emma 10:22

“How confused do you think a lion would be if it saw an octopus?” -Hannah 10:49

“Frankenstein is oddly symmetrical” -Also Hannah 

After the last one Emma finally looked up. “You know, it’s times like these when I wonder how we ever became friends’

“We were both lonely so we decided to be lonely together”

“Ah right, the greatest mistake of my life” Emma recalled. Hannah’s jaw dropped in shock

“Emma!”

“Okay okay i’m sorry” Emma couldn’t hold back her laughter “I should probably go, it’s getting late here” She glanced at the clock 11:52pm.

“Oh sure break my heart and run away why don’t you” Hannah spoke flatly before they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Emma hadn’t noticed how dark her room had actually become until Hannah had hung up. Her laptop providing the only light in the room. She quickly changed and got into bed, pulling the duvet up over her shoulders. She started to ponder the events of the day, almost definitely overthinking everything. How could you have already made him hate you.

Harrison lied awake in his bed, he’d been struggling to sleep for a while. The photo still etched into his brain. Did something happen? Was it just for a project?  He’d never craved answers so much. If he could actually talk to her without making a fool of himself then maybe he’d get them. After about another hour and a glass of water, sleep finally took over.

A few days had passed and went pretty well. Emma had already figured out how to get around set, at least to the important parts; Her trailer, Toms trailer, Z’s, Jacob’s. The important ones. Her first interview of the day was Tony, she had to wait an hour or so for Z and Jacob to finish their next scene so she stayed in Tony’s trailer and talked with him.

They asked each other an abundance of questions. By the end of it Tony could have probably written her biography. Emma could have answered any questions you had about him. Favourite food? Favourite colour? She knows it.

“You and Tony got real close huh?” Z asked after her interview.

Emma shrugged “I guess so. I mean, he’s really nice and we had an hour to kill so we just.. Talked. Things just flowed. It was a nice change honestly”

‘Change from what?” Z looked over at her as Emma sighed. “Come sit here, we’re gonna be awhile” she patted the seat next to her and Emma sat down.

“A change from from what?” Zendaya repeated

“Holland and co” Emma paused “They're all super nice don’t get me wrong, Sam and I constantly. Just whenever Harrison is there things get kinda awkward”

Zendayas features soften, her voice filled with sympathy “He’s just like that sometimes I guess. Tom and him have been friends for years already. Just don’t take it to heart Em.” Emma nodded “Good. Now tonight you’re coming back to my hotel with me and we’re gonna talk got it? Great”

Emma chuckled “I see that i get no say in this whatsoever”

Zendaya shook her head “None at all”

Once Z wrapped, her driver drove both of them back to her hotel, which was significantly larger than Emmas.

“Okay important stuff first” Zendaya starts as soon as the door shuts behind them. “Hogwarts house. Favourite musical. Favourite band or artist or whatever” she counts them off on her fingers as she speaks.

Emma smiled “Ravenclaw, les mis or grease, probably Bowie”

“Bowie, really?” Zendaya echoed as they sat down on the couch, Emma nodded

“Yeah or maybe the Beatles” Zendaya looked shocked “What do you think i only ever listen to orchestra music?”

“No just didn’t picture you as a classic rock fan”

“I’m just full of surprises” Emma spoke sarcastically.

“Okay well I still know nothing about you and that seems kind of unfair considering you could google everything about me. So tell me stuff” Z leaned in closer, whispering the last sentence

“How personal do you want me to get?” Emma asked

“As much as your comfortable with” Z explained.

“I mean if were going all the way back I lived with my mom growing up, bout an hour outside of Toronto, never really knew my dad. I have a few vague memories but he left when I was six so they aren’t much. I’ve always been pretty music-oriented and my family never knew where I got it from. They were all science and math people My best friend, Hannah, we met when we were 7 at a youth band thing and have been stuck together since. We did everything together. We actually both graduated early and applied to the same universities but she stayed in the city to do musical neuroscience and I moved six hours away for performance music and then switched into composition” Emma ended.

“What about like dating and stuff? There's no way you’ve never had a boyfriend” Z leaned back, resting her elbow on the back of the couch, holding her head up.

“I dated the same guy for all four years of high school and into uni” Zendaya’s eyes went wide “Yeah it was really good at first but around the end of my junior year it got ugly. But we’d been dating so long I was almost convinced that it was normal. Once I got into university it got really bad and that’s when I came to my senses” Emma spoke calmly. Something about Z made her easy to trust.

The rest of the night went by quickly. They talked, ordered food, and watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine for the rest of the night.

The next two weeks on set went by pretty much the same. When Emma wasn’t doing post-scene interviews, she was in either Toms, Zs or Tony’s trailer. She had become pretty close with some more of the cast, particularly Jacob and Remy, definitely the most comfortable with Tony though.  She’d grown pretty close with Sam and Harry. Even becoming closer with Harrison. To the point were the two of them plus Sam watched the dark knight rises in Tom’s trailer after Emma had admitted to never having seen it. Even still, it was always fleeting gazes or staring way too long with both of them, neither approaching the other unless someone else was there, and still, they were all stutters and flushed cheeks.  

Emma had not had a good morning so far. It was Michael’s last day on set for a while so it was going to be only her now. Of course the first day without Michael and she woke up late and couldn’t get her coffee maker to work and found that the pants she’d planned on wearing, she hadn’t packed. Instead opting for a black skirt and a yellow top with the same pair of ankle boots as always, her hair pulled into a ponytail. Michael had gone in early so the drive to set was just Iris and Emma. It was slightly awkward, normally Michael would be the one to speak up and start conversations but without him there it was silent. The only good part of her morning so far, had been Iris offering to stop and get coffee when Emma told her of her morning so far.

Once she was out of the car, Emma started towards her and Michaels trailer, coffee in hand and her bag on her back. She felt her phone start to ring and pulled it out of the waistband of her skirt and with one hand, answered it holding it up to her ear

“Oh perfect you answered” Michael started, not even giving emma time to say hello “I have some stuff for you to listen to once you get here. I’d really like your input”

“Okay. Iris just dropped me off I’ll be there in like two minutes” Emma found herself walking in between the abundance of trailers.

“Great. You remember which one right?”

“Yes of course I do Michael, it’s been two weeks. I’ll be fine. Bye”

“Okay well just text if you get lost. Bye now”

Emma pushed her phone back into her waistband. She looked up, but not soon enough to avoid the chest she walked straight into, the other person also on their phone.

Harrison

Emma stumbled back, dropping her pretty much full coffee on the ground. Harrisons hands immediately went to her waist to stabilize her, feeling her stiffen underneath his touch.

“Sorry about that, I should’ve been paying more attention” Emma looked up at Harrison. He was easily six inches taller than her. Everything she’d worried about during the very first interview had come true. She wasn’t able to look away now. She noticed the smallest details about him that she hadn’t before. Like the way his eyes got more green towards the outside, or the light stubble along his jaw, or how his cheeks seemed slightly more pink than normal.

“It’s alright darling, just watch out next time, yeah?” Harrison gave a small smile and Emma nodded. They were both lost in each other for a few moments. As if they were trying to memorize every detail of the other. Like the faint freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks.

Darling? It had rolled so easily off his lips, he hadn’t even noticed he said it.

It took a minute before Harrison realized how close they really were. He reluctantly pulled his hands away from her waist. As he did Emma broke their eye contact and took a step back, bending down to pick up the fallen cup.

“Ill uh.. I’ll buy you a new one” Harrison spoke, Emma looked up at him as she stood.

“No no you don’t have to really” She shook her head “It’s just a coffee. It’s not a big deal” They stood there for a moment, neither speaking, Harrisons hands in his pockets as Emma’s fiddled with the now empty cup “I should uh” Emma wet her lips quickly “I should get going” she barely looked up as the both nodded and she walked towards the trailer.

