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wernerherzogs · 6 years ago

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there it is, finally! the list of my favourite hl fics of All Time.

disclaimer: some of these i have read only once and forever ago, but i’ve got them saved in a folder, and i vaguely remember them Meaning something to me when i read them, but basically -- if you read something from this list and end up not enjoying it, sorry not sorry! i operate on nostalgia sometimes, it’s possible i wouldn’t be that into some of them now, too, but whatevs!

i made myself stick to one work per author, otherwise this would be endless, but if an author’s nickname is bolded, it means i’ve had the time to read all of their works, and recommend them all.

i’m fairly certain i’m forgetting stuff (especially those stories that i’ve never saved/bookmarked), so i’ll try to keep this updated fairly regularly -- whenever i remember an old fave, or fall in love with something new. i’ll make sure to reblog this post then.

the order is completely random. this is a list where every work carries equal significance, even if not always for the same reasons. it was supposed to be alphabetical, but turns out i’m far too lazy for that. (shocker.) i took the liberty of shortening some of the original summaries, because this post is going to be Too Long anyway. rip.

enjoy! hopefully.

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blackjacks running down my back | sequel by dangerbears (+ lj) (~10,000)

AU. university stuff. best friend stuff. music stuff. sappy stuff.

try to not remember (rather than forget) by hereforlou (59,602)

He hadn’t left, but that’s what it had felt like most of the time. Just as if one day Harry had up and left him.

(Or, the one where Harry wakes up.)

Like Real People Do by moodlighting (58,469)

Harry is Louis' soulmate but Louis isn't Harry's - it takes Harry a while to figure it all out.

a prayer for which no words exist by Eliane (34,313)

Louis is a few seconds away from blowing up a rather important section of the New York subway when he sees Harry for the first time.

Who Painted the Moon Black by throughthedark (requires an ao3 account) (95,697)

“People died,” Harry whispers so quietly Louis strains to hear. “People died, and I killed some of them. How does life just go on after something like that?”

Louis shakes his head. “I don't know. It just does.”

hold on to your stars before they fade by adelagia (31,740)

The first time they meet, it is sunrise, and Harry is naked.

(Or, the one where Harry is a lost fairy, and Louis takes him in.)

Lambing Season by HelloAmHere (24,544)

“Shut up,” Louis says, an involuntary grin tugging at his mouth. It’s not every boy who will stand in the middle of a cold barn in a suit and play musician trivia. “I’m Louis.”

//lambing season brings sleep deprivation, noisy alarms, cold barns, demanding animals, and warm strangers.

Wild And Unruly by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (123,655)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

Walk That Mile by purpledaisy (149,570)

A Route 66 AU where falling in love was never part of the plan.

the dead things we carry by MediaWhore (25,316)

“Oh,” Mrs. Padley says, clearly taken aback. “You two know each other?”

There are some things people never fully come home from. Until, one day, if they’re lucky, home comes to them.

i believe him when he tells of loving me by bitterlee (28,894)

louis doesn't remember harry. harry takes him home.

Come Along With Me by darkofthenights (28,032) (requires an ao3 account)

An AU where Harry is a magician and Louis doesn't believe in such a thing.

Dust Off My Wings by eravain (19,882) (+ download)

AU where the boys are cottage neighbours, Louis develops an obsession with the mysterious boy next door, and the end of summer is really just the start of everything else.

Boys of Summer by sharktoothedfawnskinned (49,545)

What he wants is for this to be a forever thing, not someplace Harry spent the summer once. What he wants is for this to be more than a memory.

(New Jersey beach town AU.)

ever ever after by hattalove (22,645)

“Happily ever after, huh?” he can’t help asking, in a voice that’s softer than he’d like. Harry seems to sense the fragility of the moment. He settles down, containing the excited flailing of his hands, and mirrors Louis’s position. “Of course,” he says. “Don’t you have those here?” Louis bites his lip. “M’ afraid not. It doesn’t really work out that way for most people.”

or, an enchanted AU. sort of.

heroes of the orange skies by queenmcgonagall (30,656)

Louis likes bathroom walls and Sharpies, Harry likes metal, Zayn likes Liam and Liam likes Zayn, Niall is wise, and they all go to the zoo.

Empty Skies by green_feelings (134,048)

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

nocturne in silver and blue by tinyweirdloves (97,594)

louis is a fallen star and harry brings him home. told over the course of fourteen years.

life does not go backward, nor does it tarry in yesterday by bottomlinsons (4568)

Louis and Harry are Knights of the Round Table and Camelot has a dragon problem. (Arthurian AU)

In This Light by exhilarated (99,234)

Harry is a wardrobe stylist who likes to live in the moment, and Louis is a popstar who looks dreamy in double breasted jackets. Harry never stood a chance.

our little corner of the world by brownheadedstranger (29,913)

AU. Louis is stuck in his mom's diner for the summer. Harry is the line cook with a pickup truck.

Every Arrow That I Aim Is True by estrella30 (24,890)

Louis doesn’t say anything again so Harry whispers, “Just stay here with me for a while, yeah? I’ll take care of you.”

Louis is quiet. He never picks his head up, but Harry can see the pillow move from where he’s nodding and his fingers tighten around Harry’s. “Yeah,” Louis says. “Yeah, all right.”

i'm not calling you a liar (just don't lie to me) by hazmesentir (33625) (requires an ao3 account)

Louis can't stop lying. Harry runs a farm. Somehow, he squeezes the truth out of him.

An Eternal Enigma by goldenquill (67,478) (+ download)

Louis is a reluctant king with a head full of fairy tales, and Harry is an emotionally challenged musical prodigy. Zayn is a hopelessly romantic painter, Liam is the castle’s resident ghost with sporadic amnesia, and Niall is the accidental head of the kingdom’s most prevalent spy ring. Very loosely based on the lives of Ludwig II of Bavaria and Richard Wagner.

all my love was down in a frozen ground by navigator (16,033)

Louis goes to the woods.

AU very loosely inspired by the creation of Bon Iver's first record.

walk my days on a wire by sunshiner (38,586)

“We’re here because we have inventive managers,” Louis says, giving Harry’s leg a little nudge with his knee, but all that’s going around in his head is, I think I'd be in the same spot in every possible universe.

or, when actor Louis Tomlinson used to daydream about dating Harry Styles, this is not what he had in mind.

take my hand (and my heart and soul) by bananasandboots (45,623)

"I – yeah. Hi," Louis finally answers, slowly, awkwardly. "I um. Sorry. I heard about your accident. You're alright?"

Or, the one where Harry hasn't spoken to his best friend in sixteen months and can't remember why.

These Inconvenient Fireworks by wontsitstill (190,000) (+ download)

Future AU in which nobody tries out for X Factor but the boys end up finding one another eventually anyway. Louis is a jaded bastard who owns a cat named Duchess and teaches drama to teenagers, Harry is an idealistic aspiring photographer/part-time footy coach, Zayn teaches English lit and wears leather jackets, Liam saves people from burning buildings, and Niall is Niall.

things have gotten closer to the sun by starseas (49,276)

when a solar flare is announced to end the world in twelve days, harry reunites with the people that he used to know better than the back of his own hand.

Harry Styles Cooks... by sunsetmog (ongoing)

In which Louis Tomlinson can’t cook, there’s a very special shower curtain, and Harry Styles used to be a baker.

Or: Louis owns all of Harry Styles’ cookbooks, and he never intends to cook a single thing out of any of them.

101 Uses For Dragon Eggs by colazitron (42,249)

Louis just got back from a three week assignment yesterday and today was only supposed to be paperwork he needs to do to finish that up, before he was going to leave early and enjoy the weekend. And then Zayn, the traitor, emailed him about a bloke who was rumoured to have found a dragon egg and apparently live tweeting the whole thing.

Don't Want Shelter by FullOnLarrie (ongoing)

Louis and Harry have known each other all their lives. Friends as children, they danced around each other as teenagers, and have spent the last twenty-five years either screaming at each other or not speaking at all. Except for that one time ten years ago…

When Hurricane Nicole threatens the coast, they end up stuck together in their families' old vacation home that they begrudgingly co-own.

Escapade by dolce_piccante (requires an ao3 account) (146,241) (+ download)

In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

Whether Clouds or Clear Skies by onewasturning (25,861)

“Harry,” Louis says, “last night I had an experience bordering on profound.”

“You’re making it sound like you did something sexual with my muffin,” Harry says.

Or, Louis gets into the habit of stealing baked goods while Harry’s busy keeping tabs on the weather.

the dead of july by whimsicule (117,446)

Being an Avenger means continuing to be Captain America and smiling and being honorable for the public and Harry does his best. But it doesn’t give him time to figure out who he is supposed to be once he takes off his uniform and puts the shield to the side. Just being Harry had always involved Louis, and Harry fears he doesn’t know how to exist without him.

or: Harry is Captain America, and Louis’ been dead for 70 years.

In the Clear by aclosetlarryshipper (80,751)

After Princess Gemma and her fiance Niall are captured by the witch from across the land, Harry and Louis are forced on a journey together to save them.

Featuring Lumberjack Liam, Magical Zayn, unsolicited tattoos, and untangling the past.

Also known as The Larrietale.

a house built out of stone by robpatFF (22,486)

Louis has a used bookshop and Harry has a habit of claiming things that don't belong to him.

out of the blue corner by fallingaway (85,422)

Louis is a boxer banned because of doping. Harry is a journalist following the story.

with your love we could breathe underwater by luminescents (28,542)

Harry’s brow furrows, a look of confusion spreading over his face. “But I am real. I exist, see,” he says, raising a hand out of the water and wiggling his fingers at Louis.

AU where Harry is a mermaid, Louis is a human, and they both discover a lot more than they anticipated.

dancing in the dark by clairdeloune (74,709)

Harry comes out and it brings more than he's expected.

Untangle Me by suicxne (103,000) (requires an ao3 account)

Or the one where Harry and Louis finally get it right.

California Sold by isthatyoularry (123,536)

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

you came into my life by disgruntledkittenface (57,180)

When the Queer Eye cast and crew sweep into Louis’ small town and fire station to make over his best friend and coworker Liam, Louis’ carefully constructed walls start to fall down and he has to face his fears – and the only guy he’s ever been able to see a future with.

like cabbages and kings by you_explode (60,875)

When Louis was a kid, he had a series of very vivid dreams about a place called Wonderland.

Loyal Knight and True by rainbowninja167 (51,569)

Oh, Harry thinks, mouth open on a silent gasp. This is how it happens.

In contemporary Oxford, Harry Styles and Niall Horan run a magical bookshop, unbowed by an entire academic establishment that insists magic doesn't even exist.

for now (and forever) by orphan_account (sadly can’t remember the actual author) (83,283)

"Listen to yourself," Harry laughs, shaking Louis' shoulders. "Don't you think it's a bit weird to con the country you're supposed to be serving?"

Louis is going into the Army, Harry is going nowhere, and there's nothing like a little identity fraud between friends.

Say You'll Remember by whisperdlullaby (93,521)

au. louis and harry are best mates that are only half aware that they're also soulmates. alternatively, louis goes to university and harry travels the world, and they always manage to find their way back to each other.

takes place over nine years, in which they love and hurt, make mistakes and learn, and above all, grow.

Faking It by TheCellarDoor (46,173)

A uni AU in which Louis has been Harry’s best friend since he offered him cubed fruit on the playground, and they spend more time cuddling in their dorm beds than they do apart, but it’s not like that. Or is it?

Battle Cry by Velvetoscar (21,377)

Harry's got a heart, a soul, and a band. And with that, obviously, comes a future paved in great success, right? So all he has to do is win the Battle of the Bands, right? Simple.

What's not so simple is the fact that Louis Tomlinson is his biggest competition. And also happens to be made of everything that Harry's ever wanted.

Take Me Where I Cannot Stand by LoadedGunn (13,988)

Harry can agree that being husbands in space presents some challenges. Sometimes they have to escape mindless cannibals, sometimes they're being held hostage, sometimes Louis doesn't want Harry to get pregnant, and sometimes someone slips on a banana peel. But that's all part of the fun, isn't it? They could have been juggling geese.

(Firefly AU where Harry and Louis are co-pilots in life.)

Just Me, You, And This Box of Matches by tomlinsunshine (87,020) (requires an ao3 account)

Louis is fairly sure that his new neighbour is going to destroy him. And also their apartment building, and the dumpsters outside, and all the forests within a thirty mile radius. But. Mostly him.

you're an egg if im an egg by giraffesaretall (1252)

au where one direction are eggs.

#SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS #fic #fic rec #top fics #i know no one rly expected me to do it by this point #so that's exactly why i did it lmao #:)#pretty sure i've recced 80% of these before so like #sorry for the disappointment #also ik i'm missing a lot #but i just spent a few hours on this so #have this as a start i guess #now excuse me when i go pass the fuck out #also i'm sure the app will mess up the formatting so #sorry about that!#long post #(also some faves got deleted and i didn't find them in #my folder. sad times. :( )

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365daysofsasuhina · 5 years ago

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Three: Generosity ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina, gun ] [ Verse: Oil and Blood ] [ AO3 Link ]

Pale eyes flickering in their sockets, Hinata looks around and around the three men currently in the back of the van she’s been tossed into, heart fluttering in her chest.

Oh, what a mess she’s found herself in, now.

