#have been listening to the soundtrack all day since yesterday

[whumpypepsigal]

Have you seen the new little mermaid? It was actually so much better than I thought it would be (I liked it better than the original and I LOVE the original!!) and the Eric beach scene was 👌🦋👌🦋👌🦋👌. He was truly a beautiful damsel in distress the whole movie

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! im already getting whumperflies reading your message ahhhhhhhh. im going to watch it this coming weekend because last weekend i was working 😭. i’ve already bought my ticket and warned my friends that if they change their mind/plan last minute i will not care and WILL go to the theater alone lmao.

prince eric being a damsel in distress is just what we needed and jonah hauer-king is so damn handsome *kicking my feet up* can’t wait can’t wait can’t wait

[deansdelicate]

I CAN SEE YOU

CHAPTER V: IF THEY NEVER FOUND US OUT

seth rollins x fem!writer+producer reader

word count: [13.9K]

warnings: no use of y/n, two idiots dancing around their feelings, no angst besides reader and seth doubting themselves, basically a fluffy domestic chapter ;)

🎧 the soundtrack

summary: half asleep, taking your time in the early mornings of Chicago, you finally come to realize seth was the one who made sure you were safe and sound. despite knowing good and well you shouldn’t become so attached to him, it just happens...something you and seth cannot avoid. a morning spent together turns into an entire day, and never in your wildest dreams did you know how it was going to end.

The sun beamed down on the town and the bustle of the outside world could be heard past the hotel windows where you still slept soundly before your senses began to rouse.

Your body twisted against the sheets, a groan falling from your chapped lips, and your limbs stretching themselves out, and suddenly the ringing of your cellphone was finally something you comprehended—the real culprit of your wake up.

You blindlessly slapped the vicinity around you until you felt the familiar screen against your fingertips. Disconnecting it from the charger with a stiff tug, you answered the phone and planted it against your ear without checking who was calling to begin with.

“H-Hello?” You croaked, eyes pinching shut, curling deeper into the blankets not wanting to lose the warmth just yet.

There was a heavy huff on the other end, before a striking voice cut in.

“Young lady, your father and I have been trying to reach you for hours! Where are you?”

The voice belonged to none other than your mother and she sounded worried sick, the kind you hadn’t heard since you were a teenager.

You immediately snapped your eyes open, realization washing over you that you had, in fact made it to Chicago, but with little recollection of how you got up to your room.

Taking a deep breath, you tried to remember while reassured your mom, guilty over the fact that she and your dad were probably up all night thinking something bad must have happened to you.

“I’m fine, mom. I must have fallen asleep after I checked in and forgot to text.” You rubbed at your eyes, silently trying to retrace your footsteps.

The last thing you recalled was dozing off as you stared out the window through the drive. Seth had mentioned something about stopping for food somewhere, but you hadn’t paid it much attention, too busy slipping into sleep to the white noise of the car ride and his voice alone.

“So you did get to the next town?” She let out a sigh of relief as you hummed, confirming, “Thank god.”

You yawned, listening as she passed down the message to your dad who you assumed was somewhere near her.

The ceiling above you blurred the more you rubbed at your eyes, trying to rid them of slumber before you finally got the strength to push the covers off and get the day started.

“I actually ended up catching a ride with Seth.” You told her, going to open the curtains and letting the sunshine of the city into the room.

“Oh,” she sounded surprised, clearing her throat before speaking again, “That was nice of him.” ultimately grateful that you made it safe and sound to your destination.

“Very.” You replied, spotting your luggage near the accordion closet doors and heading towards it.

Balancing the phone against your shoulders, you laid it down on the floor with a soft thud, unzipping it to grab some fresh clothes and your toiletries. You desperately needed a shower not only to wake yourself up, but to rid yourself of yesterday, wanting to start the day without feeling the extra weight of the stress you’d gone through.

“I’m gonna go get ready for the day,” you told her, hugging your items to your chest and heading for the bathroom.

“I have to film with Xavier then I’m gonna try to find Seth to thank him.”

“Sounds good sweetie, have a good off day okay?” She said lovingly, delighted that you were keeping yourself busy on the road and making friends.

“Thanks mom, tell the girls I miss and love them.”

“Will do, bye-bye.”

While the water warmed up, you took a look at yourself in the mirror. The bags under your eyes weren’t as prominent as they were hours ago thanks to the sleep you managed to catch, soothing them halfway gone. Your hair was surprisingly not as chaotic as you thought it would be, manageable enough for you to comb through it with your fingers before tossing your locks up in a bun so it wouldn’t get drenched.

You still sported Seth’s zip-up, loose around your body basically swallowing you whole, and it still smelled like him despite you tossing and turning in it. Stripping it off, you abandoned his your clothing in a heap on the floor, stepping into the steamy shower and getting ready for the day ahead, hoping you’d run into Seth at some point.

The hotel gym didn’t have the fanciest equipment, but it made do for the three men who almost always got their morning workout in even on their rare day off.

Sweat dribbled down Seth’s neck and there was an enjoyable ache in his limbs as the barbell weight rested on his shoulders and he continued lifting his heavy set.

“You dragged her through the hotel lobby up to your room?” He asked incredulously, drowning back a laugh at the mere fact that he missed seeing it for himself.

“Let me get this straight,” Dean spoke from behind, taking a break and gulping down his water.

Seth grunted, finishing the set and dropping the weight against the padded floor with a heavy sigh. He looked over his shoulder irate, shooting Dean and Roman a pointed glare for bringing the situation up again.

He hadn’t planned on telling anyone what had happened, but with Roman bearing witness to the whole thing, it was only a matter of time before the story was passed down to Dean, and now the whole morning had been spent with a million burning questions being thrown his way.

“Okay, you’re making it sound bad. She was dead asleep, and I needed to get her into an actually bed.” Seth shook his head, swiping the sweat off his forehead.

“And for your information, I did not drag her. I carried her up there.” He corrected, insulted that Dean would think he would act less than a gentleman no matter how odd the situation was.

Roman snorted, replaying the scene in his head that was damn near ironic at that point.

Your limbs and Seth’s were practically tied together in the cramped elevator where they had nowhere else to look besides at you both. If they hadn’t known any better, they would have all suspected you two were seeing each other, but that was exactly the funniest part of the entire ordeal.

You saw each other all the time.

Whether you both were keeping track or not, it was blatantly obvious you two had more than just on-screen chemistry. It didn’t matter if you or Seth were nowhere to be found at each other’s side, at some point you both would find a way to be next to each other, lingering or not. Everyone else had caught onto it, and it was strange that neither of you hadn’t realized it yet.

“It still doesn’t change the fact that you both went into the same hotel room and you let her sleep in your bed,” Roman reasoned, looking over at Dean who agreed with a plain nod.

If anyone else would have caught Seth in the innocent act of making sure you made it safely into the hotel room, they might have assumed something else was going on.

Paul’s phone would have been ringing nonstop with the notion of them believing you two were really seeing other and that couldn’t have ended well for Seth especially.

“What would you have done?”

Seth accused defensively, resting his hands on his hips, waiting for their response. He knew damn well they wouldn’t have let you sleep in the hotel lobby or worse left you to fend for yourself.

His friends looked at each other with a knowing glance silently communicating that they had successfully gotten under Seth’s skin without even trying too hard. It was like the two older brothers ganging up on the younger—very reminiscent of the early Shield days, but it was always in good fun.

“Well, for starters, I’d not ask myself for a death wish and termination of my job.” Dean quipped, making the him groan.

Seth waved his hands in the air dismissively.

“Look we’re both adults. She knows just as well as I do that we’re friends, and friends help each other out, especially when she’s new to the scene and needs someone to take her under their wing.”

No matter how much he explained it, Seth knew they wouldn’t be convinced so easily.

Roman just grinned, slapping him on the shoulder, “I give it a week before she’s under you.”

“Or he’s under her.” Dean snorted, adding another on his chest.

The two grown men on either side of him laughing about the matter like it was some teenage love-fest.

“You guys are so bored.” Seth muttered, shrugging them off and going to grab his water bottle to take a drink.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.”

Roman threw his headphones back on to finish his workout while Dean did the same.

Comically enough, Seth did dream of you last night. It was the first time he had ever done so, and he could still picture it vividly in his head—just the two of you, laughing and talking through a car ride that appeared to last forever. It was simple, but enough to get him through to the morning where his eyes instinctively blinked open to reveal the sight of you across the room still fast asleep.

He wanted to blame it on mere exhaustion and the fact that you were the last thing he saw before he dozed off, but it still didn’t change the way his heart battered a little harder in his chest, and the blood that ran hotter through his veins at the simple thought.

The feeling didn’t shake when he went to do his final set, and it certainly didn’t help when the burning questions ended, and he was left alone in the silence of his thoughts—his mind echoing your laughter and smile on a loop, frantic to get back to you.

When you finally stepped out of the shower, you slipped into a flowy dress that ended just above your knees, keeping things casual since you still didn’t know what you were going to be up to after filming.

Loosening your hair from the bun, you opted for a sleek, low-effort look, sectioning the crown and clipping it out of your face.

After completing your skincare routine, you applied a light layer of makeup—just some concealer, blush, mascara, and a tinted lip balm to brighten your face.

Gathering your dirty clothes, you tossed them into a separate laundry bag within your suitcase, making a mental note to get a load of laundry done as soon as you made it to the next city. You flipped it closed still keeping it laid on the ground of easy access, before returning to the bathroom to grab a bottle of lotion so you could moisturize your legs.

Propping your foot up on the bedframe, you pumped some product into the palm of your hand, emulsifying the lotion before spreading it over your skin.

Unbeknownst to you, Seth had wrapped up his morning workout, already outside of the hotel door with the room key in hand as he swiped is across the reader and opened the door without thinking anything of it.

The soft creak of the door opening caused you to snap your head in its direction, eyes widening in shock and your limbs freezing as all you could muster was a scream.

“Holy shit!” You screeched, flinching back and dropping the bottle, nearly backing into the bedside table in the frenzy.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!” He immediately recoiled, apologizing profusely as he held his arms out, trying to prevent you from stumbling over despite being on the other side of the room.

There was a wave of relief that washed over you the second you realized that it was just Seth and not a total stranger plotting to kill you. But it still didn’t change the fact that you were still in shock at how he managed to get into your room.

“Oh my god,” You caught your breath, brushing your hands over your dress as you stared at him still rattled.

“How did you get in?” You sought, bending down to retrieve the bottle of lotion that toppled onto the floor.

He swallowed thickly, closing the door behind him as he tried his best to explain the situation without making it awkward.

“It’s umm, it’s actually my room.” He confessed, feeling embarrassed that he didn’t knock beforehand.

He completely overlooked the fact that you could’ve woken up while he was gone, but he had just assumed with how tired you were, you would be spending the day catching up on sleep and needing to push your filming with Xavier to a later time. Seth hadn’t even planned on waking you up to get the room to himself. In fact, he was set on letting you stay as long as you needed.

You blinked rapidly, confusion covering your orbs as you furrowed your brows.

“Wait, what?”

“Last night I couldn’t wake you up, and when I tried to check you, the lady at the front desk couldn’t give me your room key, so I just checked us into my room and let you crash here.” He explained, rubbing the back of his neck stiffly.

“Are you serious?”

The news hitting you like a ton of bricks.

It was all beginning to come together. The reason why you were so stumped on how you got up to the room that wasn’t even yours was because you did none of it yourself. Seth had taken care of everything, making sure you not only had a room but a comfortable bed to sleep in.

Mistaking your pure shock for horror, he shook his head nervously.

“No, it’s not like that, I gave you the bed and I took the pullout over there,” He pointed to the other wall where the couch was pushed against.

“I swear.” He promised.

You looked in the direction where he pointed, totally oblivious to his bags that were tucked away in the corner, and the folded blankets that rested on the cushions all this time. If it had been anyone else, you’d be freaking out, but for some odd reason you weren’t spooked at all, instead feeling oddly secure knowing he’d never hurt you.

Catching the concern in his voice, you went to shake your head, letting out a small embarrassed laugh.

“No, that’s not what I was worried about,” you sighed, “I’m so sorry I was such a hassle, really I feel terrible.”

Seth had already lent a helping hand more times than you could count, often without you needing to ask to begin with. He was always hyperaware of your wellbeing, and the last thing you wanted him to feel was as if you were his responsibility.

“You weren’t a hassle at all. I know you were just tired and I don’t blame you.” He reassured you with a gentle smile.

You looked at him skeptically, eyes darting to the lumpy couch where he’d slept.

“You had a match last night, and you slept on…that?”

You gestured to the pullout, and he shrugged casually.

“It actually wasn’t too bad. I’ve slept on worse.” He said with a small grin, but you could tell he was downplaying it as a means to not make you feel worse, but you couldn’t shake the feeling.

You frowned, reaching for the hotel phone before you plopped down on the edge of the bed, looking at him as you spoke.

“I’ll call the front desk and have them give you my room instead, and I’ll take this one for the night.” You began to dial the number to the concierge.

But before even a single ring could sound, he took a big step over, swiftly removing the phone out of your hands and placing it back onto the receiver with a clack.

“Stop.” Seth laughed, shaking his head.

You stared up at him with a pout, determined to pay him back in this small way for all that he had done for you.

“Seth, it’s the least I could do, please.” You insisted, attempting to pick up the phone once again, but he didn’t budge, firmly planting his hand on top of yours.

He looked at you, eyes full of sincerity, knowing that all you wanted to do was repay him, but he didn’t need you to return the favor at all. Everything he did for you was genuinely out of the goodness of his heart, like an ease that came with his being just wanting to make sure you were in good hands.

“You take your suite and I’ll stay here tonight. It really wasn’t a big deal at all.” He said, watching as guilt still covered your face.

“If it makes you feel better, I had to lug a drunk Roman all the way up six flights of stairs and that was hell.”

You began to giggle, eyes crinkling and your chest deflating as your hand eased up under his.

"Okay," You breathed, staring up at him still laughing, "That makes me feel a lot better."

He grinned, moving his hand away going to set beside you while you started at him warmly.

“Thanks again, for everything.” You said softly, wondering if there was ever a way you could repay him, and even then how he would manage to let you.

“Woods said he’s kicking your ass in Mario Kart today,” Seth teased, nudging your side with his elbow.

You dropped your jaw and gasped dramatically.

“Did he really say that?”

He cackled, shaking his head. “Not entirely, but he is known to be the king of the Grand Prix.”

“Are you gonna come watch?” You wondered, hoping he would just so you had an excuse not to part ways.

“Cleared my schedule and everything just for it.” He announced splaying his arms out as if it was the most important thing in the world to him. 

But it mattered to you. Deep down even if it was just some silly video, he had made the time to be there and it made your heart thump like an idiot as you tried not to get too lost in his kindness. 

“Have you eaten?” You shook off the feeling, taking note of his work out attire. 

“I just had a protein shake before my workout. You wanna order some room service?” 

You tapped your temples, grinning at him. “You read my mind.”

Reaching into the bedside drawer you retrieved the room service menu checking out what they had to offer. 

“I’m gonna hop in the shower.” Seth stood, heading to the other side of the room to grab some clean clothes for himself. 

“What did you want me to order for you?” You looked up, watching him kick off his shoes. 

“Surprise me,” He smirked and you nodded contemplating what he would like as he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. 

You settled for strawberry french toast with a side of hashbrowns while you decided to get Seth something savory—bacon, eggs, and a side of breakfast potatoes. You ordered both of you black coffee with some creams and sugars on the side. 

