#everything is fine it was just 5.8

[trentxaa]

finally something to lower rent prices in lisbon (earthquake)

[glazedsnail]

Inside the Triangle - Part 1

Title is really uninspired. You'll get why.

I had written a whole ass blurb about how much of a writing whore I'm being rn but tumblr decided not to work and I can't remember much anyway. The gist was that I drink coffee write sleep repeat and haven't even touched SDV for a month.

ANYHOO

AO3 version here

PennyxShane Stardew Valley fanfiction.

I call them Parts instead of Chapters cause they're short and sweet, just like me (i'm 5.8 wth)

Formatting's odd but that's tumblr's fault not letting me edit like I want (I just gave up).

Enjoy!

With a swift calculated backhand, the fluttering menace falls to the ground. Their threat is no more. Once again, the town will live for another day, blissfully unaware of the close brush to annihilation its inhabitants went through. All thanks to the almighty Vincent, the tall, smart supersoldier. Feared, and revered. Misunderstood hero of his time.

‘Vincent, did you hear a word of what I just said?’

Eyes set on a dying moth, the little boy is snatched out of his heroics by his teacher. Though patience was one of Miss Penny's many virtues, he knew when to stop pushing his luck. She had access to the greatest ultimate weapon of all - A letter for his mum.

‘He’s playing with a moth, Miss Penny.’

‘Vincent, please pay attention to the lecture. You need to know how to spell properly.’

A hand on her other student’s shoulder, the red haired tutor softly admonishes the bored boy.

‘I can spell fine.’ He pouts.

‘Now, now, Vincent. Spell “moth” for me. Jas, if you’re finished with your spelling sheet you can grab a book.’

Penny looks at the clock above the many bookcases. Only a few minutes left until she’s not a teacher anymore, and is back to being Penny. Plain, quiet, predictable Penny.

The past weeks, Penny was dissatisfied with the status quo of her life she had buried herself into without ever questioning it. And she was blaming the newcomer. Before she came to the old abandoned farm, Pelican Town was quiet. Now all of a sudden everything is about her. Sure, it’s exciting to leave everything behind and start a new life, who has never had those thoughts. But apart from that, the “farmer” was kind of plain. 

Penny wants to slap her wrist. There’s no reason to talk badly about her! Penny is the plain one. She’s the one stuck in a small town, stuck since birth, never left, never met new people on her own accord. Despite all, and the lingering bitter aftertaste, Penny admired the newcomer. They never had the occasion to talk properly, but according to her mother she was becoming quite the regular at the saloon, and was even fun to hang around. “Great, another drinking buddy for mother” Penny had sighed for herself.

‘Miss Penny, I think it’s time now.’ Penny jumps out of her thoughts. ‘Oh, I’m sorry Vincent. Jas, it’s time to go. Say “Goodbye Gunther”.’ ‘Goodbye Gunther’

The little trio walks out of the library, into the summer heat, and, as usual, Penny walks them home before returning to her trailer to resume being quiet Penny.

‘Hey, Penny!’

Walking past the bridge, the farmer halts her conversation with Elliott, another one who left everything to come to Pelican Town, and waves at them. She struts to them, her long dark ponytail swinging in her confident steps. She wears a dusty red gingham shirt falling on dirty jeans. She’s obviously been working in the field, and on the farmer’s stereotypical wardrobe.

‘Hello, Juniper, is that right?’

‘Yeah, but call me June though.’ She claps her hands, dirt and dust flying off. ‘Who are these little things?’ She crouches to the kids ‘Yours?’ ‘No, I’m tutoring them. This is Vincent, Jodi’s youngest. And this is’ ‘Oh yeah! You’re Jas aren’t you? The one with the funny uncle.’ Jas hides behind Penny’s legs, making the farmer laugh. ‘Hey, tell him I say “hi” alright?’ She stands back up to Penny. ‘I was hoping to bump into you.’ ‘Me?’ ‘Your mom mentioned you liked those.’ She opens her large backpack and pulls out a book. ‘I found about three copies of those in one of gramps’ bookcases. Figured you’d like one.’ She hands the dusty looking novel to a dumbfounded Penny. ‘Th-thank you.’ ‘Ah, no sweat. I’ve got to go now. But hey, say “hi” to your mom for me’ She crouches back to Jas ‘And you, don’t forget to say “hi” to your uncle. No risks he’d tell you to buzz off. At least I hope.’ She waves and disappears toward the mountain. ‘She’s fun.’ Says Vincent. ‘She’s weird.’ Echoes Jas. ‘She is.’ Adds Penny, not confirming which one she agrees to.

Once Vincent’s stop off, they head to the ranch. ‘Miss Penny, what did Miss Juniper mean by “funny uncle”?’ ‘Well. I.. Hmm.’ Penny thinks for a child-friendly explanation. ‘They spend time at the saloon together. Maybe it’s just, you know, her own friendly way.’ ‘I don’t like it.’ Penny laughs. She did feel a tinge of jealousy for Juniper. She had managed to befriend almost everyone so quickly and was with no exaggeration the talk of the town.  Even Shane was talking to her. ‘Miss Penny?’ ‘Yes, Jas?’ ‘We’re at my home. You can let go of my hand now.’ ‘Oh, shoot.’ She apologises and waves her student goodbye. Walking alone back to her trailer, lost in her thoughts, she feels her cheeks getting warmer. With a sigh, she finally looks at the cover of the book she’s been gifted. It looks like an old edition of a children’s tale Penny used to read as a kid. A bizarre but heartwarming story about a raccoon like creature helping a farmer with their crops to grow. What an odd thing to have in three copies, Penny laughs to herself, slowly caressing the dusty hardback. She could read it to Vincent and Jas. Or her own children. One day. 

‘Woah there!’ Penny blindly bumps into an equally inattentive person, dropping her book. ‘Oh shoot! I’m so sorry’ She says, pushing her hair back. ‘T’s fine, here, ya dropped this.’ Between her escaped strands of hair, Penny sees Shane, on his way back from his shift at the supermarket, handing her the book. She dusts herself, profusely apologising. Shane looks at her with his tired green eyes, stained with a mix of anger and confusion. ‘You’re gonna take it or no?’ ‘I’m sorry!’ She repeats. ‘Thank you, Shane.’ She takes the book from him, avoiding his gaze. ‘Juniper gave it to me.’ ‘Oh, yeah.’ Shane grunts, stuck in small talk. He would usually simply walk away, but he just can’t commit to being rude to Penny. ‘She says “hi”’ Penny mumbles, intimidated by the man’s strong look accentuated by his furrowed brows.  ‘Ok. Well. Glad you like the farmer too.’ ‘You don’t?’ ‘I try to pay her no mind. She’s sucking up to everybody. Makes you wonder what she wants.’ His tone is uncertain, not used to people trying to tell him more than the initial painful “mornin’” he tries to utter back. ‘I think she’s just being friendly. It must be hard being the newcomer in our community.’ Tight community Penny will never leave or truly enjoy without the nagging feeling that if only she could leave… ‘Didn’t do any of that stuff when I moved in.’ Shane replies in a snarky laugh, yawning in his fist.  ‘You didn’t need to. A lot of people remembered you.’ ‘Yeah, I could totally hear them, “here comes Marnie’s trash!”’ He laughs, surprisingly heartily, firmly believing in every word he just said. ‘I remembered you.’ Penny quickly says. She blushes, and glances down, her foot playing with the dusty ground. ‘The older boy, coming in the summer to help at the ranch, strolling around town, enjoying the beach.’ Her voice turns to a soft lull as she remembers watching him carry the heavy tables headed to the beach for the annual luau. Her blush reaches the tip of her ears. She hadn’t thought about that in years. ‘Ha!’ Shane laughs. ‘Yeah. That “boy”’s been dead for a while now.’ Penny’s mouth falls in a slump, her kind eyes reprimanding Shane without a word. ‘Well, he is.’ he adds in his defence.  ‘I still see him.’ She smiles. ‘No matter how tired or…inebriated those eyes are, they’re still very much you.’ Shane turns bright red, attempting to hide in his shoulders. ‘Yeah, I mean, that’d explain why I’m such a piece of shit.’ He buries his hands in his pockets. ‘Well, nice talkin’ to you, but I’d better be going.’ He walks around Penny who keeps her eyes on him, watching him slouch away to the ranch. She slowly exhales. No, he had not been this hurt but happy to help teenager for a while. He had given up. All his drive despite it all was down the drain, after suffering one too many blows. But Penny knew he was still there, somehow, and just needed the right little push. She bites her lip. Age had gotten to him, but he was still as handsome as back then, with an albeit gruff but attractive exterior. She leans against the trailer she finally reached. The warmth of her cheeks travelling down her body. ‘Shoot…’

[oathofpromises]

[ 🎼 ] + Stella/Data OR Hiroto/Data

                                SUNLIGHT IN MY DARKNESS

1.You My Everything-Ellie Goulding

You were my backbone when My body ached with weariness And you were my hometown when My heart was filled with loneliness And just as the dark was rising I heard you close the door again And just as the light turns off I know who I dream of

2.Darkness in Me-Fight The Fade

Can you see the darkness in me The side that I've been hiding? Can you see the darkness in me The dying light behind these eyes? How is it that you can see through me now When I keep trying to hold the world out? It's like you know who I am, who I was, who I could be And you're still standing here in spite of everything

3.Fools-Lauren Aquilina

Those hardest to love need it most I watched our bodies turn to ghosts Such good friends, it has to end it always does That's the way life is Do we take that risk? And so it all boils down to this We've got our aim but we might miss We are too fragile just to guess And I've been in this place before Fine as we are but we want more That's human nature at its best

4.When The Darkness Comes-Colbie Caillat

I'll be here waiting Hoping, praying that This light will guide you home When you're feeling lost I'll leave my love Hidden in the sun For when the darkness comes

Now the door is open The world I knew is broken There's no return

5.8 Letters-Why Don't We

You know me the best You know my worst, see me hurt, but you don't judge That right there is the scariest feeling Opening and closing up again I've been hurt, so I don't trust Now here we are, staring at the ceiling

[technophili]

AI Tool Triples Alzheimer's Detection Rate

Memories slip away like sand through fingers. Loved ones become strangers. Simple tasks morph into insurmountable challenges. This is the harsh reality for millions grappling with Alzheimer's disease. Yet, amidst this bleak landscape, a beacon of hope emerges from an unexpected source.

Cambridge’s New AI Tool

What It DoesResearchers at the University of Cambridge have recently unveiled a revolutionary tool for rethinking the way we treat Alzheimer's disease. This innovative technology uses full-scale artificial intelligence to detect Alzheimer's disease before it takes hold, giving us greater accuracy in predicting its progression.Not much longer ago, Yahoo news reported that this new AI tool boasted a rather astonishing 80% accuracy rate when asked to identify potential cases. Compared to current methods, this could triple our ability to spot signals of this disease.

Professor Zoe Kourtzi interviewed by the Alan Turing institution Professor Zoe Kourtzi, the project's mastermind, explains what this means: "This advancement holds the potential to dramatically enhance patient care. We can now pinpoint individuals requiring intensive support while alleviating concerns for those likely to maintain stability."

The Human Side of Alzheimer’s

The Pain of Uncertainty

Dr. Ben underwood|Cambridge Advance online If you want more details, I'll let you listen to Dr. Ben Underwood, veteran consultant psychiatrist "Daily, I witness the toll of uncertainty on patients and their families. The frustration of inconclusive answers weighs heavily on both sufferers and medical professionals alike." What's more, the global impact of Alzheimer's disease is worrying. If we take, for example, statistics from Florida Atlantic University, which reveal that 44 million people suffer from this disease or dementia related to it, it is just as worrying to learn that in the USA alone, 5.8 million Americans are carriers of this disease, making it the sixth leading cause of death nationwide. Not to mention the financial divisions, which are just as important: the Alzheimer's Association predicts that costs per year are likely to rise to 1.1 billion dollars by 2050, which is why innovative solutions are needed to contain this epidemic.However, numbers don't tell the whole human story, because behind every statistic lies a person, or a family, or even a life that will be forever changed. 

Alison Gilderdale’s Journey

Take the story of Alison Gilderdale, reported by sky news. Her story begins ten years ago, when she had memory problems - well, at the time, everyone thought it was just forgetfulness. But it took six years before she was diagnosed once and for all. And you know how precious time is that can never be recovered, and here's an example of time wasted in uncertainty"I convinced myself everything was fine," Alison recalls. "It took others pointing out that something wasn't right. Now, I rely heavily on assistance. Even dressing myself became a struggle."If a diagnosis had been made beforehand, it could have changed the path she was going to take, she would have had good interventions, and even benefited from any support she might not have needed.So, what this new tool promises us is to offer hope where none existed before.And I suppose you're wondering how this technology works?

Inside the AI’s Mind

Analyzing Cognitive Tests and MRI ScansFirstly, the system analyzes congnitive tests and MRI brain scans, then uncovers patterns invisible even to the naked eye, Predicting Disease ProgressionWhat's more, it can predict the rate at which symptoms are progressing very effectively. And I believe that, thanks to this technology, patients who may be weakening may be entitled to what I would call aggressive interventions, while those who are progressing more slowly will be able to benefit from tailored management approaches.However, let's calm our enthusiasm for a second. I wonder about the moral implications of this.Because, as you know, the more we have AI-based solutions like Alzheimer's here, the more questions arise about patient privacy and what this might entail when using predictive diagnostics. How can we protect sensitive medical data in a world where everything is becoming almost digital?What effects would predictions about the cognitive future have on a person?Upstream, I also wonder about accessibility, which is an equally important concern. Will this technology be accessible to everyone?I think we need to ensure that these innovations are shared equally, to avoid a system where only those who can afford it benefit from high-quality diagnostics. But if we set aside these two challenges, which aren't such a big concern at the moment, Advance planning could enable us to expand our treatment options, giving patients and families enough time to plan, cherish moments and seek essential support,because if you haven't already heard, research continues to evolve.  If we take the team at Cambridge University as an example, they are constantly improving their tool, rigorously testing it to ensure that its effectiveness is not limited to demographic boundaries. At the same time, other institutions are exploring other approaches to better understand this rather complex disease.Take, for example, researchers at Florida Atlantic University who are investigating how machine learning can be used to assess congestive health. If we refer to their work published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, we can see that they are highlighting the potential of artificial intelligence to discover new and somewhat complicated patterns in different areas of brain health.I know this blog already seems long, but bear with me and let's get into the details of this AI research tool. Unlike traditional diagnostic methods, which rely heavily on subjective assessments, this system uses complex algorithms to analyze large datasets. It will examine the details of brain scans in great detail, identifying slight or trivial changes in brain form and function that experienced neurologists would be unable to see.What's more, his ability to predict how quickly the brain can weaken is uncanny.

Emily Zhao-NYU Tisch School of the Arts Dr. Emily Zhao, a neurologist who was not involved in the study, explains This predictive ability could revolutionize patient care: "This predictive capability could revolutionize how we approach treatment plans. We could potentially tailor interventions based on each patient's projected disease trajectory, maximizing the effectiveness of our therapies."Thus, its implications will no longer be limited solely to the care of individual patients, as it could make clinical trials to test new treatments for Alzheimer's much simpler. If they can accurately identify people who are declining rapidly, researchers will seem better placed to test more effective therapies, and they could speed up the drug development process.

Ethical and Accessibility Challenges

As with any revolutionary technology, there is no shortage of challenges.

Mark levy Dr Mark levy (Write in the comments if you know another levi, in an anime where there are disgusting titans), joking aside, I was saying that Dr Mark Levy, psychiatrist at Stanford University, raises questions that I find quite pertinent:How can we ensure that this powerful predictive tool does not lead to discrimination in employment or insurance? What safeguards need to be put in place to protect patients' privacy and autonomy?And I particularly agree with Levy, (I still do anyway) because it's crucial to establish sound ethical frameworks for the successful implementation of AI in healthcare. Whether it's policymakers or healthcare providers, they need to work together to put guidelines in place so that there are no problems between innovation and patient protection. I'd also point out that we need to remain aware of the importance of the human element in this technological revolution.

Dr. Sarah chen- therapyDen Dr Sarah Chen, a geriatric psychiatrist, insists on this point: "While AI can provide invaluable insights, it can never replace the empathy and nuanced understanding that comes from a doctor-patient relationship. These tools should augment, not replace, human judgment and compassion."

More Than Just One Tool

Combining AI with Genetic DataAs research progresses, scientists are exploring similarities between AI diagnostics and other cutting-edge technologies.Dr. Alexander Novak, a neurogeneticist at the University of California, San Francisco, is investigating how AI predictions can be combined with other genetic risk factors to produce even more sophisticated predictive models."By integrating multiple data streams, we might be able to paint a more complete picture of an individual's Alzheimer's risk and progression," he explains.Everyday Monitoring Innovations Even researchers at MIT are developing AI systems that could monitor everyday behaviors for even the faintest signs of cognitive decline, and then detect changes long before family members or clinicians notice anything.Blending Empathy and TechnologyAs exciting as these advances are, I can only tell you to calm your expectations.