Her current situation could be blamed on one decision she made about two weeks ago, when - during a walk to clear her head one sleepless night - she stumbled upon a beaten, mod-stripped man in an alleyway. That man turned out to be a member of one of her city’s yakuza, the Uchiha, given name Sasuke. After taking him to an underground doctor she knew - one she’s dealt with before while trying to help patients scorned by the insurance company she works for - Hinata found herself saddled with a debt. One from the Uchiha, who claimed her good deed was enough to earn her a favor. And he’s been rather insistent that he pay it.

This morning, she thought she’d found a way to kill two birds with one stone: she’d do a good deed, and get Sasuke’s connection to her severed, as it’s rarely a good idea to be wrapped up with someone in one of the city’s syndicates. A patient needed help from her doctor contact, and Hinata ‘hired’ Sasuke to escort them. Simple enough.

But their journey was interrupted by several men of a rival faction, the Senju, who claimed they knew Hinata was involved with their foes. After a skirmish and an attempt to run, she’s been scooped up into a vehicle and headed goodness knows where.

She doesn’t even know if anyone else is alive: Sasuke, the patient, the doctor...all she knows is that she’s hardly about to escape this on her own...and any one of them being left living might be her only hope.

Ten minutes pass in a tense silence. The three Senju stare at her warily, while Hinata stares back in barely-constrained panic. Well...at least they don’t seem intent on hurting her yet - because they have more than enough time to do so during their little drive. But eventually the driver taps the window between him and the rear of the vehicle.

“All right, we’re here,” one mutters. “Get up.”

Knees disobeying, it takes Hinata a moment to oblige, eventually being hauled up by an arm and crying out in a combination of pain and fear. Led from the car, she finds herself in what looks like one of the old warehouses by the docks. Old, rusted shipping containers make a maze through which she’s dragged until reaching a sort of headquarters.

There’s floodlights atop containers, blaring down on the ‘room’ formed by the steel. Computers, monitors, mod stations...if you could want it as part of a modded yakuza, they have it. Looking over the collection with wide eyes, Hinata finds herself sat rather roughly into a chair.

“Stay,” her companion orders, earning a small flinch with the single, curt syllable.

Across the floor he moves to approach a man with his back turned, waiting his conversation out before speaking. Said man listens before turning to Hinata.

...this is a big fish, isn’t it?

Arms folded, the new face approaches her nonchalantly, ruddy eyes looking her over. He looks a bit on the old side...but one can tell from his body language he’s not to be trifled with. Likely fairly high up. “So...rumor has it you’ve been aiding a certain person I’m not very fond of, young lady…”

“Please, I...I didn’t -”

“Don’t interrupt me,” he cuts in. “I don’t care for your excuses. My point is...that you’ve kept a particular thorn in my side alive when he was, in fact, slated to die. Of course...part of the blame lies on my underlings who didn’t properly finish the job...but they’ve already been dealt with. So that just leaves...you. Well...you and one other, but she’ll be here shortly.”

Hinata’s heart sinks. Does he mean the doc…?

“What I want to know from you is simple: how deep are you in with the Uchiha?”

“I...n-not at all! I found Sasuke-san by accident, w-while out on a walk.”

“And yet you knew exactly where to take him…”

“That’s...t-that’s because I do business with the doctor. I...I work at an insurance company, i-in the claims department. When clients get denied, if they need help badly enough, I give them her information so that they can get the help they need. I...I really had no idea she had anything to do with the Uchiha. And until I found Sasuke-san, I’d never seen one before in my life, I-I swear…!”

His eyes squint, seeming to weigh her words. “...well, we’ll see what your friend has to say...maybe she’ll corroborate your story. If not, I’ll just have to try a bit more convincing to get the truth out of you…”

Distantly, Hinata hears a rollup door rattle.

“Ah, seems she’s here...I wager she put up more of a fight than you. She, after all, has been on my list for quite some time…”

Hinata’s breath shortens. Maybe those bringing her in will have news about Sasuke…? If he’s still alive...he’s likely their only chance.

Eventually, sounds of scuffling footsteps reach her, and she turns to see the medic struggling against her captor before being shoved into another chair nearby. Unlike Hinata, her hands are bound to the seat’s arms as the elder yakuza approaches her. Already a few superficial wounds mar her skin...likely retaliation for her stubbornness.

“Well well well...look who I’ve finally gotten my hands on...it’s been a while, dragon,” he taunts.

“Tobirama,” she growls in reply.

“Save your venom, woman. You know I’m immune. Besides, for the moment, I want words out of you, not screams of pain.” Gripping her jaw, he forces her to look to Hinata. “I want you to tell me who she is, and what she knows.”

“Nothing. She’s a bystander - brings me clients from an insurance firm. She’s not affiliated with anyone.”

“Actually, I beg to differ. Boss...check this out.” An underling waves Tobirama over, who releases the doctor and moves to a monitor. “You’ll never guess who she is.”

Tobirama bends down to examine the screen...and then gives a soft huff of a laugh. “...Hyūga Hinata...well, I’d never have guessed. You’re that daughter of the mod mogul, Hiashi...how quaint.”

Unsure of what that means to him exactly, Hinata watches carefully.

“I don’t suppose you and your father are on good terms, are you? Because if you are...I wouldn’t mind arranging a little trade for your safety, hm? I have a few mods that could stand an upgrade…”

Oh gods...how is she supposed to explain she’s been disowned and therefore useless? If she does...is he going to kill her?

“Well...for now, I’ve got something else to occupy my time,” Tobirama offers in the wake of her silence. Turning to observe the healer, he muses, “I imagine this one has quite a bit of information I’d find useful...but I think we’ll have to have a little different type of a chat before she’ll open up to m-”

The next few seconds seem to happen in a disjointed blur.

From all angles, out from between and behind shipping containers, figures leap and discharge EMPs into several Senju lackies, their mods going dark as the pulses shut down the signals. Lights cut and leave them in the dark save for the glow of active mods. A few gunshots ring out, Hinata instinctively ducking to the floor. But then reason kicks in, and she makes her way to the doc’s chair. Barely letting her palm light shine, she finds the buckles of her restraints. “C-come on!”

“We just need to get to cover - seems Sasuke called in some backup.”

Together, the two women find a place wedged between crates, the elder shoving Hinata behind her to better keep her safe. All the while, only sounds can really be gleaned as the yakuza fight in the dark.

Within a matter of minutes...it’s silent.

Even so, they remain in place until a light beam finds them, the doctor instinctively moving to cover Hinata further.

“Oh thank the gods,” the man mutters, offering a hand that the healer accepts. “Are you all right?”

“Nothing a little patching won’t fix...anyone else hurt?”

“We’ll need time to regroup, but I doubt it. We had the jump.”

“Sasuke?”

“He tailed you and called me. I’m surprised Tobirama was this sloppy...surely he should have known we’d follow.”

“Maybe he thought he’d actually kill Sasuke this time around.”

“Um...I hate to i-interrupt, but…” Hinata steps forward. “What about Ito-san?”

“I left him in my bike and set the autopilot to a friend of mine,” the doc replies. “Hopefully he made it and is in good hands. Once I know, I’ll relay the news to you. For now...I better get back, and patch up myself and anyone else who needs it. Hinata...you’d best head home. Have an Uchiha escort you, just in case. Call in sick tomorrow, and...we’ll figure something out to keep you safe. I’ll provide a note if you need it - just call.”

“Thank you…”

The medic’s expression turns somber with sympathy. “I’m so sorry...I never thought things would turn out like this...are you gonna be all right?”

“I...I’m a little shaken, but...I’m okay.”

“I’ll have someone accompany you home,” the Uchiha then offers. “You saved my brother’s life...I owe you a great debt.”

“That kind of debt is what got her into this mess in the first place,” the doctor mutters. “Save it for later, will you? Come on...let’s tally the wounded.”

Left to wait, Hinata idles for a moment before jumping as a light blooms beside her.

“...Sasuke-san!”

Looking to her with mismatched eyes, his face is unreadable, offering no reply.

“...are...a-are you all right?”

“...I’m sorry.”

“...I -?”

“This isn’t how I meant to repay your generosity,” he mutters. “This was my fault.”

“But -?”

“No buts. I put your at risk because I wasn’t thinking. Now I owe you a lot more than I did. But at least we got a good hit against the Senju today...I’m just sorry it came at your and the doc’s expense. Are you hurt…?”

“No...just a little s-shaken up. I’m okay.”

“...I’ll take you home. And keep an eye on things for a while. It’s the least I can do, especially since Tobirama’s gonna be boiling after his losses today. But it was the only way to get you two out. Itachi’d have my neck if anything happened to the doc, and…” He seems to hesitate. “...well, I already owe you enough. C’mon.”

A bit unsure at his hesitation, Hinata nonetheless makes to follow, sheepishly getting astride a hoverbike behind him as he takes one left behind by the Senju. She gives directions as he asks for them, and eventually they pull up to her building. It’s only then she thinks to look to her watch. It’s after seven, and it’s then she realizes she also skipped lunch today to arrange Ito’s details...no wonder she’s so shaky atop everything else.

“I’ll hang around and keep an eye on things,” Sasuke then offers, interrupting her train of thought. “No one’s getting to you unless they go through me first.”

“...thank you…”

“Don’t thank me - you wouldn’t need this if not for me.”

“Well...a less honorable person would just leave me to my fate...you’re a g-good one for continuing to help me,” Hinata insists quietly. “...are you…? Do you need something to eat? I’m...well, I’m starving, so…”

“I’ll find something.”

“...but -?”

“You just get into your apartment and stay there,” Sasuke rebukes, cutting her off. “I’ll figure something out, but I don’t need you coming back down here unnecessarily.”

“...o-okay.”

“Besides, I still have your caller ID. I can let you know that way if anything comes up so you can keep inside.”

...she’d almost forgotten about that. “Okay...be careful.”

“I’ll try.”

After a brief pause, Hinata makes her way up to her floor and then her door, heading in and doing up all the locks. Thankfully she has some leftover takeout from the night before, reheating it and curling up on her bed to devour it. Sleep, she knows, won’t come easy tonight, so instead she starts bingeing a show the old fashioned way on her tablet, curled under the blankets where she feels just a little safer. Childish, she knows...but she might have a panic attack otherwise.

...maybe Sasuke is right. Maybe her getting involved - even accidentally - was a mistake. And yet...she can’t bring herself to regret it. He likely would have died there in that gutter, and...even after today, she couldn’t justify that. Not in the slightest.

Besides...part of her knew that someday, her underground dealings would get noticed, and she’d either end up in jail, or...well, who knows. But she has allies. Sasuke, and the doctor...and now, it seems, the entirety of the Uchiha syndicate.

Well...too late to go back now, anyway. She’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings. Speaking of...she sends her supervisor a message about needing the day off due to feeling unwell. Should be easy enough...she almost never takes time off. And it’s not like her department isn’t huge enough to go on without her.

Either way...the morning should be...interesting.

.oOo.

(This is a sequel to days 250, 254, 269, and 300!) MORE cyberpunk AU! And thankfully not TOO long after that last cliffhanger xD Sorry about that guys, but this one's a bit longer to help make up for it! Things are getting a lil complicated, aren't they? Poor Hinata...she didn't mean to get dragged into any of this, but I guess them's the breaks, now! But at least someone's doing his best to help keep her safe ;3 Anywho, I gotta head off for the night! Thanks for reading~

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #senju tobirama #uchiha itachi #gun //#oil and blood [ au ]#365daysofsasuhina

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theoperaghostsstudent · 6 years ago

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To The Stars Who Listened (Sanders Sides Fallen Star AU)

Nearly done writing the second chapter, so I figured I’d go ahead and post the first one! Hopefully you guys enjoy it! (Hopefully I’ll have chapter 2 done soon along with the first chapter for an Analogical soulmate fic I’ve been planning and bouncing ideas for with a friend on the side)

Pairings: Logicality and Prinxiety (so far)

Summary: After drunkenly making a wish on a shooting star, Logan Sanders got more than he was expecting when the star fell from the sky and into his living room. Now in human form, the star by the name of Patton claims he is there to help grant Logan’s wish.

Word Count (for this chapter): 4,691

Warnings: Drinking, getting drunk, mention of an implied death (I think that’s it, but please let me know if I missed anything so I can add it!)

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[Chapter 1]

Logan Sanders never believed in wishes. They were pointless to make in his opinion. There was no science behind it at all. Not even a study had been done to see the likeliness of a wish being granted, so even if a wish did come true, it was more likely than not a coincidence than anything else...However...If wishes could be granted, what would he even wish for?

Logan had had another dream last night, the same one as the one he had the night prior. It’s been a pretty recurrent one, and nothing in the dream changes, much to his dismay. The dream always seems to show him the same things every time. He stands on his balcony and stares at the stars before making a wish of some sort that he can never really seem to remember. It didn’t really matter though since he would end up waking up with a start after a star from the sky started heading towards him.

The dream starts the same way and ends the same way, but Logan had no idea what it meant. Maybe that’s why he had called up his longtime friend? Either way, he was surely regretting his decision now.

“Please! Pretty please with a maraschino cherry on top!” The whining voice on the other end of the phone begged, making Logan groan in annoyance. He was already struggling to open the door to his apartment having his arms filled with groceries while trying to maintain pinching his phone between his ear and his shoulder. Having his best friend complain into his ear made the task all the more irritating regardless of how much he cared for his friend. This wasn’t even the reason why he had called him, but it seems that it didn’t really matter at the moment to his friend so his question would have to be shelved for another time.