After you hung up the phone, you tidied up the bed–fluffing up the pillows and straightening out the sheets as if they were untouched knowing Seth would be sleeping in your place tonight and the last thing he needed was an unmade messy bed. 

In the meantime you took it upon yourself to snap some photos and selfies behind the large window that overlooked the city. Seth’s room faced the westside of Chicago, where a bunch of shops lined the busy streets, and you were hoping you had enough time to check them out before you left town. 

After scrolling on social media and checking your emails, a knock sounded on the door. 

“Seth food’s here!” You called out, walking over to the door and squinting through the peephole just to be sure.

“Coming!” You heard him shout back. 

You undid the deadbolt, sliding the extra lock loose and grinned as you opened the door wide and greeted the hotel service. They rolled in the cart of food towards the small table near the window and you watched as they set up the plates. You were instructed to leave the finished dishes on the cart, and roll it outside of the room where it would be retrieved during their hourly sweeps. 

After tipping them, you settled into a chair, eager to fill your empty stomach but holding off until Seth joined you. In the meantime you took a few more photos of the food, wanting to post a photo of how your time in Chicago was going, even if it was just room service. 

A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened, and there he stood, dressed in a black graphic tee and shorts. He ruffled a towel through his hair, ridding it of the excess water as you stared on before quickly snapping your eyes back to your phone not wanting to be caught gawking.

“Oh no, you’re the type that lets the camera eat before you.” He tsked as he pulled his towel away, noticing the phone in your hands. 

“What can I say? Food porn is my guilty pleasure.” You whistled, snapping a few more overhead shots of the dishes. 

“Very explicit.” Seth chuckled, opening the closet to retrieve a hanger, clipping his damp towel onto it to hang dry.

Exiting your camera app, you opened up Instagram, picking one of the shots and letting the app crop the image into a square ratio as you thought up a caption. 

“Savory to my Sweet” You typed followed by a bunch of emojis that were fitting, before clicking post. 

“Okay, I’m officially ready to dig in.” You chirped, setting your phone down and glancing up at Seth who took a seat opposite of you, rubbing his hands together as he inspected his plate. 

“How’d you know I don’t like sunny side up eggs?” He smiled unwrapping the fork and knife from the clothed napkin roll.

“Wait what?” You asked surprised. 

“Yep, can’t do it, or it at least has to be over medium.” 

“Aren’t wrestlers supposed to love raw eggs? You guys drink them for fun.” You argued, watching as he made a face funny and stared at you offensively. 

“I’m offended you think I would ever do something so deranged.” He retorted, making you laugh. 

“Well I’m glad you aren’t.” You quipped, cutting into your french toast and taking your first bite with a hum. 

Seth picked up a piece of bacon, taking a single bite before wiping his fingers clean and reaching for the packets of sugars in a small dish. 

“Two sugars and two creams right?” He looked at you, remembering how he made your coffee a few days ago, but just checking to be sure. 

You chewed, nodding your head as you watched him rip the packets open, pouring the contents into your cup, and grabbing a clean spoon to stir. He repeated the same thing with the creamer cups, mixing your cup, before sliding it over to you. 

“Let me know if it’s good.” He said, beginning to work on his cup that he took with one sugar and one cream. 

You sipped the liquid, letting the flavor roll over your tastebuds, before scrunching your nose. 

“It’s alright, but I feel like hotel coffee always sucks.”

“You would think that because this hotel is so fancy, they would at least have decent caffeine.” Seth shook his head, giving his own cup a taste, only to grimace. 

“You need another sugar,” You giggled, reaching over to rip open another packet, pouring it into his mug and hoping it would be enough to wane off the bitter taste.

“I don’t know if this stuff is gonna keep me up all day or if it just tastes disgusting.” He said, shaking his head and going to take a sip of his water to rid himself of the initial taste. 

“Probably a little bit of both.” You smiled tightly, nodding him along to eat. 

The both of you continued breakfast over conversations revolving around anything and everything. Seth got you caught up on what you had missed the night prior–or as Jey coined it, “Modern Day Stephanie and Triple H circa 1999.”

It was safe to say you were mortified, not because Seth had to carry you through the parking lot all the way up to the room, but because they had witnessed you in such an embarrassing predicament.

But again, as he always did, Seth reassured you that it was nothing to be worried about. He had your back and it was anything less than embarrassing in his eyes.

Eventually the two of you wrapped up with breakfast, loading your empty dishes onto the cart and Seth rolled it outside the room before you both began getting ready to head out to meet with Xavier and the rest of the boys.

You stared indecisively into the full-length mirror, swaying from side to side.

“Are you sure this isn’t too casual for the video?” You said aloud, debating if you should make a last-minute outfit change. 

Seth, who was in the bathroom getting his hair sorted, peeked his head out, catching your eyes in the reflection and shaking his head.

“Trust me, UpUpDownDown is very forgiving. Half of Woods’ videos are filmed with us in sweatpants.” He told you, twisting his hair into a low bun. 

You let out a breath of relief, allowing your stiff shoulders to fall.

“Maybe I should try that next time.” You half joked, spinning on your heel and strolling to the doorway of the bathroom. 

He slicked back the top of his hair with some water, before tossing on his hat and turning to you.

“Does it look alright?” He watched as you tilted your head at him, a grin playing slowly over your lips. 

“You’re just missing that blonde streak.” You pouted, letting your finger glide down your cheek as if there were tears coming down. 

He shook his head at you, failing to conceal his laughter as he switched the bathroom lights off. 

“Come on, you gotta kick Woods’ ass.” He chorused, holding you gently by the shoulders, guiding you backwards out the door as you giggled excessively without letting up. 

The New Day stayed in an en suite, a few floors above where you and Seth were. Xavier had already texted you the room number and shot you another one, letting you know you could come up early. A quick elevator ride, and you both were already there. 

You knocked firmly, hearing some rustling and talking before the door opened up. 

“Hey—oh!” Xavier paused, staring surprised, when he realized you weren’t alone. 

Seth could tell he was holding back some slick comments, watching as his friend quickly regained his composure before you could notice anything odd about his demeanor.

“Come in you guys,” He said, stepping aside letting you walk in first, before smirking and widening his eyes towards Seth when he came in behind you.

“Knock it off.” Seth muttered, causing Xavier to chuckle quietly to himself and shut the door closed.

You looked around the room, which was a little more spacious than Seth’s, allowing them more room for the makeshift set up. It was impressive how they managed to make it look so put together, but you couldn’t be too surprised seeing as though they started with empty arena rooms that they brought to life themselves. 

“You likey?” Kofi sing-songed, crossing his arms over his chest with a prideful smile. 

“A lot. This is so fancy.” You said excitedly.

Big E flexed his muscles, nodding towards the camera that was set up on the tripod.

“Part time wrestlers and part time production crew.” He winked, making you laugh.

“I gotta get you guys on my crew.” You claimed, opening your arms with a smile to give him and Kofi a hug. 

Xavier instructed you to take a seat in one of the chairs, checking the camera to make sure it was focused and everything was in frame. He handed you a wireless mic to attach onto your dress so that he could capture crisp audio while you both gamed, and then he went on to prep the Nintendo controllers. 

You brushed some of your hair behind your shoulders, getting ready for the camera to roll. 

“I don’t have any strawberries in my teeth, right?” You asked, running your tongue over your teeth before smiling wide. 

Seth stepped forward, leaning in to get a good look before laughing and holding up a thumbs up. “All good.”

Big E was in charge of making sure the camera was still rolling, while Kofi got to ‘referee’ the game and Seth…he was there for moral support. 

“Welcome to UpUpDownDown and today is a very special episode, because we are joined by the one and only princess of WWE.” Xavier gestured over to you with his arms in the air as the guys hooted in the background, making you giggle.

“Hi!” You waved, smiling at the camera as Xavier introduced you to the channel.

As the two of you picked your characters and modified your karts, Xavier asked you a few basic questions just so that the viewers could get to know a little bit about you before he got to the more exciting questions. 

Seth sat behind the camera wearing an unwavering smile as he shot you encouraging looks when you would look past the camera lens from time to time, but he was sure you didn’t need it. You were a complete natural in front of the camera, and especially now that you weren’t live playing a character it gave you the chance to be you. 

Then the race was on: you found it only fitting to pick Princess Peach and Xavier choose Yoshi. The track was selected by you after you won a game of rock, paper, scissors. Despite the two of you being laser focused on the race, you both managed to keep up the conversation as you went. 

“So, growing up with Triple H as your dad, were there any intimidation tactics he used?” He wondered, cursing sharply under his breath when you hit him with a turtle shell to get into the lead.

“On me?” You suspected with a snort, shaking your head, “Never. I don’t think he ever wanted to come off as intimidating, at least not with my sisters and I.”

“Fair, fair, but what about dating? Bullies and stuff like that?” He added curiously.

You sucked in a deep breath mostly because your kart slid off the track.

“You know, I didn’t have many boyfriends, but the few I did have were pretty scared of my dad. They didn’t last very long with me because of it.” You confessed.

“Really, now?” He replied, surprised.

You nodded, attempting to catch up to him, “Yeah, I don’t know many people who would be crazy enough to date me knowing who my dad is.”

“I do.” Kofi hooted from behind the camera, prompting the boys’ eyes to shift towards Seth.

The room went quiet for a second, as Seth stared at all of them sharply, before Kofi continued.

“Probably a lot of people who are watching this video right now.”

You were too immersed in the game to notice what was happening. Celebrating to yourself when you managed to use your mushroom to speed up and pass Xavier who was too busy trying to hold in his laughter along with the boys who were cracking up behind the camera. 

Suddenly, a ringing started to echo, prompting the boys to look around while you and Xavier kept your focus on the game. 

“Who’s phone is that?!” Xavier screeched.

“Boss Lady.” Seth replied, looking at your screen that laid on the side table lighting up with an incoming phone call from Eddie.

“Pause!” you shrieked anxiously, not wanting to lose your place, and Xavier hit the button on his controller. 

You got up, retrieving the phone from where Seth held it out to you.

“I’ll be back,” you spoke, quickly slipping out of the room for some privacy. 

“Excuse us while we take a quick intermission. My opponent had to take a very important phone call,” Xavier cleared his throat, gesturing everyone to come into the frame with him. 

“If you guys were wondering who’s we have here with us today, it’s none other than the current UpUpDownDown madden champion Seth Freakin’ Rollins, and of course my buddies, E and Kof,”

Seth took a seat in your vacant chair, waving towards the camera with a smirk.

“It’s a very exclusive fan club when it comes to the princess of WWE,” Kofi joked to the audience.

Big E, glanced over at Seth with raised eyebrows, “I don’t know. Do you qualify as a fan of hers?”

Seth puffed out a breath of air, getting into character as he grumbled.

“After what she said to me last week? Man, I’m here to watch her lose, but it turns out Woods’ isn’t as good as the princess after all.” He sucked in sharply, causing them to holler.

You paced the hotel hallway, hearing the clamor coming from inside the room in one ear as the other had your phone pressed up against it while Eddie apologized excessively. He had just woken up to your many messages and missed calls from the night prior and he was panicking, thinking you were still stranded in the last town.  

“Eddie, I’m fine. I told you it’s not your fault,” you assured him with a light laugh. “I caught a ride with Seth and we got here just a little after midnight.”

Suddenly he withdrew his relentless apologies and the worry in his voice shifted to surprise.

“Wait—just you and Seth?”

You rolled your eyes, envisioning the look on his face, “Yeah, just me and Seth. Roman ended up riding with his cousins and Naomi.”

“I’ll save my interrogation questions for when we see each other in person.”

“Oh god no,” You shook your head not wanting him to make a big deal out of nothing. 

“I’ll let you go, but I’ll forward you all the flight information after I get it done.” He assured you, knowing there was only a day before you’d be on the road again.

“Wait,” you interrupted before he could hang up, “Maybe hold off on that,” your voice a little wavering as you bit down on your lip. 

“Why?”

“I uh, I can ask Seth if I can tag along with him for the rest of the week. I kinda like being on the road instead of all the flights.” You explained, trying not to sound too excited despite the fact that you really enjoyed traveling with Seth–even if you weren’t awake for most of it. 

“Hmm okay sure,” He said a little teasing, making your cheeks heat up, “just let me know by tonight okay?”

You could tell he wanted to ask more. To get into the nitty-gritty details of what possibly you and Seth could be doing other than talking that could be so fun for you. But he held off, knowing he’d see you on Monday and you’d catch him up then. 

“Okay, thanks, Eddie.” You ended the call and headed back inside.

“And she’s back,” Xavier clapped, seeing you walk in, closing the door softly behind you.

“Back to kick your ass,” you joked, shooing Seth out of your seat.

The boys “oh’d” as Seth held his hands up, rising out of the chair. He brushed his palm over the seat cushion for you, as if you were royalty, before extending his arm out for you to take so you could sit down with poise. 

“Get out of here, Rollins, before she kicks your ass,” Xavier hooted, wagging a finger in the air.

You picked up your controller, handing off your phone to Seth as you nudged him away.

“Next episode it’s gonna be you versus me.” You declared, narrowing your eyes at him as he pointed at you ready for the challenged.

“Oh, you’re on Boss Lady.” He gloated, peeking his head around towards the camera as he stuck up his fist, before retreating behind it once more. 

The video continued on for another half hour, finishing up each track as Xavier asked you more questions. You talked a little bit about your passion for writing and storytelling, and delved a little more into what life was like growing up surrounded by the business. 

You ended up placing #1, jumping out of your seat as you shouted and celebrated. Kofi and E joined in, slinging their arms over your shoulders as the three of you hopped in excitement. Seth, standing behind the camera, grinned and discreetly held out his arm for a high-five, careful not to let it get caught on film.

As Xavier closed off the video and you waved goodbye to the viewers, telling them to stay tuned for more to come in the future. You stuck around a little longer, Xavier telling you about how long editing would take before it would be finally uploaded.

“Ready to go?” Seth asked, casually looking over at you.

“Yeah, sure,” you nodded, turning to give each of the guys a hug. “I had so much fun! Thanks for having me.”

“I’ll text you the link when I get it uploaded!” Xavier told you and you nodded, giving him a thumbs up.

Seth exchanged handshakes with the guys. “Catch guys all later.”

“Stay out of trouble you two,” Kofi warned, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the both of you stroll towards the door.

You and Seth looked back and waved it off with a smile, heading out of their suite not realizing that they were beginning to notice just about how close you two were getting outside of work.

Strolling down the hallway, Seth pushed the button down for the elevator before turning towards you. 

“Important plans for the day?” 

You shook your head, sighing, “Actually no. I was just planning on wasting my day away in my hotel room.” 

Really, you did plan on just checking into your actual room, and spend the day watching whatever was on the hotel channels and ordering an absurd amount of room service. 

“We can’t have that.” Seth frowned as he shook his head disappointingly. 

You looked over at him, intrigued. “What do you have in mind?”

The elevator doors opened, and you both stepped in. 

“We could drive around the city? Sightsee? Maybe do some shopping?” He wiggled his brows, knowing you couldn’t waste a day like this on just staying in.

You bit down on your lip, smiling. “That sounds a lot more productive than what I had in mind.”

“Are you up for it?” 

“Yeah, why not.”

You two headed back up to your his room, so you could grab your purse.

“Should I change my shoes?” You asked, walking through the door he held open for you.

He took a look at the kitten heels you had on.

