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epickiya722 · 2 years ago

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REACTIONS TO EPISODE 19 - FULL POWER!!

You know what goes on here.

LAST EPISODE'S REACTIONS

And here's the beginning of the one Deku Arc that gets me in my feels.

Yes, give me that Izuku narration! Even though it was just for the letter reading.

Ochaco, don't cry. Please don't cry! 😭

There goes his pose! That he makes looks cooler than Batman.

He looks and depressed already and this arc just started!!

The last time he wore that hoodie was back in season 4.

Oh, it's Shindo and Nakagame!! Grand and fucking Turtle Neck!!! Why is her hero name so funny to me?! 🤣

Shindo and his thot version of Froppy's hero suit. Keep doing you, boo!

It's nice Shindo mentions Ms. Joke since she is their teacher. I like that. And I like Ms. Joke, she funny.

"Now they're sending in kids." Yeah, but GROWN FUCKING ADULT HEROES ARE FUCKING QUITTING. THOSE KIDS ARE YOUR BEST BET, ASSHOLE.

I'm okay, I'm fine.

I get that you want to defend yourselves, but allow the heroes that are still around to help.

That's right, Shindo, tell them.

"... sticking their noses in our lives?" Uh, if Shindo and Nakagame are there to take you to their school...

I can't stand the citizens sometimes because oh, you were worshipping heroes before but now that they're quitting you want to give the heroes who are still around a hard time? They ain't perfect but damn.

"If we could take them by force..." May be extreme, but you gotta protect folks and if they're giving you a hard time... return the fafor. I'm joking.

Ah, shit, it's that muscly fuck!!! I HATE HIM!!! SO MUCH!!!

"You two, let's have fun!" SIR, THOSE ARE KIDS, DAMN!!!

WHEN DID SHINDO INVEST IN SWORDS?!

Did he just push her?!

SOMEONE KILL THAT BITCH!!

WHY RUN BACK TO THE WINDOW?!

12000 layers? Sir, that is disgusting.

"Sometimes, we have to sacrifice our lives!" SHINDO! 😭

"I'll turn your brain into a milkshake!" PLEASE DO!! I HATE HIM!!

LET'S GOOOOO!!!

I'm glad, as a purple lover, that Smokescreen is purple!!! 💜

"It's you, isn't it?" You're gonna wish it wasn't Deku, bitch.

Dingy looking ass rabbit... looking like a cryptid... I adore him.

"I'm just a human, too." You are???

Why would he put that rock there?

"Fight me will all you have, Midoriya!" Alright then, you asked for it. Don't cry now, don't cry.

"I can't see his face through the smoke." You won't be able to anyways, Tatami. He's wearing a mask.

EN!!! Wait... you're the purple one?! YES!!

En is also very pretty to me.

Ooooh, he's still being all calculating and stuff in a fight. My green boy!!!

Real quick, I love how Midoriya's mask makes his eyes look like All Might's. Especially since All Might's eyes like that are a reflection of him being a shell of what he used to be in his prime. Current Midoriya is well... a shell of himself. He's pushing himself and neglecting how others feel just as All Might did.

"I want a life without regret." Bitch, you ain't Miruko.

BEAT HIS ASS, DEKU!!! DON'T ASK HIM NO QUESTIONS!!!

I'm not fighting anyone who looks at me like this and just standing there. That is a person ready to snap your kneecaps.

I LOVE MY GREEN BOY!!!

But damn it, this arc just makes me sad...

Fucking wow...

FINALLY ALL MIGHT GOT ONE!!

Oh, it's those other hero kids!!!

"We don't want him to die." OH DO YOU?!

Deku passing by the glass just like All Might... THE DAMN PARALLELS!!!

You think Smokescreen smells like lavender? I hope so.

All Might got drip, huh? Them glasses!!

He still has that ringtone?! 😆

I need Izuku to get a bath and a blanket like today.

INKOOOOOO!!!!

I forget how buff Midoriya is sometimes... his face just hides that, okay?

"Please be more cautious." We can only hope...

All Might standing there like "... ah, crap, here we go again..."

Pretty shot of Izuku. He gets his looks from his mom. She is a damn pretty woman.

I'll be honest, out of all the families, the Midoriya's is my favorite. They have had the most tender moments and I swear I shed tears with them.

Ooh, the baby Izuku flashback playing with Inkoooo... 😭😭😭💚💚💚

"Don't worry. I'll come home." 😭😭😭😭😭

NOT ALL MIGHT CRYING, STOOOP!!! 😭😭😭😭😭

DOES HISASHI CRY, TOO?!

Why in the absolute hell is Best Jeanist holding that phone like that?

"The way he holds that phone is so cool." Hawks, stop lying.

I am impressed though.

Ooooh, Gran Torino giving him the cape...

Ooooh, getting more of the 2nd & 3rd Users next episode? 👀 Lady Nagant??

#kiya reacts #kiya watches #just kiya's thoughts #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha season 6 #bnha s6 #bnha spoilers #midoriya izuku #deku #all might #midoriya inko #yagi toshinori #shindo yo #nakagame tatami

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undyingskies · 4 years ago

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Handsome

request: yes, “Could you do a Charlie Gillespie imagine, of his reactions when his GF calls him Handsome and or Bub? Please I love your writing. :D I hope you have a good day.”

A/N: This was one feels a little short to me for some reason but I really loved writing it. It is just pure fluff, I hope you guys enjoy!

Warnings: None

———————————-

You and Charlie were finally official after about 2 months of dating. He asked you to be officially his girlfriend as of last night, of course that was a question that you could not deny. You swear your smile has not left your face since last night.

Charlie was waiting to introduce you to everyone. Everyone being the cast of Julie and The Phantoms. Of course they all knew about you, your name just seemed to be one he couldn’t keep out of his mouth. He just wanted to wait to introduce you to everyone until you were officially his.

He knew his job could seem intimidating, the long, demanding hours. Then the fact that he would be way in a different country at times, then once he was done, the demand of doing interviews to promote the new season. He was just nervous that throwing you into the middle of it all too soon would scare you off.

But he was wrong, so wrong. You took to his crazy schedule almost immediately, you helped him pack when he had to leave, and even helped him practice interview questions when he was nervous. You never once complained or faltered in your support for him, and at the time you guys were just casually dating.

The cast constantly told him how dumb he was being waiting to ask you to be his girlfriend for so long. They saw the support you gave him, as well as the confidence. They wanted to meet you so bad, but knew they had to wait for Charlie to be ready.

After all this time, it was finally the time to meet them. You were excited and nervous, Charlie was more excited than anything to be able to have you meet them and introduce you as his girlfriend, officially. A smile making its way onto his face every time he thought about it.

“You almost ready Y/N?” He asks you, walking down the hall. He sees you bent over tying your shoes. You finish and stand up with a hop. You brush your clothes down making sure your outfit was perfect.

It was. Charlie could not take his eyes off you. He walks towards you with his arms outstretched, wrapping them around your waist as he reached you. Yours immediately go to wrap themselves around his neck. He leans down to connect your lips smiling.

You melt into the kiss, letting the feeling of his lips on yours last for a few seconds before you pull away. His lips chase after yours not wanting the contact to end, you laugh at his actions and place yours back on his for a quick kiss. A pout makes its way onto his face.

“Charlie we gotta gooooo, I don’t want to be late for the first time I’m meeting everyone!” You tell him. He laughs and places his head into your neck, pulling you in tight for a hug.

You giggle at his breath hitting your neck and the small kisses he’s leaving up and down it.

“I think I have an idea of what we could do instead of going...” He says a smirk plastered onto his face. You shove his chest with a laugh.

“You better watch it Gillespie. We gotta go.” You say with a laugh. Then you’re grabbing onto his hand and pulling him through the hallway and to the door. But before you can make it out, he’s stopped and is not budging.

“What gives?” You ask. You’re nervous thinking now he doesn’t want them to meet you.

“Just enjoying the view! I’m not quite sure I’m ready to be sharing you quite yet.” He says again pulling you in close by your waist. A smile makes its way onto your lips.

“Well handsome, I’ve had to share you with them for some time now it’s your turn!” You say with a laugh, but Charlie just stares at you.

A large smile makes its way onto his face. One you’ve never seen before. You do love the sight of it. Before you can ask him what’s up, he has his lips on yours for a sweet kiss. You pull away breathless.

“Not that I didn’t like that, but what was that for?” You ask still breathless from that kiss.

“You called me handsome, that was the first time you’ve ever called me a nickname.” He says sounding proud. A blush reaching its way onto your cheeks at his words.

You didn’t even notice. He was so handsome and it just slipped out, you never even thought twice about it.

“Hey, I really liked it. Sounded great coming from your lips.” He confesses, reaching down to grab your cheeks to get you to look at him.

“Ya?” You ask him, your confidence dwindled a little bit.

“Of course I did, any nickname or compliment coming from you means the world.” He says smiling largely at you.

“Now let’s get going beautiful we’ve got people to meet.” He says planting a kiss onto your lips and pulling you out the door.

Smiles never left either of your faces the whole night. Everyone absolutely loved you and loved you and Charlie together. From that night on, beautiful and handsome were your go to nicknames and they never lost their meaning or the feeling it gave the two of your from hearing it.

#charlie gillespie #charlie gillespie imagine #charlie x reader #charlie gillespie x oc #charlie gillespie x reader #charliegillespieimagine #charliegillespieimagines #charlie gillespie x y/n #charlie gillespie fic #charlie gillespie fluff #charlie gillespie fanfiction #julieandthephantomsimagine #julie and the phantoms #jatp

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pagingevilspawn · 4 years ago

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stick it

What even is this fic? Idk, but i was missing gymnastics, so this is what y’all get. Its super bad, super weird, and not a whole lotta jolex, but whatever.

Also, nobody cares, but the way I'm giving the scores is (most likely) different than what is averaged for Washington. I’ve never competed in Washington so i don’t know how hard their scoring is, but I did compete in one of the hardest regions in the US for gymnasts, so scoring was always a LOT more harsh than it was in other states and areas of states. Even though nobody is gonna pay attention to that I just thought I'd say something lol.

And fun fact- our girl is a (much) better gymnast than i ever was, so… tea 🍵🍵

~*~

Jo watched her husband do their daughter’s hair from the doorway, some kind of a braided bun she didn’t know the name of. She smiled at the sight. It never failed to bring a smile to her face, even though it had become pretty common these past few years. She cradled the bottom of her six month baby bump in the palm of her left hand, her right holding her piping hot tea in a thermos. Once Alex was done putting in all of the excess pins, she watches as he puts a hand over their daughter’s eyes, pulling out the can of hairspray and spraying it into her hair.

The almost nine year old girl lets out a giggle, commenting on how the hairspray smelt funny. Alex pulls out an Amped Up brush, combing back any flyaway hairs that might have escaped the spray. She snaps out of her trance when she hears her phone alarm go off, alerting the other two in the room of her presence.

“Mommy!” her daughter exclaims, running over to her to give her a quick hug, much to the dismay of Alex. He was just thankful that he was already done with her hair. Even after three years of doing hair it still took a long ass time to do buns, especially when his daughter was the perfectionist she was.

“Hey Dyl,” Jo reaches down, returning her daughter’s hug, giving her a tight squeeze before she watches Dylan retreat back to her dad, sitting in front of the mirror once again.

Jo looks at Alex, who’s attention was focused on adding the shiny black scrunchie into the little girl’s hair. “I’m gonna get Aub up.” she whispers to him, watching him nod before she turns and makes her way down the hall, where their three year old daughter was sleeping. It was only five-thirty, so she knew what a hassle it would be. Aubryella was exactly like her parents in that way, a complete night owl. It was always a hassle to get the girl down at night, but even tougher to wake her up in the morning. She flicks on the small night on the girl’s bedside table, the lamp shade casting a soft pink glow around the all pink room.

Much like her name, Aubryella was the definition of a girly-girl. She was all about pink, barbies, fashion, makeup… anything that would be described as girly, the three year old liked. Alex always gave props to Jo for that, since while she was pregnant with their youngest daughter she claimed that the tiny life growing inside of her was going to be an ‘all that and a bag of chips little diva’, so she thought it was only appropriate to give her a name to suit that title. (Good thing her mommy instincts were correct. She knew that if she gave Dylan that name and not Aubryella she would hate it more than life itself.)

She shakes the girl lightly, hoping that it was enough to wake her up, which it ultimately wasn’t. She begins to run a hand through her hair, which ends up failing too. Jo lets out a sigh.

“Aub. Aubrey. Elle. Ella. Ree. Aubryella. Get up sweetie.” she shakes the girl harder, finally stopping when the tiny blonde lets out a loud groan of protest. Yep, definitely a Karev.

“No mommy,” the girl says, her word muffled since her face was buried in her soft pink pillow case, using one hand to sleepily push her moms face away. It was too close to her ear, and she just wanted to sleep.

Jo chuckles, rolling her eyes at her daughter's antics. “It’s state’s day.” she whispers, knowing that that would get Aub’s attention.

As expected, the little girl gets up immediately, rubbing her tired as, not looking as asleep as she probably should, the talk of the upcoming meet more than enough to get her blood rushing. Though Aubryella wasn't a gymnast herself (she had started dance class a year ago and had found her calling then), watching gymnastics was something she loved to do, especially when it was her own sister competing. Not to mention, it was the topic of nearly every dinner for the past month and a half.

The mom watches as the girl hassles out of the bed quickly, picking up her blanket and rushing to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Jo stays behind, making the bed. Normally, Aub would need to do it herself, but since they were on a time limit, she decided it would be best if she did it instead. When the girl gets back in the room Jo picks out her clothes, a dusty rose sweater and black jeans, both wasting no time in putting them on. She runs a comb through her daughter’s long dirty blonde hair, a trait she inherited from her Aunt Amber and Grandma. Aub actually looked more like the two than her own parents to most people, with her dirty blonde hair and blue-green eyes. But anyone who actually looked at the girl could see that she had Jo's nose and Alex’s chin. Not to mention, that crooked grin was all Alex Karev.

Jo picks up her daughter from her spot on the bed, grabbing a jacket that was hung on a hook before heading out of the door and down the hall, stopping when she went down the stairs and entered the living room. She sets the girl down by a chair in the kitchen, going to the cabinets and pulling out the doughnuts and cereal. “Which one?” she asks, holding up each dessert in a different hand.

The girl grins mischievously, making the mom let out a small chuckle before pulling a powdered sugar doughnut out of the box. She didn’t know why she expected anything else.

Aubryella accepts the doughnut gratefully, giving out an absent minded thank you before shoveling the treat in her mouth, getting the white sugar all over her face. Jo doesn’t need to wait long before she hears two sets of footsteps come down the stairs, Dylan dressed with her white and light blue leotard on, black warm ups on over it, Alex in a simple pair of jeans, back t-shirt, and the damn black jacket that he never got rid of, no matter how many protests he got from his wife.

“Ready?” Jo asks, all three of them nodding in response. “Okay, you got your bag, shoes, extra hair ties, water bottle, lucky bear, extra bobby pins, thera band, notebook, phone, mascara, lip gloss, hair brush, wallet, tiger paws, ankle brace, knee brace, and wrist brace?” she questions again, going over the list she had memorized from years of training.

Dylan rolls her eyes impatiently. She didn’t want to be late. She couldn’t be late. It was States for god’s sake! Everyone in the state of Washington (who qualified) would be there. The judges would be scoring harder, and some of the competition was going to be new. She was going to go up against girl’s she hadn’t before. Her goal was to win everything. Maybe it was extreme, but it was true. This season she had done well, really well actually. Her first season as a level seven had started off in the best way. She swept the first competition clean, getting first on vault, floor, and all around, second on bars, and third on beam. As the season went on she just got better, scores getting higher and snatching more golds with each meet. She knew she wasn’t going to be in the Olympics one day, but getting a college scholarship was looking more promising with every first place medal she had stacked around her neck.