Once she was inside she threw out the cup and grabbed a paper towel to wipe off the  drops of coffee that had bounced up onto her legs. She placed her stuff on her desk and dragged her chair over to Michaels desk.

“You wanted me to listen to something?” she said as she sat down

“Yeah yeah give me one second” he said placing a few final notes in the composition program before hitting play on the theme he had written so far for the movie. After about four minutes, what he has so far ends. He looks towards Emma with a questioning glance “So?

“I uh It’s amazing obviously but.. I think it should have less to do with that triumphant superhero stuff you’ve got going on and more towards Peters loyalty and concern for his friends. I definitely wouldn’t scrap this though, maybe just not for the scene you’ve got it for” Michael nods as Emma speaks. Adding little “hm”s and “okay”s here and there.

“How about this. I want you to write it for this scene” Emma’s eyes widen in shock.

“Waitwaitwait you- I- you want me to write part of the score?” Emma barely stutters out

“Well yeah. Your name doesn’t get put in the credits unless you actually write something because technically you work for me not marvel and I want you name in there as badly as you probably do. So if you write something, you get credit.” Michael looks over at Emma, her jaw dropped. “I’ll take that as yes but Emma you’re going to catch flies. I have a meeting to go to now but you know what to do” Michael grabbed his bag and left.

Heres some writers that let me tag them :)

@cherryhollands @darlintom @starksparker @starksmile @hollandroos @marvelellie @dej-okay @h-osterfield @upsidedownparker

Taglist: @rainbow-marvel (thanks :))

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S1 Ep 46: Creating All of Your Own Problems

This season is almost over, but I guess the showmakers had one last thing to bring in last second--one last character--one last toy product that hits the shelves. But, the big problem I can see they had to work around was how do you introduce a character who has nothing to do with this season? Just plop him on at the end in his own self-contained arc, I guess.

So we begin by running into Yugi at home/store he lives in, where Grandpa’s sweeping the stoop although shouldn’t he be inside running the shop? Maybe he’s just keeping an eye on Yugi, making sure he doesn’t run off to an island again. Maybe Tea and Grandpa have an arrangement that Yugi doesn’t get to go anywhere by himself unsupervised because he keeps getting horribly distracted and risking his entire life every time he does. Maybe that’s why she meets him here at his house to walk to school instead of at school?

Grandpa didn’t even bring up getting his ass kicked by Kaiba because apparently Grandpa has had a new life threatening event every couple of months for just his entire life.

I feel like Grandpa runs the itty bitty bodega of game shops.

(read more under the cut)

Isn’t the entire point of a game shop to sell fads, what is he talking about? Like, even if you’re a game shop that sells handmade toys that have no lights or automated parts that’s...still a hippie fad thing. That’s still a fad. Maybe it’s just my capitalist mindset, but maybe Grandpa should stock some Nintendo?

But honestly, their family had nothing to worry about because look at this terrifying storefront.

No child with eyes would enter here.

Kinda surprised her threatening him with homework was actually in the show, because her telling him that he’d have to do her homework for a week sounds like more of a punishment for her than the other way around. Like, may as well have a cat with a pen tied to their tail do your homework.

So this pirate here owns the shop and goes by the name Duke Devlin. He’s got a lot of stuff on his face. Kinda looks like he wants to go full Nomura but hasn’t discovered belts yet.

I’m not sure how his headband works, as some of the hair is under the headband and going into his face (thus ruining the point of a headband) and the rest is going over the headband and into his face (thus ruining the point of a ponytail). There’s a lot going on here, and I...I just don’t know exactly how this hair anatomy works.

This weird line on his face disappears and reappears constantly throughout the show. Man this show and it’s love of eyeliner. The eyeliner that few women wear outside of like...Mai. I’ve never seen such devotion to guyliner in my life.

Anyways, then they had the biggest twist so far in all of Yugioh.

Her eyes will cost as much as an entire house by the time she gets this surgery. Anyways, across the hall and in the other room, Duke is showing off his weird dice tricks to a bunch of girls who have extremely low standards. Because when I was in school, the boys fidgeting with dice and cubes and lighters or whatever were actually pretty damn annoying.

Also dice were illegal at my school but my school had a huge gambling problem since like Elementary school, starting at when Pogs were outlawed. Pogs. I was in like 2nd grade, with my fistful of holographic Garfield Pogs and my teachers were like “absolutely not, those Pogs will send you straight to drugs” and I was very, very confused.

Duke, overhearing Joey talk big about his incredible dueling skills, sees an opportunity to get Yugi to fight him. I guess he assumed that Yugi wouldn’t duel him for any other reason, although I’m pretty sure he could have been all “want to duel sometime?” and Yugi would have answered “ABSOLUTELY, LETS GO TO THE ROOF AT MIDNIGHT, SHIRTLESS, DURING A THUNDERSTORM.”

(the liner got shy here, but came back later)

And like he goes off about this dice but does he actually duel with dice this episode? If he did, I did not catch it as I was scrubbing through the duels. I’m pretty sure he didn’t. Not totally positive.

But bro mentioned that Duke was the mascot for a game that exists IRL that they were trying to sell--and I looked it up, it’s called Dungeon Dice Monsters and it looks so freakin complicated and unfun. Apparently it did not sell well, although they planned all these characters and expansions for it. Also, weirdly it came out in 1996 which means this guy is from Season Zero so...I guess I’ll be watching that later.

Nowadays these pieces of this failed game with 10000 pieces sells for a pretty penny on Ebay, but youknow that’s assuming anyone on Ebay is buying?

But, if you have table top simulator on Steam, some saint has added this game as a mod so you can like...play it for the price of table top simulator instead of spending like 800 dollars. That’s nice. I’m not going to play it myself, but that’s nice.

It was also converted into a complicated GBA game, which is probably more of the reason that he’s in this version of the show--since GBA was around the same time as Yugioh, although I could be wrong.

But, back to the show, Duke decides to do some magic because he has no idea who he goes to school with. This was extremely dangerous and stupid and he didn’t even know.

And Yugi just complete loses his mind for like a few seconds. Which makes you think great, everyone in this room is going to die, because this is Yugioh, and that is a thing that can surely happen. But then...

I feel like this is the point where most people would have been like “eff this” and just turned around, since both Yugi and Joey were in an actual tourney and shouldn’t waste their time but Joey really hates this guy for no reason other than being popular. Joey just has so much rage for people he’s never met before--like really, he’s absolutely terrible at making friends which blows my mind since his best friend is the friendliest person who exists in this show.

So I’m throwing the word draft out there because that’s something card people are familiar with but for those that don’t know, drafts are pretty normal. It’s a randomized deck, so there is the possibility you can get super screwed over in a draft. You can get a whole bunch of like whatever the Yugioh version of that Goldfish from Pokemon is and well, that’s just your deck now. You don’t put a lot of high risk stakes on drafts. They’re just for kicks.

But Joey thinks he’s immortal because he survived that island, so like sure, why not? Lets get rid of the only deck advantage we have and trust this guy, who has done nothing but trick people since we walked into the room.

Damn, Joey! That escalated quickly!

Then, a reallllly weird thing happens that made me super uncomfortable--Yugi changed his clothes. I don’t like this palate swap.

This whole time. That whole time on the island--he had normal clothes.

ooof I owned this outfit in middle school. Exactly this outfit. I had a phase--I call it “gray goth” where I got helllllla emo and only wore gray and jeans for 2 years. The 00′s were a time. We were all very chilly and needed at least two insufficient layers on at all times.

So they draft, but they do it wrong. I mean I guess there’s no “wrong” way but the way I’ve seen it, you selectively make your deck from the cards on the table you don’t just shove every card in there without a strategy. This whole duel is just kinda weird. Not like I really talk about cards at all on here but like...this seems like just the worst way to play draft.

So, because there’s absolutely no way you can possibly have a good time playing this version of the game, Joey struggles.

And then we get a celebrity cameo.