“For the last time Roman, I refuse to go drinking with you. I have work to attend to in the morning tomorrow and my alcohol tolerance is low. The last thing I require is to be suffering from a hangover on the job.” He replied sternly, thanking whatever deity above as he finally managed to get the door open and stepped in with the groceries. He was thinking of every excuse in the book, but his eccentric friend was clearly not receiving the message.

“But I’m in desperate need of something to get my creative juices flowing-!”

“Please don’t ever use that particular word phrasing again-” Logan attempted to interrupt the desperate man’s rant, but failed.

“Just the other day I was tossing stories out left and right and now I feel as though I’m a hollow, shriveled up shell of the writer I once was. Have you no pity? Besides, even if you were to end up with a nasty hangover, you work at a library!” Roman took a moment to feign a yawn before continuing. “What a snoozefest as always, but you won’t have any noise to bother you! Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Logan took in a deep breath after setting the groceries down to hold the phone properly. With a heavy sigh, he finally responded.

“Roman, as dear as you are to me it appears that tomorrow’s date must have slipped your mind…” Logan allowed his voice to trail off as he shut his eyes for a moment, waiting for his friend’s response.

“Tomorrow’s date? Tomorrow’s July-!...17th...Oh…” Roman’s voice went quiet, and the two were silent for a moment before Roman continued to speak. “I’m sorry Lo, it completely slipped my mind.” He said, apologizing sincerely.

“You have nothing to worry about Roman. It’s a simple mistake. Besides, you’ve been so occupied trying to write your next best seller that you haven’t even noticed you’ve been stuck in your house for more than a week and that the milk in your fridge I had told you to finish off is most likely spoiled by now.”

“Wait, what?” Logan heard shuffling on the other end of the phone and the faint sound of a fridge opening as well as a mumbled cursing beneath Roman’s breath. “I’m calling witchcraft here. How do you manage to do that every time?” Logan chuckled for a moment at his forgetful friend.

“Perhaps it’s because we normally go grocery shopping together and the items in my fridge expire around the same time as yours?”

“Wait, so what did you do with your milk?” Roman asked, confused. Logan rolled his eyes at his friend’s ditzy behavior. The man clearly had a severe case of cabin fever and has been living on autopilot (and probably hasn’t changed out of his Mickey Mouse pajamas) for the past few weeks since his creative block hit him.

“I drank it, Roman. I finished it off a couple of days before it expired. I also took the opportunity to buy some more today. Maybe instead of going out drinking because of how unproductive you’ve been with your writing, you should do something else productive like getting groceries. Have you even been eating?”

“Pfft- Of course I have!” Roman exclaimed, fake offense lining his voice.

“Allow me to rephrase my question. Have you been eating things besides pizza and Chinese takeout?” The silence Logan was met with spoke volumes. “Do yourself a grand favor and go buy some groceries. Perhaps cooking yourself a fancy meal can pull you out of the slump you’re in?”

“Yeesh, alright left-brain, I’ll go buy some food. Who knows? You may be right about that fancy meal thing. I guess I’ll talk to you later for now, and-Oh! Hey, Lo?” Roman’s voice suddenly got serious.

“Yes, Roman?”

“If you need someone to be with you tomorrow so you’re not by yourself, or even if you need a distraction, feel free to give me a call okay?”

“I’ll be sure to, Roman. Thank you.” Logan replied, a small, sad smile gracing his face.

“Alrighty, well, talk to you soon! Love ya!” Roman exclaimed before blowing a loud, obnoxious smooch into the receiver, making Logan roll his eyes.

“Alright. Take care, Roman. And buy eggs!” He said before they hung up.

Logan sighed while putting down the phone. Now that the phone call had ended, his apartment felt a lot more empty without Roman’s booming voice distracting him. His apartment was small, only having two rooms, and has ended up looking rather empty throughout the years since he had moved here. He would normally put whatever he wasn’t using in storage or even donate things at least once a month when he deep cleaned his little living space.

Logan looked down at the groceries before groaning. Putting groceries away was not something he wanted to do right now, but what did he even want to do? Not just at this moment, but in general? He was 29 years old, has a degree in astronomy (which is essentially useless to him since he wasn’t going to become an astronomer anytime soon), and he hasn’t been in a relationship since the 11th grade (if you could even call dating for a week a relationship). Not only that, but he’s been plagued by the same dream for the past week and a half and he still has no idea what it could mean! With a soft sigh Logan accepted his current situation since the groceries were obviously not going to put themselves away.

Once Logan was done he sat down at the dining table he owned and opened his laptop to do a quick search for dream interpretations until he stumbled upon an online dream dictionary. Not necessarily a reliable source, but it’ll have to do. Maybe it could point him in the right direction at least?

“Making a wish.” He typed in and searched, but nothing appeared. Maybe he should shorten it?

“Wish.” Ah, there it was. According to the website, the first part of his dream meant there was something he was longing for or missing in his life (as if he wasn’t already aware of that aspect). Moving on then.

“Stargazing.” Nothing. Logan groaned and shortened his search.

“Stars.” Symbolizes excellence, success, aspirations or high ideals? Also that he was supposedly putting some decision into the hands of fate? That was quite the opposite of his current situation, but what else was he supposed to expect from a non-reliable site? Next one to end this nonsense. There’s no way to shorten ‘falling star’, so he really hoped something would turn up in the search.

“Meteor?” That wasn’t quite what he was looking for, but he read the meaning regardless. It apparently had something to do with realizing goals and desires or signifying romantic thoughts. One more search, just to be sure.

“Shooting star.” Self-fulfillment. Advancement. Symbolic of a new birth and big changes in his life? That’s it. Dreams are just as ridiculous as wishes. Logan frowned as he could practically hear Roman’s response to that being, “A dream is a wish your heart makes, so quit pushing it aside!”. Afterall, it was because of Roman’s constant nagging that he started questioning the meanings behind his dreams. Still though, why was it about stars? He hated stargazing.

Logan sighed at the thought. Of course it wasn’t entirely true, but he wasn’t ready to go stargazing again just yet. It was far too painful. When he was younger that’s all he would do however. He could list constellations, names of stars, tell you coordinates for each glowing light in the sky without a second thought. His mother would say that someone should hire him to polish the stars. His mother really did love Shel Silverstein. The thought brought back a memory of when he and Roman were younger and sitting in his mother’s living room...

“What are you boys up to?” She had asked, her lovely dark brown curls framing her face. Everyone always said that Logan resembled her a lot. Aside from the fact that he normally slicked back his hair which made his curly hair appear straighter, the dark brown hair and green eyes definitely gave away that he was her son.

She had brought them a tray of snacks that Logan was going to be sure Roman ate most of. He’d often forget to eat during his creative blocks. It appears neither of them had really changed much since the 10th grade.

“I can’t seem to figure out how to get the characters in my story from point A to point B and Logan is not helping at all.” Roman had said with a pout.

“Perhaps if you were to stop wasting your time complaining you’d get somewhere with your story by now.” Logan had replied, not even looking up from his book. Roman gasped.

“You don’t get it! Stories are adventures!” He exclaimed, flailing his arms around to emphasize his shock towards the boy with the glasses, a wave of light brown hair falling into his face. He had always been eccentric and had taken his role in the school’s story teller’s club just as seriously as he treated his role in theatre class.

“Hmm, I believe I might know just what you need then Little Prince.” Logan’s mother spoke up, interrupting their small quarrel. Roman’s hazel eyes widened in excitement and hope.

“Really?! What is it?!” He asked happily.

“You need to send out an invitation.” She simply stated with a shrug.

“A...huh? Wait, why? And to who?” The young teen was utterly confused.

“Well, of course the dreamer, the wisher, and the liar. Then there’s the hope-er, the pray-er, and the magic bean buyer. However, to send the invitation there’s something you need to do.” She informed him.

“And what’s that?” He asked, wide-eyed in amazement. It wasn’t a shock that he believed every word that was coming out of her mouth. He still believed in Santa Clause (and wouldn’t know the truth until his first year in college).

“Well, if you want to invite them, you need to light a candle. Lucky for you, Little Prince, I happen to have a few on hand.” She had said with a smile and a giggle at Roman’s look of amazement. She dashed away to the kitchen and came back with a matchbox and a little clear box of handmade candles she had made. Logan had to expect nothing less from his mother who was constantly finding new hobbies to enjoy in her free time when she wasn’t working or raising him on her own.

After setting the candle in a holder for Roman, Logan’s mother lit it with a match. Roman watched the candle in awe for a few moments. Even Logan had peeked from behind the book he was reading.

“Now then, they should receive the invitation soon, so you’d better get back to work.”

“How will I know when to start writing?” Roman asked, still feeling a little off by how he couldn’t seem to get the story onto paper.

“Let’s wait a moment, and then you tell me.” She said with a knowing smile.

The three of them waited, looking at the fire (Roman being a little too close to it in his eagerness). When Roman jumped back from the fire with a large grin on his face, he didn’t so much as utter a word before getting back to his writing and working nonstop. Logan had wondered at that time what had gotten Roman so inspired, but then the scent had floated over to the couch he was on. Lavender and roses.

Later that evening when it was time for Roman to head home, he couldn’t thank Logan’s mother enough.

“Are you sure I can keep the box of candles?” He asked in surprise.

“Of course, Little Prince! They’re for when you need to invite those who are needed.” She said. Her smile had wavered for a moment and she started to cough. She had been having coughing fits, but her doctor said it was just a cold that didn’t seem to want to go away. That was when the memory became too painful for Logan to relive.

Now focused on the present, Logan got up and opened his fridge, his eyes falling onto the pack of beers he had bought in case Roman ever came over. One wouldn’t hurt, so he pulled a bottle from the pack and sat down on his couch. Oh how things have changed from when he was younger.

He opened the beer and just as he was about to bring it to his lips, a thought crossed Logan’s mind and he sent Roman a quick text which he hoped would inspire him. Surely he’d remember and knew what he meant by ‘She would have told you to light a candle’. He’d always been one to feed into hopes, dreams, and wishes even if Logan didn’t. “Someone has to” he’d say to that. Of course, he had been the one to help Logan cling to hope back then.

Logan took a swing of the beverage in his hand at the painful thought. He never would allow himself to make this a habit, but maybe tonight it would be okay. He would drink one beer, eat a light snack, and then go to bed. Simple, right?

One beer turned into two which turned into three. The more he thought about his life and his past, the more frustrated he became, because what if wishes could make a difference? What if he had wished more? Prayed more? Hoped more? Would anything have changed? All these thoughts brought him back to his dream.

Logan stood up from his couch and swayed a little as he made his way to the fridge for his fourth beer. He groaned knowing he’d regret this later since his tolerance for this stuff was so low, but regardless he opened the bottle and made his way onto his balcony.

The area he lived in had little to no light pollution since that was something important to him at the time that he chose out his apartment, so it was no surprise to him when he was able to see the stars so clearly on this night. He looked at the chair in the corner, wanting to sit on it, but he hadn’t been out here in a long time so he decided against doing so since it was most likely filthy from the time it’s been outside. Instead he chose to lean against the railing and look up at the stars.

Upon looking up, Logan spotted a particularly bright star that he recognized as Polaris. He smiled, admiring it, but the smile quickly faded as memories washed over him.

“I must really~ be ridiculous, huh?” Logan slurred out. “I studied astronomy of all things and ended up working at a library because I can’t stand to look at another star.” He continued, looking down at the beer in his hand before looking back up at the star.

“No offense. It’s nothing personal.” He chuckled dryly. “It’s more a ‘me’ problem than anything as Roman would say. It’s a ‘me’ problem in the sense that I am a grown man who-who is going nowhere in life because of my own choices.”

“I was the top of my class, had gotten Valedictorian in high school, received a full scholarship to the college of my dreams and even graduated with high honors, and now? Now look at me. I’m shelving books for a living and talking to a star-or technically to myself because I’m drunk and thinking of a dream I’ve been having.” Logan said bitterly.

“I don’t even know if I’m sure of what I want to do with my life anymore. It seems like all I do is live in the past if today is any sign of that.”

Logan took a swing of his beer before looking back up at the sky. It was beautiful. It’s no wonder people believed the stars could grant wishes.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a shooting star darted across the sky. Suddenly, it was clear what Logan would wish for if given the opportunity, but he knew it was against the ‘wishing rules’ his mother had told him about. He knew it was time to move on and think of his future...His future? What future? That was it!

“I wish…” Logan started, unsure of exactly where he was going with this. “I wish something in my life would change for the better. I’m not entirely sure what, but I need a good change. Could-could you do that? Please?” Yep, Logan was definitely not a person who would make wishes, but either way he waited a moment, expecting something to happen. Nothing felt different, so he must still be the same drunk man standing on his balcony talking to stars that are farther away than anyone could possibly fathom.

“I truly am ridiculous...Maybe even desperate, huh?” He chuckled dryly once again, standing back from leaning on the railing. He looked up at the night sky once again, but this time with a sad smile on his face and a pain in his heart. Something odd, however, caught his attention. He squinted his eyes to try to make sense of it. If he didn’t remember that he was drunk right now, he would have thought that he saw a star’s brightness increasing by the second, almost as if it were heading right towards him. He was drunk though, so that couldn’t possibly-....Oh...Oh no...It’s definitely heading right towards him.