Dr. Rachel Simmons- Brown University Internal Medicine Residency Program Directors Dr. Rachel Simmons, a geriatrician at Johns Hopkins, cautions:"While these tools offer tremendous promise, they're not a silver bullet. Alzheimer's is a complex disease influenced by myriad factors. We must continue to invest in a multifaceted approach to prevention, treatment, and care."Indeed, some lifestyle factors can play an important role in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Michael chen by Michealchenmd.com Hence the intervention of Dr. Michael Chen, a neurologist specializing in cognitive health, who prefers a different approach: "While we await wider availability of advanced diagnostic tools, we mustn't overlook the power of lifestyle interventions. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, cognitive stimulation, and social engagement all play vital roles in maintaining brain health."

Supporting Caregivers and Patients

Maria Gonzalez’s StoryFor caregivers, who are often important but overlooked Alzheimer's sufferers, this may give them a small glimmer of hope.Maria Gonzalez, who has been caring for her mother with Alzheimer's for five years, says: "Knowing that science is making progress gives me strength. Even if these new tools don't help my mom directly, I'm hopeful they'll make a difference for future generations."

Conclusion 

We've finally finished this exploration of AI's role in revolutionizing Alzheimer's research. Be optimistic and cautious, because it's not just about beating a disease, it's about keeping the stories, the connections, the essence of what makes us human, and in this noble quest, every tool, every idea, every moment of clarity is a victory worth celebrating. Read the full article

[hebescus]

RATING LIGHT YAGAMI'S OUTFITS pt. 6

from the colored manga. this is the last part in which i decided to rate the outfits he wore only for a one or two panels too. (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5)

npa playboy outfit. remember spaceland playboy outfit in the 1st part, this is the grown up version of it. this is the last outfit he wear before obata gave up on it. and he served. i love the outfit combo! it looks nice on him. i miss his shirt + sweater combo and obata really said "fine, this is for the last time". i just. i like this. 8/10

the suit™. This is the last thing he has, from the end of volume 10 until his last appearance, he's wearing this. Seems like obata just go "fuck it, it's going to end anyway" or something lmao. I'd like this outfit more if he wears it less tbh. It's okay i guess, but i like the entrance ceremony and timeskip intro suits more. Not much opinion. He fucking dies in this suit. 7/10

the mini outfits. in which i don't give them titles because of the small appearances. i am also running out of ideas

i think he wears this when he and L thinks about getting close to each other or smtg. i love that scene. and i love this sweater! i love this color tbh. 7.6/10

he seemed to like this shirt. it appears again and again, i think? it feels boring without shirt underneath tbh. but it's fine. 4.8/10

this is pretty cute. he looks pretty coz. though not too many impression. 6/10

basic but not bad. i like him in plain black. 5.8/10

okay but i love this one sm. he looks stunning in it!! there's the orange-y version he wears which i covered in part 4 but it's like, kinda ugly. this one is really nice. the more mature version of the yotsuba fight scene outfit. 8/10

he looks so buff here lmao? the shirt looks comfortably figure hugging. well, they always do but idk. somehow it looks nicer than the black sweater outfit above. 7.5/10

finally finished this. yay! i might be doing misa or mello's outfit rating after this. might though, no promises. istg this series ate my storage, i have all volumes of the colored manga on my phone and i memorize like everything he wears by now 😭

[rainbowbarnacle]

Mmh, so, it's been a little while, I thought I'd do a little catchup post for the past couple years.

Good Things:

Still in a LDR with @mercurialmalcontent. Hi, darling, I love your whole face.

Bea is 10 as of this year and continues to be terrifying and adorable and terrifyingly adorable.

She did have some vet incidents this year--along with her check-up, she had to get her teeth cleaned. If you've never had a cat's teeth cleaned before, this means she had to get konked out, and oh boy she wasn't happy with me when she woke back up again, but all is well. It turns out she really likes the dental chicken treats!

Also at some point my poor baby got an ingrown toenail. It was easily fixable, at least, and they gave her a cute sheep bandage that matched her eyes:

But all that aside, my murderpuff has a clean bill of health, and thanks to some savings, it didn't entirely gouge my bank.

I have been gleefully absorbing myself in various shows here and there. The Owl House and Our Flag Means Death and What We Do in the Shadows are the most recent fandomy things. I had a lot of fun with The Witcher! (although I still need to catch up on season 2) Luka played Witcher 3 at some point and wow that game is amazing--the stories, the graphics, the music, the monsters, the voice acting, all of it A+++. Still glomming my eyeballs all over One Piece and Mob Psycho and Heaven's Design Team.

I've also been catching up on horror movies! These are often things I avoided like the plague because when I was little I used to think that if I watched things like The Exorcist or Scream or Hellraiser or Evil Dead, MY SENSITIVE SUGARSPUN SOUL WOULD BE TRAUMATIZED FOREVER, but I am continually surprised at how good these stories end up being. I even managed to get through Poltergeist, which I hadn't seen since my mother made me watch it when I was nine. Lots of women helping each other, and familial love, and all kinds of really interesting themes mixed in with it that I was too traumatized to really notice when I was a wee kidlet trying not to bodily expire at the sight of that FREAKIN CLOWN DOLL

As for videogames, I primarily live in FFXIV these days. (I still dip a toe in Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, The Secret World, and Minecraft sometimes though.) The Shadowbringer and Endwalker expansions absolutely blew me away, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I have been devouring lots of comics. Current favorites include: Kill Six Billion Demons, Everything is Fine, Unsounded, The Sea in You, Sink Your Hookteeth, Castle Swimmer, Shot & Chaser, Path to Timbala, Solivaga, Mias and Elle, and Feral Gentry. Got any recommendations? GIMMIE. :D

Things are mostly uneventful on the writing front. Still writing, still editing people's projects, but mostly I'm just sort of over here in my little corner chipping away at a few original stories as well as a pile of fics for ao3. It's slow going, but it's going.

Crappy Things:

I got a type 2 diabetes diagnosis sometime in May of 2019. I've been handling it pretty okay--my a1c is down to 5.8 as of my last doctor appointment! It's also been a weirdly fun opportunity to learn some new recipes and figure out how low glycemic foods work, so there's that.

I'm still struggling with CFS. Bleeeeh. No huge changes there--big wonky weather changes still make me feel like god is personally wadding me up into a ball, post-exertional malaise continues to be pretty miserable. I do my best to move around when I can--I even got a tiny exercise bike for when it's too icy/humid/miserable for walking, and this also means that if I feel like I'm overdoing it I can just stop instead of having to stagger all the way back home.

Still estranged from 99% of my relatives. No big changes there--I talk to my grandma about once a week, but that's about it.

Still struggling with mental health stuff--deperession, anxiety, PTSD, bad dreams, all that stuff. The one good thing about crappy brainweather is that I can kind of wait it out and something will change, though, so I've just kind of been taking it a day at a time.

I've been pretty freakin' lucky with COVID-19. I've had all my shots, and I'm continuing to mask up and handwash and all that stuff.

Sooo, that's what I've been up to mostly! :D Is that everything? I think that's everything.

Oh, we've also been having some rad thunderstorms:

[the7thcrow]

indulgence | part two

~

pairing: felix x (fem) vampire!reader

summary: an indulgence grows to become dangerous, as the society of hampden college takes note of y/n’s new blood bag.

series masterlist.

word count: 5.8 k

genre: forbidden love. angst, extreme fluff, suggestive.

warnings: blood, suggestive content (sex is discussed but not described), strong language, alcohol and vampires ofc.

rating: 16+

a/n: hi everyone! thank you to anyone who read part one, and liked it enough to continue with part two hehe. the plot really picks up here, and i’m quite excited about it. once again, i love hearing feedback, so don’t be shy in leaving me an ask or message :)

previous chapter.

...

..

.

You were careful. In the beginning, at least. For the first few weeks of carrying your secret, you only met Felix after hours, and only at your home. You’d leave at different times, and you both never spoke a word of what you were doing to anyone.

It was a safe play. A smart one. But as time went on you became sloppy. It started on the day Felix’s roommates would be gone for the entire weekend.

You were both lying in your bed, the rainy Sunday morning having trickled by in a lazy, melancholic fashion. These were your favourite days, the ones in which he’d arrive just before dawn and leave near dusk. 

You’d gotten used to his presence around your apartment, his absence painfully noticeable during the days you found yourself cooped up there alone. You liked when he was there, even when you weren’t talking, lounging on the couch in silence with your feet intertwined as you caught up on your required reading. Or when sometimes he’d cook for you, baking you sweets as you were stressed out over a paper that’s due date was much closer than you’d realized. Him simply being around granted you comfort, a sense of companionship, something you hadn’t felt for a long time.

You couldn’t deny that Felix Lee had nestled himself into your life, and you’d be a liar to say you weren’t enjoying it. Being with him made you love the creature you were, seeing the way your feeding affected him, the way it set the two of you on fire. Forgetting for a moment how restrictive your life truly was, how exhausting and lonely it often happened to be. 

Looking back, perhaps that was the entire problem itself. That wasn’t something you should so easily forget, no matter how tempting it may be.

“Come on,” Felix whined, tracing shapes along the bare of your back with his finger. “They won’t be there all weekend, it won’t be any different then when we’re here.”

He was trying to convince you to come spend the following weekend at his apartment, as his roommates were leaving on a ski trip and wouldn’t be back until Monday morning.

“Well, if it won’t be any different then why should we bother risking it?” You returned. In truth, you really did want to go spend time at his place. It felt like the next step in your relationship, however strange and complicated it may be. You weren’t sure if “relationship” was even the right term for whatever you two were, but you didn’t want to overthink things too much. For now, all you wanted was to enjoy this while it lasted, as deep down you knew it couldn’t be forever. 

“Because,” he mumbled, rolling you over to face him. This wasn’t going to help your willpower, you’d come to find you just couldn’t say no to those dark, curious eyes. “I feel like I’ve really gotten to know you these last few weeks. I mean, I’ve seen your life. Your room, your book and record collections, what you keep stocked in your refrigerator. I guess I just want to share my space with you too.”

You groaned, shifting downwards to bury your face in his chest. “Well that’s not fair. How am I supposed to say no to that?”

“Exactly, you can’t,” he laughed.

“You’re the worst.”

“I know. Sorry.”

You sighed. “Fine. I’ll head over Friday night then.”

“See, I knew you’d come around,” he smiled, his voice light with enthusiasm. However, you couldn’t ignore the weight of anxiousness bubbling in your chest. You looked up at Felix, and you knew that he could see it written on your face.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly, methodically running his fingers through your hair, something he’d learned would help calm you down whenever you were stressed. “I’ll make it worth your time.”

~~~~

Felix did, in fact, make it worth your time. When you arrived at his doorstep the following weekend, you were surprised to find the door unlocked. Carefully, you twisted the knob, peeking inside.

It was safe to say you were surprised.

The apartment was entirely candlelit, the smell of rose scented candles mixing with that of whatever Felix was presently cooking in the kitchen. The table was done up in a way that reminded you of a cheesy Italian restaurant, with a checkered red tablecloth, two glasses for wine, and a rose stationed in the middle.

Felix emerged from the kitchen, a wide, toothy grin on his face. He was wearing an apron, patterned with an alarming amount of cartoon kittens, over what appeared to be a rather expensive suit.

“I feel like I’m underdressed,” you stated, unable to mask the pure awe in your voice. Nobody, not even Chan, had done anything like this for you. Not to mention the fact that you and Felix weren’t even dating… 

Were you? This seemed like an awful lot of effort to put in for someone you were only hooking up with.

“Nah, you look great. Don’t worry about it,” Felix said. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ll take your jacket Mademoiselle.”

You laughed, taking off your overcoat and handing it to him. “That’s French. I thought you were going for Italian,” you joked, attempting to hide the warmth flooding to your cheeks.

“Shhh,” he said, setting your jacket down on the couch before putting his hands on your shoulders. “Just let me have this one. Okay?”

“Okay,” you said quietly, giving him a kiss on the cheek. You felt oddly shy, surrounded by such a scene. 

“Well if you’ll take a seat, I can show you what I’ve been making in the kitchen,” he said, moving towards the table and pulling out the chair. You complied, sitting down and shifting your focus to the wonderful smell wafting in from the kitchen. 

Felix disappeared before appearing with two plates, setting one down in front of you. “Shrimp Scampi,” he clarified. You glanced up at him and you could tell he was slightly nervous. Knowing Felix, he was probably worried you wouldn’t like it.

How someone could possibly not appreciate all of this, was entirely beyond you.

You decided to reassure him. “It looks amazing, Felix. All of this,” you said, gesturing to the room around you. “This is incredible. I can’t believe you did this, it's so… unbelievably sweet.”

“Well,” he said shyly, removing the apron and setting it down on the kitchen counter. “I knew you were worried about coming over here. So, I guess I just wanted to make it the best I could. Less terrifying and more something you’d really enjoy. You know?”

If your cheeks weren’t red before, they certainly were now. It took everything in you not to lean over the table and kiss him right then and there.

He grabbed a bottle of wine from the liquor cabinet behind him, pouring the liquid into your glass. “White wine?” You questioned with a smirk. “I thought you would have gone with red.”

He chuckled, beginning to fill his own. “I thought about it, but it felt a little too cliche. Besides,” he said, corking the bottle and setting it back down on the table. “White goes better with seafood.”

You picked up your glass, taking a small sip. “Pinot grigio?”

He raised his eyebrows, smirking. “A bit of a wine connoisseur, are we?” 

You laughed. “Something like that.” 

Truth be told, you weren’t. Frankly, you’d always much preferred scotch. However, Chan was big on wine. From the two years you’d spent together, you’d managed to pick up a thing or two.

The rest of the dinner passed smoothly. The food was delicious, the wine smooth, the conversation breezy. You’d calmed down from the initial shock of it all, and had settled back into the comfortable atmosphere you and Felix had developed over the past few weeks.

After you’d both finished your meals, he rose to his feet, setting your plates down on the kitchen counter before disappearing around the corner, into the living room. You were wondering if you should follow him, when suddenly classical music started to fill your ears.

You rose to your feet, peering around the corner to see Felix stationed beside a record player. He smiled, before extending a hand out towards you. “Come on, dance with me.”

“You sure are cheesy today, huh?” You laughed, taking his hand anyway. You laid your head against his chest, the two of you swaying gently, a sorry attempt at a Waltz. 

The music from the record filled the room, the notes dancing along with the two of you, a symphony of affection. You quickly recognized the piece as The Four Seasons.

“Vivaldi is my favourite composer,” you mumbled into his chest.

“I know, you told me a while ago,” he spoke quietly.

“Ah,” you said, smiling to yourself over the fact he remembered. “I’m surprised you have a record of him, I know you aren’t the classical type.”

“You’re right, I’m not,” he laughed. “It’s actually one of my roommates.” 

“I see. What are they like?” Even with all the time you’d spent together, you and Felix had never talked about the people in your personal lives. 

“Hmm,” Felix hummed. Although he didn’t say anything, you could tell he was happy that you asked. That you were slowly breaking the barrier you’d put around yourself. 

“Well, Han- that’s whose record this is- he’s... well he’s loud, but I think you’d really like him. He’s studying music theory, wants to be something of a composer himself. He’s a bit messy, but if you harp on him enough he’ll keep his shit clean.” 

“He sounds nice,” you offered kindly. “What about your other one?”

“Ah, yeah. Changbin. His name is Changbin,” Felix said, but you could tell there was something off about his tone.

“What about him?”

“He’s… he’s going through a lot right now. But normally he’s the coolest. He’s also in music theory, so he and Han help eachother out a lot. He’s the type to bring you food when you’ve been working on a paper all day, because he knows you’ve forgotten to eat. Always there for you, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it,” you said. Talking about Changbin seemed to make Felix nervous, based on the way he wouldn’t meet your eye and the apprehension in his voice. You could bet it had to do with whatever Changbin was going through at the moment, but despite your curiousness you decided to drop it. It wasn’t any of your business.

The two of you swayed in silence for a few moments. There was nothing left to say on the matter.

“You know,” you said suddenly. “You said you wanted to show me your space, but I still haven’t seen your bedroom.”

Felix smirked. “Ah, I guess you haven’t. Why, you impatient for something?”

You laughed, looking up at him. “Get your head out of the gutter, Lix. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Mhm. Yeah, sure you don’t,” he returned, taking your hand and leading you down the hallway to your left. He stopped, turning to open a door that was currently covered in a rather elaborate arrangement of animal stickers. You raised your eyebrows at him.

“Oh right, the stickers,” Felix said, smacking his forehead with his palm. “Han thought it would be funny, but now I can’t get them off.” 

You smiled. Felix was right, you and Han would probably get along. 

The inside of Felix's room was oddly exactly how you had imagined it. Books were stacked neatly on the desk in the corner, ranging from academic texts to various manga. Posters hung on the walls, representing different music artists, some you recognized and others you did not. He had a nintendo switch tossed on his night stand, and plants hanging in the window. The room, while packed, was clean and well in order. An organized sort of chaos.

You laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. You felt the mattress sink slightly as he laid beside you.

“Do you like it?” He whispered.

“I do. It’s very you.”

He hummed in acknowledgment, rolling onto his side to face you. His fingers wandered in the air for a moment, before finding themselves placed against your cheek. Gently he stroked his thumb back and forth along your jawbone. 

You smiled, leaning into his touch, placing your own hand in his hair. “I feel like dessert,” you stated.

Felix’s cheeks warmed. “I made brownies,” he mumbled, his gaze deepening. “But something tells me that’s not what you have in mind.”