“Yeah, now let’s gooooo,” Dylan drags out, grabbing her dad’s hand and pulling him to the door, not even waiting for her mom and sister to follow. The four Karev’s shuffle into the car and drive an hour and fifteen minutes to the convention center where the meet was being held. They pile out of the car and check in, Alex taking a few minutes to add an extra layer of hairspray to Dylan’s hair while Jo puts a light coat of mascara on the girl’s eyelashes and dabs the lip rosy gloss on her lips.

Before the eight year old can run off her coach, her parents kneel down in front of her, her eyes letting them know how scared she was behind her calm facade. “Hey,” Jo grabs a hold of her little girl’s shoulders, making her hazel eyes that were identical to her own stare deeply into hers. “You got this. Go out there and have fun, alright? You know your routines, you won’t mess up. Okay?” she reassures her. Jo pulls her daughter into a hug, “I love you baby.” she whispers into her ear, passing her off to Alex.

Instead of staying on the ground, he picks her up and puts her on his side, much like you would do a small child. Dylan had always been on the smaller side, since neither one of her parents were very tall, but gymnastics had definitely stunted her growth a fair amount. For most people it would be a curse, but as all gymnasts know, it was a blessing.

“We’re right here if you need us. Go kick some ass Dyl, and win that state title. You want that banner right?” he teases. Dylan did want a banner though. At her gym, whoever won a state, regionals, sectionals, or nationals title got a banner hung up from the ceiling. She had one from last year, when she won floor, vault, and the all around as a level six, and even more from the years before that in levels three, four, and five.

But a banner as a level seven? Now that would be a dream come true. Why break the streak now? And not to mention, her group would be the last level seven group to go for the weekend, so if she got a high enough all around score, it could be factored in for the team’s total, which could mean another banner (this one provided by the competition) and trophy, if their total score was in the top three. And believe me, she was determined to win that banner, not for her, but for her team.

Another thing she inherited from her parent’s, their competitiveness.

Dylan gives her parents and sister one last hug and ‘I love you’ before ducking under the chain and meeting her coach and teammates on the floor.

...

“Camera, camera, camera.” Alex mumbles, fishing through Jo’s bag until he pulls out the phone. Dylan was about to go up on bars, and he was designated photographer, since his wife couldn’t film for the life of her. The one time she tried, she ended up shooting the ceiling instead of Dylan’s floor routine. Their daughter was not very happy about that.

He presses the start button just as the girl salutes, flashing the judges a smile before she begins. She rolls her neck and then adjusts her grips, stepping onto the mounting block and taking a deep breath before swinging her arms and launching into a kip, drowning out all of the excess noise in the background.

“Legs, legs, legs.” Jo mumbles to herself. It was Dylan’s biggest deduction, having her legs separated.

Straight legs, pointed feet. Kip cast handstand, hit the 180 degree mark, hold it, clear hip, hit 180 again, hollow body, her feet don't hit the ground, cast up to a squat on, she catches sight of the high bar before jumping to it, keeping her legs together as she goes into another kip, casting up into handstand, holding it at 180 for a second without an arch before hollowing back and beginning her giants, hollow body, tap, feet up, over, and again, see the toes in front, release, layout flyaway. Stick.

Dylan beams as she salutes the judge again, going over to her coach and giving her a large hug, finally hearing the cheering coming from her family. A series of whoops and whistles come from her mom and dad, while her little sister claps her hands and gives her a wide smile.

She waits a minute and a half for her score to flash up on the screen, a 9.725. The cheering from her section gets louder, and her teammates engulf her in hugs. It was a hell of a way to start off the meet.

…

Alex pulls out the camera again when Dylan salutes the beam judge, trying to mask her nervousness behind a smile. Alex and Jo both knew how she felt about the beam. She hated it with every fiber of her being, no matter how good she was at it. She glances over at her family, who all give her encouraging smiles. It was just enough to give her the confidence she needed.

He watches as she places her hands on the beam, going from a support to a press handstand for her mount. She stands, doing a few different moves and poses before swinging her arms up by her ears.

“C’mon Dyl.” he whispers to himself. His daughter didn't mind cheering on any other events, but beam was a different story. She was always worried whenever she was on the apparatus, so whenever a sudden noise came through, she struggled. It was something she was working on, but it was going to take time.

She lifts up her left leg, beginning her connection, a back walkover to a back handspring step-out. The girl circles her arms behind her immediately to prevent any balance checks. Jo and Alex both let out audible sighs of relief, knowing that if there was one thing that could go wrong in the routine, it would be that. From the looks of it, Dylan seemed relieved too. Her movements were less tense, she completed her jumps with perfect form, a split jump to a sissone. Her leap hit 180, and her full turn was controlled. All that was left now was her dismount. All three Karev’s sat on the edge of their seats, the baby in Jo’s belly kicking non stop, letting her know that it was in on the action as well.

Dylan kicks her leg into the air, toes pointed, knees locked. Cartwheel step-in, back tuck. Stick. She lets out a breath, turning to the judges and saluting, flashing them a smile, giving her coaches a hug before darting to her family, who had moved closer for the event.

“You did so good.” Jo says, pulling her into a hug over the plastics chains that separated them, Alex doing the same after.

“What score do you think I got Bree?” Dylan asks her little sister, who lets out an adorable giggle before holding out her hands.

“Ten!” she says, making her family laugh. One could dream.

The score flashed up on the screen then, 9.775.

Well, this was going to be a damn good meet.

…

The camera was locked on Dylan as she made her way to her spot on the floor, striking her beginning pose before her music blared through the speakers. She dances around the floor, gliding with an ease neither of her parents had ever experienced themselves. It was a wonder really, how both of their daughter’s were good dancers while they couldn't move for shit.

Her first pass was her hardest, a roundoff back handspring back layout. The family holds their breath as the girl sets high, finishing the rotation with ease, dancing around more before her leap pass, a switch leap to a straddle jump. She dances more, making eye contact with the judges as she moves. Floor was where she had the most confidence, being able to express herself through her music and choreography, that’s why it was always her favorite.

“C’mon Dyl!”

“You got this Dylan,”

“Yay Tissy!”

The family cheered before her second pass, a front handspring front pike, which she had a small step on, but nothing that would make a large difference in her score. She did some floor work, showing off her flexibility in her back with a series of rolls, standing up and doing a full turn. She makes her way to the corner, Jo and Alex watching the scene intently, Alex having Aubryella perched on his knee. This last pass sealed the deal. She runs, hurdles into a front pike, and connects to a front tuck. Stick.

A smile breaks out on the little girl’s face. She moves her limbs in unison to her ending pose, hitting it just as the beat dropped. A series of cheers come from everyone around her. Her family, teammates, coaches. She doesn’t need to wait long for her score to flash up on the screen. A 9.675.

…

Dylan’s last event was vault, her personal best. She had already done her warmups, and now she was just waiting for the judge to hold up the green flag. She adjusts her tiger paws after she salutes, just as Alex starts the recording. She sprints down the runway, hurdling into a roundoff, and pushing back into a back handspring. Her vault was a yurchenko drill. She keeps her form, legs together, knees locked, toes pointed. She finishes, salutes, then goes again. The three in the stands cheer. It was the last event. Her all around score depended on these vaults.

When she does her finishing salute a second time, she knows that it was even better than the last. She looks over to her family and gives them a smile, wanting nothing more than to run over to them, but she knows she can’t, they were too far away.

Her score takes a while to come up on the screen, which could either be a bad or good thing. The Karev’s hold their breath in anticipation, Jo stroking her baby bump with one hand, while holding Alex’s with the other. Even Aubryella was on the edge of her seat, well, more like the edge of her dad’s lap. Her hair was no longer down, but in a braided bun similar to her sisters, since she insisted that she wanted to look just like her. Alex was thankful Jo had packed extra hair ties in not just Dylan’s bag, but also her purse.

A series of loud cheers come from this section as they see their daughter’s score. A 9.800, a personal best.

…

“And now, your vault state champion in the eight to nine year old category with a score of 9.800 is… Dylan Karev!” The announcer cheers as the little brunette makes her way up to the first place podium, an abundance of applause coming from the crowd. A gold medal is placed around her neck by an assistant, who she thanks with a megawatt smile.

“These are your 2029 vault state champions, gymnasts salute.” the announcer says, causing all the girls to raise their arms to the position, all the families in the crowd taking photos of their daughters. Jo, Alex, and Aubryella cheer the loudest, more than proud of Dylan.

As awards went on, more categories were called.

“Your bar's state champion in the eight to nine year old category with a score of 9.725 is... Dylan Karev!”

“Your beam state champion in the eight to nine year old category with a score of 9.775 is… Dylan Karev!”

“On the floor, in second place with a score of 9.675 is… Dylan Karev!”

“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Your 2029, eight to nine year old all around state champion, with a combined score of 38.975 is… Dylan Karev!” The audience erupted into applause, her parents, her teammates, coaches, and even her teammates parent’s cheering for her. She accepts her fifth medal with a wide smile, hopping down from the podium and back into the crowd. She had just won her ultimate goal, an all around title.

After a few of the older groups were called, it was time for the team awards.

“In first place, with a combined total of 115.575 is… Seattle Gymnastics Academy!” Another first place team award. The team accepts the banner and trophy and poses for photos alongside the second and third place team, proudly showing off their trophy by raising it above their heads.

When she gets down and the awards finish, she runs to her parents, crashing into Alex with a gigantic hug. When she finally lets go, she hugs her mom and sister.

“I’m so proud of you Dyl.” her mom says, touching her cheek affectionately. Gymnastics was her daughter's passion, something she lived and breathed for. Seeing that light in her eyes and that grin was something she would never get tired of.

Aubryella hugs her big sister’s legs, “good job Tissy.” The name came from when the tiny blonde was younger and couldn’t say ‘Sissy’, and had stuck to it ever since.

The family of four makes their way out of the convention center, the drive back to their house was peaceful, the limited hours of sleep they got the night before catching up to them. They all crash onto their respective beds, the girls in their rooms and Jo and Alex in their’s.

Alex runs a hand through his wife’s hair, his other tracing circles on her baby bump, feeling the little life inside of her kick like a crazy person.

They stay like that for a while, savoring the quiet. With two kids in the house, it was a major rarity these days. Jo hums, nuzzling into his embrace. “I love you.” she murmurs into his shirt, on the verge of sleep. He reaches down and places a small kiss on the top of her head.

“I love you too.”

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sijsaddictivelemurcorner · 3 years ago

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I'VE OFFICIALLY REVIEWED ALL THE EPISODES OF SEASON ONE LET'S GOOOOO

Since season two's gonna contain sixteen episodes, and considering how absolutely insane most of the episodes are (with some that are my absolute favorites out of the entire series in general), this season's gonna be a b l a s t to review on so many levels.

Thanks to anyone who are looking at my reviews, or just staring at it for 5 seconds I don't care, I appreciate it still. Still got 57 more episodes to review, and this is just the hecking beginning! I shall put all the reviews for season one on a google drive soon enough.

Anyways, onto the tenth review!

S1;E10 (One More Cup) Review

One More Cup is the final and tenth episode to the first season of All Hail King Julien.

In this episode, we're introduced to Karl once again after his visit from their first interaction with him (S1;E3 - Enter The Fanaloka), with a new scheme that was a pretty smart one. Still won't give him the evil genius title, though. Able to manipulate Julien's morbid curiosity and the kingdom's interest towards new things, it was not a difficult task for Karl to have the lemurs go into a coffee-fueled craze in such short notice.

He suspected due to the king's need of showing off his interests and discoveries to his people, Karl knew it would be a cakewalk to manipulate everyone into the obsessive need for something they just knew and went by with through the words of their own kings. Even I have to admit his plan was quite impressive, and it did work for a good while until another accident got in the way (Julien unintentionally using Karl's weapon at the coffee bean crops instead of Karl himself.) again.

I was honestly surprised after hearing that Karl spent several months planning such a scheme, leaving me wondering on just how dedicated this Fanaloka is to make King Julien mortal enemies with him.

To spend several months into a scheme that deals with giving a bunch of lemurs coffee seems a bit redundant and a waste of time, but it all worked out in the end, so I guess he doesn't care.

This episode also reveals that King Julien has been ruling the kingdom for about several months now (hence the mention of Karl stating he spent months planning his coffee scheme), so still seeing King Julien hardly change even after being king for that long already tells an answer that doesn't need questioning.

Overall, a great and funny episode that included the Smart Mort himself with so many scenes full of caffine-ravaged lemurs. Tis but a tuesday.

This is the end for the season one reviews. Get ready for season two soon; It's gonna be REALLY entertaining by then. C:<

#ahkj #ahkj king julien #madagascar #episode review

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popculturebuffet · 4 years ago

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Mickey and the Roadster Racers: “Mickey’s Perfecto Day” and “Daisy’s Grande Goal” review or “I think i’m going out of my headcold”

Saludos Amigos! I”ve been sick, and as such have had no energy or state of mind to continue my look at every apperance of the CABs in the us, concluding with a look at every episode of legend of the three caballeros.

And today’s stop is one i’m only passingly familiar with: Mickey and the Roadster Racers. MATRR.. wait really that’s what it spells?

No Larry the Cable guy on this blog thank you. Anyways, Roadster Racers is surprisingly complicated for such a simple show. For starters it’s the successor to “Mickey Mouse’s Club House” another CGI Disney Junior show, Disney’s equivalent to Nick Jr because their clever like that. And to continue the theme of ripping off other properties, the show was Disney’s stab at following the big fake interactivity craze started by Dora the Explorer. And it’s annoying as that sounds with a lot of pasues and an annoying recurring hot dog song that’s obnoxiously catchy. It was mostly just slice of life shenanigans with the mickey mouse crew and when retoolling it they decided to drop the now dated fake interactivity, turn up the slice of life and add some of those nitro burning funny cars vroom vroom. IN a sense genral g rated soft boiled mickey shenanigans with a racing theme.

Not a terrible series but not terribly intresting hence why i’ve never covered it. It’s a bland inoffesnsive cartoon for toddlers. Enough effort is put in for me not to hate it, as even a toddler show can have effort, but not enoguh so that I really care. I’ve seen better, i’ve seen worse. The only intresting things are the racing gimmick and the fact that as said gimmick diminished they switched names to “Mickey’s mixed up adventures” in season 3. Hence the complicated part as it’s not counted as it’s own series but unlike other disney title changes they aren’t just slapping another label under the logo like the marvel shows. This is a full on retool. But it still has the same cast and prodcution crew and is counted as part of mickey mouse. Point is it’s weird and not relevant since our boys didn’t show up in that season. Oh and as a final note I learned while writing this/ there’s a THIRD Mickey Mouse Disney Junior Series, Mickey Mouse Funhouse, coming next year.

But with so little to cover I ended up throwing in a freebie. See normally I charge the same for 11 minute and 20+ minute shows. It’s fair as most 11 minute shows these days pack in as much character as the ones that use the full half hour. It’s just a diffrence in tactics is all. But here I felt obligated to do at LEAST two diffrent, but cabs related, 11 minutes here, so if I had nothing to talk about I could pad it out and If I had everyhting to talk about.. eh I still tried to do the right thing. I regret nothing. But yeah i’m sick, this series is eh, let’s gooooo.

Mickey’s Perfecto Day So Mickey and Friends are preparing to drive to spain.

No i’m not making a joke. Wish I was would be one of my best but no, Mickey and Friends are just.. casually going to drive to Spain. To explain why this hurts my head a map, on which i’ve drawn the route they’d have to take to get to spain from, let’s say Calisota, the fictional state where Mouseton, Duckburg, New Quackmore, and thus probably Hot Dog Hills, the show’s setting, reside.