I will never catch another one. I was a one console family and we chose Nintendo. But, I do know my Gradius because this game was on every console ever made and basically resold over and over again up until Konami became a pachinko company.

And so we have a return to dog outfit. Because Joey can’t get away from this weird type of torture. Did Duke Devlin get a tip from Kaiba about Things Joey Wheeler Hates or did two completely different bullies come up with this dog obsession all on their own?

Why is Joey being destroyed by dice? Joey beat up like 12 people in a warehouse once. Anyway, Duke decides to throw dice at Joey and humiliate him into goading Pharaoh into a duel. Again, why would it take this much to goad on Yugi? He freakin loves dueling.

And so, in order to save Joey’s dignity, Pharaoh shows up and is pissed. Back on the island there was like life and death reasons to be pissed--just a while ago, Pharaoh saw Joey and Mai die in front of him and got rightfully upset, but apparently Joey dressing like a dog is like equal in terms of getting this guy super indignant.

Like I’m not sure if Pharaoh realizes that this dog servitude is only as long as it takes for Duke to get bored, which will be about five minutes. Or maybe Pharaoh slept through the fact that Joey brought this on himself entirely by himself and ignored every single time his friends were like “Joey please walk away it’s not worth it.” But like consequences shmonsequences.

This could solve so many of Yugi’s problems if he’d just lose this game. I just feel like carrying around this title doesn’t really do much for your income and yet everyone keeps trying to duel you all the time when honestly, should have probably been just attending class.

Tristan and Tea seem to realize that uh, Pharaoh freaking the hell out is the last thing they need on national TV but I mean, Joey’s a dog so he’s gotta do it. Pharaoh can’t really step down from a fight, no matter how stupid it is, and maybe that’s where Joey got it from.

Or Pharaoh could have just covered Joey this week and caught all of those dice. After a while even Duke Devlin would run out of dice. And it’s not like it said anywhere everyone else can’t beat Duke up because Duke has lost his mind. I just really feel like they should have a way out of this that isn’t boys being proud boys and gambling your dignity left and right but whatever. We gotta sell toys.

Anyway, next week, on Yugioh

Will I even have content to cover? Will Joey have to wear two dog suits --a dog within a dog-- as punishment? Will they just give up and kick this guy’s ass on national TV?

[markie-baby]

L.I.B (MT Fanfic) Part III

Title: L.I.B

By: AntiVisual

Rating: (M) for Angst and Smut (in later chapters)

Dedicated to my fellow chocolate 아가새 baby birds and whoever else is interested  (your attendance is greatly appreciated ❤)

Summary: You, Sara Park (age 20), have been a trainee at Pledis along with your best friend Mina Kim (age 22), for nine years since you were eleven, until you suddenly get cut out of the trainee program. Feeling defeated and discouraged, you decide to make plans to move back to America…that is, until you get a mysterious email from a manager that claims to work for JYP Entertainment. Nothing could have prepared you for the roller coaster of events that would ensue as you try to find balance between the hectic life of being an idol and finding yourself falling in love with one.

Disclaimer: Long conversations between two or more characters that are speaking in Korean will be italicized. If it’s not italicized, assume that it is in English.

Part I Part II Part III Part IV

Previously:

“Well, thank you Mr. Tuan.” You bowed again. “I really appreciate-”

“You don’t have to be so formal with me…” He gently dropped your stuff in front of the door. “You can just call me Mark. I’m pretty sure- hopefully we’ll see each other often.”

“Hopefully.” You sighed.

“See you later, Sara.” He smiled and turned down the hallway.

“Bye…” You sighed deeply. “…Mark.”

III.

December

It’s been a few weeks since you had your literal run-in with Mark Tuan and since then, you couldn’t seem to get him out of your mind. From his red hair, slenderness, and adorkable smile to his beautiful brown eyes, pretty pink lips, and amazingly sexy b.o. You found yourself wandering around the penthouse eating snacks mindlessly, thinking about him. It was strange, you always liked Mark as a fan, and loved Got7 and their music. You always imagined meeting him in real life, and you always imagined exploding at the seams with fan-gasms, but when the moment surprisingly arose, you found yourself quietly admiring him. Coco wrote the third song, titled “Disco”, for KWEEN’s debut album, and during the week your group was practicing the sexy choreography rigorously, to the point where you needed to see a chiropractor weekly.

“Sara!” Mina yelled in your face.

“W-w-what??” You snapped back to consciousness. “What going on?”

“You zoned out again.” Coco sighed.

You looked around and realized that you were sitting on the floor in the practice room.

Thinking about him again. You sighed.

“What’s been going on with you?” Mina knelt down to you. “You’ve been zoning out lately.”

“Nothing just-”

“You’ve been stressed out about the choreo?” Coco asked worried.

“”Um, yeah.” You lied. “Just been tired lately.”

“Well, don’t get super stressed out yet,” Mina smiled. “Remember, you still have to write our forth song!”

“Ughhhh…” You groaned and flopped onto the floor.

“Are you working hard, KWEEN?” Mrs. Na smiled brightly as she entered the practice room.

You, Mina, and Coco jolted up to your feet and bowed deeply. “Hello, Mrs. Na. Yes, we are working hard!”

“I’m glad to hear that, because I have a surprise for you.” Mrs. Na explained. “A JYP group has so graciously offered their free time to come and see your choreography!”

You and your members froze in excitement of your mystery guests. As you see Mina and Coco getting excited, you couldn’t help but shake the feeling that something was…off. Your palms started to feel clammy and your heart started to race. What if- no. There is no possibility, you thought. Mark is with Got7 in Japan on their Turn Up tour. There is no way they could be back already. They are still in Japan. They are still in Japan. They are still in Japan. They are still in-

“Come in, boys!” Ms. Na yelled from the practice room.

Oh Shit.

Before you could gather yourself for what was about to happen, the practice door opened and in walked your worst fear; the members of Got7. Your fellow members started to go crazy, jumping up and down and erupting in screams. You, on the other hand, your heart felt like it flew out of your mouth. You didn’t know whether to join your members in rejoice (because at the end of the day, you love some Got7), or to run screaming. You looked at each member as they walked through the door, knowing that Mark was eventually going to follow. Over whelmed with nervousness, you snapped your gaze to the floor.

“Come and get it!” The group bowed. “Hello, we are Got7!”

Your two other group members started squealing. “Oh my goodness!!!”

“Hello, KWEEN,” Jaebum smirked. “Thank you for having us. We are very excited to have a new group in JYP Entertainment.”

“Thank you for being here, Got7,” Ms. Na smiled. “Girls, introduce yourselves.”

“Get ready, get set! Hello, we are KWEEN!” We bowed.

You heard the group of boys clapping, but you still maintained your staring competition with the practice floor.

“Hello, I am maknae and lead rapper, Coco Lee!”

“Hello, I am Mina Kim. I am the eldest, Leader and second singer of KWEEN.”

Oh Shit. You froze and swallowed hard as you maintained focus at the floor.

“Hello,” you bowed. “My name is Sara Park, and I am the visual, and lead singer and dancer of KWEEN.”

“I’ve brought Got7 here today to shadow your dance practice and give you advice. So, do your best!“ Ms. Na said.

“We will try our best!” Mina smiled and turned to us. “Let’s show Got7,Disco! Fighting!”

Immediately, you felt your heart drop. Not only does “Disco” have the most energetic choreography on the album, but it also is the sexist choreography so far. You weren’t comfortable doing the choreography in front of Got7 (especially Mark), but with Mina being your leader, it’s not like you couldn’t say no. As you and your group got into there starting positions, you could feel eyes on you. Maybe it was just the nerves getting to you, but nonetheless, your curiosity got the best of you… you found yourself slowly looking up, and found Tuan intensely meeting your gaze. He was wearing a black oversized long-sleeve, ripped jeans, back Vans, and a black cap. Your eyes widened and your heart began to race.  He watched you through hooded eyes and then scanned you slowly from head to toe. He only momentarily averted his gaze when Jackson whispered something in his ear. The beginning of the “Disco” track playing finally snapped you out of your trance, but you could still feel Mark staring into you. You pushed through the dance routine, trying hard not to make eye contact with Mark through the combination of body rolls, hip shakes, and grinds. After three agonizing minutes, you and your group made the finishing poses and everyone else in the room started cheering and clapping.