~~~

It was not what you had in mind, and you’d gone far beyond merely explaining that to Felix. The two of you were tangled together beneath his sheets, his head resting on your chest. The room was dark, preventing you from seeing the details of his face, only the shadows and the curve of his jaw visible in the moonlight. 

“Felix?” You whispered, wondering if he was awake.

“Mmm?” He mumbled, clearly only half-conscious. 

“You know I can’t give you more than this, right? We’ll always have to sneak around, keep us a secret. It’ll never be easy.”

“I know.”

“And you’re really okay with that?”

He reached for your hand, allowing your fingers to intertwine. “If it means I have you, I’ll manage.” 

A moment of silence passed by, as you were unsure of what to say, but something inside of you stirred. Something deep and warm, coming back to life.

“Y/N?” He asked suddenly, breaking the quiet. 

“Yeah?”

“Do I have you?”

“Of course, Lix,” you smiled, finally allowing your eyes to close, putting your mind to rest. “I’m all yours.”

    ~~~~

The following morning you awoke to the sound of rain pattering against the window, Felix still sleeping soundly against your chest. Carefully, you moved his head to the pillow, sliding out from under him and emerging into the hallway.

The apartment felt eerily quiet. You never found yourself in an unfamiliar place in the mornings, and the urge to evacuate and run back to your apartment was more tempting than you would’ve liked to admit. You wouldn’t, of course. Felix had put in the effort to make you feel comfortable, to feel at home. You would honour that, no matter how slightly terrifying it might be.

You wandered into the kitchen, noticing a container full of brownies set on the counter. You smiled, those were supposed to be eaten yesterday, before, well… 

You opened the package taking a bite of the sweet, before spitting it out in shock.

The apartment door swung open wildly, a boy with brown hair and chubby cheeks storming inside, a thick cast around his wrist. He threw his backpack onto the couch, letting the ski’s he was carrying clatter against the wall.

“Felix, you will not believe how bad the hill was. There was hardly even any snow, and the amount of rocks? It was like they wanted me to break my arm! Believe me, you made the right call opting out, it was not worth the drive-”

The boy stopped, his eyes bulging as he finally realized you were in the room. His silence made you quickly realize that you were only sporting one of Felix’s shirts, and while it covered you fine, it told an obvious tale. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Hi!” He said, his mind finally catching up on the situation. 

Alright, this was it. Clearly you and Felix weren’t a secret anymore, at least not with his roommates. Now you had to decide how you were going to play this out. Your mind was buzzing. You knew this was a bad idea. You knew this was dangerous. You fucked up. It was over for you. You were screwed. 

Attempting to settle your racing mind, you decided to make an effort at being friendly for now. 

“Hi,” you smiled, moving behind the kitchen table to cover your legs. “I’m assuming you’re Han?” 

“Yeah, how’d you know?” He laughed.

“Felix mentioned you were a tad… charismatic.” 

Han chuckled. “Did he now? I’ll have to pay him back for that. I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name-”

Felix burst out of the hallway, his hair a disheveled mess and shirt only half buttoned. “Han! You’re back early!” 

He looked at you, and while you wanted to be furious at him, planned to make him regret getting you to come here, the look of guilt in his eyes stopped you before you could even begin. It were as if the words “I’m Sorry” were branded to his forehead, his features solemn with remorse.

“We have to get out of here,” you thought. “We have to talk about this, figure out what the hell to do.”

“Wait, what did you do to your arm?” Felix asked, just noticing the thick cast.

“Ah,” Han said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck with his good arm. “I wiped out. Like I said, the hill was bad. Not enough snow and too much ice. I slid into a rock and, well… Doctor said I have to keep this on for the next 5 weeks, which blows, obviously,” he motioned to the cast, shrugging his shoulder helplessly. 

Before you could get a word in, he continued. “Oh, have you guys eaten yet? Changbin’s just grabbing-”

Felix quickly cut him off. “We were actually just about to go get something to eat.”

Han raised an eyebrow, glancing from Felix, who looked like he just stumbled out of a 2 year coma, to yourself, who was certainly in no position to walk out the door.  “You were?”

“Yeah!” You exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly. “I’m just going to, uh, get changed, and then we’ll be out of your hair,” you said, rushing past them and into Felix’s bedroom.

You shut the door behind you, leaning up against the frame before taking a deep breath. Okay, you could do this. You’d make a quick exit, then you and Felix could sort out what to do next. Maybe he could tell them you were just a hookup. But would that look too suspicious? Did they notice he’d been sneaking out almost every night? If they did that would only cause more problems. 

God, this was a fucking mess. You shouldn’t have come, you shouldn’t have come, you shouldn't have come- 

“Y/N?” Felix called, knocking on the door. “Are you almost ready?”

“Y-yeah!” You called back, cringing at the waver in your voice. You had to get yourself together. You threw on your jeans from the following day, tucking in Felix’s button up and bounded towards the door.

“Alright, I’m ready,” you said, bouncing back into the living room. However, you were surprised to be greeted by someone new. The boy was standing beside Felix and Han, whispering in a rushed, as well as undeniably angry tone. 

More surprising yet, and perhaps unsettling as well, he was glaring at you. No, glaring wasn’t the right word. His eyes screamed bloody murder, his jaw locked, entire body was rigid with a stiffness only produced by vile distaste. It was that look of hatred, that familiar spiteful glaze, which immediately made you recognize him.

“I’ve seen you at the library before,” you stated, taking note of how his eyes widened slightly at the sound of your voice.

The boy cleared his throat. “I don’t think so,” he stated, which was an obvious lie. He’d visited the library several times during the dead of the night, always with that same angry, loathsome stare. You’d always found it unsettling, and always left soon after he arrived, even if you still had work to do.

“Yes, you-” you began, but Felix quickly cut you off. 

“Sorry, Changbin. We were just leaving, I’ll catch you guys later.” He said, taking your arm and quickly ushering you out the entry. You saw Han attempt to call out in protest, but Felix quickly shut the door behind him, blocking whatever it was he had to say.

You turned to Felix. “What the hell was that?”

“What, I figured you’d want to get out of there?” He shrugged, not meeting your eye as he walked ahead of you, making his way down the complex stairs. 

You scowled, chasing after him. “Not that, why was Changbin - or whatever his name is - staring at me like that?”

“That’s just the way Changbin has been lately,” Felix said, although you couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more to it. Pulling your arm away, you pushed passed him. If Felix was going to be so frustrating, there was no way you were going to be the one trailing him like a puppy.

“Well, I know for a fact he’s seen me at the library, so why would he lie about that?” You continued, opening the main doors and storming onto the street. 

Felix jogged after you. “I don’t know?” He shot back, his voice sharp. “Maybe he just forgot?”

You scoffed, turning a corner onto the main walking path, heading off campus and towards your own apartment. You needed to sort this out, and the last thing you needed was to cause a scene in the middle of a busy street.

“Whatever,” you grumbled, still keeping yourself a few steps ahead. “We’ll figure it out when we get back to my place.”

“It’s the middle of the day, I thought that was against your precious rules,” he sniped. You knew he was just angry, blowing off steam, but the jab hurt. He was fully aware that you hated the way things were, the way things had to be. It was a low blow, and it only made your annoyance spike. 

“Fine, Lix. You don’t have to come, go back home so you don’t have to be a burden to my ‘precious rules.’”

“Shit, no. Wait, Y/N!” He babbled, running to put himself in front of you. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for, I didn’t mean that. Please, let’s figure this out. I want to, seriously.”

You stared at him for a moment, before walking past him, a sigh trailing from your lips. “Fine, come on.”

He let out a relieved breath before catching up, placing himself at your side. 

“We need to determine what the hell we’re going to tell your roommates,” you start. “Because as of now, we’ve gotten ourselves into a load of shit-”

You didn’t see the man in front of you as you collided into his chest, falling to the ground, rubbing your nose from the immediate shock of pain. 

“Woah, I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there,” the voice said, and your entire body froze. You knew that voice. You knew that voice well. It was a voice you hadn’t heard in months, the voice of the worst possible person you could stumble into at the moment.

“Hold on, Y/N?” Chan asked. You looked up to meet his gaze, petrified by the familiar look of pain in his eyes. The same hurt from the last time you saw him, or in better terms, left him.

“Hey, Chan,” you replied, your voice coming out more shaky than you wanted it to. Chan extended a hand, lifting you to your feet. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah,” he laughed quietly, scratching the back of his neck. “It sure has.”

Then, to your complete and utter despair, his gaze shifted to Felix. It was alarming, how quickly his gaze hardened, the way any sense of past affection drifted from his eyes. “Who’s this?” He asked, his voice cold. 

“That’s Felix. He’s uh, from class, we got assigned for a partner project. We have to explain how without divine intervention, the events in The Iliad may have transpired differently,” you said. If you were going to lie, you had to at least try to make it sound believable. 

“Ah, I see,” Chan said, an edge to his voice. “Where are you guys heading?”

“Just a cafe,” you replied, keeping your voice level.

“Off campus?” He asked, his eyes narrowing, you felt your heart leap into your throat.

“Yeah,” Felix answered without missing a beat. “Figured it would be less busy, you know?”

“Hm,” Chan said, before giving the boy a smile. To Felix, it probably seemed nice, but you knew Chan. Which meant you also knew there wasn’t an ounce of genuine kindness in that expression. 

“Alright, well I’ll let you guys get to it then,” he shook Felix’s hand, his grip slightly too firm. “It was nice meeting you.”

He took a step to make his exit, and for a moment you thought you’d gotten away with it. You thought that somehow, you’d manage to evade this inevitable disaster. Foolish.

Chan stopped beside you, putting a hand on your shoulder. Turning to Felix, he smiled, his eyes glinting. “And hey, you might want to fix your collar.”

Felix’s eyebrows furrowed, a confused expression on his face as he adjusted the collar of his button-up. That’s when you noticed it. The bite marks just peeked out, visibly fresh from the following night.

Chan leaned in, his breath warm against your neck, lips brushing your ear. Your body froze, heart stopping at his words.

“You’ve got his scent all over you.”

~~~~

You and Felix spent the next few hours deciding your best course of action. In a matter of a day, your entire arrangement had been flipped on its head.

The first issue revolved around Felix’s roommates, the biggest worry being what exactly he was going to tell them. After much thought, as well as a bit of arguing, you decided to have Felix say that the two of you were casually seeing each other. This way, they shouldn’t get suspicious that there was more going on, but they also wouldn’t expect to necessarily see you around their apartment either.

There was still risk in it - of course, there always was - as there was the remaining fear that one of them might mention the two of you to the wrong person, and you’d be doomed. As much as having this as a risk pained you, there wasn’t much you could do about it, at least for the moment. For now, you had to trust that if Felix told them to keep it a secret, they would.

This was difficult, as you truthfully didn’t have faith in either of them. Han seemed nice, of course. But it was clear he liked to talk, and it wouldn’t be shocking if something managed to slip from his lips. 

Changbin... Well, he seemed to hate you, for whatever reason that might be. You tried to talk to Felix about this, but he simply brushed it off, blaming it on whatever Changbin happened to be going through at the moment. Begrudgingly, you decided to drop it, but that didn’t mean you wouldn’t store the worry in the back of your mind. Keep a watchful eye out.

The bigger problem was Chan. He knew. He knew everything. The feeding, the fucking. That Felix was something more than just an acquaintance. He could single-handedly unravel your relationship, all it would take was a quick chat with The Council, and you would be ruined. There would be nothing you could do to stop them. You didn’t know what The Council would do to you, but you knew at the very least they would force you to end your arrangement with Felix.

You wanted to believe that Chan wouldn’t do that. You really did, but you knew that might not be the case. If he saw telling The Council as a way of protecting you, to keep you away from humans that could be out to hurt you, or use you, there was no doubt in your mind that that’s exactly what he would do.

For now, all you could do was wait, and keep as low of a profile as you possibly could at the moment. It was for this purpose that you said the following words:

“I think we need to distance ourselves from each other, for at least a little while,” you said to Felix. He currently was sitting on your couch, elbows resting on his knees, head buried in his hands.

Slowly, he glanced up at you. He looked tired. “Do we have to?” He asked, his voice flooded with defeat. The last few hours hadn't been easy. There were sacrifices to make, ones that neither of you wanted to adhere to. But this was not as simple as what you did and didn’t want.

“Yeah,” you sighed, dropping down on the couch beside him, resting your head on his shoulder. “We have to. I think we could have dealt with your roommates, but Chan is a far bigger issue.”

Felix frowned, and you knew exactly how he felt.

 This sucked. 

Over the past month, you’d really come to like Felix. You genuinely enjoyed his company, his cooking, his sense of humour. The way he brightened up a room. Most of all, he made you feel less alone. Together you were a part of something. A relationship of sorts. You mattered. And while you would do what you could to make sure this farewell wasn’t forever, in the end it was still a goodbye.

And goodbye’s were always hard, no matter what lay behind them.

“Alright,” he murmured, taking your hand in his, gently brushing his thumb against your knuckles. “When should I expect to hear from you again?”

“I’ll give you a call by the end of the week. I might try talking to Chan, just to see where he’s at with all this. Try to make him understand before he decides to throw me under the bus.”

Felix hums in response, before twisting his neck so that his chin rests on top of your head. “I’m going to miss you,” he states simply. 

You smile sadly, planting a soft kiss at the nape of his neck. “I’ll miss you too,” you say, “but this will only be temporary. I’ll make sure of it.”

~~~~

You didn’t get the chance to talk to Chan, as not even a full day after Felix left your apartment, a letter slid under your door. Carefully, you arose from your spot on your couch, setting your laptop down on the coffee table. You approached the envelope slowly, as if you were to move too fast, it might combust.

You picked up the letter, turning it over to reveal the seal. Your heart sunk in your chest.

There it was. The red wax seal. The letter was from The Society. 

Fuck.

You frantically ripped off the seal, releasing the note inside with shaky hands.

Dear Ms. L/N,

We have recently been informed that you have been participating in actions that violate the terms of our Society agreement. This information has been provided to us by a source of whom wishes to remain anonymous for the time being.

However, these claims remain a serious issue. We would like to give you the chance to explain yourself, as well as clear up what may be a possible misunderstanding or simply a false accusation. If these actions happen to be true, then we will deal with matters accordingly.

You are called to attend this meeting at 1:00pm tomorrow, at the councilroom of our head district.

We appreciate your compliance. 