This is a crue map, they oculd’ve gone down through mexico or central america.. but the point is THEY DROVE ACROSS THE OCEAN. And I genuinely do not know if their cars can do that but apparently they can. So either the writer didn’t know where Spain was or didn’t care and either way it’s bad. LIke at least give their cars a plane or boat mode. Go full DKR up in this bitch, give em diffrent racing vehicles. But it wouldn’t be as aggrivvating or bizzare if they MENTIONED how they were driving to spain, like maybe Donald’s car that’s also an old boat and goofy’s that’s a tub have aquamodes and can tow the rest. I get 5 year olds don’t care about this.. but still? I guess? Also MIckey is either the sorcerer supreme or jesus at this point. He can cross oceans by car, astral project, cross into other dimensions.. the only thing missing is raising the dead and he already did that in the 30′s.

So as for why the sorcerer supreme and his buddies are going all the way to Spain, Donald has a concert with the three caballeros and this time they all remember him as a memmber and Daisy’s a huge fan. Which is sweet. Then we hear donald duck talk and...

Yeah, Daniel Ross is not the best Donald. Now I will cut the guy some slack here: He’s a voice actor more known for doing bit parts who just got the role in 2016, since racers aired in 2017 and animation lead time and all that. He’s not going to be nearly as good as Tony or Clarence out of the gate. Even Tony wasn’t. He also had a valid reason for picking up the role as Tony likely had two series in production at that time, Rise of the Three Cablleros and Ducktales, and thus had to split his time between both. And having Chris Diamaptolus do mickey in the new shorts instead of his usual voice actor Bret Iwane despite Iwane not being in any serious danger of dying soon has worked out super. So having multiple actors isn’t the problem. Hell after the tragic loss of Russi taylor and with how bad the world is, having an understudy in mind for such an important role is a grim but understandable necicisty. While I belivie tony can go on for decades, he’s only human.

So my issue is not on Donald’s voice being diffrent or new.. it’s that it’s not very good and the second episode featuerd here shows Daniel Ross really hasn’t improved despite now having worked as the character for a while.I can forgive taking some time to grow in but being this sloppy after a full season is just unacceptable. He’s BETTER but he’s still just not very good and doing the bear minimum. I don’t doubt he’s a good va in other rolls, I don’t want to hate on the guy, but I can hate on aperfomance when it’s bad and it’s not good here. It’s just not. Not in either episode not in any way shape or form. It just feels like a lazy donald duck impression. Disney can do better and Ross can hopefully find better work in the future. But for now this just hangs like a wet fart on his resume.

Moving on, thankfully, we have our three stories split pretty evenly and all stock plots. “Horay”. Mickey and Minnie: Mickey tries to have a “perfecto” day, hence the title with Minnie, but instead gives her a rose a baby bull likes.. or maybe it’s SUPPOSED to be full grown but while Mickey and Minnie treat him like a grown bull and react to him like one.. the boy dosen’t look at all, even in the series style, like an adult bull. he looks like a calf. Mickey.. is initimdated by a small child whose horns aren’t sharp enough to hurt him.

It’s just REALLY distracting and takes me out of the plot which itself is as bland as plain toast and twice as dry. They flee him till the end where Minnie figures out the rose thing at the concert and they make an ew friend. NOt TERRIBLE but not great. Goofy and Cuckoo Loca: Okay first off who and what is a cuckoo loca? Well she’s a wind up bird that lives in Daisy’s Cuckoo Clock and makes sarcastic comments in a brooklyn accent because nikka futtterman voices her. Still makes more sense than driving to spain. She’s not a bad addition to the cast.. not even that weird as most kids based franchises have an adorable animal sidekick to market. Goofy wants to try some “flamingo dancing” while in spain, with Loca going along to make sure he dosen’t die somehow.. which would be unjustifable for anyone but goofy. Also.. Flamingo Dancing...

But yeah Goofy goes up against ... world famous flamingo dancer horace horsecollar?!

Now apparently this is a common thing for him in this series, apparently, but still it feels like if one of those weird variant ninja turtle figures from the 80′s was a plot point in an episode. Like if we actually had an episode based around birthday magician raph.

It feels just as odd and out of place for down to earth if showy horace to suddenly be the best flaminco dancer in spain, despite being very much white coded, as it does for the angriest ninja turtle to be pulling a rabbit out of kids hats. Now Rise of the TMNT raph I could totally see as a party magician but any other? He’d probably break his wand over some kids head.

Goofy ends up winning anyway because he’s stupid, though Flamingo dancing should be a real thing even if this joke is bad and it shoudl feel bad. What an ODD subplot Okay one more then i’m free of this prison.

The Three Cablleros Plus Daisy: Okay finally we get to what I came here for. The Three Caballeros! And..they look a tad off. Not terrible but clearly the animators weren’t as skilled with non duck beaks as both of them look ready to do this to donald.

While Panchito’s color varies. Sometime’s it’s a deep brownish crimson, sometimes it’s poop brown and there’s no classy way to put it. When he’s in this cheap cgi, he looks like a shit chicken. This gets to a larger issue though... the animation here is not great. It’s not TERRIBLE.. but it’s pretty freaking sub par for disney. And i’ve SEEN their other cgi shows around the same time due to having a young niece and nephew. Sherieff Callie, Doc McStuffins, MIles from Tommorowland, and after this T.O.T.S. and Rocketeer. I’m not saying these are masterpieces of the genre, but they have more effort in botht he animation and writing put in. Here it just feels like they do the bear minimum which feels really fucking wrong. These chracters deserve better and have thankfully gotten better. YOu can make a show for preschoolers that’s cutsey and harmless and still have it at least be creative god dammit. It’s why I don’t like covering this show. It just feels so.. lifeless. They try a bit here and there but outside of cuckoo, there’s nothing really new or intresting to really make kids love these characters and it bothers me. it bothers me a lot.

Moving on thank god, the plot is bare bones as is the boys characterization. So far at least their character has been pretty consitent across all mediums. i’ts something I haven’t really touched on but their seen as world traveler’, Panchito being a Gaucho and Jose being such a ladies man this will probably happen to him eventually.

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I swear to god that was the only part of this movie I can remember. I’m better off that way. But yeah without Panchito’s pep or Jose’s smooth talking ways, there’s just nothing for disney junior to work with so their just.. friends to donald who are nice to daisy. Which is very nice to see, but isn’t very intresting or gives me a lot to talk about. Donald eats a food that’s too hot, continues to talk poorly, and Daisy has to fill in. He gets back in at time and they sing probably the most forgetable cabs song yet. It’s.. not much honestly. This was worth covering for completions sake but it dosen’t really add much. If nothing else it at least made me realize so far each mile of the ride has added something fresh to the characters: The original was the foundation, rosa gave them depth and made them feel like real people, and house of mouse made them feel like a big deal to other characters and made donald’s history as a cabllero part of his legacy as it should be. Each one so far has felt like it added.. this one just made me realize that and that is all. It builds on nothing adds nothing and there’s really nothing here other than MAYBE the brown/crimson design for panchito that carries over from the looks of it. The next two versions build on what rosa, the movie and to a lesser extent the house of mouse built. This one adds nothing. This plot is just.. inconqueintal. not bad for kids to know about them but even then it feels like a disapointing introduction. I fondly remember hte cabs episodes of house of mouse and even on rewatch they mostly held up despite some weak parts. This .. this will just be forgotten and I only hope legend and ducktales have done a better job keeping my boys alive in kids minds. God i’m depressed. Well at least this is over right.. right?

Daisy’s Grande Goal

Okay as I said I was doing two, and rather than do this episode’s paired episode I decided on Season 2′s “Supercharged: Daisy’s Grande Goal”.. and cut the supercharged out of the title for the most part because why would you put the sutitle in your actual title. And only in some episodes. But yeah this season had a new gimmick, SUPERCHARGING... which basically means our heroes roadsters can go into super sayian tron super sayian mode and go real fast. They look real nice though and it has it’s own neat theme tune so there’s that. Otherwise the only other change is the animation which improves greatly. Seriously look at that shot above. That’s quality lin line with the ohter disney juinor shows. It’s still not as CREATIVE, but it’s not as slipshod as it started and I have to give them credit on that.

So our heroes are in Brazil.. and as far as I can tell they drove there again.. but the diffrence is 1) you can actually DRIVE to brazil and 2) they have super fast super cars now, meaning even if the super charge mode has a timer, it can help with the commute. It’s also one of the boys actual home countries this time. I mean the episode isn’t built around the cabs.. but neither was the last one. Seriously I almost missed that: it’s three unrleated plots and really you could’ve just lenethed the bull and goofy plots a bit and left donald and daisy out. If your not going to use the cabs right hten don’t use them at all. Here though their used BETTER.. still not in the lead unforunately but at least them being on the brazilian soccer team makes sense as jose is from brazil and while panchito is it he’s his best friend, sometimes lover and always there when he needs him. So spending some time in brazil to play soccer/football isn’t a stretch. But that’s about it for their involvment: they say a few lines, are part of the brazilian team our heroes face, and we get Not-Donald saying “No Way Jose”.,,,

Sadly I can’t leave but the main plot is about Daisy’s Cousnt Almonda. She was in the previous episode which I did not watch but I do like both there being a valid reason why our heroes are here, and connection between episodes. While this season isn’t MUCH better.. it’s still better by some metric. The plot is very basic: Almonda always wins at soccer ever since she and Daisy were kids, and it’s your basic “hero gets overcompetitive to finally win plot and learns to just have fun and to use teamwork heart of the cards and all that” It goes how you’d expect with Daisy hogging the ball and causing disasters and then a ten car pileup before cucoo yells at her, she realizes she was bad and also realizes Almonda had to practice hard to beat her, and ends up beating her through teamwork and you get it. IT’s not much But yeah ten car pile up.. that’s where it is intresting and rediculous as their playing soccer with cars. Which given i’ve always been an advocate for card games on motor cycles, seriously it’s not more rediculous than Yugioh was before that: in the anime and manga before 5ds we had table hockey but the puck is ice with nitrocylcrine in it, a battle with an escaped convict involving vodka and only using one finger, a chinese puzzel box that devoured souls, a dueling monkey, a whole hogwarts style school for dueling, duel spirits, our heroes childhood creations coming to life to help him, our hero merging with his androgynous childhood friend to fight the light of all evils, and on top of all of that, kaiba building a giant murder theme park soley to kill yugi and, even with how rich is he is, not even going to prison for the two months he’d get for that. My point is Yugioh is fricking weird and I love it so and card games on mortocyles is awesome. Soccer with cars is alright. The teams are mickey, minnie, daisy and donald, for the US and Almonda, Jose, Panchito and.. Pancho Pete for the Brazilian team. Pete’s cousin. He apparenlty has a lot of em. Eh as long as we don’t get petkeem the african dream we’re fine.

Why why did I make this. Why. But yeah it’s fine, not the best action ever adn the supercharge segments as I said look nice but as I also said ther’es just not a lot here. Daisy’s cousin is intresting, but likely more in the other segment. Here she’s more of a plot device to make daisy into an asshole for the episode so the plot can happen. There’s just not a lot to talk about> Hence me doing two of these. I will say it’s a better episode than the other one: it felt like more actually happened, it was more cohesive, had way more enerjgy and it had billy beagle... the series resident overexcited and loveable announcer voiced by the far from loveable jay leno of stealing conan’s job he gave him and last man standing, for some reason, fame.

Overall these episodes are.. eh. The first one is kind of a mess, the second one is slightly better but these clearly werne’t meant for adults, let alone older kids and it shows. But I found some material here and made a horrifying combination of a terrible racist wwe gimmick and pete so.. I win/ I guess. I dunno, until next time, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

#mickey and the roadster racers #mickey's mixed up adventures #disney #disney junior #mickey mouse #donald duck #goofy goof #daisy duck #minnie mouse #cuco loca #Jose Carioca #panchito romero miguel junipero francisco quintero gonzalez #panchito pistoles #pete pete

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whiterondo-blog1 · 6 years ago

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The Championship Game

“I can’t believe we’re playing each other in the final tomorrow.” Klay told Kevin excitedly.

“Me too, especially us making it out of Compton and everything, from playing on the ball team together throughout high school to the NCAA Tournament final…” Said Kevin. There was no tension in the air, just laughter and good times. Their friendship stemmed all the way back from 5th grade gym class. They were inseparable up until they went to different universities on full athletic scholarships.

“Yeah, too bad I have to end your season…” Klay said jokingly.

“Hahaha, you wish! That reminds me, I have to go watch film soon with coach K, I’ll see you tomorrow” said Kevin as he opened up the door.

“Alright see ya, and come prepared for a beat-down! I’m calling it Kentucky 76, Duke 53.” Klay said as Kevin was walking out the door.

“Pfft 23 point loss? Yeah yeah in your dreams.” Kevin said to himself as he closed the door behind him.

Warm up

“Hey Kev, you ready for the beat-down we’re about to give you yet?” Klay said to Kevin to get his attention at half court during warm-up.

“Hahaha still making the same jokes aren't you. Classic Klay, you haven't changed a bit.” Kevin told Klay.

“Yeah and I’ve been a winner all my life so… good luck tonight, make sure not to jump when I’m dunking unless you want to be in my poster.” said Klay aggressively.

“Alright good luck with that” Said Kevin a bit stunned, as he jogged back to rejoin his teammates warming up.”

Tip Off

Klay and Kevin go at each other all game. Scoring back and forth constantly, there was a 5 minute window in the third quarter where only Klay and Kevin scored for their respective teams. And they scored a lot. Just like old times when they would play one on one for hours after practice.

“And here we go, the Kentucky Wildcats are down two to the Duke Blue Devils with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Kentucky inbounds the ball at half to Klay Thomas who is being guarded by his high school teammate Kevin Malke. What a beautiful sight to see here folks.” the announcer yelled enthusiastically while broadcasting the game.

“This one's for all the marbles Klay. Don’t choke everyone's watching.” Taunted Kevin as Klay dribbled the ball near half while waiting for the clock to run down to 8.

While smirking Klay replied with a fire in his eye while looking directly at Kevin. “Good, they’re gonna want to see this”

With 8 seconds left on the shot clock Klay calls for a ball screen. The big man blocks Kevin as Klay dribbles towards the corner.

“5, 4-” the crowd counted down. Klay looked towards the basket and checked his feet and shot a deep fading contested three over Kevin as he recovered from the screen.

For the brief moment the ball was in the air you could hear a pin drop in the arena. The deafening silence leading up to the swish, the ball fell perfectly through the hoop touching nothing but net. The crowd erupted as the clock expired.

“Yaaaaaaa we did it!!!!! We the champs babyyyy let’s gooooo!!!!” Klay yelled overjoyed to his teammates as they celebrated for just beating Duke, 73-72. Out of the corner of his eye Klay spotted his best friend balling his eyes out while down on one knee.

“Good game Kev, you played well.” Klay told Kevin sympathetically.

Kevin got up without looking at Klay or even saying a word and walked over to the dressing room with his head down followed by the rest of Duke’s team.

“Unbelievable! He did it! The games over Kentucky wins! They’re the new NCAA Champions!” Yelled the broadcaster in disbelief.

“Well, somebody had to lose…” Klay mumbled to himself as he began walking back to his celebrating teammates. Klay knew he just won the biggest game of his life, but at what cost.

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ralfstrashcan · 7 years ago

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3x08 Reaction / Commentary

Clary is so rebel putting her hands up first and then dropping her stele lol.

“So you can salt-ify her, too, when she inevitably attacks.” Great thinking, Luke! Also, how did they know it's salt? Did they lick it?

Ohhhhhhh I like where this is going!!

Ominous Elevator Rattling Powers Activate!

FunFact: I thought the shadow moving on the wall behind them was some demon Lilith summoned but it was just Simon's shadow. Oh dear.

Instant Sunroom Powers Activate!

Also, Lilith is a dirty liar. They totally didn't 'stay exactly where we are.’ (Also, now I'm having Reichenbach Fall Flashbacks.)

But what's with the other disciples? Do they get texts with the new address of the moved hang out spot? Man, that sunroom's gonna be so crowded.