“Getting better, girls.” Ms. Na clapped.

“I love the choreography! It’s very strong.” Yugyeom said.

“You guys have some really strong lyrics and voices, good job.” Jinyoung said.

“Wow,” Jackson smiled. “I really like it so far! I can’t wait to see you guys debut.”

“Thank you.” Mina nodded. “We really appreciate it.”

“Well, thank you for coming, Got7.” Ms. Na said. “We really appreciate your feedback.”

The boys then left the room and you looked back up.

“Good job, girls.” Ms. Na smiled. “Now,you girls have a break and go get yourself something to eat. I will see you all tomorrow. Fighting!”

“Fighting!“ Your group smiled as your manager left the room.

“Good job, members,” Mina huffed as she high-fived you. “We did great today!”

“Now let’s go stuff our face!” Coco yelled.

Later that night~

“Didn’t the boys look so good? Oh goodness…” Mina sighed into her bowl of ramen.

“They are so much taller in real life!” Coco blushed.

“Yeah…” You sighed unintentionally.

“Thinking about Mark?” Mina asked.

“Yeah… uh whoa whoa whoa,” You raised your eyebrows. “How did you-”

“Did you see the way he was looking at you?” Mina asked. “It’s was like he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

“I’m jealous.” Coco said. “I wish a man would look at me like he wanted to eat me alive.”

“Yah��� I don’t know about all that.” You giggled. “Honestly, I actually met him already.”

“What?” Your two fellow members yelled.

“Shhh!” You looked around the company cafe and saw people staring at your table. “Quiet!”

“What the shit, Sara!” Mina whisper-yelled. “How you keep this amazing turn of events from us! Are you insane?”

“I’m sorry, it’s that I’m still trying to process everything. You know I had on him since they debuted…but now it’s different.”

“Well, when did you guys meet?” Mina asked.

“He helped me carry the extra box to the penthouse…”

“Oh my lord,” Coco held her chest. “This is a sign from the gods.”

You laughed. “What?”

“There’s this thing in China called the Red Thread of Fate and basically it talks about two people who are tied to an invisible red thread by the gods. Long story short, these two people are destined to meet each other and be soul mates for life. Or something like that…”

“It is a strange coincidence that Mark’s hair is red this era. Coincidence? I think not! I think I hear wedding bells.” Mina winked.

“Ding, dong, Diiing, dong!” Coco sang.

“I love you guys but, this isn’t the first time Mark has had red hair. That’s a huge reach. Besides, I don’t think he would see as a soul mate. I’ll just try my best to forget about him…” You sadly stared down at your bowl.

“Gonna be hard to do that..” Mina suspiciously sipped at her drink.

“Why?” You asked.

“Because he’s right there.” Coco looked behind you.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Don’t look, don’t look!“ You whisper-yelled at your members. “Just keep your head down and hopefully he won’t notice-”

“Hello, Mark! Over here.” Mina and Coco smiled brightly and waved in his direction.

Motherfuck-

“Oh,” He smirked and walked over. “Hello, KWEEN.”

“What are you doing here by yourself?” Mina asked.

“We’re still working in the building so, I decided to take a break and eat.” He smirked and looked at you. “You guys were great today by the way. Sorry if I didn’t mention that earlier.”

“Thank you,” Mina nodded. “I could tell you were really moved by our-”

Don’t you dare. You thought as you glared at your leader.

“uh…talent.” She giggled.

“Oh, Mina. Look at the time, we forgot to do that thing we forgot to do.” Coco stood up with her food tray.

Mina looked confused then played along. “Uh, oh! Yes! How could we forget?”

“W-where are you guys going?” You started to sweat.

“Don’t worry about it unnie,” Coco. “We’ll be right back.”

“You have Mark oppa to keep you company.” Mina winked and left with Coco.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Mark asked you.

You looked into his puppy eyes and melted. “No, I don’t mind.”

“What did they forget to do?” Mark titled his head.

“I have no idea.” You sighed.

“Uh, you’re a really good dancer. You’re like Yugyeom.” Mark smiled as he poked at his food.

“Thank you,” You blushed. “You are really good dancer, too.”

“Thank you,” Mark nodded. “Maybe you can help me with some choreography some day.”

Your face got red. “Um, don’t you have Yugyeom?”

“Yes, but when I ask him for help, he sometimes thinks that he can boss me around.” Mark looked up at you and giggled.

You giggled along. “Sounds about right.”

“Besides, I would rather have you show me.” He smirked and went at eating his food.

“I… I wouldn’t mind that.” You blushed and watched him take a bite of his food.

“So, what made you get into music?”

“Well,” You shifted in your seat. “I was never really interested in anything else as a kid, and I didn’t really have any friends. My mom, she tried getting me into many different things and even though I was fairly good at them, my heart was never into it. Then I met Mina when I moved to South Korea and we found love for music together…”

You looked up and saw Mark looking deep into your eyes, slowly licking away the food that was at his lips.

You snapped your head back down. “U-uh, yeah. It’s all history from there.”

“We are alike in that way,” Mark smiled at you. “I wasn’t really that interested in many things when I was younger, but doing this and being a member of Got7 has made me very happy. Hopefully, you will even happier when you debut.”

“Hopefully.” You nodded.

“How old are you?” Mark asked.

“I’m 20.” You blushed.

“Wow, you are young.” He looked surprised. “Maybe you should call me oppa.” He joked.

You laughed nervously. “I’m only a few years younger than you, silly…why did you want to know?”

“I just wanted to know…” He looked down at his food again. “If it would be appropriate for me to have your number.”

YESSSSSSSS! Your innards screamed.

You looked at your crush with a calm expression, despite your inner excitement. You nodded after a few seconds of realizing what he had asked you. It was really awkward, thinking about that Mark Tuan, THE Mark Tuan, asked you for your number. With slightly trembling hands, you typed your number into his phone.

“Well, I should probably get back to them.” Mark got up and you followed. “It was nice seeing you again.”

“Yeah,” You played with a curl of your hair. “I should probably see what’s taking the girls so long.”

You both stood in front of each other in awkward silence for a few seconds, not making any eye contact.

“Um,” Mark finally broke the silence. “We have some promotions coming up so… I don’t know when I’ll see you again but, I’ll definitely… text you.”

You looked up at Mark’s puppy brown eyes and eye mole. “Oh, okay. Good luck with your promotions, oppa.”

Mark’s eyes widened and he giggled. “Thank you, Sara. Good luck debuting. I know you’ll be great.”

With that you two parted ways, going down two opposite halls. You mindlessly went up the elevator, heading back to KWEEN’s penthouse, thinking about Mark again all the way up. You unlocked the door and walked past Mina and Coco who were barking at you with questions.

What did he say?

How did act?

Did you get his number?

You were too filled with butterflies to even hear your own thoughts. You dragged your feet back to your room, locking the door on entry and flopped your body on your bed.

“Oh my gosh,” You sighed into your pillow. “Oppa? Why would you say that you idiot? He was joking you goof… ARRGH!”

Your phone vibrated.

Let’s just say you both stayed up late that night.

To Be Continued~

[maxattack-powell]

The Freshman 1-5

Book 1 - 5 Chapter 5: Game Day

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit.

Basically, I wanted to include certain things that weren’t really full fic size worthy, adding to the story. However, I did add some full size fic moments also… some are included in cannon chapters, some are their own full chapters in between. I wanted to see MC and Chris through their freshman year… with more angst, fluff, sweetness, real life and overall detail. So, if you like that pairing then you’ll be satisfied, otherwise sorry James & Kaitlyn fans lol. I even added some parts from Chris’s POV, so that we have a chance to see what he’s thinking, knowing what she experienced.