Our regards,

The Council.

~~~~

It’s almost funny, looking back on how hopeful you’d been. That despite everything working against you, you’d somehow thought you could best them. Somehow thought that you were more powerful than the unbeatable. More powerful than The Council.

That’s where you found yourself now, seated before the three all-powerful vampires, surrounded by endless more. You thought you’d be more terrified, more horrified of what they might choose to do to you. 

But you aren’t. You’re tired of this. Tired of it all. So let them do whatever they wanted, you would take it. You didn’t regret any of what you did.

Not a damn thing. 

“Ms. L/N,” the head councilmen repeats, voice dead of emotion. “Do you know why you’re here today?”

Of course you do. He knows damn well that you know exactly why you’re here, you can see it in the smirk playing at the corner of his lips.The question is mockery. 

So you say nothing. 

“Cooperation will make this much easier, Ms. L/N,” another member of The Council speaks from beside him. She looks far younger than he is, although they are probably around the same age. Which is to say, hundreds of years old.

As your silence continues, the head councilman sighs, rubbing the space between his eyes in frustration. “Fine. Let me explain, shall I? We have reason to suspect you’ve been… coercing with a human boy. Felix Lee.”

Your heart jumps slightly. They know his name? You weren’t expecting that, but then again this was The Council. Digging up identities was the least they were capable of.

“Is this true, Ms. L/N?”

You stare at the councilman. There’s no point in lying. He knows. This meeting was not to defend your innocence, but to determine your punishment. You can see it in his eyes. Those hollow, sunken eyes, that seem farther from humanity than you could’ve dreamed possible.

“Yes,” you state. Your eyes drift to the corner of the room, landing on Chan, who’s gaze remains firm. You want to slap him. Or yell at him. Maybe both. 

“Hm, well at least you’re honest,” the councilman murmurs, a light buzz of laughter vibrating throughout the room. This is funny to them, a joke. Irritation itches under your skin, you don’t quite see the humour here.

“Well,” the councilmen starts, a glint in his eye. “In order to reward your honesty, I suppose we won’t punish you.”

You blink. “What?” You say, your voice coming out a croak. You glance at Chan again, who looks equally confused. His eyes are wide, chest heaving as his breathing rate increases. No, he’s not confused, he’s alarmed.

Something is wrong. You glance back at the councilman, and there it is again, that glint of something awful in his eyes. Something evil.

“You heard me correctly, Ms. L/N. We will not punish you,” the last word drips from his tongue, and you come to understand the weight of his words.

“Fuck. No. No, no, no,” you can hardly hear yourself think over the ringing in your ears, your thoughts a jumbled mess of panic and pure terror.

The councilmen clears his throat, a grin spreading across his lips, fangs almost shining in the dim light of the councilroom. 

“No, Felix Lee will be the one to pay this price. Kill him, and the damage you’ve caused will be forgiven.”

~~

next chapter.

[imagines-r-s]

sticking it

chapter 9 

a/n: idk why this chapter took so long, but here it is. for reference - in gymnastics, US Championships are the last meet before Olympic Trials, they’re a two day competition. any feedback is welcome. i’m kinda upset that this series (or at least this part) is almost done, but there is more to come with this series i promise. also had to repost bc it wasn’t showing up in the tags 

taglist: @butgilinsky @barbienoturbby @sunsetholland @lovenhlboys @sortagaysortahigh @hockey-racing-fubol @oopsiedoopsie23 @iwantahockeyhimbo @dreamsndior @itsurgirlgracie @heartshapedkissxs @lwstuff @handwrittenheroes

warnings: uh, i don’t think there’s anything, but if i miss something just let me know (the jamie mentioned is jamie oleksiak, not j b*nn)

sticking it masterlist

wc: 5.8

(not my gif)

“Are you sure that you have everything?” Joel asked for the twentieth time in the past hour, “we can run back to yours if you need anything else”

“I feel like you’re just trying to get me to stay with you longer,” you said, skeptically.

“Is it working?”

“No, Bee, I have to leave at some point,”  you said, putting another bag of yours in his car,”I won’t be gone long.”

“Yeah, but you’ll be closer to the Stars and that has me worried,” he said, causing you to chuckle. 

“You worried about Seggy? Or Roope? Or Big Rig? Or Mi-”

“Okay, I get it.”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, I love you and only you, shawty. Besides, I can only tolerate Texas weather for so long,” you said, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

“I love you, too, shawty,” he paused,”Wait,- that was rude.”

After packing the last of your bags into the car, you made your way to the airport to meet Marcus and Michelle. Once you arrived at the airport, Joel parked the car before the two of you headed into the airport. The four of you caught up for a while before Marcus suggested giving you and Joel time to say goodbye. 

“Is this how it feels when me and the guys leave for the road?” Joel asked, softly. 

“Yeah,” you said, smiling sadly. 

“Well, good thing I’m the one on the road all the time, I mean, I don’t like leaving you, but when I’m leaving it’s a different feeling, you know.”

“Well glad it makes you happy, buddy.”

“Did you just buddy me?” Joel asked, incredulously. 

“Did I?” you asked, laughing as Joel gasped in shock.

“Wow, I see how it is. I’ll remember that.”

“Go ahead, babe. Remember it however you want,” you paused when you saw the sad look on his face, reaching to hold his face in your hands, “hey, I’m only a text away, I might not be right here, but I will answer as soon as I can and we’ll facetime as much as you want these next few days.”

Joel nodded before looking up and seeing Marcus and Michelle headed your way, “we hate to cut this short, but we have to get going pretty soon.”

“I know I asked, but do you really have to go?”

“Yeah, Bee, I really have to go.”

“You better kick ass out there or else you’re just leaving for nothing,” he said, jokingly, “but honestly, I wish you the best of luck - I know you don’t need it, but I’ll say it anyway. Make sure to tell Nicole I said good luck and please make sure to wipe that smug look off Kathryn's face. Okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” you said, wrapping your arms around him as he pressed kiss to the top of your head. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too, but if you don’t go, the only thing you’ll be missing is your flight.”

“Wow, Bee, you are so funny.” 

“Well, one of us has to be the funny one in the relationship. Your mom jokes only get you so far far in life, babe,” he said, causing you to elbow him in the stomach. 

“I’m leaving now. I love you and I will text you when I land,” you leaned up for a quick goodbye kiss before grabbing your carry-on bag and heading to your gate. You avoided looking back, knowing that if you did, both of you wouldn’t let the other leave. 

“I think you chose a good one,” Marcus said once the three of you had sat down. 

“What?” you asked, shocked. 

“Joel. He seems like a good guy. He clearly cares about you and I can see that you care a lot about him, too. He clearly makes you happy,” Marcus added. 

Heat rushed up your face, to which you simply looked out the window, “yeah, he’s a good guy.”

“A cute one, too,” Michelle interrupted. 

“Yes, that too. But Michelle, you better lay off,” the three of you laughed as the flight attendants started to announce the safety procedures for your flight. The three of you did your own thing the rest of the flight: Marcus planning out how podium training would go, Michelle analyzing your routines, and you sleeping.

“Alright, so as soon as we land, we get luggage and go to our hotel. There is a small media event tomorrow morning before podium training, then podium training, then probably some more media. You will have the rest of the night to do whatever, I know you’ll probably go see your Dallas friends and that’s fine, just make it back in time. Then, Friday is the first day of competition, Saturday is the second day, then we have some free time Sunday,” Marcus read off to you, even with you half asleep. 

“Sounds lovely,” you grumbled. 

…..

“So, y/n, with your injury being a top priority, how different have practices been since you are still somewhat in recovery?” one of the journalists asked. You had stayed prepared for a multitude of questions having to do with your injury, so this question had an easy response.

“I would say, it’s definitely a totally new experience. I’ve had to tailor my focus to other aspects of this sport since the start of my recovery, whether that be drills, more conditioning, or changing up my routines. My team and I definitely have figured out what things work and what doesn’t and we continue to learn as I continue training,” you answered, swiftly. 

“Now obviously, you were the highest scorer in most of your competitions, even before your injury, how has competition changed for you? And what has inspired you to train harder?” another journalist asked. 

“I have to say, competition is slightly more nerve-wracking than before. I mean getting injured at a major competition definitely changes perspective for all aspects of it. I feel that I have to be more cautious when performing, whereas before I would just go with the motions. Something that’s inspired me has been that my competitors have continued training, I have a fair amount of competition - all of which are excellent athletes - which has helped motivate me a lot, but I also have an amazing support system back home who have made sure to give me that extra motivation when I need it,” you smiled. 

“Now, having to deal with that support system at home, who and how have they influenced your decisions of your journey through recovery?” which was the first question that made you smile. 

“Well first, a huge shoutout to my family, especially my cousin, Kevin. Without his support, I wouldn’t have ever tried to get back in the gym, he’s been there this whole time and I couldn’t be more grateful. Um, my coaches were so supportive of my comeback; my physical trainor, Adrian, who told me all the doctors were wrong and gave me the reality checks I needed; the whole Philadelphia Flyers roster and their families cheered me on the whole time, especially my boyfriend, Joel Farabee. My friends, my teammates, all of them pushed me where I needed to be,” you said, gratefully. 

“Thank you for your time, y/n. We wish you the best of luck this weekend,” the main announcer said to you before you went off to podium training. 

Marcus and Michelle had both told you only to warm up simplified versions of your routine, so that you could bring shock factor when you were actually performing. You had upgraded almost all of your tumbling back to where it was before injury, but no one needed to know that besides you and those in your gym. Podium training had gone very well, better than you had anticipated, so you were looking forward to how championships would go. 

As you packed up your gym bag and grabbed your phone, you saw all the messages you had from the Flyers group chat you had somehow found your way to. 

Bee: did you guys see that too?

Tiki Bar: if we are talking about the same thing, i think we did.

Patti Lapone: did she actually say nice things about us?

Kev: i really think the texas heat is getting to her already

G: she’s probably just feeling under the weather about competition, otherwise we might want to check if she is okay

Scotty: i think i misheard or i got hit in the head and didn’t realize it

Frosty: hell has frozen over

Bee: haha. frost. frozen. get it

Tiki Bar: beezer. 

G: i’ll make you do laps if you make another frost joke

Laughing at the texts in the group chat in reaction to your interview, you simply typed up a simple response: this is what i get when i’m nice, now you know why i’m not like this all the time. 

Luckily for you, you didn’t have to do any media after podium training, so you were able to leave whenever you wanted to. After checking with Marcus and Michelle, you made sure it was alright that you went off to go see Tyler and the rest of the guys. Assuming that they would be at practice, after changing out of your leo, you took the drive to the Stars practice facility.

Having come to Fort Worth so much for gymnastics and Dallas for a few hockey games, you had run into some of the Stars roster on multiple occasions. By the third time you had ran into them, and this time ran into was a very literal statement, you had exchanged social medias and most of the roster kept an eye out for any updates in your gymnastics career. During your recovery, the whole team constantly asked for updates about how you were and how gymnastics was going. 

Once you parked, you quietly made your way inside - not wanting to interrupt the practice. There were a few officials walking around, but most either paid you no mind or recognized you from times before you had been here. Walking towards the rink, your eyes settled on the boys doing laps for the last part of practice. It wasn’t until most of the guys were only talking and about to get off the ice that they noticed you. 

Tyler was the first to notice you, smiling and waving towards you, which caused most of the team to follow where he was looking and notice you. As the team headed to the locker room to change, you simply waited on one of the benches for them.

“I feel like you only came all this way to see my dogs,” Tyler said, making his way towards you. 

“No, I would never do such a thing, I obviously came here to say hi to you,” you stood up to give him a hug. 

“Mhm, whatever you say. Didn’t you have podium training today? How’d it go?”

“Well, it went pretty well actually. I did a few of my dismounts, but kept most of my landings safe just to be careful. But other than that everything went well.”

“As long as you kick ass tomorrow, I’m fine,” he said, honestly, “do you have anything else to do for the rest of the day or did you just come to say hi?”

“Well, I have no plans for the rest of the day, but I don’t want to intrude on any team plans.”

“You know you would never be intruding on anything with us, even if you are dating a Flyer,” Jamie O said from behind you. 

“God, Jamie, what the fuck? Where’d you come from?”

“Your mom’s house,” he said, earning a fist bump from Tyler. 

“I can’t even be upset, that was a good one,” you smiled as Jamie hugged you,”and don’t bring Joel into this.”

“My condolences.”

“Condolences? No one died?” you questioned.

“You are dating someone that plays for the Flyers,” Tyler said. 

“Damn, that’s harsh,” you replied. 

“Anyways, moving on. Me and a few other guys were coming over to mine for lunch and to hangout, if you want to come you are welcome to,” Tyler said to which you simply nodded. 

“Is that who I think it is?” another familiar voice rang out, causing you to whip your head around to see Roope and Jake heading your way. 

“Well, if you thought it was me, then you would be correct, my friend,” you retaliated. 

“I’m surprised they let you in here, considering you are dating a Flyer,” Otter said, jokingly. 

“Quit bringing the fact that I’m dating Bee into the conversation.”

“At least Nicole is in the safe zone,” Roope said, causing your eyes to widen, “y/n. What was that?”

“What was what?” you questioned as Roope simply narrowed his eyes.

“You did the thing.”

“What are you talking about, bestie?” 

“Oh, you have a habit of your face changing when you know something that will ruin the whole perspective or something or if you know a secret that will change the entire story. Very entertaining and concerning that you didn’t know,” Tyler added. 

“Um, well, didn’t expect to be psychoanalyzed by a bunch of hockey players today, but here we are.”

“Ok, I think we should head to mine and then, we can continue psychoanalyzing you,” Tyler suggested to which you all agreed. Roope, who had gotten a ride from Tyler in the morning, immediately hopped into your car as soon as you unlocked it. 

“What’s up with Nicole?” he asked as soon as you started driving. 

“What happened to hello? How are you?” you joked. 

“Listen, I’m asking now because I don’t want to talk about this with the guys there. But what did you mean?” he said, causing you to take a deep breath. It wasn’t like Roope and Nicole were ever together, but it was always an unspoken fling of sorts, that they never made official. 

“Look,-”

“Please, just tell me what’s happening,” he pleaded.

“Nicole and Nolan are sort of together,” you rushed out, causing a moment of silence to break out. You didn’t know what to expect as a reaction, considering they weren’t official and hadn’t really talked since the last time you and her were in Texas.

“Is she happy?” 

“Yeah, she’s happy.”

“Okay, that’s all I care about,” he said simply, which made your heart almost break for one of your closest friends. 

…..

Being able to spend time with some of your close friends that you hadn’t seen in a while was just what you needed to destress about championships. Maybe an intense game of uno with five of the most competitive people was exactly what some might call a destressor, but here you were. 

Tyler threw down his cards as he stood up dramatically, “no, because there is no way that a.) she already has an uno and that b.) all of you used your draw two cards against me.”

“Don’t be upset, Ty, that’s just how the game of uno is sometimes,” you replied, hiding a laugh. 

“Oh, shut up. I think you guys cheated,” Tyler accused. 

“I think you just don’t know how to play uno,” Jamie mumbled.

“Oh, yeah, real funny. I think you all teamed up against me and Jake dealt that way on purpose.”

“And we all think, you just can’t accept a loss in uno,” Roope added. 

“Fine, let’s settle this like men,” Tyler grabbed all the cards, attempting to shuffle them before accepting he couldn’t shuffle and handing them over to you to shuffle, “I’m watching you.”

“Oh, wow, so scared,” quickly shuffling them, doing a little bit more than usual to get Tyler off your case, you handed them back to him, “there you go.”

Another final round of uno, which ended up with you and Roope head to head as far as who would win, while Tyler had ended up with at least 15 cards to which Jamie was the first to speak up, “I think we should end here before someone gets hurt.”

“No, no, we’re fine. It’s fine. y/n, take your turn,” he said, eyes narrowing as he watched from beside you. Even if it was your last card, you dropped the draw 4, which made Tyler draw more cards. 

“Damn, that sucks,” you said, hiding a laugh. 

“What was that, y/n?” Tyler said.

“I said, damn, that sucks,” you repeated, watching Tyler closely as he stood up quickly once again, before practically chasing you. “Tyler, it’s just uno. Stop chasing me.”

“Oh, wow, ‘damn, that sucks’” Tyler mocked. 

As the other three watched, Jamie just grabbed the bowl of popcorn as they watched their friends running around chasing each other. “I see why we don’t play uno much,” Jake said. 

“Yep. Exactly. But no one listened when I advised against it,” Jamie said, taking a drink of his beer. 

“Tyler, watch yourself,” you said, as he stood on the opposite side of the couch. He started running one way, as you ran the other to avoid him, but he quickly sidestepped and caught up to you. Practically throwing you over his shoulder, he made his way out to the pool, “Tyler, let’s not do anything crazy here.”

“Oh, you mean like hold a draw four card until the end of the game,” Tyler said, as he tossed you into the deep end of his pool. 

“Children. Literal children,” Roope said, shaking his head, going to grab you a towel. 

Rising up from the water and quickly moving the hair out of your face, you swam over to where Tyler was, “hey, can you help me out?”

“Nah, I’m not falling for that one,” he stated. 

“Seriously, I won’t do anything right now, I promise,” you said, as you saw him reach his arm out to which you quickly grabbed and stood out of the pool. Walking towards Roope, who had grabbed you a towel, you turned back around to see Tyler still walking near the pool. Using this to your advantage, you ran and pushed Tyler into the pool. “Sorry, bestie,” you said, running to get the towel from Roope and running back in the house. 

After getting changed into one of Tyler’s extra shirts he had lying around, you were just hanging out with the guys when a familiar contact flashed on the screen to FaceTime, Jake who was right next to you immediately noticed, “ooh, better go talk to your man, y/n.”

“Shut the literal fuck up,” you called back, standing up to go the kitchen for privacy. Answering, you noticed that Joel was at Nolan and Kevin’s apartment, “were you that lonely without me, babe?”

“No, well maybe, but I’m helping them set up for the watch party tomorrow,” Joel said, taking a seat at their kitchen island, “how’d podium training go?”

“It went really well actually, I didn’t work the 3.5 just so that way I have something over their heads, you know. But other than that, it was all good. How are things at home?”

“Well, I mean no one is dead, which is always good. Um, debated getting a dog, my mom called, I told her about you. Uh, already told you about the watch party. I don’t think anything else interesting happened,” he said, shrugging as if he hadn’t just mentioned bringing you up to his mom. 

“Wait, you told your mom about me?”

“Well, she does follow me on Instagram, so after seeing the post she texted me asking and then she asked while we were on the phone. She wished you good luck, by the way. She’s  also visiting here with my dad in a few weeks and I’d really love it if you would meet them,” he said, shyly.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, of course,” you rushed out, hoping you didn’t sound as nervous as you were. 

“That sounded very unsure.”

“No, it’s fine. I just have never been at the spot in a relationship where I meet the parents, I’m just nervous. I don’t want to mess it up.”

“Babe, my mom already loves you, she was getting on my case about not telling her, but she already thinks very highly of you and I definitely hyped you up a little bit. You have nothing to worry about,” he reassured you, which made you smile. 

“Hey, y/n/n,” Kevin yelled. 

“Hey, Kev.”

“You were very nice in your interview today, it had all of us worried,” Kevin said, which caused you to roll your eyes in response. 

“Hey, I can be nice sometimes.”

“On very rare occasions, yes,” Joel added. 

“Whatever.” As you talked a little while longer with the guys, eventually Roope and Tyler had come in to say hi to everyone as well, which had you dying laughing as both of them gave the ‘you hurt her, we fly to Philly and hurt you’ talk that almost everyone had given him. 

Telling Joel you would call him back whenever you made it back to your hotel, you stayed with the guys for another couple of hours before heading back to your hotel. Nicole had spent most of the day after podium training resting and had met you in the hotel lobby when you got back.  

“So,- “ she didn’t even have to finish her sentence before you knew what she was saying. 

“Roope is doing good, he said he hopes things are going well,” you said, watching as a small smile crept up her face. 

“Well, good to know. Did you know KD is also staying at this hotel?”

“Well, considering this is the host hotel and most competitors are here, I am not all that shocked.”

“Yeah, but you probably didn’t know she’s legit a few rooms away from us, did ya?”

“No, guess not,” you said, “how’d you find that one out?”

“Well, let me set the scene for you. I go to get ice and then I hear her talking with, uh, whatever her name is, Callie or Carly, it starts with a C. Anyways, they were talking about you and me and how our skills have been less than recently and all this stuff about you not catching up to where you were - which I found so fucking funny because who has won gold at the past few meets? Not her. Anyways, all is fair in the sport of gymnastics, but I’m just excited to see her reaction to you doing the 3.5.”

“Damn, no pressure there, Nic.”

“Okay, but the thing is, you have the skill,” Nicole said, as you got into the elevator. “You have it down. It’s all up here, in your cranium,” she said, pointing to your head. 

“Alright, let’s just go to bed now,” you said, slowly removing her hand and opening the door to your hotel room. 

…..

“Hello everyone and welcome to Day One of the 2021 US Gymnastics Championships. We are very excited to see how today’s competition goes as this competition will decide who makes it onto the National Team and who will qualify for Olympic Trials,” Joel heard the announcer say as he made his way to sit with everyone in the living room. 

“Did you talk to her this morning?” Claude asked from beside him. 

“Yeah, usual pre-comp anxieties. Nolan talked to her and Nicole to give the usual pep talk and then we talked for a while on their way to the arena,” Joel answered, looking back to the TV to see you prepping for bars, “she said podium training went well, but Kathryn was talking shit, so all I know is she better kick her ass.”

“You know she will, it happens everytime. She gets in her head and still does amazing, just a casual Tuesday,” Scott added. 

“It’s not Tuesday?” Travis questioned.

“Yes, I know,” Scott said, confusing everyone. 

“Alright, moving on,” Joel reiterated. 

“And starting on bars, we have y/n y/l/n. Now if you remember, less than a year ago, y/n was injured at another competition doing a beam dismount that she might be competing in today’s competition. She is definitely one to watch as she has a reputation of scoring high in these meets, before and after her return. Her teammate, Nicole Carter, will be following up.”

Joel watched as you stepped away from the chalk box to start your routine, he watched intently as you jumped from the springboard to reach the high bar. He watched intently as you went through your routine. Release skills. Giants. Pirouettes. More release skills. More giants. Dismount. Stuck landing. 

“A great start to Day 1 for y/n, who seems pretty proud of how that routine went,” the announcer said, “rotation two will be beam, where we might see that 3.5 twist, which is currently in the process of being named by Kathryn Davis, who was the first to compete it at a major competition. Now the question everyone is wondering is will we see this skill from y/n today?”

“She’s doing it. Fucking dumbass,” Joel grumbled at the announcer. 

“Damn, Beezer, tell them how you really feel,” Travis replied, as everyone else laughed at Joel’s behavior before watching Nicole compete. Nicole’s routine ended with a stuck landing, the camera following her as she made her way off the platform and hugged you before the two of you did your secret handshake.

Knowing the next event was beam, Joel waited as other competitors did their routines as you were warming up. He knew this moment would make or break how the rest of the meet went and with this only being your second event, it needed to go well. 