“Shit!” He exclaimed, throwing open the balcony door, trying to make it inside just as the ball of light came right for him. He hadn’t realized how close the light was until he felt it crash right into his back, causing him and whatever it was to tumble into the apartment living room.

“Ugh-” Logan groaned in pain, feeling the warmth and faintly seeing the light fade as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, confused as to how the light was gone, but there was still a heaviness on him from whatever crashed into him.

“Wow~! So this is what a human’s dwelling space looks like! Oh, but where’s the-? Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry, I seemed to have landed on you!”

Now, normally thoughts like these didn’t cross Logan’s mind very often, but it seemed pretty justifiable for him to wonder, ‘Did an alien just crash into my living room?’. I mean, given the situation, it was the only rational thought in his drunken mind.

“Could-Ow-Could you perhaps remove yourself from my back?” Logan asked politely, not wanting to offend whatever had made its way into his home.

“Oh! Yes! So sorry about that. I’ve always been a clumsy fly-er!” The voice said with a giggle as it got up off Logan’s back. It then held onto Logan’s arm and assisted him up, so it must come in peace.

“There you go!” It exclaimed cheerfully.

“Thank you very-” Logan’s words were cut off when he turned his head and found himself face to face with the loveliest man he had ever seen. The man had curly, dirty blond hair and bright blue eyes. “Much…” He barely managed to continue his sentence due to how distracted he was.

“It’s no problem, really! It’s my fault you ended up on the floor anyway.” The man said bashfully, his cheeks and nose tinting into shades of blues and yellows where a normal red blush should have appeared. The man also seemed to have freckles that almost appeared to glow in the shape of some constellations Logan had recognized as Orion and perhaps one of the Ursas. How peculiar.

As if realizing he had forgotten something, the strange man’s eyes widened and he lifted his head in alarm.

“Oh geez! Here I am crashing into you and I haven’t even told you my name. I’m Patton! You must be Logan, right? I mean, you must be considering you were the one who wished on my star.” The man-Patton laughed.

Wished on his what? Did he say star? Well, this was an odd way to sober up, but it certainly did the trick for Logan.

“Well Patton, it’s very nice to meet you, however, I am utterly confused by what you have just said. When you referenced my earlier wish, what did you mean by ‘your star’?”

“Well Logan, I distinctly remember you standing outside and talking, so I decided to get closer so I could hear what you were saying-I love hearing what humans talk about-and that’s when you wished on me-or technically my star form! Now I’m here to grant your wish.” Patton said cheerfully.

Logan watched for a moment in silence as Patton shifted his weight from one foot to the other with a bright grin on his face, and after an additional minute of thinking he realized and processed two things. One, based on what Patton has told him, he appears to be the shooting star he had made a wish on, and two-Patton was very much nude.

Having now processed the second fact of the matter, Logan felt his face heat up immediately.

“Good god, Patton! Wait right here!” He exclaimed, quickly dashing to his room to search for something that could fit, but most of all, cover up the naked man in his living room. He quickly threw open his drawer where he kept all the oversized sweaters Roman would get him every year for Christmas before moving onto the drawer where he had his pajama bottoms. He also thanked the heavens that he still had that unopened pack of underwear that Roman had gotten and left here in case he forgot to bring a pair when he slept over.

Logan got up from his position on the floor in front of his bedroom dresser and brought the clothing that he had picked at random to the living room. He held the items of clothing towards the man and cleared his throat slightly. Patton looked at the clothing in awe.

“Patton, these are-are yours.” Logan stuttered out. His mind must be too busy sorting out this entire situation to help him speak properly.

“No, silly, these are your human garments!” The man?-star?-Patton giggled.

“Well-well, yes technically they do belong to me however I am gifting them to you.” Logan wondered if he could have sounded anymore awkward.

“Oh! Well, thank you so much, Logan, but I don’t need them. I’m a star after...all?” Patton said as he looked down at himself and his body as if seeing it for the first time.

“Logan...I can’t believe this...I’m-I’m…”

“Nude-?”

“In human form!” Patton exclaimed cheerfully. “Isn’t this wonderful, Logan?! I look just like you-well, kinda like you. You’re a little taller than me, but that’s fine-Oo! Did you know that you have the prettiest green eyes?! What color are my eyes? Tell me! Tell me, please~?” Patton in his excitement hopped closer to Logan and brought his face closer so the other man could examine his eye color better. Logan had never been in this situation before, but even with his mind at work and busy with sorting out facts, his mind went silent and he just stared into the eyes of the man in front of him.

“Bl-Blue. You have blue eyes, Patton.” He stuttered out his nervous response. His embarrassment seemed to snap him out of his trance as he shoved the clothes into Patton’s arms before taking a step back, leaving him slightly confused.

“Take these clothes and go to the bathroom to put them on. You should be able to find it right down there.” Logan said after clearing his throat and proceeded to point towards the short hallway that lead to the bathroom, his bedroom, and his study.

“Could I ask you a few somethings?” Patton said, tilting his head slightly, reminding Logan of a puppy.

“As soon as you are fully dressed I’d be more than happy to-to answer any questions you may have. Like I said, the bathroom is right down there and it should be rather easy to find.” Logan replied, crossing his arms. Never had he felt so awkward and embarrassed in his life, though he’s sure Roman would beg to differ. Roman! That’s who he needed to call!

“Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I’ll be making a quick phone call while you dress.”

“But Logan, are you sure I can’t ask you just a teeny tiny few somethings?” Patton pleaded. Normally Logan would jump to correct his grammar, but he figured this was a special case, and besides he had other important things to do like make this phone call.

“I can assure you that I’ll be right out here waiting for your return, and I promise to answer everything then, alright?”

“But Logan, these things are important for me to ask and I really really need your help!” Patton exclaimed with a worried look on his face. Logan looked at the man then back at his phone. He dropped his head and sighed in defeated.

“Alright Patton,” he began lifting his head up and ensuring that he was looking the man in the eye. “what would you like to know?” Patton’s smile gleamed as the excitement made him glow...As in, the man was physically glowing. Logan had to admit that he was somewhat ‘on the edge of his seat’ to find out what was so important.

“So...What’s a bathroom and how do I put these garments on?” Patton asked curiously as his light started to dim.

Oh...Oh for the love of-of course he wouldn’t understand Logan’s instructions! The man wasn’t even human! Logan now found himself with a lot on his hands, but there were two pros and cons that he was at least sure of at this very moment. The pro being that he was no longer drunk and was in fact very sober, but the con was that the hangover headache was kicking in. Either way, he now had a lot of things to deal with so this was going to be a very long night….

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Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter!

Tag List: @tenkowo-chabashiwa @ilylogan @anony-phangirl

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writing-royza · 7 years ago

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Two Hundred and Fifty-five - Infectious Crying, 3.0

A/N: Happy Sunday, everyone! It’s been lovely weather this weekend; I enjoyed a beautiful walk through the autumn scenery this morning, just me and my music. It was awesome.

So for this week’s chapter, I know it’s a shortened version of what a military trial should be. Hence why it’s just a hearing, with the two of them having been put in custody to prevent them going on the run. But without writing a full-on novel about it, this is about the closest I can get. At least for now. :P

I do not own FMA.

Two Hundred and Fifty-five - Infectious Crying, 3.0

It was by sheer dumb luck, he knew, that he hadn’t been with her when they came for him. For two weeks following their release from the hospital after the Promised Day, they had each slept alone, knowing that eyes were on them. But for two days, the feeling of those eyes had begun to fade, and Roy had just begun to hope that they could go back to their comfortable, cozy relationship.

The men who arrived at his door after ten o’clock at night, two weeks and three days after his release, had put that hope on hold.

Sitting here in this cell, his hands locked into the wooden stocks commonplace in incarcerating alchemists, it gave him far too much time to think. There were far too many people who could be implicated in this, and he had dragged all of them into what should, by rights, be his mess alone. Breda, Fuery, Catalina, Havoc, Ross, the entirety of his old squad from Ishval, and last, but nowhere near the least… Riza.

Pushing to his feet, he paced agitatedly, teeth gritted and stomach turning backflips out of worry. The squad were probably fine; they had gone to ground the second the dust had settled. With relative anonymity on their side, they would only be found if someone else named names. Havoc was so far removed from the situation when it happened — literally, far — that there was no concrete evidence linking him or his family. Roy took a second to thank the other man for his foresight to use in alias in moving the arms shipments.

Catalina’s records had been fixed to say she was in East City at the time; her face wasn’t known in Central at all, either, so she would be fine. Ross could always flee back to Xing, or hide behind Armstrong’s massive figure, along with her Sergeant. Breda and Fuery were in a little more danger — they were deserters in addition to coup conspirators and combatants. But Riza….

He had heard the military police radios during the scuffle. Both he and Riza — The Flame Alchemist, and the Hawk’s Eye — had been specifically named. And knowing that, he was going to have to spin a very carefully-worded web if he wanted at least her to make it out of this.

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The second he saw her outside the courthouse, his heart soared… but only for an instant. Her hair was loose, the fall of it hiding the back of her neck and the edge of the tattoo that would be visible from the loose prison-issue shirt. And those clothes sent his moment of elation plummeting down into the dust at his feet.

...Not her, too….

Riza had time for only a brief second of meeting his gaze – her brown eyes wide with surprise and instantly worried – before the guard at either of her elbows turned her toward the door and ushered her through.

The instant they were close enough to speak without too many people overhearing, Roy wasted no time. “Trying out a Spirits’ Night costume already, Lieutenant?”

“Only on the suggestion of the military police, sir.” Her tone was cool and unperturbed, though her eyes moved watchfully from place to place. “Though for this party, your outfit and mine match. We’ll both have to change.”

The casually concealed optimism nearly made him smile; she believed they would both come out of this. Hopefully she was right.

The courtroom they were shown to was not overly full, but very few of the faces were unfamiliar. Armstrong sat near the front, uniformed and paying close attention, with his sister in the row behind him. Behind her were the four men of Roy’s staff, all either staring in shock at their leaders in prison uniforms and shackles, or blank-faced as they kept their emotions under rigid control.

They did not have to wait long before the bailiff called for the entrance of the judge.

“Be seated,” the lean, beak-nosed man said, settling behind the bench. “Let’s not waste time here. The purpose of this hearing is to determine whether Colonel Roy Mustang and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye should stand trial for the actions they took during the Battle of Central City two weeks ago.” He looked up over his spectacles at the pair standing in the defendant’s box. “Have you been told what the charges against you are?”

“No, sir,” Roy answered. In his peripheral, he saw Riza shake her head.

“As it stands, the charges being brought toward you today are as follows.” He consulted a short list. “Assault, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, destruction of government property, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit treason, and treason.” He looked up. “How do you plead?”

This time, Riza was the first to speak. “Not guilty, by reason of preserving national security.”

Muttering broke out in the gallery, but not enough for the judge to use his gavel. Eyebrows lowered over the spectacles as he stared hard at her for a moment. “Your plea is an unfamiliar one, Lieutenant. I’ll have to ask you to clarify.”

“Of course, sir. What I mean to say is that, depending on the charge, we may or may not have committed the alleged action in defense of national security, against a threat posed by a malevolent force.”

Roy had to consciously clamp down on a smile. Trust Riza to explain herself without truly explaining herself. It was a piece of double-talk worthy of the Madame herself; and of course, she had been the one to instruct Riza in just such an art.

With a sigh, the judge removed his glasses and sat back in his chair. “I can see we’re going to need to go through this very carefully. Let’s start with the assault charges: where do you stand in those?”

“At the time we we attacked,” Roy explained, “we had received intelligence that the Central City forces were under the command of a corrupt High Council, as you will recall, was testified by Major-General Armstrong at her hearing last week. Any attack made on them by myself, the Lieutenant, or our team was either in defense or pacification.” He made sure to meet the judge’s gaze. “No man attacked by team was killed, even if he was declared an enemy.”

After a moment of jotting down a brief note, the judge nodded. “Very well. And the charge of resisting arrest?”

Riza frowned. “Pardon my ignorance, Your Honour, but this is for defying the men who attempted to assassinate our group along with First Lady Bradley?”

The judge’s mouth twitched in the tiniest hint of a smile. “I will count that as your explanation, Lieutenant. While you’re on the topic, would you care to address the charge of kidnapping in relation to First Lady Bradley?”

“The alleged kidnapping was protective custody,” Riza stated clearly, standing just a little straighter. “We didn’t know how close the security detail was to the conspirators against the Presidency, and so we incapacitated them and took over her protective detail ourselves. Unfortunately, for her own safety, we had to keep her in the dark on the situation a good amount of the time.”

Nodding in acknowledgement, continuing to take notes, the judge didn’t look up. “To the charge of destruction of government property?”

“Collateral damage in the battle that followed.” Roy hesitated only briefly before adding “And if I may be so bold, Your Honour, considering the vast amount of damage caused by the entity known as ‘Father,’ who can tell what we destroyed among everything else?

Again, there was just a hint of a smile. “A fair point, I’ll grant you, Colonel.” Any trace of humour. “Last, but certainly not least, is the Court to assume, on the treason-related charges, that you were working to expose and bring down the alleged corruption in the military High Command?”

The answer of “Yes, Your Honour” from both soldiers echoed in the sudden silence of the courtroom.