There will be ADULT and/or NSFW moments in certain chapters - this is a warning lol. I will try my best to make it obvious as it occurs…

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

 ~MC~

A few days later... As MC, Tyler and Zack stand up, Professor Atiyah raises her voice over the increasing noise created by students beginning to leave the lecture class. "...I'll expect those problem sets completed and emailed to me by Friday." Zack frowns and gags towards the others. "Ugh. Who knew college was going to be so much work." Tyler stares at Zack like he's crazy, giving him a euphoric look. "Are you kidding me? I can't wait to get started!" MC shakes her head at them both. "Maybe we could form a little study group. That would make the work more fun." She wiggles her eyebrows at Zack, trying to reassure him. Tyler let's out a small gasp before forming two excited fists. "Stuuuuudy buuuuudiiies!" He barely finishes before turning somewhat somber, his expression dropping into a frown. "I wish I hadn't just said that so enthusiastically." "Have I ever told you his adoringly nerdy you are?" Zack grabs Tyler's face with both hands. "Study buddies it is."

As they exit the lecture hall they run across Abbie, who was also walking back to the suite after her class. Tyler instantly looks distracted. "I'm uh... gonna go catch up to her. Talk to you guys later, okay?" He doesn't even wait for a response before taking off, leaving MC and Zack alone together. Zack smiles wistfully at the friends ahead of them. "Aww. He's like a puppy in love with another puppy. Speaking of which, how are things with you and Chris?" He raises an eyebrow knowingly. "I... I don't know what you're talking about." MC stammers. "Oh really..." He deadpans. "Zack... ugh, okay. So we... we kinda kissed. And, there's been some other stuff..." She sees his eyes widen with shock, and realizing what he was thinking she quickly corrects herself. “Wait, no! Not like that… I mean…” She huffs, blowing her hair out of her eyes. "Wow. You work fast. I figured it would take you two at least a week before hooking up." He laughs. "Zack! I said it was just a kiss!" She thumps him on the arm and he dramatically overacts as if it was permanently damaged. "The worst part is, I have to talk to Chris for Professor Vazquez's assignment… he wants to know more about college football life.” She sighs, “It's going to be so awkward." She groans as she runs her hand through her bangs. Zack waves her off with a snort. "Oh, don't be such a baby. I'm sure he'll be eager to see you. Very eager." "Zack..." Her lips draw into a very thin line. "Fine. I'll stop teasing you." MC let's outs huge breath as he relents. "For now." He grins at her, earning a scowl in return. "But just be honest with me for a second. How do you feel about Chris?" "Chris?" Looking at Zack to gauge how serious he being, and seeing that he's actually concerned about her, she sighs in defeat. "I have feelings for him. I suppose." She gives him a mixed grimace-smile. "I knew it! In that case, you should be happy to have an excuse to talk to him in detail..." He looks at her pointedly. "I guess you have a point..." Her face warms at the thought of extended private time with Chris. "Of course I do. It's best to learn this about me now: I'm always right." He grabs her hand and suddenly changes their path, dragging her in the complete opposite direction of their dorm.

"Now come on! Chris should be in the middle of practice. You can watch him in action and then ask him a few questions about life as a football player. And in the meantime I can make sure you don't embarrass yourself." He winks at her. "How thoughtful of you..." She sticks her tongue out at him. After a few minutes walking across campus, they arrive at the stadium and find the team on the field, running drills. "Oh wow... Look at Captain America over there by the sideline." Zack gushes. MC follows his line of sight to see a tall handsome upperclassman, his hands on his hips, barking out instructions to the players on the field. "Wait... I recognize that face. It's Darren Taylor! He's our school's starting quarterback!" Confused, MC searches the field, looking for Chris. "I thought Chris was our quarterback." "Is that what he told you?" Zack tilts his head at her. "Well, no. Not exactly. He didn't specify, actually." She continues looking for Chris among all the practice jerseys. Zack nods. "Chris is only a freshman. He's our backup..." MC frowns, partially at his statement and partially because she still hasn't found the player in question. "I don't see Chris around... maybe I should ask Darren a few questions about football life."

Zack just shrugs, either agreeing or completely indifferent. MC takes one last glance around for Chris before she walks up to Darren, finding him chatting with a pair of all too familiar girls. Becca turns to glare at MC as she approaches the small group. "What are you doing here?" She almost spits out. "Breathing? Existing?" MC gives her an overly sweet smile laced with sarcasm, standing her ground. Becca rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Well, go exist somewhere else. Madison and I are having a deep conversation with Darren." She punctuates her statement with a click of her tongue. Madison, in her typical friendly fashion, chimes in. "He was just telling us about how to handle getting tackled..." She turns back to Darren. "Maybe you could show me your technique later, Darren. I'm super curious."

If it was anyone other than Madison, MC would swear she was flirting, hard. But seeing how it was Madison, chances were she actually was curious, innocently so. Darren, oblivious if it was flirtatious, grins and nods. "It's all about squaring your hips and getting low to the ground." He begins to motion with his hands and somewhat with his body, partially demonstrating for them. "Sounds like fun!" Madison clasps her hands together and jumps a little with excitement. MC takes the opportunity to interrupt. "Actually... I was sort of hoping I could ask Darren a few questions. For a project, you know?" He stands up straight and turns, giving her a big smile as he waves her over to join in. "Go right ahead, new girl. Don't be shy."

MC can instantly tell he's a genuinely nice guy, unlike a few football players she had know at her high school. Not all were rude, by any means. One if her best friends had dated one for a short period of time, but a few had reputations that made her avoid them. Now at Hartfeld, she could honestly say she knew of at least two that were very sweet. The thought made her look around again briefly for Chris, who she unfortunately still couldn't locate.

Turning back to Darren she gives a small smile. "I want to ask… is it hard to balance football and school?" He laughs loudly, almost catching the girls off guard. "It's not easy! I always try to take a lighter load during the fall quarter since I'm so busy playing ball." His face changes from a smile to a smirk. "And I’m not going to lie. Football life has its... perks. I know this life won't last forever, I want to enjoy myself while I can." He grins brightly. MC can't help but smile back. "How's the team's chemistry?" Darren turns his eyes to the field, slowly taking it all in. "I love these guys. They are like my brothers. There's a good energy this year... everyone just seems... happy." Zack chimes in with a somewhat sad voice while looking down the field. "Not everyone on the team seems so happy-go-lucky..."

He gestures towards a bench at the far end of the field, where Chris is sitting by himself, his head hanging low. MC takes note of his overall demeanor, his slumped shoulders, defeated expression across his face. He really does look absolutely unhappy. "I'll go talk to him... see how he's doing." As she turns from the group to walk towards Chris, Becca snorts. "Good luck. He's super moody. He wouldn't even talk to me... and I'm me!" She throws both her hands on her hips with an obvious attitude.

MC struggles not to roll her eyes or make a face, instead ignoring the comment and quickly making her way to Chris. Chris shifts while still looking down at his feet, his expression lightening slightly as he realizes that someone is approaching.

MC takes a seat next to him on the bench. "Hey there... you doing okay?" She says softly. He looks up at her, a little startled, clearly expecting someone else - maybe a teammate, or possibly even Becca again. "Oh, MC!" His body relaxes a little. "I'm solid, just a little winded from all the drills." He motions towards the activity on the field, forcing a weak smile. "Really? It doesn't have anything to do with your current bench warmer status?" She gives him a friendly smile, trying to lighten his mood while letting him know she was there if he wanted to talk about it. He lets out a small rough laugh and shakes his head, turning his gaze to hold hers. "You can see right through me." He reaches over and covers her hand with his own as it lays on her knee.