“Nah, I think you’re fine. I’m not taking you to trek through mountains, don’t worry.” He joked, shutting the door behind him, and going to sit at the end of the bed as he waited around for you.

“Ha ha ha,” you grabbed a smaller, more casual purse out of your suitcase and transferred the necessities into it. 

“I’m so excited. I always wanted to explore Chicago.” You bubbled, looking up at him where he sat and watched you.

“Lucky for you, I’m your guy,” He bragged, gesturing to himself. 

“Where are we heading first?” You finally stood up, pulling your purse over your shoulder, nodding to him that you were ready to go.

He followed your lead, patting his pockets to make sure he had his phone, wallet, and room key. “It’s a surprise, but just in case, do you get seasick?” 

“Nope.” you shook your head.

He grinned, “Great come on, we need better coffee.”

You sat in the passenger seat as Seth drove a little deeper into the city that way you guys could stroll through town instead of worrying about finding parking at every stop. Luckily for you both, Seth found a decently priced parking garage, leaving the car there. 

You walked side by side on the pavement, Seth showing you to one of his favorite coffee spots in town that also had a lot of personality to it. It was a horror themed coffee cafe called The Brewed. You got excited when he told you about it on the walk there, pleased to not only get better quality coffee into your system but see an out of the ordinary shop that wasn’t the typical rustic theme. 

“Welcome!” a friendly voice said from behind the counter, exchanging a smile with you and Seth as the bell chimed when you entered.

The floors were black and white, checkerboard style with lilac painted walls that were covered with horror movie posters. The shelves were also decked out with various VHS tapes of said films and other collectables. It really was the most eccentric coffee shop you had ever been in, and Seth, who had been many times before, found himself more intrigued by the way you took everything in.

He talked over the menu with you, deciphering what you’d like based on your taste. You didn’t like your coffee overly sweet, but then again you also didn’t like it as bitter as Seth did. Once you decided what you wanted, you ordered, quickly followed by Seth who then tapped his credit card against the reader before you could protest.

“I told you I would return the favor.” He reminded you, sliding his wallet into his pocket while you grinned faintly and walked off to the side, checking out the rest of the shop while you waited. 

“You’re lucky I have bad reflexes.” You retorted, scanning the display cases full of horror memorabilia. 

He choked out a laugh, joining you. “Your reflexes aren’t bad. I just couldn’t let you pay again.” 

You couldn’t disagree with him, even if you wanted to. Seth was a gentleman inside and out, and he’d be damned if he didn’t go out of his way to repay you or make you feel as safe as he did. There was that selflessness about him that you appreciated and was beginning to become accustom to.

Soon your order was called, and you retrieved your drinks before taking a seat at the empty table in the back of the shop. He encouraged you to snap a few pictures before you dug in, making you giggle at how he let the camera eat before himself, but in his words ‘coffee is an exception’ and you couldn’t object there.

“How would you rate this one?” Seth proposed, sipping his drink slowly and keeping his eyes on you for a reaction.

You swished the iced cold drink around your mouth, smacking your lips together for extra effect causing Seth to chuckle. 

“I would say, a good eight and a half out of ten,” You nodded, taking another sip through the straw, “It’s way better than catering coffee and hotel coffee combined.”

Seth agreed, breaking off a piece of the oatmeal cookie he got for the two of you to share, chucking it into his mouth. 

“Hate to toot my own horn, but my cafe is gonna blow your socks off.” He dusted his fingers off, sitting back comfortably.

“Do you know when we’ll be in Iowa?” You rose your brow, going to break off a piece of your own. 

“I think right after Connecticut. It’s gonna be back-to-back hometowns for us.” He pointed out, making you smile.

The mere thought of being home again in just a few short weeks was something you were looking forward to, but even more so getting to see the place where Seth grew up and his coffee shop that he took a lot of pride in. It was something that you noticed about him—the pride that he carried surrounding everything he did, from wrestling to sticking to his roots. You liked that about him, that he carried it not so much with ego, but like an extension of himself, wearing on his shoulder so freely.

You rubbed your lips together, crossing your legs under the table.

“I unfortunately do not own a coffee shop, but there’s this dive bar near my apartment and I think you’ll like it.” You proposed, hoping he’d be up for it.

He nodded without any hesitancy interested in your favorite spots in your hometown too.

“So it’s a deal. I’ll take you to 392 Davenport and you’ll take me to…”

“Spigots.” You clarified.

You hadn’t been to Spigots in a while, mostly because of your lack of reason to be there. You were, however, there a lot back in your college days, which weren’t all that long ago. The drinks were fairly cheap, not that it mattered, but it often felt lonely especially when your friends and couples alike would flood the place, and leave you wallowing in the corner, nursing a watered down drink. But you this time you wouldn’t be alone. Seth, your friend, would be joining you, and that would make it all worth it.

“I’m not much of a drinker, but I’m down for one good beer on a special occasion.” Seth revealed. 

“Bad hangovers?” You suspected, and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Hangovers are always crap, but I just was never was a big drinker, even when I was a teen and was supposed to like underage drinking.” He shook his head at himself, smiling at the memories of trying different drinks and spitting them out as his stupid friends made fun of him for it. 

“But there was this one time, I was forced to get shitfaced.” He added.

“Forced?” You repeated half confused and concerned, “By who?” 

“Some veteran guys when me and the boys came up to the main roster. They didn’t like us too much because we were young and taking up TV time, so we had to prove why we should’ve been hanging with the big dogs.” He said casually, as if it was no big deal. 

You, on the other hand, looked rather disturbed, sitting up a little straighter in your seat, and leaning towards him. 

“You should’ve told them to eff off, they’re so fragile in their masculinity.” You scoffed, rolling your eyes. 

For a moment, you were angry, an emotion Seth never saw on you, which sorta surprised him in a way—a good way, nonetheless. But he realized it was more of your protective nature coming out, even if it had been years since the incident took place. You just cared so much that you didn’t fathom the time that had passed, but stayed focus on the feelings he must have had experienced and how you wished he didn’t need to go through that just to fit in.

But back then, Seth didn’t know any better, and the last thing he or his friends needed was to be the rookie targets in the locker room and become potentially buried during matches when they didn’t want to put them over.

“And get our rookie asses kicked?” Seth rebutted lightly, causing you to sputter out a laugh realizing that’s exactly what would’ve happened. 

You had heard about it, the ‘culture’ of the locker room back in the day. It was notorious for petty drama and even pettier reasons one would decide to leave the company. Perhaps it changed now that your dad was in charge, but you knew somewhere deep down that had it not been for your dad taking over, you wouldn’t have stepped foot anywhere near the company, and even if you did, that environment would have probably taken everything from you before you got to work with Seth.

Thankfully, time ran its course, and you had gotten so much more than you could have ever imagined…someone more, too.

“There’s a picture out there somewhere.” Seth waved off, hating how permanent the internet was, coming across the photo on his feed now and then. 

You held your chin up on your fist, staring at him coolly, “Well, I’m glad you and your liver are alright.”

“Yeah, hopefully I make it out of Spigots alive.” He rubbed his stomach, shooting you a pointed look.

“Oh stop it, of course you will. I won’t leave without you and your liver intact.” You promised with a smile, watching as he looked pleased, sipping his drink. 

After coffee, you and Seth strolled the streets, venturing through the different shops that ran up and down the avenue. There were a few stores the two of you had decided to walk into, doing some light window shopping and mostly snapping pictures of the unique things the city had to offer. 

Somehow you two ended up walking further out of the main area where the shops were, heading down a back street where one side stood with houses and the other a large brick building. It appeared abandoned, until you and Seth crossed over, getting a closer look at the little sign posted up on the door. 

“Beyond Grandma’s House.” You read aloud, puzzled as to what it could be. 

Seth stopped for a moment, cupping his hands over his forehead as he squinted through the tinted glass windows.

“It’s an antique shop.”

“Oh!” you squealed, reaching for his arm and tugging him along. “Come on!”

He followed your lead into the store, which was more like a warehouse,d considering how much space there was to offer. It really didn’t have any set decor or theme. The donated items spoke for themselves and made the place come alive. It felt like walking into your grandmother’s basement that had absolutely anything and everything you could ever need. 

“This is my heaven.” You buzzed, dropping his arm, and looking around the place that was filled with all things vintage. 

An older lady towards the back of the store smiled warmly, greeting you both as you walked around the different sections attempting to take everything in. 

“It’s pretty neat…and very dusty.” Seth picked up a photo album from one of the antique wooden tables, which half acted as shelves.

You stood next to him while he flipped through the tattered pages. Photo upon photo was exposed with no traces of whom it could belong to—just a nameless book that held so many memories, yet was at an antique shop being sold. You weren’t going to lie; it was decently priced for strangers’ photographs, but there was that feeling inside you that felt a little wrecked inside for the owners of the book.

“I always wonder how these things end up here. How could someone ever let these memories go?” You murmured wistfully, shaking your head at the continuous photos that came with every flipped page.

Seth passed, peering toward you with a frown that understood where you were coming from, “Probably just no family alive to claim it.” He answered.

“I hope someone finds it someday.” You added, nodding him along as he flipped through the rest of the pages where each picture told a story of its own.

“Awww, this one is so cute.” You pointed to a specific photo on the page, smiling at the scene.

It was a couple standing in the driveway looking snazzy as ever beside a vintage chevy.  

“Prom. 1958.” Seth made out the muddled words written in the corner. 

“Let me get a picture.” You pulled out your phone, instructing Seth to hold the album still so you could get a good shot. 

It seemed as though the photo album was a collective time capsule for the couple in the pictures. Every little memory, such as the purchase of their first home and the welcoming of their children was captured and sealed behind the plastic sheets of the book. It didn’t feel right to take home and make yours no matter how vintage and special it was–you’d hope that some way a stranger would stumble in and return it back to someone, perhaps a great-grandchild who would appreciate the memories of their grandparents. 

Eventually, Seth placed the book down, encouraging you to explore the other things the store had to offer. With little to no room in your luggage, you decided to skip over the clothing section not wanting to tempt yourself, so instead you went over to the knick knacks.

You were like a kid in a candy store, and it was an endearing sight to see. Excitedly, you picked up little trinkets, inspecting them closely before pointing out all the details he would have never thought to pay any mind to until you spoke it. The real gold trim on vintage dinner plates, intricate cross stitch patterns slowly fading away in color, and the hidden inscribed initials underneath decorative pots.

He was sure you could spend hours running around the place, talking about every single thing, and he’d listen to every word you had to say. You were talkative when it came to things you were passionate about, just like any other person would be, but Seth found your version to be his favorite. Whether it was vintage items or your writing, he loved hearing you talk about things you cared deeply about. He didn’t know why, he just did. 

“Look,” He spotted a section of the store you hadn’t been to yet, pointing to the coat rack used to display vintage cameras. 

“No way!” You gasped, making a beeline towards it, as Seth smiled and trailed behind to catch up before you were already picking up one of them to see. 

He watched you, carefully sifting through the different types, inspecting the machinery to make sure they weren’t damaged before squinting as you looked through the blurry viewfinder. 

“You gotta buy one.” Seth crossed his arms over his chest, staring right back at you through the cloudy lens with a smile on his face. 

You lowered the camera, looking at him apprehensively before picking up a different model that had a floral neck strap attached to it.

“You think so?”

He made a sound, nodding his head. “It’s your first time in Chicago and you’ve been wanting one for a while now. It’s the perfect way to commemorate it, if you ask me.” 

You did the same thing to the camera, wiping the lens with the fabric of your dress and making sure there was no damage before letting your shoulders fall. 

“Okay, I’m convinced.” You grinned, settling on the one in your hands. 

You two looked around for a couple more minutes before finally going up to the cash register located at the back of the store. The same older woman who greeted you was there, tidying up behind the counter before she assisted you. 

She kindly offered to check out the item herself, wanting to make sure nothing was broken before you purchased it and you happily obliged, letting her wipe down the camera with a clean cloth and check the components. 

“How did this place get its name?” You marveled, looking around at the area.

“My grandchildren, funnily enough.” The lady replied warmly with a small laugh. 

“No kidding?” Seth spoke, intrigued. 

She nodded full of pride, wearing a smile.

“I was a bit of a hoarder back in my day, and my grandchildren told me I oughta have better luck selling things and making some profit, so I said why not? My husband and I opened this store up and I get to collect these beautiful things, but watch them get another life somewhere else.”  

“That’s so sweet,” you said softly, placing a hand over your heart. 

“I’m a very lucky gal, and you are too, because this camera is in pristine condition.” She revealed as you squealed and clapped your hands together. 

“Awesome! You don’t happen to sell any film here either, do you?” You asked, not getting your hopes up too much since it was just an antique shop. 

But to your surprise she nodded, walking a short distance to a set of drawers she pulled open. “We sure do. I can get it loaded up for you if you want?” She offered. 

You nodded thankfully. “That’d be perfect, and could you show me how?” 

She let you come around the counter, instructing you on how to properly load the camera up and get the most out of your film. 

Seth leaned against the counter, watching as you followed her instructions carefully, nodding along as she pointed out all the different parts of the camera and how they worked. 

“How long does it usually take to get the pictures developed?” He piped in.

The woman looked up, tilting her head from side to side as she pursed her lips, “It depends on the store, but usually for this kind of film it’s two weeks. Are you guys from here?” She asked, probably about to suggest a local photo lab nearby. 

“No.” You both replied, shaking your head. 

Seth gestured to himself, keeping up the conversation as you loaded in the film roll. 

“I’ve visited a few times before, but it’s her first time.” He pointed out. 

“Well, you have to make sure the pretty lady sees all the prettiest spots in town.” The lady winked, placing a warm hand over his on the counter, as you were busy away trying not to mess up.

Seth nodded assuringly, patting her hand. “Oh, I intend to, don’t worry.”

You blushed hard from your spot behind the counter, fingers nimbly shutting the door of the film compartment, trying to seem as if you didn’t hear what Seth said. You walked back around, standing next to him as you paid and stayed a little while for small talk with the woman before saying your goodbyes. 

She hoped you both would come by again sometime soon to catch up, and you both promised her you would the second you’d be back in town. 

“You love birds, take care.” She waved, watching as you two walked on. 

Your eyes met Seth’s comically, trying not to laugh as you both didn’t bother correcting her and just returned the wave before exiting the shop. 

You moved your hair out of the way, slinging the camera around your neck as you looked around. 

You pointed to a fence covered with a slew of flowers growing over it. “Go stand over there.”

Seth stared at you puzzled, eyes skimming to the camera laying against your chest. 

“I’m your first shot?” 

You nodded with a smile, gesturing to follow you to where you wanted him to be. 

“Are you sure?” He asked again, debating on whether you wanted to use your limited film on him of all people. 

You looked over your shoulder, sighing as you nodded.

“You’re the perfect subject.” You assured him, eyes dancing over his biceps, a smirk fitting onto your lips playfully.

“I feel objectified.” He feigned stung, before smiling and situating himself where you wanted him to stand.

You took a few steps back, picking up your camera and peeking through the viewfinder to make sure he was in the frame.

“Great, now pretend I’m not even here, and appreciate the flowers.” You spoke, trying to hold back your laughter at his attempt to look as candid as possible. 

He fidgeted awkwardly with his hands, looking at the flowers as if they were his mortal enemy—so much for being an actor.

“Hey! Are you making fun of me?” He called out, finally relaxing a little, easing up on his hands and looking offside instead. 

You quickly snapped the picture, catching him in a natural state, knowing it would be the perfect shot.