........you mean New York, right, because the Lightwoods were banished from Idris for being in the Circle, which is why the Lightwood kids grew up in the NY Institute? *sigh*

.........because any orphaned Shadowhunter immediately gets tossed out into the streets instead of being raised by other Shadowhunters, you know, to be a soldier and serve the heavenly duty of killing demons. Makes sense. Okay, sorry, I get it. Jace is trying to get into Alec's head and it's clearly working and that scene was totally dramatic, but... it also didn't make sense.

How the hell does Possessed!Jace know about that? Alec had two opportunities to talk to him about his drama with Magnus (in 3x05 and in 3x06) and he chose to evade the topic altogether both times. In case he didn't change his mind off-screen and talked to him in the short time between Jace allegedly returning from the City of Bones and them discovering his possession (time that was spend with Maryse at the Hunter's Moon btw) then Jace can't know it from Alec. So, where did this knowledge magically appear from? @kaysgreenery suggested that Lilith did some research on Magnus's dating history and taught Jace all the details but why the hell would she do that. I'd like to think that this Possessed!Jace has the ability to somehow warp into the thoughts and minds of the people around him and snatch information on how to hurt them the best, but.... I don't think that's the case or that it will even be addressed how he learned that.

Again, arguing with possessed people. I still don't get it. Then again, from Simon I don't really expect more. (Sorry, Simon.)

.....yeah, Disgraced-Ex-Circle-Member-turned-Downworlder-who's-not-even-allowed-to-enter-Alicante, do tell how you plan to get that intel.

................................dude you're so sounding like Clary right now it's not even funny anymore. So yeah, thank you Izzy for being the voice of reason.

For a second there I got my hopes up that they were going to address Possessed!Jace's mindreading-powers. </3

Alec doesn't approve, lol. But I'm super into it. Lightwood siblings gooooo!! Also, love that face.

This sounds like they're gonna dive into Jace's subconsciousness or dreamscape or whatever and this would be so cool!!!!

1) Pretty skylight 2) I acknowledge that that Equilibrium Rune does make sense on the wall

Yo but why was he standing there holding the sword? He could have put it in its fancy stand as soon as he arrived. And why wasn't it on the fancy stand from the get-go? Where do they store it when there's no trial?

Sassy. I like it.

Yeah, way to misunderstand your assignment, dude. Did you even go back to that building or did you go straight to Maia to whine a little? *sigh*

“Right now, bigger fish to fry.”

Wow, finally someone who can prioritize sensibly. I'm impressed.

Yeah, a decision that should have been Simon's. Because he's the one who the case is about. And if he's constantly hating on Kyle that's helping no one. Just sayin'.

“I'll still take my not-magically-invincible girlfriend with me, you know, just in the unlikely case I get the upper hand and Lilith needs some leverage.”

Seriously, this whole Mark Business started because he was up against someone more powerful (the Seelie Queen) that held Maia hostage and blackmailed him into obeying. Didn't he learn from that?? Apparently not.

Especially because the Vampire nose at their disposal seems to be malfunctioning, falling out of commission whenever the Plot calls for it.

That smile tho.

“Especially when the Clave kicked you to the curb for breaching the Accords, slaughtering Downworlders.” Yeah, those werewolves really look like they're seconds from throwing Maryse a welcoming party.

“Well, then a deruned ex-Circle member is the last person you should be talking to.” Lightwood Women being extra reasonable this Episode, I dig it!

Also, how exactly does Luke want to “negotiate Clary's release”? I mean, call me old-fashioned, but I thought you needed leverage for a negotiation. What exactly does Luke have to offer the Clave in exchange? A few Selfies? (They might actually go for that lol.)

I'm sooo calling bullshit on this because of Maryse's behavior during the entirety of Season 1, but whatever. Also, “was having an affair with”? Does that mean Robert's relationship with this Anne-Marie person fell through? Why? In the two weeks tops that passed since 2x16? I need answers!

Luke/Maryse-Shippers crying in the distance. What is that pairing even called? Luryse? Marke? Lightluke? lol. Lightway?? (Tho that's probably a li'l ambiguous cuz there are several Lightwoods. And now I imagined Luke with Robert. Ew.)

YEAH I LIKE THAT

Imagine, if you could harness the luminous power of Parabatai Runes you'd never need electricity again.

NO WAY ALEC I THOUGHT HE WAS A C C I D E N T A L L Y THWARTING YOUR ATTEMPT AT RESCUING JACE

Dramatic Stare is Dramatic

What the hell dude lol are you trying to get yourself kicked out of the van (possibly while it's still in motion)?? Seriously. This I-know-you-so-much-better-than-your-current-boyfriend-talk is waayyyy out of character for how Kyle behaved towards Maia and Simon so far so what the hell.

On a different note, I find it very intriguing that Simon doesn't feel temperature (and is maybe even immune to very low or very high temperatures?) and I'd love to see this explored in the show.

Okay but what are the chains chained to? Magnus's furniture?? (There's not one shot where you can see where they end. Very frustrating. They're probably chained to Plot Convenience.)

That is a fine comeback.

What was Magnus even doing? He couldn't have been prepairing because he was prepared already when they tried earlier. So, what was he doing? Reapplying his make-up maybe?

Okay, but Alec's eyes were already rolling back in his head earlier

did he specifically un-roll them again

to have the last roll??

Drama Queen. Magnus chose wisely.

THAT HAIR FLICK I CAN'T

This confirms like every head canon I have on how incredibly badass Izzy is and always was, so thank you. I always had the feeling that she's probably a better fighter than Jace but didn't show it because she knew he needs the limelight and she doesn't. Also, they have super limited time and the first thing they do is watching sweet childhood memories. Priorities.

Well, I would hold hands in that case, just to be sure.

.........could have prevented this from happening. *sigh*

Lilith killed all those Seelies, does that mean she has to stay in the Seelie Realm now and that the Seelie Queen owns her life? lol

So that exchange between them was kinda enlightening but also not at all because whaaaat. Can't Lilith just track Jace, the person she herself possessed? That's a little inconvenient and dumb because she's ass powerful but can't do this easy thing? If the Mark of Cain can only be borne by a Daylighter and is also the only thing that can banish Lilith, does that mean there was a Daylighter before who bore that Mark and banished Lilith? Or was she never on earth before and banished, in which case, how does she know that's the only thing that can banish her? How do her visits to the Seelie Realm work? I thought you need to be summoned to leave your home dimension as a demon so if she was in the Seelie Realm before could she have easily walked over into the Real World as well? Was the Seelie Queen alive when Lilith last visited the Seelie Realm (which would have been at least during the time of her predecessor) or do they have pictures of her somewhere so that's why she knows what Lilith looks like? Also, that line with the complexion

is rich, coming from the Seelie Queen, like seriously, glass houses, bricks.

Same, Jia. Because what the hell, Clary.

One, I don't get why Clary told her the truth about the wish when she didn't have to, like, wasn't it her main goal to keep that truth from ever coming out?? Why would she just spill? Just because it was a dramatic gesture? Then again I also don't understand why those guards tried to restrain her immediately after she let go of the sword, like, did they want to put her back in her cell right away? And why does she need to be unrestrained to talk? Why not just put the sword back on its fancy stand and make her touch it again to tell the rest of the story? So many questions.

Two, the wish from the angel wasn't a one-time-voucher to kill everything with demon blood. Clearly, because Clary used it to bring back Jace. It was simply a wish that could be shaped by the person making the wish. So just because that wish was powerful enough that it could be used for mass murder doesn't mean the wish itself is inherently evil?! What the hell, Clary. It's like she's trying to argue why using the wish was like a public service to Shadowhunter Society?! Who's going to believe that?? At least she didn't say something pathetic like “To you, an insurmountable evil is a world overrun by demons, to me it's a world without Jace in it” because, honestly, I was half expecting her to, lol.

Sidenote: Until the end of Season 2 the Shadowhunters hadn't even figured out that the Mortal Mirror was in fact Lake Lyn, so without Clary figuring out what the Mortal Mirror was, still having that wish wouldn't have done them any good. Of course the middle of the apocalypse is always the best time to try and start figuring out where the long-lost third Mortal Instrument is, so I totally see your point, Jia.

..........why would Shadowhunters allow a feral wolf pack in the forest around their capital when Downworlders aren't even allowed to set foot into Idris? That makes no sense.

...................did Luke forget to mention the weird bloody altar? What was even the point in sticking his fingers in then? *sigh*

If Jonathan's in there I will flip my shit. Lilith definitely took him with her in that fancy display vitrine.

Okay, no Jonathan, I'm relieved.... but Jonathan was clearly stored in there in 3x03, so, Show, explain yourself. Why did Lilith decide to repot him? To better stare at him longingly? (Also, why aren’t the ley lines getting corrupted again? I’ve been wondering for a few episodes about that already....)

Just don't let your phone fall in there. That would be awkward as hell. Pun intended.

........................................................Simon. Si-mon. Are you for real. I don't even have words for this level of stupidity and recklessness. But sure. Leave those two alone to fight whoever decides to come in, without your fancy forehead mark to protect them. I mean, it's not like this is the exact reason you told them to stick close to you less than five minutes ago.

Yeah well, would have been weird if he had been studying ancient demonic languages when he was still a mundane. Also, why is no one taking advantage of the great change-werewolf-pun-opportunity??

Are you shitting me why doesn't she just say she's Izzy? She has the same Runes as Young Izzy in the same spots and everything. Then again, they cast Young Izzy looking nothing like Emeraude Toubia, so I couldn't even blame Young Jace on calling bullshit and not believing her. But this line of reasoning only makes sense if Izzy is aware that her younger self looks nothing like her which she can't possibly be because they're supposed to look alike, being the same person and everything.

Okay, so their little sing along was a little touching (tho a lot ridiculous, too, sorry) but I'd be seriously creeped out if some stranger wanted to prove their legit-ness by singing my kiddie lullaby to me like what the hell man.

Those are a lot of Claries, but why are they all wearing the same thing?

Absolutely loved the whole scene with Alec and Jace.

Okay but how did Young Jace know that he needed to bring her here? Did Young and Regular Jace ever meet? I need answers!!

Thank you for this precise and not at all vague information, Luke, as always.

I can't really make sense of that Maia Kyle Whatever Scene so I'll just leave it uncommented.

Edit: Since I was delayed in posting this for several days (because my lappy decided it would be a great time to die on me) I've had some time to think about it. I didn't like the scene when I first saw it, but I couldn't really put my finger on why. Now I know it's because of the way Maia acts, I feel like this is ooc for her. Maia is unapologetic, she takes no shit from anyone. Remember how she told Kyle off in that flashback when he wanted to decide if she got to go to college or not, or how she put Russell in his place when he thought he could comment on her relationship with Simon, or even how she pre-emptively refused to apologize for hooking up with Jace when she thought Simon expected an apology? The case I'm trying to build here is that Maia is very aware of what she wants, what she will accept in regards to behavior of another person towards her, and where she draws the line, where she will put her foot down and not accept something. So seeing her basically begging Kyle to not act like he's in any way likable so she can cling to her resentment for him is strange for two reasons:

1) It makes it seem as if she's not in control of her emotions, as if her resentment is something she needs to actively fuel to maintain it. This is the stellar opposite of how she acted towards him in the last episode, where she was confidently hostile.

2) It makes it seem as if what Kyle did isn't something where it's entirely reasonable and justifiable to be angry and hurt and unforgiving about even after a long time has passed. When someone betrays and abandons you like that (like Maia undoubtedly experienced his actions) you don't really need to exert yourself to not-forgive that person. That's natural, isn't it? Of course one could argue that it's not as black-and-white here because she was in love with him and it's not like he was some stranger betraying her.... but to be honest, the way she acted towards him up until this very scene, including the flashbacks, didn't really make it seem as if their past loving relationship was influencing Maia. So I really don't get why it's suddenly the case.

I mean, I do. If Sizzy is endgame (yikes), then Simon and Maia will have to split up at some point and Maia and Kyle will probably be a thing somewhere along the way. But I feel like this current behavior isn't really ic for Maia and that's why it annoys me, even though I have nothing against the pairing Maia/Kyle per se.

Where they seriously trying to make it seem as if Izzy would kill Jace lol I didn't believe that for a second. I was also totally distracted by the fact that she licked her lips and her lip stick stayed on fleek like how do you do that Izzy let me in on your secret powers please.

Leaving all that aside this scene was perfectly acted and very intense..... but. I don't know if that makes me really insensitive or something, but they were under immense time pressure. If all it took to get them back was grabbing hold of each other's hands I really don't get why Alec and Izzy didn't do just that. There would have been enough time to placate Jace when they were back in their own bodies without the very real threat of getting lost in Jace's mind forever hanging over their heads. Of course it would have been a shock for Jace to be ripped out of his environment and be thrown back into his body, but honestly, he must be so heavily traumatized by all that Lilith did to him that this little thing wouldn't even register in comparison. So yeah, call me heartless, but it would have been more efficient to grab Jace and talk him down once they were safe.

I'm asking again. How did the Seelie Queen know where Jace was? And, seriously, why didn't Lilith think to check Magnus's appartment, I mean she must know Alec is Jace's parabatai and that Magnus is Alec's boyfriend and a powerful warlock. When Jace didn't come back to her it would have been reasonable to assume that the other Shadowhunters had gotten to him and would try to save him, seeking out capable help.

Soooooo Magnus is officially Asmodeus's favorite. Dubious honor.

I don't know if it's the camera angle or that cute eyebrow crunch, but to me Magnus looks so much like a cat while Lilith is choking him, so I was inappropriately cooing during this scene. Shame on me.

If those are the chains immediately after Lilith takes Jace... does that mean he was chained to himself the whole time??? Like, ankles to wrists?????

Edit: Found a BTS pic that explains it:

So apparently there are these neat anchorages that anchor the chains to..... the fluffy rug!! Extremely durable and a hundred percent tearproof!!! Hell yeah.

I get that Alec feels super guilty but honestly, think about it. If he'd killed Jace he wouldn't have killed his body. He would have killed his consciousness, his soul maybe. Meaning the possession would have been given free reign over his body. Killing Jace while they where inside his mind would have killed the last part that was fighting against the possession. It would have made everything way worse.

Funny you say that like it's a cute quirk when really it's pretty invasive and selfish.

Oh man, those subtitles totally ruined the suspense. (Also, how is Clary supposed to learn and understand when she's dead, lol.)

I'm so thrilled to find out how they're gonna get rid of that death sentence. Or will Clary be a fugitive from the law for 3B? I'd totally be up for that, too.

(Gif Source, BTS Pic Source)

#shadowhunters #3x08 #alec lightwood #magnus bane #jace wayland #isabelle lightwood #clary fray #maia roberts #simon lewis #kyle #luke garroway #maryse lightwood #jia penhallow #lilith #the seelie queen #ollie #reaction

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strapcats · 6 years ago

Text

Thicker Than Water (Part 7)

↬ Genre: Gang au, angst, drama, eventual fluff

↬ Pairing: Jeongin x Chan

↬ Word Count: 2,556

↬ Description: Dépaysement- (n.) When someone is taken out of their own familiar world and pushed into a new one.

–

Yang Jeongin is a young Busan runaway with a sharp tongue.

Bang Chan is the easily-offended leader of a crime syndicate.

Read on Wattpad // Read on Archive

Part(s) One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven

Chapter Seven

After waking up unhappily, Jeongin was sitting on the kitchen island munching on a bowl of American cereal. He wasn't sure what it was called, since the box had been thrown away, but it was ridiculously sugary and that is all he really cared about. He had an insufferable sweet tooth, and most Korean cereals didn't quite scratch the itch for him. Back in Busan he used to steal bags of Konpeitō from convenient stores when they were in season and eat them in his attic. The sugar crystals always made him happy. He hadn't had any of the Japanese candy in a long time, and now for some reason he almost ached for it.