Reviewing his notes for a moment, the judge removed his glasses, setting the on the bench. “Ordinarily, on such serious charges as this, I would have no recourse to but to give you both the most severe sentence possible. But I think we can all agree that the circumstances surrounding this hearing are by no means ordinary.”

Looking up, he folded his hands on the bench, looking from Colonel to Lieutenant and back again. “In light of the recent acquittal of Major-General Olivier Armstrong, who, I might add, faced a few more serious charges than the two of you, I feel I must take your explanations of your actions to heart and factor them into my judgement.

“Colonel Roy Mustang; First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye: on all charges being brought against you at this time, the National Court of Amestris finds you both not guilty, by reason of the preservation of national security.”

The bang of a gavel made it so.

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

They were placed in a courthouse holding cell, awaiting transfer back to jail for processing out and collecting their effects. Leaning back against the wall, Riza sank down to a seat on the floor, breathing a literal sigh of relief. “Never in a million years,” she murmured, eyes closing, “did I think I’d be going home today.”

Roy smiled. “Really? You seemed pretty confident just before the hearing started.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

He opened his mouth to make a smart remark… and closed it again as he saw the pair of tears seep from under her closed eyelids to fall down her cheeks. “...Hey….” He moved to crouch in front of her, unable to give her a comforting hug because his bindings. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s all right; we’re cleared.”

“I know.” Her eyes opened, and she smiled despite the moisture still brimming at the edges. “I just…. I kept thinking what I would do if we weren’t exonerated…. If I was….” Her lips silently mouthed the words ‘without you.’

Roy grinned, the smile he knew could out her most at ease. ‘Not a chance,’ he mouthed back.

At last, Riza’s smile was genuine. She leaned forward, her own shackles preventing her from hugging him, but content just to lean her forehead against his shoulder. “Time to get back to normal, I guess,” she said quietly.

“Yeah. About time, too.”

He didn’t let her see the single tear of relief that rolled down the side of his face. Relief that, for the first time in far too long, they were both as free as they were ever likely to be again.

#fma #fmab #Roy Mustang #Riza Hawkeye #royza #royai #fma fanfiction #royai fanfiction #snap shots

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riding-alpacas · 5 years ago

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A new journey

My time in Canada turned out to be a flop. Simply put, pretty much everything felt like a step backwards instead of an improvement. Don’t get me wrong, this country is beautiful for travelling, the outdoors have a lot to offer and summers are short but nice. However, living here is a totally different story and wasn’t my cup of tea. But not only all that was a disappointment, my relationship broke up, too. I think it’s fair to say that I need a bit of a break.

I have decided to move back to Australia but before I do that, I want to tick off a big item from my bucket list. It’s been more than 2 years now since I properly travelled, and by that I mean an extensive trip that is between 3 and 12 months long. South America has intrigued me for a few years now and the stars do align: It’s the right time of the year, I’m relatively close to it and I have the budget. Let’s take some time off, do endless hikes, reflect on what happened in recent months and get ready to start over down under.

The route

At the beginning I’m planning to travel to Patagonia and spend a few weeks there. Going north I will continue to explore the rest of Argentina (and a tiny bit of Brazil), cross the border to Chile, hopefully continue to Bolivia, then spend at least a month in Peru, do a quick side-trip to the Galápagos Islands and finish with some lazy beach days in a few countries in Central America. It’s a very rough plan and so far I have only sorted out a few details for the first days in Patagonia. It’s peak season when I get there and a lot of things had to be booked in advance. But after that I’ll just go with the infamous flow and see how it works out.

Type of trip

I’m not entirely sure how I should call this type of trip. It’s definitely not a backpacking trip, even though I will travel very light and only with a backpack. But I’m not always going to sleep in the biggest dorm and in the cheapest hostels. Depending on my mood I will also do camping, try to connect to English-speaking locals by staying at Airbnbs (language will be a huge challenge as I speak hardly any Spanish) and even some nights in a hotel now and then are in the budget. And who knows, maybe I’ll be so annoyed by backpackers that I’ll blow all my money early on expensive accomodation and have to shorten the trip to a couple of weeks. You never know!

FAQ

When are you leaving? My flight leaves Vancouver on the 21st of January and I will arrive in Buenos Aires on the 22nd. After 4 days of acclimatisation I will fly to Ushuaia on the 26th.

What about the political situation in South America? I am well aware of all the issues down there, especially in Chile & Bolivia. During my trip I will keep an eye on the development and will only go when I feel safe about it. That said, the media always tends to exaggerate things and with some common sense one should still be safe in most of the countries.

Any other concerns? Oh yes, absolutely. I have the feeling that I need to be a bit more careful as I have only travelled to very safe places in recent years. Also, as mentioned before, I can only speak very few words in Spanish and I’m 100% sure that this will be a challenge.

What about your diabetes? Similar to what I’ve done when I travelled through Australia, I will take all my supplies with me. Instead of Frio bags I am now using the iCool Prestige though as it will keep my insulin at fridge temperature when I’m in transit. That said, after years of travelling I am a lot less concerned about damaging my insulin now. It is much tougher than people think.

What happens after your trip? I will go to Germany for a few weeks to visit friends and family and pick up some stuff that I have sent to my parents (because I’m not going to carry 20 t-shirts with me when I explore Machu Picchu). After that I’ll go back to Melbourne, have a swim in the bay and find an apartment and hopefully a new job! Perth might be an option, too but it’s way too early to tell. All this will probably be in August/September 2020.

#preparations

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animesavior · 7 years ago

Photo

"It is done. He will never hurt anyone ever again."

- Jack, Samurai Jack (Season 5, Ep. 10)

This week’s Toonami Trending Rundown is a doublefeature for the weeks of May 20-21, 2017 as well as the Memorial Day weekend of May 27-28, 2017 as Toonami celebrated the long awaited finale of Samurai Jack.

May 20 would be a night to remember as after a 13 long year hiatus and 10 great episodes, the journey of Jack’s quest to defeat Aku and return to the past has come to a close. And no doubt this would be a night to remember as Jack and Aku finally settle things once and for all, while Ymir holds off the Titan assault in Titan form, and Kaneki and Touka try to save Hinami from becoming Amon and Mado’s next victims, among other great moments.

And the fans would make their voices heard, as on Twitter, every show would successfully trend in the US, most notably Samurai Jack for a duration of over 9 hours. Meanwhile on Tumblr, Samurai Jack would also trend, as would Attack on Titan and Tokyo Ghoul as well.

Spoiler Alert for those that haven’t seen the finale yet: Samurai Jack’s buzz also created a character trend in Ashii (with two I’s for some reason), as Jack helps Ashi break free from Aku’s spell, and creates a time portal back to the moment when Aku originally sent Jack to the future, which Jack proceeds to finish Aku off once and for all. Unfortunately, Aku’s death caused a time travel paradox that would lead to Ashi’s disappearance from the face of the Earth, however for some reason she managed to stay through her marriage with Jack. A Gurren Lagann-esque bittersweet ending, as some have called it.

Finally, Samurai Jack would finish things with a bang as the finale’s buzz would get the show to make the list of Nielsen Social’s top 5 most talked about shows on Twitter and Facebook, making it to the #2 spot, only being beaten out by the SNL season finale. This is the 22th time a Toonami show has made it onto this list since we started recording this feat, the third week in a row for Samurai Jack, and the 7th for the show overall this season.

For Memorial Day weekend on May 27th, Toonami opted to take the night off the regular schedule to give Samurai Jack an encore marathon of all 10 episodes of Season 5. While there wasn’t much trending as many Toonami fans took the night off due to the marathon, #SamuraiJack did trend briefly on Twitter as the East Coast run came to an end and the west coast run began, in addition to Toonami trending on tumblr.

Little programming note regarding Lupin: During MomoCon on Memorial Day Weekend Toonami released the promo for the return of Lupin the Third, set for release on June 17th. However, Toonami decided to change its airing time from 1:30am to 2:00am, meaning that Hunter x Hunter will get to stay at its current slot at least for the time being.

youtube

Many people who grew up watching Cartoon Network in the 90’s and 2000’s have been big fans, or at least had at least some fondness of Gennedy Tartakosvy’s works, including Dexter’s Lab, the 2003 version of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, and of course, Samurai Jack. Samurai Jack in particular was one of Toonami and Cartoon Network’s classics back in the early 2000’s, gaining many awards and a big cult following over the years. But ever since Samurai Jack ended season 4 back in 2004, there has always been talk among fans and even the creators of whether a finale could be realized. Over the years, there was talks of a animated movie on the big screen to finish the story, but for some reason it never got to the production phase.

Since Toonami’s revival, the block showcased two Gennedy directed shows from the CN library. In 2013, as Toonami expanded to the 12-6am “Midnight Run”, among its other acquisitions, the block showcased Sym-Bionic Titan, Gennedy’s last work with CN before moving to Sony Pictures to eventually create the Hotel Transylvania films. While the show was well received, and there were hopes that a revival of that show could happen one day, unfortunately, Sym-Bionic Titan was put on turnaround due to budget cuts within the network in 2014. A month later, however, Toonami would be able to get Samurai Jack for a rerun in February 1, 2014, airing weekly until January 25, 2015, when the block’s shortening made Toonami unable to showcase the final few episodes. While many felt a revival was all but a dream at this point, this run might’ve reignited talks of a potential revival, especially in the eyes of Gennedy and everyone at Adult Swim.

After he was finished with the sequel to Hotel Transylvania, Gennedy called Adult Swim head Mike Lazzo to discuss a potential 5th season. Two weeks later, the series was greenlit for production. While Gennedy hoped to release the new season sometime in 2016, production issues would force a delay until 2017. The wait would be worth it, as on March 11, 2017, the long awaited final season premiered on Toonami to much fanfare. Gennedy and the crew did not disappoint as we continued Jack’s storyline 50 years on, as Jack trying to regain hope of one day being able to defeat Aku, while Aku tries to regain motivation to finish Jack off himself, and Ashi being seen the light from the darkness that is Aku. 10 weeks later (the April Fools Rick and Morty premiere aside), and now we can finally say that Samurai Jack is now in the history books.

During the 10 week run of Season 5, the hashtag #SamuraiJack successfully trended in the US on Twitter during all 10 weeks of its run including during the Memorial Weekend marathon. During the first 4 weeks and during the week of the finale, the show also trended worldwide. #SamuraiJack would also trend in 2 occasions during the run up to Jack’s premiere. In addition, the show’s buzz would also produce 3 different character trends, Aku, Ashi in 2 occasions, as well as the Scotsman. In addition, #SamuraiJack would also trend on tumblr on every week of its run except during week 9. And as previously mentioned, Samurai Jack’s buzz would get the show on Nielsen Social’s top 5 most talked about shows on Twitter and Facebook for 7 out of the shows 10 premiere weeks.

As Jack’s story finally comes to a close, the question amongst Toonami fans now is that could we be seeing more original productions down the line? According to Jason DeMarco during MomoCon, network executives have been very satisfied with Samurai Jack’s results in regards to ratings and overall buzz, and the network has been looking into creating more Toonami original productions down the line, which will be very helpful for the growth of Toonami and both anime and action cartoons in the west. Of course, we do have another original co-production coming down the pipe with FLCL season 2 scheduled to premiere sometime later this year or next year. In the meantime, Samurai Jack will be given an encore run at 11pm Eastern for the time being for those late to the party or who want to rewatch the final season again.

So on behalf of the Toonami Faithful, thanks for the memories, Jack. It was a fun ride.

It’s been 5 years since Toonami returned to the air, and we’ve gotten to see many amazing things happen over the duration. From the big hits to the underrated gems and everything in between, as well as TOM and SARA’s continued adventures through space, Toonami has given fans much to enjoy since the revival. With the show’s resillance through all these years, and the perseverance of the fans to one day see the end, Samurai Jack season 5 may well be Toonami’s greatest accomplishment since its revival so far. A moment in television which seemed all but impossible a few years ago, the fact that this happened at all is a testament to the will of not just the creators, but the entire the Samurai Jack fanbase and the support of the entire Toonami community. Something tells me that there’s a lot more great things and surprises like this to come in the years ahead and hopefully, Jack’s success will be the start of something special.

Tune in next week (or as of this writing due to several delays, tonight) as Gundam Unicorn showcases its penultimate episode, among other great moments. Until then, we wish everyone a Happy (late) Memorial Day, a blessed Ramadan to all celebrating, and stay gold as always.

Legend: The shows listed are ordered based on their appearance on the schedule. Show trends are listed in bold. The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown. For the Twitter tweet counts, the listed number of tweets are also sorely based on the highest number shown based on the images on the rundown.

May 20-21, 2017 Trends

United States Trends:

Toonami/#Toonami [#]

#SamuraiJack (Also during the West Coast airing) [#1]

Ashii (From Samurai Jack) [#1]

#DragonBallSuper [#4]

#DBZKai [#5]

#AttackOnTitan [#6]

#TokyoGhoul [#5]

#HunterXHunter [#5]

#GundamUnicorn [#4]

#Shippuden [#5]

#GhostInTheShell [#4]

Worldwide Trends:

#SamuraiJack [#1]

Ashii (From Samurai Jack) [#2]

Tweet Counts:

#Toonami [5,632 tweets]

#SamuraiJack [29.6k tweets]

Samurai Jack [13.7k tweets]

#DragonBallSuper [4,013 tweets]

#DBZKai [1,216 tweets]

#AttackOnTitan [4,348 tweets]

#TokyoGhoul [2,347 tweets]

#HunterXHunter [2,358 tweets]

Tumblr Trends:

#samurai jack

#attack on titan

#tokyo ghoul

Notes and Other Statistics:

#SamuraiJack: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @RossButler and @tarastrong started the trend in the US.