Everyone watched anxiously as you saluted the judges, shaking your hands out before you reached to mount the beam. You took a deep breath before actually starting your routine. Starting the beginning choreography, you kept your movements sharp and clean. All the skills in your routine were sharp - doing this so if the dismount didn’t go well, it hopefully wouldn’t affect your score too much. 

Joel had memorized your routines, knowing you were approaching your dismount, he saw your movements become slightly hesitant. Watching as you did a quick pivot on the beam to prep for the dismount, he watched you take a deep breath. 

“C’mon, babe. You got it,” he said, and by whatever power was listening he watched your lips twitch up to a smile as you started your dismount. Going for the round-off and starting the twists, you did the three and a half twists, opening up to find your landing, and stuck your dismount. Joel’s smile grew even more when he saw how happy you were with your routine.

The rest of Day 1 of Championships went well for both you and Nicole; the two of you ending in the first and place spot in all around, with Kathryn following close behind. After the competition, both of you had your media conferences before you made your way back to the hotel. As both of you checked your phone, you saw the multiple notifications from various social medias.

“Dude, did you see what Ryanne posted?” Nicole asked, a look on her face that you couldn’t easily recognize. 

“No, hold on,” you opened Instagram to see she had tagged you in multiple posts on her instagram story: starting off with a picture of all the guys wearing a jersey with your and Nicole’s name on it, a picture of all the guys watching warms ups intently, a video of Joel and Travis debating the name of a skill from Nicole’s routine (Travis was right), a video of Joel watching you do your beam routine and cheering you on right as you go for your dismount, and then a video of everyone cheering as you and Nicole as they announced the end of day 1.

…..

After falling asleep with Joel on FaceTime, you woke up to your 6am alarm to get ready for Day 2 of championship, Joel - who had told you he would wake up with you - was still sound asleep. Getting you and Nicole an apple from the lobby, you talked to a few of your competitors and a few fans before heading back to yours and Nicole’s room. 

“Wake up, bitch, it’s Day 2 of Championships,” you said, jumping to lay next to Nicole on her bed.

“Leave me to die here, I don’t want to go. USAG can suck a homeless man’s dick,” she mumbled into the pillow. 

“That’s truly something, wait til the media teams hear about that one,” you joked, only to get a glare sent your way. 

“You know what? You can suck on one, too,” she responded, pulling the blanket over her head. 

“Well at least, there's less competition,” to which she quickly peaked out of the blanket.

“Oh, you wish. We’re neck and neck this time, so we’ll see who gets bragging rights.”

“Well if you don’t get out of bed, then we’ll never know,” you said, to which she only sent a glare your way. 

“Do we really have to get up and compete today? Do you think we could petition to reschedule?”

“I mean, I’m sure if we talked to people, we’d get a lot of signatures, but I don’t think it would go over well,” you said, grabbing your garment bag that held your leo for today, “I’m going to go get ready because I know if we end up talking to Joel and Nolan first, we won’t be ready in time.”

After you got ready, both you and Nicole got your pep talk from Nolan and Bee. On the way to the arena, both of you got a bunch of good luck messages - not just from your friends and family, but also from teammates and even some from most of the Stars roster. You had a feeling in your gut that today would be a good day. 

….. 

“Alright folks, Day 2 of Championships have been off to a great start and are about to come to a close. With Nicole Carter in first with a 57.605 All-Around score and Kathryn Davis in second with a 57.1, Cassie Riley in third with a 56.2, it comes down to the final rotations. y/n y/l/n is one of the last to go on floor today, who will need a score of at least a 13.5 to get first,” the announcer said. 

“And compared to her average score, this will be easily attainable. If she scores at least a 14.5, she’ll be first overall for both days of competition. She already has a for sure spot at Trials, even when you don’t consider scores. As long as she is able to hit all elements of this routine, she’ll be fine,” another announcer said. 

“Ok, you’re good, you just have to hit this routine and there’s no doubt you’ll make it to where you want to be. Deep breaths, Twinkle Toes,” Marcus said. 

Walking up the platform to get up to the floor, you took your spot at the edge of the floor, ready to salute the judge, and get the last meet of championships out of the way. After anxiously waiting, the judge finally saluted. Entering the floor with a determined walk, you took your spot waiting for the familiar sound of your floor music to ring out.

That familiar feeling of doing the sport you loved, once again, rushed through your veins. Block everything out and complete the routine, that’s all you had to do. Going to your starting pose, the music started. Going through the familiar motions of your routine, you stuck your first tumbling pass. Then came the leaps and jump sequence and all that was in between, with the additional three tumbling passes. 

You didn’t give yourself a chance to overthink about your routine, you knew that it wouldn’t benefit you in any way, but as you stepped off the floor you knew that you did what you could. As soon as you made it back to where Marcus and Nicole were sitting, you waited to see what your score was. 

Joel and everyone watching at home watched as you sat down to see what your score was. He had this dopey grin gracing his features from the amount of pride he felt in that moment. He didn’t care what your score was, he knew you had put whatever you could out on the mat. He listened to Travis for a moment until the announcer started up again for scores and awards, “and y/n y/l/n pulled through with the score that she needed, a 14.9 on floor. She placed first in All-Around, Carter following right behind, and Davis in third. If all goes this well at trials, I’d say we have a lot of good representation for the Olympic Games.”

…..

After the meet and countless amount of interviews both you and Nicole were extremely worn out and had both passed out on the flight back. As you and Nicole stepped out of the terminal, you were met with the familiar faces of your friends and family. You smiled as you saw Bee for the first time in a few days and despite how tired you were, you couldn’t stop yourself from running to him. 

He immediately caught you and did the cliche spin (the one you swore you would never do) before pulling you into a regular hug, “I’m so proud of you, babe. You have no idea.”

“Thank you. I surprisingly missed you,” you joked, laughing harder when Joel pulled you away slightly to catch a glimpse of your face. 

“Wow, aren’t I glad I was blessed with such a nice girlfriend? It’s crazy.”

“Absolutely insane.”

“Preposterous.”

“Can the two of you shut the fuck up?” Kevin asked, coming over to give you a hug, “you did good out there, y/n/n. You also kept all your bones intact, I’m proud.”

“Shut the fuck up, Kev.”

“Okay, aside from you getting onto Kev and Bee, I missed you, too,” Karly said from beside Travis. 

“I kinda did, too. You did amazing though, y/n/n. I’m proud,” Travis said. 

“Thank you, thank you. All in a hard day's work,” you said, shrugging. 

“Dude, you might want to go back to Beezer, he looks like a lost puppy watching you talk to us,” Travis pointed out, nodding in Joel’s direction who smiled when you caught his eye. 

“Yeah, not a shocking development,” you said, before walking back in Joel’s direction, “hey, Bee.”

“Hey, honey,” he said, wrapping his arms around you again, “you ready to go home?”

“Yeah, of course,” you leaned up to kiss his cheek. 

“Ew, guys. Get a room,” Kevin called out, fake gagging. 

[entertainment]

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Entertainment Spotlight: Kylie Jefferson, Tiny Pretty Things

If you recently binge-watched Tiny Pretty Things, you may recognize Kylie Jefferson, who stars as Neveah. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Kylie began dancing at just four-years-old. By age six, she was the youngest student accepted to academy level at the prestigious Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA). As her passion for ballet grew, Kylie came to split her preteen summers between DADA and Washington D.C.’s Kirov Academy of Ballet. She graduated from Boston Conservatory in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in contemporary dance. Kylie’s first gig as a choreographer was for ScHoolboy Q’s “CHopstix” (featuring Grammy-Award nominee Travis Scott) which earned her a Universal Dance Awards nomination for Favorite Music Video Performance. On stage, Kylie has performed at various award shows, including the 2020 Grammy Awards and the NAACP Image Awards. 

Can you take us through a typical day on the set of Tiny Pretty Things?

Usually starting with an early morning, arriving to set around 6:30am. After eating breakfast, arrive at hair and makeup (which was a hotspot on our set, always a good time and space to soak up some love). Then I’d get into wardrobe and arrive on set to block the upcoming scene; this would be a time for me to also work with our acting coach Maria or scene partner. On dance days, we would have time set aside to warm up—with a cast ballet class for those whose schedules permitted, or on our own. I always loved to sneak away and use the Pilates reformer that was actually built as a prop for the show. We were allowed and encouraged to utilize the gym equipment props. After shooting a few scenes, I would most likely have a rehearsal, an acting session, wardrobe fitting, and lunch/dinner. Being Kylie, lol, I always slid a nap in during that time. I’d come back to set to film another scene and wrap up the day around 2am.

You’ve been dancing since you were four years old. What are the most important lessons that dance has taught you?

Work ethic.

Tapping into emotions.

“What you do in rehearsal is what you do in performance.”

How did your experience as a lifelong dancer impact how you approached the role of Neveah in Tiny Pretty Things?

For me, it was remembering some of my own experiences. Neveah also struggles with emotions Kylie never knew how to properly articulate, so there were scenes where Neveah gave me a chance to show up for moments in my life I had not healed from or handled properly.

What do you geek out about?

It’s the little things for me, chocolate chip cookies have my whole heart. Pilates is my fav! And who doesn’t love a brand new pair of pointe shoes?!!

What’s a fun fact about the making of Tiny Pretty Things that fans would be surprised to find out?

Some of the photos on Neveah’s bedroom wall at The Archer school are actually of amazing dancers I’ve known for years: Chloe Arnold (Syncopated Ladies & choreographer of Late Late Show w/ James Corden) and Ashley Nicole Mayeux (Alonzo King��s Lines Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Alvin Ailey). I was so thrilled to be able to include women who’ve inspired me along my journey. It was also extremely cool to be a part of the process in that way.             

Describe each of the following in one word: Who you are, what you value the most, and what you’d be if you were a food item.

Who I am: everything.

What I value most: self-love.

What I’d be if I were a food item: chocolate chip cookie!

Thanks for taking the time, Kylie! Tiny Pretty Things is now streaming on Netflix.

3091 notes • Posted 2021-02-08 19:14:04 GMT

#4

Entertainment Spotlight: Tenika Davis, Jupiter's Legacy

Actress, model, and Taekwondo champion Tenika Davis stars as Petra Small in Netflix’s first original comic book series, Jupiter’s Legacy. Tenika began her career as one of the finalists on the first season of Canada’s Next Top Model before signing with Ford Models. She played a lead role in the indie hit, Jumping the Broom, with other credits including Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Lost Girl, and Skins. Tenika lives in Ontario with her two cats, Maximillian and Symeon, and loves to travel, watch movies, read, study astrology, and paddle surf in her spare time.

How did you get into the mindset to play Petra Small? How do you stay in character?

Petra fights fiercely to protect the people she loves. That is something I was able to identify with. When I was growing up, all I wanted was to make my parents proud. I knew Fitz and Petra's family story all too well; as a child, my parents got divorced because of an extramarital affair. I remember thinking that their divorce was somehow my fault, and if I could do something to make them proud, it would bring my family back together. Petra is a classic overachiever. What drives her is the need for her father's love and approval. She wants a family and is able to find that dynamic through The Sampsons, who she considers family to her and Fitz.

Can you share a memory from the set of Jupiter’s Legacy that stands out to you?

During filming the big fight Supervillian fight scene, it was 3:30 am, and we had 30mins left after a 14 hour day, and only enough time for a few takes to get the shot. Everyone was feeling the pressure. I was the last person to go, and when they called action, I felt a fire erupt in me; I screamed and ran straight for the target throwing those punches as fast as I could. I broke through mental and physical limits that day and surprised myself with what I was capable of doing.

See the full post

3154 notes • Posted 2021-05-11 17:50:21 GMT

#3

See the full post

3222 notes • Posted 2021-03-30 19:01:27 GMT

#2

I want to stop fighting the patriarchy and just start helping the matriarchy.

Kirt, Betty

I wanted you to be the first to know.

I'm gonna live.

Ritchie, It's A Sin

See the full post

3460 notes • Posted 2021-06-11 16:01:16 GMT

#1

Attention: On July 14th 2021, the God of Mischief will be transforming Tumblr into TOMBLR and Tom Hiddleston will be answering some of your questions!

Ask wisely.

22145 notes • Posted 2021-07-01 16:33:41 GMT

[astrovian]

ranking daniel miller outfits because apparently I have nothing better to do right now

an extremely long one y’all, so it’s under the cut

started at the bottom, now we’re.... still here at the bottom of the list

the running outfit. y’know. that one

look, I know it’s the middle of winter in Berlin and Daniel’s doing his best, but there is something about this that is just not that great. still looks 100x better than my running outfit but I think it’s the beanie that really gives this last place. or is it the double beanie? either way, not an outfit I would wear to try and romance my girl in (even if you are exercising with them). the only real redeeming feature of the outfit is the black turtleneck all zipped up

1.8/10

the sneaky sneaky boy outfit

the perfect outfit for the job because it’s completely unremarkable. the ‘hood over cap’ combo makes me expect to see a 20 year old hacker skulking about under there, but wait - surprise... it’s a handsome middle-aged man? 

RA can rock a cap or hood but the double-combo just doesn’t do it for me. I guess I can be happy the third hood isn’t up as well to form a trifecta?

Daniel may need to be sneaky to do his job but I would argue that if I saw a man with a hood over his cap in broad daylight chilling in a cemetery I would have more questions than if I just saw a regularly dressed man chilling in a cemetery in broad daylight

3/10

almost every s1 suit

look, RA looks fantastic in a suit and no one is disputing that. I’m just saying that this is about as bland a suit and tie combo as it gets and from my recall of season one we see this almost every single time he’s in the station.

this one is even a bland grey. grey has it’s place but in the office it can turn into a bit of a snooze. mix up your office-wear & make it fun Daniel. wear a cool-coloured tie. put some funny socks on.

4/10 

the casual summer businessman

something bothers me about this. is it the combo of the untucked shirt and the khaki pants? on their own either is fine

or is it just that this is one of the first times we see Daniel and the look has almost no personality to it? who knows

4.1/10 (for the unbuttoned collar and rolled-up sleeves)

the casual summer businessman goes to a bbq

almost the exact same outfit as the casual summer businessman, but the shirt’s a different colour which somehow makes it a lot better

this man wouldn’t look out of place at a bbq, which is a great choice from the styling team considering Daniel actually wears this to the team bbq in the show

4.5/10 solely for just being a bit plain and boring

I’ve finished filing those papers you wanted

no tie and one undone button? Daniel, you tease!

4.6/10

sneaky sneaky boy part 2

this is what I’m talking about. I still find people wearing caps indoors incredibly suspicious for someone trying to blend in (possibly because I was raised to believe that hats were an outdoors only look) but Daniel looks like a grown man and no longer looks like he should be a 20 year old hacker. success!

4.6/10 for an ultra-casual Daniel

I’m just here to file some papers and get paid 

see? same suit every time. at least this one’s a nice black which is an upgrade from the grey and really suits RA

4.7/10

every day is a work day if you try hard enough - the winter edition

a non-matchy-matchy blue tie! a winter coat! a turned up collar! it may not be exciting but at least now we’re cooking

in all fairness though, our coat is quite dull and anonymous and the only real notable thing about it is the choice to keep the collar upturned. nothing to write home about if it wasn’t for the RA attached to it

4.7/10

every day is a work day if you try hard enough - the winter edition pt. 2

the hooded coat makes for a nice relaxation of the business suit. other than that, not much to say.

4.73/10

once more unto the (lapel) breach

we find ourselves having to ask: is Daniel Miller really Daniel Miller if his coat lapel isn’t popped?

this the FBI man who turns up at your house to either arrest you or escort you to safety. oh, sorry, CIA I guess given the context of the show

looks great because of RA being the one wearing it but a fairly mundane look

4.8/10

up, up, and away

bicycle Daniel was a nice look which I wasn’t expecting out of this show. mainly because I have never ever in my life seen a man in a suit on a bike. 

in NZ they all use cars and at the very least bike in casual clothes then get changed at work. is biking in suits a European thing?

there’s absolutely nothing special or spectacular about the clothes, but put Daniel on a bike and it works really well?

maybe it’s the cape effect or leather gloves. or even just the notion of seeing a fully-dressed business man in a suit whiz by you on a bicycle.

whatever it is, it’s appreciated

4.8/10

the party boy

in s1 Daniel has only one look if he’s going out on the town - he ditches the tie & opens two buttons (or three if he’s feeling saucy)

I’ll never complain about this this look because let’s be honest, who would, but we also need to face reality that, like his suits, it’s also a bit repetitive and lacks a bit of something after seeing it for the 5th episode in row

4.9 /10

it might be time for you to go to bed

the party boy has finally lost his ‘I’m too cool for you’ vibe and partied his jacket and several shirt buttons off (quite literally). bonus points for the completely rumpled shirt and hair

the only thing that is eye-catching in this outfit is the skin it reveals

4/10

puzzle time *finger guns* (to anyone who didn’t grow up in New Zealand quoting this ad I apologise)

now this is a Daniel I would sit down and do a puzzle with. which is probably a good thing as he is quite literally solving a puzzle in this scene

5/10 for evoking the correct feeling from the audience but otherwise there is nothing special here

is mission impossible hiring?

the gloves? the backpack? the jacket and zipped sweater? you see this man and know your mainframe is about to be hacked

not the worst. but not the best. love the zipped sweater, could lose the gloves.

5.5/10

let’s get cozy

now this is a dapper fellow. the thin black scarf? brilliant with the signature coat collar

a Daniel who would probably lend you his coat or scarf if you complained about the cold

5.6/10

someone who would feed the ducks at the park

this is how to put in RA in a baseball cap. the subtle tartan of his scarf, which is tied in a knot? the perfect winter spy outfit

this is a Daniel you want to go on walks in a park with.

5.8/10

uncle Daniel goes on a trip to the mall

the more I look at that jacket the more I appreciate it. It’s a stunning blue which makes a nice contrast to the usual dull grey of his sweater and is a colour that looks great on RA. It even has some quilting for added interest

5.96/10

he’s the ‘fun uncle’

the warm sweater and scarf? this is the uncle who takes you out to do fun things while you’re supposed to be grounded and tells you not to tell your mom

nothing amazing in this outfit but also nothing to complain about considering it’s in s1. a funner, casual side to Daniel we don’t often see (am I bitter about never seeing his cousin and her son after s1? a little)

a solid 6/10

hope is fragile and also a black sweater

the fact that we never see this sweater on its own is what lets it down here

putting that to one side, the snuggly sweater? the green bomber jacket? this is a classic s2 Daniel look. but hang on - this is from s1?

Daniel’s letting us know via this s1 outfit that it will all be good in the near future if we can just hang on until he gets his s2 wardrobe

6.1/10 for providing hope for the future

hello? it’s your future ex-boyfriend calling

this man isn’t Daniel Miller - he’s a career model who can GET IT and he knows it

6.6/10

comfy sweater boy

so simple but so, so, so good

this is a Daniel I would want to cuddle up on a couch with. he’s a soft boy who wouldn’t hurt anyone and probably makes a great hot chocolate

6.7/10

comfy sweater boy goes for a walk outside

the colour of his sweater goes nicely with the coat. and once again: is he really Daniel Miller if his collar isn’t popped?

he loses 0.1 of a point for losing a bit of the soft boy look that the sweater just by itself brought to the party

6/10

comfy sweater boy ran out of hot chocolate at his so comes round to your place for takeaway

I just really enjoy the colour of this sweater, okay? the easy, layered sweater look? the takeaway chinese? this is a man after my heart and I’m also pretty sure I’ve worn this exact outfit before

6.1/10

if looks could kill

leather jacket? perfect. but what really brings this together? the black v-neck of course. RA never wears enough v-necks

‘nuf said

6.9/10

the Adam Price moment

this is one of the rarest of cases - a s2 outfit that wasn’t a 100% hit for me. everything about this outfit slaps except for the polo shirt

blue bomber jacket? hell yeah. hidden orange detailing on the inside? that’s what I’m talking about. colour combo of shirt and jacket? well done

polo shirt itself? meh. even if it was just a plain polo that would have been great. for some reason the embroidered logo and collar stripes push me over the edge

I don’t know why but whenever I see a man in a polo shirt like this, I immediately think they are heading to the golf course and are probably not the type of person I would chill with (given that I don’t play golf)

on Adam Price? sure. on Daniel Miller? nah, he knows better

7/10 (mainly for the bomber)

guess who’s back? back again. Adam’s back. tell a friend

I know this is lower ranked than most of the outfits on this entire list but is still found at the upper end of this list. That’s ‘cause it just had to come after the Adam Price moment, okay?

they took everything that was wrong with the Adam Price moment (e.g. the entire polo shirt) and then focused our attention on it

it doesn’t matter how tightly it clings to RA’s body, it’s not overriding my unjustified hatred of polo shirts 

3.5/10

I’m here to make important calls while I dine in a fine restaurant

another updated suit look post-s1. I picture this Daniel eating at a nice Italian restaurant for lunch before returning to work for an important business conference

and is that a textured shirt I spy? well done

7.3/10

the shirt is even better without the jacket.

the undone buttons? c’mon

it’s just a nice shirt okay

7.5/10

comfy sweater boy’s older brother

for one thing, those low-slung sweatpants are a blessing and didn’t get enough screen time.

then on top of that the oversized shirt that drapes in just the right and most comfy way? the bare feet? I would call in sick to work if I saw Daniel wearing this outfit in my house

this is a Daniel who has lost comfy sweater boy’s innocence but who I would still wanna cook food and binge netflix with

this is absolute peak comfy Daniel

a well-deserved 7.8/10

the ‘I can’t believe I wasted so much time with the same suit and coat combo over and over in s1′ Daniel

this Daniel is the sum of everything that is wrong with s1 Daniel and everything that is right about s2 & s3 Daniel

the casual suit jacket. the rolled up sleeves. the loose casual shirt. this is a Daniel who works hard but knows how to have a good time and will 100% seduce you in a foreign city

8.5/10

come to the dark side

the same as the ‘I can’t believe I wasted so much time with the same suit and coat combo over and over in s1′ Daniel but with his classic coat and popped collar for some added mystery to the character

like the ‘I can’t believe I wasted so much time with the same suit and coat combo over and over in s1′ Daniel this man will 100% seduce you in a foreign city but also will not hesitate to use his superior strength to pin you against a wall while he makes out with you

8.59/10

I mean...

I’m not sure you can class underwear as an ‘outfit’ as such, but uh.... sorry, what was I saying? I got a little distracted 

I refuse to put a numerical rank on this/10

don’t tell your dad about this one

I know we’ve established that underwear is not really an outfit, but these are pants so I’m gonna say this one counts.

the undone belt? the obvious shirtlessness? hanging with this man will definitely end with someone in jail (and it won’t be him). but at least it’ll be a fun ride on the way down to hell

i refuse to assign numerical value to the semi-naked ones because that’s not fair on the other outfits/10

is he here to fix a car, murder someone or sweep me off my feet? who knows and honestly who cares when he looks like that?

the khaki jacket brings in some ruggedness which tip-top Daniel below is missing while still keeping it effortlessly cool.

this is Daniel. fucking. Miller and he doesn’t care what you think

99.99/10

tip-top Daniel

this is Daniel right at his peak. 

everything - the casual bomber from the Adam Price moment earlier, the plaid shirt, the undone buttons, the aviators. the HAIR. 

Damn, Daniel. Damn.

100/10

[kaleidescope-writes]

Rest Your Mind, Darling

Requested By @the-departed-patato 