She smiles at the warm contact, happy to see him connecting with her after his dismissive expression moments before.

He breaks his eyes away again, ruffling up his hair before throwing his hand back down between his legs in frustration. "It's just... I knew I'd be on the bench behind Darren, but I wasn't really prepared for the reality of it." He balls both hands into fists, clenching them tight.

"I can't stand the idea of not being able to help my teammates get a win, you know?" He sighs as the tension finally leaves his body. "All through high school, I lived for Friday nights. That rush of adrenaline as our team sprinted out onto the field... nothing even comes close." A huge smile crosses his face as he reminisces. MC doesn't say a word, she just watches him as he takes a trip down memory lane. She knows he needs support right now and was pleased she could be there for him. "I just feel like... if I'm not on the field, then who am I?" He gets quiet as he asks the theoretical question. The broken expression on his face makes her chest tighten. She places her hand on his uniformed knee, causing him to tear his eyes from the field to focus on her touch. His gaze lingers there for a moment, staring at her hand, before looking back up to her face as she gives his knee a small squeeze. "You're Chris!" MC exclaims with unblinking enthusiasm. Chris holds her eyes for a moment before he matches her smile, his eyes crinkling at her words. "I guess I am." He reaches out and takes her hand, squeezing it gently while staring deep into her eyes. "You know... I think I'm starting to feel a little better." Still looking at her with intensity, he takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to say something more but is suddenly interrupted. Logan’s deep voice booms from halfway down the field. "Chris! Coach is asking for you, ready to get in some reps?" Chris throws his other hand up, signaling to Logan that he received the message. He turns back to MC, his smile now authentic and solid. "Looks like I'm up. See you later, MC." He squeezes her hand before letting it slip out of his as he stands up. She stands up as well, giving him a little wave. "Sure thing. Good luck out there!" He flashes her a toothy grin as he takes off at a sprint. Zack walks up to her with his arms folded across his chest. "So how's our golden boy?" "Feeling less than golden, I think." She frowns slightly, looking down to where Chris is now talking with the coach. "Sounds like it's up to us to cheer him up. Don't worry. We'll think of something." Zack pats her on the back as he sits down next to her. She leans her head on his shoulder as they hang out for a time, watching the team practice for a bit. After a while, they quietly slip off the field and head back to the dorm, ready to meet back up with Tyler.

Slow Hands (original that fits in this timeline)

Later that week, the night before the big game, MC, Tyler and Zack are sitting at the table in the kitchen, studying. Tyler groans in frustration. "This problem set is actually harder than I thought!" Zack takes the opportunity to enthusiastically respond. "That's why you need... Stuuuuudy Buuuuuddies!" Tyler frowns at Zack. "You're never going to let me forget saying that, are you…”

Zack laughs and shakes his head, receiving a snort from Tyler.

As the three of them study, Abbie walks past, heading for the living room. "I'll be sitting in front of my laptop waiting for the new episode of 'The Crown and the Flame' if anyone needs me." She flashes them an excited smile. Tyler's mouth drops open in shock. Zack lightly elbows him, trying to jar him back to the present. "So, Tyler. What are you waiting for?" "What are you talking about?" He tries to brush it off, failing. Zack rolls his eyes and lowers his voice to Tyler. "You and Abbie! When are you going to ask her out?" Tylers face pales. "Ask her out?! No way. I'd just embarrass myself. Right, MC?" He turns to her, a desperate look on his face. Zack shakes his head, feeling he's losing the battle with Tyler's stubbornness, this time leaning in to whisper into MC’s ear. "Maybe you should go talk to her, MC. You've got the female connection... Spend some time with Abbie, talk to her about your, and I know you can help get them together!" MC nods."Tyler... let me talk to Abbie...maybe I can feel her out." Zack smiles. "Girl recon. I love it!" Tyler lets out a huge breath of air. "I owe you one, MC." After finishing another problem few minutes later. MC gets up and heads over to Abbie. "Hey Abbie! I'm coming down with a serious case of cabin fever. Want to head out and get some air?" Abbie looks at her laptop briefly. "Eh, sure. 'The Crown and the Flame' isn't on for another half hour... I've got some time to kill." She gets up from the couch and joins MC. "Great. Let's go for a walk through the quad." As they both head out the door, Tyler and Zack each give MC a smile and thumbs up. She gives them a small smile, playful eye roll and head shake in response.

When she and Abbie get down to the ground floor and make their way onto the main pathway, MC begins to probe. "So... I didn't know you were that into that much fantasy stuff." "I guess I have pretty eclectic tastes... I try not to judge things by standards or cool or nerdy, just... do I like it, you know?" Abbie shrugs. Worried she came across offensive while just trying to make conversation, MC startles. "Oh! Of course! Speaking of, uh, stuff you like... what do you think of nerdy guys?" "I don't know... I'm not exactly sure what kind of guys I like." She makes a face and shrugs again, this time more hesitant. "Oh! So... you're more into girls?" Now MC was confused. She could swear Abbie and Tyler had been giving each other long looks and stealing glances. Abbie laughs, realizing she wasn't being clear. "No... I mean... I'm pretty sure I'm not into girls either. I guess... I'm just a little confused about what I want." She sighs and pulls at one of her curls.

"Huh, do you have like, a celebrity crush?" MC flashes her a cheesey smile. Abbie thinks for a moment before responding. "Not really... honestly, I think if I ever fall for someone, it'll be because of his personality." She suddenly looks down at her feet as she walks, mild embarrassment crossing her face. "The thing is... I've never fallen in love. So... I don't know what it'll take to make that happen." "Maybe you just haven't met the right guy yet. Ooooor, maybe you have." MC pauses her walk. Abbie suddenly looks up to MC and stops in her tracks. "What's that supposed to mean?" "I'm talking about Tyler." She raises her eyebrow, expecting Abbie to catch on. "Tyler huh? I hadn't even considered dating him." She tilts her head and looks thoughtful. MC's face falls. "Really? Harsh." Abbie covers her mouth with her hand, back-peddling quickly. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just... he's barely said two words to me. Is almost like he's scared to talk to me." She frowns. "So... what do you think you'd do if he did ask you out?" MC prods.

"Honestly?" Abbie rubs her temple. "I have no idea." "Well... just think about it, I guess. You never know what might happen." MC purses her lips into a thin line, hiding her smile as she begins walking again.

The corner of Abbie's lips curl slightly before vanishing quickly. "I'll think about it... I guess... I barely know who I am. Much less who I want to date." "Sometimes... I think life has a way of forcing us to decide who we are. Like... we only find out who we are when a crucial moment arrives." MC nods to herself.

"In that case... I guess I'm just waiting for my moment." Abbie takes a deep breath. They continue to chat for a while as they work their way around the central part of campus. Eventually they make their way back to the suite to find Tyler and Zack still studying. Abbie waves at them as she walks past. "See you guys later. I'll be in my room." She swings by the living room table and grabs her laptop. As soon as she's gone, MC turns towards the guys. "Okay... so, Abbie and I just had an interesting conversation." She gushes, eager to enlighten Tyler.

Zack leans up on the table, interest piqued. "Tell. Us. Everything." MC quietly begins covering her conversation with Abbie. Ten minutes later... Tyler, his face still holding a mild trace of shock, finally shakes his head to come out of it. "Wow... that's a lot to process. But at least it sounds like I might have a shot! Thanks, MC." Zack nudges Tyler. "So... when are you going to ask her out?" "Tell you what. I promise I'll make a move... by the end of the quarter." Tyler holds out his hand, delivering his offer.

"Interesting. How's this for a deal... you ask out Abbie... and I'll promise to ask out Brandon too." Zack holds out his hand for Tyler to shake. Tyler looks at Zack's hand then, his face. "I'm pretty sure you were going to do that anyway." Zack pulls his hand back and throws them both in the air. "Guilty as charged!" He laughs and cheers for himself. "See? Flirty is easy for you." Tyler snorts at Zack. "Flirting is never easy..." Zack rolls his eyes. "Tell you what. Well make a pact, by the end of the quarter, we'll both make a move." Tyler nods towards Zack, extending his hand first this time.