#DragonBallSuper: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @MikeMcFarlandVA and @Mike_Daniels76 started the trend in the US.

#HunterXHunter: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @tsunderica started the trend in the US.

May 27-28, 2017 Trends

United States Trends:

Toonami/#Toonami [#6]

#SamuraiJack [#5]

Tweet Counts:

#Toonami [2,331 tweets]

#SamuraiJack [5,814 tweets]

Tumblr Trends:

#toonami

Notes and Other Statistics:

#Toonami: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @blumspew and @FUNimation started the trend in the US.

Special thanks to @coreymbarnes, @jmb70056, and others I forgot to mention for spotting some of the trends on this list.

Only Toonami on [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.

#Toonami #Adult Swim #Cartoon Network #Toonami Trending Rundown #Samurai Jack #Ashi #Dragon Ball Super #Dragon Ball Z #DBZ Kai #DBZ #Attack on Titan #Shingeki no Kyojin #Tokyo Ghoul #Hunter x Hunter #Gundam #Gundam Unicorn #Naruto #Naruto Shippuden

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fasterthanyouvidia-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Serious Study Session || Chat Log

Important Plot Stuff Here

The N.E.W.T.s Potion Study Session was schedule for Friday night. A few students actually signed up and even fewer showed. The unused classroom was dusty and lacked light due to the lack of upkeep over the years. The tables were rickety and each of the students were stuck with a stool that had some sort of issue from wobbly legs to loose seats that shifted with the slightest movement.

Vidia: Vidia's foot slid off the top rung of the stool as she flipped through her Advanced Potions textbook. The lighting blew and made her eyes strain just to rest the ingredients of her book. "Fucking stupid N.E.W.T.s" She muttered in Spanish to herself.

Malinda: As Malinda tossed her textbook onto the table, she huffed and pulled her wand out, casting a quick lumos in the hopes that it would make the lighting a little better. "Look, we can go through this book again and again, but we need to actually get our hands dirty if we're going to remember any of it." At least, that was her opinion.

Dory: As usual, Dory found it hard to keep still as she sat looking at the pages in her potions book. She'd been kicking her legs as she tried to put the information on the page into her head. Even with a memory that worked, she was finding that a difficult task. Dory looked up as the book hit the table and one of the other girls spoke up. Her face brightened as she beamed a smile. "That sounds like a great idea!"

Elsa: Elsa was never late and hardly ever 'just on time', so of course she had been the first one to arrive. Not many people had showed, so she was stuck with the three girls sitting around her. She didn't even know any of them outside of what had happened with Vidia. "Which potion do you suggest we do then?" She asked as she flipped through the pages of her textbook.

Vidia: Vidia scowled at Elsa as she flipped through the pages. "It was Mal's beautiful idea. Let the puta pick." She let a smirk tug at the corners of her mouth. As it overstayed its welcome on her face, she let the smirk drop and she slammed her book shut. There was no use for it if Malinda was going to lead the session with making a potion.

Malinda: "I was thinking Polyjuice. It's complicated but something we need to know for our tests...and I've figured out how to make it without needing to wait so long for it to simmer. What do you think?" She looked at everyone around the group expectantly, hoping they'll like the idea as much as her.

Dory: "I think we should do it!" Dory said enthusiastically as she hopped up off her stool and clapped her hands together.

Elsa: Elsa nodded in agreement, but couldn't help but be a little worried about how Malinda had managed to shorten the time by so much. She'd never heard of anyone being able to complete the potion within a single night.

Vidia: Vidia rested her boot against the leg of the table as she stared around the old room. Studying was so tiresome. She could name at least ten different things she'd rather be doing. She only signed up because she needed to pass her exam. With everything she was doing lately she was falling behind.

Malinda: Malinda nodded her head and grinned in excitement as she started gathering the cauldron and main ingredients. "Okay, we still need a few of the ingredients, but they're easy enough to get, so I think we should divide and conquer," she said, splitting up the ingredients left on pieces of paper for each of them. "Yeah? Sound like a plan?"

Dory: Dory took the piece of paper handed to her and looked at the small list, her grin not even fading for a second. She was eager to help. This would be fun. And hopefully, she'd learn a little more. "Okey Dokey Smokey!" Dory said with a salute as she turned to go search for the ingredients on her list.

Elsa: "Alright," Elsa nodded and followed Dory out the door, heading for where she'd last seen the potions closet.

Vidia: "Alright," Vidia slid off the stool as she took the list and went to collect the ingredients she was in charge of.

Malinda: Malinda grinned as everyone headed off to get their parts of the potion, she went off to collect her own and then started working on the spell to make the potion work faster. As the other girls started to come back in, she gave them a grin. "Welcome back! Get everything?"

Dory: Having been the first one out the door, and having practically sprinted in order to go and get the things on her list, Dory was quick in returning to the room. "Yep!" she answered with a bright grin as she set all of the things in her arms onto the table. "Got it all!"

Elsa: Fortunately the potions closet hadn't moved from where she'd last seen it so she was there and back pretty quickly. She placed the collected items on neatly on the table beside Dory's, "Yes."

Vidia: Vidia had to go to the extra storage closet that they used while the dungeons were flooded so she was the last to return. Thankfully, when they do their exam, the ingredients would be present or Vidia would be injuring some Ministry officials who thought that would be a good idea. "Yeah," She put her items down on the table next to the rest the others collected.

Malinda: "Perfect!" she exclaimed when she saw all the ingredients on the table. She opened her potions textbook and set it in front of them. "Alright, let's do this. I'll let you know when we're skipping steps...pretty much any time we're supposed to wait." She paused and twirled her wand a little bit, hesitating a little bit. "Have any of you guys ever successfully made this potion before?" she asked, not wanting to seem rude but being genuinely curious.

Dory: As the book was set in front of the group, Dory leaned down with her elbows on the table to have a really good view of the pages. She was eager to help and eager to learn, so she was determined to follow along as they brewed this potion. Dory thought hard about whether or not she'd ever made this one before. "Mmmm... I don't remember," she said, not able to find a memory of having brewed this potion before. That wasn't necessarily something to worry about. There were still lots of things that Dory couldn't remember.

Elsa: "I have," Elsa replied. It had been a semester-long project in her potions class last year. "May I ask how you've managed to shorten the time so significantly?"

Vidia: "Nope." Vidia couldn't think of a time she had to make a polyjuice potion. There was never a time she had a need or a desire to be anyone else but herself.

Malinda: Malinda was glad that another person in their group had been able to make this potion. The question, however, threw her off a little bit. "Oh, um, it's a fairly simple spell," a lie, "just basically shortens the time for everything else. So instead of weeks, we wait a couple hours." Malinda offered a genuine and confident smile, sure that it would work. "So let's get started," she continued before turning her attention back to the book.

Dory: Dory didn't really like the idea of waiting around for hours, but it was better than weeks. Waiting was the worst part of making potions. It was just so boring.

Elsa: "Uh.... alright then," Elsa didn't know how she felt about Malinda's time shortening spell, it certainly was a bit worrying since she'd never heard of such a thing before, but she supposed she didn't have much of a choice. If they didn't use it there was no point in even making the potion.

Vidia: Vidia was game if they were able to figure out the stupid potion in less time. That meant less time stuck in that dusty room with the perpetual sweet child and Miss Stick-in-the-mud. Although, alcohol would make it tolerable but Elsa was there and Vidia didn't need to land herself in the Headmistress' office.

Malinda: Starting the potion was easy enough, things wouldn't get more complicated until the middle and the end, so as they worked on the polyjuice, Malinda was more than happy to take the lead, so to speak, but gave the other three plenty of chances to jump in and help and continue the arduous process. Soon enough, they were at the waiting part, and Malinda paused, putting a hand up for everyone to pause as well. "Okay, stand back for a minute. This is where I make that spell work and then we only wait for a couple hours." She pulled her wand out again and pointed it to the cauldron, a soft blue light leaving the tip of it and lighting up something that looked like a web around the cauldron.

Dory: As they worked on the potion, Dory was happy to jump in at every opportunity afforded to her. She eagerly took instructions from Malinda and was actually rather proud to be contributing to the potion in a tangible way. When they got the part with the waiting, Dory did as Malinda said and backed up a little bit. She was eager to see the spell that would make things go faster but was cautious because she knew that potions could be very bad news when you got on the wrong side of them. "Wow," she said in a low voice as the cauldron was lit up by a web of magic around it. "That's some spell. It's so pretty!"

Elsa: Elsa looked down at the potion surprised the spell looked to be working. She had no idea what the spell was actually supposed to look like, but Malinda wasn't freaking out so Elsa assumed it was working like it was supposed to. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she did agree with Dory about it being a rather pretty spell. Though that was probably because she'd always been partial to the color blue. Before Malinda had time to even thank Dory for the compliment the spell suddenly went very wrong. There was a loud "BOOM!" and then a cloud of sickly colored smoke exploded from the cauldron. There was a whole lot of coughing as everyone struggled to breath. As Elsa's lungs were filled with the almost toxic air her body began to feel... very odd and even a little painful.

Vidia: Vidia didn't join the group in the general enthusiasm. She sat close enough to see what Malinda was doing and learn the tricks to make the potion brew faster. Her eyes rolled at the spectacle of blue. Whoo hoo. Who cared? Vidia just wanted to see the potion completed so she could say she knew how to do it. Then the boom happened. Vidia's hands waved the smoke from her face as she coughed from inhaling it. "What the fuck, cadela?" She pounded the smoke from her lungs with a fist to her chest. "Fuck," She exhaled and ran her hand through her hair. "What?" Vidia stared at her hand as it held blonde strands of hair. "Malina, what did you do?" Vidia jumped from the stool, sending it across the room as she ran to find a mirror. "AHHHHH!" A shrill scream came from the potions closet. "I'm-I'm-I'm a bubblegum princess!"

Malinda: It was working. It was actually working. And then all of a sudden....it wasn't. The web started to waver, shift like it shouldn't have, and it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye, but she'd been working on this spell for months, she knew it inside and out. The boom reverberated throughout the room and her chest, and she felt pain like she had taken some polyjuice potion and was changing but she didn't feel wrong. Except now that the smoke was clearing, she was looking down rather thank looking up. "Oh no....no no no. No!" Immediately, instead of looking at the other girls, she went straight to the cauldron and saw that what was left was nothing but charred ingredients. "It should have worked! Why didn't it work? Is everyone okay?" she finally asked, looking around at everyone else...and then she spotted her face...but she wasn't looking in the mirror. "Fuck."

Dory: Few things could dampen Dory's enthusiasm, but one surefire way to do it was for something to explode. Even more surefire was if that something was a potion. The memories might be a little fuzzy, but Dory knew enough about her previous encounters with exploding potions to know it was not something she wanted to repeat. As the boom rippled through the room, Dory hit the dirt and crouched beneath the table as the smoke rolled over the group. Dory coughed along with everyone else, feeling the pain of something happening but not knowing what. As she huddled under the table, Dory was scared. Scared that something awful would happen to all four of them. But soon enough, the pain faded and the smoke cleared enough to breath and Dory slowly started out from under the table, only to quicken her pace when she heard the scream. But Dory froze as soon as she looked because... wait... that was her. But she was here. Dory glanced to the other girls and... that wasn't right either. "I'm okay," she said, answering the most pressing question first. "Well... I'm not hurt, anyway. I'm not sure our bodies being all switched around is okay..."

Elsa: The smoke cleared and Elsa's hearing was a little fuzzy, but otherwise she was mostly okay. Her whole body felt sore, but it was nothing life threatening. She heard a scream that sounded like Dory and immediately looked up, only to find herself face to face with... well, herself standing over the cauldron. Elsa gasped and glanced around the room frantically. Dory was panicing beside a mirror and Malinda was rushing over to her. Okay so Dory and Malinda were okay, but there was a duplicate of herself and Vidia was gone- A lock of dark hair fell into her vision and Elsa froze. Everything seemed to click in that one moment. Everyone was freaking out because a POLYJUICE POTION just exploded; a potion that made the drinker look like someone else. Elsa pulled off her glove and was met not by her pale hand, but instead by very tan skin. Malinda - or whoever now looked like Malinda - confirmed Elsa's realization when she said all their bodies were switched around. "Oh no," Elsa pressed a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. "No, no, no, this cannot be happening."

Vidia: "Fuck, fuck, fuck," Vidia paced around. "Malinda what did you do?" Vidia kicked the stool over as the ringing in her ears faded and she could finally hear herself talk. "Please tell me you can fix this. I can't walk around looking like Dory and I can't have-" Vidia pointed at the person who looked like her but was clearly dressed in Elsa's clothes, "- Princess Prude walking around looking like me."

Malinda: Malinda's mind was going about a mile a minute. She couldn't figure out where she'd gone wrong. Everything had worked perfectly, it all made sense. How had this happened? She was still shaking her head and staring at the cauldron when Vidia, or at least who she assumed was Vidia based on the amount of bitching, started directing her questions at her. "I don't know. I don't know what happened...I don't know how. I'm sorry. I don't...her own pale hands threw her off a little. She was pale but not this pale. "But if you're Dory, and I'm Elsa, which one of you is me? Is it Dory or Elsa? Oh no, I'm so confused." Her head was starting to hurt a little, and she could feel the guilt starting to roll over her. "I am so sorry I didn't mean for this to happen. It was supposed to work! I - I'll make it work, I'll figure something out." She paused in her panicking and looked around at the other girls, her gaze lingering on her own face for a while, finding it very strange to know someone else was wearing it. "What do we do now?"