~~~~

Hi I don’t know if I’m dong this correctly or not but I was wondering if I could request a Loki imagine/one shot/fic or something. Between the pandemic making my anxiety spike, being really sick right now (not with covid), and currently being on my period all at once I really need some Loki in my life. So I was wondering if you could do something with the reader in a similar spot (doesn’t have to be exact. Just kinda that ballpark) and Loki helps her feel better. (I would like it best if they lived with the avengers but no pressure you can do whatever you like.) I know this is super long so sorry for that but thank you.❤️~~~~

Loki x Female!Reader 

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety, slight angst, Tears, Soft Loki, Fluff

The level of stress in a human body is rated on a 10-point scale. One being the ideal and almost completely impossible to reach level. Ten is the level at which the stress can take a serious toll on one’s mental health. Before the pandemic began, the average level of stress one experienced was between 4.9 and 5.8 on the ten-point scale. At least, that’s what you read. 

Reading seemed like the only thing to do in your quarantined isolation in the Avengers compound. It started off well in the beginning. Having the choice to train, explore the compound, read something from the massive digital and physical library, spend time at the pool, and tons more activities. All of which you’d already done at least a dozen times. It was only supposed to last a few months until the summer months came around, allowing the heat to decrease the contamination rate. Unfortunately, that was not the case. For six months you were couped up in a compound with people you’d gotten used to seeing. That’s not to say that you had become bored of them, it’s just that after months of being in this situation everyone has become more irritable and on edge. In the beginning, it was entertaining to see Sam and Bucky bicker, but now it happens so often that it’s become background noise. 

You too have become more irritable with everything going on. It was fine at first, only going as far as being so bored you start snacking on everything and everything you find. You had friends around you that you could talk to about certain things; Nat and Wanda being your go-to girls for woman-specific things. But at this point, you’d heard everything they would have to say. You heard every story, every complaint, every pet peeve, and everything in between. There was a feeling growing inside you that made hundreds of negative thoughts surround your mind. You could only describe it as a deep frustration-filled anxiety You tried desperately to soothe it, but nothing seemed to work. Things got worse when your period came rolling into town during the frustration and anxiety. It wouldn’t so awful had the frustration been at a manageable level. That was not the case. 

So now, you’re laying in bed, lacking the motivation to do anything other than move around to get more comfortable. It was well into the hours of the afternoon but you still refused to get up and greet the day. You were well past the point of tears, feeling nothing but an unnervingly high feeling of anxiety as you laid in bed with the sheets covering your entire body. Despite your current position, you didn’t feel any ounce of comfort. Instead, it’s like all you knew was this awful feeling of dread that surrounded you. 

“Darling?” a deep, sultry voice greeted as he silently entered the room. You didn’t move. You didn’t want to. All you wanted was to be here and stay in your room until uneasiness either magically disappeared or was eased by someone else. You felt the bed dip near your torso, cold hands grabbing the covers and slowly pulling them off your head. Once your eyes met’, his expression softened, taking in your disheveled and tired appearance. “What’s troubling you?” he asked in a soft tone that showed you just how much he cared. You sighed heavily, closing your eyes as you pondered whether or not to tell him what was going on. Loki took your hand in his, making you open your eyes. He silently urged you to tell him what was wrong in the same way he always does; looking at you intently as he rubs his thumb over your knuckles. 

You sat up, not pulling your hand away from him. Opening your lips to speak, your words got caught in your throat. Your frustration increased as you weren’t able to form words to explain what was wrong. Struggling to say anything at all, your breathing began to increase at the same rate as your anxiety, rendering you a hyperventilating mess. Loki instantly sensed your troubles, leaning in to hold you as you breathed. “It’s alright. I’m here,” he soothed, letting you clutch onto his clothes as you began to sob softly. You rested your head on his chest, letting him hold you. 

“I don’t feel ok,” you confessed in a whisper, “I haven’t in a while.” You felt him sigh, hold tightening slightly as you cried into his chest. “I’m here, darling,” he whispered into your hair, “I always will be.” You calmed your sobs to look into his eyes, tears still staining your face. “I haven’t been feeling well lately. I’ve been anxious and frustrated with the world and I don’t know how to make this go away.” Loki shushed you softly as he wiped the tears from your eyes. He held on to your cheeks and gave you the warm smile he only ever gave you. “I can help,” he cooed, “No matter what you need, I can grant it to you. I’ll do anything in my power to lift your spirits, my love.” You gave him a sad smile before burying your head in the crook of his neck. 

You stayed in that position for a while, not wanting to pull away from the comfort that he surrounded you with, strongly smelling of pine and mint. Loki didn’t let go. He knew that the best thing he could do for you at the moment was to just hold you until you were ready to let go. He meant what he said about doing anything to make you feel better. You are his queen. He’d do anything for you. Your sobs began to calm down and were soon gone. You still held onto him, embracing his presence as your breaths became calmer and steady. 

Slowly, you pulled away from him, looking into his deep green eyes once again. “Lie down with me?” you begged, voice still a little hoarse. Loki smiled softly, nodding once as he moved to lie down with you. He wrapped his arms around your center as you rested your back on his chest. Intertwining his legs with yours, Loki made sure you felt completely comfortable with him. You took in a deep breath, letting go of any remaining tension you had with the exhale. This is what you needed. To be embraced by the man you loved and have a calming moment where the only thought that crossed your mind was peace. 

“Thank you, Loki,” you murmured, interlacing your fingers with his. “Of course, my queen,” he smiled, “I will always be here for when your unsettled mind clouds your thoughts. I will always help you carry any burden and make your uneasiness go away. I love you, Y/N. I’m here for anything you need.” You yawned as the weight of your emotional state made you feel incredibly tired. “Rest, my love.” Loki continued, “I promise tomorrow, your mind will be at ease. Whatever you need, I will be more than happy to comply. For now, rest your mind, darling. I love you, Y/N”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

It’s a bit short, but I hope you liked it!! I hope this helps you feel better even just a little. If there’s anything else I can do to help you feel better, please let me know. I hope you enjoyed it😘💖💖💖💖💖

Oh, and here’s a hug, just in case you need it. 

I Love You, Stay Safe, Be Careful, and I wish you the very best!! Thanks For Requesting!!!😘💜💜💜💜💜💜💖💖💖💖💖💖

[leonchiro]

"Midnight doesn’t last forever!" 🖤⠀ Let’s share 7 Random Facts.⠀ ⠀ 1. I currently have the same colour of Sephiroth Grey hair. Feeling between daddy grey and the chosen one! Do you like it? 😄⠀ ⠀ 2. My Birthday will be in 28 days (31st May).⠀ Not the best circumstances to celebrate but as long as I have you here, I always feel it’s party time! 🎉 ⠀ ⠀ 3. There are high chances I won’t attend any event this year. The same chances there might not be any con / crowded event this year as well. But since it’s not in our power to change this, we need to stand proud and be creative! We have the power to be CREATIVE and make people happy with our own choices! Focus on this positivity and you will see everything will always be fine 💙⠀ ⠀ 4. I stream every night on Tw1tch and I’m really happy of the quality of people following making a true devoted family ❤️ there’s so much fun everytime and you’re all welcome to join this community I created! It makes me really proud seeing so many of you becoming friends and supporting eachother! ⠀ ⠀ 5. This week I dispatched my luggage I packed for Mexico a few months ago. My Sett Cosplay was there and I decided to move on from the past and create a new better future! Reason why I haven’t shown Sett... YET. I’m really confident of the fact I will always be MYSELF and I will always give you the best in my OWN way! ❤️⠀ ⠀ 6. I have a few big announcements to make! It takes some time to confirm everything but I’m really excited to the idea! ⚡️⠀ At the moment we can only jump on the hype train, cross fingers and wait the results! 😄⠀ ⠀ 7. I train 4 times per week but it’s really hard to keep the top shape during this period. One of my main motivations is going back in the ring and continue my Pro Wrestling trainings! 💪🏼⠀ ⠀ 8. I said 7 but... I just made 5.8 million bells in a few hours of Animal Crossing just by selling all my turnips 🤣⠀ ⠀ What about you? ⠀ How did your month begin? 😄⠀ ⠀ #Sephiroth #FinalFantasy #FFVII #LeonChiro #OneWingedAngel #Dissidia #DissidiaNT #Jenova #Cosplay #Model #Project #Villain #SuperNova #Boss #Art #SquareEnix #Motivation #Dispear #Materia #Masamune #PhotoOfTheDay #Cosplayer #Videogame (at Rome, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_tEk1oFtmb/?igshid=7ednvlcews26

[oh-theatre]

Sycamore High: An Excuse (Chapter 37)

A/N: Hey looky here, I actually spent time and really worked hard on this chapter. I'm not proud, I don't think I'm ever proud of my writing but I did love doing this SO much. I love spending more time on writing, I used to do it and then lost that but now I'm back and hope you guys will like it! ALSO ALSO, This story is coming to end BUT there is a sequel already in the works so :)

summary: Finals Day 1

words:  3,961

warnings: Swearing, forced kissing, crying, yelling

Edited by: @theyreallidiots  (Thank you so much love!! You're amazing and it means so much!)