“I totally wasn’t.” You replied, standing up straight and walking towards him. 

He chuckled, shaking his head, “I bet I look stupid.” 

“No, you don’t,” You poked his side.

“You look like a local Chicagoan who should be showing me around all the prettiest spots.” Staring up at him merrily, wanting to know what else he had up his sleeve for you.

“Come on,” He held his arm out for you to take, “We’re almost to the best part.” 

You smiled from ear to ear, hooking your arm in his as you let him lead the way back to the main part of the avenue where you originally started.

“Are you going to give me a hint?” You glanced over at him, pouting as he shook his head.

“Then that would totally spoil the surprise.” He said ridiculously. 

“No, it wouldn’t,” you reasoned, lightly leaning into him, “I promise I’ll still be amazed.” 

He looked at you skeptically before shaking his head. “I’m still not spoiling it for you.”

“Booo!” 

“I’ll tell you what though, it’s going to be beautiful, so try not to use up all your film beforehand.” He warned, straightening out the strap over your shoulder that was slightly twisted.

“I can do with beautiful.” You beamed, relaxing into his side.

“Soon, but we’ve got some time to spare before that.” 

You two stumbled upon an Art Alley, deciding to kill time there to check out the vivid murals and graffiti that covered the walls. You were careful with the photos you took on your new camera, deciding on three of your favorite pieces of arts you wanted to capture.

Seth took one of you posing in front of the iconic “Welcome To Chicago” sign and then you took one of him kneeling in front of the dragon mural, acting as if it was breathing fire on him. The last photo was just the art itself: two hands clinking drinks, a woman with a glass of wine and a man with a beer.

Before you knew it, Seth was leading you back to the car and patiently you sat in the passenger seat, wondering what he had planned up his sleeve.

He wasn’t kidding when he said it was going to be beautiful…it was damn near breathtaking.

Your hair rustled in the wind, a slight breeze blowing through the open waters where the boat waded through the lake at a leisurely pace. Seth made sure to get you guys a decent spot near the bow, wanting you to have the best view for your first time in Chicago and your photos.

But you were doing everything but that.

In fact, you were dead silent, eyes busy on the scene in front of you with a smile glued to your face just as you had been in the antique shop hours prior. It was cute, in a lot of ways, in the fact that you were a simple girl who didn’t need anything extravagant to be woo’d in the way you were right then and there.

Seth was sure he could’ve taken you to a mediocre bus tour and you would’ve been just as impressed, but he was glad he went the extra mile for you because you deserved it.

“You haven’t even snapped any photos yet.” Seth finally spoke up, letting his fingers skim against yours that held on tight to the railing beside his.

You tore your eyes away from the skyline, letting your shoulders fall with an awestruck expression.

“It’s just so pretty out here. I don’t want to miss a thing.” You breathed in, shaking your head in amazement.

The sun hadn’t fully set yet, but purples and pinks danced with the clouds, appearing as an ethereal backdrop to the city’s skyscrapers. You had already been over the moon happy when you realized Seth was taking you on a boat tour of the city, but nothing could have prepared you for how scenic it would be.

“It’s way different from the movies, right?” He shifted his eyes around, trying to take in the view he had seen a handful of times already instead of watching you, like he had been doing for most of the day.

You hummed, nodding. “Very. The movies make it seem so hectic, but it’s surprisingly calm.”

“Dang it, I was totally hoping to recreate Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” He groaned, snapping his fingers.

You giggled, tilting your head onto his shoulder while you laughed and shook your head at him.

“Our version was a bit more laid back, and we didn’t wreck a car…not yet at least.” You whispered, looking up toward his past your lashes where he shook his head and turned his attention to the view.

“I’m guessing this is going down as the best part of today?” He speculated.

“This and the antique store.” You added, and he hummed in agreement, happy to know you were able to experience it with the little time frame you all had there.

Slowly but surely, the sun began making its way down, setting on the horizon. You figured it was the perfect time to capture a few pictures. Noticing a woman and her husband snapping selfies together, you tapped her on the shoulder, offering to take some standing pictures of them before she offered to take some for you in exchange.

“Thanks! Could you take one on this camera and a few on my phone?” You asked, slipping off the camera around your neck, to her it along with your phone.

Walking backwards, you caught Seth sliding a few feet away, causing you to furrow your brows and shake your head.

“No, come on, get in the picture.” You insisted, gesturing to him to take his place back beside you, not wanting to leave him out.

And of course, he did so, but not without question.

“You sure you don’t want a solo shot?” He raised his brow, slinging his arms around your back comfortably.

You fixed your hair over your shoulder, smiling as you nodded.

“I wouldn’t be here without you.” You explained softly, letting yourself relax in his hold, not minding at all the lack of space between you.

It was enough assurance to make him grin, feeling your arm wrap around his side and looking towards the camera, smiling widely. The woman encouraged some silly photos, causing you two to laugh, happy to have an assortment to look back on.

She put down your phone, switching to the film camera.

“How about a kiss?” She happily suggested.

You could feel his hand stall around your waist for a brief moment, clearing his throat and stuttering out an answer that never came. He looked at you, wondering how to navigate the situation, despite clearly being able to flat out tell the lady you were just friends…but neither of you did that.

It would be too easy and for whatever reason it was you and Seth didn’t like correcting people who assumed you were a couple, apparently.

“What if I kiss your cheek?” You glanced at him, waiting for permission, hoping he wouldn’t find it weird.

It was going to open up a can of worms, and the two of you were smart enough to know it, but that kind of worrisome feeling didn’t cross either of your minds.

“Yeah, that works.” He agreed, bending his knees a tad to make it easier for you to reach the distance.

You pushed yourself up on your tip-toes, pressing your lips softly against this cheek, brushing over the stubble of his beard just ever so lightly. He smiled wider the second your lips made contact with his skin, probably looking like a lovesick idiot, but he didn’t care whatsoever.

It felt right despite the novelty of your touch. A different one compared to your fingers brushed against each other or the simple action of a hug. There was an ache in his bones, the feeling of already missing you despite still having your lips glued to his skin, knowing it wouldn’t last forever.

“Adorable.” She said from behind the camera, “Now you.” She directed, pointing for Seth to do the same.

Pulling away felt like a burn. You apologized and giggled all in the same breath, reaching your thumb up as you noticed your lip gloss had transferred over.

“No worries,” Seth reassured you, bending down a little more so you could clean his cheek the best you could.

“All better.” You sing-songed, giving his cheek a soft tap.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, eyes dancing over your cheek before meeting your eyes. “Can I?’

You nodded with a smile, “Yes.”

You turned away from him, giving him easy access to mirror your actions, hoping to god he couldn’t feel your skin burning beneath his touch.

His lips came down a little firmer than yours did, arms pulling you closer into him, so much so that he took you off your feet for a brief second. The action alone made your heart skip a beat, uncontrollable giggles exiting your mouth as you closed your eyes and felt like you were floating.

It was too good to be true, and you realized that the second he pulled away and left you falling back down like it was nothing. You snapped out of it, shaking your head and keeping the smile plastered onto your face despite wanting to tell him to make it happen–to make it real already.

“Thank you so much!” You bubbled appreciatively, allowing her to hand you back your things.

“You’re welcome. Enjoy Chicago!” She gave you both a warm smile, her husband waving to you both, as they returned to their spot on the boat as the tour began to finish up.

“I have to get these developed as soon as I get home.” You said, draping the camera back around your neck, biting back all the things you really wanted to say to him.

“Send me a copy will you?” He proposed, letting his arms stay slung over your shoulders.

“Mhm,” you hummed, grabbing hold of his wrist gingerly, “And I swear, the internet won’t see this one.”

“I appreciate it.”

The car ride back to the hotel took a little longer than expected with peak hour traffic happening, but it wasn’t anything your voices could fill. There was laughter and aweing as you scrolled through the photos on your phone and Seth was already planning the next adventures you two would take when you were back in the city.

But like all good things, it had to end.

When you arrived back at the hotel, you finally got checked in, retrieving your room key from the same front-desk attendant who had checked Seth in the night before. She still wore that confused look when he stood beside you, waiting patiently as you smiled sweetly, thanking her.

Seth brought you up to his room so that you could retrieve your things, yet he didn’t want you to leave. He watched from the foot of the bed as you packed your belongings up, wondering if he should speak up to make you stay.

It was wrong to even think about making you stay in a way that would end up with you finding out he felt more than just friendship for you. You had spent so much time together that, of course the feelings would develop eventually, but he just didn’t think it would ever come down to this.

He had spent so much time preaching to his friends that you two were just friends. That you were the forbidden fruit he could never even think about having despite not giving a shit about the rules. If him saying something were to ruin everything, then it would’ve been his biggest regret, and he couldn’t ruin this…not you.

“Okay, I’m pretty sure I got everything.” You huffed, breaking him out of his thoughts as you zipped your suitcase shut and stood it upright.

He blinked quickly, rising from where he sat. “Did you want me to walk you up?”

‘Way to go for not being clingy,’ Seth mentally cursed himself.

You were on the 22nd floor, a suite and a few minute elevator ride up from where he was staying. It wouldn’t have been much of a hassle for him, but he had already done so much for you—the least you could do was get yourself up to your room without his help, even if it was just to steal a few more moments with him. That could wait.

Plus, the last thing you needed was to become too attached to him, but that ship had already sailed. You knew it.

“I think I’m okay.” you shook your head, walking towards the door, glancing over your shoulder where he was trailing behind. “But thank you.”

He nodded understandingly, not wanting to insist though he really wanted to. You stopped, not leaving just yet as you stood there face to face with him.

“And thank you again for today. I had so much fun.” You smiled affectionately, eyes meeting his and holding him there with you.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, shoulders shrugging lightly, “I’m glad I got to take you around. It was fun being your tour guide.”

“Maybe we can do it again sometime?” You suggested hopefully, hating how gummy you were getting inside.

“Yeah, for sure. It’d be fun.”

You suddenly remembered your promise to Eddie about the travel arrangements. You should’ve ended it there, saying your goodbye to Seth and heading back to your hotel room to tell Eddie to book your flights for the remainder of the week. You needed to put space between you and him, or else you’d end up with a dilemma on your hands.

But you didn’t.

“Oh, and before I go, I just wanted to ask you something, and don’t feel pressured into saying yes, alright?” You bit down on your lip, cautioning him.

“Hit me.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Is it okay if I travel with you for the rest of the week? I just really like being on the road as opposed to always flying, and I figured I travel with you because Roman is with his cousins, but you can totally tell me if you don’t–”

“Woah, slow down,” He cut you off, bringing his hands up to grasp your arms gently, “Of course you can travel with me. Remember, I said you’d be my best road partner?”

You were fucked.

You took a deep breath nodding with a relieved look. “Thank you, again.”

He nodded, letting his arms fall from your skin. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He didn’t want to wait until tomorrow.

“Yeah,” You agreed without thinking twice, “Tomorrow.” you promised, taking a deep breath as you went for the door, letting yourself out.

He shut the door as you walked away towards the elevators, cursing under his breath as he tossed his hat off and closed his eyes tightly. There was no reason at all for him to even think about opening his mouth and messing it all up–it was for the better. He’d just have to swallow his feelings, bury them deep inside, and hope it would die.

He couldn’t have you.

The doors slid open, revealing Kofi, Big, E, and Xavier on the other side.

“Hey,” you greeted, thanking them with a nod as they made space for you.

“Are you going up?” Big E questioned, wondering why you had your bags on a random floor.

“Yeah, 22 please.” You nodded, noticing the confused looks on their faces, “I–I um, got the wrong floor by accident.” You lied, hoping they wouldn’t suspect anything else.

Thankfully they just nodded, Kofi clicking the button for you, as the ride up was filled with comfortable silence until it stopped on your floor. Seriously, you didn’t need to lie, but you figured it would save both yours and Seth’s ass if they hadn’t known you stayed with him last night. Roman and practically his entire family already knew, and the last thing you wanted was for it to get out of proportion.

Finally, the lift stopped on your floor, and you waved goodnight to them, heading to find your room to get settled for the night. Switching on the lights, you locked the door behind you, setting your things down and digging for your cell phone, only to find it dead upon a click.

“Fuck me,” you cursed, going through your purse to find your charger.

Seth had been pacing his room for a good two minutes, the kind of anxiousness that hadn’t loomed over him in so long that he forgot how to act for a moment. That is until he noticed the white cord hanging off the bedside table where he plugged your phone the night prior.

He shouldn’t have done…he knew that if he went up to your room, he’d crack open the can of worms and ruin it all by saying something stupid.

Fuck it.

He plucked it out of the outlet, not caring to check if you had left anything else as he exited his room and headed straight for the elevator. His foot tapped against the carpeted floors, pushing the button incessantly, until it finally opened.

“Oh..hey.” He cleared his throat, noticing his three buddies.

Xavier groaned, pointing down, “Dude this thing is going down, please tell me you’re going down.” He sighed, their second attempt at going down to the lobby being halted.

“Sorry. It’ll be quick I swear,” Seth apologized, fingers pressing the 22nd button, catching all of their attention.

“Wait, where are you going?” Big E raised his brow suspiciously.

Seth shrugged, lifting the charger up to show them, “Roman left his charger with me. He let me borrow it earlier at the gym, but I forgot to return it.”

He turned away, facing the doors tapping his foot impatiently while the three friends exchanged skeptical glances. But before they could question him, the door suddenly opened, and he was out of there like air.

Walking down the halls, he recalled your room number. 2205

“Twenty two, twenty-two, twenty–finally.” He stopped, taking a deep breath in front of your door.

His first came down firmly, knocking three times.

You furrowed your brows, looking where the sound was coming from as you were on the ground, sifting through your luggage still trying to find the cord. Crossing the distance towards the door, you looked through the peephole, surprised at who was standing on the other side.

Your heart felt like it was racing out of your chest, hitting the pavement and opening the door wide before you could even fathom what you expected was going to come out of his mouth.

“Seth–”

“You forgot this,” He blurted, sticking his hand out between your bodies, holding out the item for you to take.

“Oh…” You spoke half surprised, hesitating for a moment before taking it, “T-thanks, my phone literally just died.” You laughed awkwardly, cursing yourself for how weird you were being.

He scratched his neck, nodding along. “Yeah, I uh, just found it and figured a dead phone would really be the last thing you needed to deal with.”

“Lucky me.” You replied, causing you both to laugh, but with a kind of restraint that felt painfully awkward.

He was hesitating, borderline regretting even making his way up there to you because of how pitiful he must have looked.

“I should probably go…” He started.

“Yeah…wait no, I didn’t mean it like that.” You backpedaled embarrassingly, shaking your head with widening eyes, “I just meant like, you’re probably tired so you should go get some rest.”

“No, I know what you meant.” He laughed, reassuring you, the anxiety slowly leaving his bones.

You breathed out a weak laugh, thankful he wasn’t misinterpreting you though you wished he was in front of you for a different reason other than a stupid forgotten charger.

“I’ll uh, let you go now,” you spoke softly, tapping your fingers on the door.

“Yeah, okay,” He nodded, giving you a small smile before turning on his heel.

You frowned, a heavy sigh leaving your lips as you went to close the door, hating yourself for thinking anything more was going to happen. He was just a friend, and that’s all he could ever be to you.

He had only walked a short distance before his footsteps stalled, fists clenching and unclenching wondering if he should do it.

“Damnit,” His voice called out, loud enough for you to hear before the door shut fully, “Hold on.”