Zack agrees and shakes his hand, before turning to MC. "What about you, MC? Want in on the deal?" "Guys... I promise to ask out... someone." She wasn't ready to tell them more details about her current feelings. Besides, it seemed like things were getting more complicated every day. There was no need to start rumors in case things didn't work out like she thought they might. Zack raised his eyebrow at her, tilting his chin up and studying her. "Keeping your options open... I like it." Tyler grins. "It's a pact!"

 Coffee Break

(original that fits into this timeline)

 The next day, Chris' first game of his freshman year.

MC enters the suite as Chris is about to leave, causing them to almost run into each other, similar to their first meeting. "Oh, hey MC." He gives her a brief faint smile.

She smiles at him as she shifts out of his way. "Ready for the big game?"

His shoulders drop slightly. "Yeah... ready to keep the bench nice and warm." He forces a smile as he adjusts his bag high on his shoulder, moving past her, out the door. He doesn't say anything else, just keeps going, his head hanging slightly lower than normal.

MC frowns and sighs. She was hoping that their pep talk earlier in the week would last longer than it apparently had. She really wanted to think of something to cheer him up.

As he gets further away, Kaitlyn walks up to MC. "Looks like someone's got his shoulder pads in a twist. What's up with him?" They both watch him as he turns the corner and disappears. "I think he just needs a boost... he's not used to playing backup." MC tugs on a strand of hair. "Then let's remind him how awesome he is!" Kaitlyn's excitement is contagious, making MC wonder what she has in mind. "Assemble the housemates! It's time to launch Operation Fanclub! We're going to need five poster boards, a ten-pack of colored markers, and some body paint!" At the phrase ‘body paint’ MC's eyes go wide. "What are you planning?" "You'll see!" Kaitlyn takes off into the suite. A few hours later at the game... MC screams loudly. "Go CHRIS!" She holds up a sign reading 'Chris is Number One!' Tyler looks appalled. "I can't believe you convinced me to paint an 'R' on my stomach." He lifts the hem of his shirt, scratching around the edge of the dried paint. Abbie closes her eyes and sighs as she shakes her head in agreement. "I hear you. I want it noted that I'm only doing this for Chris's sake." As the team runs out onto the field, MC spots Chris near the front, making her instantly smile.

Kaitlyn also notices his jersey and grabs everyone's attention. "Here he comes! Shirts off, everyone!" MC lightly blushes and takes a deep breath, pushing her anxiety aside. They were here for Chris, and he needed to know it. She takes off her shirt to reveal a big red 'C' on her stomach. Kaitlyn follows with her 'H', Tyler has his 'R' and Abbie and Zack follow with their respective 'I' and 'S' letters. The whole group brilliantly spells out 'C-H-R-I-S' in red paint across everyone's stomachs. Embracing the energy around her, MC cheers loudly, hoping that Chris will hear them. "Woo hoo! Go Chris!" She sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles loudly. Hearing his name and MC’s cattle calling whistle, Chris begins to look around, confused. His eyes finally find the source of his fan club and his mouth falls open. As he looks across them all, he laughs. His eyes moves back towards MC and stay there.

"Oh... wow." He rubs his cheek and smiles hard. "Thanks guys." He yells up to them in the stands. They all witness his joy and high five their accomplishment. The game is about to begin, so Chris waves to everyone and takes a seat on the bench. Not too far from their group, MC notices Becca and Madison cheering. Becca seems perky, staring at Chris as she cheers. "Looking good, Knights!" Madison bounces up and down next to her. "We love you Darren!"

Darren runs out on the field, taking his place at the center of their huddle. Kaitlyn whoops and hollers next to MC. "Go Knights!" After the kickoff, the offense takes the field. Darren barks out orders to the team. "Omaha! Fifty-two black!" In the first quarter, the Knights dominate. Logan’s voice booms as he makes a touchdown. "Check out my endzone dance!" Unfortunately, they seem to lose focus in the second quarter. Logan frowns and huffs as he yells. "Another fumble... seriously?" He sounds beyond frustrated, throwing his hands up in the air. Kaitlyn's shoulders slump next to MC, her earlier enthusiasm long gone. "Come on, Knights..." Zack cups his hands around his mouth and yells. "Do the thing with the ball!" Halftime finds the score tied at 21-21.

"Who knew sports would be so stressful?" Abbie pouts, wringing her hands together, intently watching the field. As the game winds to a close, Hartfeld is down 24-21 with only a minute left to play. Darren rallies the team, trying to pump them up. "Let's do this, Knights! We can still wing this thing!" He drops back, looking for an opening. Tyler gasps. "Holy crap! They're blitzing!" The opposing team rushes Darren in a sudden charge, taking him down in a vicious sack. "My ankle!" Darren yells out, rolling on his back and clutching at his right ankle. Abbie cringes. "I definitely heard something snap... I think I'm going to be sick." She covers her eyes and shakes her head feveriously. Tyler fumes. "How is that even legal?!" Everyone watches in stunned silence as Darren is carted off the field. MC covers her mouth with both hands. "Oh no..." Zack shakes his head, his shoulders slumping. "Poor Darren... I hope he gets better soon." Kaitlyn sighs. "In the meantime, we've got a few seconds left to play." MC nods as realization hits her. "It's next man up... and that man is Chris!" He runs onto the field, taking Darren's place and MC turns towards her friends. "Come on guys! Let's get the crowd fired up! Go Knights!!" Kaitlyn jumps up and yells. "Yeeeeeah!" "Go Chris!" MC shouts Chris's name, and the crowd joins in. His face is serious, all business as he takes control. "Okay... let's do this. For Darren!"

The next play starts. Chris drops back, looking for an opening... Logan beats on his chest pads. "Hey, rookie! I'm open!" Chris purses his lips at the nickname and hesitates briefly before throwing the ball to Logan. Logan easily snatches it out of the air, Chris’s aim perfect. He runs the remaining few yards and crosses into the end zone. "Touchdown baby!" Tyler's mouth drops open. "What a throw!" Kaitlyn claps and jumps next to MC, grabbing onto her shoulders. "That's our boy!"

MC can't help but smile at everyone's excitement, but she doesn't take her eyes off of Chris. Hes beaming as his teammates all run to him and praise him for his last minute clutch throw. He’s laughing and smiling, making MC proud. He suddenly turns towards the stands, searching for his friends. When his eyes land on MC he flashes her a huge smile. Her grin grows and she claps for him as she nods.

The crowd eventually starts to die down, the players already inside the locker room to change and clean up from the game. After the big win celebration in the stadium, MC and the others head outside the gates to wait for Chris. Zack suddenly perks up, pointing towards the locker room exit. "There he is!" Kaitlyn starts cheering for him. "Woo hoo! That's our superstar!" She high fives Chris as he joins their circle. Chris is still pumped from the night's events. "Hey, guys! Thanks so much for being there for me today." He lets out a light, happy laugh.

"Of course! You're..." MC takes a deep breath as his eyes lock on hers. "...our friend."

Chris sucks in a breath and steps towards her. "MC, I..." He’s is suddenly interrupted as Becca and Madison approach him. Madison is gushing. "Wow. That home run on sixth and long? Completely amazing." Chris frowns. "I can't even begin to tell you how wrong that sentence was..." Becca rolls her eyes at her friend. "The point Madison is trying to make is, you need to come celebrate your victory with us." Logan walks up just then, patting Chris on the back. "You should listen to them, bro. Kappa Phi Sigma house parties are epic. The whole team is going! And that definitely has to include our new quarterback!" Chris is glowing at the attention and energy from the win. He turns and looks at MC, a smile spreading across his face as he answers them. "Sure... I'd love to come. As long as my friends are invited too." Becca clicks her tongue. "You mean that bunch of..." She begins, her face twisted in an ugly manner, but she checks herself, not waiting to cause an issue with Chris. "Uh, I mean... of course they're invited." She plasters on a huge fake smile. Chris doesn't seem to notice her shift in mood and nods at them. "Sounds like fun. I'll see you there." He begins to turn towards MC, almost as if he's about to grab her hand, causing her pulse to quicken.