Ao3 Link

Finals Day 1…

“Not a word of it to Ted, ok?” Chad whispered, Henry wanted to protest but the look Chad gave him made him decide otherwise. He finished cleaning up the dishes, Chad packed his things. Ted returned holding his own belongings, Chad sighed walking over to him. “Your hair...kiddo” He mumbled trying his best to fix the mess Ted called hair. Ted pouted swatting his hand away.

“Hey hey, don't mess with the signature look” He complained, reversing any work Chad had just done. Henry watched the pair, his heart tugging at him. He couldn't help but think of it. Chad had always wanted kids, he made that clear when they got together. Henry, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. He didn't hate kids, he just wasn't sure of himself. His parents weren't the best examples, until Chad came along Henry was practically a robot modeled by his parents. But then he fell for that stupid theatre kid, who greeted him the first time he walked into the auditorium. Now here they are, years later, married. Not married. No the past 24 years of blissful marriage were a lie, and he knew that this shouldn't have changed anything. But it sat itching the back of his mind, you're not married, he is not the father. He was still the same man, and yet here Henry stood doubtful. It wasn't fair to Ted, and it wasn't fair to Chad.

“Ready to go dearest?” Chad asked sweetly, extending his hand. Henry took it without hesitation letting him lead him to the door. Chad looked back at the frozen Ted. “Kiddo?” Ted shuffled for something in his bag but grumbled.

“Forgot something in dad’s office” He informed “Be right back” He rushed out of the room scrambling down the hall. Chad chuckled turning back to Henry. He studied his face, his blank expression, the way his eyes sat firmly in one spot.

“Whatcha thinking about love?” Chad inquires, cupping his face gently. Henry averts his gaze, shuffling his feet. “Henry? Henry, I know you, what's wrong?” His voice was firm. He shook his head, feeling able to move once more.

“Nothing, everything is fine” Henry assured, both men knew he was lying but before Chad could try again, Ted returned. Both professors turned to him expectantly, his face was unreadable holding a piece of paper. “Ted?”

“I wasn't trying to snoop…” He mumbled, his eyes were glazed over, he couldn't pin down what he was feeling. “I thought it was on your desk… but I… found this?” He holds up the paper, Chad bites his lips. Henry squeezes his hand, the adoption papers trembled in Ted's hand. Chad stepped forward. “I'm not really sure I understand it...Its... it's confusing…” He admits, his voice hitches. Chad moves forward again, Henry follows.

“Ted...come sit” Chad offers, moving himself to the couch. Ted stares, but nods. Henry follows, Ted sits in the middle of the pair, a tight grasp on the papers. Chad takes a deep breath, he opens the papers still in Ted's hand. “Let's go over this slowly ok?” Ted swallows nodding.

“Ugh! I don't get it!” Ted exclaims, Chad peeks his head out through the kitchen. He takes off his over mitts sitting next to his son on the table. He takes a peek at what Teds working on, Ted moves the paper towards him. “I just don't understand math ok?” He sighs rubbing his head.

“Let me see” Chad requests, he takes the papers studying them diligently. He nods, taking another pencil. Henry watches from the counter. “Let's go slowly ok? Don't think of doing it all at once, break down the problem” He demonstrates with one of the problems, Ted tries next. Henry smiles as Chad works carefully with Ted, calming him down, reassuring him. Even when he got frustrated.

“Which would mean that x equals 6.4 and y equals 5.8!” Ted finishes, he turns brightly to Chad “Right?” Chad laughs smiling.

“Exactly, good job Ted” He congratulates, he sits a little longer just in case.

“So… so there… there was a p-problem...with me?” Ted manages, Chad shook his head softly. He pointed to something on the paper.

“Never Ted, look” He shows him another paper “Henry and I…” He looks over at his...at Henry biting his lip. “Henry and I... aren't technically married” He explains, feeling that pull again

“H-how is that possible?” Ted asked turning to Henry, who raises his eyebrows. He didn't know how to explain it, not calmly. “You showed me photos! You were both there!” He claims, Chad nods.

“Yes but apparently… we never got a real marriage certificate. It's very confusing but when we went to get our marriage certificate we were told we were married but it wasn't true” Chad rambled, Henry hated the part that came next. “Our marriage license was real, but we looked into it and the clerk who was meant to ‘sign off’ on our marriage” He sighed “Forged it, he um… he didn't agree with our way of living” Oh.

“Oh…” Ted muttered, his mind began racing. “How was that even allowed? How did you go through 24 years without there ever being a problem?” Ted rushed, Chad took his shoulders.

“There were problems but we could never figure out what it was and it went away eventually,” Henry explained, he felt the need to participate. “But this won't go away” He gestured to the paper. Ted turned to him, he had one simple question.

“So what are you going to do?” Henry and Chad shared a knowing glance. Married or not, they still had these moments, those moments where you know exactly what the other is thinking.

“We’re going to get married,” they said in unison, both sharing a smile.

~~~

“Paul, please! Just listen!” Marley begged Paul scoffed one foot already at the door.

“No! I don't wanna see him, I don't wanna talk to him! You and Alice do whatever the fuck you want but I have school” He huffed pulling away from his mother. He stormed out, Marley frantically following him. She grabbed his arm carefully, turning him towards her.

“First of all language!” She scolded, he sighed tapping his foot impatiently “I know you don't want to, and you don't have to! I just wanted to make sure, I would never ask you to do it Paul” She insisted, he softened in her grasp. “Good luck with finals, ok? I'll pick you and Alice up and we can go out for dinner, alright?” He nodded, the idea bringing a small inkling of joy.

“Love you mom” He told her, she released him smiling sadly. He slid into his car, throwing his things in the back. He pulls out his phone. He wonders what the group chat name is this week. Ted enjoys changing it every week.

Stressed, Depressed and A Mess

Paul: Mood on the name Teddy boi

Bill: Was there something you needed Paul?

Paul: Just wanted to know if any of yall needed me to pick you up

Ted: Busy, can't talk

Bill: I could use a ride if that's alright

Paul: Yeppers be there soon

He goes to close his phone but received another message. A message from an unknown name pops up.

The Fuckiest of Fuckers

Oh… never mind

Em: Hey babe, I know this is super last minute but could I get a ride?

Paul: Always and forever

Em:  I need a ride, I need a ride, I need a ride

Em: Haha that was so funny

Paul: Pick you up soon

He chuckled finally stuffing his phone away, pulling out of the driveway. He picked up Emma first, receiving a kiss on the cheek. She sat in the passenger's seat choosing the music, and Paul thanked god he wasn't picking up Ted. There would be a war.  Bill was next, seeing as he lived the farthest away, and he sleepily joined them sitting in the back seat.

“Everyone gucci?” Paul asked as he pulled away from Bill's house. Emma turned the music down a bit, Bill buckled himself in.

“Mmhm,” he hummed, “No Ted?” He inquired, Paul looked at him through the mirror shaking his head. “Hmm, everyone ready for finals?” Emma laughed dryly.

“Never” She answered, Paul, nodded in agreement. Bill chuckled softly pulling out a book from his bag. The rest of the ride was relaxing, Emma played soft music, Bill read in the back, Paul drove. They stopped for coffee picking up more orders than expected, in fairness it was Emma's fault. She asked the group chat if they wanted anything, and Charlotte, Jackie, and Ted were all eager to get some caffeine. They arrived at school soon after, setting up outside the lockers. Jackie and Charlotte joined them. They sat in their usual circle of lawn chairs, two empty for Ted and Tommy.

“Your coffee m’ lady” Paul served, handing Charlotte her drink. “And one bitch juice for Jackie” He joked handing Jackie her own drink. She took a giant sip staring him dead in the eye.

“Hey Paul, did you make this?” She asked “It does taste a little bitchy, with a hint of fucker”

“Language!” Charlotte and Bill finally yelled. Jackie and Paul shrunk in their seats, their faces heating up. Ted arrived shortly after, grumbling as he sat in his chair. “You alright?” Bill questioned, Ted, buried his face his arms. Paul and Bill shared a look, simply patting him on the back.

“I hate literally everything” His voice muffled, Paul nodded. “I just wanna go home and sleep” The group snapped in agreement. Charlotte glanced at the empty chair, her heart sinking.

“No Tommy again?” She inquired, Ted looked up, the dark under bags of his eyes becoming prominent. He shook his head no. “Oh… sorry”

“Way to make it awkward bubbles” Jackie whispered, Charlotte swat her pouting. She chuckled, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek “I'm only kidding” Ted wasn't going to lie, it hurt just a bit. Guess now he knew how Bill felt. Emma and Paul teasing each other sharing their own private secrets. Jackie and Charlotte giggling, smothering each other with kisses. He missed Tommy, he hadn't seen or talked to him in almost 2 weeks. He was at school, he knew that much but every time he tried…

“Oh my god I'm going to kill Alice” Paul muttered, Emma, peaked over raising an eyebrow “She keeps insisting I see my dad-” His eyes widen, Ted and Bill turn both on high alert.

“Your dads back?!” Ted screeches, “Are you ok? Do you need help? You can stay at my house” Ted offers frantically, Bill nods. Charlotte and Emma eyed the three of them. Paul hates to admit he suddenly feels a weight lifted.

“I’m fine, guys, really” He assures, Ted sighs leaning back. “I'm not seeing him, but Alice insists I give him another chance” He gestures, throwing his hands up. Emma takes it squeezing it gently. He gives her a grateful smile. “I didn't want to tell anyone, because of finals…”

“I’m sorry dude,” Ted says, Paul gives him a smile. He curses himself, what a shitty excuse he was. Ted doesn’t tell him something and Paul freaks out, but the other way around? Ted’s a fucking angel. “But seriously, you can stay over at my house until he’s gone”

“Thanks, if Alice convinces mom to that family dinner, I might take you up on that offer” He joked, Ted smirks. Bill glares, not at Paul but for Paul. “Hey, buddy... you good?”

“Moriarty, not Sherlock” Is all Bill mutters, and to everyone else it means nothing. But Paul and Ted share a knowing look.

~~~

“Raise your hand if you one-hundred percent just failed your final” Ted announces plopping his lunch down at the table. Everyone except for Bill raises their hand. Ted nods, affirming his doubts. Everyone has their lunches out, and some kind of study guide. Ted follows suit, taking out his own math guide. “Look, it's just two more days of tests and then two free days and then summer!” He tries, lazy ‘woos’ are echoed. They worked silently, occasionally looking up to talk with one another or eat.

“Ted, can I talk to you?” A voice asked from behind. He glances up, his eyes turned fiery. Billy stands holding his lunch in his hands, staring expectantly. Paul and Bill stand, glaring. Emma cracks her knuckles (she wouldn't actually punch him, but man she wishes she could).

“What do you want?” Ted spits, he literally spits. Nothing comes of it but there was an effort. Billy eyes the group but sighs.

“I just want to talk, ok?” He raises a white flag with his face, Ted nods.

“Fine-”

“Ted” Bill and Paul warn in unison, he holds up his hands nodding. They sit down doubtful but watch him follow Billy out of the cafeteria. Billy leads him to a secluded corner, Ted becomes warier as they continue.

“Ok, what do you want?” He asked, his voice his firm and annoyed. He might have given Billy the chance to speak to him, but not a lot of time.

“I wanted to apologize,” Billy informs, Ted folds his arms waiting “I am sorry” And so he goes on to list and apologize sincerely to Ted. It's a good one too, one Ted surprisingly appreciates. Once he’s finished, Ted assumes it's over but Billy stops him from leaving. “How did you know?” His voice is softer now, almost chilling.

“Know what?” Ted wonders as Billy shuffled his feet, kicking the ground. He fails to meet Ted's eyes.

“How did you...know you were…” He can't finish, as if the word is too revolting. Ted's face falls annoyed, as his arms rejoin his side.

“Bisexual” He scoffs, Billy swallows nodding. “I mean, I suspected for a while and told my friends and family but I wasn't sure until…” Ted trails off, his mind picturing exactly when he knew. Under the willow tree, sitting with Tommy. He cupped his face, locking their lips together. A sad flutter was felt, a soft moan escaped Ted's mouth. “I wasn't sure until I kissed Tommy” Ted confirmed, Billy finally met his eyes. He had never seen the teen look so small. He expected a response, or some kind of joke. He didn't expect to suddenly be pulled into a kiss, his lips meeting Billys. It was rough, hard, almost painful. It wasn't Tommy. Once he registered what was happening, he pulled away immediately. He stared baffled at a very regretful Billy, he shook his head leaving instantly. He didn't know where he was going, but he had to go.

~~~

“He kissed you?” Paul questioned as the group walked home. The trio of boys were planning a study session and had decided to do it at Paul's house.

“He kissed me” Ted recollected, nodding his head.

“Are you going to tell Tommy?” Paul pressed, the three of them were just staring ahead.

“Yes...maybe… I don't know” Ted sighed, He stuffed his hands in his pocket “Not like he’d care” He mumbled “I feel like lately, he's just looking for an excuse… and this could be what he needs to end it...”

“Does that mean he’s gay?” Paul inquired, he had a whole list of questions formulating in his mind.

“Doesn’t justify his actions” Bill chimed, Ted turned to him.

“No one said it did, and I don't know” Ted shrugged, he didn't know a lot about this situation. Paul nodded processing, he went to ask another question but Bill wasn't done.

“That’s sexual harassment” He claimed

“Bill-”

“It is Ted, it was forced upon you” He argued, Paul actually agreed. Ted wanted to protest. “Look, whether or not he’s gay or whatever doesn’t excuse the fact that-” He stopped, holding up a finger “He bullied you and Tommy, and-” he held up two fingers now “Forced a kiss on you, when you clearly didn’t want it” Bill explained, Ted hated the fact that he was right. They kept walking passing by Tommy's house, Ted stopped.

“Ok, I'll be right back, I'm going to go talk to him” Ted declared, Bill and Paul nodded assuring him they would go to Emma's house quickly before returning. He waved them goodbye, knocking on the door. It opened after a moment.

“Ted? What are you doing here?” Tommy asks bluntly, Ted realized how long it had been since he’d seen Tommys face upfront. Able to stare and admire his features, the twinkle in eyes, the way he’s brows furrowed adorably.

“I wanted to see you…” He admitted, his eyes gazing towards his lips. Tommy sighed before ushering him in. They stood face to face now in the living room. “How...how are you?” Ted tries

“I’m busy Ted so…” Tommy said, Ted bit back his lip.

“You're always busy, you know, I haven't seen you in two weeks” Ted blurts, Tommy looks taken aback. He wrings his fingers. “I think I might have actually forgotten your face”

“Ted don't be ridiculous” He chided, his voice was annoyed. “I’m sorry that I have finals” His voice wasn't sorry, it felt rehearsed.

“We all do! Doesn't mean we isolate our boyfriends!” He shouted Tommy scoffed rolling his eyes. They went back and forth, the argument heating up. Ted only noticed Tommy's tear after the blur from his own tears cleared.

“I'm busy ok?! Not everyone has parents who don't care about their grades”, “I get it, you're busy! You have to study! Doesn't mean you ignore me!” “I'm sorry I can't be your perfect ray of sunshine 24/7 Ted!” “You're not even making an effort!” “I'm trying ok?” “Trying is ignoring me?” “Trying is focusing on school! I don't revolve around you Ted”

“Billy kissed me!” Tommy's face fell, he stumbled back.

“What?” He barely whispered, he shook. “A-are you ok?” He came forward, he still kept his distance but his face changed. It wasn't anger or frustration, it was concern. Now Ted's heart hurt.

“I’m fine, not that you would care” He cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Because the soft sobbing, as Tommy clasped his mouth, said otherwise.

“Of..of course I care” he cried, “You think I don't care?” His voice raised in volume now. “If I get anything less than a perfect ‘A’, my parents would kill me, so maybe you should just go” His face was blank now, Ted couldn't read it. He shook his head making his way for the door, as he opened his heart broke just a little bit “I care so much” Tommy whispered as Ted shut the door.

~~~

“Don't want to talk about it?”

“Nope, let's just get to studying,” Ted said as they stood outside of Paul's house. Bill shot him a reassuring look as Paul unlocked his door, fumbling with his keys.

“Ugh, I really hate-” He paused as he opened the door, his face fell. Sitting in the kitchen was Alice, Marley and… Joe. Ted instinctively put a protective hand on Paul's shoulder, Bill was on alert.