You pushed against it, sticking your head out as you watched him march back towards you. The look on your face held restraint and you could feel it–the same kind you had twisting in your stomach.

“I like you okay? I know it’s wrong and screw me if I’m messing this crap up, but I had to say it or else it’s going to eat me alive–”

The charger slipped out of your hands, thudding to the ground. Your fingertips reached out and clutched his face gently, bringing him closer to you. Inches left between you turned into nothing when your lips crashed onto his, moving desperately so whilst he caught up with you, hands grasping around your frame.

It was needy, heavy, and delicate wrapped up in one feeling. A kiss that starved off whatever gut wrenching conflict you had stirring inside you. You didn’t know who needed it more, you or Seth, but in the ways in which you two were kissing each other like your lives depended on it, you’d assume it was equally necessary.

You were all-consuming, stealing his breath away, until for his own sake he had to pull away, catching his breath as he rested his forehead against yours, not daring to strip himself from you completely.

“I think you can tell I feel the same.” You panted, searching his eyes that burned through you.

“Yeah,” He nodded, lips brushing against yours and he spoke, “Yeah, I’m about positive now.”

You bit down on your lip, shrugging your shoulders behind you. “How about coming inside?”

“A thousand percent positive about that.” He said without skipping a beat, connecting your lips once again as you threaded your arms around his neck, letting him walk you backwards into the room and kicking the door shut.

The elevator doors opened, finally stopping at the lobby level where the three men were headed out to grab some food for the night. Surprisingly enough, there stood Dean and Roman, waiting for a ride.

“Sup,” Roman and Dean greeted them with a handshake before entering the elevator as the other three exited.

“You weren’t just in your room?” Kofi rose his brow towards Roman who shook his head.

“Nah, we just got back from dinner,” He replied looking over at Dean who lifted a bag of takeout he got for Renee.

“Why?” Dean questioned suspiciously.

Xavier stuck his hand in the doorway, preventing it from closing. “You staying on the 22nd floor?”

Roman shook his head. “No, I’m on the fifteenth.”

“And what about you?” Xavier spoke, looking at Dean wondering if Seth confused him for Roman.

“I’m on the tenth. What the hell is going on?” He asked, beginning to hate the mystery around whatever it was they were talking about.

“Oh shit,” the three said in unison, eyes going wide as they slapped each other on the arm and chest.

Roman grunted, “What? Come on, man, spit it out.”

No words were spoken, as the three men just looked at them. Their eyes holding that same knowing look which could only mean one thing.

“Oh, shit.”

💌 reblogs, tags, comments, + likes are greatly appreciated! leave a comment and let me know if want to be added to my taglist!! 💌

a/n: holy shit...yeah...holy shit! it took me forever to try to come up with the perfect kiss scene because i know it couldn't be *simple* thank you for sticking around if you made it this far and i can't wait for you to read next chapter <3

taglist: @ellesmythe @wonderharryy @southerngirl41 @eringobragh420

[greenesmyfavcolor]

I got to see Wicked Part 1 yesterday so here’s a little review of it! Spoilers for the movie and Wicked in general if you have not seen it yet! (which YOU SHOULD)

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before on here but I’m actually a super big fan of Wicked (I mean, who isn’t though, right?) I first got into it when I was around 12 and since then, I’ve seen bootlegs of it tens of hundreds of times, collected all sorts of things such as shirts, cds, posters, pins, books (yes I even read that book lol), and I even had the privilege of seeing it on Broadway a couple years back. It also got me into Kristin Chenoweth who I actually got to see in concert too! (No disrespect to the other queen ofc)

So basically, I went into this movie ready to be real critical if need be since Wicked holds a special place in my heart and I didn’t want anything in this to be a downgrade from the stage musical.

That being said, Wicked Part 1 was one of the best movie musicals I’ve ever seen. I loved, loved, LOVED LITERALLY everything about it!!! Everything from the songs, to the acting, choreography, set design, cinematography, you name it, it was PERFECT.

The one thing I was really worried about going into it was the pacing since the movie is two and a half hours long compared to Act 1 of the stage show which is only about an hour. But honestly, nothing felt dragged out and there were no unnecessary scenes added to bloat things. Everything went at a completely natural pace, definitely slower compared to the stage show but it made sense and it’s definitely not the first movie musical adaptation to do this. Because it was at a slower pace, it made the characters and scenes feel more fleshed out compared to the stage musical which was great to see.

The music was also on POINT. I had no doubts that Cynthia and Ariana were going to be anything less than amazing, and of course they didn’t disappoint. But there’s been so many movie musicals lately that just straight up don’t have good music in them? Like, the one thing you’re supposed to get right, they can’t even get that right. It’s definitely gotten better over the past couple years but most of them still aren’t as good as they could be. And as someone who’s lived and breathed the original Broadway cast album for years, I can see myself choosing to listen to the movie’s soundtrack over the Broadway’s any day. Some parts just scratch my brain better so to speak than they do in the original like “dear Galinda you are just too good how do you stand it I don't think I could” in What Is this Feeling? or “who's the mage whose major itinerary is making all Oz merrier” in One Short Day. Now I’m probably still gonna end up listening to the Broadway version the majority of the time, mainly out of nostalgia, but the movie’s is 100% on par with the original’s, no questions asked. The ensemble especially just blew me away with how clear and distinct everyone sounded, particularly during No One Mourns the Wicked and One Short Day. As they should though! We’ve become too sensitized to movie musicals today having muted and flavorless or just straight up bad voices in them that it was so refreshing to hear actual good, strong singing voices in a musical.

One big criticism I’ve heard most people having with the movie though is that the lighting is too bright and that the colors are faded and bland. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve gotten used to just about every live action movie nowadays looking like this but it really didn’t bother me when I watched it. Obviously, I would have preferred for the colors to pop more like they do in the 1939 Wizard of Oz. And the thing is, there is one moment where the colors do pop during the end of Popular and it looks SO good and like the whole movie should have been like that. But personally, it doesn’t hender my experience as much as it does with other people to the point where I can easily just ignore it.

Moving on, let me tell you, I cried so many times throughout the whole thing it’s not even funny. Now, I cry nearly every time I watch Wicked but it’s impressive that it was able to let me capture the EXACT same feelings I have when I watch a slime tutorial of it, or heck, even when I watched it on freaking Broadway itself. One notable scene was during No One Mourns the Wicked where before, I never truly took into account of how hurt Glinda must feel to try and hide all the pain and regret she’s feeling on the inside in front of everyone. But seeing the anguish on her face when she had to light the statue of Elphaba on fire SENT ME. It’s not something you can really pick up on a stage fifty feet away from you so seeing all the emotions on her face up close really choked me up. Another time was when Elphaba and Glinda dance together. Seeing Elphaba cry (which were real tears by Cynthia btw) for being truly accepted for the first time in her life really moved me like no other time I’ve watched that scene as, like I��ve said before, you can’t see the nuance of their faces on a far away stage. And of course, Defying Gravity had me bawling like a baby. It always does, but like I said before, it was able to capture the same feeling I had as when I saw it live on stage, it was incredible.

Also, I was totally NOT expecting Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth to appear the way they did! I knew they were going to make some sort of cameo, it was inevitable, but I thought they were just going to have a couple of lines to say or something. But NOPE! They straight up have their own new part to sing during One Short Day that COMPLETELY caught me off guard. I legit almost screamed in the theater 🤣 But yeah, that moment was really special and made me smile cause I could see just how much not only they enjoyed being there with all the little homages they made, but how much you could tell the other actors just absolutely adored being around them. And even if you went into this not knowing who they were beforehand (which how could you), you could tell that they were supposed to be a big deal based on their presence alone and Cynthia and Ariana’s chemistry with them.

So to conclude this long, drawn out review that I’d be impressed if anyone actually read all the way through, I think it’s of perfect of an adaptation as it could have been and it will definitely go down as being one of the best movie musicals of all time. Obviously if you’ve seen just a glimpse of me, you’d know that I already have an all time favorite, and that’s not changing anytime soon, but I’d be lying if I said Wicked didn’t come scarily close to topping it (not too close tho lol). I’m literally so shocked at how good this adaptation ended up being. I fear this is going to be my new personality for the next few months as it’s definitely reignited my love for Wicked again 😭

I absolutely cannot wait for Part 2 to come out next year so in the meantime, I will happily be rewatching Part 1 over and over again until then as it is THE definitive version of Wicked to watch now 💚🩷

[thelureking]

LILIUM'S 2024 GAME LIST:

Welcome, one and all! To the moment you have all not been waiting for: The list I do to remember what games I played and when! As before: This is not a ranking, the games are in order of when I played/finished them. Sometimes I don't have much to say, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it! Sometimes words dont come as easily with some games than with others. Sometimes, even talking about them risks spoilers!

(And it also goes without saying that recommendations are more than welcome)

This year I finally got to use my old Xbox 360 again, so you may see some console games besides the good old steam and ichio indie ones.

Now that the introduction is out of the way! Lets begin!

1) NieR (GESTALT)

 Yes, that's a fishing mini game as the gameplay screenshot. This is the only screenshot that didn't have spoilers, or wasn't from Replicant. I couldn't get a screenshot from my own playthrough. I have failed all of you. 

 Before Automata took over the world, there was Gestalt. Or Replicant, if you were Japanese and had a PS3. In the version I was able to play, you play as a man trying to find a cure for his daughter's illness, all while inhabiting a world under the constant threat of Shades.

 I have not yet looked at all the supplementary material that came out with the Replicant Remake, and I do not know how this game fits into its series, since I can't play Automata and I know nothing about it, so I’ve judged it and interacted with it through its own merits, and everything that was presented in the game itself.

 Gameplay wise, I don't think this game is anything special. If you’ve played an action game or a hack and slash, you know what you are getting into. The rest of the game? The spectacle? Breathtaking. Soundtrack? Amazing. The story…

 Man, the story. What can I even say about it that isn't a spoiler? Well, I can say this much: It is good. Yeah, that's it. I do not want to describe it more, I will not talk about the themes it has and how well executed they are. I will not, because I do not want the story to be spoiled for anyone. It is good, more than good even. 

 Characters, however, I will talk a small amount: Kainé and Emil are my favourites, I love them. I already miss them and by the time of writing this, I beat the game yesterday. Nier (what I chose to name the protagonist) is my favourite caveman of all time, and I never got tired of his banter with Weiss as I dragged him along to do any side quest that appeared in front of me, much to his chagrin.

 I almost lost my mind playing the last half of the game (you may know what I mean if you played it. Lets just say I did three certain things all back to back. On the same day. Yeah I don't know why either). I have never felt more like Sisyphus in my entire life, and I am now concerned for who I was twenty four hours ago as of writing this. 

 Don't be like me, please game responsibly. 

2) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

 Listen. I actually beat this game twice. Once on the PS2 when I was like twelve. The other when I was sixteen on the Xbox 360. 

 And now, I’ve beaten it again. “Why, then?” you ask, “Why put it in this list if you’ve already beaten it not once, not twice, but now three times?” Because, my dear poor soul that has chosen to read this list: My Xbox chose to betray me in the most brutal way possible: It ate my save file. That's right: not corrupted, not deleted. ATE. Because such cruelty is not that of an object, but of a beast that breathes and thinks treacherous thoughts.

 So, seeing that show of disrespect, I did what any person of sound mind would have done, and did the entirety of the Career mode. All in one sitting. It hurts to type. 

 And that's why this game is in this list, even if by logic of replays, Bayonetta should be here at least twice in this list, and three times between the other two. Because of WHY I had to replay it. 

(Please game responsibly, I said as this is the next entry. The hypocrisy of it all!)

3) Halo Reach

Listen, I am not a Halo fan. The only Halo game I've played before this one was 3, and I don't think it counts since I played it all in one sitting with my cousin, and we were so sleep deprived it took us a literal hour trying to find the exit of a map. We had to google it. I don't even remember what the game was about. And aside of games, the only contact with anything Halo related I've ever had is Red vs Blue and Guard Duty. So yeah, I hope that makes it clear where I stood when I started playing the game.

I do not have much experience with shooters, at least not any that arent Bioshock, so I cant really say anything about the gameplay that stood out to me. Story wise, I already knew what the game was about and how it ended, that was basically the reason why I even chose to play it in the first place, but knowing how the story would develop didn't take away from the emotional impact of those moments. I think it was a good game, with a good story. I think my main complain is that there were no subtitles, which I found really weird, so I had to have the volume all the way up to be able to listen to anything anyone was saying while the entire chaos was going on. And also, Kat, I love you, but I struggle to understand your accent at times. I am so sorry queen.

4) Contrition

"As a priest, it’s your job to listen to your parishioners’ darkest secrets and absolve their guilt. But when a sinister stranger comes to the confessional one Halloween night, you realize it’s your soul on the line." That is whats stated in the game's description, and I honestly couldn't put it in any other way.

The atmosphere is intense, the build up of tension with every single sentence, every dialogue exchanged between the protagonist and this unknown figure cloaked in anonymity and darkness. It is a fantastic experience, and it accomplished everything it set up to do in such a small amount of time.

5) FNAF: Into The Pit

Listen, I've been into FNAF since the first game came out, I've been in this hellhole long enough to know and remember every theory, every change, and every book release and how they were received. This game is the best adaptation of Into The Pit we could have gotten. And it's good.

This game is about Oswald, a kid that after being left in a pizzeria by his father, chooses to hide inside a decommissioned ball pit, through which he will travel in time to the year 1985, to a location named "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza". You play through five days and nights, constantly shifting between the past and the present, in an effort to save yourself and others. All while avoiding the dangerous creature that followed you home.

I was afraid that the gameplay loop of going back and forth between the present and the past was going to get tiresome, but I am glad to say that it didn't. I think its mostly because you aren't in the present for long, so you don't get a long sense of safety because sooner rather than later you are going back into the pit. And the night sections were perfect in ramping up the tension, having to break out of your own house while trying to escape the thing that took your father's place, and you can never use the same escape plan twice.

The sprite work is some of the best I've ever seen. The level of detail, the fluidity of the animations, both in character sprites and cut-scenes, they are all amazingly done. But what stood out to me the most was the sound design: I need to look at the credits again, because whoever was in charge deserves to be praised from here to eternity. The sounds of ragged breaths and outright animalistic groans coming from the Creature will forever be ingrained in my head! I love it! It really drove home that this thing was not human. Mega Cat Studios really outdid themselves. This was supposed to be a short cartridge game! I'm really glad they went ham with the concept and were able to develop it to this degree.

7) A Date With Death

Well hello there, you handsome reaper. This VN is about the Grim Reaper struggling to claim your soul, and so you both make a bet that if he doesn't manage to do so by the end of the week, you'll claim his soul and keep living. It is your job on these seven days to tease and fluster this man like you are getting paid by the hour. Honestly, the man is after your soul, might as well take his heart!

The dynamic between us the player and the Reaper is really funny, and honestly there are so many moments I could talk about, but I'll let the game speak for itself in that regard if it raises any interest. The writing is gold, the presentation is extremely good, and honestly, I can't wait for that sweet DLC.

UPDATE: I have played the DLC. I need to be put down like a dog.

8) These Heavenly Bodies

On an excavation site, three angel statues are found, and when they are scanned it is revealed that they have preserved bodies within them. The church has decided to investigate further, and you are the priest they assigned this task to.

This is a short yet effective one. The sound design and low resolution visuals affect the atmosphere and tension in a way that I love a lot. Every day that passed, every small change in the hallway leading to the lab, every second scanning those Angel's innards, I could feel a tension inside myself growing, and growing. It really gave the feeling that you were studying something you shouldn't, that that flesh and bone and nerves inside the marble was never supposed to be seen.