The members of the clan sauntered out of their rooms one by one as the morning dragged on, saying small morning greetings to Jeongin as they passed. The young Busan boy returned them fondly. Felix came out late, making eyes contact with Jeongin momentarily in a friendly manner before remembering their argument and casting his honey-colored eyes away again. It made Felix’s heart tug with pain and Jeongin’s stomach twinge with betrayal. Chan was the last one to come out of the bed hallway (as usual) and was (also as usual) followed closely by Woojin, both looking disgruntled. Changbin laughed and Minho rolled his eyes at the situation.

Chan's presence was different from most mornings. It was one of dread and discomfort and the rest of the clan cleared out rapidly once they caught whiff of it. Woojin, Chan and Jeongin were the only ones who remained after a beat. Jeongin finished his cereal and placed the empty bowl in the sink before trotting over to Chan and looking slightly upwards at the older male with an expectant gaze.

“Woojin thinks… that maybe… it would be best… if I…” Chan struggled to get his sentence out, he looked very unhappy with the fact that he had to say these words. Jeongin scrunched his nose.

“Is that any way to say 'good morning’, hyung?” Jeongin spoke condescendingly, going up on his tiptoes to make himself eye-level with Chan though he still tilted his head like he was looking up at the older male.

“He said, it would be good to… to… to

take you shopping and get you adjusted to clan life.” BC finally got the sentence out, and Jeongin smiled with surprise. Both at Chan's odd state of being flustered and at his kind request. Woojin looked proud of himself behind Chan, and wandered off back to his room. Jeongin stepped back from Chan a little and blushed faintly.

“Why thank you for the offer, Channie-hyung, that's very kind of you.~” Jeongin spoke to the floor before lifting his head and looking at Chan with big eyes. He wasn't intentionally trying to be cute, but Chan was struggling to stay emotionless in the odd situation. Jeongin couldn't tell. Chan coughed awkwardly.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Don't take it for granted, kid. I'm not gonna spend a fortune on you.” BC said roughly, looking down at the ground once again. Jeongin smiled.

“I'll go get ready then! Make sure you get something to eat BC!” the bright maknae said cheerily as he walked back to his room, waving Chan off slightly. The older male sighed.

The younger reappeared after about 15 minutes of rifling through Felix’s clothes, the young boy emerged from the white-haired male’s room in an outfit a bit too dressy to just go shopping, but BC wasn’t complaining by any means. The black haired boy wore a very long sweater with a shredded up bottom that reached just above his knees. Its long sleeves covered up his hands and he struggled to keep them pushed up at his wrists. He had on ripped up black jeans and white patent leather doc martin boots to match his white patent leather choker. The young boy looked ridiculous, so stylish just to go to the store, but still Chan couldn’t keep his eyes off of Jeongin.

When Felix, who was sitting on the couch, saw the younger, he spittled out his La Croix that he was sipping, them abruptly tried to cover it up with a couple fake coughs as he wiped his chin. The freckled boy thought he looked ravishing, in every sense of the words, so he quickly averted his eyes and let his blush crawl up his ears in uncomfortable silence.

Chan covered up his awe with an eye roll at the younger’s clothing choice, which made Jeongin smirk. “You’re not too bad yourself BC! Now lets gooooo…” Jeongin complimented and then whined, breaking his cool facade instantly. Chan breathed out heavily in an almost ashamed manner. Jeongin shuffled his feet awkwardly, making Chan tilt his head a little. The youngest member went back and forth between cute, cocky, annoying, and shy in the blink of an eye. I guess that’s the way teenagers are. Chan thought before waving to Woojin and grabbing a pair of keys from a hook by the main warehouse door.

“Lynx and Desert Fox are out!” Chan called as he opened the door to let the pair walk out. He heard a couple or remarks of understanding, so he closed the door behind him before locking it again. The opposite pair walked in painful silence to the garage, which admittedly, Jeongin didn’t know there was one, let alone where it was. Inside there were many expensive-looking vehicles, including multiple Ferraris (in varying shades of red, blue, and even purple), one midnight blue Mercedes G-wagon, and a matte black Audi S3. The keys in Chan’s hand made the headlights of the g-wagon light up when he unlocked it, and Jeongin was floored.

The people that he had fallen in with had enough money to buy all of these cars, and keep them in peak condition. He suspected that the g-wagon was Chan’s personal vehicle, considering it had many more miles on it than Jeongin thought it would, and the way Chan looked in the vehicle. He seemed to belong in it, like he thought it was made for him. Jeongin agreed.

The pair drove in relative silence for quite a ways before pulling into the parking garage of an Ikea. Chan intentionally parked far from the entrance as to not get his car damaged, and so the pair walked into the massive store together. They hadn’t talked much at all and it had been about half an hour since they left the house, so Jeongin was bored.

“Channie-hyung, can I get whatever I want?? I mean, since I have nothing, after all…” Jeongin pouted like a baby as they stopped on the escalator moving upwards. The young boy leaned in a little bit endearingly, causing Chan to lean back, keeping the same distance between their faces. Jeongin batted his eyes a couple times much like a child and Chan rolled his.

“You’ll be getting the bare minimum, Jeongin.” Chan spoke firmly, looking away from the handsome boy as they got off the escalator. Jeongin pouted momentarily but it didn’t last long, as he saw that he wasn’t getting Chan’s attention anymore. They strolled through the showroom, Jeongin pointing out his favorite items and Chan adding them to his growing list of furniture. They made small talk, but not much conversation was flowing. They reached the bedrooms part of the showroom and they sat on a soft loft bed together. Not much was said, but Chan had a feeling like they reached some sort of calm. They were both happy in eachothers company in the simplest way, and they didn’t need to speak. Jeongin smiled, which caused Chan to follow suit, seeing as he was looking at Jeongin out of the corner of his eye.

By the time they made it to the pickup area, Jeongin had an entire notebook page of items to pick up and Chan didn’t complain once. It was surprising to the younger, but he decided not to look his gift horse in the mouth. One black, quilted, queen size bed frame, one queen size mattress, one white nightstand, one white and black dresser, one very large black framed mirror, one night lamp, a couple packs of hangers, two minimalist pastel rugs, and many small trinkets to place around the room was all that was gathered at the end of the trip, and the two boys struggled to carry all of the furniture items out to the car. Then they struggled even more to maneuver them into the expensive vehicle without damaging it or themselves.

Once all was in the car, Chan sighed heavily, then turned to Jeongin.

“Where to now, fox? Do you want some clothes to fill up that 254,000 ₩ dresser?” Chan spoke kindly, almost like he was happy and excited to finally be giving the young boy a livelihood. Jeongin nodded enthusiastically at the proposal, and quickly buckled his seatbelt. Chan chuckled softly at him and Jeongin’s heart warmed at the sound. It wasn’t a harsh condescending chuckle, it was kind of endearing, and it made Jeongin feel like he was being praised, though he wasn’t. Making Chan feel any kind of emotion (and show that emotion) was Jeongin’s main goal, because the man seemed rather unhappy otherwise.

The pair arrived at a large shopping complex, with a couple of expensive name brands, as well as some more affordable shops like H&M and UniQlo. The pair of boys shopped around, finding Jeongin all sorts of clothing, from socks with cacti on them to jeans that were more hole than denim. He also ended up with a rather expensive leather bomber jacket from Gucci, as well as a pair of iconic slides for Jeongin to wear around the warehouse. He finished the day with a whole new wardrobe to challenge Hyunjin’s, and a very tired Chan that was now nearly 9,000,000 ₩ lighter than he was at the beginning of the day. Jeongin was turning out to be very expensive habit.

The two boys walked back into their home at about 8:00 that night, their hands filled with goodies for Jeongin, after taking multiple trips to truly gather everything they had bought that day. Minho and Hyunjin laughed, clearly the pair had some kind of inside joke regarding the two men who had just arrived home, but neither of the men in question cared enough to ask. Felix and Woojin helped them move everything into Jeongin’s room, and then the four of them got to work on building Jeongin’s furniture.

By 10:00 pm, Felix was gone, adn by 11:00, Woojin was gone too. Chan and Jeongin had finished making The dresser, nightstand, and were now working on the bed frame, which proved to be a nightmare. None of the pieces seemed to fit, but after 3 hours of work, the finally managed to get Jeongin’s whole room put together.

“Woah, Channie, it’s 2 am… We gotta go to bed.” Jeongin said, unintentionally dropping the honorifics due to his exhaustion, and Chan hardly noticed due to his. He nodded and yawned, rolling his neck from side to side to crack the stiff joints. Jeongin caught his yawn and covered his mouth, blinking lazily afterwords. All of Jeongin’s new clothes were in his dresser, his rugs were laid out on the floor, and his bed was completely made, with his large mattress being covered by a dark blue and white pinstriped sheet set, with a black comforter. The younger of the two plopped down on top of it and groaned.

“Hyung, this is so comfy. It so warm and nice, I’ll sleep like a baby on it compared to the floor.” Jeongin rambled lightly, but his comment made Chan’s tired heart twinge with guilt. He felt bad for making the young boy sleep on cement ground for weeks, without anything to help him. It was pretty harsh, considering it wasn’t a punishment, because Jeongin hadn’t done anything. Chan sat down on the edge of the bed cautiously.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that kid, it was pretty fucking rude of me. I’d never put one of my other guys through that, I think felix had a point a couple nights ago when he said I was too harsh…” Chan rambled off in an apologetic manner, really wanting Jeongin to heed his words, since he truly meant them. Jeongin sat up and nodded in understanding.

“I get it hyung. It’s the past, and besides, buying me all this amazing stuff makes up for it tenfold.” Jeongin spoke groggily, with a cute smile as he reached out and ruffled Chan’s already messy black hair. The older swatted his hand away playfully, much like how Jeongin often did towards the other, since their roles were always reversed in this particular situation. Chan smiled back.

Jeongin and Chan had changed into more comfortable clothes much earlier, wanting to make sure that if they did pass out before they finished, at least they would be comfortable. Jeongin was sporting a pair of black sweats and a loose white tee, while Chan offered a similar style with a tight black tee and gray sweatpants. Jeongin’s clothing choices engulfed his smaller frame, while Chan’s enunciated his stark bodily features.

Jeongin yawned once again and swayed a little where he was sitting. Chan chuckled, much like how he had earlier in the car, making Jeongin’s sleepy eyes sparkle with joy. Chan could see it, which made him even happier. He smiled softly at the boy next to him. Jeongin returned it forgivingly before leaning forward and plopping his forehead on BC’s strong shoulder. The older man stiffened at the sudden action, pausing for a beat before cautiously moving his hands to Jeongin’s back to hold him gently. The smaller boy had shifted closer to Chan and his crossed legs were a bit under Chan’s as his leader held him close. Jeongin smiled at the scene.

Chan eventually pushed the smaller boy lightly to move him, and then had him lay down in his new bed. Jeongin seemed both relieved and confused, until Chan laid down next to him and pulled the comforter close around their shoulders. Jeongin nodded, as if he understood the situation perfectly, and then wiggled closer to Chan before. The taller reached to the nightstand and flicked the lamp off, returning to the smaller boy that was laying very close to him. Their arms weren’t wrapped around each other, though Jeongin wished so in his mind. The younger’s arms were curled next to his head, and the older’s were laid under his head. They laid like that in the dark for a little while, before Jeongin broke the comfortable silence.

“Thank you for finding me Chan. I’d be gone without you.” He said before closing his eyes and letting his aching exhaustion take him over and send him off to sleep. Chan’s breath caught in his throat before regaining his composure nodding slightly and reaching with one hand to carefully play with a stray piece of Jeongin’s black hair. He knew it didn’t matter to a sleeping boy, but he felt like he had to be delicate when physically interacting with him, for some odd reason. He closed his eyes as well and whispered a hushed response back to the young member.

“Anything to keep you safe, Fox.”

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coffee-for-himchan · 7 years ago

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Christmas Morning with B.A.P

(A/N) And the winner of the Christmas scenario poll is.. Well, you can see by the title already! ^.^ This is extra fluffy and squishy, hope you like it!

-YONGGUK-

"Bbang."

"Bbang bbang bbang," he couldn't help but chuckle, and opened his eyes lazily just to see you lying next to him in bed, directing you full attention towards him.

"Oh, I have been successful," you poked his side, seeing as his smile spread wider, "He had woken up, finally. Now all I have to do is drag him out of bed and under the Christmas tree, 'cause he must've escaped from there."

"Was that a cute reference to me being a present?" his low morning voice with the tiniest bit of rasp to it seemed pleasant, echoing through your ears for a little longer than it should.

"It was. You're indeed something life had gifted me with," you told, placing a palm on his cheek and turning his head back as he had started laughing and had turned away in the process.

"Now do as told and come. I know sleep is cool and all, but so are presents."

As he wandered through the living room doorway, deep cut t-shirt loosely hanging around his lean frame and exposing a little too much tattooed skin to make it seem appropriate for the season, you could see his barely-there blush even from afar.

And god, you loved him with all you had, but it would be a day of embarrassment and blushing for him. Because you were about to act all cute with him and praise him. And he always blushed on those occasions.

"He had emerged from his cave of closed blinds and messy blankets that he had to fix because he hates messy surroundings," his arms wrapped around you from behind and you chuckled at him, immediately turning in his embrace to wrap your own arms around him.

"And he has come to return to his original place in the pile of gifts because he's the main present of all," you nuzzled your head in his chest, feeling and hearing chuckles from above as his head rested on yours.

"The leader gift. Or the gift leader. I don't know, this is going in a weird direction," you chuckled, hearing his pleas from above to go and start unpacking gifts.

"Say," you were back at teasing him after a while, scooting closer, "Why are you so embarrassed all the time?"

His stare was once again trying to escape yours, but you wouldn't let him, pinching his cheeks and giggling at him.

"Gosh, so cute-"

"That's the exact reason. I'm not really all that used to being called cute and being complimented all the time."

"Well, start getting used to it then. I thought you had already accepted your faith, we've been together for ages and I always keep reminding you-"

"Gosh, so cute," he pinched your cheeks in return now, using his best aegyo voice to resemble yours.

"Now see, you’re blushing now as well-"

"Because you never do this, Yongguk-ah!! So I'm allowed to blush."

"Let's just blush together then," he announced, and you weirdly liked the idea. Any activity with him was fun. Hell, even blushing at your own bad aegyos.

-HIMCHAN-

"Mhmm."

"Come on," you poked his side, your voice causing him to break into a heartwarming morning smile, "Get up. It's time."

"Time for what?" he opened an eye lazily, questioning playfully as your poking stopped for a second and your frame fell back on the bed, causing him to chuckle and throw an arm around you as you snuggled back up to his side.

"Time to open presents. You sure got me tons," you said out bluntly, making him laugh out loud.

"True-"

"And I got you tons too so let's gooooo. Please~~" you kept whining, planting tiny kisses on his jawline and murmuring sweet nothings as he finally agreed to climb out of bed, with the simple rule that you'd get coffee first before doing anything else.

"Do we have to sit in the ground like little kids?" he asked as he's escorted you to the living room, his hand firmly and lovingly pressed against your lower back.

"Yes, now come on," you tugged him by his hand, and he obeyed, sitting across from you next to the tree and looking at the pile of gifts underneath it.

A bit too much for two people.

"Stop spoiling me."

"Only when you stop it first."

You indeed liked showing each other affection by getting presents - all types of presents. Some of them given to show all the thought and care that was put into them, and some gotten just for entertainment and satisfaction purposes. Fact is, there were always tons of gifts on Christmas, this being no exception.

With every little present unpacked, you smiled at how you two always listened to each other's babbling carefully. Those were small but meaningful presents, as each was your favorite. Necklace? Yeah, the one you briefly showed him once while at the mall. Book? Hell, he'd gotten you a set of your favorites, all because you'd had a conversation with him about it already a while ago. Everything else - you name it - had been picked with extra care to your preferences, and his never-leaving smile indicated you'd done the same to him.

"It creeps me out."

"Wait, what creeps you out?"

"How do you know me so well?" he chuckled at your puzzled look, returning a "same goes to you" immediately after.