Dory: The whole scene was very odd. For one thing, it was extremely strange to see herself with such a potty mouth and kicking stuff around. For another, it was hard to tell who was who now. Obviously Dory wasn't the only one with that problem as Not-Elsa was trying to work it out too. Dory made her way over to the cauldron and pat Not-Elsa's arm. "It's okay. It was an accident, of course you didn't mean for it to happen." She smiled encouragingly, a thought in the back of her mind wondering how exactly that looked when she was using Malinda's face instead of her own. Since she didn't see Malinda anywhere else in the room, Dory had to assume that she was the one who looked like Malinda. "And if you got it to happen, then there's gotta be a way to make un-happen. We just have to find it. But it might be a good idea to figure out who is who first. I'll start, I'm Dory."

Elsa: "I'm Elsa and that's obviously Vidia," Elsa gestured over to the girl who looked like Dory but was spewing out all sorts of Spanish and fowl language. That meant Malinda was the one who now looked like her. She crossed her arms across her chest and tried avoiding looking at 'herself'. It was just too weird, like looking in a mirror and having your reflection act of it own accord. She swallowed anxiously, the high levels of stress she was feeling very clearly shown on 'her' face, "We should tell a professor, shouldn't we? If there's anyone who would know how to fix this it's Professor Pace."

Vidia: Vidia scowled as she watched herself talk. "Aren't you a genius?" The sarcasm was heavy as she spoke. "Elsa, why don't you shut the fuck up and sit in a corner. If we tell a professor what do you think will happen? I don't want detention because we let Malinda do some trick that backfired. Or get stuck like this for even longer to learn some bullshit lesson." Vidia turned to Malinda then to the person who was actually Malinda. "How long do you think until you can fix this? I need to be myself before the next quidditch game." She groaned thinking about being stuck as Dory and having Elsa looking like herself. "Esto es una mierda. Me quedé así porque hice lo correcto y llegué a la sesión de estudio. Mierda. ¡Mierda absoluta!"

Malinda: "No!" Malinda immediately said, panic clear on her--Elsa's--face. "We can't go to the professors. We can't. We need to figure this out on our own. Think of it as a good way to study for exams. Please, just leave the professors out of it." She nodded her head. "Yeah, we'll figure it out," she repeated, thankful that Vidia was on her side in this. Malinda turned her attention back to Dory. "Take care of my body please. Don't like...get blown up or something. I'm going to go fix this. I promise!" As she spoke, she gathered up her things and picked up the cauldron while she was at it. Maybe something in there would give her information on how to turn this around. "This can be fun! I'll fix it. Just give me a little time! DON'T TELL A PROFESSOR!!" Malinda called over her shoulder as she hurried out of the room.

Dory: As the other three erupted into an angry/panicked argument, Dory mostly just stood there. Between the angry Spanish exit of Vidia and the panicked rush of Malinda following soon after, Dory was left more than a little confused about what happened now. And she was fairly certain that polyjuice potion just made you look like someone else, not actually switch bodies with them, so was it actually possible to take care of Malinda's body? That question would probably remain a mystery. Dory watched Malinda hurry away and then turned to Elsa, nervously tugging at a strand of the dark hair she now sported. "So... I know she said not to but... I kind of think we should tell a professor..."

Elsa: As Malinda began gathering up her things Elsa started pacing. It was something she always did whenever she was stressed. "This is a complete disaster and you two want me to keep quiet about it because you don't want to get in trouble?!" She groaned and tried to think of how she was supposed to go back to her dorm like this. She was brought back to the present reality when Malinda started talking again and then sprinted out of the room, Vidia hot on her heels. "Fun?" Elsa murmured in disbelief. Her face quickly turned from one of mass confusion and anxiety to pure frustration, "This will most certainly NOT be fun! It's a complete and utter mess!" She clenched her jaw and ran over to the door, calling after them as they hurried down the hall, "You better figure out how to fix this soon or so help me I will go straight to the head mistress!" She let out an annoyed huff and walked back into the classroom. Oh God, how were they supposed to fix this? Malinda promised she'd figure something out, but after what had just happened Elsa didn't trust a word she said. The Head Girl was so caught up in her thoughts she complete forgot Malinda - whoops, Dory - was still there. The sound of the girl's voice altered Elsa of her presence and calmed her down a bit. "I doubt Professor Pace is even awake right now," Elsa sighed. "Let's just wait until morning and then try to figure something out then. Maybe Malinda will have actually figured something out by then, or maybe the effects of her disastrous mistake will have worn off by morning, I don't know."

Fin

Important HC: Their voices will also sound like the person they look like.

@a-frozenheart @likeateatray-inthesky @adorable-dory-crosby

#chatlog #malinda #elsa #dory #chatlogswitch

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justinemiracle-blog · 4 years ago

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tuff-flyfishing-blog · 6 years ago

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Feeling energized after the previous evenings fishing’s and even though I had only managed to squeeze in 6 hours kip I was raring to hit the water and start throwing out casts but thankfully I managed to stifle my enthusiasm and sit and watch the water for wee while. Difficult at 8.30 in the morning with bright blue skies above and the sun beginning to crest above the high tree covered ridge line and hills to the south east, the gnawing realisation that very shortly the brightness would shut the morning fishing window and put the fish down until the evening and restbite from the sun. I sat with wader clad legs and torso feeling like a boil in bag Scotsman as the air temperature climbed past 20 degrees Celsius, my legs hanging in the cooling waters of the famous River Spey offered some relief. And I know many readers will laugh at the notion of 20 degrees being too hot but trust me when you are used to the average temperatures of the frozen North beyond the wall 20 degrees is tropical, add the person sized condom like waders, it’s too hot for this Scotsman!

This middle River Spey beat was fast becoming one of my favourite beats on the river, I had spent a week fishing it with clients a year earlier and had got my first taste of its quality trout and fantastic surroundings. A group of experienced salmon fishers who were looking to augment the salmon fishing with a little trout action and a better beat you couldn’t find, so when the invite had land in my inbox to join again this time as a fisher I jumped on the offer and the opportunity to spend some time chasing the fantastic trophy trout that this beat can produce, this time without clients. When you think of great Scottish trout fly fishing the main rivers that come to mind are rivers like the Don, the Annan, Clyde and Deveron but this famous salmon river that many salmon fishers have on their bucket lists, produce some of the finest trout fishing I have experienced and the dry fly sport make it a fly fishers nirvana.

Sitting watching the faintly peaty waters of the Spey spilling from the salmon pool above through the fast rocky turbulent pocket water, both banks cloaked in birch in the first fresh flush of spring green and behind me pine trees gently swaying in the light wind, it’s a picture perfect location. And with conditions to match it had me almost salivating, sitting expectantly; waiting to see what fish would show themselves.

For the past 24hrs a caddis hatch of Granom and black sedge almost biblical in proportions had been streaming in brown mist like clouds, the volume of biomass streaming from the surface of the river was almost beyond comprehension. A hatch of such profusion would be expected to produce a rise of trout to rival it but strangely hardly a fish stirred, clearly most of the feeding was going on sub surface with the trout targeting the ascending pupa rather than the struggling emergers of caddis on the surface. I can only assume the brightness of the conditions was inducing this feeding behaviour but with the evening cool and gloom once the sun had sunk below the tree line, the feeding actively switched to the surface. There were however, exceptions under the blue skies; the hatch had phases of less intensity where it wained and these periods seemed to induce a change to surface feeding of the emerged caddis and that was my cue and opportunity, with the waning hatch the larger trout were drawn to surface taking pupa just below the surface producing the distinctive dorsal and tail rises.

As the Hatch easied I spied a couple of nice fish taking sedge from the surface, never in an easy spot are they! Tight to the far side of a fast deep seam two thirds of the way across the river it was going to be a tricky wade across a very bouldered 3ft deep section of fast water to get in to a position to cast, to complicate there was also a freshening downstream wind. But if it was easy it wouldn’t be fun!

fishing a barbless size 14 CDC Elk hair on a 16ft 5x tapered leader and a 4 weight 9ft Hardy demon rod.

I begin my slow wade across to the seam, the awkward lie of the trout meant I had a short window to present the fly before the current would induce drag and effect the flies movement. I position myself about 2 rod lengths below and on the opposite side of the seam to the rising trout. I make my first cast but the wind is playing havoc with the leader, no hope of the perfect presentation. I quickly retrieve and decide to shorten the leader removing 4-5ft of tippet and cast back out covering the steady rising trout but not a twitch…. I cover it once, twice, three times but not a hint of wanting it!

Another quick retrieve, standing waist deep in the cold Spey water tugging at my waders and legs, I stare at the fly…… blankly; the fly is right! But why no interest? The size! I go down to a size 16 – quick change, floatant and I mud the leader.

Anxiety building that the trout might stop rising, as I look up it sips again so it’s still mine for the catching. A confident sip and with each rise it’s moving a bit of water, suggesting it’s a good fish, hopefully about a couple of pounds. The fly lands 2ft upstream of the trout and just as the drag starts to act on the fly a brownie coloured nose pokes from the surface and my fly disappears……. I lift in to the fish, feel the weight and know in that moment as the rod tip bends over that its “fish on”! the trout realises its hooked and the next 15 minutes of give and take sport begins as this lump of a fish takes off like a run-away steam train straight downstream my 4wt Hardy’s tip bouncing as the trout fights and thrashes crossing from one side of the river to the other below me in the current. My wrist beginning to ache from the fight as I keep switching hands; this is a big fish, far bigger than expected, it dawns on me I won’t be able to net this one in the middle of the river I going to have to get it in the shallower slack water by the bank, which means I’ve got to wade back across this minefield like boulder strewn assault course of a river bed. The swearing begins, inching my way back to the bank fighting to stay upright against the current whilst playing this rather large and feisty trout that doesn’t seem to be tiring in the slightest! It’s not expending that much energy using the current to fight me – whose playing who?

Half way back to the bank and something makes me look down, just as my McLean’s weigh net sweeps past me? Somehow it’s come loose from my back and its lanyard? (more swearing) it lands a few feet in front of me wedged between two rocks. You have to be kidding me! (more swearing) My wrists are killing me, I am struggling to stand up in the current and now my bloody £80.00 net has decided to swim with the fishes! “RIGHT that’s it!” (more swearing) I need the net to land this fish inching forward crouching, bending, stooping down I reach and stretch through the cold mountain water desperately trying to get my fingers to the sunken net whilst fighting and playing this trout (more swearing) my shirt is soaked and water begins pouring in to my waders very quickly solving my overheating problem and making me gasp as the cold water hits part of my body it shouldn’t! Just as I feel like all is lost I make fingertip contact with the net and somehow I get a hold of the frame “YES got it” I yell to myself and the blue sky above as I wrestle it from its watery grave and manage to clip it to my belt. Half drowned, sodden and aching I finally make it to the slacker water thankfully still playing my prize, the trout relinquishes its battle and slowly I work it to the net aware that I have this monster on a size 16 barbless hook. It slips head first into the net and it’s a monster alright, a deep powerful Spey brownie 5.25lb in weight, a slab of Spey Gold. I breathe a sigh of relief and lean back against the bank just as Bill and Roddy the Ghillie arrive, right boys get a photo of this I am “****ing knackered.” Quick photos are taken for posterity and the adrenaline begins to ease as I kneel in the water and slowly release this beautiful slab of Spey gold with a huge smile and total exhaustion (me, not the trout!).

Spey Trophy Trout Feeling energized after the previous evenings fishing’s and even though I had only managed to squeeze in 6 hours kip I was raring to hit the water and start throwing out casts but thankfully I managed to stifle my enthusiasm and sit and watch the water for wee while.

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ahelicoptermom · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on A Helicopter Mom

New Post has been published on http://ahelicoptermom.com/family-travel-must-haves

Family Travel Must-Haves

Some of you may have noticed that there weren’t any updates on A Helicopter Mom last week. There’s a good reason for that. A great reason, actually – Disney World!

My family was invited on the most amazing trip to Disney World and on the Disney Wonder cruise ship and we were absolutely thrilled about going! We started making lists of things to do, items to pack and places to see while we traveled. It would be one of the most memorable and (hopefully) most wonderful trips that the kids would get to go on as children so we wanted to make sure everything went as well as possible.

The packing was easy. There are a few things that I always take with me when I travel so they stay in my suitcase even when I unpack, ready for the next trip.

My must-have travel items:

Fan: The light breeze and white noise from a fan help me sleep when I’m away from home. I don’t have to worry about whether the hotel AC works well enough or whether my host likes the house as cool at night as I do when I have my own little travel fan.

Earplugs: No more dreading the hotel room by the elevator (or the lobby, or the stairs, or the late-night crowd, etc.). I’ve gotten used to wearing earplugs when I travel and they definitely help keep the exterior sounds to a minimum.

Sewing Kit: I had to buy a little sewing kit for a “wardrobe malfunction” while traveling to a wedding once, and have been surprised by how many times I’ve needed the kit on other trips. Whether it’s a safety pin or a quick hem stitch, my sewing kit has saved the day many times.