However, Becca doesn't let him move too far, grabbing onto his arm, basically tugging him back towards her. "No way. I'm not letting you out of my sight. You're coming with me." Chris is somewhat stunned by her forcefulness, but not wanting to alienate anyone he lets her tug at him until she feels confident with the distance she's created. "Uh... I guess I'll see you there, guys!" He turns to his friends and gives an apologetic smile, waving at the group. Becca then takes him by the hand and begins leading him toward the Kappa house across the quad on sorority row. Kaitlyn's face finds the familiar expression it tends to have when Becca is around. "Aggressive much? Sheesh." She snorts. Zack sighs. "I hate to say it, but I think our boy needs to be rescued, those girls looked like trouble." Kaitlyn perks up, her recent crazy demeanor returning. "So... now it's time for Operation Rescue Chris from the Evil Sorority Girl?" Tyler looks at Chris’s retreating form, surrounded with new friends and nice looking girls. "Maybe he doesn't want to be rescued?" Abbie makes a face at Tyler. "Trust me. He does." Everyone turns to look at MC, who's face makes her opinion clear. "We need to rescue him... Chris deserves better than that." She sighs, no longer able to ride the fence or pretend around all of her friends. "I'm not sure what's going on... but I definitely can't sit back and watch a good friend end up under the spell of a girl like that." Her nose scrunches in disgust. Kaitlyn fist pumps. "Game on! Kappa party, here we come!"

[frankensteined]

slow burn/fake date/enemies to lovers: seth, rudy, and miller

slow burn

miller would have no patience for fake dating bullshit, and even just getting along with him would be a slow burn in and of itself, so naturally he’s gonna go here. what’s cool about this one is that a slow burn thing can absolutely be platonic as well, so that whole “it could take ten years to even make him like me at all” is a perfectly applicable no matter what direction that trope went here. 

cuz this slow burn would be a slow, slow burn. it’d take place on a military base, where he’s just trying to Do His Thing and prove that he’s still useful and worth promoting even though he’s never going into the field again. what am i there for? who knows! i’m there to just...talk to dr silva so he doesn’t feel like he’s talking to a wall or something, i dunno. doesn’t matter. it’d take ages for miller to even give a shit that i was there, and a few months after that before he’d bother to make the smallest of small talk with me. which is fine, because i don’t like small talk either, but that’d drag things out even longer, in that case.

i’d manage some scathing and sarcastic comments at some people, though, that he’d probably appreciate since i think he’d enjoy dry commentary, especially directed at people who deserved it, but he wasn’t able to make fun of directly without recourse. but were we friends at this point? noooo. not yet.

one month later, he’s used to having me around, so i can get included in a short conversation. maybe a few weeks after that, we have an entire conversation, just between us, about...i dunno. something unrelated to life on the base.

eventually. eventually, things progress to shoulder pats, and friendly (???) insults. it’s probably taken nearly a year, but we’re now officially Cool with each other. friends yet? more? hard to say, because who knows what putting things up on high shelves just to laugh as i climb things to get them means? is it friendly dickery? flirting? dunno. doesn’t matter, we’re Cool. we’re giving each other a hard time all the time, but it’s friendly (this time, i know it is). 

i let him decide how he wants to steer our interactions, cuz honestly i’m surprised i even got that far. he eventually explains that damn keychain to me, and that’s literally all i wanted. we have Reached The Top, regardless of whether we kiss or just high five or whatever happens beyond that. mystery solved. maxed out affection has been attained. if this were a video game, i’d have just won the “it’s a goddamn miracle, how’d you pull that off?” trophy. 

fake dating

this is how this would happen: i’d go up to seth, say “if i give you $20 will you pretend to be my boyfriend at this stupid family reunion thing? you just need to eat hamburgers, get drunk, and make them regret ever asking me to bring someone.” and, after the “eat and get drunk” part entered the scenario, he’d have started nodding and then he’d say “i’d have done that for free, but since you put it out there, you’ve gotta give me the $20 too.”

and would we come up with a really solid, believable backstory to share with all my awful, nosy relatives at the actual event? no! of course not! i was busy worrying about my family! he wouldn’t have thought of thinking about that! so, we’d be there, and basically just be making things up as we went along. and it’d start off harmless enough, but eventually the stories would be completely ridiculous, so there’d be a lot of “what the fuck are you doing?!” whisper-fighting when no one else was looking, but whenever one of my relatives would come by and interrupt, we’d need to fall into over the top displays of affection to cover our tracks. it’d be like that bit in b99 where jake and amy have to act fake engaged. like my gossipiest cousin rolls in going “what are you two up toooooo?” and we’d have to go “oh, uh, we’re just over here....” “...making out.” “...yup. that’s what we’re doing. right out in the open where anyone could see us.” “she’s really into that kinda thing.” and then when my cousin left i’d have to tell seth that he’s an asshole and that i hated him, and he’d be thinking he was really funny and remind me that i still owed him $20.  

and because he’s actually funny and goofy and my family’s large and ridiculous, they’d actually end up liking him and insisting that he comes to other events, which results in like a bunch of other shenanigans that i’m both horrified and charmed by, eventually. there’s probably a one-bed-in-the-room-what-do-we-do scenario to up the Trope Factor during one of the misadventures cuz at that point the universe is just going for broke and throwing as many cliches as it can at us.  

he does not get the $20, but we probably make out for real at least one time.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

enemies to lovers

"fuck you, rudy.” “well, if you insist.” that’s it. that’s how that trope plays out.

but seriously, like i said with my rachel answer for this one: this wouldn’t be fluffy or healthy either, and would be a lot darker too? like, the “enemies to lovers” trope usually tugs along with it some sort of “love = redemption” idea as well, which is boring, imo, but also only works for certain types of characters. and rudy? iiiis not that type of character. going into things as a direct enemy of rudy, as a character, would mean that you’d either need to just deal with things as two opposing forces who have this intense attraction despite that, or it’d have to bend you the other way. instead of him playing nice, you’d have to end up falling from grace to even end up on the same footing. 

and either option is interesting! i’m into either of them! (like not...in real life, but in a Trope Laden Hypothetical Scenario? yeah! big time!) hating/fighting (probably literally) each other, but still hooking up? “this isn’t gonna happen again.” “sure.” (it does)?? super unhealthy! in this situation, too, you’d probably be looking at some super not-okay possessiveness, some “were you following me?” uncoolness, and inevitable fallout from that relationship going public to allies and stuff. it’s top of the shelf don’t try this at home level stuff, but i’d read dark fic about it for suresies. the other option is that, because of his influence, you’d start to go down a darker path and he’d be into that because there’s no moral high ground to navigate anymore, just two fucked up people clawing each other up. self destructive on your end, probably, but maybe just dragging out a darker side that was always there? either way, this isn’t going to be one of those examples of those tropes where Love Redeems And They All Lived Happily Ever After. it’s like a really extra unhealthy use of the dating catwoman trope too. 

like me, personally? since i’ve been answering these from a “what would i do in these scenarios?” perspective? probably option a. that quote from the beginning, paired up with that first scenario seems like the most likely match there (especially since i’ve got very little patience for the option c: the morality pet trope, but that could also work here too I GUESS). but yeah, there can be like...moments that aren’t messed up and twisted (i really hesitate to call them “fluffy”, but they can be...nicer, possibly) here, but ultimately rudy wouldn’t budge from his loyalties and none of it would end well, but he’d still work best in this trope, i think.  

send me three characters!