"Like, everything's simply perfect and spot on.. We're spending too much time together."

"I guess I'll leave, in that case," he already started getting up, chuckling as you immediately threw your body at his in protest, wrapping him up for cuddles, which he returned with a slightly louder laugh and fa brief but firm kiss to you lips.

"No. Stay," you ordered, and he did, wrapping his arms around you and keeping you seated in his lap, just because you loved it oh so much. And he did too.

-DAEHYUN-

"Daehyun-ah!! Put me down!"

"Not a chance," he laughed as you squirmed all around his tight grip, not being able to escape it. He had woken you up, and after you refused to get out of bed, he fished you out of it instead, carrying you off to the living room over his shoulder and ignoring all your protests.

"Will you, for once, do as told-aah!!"

He did, almost literally dropping you off, but securing you for a safe landing at the very last moment.

"How about a kiss for that ride?" He turned his cheek to you, tapping it impatiently with his finger.

"Not a chance," you leaned in, saying it to his face, "Not after you woke me up and then scared me and then almost dropped me-”

Yet all he didn't like was your constant scolding, so, rolling his eyes once, he quickly turned his head to give your lips a nice, solid smooch.

"Better," he said at the immediate silence that followed, earning a playful face slap right after.

"Now stop slapping me and go look at the cute gifts I got you."

They indeed all screamed cute. Cliche couples stuff, stuffed toys, fancy yet petite jewelry.. All that screamed "cute". And it made you feel like a kid. Not because of the type of gifts, but because of the amount. There were so many.

"Daehyun-ah.. You treat me as if I'm five years old," you chuckled as he laid across the floor, his head gently placed in your lap as you studied all he'd gotten you.

"All for my lil' princess," he earned another playful slap, whispering a silent, over-dramatic "ouch" and making you chuckle afterwards.

"But really. All for my princess," he saw you blushing, and extended a hand upwards to pinch your cheek, chuckling at your surprised reaction.

"Do you have to make me blush-"

"Yeah. It's cute."

"Okay, your turn then, Prince Charming," you got up, leaving him looking puzzled and left alone in the room. Yet he smiled again as you entered, a few beautifully wrapped presents in your arms.

"Wow, is all of that for me?" he questioned as he sat up, seeing your cheeky nod. You saw his wide, sparkling eyes, and the way his stare indicated surprise and eagerness to tear apart the wrapping to see what’s underneath immediately. What a kid at heart.

"All for my lil' prince."

"Hey, I'm not lil', okay!?"

"Yes you are. Little and cute and squishy. And annoying and loud."

"And I love you so much," you told him and fell back onto the floor, placing you head into his lap just like he did it vice versa minutes ago and watching as he opened up all you had gotten him, and smiled.

Christmas morning was your favorite morning of all.

-YOUNGJAE-

"Nononooo, (Y/N), where are you going?"

"Away from you," you muttered in a pouty tone, seeing as he stood up to follow, his chuckles filling the air.

"Hey, wait," he cooed, seeing as you seemingly unintentionally slowed down your walk, desiring to be tugged back by him yet not showing it, because you were “mad at him”. It all indeed was so adorable that he in fact forgot all sarcastic responses he had prepared, and did as you indicated.

"Don't gooo~~" his arms wrapped around your waist and he cooed again in a sweet tone, "I've got presents."

"You won't give them to me, so why should I stay?"

He recalled dragging you out of bed in the morning to go and open presents. And as you insisted he'd get done with opening his before you would open the ones he got you, a mischievous idea crossed his mind.

"This is for you," he handed you his present later on, and right as your fingertips brushed against it, he started lifting it higher, listening and laughing at your cries to put it back down as, at some point, it became out of reach. And he was just stood there holding it up high and laughing at your jumping and protesting frame.

It indeed had been fun. But at some point you decided to pull your strongest card against him - your pouty, playful offence.

And he always melted at your playfully offended state.

"I don't always say sorry," he lowered his face into the base of your neck, smiling into your skin lightly as you squirmed at the movement of his lips, indicating it tickled, "But when I do, I always mean it."

"Sooooorryy~~, now come back I got you the present of your dreams you'll like it come open it I know you want it-"

"Okay, okay," you kept laughing at his sudden non-stop babbling, and turned around in his embrace to be met with a warm, inviting kiss.

"So sorry," he dramatically whispered against your lips, not letting you laugh at him by planting another kiss that had you humming in pleasure, "I'll take note not to annoy you more today, I guess."

"That won't work. You're the definition of annoyance," you chuckled, and smiled lightly as his arms never fully unwrapped from you as you walked back to the original position next to the tree.

“And you’re the definition of successfully putting up with annoyance.”

He handed you his present, this time around without additional troubles, and sat across, watching as you unpacked it.

He loved how your face displayed it all - he had once again gotten everything right. Because, in full honesty, if was hard for him to get anything wrong. He felt like he'd known you forever, and it was just as easy for him to get you a gift you’d like as it was for you to get him one that he’d completely adore.

-JONGUP-

"Jongup-ah!"

He turned to the sound of your voice, and as you looked down at your phone screen after snapping the picture of him, you practically started squealing and jumping from foot to foot.

"Jongup-ah!" you exclaimed again, running up to him and shoving your phone into his now-smiling face, "You’re sooooo cute, oh my god! Look at yourself."

He indeed looked beyond cute there. All tiny, dressed in a sweater too big for his lean frame. With a look on his face that could only be considered adorably and awkwardly lost as he arranged presents under the tree.

Oh, and, for some reason, a huge ribbon tied around his head.

"Are you my gift?" you chuckled as you threw the ribbon a glance, kneeling down to cup his face before placing a soft kiss that could only be called comfortable on his lips, "Because I wouldn't oppose."

The cheesy smiling-at-each-other's-faces moment was by far your favorite, and as his dreamy eyes and signature a little crooked smile were staring back at you, his arms snatched to tug you into an embrace, seating you to face him in his lap.

"I'm your everyday gift," he said with confidence, making you chuckle lightly, "And I have different reasons for the ribbon."

"And those would be?" he saw you looking up at his face curiously, your fingers sliding through locks of his hair and eventually tangling in the ribbon, adjusting it because it had slid to one side slightly in the process of sorting presents.

"So, I was finishing wrapping gifts, and I kept putting it somewhere to the side and losing track of it, not being able to find it afterwards-"

"So you literally tied it around your head not to lose it?" you felt a good amount of giggles and laughs creeping up, and let them take over your body as he chuckled along, feeling beyond silly, but knowing you didn't mockingly laugh at him. You laughed because you thought he was the cutest, and you liked all that was cute. So him included.

"I mean, it's there and I know where it is, so mission successful, I guess, right?" he questioned, and you couldn't help but cup his face again.

"Jongup-ah, I can’t with you.. You make my heart go asdfghjkl."

He laughed at your silly facial expression while trying to pronounce that, but he knew exactly what you meant, and there was no need to repeat. His audible laugh was a rare occasion and ear candy which added to his this morning's aesthetic so, so much, and made you adore him even more.

"You make mine go the same," he answered, and reached up to untie the ribbon, yet, on your request, ended up leaving it on.

Gosh, whoever made Moon Jongup the way he was, big thanks, because you loved every piece of him.

-ZELO-

“Junhong-ah..”

There was no response, and you woke up to find the bed empty. Pouting at the lack of arms wrapped around you, you started getting up to find him somewhere, as you were feeling rather affectionate and were certain he wouldn’t oppose to a few hugs. But you got stopped by a piece of paper lying where he was supposed to be instead.

“You have 5 minutes starting from when you leave this room. 5 gifts to find. If you fail, you get punished. - XOXO, your one and only ;)”

You let a hand run through your hair, and chuckled.

“Junhong-ah!!” you screamed out loudly, increasing the volume on the “-ah” bit, “This is Christmas and not Easter, you dummy!”

You had hoped to get a response, but figuring he was hiding somewhere as punishment involved him and you couldn’t possibly spot him, you knew he wouldn’t respond in order to not easily give away his hideout. So, taking a deep breath, you creaked the door open, and started frantically searching through the house.

You knew one had to be in that cupboard you could never reach - the one he always asked you to get things from because he liked to chuckle at your lack of height. Another one had, for some reason, had been put in the bathtub - he was probably hoping you’d miss checking the bathroom as a whole.

You were counting minutes and seconds in your head as good as you could, and as you had found the fourth neatly wrapped present and had put it on the coffee table in the living room where the other three were assembled, you were sure you still had around forty seconds left. Turns out you were wrong.

“Time’s up, baby.”

He was stood in the doorway, and had a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. He saw your lips forming shapes that resembled you saying his name, but that didn’t stop him from approaching in huge steps.

“Junhong-ah.. What do you have in mi-Iii-Oh no, no, nooooo don’t you d-A-re!!” you kept squealing as he was quick to approach and started tickling you mercilessly the second you were in reach.

“Mission failed, babe, so face the consequences now.”

Your squeaking and laughing filled up the whole room, and as you fell back on the couch and he was still at it, you noticed he was on face level.

And repressing further laugher, you used all your strength to lean up and kiss him softly.

Your plan had worked, and after another few tickles, his hands stopped moving and simply rested on your sides instead. It took him mere seconds to get adjusted to this new turn of events, and you found him hovering over you, going from tickling you mercilessly to kissing you rather passionately in the same merciless fashion.

“Smart move,” he admitted as he pulled away.

“Where’s the fifth?” you chuckled up at him, seeing as he playfully shrugged.

“Under the tree, dummy,” he answered sheepishly.

“Yours are there too. Be happy I love you enough to spare you punishment for not finding your gifts, by the way, because I already told you where all of them are,” you told him, earning another little kiss as a form of being sorry for putting you through the agonizing troubles of being tickled.

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rememberthattime · 4 years ago

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Chapter 59. Cornwall, Charleston, and Chicago

Well we’re into our final chapters. It’s nearly time for Chelsay & I to head home… The end of our time as expats.

The preceding post, our EuRoad Trip, may go down as our last big adventure abroad. That’s not how we planned it but, if it turns out that way, it’d be a helluva last hurrah. We have this “on-again-off-again” thing Egypt initially scheduled for November, then delayed to December, and now delayed again until January… but an escalation in Covid cases makes that trip less & less likely.

Regardless of whether Egypt comes through, our last few months abroad will be anything but boring. This post is going to cover December alone, where in just four weeks, Chelsay & I enjoyed TWO winter retreats in Cornwall, and visited Charleston & Chicago for prospective neighborhood tours.

As mentioned, we’d been planning an early winter trip to Egypt. I had the flights, hotels, itinerary, visas… everything was arranged. I even had a dog sitter for Indy. But Covid infections had been rising since the summer, so Chelsay & I always knew this trip was a long shot.

Sure enough, just a few weeks before the trip, our flights were cancelled. We were prepared though and already had a back-up.

3.5 years ago, the same week the Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky, Chelsay & I took a four-day trip to Cornwall. There were two surprises. One turned out to be a good surprise, the other was bad…

The bad surprise was Mitch. As I wrote in our 2017 Cornwall post (Chapter 20), he wasn’t good in college and the Bears passed on so many safer prospects. Fast forward to today, where Mitch is likely in his last season with the Bears while the two quarterbacks drafter after him, Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, are future Hall of Famers.

Well, at least that 2017 Cornwall trip was blast. It’d been a few years though, and with winter surfing a possibility, we decided to use our now-cancelled Egypt vacations days for a return to the Cornish coast.

It seemed like we arrived at our small cottage, Scilly Stack, in the middle of the night. It was actually just dinner time, but the sun sets at 3 pm these days so everything feels like midnight. That first evening, we enjoyed homemade Bolognese and Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. …This cosiness would be a theme.

The trip really began the next morning, with the Cornish wind being our wake-up call. We were visiting the nearby Crown Mines, abandoned for 70 years but still bracing along the Atlantic coastline. I don’t know how they’re still standing: essentially at land’s end, there is no hiding from the elements. Gusting gales, salty mist from the crashing waves… even hail. Still, Chelsay, Indy, and I were stirred by the wind, and bounced around the craggily coast.

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The next stop was one of our primary draws to Cornwall: the beach. It’d been a year since we left Manly, and I missed the water. I keep telling Chelsay that my outdoor activities are limited in London: all I can do is go to the park – no surfing, swimming, or running along the beach. Later in this post, I’ll get into our house tours in Charleston & Chicago… It isn’t a coincidence those cities are both waterfront.

Cornish beaches are unique though: at low tide, the beach seems to be a million football feeds wide. Boats moored in the harbour gradually sink and settle in the sand. The winter crowds are sparse, so Chelsay, Indy, and I had miles to roam. We raced around the beach, threw his ball, played in the waves, and dashed through the surrounding dunes. After wind and hail earlier in the morning, the extreme weather continued: we raced through snow and rainbows in our few hours on the beach.

Afterwards, we warmed up with lunch at a beachside cafe in nearby St Ives. I went a bit risky with the Korean fried cauliflower, which I thought was ambitious for a beachside cafe. This place knew what they were doing though: lunch was delicious, and Chelsay said it was her favorite fish & chips thanks to a special tartar sauce. The town was quiet in the winter, and while we ate, Chelsay and I watched as a lone surfer catching a few waves. I distinctly remember us saying: “We can do that.”

We wrapped up lunch, but with the sun was quickly setting AT 2 PM!, we quickly made our way to the day’s final stop: the Wheal Coates mines.

As a refresher, we’d been here before. We visited in our last trip to Cornwall, but only thanks to a bit of luck. We’d lost cell service so our GPS couldn’t find the mines, and to complicate things, Chelsay had to pee. Somehow, the solution to both problems was the same. We pulled off at a public restroom, where a cartoon map led us directly to the mines.

This time around, I downloaded ‘offline maps’ beforehand, so finding the mines was much. That said, the setting sun made the coastal setting just as special as our previous visit.

Just as we’d done the previous evening, we closed the night with a homemade pasta. This time amatriciana.

We pretty much only had one goal for our second day in Cornwall: surf. It’d been a full year since Chelsay & I left Manly, and we were so anxious to get back in the water. So anxious, in fact, that we were willing to go in the winter.

That morning, we had some serious doubt as we picked up our rental boards & wetsuits boards in Sennan. Literal gale force winds over 40 mph were battering the shoreline. And as if the speed of the wind wasn’t enough, it was directly onshore and killing any chance of wave formation.

That said, the great thing about Cornwall is that it’s a peninsula. If you’ve got onshore winds on one side, just go to the other and you’ll find perfect offshore conditions. Gnarly green faces. Rad rollers. Clean barrels. Smooth breaks. SETS. OUT. THE. BACK.

The surf shop recommended Praa Sands, where a surrounding cove funnelled the south-easterly winds offshore from the beach. We knew it was the right call when, as we pulled up, noticed Cornwall’s dedicated (though small) surf crowd had also chosen Praa.

Because it was too cold, windy, and rainy to be outside, we awkwardly changed into our 5mm wetsuits in the car. This was awkward… Not only were the steering wheel and limited space difficult, but anyone passing can look in. Have you ever pulled 6 muscles all at once, while shirtless, while making direct eye contact with someone? I have now.

The wetties (and accompanying boots) were critical for this surf session. Just the day before, it had both snowed AND hailed on us. Today there were gale force winds and spots of rain. 5mm of neoprene and incalculable adrenaline were the only things keeping us warm as we plunged into the water.

I specifically remember trying to keep my head high as we paddled out, attempting to stay dry and well above the water. This was one of our strategies to stay warm, with the other being our “get in-go hard-and-get-out-quickly” strategy... Rather than wait for the right wave, we’d paddle hard and take whatever came first.

Luckily there was a pretty solid wave as soon as we hit the lineup: a four foot face that, based on our Manly riding, was perfect for our skillset.