Or maybe, it was waiting for one of you to find them. Maybe it was all according to plan.

9) Dialtown: Phone Dating Simulator

Hi, hello there! Have you ever thought that you needed more characters with objects for heads in your life? Me too! Introducing: Dialtown, a phone dating simulator in which you, a green goblin who refuses to integrate into society, needs to find a bachelor/bachelorette to invite to the funfair and experience the most important event of Valentine's Day: laying eggs in a damp, dark hole! Who said romance is dead, huh?

For those who don't know, I love the visuals of putting objects in place of people's heads. I loved it in Clash: Robot Detective, and I loved it here too.

Besides feeling like crack concentrated in the best way possible, the writing is amazing. I absolutely love how you can be giving your narrator an aneurysm about the most absurd of topics, and then have the most moving scene in the entire route. And it doesn't leave me feeling with tonal whiplash! At least of the bad kind! If that makes any sense.

But for real, the writing is phenomenal, and I cant complement it enough. The tone is as balanced at it is erratic, and yet the more heartfelt moments do not feel out of place. I cannot understand how this was done, but I can recognize a talented hand when I see one. Good job, sir Dog! You have mastered an art form that many people *think* they can do, and they fail miserably.

I will also praise the amount of flavour text in the game, the amount of dialogue choices that may not be mandatory to progress the story, but that are there to flesh out the world or just be plain funny. That is something I will always love when its implemented.

I did not manage to get the DLC, but I cant wait to be able to buy it sometime in the future, hopefully.

10) Slay The Princess

You have been tasked to slay the princess, to protect the world from her. You need to slay her, or else.

Now. This is the type of game I love. The ones that cannot exist outside their medium. The ones that look at you dead in the eye and make you feel uncomfortably seen, holding your hand and tearing into your heart as you tear into them. At least, that's how it felt to me.

I don't know how much to talk about it. The game never hides what its going for, and it becomes clear extremely early on, but even so I don't want to spoil people who may want to go into this game completely blind like I managed to do.

What I will say is that there are A LOT of variations for different scenarios, so many I only gave up when I saw how many there were. It is insane. This is a game I would love to gut open and see how it works, it takes so many things into account its unreal. The programming on this must have been such an interesting thing to do.

I actually didn't know the pristine cut was coming out, and I literally found out a month before its release date. But even that wasn't able to take away any enjoyment I felt. Its also something that already happened to me before, when I played Disco Elysium before the Final Cut came out. A real two nickles situation.

Overall, this game is an experience that will grab you and wont let you go even after you finish it. It is intriguing, and captivating. But above all, it is a love story. Never forget that.

11) 3D Workers Island

Made by the creator of Petscop, this simple game tells the story of a screen protector, and how the internet interacts with it. The narrative constructed around this program is filled with thematic elements seen in Tony Domenico's previous works, blurring the line between fiction and reality constantly, to the point where one might struggle to see where one ends and the other begins.

Definitely worth the time, and a second reading too. You may see things you didn't notice before. And watch it all unfold again. That is all you can do.

12) Dead Space (2008)

Man, Issac really became important on his job and it ruined his entire life.

Dead Space is a survival horror game about Issac Clarke, an engineer who suffers from becoming important on his job once he boards the USG Ishimura and finds the crew dead, is split from his coworkers, and twisted abominations crawl through the halls and vents of this sarcophagus, where he'll fight to survive and escape.

I was afraid that the dismembering mechanic was going to be too hard to get used to, but honestly it was the least of my concerns because I was too busy trying to NOT have a heart attack constantly, something this game felt like it set up to do. I did notice once I reached the shooting range minigame that I got way too used to shooting the limbs, so I don't think I should play any other shooter after this one. I might as well just go to the second one straight away before the muscle memory fades. Also, the Plasma Cutter is my best friend of all time and the only weapon I've ever needed in my life.

The USG Ishimura as a setting is unforgettable, and it never had a moment of pure silence, constantly filled with the sound of machinery mixed with the shuffle of the enemies crawling through it. The game did a really good job at communicating how big the ship was, and loved seeing the traces of the people that lived and died there, and not only their corpses, but the recordings, their notes, who was clearly in the known of what was happening and who wasn't, how these conflicts led to their downfall.

The necromorphs are nightmare inducing in design alone, but the way they behave in game is another layer of horror. Their sound design, their movements, hell the way they sometimes blend in with corpses on the floor to get the jump at you! Or when they suddenly pop up from the vents! Or even how they suddenly showed up in the hub areas that I thought were supposed to be safe but apparently not! Because every time I came back to them there was ONE TIME EACH where one of those fuckers was just waiting to attack. I never knew if it was a chance encounter, or a programmed event, but at some point every time I went back to those areas I would be paranoid, because maybe THIS time the enemy would pop up. It did a good job at never letting me feel safe. And don't even get me STARTED on that enemy that refuses to die and I refuse to learn its name out of spite. I thought it was a one chapter thing! But it popped up again once at the end and I honestly think that if I wasn't filled with adrenaline, I would have started sobbing. Literally when it finally died I just had to take a ten minute break because of how hard I was shaking. 10/10, I loved it.

On another note, the level design was outstanding every single time. The spectacle and scale is insane! Every time I was amazed and how bigger each level got in terms of spectacle, but it never sacrificed its horror and suspense, something that I appreciated a lot. Like, you are telling me I get to walk on that asteroid and go to the OUTSIDE of the ship? I think it also helped to make me understand just how massive the ship itself was.

I liked seeing the story unfold, finding out what happened to the crew but most importantly why, and how that develops and affects Issac's struggle for survival. I don't want to say much, and honestly I am STILL processing it, and cant wait to play the second game and seeing how the story continues.

13) Threshold (DEMO)

By the time this list is posted, this game will already be available for purchase. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to play it before then, so the demo is getting included. It is short, but it managed to establish the tone of its setting incredibly well, finishing with a cliffhanger that promises so much more. And I, for one, cant wait to find out where the story will take me.

I am curious of the country based difficulty, and how my country will rank. (I hope its not too hard... oh god, its going to be hard, isn't it?)

14) Mouthwashing

Tragedy struck the Tulpar, and now that is has been crashed into an asteroid, it's crew is trapped inside it with each other, a shipment of mouthwash, and a captain incapable of even providing an answer to a simple question: Why?

Man, what can I say about this game that hasn't been said a thousand times at this point. If you are able to, go through this game blind. Hell, even if you spoil yourself some aspects of the story, you are not ready for the full picture. I sure as hell wasn't.

The artistry in this game is amazing, and even tho I was already familiar with Wrong Organ's previous game, I am happy to see them making a more narrative "clear" project (I do not know how to express this sentiment with other words. If you've played How Fish Is Made, you may understand. Or not). Even if the story takes its own version of obscuring itself, it is incredibly effective.

The amazing cinematography of the scenes, the story unfolding in a non-linear way that is organized in such a way that some questions you didn't know you could have get answered in just the right moment. And the way that it was all always there, you just didn't know where to look. But you'll know they are there on your second playthrough, but that wont change the fact that that's all you can do: look.

(It sure feels like a constant of this year's games, huh)

Just. This is such a good game, I love it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you may have noticed, that there is no number 6 entry in the above list. Now, this isn't because I suddenly forgot how to count. No. It is because a beast has its claws on my very soul and refuses to let go, no matter how long I've battled it while writing and edition this post.

And that beast is cringe.

So that's why number six is getting added this far down.

Because I am a coward, and ashamed.

So, with that out of the way: Abandon cringe all ye who enter here

6) Swooning Over Stans

First off: The shame I feel is mine and mine alone, because this visual novel was really good. I am the problem.

I love Gravity Falls. I watched it ten years ago, and I can recognize that it awoke three beasts within me: the beast that loves decoding and analyzing and that it shall never be satisfied, the beast that loves doomed sibling relationships, and the beast that loves old men.

Then the Book of Bill came out, and well, all of those beasts awoke at once. And then this VN fed one specific beast. And man, what a meal it was.

This visual novel had everything I wanted. It was funny, and all jokes aside, both routes are really well written. The people behind it had a good grasp on the characters and what makes them so appealing, staying true to their characterization while putting them in this new context.

Also its Alex Hirsch approved, so, what more do you need?

If you made it this far and are interested in more games I've played, you can check out the 2022 and 2023 lists!

[iero]

hiiiiiiii! i'm one of the multifandom blogs that follow you and i see mcr all over my dash now and was wondering if you have any song recs for them? if there is anyone i can ask to not be rude and be like you don't listen to mcr it's you lmao. not an mcr fan currently but maybe i can become one ofc!

Hi anon! This message made me smile. They've been one of my favorites since middle school, so we're going on, like, 15-16 years at this point over here. I won't be rude about it. I completely understand and I'd love to help you!

Now, it depends on what kind of sound you're going for? Their first album called I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love has a kind of post-hardcore, punk sound. Their second, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (and my personal fave album of theirs) has that same kind of sound, but more polished? Their three album, The Black Parade, is arguably their most popular, but it's a fantastic concept album with a more alternative rock sound? Their fourth album, Danger Days, is definitely more, like, dance-punk, pop rock sound and still has fans divided to this very day! Then there is Conventional Weapons a set of singles they dropped before their break-up in 2013 and that one also carries kind of an alternative rock sound as well! I'll share some songs from each album!

Bullets:

Personal faves: Demolition Lovers, This is the Best Day Ever, Early Sunsets Over Monroeville

Most known songs off of this album: Vampires Will Never You, Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us

Revenge:

Personal faves: You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison, Thank You for the Venom, I Never Told You What I Do for a Living

Most known songs: Helena, I'm Not Okay, The Ghost of You

The Black Parade:

Personal faves: This is How I Disappear, Mama, Disenchanted

Most known songs: Welcome to the Black Parade, Famous Last Words, Teenagers

Danger Days:

Personal faves: Vampire Money, Planetary, Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back

Most known songs: Na Na Na, SING, The Kids From Yesterday

Conventional Weapons:

Personal faves: Surrender the Night, Kiss the Ring, The Light Behind Your Eyes

Most known songs: Boy Division, The World is Ugly, Burn Bright

Non-album songs I recommend:

The Foundations of Decay (6 minute prog rock banger that they surprise released about two years ago!)

Desert Song (Originally, supposed to be an unreleased track, this was a song put on the tail end of one of their live albums. Very sad song, but it showcases Gerard Way's vocal abilities in my opinion!)

Kill All Your Friends (This is a Black Parade B-side, one of three!)

Desolation Row (Bob Dylan cover they did for the Watchmen soundtrack! Highly recommend watching the music video for this one.)

Zero Percent (Danger Days B-side! Definitely gives out that dance-punk energy.)

All the Angels (Live demo of an unreleased track, during the Black Parade days.)

I think that's about all I got anon! Let me know what you think and happy listening! :)

[halfling-myth-lady]

Luka for your miraculous rewrite pls 🫶

I gotchu

Chapter 4:a deal for a butterfly.

Warning:this series is told in achronogical order. The placement of THIS ficlet is around early season three.

Luka fiddled with his guitar.

The past month had been…eventful, to say the least. It had been a month since the Miracle queen disaster, one week since the appearance of new heroes, and a few days since his sister had been hiding things from him.

It all started four days ago, when Juleka came home at near midnight grinning like a madwoman without explanation. When their mother pried, she just said that she went on a date with Rose.

The next day, he checked on her but saw that her room was empty. Minutes later, Juleka came out of the room once again grinning.

Yesterday she was talking to someone in her room. Someone who Luka did not recognize.

Another thing was her melody.

Before hawkmoth, it was sincere. Kinda of like listening to classical music like Clair de lune or Für Elise. It changed after Reflecta, becoming… sharper, only increasing in sharpness until right now, where it felt like listening to classical rock

The change in tune happened to her classmates, too.

The tempo of both the Bourgeois sisters became sloppier, constantly losing. Chloe’s tune being faster and Zoe’s slower.

Adrien added even more sharpness to the already sharp alternative rock with some more classic added to it.

The Artist boy(Nate?) went from a melancholy tune to what Luka could only describe as an unfocused and unholy mixture of broadway, volcaloid, and the Kirby soundtrack on steroids that seemed to change cadence every ten seconds.

Alix turned from punk rock to a more Zelda-esk song that kept the same elements.

And Marinette…her music turned to a melancholy melody, tempo sometimes abruptly stopping and starting back again at random pace and similarly getting faster every few minutes.

It seemed as if recently something broke amongst most of the class. Whether that was something that sprung out of nowhere or building up for some time… Luka couldn’t tell.

“Luka!”Juleka called, as if on cue”I need to show you something!”

He set his guitar down, making his way to his sister’s room, seeing her sitting in her bed,holding something in her hands.

She stood up, locking the door behind him.

“What is it?”he asked.

“… Listen, Luka, promise me that whatever happens in this room never leaves it, alright?”

He narrowed his eyes”…why?”

She glanced at the green object in her hands(a bracelet, Luka could tell) until she held it out for him”put it on.”

He did as told, seeing as a green light started emanating from the bracelet as a small figure formed.

Once the light vanished, he saw a small creature which resembled a snake in front of him, with a green body and yellow eyes.

Luka paled, taking a slight step back at the creature gave him a wide eyed stare.

“Sso thisss isss the one you have chosssen for me?”it tilted its head, getting closer to him.

“He’s my brother, and probably the person I’d trust the most for this.”she replied.

“…Juleka?”he said.

His sister sighed, looking at her bag”Roaar, come out”

From the pouch came a red creature resembling the one in front of him.

“seems like you’ve chosen the snakelet to adorn you,Cub”it mused.

“Ssshut it, Roaar” the snake said”the only reason I agreed to thisss wasss becaussse I hadn’t taken up a holder in a while”

“Yeah, whatever”

“Roaar, Sass, please”Juleka said, before turning“Ignore their bickering”

“What are they?”he asked.

“Us? We’re Kwami! Or gods, to you”the red one -Roaar- replied.

“Oh pleassse, we are much more”the snake-Sass- replied”we are cosssmic deitiesss, given physssical form by those jewelsss and here to give boons to thossse we favor”

“Boons?”

Juleka rolled her eyes”they’re the things that give the superheroes their powers”

“How did you…?”

“I found Roaar at a yard sale, I don’t know how that vendor got it, but the moment I put on this”she pointed at a panjas bracelet on her left hand”a bright burst of light appeared and that’s how I met Roaar!”

Roaar chuckled”and after an offer she couldn’t refuse-“

“-She agreed to help me find more jewels so that I can give you and Rose powers too!”

“Wait… an offer?”

“Heh, nothing much”Roaar said”just the power to kill a butterfly”

“To kill a butterfly…?”

“Well,”Juleka replied”a human shaped butterfly with a terrible fashion sense”

“…The power to kill hawkmoth?”

“Yep! with me Cub has the power to punt that purple bastard to death, quite easily I might add”Roaar chuckled”a single punch and boom, dead as flower in winter”

Luka didn’t quite know how to respond to that.

“Though we will need help”Juleka added”which is how Sass comes into this”

“Hello there”the snake said”I might asss well introduce myssself properly. You may addresss me asss Sass, the kwami of precognition. I bring the ability which Mortalsss have taken to calling “second chance””

“Second chance?”