Pain killer: It could be the stale airplane air that gives me a headache, the lack of sleep after a fun evening with dear friends, or another unexpected discomfort that I’d rather not worry about while traveling. A small bottle of OTC pain killer is handy to have when I’m on the road.

Zicam®: The last thing I want to deal with when I’m traveling is a miserable cold. Sniffling, sneezing, blowing my nose all day long – no fun at all. I use Zicam® products at the first sign of a cold and know that I’ll be feeling better sooner. Instead of losing an entire trip to the misery of a cold, I can get back to feeling better and enjoy more of the trip thanks to Zicam®.

Zicam® Cold Remedy products are safe and effective and can shorten the duration of a cold when taken at the first sign – which is why it’s great to always have some on hand!

Zicam® Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs are the only nasal swabs clinically proven to shorten colds. Used when symptoms first appear, Zicam® Nasal Swabs reduce symptom severity by 45% by the mid-point of a cold. The homeopathic swabs also comfort and soothe irritated noses with cooling Menthol & Eucalyptus. Each box contains 20 convenient, individually-dosed packets that are great for on-the-go so they’re perfect to have while traveling. With Zicam® Nasal Swabs, you can go from Pre-Cold® to No Cold, Faster™!

Traveling this year? Be sure to take along these family travel must-haves for the best trip possible!

#family review #travel

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tjsawesomename · 8 years ago

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The Top 50 Songs of 2016

I’ve been sitting on this one. For a while. You see, I don’t think I’ve EVER listened to more music than I have this past year. All told I listened - in full - to over fifty albums and approximately 300 new songs. After listening to so much, and realizing that I had added well over 100 songs to my shortlist, I realized that this year (and probably the years to come) needed an expansion beyond just 40 songs.

2016 - musically - was a fanfuckingtastic year. We got so many new albums by so many great artists. It would be impossible for me to shorten this list to forty, so this year I’m giving you fifty! Will I expand the list further next year? Depends on how much time I have! Also, this year I tried my absolute best to make sure that these songs were only released in 2016 (or SUPER late 2015) in SOME form, be it a music video or on Spotify. Next year hopefully I can be even more thorough than I was. Anyway, enough chit chat. First up, some honorable mentions:

Alexx Mack - Whatever I Want

Beyonce - Sorry

Bruno Mars - 24k Magic

Kanye West - Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1

Maty Noyes - lil’ bit wrOng

Redspencer - Fuss

Rihanna - Needed Me

A Tribe Called Quest - We THE People

Troye Sivan - YOUTH

50. Cloud Nothings - Internal World

While Cloud Nothings has released much better material, this track is still excellent and perfect for a chill night.

49. ELEL - Cherokee

The best track from Geode, “Cherokee” is a great ceiling music, or music to stare at your ceiling to.

48. Common - Little Chicago Boy

As a Chicago native, this song hit home well. My city is a fantastic one, but it is troubled. This song encapsulates that.

47. Twin Peaks - You Don’t

The best song that one of my favorite bands released this year.

46. SRNO - Stay Sane feat. Naaz

A haunting melody and tight vocals from Naaz make this track worth a listen.

45. Saba - The Billy Williams Story

Similar to “Little Chicago Boy,” Saba’s “Billy Williams” is an example of excellent storytelling in rapping.

44. Comet Blue - Spaceship

One of the best deep house songs released in 2016, Comet Blue’s debut single is very promising and shows how much potential this group has to be great.

43. White Sea - Bloodmoon

Ethereal, mystic, and beautiful are just a few words to describe this dream pop hit from White Sea. She’s definitely someone to look out for in the coming years.

42. Alex Newell - Keep It Moving

A throwback to early 90s power pop, Alex Newell proves she has the vocal chops to pull off a huge song like this. It reminds me of songs like “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love” by Jane Child, in the best ways possible.

41. Icona Pop - Brightside

Once again, Icona Pop delivers a perfect pop song. To me, they’re a staple of dance pop, and I will not rest until they are relevant in the mainstream once again.

40. Twenty88 - Talk Show

The R&B duo comprised of Big Sean and Jhene Aiko, Twenty88 proves they have a lot to bring to the table with their debut single. Telling the tale of two lovers who quarrel while being interviewed on a talk show, it shouldn’t work in theory, but by god it does. Big Sean and Aiko have a lot more charisma than they let on, and this song proves it. I’m looking forward to what this group releases in the future.

39. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam - When the Truth Is

The perfect song to get absolutely blazed to, “When the Truth Is” is stoner rock at its best. Lyrics that are at times almost unintelligible feel haunting and match perfectly with the song’s vibes.

38. A R I Z O N A - Oceans Away

Another song with a haunting beat, “Oceans Away” portrays missing someone you love fantastically.

37. Madden - Golden Light feat. 6 AM

2016 was a good year for EDM. Songs like “Golden Light” are proof of that. While EDM is normally hard and cold, like the title suggests, “Golden Light” feels warm and positive in a way you don’t normally see this genre.

36. Joey Purp - Girls @ feat. Chance the Rapper

An absolutely hilarious rap song with an especially hilarious verse from Chance, “Girls @” is just fantastic and I highly encourage you to listen to it.

35. Gwen Stefani - “Asking 4 It”

My biggest guilty pleasure of 2016, Gwen Stefani proved that she’s still got it when it comes to pop music. The beat is absolutely DOPE, and Gwen’s vocals match the song to a T.

34. Classixx - Safe Inside feat. Passion Pit

Why did nobody think to combine Classixx and Passion Pit sooner? Two groups who are both amazing at their respective crafts (Passion Pit at electropop, and Classixx at remixing music to give it a house edge) couldn’t come sooner!

33. The Weeknd - In The Night

The most Michael Jackson song to ever be released by someone who wasn’t named Michael Jackson, The Weeknd proves that he has staying power and knows how to tell an amazing story through music.

32. Sturgill Simpson - Keep It Between the Lines

The best country song to come out this year, Simpson - along with Kacey Musgraves and The Steeldrivers - gives me hope for the failing country music genre. To be fair, country music is my guiltiest of all guilty pleasures, but to create a country song that is not only an earworm, but is also substantial? That’s an accomplishment!

31. Chelsea Lankes - Bullet

A great pop song that never charted, Chelsea Lankes could absolutely be a pop star if she wanted to be. Maybe with a bit better marketing she could be a household name. She’s a master at creating pop music, and this song is no exception.

30. Tim Suby - k goodnight feat. Jessie Reyes

A millennial anthem of sorts, the cover art for the single itself conveys the youth’s frustrations with modern romance and how picky people can be today.

29. John Dahlback - Won’t Back Away

2016 was by far the best year for EDM on record, in no small part thanks to people like John Dahlback. While the lyrics may be more one the basic side, what makes this song stick out is the utter positivity to this song, something 2016 desperately needed. Plus, sometimes we just need to listen to a basic love song, and this track fits the bill in spades.

28. Pional - Casualty

Going from saccharine-sweet positive to almost Lana Del Ray levels of ethereal (pro-tip: never go full Lana Del Ray. NEVER.), “Casualty” walks that fine line between super ethereal and super pretentious perfectly.

27. Bridgit Mendler - Atlantis feat. Kaiydo

Possibly the biggest shocker of 2016 was when Bridgit Mendler decided to change from Disney pop to do what she really wanted, and what she really wanted was this (okay so this is nowhere close to the biggest shocker of 2016 but whatever). This song really works! It’s about leaving behind feelings for your ex, burying them so deep they might as well be in Atlantis.

26. Boys - Happy Hour

Another super chill track, Boys seem to be like a more chill version of Haim. And Haim is already pretty fucking chill.

25. Childish Gambino - Me and Your Mama

I was pretty disappointed overall with Childish Gambino’s new album. It wasn’t bad, but he’s certainly done better before. That said, the crowning glory to the album absolutely was “Me and Your Mama.” I can see why he released this track early; it’s creepy and terrifying and beautiful at the same time. Let’s hope he does more stuff like this in the future.

24. Gallant - Skipping Stones feat. Jhene Aiko

As I mentioned earlier, Jhene Aiko is much more charismatic than she lets on. Her work with Gallant is her at her very best, and this is also Gallant at his very best, too. Sleek, groovy, and downright sexy, “Skipping Stones” is the very essence of 2010s R&B.

23. Lincoln Jesser - Roll On feat. Anjulie

I discovered Lincoln Jesser a few weeks ago, and I gotta say, I’m very impressed. Anjulie’s vocals blend in perfectly with the beat here, and Lincoln Jesser delivers a beat so sick the doctors almost couldn’t revive it.

22. Santigold - Can’t Get Enough Of Myself

A song that’s so boastful it’s almost funny (and I’m pretty sure that was the intent) Santigold’s long-awaited third album was well received and couldn’t come sooner. The highlight? This track, of course! Every so often we need to listen to a song that’s about pure indulgence, and this is it for me. I can’t help but laugh every time I hear it.

21. Chance the Rapper - Blessings

Chance the Rapper feels blessed, and you can tell that he does. This track is heavily influenced by gospel to its benefit, and you can absolutely tell that Chance the Rapper thanks god every day for his success. It’s good to know that there are artists out there that are thankful for their success and don’t become assholes.

20. Kiiara - Gold

A haunting trap song by an artist that really shouldn’t have anything to do with trap. Everything about this song is a minimalistic cacophony that comes together so well you can’t help but try to sing along to the nonsense words during the refrain.

19. Birds of Hell - Astronomy Programmes

A helluva song, I’ll tell you that.

18. Lao Ra - Jesus Made Me Bad

If you’ve seen my review on this song, you know how beautiful I think it is. There’s really not much more I can add to it, it’s just a really great song.

17. Kanye West - Famous

Ha. The song with the music video of T-Swizzle’s tiny tits. But for real, this is a great track, and it samples one of my favorite songs of all time: “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy. Kanye West is an asshole, who is also a musical genius. So I hate that I love everything he touches. But I still love it.

16. Big Grams - Fell In the Sun

Big Grams were a group I missed back in 2015, so I caught up to them in 2016. This group, comprised of two acts that I already love: Big Boi and Phantogram, blends together seamlessly. Their crowning achievement is without a doubt “Fell In the Sun.”

15. Rihanna - Desperado

“Desperado” is the best track Rihanna’s released in years. I’m in love with the Rihannaissance (a term I just made up that describes how Rihanna is back on top and releasing music that is her best work to date), and songs like this show why.

14. STRFKR - Tape Machine

Indiepop trio STRFKR is already great, and their latest album is the best they’ve released so far. “Tape Machine,” the opening track, is the best one on their best album. By extension, this is the best song they’ve ever released. Check it out!

13. Video Age - Dance Square

Reminiscent of 80s techno. “Dance Square” is like a more pop version of the stuff Black Marble releases, and the world can never have enough Black Marble.

12. Black Marble - Portland U

Black Marble is the best of lo-fi has to offer. I’ve been following them for a while, and the release of songs like “Portland U” shows that they’re still on their A game.

11. Jack Garratt - Worry

British-born Jack Garratt is someone who you wouldn’t think would be the type to sing R&B, but he pulls it off. “Worry” leans more to his PBR&B side than his indietronica side, but nonetheless this track is an example of him at his very best.

10. Kultur - White Door feat. Khary

A mashup of several different sounds, this song proves that tropical house is here to stay.

9. Ladyhawke - Wild Things

An absolutely beautiful electropop song, I’m sad that I didn’t discover Ladyhawke until this year.

8. Krrum - Evil Twin

A great example of noise that comes together when it needs to to create a great bop.

7. Sleigh Bells - Baptism by Fire

Noise pop has never been better. Sleigh Bells is on, well, fire with their best song to date. Bombastic in its delivery with lyrics sharp as a tack, “Baptism by Fire” is the best song to jam to when you’re in your car angry at your ex for some reason.

6. Beyonce - Formation

Do I even need to say anything?

5. Kali Uchis - Ridin Round

This song is straight up BADASS. 2016 was very heavy with the Caribbean beat, and this song used it best. Uchis doesn’t need to prove her worth here,

4. Bear Hands - 2 AM

A song about the fear of getting older. It’s a topic that’s been done over and over again, but Bear Hands has found a way to make it feel fresh again. Never have I felt happier to grow older, the pain, the joy, the boredom, the love, the responsibility, the maturity.

3. Flume - Never Be Like You feat. Kai

This was my number one hit song of the year, and it’s also a beautiful song. A defiant remark from Kai sends the whole song into motion. The flow of the song is ethereally beautiful. It was great. It is great. It’s an example of a perfect pop song that perfectly describes the year 2016 in music.

2. Solange - Where Do We Go

Beyonce may have had the best album of the year, but Solange had the best song of the two Knowles sisters. With a thumping beat and the amazing vocal talents of Solange, “Where” is without a doubt the best track from the album, and the best soul song of the year.

1. Glass Animals - Season 2 Episode 3

You can make a great song about any number of topics. For Glass Animals, that topic was about leaving your lover because she’s a pothead. “Season 2 Episode 3″ is a masterpiece of a song about not wanting to leave your lover, but realizing you have to. And by no means am I against pot, but I have met people who have developed a psychological dependence on it, and it is not fun at all. This track perfectly encapsulates that feeling. The melancholy, the regret, and the happiness that comes from it. Any song that can successfully convey that many feelings

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