We quickly turned our boards and paddled hard to match the wave’s speed. This was it. Our return. After 12 months, we were going to catch our first wave - Let’s gooooo-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Chelsay and I both flipped directly over the front of our boards, tumbling through the churning wave. Adding injury to insult, each of our boards popped out of the water and landed on the other person’s head.

No return to surfing glory: just a face-first dive into the frigid water, resurfacing only be whacked in the head by each other’s boards.

This was pathetically unathletic, but also hilarious. Chelsay and I both popped out of the water laughing. We’d now been submerged in the winter water, but survived and actually weren’t *that* cold. Chelsay thinks I’m crazy, but I really think I had colder swims in Manly.

We needed to reset our wave-riding expectations. The biggest problem was that we were out of surfing shape. Our back & arms lacked both the power and stamina we’d built in Australia, so we never had enough speed to keep up with the waves.

After several misses, we ultimately decided to settle for white water (the wave post-crash), and caught a few beginner sets. Like, true novice waves. The kinds you’d see the kids surf school handle in Manly.

We were probably in the water for just 30 minutes, but our arms were already wrecked. Little did we know, our upper body workout was far from over. The same offshore wind that built up perfect waves was now standing between us & the car.

The combination of these 40 mph winds, our soft surfboards, and utter exhaustion created the funniest scene of the trip. Chelsay and I were fighting for every inch as we made our way up the beach… If our boards even slightly opened to the wind, gusts would catch the board like a sail, punching us back several steps. We’d torque around, trying to get the board into an aerodynamic position, but the heavy wind wouldn’t let up. We’d twist and turn, completely out of control and hyperventilating from laughter. It genuinely looked like Chelsay might fly away with her board, before she eventually gave up and collapsed in the sand.

Needless to say, our Cornwall surf day was very different from the sunny, guacamole-on-the-beach days in Manly. We still had a blast though.

After the most necessary showers ever, and coffee to energize our depleted muscles (and egos), Chelsay and I returned to Penzance to visit St Michael’s Mount. We let Indy play on the beach with other dogs (all collies, which seems to be a UK theme everywhere except London), while Chelsay & I searched for critters until the tide pools were once again flooded.

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The sun set by 4 pm, and I don’t need to tell you our dinner that evening: pasta, along with the Mariah Carey Christmas Special.

The next and last day was another highlight. Although Cornish weather is turbulent, the forecast said our clearest day would be the last. I was so excited about this hike that I initially planned it for our first day, but reschedule to ensure it coincided with the best chance for sunshine.

Well, we got more than just sunshine. It was mild, almost warm. Light breeze. Dry. Absolutely perfect for our hike from Lizard Pointe to Kynance Cove.

The Lizard Peninsula is known for its craggily coast, where its countless coves were popular for pirates hiding their treasure. Chelsay, Indy, and I didn’t find any treasure, but we felt very lucky to enjoy the seaside setting in essentially summer conditions. To complete the sunny scene, we enjoyed ice cream cones once we arrived in Kynance Cove’s, playing fetch with Indy along the beach. You can’t ask for any better in December.

These few days in Cornwall were excellent. Very different from the Egypt trip they replaced, but somehow both relaxing and adventurous. We had a such a great time that we booked a return visit just three weeks later.

This return Cornwall visit was entirely intended to decompress. You’ll see when I write about it later: we did nothing.

Why was an ‘exhale’ trip necessary? Well, between our two Cornish holidays, we were visiting Charleston & Chicago, evaluating if either were right for Chelsay & I’s eventual return to the US.

These visits were mostly Chelsay and I independently exploring each city, gauging “What’s Possible” in terms of neighborhood and home quality, outdoor activities, community values …and, as mentioned earlier, access to the water.

I won’t go into too many details here, but a few memories worth noting:

That first sunrise in Charleston. It felt like we hadn’t seen a single sunrise since we moved to London… because we hadn’t.

Biscuits and gravy to start the day, followed by walks along the large beaches on Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms.

The charming homes of Charleston, which Chelsay and I agreed, made this the prettiest city we’d visited in the US.

Soups, sandwiches, and warm waterfront views at Kiawah Island’s Freshfields Market.

The unbelievable size of American grocery stores. They’re like airplane hangars, with an entire aisle for cereal. We counted 12 unique flavors of Oreos alone! It wasn’t until we browsed these snack aisles that we realized how much we missed all this variety and convenience.

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The views from my parents’ 14th floor condo, including surrounding skyscrapers, sunrises over Lake Michigan, and the general city buzz.

Portillos!

The smell of heavy incenses and grilled cabeza steak in La Chaparrita Taqueria.

Our no-nonsense realtor Greg, who handled our four house tours with the militaristic precision of D-Day. This style was in direct contrast to the selling agents, who were all very kind but far too affable for Greg. There was one agent that couldn’t answer a single question without sprawling in a million directions: “Well the first thing is location… Wait did I tell you about the… Actually my oldest daughter lives down… Oh, where was I?”. The question we asked was the difference between Winnetka & Wilmette.

The safety measures necessary to make this trip work. This was our first time flying since the start of the pandemic, and we were as careful as possible throughout. Our extra precautions included getting tested, paying extra attention to social distancing, and even investing in hospital-grade KN95 masks.

The trip was extremely informative, and we enjoyed envisioning what our lives would be like when we eventually return to the US. That said, it was a sprint and, especially considering our jet lag, we were exhausted. This is precisely why we’d booked another 5 days in Cornwall upon our return.

After our overnight flight into London, we picked up our rental car, stopped by the house to grab Indy (and a shower), then started our five-hour drive to Newquay.

This Christmas Eve trip was surprisingly easy. I was nervous beforehand, anticipating minimal sleep on the plane followed immediately by five hours on the road. Just think of how extreme a trip Chicago-to-London-to-Cornwall is in under 15 hours… Although my fears about plane rest turned out to be accurate, the drive was made immeasurably calmer thanks to Obama’s A Promised Land audiobook. Something about having an empathetic, logical President was reassuring. The good ol’ days.

The calm vibes would continue in Cornwall. Round two was nothing like the round one I previously wrote about. In fact, it was unlike any trip Chelsay & I have taken: we did nothing. No itinerary. No plans. No sight-seeing.

This was our opportunity to exhale, and we took full advantage. We slept in until 10:30 several days, hardly leaving the house and never driving more than 30 minutes from our accommodation. Some of the most memorable highlights:

The accommodation itself, a four-bedroom cottage overlooking Mawgan Porth Beach.

Our Christmas calls with family, where we opened presents with all the nieces and nephews. Miles got a dragon toy, Orly a stuffed pony, and Jeff & Liv’s couch got leather care formula.

Christmas Day with Chelsay, where we made Beef Wellington and gingerbread cookies, and watched Home Alone 1 & 2.

Our daily beach walks with Indy. After our Cornwall trip earlier in the month, we knew to expect turbulent weather. In just a few days, round two provided a mix of every kind of winter weather: rain, hail, sunshine, gale force winds… Regardless of the weather, we enjoyed beach time with Indy as the tides shifted.

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I need to re-emphasize just how windy the beach was. I’ve never seen anything like it. As we walked, the sand kicked up by our boots would catch the wind and shoot 15 feet away.

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Playful walks along the Cornish coastal paths, including stops at the Bedruthan Steps and Port Isaac.

Teaching Chelsay to play chess. Although she was skeptical at first, we both enjoyed the light competition in an otherwise relaxing few days.

Stealing a line from Jeff & Liv, “Well, that’s Christmas.” …That was December 2020.

I’m actually writing this post on January 1, 2021, which I’m sure I’ll look back on as a significant day. Not only is today a celebratory end to one of the worst years in history (pandemic, economic decline, racial tensions, Trump…), but it’s also excitingly the beginning of what will likely be Chelsay & I’s biggest year yet.

Our December 2020 was actually reflective of today’s mixed New Year’s Day emotions. Our two Cornish holidays represented closing chapters to our international travels, which have consumed our past five years. Meanwhile, our tours of Charleston & Chicago foreshadowed our exciting return to the US. Our past & future look bright …and filled with dozens of different types of Oreos.

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survivorreelsmagicwithin · 4 years ago

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Episode 12- “i’m like a witch stirring my little pot and making my little potion. and the whole goal of the potion is to flip. this. game. on. it’s. head.”-Joanna

I am DONE with Landen. DONE. I want to see what Lily has to say but I am TIRED of being out of the majority for all these votes and you know what??? Kevin asked if I wanted to flip to Landen because he SENSED this kind of thing was going on and I just couldn't believe that he would do it when HIS NAME IS FUCKING ON THE LINE. WHY DO THIS? WHY?? I'm just sick. I'm done being used, and now he is going to go and tell Chips everything I told he and Lily in private and I am just DONE. IF I HAD NOT PROMISED JULES SAFETY I WOULD HAVE VOTED WITH THEM!! ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS CLUE ME IN. I am so done. I don't know how Kevin and I are the liars here, I really don't.

1 hour later

Me aligning with the other two people that were on the wrong side of the vote??? YES PLEASE. I am so... shook. By whatever the heck Landen just pulled off. I still don't understand it. He said that he almost told me but that I promised Jules that I wouldn't vote for her so he wasn't going to tell me. The way he described it was insane, he is going to mess around and win this entire game if he doesn't go home soon. If CBS doesn't cast Landen for a legit season one day... ANYWAY, I think Juls and Kevin are going to make an alliance chat for the three of us. I told Kevin before heading to bed that I would put all my money on him or Juls if that helped one of them win immunity, which might cause me to go home this round but it would be really cute if we did somehow manage to get someone else to vote with us and us figure out SOMEONE to get out. I can't believe there are eight people left and four of them are OG Hufflepuff.

this game is so damn stressful but everything I do, I do for jury lmao so shoutout to Jacob, Max, Owen, and Dan. you want Jules out? you got it! all I ask is that you flame her just a little extra just for me thanks boys

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TkrrzYlLb7ZfWcPgWVWiRmO7qzTX8-4F/view?usp=sharing

This gosh darn game. Really just so happy to be here at final 8 and can't believe 1/2 of those left are people I started this game with on Hufflepuff (rip Max <3). I genuinely hope one of us wins because I've never seen this happen before (not that I've really played that many games) but point still stands. Last nights vote went as I had hoped, Jules went home. I have the least amount of strategic rapport with her so it felt like the best move for me at the time. But I'm really again not super happy with how it went down. I didn't tell Kevin or Ruthie that I wanted to vote Jules. I was just nervous. I was pretty happy with any outcome that got someone out that wasn't OG HP; Jules, Joanna, Autumn, Chips, Juls because ultimately I really do hope that hufflepuff does the incredible here and becomes final 4. BUT. I did feel solid about the alliance between Joanna, Autumn, Chips, Landen, and myself mostly because I still do trust Landen the most and I thought they were all honest it wanting to vote Jules out. Its really hard to tell with Joanna though, really an icon move honestly. What I do know is that this next vote is gonna be insane (as literally...every tribal in this game has been). Will there be another case of rocks? Time will tell. And I'd say now more than ever, immunity is going to be essential.

After a crazy round last time, I got what I wanted by pushing the elimination of Jules. Jules is somebody who I liked a lot on a personal level, and was excited to get to know, but as the game progressed, it became clear that Jules, Juls, and Kevin, were never going to see me as a priority in the game at all, and would continue to use their alliance to their own advantage and keep me on the bottom, with each round getting harder and harder for myself and Lily to survive. Sure, Autumn and Chips had targeted me before, but working against them wasn't going to do anything - the others were never going to turn on them. But by exposing the way Kevin and Jules had been protecting me, Lily, and Ruthie, I could create a real systematic change in the way the game worked, even if it required working with the head honchos of the Lily vote. That is the sad truth that sometimes you just have to work with the enemy and that was one of those times and it will continue to be one of those times! The round was very intense, first because everyone was ignoring me, and then because Chips leaked lots of information which resulted in a very hard round because I couldn't tell if Chips was trying to flip or not. Autumn was able to calm me down and I appreciate that from her a lot. But I'm also still annoyed that Chips leaked the information in the first place, because it made a very simple vote, MUCH harder to pull off, when at first we could've blindsided them into believing that it was a simple Ruthie vote with me and Lily trying to scramble for Chips but failing, while the real vote was Jules all along. It all worked out in the end though, so I guess we'll just pretend like those scrambles didn't happen. Teehee. That brings me to this round, I've had to push so hard for what I want every single round and fight to survive, and with so many spells looking like they're still in the game.. (The Gryff and Huff idols specifically) that could get me into VERY serious trouble soon. I do feel that I have a very good strategy in surrounding myself with Autumn and Lily, however. I am hoping that Kevin and Ruthie know that going after me or Lily puts them in a horrible position, strategywise - that it makes far more sense to target Autumn or even Joanna for them (since we are giving Chips immunity, which was not my preference, but again, the strategy this round is to not push anything). Autumn having 2 pocket votes, and a connection to Juls, and me and Lily on her side right now, makes her the far more dangerous opponent, and if they do want to use an idol, that would be the person to go for. Kevin is smart, so I'm expecting that he'll recognize this, and that makes me safe from their side. Of course I'll be safe from Autumn Chips and Joanna because they'll want to target Kevin and Ruthie after the mess we've made. By creating the sides of the war, I've given myself the freedom to securely pick the side I'm on, but leave open connections to another side that won't try to kill me as they try to put the game back in their favor, and I've ensured that the people on my side, in the majority, won't really have a reason to take me out. At least - not yet. Of course once the endgame comes around there's going to be talk of threats and winning at the Final 3 swirling around EVERYWHERE, where that fake "Goats VS Threats" narrative is going to come into play. I'm hoping at that stage in the game Autumn and Lily will be focused on eachother because let's be real - the jury doesn't like me that much! Anyone with a brain could see that I'm only winning at the end if I'm against Chips and Joanna... And even then it's going to be a very close one between me and Chips. So why not take me to the end :D Autumn might try to take out me and Lily both, but Lily would hopefully be her first priority, that way I could sneak into the Finals through use of immunities, which, I'm hoping by the next round, will STOP BEING SOCIAL CHALLENGES GOD DAMNIT. I may be an emotional, paranoid wreck, but it's hard not to be when every little thing has to go perfect for you to completely restructure the merge so you're sitting in the best spot when before you were in the worst. And that's how you make a marshmallow move, baby!

Me trying to play dumb with Lily and Landen when I am in fact... dumb, LOL. I"m just trying to come across extra clueless like I'm someone they can just tell to vote HOWEVER and hopefully Juls, Kevin and I can find a crack somewhere. I really feel like they are trying to vote Kevin out this round. But I am constantly wrong so who knows.

6 hours later

I am both laying low AND kissing Landen and Lily's vote. I told them I wasn't going to be around much today and that I probably wouldn't make it to tribal... not sure if I'll get on or not for it but I'm trying to take the 'i don't care what we do, just tell me how to vote' way this round. In a perfect world, I'm trying to work with Kevin, Juls and Kevin thinks that maybe Joanna will vote with us also. There are eight people and there could potentially be rocks but I don't think Autumn would be down to go to rocks so... maybe Landen or Lily will be the ones going home tonight. I'm tired of being in the middle of it all so I'm just trying to lay low this week and do what other people tell me to. If I feel like it is going to be me I'll scramble and just... come up with something extra.

oh shit, i'm in the middle again

20 minutes later

i'm trying to make a move, but... is it right? i don't know

2 hours later

we might be going to rocks tonight and it was all my idea. if that ain’t a game winning move who knows what is. i’m like a witch stirring my little pot and making my little potion. and the whole goal of the potion is to flip. this. game. on. it’s. head.