“Yesss, once per transssformacion you sssay thossse wordsss and sssuddenly a timer will ssset for ten minutesss, in which you will create a time loop that you can ressstart until you make the right choicesss to get the desired outcome”

“-which in this case is Hawkmoth getting punted to death”Roaar said.

“…are there any side effects?”Luka asked.

“Of courssse not!unlike other Kwami, sssuch asss…Fluff, I do not take any toll on you. In fact, over time you will only gain more abilitiesss, even if they are sssmall.”Sass replied”and all you need to accesss them is to say “Sass, Scales slither”

He looked over the bracelet on his wrist,noticing how it had changed into a soft silver color. He glanced over to Juleka, who only smiled as if egging him on.

“…Sass, scales slither”

In an instant, green light engulfed him, only fading until a few seconds after.

Once Luka regained his senses, he was dressed differently. His once blue highlights turned the same aqua green as the rest of the suit, minus the yellow highlights which adorned the suit but were mostly covered by the dark hood that obscured most of him before curling to the shape of a snake’s tail at the bottom.on his hip, attached to his belt, laid a Garrotte wire which Luka assumed to be his weapon.

“Sweet!”Juleka said”now we just need to find one more miraculous for Rose and we’ll be ready!”

She then sprinted out of the room, melody still a classical rock.

…

‘Are they gone?’

Luka jumped.

‘normally I wouldn’t pull a Ziggy like thisss but I prefer our conversationsss private’ the voice of Sass rang in his mind.

“What?”

‘It’sss another thing usss Kwami can do, however it’sss quite a hasssle to contact our holder while transssformes ssso mossst choossse to ssstay quiet’

“So you can talk to me like this…”

‘Yesss, though it’sss usssually ressserved for private mattersss, sssuch asss thisss’

“What is it that you can’t tell me out loud?”

‘It’sss about another Kwami, Nooroo isss hisss name’ Sass said ‘I will tell you one thing, Luka Couffaine, I do not care what your sister doesss to that Hawkmoth, the only thing I want to do isss make sure Nooroo isss sssafe.’

“Why are those related…?”

‘Becaussse Nooroo isss Hawkmoth’s Kwami.’

“And you want me to get him back?”

‘Of courssse. It’sss a deal on you and your sister’s part. You get to kill Hawkmoth, I get to see that Nooroo isss doing well, and Roaar getsss… well I sssuppose the Violence isss enough to keep her sssatisfied’

“What you’re saying is that the only reason that you’re helping us is because you want Nooroo?”

‘You’re sssmart for a Mortal. You were the right choice, after all. Also, in cassse you though of double crosssing usss. I mussst tell you that we are beingsss beyond comprehensssion. You are mortal. You will die.’

“Good to note.”

[theskee]

today (day BEFORE yesterday as of posting, i started this but... uh. didn't finish it.) i ventured out to the local used book store to see if they carried calendars.

you see, my child just started school as of yesterday, today was their first full day of kindergarten and they are in the process of being evaluated for either a 504 Plan or an IEP and it's been stressful. i have been in fight or flight mode for i dunno. nine months now. the process of all of this was a nightmare but now i'm finally across what feels like the real starting line.

i had to get a lot of help from my friends to get through this whole situation and today... i decided to do something good for myself and try and reclaim the independence i gave up the last nearly six years when i decided to become a full time stay at home parent.

i have experienced so many interesting and life affirming things recently, from reconnecting with one of my dearest friends, to being corrected by the school social worker when i met him-- i said 'i don't work' and he emphatically and encouragingly said "outside the home" offering more value and credit than i am ever prone to offering myself.

today... was special.

i went in while my child was at school and perused the CD section to bring home some new fun soundtracks for the kiddo and then an employee approached me. he's an older gentleman, maybe early sixties or late fifties, a little stiff at first, but he asked if i needed any help.

i asked if they sold any calendars, and he said no but he thought they might still have some free ones hanging around and found one for me. it was very kind and i was like 'well thank you, just the CDs then.'

he saw one of my choices was the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack (my kiddo likes some country and is really into soundtracks right now and i personally love the soundtrack, it always reminds me of my late father, who was a big fan of the movie and had a massive crush on Clooney) and commented on how much he thought he didn't like country music until he started listening to older country.

myself, being from KY originally, and raised on good ol' bluegrass and a healthy dose of pro union, working-man's country, completely understand the distinction between the popularized modern country music we are most likely to hear, and and what came before that informed some of it. we got to talking about that, and the next thing i know we're talking about the importance of buying local, how much supporting small businesses is, and how hard it can be for a small business to compete with the likes of bezosmart.

i mentioned my favorite author, Jason Pargin, who encouraged his readers to buy from their local bookstores first and foremost and then i said as a writer, i hope to advocate that way if i can ever get published. this-- sparked a conversation in which he joyfully told me that he was finally getting a couple books he'd written published, one traditionally and one self published.

I congratulated him and expressed that I hope to do the same, that I've been writing since I was 12, told him about my long history with fanfiction, how I love writing but haven't managed to get myself to finish anything original in that time. And he gave me this look... it was so fond and kind.

He said, with just... reverence in his voice. "You've been writing since you were 12? You're a writer."

And I gotta say this man did more to heal my soul with that one statement than all my years of therapy.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 21/12/2023

Lifelike Waterway

Season 4 Episode 1 Featured on: FIRST STRIKE ~ SiIvaGunner: King for Another Day Tournament Original Soundtrack VOL. 1

Ripped by l4ureleye

Every since the year the King for Another Day tournament came to a close, the Christmas season has always brought back memories of it. It was such a huge event, and only really happened to land around the Christmas season due to delays in production, yet it all felt so befitting - the kind of comforting, communal feel of the holidays just fit a tournament of this ilk so well. And while yesterday, with 11 Minutes of City Pop, I wrote about the tournament's beloved silver medalist, today we're going lower down in the ranks - to a combatant many thought went out before he could've shown his true potential.

To say that Cave Story means a lot to me would be an understatement - I alluded to it earlier this month with Whip Fortress, but its a game whose aesthetics and music have stuck with me and thousands of people all over the world for so many years. We all knew Quote would have bangers in the tournament, yet by the time he was up to bat, he'd barely had any arrangements up on the channel to truly show his stuff. That's not to mention the fact that his source list even included other early-2000s indie games, yet...before that could be taken advantage of, the voting was settled and he was out for the count. When his catalogue of arrangements started to finally be rolled out, there was an era of...sorrow, in their comment sections. And Lifelike Waterway was no exception to that - to me back then, it was the moment that it truly sunk in that Quote was down and out.

The dour circumstances of the rip were not something that the team could've ever planned around - the arrangements were obviously made far in advance before the voting actually happened. Yet as also happened with Geno and DEARLY BELOVED..., his loss added a magical form of ambience to the music, a secret spice to turn a chill arrangement into a full-on tribute in his memory. I've talked at length about l4ureleye's ripping prowess on the blog before with rips like Hopes and Divinity+ and SICKO TALE - she has an unparalleled ability to create entire worlds and galaxies in your mind, out of nothing but her sound. From the mashups to the remixes, she's uncontested in the art of lo-fi, music that sounds relaxing yet simultaneously gives off the feeling of venturing into an endlessly-deep cavern. With KFAD, she was able to flex her powers to absurd levels, and if you've been listening along you may already know what I mean.

The original Lifelike Waterway already marked one of the most intense emotional points of Cave Story, yet Lifelike Waterway is able to spin that melody, that soothing yet haunting tune into something else entirely. Its far from a faithful arrangement, yet the new atmosphere it creates is just so...gripping. Its hard to put into words the emotions it makes me feel, yet its palpably a blend of the feelings I still have from Cave Story, and the feelings from Quote's fallout in the tournament - yet, the arrangement doesn't fill me with sadness, either. Its more like...the feeling of taking long, deep breaths. The feeling that everything's going to be okay.

...Look, it's difficult to find many specifics to comment on with an arrangement that's as thorough and all-encompassing as this. All of this is really just to say, that Quote's part played in the tournament really highlighted just how emotionally attached many of us have become to this silly little music project, how SiIvaGunner has brought new emotional meaning to characters they didn't even create - and, most of all, that l4ureleye is a genius.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2023-10-09

Somehow bionicle is in this one

Listening: I looked at the date on my oven yesterday and it was 08-10 and I was like hey isn't that Bionicle Day. The answer is no, because it's Americans and Bionicle Day was the tenth of August. Anyway turns out that this year some fans got the original voice of Vakama to do a tribute video? And also Cryoshell dropped a new song.

Cryoshell is one of the funniest bands I know. They had little success until they got contracted in by an ad agency to do music for Bionicle, they did Creeping in My Soul for the Voya Nui arc in 2007 and ended up getting contracted in basically every year after that to whip up some music for Bionicle. They remain to this day extremely closely associated with the Bionicle fandom, like, you know, releasing their latest track on Bionicle day.

They are, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, and with all the love in my heart, the Evanescence we have at home. Bionicle had just saved Lego less than a decade earlier and the media effort around Bionicle was very well designed, which included making the perfect AMV soundtrack for 13 year olds to set their stop motion Bionicle fight scenes to. Of course I don't know anything about using a webcam and extremely dubious stop motion software to produce extensive Bionicle fanvideos. What are you talking about.

I am going to leave it here but there is so much to say about Cryoshell. Seriously just go look it up. Their music is actually very good if you like that particular symphonic metal alt rock style that was so emblematic of the 2000's.

Reading: Ended up on a research dive about small towns, because I now live in a country with a lot of small towns. Attempting to do and find a comparative anatomy of how small towns are administered around the world and what drives their success or failure. There is a lot of stuff from the Trump years when he apparently made some gestures towards the idea that people should just move out of doomed towns.

As always in the USA, housing affects everything, both in that homeownership ties people to their towns and that moving to a new city requires paying often prohibitively expensive rents. There are a lot of conservative blogs taking on this question and doing some dubious interpretations of mostly good data.

I am teasing at the thread of "limits of local government in small towns" which seems to be leading somewhere but it's still not well supported. There's a lot of factors.

Watching: the Loading Ready Run 20th Anniversary Subathon is on until this Friday. Since I was mostly watching during American night I caught primarily their watchalong of old videos, which is cute but not exactly that novel. I do like LRR.

Making: More 3D printing, trying to get the hang of modelling off a photo to make a nozzle adapter for my vacuum cleaner. Also made a little stand for my temperature and humidity sensor so I can see it when I'm sitting down or standing up more easily.

Playing: Beat Breath of the Wild finally. It was so long.

The final fight was kind of anticlimactic, between the assists you get from the divine beasts and all your power-ups I feel like I didn't have to puzzle it out as much as I did for some of the blight Ganon fights. I have kind of accepted that I just don't like the endings of most video games.

I did first go around and do the Champions' Ballad DLC quest because I stumbled into it, it's a nice set of little challenges plus some vignettes of the champions to help characterize them some more. I kind of wish you could walk around the world post-endgame and like, talk to some of the people you've met and see what they have to say. Eh.

Tools and Equipment: I have been storing my butter at room temperature the past few weeks, because it makes it much easier to spread. Modern butter is both very high fat and pasteurized so it won't go off for well over a week even if you just left it out, but the main concern is rancidity, which can happen quite quickly.

My Pro Tip is that you don't have to store the whole damn block. Euro butter is 250g blocks and I cut that into four ~60g cubes that I keep in a sealed plastic container in the cupboard one at a time. Just top it up as you go. I think American sticks are like 100g so you could cut it in half. South African butter usually comes in 500g so you'd have to cut that in like eighths.

[boringbones]

Tag 9 People You Want to Know Better

Very kind of you @missy-hissy ! I think it's one of my first times in a tag like this. As someone who has never been to a 15th birthday party before, I feel lucky to be able to participate in this xD

Last Song: Not definitely the last song I listened to, but I've been frequently listening to Beyoncé's new album. It has a great beat, and I broke my record by running 5 kilometers in 23 minutes while listening to it. It's my go-to workout song from now on.  Apart from that, the soundtrack of The Sims 1 and 2 is constantly on my daily playlist.

Last Show:  I haven't finished watching it yet, but I'm definitely a fan of Marie Forleo. She has a fascinating program on YouTube, and she herself is a fascinating woman, with captivating guests. The last show I watched was this one with Seth Godin

Currently Watching: Young Sheldon. We finished watching all six seasons yesterday, my girlfriend and I. I laughed a lot, and I loved that the sixth season gave more prominence to the other members of Sheldon's family. They are as fascinating as Sheldon himself, and I can see a bit of myself in each of them. Even in Sheldon himself. Haha ( I love his grandma too! That woman is the part of me that would break any rule simply because she can and because she wants to.)

Currently Reading: The last book I read (although it's been a while since I read) was this incredible book by Marie Forleo: Everything is Figureoutable. However, a book that changed my life and the way I perceive God/Religion and connected me to real-life experiences was "Conversations with God." These authors not only inspire me daily, but here's a little-known fact: I'm also a writer, and it was through this connection that I published my book “Tomando um chá com o universo / Having Tea with the Universe - The path from non-religion to living the life of your dreams and finding happiness" In it, I share the process I underwent to rid myself of "information overload" and find a path where I no longer let myself be guided solely by the pursuit of purpose, but instead embrace the fascinating art of being alive and present each day. In other words, finding meaning and joy in all things, rather than being consumed by the constant search for "purpose," which is often more of an ideal than a reality.

A book that I recommend to all artists who are reading this: "The War of Art." Once you read this book, your creative process will never be the same. If you can't find it, any other book by Steven Pressfield should be on your reading list as soon as possible! It offers valuable insights and strategies to overcome creative blocks and resistance.

Current Obsession:  My current obsession has been finding ways to make The Sims 3 even more fascinating! I've been doing this for the past three years, mostly through visual enhancements. However, this year I started delving into tuning mods and XML, and it's fascinating how many behaviors and mechanics can be improved just by tweaking a few lines! I'm definitely enabling a series of autonomous behaviors and seeking ways to make them smarter and more methodical. My ideal for The Sims 3 is not to have full control over everything but rather to be an observer who influences certain moments in my Sims' lives. To achieve that, I need to ensure that they can do EVERYTHING possible on their own to explore their lives to the fullest. I want to guarantee surprises and unpredictability, with my presence there only to support and occasionally influence them. Apart from that, I'm also fascinated by Life By You and how I can migrate all these enhancements to it when it's released.

So I’ll tag: @math-blogging, @grandelama, @thesims1master, @microscotch, @pixelated-sim, @itssimplythesims, @simsi45, @kevinvoncrastenburg, @landgraabsims

Naturally, feel free to ignore if you don’t fancy doing this and above all, have a terrific day!

[beautyofsorrow]

🎶✨🎢!!