“Paul I am so-” His mother tried but Paul simply shook his head. He couldn't speak, he never could around Joe. He could feel his heartbeat pumping in his chest, the blood filling his ears. He wasn't there anymore, he was little being yelled at, huddling close to his mother. Not his mother now, Paul had buried himself in Ted, who wrapped his arms around him.  

“Why is he here Ms.Matthews?” Bill asked politely, Ted did his best to comfort Paul.

“It was my idea Paul” Alice came forward, she looked sadly at her brother “You would never see him on your own…”

“So you ambushed him?!” Ted accused, he cursed himself lowering his voice feeling Paul flinch in his arms, he whispered an apology.

“I-i didn't mean it like that” Alice persisted, she looked to Paul “Paul come on… look at me” But he didn't, Ted tightened reminiscing himself on the scene. When the two of them were little, clutching onto each other for an ounce of safety. Paul mumbled something into Ted, but he understood.

“We are leaving” He decided firm, “Ms.Matthews, Paul will be at my house” Ted explained. Though sad, she nodded gratefully. Bill left last making sure they weren't being followed before taking Paul's car and driving to Ted's house. Ted hadn't driven in a while and drove slowly, much to his own annoyance. Bill sat in the back cradling the frightened teen, something had washed over him. Something made him crawl back to the little boy he once was, the little boy he worked so hard to leave behind.

~~~

New Chat

Em: is he going to be ok?

Ted: Yeah, he's staying over at my house for now

Em: Can I see him?

Ted: Probs not tonight sorry, he's not really up to seeing anyone

Em: Understandable

Em: Tell him I love him

Ted couldn't help but smile. He nodded to himself showing the text to a sleepy Paul. Paul gave him the tiniest smile, burying himself a little further into the bed. Ted, Paul, and Bill sat on Ted's bed. Paul was in the middle leaning on Ted, Bill and Ted were on either side.

Ted: He knows, and he loves you too :)

Em: Fucking dork

Ted: Correction, fucking useless

Ted: Gotta go, see you tomorrow

Em: Farewell

“Can't sleep, watch?” Paul mumbled Ted chuckled nodding. He stood moving to the small tv on his wall, grabbing the remote. He passed it to Bill, who switched to Netflix. “Mmm ‘Big Mouth’?” Paul suggested Bill and Ted shrug nodding. Once the show is found, they huddle close watching tv for the rest of the night.

~~~

“Izzie! How many times have I told you not to touch Token?” Jackie scolded seeing the mess scattered on her floor. Dirt was spilled everywhere, glass shattered. Izzie stood on the other side of the room cradling Token pouting, on the verge of tears. “You have to clean this up!”

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!” Izzie cried Token slithered around her shoulders trying to comfort the little one. “You never let me play with Maggie or Token!” She defended, Jackie softened. Walking carefully around the mess she walked over to her sister, carrying her to the bed. She sat comfortably on the bed, Token nestled in Izzies arms.

“Look, I’m sorry…” Jackie comforts “But you need to be more careful ok?” Izzie nods, she hands Token to Jackie who takes the corn snake happily. Izzie hops off the bed.

“I'll go get the cleaning supplies!” She exclaims, rushing out of the room. Jackie chuckles setting Token down on her bed.

“You'll be back in your home soon” She comforts the slithery snake. She pets him sweetly pulling away when her phone buzzes.

Bubbles

Bubbles: Jackie, Jackie, J!

J: Char, what's wrong?

Bubbles: Ok, so I was just sitting at my desk doing homework and then my phone rings and it's an unknown number so I pick it up cautiously and its Sam! And he wants to talk to me tomorrow and alone and I'm scared

J: Ok bubs, I need you to take a deep breath. I won't let him do anything, ok? You won't go alone no matter what. And we can just talk to the principal in the morning if you really feel scared.

Bubbles: Thank you

Izzie rushes back, holding a bucket and a bunch of supplies. Jackie gives her a big thumbs up before turning back to her phone.

J: I gotta go, but I love you

Bubbles: Love you too

Neither of them registered what they had just confessed until the next morning.  

[darringauthier]

Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

Genre: Horror/Action

Who’s In It: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver, Charles Dance

Who Directed It: Anna Foerster 

Plot:  Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her.

Running Time: 91 Minutes 

IMDB Score: 5.8

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics 19%  Audience 49%

Why I Watched It: I honestly don’t know.  I should go to meetings at least try and get some help.  I have seem all the other ones so I was eligible for this one.

How I Watched It: Netflix Canada

Random Thoughts: Sometimes I do feel like I’m too much of a genre guy, I have seen everyone of the Underworld movies, yup everyone and the thing was I didn’t even like the first one but still I watched and you know the funny thing all the movies have blended in my head, I couldn’t tell the plot of a film just the whole series and at this point is there even a plot.

What I Liked: Sadly there’s not a lot to like, now it’s not the worst of the franchise but you can feel this is just one more paycheck, this film is just kind of there.  Beckinsale is back again, so she’s been in all of them but one.  Have to give her credit not a lot of actresses get action/horror franchises and she’s fine in this.  She seems bored but so was I.  She still strikes a pose and she can still carry the action.

Also nice to see Charles Dance he classes up everything he’s in, Theo James does try here and I will say he’s very earnest.  I did like Lara Pulver has one of the main villains, she was at least camping it up.  So I can’t fault the acting.

What I Didn’t Like: I hate how this film was shot, it’s dark so dark that you wonder how much money they had for lighting.  The tech stuff is bad and bad on the cheap level.  The film isn’t shot or edited well and the script is bland and mostly made of cliches.  The film just rides on the backs of the other films, there’s nothing new, nothing to catch or interest in this film or the franchise it’s self.

Blood Wars is one step away from straight to VOD, it’s that film in a franchise where you can see the writing on the wall.  The budget goes down, the actors seem bored and really all the life of the franchise is gone.

The film is watchable but it has no energy, the darn thing is not engaging at all it’s a film you could easily fall asleep to.  This franchise never gripped me but it did have style and Beckinsale in a leather suit and it was horror based and I will say I’ll give it credit for lasting as long as it did.  It’s a shame the movies weren’t better.

Final Thoughts: Boring, dull badly shot film.

Rating: 3/10

[lilytcyip]

December 31st, 2019

1.3 tera v w/ rjin & ggao

1.4 cactus & la foret w/ jng

1.8 talked it out with jng ; tried to understand that if i were happy, what more could you ask for

1.11 cyns bday dinner

1.11 craft beer w/ aleung & lwong

1.13 arisu & standing egg with efeng & aleung ; drove on highway for the first time

1.18 west dineout w/ annie pkp

1.19 glass w/ fifi

2.10 first snow of the year

2.3 cny lunch at home with the fam - tong yuen & poon choi

2.4 mooseknuckles - grateful

2.5 lunar new year

2.16 hangiout with mamayip & sis: beta 5, fixing the parka, meetfresh, miku sushi dindin

2.17 mom leaving for 2 months, wandering earth with the yips

2.19 happy hour cactus w/ fifi

2.20 kokoro lunch & shopping w/ rjin

2.20 so hyang w/ veda & nwu

2.21 black been noodles & tonkatsu lunch & usagi matcha sweets w/ ewong

2.22 green leaf sushi & grounds for coffee w/ vtan

2.25 sushi mura w/ acao ; larry berg planes and kisses for the first time

3.13 mental health talk w/ nwu & tchiu + jamjar

3.15 virtuous pie & nanas green tea w/ rjin

3.16 wine night w/ claw, aleung & fsyal

3.17 tabom & stanely park w/ jerpilla

3.23 pool & rc shopping with jyang

4.3 studying with jyang on campus & langara bye

4.9 studying with jyang at my house

4.18 ramen danbo & official date 

4.20 so hyang & off the grid waffles w/ ayip

4.26 sci ning off w/ aleung, claw, fsyal, lwong & mcheung

4.27 clay llama terra pot class

4.29 so hyang budae jjigae & yifang w/ ewong

4.30 rc shopping & sushi lover with the yips 

5.1 maenam, kits beach & rain or shiine ice cream w/ rjin

5.2 our first little tiff & being called chubby by mlo

5.3 shopping w/ vchan, aleung & fsyal

5.7-5.11 LA trip

5.8 LACMA & melrose & century city field

5.9 warner bros tour

5.10 malibu

5.28-6.1 hokkaido, japan

5.29 a 2-floor hotel with own onsen

5.31 otaru food adventures

6.1 doraemon painting & royce airport

6.2 macau: got scammed by taxi & lost luggage

6.7-6.15 inner mongolia & beijing

6.18 first co op offer 

6.21 fire port party at fifis house

6.29 pottery painting w lwong, aleung, vchan, fsyal

7.5 brunch w/ rjin at jethro’s fine grub, baker & table

7.6 nwu’s birthday dindin at coast, hangout with aleung & nwu at nightingale

7.14 leavenworth cherries

7.17 brunch w/ rjin at OEB

7.19 nightmarket w/ jyang, mlaw, rjin

7.21 beach day w/ aleung, fsyal & lwong; hy’s with fam

7.24 chau veggies w/ acao

7.27 shiok & icy bar w/ ewong

8.3 first day of work at doctors office

8.4 escape room w/ vchan, fsyal & jyang; bowling & anh and chi

8.17 dindin w/ fsyal, aleung & tlim; double date walks at olympic village with ancas

8.18 - 8.19 kelowna

8.18 polar grove & penticton lazy river, mission hill

8.19 kayaking, quail’s gate

8.24 lit night at fifis house with the girls and boys

8.25 aleung’s bday harrison trip

8.27 work shopping & nuba w/ fsyal

8.28 sleepover w/ rjin

8.29 brunch w/ aleung, moii cafe chill with fsyal too

9.3 first day of co op work

9.7 grave of the fireflies & wildtale cuddles

9.14 eric chou meet & greet

9.19 amandarachlee neg comment and posted my encouragement on her story

10.5 maiko parfait & shopping w/ jyang, earls with the amigos

10.18 gmen & oncecake: melody, rillakuma, card & collage

10.24 dark table w/ rjin

11.7 moii after work 

12.15 baking custard souffle pancakes w/ ewong

12.18 office christmas party & bbt w/ slim

12.19 glow

12.21 fifi’s christmas party

12.22 christmas market w/ rjin: churros & chimney cake

12.23 psyc team secret santa & mahjong

12.25 christmas dindin at market by jean-georges

12.26 birthday dindin at zeferelli

12.27 ring & birthday dinner at brix and mortar w/ jyang

12.28 skated alone, worked out, baked & dindin at botanist

looking back at it now, i definitely went out a lot more compared to previous years LOL i had some struggles in january, and at multiple points in my life i blamed myself for being ungrateful, for seeking more when i already had so much in life compared to other people. my friends were there for me and i wouldnt have been able to live through it without them. then again, during reading break in february, i got myself into the same hot mess and i was sad about it for a week and i blamed myself for getting so attached so quickly. because of these experiences, my expectations were v low and i didnt really expect anything when i talked to jyang, what they say really is true, you get it the moment you stop seeking for it. it comes and find you (: the 3 most important that happened this year is burbur, co op job & me getting more comfortable around doggs; this is a big deal !! i actually like cuddling dogs and i feel less scared of them as long as i have some time to get used to them!! im proud of myself for making progress with my phobia! after i started my co op job, bc i didnt have a lot to do, i felt like i wasnt actively contributing to my workplace and that i was very useless. i still feel the same way now, but i think i am slowly getting used to it. thankfully, my coworkers are VERY nice and i enjoy working around them. while i did not get a different position for january, im still grateful that i got an extended placement. nonetheless, meeting with the different PIs and sumeet pointed me in the right direction of looking for nserc / volunteering opportunities when i do go back to school. AND ofc burbur! im grateful that we were able to be there for each other for the past 8 months, both the ups and downs and i am so so thankful that we’re understanding and patient with each other, as we help each other learn along the way and help each other become a better version of ourselves. this companionship is better than i have asked for and i always remind myself to focus on the important things rather than the minor inconveniences. this year, in terms of fitness goals, ive been doing really well before asia. but ever since i came back, it all went downhill and i gained back all the weight that i lost this year year LOL so in 2020, one of my biggest goal is to eat healthy again, and workout more consistently. getting a job in sept kinda interfered with my progress too, bc i was so tired after work, even when i wasnt doing anything and i stressed eat bc i felt terrible. a lot of diff factors made me feel super stressed, and the fact that i wasnt eating clean / exercising reguarly made me feel worse about the whole situation ): so in 2020, maintaining a healthy lifestyle will be one of my top priorities and gifting myself a healthy body is one of greatest things i can do for myself. this also contributed to the lack of journalling near the end of the year, it felt like bc i wasnt doing the things i was “supposed to do”, i just felt so bad whenever i couldnt tick off that particular habit whenever i fill in my trackers. but tonight, i watched this video and it talked about habits should be for awareness, not for self-hate or self-loathing. this is something that i need to keep in mind. ever since april really, the issue of leaving my house and meeting up with my friends have always stressed me in fear of dealing with passive aggressiveness with my mom lool everytime i get inviited to plans, i just get anxiety about having to tell her about it LOL and even when im out, having a msg/ call for her freaks me out in fear that she will get mad at me for being home late and etc and fifi really woke me up with her words, i should just care less LOL i need to stop caring so much about what she thinks, bc at the end of the day, this IS my life and if i never make any changes, i will never be able to grow and be independent. i think this pree much sums up all my events and emotions in 2019, the last year of the 2010s. in the next decade, a lot of things will happen as i will be in my 20s - 30s, where new opportunities will arise, and graduate uni, do my masters, find a job, maybe even marry and move out LOL the 2020s will definitely be an impt decade, but just for next year i want to:

1. understand that i am old enough to make choices, and in general, care less about what she thinks

2. at the same time, i want to appreciate and be grateful for what my mom, dad and annie have done for me; a lot of the times, i feel like i take them for granted just bc i know they will always be there for me and this is not how you should treat your biggest supporters

3. trust that everything will workout in the end, while you may not be able to envision what you career / life would be like when youre 30, you can definitely take small steps and move towards your goal

4. be mindful of what i eat and exercise regularly (4x hiit & cardio a week) ; treats & sweets in moderation; use those habit trackers for awareness, not for self-loathing / self-hate

5. create art regularly, read more and at least do 5 duolingos every week! 

every year, time just seems to go by faster and faster and i feel scared at times. as i type this, theres only 8 minutes left of this decade LOL so in 2020, continue to live in the moment, be present, cherish those that are around you, and have faith that everything will come together, one piece at a time. at the same time, always rmb that you can make small changes to be a better version of yourself, whenever & however you want and this is the 1 thing that other people can’t stop you from doing! 

[hydroponicready-blog]

Hydroponics for Beginners 😊

Hydroponics is a flexible growing method but it can be a bit tricky if you are just getting started. However, if you have a general idea of how it works and you know the basics, you will be just fine.

What is Hydroponic Growing?

Hydroponics is basically growing with water. In this process, you provide the plants with everything they need to survive in the most minimal way possible. Plants don’t necessarily need soil for survival and growth. However, they do need lots of nutrients and water. As such, hydroponic system feeds the plant roots by providing them nutrient-rich water.

Hydroponic Garden Setups for Beginners

There are three basic hydroponic garden setups. You can either buy a complete setup kit or build them from individual components bought separately.

Wick Systems

Wick systems are the easiest to set up as there are no moving parts. They work well with peppers, herbs, and microgreens.

Water Culture Systems

In Water Culture Systems, plants are placed in a Styrofoam platform that holds the solution of nutrients and water. These systems are ideal for water-hungry plants.

Ebb and Flow Systems

Ebb and Flow Systems work by flooding the growing medium with nutrient-rich water solution and then draining it back into the reservoir. The best thing about these systems is that they allow you to customize the water schedule of your plants based on humidity, number, size, temperature, etc.

Choosing What to Grow

You can basically grow any plant hydroponically. However, if you are just getting started, then it is recommended that you start small. Vegetables and herbs are a great choice as they grow quickly and require little maintenance. Fast-growing plants and maintenance-free plants are also great for beginners.

Lighting

Most edible plants need at least six hours of sunlight every day. However, since hydroponic systems are usually indoor systems, they don’t have access to direct sunlight all day long. These systems generally come with the necessary light fixtures. If you are building your own, then you will need to purchase separate lighting fixtures. HID (High-Intensity Discharge) light fixtures are recommended. You can also choose T5 lighting. No matter what you choose, make sure to set the lighting on a timer.

Room Conditions

Setting up the hydroponic system in the right conditions is very important. Key elements include relative air circulation, CO2 levels, temperature, and humidity. 40-60% relative humidity is ideal for a hydroponic grow room. Ideal temperatures range between 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water Quality

The pH level of the water as well as the levels of mineral salts in it are the two key factors that affect water’s ability to deliver dissolved nutrients to your plants. Slightly acidic pH level (5.8-6.2) is generally used in a hydroponic system. You can use chemicals to adjust the pH if your water doesn’t meet this level.

Nutrients

Nutrients used in hydroponic systems are available in both dry and liquid forms, as well as both synthetic and organic. The product you use should include both the main macronutrients (e.g. magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen) as well as the important macronutrients (e.g. chlorine, molybdenum, copper, zinc, boron, manganese, and iron). It is recommended that you use nutrients that are designed for hydroponic.

Hydroponics is an extremely rewarding practice. It’s a clean method of growing plants with minimal input. If you know the basics and you take the time to establish a creative hydroponics setup, you will surely have a great time.