I HATE IT HERE! ever since jules left my life means nothing... and now i may be getting some votes tonight which do i really care about? no. but if landen doesn’t go i’m literally fucked in terms with trust in him which is why i need him to GOOOOO i’m so TIRED of the majority always getting what they want so i need that twink obliterated STAT. i love him dearly but i’m bitter and out for blood so what must be done.. must be done. rocks sounding pretty sexy tonight

https://youtu.be/gwC4Kb8TRU0

So I guess I figured out the challenge faster than a lot of people? You just kind of have to hope you have a good alliance then invest all your money so no one else can snake it by investing all of theirs and your alliance invests in you. Luckily I'm in a group of 5... so that was easy. I put it in random.org really hoping that my name would turn up. IT DID! The random gods looking out. Anyway, I really want to vote Kevin for this tribal. Regardless of powers of whatever since I'm immune. He never talks game with me and then "forgets" to respond to me until after tribal councils. Autumn has previously communicated to me that she is close with him. Joanna doesn't want to vote him. The alliance is teetering between him and Ruthie and even maybe Juls. I don't know that Kevin will be going this tribal, but if he doesn't it will be interesting to see where the votes fall. Autumn communicated an end game goal with me that involves him leaving this round followed by Landen next one. If, for some reason, he doesn't go that puts a major wrench into things. Hopefully I can turn up the heat and start performing well at challenges moving forward so I don't have to worry about where votes are going... but honesty at this point I don't know.

I think I’m gonna die? and maybe it’s for the best? but also I don’t want to die?? does that make sense??? https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WEDXWIjiD57_NuFQGGjdtI4y8RIyD_t_/view?usp=drivesdk

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multifandomhoodies · 4 years ago

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okay so who’s ready for another long winded work post!! let’s gooooo

So! Today was the end of the summer picnic/meeting, which is cool because that’s the first meeting I’ve been to since I started working there! All eleven of the maintenance staff + the park manager were there, which is cool. I’ve really never done that much with the crew from the other side of the park.

But before we had them come over from the other section we cleaned out the garage and swept and hosed down the floor and we put picnic tables in there asdfgdsa interesting setting but whatever. I drove up to our senior tech in my cart and I must have startled him because he jumped. so i stopped and we were both laughing and he manages to wheeze out “that was like a bigfoot encounter” because honestly he did kind of look like that bigfoot picture asdfgds anyways he was telling me to go grab the trash out of the bioswales but we both kept laughing so that was Good Moment.

anyways so i helped one of my other coworkers with cleaning out the shop and i cleaned the bathrooms in the break room and then kind of really didnt have much to do so i awkwardly paced around for like,, half an hour. i finally sat down to look at my phone and my supervisor showed up n he wasn’t salty or anything but he started talking to me about where my college is because he thought it was in north PA when it’s in south and other stuff lol. a couple of my other coworkers came back in and we hung out basically waiting for the guys from the other section to show up. they did and then the last two guys from our park came back and then left to go get some last minute things that people had forgotten. they were gone so long that the supervisor was half tempted to have them sing when they got back for being late lmao. so the actual meeting was only mildly interesting, some stuff was just like winter policies that really didnt apply to me. however there’s good news! there’s already funding for seasonal hires next year so i’ll be able to work :) but the supervisor had everyone give a short little thing about their year and the summer and basically just general thoughts and i just said that i was really glad i was able to keep working there and that everyone was really open to teaching me how to do things and htat i couldnt wait to learn more stuff. :’) and of course after the meeting was over i thought of the best thing to say which is basically like listen yall im in college and im taking my classes and still working and i really wouldnt be doing tht if i didnt love working here and if i didnt love working with you all. anyways the statement that was pretty much repeated by everyone was about how great a group of guys we had on the crew? the one guy transferred from another larger park in december and he said that this crew is a lot more intimate and has definitely more of a family feel than his other job. everyone basically said that too like we have a great group of people and everyone’s really close. i love these guys. so much. we talked about some more stuff and then we were done and we ate. there was homemade burgers and italian sausage and spicy italian sausage and hot dogs and chili and potatoes and potato salad and macaroni salad and fried chicken and venison with crackers and chips and muffins and an eclair cake and two different pies and ice cream. we fucking ate. it was so fucking GOOD. the folks from the other section are coming down to get lunch tomorrow and one of the guys on my shift/sunday-thursday shift was joking that he’s gonna go in tomorrow for lunch lmaooo. so yeah we ate and then some of us were dead but then a couple of the guys got really hyped up talking about football because they’re doing a fantasy football league. they were very loud. the senior tech at one point grabbed the air hose and sprayed it and startled them because they ere all so absorbed in their discussion. it was hilarious. they literally just. kept talking lmaooo. everyone pitched in to help clean up though and packing food up and bringing in chairs from their socially distanced circle in the shop. it was a good fucking day. i had to go to the other side of the park that i work at (not the other section) to check that some doors were locked and i got a little emo for a second as i was driving through that like. i get to work here with these people. like the park’s kind of small but it’s really beautiful sometimes. like the ache in your chest beautiful. i get to work next to a beautiful lake and there’s a little creek in the park and it’s just really amazing. and i get to work with some of the coolest people i’ve ever met. the men i work with are all so kind and respectful and they’ve all taught me something? and i’m just so lucky? like i literally love my job and these guys so fucking much. i’m just really lucky and i’m so thankful that i’m here doing this stuff with these guys. they’re really really just awesome people. gah. i love this job and i love these dudes

#work #:')

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imagine-hs · 8 years ago

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Love, Bed And Breakfast - 3

Part 1 Part 2

3 days later you and Harry were still housemates. He had moved into the guest room and had actually, for the most part, stuck to the “No nudeness” rule. He had also given you your space. You had had breakfast and some dinners together, getting to know each other a bit better.

You found out that he was a photography student and hobby musician. He lived in London with three flatmates. And he was exhaustingly cheerful.

When you came to breakfast on the 4th day, Harry was on his phone, while pouring milk into his cereal.

“Yeah… alright, that sounds awesome!... Totally!... Brilliant. I’ll see you there.”

He hung up and turned to you with a smile.

“Morning, love.”

You sighed, rolling your eyes only a little. You had asked him not to call you ‘love’, or anything else like that, but, as most everything that annoyed you about him, he chose to ignore it.

“Morning, Harry. Any plans for today?”, you asked, getting eggs out of the fridge.

“Yeah, I was actually just talking to a friend about that. It’s a great day and the waves are perfect and so yeah, we’re going to the beach.”

You gave an acknowledging nod as you mixed the eggs with some seasoning.

“Soooo…”, he started, while you poured the fluid into a pan.

You turned, finding Harry looking at you with a massive grin.

You feared the worst.

“Wanna come?”, he questioned.

You bit your lip, concentrating on stirring the eggs.

“I don’t know…”

“Come oooon! It’ll be fun! You can’t possibly have anything more fun to do. And it won’t just be me, if you’re worried about that. There’ll be a few of us, I promise.”

You frowned.

“I thought you didn’t know anyone in Australia.” Harry gave you his characteristic grin and shrugged.

“I make friends easy. So, what do you say?”

You sighed, thinking of the quiet of the museums you had intended on visiting. But then you imagined the sound of the ocean, warm sand between your toes and a lazy day, spent reading and eating and sleeping.

“Alright, fine. Guess the museums can wait another day.”

Harry just grimaced for a moment, then he smiled.

“Awesome. We’ll leave in an hour.”

Harry had been right…about the weather, the waves and the people. Three days hadn’t been enough to prepare you for how fast Harry was able to make friends.

When you had arrived at the shore, he got out of the car and was immediately greeted by five guys, who all looked like your typical surfers. They then were joined by a group of six girls, who were all giggling and throwing their multi-coloured hair back and batting their eyelashes. They were all gorgeous. You looked down at the sundress you were wearing, which ended a few centimeters over your knees, and groaned. What the hell where you doing here?

You were about to turn around and find a way back home or into the city at least, when Harry turned around, gave you a dazzling smile and held out his hand to you.

“Come on.”

Begrudgingly you took it and let him guide you to where his friends had set up camp. On the walk he introduced you and everyone was incredibly nice. One of the girls even complimented your dress.

You felt yourself relax a little…that was until everyone started stripping down to their swim wear. There was a lot of skin all around and Harry…Harry was in the shortest swim trunks you had ever seen and they were bright yellow…you just couldn’t not stare!

He winked at you, catching your eyes on him, before he walked a little ways away with a few of the others. They found an open space and started playing beach volleyball.

You knew that if you didn’t do something, you’d end up watching him and that wouldn’t just boost his, already too big, ego, but it would also further your crush on him and you were sure the line from which there was no return was getting closer.

So finally you stepped out of your dress, ignored your stomach churning at the fact that you were showing more skin than usual in this bathing suit and practically ran into the ocean.

The water felt nice and it helped calm your nerves.

One of Harry’s friends came up on his surfboard. Cameron, you remembered his name.

“How ya doing?”, he asked, with a broad smile.

You looked around, then grinned. “Pretty good.”

Cameron laughed. “Yeah? Wanna try surfing?”

Your eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how.”

He chuckled. “That’s why I said ‘try’.”, he then stretched out a hand, “Come on. I’ll help.”

Cameron was cute and nice and most importantly, he wasn’t your annoying/hot housemate. Flirting with him was safe.

So with a smile you took his hand and let him pull you up onto the board.

You sat behind him, your legs on each side of the board.

“Now what?”, you asked.

“Now we paddle.”

Cameron ended up doing most of the work, while you tried your best not to get in the way.

The further out you got, the stronger the waves became.

Finally, the boy turned to you.

“Alright, this next part is crucial. You need to dive and then push yourself up on the board along with me. For the diving you can hold onto me.”

He winked, which made you laugh.

“K.”, you said, suddenly getting nervous. Those waves looked strong and you knew the dangers. Your mind drifted to deadly corals and sharks, before you snapped yourself out of it.

And then Cameron was paddling again. A wave rolled towards you…a big one.

“Now!”, he called and the two of you dove.

You held onto him tightly. Your eyes were open wide and you couldn’t believe how much more gorgeous a wave was from underwater. You were almost sorry when you came back up again, gasping for air.

You did that two more times, before Cameron called: “Here we gooooo!”

He started paddling again, faster than before.

“NOW!”, he yelled again and in almost the same instant pushed up on the board.

You struggled to follow. It definitely wasn’t as easy as they made it seem. But Cameron managed to help you up and then you were standing behind him, arms stretched wide, balancing out the board.

It was a total rush and absolute fun, until…

“Alright, on 3 you’ll jump sideways off the board and through the wave. Not into, THROUGH! Ok?”

You gaped. “What?”

Cameron didn’t explain further, instead he started counting. You could see the beach coming closer, Harry’s bright shorts immediately catching your eye…or was it the fact that he was watching. You could see the curls escaping his snapback and the ugly, too-big sunglasses. His arms were crossed over his chest. For the first time in the past four days he didn’t look happy. “3!”, Cameron’s yell caught you off guard, pulling you from your thoughts and throwing you into the ocean…literally.

Instead of jumping like he’d told you, you flailed and then fell right into the wave.

In an instant you knew why Cameron had told you not to do that. The wave swept you up and threw you around, completely disorienting you. Your knee scraped along some rocks, then your face hit sand and you spluttered, taking in a mouthful of sand and water. You needed air, but you had no idea where Up was.

Your vision started blurring and your mind went into panic mode. That was when a strong hand grabbed your arm and pulled you with it… up, you hoped.

Next thing you knew, you were laying on the beach, coughing up sand and water. People were standing around you, looking frightened. And there was Harry, kneeling next to you, dripping wet, hair sticking to his face, cap inexplicably still on his head. He would have looked hot, if it hadn’t been for the white colour of his face and the absolute horror in his eyes.

You were pretty certain he had just saved your life.

You groaned, rolling your eyes. “Fine, Harry, you can stay in the house with me. Geez, you don’t need to go to such lengths, you know.”

Harry stared for a moment, then gave a shaky laugh and pulled you up, against his chest, in a bone-crushing hug.

#fanfiction #fan fic #Harry Styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles pic #harry styles pics #harry imagine #harry imagines #imagine #imagines #1d imagine #1d imagines #imagine harry #imagines harry #imagine harry styles #imagines harry styles

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kansascityhappenings · 6 years ago

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No. 18 Arizona State knocks off top-ranked Kansas 80-76

TEMPE, Ariz. — Zylan Cheatham bounded down the hallway inside Wells Fargo Arena, half skipping, half jumping as he high-fived family, friends, anyone he could reach.

“Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s gooooo!” the Arizona State forward shouted.

Let it be heard: the Sun Devils have arrived.

Poised down the stretch after trailing most of the night, No. 18 Arizona State pulled off one of the biggest victories in school history by knocking off No. 1 Kansas 80-76 on Saturday.

“This was a huge moment for our basketball program,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said.

It wasn’t easy.

Arizona State (9-2) had a hard time stopping Kansas preseason All-American Dedric Lawson inside, blew numerous shots at the rim and had a rough night at the free throw line.

Trialing by up to nine points, the Sun Devils rallied by double-teaming Lawson, digging in on defense and making the biggest plays down the stretch to beat a No. 1 team for the second time as a program.

As it did in beating Kansas a year ago in Lawrence, Arizona State rallied late, using a 10-0 run to go up 76-74 with 90 seconds left.

Kansas (10-1) turned it over twice in its final three possessions and Rob Edwards, who scored 15 points, and hit two free throws with 6.1 seconds left to start the celebration. Students poured out of the stands to join the players a center court, leaving security no chance of stopping the party.

“Those are the moments we live for,” said Arizona State’s Remy Martin, who had 10 points and a big pull-up jumper with 58 seconds left.

Kansas led nearly the entire game and had plenty of chances down the stretch to win its first true road game of the season, even with big man Udoka Azubuike missing his fourth straight game due to an ankle injury.

The Jayhawks were unable to come up with the defensive stops during Arizona State’s run and couldn’t get off a tying shot down two in the closing seconds, finding themselves at the center of a Sun Devil celebration — and likely out of the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25.

“It’s very tough one because we had the game and we let it slip right through our hands,” said Lawson, who led Kansas with 30 points and 14 rebounds.

Arizona State pulled off the upset on the road last season, knocking off the No. 2 Jayhawks 95-85 on its way to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.

Even with Azubuike out in the rematch, the Jayhawks dominated Arizona State inside early, opening up the perimeter.

Lawson was the focal point, repeatedly getting good position down low and throwing in a layup on a nifty spin move. The Memphis transfer had 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting by halftime.

Arizona State struggled offensively, but held Kansas scoreless over the final 3:42 to stay within 39-31 at halftime.

The Sun Devils tried to make runs in the second half, but kept missing shots at the rim and the Jayhawks kept answering with baskets.

Arizona State started double teaming Lawson in the second half and pulled to 67-65 on Edwards’ second straight 3-pointer to start its comeback.

“They were feeling it, hitting their shots,” said Kansas guard Devon Dotson, who had 14 points. “It just came down to mental mishaps we got caught up in.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas will likely drop a few spots in the AP Top 25 after losing its first true road game.

Arizona State picked up one of the biggest wins in program history with a gutty performance down the stretch.

FREE-THROW STRUGGLES

Arizona State doubled Kansas’ free-throw attempts, but had trouble getting those free shots to fall. The Sun Devils finished 20 for 32 from the line, but were able to overcome it by hitting 17 of 32 shots from the floor in the second half.

LOUD CROWD

Wells Fargo Arena had one of the best crowds in school history on hand for one of the program’s biggest wins.

The second No. 1 team to play in Tempe drew a star-studded crowd, with Michael Phelps, Jason Kidd, Grant Hill, Eddie House and Arizona governor Doug Ducey in the stands, along with more than two dozen NBA scouts.

Kansas had its share of vocal supporters, but they were washed away during the closing stretch and the court rushing.

“The fans gave us an extra boost,” Martin said. “I just want to say thank you to everyone. I’ve never had a feeling like that.”

UP NEXT

Kansas hosts Eastern Michigan next Saturday before kicking off its Big 12 schedule.

Arizona State hosts Princeton next Saturday in its final nonconference game.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2018/12/22/no-18-arizona-state-knocks-off-top-ranked-kansas-80-76/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/12/23/no-18-arizona-state-knocks-off-top-ranked-kansas-80-76/

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