🎶Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

not usually! sometimes i will turn on a george winston album (plains or summer or autumn, depending on the time of year), but lyrics distract the hell out of me. if my neighbors are being noisy (...all the time these days...) i will turn on rainymood to help drown out the tv/music/screaming

notable past exceptions have been "burning house" by cam which i looped the entire time i wrote a certain saffianna fic (and now cannot listen to OR read because of it) and "sweet but psycho" by ava max which has been an earworm since april 2022 and the soundtrack to like every saffi fic i wrote between 2x07 and 2x10 airing. for some reason i was able to write with those on

usually i just loop a song obsessively before/after i write tho. like yesterday when i looped "another kind of love" by amy grant for 5 hours and pretended not to see the religious parts so it coded as aro. or "tokyo sunrise" by LP which was the soundtrack to plotting the saffianna fic that ends origin stories. or that time i looped "soolaimon" by neil diamond while writing [fic i cannot remember because i write too much]. (update: i triangulated using ao3 and my youtube history and it's most likely "call me maybe") (no i did not loop that song while writing that fic but yes i have looped that song in the past) (it's catchy)

however. i think the song i have looped the most often aside from "sweet but psycho" is this ava max/avril lavigne mashup. tremendously good earworm. 257billion out of 10

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

u put so much thought into your titles and epigraphs. absolutely wild how they add five more layers to an already deeply layered fic. gonna be thinking about this for the next 5-10 business years <- things i have said aloud to myself while obsessively rereading a certain l'una fic

also your character voices are Impeccable <- thing i have been thinking A LOT because i have finally unlocked the secret to una chin-riley and i'm starting to get there with chapel and la'an

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

it's the AU. we have not even begun to get to the wild parts, but anything that takes tamsyn muir as inspiration is going to be balls to the wall buck wild. unfortunately for you all it mostly lives in my head. but i can say with confidence none of you are ready. except maybe zanna bc they get my unhinged notes in DMs all the time

writing-wise i think that time i revised/expanded my seven/jay fic and typed a combined total of 23k in 1 week was. a lot. there was also the time i decided to write smut for the first time and i decided to do it at work and people kept coming into my cubicle to chat and i had to pretend i didn't have 1000 words of naked women on my screen. don't write smut at work, kids. it's not worth the stress

fanfic writer emoji ask

[beangods]

1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 20

aaaaaaaa thank uuuuuuuuuuu

the ask game

1. my favorite song right now

I Am Machine- Three Days Grace

mfw i left this for last bc i straight up havent been listening to music that much but this is the last song i heard before losing my earbuds last wednesday. i got a new pair after failing to find them but these ones really dont fit my ears as good :/ anyway yeah i AM machine rn

2. favorite song of all time

Lootin' in London- RDGLDGRN

literally so so hard to choose but i gotta come back to this one. i remember the first time i heard it like it was yesterday (on late sunday night radio) and they were the local opener for the last ever dc101 chili cookoff (concert hosted by local rock radio station; has not occurred since 2013 sadly; would have killed to go to it) SO imagine my surprise when i found that ppl all over the world have heard it as the soundtrack to some random racing game. afaik the band is pursuing separate acts now but IF I COULD i would get them on the soundtrack of the next tmnt movie STAT. anyway yeah i have other favorites but this is one that came to mind

4. song from my favorite album

Trouble- The Butchies

another toughie BUT there are no bad songs on this album i swear to god so i GUESS it's my (current) favorite.

8. song that my parents like

Caress Me Down- Sublime

i have very little data on music that both my parents like (they are divorced; dad likes blues and mom likes white 90s hip hop and stoner rock) but i remember a distinct abundance of reggae rock in my childhood, at least some of which is still on my dad's million-year-old ipod. and this song specifically i remember them dancing to it when i was maybe seven

12. song from the 90s

Detachable Penis- King Missile

"song" is a strong word to use here, but it is definitely From The Nineties and also quite literally a description of my life as a trans man. this hasn't happened to me yet, but i know that it will, and if it doesn't i definitely know somebody to whom this has happened or will happen. this song changed my life fr when i heard it on the radio age 12

20. an underrated song

S1GHT- @toasht

literally cant get more underrated than this <250 note homestuck fantrack from 2016 but it is EASILY one of my top favorite hs fansongs and is something i always keep coming back to even though im probably getting lethal doses of swag radiation from it

[karatekid1]

hi guys it been a while. Well, everything right now feels like its going up and down all the time, like on monday, three days ago, my life felt so good, i was so happy, then everything went downhill again on tuesday. today is thursday and idek how im feeling, i dont got any apeitie, and my life just feel so depressing. i realized yesterday that heartstopper is like a core memory to me, like i havent watched it since season 2 came out bc people started calling it cringe and i actually started to think it were. i was just a kid back then it feels like, because every day i get older and i feel embarressed for my younger self, in like a few months i think that this me whos writing this is gonna be so cringe, why are we like that? or maybe thats just me. but what i mean is that yesterday i listened to some of the soundtrack songs, i just felt warm and happy inside, and it kept doing everytime i listeend to the songs, i stayed up til 3 am last night just rewatching the first season and it made me cry actually idk why but it just brings me so much comfort. anyway, uni going fine ig, some subjects are really terrible, but im surviving. me and benjamin (the nick to my charlie) are still together and idk tbh how hes feeling ab me atp, like im so fucking stupid and annoying i think hes getting tired of it. i feels like im slowly loosing my mind again bc of everything. i hate myself for the way i act towards people. most people i know would call me nice, they do, but then i literally argue with everyone over stupid shit just bc i am sensetive. and i dont know how to deal with myself, i just get so easily mad and jealous of everyone and its starting to spread out more over the people i love which is not meant to happen but i cant control it. how much i try to be nick, will continue to always be charlie. what was i made for? i dont even know myself anymore. people say they're proud of me but i will literally treat them like shit without even realizing it myself. all i really want is to be seen and heard, but i end up embarresing myself, overshare or just make people upset. im just a failure, im not supposed to be here, i dont fit in. i dont know whats right or wrong anymore i just want to live my life, but im literally just miserable. i try so hard everyday, to get people to like me, to make me like myself a little bit more and not hating myself, but when ive done something wrong i cant even realise my mistake until so long after ive done it, and i feel so stupid. i dont deserve to live the life that i do. i dont deserve any of this. i try to be like everyone else, i try to be interesting but if you try too hard no one is gonna like you. and if youre not interesting people wont wanna hang out with you bc youre boring. you should be funny but not mean, you should be perfect but not fake, you shoulld be thin but not starve, you should be smart not a tryhard, you should be yourself but not different, you should be happy but not annoying, you should be kind but not too kind because then people will use you for their own good. i hate humans, i hate what we've made this world into. sorry this became a whole vent post but im just so tired of living without having anything to live FOR.

[blackbird-brewster]

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - NOW POSTED

Tara wrapped her arm around JJ's shoulders and pulled her into a kiss, before looking back to Emily. "Alright beautiful, tell us all about your day. No detail too boring, I want to know everything. Have you been working at the house?"

Emily frowned. "Well, no, because I text Beck yesterday, but she said she's unavailable this week or something. So I've just been home all day and I don't really have much to report. I spent the day watching TV, I was going to order pizza for dinner but...," Emily trailed off as she realised she never ate dinner, after getting distracted by her panic attack. "Shit. I haven't had dinner, and now it's, wait -- how is it ten o'clock?!"

She had been doom scrolling the news for hours without even realising, no wonder she felt so horrible. She groaned in exasperation, "I dunno, I can't keep track of time anymore."

"Uh, wow, a few things to talk about here," Tara said. "First things first, you have to eat, baby. Can you please go get a snack while we talk?"

"I don't have any groceries! You and I were supposed to go to the store today, but you're not here!" Emily argued.

"I'm on it," JJ said, she grabbed her phone and started scrolling through the food delivery app. "Oh, that burger place we like is still open. I'll order your favourite and have it delivered to you, does that sound good?"

Emily nodded slightly, "Yeah, that sounds nice. Thank you. I'm sorry, I know you two are tired, you've got way more important things to do than this. You shouldn't be forced to take care of me while you're away and..."

"Emily," Tara interrupted firmly. Emily stopped spiralling and looked at her partner. Tara ran her thumb over the screen, not that Emily could see it. "Baby, this is what we do. We all take care of each other, remember? Jen will get food sorted for you, so you don't have to stress about what to eat. But ban we back up to the part about Beck? What do you mean she's unavailable?"

"I don't know! That's all her text said," Emily replied, she wiped her eyes with her palms to clear the remaining tears from her vision. "I told her that even though you were going out of town, I'm still here and I could help -- but she said, hold on let me get it," she pulled up her text thread with Beck to read the message out loud, "Hi Emily. I'm actually going to be unavailable this week. Sorry for the short notice," Emily shrugged at the camera, "That was yesterday afternoon and I haven't heard anything else."

Tara's brow furrowed with concern. She personally hadn't heard from Beck since she left the club on Saturday; the text Tara sent her on Sunday was still unread, but Tara just figured that was because Beck needed some space after they kissed. Beck not talking to Tara was one thing, Beck being avoidant of Emily when she was volunteering to help at the house was another. Tara's growing unease about Beck and whatever secrets she was hiding, settled into a knot in the pit of Tara's stomach.

[Read the Full Chapter on AO3]

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Fooled Around (and Fell in Love) is a queer rom-com AU that celebrates coming out at any age or stage, polyamory, found family, and above all else, the love shared between JJ/Emily/Tara.

Read the whole series: [PART 1] || [PART 2] || [PART 3]

Listen to the series soundtrack on Spotify: Fooled Around (and Fell in Love) OST

[barbaramillicentgordonroberts]

Part 1 👆! :

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: I was thinking this 👆 means that all of the soundtrack score that we are going to be able to hear in the movie will be able to be the one that says from the description, and all, but maybe I could be able to be wrong with something else besides the song from the movie should be able to not be ready for dropping whatever Friday it means yet, since there is the one that is after tomorrow, the next week's Friday, the release date for the movie, and all of the other Fridays from the summer, which the second to last, and the last options are the best to be able to do on rather than either the day after tomorrow, or for next week's, Pixar, it is fine with being able to do anything at all for the movie, but also with being able to not putting the song from the movie for us to hear yet until while it is either on its ways to Disney Plus including with all of the bonus features extras included with the movie, digital copies, and the physical copies, or when it finally does all of that way before you put the song on for the first time time of our lives listening to it, the same way to the soundtrack score of the movie as well, so let us all be able to find out what are all of the other hints are to this mystery to solve, since because of this case just got started with clue #1 👆! :

: This is a nice picture of Ari Staprans Leff, I hope that he does not mind me calling by his real name instead of Lauv, I did not say that to you all to keep it safely hidden when they slipped this during the Cannes Festival, but I am now able to be telling you about it, I am a little bit concerned about all of the lyrics to the song from the movie known to be able to be as Steal The Show along with how it says from 👆, and also I do not know all about him nor do I listen to his music, but he is still a nice guy whenever he does not sing, so I want to be able to know his life story of his stuff that is from his own humble beginnings all the way to how he just got chosen to be able to sing that song from the movie as well as for all of the other stuff that is to be able to come for him, and also I hope that we can be able to contrast the song that we will be able to get which is from the end credits to be able to compare it to the movie version of how it is used from where it is placed in along with both of them for karaoke, song covers, one of the of all of the songs on the list of Elemental as a musical, etc. (I am also pouting in a sad way, but curious about all of what the animated music video will be able to look like including with all of the lyrics to be able to do stuff like how it says from 👆 at all?) : Today was okay, despite of a clip that I posted on when I got it yesterday which was the "inspect this", but I am sure it will be able to get much better than today for tomorrow, Thursday, June/1st/2023, since because I just thought that one of the next posts for this movie is doing the scene of unlike the trailer, you can do Wade's begging while pleading story of how he ended up with her (I do genuinely love how dynamic all of his expressions are!), and I hope that Pixar in the future can be able to do that along with every other single scene of all of him that they have been able to not do yet apart of all of the other stuff that we have so far from the past, and currently, and seriously, the more I am seeing about Elemental. the more I do want to saw it as well as for all of the rest of you guys as well as we are trying to be able to actually be very hyped for it since the teaser trailer to now to everything else after, since because of one rule in this city that is trying to be able to prevent a miraculous chemical reaction between water, and fire, as soon as the Disney store puts Wade Ripple, and Ember Lumen for sale on stock, we all have to be able to make sure that these two are diametrically opposed to each other otherwise we will be able to know what we do to them for being able to be not separated at all instead of how I just said!

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[amoveablejake]

Album of The Week: ‘La Pioggia Di Marzo’ by Mina

Stand out song: ‘La Pioggia Di Marzo’. 

For about three years now I have been buying clothes and other goods from the Accrington based supplier Trickett. The thing is, I say Accrington based but really, thats not where the brand is based at all. Sure, geographically it might be and whilst some of the items are inspired by the local area,the majority of the wears and the spiritual home of the brand is Naples, Italy. My love for Trickett opened my eyes to the city in Southern Italy and a deep adoration was formed for the city’s football team, once home of that certain Argentinian man, perennial underdogs or rather underdonkeys who this season defied all odds and won Serie A. But I digress, I’m not talking about Napoli’s stunning league title win, we could be hear all day otherwise, but instead I am talking about how a little bit of Italian culture goes a long way. And thats just it, whilst I did go to Italy when I was younger, about fifteen years ago infact, I still feel this bit of a connection tot he country because of Trickett. As a result, sometimes I do like to put on background Italian music as I daydream about being there and yesterday was exactly one of those times except when I put on this particular Italian morning playlist, the first song that I heard made me stop in my tracks and then smile from ear to ear. 

We’ve been to Italy, now let us go to Norway. Since seeing 2021′s ‘The Worst Person in The World’ it has often occupied a spot in my headspace. This has been the case for a few different reasons. Ofcourse, the film itself, but perhaps more than that is its vision of Oslo which I then replicated to an extent on my own visit to the Norwegian capital, yes I did go to that book store and pretend I was in the film, but even more than the locale and visions of Oslo, it is the soundtrack that has stayed with me the most. ‘The Worst Person in The World’ has an expertly curated soundtrack with the real highlight for me being the ending track that accompanies the ending shots of the film perfectly. When I heard ‘Waters of March’ by Art Garfunkel waft from my television it wormed its way into my heart immediately and it became one of my key songs if not the song of 2022 for me. More than that though, it became one of my key songs for all time. One of those songs that I listen to all the time, that I turn to when I need to listen to something that centres me and one that I know I’ll listen to in years to come to remind me of this time in my life as I do ‘Pet Sounds’ and ‘Saturday Night, Inside Out’ by the Beach Boys and the Avalanches respectively. ‘Waters of March’ is a song that everytime I hear its opening I smile, I instantly get that hygge feeling that I am forever yearning for and yesterday morning, I got that feeling but from a slight variation of a theme. 

Now, back to Italy and that Italian morning playlist that I was listening to yesterday morning. When I hit play on the playlist the first song that made its way into my headphones sounded slightly familiar and then extremely familiar before it dawned on me what it was. When I looked at the title, I knew what it was, I didn’t need to be able to read Italian to recognise ‘La Pioggia Di Marzo’. That gentle guitar strumming that opens the track that has become a staple in my life was quickly accompanied by the Italian singer Mina’s upbeat vocals, and I fell for the ‘Waters of March’ all over again. One of my favourite things is in music is to hear different interpretations of the same song and to hear the original versions of songs compared to a track that sampled it. I like hearing these variations on a theme because I like seeing the same track from a slightly different point of view and ‘La Pioggia Di Marzo’ delivers that completely here. It is still the ‘Waters of March’, it contains all of the elements that always draw me to the track but here, it feels oh so Italian, not only in its singer’s vocals but in the overall atmosphere of the track. The ‘Waters of March’ makes me think of autumn and winter and so it stands to reason that this version must make me think of the spring and summer as listening to it makes you feel like you are being bathed in the Italian sun. It is a wonderful, no, mervagliso version of one of my favourite songs that I will now be listening to all summer song. 

‘Waters of March’, ‘The Worst Person in The World’, Trickett, Napoli, ‘La Pioggia Di Marzo.’ Everything is connected and there truly is beauty in that. 

-Jake, a man who should probably head to Italy, 29/05/2023